[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 20 (Wednesday, March 4, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D167-D168]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 20 public bills, H.R. 3317-3336; and 4 resolutions, 
H.J. Res. 113-114, H. Con. Res. 233-234, were introduced.
  Page H850
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H. Res. 377, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2369) to 
amend the Communications Act of 1934 to strengthen and clarify 
prohibitions on electronic eavesdropping (H. Rept. 105-427); and
  H. Res. 378, providing for consideration of H.R. 3130, to provide for 
an alternative penalty procedure for States that fail to meet Federal 
child support data processing requirements, to reform Federal incentive 
payments for effective child support performance, and to provide for a 
more flexible penalty procedure for States that violate 
interjurisdictional adoption requirements (H. Rept. 105-428). 
                                                              Page H850
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Pease to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H759
United States-Puerto Rico Political Status Act: The House passed H.R. 
856, to provide a process leading to full self-government for Puerto 
Rico, by a recorded vote of 209 ayes to 208 noes, Roll No. 37. 
                                                        Pages H772-H837
  On demand for a separate vote, agreed to the Solomon amendment, as 
amended by the Burton amendment in the nature of a substitute, that 
applies the official English language requirements to Puerto Rico upon 
accession to Statehood and promotes the teaching and use of English in 
Puerto Rico by a recorded vote of 240 ayes to 177 noes, Roll No. 36. 
                                                          Pages H836-37
Agreed To:
  The Burton substitute amendment to the Solomon amendment that applies 
the official English language requirements to Puerto Rico upon 
accession to Statehood and promotes the teaching and use of English in 
Puerto Rico (agreed to by a recorded vote of 238 ayes to 182 noes, Roll 
No. 29);
Pages H804-12
  The Solomon amendment, as amended, that applies the official English 
language requirements to Puerto Rico upon accession to Statehood and 
promotes the teaching and use of English in Puerto Rico (agreed to by a 
recorded vote of 265 ayes to 153 noes, Roll No. 30);
Pages H802-12
Rejected:
  The Gutierrez substitute amendment to the Solomon amendment that 
sought to stipulate that Spanish, as an official language of Puerto 
Rico, is the official language in the State government and Federal 
courts and agencies under certain circumstances (rejected by a recorded 
vote of 13 ayes to 406 noes with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 28); 
                                                          Pages H802-11
  The Gutierrez substitute amendment to the Serrano amendment that 
sought to establish voting

[[Page D168]]

eligibility in the referenda for individuals residing outside of Puerto 
Rico including those who have at least one parent who was born in 
Puerto Rico;
Pages H817-19
  The Serrano amendment that sought to allow U.S. citizens born in 
Puerto Rico but residing outside of Puerto Rico to vote in the 
referenda (rejected by a recorded vote of 57 ayes to 356 noes, Roll No. 
32);
Pages H817-20
  The Gutierrez amendment that sought to establish that Puerto Rico is 
sociologically and culturally a Caribbean and Latin American nation; 
                                                          Pages H821-23
  The Stearns amendment that sought to require a run-off referendum, 
not later than 90 days after the first, between the 2 options which 
received the most votes (rejected by a recorded vote of 28 ayes to 384 
noes, Roll No. 33);
Pages H823-24, H833-34
  The Gutierrez amendment that sought to strike language dealing with 
the establishment of United States nationality for inhabitants of 
Puerto Rico under the Treaty of Paris;
Pages H824-25
  The Barr amendment that sought to require the approval of the 
statehood option by a super-majority of 75 percent of the valid votes 
cast (rejected by a recorded vote of 131 ayes to 282 noes, Roll No. 
34);
Pages H825-28, H834-35
  The Velazquez amendment that sought to specify that persons born in 
Puerto Rico who are Puerto Rican citizens may not be denied the right 
to vote in Puerto Rico even if they are not United States citizens; 
                                                          Pages H828-29
  The Gutierrez amendment that sought to strike section 2, 
Congressional findings;
Page H829
  The Gutierrez amendment that sought to allow Puerto Rico to retain 
its separate Olympic Committee and ability to compete under its own 
flag and national anthem (rejected by a recorded vote of 2 ayes to 413 
noes with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 35); and
Pages H829-30, H835
  The Gutierrez amendment that sought to retain corporate tax 
provisions for twenty years after statehood and to exempt Puerto Ricans 
from U.S. internal revenue laws until such time as the State of Puerto 
Rico achieves the same per capita income as the State with the next 
lowest per capita income.
Pages H831-33
  The Clerk was authorized in the engrossment of H.R. 856 to make 
technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the 
action of the House.
Page H839
  H. Res. 376, the rule that provided for consideration of the bill, 
was agreed to earlier by a yea and nay vote of 370 yeas to 41 nays, 
Roll No. 27. Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a 
substitute printed in the Congressional Record and numbered 1 was 
considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment. 
                                                          Pages H763-72
Presidential Messages: Read the following messages from the President:
  Payments Made to Cuba: Message wherein he transmitted his report 
concerning payments made to Cuba by any United States person as a 
result of telecommunications services--referred to the Committee in 
International Relations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 105-221); 
                                                          Pages H837-38
  National Emergency Re Iran: Message wherein he transmitted his report 
concerning the national emergency with respect to Iran--referred to the 
Committee on International Relations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 105-
222); and
  Page H838
  U.S. Armed Forces Presence In Bosnia and Herzegovina: Message wherein 
he transmitted his report concerning the continued presence of U.S. 
armed forces, after June 30, 1998, in Bosnia and Herzegovina--referred 
to the Committees on International Relations and Appropriations and 
ordered printed (H. Doc. 105-223).
  Pages H838-39
Import Produce Labeling Act: Agreed that Representative Condit be 
considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1232, a bill originally 
introduced by the late Representative Bono of California, for the 
purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprints pursuant to 
clause 4 of rule XXII.
  Page H839
Amtrak Reform Council: The Chair announced the Speaker's appointment of 
the following individuals on the part of the House to the Amtrak Reform 
Council: Mrs. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey, Mr. Bruce Chapman 
of Washington, and Mr. Christopher Gleason of Pennsylvania.
  Page H839
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H851-52.
Quorum Calls--Votes: One quorum call (Roll No. 31), one yea-and-nay 
vote, and nine recorded votes developed during the proceedings of the 
House today and appear on pages H771-72, H810-11, H811-12, H812, H819-
20, H820, H833-34, H834-35, H835, H836-37, and H837.
Adjournment: Met at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned at 11:30 p.m.