[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 31, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D333-D335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Tuesday, March 31, 1998

[[Page D333]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2781-S2878
Measures Introduced: Eleven bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1883-1893 and S. Res. 203-205. 
                                                         Pages S2850-51
Measures Passed:
  Emergency Supplemental Appropriations: Pursuant to the order of March 
26, 1998, Senate passed H.R. 3579, making emergency supplemental 
appropriations for recovery from natural disasters, and for overseas 
peacekeeping efforts, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, 
after striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu 
thereof the text of S. 1768, Senate companion measure, as passed by the 
Senate.
  Page S2826
  The Senate insisted on its amendment, requested a conference with the 
House thereon, and the Chair appointed the following conferees on the 
part of the Senate: Senators Stevens, Cochran, Specter, Domenici, Bond, 
Gorton, McConnell, Burns, Shelby, Gregg, Bennett, Campbell, Craig, 
Faircloth, Hutchison, Byrd, Inouye, Hollings, Leahy, Bumpers, 
Lautenberg, Harkin, Mikulski, Reid, Kohl, Murray, Dorgan, and Boxer. 
                                                             Page S2826
  Recognizing the Tennessee Lady Volunteers: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
203, expressing the sense of the Senate that the University of 
Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team is the new dynasty in 
collegiate women's basketball.
  Pages S2826-27
  Commending the University of Kentucky Basketball Team: Senate agreed 
to S. Res. 204, to commend and congratulate the University of Kentucky 
on its men's basketball team winning its seventh National Collegiate 
Athletic Association championship.
  Pages S2827-28
Congressional Budget: Senate resumed consideration of S. Con. Res. 86, 
setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government 
for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 and revising the 
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 1998, taking action 
on amendments proposed thereto, as follows: 
                                            Pages S2781-S2826, S2828-47
Adopted:
  By a unanimous vote of 96 yeas (Vote No. 49), Sessions/Enzi Amendment 
No. 2166, to express the sense of Congress that the Federal Government 
should acknowledge the importance of at-home parents and should not 
discriminate against families who forego a second income in order for a 
mother or father to be at home with their children.
Pages S2782-86
  Gregg Amendment No. 2167, to express the sense of the Senate that 
this resolution assumes that no immunity from liability will be 
provided to any manufacturer of a tobacco product.
Pages S2809-11
  By 79 yeas to 19 nays (Vote No. 51), Gregg/Conrad Amendment No. 2168 
(to Amendment No. 2167), of a perfecting nature.
Pages S2809-11
Pending:
  Kyl Amendment No. 2169, to express the sense of the Congress 
regarding freedom of health care choice for medicare seniors. 
                                                         Pages S2813-25
  Conrad/Lautenberg/Bingaman/Reed Amendment No. 2174, to ensure that 
the tobacco reserve fund in the resolution protects public health. 
                                                         Pages S2831-41
  Conrad (for Moseley-Braun) Amendment No. 2175, to express the sense 
of the Senate regarding elementary and secondary school modernization 
and construction.
Page S2781
  Conrad (for Boxer) Modified Amendment No. 2176, to increase Function 
500 discretionary budget authority and outlays to accommodate an 
initiative promoting after-school education and safety. 
                                                         Pages S2812-13
  Brownback Amendment No. 2177, to express the sense of the Senate 
regarding economic growth, Social Security, and Government efficiency. 
                                                             Page S2782
  Burns Amendment No. 2178, to express the sense of the Senate 
regarding the use of agricultural trade programs to promote the export 
of United States agricultural commodities and products.
Page S2782
  Smith (Oregon) Amendment No. 2179, to express the sense of the Senate 
on Social Security taxes.
Pages S2785-86
  Smith (Oregon) Amendment No. 2180, to express the sense of the Senate 
with respect to the use of marijuana for medicinal purpose. 
                                                     Pages S2786, S2814

[[Page D334]]


  Smith (Oregon) Amendment No. 2181, to express the sense of the Senate 
concerning increases in the prices of tobacco products.
Page S2786
  Kennedy Amendment No. 2183, to express the sense of the Senate 
concerning the enactment of a patient's bill of rights. 
                                                         Pages S2786-87
  Kennedy Amendment No. 2184, to increase Function 500 discretionary 
budget authority and outlays to support innovative education reform 
efforts in urban and rural school districts.
Pages S2786-87
  Kennedy Amendment No. 2185, to express the sense of the Congress 
regarding additional budget authority for the Equal Employment 
Opportunity Commission.
Pages S2786-87
  Wellstone Modified Amendment No. 2186, to provide a reserve fund to 
pay for increased Pell Grants by reducing or eliminating corporate 
welfare tax expenditures.
Pages S2799, S2813
  Wellstone/Moynihan Amendment No. 2187, to express the sense of the 
Senate regarding a report of the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
evaluating the outcomes of welfare reform.
Page S2799
  Wellstone Modified Amendment No. 2188, to provide additional funds 
for medical care for veterans.
Pages S2799-S2800, S2813
  Thurmond Amendment No. 2191, to clarify outlay levels for major 
functional categories.
Pages S2811-12
  Thurmond Amendment No. 2192, to clarify outlay levels for national 
defense.
Pages S2811-12
  Lautenberg (for Hollings) Amendment No. 2193, to provide a 
supermajority point of order against any change in the off-budget 
status of Social Security.
Page S2812
  Lautenberg Amendment No. 2194, to express the sense of the Senate to 
ensure that the tobacco reserve fund in the resolution may be used to 
protect the public health.
Page S2812
  Lautenberg Amendment No. 2195, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund for environmental and natural resources.
Page S2812
  Lautenberg (for Kohl/Reid) Amendment No. 2204, to express the sense 
of the Senate regarding the establishment of a national background 
check system for long-term care workers.
Pages S2825-26
  Lautenberg (for Durbin/Chafee) Amendment No. 2205, to express the 
sense of Congress regarding the right to affordable, high-quality 
health care for seniors.
Pages S2825-26
  Reid/Bryan Amendment No. 2206, to express the sense of the Senate 
that the landowner incentive program included in the Endangered Species 
Recovery Act should be financed from a dedicated source of funding and 
that public lands should not be sold to fund the landowner incentive 
program of the Endangered Species Recovery Act.
Pages S2828-31
  Domenici (for Roth) Amendment No. 2209, to express the sense of the 
Senate that the Committee on Finance shall consider and report a 
legislative proposal this year that would dedicate the Federal budget 
surplus to the establishment of a program of personal retirement 
accounts for working Americans.
Page S2841
  Lautenberg (for Johnson) Amendment No. 2210, to express the sense of 
the Senate regarding repair and construction of Indian schools. 
                                                         Pages S2841-42
  Allard Amendment No. 2170, to require the reduction of the deficit, a 
balanced Federal budget, and the repayment of the national debt. 
                                                         Pages S2842-44
  Craig Amendment No. 2211, to modify the pay-as-you-go requirement of 
the budget process to require that direct spending increases be offset 
only with direct spending decreases.
Pages S2844-47
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted 
in the affirmative, Senate rejected motions to waive certain provisions 
of the Congressional Budget Act with respect to consideration of the 
following amendments:
  By 46 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 50), Murray Amendment No. 2165, to 
establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to reduce class size by hiring 
100,000 teachers.
Pages S2787-99
  By 50 yeas to 48 nays (Vote No. 52), Conrad (for Dodd) Amendment No. 
2173, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for child care 
improvements.
Pages S2800-09, S2811
  Subsequently, a point of order that the amendments were violations of 
the Congressional Budget Act was sustained, and the amendments thus 
fell.
Page S2811
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for a vote to 
occur on Amendment No. 2169, at 12 noon, and on Amendment No. 2174, at 
2 p.m., on Wednesday, April 1, 1998.
Page S2878
  Senate will continue consideration of the resolution on Wednesday, 
April 1, 1998.
Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act Conference Report--
Agreement: A unanimous-consent time-agreement was reached providing for 
the consideration of the conference report on H.R. 1757, to consolidate 
international affairs agencies, and to authorize appropriations for the 
Department of State and related agencies for fiscal years 1998 and 
1999.
  Page S2878
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:

[[Page D335]]


  Transmitting a report concerning B-2 bombers; referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services. (PM-116).
Pages S2848-49
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations: Nora 
M. Manella, of California, to be United States District Judge for the 
Central District of California vice Mariana R. Pfaelzer, retired. 
                                                             Page S2878
Messages from the President:
  Pages S2848-49
Messages from the House:
  Page S2849
Measures Referred:
  Page S2849
Communications:
  Pages S2849-50
Petitions:
  Page S2850
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S2851-62
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S2862-63
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S2864-72
Authority for Committees:
  Page S2872
Additional Statements:
  Pages S2872-78
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--52) 
                                              Pages S2786, S2799, S2811
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 10:02 p.m., 
until 10 a.m., on Wednesday, April 1, 1998. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record, on page 
S2878.)