[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D497-D498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Wednesday, May 13, 1998

[[Page D497]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation 
      Protection Act.
      Senate passed Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act.
      The House passed H.R. 10, Financial Services Competition Act of 
      1997.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S4749-S4843
Measures Introduced: Eight bills and one resolution were introduced, as 
follows: S. 2071-2078 and S. Res. 230.
  Page S4823
Measures Passed:
  Religious Liberty and Charitable Donation Protection Act: By a 
unanimous vote of 100 yeas (Vote No. 132), Senate passed S. 1244, to 
amend title 11, United States Code, to protect certain charitable 
contributions, after agreeing to a committee amendment in the nature of 
a substitute.
  Pages S4769-72
  Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act: By 79 yeas to 21 nays 
(Vote No. 135), Senate passed S. 1260, to amend the Securities Act of 
1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to limit the conduct of 
securities class actions under State law, after agreeing to a committee 
amendment in the nature of a substitute, and taking action on 
amendments to be proposed thereto, as follows:
  Pages S4778-S4816
Adopted:
  Sarbanes Amendment No. 2397, to preserve the right of a State or a 
political subdivision thereof or a State pension plan from bringing 
actions under the securities laws.
Page S4811
Rejected:
  Sarbanes/Bryan/Johnson Amendment No. 2395, to provide that the 
appropriate State statute of limitations shall apply to certain actions 
removed to Federal court. (By 69 yeas to 30 nays (Vote No. 133), Senate 
tabled the amendment.)
Pages S4802-07, S4810
  Sarbanes/Bryan/Johnson Amendment No. 2396, to define a class action. 
(By 72 yeas to 27 nays, one responding present, (Vote No. 134), Senate 
tabled the amendment.)
Pages S4807-11
Withdrawn:
  Feingold Amendment No. 2394, to amend certain Federal civil rights 
statutes to prevent the involuntary application of arbitration to 
claims that arise from unlawful employment discrimination based on 
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability. 
                                                         Pages S4792-94
  Biden Amendment No. 2398, regarding fraud as a predicated offense. 
                                                         Pages S4811-12
  Authorizing Use of Capitol Grounds: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 
255, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater 
Washington Soap Box Derby.
  Page S4842
  Authorizing Use of Capitol Grounds: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 
262, authorizing the 1998 District of Columbia Special Olympics Law 
Enforcement Torch Run to be run through the Capitol Grounds. 
                                                             Page S4842
  Authorizing Use of Capitol Grounds: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 
263, authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the seventeenth 
annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service.
  Page S4842
  Authorizing Production of Records: Senate agreed to S. Res. 230, 
authorizing the production of records by the Select Committee on 
Intelligence.
  Page S4842
Missile Defense System: Senate resumed consideration of the motion to 
proceed to consideration of S. 1873, to state the policy of the United 
States regarding the deployment of a missile defense system capable of 
defending the territory of the United States against limited ballistic 
missile attack.
  Pages S4749-69
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate took the following 
action:
  By 59 yeas to 41 nays (Vote No. 131), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected a motion to

[[Page D498]]

close further debate on the motion to proceed to the consideration of 
the bill.
Pages S4768-69
Department of Defense Authorizations: Senate began consideration of S. 
2057, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 1999 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces. 
                                                         Pages S4817-18
  Senate will continue consideration of the bill on Thursday, May 14, 
1998.
Page S4843
IRS Reform--Conferees: Pursuant to the order of May 6, 1998, the Chair 
appointed conferees on H.R. 2676, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to restructure and reform the Internal Revenue Service, as 
follows: from the Committee on Finance: Senators Roth, Chafee, 
Grassley, Hatch, Murkowski, Nickles, Gramm, Moynihan, Baucus, Graham, 
Breaux, and Kerrey; and from the Committee on Governmental Affairs: 
Senators Thompson, Brownback, Cochran, Durbin, and Cleland. 
                                                             Page S4841
Removal of Injunction of Secrecy: The injunction of secrecy was removed 
from the following treaty:
  Treaty with St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Mutual Legal Assistance 
in Criminal Matters (Treaty Doc. 105-44).
  The treaty was transmitted to the Senate today, considered as having 
been read for the first time, and referred, with accompanying papers, 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations and was ordered to be printed. 
                                                         Pages S4841-42
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting the report concerning the Indian nuclear tests on May 
11, 1998; referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (PM-125). 
                                                             Page S4820
  Transmitting the report concerning the national emergency with 
respect to Iran; referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs. (PM-126).
Page S4820
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Arthur J. Tarnow, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for 
the Eastern District of Michigan.
  George Caram Steeh, III, of Michigan, to be United States District 
Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Page S4843
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nomination:
  Jacob Joseph Lew, of New York, to be Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget.
Page S4843
Messages From the President:
  Page S4820
Messages From the House:
  Pages S4820-21
Measures Placed on Calendar:
  Page S4821
Petitions:
  Pages S4821-23
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S4823-34
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S4834-35
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S4835-36
Authority for Committees:
  Pages S4836-37
Additional Statements:
  Pages S4837-41
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:
  Pages S4818-19
Record Votes: Five record votes were taken today. (Total--135) 
                                 Pages S4768-69, S4772, S4810-11, S4815
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 7:37 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m., on Thursday, May 14, 1998. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S4843.)