[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D550-D552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D550]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 18 public bills, H.R. 3925-3942; 2 private bills, 
H.R. 3943-3944; and 5 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 279-280, and H. Res. 
443-444, 447,were introduced.
  Pages H3742-43
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  H.R. 1690, to amend title 28 of the United States Code regarding 
enforcement of child custody orders (H. Rept. 105-546);
  H. Res. 445, waiving a requirement of clause 4(b), rule XI with 
respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the 
Committee on Rules (H. Rept. 105-547); and
  H. Res. 446, disposing of the conference report to accompany S. 1150, 
to ensure that federally funded agricultural research, extension, and 
education address high-priority concerns with national or multistate 
significance, to reform, extend, and eliminate certain agricultural 
research programs (H. Rept. 105-548).
Page H3742
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Bonilla to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.
  Page H3627
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Rabbi 
Moshe Bomzer of Albany, New York.
  Page H3627
Journal: The House agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal of 
Wednesday, May 20 by yea and nay vote of 339 yeas to 58 nays with 2 
voting ``present'', Roll No. 175.
  Pages H3627-28
Member Sworn: Representative-elect Robert A. Brady presented himself in 
the well of the House and was administered the oath of office by the 
Speaker.
  Page H3628
President's Assertions of Executive Privilege: The House agreed to H. 
Res. 432, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
concerning the President's assertions of executive privilege by yea and 
nay vote of 259 yeas to 157 nays with 6 voting ``present'', Roll No. 
176.
  Pages H3640-46
Cooperation with Congressional Investigations: The House agreed to H. 
Res. 433, calling upon the President of the United States to urge full 
cooperation by his former political appointees and friends and their 
associates with congressional investigations by yea and nay vote of 342 
yeas to 69 nays with 12 voting ``present'', Roll No. 177. 
                                                         Pages H3646-66
  H. Res. 436, the rule that provided for consideration of both H. Res. 
432 and H. Res. 433 was agreed to earlier by a voice vote. 
                                                         Pages H3634-40
Presidential Messages: Read the following messages from the President:
  NATO Expansion: Message wherein he transmitted his certification that 
each of the governments of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic are 
fully cooperating with U.S. efforts to obtain an accounting of captured 
and missing U.S. personnel from past military conflicts or Cold War 
incidents--referred to the Committee on International Relations and 
ordered printed (H. Doc. 105-256).
  Page H3666
  National Endowment for the Humanities: Message wherein he transmitted 
the 32nd annual report of the National Endowment for the Humanities--
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  Page H3733
DOD Authorization: The House passed H.R. 3616, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 1999 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for 
fiscal year 1999 by a recorded vote of 357 ayes to 60 noes, Roll No. 
183. Agreed to amend the title. (The House completed general debate on 
May 19 and began consideration of amendments on May 20). 
                                                      Pages H3666-H3715
  Rejected the Frank of Massachusetts motion to recommit the bill to 
the Committee on National Security with instructions to report it back 
forthwith with an amendment that prohibits funding after December 31, 
1998 for the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces to the Republic of Bosnia 
and Herzegovina unless a law has been enacted that explicitly 
authorizes the deployment by a recorded vote of 167 ayes to 251 noes, 
Roll No. 182.
Pages H3712-14
Agreed To:
  The Spence en bloc amendment consisting of H. Rept. 105-544 Part D 
amendments numbered 1 through 18, 21 through 38 and an amendment deemed 
printed by an order of the House on May 20: that clarifies limits State 
authority to tax compensation paid to certain individuals performing 
service in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; seeks to enhance outdoor recreation 
development on military installations for disabled veterans, military 
dependents with disabilities, and other persons with disabilities; 
within 6 months of enactment requires certification and description of 
the system used to recover from commercial carriers the costs incurred 
by the Department; revises the time for submitting the annual report 
relating to the Buy American Act from 90 days

[[Page D551]]

to 60 days; requires that all burial flags be wholly produced in the 
United States; transfers the title of the Youngstown Navy and Marine 
Corps Reserve facility to the city of Youngstown, Ohio; requires a DOD 
Inspector General investigation of actions relating to the 174th 
Fighter Wing of the New York Air National Guard; limits NATO expansion 
payments to $2 billion or 10 percent of the total cost, whichever is 
less over the next thirteen years; requires that military physicians 
possess unrestricted licenses and establishes a mechanism for ensuring 
the completion of continuing medical education requirements; reduces 
the retirement pay for enlisted members who are reduced in grade before 
retirement; prohibits the use of tritium produced in facilities 
licensed under the Atomic Energy Act for nuclear explosive purposes; 
requires a proposal by November 1, 1998 to establish an appeals process 
in cases of ClaimCheck denials of claims for health care services 
submitted by civilian providers; requires, in conjunction with the 
National Academy of Sciences, a study on the technology base of the 
Department of Defense; encourages existing cooperative working 
relationships between the Air Force Flight Test Center and the NASA 
Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base and requires a 
joint report concerning the base alliance; makes the export of U.S. 
satellites subject to the licensing requirements established by the 
Arms Export Control Act; requires reports from the Arms Control and 
Disarmament Agency or State Department on arms control developments 
including information on the activities of various arms control treaty 
compliance forums; requires a schedule for implementation of best 
commercial inventory practices for the management of secondary supply 
items; requires the Secretary Of Commerce to release within 5 days to 
the CIA, DOD, or Energy Department any information relating to exports 
carried out with or without an export license; expresses the sense of 
Congress concerning the inability of members of the armed forces away 
from their main residence on active duty to exercise the capital gains 
relief for homeowners as provided in the 1997 Taxpayer Relief Act; adds 
Indigenous groups, such as the Hmong, Nung, Montagnard, Kahmer, HoaHao, 
and CaoDai combat forces, to the list of those who made contributions 
during the Vietnam conflict; protects funding for the two national 
launch ranges in California and Florida which support DOD and NASA 
space launch activities; expresses the sense of Congress regarding the 
establishment of a counter drug center in Panama; establishes an Office 
of River Protection and directs Hanford tank cleanup program reforms; 
allows a partnership arrangement to operate a hazardous materials 
management and emergency response training program; requires an annual 
report on private sector employees who provide services under contract 
for the Department of Defense; authorizes hardship duty pay on the 
basis of the nature of the duty rather than the location of the duty; 
expresses the sense of Congress concerning the New Parent Support 
Program and Military Families and requires a report on it; authorizes 
funding for the DOD portion of the Multi-Agency Next Generation 
Internet Program and specifies that it may only be authorized through 
the Defense authorization bill; establishes the Defense Against Weapons 
of Mass Destruction title to encourage better coordination and improve 
capabilities to respond to incidents involving weapons of mass 
destruction; expresses the sense of Congress that the President should 
direct the Secretaries of Defense, State, Energy, and the Administrator 
of EPA to assess the feasibility of a privately funded international 
project to exchange information related to advanced nuclear waste 
remediation technologies; requires the restructuring of Theater High-
Altitude Area Defense System acquisition strategy; requires that the 
authority to issue an objection concerning the export of supercomputers 
be executed at a specified level and requires that procedures maximize 
the ability to issue an objection with the 10 day time limit; increases 
the amount authorized for basic research and applied research by $1.1 
billion; transfers oversight of the program for assessment of 
alternative technologies for demilitarization of assembled chemical 
weapons to the Army and authorizes $12.6 million for the program; 
authorizes the conveyance of property at Fort Sheridan, Illinois to the 
City of Lake Forest, Illinois; requires a report on the rates of 
personnel retention by military services since 1989; and specifies 
requirements for the transfer of excess UH-1 Huey helicopters and AH-1 
Cobra helicopters to foreign countries;
Pages H3666-84
  The Thornberry amendment that authorizes DOD to conduct a 
demonstration program for enrolling Medicare-eligible military retirees 
in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (agreed to by a 
recorded vote of 420 ayes to 1 noes with 1 voting ``present;'' 
                                                         Pages H3684-94
  The Traficant amendment that authorizes the Secretary of Defense to 
assign members of the Armed Forces, under certain circumstances and 
subject to certain conditions, to assist the Immigration and 
Naturalization Service and the Customs Service in monitoring and 
patrolling our borders (agreed to by a recorded vote of 288 ayes to 132 
noes, Roll No. 180);
Pages H3695-H3705
  The Gilman amendment that establishes reporting requirements for 
nuclear exports that are comparable to those in existing law for 
conventional arms; requires the Executive branch to submit to Congress

[[Page D552]]

a report describing each such export and the basis for approval; 
provides for Congress to have 30 days to review the proposed license 
and use expedited procedures to enact a resolution of disapproval if 
necessary (agreed to by a recorded vote of 405 ayes to 9 noes, Roll 
No.181);
Pages H3705-07, H3710-11
  The Hunter amendment, as modified, that requires a study to assess 
the impact of the current micropurchase program and the advisability of 
increasing the purchase threshold;
Pages H3707-09
  The Taylor of Mississippi amendment that requires the Secretary of 
Defense to expand its drug testing program to all civilian employees; 
and
Pages H3709-10
  The Thomas amendment that provides for treatment of the State of 
California claim regarding the naval petroleum reserve numbered 1 and 
makes available amounts in the contingent fund for paying the claim. 
                                                             Page H3710
  Rejected the Reyes amendment to the Traficant amendment that sought 
to require the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Treasury to 
submit a request to the Secretary of Defense prior to the assignment of 
armed forces personnel to assist the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service and Customs Service (rejected by a recorded vote of 179 ayes to 
243 noes, Roll No. 179).
Pages H3702-05
  Rejected the Frank of Massachusetts motion to strike all after the 
enacting clause.
Pages H3694-95
  The Clerk was authorized in the engrossment of H.R. 3616 to correct 
section numbers, punctuation, cross references, table of contents, and 
to make other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to 
reflect the actions of the House in amending the bill.
Page H3715
  H. Res. 441, the rule that is providing for the further consideration 
on the bill, was agreed to on May 20. Agreed today that during further 
consideration of the bill pursuant to the rule, the Thomas amendment be 
deemed to have been included as the last amendment printed in part D of 
H. Rept. 105-544, the report accompanying the rule. 
                                               Pages H3495-H3505, H3666
BESTEA--Motion to Instruct Conferees: Rejected the Minge motion to 
instruct House conferees on H.R. 2400, Building Efficient Surface 
Transportation and Equity Act, to ensure that spending for highways and 
transit programs authorized in the conference agreement on H.R. 2400 is 
fully paid for using estimates of the Congressional Budget Office, to 
reject the use of estimates from any other source, to reject any method 
of budgeting that departs from the budget enforcement principles 
currently in effect, or the use of the budget surplus to pay for 
spending on highways or transit programs by a recorded vote of 156 ayes 
to 251 noes with 2 voting ``present'', Roll No. 185. 
                                                  Pages H3715-19, H3722
BESTEA--Motion to Instruct Conferees: Rejected the Obey motion to 
instruct House conferees on H.R. 2400, Building Efficient Surface 
Transportation and Equity Act, to limit the aggregate number of 
earmarked highway demonstration projects included in the conference 
report on H.R. 2400 to a number that does not exceed the aggregate 
number of such highway demonstration projects earmarked during the 42 
years since the enactment of the Highway Trust Fund in 1956 by a yea 
and nay vote of 77 yeas to 332 nays with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 
184.
  Pages H3719-22
Campaign Finance Reform: The House agreed to H. Res. 442, the rule that 
is providing for consideration of H.J. Res. 119, proposing an amendment 
to the Constitution of the United States to limit campaign spending, 
and H.R. 2183, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to 
reform the financing of campaigns for elections for Federal office. 
Agreed to order the previous question by a yea and nay vote of 208 yeas 
to 190 nays, Roll No. 186.
  Pages H3722-33
Recess: The House recessed at 11:59 p.m. and reconvened at 12:15 a.m. 
on Friday, May 22.
  Page H3739
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today appear on 
pages H3628 and H3690.
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H3744-55.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Five yea and nay votes and seven recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H3627-28, H3646, H3665-66, H3694, H3704-05, H3705, H3710-11, H3714, 
H3714-15, H3721-22, H3722, and H3732-33. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: Met at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned at 12:17 a.m. on Friday, 
May 22.