[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 124 (Thursday, September 17, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D994-D996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                       Thursday, September 17, 1998

[[Page D994]]


                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      House and Senate passed H.J. Res. 128, making continuing 
      appropriations for FY 1999.
      House passed H.R. 4569, Foreign Operations Appropriations.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S10451-S10549
Measures Introduced: Eight bills and two resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2489-2496, and S. Res. 279 and 280.
  Pages S10517-18
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  S. 2107, to enhance electronic commerce by promoting the reliability 
and integrity of commercial transactions through establishing 
authentication standards for electronic communications, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 105-335)
  H.R. 3303, to authorize appropriations for the Department of Justice 
for fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2001; to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal years 1999 and 2000 to carry out certain programs administered 
by the Department of Justice; to amend title 28 of the United States 
Code with respect to the use of funds available to the Department of 
Justice, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  H.R. 3494, to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to 
violent sex crimes against children, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute.
  S. Res. 256, to refer S. 2274 entitled ``A bill for the relief of 
Richard M. Barlow of Santa Fe, New Mexico'' to the chief judge of the 
United States Court of Federal Claims for a report thereon.
  S. 1637, to expedite State review of criminal records of applicants 
for bail enforcement officer employment, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
  S. 1727, authorize the comprehensive independent study of the effects 
on trademark and intellectual property rights holders of adding new a 
generic top-level domains and related dispute resolution procedures, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2392, to encourage the disclosure and exchange of information 
about computer processing problems and related matters in connection 
with the transition to the Year 2000, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute.
Page S10517
Measures Passed:
  Continuing Appropriations: Senate passed H.J. Res. 128, making 
continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 1999, clearing the 
measure for the President.
  Pages S10499-S10501
  Puerto Rico/U.S.Citizens: Senate agreed to S. Res. 279, expressing 
the sense of the Senate supporting the right of the United States 
citizens in Puerto Rico to express their desires regarding their future 
political status.
  Pages S10501-08
  Indian Health Service Organization: Senate passed S. 1770, to elevate 
the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the 
Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for 
Indian Health, after agreeing to a committee amendment in the nature of 
a substitute.
  Pages S10533-34
  Four Corners Monument Tribal Park: Senate passed S. 1998, to 
authorize an interpretive center and related visitor facilities within 
the Four Corners Monument Tribal Park.
  Pages S10534-35
  Trademark Law Treaty: Senate passed S. 2193, to implement the 
provisions of the Trademark Law Treaty, after agreeing to the following 
amendment proposed thereto:
  Pages S10535-36
  Santorum (for Hatch/Leahy) Amendment No. 3601, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Pages S10535-36
  Printing Senate Document: Senate agreed to S. Res. 280, directing the 
printing as a Senate document of a compilation of material entitled 
``History of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee''.
  Page S10536

[[Page D995]]

  U.S. Policy/Tibet: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 103, expressing the 
sense of the Congress in support of the recommendations of the 
International Commission of Jurists on Tibet and on United States 
policy with regard to Tibet, after agreeing to a committee amendment in 
the nature of a substitute.
  Pages S10536-37
  WIPO Copyright Treaties Implementation Act: Senate passed H.R. 2281, 
to amend title 17, United States Code, to implement the WIPO Copyright 
Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, after striking 
all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the text of 
S. 2037, as passed by the Senate.
  Page S10537
  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 Hatch, Thurmond, and Leahy.
Page S10537
  Subsequently, passage of S. 2037 was vitiated and the bill was 
indefinitely postponed.
Page S10537
  Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorizations: Senate passed H.R. 3874, to 
amend the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 
to provide children with increased access to food and nutrition 
assistance, to simplify program operations and improve program 
management, and to extend certain authorities contained in those Acts 
through fiscal year 2003, after striking all after the enacting clause 
and inserting in lieu thereof the text of S. 2286, Senate companion 
measure.
  Pages S10537-44
  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 Lugar, Cochran, McConnell, Harkin, and 
Leahy.
Pages S10538, S10544
  Subsequently, S. 2286 was returned to the Senate Calendar. 
                                                            Page S10538
Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act: Senate resumed consideration of S. 
1301, to amend title 11, United States Code, to provide for consumer 
bankruptcy protection, with a committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute, taking action on amendments proposed thereto, as follows: 
                                  Pages S10452-57, S10459-73, S10508-09
  Adopted:
  Grassley/Durbin Amendment No. 3595 (to Amendment No. 3559), relating 
to credit card disclaimers, reaffirmation agreements, and miscellaneous 
bankruptcy changes.
Pages S10452, S10509
  Subsequently, the amendment was modified by unanimous-consent. 
                                                            Page S10509
  Reed Amendment No. 3596 (to Amendment No. 3559), to prohibit 
creditors from terminating or refusing to renew an extension of credit 
because the consumer did not incur finance charges. (By 47 yeas to 52 
nays (Vote No. 273), Senate earlier failed to table the amendment.) 
                                             Pages S10455-57, S10459-60
  By a unanimous vote of 89 yeas (Vote No. 276), Hatch Amendment No. 
3600 (to Amendment No. 3559), to provide for protection of retirement 
savings.
Pages S10508-09
Rejected:
  D'Amato Amendment No. 3597 (to Amendment No. 3559), to limit fees 
charged by financial institutions for the use of automatic teller 
machines. (By 72 yeas to 26 nays (Vote No. 275), Senate tabled the 
amendment.)
Pages S10460-66, S10472-73
  Dodd Amendment No. 3598 (to Amendment No. 3559), to amend the Truth 
in Lending Act with respect to extensions of credit to consumers under 
the age of 21. (By 58 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 274), Senate tabled the 
amendment.)
Pages S10466-72
Pending:
  Lott (for Grassley/Hatch) Amendment No. 3559, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Pages S10452, S10455-57, S10459-73
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill and an amendment to be proposed thereto, on 
Tuesday, September 22, 1998.
Page S10455
Partial-Birth Abortion Ban--Veto Message:  Senate began consideration 
of the veto message accompanying H.R. 1122, to amend title 18, United 
States Code, to ban partial-birth abortions. 
                                             Pages S10474-99, S10509-10
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the veto message on Friday, September 18, 1998, with a 
vote on the question, ``Shall the bill pass, the objections of the 
President to the contrary notwithstanding'', to occur thereon at 9:30 
a.m.
Page S10452
Child Custody Protection Act: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing for consideration of S. 1645, to amend title 18, United 
States Code, to prohibit taking minors across State lines to avoid laws 
requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions, on Friday, 
September 18, 1998.
  Page S10533
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting the report concerning the national emergency with 
respect to Iran; referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs. (PM-158).
Pages S10515-17
Messages From the President:
  Pages S10515-17
Messages From the House:
  Page S10517

[[Page D996]]

Measures Referred:
  Page S10517
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S10517
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S10518-26
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S10526-27
Amendments Submitted:
  Page S10527
Authority for Committees:
  Pages S10527-28
Additional Statements:
  Pages S10528-33
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--276) 
                                        Pages S10459, S10472-73, S10509
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 10:21 p.m., 
until 8:30 a.m., on Friday, September 18, 1998. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on 
pages S10544-45.)