[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 132 (Monday, September 28, 1998)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1056-D1057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                         Monday, September 28, 1998

[[Page D1056]]

                              Daily Digest

HIGHLIGHTS

      The House agreed to Defense Appropriations Conference Report.
      The House agreed to Energy and Water Development Conference 
      Report.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S11007-S11068
Measures Introduced: Four bills were introduced, as follows: S. 2521-
2524.
  Page S11042
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  H.R. 700, to remove the restriction on the distribution of certain 
revenues from the Mineral Springs parcel to certain members of the Agua 
Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. (S. Rept. No. 105-349)
  S. 2351, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make corrections 
to a map relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System, with an 
amendment. (S. Rept. No. 105-350)
  S. 2469, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make technical 
corrections to a map relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System, 
with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 105-351)
  S. 2470, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make technical 
corrections to a map relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 105-352)
  S. 2474, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to make corrections 
to certain maps relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System, with 
an amendment. (S. Rept. No. 105-353)
  S. 2505, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey title to 
the Tunnison Lab Hagerman Field Station in Gooding County, Idaho, to 
the University of Idaho, with an amendment. (S. Rept. No. 105-354)
  H.R. 8, to amend the Clean Air Act to deny entry into the United 
States of certain foreign motor vehicles that do not comply with State 
laws governing motor vehicles emissions. (S. Rept. No. 105-355) 
                                                            Page S11042
Measures Passed:
  Year 2000 Information Disclosure Act: Senate passed S. 2392, to 
encourage the disclosure and exchange of information about computer 
processing problems, solutions, test practices and test results, and 
related matters in connection with the transition to the year 2000, 
after agreeing to the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                                        Pages S11062-68
  Roberts (for Hatch/Leahy/Kyl) Amendment No. 3669, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Pages S11064-65
  Roberts (for Thompson) Amendment No. 3670 (to Amendment No. 3669), to 
provide for the establishment of working groups as a part of the 
President's Year 2000 Council.
Pages S11064-65
  Convicted Persons Benefits: Senate passed H.R. 3096, to correct a 
provision relating to termination of benefits for convicted persons, 
clearing the measure for the President.
  Page S11068
Internet Tax Freedom Act: Senate considered the motion to proceed to 
consideration of S. 442, to establish a national policy against State 
and local government interference with interstate commerce on the 
Internet or interactive computer services, and to exercise 
Congressional jurisdiction over interstate commerce by establishing a 
moratorium on the imposition of exactions that would interfere with the 
free flow of commerce via the Internet.
  Page S11039
  Senate will vote on the motion to close further debate on the bill on 
Tuesday, September 29, 1998.
Federal Vacancies Reform Act--Cloture Vote: By 53 yeas to 38 nays (Vote 
No. 289), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn having 
voted in the affirmative, Senate failed to agree to close further 
debate on S. 2176, to amend sections

[[Page D1057]]

3345 through 3349 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to 
as the ``Vacancies Act'') to clarify statutory requirements relating to 
vacancies in and appointments to certain Federal offices. 
                                                        Pages S11021-39
Higher Education Authorizations Conference Report--Agreement: A 
unanimous-consent time-agreement was reached providing for the 
consideration of the conference report on H.R. 6, to extend the 
authorization of programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, on 
Tuesday, September 29, 1998, with a vote to occur thereon. 
                                                            Page S11039
Defense Appropriations Conference Report-Agreement: A unanimous-consent 
time-agreement was reached providing for the consideration of the 
conference report on H.R. 4103, making appropriations for the 
Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, on 
Tuesday, September 29, 1998, with a vote to occur thereon
  Page S11039
Treaty Approved: The following treaty having passed through its various 
parliamentary stages, up to and including the presentation of the 
resolution of ratification, upon division, two-thirds of the Senators 
present and having voted in the affirmative, the resolution of 
ratification was agreed to, with one declaration and two provisos:
  Montreal Protocol No. 4 (formerly Treaty Doc. Ex. B, 95-1) 
                                                        Pages S11059-62
Messages From the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:
  Transmitting the annual report of the Railroad Retirement Board for 
fiscal year 1997; referred to the Committee on Labor and Human 
Resources. (PM-160).
Page S11041
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Carl J. Barbier, of Louisiana, to be United States District Judge for 
the Eastern District of Louisiana.
  Gerald Bruce Lee, of Virginia, to be United States District Judge for 
the Eastern District of Virginia.
  Patricia A. Seitz, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for 
the Southern District of Florida.
  Steven Robert Mann, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Turkmenistan.
  Elizabeth Davenport McKune, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the 
State of Qatar.
  Melissa Foelsch Wells, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Estonia.
  Richard E. Hecklinger, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom 
of Thailand.
  Theodore H. Kattouf, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the United Arab 
Emirates.
  William B. Traxler, Jr., of South Carolina, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit.
  Robert M. Walker, of Tennessee, to be Deputy Director of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency.
Pages S11059, S11068
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Alex R. Munson, of the Northern Mariana Islands, to be Judge for the 
District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for a term of ten 
years.
  Edward J. Damich, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States 
Court of Federal Claims for a term of fifteen years.
  Nancy B. Firestone, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States 
Court of Federal Claims for a term of fifteen years.
  Emily Clark Hewitt, of Massachusetts, to be a Judge of the United 
States Court of Federal Claims for a term of fifteen years. 
                                                            Page S11068
Messages From the President:
  Page S11041
Messages From the House:
  Page S11041
Measures Read First Time:
  Page S11068
Communications:
  Pages S11041-42
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S11042-51
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S11051-52
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S11052-56
Notices of Hearings:
  Page S11056
Authority for Committees:
  Page S11056
Additional Statements:
  Pages S11056-59
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today (Total--289) 
                                                            Page S11039
Adjournment: Senate convened at 12 noon, and adjourned at 6:49 p.m., 
until 10 a.m., on Tuesday, September 29, 1998. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S11068.)