[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 21, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D843-D845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Bills Introduced: 10 public bills, H.R. 2576-2585, and 1 resolution, H. 
Res. 259, were introduced.                               
  Pages H6198-99
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 257, providing for consideration of H.R. 2561, making 
appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2000 (H. Rept. 106-247); and
  H. Res. 258, providing for consideration of H.R. 1074, to provide 
Government-wide accounting of regulatory costs and benefits (H. Rept. 
106-248).                                                    
Page H6198
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
designated Representative Burr to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
                                                             Page H6021
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Rev. 
Richard A. Lord of Vienna, Virginia.                         
  Page H6021
Meeting hour--Thursday, July 22: Agreed that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 22. 
                                                             Page H6026
Military Construction Appropriations: The House disagreed to the Senate 
amendment to H.R. 2465, making appropriations for military 
construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the 
Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, 
and agreed to a conference.                                  
  Page H6026
  Appointed as conferees: Representatives Hobson, Porter, Wicker, 
Tiahrt, Walsh, Miller of Florida, Aderholt, Granger, Young of Florida, 
Olver, Edwards, Farr, Boyd, Dicks, and Obey.                 
Page H6082

[[Page D844]]

Treasury, Postal, and General Government Appropriations: The House 
disagreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2490, making appropriations 
for the Treasury Department, the United States Postal Service, the 
Executive Office of the President, and certain Independent Agencies, 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and agreed to a 
conference.                                                  
  Page H6026
  Appointed as conferees: Representatives Kolbe, Wolf, Northup, 
Emerson, Sununu, Peterson of Pennsylvania, Blunt, Young of Florida, 
Hoyer, Meek of Florida, Price of North Carolina, Roybal-Allard, and 
Obey.                                                        
Page H6082
  Agreed to the Olver motion to instruct conferees to restore $50 
million in funding for the IRS to complete its Year 2000 compliance 
work.                                                    
Pages H6026-27
American Embassy Security Act: The House passed H.R. 2415, to enhance 
security of United States missions and personnel overseas and to 
authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal year 
2000. The House completed general debate on July 19 and considered 
amendments to the bill on July 19 and 20.                
  Pages H6027-81
Agreed to:
  The Gilman amendment, as modified, that restricts all nuclear 
cooperation with North Korea until the President determines and 
certifies to the Congress that North Korea is complying with all 
international agreements pertaining to nuclear proliferation and has 
terminated its nuclear weapons program (agreed to by a recorded vote of 
305 ayes to 120 noes, Roll No. 321);                     
Pages H6031-39
  The Gibbons amendment that requires that both parents, or the child's 
legal guardian, to execute the passport application before it is issued 
for the first time to children under the age of 14 (agreed to by a 
recorded vote of 418 ayes to 3 noes, Roll No. 323); 
                                                  Pages H6030-31, H6040
  The Bereuter amendment that expresses support of the Congress for the 
upcoming plebiscite on independence or autonomy in East Timor and calls 
upon the Indonesian government to disarm anti-independence paramilitary 
groups;                                                  
Pages H6040-46
  The Traficant amendment, as modified, that limits the use procurement 
funding to products produced in the United States or the country 
receiving the assistance and provides for a waiver by the President on 
a case-by-case basis;                                    
Pages H6049-50
  The Stearns amendment that expresses the Sense of Congress that State 
Department employees who, in the course of their duties, inform the 
Congress of pertinent facts concerning their responsibilities, should 
not as a result be demoted or removed from their current position or 
from Federal employment (agreed to by a recorded vote of 287 ayes to 
136 noes, Roll No. 325);                       
Pages H6050-52, H6052-53
  The Bilbray amendment that expresses the Sense of Congress that the 
United States and Mexico should enter into an agreement to eliminate 
the sewage pollution of the San Diego and Tijuana border region (agreed 
to by a recorded vote of 427 ayes with none voting ``no'' Roll No. 
327);                                          
Pages H6058-61, H6063-64
  The Gilman en bloc amendment, as modified, that authorizes funding 
for the NATO civil budget assessment; requires a report on the 
proliferation of small arms; expresses the Sense of the Congress that 
the U.S. should support the peace process in Columbia, Haitian 
elections in November 1999, commend the people of Israel for 
reaffirming their democratic ideals in its elections, stipulate that 
any party objecting to the water boundaries established between Greece 
and Turkey in the Aegean sea should seek redress in the International 
Court of Justice at the Hague, seek a renunciation by the People's 
Republic of China of the use of force against Taiwan and commends the 
people of Taiwan for their democratic tradition, and supports the 
holding of a plenary session of the Iraqi National Assembly. 
                                                         Pages H6073-79
  The Doggett amendment that authorizes the Foreign Claims Settlement 
Commission to determine the validity and amounts of any claims by 
nationals of the United States against the Government of Iraq (agreed 
to by a recorded vote of 427 ayes with none voting ``no'', Roll No. 
328); and                                      
Pages H6064-66, H6079-80
  The Engel amendment that expresses the Sense of the Congress that the 
Serbian and Yugoslav Governments should immediately account for all 
Kosovar Albanians held in their prisons and treat them in accordance 
with all applicable international standards (agreed to by a recorded 
vote of 424 ayes with none voting ``no'', Roll No. 329). 
                                                  Pages H6066-73, H6080
Rejected:
  The Sanders amendment that sought to prohibit the State Department 
from imposing restrictions on any intellectual property law or policy 
of countries in Africa or Asia, including Israel, that is designed to 
make pharmaceuticals more affordable, if the law or policy complies 
with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property 
Rights (rejected by a recorded vote of 117 ayes to 307 noes, Roll No. 
322);                                          
Pages H6027-30, H6039-40
  The Goodling amendment that sought to prohibit foreign military 
assistance to countries whose votes in the United Nations General 
Assembly agree with the United States position less than 25 percent of 
the time and further provides for waiver authority by

[[Page D845]]

the Secretary of State (rejected by a recorded vote of 169 ayes to 256 
noes, Roll No. 324); and                          
Pages H6046-48, H6052
  The Waters amendment that sought to express the Sense of Congress 
concerning support for democracy in Peru and the release of Lori 
Berenson, an American citizen imprisoned in Peru (rejected by a 
recorded vote of 189 ayes to 234 noes, with 5 voting ``present'', Roll 
No. 326).                                      
Pages H6053-58, H6061-63
Withdrawn:
  The Condit amendment was offered, but subsequently withdrawn, that 
sought to require all recipients of U.S. foreign aid to certify 
annually the need and use of the assistance and provide a detailed 
accounting of how it is used.                            
Pages H6048-49
  The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and 
cross references and to make other necessary technical and conforming 
corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 2415.                 
Page H6081
  H. Res. 247, the rule that provided for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to on July 16.
Presidential Message--National Emergency Re Iraq: Read a message from 
the President wherein he transmitted his notice extending the national 
emergency with respect to Iraq referred to the Committee on 
International Relations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 106-102). 
                                                             Page H6081
Recess: The House recessed at 5:23 p.m. and reconvened at 10:18 p.m. 
                                                             Page H6082
Chemical Safety Information, Site Security, and Fuels Regulatory Relief 
Act: The House passed S. 880, to amend the Clean Air Act to remove 
flammable fuels from the list of substances with respect to which 
reporting and other activities are required under the risk management 
plan program. Agreed to the Blunt amendment in the nature of a 
substitute; and agreed to amend the title.               
  Pages H6082-89
Financial Freedom Act: The House began consideration of H.R. 2488, to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to reduce individual income tax 
rates, to provide marriage penalty relief, to reduce taxes on savings 
and investments, to provide estate and gift tax relief, and to provide 
incentives for education savings and health care and consumed one hour 
of general debate. Pursuant to the rule consideration will resume at a 
time designated by the Speaker on the legislative day of Thursday, July 
22.                                                      
  Pages H6101-97
  H. Res. 256, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to, as amended, by a yea and nay vote of 219 yeas to 208 nays, 
Roll No. 330. The amendment recommended by the Committee on Ways and 
Means now printed in the bill, modified by the amendments printed in 
section 3 of the rule, as amended, was considered as adopted. Earlier, 
the House agreed to the Pryce amendment in the nature of a substitute 
to the rule by voice vote.                            
Pages H6089-H6101
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: Read a letter from 
the Speaker to Representative Forbes wherein he stated that he is 
withdrawing his appointment of Mr. Forbes to the Commission on Security 
and Cooperation in Europe effective immediately.             
  Page H6197
Senate Messages: Message received from the Senate appears on page 
H6021.
Referral: S. Con. Res. 46 was referred to the Committee on Government 
Reform.                                                      
  Page H6197
Amendments: Amendments ordered printed pursuant to the rule appear on 
pages H6200-01.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Ten recorded votes developed during the 
proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H6038-39, H6039-40, 
H6040, H6052, H6052-53, H6063, H6063-64, H6079-80, H6080, and 6100-01. 
There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned at 1:26 a.m. on 
July 22.