[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 110 (Friday, July 30, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D895-D898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                              Friday, July 30, 1999

[[Page D895]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed Budget Reconciliation/Tax Relief.
      House Committee ordered reported the following appropriation 
      bills for fiscal year 2000: VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies; 
      and Commerce, Justice, State, and Judiciary.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S9885-S9957
Measures Introduced: Four bills and one resolution were introduced, as 
follows: S. 1467-1470, and S. Res. 169.                      
  Page S9946
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  S. 244, to authorize the construction of the Lewis and Clark Rural 
Water System and to authorize assistance to the Lewis and Clark Rural 
Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, for the planning and 
construction of the water supply system, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 106-130)
  S. 761, to regulate interstate commerce by electronic means by 
permitting and encouraging the continued expansion of electronic 
commerce through the operation of free market forces, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 106-131)        
Page S9946
Measures Passed:
  Budget Reconciliation: By 57 yeas to 43 nays (Vote No. 247), Senate 
continued consideration of S. 1429, to provide for reconciliation 
pursuant to section 104 of the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
fiscal year 2000, after taking action on the following amendments 
proposed thereto:                                     
  Pages S9885-S9937
Adopted:
  By 98 yeas to 2 nays (Vote No. 233), Hutchison Further Modified 
Amendment No. 1472, to provide for the relief of the marriage tax 
penalty beginning in the year 2001.               
Pages S9885, S9887-89
  Dodd/Jeffords Amendment No. 1452, to increase the mandatory spending 
in the Child Care and Development Block Grant by $10,000,000,000 over 
10 years in order to assist working families with the costs of child 
care.                                                    
Pages S9898-99
  Coverdell Modified Amendment No. 1426, to provide for a long-term 
capital gains deduction for certain individuals. 
                                               Pages S9904-05, S9935-36
  Gregg Modified Amendment No. 1375, to provide a minimum dependent 
care credit for stay-at-home parents.                        
Page S9906
  Snowe Amendment No. 1468, to provide for a credit for interest on 
higher education loans.                                  
Pages S9905-06
  Roth (for Bond) Amendment No. 1425, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for 100 percent of health insurance 
costs of self-employed individuals.                          
Page S9906
  Roth (for Bunning) Amendment No. 1377, to provide that certain costs 
of private foundations in removing hazardous substances shall be 
treated as qualifying distributions.                         
Page S9906
  Roth (for Coverdell) Amendment No. 1458, to express the sense of the 
Senate regarding savings incentives by providing a partial Federal 
income tax exclusion for income derived from interest and dividends of 
no less than $400 for married taxpayers and $200 for single taxpayers. 
                                                             Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Dorgan) Amendment No. 1441, to express the sense of 
Congress regarding the need for additional Federal funding and tax 
incentives for empowerment zones and enterprise communities authorized 
and designated pursuant to 1997 and 1998 laws.               
Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Dorgan) Amendment No. 1491, to encourage improvements 
in Main Street businesses by expanding existing small business tax 
expensing rules to include investments in buildings and other 
depreciable real property.                                   
Page S9906

[[Page D896]]


  Roth (for Grassley) Amendment No. 1387, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to provide increased retirement savings opportunities by 
treating certain accounts and annuities under qualified employer plans 
in the same manner as IRAs.                                  
Page S9906
  Roth (for Gregg) Amendment No. 1394, relating to estate tax treatment 
of conservation easements on land near Urban National Forests. 
                                                             Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Hatch) Amendment No. 1464, to make a technical change 
to the calculation of rents from real property for real estate 
investment trusts.                                           
Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Johnson) Amendment No. 1479, to provide for certain 
Native American housing assistance disregarded in determining whether 
building is federally subsidized for purposes of the low-income housing 
credit.                                                      
Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Kerry) Amendment No. 1402, to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 to permit the disclosure of certain tax 
information by the Secretary of the Treasury to facilitate combined 
Federal and State employment tax reporting.                  
Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Landrieu) Modified Amendment No. 1404, to expand the 
adoption credit to provide assistance to adoptive parents of special 
needs children.                                          
Pages S9906-07
  Moynihan (for Leahy/Jeffords) Modified Amendment No. 1418, to amend 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 with respect to the treatment of 
maple syrup production.                                  
Pages S9906-07
  Moynihan (for Murray) Amendment No. 1485, to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the treatment of bonds issued to acquire 
renewable resources on land subject to conservation easement. 
                                                             Page S9906
  Subsequently, the amendment was modified.              
Pages S9909-10
  Roth (for Nickles) Amendment No. 1407, clarifying the transition 
exception for closely held REITs.                            
Page S9906
  Roth (for Santorum/Feinstein) Modified Amendment No. 1465, to index 
the State-ceiling on the low-income housing credit.      
Pages S9906-08
  Roth (for Stevens) Amendment No. 1460, to extend Risk Management 
Accounts to fishermen.                                       
Page S9906
  Roth (for Stevens) Modified Amendment No. 1403, to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 with respect to the treatment of the 
transportation of person traveling to or from areas not connected to a 
road system.                                             
Pages S9906-07
  Roth (for Stevens) Amendment No. 1488, to extend income averaging to 
fishermen and to not increase Alternative Minimum Tax liability. 
                                                             Page S9906
  Moynihan (for Torricelli) Modified Amendment No. 1474, to exclude 
certain severance payment amounts from income.       
Pages S9906, S9908
  Roth (for Allard/Robb) Modified Amendment No. 1378, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand S corporation eligibility for 
banks.                                                   
Pages S9906-07
  Roth (for Frist) Modified Amendment No. 1443, to provide that trusts 
established for the benefit of individuals with disabilities shall be 
taxed at the same rates as individual taxpayers.         
Pages S9906-07
  Roth/Moynihan Amendment No. 1496, to make certain improvements to the 
bill.                                                        
Page S9936
Rejected:
  Lautenberg motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, 
with instructions to report back forthwith. (By 55 yeas to 45 nays 
(Vote No. 236), Senate tabled the motion.)               
Pages S9891-92
  Kyl Modified Amendment No. 1469, to repeal the Federal estate and 
gift taxes and the tax on generation-skipping transfer, to repeal a 
step up basis at death. (Amendment was ruled non-germane by the Chair.)
                                                         Pages S9892-94
  Hollings motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, 
with instructions to report back forthwith. (By 65 yeas to 35 nays 
(Vote No. 237), Senate tabled the motion.)                   
Page S9894
  Robb motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with 
instructions to report back forthwith. (By 55 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 
242), Senate tabled the motion.)                             
Page S9899
  Bingaman motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, 
with instructions to report back forthwith.              
Pages S9900-01
  Dorgan motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with 
instructions to report back forthwith.                       
Page S9901
  Kennedy motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with 
instructions to report back forthwith.                       
Page S9903
  Dorgan motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Finance, with 
instructions to report back forthwith.                       
Page S9903
  By 23 yeas to 77 nays (Vote No. 246) Ashcroft Amendment No. 1456, to 
strike the provision expanding tax credit to facilities that produce 
electricity from poultry waste.                          
Pages S9903-04
  Feingold Amendment No. 1417, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to repeal the percentage depletion allowance for certain hardrock 
mines.                                                       
Page S9904
Withdrawn:
  Abraham Amendment No. 1470, to provide for the Sense of the Senate 
regarding Capital Gains Tax Cuts.                            
Page S9901

[[Page D897]]

During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
    following actions:
  Three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted 
in the affirmative, Senate rejected motions to waive certain provisions 
of the Congressional Budget Act with respect to consideration of the 
following amendments/motions:
  By 48 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 232), Bingaman Amendment No. 1462, to 
express the sense of the Senate regarding investment in education. 
                                                  Pages S9885-87, S9889
  By 50 yeas to 50 nays (Vote No. 234), Kerry motion to recommit the 
bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions.     
Pages S9889-90
  By 54 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. 235), Frist Amendment No. 1467, to 
express the Sense of the Senate on the Medicare Reserve Fund. 
                                                         Pages S9890-91
  By 13 yeas to 87 nays (Vote No. 238), McCain Amendment No. 1397, to 
provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged children. 
                                                         Pages S9895-96
  By 46 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 239), Kennedy Amendment No. 1383, to 
increase the Federal minimum wage.                       
Pages S9896-97
  By 35 yeas to 65 nays (Vote No. 240), Specter Amendment No. 1386, in 
the nature of a substitute.                              
Pages S9897-98
  By 53 yeas to 47 nays (Vote No. 241), Schumer Amendment No. 1416, to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make higher education more 
affordable by providing a full tax deduction for higher education 
expenses and a tax credit for student education loans.       
Page S9898
  By 58 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 243), Wellstone motion to recommit 
the bill to the Committee on Finance, with instructions to report back 
forthwith.                                            
Pages S9899-S9900
  By 46 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 244), Conrad Amendment No. 1439, to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit 
against income tax for information technology training expenses paid or 
incurred by the employer.                                
Pages S9901-02
  By 48 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 245), Harkin Amendment No. 1454, to 
block companies from entering into a situation where they are giving 
benefits to younger workers and denying those same benefits to older 
employees.                                                   
Page S9902
  Subsequently, certain points of order that the amendments/motions to 
recommit were in violation of the Congressional Budget Act were 
sustained, and the amendments/motions thus fell.
  Also, during consideration of this measure today, Senate took the 
following action:
  By voice vote, three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn 
having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed to a motion to waive any 
point of order against Section 202 of the bill (S. 1429), a subsequent 
conference report, or in an amendment between the Houses if such point 
of order is made on the grounds that the enhancement of the Earned 
Income Tax Credit for married couples is an increase in outlays. 
                                                             Page S9906
  Tax Relief: Senate passed 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, after striking all after the enacting clause 
and inserting in lieu thereof the text of S. 1429 (listed above), as 
passed by the Senate today.                                  
  Page S9936
  Senate insisted on its amendment, and requested a conference with the 
House thereon.                                               
Page S9936
  Subsequently, passage of S. 1429 was vitiated and the bill was placed 
back on the Senate calendar.                                 
Page S9936
  Aviation Programs Extension: Senate passed S. 1467, to extend the 
funding levels for aviation programs for 60 days.        
  Pages S9953-54
  Capitol Visitor Center Commemorative Coins: Senate passed S. 1468, to 
authorize the minting and issuance of Capitol Visitor Center 
Commemorative Coins.                                     
  Pages S9954-55
  Rejecting American Psychological Association Article: Senate agreed 
to H. Con. Res. 107, expressing the sense of Congress rejecting the 
conclusions of a recent article published by the American Psychological 
Association that suggests that sexual relationships between adults and 
children might be positive for children.                     
  Page S9956
Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act Agreement: A unanimous-
consent-time agreement was reached providing for the consideration of 
S. 335, to amend chapter 30 of title 39, United States Code, to provide 
for the nonmailability of certain deceptive matter relating to games of 
chance, administrative procedures, orders, and civil penalties relating 
to such matter, with a vote to occur thereon at 5:30 p.m., on Monday, 
August 2, 1999.                                              
  Page S9953
Agriculture Appropriations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement 
was reached providing for the consideration of S. 1233, making 
appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year 
ending September 30, 2000, on Monday, August 2, 1999.        
  Page S9956

[[Page D898]]

Appointment:
  John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development: 
The Chair, on behalf of the Majority Leader, pursuant to Public Law 
100-458, appointed Senator Warner to the Board of Trustees of the John 
C. Stennis Center for Public Service Training and Development, for a 
term ending October 11, 2004.                                
  Page S9953
Messages From the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:
  Transmitting a report relative to the national emergency with respect 
to terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process; 
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM-
53).                                                         
Page S9946
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Sylvia de Leon, of Texas, to be a Member of the Reform Board (Amtrak) 
for a term of five years.
  William Haskell Alsup, of California, to be United States District 
Judge for the Northern District of California.
  Charles R. Wilson, of Florida, to be United States Circuit Judge for 
the Eleventh Circuit.
  J. Brady Anderson, of South Carolina, to be Administrator of the 
Agency for International Development.
  F. Whitten Peters, of the District of Columbia, to be Secretary of 
the Air Force.
  Evelyn Simonowitz Lieberman, of New York, to be Under Secretary of 
State for Public Diplomacy.
  Curt Hebert, Jr., of Mississippi, to be a Member of the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June 30, 2004.
  4 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  5 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  4 Navy nominations in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy. 
                                                         Pages S9955-57
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Susan M. Wachter, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development.
  Zell Miller, of Georgia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of 
the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring 
December 17, 2000.                                           
Page S9957
Messages From the President:                             
  Pages S9945-46
Messages From the House:                                 
  Pages S9941-42
Communications:                                          
  Pages S9942-44
Petitions:                                               
  Pages S9944-45
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S9946
Statements on Introduced Bills:                          
  Pages S9946-47
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S9947-49
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S9949-52
Notices of Hearings:                                         
  Page S9952
Additional Statements:                                       
  Page S9953
Record Votes: Sixteen record votes were taken today. (Total--247) 
                    Pages S9889-92, S9895-S9900, S9902, S9904, S9934-35
Adjournment: Senate convened at 8:31 a.m., and adjourned at 3:37 p.m., 
until 12 Noon, on Monday, August 2, 1999. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S9956.)