[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 153 (Wednesday, November 3, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1245-D1248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Wednesday, November 3, 1999

[[Page D1245]]


                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed African Growth and Opportunity Act.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S13729-S13869
Measures Introduced: Five bills and three resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 1846-1850, S. Res. 218-219, and S. Con. Res. 68. 
                                                            Page S13798
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  H.R. 1477, to withhold voluntary proportional assistance for programs 
and projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency relating to the 
development and completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran.
  H.R. 1794, concerning the participation of Taiwan in the World Health 
Organization (WHO).
  S. Res. 208, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United 
States policy toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the 
European Union, in light of the Alliance's April 1999 Washington Summit 
and the European Union's June 1999 Cologne Summit.
  S. Res. 209, expressing concern over interference with freedom of the 
press and the independence of judicial and electoral institutions in 
Peru.
  S. 923, to promote full equality at the United Nations for Israel.
  S. Con. Res. 30, recognizing the sacrifice and dedication of members 
of America's non-governmental organizations and private volunteer 
organizations throughout their history and specifically in answer to 
their courageous response to recent disasters in Central America and 
Kosovo.
  S. Con. Res. 68, expressing the sense of Congress on the occasion of 
the 10th anniversary of historic events in Central and Eastern Europe, 
particularly the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and reaffirming 
the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and 
the Czech and Slovak Republics.                             
Page S13795
Measures Passed:
  African Growth and Opportunity Act: By 76 yeas to 19 nays (Vote No. 
353), Senate passed H.R. 434, to authorize a new trade and investment 
policy for sub-Sahara Africa, expand trade benefits to the countries in 
the Caribbean Basin, renew the generalized system of preferences, and 
reauthorize the trade adjustment assistance programs, after taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto:    
  Pages S13729-82
Adopted:
  Roth Amendment No. 2505 (to Amendment No. 2325), to authorize the 
extension of permanent normal trade relations to Albania and 
Kyrgyzstan.                                     
Pages S13759-62, S13776
  Subsequently, the amendment was modified.                 
Page S13776
  Conrad/Grassley Modified Amendment No. 2360 (to Amendment No. 2325), 
to establish trade negotiating objectives for the United States for the 
next round of World Trade Organization negotiations that enhance the 
competitiveness of United States agriculture, spur economic growth, 
increase farm income, and produce full employment in the United States 
agricultural sector.                         
Pages S13729-33, S13770-71
  By a unanimous vote of 96 yeas (Vote No. 351), Harkin Amendment No. 
2495 (to Amendment No. 2325), to deny benefits under the legislation to 
any country that does not comply with the Convention for the 
Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor.          
Pages S13764-65
  Thurmond Amendment No. 2410 (to Amendment No. 2325), to provide 
expedited trade adjustment assistance for certain textile and apparel 
workers.                                                    
Page S13775
  Nickles Amendment No. 2480 (to Amendment No. 2325), to provide a 
waiver of a section 901(j) denial of foreign tax credit in the national 
interest of the United States, and to expand trade and investment 
opportunities for United States companies and workers.      
Page S13776

[[Page D1246]]


  Dorgan Amendment No. 2402 (to Amendment No. 2325), to clarify the 
acts, policies, and practices that are considered unreasonable for 
purposes of section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. 
                                                Pages S13753-54, S13776
  Lott (for Roth/Moynihan) Amendment No. 2325, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                             
Pages S13729-76
Rejected:
  Wellstone Amendment No. 2487 (to Amendment No. 2325), to condition 
trade benefits for Caribbean countries on compliance with 
internationally recognized labor rights. (By 66 yeas to 31 nays (Vote 
No. 349), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                       Pages S13734-42, S13752-53, S13755-59, S13762-63
  Specter Modified Amendment No. 2347 (to Amendment No. 2325), to 
provide for a private right of action in the case of injury from the 
importation of certain dumped and subsidized merchandise. (By 54 yeas 
to 42 nays (Vote No. 350), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                                Pages S13743-52, S13763
  Feingold Modified Amendment No. 2427 (to Amendment No. 2325), to 
provide expanded trade benefits to countries in sub-Saharan Africa. (By 
66 yeas to 29 nays (Vote No. 352), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                                Pages S13771-74, S13776
Withdrawn:
  Landrieu Amendment No. 2430 (to Amendment No. 2325), to limit 
preferential tariff treatment to countries with a gross national 
product that does not extend 5 times the average gross national product 
of all eligible sub-Saharan African countries. 
                                             Pages S13754-55, S13763-64
  During consideration of the bill today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Feingold Amendment No. 2409 (to Amendment No. 2325), to establish 
priorities for providing development assistance, was ruled out of order 
by the Chair on a point of order, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                                        Pages S13742-43
  Conrad/Grassley Amendment No. 2359 (to Amendment No. 2325), to amend 
the Trade Act of 1974 to provide trade adjustment assistance to farmers 
and fishermen, adopted on November 2, 1999, was subsequently modified. 
                                                        Pages S13765-70
  Pending motion to close further debate on the bill was vitiated. 
                                                            Page S13776
  Senate insisted on its amendment, requested a conference with the 
House thereon, and the Chair was authorized to appoint conferees on the 
part of the Senate: Senators Roth, Grassley, Lott, Helms, Moynihan, 
Baucus, and Biden.                                          
Page S13781
  Healthcare Research and Quality Act: Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further consideration of S. 
580, to amend title IX of the Public Health Service Act to revise and 
extend the Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research, and the bill was 
then passed, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed 
thereto:                                                
  Pages S13843-45
  Gramm (for Frist/Jeffords/Kennedy) Amendment No. 2506, in the nature 
of a substitute.                                        
Pages S13843-45
  Youth Drug and Mental Services Act: Senate passed S. 976, to amend 
title V of the Public Health Service Act to focus the authority of the 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on community-
based services children and adolescents, to enhance flexibility and 
accountability, to establish programs for youth treatment, and to 
respond to crises, especially those related to children and violence, 
after agreeing to a committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, 
and the following amendment proposed thereto:           
  Pages S13845-61
  Gramm (for Frist) Amendment No. 2507, to provide a grant program for 
strengthening families and to modify other provisions, and to make 
various technical corrections.                          
Pages S13855-61
  Geneva Conventions 50th Anniversary: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 102, celebrating 
the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and recognizing 
the humanitarian safeguards these treaties provide in times of armed 
conflict, and the resolution was then agreed to.            
  Page S13861
  Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Corrections Act: Senate passed 
S. 1232, to provide for the correction of retirement coverage errors 
under chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United States Code, after agreeing 
to the following amendment proposed thereto:            
  Pages S13861-67
  Gramm (for Cochran/Akaka) Amendment No. 2508, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                 
Page S13861
  Position of Chief Agricultural Negotiator: Committee on Finance was 
discharged from further consideration of S. 185, to establish a Chief 
Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, and the bill was then passed.               
  Page S13867
  Export Apple Act: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 609, to amend the 
Export Apple and Pear Act to limit the applicability of the Act to 
apples, and the bill was then passed, clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S13867
  OPIC Authorization: Senate passed S. 688, to amend the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 to reauthorize the Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation.                                                
  Page S13867
  Honoring Walter Jerry Payton: Senate agreed to S. Res. 219, 
recognizing and honoring Walter Jerry

[[Page D1247]]

Payton and expressing the condolences of the Senate to his family on 
his death.                                              
  Pages S13867-68
  District of Columbia Appropriations: Senate passed H.R. 3194, making 
appropriations for the government of the District of Columbia and other 
activities chargeable in whole or in part against revenues of said 
District for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, after agreeing 
to the following amendment proposed thereto:                
  Page S13868
  Gramm (for Hutchison) Amendment No. 2509, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                 
Page S13868
  Senate insisted on its amendment, requested a conference with the 
House thereon, and the Chair was authorized to appoint conferees on the 
part of the Senate: Senators Hutchison, Domenici, Stevens, Durbin, and 
Byrd.                                                       
Page S13868
Financial Services Modernization Conference Report: Senate began 
consideration of the conference report on S. 900, to enhance 
competition in the financial services industry by providing a 
prudential framework for the affiliation of banks, securities firms, 
and other financial service providers.                  
  Pages S13783-91
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the conference report on Thursday, November 4, 1999. 
                                                            Page S13868
Executive Reports of Committees: Senate received the following 
executive reports of a committee:
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Estonia (Treaty Doc. 105-
55) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-3)                                 
Page S13795
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Lithuania (Treaty Doc. 
105-56) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-4)                         
Pages S13795-96
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Latvia (Treaty Doc. 105-
57) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-5)                                 
Page S13796
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Venezuela (Treaty Doc. 
106-3) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-6)                              
Page S13796
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Slovenia (Treaty Doc. 
106-9) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-7)                              
Page S13796
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Italy (Treaty Doc. 106-
11) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-8)                             
Pages S13796-97
  Report to accompany the Tax Convention with Denmark (Treaty Doc. 106-
12) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-9)                                 
Page S13797
  Report to accompany the Protocol Amending the Tax Convention with 
Germany (Treaty Doc. 106-13) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-10)       
Page S13797
  Report to accompany the Amending Convention with Ireland (Treaty Doc. 
106-15) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-11)                            
Page S13797
  Report to accompany the Convention (No. 182) for Elimination of the 
Worst Forms of Child Labor (Treaty Doc. 106-5) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-12)
                                                            Page S13797
  Report to accompany the Extradition Treaty with the Republic of Korea 
(Treaty Doc. 106-2) (Exec. Rept. No. 106-13)            
Pages S13797-98
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting a report entitled ``Agreement for Cooperation Between 
the United States of America and Australia Concerning Technology for 
the Separation of Isotopes of Uranium by Laser Excitation''; to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations. (PM-70).                
Pages S13793-94
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Irwin Belk, of North Carolina, to be an Alternate Representative of 
the United States of America to the Fifty-fourth Session of the General 
Assembly of the United Nations.
  Carol Moseley-Braun, of Illinois, to serve concurrently and without 
additional compensation as Ambassador to Samoa.
  Earl Anthony Wayne, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
State (Economic and Business Affairs).
  Revius O. Ortique, Jr., of Louisiana, to be an Alternate 
Representative of the United States of America to the Fifty-fourth 
Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
  Bobby L. Roberts, of Arkansas, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2003.
  Michael G. Rossmann, of Indiana, to be a Member of the National 
Science Board, National Science Foundation for a term expiring May 10, 
2006.
  Daniel Simberloff, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the National 
Science Board, National Science Foundation for a term expiring May 10, 
2006.
  Routine lists in the Army, Foreign Service, Marine Corps, Navy. 
                                                        Pages S13868-69
Messages From the President:                            
  Pages S13793-94
Messages From the House:                                
  Pages S13794-95
Measures Placed on Calendar:                                
  Page S13795
Executive Reports of Committees:                        
  Pages S13795-98
Statements on Introduced Bills:                     
  Pages S13798-S13802
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S13802-04
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S13805-31
Authority for Committees:                               
  Pages S13831-32

[[Page D1248]]

Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S13832-37
Record Votes: Five record votes were taken today. (Total--353) 
                                   Pages S13763, S13765, S13776, S13781
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 8:11 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m., on Thursday, November 4, 1999. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S13868.)