[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 157 (Tuesday, November 9, 1999)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1279-D1282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                          Tuesday, November 9, 1999

[[Page D1279]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      The House passed H.J. Res. 78, making further continuing 
      appropriations for fiscal year 2000


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S14339-S14435
Measures Introduced: Fourteen bills and five resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1885-1898, and S. Res. 226-230. 
                                                        Pages S14407-08
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  S. 1627, to extend the authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
to collect fees through 2004, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. (S. Rept. No. 106-220)
  S. 979, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act to provide for further self-governance by Indian tribes, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 106-221)
                                                            Page S14406
Measures Passed:
  Majority Party Committee Appointment: Senate agreed to S. Res. 228, 
making changes to Senate committees for the 106th Congress. 
                                                        Pages S14434-35
  Majority Party Committee Appointments: Senate agreed to S. Res. 229, 
making certain majority appointments to certain Senate committees for 
the 106th Congress.
  Page S14435
  Enrollment Requirement Waiver for Appropriations: Senate passed H.J. 
Res. 76, waiving certain enrollment requirements for the remainder of 
the first session of the One Hundred Sixth Congress with respect to any 
bill or joint resolution making general appropriations or continuing 
appropriations for fiscal year 2000, clearing the measure for the 
President.
  Page S14435
Bankruptcy Reform Act: Senate continued consideration of S. 625, to 
amend title 11, United States Code, agreeing to committee amendments by 
unanimous consent, taking action on the following amendments proposed 
thereto:
  Pages S14340-70, S14372-80, S14383-95
Adopted:
  By 54 yeas to 44 nays (Vote 357), Domenici Amendment No. 2547, to 
increase the Federal minimum wage and protect small business. 
                                                Pages S14340, S14351-53
  Leahy (for Feingold) Amendment No. 2745, to prohibit the retroactive 
assessment of disposable income.
Page S14354
  Leahy (for Robb) Amendment No. 1723, to clarify the amount of 
payments to be returned to a debtor if a plan is not confirmed. 
                                                            Page S14354
  Grassley Amendment No. 1731, to provide for a waiver of filing fees 
in certain bankruptcy cases.
Page S14354
  Leahy (for Feingold/Specter) Amendment No. 2743, to modify the 
standard for the award of attorneys' fees.
Page S14354
  Grassley (for Hatch) Amendment No. 1714, to provide for improved 
enforcement of criminal bankruptcy filing provisions.
Page S14354
  Grassley (for Hatch) Amendment No. 1715, to amend section 707 of 
title 11, United States Code, to provide for the dismissal of certain 
cases filed under chapter 7 of that title by a debtor who has been 
convicted of a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime. 
                                                            Page S14354
  Leahy (for Kerry) Amendment No. 1725, to amend plan filing and 
confirmation deadlines.
Pages S14354-55
  Grassley (for Collins) Amendment No. 1726, to provide for family 
fishermen.
Pages S14354-55
  Leahy (for Johnson) Amendment No. 2654, to provide chapter 7 trustees 
with reasonable compensation for their work in managing the ability to 
pay test.
Pages S14354-55
  Grassley (for DeWine) Amendment No. 1727, to provide for the 
nondischargeability of certain educational benefits and loans. 
                                                        Pages S14354-56
  Grassley/Feinstein Amendment No. 2514, to amend title 11 of the 
United States Code, with respect to the creation or perfection of a 
statutory lien

[[Page D1280]]

for an ad valorem property tax, or a special tax or special assessment 
on real property whether or not ad valorem, imposed by a governmental 
unit, if such tax or assessment comes due after the filing of the 
petition.
Pages S14354-56
  Leahy (for Robb) Modified Amendment No. 1722, to provide that duties 
of a trustee shall include providing certain information relating to 
case administration.
Page S14383
  Leahy (for Byrd) Modified Amendment No. 2530, to make an amendment 
with respect to credit card applications and solicitations that are 
electronically provided to consumers.
Page S14383
  Grassley (for Bennett) Amendment No. 2546, to amend certain banking 
and securities laws with respect to financial contracts.
Page S14383
  Leahy (for Feingold) Amendment No. 2749, to clarify the bankruptcy 
jurisdiction over insolvent political committees.
Page S14383
  Leahy (for Feingold) Amendment No. 2750, to make fines and penalties 
imposed under Federal election law nondischargeable.
Page S14383
  Grassley (for Roth/Moynihan) Modified Amendment No. 2758, to provide 
for tax-related bankruptcy provisions.
Pages S14383-86
  Leahy (for Levin) Amendment No. 2768, to prohibit certain retroactive 
finance charges.
Pages S14340, S14383-86
  Leahy (for Levin) Modified Amendment No. 2772, to express the sense 
of the Senate concerning credit worthiness.
Pages S14340, S14383-86
  Leahy/Murray/Feinstein Amendment No. 2528, to ensure additional 
expenses and income adjustments associated with protection of the 
debtor and the debtor's family from domestic violence are included in 
the debtor's monthly expenses.
Pages S14340, S14383-86
  Leahy (for Kohl) Amendment No. 2664, to exclude employee benefit plan 
participant contributions and other property from the estate. 
                                                        Pages S14383-86
  Leahy (for Kohl) Amendment No. 2665, to clarify the allowance of 
certain postpetition wages and benefits.
Pages S14383-86
Rejected:
  Kennedy Amendment No. 2751, to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 
1938 to increase the Federal minimum wage. (By 50 yeas to 48 nays (Vote 
No. 356), Senate tabled the amendment.)
Pages S14340-51
  Feingold (for Durbin) Amendment No. 2521, to discourage predatory 
lending practices. (By 51 yeas to 46 nays, 1 responding present (Vote 
No. 358), Senate tabled the amendment.)
Pages S14340, S14374-77
  Dodd/Kennedy Amendment No. 2754, to amend the Truth in Lending Act 
with respect to extensions of credit to consumers under the age of 21. 
(By 59 yeas to 38 nays (Vote No. 359), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                  Pages S14358-63, S14373-74, S14377-80
Pending:
  Kohl Amendment No. 2516, to limit the value of certain real or 
personal property a debtor may elect to exempt under State or local 
law.
Page S14340
  Sessions Amendment No. 2518 (to Amendment No. 2516), to limit the 
value of certain real or personal property a debtor may elect to exempt 
under State or local law.
Page S14340
  Feingold Amendment No. 2522, to provide for the expenses of long term 
care.
Page S14340
  Hatch/Torricelli Amendment No. 1729, to provide for domestic support 
obligations.
Page S14340
  Leahy Amendment No. 2529, to save United States taxpayers $24,000,000 
by eliminating the blanket mandate relating to the filing of tax 
returns.
Page S14340
  Wellstone Amendment No. 2537, to disallow claims of certain insured 
depository institutions.
Page S14340
  Wellstone Amendment No. 2538, with respect to the disallowance of 
certain claims and to prohibit certain coercive debt collection 
practices.
Page S14340
  Feinstein Amendment No. 1696, to limit the amount of credit extended 
under an open end consumer credit plan to persons under the age of 21. 
                                                            Page S14340
  Feinstein Amendment No. 2755, to discourage indiscriminate extensions 
of credit and resulting consumer insolvency.
Page S14340
  Schumer/Durbin Amendment No. 2759, with respect to national standards 
and homeowner home maintenance costs.
Page S14340
  Schumer/Durbin Amendment No. 2762, to modify the means test relating 
to safe harbor provisions.
Page S14340
  Schumer Amendment No. 2763, to ensure that debts incurred as a result 
of clinic violence are nondischargeable.
Page S14340
  Schumer Amendment No. 2764, to provide for greater accuracy in 
certain means testing.
Page S14340
  Schumer Amendment No. 2765, to include certain dislocated workers' 
expenses in the debtor's monthly expenses.
Page S14340
  Dodd Amendment No. 2531, to protect certain education savings. 
                                                        Pages S14356-57
  Dodd Modified Amendment No. 2532, to provide for greater protection 
of children.
Pages S14356-57, S14387-93
  Dodd Amendment No. 2753, to amend the Truth in Lending Act to provide 
for enhanced information

[[Page D1281]]

regarding credit card balance payment terms and conditions, and to 
provide for enhanced reporting of credit card solicitations to the 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and to Congress. 
                                                        Pages S14356-58
  Hatch/Dodd/Gregg Amendment No. 2536, to protect certain education 
savings.
Pages S14363-64
  Feingold Amendment No. 2748, to provide for an exception to a 
limitation on an automatic stay under section 362(b) of title 11, 
United States Code, relating to evictions and similar proceedings to 
provide for the payment of rent that becomes due after the petition of 
a debtor is filed.
Pages S14367-68
  Schumer/Santorum Amendment No. 2761, to improve disclosure of the 
annual percentage rate for purchases applicable to credit card 
accounts.
Page S14372
  Durbin Amendment No. 2659, to modify certain provisions relating to 
pre-bankruptcy financial counseling.
Page S14374
  Durbin Amendment No. 2661, to establish parameters for presuming that 
the filing of a case under chapter 7 of title 11, United States Code, 
does not constitute an abuse of that chapter.
Page S14374
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill and an amendment to be proposed thereto, on 
Wednesday, November 10, 1999.
Page S14435
Nominations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing for the consideration of the nominations of Carol Moseley-
Braun, of Illinois, to be Ambassador to New Zealand, and to serve 
concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to 
Samoa, and Linda Joan Morgan, of Maryland, to be a Member of the 
Surface Transportation Board, on Wednesday, November 10, 1999, with 
votes to occur thereon.
  Pages S14382-83
Appointment:
  NATO Parliamentary Assembly: The Chair, on behalf of the Vice 
President, in accordance with 22 U.S.C. 1928a-1928d, as amended, 
appointed the following Senators as members of the Senate Delegation to 
the North Atlantic Assembly (NATO Parliamentary Assembly) during the 
First Session of the 106th Congress, to be held in Amsterdam, The 
Netherlands, November 11-15, 1999: Senators Grassley, Bennett, and 
Akaka.
  Page S14435
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting a report relative to the continuation of the National 
Emergency with respect to Iran; referred to the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM-71).
Page S14428
  Transmitting a periodic report relative to the National Emergency 
with respect to Sudan; referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs. (PM-72).
Page S14428
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Anthony M. Merck, of South Carolina, to be a Federal Maritime 
Commissioner for the term expiring June 30, 2001.
  James John Hoecker, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June 30, 2005.
  Mark L. Schneider, of California, to be Director of the Peace Corps.
  Mel Carnahan, of Missouri, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of 
the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation for a term expiring December 
10, 2005.
  Randolph D. Moss, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General.
  John R. Lacey, of Connecticut, to be Chairman of the Foreign Claims 
Settlement Commission of the United States for a term expiring 
September 30, 2000.
  Laramie Faith McNamara, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Foreign 
Claims Settlement Commission of the United States for a term expiring 
September 30, 2001.
Page S14435
Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of the withdrawal 
of the following nominations:
  Beth Nolan, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice 
Walter Dellinger, which was sent to the Senate on March 5, 1999. 
                                                            Page S14435
  Marshall S. Smith, of California, to be Deputy Secretary of 
Education, vice Madeleine Kunin, which was sent to the Senate on March 
25, 1999.
Page S14435
Messages From the President:
  Page S14428
Messages From the House:
  Page S14405
Communications:
  Page S14406
Petitions:
  Page S14406
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Pages S14406-07
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S14408-23
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S14423-25
Authority for Committees:
  Page S14428
Additional Statements:
  Pages S14429-34
Enrolled Bills Presented:
  Page S14406
Enrolled Bills Signed:
  Page S14406
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--359) 
                                Pages S14351, S14353, S14377, S14379-80

[[Page D1282]]

Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:31 a.m., and adjourned at 7:38 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, November 10, 1999. (For Senate's 
program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's 
Record on page S14435.)