[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D252-D253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                           Thursday, March 23, 2000

[[Page D252]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed Federal Crop Insurance Act Amendments bill.
      The Chaplain Emeritus, Dr. James D. Ford, announced his 
      resignation as Chaplain of the House of Representatives effective 
      March 23, and the Speaker appointed Father Daniel Coughlin of 
      Illinois to act as Chaplain of the House.
      The House agreed to H. Con. Res. 290, Budget Resolution for 
      Fiscal Year 2001.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S1619-S1693
Measures Introduced: Sixteen bills and two resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2277-2292, S. Res. 277, and S. Con. Res. 98. 
                                                             Page S1671
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  H.R. 1658, to provide a more just and uniform procedure for Federal 
civil forfeitures, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S1671
Measures Passed:
  Federal Crop Insurance Act Amendments: Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry was discharged from further consideration of 
H.R. 2559, to amend the Federal Crop Insurance Act to strengthen the 
safety net for agricultural producers by providing greater access to 
more affordable risk management tools and improved protection from 
production and income loss, to improve the efficiency and integrity of 
the Federal crop insurance program, and by 95 yeas to 5 nays (Vote No. 
44), Senate passed the bill, after striking all after the enacting 
clause and inserting in lieu thereof the text of S. 2251, Senate 
companion measure, and after taking action on the following amendment 
proposed thereto:
  Pages S1627-42
Adopted:
  By 99 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 43), Wellstone Amendment No. 2888, to 
express the sense of Congress regarding the Rally for Rural America and 
the rural crisis.
Pages S1627-28
  Senate insisted on its amendment, requested a conference with the 
House thereon, and the Chair was authorized to appoint the following 
conferees: Senators Lugar, Helms, Cochran, Coverdell, Roberts, Harkin, 
Leahy, Conrad and Kerrey.
Page S1642
  Subsequently, S. 2251 was returned to the Senate calendar. 
                                                             Page S1651
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Lugar/Harkin Modified Amendment No. 2887 (adopted by the Senate on 
Wednesday, March 22, 2000), was further modified.
Page S1628
Flag Desecration--Agreement: A unanimous-consent time agreement was 
reached providing for the consideration of S.J. Res. 14, proposing an 
amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing Congress 
to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States, 
with certain amendments to be proposed thereto, on Monday, March 27, 
2000 at 1:30 p.m. Further, the Senate will continue consideration of 
the bill on Tuesday, March 28, 2000 at 9:30 a.m., with votes on or in 
relation to the pending amendments to occur at 2:15 p.m.
  Page S1651
Removal of Injunction of Secrecy: The injunction secrecy was removed 
from the following treaty:
  International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) (Treaty Doc. No. 
106-23)
  The treaty was transmitted to the Senate today, considered as having 
been read for the first time, and referred, with accompanying papers, 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations and was ordered to be printed. 
                                                             Page S1687
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:

[[Page D253]]


  Manuel Trinidad Pacheco, of Arizona, to be a Member of the National 
Security Education Board for a term of four years. (Reappointment)
  Ella Wong-Rusinko, of Virginia, to be Alternate Federal Cochairman of 
the Appalachian Regional Commission.
  Beth Susan Slavet, of Massachusetts, to be Chairman of the Merit 
Systems Protection Board.
  Gordon S. Heddell, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department 
of Labor.
  Steven S. Reed, of Kentucky, to be United States Attorney for the 
Western District of Kentucky for the term of four years.
  Julio F. Mercado, of Texas, to be Deputy Administrator of Drug 
Enforcement.
Page S1693
Messages From the House:
  Page S1668
Measures Referred:
  Page S1668
Measures Placed on Calendar:
  Page S1668
Communications:
  Pages S1668-69
Petitions:
  Pages S1669-71
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S1671
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S1671-83
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S1683-84
Notices of Hearings:
  Page S1686
Authority for Committees:
  Pages S1686-87
Additional Statements:
  Pages S1665-68
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S1687
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--44) 
                                                     Pages S1628, S1631
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 4:53 p.m., 
until 12 noon, on Monday, March 27, 2000. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S1664.)