[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 95 (Thursday, July 20, 2000)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D786-D790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Thursday, July 20, 2000

[[Page D786]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed Agriculture Appropriations bill.
      The House agreed to the conference report on H.R. 4810, Marriage 
      Tax Penalty Relief Reconciliation Act.
      The House passed H.R. 4871 Treasury, Postal Appropriations.
      House Committee ordered reported the District of Columbia 
      appropriations for fiscal year 2001.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S7303-S7408
Measures Introduced: Eight bills were introduced, as follows: S. 2895-
2902.
  Page S7393
Measures Reported: Reports were made as follows:
  Special Report entitled ``Further Revised Allocation to Subcommittees 
of Budget Totals for Fiscal Year 2001.'' (S. Rept. No. 106-350)
  S. 2901, to authorize appropriations to carry out security assistance 
for fiscal year 2001. (S. Rept. No. 106-351)
  S. 2089, to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 
to modify procedures relating to orders for surveillance and searches 
for foreign intelligence purposes, with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 106-
352)
  S. Res. 133, supporting religious tolerance toward Muslims.
  S. 1902, to require disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 
regarding certain persons and records of the Japanese Imperial Army in 
a manner that does not impair any investigation or prosecution 
conducted by the Department of Justice or certain intelligence matters, 
with amendments.
  S. 2516, to fund task forces to locate and apprehend fugitives in 
Federal, State, and local felony criminal cases and give administrative 
subpoena authority to the United States Marshals Service, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2812, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide a 
waiver of the oath of renunciation and allegiance for naturalization of 
aliens having certain disabilities.
  S. 2900, 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, 2001.
  S.J. Res. 48, calling upon the President to issue a proclamation 
recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act.
  S. Con. Res. 53, condemning all prejudice against individuals of 
Asian and Pacific Island ancestry in the United States and supporting 
political and civic participation by such individuals throughout the 
United States, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and with 
an amended preamble.
Page S7392
Measures Passed:
  Agriculture Appropriations: By 79 yeas to 13 nays (Vote No. 225), 
Senate passed H.R. 4461, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies programs 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, as amended, after taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                               Pages S7303-08, S7310-79
Adopted:
  By 90 yeas to 6 nays (Vote No. 222), Wellstone Modified Amendment No. 
3919, to require the use of certain funds transferred to the Economic 
Research Service to conduct a study of reasons for the decline in 
participation in the food stamp program and any problems that 
households with eligible children have experienced in obtaining food 
stamps.
Pages S7334-37

[[Page D787]]


  By 72 yeas to 24 nays (Vote No. 223), Specter Amendment No. 3958, to 
correct an unintended termination of the authority of Amtrak to lease 
motor vehicles from the General Services Administration that results 
from previously enacted legislation.
Pages S7337-42
  Cochran (for Harkin) Amendment No. 3964, to provide the use of funds 
for the Emergency Watershed Program for emergency expenses for 
floodplain operations identified as of July 18, 2000. 
                                                  Pages S7344-48, S7351
  Cochran (for Levin/Collins) Amendment No. 3457, to provide market and 
quality loss assistance for certain commodities.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Abraham/Schumer/Levin) Amendment No. 3933 (to Amendment 
No. 3457), to provide relief for apple growers whose crops have 
suffered extensive crop damage as a result of fireblight. 
                                                         Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Graham/Mack) Amendment No. 3965, to ensure that nursery 
stock producers receive emergency financial assistance for nursery 
stock losses caused by Hurricane Irene.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Lott/Cochran/Kohl) Amendment No. 3966, to permit the 
enrollment of an additional 100,000 acres in the wetlands reserve 
program.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Leahy/Jeffords) Amendment No. 3967, to provide that in 
addition to other compensation paid by the Secretary of Agriculture, 
the Secretary shall compensate, or otherwise seek to make whole, from 
funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, not to exceed $4,000,000, 
the owners of all sheep destroyed from flocks under the Secretary's 
declarations of July 14, 2000 for lost income, or other business 
interruption losses, due to actions of the Secretary with respect to 
such sheep.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Harkin/Bond) Amendment No. 3968, to provide emergency 
funding for the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards 
Administration for completion of a biotechnology reference facility. 
                                                         Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Graham/Mack) Amendment No. 3969, to ensure that growers 
who experienced crop losses due to citrus canker receive appropriate 
compensation.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran Amendment No. 3970, to make certain funds available for the 
Boll weevil eradication program for cost share purposes or for debt 
retirement for active eradication zones.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Thurmond) Amendment No. 3971, to provide financial 
assistance to the State of South Carolina in capitalizing the South 
Carolina Grain Dealers Guaranty Fund.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran Amendment No. 3972, to restrict the use of funds to provide 
certain conservation assistance and authorize a transfer of funds for 
the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Sessions) Amendment No. 3973, to provide for assistance 
for emergency haying and feed operations in the State of Alabama. 
                                                         Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Edwards) Amendment No. 3974, to provide emergency 
funding to the Department of Agriculture's Rural Community Facilities 
program.
Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Dorgan) Amendment No. 3975, to make emergency financial 
assistance available to producers on a farm that have incurred losses 
in a 2000 crop due to a disaster and to producers of specialty crops 
that incurred losses during the 1999 crop year due to a disaster. 
                                                         Pages S7351-56
  Cochran (for Inouye) Amendment No. 3976, to provide that 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of 
Agriculture shall make a payment in the amount of $7,200,000 to the 
State of Hawaii from the Commodity Credit Corporation for assistance to 
an agricultural transportation cooperative in Hawaii, the members of 
which are eligible to participate in the Farm Service Agency 
administered Commodity Loan Program and have suffered extraordinary 
market losses due to unprecedented low prices.
Pages S7351-56
  Baucus Amendment No. 3981, to direct the Secretary of the Army to 
conduct a restudy of the project for navigation, Manteo (Shallowbag) 
Bay, North Carolina, to evaluate alternatives to the authorized inlet 
stabilization project at Oregon Inlet.
Pages S7361-65
  Cochran (for Smith-NH/Boxer) Amendment No. 3982, to provide for an 
Animal and Plant Health Services wildlife services methods development 
study.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Boxer/McConnell) Amendment No. 3983, to amend the Organic 
Foods Production Act of 1990, providing for an exception in the 
production of wine.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Grams) Amendment No. 3984, to prohibit the use of 
appropriated funds to require offices of the Farm Services Agency to 
discontinue use of FINPACK for financial planning and credit analysis. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Hollings/Thurmond) Amendment No. 3985, to provide that the 
Sea Island Health Clinic located on Johns Island, South Carolina, shall 
remain eligible for assistance and funding from the Rural Development 
community facilities programs administered by the Department of 
Agriculture until such time new population data is available from the 
2000 Census.
Pages S7365-70

[[Page D788]]


  Kohl (for Reed/Chafee) Amendment No. 3986, to provide funds for a 
study on flood plain management for the Pocasset River, Rhode Island. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Bingaman/Leahy) Amendment No. 3987, to allocate funding 
made available by this Act for loans and grants to federally recognized 
Indian tribes under the rural community advance program under the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Byrd) Amendment No. 3988, to provide for a pasture recovery 
program.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Dodd/Lieberman) Amendment No. 3989, to prohibit the use of 
any funding to recover payments erroneously made to oyster fishermen in 
the State of Connecticut.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Wyden) Amendment No. 3990, to provide support for creative 
anti-hunger initiatives in Oregon.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Byrd) Amendment No. 3991, to increase the Section 502 
Guaranteed Rural Housing income limits.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl Amendment No. 3992, to provide that the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall use the funds, facilities and authorities of the Commodity Credit 
Corporation to make and administer supplemental payments to dairy 
producers who received a payment under section 805 of Public Law 106-78 
in an amount equal to thirty-five percent of the reduction in market 
value of milk production in 2000.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Hutchinson/Cleland/Lincoln) Amendment No. 3993, to 
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide emergency loans to 
poultry producers to rebuild chicken houses destroyed by disasters. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Torricelli) Amendment No. 3994, to express the sense of the 
Senate regarding preference for assistance for victims of domestic 
violence.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Torricelli) Amendment No. 3995, to allocate appropriated 
funds for early detection and treatment concerning childhood lead 
poisoning at sites participating in the special supplemental nutrition 
program for women, infants, and children.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Hatch) Amendment No. 3996, to increase funding for the 
Office of Generic Drugs in order to accelerate the review of generic 
drug applications.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Harkin) Amendment No. 3997, to provide funds for the 
cleanup of methamphetamine labs by State and local law enforcement. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Landrieu) Amendment No. 3998, to provide that the Chief 
Financial Officer shall actively market cross-servicing activities of 
the National Finance Center.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Nickles) Amendment No. 3999, to fund biomass-based 
energy research.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Campbell) Amendment No. 4000, to provide fiscal year 
2000 supplemental contingent emergency funding to the Department of the 
Treasury for the Customs Service Automated Commercial System. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 4001, to fully fund the Food and 
Drug Administration's food safety initiative activities. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Nickles) Amendment No. 4002, of a clarifying nature. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (Feingold/Jeffords) Amendment No. 4003, to prohibit products 
that contain dry ultra-filtered milk products or casein from being 
labeled as domestic natural cheese.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Sessions) Amendment No. 4004, to increase and limit 
certain funding.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Boxer) Amendment No. 4005, to provide that none of the 
funds appropriated by this Act to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
may be used to implement or administer the final rule issued in Docket 
number 97-110, at 65 Federal Register 37608-37669 until such time as 
USDA completes an independent peer review of the rule and the risk 
assessment underlying the rule.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Leahy) Amendment No. 4006, to require that any award 
entered into under the dairy export incentive program that is canceled 
or voided is made available for reassignment under the program. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Campbell) Amendment No. 4007, to require the use of a 
certain amount of appropriated funds to carry out the Food Distribution 
on Indian Reservations.
Pages S7365-70
  Cochran (for Warner) Amendment No. 4008, to increase and limit 
certain funding.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Wellstone) Amendment No. 4009, to set aside funding for the 
distance learning and telemedicine program to promote employment of 
rural residents through teleworking.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Johnson) Amendment No. 4010, to extend the authority of the 
Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants for State mediation programs 
dealing with agricultural issues.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Harkin) Amendment No. 4011, to provide increased funding 
for the Extension farm safety program, including funding at a level of 
$3,055,000 for the AgrAbility project.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Daschle) Amendment No. 4012, to authorize the Secretary of 
Agriculture to provide equitable relief to an owner or operator that 
has entered into and violated a contract under the environmental 
conservation acreage reserve program if the owner or operator took 
actions in good faith reliance on the

[[Page D789]]

action or advice of an authorized representative of the Secretary. 
                                                         Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Feingold) Amendment No. 4013, to require the publication of 
data collected on imported herbs.
Pages S7365-70
  Kohl (for Robb) Amendment No. 4014, to adjust the limitation to carry 
out research related to tobacco.
Pages S7365-70
Rejected:
  McCain Amendment No. 3917, to prohibit the use of appropriated funds 
for the sugar program. (By 65 yeas to 32 nays (Vote No. 219), Senate 
tabled the amendment.)
Pages S7314-25, S7328-29
  Wellstone Amendment No. 3922, to provide increased funding for the 
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration for 
investigations of anticompetitive behavior, rapid response teams, the 
Hog Contract Library, examinations of the competitive structure of the 
poultry industry, civil rights activities, and information staff, with 
an offset. (By 51 yeas to 47 nays (Vote No. 220), Senate tabled the 
amendment.)
Pages S7325, S7329
  By 48 yeas to 49 nays (Vote No. 221), Reid (for Harkin) Amendment No. 
3938, to prohibit the use of appropriated funds to label, mark, stamp, 
or tag as ``inspected and passed'' meat, meat products, poultry, or 
poultry products that do not meet microbiological performance standards 
established by the Secretary of Agriculture. (By 49 yeas to 49 nays 
(Vote No. 218), Senate earlier failed to table the amendment.) 
                                     Pages S7303-08, S7310-14, S7331-34
Withdrawn:
  Cochran Modified Amendment No. 3955 (to Amendment No. 3938), to 
modify amendment relating to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 
2001.
Pages S7303-08, S7310-14, S7331-34
  Dorgan Amendment No. 3963, to make emergency financial assistance 
available to producers on a farm that have incurred losses in a 2000 
crop due to a disaster and to producers of specialty crops that 
incurred losses during the 1999 crop year due to a disaster. 
                                                         Pages S7342-43
  Domenici point of order against Cochran (for Harkin) Amendment No. 
3964 that the Amendment violates section 205(c) of H. Con. Res. 290, 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to all emergency 
designations.
Page S7348
  Cochran motion to waive the point of order (listed above) pursuant to 
Section 205(c) of H. Con. Res. 290, Congressional Budget Resolution, 
with respect to all emergency designations in this bill and to all the 
amendments to the bill filed at this time.
Page S7348
  Gramm Amendment No. 3977 (to Cochran motion to waive), to waive 
section 205 of the budget resolution for consideration of the Cochran 
(for Harkin) Amendment No. 3964.
Page S7348
  Cochran Amendment No. 3978 ( to Amendment No. 3977), to waive Section 
205(c) of H. Con. Res. 290, Congressional Budget Resolution, with 
respect to all emergency designations in this bill and all amendments 
filed at the desk at this time to this bill other than Amendment No. 
3918.
Page S7348
  During consideration of this measure today, the Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 36 yeas to 56 nays (Vote No. 224), Senate failed to uphold the 
question of germaneness with respect to Durbin Amendment No. 3980, to 
clarify the effect of the provision prohibiting amendment of part 3809 
of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations. Subsequently, the Senate 
determined the amendment to be non-germane, and the amendment thus 
fell.
Pages S7358-61
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached to provide that it not be 
in order in the Senate, for the remainder of the 106th Congress, to 
consider any bill, or amendment that raises the level of emergency 
spending for agriculture above the level contained in this bill as of 
the adoption of the above described amendments (Amendment Nos. 3457, 
3933, and 3964 through 3976).
Page S7356
  Senate insisted on its amendment, requested a conference with the 
House thereon, and the Chair was authorized to appoint the following 
conferees on the part of the Senate: Senators Cochran, Specter, Bond, 
Gorton, McConnell, Burns, Stevens, Kohl, Harkin, Dorgan, Feinstein, 
Durbin, and Byrd.
Page S7379
Marriage Tax Penalty Relief Reconciliation Act Conference Report: 
Senate began consideration of the conference report on H.R. 4810, to 
provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 103(a)(1) of the 
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2001. 
                                                         Pages S7379-82
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the conference report on Friday, July 21, 2000. 
                                                             Page S7379
Nominations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing for the consideration of the nominations of Johnnie B. 
Rawlinson, of Nevada, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth 
Circuit, Dennis M. Cavanaugh, to be United States District Judge for 
the District of New Jersey, James S. Moody, Jr., Gregory A. Presnell, 
and John E. Steele, each to be a United States District Judge for the 
Middle District of Florida, on Friday, June 21, 2000.
  Page S7379

[[Page D790]]

Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of the District of 
Columbia's Fiscal Year 2001 Budget Request Act; to the Committee on 
Governmental Affairs. (PM-121)
Page S7387
Nominations Confirmed: Senate Confirmed the following nominations:
  Norman Y. Mineta, of California, to be Secretary of Commerce. 
                                                             Page S7349
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Andrew Fois, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of 
the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen 
years.
  Miguel D. Lausell, of Puerto Rico, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term 
expiring December 17, 2000.
  Miguel D. Lausell, of Puerto Rico, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term 
expiring December 17, 2003. (Reappointment)
  7 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  Routine list in the Air Force.
Page S7349
Messages From the President:
  Page S7388
Messages From the House:
  Page S7388
Measures Referred:
  Page S7388
Communications:
  Pages S7388-92
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Pages S7392-93
Statements on Introduced Bills:
  Pages S7393-99
Additional Cosponsors:
  Page S7399-S7400
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S7400-08
Notices of Hearings:
  Page S7408
Additional Statements:
  Pages S7485-88
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S7408
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--225) 
               Pages S7307, S7328-29, S7334, S7337, S7342, S7361, S7379
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:45 a.m., and adjourned at10:24 p.m., 
until 9:00 a.m. Friday, July 21, 2000. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S7349.)