[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 28 (Wednesday, March 13, 2002)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D223-D224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 13 public bills, H.R. 3951-3963; 1 private bill, 
H.R. 3964 and; 3 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 349, and H. Res. 368-369 
were introduced.                                          
  Pages H906-07
Reports Filed: No reports were filed today.
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
appointed Representative Simpson to act as Speaker pro tempore for 
today.                                                        
  Page H835
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, LCDR 
Bryan K. Finch, Chaplain, U.S. Coast Guard Training Center, Yorktown, 
Virginia.                                                 
  Pages H835-36
Journal Vote: Agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal of 
Tuesday, March 12 by a yea-and-nay vote of 355 yeas to 45 nays with 1 
voting ``present,'' Roll No. 54.                          
  Pages H837-38
Presidential Messages: Read the following messages from the President:
  Continuation of National Emergency re Iran: Message wherein he 
transmitted a notice stating that it is necessary to continue the 
national emergency declared with respect to Iran and maintain in force 
comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat--
referred to the Committee on International Relations and ordered 
printed (H. Doc. 107-187); and                            
  Pages H846-47
  Six Month Periodic Report on National Emergency re Iran: Message 
wherein he transmitted a 6-month periodic report on the national 
emergency with respect to Iran that was declared in Executive Order 
12957 of March 15, 1995--referred to the Committee on International 
Relations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 107-188).              
  Page H847
Class Action Fairness Act: The House passed H.R. 2341, to amend the 
procedures that apply to consideration of interstate class actions to 
assure fairer outcomes for class members and defendants, to outlaw 
certain practices that provide inadequate settlements for class 
members, to assure that attorneys do not receive a disproportionate 
amount of settlements at the expense of class members, to provide for 
clearer and simpler information in class action settlement notices, to 
assure prompt consideration of interstate class actions, to amend title 
28, United States Code, and to allow the application of the principles 
of Federal diversity jurisdiction to interstate class actions by a yea-
and-nay vote of 233 yeas to 190 nays, Roll No. 62.        
  Pages H885-86
  Rejected the Sandlin of Texas motion to recommit the bill to the 
Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report it back with an 
amendment that prohibits defendants who are knowing participants in 
conspiracies to hijack aircraft or commit acts of terrorism to remove a 
class action to Federal court by a recorded vote of 191 ayes to 235 
noes, Roll No. 61.                                        
Pages H884-85
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, 
H. Rept.

[[Page D224]]

107-370, was considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment.                                                    
Page H857
Agreed To:
  Nadler amendment No. 2, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, 
that prohibits any order, opinion, or record of the court from being 
sealed or subjected to a protective order unless the court finds that 
the sealing or protective order is narrowly tailored, consistent with 
the protection of public health and safety, and is in the public 
interest;                                                 
Pages H859-60
  Keller amendment No. 4, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, 
that requires courts with jurisdiction over a plaintiff class action to 
disclose their fees to each plaintiff if there is a settlement or 
judgment for the plaintiffs; and                              
Page H863
  Hart amendment No. 9, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, that 
directs the Judicial Conference of the United States with the 
assistance of the Director of the Federal Judicial Center and the 
Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts to 
prepare and transmit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the Senate 
and House of Representatives a report on class action settlements in 
the Federal courts, within 12 months after the date of enactment. 
                                                          Pages H879-82
Rejected:
  Waters amendment No. 3, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, 
that sought to deem a party in a class action suit as admitting any 
fact with respect to which a discovery order was issued when that party 
withholds or destroys material subject to the order (rejected by a 
recorded vote of 174 ayes to 251 noes, Roll No. 56);          
Page H872
  Lofgren amendment No. 5, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, 
that sought to strike the provision that deems a civil action to be a 
class action if the plaintiff acts for the interests of its members 
(who are not named parties to the action) or for the interests of the 
general public, seeks a remedy of damages, restitution, disgorgement, 
or any other form of monetary relief, and is not a State attorney 
general (rejected by a recorded vote of 194 ayes to 231 noes, Roll 
No.57);                                                   
Pages H872-73
  Conyers amendment No. 6, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, 
that sought to treat a foreign corporation which acquires a domestic 
corporation as being incorporated in the State where the domestic 
corporation was organized (rejected by a recorded vote of 202 ayes to 
223 noes, Roll No.58);                                    
Pages H873-74
  Jackson-Lee amendment No. 7, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as 
modified, that sought to prohibit a party from removing a class action 
to a district court if the party has been found by a court to have 
knowingly altered, destroyed, or misrepresented records or documents 
(rejected by a recorded vote of 177 ayes to 248 noes, Roll No. 59); and
                                                          Pages H882-83
  Frank amendment No. 8, printed in H. Rept. 107-375, as modified, that 
sought to require Federal courts which refuse to certify a class action 
under rule 23 of the Federal rules of Civil Procedure to remand all 
aspects of the action to the State court from which it was removed 
(rejected by a recorded vote of 191 ayes to 234 noes, Roll No. 60). 
                                                          Pages H883-84
  H. Res. 367, the rule that provided for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to by voice vote. Earlier, agreed to order the previous question 
by a yea-and-nay vote of 221 yeas to 198 nays, Roll No. 55.   
Page H846
Discharge Petition: Pursuant to Clause 2 of Rule XV, Representative 
Israel filed a motion to discharge the Committee on Rules from the 
consideration of H. Res. 352, providing for consideration of H.R. 3341, 
to provide a short-term enhanced safety net for Americans losing their 
jobs and to provide our Nation's economy with a necessary boost.
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H837-38, H846, H872, H872-73, H873-74, H882-83, H883-84, H885, and 
H885-86. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 9:12 p.m.