[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 39 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D315-D317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                           Thursday, April 11, 2002

[[Page D315]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.R. 3295, Election Reform.
      The House passed H.R. 3762, Pension Security Act.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2507-S2603
Measures Introduced: Thirty-one bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 2089-2119, and S. Res. 236-238. 
                                                         Pages S2577-78
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. Con. Res. 100, setting forth the congressional 
budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2003 and 
setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for each of the fiscal 
years 2004 through 2012. (S. Rept. No. 107-141)
  S. 924, to provide reliable officers, technology, education, 
community prosecutors, and training in our neighborhoods, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.                     
Page S2577
Measures Passed:
  Election Reform: By 99 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 65), Senate passed S. 
565, to require States and localities to meet uniform and 
nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements 
applicable to Federal elections, to establish grant programs to provide 
assistance to States and localities to meet those requirements and to 
improve election technology and the administration of Federal 
elections, and to establish the Election Administration Commission, 
after taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                                         Pages S2516-56
Adopted:
  By 56 yeas to 43 nays (Vote No. 63), Roberts/McConnell Amendment No. 
2907, to eliminate the administrative procedures of requiring election 
officials to notify voters by mail whether or not their individual vote 
was counted.                                      
Pages S2516, S2542-43
  Dodd/McConnell Amendment No. 3117, to amend the title of the bill. 
                                                             Page S2543
Rejected:
  By 48 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 64), Clinton Amendment No. 3108, to 
establish a residual ballot performance benchmark.   
Pages S2516, S2543
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  McConnell (for Hatch) Amendment No. 3107, to establish the Advisory 
Committee on Electronic Voting and the Electoral Process, and to 
instruct the Attorney General to study the adequacy of existing 
electoral fraud statutes and penalties, adopted by the Senate on 
Wednesday, April 10, 2002, was modified to reflect a technical 
correction.                                                  
Page S2516
  Subsequently, passage of S. 565 was vitiated, and the bill was then 
returned to the Senate Calendar.                             
Page S2599
  Election Reform: By unanimous consent, Committee on Rules and 
Administration was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3295, 
to require States and localities to meet uniform and nondiscriminatory 
election technology and administration requirements applicable to 
Federal elections, to establish grant programs to provide assistance to 
States and localities to meet those requirements and to improve 
election technology and the administration of Federal elections, and to 
establish the Election Administration Commission, and the bill was then 
passed, after striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in 
lieu thereof, the text of S. 565, Senate companion measure, as amended, 
and after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                     Pages S2543, S2544
  Dodd/McConnell Amendment No. 3118, to amend the title of the bill. 
                                                             Page S2543
  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.                                          
Page S2543
  Commending University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 236, commending

[[Page D316]]

the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs for winning the 2002 
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women's Ice Hockey 
National Championship.                                       
  Page S2600
  Commending University of Minnesota Golden Gophers: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 237, commending the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for 
winning the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I 
Men's Hockey National Championship.                          
  Page S2600
  Commending University of Minnesota Golden Gophers: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 238, commending the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for 
winning the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling National Championship. 
                                                         Pages S2600-01
Energy Policy Act: Senate continued consideration of S. 517, to 
authorize funding for the Department of Energy to enhance its mission 
areas through technology transfer and partnerships for fiscal years 
2002 through 2006, taking action on the following amendments proposed 
thereto:                                       
  Pages S2507-16, S2556-71
Adopted:
  By 69 yeas to 30 nays (Vote No. 66), Durbin Modified Amendment No. 
3094 (to Amendment No. 2917), to establish a Consumer Energy Commission 
to assess and provide recommendations regarding energy price spikes 
from the perspective of consumers.                       
Pages S2563-65
  Bingaman (for Rockefeller) Amendment No. 3119 (to Amendment No. 
2917), to ensure the safety of the nation's mines and mine workers. 
                                                         Pages S2567-69
  Bingaman (for Levin) Amendment No. 3120 (to Amendment No. 2917), to 
require the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study on the effect of 
natural gas pipelines and other energy transmission infrastructure 
across the Great Lakes on the Great Lakes ecosystem.     
Pages S2567-69
  Bingaman (for Schumer) Amendment No. 3121 (to Amendment No. 2917), to 
promote the demonstration of certain high temperature superconducting 
technologies.                                            
Pages S2567-69
  Bingaman (for Smith of OR) Amendment No. 3122 (to Amendment No. 
2917), to authorize a study of the way in which energy efficiency 
standards are determined.                                
Pages S2567-69
  Bingaman (for Durbin) Amendment No. 3123 (to Amendment No. 2917), to 
encourage energy conservation through bicycling.         
Pages S2567-69
Rejected:
  Feinstein Amendment No. 3114 (to Amendment No. 2917), to reduce the 
period of time in which the Administrator may act on a petition by 1 or 
more States to waive the renewable fuel content requirement. (By 61 
yeas to 36 nays (Vote No. 67), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                     Pages S2508-11, S2558-63, S2565-66
Pending:
  Daschle/Bingaman Further Modified Amendment No. 2917, in the nature 
of a substitute.                                         
Pages S2508-16
  Kerry/McCain Amendment No. 2999 (to Amendment No. 2917), to provide 
for increased average fuel economy standards for passenger automobiles 
and light trucks.                                            
Page S2508
  Dayton/Grassley Amendment No. 3008 (to Amendment No. 2917), to 
require that Federal agencies use ethanol-blended gasoline and 
biodiesel-blended diesel fuel in areas in which ethanol-blended 
gasoline and biodiesel-blended diesel fuel are available.    
Page S2508
  Lott Amendment No. 3028 (to Amendment No. 2917), to provide for the 
fair treatment of Presidential judicial nominees.            
Page S2508
  Landrieu/Kyl Amendment No. 3050 (to Amendment No. 2917), to increase 
the transfer capability of electric energy transmission systems through 
participant-funded investment.                               
Page S2508
  Graham Amendment No. 3070 (to Amendment No. 2917), to clarify the 
provisions relating to the Renewable Portfolio Standard.     
Page S2508
  Schumer/Clinton Amendment No. 3093 (to Amendment No. 2917), to 
prohibit oil and gas drilling activity in Finger Lakes National Forest, 
New York.                                                    
Page S2508
  Dayton Amendment No. 3097 (to Amendment No. 2917), to require 
additional findings for FERC approval of an electric utility merger. 
                                                             Page S2508
  Schumer Amendment No. 3030 (to Amendment No. 2917), to strike the 
section establishing a renewable fuel content requirement for motor 
vehicle fuel.                                            
Pages S2511-15
  Feinstein/Boxer Amendment No. 3115 (to Amendment No. 2917), to modify 
the provision relating to the renewable content of motor vehicle fuel 
to eliminate the required volume of renewable fuel for calendar year 
2004.                                                    
Pages S2515-16
U.S. Border Security/Energy Policy Act Agreement: A unanimous-consent 
agreement was reached providing that the Committee on the Judiciary be 
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3525, to enhance the 
border security of the United States, and the Senate begin 
consideration of the bill at 11:30 a.m., on Friday, April 12, 2002. 
Further, that upon the resumption of the S. 517, Energy Policy Act, 
Senator Murkowski be recognized to offer an amendment with respect to 
ANWR.                                                        
  Page S2564
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:

[[Page D317]]


  Robert Watson Cobb, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration.                
Pages S2599, S2603
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Tony Hammond, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Rate 
Commission for the remainder of the term expiring October 14, 2004.
  Steven M. Biskupic, of Wisconsin, to be United States Attorney for 
the Eastern District of Wisconsin for the term of four years.
  Jan Paul Miller, of Illinois, to be United States Attorney for the 
Central District of Illinois for the term of four years.
  1 Army nomination in the rank of general.
  1 Marine Corps nomination in the rank of general.
  A routine list in the Marine Corps.                        
Page S2603
Messages From the House:                                     
  Page S2575
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S2575
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S2575-77
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S2577
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S2578-79
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S2579-95
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S2574-75
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S2595-98
Authority for Committees to Meet:                        
  Pages S2598-99
Record Votes: Five record votes were taken today. (Total--67) 
                                       Pages S2543, S2544, S2565, S2566
Adjournment: Senate met at 10:01 a.m., and adjourned at 6:32 p.m., 
until 10:30 a.m., on Friday, April 12, 2002. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S2601).