[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 46 (Friday, March 21, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D280-D282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                             Friday, March 21, 2003

[[Page D280]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S4225-S4313
Measures Introduced: Eleven bills were introduced, as follows: S. 681-
691.
  Page S4275
Congressional Budget Resolution: Senate continued consideration of S. 
Con. Res. 23, setting forth the congressional budget for the United 
States Government for fiscal year 2004 and including the appropriate 
budgetary levels for fiscal year 2003 and for fiscal years 2005 through 
2013, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto:
Adopted:
  By a unanimous vote of 97 yeas (Vote No. 66), Cochran Amendment No. 
369, to make additional funds available for certain homeland security 
needs.
Page S4230
  By 52 yeas to 47 nays (Vote No. 67), Conrad (for Feingold/Corzine) 
Amendment No. 270, to set aside a reserve fund for possible military 
action and reconstruction in Iraq.
Page S4230
  Crapo (and Sarbanes) Amendment No. 317, to increase funding for the 
EPA for Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Safe Drinking Water 
State Revolving Fund.
Pages S4233-35
  By 89 yeas to 10 nays (Vote No. 71), Gregg Amendment No. 377, to 
increase funding for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act by reducing spending on other government programs by a 
commensurate amount.
Pages S4236-37
  Nickles (for Wyden) Amendment No. 328, to increase investments in 
implementation of the National Fire Plan to benefit national forests, 
the environment, local communities and local economies. 
                                                       Pages S4242-4243
  Brownback Amendment No. 282, to express the sense of the Senate that 
a commission be established to review the efficiency of Federal 
agencies.
Pages S4242-43
  By 51 yeas to 49 nays (Vote No. 77), Byrd Amendment No. 387, to 
provide adequate funds for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation 
(Amtrak).
Page S4249
  Kennedy Modified Amendment No. 311, to increase the maximum Pell 
Grant from $4,050 to $4,500 at a cost of $1.8 billion and reduce the 
public debt by an additional $1.8 billion, both paid for by a reduction 
in the non-reconciliation tax cut.
Pages S4249-51
  Hollings Modified Amendment No. 343, to increase funding for port 
security.
Pages S4253-54
  By 79 yeas to 21 nays (Vote No. 79), Bond Amendment No. 358, to make 
available funds for certain transportation programs.
Page S4256
  Stevens/Nickles Amendment No. 391, to express the Sense of the Senate 
regarding highway spending.
Page S4256
  Nickles (for Smith/Clinton) Amendment No. 353, to express the sense 
of the Senate concerning the expansion of health care coverage.
  Conrad (for Feinstein) Amendment No. 283, to express the sense of the 
Senate that the States and localities should be reimbursed through the 
State Criminal Alien Assistance Program for the fiscal burdens 
undocumented criminal aliens place on their criminal justice systems.
  Nickles Amendment No. 390, to make a technical correction. 
                                                         Pages S4256-68
  Nickles (for Voinovich) Amendment No. 388, to require annual reports 
on the liabilities and future costs of the Federal Government and its 
programs.
Pages S4256-68
  Nickles (for Hutchison) Amendment No. 389, to express the sense of 
the Senate regarding the urgent need for increased funding for the 
Corps of Engineers.
Pages S4256-68
  Conrad (for Bingaman) Amendment No. 309, to provide the Committee on 
Finance of the Senate with additional options to reform and improve 
Medicaid without the need to resort to block grant allotments with 
predetermined growth rates, which fail to adjust for economic 
recessions, demographic changes, or disasters.
Pages S4256-68
  Conrad (for Rockefeller) Modified Amendment No. 296, to express the 
sense of the Senate that the Attorney General should conduct a study on 
the need and cost to establish radio interoperability between law 
enforcement agencies, fire departments, and emergency medical services, 
and that Congress should authorize and appropriate $20,000,000 for

[[Page D281]]

grants to local governments to assist fire departments and emergency 
medical services agencies to establish radio interoperability. 
                                                         Pages S4256-68
Rejected:
  By 45 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 65), Schumer Amendment No. 299, to 
provide immediate assistance to meet pressing homeland security needs 
by providing funding in 2003 for first responders, port security, 
bioterrorism preparedness and prevention, border security and transit 
security, the FBI; to restore the elimination of funding of the COPS 
program, firefighter equipment grants, Byrne Grants and Local Law 
enforcement grants; to provide a sustained commitment of resources for 
homeland security needs without reducing funding to other key domestic 
law enforcement and public safety priorities; and to reduce the 
deficit.
Page S4228
  By 46 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 68), Lautenberg Amendment No. 300, to 
restore national security funding.
Pages S4230-32
  By 22 yeas to 77 nays (Vote No. 69), Hollings Amendment No. 265, to 
eliminate tax cuts.
Pages S4232-33
  By 47 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 70) Conrad Amendment No. 376, to 
provide full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act (IDEA) part B grants over ten years by reducing tax breaks for the 
wealthiest taxpayers.
Pages S4235-36
  By 45 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 72), Mikulski Amendment No. 349, to 
revise the resolution to accommodate in reconciliation legislation a 
partially refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 for eligible expenses 
for individuals with long-term or chronic care needs or their family 
caregivers who pay these expenses; in which ``eligible expenses'' shall 
include prescription drugs, medical bills, durable medical equipment, 
home health care, custodial care, respite care, adult day care, 
transportation to chronic care or medical facilities, specialized 
therapy (including occupational therapy, physical therapy, or 
rehabilitational therapy), other specialized services for children 
(including day care for children with special needs), and other long 
term care related expenses as defined by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services; and in which ``individuals with long term or chronic 
care needs'' shall mean individuals with multiple chronic conditions, 
individuals unable to perform activities of daily living, individuals 
with severe cognitive impairment, individuals with complex medical 
conditions, and other individuals with similar levels of disability or 
need for care.
Pages S4237-38
  By 48 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 73), Clinton Amendment No. 381, to 
raise the 2003 caps by $3.5 billion for homeland security funding 
through a Domestic Defense Fund at the Department of Homeland 
Security's Office of Domestic Preparedness in FY 2003 and to reduce the 
size of newly proposed tax cuts in the amount of $7 billion to pay for 
this amendment and for the cost of previously passed homeland security 
funding.
Pages S4239-40
  By 49 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 74), Dorgan Amendment No. 385, to 
increase FY 2004 funding for the discretionary programs of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs by $1,019,000,000, so it matches the 
level proposed by a coalition of veterans groups in the Independent 
Budget; to decrease the deficit by a similar amount; and to use the 
unreconciled tax cut to pay for it.
Pages S4240-42
  Harkin Amendment No. 386 (to Amendment No. 339), to reduce the 
reconciliation instruction by $375 billion, reduce the size of tax cuts 
allowed by $980 billion and to reduce deficits by $1.1 Trillion. (By 58 
yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 75), Senate tabled the Amendment.) 
                                                         Pages S4247-48
  By 38 yeas to 62 nays (Vote No. 76), Breaux Modified Amendment No. 
339, to reduce tax cuts to $350 billion.
Pages S4248-49
  By 48 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 78), Biden Modified Amendment No. 
278, to make available funds for the COPS program.
Page S4253
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that no later 
than 4 p.m., on Monday, March 24, 2003, the Ranking Member of the 
Committee on the Budget provide to the Chairman a list of 40 
amendments, and the Chairman provide to the Ranking Member a list of no 
more than 40 amendments, which would then be in order to be offered to 
the budget resolution; also, that the Senate then resume consideration 
of S. Con. Res. 23, Budget Resolution, at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 
25, 2003, and it be in order for the Majority Leader or Democratic 
Leader, or their designees, to offer amendments from the respective 
lists, with votes on or in relation to the amendments as provided for 
under the Budget Act; provided that no later than 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 
March 26, 2003, Senate proceed to a vote on adoption of S. Con. Res. 
23, and that immediately upon adoption of the resolution, Senate 
proceed to the consideration of H. Con. Res. 95, House companion 
measure, and that all after the resolving clause be stricken and the 
text of S. Con. Res. 23, as amended, be inserted in lieu thereof, the 
resolution be adopted, the Senate then insist on its amendment, request 
a conference with the House thereon, and the Chair be authorized to 
appoint conferees on the part of the Senate.
Page S4313
Messages From the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:

[[Page D282]]


  Transmitting, pursuant to Executive Order 13224, the six month 
periodic report on the national emergency with respect to persons who 
commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism; to the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM-29)
Page S4274
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Kenneth M. Ford, of Florida, to be a Member of the National Science 
Board, National Science Foundation, for a term expiring May 10, 2008.
  Dario Fernandez-Morera, of Illinois, to be a Member of the National 
Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2008.
  Mary Costa, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the National Council on 
the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2006.
  Makoto Fujimura, of New York, to be a Member of the National Council 
on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2008.
  Jerry Pinkney, of New York, to be a Member of the National Council on 
the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2008.
  Karen Lias Wolff, of Michigan, to be a Member of the National Council 
on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2008.
Page S4313
Messages From the House:
  Page S4274
Measures Placed on Calendar:
  Page S4274
Executive Communications:
  Pages S4274-75
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S4275-77
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S4277-95
Additional Statements:
  Pages S4273-74
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S4295-S4312
Privilege of the Floor:
  Pages S4312-13
Record Vote: Fifteen record votes were taken today. (Total--79) 
  Pages S4228, S4230, S4232, S4233, S4236, S4237, S4238, S4240, S4242, 
                                                 S4248-49, S4253, S4256
Adjournment: Senate met at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 8:32 p.m., until 
2 p.m., on Monday, March 24, 2003. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S.4313)