[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 86 (Thursday, June 12, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D655-D657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 31 public bills, H.R. 8, 2441-2470; and; 10 
resolutions, H. Con. Res. 216-220, and H. Res. 271-275 were introduced.
                                                         Pages H5364-66
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H5366-67
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  Supplemental report on H.R. 1950, to authorize appropriations for the 
Department of State for the fiscal years 2004 and 2005, to authorize 
appropriations under the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 for security assistance for fiscal years 2004 
(H. Rept. 108-105, Pt. 2);
  H.R. 2122, to enhance research, development, procurement, and use of 
biomedical countermeasures to respond to public health threats 
affecting national security, and for other purposes, amended (H. Rept. 
108-147. Pt. 2);
  Conference report on S. 342, to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and 
Treatment Act to make improvements to and reauthorize programs under 
that Act (H. Rept. 108-150);
  H.R. 23, to amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
to authorize communities to use community development block grant funds 
for construction of tornado-safe shelters in manufactured home parks, 
amended (H. Rept. 108-151); and

[[Page D656]]


  H.R. 1375, to provide regulatory relief and improve productivity for 
insured depository institutions, amended, and referred sequentially to 
the Committee on the Judiciary for a period ending not later than July 
14, 2003 for consideration of such provisions of the bill and amendment 
as fall within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to clause 
1(k), rule X. (H. Rept. 108-152, Pt. 1).                     
Page H5364
Guest Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the Rev. Michael Dolan, 
Pastor, Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish of Lexington Park, Maryland. 
                                                             Page H5269
Journal: Agreed to the Speaker's approval of the Journal of Wednesday, 
June 11 by recorded vote of 347 ayes to 74 noes, Roll No. 267. 
                                                         Pages H5280-81
Order and Decorum in the Proceedings of the House: The Speaker 
announced that under clause 2 of rule 1, it is the responsibility of 
the Speaker to preserve order and decorum in the proceedings of the 
House. As stated on page 330 of the House Rules and Manual, this 
responsibility requires that the Chair disallow the use of an exhibit 
that tends to degrade decorum. Thus, Speakers previously have 
disallowed the introduction of a person on the floor as a guest of the 
House as an ``exhibit.'' Pursuant to clause 2 of rule 1, the Chair 
reiterated the ruling of June 11, 2003, that it is inappropriate to use 
Pages of the House as part of a visual exhibit during debate. Although 
Members may enlist the assistance of Pages to manage the placement of 
exhibits on easels, it is not appropriate to use Pages as though part 
of an exhibit or otherwise include them in an exhibition. The Chair 
also will continue to scrutinize the number of charts and other visual 
exhibits used simultaneously during debate for any tendency to impair 
decorum.                                                     
  Page H5269
Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation: The 
Chair announced the Speaker's appointment of Representative Akin to the 
Board of Trustees of the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation. 
                                                             Page H5271
Supplemental Report: The Committee on International Relations received 
permission to file a supplemental report on H.R. 1950, the Foreign 
Relations Authorizations Act, fiscal years 2004 and 2005.    
  Page H5271
Class Action Fairness Act: The House passed H.R. 1115, 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, to allow the application of the principles of 
Federal diversity jurisdiction to interstate class actions by yea-and-
nay vote of 253 yeas to 170 nays, Roll No. 272.       
  Pages H5271-H5307
  Rejected the Weiner motion that sought to recommit the bill to the 
Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report it back 
forthwith with amendments that change the effective date to any civil 
action commenced upon enactment and strikes the section providing for 
appeals of class action certification orders by recorded vote of 185 
ayes to 240 noes, Roll No. 271.                          
Pages H5305-06
  The Committee on the Judiciary amendment in the nature of a 
substitute now printed in the bill (H. Rept. 108-144) was considered as 
an original bill for the purpose of amendment.               
Page H5305
Agreed To:
  Sensenbrenner amendment No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 108-148 that 
broadens the category of class action cases that would stay in a state 
court by increasing the aggregate jurisdictional amount in controversy 
from $2 million to $5 million and allows Federal courts the discretion 
to return cases to state courts after evaluating five factors to 
determine if the case is of a local character;           
Pages H5294-96
  Jackson-Lee amendment No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 108-148 that sought 
to remove Federal court jurisdiction in class action suits filed 
against certain domestic corporations acquired by foreign corporations 
(rejected by recorded vote of 185 ayes to 238 noes, Roll No. 268); 
                                                  Pages H5296-97, H5303
  Lofgren amendment No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 108-148 that sought to 
permit the use of private attorney actions to enforce state laws in 
state courts (rejected by recorded vote of 186 ayes to 234 noes, Roll 
No. 269; and                                   
Pages H5297-99, H5303-04
  Sandlin amendment in the nature of a substitute No. 3 printed in H. 
Rept. 108-148 that sought to establish the Class Action Improvement Act 
(rejected by 170 ayes to 255 noes, Roll No. 270). 
                                            Pages H5299-H5303, H5304-05
  H. Res. 269, the rule that provided for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to by recorded vote of 235 ayes to 188 noes, Roll No. 266. 
Earlier agreed to order the previous question by yea-and-nay vote of 
229 yeas to 193 nays, Roll No. 265.                      
Pages H5279-80
All-American Tax Relief Act of 2003: The House insisted on its 
amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1308, to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 to end certain abusive tax practices and to 
provide tax relief and simplification and requested a conference with 
the Senate thereon.                                      
  Pages H5316-42

[[Page D657]]


  Appointed as conferees: Chairman Thomas and Representatives DeLay and 
Rangel.                                                      
Page H5335
  Agreed to the Rangel motion to instruct conferees to include 
provisions of the Senate amendment that provide immediate payments to 
taxpayers receiving an additional credit in the same manner as other 
taxpayers under the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act; 
provide families of military personnel serving in combat zones a child 
credit based on the military member's earnings; include all other 
provisions of the Senate amendment and not report back a conference 
report with additional tax benefits not offset by other provisions; and 
to the maximum extent possible to include in the conference report 
other tax benefits for military personnel and the families of the 
astronauts who died in the Columbia shuttle disaster by yea-and-nay 
vote of 205 yeas to 201 nays, Roll No. 275.              
Pages H5335-42
  Earlier, upon adoption of the rule and pursuant to its provisions, 
the Chair announced that the House concurred in the Senate amendment to 
the title and amendment to the text of the bill with the amendment 
printed in the H. Rept. 108-149. Pursuant to this amendment, in lieu of 
the matter inserted by the Senate to the long title of the bill, the 
following was inserted: ``An Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to enhance fairness in the internal revenue laws, and for other 
purposes.''.                                             
Pages H5330-35
  H. Res. 270, the rule that provided for consideration of the Senate 
amendments was agreed to by yea-and-nay vote of 224 yeas to 201 nays, 
Roll No. 274. Agreed to order the previous question by yea-and-nay vote 
of 225 yeas to 201 nays, Roll No. 273.                   
Pages H5316-30
ORBIT Technical Corrections Act: The House passed H.R. 2312, to amend 
the Communications Satellite of 1962 to provide for the orderly 
dilution of the ownership interest in Inmarsat by former signatories to 
the Inmarsat Operating Agreement by unanimous consent.   
  Pages H5342-43
Legislative Program: The Majority Whip announced the legislative 
program for the week of June 16.                         
  Pages H5343-44
Meeting Hour--Monday, June 16: Agreed that when the House adjourns 
today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 16 for morning-
hour debate.                                                 
  Page H5344
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed to dispense with the Calendar Wednesday 
business of Wednesday, June 18.                              
  Page H5345
Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress: Read a letter from the 
Minority Leader wherein she announced her appointment of Mr. Joseph 
Cooper of Baltimore, Maryland to the Advisory Committee on the Records 
of Congress.                                                 
  Page H5345
Presidential Messages: Read the following messages from the President:
  Coastal Zone Management Act Report: Message wherein he transmitted 
the Biennial Report to Congress on the Administration of the Coastal 
Zone Management Act--referred to the Committee on Resources; and 
                                                             Page H5345
  Comprehensive Review of All Federal Drug and Substance Abuse 
Treatment, Prevention, Education, and Research Programs: Message 
wherein he transmitted a report detailing the findings of a 
comprehensive review of all Federal drug and substance abuse treatment, 
prevention, education, and research programs--referred to the 
Committees on Armed Services, Education and the Workforce, Energy and 
Commerce, Government Reform, Judiciary, Small Business, and Veterans' 
Affairs.                                                 
  Pages H5345-46
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appear on page 
H5342.
Referral: S. Con. Res. 54 was held at the desk.              
  Page H5342
Discharge Petition: Representative Marshall moved to discharge the 
Committee on Rules from the consideration of H. Res. 251, Providing for 
consideration of H.R. 303, to amend title 10, United States Code, to 
permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected 
disability to receive both military retired pay by reason of their 
years of military service and disability compensation from the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability (Discharge Petition 
No. 2).                                                      
  Page H5367
Quorum Calls--Votes: Five yea-and-nay votes and six recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H5279, H5279-80, H5280-81, H5303, H5303-04, H5304-05, H5306, H5307, 
H5329, H5330, and H5341-42. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:48 p.m.