[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 10, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D979-D982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 21 public bills, H.R. 3054-3074 and; 4 
resolutions, H. Con. Res. 276-277, and H. Res. 365-366 were introduced.
                                                         Pages H8174-75
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H8175-76
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows:
  Supplemental report on H.R. 1038, to increase the penalties to be 
imposed for a violation of fire regulations applicable to the public 
lands, National Park System lands, or National Forest System lands when 
the violation results in damage to public or private property, to 
specify the purpose for which collected fines may be used, (H. Rept. 
108-218, Pt. 2).
Page H8174
Speaker Pro Tempore: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he 
appointed Representative Shaw to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H8089
Chaplain: The prayer was offered today by the Reverend Dr. Kathryn A. 
Towne, President, Life in Faith and Trust Ministries in Lakewood 
Colorado.
  Page H8089
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:

[[Page D980]]

  Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program: H.R. 2595, to restore 
the operation of the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program 
during fiscal year 2003 to the scope of that program as in effect on 
September 30, 2002;
  Pages H8091-94
  Health Care for Veterans of Project 112/Project SHAD Act of 2003: 
H.R. 2433, amended, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans who participated 
in certain Department of Defense chemical and biological warfare 
testing to be provided health care for illness without requirement for 
proof of service-connection. Agreed to amend the title so as to read: 
``A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans who participated in 
certain Department of Defense chemical and biological warfare testing 
with health care for their illness without requirement for proof of 
service-connection, and for other purposes.'';
  Pages H8094-97
  Federal Annuity Payments: H.R. 978, to amend chapter 84 of title 5, 
United States Code, to provide that certain Federal annuity 
computations are adjusted by 1 percentage point relating to periods of 
receiving disability payments;
  Pages H8097-98
  Congratulating Rafael Palmeiro: H. Res. 315, congratulating Rafael 
Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers for hitting 500 major league home runs 
and thanking him for being a role model for the Cuban American 
community, as well as for all Americans;
  Pages H8098-H8101
  Commending the Clemson University Tigers men's golf team: H. Res. 
266, commending the Clemson University Tigers men's golf team for 
winning the 2003 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I 
Men's Golf Championship; and
  Pages H8101-03
  Welcoming His Holiness the Fourteenth Dali Lama: H. Res. 359, 
welcoming His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and recognizing his 
commitment to non-violence, human rights, freedom, and democracy 
(agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 421 yeas with none voting nay, Roll 
No. 492).
  Pages H8103-07, H8116-17
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations--Motion To Go to 
Conference: The House disagreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2555, 
making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and agreed to a conference. 
                                               Pages H8107-11, H8117-18
  The House agreed to the Sabo motion to instruct conferees to require 
the managers on the part of the House to insist on inclusion of the 
highest possible level of funding for each Homeland Security, 
preparedness and disaster response program within Title II, III and IV 
and on inclusion of House General Provision 521 by a yea-and-nay vote 
of 347 yeas to 74 nays, Roll No. 494.
Pages H8107-11, H8117-18
  Appointed as conferees: Rogers (KY), Young (FL), Wolf, Wamp, Latham, 
Emerson, Granger, Sweeney, Sherwood, Sabo, Price (NC), Serrano, Roybal-
Allard, Berry, Mollohan, and Obey.
Page H8118
Tax Relief, Simplification, and Equity Act Motion To Instruct 
Conferees: The House rejected the Ruppersberger motion to instruct 
conferees on H.R. 1308, Tax Relief, Simplification, and Equity Act of 
2003 by a yea-and-nay vote of 206 yeas to 213 nays, Roll No. 493. 
                                                             Page H8117
  Later the House rejected the Davis of Tennessee motion to instruct 
conferees on the bill by a yea-and-nay vote of 195 yeas to 214 nays, 
Roll No. 501).
Pages H8178-82, H8190
Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003: The House passed 
H.R. 2622, to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to prevent identity 
theft, improve resolution of consumer disputes, improve the accuracy of 
consumer records, make improvements in the use of, and consumer access 
to, credit information by a yea-and-nay vote of 392 yeas to 30 nays, 
with one voting ``present'', Roll No. 499.
  Pages H8111-16, H8118-67
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Financial Services, now printed in the 
bill was considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment 
and was agreed to by a voice vote.
Pages H8131-39
Agreed to:
  Oxley amendment, No. 17 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that clarifies the language of various provisions in the 
bill;
Pages H8139-40
  Frank of Massachusetts amendment, No. 6 printed in the Congressional 
Record of September 9, that requires regional credit bureaus be 
required to give consumers a free copy of their credit report each 
year, in addition to the three nationwide bureaus (agreed to by a 
recorded vote of 235 ayes to 186 noes, with one voting ``present'', 
Roll No. 497); and
Pages H8161, H8165-66
  Ney amendment, No. 12 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that makes provisions regarding free credit reports and 
consumer access to credit scores a national standard by preempting any 
future state laws (agreed to by a recorded vote of 233 ayes to 189 
noes, with one voting ``present'', Roll No. 498). 
                                                  Pages H8149-51, H8166

[[Page D981]]

Rejected:
  Waters amendment, No. 8 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that would have specified that the law does not preempt 
California's financial privacy law or the state's Consumer Credit 
Reporting Agencies Act;
Pages H8140-45
  Sanders amendment, No. 4 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that prohibits credit card companies from raising annual 
percentage rates or introductory annual percentage rates except for 
reasons directly related to that credit card account or a late payment 
on another credit card or debt (rejected by a recorded vote of 142 ayes 
to 272 noes, with one voting ``present'', Roll No. 495); and 
                                                  Pages H8152-58, H8164
  Kanjorski amendment, No. 1 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that inserts a sunset provision on the Uniform National 
Consumer Protection standards (rejected by a recorded vote of 112 ayes 
to 310 noes, with one voting ``present'', Roll No. 496). 
                                               Pages H8158-60, H8164-65
Withdrawn:
   Lee amendment, No. 15 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that was offered and subsequently withdrawn, that sought 
to exempt the California Financial Information Privacy Act and any law 
of other states that is similar to the California law;
Pages H8145-49
  Royce amendment, No. 11 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that was offered and subsequently withdrawn, that sought 
to require entities that furnish information to credit bureaus to 
reinvestigate any disputed information after the consumer has asked for 
a reinvestigation that fails to resolve the dispute;
Pages H8151-52
  Kelly amendment, No. 16 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that was offered but subsequently withdrawn, that sought 
to allow for regulatory authority to adjust response time for requests 
for free credit reports whenever the national credit bureaus experience 
a high volume of such requests;
Pages H8156-58
  Inslee amendment, No. 3 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that was offered and subsequently withdrawn, that sought 
to require agencies with terrorism investigatory powers that receive 
credit reports as part of their investigations to submit semiannual 
reports to Congress; and
Page H8160
  Tauscher amendment, No. 9 printed in the Congressional Record of 
September 9, that was offered and subsequently withdrawn, that sought 
to allow consumers to have a notice placed in their credit file that 
states that no credit may be offered before reasonable procedures are 
taken to confirm the consumer's identity.
Page H8163
  The House agreed by unanimous consent that the Clerk be authorized to 
make technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect 
the actions of the House.
Page H8167
  H. Res. 360, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to by voice vote.
Page H8116
  The House later agreed by unanimous consent to limit the time for 
debate on amendments.
Page H8145
National Defense Authorization Act--Motion To Instruct Conferees: The 
House passed the Edwards motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1588, 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 by a yea-and-
nay vote of 406 yeas with none voting nay, Roll No. 500. 
                                     Pages H8167-71, H8177-78, H8189-90
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit--Motion To Instruct Conferees: The 
House rejected the Michaud motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 1, 
Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003 by a yea-and-
nay vote of 189 yeas to 220 nays, Roll No. 502). 
                                               Pages H8182-89, H8190-91
Order of Business--H.R. 911: The House agreed by unanimous consent that 
it be in order at any time without intervention of any point of order 
to consider in the House H.R. 911, to authorize the establishment of a 
memorial to victims who died as a result of terrorist acts against the 
United States or its people, at home or abroad; that the bill be 
considered as read; that the amendment placed at the desk be considered 
as read and adopted; and that the previous question be considered as 
ordered on the bill to final passage without intervening motion except: 
(1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Committee on Resources; and (2) one 
motion to recommit.
  Page H8191
Order of Business--True American Heroes Act of 2003: The House agreed 
by unanimous consent that it be in order at any time without 
intervention of any point of order to consider in the House, H.R. 1538, 
to posthumously award congressional gold medals to government workers 
and others who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and 
the Pentagon and perished and to people aboard United Airlines Flight 
93 who helped resist the hijackers and caused the plane to crash, to 
require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of 
the Spirit of America, recognizing the tragic events of September 11, 
2001; that the bill be considered as read for amendment; and that the 
previous question be considered as ordered on the bill to final passage 
without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of

[[Page D982]]

the Committee on Financial Services; and (2) one motion to recommit. 
                                                             Page H8191
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
transmitted a notice of the necessity of continuing in effect after 
September 14, 2003, the national emergency with respect to the 
terrorist threat--referred to the Committee on International Relations 
and ordered printed (H. Doc 108-124).
  Page H8192
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H8089.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 11:59 p.m.