[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 160 (Thursday, November 6, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1246-D1248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page D1246]]




                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 23 public bills, H.R. 3452-3474; 1 private bill, 
H.R. 3475; and 4 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 321-322 and H. Res. 435-436, 
were introduced.
  Pages H10977-78
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H10978-79
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 2571, to provide for the financing of high-speed rail 
infrastructure, amended (H. Rept. 108-278, Pt. 2);
  H. Res. 434, waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with 
respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the 
Committee on Rules (H. Rept. 108-352);
  H.R. 587, to amend title 40, United States Code, to add Ashtabula, 
Mahoning, and Trumbull Counties, Ohio, to the Appalachian region, 
amended (H. Rept. 108-353).
  Conference report on H.R. 1588, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2004 for military activities of the Department of Defense, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2004 (H. 
Rept. 108-354); and
  H. Res. 437, waiving points of order against the conference report to 
accompany the bill (H.R. 1588) to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2004 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for 
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of 
Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the 
Armed Forces (H. Rept. 108-355).
                                         Pages H10563-H10973, H10976-77
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003--Motion to go to Conference: 
The House disagreed to the Senate amendments to H.R. 1904, to improve 
the capacity of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct hazardous fuels reduction projects on National 
Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands aimed at 
protecting communities, watersheds, and certain other at-risk lands 
from catastrophic wildfire, to enhance efforts to protect watersheds 
and address threats to forest and rangeland health, including 
catastrophic wildfire, across the landscape, and agreed to a 
conference.
  Pages H10462-69
  The House agreed to the Stenholm motion to instruct conferees on the 
bill by a voice vote.
                                                        Pages H10463-69
  Appointed as conferees: From the Committee on Agriculture: 
Representatives Goodlatte, Boehner, Jenkins, Gutknecht, Hayes, 
Stenholm, Peterson (MN) and Dooley (CA); from the Committee on 
Resources: Representatives Pombo, McInnis, Walden (OR), Renzi, George 
Miller (CA) and Inslee; from the Committee on the Judiciary: 
Representatives Sensenbrenner, Smith (TX) and Conyers.
                                                            Page H10469
Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act of 2003: The 
House passed H.R. 1829, to amend title 18, United States Code, to 
require Federal Prison Industries to compete for its contracts 
minimizing its unfair competition with private sector firms and their 
non-inmate workers and empowering Federal agencies to get the best 
value for taxpayers' dollars, to provide a five-year period during 
which Federal Prison Industries adjusts to obtaining inmate work 
opportunities through other than its mandatory source status, to 
enhance inmate access to remedial and vocational opportunities and 
other rehabilitative opportunities to better prepare inmates for a 
successful return to society, to authorize alternative inmate work 
opportunities in support of non-profit organizations, by a yea-and-nay 
vote of 350 yeas to 65 nays, Roll No. 612.
  Pages H10469-H10510
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on the Judiciary, now printed in the bill, and considered as 
an original bill for the purpose of amendment was agreed to by a voice 
vote.
                                                            Page H10509
                                                             Agreed to:
  Toomey amendment (No. 1 printed in the Congressional Record of 
November 4) that will prohibit Federal Prison Industries from bidding 
on contracts that have been reserved for small businesses; 
                                                            Page H10488
  Smith of Michigan amendment that allows a contract to be made to 
Federal Prison Industries using other than competitive procedures; 
                                                        Pages H10488-89
  Maloney amendment that extends the same power that the Department of 
Defense contracting officer has to the contracting officers of various 
civilian agencies;
                                                        Pages H10491-92
  Waters amendment that increases the per hour wage earned by inmates 
with less than two years remaining on their prison terms; 
                                                        Pages H10495-96
  Hoekstra amendment that further expands the inmate work programs in 
conjunction with non-profit organizations; and
                                                        Pages H10501-03
  Strickland amendment that requires that funds expended under the bill 
for services or goods must be manufactured in the United States. 
                                                        Pages H10507-08
                                                              Rejected:
  Green of Wisconsin amendment (No. 8 printed in the Congressional 
Record of November 5) that sought to require the comptroller general to 
conduct

[[Page D1247]]

a study of the effects of eliminating the mandatory source requirements 
for Federal Prison Industries, as specified in the bill; 
                                                        Pages H10480-87
  Scott of Virginia amendment (No. 4 printed in the Congressional 
Record of November 4) that sought to restore the mandatory source 
authority by striking the section of the bill that permits the 
government contracting agency, during the transition period when FPI's 
mandatory source authority is phased out, to accept a contract bid from 
FPI only if certain production and price conditions are met, and 
instead requires the contracting agency to accept FPI's bid subject 
only to the percentage caps on total sales outlined in the bill; 
                                                        Pages H10490-91
  Scott of Virginia amendment (No. 5 printed in the Congressional 
Record of November 4) that sought to strike the section of the bill 
that prohibits Federal Prison Industries and state prison industries 
from contracting for work to provide services;
                                                        Pages H10496-97
  Green of Wisconsin amendment (No. 7 printed in the Congressional 
Record of November 5) that sought to permit the Attorney General to 
postpone phasing out the Federal Prison Industries mandatory source 
rule for at least one year if it can be determined that the phase out 
would significantly threaten prison operations or prison safety 
(rejected by a recorded vote of 91 ayes to 325 noes, Roll No. 610; and 
                                                Pages H10492-94, H10508
  Jackson-Lee amendment that sought to place a three year sunset 
provision on the Act if the Attorney General determines that the Act 
creates a significant or adverse effect on the public or on prison 
operations or safety (rejected by a recorded vote of 100 ayes to 313 
noes, Roll No. 611.
                                                Pages H10504-07, H10509
                                                             Withdrawn:
  Scott of Virginia amendment (No. 6 printed in the Congressional 
Record of November 4) that was offered and subsequently withdrawn, that 
would have established a pilot program to provide inmates with 
additional work opportunities and authorizes funding over five years 
for the program.
                                                    Pages H10498-H10501
  The House agreed to H. Res. 428, the rule providing for consideration 
of the bill on Wednesday, November 5.
Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003--Motion to go to 
Conference: The House disagreed to the Senate amendments to 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, and agreed to a conference.
  Pages H10514-15
  The House agreed to the Frank of Massachusetts motion to instruct 
conferees on the bill by a voice vote.
                                                        Pages H10514-15
  Appointed as conferees: Representatives Oxley, Bereuter, Bachus, 
Castle, Royce, Ney, Kelly, Gillmor, LaTourette, Biggert, Sessions, 
Frank (MA), Kanjorski, Sanders, Waters, Watt, Gutierrez, Hooley (OR), 
and Moore.
                                                            Page H10515
Labor/HHS Appropriations--Motion to Instruct Conferees: The House 
agreed to the DeLauro motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 2660, making 
appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, 
and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2004, by a yea-and-nay vote of 310 yeas to 101 nays, Roll 
No. 613.
  Pages H10510-11
  Later the House agreed Bell motion to instruct conferees on the bill 
by a voice vote.
                                                        Pages H10515-20
Tax Relief, Simplification, and Equity Act of 2003--Motion to Instruct 
Conferees: The House rejected the Becerra motion to instruct conferees 
on H.R. 1308, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to accelerate 
the increase in the refundability of the child tax credit, by a yea-
and-nay vote of 197 yeas to 207 nays, Roll No. 614.
  Pages H10511-12
Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003--Motion to 
Instruct Conferees: The House rejected the Capps motion to instruct 
conferees on H.R. 1, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
provide for a voluntary prescription drug benefit under the Medicare 
program and to strengthen and improve the Medicare program, by a yea-
and-nay vote of 197 yeas to 209 nays, Roll No. 615.
  Page H10512
  Later the House debated the Cardoza motion to instruct conferees on 
the bill. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed until a 
later date.
                                                        Pages H10528-34
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitors Center Act: The House agreed to the 
Senate amendments to H.R. 1442, to authorize the design and 
construction of a visitor center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial--
clearing the measure for the President.
  Pages H10512-14
Energy Policy Act of 2003--Motion to Instruct Conferees: The House 
debated the Filner motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 6, to enhance 
energy conservation and research and development, to provide for 
security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people. 
Further proceedings on the motion were postponed until a later date. 
                                                        Pages H10521-28
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H10459.

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Senate Referral: S. 589 was ordered held at the desk.
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President wherein he 
transmitted notification of the proposed use of funds appropriated 
under the District of Columbia Appropriations Act of PL 108-7, the 
Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, to reimburse the District 
for emergency planning and security costs--referred to the Committee on 
Appropriations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 108-140).
  Page H10534
Order of Business--National Defense Reauthorization Conference Report: 
Agreed by unanimous consent that the managers on the part of the House 
have until 6 a.m. on Friday, November 7 to file the conference report 
on H.R. 1588, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2004 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed 
Forces.
  Page H10537
Recess: The House recessed at 11:17 p.m. and reconvened at 8:16 a.m. on 
Friday, November 7.
  Pages H10558, H10563
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:17 a.m. on 
Friday, November 7.