[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 170 (Friday, November 21, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1316-D1320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                          Friday, November 21, 2003

[[Page D1316]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 2417, 
      Intelligence Authorization Act, and the Conference Report to 
      accompany H.R. 2115, Federal Aviation Administration 
      Authorization.
      Senate and House agreed to the Conference Report to accompany 
      H.R. 1904, Healthy Forests Restoration Act.
      Senate and House passed H.J. Res. 79, Continuing Appropriations.
      The House passed S. 1768, National Flood Insurance Program 
      Reauthorization Act of 2004.
      The House agreed to the conference report on H.R. 2622, Fair 
      Credit Reporting Act.
      The House agreed to the conference report on H.R. 1, Medicare 
      Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S15325-S15511
Measures Introduced: Nineteen bills and four resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1912-1930, S. Res. 271-272, and S. Con. Res. 
84-85.                                                  
  Pages S15406-07
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``The 2003 Joint Economic Report''. (S. Rept. 
No. 108-206)
  S. 1522, to provide new human capital flexibility with respect to the 
GAO, with amendments.                                       
Page S15405
Measures Passed:
  National Women's History Museum Act: Senate passed S. 1741, to 
provide a site for the National Women's History Museum in the District 
of Columbia.                                            
  Pages S15390-93
  Recognition of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community 
of Oregon: Committee on Indian Affairs was discharged from further 
consideration of S. Res. 246, expressing the sense of the Senate that 
November 22, 1983, the date of the restoration by the Federal 
Government of Federal recognition to the Confederated Tribes of the 
Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, should be memorialized, and the 
resolution was then agreed to.                          
  Pages S15479-80
  Employee Retirement Income Security Act Amendment: Senate passed S. 
1929, to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and 
the Public Health Service Act to extend the mental health benefits 
parity provisions for an additional year.                   
  Page S15481
  Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act: Committee on 
Veterans' Affairs was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 
1683, to increase, effective as of December 1, 2003, the rates of 
disability compensation for veterans with service-connected 
disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for 
survivors of certain service-connected disabled veterans, and the bill 
was then passed, clearing the measure for the President.    
  Page S15481
  Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: Committee on Veterans' Affairs was 
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 100, to restate, clarify, 
and revise the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, after 
striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof, 
the text of S. 1136, Senate companion measure, after agreeing to the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.      
  Pages S15481-99

[[Page D1317]]


  Subsequently, S. 1136 was returned to the Senate calendar. 
                                                            Page S15499
  Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act: Senate 
passed S. 1567, to amend title 31, United States Code, to improve the 
financial accountability requirements applicable to the Department of 
Homeland Security, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.                             
  Pages S15499-S15500
  Chief Justice John Marshall Commemorative Coin Act: Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs was discharged from further 
consideration of S. 1531, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to 
mint coins in commemoration of Chief Justice John Marshall, and the 
bill was then passed.                                   
  Pages S15500-02
  Gold Medal Award: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1821, to award a 
congressional gold medal to Dr. Dorothy Height in recognition of her 
many contributions to the Nation, and the bill was then passed, 
clearing the measure for the President.                     
  Page S15502
  Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Advancement Act: Senate 
passed H.R. 421, to reauthorize the United States Institute for 
Environmental Conflict Resolution, clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S15502
  Southern Ute and Colorado Intergovernmental Agreement Implementation 
Act: Senate passed S. 551, to provide for the implementation of air 
quality programs developed in accordance with an Intergovernmental 
Agreement between the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the State of 
Colorado concerning Air Quality Control on the Southern Ute Indian 
Reservation, after agreeing to the committee amendment. 
                                                        Pages S15502-03
  Disaster Area Health and Environmental Monitoring Act: Senate passed 
S. 1279, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act to authorize the President to carry out a program for 
the protection of the health and safety of residents, workers, 
volunteers, and others in a disaster area, after agreeing to the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, and the following 
amendment proposed thereto:                             
  Pages S15503-07
  Frist (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2210, to require that health and 
safety programs be carried out in accordance with certain privacy 
regulations.                                                
Page S15505
  National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act: Senate 
passed S. 579, to reauthorize the National Transportation Safety Board, 
after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                        Pages S15507-08
  Frist (for McCain/Hollings) Amendment No. 2211, to add provisions 
relating to accident and safety data classification and publication 
from H.R. 1527, as passed by the House of Representatives. 
                                                            Page S15507
  American Jewish History Month: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 106, recognizing 
and honoring America's Jewish community on the occasion of its 350th 
anniversary, supporting the designation of an ``American Jewish History 
Month''.                                                
  Pages S15508-09
  American Education Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 272, designating 
the week beginning November 16, 2003, as American Education Week. 
                                                            Page S15509
  U.S. Justices Salary Adjustments: Senate passed H.R. 3349, to 
authorize salary adjustments for Justices and judges of the United 
States for fiscal year 2004, clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S15509
  Continuing Appropriations: Senate passed H.J. Res. 79, making further 
continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2004, clearing the 
measure for the President.                                  
  Page S15510
Intelligence Authorization Act--Conference Report: Senate agreed to the 
conference report to accompany H.R. 2417, to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal year 2004 for intelligence and intelligence-related 
activities of the United States Government, the Community Management 
Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability 
System, clearing the measure for the President.         
  Pages S15335-58
  Prior to this action, Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to 
consideration of the conference report.                     
Page S15335
Healthy Forests Restoration Act--Conference Report: Senate agreed to 
the conference report to accompany H.R. 1904, to improve the capacity 
of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to 
plan and 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, clearing the measure for the President.
                                                        Pages S15368-73
Federal Aviation Administration Authorization--Conference Report: 
Senate agreed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 2115, to

[[Page D1318]]

amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize programs for the 
Federal Aviation Administration, clearing the measure for the 
President.                                              
  Pages S15385-90
  Prior to this action, the pending Frist motion to reconsider the vote 
by which the motion to invoke cloture on the conference report failed 
was withdrawn.                                          
Pages S15325-26
Energy Policy Act--Conference Report: Senate continued consideration of 
the conference report to accompany 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. 
                                                        Pages S15326-35
  By 57 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 456), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to close further debate on the conference report. 
                                                        Pages S15334-35
  Senator Frist entered a motion to reconsider the vote by which the 
motion to invoke cloture on the conference report failed.   
Page S15335
Continuing Appropriations--Amendment Modified: A unanimous-consent 
agreement was reached providing that, notwithstanding the November 20, 
2003 passage of H.J. Res. 78, making further continuing appropriations 
for the fiscal year 2004, Frist Amendment No. 2208, to make a technical 
correction, which was previously agreed to, was modified.   
  Page S15326
Defense Production Reauthorization Act: Senate concurred in the 
amendment of the House to S. 1680, to reauthorize the Defense 
Production Act of 1950, with the following amendment:   
  Pages S15480-81
  Frist (for Dodd) Amendment No. 2209, to modify the reporting 
requirements of the Secretary of Commerce relative to the impact of 
offsets on domestic contractors and lower tier subcontractors. 
                                                            Page S15480
Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act--Agreement: A 
unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that at a time 
determined by the Majority Leader, after consultation with the 
Democratic Leader, Senate begin consideration of S. 1248, to 
reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, with 
certain amendments to be proposed thereto; that upon disposition of the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 1350, House companion measure, that all after the 
enacting clause be stricken, and the text of S. 1248, be inserted in 
lieu thereof; the Senate then vote on final passage of H.R. 1350, and 
S. 1248 be returned to the Senate Calendar.                 
  Page S15500
Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act--
Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for 
consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 1, to amend 
title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a voluntary 
prescription drug coverage program under the medicare program, to 
modernize, strengthen, and improve the medicare program, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction to individuals for 
amounts contributed to health savings accounts, to amend the Federal 
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to abbreviated applications 
for the approval of new drugs and the importation of prescription 
drugs, at 10 a.m., on Saturday, November 22, 2003.          
  Page S15510
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Lawrence T. Di Rita, of Michigan, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Defense.
  Jaymie Alan Durnan, of New Hampshire, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
the Army.
  Joseph Max Cleland, of Georgia, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term 
expiring January 20, 2007.
  April H. Foley, of New York, to be First Vice President of the 
Export-Import Bank of the United States for the remainder of the term 
expiring January 20, 2005.
  Ann M. Corkery, of Virginia, to be an Alternate Representative of the 
United States of America to the Fifty-eighth Session of the General 
Assembly of the United Nations.
  Benjamin A. Gilman, of New York, to be a Representative of the United 
States of America to the Fifty-eighth Session of the General Assembly 
of the United Nations.
  Walid Maalouf, of Virginia, to be an Alternate Representative of the 
United States of America to the Fifty-eighth Session of the General 
Assembly of the United Nations.
  Sanford Gottesman, of Texas, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring 
December 17, 2005.
  Diane M. Ruebling, of California, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term 
expiring December 17, 2005. (Reappointment)

[[Page D1319]]


  C. William Swank, of Ohio, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring 
December 17, 2005. (Reappointment)
  James M. Strock, of California, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
2006.
  Robert Hurley McKinney, of Indiana, to be a Member of the Advisory 
Board for Cuba Broadcasting for a term expiring October 27, 2004.
  Franklin S. Van Antwerpen, of Pennsylvania, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit.
  Routine lists in the Army, Navy.                      
Pages S15510-11
Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of 
the following nominations:
  April H. Foley, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring 
January 20, 2007, which was sent to the Senate on April 10, 2003.
  April H. Foley, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the Export-Import Bank of the United States for a term expiring 
January 20, 2007, which was sent to the Senate on May 14, 2003. 
                                                            Page S15511
Nominations Discharged and Placed on Calendar: Senate Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further 
consideration of the following nominations:
  James McBride, of New York, to be a Member of the National Council on 
the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2008.
  David Eisner, of Maryland, to be Chief Executive Officer of the 
Corporation for National and Community Service.
  Read Van de Water, of North Carolina, to be a Member of the National 
Mediation Board for a term expiring July 1, 2006.
  Raymond Simon, of Arkansas, to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary 
and Secondary Education, Department of Education.
  Jose Antonio Aponte, of Colorado, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2007.
  Sandra Frances Ashworth, of Idaho, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2004.
  Edward Louis Bertorelli, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the 
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term 
expiring July 19, 2005.
  Carol L. Diehl, of Wisconsin, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2005.
  Allison Druin, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National Commission 
on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring July 19, 2006.
  Beth Fitzsimmons, of Michigan, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2006.
  Patricia M. Hines, of South Carolina, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2005.
  Colleen Ellen Huebner, of Washington, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2007.
  Stephen M. Kennedy, of New Hampshire, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2007.
  Bridget L. Lamont, of Illinois, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2008.
  Mary H. Perdue, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2008.
  Herman Lavon Totten, of Texas, to be a Member of the National 
Commission on Libraries and Information Science for a term expiring 
July 19, 2008.
  Public Health Service nomination beginning with Vincent A. Berkley 
and ending with James Syms.
  Drew R. McCoy, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of 
Trustees of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation for a term 
of six years.
  Carol Kinsley, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service for a 
term expiring October 6, 2006.
  Susan K. Sclafani, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant 
Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education, Department of Education.
  Laurie Susan Fulton, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term expiring 
January 19, 2007.
  Steven J. Law, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of 
Labor.
  J. Robinson West, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the 
Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term 
expiring January 19, 2007.                              
Pages S15509-10
Messages From the House:                                    
  Page S15405
Measures Placed on Calendar:                                
  Page S15405
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                   
  Page S15405
Executive Reports of Committees:                        
  Pages S15405-06
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S15407-08

[[Page D1320]]

Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S15408-78
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S15402-05
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S15478-79
Authority for Committees to Meet:                           
  Page S15479
Privilege of the Floor:                                     
  Page S15479
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--456) 
                                                        Pages S15334-35
Adjournment: Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 10:28 p.m. until 
10 a.m. on Saturday, November 22, 2003. (For Senate's Program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on S15510).