[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 175 (Monday, December 8, 2003)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1345-D1347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 49 public bills, H.R. 3651-3699; 1 private bill, 
H.R. 3700; and 19 resolutions, H.J. Res. 82-83; H. Con. Res. 345-348, 
and H. Res. 474-485, were introduced.
  Pages H12917-21
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H12921-23
Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows today:
  H. Res. 473, waiving points of order against the conference report to 
accompany H.R. 2673, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 (H. Rept. 108-402);
  H.R. 3478, to amend title 44, United States Code, to improve the 
efficiency of operations by the National Archives and Records 
Administration (H. Rept. 108-403).
Page H12917
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Boozman to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                            Page H12747
Recess: The House recessed at 10 a.m. and reconvened at 11 a.m. 
                                                            Page H12751
Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2004: The House agreed to the 
conference report on H.R. 2673, making appropriations for Agriculture, 
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004 (also contains FY2004 
appropriations for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-State, District of 
Columbia, Foreign Operations, Labor-HHS-Education, Transportation-
Treasury, and VA-HUD), by a yea-and-nay vote of 242 yeas to 176 nays, 
Roll No. 676.
  Pages H12766-H12845
  Agreed to H. Res. 473, providing for consideration of the conference 
report, by a recorded vote of 216 ayes to 189 noes, Roll No. 675, after 
agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 214 
yeas to 189 nays, Roll No. 674.
Pages H12760-65
  Agreed to H. Res. 465, providing for same day consideration of H. 
Res. 473, the rule providing for consideration of the conference 
report, by a recorded vote of 212 ayes to 182 noes, Roll No. 673, after 
agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 211 
yeas to 179 nays, Roll No. 672.
Pages H12754-60
Question of Privileges of the House: The House agreed to table H. Res. 
474, concerning a matter of

[[Page D1346]]

the privileges of the House, by a yea-and-nay vote of 207 yeas to 182 
nays, Roll No. 677.
  Pages H12846-54
Committee to Notify the President: The House agreed to H. Res. 476, 
providing for a committee of two Members to be appointed by the House 
to wait upon the President of the United States and inform him that the 
two Houses have completed its business of the session and are ready to 
adjourn, unless the President has some other communication to make to 
them. Subsequently, the Chair announced the appointment of 
Representatives DeLay and Pelosi to the committee.
  Page H12854
Resignations--Appointments: Agreed that for the remainder of the 108th 
Congress, the Speaker, the Majority Leader and Minority Leader be 
authorized to accept resignations and to make appointments authorized 
by law or by the House.
  Page H12854
Extension of Remarks: Agreed that Members may have until publication of 
the last edition of the Congressional Record authorized for the first 
session of the 108th Congress by the Joint Committee on Printing to 
revise and extend their remarks and to include brief, related 
extraneous material on any matter occurring before the adjournment of 
the first session sine die.
  Page H12854
CAN-SPAM Act of 2003: The House agreed to the Senate amendments to the 
House amendments on S. 877, to regulate interstate commerce by imposing 
limitations and penalties on the transmission of unsolicited commercial 
electronic mail via the Internet.
  Pages H12854-61
Defense Production Act Reauthorization of 2003: The House agreed to the 
Senate amendments to the House amendments on S. 1680, to reauthorize 
the Defense Production Act of 1950.
  Pages H12861-62
Printing of House Document: The House agreed to H. Con. Res. 345, 
authorizing the printing as a House document of the transcripts of the 
proceedings of ``The Changing Nature of the House Speakership: The 
Cannon Centenary Conference'', sponsored by the Congressional Research 
Service on November 12, 2003.
  Page H12862
Mental Health Parity Reauthorization Act of 2003: The House 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.
  Pages H12863-64
Federal Law Enforcement Pay and Benefits Parity Act of 2003: The House 
passed S. 1683, to provide for a report on the parity of pay and 
benefits among Federal law enforcement officers and to establish an 
exchange program between Federal law enforcement employees and State 
and local law enforcement employees.
  Pages H12864-65
Continuing Appropriations for FY 2004: The House passed H.J. Res. 82, 
making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2004. 
                                                            Page H12865
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Establishment Act of 
2003: The House agreed to the Senate amendments to H.R. 1012, to 
establish the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in the 
District of Columbia.
  Pages H12865-66
Captive Wildlife Safety Act: The House agreed to the Senate amendments 
to H.R. 1006, to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to further the 
conservation of certain wildlife species.
  Page H12866
Coconino and Tonto National Forests Land Exchange: The House agreed to 
the Senate amendments to H.R. 622, to provide for the exchange of 
certain lands in the Coconino and Tonto National Forests in Arizona. 
                                                            Page H12866
Preserving Independence of Financial Institution Examinations Act of 
2003: The House passed S. 1947, to prohibit the offer of credit by a 
financial institution to a financial institution examiner. 
                                                        Pages H12866-67
Tax on Imported Archery Products: The House passed H.R. 3652, to amend 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the taxation of imported 
archery products.
  Pages H12867-68
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: The House agreed to the Senate 
amendments to H.R. 100, to restate, clarify, and revise the Soldiers' 
and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940.
  Pages H12868-78
American Dream Downpayment Act: The House passed S. 811, to support 
certain housing proposals in the fiscal year 2003 budget for the 
Federal Government, including the downpayment assistance initiative 
under the HOME Investment Partnership Act, and for other purposes. 
                                                        Pages H12889-92
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today appear on 
pages H12747-48.
Senate Referral: S. 33 was referred to the Committees on Resources and 
Agriculture; S. 1537 was referred to the Committee on Resources; S. 
1683 was referred to the Committee on Government Reform; S. 99, S. 103, 
S. 460, S. 541, S. 848, S. 1130, and S. 1920 were referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary; S. 648 and S. 1881 were referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce; and S. 1402 was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  Page H12909

[[Page D1347]]

Presidential Message: Read a letter from the President wherein he 
transmitted the annual report of the Railroad Retirement Board--
referred to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and 
Ways and Means.
  Page H12878
Message from the Clerk: Read a letter from the Clerk wherein he 
designated Gerasimos C. Vans, Deputy Clerk, to sign any and all papers 
and do other acts under the name of the Clerk of the House of 
Representatives, or if Mr. Vans is not available, then Mr. Daniel J. 
Strodel, Assistant to the Clerk or Ms. Marjorie C. Kelaher, Assistant 
to the Clerk should perform these duties.
  Pages H12878-79
Quorum Calls--Votes: Four yea-and-nay votes and two recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages 
H12758-59, H12759-60, H12765, H12766, H12845, and H12853-54. There were 
no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 9:30 a.m. and at 9:40 p.m., in accordance 
with the provisions of H. Con. Res. 339, the first session of the 108th 
Congress adjourned sine die.