[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 22 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D121-D123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Thursday, February 26, 2004

[[Page D121]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      The House passed H.R. 1997, Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 
      2003.
      The House passed H.R. 3850, Surface Transportation Extension Act 
      of 2004.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S1611-S1851
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and two resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2130-2141, and S. Con. Res. 93-94.            
  Page S1683
Measures Reported:
  S. 2136, to extend the final report date and termination date of the 
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, to 
provide additional funding for the Commission.               
Page S1682
Measures Passed:
  Permitting the Use of the Rotunda: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 93, 
authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol by the Joint 
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.             
  Page S1848
  Establishing a Joint Congressional Committee: Senate agreed to S. 
Con. Res. 94, establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on 
Inaugural Ceremonies.                                        
  Page S1848
Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act: Senate agreed to the motion 
to proceed to consideration of S. 1805, to prohibit civil liability 
actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, 
distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for 
damages resulting from the misuse of their products by others, and then 
began consideration of the bill, taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:                             
  Pages S1612-71
Adopted:
  Daschle Amendment No. 2621, to clarify the definition of qualified 
civil liability action.                                  
Pages S1616-20
  Kohl Amendment No. 2622 (to Amendment No. 2620), to amend chapter 44 
of title 18, United States Code, to require the provision of a child 
safety lock in connection with the transfer of a handgun. 
                                                         Pages S1620-21
  By 70 yeas to 27 nays (Vote No. 17), Boxer Amendment No. 2620, to 
amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, to require the 
provision of a child safety device in connection with the transfer of a 
handgun and to provide safety standards for child safety devices. 
                                               Pages S1612-16, S1620-23
  By 59 yeas to 37 nays (Vote No. 19), Craig (for Frist/Craig) 
Amendment No. 2628, to exempt any lawsuit involving a shooting victim 
of John Allen Muhammad or John Lee Malvo from the definition of 
qualified civil liability action that meets certain requirements. 
                                                         Pages S1659-62
  By 60 yeas to 34 nays (Vote No. 21), Craig (for Frist/Craig) 
Amendment No. 2630, to protect the rights of law enforcement officers 
who are victimized by crime to secure compensation from those who 
participate in the arming of criminals.                  
Pages S1666-70
Rejected:
  By 40 yeas to 56 nays (Vote No. 20), Mikulski Amendment No. 2627, to 
exempt lawsuits involving a shooting victim of John Allen Muhammad or 
Lee Boyd Malvo from the definition of qualified civil liability action.
                                               Pages S1655-59, S1662-63
  By 38 yeas to 56 nays (Vote No. 22), Corzine Amendment No. 2629, to 
protect the rights of law enforcement officers who are victimized by 
crime to secure compensation from those who participate in the arming 
of criminals.                                     
Pages S1663-66, S1670
Withdrawn:
  Frist/McConnell Amendment No. 2626, to make the provisions of the 
Voting Rights Act of 1965 permanent.                     
Pages S1649-55
Pending:
  Hatch (for Campbell) Amendment No. 2623, to amend title 18, United 
States Code, to exempt

[[Page D122]]

qualified current and former law enforcement officers from State laws 
prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns.          
Pages S1623-34
  Kennedy Amendment No. 2619, to expand the definition of armor 
piercing ammunition and to require the Attorney General to promulgate 
standards for the uniform testing of projectiles against body armor. 
                                                         Pages S1634-39
  Craig (for Frist/Craig) Amendment No. 2625, to regulate the sale and 
possession of armor piercing ammunition.                 
Pages S1639-41
  During consideration of this measure today, the Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 58 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 18), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, with respect to Cantwell Amendment No. 2617, to extend and 
expand the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002. 
Subsequently, the point of order that the amendment was in violation of 
section 302(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was sustained, 
and the amendment thus falls.                     
Pages S1641-49, S1655
  A unanimous-consent agreement reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at 9:30 a.m., on Friday, February 27, 2004. 
                                                             Page S1848
Safe Transportation Equity Act--Correction Agreement: A unanimous-
consent agreement was reached providing that, in the engrossment of S. 
1072, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety 
programs, and transit programs, the Secretary of the Senate be 
authorized to strike pages 43 through 83, and pages 105 and 106, of 
Amendment No. 2616; further, that the bill be printed as passed. 
                                                       Pages S1702-1848
Messages From the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to expanding the 
scope of the national emergency and invocation of emergency authority 
relating to the regulation of the anchorage and movement of vessels 
into Cuban territorial waters; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs. (PM-64)                               
Pages S1678-79
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to efforts to obtain 
the fullest possible accounting of captured or missing United States 
personnel from past military conflicts or Cold War incidents; to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations. (PM-65)                      
Page S1679
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the inclusion of 
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia 
in NATO; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (PM-66)      
Page S1679
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Theodore William Kassinger, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of 
Commerce.
  John J. Danilovich, of California, to be Ambassador to the Federative 
Republic of Brazil.
  Michael Christian Polt, of Tennessee, to be Ambassador to Serbia and 
Montenegro.
  Neil McPhie, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the Merit Systems 
Protection Board.
  Edward R. McPherson, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of Education.
  Mark B. McClellen, of the District of Columbia, to be Administrator 
of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army.                  
Pages S1848-51
Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of 
the following nominations:
  Susanne T. Marshall, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the Merit System 
Protection Board, (Beth Susan Slavet), which was sent to the Senate on 
January 26, 2004.
  John Joseph Grossenbacher, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 30, 
2004, (vice Richard A. Meserve), which was sent to the Senate on July 
25, 2003.
  John Joseph Grossenbacher, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2009. 
(Reappointment), which was sent to the Senate on July 25, 2003. 
                                                             Page S1851
Messages From the House:                                     
  Page S1679
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S1679
Measures Read First Time:                                    
  Page S1679
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S1679-82
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S1682-83
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S1683-84
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S1684-95
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S1677-78
Amendments Submitted:                                 
  Pages S1695-S1701
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                                
  Page S1701
Authority for Committees to Meet:                        
  Pages S1701-02
Privilege of the Floor:                                      
  Page S1702
Record Votes: Six record votes were taken today. (Total-22) 
                                 Page S1623, S1655, S1662, S1663, S1670

[[Page D123]]

Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 8:55 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m., on Friday, February 27, 2004. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S 1848.)