[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 35 (Thursday, March 18, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D251-D252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 16 public bills, H.R. 3993-4008; 1 private bill, 
H.R. 4009; and; 4 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 390-392, and H. Res. 571 
were introduced.
  Pages H1321-22
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H1322-23
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 522, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that there is a critical need to increase awareness and education about 
heart disease and the risk factors of heart disease among women (H. 
Rept. 108-440).
Page H1321
Chaplain: The prayer was offered today by Rabbi Elie Spitz, 
Congregation B'nai Israel in Tustin, California.
  Page H1231
Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act: The House passed H.R. 1375, 
to provide regulatory relief and improve productivity for insured 
depository institutions, by a yea-and-nay vote of 392 yeas to 25 nays, 
Roll No. 69.
  Pages H1234-41, H1241-74
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committees on Financial Services and the Judiciary now printed in the 
bill was considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment. 
                                                         Pages H1251-62
Agreed to:
  Oxley amendment that limits de novo branching for ILCs to those whose 
business is more than 85% financial in nature and, in the case of ILCs 
whose business is less than 85% in nature, limits branching to those 
ILCs who had Federal deposit insurance before October 1, 2003; strikes 
certain sections of the bill; makes technical corrections; 
                                                         Pages H1262-64
  Waters amendment that strikes a section of the bill that reduces the 
minimum waiting period from 15 calendar days to five calendar days for 
banks and bank holding companies to merge with or acquire other bank or 
bank holding companies after the Department of Justice has approved a 
bank merger;
Page H1264
  Bachus amendment that strikes the section of the bill relating to the 
liability standards applied to third-party independent contractors 
working for a bank; and
Pages H1264-65
  Kelly/Toomey amendment that adds a new title at the end of the bill 
which removes the prohibition on banks from paying interest on business 
checking accounts and would allow the Federal Reserve to pay interest 
on so-called ``sterile'' reserves (agreed to by a recorded vote of 418 
ayes with none voting ``no'', Roll No. 68).
Pages H1268-71, H1272-73
Rejected:
  Weiner amendment that prohibits commercial banks for charging a fee 
to the depositor of a check that is returned for insufficient funds 
(rejected by a recorded vote of 167 ayes to 255 noes, Roll No. 66); and
                                                  Pages H1265-67, H1271
  Jackson-Lee amendment that expresses the sense of Congress that in 
situations where a requesting agency obtains expedited action to 
approve a merger

[[Page D252]]

transaction application between multiple depository institutions, that 
careful consideration is placed on the impact that the transaction will 
have on affected communities and customers of any or all of the 
applicant institutions (rejected by a recorded vote of 194 ayes to 225 
noes, Roll No. 67).
Pages H1267-68, H1272
  The Clerk was authorized to make technical and conforming changes to 
the bill.
Page H1274
  H. Res. 566, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to by a voice vote.
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Counter-Terrorism and Narco-Terrorism Rewards Program Act: Debated on 
March 17, H.R. 3782, amended, to amend the State Department Basic 
Authorities Act of 1956 to increase the maximum amount of an award 
available under the Department of State rewards program, to expand the 
eligibility criteria to receive an award, to authorize nonmonetary 
awards, to publicize the existence of the rewards program, by a 2/3 
yea-and nay-vote of 414 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 70; and
                                                             Page H1274
  Recognizing more than five decades of strategic partnership between 
the U.S. and the people of the Marshall Islands: Debated on March 17, 
H. Con. Res. 364, to recognize more than 5 decades of strategic 
partnership between the United States and the people of the Marshall 
Islands in the pursuit of international peace and security, by a 2/3 
yea-and-nay vote of 408 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 71. 
                                                         Pages H1275-76
Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the 108th Congress--
Appointments: The Chair announced the Speaker's appointment of the 
following members to be available to serve on investigative 
subcommittees of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the 
108th Congress: Representatives Doolittle, Sam Johnson (TX), Lincoln 
Diaz-Balart (FL), English, Shadegg, Brady (TX), Simpson, Terry, Kirk, 
and Rehberg.
  Page H1277
  Later, the Chair read a letter from the Minority Leader, wherein she 
appointed the following members to be available for service on an 
investigative subcommittee of the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct: Representatives Becerra, Cooper, Delahunt, McCarthy (NY), 
McIntyre, McNulty, Schiff, Scott (VA), Stupak, and Tauscher. 
                                                             Page H1277
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to 
meet at noon on Monday, March 22, and further that when it adjourns on 
that day, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23 for 
Morning Hour debate.
  Page H1276
Calendar Wednesday: Agreed to dispense with the Calendar Wednesday 
business of Wednesday, March 24.
  Page H1276
Quorum Calls--Votes: Three yea-and-nay votes and three recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings today. There were no quorum calls. 
                   Pages H1271, H1272, H1272-73, H1273-74, H1274, H1275
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 5:54 p.m.