[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 44 (Thursday, April 1, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D337-D339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 26 public bills, H.R. 4101-4126 and 2 resolutions, 
H. Con. Res. 403, and H. Res. 594, were introduced.
  Pages H2018-19
Additional Cosponsors:
  Page H2019
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  Conference report on H.R. 3108, to amend the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
temporarily replace the 30-year Treasury rate with a rate based on 
long-term corporate bonds for certain pension plan funding requirements 
and other provisions (H. Rept. 108-457).
Page H2018
Chaplain: The prayer was offered today by Monsignor James C. Kidder, 
Pastor, Holy Trinity Catholic Church in El Dorado, California. 
                                                             Page H1793
Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users: The House began 
consideration of H.R. 3550, to authorize funds for Federal-aid 
highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs. Further 
proceedings will resume in Friday, April 2. 
                                            Pages H1796-H1997, H2021-36
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill, 
modified by the amendments printed in part A of H. Rept. 108-456 was 
considered as adopted and that the bill as amended shall be considered 
as the original bill for the purpose of further amendment.
Page H2034
  Consideration began today on the Bradley amendment No. 20 printed in 
H. Rept. 108-456 that increases the allowable weight of vehicles 
permitted to travel on interstate highways 93 and 89, in New Hampshire, 
from 80,000 to 99,000 pounds and instructs the New Hampshire Department 
of Transportation to conduct a study to discern the economic, safety 
and infrastructure impact to the exemption. Further proceedings on the 
amendment will continue on Friday, April 2.
Pages H2034-36
Agreed to:
  Young of Alaska manager's amendment No. 1 printed in part B of H. 
Rept. 108-456, as modified, that makes various substantive and 
technical changes;
Page H1983
  Eddie Bernice Johnson amendment No. 2 printed in Part B of H. Rept. 
108-456 that requires the Transportation Department to make its report 
on how federal surface transportation funds are allocated available to 
the public via the Internet in a user-friendly format;
Pages H1983-84
  Schiff amendment No. 6 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456 that 
strikes the toll requirement placed on hybrid gasoline-electric car 
users regarding the use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes; 
                                                         Pages H1990-91
  Baird amendment No. 10 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456 that 
expresses the Sense of Congress to clarify that the Buy America Act 
applies to overall projects, and not their component parts; 
                                                         Pages H1995-96
  LoBiondo amendment No. 13 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that provides 
states eligibility to receive Section 410, Alcohol-Impaired 
Countermeasures grant funding to cover the costs of DWI vehicle 
impoundment programs;
Pages H2023-24
  Wu amendment No. 14 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456, as 
modified, that exempts projects, for which the Secretary of 
Transportation has received an application for final design, from the 
small start provisions of the bill and allows recommended new start 
projects, which have applied for final design, to move forward on their 
original timeline and avoid unnecessary delay;
Pages H2024-25

[[Page D338]]


  LaTourette amendment No. 15 printed in H. Rept 108-456, as modified, 
that requires that in the case of construction projects steel or iron 
used must be of U.S. origin; more than 60% of the cost components and 
subcomponents of all manufactured products shall be of U.S. origin; and 
in the case of manufactured components final assembly must occur in the 
U.S.;
Pages H2025-27
  Bereuter amendment No. 18 printed in H. Rept. 108-456, as modified, 
that continues the farm supply and agricultural commodity exemption to 
the hours of service for drivers rules and clarifies the definition of 
``agricultural commodities'' and ``farm supplies for agricultural 
purposes'' and
Pages H2030-31
  Bachus amendment No. 17 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that exempts 
motion picture and television production truck drivers from the new 
hours of service regulations that went into effect at the beginning of 
this year (agreed to by a recorded vote of 365 ayes to 62 noes, Roll 
No. 109).
Pages H2028-30, H2033-34
Rejected:
  Graves amendment No. 8 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456 that 
sought to eliminate liability under state law for an owner of a motor 
vehicle who is engaged in the business of renting and leasing motor 
vehicles provided there is no negligence or criminal wrongdoing on the 
part of the motor vehicle owner;
Pages H1992-93
  Holt amendment No. 11 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456, as 
modified, that sought to preserve the authority and right of the State 
of New Jersey to restrict trucks to only using interstate highways, the 
New Jersey Turnpike, and the Atlantic City Expressway in New Jersey 
unless they are traveling to a terminal or making pickups or deliveries 
on other roads in New Jersey;
Pages H1996-97
  Waters amendment No. 12 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456 that 
sought to prohibit the use of funds for surface transportation projects 
that are planned or required to implement any proposal to build a 
remote passenger check-in facility at Los Angeles International 
Airport;
Pages H2022-23
  Crowley amendment No. 16 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that sought to 
create a pilot program that facilitates the use of natural gas buses at 
the nation's top 25 busiest airports;
Pages H2027-28
  Flake amendment No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that sought to 
subtract the amount that states receive in High Priority Program 
earmarks from their formula totals for the Surface Transportation 
Program; also prevents the Minimum Guaranty Program from backfilling 
for what comes out of states' Surface Transportation Program funding; 
and apportions to states, via formula, any funding remaining in the 
High Priority Program (rejected by a recorded vote of 60 ayes to 367 
noes, Roll No. 106);
Pages H1984-86, H2031-32
  Jackson-Lee amendment No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that sought 
to allow states to receive toll credits for any local, state, or 
private funds contributed to a toll project that exceed the minimum 
nonfederal 20% threshold required for federal match (rejected by a 
recorded vote of 50 ayes to 376 noes, Roll No. 107); and 
                                                  Pages H1986-88, H2032
  Chocola amendment No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that sought to 
provide for a 400-pound weight limit exclusion for any motor vehicle 
equipped with an idling reduction technology verified by the 
Environmental Protection Agency (rejected by a recorded vote of 198 
ayes to 228 noes, Roll No. 108).
Pages H1993-95, H2032-33
Withdrawn:
  Shadegg amendment No. 5 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456 that 
was offered and subsequently withdrawn that would have ensured that 
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funds will be 
made available for areas which are not in attainment of air quality 
standards for either coarse particulate matter or fine particular 
matter;
Pages H1988-90
  Vitter amendment No. 7 printed in part B of H. Rept. 108-456 that was 
offered and subsequently withdrawn that would have ensured the 
Interstate Route 49 Corridor is given priority consideration under the 
new National Corridor Infrastructure Improvement Program; and 
                                                         Pages H1991-92
  Kirk amendment No. 21 printed in H. Rept. 108-456 that was offered 
and subsequently withdrawn that would have authorized states the 
authority to administer requirements governing the sounding of a 
locomotive horn when a train approaches and enters upon public highway-
rail grade crossings.
Page H2036
  General debate on the bill proceeded according to a unanimous consent 
agreement reached on Tuesday, March 30.
  Further consideration of the bill proceeded according to H. Res. 593, 
which was agreed to by a voice vote, after agreeing to order the 
previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 229 yeas to 194 nays, Roll 
No. 105.
Page H1845
Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourn today, it adjourn to 
meet at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 2.
  Page H2014
Late Report: Agreed that the Committee on Science have until 5 p.m. on 
Wednesday, April 14 to file reports on H.R. 3970 and H.R. 4030. 
                                                             Page H2034
Law Revision Counsel--Resignation: Read a letter from John R. Miller 
wherein he retired as Law Revision Counsel, effective May 3, 2004. 
                                                             Page H2036

[[Page D339]]

Law Revision Counsel--Appointment: The Chair announced the Speaker's 
appointment of Mr. Peter LeFevre as Law Revision Counsel for the House 
of Representatives, effective May 4, 2004.
  Page H2037
Pension Funding Equity Act of 2003--Order of Business: Agreed that it 
be in order at any time to consider a conference report to accompany 
H.R. 1308, to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 
and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to temporarily replace the 30-
year Treasury rate with a rate based on long-term corporate bonds for 
certain pension plan funding requirements and other provisions; that 
the conference report be considered as read; and that all points of 
order against the conference report and its consideration be waived. 
                                                      Pages H1997-H2014
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H1793.
Senate Referral: S. 275 was referred to the Committees on Education and 
the Workforce and Energy and Commerce.
  Page H2014
Quorum Calls--Votes: One yea-and-nay vote and four recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings today and appear on pages H1845, 
H2031-32, H2032, H2032-33, and H2033-34. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at p.m.