[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 12, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D490-D492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Measures Introduced: 17 public bills, H.R. 4341-4357; and 4 
resolutions, H. Con. Res. 421, and H. Res. 639-641 were introduced. 
                                                         Pages H2917-18
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H2918-19
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Con. Res. 414, expressing the sense of the Congress that, as 
Congress recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of 
Education decision, all Americans are encouraged to observe this 
anniversary with a commitment to continuing and building on the legacy 
of Brown (Rept. 108-485).
Page H2917
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative LaHood to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H2817
Chaplain: The prayer was offered today by Rev. Cynthia L. Hale, Pastor, 
Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia.
  Page H2817
Amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the 
disposition of unused health benefits in cafeteria plans and flexible 
spending arrangements: The House passed H.R. 4279, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the disposition of unused 
health benefits in cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements, 
by a yea-and-nay vote of 273 yeas to 152 nays, Roll No. 163. 
                                               Pages H2821-29, H2838-53

[[Page D491]]


  Rejected the Stark motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Ways and Means with instructions to report the bill back to the House 
forthwith with an amendment, by a recorded vote of 202 ayes to 224 
noes, Roll No. 162.
Pages H2850-52
  Rejected the Stark amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in 
part A of H. Rept. 108-484, by a recorded vote of 197 ayes to 230 noes, 
Roll No. 161.
Pages H2844-50
  H. Res. 638, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to by a recorded vote of 224 ayes to 203 noes, Roll No. 158, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
222 yeas to 202 nays, Roll No. 157.
Page H2835
Permanent Extension of 10-Percent Individual Income Tax Rate Bracket 
bill: The House agreed to H. Res. 637, the rule providing for 
consideration of H.R. 4275, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
to permanently extend the 10-percent individual income tax rate 
bracket, by a voice vote, after agreeing to order the previous question 
by a yea-and-nay vote of 221 yeas to 203 nays, Roll No. 156. 
                                                         Pages H2829-35
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004--Motion to Instruct 
Conferees: The House agreed to table the motion to instruct conferees 
on H.R. 2660, making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, offered by Representative George 
Miller (CA), by a recorded vote of 222 ayes to 205 noes, Roll No. 159. 
                                                         Pages H2836-37
  Later Representative George Miller (CA) announced his intention to 
offer a motion to instruct conferees on the bill.
Page H2876
Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 
2004: The House passed H.R. 4280, to improve patient access to health 
care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the 
excessive burden the liability system places on the health care 
delivery system, by a recorded vote of 229 ayes to 197 noes, Roll No. 
166.
  Pages H2853-74
  Rejected the Conyers motion to recommit the bill to the Committees on 
the Judiciary and Energy & Commerce with instructions to report the 
bill back to the House forthwith with amendments, by a yea-and-nay vote 
of 193 yeas to 231 nays, Roll No. 165.
Pages H2869-73
  H. Res. 638, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to earlier by a recorded vote of 224 yeas to 203 nays, Roll No. 
158.
Pages H2835-36
Suspensions--Proceedings Postponed: The House agreed to suspend the 
rules and pass the following measures which were debated on Tuesday, 
May 11:
  Sense of the House regarding the military postal system: H. Res. 608, 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
Department of Defense should rectify deficiencies in the military 
postal system to ensure that members of the Armed Forces stationed 
overseas are able to receive and send mail in a timely manner as well 
as receive and send election ballots in time to be counted in the 2004 
elections, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 421 yeas with none voting 
``nay'', Roll No. 160;
  Pages H2837-38
  Recognizing the contributions of people of Indian origin to the 
United States: H. Con. Res. 352, recognizing the contributions of 
people of Indian origin to the United States and the benefits of 
working together with India towards promoting peace, prosperity, and 
freedom among all countries of the world, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote 
of 415 yeas to 2 nays and 2 voting ``present'', Roll No. 164; 
                                                             Page H2853
  Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 
release Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly: H. Con. Res. 378, amended, 
calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to 
immediately and unconditionally release Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, 
by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 424 yeas with one voting nay, Roll No. 
167;
  Pages H2874-75
  Recognizing those who contributed to the war effort during World War 
II and celebrating the completion of the National World War II 
Memorial: H. Con. Res. 409, recognizing with humble gratitude the more 
than 16,000,000 veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces 
during World War II and the Americans who supported the war effort on 
the home front and celebrating the completion of the National World War 
II Memorial on the National Mall in the District of Columbia, by a \2/
3\ yea-and-nay vote of 422 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 168.
                                                         Pages H2875-76
50th Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision--Order of 
Business: The House agreed that it shall be in order at any time 
without intervention of any point of order to consider H. Con. Res. 
414, expressing the sense of the Congress that, as Congress recognizes 
the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, all 
Americans are encouraged to observe this anniversary with a commitment 
to continuing and building on the legacy of Brown; that the concurrent 
resolution be

[[Page D492]]

considered as read for amendment; and that the previous question be 
considered as ordered on the concurrent resolution to final adoption 
without intervening motion or demand for a division of the question 
except (1) 30 minutes of debate on the concurrent resolution equally 
divided and controlled by chairman and ranking minority member of the 
Committee on the Judiciary and (2) one motion to recommit.
  Page H2874
Budget Resolution for FY 2005--Motion to Instruct Conferees: The House 
debated the Pomeroy motion to instruct conferees on S. Con. Res. 95, 
original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget 
for the United States Government for fiscal year 2005 and including the 
appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2006 through 2009. 
Further proceedings were postponed.
  Pages H2876-82
Quorum Calls--Votes: Eight yea-and-nay votes and five recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2834-35, 
H2835, H2835-36, H2836-37, H2837-38, H2850, H2851-52, H2852-53, H2853, 
H2873, H2873-74, H2874-75, and H2875. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m and adjourned at 12 midnight.