[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 131 (Tuesday, November 16, 2004)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1067-D1069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                         Tuesday, November 16, 2004

[[Page D1067]]

                              Daily Digest

HIGHLIGHTS

      See Resume of Congressional Activity.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S11335-S11396
Measures Introduced: Eight bills and two resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2980-2987, S. Res. 469, and S. Con. Res. 145. 
                                                            Page S11377
Measures Reported: Reported on Wednesday, November 10, during the 
adjournment:
  S. 297, to provide reforms and resources to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs to improve the Federal acknowledgement process, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 108-403)
  S. 519, to establish a Native American-owned financial entity to 
provide financial services to Indian tribes, Native American 
organizations, and Native Americans, with an amendment in the nature of 
a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 108-404)
  S. 702, to amend the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act to 
revise and extend that Act. (S. Rept. No. 108-405)
  Report to accompany S. 2843, to make technical corrections to laws 
relating to Native Americans. (S. Rept. No. 108-406)
  S. 2647, to establish a national ocean policy, to set forth the 
missions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to 
ensure effective interagency coordination, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 108-407)
  S. 2275, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et 
seq.) to provide for homeland security assistance for high-risk 
nonprofit organizations, with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 108-408)
  S. 1798, to provide for comprehensive fire safety standards for 
upholstered furniture, mattresses, bedclothing, and candles, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  Reported on today:
  S. 593, to ensure that a Federal employee who takes leave without pay 
in order to perform service as a member of the uniformed services or 
member of the National Guard shall continue to receive pay in an amount 
which, when taken together with the pay and allowances such individual 
is receiving for such service, will be no less than the basic pay such 
individual would then be receiving if no interruption in employment had 
occurred, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. 
No. 108-409)
  S. 2409, to provide for continued health benefits coverage for 
certain Federal employees, with an amendment. (S. Rept. No. 108-410)
  S. 556, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and 
extend that Act, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. 
Rept. No. 108-411)
  S. 1696, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act to provide further self-governance by Indian tribes, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 108-412)
  S. 1715, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act to provide further self-governance by Indian tribes, 
with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 108-413)                     
Page S11377
MEASURES PASSED:
  Children's Hospitals Educational Equity and Research Act: Senate 
passed S. 2526, to reauthorize the Children's Hospitals Graduate 
Medical Education Program, after agreeing to the committee amendment in 
the nature of a substitute.                             
  Pages S11385-86
  State High Risk Pool Funding Extension Act: Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor and Pensions was discharged from further consideration 
of S. 2283, to extend Federal funding for operation of State high risk 
health insurance pools, and the bill was then passed.       
  Page S11386
  Coastal and Ocean Mapping Integration Act: Senate passed S. 2489, to 
establish a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to integrate Federal coastal and ocean mapping

[[Page D1068]]

activities, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of 
a substitute.                                           
  Pages S11386-89
  Research Review Act: Senate passed H.R. 5213, to expand research 
information regarding multidisciplinary research projects and 
epidemiological studies, clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S11389
  National Ocean Exploration Program Act: Senate passed S. 2280, to 
establish a coordinated national ocean exploration program within the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.        
  Pages S11389-90
  Commercial Space Transportation Liability: Senate passed H.R. 5245, 
to extend the liability indemnification regime for the commercial space 
transportation industry, clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S11390
  Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Reorganization Act: 
Senate passed H.R. 5163, to amend title 49, United States Code, to 
provide the Department of Transportation a more focused research 
organization with an emphasis on innovative technology, clearing the 
measure for the President.                                  
  Page S11390
  Tijuana River Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Clean Up 
Reauthorization: Senate passed H.R. 4794, to amend the Tijuana River 
Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Cleanup Act of 2000 to extend the 
authorization of appropriations, clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S11390
  Medicare Cost Sharing Extension: Committee on Finance was discharged 
from further consideration of S. 2618, to amend title XIX of the Social 
Security Act to extend medicare cost-sharing for the medicare part B 
premium for qualifying individuals through September 2005, and the bill 
was then passed.                                        
  Pages S11390-91
  Enrollment Correction: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res.145, to correct 
the enrollment of H.R. 1417.                            
  Pages S11392-93
Debt Limit Extension--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was 
reached providing that at 2:15 p.m., on Wednesday, November 17, 2004, 
Senate begin consideration of S. 2986 to amend title 31 of the United 
States Code to increase the public debt limit.              
  Page S11390
National Intelligence Reform Act: On October 16, during the 
adjournment, Senate disagreed to the amendment of the House to S. 2845, 
to reform the intelligence community and the intelligence and 
intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, and 
agreed to House request for a conference, and appointed the following 
conferees on the part of the Senate: Senators Collins, Lott, DeWine, 
Roberts, Voinovich, Sununu, Coleman, Lieberman, Levin, Durbin, 
Rockefeller, Graham (FL), and Lautenberg, pursuant to the orders of 
October 10 and 11, 2004.
Removal of Injunction of Secrecy: The injunction of secrecy was removed 
from the following treaty:
  Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with Germany (Treaty Doc. No. 108-27).
  The treaty was transmitted to the Senate today, considered as having 
been read for the first time, and referred, with accompanying papers, 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed. 
                                                            Page S11391
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:
  By 85 yeas 12 nays (Vote No. Ex. 212), Francis J. Harvey, of 
California, to be Secretary of the Army.                    
Page S11357
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Dallas Tonsager, of South Dakota, to be a Member of the Farm Credit 
Administration Board, Farm Credit Administration, for a term expiring 
May 21, 2010.
  Michael V. Dunn, of Iowa, to be a Commissioner of the Commodity 
Futures Trading Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 
19, 2006.
  Ernest J. Wilson III of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for a term 
expiring January 31, 2010. (Reappointment)
  Harold Jennings Creel, Jr., of South Carolina, to be a Federal 
Maritime Commissioner for the term expiring June 30, 2009. 
(Reappointment)
  Jonathan Steven Adelstein, of South Dakota, to be a Member of the 
Federal Communications Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2008. 
(Reappointment)
  Albert Henry Konetzni, Jr., of New York, to be a Member of the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a term expiring June 30, 2009.
  Raymond Thomas Wagner, Jr., of Missouri, to be a Member of the 
Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board for a term expiring September 
14, 2009. (Reappointment)
  Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, of Virginia, to be Chairman of the Broadcasting 
Board of Governors. (Reappointment)
  Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Broadcasting 
Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2007. (Reappointment)
  Jay T. Snyder, of New York, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
2007. (Reappointment)

[[Page D1069]]


  D. Jeffrey Hirschberg, of Wisconsin, to be a Member of the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2007. 
(Reappointment)
  Tony Hammond, of Virginia, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Rate 
Commission for a term expiring October 14, 2010. (Reappointment)
  Louis J. Giuliano, of New York, to be a Governor of the United States 
Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2009.
  Carolyn L. Gallagher, of Texas, to be a Governor of the United States 
Postal Service for the remainder of the term expiring December 8, 2005.
  Sharon Tucker, of Georgia, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of 
the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation for a term expiring December 
10, 2005.
  Charles P. Ruch, of South Dakota, to be a Member of the Board of 
Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education 
Foundation for a term expiring August 11, 2010.
  Edward Alton Parrish, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of 
Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education 
Foundation for a term expiring April 17, 2008.
  Laurie Stenberg Nichols, of South Dakota, to be a Member of the Board 
of Trustees of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in 
Education Foundation for a term expiring March 3, 2010.
  Mimi Mager, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Board 
of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service for 
a term expiring December 27, 2007.
  Jacob Joseph Lew, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service for a 
term expiring October 6, 2008.
  Alberto R. Gonzales, of Texas, to be Attorney General.
  Patricia Cushwa, of Maryland, to be a Commissioner of the United 
States Parole Commission for a term of six years.
  Jennifer M. Anderson, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate 
Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of 
fifteen years.
  Noel Anketell Kramer, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate 
Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals for the term of 
fifteen years.
  34 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Coast Guard, Foreign Service, Marine Corps. 
                                                        Pages S11393-96
Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of 
the following nominations:
  Ann C. Rosenthal, of Iowa, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the National Institute of Building Sciences for a term expiring 
September 7, 2003, which was sent to the Senate on June 12, 2003.
  Ann C. Rosenthal, of Iowa, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the National Institute of Building Sciences for a term expiring 
September 7, 2006. (Reappointment), which was sent to the Senate on 
June 12, 2003.
  Lawrence T. Di Rita, of Michigan, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Defense, which was sent to the Senate on November 21, 2003. 
                                                            Page S11396
Messages From the House:                                
  Pages S11372-73
Measures Placed on Calendar:                                
  Page S11373
Enrolled Bills Presented:                               
  Pages S11373-74
Executive Communications:                               
  Pages S11374-77
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S11377-80
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S11380-84
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S11367-72
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                               
  Page S11384
Authority for Committees to Meet:                       
  Pages S11384-85
Privilege of the Floor:                                     
  Page S11385
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--212) 
                                                            Page S11357
Adjournment: Senate convened at 12 noon and adjourned at 6:31 p.m., 
until 2:15 p.m., on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on pages 
S11391-92.)