[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 161 (Thursday, December 15, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1289-D1290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                             Thursday, December 15, 2005

[[Page D1289]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate

Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S13599-S13687
Measures Introduced: Fourteen bills and three resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2105-2118, S. Res. 334, and S. Con. Res. 70-71. 
                                                             Pages S13659-60
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Further Revised Allocation to Subcommittees of 
Budget Totals from the Concurrent Resolution for Fiscal Year 2006.''. (S. 
Rept. No. 109-207)
  S. 1312, to amend a provision relating to employees of the United States 
assigned to, or employed by, an Indian tribe. (S. Rept. No. 109-208)
  Report to accompany S. 572, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
give additional biosecurity responsibilities to the Department of Homeland 
Security. (S. Rept. No. 109-209)
Page S13659
Measures Passed:
  Honoring Former Senator William Proxmire: Senate agreed to S. Res. 334, 
relative to the death of William Proxmire, former U.S. Senator from the 
state of Wisconsin.
  Pages S13683-84
  Real Property Jurisdiction Transfer: Senate passed S. 2116, to transfer 
jurisdiction of certain real property to the Supreme Court.
  Page S13684
  Coral Reef Conservation Amendments Act: Senate passed S. 1390, to 
reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, after agreeing to the 
committee amendments, and the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                                             Pages S13684-86
  McConnell (for Stevens) Amendment No. 2677, to make it clear that damage 
from derelict fishing gear and vessel anchors and anchor chains warrants 
emergency response action.
Page S13685
  McConnell (for Stevens) Amendment No. 2678, to strike references to 
certain laws.
Page S13685
  State Department Authorities: Senate passed H.R. 4436, to provide certain 
authorities for the Department of State, clearing the measure for the 
President.
  Page S13687
  Philippines Immigration Centennial: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 218, 
recognizing the centennial of sustained immigration from the Philippines to 
the United States and acknowledging the contributions of our Filipino-
American community to our country over the last century, after agreeing to 
the following amendment:
  Page S13687
  McConnell (for Akaka) Amendment No. 2679, of a technical nature. 
                                                                 Page S13687
  Predisaster Mitigation Program Reauthorization Act: Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs was discharged from further consideration 
of H.R. 4324, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act to reauthorize the predisaster mitigation program, clearing 
the measure for the President.
  Page S13687
Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations--Conference Report: Senate began 
consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3010, making 
appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2006.
  Pages S13600-08
U.S. Patriot Act Reauthorization--Conference Report: Senate continued 
consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3199, to extend and 
modify authorities needed to combat terrorism.
  Pages S13608-27
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the conference report at approximately 10 a.m., on Friday, 
December 16, 2005, that there be 60 minutes for debate, to be followed by a 
vote on the motion to invoke cloture thereon at approximately 11 a.m. 
                                                                 Page S13687
Deficit Reduction Act--Motions to Instruct Conferees: Senate continued 
consideration of the message from the House of Representatives to accompany 
S. 1932, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 202(a) of the 
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006 (H. Con. Res. 95), 
taking action on the following motions to instruct conferees proposed 
thereto:
  Pages S13630-35
Adopted:
  By 71 yeas to 20 nays (Vote No. 354), Senate agreed to DeWine Motion to 
Instruct Conferees to insist that any conference report shall not include 
the provisions contained in section 8701 of the House amendment relating to 
the repeal of section 754 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
Pages S13630-32
  By 75 yeas to 16 nays (Vote No. 355), Senate agreed to Kohl Motion to 
Instruct Conferees to insist that any conference report shall not include 
any

[[Page D1290]]

of the provisions in the House amendment that reduce funding for the child 
support program established under part D of title IV of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 651 et seq.), and to insist that the conference report shall 
not include any restrictions on the ability of States to use Federal child 
support incentive payments for child support program expenditures that are 
eligible for Federal matching payments.
Pages S13632-33
  By 83 yeas to 8 nays (Vote No. 356), Senate agreed to Kennedy Motion to 
Instruct Conferees to insist that the Senate provisions increasing need 
based financial aid in the bill S. 1932, which were fully offset by savings 
in the bill S. 1932, be included in the final conference report and that the 
House provisions in the bill H.R. 4241 that impose new fees and costs on 
students in school and in repayment be rejected in the final conference 
report.
Pages S13633-34
  By 63 yeas to 28 nays (Vote No. 357), Senate agreed to Reed Motion to 
Instruct Conferees to insist on a provision that makes available 
$2,920,000,000 for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 (42 
U.S.C. 8621 et seq.), in addition to the $2,183,000,000 made available for 
such Act in the Departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services, and 
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006.
Pages S13634-35
  The Chair was authorized to appoint the following conferees on the part of 
the Senate: Senators Gregg, Domenici, Grassley, Enzi, Allard, Sessions, 
Stevens, Shelby, Specter, Chambliss, McConnell, Conrad, Murray, Harkin, 
Sarbanes, Inouye, Bingaman, Baucus, Kennedy, and Leahy.
Page S13635
Senator Corzine Tributes--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was 
reached providing that Senators be permitted to submit tributes to Senator 
Corzine for the Congressional Record until December 29, 2005, and that the 
tributes be printed as a Senate document.
  Page S13687
Messages From the President: Senate received the following message from the 
President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the export of 
accelerometers to the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Railways; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (PM-33) 
                                                                 Page S13655
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Stephen G. Larson, of California, to be United States District Judge for 
the Central District of California.
  Terrance P. Flynn, of New York, to be United States Attorney for the 
Western District of New York for the term of four years.
Page S13687
Messages From the House:
  Page S13655
Measures Read First Time:
  Page S13655
Enrolled Bills Presented:
  Page S13655
Executive Communications:
  Pages S13655-59
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S13659
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S13660-61
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S13661-82
Additional Statements:
  Pages S13652-55
Amendments Submitted:
  Page S13682
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Pages S13682-83
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S13683
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--357) 
                                  Pages S13631-32, S13632-33, S13634, S13635
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9 a.m., and as a further mark of respect to 
the memory of the late Senator William J. Proxmire, former United States 
Senator for the State of Wisconsin, in accordance with S. Res. 334, 
adjourned at 7:54 p.m., until 9:30 a.m., on Friday, December 16, 2005. (For 
Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's 
Record on page S13687.)