[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 161 (Thursday, December 15, 2005)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1292-D1294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                        House of Representatives

Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 17 public bills, H.R. 4549-4565; 1 
private bill, H.R. 4566; and 10 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 317-318; and H. 
Res. 611-618 were introduced.
  Pages H11878-80
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H11880-81
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 619, providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 612) 
expressing the commitment of the House of Representatives to achieving 
victory in Iraq (H. Rept. 109-348);
  H. Res. 620, waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with 
respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee 
on Rules (H. Rept. 109-349); and
  H. Res. 621; providing for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4437) 
to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of 
the immigration laws, to enhance border security (H. Rept. 109-350). 
                                                             Pages H11877-78
Pension Protection Act of 2005: The House passed H.R. 2830, to amend the 
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to reform the pension funding rules by a recorded vote of 294 
ayes to 132 noes, Roll No. 635.
  Pages H11678-H11798
  Rejected the Miller motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means with 
instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith with an 
amendment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 200 yeas to 227 nays, Roll No. 634, 
after agreeing to the previous question.
Pages H11770-97
  Pursuant to the rule, in lieu of the amendments reported by the Committees 
on Education and the Workforce and Ways and Means now printed in the bill, 
the amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in part A of H. Rept. 
109-346 shall be considered as adopted.
  H. Res. 602, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was agreed 
to by a yea-and-nay vote of 226 yeas to 199 nays, Roll No. 633, after 
agreeing to order the previous question.
Pages H11660-70, H111678
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following 
measure which was debated on Wednesday, December 14th: The House agreed to 
suspend the rules and pass the following measures:
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and 
traditions of Christmas should be protected: H. Res. 579, amended, to 
express the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and 
traditions of Christmas should be protected, by a yea-and-nay vote of 401 
yeas to 22 nays with 5 voting ``present'', Roll No. 637; 
                                                         Pages H11799-H11800
  Agreed to amend the title so as to read ``Expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should 
be protected for those who celebrate Christmas.''.
Page H11800
  Urging the President to issue a proclamation for the observance of an 
American Jewish History Month: H. Con. Res. 315, to urge the President to 
issue a proclamation for the observance of an American Jewish History Month, 
by a yea-and-nay vote of 423 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 638; 
and
  Page H11800
  Urging the Government of the Russian Federation to withdraw or modify 
proposed legislation that would have the effect of severely restricting the 
establishment, operations, and activities of domestic and foreign 
nongovernmental organizations in the Russian Federation: H. Con. Res. 312, 
amended, to urge the Government of the Russian Federation to withdraw or 
modify proposed legislation that would have the effect of severely 
restricting the establishment, operations, and activities of domestic and 
foreign nongovernmental organizations in the Russian Federation, by a yea-
and-nay vote of 405 yeas to 15 nays, Roll No. 641.
  Pages H11858-59
  Agreed to amend the title so as to read ``Urging the Government of the 
Russian Federation to withdraw the first draft of the proposed legislation 
as passed in its first reading in the State Duma that would have the effect 
of severely restricting the establishment, operations, and activities of 
domestic, international, and foreign nongovernmental organizations in the 
Russian Federation, or to modify the proposed legislation to entirely remove 
these restrictions.''.
Page H111859
Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 
2005: The House began consideration on H.R. 4437, to amend the Immigration 
and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to 
enhance border security. Further consideration will continue at a later 
date.
  Pages H11800-58
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, 
modified by the amendment printed in part A of H. Rept. 109-347, shall be 
considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole and 
shall be considered as read.
Pages H11820-37
Agreed to:
  Carter amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that requires the 
Secretary of Homeland

[[Page D1293]]

Security to include satellite communications in the plan authorized by 
Section 106 of H.R. 4473;
Pages H11837-38
  Gohmert amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) which directs the 
Inspector General to refer any instances of misconduct or wrongdoing on a 
contract to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security or other 
appropriate official for the purpose of evaluating whether or not suspension 
or debarment of the contractor is warranted;
Pages H11838-39
  Johnson, Sam, of Texas amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that 
expresses the sense of Congress that the President, Attorney General, 
Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security and other Department 
Secretaries should immediately use every tool available to them to enforce 
the immigration laws of the U.S., as enacted by Congress;
Pages H11839-42
  Renzi amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) which states that all 
uniforms procured for use by Border Patrol agents are to be made in the 
United States;
Pages H11842-43
  Castle amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that requires DHS to 
submit a timeline for: (1) equipping all land borders with the US-VISIT 
entry/exit system; (2) developing and deploying the exit component of the 
US-VISIT system at all land borders; and (3) making all border screening 
systems operated by the Department interoperable;
Pages H11843-45
  Campbell amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that amends Section 
642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 
1996 by replacing ``Immigration and Naturalization Service'' with 
``Department of Homeland Security'' and enforces Section 642 by stating that 
the Attorney General shall not provide any grant amount to any Federal, 
State, or local government agency or entity that violates the Act (which 
states that any government official or entity may not be prohibited from 
sending information to DHS regarding the citizenship or immigration status 
of any individual);
Pages H11846-47
  Castle amendment (No. 9 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) which requires the 
Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on: (1) the number of 
illegal aliens from noncontiguous countries who are apprehended at or 
between ports of entry; (2) the number of such aliens that have been 
deported; and (3) the number of such aliens from countries identified as 
sponsors of terrorism. Also encourages the Department to develop a strategy 
for entering the appropriate background information of illegal aliens from 
countries sponsoring terrorism into appropriate security screening watch 
lists;
Pages H11850-51
  Brown-Waite, Ginny of Florida amendment (No. 10 printed in H. Rept. 109-
347) that inserts a new section declaring that Congress condemns rapes by 
smugglers along the international land border of the U.S. and urges in the 
strongest possible terms the government of Mexico to work in coordination 
with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland 
Security to take immediate action to prevent such rapes from occurring; 
                                                             Pages H11851-52
  DeFazio amendment (No. 12 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that directs 
Customs and Border Protection (CPB) to conduct a pilot program to evaluate 
the use of automated systems for immediate prescreening of individual 
airline passengers bound for the U.S. before they board a plane. Pilot would 
use at least one airline in two foreign airports and evaluate up to three 
automated systems. CBP would be required to report to Congress no later than 
30 days after completion of the pilot and provide a plan to fully deploy the 
most preferable prescreening system no later than January 1, 2007; and 
                                                             Pages H11856-57
  Hunter amendment (No. 11 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that mandates the 
construction of specific security fencing, including lights and cameras, 
along the Southwest border for the purposes of gaining operational control 
of the border. Fencing has been designated in sectors that have the highest 
number of immigrant deaths, instances of drug smuggling and illegal border 
crossings. The amendment includes a requirement for the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to conduct a study on the use of physical barriers along 
the Northern border (by a recorded vote of 260 ayes to 159 noes, Roll No. 
640).
Pages H11852-56, H11857-58
Rejected:
  Jackson-Lee of Texas amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that 
sought to provide guidelines for implementing the secured alternatives to 
detention provision in section 402(a) (by a recorded vote of 162 ayes to 252 
noes, Roll No. 639).
Pages H11848-50, H11857
Withdrawn:
  Gingrey amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 109-347) that was offered and 
subsequently withdrawn, which sought to suspend the Visa Waiver Program 
until the automated entry-exit program is operational and until ports of 
entry have functional biometric machine readers.
Pages H11845-46
  H. Res. 610, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was agreed 
to, by a yea-and-nay vote of 220 yeas to 206 nays, Roll No. 636, after 
agreeing to order the previous question.
Pages H11670-78, H11798-99
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006--Motion to go to 
Conference: The House disagreed to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1815, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities 
of

[[Page D1294]]

the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such 
fiscal year, and agreed to a conference.
  Pages H11859-67
  The House debated the Skelton motion to instruct conferees, the Chair 
announced that further consideration will be postponed.
Pages H11859-67
Presidential Message: Read a message from the President in accordance with 
the provisions of section 1512 of the Strom Thurmond National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261). Certifying the 
export of 36 accelerometers to the People's Republic of China--referred to 
the Committee on International Relations and ordered printed (H. Doc. 109-
74).
  Page H11868
Succession of the Speaker of the House: Read a letter from the Speaker 
wherein he designated Representative Blunt to act jointly with the Majority 
Leader of the Senate or his designee in the event of the death or inability 
of the Speaker, to notify Members of the House and Senate of any reassembly.
                                                                 Page H11875
Senate Message: Messages received from the Senate today appear on pages 
H11845 and H11867-68.
Senate Referrals: S. 1390 was referred to the Committee on Resources and S. 
2116 was held at the desk.
  Page H11878
Quorum Calls--Votes: Six yea-and-nay votes and three recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H11678, 
H11797, H11798, H11798-99, H11799, H11800, H11857, H11858, and H11858-59. 
There were no quorum calls.
Recess: The House recessed at 12:04 a.m. and reconvened at 7:15 a.m. on 
Friday, December 16th.
  Pages H11875, H11877
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:16 a.m. on Friday, 
December 16th.