[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 29, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D288-D290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                          Wednesday, March 29, 2006

[[Page D288]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed S. 2349, Legislative Transparency and 
      Accountability Act.
      House Committees ordered reported 25 sundry measures, including 
      the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2007.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2483-S2546
Measures Introduced: Thirteen bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 2468-2480 and S. Res. 412-414. 
                                                         Pages S2533-34
Measures Passed:
  Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act: By 90 yeas to 8 nays 
(Vote No. 82), Senate continued consideration of S. 2349, to provide 
greater transparency in the legislative process, after taking action on 
the following amendment proposed thereto:
  Pages S2490-S2511


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page D288, March 29, 2006, under Chamber Action: Measures 
Passed: Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act: the 
following sentence appeared: By 90 yeas to 8 nays (Vote No. 82), 
Senate continued consideration of S. 2349, to provide greater 
transparency in the legislative process, taking action on the 
following amendment proposed thereto: Pages S2490-S2511
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: By 90 yeas to 8 
nays (Vote No. 82), Senate passed S. 2349, to provide greater 
transparency in the legislative process, after taking action on 
the following amendment proposed thereto: Pages S2490-S2511


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

Adopted:
  Dodd (for Obama/Coburn) Amendment No. 2930, to clarify that 
availability of legislation does not include nonbusiness days. 
                                                             Page S2490
  Dodd (for Levin) Amendment No. 2960, to require electronic filing and 
establish a public database for lobbyists for foreign governments. 
                                                             Page S2491
  Lott (for Cornyn) Modified Amendment No. 2961, to require lobbyists 
to distinguish whether clients are public or private entities. 
                                                     Pages S2492, S2499
  Dodd (for Feingold) Amendment No. 2963, to remove lobbyists 
altogether from Member trips.
Page S2491
  Lott (for Sununu/McCain) Amendment No. 2970, to revise the time 
period for Internet availability in the provisions relating to earmarks 
and availability of conference reports from 24 hours to 48 hours. 
                                                             Page S2492
  Dodd (for Byrd) Modified Amendment No. 3181, to clarify the 
termination date of the Commission.
Pages S2491, S2499
  Dodd (for Byrd) Amendment No. 3182, to clarify the subpoena powers of 
the Commission.
Page S2491
  Lott (for Collins) Amendment No. 2979, to clarify disclosure 
requirements.
Page S2499
  Lott Amendment No. 3184, of a technical nature.
Page S2499
  Lott Amendment No. 3185, to clarify that lobbying contacts for 
Congressional staff do not include seeking lobbying disclosure 
compliance information from the Clerk of the House of Representatives 
or the Secretary of the Senate.
Page S2499
  Lott Amendment No. 3186, of a technical nature.
Page S2499
  Lott (for Collins) Amendment No. 3187, of a technical nature. 
                                                             Page S2499
  Lott (for Collins) Amendment No. 3188, of a technical nature. 
                                                             Page S2499
Rejected:
  Feingold Amendment No. 2962, to clarify the application of the gift 
rule to lobbyists. (By 68 yeas to 30 nays (Vote No. 80), Senate tabled 
the amendment.)
Pages S2493, S2498
  Lott (for Ensign/McCain) Amendment No. 2980, to include Federal 
entities in the definition of earmarks. (By 57 yeas to 41 nays (Vote 
No. 81), Senate tabled the amendment.)
Pages S2491, S2507-09
Withdrawn:
  Lott (for Ensign/McCain) Amendment No. 2981, to clarify the treatment 
of out of scope matters in conference reports.
Pages S2506-07
  Lott (for Ensign/McCain) Amendment No. 2983, to permit a Senator to 
raise a single point of order that several provisions violate Section 
102.
Pages S2492, S2509
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Chair sustained a point of order against the following amendments, as 
being in violation of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
and the amendments thus fell:

[[Page D289]]


  Lott (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2936, to provide a 1-year prohibition 
against lobbying for senior career staff of executive branch agencies. 
                                                         Pages S2492-93
  Lott (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2937, to amend the Lobbying 
Disclosure Act of 1995 to extend coverage to all executive branch 
employees.
Page S2493
  Dodd (for Baucus) Amendment No. 2954, to prohibit Members from using 
501(c)(3) organizations for personal or political gain.
Page S2493
  Dodd (for Obama/Coburn) Amendment No. 2965, to ban employment 
negotiations to become lobbyists by Members of Congress and required 
recusal for senior congressional staff while in office.
Page S2490
  Lott (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2982, to provide criminal penalties 
for lobbying by exempt organizations.
Page S2493
  Lott (for Coburn/Obama) Amendment No. 3175, to require full 
disclosure of all entities and organizations receiving Federal funds. 
                                                             Page S2492
  Dodd (for Obama) Amendment No. 2995, to expand the prohibition on 
lobbying in the year after leaving service to the Senate to include a 
prohibition on paid coordination activities.
Page S2491
  Military Recruiters: Committee on Armed Services was discharged from 
further consideration of S. Res. 385, expressing the gratitude and 
appreciation to the men and women of the Armed Forces who serve as 
military recruiters, commending their selfless service in recruiting 
young men and women to serve in the United States military, 
particularly in support of the global war on terrorism, and the 
resolution was then agreed to.
  Page S2540
  Commending the Virginia Wesleyan College Marlins Men's Basketball 
Team: Senate agreed to S. Res. 413, commending the Virginia Wesleyan 
College Marlins men's basketball team for winning the 2006 National 
Collegiate Athletic Association Division III National Basketball 
Championship.
  Pages S2540-41
  Celebrating Country Music: Senate agreed to S. Res. 414, celebrating 
the musical and cultural heritage of country music and recognizing the 
``Country: A Celebration of America's Music'' festival at the John F. 
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  Page S2541
  Financial Literacy Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 410, designating 
April 2006 as ``Financial Literacy Month'', after agreeing to the 
following amendment proposed thereto:
  Pages S2541-42
  Sessions (for Akaka) Amendment No. 3190, to amend the preamble. 
                                                             Page S2541
  Prior to the above-listed action, Senate vitiated the March 28, 2006 
adoption of S. Res. 410.
Page S2541
Securing America's Borders Act: Senate began consideration of S. 2454, 
to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for 
comprehensive reform.
  Pages S2511-26
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, 
March 30, 2006, and that the time until 12 noon be equally divided 
between the Majority Leader and the Democratic Leader, or their 
designees, for debate only; that at 12 noon, the Chairman of the 
Committee on the Judiciary be recognized to offer an amendment; and 
that the time until 5 p.m. be equally divided between the Majority 
Leader and the Democratic Leader, or their designees, for debate only. 
                                                             Page S2543
China Currency--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached to 
amend the order of November 16, 2005, with respect to S. 295, to 
authorize appropriate action in the negotiations with the People's 
Republic of China regarding China's undervalued currency are not 
successful, providing that the Majority Leader, after consultation with 
the Democratic Leader, shall, no later than the September 29, 2006, or 
the last day of the second session of the 109th Congress, whichever is 
earlier, call up the bill; and that all other provisions of the order 
remaining constant.
  Page S2543
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:
  Randall L. Tobias, of Indiana, to be Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development.
Page S2546
Nominations Discharged: The following nomination was discharged from 
further committee consideration and placed on the Executive Calendar:
  Eric M. Thorson, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Small Business 
Administration, which was sent to the Senate on June 28, 2005, from the 
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 
                                                             Page S2546
Messages From the House:
  Pages S2531-32
Measures Referred:
  Page S2532
Executive Communications:
  Pages S2532-33
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S2534-35
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S2535-38
Additional Statements:
  Pages S2429-31
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S2538-39
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Pages S2539-40
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S2540

[[Page D290]]

Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--82) 
                                               Pages S2498, S2509 S2511
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 8:11 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m., on Thursday, March 30, 2006. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S2543.)