[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D395-D398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                           Thursday, April 27, 2006

[[Page D395]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      The House received the United States Association of Former 
      Members of Congress in the House Chamber.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S3635-S3767
Measures Introduced: Twenty bills and nine resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2663-2682, S.J. Res. 35, and S. Res. 448-455. 
                                                         Pages S3703-04
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Further Revised Allocations to 
Subcommittees of Budget Totals from the Concurrent Resolution for 
Fiscal Year 2006''. (S. Rept. No. 109-251)
  S. 1955, to amend title I of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 
1974 and the Public Health Service Act to expand health care access and 
reduce costs through the creation of small business health plans and 
through modernization of the health insurance marketplace, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2292, to provide relief for the Federal judiciary from excessive 
rent charges.
  S. 2557, to improve competition in the oil and gas industry, to 
strengthen antitrust enforcement with regard to industry mergers. 
                                                             Page S3703
Measures Passed:
  Public Service Recognition: Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. 
Res. 412, expressing the sense of the Senate that public servants 
should be commended for their dedication and continued service to the 
Nation during Public Service Recognition Week, May 1 through 7, 2006, 
and the resolution was then agreed to.                   
  Pages S3760-61
  Democracy in Nepal: Senate agreed to S. Res. 451, expressing the 
support of the Senate for the reconvening of the Parliament of Nepal 
and for an immediate, peaceful transition to democracy. 
                                                         Pages S3761-64
  Recognizing American Ballet Theatre: Senate agreed to S. Res. 452, 
recognizing the cultural and educational contributions of the American 
Ballet Theatre throughout its 65 years of service as ``America's 
National Ballet Company''.                               
  Pages S3761-64
  Congratulating Charter Schools: Senate agreed to S. Res. 453, 
congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, 
and administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
contributions to education.                              
  Pages S3761-64
  Honoring Malcolm P. McLean: Senate agreed to S. Res. 454, honoring 
Malcolm P. McLean as the father of containerization.     
  Pages S3761-64
  Honoring Terrance W. Gainer: Senate agreed to S. Res. 455, honoring 
and thanking Terrance W. Gainer, former Chief of the United States 
Capitol Police.                                              
  Page S3764
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations: Senate continued consideration 
of H.R. 4939, making emergency supplemental appropriations for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:                             
  Pages S3639-92
Adopted:
  Coburn Amendment No. 3641 (Division II), to prohibit the availability 
of certain funds for the National Marine Fisheries Service to implement 
seafood promotion strategies. (By 44 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 100), 
Senate earlier failed to table Division II of the amendment.) 
                                               Pages S3669-71, S3671-73
  By a unanimous vote of 94 yeas (Vote No. 101), Byrd/Carper Amendment 
No. 3709, to express the sense of the Senate on requests for funds for 
military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for fiscal years after 
fiscal year 2007.                                 
Pages S3673-74, S3675
  Warner Amendment No. 3621, to equalize authorities to provide 
allowances, benefits, and gratuities to civilian personnel of the 
United States Government in Iraq and Afghanistan.        
Pages S3680-82

[[Page D396]]


  Allard/Durbin Amendment No. 3701, to provide funding for critical 
emergency structural repairs to the Capitol Complex utility tunnels. 
                                                         Pages S3683-84
  Harkin/Grassley Amendment No. 3600, to limit the compensation of 
employees funded through the Employment and Training Administration. 
                                                             Page S3688
  Murray (for Lugar) Amendment No. 3599, to increase by $8,000,000 and 
deposit in the Former Soviet Union Threat Reduction Account the amount 
appropriated for Cooperative Threat Reduction.               
Page S3691
Withdrawn:
  Coburn Amendment No. 3641 (Division III), to provide that Sec. 
7030(b), relating to certain economic development initiatives 
corrections, shall not take effect.                      
Pages S3675-76
Pending:
  McCain/Ensign Amendment No. 3616, to strike a provision that provides 
$74.5 million to states based on their production of certain types of 
crops, livestock and or dairy products, which was not included in the 
Administation's emergency supplemental request.              
Page S3639
  McCain/Ensign Amendment No. 3617, to strike a provision providing $6 
million to sugarcane growers in Hawaii, which was not included in the 
Administration's emergency supplemental request.             
Page S3639
  McCain/Ensign Amendment No. 3618, to strike $15 million for a seafood 
promotion strategy that was not included in the Administration's 
emergency supplemental request.                              
Page S3639
  McCain/Ensign Amendment No. 3619, to strike the limitation on the use 
of funds for the issuance or implementation of certain rulemaking 
decisions related to the interpretation of ``actual control'' of 
airlines.                                                    
Page S3639
  Warner Amendment No. 3620, to repeal the requirement for 12 
operational aircraft carriers within the Navy.    
Pages S3639, S3682-83
  Coburn Amendment No. 3641 (Divisions IV through XIX), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S3639
  Vitter Amendment No. 3627, to designate the areas affected by 
Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita as HUBZones and to waive the Small 
Business Competitive Demonstration Program Act of 1988 for the areas 
affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.             
Page S3639
  Vitter/Landrieu Modified Amendment No. 3626, to increase the limits 
on community disaster loans.                         
Pages S3639, S3671
  Vitter Modified Amendment No. 3628, to base the allocation of 
hurricane disaster relief and recovery funds to States on need and 
physical damages.                                    
Pages S3639, S3674
  Vitter Modified Amendment No. 3648, to expand the scope of use of 
amounts appropriated for hurricane disaster relief and recovery to the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for Operations, 
Research, and Facilities.                                    
Page S3639
  Wyden Amendment No. 3665, to prohibit the use of funds to provide 
royalty relief for the production of oil and natural gas. 
                                                  Pages S3639, S3641-68
  Santorum Modified Amendment No. 3640, to increase by $12,500,000 the 
amount appropriated for the Broadcasting Board of Governors, to 
increase by $12,500,000 the amount appropriated for the Department of 
State for the Democracy Fund, to provide that such funds shall be made 
available for democracy programs and activities in Iran, and to provide 
an offset.                                               
Pages S3639-41
  Salazar/Baucus Amendment No. 3645, to provide funding for critical 
hazardous fuels and forest health projects to reduce the risk of 
catastrophic fires and mitigate the effects of widespread insect 
infestations.                                            
Pages S3668-69
  Vitter Amendment No. 3668, to provide for the treatment of a certain 
Corps of Engineers project.                              
Pages S3674-75
  Burr Amendment No. 3713, to allocate funds to the Smithsonian 
Institution for research on avian influenza.                 
Page S3675
  Coburn (for Obama/Coburn) Amendment No. 3693, to reduce wasteful 
spending by limiting to the reasonable industry standard the spending 
for administrative overhead allowable under Federal contracts and 
subcontracts.                                            
Pages S3676-77
  Coburn (for Obama/Coburn) Amendment No. 3694, to improve 
accountability for competitive contracting in hurricane recovery by 
requiring the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to 
approve contracts awarded without competitive procedures. 
                                                         Pages S3676-77
  Coburn (for Obama/Coburn) Amendment No. 3695, to improve financial 
transparency in hurricane recovery by requiring the Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget to make information about Federal 
contracts publicly available.                            
Pages S3676-77
  Coburn (for Obama/Coburn) Amendment No. 3697, to improve transparency 
and accountability by establishing a Chief Financial Officer to oversee 
hurricane relief and recovery efforts.                   
Pages S3676-77
  Menendez Amendment No. 3675, to provide additional appropriations for 
research, development, acquisition, and operations by the Domestic 
Nuclear Detection Office, for the purchase of container inspection 
equipment for developing countries, for the implementation of the 
Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, and for the 
training of Customs and Border Protection officials on the use of new 
technologies.                                            
Pages S3677-79

[[Page D397]]


  Chambliss/Isakson Amendment No. 3702, relating to the comprehensive 
review of the procedures of the Department of Defense on mortuary 
affairs.                                                 
Pages S3679-80
  Murray (for Harkin) Amendment No. 3714, to increase by $8,500,000 the 
amount appropriated for Economic Support Fund assistance, to provide 
that such funds shall be made available to the United States Institute 
of Peace for programs in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to provide an 
offset.                                                      
Page S3680
  Conrad/Clinton Amendment No. 3715, to offset the costs of defense 
spending in the supplemental appropriation.                  
Page S3683
  Levin Amendment No. 3710, to require reports on policy and political 
developments in Iraq.                                    
Pages S3684-85
  Schumer/Reid Amendment No. 3723, to appropriate funds to address 
price gouging and market manipulation and to provide for a report on 
oil industry mergers.                                    
Pages S3685-87
  Schumer Amendment No. 3724, to improve maritime container security. 
                                                         Pages S3685-87
  Murray (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 3716, to provide funds to promote 
democracy in Iraq.                                       
Pages S3687-88
  Murray (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 3688, to provide funding for the 
covered countermeasures process fund program.            
Pages S3687-88
  Cornyn Amendment No. 3722, to provide for immigration injunction 
reform.                                                  
Pages S3688-89
  Cornyn Amendment No. 3699, to establish a floor to ensure that States 
that contain areas that were adversely affected as a result of damage 
from the 2005 hurricane season receive at least 3.5 percent of funds 
set aside for the CDBG program.                              
Page S3689
  Cornyn Amendment No. 3672, to require that the Secretary of Labor 
give priority for national emergency grants to States that assist 
individuals displaced by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita.     
Pages S3689-91
  Murray (for Byrd) Amendment No. 3708, to provide additional amounts 
for emergency management performance grants.             
Pages S3691-92
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  A unanimous-consent request was granted permitting Senator Shelby to 
change his nay vote to a yea vote on Vote No. 99 changing the outcome 
of the vote to 50 yeas to 47 nays on Coburn Amendment No. 3641 
(Division I), to prohibit the availability of certain funds for the 
Rail Line Relocation Capital Grant program, tabled on Wednesday, April 
26, 2006.                                                    
Page S3638
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the bill and, in 
accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, a cloture vote will occur on Tuesday, May 2, 2006. 
                                                             Page S3692
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that first degree 
amendments be filed at the desk in accordance with Rule XXII no later 
than 2:30 p.m., on Monday, May 1, 2006.                      
Page S3760
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2006. 
                                                             Page S3764
Messages From the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, the notification of an Executive Order 
blocking property of persons in connection with the conflict in Sudan's 
Darfur region; which was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs. (PM-46)                               
Pages S3702-03
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  25 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  3 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  1 Marine Corps nomination in the rank of general.
  1 Navy nomination in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy. 
                                                         Pages S3759-60
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Robert J. Portman, of Ohio, to be Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget.
  Robert Anthony Bradtke, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Croatia.
  James B. Lockhart III, of Connecticut, to be Director of the Office 
of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development for a term of five years.
  Dale Klein, of Texas, to be Member of the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission for the term of five years expiring June 30, 2011.
  5 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  1 Army nomination in the rank of general.
  3 Navy nominations in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Army, Navy.                       
Pages S3764-67
Messages From the House:                                     
  Page S3700
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S3700
Measures Read First Time:                                    
  Page S3700
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                
  Pages S3700-01
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S3701-02
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S3703
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S3704-06

[[Page D398]]

Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S3706-24
Additional Statements:                                       
  Page S3700
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S3724-59
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S3759
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S3759
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--101) 
                                                     Pages S3673, S3675
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m., and adjourned at 7:59 p.m., 
until 2 p.m., on Monday, May 1, 2006. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S3764.)