[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 51 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D428-D430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 10 public bills, H.R. 5278-
5287; and 4 resolutions, H. Con. Res. 398-399; and H. Res. 794-795, 
were introduced.                                         
  Pages H2101-02
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages H2102-03
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed 
Representative Bonner to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H1983
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Rev. Frank M. 
Deerey, Jr., Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, LaBelle, Florida. 
                                                             Page H1983
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  Congratulating charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, 
and administrators across the United States for their ongoing 
contributions to education: H. Res. 781, to congratulate charter 
schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators 
across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education, 
by a yea-and-nay vote of 417 yeas to 1 nay and 3 voting ``present'', 
Roll No. 120;                                  
  Pages H1988-92, H2057-58
  Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of 
Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run: H. Con. Res. 359, 
to authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of 
Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run, by a yea-and-nay 
vote of 417 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 114; 
                                                  Pages H1992, H2030-31
  Providing for the conditional conveyance of any interest retained by 
the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, Michigan: 
H.R. 4700, to provide for the conditional conveyance of any interest 
retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. 
Joseph, Michigan;                                        
  Pages H1992-93
  Prohibiting price gouging in the sale of gasoline, diesel fuel, crude 
oil, and home heating oil: H.R. 5253, to prohibit price gouging in the 
sale of gasoline, diesel fuel, crude oil, and home heating oil, by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 389 yeas to 34 nays, Roll No. 115; 
                                                  Pages H1993-99, H2031
  Expressing the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain 
injury and support for the designation of a National Brain Injury 
Awareness Month: H. Con. Res. 99, to express the need for enhanced 
public awareness of traumatic brain injury

[[Page D429]]

and support for the designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness 
Month; and                                               
  Pages H2007-09
  Supporting the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week: H. Res. 245, 
amended, to support the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week. 
                                                         Pages H2009-11
Suspension--Failed: The House failed to agree to suspend the rules and 
pass the following measure:
  Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act: H.R. 5254, to set schedules for 
the consideration of permits for refineries, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay 
vote of 237 yeas to 188 nays, Roll No. 116. 
                                            Pages H1999-S2007, H2031-32
Lobbying Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006: The House passed 
H.R. 4975, to provide greater transparency with respect to lobbying 
activities, by a yea-and-nay vote of 217 yeas to 213 nays, Roll No. 
119.                                           
  Pages H2011-30, H2032-57
  Rejected the Slaughter motion to recommit the bill to the Committee 
on Rules with instructions to report the same back to the House 
forthwith with an amendment, by a yea-and-nay vote of 213 yeas to 216 
nays, Roll No. 118, after ordering the previous question. 
                                                         Pages H2046-56
  Pursuant to the rule, in lieu of the amendments recommended by the 
Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and Government Reform now printed 
in the bill, the amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of 
the text of the Rules Committee Print dated April 21, 2006, modified by 
the amendment printed in part A of this report, shall be considered as 
adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The rule 
provides that the bill, as amended, shall be considered as an original 
bill for purpose of further amendment and shall be considered as read. 
Further, the rules makes in order only those amendments printed in part 
B of this report.                                            
Page H2032
  Also pursuant to section 2 of H. Res. 783, the text of H.R. 513, as 
passed by the House, electing a certain Member to a certain standing 
committee of the House of Representatives, will be appended to the 
engrossment of the bill.                                     
Page H2057
Agreed to:
  Castle amendment (No. 2 printed in Part B of H. Rpt. 109-441) strikes 
the current section 106 and inserts an ascending civil penalty 
structure for each subsequent offense. For example, for a second 
offense the offender could be subject to a fine of not more than 
$250,000. Also adds ``corruptly and with intent to evade the law'' to 
the intent element of the civil penalty;                 
Pages H2037-38
  Lungren, Dan of California amendment (No. 3 printed in Part B of H. 
Rpt. 109-441) modifies section 301 to place a moratorium on privately-
funded official travel unless the Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct issues a certification that the gift of travel complies with 
all House rules and standards of conduct. The Committee is not 
permitted to issue that certification until it reports its 
recommendations on changes to rule XXV to the Committee on Rules, which 
must occur no later than June 15, 2006. The Committee is permitted to 
issue the certification before June 15 if 2/3 of the committee vote to 
do so. The Standards Committee must review public records on privately 
funded travel, and consider those items in the base bill. Section 302 
is modified to direct the Committee on Standards to report to the 
Committee on Rules on recommended changes to rule XXV with respect to 
gifts, and consider factors similar to those in the base bill; 
                                                         Pages H2038-39
  Sodrel amendment (No. 4 printed in Part B of H. Rpt. 109-441) amends 
Sec. 502 to add a voluntary ethics training program for Members within 
100 days of being sworn into Congress. The status of the Members 
completing and not completing the course within the time frame will be 
posted on the website for the House Committee on Standards of Official 
Conduct and in the Congressional Record;                 
Pages H2039-40
  Gingrey amendment (No. 6 printed in Part B of H. Rpt. 109-441) 
extends the prohibition on converting campaign dollars for personal use 
currently applicable to campaign committees to Leadership PACs. 
Leadership PAC is defined as a political committee which is directly or 
indirectly established, maintained, or controlled by a candidate for 
Federal office or an individual holding Federal office; 
                                                         Pages H2040-42
  Castle amendment (No. 8 printed in Part B of H. Rpt. 109-441) 
requires that all registered lobbyists complete a mandatory 8-hours of 
ethics training each Congress. Ethics training would include the code 
of conduct and disclosure requirements applicable to Members, officers, 
and employees of the House, including rules relating to acceptance of 
gifts (including travel and meals), and financial disclosure 
requirements under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Any registered 
lobbyist failing to complete ethics training each Congress would be 
subject to penalties; and                                
Pages H2042-44
  Flake amendment (No. 9 printed in Part B of H. Rpt. 109-441) 
clarifies the application of criminal bribery and illegal gratuities 
statutes with regard to earmarks. Specifically, it prohibits a person 
from directly or indirectly, corruptly giving, offering, or promising 
anything of value to any public official with the intent to influence 
any official act relating to an earmark. Also prohibits a public 
official from corruptly demanding, seeking, receiving, accepting,

[[Page D430]]

or agreeing to receive or accept anything of value in return for 
influence in the performance of an official act relating to an earmark.
                                                         Pages H2044-45
Rejected:
  Gohmert (No. 1 printed in Part B of H. Rpt. 109-441) which sought to 
strike the current section 106 and insert an ascending civil penalty 
structure for each subsequent offense. For example, for a second 
offense the offender could be subject to a fine of not more than 
$250,000. Also adds ``corruptly and with intent to evade the law'' to 
the intent element of the civil penalty (by a recorded vote of 108 ayes 
to 320 noes, Roll No. 117).                    
Pages H2036-37, H2045-46
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, 
spelling, punctuation, and cross-references, and to make such other 
technical and conforming changes to reflect the actions of the House. 
                                                             Page H2058
  H. Res. 783, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was 
agreed to on Thursday, April 27, 2006, by a yea-and-nay vote of 216 
yeas to 207 nays, Roll No. 110.
SAFE Port Act--Rule for Consideration: The House agreed to H. Res. 789, 
the rule providing for consideration of H.R. 4954, to improve maritime 
and cargo security through enhanced layered defenses, by a yea-and-nay 
vote of 230 yeas to 196 nays, Roll No. 124, after ordering the previous 
question by a yea-and-nay vote of 226 yeas to 200 nays, Roll No. 123. 
                                               Pages H2058-66, H2078-79
Tax Relief Act of 2005--Motion to Instruct Conferees: The House 
rejected the Larson of Connecticut motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 
4297, to provide for reconciliation pursuant to section 201(b) of the 
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006, by a yea-and-
nay vote of 197 yeas to 224 nays, Roll No. 121. 
                                               Pages H2066-71, H2076-77
Pension Security and Transparency Act of 2005--Motion to Instruct 
Conferees: The House agreed to the George Miller of California motion 
to instruct conferees on 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 yea-and-nay vote of 299 yeas to 
125 nays, Roll No. 122.                           
  Pages H2071-76, H2077
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H2077.
Senate Referrals: S. 1003 was referred to the Committee on Resources; 
S. Con. Res. 91 was referred to the Committee on Government Reform. 
                                                             Page H2099
Quorum Calls Votes: Ten yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2030, 
H2031, H2031-32, H2045-46, H2056, H2056-57, H2057-58, H2076-77, H2077, 
H2078, and H2078-79. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m., and adjourned at 11:59 p.m.