[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D465-D466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                        House of Representatives

Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 15 public bills, H.R. 5336-5350; 
and 1 resolution, H. Res. 812, were introduced.               
  Pages H2501-02
Additional Cosponsors:                                        
  Pages H2502-03
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H. Res. 810, providing for further consideration of H.R. 5122, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal 
year 2007 (H. Rept. 109-460); and
  H. Res. 811, waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with 
respect to the same day consideration of certain resolutions reported by the 
Rules Committee (H. Rept. 109-491).                               
Page H2499
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein he appointed Representative 
Campbell to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.                 
  Page H2341
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Ross Thomson, Bammel 
Church of Christ, Houston, Texas.                                 
  Page H2341
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following 
measure:
  H-Prize Act of 2006: H.R. 5143, amended, to authorize the Secretary of 
Energy to establish monetary prizes for achievements in overcoming 
scientific and technical barriers associated with hydrogen energy, by a yea-
and-nay vote of 416 yeas to 6 nays with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 131. 
                                                    Pages H2346-54, H2366-67
  Agreed by unanimous consent that during consideration of H.R. 5122, 
pursuant to H. Res. 806, general debate shall not exceed two hours equally 
divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority Member of the 
Committee on Armed Services.                                  
Pages H2360-66
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007: The House completed 
general debate and began considering amendments to H.R. 5122, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal 
year 2007.                                        
  Pages H2360-H2453 H2466-72
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Armed Services now printed in the bill shall 
be considered as an original bill for the purpose of amendment and shall be 
considered as read.                                               
Page H2381
Agreed to:
  Hunter Manager's amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) adds a 
section requiring the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on means to 
improve retention of members of the special operations forces. Strikes and 
replaces Section 662 requiring the Secretary of Defense to conduct a pilot 
project for disabled persons accessible golf carts at military golf courses. 
It also adds section conveying Army Reserve Center land in Allison Park, PA, 
to the local school district and incorporates a technical correction to the 
TRICARE effective dates in section 704 and 709 of the bill;   
Pages H2446-47
  Andrews amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) requires the 
Secretary of Defense to perform an epidemiological study to determine 
whether any human populations have been affected by these dumps; 
                                                              Pages H2447-48
  Tanner amendment (No. 5 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) expresses a Sense of 
Congress that the Army should continue to evaluate and consider the 
potential benefits of converting to six-month deployments for members of the 
Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserves in connection with service in 
Iraq and Afghanistan, including potential impacts on the reduced deployment 
periods on soldier morale, recruiting and retention, readiness, and military 
operations. It also requires the Secretary of the Army to submit a report to 
Congress containing: (1) The results of any studies conducted on soldiers 
and families regarding reduced deployment periods in Iraq and Afghanistan; 
(2) The Army's potential plans for the implementation of such reduced 
deployment periods; and (3) A discussion of the potential benefits and 
drawbacks associated with implementation of such reduced deployment times; 
                                                                  Page H2453
  Franks of Arizona amendment (No. 6 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) as 
modified, makes certain findings concerning humanitarian support for Iraqi 
children in urgent need of medical care. It also authorizes, within the 
amount provided in section 301 for Operation and Maintenance, $1 million for 
DoD support of the Peace Through Health Care Initiative, and reduces by $1 
million the amount provided for Budget Activity 4;            
Pages H2467-68
  Simmons amendment (No. 7 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) prevents DoD from 
revoking expired security clearances from defense contractors until an 
investigation moratorium and backlog is eliminated. Does not change the 
security clearance investigation process or prevent the department from 
revoking security clearances for national security purposes; and 
                                                              Pages H2468-70
  Gutknecht amendment (No. 8 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) expresses the 
sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Army should promptly correct the 
pay inequity in its assignment incentive pay system. Depending on method of 
call to active duty, some Guardsmen and Reservists serving in the same unit 
in Iraq and Afghanistan will be eligible for assignment incentive pay 
($1,000 extra per month) after reaching 730 days on active duty, while 
others

[[Page D466]]

will not. The Army must submit to Congress within 30 days after enactment a 
report specifying how many soldiers, both active and reserve, were affected 
by this pay disparity and proposed remedies or courses of action to correct 
the inequity.                                                 
Pages H2470-72
Rejected:
  Andrews amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) which sought to lift 
the current ban on privately funded abortions at U.S. military facilities 
overseas (by a recorded vote of 191 ayes to 237 noes, Roll No. 136). 
                                                    Pages H2448-51, H2466-67
Postponed proceedings:
  Jackson-Lee of Texas amendment (No. 4 printed in H. Rept. 109-459) that 
clarifies the factors that must be taken into consideration when recalling a 
reservist to service to include the frequency of assignment over the 
duration of a reservist's career was offered and debated. The Chair 
postponed further proceedings on the amendment.               
Pages H2451-52
  H. Res. 806, the rule providing for consideration of the bill was agreed 
to by a yea-and-nay vote of 351 yeas to 70 nays, Roll No. 133, after 
agreeing to order the previous question without objection. 
                                                       Pages H2360-66, H2368
Tax Relief Act of 2005--Conference Report: The House agreed to the 
conference report 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 recorded vote 244 ayes to 185 noes, Roll No. 135, after ordering 
the previous question.                                        
  Pages H2453-66
  Rejected the Rangel motion to recommit the conference report to the 
committee of conference with instructions to the managers on the part of the 
House, by a yea-and-nay vote of 190 yeas to 239 nays, Roll No. 134. 
                                                              Pages H2464-65
  H. Res. 805, the rule providing for consideration of the conference report 
was agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 228 yeas to 194 nays, Roll No. 132, 
after agreeing to order the previous question without objection. 
                                                    Pages H2354-60, H2367-68
Suspensions--Proceedings Postponed: The House completed debate on the 
following measure under suspension of the rules. Further consideration of 
the measure will resume tomorrow, May 11th:
  Encouraging all eligible Medicare beneficiaries who have not yet elected 
enroll in the new Medicare Part D benefit to review the available options 
and to determine whether enrollment in a Medicare prescription drug plan 
best meets their current and future needs for prescription drug coverage: 
H.R. 802, Encouraging all eligible Medicare beneficiaries who have not yet 
elected enroll in the new Medicare Part D benefit to review the available 
options and to determine whether enrollment in a Medicare prescription drug 
plan best meets their current and future needs for prescription drug 
coverage.                                                     
  Pages H2472-79
Quorum Calls--Votes: Four yea and nay votes and two recorded votes developed 
during the proceedings of the House today and appear on pages H2366-67, 
H2367-68, H2368, H2465, H2465-66 and H2466-67. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 11:15 p.m.