[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2006)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D544-D546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Wednesday, May 24, 2006

[[Page D544]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      The House passed H.R. 5427, Energy and Water Development 
      Appropriations Act, 2007.
      House Committees ordered reported 9 sundry measures.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S5045-S5134
Measures Introduced: Forty-one bills and four resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 2994-3034, S.J. Res. 37, and S. Res. 491-
493.
  Pages S5116-17
Measures Reported:
  S. Res. 301, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National 
Audubon Society, and with an amended preamble.
  S. 801, to designate the United States courthouse located at 300 
North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, Florida, as the ``John Milton Bryan 
Simpson United States Courthouse.''
  S. 2650, to designate the Federal courthouse to be constructed in 
Greenville, South Carolina, as the ``Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Federal 
Courthouse.''
Page S5116
Measures Passed:
  Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act: Senate passed S. 
2803, to amend the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to 
improve the safety of mines and mining, after agreeing to the committee 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  Pages S5045-50
  Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act: Senate passed H.R. 5037, to 
amend titles 38 and 18, United States Code, to prohibit certain 
demonstrations at cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery 
Administration and at Arlington National Cemetery, after agreeing to 
the following amendment proposed thereto:
  Pages S5129-30
  Frist (for Craig) Amendment No. 4187, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                         Pages S5129-30
  Pueblo de San Ildefonso Claims Settlement Act: Senate passed S. 1773, 
to resolve certain Native American claims in New Mexico, after agreeing 
to the committee amendments.
  Pages S5130-34
  National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month: Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further 
consideration of H. Con. Res. 357, supporting the goals and ideals of 
National Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, and the resolution was then 
agreed to.
  Page S5134
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act: Senate continued consideration of 
S. 2611, to provide for comprehensive immigration reform, taking action 
on the following amendments proposed thereto:
  Pages S5050-S5107
Adopted:
  By 73 yeas to 25 nays (Vote No. 146), Byrd Amendment No. 4127, to 
fund improvements in border and interior security by assessing a $500 
supplemental fee under title VI.
Pages S5063-66, S5091-92
  By 56 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 147), Gregg Amendment No. 4114, to 
amend title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act to reform the 
diversity visa program and create a program that awards visas to aliens 
with an advanced degree in science, mathematics, technology, or 
engineering.
Pages S5066-72, S5092
  Landrieu/DeMint Amendment No. 4025, to provide for the reform of 
intercountry adoption.
Pages S5072-73, S5092
  Burns Amendment No. 4124, to provide for a Bureau of the Census 
report to Congress on the impact of illegal immigration on the 
apportionment of Representatives in Congress.
Pages S5095-96
  Boxer Further Modified Amendment No. 4144, to modify provisions 
relating to labor certification.
Pages S5094-95

[[Page D545]]

Rejected:
  By 31 yeas to 67 nays (Vote No. 148), Hutchison/Bond Amendment No. 
4101, to enhance border security by creating a pilot SAFE Visa Program 
to grant visas to authorized nationals of a NAFTA or CAFTA-DR country 
who receive employment offers in job areas in the United States that 
have been certified by the Secretary of Labor as having a shortage of 
workers.
Pages S5073-75, S5092-93
  Chambliss Amendment No. 4084, to modify the eligibility requirements 
for blue card status and to increase the fines to be paid by aliens 
granted such status or legal permanent resident status. (By 62 yeas to 
35 nays (Vote No. 149), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                               Pages S5096-S5100, S5104
  By 48 yeas to 49 nays (Vote No. 150), Dorgan Amendment No. 4095, to 
sunset the H-2C visa program after the date that is 5 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act.
Pages S5100-04, S5105
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 73 yeas to 25 nays (Vote No. 144), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to close further debate on the bill.
Page S5061
  Chair sustained a point of order that the following amendment was not 
germane: McConnell Amendment No. 4085, to implement the recommendation 
of the Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform to protect 
and secure the franchise of all United States citizens from ballots 
being cast illegally by non-United States citizens. (By 48 yeas to 49 
nays (Vote No. 143), Senate earlier failed to table the amendment.) 
                                                  Pages S5050-60, S5062
  By 67 yeas to 31 nays (Vote No. 145), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to waive section 407(b), which provides that it shall not 
be in order to consider any legislation that would cause a net increase 
in direct spending in excess of $5 billion in any of the four 10-year 
periods beginning in 2016 through 2055, of H. Con. Res. 95, 
Congressional Budget Resolution for fiscal year 2006. Subsequently, the 
point of order that the bill violates section 407(b) of H. Con. Res. 
95, was not sustained.
Pages S5080-91
  A unanimous-consent request was granted permitting Senator Baucus to 
change his nay vote to a yea vote on Vote No. 141, changing the outcome 
of the vote to 57 yeas to 40 nays relative to the motion to table 
Kennedy Amendment No. 4106, to enhance the enforcement of labor 
protections for United States workers and guest workers, agreed to on 
Tuesday, May 23, 2006.
Page S5092
  A unanimous-consent request was granted permitting Senator Smith to 
change his nay vote to a yea vote on Vote No. 140, changing the outcome 
of the vote to 59 yeas to 39 nays relative to Grassley Amendment No. 
4177, to provide a substitute to title III, Unlawful Employment of 
Aliens, agreed to on Tuesday, May 23, 2006.
Page S5108
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for 
consideration of certain additional amendments, including a manager's 
package, on Thursday, May 25, 2006, with no second degree amendments in 
order, with votes to occur thereon, followed by a vote on final passage 
of the bill.
Page S5104
Nomination--Kempthorne: Senate began consideration of the nomination of 
Dirk Kempthorne, of Idaho, to be Secretary of the Interior. 
                                                             Page S5128
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination and, 
in accordance with rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a 
cloture vote will occur on Friday, May 26, 2006.
Page S5128
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Patrick W. Dunne, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs (Policy and Planning).
  A routine list in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
Page S5134
Messages From the House:
  Page S5116
Measures Referred:
  Page S5116
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S5116
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S5117-19
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S5119-26
Additional Statements:
  Page S5116
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S5126-28
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Page S5128
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--150) 
        Pages S5060, S5061, S5091, S5091-92, S5092, S5093, S5104, S5105
Adjournment: Senate convened at 8:30 a.m., and adjourned at 10:15 p.m., 
until 9:15 a.m., on Thursday, May 25, 2006. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S5134.)

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