[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D371-D372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                          Wednesday, March 21, 2007

[[Page D371]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S3453-S3545
Measures Introduced: Eleven bills and four resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 946-956, S. Res. 114-116, and S. Con. Res. 22. 
                                                         Pages S3516-17
Measures Considered:
Budget Resolution: Senate continued consideration of S. Con. Res. 21, 
setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government 
for fiscal year 2008 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for 
fiscal years 2007 and 2009 through 2012, taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:
  Pages S3453-S3512
Adopted:
  Collins Amendment No. 480, to provide for a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund for permanently extending and increasing the above-the-line 
deduction for teacher classroom supplies and expanding such deduction 
to include qualified professional development expenses. 
                                                         Pages S3471-75
  By 97 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 82), Baucus Amendment No. 492, to 
provide tax relief to middle class families and small businesses and to 
expand health insurance coverage for children. 
                                               Pages S3468-71, S3503-04
  By 63 yeas to 35 nays (Vote No. 84), Cornyn Amendment No. 477, to 
provide for a budget point of order against legislation that increases 
income taxes on taxpayers, including hard-working middle-income 
families, entrepreneurs, and college students.
Page S3504
  By a unanimous vote of 98 yeas (Vote No. 87), Bunning/Enzi Amendment 
No. 483, to provide a point of order against any budget resolution that 
fails to achieve an on-budget balance within 5 years. 
                                               Pages S3458-61, S3505-06
  By 97 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 88), Bingaman Amendment No. 486, to 
provide additional funding resources in FY 2008 for investments in 
innovation and education in order to improve the competitiveness of the 
United States.
Pages S3461-64, S3500, S3504-05
Rejected:
  By 47 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 83), Kyl/Graham Amendment No. 507, to 
protect families, family farms and small businesses by raising the 
death tax exemption to $5 million and reducing the maximum death tax 
rate to no more than 35%, to extend college tuition deduction, to 
extend the student loan interest deduction, to extend the teacher 
classroom deduction, to protect senior citizens from higher taxes on 
their retirement income, to maintain U.S. financial market 
competitiveness, and to promote economic growth by extending the lower 
tax rates on dividends and capital gains.
Pages S3494-98, S3504
  By 46 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 85), Sessions Modified Amendment No. 
466, to exclude the extension of tax relief provided in 2001 and 2003 
from points of order provided in the resolution and other budget points 
of order.
Page S3505
  By 47 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 86), Ensign Amendment No. 476, to 
ensure that our troops serving in harm's way remain America's top 
budget priority by ensuring full funding for the Department of Defense 
within the regular appropriations process, reducing reliance on 
supplemental appropriations bills, and by improving the integrity of 
the Congressional budget process.
Pages S3454-58, S3505
Pending:
  DeMint Amendment No. 489, to establish a reserve fund for Social 
Security reform.
Pages S3464-66
  Allard Amendment No. 491, to pay down the Federal debt and eliminate 
government waste by reducing spending on programs rated ineffective by 
the Program Assessment Rating Tool.
Pages S3466-68
  Grassley/Dorgan Amendment No. 464, to limit farm payments to $250,000 
per person per year and apply the savings to renewable energy/rural 
development, conservation, and nutrition.
Pages S3482-83, S3488
  Grassley Amendment No. 502, to ensure the appropriate use of funds 
provided for the Smithsonian Institution.
Pages S3483-87
  Baucus/Rockefeller Amendment No. 504, to affirm the Senate's 
commitment to the reauthorization of the State Children's Health 
Insurance Program.
Pages S3487-94

[[Page D372]]


  Cornyn Amendment No. 511, to provide a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
for the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance 
Program (SCHIP) that will cover kids first.
Pages S3498-S3503
  Hutchison Amendment No. 517, to provide tax equity for citizens of 
states which do not have a state income tax by providing for a 
permanent extension of the state and local sales tax deduction from 
federal income taxes, now scheduled to expire at the end of 2007. 
                                                         Pages S3506-12
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that Senate 
continue consideration of the resolution at 9:30 a.m., on Thursday, 
March 22, 2007.
Page S3545
Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:
  W. Craig Vanderwagen, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response, Department of Health and Human Services. 
                                                             Page S3545
Messages from the House:
  Page S3516
Measures Referred:
  Page S3516
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S3517-18
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S3519-34
Additional Statements:
  Pages S3515-16
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S3534-44
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Pages S3544-45
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S3545
Record Votes: Seven record votes were taken today. (Total--88) 
                                       Pages S3503, S3504, S3505, S3506
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:15 a.m., and adjourned at 7:52 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2007. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S3545.)