[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 6, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D774-D776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Wednesday, June 6, 2007

[[Page D774]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S7097-S7270
Measures Introduced: Eight bills and five resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 1553-1560, S. Res. 221-223, and S. Con. Res. 35-36. 
                                                         Pages S7177-78
Measures Passed:
  Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the United States 
Armed Forces: Senate agreed to S. Res. 223, recognizing the efforts and 
contributions of the members of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives 
program under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the 
United States Armed Forces during and following World War II who were 
responsible for the preservation, protection, and restitution of 
artistic and cultural treasures in countries occupied by the Allied 
armies.
  Pages S7269-70
Measures Considered:
  Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Senate continued consideration of 
S. 1348, to provide for comprehensive immigration reform, and taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                            Pages S7099-S7152, S7153-67
Adopted:
  By 66 yeas to 32 nays (Vote No. 186), Kennedy Modified Amendment No. 
1333 (to Amendment No. 1150), to increase the immigration-related 
penalties associated with various criminal activities.
Pages S7101-15
  Lieberman Modified Amendment No. 1191 (to Amendment No. 1150), to 
provide safeguards against faulty asylum procedures and to improve 
conditions of detention.
Pages S7099, S7140-43
  By 57 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 190), Cornyn Amendment No. 1250 (to 
Amendment No. 1150), to address documentation of employment and to make 
an amendment with respect to mandatory disclosure of information. 
                                              Pages S7099, S7144, S7145
  By 57 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 191), Reid Amendment No. 1331 (to 
Amendment No. 1150), to clarify the application of the earned income 
tax credit.
Pages S7122-23, S7145-46
  By 56 yeas to 41 nays (Vote No. 192), Sessions Amendment No. 1234 (to 
Amendment No. 1150), to save American taxpayers up to $24 billion in 
the 10 years after passage of this Act, by preventing the earned income 
tax credit, which is, according to the Congressional Research Service, 
the largest anti-poverty entitlement program of the Federal Government, 
from being claimed by Y temporary workers or illegal aliens given 
status by this Act until they adjust to legal permanent resident 
status.
Pages S7099, S7137-39, S7146
  By 51 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 194), Reid (for Kyl/Specter) 
Amendment No. 1460 (to Amendment No. 1150), to modify the allocation of 
visas with respect to the backlog of family-based visa petitions. 
                                                  Pages S7122-23, S7147
  Reid (for Thomas) Amendment No. 1182 (to Amendment No. 1150), to 
authorize the Secretary to establish new units of Customs Patrol 
Officers.
Pages S7147-48
  Reid (for Schumer) Amendment No. 1272 (to Amendment No. 1150), to 
improve security by providing for the establishment of B-1 visitor visa 
decisionmaking guidelines and a tracking system.
Page S7148
  By 58 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 197), Reid (for Salazar) Modified 
Amendment No. 1384 (to Amendment No. 1150), to preserve and enhance the 
role of the English language.
Pages S7149, S7154, S7160-61
  By 64 yeas to 33 nays (Vote No. 198), Reid (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 
1151 (to Amendment No. 1150), to amend title 4, United States Code, to 
declare English as the national language of the Government of the 
United States.
Pages S7149, S7151-52, S7157-58, S7161
  Reid (for Hutchison/Grassley) Amendment No. 1415 (to Amendment No. 
1150), to prohibit obtaining Social Security benefits based on earnings 
obtained during any period without work authorization. 
                                 Pages S7149-50, S7154, S7156-57, S7161
   By 49 yeas to 48 nays (Vote No. 201), Reid (for Dorgan/Durbin) 
Amendment No. 1316 (to Amendment No. 1150), to sunset Y-1 nonimmigrant 
visa program after a 5-year period.
Pages S7149, S7159, S7162-36

[[Page D775]]

Rejected:
   By 46 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 187), Cornyn Modified Amendment No. 
1184 (to Amendment No. 1150), to establish a permanent bar for gang 
members, terrorists, and other criminals.
Pages S7099-S7115, S7160-61
  By 43 yeas to 55 nays (Vote No. 188), DeMint Amendment No. 1197 (to 
Amendment No. 1150), to require health care coverage for holders of Z 
nonimmigrant visas.
Pages S7099, S7120-21
  By 41 yeas to 57 nays (Vote No. 189), Bingaman/Obama Modified 
Amendment No. 1267 (to Amendment No. 1150), to remove the requirement 
that Y-1 nonimmigrant visa holders leave the United States before they 
are able to renew their visa.
Pages S7099, S7117-20, S7121-22
  By 42 yeas to 55 nays (Vote No. 196), Reid (for Ensign) Amendment No. 
1374 (to Amendment No. 1150), to improve the criteria and weights of 
the merit-based evaluation system. 
                              Pages S7148-49, S7153-54, S7158, S7159-60
  By 48 yeas to 49 nays (Vote No. 199), Reid (for Vitter) Amendment No. 
1339 (to Amendment No. 1150), to require that the U.S. VISIT system--
the biometric border check-in/check-out system first required by 
Congress in 1996 that is already well past its already postponed 2005 
implementation due date--be finished as part of the enforcement 
trigger.
Pages S7150, S7154-55, S7158-59, S7161-62
  By 42 yeas to 55 nays (Vote No. 200), Salazar (for Obama) Modified 
Amendment No. 1202 (to Amendment No. 1150), to provide a date on which 
the authority of the section relating to the increasing of American 
competitiveness through a merit-based evaluation system for immigrants 
shall be terminated.
Pages S7099, S7149, S7155-56, S7162
Pending:
  Reid (for Kennedy/Specter) Amendment No. 1150, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Pages S7099-S7152, S7153-67
  Dodd/Menendez Amendment No. 1199 (to Amendment No. 1150), to increase 
the number of green cards for parents of United States citizens, to 
extend the duration of the new parent visitor visa, and to make 
penalties imposed on individuals who overstay such visas applicable 
only to such individuals.
Pages S7099, S7144-45
  Sessions Amendment No. 1235 (to Amendment No. 1150), to save American 
taxpayers up to $24 billion in the 10 years after passage of this Act, 
by preventing the earned income tax credit, which is, according to the 
Congressional Research Service, the largest anti-poverty entitlement 
program of the Federal Government, from being claimed by Y temporary 
workers or illegal aliens given status by this Act until they adjust to 
legal permanent resident status.
Pages S7099, S7133-34
  Whitehouse (for Coburn/DeMint) Modified Amendment No. 1311 (to 
Amendment No. 1150), to require the enforcement of existing border 
security and immigration laws and Congressional approval before amnesty 
can be granted.
Page S7165
  During consideration of this measure today, the Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 53 yeas to 44 nays (Vote No. 193), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to Menendez Amendment No. 
1194 (to Amendment No. 1150), to modify the deadline for the family 
backlog reduction. Subsequently, the pay-as-you-go point of order that 
the amendment would cause or increase an on-budget deficit for either 
of the applicable time periods set out in S. Con. Res. 21, was 
sustained, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                        Pages S7099, S7130-33, S7146-47
  By 44 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 195), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to Salazar (for Clinton) 
Further Modified Amendment No. 1183 (to Amendment No. 1150), to 
reclassify the spouses and minor children of lawful permanent residents 
as immediate relatives. Subsequently, the pay-as-you-go point of order 
that the amendment would cause or increase an on-budget deficit for 
either of the applicable time periods set out in S. Con. Res. 21, was 
sustained, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                 Pages S7099, S7116-17, S7150-51, S7159
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at 10:00 a.m., on Thursday, June 7, 2007, 
that there be an hour of debate between the Majority and Republican 
Leaders, or their designees, to run concurrently and with respect to 
Whitehouse (for Coburn/DeMint) Modified Amendment No. 1311 (to 
Amendment No. 1150) (listed above), and the motion to invoke cloture on 
Reid (for Kennedy/Specter) Amendment No. 1150 (listed above); provided 
that no amendments be in order to Whitehouse (for Coburn/DeMint) 
Modified Amendment No. 1311 (to Amendment No. 1150) prior to the vote, 
and that upon the use or yielding back of time, Senate vote on or in 
relation to Whitehouse (for Coburn/DeMint) Modified Amendment No. 1311 
(to Amendment No. 1150); that upon disposition of Whitehouse (for 
Coburn/DeMint) Modified Amendment No 1311 (to Amendment No. 1150), 
Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Reid (for

[[Page D776]]

Kennedy/Specter) Amendment No. 1150; provided further, that Members 
have until 10:30 a.m., on Thursday, June 7, 2007, to file any germane 
second-degree amendments.
Page S7270
Appointments:
  Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group: The Chair, on behalf of the 
Vice President, pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 276h-276k, as amended, appointed 
Senator Hutchison as a member of the Senate Delegation to the Mexico-
U.S. Interparliamentary Group conference for the first session of the 
110th Congress.
Page S7269
Attorney General Gonzales Sense of the Senate--Cloture: Senate began 
consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of S. J. Res. 
14, expressing the sense of the Senate that Attorney General Alberto 
Gonzales no longer holds the confidence of the Senate and of the 
American people.
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the motion to proceed 
to consideration of the joint resolution, and, in accordance with the 
provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on 
cloture will occur on Friday, June 8, 2007.
Page S7152
  Subsequently, the motion to proceed was withdrawn.
Page S7152
Clean Energy Act--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the motion to 
proceed to consideration of H.R. 6, to reduce our Nation's dependency 
on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy 
resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing 
greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and 
Renewables Reserve to invest in alternative energy.
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the motion to proceed 
to consideration of the bill, and, in accordance with the provisions of 
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on cloture will 
occur on Friday, June 8, 2007.
Page S7153
  Subsequently, the motion to proceed was withdrawn.
Page S7153
Nominations: Discharged Nomination: The Senate Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs was discharged from further 
consideration of the following nomination and the nomination was placed 
on the Executive Calendar pursuant to an order of the Senate of January 
9, 2007:
  *Michael W. Tankersley, of Texas, to be Inspector General, Export-
Import Bank.
  *Nominee has committed to respond to requests to appear and testify 
before any duly constituted committee of the Senate.
Page S7270
Messages from the House:
  Pages S7175-76
Executive Communications:
  Pages S7176-77
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S7178-80
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S7180-98
Additional Statements:
  Pages S7174-75
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S7198-S7269
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Page S7269
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S7269
Record Votes: Sixteen record votes were taken today. (Total--201) 
                              Pages S7115, S7121-22, S7145-47, S7159-63
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 
and adjourned at 12:41 a.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2007, until 10 a.m. on 
the same day. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting 
Majority Leader in today's Record on page S   .)