[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 127 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1131-D1134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                             Friday, August 3, 2007

[[Page D1131]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed S. 1927, Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
      Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 43, Adjournment Resolution.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S10849-S10997
Measures Introduced: Thirty-one bills and nine resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1985-2015, S.J. Res. 17, S. Res. 299-305, 
and S. Con. Res. 43.                                    
  Pages S10901-02
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Legislative and Oversight Activities During 
the 109th Congress by the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs''. (S. 
Rept. No. 110-141)
  Special Report entitled ``Summary of Legislative and Oversight 
Activities During the 109th Congress''. (S. Rept. No. 110-145)
  S. 428, to amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 
1999, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 
110-142)
  S. 1163, to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve 
compensation and specially adapted housing for veterans in certain 
cases of impairment of vision involving both eyes, and to provide for 
the use of the National Directory of New Hires for income verification 
purposes, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. 
No. 110-143)
  S. 1300, to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize 
appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 
2008 through 2011, to improve aviation safety and capacity, to 
modernize the air traffic control system, with amendments. (S. Rept. 
No. 110-144)
  S. 898, to amend the Public Health Service Act to fund breakthroughs 
in Alzheimer's disease research while providing more help to caregivers 
and increasing public education about prevention, with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute.
  S. 1183, to enhance and further research into paralysis and to 
improve rehabilitation and the quality of life for persons living with 
paralysis and other physical disabilities, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.                                     
Page S10901
Measures Passed:
  Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: By 60 yeas to 28 nays (Vote 
No. 309), Senate passed S. 1927, to amend the Foreign Intelligence 
Surveillance Act of 1978 to provide additional procedures for 
authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence information, 
by the order of the Senate of Friday, August 3, 2007, 60 Senators 
having voted in the affirmative, and after taking action on the 
following amendment proposed thereto:                   
  Pages S10861-72
Adopted:
  McConnell/Bond Amendment No. 2649, to provide a sunset provision. 
                                                         Page S10861-72
  Minneapolis Bridge Emergency Funds: Senate passed H.R. 3311, to 
authorize additional funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction of 
the Interstate I-35 bridge located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that 
collapsed on August 1, 2007, to waive the $100,000,000 limitation on 
emergency relief funds for those emergency repairs and reconstruction, 
and taking action on the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                        Pages S10873-74
  Coleman (for Bond) Amendment No. 2654, to improve expanded 
eligibility for transit and travel information services.    
Page S10873
  Adjournment Resolution: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 43, providing 
for a conditional adjournment or recess of the Senate, and a 
conditional adjournment of the House of Representatives.    
  Page S10978
  State of Idaho Agriculture College: Senate passed H.R. 3006, to 
improve the use of a grant of a parcel of land to the State of Idaho 
for use as an agricultural college, clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S10978

[[Page D1132]]

  Private First Class Shane R. Austin Post Office: Senate passed S. 
1772, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 127 South Elm Street in Gardner, Kansas, as the ``Private 
First Class Shane R. Austin Post Office''.                  
  Page S10978
  Officer Jeremy Todd Charron Post: Senate passed S. 1896, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11 Central 
Street in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, as the ``Officer Jeremy Todd 
Charron Post Office''.                                  
  Pages S10978-79
  Claude Ramsey Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 1260, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6301 Highway 58 
in Harrison, Tennessee, as the ``Claude Ramsey Post Office'', clearing 
the measure for the President.                              
  Page S10979
  SSgt Lewis G. Watkins Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 1335, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 508 East Main Street in Seneca, South Carolina, as the ``SSgt Lewis 
G. Watkins Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S10979
  Staff Sergeant Marvin ``Rex'' Young Post Office Building: Senate 
passed H.R. 1425, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 4551 East 52nd Street in Odessa, Texas, as the 
``Staff Sergeant Marvin ``Rex'' Young Post Office Building'', clearing 
the measure for the President.                              
  Page S10979
  Rachel Carson Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 1434, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
896 Pittsburgh Street in Springdale, Pennsylvania, as the ``Rachel 
Carson Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Harriett F. Woods Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 1617, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
561 Kingsland Avenue in University City, Missouri, as the ``Harriett F. 
Woods Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Leonard W. Herman Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 1722, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 Banyan 
Trail in Boca Raton, Florida, as the ``Leonard W. Herman Post Office'', 
clearing the measure for the President.                     
  Page S10979
  Willye B. White Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 2025, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
11033 South State Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``Willye B. White 
Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  George B. Lewis Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 2077, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
20805 State Route 125 in Blue Creek, Ohio, as the ``George B. Lewis 
Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Staff Sergeant Omer T. `O.T.' Hawkins Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 
2078, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 14536 State Route 136 in Cherry Fork, Ohio, as the ``Staff 
Sergeant Omer T. `O.T.' Hawkins Post Office'', clearing the measure for 
the President.                                              
  Page S10979
  Clem Rogers McSpadden Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 2127, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 408 West 6th Street in Chelsea, Oklahoma, as the ``Clem Rogers 
McSpadden Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S10979
  Major Scott Nisely Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 2563, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East 
Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the ``Major Scott Nisely Post 
Office'', clearing the measure for the President.           
  Page S10979
  Dr. Karl E. Carson Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 2570, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
301 Boardwalk Drive in Fort Collins, Colorado, as the ``Dr. Karl E. 
Carson Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Buck Owens Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 1384, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 118 Minner 
Street in Bakersfield, California, as the ``Buck Owens Post Office'', 
clearing the measure for the President.                     
  Page S10979
  Dolph S. Briscoe, Jr. Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 2688, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 103 South Getty Street in Uvalde, Texas, as the ``Dolph S. Briscoe, 
Jr. Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Frank G. Lumpkin, Jr. Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 2309, 
to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located 
at 3916 Milgen Road in Columbus, Georgia, as the ``Frank G. Lumpkin, 
Jr. Post Office Building'', clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Native American $1 Coin Act: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2358, to 
require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins

[[Page D1133]]

in commemoration of Native Americans and the important contributions 
made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the 
development of the United States and the history of the United States, 
and the bill was then passed, after agreeing to the following amendment 
proposed thereto:                                       
  Pages S10979-80
  Reid (for Dodd) Amendment No. 2653, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                            Page S10979
  Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act: Senate 
passed S. 163, to improve the disaster loan program of the Small 
Business Administration, after withdrawing the committee amendment in 
the nature of a substitute, and the following amendment proposed 
thereto:                                                
  Pages S10980-83
  Reid (for Kerry) Amendment No. 2650, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                            Page S10980
  Reid (for Bond) Amendment No. 2651 (to Amendment No. 2650), to strike 
the title relating to energy emergencies.               
Pages S10980-81
  Reid (for Coburn) Amendment No. 2652 (to Amendment No. 2652), to 
require appropriate reporting regarding the number of full-time 
employees for either the Office of Disaster Assistance or the Disaster 
Cadre of the Small Business Administration, to provide appropriate 
assistance in the event of a catastrophic national disaster. 
                                                        Pages S10980-81
  Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments: Senate passed S. 
496, to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the 
Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, after agreeing to the 
committee amendments.                                   
  Pages S10983-86
  Congratulating Poet Laureate Charles Simic: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
304, congratulating Charles Simic on being named the 15th Poet Laureate 
of the United States of America by the Library of Congress. 
                                                            Page S10986
  OPEN Government Act: Senate passed S. 849, to promote accessibility, 
accountability, and openness in Government by strengthening section 552 
of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of 
Information Act), after agreeing to the following amendment proposed 
thereto:                                                
  Pages S10986-91
  Reid (for Kyl/Leahy) Amendment No. 2655, of a perfecting nature. 
                                                            Page S10986
Measures Considered:
Protect America Bill: By 43 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 310), Senate 
rejected S. 2011, entitled ``The Protect America Act of 2007'', and 
under the order of the Senate of Friday, August 3, 2007, the bill 
having failed to achieve 60 votes in the affirmative, the vote on 
passage was vitiated, and the bill was placed on the calendar. 
                                                        Pages S10861-72
Authority for Committees--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was 
reached providing that, notwithstanding the adjournment of the Senate, 
all committees be authorized to file legislative and executive reports 
on Wednesday, August 29, 2007, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. 
                                                            Page S10991
Authorizing Leadership to Make Appointments--Agreement: A unanimous-
consent agreement was reached providing that, notwithstanding the 
recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the 
President of the Senate Pro Tempore, and the Majority and Minority 
Leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, 
boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by 
law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.
                                                            Page S10991
Nussle Nomination--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time agreement was 
reached providing that on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at 2:30 p.m., 
Senate begin consideration of the nomination of Jim Nussle to be 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget; that there be three 
hours for debate--two hours equally divided and controlled for debate 
between the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on the Budget, 
and one hour controlled by Senator Sanders; provided further, that 
Senate vote on the confirmation of the nomination.          
  Page S10977
Nominations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that the provisions of Rule 31, section 5 notwithstanding, 
all nominations remain in status quo, except the nomination of Reed 
Verne Hillman, of Massachusetts, to be United States Marshal for the 
District of Massachusetts.                                  
  Page S10978
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  By a unanimous vote of 96 yeas (Vote No. EX. 308), Timothy D. 
DeGuisti, of Oklahoma, to be United States District Judge for the 
Western District of Oklahoma.
  Kevin M. Kolevar, of Michigan, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy 
(Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability).
  Dennis R. Schrader, of Maryland, to be Deputy Administrator for 
National Preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department 
of Homeland Security.
  Tevi David Troy, of New York, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and 
Human Services. (Prior to this

[[Page D1134]]

action, Committee on Finance was discharged from further 
consideration.)
  Bradford P. Campbell, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Labor. (Prior to this action, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions was discharged from further consideration.)
  William G. Sutton, Jr., of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce.
  Robert Boldrey, of Michigan, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees 
of the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National 
Environmental Policy Foundation for a term expiring May 26, 2013.
  James L. Caswell, of Idaho, to be Director of the Bureau of Land 
Management.
  Mark Green, of Wisconsin, to be Ambassador to the United Republic of 
Tanzania. (Prior to this action, Committee on Foreign Relations was 
discharged from further consideration.)
  Thomas J. Barrett, of Alaska, to be Deputy Secretary of 
Transportation.
  Lisa E. Epifani, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy 
(Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs).
  Paul R. Brubaker, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Research 
and Innovative Technology Administration, Department of Transportation.
  David W. James, of Missouri, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor. 
(Prior to this action, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions was discharged from further consideration.)
  Clarence H. Albright, of South Carolina, to be Under Secretary of 
Energy.
  Brent T. Wahlquist, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the Office of 
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
  2 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  5 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  1 Marine Corps nomination in the rank of general.
  4 Navy nominations in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy. 
                                        Pages S10849-51, S10991, S10996
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Stuart Ishimaru, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the 
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 
2012.
  Routine lists in the Navy.                            
Pages S10992-96
Nomination Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the 
following nomination:
  Richard E. Hoagland, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Armenia, which was sent to the Senate on January 9, 
2007.                                                   
Pages S10996-97
Messages from the House:                                    
  Page S10899
Measures Referred:                                  
  Pages S10899-S10900
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                            
  Page S10900
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                   
  Page S10900
Executive Communications:                               
  Pages S10900-01
Executive Reports of Committees:                            
  Page S10901
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S10902-05
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S10905-44
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S10896-99
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S10944-53
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                               
  Page S10953
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                         
  Page S10953
Text of H.R. 976 as Previously Passed:                  
  Pages S10953-77
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--310) 
                                        Pages S10851, S10870-71, S10872
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned, in accordance 
with S. Con. Res. 43, at 11:08 p.m., until 12 noon on Tuesday, 
September 4, 2007. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the 
Majority Leader in today's Record on page S10991.)