[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 130 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1153-D1154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                       Wednesday, September 5, 2007

[[Page D1153]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to S. Res. 306, Honoring Senator Tim Johnson.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S11083-S11127
Measures Introduced: Two bills and three resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2018-2019, and S. Res. 306-308.
  Pages S11116-17
Measures Reported:
  S. 376, to amend title 18, United States Code, to improve the 
provisions relating to the carrying of concealed weapons by law 
enforcement officers. (S. Rept. No. 110-150)
Page S11116
Measures Passed:
  Honoring Senator Tim Johnson: Senate agreed to S. Res. 306, 
concerning the return of Senator Tim Johnson.
  Pages S11095-97
  Use of Capitol Rotunda and Grounds: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 
196, authorizing the use of the rotunda and grounds of the Capitol for 
a ceremony to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the 
Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
  Page S11125
  Little League World Series: Senate agreed to S. Res. 308, 
congratulating the Warner Robins American Little League team of Warner 
Robins, Georgia, for winning the championship game of the Little League 
World Series.
  Pages S11125-26
Measures Considered:
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008: 
Senate continued consideration of H.R. 2642, making appropriations for 
military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related 
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, taking action 
on the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                             Pages S11092-95, S11101-12
  Adopted:
  Reed (for Feingold) Amendment No. 2661, to require a report from the 
Comptroller General on the adequacy of mental health care services 
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of 
Defense to female members of the Armed Forces and female veterans. 
                                                        Pages S11107-08
  Reed (for Obama) Amendment No. 2658, to provide that none of the 
funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used 
to enter into a contract in an amount greater than $5,000,000 or to 
award a grant in excess of such amount unless the prospective 
contractor or grantee makes certain certifications regarding Federal 
tax liability.
Page S11108
  Reed (for McCaskill) Amendment No. 2660, to provide a mechanism by 
which individuals can report to the Inspector General of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs cases of waste, fraud, or abuse with respect to the 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Page S11108
  Reed (for Murray) Amendment No. 2677, to authorize the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to transfer funds to the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to train psychologists.
Page S11108
  Reed (for Landrieu) Amendment No. 2679, to require reports on the 
reconstruction of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 
New Orleans, Louisiana.
Pages S11108-09
  Reed (for Stabenow/Levin) Amendment No. 2680, to designate the 
Department of Veterans Affairs clinic located in Alpena, Michigan, as 
the ``Lieutenant Colonel Clement C. Van Wagoner Department of Veterans 
Affairs Clinic''.
Page S11109
  Reed (for Hutchison) Amendment No. 2681, to provide that the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs may carry out a major medical facility 
lease in fiscal year 2008 in an amount not to exceed $12,000,000 to 
implement the recommendations outlined in the August, 2007 Study of 
South Texas Veterans' Inpatient and Specialty Outpatient Health Care 
Needs.
Page S11109
  Reed (for Tester) Amendment No. 2669, to provide, with an offset, an 
additional $125,000,000 for the Veterans Beneficiary Travel Program. 
                                                            Page S11109

[[Page D1154]]


  Reed (for Stevens) Amendment No. 2682, to require a report on access 
to medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 
veterans who live in remote rural areas.
                                                        Pages S11109-10
  Reed (for Allard) Amendment No. 2688, to authorize the Secretary of 
the Interior to modify certain instruments to allow the City of Aurora, 
State of Colorado, to convey to the United States certain non-Federal 
land to be used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the 
construction of a veterans medical facility.
                                                            Page S11110
                                                              Rejected:
  DeMint Amendment No. 2686, to strike section 225, relating to a 
prohibition on the disposal of Department of Veterans Affairs lands and 
improvements at West Los Angeles Medical Center, California. (By 66 
yeas to 25 nays (Vote No. 312), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                                        Pages S11102-07
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 6, 2007, 
that the following be the only first-degree amendments remaining in 
order to the bill, that they be subject to second-degree amendments 
which are relevant to the amendment to which it is offered: Sanders 
Amendment No. 2664, Salazar Amendment No. 2662, Brown Amendment No. 
2673, a Coleman amendment relating to conventions, and McConnell 
Amendment No. 2666; that Senator Bunning be recognized to speak for up 
to 30 minutes; provided further, that there be 2 minutes of debate 
prior to a vote in relation to the Coleman amendment, with the time 
equally divided between Senators Coleman and Bunning, or their 
designees; provided further, that there be 2 minutes for debate equally 
divided and controlled in the usual form prior to a vote in relation to 
all remaining amendments; that upon disposition of the Coleman 
amendment, the amendment vote sequence be the following: Sanders 
Amendment No. 2664, Salazar Amendment No. 2662, Brown Amendment No. 
2673, a Coleman amendment relating to conventions, and McConnell 
Amendment No. 2666; provided further, that these amendments be disposed 
of with no further debate or motions in order, except for the debate 
specified above; provided further, that the previous order relating to 
points of order remaining in effect with respect to this bill; and that 
upon disposition of all amendments, the bill be read a third time, and 
Senate vote on passage of the bill; that upon passage, Senate insist on 
its amendment, request a conference with the House on the disagreeing 
votes of the two Houses and the Chair be authorized to appoint 
conferees; provided further, that upon disposition of the bill, Senate 
begin consideration of H.R. 2764, making appropriations for the 
Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2008.
                                                        Pages S11126-27
Migratory and Transboundary Fish Stocks--Referral Agreement: A 
unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the Committee on 
Finance be discharged from further consideration of S. J. Res. 17, 
directing the United States to initiate international discussions and 
take necessary steps with other Nations to negotiate an agreement for 
managing migratory and transboundary fish stocks in the Arctic Ocean, 
and the bill then be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Justice.
  Page S11125
Messages from the House:
  Page S11113
Measures Referred:
  Page S11113
Measures Placed on the Calendar:
  Page S11113
Executive Communications:
  Pages S11113-16
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S11117-19
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S11119-20
Additional Statements:
  Pages S11112-13
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S11120-24
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
  Page S11125
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Page S11125
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S11125
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--312) 
                                                        Pages S11106-07
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:59 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, September 6, 2007. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S11126.)