[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1275-D1279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                       Thursday, September 27, 2007

[[Page D1275]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.J. Res. 43, Debt Limit Increase.
      Senate concurred in the amendments of the House to the amendments 
      of the Senate to H.R. 976, Children's Health Insurance Program 
      Reauthorization Act.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages 12189-S12317
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 2104-2115, and S. Res. 334-336. 
                                                            Page S12287
Measures Reported:
  S. Res. 258, recognizing the historical and educational significance 
of the Atlantic Freedom Tour of the Freedom Schooner Amistad, and 
expressing the sense of the Senate that preserving the legacy of the 
Amistad story is important in promoting multicultural dialogue, 
education, and cooperation.
  S.J. Res. 13, granting the consent of Congress to the International 
Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Understanding.
  S. Con. Res. 45, commending the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation for 
its work in aiding children and families affected by child abuse, and 
designating November 2007 as National Courage Month.        
Page S12285
Measures Passed:
  Debt Limit Increase: By 53 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 354), Senate 
agreed to H.J. Res. 43, increasing the statutory limit on the public 
debt, clearing the measure for the President.   
  Pages S12248-54, S12255
  Continuing Appropriations: By 94 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 355), Senate 
agreed to H.J. Res. 52, making continuing appropriations for the fiscal 
year 2008, clearing the measure for the President.      
  Pages S12255-58
  President of George Washington University: Committee on the Judiciary 
was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 210, honoring the 
accomplishments of Stephen Joel Trachtenberg as president of the George 
Washington University in Washington, D.C., in recognition of his 
upcoming retirement in July 2007, and the resolution was then agreed 
to.                                                         
  Page S12314
  Librarian of Congress Dr. James Hadley Billington: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 336, recognizing and honoring the 20 years of service and 
contributions of Dr. James Hadley Billington as Librarian of Congress. 
                                                        Pages S12314-15
  Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act: Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 327, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive program designed to 
reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans, and the bill was then 
passed, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                        Pages S12315-16
  Brown (for Harkin) Amendment No. 3111, in the nature of a substitute.
                                                         Page S12315-16
  Secretary of Education Waiver Authority: Senate passed H.R. 3625, to 
make permanent the waiver authority of the Secretary of Education with 
respect to student financial assistance during a war or other military 
operation or national emergency, clearing the measure for the 
President.                                                  
  Page S12316
  Transitional Medical Assistance Extension: Senate passed H.R. 3668, 
to provide for the extension of transitional medical assistance (TMA), 
the abstinence education program, and the qualifying individuals (QI) 
program, clearing the measure for the President.            
  Page S12316

[[Page D1276]]

Measures Considered:
National Defense Authorization Act: Senate continued consideration of 
H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel, taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:             
  Pages S12189-S12206, S12258-78
Adopted:
  Reid (for Kennedy/Smith) Amendment No. 3035 (to the language proposed 
to be stricken by Amendment No. 2064), to provide Federal assistance to 
States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate 
crimes.                                                 
Pages S12205-06
  By 96 yeas and 3 nays (Vote No. 351), Casey (for Hatch) Amendment No. 
3047 (to Amendment No. 2011), to require comprehensive study and 
support for criminal investigations and prosecutions by State and local 
law enforcement officials.                         
Pages S12189, S12206
  McCaskill (for Webb) Further Modified Amendment No. 2999 (to 
Amendment No. 2011), to provide for the study and investigation of 
wartime contracts and contracting processes in Operation Iraqi Freedom 
and Operation Enduring Freedom.                 
Pages S12189, S12258-60
  Levin (for Sanders) Amendment No. 2902 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
provide for an enhancement of the utility of the Certificate of Release 
or Discharge from Active Duty of members of the Armed Forces. 
                                                            Page S12261
  Levin (for Cardin/Mikulski) Amendment No. 3000 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to provide for the relocation of the Joint Spectrum Center in 
Annapolis, Maryland, to Fort Meade, Maryland and the termination of the 
existing lease for the Center.                          
Pages S12261-62
  Levin (for Kerry) Amendment No. 3041 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
protect small high-tech firms.                          
Pages S12261-62
  Levin (for Reid/Obama) Amendment No. 3073 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
provide for transparency and accountability in military and security 
contracting.                                            
Pages S12261-62
  Levin (for Webb) Modified Amendment No. 2127 (to Amendment No. 2011), 
to improve the provisions relating to contractors performing private 
security functions in areas of combat operations.       
Pages S12261-62
  Levin (for McCain) Amendment No. 3088 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
require a report on medical physical examinations of members of the 
Armed Forces before their deployment.                   
Pages S12261-62
  Levin (for Coleman/Collins) Amendment No. 2983 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to modify authorities relating to the Office of the Special 
Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.              
Pages S12261-63
  Levin Amendment No. 3076 (to Amendment No. 2011), to require a report 
on family reunions between United States citizens and their relatives 
in North Korea.                                    
Pages S12261, S12263
  Levin (for Cardin) Amendment No. 2991 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
require the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense to prepare 
reports assessing capabilities to provide training and guidance to the 
command of an international intervention force that seeks to prevent 
mass atrocities.                                   
Pages S12261, S12263
  Levin (for Dorgan/Dodd) Amendment No. 2989 (to Amendment No. 2011), 
to provide accurate monitoring and tracking of weapons provided to the 
Government of Iraq and other individuals and groups in Iraq. 
                                                Pages S12261, S12263-64
  Levin (for Lautenberg) Amendment No. 3081 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
establish the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
Reconstruction.                                    
Pages S12261, S12264
  Levin (for Obama) Amendment No. 3078 (to Amendment No. 2011), 
relative to administrative separations of members of the Armed Forces 
for personality disorder.                          
Pages S12261, S12264
  Levin (for McCain) Amendment No. 3104 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
express the sense of Congress on the Air Force strategy for the 
replacement of the aerial refueling tanker aircraft fleet. 
                                                   Pages S12261, S12264
  Levin (for McCain) Amendment No. 2133 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
modify the calculation of back pay for persons who were approved for 
promotion as members of the Navy and Marine Corps while interned as 
prisoners of war during World War II to take account changes in the 
Consumer Price Index.                           
Pages S12261, S12264-65
  Levin (for Kennedy/McCain) Amendment No. 3077 (to Amendment No. 
2011), relative to the Littoral Combat Ship program. 
                                                   Pages S12261, S12265
  Levin Modified Amendment No. 2265 (to Amendment No. 2011), to modify 
the authorities to lease military family housing, and to provide an 
offset.                                            
Pages S12261, S12265
  Levin (for McCain) Amendment No. 3087 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
require reports on the utilization of tuition assistance benefits by 
members of the Armed Forces.                       
Pages S12261, S12265
  Levin (for Warner) Amendment No. 2954 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
increase the amount authorized to repair, restore, and preserve the 
Lafayette Escadrille Memorial in Marnes-la-Coquette, France. 
                                                   Pages S12261, S12265

[[Page D1277]]


  Levin (for Chambliss/Pryor) Amendment No. 2049 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to modify the effective date of applicability of the 
commencement or receipt of non-regular service retired pay. 
                                                   Pages S12261, S12265
  Levin (for Craig) Amendment No. 2101 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
enhance education benefits for certain members of the reserve 
components.                                     
                                                Pages S12261, S12265-67
  Levin (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2261 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
extend the period of entitlement to educational assistance for certain 
members of the Selected Reserve affected by force shaping initiatives. 
                                                   Pages S12261, S12267
  Levin (for Lincoln) Amendment No. 2074 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
modify the time limit for use of entitlement to education assistance 
for reserve component members supporting contingency operations and 
other operations.                                  
                                                   Pages S12261, S12267
  Levin (for Nelson (FL)) Amendment No. 2000 (to Amendment No. 2011), 
to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the 
Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans' dependency an indemnity compensation 
and to modify the date of paid-up coverage under the Survivor Benefit 
Plan.                                              
                                                   Pages S12261, S12267
  Levin (for Nelson (NE)/Graham) Amendment No. 2161 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to repeal the annual limit on the number of Reserve Officers' 
Training Corps scholarships under the Army Reserve and Army National 
Guard financial assistance program.                
Pages S12261, S12267
  Levin (for Reid) Amendment No. 2925 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
provide that veterans with service-connected disabilities rated as 
total by virtue of unemployability shall be covered by the termination 
of the phase-in of concurrent receipt of retired pay and veterans 
disability compensation for military retirees. 
                                                Pages S12261, S12267-68
  Levin (for Lautenberg) Amendment No. 2912 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
increase in charges and fees for medical care.     
Pages S12261, S12268
  Levin (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 2066 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
provide for the retention of reimbursement for the provision of 
reciprocal fire protection services.               
Pages S12261, S12268
  Levin (for Hutchison) Modified Amendment No. 2984 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to designate a scientific institute at the Texas Medical Center 
as the National Center for Human Performance.       
Pages S1261, S12268
  Levin (for Biden) Modified Amendment No. 3075 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to provide funds for improvised explosive device protection for 
military vehicles.                                 
Pages S12261, S12268
  Levin (for McCain) Modified Amendment No. 3089 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to provide for a continuation of transitional health benefits 
for members of the Armed Forces pending a resolution of their service-
related medical conditions.                        
Pages S12261, S12268
  Levin (for McCain) Amendment No. 3090 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
enhance the computation of years of service for purposes of retirees 
pay for non-regular service.                       
Pages S12261, S12268
  Levin (for Landrieu) Modified Amendment No. 2993 (to Amendment No. 
2011), relative to the capture of Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda 
leadership.                                        
Pages S12261, S12268
  Levin (for Kennedy) Modified Amendment No. 2872 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to assist certain Iraqis who have worked directly with, or are 
threatened by their association with, the United States. 
                                                Pages S12261, S12268-70
  Levin (for Lott) Modified Amendment No. 2214 (to Amendment No. 2011), 
to express the sense of Congress on the need of the Department of 
Defense to rapidly field innovative logistics systems such as the 
Associate Intermodal Platform pallet system.       
Pages S12261, S12270
  Levin (for Salazar) Modified Amendment No. 2942 (to Amendment No. 
2011), to require a report on the relocation of the North American 
Aerospace Defense command center and related functions from Cheyenne 
Mountain Air Station, Colorado, to Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, 
and to require a master infrastructure recapitalization plan for 
Cheyenne Mountain Air Station.                     
Pages S12261, S12270
Rejected:
  By 26 yeas and 69 nays (Vote No. 356), Coburn Amendment No. 2196 (to 
Amendment No. 2011), to eliminate wasteful spending and improve the 
management of counter-drug intelligence.        
Pages S12189, S12260-61
Pending:
  Nelson (NE) (for Levin) Amendment No. 2011, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                 
Page S12189
  Reid (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 3058 (to Amendment No. 2011), to 
provide for certain public-private competition requirements. 
                                                   Pages S12189, S12271
  Reid (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 3109 (to Amendment No. 3058), to 
provide for certain public-private competition requirements. 
                                                        Pages S12271-73
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 60 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 350), 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 Reid (for Kennedy/

[[Page D1278]]

Smith) Amendment No. 3035 (to the language proposed to be stricken by 
Amendment No. 2064), to provide Federal assistance to States, local 
jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes. 
                                                            Page S12205
  The following motion and amendments fell when cloture was invoked on 
Reid (for Kennedy/Smith) Amendment No. 3035 (to the language proposed 
to be stricken by Amendment No. 2064):
  Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Armed Services, with 
instructions to report back forthwith, with Reid Amendment No. 3038, to 
change the enactment date.                         
Pages S12189, S12258
  Reid Amendment No. 3039 (to the instructions of the motion to 
recommit), of a technical nature.                  
Pages S12189, S12258
  Reid Amendment No. 3040 (to Amendment No. 3039), of a technical 
nature.                                            
Pages S12189, S12258
  Warner (for Graham/Kyl) Amendment No. 2064 (to Amendment No. 2011), 
to strike section 1023, relating to the granting of civil rights to 
terror suspects.                                   
Pages S12189, S12258
  By 89 yeas to 6 nays (Vote No. 357), 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 Nelson (NE) (for Levin) 
Amendment No. 2011, in the nature of a substitute.      
Pages S12270-71
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that at 5:30 
p.m., on Monday, October 1, 2007, upon adoption of Nelson (NE) (for 
Levin) Amendment No. 2011, Senate vote on passage of the bill. 
                                                            Page S12254
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 10:30 a.m., on Friday, 
September 28, 2007.                                         
Page S12316
House Messages:
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act: By 67 yeas and 
29 nays (Vote No. 353), Senate concurred in the amendments of the House 
to the amendments of the Senate to H.R. 976, to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax relief for small businesses, after 
taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto, clearing 
the measure for the President:           
  Pages S12206-S12248, S12254-55
Withdrawn:
  Reid Amendment No. 3071 (to the House amendments to Senate amendments 
to the text of H.R. 976), to change the enactment date.     
Page S12255
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
   By 69 yeas to 30 nays (Vote No. 352), 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 motion to proceed to 
consideration of the motion to concur in the House amendments to the 
Senate amendments to the bill.                          
Pages S12206-07
  Reid Amendment No. 3072 (to Amendment No. 3071), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when Reid Amendment No. 3071 (listed above) was withdrawn.
                                                            Page S12255
Message from the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, legislation and supporting documents 
to implement the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement; which 
was referred to the Committee on Finance. (PM-27)           
Page S12284
Myers Nomination--Agreement: A unanimous consent agreement was reached 
providing that when the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs reports the nomination of Julie L. Myers, of Kansas, to be 
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, it be sequentially referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary for up to 30 calendar days and that 
if the nomination is not reported by the completion of that time the 
nomination be automatically discharged and placed on the executive 
calendar.                                                   
  Page S12316
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Javaid Anwar, of Nevada, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of 
the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation for a term expiring December 
10, 2007.
  Javaid Anwar, of Nevada, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of 
the Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation for a term expiring December 
10, 2013.
  Madonna Cynthia Douglass, of Virginia, to be a Member of the 
Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission for a term expiring 
April 27, 2013.
  Douglas W. Webster, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer, 
Department of Labor.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps.   
Pages S12316-17
Messages from the House:                                    
  Page S12284
Measures Referred:                                          
  Page S12284
Measures Read the First Time:                               
  Page S12284
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                   
  Page S12284
Executive Communications:                               
  Pages S12284-85

[[Page D1279]]

Executive Reports of Committees:                        
  Pages S12285-87
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S12287-89
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S12289-94
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S12282-83
Amendments Submitted:                               
  Pages S12294-S12312
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                               
  Page S12312
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                     
  Pages S12312-14
Privileges of the Floor:                                    
  Page S12314
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--357) 
     Pages S12205, S12206, S12206-07, S12255, S12257-58, S12261, S12271
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 9:57 p.m., 
until 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 28, 2007. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S12316.)