[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1598-D1601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                         Tuesday, December 11, 2007

[[Page D1598]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S15083-S15156
Measures Introduced: Ten bills and three resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2442-2451, S.J. Res. 27, and S. Res. 400-401. 
                                                            Page S15138
Measures Reported:
  S. 2445, to provide for the flexibility of certain disaster relief 
funds, and for improved evacuation and sheltering during disasters and 
catastrophes. (S. Rept. No. 110-240)
  S. 2135, to prohibit the recruitment or use of child soldiers, to 
designate persons who recruit or use child soldiers as inadmissible 
aliens, to allow the deportation of persons who recruit or use child 
soldiers, with an amendment.                            
Pages S15137-38
Measures Passed:
  Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act: Committee on Environment 
and Public Works was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 365, 
to provide for a research program for remediation of closed 
methamphetamine production laboratories, and the bill was then passed, 
clearing the measure for the President.                     
  Page S15152
  Reauthorization of the Traumatic Brain Injury Act: Senate passed S. 
793, to provide for the expansion and improvement of traumatic brain 
injury programs, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute, and the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                        Pages S15152-54
  Reid (for Kennedy) Amendment No. 3831, in the nature of a substitute.
                                                        Pages S15152-54
Measures Considered:
Farm Bill Extension Act: Senate continued consideration of H.R. 2419, 
to provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through fiscal 
year 2012, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                                    Pages S15090-S15128
Rejected:
  By 37 yeas to 58 nays (Vote No. 417), Chambliss (for Lugar) Amendment 
No. 3711 (to Amendment No. 3500), relative to traditional payments and 
loans.                                          
Pages S15090-95, S15107
Withdrawn:
  Baucus/Crapo Amendment No. 3660 (to Amendment No. 3500), relative to 
agricultural supply.                                    
Pages S15095-97
Pending:
  Harkin Amendment No. 3500, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                            Page S15090
  Harkin (for Dorgan/Grassley) Modified Amendment No. 3695 (to 
Amendment No. 3500), to strengthen payment limitations and direct the 
savings to increase funding for certain programs. 
                                                   Pages S15090, S15125
  Brown Amendment No. 3819 (to Amendment No. 3500), to increase funding 
for critical Farm Bill programs and improve crop insurance. 
                                                Pages S15090, S15107-08
  Klobuchar Amendment No. 3810 (to Amendment No. 3500), to improve the 
adjusted gross income limitation and use the savings to provide 
additional funding for certain programs and reduce the Federal deficit.
                                                            Page S15090
  Chambliss (for Cornyn) Amendment No. 3687 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
prevent duplicative payments for agricultural disaster assistance 
already covered by the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund. 
                                                            Page S15090
  Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3807 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
ensure the priority of the farm bill remains farmers by eliminating 
wasteful Department of Agriculture spending on casinos, golf courses, 
junkets, cheese centers, and aging barns.                   
Page S15090
  Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3530 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
limit the distribution to deceased individuals, and estates of those 
individuals, of certain agricultural payments.              
Page S15090
  Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3632 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
modify a provision relating to the Environmental Quality Incentive 
Program.                                                    
Page S15090
  Salazar Amendment No. 3616 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for the production 
of all cellulosic biofuels.                                 
Page S15090

[[Page D1599]]


  Thune (for McConnell) Amendment No. 3821 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
promote the nutritional health of school children, with an offset. 
                                                            Page S15090
  Craig Amendment No. 3640 (to Amendment No. 3500), to prohibit the 
involuntary acquisition of farmland and grazing land by Federal, State, 
and local governments for parks, open space, or similar purposes. 
                                                            Page S15090
  Thune (for Roberts/Brownback) Amendment No. 3549 (to Amendment No. 
3500), to modify a provision relating to regulations.       
Page S15090
  Domenici Amendment No. 3614 (to Amendment No. 3500), to reduce our 
Nation's dependency foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and 
alternative energy resources.                               
Page S15090
  Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3674 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude charges of 
indebtedness on principal residences from gross income. 
                                        Pages S15090, S15108-11, S15117
  Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3673 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
improve women's access to health care services in rural areas and 
provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the 
liability system places on the delivery of obstetrical and 
gynecological services.                            
Pages S15090, S15111
  Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3671 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
strike the section requiring the establishment of a Farm and Ranch 
Stress Assistance Network.              
Pages S15090, S15108-11, S15127
  Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3672 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
strike a provision relating to market loss assistance for asparagus 
producers.                           
Pages S15090, S15108-11, S15116-17
  Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3822 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
provide nearly $1,000,000,000 in critical home heating assistance to 
low-income families and senior citizens for the 2007-2008 winter 
season, and reduce the Federal deficit by eliminating wasteful farm 
subsidies.                                                  
Page S15090
  Thune (for Grassley/Kohl) Amendment No. 3823 (to Amendment No. 3500), 
to provide for the review of agricultural mergers and acquisitions by 
the Department of Justice.                                  
Page S15090
  Thune (for Sessions) Amendment No. 3596 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a pilot program 
under which agricultural producers may establish and contribute to tax-
exempt farm savings accounts in lieu of obtaining federally subsidized 
crop insurance or noninsured crop assistance, to provide for 
contributions to such accounts by the Secretary of Agriculture, to 
specify the situations in which amounts may be paid to producers from 
such accounts, and to limit the total amount of such distributions to a 
producer during a taxable year.                 
Pages S15090, S15125-26
  Thune (for Stevens) Amendment No. 3569 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
make commercial fishermen eligible for certain operating loans. 
                                                            Page S15090
  Thune (for Alexander) Amendment No. 3551 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
increase funding for the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food 
Systems, with an offset.                
Pages S15090, S15111-13, S15127
  Thune (for Alexander) Amendment No. 3553 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
limit the tax credit for small wind energy property expenditures to 
property placed in service in connection with a farm or rural small 
business.                            
Pages S15090, S15113-16, S15126-27
  Thune (for Bond) Amendment No. 3771 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend 
title 7, United States Code, to include provisions relating to 
rulemaking.                                                 
Page S15090
  Salazar (for Durbin) Amendment No. 3539 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
provide a termination date for the conduct of certain inspections and 
the issuance of certain regulations.                        
Page S15090
  Tester Amendment No. 3666 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify the 
provision relating to unlawful practices under the Packers and 
Stockyards Act.                                             
Page S15095
  Schumer Amendment No. 3720 (to Amendment No. 3500), to improve crop 
insurance and use resulting savings to increase funding for certain 
conservation programs.                                  
Pages S15097-98
  Gregg Amendment No. 3825 (to Amendment No. 3673), to change the 
enactment date.                                             
Page S15111
  Sanders Amendment No. 3826 (to Amendment No. 3822), to provide for 
payments under subsections (a) through (e) of section 2604 of the Low-
Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, and restore supplemental 
agricultural disaster assistance from the Agricultural Disaster Relief 
Trust Fund.                                             
Pages S15118-22
  Wyden Amendment No. 3736 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify a 
provision relating to bioenergy crop transition assistance. 
                                                        Pages S15122-25
  Harkin/Kennedy Amendment 3830 (to Amendment No. 3500), relative to 
public safety officers.                                     
Page S15126
   A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 12 noon, on Wednesday, 
December 12, 2007, and that there be 2 minutes equally divided and 
controlled for debate on Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3671 (listed 
above), and that Senate vote on or in relation to the amendment, and 
following the vote, Senate vote on Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3672 
(listed above), and that there

[[Page D1600]]

be 2 minutes, equally divided and controlled for debate, and Senate 
vote on or in relation to the amendment; provided further, that the 
second vote be 10 minutes in duration, and that there be time 
limitations of debate on the following amendments: Thune (for 
Alexander) Amendment Nos. 3551 and 3553 (to Amendment No. 3500) (listed 
above), 30 minutes, equally divided and controlled for debate between 
Senators Alexander, Bingaman, and Salazar; Chambliss (for Cornyn) 
Amendment No. 3687 (to Amendment No. 3500) (listed above), 30 minutes, 
equally divided and controlled for debate; Harkin (for Dorgan/Grassley) 
Modified Amendment No. 3695 (to Amendment No. 3500) (listed above), 2 
hours equally divided and controlled for debate; Klobuchar Amendment 
No. 3810 (to Amendment No. 3500) (listed above), 60 minutes equally 
divided and controlled for debate; Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3673 
(to Amendment No. 3500) (listed above), 2 hours equally divided and 
controlled for debate; Thune (for Sessions) Amendment No. 3596 (to 
Amendment No. 3500) (listed above), 40 minutes equally divided and 
controlled for debate (20 minutes for the proponent and 20 minutes for 
the opposition); Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendments Nos. 3807, 3530, and 
3632 (to Amendment No. 3530) (listed above), 90 minutes equally divided 
and controlled for debate; provided further, that Senate vote on or in 
relation to Harkin (for Dorgan/Grassley) Modified Amendment No. 3695 
(to Amendment No. 3500), at 9:15 a.m., on Thursday, December 13, 2007; 
that Amendment Nos. 3695, 3673, and 3810 (listed above) each receive a 
minimum of 60 votes in the affirmative to be agreed to, and that if 
Senate fails to agree to the amendment with a minimum of 60 affirmative 
votes, the amendment be withdrawn; provided further, that there be 2 
minutes, equally divided and controlled, for debate prior to each vote, 
and that each vote following the first be 10 minutes in duration in any 
``stacked'' sequence ordered.                               
Page S15128
Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act--House 
Message: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that any 
cloture motions presented on the motion to concur in the House 
amendments to the Senate amendments to accompany H.R. 6, to move the 
United States toward greater energy independence and security, to 
increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers 
from price gouging, to increase the energy efficiency of products, 
buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse 
gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance 
of the Federal Government, on Wednesday, December 12, 2007, be 
considered to have been presented on Tuesday, December 11, 2007. 
                                                            Page S15128
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Yousif Boutrous Ghafari, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Slovenia.
  James K. Glassman, of Connecticut, to be Under Secretary of State for 
Public Diplomacy with the rank of Ambassador.
  Douglas H. Shulman, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner 
of Internal Revenue for the term prescribed by law.
  Stanley C. Suboleski, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Energy (Fossil Energy).
  Jon Wellinghoff, of Nevada, to be a Member of the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission for the term expiring June 30, 2013.
  Glenn T. Suddaby, of New York, to be United States District Judge for 
the Northern District of New York.
  G. Murray Snow, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for 
the District of Arizona.
  Gregory G. Katsas, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Attorney 
General.
  Kevin J. O'Connor, of Connecticut, to be Associate Attorney General.
  6 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Navy.           
Pages S15154-56
Nomination Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the 
following nomination:
  James K. Glassman, of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Broadcasting 
Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2010, which was sent 
to the Senate on April 26, 2007.                            
Page S15156
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                   
  Pages S15084, S15133
Executive Communications:                               
  Pages S15133-37
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S15138-40
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S15140-44
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S15132-33
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S15144-51
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                               
  Page S15151
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                     
  Pages S15151-52
Privileges of the Floor:                                    
  Page S15152
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--417) 
                                                            Page S15107
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:21 p.m., 
until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, December 12, 2007. (For Senate's program, 
see the

[[Page D1601]]

remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S15154.)