[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 192 (Friday, December 14, 2007)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1631-D1633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                          Friday, December 14, 2007

[[Page D1631]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed S. 2338, FHA Modernization Act.
      Senate passed H.R. 2419, Farm Bill Extension Act.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S15579-S15707
Measures Introduced: Seven bills and one resolution were introduced, as 
follows: S. 2485-2491, and S. Res. 406.
  Page S15651
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 1607, to provide for identification of 
misaligned currency, require action to correct the misalignment. (S. 
Rept. No. 110-248)
  Report to accompany S. 2113, to implement the United States-Peru 
Trade Promotion Agreement. (S. Rept. No. 110-249)
Page S15651
Measures Passed:
  FHA Modernization Act: By 93 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 432), Senate 
passed S. 2338, to modernize and update the National Housing Act and 
enable the Federal Housing Administration to more effectively reach 
underserved borrowers, after taking action on the following amendments 
proposed thereto:
  Pages S15580-98
Adopted:
  Schumer (for Dodd/Shelby) Amendment No. 3853, to require a 12-month 
moratorium on the implementation of risk-based premiums for FHA insured 
mortgages.
Page S15583
Rejected:
  Coburn Amendment No. 3854, to ensure the cap on Home Equity 
Conversion Mortgages is not permanently eliminated before a study 
regarding program costs and credits is submitted to Congress. 
                                                        Pages S15585-92
  Enrollment Correction: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 269, directing 
the Clerk of the House of Representatives to correct the enrollment of 
the bill H.R. 1585.
  Page S15619
  Farm Bill Extension Act: By 79 yeas to 14 nays (Vote No. 434), Senate 
passed H.R. 2419, to provide for the continuation of agricultural 
programs through fiscal year 2012, after taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:
  Pages S15622-41
Adopted:
  Harkin/Chambliss Amendment No. 3855 (to Amendment No. 3500), of a 
perfecting nature.
Pages S15637-39
  Harkin Amendment No. 3500, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                        Pages S15622-39
Withdrawn:
  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. 
                                                   Pages S15622, S15639
  Chambliss (for Coburn) Modified 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 golf 
courses, junkets, cheese centers, and aging barns. 
                                                Pages S15622-23, S15639
  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.
Pages S15623, S15639
  Thune (for McConnell) Amendment No. 3821 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
promote the nutritional health of school children, with an offset. 
                                                   Pages S15623, S15639
  Thune (for Roberts/Brownback) Amendment No. 3549 (to Amendment No. 
3500), to modify a provision relating to regulations. 
                                                   Pages S15623, S15639
  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.
Pages S15623, S15639

[[Page D1632]]


  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 S15623, S15639
  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.
Pages S15623, S15639
  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.
Pages S15623, S15639
  Thune (for Stevens) Amendment No. 3569 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
make commercial fishermen eligible for certain operating loans. 
                                                   Pages S15623, S15639
  Thune (for Bond) Amendment No. 3771 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend 
title 7, United States Code, to include provisions relating to 
rulemaking.
Pages S15623, S15639
  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 S15623, S15639
  Harkin/Murkowski Amendment No. 3639 (to Amendment No. 3500), to 
improve nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in schools. 
                                                   Pages S15623, S15639
  Reid Motion to invoke cloture on the bill.
Page S15639
  Senate insisted on its amendment, requested a conference with the 
House thereon, and the Chair was authorized to appoint conferees. 
                                                            Page S15639
  Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act: Committee on Finance was 
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3648, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude discharges of indebtedness on 
principal residences from gross income, and the bill was then passed, 
after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                        Pages S15642-43
  Stabenow (for Baucus) Amendment No. 3856, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Page S15642
  Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act: 
Senate passed S. 2488, 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). 
                                                        Pages S15701-04
  Hanging of Nooses Sense of the Senate: Senate agreed to S. Res. 396, 
expressing the sense of the Senate that the hanging of nooses should be 
thoroughly investigated by Federal, State, and local law enforcement 
authorities and that any criminal violations should be vigorously 
prosecuted, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of 
a substitute.
  Pages S15704-05
  Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act: Committee on Armed Services was 
discharged from further consideration of S. 2400, to amend title 37, 
United States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to continue to 
pay to a member of the Armed Forces who is retired or separated from 
the Armed Forces due to a combat-related injury certain bonuses that 
the member was entitled to before the retirement or separation and 
would continue to be entitled to if the member was not retired or 
separated, and the bill was then passed.
  Pages S15705-06
  Arizona Water Rights: Committee on Indian Affairs was discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 3739, to amend the Arizona Water 
Settlements Act to modify the requirements for the statement of 
findings, and the bill was then passed, clearing the measure for the 
President.
  Page S15706
Measures Considered:
FISA Amendments Act--Agreement: Senate began consideration of the 
motion to proceed to consideration of S. 2248, to amend the Foreign 
Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, to modernize and streamline the 
provisions of that Act.
  Pages S15644-47
  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, and pursuant to the 
unanimous-consent agreement of Friday, December 14, 2007, a vote on 
cloture will occur at 12 noon, on Monday, December 17, 2007. 
                                                            Page S15647
  Subsequently, the motion to proceed was withdrawn.
Page S15647
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill at 
approximately 10 a.m., on Monday, December 17, 2007, with the time 
until 12 noon equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or 
their designees, with Senator Dodd controlling 40 minutes and Senator 
Feingold controlling 15 minutes of the opponents' time; provided 
further, Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to 
proceed to consideration of the bill.
Page S15706

[[Page D1633]]

Conference Reports:
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008: By 90 yeas to 
3 nays (Vote No. 433), Senate agreed to the conference report on 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 strengths for such fiscal year, clearing the measure 
for the President.
  Pages S15598-S15619
Treaties Approved: The following treaties having passed through their 
various parliamentary stages, up to and including the presentation of 
the resolution of ratification, upon division, two-thirds of the 
Senators present having voted in the affirmative, the resolutions of 
ratification were agreed to:
  Tax Convention with Belgium (Treaty Doc. 110-3); and
  Protocol Amending Tax Convention with Germany (Treaty Doc. 109-20). 
                                                            Page S15706
Tinder Nomination--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that when the Senate considers the nomination of John Daniel 
Tinder, of Indiana, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh 
Circuit, that there be 30 minutes equally divided between the Chairman 
and Ranking Member of the Committee on the Judiciary, and that at the 
conclusion or yielding back of time, Senate vote on confirmation 
thereon.
  Page S15701
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Thomas D. Schroeder, of North Carolina, to be United States District 
Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina.
  Charles E. F. Millard, of New York, to be Director of the Pension 
Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
  Joseph N. Laplante, of New Hampshire, to be United States District 
Judge for the District of New Hampshire.
  James B. Peake, of the District of Columbia, to be Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs.
Pages S15700-01, S15707
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  David J. Kramer, of Massachusetts, to be Assistant Secretary of State 
for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
  Thomas M. Beck, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Labor 
Relations Authority for a term of five years expiring July 1, 2010.
  Matt Michael Dummermuth, of Iowa, to be United States Attorney for 
the Northern District of Iowa for the term of four years. 
                                                        Pages S15706-07
Nominations Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of 
the following nominations:
  Wayne Cartwright Beyer, of New Hampshire, to be a Member of the 
Federal Labor Relations Authority for a term of five years expiring 
July 1, 2010 (Recess Appointment), which was sent to the Senate on 
January 9, 2007.
  Thomas M. Beck, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Labor 
Relations Authority for a term of five years expiring July 29, 2012, 
which was sent to the Senate on June 28, 2007.
Page S15707
Measures Placed on the Calendar:
  Page S15651
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S15651-52
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S15652-53
Additional Statements:
  Pages S15650-51
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S15653-S15700
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
  Page S15700
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--434) 
                                           Pages S15593, S15619, S15639
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 5:20 p.m., 
until 10 a.m. on Monday, December 17, 2007. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S15706.)