[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D228-D229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                           Wednesday, March 5, 2008

[[Page D228]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S1549-S1660
Measures Introduced: Twenty bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 2703-2722, S.J. Res. 28, and S. Res. 473-
474.
  Pages S1596-97
Measures Passed:
  Calling for Peace in Darfur: Committee on Foreign Relations was 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 455, calling for peace 
in Darfur, and the resolution was then agreed to.
  Page S1653
  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 99th 
Anniversary: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged from further 
consideration of H. Con. Res. 289, honoring and praising the National 
Association for the Advancement of Colored People on the occasion of 
its 99th anniversary, and the resolution was then agreed to. 
                                                         Pages S1653-54
  National Asbestos Awareness Week: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 462, designating the 
first week of April 2008 as ``National Asbestos Awareness Week'', and 
the resolution was then agreed to.
  Page S1654
  National Support the Troops and Their Families Day: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 473, designating March 26, 2008, as ``National Support the 
Troops and Their Families Day'' and encouraging the people of the 
United States to participate in a moment of silence to reflect upon the 
service and sacrifice of members of the Armed Forces both at home and 
abroad, as well as the sacrifices of their families.
  Page S1654
  National School Breakfast Program: Senate agreed to S. Res. 474, 
expressing the sense of the Senate that providing breakfast in schools 
through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on 
the lives and classroom performance of low-income children. 
                                                         Pages S1654-55
Measures Considered:
  Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act: Senate continued 
consideration of S. 2663, to reform the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission to provide greater protection for children's products, to 
improve the screening of noncompliant consumer products, to improve the 
effectiveness of consumer product recall programs, taking action on the 
following amendments proposed thereto:
Pages S1556-93
Adopted:
  By a unanimous vote of 96 yeas (Vote No. 38), Klobuchar/Menendez 
Modified Amendment No. 4105, to authorize appropriations for necessary 
or appropriate travel, subsistence, and related expenses. 
                                                  Pages S1560-68, S1576
Rejected:
  Cornyn Further Modified Amendment No. 4094, to prohibit State 
attorneys general from entering into contingency fee agreements for 
legal or expert witness services in certain civil actions relating to 
Federal consumer product safety rules, regulations, standards, 
certification or labeling requirements, or orders. (By 51 yeas to 45 
nays (Vote No. 39), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                               Pages S1556-81, S1585-86
Withdrawn:
  DeMint Amendment No. 4096, to strike section 21, relating to 
whistleblower protections.
Pages S1556, S1574-75, S1586-93
Pending:
  Pryor Amendment No. 4090, of a technical nature.
Page S1556
  Feinstein Amendment No. 4104, to prohibit the manufacture, sale, or 
distribution in commerce of certain children's products and child care 
articles that contain specified phthalates.
Page S1556
  Cornyn Amendment No. 4108, to provide appropriate procedures for 
individual actions by whistleblowers, to provide for the appropriate 
assessment of costs and expenses in whistleblower cases. 
                                                         Pages S1557-60
  Vitter Amendment No. 4097, to allow the prevailing party in certain 
civil actions related to consumer product safety rules to recover 
attorney fees.
Pages S1568-69
  Casey Amendment No. 4109, to require the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission to study the use of formaldehyde in the manufacturing of 
textiles and apparel articles and to prescribe consumer product safety 
standards with respect to such articles.
Pages S1570-71

[[Page D229]]


  Dorgan Amendment No. 4122, to strike the provision allowing the 
Commission to certify a proprietary laboratory for third party testing.
                                                  Pages S1571, S1573-74
  Dorgan Amendment No. 4098, to ban the importation of toys made by 
companies that have a persistent pattern of violating consumer product 
safety standards.
Pages S1571-73
  Cardin Amendment No. 4103, to require the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission to develop training standards for product safety inspectors.
                                                         Pages S1575-76
  DeMint Amendment No. 4124, to strike section 31, relating to garage 
door opener standards.
Pages S1576, S1581-85
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the bill, and, in 
accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur on Friday, March 7, 2008. 
                                                             Page S1593
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 10:30 a.m., on Thursday, 
March 6, 2008, and that Senate resume consideration of Vitter Amendment 
No. 4097 (listed above), with 15 minutes of debate prior to a vote on 
or in relation to the amendment, with the time equally divided and 
controlled between Senators Pryor and Vitter, or their designees; 
provided further, that upon the use or yielding back of time, Senate 
vote on or in relation to the amendment, with no amendments in order to 
the amendment prior to the vote.
Page S1656
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Neil Suryakant Patel, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
  James B. Cunningham, of New York, to be Ambassador to Israel.
  Donald Gene Teitelbaum, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Ghana.
  Frank Charles Urbancic, Jr., of Indiana, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Cyprus.
  Nancy M. Zirkin, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term expiring 
January 19, 2011.
  J. Robinson West, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the 
Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term 
expiring January 19, 2011.
  Kerry Kennedy, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the United States Institute of Peace for a term expiring January 19, 
2011.
  Ikram U. Khan, of Nevada, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of 
the United States Institute of Peace for a term expiring January 19, 
2009.
  Stephen D. Krasner, of California, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term expiring 
January 19, 2011.
  Alexander Passantino, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the Wage 
and Hour Division, Department of Labor.
  Routine lists in the Foreign Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Public Health Service.
Pages S1658-60
Messages from the House:
  Page S1595
Measures Referred:
  Page S1595
Measures Read the First Time:
  Pages S1595, S1655-56
Executive Communications:
  Pages S1595-96
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S1596
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S1597-99
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S1599-S1600
Additional Statements:
  Pages S1594-95
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S1600-06
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
  Pages S1606-07
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Page S1607
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S1607
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--39) 
                                                  Pages S1576, S1585-86
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 7:16 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, 2008. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S1656.)