[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 52 (Thursday, April 3, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D367-D368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Thursday, April 3, 2008

[[Page D367]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2367-S2590
Measures Introduced: Ten bills and six resolutions were introduced, as 
follows: S. 2812-2821, S. Res. 499-503, and S. Con. Res. 73. 
                                                         Pages S2435-36
Measures Reported:
  S. Res. 468, designating April 2008 as ``National 9-1-1 Education 
Month''.
  S. 579, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the 
Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to 
make grants for the development and operation of research centers 
regarding environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of 
breast cancer, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S2435
Measures Passed:
  Honoring Fallen Members of the United States Armed Forces: by a 
unanimous vote of 95 yeas (Vote No. 87), Senate agreed to S. Res. 501, 
honoring the sacrifice of the members of the United States Armed Forces 
who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Page S2401
  Fair Housing Act 40th Anniversary: Senate agreed to S. Res. 503, 
recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act 
and the 20th anniversary of the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988. 
                                                         Pages S2589-90
  National Health Care Decisions Day: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 73, 
expressing Congressional support for the goals and ideals of National 
Health Care Decisions Day.
  Pages S2588-89
Measures Considered:
New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer 
Protection Act and the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax 
act: Senate began consideration of H.R. 3221, moving the United States 
toward greater energy independence and security, developing innovative 
new technologies, reducing carbon emissions, creating green jobs, 
protecting consumers, increasing clean renewable energy production, and 
modernizing our energy infrastructure, and to amend the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for the production of 
renewable energy and energy conservation, after agreeing to the motion 
to proceed to its consideration, and taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:
  Pages S2368-S2401, S2401-24
Rejected:
  Durbin/Reid Amendment No. 4388 (to Amendment No. 4387), to address 
the treatment of primary mortgages in bankruptcy. (By 58 yeas to 36 
nays (Vote No. 88), Senate tabled the amendment). 
                                               Pages S2370-S2401, S2403
Pending:
  Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 4387, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                            Pages S2368-S2401, S2401-24
  Voinovich Amendment No. 4406 (to Amendment No. 4387), to protect 
families most vulnerable to foreclosure due to a sudden loss of income 
by extending the depreciation incentive to loss companies that have 
accumulated alternative minimum tax and research and development tax 
credits.
Pages S2403-07
  Landrieu Modified Amendment No. 4389 (to Amendment No. 4387), to 
amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow use of amended income 
tax returns to take into account receipt of certain hurricane-related 
casualty loss grants by disallowing previously taken casualty loss 
deductions, and to waive the deadline on the construction of GO Zone 
property which is eligible for bonus depreciation. 
                                                  Pages S2413, S2423-24
  Sanders Amendment No. 4401 (to Amendment No. 4387), to establish a 
national consumer credit usury rate.
Pages S2415-19
  Cardin/Ensign Amendment No. 4421 (to Amendment No. 4387), to amend 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against income tax 
for the purchase of a principal residence by a first-time homebuyer. 
                                                         Pages S2419-22
  During consideration of this measure today, the Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 44 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 89), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to consideration of 
Murray Amendment No. 4397 (to

[[Page D368]]

Amendment No. 4387), to increase the funding for housing counseling 
resources, to condition Senate consideration of any tax cut 
reconciliation legislation on previous enactment of legislation to 
provide an outpatient prescription drug benefit under the Medicare 
program that is consistent with Medicare reform. Subsequently, the pay-
as-you-go point of order that the amendment would cause or increase an 
on-budget deficit for either of the applicable time periods set out in 
S. Con. Res. 21, was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                                  Pages S2407-12, S2422
  By 41 yeas to 44 nays (Vote No. 90), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to Kyl Amendment No. 4407 
(to Amendment No. 4387), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
adjust for inflation the dollar limitation for the principal residence 
gain exclusion. Subsequently, the pay-as-you-go point of order that the 
amendment would cause or increase an on-budget deficit for either of 
the applicable time periods set out in S. Con. Res. 21, was sustained, 
and the amendment thus fell.
Pages S2412-13, S2422-23
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 9 a.m., on Friday, April 4, 
2008, and Senate vote on or in relation to the following two 
amendments: Voinovich/Stabenow Amendment No. 4406 (listed above), and 
Landrieu Amendment No. 4389 (listed above), with no amendments in order 
to the amendments prior to a vote; provided that if a point of order is 
raised against any of the amendments covered in this agreement, and a 
motion to waive the appropriate point of order if point of order is 
made, then there be two minutes of debate with respect to the waiver, 
prior to a vote on the motion to waive, equally divided and controlled 
in the usual form; provided further, that after the first vote, the 
remaining vote be 10 minutes in duration.
Pages S2421-22
Servicememebers Civil Relief Act Amendment Referral--Agreement: A 
unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the Committee on 
Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of S. 2764, to 
amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to enhance protections for 
servicemembers relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures, and the 
bill be referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Page S2590
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Bartholomew H. Chilton, of Delaware, to be a Commissioner of the 
Commodity Futures Trading Commission for a term expiring April 13, 
2013.
  Scott O'Malia, of Michigan, to be a Commissioner of the Commodity 
Futures Trading Commission for a term expiring April 13, 2012.
  A routine list in the Public Health Service.
Page S2590
Messages from the House:
  Page S2434
Measures Referred:
  Page S2434
Measures Placed on the Calendar:
  Page S2434
Executive Communications:
  Pages S2434-35
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Page S2435
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S2436-37
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S2437-86
Additional Statements:
  Pages S2433-34
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S2486-S2587
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Pages S2587-88
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S2588
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--90) 
                                       Pages S2401, S2403, S2422, S2423
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 8:32 p.m., 
until 9 a.m. on Friday, April 4, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S2590.)