[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 53 (Friday, April 4, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D375-D376]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                              Friday, April 4, 2008

[[Page D375]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2591-S2618
Measures Introduced: One bill was introduced, as follows: S. 2822. 
                                                             Page S2612
Measures Considered:
New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer 
Protection Act and the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax 
Act: Senate continued 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, and taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                            Pages S2591-S2606, S2607-10
Adopted:
  By 76 yeas to 2 nays (Vote No. 91), Voinovich Modified 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 S2591, S2592-93, S2610
   A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that 
notwithstanding adoption of Voinovich Modified Amendment No. 4406, that 
the amendment be further modified.
Page S2610
  Landrieu Further 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 S2591-92, S2593-94
Pending:
  Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 4387, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S2591
  Sanders Amendment No. 4401 (to Amendment No. 4387), to establish a 
national consumer credit usury rate.
Page S2592
  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. 
                                                             Page S2592
  Ensign Amendment No. 4419 (to Amendment No. 4387), to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the limited continuation 
of clean energy production incentives and incentives to improve energy 
efficiency in order to prevent a downturn in these sectors that would 
result from a lapse in the tax law.
Pages S2595-96, S2601-02
  Alexander Amendment No. 4429 (to Amendment No. 4419), to provide a 
longer extension of the renewable energy production tax credit and to 
encourage all emerging renewable sources of electricity. 
                                                         Pages S2596-98
  Nelson (FL)/Coleman Amendment No. 4423 (to Amendment No. 4387), to 
provide for the penalty-free use of retirement funds to provide 
foreclosure recovery relief for individuals with mortgages on their 
principal residences.
Pages S2598-S2601
  Lincoln Amendment No. 4382 (to Amendment No. 4387), to provide an 
incentive to employers to offer group legal plans that provide a 
benefit for real estate and foreclosure review.
Pages S2602-03
  Lincoln (for Snowe) Amendment No. 4433 (to Amendment No. 4387), to 
modify the increase in volume cap for housing bonds in 2008. 
                                                             Page S2603
  Landrieu Amendment No. 4404 (to Amendment No. 4387), to amend the 
provisions relating to qualified mortgage bonds to include relief for 
persons in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. 
                                                         Pages S2603-05
  Sanders Amendment No. 4384 (to Amendment No. 4387), to provide an 
increase in specially adapted housing benefits for disabled veterans. 
                                                         Pages S2605-06
  During consideration of this measure today, the Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 74 yeas to 5 nays (Vote No. 92), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion

[[Page D376]]

to waive section 204 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 Congressional Budget 
Resolution, with respect to Landrieu Further 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. The point of order that the amendment was in 
violation of section 204 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 Congressional Budget 
Resolution, was not sustained.
Page S2594
  A motion was entered to close further debate on Dodd/Shelby Amendment 
No. 4387 (listed above), 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, April 4, 2008, a vote on cloture 
will occur at 2:15 p.m., on Tuesday, April 8, 2008.
Page S2606
  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 Tuesday, April 8, 2008. 
                                                             Page S2606
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 3 p.m., on Monday, April 7, 
2008, and that Senators have until 3 p.m., on Monday, April 7, 2008, to 
file first-degree amendments.
Page S2617
Consolidated Natural Resources Act: Senate began consideration of the 
motion to proceed to consideration of S. 2739, to authorize certain 
programs and activities in the Department of the Interior, the Forest 
Service, and the Department of Energy, to implement further the Act 
approving the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands in Political Union with the United States of America, 
to amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003. 
                                                             Page S2607
   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, a vote on 
cloture will occur on Tuesday, April 8, 2008.
Page S2607
  Subsequently, the motion to proceed was withdrawn.
Page S2607
Messages from the House:
  Page S2612
Measures Referred:
  Page S2612
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S2612-13
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S2613-14
Additional Statements:
  Pages S2611-12
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S2614-17
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
  Page S2617
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--92) 
                                                     Pages S2593, S2594
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 12:40 p.m., 
until 2 p.m. on Monday, April 7, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S2618.)