[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 16, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D446-D448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 15 public bills, H.R. 5813-
5827; and 9 resolutions, H.J. Res. 80; H. Con. Res. 329; and H. Res. 
1110-1116 were introduced.
  Pages H2441-43
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H2443-44
Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today.
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative DeGette to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H2357
Chaplain: The prayer was offered by the guest Chaplain, Dr. Charles B. 
Simmons, Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, Houston, Texas. 
                                                             Page H2357
Suspension: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measure:
  Amending Public Law 110-196 to provide for a temporary extension of 
programs authorized by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 beyond April 18, 2008: H.R. 5813, to amend Public Law 110-196 to 
provide for a temporary extension of programs authorized by the Farm 
Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 beyond April 18, 2008. 
                                                         Pages H2361-62
Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 
2008: The House passed H.R. 2634, to provide for greater responsibility 
in lending and expanded cancellation of debts owed to the United States 
and the international financial institutions by low-income countries, 
by a recorded vote of 285 ayes to 132 noes, Roll No. 199. 
                                               Pages H2367-75, H2376-94
  Agreed to the Mario Diaz-Balart motion to recommit the bill to the 
Committee on Financial Services with instructions to report the same 
back to the House forthwith with amendments, by a yea-and-nay vote of 
291 yeas to 130 nays with 1 voting ``present'', Roll No. 198. 
Subsequently, Representative Frank (MA) reported the bill back to the 
House with the amendments and the amendments were agreed to. 
                                                         Pages H2391-93
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on Financial Services now printed in the 
bill shall be considered as an original bill for the purpose of 
amendment under the five-minute rule.
Pages H2385-87
Accepted:
  Hastings (FL) amendment (No. 3 printed in H. Rept. 110-586) that adds 
a Sense of the Congress that, due to the current humanitarian and 
political instability in Haiti, including food shortages and political 
turmoil, the Secretary of the Treasury should use his influence to 
expedite the complete and immediate cancellation of Haiti's debts to 
all international financial institutions, or if such debt cancellation 
cannot be provided, to urge the institutions to immediately suspend the 
requirement that Haiti make further debt service payments on debts owed 
to the institutions;
Pages H2389-90
  Frank (MA) modified amendment (No. 1 printed in H. Rept. 110-586) 
that makes various technical corrections within the bill's ``Findings'' 
section, and adds under the eligibility criteria the requirement that a 
country must also be complying with minimum standards for eliminating 
human trafficking, must be cooperating with American efforts to stop 
illegal immigration to the United States, and be committed to free and 
fair elections (by a recorded vote of 424 ayes with none voting ``no'', 
Roll No. 196); and
Pages H2387-88, H2390
  Rohrabacher amendment (No. 2 printed in H. Rept. 110-586) that adds a 
provision to Section 1626, defining an ``eligible low-income country'' 
to include that the government shall have been chosen by, and permits, 
free elections (by a recorded vote of 382 ayes to 41 noes, with 2 
voting ``present'', Roll No. 197).
Pages H2388-89, H2390-91
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.
Page H2394

[[Page D447]]


  H. Res. 1103, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 220 yeas to 190 nays, Roll No. 193, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
217 yeas to 196 nays, Roll No. 192.
Pages H2372-74
Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008: The House began 
consideration of H.R. 5715, to ensure continued availability of access 
to the Federal student loan program for students and families. Further 
proceedings were postponed until Thursday, April 17th. 
                                     Pages H2362-67, H2374-76, H2394-99
  Pursuant to the rule, the amendment printed in part A of H. Rept. 
110-590 shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the 
Committee of the Whole and the bill, as amended, shall be considered as 
the original bill for the purpose of further amendment under the five-
minute rule.
Page H2362
  Agreed to the George Miller (CA) motion that the Committee rise by a 
recorded vote of 395 ayes to 1 no, Roll No. 200.
Pages H2398-99
  H. Res. 1107, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 223 yeas to 192 nays, Roll No. 195, 
after agreeing to order the previous question by a yea-and-nay vote of 
218 yeas to 198 nays, Roll No. 194.
Pages H2374-75
Beach Protection Act of 2007: The House passed H.R. 2537, to amend the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act relating to beach monitoring, by 
voice vote. Consideration of the measure began on Thursday, April 10th.
                                            Pages H2399-H2411, H2412-24
Accepted:
  Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) amendment (No. 2 printed in the 
Congressional Record of April 8, 2008) that makes technical and 
clarifying changes to the bill;
Pages H2412-14
  Bilbray amendment (No. 13 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 9, 2008) that adds a new section relating to the use of molecular 
diagnostics for monitoring and assessing coastal recreation waters; 
                                                         Pages H2414-16
  Kucinich amendment (No. 5 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 9, 2008) that provides that in cases where a source of pathogenic 
contamination is identified, the State or local government shall make 
information on the existence of such source available to the public on 
the Internet within 24 hours of the identification of such source; 
                                                         Pages H2416-19
  Kirk modified amendment (No. 7 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 9, 2008) that inserts a new section entitled ``Monitoring 
Protocol For Mercury'';
Pages H2419-20
  Richardson amendment (No. 11 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 9, 2008) that adds a new section relating to the National List of 
Beaches; and
Pages H2420-21
  Inslee amendment (No. 12 printed in the Congressional Record of April 
9, 2008) that requires the Administrator of the EPA to conduct a study 
on the long-term impact of climate change on pollution of coastal 
recreation waters.
Pages H2421-23
Withdrawn:
  McCarthy (NY) amendment (No. 3 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 9, 2008) that was offered and subsequently withdrawn relating to 
the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in coastal 
recreation waters.
Pages H2423-24
Point of Order:
  Fossella amendment (No. 4 printed in the Congressional Record of 
April 9, 2008) that sought to add a new title to the bill entitled 
``Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 
2008'' (agreed to sustain the ruling of the chair by a recorded vote of 
216 ayes to 183 noes, Roll No. 201).
Pages H2399-H2411
  Agreed that the Clerk be authorized to make technical and conforming 
changes to reflect the actions of the House.
Page H2424
  H. Res. 1083, the rule providing for consideration of the bill, was 
agreed to on Thursday, April 10th.
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measure which was debated on Monday, April 14th:
  Expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as 
National Child Abuse Prevention Month: H. Res. 1097, amended, to 
express support for the designation of the month of April 2008, as 
National Child Abuse Prevention Month to provide attention to the 
tragic circumstances that face some of our Nation's children on a daily 
basis and to underscore our commitment to preventing child abuse and 
neglect so that all children can live in safety and security, by a \2/
3\ yea-and-nay vote of 410 yeas with none voting ``nay'', Roll No. 202.
                                                             Page H2411
Senate Message: Message received from the Senate today appears on page 
H2362.
  Quorum Calls--Votes: Six yea-and-nay votes and five recorded votes 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H2373, 
H2374, H2374-75, H2375, H2390, H2390-91, H2392-93, H2393-94, H2398-99, 
H2410-11, H2411. There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 9:19 p.m.

[[Page D448]]