[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 141 (Monday, September 8, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1038-D1039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                          Monday, September 8, 2008

[[Page D1038]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      See Resume of Congressional Activity.


                                 Senate

Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S8101-S8143
Measures Introduced: Four bills were introduced, as follows: S. 3450-3453. 
                                                              Pages S8130-31
Measures Reported:
  Reported on Friday, August 22, during the adjournment:
  S. 2700, to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to double liability limits 
for single-hull tankers and tank barges for 2009, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 110-445)
  S. 2728, to establish the Twenty-First Century Water Commission to study 
and develop recommendations for a comprehensive water strategy to address 
future water needs, with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 110-446)
  S. 3362, to reauthorize and improve the SBIR and STTR programs. (S. Rept. 
No. 110-447)
  Reported on Monday, September 8:
  Report to accompany S. 344, to permit the televising of Supreme Court 
proceedings. (S. Rept. No. 110-448)
  S. 3061, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2008 through 2011 
for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, to enhance measures to 
combat trafficking in persons, with amendments.
Page S8130
Measures Passed:
  Department of State Authorities Extension: Committee on Foreign Relations 
was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6456, to provide for 
extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and the bill 
was then passed, clearing the measure for the President.
  Page S8141
  National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day: Committee on the 
Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 647, 
designating September 9, 2008, as ``National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum 
Disorders Awareness Day,'' and the resolution was then agreed to. 
                                                                  Page S8141
  National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day: Committee on the 
Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 649, 
designating September 18, 2008, as ``National Attention Deficit Disorder 
Awareness Day,'' and the resolution was then agreed to.
  Pages S8141-42
  National Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week: Senate agreed to S. 
Res. 620, designating the week of September 14-20, 2008, as National 
Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week, to raise public awareness and 
understanding of polycystic kidney disease, and to foster understanding of 
the impact polycystic kidney disease has on patients and future generations 
of their families.
  Page S8142
  National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week: Senate agreed 
to S. Res. 622, designating the week beginning September 7, 2008, as 
``National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week.''
  Page S8142
Measures Considered:
National Defense Authorization Act: Senate resumed consideration of the 
motion to proceed to consideration of S. 3001, to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal year 2009 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. 
                                                              Pages S8104-10
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following 
action:
  By a unanimous vote of 83 yeas (Vote No. 197), three-fifths of those 
Senators duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate upon 
reconsideration agreed to the motion to close further debate on the motion 
to proceed to consideration of the bill.
Pages S8109-10
   A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill at 
approximately 11 a.m., on Tuesday, September 9, 2008, and that time during 
any recess, adjournment, or morning business count post-cloture. 
                                                                  Page S8143
Measures Discharged:
Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that the

[[Page D1039]]

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 5057, to reauthorize the Debbie Smith DNA 
Backlog Grant Program, and the bill be referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  Page S8141
Message from the President: Senate received the following message from the 
President of the United States:
  A message from the President of the United States, transmitted pursuant to 
law, a message stating that the statutory prerequisite to become effective 
is no longer satisfied, as required by section 123 b. of the Atomic Energy 
Act of 1954, for the proposed Agreement Between the Government of the United 
States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation for 
Cooperation in the Field of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy transmitted to 
the Senate on May 13, 2008; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations. (PM-62)
Page S8125
Removal of Injunction of Secrecy: The injunction of secrecy was removed from 
the following treaty:
  Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support and Family 
Maintenance (Treaty Doc. No. 110-21).
  The treaty was transmitted to the Senate today, considered as having been 
read for the first time, and referred, with accompanying papers, to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed.
Page S8142
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Robert B. Eley, of Mississippi, to be a Member of the Mississippi River 
Commission for a term of nine years.
  Patrick J. Wolf, of Arkansas, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of 
the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring March 15, 
2012.
  John L. Winn, of Florida, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the 
National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring November 28, 2012.
  Paul E. Peterson, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring 
November 28, 2011.
  Douglas J. Besharov, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring November 
28, 2011.
  Elizabeth Ann Bryan, of Texas, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of 
the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring November 28, 
2012.
  Lynn S. Fuchs, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of 
the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring November 28, 
2012.
  Robert C. Granger, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
of the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring November 
28, 2012.
  Caroline M. Hoxby, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences for a term expiring 
November 28, 2012.
  Michael Young, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Federal Mine Safety 
and Health Review Commission for a term of six years expiring August 30, 
2014.
  Dave Heineman, of Nebraska, to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the 
Harry S Truman Scholarship Foundation for a term expiring December 10, 2011.
  James X. Dempsey, of California, to be a Member of the Privacy and Civil 
Liberties Oversight Board for a term of five years expiring January 29, 
2013.
  1 Air Force nomination in the rank of general.
  33 Army nominations in the rank of general.
Page S8143
Messages from the House:
  Page S8126
Measures Placed on the Calendar:
  Pages S8102, S8126
Enrolled Bills Presented:
  Page S8126
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S8131-33
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S8133-34
Additional Statements:
  Pages S8120-24
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
  Pages S8134-35
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S8135
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--197)
  Page S8110
Adjournment: Senate convened at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 6:43 p.m., until 10 
a.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the remarks 
of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S8143.)