Congressional Record, Volume 154 Issue 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)

[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 16, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1093-D1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

[[Page D1093]]

Daily Digest

HIGHLIGHTS

The House passed H.R. 6899--Comprehensive American Energy
Security and Consumer Protection Act

Senate

Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S8809-S8896
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and two resolutions were introduced,
as follows: S. 3491-3502, S. Res. 662, and S. Con. Res. 99.
Pages S8855-56
Measures Reported:
S. 3168, to authorize United States participation in the
replenishment of resources of the International Development
Association. (S. Rept. No. 110-464)
S. 2321, to amend the E-Government Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-347)
to reauthorize appropriations, with an amendment. (S. Rept. No. 110-
465)
S. 2816, to provide for the appointment of the Chief Human Capital
Officer of the Department of Homeland Security by the Secretary of
Homeland Security. (S. Rept. No. 110-466)
S. 3038, to amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to
extend the adoption incentives program, to authorize States to
establish a relative guardianship program, to promote the adoption of
children with special needs, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute. (S. Rept. No. 110-467)
H.R. 29, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to construct
facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal, domestic,
military, and other uses from the Santa Margarita River, California,
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
H.R. 31, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District Wildomar
Service Area Recycled Water Distribution Facilities and Alberhill
Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility Projects.
H.R. 236, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a
Bureau of Reclamation partnership with the North Bay Water Reuse
Authority and other regional partners to achieve objectives relating to
water supply, water quality, and environmental restoration.
H.R. 813, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to
authorize the Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in
projects to construct regional brine lines in California, to authorize
the Secretary to participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area desalination
demonstration and reclamation project, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
H.R. 816, to provide for the release of certain land from the Sunrise
Mountain Instant Study Area in the State of Nevada and to grant a
right-of-way across the released land for the construction and
maintenance of a flood control project, with an amendment.
H.R. 838, to provide for the conveyance of the Bureau of Land
Management parcels known as the White Acre and Gambel Oak properties
and related real property to Park City, Utah, with an amendment.
H.R. 903, to provide for a study of options for protecting the open
space characteristics of certain lands in and adjacent to the Arapaho
and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
H.R. 1139, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to plan, design
and construct facilities to provide water for irrigation, municipal,
domestic, and other uses from the Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin, Santa
Ana River, California, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
H.R. 1737, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in the design, planning, and construction of permanent
facilities for the GREAT project to reclaim, reuse, and treat impaired
waters in the area of Oxnard, California.

[[Page D1094]]

H.R. 1803, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a
feasibility study to design and construct a four reservoir intertie
system for the purposes of improving the water storage opportunities,
water supply reliability, and water yield of San Vicente, El Capitan,
Murray, and Loveland Reservoirs in San Diego County, California in
consultation and cooperation with the City of San Diego and the
Sweetwater Authority.
H.R. 2246, to provide for the release of any reversionary interest of
the United States in and to certain lands in Reno, Nevada.
H.R. 2614, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study
and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to
participate in certain water projects in California.
H.R. 2632, to establish the Sabinoso Wilderness Area in San Miguel
County, New Mexico, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
H.R. 3022, to designate the John Krebs Wilderness in the State of
California, to add certain land to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National
Park Wilderness, with an amendment.
H.R. 3323, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey a
water distribution system to the Goleta Water District.
H.R. 3473, to provide for a land exchange with the City of Bountiful,
Utah, involving National Forest System land in the Wasatch-Cache
National Forest and to further land ownership consolidation in that
national forest, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
H.R. 3490, to transfer administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal
lands from the Bureau of Land Management to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, to take such lands into trust for Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk
Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria, with amendments.
H.R. 3682, to designate certain Federal lands in Riverside County,
California, as wilderness, to designate certain river segments in
Riverside County as a wild, scenic, or recreational river, to adjust
the boundary of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National
Monument, with amendments.
H.R. 5137, to ensure that hunting remains a purpose of the New River
Gorge National River.
S. 390, to direct the exchange of certain land in Grand, San Juan,
and Uintah Counties, Utah, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
S. 1477, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the
Jackson Gulch rehabilitation project in the State of Colorado, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 1680, to provide for the inclusion of certain non-Federal land in
the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and the Alaska Peninsula National
Wildlife Refuge in the State of Alaska, with an amendment in the nature
of a substitute.
S. 1756, to provide supplemental ex gratia compensation to the
Republic of the Marshall Islands for impacts of the nuclear testing
program of the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
S. 1816, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to establish a
commemorative trail in connection with the Women's Rights National
Historical Park to link properties that are historically and
thematically associated with the struggle for women's suffrage, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 2093, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a
segment of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers in the State of Vermont for
study for potential addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 2156, to authorize and facilitate the improvement of water
management by the Bureau of Reclamation, to require the Secretary of
the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to increase the acquisition
and analysis of water resources for irrigation, hydroelectric power,
municipal, and environmental uses, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
S. 2255, to amend the National Trails System Act to provide for
studies of the Chisholm Trail and Great Western Trail to determine
whether to add the trails to the National Trails System, with an
amendment.
S. 2354, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey 4 parcels
of land from the Bureau of Land Management to the city of Twin Falls,
Idaho, with amendments.
S. 2359, to establish the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration
Commission, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 2448, to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
1977 to make certain technical corrections.
S. 2535, to revise the boundary of the Martin Van Buren National
Historic Site, with amendments.
S. 2561, to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a theme
study to identify sites and resources to commemorate and interpret the
Cold War.
S. 2779, to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of
1977 to clarify that uncertified States and Indian tribes have the
authority to use certain payments for certain noncoal reclamation
projects.
S. 2805, to direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the
Commissioner of Reclamation, to assess the irrigation infrastructure of
the Rio Grande Pueblos in the State of New Mexico and provide

[[Page D1095]]

grants to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, the Rio Grande
Pueblos to repair, rehabilitate, or reconstruct existing
infrastructure, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 2842, to require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out annual
inspections of canals, levees, tunnels, dikes, pumping plants, dams,
and reservoirs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 2875, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide grants
to designated States and tribes to carry out programs to reduce the
risk of livestock loss due to predation by gray wolves and other
predator species or to compensate landowners for livestock loss due to
predation, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 2943, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the
Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, with amendments.
S. 2974, to provide for the construction of the Arkansas Valley
Conduit in the State of Colorado, with an amendment in the nature of a
substitute.
S. 3010, to reauthorize the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.
S. 3011, to amend the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site
Act of 1991 to expand the boundaries of the historic site, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 3017, to designate the Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks
National Lakeshore in the State of Michigan, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
S. 3045, to establish the Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National
Forest Heritage Area in the State of Alaska, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
S. 3051, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the
suitability and feasibility of designating the site of the Battle of
Camden in South Carolina, as a unit of the National Park System, with
an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 3065, to establish the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation
Area and the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
S. 3069, to designate certain land as wilderness in the State of
California, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 3085, to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a
cooperative watershed management program, with an amendment in the
nature of a substitute.
S. 3088, to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as
wilderness, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 3089, to designate certain land in the State of Oregon as
wilderness, to provide for the exchange of certain Federal land and
non-Federal land, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 3096, to amend the National Cave and Karst Research Institute Act
of 1998 to authorize appropriations for the National Cave and Karst
Research Institute.
S. 3158, to extend the authority for the Cape Cod National Seashore
Advisory Commission, with an amendment.
S. 3179, to authorize the conveyance of certain public land in the
State of New Mexico owned or leased by the Department of Energy, with
an amendment.
S. 3189, to amend Public Law 106-392 to require the Administrator of
the Western Area Power Administration and the Commissioner of
Reclamation to maintain sufficient revenues in the Upper Colorado River
Basin Fund, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
S. 3226, to rename the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic
Site in the State of Kentucky as the ``Abraham Lincoln Birthplace
National Historical Park'', with an amendment.
S. 3499, to protect innocent Americans from violent crime in national
parks.
Pages S8853-54
Measures Passed:
Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preservation Programs
Reauthorization Act: Committee on Rules and Administration was
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 5893, to reauthorize the
sound recording and film preservation programs of the Library of
Congress, and the bill was then passed, clearing the measure for the
President.
Page S8875
District of Columbia Courts: Senate passed H.R. 5551, to amend title
11, District of Columbia Official Code, to implement the increase
provided under the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2008, in
the amount of funds made available for the compensation of attorneys
representing indigent defendants in the District of Columbia courts,
clearing the measure for the President.
Page S8875
Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act: Senate passed S. 3023, to amend
title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to prescribe regulations relating to the notice to be provided
claimants with the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the
substantiation of claims, after agreeing to the committee amendment in
the nature of a substitute, and the following amendment proposed
thereto:
Pages S8875-89

[[Page D1096]]

Levin (for Akaka) Amendment No. 5614, to strike section 311, relating
to relief for students who discontinue education because of military
service, and to provide a temporary increase in the number of
authorized judges of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims.
Page S8883
Republic of Latvia Independence 90th Anniversary: Committee on
Foreign Relations was discharged from further consideration of S. Con.
Res. 87, congratulating the Republic of Latvia on the 90th anniversary
of its declaration of independence, and the resolution was then agreed
to.
Pages S8889-90
Measures Considered:
National Defense Authorization Act: Senate continued 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, taking action on the
following amendments proposed thereto:
Pages S8814-21, S8821-37
Pending:
Reid Amendment No. 5290, to change the enactment date.
Page S8814
Reid Amendment No. 5291 (to Amendment No. 5290), of a perfecting
nature.
Page S8814
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the
following action:
By 61 yeas to 32 nays (Vote No. 200), three-fifths of those Senators
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed
to the motion to close further debate on the bill.
Page S8826
Subsequently, the motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on
Armed Services with instructions to report back forthwith, with Reid
Amendment No. 5292 (to the instructions of the motion to recommit), to
change the enactment date, fell when the motion to invoke cloture on
the bill was agreed to.
Pages S8814, S8826
Reid Amendment No. 5293 (to the instructions of the motion to
recommit to the bill), of a perfecting nature, fell when Reid Amendment
No. 5292 fell.
Pages S8814, S8826
Reid Amendment No. 5294 (to Amendment No. 5293), of a perfecting
nature, fell when Reid Amendment No. 5292 fell.
Pages S8814, S8826
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further
consideration of the bill at approximately 10:30 a.m., on Wednesday,
September 17, 2008, and that all time in adjournment, recess, and
morning business count post-cloture.
Page S8890
Signing Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached
providing that Senator Harkin be authorized to sign the duly enrolled
copy of S. 3406, to restore the intent and protections of the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Page S8890
Executive Reports of Committees:
By Mr. Biden, from the Committee on Foreign Relations:
Treaty Doc. 110-6: Amendment to Convention on Physical Protection of
Nuclear Material with 1 reservation, 3 understandings, and 1
declaration (Ex. Rept. 110-24);
Treaty Doc. 110-8: Protocols of 2005 to the Convention concerning
Safety of Maritime Navigation and to the Protocol concerning Safety of
Fixed Platforms on the Continental Shelf with reservations,
understandings, and declarations (Ex. Rept. 110-25); and
Treaty Doc. 106-1(A): The Hague Convention with 4 understandings and
1 declaration (Ex. Rept. 110-26).
Pages S8854-55
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
Bill Nelson, of Florida, to be a Representative of the United States
of America to the Sixty-third Session of the General Assembly of the
United Nations.
Bob Corker, of Tennessee, to be a Representative of the United States
of America to the Sixty-third Session of the General Assembly of the
United Nations.
Anthony H. Gioia, of New York, to be a Representative of the United
States of America to the Sixty-third Session of the General Assembly of
the United Nations.
Karen Elliott House, of New Jersey, to be an Alternate Representative
of the United States of America to the Sixty-third Session of the
General Assembly of the United Nations.
James W. Ceaser, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Council
on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2014.
Alfred S. Irving, Jr., of the District of Columbia, to be an
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for
the term of fifteen years.
Routine lists in the Army, Coast Guard.
Pages S8890-96
Messages from the House:
Page S8852
Measures Referred:
Page S8852
Enrolled Bills Presented:
Page S8852
Executive Reports of Committees:
Pages S8854-55
Additional Cosponsors:
Pages S8856-58
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S8858-63
Additional Statements:
Pages S8848-52

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Amendments Submitted:
Pages S8863-75
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
Page S8875
Authorities for Committees To Meet:
Page S8875
Privileges of the Floor:
Page S8875
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--200)
Page S8826
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 6:51 p.m.,
until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 17, 2008. (For Senate's
program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's
Record on page S8890.)