[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1141-D1144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Tuesday, September 23, 2008

[[Page D1141]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.R. 6049 Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S9223-S9347
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and two resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 3538-3549, S. Res. 678, and S. Con. Res. 101. 
                                                         Pages S9280-81
Measures Reported:
  S. 2292, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002, to establish the 
Office for Bombing Prevention, to address terrorist explosive threats, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 110-481)
  H.R. 3999, to amend title 23, United States Code, to improve the 
safety of Federal-aid highway bridges, to strengthen bridge inspection 
standards and processes, to increase investment in the reconstruction 
of structurally deficient bridges on the National Highway System. (S. 
Rept. No. 110-482)
  H.R. 390, to require the establishment of a national database in the 
National Archives to preserve records of servitude, emancipation, and 
post-Civil War reconstruction and to provide grants to State and local 
entities to establish similar local databases, with an amendment.
  S. Res. 598, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need 
for the United States to lead renewed international efforts to assist 
developing nations in conserving natural resources and preventing the 
impending extinction of a large portion of the world's plant and animal 
species.
  S. 1007, to direct the Secretary of State to work with the Government 
of Brazil and other foreign governments to develop partnerships that 
will strengthen diplomatic relations and energy security by 
accelerating the development of biofuels production, research, and 
infrastructure to alleviate poverty, create jobs, and increase income, 
while improving energy security and protecting the environment, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2609, to establish a Global Service Fellowship Program, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 3103, to amend the Iran, North Korea, and Syria nonproliferation 
Act to allow certain extraordinary payments in connection with the 
International Space Station.
  S. 3426, to amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to extend 
comparability pay adjustments to members of the Foreign Service 
assigned to posts abroad, and to amend the provision relating to the 
death gratuity payable to surviving dependents on Foreign Service 
employees who die as a result of injuries sustained in the performance 
of duty abroad.
  S. 3548, to approve the United States-India Agreement for Cooperation 
on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
Pages S9279-80
Measures Passed:
  ALS Registry Act: Senate passed S. 1382, to amend the Public Health 
Service Act to provide for the establishment of an Amyotrophic Lateral 
Sclerosis Registry, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute, and the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                         Pages S9230-32
  Reid/Warner Amendment No. 5637, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                         Pages S9230-31
  Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act: By 93 yeas to 2 nays (Vote No. 
205), Senate passed H.R. 6049, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to 
extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax 
relief, after taking action on the following amendments proposed 
thereto:
  Pages S9234-38, S9238-61
Adopted:
  Baucus Amendment No. 5633, in the nature of a substitute. (By 93 yeas 
to 2 nays, (Vote No. 202), and pursuant to the order of Thursday, 
September

[[Page D1142]]

18, 2008, the amendment having achieved 60 affirmative votes, was 
agreed to).
Pages S9234-38, S9238-54
Withdrawn:
  By 53 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 203), Conrad Amendment No. 5634, to 
provide alternative minimum tax relief. (A unanimous-consent agreement 
was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, be withdrawn).
Pages S9239-41, S9246-53, S9254-55
   During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
   By 84 yeas to 11 nays (Vote No. 204), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to waive section 201 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to Baucus Amendment No. 
5635, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain 
expiring provisions. Thus, the point of order raised by Senator Conrad 
was rendered moot. Under the previous order, the amendment was agreed 
to.
Pages S9243-46, S9253-54, S9255-56
  Homeland Security Act: Senate passed S. 3328, to amend the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 to provide for a one-year extension of other 
transaction authority, after agreeing to the following amendment 
proposed thereto:
  Pages S9335-36
  Menendez (for Lieberman) Amendment No. 5638, to provide for 
additional oversight.
Pages S9335-36
  Federal Protective Service Guard Contracting Reform Act: Senate 
passed H.R. 3068, to prohibit the award of contracts to provide guard 
services under the contract security guard program of the Federal 
Protective Service to a business concern that is owned, controlled, or 
operated by an individual who has been convicted of a felony, after 
agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S9336
  Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act: Senate passed S. 1255, to 
protect Indian arts and crafts through the improvement of applicable 
criminal proceedings, after agreeing to the committee amendments. 
                                                         Pages S9336-38
  Airport and Airway Trust Fund: Senate passed H.R. 6984, to amend 
title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport 
improvement program, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway 
Trust Fund, clearing the measure for the President.
  Pages S9338-40
  Chief Human Capital Officer: Senate passed 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.
  Page S9340
  Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act: Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further 
consideration of S. 2932, to amend the Public Health Service Act to 
reauthorize the poison center national toll-free number, national media 
campaign, and grant program to provide assistance for poison 
prevention, sustain the funding of poison centers, and enhance the 
public health of people of the United States, and the bill was then 
passed, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                         Pages S9340-41
  Menendez (for Murray/Burr) Amendment No. 5639, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Pages S9340-41
  Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act: Senate 
passed S. 1810, to amend the Public Health Service Act to increase the 
provision of scientifically sound information and support services to 
patients receiving a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome or other 
prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions, after agreeing to the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, and the following 
amendment proposed thereto:
  Pages S9341-43
  Menendez (for Brownback/Kennedy) Amendment No. 5640, in the nature of 
a substitute.
Pages S9342-43
  Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act: Committee on the 
Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4120, to 
amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for more effective 
prosecution of cases involving child pornography, and the bill was then 
passed, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                         Pages S9343-44
  Menendez (for Reid) Amendment No. 5641, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Pages S9343-44
  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 490, recognizing the 
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 50 years of service to the 
performing arts, and the resolution was then agreed to.
  Page S9344
  USS Constellation: Senate agreed to S. Res. 540, recognizing the 
historical significance of the sloop-of-war USS Constellation as a 
reminder of the participation of the United States in the transatlantic 
slave trade and of the efforts of the United States to end the slave 
trade.
  Pages S9344-45

[[Page D1143]]

  University of Nebraska at Omaha: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 101, 
honoring the University of Nebraska at Omaha for its 100 years of 
commitment to higher education.
  Pages S9345-46
  National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
678, supporting the goals and ideals of National Ovarian Cancer 
Awareness Month.
  Page S9346
  National Spina Bifida Awareness Month: Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further 
consideration of S. Res. 661, supporting the goals and ideals of 
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month, and the resolution was then 
agreed to.
  Pages S9346-47
Treaties Approved: The following treaties having passed through their 
various parliamentary stages, up to and including the presentation of 
the resolution of ratification, upon division, two-thirds of the 
Senators present having voted in the affirmative, the resolutions of 
ratification were agreed to:
  Extradition Agreement with the European Union (Treaty Doc. 109-14) 
with (23 resolutions of ratification) 1 condition and 23 declarations--
1 per treaty;
  Extradition Treaty with Latvia (Treaty Doc. 109-15) with 1 
declaration;
  Extradition Treaty with Malta (Treaty Doc. 109-17) with 1 
declaration;
  Extradition Treaty with Estonia (Treaty Doc. 109-16) with 1 
declaration;
  Extradition Treaty with Bulgaria and an Agreement on Certain Aspects 
of Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with Bulgaria (Treaty 
Doc. 110-12) with 1 declaration; and S;
  Extradition Treaty with Romania and Protocol to the Treaty on Mutual 
Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters with Romania (Treaty Doc. 110-11) 
with 1 declaration; and S;
  Treaty with Malaysia on Mutual Legal Assistance (Treaty Doc. 109-22) 
with 1 declaration;
  Protocol Amending 1980 Tax Convention with Canada (Treaty Doc. 110-
15) with 1 declaration and 1 condition;
  Tax Convention with Bulgaria with Proposed Protocol of Amendment 
(Treaty Doc. 110-18) with 1 declaration;
  Tax Convention with Iceland (Treaty Doc. 110-17) with 1 declaration;
  Partial Revision (1992) of Radio Regulations (Geneva 1979) (Treaty 
Doc. 107-17) with declarations and reservations;
  1995 Revision of Radio Regulations (Treaty Doc. 108-28) with 
declarations and reservations; and
  Incendiary Weapons Protocol (Treaty Doc. 105-1(B)) with 1 
reservation, 1 understanding and 1 declaration;
  Protocol On Blinding Laser Weapons (Treaty Doc. 105-1(C)) with 1 
understanding and 1 declaration;
  Amendment to Article 1 of the Convention on Prohibitions or 
Restrictions on Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May be Deemed 
to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects (Treaty 
Doc. 109-10(B)) with 1 declaration;
  Treaty with Sweden on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters 
(Treaty Doc. 107-12) with 1 declaration;
  Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement with the European Union (Treaty 
Doc. 109-13) with (26 resolutions of ratification) 1 declaration per 
treaty.
Pages S9328-35
Executive Reports of Committees: Senate received the following 
executive reports of a committee:
  Treaty Doc. 110-20: Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on 
Accession of Albania and Croatia with 1 declaration and 1 condition for 
each Protocol (Ex. Rept. 110-27); Treaty Doc. 108-5: Amendments to 
Constitution and Convention of International Telecommunication Union 
(ITU) (Geneva 1992) with declarations and reservations (Ex. Rept. 110-
28); Treaty Doc. 109-11: 2002
  Amendments to the ITU Constitution and Convention with declarations 
and reservations (Ex. Rept. 110-28); and Treaty Doc. 110-16: Amendments 
to the Constitution and Convention of the International 
Telecommunication Union (Geneva, 1992) with declarations and 
reservations (Ex. Rept. 110-28)
Pages S9278-79
Messages from the House:
  Page S9275
Enrolled Bills Presented:
  Page S9276
Executive Communications:
  Pages S9276-78
Executive Reports of Committees:
  Pages S9278-79, S9280
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages S9281-82
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S9282-85
Additional Statements:
  Pages S9271-75
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S9285-S9327
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:
  Page S9327
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Pages S9327-28
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--205) 
                                       Pages S9254, S9255, S9255, S9261

[[Page D1144]]

Recess: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and recessed at 7:46 p.m., until 
9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S9347.)