[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1162-D1164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        House of Representatives


Chamber Action
Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 28 public bills, H.R. 7032-
7059; and 12 resolutions, H.J. Res. 99; H. Con. Res. 425-428; and H. 
Res. 1492-1498, were introduced.
  Pages H9423-25
Additional Cosponsors:
  Pages H9425-26
Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:
  H.R. 3202, 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 of Foreign Service 
employees who die as a result of injuries sustained in the performance 
of duty abroad, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-877, Pt. 1);
  S. 3009, to designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation building 
under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``J. James Exon Federal 
Bureau of Investigation Building'' (H. Rept. 110-878);
  H. Res. 1490, waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with 
respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the 
Committee on Rules (H. Rept. 110-879);
  H. Res. 1491, providing for consideration of motions to suspend the 
rules (H. Rept. 110-880);
  H.R. 6849, to amend the commodity provisions of the Food, 
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to permit producers to aggregate 
base acres and reconstitute farms to avoid the prohibition on receiving 
direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or average crop revenue 
election payments when the sum of the base acres of a farm is 10 acres 
or less, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-881); and
  H.R. 1497, to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to extend its 
protections to plants illegally harvested outside of the United States, 
with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-882).
Page H9423
Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed 
Representative Pastor to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. 
                                                             Page H9087
Moment of Silence: The House observed a moment of silence in honor of 
all those who lost their lives in the October 1983 bombing of the 
United States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
  Page H9217
Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the 
following measures:
  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009: S. 3001, 
amended, 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 and to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, by a \2/3\ yea-and-
nay vote of 392 yeas to 39 nays, Roll No. 631; 
                                               Pages H9090-H9216, H9231
  Amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide alternative 
minimum tax relief for individuals for 2008: H.R. 7005, to amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide alternative minimum tax relief 
for individuals for 2008, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 393 yeas to 30 
nays, Roll No. 634;
  Pages H9306-11, H9364-65
  Amending the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide disaster 
assistance relief: H.R. 7006, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 to provide disaster assistance relief, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote 
of 419 yeas to 4 nays, Roll No. 635;
  Pages H9312-19, H9365
  Amending the commodity provisions of the Food, Conservation, and 
Energy Act of 2008: H.R. 6849, amended, to amend the commodity 
provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to permit 
producers to aggregate base acres and reconstitute farms to avoid the 
prohibition on receiving direct payments, counter-cyclical payments, or 
average

[[Page D1163]]

crop revenue election payments when the sum of the base acres of a farm 
is 10 acres or less;
  Pages H9319-21
  Elevating the Inspector General of the Commodity Futures Trading 
Commission to an Inspector General appointed pursuant to section 3 of 
the Inspector General Act of 1978: H.R. 6406, amended, to elevate the 
Inspector General of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to an 
Inspector General appointed pursuant to section 3 of the Inspector 
General Act of 1978;
  Pages H9321-23
  Providing for agreement by the House of Representatives to the Senate 
amendment to the bill, H.R. 2095, with an amendment: H. Res. 1492, to 
provide for agreement by the House of Representatives to the Senate 
amendment to the bill H.R. 2095, to amend title 49, United States Code, 
to prevent railroad fatalities, injuries, and hazardous materials 
releases and to authorize the Federal Railroad Safety Administration, 
with an amendment;
  Pages H9325-64
  J. James Exon Federal Bureau of Investigation Building Designation 
Act: S. 3009, to designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation building 
under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``J. James Exon Federal 
Bureau of Investigation Building''--clearing the measure for the 
President;
  Pages H9366-67
  Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee Hurricane of 
September 1928 and its associated tragic loss of life: H. Res. 1376, 
amended, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Okeechobee 
Hurricane of September 1928 and its associated tragic loss of life; 
                                                         Pages H9367-69
  Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008: S. 
2162, amended, to improve the treatment and services provided by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with post-traumatic stress 
disorder and substance use disorders;
  Pages H9369-87
  Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008: H.R. 3023, amended, to 
amend title 38, United States Code, to improve and enhance compensation 
and pension, housing, labor and education, and insurance benefits for 
veterans; and
  Pages H9387-H9405
  Amending title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special 
pension provided under that title by up to $1,000: H.R. 6980, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension 
provided under that title by up to $1,000.
  Pages H9405-06
Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2009: The House agreed to the Senate amendment with 
an amendment, made in order by the rule and printed in H. Rept. 110-
875, to H.R. 2638, to make appropriations for the Department of 
Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 370 yeas to 58 nays with 1 voting ``present'', Roll 
No. 632.
  Pages H9231-H9305
  H. Res. 1488, the rule providing for consideration of the Senate 
amendment to the bill, was agreed to by a yea-and-nay vote of 228 yeas 
to 202 nays, Roll No. 630, after agreeing to order the previous 
question by a yea-and-nay vote of 231 yeas to 198 nays, Roll No. 629. 
                                                         Pages H9218-31
  A point of order was raised against the consideration of H. Res. 1488 
and it was agreed to proceed with consideration of the resolution by a 
yea-and-nay vote of 242 yeas to 168 nays, Roll No. 628. 
                                                         Pages H9218-20
Suspensions--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measures which were debated on Tuesday, 
September 23rd:
  Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, 
and Education Amendments of 2008: H.R. 5265, amended, to amend the 
Public Health Service Act to provide for research with respect to 
various forms of muscular dystrophy, including Becker, congenital, 
distal, Duchenne, Emery-Dreifuss facioscapulohumeral, limb-girdle, 
myotonic, and oculopharyngeal, muscular dystrophies, by a \2/3\ 
recorded vote of 418 ayes to 2 noes, Roll No. 633 and
  Pages H9305-06
  Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Establishment Resolution: H. Res. 
1451, to establish the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the House 
of Representatives.
  Page H9306
Suspension--Proceedings Resumed: The House agreed to suspend the rules 
and pass the following measure which was debated on Monday, September 
22nd:
  United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008: S. 
2606, to reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, by a \2/3\ 
yea-and-nay vote of 418 yeas to 2 nays, Roll No. 636--clearing the 
measure for the President.
  Pages H9365-66
Suspensions--Proceedings Postponed: The House debated the following 
measures under suspension of the rules. Further proceedings were 
postponed:
  Solemnly commemorating the 25th anniversary of the tragic October 
1983 terrorist bombing of the United States Marine Corps Barracks in 
Beirut, Lebanon and remembering those who lost their

[[Page D1164]]

lives and those who were injured: H. Res. 1421, amended, to solemnly 
commemorate the 25th anniversary of the tragic October 1983 terrorist 
bombing of the United States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon 
and to remember those who lost their lives and those who were injured 
and
  Pages H9216-18
  First Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay Post Office Building Designation 
Act: H.R. 6847, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 801 Industrial Boulevard in Ellijay, Georgia, as the 
``First Lieutenant Noah Harris Ellijay Post Office Building''. 
                                                         Pages H9323-25
Order of Procedure: The House agreed by unanimous consent that the 
motions to suspend the rules relating to the following measures be 
considered as adopted in the form considered by the House on Monday, 
September 22nd, or Tuesday, September 23rd, as applicable:
  Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act: H.R. 
160, amended, to amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 
to establish a battlefield acquisition grant program for the 
acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and 
associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812; 
                                                             Page H9406
  Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2008: H.R. 2933, amended, 
to amend the American Battlefield Protection Act of 1996 to extend the 
authorization for that Act;
  Page H9406
  Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Boundary Expansion and 
Redesignation Act of 2008: H.R. 4828, amended, to amend the Palo Alto 
Battlefield National Historic Site Act of 1991 to expand the boundaries 
of the historic site;
  Page H9406
  Establishing a research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for 
heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles: H.R. 6323, amended, to establish a 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial application 
program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty 
plug-in hybrid vehicles;
  Page H9406
  National Pain Care Policy Act of 2008: H.R. 2994, amended, to amend 
the Public Health Service Act with respect to pain care; and 
                                                             Page H9406
  Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2008: H.R. 1532, 
amended, to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to making 
progress toward the goal of eliminating tuberculosis.
  Page H9406
Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate today appear on 
pages H9087 and H9231.
Senate Referrals: S. 1382 and S. 2932 were held at the desk; S. Con. 
Res. 101 was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor; S. 3328 
and S. 2816 were referred to the Committee on Homeland Security; S. 
1810 was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and S. 1255 
was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on 
the Judiciary.
  Page H9420
Quorum Calls--Votes: Eight yea-and-nay votes and one recorded vote 
developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H9220, 
H9229-30, H9230, H9231, H9305, H9305-06, H9364-65, H9365, and H9365-66. 
There were no quorum calls.
Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 10:41 p.m.