[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 155 (Saturday, September 27, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1194-D1196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                       Saturday, September 27, 2008

[[Page D1194]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate completed action on H.R. 2638, Department of Defense 
      Appropriations Act/Consolidated Security, Disaster Continuing 
      Resolution.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S9891-S10023
Measures Introduced: Seven bills and one resolution were introduced, as 
follows: S. 3641-3647, and S. Res. 690.
  Page S10004
Measures Passed:
  Capitol Visitor Center Act: Senate passed H.R. 5159, to establish the 
Office of the Capitol Visitor Center within the Office of the Architect 
of the Capitol, headed by the Chief Executive Officer for Visitor 
Services, to provide for the effective management and administration of 
the Capitol Visitor Center, after agreeing to the following amendment 
proposed thereto:
  Pages S9881-83
  Reid (for Feinstein/Bennett) Amendment No. 5674, in the nature of a 
substitute.
Page S9883
  Operation and Administration of Federal Courts: Committee on the 
Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of S. 3569, to make 
improvements in the operation and administration of the Federal courts, 
and the bill was then passed.
  Pages S9879-99
  Victims of Crime Act: Senate passed S. 3641, to authorize funding for 
the National Crime Victim Law Institute to provide support for victims 
of crime under Crime Victims Legal Assistance Programs as a part of the 
Victims of Crime Act of 1984.
  Pages S9899-S9900
  National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act: 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs was discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 3229, to require the Secretary of the 
Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the legacy of the United 
States Army Infantry and the establishment of the National Infantry 
Museum and Soldier Center, and the bill was then passed, clearing the 
measure for the President.
  Pages S9900-01
  Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act: Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 5872, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to 
mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of 
America, and the bill was then passed, clearing the measure for the 
President.
  Page S9901
  PRICE of Homeland Security Act: Senate passed H.R. 6098, to amend the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the financial assistance 
provided to State, local, and tribal governments for information 
sharing activities, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
  Page S9901
  Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act: Senate passed H.R. 
1157, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director 
of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make 
grants for the development and operation of research centers regarding 
environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast 
cancer, clearing the measure for the President.
  Page S10018
  Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act: Senate passed H.R. 1532, 
to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to making progress 
toward the goal of eliminating tuberculosis, clearing the measure for 
the President.
  Pages S10018-19
  NET 911 Improvement Act: Senate passed H.R. 6946, to make a technical 
correction in the NET 911 Improvement Act of 2008, clearing the measure 
for the President.
  Page S10019
  Arms Sales to Sudan: Committee on Foreign Relations was discharged 
from further consideration of S. Res. 660, condemning ongoing sales of 
arms to belligerents in Sudan, including the Government of Sudan, and 
calling for both a cessation of such sales and an expansion of the 
United Nations embargo on arms sales to Sudan, and the resolution was 
then

[[Page D1195]]

agreed to, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                            Page S10019
  Landrieu (for Nelson (FL)/Inhofe) Amendment No. 5675, to improve the 
resolution.
Page S10019
  National Dysphagia Awareness Month: Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further consideration of H. 
Con. Res. 195, expressing the sense of the Congress that a National 
Dysphagia Awareness Month should be established, and the resolution was 
then agreed to.
  Page S10020
  Conflict Between Russia and Georgia: Senate agreed to S. Res. 690, 
expressing the sense of the Senate concerning the conflict between 
Russia and Georgia.
  Page S10020
  Feed America Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 691, designating Thursday, 
November 20, 2008, as ``Feed America Day''.
  Page S10020
  National Veterans Awareness Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 692, 
designating the week of November 9 through November 15, 2008, as 
``National Veterans Awareness Week'' to emphasize the need to develop 
educational programs regarding the contributions of veterans to the 
country.
  Page S10020
  National Homeless Youth Awareness Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
693, recognizing the month of November 2008 as ``National Homeless 
Youth Awareness Month''.
  Pages S10020-21
  National Character Counts Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 694, 
designating the week beginning October 19, 2008, as ``National 
Character Counts Week''.
  Page S10021
House Messages:
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act/Consolidated 
Security, Disaster Continuing Resolution: By 78 yeas to 12 nays (Vote 
No. 208), Senate concurred in the amendment of the House of 
Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 2638, making 
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2008, after taking action on the following 
motion and amendments proposed thereto:
  Pages S9883-97, S9901-66
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 83 yeas to 12 nays (Vote No. 207), 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 motion to concur in the 
House amendment to the Senate amendment to the bill.
Page S9883
  Under the previous order, the motion to concur in the amendment of 
the House of Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to the bill 
with the Whitehouse (for Reid) Amendment No. 5670 to change the 
enactment date, fell when cloture was invoked on the motion to concur 
in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the bill. 
                                                             Page S9886
  Under the previous order, Whitehouse (for Reid) Amendment No. 5671 
(to Amendment No. 5670), of a perfecting nature, fell when Whitehouse 
(for Reid) Amendment No. 5670 (listed above) fell.
Page S9886
National Defense Authorization Act: Senate concurred in the amendment 
of the House of Representatives to 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, clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                         Pages S9977-81
Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act: Senate concurred in the amendment 
of the House of Representatives to S. 3023, to amend title 38, United 
States Code, to improve and enhance compensation and pension, housing, 
labor and education, and insurance benefits for veterans, clearing the 
measure for the President.
  Pages S10016-17
Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act: Senate 
concurred in the amendment of the House of Representatives to S. 2162, 
to improve the treatment and services provided by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and 
substance use disorders, clearing the measure for the President. 
                                                        Pages S10017-18
Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act: Senate began consideration of 
the amendment of the House of Representatives to the amendment of the 
Senate to H.R. 2095, to amend title 49, United States Code, to prevent 
railroad fatalities, injuries, and hazardous materials releases, to 
authorize the Federal Railroad Safety Administration, taking action on 
the following motion and amendments proposed thereto:
  Pages S10019-20
  Senator Reid entered a motion to concur in the amendment of the House 
of Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to the bill. 
                                                            Page S10019
  Reid Amendment No. 5677 (to the motion to concur in the amendment of 
the House of Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to the 
bill), to establish the enactment date.
Page S10019
  Reid Amendment No. 5678 (to Amendment No. 5677), of a perfecting 
nature.
Page S10019
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the motion to concur 
in the amendment of the

[[Page D1196]]

House of Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to the bill 
and, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, and pursuant to the unanimous-consent agreement of 
September 27, 2008, a vote on cloture will occur at 12:30 p.m. on 
Monday, September 29, 2008.
Page S10019
  A unanimous-consent time agreement was reached providing that at 
12:00 noon on Monday, September 29, 2008, Senate resume consideration 
of the motion to concur in the amendment of the House of 
Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to the bill; that the 
time from 12:00 noon until 12:15 p.m. be controlled by the Republican 
Leader, or his designee, and the time from 12:15 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. 
be controlled by the Majority Leader; that at 12:30 p.m. Senate vote on 
the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur; and that no 
motion to refer be in order during the pendency of the amendment of the 
House.
Page S10023
Tributes--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that the tributes to retiring Senators, that appear in the 
Congressional Record, be printed as a Senate document and that Senators 
be permitted to submit such tributes for inclusion until Friday, 
November 21, 2008.
  Page S10022
Messages from the House:
  Pages S10001-02
Measures Read the First Time:
  Page S10002
Executive Communications:
  Pages S10002-04
Additional Cosponsors:
  Page S10004
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S10004-11
Additional Statements:
  Pages S9998-S10001
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S10011-16
Notices of Intent:
  Page S10016
Privileges of the Floor:
  Page S10016
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--208) 
                                                     Pages S9883, S9965
Recess: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and recessed at 5:28 p.m., until 
11 a.m. on Monday, September 29, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S10023.)