[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 186 (Thursday, December 11, 2008)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1320-D1321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Thursday, December 11, 2008

[[Page D1320]]

                              Daily Digest


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S10889-S10958
Measures Introduced: Ten bills and one resolution were introduced, as 
follows: S. 3732-3741, and S. Con. Res. 107.
  Page S10946
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 3501, to ensure that Congress is notified when 
the Department of Justice determines that the Executive Branch is not 
bound by a statute. (S. Rept. No. 110-528)
Page S10946
Measures Passed:
  Technical Corrections: Senate passed H.R. 7327, to make technical 
corrections related to the Pension Protection Act of 2006, clearing the 
measure for the President.
  Pages S10914-15
  United States Capitol Complex Tours: Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 
107, expressing the sense of Congress regarding the rights of Members 
of Congress (or any employee of a Member of Congress authorized by that 
member) to lead tours of the United States Capitol complex. 
                                                            Page S10957
  Union Station, Washington, D.C. Centennial: Committee on Environment 
and Public Works was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 
664, celebrating the centennial of Union Station in Washington, 
District of Columbia, and the resolution was then agreed to. 
                                                            Page S10957
  National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week: 
Committee on the Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of 
S. Res. 710, designating the week of February 2 through February 6, 
2009, as ``National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention 
Week'', and the resolution was then agreed to.
  Pages S10957-58
  National Mentoring Month: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged 
from further consideration of S. Res. 728, designating January 2009 as 
``National Mentoring Month'', and the resolution was then agreed to. 
                                                        Pages S10957-58
Measures Considered:
Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act--Cloture: Senate continued 
consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 7005, 
to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide alternative 
minimum tax relief for individuals for 2008.
  Page S10931
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 52 yeas to 35 nays (Vote No. 215), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to 
consideration of the bill.
Page S10931
  Senator Reid entered a motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture 
was not invoked on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill. 
                                                            Page S10931
Appointments:
  Congressional Award Board: The Chair, on behalf of the Majority 
Leader, pursuant to Public Law 96-114, as amended, appointed the 
following individual to the Congressional Award Board: Major General 
Robert Newman of Virginia.
  Page S10958
Authorizing Leadership to Make Appointments--Agreement: A unanimous-
consent agreement was reached providing that, notwithstanding the 
recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the 
President Pro Tempore, and the Majority and Minority Leaders be 
authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, 
conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by 
concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate. 
                                                            Page S10958
Pro Forma Sessions--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was 
reached providing that Senate meet in pro forma sessions with no 
business conducted on the following days and times: Friday, December 12 
at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, December 16 at 11 a.m.; Friday, December 19 at 10 
a.m.; Tuesday, December 23 at 11 a.m.; Friday, December 26 at 11 a.m.; 
Tuesday, December 30 at 10:30 a.m.; and Friday, January 2 at 10 a.m.; 
and that at the close of the pro forma session on Friday, January 2, 
Senate stand adjourned sine die under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 
440.
  Page S10958

[[Page D1321]]

Nomination Received: Senate received the following nomination: Matthew 
W. Friedrich, of Texas, to be an Assistant Attorney General. 
                                                            Page S10958
Messages from the House:
  Pages S10944-45
Executive Communications:
  Pages S10945-46
Additional Cosponsors:
  Page S10947
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
  Pages S10947-51
Additional Statements:
  Pages S10943-44
Amendments Submitted:
  Pages S10951-57
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
  Page S10957
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--215) 
                                                            Page S10931
Recess: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and recessed at 11:50 p.m., until 10 
a.m. on Friday, December 12, 2008. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S10958.)