[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 4, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D206-D207]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                           Wednesday, March 4, 2009

[[Page D206]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      House and Senate met in a Joint Meeting to receive the Right 
      Honorable Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of 
      Great Britain and Northern Ireland.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2723-S2778
Measures Introduced: Five bills and two resolutions were introduced, as 
follows: S. 522-526, and S. Res. 63-64.                  
  Pages S2766-67
Measures Considered:
Omnibus Appropriations Act: Senate continued consideration of H.R. 
1105, making omnibus appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2009, taking action on the following amendments proposed 
thereto:                                                 
  Pages S2728-62
Rejected:
  By 38 yeas to 57 nays (Vote No. 77) Coburn Amendment No. 596, to 
require the use of competitive procedures to award contracts, grants, 
and cooperative agreements funded under this Act. 
                                               Pages S2734-35, S2748-51
  By 37 yeas to 58 nays (Vote No. 78) Coburn Amendment No. 608, to 
provide for the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act from funds 
already provided for the Weed and Seed Program. 
                           Pages S2732-34, S2735-40, S2743-46, S2751-54
  By 34 yeas to 61 nays (Vote No. 79) Coburn Amendment No. 610, to 
prohibit funding for certain congressional earmarks. 
                                                  Pages S2741, S2754-61
  By 43 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 80) Coburn Modified Amendment No. 
623, to prohibit taxpayer dollars from being earmarked to 14 clients of 
a lobbying firm under Federal investigation for making campaign 
donations in exchange for political favors for the group's clients. 
                                        Pages S2741-43, S2746-48, S2761
Pending:
  Wicker Modified Amendment No. 607, to require that amounts 
appropriated for the United Nations Population Fund are not used by 
organizations which support coercive abortion or involuntary 
sterilization.                                       
Pages S2728, S2754
  Thune Modified Amendment No. 635, to provide funding for the 
Emergency Fund for Indian Safety and Health, with an offset. 
                                                     Pages S2728, S2754
  Murkowski Amendment No. 599, to modify a provision relating to the 
repromulgation of final rules by the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Commerce.                                       
Page S2728
  Cochran (for Kyl) Amendment No. 634, to prohibit the expenditure of 
amounts made available under this Act in a contract with any company 
that has a business presence in Iran's energy sector.        
Page S2761
  Cochran (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 613, to provide that no funds may 
be made available to make any assessed contribution or voluntary 
payment of the United States to the United Nations if the United 
Nations implements or imposes any taxation on any United States 
persons.                                                 
Pages S2761-62
  Cochran (for Crapo (and others)) Amendment No. 638, to strike a 
provision relating to Federal Trade Commission authority over home 
mortgages.                                               
Pages S2761-62
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the bill and, in 
accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur on Friday, March 6, 2009.
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, 
March 5, 2009.                                               
Page S2760
Escort Committee--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that the President of the Senate be authorized to appoint a 
committee on the part of the Senate to join with a like committee on 
the part of the House of Representatives to escort the Honorable Gordon 
Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, into the House Chamber for 
the joint meeting on Wednesday, March 4, 2009.               
  Page S2728

[[Page D207]]

Messages from the President: Senate received the following messages 
from the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a notice relative to the continuation 
of the national emergency with respect to the actions and policies of 
certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to 
undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions; which was 
referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM-
10)                                                      
Pages S2764-65
  Transmitting, pursuant to the provisions of section 1512 of the Strom 
Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 
(Public Law 105-261), certification that the export of two 
environmental chambers to be used to test automotive parts is not 
detrimental to the U.S. space launch industry and will not measurably 
improve missile or space launch capabilities of the People's Republic 
of China; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. 
(PM-11)                                                      
Page S2765
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Ronald C. Sims, of Washington, to be Deputy Secretary of Department 
of Housing and Urban Development.
  John Berry, of the District of Columbia, to be Director of the Office 
of Personnel Management for a term of four years.            
Page S2778
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S2765
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S2765
Measures Read the First Time:                         
  Pages S2765-S2778
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S2765-66
Additional Cosponsors:                                       
  Page S2767
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S2767-75
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S2775-78
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S2778
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S2778
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--80) 
                                 Pages S2750-51, S2753, S2760-61, S2761
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 7:06 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 5, 2009. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S2778.)