[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D343-D344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Tuesday, March 31, 2009

[[Page D343]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S4009-S4109
Measures Introduced: Fourteen bills and six resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 744-757, S. Res. 92-96, and S. Con. Res. 15.
                                                         Pages S4062-63
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Report on the Activities of the Committee 
on the Judiciary of the United States Senate During the 110th Congress, 
Pursuant to Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the United States 
Senate''. (S. Rept. No. 111-11)
  Special Report entitled ``Legislative Activities Report''. (S. Rept. 
No. 111-12)
  Special Report entitled ``Report on the Activities of the Committee 
on Finance of the United States Senate During the 110th Congress, 
Pursuant to Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the United States 
Senate''. (S. Rept. No. 111-13)
  S. Res. 9, commemorating 90 years of U.S.-Polish diplomatic 
relations, during which Poland has proven to be an exceptionally strong 
partner to the United States in advancing freedom around the world.
  S. Res. 20, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization.
  S. Res. 56, urging the Government of Moldova to ensure a fair and 
democratic election process for the parliamentary elections on April 5, 
2009.
  S. Res. 90, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Fifth 
Summit of the Americas, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 
April 17, 18, and 19, 2009.                                  
Page S4061
Measures Passed:
  National Auctioneers Day: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged 
from further consideration of S. Res. 86, designating April 18, 2009, 
as ``National Auctioneers Day'', and the resolution was then agreed to.
                                                             Page S4104
  Financial Literacy Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 94, designating 
April 2009 as ``Financial Literacy Month''.              
  Pages S4104-05
  Congratulating the University of Iowa Men's Wrestling Team: Senate 
agreed to S. Res. 95, congratulating the University of Iowa men's 
wrestling team for winning the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic 
Association Division I Wrestling Championship.           
  Pages S4105-06
  Congratulating the Morningside College Women's Basketball Team: 
Senate agreed to S. Res. 96, congratulating the Morningside College 
women's basketball team for winning the 2009 National Association of 
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II championship.   
  Page S4106
Measures Considered:
Budget Resolution--Agreement: Senate continued consideration of S. Con. 
Res. 13, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States 
Government for fiscal year 2010, revising the appropriate budgetary 
levels for fiscal year 2009, and setting forth the appropriate 
budgetary levels for fiscal years 2011 through 2014, taking action on 
the following amendments proposed thereto:               
  Pages S4009-55
Adopted:
  By 54 yeas to 43 nays (Vote No. 116), Boxer Amendment No. 749, to 
require that certain legislation relating to clean energy technologies 
not increase electricity or gasoline prices or increase the overall 
burden on consumers.                              
Pages S4017-26, S4029
  By 89 yeas to 8 nays (Vote No. 117), Thune Amendment No. 731, to 
amend the deficit-neutral reserve fund for climate change legislation 
to require that such legislation does not increase electricity or 
gasoline prices.                                         
Pages S4026-30
Rejected:
  By 43 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 118), Gregg Amendment No. 739, to 
prohibit the consideration of any budget resolution, or amendment 
thereto, or conference report thereon, that shows an increase in the 
public debt, for the period of the current fiscal year through the next 
10 years, equal to or greater than the debt accumulated from 1789 to 
January, 20, 2009.                                
Pages S4013-17, S4030
Pending:
  Johanns Amendment No. 735, to prohibit the use of reconciliation in 
the Senate for climate change legislation involving a cap and trade 
system.                                                      
Page S4009

[[Page D344]]


  Lieberman Amendment No. 763, to protect the American people from 
potential spillover violence from Mexico by providing $550 million in 
additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security and the 
Department of Justice and supporting the Administration's efforts to 
combat drug, gun, and cash smuggling by the cartels, by providing: $260 
million for Customs and Border Protection to hire, train, equip, and 
deploy additional officers and canines and conduct exit inspections for 
weapons and cash; $130 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement 
to hire, train, equip and deploy additional investigators; $50 million 
to Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to hire, train, equip, 
and deploy additional agents and inspectors; $20 million for the Human 
Smuggling and Trafficking Center; $10 million for the Office of 
International Affairs and the Management Directorate at DHS for 
oversight of the Merida Initiative; $30 million for Operation 
Stonegarden; $10 million to the Office of National Drug Control Policy 
for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, to support state 
and local law enforcement participation in the HIDTA program along the 
southern border; $20 million to DHS for tactical radio communications; 
and $20 million for upgrading the Traveler Enforcement Communications 
System.                                                  
Pages S4030-33
  Alexander Amendment No. 747, to create runaway debt point of order 
against consideration of a budget resolution that projects the ratio of 
public debt to GDP for any fiscal year in excess of 90% to ensure the 
continued viability of US dollar and prevent doubling or tripling the 
debt burden on future generations.                       
Pages S4033-37
  Sessions Amendment No. 772, to restore the budget discipline of the 
Federal Government by freezing nondefense discretionary spending for 
fiscal years 2010 and 2011, and limiting the growth of nondefense 
discretionary spending to one percent annually for fiscal years 2012, 
2013, and 2014.                                          
Pages S4037-55
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the order of 
Monday, March 31, 2009, with respect to Senator Conrad, or his 
designee, to offer a side-by-side to Amendment No. 735 (listed above), 
remain in effect.                                            
Page S4037
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the resolution at 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, April 1, 
2009, and that the statutory time remaining be 20 hours, with each side 
controlling 10 hours; provided further, that for the duration of the 
debate, all time during quorum calls be charged equally to both sides. 
                                                             Page S4106
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Ines R. Triay, of New Mexico, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy 
(Environmental Management).
  Lawrence E. Strickling, of Illinois, to be Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Communications and Information.
  Hilary Chandler Tompkins, of New Mexico, to be Solicitor of the 
Department of the Interior.
  Thomas E. Perez, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General. 
                                                             Page S4109
Nomination Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the 
following nomination:
  Jonathan Z. Cannon, of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, which was sent to the Senate on March 
11, 2009.                                                    
Page S4109
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S4060
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S4060
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S4060-61
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S4061-62
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S4063-65
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S4065-87
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S4058-60
Amendments Submitted:                                 
  Pages S4087-S4103
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                      
  Pages S4103-04
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S4104
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--118) 
                                                     Pages S4029, S4030
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:47 p.m., 
until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S4106.)