[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 69 (Wednesday, May 6, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D507-D509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                             Wednesday, May 6, 2009

[[Page D507]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed S. 896, Helping Families Save Their Homes Act.
      House Committees ordered reported 18 sundry measures.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S5169-S5248
Measures Introduced: Ten bills and five resolutions were introduced, as 
follows: S. 983-992, S.J. Res. 15, and S. Res. 132-135. 
                                                         Pages S5231-32
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Activities of the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs During the 110th Congress Pursuant to rule 
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the United States Senate''. (S. Rept. No. 
111-17)                                                      
Page S5231
Measures Passed:
  Helping Families Save Their Homes Act: By 91 yeas to 5 nays (Vote No. 
185), Senate passed S. 896, to prevent mortgage foreclosures and 
enhance mortgage credit availability, as amended, after taking action 
on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                            Pages S5173-75, S5179-S5205
Adopted:
  Dodd (for Reed) Modified Amendment No. 1039 (to Amendment No. 1018), 
to address impediments to liquidating warrants.              
Page S5173
  Dodd (for Boxer) Amendment No. 1035 (to Amendment No. 1018), to 
require notice to consumers when a mortgage loan has been sold, 
transferred, or assigned to a third party.               
Pages S5173-74
  Casey Amendment No. 1033 (to Amendment No. 1018), to enhance State 
and local neighborhood stabilization efforts by providing foreclosure 
prevention assistance to families threatened with foreclosure and 
permitting Statewide funding competition in minimum allocation States. 
                                                             Page S5173
  Dodd (for Grassley/Baucus) Modified Amendment No. 1020 (to Amendment 
No. 1018), to enhance the oversight authority of the Comptroller 
General of the United States with respect to expenditures under the 
Troubled Asset Relief Program.                           
Pages S5173-74
  By 57 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 182), Dodd (for Kerry) Modified 
Amendment No. 1036 (to Amendment No. 1018), to protect the interests of 
bona fide tenants in the case of any foreclosure on any dwelling or 
residential real property.                               
Pages S5173-75
  Reed/Bond Amendment No. 1040 (to Amendment No. 1018), to amend the 
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to reauthorize the Act. 
                                                  Pages S5173, S5180-81
  By 95 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 184), Dodd (for Grassley/Baucus) 
Modified Amendment No. 1021 (to Amendment No. 1018), to amend Chapter 7 
of title 31, United States Code, to provide the Comptroller General 
additional audit authorities relating to the Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System.                           
Pages S5173, S5181-82
  Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 1018, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                     Pages S5173, S5182


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page D507, May 6, 2009, the following language appears: 
Measures Passed: Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 1018, in the nature of 
a substitute. Page S5173
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read: Measures Passed: 
Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 1018, in the nature of a substitute. 
Pages S5173, S5182


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

Withdrawn:
  Dodd (for Schumer) Modified Amendment No. 1031 (to Amendment No. 
1018), to establish a multifamily mortgage resolution program. 
                                                     Pages S5173, S5179
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 50 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. 183), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive section 202 of S. Con. Res. 21, FY08 
Congressional Budget Resolution, with respect to Coburn Amendment No. 
1042 (to Amendment No. 1040), to establish a pilot program for the 
expedited disposal of Federal real property. Subsequently, the pay-as-
you-go point of order that the amendment would cause or increase an on-
budget deficit for either of the applicable time periods set out in S. 
Con. Res. 21, was sustained, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                                  Pages S5173, S5179-80
  Commending the Heroic Efforts of People Fighting North Dakota Floods: 
Senate agreed to S. Res.

[[Page D508]]

132, commending the heroic efforts of the people fighting the floods in 
North Dakota.                                                
  Page S5246
  National Physical Education and Sport Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
133, designating May 1 through May 7, 2009, as ``National Physical 
Education and Sport Week''.                                  
  Page S5246
  National Charter Schools Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 134, 
congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and administrators at 
charter schools across the United States for their ongoing 
contributions to education and supporting the ideas and goals of the 
10th annual National Charter Schools Week, May 3 through May 9, 2009. 
                                                             Page S5247
  Military Spouse Appreciation Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 135, 
designating May 8, 2009, as ``Military Spouse Appreciation Day''. 
                                                             Page S5247
Measures Considered:
Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act: Senate began consideration of S. 
454, to improve the organization and procedures of the Department of 
Defense for the acquisition of major weapon systems, taking action on 
the following amendments proposed thereto:               
  Pages S5205-25
Adopted:
  Collins/McCaskill Amendment No. 1045, to require the Secretary of 
Defense to apply uniform earned value management standards to 
reliability and consistently measures contract performance, and to 
ensure that contractors establish and use approved earned value 
management systems.                                      
Pages S5215-19
  Levin (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 1044, to require a report on certain 
cost growth matters following the termination of a major defense 
acquisition program for critical cost growth.     
Pages S5219, S5220-21
  Levin (for Chambliss) Amendment No. 1053, to clarify an exception to 
conflict of interest requirements applicable to contracts for systems 
engineering and technical assistance functions.   
Pages S5219, S5222-24
  Levin (for Coburn) Amendment No. 1046, to require reports on the 
operation and support costs of major defense acquisition programs and 
major weapons systems.                                   
Pages S5219-20
  Levin (for McCaskill) Amendment No. 1051, to enhance the review of 
joint military requirements.                             
Pages S5220-22
  Levin (for McCaskill) Amendment No. 1049, to specify certain inputs 
to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council from the commanders of the 
combatant commands on joint military requirements.       
Pages S5220-22
  Levin (for McCaskill) Amendment No. 1050, to provide for a review by 
the Comptroller General of the United States of waivers of the 
requirement for competitive prototypes based on excessive cost. 
                                                         Pages S5220-22
  Levin (for Whitehouse) Amendment No. 1047, to further improve the 
cost assessment procedures and processes of the Department of Defense. 
                                                             Page S5220
  Levin (for Carper) Amendment No. 1048, to require consultation 
between the Director of Defense Research and Engineering and the 
Director of Developmental Test and Evaluation in assessments of 
technological maturity of critical technologies of major defense 
acquisition programs.                                        
Page S5220
  Levin (for Bingaman) Amendment No. 1055, to clarify the submittal of 
certifications of the adequacy of budgets by the Director of the 
Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center.   
Pages S5224-25
   A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 10:30 a.m., on Thursday, May 
7, 2009, and that the following be the only first-degree amendments in 
order to the bill, other than the committee reported amendment in the 
nature of a substitute, that the listed first-degree amendments be 
subject to second-degree amendments which are relevant to the amendment 
to which offered; provided that with respect to any subsequent 
agreement which provides for a limitation of debate regarding an 
amendment on the list, then that time be equally divided and controlled 
in the usual form; that if there is a sequence of votes with respect to 
these amendments, the there be 2 minutes equally divided and controlled 
prior to a vote on or in relation thereto; provided that upon 
disposition of the listed amendments, the substitute amendment, as 
amended be agreed to, and Senate vote on passage of the bill: Snowe 
Amendment No. 1056 relative to small business contracting, Thune 
Amendment relative to weapons systems, Coburn Amendment relative to 
financial management, Chambliss Amendment No. 1054 relative to ``make 
buy'', and Murray Amendment No. 1052 relative to National Security 
objectives.                                                  
Page S5225
Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act--Cloture: Senate began 
consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 627, to 
amend the Truth in Lending Act to establish fair and transparent 
practices relating to the extension of credit under an open end 
consumer credit plan.                                        
  Page S5246
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the motion to proceed 
to consideration of 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, May 8, 2009.                                
Page S5246
  Subsequently, the motion to proceed was withdrawn.         
Page S5246

[[Page D509]]

Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Ronald C. Sims, of Washington, to be Deputy Secretary of Department 
of Housing and Urban Development.
  Alan B. Krueger, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of the 
Treasury.
  Ivo H. Daalder, of Virginia, to be United States Permanent 
Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador.
  Ivan K. Fong, of Ohio, to be General Counsel, Department of Homeland 
Security.
  William V. Corr, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and 
Human Services.
  Demetrios J. Marantis, of the District of Columbia, to be a Deputy 
United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador.
  Johnnie Carson, of Illinois, to be an Assistant Secretary of State 
(African Affairs).
  Yvette Roubideaux, of Arizona, to be Director of the Indian Health 
Service, Department of Health and Human Services, for the term of four 
years.
  Luis C. de Baca, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office to Monitor 
and Combat Trafficking, with rank of Ambassador at Large.
  Timothy W. Manning, of New Mexico, to be Deputy Administrator for 
National Preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department 
of Homeland Security.
  Fred P. Hochberg, of New York, to be President of the Export-Import 
Bank of the United States for a term expiring January 20, 2013.
  Routine lists in the Foreign Service.              
Pages S5245, S5248
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Wilma A. Lewis, of the Virgin Islands, to be an Assistant Secretary 
of the Interior.
  Carmen R. Nazario, of Puerto Rico, to be Assistant Secretary for 
Family Support, Department of Health and Human Services.
  Eric P. Schwartz, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of State 
(Population, Refugees, and Migration).
  Andrew J. Shapiro, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of State 
(Political-Military Affairs).
  Ellen O. Tauscher, of California, to be Under Secretary of State for 
Arms Control and International Security.
  Jane Oates, of New Jersey, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor.
  Tara Jeanne O'Toole, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary for Science 
and Technology, Department of Homeland Security.
  1 Air Force nomination in the rank of general.         
Pages S5247-48
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S5230
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S5230
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S5230-31
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S5231
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S5232-33
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S5233-42
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S5228-30
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S5242-44
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                                
  Page S5245
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S5245
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S5245
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--185) 
                                 Pages S5174-75, S5179-80, S5182, S5185
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 7:01 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7, 2009. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S5247.)