[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D576-D578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                              Tuesday, May 19, 2009

[[Page D576]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.R. 627, Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S5565-S5647
Measures Introduced: Fourteen bills and four resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1067-1080, S. Res. 152-154, and S. Con. Res. 
23.                                                      
  Pages S5614-15
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Allocation to Subcommittees of Budget 
Totals From the Concurrent Resolution, Fiscal Year 2009''. (S. Rept. 
No. 111-22)
  H.R. 35, to amend chapter 22 of title 44, United States Code, 
popularly known as the Presidential Records Act, to establish 
procedures for the consideration of claims of constitutionally based 
privilege against disclosure of Presidential records, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 111-21)         
Page S5614
Measures Passed:
  Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act: By 90 yeas to 5 nays (Vote 
No. 194), Senate passed 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, as amended, after taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto:     
  Pages S5570-81
Adopted:
  Dodd Amendment No. 1130 (to Amendment No. 1058), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S5570
  Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 1058, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S5570
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 92 yeas to 2 nays (Vote No. 193), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to close further debate on Dodd/Shelby Amendment No. 
1058.                                                        
Page S5570
  Chair sustained a point of order that the following amendments were 
not germane post-cloture, and the amendments thus fell:
  Landrieu Modified Amendment No. 1079 (to Amendment No. 1058), to end 
abuse, promote disclosure, and provide protections to small businesses 
that rely on credit cards.                                   
Page S5570
  Collins/Lieberman Modified Amendment No. 1107 (to Amendment No. 
1058), to address stored value devices and cards.            
Page S5570
  Lincoln Amendment No. 1126 (to Amendment No. 1107), to amend the 
Federal Deposit Insurance Act with respect to the extension of certain 
limitations.                                                 
Page S5570
  Helping Families Save Their Homes Act: Senate passed S. 896, to 
prevent mortgage foreclosures and enhance mortgage credit availability.
                                                          Page S5588-89
  Special Reserve Funding: Senate agreed to S. Res. 152, to amend S. 
Res. 73 to increase funding for the Special Reserve.     
  Pages S5581-82
  Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act: Senate passed H.R. 131, to 
establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, clearing the measure 
for the President.                                           
  Page S5645
  Importance of Public Diplomacy: Senate agreed to S. Res. 49, to 
express the sense of the Senate regarding the importance of public 
diplomacy.                                                   
  Page S5645
  M.S. St. Louis 70th Anniversary: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 111, recognizing June 
6, 2009, as the 70th anniversary of the tragic date when the M.S. St. 
Louis, a ship carrying Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, returned to 
Europe after its passengers were refused admittance to the United 
States, and the resolution was then agreed to.               
  Page S5646
  National Small Business Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 154, honoring 
the entrepreneurial spirit of small business concerns in the United 
States during National Small Business Week, beginning May 17, 2009. 
                                                         Pages S5646-47

[[Page D577]]

Measures Considered:
Supplemental Appropriations Act: Senate began consideration of H.R. 
2346, making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending 
September 30, 2009, taking action on the following amendments proposed 
thereto:                                              
  Pages S5589-S5607
Adopted:
  Inouye/Cochran Amendment No. 1131, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S5591
  Inouye Amendment No. 1137, of a perfecting nature. 
                                                  Pages S5595-98, S5607
Pending:
  Inouye/Inhofe Amendment No. 1133, to prohibit funding to transfer, 
release, or incarcerate detainees detained at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to 
or within the United States.                             
Pages S5591-95
  McConnell Amendment No. 1136, to limit the release of detainees at 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, pending a report on the prisoner population at 
the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.                    
Page S5595
  Cornyn Amendment No. 1139, to express the sense of the Senate that 
the interrogators, attorneys, and lawmakers who tried in good faith to 
protect the United States and abide by the law should not be prosecuted 
or otherwise sanctioned.                              
Pages S5598-S5602
  Brownback Amendment No. 1140, to express the sense of the Senate on 
consultation with State and local governments in the transfer to the 
United States of detainees at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 
                                                         Pages S5602-07
  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 Thursday, May 21, 2009. 
                                                             Page S5607
  A unanimous-consent time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, and 
that there be two hours of debate relative to Inouye Amendment No. 1133 
(listed above), equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, 
or their designees; with the time allocated as follows: the first 30 
minutes under the control of the Republican Leader, the second 30 
minutes under the control of the Majority Leader; and that the final 60 
minutes be divided equally, with 10 minute limitations, with the final 
5 minutes of time under the control of Senator Inouye; provided that 
upon the use or yielding back of time, Senate vote on or in relation to 
Inouye Amendment No. 1133, with no amendment in order to the amendment; 
provided further, that all first-degree amendments be filed at the desk 
by 1:00 p.m., on Wednesday, May 21, 2009.                    
Page S5607
House Messages:
  Helping Families Save Their Homes Act: Senate concurred in the 
amendment of the House of Representatives to S. 896, to prevent 
mortgage foreclosures and enhance mortgage credit availability. 
                                                             Page S5581
Signing Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, the Majority Leader, be 
authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions. 
                                                             Page S5565
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  By 88 yeas to 6 nays (Vote No. Ex. 195), Gary Gensler, of Maryland, 
to be a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for a 
term expiring April 13, 2012.
  Gary Gensler, of Maryland, to be Chairman of the Commodity Futures 
Trading Commission.
  Kristina M. Johnson, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of Energy.
  Steven Elliot Koonin, of California, to be Under Secretary for 
Science, Department of Energy.
  Scott Blake Harris, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the 
Department of Energy.
  Larry J. Echo Hawk, of Utah, to be an Assistant Secretary of the 
Interior.                                         
Pages S5582-88, S5647
Nomination Received: Senate received the following nomination:
  Philip L. Verveer, of the District of Columbia, for the rank of 
Ambassador during his tenure of service as Deputy Assistant Secretary 
of State for International Communications and Information Policy in the 
Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs and U.S. Coordinator 
for International Communications and Information Policy.     
Page S5647
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S5613
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                
  Pages S5613-14
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S5614
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S5615-16
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S5616-25
Additional Statements:                                       
  Page S5610
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S5625-44
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                      
  Pages S5644-45
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S5645
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--195) 
                                              Pages S5570, S5573, S5582

[[Page D578]]

Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:33 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S5647.)