[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 168 (Tuesday, November 10, 2009)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1319-D1321]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                         Tuesday, November 10, 2009

[[Page D1319]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S11305-S11357
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and six resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2759-2770, S.J. Res. 21, and S. Res. 349-353. 
                                                            Page S11344
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 1670, to reform and modernize the limitations 
on exclusive rights relating to secondary transmissions of certain 
signals. (S. Rept. No. 111-98)                              
Page S11344
Measures Passed:
  Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act: Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further 
consideration of S. 1422, to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 
1993 to clarify the eligibility requirements with respect to airline 
flight crews, and the bill was then passed, after agreeing to the 
following amendment proposed thereto:                   
  Pages S11353-54
  Reid (for Murray) Amendment No. 2780, to clarify a requirement 
concerning hours of service.                            
Pages S11353-54
  National Veterans History Project Week: Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 340, 
expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History 
Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project 
that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served 
our Nation in times of war and conflict, and the resolution was then 
agreed to.                                                  
  Page S11354
  Supporting and Encouraging Greater Support for Veterans Day: Senate 
agreed to S. Res. 349, supporting and encouraging greater support for 
Veterans Day.                                               
  Page S11354
  49th Anniversary of Integrated Schools in New Orleans: Senate agreed 
to S. Res. 350, recognizing November 14, 2009, as the 49th anniversary 
of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. 
                                                        Pages S11354-55
  National School Psychology Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 351, 
designating the week beginning on November 9, 2009, as National School 
Psychology Week.                                            
  Page S11355
  Temporary Forbearance on Certain Home Mortgage Payments: Senate 
agreed to S. Res. 352, encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to work 
with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary 
forbearance without penalty on payments on their home mortgages. 
                                                            Page S11356
Measures Considered:
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act--
Agreement: Senate continued consideration of H.R. 3082, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2010, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                             Pages S11313-16, S11320-34
Pending:
  Johnson/Hutchison Amendment No. 2730, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                            Page S11313
  Udall (NM) Amendment No. 2737 (to Amendment No. 2730), to make 
available from Medical Services, $150,000,000 for homeless veterans 
comprehensive service programs.                             
Page S11313
  Johnson Amendment No. 2733 (to Amendment No. 2730), to increase by 
$50,000,000 the amount available for the Department of Veterans Affairs 
for minor construction projects for the purpose of converting unused 
Department of Veterans Affairs structures into housing with supportive 
services for homeless veterans, and to provide an offset.   
Page S11313
  Franken/Johnson Amendment No. 2745 (to Amendment No. 2730), to ensure 
that $5,000,000 is available for a study to assess the feasibility and 
advisability of using service dogs for the treatment or rehabilitation 
of veterans with physical or mental injuries or disabilities. 
                                                            Page S11313
  Inouye Amendment No. 2754 (to Amendment No. 2730), to permit 
$68,500,000, as requested by the Missile Defense Agency of the 
Department of Defense, to be used for the construction of a test 
facility to support the Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense in 
Europe, with an offset.                                     
Page S11313

[[Page D1320]]


  Coburn Amendment No. 2757 (to Amendment No. 2730), to require public 
disclosure of certain reports.                              
Page S11313
  Durbin Amendment No. 2759 (to Amendment No. 2730), to enhance the 
ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain 
health care administrators and providers in underserved rural areas. 
                                                            Page S11313
  Durbin Amendment No. 2760 (to Amendment No. 2730), to designate the 
North Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Illinois, as the 
``Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center''.     
Page S11313
  Johanns Amendment No. 2752 (to Amendment No. 2730), prohibiting use 
of funds to fund the Association of Community Organizations for Reform 
Now (ACORN).                                                
Page S11313
  Akaka Amendment No. 2740 (to Amendment No. 2730), to extend the 
authority for a regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
in the Republic of the Philippines.                     
Pages S11320-30
  Menendez Amendment No. 2741 (to Amendment No. 2730), to provide, with 
an offset, an additional $4,000,000 for grants to assist States in 
establishing, expanding, or improving State veterans cemeteries. 
                                                        Pages S11330-34
  DeMint (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2774 (to Amendment No. 2730), to 
prohibit the use of funds appropriated or otherwise made available by 
this Act to construct or modify a facility in the United States or its 
territories to permanently or temporarily hold any individual held at 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.                                       
Page S11334
  DeMint Amendment No. 2779 (to Amendment No. 2730), to prohibit the 
use of funds for the transfer or detention in the United States of 
detainees at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, if certain veterans 
programs for fiscal year 2010 are not fully funded.         
Page S11334
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing that Senate 
resume consideration of the bill at approximately 3 p.m., on Monday, 
November 16, 2009, and that other than the Johnson substitute and 
pending amendments, which are listed in this agreement, the following 
list be the only first-degree amendments remaining in order to the 
bill; and that relevant second-degree amendments be in order to the 
first-degree to which offered; that a managers amendment, which has 
been cleared by the managers and two Leaders, also be in order; and 
that if offered, the amendment be considered and agreed to, with no 
other amendments in order: Johnson Amendment No. 2733 (listed above); 
Udall (NM) Amendment No. 2737 (listed above); Franken/Johnson Amendment 
No. 2745 (listed above); Inouye Amendment No. 2754 (listed above); 
Coburn Amendment No. 2757 (listed above); Durbin Amendment No. 2759 
(listed above); Durbin Amendment No. 2760 (listed above); McCain 
Amendment No. 2776 (second-degree to Inouye Amendment No. 2754); DeMint 
(for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2774 (listed above); Coburn motion to commit 
with instructions; DeMint Amendment No. 2779 (listed above); Menendez 
Amendment No. 2741 (listed above); Akaka Amendment No. 2740 (listed 
above); Johanns Amendment No. 2752 (listed above); Warner/Webb 
Amendment No. 2738; Bingaman Amendment No. 2749; Levin Amendment No. 
2755; Feingold Amendments Nos. 2746, 2747, and 2748; Webb Amendment No. 
2756; Gillibrand Amendment No. 2762; Mikulski Amendments Nos. 2750 and 
2761; McConnell Amendment No. 2773; Cochran Amendments Nos. 2751 and 
2763; Ensign Amendment No. 2771; Burr Amendment No. 2743; that upon 
disposition of all amendments, the substitute amendment, as amended be 
agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and Senate vote 
on passage of the bill, as amended; that upon passage of the bill, 
Senate insist on its amendment, request a conference with the House on 
the disagreeing votes of the two Houses and the Chair be authorized to 
appoint conferees on the part of the Senate, with the Subcommittee, 
plus Senators Leahy and Cochran, appointed as conferees; provided 
further, that if a point of order is raised and sustained against the 
substitute amendment, then it be in order for a new substitute 
amendment to be offered, minus the offending provision but including 
any language which had been previously agreed to; that the new 
substitute be considered and agreed to, no further amendments be in 
order, with the provisions of this agreement after adoption of the 
original substitute amendment remaining in effect; provided further, 
that on Monday, November 16, 2009, the time until 5:30 p.m. be equally 
divided and controlled between the two Managers, or their designees; 
that at 5:30 p.m., Senate vote on or in relation to the following: 
Coburn Amendment No. 2757 (listed above) and the Coburn motion to 
commit; provided further, that prior to these two votes, there be two 
minutes of debate equally divided and controlled in the usual form; 
that no further debate be in order to the bill, except any time 
specified for debate prior to a vote on or in relation to any amendment 
on the list.                                                
Page S11334
Appointments:
  United States-China Economic Security Review Commission: The Chair, 
on behalf of the President pro tempore, pursuant to Public Law 106-398, 
as amended by Public Law 108-7, in accordance with the qualifications 
specified under section 1238(b)(3)(E) of Public Law 106-398, and upon 
the

[[Page D1321]]

recommendation of the Republican Leader, in consultation with the 
ranking members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the 
Senate Committee on Finance, appointed the following individuals to the 
United States-China Economic Security Review Commission:
  Patrick A. Mulloy of Virginia, for a term beginning January 1, 2010 
and expiring December 31, 2011, and
  William A. Reinsch of Maryland, for a term beginning January 1, 2010 
and expiring December 31, 2011.                             
Page S11356
Hamilton Nomination--Cloture Agreement: Senate began consideration of 
the nomination of David F. Hamilton, of Indiana, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.                  
  Pages S11334-35
   A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination and, 
in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, and pursuant to the unanimous-consent-time agreement of 
Tuesday, November 10, 2009, a vote on cloture will occur upon 
disposition of H.R. 3082; provided that prior to the cloture vote on 
the nomination, there be 60 minutes of debate, with the time equally 
divided and controlled between the Chair and Ranking Member of the 
Committee on the Judiciary; provided further, that the vote not occur 
prior to 2:15 p.m., on Tuesday, November 17, 2009.          
Page S11335
Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:
  Jeffrey L. Bleich, of California, to be Ambassador to Australia. 
(Prior to this action, Committee on Foreign Relations was discharged 
from further consideration.)                       
Pages S11356, S11357
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Rajiv J. Shah, of Washington, to be Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development.
  Erin C. Conaton, of the District of Columbia, to be Under Secretary 
of the Air Force.
  Douglas A. Criscitello, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
  Anthony R. Coscia, of New Jersey, to be a Director of the Amtrak 
Board of Directors for a term of five years.
  Albert DiClemente, of Delaware, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board 
of Directors for the remainder of the term expiring July 26, 2011.
  Cynthia L. Attwood, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Occupational 
Safety and Health Review Commission for a term expiring April 27, 2013.
  Sandford Blitz, of Maine, to be Federal Cochairperson of the Northern 
Border Regional Commission.                                 
Page S11357
Messages from the House:                                    
  Page S11343
Measures Read the First Time:                               
  Page S11343
Executive Communications:                               
  Pages S11343-44
Additional Cosponsors:                                  
  Pages S11344-46
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S11346-51
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S11341-43
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S11351-52
Notices of Hearings/Meetings:                               
  Page S11352
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                     
  Pages S11352-53
Privileges of the Floor:                                    
  Page S11353
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned, pursuant to the 
provisions of H. Con. Res. 210, at 8:09 p.m., until 2 p.m. on Monday, 
November 16, 2009. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the 
Majority Leader in today's Record on page S11357.)