[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1228-D1230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                         Tuesday, December 21, 2010

[[Page D1228]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the 
      House to the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 3082, Full-Year 
      Continuing Appropriations Act, with an amendment.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S10849-10934
Measures Introduced: One bill was introduced, as follows: S. 4051. 
                                                        Pages S10929-30
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 2889, to reauthorize the Surface 
Transportation Board. (S. Rept. No. 111-380)
  Report to accompany S. 3302, to amend title 49, United States Code, 
to establish new automobile safety standards, make better motor vehicle 
safety information available to the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration and the public. (S. Rept. No. 111-381)
  Report to accompany S. 3566, to authorize certain maritime programs 
of the Department of Transportation. (S. Rept. No. 111-382)
  S. 1633, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to establish a program to 
issue Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2982, to combat international violence against women and girls, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 3798, to authorize appropriations of United States assistance to 
help eliminate conditions in foreign prisons and other detention 
facilities that do not meet minimum human standards of health, 
sanitation, and safety, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  S.J. Res. 37, calling upon the President to issue a proclamation 
recognizing the 35th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute and with an amended preamble.
  S. Con. Res. 71, recognizing the United States national interest in 
helping to prevent and mitigate acts of genocide and other mass 
atrocities against civilians, and supporting and encouraging efforts to 
develop a whole of government approach to prevent and mitigate such 
acts, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and with an 
amended preamble.                                           
Page S10929
Measures Passed:
  Federal Water Pollution Control: Senate passed S. 3481, to amend the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify Federal responsibility 
for stormwater pollution, after agreeing to the following amendment 
proposed thereto:                                           
  Page S10933
  Harkin (for Cardin) Amendment No. 4917, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                 
Page S10933
  Energy Policy and Conservation Act: Senate passed H.R. 5470, to 
exclude an external power supply for certain security or life safety 
alarms and surveillance system components from the application of 
certain energy efficiency standards under the Energy Policy and 
Conservation Act.                                           
  Page S10933
  Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Clarification Act: Senate passed H.R. 
4445, to amend Public Law 95-232 to repeal a restriction on treating as 
Indian country certain lands held in trust for Indian pueblos in New 
Mexico.                                                 
  Pages S10933-34
  Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo: Senate passed S. 3903, to authorize leases of 
up to 99 years for lands held in trust for Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, after 
agreeing to the committee amendments.                       
  Page S10934
House Messages:
Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act: By 79 yeas to 16 nays (Vote 
No. 289), Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the 
House to the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 3082, making 
appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2010, with

[[Page D1229]]

Reid Amendment No. 4885 (to the House amendment to the Senate 
amendment), of a perfecting nature, after taking action on the 
following amendments and motions proposed thereto:          
  Page S10852
Withdrawn:
  Reid Amendment No. 4886 (to Amendment No. 4885), to change the 
enactment date.                                    
Pages S10852, S10885
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 82 yeas to 14 nays (Vote No. 288), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to close further debate on the motion to concur in the 
amendment of the House to the amendment of the Senate to the bill, with 
Reid Amendment No. 4885 (listed above).            
Pages S10853, S10868
  Reid motion to refer the message of the House on the bill to the 
Committee on Appropriations, with instructions, Reid Amendment No. 
4887, to provide for a study, fell when cloture was invoked on the 
motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the amendment of the 
Senate to the bill, with Reid Amendment No. 4885. 
                                                   Pages S10852, S10868
  Reid Amendment No. 4888 (to (the instructions) Amendment No. 4887), 
of a perfecting nature, fell when Reid Amendment No. 4887, fell. 
                                                   Pages S10852, S10868
  Reid Amendment No. 4889 (to Amendment No. 4888), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when Reid Amendment No. 4888, fell.   
Pages S10852, S10869
Signing Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that Senator Webb be authorized to sign any duly enrolled 
bills and joint resolutions beginning December 27, 2010 through 11:59 
a.m., Monday, January 3, 2011.                              
  Page S10934
Treaty with Russia on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of 
Strategic Offensive Arms--Agreement: Senate continued consideration of 
Treaty Doc. 111-5, between the United States of America and the Russian 
Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of 
Strategic Offensive Arms, signed in Prague on April 8, 2010, with 
Protocol, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                                         Page S10888-21
Adopted:
  Kerry (for Kyl) Amendment No. 4864, to require a certification that 
the President intends to modernize the triad of strategic nuclear 
delivery vehicles.                                          
Page S10915
  Kerry (for LeMieux) Modified Amendment No. 4908, to require 
negotiations to address the disparity between tactical nuclear weapons 
stockpiles.                                             
Pages S10915-21
Rejected:
  By 32 yeas to 63 nays (Vote No. 293), Ensign Amendment No. 4855, to 
amend the Treaty to provide for a clear definition of rail-mobile 
missiles.                                       
Pages S10894-99, S10903
  Risch Amendment No. 4878, to provide a condition regarding the return 
of stolen United States Military equipment. (By 61 yeas to 32 nays 
(Vote No. 294), Senate tabled the amendment.)   
Pages S10899, S10903-04
  By 34 yeas to 59 nays (Vote No. 295), Wicker/Kyl Amendment No. 
4895, to provide an understanding that provisions adopted in the 
Bilateral Consultative Commission that affect substantive rights or 
obligations under the Treaty are those that create new rights or 
obligations for the United States and must therefore be submitted to 
the Senate for its advice and consent.          
                        Pages S10904-06, S10913
  By 31 yeas to 62 nays (Vote No. 296), Kyl Amendment No. 4860, to 
require a certification that the President has negotiated a legally 
binding side agreement with the Russian Federation that the Russian 
Federation will not deploy a significant number of nuclear-armed 
sea-launched cruise missiles during the duration of the New START 
Treaty.                                       
                       Pages S10906-09,S10913-14
  By 30 yeas to 63 nays (Vote No. 297), Kyl Amendment No. 4893, to 
provide that the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification of 
the New START Treaty is subject to an understanding regarding the 
non-use of covers by the Russian Federation that tend to interfere 
with Type One inspections and accurate warhead counting, is subject 
to the United States and the Russian Federation reaching an 
agreement regarding access and monitoring, and is subject to a 
certification that the Russian Federation has agreed that it will 
not deny telemetric exchanges on new ballistic missile systems it 
deploys during the duration of the Treaty.   
                       Pages S10909-13, S10914-15
  Pending:
  Corker Modified Amendment No. 4904, to provide a condition and an 
additional element of the understanding regarding the effectiveness 
and viability of the New START Treaty and United States missile 
defenses.                                                   
                              Page S10888
  During consideration of this treaty today, Senate took the 
following action:
  By 67 yeas to 28 nays (Vote No. 292), three-fifths of those 
Senators duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, 
Senate agreed to the motion to close further debate on the treaty. 
                                                            Page S10888
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the treaty at approximately 9 a.m., on Wednesday, 
December 22, 2010, and that the time during adjournment or period of 
morning business count post-cloture.                        
                              Page S10934
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:

[[Page D1230]]


  By 56 yeas 39 nays (Vote No. EX. 290), Benita Y. Pearson, of Ohio, to 
be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio. 
                                                        Pages S10885-87
  By 58 yeas 37 nays (Vote No. EX. 291), William Joseph Martinez, of 
Colorado, to be United States District Judge for the District of 
Colorado.                                               
Pages S10885-88
Messages from the House:                                
  Pages S10928-29
Additional Cosponsors:                                      
  Page S10930
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S10930-32
Additional Statements:                                  
  Pages S10927-28
Amendments Submitted:                                   
  Pages S10932-33
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                         
  Page S10933
Record Votes: Ten record votes were taken today. (Total--297) 
      Pages S10853, S10885, S10887, S10888, S10903, S10903-04, S10913, 
                                                                 S10914
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 11:05 p.m., 
until 9 a.m. on Wednesday, December 22, 2010. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S10934.)