[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 26 (Thursday, February 17, 2011)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D134-D137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Thursday, February 17, 2011

[[Page D134]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed S. 223, FAA Air Transportation Modernization and 
      Safety Improvement Act, as amended.
      Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 17, Adjournment Resolution.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S807-S927
Measures Introduced: Forty-two bills and eighteen resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 374-415, and S. Res. 59-76.    
  Pages S870-71
Measures Reported:
  S. Res. 59, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Armed 
Services.
  S. Res. 61, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on the 
Judiciary.
  S. Res. 62, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  S. Res. 64, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.
  S. Res. 66, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Small 
Business and Entrepreneurship.
  S. Res. 67, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry.
  S. Res. 68, authorizing expenditures by the Senate Committee on 
Indian Affairs.
  S. Res. 69, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Finance.
  S. Res. 70, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Rules and 
Administration.
  S. Res. 71, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs.                                                      
Page S868
Measures Passed:
  Real Estate Investment Trusts 50th Anniversary: Senate agreed to S. 
Res. 60, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the date of enactment of 
the law that created real estate investment trusts (REITs) and gave 
millions of Americans new investment opportunities that helped them 
build a solid foundation for retirement and has contributed to the 
overall strength of the economy of the United States.         
  Page S809
  FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act: By 
87 yeas to 8 nays (Vote No. 25), Senate passed S. 223, to modernize the 
air traffic control system, improve the safety, reliability, and 
availability of transportation by air in the United States, provide 
modernization of the air traffic control system, reauthorize the 
Federal Aviation Administration, after taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:                              
  Pages S809-35
Adopted:
  Hutchison Further Modified Amendment No. 93 (to Modified Amendment 
No. 7), of a perfecting nature.                        
Pages S809, S814
  Inhofe Modified Amendment No. 7, to provide for an increase in the 
number of slots available at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
                                                       Pages S809, S814
  Coburn/Begich Amendment No. 64, to rescind unused earmarks. 
                                                          Pages S825-26
  Rockefeller (for Brown (OH)/Portman) Amendment No. 105 (to Amendment 
No. 32), to improve the provisions relating to integrating unmanned 
aerial systems into the National Airspace System.         
Pages S827-28
  Rockefeller (for Ensign) Amendment No. 32, to improve provisions 
relating to certification and flight standards for military remotely 
piloted aerial systems in the National Airspace System. 
                                                       Pages S809, S828
  Reid Modified Amendment No. 54, to allow airports that receive 
airport improvement grants for the purchase of land to lease the land 
and develop the land in a manner compatible with noise buffering 
purposes.                                              
Pages S809, S825
  Udall (NM) Modified Amendment No. 49, to authorize Dona Ana County, 
New Mexico, to exchange certain land conveyed to the County for airport 
purposes.                                              
Pages S809, S828
  Udall (NM) Further Modified Amendment No. 51, to require that all 
advanced imaging technology

[[Page D135]]

used as a primary screening method for passengers be equipped with 
automatic target recognition software.                 
Pages S809, S828
  Coburn Modified Amendment No. 80, to limit essential air service to 
locations that are 100 or more miles away from the nearest medium or 
large hub airport. (By 34 yeas to 65 nays (Vote No. 23), Senate earlier 
failed to table the amendment.)                        
Pages S826, S828
  Coburn Amendment No. 81, to limit essential air service to locations 
that average 10 or more enplanements per day.          
Pages S826, S828
  Schumer Amendment No. 71, to control helicopter noise pollution in 
residential areas.                                            
Page S828
  Rockefeller (for Leahy) Amendment No. 50, to amend title 1 of the 
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to include nonprofit 
and volunteer ground and air ambulance crew members and first 
responders for certain benefits, and to clarify the liability 
protection for volunteer pilots that fly for public benefit. 
                                                       Pages S809, S828
  Rockefeller (for Lautenberg) Modified Amendment No. 10, to change the 
effective date for certain noise level amendments.            
Page S830
  Rockefeller (for Pryor/Boozman) Amendment No. 22, to cap the local 
cost share under the contract air traffic control tower program at 20 
percent.                                                      
Page S830
  Rockefeller (for Klobuchar) Modified Amendment No. 37, to clarify the 
allowable costs standards for public-use airport projects.    
Page S830
  Rockefeller (for Cantwell) Modified Amendment No. 46, to allow the 
IRA rollover of amounts received in airline carrier bankruptcy. 
                                                          Pages S830-31
  Hutchison (for Murkowski/Begich) Amendment No. 53, to require the 
Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to improve the 
inspection, mounting, and retention of emergency locator transmitters. 
                                                              Page S831
  Hutchison/Cornyn Amendment No. 57, to authorize the Administrator of 
the Federal Aviation Administration to authorize general aviation 
airport sponsors to allocate mineral revenues not needed to carry out 
5-year projected airport maintenance needs for other transportation 
infrastructure projects.                                  
Pages S831-32
  Hutchison (for Cochran/Wicker) Amendment No. 59, to require a report 
on the use of explosive pest control devices.                 
Page S832
  Rockefeller (for Cantwell) Amendment No. 65, to accelerate the 
implementation of required navigation performance procedures. 
                                                              Page S832
  Hutchison (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 86, to provide for use of model 
aircraft for recreational and other purposes.                 
Page S832
  Rockefeller (for Boxer/Snowe) Amendment No. 94, to require the 
disclosure of the dimensions of seats on aircraft to enable parents to 
determine if their child safety seats will fit in those seats. 
                                                          Pages S832-34
Rejected:
  McCain Amendment No. 4, to repeal the essential air service program. 
(By 61 yeas to 38 nays (Vote No. 21), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                                       Pages S809, S823
  Paul Amendment No. 18, to strike the provisions relating to 
clarifying a memorandum of understanding between the Federal Aviation 
Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 
(By 52 yeas to 47 nays (Vote No. 22), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                                    Pages S809, S823-24
  Coburn Amendment No. 91, to decrease the Federal share of project 
costs under the airport improvement program for non-primary airports. 
(By 59 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 24), Senate tabled the amendment.) 
                                                    Pages S826-27, S828
Withdrawn:
  Rockefeller (for Wyden) Amendment No. 27, to increase the number of 
test sites in the National Airspace System used for unmanned aerial 
vehicles and to require one of those test sites to include a 
significant portion of public lands.                          
Page S809
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the vote on 
the motion to invoke cloture on Inhofe Modified Amendment No. 7 (listed 
above), be vitiated.                                          
Page S819
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 96 yeas to 2 nays (Vote No. 20), 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 bill.            
Page S819
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the bill be 
held at the desk, when the Senate receives the House companion to S. 
223, as determined by the two Leaders, it be in order for the Majority 
Leader to proceed to its immediate consideration; strike all after the 
enacting clause and insert the text of S. 223, as passed by the Senate, 
in lieu thereof; that the companion bill, as amended, be read a third 
time, the statutory PAYGO statement be read and the bill be passed; 
that upon passage, the 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 a ratio of 5-4; all with no intervening action or debate. 
                                                              Page S824
  Education Sciences Reform Act: Senate passed S. 365, to make a 
technical amendment to the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002. 
                                                              Page S924

[[Page D136]]

  W. Craig Broadwater Federal Building and United States Courthouse: 
Committee on Environment and Public Works was discharged from further 
consideration of S. 307, to designate the Federal building and United 
States courthouse located at 217 West King Street, Martinsburg, West 
Virginia, as the ``W. Craig Broadwater Federal Building and United 
States Courthouse'', and the bill was then passed.            
  Page S924
  Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge: Committee on 
Environment and Public Works was discharged from further consideration 
of S. 266, to redesignate the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge as the 
Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, and the bill was then 
passed.                                                       
  Page S924
  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Senate agreed to S. Res. 72, 
recognizing the artistic and cultural contributions of the Alvin Ailey 
American Dance Theater and the 50th Anniversary of the first 
performance of Alvin Ailey's masterwork, ``Revelations''.     
  Page S924
  Supporting Iranian Democracy: Senate agreed to S. Res. 73, supporting 
democracy, universal rights, and the Iranian people in their peaceful 
call for a representative and responsive democratic government. 
                                                              Page S925
  Rare Disease Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 74, designating February 
28, 2011, as ``Rare Disease Day''.                            
  Page S925
  National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 75, 
designating March 25, 2011, as ``National Cerebral Palsy Awareness 
Day''.                                                        
  Page S925
  Soldiers of the 14th Quartermaster Detachment of the Army Reserve: 
Senate agreed to S. Res. 76, recognizing the soldiers of the 14th 
Quartermaster Detachment of the United States Army Reserve who were 
killed or wounded during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert 
Storm.                                                    
  Pages S925-26
  Adjournment Resolution: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 17, providing 
for a conditional adjournment of the House of Representatives and a 
conditional recess or adjournment of the Senate.              
  Page S926
Authorizing Leadership To Make Appointments--Agreement: A unanimous-
consent agreement was reached providing that, notwithstanding the 
upcoming recess or adjournment of the Senate, the President of the 
Senate, the President Pro Tempore and the Majority and Minority Leaders 
be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, 
conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by 
concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate. 
                                                              Page S927
Signing Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that during the adjournment of the Senate, the Majority 
Leader, Senator Rockefeller and Senator Webb be authorized to sign duly 
enrolled bills or joint resolutions.                          
  Page S927
Washington's Farewell Address--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement 
was reached providing that at approximately 2:00 p.m., on Monday, 
February 28, 2011, Senator Isakson will deliver Washington's Farewell 
Address to the Senate; that following the address, there be a period of 
morning business until 3:30 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak 
therein for up to 10 minutes each.                            
  Page S927
Patent Reform Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that at 3:30 p.m., on Monday, February 28, 2011, Senate begin 
consideration of S. 23, to amend title 35, United States Code, to 
provide for patent reform.                                    
  Page S927
Totenberg and Jones Nominations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time 
agreement was reached providing that at 4:30 p.m., on Monday, February 
28, 2011, Senate begin consideration of the nominations of Amy 
Totenberg, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for the 
Northern District of Georgia, and Steve C. Jones, of Georgia, to be 
United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia; that 
there be one hour for debate equally divided and controlled in the 
usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the nomination 
of Amy Totenberg, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for 
the Northern District of Georgia, be confirmed, and Senate vote without 
intervening action or debate on confirmation of the nomination of Steve 
C. Jones, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for the 
Northern District of Georgia.                                 
  Page S927
Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:
  Stephanie O'Sullivan, of Virginia, to be Principal Deputy Director of 
National Intelligence.                                    
Pages S926-27
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Mari Carmen Aponte, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of El Salvador.
  Thomas M. Countryman, of Washington, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
State (International Security and Non-Proliferation).

[[Page D137]]


  Michelle D. Gavin, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to 
the Republic of Botswana.
  Mara E. Rudman, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development.
  Ryan C. Crocker, of Washington, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
2012.
  Sim Farar, of California, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
2012.
  William J. Hybl, of Colorado, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
2012.
  Anne Terman Wedner, of Illinois, to be a Member of the United States 
Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 
2013.
  Thomas M. Harrigan, of New York, to be Deputy Administrator of Drug 
Enforcement.
  1 Marine Corps nomination in the rank of general.           
Page S927
Messages from the House:                                      
  Page S865
Measures Held at the Desk:                                    
  Page S865
Executive Communications:                                 
  Pages S865-68
Executive Reports of Committees:                          
  Pages S868-69
Additional Cosponsors:                                    
  Pages S871-72
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:             
  Pages S872-S919
Additional Statements:                                    
  Pages S863-65
Amendments Submitted:                                     
  Pages S919-22
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                       
  Pages S922-23
Record Votes: Six record votes were taken today. (Total--25) 
                                        Pages S819, S823-24, S828, S834
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned, pursuant to 
the provisions of H. Con. Res. 17, at 9:19 p.m., until 2 p.m. on 
Monday, February 28, 2011. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of 
the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S927.)