Monday, December 10, 2007 [[Page D1593]] Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S15039-S15081 Measures Introduced: Six bills and two resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2436-2441, and S. Res. 398-399. Pages S15062-63 Measures Reported: S. 1946, to help Federal prosecutors and investigators combat public corruption by strengthening and clarifying the law, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 110-239) Page S15062 Measures Passed: Honoring Joe Nuxhall: Senate agreed to S. Res. 398, honoring the life and recognizing the accomplishments of Joe Nuxhall, broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds. Page S15063 Measures Considered: Farm Bill Extension Act: Senate resumed consideration of H.R. 2419, to provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through fiscal year 2012, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: Pages S15040-58 Pending: Harkin Amendment No. 3500, in the nature of a substitute. Page S15040 Harkin (for Dorgan/Grassley) Amendment No. 3695 (to Amendment No. 3500), to strengthen payment limitations and direct the savings to increase funding for certain programs. Page S15040 Brown Amendment No. 3819 (to Amendment No. 3500), to increase funding for critical Farm Bill programs and improve crop insurance. Page S15040 Klobuchar Amendment No. 3810 (to Amendment No. 3500), to improve the adjusted gross income limitation and use the savings to provide additional funding for certain programs and reduce the Federal deficit. Page S15040 Chambliss (for Lugar) Amendment No. 3711 (to Amendment No. 3500), relative to traditional payments and loans. Page S15040 Chambliss (for Cornyn) Amendment No. 3687 (to Amendment No. 3500), to prevent duplicative payments for agricultural disaster assistance already covered by the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund. Page S15040 Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3807 (to Amendment No. 3500), to ensure the priority of the farm bill remains farmers by eliminating wasteful Department of Agriculture spending on casinos, golf courses, junkets, cheese centers, and aging barns. Page S15040 Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3530 (to Amendment No. 3500), to limit the distribution to deceased individuals, and estates of those individuals, of certain agricultural payments. Page S15040 Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3632 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify a provision relating to the Environmental Quality Incentive Program. Page S15040 Salazar Amendment No. 3616 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for the production of all cellulosic biofuels. Pages S15041-42 Thune (for McConnell) Amendment No. 3821 (to Amendment No. 3500), to promote the nutritional health of school children, with an offset. Page S15042 Craig Amendment No. 3640 (to Amendment No. 3500), to prohibit the involuntary acquisition of farmland and grazing land by Federal, State, and local governments for parks, open space, or similar purposes. Pages S15045-46 Thune (for Roberts/Brownback) Amendment No. 3549 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify a provision relating to regulations. Page S15046 Domenici Amendment No. 3614 (to Amendment No. 3500), to reduce our Nation's dependency foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources. Pages S15046-49 Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3674 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude charges of indebtedness on principal residences from gross income. Page S15049 Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3673 (to Amendment No. 3500), to improve women's access [[Page D1594]] to health care services in rural areas and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the delivery of obstetrical and gynecological services. Page S15049 Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3671 (to Amendment No. 3500), to strike the section requiring the establishment of a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. Page S15049 Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3672 (to Amendment No. 3500), to strike a provision relating to market loss assistance for asparagus producers. Page S15049 Thune (for Gregg) Amendment No. 3822 (to Amendment No. 3500), to provide nearly $1,000,000,000 in critical home heating assistance to low-income families and senior citizens for the 2007-2008 winter season, and reduce the Federal deficit by eliminating wasteful farm subsidies. Page S15049 Thune (for Grassley/Kohl) Amendment No. 3823 (to Amendment No. 3500), to provide for the review of agricultural mergers and acquisitions by the Department of Justice. Pages S15049-51 Thune (for Sessions) Amendment No. 3596 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a pilot program under which agricultural producers may establish and contribute to tax- exempt farm savings accounts in lieu of obtaining federally subsidized crop insurance or noninsured crop assistance, to provide for contributions to such accounts by the Secretary of Agriculture, to specify the situations in which amounts may be paid to producers from such accounts, and to limit the total amount of such distributions to a producer during a taxable year. Page S15051 Thune (for Stevens) Amendment No. 3569 (to Amendment No. 3500), to make commercial fishermen eligible for certain operating loans. Pages S15051-52 Thune (for Alexander) Amendment No. 3551 (to Amendment No. 3500), to increase funding for the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems, with an offset. Pages S15052-53 Thune (for Alexander) Amendment No. 3553 (to Amendment No. 3500), to limit the tax credit for small wind energy property expenditures to property placed in service in connection with a farm or rural small business. Page S15053 Thune (for Bond) Amendment No. 3771 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend title 7, United States Code, to include provisions relating to rulemaking. Page S15053 Salazar (for Durbin) Amendment No. 3539 (to Amendment No. 3500), to provide a termination date for the conduct of certain inspections and the issuance of certain regulations. Page S15057 A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the bill at approximately 11 a.m., on Tuesday, December 11, 2007, and that there be 3 hours of debate equally divided and controlled for debate on Chambliss (for Lugar) Amendment No. 3711 (to Amendment No. 3500) (listed above); provided further, that upon the use or yielding back of time, Senate vote on or in relation to the amendment. Page S15058 Messages from the House: Page S15061 Measures Read the First Time: Pages S15061, S15081 Executive Communications: Pages S15061-62 Additional Cosponsors: Pages S15063-64 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Pages S15064-78 Additional Statements: Pages S15060-61 Amendments Submitted: Pages S15078-81 Privileges of the Floor: Page S15081 Adjournment: Senate convened at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 6:39 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2007. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S15081.) Committee Meetings No committee meetings were held. H House of Representatives Chamber Action Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 2 public bills, H.R. 4341-4342; and 2 resolutions, and H. Res. 853-854, were introduced. Page H15215 Additional Cosponsors: Page H15215 Reports Filed: Reports were filed as follows: H.R. 4108, to amend section 3328 of title 5, United States Code, relating to Selective Service registration (H. Rept. 110-479); [[Page D1595]] H.R. 3986, to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (H. Rept. 110-480); and H.R. 275, to promote freedom of expression on the Internet, to protect United States businesses from coercion to participate in repression by authoritarian foreign governments, with an amendment (H. Rept. 110-481, Pt. 1). Page H15214 Speaker: Read a letter from the Speaker wherein she appointed representative McIntyre to act as Speaker Pro Tempore for today. Page H15211 Senate Messages: Messages received from the Senate by the Clerk and subsequently presented to the House today appear on page H15212. Senate Referrals: S. Con. Res. 54 was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Page H15212 Quorum Calls--Votes: There were no Yea-and-Nay votes, and there were no Recorded votes. There were no quorum calls. Adjournment: The House met at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 3:05 p.m. Committee Meetings No committee meetings were held. F COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2007 (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: to hold hearings to examine S. 2156, to authorize and facilitate the improvement of water management by the Bureau of Reclamation, to require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Energy to increase the acquisition and analysis of water resources for irrigation, hydroelectric power, municipal, and environmental uses, 2:30 p.m., SD-366. Committee on Finance: to hold hearings to examine S. 1673, to facilitate the export of United States agricultural products to Cuba as authorized by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, to remove impediments to the export to Cuba of medical devices and medicines, to allow travel to Cuba by United States citizens, to establish an agricultural export promotion program with respect to Cuba, 10 a.m., SD-215. Committee on Foreign Relations: to receive a closed briefing on the national intelligence estimate on Iran, focusing on nuclear intentions and capabilities, 2:30 p.m., S-407, Capitol. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: to hold hearings to examine the global challenge of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, 10 a.m., SR-325. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, to hold joint hearings with the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy to examine the role of speculation in recent crude oil prices, 10 a.m., SH-216. Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine e-government 2.0, focusing on improving innovation, collaboration, and access, 10 a.m., SD-342. Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security, to hold hearings to examine the legal rights of Guantanamo detainees, focusing on what they are, should they be changed, and is there an end in sight, 10 a.m., SD-226. Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, to hold hearings to examine the Sunshine in Litigation Act, focusing on whether court secrecy undermines public health and safety, 2:30 p.m., SD- 226. Select Committee on Intelligence: to receive a closed briefing on certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SH-219. House Committee on Armed Services, hearing on Security and Stability in Afghanistan: Status of U.S. Strategy and Operations and the Way Ahead, 2 p.m., 2118 Rayburn. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, hearing on A Review of the Census Bureau's Risk Management Activities for IT Acquisitions, 2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn. Committee on Rules, to consider the following: Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1585, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008; Conference Report to accompany H.R. 2082, Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008; and a resolution Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2764) making appropriations for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes, 5 p.m., H-313 Capitol. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087ÿ09390). The Periodicals postage is paid at Washington, D.C. 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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Record, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, Along with the entire mailing label from the last issue received. [[Page D1596]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 11 __________ Senate Chamber Program for Tuesday: After the transaction of any morning business (not to extend beyond 60 minutes), Senate will continue consideration of H.R. 2419, Farm Bill Extension Act, and after a period of debate, vote on or in relation to Chambliss (for Lugar) Amendment No. 3711 to Amendment No. 3511. (Senate will recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. for their respective party conferences.) Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, December 11 __________ House Chamber Program for Tuesday: Consideration of the following suspensions: (1) H.R. 3079--To amend the Joint Resolution Approving the Covenant to Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; (2) H.R. 3739--To amend the Arizona Water Settlements Act to modify the requirements for the statement of findings; (3) H.R. 123--To authorize appropriations for the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund; (4) H. Res. 842--Expressing sympathy to and pledging the support of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States for the victims of Cyclone Sidr in southern Bangladesh; (5) H. Res. 708--Honoring the life and accomplishments of Luciano Pavarotti and recognizing the significant and positive impact of his astounding musical talent, his achievement in raising the profile of opera with audiences around the world, and his commitment to charitable causes; (6) H. Res. 847-- Recognizing the importance of Christmas; (7) H. Res. 768--Honoring the life of Thomas ``Tommy'' Makem; (8) H. Con. Res. 264--Honoring the University of Hawaii for its 100 years of commitment to public higher education; (9) H. Res. 785--Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of Robstown, Texas; (10) H.R. 4009--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 567 West Nepessing Street in Lapeer, Michigan, as the ``Turrill Post Office Building''; (11) H. Con. Res. 215--Supporting the designation of a week as National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Awareness Week; (12) H. Res. 695--Expressing the support for designation of a ``National Fire Fighter Appreciation Day'' to honor and celebrate the fire fighters of the United States; (13) S. 597--An act to extend the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 4 years; (14) H.R. 4108--To amend section 3328 of title 5, United States Code, relating to Selective Service registration; (15) H. Con. Res. 261--Commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ``Great White Fleet,'' launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909; (16) H.R. 3986--John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2007; (17) H.R. 3985--Over-the-Road Bus Transportation Accessibility Act of 2007; (18) H. Res. 661--Honoring the accomplishments of Barrington Antonio Irving, the youngest pilot and first person of African descent ever to fly solo around the world; (19) Resolution honoring those who have volunteered to assist in the cleanup of the November 7, 2007, oil spill in San Francisco Bay; (20) H.R. 797--Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act; (21) H.R. 2601-- The ``Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act of 2007''; and (22) H.R. 3541--The ``Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007''. _______________________________________________________________________ Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue HOUSE Bishop, Timothy H., N.Y., E2527, E2528, E2530 Camp, Dave, Mich., E2531 Hastings, Alcee L., Fla., E2528 Issa, Darrell E., Calif., E2527 Murphy, Tim, Pa., E2532 Nunes, Devin, Calif., E2531 Skelton, Ike, Mo., E2529 Towns, Edolphus, N.Y., E2527, E2527, E2528, E2529, E2530, E2530, E2531, E2531, E2532, E2532 Weller, Jerry, Ill., E2531 DeLauro, Rosa L., Conn., E2529