Friday, December 7, 2007 [[Page D1587]] Daily Digest Senate Chamber Action Routine Proceedings, pages S15003-S15037 Measures Introduced: Three bills and four resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2433-2435, S.J. Res. 26, and S. Res. 395-397. Page S15031 Measures Reported: S. 2062, to amend the Native American Housing Assistance and Self- Determination Act of 1996 to reauthorize that Act, with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 110-238) Page S15031 Measures Passed: National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 395, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Pages S15010-11 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology: Senate agreed to S. Res. 397, recognizing the 2007-2008 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology and celebrating the first time in the history of the competition that young women have won top honors. Page S15037 Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 Temporary Extension: Senate passed H.R. 4252, to provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 through May 23, 2008, clearing the measure for the President. Page S15037 Measures Considered: Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act--House Message: Senate began consideration of the House amendments to the Senate amendments to accompany H.R. 6, to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers from price gouging, to increase the energy efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government. Pages S15004-09 Pending: Senator Reid entered a motion to concur in the amendments of the House to the Senate amendments to the bill. Page S15007 During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action: By 53 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 416), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate rejected the motion to close further debate on the motion to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendments to the bill. Pages S15004-09 A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the House message be returned to the Secretary's desk. Pages S15012-13 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 S15013-25 Withdrawn: Reid (for Dorgan/Grassley) Amendment No. 3508 (to Amendment No. 3500), to strengthen payment limitations and direct the savings to increased funding for certain programs. Page S15013 Reid Amendment No. 3509 (to Amendment No. 3508), to change the enactment date. Page S15013 Reid Amendment No. 3510 (to the language proposed to be stricken by Amendment No. 3500), to change the enactment date. Page S15013 Reid Amendment No. 3511 (to Amendment No. 3510), to change the enactment date. Page S15013 Motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, with instructions to report back forthwith, with Reid Amendment No. 3512. Page S15013 Reid Amendment No. 3512 (to the instructions of the motion to commit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, with instructions), to change the enactment date. Page S15013 Reid Amendment No. 3513 (to the instructions of the motion to recommit), to change the enactment date. Page S15013 Reid Amendment No. 3514 (to Amendment No. 3513), to change the enactment date. Page S15013 [[Page D1588]] Pending: Harkin Amendment No. 3500, in the nature of a substitute. Page S15013 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 S15014 Brown Amendment No. 3819 (to Amendment No. 3500), to increase funding for critical Farm Bill programs and improve crop insurance. Page S15014 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. Pages S15014-19 Chambliss (for Lugar) Amendment No. 3711 (to Amendment No. 3500), relative to traditional payments and loans. Page S15019 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 S15025 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 S15025 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 S15025 Chambliss (for Coburn) Amendment No. 3632 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify a provision relating to the Environmental Quality Incentive Program. Page S15025 A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the bill at approximately 3 p.m., on Monday, December 10, 2007. Page S15037 Treaties Approved: The following treaties having passed through their various parliamentary stages, up to and including the presentation of the resolution of ratification, upon division, two-thirds of the Senators present having voted in the affirmative, the resolutions of ratification were agreed to: Patent Law Treaty and Regulations Under Patent Law Treaty (Treaty Doc. 109-12) with one reservation; Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (Treaty Doc. 109-21) with nine declarations; and Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (Treaty Doc. 110-2) with one condition. Pages S15036-37 Messages from the House: Pages S15030-31 Measures Referred: Page S15031 Additional Cosponsors: Pages S15031-32 Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: Pages S15032-34 Additional Statements: Page S15030 Amendments Submitted: Pages S15034-36 Privileges of the Floor: Page S15036 Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--416) Page S15009 Adjournment: Senate convened at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 3:14 p.m., until 3 p.m. on Monday, December 10, 2007. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S15037.) Committee Meetings (Committees not listed did not meet) No committee meetings were held. [[Page D1589]] House of Representatives Chamber Action The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. on Monday, December 10. Committee Meetings No committee meetings were held. NEW PUBLIC LAWS (For last listing of Public Laws, see Daily Digest, p. D1560) H.R. 50, to reauthorize the African Elephant Conservation Act and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994. Signed on December 6, 2007. (Public Law 110-132) H.R. 465, to reauthorize the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997. Signed on December 6, 2007. (Public Law 110-133) CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM AHEAD Week of December 10 through December 15, 2007 Senate Chamber On Monday, at 3 p.m., Senate will resume consideration on H.R. 2419, Farm Bill Extension Act. During the balance of the week, Senate may consider any cleared legislative and executive business. Senate Committees (Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) Committee on Appropriations: December 11, to hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the supplemental request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 10 a.m., SD-106. December 13, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, to hold hearings to examine mine inspections, focusing on the efficacy of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), 2 p.m., SD-124. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: December 13, to hold hearings to examine shopping smart and avoiding scams, focusing on financial literacy during the holiday season, 10:30 a.m., SD-538. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: December 12, Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, to hold an oversight hearing to examine the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, focusing on truck driver hours-of-service (HOS) rules and truck safety, 10 a.m., SR-253. December 13, Full Committee, to hold an oversight hearing to examine the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 10 a.m., SR- 253. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: December 11, 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. December 13, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine ways to reform the Mining Law of 1872, 9:30 a.m., SD-366. December 13, Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, to hold hearings to examine forest restoration and hazardous fuels reduction efforts in the forests of Oregon and Washington, 2:30 p.m., SD-366. Committee on Environment and Public Works: December 13, to hold hearings to examine the Clean Water Act (Public Law 92-500), focusing on the Supreme Court decisions in Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County and Rapanos-Carabell, 9 a.m., SD-406. Committee on Finance: December 11, 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: December 11, to receive a closed briefing on national intelligence estimate on Iran, focusing on nuclear intentions and capabilities, 2:30 p.m., S-407, Capitol. December 13, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine perspectives on the next phase of the global fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, 2:30 p.m., SD-419. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: December 11, to hold hearings to examine the global challenge of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, 10 a.m., SR-325. December 12, Full Committee, business meeting to consider S. 579, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer, and any pending nominations, 10 a.m., SD-430. December 13, Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, to hold joint hearings with the House Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions to examine the National Labor Relations Board, focusing on decisions and their impact on worker's rights, 10 a.m., 2175-RHOB. [[Page D1590]] Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: December 11, 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. December 11, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine e- government 2.0, focusing on improving innovation, collaboration, and access, 10 a.m., SD-342. December 12, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine the nominations of Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Jeffrey William Runge, of North Carolina, to be Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, both of the Department of Homeland Security, 10 a.m., SD-342. December 13, Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, to hold hearings to examine prioritizing management, focusing on implementing chief management officers at federal agencies, 10 a.m., SD-342. December 13, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, to hold hearings to examine United Nations Development Program operations in North Korea, 2 p.m., SD-342. Committee on the Judiciary: December 11, 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. December 11, 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. December 12, Subcommittee on the Constitution, to hold hearings to examine S. 1782, to amend chapter 1 of title 9 of United States Code with respect to arbitration, 9:30 a.m., SD-226. December 13, Full Committee, to hold hearings to examine S. 2402, to provide for the substitution of the United States in certain civil actions, S. 344, to permit the televising of Supreme Court proceedings, S. 1638, to adjust the salaries of Federal justices and judges, S. 1829, to reauthorize programs under the Missing Children's Assistance Act, S. 431, to require convicted sex offenders to register online identifiers, S. 2344, to create a competitive grant program to provide for age-appropriate Internet education for children, and S. Res. 388, designating the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008, as ``National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week'', 10 a.m., SD-226. Committee on Rules and Administration: December 12, to hold hearings to examine a recently released Government Accountability Office report, focusing on funding challenges and facilities maintenance at the Smithsonian Institution, 10 a.m., SR-301. Select Committee on Intelligence: December 13, to hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters, 2:30 p.m., SH-219. Special Committee on Aging: December 12, to hold hearings to examine reverse mortgages, focusing on polishing not tarnishing the golden years, 10:30 a.m., SD-628. House Committees Committee on Armed Services, December 11, hearing on Security and Stability in Afghanistan: Status of U.S. Strategy and Operations and the Way Ahead, 2 p.m., 2118 Rayburn. December 12, Subcommittee on Readiness, hearing on implementation of the Base Realignment and Closure 2005 decisions, 10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn. December 13, full Committee, hearing on global maritime strategy initiatives, 10 a.m., 2118 Rayburn. Committee on the Budget, December 13, hearing on CBO's Long-Term Budget Outlook, 10 a.m., 210 Cannon. Committee on Energy and Commerce, December 12, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing entitled ``Energy Speculation: Is Greater Regulation Necessary to Stop Price Manipulation?'' 10 a.m., 2123 Rayburn. Committee on Financial Services, December 12, Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, hearing entitled ``The Financial Consumer Hotline Act of 2007: Providing Consumers with Easy Access to the Appropriate Banking Regulator,'' 10 a.m., 2128 Rayburn. Committee on Foreign Affairs, December 12, Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, hearing on Connecting the Money to the Mission: The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Assistance to the Palestinians, 10 a.m., 2200 Rayburn. Committee on Homeland Security, December 12, Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, hearing on the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008, 10 a.m., 311 Cannon. Committee on the Judiciary, December 12, Task Force on Antitrust and Competition Policy, hearing on Media Consolidation: Impact on Minority Ownership and Localism, 2 p.m., 2141 Rayburn. December 13, Subcommittee on Courts, The Internet, and Intellectual Property, hearing on H.R. 4279, Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2007, 10 a.m., 2141 Rayburn. December 13, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, hearing on oversight of State-Run Juvenile Correctional Facilities known as ``Boot Camps,'' 1 p.m., 2141 Rayburn. Committee on Natural Resources, December 12, oversight hearing on New Fees for Filming and Photography on Public Lands, 10 a.m., 1324 Longworth. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, December 11, 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. [[Page D1591]] December 12, Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, hearing on Assessing the Environmental Risks of the Water Bottling Industry's Extraction of Groundwater, 2 p.m., 2154 Rayburn. December 13, full Committee, hearing on Assessing Veterans' Charities, 10 a.m., 2154 Rayburn. Committee on Rules, December 11, to consider the following: Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1585, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008; Conference 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. Committee on Small Business, December 12, hearing entitled ``Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404: New Evidence on the Cost for Small Companies,'' 10 a.m., 2360 Rayburn. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, December 12, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, hearing on the New DHS Headquarters at St. Elizabeths: Local Business Opportunities, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn. Committee on Veterans' Affairs, December 12, hearing on Stopping Suicides: Mental Health Challenges Within the Department of Veterans Affairs, 10 a.m., 345 Cannon. December 12, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and the Subcommittee on Health, joint hearing on Outpatient Waiting Times, 2 p.m., 345 Cannon. Joint Meetings Joint Hearing: December 13, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, to hold joint hearings with the House Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions to examine the National Labor Relations Board, focusing on decisions and their impact on workers' rights, 10 a.m., 2175-RHOB. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe: December 13, to hold hearings to examine freedom of the media in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region, 10 a.m., 318B- RHOB. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (USPS 087ÿ09390). 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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 D1592]] _______________________________________________________________________ Next Meeting of the SENATE 3 p.m., Monday, December 10 Senate Chamber Program for Monday: Senate will resume consideration on H.R. 2419, Farm Bill Extension Act. Next Meeting of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 3 p.m., Monday, December 10 House Chamber Program for Monday: To be announced.