The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“Highlights + Senate” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Daily Digest section on pages D1622-D1625 on Dec. 13, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Daily Digest
HIGHLIGHTS
Senate completed action on H.R. 6, CLEAN Energy Act.
Senate passed H.J. Res. 69, Continuing Appropriations.
The House passed H.J. Res. 69, making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2008.
Senate
Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S15379-S15577
Measures Introduced: Twenty two bills and two resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2463-2484, and S. Res. 404-405.
Pages S15460-61
Measures Reported:
S. Res. 388, designating the week of February 4 through February 8, 2008, as ``National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week''.
S. Res. 396, expressing the sense of the Senate that the hanging of nooses for the purpose of intimidation should be thoroughly investigated by Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities and that any criminal violations should be vigorously prosecuted, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and with an amended preamble.
S. 1829, to reauthorize programs under the Missing Children's Assistance Act, with an amendment.
S. 2344, to create a competitive grant program to provide for age-
appropriate Internet education for children.
Page S15460
Measures Passed:
Continuing Appropriations: Senate passed H.J. Res. 69, making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2008, clearing the measure for the President.
Page S15432
C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse: Committee on Environment and Public Works was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2671, to designate the United States courthouse located at 301 North Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida, as the ``C. Clyde Atkins United States Courthouse'', and the bill was then passed, clearing the measure for the President.
Page S15568
Public Health Service Act: Senate passed S. 1916, to amend the Public Health Service Act to modify the program for the sanctuary system for surplus chimpanzees by terminating the authority for the removal of chimpanzees from the system for research purposes, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.
Pages S15568-69
Henry John Hyde Life and Contributions: Senate agreed to S. Res. 405, recognizing the life and contributions of Henry John Hyde.
Page S15569
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Senate passed S. 2484, to rename the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Pages S15570-71
Republic of Georgia Presidential Elections: Committee on Foreign Relations was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 391, calling on the President of the United States to engage in an open discussion with the leaders of the Republic of Georgia to express support for the planned presidential elections and the expectation that such elections will be held in a manner consistent with democratic principles, and the resolution was then agreed to.
Page S15571
Milo C. Huempfner Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic: Committee on Veterans' Affairs was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2408, to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Green Bay, Wisconsin, as the ``Milo C. Huempfner Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic'', and the bill was then passed, clearing the measure for the President.
Page S15571
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia: Committee on Veterans' Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. 1396, to authorize a major medical facility project to modernize inpatient wards at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and the bill was then passed.
Pages S15571-72
Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic: Committee on Veterans' Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. 1585, to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the ``Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic'', and the bill was then passed.
Page S15572
Lieutenant Colonel Clement C. Van Wagoner Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic: Committee on Veterans' Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. 2339, to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Alpena, Michigan, as the ``Lieutenant Colonel Clement C. Van Wagoner Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic'', and the bill was then passed.
Page S15572
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act: Senate passed S. 1858, to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish grant programs to provide for education and outreach on newborn screening and coordinated followup care once newborn screening has been conducted, to reauthorize programs under part A of title XI of such Act, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, and the following amendment proposed thereto:
Pages S15572-77
Harkin (for Dodd) Amendment No. 3852, in the nature of a substitute.
Page S15574
Measures Considered:
Farm Bill Extension Act: Senate continued 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 S15380-85, S15390-S15421, S15433-52
Adopted:
Chambliss (for Coburn) Modified Amendment No. 3530 (to Amendment No. 3500), to limit the distribution to deceased individuals, and estates of those individuals, of certain agricultural payments.
Pages S15417-18
Harkin Amendment No. 3851 (to Amendment No. 3500), to promote legal certainty, enhance competition, and reduce systemic risk in markets for futures and over-the-counter derivatives.
Pages S15441-48
Withdrawn:
By yeas 56 to nays 43 (Vote No. 424), Harkin (for Dorgan/Grassley) Modified Amendment No. 3695 (to Amendment No. 3500), to strengthen payment limitations and direct the savings to increase funding for certain programs. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, be withdrawn).
Pages S15380-85
Schumer Amendment No. 3720 (to Amendment No. 3500), to improve crop insurance and use resulting savings to increase funding for certain conservation programs.
Pages S15398-99
By 48 yeas to 47 nays (Vote No. 426), 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. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, be withdrawn).
Pages S15412-17, S15418
By 40 yeas to 55 nays (Vote No. 427), Tester Amendment No. 3666 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify the provision relating to unlawful practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, be withdrawn).
Pages S15392-98, S15418
By 32 yeas to 63 nays (Vote No. 428), Brown Amendment No. 3819 (to Amendment No. 3500), to increase funding for critical Farm Bill programs and improve crop insurance. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, be withdrawn).
Pages S15404-12, S15418-20
By 37 yeas to 58 yeas (Vote No. 429), 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. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, be withdrawn).
Pages S15399-S15404, S15420-21
Harkin/Kennedy Amendment 3830 (to Amendment No. 3500), relative to public safety officers.
Page S15447
Wyden Amendment No. 3736 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify a provision relating to bioenergy crop transition assistance.
Page S15450
Pending:
Harkin Amendment No. 3500, in the nature of a substitute.
Page S15380
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 S15380
Chambliss (for Coburn) Modified 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 golf courses, junkets, cheese centers, and aging barns.
Page S15380
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.
Page S15380
Thune (for McConnell) Amendment No. 3821 (to Amendment No. 3500), to promote the nutritional health of school children, with an offset.
Page S15380
Thune (for Roberts/Brownback) Amendment No. 3549 (to Amendment No. 3500), to modify a provision relating to regulations.
Page S15380
Domenici Amendment No. 3614 (to Amendment No. 3500), to reduce our Nation's dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources.
Page S15380
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 S15380
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 S15380
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 S15380, S15433-41
Thune (for Stevens) Amendment No. 3569 (to Amendment No. 3500), to make commercial fishermen eligible for certain operating loans.
Page S15380
Thune (for Bond) Amendment No. 3771 (to Amendment No. 3500), to amend title 7, United States Code, to include provisions relating to rulemaking.
Page S15380
Sanders Amendment No. 3826 (to Amendment No. 3822), to provide for payments under subsections (a) through (e) of section 2604 of the Low-
Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, and restore supplemental agricultural disaster assistance from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund.
Page S15380
Harkin/Murkowski Amendment No. 3639 (to Amendment No. 3500), to improve nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in schools.
Page S15380
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action:
Harkin Amendment No. 3844 (to Amendment No. 3830), relative to public safety officers, fell when Harkin Amendment No. 3830 (to Amendment No. 3500) (listed above), was withdrawn.
Page S15447
By 78 yeas to 12 nays (Vote No. 431), 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 Harkin Amendment No. 3500
(listed above).
Page S15450
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the bill at approximately 10:00 a.m., on Friday, December 14, 2007, and that all time during any recess or adjournment count post-cloture.
Page S15577
House Messages:
Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act--House Message: By 86 yeas to 8 nays (Vote No. 430), Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the text of 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, with Reid Amendment No. 3850, in the nature of a substitute.
Pages S15385-90, S15421-32
Withdrawn:
Senator Reid motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the Senate amendment to the text of the bill.
Page S15421
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action:
By 59 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 425), 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 amendment to the Senate amendment with an amendment to the text of the bill.
Page S15389
Senator Reid motion to concur in the amendments of the House to the Senate amendments to the bill, was ruled out of order.
Reid Amendment No. 3841 (to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the text), in the nature of a substitute, was ruled out of order.
Reid Amendment No. 3842 (to Amendment No. 3841), to change the enactment date, fell when Reid Amendment No. 3841was ruled out of order.
Special Postage Stamp: Senate concurred in the amendments of the House of Representatives to S. 597, to extend the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 4 years, clearing the measure for the President.
Page S15568
FHA Modernization Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing that at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, following consultation with the Republican Leader, Senate begin consideration of S. 2338, to modernize and update the National Housing Act and enable the Federal Housing Administration to more effectively reach underserved borrowers, that the only first-degree amendments in order be the following: Senators Dodd and Shelby amendment relating to a moratorium and Coburn amendment relating to reverse mortgages, and that debate on Coburn Amendment be limited to 60 minutes equally divided and controlled in the usual form; provided further, that there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled on the bill, and that following the use or yielding back of time Senate vote on passage of the bill.
Page S15568
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
Amul R. Thapar, of Kentucky, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
Ronald Jay Tenpas, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General.
Diane J. Humetewa, of Arizona, to be United States Attorney for the District of Arizona for the term of four years.
Gregory A. Brower, of Nevada, to be United States Attorney for the District of Nevada for the term of four years.
Edmund A. Booth, Jr., of Georgia, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia for the term of four years.
Routine lists in the Coast Guard.
Page S15577
Messages from the House:
Page S15459
Measures Referred:
Page S15459
Measures Placed on the Calendar:
Page S15459
Measures Read the First Time:
Pages S15459-60
Executive Reports of Committees:
Page S15460
Additional Cosponsors:
Pages S15461-62
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S15462-76
Additional Statements:
Pages S15457-59
Amendments Submitted:
Pages S15476-S15566
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
Pages S15566-67
Privileges of the Floor:
Page S15567
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--431)
Pages S15385, S15389, S15418, S15420, S15420-21, S15432, S15450
Adjournment: Senate convened at 8:30 a.m. and adjourned at 10:48 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Friday, December 14, 2007. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S15577.)
