D13 

Thursday, January 8, 2009 

Daily Digest 

HIGHLIGHTS 

The House and Senate met in joint session to count electoral votes. 

Senate 

Chamber Action 

Routine Proceedings, pages S181–S238 

Measures Introduced: Twenty-five bills and three 

resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 167–191, 

S.J. Res. 4, and S. Res. 10–11. Pages S211–12 

Measures Passed: 

Relative to Israel: Senate agreed to S. Res. 10, 

recognizing the right of Israel to defend itself 

against attacks from Gaza and reaffirming the 

United States’ strong support for Israel in its battle 

with Hamas, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian 

peace process. Pages S181–83 

Production of Documents: Senate agreed to S. 

Res. 11, to authorize production of documents to the 

Department of Defense Inspector General. 

 Pages S237–38 

Joint Session Senate Tellers—Agreement: A 

unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing 

that the order of Tuesday, January 6, 2009, with respect to the announcement of members appointed to 

be Senate tellers for the Joint Session on Thursday, 

January 8, 2009, be modified to reflect that Senator 

Schumer will replace Senator Feinstein. Page S186 

Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations: 

Stuart Gordon Nash, of the District of Columbia, 

to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of 

the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen 

years. 

2 Marine Corps nominations in the rank of general. Page S238 

Messages from the House: Page S208 

Measures Referred: Page S208 

Measures Placed on the Calendar: Pages S181, S208 

Measures Read the First Time: Pages S208, S238 

Executive Communications: Pages S208–11 

Additional Cosponsors: Page S212 

Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: 

 Pages S212–35 

Additional Statements: Pages S207–08 

Amendments Submitted: Pages S235–37 

Authorities for Committees to Meet: Page S237 

Privileges of the Floor: Page S237 

Adjournment: Senate convened at 10:30 a.m. and 

adjourned at 6:31 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Friday, 

January 9, 2009. (For Senate’s program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today’s Record on 

page S238.) 

Committee Meetings 

(Committees not listed did not meet) 

CBO AND ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 

Committee on the Budget: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the Congressional Budget Office 

(CBO) Budget and Economic Outlook, after receiving testimony from Robert A. Sunshine, Acting Director, Congressional Budget Office. 

ENERGY SECURITY CHALLENGES 

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: Committee 

concluded a hearing to examine current energy security challenges, after receiving testimony from 

Dianne R. Nielson, Utah Office of the Governor, 

Salt Lake City, on behalf of the Western Governors’ 

Association; and Kit Batten, Center for American 

Progress Action Fund, Eric Schwartz, Energy Security Leadership Council, and Karen A. Harbert, Institute for 21st Century Energy, all of Washington, 

D.C. 

TVA AND COAL ASH SPILL 

Committee on Environment and Public Works: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine 


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D14 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST January 8, 2009 

the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the recent major coal ash spill, after receiving testimony 

from Tom Kilgore, President and Chief Executive 

Officer, Tennessee Valley Authority; Stephen A. 

Smith, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Knoxville, Tennessee; and William Howard Rose, Jr., 

Roane County Office of Emergency Services, Ten 

Mile, Tennessee. 

MUMBAI TERRORIST ATTACKS 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine lessons learned from the Mumbai terrorist attacks, after 

receiving testimony from Charles E. Allen, Under 

Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and 

Analysis; Donald Van Duyn, Chief Intelligence Officer, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of 

Justice; and Raymond W. Kelly, New York City Police Department, New York, New York. 

NOMINATION 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: 

Committee concluded a hearing to examine the 

nomination of Thomas A. Daschle, to be Secretary of 

Health and Human Services, after the nominee, who 

was introduced by Senator Johnson and former Senator Robert J. Dole, testified and answered questions 

in his own behalf. 

ECONOMIC DOWNTURN: STATE AND 

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 

Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded a 

hearing to examine ways to help state and local law 

enforcement during an economic downturn, including S. 150, to provide Federal assistance to States for 

rural law enforcement, after receiving testimony 

from Michael E. Schirling, Burlington Police Department, Burlington, Vermont; Charles H. Ramsey, 

Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John R. Schmidt, former Associate Attorney General, Mayer Brown LLP, Chicago, Illinois; 

and Mary Lou Leary, National Center for Victims of 

Crime, and David B. Muhlhausen, Heritage Foundation Center for Data Analysis, both of Washington, 

h 

D.C. 

House of Representatives 

Chamber Action 

Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 65 public bills, H.R. 288–352; 8 private bills, H.R. 

353–360; and 15 resolutions, H.J. Res. 12–16; H. 

Con. Res. 11–15; and H. Res. 32–36, were introduced. Pages H88–91 

Additional Cosponsors: Page H91 

Reports Filed: There were no reports filed today. 

Electoral College Vote Tellers: Pursuant to S. Con. 

Res. 1, to provide for the counting on January 8, 

2009, of the electoral votes for President and Vice 

President of the United States, the Chair appointed 

Representative Brady of Pennsylvania and Representative Daniel E. Lungren of California as tellers on 

the part of the House to count the electoral votes. 

 Page H73 

Recess: The House recessed at 10:20 a.m. and reconvened at 1:01 p.m. Page H75 

Joint Session: The Joint Session was called to order 

at 1:08 p.m. and dissolved at 1:36 p.m. Pages H75–76 

Declaration of the Election of President and 

Vice President: Pursuant to the provisions of S. 

Con. Res. 1, and the requirements of the Constitution and laws relating to the election of President 

and Vice President of the United States, the two 

Houses of Congress met in Joint Session with Vice 

President Cheney as the presiding officer to count 

the electoral votes. The following votes were cast for 

President: Barack Obama of Illinois, 365 and John 

McCain of Arizona, 173. The following votes were 

cast for Vice President: Joseph Biden of Delaware, 

365 and Sarah Palin of Alaska, 173. Page H76 

Recess: The House recessed at 1:39 p.m. and reconvened at 2:06 p.m. Page H76 

Meeting Hour: Agreed that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow, 

January 9. Page H82 

Consideration of Suspension: Agreed that the 

Speaker be authorized to entertain motions to suspend the rules relating to H. Res. 34, recognizing 

Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from 

Gaza, reaffirming the United States’ strong support 

for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian 

peace process, on the legislative day of Friday, January 9, 2009. Page H82 

Quorum Calls—Votes: There were no yea and nay 

votes, and there were no recorded votes. There were 

no quorum calls. 


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