D1320 

Thursday, December 11, 2008 

Daily Digest 

Senate 

Chamber Action 

Routine Proceedings, pages S10889–S10958 

Measures Introduced: Ten bills and one resolution 

were introduced, as follows: S. 3732–3741, and S. 

Con. Res. 107. Page S10946 

Measures Reported: 

Report to accompany S. 3501, to ensure that Congress is notified when the Department of Justice determines that the Executive Branch is not bound by 

a statute. (S. Rept. No. 110–528) Page S10946 

Measures Passed: 

Technical Corrections: Senate passed H.R. 7327, 

to make technical corrections related to the Pension 

Protection Act of 2006, clearing the measure for the 

President. Pages S10914–15 

United States Capitol Complex Tours: Senate 

agreed to S. Con. Res. 107, expressing the sense of 

Congress regarding the rights of Members of Congress (or any employee of a Member of Congress authorized by that member) to lead tours of the 

United States Capitol complex. Page S10957 

Union Station, Washington, D.C. Centennial: 

Committee on Environment and Public Works was 

discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 664, 

celebrating the centennial of Union Station in Washington, District of Columbia, and the resolution was 

then agreed to. Page S10957 

National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and 

Prevention Week: Committee on the Judiciary was 

discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 710, 

designating the week of February 2 through February 6, 2009, as ‘‘National Teen Dating Violence 

Awareness and Prevention Week’’, and the resolution 

was then agreed to. Pages S10957–58 

National Mentoring Month: Committee on the 

Judiciary was discharged from further consideration 

of S. Res. 728, designating January 2009 as ‘‘National Mentoring Month’’, and the resolution was 

then agreed to. Pages S10957–58 

Measures Considered: 

Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act—Cloture: 

Senate continued consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 7005, to amend the 

Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide alternative minimum tax relief for individuals for 2008. 

 Page S10931 

During consideration of this measure today, Senate 

also took the following action: 

By 52 yeas to 35 nays (Vote No. 215), 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 proceed to 

consideration of the bill. Page S10931 

Senator Reid entered a motion to reconsider the 

vote by which cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill. 

 Page S10931 

Appointments: 

Congressional Award Board: The Chair, on behalf of the Majority Leader, pursuant to Public Law 

96–114, as amended, appointed the following individual to the Congressional Award Board: Major 

General Robert Newman of Virginia. Page S10958 

Authorizing Leadership to Make Appointments—Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that, notwithstanding 

the 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 S10958 

Pro Forma Sessions—Agreement: A unanimousconsent agreement was reached providing that Senate 

meet in pro forma sessions with no business conducted on the following days and times: Friday, December 12 at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, December 16 at 11 

a.m.; Friday, December 19 at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, December 23 at 11 a.m.; Friday, December 26 at 11 

a.m.; Tuesday, December 30 at 10:30 a.m.; and Friday, January 2 at 10 a.m.; and that at the close of 

the pro forma session on Friday, January 2, Senate 

stand adjourned sine die under the provisions of H. 

Con. Res. 440. Page S10958 

December 11, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — DAILY DIGEST D1321 

Nomination Received: Senate received the following nomination: Matthew W. Friedrich, of Texas, 

to be an Assistant Attorney General. Page S10958 

Messages from the House: Pages S10944–45 

Executive Communications: Pages S10945–46 

Additional Cosponsors: Page S10947 

Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions: 

 Pages S10947–51 

Additional Statements: Pages S10943–44 

Amendments Submitted: Pages S10951–57 

Authorities for Committees to Meet: Page S10957 

Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. 

(Total—215) Page S10931 

Recess: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and recessed at 

11:50 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Friday, December 12, 

2008. (For Senate’s program, see the remarks of the 

Acting Majority Leader in today’s Record on page 

S10958.) 

Committee Meetings 

(Committees not listed did not meet) 

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 

PROLIFERATION AND TERRORISM 

PREVENTION REPORT 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine a 

report from the Commission on the Prevention of 

Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, after receiving testimony from former Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, Chairman and 

Vice Chairman, respectively, and former Representative Tim Roemer, and Robin Cleveland, each a 

Commissioner, all of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation 

h 

and Terrorism. 

House of Representatives 

Chamber Action 

The House was not in session today. The House 

is scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January, 3, 2009, pursuant to the provisions of H. Con. 

Res. 440. 

Committee Meetings 

STATES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES— 

IMPACT OF RECESSION 

Committee on Appropriations: Held a hearing on the 

Impact of Recession on States and Local Communities. Testimony was heard from the following Governors: Jon Corzine, New Jersey; Jim Doyle, Wisconsin; and Jim Douglas, Vermont; and public witnesses. 

OVERSIGHT—ADMINISTRATION’S LASTMINUTE RULEMAKINGS 

Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global 

Warming: Held a hearing entitled ‘‘Approaching 

Midnight: Oversight of the Bush Administration’s 

Last-Minute Rulemakings.’’ Testimony was heard 

from public witnesses. 

f 

COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR FRIDAY, 

DECEMBER 12, 2008 

(Committee meetings are open unless otherwise indicated) 

Senate 

No meetings/hearings scheduled. 

House 

No committee meetings are scheduled.