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H.R. 2640 The Real Deal How it went down:
Wagon Wheel
Member Posts: 633 ✭✭✭✭
There seems to be a lot of he said, she said, going around about the manner in which HR 2640 got passed. Here are the Congressional Records for the 19th and the speeches (including the lies) as uttered on the floor. (Suitable for C&P to send to your friends.)
It started out as: HR 297
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
H.R.297
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR00297:@@@X
Got reintroduced as HR 2640
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02640:@@@X
Got pulled out of committee and passed in the House by voice vote in minutes as stated on June 13th.
Sat in Committee of the Judiciary until Dec. 19th. A deal was struck the night before.
SHUMER pulled it out of Committee around 4pm and got it rammed through by voice vote in the Senate on the 19th. I had the time line but I've lost it but, it took less than 90 minutes:
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I thank my distinguished colleague and our great leader from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, for yielding. Unfortunately, at the end of session, there are many needs that intercede.
We have just heard that the hold on a bill will be lifted. I want to get it moving so it can get over to the House before they leave. Once again, the Senator from West Virginia is not only gracious and capable, but he has been kind to me from the day I came to the Senate, and it is something I will always treasure. I thank my friend.
Mr. BYRD. I thank the Senator.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:1:./temp/~r110FqVHBE::
The Senate had been in session until 0010 the evening before. They reconvened at 1100 and I have no idea how many remained after 1600 as the Holiday break commenced at the end of normal business. When I checked the Congressional Record for the background on how this was accomplished ALL these links worked. They don't today!!
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) H.R.2640
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02640:@@@X
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
S.AMDT.3887
Amends: H.R.2640
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d110:1:./temp/~bdFG9x::
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (all info)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02640:
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (all 4 Versions)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/thomas
From the Congressioanl Record: CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK IMPROVEMENT ACT -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:1:./temp/~r1105emYGJ::
[Page: S15968] GPO's PDF
---
Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, later today, Senator Schumer will bring up the Criminal Background Check Improvement Act, which is an important piece of legislation. When this bill was originally hotlined, we asked that it be held so that we could discuss the improvements to the bill.
This bill came out of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. It is important that the American people understand that what we are changing in this bill would not have prevented what happened at Virginia Tech. What happened to the individuals there was because the law we have on the books was not followed by the State of Virginia. They recognized that shortly thereafter and have made corrective action to it.
What is also important to note is that under the previous legislation we have had, over $400 million a year was authorized to help the States implement the programs so that somebody who is truly a danger to themselves or others or has been admitted to a mental institution and considered mentally defective--that is a term of the bureaucracy--is not allowed to purchase a gun. We all agree to that in this country. So when you don't follow the law, the laws don't work. Consequently, the families are suffering great grief at this time because the law wasn't followed.
Too often, the first reaction of Congress is to hurry up and pass a bill. There are and have been in this bill some good ideas. But there were some bad ideas. The idea of holding the bill to be able to work with those who are offering the bill to get improvements has come about. The principle is this: As we protect people from the dangers of weapons by withholding both criminals and those people who constitute a threat to themselves and others, we can't do that if we are going to step on the rights of those who have a right and who are not in that category.
I wish to take a moment to thank Senator Schumer for his hard work and Elliot of his staff for his hard work and to recognize my staff, Jane Treat and Brooke Bacak and others on my staff who worked through the last couple of months to improve this bill. We have come out to make sure those people, veterans in this country who go out and defend, with their lives, bodies, and their futures, our rights, aren't inappropriately losing their rights under this legislation.
It is interesting for the American people to know that at this time, if you are a veteran and you come home with a closed head injury and you resolve that, then, in fact, by the time you wake up and recover over a year or 2-year period, you will have lost all your rights to bear an arm to be able to go hunting, to be able to skeet shoot, to be able to hunt with your grandchildren, without any notification whatsoever that you have lost that right. That is the present law. That is what is happening.
We have 140,000 veterans with no history of mental deficiency, no history of being dangerous to themselves or others, who have lost, without notice, their right to go hunting, to skeet shoot, to have that kind of outing in this wonderful country of ours in a legal, protected sense. What this bill does is it attempts to address that by giving them an opportunity for relief. It mandates that, first of all, they are notified if that happens to them so that they know they are losing their rights. What a tragedy it would be if a veteran who lost his rights but doesn't know it becomes incarcerated under a felony for hunting with his grandson because it is illegal for him to own, handle, or transmit a weapon? That is not what we intended to do in this Congress some 10 years ago. Yet that is the real effect of what is happening.
Consequently, we are at a point now where we have agreed with the fact that we want to make sure--and we want to put the resources through this authorization--it covers those who could be a danger to themselves and others, and we are going to help the States implement this law, the law on the books, by authorizing significant sums to do this. It is not a new authorization; $400 million was authorized before, but the appropriators didn't appropriate it. They chose to make a higher priority. The most ever appropriated under this, I think, was $23 million a year.
So, in fact, what we want to do now is say we mean it, which means when it comes to appropriations time, this authorization will have no effect unless, in fact, we appropriate the money to the States to carry out this notification system. It is something we can and must do. It shows that when we work together to solve the problems and protect the future and honor the Constitution, the rights under the Constitution, we can do that if people of good faith and of good intent work together to solve that.
My compliments to Senator Schumer and his staff and Hendrik Van Der Vaart on my staff for the hours and hours we have put in to make sure this happened.
A couple other key points. Sometimes the bureaucracy delays whether or not you are on this list. So we have said that, at the end of the year, if they can't decide, it is going to be adjudicated that you cannot have a gun and you will have to prove that you can. That is fair enough, provided we create the means with which you can recover the cost of that adjudication. So if, in fact, you get to Federal court and you win your case that there is not anything wrong with you, the Federal Government is going to pay your lawyer's fees and return your rights--the rights given to everybody else in this country--return your wrongly denied rights back to you.
Therefore, we really, truly do give access to those who have been injured under this law and, at the same time, protect the rest of the American public from those who could be injured when we don't follow the law.
I also pay tribute to Congresswoman McCarthy. I served with her in the House. She has been dedicated to this issue for years. She suffered a terrible tragedy herself at the hands of somebody who was obviously deranged. This will mark a milestone for one of the things she wanted to accomplish during her service in the Congress.
It is my hope that others will not hold this bill. It is my hope that when it comes appropriations time, the moneys that are necessary to put the people who really are a danger to themselves and others on the national criminal background check, that they will get there, and that those who should not be there will not be there. So it is a balance, a balance for protection, but it is also a balance to preserve rights, especially for our veterans--the very people who continue to
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protect our rights. They are going to be preserved.
Myself and Senator Schumer sent a letter to the ATF asking them to reconsider some of the wording in their ruling because it puts people in there who should not be. We are hopeful that they recognize that, and that they, because of a bipartisan query, do a rulemaking process that really directs this where it should be. When that happens, we will have finished everything we need to do, except get the dollars appropriated to implement this act.
Again, my hat is off to Senator Schumer and those who have worked tirelessly to get this done. It is with great appreciation for the manner in which it was handled, and it is my hope that we will pass this on and see the great accomplishments of protecting people from those who are a danger to themselves and others.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I see that the very able Senator from New York, Mr. Schumer, is on the floor. May I ask if he wishes me to yield to him.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask my colleague from West Virginia if he might yield to me 5 minutes.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I am glad to do so.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I thank my distinguished colleague and our great leader from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, for yielding. Unfortunately, at the end of session, there are many needs that intercede.
We have just heard that the hold on a bill will be lifted. I want to get it moving so it can get over to the House before they leave. Once again, the Senator from West Virginia is not only gracious and capable, but he has been kind to me from the day I came to the Senate, and it is something I will always treasure. I thank my friend.
Mr. BYRD. I thank the Senator.
NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
[Page: S15969] GPO's PDF ---
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Leahy-Schumer substitute to H.R. 2640, the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. I have just been told a hold which had been placed against this bill is about to be lifted.
At its core, this bill does something that has been too long in coming. It gets States critical resources they need to upgrade the mental health and conviction records they use to screen prospective gun buyers.
These records go into the national instant criminal background check system, the NICS, that we rely on to screen for those who should not be allowed to buy guns. It has the support, I am proud to say, of both the Brady organization and the NRA. This was a collaboration that occurred over the last year.
I also thank my colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Coburn, and my colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy, because both agreed last night on final language.
Today, millions of criminal and mental health records are inaccessible to the NICS, mostly because State and local governments have noncomputerized or outdated records. Furthermore, the process is spotty, as States are not required by law to turn over all pertinent information that could prohibit a person from buying a gun. As a result, many people who simply should not have guns are allowed to purchase them.
This bill will address that problem. In a word, without affecting a single law-abiding citizen's gun rights, the bill will make America safe.
I started working on this legislation a long time ago in 2002, along with my colleague Representative CAROLYN MCCARTHY. That was when on Long Island, in my State of New York, a gunman who was a paranoid schizophrenic slipped through the cracks of the system and bought a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle. He then took that gun, walked into a morning service at Our Lady of Peace Church and gunned down its beloved priest and one of its most prized parishioners.
So Representatives CAROLYN MCCARTHY, JOHN DINGELL, and I worked on legislation to help improve the background check system. We wanted then, as we do now, to make sure no more dangerous people are allowed to get guns.
Over the years, as it often does, the political process played out. It would pass one House but not the other, and the bill was stalled.
As this has gone on, we have not stopped working and have kept alive the faith this legislation would one day become law. Through it all, every one of us hoped desperately that there would not be another preventable tragedy, another time when the system failed. But on April 16, 2007, our deepest fears came true.
I do not need to recite the facts of what happened at Virginia Tech. Every one of us is aware of the unspeakable horror that took place on the campus last April. We can never know if we could have prevented the shootings. What we do know, however, is that a very dangerous individual with a history of mental illness was allowed to buy two handguns.
It is a shame that we are again called to act on this 5-year-old legislation in the face of tragedy. But now is Congress's moment to take a huge step toward fixing a broken system.
The House passed a bill on June 13, 2007. Around the same time, Chairman Leahy and I began work on a similar bill. As I said before, I thank Chairman Leahy for his leadership in recognizing the importance of this issue. We attempted to pass the bill by unanimous consent. Senator Coburn, as was his right as a Member of the body, held the bill based on concerns he had.
Rather than try to go around our colleague, we worked with him. And I must say, from the beginning, Senator Coburn acted professionally, respectfully, and in good faith.
When it comes to guns, I do not agree with TOM COBURN on much, but he and I sat down at length and worked through our differences on this bill. I can say with full confidence, this bill is something on which both of us can agree.
At the heart of the concerns of my friend from Oklahoma were fears the bill, as originally drafted, could have the unintended consequence of jeopardizing the rights of law-abiding veterans.
This not being a gun control bill, and it has never been our intent to jeopardize the rights of lawful citizens and veterans, we have made changes to address our colleague's concern, and he told me he will lift his hold as a result.
Remember, I was an original sponsor of the Brady bill. I care about seeing the background check process work the right way.
I will not support legislation I believe will hurt the system. But today we have a great accomplishment. It is fitting that at the end of this session we are there, proud of the bipartisan process. Chairman Leahy, Senator Coburn, Senator Kennedy, and I came up with a solution last night at about 11 p.m. on the floor. Senators COBURN and KENNEDY shook hands, as I watched, and we have come to an agreement. Through all this negotiation, this bill has the backing of both the Brady Campaign to Stop Gun Violence and the National Rifle Association.
So now the hard work is done. We must pass this legislation. We must get it back to the House for them to pass again before they adjourn, and then we must get it on the President's desk to be signed into law. The parents of Virginia Tech families and millions of other Americans, including those at Our Lady of Peace congregation on Long Island are waiting for this moment. We have waited a long time. As citizens and parents, we must do everything to see that we do not have another Our Lady of Peace shooting or another Virginia Tech shooting. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
I will say again this is an example of how the system should work, and in a few moments I will be asking unanimous consent to move the bill forward, but before doing so, I yield my time to my colleague from West Virginia, because they are doing the paperwork, and I thank my colleague from West
[Page: S15970] GPO's PDF
Virginia for his courtesy and his kindness.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Landrieu). The Senator from West Virginia.
NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
[Page: S15970] GPO's PDF ---
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2640 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 2640) to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, today, the Senate took an important step forward to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS, the Nation's background check system for gun purchases. Along with Senator Schumer, I have worked hard to craft this compromise legislation that respects the rights of gun owners and, at the same time, makes sure that the NICS system will work more effectively. This compromise has not been easy, as many have strong views on issues surrounding this bill, but working with Senators on both sides of the aisle, we have forged strong, fair legislation to address serious shortcomings in the Federal program. Throughout the process, we have taken great care to make sure Federal law governing who can own or possess a firearm remains unchanged. The Senate language makes clear that the correct records will go into the NICS system, that any records improperly in NICS will be removed promptly, that legal notice and due process considerations will be required in Federal proceedings, and that the States have sufficient support to meet the goals of the bill. We have been responsive to the legitimate concerns of veterans and advocates on both sides of the issue, and at the same time, we have worked hard to correct weaknesses that have been exposed by the tragic events of the last year.
The senseless loss of life at Virginia Tech this spring revealed serious flaws in the NICS system, particularly in the transfer of mental health information
[Page: S15971] GPO's PDF
relevant to gun purchases between the States and the Federal Government. Deficiencies in the current NICS system, including a significant lack of funding, permitted the perpetrator of this terrible crime to obtain firearms and ammunition despite having a mental health history that made him ineligible to buy or possess a firearm under Federal law. He was able to pass a background check and purchase the weapons he used in his attacks because data was missing from the NICS system.
In response to this devastating tragedy, the Judiciary Committee worked hard to produce a comprehensive legislative proposal related to issues of school safety, and in August unanimously reported the School Safety and Law Enforcement Improvement Act of 2007, SSLEIA, to the full Senate. As part of this legislative package, we drafted title II of SSLEIA to include an amended version of the NICS Amendment Improvement Act of 2007, H.R. 2640, that passed the House in July. Today, the Senate passed a revision of title II from SSLEIA, as the Leahy-Schumer amendment to H.R. 2640, which closes the gaps in the NICS system that allowed the purchase of the firearms that were used in the Virginia Tech killings. I hope the House of Representatives will take up and pass H.R. 2640, as amended, as soon as possible.
The Leahy-Schumer amendment largely mirrors the language of H.R. 2640 as passed by the House. But it also makes modest but important changes to that bill in order to ensure this new law works effectively and fairly for all Americans. It creates a legal regime where the reporting of disqualifying mental health records, both at the State and Federal levels, will be improved. This bill will also require Federal agencies to report mental health and other disqualifying records into NICS and would create significant new incentives for States to report this same information. These basic features of the amendment are the same as in the House bill. Additionally, the bill contains provisions directing Federal agencies to establish relief from disabilities programs through which individuals who have overcome a disqualifying mental illness or disability may reclaim their rights, and urges the States to do the same.
As I reviewed this issue, however, I determined that additional changes were necessary both to improve the NICS system further and to better enable States like Vermont to implement these improvements. By tempering the penalties for insufficient participation by the States in meeting the bill's goals, and increasing incentives for full participation, I am hopeful that the bill will strengthen the partnership between Federal and State authorities in search of a common goal. The NICS system is only as good as the information that is reported into it, and to achieve success in improving NICS, we must recognize and adequately support the States in this challenging undertaking.
I want to thank Paco Aumond, director of Criminal Justice Services at the Vermont Department of Public Safety, for working with me to identify those changes in the legislation to ensure that Vermont and the many similarly situated States will be more easily able to make the comprehensive improvements necessary for a more effective NICS system.
Nothing can bring back the lives tragically lost at Virginia Tech, and no legislation can be a panacea, but the bill we pass today will begin to repair and restore our faith in the NICS system and may help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent a Leahy-Schumer substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The substitute amendment (No. 3887) was agreed to.
(The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of Amendments.'')
The bill (H.R. 2640), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a third time.
Then they hand carried it to the House!! That record of proceedings is further down this page (post).
In Case I missed Something!!!
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
Pages S15969-S15970, S15970-S15971
1 . CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK IMPROVEMENT ACT -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
2 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
3 . CHRISTMAS SPIRIT -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
4 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
5 . BLOCK BURMESE JADE (JUNTA'S ANTI-DEMOCRATIC EFFORTS) ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
6 . THANKING SENATOR BYRD -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
7 . IRAQ -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r110:FLD001:S15969-S15970,S15970-S15971
House Floor Summary
It started at @ 6:02 was a done deal by 6:05pm as revised by the Senate!!
http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html
I also have this!!!!!http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:5:./temp/~r11087fPBp::
H.R. 2640 -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 19, 2007)
[Page: E2663] GPO's PDF
---
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. OF MICHIGAN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2007
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, this bill makes important changes to the national instant check system, designed to help States identify and prevent convicted felons and other dangerous individuals from owning firearms.
As it currently stands, millions of criminal records are not accessible by the instant check system, and millions of additional records fall through the cracks as a result of backlogs and other problems. The bill will help cure these problems by providing the resources and incentives needed to modernize the system and ensure that the records are up to date.
Improving and enhancing the instant check system will help prevent future tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shootings earlier this year, where there is clear reason to know, after due process, that the individual in question should not own a gun.
The House has passed this bill in each of the last two Congresses. Now the Senate has passed it, with changes dealing with the procedures for restoring gun ownership rights.
While I continue to have reservations about the new process for restoring gun ownership rights to individuals previously diagnosed with mental illness, and will be monitoring its implementation very closely, passage of the underlying bill is extremely important.
I want to again thank my good friends Carolyn McCarthy and John Dingell, as well as Rick Boucher from the Judiciary Committee, and Lamar Smith, our Ranking Member, for all their work on this important matter.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
NICS IMPROVEMENT ACT AND LEAHY-SCHUMER AMENDMENT -- (Senate - September 24, 2007)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:3:./temp/~r1102E6OCa::
There are 51 Congressional Record articles from the 110th Congress ranked by relevance on "HR+2640 ".
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query
Listing of 51 articles containing one or more of your search words (or variants).
1 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
2 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 18, 2007)
3 . MEASURES REFERRED -- (Senate - June 14, 2007)
4 . MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE -- (Senate - June 14, 2007)
5 . H.R. 2640 -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 19, 2007)
6 . AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AND PROPOSED -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
7 . EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF HE HONORABLE JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA -- (Extensions of Remarks - April 24, 2007)
8 . AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET -- (Senate - July 31, 2007)
9 . FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM AND MODERNIZATION ACT (HR 3121) -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 26, 2007)
10 . ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
11 . 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP FOR PUERTO RICANS -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 01, 2007)
12 . HONORING DANIEL O. BERNSTINE -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 06, 2007)
13 . HONORING ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR. THROUGH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR SECURITY OFFICERS -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 19, 2007)
14 . NICS IMPROVEMENT ACT AND LEAHY-SCHUMER AMENDMENT -- (Senate - September 24, 2007)
15 . CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - August 04, 2007)
16 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
17 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - January 18, 2007)
18 . INTRODUCTION OF THE BAY AREA REGIONAL WATER RECYCLING PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 14, 2007)
19 . AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AND PROPOSED -- (Senate - August 02, 2007)
20 . Daily Digest - Monday, June 11, 2007
21 . Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 13, 2007
22 . NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (Senate - September 28, 2007)
23 . Daily Digest - Wednesday, December 19, 2007
24 . Daily Digest - Thursday, June 14, 2007
25 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - December 11, 2007)
26 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - July 17, 2007)
27 . EXECUTIVE AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS -- (Senate - July 19, 2007)
28 . THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 23, 2007)
29 . Daily Digest - Friday, June 15, 2007
30 . PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS -- (Senate - October 23, 2007)
31 . Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 22, 2007
32 . EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT -- (Senate - June 19, 2007)
33 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - March 22, 2007)
34 . TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - November 16, 2007)
35 . Daily Digest - Wednesday, November 14, 2007
36 . PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS -- (Senate - January 16, 2007)
37 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - June 14, 2007)
38 . STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - May 16, 2007)
39 . FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - September 20, 2007)
40 . FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - January 23, 2007)
41 . STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - January 25, 2007)
42 . SEC INVESTIGATION FINDINGS -- (Senate - January 31, 2007)
43 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - August 02, 2007)
44 . U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007--CONFERENCE REPORT -- (Senate - April 26, 2007)
45 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
46 . FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - January 24, 2007)
47 . WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - May 17, 2007)
48 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - May 10, 2007)
49 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - July 09, 2007)
50 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - July 31, 2007)
51 . NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (Senate - October 03, 2007)
It started out as: HR 297
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
H.R.297
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR00297:@@@X
Got reintroduced as HR 2640
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02640:@@@X
Got pulled out of committee and passed in the House by voice vote in minutes as stated on June 13th.
Sat in Committee of the Judiciary until Dec. 19th. A deal was struck the night before.
SHUMER pulled it out of Committee around 4pm and got it rammed through by voice vote in the Senate on the 19th. I had the time line but I've lost it but, it took less than 90 minutes:
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I thank my distinguished colleague and our great leader from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, for yielding. Unfortunately, at the end of session, there are many needs that intercede.
We have just heard that the hold on a bill will be lifted. I want to get it moving so it can get over to the House before they leave. Once again, the Senator from West Virginia is not only gracious and capable, but he has been kind to me from the day I came to the Senate, and it is something I will always treasure. I thank my friend.
Mr. BYRD. I thank the Senator.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:1:./temp/~r110FqVHBE::
The Senate had been in session until 0010 the evening before. They reconvened at 1100 and I have no idea how many remained after 1600 as the Holiday break commenced at the end of normal business. When I checked the Congressional Record for the background on how this was accomplished ALL these links worked. They don't today!!
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) H.R.2640
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR02640:@@@X
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
S.AMDT.3887
Amends: H.R.2640
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d110:1:./temp/~bdFG9x::
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (all info)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02640:
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress) (all 4 Versions)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/thomas
From the Congressioanl Record: CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK IMPROVEMENT ACT -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:1:./temp/~r1105emYGJ::
[Page: S15968] GPO's PDF
---
Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, later today, Senator Schumer will bring up the Criminal Background Check Improvement Act, which is an important piece of legislation. When this bill was originally hotlined, we asked that it be held so that we could discuss the improvements to the bill.
This bill came out of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. It is important that the American people understand that what we are changing in this bill would not have prevented what happened at Virginia Tech. What happened to the individuals there was because the law we have on the books was not followed by the State of Virginia. They recognized that shortly thereafter and have made corrective action to it.
What is also important to note is that under the previous legislation we have had, over $400 million a year was authorized to help the States implement the programs so that somebody who is truly a danger to themselves or others or has been admitted to a mental institution and considered mentally defective--that is a term of the bureaucracy--is not allowed to purchase a gun. We all agree to that in this country. So when you don't follow the law, the laws don't work. Consequently, the families are suffering great grief at this time because the law wasn't followed.
Too often, the first reaction of Congress is to hurry up and pass a bill. There are and have been in this bill some good ideas. But there were some bad ideas. The idea of holding the bill to be able to work with those who are offering the bill to get improvements has come about. The principle is this: As we protect people from the dangers of weapons by withholding both criminals and those people who constitute a threat to themselves and others, we can't do that if we are going to step on the rights of those who have a right and who are not in that category.
I wish to take a moment to thank Senator Schumer for his hard work and Elliot of his staff for his hard work and to recognize my staff, Jane Treat and Brooke Bacak and others on my staff who worked through the last couple of months to improve this bill. We have come out to make sure those people, veterans in this country who go out and defend, with their lives, bodies, and their futures, our rights, aren't inappropriately losing their rights under this legislation.
It is interesting for the American people to know that at this time, if you are a veteran and you come home with a closed head injury and you resolve that, then, in fact, by the time you wake up and recover over a year or 2-year period, you will have lost all your rights to bear an arm to be able to go hunting, to be able to skeet shoot, to be able to hunt with your grandchildren, without any notification whatsoever that you have lost that right. That is the present law. That is what is happening.
We have 140,000 veterans with no history of mental deficiency, no history of being dangerous to themselves or others, who have lost, without notice, their right to go hunting, to skeet shoot, to have that kind of outing in this wonderful country of ours in a legal, protected sense. What this bill does is it attempts to address that by giving them an opportunity for relief. It mandates that, first of all, they are notified if that happens to them so that they know they are losing their rights. What a tragedy it would be if a veteran who lost his rights but doesn't know it becomes incarcerated under a felony for hunting with his grandson because it is illegal for him to own, handle, or transmit a weapon? That is not what we intended to do in this Congress some 10 years ago. Yet that is the real effect of what is happening.
Consequently, we are at a point now where we have agreed with the fact that we want to make sure--and we want to put the resources through this authorization--it covers those who could be a danger to themselves and others, and we are going to help the States implement this law, the law on the books, by authorizing significant sums to do this. It is not a new authorization; $400 million was authorized before, but the appropriators didn't appropriate it. They chose to make a higher priority. The most ever appropriated under this, I think, was $23 million a year.
So, in fact, what we want to do now is say we mean it, which means when it comes to appropriations time, this authorization will have no effect unless, in fact, we appropriate the money to the States to carry out this notification system. It is something we can and must do. It shows that when we work together to solve the problems and protect the future and honor the Constitution, the rights under the Constitution, we can do that if people of good faith and of good intent work together to solve that.
My compliments to Senator Schumer and his staff and Hendrik Van Der Vaart on my staff for the hours and hours we have put in to make sure this happened.
A couple other key points. Sometimes the bureaucracy delays whether or not you are on this list. So we have said that, at the end of the year, if they can't decide, it is going to be adjudicated that you cannot have a gun and you will have to prove that you can. That is fair enough, provided we create the means with which you can recover the cost of that adjudication. So if, in fact, you get to Federal court and you win your case that there is not anything wrong with you, the Federal Government is going to pay your lawyer's fees and return your rights--the rights given to everybody else in this country--return your wrongly denied rights back to you.
Therefore, we really, truly do give access to those who have been injured under this law and, at the same time, protect the rest of the American public from those who could be injured when we don't follow the law.
I also pay tribute to Congresswoman McCarthy. I served with her in the House. She has been dedicated to this issue for years. She suffered a terrible tragedy herself at the hands of somebody who was obviously deranged. This will mark a milestone for one of the things she wanted to accomplish during her service in the Congress.
It is my hope that others will not hold this bill. It is my hope that when it comes appropriations time, the moneys that are necessary to put the people who really are a danger to themselves and others on the national criminal background check, that they will get there, and that those who should not be there will not be there. So it is a balance, a balance for protection, but it is also a balance to preserve rights, especially for our veterans--the very people who continue to
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protect our rights. They are going to be preserved.
Myself and Senator Schumer sent a letter to the ATF asking them to reconsider some of the wording in their ruling because it puts people in there who should not be. We are hopeful that they recognize that, and that they, because of a bipartisan query, do a rulemaking process that really directs this where it should be. When that happens, we will have finished everything we need to do, except get the dollars appropriated to implement this act.
Again, my hat is off to Senator Schumer and those who have worked tirelessly to get this done. It is with great appreciation for the manner in which it was handled, and it is my hope that we will pass this on and see the great accomplishments of protecting people from those who are a danger to themselves and others.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I see that the very able Senator from New York, Mr. Schumer, is on the floor. May I ask if he wishes me to yield to him.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask my colleague from West Virginia if he might yield to me 5 minutes.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I am glad to do so.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, I thank my distinguished colleague and our great leader from West Virginia, Senator Byrd, for yielding. Unfortunately, at the end of session, there are many needs that intercede.
We have just heard that the hold on a bill will be lifted. I want to get it moving so it can get over to the House before they leave. Once again, the Senator from West Virginia is not only gracious and capable, but he has been kind to me from the day I came to the Senate, and it is something I will always treasure. I thank my friend.
Mr. BYRD. I thank the Senator.
NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
[Page: S15969] GPO's PDF ---
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Leahy-Schumer substitute to H.R. 2640, the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. I have just been told a hold which had been placed against this bill is about to be lifted.
At its core, this bill does something that has been too long in coming. It gets States critical resources they need to upgrade the mental health and conviction records they use to screen prospective gun buyers.
These records go into the national instant criminal background check system, the NICS, that we rely on to screen for those who should not be allowed to buy guns. It has the support, I am proud to say, of both the Brady organization and the NRA. This was a collaboration that occurred over the last year.
I also thank my colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Coburn, and my colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy, because both agreed last night on final language.
Today, millions of criminal and mental health records are inaccessible to the NICS, mostly because State and local governments have noncomputerized or outdated records. Furthermore, the process is spotty, as States are not required by law to turn over all pertinent information that could prohibit a person from buying a gun. As a result, many people who simply should not have guns are allowed to purchase them.
This bill will address that problem. In a word, without affecting a single law-abiding citizen's gun rights, the bill will make America safe.
I started working on this legislation a long time ago in 2002, along with my colleague Representative CAROLYN MCCARTHY. That was when on Long Island, in my State of New York, a gunman who was a paranoid schizophrenic slipped through the cracks of the system and bought a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle. He then took that gun, walked into a morning service at Our Lady of Peace Church and gunned down its beloved priest and one of its most prized parishioners.
So Representatives CAROLYN MCCARTHY, JOHN DINGELL, and I worked on legislation to help improve the background check system. We wanted then, as we do now, to make sure no more dangerous people are allowed to get guns.
Over the years, as it often does, the political process played out. It would pass one House but not the other, and the bill was stalled.
As this has gone on, we have not stopped working and have kept alive the faith this legislation would one day become law. Through it all, every one of us hoped desperately that there would not be another preventable tragedy, another time when the system failed. But on April 16, 2007, our deepest fears came true.
I do not need to recite the facts of what happened at Virginia Tech. Every one of us is aware of the unspeakable horror that took place on the campus last April. We can never know if we could have prevented the shootings. What we do know, however, is that a very dangerous individual with a history of mental illness was allowed to buy two handguns.
It is a shame that we are again called to act on this 5-year-old legislation in the face of tragedy. But now is Congress's moment to take a huge step toward fixing a broken system.
The House passed a bill on June 13, 2007. Around the same time, Chairman Leahy and I began work on a similar bill. As I said before, I thank Chairman Leahy for his leadership in recognizing the importance of this issue. We attempted to pass the bill by unanimous consent. Senator Coburn, as was his right as a Member of the body, held the bill based on concerns he had.
Rather than try to go around our colleague, we worked with him. And I must say, from the beginning, Senator Coburn acted professionally, respectfully, and in good faith.
When it comes to guns, I do not agree with TOM COBURN on much, but he and I sat down at length and worked through our differences on this bill. I can say with full confidence, this bill is something on which both of us can agree.
At the heart of the concerns of my friend from Oklahoma were fears the bill, as originally drafted, could have the unintended consequence of jeopardizing the rights of law-abiding veterans.
This not being a gun control bill, and it has never been our intent to jeopardize the rights of lawful citizens and veterans, we have made changes to address our colleague's concern, and he told me he will lift his hold as a result.
Remember, I was an original sponsor of the Brady bill. I care about seeing the background check process work the right way.
I will not support legislation I believe will hurt the system. But today we have a great accomplishment. It is fitting that at the end of this session we are there, proud of the bipartisan process. Chairman Leahy, Senator Coburn, Senator Kennedy, and I came up with a solution last night at about 11 p.m. on the floor. Senators COBURN and KENNEDY shook hands, as I watched, and we have come to an agreement. Through all this negotiation, this bill has the backing of both the Brady Campaign to Stop Gun Violence and the National Rifle Association.
So now the hard work is done. We must pass this legislation. We must get it back to the House for them to pass again before they adjourn, and then we must get it on the President's desk to be signed into law. The parents of Virginia Tech families and millions of other Americans, including those at Our Lady of Peace congregation on Long Island are waiting for this moment. We have waited a long time. As citizens and parents, we must do everything to see that we do not have another Our Lady of Peace shooting or another Virginia Tech shooting. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
I will say again this is an example of how the system should work, and in a few moments I will be asking unanimous consent to move the bill forward, but before doing so, I yield my time to my colleague from West Virginia, because they are doing the paperwork, and I thank my colleague from West
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Virginia for his courtesy and his kindness.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Landrieu). The Senator from West Virginia.
NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
[Page: S15970] GPO's PDF ---
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2640 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 2640) to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, today, the Senate took an important step forward to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS, the Nation's background check system for gun purchases. Along with Senator Schumer, I have worked hard to craft this compromise legislation that respects the rights of gun owners and, at the same time, makes sure that the NICS system will work more effectively. This compromise has not been easy, as many have strong views on issues surrounding this bill, but working with Senators on both sides of the aisle, we have forged strong, fair legislation to address serious shortcomings in the Federal program. Throughout the process, we have taken great care to make sure Federal law governing who can own or possess a firearm remains unchanged. The Senate language makes clear that the correct records will go into the NICS system, that any records improperly in NICS will be removed promptly, that legal notice and due process considerations will be required in Federal proceedings, and that the States have sufficient support to meet the goals of the bill. We have been responsive to the legitimate concerns of veterans and advocates on both sides of the issue, and at the same time, we have worked hard to correct weaknesses that have been exposed by the tragic events of the last year.
The senseless loss of life at Virginia Tech this spring revealed serious flaws in the NICS system, particularly in the transfer of mental health information
[Page: S15971] GPO's PDF
relevant to gun purchases between the States and the Federal Government. Deficiencies in the current NICS system, including a significant lack of funding, permitted the perpetrator of this terrible crime to obtain firearms and ammunition despite having a mental health history that made him ineligible to buy or possess a firearm under Federal law. He was able to pass a background check and purchase the weapons he used in his attacks because data was missing from the NICS system.
In response to this devastating tragedy, the Judiciary Committee worked hard to produce a comprehensive legislative proposal related to issues of school safety, and in August unanimously reported the School Safety and Law Enforcement Improvement Act of 2007, SSLEIA, to the full Senate. As part of this legislative package, we drafted title II of SSLEIA to include an amended version of the NICS Amendment Improvement Act of 2007, H.R. 2640, that passed the House in July. Today, the Senate passed a revision of title II from SSLEIA, as the Leahy-Schumer amendment to H.R. 2640, which closes the gaps in the NICS system that allowed the purchase of the firearms that were used in the Virginia Tech killings. I hope the House of Representatives will take up and pass H.R. 2640, as amended, as soon as possible.
The Leahy-Schumer amendment largely mirrors the language of H.R. 2640 as passed by the House. But it also makes modest but important changes to that bill in order to ensure this new law works effectively and fairly for all Americans. It creates a legal regime where the reporting of disqualifying mental health records, both at the State and Federal levels, will be improved. This bill will also require Federal agencies to report mental health and other disqualifying records into NICS and would create significant new incentives for States to report this same information. These basic features of the amendment are the same as in the House bill. Additionally, the bill contains provisions directing Federal agencies to establish relief from disabilities programs through which individuals who have overcome a disqualifying mental illness or disability may reclaim their rights, and urges the States to do the same.
As I reviewed this issue, however, I determined that additional changes were necessary both to improve the NICS system further and to better enable States like Vermont to implement these improvements. By tempering the penalties for insufficient participation by the States in meeting the bill's goals, and increasing incentives for full participation, I am hopeful that the bill will strengthen the partnership between Federal and State authorities in search of a common goal. The NICS system is only as good as the information that is reported into it, and to achieve success in improving NICS, we must recognize and adequately support the States in this challenging undertaking.
I want to thank Paco Aumond, director of Criminal Justice Services at the Vermont Department of Public Safety, for working with me to identify those changes in the legislation to ensure that Vermont and the many similarly situated States will be more easily able to make the comprehensive improvements necessary for a more effective NICS system.
Nothing can bring back the lives tragically lost at Virginia Tech, and no legislation can be a panacea, but the bill we pass today will begin to repair and restore our faith in the NICS system and may help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent a Leahy-Schumer substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The substitute amendment (No. 3887) was agreed to.
(The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of Amendments.'')
The bill (H.R. 2640), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a third time.
Then they hand carried it to the House!! That record of proceedings is further down this page (post).
In Case I missed Something!!!
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
Pages S15969-S15970, S15970-S15971
1 . CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK IMPROVEMENT ACT -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
2 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
3 . CHRISTMAS SPIRIT -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
4 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
5 . BLOCK BURMESE JADE (JUNTA'S ANTI-DEMOCRATIC EFFORTS) ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
6 . THANKING SENATOR BYRD -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
7 . IRAQ -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r110:FLD001:S15969-S15970,S15970-S15971
House Floor Summary
It started at @ 6:02 was a done deal by 6:05pm as revised by the Senate!!
http://clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html
I also have this!!!!!http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:5:./temp/~r11087fPBp::
H.R. 2640 -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 19, 2007)
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---
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. OF MICHIGAN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2007
Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, this bill makes important changes to the national instant check system, designed to help States identify and prevent convicted felons and other dangerous individuals from owning firearms.
As it currently stands, millions of criminal records are not accessible by the instant check system, and millions of additional records fall through the cracks as a result of backlogs and other problems. The bill will help cure these problems by providing the resources and incentives needed to modernize the system and ensure that the records are up to date.
Improving and enhancing the instant check system will help prevent future tragedies such as the Virginia Tech shootings earlier this year, where there is clear reason to know, after due process, that the individual in question should not own a gun.
The House has passed this bill in each of the last two Congresses. Now the Senate has passed it, with changes dealing with the procedures for restoring gun ownership rights.
While I continue to have reservations about the new process for restoring gun ownership rights to individuals previously diagnosed with mental illness, and will be monitoring its implementation very closely, passage of the underlying bill is extremely important.
I want to again thank my good friends Carolyn McCarthy and John Dingell, as well as Rick Boucher from the Judiciary Committee, and Lamar Smith, our Ranking Member, for all their work on this important matter.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)
NICS IMPROVEMENT ACT AND LEAHY-SCHUMER AMENDMENT -- (Senate - September 24, 2007)
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?r110:3:./temp/~r1102E6OCa::
There are 51 Congressional Record articles from the 110th Congress ranked by relevance on "HR+2640 ".
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query
Listing of 51 articles containing one or more of your search words (or variants).
1 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
2 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 18, 2007)
3 . MEASURES REFERRED -- (Senate - June 14, 2007)
4 . MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE -- (Senate - June 14, 2007)
5 . H.R. 2640 -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 19, 2007)
6 . AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AND PROPOSED -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
7 . EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF HE HONORABLE JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA -- (Extensions of Remarks - April 24, 2007)
8 . AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET -- (Senate - July 31, 2007)
9 . FLOOD INSURANCE REFORM AND MODERNIZATION ACT (HR 3121) -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 26, 2007)
10 . ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
11 . 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP FOR PUERTO RICANS -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 01, 2007)
12 . HONORING DANIEL O. BERNSTINE -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 06, 2007)
13 . HONORING ADAM CLAYTON POWELL, JR. THROUGH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR SECURITY OFFICERS -- (Extensions of Remarks - December 19, 2007)
14 . NICS IMPROVEMENT ACT AND LEAHY-SCHUMER AMENDMENT -- (Senate - September 24, 2007)
15 . CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - August 04, 2007)
16 . NICS IMPROVEMENT AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
17 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - January 18, 2007)
18 . INTRODUCTION OF THE BAY AREA REGIONAL WATER RECYCLING PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (Extensions of Remarks - March 14, 2007)
19 . AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED AND PROPOSED -- (Senate - August 02, 2007)
20 . Daily Digest - Monday, June 11, 2007
21 . Daily Digest - Wednesday, June 13, 2007
22 . NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (Senate - September 28, 2007)
23 . Daily Digest - Wednesday, December 19, 2007
24 . Daily Digest - Thursday, June 14, 2007
25 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - December 11, 2007)
26 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - July 17, 2007)
27 . EXECUTIVE AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS -- (Senate - July 19, 2007)
28 . THE FUTURE OF MEDICARE -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 23, 2007)
29 . Daily Digest - Friday, June 15, 2007
30 . PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS -- (Senate - October 23, 2007)
31 . Daily Digest - Tuesday, May 22, 2007
32 . EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT -- (Senate - June 19, 2007)
33 . NOMINATIONS -- (Senate - March 22, 2007)
34 . TERRORISM RISK INSURANCE PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - November 16, 2007)
35 . Daily Digest - Wednesday, November 14, 2007
36 . PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS -- (Senate - January 16, 2007)
37 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - June 14, 2007)
38 . STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - May 16, 2007)
39 . FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - September 20, 2007)
40 . FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - January 23, 2007)
41 . STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - January 25, 2007)
42 . SEC INVESTIGATION FINDINGS -- (Senate - January 31, 2007)
43 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - August 02, 2007)
44 . U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007--CONFERENCE REPORT -- (Senate - April 26, 2007)
45 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - December 19, 2007)
46 . FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - January 24, 2007)
47 . WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - May 17, 2007)
48 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - May 10, 2007)
49 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - July 09, 2007)
50 . TEXT OF AMENDMENTS -- (Senate - July 31, 2007)
51 . NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (Senate - October 03, 2007)
Comments
Thanks![;)]
[:D]
Several times different speakers stressed that this new bill will not disarm any innocent citizen. Yet many people here on GB.com say it will. I will be interested to see what happens in the future in the real world.
Rack up another one for the good guys!!! We need a sticky for the good guy stories!!
WorldNetDaily: Shopper pulls gun, stops robbery cold
http://worldnetdaily.com:80/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59503
Beck From The Dead:
This is probably the MOST APPROPRIATE place to post this if you think about the ramifications of what Glen says here!!! He held back the details so we'll have to watch his show on MONDAY!!! In the interim watch this 7 minute YouTube video and think VA Medical Centers and the treatment Vets get!!
Beck Surgery Goes "Horribly Awry" FRIDAY, JAN 04
Headline News' Glenn Beck talks about his recent botched surgery, rails against the hospital where he was treated, launches into the Presidential campaign and a lack of compassion then talks about how he became "full fledged suicidal."
mediabistro.com: TVNewser
http://www.mediabistro.com:80/tvnewser/cnn/beck_surgery_goes_horribly_awry_74231.asp