Senate Floor Activity - Friday, December 28, 2012

Mr. Mark R. Warner, from the Commonwealth of Virginia, called the Senate to order at 9 a.m., the Chaplain offered a prayer, and Mr. Warner led the Senate in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.

The Journal

Pursuant to the order of yesterday, the Journal of the proceedings of the Senate was deemed approved to date.

Certain Procedures Dispensed With

Pursuant to the order of yesterday, the morning hour being deemed expired, and the times for the recognition of the two leaders being reserved.

Transaction of Morning Business

Pursuant to the order of yesterday, the Senate proceeded to a period for the transaction of morning business.

Legislative Business (Friday, December 28)

H.R. 1 (Rep. Rogers): Making appropriations for disaster relief for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes .

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 62 - 32. Record Vote Number: 248

S.Amdt. 3344 (Sen. Bingaman): To provide for the approval of an agreement between the United States and the Republic of Palau in response to Super Typhoon Bopha.

-- Amendment SA 3344 proposed by Senator Bingaman to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Amendment SA 3344, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 43. Record Vote Number: 237

S.Amdt. 3348 (Sen. Grassley): To shift vehicles used for non-operational purposes by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security in the District of Columbia to replace vehicles of those agencies damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

-- Amendment SA 3348 proposed by Senator Mikulski for Senator Grassley to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Amendment SA 3348 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3350 (Sen. Tester): To provide additional funds for wildland fire management.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Point of order that an emergency designation within the amendment violates the CBA raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 3350.

-- Motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline with respect to amendment SA 3350 (the section within the amendment regarding an emergency designation) rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 44. Record Vote Number: 238

-- The emergency designation within amendment SA 3350 was stricken.

-- Proposed amendment SA 3350 withdrawn in Senate.

S.Amdt. 3355 (Sen. McCain): To strike funding for the emergency forest restoration program.

-- Amendment SA 3355 proposed by Senator McCain to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Amendment SA 3355, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 49. Record Vote Number: 245

S.Amdt. 3367 (Sen. Merkley): To extend certain supplemental agriculture disaster assistance programs.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Point of order that emergency designations within the amendment violate the CBA raised in Senate with respect to amendment SA 3367.

-- Motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline with respect to amendment SA 3367 (the sections within the amendment regarding emergency designations) rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 40. Record Vote Number: 246

-- The emergency designations within amendment SA 3367 were stricken.

-- Proposed amendment SA 3367 withdrawn in Senate.

S.Amdt. 3368 (Sen. Coburn): To clarify cost-sharing requirements for certain Corps of Engineers activities.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3368, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 44 - 51. Record Vote Number: 239

S.Amdt. 3369 (Sen. Coburn): To reduce the amount that triggers the requirement to notify Congress of the recipients of certain grants and to require publication of the notice.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3369 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3370 (Sen. Coburn): To ensure funding for victims of Hurricane Sandy is not spent on tax cheats, deceased individuals, or fisheries outside of the affected area.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3370 Division I as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Amendment SA 3370 Division II, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 35 - 60. Record Vote Number: 240

S.Amdt. 3371 (Sen. Coburn): To ensure that Federal disaster assistance is available for the most severe disasters, and for other purposes .

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3371, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 40 - 55. Record Vote Number: 241

S.Amdt. 3373 (Sen. Lee): To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide special rules for the use of retirement funds in connection with federally declared disasters, to provide for certain regulatory relief in connection with federally declared disasters, and for other purposes .

-- Amendment SA 3373 proposed by Senator Lee to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Proposed amendment SA 3373 withdrawn in Senate.

S.Amdt. 3376 (Sen. Paul): To provide for the nonapplication of the Davis-Bacon Act in the case of projects funded under this Act .

-- Amendment SA 3376 proposed by Senator Paul to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Amendment SA 3376, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 42 - 52. Record Vote Number: 243

S.Amdt. 3382 (Sen. Coburn): To require merit-based and competitive awards of disaster recovery contracts.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3382, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 48 - 47. Record Vote Number: 242

S.Amdt. 3383 (Sen. Coburn): To strike a provision relating to certain studies of the Corps of Engineers.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Proposed amendment SA 3383 withdrawn in Senate.

S.Amdt. 3391 (Sen. Coats): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3391, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 41 - 54. Record Vote Number: 247

S.Amdt. 3393 (Sen. Cardin): Of a perfecting nature.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3393 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3395 (Sen. Reid): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 3395 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3403 (Sen. Leahy): To provide authority to transfer previously appropriated funds to increase security at United States embassies and other overseas posts.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3403 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3410 (Sen. Paul): To offset the cost of the bill and to put the spending on budget as regular spending and not emergency .

-- Amendment SA 3410 proposed by Senator Paul to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Amendment SA 3410, under the order of 12/27/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, the amendment was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 3 - 91. Record Vote Number: 244

S.Amdt. 3415 (Sen. Landrieu): To clarify the provision relating to emergency protective measures.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3415 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3421 (Sen. Feinstein): To make a technical correction to the construction language for the Corps of Engineers.

-- Amendment SA 3421 proposed by Senator Mikulski for Senator Feinstein to Amendment SA 3395.

-- Amendment SA 3421 as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3426 (Sen. Harkin): Of a perfecting nature.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 3426 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3440 (Sen. Mikulski): No Statement of Purpose on File .

-- Amendment SA 3440 proposed by Senator Reid for Senator Mikulski.

-- Amendment SA 3440 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

H.R. 1464 (Rep. Royce): To express the sense of Congress regarding North Korean children and children of one North Korean parent and to require the Department of State regularly to brief appropriate congressional committees on efforts to advocate for and develop a strategy to provide assistance in the best interest of these children.

-- Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 3442 (Sen. Burr): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 3442 proposed by Senator Reid for Senator Burr.

-- Amendment SA 3442 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 3443 (Sen. Burr): To amend the title.

-- Amendment SA 3443 proposed by Senator Reid for Senator Burr.

-- Amendment SA 3443 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

H.R. 5949 (Rep. Smith): To extend the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 for five years.

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Passed Senate, under the order of 12/21/12, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, without amendment by Yea-Nay. 73 - 23. Record Vote Number: 236

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 3439 (Sen. Wyden): To require a report on the impact of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 on the privacy of the people of the United States .

-- Amendment SA 3439 proposed by Senator Wyden.

-- Amendment SA 3439, under the order of 12/21/12, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 43 - 52. Record Vote Number: 235

H.R. 6014 (Rep. Schiff): To authorize the Attorney General to award grants for States to implement DNA arrestee collection processes .

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

H.R. 6620 (Rep. Gowdy): To amend title 18, United States Code, to eliminate certain limitations on the length of Secret Service Protection for former Presidents and for the children of former Presidents.

-- Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

H.R. 6621 (Rep. Smith): To correct and improve certain provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and title 35, United States Code .

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 3444 (Sen. Leahy): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 3444 proposed by Senator Reid for Senator Leahy.

-- Amendment SA 3444 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S. 3454 (Sen. Feinstein): To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 3441 (Sen. Feinstein): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 3441 proposed by Senator Reid for Senator Feinstein.

-- Amendment SA 3441 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

Adjournment

Under the authority of the order of today, at 7:50 p.m, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Merkley in the chair) declared the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 1 p.m. on Sunday, December 30, 2012.