Senate Floor Activity - Thursday, January 22, 2015

The President pro tempore called the Senate to order at 9:30 a.m., the Chaplain offered a prayer, and the President pro tempore 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 (Thursday, January 22)

S. 1 (Sen. Hoeven): To approve the Keystone XL Pipeline .

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate.

S.Amdt. 2 (Sen. Murkowski): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Cloture motion on the amendment SA 2 presented in Senate.

S.Amdt. 15 (Sen. Cruz): To promote economic growth and job creation by increasing exports.

-- Amendment SA 15 proposed by Senator Cruz to Amendment SA 2.

S.Amdt. 18 (Sen. Fischer): To provide limits on the designation of new federally protected land.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 18, under the order of 1/22/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 54 - 45. Record Vote Number: 14

S.Amdt. 24 (Sen. Sanders): To express the sense of Congress regarding climate change.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 24 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 56 - 42. Record Vote Number: 16

S.Amdt. 25 (Sen. Markey): To ensure that products derived from tar sands are treated as crude oil for purposes of the Federal excise tax on petroleum .

-- Amendment SA 25 proposed by Senator Markey to Amendment SA 2.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 25 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 42. Record Vote Number: 24

S.Amdt. 27 (Sen. Wyden): To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify that products derived from tar sands are crude oil for purposes of the Federal excise tax on petroleum.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 27, under the order of 1/22/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50 - 47. Record Vote Number: 19

S.Amdt. 28 (Sen. Whitehouse): To require campaign finance disclosures for certain persons benefitting from tar sands development.

-- Amendment SA 28 proposed by Senator Whitehouse to Amendment SA 2.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 28 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 52 - 43. Record Vote Number: 26

S.Amdt. 30 (Sen. Leahy): To strike a provision relating to judicial review .

-- Amendment SA 30 proposed by Senator Leahy to Amendment SA 2.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 30 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 41. Record Vote Number: 27

S.Amdt. 67 (Sen. Sullivan): To restrict the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to arm agency personnel.

-- Amendment SA 67 proposed by Senator Murkowski for Senator Sullivan to Amendment SA 2.

S.Amdt. 71 (Sen. Lee): To require a procedure for issuing permits to drill.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 71, under the order of 1/22/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 47. Record Vote Number: 17

S.Amdt. 72 (Sen. Menendez): To ensure private property cannot be seized through condemnation or eminent domain for the private gain of a foreign-owned business entity.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 72 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 43 - 54. Record Vote Number: 22

S.Amdt. 73 (Sen. Moran): To delist the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 .

-- Amendment SA 73 proposed by Senator Moran to Amendment SA 2.

S.Amdt. 74 (Sen. Reed): To express the sense of the Senate that the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program should be funded at not less than $4,700,000,000 annually.

-- Amendment SA 74 proposed by Senator Reed to Amendment SA 2.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 74 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 49 - 45. Record Vote Number: 28

S.Amdt. 75 (Sen. Cardin): To provide communities that rely on drinking water from a source that may be affected by a tar sands spill from the Keystone XL pipeline an analysis of the potential risks to public health and the environment from a leak or rupture of the pipeline.

-- Amendment SA 75 proposed by Senator Cardin to Amendment SA 2.

S.Amdt. 78 (Sen. Blunt): To express the sense of the Senate regarding the conditions for the President entering into bilateral or other international agreements regarding greenhouse gas emissions without proper study of any adverse economic effects, including job losses and harm to the industrial sector, and without the approval of the Senate.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 78, under the order of 1/22/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 46. Record Vote Number: 20

S.Amdt. 80 (Sen. Vitter): To provide for the distribution of revenues from certain areas of the outer Continental Shelf.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 98 (Sen. Murkowski): To express the sense of Congress relating to adaptation projects in the United States Arctic region and rural communities.

-- Amendment SA 98 proposed by Senator Murkowski to Amendment SA 2.

S.Amdt. 99 (Sen. Manchin): To express the sense of Congress regarding climate change.

-- Amendment SA 99 proposed by Senator Cantwell for Senator Manchin to Amendment SA 2.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 99 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 46. Record Vote Number: 15

S.Amdt. 103 (Sen. Flake): To require the evaluation and consolidation of duplicative green building programs.

-- Amendment SA 103 proposed by Senator Flake to Amendment SA 2.

S.Amdt. 113 (Sen. Boxer): To express the sense of Congress regarding federally protected land.

-- Amendment SA 113 proposed by Senator Boxer to Amendment SA 2.

-- Amendment SA 113, under the order of 1/22/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 55 - 44. Record Vote Number: 13

S.Amdt. 121 (Sen. Carper): To impose a fee of 8 cents per barrel on oil transported through the pipeline.

-- Amendment SA 121 proposed by Senator Carper to Amendment SA 2.

-- Motion to table amendment SA 121 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 57 - 38. Record Vote Number: 25

S.Amdt. 123 (Sen. Murkowski): To express the sense of the Senate that all forms of unrefined and unprocessed petroleum should be subject to the nominal per-barrel excise tax associated with the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund .

-- Amendment SA 123 proposed by Senator Murkowski to Amendment SA 2.

-- Amendment SA 123, under the order of 1/22/15, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 75 - 23. Record Vote Number: 18

S.Amdt. 126 (Sen. Cornyn): To ensure private property is protected as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

-- Amendment SA 126 proposed by Senator Murkowski for Senator Cornyn to Amendment SA 2.

-- Amendment SA 126 as modified agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 64 - 33. Record Vote Number: 21

S.Amdt. 132 (Sen. Daines): To express the sense of Congress regarding the designation of National Monuments.

-- Amendment SA 132 proposed by Senator Daines to Amendment SA 2.

S.Res. 38 (Sen. McConnell): A resolution relative to the death of Wendell H. Ford, former United States Senator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky .

-- Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

Adjournment

By unanimous consent, on the request of Mr. McConnell, at 12:21 a.m., the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, January 26, 2015.