Senate Floor Activity - Wednesday, April 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 (Wednesday, April 22)

S. 178 (Sen. Cornyn): To provide justice for the victims of trafficking .

-- Considered by Senate.

-- The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 99 - 0. Record Vote Number: 163

S.Amdt. 273 (Sen. Kirk): To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a penalty for knowingly selling advertising that offers certain commercial sex acts.

-- Amendment SA 273 proposed by Senator Grassley for Senator Kirk.

-- Amendment SA 273 as modified, under the order of 4/21/2015, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 97 - 2. Record Vote Number: 162

S.Amdt. 279 (Sen. Sullivan): To require the Attorney General of the United States to grant certain requests by State attorneys general to cross designate State and local attorneys to prosecute individuals for sex trafficking.

-- Amendment SA 279 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Sullivan.

-- Amendment SA 279 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 290 (Sen. Leahy): To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act .

-- Amendment SA 290 proposed by Senator Leahy.

-- Amendment SA 290, under the order of 4/21/2015, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 56 - 43. Record Vote Number: 159

S.Amdt. 294 (Sen. Flake): To require a GAO study on the programs authorized by the bill.

-- Amendment SA 294 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Flake.

-- Amendment SA 294 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 296 (Sen. Klobuchar): To stop exploitation through trafficking .

-- Amendment SA 296 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Klobuchar.

-- Amendment SA 296 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 299 (Sen. Hoeven): To ensure that eligible entities that have only recently begun collecting data on child human trafficking are not precluded from being awarded certain grants.

-- Amendment SA 299 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Hoeven.

-- Amendment SA 299 as modified agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 301 (Sen. Leahy): To improve the bill.

-- Amendment SA 301 proposed by Senator Leahy.

-- Amendment SA 301, under the order of 4/21/2015, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 43 - 55. Record Vote Number: 156

S.Amdt. 303 (Sen. Shaheen): To aid human trafficking victims' recovery and rehabilitation.

-- Amendment SA 303 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Shaheen.

-- Amendment SA 303 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 308 (Sen. Cassidy): To provide for the development and dissemination of evidence-based best practices for health care professionals to recognize victims of a severe form of trafficking and respond to such individuals appropriately, and for other purposes.

-- Amendment SA 308 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Cassidy.

-- Amendment SA 308 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 310 (Sen. Brown): To allow grants under the victim-centered child human trafficking deterrence block grant program to be used for assisting law enforcement agencies in finding homeless and runaway youth .

-- Amendment SA 310 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Brown.

-- Amendment SA 310 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 311 (Sen. Brown): To direct the Attorney General to increase the amount provided under certain formula grants to States that have in place laws that terminate the parental rights of men who father children through rape.

-- Amendment SA 311 proposed by Senator Brown.

-- Amendment SA 311, under the order of 4/21/2015, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 99 - 0. Record Vote Number: 160

S.Amdt. 312 (Sen. Brown): To amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to expand the training for Federal Government personnel related to trafficking in persons, and for other purposes.

-- Amendment SA 312 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Brown.

-- Amendment SA 312 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 1120 (Sen. Cornyn): To strengthen the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act by incorporating additional bipartisan amendments .

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Proposed amendment SA 1120 withdrawn in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1121 (Sen. Burr): To require the Secretary of Defense to inform the Attorney General of persons required to register as sex offenders .

-- Amendment SA 1121 proposed by Senator Burr.

-- Amendment SA 1121, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 98 - 0. Record Vote Number: 161

S.Amdt. 1122 (Sen. Heller): To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to train Department of Homeland Security personnel how to effectively deter, detect, disrupt, and prevent human trafficking during the course of their primary roles and responsibilities.

-- Amendment SA 1122 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Heller.

-- Amendment SA 1122 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 1124 (Sen. Cornyn): To strengthen the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act by incorporating additional bipartisan amendments .

-- Amendment SA 1124 proposed by Senator Cornyn.

-- Amendment SA 1124, under the order of 4/21/2015, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 98 - 0. Record Vote Number: 157

S.Amdt. 1126 (Sen. Wicker): To direct the Attorney General to create a publicly accessible database for trafficking victims advocates that contains information about services for trafficking survivors .

-- Amendment SA 1126 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Wicker.

-- Amendment SA 1126 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 1127 (Sen. Cornyn): To reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and for other purposes.

-- Amendment SA 1127 proposed by Senator Cornyn.

-- Amendment SA 1127, under the order of 4/21/2015, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 45 - 53. Record Vote Number: 158

S.Amdt. 1128 (Sen. Portman): To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to enable State child protective services systems to improve the identification and assessment of child victims of sex trafficking, and for other purposes.

-- Amendment SA 1128 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Portman.

-- Amendment SA 1128 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S. 971 (Sen. Wyden): To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an increase in the limit on the length of an agreement under the Medicare independence at home medical practice demonstration program .

-- Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 1129 (Sen. Wyden): To make a technical correction .

-- Amendment SA 1129 proposed by Senator Cornyn for Senator Wyden.

-- Amendment SA 1129 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S. 984 (Sen. Vitter): To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare beneficiary access to eye tracking accessories for speech generating devices and to remove the rental cap for durable medical equipment under the Medicare Program with respect to speech generating devices.

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Res. 144 (Sen. Grassley): A resolution supporting the mission and goals of 2015 National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which include increasing public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of, and services available to assist, victims and survivors of crime in the United States .

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

S.Res. 145 (Sen. Stabenow): A resolution supporting the designation of April 2015, as "Parkinson's Awareness Month".

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

S.Res. 146 (Sen. Isakson): A resolution expressing support for the designation of the week of April 13 through April 17, 2015, as "National Assistant Principals Week".

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

S.Res. 147 (Sen. McConnell): A resolution designating Donald A. Ritchie as Historian Emeritus of the United States Senate.

-- 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 4:34 p.m, the Senate adjourned, The motion to adjourn until 9:30 a.m. was agreed to; and, under its order of today, until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.