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Senate Floor Activity - Thursday, June 4, 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, June 4)

H.R. 1735 (Rep. Thornberry): To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year , and for other purposes.
-- Considered by Senate.
S.Amdt. 1456 (Sen. McCain): To require additional information supporting long-range plans for construction of naval vessels.
-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1473 (Sen. Vitter): To limit the retirement of Army combat units .
-- Amendment SA 1473 proposed by Senator Vitter to Amendment SA 1463.

S.Amdt. 1484 (Sen. Hoeven): To require a report on Air National Guard contributions to the RQ-4 Global Hawk mission.
-- Amendment SA 1484 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Hoeven to Amendment SA 1463.
-- Amendment SA 1484 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 1486 (Sen. Cornyn): To require reporting on energy security issues involving Europe and the Russian Federation, and to express the sense of Congress regarding ways the United States could help vulnerable allies and partners with energy security.
-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1494 (Sen. Shaheen): To revise the definition of spouse for purposes of veterans benefits in recognition of new State definitions of spouse .
-- Amendment pending in Senate.
-- Amendment SA 1494, under the order of 6/4/2015, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 53 - 42. Record Vote Number: 203

S.Amdt. 1506 (Sen. Tillis): To provide for the stationing of C-130 H aircraft avionics previously modified by the Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) in support of daily training and contingency requirements for Airborne and Special Operations Forces.
-- Amendment pending in Senate.
-- Amendment SA 1506 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 48 - 44. Record Vote Number: 204

S.Amdt. 1511 (Sen. Heller): To require additional elements in the report on the plan on the privatization of the defense commissary system .
-- Amendment SA 1511 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Heller to Amendment SA 1463.
-- Amendment SA 1511 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 1521 (Sen. Reed): To limit the availability of amounts authorized to be appropriated for overseas contingency operations pending relief from the spending limits under the Budget Control Act of 2011.
-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1522 (Sen. Portman): To provide additional amounts for procurement and for research, development, test, and evaluation for Stryker Lethality Upgrades, and to provide an offset.
-- Amendment pending in Senate.
-- Amendment SA 1522 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 61 - 34. Record Vote Number: 202

S.Amdt. 1539 (Sen. McCain): To prohibit the Department of Defense from entering into contracts to facilitate payments for honoring members of the Armed Forces at sporting events.
-- Amendment SA 1539 proposed by Senator McCain to Amendment SA 1463.
-- Amendment SA 1539 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 1540 (Sen. Bennet): To require the Comptroller General of the United States to brief and submit a report to Congress on the administration and oversight by the Department of Veterans Affairs of contracts for the design and construction of major medical facility projects.
-- Amendment pending in Senate.
-- Amendment SA 1540 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.Amdt. 1543 (Sen. Paul): To strengthen employee cost savings suggestions programs within the Federal Government.
-- Amendment SA 1543 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Paul to Amendment SA 1463.

S.Amdt. 1551 (Sen. Shaheen): To require a study and report on the changes to the Joint Travel Regulations related to the flat rate per diem for long term temporary duty travel that took effect on November 1, 2014 .
-- Amendment SA 1551 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Shaheen to Amendment SA 1463.
-- Amendment SA 1551 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 1559 (Sen. Durbin): To prohibit the award of Department of Defense contracts to inverted domestic corporations.
-- Amendment SA 1559 proposed by Senator Reed for Senator Durbin to Amendment SA 1463.

S.Amdt. 1564 (Sen. Blumenthal): To increase civil penalties for violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
-- Amendment SA 1564 proposed by Senator Reed for Senator Blumenthal to Amendment SA 1463.

S.Amdt. 1571 (Sen. Warner): To express the sense of Congress on diversity among members of the Armed Forces.
-- Amendment SA 1571 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Warner to Amendment SA 1463.
-- Amendment SA 1571 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 1618 (Sen. Shaheen): Of a perfecting nature.
-- Amendment SA 1618 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Shaheen to Amendment SA 1463.
-- Amendment SA 1618 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 1645 (Sen. Markey): To express the sense of Congress that exports of crude oil to United States allies and partners should not be determined to be consistent with the national interest if those exports would increase energy prices in the United States for American consumers or businesses or increase the reliance of the United States on imported oil .
-- Amendment SA 1645 proposed by Senator Markey to Amendment SA 1463.


H.R. 2146 (Rep. Reichert): To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers to make penalty-free withdrawals from governmental plans after age 50, and for other purposes.
-- Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
S.Amdt. 1782 (Sen. Toomey): To change the effective date.
-- Amendment SA 1782 proposed by Senator McConnell for Senator Toomey.
-- Amendment SA 1782 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.


Adjournment

Under the authority of the order of today, at 6:08 p.m, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Cassidy in the chair) declared the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 3 p.m. on Monday, June 8, 2015.