Senate Floor Activity - Thursday, June 11, 2015

The President pro tempore called the Senate to order at 10 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 11)

H.R. 615 (Rep. Payne): To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to take administrative action to achieve and maintain interoperable communications capabilities among the components of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

H.R. 1735 (Rep. Thornberry): To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Cloture motion on the measure presented in 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. 1463 (Sen. McCain): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Cloture motion on amendment SA1463 presented in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1473 (Sen. Vitter): To limit the retirement of Army combat units .

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

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. 1543 (Sen. Paul): To strengthen employee cost savings suggestions programs within the Federal Government.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1549 (Sen. Ernst): To provide for a temporary, emergency authorization of defense articles, defense services, and related training directly to the Kurdistan Regional Government.

-- Amendment SA 1549 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Ernst to Amendment SA 1463.

S.Amdt. 1559 (Sen. Durbin): To prohibit the award of Department of Defense contracts to inverted domestic corporations.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1564 (Sen. Blumenthal): To increase civil penalties for violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1569 (Sen. Burr): To improve cybersecurity in the United States through enhanced sharing of information about cybersecurity threats .

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Cloture not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 56 - 40. Record Vote Number: 207

-- Proposed amendment SA 1569 withdrawn in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1578 (Sen. Gillibrand): To reform procedures for determinations to proceed to trial by court-martial for certain offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

-- Amendment SA 1578 proposed by Senator Reed for Senator Gillibrand to Amendment SA 1463.

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 pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1687 (Sen. Lee): To provide for the protection and recovery of the greater sage-grouse, the conservation of lesser prairie-chickens, and the removal of endangered species status for the American burying beetle .

-- Amendment SA 1687 proposed by Senator Lee to Amendment SA 1473.

S.Amdt. 1825 (Sen. Fischer): To authorize appropriations for national security aspects of the Merchant Marine for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, and for other purposes.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

S.Amdt. 1889 (Sen. McCain): To reaffirm the prohibition on torture .

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

H.Con.Res. 54 (Rep. Miller): A concurrent resolution authorizing the reprinting of the 25th edition of the pocket version of the United States Constitution .

-- Received in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

S. 1568 (Sen. Gardner): To extend the authorization to carry out the replacement of the existing medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Denver, Colorado, to authorize transfers of amounts to carry out the replacement of such medical center, and for other purposes .

-- Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Executive Business (Thursday, June 11)

PN300: Douglas J. Kramer, of Kansas, to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration

-- By unanimous consent agreement, debate and vote 6/11/2015.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

Adjournment

By unanimous consent, on the request of Mr. Gardner, at 6:19 p.m., the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 2 p.m. on Monday, June 15, 2015.