Senate Floor Activity - Tuesday, June 16, 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 (Tuesday, June 16)

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.

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 invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 83 - 15. Record Vote Number: 212

S.Amdt. 1473 (Sen. Vitter): To limit the retirement of Army combat units, and to provide an offset.

-- Amendment pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 1473 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 26 - 73. Record Vote Number: 213

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 pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 1549, under the order of 6/11/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 54 - 45. Record Vote Number: 210

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. 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 pending in Senate.

-- Amendment SA 1578, under the order of 6/11/15, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 50 - 49. Record Vote Number: 211

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 pending in Senate.

-- Proposed amendment SA 1687 withdrawn in Senate.

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.

-- Amendment SA 1889 agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 78 - 21. Record Vote Number: 209

S.Amdt. 1911 (Sen. Hatch): To require a report on the Department of Defense definition of and policy regarding software sustainment .

-- Amendment SA 1911 proposed by Senator McCain for Senator Hatch to Amendment SA 1456.

H.R. 2685 (Rep. Frelinghuysen): Making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes .

-- Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate.

-- Cloture motion on the motion to proceed to the measure presented in Senate.

Adjournment

Under the authority of the order of today, at 6:15 p.m, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Gardner in the chair) declared the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow.