Senate Floor Activity - Friday, December 18, 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 (Friday, December 18)

H.R. 515 (Rep. Smith): To protect children and others from sexual abuse and exploitation, including sex trafficking and sex tourism, by providing advance notice of intended travel by registered sex offenders outside the United States to the government of the country of destination, requesting foreign governments to notify the United States when a known sex offender is seeking to enter the United States, and for other purposes .

-- Notwithstanding the passage of H.R. 515, the committee reported title amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 1321 (Rep. Pallone): To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the manufacture and introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce of rinse-off cosmetics containing intentionally-added plastic microbeads.

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 2029 (Rep. Dent): Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes.

-- Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate amendment.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Motion by Senator McConnell to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendment made in Senate.

-- Cloture motion on the motion to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendment presented in Senate.

-- Cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendment invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 72 - 26. Record Vote Number: 336

-- Motion to table the first House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2029 rejected in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 31 - 67. Record Vote Number: 337

-- Point of order that the motion to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendment violates section 311(a)(2)(b) of the CBA raised in Senate.

-- Motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline with respect to the measure (the motion to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendment) agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 73 - 25. Record Vote Number: 338

-- Senate agreed to the House amendments to the Senate amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 65 - 33. Record Vote Number: 339

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 4188 (Rep. Hunter): To authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, and for other purposes.

-- 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. 2941 (Sen. Thune): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 2941 proposed by Senator Perdue for Senator Thune.

-- Amendment SA 2941 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

H.Con.Res. 104:

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

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S. 1115 (Sen. Fischer): To close out expired grants.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 2940 (Sen. Fischer): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 2940 proposed by Senator Perdue for Senator Fischer.

-- Amendment SA 2940 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S. 1893 (Sen. Alexander): To reauthorize and improve programs related to mental health and substance use disorders.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

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

-- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 2942 (Sen. Murkowski): To increase amounts authorized to be appropriated for youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies grants .

-- Amendment SA 2942 proposed by Senator Perdue for Senator Murkowski.

-- Amendment SA 2942 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 2943 (Sen. Lee): To provide for improved reporting .

-- Amendment SA 2943 proposed by Senator Perdue for Senator Lee.

-- Amendment SA 2943 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S. 2152 (Sen. Corker): To establish a comprehensive United States Government policy to encourage the efforts of countries in sub-Saharan Africa to develop an appropriate mix of power solutions, including renewable energy, for more broadly distributed electricity access in order to support poverty reduction, promote development outcomes, and drive economic growth, and for other purposes.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- The committee amendments agreed to by Unanimous Consent.

-- Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 2939 (Sen. Corker): To improve the bill.

-- Amendment SA 2939 proposed by Senator McConnell for Senator Corker.

-- Amendment SA 2939 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S. 2232 (Sen. Paul): To require a full audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal reserve banks by the Comptroller General of the United States, 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.

S. 2425 (Sen. Portman): To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to improve payments for complex rehabilitation technology and certain radiation therapy services, to ensure flexibility in applying the hardship exception for meaningful use for the 2015 EHR reporting period for 2017 payment adjustments, and for other purposes.

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

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Res. 338 (Sen. Cardin): A resolution congratulating Towson University on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the university.

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

S.Res. 339 (Sen. Grassley): A resolution congratulating the University of Iowa College of Law for 150 years of outstanding service to the State of Iowa, the United States, and the world.

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

S.Res. 342 (Sen. Capito): A resolution congratulating the women's volleyball team of Wheeling Jesuit University on winning the Division II National Championship.

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

Executive Business (Friday, December 18)

PN50: Carlos J. Torres, of Virginia, to be Deputy Director of the Peace Corps

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN128: Stuart F. Delery, of the District of Columbia, to be Associate Attorney General

-- Returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.

PN214: Cono R. Namorato, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General

-- Returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.

PN226: Suzette M. Kimball, of West Virginia, to be Director of the United States Geological Survey

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN336: David Malcolm Robinson, of Connecticut, to be Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN337: David Malcolm Robinson, of Connecticut, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Conflict and Stabilization Operations)

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN760: Patrick Joseph Murphy, of Pennsylvania, to be Under Secretary of the Army

-- Reported by Senator McCain, Committee on Armed Services, without printed report.

-- Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar No. 438. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN871: Shoshana Miriam Lew, of the District of Columbia, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Transportation

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

Adjournment

By unanimous consent, on the request of Mr. Perdue, at 4:25 p.m., the Senate sine dieed, under its order of today, until 12 noon on Monday, January 4, 2016.