Senate Floor Activity - Thursday, August 1, 2019

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, August 1)

H.R. 2336 (Rep. Delgado): A bill to amend title 11, United States Code, with respect to the definition of "family farmer".

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 2938 (Rep. McBath): A bill to exempt from the calculation of monthly income certain benefits paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 3304 (Rep. Cohen): A bill to exempt for an additional 4-year period, from the application of the means-test presumption of abuse under chapter 7 , qualifying members of reserve components of the Armed Forces and members of the National Guard who, after September 11, 2001, are called to active duty or to perform a homeland defense activity for not less than 90 days .

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 3311 (Rep. Cline): A bill to amend chapter 11 of title 11, United States Code, to address reorganization of small businesses, and for other purposes.

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R. 3877 (Rep. Yarmuth): A bill to amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, to establish a congressional budget for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, to temporarily suspend the debt limit, and for other purposes.

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Cloture motion on the measure presented in Senate.

-- Cloture on the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 67 - 27. Record Vote Number: 261

-- Passed Senate without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 67 - 28. Record Vote Number: 262

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 932 (Sen. Paul): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 932 proposed by Senator Paul.

-- Amendment SA 932, under the order of 7/30/19, not having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, was not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 23 - 70. Record Vote Number: 260

S. 394 (Sen. Johnson): A bill to amend the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to improve the orderly transfer of the executive power during Presidential transitions.

-- Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S. 862 (Sen. Kennedy): A bill to extend the sunset for collateral requirements for Small Business Administration disaster loans .

-- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

-- Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Voice Vote

-- Message on Senate action sent to the House.

S.Amdt. 936 (Sen. Kennedy): In the nature of a substitute.

-- Amendment SA 936 proposed by Senator McConnell for Senator Kennedy.

-- Amendment SA 936 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Amdt. 937 (Sen. Kennedy): To amend the title.

-- Amendment SA 937 proposed by Senator McConnell for Senator Kennedy.

-- Amendment SA 937 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.Res. 304 (Sen. Feinstein): A resolution designating September 2019 as "National Workforce Development Month".

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

S.Res. 305 (Sen. Whitehouse): A resolution designating the week of September 14 through September 21, 2019, as "National Estuaries Week" .

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

Executive Business (Thursday, August 1)

PN4: Richard K. Bell, of Pennsylvania, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN5: Eliot Pedrosa, of Florida, to be United States Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank for a term of three years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN7: Russell A. Berman, of California, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN8: William English, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN9: John Fonte, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN10: Marjorie Fisher Furman, of Michigan, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN11: Claire Griffin, of Washington, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN12: Joyce Malcolm, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN13: Adair Margo, of Texas, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN14: Matthew Rose, of Iowa, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN15: William Schneider, Jr., of Colorado, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN16: Noel Valis, of Connecticut, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN21: Jennifer L. Homendy, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board for a term expiring December 31 , 2024

-- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN43: Thomas McCaffery, of California, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN88: Elizabeth Darling, of Texas, to be Commissioner on Children, Youth, and Families, Department of Health and Human Services

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN90: Michael Faulkender, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN95: Randolph J. Stayin, of Virginia, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for a term expiring June 16, 2026

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN104: Stephen Akard, of Indiana, to be Director of the Office of Foreign Missions, with the rank of Ambassador

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN123: Kenneth S. George, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN133: W. Patrick Murphy, of Vermont, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN149: Kathe Hicks Albrecht, of California, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN152: Keegan F. Callanan, of Vermont, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN153: David Armand DeKeyser, of Alabama, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN154: Robert J. Grey, Jr., of Virginia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN155: Kim R. Holmes, of Virginia, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN158: Phyllis Kaminsky, of Arizona, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN159: Abigail L. Kuzma, of Indiana, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2019

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN160: Abigail L. Kuzma, of Indiana, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN161: John G. Levi, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN163: John G. Malcolm, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN164: Frank X. Neuner, Jr., of Louisiana, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2019

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN165: Frank X. Neuner, Jr., of Louisiana, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN167: Gloria Valencia-Weber, of New Mexico, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN169: Jean M. Yarbrough, of Maine, to be a Member of the National Council on the Humanities for a term expiring January 26, 2022

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN172: Mary Anne Carter, of Tennessee, to be Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts for a term of four years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN174: Sharon Fast Gustafson, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term of four years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN181: Ron A. Bloom, of New York, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN188: Roman Martinez IV, of Florida, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN201: Mark Lee Greenblatt, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, Department of the Interior

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN209: Lisa M. Schenck, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Military Commission Review

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN214: M. Miller Baker, of Louisiana, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN249: Timothy M. Reif, of the District of Columbia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN264: James A. Crowell IV, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN265: Jason Park, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN344: Mark Schultz, of Nebraska, to be Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN367: Courtney Dunbar Jones, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN368: Emin Toro, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN411: Michael Eric Wooten, of Virginia, to be Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN448: Dale Cabaniss, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management for a term of four years

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN491: William B. Kilbride, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2023

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN492: Julie Reiskin, of Colorado, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2019

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN505: Jennifer D. Nordquist, of Virginia, to be United States Executive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for a term of two years

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN506: John McLeod Barger, of California, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8 , 2021

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN507: Rainey R. Brandt, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN508: Shana Frost Matini, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN523: Christopher Landau, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the United Mexican States

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN561: Michelle Bowman, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of fourteen years from February 1, 2020

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN563: Michael J.K. Kratsios, of South Carolina, to be an Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

-- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN565: Richard B. Norland, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to Libya

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN611: Thomas Peter Feddo, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN616: Jonathan R. Cohen, of California, to be Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN630: Ann C. Fisher, of the District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission for a term expiring October 14, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN631: James Byrne, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

PN713: Kelly Craft, of Kentucky, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations

-- Motion to proceed to executive session to consideration of nomination agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

-- Cloture motion presented in Senate.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, mandatory quorum required under Rule XXII waived.

-- By unanimous consent agreement, debate 9/9/2019.

PN715: Philip S. Goldberg, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN716: Jessica E. Lapenn, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the African Union, with the rank and status of Ambassador

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN724: Wilmer Ocasio, of Puerto Rico, to be United States Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico for the term of four years

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN833: Amy Karpel, of Washington, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for a term expiring June 16, 2023

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN852: Ashley Jay Elizabeth Poling, of North Carolina, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission for a term expiring November 22, 2024

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN889: Mary Beth Leonard, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Nigeria

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN892: Matthew Keenan, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2020

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN962: Vice Adm. Michael M. Gilday, in the Navy, to be Admiral

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

-- Placed on Senate Executive Calendar. Calendar No. 421. Subject to nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate.

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN963: Robert L. Sumwalt III, of South Carolina, to be Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board for a term of three years

-- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

PN968: Charlotte A. Burrows, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term expiring July 1, 2023

-- Considered by Senate.

-- Confirmed by the Senate by Voice Vote.

Adjournment

By unanimous consent, on the request of Mr. McConnell, at 3:15 p.m., the Senate adjourned, under its order of today, until 1 p.m. tomorrow.