Blog

Thursday, May, 2, 2024

3:59 p.m. The Senate adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 673, as a further mark of respect for the late David Hampton Pryor, former senator from Arkansas, and will next convene at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 3rd for a pro forma session only.

When the Senate adjourns on Friday, it will next convene for business at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7th. Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of Executive Session to consider the nomination of Donna Ann Welton to be Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.

At 5:30 p.m. – 1 vote:

  1. Confirmation of the Welton nomination

Following the vote on the Welton nomination, the Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 3935, the FAA Reauthorization.

During wrap-up:

The following nominations were confirmed en bloc by voice vote:

  • Executive Cal. #423 John Joseph Sullivan, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace for a term of four years.
  • Executive Cal. #207 Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, of Texas, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Peru.
  • Executive Cal. #271 Cynthia Kierscht, of Minnesota, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Djibouti.
  • Executive Cal. #484 Joann M. Lockard, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Burkina Faso.
  • Executive Cal. #519 Cardell Kenneth Richardson, Sr., of Virginia, to be Inspector General, Department of State.
  • Executive Cal. #485 Robert David Gioia, of New York, to be a Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada.
  • Executive Cal. #577 Laura Stone, of Utah, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
  • Executive Cal. #580 Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, of Connecticut, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Indonesia.
  • Executive Cal. #583 Jennifer M. Adams, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cabo Verde.
  • Executive Cal. #584 Arthur W. Brown, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Ecuador.
  • Executive Cal. #586 Richard Mills, Jr., of Georgia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  • Executive Cal. #587 Lisa Peterson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Burundi.
  • Executive Cal. #589 Elizabeth Rood, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Turkmenistan.
  • Executive Cal. #591 Mark Toner, of Pennsylvania, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Liberia.
  • Executive Cal. #592 Pamela M. Tremont, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Zimbabwe.

The following nominations were confirmed en bloc by unanimous consent:

  • Executive Cal. #381
  • Executive Cal. #612-619
  • Executive Cal. 624-629
  • Executive Cal. #631-633
  • Executive Cal. #634 (except Col. Catherine V. Barrington)
  • Executive Cal. #635-636
  • All the nominations on the Secretary’s Desk in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force, and Foreign Service, except for PN 587.
  • The following was agreed to en bloc by unanimous consent:
    • S. 3249  A bill to designate the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas, as the “Captain Elwin Shopteese VA Clinic”.
    • S. 3285  A bill to rename the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the “Charlie Dowd VA Clinic”.
    • H.R. 593 To rename the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Hinesville, Georgia, as the “John Gibson, Dan James, William Sapp, and Frankie Smiley VA Clinic”.
  • H. Con. Res. 89 – Authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust, was agreed to by unanimous consent.
  • S. Con. Res. 34 Establishing the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, was agreed to by unanimous consent.
  • S. Con. Res. 35 Use of Rotunda for Inaugural Ceremonies, was agreed to by unanimous consent.
  • The following was agreed to by unanimous consent:
    • S. Res. 652 A resolution designating April 2024 as “Second Chance Month”.
    • S. Res. 671 Expressing support for the designation of the week of April 28, 2024 through May 4, 2024 as “National Small Business Week” to celebrate the contributions of small business and entrepreneurs in every community in the United States.
    • S. Res. 672 Recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.
    • S. Res. 675 Promoting minority health awareness and supporting the goals and ideals of National Minority Health Month in April 2024, which include bringing attention to the health disparities faced by minority populations of the United States such as American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.
  • S. Res. 674 Designating May 5, 2024, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls, was agreed to by voice vote.
  • S. Res. 673 former Senator David Hampton Pryor, was agreed to by unanimous consent.

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3:52 p.m. By a vote to 89-10, the Senate agreed to the motion to procced to H.R. 3935, FAA Reauthorization. Senators voting no: Cardin, Cassidy, Hawley, Kaine, Kennedy, Lee, Van Hollen, Vance, Warner, and Warren. Senators not voting: Booker, Cramer, Johnson, Kelly, Menendez, Sanders, Scott (SC), Sullivan, and Wicker.

1:45 p.m. The Senate began voting on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3935, FAA reauthorization.

1:40 p.m. Senator Casey spoke about antisemitism.

1:24 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke about the FAA reauthorization bill.

1:03 p.m. Senators Boozman and Cotton spoke about former Senator David Pryor.

12:52 p.m. Senator Tuberville spoke on the Corporate Transparency Act.

12:11 p.m. Senator Hagerty spoke on agency transparency and voting. He then asked unanimous consent for the Senate to proceed to and pass S. 4239. Senator Padilla objected.

11:13 a.m. Senator Stabenow spoke on the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act.

11:04 a.m. Senator Thune spoke on anti-Semitism on college campuses.

10:51 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke on judicial nominations and immigrations.

10:32 a.m. Republican Leader McConnell spoke on security in north Africa and in general. He then spoke on coal regulations.

10:18 a.m. Majority Leader Schumer spoke on abortion, the FAA bill, judge shopping, the farm bill, and paid farewell to departing staffer Mike Kuiken.

10:00 a.m. The Senate convened.

***

The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m. and following any Leader remarks will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R.3935, to reauthorize and improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation programs.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. the Senate will proceed to a vote on the motion to proceed to H.R.3935.