8:06 p.m. The Senate adjourned and will reconvene at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, February 3. They will immediately proceed to vote on H.J. Res 41 followed by a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education. During wrap up the Senate passed the following:

• S. Res. 27-honoring the life of Eugene Cernan
• S. Res. 43-January 2017 National Mentoring Month

7:58 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about the resource extraction rule.

7:53 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the Alaskan of the week.

7:42 p.m. Senator Portman spoke about opioid addiction.

7:07 p.m. Senator Merkley spoke about the resource extraction rule.

6:59 p.m. Senator Schatz spoke about the resource extraction rule.

6:50 p.m. Senator Flake spoke about Arizona’s court of appeals.

6:44 p.m. Senator Kaine spoke about the resource extraction rule.

6:30 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about Supreme Court nominations.

6:15 p.m. Senator Cardin spoke about the resource extraction rule.

6:05 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke about the resource extraction rule.

6:04 p.m. ML McConnell announced the Senate will debate the pending resolution, H.J.Res. 41 as long as there is interest tonight and will reconvene at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow and proceed immediately to two roll call votes 1)Adoption of H.J.Res.41, CRA re: SEC rule relating to Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers 2) Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #11, Elisabeth P. DeVos, of Michigan, to be Secretary of Education

5:59 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke the resource extraction rule.

5:40 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about the resource extraction rule.

5:34 p.m. Senators Crapo and Isakson spoke about the extractive resource rule.

5:33 p.m. Motion to proceed to H.J. Res 41 was agreed to by a vote of 52-48. There will now be up to 10 hours of debate, equally divided between the proponents and opponents, followed by a vote on adoption of the resolution. We expect to reach an agreement to have debate tonight and the adoption vote tomorrow.

5:12 p.m. Roll call vote began on the motion to proceed to H.J.Res. 41, CRA re: SEC rule relating to disclosure of payments by resource extraction issuers.

5:11 p.m. Motion to proceed to legislative session was agreed to 52-48.

4:53 p.m. Roll call vote began on the motion to proceed to legislative session.

4:52 p.m. McConnell filed cloture on the nomination of Steven Mnuchin.

4:52 p.m. Motion to proceed to executive session on Mnuchin nomination agreed to 51-48.  Senators not voting: Sessions

4:33 p.m. Roll call vote began on motion to proceed to executive session to consider the Steven Mnuchin nomination.

4:32 p.m. Motion to proceed to legislative session agreed to 52-47.

Senators in favor: 50 Republicans, 1 Independent (King).

Senators voting against: 46 Democrats, 1 Independent (Sanders).

4:09 p.m. Roll call vote began on motion to proceed to legislative session.

4:08 p.m. McConnell filed cloture on the nomination of Tom Price for HHS.

4:07 p.m. Motion to proceed to executive session to consider the Price nomination agreed to 51-48. Senators not voting: Sessions.

3:48 p.m. Roll call vote began on motion to proceed to executive session to consider the Price nomination.

3:47 p.m. Motion to proceed to legislative session agreed to 51-47.

Senators in favor: 50 Republicans, 1 Independent (King).

Senators against: 46 Democrats, 1 Independent (Sanders).

Senators not voting: Graham and Sessions

Senators in favor: 50 Republicans, 4 Democrats: (Donnelly,Heitkamp, Manchin and McCaskill).

Senators against: 42 Democrats, 2 Independents (King and Sanders), 1 Republican (Collins).

Senators not voting: Sessions

Senators in favor: 50 Republicans, 4 Democrats: (Donnelly,Heitkamp, Manchin and McCaskill).

Senators against: 42 Democrats, 2 Independents (King and Sanders), 1 Republican (Collins).

Senators not voting: Sessions

3:27 p.m. Roll call vote began on the motion to proceed to legislative session.

3:27 p.m. ML McConnell filed cloture on the nomination of Senator Sessions to be Attorney General.

3:26 p.m. Motion to proceed to executive session agreed to 53-45.

Senators in favor: 51 Republicans, 2 Democrats: (Donnelly and Manchin).

Senators against: 43 Democrats, 2 Independents (King and Sanders).

Senators not voting: Carper and Sessions

3:06 p.m. Roll call vote began on the motion to proceed to executive session to consider the Sessions nomination.

3:05 p.m. H. J. Res 38 is adopted 54-45.

Senators in favor: 50 Republicans, 4 Democrats: (Donnelly,Heitkamp, Manchin and McCaskill).

Senators against: 42 Democrats, 2 Independents (King and Sanders), 1 Republican (Collins).

Senators not voting: Sessions

 

2:35 The Senate began voting on H. J. Res 38, disapproving the rule regarding the Stream Protection Act.

At 2:30 the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 8 roll call votes on the following:

• Adoption of H.J. Res 38
• Motion to proceed to Executive session to consider Sessions nomination to be Attorney General
• Motion to proceed to Legislative Session
• Motion to proceed to Executive session to consider Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Motion to proceed to Legislative Session
• Motion to proceed to Exeucitve Session to consider Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury.
• Motion to proceed to Legislative session
• Motion to proceed to H.J. Res 41

2:19 p.m. Senator Cantwell spoke about the stream protection rule.

2:12 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about mining in relation to the stream protection rule.

2:07 p.m. Senator Merkley spoke about the stream protection rule.

1:55 p.m. Senator Carper spoke about the Supreme Court vacancy.

1:47 p.m. Senator Fischer spoke about the nomination of Gorsuch.

1:43 p.m. Senator Hirono spoke about the stream protection rule.

1:33 p.m. Senator Heitkamp spoke about the stream protection rule.

1:27 p.m. Senator Manchin spoke about the stream protection rule.

1:15 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about the stream protection rule.

12:56 p.m. Senator Markey spoke about MIT’s own, Bill Bonnavillian and the resolution of disapproval regarding the stream protection rule.

12:49 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the resolution of disapproval regarding the stream protection rule.

12:34 p.m. Senator Cantwell spoke about coal miners and their pension program.

12:29 p.m. Senator Rounds spoke about the Gorsuch nomination.

12:11 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about the stream protection rule CRA and holding federal government responsible.

12:02 p.m. Senator Cantwell spoke about the resolution of disapproval regarding the stream protection rule.

11:43 a.m. Senator Murkowski spoke on the Gorsuch nomination, and resolution of disapproval regarding the stream protection rule.

11:28 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke about the Gorsuch nomination, and the Garland nomination.

11:15 a.m DL Schumer spoke on the Gorsuch nomination and the cabinet nominations; specifically the Devos nomination and the Puzder nomination.  He also spoke about the situation in Ukraine.

11:03 a.m. ML McConnell has the second reading of S. 274, regarding the executive order that temporarily restricted individuals from certain countries from entering the U.S.  He then spoke on the Gorsuch nomination and HJ Res 38.

***

The Senate will convene at 11:00 a.m. and resume consideration of a joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule (H.J.Res. 38).

There are six hours of debate remaining prior to a vote on the joint resolution. It is likely that some of that time will be yielded back.

Additional votes regarding Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval are expected.

Cloture has been filed on the Devos nomination. Unless a UC agreement is reached, that cloture vote will occur one hour after the Senate convenes on Friday.

If cloture is invoked, there will be up to thirty hours of post-cloture debate prior to a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination.