8:09 p.m. The Senate adjourned. By consent, the Senate will convene for these pro forma sessions during the coming recess, with no business to be conducted:
— Friday, Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m.
— Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 10 a.m.
— Friday, Aug. 10 at 10:30 a.m.
— Tuesday, Aug. 14 at 1 p.m.
The Senate will next convene for regular business at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 15 at noon and will resume consideration of the Quattlebaum nomination to the Fourth Circuit, with a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m.
8:06 p.m. By voice vote the Senate passed S. 2497, to amend the Foreign Assistance and Arms Control Export Acts.
By voice vote, en bloc, the Senate confirmed these nominations:
— Emily Marks, to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama;
— Jeffrey Beaverstock to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama;
— Holly Teeter to the U.S. District Court for Kansas;
— Colm Connolly to the U.S. District Court for Delaware;
— Maryellen Noreika to the U.S. District Court for Delaware;
— Jill Otake to the U.S. District Court for Hawaii.
By voice vote, the Senate confirmed Jason Klitenic to be general counsel to Director of National Intelligence.
6:58 p.m. Senator Portman spoke about trade.
6:42 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about Alaskans of the week Christine Patriot and Nicole Nelson.
6:07 p.m. Senator Merkley spoke about internment camps.
5:47 p.m. Senator McConnell filed cloture on these nominations: A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. and Julius Ness Richardson, both of South Carolina, to the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court.
By consent, the Senate passed the following measures:
— S. Res. 604, on the Intelligence Committee’s production of certain documents pertaining to the case, U.S. v. Maria Butina;
— H.R. 2345, on FCC dialing codes;
— S. 1668, to rename a New York waterway the Joseph Sanford Jr. Channel;
— H.R. 6414, to amend Title XXIII of the U.S. Code, on tribal transportation;
— S. 2101, to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the crew of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, as amended.
— House message to accompany S. 770, on small business cyber threats.
5:45 p.m. Senator McConnell paid tribute to retiring Chief of the Recorders of Official Debate Patrick Renzie and Journal Clerk Scott Sanborn.
5:26 p.m. Senator Graham spoke about the defense bill.
5:11 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about the separation of immigrant children from their parents.
4:59 p.m. Senator Tillis spoke about Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American imprisoned in Turkey.
4:48 p.m. Senator Warren spoke about judicial nominations.
4:34 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about pensions.
4:10 p.m. Senator Hatch spoke supporting the Kavanaugh nomination.
4:04 p.m. Senator Smith spoke against the Kavanaugh nomination.
3:51 p.m. Senator Blunt spoke about NDAA.
3:34 p.m Senator Leahy spoke about the Supreme Court vacancy.
3:25 p.m. Senator Kennedy spoke about the Farm bill.
2:59 p.m. Senator Reed spoke about the NDAA and the following conferees were assigned regarding H.R. 2, Senators Roberts, McConnell, Boozman, Hoeven, Ernst, Stabenow, Leahy, Brown, and Heitkamp.
2:38 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination.
2:36 p.m. By a vote of 87 to 10, the Senate passed the NDAA conference report.
YEAS: 46 Rs, 40 Ds, 1 I.
NAYS: 2 R, 7 D, 1 I.
Voting NAY: Democrats Durbin, Gillibrand, Harris, Markey, Merkley, Warren and Wyden; independent Sanders, Republicans Lee and Rubio.
Not voting: Republicans Flake, McCain and Paul.
1:57 p.m. Roll call vote began on the Conference Report to accompany H.R.5515, NDAA 2019.
1:50 p.m. Senators Reed and Inhofe gave their final statements on the conference report.
1:30 p.m. Senators Rubio and Van Hollen spoke on ZTE and the Defense authorization bill.
1:28 p.m. Senator Hoeven thanked Senators and staff for work on the just passed “minibus”.
1:27 p.m. The Senate begins up to one hour of debate on the conference report to accompany H.R. 5515.
1:27 p.m. H.R. 6147 [Interior, FSGG, THUD, Agriculture appropriations minibus] was agreed to 92-6.
Senators voting against, 6 Republicans: Cruz, Johnson, Lee, Paul, Sasse and Toomey.
Senators not voting: 2 Republicans: Flake and McCain.
1:06 p.m. Roll call vote began on passage of H.R. 6147 [Interior, FSGG, THUD, Agriculture appropriations minibus]
12:59 p.m. Senators McConnell, Schumer and Leahy paid tribute to Senator Shelby on his recent 10,000th vote and his work on the appropriations bills.
12:58 p.m. ML McConnell achieves UC to vitiate cloture on conference report to accompany H.R. 5515 and following one hour of debate, vote on adoption of the conference report.
12::57 p.m. The motion to table the Cruz amendment was agreed to 54-44 and the amendment falls.
Senators voting in favor: 47 Democrats, 5 Republicans: Cassidy, Collins, Hatch, Murkowski and Shelby; 2 Independents: King and Sanders.
Senators voting against: 44 Republicans.
Senators not voting: 2 Republicans: Flake and McCain.
12:40 p.m. The Senate began voting on the motion to table the Cruz amendment #3402.
12:39 p.m. Senator Shelby spoke supporting a repeal of the individual mandate but supported the motion to table.
12:38 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke against the Cruz amend and moved to table the amendment.
12:36 p.m. Senator Cruz spoke about the individual mandate and on his amendment #3402.
12:35 p.m. The Senate agreed to the Baldwin amendment by a vote of 83-15. Senators voting against: 1. Capito 2. Cassidy 3. Corker 4. Cotton 5. Cruz 6. Daines 7. Kennedy 8. Lankford 9. Lee 10. Paul 11. Rubio 12. Sasse 13. Scott 14. Tillis 15. Toomey
12:15 p.m. The Senate is voting on adoption of Baldwin amendment #3524 in relation to H.R.6147, Minibus Appropriations (60 vote affirmative threshold).
12:14 p.m. The Lee amendment #3522 was not agreed to by a vote of 14-84. Senators voting in favor: Booker, Capito, Cassidy, Corker, Cruz, Heinrich, Lee, Menendez, Paul, Rubio, Schatz, Sullivan, Toomey and Young.
11:50 a.m. The Senate began voting on adoption of Lee amendment #3522 in relation to H.R.6147, Minibus Appropriations (60 vote affirmative threshold)
11:48 a.m. Senator Baldwin spoke against the Lee amendment #3522.
11:46 a.m. Senator Lee spoke supporting his amendment #3522.
11:45 a.m. The Senate did not agree to the Leahy amendment #3464 by a vote of 50-47. (60 vote affirmative threshold) Senator Corker joined Democrats in voting yes.
Senators Burr, Flake and McCain did not vote.
11:07 a.m. Senate began voting on adoption of the Leahy amendment #3464 in relation to H.R.6147, Minibus Appropriations (60 vote affirmative threshold).
11:06 a.m. Senator Leahy spoke supporting his amendment.
11:04 a.m. Senator Lankford spoke against the Leahy amendment #3464.
11:00 a.m. Senator Collins asked u.c. to call up amends #3464, #3522, #3524, and #3402.
10:48 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination.
10:44 A.M. Senator Merkley spoke about the spending bill.
10:40 a.m. Senate Udall spoke about the spending bill.
10:21 a.m. Senator Murkowski spoke about the spending bill.
10:03 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the “minibus” appropriations bill.
*****
The Senate will convene at 10:00 am and resume consideration of H.R. 6147 [Interior, FSGG, THUD, Agriculture appropriations minibus].
• At 11:00am, all post-cloture time with respect to the Shelby substitute amendment will expire, and the Senate will proceed to vote in relation to the below amendments. No further amendments will be in order to the substitute.
o Leahy amendment to provide for election security grants (3464). Subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold.
o Lee amendment the prohibit the use of funds to enforce standards of identity with respect to certain food (3522). Subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold.
o Baldwin amendment to appropriate funds to carry out programs relating to the innovation, process improvement, and marketing of dairy products (3524). Subject to an affirmative 60-vote threshold.
o Cruz amendment to prohibit the use of funds to carry out the District of Columbia’s health insurance individual mandate (3402). Motion to table expected.
• Following disposition of the Cruz amendment, the pending Murkowski amendment of a perfecting nature (3400) will be withdrawn, the Shelby amendment in the nature of a substitute (3399) will be adopted by unanimous consent, and the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on passage of H.R. 6147, as amended.
• Following disposition of H.R. 6147, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the conference report to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5515).
o If cloture is invoked on the conference report to accompany H.R. 5515, there will be up to thirty hours of post-cloture debate.
• Upon the use or yielding back of post-cloture time on the conference report, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on a motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to the conference report, if a point of order is raised.
• Following any potential roll call vote on a motion to waive, the Senate will proceed to a vote on adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 5515.
