Thursday, September 7, 2017

6:15 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, September 11th.

5:32 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke about climate change.

4:56 p.m. Senator Blunt spoke about the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations bill.

4:50 p.m. Senator McConnell asked u.c. to proceed to consider confirmation of Executive Calendar 250, Col. John K. Muller to be Brigadier General of the Army National Guard; S. Con Res. 24, Providing for correction in the enrollment of H.R. 601; H.Con.Res. 69, Authorizing the use of the Capitol grounds for the DC Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run; S. 597, a bill to increase federal Pell grants for children of fallen safety officers; and S. 1165, a bill to designate the medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Huntington, WV as the Herschel VA Medical Center.

Leader McConnell asked that when the Senate completes its business today it adjourn until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, September 11th. Further that following the prayer and pledge the Senate observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the lives lost in the attacks of September 11, 2001. Following the moment of silence and Leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 2810, National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2018 and at 5:30 p.m. the Senate will vote on the Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 2810.

4:25 p.m. Senator Portman spoke about Backpage and trafficking.

4:03 p.m. Senator Perdue spoke about disaster funding.

3:47 p.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke about DACA.

3:30 p.m. Senator Lee spoke about the nomination of Amy Kony Barrett.

3:11 p.m. Senator Udall spoke about DACA.

3:03 p.m. Senator Kaine spoke about DACA.

2:54 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke about DACA.

2:42 p.m. Senator Wyden spoke about wildfires.

2:40 p.m. ML McConnell called up and filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the Defense Authorization.  This vote is expected to occur on Monday, September 11 at at 5:30 p.m; but that has NOT been agreed to yet.

2:39 p.m. Motion to concur agreed to 80-17.

‪Voting no: ‬
‪1. Corker‬
‪2. Daines‬
‪3, Enzi ‬
4. ‪Ernst ‬
‪5. Fischer ‬
‪6. Flake‬
‪7. Graham‬
8. ‪Grassley ‬
9. ‪Johnson ‬
‪10. Lankford ‬
11. ‪Lee‬
12. ‪McCain‬
13. ‪Moran‬
‪14. Paul‬
‪15. Risch

16. Sasse‬
‪17. Toomey‬

2:23 p.m. Roll call vote began on motion to concur in the House amendment to H.R. 601 with Senate amendment #808. This is the final vote of the day.

2:22 p.m. Cloture was invoked on motion to concur, 79-18.‬
‪Voting no: ‬‪Corker‬, ‪Daines‬, Enzi, ‪Ernst‬, ‪Fischer‬, ‪Flake‬, ‪Inhofe,‬  Johnson, Kennedy, Lankford‬, ‪Lee‬, ‪McCain‬, ‪Moran‬, ‪Paul‬, ‪Risch‬, ‪Sasse‬, Strange and Toomey.

Senators not voting: Menendez, Rubio and Sullivan.

1:45 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the motion to concur with further amendment #808 to the House message to accompany H.R. 601.

1:42 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke in favor of H.R. 601.

1:33 p.m. Senator Merkley spoke about wildfires.

1:32 p.m. Senator Thune announced that at 1:45 p.m. there would be a vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the House message to accompany H.R. 601. If cloture is invoked then they will immediately vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to H.R. 601.

1:31 p.m The motion to table the Sasse motion to refer was agreed to 72-25.

Senators voting against, all GOP: Barrasso, Corker, Enzi, Ernst, Fischer, Flake, Gardner, Grassley, Hatch, Heller, Inhofe, Johnson, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Moran, Paul, Perdue, Portman, Risch, Sasse, Strange and Toomey.

Senators not voting: Menendez, Rubio and Sullivan.

1:11 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to table the Sasse motion to refer.

1:10 p.m. The motion to table the Paul motion to refer was agreed to by a vote of 87-10. Senators voting no: Cruz, Flake, Heller, Inhofe, Lankford, Lee, Paul, Risch, Scott and Toomey.  Senators not voting: Menendez, Rubio and Sullivan.

12:39 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to table the motion to refer.

12:32 p.m. Senator Sasse spoke on CR/debt/ Harvey relief funding.

12:22 p.m. Senator Paul about foreign spending and disaster spending.

There will be 2 votes beginning at 12:30 p.m. in relation to the House message to accompany H.R. 601:

  • Paul motion to refer with instructions (offset the disaster spending)
  • Sasse motion to refer with instructions (consider the House disaster request without additional provisions on the CR/debt limit/ Harvey money)

12:15 p.m. Senator McCain spoke about military funding.

12:05 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell made a motion to refer the House message to accompany H.R. 601 to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions to report back with a Paul amendment #816, agreed to by unanimous consent. Then he filled the amendment tree.

11:51 a.m. Senator Casey spoke about immigration supporting the DACA program.

11:42 a.m. Senator Hatch spoke about the polarization of the Senate and the need to set aside partisan differences.

11:20 a.m. Senator Donnelly spoke about North Korea and the NDAA.

11:04 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about disaster relief.

10:57 a.m. Senator Peters spoke about immigration.

10:42 a.m. Senator Cardin spoke about immigration.

10:32 a.m. Senator Schumer spoke about the deal to pass the hurricane aid, debt limit extension and federal spending package.

10:24 a.m. Senator Nelson spoke about the prospective landfall of Hurricane Irma in Florida.

10:18 a.m. Senator Flake recalled the heroics of Joe George, a sailor during the Pearl Harbor attacks. He secured consent for the adoption of S.Res. 243, recommending the posthumous award of the Navy Cross to George.

10:03 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell completed Rule XIV proceedings to place directly on the Senate calendar the measure to condemn the recent violence in Charlottesville.

Senator McConnell spoke in favor of the Senate measure to deal with hurricane aid, debt extension, and continued federal spending.

***

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.  and will resume consideration of the House-passed measure to raise money for Hurricane Harvey relief.

Cloture has been filed on the McConnell substitute amendment #808, which adds to the Harvey package: federal debt limit extension and the continuing resolution for federal appropriations.

Votes are expected today but have yet to be scheduled.