Blog

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

10:00 p.m.  The Senate now stands in adjournment until 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 19th and resume the McGuire nomination.

 Wrap up:
Legislative Business
Passed by voice vote H.R.7213: Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act.
Passed Calendar #424, S.2200 with Thune substitute amendment: National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act.
Passed Calendar #677, S.3367 with Thune substitute amendment: Department of Transportation Reports Harmonization Act.
Passed S.3444 with Cassidy amendment: Douglas Fournet Department of Veterans’ Affairs Clinic.
Passed S.3777: Forever GI Housing Payment Fulfillment.
Passed H.R.4227 with Cassidy amendment: Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act.
Passed by voice vote H.R.1235: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act.
Passed H.R.6615 with Alexander amendment: Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization.
No Executive Business

 

9:00 p.m. The Senate is voting on a series of votes in relation to the First Step Act:

  • Kennedy-Cotton amendment #4109, Division I. Vote results 32- 67 the amendment fails.
  • Kennedy-Cotton amendment #4109, Division II. Vote results 33 -66 the amendment fails.
  • Kennedy-Cotton amendment #4109, Division III. Vote results 37-62 the amendment fails.
  • Cruz-Lankford amendment to expand the list of offenses for which a prisoner is ineligible to receive certain time credits and to modify a provision relating to a limitation on faith-based activities (#4131).  Agreed to by Voice vote.
  • Motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 756, with a further amendment #4108 [passage of the Frist Step Act (S. 3747) Final passage passed  87 – 12.

6:29 p.m. Senator Durbin and Rubio spoke on criminal justice reform.

6:16 p.m. Senator Cotton spoke on his amendments on the criminal justice reform bill and his overall concerns of the underlying bills.

6:02 p.m. Senator Udall spoke on border wall and border security.

4:51 Senator Portman spoke on national parks.

4:25 Senator Booker spoke on criminal justice reform.

4:17 p.m. Senator King spoke about departing staffer Kay Rand.

4:07 p.m. Senator Isakson spoke about outgoing Governor Nathan Deal and on the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.

3:52 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about national defense funding.

3:33 p.m. Senator Toomey spoke about criminal justice reform and called up amendment #4120. Senator Durbin objected.

3:19 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about criminal justice reform.

3:13 p.m. Senator Nelson spoke about criminal justice reform.

3:01 p.m. Senator Kennedy spoke about criminal justice reform.

2:50 p.m. Senator Thune paid tribute to Senators Alexander and Kyl; before discussing government funding and immigration.

2:40 p.m. Senator Gardner offered a UC request to take up his amendment (#4123) regarding marijuana legalization; Senator Grassley objected.

2:15 p.m. The Senate returned from the recess.

12:44 p.m. The Senate recessed until 2:15 to accommodate party luncheons.

12:37 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke on criminal justice reform.

12:19 p.m. Senator Kyl spoke on national defense.

12:14 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke on national defense.

12:02 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke on criminal justice reform.

11:48 a.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke on criminal justice reform.

11:35 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on criminal justice reform.

11:32 a.m. H.R. 6615, Reauthorizing the Tramatic Brain Injury Program, and Alexander amendment, were agreed to by unanimous consent.

11:11 a.m. Senator Blumenthal spoke on partisanship in Congress and criminal justice reform.

11:07 a.m. Senator Booker spoke on criminal justice reform.

10:49 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke in tribute to Senator Donnelly and on criminal justice reform.

10:33 a.m. Senator Grassley spoke on criminal justice reform, on his 12,800 votes in the Senate, and in tribute to his chief of staff.

10:31 a.m. Senator Donnelly gave his farewell speech.

10:17 a.m. Senator Schumer spoke on government funding, on health care, and in tribute to Senator Donnelly.

10:13 a.m. Senator Kyl thanked the Leader for his comments and friendship.

10:05 a.m. ML McConnell spoke about criminal justice reform and in tribute to Senator Kyl and to outgoing chief of staff John Kelly.

*****

The Senate will convene at 10:00 a.m. and resume consideration of the post cloture motion to concur in the House message to accompany S.756, the legislative vehicle for Criminal Justice Reform.

The Senate will recess for the weekly caucus luncheons from 12:30 – 2:15 p.m.

No votes are scheduled at this time.