Monday, December 17, 2018

7:36 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. Tuesday, when it will resume consideration of the criminal justice bill, S. 756.

7:32 p.m. Senator Crapo secured consent for: S. 2511, as amended, on a program coordinating unmanned maritime systems; S. 3191, as amended, on civil rights case records; and S. 3238, as amended, to improve oversight of broadcast emergency alert systems.

7:15 p.m. Senator Lee responded to Senator Whitehouse.

7:14 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke about the medical disabilities measure.

7:09 p.m. Senator Whitehouse sought consent for the measure. Senator Lee objected.

7:02 p.m. Senators Whitehouse and Cotton spoke about their bill on disability insurance for victim’s of Lou Gehrig’s disease.

7:01 p.m. By a vote of 82 to 12, the Senate invoked cloture on the criminal justice bill. Voting NO were Republicans Barrasso, Burr, Cotton, Enzi, Kennedy, Kyl, Murkowski, Risch, Rounds, Sasse, Sullivan and Toomey. Not voting were Alexander, Cassidy, Graham, Heller, Johnson, and Tillis

5:32 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the on the motion to concur in the House amendment with a further amendment to S.756.

5:21 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about criminal justice reform.

5:11 p.m. Senator Enzi spoke about the federal budget process.

5:01 p.m. Senator McConnell filed cloture on the nomination of Joseph Maguire of Florida to be director of the national Counterterrorism Center under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

4:56 p.m. Senator Jones spoke about the criminal justice bill. He paid tribute to the late Giles Perkins.

4:39 p.m. Senator Durbin paid tribute to Senator Alexander and spoke on criminal justice reform.

4:25 p.m. Senator Schumer spoke about the CR and paid tribute to Senator Alexander.

4:06 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on criminal justice reform.

3:56 p.m. Senator Moran paid tribute to Lynn Jacobs and Kevin Yoder.

3:47 p.m. Senator Boozman spoke about the farm bill.

3:08 p.m. The following legislation was passed:

  1. The Senate concurred in the House amendment to S. 1311, Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, by unanimous consent.
  2. The Senate concurred in the House amendment to S. 1312, Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017, by unanimous consent.
  3. S. 1862, Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017, and the Menendez amendment, were agreed to by voice vote.
  4. H.R. 2200, Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018, and the Murray amendment, were agreed to by voice vote.
  5. S. 1520, Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017, and the Wicker amendment, were agreed to by unanimous consent.

3:05 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell paid tribute to Senator Alexander.

3:03 p.m. President Pro Tempore Hatch swore in Senator Hyde-Smith.

The Senate will convene at 3:00 p.m.  Following any Leader remarks, resume consideration of the House Message to accompany S.756, the legislative vehicle for the First Step Act.

At 5:30 p.m. the Senate will conduct a cloture vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment with a further amendment to S.756.