Thursday, July 2, 2020

5:26 p.m. The Senate adjourned and will convene for pro forma sessions on the following days:

Monday, July 6th at 11:15 am

Thursday, July 9th at 10:00 am

Monday, July 13th at 5:30 pm

Thursday, July 16th at 10:30 am

When the Senate adjourns on Thursday, July 16th, it will next convene at 3:00 pm Monday, July 20th and the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to resume the Vought nomination.  The vote on the Vought nomination will occur at 5:30pm.

Nominations confirmed during wrap-up:

Executive Calendar #504 Joseph Bruce Hamilton, of Texas, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2022

·       Executive Calendar #505 Jessie Hill Roberson, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2023

·       Executive Calendar #506 Thomas A. Summers, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2020

·       Executive Calendar #719 Joyce Louise Connery, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2024

·       Executive Calendar #720 Thomas A. Summers, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2025

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

·       Executive Calendar #754 Owen Cypher, to be US Marshal for Eastern District Michigan

·       Executive Calendar #755 Thomas Foster, to be US Marshal for Western District of Virginia

·       Executive Calendar #756 Tyreece Miller, to be US Marshal for Western District of Tennessee

ARMY

·       Executive Calendar #750 – Gen. Gustave F. Perna to be General

Passed during wrap-up:

  • S. 4209-to amend title IX of the Social Security Act of improve emergency unemployment relief for governmental entities and nonprofit organizations.
  • S. Res. 648- designating August 2020 as “National Women’s Suffrage Month.”
  • S. Res. 649- expressing support for the designation of July as “American Grown Flower Month”
  • S. Res. 650- designating July 10, 2020, as ‘‘Collector Car Appreciation Day’’ and recognizing that the collection and restoration of historic and classic cars is an important part of preserving the technological achievements and cultural heritage of the United States.

Read for the first time:

H.R. 7120-George Floyd Justice in Policing Act

3:55 p.m. Senator Van Hollen spoke about Israel.

3:15 p.m. Senator Portman spoke about NDAA, Ukraine and opioids.

2:48 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke about Covid-19 and Operation Warp speed to develop a vaccine.

2:25 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the Alaskan of the Week and also about the military service members who patrol the skies of Alaska.

2:20 p.m. Senator Cotton spoke about Hong Kong.

2:20 p.m. The motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Russell Vought to be Director of OMB was agreed to by a vote of 47-44.

1:27 p.m. Senator McConnell filed cloture on amendment #2301 (substitute) to S. 4049 and then also filed cloture on S. 4049. Cloture motions ripen upon disposition of the Tester amendment 1972.

1:15 p.m Senator Inhofe asked unanimous consent that at a time to be determined, the Senate proceed to S. 4049-NDAA and the following amendments be in order with 2 hours of debate equally divided on each and a 60 vote threshold for adoption:

 Schatz amendment to reform Department of Defense transfers of personal property to law enforcement agencies. (2252)
 Inhofe amendment to impose additional conditions and limitations on the transfer of Department of Defense property for law enforcement activities. (2411)
 Sanders amendment to reduce the bloated Pentagon budget by 10 percent and invest that money in jobs, education, health care, and housing in communities in the United States in which the poverty rate is not less than 25 percent. (1788)
 Cornyn amendment to restore American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing by increasing federal incentives in order to enable advanced research and development, secure the supply chain, and ensure long-term national securEacity and economic competitiveness. (2244)
 Shaheen amendment to increase funding for the study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relating to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in drinking water. (1729)
 Tester amendment to expand the list of diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents for which there is a presumption of service connection for veterans who serviced in the Republic of Vietnam. (1972, as modified)

The following amendments were agreed to en bloc:

o Moran amendment to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the unemployment rate of female veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001. (1694)
o Hyde-Smith amendment to designate the week of September 20 through September 26, 2020, as “Gold Star Families Remembrance Week”. (1881)
o Romney amendment to state the policy of the United States on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. (1883)
o Peters amendment to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on the screening practices for Great Lakes and inland waterways seaports. (1753)
o Warner amendment to improve efficient use of sensitive compartmented information facilities. (1803)
o Coons amendment to provide for Federal coordination of activities supporting sustainable chemistry, and for other purposes. (1808)
o Portman amendment to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to publish an annual report on the use of deepfake technology, and for other purposes. (1891)
o Kennedy amendment to require the Secretary of the Treasury to provide States with information regarding unredeemed matured savings bonds. (1987)
o Warner amendment to require a report by the Comptroller General of the United States on diversity and inclusion within the civilian workforce of the Department of Defense. (1907)
o Romney amendment to require a report on the Chemical and Biological Defense Program of the Department of Defense. (2018)
o Sullivan amendment to require reports on diversity and inclusion in the Armed Forces. (2391)
o Tester amendment to expand eligibility for mental health services from the Department of Veterans Affairs to include members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces. (1968)
o Bennet amendment to require a briefing on the assignment of members of the Armed Forces on active duty to the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center of the Department of Defense. (1977)
o Johnson amendment to strengthen Federal antidiscrimination laws enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and expand accountability within the Federal Government. (2077)
o Smith amendment to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and issue a report on the affordability of insulin. (2058)
o Wicker amendment to improve the cyber workforce and establish cyber challenges. (2178)
o Cortez Masto amendment to require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress a report assessing the billing practices of the Department of Defense for care received under the TRICARE program and at military medical treatment facilities. (2186)
o King amendment to strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. (2215)
o Merkley amendment to extend the prohibition on commercial export of certain munitions to the Hong Kong Police Force. (2251)
o Fischer amendment to ensure appropriate prioritization, spectrum planning, and interagency coordination to support the Internet of Things. (2231)
o Cantwell amendment to extend real-time sound monitoring at Navy installations where tactical fighter aircraft operate. (2255)
o Risch amendment to improve coordination of United States sanctions policy. (2238)
o Cantwell amendment to require an analysis of sourcing and industrial capacity issues related to aluminum. (2256)
o Gardner amendment to express the sense of Congress on the implementation of the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 with respect to Taiwan arms sales. (2241)
o Hirono amendment to require a report on the impact of the children of certain Filipino World War II veterans on the national security, foreign policy, and economic and humanitarian interests of the United States. (2269)
o Portman amendment to require an assessment of United States manufacturing surge capacity. (2243)
o Menendez amendment to provide assistance for United States citizens and nationals taken hostage or unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, and for other purposes. (2270)
o Inhofe-Reed amendment relating to the Space Force. (2248)
o Peters amendment to require a plan for the continuity of the economy. (2275)
o Toomey amendment to impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons involved in the erosion of certain obligations of China with respect to Hong Kong. (2277)
o Inhofe amendment to amend the Oklahoma City National Memorial Act of 1997 to authorize the transfer of funds for the endowment fund for the Oklahoma City National Monument, and for other purposes. (2204)
o Cantwell-Manchin amendment to modify the requirements for the Department of Energy response to the review by the Nuclear Weapons Council of the budget of the National Nuclear Security Administration. (2417)
o Jones amendment to improve the authority for operations of unmanned aircraft for educational purposes. (1797)
o Lankford amendment to require each agency, in providing notice of a rule making, to include a link to a 100 word plain language summary of the proposed rule. (1825)
o Loeffler amendment to authorize certain postgraduate health care employees and health professions trainees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment via telemedicine. (1878)
o Tester amendment to provide assistance to manage farmer and rancher stress and for the mental health of individuals in rural areas. (1966)
o Tester amendment to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans read-only access to the documents of such veterans contained the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record. (1971)
o Kennedy amendment to establish limitations regarding Confucius Institutes, and for other purposes. (1991)
o Markey amendment to impose reporting requirements relating to the SBIT and STTR programs of the Small Business Administration. (2053)
o Cruz amendment to leverage commercial satellite remote sensing. (2138)
o Durbin amendment to express the Sense of Congress on support for coordinated action to ensure the security of Baltic allies. (2168)
o Feinstein amendment to require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on military aviators and aviation support personnel to determine the incidence of cancer diagnosis and mortality among such aviators and personnel. (2217)
o Heinrich amendment to express the sense of the Senate on the extension of limitations on the importation of uranium from the Russian Federation. (2220)
o Rounds amendment to authorize a pilot program to explore the use of consumption-based solutions to address software-intensive warfighting capability. (2235)
o Brown amendment to require a report on the use and potential refurbishment of existing operating and mothballed Federal research and testing facilities to support hypersonics activities of the Department of Defense. (2257)
o Sasse amendment to require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on cyberexploitation of members of the Armed Forces and their families. (2287)
o Boozman amendment to require a report on round-the-clock availability of childcare for members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense who work rotating shifts. (2298)
o Harris amendment to require the Secretary of Defense to commission an independent scientific study of the impacts of trans-boundary flows, spills, or discharges of pollution or debris from the Tijuana River on the personnel, activities, and installations of the Department of Defense. (2317)
o Klobuchar to provide an exception to the limitation on period of care provided to newborn children of veterans. (2319)
o Inhofe amendment to strike the provision relating to laboratory- or production facility-directed research and development programs. (2326)
o Young amendment to require a study and plan on the use of additive manufacturing and three-dimensional bioprinting in support of the warfighter. (2327)
o Shelby amendment to modify the authorities on micro nuclear reactor programs. (2331)
o Wyden amendment to require the Secretary of the Army to submit to Congress a plan to finish remediation activities conducted by the Secretary in Umatilla, Oregon. (2341)
o Blackburn amendment to improve section 212, relating to governance of fifth-generation wireless networking in the Department of Defense. (2370)
o Blackburn amendment to amend the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to authorize the Open Technology Fund of the United States Agency for Global Media and to reauthorize the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. (2378)
o Moran amendment to provide compensation and credit for retired pay purposes for maternity leave taken by members of the reserve components. (1693)
o Inhofe amendment to eliminate a provision relating to the distribution of launches for phase two of the acquisition strategy for the National Security Space Launch program. (2418)
o Sanders amendment to provide incentives for the Department of Defense to achieve a clean audit opinion on its financial statements. (2419)
o Lee amendment to require an annual allied burden sharing report. (2084)
o Van Hollen amendment for the relief of Richard W. Collins III. (1849)
o Hassan amendment to improve the response of the Department of Defense to threats to United States forces from small unmanned aerial systems worldwide. (2103)
o Warner- Rubio amendment to support supply chain innovation and multilateral security. (2422)Moran #1694

1:15 p.m. Senator Schatz spoke about Rule 19 and the enforcement of it.

12:55 p.m. Senator Lee spoke about mob violence. He asked unanimous consent that the Senate agree to S. Res. 645-condemning mob violence. Senator Menendez objected. Senator Menendez said that he would agree to the resolution if language were included that elected officials not incite violence. Senator Lee objected. Both Senators were reminded of Rule 19-impugning other Senators.

12:31 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about the DoD office of Net Assessment.

12:23 p.m. Senator Collins spoke about her bill with Senator Manchin -Autos for Veterans Act.

12:03 p.m. Senator Toomey and Van Hollen spoke about their bill H.R. 7440- Hong Kong Autonomy Act. It passed by unanimous consent.

11:52 a.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about NDAA

11:40 a.m. Senator Sasse spoke about Hong Kong.

11:13 a.m. Senator Feinstein asked unanimous consent to pass S. 1255-proof of age for e-cigarettes. Senator Cornyn spoke in support of the bill and the bill passed.

10:59 a.m. Senator Barrasso spoke about jobs numbers and also about NDAA.

10:51 a.m. Senator Kaine spoke about his amendment to NDAA that active duty military can not be used against protesters.

10:27 a.m. Senator Schumer spoke about the pandemic response and also DC Statehood.

10:02 a.m Senator McConnell spoke about special interests and also spoke about NDAA.

10:00 a.m. Senator Grassley spoke about DoD audit.

The Senate will convene 10:00am. Following Leader remarks, the Senate will enter Executive Session and resume consideration of Executive Calendar #718, Russell Vought, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget. At 1:30pm, the cloture motion filed on the Vought nomination will ripen and the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture.