Home

5:00 p.m. Senate adjourned. The Senate returns at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, December 13^th for a pro forma session only, with no business conducted.

When the Senate adjourns on Friday, it will next convene at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2019. Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the conference report accompanying S.1790, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.  At 5:30pm, the Senate will vote on cloture on the NDAA conference report.

4:58 p.m. ML McConnell began wrap up.

• Agreed to S.Con.Res.23 w/preamble amdts, honoring the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge fought during World War II, recognizing the valiant efforts of the Allied Forces in December 1944, and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice, all of which contributed to the Allied victory in the European Theater.
• Adopted by u.c., S.Res. 455, to authorize representation by the Senate legal counsel in the case of Richard R. John Cole vs. Senator Schumer et al.

4:11 p.m. Senator Sullivan spoke about the Alaskan of the Week.

3:53 p.m. Senator Cotton paid tribute to fallen police office Stephen Carr.

3:47 p.m. Senator Ernst paid tribute to retiring Senator Isakson.

3:34 p.m. Senator Udall spoke about constitutional war powers.

3:31 p.m ML McConnell filed cloture on conference report to accompany S. 1790, NDAA.

3:11 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on the USMCA and on IG Horowitz’s report.

2:43 p.m. Senator Casey spoke honoring First Lieutenant Michael Cleary of Dallas, PA who was killed in action.

2:15 p.m. Senator Thune spoke supporting legislation against robocalls.

2:13 p.m. The Senate confirmed the nomination of Stephen Hahn, of Texas, to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services by a tally of 72-18.

1:43 p.m. The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of the nomination of Stephen Hahn to be a commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration.

1:36 p.m. Senator Murphy spoke about the open enrollment deadline for Healthcare.gov.

1:17 p.m. Senators Manchin, Murkowski, and King spoke on energy innovation.

1:08 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke on health care.

12:59 p.m. Senator Cruz spoke on language in the Defense Authorization against the construction by Russia of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

12:50 p.m. Senators Menendez and Cruz spoke on and achieved UC to take up and pass S Res 150 on Armenian genocide.

12:49 p.m. The Sullivan nomination was confirmed 70-22.

Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans; 21 Democrats; 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 22 Democrats: Baldwin, Bennet, Blumenthal, Brown, Cantwell, Casey, Gillibrand, Harris, Heinrich, Hirono, Markey, Menendez, Murray, Peters, Reed, Schatz, Schumer, Smith, Stabenow, Warner, Whitehouse and Wyden.

Senators not voting: 4 Democrats: Booker, Duckworth, Klobuchar and Warren; 3 Republicans: Burr, Isakson and Paul; 1 Independent: Sanders.

12:23 p.m. Roll call vote began on confirmation of the nomination of John Sullivan to be Ambassador to Russia.

12:22 p.m. The Skipwith nomination was confirmed 52-39.

Senators voting in favor: 49 Republicans; 3 Democrats: Jones, Manchin and Sinema.

Senators voting against: 38 Democrats; 1 Independent: King.

Senators not voting: 4 Democrats: Booker, Duckworth, Klobuchar and Warren; 4 Republicans: Burr, Isakson, Paul and Shelby; 1 Independent: Sanders.

11:45 a.m. The Senate began voting on the nomination of Aurelia Skipwith to be the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

11:31 p.m. Senator Shaheen spoke about international family planning funding.

11:07 a.m. Senator Portman spoke about U.S. and Mexico trade deal.

10:53 a.m. Senator Durbin criticized the pace of legislative work under Senator McConnell’s leadership. He spoke about nominations. He spoke about student debt owed to for-profit colleges.

10:39 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about hate crimes against Jews in New York and New Jersey. He spoke about impeachment. He criticized Senator Graham’s reading of the Horowitz report. He spoke about tax policy.

10:29a.m. Senator Blackburn spoke about the Hong Kong protests.

10:07 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about legislative priorities and about nominations. He spoke about the defense authorization and appropriations bills. He said the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact may become “a casualty” of impeachment proceedings. He spoke about the House measure on drug prices.

*****

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. Thursday, December 12 and will resume post-cloture consideration of the nomination of Aurelia Skipwith to be director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

There will be votes at 11:45 a.m. on confirmation of two nominations:

• Aurelia Skipwith to be Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• John Sullivan, ambassador of the U.S. to the Russian Federation.

There will be a confirmation vote at 1:45 p.m. on the nomination of Stephen Hahn to be a commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration.