5:57 p.m. The Senate adjourned and will reconvene for the following pro forma sessions during the President’s day recess:
2/16 – noon; 2/20 5:00 pm; 2/23 2:00 pm
When the Senate reconvenes on Monday, February 26th at 3:00 p.m. Senator Peters will be recognized to read Washington’s farewell address. The next vote will occur at 5:30 p.m. on Elizabeth Branch, GA, to be US Circuit Judge, 111th Circuit.
Senate passed the following bills in Wrap Up by unanimous consent:
S. Res 413 – Black History Month
S. 946 – Veterans justice outreach
HR 1725 – Reports on medical Evidence – Veterans Affairs
HR 3122 – Warning on VA’s website regarding pensions, Veterans Affairs
HR 4533 – Designate VA Health Care System in KY
Senate passed the following nominations En Bloc and by voice vote:
Exec Cal # 588 Joseph Brown, TX, US Atty, Eastern District TX
Exec Cal # 587 Fernando Rodriguez, TX, US District Judge, TX
Exec Cal # 642 John Durham, CT, US Atty
Exec Cal # 677 John Anderson, NM, US Atty
Exec Cal # 678 Brandon Fremin, LA, US Atty
Exec Cal # 679 Joseph Kelly, NE, US Atty
Exec Cal # 680 Scott Murray, NH, US Atty
Exec Cal # 681 David Weiss, DE, US Atty
5:51 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke on immigration.
5:34 p.m. Senator Carper spoke on immigration and jobs.
5:23 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke on legislating in the Senate and the immigration bill.
5:20 p.m. The Senate is now in a period of morning business.
4:54 p.m. Senator McConnell Filed cloture on the following nominations:
Exec Cal #623 – Elizabeth Branch, GA, to be US Circuit Judge, 111th Circuit
Exec Cal #153 – Russell Vought, VA, to be Deputy Dir, OMB
Exec Cal # 437 – A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr, SC, to be US District Judge of SC
Exec Cal #438 – Karen G Scholer, TX, to be US District Judge, Northern District TX
Exec Cal #439 – Tilman Eugene Self III, GA, to be US District Judge, Middle District of GA
Exec Cal #536 – Terry Doughty, LA, US District Judge, Western District of LA
Senate passed the following nominations En Bloc and voice vote:
Exec Cal #617 – Joel Danies, MD, Ambassador, Gabonese Republic, Sao Tome and Principe
Exec Cal #667 – Peter Hendrick Vrooman, NY, Ambassador, Ruwanda
Exec Cal #590 – Norman Arflack, US Marshall, KY
Exec Cal#591 -Ted Kamatchus, US Marshal, IA
Exec Cal #643 – Michael Baylous, US Marshall, WV
Exec Cal #644 – Daniel McKittick, US Marshall, MS
Exec Cal #682 – David Jolley, US Marshall, TN
Exec Cal #683 – Thomas Griffin, US Marshall, SC
Exec Cal #472 – Neil Jacobs, Asst Secy, Commerce
Exec Cal # 661 – Holley Greaves, CFO, EPA
Exec Cal #465 – John Demers, Asst Attorney General, DOJ
Exec Cal #359 – John Mitnick, General Counsel, Homeland Security
Exec Cal #645 – John Henderson, Asst Secy Air Force, DOD
Exec Cal #646 – Michael Griffin, Under Secy for Research, DOD
Exec Cal #647 – William Roper, Asst Secy Air Force, DOD
Exec Cal #648 – Phyllis Bayer, Asst Secy, Navy, DOD
Exec Cal #662 – John Gibson II, Chief Management Officer, DOD
Exec Cal #685 – Kevin Fahey, Asst Secy, DOD
Exec Cal #687 – Thomas Ayres, General Counsel, Air Force, DOD
Exec Cal #663 – Melissa Burnison, Asst Secy, Energy
4:09 p.m. Cloture was not invoked on the Grassley Amendment, 39-60.
Democrats voting in favor: Donnelly, Heitkamp and Manchin.
Republicans voting against: Barrasso, Collins, Cruz, Daines, Enzi, Flake, Inhofe, Kennedy, Lee, Moran, Murkowski, Paul, Sasse and Thune.
Senators not voting: McCain.
3:51 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the Grassley Amendment.
3:49 p.m. Democratic Leader Schumer spoke against the Grassley Amendment.
3:48 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke in favor of his amendment.
3:46 p.m. Cloture was not invoked 54-45 on the Rounds/King amendment.
Republicans voting in favor: Alexander, Collins, Flake, Gardner, Graham, Isakson, Murkowski and Rounds.
Democrats voting against: Harris, Heinrich and Udall.
Senators not voting: McCain.
3:27 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the Rounds/King amendment.
3:26 p.m. Senators Rounds and King spoke in favor of their amendment.
3:24 p.m. Senator Cotton spoke against the Rounds/King amendment.
3:23 p.m. Cloture was not invoked on the Toomey Amendment by a tally of 54-45.
Democrats in favor: Donnelly, Manchin, McCaskill and Stabenow.
Senators not voting: McCain.
3:08 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the Toomey Amendment.
3:07 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke against the Toomey Amendment.
3:05 p.m. Senator Toomey spoke in favor of his amendment.
3:03 p.m. Cloture was not invoked on the Coons/McCain amendment by a tally of 52-47.
Republicans voting in favor: Flake, Gardner, Graham and Murkowski.
Democrats voting against: Manchin
Senators not voting: McCain
2:32 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the Coons/McCain amendment.
2:29 p.m. Senator Coons summed up his amendment with Senator McCain.
2:17 p.m. Senator Cruz spoke about immigration.
2:02 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke on the shooting in Florida and then on immigration.
2:00 p.m. ML McConnell acheived UC that cloture will ripen on all four amendments at 2:30 p.m.; thus up to 4 roll call votes at that time:
- Coons McCain Amendment #1955 to Schumer amendment #1958, including provisions to deal with those brought into the U.S. illegally as children and to improve border security;
- Toomey Amendment #1948 on state and local cooperation with federal law enforcement on suspected crime by those in the country illegally;
- Schumer substitute (#1958, as modified), which is the text of the Rounds-King amendment (#2010) to the language proposed to be stricken by Grassley amendment #1959;
- Grassley Substitute Amendment #1959.
1:52 p.m. Senator Ernst spoke about immigration.
1:43 p.m. Senator Cotton spoke about immigration.
1:04 p.m. Senator Gardner spoke about the death of a law enforcement officer in Colorado.
12:54 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about the Rounds/King amendment to the immigration bill.
12:46 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke about DACA.
12:29 p.m. Senator Wyden spoke about Dreamers and DACA.
12:25 p.m. Senator Rubio spoke about the Florida school shooting.
12:00 p.m. Senator Nelson requested the Senate observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Florida school shooting.
11:15 a.m. Senator Stabenow spoke about Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and the Change Act.
10:33 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke about the Florida shootings. He spoke about immigration.
10:21 p.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the Florida shootings. He spoke about immigration.
10:05 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the high school shooting in Florida. He said the Senate will observe a moment of silence at noon. He spoke about immigration. He spoke about the tax overhaul.
10:02 a.m. The Senate resumed consideration of the immigration bill.
******
The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and will resume consideration of H.R. 2579, the vehicle for the immigration bill. No votes have been scheduled as yet.
Senator McConnell has filed cloture on pending amendments in the order listed below.
- Coons McCain Amendment #1955 to Schumer amendment #1958, including provisions to deal with those brought into the U.S. illegally as children and to improve border security;
- Toomey Amendment #1948 on state and local cooperation with federal law enforcement on suspected crime by those in the country illegally;
- Schumer substitute (#1958, as modified), which is the text of the Rounds-King amendment (#2010) to the language proposed to be stricken by Grassley amendment #1959;
- Grassley Substitute Amendment #1959.