Thursday, June 22, 2017

5:59 p.m. The Senate adjourned.

5:37 p.m. Senator Wyden spoke about health care.

5:21 p.m. ML McConnell wraps up for the day. UC that when the Senate adjourn it do so until 4:00 p.m. Monday June 26 and proceed to Executive Session in order to resume consideration of the nomination of Kristine Svinicki to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, post-cloture; with a vote on the nomination at 5:30 p.m. UC that the Senate adjourn following the remarks of Senator Wyden.

5:10 p.m. Senator Udall spoke about the health care bill.

4:33 p.m. Senator Schatz spoke about the health care bill.

4:07 p.m. Senator Kaine spoke about the health care bill.

3:41 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about the health care bill.

3:31 p.m. Senator Klobuchar spoke about the health care bill.

3:14 p.m. Senator Blumethal spoke about the health care bill.

2:54 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about the status of the Defense Authorization bill and North Korea.

2:53 p.m. Cloture invoked on the Svinicki nomination 89-10.

Senators voting in favor: 50 Republicans, 38 Democrats, 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 8 Democrats (Booker, Cortez Masto, Gillibrand, Harris, Markey, Merkley, Warren and Wyden).  1 Republican: Heller. 1 Independent: Sanders.

Senators not voting: Alexander

2:28 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the nomination of Kristine L. Svinicki, to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

2:26 p.m.  The nomination of Marshall Billingslea to be Assistant Secretary of Treasury for Terrorist Financing was confirmed 65-35.

Senators in favor: 52 Republicans,12 Democrats (Baldwin, Bennet, Coons, Donnelly, Duckworth, Heitkamp, Kaine, Manchin, McCaskill, Nelson, Tester and Warner); 1 Independent: King.

Senators against:  34 Democrats, 1 Independent: Sanders.

1:58 p.m. The Senate began voting on confirmation of the Billingslea nomination.

1:54 p.m. Senator Barrasso spoke on health care.

1:43 p.m. Senator Shaheen spoke on health care.

1:31 p.m. Senator Casey spoke on health care.

1:22 p.m. Senator Warren spoke about health care.

12:47 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about former FBI Director Comey and President Trump.

12:45 p.m. ML McConnell achieved UC to have the votes on confirmation of the Billingslea nomination and cloture on the Svinicki nomination at 2:00 p.m.

12:35 p.m. Senator Cantwell spoke about health care.

12:16 p.m. Senator Cardin spoke about the procedure for consideration of the health care bill.

11:58 a.m. Senator Markey spoke about health care.

11:53 a.m. Senator Cornyn criticized the Obama administraton’s health care bill.

11:49 a.m. Senator Stabenow criticized the Republican procedure. She inquired about offering a Medicare prescription drug proposal in lieu of the Republican health care bill.

11:47 a.m. Senator Cornyn objected.

11:44 a.m. Senator Wyden spoke about procedure. He secured the chair’s confirmation of his description of how the Obama administration’s health care bill was drafted. He sought consent for certain procedures to be used in consideration of the Republican health care bill.

11:43 a.m. Senator Cornyn declined on grounds that the offer is not sincere.

11:41 a.m. Senator Schumer proposed bipartisan negotiations on health care.

11:37 a.m. Senators Schumer and Cornyn had a series of exchanges about reconciliation procedure on health care.

11:36 a.m. Senators Murray and Cornyn had an exchange about the consideration of the health care bill under budget reconciliation.

11:34 a.m. Senator Murray criticized the process of considering the Republican health care bill.

11:32 a.m. Senator Cornyn objected.

11:28 a.m. Senator Murray spoke on health care. She sought consent that certain amendments be subject to a point of order.

11:27 a.m. Senator Schumer asked questions about the Republican bill.

11:26 a.m. Senator McConnell objected to Senator Durbin’s request.

11:22 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke on health care. He sought consent that certain amendments be subject to a point of order.

11:09 a.m. DL Schumer spoke on health care,asks UC regarding allowing bill to be public for 72 hours before amendments be allowed. ML McConnell objects.

11:02 a.m. ML McConnell spoke on health care.

***

The Senate will convene at 11 a.m. and will resume consideration of the nomination of Marshall Billingslea to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism Financing.

No time for a confirmation vote has been agreed upon.  If all post-cloture time is used, a confirmation vote could be held shortly before midnight.

Following disposition of the Billingslea nomination, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Kristine Svinicki to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.