Thursday, March 22, 2018

1:00 a.m. The Senate adjourns.

12:57 a.m. Senator Johnson wraps up for the night.

12:47 a.m. Senators Johnson and Donnelly talk about HR 4257.

12:44 a.m. Senator Johnson asks UC to take up and pass HR 4257. Senator Schumer objects.

12:39 a.m. ML McConnell files cloture on several nominations.
12:38 a.m. The omnibus was agreed to 65-32.

Senators voting in favor: 25 Republicans, 39 Democrats and 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 23 Republicans: Barrasso, Cassidy, Corker, Cotton, Crapo, Cruz, Daines, Enzi, Ernst, Fischer, Flake, Gardner, Grassley, Johnson, Kennedy, Lankford, Lee, Paul, Perdue, Risch, Sasse, Sullivan, and Tillis; 8 Democrats: Booker, Feinstein, Gillibrand, Harris, Markey, McCaskill, Merkley, and Warren; 1 Independent: Sanders.

Senators not Voting 3 Republicans: Burr, McCain and Toomey.

12:21 a.m. Roll call vote began on passage of the omnibus.

12:20 a.m. Cloture is invoked 67-30.

Senators voting in favor: 28 Republicans, 38 Democrats, 1 Independent: King.

Senators voting against: 20 Republicans: Barrasso, Cassidy, Corker, Cotton, Crapo, Cruz, Daines, Enzi, Fischer, Flake, Gardner, Grassley, Johnson, Kennedy, Lee, Paul, Perdue, Risch, Sasse,
Sullivan and Wicker; 9 Democrats: Booker, Durbin, Feinstein, Gillibrand, Harris, McCaskill, Merkley and Warren; 1 Independent: Sanders.

Senators not voting: 3 Republicans: Burr, McCain and Toomey.

12:00 a.m. Roll call vote began on cloture.

11:57 p.m. ML McConnell explains he has been cajoling all day.

11:56 p.m. Senator Corker, reserving the right to object complains about the fact the votes are occurring at such a late hour.

11:56 p.m. ML McConnell offers UC to vote on cloture, a budget point of order, and passage.

11:55 p.m. The motion to instruct was 91-6, thus a quorum was present.

10:49 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to Request the Attendance of Absent Senators.

10:33 p.m. H. Con. Res. 116, Providing for a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 1625, was agreed to by unanimous consent.

6:23 p.m. Senator Leahy spoke on the omnibus bill.

6:09 p.m. Senator Carper spoke about the omnibus bill.

5:38 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke on the omnibus appropriations bill.

5:22 p.m. Senator Blunt spoke about the omnibus appropriations bill and the opioid crisis.

5:10 p.m. Senator Collins spoke about her amendment.

5:00 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke about health care and the omnibus.

4:58 p.m. ML McConnell filed cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to H.R.1625, the Omnibus appropriations bill and filled the amendment tree.

4:48 p.m. Senator Murray spoke about health care and asked u.c. that when the Senate proceeds to the consideration of the Omnibus bill (H.R. 1625), the Murray amendment be agreed to, Senator McConnell objected.

4:47 p.m. Senator Collins asked u.c. that when the Senate proceeds to the consideration of the Omnibus bill (H.R. 1625), the Collins-Alexander amendment be agreed to. Senator Murray objected.

4:43 p.m. Senator Tillis spoke on DACA. Tillis asked u.c. that the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 2579, the pending amendments be withdrawn with the execption of the Grassley amend #1959 and the Grassley amen be agreed to and the bill as amended passed. Senator Durbin objected.

4:25 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke on the omnibus and DACA. Durbin asked u.c. to proceed to S. 1615, Senator Tillis objected.

4:18 p.m. Senator Manchin spoke about opioid addiction.

4:15 p.m. Senator Peters spoke on trade.

4:01 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke briefly on the omnibus and then turned to election security.

2:51 p.m. Senator Alexander secured consent for an hour to discuss health care and the Hyde Amendment with Senators Collins, Graham and Rounds.

2:45 p.m. Senator Young spoke about Robert F. Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis on April 4, 1968.

2:35 p.m. Senator Cantwell spoke about H.R. 4851, to create the Kennedy-King peace memorial in Indiana. She spoke about the firefighting and affordable housing provisions of the spending bill.

2:30 p.m. Senator Barrasso spoke about confirmation procedure.

2:14 p.m. Senator Casey spoke about gun control.

2:11 p.m. ML McConnell asked to call up the nomination of Richard Grenell to be Ambassador to Germany. Senator Merkley objected.

1:39 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about gun control.

1:20 p.m. Senator Sullivan paid tribute to Senator Cochran and spoke about the Alaskan of the week.

1:04 p.m. Senator Cochran gave his farewell speech.

1:01 p.m. Senator Durbin paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:57 p.m. Senator Enzi paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:52 p.m. Senator Isakson paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:47 p.m. Senator Blunt paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:42 p.m. Senator Hatch paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:40 p.m. Senator Schumer paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:34 p.m. Senator Collins paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:30 p.m. Senator Shelby paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:21 p.m. Senator Leahy paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:10 p.m. ML McConnell paid tribute to Senator Cochran.

12:02 p.m. Senator Wicker paid tribute to Senator Cochran who is retiring April 1

11:46 a.m. Senator Cornyn paid tribute to Senator Cochran and spoke on the Omnibus.

11:36 a.m. Senator Lee spoke about the Ryan Nelson nomination at the Department of Interior.

11:22 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke about Captain Paul Bower who was killed in line of duty and gun control.

11:01 a.m. Senator Corker spoke about the spending bill.

10:46 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer paid tribute to Senator Cochran. He spoke about the spending bill. He spoke about trade with China.

10:33 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the omnibus appropriation. He spoke about the tax overhaul. Senator McConnell moved to proceed to S. 1519, the defense authorization for fiscal year 2018.

*****

The Senate will convene at 10:30 a.m.

The Senate will turn to the consideration of the omnibus appropriations bill if and when it is received from the House. (The House will meet to consider the spending bill at 9 a.m., with votes to begin at 10:15 a.m.)

At noon, farewell tributes to Senator Cochran will begin.