Thursday, November 15, 2018

5:32 p.m. The Senate stands adjourned until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 16, 2018 for a pro forma session. The next roll call vote is expected at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 26 on the cloture motion of Stephen Alexander Vaden to be the General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture.

Passed the following post office naming bills, en bloc:

  1. Calendar #588 S. 3209 –A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 413 Washington Avenue in Belleville, New Jersey, as the “Private Henry Svehla Post Office Building”.
  2. Calendar #589 S. 3237 — A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 12th Street Lobby in Columbus, Georgia, as the “Richard W. Williams Chapter of the Triple Nickles (555th P.I.A.) Post Office”.
  3. Calendar #590 S. 3414 — A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 20 Ferry Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island, as the “Captain Matthew J. August Post Office”.
  4. Calendar #591 S. 3442 — A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 105 Duff Street in Macon, Missouri, as the “Arla W. Harrell Post Office”.
  5. Calendar #592 H.R. 606—  To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1025 Nevin Avenue in Richmond, California, as the “Harold D. McCraw, Sr., Post Office Building”.
  6. Calendar #593 H.R. 1209 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 901 N. Francisco Avenue, Mission, Texas, as the “Mission Veterans Post Office Building”.
  7. Calendar #594 HR 2979 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 390 West 5th Street in San Bernardino, California, as the “Jack H. Brown Post Office Building”
  8. Calendar #595 HR 3230 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 915 Center Avenue in Payette, Idaho, as the “Harmon Killebrew Post Office Building”.
  9. Calendar #596 H.R. 4407 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3s101 Rockwell Street in Warrenville, Illinois, as the “Corporal Jeffery Allen Williams Post Office Building”.
  10. Calendar #597 H.R. 4890 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9801 Apollo Drive in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, as the “Wayne K. Curry Post Office Building”.
  11. Calendar #598 H.R. 4913 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 816 East Salisbury Parkway in Salisbury, Maryland, as the “Sgt. Maj. Wardell B. Turner Post Office Building”.
  12. Calendar #599 H.R. 4946 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1075 North Tustin Street in Orange, California, as the “Specialist Trevor A. Win’E Post Office”.
  13. Calendar #600 H.R. 4960 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 511 East Walnut Street in Columbia, Missouri, as the “Spc. Sterling William Wyatt Post Office Building”.
  14. Calendar #601 H.R. 5349 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1325 Autumn Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, as the “Judge Russell B. Sugarmon Post Office Building”.
  15. Calendar #602 H.R. 5504 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4801 West Van Giesen Street in West Richland, Washington, as the “Sergeant Dietrich Schmieman Post Office Building”.
  16. Calendar #603 H.R. 5737 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 108 West D Street in Alpha, Illinois, as the “Captain Joshua E. Steele Post Office”.
  17. Calendar #604 H.R. 5784 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 North Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, shall be known and designated as the “Vel R. Phillips Post Office Building”.
  18. Calendar #605 H.R. 5868 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 530 Claremont Avenue in Ashland, Ohio, as the “Bill Harris Post Office”.
  19. Calendar #606 H.R 5935 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1355 North Meridian Road in Harristown, Illinois, as the “Logan S. Palmer Post Office”.
  20. Calendar #607 H.R. 6116 — To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 362 North Ross Street in Beaverton, Michigan, as the “Colonel Alfred Asch Post Office”

Passed Calendar #631, S.3554: to extend the effective date for the sunset for collateral requirements for Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Passed S.3321 with Coons substitute and title amendments: Hidden Figures Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Concurred in the House amendment to S.2152: Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

Adopted S.Res.692: recognizing November 24, 2018 as “Small Business Saturday” and celebrating the vital role of small businesses, along with the efforts of the Small Business Administration, to help people in the United States start, build, and grow businesses.

4:30 p.m. Senator McConnell filed cloture on the following nominations

  • Stephen Alexander Vaden to be the General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture
  • Karen Kelley to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce
  • Thomas Farr to be US District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina
  • Jonathan Kobes to be US Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit.
  • Kathleen Kraninger to be Director for the CFPB.

4:03 p.m. Senator Brown spoke about nominations.

3:30 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about immigration.

3:05 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke on the national debt.

2:49 p.m. Senator Casey spoke about the shooting in Pittsburgh.

2:43 p.m. Senator Cortez Masto paid tribute to Emily Faye Reece.

2:42 p.m. The Bowman nomination was confirmed by a vote of 64 to 34. Dems voting YES: Bennet, Carper, Coons, Donnelly, Hassan, Heitkamp, Jones, Kaine, Manchin, McCaskill, Peters, Shaheen, Tester, and Warner. Paul voted NO. Senators Murphy and Nelson did not vote.

1:45 p.m. The Senate is now voting on confirmation of the Bowman nomination.

1:29 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about the migrant caravan.

1:15 p.m. The Senate resumed consideration of the nomination of Michelle Bowman to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

1:10 p.m. The motion to table was agreed to by a vote of 77-21. Not voting: Senators Coons and Nelson. Voting no: Senators Baldwin, Booker, Cantwell, Casey, Durbin, Feinstein, Gillibrand, Harris, Hirono, Leahy, Lee, Markey, Merkley, Moran, Murray, Paul, Peters, Sanders, Van Hollen, Warren and Wyden.

12:25 p.m. The Senate began voting on the motion to table the motion to discharge S. J. Res 65.

12:15 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke against the Bahrain Arms sales resolution.

11:49 a.m. Senator Paul spoke about US involvement in Yemen and the Bahrain Arms Sales resolution.

11:33 a.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about the Senate’s accomplishments during the 115th Congress.

11:18 a.m. Senator Durbin spoke about criminal justice reform.

11:10 a.m. Senator Cardin spoke about AG Sessions and Special Counsel Mueller.

11:04 a.m. Senator Paul offered his motion to discharge S.J.Res. 65, the Bahrain Arms Sales Resolution Disapproval.

10:57 a.m. ML McConnell spoke supporting the Bowman nomination, on the Coast Guard Reauthorization, and on other legislative accomplishments.

10:56 a.m. The Majority Leader called up S.Con.Res. 51, correcting enrollment of S. 140, the concurrent resolution was agreed to.

10:54 a.m. ML McConnell asked u.c. Adoption of the motion to concur on the House amend to S. 140 w/amend 4054 (Coast Guard Reauthorization), as modified, be further modified (correcting a technical error omitting charts and tables from the bill).

10:24 a.m. Senator Kyl spoke about defense funding and on the consensus reached by the National Defense Strategy Commission.

10:12 a.m. Senator Schumer spoke about need to protect the special counsel and on voter protection.

10:00 a.m. The Senate convened for the day.

*****

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. At 11:00 a.m. Senator Paul will be recognized to offer a motion to discharge  S.J. Res. 65, the Bahrain Arms Sales Resolution of Disapproval, followed by a 12:15 p.m. vote on the motion to discharge. The Senate will then resume consideration of the nomination of Michelle Bowman to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System with a vote on confirmation at 1:45 p.m.