Tuesday, July 31, 2018

8:20 p.m. The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00 am Wednesday, August 1,2018.

7:20 p.m. Senator Lankford spoke on H.R. 6147, Minibus Appropriations.

6:55 p.m. Senator Rubio asked the Senate move to Executive Session in order to call up calendar nominations number 1017-1029 and all nominations in the Air Force, Army and Navy on the Secretary’s desk. They were confirmed by voice vote and then he resumed legislative session to speak on the threat of Russia.

6:45 p.m. Senator Wyden spoke on Medicare.

6:35 p.m. Senator Hassan spoke on Medicare.

6:30 p.m. Senator Hirono spoke on Medicare.

6:25 p.m. Senator King spoke on Medicare.

6:20 p.m. Senator Cortez Masto spoke on Medicare.

6:15 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke on Medicare.

6:05 p.m. Senator Stabenow spoke on Medicare.

6:00 p.m. Senator Cardin spoke on Medicare.

5:45 p.m. Senator Wyden  spoke on the threat of Z.T.E. and the current state of Medicare & Medicaid.

5:30 p.m. Senator Van Hollan spoke on the threat of Z.T.E.

5:11 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke about climate change.

4:56 p.m. Senator Inhofe spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination and on the NDAA Conference Report expected to pass Thursday.

4:37 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination.

4:25 p.m. Senator Murkowski spoke about Lt. General Michael Shields.

4:17 p.m. Senator Cantwell spoke about the importance of teaching computer science and coding.

3:47 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about immigration and NDAA.

3:39 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke about the animal drug industry and the Senate agreed to H.R. 5554, Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2018, by voice vote.

3:34 p.m. Senator Murray spoke about the animal drug industry.

3:29 p.m. Senator Van Hollen spoke about 3-D printed guns.

3:22 p.m. Senator Menendez spoke about 3-D printed guns.

3:16 p.m. Senator Blumenthal spoke about 3-D printed guns.

3:08 p.m. Senator Nelson asked unanimous consent that the Senate agree to S. 3304. Senator Lee objected and Senator Lee spoke about the 3-D printed guns.

3:07 p.m. Cloture was invoked on the Shelby amendment #3399 by a vote of 94 to 4. Senators Flake and McCain were absent. Senators Gillibrand and Paul voted NO.

2:46 p.m. The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the Shelby amendment #3399 to H.R. 6147.

2:40 p.m. The Grant nomination was confirmed by a vote of 52 to 46. Senators Flake and McCain were absent. Senators Manchin, Heitkamp and Tester voted YES.

2:15 p.m. The Senate is now voting on confirmation of the Grant nomination.

12:55 p.m. The Senate is in recess until 2:15 p.m.

12:54 p.m. The Senate concurred with the House Amendments to S. 1182 (vehicle for flood insurance), 86-12.

Senators voting against: Barrasso, Cotton, Enzi, Inhofe, Johnson, Lankford, Lee, Paul, Risch, Sasse, Shelby, and Toomey

Senators not voting: Flake and McCain

12:16 p.m. The Senate now voting on the motion to concur in the House Amendments to S. 1182 (vehicle for flood insurance). The cloture motion, motion to refer, and the motion to concur with an amendment were withdrawn.

12:07 p.m. Senator Thune spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination and the economy.

12:03 p.m. Senator Cornyn spoke about the Perkins Act and employment licensing requirements, specifically those in the New HOPE Act.

11:48 a.m. Senator Wyden spoke about a proposed bill regarding presidential tax returns.

10:27 a.m. Minority Leader Schumer spoke about the Kavanaugh nomination. He spoke about taxes. He spoke about North Korea.

10:03 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about immigration and about employment levels.

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m. and will resume post-cloture consideration of the nomination of Britt Grant to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit.

  • At 12:15 p.m., cloture will be withdrawn for the four-month flood insurance extension (the House message to accompany S. 1182) and the Senate will vote on passage (the motion to concur in the House amendments).
  • Following disposition of the flood insurance bill, the Senate will recess until 2:15 p.m. for the weekly caucus luncheons. 
  • At 2:15 p.m., the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Grant nomination.
  • Following disposition of the Grant nomination, the Senate will resume consideration of the “minibus” — the fiscal year 2019 appropriations bill for the Interior Department and other agencies (H.R. 6147).  The Senate will then vote on cloture for the Shelby substitute, Amendment #3399. Up to 30 hours of post-cloture debate would be in order.  Pending to the minibus are the Shelby substitute and Murkowski Amendment #3400, to make a technical correction.
  • Following disposition of the Shelby substitute, the Senate is expected to vote on cloture for the underlying minibus bill and, if cloture is invoked, move toward a vote on passage.
  • Following disposition of the minibus, the Senate will begin the cloture cycle on the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5515).