December

The Senate will recess from 12:30 until 3:30pm to allow for the Democratic caucus meeting.

Passed S.987, International protecting Firls by Preventing Child Marriage ACt (with Durbin amendment).

Passed Cal. #658, H.R.4387 is an act to designate the Federal building located at 100 North Palafox Street in Pensacola, FL, as the “Winston E. Arnow Federal Building.”

Passed Cal. #659, H.R.5651 is an act to designate the Federal building and US courthouse located at 515 9th Street in Rapid City, SD, as the “Andrew W. Bogue Federal Building and United States Courthouse.”

Passed Cal. #660, H.R.5706 is an act to designate the building occupied by the Government Printing Office located at 31451 East United Avenue in Pueblo, CO, as the “Frank Evans Government Printing Office Building.”

Passed Cal. #661, H.R.5773 is an act to designate the Federal building located at 6401 Security Boulevard in Baltimore, MD, commonly known as the Social Security Administration Operations Building, as the “Robert M. Ball Federal Building.”

Adopted S.Res.686, a resolution designating December 11, 2010, as "Wreaths Across America Day".

The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 3:30pm to allow for the Democratic caucus meeting.

After lengthy negotiations on a possible agreement to vote tomorrow on several amendments relating to tax cuts, we were unable to reach unanimous consent. As a result, Senator Reid began consideration of the House Message on H.R.4853 (the vehicle the House used for a tax cut extension for those making under $250,000).

Senator Reid then moved to concur in the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R.4853, with a Baucus amendment #4727. The Baucus amendment #4727 includes the $250,000 tax cut extension plus several additional items such as UI extension, AMT relief, estate tax, 1099 repeal, making work pay credit, and others. Senator Reid then filed cloture on the motion to concur with the Baucus amendment #4727.

Senator Reid then offered the Schumer amendment #4728 to Baucus #4727. The Schumer amendment #4728 includes the tax cut extension for those making up to $1 million, plus several additional items such as UI extension, AMT relief, estate tax, 1099 repeal, making work pay credit, and others. Senator Reid then filed cloture on the Schumer amendment #4728.

Senator Reid then moved to refer the bill and filled the remainder of the amendment tree.

Under Rule 22, the first cloture motion would ripen one hour after the Senate convenes on Saturday, December 4. If cloture is not invoked, the second cloture motion would ripen immediately.

This means that we will have up to 2 cloture votes on the following items:

- Motion to Concur with the Baucus amendment #4727 (tax cut extension for those making up to $250,000, plus several additional items such as UI extension, AMT relief, estate tax, 1099 repeal, making work pay credit, and others); and
- Schumer amendment #4728 (tax cut extension for those making up to $1 million, plus several additional items such as UI extension, AMT relief, estate tax, 1099 repeal, making work pay credit, and others.

There may be negotiations to move these cloture votes to an earlier time, but at this point we have been unsuccessful in doing so.

Passed H.R.1107, a bill to enact certain laws relating to public contracts as title 41, USC "Public Contracts".

The Senate passed the following posal naming bills:

Cal. #665, S.3784 is a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 4865 Tallmadge Road in Rootstown, OH, as the “Marine Sgt. Jeremy E. Murray Post Office”.

Cal. #666, H.R.5758 is an act to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2 Government Center in Fall River, MA, as the “Sergeant Robert Barrett Post Office Building”.

Cal. #667, H.R.6118 is an act to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, in Washington, D.C., as the “Dorothy I. Height Post Office”.

Cal. #668, H.R.6237 is an act to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1351 2nd Street in Napa, CA, as the “Tom Kongsgaard Post Office Building”.

Cal. #669, H.R.6387 is an act to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 337 West Clark Street in Eureka, CA, as the “Sam Sacco Post Office Building”.

Adopted S.Res.693, a resolution condemning the attack by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea against the Republic of Korea, and affirming support for the United States-Republic of Korea alliance.