Monday, December 5, 2016

6:52 p.m. The Senate adjourned until 10 a.m. Tuesday, when it will resume post-cloture consideration of the motion to concur in the House amendment to H.R 34, the medical research bill. If all time is used, the post-cloture debate would end shortly before 1 a.m. Wednesday.

6:51 p.m. Senator Moran completed the process (begun at 3:39 p.m. by Senator Hatch) of reversing the Senate’s earlier passage of several measures by voice vote or unanimous consent.

6:36 p.m. Senator Capito spoke about the miners benefits bill.

6:25 p.m. Senator Durbin spoke about immigration.

5:44 p.m. By a vote of 85 to 13, the Senate invoked cloture for H.R.34  the 21st Century Cures bill.  Voting “Nay” were Republicans Capito, Lee, Murkowski, and Portman; Democrats Boxer, Brown, Gillibrand, Manchin, Merkley, Schumer, Udall, and Warren; independent Sanders. Not voting were Democrats Murray and Wyden.

The Senate is now voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House Amendment to H.R.34.

5:39 p.m. ML McConnell paid tribute to Vice President Biden and asked unanimous consent to pass amendment #5137 to H.Con. Res. 174.

5:31 p.m. Senator Whitehouse spoke on the 21st Century Cures Act.

5:03 p.m. Senator Kirk, Senator Alexander, and Senator Murphy spoke on the 21st Century Cures Act.

4:54 p.m. Senator Tester spoke on the 21st Century Cures Act.

4:30 p.m. Senator Collins spoke in support of the 21st Century Cures Act.

4:20 p.m. Senator Cassidy paid tribute to Senator Vitter.

4:02 p.m. Senator Vitter made his last Senate speech and reflected on his time in the Senate.

3:39 p.m. Senator Hatch secured consent to vitiate passage of the measures Senator McConnell had earlier brought up for Senate actions: H.R. 5602, Calendar Numbers 675 to 683 and S.3336.

3:24 p.m. Senator Hatch paid tribute to a longtime staffer, the late Jim Lyons, and to the late King Pumathon Aduuladay of Taiwan.

3:09 p.m. Minority Leader Reid spoke about Senator Alexander and about the Standing Rock pipeline.

3:03 p.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the Senate schedule. He brought up and the Senate passed the following measures:

— H.R. 5602, to amend Title 31 of the U.S. Code to authorize the Treasury include all funds when targeting the financing of terrorism in certain geographic areas (by voice vote);

— Calendar Numbers 675 to 683, en bloc (to name certain Post Office branches, by voice vote);

— S. 3336, to permit certain leases at military arsenals, by consent.

Senator McConnell also filed for cloture on S. 2943, the conference report on the military authorization bill, S. 2943.

***

The Senate will convene at 3:00 p.m., and following any Leader remarks, will resume consideration of the House Message to accompany H.R.34, the 21st Century Cures Act.

At 5:30 p.m., the Senate will proceed to a cloture vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R.34, the 21st Century Cures Act.