Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016

8:24 p.m. The Senate adjourns until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

8:23 p.m. UC that when the Senate adjourns it do so until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday December 8, 2016; and that all post cloture time on NDAA expire at 12:30 p.m.

8:22 p.m. Senator Tillis moves Senate to a period of morning business.  Several military nominations were agreed to by UC; S. 3516 has its first reading.

7:39 p.m. Senator Tillis begins wrap up for the evening.  Items attempted to be passed by UC but objected to by Senators Manchin, Brown and Donnelly: S. 2912; S. 3084; S. 2763; S. 3364; S. 1831;  H.R 3286; a Senate resolution designating December 17 as “Reach Across America Day”; a Senate resolution honoring the victims of the fire in Oakland; a Senate resolution honoring Pearl Harbor Day; H Res 5456.

7:30 p.m. Senator Wyden asked UC to take up and pass H.R. 5456, the “Families First Act”; Senator Tillis objected.

7:10 p.m. Senator Cruz spoke on Pearl Harbor Day, China and Iran.

6:30 p.m. Senators Wyden and Bennet spoke about children in foster care.

6:17 p.m. Senators Rounds and Inhofe spoke on regulatory reform.

5:51 p.m. Senator Durbin again spoke about a “Dreamer”; an undocumented person who came to the US as a child.

5:45 p.m. Senator Tillis spoke on affects from Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina.

5:34 p.m. Senator Isakson paid tribute to Senators Ayotte and Mikulski.

3:14 p.m. Senator Coons, Majority Leader McConnell, Democratic Leader Reid, Senators Schumer, Hatch, Leahy, McCain, Durbin, Isakson, Murray, Collins,  Mikulski, Alexander, Cardin, Casey, Nelson, Kaine, Blumnethal, Markey, Donnelly, Klobuchar and Carper paid tribute to Vice President Biden.

2:52 p.m. Cloture invoked on conference report S. 2943, NDAA 92-7.

Senators voting no: 4 Democrats: Gillibrand, Markey, Merkley, and Wyden.  2 Republicans: Lee and Paul.  1 Independent: Sanders.

Senators not voting: Cotton

2:31 p.m. Roll call vote began on cloture on the Conference Report to accompany the Defense Appropriations, S. 2943.

2:30 p.m. By a vote of 94 to 5, the Senate concurred in the House amendment to H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act. 

Senators voting no: 3 Democrats: Merkley, Warren and Wyden.  1 Independent: Sanders.  1 Republican: Lee.

Senators not voting: Cotton.

2:00 p.m. The Senate began voting on the motion to concur with the House amendment in H.R. 34, the 21st Century CURES Act.

1:57 p.m. Senator Murray spoke about the CURES Act.

1:45 p.m. Senator Alexander spoke about the CURES Act and about Senate process.

1:16 p.m. Senator Moran spoke on the Defense Authorization Act.

12:55 p.m. Senator Reed spoke on the Defense Authorization Act.

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

12:46 p.m. Senator Schatz spoke on the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

12:33 p.m. Senator Hoeven spoke on the Dakota Access Pipeline.

12:29 p.m. Senator Grassley spoke on the 200th anniversary of the Judiciary Committee.

12:25 p.m. Senator Coons paid tribute to Senator Mikulski.

12:17 p.m. Senator Stabenow paid tribute to both Senators Boxer and Mikulski.

11:57 a.m. Senators Cardin, Collins and Boxer paid tribute to Senator Mikulski; Senator Mikulski thanked Senator Boxer for her comments.

11:29 a.m. Senator Mikulski spoke about her Congressional career.

11:02 a.m. Senators Shaheen, McCain, McCaskill, Graham, Portman, Capito and Sullivan paid tribute to Senator Ayotte.

10:55 a.m. Senator Ayotte gave her farewell speech to the Senate.

10:40 a.m. Senator Inhofe paid tribute to Senator Boxer.

10:10 a.m. Senator Boxer recalled her Senate career.

9:55 a.m. Senator Reed joined in the tributes to departing members.

9:33 a.m. Majority Leader McConnell spoke about the legislative schedule. He paid tribute to Senators Ayotte, Mikulski, Boxer and Inhofe.