Daily Digest

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Measures Introduced: Seven bills and one resolution were introduced, as follows: S. 1977–1983, and S. Res. 293.
Page S6536

Measures Passed:

Morgan State University 150th Anniversary: Senate agreed to S. Res. 293, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Morgan State University.
Page S6590


Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act: Senate passed H.R. 2989, to establish the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission.
Pages S6590–91

Measures Considered:

Congressional Budget Resolution--Agreement: Senate continued consideration of H. Con. Res. 71, establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto:
Pages S6492–S6532

Adopted:

By 89 yeas to 9 nays (Vote No. 220), Enzi (for Hatch) Amendment No. 1144 (to Amendment No. 1116), to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to protecting Medicare and Medicaid.
Pages S6518, S6521–22

By a unanimous vote of 98 yeas (Vote No. 223), Enzi (for Heller) Amendment No. 1146 (to Amendment No. 1116), to provide tax relief to American families with children to provide them with more money in their paychecks to make ends meet.
Pages S6518–19, S6524

Enzi (for Collins) Amendment No. 1151 (to Amendment No. 1116), to provide tax relief to small businesses and to include provisions to prevent upper-income taxpayers from sheltering income from taxation at the appropriate rate.
Pages S6518, S6520, S6522, S6525

Rejected:

By 47 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 221), Enzi (for Sanders) Amendment No. 1119 (to Amendment No. 1116), to provide additional resources to restore the $1,000,000,000,000 in cuts to Medicaid paid for by reducing the tax breaks for the wealthy.
Pages S6518–19, S6523

By 47 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 222), Enzi (for Nelson) Amendment No. 1150 (to Amendment No. 1116), to provide additional resources to restore the $473,000,000,000 in cuts to Medicare paid for by closing special interest tax loopholes.
Pages S6518, S6523

Pending:

Enzi Amendment No. 1116, in the nature of a substitute.
Pages S6492–S6532

During consideration of this measure today, the Senate also took the following action:

By 46 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 224), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, Senate rejected the motion to waive section 305(b)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 with respect to consideration of Enzi (for Sanders/Wyden) Amendment No. 1120 (to Amendment No. 1116), to ensure that there are no tax cuts for the top 1 percent of Americans. Subsequently, the point of order that the amendment violates section 305(b)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was sustained, and the amendment thus fell.
Pages S6518–21, S6524–25

A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that following Leader remarks on Thursday, October 19, 2017, that it be in order to call up the following amendments, the time until 11:45 a.m. be for debate on the amendments equally divided between the managers, or their designees, and that at 11:45 a.m., Senate vote on or in relation to the amendments in the order listed, with no second-degree amendments in order prior to the votes: Wyden Amendment No. 1302, Capito Amendment No. 1393, and Cantwell Amendment No. 1141; and that following the disposition of Cantwell Amendment No. 1141, Warner Amendment No. 1138 be called up and the time until 2 p.m. be equally divided between the two managers, or their designees, and that at 2 p.m., Senate vote on or in relation to Warner Amendment No. 1138, with no second-degree amendments in order prior to the vote.
Page S6532

A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the resolution at approximately 9:30 a.m., on Thursday, October 19, 2017.
Page S6591

Executive Communications:
Pages S6533–34

Petitions and Memorials:
Pages S6534–35

Executive Reports of Committees:
Page S6535

Additional Cosponsors:
Pages S6536–37

Additional Statements:
Pages S6532–33

Amendments Submitted:
Pages S6538–90

Notices of Intent:
Page S6590

Authorities for Committees to Meet:
Page S6590

Privileges of the Floor:
Page S6590

Record Votes: Five record votes were taken today. (Total--224)
Pages S6522–25

Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 7:31 p.m., until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2017. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S6591.)

NOMINATIONS

Committee on Foreign Relations: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Thomas L. Carter, of South Carolina, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Jennifer Gillian Newstead, of New York, to be Legal Adviser, Manisha Singh, of Florida, to be an Assistant Secretary (Economic and Business Affairs), who was introduced by Senator Sullivan, and Michael T. Evanoff, of Arkansas, to be an Assistant Secretary (Diplomatic Security), all of the Department of State, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.

NOMINATIONS

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Committee concluded a hearing to examine the nominations of Jeff Tien Han Pon, of Virginia, to be Director, and Michael Rigas, of Massachusetts, to be Deputy Director, both of the Office of Personnel Management, and Emily Webster Murphy, of Missouri, to be Administrator of General Services, who was introduced by Senator McCaskill, after the nominees testified and answered questions in their own behalf.

FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management concluded a hearing to examine Federal support for research, after receiving testimony from Brian A. Nosek, University of Virginia Center for Open Science, Charlottesville; Terence Kealey, The Cato Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom; and Rebecca Cunningham, University of Michigan Injury Center, Ann Arbor.

BUSINESS MEETING

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: Committee ordered favorably reported the nominations of Patrick Pizzella, of Virginia, to be Deputy Secretary, Cheryl Marie Stanton, of South Carolina, to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, and David G. Zatezalo, of West Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health, all of the Department of Labor, Janet Dhillon, of Pennsylvania, and Daniel M. Gade, of North Dakota, both to be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Carlos G. Muniz, of Florida, to be General Counsel, Department of Education, Peter B. Robb, of Vermont, to be General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, and Gerald W. Fauth, of Virginia, Kyle Fortson, of the District of Columbia, and Linda A. Puchala, of Maryland, each to be a Member of the National Mediation Board.

DOJ OVERSIGHT

Committee on the Judiciary: Committee concluded an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Justice, after receiving testimony from former Senator Jefferson B. Sessions III, Attorney General, Department of Justice.

The House was not in session today. The House is scheduled to meet in a Pro Forma session at 12 noon on Thursday, October 19, 2017.

No hearings were held.

No joint committee meetings were held.

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: business meeting to consider the nominations of Gregory Ibach, of Nebraska, to be Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and William Northey, of Iowa, to be Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, both of the Department of Agriculture, Time to be announced, Room to be announced.

Committee on Armed Services: to hold hearings to examine the roles and responsibilities for defending the Nation from cyber attack; with the possibility of a closed session in SVC–217, following the open session, 9:30 a.m., SD–G50.

Committee on Foreign Relations: to hold hearings to examine modernizing the Food for Peace program, 10:30 a.m., SD–419.

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: to hold hearings to examine how healthy choices can improve health outcomes and reduce costs, 10 a.m., SD–430.

Committee on the Judiciary: business meeting to consider the nominations of Stephanos Bibas, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit, Allison H. Eid, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit, Annemarie Carney Axon, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, Michael Lawrence Brown, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, Thomas Alvin Farr, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina, William M. Ray II, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, Liles Clifton Burke, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama, Walter David Counts III, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas, Michael Joseph Juneau, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana, A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina, Karen Gren Scholer, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas, Tilman Eugene Self III, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, and John C. Demers, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Scott C. Blader, to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Mark A. Klaassen, to be United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming, William C. Lamar, to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, John R. Lausch, Jr., to be United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and J. Douglas Overbey, to be United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, all of the Department of Justice, 10 a.m., SD–226.

No hearings are scheduled.

Program for Thursday: Senate will continue consideration of H. Con. Res. 71, Congressional Budget Resolution, with votes on or in relation to Wyden Amendment No. 1302, Capito Amendment No. 1393, and Cantwell Amendment No. 1141 at 11:45 a.m., and Warner Amendment No. 1138 at 2 p.m.

Program for Thursday: House will meet in Pro Forma session at 12 noon.