[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 38 (Thursday, March 8, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D223-D224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Thursday, March 8, 2012

[[Page D223]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S1495-S1557
Measures Introduced: Nine bills and three resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2174-2182, and S. Res. 391-393.               
  Page S1540
Measures Passed:
  World Plumbing Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 393, designating March 
11, 2012, as ``World Plumbing Day''.                         
  Page S1557
Measures Considered:
  Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century--Agreement: Senate 
continued consideration of S. 1813, to reauthorize Federal-aid highway 
and highway safety construction programs, taking action on the 
following amendments proposed thereto:                   
  Pages S1504-36
Adopted:
  By 82 yeas to 16 nays (Vote No. 29), Baucus Amendment No. 1825, to 
reauthorize for 1 year the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act of 2000 and to provide full funding for the Payments 
in Lieu of Taxes program for 1 year. (Pursuant to the order of 
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, the amendment having achieved 60 affirmative 
votes, was agreed to.)                         
Pages S1525-26, S1527-28
  By 76 yeas to 22 nays (Vote No. 32), Nelson (FL) Amendment No. 1822, 
to provide for the restoration of the natural resources, ecosystems, 
fisheries, marine and wildlife habitats, beaches, and coastal wetlands 
of Gulf Coast States and to provide funding for the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund. (Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 
the amendment having achieved 60 affirmative votes, was agreed to.) 
                                        Pages S1507-08, S1524-25, S1529
  Levin/Conrad Amendment No. 1818, to authorize special measures 
against foreign jurisdictions, financial institutions, and others that 
significantly impede United States tax enforcement.      
Pages S1531-32
  Rejected:
  By 44 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 28), Vitter Amendment No. 1535, to 
provide for an extension of the Draft Proposed Outer Continental Shelf 
Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2010-2015. (Pursuant to the order of 
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)            
Pages S1505-07, S1526
  By 52 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. 30), Collins Amendment No. 1660, to 
provide additional time for the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency to issue achievable standards for industrial, 
commercial, and institutional boilers, process heaters, and 
incinerators. (Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, March 7, 2012, the 
amendment having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed 
to.)                                    
Pages S1508-11, S1513-15, S1528
  By 52 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. 31), Coburn Amendment No. 1738, to 
prevent the creation of duplicative and overlapping Federal programs. 
(Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, March 7, 2012, the amendment 
having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed to.) 
                                     Pages S1511-13, S1518-19, S1528-29
  By 33 yeas to 65 nays (Vote No. 33), Wyden Amendment No. 1817, to 
ensure the expeditious processing of Keystone XL permit applications 
consistent with current law, prohibit the export of crude oil produced 
in Canada and transported by the Keystone XL pipeline and related 
facilities unless the prohibition is waived by the President, and 
require the use of United States iron, steel, and manufactured goods in 
the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and related facilities 
with certain exceptions. (Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, March 7, 
2012, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was 
not agreed to.)                                
Pages S1517-18, S1529-30
  By 56 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 34), Hoeven Amendment No. 1537, to 
approve the Keystone XL pipeline project and provide for environmental 
protection and government oversight. (Pursuant to the order of 
Wednesday, March 7, 2012, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.) 
                                        Pages S1515-17, S1519-23, S1530
Pending:
  Roberts Amendment No. 1826, of a perfecting nature.    
Pages S1523-24
  McCain Modified Amendment No. 1669, to enhance the natural quiet and 
safety of airspace of the Grand Canyon National Park.        
Page S1533

[[Page D224]]


  Corker Amendment No. 1785, to lower the FY13 discretionary budget 
authority cap as set in the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985 by $20,000,000,000 in order to offset the general 
fund transfers to the Highway Trust Fund.         
Pages S1518, S1533-34
  Corker Amendment No. 1810, to ensure that the aggregate amount made 
available for transportation projects for a fiscal year does not exceed 
the estimated amount available for those projects in the Highway Trust 
Fund for the fiscal year.                                
Pages S1533-34
  Portman/Coburn Amendment No. 1736, to free States to spend gas taxes 
on their transportation priorities.                          
Page S1534
  Portman Amendment No. 1742, to allow States to permit nonhighway uses 
in rest areas along any highway.                             
Page S1534
  Coats (for Alexander) Amendment No. 1779, to make technical 
corrections to certain provisions relating to overflights of National 
Parks.                                                       
Page S1535
  Coats (for DeMint) Amendment No. 1589, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to terminate certain energy tax subsidies and lower the 
corporate income tax rate.                                   
Page S1535
  Coats (for DeMint) Amendment No. 1756, to return to the individual 
States maximum discretionary authority and fiscal responsibility for 
all elements of the national surface transportation systems that are 
not within the direct purview of the Federal Government.     
Page S1535
  Coats/Lugar Amendment No. 1517, to modify the apportionment formula 
to ensure that the percentage of apportioned funds received by a State 
is the same as the percentage of total gas taxes paid by the State. 
                                                             Page S1535
  Blunt/Casey Amendment No. 1540, to modify the section relating to 
off-system bridges.                                      
Pages S1535-36
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 66 yeas to 31 nays (Vote No. 35), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to waive section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974, and section 4(g)(3) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010. 
The point of order that the bill was in violation of provisions of 
section 311(a)(2)a of the Congressional Budget Act, was not sustained. 
                                                         Pages S1530-31
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that Senate 
resume consideration of the bill at 4 p.m., on Monday, March 12, 2012; 
that the Merkley amendment relative to farm vehicles listed under the 
order of Wednesday, March 7, 2012, be changed from Amendment No. 1653 
to Amendment No. 1814; that on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, Senate resume 
the sequence of votes remaining under the order of Wednesday, March 7, 
2012, at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader after 
consultation with the Republican Leader, with all other provisions of 
the previous order remaining in effect.              
Pages S1536, S1557
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S1537
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S1537
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                             
  Page S1537
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S1537-40
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S1540
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S1540-41
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S1541-44
Additional Statements:                                       
  Page S1537
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S1544-56
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                      
  Pages S1556-57
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S1557
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--35) 
                                                         Pages S1526-31
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 5:52 p.m., 
until 2 p.m. on Monday, March 12, 2012. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S1557.)