[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 59 (Tuesday, April 24, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D387-D389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                            Tuesday, April 24, 2012

[[Page D387]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2613-S2661
Measures Introduced: Seven bills and three resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2339-2345, and S. Res. 432-434.               
  Page S2655
Measures Reported:
  S. 237, to amend title 31, United States Code, to enhance the 
oversight authorities of the Comptroller General, with amendments. (S. 
Rept. No. 112-159)                                           
Page S2655
Measures Passed:
  Surface Transportation Extension Act: Pursuant to the order of March 
7, 2012, Senate passed H.R. 4348, to provide an extension of Federal-
aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other 
programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund pending enactment of a 
multiyear law reauthorizing such programs, as amended, after striking 
all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the text of 
S. 1813, to reauthorize Federal-aid highway and highway safety 
construction programs, as amended and passed by the Senate, and 
pursuant to the order of March 7, 2012, insisted on its amendment, 
requested a conference with the House thereon, and the Chair was 
authorized to appoint the following conferees on the part of the 
Senate: Senators Boxer, Baucus, Rockefeller, Durbin, Johnson (SD), 
Schumer, Nelson (FL), Menendez, Inhofe, Vitter, Hatch, Shelby, 
Hutchison, and Hoeven.                                       
  Page S2615
  Dia de los Ninos: Celebrating Young Americans: Senate agreed to S. 
Res. 432, designating April 30, 2012, as ``Dia de los Ninos: 
Celebrating Young Americans''.                               
  Page S2660
  National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 433, 
designating April 2012 as ``National Child Abuse Prevention Month''. 
                                                             Page S2660
Measures Considered:
  Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act--Agreement: Senate 
continued consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 
1925, to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. 
                                               Pages S2615-16, S2630-34
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill at 
approximately 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, and that 
following the remarks of the two Leaders, the time until 2 p.m. be 
equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders, or their 
designees, with the Republicans controlling the first 30 minutes and 
the Majority controlling the second 30 minutes; provided further, that 
the Republicans control the time from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and 
the Majority control the time from 12:30 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. 
                                                             Page S2661
  National Labor Relations Board: Senate continued consideration of the 
motion to proceed to consideration of S.J. Res. 36, providing for 
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States 
Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board 
relating to representation election procedures. 
                                               Pages S2616-27, S2634-51
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 45 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 68), Senate did not agree to the 
motion to proceed to consideration of the joint resolution. 
                                                             Page S2634
  21st Century Postal Service Act--Agreement: Senate resumed 
consideration of S. 1789, to improve, sustain, and transform the United 
States Postal Service, taking action on the following amendments and 
motions proposed thereto:                                    
  Page S2634
Adopted:
  Tester Modified Amendment No. 2056 (to Amendment No. 2000), to modify 
the process for closing or consolidating post offices and postal 
facilities. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that 
the requirement of a 60 affirmative vote threshold, be vitiated.) 
                                                         Pages S2637-39
  Coburn Amendment No. 2060 (to Amendment No. 2000), to provide 
transparency, accountability, and limitations of Government sponsored 
conferences. (A unanimous-consent agreement was

[[Page D388]]

reached providing that the requirement of a 60 affirmative vote 
threshold, be vitiated.)                                 
Pages S2639-40
  Wyden Modified Amendment No. 2020 (to Amendment No. 2000), to require 
the Postal Service to consider the effect of closing or consolidating a 
postal facility on the ability of the affected community to vote by 
mail and to provide for a moratorium on the closing or consolidation of 
post offices and postal facilities to protect the ability to vote by 
mail. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the 
requirement of a 60 affirmative vote threshold, be vitiated.) 
                                                             Page S2641
  Coburn Modified Amendment No. 2058 (to Amendment No. 2000), to 
improve access to postal services in communities potentially affected 
by a postal closing or consolidation. (A unanimous-consent agreement 
was reached providing that the requirement of a 60 affirmative vote 
threshold, be vitiated.)                                 
Pages S2641-42
  McCaskill Modified Amendment No. 2031 (to Amendment No. 2000), to 
prohibit the closing of a rural post office unless certain conditions 
are met and to establish a moratorium on the closing of rural post 
offices. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the 
requirement of a 60 affirmative vote threshold, be vitiated.) 
                                                         Pages S2643-44
  Snowe Modified Amendment No. 2080 (to Amendment No. 2000), to require 
the Postal Rate Commission to evaluate area mail processing studies. (A 
unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the requirement 
of a 60 affirmative vote threshold, be vitiated.)            
Page S2644
  Durbin Modified Amendment No. 2082 (to Amendment No. 2000), to 
prohibit the Postal Service from closing, consolidating, or reducing 
the workforce of certain postal facilities. (A unanimous-consent 
agreement was reached providing that the requirement of a 60 
affirmative vote threshold, be vitiated.)                
Pages S2645-46
  Bennet Modified Amendment No. 2047 (to Amendment No. 2000), to 
establish citizen's service protection advocates, to require the 
Strategic Advisory Commission on Postal Service Solvency and Innovation 
to study the advisability of the Postal Service entering into inter-
agency agreements with respect to post offices, and to require the 
Postal Service to develop a strategic plan for entering into such 
inter-agency agreements. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that the requirement of a 60 affirmative vote threshold, be 
vitiated.)                                               
Pages S2647-49
Rejected:
  By 30 yeas to 69 nays (Vote No. 70), McCain/Coburn Amendment No. 2033 
(to Amendment No. 2000), to establish the Commission on Postal 
Reorganization. (Pursuant to the order of Thursday, April 19, 2012, the 
amendment having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed 
to.)                                                     
Pages S2640-41
  By 33 yeas to 65 nays (Vote No. 71), Coburn Modified Amendment No. 
2061 (to Amendment No. 2000), to achieve long-term cost-savings by 
allowing the Postmaster General to reduce the postal workforce through 
mandatory retirements for eligible employees. (Pursuant to the order of 
Thursday, April 19, 2012, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)                   
Pages S2642-43
  By 43 yeas to 56 nays (Vote No. 72), Udall (NM) Modified Amendment 
No. 2043 (to Amendment No. 2000), to strike the limitations on changes 
to mail delivery schedule, with an offset. (Pursuant to the order of 
Thursday, April 19, 2012, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)                   
Pages S2644-45
  By 46 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 73), Akaka Amendment No. 2034 (to 
Amendment No. 2000), to provide appropriate workers compensation for 
Federal employees. (Pursuant to the order of Thursday, April 19, 2012, 
the amendment having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not 
agreed to.)                                              
Pages S2646-47
  By 29 yeas to 70 nays (Vote No. 74), Corker Amendment No. 2083 (to 
Amendment No. 2000), to improve the bill. (Pursuant to the order of 
Thursday, April 19, 2012, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)                       
Page S2649
  By 57 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 75), Akaka Amendment No. 2049 (to 
Amendment No. 2000), to allow supervisory and other managerial 
organizations to participate in the planning and development of changes 
in, or termination of, pay policies and schedules and fringe benefit 
programs. (Pursuant to the order of Thursday, April 19, 2012, the 
amendment having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed 
to.)                                                     
Pages S2649-50
  By 35 yeas to 64 nays (Vote No. 76), Paul Amendment No. 2025 (to 
Amendment No. 2000), to end the mailbox use monopoly. (Pursuant to the 
order of Thursday, April 19, 2012, the amendment having failed to 
achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)        
Pages S2650-51
Pending:
  Reid (for Lieberman) Modified Amendment No. 2000, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                  
Page S2634
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 62 yeas to 37 nays (Vote No. 69), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed to 
the motion

[[Page D389]]

to waive pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 and the waiver provisions of applicable budget resolutions with 
respect to Reid (for Lieberman) Modified Amendment No. 2000, in the 
nature of a substitute. Subsequently, the point of order that the 
amendment was in violation of section 201(a) of S. Con. Res. 21, the 
Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008, was not 
sustained.                                                   
Page S2637
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at 2 p.m., on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. 
                                                             Page S2661
Appointments:
  U.S.-Japan Interparliamentary Group Conference: The Chair, on behalf 
of the Vice President, pursuant to Section 5 of Title I of Division H 
of Public Law 110-161, appointed the following Senator as Vice Chairman 
of the U.S.-Japan Interparliamentary Group conference for the 112th 
Congress: Senator Murkowski.                                 
  Page S2660
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                  
  Pages S2654, S2660-61
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S2654-55
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S2655-57
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S2657-59
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S2653-54
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S2659
Privileges of the Floor:                                 
  Pages S2659-60
Record Votes: Nine record votes were taken today. (Total--76) 
               Pages S2634, S2637, S2641, S2643, S2645, S2647, S2649-51
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:03 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 25, 2012. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S2661.)