[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 71 (Thursday, May 17, 2012)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D483-D484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                             Thursday, May 17, 2012

[[Page D483]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S3243-S3294
Measures Introduced: Eleven bills and two resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 3196-3206, and S. Res. 466-467.               
  Page S3280
Measures Reported:
  S. 676, to amend the Act of June 18, 1934, to reaffirm the authority 
of the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for Indian 
tribes, with an amendment. (S. Rept. No. 112-166)
  S. 2554, to amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 to extend the authorization of the Bulletproof Vest 
Partnership Grant Program through fiscal year 2017, with an amendment 
in the nature of a substitute.                               
Page S3279
Measures Passed:
  Trooper Joshua D. Miller Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 
2415, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 11 Dock Street in Pittston, Pennsylvania, as the ``Trooper 
Joshua D. Miller Post Office Building''.                 
  Pages S3291-92
  Master Sergeant Daniel L. Fedder Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 
3220, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 170 Evergreen Square SW in Pine City, Minnesota, as the 
``Master Sergeant Daniel L. Fedder Post Office''.        
  Pages S3291-92
  Private Isaac T. Cortes Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 3413, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
1449 West Avenue in Bronx, New York, as the ``Private Isaac T. Cortes 
Post Office''.                                           
  Pages S3291-92
  Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence Administrative Absence 
Days: Senate passed H.R. 4045, to modify the Department of Defense 
Program Guidance relating to the award of Post-Deployment/Mobilization 
Respite Absence administrative absence days to members of the reserve 
components to exempt any member whose qualified mobilization commenced 
before October 1, 2011, and continued on or after that date, from the 
changes to the program guidance that took effect on that date. 
                                                             Page S3292
  Border Tunnel Prevention Act: Senate passed H.R. 4119, to reduce the 
trafficking of drugs and to prevent human smuggling across the 
Southwest Border by deterring the construction and use of border 
tunnels.                                                     
  Page S3292
  Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Backcountry Access Act: 
Senate passed H.R. 4849, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to 
issue commercial use authorizations to commercial stock operators for 
operations in designated wilderness within the Sequoia and Kings Canyon 
National Parks, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed 
thereto:                                                     
  Page S3292
  Reid (for Boxer/Feinstein) Amendment No. 2112, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                  
Page S3292
Measures Considered:
FDA User Fee--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the motion to 
proceed to consideration of S. 3187, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, 
and Cosmetic Act to revise and extend the user-fee programs for 
prescription drugs and medical devices, to establish user-fee programs 
for generic drugs and biosimilars.             
  Pages S3243-48, S3252-71
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the motion to proceed 
to consideration of the bill, and, in accordance with the provisions of 
Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on cloture will 
occur upon disposition of the nomination of Paul J. Watford, of 
California, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. 
                                                             Page S3252
Message from the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on the continuation of the 
national emergency that was originally declared in Executive Order 
13047 of May 20, 1997, with respect to Burma; which was referred to the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM-49) 
                                                         Pages S3277-78
Removal of Injunction of Secrecy: The injunction of secrecy was removed 
from the following treaties:

[[Page D484]]


  Protocol Amending the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance 
in Tax Matters (Treaty Doc. No. 112-5);
  The Convention on the Law Applicable to Certain Rights in Respect of 
Securities Held with an Intermediary (Treaty Doc. No. 112-6);
  Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Treaty Doc. 
No. 112-7); and
  Tax Convention with Chile (Treaty Doc. No. 112-8).
  The treaties were transmitted to the Senate today, considered as 
having been read for the first time, and referred, with accompanying 
papers, to the Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be 
printed.                                                 
Pages S3292-93
Watford Nomination--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the 
nomination of Paul J. Watford, of California, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.                         
  Page S3252
   A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, 
in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, and pursuant to the unanimous-consent agreement of 
Thursday, May 17, 2012, a vote on cloture will occur at approximately 
5:30 on Monday, May 21, 2012.                                
Page S3293
  A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing that at 4:30 
p.m., on Monday, May 21, 2012, Senate resume consideration of the 
nomination, with one hour of debate equally divided and controlled in 
the usual form, and that upon the use or yielding back of time, Senate 
vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination; And that if 
cloture is not invoked, Senate resume legislative session and vote on 
the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to consideration 
of S. 3187, FDA User Fee.                                    
Page S3293
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  By 70 yeas to 24 nays (Vote No. EX. 102), Jeremy C. Stein, of 
Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System for the unexpired term of fourteen years from February 
1, 2004. (Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the 
nomination having achieved 60 affirmative votes, was confirmed.) 
                                                         Pages S3248-51
  By 74 yeas to 21 nays (Vote No. EX. 103), Jerome H. Powell, of 
Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal 
Reserve System for the unexpired term of fourteen years from February 
1, 2000. (Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the 
nomination having achieved 60 affirmative votes, was confirmed.) 
                                                         Pages S3248-52
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Derek J. Mitchell, of Connecticut, to be Ambassador to the Union of 
Burma.
  Matthew W. Brann, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge 
for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
  Malachy Edward Mannion, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District 
Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
  Gary Blankinship, of Texas, to be United States Marshal for the 
Southern District of Texas for the term of four years.
  1 Army nomination in the rank of general.
  1 Navy nomination in the rank of admiral.
  A routine list in the Navy.                            
Pages S3293-94
Nomination Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the 
following nomination:
  A routine list in the Air Force.                       
Pages S3293-94
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S3278
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S3278
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S3278-79
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S3279-80
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S3280-81
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S3281-88
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S3275-77
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S3288-91
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S3291
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S3291
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--103) 
                                                         Pages S3251-52
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 4:47 p.m., 
until 2 p.m. on Monday, May 21, 2012. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S3253.)