[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 181 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1216-D1218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                        Thursday, December 19, 2013

[[Page D1216]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the 
      House of Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 
      3304, National Defense Authorization Act.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S8985-S9069
Measures Introduced: Twenty-three bills were introduced, as follows: S. 
1859-1881.                                               
  Pages S9051-52
Measures Reported:
  S. 1376, to improve the Federal Housing Administration and to ensure 
the solvency of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, with amendments. 
(S. Rept. No. 113-129)
  S. Res. 157, expressing the sense of the Senate that telephone 
service must be improved in rural areas of the United States and that 
no entity may unreasonably discriminate against telephone users in 
those areas, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. 
No. 113-130)
  S. 975, to provide for the inclusion of court-appointed guardianship 
improvement and oversight activities under the Elder Justice Act of 
2009, with amendments.
  S. 1417, to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize 
programs under part A of title XI of such Act, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
  S. 1491, to amend the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to 
improve United States-Israel energy cooperation, with amendments.
  S. 1719, to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the 
poison center national toll-free number, national media campaign, and 
grant program.
  S. 1870, to reauthorize and restructure adoption incentive payments, 
to better enable State child welfare agencies to prevent sex 
trafficking of children and serve the needs of children who are victims 
of sex trafficking, to increase the reliability of child support for 
children.
  S. 1871, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to repeal 
the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula and to improve beneficiary 
access under the Medicare program.                           
Page S9051
Measures Passed:
  Enrollment Corrections: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 71, providing 
for corrections to the enrollment of the bill H.R. 3304.     
  Page S9068
  Native American Veterans' Memorial Amendments Act: Senate passed H.R. 
2319, to clarify certain provisions of the Native American Veterans' 
Memorial Establishment Act of 1994.                          
  Page S9068
  Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Land Transfer Act: Committee 
on Indian Affairs was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 
623, to provide for the conveyance of certain property located in 
Anchorage, Alaska, from the United States to the Alaska Native Tribal 
Health Consortium, and the bill was then passed.             
  Page S9068
  Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project: Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 
767, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to modify the Pilot Project 
offices of the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project, and the bill 
was then passed.                                         
  Pages S9068-69
  Accuracy for Adoptees Act: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged 
from further consideration of S. 1614, to require Certificates of 
Citizenship and other Federal documents to reflect name and date of 
birth determinations made by a State court, and the bill was then 
passed.                                                      
  Page S9069
Measures Considered:
Workforce Investment Act: Senate began consideration of the motion to 
proceed to consideration of S. 1356, to amend the Workforce Investment 
Act of

[[Page D1217]]

1998 to strengthen the United States workforce development system 
through innovation in, and alignment and improvement of, employment, 
training, and education programs in the United States, and to promote 
individual and national economic growth.                     
  Page S8986
House Messages:
National Defense Authorization Act: By 84 yeas to 15 nays (Vote No. 
284), Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the 
House of Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 3304, 
to authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to 
Bennie G. Adkins and Donald P. Sloat of the United States Army for acts 
of valor during the Vietnam Conflict and to authorize the award of the 
Medal of Honor to certain other veterans who were previously 
recommended for award of the Medal of Honor, after taking action on the 
following motions and amendments proposed thereto:    
  Pages S8986-S9068
Withdrawn:
  Reid motion to concur in the amendment of the House of 
Representatives to the amendment of the Senate to the bill, with Reid 
Amendment No. 2552, to change the enactment date.           
Pages S8987
   During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 45 yeas to 55 nays (Vote No. 283), Senate failed to table the Reid 
motion to concur in the amendment of the House of Representatives to 
the amendment of the Senate to the bill, with Reid Amendment No. 2552 
(listed above).                                          
Pages S9009-10
  Reid Amendment No. 2553 (to Amendment No. 2552), of a perfecting 
nature fell when Reid Amendment No. 2552 was withdrawn. 
                                                         Pages S9067-68
Appointments:
  United States-China Economic Security Review Commission: The Chair, 
on behalf of the President pro tempore, pursuant to Public Law 106-398, 
as amended by Public Law 108-7, and upon the recommendation of the 
Republican Leader, in consultation with the Ranking Members of the 
Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Finance, 
reappointed the following individual to the United States-China 
Economic Security Review Commission:
  The Honorable James M. Talent of Missouri, vice Daniel Blumenthal, 
for a term expiring December 31, 2015.                       
Page S9069
Mayorkas Nomination: Senate resumed consideration of the nomination of 
Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy 
Secretary of Homeland Security.                              
  Page S9068
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
   By 55 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 285), Senate agreed to the motion to 
close further debate on the nomination.                      
Page S9068
Nominations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached 
providing that if cloture is invoked on the nomination of Alejandro 
Nicholas Mayorkas, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary 
of Homeland Security, all but one hour of post-cloture time be yielded 
back, and that when the Senate convenes on Friday, December 20th, 2013, 
Senate continue consideration of the nomination, with the remaining 
hour of debate equally divided between Senators Carper and Coburn, or 
their designees, and that following the use or yielding back of time, 
Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; that the Senate then 
vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of John Andrew 
Koskinen, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal 
Revenue, as under the regular order, and that if cloture is invoked, 
all post-cloture time be yielded back, and Senate vote on confirmation 
of the nomination; that the Senate then vote on the motion to invoke 
cloture on the nomination of Brian J. Davis, of Florida, to be United 
States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida, as under the 
regular order, and that if cloture is invoked, all post-cloture be 
yielded back, and Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; that 
the Senate then vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination 
of Janet L. Yellen, of California, to be Chairman of the Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as under the regular order, 
and if cloture is invoked on the nomination, all post-cloture time be 
yielded back, and Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination on 
Monday, January 6, 2014 at a time to be determined by the Majority 
Leader, in consultation with the Republican Leader; that the cloture 
motions on the nominations of Sloan D. Gibson, of the District of 
Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Sarah Sewall, of 
Massachusetts, to be an Under Secretary of State (Civilian Security, 
Democracy, and Human Rights), Michael L. Connor, of New Mexico, to be 
Deputy Secretary of the Interior, Sarah Bloom Raskin, of Maryland, to 
be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Jessica Garfola Wright, of 
Pennsylvania, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness, and Richard J. Engler, of New Jersey, to be a Member of the 
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board be withdrawn. 
                                                         Pages S9041-42
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:

[[Page D1218]]


  Gregg Jeffrey Costa, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge for 
the Fifth Circuit.
  Julie E. Carnes, of Georgia, to be United States Circuit Judge for 
the Eleventh Circuit.
  James Alan Soto, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for 
the District of Arizona.
  Leo T. Sorokin, of Massachusetts, to be United States District Judge 
for the District of Massachusetts.
  Eleanor Louise Ross, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge 
for the Northern District of Georgia.
  Leigh Martin May, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for 
the Northern District of Georgia.
  M. Hannah Lauck, of Virginia, to be United States District Judge for 
the Eastern District of Virginia.
  Mark Howard Cohen, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for 
the Northern District of Georgia.
  Tanya S. Chutkan, of the District of Columbia, to be United States 
District Judge for the District of Columbia.
  Michael P. Boggs, of Georgia, to be United States District Judge for 
the Northern District of Georgia.                            
Page S9069
Nomination Discharged:
  The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
was discharged from further consideration of the following nomination 
under the authority of the order of the Senate of January 7, 2009 and 
the nomination was placed on the Executive Calendar on December 17, 
2013:
  Michael G. Carroll, of New York, to be Inspector General, United 
States Agency for International Development.                 
Page S9069
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S9049
Measures Read the First Time:                        
  Pages S9049, S9069
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S9049-51
Petitions and Memorials:                                     
  Page S9051
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S9051
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S9052-54
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S9054-64
Additional Statements:                                       
  Page S9047
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S9064
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S9064
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--285) 
                                                  Pages S9010, S9067-68
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 19, 2013 
and adjourned at 12:21 a.m. on Friday, December 20, 2013, until 9 a.m. 
on the same day. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting 
Majority Leader in today's Record on page S9069.)