[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 15 (Thursday, January 29, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D80-D81]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                         Thursday, January 29, 2015

[[Page D80]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed S. 1, Keystone XL Pipeline, as amended.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S611-S665
Measures Introduced: Twenty-five bills and six resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 299-323, and S. Res. 53-58.        
  Page S653
Measures Reported:
  S. Res. 53, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Armed 
Services.
  S. Res. 54, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on Rules and 
Administration.
  S. Res. 55, authorizing expenditures by the Select Committee on 
Intelligence.
  S. Res. 57, authorizing expenditures by the Committee on the Budget. 
                                                          Pages S652-53
Measures Passed:
  Keystone XL Pipeline: By 62 yeas to 36 nays (Vote No. 49), Senate 
passed S. 1, to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, after taking action 
on the following amendments and motions proposed thereto: 
                                                          Pages S620-45
Adopted:
  Murkowski (for Barrasso) Modified Amendment No. 245, to clarify that 
certain consultation requirements with respect to Indian tribes remain 
in effect. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that 
the requirement of a 60 affirmative vote threshold, be vitiated.) 
                                                       Pages S621, S624
Rejected:
  By 47 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 42), Daines Amendment No. 246, to 
express the sense of Congress that reauthorizing the Land and Water 
Conservation Fund should be a priority. (Pursuant to the order of 
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)                    
Pages S621-23
  By 59 yeas to 39 nays (Vote No. 43), Burr Modified Amendment No. 92, 
to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. 
(Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, January 28, 2015, the amendment 
having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed to.) 
                                                    Pages S621, S623-24
  By 45 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 44), Udall Amendment No. 77, to 
establish a renewable electricity standard. (Pursuant to the order of 
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, the amendment having failed to achieve 60 
affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)                 
Pages S621, S624
  By 41 yeas to 56 nays (Vote No. 46), Booker Amendment No. 155, to 
allow permitting agencies to consider new circumstances and new 
information.                                        
Pages S621, S635-36
  Boxer Amendment No. 130, to preserve existing permits and the 
authority of the agencies issuing the permits to modify the permits if 
necessary.                                             
Pages S621, S636
  By 36 yeas to 62 nays (Vote No. 47), Markey Amendment No. 141, to 
delay the effective date until the President determines that the 
pipeline will not have certain negative impacts.              
Page S636
  By 44 yeas to 54 nays (Vote No. 48), Markey Amendment No. 178, to 
ensure that products derived from tar sands are treated as crude oil 
for purposes of the Federal excise tax on petroleum.   
Pages S621, S637
Withdrawn:
  Vitter/Cassidy Further Modified Amendment No. 80, to provide for the 
distribution of revenues from certain areas of the outer Continental 
Shelf.                                                    
Pages S621-22
  Cardin Amendment No. 124, to clarify that treaties with Indian tribes 
remain in effect.                                   
Pages S621, S624-26
  Murkowski (for Sullivan) Amendment No. 67, to restrict the authority 
of the Environmental Protection Agency to arm agency personnel. 
                                                       Pages S621, S626
  Murkowski Amendment No. 98, to express the sense of Congress relating 
to adaptation projects in the United States Arctic region and rural 
communities.                                           
Pages S621, S626

[[Page D81]]


  Flake Amendment No. 103, to require the evaluation and consolidation 
of duplicative green building programs.                
Pages S621, S626
  Merkley Amendment No. 174, to express the sense of Congress that the 
United States should prioritize and fund adaptation projects in 
communities in the United States while also helping to fund climate 
change adaptation in developing countries.             
Pages S621, S626
  Tillis/Burr Amendment No. 102, to provide for leasing on the outer 
Continental Shelf and the distribution of certain qualified revenues 
from such leasing.                                     
Pages S621, S626
  Cantwell (for Peters/Stabenow) Amendment No. 55, to require a study 
of the potential environmental impact of by-products of the Keystone XL 
pipeline.                                              
Pages S621, S626
  Cantwell/Boxer Amendment No. 131, to ensure that if the Keystone XL 
Pipeline is built, it will be built safely and in compliance with 
United States environmental laws.                   
Pages S621, S637-45
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Pursuant to the order of January 28, 2015, the motion to proceed to 
the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on 
January 26, 2015, was agreed to.                              
Page S626
  Pursuant to the order of January 28, 2015, the motion to reconsider 
the vote by which cloture was not invoked on January 26, 2015, was 
agreed to.                                                    
Page S626
  By 62 yeas to 35 nays (Vote No. 45), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate upon 
reconsideration agreed to the motion to close further debate on the 
bill.                                                         
Page S626
  National Mentoring Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 58, recognizing 
January 2015 as ``National Mentoring Month''.                 
  Page S662
Clay Hunt SAV Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time agreement was 
reached providing that at 4:30 p.m., on Monday, February 2, 2015, 
Senate begin consideration of H.R. 203, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide for the conduct of annual evaluations of 
mental health care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, to require a pilot program on loan repayment for 
psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health Administration 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs; that the time until 5:30 p.m. be 
equally divided in the usual form, and that following the use or 
yielding back of time, Senate vote on passage of the bill, without any 
intervening action or debate.                                 
  Page S633
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  31 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Air Force and Marine Corps.        
Pages S664-65
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Manson K. Brown, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce.
  William P. Doyle, of Pennsylvania, to be a Federal Maritime 
Commissioner for a term expiring June 30, 2018.
  Gentry O. Smith, of North Carolina, to be Director of the Office of 
Foreign Missions, and to have the rank of Ambassador during his tenure 
of service.
  Janet L. Yellen, of California, to be United States Alternate 
Governor of the International Monetary Fund for a term of five years.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. 
                                                          Pages S663-64
Messages from the House:                                      
  Page S651
Measures Referred:                                            
  Page S651
Executive Communications:                                 
  Pages S651-52
Petitions and Memorials:                                      
  Page S652
Additional Cosponsors:                                        
  Page S654
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:               
  Pages S654-61
Additional Statements:                                    
  Pages S650-51
Amendments Submitted:                                         
  Page S661
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                           
  Page S661
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--49) 
                                           Pages S623-24, S626, S636-37
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 5:54 p.m., 
until 10:30 a.m. on Friday, January 30, 2015. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S662.)