[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 25, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D335-D339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                          Wednesday, March 25, 2015

[[Page D335]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      House and Senate met in a Joint Meeting to receive His Excellency 
      Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of 
      Afghanistan.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S1833-S1957
Measures Introduced: Eleven bills and five resolutions were introduced, 
as follows: S. 857-867, and S. Res. 111-115.                 
  Page S1891
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``History, Jurisdiction, and a Summary of 
Activities of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources during the 
113th Congress''. (S. Rept. No. 114-6)                       
Page S1891
Measures Passed:
  National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month: Senate 
agreed to S. Res. 115, designating April 2015 as ``National Congenital 
Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month''.                      
  Page S1957
Measures Considered:
  Budget Resolution-Agreement: Senate continued consideration of S. 
Con. Res. 11, setting forth the congressional budget for the United 
States Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth the 
appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025, taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto:     
Pages S1835-86
Adopted:


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page D335, March 25, 2015 the following language 
appears:Measures Considered:BUDGET RESOLUTION--AGREEMENT:
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read:Measures 
Considered:Budget Resolution--Agreement:


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Burr Amendment No. 622, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to manageable Federal student loan repayment options. 
                                                  Pages S1838-39, S1842
  By a unanimous vote of 99 yeas (Vote No. 87), Stabenow Amendment No. 
755, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to keeping 
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act focused on protection of water 
quality, to establish bright lines for Federal jurisdiction, and to 
create clear and unambiguous exemptions for features that the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Secretary 
of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, claim they are not 
seeking to regulate.                           
Pages S1845-46, S1868-69
  By 59 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 88), Barrasso Amendment No. 347, to 
establish a spending-neutral reserve fund to keep the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act focused on protection of water quality, to 
establish bright lines for Federal jurisdiction, and to create clear 
and unambiguous exemptions for features that the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency or the Secretary of the Army, acting 
through the Chief of Engineers, claim they are not seeking to regulate.
                                               Pages S1836-38, S1869-70
  Hatch Amendment No. 796, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to saving Medicare.                      
Pages S1853-56, S1870
  By a unanimous vote of 99 yeas (Vote No. 92), Cotton Amendment No. 
481, to establish a deficit-neutral fund relating to supporting Israel.
                                                         Pages S1871-72
Rejected:
   By 46 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 86), Reed (for Warren) Amendment No. 
652, to make college more affordable for middle-class families by 
allowing borrowers with outstanding Federal and private student loans 
to refinance at the equivalent interest rates that were offered to 
Federal student loan borrowers during the 2013-2014 school year and to 
fully offset the cost of such a program by requiring millionaires to 
pay at least a 30 percent effective Federal tax rate.    
Pages S1839-44
  By 49 yeas to 50 nays (Vote No. 89), Sanders/Whitehouse Modified 
Amendment No. 777, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to 
recognize that climate change is real and caused by human activity and 
that Congress needs to take action to cut carbon pollution. 
                                        Pages S1847-48, S1862-63, S1870
  By 46 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 91), Murray Amendment No. 801, to 
build on the Bipartisan

[[Page D336]]

Budget Act of 2013 by restoring a below-sequester level cut of 
$9,000,000,000 to nondefense discretionary spending in 2017, replacing 
sequestration in 2016 and 2017 and increasing funding above sequester 
levels by a total of $148,000,000,000 for the 2 years, increasing 
defense and nondefense discretionary spending above sequester levels by 
equal amounts, eliminating the overseas contingency operations gimmick 
contained in the committee-reported resolution, and offsetting the net 
increase in defense and nondefense discretionary spending by closing 
tax loopholes.                                    
Pages S1863-64, S1871
Withdrawn:
  Blunt/Thune Amendment No. 350, to create a point of order against 
legislation that would create a Federal tax or fee on carbon emissions.
                                                  Pages S1846-47, S1868
Pending:
  Enzi (for Kirk) Amendment No. 545, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to reimposing waived sanctions and imposing new 
sanctions against Iran for violations of the Joint Plan of Action or a 
comprehensive nuclear agreement.                             
Page S1865
  Rounds/Inhofe Amendment No. 412, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency and the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service from engaging in closed-door 
settlement agreements that ignore impacted States and counties. 
                                                             Page S1835
  Rubio Modified Amendment No. 423, to increase new budget authority 
fiscal years 2016 and 2017 and modify outlays for fiscal years 2016 
through 2022 for National Defense (budget function 050).     
Page S1835
  Daines Amendment No. 388, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to the designation of national monuments.       
Pages S1865-66
  Daines Amendment No. 389, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to holding Members of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives accountable for failing to pass a balanced budget. 
                                                             Page S1885
  Moran Amendment No. 356, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to providing health care to veterans who reside more than 40 
miles driving distance from the closest medical facility of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs that provides the care sought by the 
veteran.                                                 
Pages S1848-53
  Roberts/Flake Amendment No. 352, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to Federal employee performance awards. 
                                                         Pages S1856-57
  Roberts Amendment No. 462, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to over-the-counter medications.               
Page S1857
  Vitter Amendment No. 515, to establish a spending-neutral reserve 
fund relating to requiring the Federal Government to allow states to 
opt out of Common Core without penalty.                  
Pages S1857-58
  Vitter Amendment No. 811, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to ending Washington's illegal exemption from Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act.                      
Pages S1858-60
  Gardner Amendment No. 443, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to protecting privately held water rights and permits. 
                                                             Page S1862
  Coats/Warner Amendment No. 595, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund to improve cybersecurity.                       
Page S1864
  Coats Amendment No. 368, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to providing States the Medicaid flexibility they need to 
implement innovative reforms to improve care and enhance access for our 
Nation's most vulnerable.                                
Pages S1864-65
  Daines Amendment No. 465, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to Second Amendment rights.                         
Page S1866
  Daines Amendment No. 387, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to postal reform.                               
Pages S1866-68
  Wyden/Crapo Amendment No. 434, to provide for an adjustment to 
committee allocations for wildfire suppression funding.      
Page S1868
  Paul Amendment No. 940, to increase new budget authority for fiscal 
years 2016 and 2017 and modify outlays for fiscal years 2016 through 
2022 for National Defense (budget function 050) with offsets. 
                                                         Pages S1872-73
  Sanders (for Murray/Alexander) Amendment No. 697, to establish a 
deficit-neutral reserve fund for legislation that reforms and 
strengthens elementary and secondary education.              
Page S1873
  Sanders (for Murray) Amendment No. 798, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund for legislation to allow Americans to earn paid 
sick time.                                                   
Page S1873
  Sanders (for Cantwell) Amendment No. 800, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund relating to a comprehensive approach to crude-by-
rail safety.                                                 
Page S1873
  Sanders (for Murray) Amendment No. 812, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund to provide women with affordable access to 
comprehensive health care, including preventive services (such as 
contraception and breast cancer screenings), improve maternal health, 
and ensure that a woman has the same benefits and services no matter 
what part of the United States she lives in, all of which is critical 
to improving the health and well-being of women, children, their 
families, and society as a whole, and is an essential part of a woman's 
economic security and opportunity.                           
Page S1873


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page D336, March 25, 2015, the following language 
appears:Sanders (for Murray) Amendment No. 812, to establish a 
deficit-neutral reserve fund to provide women with affordable 
access to comprehensive health care, including preventative 
services (such as contraception and breast cancer screenings), 
improve maternal health, and ensure that a woman has the same 
benefits and services no matter what part of the United States she 
lives in, all of which is critical to improving the health and 
well-being of women, children, their families, and society as a 
whole, and is an essential part of a woman's economic security and 
opportunity. Page S1873
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read:Sanders (for 
Murray) Amendment No. 812, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund to provide women with affordable access to comprehensive 
health care, including preventive services (such as contraception 
and breast cancer screenings), improve maternal health, and ensure 
that a woman has the same benefits and services no matter what 
part of the United States she lives in, all of which is critical 
to improving the health and well-being of women, children, their 
families, and society as a whole, and is an essential part of a 
woman's economic security and opportunity. Page S1873


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


[[Page D337]]


  Sanders (for Murray) Amendment No. 951, to establish and fund a new 
Federal-State partnership to expand access to high-quality preschool 
programs for children from low-and moderate-income families, offset 
with revenue from closing loopholes.                     
Pages S1873-74
  Sanders (for Durbin/Coons) Amendment No. 345, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund relating to increasing funding for Federal 
investments in biomedical and basic scientific research. 
                                                         Pages S1873-74
  Sanders (for Durbin) Amendment No. 817, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund to provide tax benefits to patriot employers that 
invest in American jobs and provide fair pay and benefits to workers 
and to eliminate tax benefits for corporations that ship jobs or 
profits overseas.                                        
Pages S1873-74
  McCain/Flake Amendment No. 360, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to deterring the migration of unaccompanied 
children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.          
Page S1874
  Wyden/Bennet Amendment No. 708, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to simplifying and expanding tax incentives for 
higher education to boost student attendance and completion. 
                                                         Pages S1874-75
  Wyden Amendment No. 791, to strike reconciliation instructions to the 
Committees on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Finance and 
require regular order.                                       
Page S1875
  Wyden Amendment No. 870, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to extending tax provisions expiring in 2013 or 2014 for 2 
years, such as those contained in the EXPIRE Act of 2014.    
Page S1875
  Heller Amendment No. 453, to establish a spending-neutral reserve 
fund relating to ensuring that the Secretary of Transportation 
prioritizes the construction of projects that are of national and 
regional significance and projects in high priority corridors on the 
National Highway System, which will improve the safe, secure, and 
efficient movement of people and goods through the United States and 
facilitate economic development and create jobs in the United States. 
                                                             Page S1875
  Heller Amendment No. 452, to establish a spending-neutral reserve 
fund relating to ensuring that the Secretary of the Interior enters 
into candidate conservation agreements with each of the relevant 11 
Western States before the United States Fish and Wildlife Service makes 
a listing determination on the greater sage-grouse under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973.                                         
Page S1875
  Heller Amendment No. 457, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to prohibition of Veterans Benefits Administration executive 
bonuses until the backlog of disability claims for veterans is 
eliminated.                                              
Pages S1875-76
  Heller Amendment No. 456, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to ensuring that medical facilities of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs meet the privacy, dignity, and safety needs of women 
veterans.                                                
Pages S1875-77
  Coons/Bennet Amendment No. 343, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to preserving mandatory appropriations for 
agricultural conservation programs.                  
Pages S1877, S1882
  Coons Amendment No. 391, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to the expansion of access to the income tax credit for 
employee health insurance expenses of small employers. 
                                                  Pages S1877, S1881-82
  Coons/Rubio Amendment No. 392, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to promoting the use of college savings accounts while 
students are in elementary school and secondary school. 
                                                     Pages S1877, S1882
  Coons Amendment No. 394, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to special treatment of the income tax credit for research 
expenditures for startup companies.                  
Pages S1877, S1882
  Coons Amendment No. 802, to offset the costs of the war against the 
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.                             
Page S1877
  Baldwin Amendment No. 432, to provide additional resources to create 
the opportunity for more Americans to obtain a higher education and 
advanced job skills by supporting two free years of community college 
paid for by raising revenue through requiring millionaires and 
billionaires to pay their fair share.                    
Pages S1877-78
  Baldwin Amendment No. 436, to preserve the point of order against 
reconciliation legislation that would increase the deficit or reduce a 
surplus.                                                     
Page S1878


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page D337, March 25, 2015 the following language 
appears:Baldwin Amendment No. 436, to preserve the point of order 
against the reconciliation legislation that would increase the 
deficit or reduce a surplus. Page S1878
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read:Baldwin Amendment 
No. 436, to preserve the point of order against reconciliation 
legislation that would increase the deficit or reduce a surplus. 
Page S1878


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Manchin Amendment No. 694, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to investing in advanced fossil energy technology 
research and development.                                    
Page S1878
  Manchin Amendment No. 578, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to addressing methamphetamine abuse in the United States.
                                                         Pages S1878-79
  Whitehouse Amendment No. 700, to ensure high-income earners pay a 
fair share in taxes and to use the revenue to invest in repairing our 
Nation's bridges, coastal infrastructure, and damage from widlfires. 
                                                             Page S1879
  Whitehouse/Udall Amendment No. 867, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to making it more difficult for corporations and 
billionaires to

[[Page D338]]

secretly influence elections by making unlimited undisclosed campaign 
expenditures, and to prevent such entities from evading campaign 
finance law, including through making false statements to government 
agencies.                                                    
Page S1879
  Whitehouse Amendment No. 895, to prohibit budget resolutions that 
support cutting over $1,000,000,000,000 in spending without identifying 
specific programmatic effects.                               
Page S1879
  Casey Amendment No. 632, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to providing reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers. 
                                                         Pages S1879-80
  Casey Amendment No. 633, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
relating to enhancing the child and dependent care tax credit. 
                                                             Page S1880
  Merkley/Coons Amendment No. 842, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to consumer financial protection.      
Page S1880
  Merkley Amendment No. 843, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to restoring reductions in the Republican budget to the 
Stafford loan program that would mandate that students currently in 
college pay interest on their loans before they have received their 
education benefits, to make college more affordable, to reduce the debt 
burden of students, and to help graduates afford to pay back student 
loans.                                                       
Page S1880
  Merkley/Brown Amendment No. 952, to establish a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to establishing a more level playing field in 
trade agreements.                                            
Page S1880
  Merkley Amendment No. 953, to save student financial aid and reduce 
the student loan debt levels in the Republican budget by 15 percent by 
eliminating new mandated interest charged while students are still in 
school.                                                  
Pages S1880-81
  Blumenthal Amendment No. 825, to expand the deficit-neutral reserve 
fund for veterans and servicemembers.                        
Page S1881
  Cassidy Amendment No. 341, to establish a spending-neutral reserve 
fund relating to the promotion of United States offshore energy 
production.                                                  
Page S1882
  Cassidy Amendment No. 539, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to improving Medicaid based on successful and bipartisan 
State demonstration projects.                                
Page S1882
  Cassidy Amendment No. 795, to establish a spending-neutral reserve 
fund relating to authorizing Federal permitting for manufacturing and 
energy construction projects relating to national primary or secondary 
ambient air quality standard for ozone lower than a certain existing 
standard.                                                
Pages S1882-83
  Coons (for Bennet) Amendment No. 715, to create clean energy jobs 
through predictable and fair incentives for renewable energy. 
                                                             Page S1883
  Murkowski (for Thune) Amendment No. 607, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund to allow for the permanent elimination of the 
Federal estate tax.                                          
Page S1883
  Murkowski (for Thune) Amendment No. 743, to reduce funding for the 
General Services Administration by $1,000,000 until 50 percent of 
counties in nonattainment for the 1997 National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone as of January 30, 2015, 
achieve the air quality standard set forth in the 1997 NAAQS, and 
direct those funds to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency for the purpose of helping municipalities reach attainment with 
the 2008 NAAQS for ground-level ozone, acknowledging that (1) given 
limited State and Federal resources and the delay of the Administrator 
in issuing to States implementation guidance for the 2008 ground-level 
ozone NAAQS, priority should be given to achieving the 2008 standard, 
(2) the Administrator has not sufficiently implemented that standard, 
(3) focusing by the Administrator on the most polluted areas that are 
in nonattainment with that standard would benefit public health, and 
(4) promulgating a lower standard at this time would impose undue costs 
on the economy and workforce of the United States.           
Page S1883
  Murkowski/Sullivan Amendment No. 838, to establish a spending-neutral 
reserve fund relating to the disposal of certain Federal land. 
                                                         Pages S1883-84
  Murkowski Amendment No. 770, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund relating to the construction of Arctic polar icebreakers. 
                                                         Pages S1883-85
  Gardner (for Ayotte) Amendment No. 485, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund to provide equity in the tax treatment of public 
safety officer death benefits.                               
Page S1885
  Gardner (for Ayotte) Amendment No. 490, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund to address the disproportionate regulatory burdens 
on community banks.                                          
Page S1885


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On page D338, March 25, 2015, the following language 
appears:Gardner (for Ayotte) Amendment No. 490, to establish a 
deficit-neutral reserve fund to address the disproportionate 
regulatory burdens on community bankers. Page S1885
  
  The online Record has been corrected to read:Gardner (for 
Ayotte) Amendment No. 490, to establish a deficit-neutral reserve 
fund to address the disproportionate regulatory burdens on 
community banks. Page S1885


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

   Gardner (for Ayotte) Amendment No. 852, to establish a deficit-
neutral reserve fund relating to providing small business regulatory 
relief and preventing duplicative regulations for investment advisors. 
                                                         Pages S1885-86
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 46 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 90), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to waive all applicable budgetary discipline 
pursuant to Section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of

[[Page D339]]

1974, with respect to Stabenow (for Bennet) Amendment No. 601, to 
create a point of order against legislation that would privatize 
Medicare, cut guaranteed benefits, increase out-of-pocket spending, or 
turn Medicare into a premium support plan. Subsequently, the point of 
order that the amendment was in violation of section 305(b)(2) of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, was sustained, and the amendment was 
ruled out of order.                            
Pages S1844-45, S1870-71
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the concurrent resolution at approximately 9:30 a.m., 
on Thursday, March 26, 2015; and that all debate time on the concurrent 
resolution be considered expired at 12 noon.                 
Page S1957
       Appointments:
     Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress: The Chair 
     announced, on behalf of the Democratic Leader, pursuant to 
     Public Law 101-509, the reappointment of the following 
     individual to serve as a member of the Advisory Committee on 
     the Records of Congress: Dr. Steven Zink of Nevada. 
                                                        Page S1957
     Nominations Received: Senate received the following 
     nominations:
  Jeffrey Michael Prieto, of California, to be General Counsel of the 
Department of Agriculture.
  Kathleen Ann Doherty, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Cyprus.
  Hans G. Klemm, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to Romania.
  Lucy Tamlyn, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Benin.
  1 Army nomination in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Army and Navy.                        
Page S1957
     Messages from the House:                                30Measures 
     Referred:
      Reports of Committees:
     l Cosponsors:                                       30Statements 
     on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:                    30Additional 
     Statements:
     s Submitted:                                     30Authorities for 
     Committees to Meet:                                 30Privileges 
     of the Floor:                                           30Record 
     Votes: Seven record votes were taken today. (Total--92) 
                                       Record VoPage S1842-43, S1869-72
     Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 
     8:08 p.m., until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, 2015. (For 
     Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority 
     Leader in today's Record on page S1957.)