[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 15, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D391-D393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                          Wednesday, April 15, 2015

[[Page D391]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2185-S2226
Measures Introduced: Twenty-eight bills were introduced, as follows: S. 
940-967.                                                 
  Pages S2220-21
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 754, to improve cybersecurity in the United 
States through enhanced sharing of information about cybersecurity 
threats. (S. Rept. No. 114-32)                               
Page S2220
House Messages:
Budget Resolution--Motions to Instruct Conferees: Senate began 
consideration of the message from the House of Representatives to 
accompany 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 motion and motions to instruct conferees 
proposed thereto:                 
  Pages S2193-99, S2199-S2201, S2202-12
Adopted:
  By 54 yeas to 43 nays (Vote No. 145) Motion to disagree in the 
amendment of the House to the concurrent resolution, agree to the 
request by the House for a conference, and authorize the Presiding 
Officer to appoint conferees.                            
Pages S2193-98
  By 86 yeas to 11 nays (Vote No. 146), Brown Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report include the 
deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to ending ``Too Big to Fail'' 
bailouts for Wall Street mega-banks with over $500,000,000,000 in total 
assets, as set forth in amendment 994 to S. Con. Res. 11 (as agreed to 
by the Senate).                                
Pages S2200-01, S2202-08
  By 85 yeas to 11 nays (Vote No. 147), Sanders Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report include the 
provision in the concurrent resolution as agreed to by the Senate that 
provides for the establishment of a deficit-neutral reserve fund 
related to strengthening the United States Postal Service by 
establishing a moratorium to protect mail processing plants, 
reinstating overnight delivery standards, protecting rural service, 
allowing the Postal Service to innovate and adapt to compete in a 
digital age, or improving the financial condition of the Postal 
Service.                                                 
Pages S2202-08
  By a unanimous vote of 97 yeas (Vote No. 148), Enzi (for Burr) Motion 
to Instruct Conferees to insist that the final conference report 
include a provision relating to addressing student loan debt, which may 
include reducing overlapping student loan repayment programs and 
creating a simplified income-driven student loan repayment option, as 
included in section 358 of S. Con. Res. 11, as agreed to by the Senate.
                                                         Pages S2203-09
  By 84 yeas to 13 nays (Vote No. 150), Sanders Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report include a deficit-
neutral reserve fund for legislation related to retirement benefits, 
which may not include legislation cutting benefits under the old-age, 
survivors, and disability insurance program established under title II 
of the Social Security Act, increasing the retirement age, or 
privatizing the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance program. 
                                            Pages S2199-S2201, S2202-10
  Schatz Motion to Instruct Conferees to insist that the final 
conference report include the deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to 
ensuring all legally married same-sex spouses have equal access to the 
Social Security and veterans' benefits they have earned and receive 
equal treatment under the law pursuant to the Constitution of the 
United States in the concurrent resolution as agreed to by the Senate. 
                                               Pages S2200-01, S2202-10
  Bennet Motion to Instruct Conferees to insist that the final 
conference report include provisions in the concurrent resolution as 
agreed to by the Senate for the establishment of deficit-neutral 
reserve funds relating to climate change.                
Pages S2204-10
  By 57 yeas to 40 nays (Vote No. 151), Fischer Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report include a 
provision relating to promoting equal pay, which may include preventing 
discrimination on the basis of sex and preventing retaliation against 
employees for seeking or discussing wage information, as included in 
section 356 of S. Con. Res. 11, as agreed to by the Senate. 
                                                         Pages S2207-10

[[Page D392]]


  Fischer Motion to Instruct Conferees to insist that the final 
conference report include a provision relating to a deficit-neutral 
reserve fund relating to tax credits for employers providing paid 
family and medical leave.                                
                                                         Pages S2207-11
  Sanders (for Murray) Motion to Instruct Conferees to insist that the 
final conference report include the deficit-neutral reserve fund for 
legislation to allow Americans to earn paid sick time in the concurrent 
resolution as agreed to by the Senate.                   
                                                         Pages S2205-11
                                                              Rejected:
  By 45 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 149), Warren Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report include a 
provision 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 S2201-09
  By 44 yeas to 53 nays (Vote No. 152), Mikulski Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report include a 
provision relating to amending the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to allow for 
punitive damages, limit the any factor ``other than sex'' exception, 
and prohibit retaliation against employees who share salary 
information, as included in amendment 362 to S. Con. Res. 11 (as not 
agreed to by the Senate).                                
                                                         Pages S2204-11
  Sanders (for Murray) Motion to Instruct Conferees to insist that the 
final conference report include a provision to build on the Bipartisan 
Budget Act of 2013 and provide sequester relief in 2016 and 2017 by 
closing tax loopholes.                                   
                                                         Pages S2205-11
  By 45 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 153), Stabenow Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist that the final conference report not include the 
Medicare cuts in the concurrent resolution as agreed to by the Senate, 
which would substantially increase out-of-pocket healthcare expenses 
for senior citizens, and not include the Medicare cuts in the 
concurrent resolution as agreed to by the House of Representatives, 
which would end Medicare as it currently exists by turning it into a 
voucher-based premium support system and eliminate the guaranteed 
healthcare benefits earned by the people of the United States. 
                                                         Pages S2206-12
  The Chair was authorized to appoint the following conferees on the 
part of the Senate: Senators Enzi, Grassley, Sessions, Crapo, Graham, 
Portman, Toomey, Johnson, Ayotte, Wicker, Corker, Perdue, Sanders, 
Murray, Wyden, Stabenow, Whitehouse, Warner, Merkley, Baldwin, Kaine, 
and King.                                                    
                                                             Page S2212
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent 
agreement was reached providing that at approximately 10 a.m., on 
Thursday, April 16, 2015, Senate resume consideration of S. 178, to 
provide justice for the victims of trafficking, with the time equally 
divided in the usual form; and that the filing deadline for all second-
degree amendments to McConnell (for Cornyn) Amendment No. 1120 to the 
bill be at 10:30 a.m.                                        
  Page S2224
Deyo and Chaudhuri Nominations--Agreement: A unanimous-consent 
agreement was reached providing that at 2 p.m., on Thursday, April 16, 
2015, Senate begin consideration of the nominations of Russell C. Deyo, 
of New Jersey, to be Under Secretary for Management, Department of 
Homeland Security, and Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri, of Arizona, to be 
Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission for the term of three 
years; Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations, without 
intervening action or debate; and that no further motions be in order. 
                                                         Pages S2223-24
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Linda Struyk Millsaps, of North Carolina, to be a Member of the 
Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board for a term expiring September 
14, 2018.
  Thomas Edgar Rothman, of Maryland, to be a Member of the National 
Council on the Arts for a term expiring September 3, 2016.
  Wilhelmina Marie Wright, of Minnesota, to be United States District 
Judge for the District of Minnesota.
  Routine lists in the Foreign Service.                  
                                                         Pages S2224-26
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S2215
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S2215
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S2215-20
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S2221-22
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S2222-23
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S2213-15
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S2223
Record Votes: Nine record votes were taken today. (Total--153) 
                                                  Pages S2198, S2208-12
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 7:34 p.m., 
until 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2015. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S2224.)

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