[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 74 (Thursday, May 14, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D537-D538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                             Thursday, May 14, 2015

[[Page D537]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.R. 1295, Trade Preferences Extension Act, as 
      amended.
      Senate passed H.R. 644, Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement 
      Act, as amended.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S2897-S2948.
Measures Introduced: Twenty-two bills and one resolution were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1338-1359, and S. Res. 179.       
  Page S2933
Measures Reported:
  H.R. 460, to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to train 
Department of Homeland Security personnel how to effectively deter, 
detect, disrupt, and prevent human trafficking during the course of 
their primary roles and responsibilities. (S. Rept. No. 114-46) 
                                                             Page S2933
Measures Passed:
  Trade Preferences Extension Act: By 97 yeas to 1 nay (Vote No. 178), 
Senate passed H.R. 1295, to extend the African Growth and Opportunity 
Act, the Generalized System of Preferences, the preferential duty 
treatment program for Haiti, by the order of the Senate of Wednesday, 
May 13, 2015, 60 Senators having voted in the affirmative, and after 
taking action on the following amendment proposed thereto:   
  Page S2907
Adopted:
  Hatch Amendment No. 1223, in the nature of a substitute.   
Page S2899
  Hatch Amendment No. 1240, to amend the title.              
Page S2946
  Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act: By 78 yeas to 20 nays 
(Vote No. 179), Senate passed H.R. 644, to reauthorize trade 
facilitation and trade enforcement functions and activities, by the 
order of the Senate of Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 60 Senators having 
voted in the affirmative, and after taking action on the following 
amendment proposed thereto:                              
  Pages S2907-08
Adopted:
  Hatch Amendment No. 1224, in the nature of a substitute.   
Page S2899
  Hatch Amendment No. 1241, to amend the title.              
Page S2946
  Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act: Senate passed H.R. 
606, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude certain 
compensation received by public safety officers and their dependents 
from gross income.                                       
  Pages S2913-14
  Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act: Senate passed S. 1356, to clarify 
that certain provisions of the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 
2014 will not take effect until after the Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management promulgates and makes effective regulations 
relating to such provisions.                                 
  Page S2933
  Kids to Parks Day: Senate agreed to S. Res. 179, designating May 16, 
2015, as ``Kids to Parks Day''.                          
  Pages S2946-47
Measures Considered:
Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act--Agreement: 
Senate began consideration of H.R. 1314, to amend the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 to provide for a right to an administrative appeal 
relating to adverse determinations of tax-exempt status of certain 
organizations, after agreeing to the motion to proceed, and taking 
action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                                  Pages S2926-27, S2947
Pending:
  Hatch Amendment No. 1221, in the nature of a substitute.   
Page S2926
  Hatch (for Flake) Amendment No. 1243 (to Amendment No. 1221), to 
strike the extension of the trade adjustment assistance program. 
                                                             Page S2926
  Hatch (for Lankford) Amendment No. 1237 (to Amendment No. 1221), to 
establish consideration of

[[Page D538]]

the conditions relating to religious freedom of parties to trade 
negotiations as an overall negotiating objective of the United States. 
                                                             Page S2926
  Brown Amendment No. 1242 (to Amendment No. 1221), to restore funding 
for the trade adjustment assistance program to the level established by 
the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011.       
Page S2926
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, May 13, 2015, the motion to 
proceed to the motion to reconsider the vote by which cloture was not 
invoked on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, was agreed to.             
Page S2908
  Pursuant to the order of Wednesday, May 13, 2015, the motion to 
reconsider the vote by which cloture was not invoked on Tuesday, May 
12, 2015, was agreed to.                                     
Page S2912
  By 65 yeas to 33 nays (Vote No. 180), 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 
motion to proceed to consideration of the bill.          
Pages S2912-13
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that when Senate 
resumes consideration of the bill on Monday, May 15, 2015, the time 
until 5:30 p.m., be equally divided between the managers, or their 
designees, and that at 5:30 p.m., Senate vote on or in relation to 
Brown Amendment No. 1242 (to Amendment No. 1221) (listed above) and 
Hatch (for Lankford) Amendment No. 1237 (to Amendment No. 1221) (listed 
above) in that order, with no second-degree amendments in order prior 
to the votes, and a 60 affirmative vote threshold for adoption. 
                                                             Page S2926
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that at 3 p.m., 
on Monday, May 18, 2015, Senate resume consideration of the bill. 
                                                             Page S2947
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Leslie E. Bains, of New York, to be a Director of the Securities 
Investor Protection Corporation for a term expiring December 31, 2015.
  Leslie E. Bains, of New York, to be a Director of the Securities 
Investor Protection Corporation for a term expiring December 31, 2018.
  Juan Carlos Iturregui, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of 
Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring June 26, 
2020.
  Karl Boyd Brooks, of Kansas, to be an Assistant Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency.
  Laura Farnsworth Dogu, of Texas, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Nicaragua.
  John L. Estrada, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Trinidad and Tobago.
  Samuel D. Heins, of Minnesota, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of 
Norway.
  Thomas O. Melia, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development.
  1 Air Force nomination in the rank of general.
  37 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  5 Coast Guard nominations in the rank of admiral.
  1 Navy nomination in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Army and Navy.                    
Pages S2947-48
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S2932
Measures Read the First Time:                     
  Pages S2932-33, S2947
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                    
  Page S2933
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S2933-35
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S2935-37
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S2931-32
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S2937-46
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S2946
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--180) 
                                                  Pages S2907-08, S2913
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 6:01 p.m., 
until 2 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2015. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S2947.)