[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 80 (Friday, May 22, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D598-D599]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                               Friday, May 22, 2015

[[Page D598]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.R. 1314, Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the 
      Right to Appeal Act, as amended.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S3253-S3312
Measures Introduced: Fourteen bills were introduced, as follows: S. 
1455-1468.                                               
  Pages S3309-10
Measures Reported:
  S. 253, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to consolidate the 
reporting obligations of the Federal Communications Commission in order 
to improve congressional oversight and reduce reporting burdens, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 114-58)
  S. 565, to reduce the operation and maintenance costs associated with 
the Federal fleet by encouraging the use of remanufactured parts. (S. 
Rept. No. 114-59)
  S. 286, to amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act to provide further self-governance by Indian tribes. (S. 
Rept. No. 114-60)                                            
Page S3309
Measures Passed:
  Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act: Senate passed S. 
1463, to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 
2014 to modify the distance requirement for expanded availability of 
hospital care and medical services for veterans through the use of 
agreements with non-Department of Veterans Affairs entities. 
                                                         Pages S3288-89
  Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act: Senate passed H.R. 
2496, to extend the authorization for the replacement of the existing 
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, to 
make certain improvements in the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
Accountability Act of 2014.                              
  Pages S3289-90
  Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act: By 62 yeas 
to 37 nays (Vote No. 193), Senate passed 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 taking action on the following 
amendments proposed thereto:         
  Pages S3256-74, S3274-89, S3290-99
Adopted:
  By 70 yeas to 29 nays (Vote No. 186), Hatch Modified Amendment No. 
1411 (to the language proposed to be stricken by Amendment No. 1299), 
of a perfecting nature.                           
Pages S3256, S3291-92
  By 62 yeas to 37 nays (Vote No. 191), Hatch Amendment No. 1221, in 
the nature of a substitute.                          
Pages S3256, S3295
  Rejected:
  By 48 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 187), Stabenow (for Portman) 
Amendment No. 1299 (to Amendment No. 1221), to make it a principal 
negotiating objective of the United States to address currency 
manipulation in trade agreements. 
                 Pages S3256-59, S3265-67, S3267-69, S3280-83, S3292-93
  By 39 yeas to 60 nays (Vote No. 188), Wyden (for Warren) Amendment 
No. 1327 (to Amendment No. 1221), to prohibit the application of the 
trade authorities procedures to an implementing bill submitted with 
respect to a trade agreement that includes investor-state dispute 
settlement.                                          
Pages S3256, S3293
  By 47 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 189), Brown Amendment No. 1251 (to 
Amendment No. 1221), to require the approval of Congress before 
additional countries may join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. 
                                                  Pages S3256, S3293-94
  By 36 yeas to 62 nays, 1 responding present (Vote No. 190), Hatch 
(for Flake) Amendment No. 1243 (to Amendment No. 1221), to strike the 
extension of the trade adjustment assistance program. 
                                                  Pages S3256, S3294-95
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  Chair sustained a point of order that Wyden (for Shaheen) Amendment 
No. 1227 (to Amendment

[[Page D599]]

No. 1221), to make trade agreements work for small businesses, was not 
germane, and the amendment thus fell.                
Pages S3256, S3293
  Chair sustained a point of order that Hatch (for McCain) Amendment 
No. 1226 (to Amendment No. 1221), to repeal a duplicative inspection 
and grading program, was not germane, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                                     Pages S3256, S3294
  Chair sustained a point of order that Hatch (for Inhofe/Coons) 
Modified Amendment No. 1312 (to Amendment No. 1221), to amend the 
African Growth and Opportunity Act to require the development of a plan 
for each sub-Saharan African country for negotiating and entering into 
free trade agreements, was not germane, and the amendment thus fell. 
                                                     Pages S3256, S3294
  By 61 yeas to 38 nays (Vote No. 192), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to close further debate on the bill.       
Pages S3295-96
Measures Considered:
USA FREEDOM Act: Senate continued consideration of the motion to 
proceed to consideration of H.R. 2048, to reform the authorities of the 
Federal Government to require the production of certain business 
records, conduct electronic surveillance, use pen registers and trap 
and trace devices, and use other forms of information gathering for 
foreign intelligence, counterterrorism, and criminal purposes. 
                                                             Page S3299
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S3309
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S3309
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S3309
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S3310-11
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S3305-09
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S3311-12
Record Votes: Eight record votes were taken today. (Total--193) 
                                                  Pages S3292-96, S3298
Recess: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and recessed at 11:13 p.m., until 
12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2015. (For Senate's program, see the 
remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S3312.)