[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 119 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5921-S5922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HIRE MORE HEROES ACT OF 2015--Continued


                              Quorum Call

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll and the following 
Senators entered the Chamber and answered to their names:

                          [Quorum No. 6 Leg.]

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Boozman
     Boxer
     Cardin
     Cornyn
     Durbin
     Fischer
     Franken
     Heinrich
     Lee
     McConnell
     Murphy
     Perdue
     Rounds
     Tillis
     Udall
     Whitehouse
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Tillis). A quorum is not present.
  The majority leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to instruct the Sergeant at Arms 
to request the presence of absent Senators, and I ask for the yeas and 
nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The question is on agreeing to the motion of the Senator from 
Kentucky.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. 
Corker), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Flake), and the Senator from 
Florida (Mr. Rubio).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), 
the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), and the Senator from 
Michigan (Mr. Peters) are necesarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 79, nays 14, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 255 Leg.]

                                YEAS--79

     Alexander
     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Coats
     Cochran
     Cornyn
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Donnelly
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Franken
     Gardner
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Heinrich
     Heitkamp
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kaine
     King
     Kirk
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Lee
     Manchin
     McCaskill
     McConnell
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Nelson
     Portman
     Reed
     Reid
     Risch
     Roberts
     Rounds
     Sanders
     Sasse
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Scott
     Sessions
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Udall
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                                NAYS--14

     Ayotte
     Boozman
     Collins
     Cotton
     Heller
     Lankford
     McCain
     Moran
     Paul
     Perdue
     Sullivan
     Toomey
     Vitter
     Wicker

                             NOT VOTING--7

     Blunt
     Coons
     Corker
     Flake
     Markey
     Peters
     Rubio
  The motion was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. A quorum is present.
  The majority leader.


                       Vote on Amendment No. 2329

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to table amendment No. 2329.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
  The motion was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.


                           Amendment No. 2328

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I raise a germaneness point of order against 
amendment No. 2328.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The point of order is sustained, and the 
amendment falls.


                       Vote on Amendment No. 2327

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on agreeing to 
amendment No. 2327, offered by the Senator from Kentucky, Mr. 
McConnell, for Mr. Kirk.
  The yeas and nays were previously ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. 
Corker), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Flake), and the Senator from 
Florida (Mr. Rubio).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), 
the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), and the Senator from 
Michigan (Mr. Peters) are necessarily absent.

[[Page S5922]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 64, nays 29, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 256 Leg.]

                                YEAS--64

     Alexander
     Ayotte
     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Boxer
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coats
     Cochran
     Collins
     Donnelly
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Heinrich
     Heitkamp
     Heller
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kaine
     King
     Kirk
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Manchin
     McCain
     McCaskill
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Nelson
     Portman
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rounds
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Scott
     Shaheen
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden

                                NAYS--29

     Barrasso
     Boozman
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Inhofe
     Lankford
     Lee
     McConnell
     Paul
     Perdue
     Risch
     Sanders
     Sasse
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Vitter

                             NOT VOTING--7

     Blunt
     Coons
     Corker
     Flake
     Markey
     Peters
     Rubio
  The amendment (No. 2327) was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture vote on the McConnell 
amendment No. 2266, as modified, be waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending 
cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the McConnell 
     amendment No. 2266, as modified.
         Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Orrin G. Hatch, John 
           Barrasso, Pat Roberts, Richard Burr, Thom Tillis, David 
           Vitter, Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, Lamar Alexander, 
           Daniel Coats, John Hoeven, James M. Inhofe, Roger F. 
           Wicker, Susan M. Collins, John Thune.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum 
call has been waived.
  The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on 
amendment No. 2266, as modified, offered by the Senator from Kentucky, 
Mr. McConnell, to H.R. 22, shall be brought to a close?
  The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the 
Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Corker), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. 
Flake), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), 
the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), and the Senator from 
Michigan (Mr. Peters) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 62, nays 32, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 257 Leg.]

                                YEAS--62

     Alexander
     Ayotte
     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Boxer
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Coats
     Cochran
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Daines
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Franken
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Heitkamp
     Heller
     Hoeven
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kaine
     King
     Kirk
     Klobuchar
     Lankford
     Leahy
     Manchin
     McCain
     McCaskill
     McConnell
     Moran
     Murray
     Nelson
     Portman
     Roberts
     Rounds
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Scott
     Sessions
     Shaheen
     Stabenow
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Vitter
     Whitehouse
     Wicker

                                NAYS--32

     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Brown
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cotton
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Donnelly
     Gillibrand
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Lee
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Paul
     Perdue
     Reed
     Reid
     Risch
     Sasse
     Schumer
     Shelby
     Toomey
     Udall
     Warner
     Warren
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--6

     Coons
     Corker
     Flake
     Markey
     Peters
     Rubio
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 62, the nays are 
32.
  Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in 
the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
  The majority leader.


                Amendment No. 2421 to Amendment No. 2266

                   (Purpose: Of a perfecting nature)

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2421.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2421 to amendment No. 2266.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The amendment is printed in the Record of July 26, 2015, under 
``Text of Amendments.'')
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.


                Amendment No. 2533 to Amendment No. 2421

                  (Purpose: To improve the amendment)

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the 
desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell], for Mr. Inhofe, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 2533 to amendment No. 2421.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')


                           Amendment No. 2417

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment to the text of the 
underlying bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2417 to the language proposed to be 
     stricken by amendment No. 2266.

  The amendment is as follows:

       At the end add the following:
       ``This act shall be effective 1 day after enactment.''

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.


                Amendment No. 2418 to Amendment No. 2417

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the 
desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2418 to amendment No. 2417.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       On line 2, strike ``1 day'' and insert ``2 days.''

  Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________