[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 29, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D904-D905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                           Wednesday, July 29, 2015

[[Page D904]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S6089-6146
Measures Introduced: Seventeen bills and two resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 1882-1898, and S. Res. 234-235.   
  Page S6136
Measures Reported:
  S. 373, to provide for the establishment of nationally uniform and 
environmentally sound standards governing discharges incidental to the 
normal operation of a vessel, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute. (S. Rept. No. 114-96)
  S. 284, to impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons 
responsible for gross violations of internationally recognized human 
rights, with an amendment.
  S. 1596, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 2082 Stringtown Road in Grove City, Ohio, as the 
``Specialist Joseph W. Riley Post Office Building''.
  S. 1632, to require a regional strategy to address the threat posed 
by Boko Haram, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 1826, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 99 West 2nd Street in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, as the 
Lieutenant Colonel James ``Maggie'' Megellas Post Office.     
Page 6134
Measures Passed:
  Authorize Printing: Senate agreed to S. Res. 234, to authorize the 
printing of a collection of the rules of the committees of the Senate. 
                                                             Page S6144
  National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
235, designating September 2015 as ``National Spinal Cord Injury 
Awareness Month''.                                           
  Page S6144
Measures Considered:
Hire More Heroes Act--Agreement: Senate continued consideration of H.R. 
22, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt employees with 
health coverage under TRICARE or the Veterans Administration from being 
taken into account for purposes of determining the employers to which 
the employer mandate applies under the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act, after taking action on the following motions and 
amendments proposed thereto:                             
  Pages S6091-92
Adopted:
  McConnell (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 2533 (to Amendment No. 2421), 
relating to Federal-aid highways and highway safety construction 
programs.                                                    
Page S6092
  McConnell Amendment No. 2421 (to Amendment No. 2266), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S6091
  By 62 yeas to 38 nays (Vote No. 258), McConnell Modified Amendment 
No. 2266, in the nature of a substitute.                     
Page S6092
Rejected:
  McConnell Amendment No. 2417 (to the language proposed to be stricken 
by Amendment No. 2266), to change the enactment date. (Senate tabled 
the amendment.)                                              
Page S6091
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  McConnell Amendment No. 2418 (to Amendment No. 2417), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when McConnell Amendment No. 2417 (to the language 
proposed to be stricken by Amendment No. 2266) (listed above), was 
tabled.                                                      
Page S6091
  By 65 yeas to 35 nays (Vote No. 259), 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.           
Page S6092
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill, post-cloture, at approximately 10:00 a.m., 
on Thursday, July 30, 2015; that the time until 12:00 p.m. be equally 
divided in the usual form; and that all time during the adjournment of 
the Senate count post-cloture on the bill.               
Pages S6144-45
Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement 
Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing 
that if the Senate receives the papers for H.R. 3236, to provide an 
extension of Federal-aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, 
transit, and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, to 
provide resource flexibility to the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
health care services, that

[[Page D905]]

at 1:45 p.m., on Thursday, July 30, 2015, Senate begin consideration of 
the bill and vote on passage, with no intervening action of debate, and 
that there be a 60 affirmative vote threshold for passage of the bill. 
                                                             Page S6144
Message from the President: Senate received the following message from 
the President of the United States:
  Transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on the continuation of the 
national emergency that was originally declared in Executive Order 
13441 with respect to Lebanon; which was referred to the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (PM-22)                 
Page S6132
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Allison Beck, of the District of Columbia, to be Federal Mediation 
and Conciliation Director.                                   
Page S6146
  Carol Fortine Ochoa, of Virginia, to be Inspector General, General 
Services Administration.                                     
Page S6146
  Jeffrey Michael Prieto, of California, to be General Counsel of the 
Department of Agriculture.                                   
Page S6146
  1 Marine Corps nomination in the rank of general.          
Page S6146
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  2 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  1 Navy nomination in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Air Force and Army.               
Pages S6145-46
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S6132
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S6132
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                             
  Page S6132
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                    
  Page S6132
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S6132-34
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S6134-36
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S6136-38
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S6138-43
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S6130-32
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                      
  Pages S6143-44
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S6144
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--259) 
                                                             Page S6092
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 6:28 p.m., 
until 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, 2015. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S6145.)