[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 138 (Thursday, September 24, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1006-D1007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                       Thursday, September 24, 2015

[[Page D1006]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      House and Senate met in a Joint Meeting to receive His Holiness 
      Pope Francis of the Holy See.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S6909-S6949
Measures Introduced: Ten bills and four resolutions were introduced, as 
follows: S. 2071-2080, and S. Res. 267-270.                  
  Page S6938
Measures Reported:
  S. 2078, to reauthorize the United States Commission on International 
Religious Freedom.                                           
Page S6938
Measures Passed:
  STEM Education Act: Senate passed H.R. 1020, to define STEM education 
to include computer science, and to support existing STEM education 
programs at the National Science Foundation, after agreeing to the 
following amendment proposed thereto:                    
  Pages S6948-49
  McConnell (for Thune) Amendment No. 2694, to make a conforming 
amendment.                                                   
Page S6948
  National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week: Committee on the 
Judiciary was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 258, 
designating the week of September 20 through 26, 2015, as ``National 
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week'', and the resolution was then 
agreed to.                                                   
  Page S6949
  National Estuaries Week: Senate agreed to S. Res. 269, designating 
the week of September 19 through September 26, 2015, as ``National 
Estuaries Week''.                                            
  Page S6949
  Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 270, 
designating September 2015 as ``Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month''. 
                                                             Page S6949
Measures Considered:
Hire More Heroes Act: Senate resumed consideration of H.J. Res. 61, 
amending 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, taking action on the following amendments and 
motions proposed thereto:                                
  Pages S6910-31
Rejected:
  McConnell motion to commit the joint resolution to the Committee on 
Appropriations, with instructions, McConnell Amendment No. 2674, to 
change the enactment date. (Senate tabled the motion.)       
Page S6910
  McConnell Amendment No. 2672 (to the language proposed to be stricken 
by Amendment No. 2669), to change the enactment date. (Senate tabled 
the amendment.)                                              
Page S6910
  McConnell (for Cochran) Amendment No. 2669, making continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016. (Senate 
tabled the amendment.)                                       
Page S6910
Pending:
  McConnell (for Cochran) Amendment No. 2680, making continuing 
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016. 
                                                         Pages S6916-17
  McConnell Amendment No. 2681 (to Amendment No. 2680), to change the 
enactment date.                                              
Page S6917
  McConnell Amendment No. 2682 (to Amendment No. 2681), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S6917
  McConnell Amendment No. 2683 (to the language proposed to be stricken 
by Amendment No. 2680), to change the enactment date.        
Page S6917
  McConnell Amendment No. 2684 (to Amendment No. 2683), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S6017
  McConnell motion to commit the joint resolution to the Committee on 
Appropriations, with instructions, McConnell Amendment No. 2685, to 
change the enactment date.                                   
Page S6917

[[Page D1007]]


  McConnell Amendment No. 2686 (to (the instructions) Amendment No. 
2685), of a perfecting nature.                               
Page S6917
  McConnell Amendment No. 2687 (to Amendment No. 2686), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S6917
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 47 yeas to 52 nays (Vote No. 270), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, not having voted in the affirmative, Senate 
rejected the motion to close further debate on McConnell (for Cochran) 
Amendment No. 2669 (listed above).                       
Pages S6910-16
  McConnell Amendment No. 2675 (to (the instructions) Amendment No. 
2674), of a perfecting nature, fell when McConnell motion to commit the 
joint resolution to the Committee on Appropriations, with instructions, 
McConnell Amendment No. 2674 (listed above) was tabled.      
Page S6910
  McConnell Amendment No. 2676 (to Amendment No. 2675), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when McConnell Amendment No. 2675 (to (the instructions) 
Amendment No. 2674) (listed above) fell.                     
Page S6910
  McConnell Amendment No. 2673 (to Amendment No. 2672), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when McConnell Amendment No. 2672 (to the language 
proposed to be stricken by Amendment No. 2669) (listed above) was 
tabled.                                                      
Page S6910
  McConnell Amendment No. 2670 (to Amendment No. 2669), to change the 
enactment date, fell when McConnell (for Cochran) Amendment No. 2669 
(listed above) was tabled.                                   
Page S6910
  McConnell Amendment No. 2671 (to Amendment No. 2670), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when McConnell Amendment No. 2670 (to Amendment No. 2669) 
fell.                                                        
Page S6910
House Messages:
TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act--Cloture: Senate began 
consideration of the amendment of the House of Representatives to the 
amendment of the Senate to H.R. 719, to require the Transportation 
Security Administration to conform to existing Federal law and 
regulations regarding criminal investigator positions, taking action on 
the following amendments and motions proposed thereto:       
  Page S6931
Pending:
  McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the 
amendment of the Senate to the bill, with McConnell (for Cochran) 
Amendment No. 2689, making continuing appropriations for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2016.                              
Page S6931
  McConnell Amendment No. 2690 (to Amendment No. 2689), to change the 
enactment date.                                          
Pages S6931-32
  McConnell motion to refer the House message on the bill to the 
Committee on Appropriations, with instructions, McConnell Amendment No. 
2691, to change the enactment date.                          
Page S6932
  McConnell Amendment No. 2692 (to (the instructions) Amendment No. 
2691), of a perfecting nature.                               
Page S6932
  McConnell Amendment No. 2693 (to Amendment No. 2692), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S6932
  A motion was entered to close further debate on McConnell motion to 
concur in the amendment of the House to the amendment of the Senate to 
the bill, with McConnell Amendment No. 2689 (listed above), and, in 
accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur on Monday, September 28, 2015.
                                                             Page S6932
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S6935
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S6935-38
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S6938-40
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S6941-42
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S6934-35
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S6942-48
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S6948
Record Votes: One record vote was taken today. (Total--270) 
                                                             Page S6916
Adjournment: Senate convened at 1 p.m. and adjourned at 6:27 p.m., 
until 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 25, 2015. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S6949.)