[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 167 (Tuesday, November 10, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1203-D1205]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                         Tuesday, November 10, 2015

[[Page D1203]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the 
      House of Representatives to S. 1356, National Defense 
      Authorization Act.
      Senate passed H.R. 2029, Military Construction and Veterans 
      Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, as amended.

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S7869-S7957
Measures Introduced: Twenty bills and one resolution were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2262-2281, and S. Res. 312.               
  Pages S7912-13
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 1334, to strengthen enforcement mechanisms to 
stop illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, to amend the Tuna 
Conventions Act of 1950 to implement the Antigua Convention. (S. Rept. 
No. 114-166)
  S. Res. 302, expressing the sense of the Senate in support of Israel 
and in condemnation of Palestinian terror attacks.           
Page S7912
Measures Passed:
  National Defense Authorization Act: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 90, 
directing the Secretary of the Senate to make a technical correction in 
the enrollment of S. 1356, after taking action on the following 
amendment proposed thereto:                                  
  Page S7878
Adopted:
  McCain Amendment No. 2796, to modify the resolution.       
Page S7878
  Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act: By a unanimous vote of 93 yeas (Vote No. 302), 
Senate passed H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, after withdrawing the 
committee reported substitute amendment, and taking action on the 
following amendments proposed thereto:         
  Pages S7871-75, S7878-81
Adopted:
  Kirk (for Moran) Amendment No. 2774 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
prohibit the use of funds to pay for the transfers or relocations of 
senior executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs.     
Page S7879
  McConnell (for Murkowski) Amendment No. 2775 (to Amendment No. 2763), 
to require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to 
Congress a report evaluating the implementation by the Department of 
Veterans Affairs of section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and 
Accountability Act of 2014.                                  
Page S7879
  McConnell (for Murkowski) Amendment No. 2776 (to Amendment No. 2763), 
to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a 
report on the provision of health care to veterans in Alaska through 
the use of non-Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers. 
                                                             Page S7879
  Tester (for Blumenthal) Amendment No. 2779 (to Amendment No. 2763), 
to require that amounts appropriated to the Department of Veterans 
Affairs for medical and prosthetic research are used to ensure the 
provision of gender appropriate prosthetics and to conduct research 
related to toxic exposure.                                   
Page S7879
  Tester (for Blumenthal) Amendment No. 2781 (to Amendment No. 2763), 
to require that amounts appropriated to the Department of Veterans 
Affairs for medical supplies and equipment are used to procure gender 
appropriate prosthetics.                                     
Page S7879
  Kirk (for Toomey/Casey) Amendment No. 2785 (to Amendment No. 2763), 
to prohibit the use of funds to carry out Fast Letter 13-10 or create 
or maintain certain patient record-keeping systems.          
Page S7879

[[Page D1204]]


  Kirk (for Sullivan/Murkowski) Amendment No. 2786 (to Amendment No. 
2763), to require the Comptroller General of the United States to 
submit to Congress a report on the recruitment and retention of health 
care providers by the Department of Veterans Affairs.        
Page S7879
  Kirk (for Sullivan) Amendment No. 2787 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a 
report on the implementation by the Department of Veterans Affairs of 
section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 
2014 in rural areas.                                         
Page S7880
  Kirk (for Collins) Amendment No. 2788 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
require a report on the use of social security numbers by the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and the plans of the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to discontinue such use.                    
Page S7880
  Kirk (for Cornyn/Cruz) Amendment No. 2789 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a 
report on wait times for medical appointments at the South Texas 
Veterans Health Care System of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
                                                             Page S7880
  Tester (for Bennet) Amendment No. 2795 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the 
impact of combat service on suicide rates and other mental health 
issues among members of the Armed Forces and veterans.       
Page S7880
  Tester (for Durbin) Amendment No. 2794 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
modify the amounts appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs 
for medical services and medical and prosthetic research.    
Page S7880
  Tester (for Boxer) Amendment No. 2798 (to Amendment No. 2763), to 
make available $5,000,000 for a pilot program on awarding grants to 
provide furniture, household items, and other assistance to formerly 
homeless veterans moving into permanent housing.             
Page S7880
  Tester (for Brown/Tillis) Amendment No. 2801 (to Amendment No. 2763), 
to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and publish an 
action plan for improving the vocational rehabilitation services and 
assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.   
Page S7880
  Kirk/Tester Amendment No. 2763, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                     Pages S7871, S7881
Withdrawn:
  Kirk Amendment No. 2764 (to Amendment No. 2763), to clarify the term 
``congressional defense committees.''                
Pages S7871, S7881
  21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act: Senate passed S. 1203, 
to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the furnishing of 
health care to veterans by the Department of Veterans Affairs, to 
improve the processing by the Department of claims for disability 
compensation, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature 
of a substitute, the title amendment, and the following amendment 
proposed thereto:                                        
  Pages S7939-54
  Murkowski (for Isakson) Amendment No. 2806, relating to reports on 
public access to Department of Veterans Affairs research.    
Page S7946
  SPACE Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation was 
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2262, to facilitate a 
pro-growth environment for the developing commercial space industry by 
encouraging private sector investment and creating more stable and 
predictable regulatory conditions, and the bill was then passed, after 
agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto:        
  Page S7954
  Murkowski (for Cruz) Amendment No. 2805, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                  
Page S7954
  Promote Pro Bono Legal Services: Senate passed S. 2280, to promote 
pro bono legal services as a critical way in which to empower survivors 
of domestic violence.                                    
  Pages S7954-55
  Expressing Support of Israel: Senate agreed to S. Res. 302, 
expressing the sense of the Senate in support of Israel and in 
condemnation of Palestinian terror attacks, after agreeing to the 
following amendments proposed thereto:                   
  Pages S7955-56
  Murkowski (for Blumenthal) Amendment No. 2807, to urge the 
international community to condemn the Palestinian terror attacks. 
                                                             Page S7955
  Murkowski (for Blumenthal) Amendment No. 2808, to add a whereas 
clause regarding President Obama's condemnation of Palestinian violence 
against innocent Israeli citizens.                           
Page S7956
House Messages:
  National Defense Authorization Act: By 91 yeas to 3 nays (Vote No. 
301), Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the 
House of Representatives to 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.                                              
  Pages S7875-78
Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy Act--
Motions To Instruct Conferees: Senate began consideration of the 
amendment of the House of Representatives to the amendment of the 
Senate to H.R. 22, to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway 
safety programs, and transit programs, disagreed to the amendment of 
the House of Representatives to the amendment of the

[[Page D1205]]

Senate to the bill, agreed to the request from the House of 
Representatives for a conference, and authorized the Presiding Officer 
to appoint conferees, after taking action on the following motions to 
instruct conferees on the part of the Senate on the disagreeing votes 
of the two Houses on the bill to be instructed to insist on the 
inclusion in the final conference report the following motions proposed 
thereto:                                                 
  Pages S7881-87
Adopted:
  By 56 yeas to 31 nays (Vote No. 304), Wicker Motion to Instruct 
Conferees to insist upon inclusion of the following section in title 
XXXII: Truck Tractor-Semitrailer-Trailer Combination Length Limitation. 
The Secretary may promulgate a rule to increase the minimum length 
limitation that a State may prescribe for a truck tractor-semitrailer-
trailer combination under section 31111(b)(1)(A) of title 49, United 
States Code, from 28 feet to 33 feet if the Secretary makes a 
statistically significant finding, based on the final Comprehensive 
Truck Size and Weight Limit Study required under section 32801 of the 
Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act of 2012 (title II of 
division C of Public Law 112-141), that such increase would not have a 
net negative impact on public safety.                    
Pages S7886-87
  Blumenthal Motion to Instruct Conferees to insist upon the inclusion 
of the rail safety provisions contained in the amendment passed by the 
Senate on July 30, 2015, including the authorization of grants for the 
installment of positive train control.                       
Page S7887
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 82 yeas to 7 nays (Vote No. 303), 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 motion to disagree to the 
amendment of the House of Representatives to the amendment of the 
Senate to the bill, agree to the request from the House of 
Representatives for a conference, and authorize the Presiding Officer 
to appoint conferees.                                        
Page S7886
  The Chair was authorized to appoint the following conferees on the 
part of the Senate: Senators Inhofe, Thune, Hatch, Murkowski, Fischer, 
Barrasso, Cornyn, Boxer, Brown, Nelson, Wyden, Durbin, and Schumer. 
                                                             Page S7887
Hall Nomination--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time agreement was 
reached providing that at 5 p.m., on Monday, November 16, 2015, Senate 
begin consideration of the nomination of LaShann Moutique DeArcy Hall, 
of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern 
District of New York; that there be 30 minutes of debate on the 
nomination, and that following the use or yielding back of time, Senate 
vote on confirmation of the nomination, without intervening action or 
debate; and that no further motions be in order to the nomination. 
                                                             Page S7955
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Routine lists in the Foreign Service.              
Pages S7955, S7957
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Beth F. Cobert, of California, to be Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management for a term of four years.
  A routine list in the Foreign Service.             
Pages S7955, S7957
Nomination Withdrawn: Senate received notification of withdrawal of the 
following nomination:
  1 Air Force nomination in the rank of general.             
Page S7957
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S7911
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S7911-12
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S7913-15
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S7915-17
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S7910-11
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S7918-38
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                      
  Pages S7938-39
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--304) 
                                           Pages S7878, S7881, S7886-87
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned, pursuant to the 
provisions of H. Con. Res. 92, at 7:05 p.m., until 3 p.m. on Monday, 
November 16, 2015. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting 
Majority Leader in today's Record on page S7957.)