[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 184 (Thursday, December 17, 2015)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1331-D1332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                        Thursday, December 17, 2015

[[Page D1331]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S8733-S8836.
Measures Introduced: Twelve bills and one resolution were introduced, 
as follows: S. 2410-2421, and S. Res. 337.               
  Pages S8793-94
Measures Passed:
  TSCA Modernization Act: Senate passed H.R. 2576, to modernize the 
Toxic Substances Control Act, after agreeing to the following amendment 
proposed thereto:                                        
  Pages S8781-82
  Inhofe Amendment No. 2932, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S8781
  Joint Session of Congress: Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 102, 
providing for a joint session of Congress to receive a message from the 
President.                                                   
  Page S8830
  Convening of 114th Congress, 2nd Session: Senate passed H.J. Res. 76, 
appointing the day for the convening of the second session of the One 
Hundred Fourteenth Congress.                                 
  Page S8830
  Strengthening Education through Research Act: Senate passed S. 227, 
to strengthen the Federal education research system to make research 
and evaluations more timely and relevant to State and local needs in 
order to increase student achievement, after agreeing to the following 
amendment proposed thereto:                              
  Pages S8830-31
  McConnell (for Alexander) Amendment No. 2933, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                  
Page S8831
  Condemning the Government of Iran State-Sponsored Persecution: Senate 
agreed to S. Res. 148, condemning the Government of Iran's state-
sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued 
violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights, after 
agreeing to the following amendments proposed thereto:       
  Page S8831
  McConnell (for Kirk) Amendment No. 2934, to make a technical 
correction.                                                  
Page S8831
  McConnell (for Kirk) Amendment No. 2935, to make technical 
corrections.                                                 
Page S8831
  International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other 
Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders: 
Senate passed H.R. 515, to protect children and others from sexual 
abuse and exploitation, including sex trafficking and sex tourism, by 
providing advance notice of intended travel by registered sex offenders 
outside the United States to the government of the country of 
destination, requesting foreign governments to notify the United States 
when a known sex offender is seeking to enter the United States, after 
agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, and 
the following amendment proposed thereto:                
  Pages S8831-34
  McConnell (for Corker) Amendment No. 2936, to modify the 
authorization of appropriations.                             
Page S8834
  Rural ACO Provider Equity Act: Committee on Finance was discharged 
from further consideration of S. 2261, to amend title XVIII of the 
Social Security Act to improve the way beneficiaries are assigned under 
the Medicare shared savings program by also basing such assignment on 
services furnished by Federally qualified health centers and rural 
health clinics, and the bill was then passed.            
  Pages S8834-35
  National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act: Senate passed 
H.R. 4246, to exempt for an additional 4-year period, from the 
application of the means-test presumption of abuse under chapter 7, 
qualifying members of reserve components of the Armed Forces and 
members of the National Guard who, after September 11, 2001, are called 
to active duty or to perform a homeland defense activity for not less 
than 90 days.                                                
  Page S8835
  Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act: Senate passed S. 
284, to impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons responsible 
for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, after 
withdrawing the committee amendment, and agreeing to the following 
amendment proposed thereto:                              
  Pages S8835-36
  McConnell (for Corker) Amendment No. 2937, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                  
Page S8836
Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-time agreement was

[[Page D1332]]

reached providing that when the Senate receives a message from the 
House to accompany H.R. 2029, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, the Majority Leader be 
recognized to make a motion to concur in the House amendments; that if 
a cloture motion is filed on that motion, that notwithstanding rule 
XXII, Senate immediately vote on the motion to invoke cloture; that if 
cloture is invoked, all post-cloture time be yielded back, the Majority 
Leader, or his designee, be recognized to make a motion to table the 
first House amendment; that following the disposition of that motion, 
and if a budget point of order is raised, the Majority Leader, or his 
designee, be recognized to make a motion to waive the point of order, 
and that following disposition of that motion, Senate then vote on the 
motion to concur in the House amendments with no further motions or 
amendments in order, unless the motion to table is successful, or the 
budget point of order is sustained, and with two minutes of debate 
equally divided in the usual form prior to each vote.        
  Page S8750
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Darlene Michele Soltys, of the District of Columbia, to be an 
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for 
the term of fifteen years.
  (Prior to this action, Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs was discharged from further consideration.)
  Robert A. Salerno, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate 
Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of 
fifteen years.
  (Prior to this action, Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs was discharged from further consideration.) 
                                                     Pages S8830, S8836
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S8793
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S8793
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                    
  Page S8793
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S8794-95
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S8795-96
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S8791-93
Amendments Submitted:                                 
  Pages S8796-S8830
Notices of Intent:                                           
  Page S8830
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S8830
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:17 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, December 18, 2015. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S8836.)