[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 109 (Thursday, June 28, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D754-D758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                            Thursday, June 28, 2018

[[Page D754]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate passed H.R. 2, Agriculture and Nutrition Act, as amended.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S4689-S4821
Measures Introduced: Thirty bills and eleven resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 3153-3182, and S. Res. 558-568. 
                                                         Pages S4733-35
Measures Reported:
  Special Report entitled ``Further Revised Allocation to Subcommittees 
of Budget Totals for Fiscal Year 2019''. (S. Rept. No. 115-288)
  S. 3158, making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health 
and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2019. (S. Rept. No. 115-289)
  S. 3159, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2019. (S. Rept. No. 115-290)
  H.R. 3776, to support United States international cyber diplomacy, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2779, to amend the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 
2001, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 3153, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 
for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United 
States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central 
Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System.        
Page S4731
Measures Passed:
  KIWI Act: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged from further 
consideration of S. 2245, to include New Zealand in the list of foreign 
states whose nationals are eligible for admission into the United 
States as E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrants if United States nationals are 
treated similarly by the Government of New Zealand, and the bill was 
then passed.                                             
  Pages S4700-01
  Agriculture and Nutrition Act: By 86 yeas to 11 nays (Vote No. 143), 
Senate passed H.R. 2, to provide for the reform and continuation of 
agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture 
through fiscal year 2023, by the order of the Senate of Thursday, June 
28, 2018, 60 Senators having voted in the affirmative, and after taking 
action on the following amendments and motions proposed thereto: 
                                                             Page S4709
Adopted:
  Roberts (for Isakson) Amendment No. 3348 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
modify the provision relating to economic adjustment assistance for 
upland cotton users, to provide payments for losses relating to peach 
and blueberry crops, and the strike the provision relating to the use 
of the Commodity Credit Corporation.                     
Pages S4713-14
  Roberts (for Wyden) Amendment No. 3346 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
provide that research extension grants may be made for the purposes of 
researching hop plant health.                            
Pages S4713-14
  Roberts (for Enzi/Wyden) Amendment No. 3181 (to Amendment No. 3224), 
to improve the Rural Energy for America Program.         
Pages S4713-14
  Roberts (for King/Collins) Amendment No. 3221 (to Amendment No. 
3224), to provide for a report on funding for the National Institute of 
Food and Agriculture and other extension programs.       
Pages S4713-14
  Roberts (for Gillibrand/Toomey) Amendment No. 3390 (to Amendment No. 
3224), to prohibit the slaughter of dogs and cats for human 
consumption.                                             
Pages S4713-14
  Roberts (for Heinrich/Udall) Amendment No. 3287 (to Amendment No. 
3224), to modify the study of marketplace fraud of traditional foods. 
                                                         Pages S4713-14
  Roberts (for Rubio) Amendment No. 3364 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
prohibit the use of funds to carry out programs in Cuba in 
contravention of the National Security Presidential Memorandum 
prohibiting transactions with entities owned, controlled, or operated 
by or on behalf of military intelligence or security services of Cuba. 
                                                         Pages S4713-14

[[Page D755]]


  Roberts (for Sullivan) Amendment No. 3303 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
ensure that the Secretary of Agriculture enforces certain Buy American 
requirements with respect to fish harvested with United States waters. 
                                                         Pages S4713-15
  Roberts (for Hirono) Amendment No. 3321 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
provide additional assistance under the non-insured crop assistance 
program for certain producers.                           
                                                         Pages S4713-15
  Roberts (for Cortez Masto/Portman) Amendment No. 3388 (to Amendment 
No. 3224), to establish the Council on Rural Community Innovation and 
Economic Development.                                    
                                                         Pages S4713-15
  Roberts (for Durbin) Amendment No. 3389 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
reauthorize the rural emergency medical services training and equipment 
assistance program under section 330J of the Public Health Service Act.
                                                         Pages S4713-15
  Roberts (for Brown) Amendment No. 3323 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
add a provision relating to extension and agricultural research at 1890 
land-grant colleges.                                     
                                                         Pages S4713-16
  Roberts (for Cantwell/Murkowski) Amendment No. 3365 (to Amendment No. 
3224), to avert the waiving of liability for a utility whose line 
clearing work ignites a wildfire.                 
                                                  Pages S4713-14, S4716
  Roberts (for Moran) Amendment No. 3171 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
include a provision on requirements for the calculation of a separate 
actual crop revenue and agriculture risk coverage guarantee for 
irrigated and nonirrigated covered commodities.   
Pages S4713-14, S4716
  Roberts (for Thune/Brown) Amendment No. 3371 (to Amendment No. 3224), 
to provide that producers may change their election to participate in 
agriculture risk coverage or price loss coverage in the 2021 crop year.
                                                  Pages S4713-14, S4716
  McConnell (for Thune) Amendment No. 3134 (to Amendment No. 3224), to 
modify conservation reserve program provisions.      
Pages S4714, S4716
  Roberts Amendment No. 3224, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                  Pages S4714, S4716-17
Rejected:
  Kennedy Amendment No. 3383 (to the language proposed to be stricken 
by Amendment No. 3224), to provide for certain work requirements for 
able-bodied adults without dependents and to require State agencies to 
operate a work activation program for eligible participants in the 
supplemental nutrition assistance program. (By 68 yeas to 30 nays (Vote 
No. 141), Senate tabled the amendment.)                  
Pages S4707-09
  By 38 yeas to 57 nays (Vote No. 142), Roberts (for Lee) Amendment No. 
3074 (to Amendment No. 3224), to prohibit certain practices relating to 
certain commodity promotion programs and require greater transparency 
by those programs. (A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing 
that the amendment, having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was 
not agreed to.)                                      
Pages S4714, S4716
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the motion 
to invoke cloture on Roberts Amendment No. 3224 (listed above), be 
withdrawn.                                                   
Page S4714
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the motion 
to invoke cloture on the bill, be withdrawn.             
Pages S4713-14
  Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act: Senate passed H.R. 
1029, to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
to improve pesticide registration and other activities under the Act, 
to extend and modify fee authorities, after agreeing to the committee 
amendments, and the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                      Pages S4771-S4807
  McConnell (for Udall) Amendment No. 3392, of a perfecting nature. 
                                                             Page S4807
  Major Robert Odell Owens Post Office: Senate passed S. 2549, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
1234 Saint Johns Place in Brooklyn, New York, as the ``Major Robert 
Odell Owens Post Office''.                                   
  Page S4807
  Stanley Michels Post Office Building: Senate passed S. 2692, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
4558 Broadway in New York, New York, as the ``Stanley Michels Post 
Office Building''.                                       
  Pages S4807-08
  Marvin Gaye Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 1496, to designate the 
facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3585 South 
Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California, as the ``Marvin Gaye Post 
Office''.                                                    
  Page S4808
  Lance Corporal Jordan S. Bastean Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 
2673, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 514 Broadway Street in Pekin, Illinois, as the ``Lance 
Corporal Jordan S. Bastean Post Office''.                    
  Page S4808
  U.S. Navy Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 
3183, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 13683 James Madison Highway in Palmyra, Virginia, as the 
``U.S. Navy Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby Post Office''.         
  Page S4808
  J. Elliott Williams Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 4301, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
201 Tom Hall Street in Fort Mill, South Carolina, as the ``J. Elliott 
Williams Post Office Building''.                             
  Page S4808

[[Page D756]]

  Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 4406, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the ``Tuskegee Airmen Post 
Office Building''.                                           
  Page S4808
  Mabel Lee Memorial Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 4463, to designate 
the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6 Doyers 
Street in New York, New York, as the ``Mabel Lee Memorial Post 
Office''.                                                    
  Page S4808
  Bloomingdale Veterans Memorial Post Office Building: Senate passed 
H.R. 4574, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 108 West Schick Road in Bloomingdale, Illinois, as 
the ``Bloomingdale Veterans Memorial Post Office Building''. 
                                                             Page S4808
  Lance Corporal Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. Post Office Building: Senate 
passed H.R. 4646, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1900 Corporate Drive in Birmingham, Alabama, as the 
``Lance Corporal Thomas E. Rivers, Jr. Post Office Building''. 
                                                             Page S4808
  First Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office: Senate passed H.R. 
4685, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 515 Hope Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, as the ``First 
Sergeant P. Andrew McKenna Jr. Post Office''.                
  Page S4808
  Maurice D. Hinchey Post Office Building: Senate passed H.R. 4722, to 
designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 
111 Market Street in Saugerties, New York, as the ``Maurice D. Hinchey 
Post Office Building''.                                      
  Page S4808
  Sergeant First Class Alwyn Crendall Cashe Post Office Building: 
Senate passed H.R. 4840, to designate the facility of the United States 
Postal Service located at 567 East Franklin Street in Oviedo, Florida, 
as the ``Sergeant First Class Alwyn Crendall Cashe Post Office 
Building''.                                                  
  Page S4808
  American Homebrewers Association 40th Anniversary: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 567, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the American 
Homebrewers Association.                                     
  Page S4808
  Great Outdoors Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 568, designating June 
2018 as ``Great Outdoors Month''.                            
  Page S4808
  Hydropower Approvals: Senate passed S. 724, to amend the Federal 
Power Act to modernize authorizations for necessary hydropower 
approvals, after agreeing to the following amendment proposed thereto: 
                                                             Page S4809
  McConnell Amendment No. 3391, to include a provision relating to the 
payment of annual charges.                               
Pages S4808-09
  Swan Lake Hydroelectric Project Boundary Correction Act: Senate 
passed H.R. 219, to correct the Swan Lake hydroelectric project survey 
boundary and to provide for the conveyance of the remaining tract of 
land within the corrected survey boundary to the State of Alaska. 
                                                             Page S4809
  Hydroelectric Project Expansion: Senate passed H.R. 220, to authorize 
the expansion of an existing hydroelectric project.          
  Page S4809
  Mahoney Lake Hydroelectric Project: Senate passed S. 215, to 
authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to issue an order 
continuing a stay of a hydroelectric license for the Mahoney Lake 
hydroelectric project in the State of Alaska.                
  Page S4809
  Gibson Dam Hydroelectric Project: Senate passed S. 490, to reinstate 
and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a 
hydroelectric project involving the Gibson Dam, after agreeing to the 
committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.           
  Page S4809
  Cannonsville Dam Project: Senate passed H.R. 2292, to extend a 
project of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission involving the 
Cannonsville Dam.                                            
  Page S4809
  Hydroelectric Project Deadline Extension: Senate passed H.R. 951, to 
extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric 
project.                                                     
  Page S4810
  Hydroelectric Project Deadline Extension: Senate passed H.R. 446, to 
extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric 
project.                                                     
  Page S4810
  Hydroelectric Project Deadline Extension: Senate passed H.R. 447, to 
extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric 
project.                                                     
  Page S4810
  Jennings Randolph Dam Hydroelectric Project: Senate passed H.R. 2122, 
to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction 
of a hydroelectric project involving Jennings Randolph Dam. 
                                                             Page S4810
  Northern Mariana Islands U.S. Workforce Act: Senate passed H.R. 5956, 
to incentivize the hiring of United States workers in the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands.                             
  Page S4810

[[Page D757]]

  Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act: Senate passed S. 2559, to amend 
title 17, United States Code, to implement the Marrakesh Treaty. 
                                                         Pages S4810-11
Pro Forma Sessions--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was 
reached providing that the Senate adjourn, to then convene for pro 
forma sessions only, with no business being conducted on the following 
dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate 
adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, June 29, 2018 at 8:30 
a.m.; Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 9 a.m.; Thursday, July 5, 2018 at 1 
p.m.; and that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, July 5, 2018, it 
next convene at 3 p.m., on Monday, July 9, 2018.             
  Page S4811
Treaty Approved: The following treaty having passed through its various 
parliamentary stages, up to and including the presentation of the 
resolution of ratification, upon division, two-thirds of the Senators 
present having voted in the affirmative, the resolution of ratification 
was agreed to:
  Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons 
Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled (Treaty 
Doc. 114-6) as amended.                                      
Page S4721
Bennett Nomination--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the 
nomination of Mark Jeremy Bennett, of Hawaii, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.                         
  Page S4720
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, 
in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, and pursuant to the unanimous-consent agreement of 
Thursday, June 28, 2018, a vote on cloture will occur at 5:30 p.m., on 
Monday, July 9, 2018.                                        
Page S4720
  Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the 
following action:
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to 
consider the nomination.                                     
Page S4720
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that Senate 
resume consideration of the nomination at approximately 3 p.m., on 
Monday, July 9, 2018; and that notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 
XXII, the cloture motions filed on Thursday, June 28, 2018 ripen at 
5:30 p.m., on Monday, July 9, 2018.                          
Page S4811
Benczkowski Nomination--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the 
nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski, of Virginia, to be an Assistant 
Attorney General, Department of Justice.                     
  Page S4720
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, 
in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur upon disposition of the 
nomination of Mark Jeremy Bennett, of Hawaii, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.                         
Page S4720
  Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the 
following action:
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Legislative Session. 
                                                             Page S4720
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to 
consider the nomination.                                     
Page S4720
Ney Nomination--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the nomination 
of Paul C. Ney, Jr., of Tennessee, to be General Counsel of the 
Department of Defense.                                       
  Page S4720
  A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, 
in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of 
the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur upon disposition of the 
nomination of Brian Allen Benczkowski, of Virginia, to be an Assistant 
Attorney General, Department of Justice.                     
Page S4720
  Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the 
following action:
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Legislative Session. 
                                                             Page S4720
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to 
consider the nomination.                                     
Page S4720
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Tara Sweeney, of Alaska, to be an Assistant Secretary of the 
Interior.
  Robin S. Bernstein, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Dominican 
Republic.
  Joseph N. Mondello, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Trinidad and Tobago.
  Tibor Peter Nagy, Jr., of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
State (African Affairs).
  Gordon D. Sondland, of Washington, to be Representative of the United 
States of America to the European Union, with the rank and status of 
Ambassador.
  Harry B. Harris, Jr., of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Korea.
  Ronald Gidwitz, of Illinois, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of 
Belgium.
  Brian A. Nichols, of Rhode Island, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Zimbabwe.
  9 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  76 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  8 Marine Corps nominations in the rank of general.
  19 Navy nominations in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Foreign Service, Marine Corps, 
and Navy.                                                
Pages S4818-21
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:

[[Page D758]]


  Alan Ray Shaffer, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
  Michael T. Harvey, of Texas, to be an Assistant Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development.
  1 Army nomination in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, and Navy.        
Pages S4811-18
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S4729
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S4729
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                             
  Page S4729
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S4729-30
Petitions and Memorials:                                 
  Pages S4730-31
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S4731-33
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S4735-37
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S4737-41
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S4726-29
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S4747-71
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S4771
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S4771
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--143) 
                                                  Pages S4709, S4716-17
Adjournment: Senate convened at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 7:37 p.m., 
until 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 29, 2018. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S4811.)