[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 31, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D889-D893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                             Tuesday, July 31, 2018

[[Page D889]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendments of the 
      House of Representatives to S. 1182, National Flood Insurance 
      Program Extension Act.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S5463-S5526
Measures Introduced: Sixteen bills and one resolution were introduced, 
as follows: S. 3300-3315, and S. Res. 600.               
  Pages S5517-18
Measures Reported:
  Report to accompany S. 930, to require the Administrator of the 
Western Area Power Administration to establish a pilot project to 
provide increased transparency for customers. (S. Rept. No. 115-309)
  Report to accompany S. 1030, to require the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission to submit to Congress a report on certain hydropower 
projects. (S. Rept. No. 115-310)
  Report to accompany S. 1142, to extend the deadline for commencement 
of construction of certain hydroelectric projects. (S. Rept. No. 115-
311)
  Report to accompany H.R. 2582, to authorize the State of Utah to 
select certain lands that are available for disposal under the Pony 
Express Resource Management Plan to be used for the support and benefit 
of State institutions. (S. Rept. No. 115-312)
  S. 2554, to ensure that health insurance issuers and group health 
plans do not prohibit pharmacy providers from providing certain 
information to enrollees, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.                                                  
Page S5516
Measures Passed:
  Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments: Senate 
passed H.R. 5554, to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to 
reauthorize user fee programs relating to new animal drugs and generic 
new animal drugs.                                            
  Page S5474
Measures Considered:
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act--Agreement: Senate resumed consideration of H.R. 
6147, making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 2019, taking action on the following amendments proposed thereto: 
                                  Pages S5469-72, S5474-91, S5493-S5503
Adopted:
  Moran (for Schatz/Hirono) Amendment No. 3406 (to Amendment No. 3399), 
to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical 
assistance relating to a disaster caused by a volcanic eruption. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Heller) Amendment No. 3428 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require a report on engagement with local interests relating to 
intelligent transportation systems technologies and smart cities 
solutions.                                            
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Johnson) Amendment No. 3436 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
submit a report on implementation of NexGen at commercial service 
airports in the United States.                        
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Gardner) Amendment No. 3437 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide a set-aside for the dryland agriculture research program. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Risch) Amendment No. 3438 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
strike section 531.                                   
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Jones) Amendment No. 3447 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide additional funds for grants from the Historic Preservation Fund 
for historically Black colleges and university, with an offset. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Whitehouse) Amendment No. 3454 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a working group to 
conduct research relating to ocean agriculture.       
Pages S5499-S5503

[[Page D890]]


  Moran (for Murphy/Blumenthal) Amendment No. 3468 (to Amendment No. 
3399), to set aside funds for the development of a map depicting 
pyrrhotite occurrences throughout the United States. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Shaheen) Amendment No. 3476 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide for the use of funds to ensure that survivors of domestic 
violence and sexual assault do not face housing discrimination. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Inhofe) Amendment No. 3480 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
encourage the Department of Transportation and the Corps of Engineers 
to cooperate to develop a path forward in allowing freight funding 
eligibility for inland waterways improvements.        
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Cassidy) Amendment No. 3482 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
set aside funds for the conduct of certain wood utilization research. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Fischer) Amendment No. 3492 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
ensure safe and timely completion of the flexible sleeper berth pilot 
program.                                              
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Cornyn) Amendment No. 3493 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a report on conservation 
programs administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service 
relating to ocelots.                                  
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Heller/Feinstein) Amendment No. 3517 (to Amendment No. 
3399), to set aside funds for the Colorado River Basin salinity control 
program.                                              
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Heller) Amendment No. 3540 (to Amendment No. 3399), to set 
aside additional funds for grants for the conduct of certain hazardous 
fuels management activities.                          
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Smith/Shaheen) Amendment No. 3546 (to Amendment No. 3399), 
to require the Rural Housing Service to submit a report on certain 
properties.                                           
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Rubio) Amendment No. 3551 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide funding to study and combat harmful algal blooms. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Rubio) Amendment No. 3560 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require FinCEN to submit to Congress a report on Geographic Targeting 
Orders.                                               
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Rubio/Ernst) Amendment No. 3562 (to Amendment No. 3399), 
to prohibit certain companies from receiving assistance. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Barrasso) Amendment No. 3563 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide for the use of funds from the Indian Irrigation Fund. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Murkowski) Amendment No. 3566 (to Amendment No. 3399), of 
a perfecting nature.                                  
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Murray/Cantwell) Amendment No. 3578 (to Amendment No. 
3399), to add a provision to clarify eligibility and establish an 
eligibility appeal mechanism under the rural broadband loan and grant 
pilot program.                                        
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Brown) Amendment No. 3582 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
increase funding for 1890 land-grant colleges, with an offset. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Murkowski/Heitkamp) Modified Amendment No. 3585 (to 
Amendment No. 3399), to set aside funds for the Alyce Spotted Bear and 
Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children.        
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Collins) Amendment No. 3595 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
prohibit the use of funds to enforce certain requirements with respect 
to added sugars in the rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration 
on nutrition labels.                                  
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Stabenow) Amendment No. 3607 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require the use of Environmental Protection Agency funds to implement 
recommendations relating to clean and safe water compliance. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Reed) Amendment No. 3608 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
prohibit the use of funds to implement certain new policies of the 
Federal Transit Administration relating to the Capital Investment Grant 
program.                                              
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Toomey) Amendment No. 3613 (to Amendment No. 3399), to set 
aside funds for the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Jones) Amendment No. 3615 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require the Small Business Administration to conduct a study on 
matchmaking programs for veteran entrepreneurs.       
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Peters/Young) Amendment No. 3621 (to Amendment No. 3399), 
to require the Comptroller General of the United States to issue a 
report on the removal of lead-based paint and other hazardous 
materials.                                            
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Cardin) Amendment No. 3633 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require a report on Federal agency compliance with respect to 
establishing an Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for McConnell) Amendment No. 3645 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
prohibit the use of funds for the enforcement of certain requirements 
with respect to certain roads.                        
Pages S5499-S5503

[[Page D891]]


  Moran (for Boozman) Amendment No. 3646 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide funding to the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct an inventory 
and evaluation of certain land for inclusion in the National Wilderness 
Preservation System.                                  
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Shaheen) Amendment No. 3650 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide for the conduct of a study to identify underlying contributing 
factors for pediatric cancer that are unique to certain States and to 
provide assistance to support States with a high incidence of such 
cancer.                                               
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Murphy) Amendment No. 3651 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require a study on the financial impact of the mineral pyrrhotite in 
concrete home foundations.                            
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Coons) Amendment No. 3661 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
designate a rest area on the Mount Vernon Trail as the ``Peter B. 
Webster III Memorial Area''.                          
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran Amendment No. 3665 (to Amendment No. 3399), to ensure continued 
passenger rail operations on long-distance routes.    
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Coons/Carper) Amendment No. 3684 (to Amendment No. 3666), 
of a perfecting nature.                               
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Coons/Carper) Amendment No. 3666 (to Amendment No. 3399), 
to extend by 1 year the deadline for expenditure for transportation 
projects awarded funding from the Transportation Investment Generating 
Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2012 and 2013 discretionary grant programs of 
the Department of Transportation.                     
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Casey) Amendment No. 3668 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
increase the amount set aside for the breastfeeding peer counselors 
program.                                              
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Fischer) Amendment No. 3669 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
prohibit the use of funds to carry out requirements relating to 
electronic logging devices.                           
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Cornyn) Modified Amendment No. 3670 (to Amendment No. 
3399), to prohibit funds made available to the Federal Transit 
Administration from being used for the procurement of rolling stock 
from manufacturers supported by certain foreign governments. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Heller) Amendment No. 3671 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
prohibit funds from being used to provide housing assistance benefits 
to individuals convicted of certain criminal offenses. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Donnelly) Amendment No. 3675 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide for rural health and safety education programs to address and 
combat the opioid abuse epidemic.                     
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Heitkamp) Amendment No. 3676 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide an additional $2,000,000 for hiring staff for tribal detention 
facilities by reducing the amounts made available through the Working 
Capital Fund of the Department of the Interior.       
Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Blumenthal) Amendment No. 3677 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
require the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to grant a discount 
to members of the public benefit corporation Veterans Advantage. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
  Moran (for Warner) Amendment No. 3679 (to Amendment No. 3399), to 
provide that up to $6,000,000 be used for UAS integration activities. 
                                                      Pages S5499-S5503
Pending:
  Shelby Amendment No. 3399, in the nature of a substitute. 
                                                             Page S5469
  Murkowski Amendment No. 3400 (to Amendment No. 3399), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S5469
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 94 yeas to 4 nays (Vote No. 175), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to close further debate on Shelby Amendment No. 3399 
(listed above).                                              
Page S5469
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that 
notwithstanding Rule XXII, the motion to invoke cloture on the bill be 
withdrawn; that the only remaining amendments in order be the 
following: Leahy Amendment No. 3464, Lee Amendment No. 3522, Baldwin 
Amendment No. 3524, and Cruz Amendment No. 3402; and that at 11 a.m., 
on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, all post-cloture time be yielded back and 
Senate vote on or in relation to the amendments in the order listed, 
that Leahy Amendment No. 3464, Lee Amendment No. 3522, and Baldwin 
Amendment No. 3524, be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold, and 
that following the disposition of Cruz Amendment No. 3402, Murkowski 
Amendment No. 3400 be withdrawn, Shelby Amendment No. 3399, as amended, 
be agreed to, and Senate vote on passage of the bill, with two minutes 
of debate prior to each vote in the series.                  
Page S5503
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the bill at approximately 10 a.m., on Wednesday, 
August 1, 2018.                                              
Page S5522
House Messages:
  National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act: By 86 yeas to 12 nays 
(Vote No. 173), Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendments

[[Page D892]]

of the House of Representatives to S. 1182, to require the Secretary of 
the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the 100th 
anniversary of The American Legion, after taking action on the 
following motions and amendments proposed thereto:           
  Page S5468
Withdrawn:
  McConnell motion to refer the message of the House on the bill to the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, with instructions, 
McConnell Amendment No. 3630, to change the enactment date. 
                                                             Page S5468
  McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the bill, 
with McConnell Amendment No. 3628 (to the House Amendment to the bill), 
to change the enactment date.                                
Page S5468
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the motion 
to invoke cloture on McConnell motion to concur in the amendments of 
the House to the bill, be withdrawn.                         
Page S5468
  McConnell Amendment No. 3631 (to (the instructions) Amendment No. 
3630), of a perfecting nature, fell when McConnell motion to refer the 
message of the House on the bill to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs, with instructions, McConnell Amendment No. 3630 
(listed above), was withdrawn.                               
Page S5468
  McConnell Amendment No. 3632 (to Amendment No. 3631), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when McConnell Amendment No. 3631 (to (the instructions) 
Amendment No. 3630) (listed above), fell.                    
Page S5468
  McConnell Amendment No. 3629 (to Amendment No. 3628), of a perfecting 
nature, fell when McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the 
House to the bill, with McConnell Amendment No. 3628 (to the House 
Amendment to the bill) (listed above), was withdrawn.        
Page S5468
Agriculture and Nutrition Act: Senate insisted on its amendment to H.R. 
2, to provide for the reform and continuation of agricultural and other 
programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023, 
agreed to the request of the House for a conference, and authorized the 
Chair to appoint conferees on the part of the Senate at a ratio of 5 to 
4.                                                           
  Page S5503
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  By 52 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. EX. 174), Britt Cagle Grant, of 
Georgia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eleventh Circuit. 
                                                             Page S5468
  8 Air Force nominations in the rank of general.
  42 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  1 Marine Corps nomination in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, and Navy.        
Pages S5525-26
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  Thomas F. Gilman, of Arizona, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce.
  Thomas F. Gilman, of Arizona, to be Chief Financial Officer, 
Department of Commerce.
  William Cooper, of Maryland, to be General Counsel of the Department 
of Energy.
  Harold B. Parker, of New Hampshire, to be Federal Cochairperson of 
the Northern Border Regional Commission.
  Richard C. Parker, of North Carolina, to be an Assistant 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development.
  Judy Rising Reinke, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Montenegro.
  Lucy Tamlyn, of New York, to be Ambassador to Central African 
Republic.
  Adrian Zuckerman, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador to Romania.
  Erhard R. Chorle, of Illinois, to be a Member of the Railroad 
Retirement Board for a term expiring August 28, 2022.
  James Paul Gfrerer, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs (Information and Technology).
  1 Air Force nomination in the rank of general.
  3 Army nominations in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Army, Foreign Service, and Navy. 
                                                         Pages S5522-25
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S5516
Enrolled Bills Presented:                                    
  Page S5516
Executive Communications:                                    
  Page S5516
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S5516-17
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S5518-20
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S5520-21
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S5514-16
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S5521-22
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S5522
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S5522
Record Votes: Three record votes were taken today. (Total--175) 
                                                         Pages S5468-69
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:14 p.m., 
until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S5522.)

[[Page D893]]