[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 148 (Thursday, September 6, 2018)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D983-D985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                        Thursday, September 6, 2018

[[Page D983]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S6041-S6110
Measures Introduced: Fifteen bills and four resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 3412-3426, S. Res. 622-624, and S. Con. Res. 
45.                                                      
  Pages S6058-59
Measures Reported:
  S. 1768, to reauthorize and amend the National Earthquake Hazards 
Reduction Program, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. 
Rept. No. 115-336)                                           
Page S6058
Measures Passed:
  Majority Party's Membership on Certain Committees: Senate agreed to 
S. Res. 623, to constitute the majority party's membership on certain 
committees for the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, or until their 
successors are chosen.                                       
  Page S6100
  Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act: 
Committee on Environment and Public Works was discharged from further 
consideration of S. 1417, to require the Secretary of the Interior to 
develop a categorical exclusion for covered vegetative management 
activities carried out to establish or improve habitat for greater 
sage-grouse and mule deer, and the bill was then passed, after agreeing 
to the following amendment proposed thereto:             
  Pages S6102-03
  McConnell (for Hatch/Heinrich) Amendment No. 4012, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                              
Pages S6102-03
  Tribal Social Security Fairness Act: Senate passed H.R. 6124, to 
amend title II of the Social Security Act to authorize voluntary 
agreements for coverage of Indian tribal council members.    
  Page S6103
  Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act: Senate passed S. 
1586, to require the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere to 
update periodically the environmental sensitivity index products of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for each coastal area 
of the Great Lakes, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.                                      
  Page S6103
  Gold Star Families Remembrance Week: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 522, designating the 
week of September 23 through September 29, 2018 as ``Gold Star Families 
Remembrance Week'', and the resolution was then agreed to.   
  Page S6103
  School Bus Safety Month: Committee on the Judiciary was discharged 
from further consideration of S. Res. 603, designating September 2018 
as ``School Bus Safety Month'', and the resolution was then agreed to. 
                                                             Page S6103
  National Child Awareness Month: Committee on the Judiciary was 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 612, designating 
September 2018 as ``National Child Awareness Month'' to promote 
awareness of charities that benefit children and youth-serving 
organizations throughout the United States and recognizing the efforts 
made by those charities and organizations on behalf of children and 
youth as critical contributions to the future of the United States, and 
the resolution was then agreed to.                       
  Pages S6103-04
  Commemorating Arthur Ashe: Senate agreed to S. Res. 624, 
commemorating Arthur Ashe, a native of Richmond, Virginia, on the 50th 
anniversary of his historic win at the 1968 U.S. Open Tennis 
Championship and honoring his humanitarian contributions to civil 
rights, education, the movement against apartheid in South Africa, and 
HIV/AIDS awareness.                                          
  Page S6104
  Sports Medicine Licensure Clarity Act: Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further 
consideration of H.R. 302, to provide protections for certain sports 
medicine professionals who provide certain medical services in a 
secondary State, and the bill was then passed, after agreeing to the 
following amendment proposed thereto:                    
  Pages S6104-05
  McConnell (for Alexander) Amendment No. 4014, in the nature of a 
substitute.                                              
Pages S6104-05
House Messages:
  Interior, Environment, Financial Services and General Government, 
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and 
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act: 
Senate insisted on its amendment

[[Page D984]]

to H.R. 6147, making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 
30, 2019, agreed to the request for a conference with the House 
thereon, and the Chair was authorized to appoint the following 
conferees on the part of the Senate: Senators Murkowski, Collins, 
Lankford, Hoeven, Shelby, Hyde-Smith, Udall, Reed, Coons, Merkley, and 
Leahy.                                                       
  Page S6101
  Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education Appropriations Act: Senate insisted on its amendment to H.R. 
6157, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the 
fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, agreed to the request for a 
conference with the House thereon, and the Chair was authorized to 
appoint the following conferees on the part of the Senate: Senators 
Shelby, Blunt, Graham, Moran, Durbin, Murray, and Leahy.     
  Page S6101
Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act--Agreement: A unanimous-consent-
time agreement was reached providing that at a time to be determined by 
the Majority Leader in consultation with the democratic leader, Senate 
begin consideration of S. 2554, to ensure that health insurance issuers 
and group health plans do not prohibit pharmacy providers from 
providing certain information to enrollees, and that Senator Lee, or 
his designee, be recognized to call up Amendment No. 4011, and that 
there be one hour of debate equally divided, and that upon the use or 
yielding back of time, Senate vote on or in relation to Lee Amendment 
No. 4011, without intervening action or debate; and that upon 
disposition of Lee Amendment No. 4011, Senate vote on passage of the 
bill, as amended, if amended.                                
  Page S6105
Support for Patients and Communities Act--Agreement: A unanimous-
consent-time agreement was reached providing that at a time to be 
determined by the Majority Leader, in consultation with the democratic 
leader, Senate begin consideration of H.R. 6, to provide for opioid use 
disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and that Senator 
Alexander, or his designee, be recognized to call up Amendment No. 
4013, and that there be one hour of debate, equally divided, and that 
upon the use or yielding back of that time, Alexander Amendment No. 
4013, be agreed to, and Senate vote without intervening action or 
debate, on passage of the bill, as amended.                  
  Page S6105
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, September 7, 2018 at 
9 a.m.; Tuesday, September 11, 2018 at 5 p.m.; and that when the Senate 
adjourns on Tuesday, September 11, 2018, it next convene at 3 p.m., on 
Wednesday, September 12, 2018.                               
  Page S6105
Rettig Nomination--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the 
nomination of Charles P. Rettig, of California, to be Commissioner of 
Internal Revenue, Department of the Treasury.                
  Page S6051
  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, September 6, 2018, a vote on cloture will occur at 5:30 p.m. 
on Wednesday, September 12, 2018.                            
Page S6051
  Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the 
following action:
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Legislative Session. 
                                                             Page S6051
  Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to 
consider the nomination.                                     
Page S6051
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that Senate 
resume consideration of the nomination at approximately 3 p.m., on 
Wednesday, September 12, 2018; and that notwithstanding the provisions 
of Rule XXII, the cloture motion on the nomination ripen at 5:30 p.m. 
                                                             Page S6105
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  Marilyn Jean Horan, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District 
Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.      
Pages S6050, S6110
  William F. Jung, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for 
the Middle District of Florida.                      
Pages S6050, S6110
  Kari A. Dooley, of Connecticut, to be United States District Judge 
for the District of Connecticut.                     
Pages S6050, S6110
  By 60 yeas to 35 nays (Vote No. EX. 203), Dominic W. Lanza, of 
Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the District of 
Arizona.                                             
Pages S6050, S6110
  By 79 yeas to 12 nays (Vote No. EX. 204), Charles J. Williams, of 
Iowa, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of 
Iowa.                                             
Pages S6050-51, S6110
  Robert R. Summerhays, of Louisiana, to be United States District 
Judge for the Western District of Louisiana.         
Pages S6051, S6110
  Eric C. Tostrud, of Minnesota, to be United States District Judge for 
the District of Minnesota.                           
Pages S6051, S6110

[[Page D985]]


  Alan D. Albright, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for 
the Western District of Texas.                       
Pages S6051, S6110
  Michael A. Hammer, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign 
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador to the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  Dereck J. Hogan, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Moldova.
  Philip S. Kosnett, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of 
Kosovo.
  Stephanie Sanders Sullivan, of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the 
Republic of Ghana.
  Judy Rising Reinke, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to Montenegro. 
                                                     Pages S6101, S6110
  Randy W. Berry, of Colorado, to be Ambassador to the Federal 
Democratic Republic of Nepal.
  Donald Lu, of California, to be Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic.
  Alaina B. Teplitz, of Colorado, to be Ambassador to the Democratic 
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and to serve concurrently and without 
additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Maldives.
  Routine lists in the Foreign Service.              
Pages S6101, S6110
Nominations Received: Senate received the following nominations:
  William Shaw McDermott, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board 
of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for a 
term expiring May 30, 2024.
  Raymond David Vela, of Texas, to be Director of the National Park 
Service.
  Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, of Virginia, to be Assistant Administrator 
for Toxic Substances of the Environmental Protection Agency.
  Dennis Walter Hearne, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic 
of Mozambique.
  Ron A. Bloom, of New York, to be a Governor of the United States 
Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2020.
  Roman Martinez IV, of Florida, to be a Governor of the United States 
Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2024.
  1 Air Force nomination in the rank of general.
  Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. 
                                                         Pages S6105-10
Messages from the House:                                     
  Page S6055
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S6055
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S6055-58
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S6058
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S6059-60
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S6053-54
Amendments Submitted:                                 
  Pages S6062-S6100
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S6100
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--204) 
                                                     Pages S6050, S6051
Adjournment: Senate convened at 12 noon and adjourned at 5:35 p.m., 
until 9 a.m. on Friday, September 7, 2018. (For Senate's program, see 
the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S6105.)