[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 204 (Tuesday, December 17, 2019)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1389-D1392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                         Tuesday, December 17, 2019

[[Page D1389]]

                              Daily Digest


HIGHLIGHTS

      Senate agreed to the conference report to accompany S. 1790, 
      National Defense Authorization Act.


                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S7059-S7122
Measures Introduced: Eighteen bills and one resolution were introduced, 
as follows: S. 3062-3079, and S. Res. 456.               
  Pages S7113-14
Measures Reported:
  S. 553, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish a working 
group to recommend to Congress a definition of blockchain technology, 
with amendments. (S. Rept. No. 116-177)
  S. 1228, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for 
enhanced penalties for pirate radio. (S. Rept. No. 116-178)
  S. 1611, to ensure appropriate prioritization, spectrum planning, and 
interagency coordination to support the Internet of Things, with 
amendments. (S. Rept. No. 116-179)
  H.R. 133, to promote economic partnership and cooperation between the 
United States and Mexico, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  H.R. 617, to authorize the Department of Energy to conduct 
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs in order 
to improve healthcare services for veterans in the United States.
  H.R. 2744, to authorize the Administrator of the United States Agency 
for International Development to prescribe the manner in which programs 
of the agency are identified overseas, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute.
  S. Res. 142, condemning the Government of the Philippines for its 
continued detention of Senator Leila De Lima, calling for her immediate 
release, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and with an 
amended preamble.
  S. Res. 152, expressing the importance of the United States alliance 
with the Republic of Korea and the contributions of Korean Americans in 
the United States, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and 
with an amended preamble.
  S. Res. 297, commending the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) on the 
occasion of its 50th anniversary for its significant accomplishments 
and contributions to the economic and social development of the 
Americas.
  S. Res. 343, congratulating the people of the Czech Republic and the 
people of the Slovak Republic on the 30th anniversary of the Velvet 
Revolution, the 26th anniversary of the formation of the Czech Republic 
and the Slovak Republic, and the 101st anniversary of the declaration 
of independence of Czechoslovakia.
  S. Res. 371, reaffirming the support of the United States for the 
people of the Republic of South Sudan and calling on all parties to 
uphold their commitments to peace and dialogue as outlined in the 2018 
revitalized peace agreement, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute and with an amended preamble.
  S. Res. 375, recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, 
and with an amended preamble.
  S. Res. 385, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the 
Berlin Wall, the reunification of both Germany and Europe, and the 
spread of democracy around the world, and with an amended preamble.
  S. Res. 395, recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Iran Hostage 
Crisis.
  S. Res. 447, expressing serious concern about widespread 
irregularities in Bolivia's October 20, 2019, general elections and 
supporting the convening of new elections in Bolivia at the earliest 
possible date, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and with 
an amended preamble.
  S. 258, to prohibit oil and gas leasing on the National Forest System 
land in the Ruby Mountains Ranger District located in the Humboldt-
Toiyabe National Forest, Elko and White Pine Counties, Nevada, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.

[[Page D1390]]


  S. 298, to establish the Springfield Race Riot National Historic 
Monument in the State of Illinois, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  S. 327, to amend the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act to 
provide for a lifetime National Recreational Pass for any veteran with 
a service-connected disability, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  S. 389, to authorize the Society of the First Infantry Division to 
make modifications to the First Division Monument located on Federal 
land in Presidential Park in the District of Columbia, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 434, to provide for a report on the maintenance of Federal land 
holdings under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior, with 
an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 490, to designate a mountain ridge in the State of Montana as ``B-
47 Ridge'', with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 526, to withdraw certain Bureau of Land Management land from 
mineral development, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 704, to prioritize the efforts of and enhance coordination among 
United States agencies to encourage countries in Central and Eastern 
Europe to diversify their energy sources and supply routes, increase 
Europe's energy security, and help the United States reach its global 
energy security goals, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 876, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to require the 
Secretary of Energy to establish a program to prepare veterans for 
careers in the energy industry, including the solar, wind, 
cybersecurity, and other low-carbon emissions sectors or zero-emissions 
sectors of the energy industry, with amendments.
  S. 1189, to require the Secretary of State to determine whether the 
Russian Federation should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism 
and whether Russian-sponsored armed entities in Ukraine should be 
designated as foreign terrorist organizations, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
  S. 1310, to strengthen participation of elected national legislators 
in the activities of the Organization of American States and reaffirm 
United States support for Organization of American States human rights 
and anti-corruption initiatives, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  S. 1739, to enable projects that will aid in the development and 
delivery of related instruction associated with apprenticeship and 
preapprenticeship programs that are focused on serving the skilled 
technical workforce at the National Laboratories and certain facilities 
of the National Nuclear Security Administration.
  S. 1830, to enhance the security of the United States and its allies, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2368, to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005 to support licensing and relicensing of certain nuclear 
facilities and nuclear energy research, demonstration, and development, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2425, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to establish 
the CHP Technical Assistance Partnership Program, with amendments.
  S. 2508, to require the Secretary of Energy to establish a council to 
conduct a survey and analysis of the employment figures and 
demographics in the energy, energy efficiency, and motor vehicle 
sectors of the United States, with an amendment.
  S. 2547, to state the policy of the United States with respect to the 
expansion of cooperation with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific 
region and Europe regarding the People's Republic of China, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2556, to amend the Federal Power Act to provide energy 
cybersecurity investment incentives, to establish a grant and technical 
assistance program for cybersecurity investments, with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2657, to support innovation in advanced geothermal research and 
development, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2668, to establish a program for research, development, and 
demonstration of solar energy technologies, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
  S. 2683, to establish a task force to assist States in implementing 
hiring requirements for child care staff members to improve child 
safety, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2688, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish an 
Office of Technology Transitions, with amendments.
  S. 2695, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for the 
defense of United States agriculture and food through the National Bio 
and Agro-Defense Facility, with amendments.
  S. 2702, to require the Secretary of Energy to establish an 
integrated energy systems research, development, and demonstration, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2714, to amend the America COMPETES Act to reauthorize the ARPA-E 
program, with amendments.
  S. 2799, to require the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of the 
Interior to establish a joint Nexus of Energy and Water Sustainability 
Office, with an amendment.

[[Page D1391]]


  S. 2927, to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the 
authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health 
and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with 
respect to both current and former centers of excellence.
  S. 2977, to extend the termination of sanctions with respect to 
Venezuela under the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society 
Act of 2014.
  S. 2997, to revise and extend health workforce programs under title 
VII of the Public Health Service Act, with an amendment in the nature 
of a substitute.
  S. 3051, to improve protections for wildlife, with an amendment in 
the nature of a substitute.
  S. 3076, to release a federal reversionary interest in Chester 
County, Tennessee, to manage certain Federal land in Bath County, 
Virginia.
  S.J. Res. 4, requiring the advice and consent of the Senate or an Act 
of Congress to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United States from 
the North Atlantic Treaty and authorizing related litigation, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.                 
Pages S7112-13
Measures Passed:
  Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act: Senate passed H.R. 777, to 
reauthorize programs authorized under the Debbie Smith Act of 2004. 
                                                         Pages S7083-84
  Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act: Committee on the Judiciary 
was discharged from further consideration of S. 2774, to direct the 
Attorney General to establish and carry out a Veteran Treatment Court 
Program, and the bill was then passed.                   
  Pages S7120-21
  200th Anniversary of Alabama into the Union: Senate agreed to S. Res. 
456, recognizing and celebrating the 200th anniversary of the entry of 
Alabama into the Union as the 22d State.                     
  Page S7121
Conference Reports:
  National Defense Authorization Act: By 86 yeas to 8 nays (Vote No. 
400), Senate agreed to the conference report to accompany S. 1790, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2020 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year.         
  Pages S7061-70, S7089
  During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the 
following action:
  By 82 yeas to 12 nays (Vote No. 399), three-fifths of those Senators 
duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed 
to the motion to waive all applicable sections of the Congressional 
Budget Act of 1974 and applicable budget resolutions with respect to 
the conference report to accompany the bill. Subsequently, the point of 
order that the bill was in violation of section 3101 of S. Con. Res. 
11, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States 
Government for fiscal year 2016 and setting forth the appropriate 
budgetary levels for fiscal years 2017 through 2025, was not sustained, 
and thus the point of order fell.                        
Pages S7069-70
House Messages:
National Law Enforcement Museum Commemorative Coin Act--Cloture: Senate 
began consideration of the amendment of the House to the amendment of 
the Senate to H.R. 1865, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to 
mint a coin in commemoration of the opening of the National Law 
Enforcement Museum in the District of Columbia, taking action on the 
following motions and amendments proposed thereto:       
  Pages S7087-88
Pending:
  McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the 
amendment of the Senate to the bill.                         
Page S7087
  McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the 
amendment of the Senate to the bill, with McConnell Amendment No. 1258 
(to the House amendment to the Senate amendment), to change the 
enactment date.                                              
Page S7087
  McConnell Amendment No. 1259 (to Amendment No. 1258), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                  
Pages S7087-88
  McConnell motion to refer the message of the House on the bill to the 
Committee on Appropriations, with instructions, McConnell Amendment No. 
1260, to change the enactment date.                          
Page S7088
  McConnell Amendment No. 1261 (the instructions (Amendment No. 1260) 
of the motion to refer), of a perfecting nature.             
Page S7088
  McConnell Amendment No. 1262 (to Amendment No. 1261), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S7088
  A motion was entered to close further debate on McConnell motion to 
concur in the amendment of the House to the amendment of the Senate to 
the bill, 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 Stephanie Dawkins Davis, of Michigan, 
to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of 
Michigan.                                                    
Page S7089
DHS Cyber Hunt and Incident Response Teams Act--Cloture: Senate began 
consideration of the amendment of the House to the amendment of the

[[Page D1392]]

Senate to H.R. 1158, to authorize cyber incident response teams at the 
Department of Homeland Security, taking action on the following motions 
and amendments proposed thereto:                             
  Page S7088
Pending:
  McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the 
amendment of the Senate to the bill.                         
Page S7088
  McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House to the 
amendment of the Senate to the bill, with McConnell Amendment No. 1263 
(to the House amendment to the Senate amendment), to change the 
enactment date.                                              
Page S7088
  McConnell Amendment No. 1264 (to Amendment No. 1263), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S7088
  McConnell motion to refer the message of the House on the bill to the 
Committee on Appropriations, with instructions, McConnell Amendment No. 
1265, to change the enactment date.                          
Page S7088
  McConnell Amendment No. 1266 (the instructions (Amendment No. 1265) 
of the motion to refer), of a perfecting nature.             
Page S7088
  McConnell Amendment No. 1267 (to Amendment No. 1266), of a perfecting 
nature.                                                      
Page S7088
  A motion was entered to close further debate on McConnell motion to 
concur in the amendment of the House to the amendment of the Senate to 
the bill, 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 McConnell motion to concur in the amendment of the House 
to the amendment of the Senate to H.R. 1865, to require the Secretary 
of the Treasury to mint a coin in commemoration of the opening of the 
National Law Enforcement Museum in the District of Columbia. 
                                                             Page S7089
Signing Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached 
providing that Senators Thune and Blackburn be authorized to sign duly 
enrolled bills or joint resolutions during today's session of the 
Senate.                                                      
  Page S7077
Biegun Nomination--Cloture: Senate began consideration of the 
nomination of Stephen E. Biegun, of Michigan, to be Deputy Secretary of 
State.                                                       
  Page S7089
   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 motion 
to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1158, 
to authorize cyber incident response teams at the Department of 
Homeland Security.                                       
Pages S7088-89
  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 S7089
McFarland Nomination--Cloture: A unanimous-consent agreement was 
reached providing that at approximately 9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, 
December 18, 2019, Senate resume consideration of the nomination of 
Matthew Walden McFarland, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge 
for the Southern District of Ohio.                           
  Page S7121
Messages from the House:                                 
  Pages S7108-09
Measures Referred:                                           
  Page S7109
Measures Placed on the Calendar:                             
  Page S7109
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S7109-12
Executive Reports of Committees:                         
  Pages S7112-13
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S7114-16
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S7116-19
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S7107-08
Amendments Submitted:                                    
  Pages S7119-20
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                          
  Page S7120
Privileges of the Floor:                                     
  Page S7120
Record Votes: Two record votes were taken today. (Total--400) 
                                                         Pages S7069-70
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 5:59 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S7122.)