[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7163-S7164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

         ALS DISABILITY INSURANCE ACCESS ACT OF 2019--Continued

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
resume legislative session and consideration of S. 578.


                       Vote on Amendment No. 2689

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to amendment No. 
2689.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Harris) 
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Blackburn). Are there any other Senators 
in the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 48, nays 49, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 249 Leg.]

                                YEAS--48

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Burr
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Cornyn
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Lankford
     Lee
     McConnell
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shelby
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--49

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Brown
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Collins
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Gillibrand
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Jones
     Kaine
     Kelly
     King
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Manchin
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Rosen
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Harris
     Loeffler
     Sander
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order requiring 60 votes 
for the adoption of this amendment, the amendment is not agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 2689) was rejected.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the title of the bill for 
a third time.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the 
question is, Shall the bill pass?
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.

[[Page S7164]]

  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Georgia (Mrs. Loeffler).
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), 
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cramer). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 96, nays 1, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 250 Leg.]

                                YEAS--96

     Alexander
     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blackburn
     Blumenthal
     Blunt
     Booker
     Boozman
     Braun
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Coons
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Johnson
     Jones
     Kaine
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     King
     Klobuchar
     Lankford
     Leahy
     Manchin
     Markey
     McConnell
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Paul
     Perdue
     Peters
     Portman
     Reed
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rosen
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden
     Young

                                NAYS--1

      
     Lee
       

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Harris
     Loeffler
     Sander
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, 
the bill is passed.
  The bill (S. 578) was passed, as follows

                                 S. 578

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``ALS Disability Insurance 
     Access Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF WAITING PERIOD FOR SOCIAL SECURITY 
                   DISABILITY INSURANCE BENEFITS FOR DISABLED 
                   INDIVIDUALS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS 
                   (ALS).

       (a) In General.--Section 223(a)(1) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 423(a)(1)) is amended in the matter following 
     subparagraph (E) by striking ``or (ii)'' and inserting ``(ii) 
     in the case of an individual who has been medically 
     determined to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, for each 
     month beginning with the first month during all of which the 
     individual is under a disability and in which the individual 
     becomes entitled to such insurance benefits, or (iii)''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section 
     shall apply with respect to applications for disability 
     insurance benefits filed after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to 
reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table.

                          ____________________