[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 217 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1392-D1393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                        Thursday, December 16, 2021

[[Page D1392]]

                              Daily Digest

                                 Senate


Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S9219-S9271
Measures Introduced: Twenty bills and three resolutions were 
introduced, as follows: S. 3411-3430, and S. Res. 480-482.   
  Page S9260
Measures Reported:
  S. 172, to authorize the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to 
establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its 
environs. (S. Rept. No. 117-49)
  S. 491, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain 
river segments in the York River watershed in the State of Maine as 
components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (S. Rept. No. 
117-50)
  S. 535, to authorize the location of a memorial on the National Mall 
to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces that served on 
active duty in support of the Global War on Terrorism, with an 
amendment. (S. Rept. No. 117-51)
  H.R. 1664, to authorize the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation 
to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its 
environs. (S. Rept. No. 117-52)
  H.R. 767, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 40 Fulton Street in Middletown, New York, as the 
``Benjamin A. Gilman Post Office Building''.
  H.R. 1170, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1 League in Irvine, California, as the ``Tuskegee 
Airman Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Friend Memorial Post Office 
Building''.
  H.R. 1444, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 132 North Loudoun Street, Suite 1 in Winchester, 
Virginia, as the ``Patsy Cline Post Office''.
  H.R. 3210, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 1905 15th Street in Boulder, Colorado, as the 
``Officer Eric H. Talley Post Office Building''.
  S. 15, to require the Federal Trade Commission to submit a report to 
Congress on scams targeting seniors.
  S. 115, to direct the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study and 
submit to Congress a report on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on 
the travel and tourism industry in the United States, with amendments.
  S. 120, to prevent and respond to the misuse of communications 
services that facilitates domestic violence and other crimes, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 163, to address the workforce needs of the telecommunications 
industry, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 381, to establish the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and 
Characterization Council, with an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute.
  S. 576, to amend title 14, United States Code, to require the Coast 
Guard to conduct icebreaking operations in the Great Lakes to minimize 
commercial disruption in the winter months, with an amendment in the 
nature of a substitute.
  S. 735, to amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 
to further support advanced technological manufacturing, with an 
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2340, to improve the safety and security of the Federal judiciary, 
with an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
  S. 2514, to rename the Provo Veterans Center in Orem, Utah, as the 
``Col. Gail S. Halvorsen `Candy Bomber' Veterans Center''.
  S. 2932, to designate the facility of the United States Postal 
Service located at 430 South Knowles Avenue in New Richmond, Wisconsin, 
as the ``Captain Robert C. Harmon and Private John R. Peirson Post 
Office Building''.                                           
Page S9259
Measures Passed:
  Forced Labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Senate passed 
H.R. 6256, to ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang 
Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China do not enter 
the United States market.                                    
  Page S9231
  Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act: Senate passed 
H.R. 3537, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
support

[[Page D1393]]

research on, and expanded access to, investigational drugs for 
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.                               
  Page S9242
Appointments:
  Board of Visitors of the United States Merchant Marine Academy: The 
Chair, on behalf of the Vice President, pursuant to Section 1295b(h) of 
title 46 App., United States Code, as amended by Public Law 101-595, 
and upon the recommendation of the Chairman of the Committee on 
Commerce, Science and Transportation, appointed the following Senators 
to the Board of Visitors of the United States Merchant Marine Academy: 
Senator Cantwell (ex officio as Chair, Committee on Commerce, Science 
and Transportation) and Senator Duckworth (Committee on Commerce, 
Science and Transportation).                                 
  Page S9270
Motion To Discharge Thomas Nomination: Pursuant to S. Res. 27, 
Committee on the Judiciary being tied on the question of reporting, the 
Majority Leader made the motion to discharge the Committee on the 
Judiciary from further consideration of the nomination of Holly A. 
Thomas, of California, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth 
Circuit.                                
  Pages S9219-31, S9231-41, S9271
  By 50 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. EX. 502), Senate agreed to the motion 
to discharge the nomination from the Committee on the Judiciary. 
Subsequently, the nomination was placed on the Executive Calendar 
pursuant to the provisions of S. Res. 27, relative to Senate procedure 
in the 117th Congress.                                       
Page S9236
Gawande Nomination--Agreement: Senate continued consideration of the 
nomination of Atul Atmaram Gawande, of Massachusetts, to be an 
Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development.                                                 
  Page S9270
  A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further 
consideration of the nomination at approximately 9:30 a.m., on Friday, 
December 17, 2021; and that the motions to invoke cloture filed on 
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 ripen at 10 a.m.                
Page S9270
Nominations Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nominations:
  By 75 yeas to 18 nays (Vote No. EX. 503), R. Nicholas Burns, of 
Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. 
                                                         Pages S9241-42
  By 76 yeas to 13 nays (Vote No. EX. 504), Ramin Toloui, of Iowa, to 
be an Assistant Secretary of State (Economic and Business Affairs). 
                                                         Pages S9241-42
  By 85 yeas to 5 nays (Vote No. EX. 505), Rashad Hussain, of Virginia, 
to be Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. 
                                                         Pages S9241-42
  Karen Jean Hedlund, of Colorado, to be a Member of the Surface 
Transportation Board for a term expiring December 31, 2025.
  Lisa W. Wang, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant 
Secretary of Commerce.
  Thomas Barrett, of Wisconsin, to be Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of 
Luxembourg.
  Maria Louise Lago, of New York, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for 
International Trade.
  Shannon Corless, of the District of Columbia, to be Assistant 
Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, Department of the Treasury.
  Kurt D. DelBene, of Washington, to be an Assistant Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs (Information and Technology).
  2 Navy nominations in the rank of admiral.
  Routine lists in the Army, Foreign Service, and Space Force. 
                                                         Pages S9242-50
Nomination Discharged: The following nomination was discharged from 
further committee consideration and placed on the Executive Calendar:
  Holly A. Thomas, of California, to be United States Circuit Judge for 
the Ninth Circuit, which was sent to the Senate on September 20, 2021, 
from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.                  
Page S9271
Executive Communications:                                
  Pages S9257-58
Petitions and Memorials:                                 
  Pages S9258-59
Executive Reports of Committees:                             
  Page S9260
Additional Cosponsors:                                   
  Pages S9261-63
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:              
  Pages S9263-69
Additional Statements:                                   
  Pages S9256-57
Authorities for Committees to Meet:                      
  Pages S9269-70
Record Votes: Four record votes were taken today. (Total--505) 
                                                     Pages S9236, S9242
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:37 p.m., 
until 9:30 a.m. on Friday, December 17, 2021. (For Senate's program, 
see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page 
S9270.)