[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4553-S4555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AGOA EXTENSION ACT--Continued
(Mr. MORENO assumed the Chair.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lee). The majority leader.
Unanimous Consent Agreement--S. 4668
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate vote on the cloture motion with
respect to the motion to proceed to S. 4668 at a time to be determined
by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, no
earlier than September 15 and no later than September 23.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Order of Procedure
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that all
pending amendments and motions be withdrawn and the only amendments
remaining in order be the following to be offered by the sponsor or
their designee and with 2 minutes of debate, equally divided, prior to
each vote: Collins No. 6732; Collins No. 6750; and Budd No. 6747;
further, upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote in
relation to the Budd amendment, if offered; and upon disposition of the
amendment, the Collins amendment No. 6732, as amended, if amended, be
agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and the
Senate vote on passage of the bill, as amended, with 60 affirmative
votes required for passage; finally, if passed, the Collins amendment
to the title, No. 6750, be agreed to and the title, as amended, be
agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid
upon the table with no intervening action or debate; further, that
following disposition of H.R. 6500, the cloture motion with respect to
the Blanche nomination ripen and, if cloture is invoked, all time be
expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination and, if
confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon
the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's
action and the Senate resume legislative session; provided, that it
then be in order for the
[[Page S4554]]
Senator from Ohio Mr. Husted or his designee to move to proceed to S.
5271 and present a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed
and the motion ripen immediately and the Senate vote on the motion to
invoke cloture without intervening action or debate; provided, that if
the cloture motion is agreed to, the motion to proceed be agreed to and
that there be up to 2 hours of debate on the bill, with no amendments
or motions in order, and that upon the use or yielding back of that
time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate vote on the bill
with a 60-affirmative vote threshold required for passage; further, if
cloture on the motion to proceed is not agreed to, it then be in order
for the majority leader to make a motion for the Senate to adjourn
pursuant to this order and if the Senate has agreed to a motion to
adjourn pursuant to this order, when the Senate completes its business
on Saturday, August 8, following the recognition of the majority leader
to dispense with wrapup items, the Senate convene for pro forma
sessions only, with no business conducted, on the following dates and
times: August 10 at 10 a.m., August 13 at 8 a.m., August 17 at 1:30
p.m., August 20 at 11:30 a.m., August 24 at 12:30 p.m., August 27 at 8
a.m., August 31 at 11:30 a.m., September 1 at 12:30 p.m., September 4
at 10 a.m., September 8 at 1:15 p.m., and September 10 at 3 p.m.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Moreno). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Under the previous order, all pending amendments and motions are
withdrawn, with the exception of amendment No. 6732.
Amendment No. 6747 to Amendment No. 6732
Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 6747 and ask that
it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) proposes an
amendment numbered 6747 to amendment No. 6732.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To strike section 2019)
Strike section 2019.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is now 2 minutes of debate, equally
divided.
The Senator from North Carolina.
Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, 9 months ago, both Republicans and Democrats
overwhelmingly voted to close the hemp loophole. It happened right
here. They wanted to stop intoxicating hemp products being sold and
marketed to kids. It is no accident that these products are made to
look exactly like something that a kid would want.
Emergency departments have seen a 461-percent increase in cases of
pediatric cannabis poisoning, and most of those were children 4 years
old or younger.
This body agreed right here 9 months ago that we wouldn't compromise
the health and safety of the American people--especially our kids--so
today, I am simply asking my colleagues just to reaffirm a decision we
made 9 months ago right here.
My opponents have asked: What is the harm in a monthlong delay? I am
going to tell you. The goal is not an extra month to work on policy, as
many have said. The well-oiled hemp lobbying machine has already had 9
months to do that. The real goal is to jam us in December on a must-
pass package and to permanently entrench their intoxicating products
into the machinery of government.
Opponents say that this would stop research into hemp-derived
products for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who rely
on Medicare, but what does allowing unregulated, intoxicating edibles
on gas station shelves have to do with CMS' ability to study hemp-
derived products for pain relief? Not a thing. Not a thing at all.
So once again, I ask my colleagues to join me in doing what we have
already done 9 months ago. Support my amendment. Just vote no to table
this and close this dangerous loophole, just as 76 of us, Republicans
and Democrats, did just 9 months ago.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise this evening on behalf of myself
and Senator Sheehy and several others, Democrats and Republicans. I
represent farmers, small businesses, brewers, and consumers in my
State, and I urge my colleagues to table Senator Budd's amendment and
give this body 4 more weeks to work toward legislation that supports a
thriving hemp industry, ensures proper regulation, and protects kids
from dangerous products.
As is, the bipartisan continuing resolution that is before us delays
a ban on naturally produced hemp products for 4 weeks while taking
synthetic hemp derivatives off the market. That is important to note.
That is included in this continuing resolution.
The original ban, the broad ban, the entire ban--and I know that in
my State, we have safety rules in place that have worked very well. The
product is taxed. We have not had issues with it since we put those
rules in place.
The original ban was tucked into a bill to reopen the government last
November. Many Members didn't have the chance to learn about it. There
had been no hearings. Now they have learned more. Bills have been
introduced in the Senate and the House--bipartisan bills--to regulate
this market.
Back then, that ban moved forward without input from the people who
would be impacted. In my State alone, hemp products brought in $16
million of State tax revenue in 2025.
Senator Budd has raised concerns about certain hemp products, and I
agree with him. That is why bad actors that sell synthetic products
will not be allowed to sell them, in this continuing resolution.
I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to table this amendment and
maintaining the bipartisan agreement included in the continuing
resolution.
Motion to Table
Mr. President, I move to table amendment No. 6747, and I ask for the
yeas and nays.
Mr. BUDD. Mr. President, I ask for remaining time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is no remaining time.
Vote on Motion
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on agreeing to the
motion.
Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), the Senator from Arkansas (Mr.
Cotton), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from
Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and
the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).
Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr.
Tillis) would have voted ``nay.''
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Maine (Mr. King) is
necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 61, nays 32, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 227 Leg.]
YEAS--61
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Barrasso
Bennet
Blumenthal
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Fetterman
Gallego
Graham
Hickenlooper
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
Klobuchar
Lee
Lujan
Markey
Marshall
McCormick
Moody
Moreno
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Paul
Peters
Reed
Risch
Sanders
Schatz
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
NAYS--32
Armstrong
Banks
Blackburn
Blunt Rochester
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Durbin
[[Page S4555]]
Ernst
Fischer
Gillibrand
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hirono
Kennedy
Lummis
Merkley
Moran
Murkowski
Padilla
Ricketts
Rosen
Rounds
Schiff
Young
NOT VOTING--7
Boozman
Cotton
Cramer
King
Lankford
McConnell
Tillis
The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Husted). Under the previous order,
amendment No. 6732 is agreed to, and the clerk will read the bill by
title for the third time.
The amendment (No. 6732) was agreed to.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a
third time.
The bill was read the third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to pass the
continuing resolution in order to prevent a government shutdown.
I yield back all time.
Vote on H.R. 6500, As Amended
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the
question is, Shall the bill pass, as amended?
Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, 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.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).
The result was announced--yeas 90, nays 6, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 228 Leg.]
YEAS--90
Alsobrooks
Armstrong
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gallego
Gillibrand
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kelly
Kennedy
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lee
Lujan
Lummis
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schiff
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Welch
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--6
Cassidy
Kaine
Markey
Paul
Sanders
Warren
ANSWERED ``PRESENT''--1
Graham
NOT VOTING--3
Lankford
McConnell
Tillis
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Moody). On this vote, the yeas are 90,
the nays are 6. The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the bill is
passed. One Senator responded present. The bill is passed.
The bill (H.R. 6500) was passed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Collins
amendment numbered 6750 to the title is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 6750) to the title was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: To amend the title)
Amend the title so as to read: ``An act making continuing
appropriations and extensions for fiscal year 2027, and for
other purposes.''.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The title, as amended, is agreed to, and the
motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table.
The majority leader.
Waiving Quorum Calls
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the
mandatory quorum calls with respect to the Blanche nomination and the
cloture motion on the motions to proceed to S. 5271.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________