Senate Daily Digest — Wednesday, 10/25/2023
Senate convened at 10 a.m., adjourned at 7:02 p.m.
Wednesday, 10/25/2023 — Activity – On the Floor – Votes: 5 – Confirmed: 1
Legislation: New: 21, Action: 5, Passed: 4
Amendments: Offered: 29, Agreed to: 27, Not agreed to: 2, Voted: 4, Other: 3
Committee — Meetings: 12 • Legislation: Action: 30, Hearing: 21, Markup: 9
[Daily Digest]
[Pages D1079-D1081]
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
[[Page D1079]]
Daily Digest
Senate
Chamber Action
Routine Proceedings, pages S5155-S5195
Measures Introduced: Fifteen bills and six resolutions were introduced,
as follows: S. 3121-3135, and S. Res. 427-432.
Pages S5182-83
Measures Reported:
Special Report entitled “Further Revised Allocation to Subcommittees
of Budget Totals for Fiscal Year 2024”. (S. Rept. No. 118-108)
Page S5182
Measures Passed:
Volleyball Day in Nebraska: Senate agreed to S. Res. 428,
recognizing women's collegiate athletics and the record-setting
Volleyball Day in Nebraska event on August 30, 2023.
Page S5172
National Early Childhood Literacy Awareness Day: Senate agreed to S.
Res. 430, designating October 20, 2023, as “National Early Childhood
Literacy Awareness Day”.
Page S5177
National Women's Small Business Month: Senate agreed to S. Res. 431,
recognizing the month of October 2023 as “National Women's Small
Business Month”.
Page S5177
Fifth Commemoration of the Antisemitic Attack at Tree of Life
Synagogue: Senate agreed to S. Res. 432, recognizing the fifth
commemoration of the antisemitic attack that occurred on October 27,
2018, at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Page S5177
Measures Considered:
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act--Agreement: Senate resumed consideration of H.R.
4366, making appropriations for military construction, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2024, taking action on the following amendments and
motions proposed thereto:
Pages S5155-63
Adopted:
Murray (for Moran) Amendment No. 1250 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
prohibit the use of funds appropriated by division A to change rates
for reimbursement for transportation via a special mode of
transportation under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs and to reduce certain amounts available to the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Page S5160
Murray (for Daines) Amendment No. 1185 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress an
earned value analysis of the Veterans Electronic Health Record system
of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Page S5160
Murray (for Sullivan/Rosen) Amendment No. 1216 (to Amendment No.
1092), to prioritize the use of funds for certain telehealth services
and mental health programs for veterans.
Page S5160
Murray (for Sullivan/Lummis) Amendment No. 1221 (to Amendment No.
1092), to prohibit the use of funds to procure seafood from China for
use in school meals.
Page S5160
Murray (for Peters/Cornyn) Amendment No. 1283 (to Amendment No.
1092), to provide funding for the emergency and transitional pet
shelter and housing assistance grant program.
Page S5160
Murray (for Rosen) Amendment No. 1117 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
make amounts available to the Veterans Health Administration to sustain
and increase telehealth capacity and associated programmatic efforts.
Page S5160
Murray (for Schatz) Amendment No. 1120 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
extend the period of availability for fiscal year 2021 national
infrastructure investments.
Page S5160
Murray (for Booker/Tuberville) Amendment No. 1175 (to Amendment No.
1092), to increase funding for rural decentralized water systems.
Page S5160
Murray (for Tillis) Amendment No. 1264 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
require a review regarding veterans who engaged in toxic exposure risk
activities while serving in Kosovo.
Pages S5160-61
Murray (for Reed) Amendment No. 1202 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
appropriate amounts for shellfish research, with an offset.
Page S5161
Murray (for Britt) Amendment No. 1270 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
provide appropriations for certain research using plant genomics, with
an offset.
Page S5161
[[Page D1080]]
Murray (for Kelly/Tillis) Amendment No. 1116 (to Amendment No. 1092),
to require medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to
share certain data with State cancer registries.
Page S5161
Murray (for Hirono/Moran) Amendment No. 1113 (to Amendment No. 1092),
to provide funding for competitive grants for construction of
agricultural research facilities and related activities, with an
offset.
Page S5162
Murray (for Warnock) Amendment No. 1351 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
require the Secretary of Transportation to report on the Federal
Aviation Administration's workforce development programs.
Page S5162
Murray (for Smith/Ricketts) Amendment No. 1134 (to Amendment No.
1092), to require the submission of a report on improving staffing at
Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service at
the county level.
Page S5162
Murray (for Rosen) Amendment No. 1220 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
provide funding for the suppression and control of Mormon crickets in
western States.
Page S5162
Murray (for Cardin/Van Hollen) Amendment No. 1277 (to Amendment No.
1092), to provide funding for invasive catfish control.
Page S5162
Murray (for Padilla) Amendment No. 1140 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
improve housing assistance for veterans experiencing homelessness.
Page S5162
Murray (for Shaheen) Amendment No. 1131 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
require a report on the use of third-party contractors to conduct
medical disability examinations of veterans.
Page S5162
Murray (for Klobuchar/Moran) Amendment No. 1203 (to Amendment No.
1092), to make funds available for the aeronautical information
management program.
Page S5162
Murray (for Kelly/Sinema) Amendment No. 1133 (to Amendment No. 1092),
to require a report relating to rural community facilities direct loan
applicants.
Page S5162
Murray (for Padilla) Amendment No. 1139 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
provide for the development of emergency evacuation route planning
guidelines and best practices.
Page S5162
Murray (for Ossoff) Amendment No. 1255 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
provide funds for the Office of Women's Health of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to expand access of women veterans to mammography
initiatives and equipment.
Page S5162
Murray (for Merkley/Crapo) Amendment No. 1352 (to Amendment No.
1092), to increase the set-aside for multi-benefit projects under the
watershed and flood prevention operations program.
Page S5163
Murray (for Stabenow) Amendment No. 1115 (to Amendment No. 1092), to
provide funding for the Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
Program.
Page S5163
By 59 yeas to 38 nays (Vote No. 266), Vance Amendment No. 1210 (to
Amendment No. 1092), to prohibit funds appropriated for the Department
of Transportation for fiscal year 2024 from being used to enforce a
mask mandate in response to the COVID-19 virus.
Pages S5163-64
By 53 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. 268), Kennedy Amendment No. 1354 (to
Amendment No. 1092), to prohibit the availability of funds for the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report certain information to the
Department of Justice for use by the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System.
Page S5169
Rejected:
By 47 yeas to 51 nays (Vote No. 267), Graham (for Rubio) Amendment
No. 1237 (to Amendment No. 1092), to prohibit the use of funds to
implement the final rule regarding energy efficient standards for
certain subsidized housing.
Page S5168
By 56 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 269), Lankford Amendment No. 1232 (to
Amendment No. 1092), to provide for a period of continuing
appropriations in the event of a lapse in appropriations under the
normal appropriations process, and establish procedures and
consequences in the event of a failure to enact appropriations.
(Pursuant to the order of Tuesday, October 24, 2023, the amendment
having failed to achieve 60 affirmative votes, was not agreed to.)
Page S5177
Withdrawn:
Schumer motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Appropriations,
with instructions, Schumer Amendment No. 1230, to change the effective
date.
Page S5160
Murray Amendment No. 1205 (to Amendment No. 1092), to change the
effective date.
Page S5160
Pending:
Schumer (for Murray/Collins) Amendment No. 1092, in the nature of a
substitute.
Page S5155
Murray motion to suspend Rule XVI for the consideration of Schumer
(for Murray/Collins) Amendment No. 1092 (listed above) to the bill.
Page S5155
A unanimous-consent-time agreement was reached providing for further
consideration of the bill at approximately 10 a.m., on Thursday,
October 26, 2023, as provided under the order of Tuesday, October 24,
2023; that if Senator Paul makes a motion to discharge S.J. Res. 44,
directing the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in
the Republic of Niger that have not been authorized by Congress, from
the Committee on Foreign Relations, Senate vote on the motion at 11:30
a.m.; that if the
[[Page D1081]]
motion to discharge is not agreed to, Senate vote on Braun Amendment
No. 1182 to the bill; that upon disposition of the Braun Amendment,
Senate move to the consideration of S.J. Res. 42, providing for
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States
Code, of the rule submitted by the Food and Nutrition Service relating
to “Application of Bostock v. Clayton County to Program Discrimination
Complaint Processing--Policy Update”; that there be up to 30 minutes
for debate equally divided between the two Leaders or their designees,
and that following the use or yielding back of time, Senate vote on
passage of the joint resolution.
Page S5195
Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:
By 51 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. EX. 265), Jessica Looman, of
Minnesota, to be Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division,
Department of Labor.
Page S5163
Messages from the House:
Page S5179
Measures Read the First Time:
Page S5179
Executive Communications:
Pages S5179-80
Executive Reports of Committees:
Page S5182
Additional Cosponsors:
Pages S5183-84
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S5184-94
Additional Statements:
Amendments Submitted:
Pages S5194-95
Authorities for Committees to Meet:
Page S5195
Privileges of the Floor:
Page S5195
Record Votes: Five record votes were taken today. (Total--269)
Pages S5163, S5164, S5168, S5169, S5177
Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:02 p.m.,
until 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2023. (For Senate's program, see
the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page
S5195.)