Senate Record — Thursday, 7/27/2023
Pages S3713-3846
Senate Congressional Record (134-page PDF) + Senate Daily Press Log
10:00 a.m. - The Senate convened. Prayer.
10:07 a.m. - Majority Leader Schumer spoke on completion of the NDAA (S. 2226), on Appropriations markups, and on artificial intelligence.
10:42 a.m. - Senator Daines spoke on the Russian imprisonment of Mark Fogel, Paul Whelan, and Evan Gershkovich.
11:03 a.m. - Republican Leader McConnell spoke on the Inflation Reduction Act and AUKUS.
11:11 a.m. - Senator Padilla asked unanimous consent for the Senate to confirm the nomination of Tara K. McGrath to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of California for the term of four years. Senator Vance objected. Senator Padilla then spoke on the nominee.
11:37 p.m. - Senator Barrasso spoke on his amendment #999 (nuclear fuel security).
11:38 p.m. - The Senate began a roll call vote on Barrasso amendment #999 (nuclear fuel security) to S. 2226, the National Defense Authorization Act FY2024 – 60 vote threshold.
12:58 p.m. - By a vote of 96-3, the Senate adopted Barrasso amendment #999 (nuclear fuel security) to S. 2226, the National Defense Authorization Act FY2024. Senators voting No: Markey, Sanders, and Warren. Senator Durbin didn’t vote.
12:59 p.m. - Senator Manchin spoke in support of the Barrasso amendment #999
1:00 p.m. - Senator Sanders spoke about climate change and in support of his amendment #1030 (reduce military spending)
1:03 p.m. - Senator Reed spoke against of the Sanders amendment #1030.
1:03 p.m. - The Senate began a roll call vote on the Sanders amendment #1030 (reduce military spending) to S. 2226, the National Defense Authorization Act FY2024 – 60 vote threshold.
2:10 p.m. - By a vote of 11-88, the Senate did not adopt the Sanders amendment #1030 (reduce military spending) to S. 2226, the National Defense Authorization Act FY2024 – 60 vote threshold. Senators voting Yea: Baldwin, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Paul, Sanders, Smith, Van Hollen, Warren, Welch and Wyden. Senators Not voting: Durbin.
2:11 p.m. - Senator Reed added the following amendments to the queue: Schatz 1078 and Scott (SC) 944
2:12 p.m. - The following amendments were agreed to by voice vote: Cardin 705 and Scott (SC) 944.
2:15 p.m. - The Senate began voting on the Marshall amendment, #874 regarding flags.
3:08 p.m. - By a vote of 50-49, the Senate did not agree to the Marshall amendment #874. This was a party line vote, with the exception of Senator Manchin voting in favor with all Republicans. Senator Durbin did not vote.
3:15 p.m. - The Senate began voting on the Kennedy amendment #1034 regarding special drawing rights.
3:59 p.m. - By a vote of 51-47, the Senate did not agree to the Kennedy amendment #1034 (regarding special drawing acts)
4:00 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Gillibrand spoke in support of the Gillibrand amendment #1065 (World Trade Center Health Program)
4:04 p.m. - The Senate is now voting on the Gillibrand amendment #1065, World Trade Center Health Program
4:36 p.m. - By a vote of 94-4, the Senate adopted the Gillibrand amendment #1065, World Trade Center Health Program. Senators voting against: Lee, Mullin, Paul and Tuberville.
4:42 p.m. - The Senate began voting on the Hawley amendment #1058 regarding radiation exposure.
5:07 p.m. - By a vote of 61-37, the Senate adopted the Hawley amendment regarding radiation exposure. Republicans voting in favor: Braun, Crapo, Cruz, Daines, Graham, Marshall, Mullin, Risch, Rubio, Schmitt & Vance. Senators not voting: Durbin and Scott of South Carolina.
5:10 p.m. - The Senate began voting on the Menendez amendment #638 regarding firefighters.
5:35 p.m. - The Senate adopted the Menendez #638 Firefighter Cancer registry, 96-2. Senators not voting: Durbin and Scott (SC). Senators Voting no: Lee and Paul.
5:36 p.m. - The Senate is now voting on the adoption of Schatz amendment #1078 Native American Housing Assistance
6:10 p.m. - The Senate adopted the Schatz #1078 Native American Housing Assistance amendment to the NDAA, 86-11. Voting No – Blackburn, Ernst, Hagerty, Kennedy, Lee, Marshall, Paul, Rubio, Schmitt, Tuberville and Vance.
6:11 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer gave a update on the NDAA and then asked for the Senate to agree to Unanimous Consent S.Res. 322, Commemorating the Life, Legacy and Entertainment career of Tony Bennett
6:35 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer locked in votes on the last pending amendments and passage, six votes left tonight; three on the Rubio amendment 523, Young amendment 230 and Daines amendment; the managers package, cloture and passage.
6:36 p.m. -. The Senate began voting on the Rubio amendment #523.
7:22 p.m. -The Senate did not adopt the Rubio amendment 55-42, subject to a 60 vote threshold. Democrats voting in favor: Brown,Hassan, King (I), Manchin, Peters, Shaheen, Sinema (I), Tester & Warner. GOP voting against: Cassidy and Paul.
7:25 p.m. - The Senate adopted the Young and Daines amendments by voice vote.
7:30 p.m. - The Senate began voting on the managers package.
7:49 p.m. -. The Senate adopted the managers package, 94-3. Senators voting against: Markey, Paul and Sanders. Senators not voting: Casey, Durbin and Scott of South Carolina.
7:50 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer got UC for the cloture motions to be withdrawn, spoke on the NDAA and the page program.
7:56 p.m. - Republican Leader McConnell spoke on the pages and the NDAA.
7:56 p.m. - The Senate began voting on final passage of S. 2226, NDAA.
8:17 p.m. - The Senate passed S. 2226, NDAA by a tally of 86-11. Voting no: Booker, Braun, Lee, Markey, Merkley, Paul, Sanders, Vance, Warren, Welch & Wyden. Not voting: Casey, Durbin and Scott (SC).
8:19 p.m. - Senators Wicker and Reed spoke on passage of the NDAA.
8:28 p.m. - Senators Wyden and Sanders achieved UC to pass H.R. 2544, the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplant Network Act.
8:44 p.m. - Senator Coons spoke in support of Julie Su and on several Ambassadors.
8:49 p.m. - Senator Lee spoke on President Biden’s remarks about Senator Tuberville.
9:18 p.m. - Senator Welch spoke on flooding in Vermont.
9:48 p.m. - Senator Cantwell spoke on the Fentanyl crisis.
10:13 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer began wrap-up for the evening.
Cloture was filed on the following nominations:
Phillip Jefferson to be Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
Gwynne Wilcox to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board
Lisa Cook to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
Adriana Kugler to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
Anna Gomez to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission
The following nominations were confirmed by voice vote: Eric Kneedler to be Ambassador to Rwanda, Hugo Yue-Ho Yon to be Ambassador to Maldives, Kathleen Fitzgibbon to be Ambassador to Niger, Martina Strong to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Robin Dunnigan to be Ambassador to Georgia, Nicole Theriot to be Ambassador to Guyana, Ervin Massinga to be Ambassador to Ethiopia, Yael Lempert to be Ambassador to Jordan, Julie Turner to be Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues, William Popp to be Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda, Matthew D. Murray for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Jennifer L. Johnson to be Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, Bryan David Hunt to be Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone, Joel Ehrendreich to be Ambassador to the Republic of Palau, Jack Markell to be Ambassador to Italy and San Marino, Gerald H. Acker to be a Commissioner on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission, United States and Canada, Nisha Desai Biswal to be Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation. (New Position)
S.Res. 323, S.Res. 324, S.Res. 325, S.Res. 326 were passed en bloc by UC.
Also passed by UC:
1. S.1528, regarding disaster assistance agency communications
2 S. 1858, amending a disaster relief act.
3. S. 788, regarding the duck stamp act.
4. S. 992, amending the intermodal surface transportation act.
5. S. 1608, regarding expansion of a bridge in Texas.
11:03 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer wrapped up, part two, announcing the pro forma schedule and the schedule for Tuesday, September 5.
Friday, July 28, at 11:45 a.m.
Tuesday, August 1, at 12:15 p.m.
Friday, August 4, at 12 noon
Tuesday, August 8, at 10 a.m.
Friday, August 11, at 9 a.m.
Tuesday, August 15, at 12 noon
Friday, August 18, at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, August 22, at 2 p.m.
Friday, August 25, at 12 noon
Tuesday, August 29, at 11:45 a.m.
Friday, September 1, at 11:45 a.m.
Next Meeting after the pro forma sessions:
3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 5 — Jefferson nomination
11:05 p.m. - The Senate adjourned.