Senate Record — Wednesday, 12/6/2023
64 pages: S5767-5830
Senate Congressional Record (PDF) + Senate Daily Press Log
10:00 a.m. - The Senate convened.
PRAYER (S5767-2)
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 🇺🇸 (S5767-3)
APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE (S5767-4)
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME (S5767-5)
10:17 a.m. - Majority Leader Schumer spoke on guns, military promotions, supplemental funding, artificial intelligence, and the potential Exxon-Pioneer merger.
10:33 a.m. - Republican Leader McConnell spoke on national security and energy.
10:44 a.m. - Senator Durbin spoke on Ukraine and tobacco.
10:54 a.m. - Senator Thune spoke on the supplemental and immigration.
11:05 a.m. - Majority Leader Schumer asked unanimous consent for the Senate to discharge and pass S. 25, Assault Weapons Ban of 2023. Senator Barrasso objected. ML Schumer and Senator Durbin spoke on the legislation.
11:19 a.m. - Senator Tuberville spoke about the military’s abortion policy.
11:35 a.m. - Senator Warren spoke about military promotions and weapons.
11:41 a.m. - Senator Klobuchar spoke about military promotions.
Senators Klobuchar, Warnock and Murphy spoke on weapons. Senator Murphy asked unanimous consent that the Senate take up and pass S. 494 (universal background checks). Senator Lee objected.
12:11 p.m. - Senator Blumenthal spoke about weapons and background checks. He spoke about and asked unanimous consent to bring up and pass S. 173, Ethan’s Law regarding firearms storage. Senator Budd objected. Senator Booker spoke about weapons.
12:29 p.m. - Senator Rosen spoke about the Hamas attack on Israel.
Cloture Motion (Executive Session) (S5780-2)
12:40 p.m. - The Senate began voting on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Nathalie Rayes to be Ambassador to Croatia.
1:29 p.m. - By a vote of 53-47, the Senate invoked cloture on Nathalie Rayes to be Ambassador to Croatia. Senators Collins and Murkowski voted YEA.
Supplemental Funding (Executive Session) (S5781)
1:30 p.m. - Senator Capito spoke on national security.
1:38 p.m. - Senator Fischer spoke on the southern border.
1:46 p.m. - Senator Budd spoke on Hamas and foreign policy.
1:51 p.m. - Senator Moran spoke on the national security supplemental.
1:59 p.m. - Senator Barrasso spoke on the southern border.
2:10 p.m. - Senator Graham spoke on the national security supplemental.
2:21 p.m. - Senator Lankford spoke on the southern border and the national security supplemental.
2:35 p.m. - Senator Klobuchar spoke about funding Ukraine and also about the Israel/Hamas conflict.
2:43 p.m. - Senator Warren spoke about the Israel/Hamas conflict.
2:54 p.m. - Senator Ricketts spoke about the Hamas attack on Israel.
3:01 p.m. - Senator Menendez spoke about Ukraine, Israel and border funding.
3:17 p.m. - Senator Murray spoke about continuing resolutions and supplemental funding.
Vote on Rayes Nomination (Executive Session) (S5793)
3:38 p.m. - The Senate began voting on confirmation of the nomination of Nathalie Rayes to be Ambassador to Croatia.
4:31 p.m. - By a vote of 53-47, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Nathalie Rayes to be Ambassador to Croatia. Senators Collins and Murkowski voted in favor.
4:31 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer spoke in support of the supplemental appropriations.
CLOTURE MOTION (S5793-2)
4:34 p.m. - The Senate began a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 815, the legislative vehicle for supplemental appropriations.
5:35 p.m. - The Senate did not invoke cloture on the motion to proceed, 49-51. Senator Sanders voted against, and Majority Leader Schumer changed his vote in order to offer a motion to reconsider.
5:36 p.m. - Majority Leader Schumer spoke on the supplemental.
5:38 p.m. - Senator Murray spoke on the supplemental.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION (S5794)
5:42 p.m. - Senators Marshall, Scott (FL), Blackburn, Tuberville and Cornyn spoke in support of Israel. Senator Marshall asked unanimous consent for the senate to pass H.R. 6126 – Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024. Senators Murray, Reed, Klobuchar, Heinrich, Schatz, Shaheen and Durbin spoke against Senator Marshall’s request. Senator Murray objected. Senator Marshall spoke about the bill.
6:50 p.m. - Senator Schatz spoke about national security.
7:05 p.m. - Senator Schatz started wrap-up.
Passed by unanimous consent: S. 3250, A bill to provide remote access to court proceedings for the victims of the 1981 bombing of Pan AM
The Following Senate resolutions were agreed to by unanimous consent en bloc:
The Senate confirmed the following nominations by voice vote en bloc:
PN802 Jamie Fly to be a Member of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board for a term expiring January 1, 2027.
Kathleen Cunningham Matthews to be a Member of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board for a term expiring Jan 1, 2027.
Jeffrey Gedmin to be a Member of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board for a term expiring Jan 1, 2025
Kenneth M. Jarin to be a Member of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board for a term expiring January 1, 2027.
Luis Manuel Botello to be a Member of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board for a term expiring January 1, 2025.
Michelle Mai Selesky Giuda to be a Member of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board for a term expiring January 1, 2027.
The Senate confirmed by voice vote Dante Quintin Allen to be Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education.
7:09 p.m. - Senate stands adjourned until 10 a.m., Thursday, December 7, 2023.