CONGRESS : the Republican led House – the Senate debates S.3240,Farm bill & 3.5yrs later, Judicial nominees


the Senate Convenes: 3:00pmET June 18, 2012

5:30pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #612, the nomination of Mary Geiger Lewis, of South Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina; Confirmed: 64-27

WRAP UP

The Senate has locked an agreement to limit amendments and bring the Farm bill to passage. Under the agreement, we will begin voting on amendments at 2:15pm tomorrow. There will be a break in consideration of the amendments to debate and vote in relation to S.J.Res.37, Boiler MACT/EPA, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. I will send the agreement on the joint resolution of disapproval in a separate email message once it is locked in. Please note that we will consider amendments in an alternating fashion between Democrats and Republicans.

The agreement is as follows:

Leader: I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate resumes consideration of S.3240, the pending motion to recommit be withdrawn; that amendment #2390 be withdrawn; that the Stabenow-Roberts amendment #2389 be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered original text for the purposes of further amendment; that the following amendments and motions be the only first degree amendments and motions in order to the bill:

Akaka #2440 (highly fractionated tribal lands);

Akaka #2396 (tribal relations office);

Baucus #2429 (Livestock);

Bingaman #2364 (multi-state aquifers);

– Brown (OH) #2445 (rural development);

Cantwell #2370 (pulse pilot);

Casey #2238 (technical/study -federal milk marketing)

Coons #2426 (poultry insurance study);

Feinstein #2422 (conservation innovation grants);

Feinstein #2309 (insurance recall);

Gillibrand #2156 (SNAP);

Hagan #2366 (crop insurance – plain language);

Kerry #2187 (commercial fishermen);

Landrieu #2321 (rural development loans);

Manchin #2345 (dietary study);

Merkley #2382 (organic crop insurance);

Schumer #2427 (acer);
Stabenow #2453 (NAP);

– Udall(CO) #2295 (bark beetle);

Warner #2457 (rural broadband);

Wyden #2442 (microloans);

Wyden #2388 (farm to school);

Leahy #2204 (rural development);

– Nelson(NE) #2242 (rural housing);

Klobuchar #2299 (transportation study);

Carper #2287 (poultry feed research);

Sanders #2254 (biomass);

Thune #2437 (crop insurance);

– Durbin-Coburn #2439 (crop insurance);

Snowe #2190 (milk marketing order reform);

Ayotte #2192 (value added grants);

Collins #2444 (dairy);

Grassley #2167 (pay cap marketing loans);

Sessions #2174 (SNAP);

– Nelson(NE) #2243 (SNAP);

Sessions #2172 (SNAP);

Paul #2181 ($250,000 income limit);

Alexander #2191 (wind loans);

McCain #2199 (catfish);

Toomey #2217 (organic/AMA);

DeMint #2263 (broadband funding);

DeMint #2262 (SoS Free MKT);

DeMint #2268 (Loan guarantees);

DeMint #2276 (checkoffs);

DeMint #2273 (broadband);

Coburn #2289 (MAP);

Coburn #2293 (Limit Millionaires);

Kerry #2454 (North Korea);

Kyl #2354 (North Korea);

Lee #2313 (Forest Legacy);

Lee #2314 (CSP/CRP cut);

Boozman #2355 (Ag research, law info);

Boozman #2360 (TEFAP);

Toomey #2226 (energy title);

Toomey #2433 (sugar);

– Lee Motion to Recommit (FY 2008 levels);

– Johnson(WI) Motion to Recommit;

Chambliss #2438 (conservation crop insurance);

Chambliss #2340 (sugar);

Chambliss #2432 (FMPP);

Ayotte #2195 (GAO crop insurance fraud report);

Blunt #2246 (veterans);

Moran #2403 (food aid);

Moran #2443 (beginning farmers)

Vitter #2363 (pets);

Toomey #2247 (paperwork);

Sanders #2310 (genetically engineered food);

Coburn #2214 (convention funding);

Boxer #2456 (aerial inspections);

Johanns #2372 (aerial inspections);

– Murray # 2455(sequestration);

McCain #2162 (Sequestration report – DoD); and

Rubio #2166 (RAISE Act).

That at 2:15pm, Tuesday, June 19th, the Senate proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the order listed alternating between Republican and Democratic sponsored amendments; that there be no amendments or motions in order to the amendments prior to the votes other than motions to waive points of order and motions to table; that there be two minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form in between the votes and all after the first vote be ten minute votes; that the Toomey #2247; Sanders #2256; Coburn #2214; Boxer #2456; Johanns #2372; Murray #2455; McCain #2162 and the Rubio amendment #2166 be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold; that the clerks be authorized to modify the instruction lines on amendments so the page and line numbers match up correctly; that upon disposition of the amendments, the bill, as amended, be read a third time; that there be up to ten minutes equally divided in the usual form prior to a vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; finally, the vote on passage of the bill be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold.

ROLL CALL VOTE

1) Confirmation of Executive Calendar #612, the nomination of Mary Geiger Lewis, of SC, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina; Confirmed: 64-27

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Agreed to a Snowe amendment to the preamble of S.Res.488, a resolution commending the efforts of the firefighters and emergency response personnel of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, who came together to extinguish the May 23, 2012, fire at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine., notwithstanding adoption of the resolution.

Discharged Judiciary and adopted S.Res.470, a resolution designating July 28, 2012, as “National Day of the American Cowboy”.

Adopted S.Res.495, designating the period beginning on June 17, 2012, and ending on June 23, 2012, as “Polycystic Kidney Disease Awareness Week”, and raising awareness and understanding of polycystic kidney disease and the impact such disease has on patients.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

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House Floor Activities
Legislative Day of June 18, 2012