The Senate stands in adjournment until 9:00am on Friday, December 20, 2013.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #456, Alejandro Mayorkas, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, post-cloture. There will be one hour of post-cloture debate remaining, equally divided and controlled between Senators Carper and Coburn.

At approximately 10:15am, there will be 6 roll call votes:

–          Confirmation of the Mayorkas nomination,

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #459, John Koskinen, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue

–          Confirmation of the Koskinen nomination

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #382, Brian Davis, of FL, to be US District Judge for the Middle District of Florida

–          Confirmation of the Davis nomination and

–          Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #452, Janet Yellen, of California, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

At approximately 10:03am this morning, there will be 6 roll call votes:

1)      Confirmation of the Mayorkas nomination,

Live quorum

2)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #459, John Koskinen, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue

3)      Confirmation of the Koskinen nomination

Live quorum

4)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #382, Brian Davis, of FL, to be US District Judge for the Middle District of Florida

5)      Confirmation of the Davis nomination and

Live quorum

6)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #452, Janet Yellen, of California, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

9:45am The Senate began a 15-minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #456, Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, of DC, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security;  Confirmed: 54-41

10:22am The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #459, John Koskinen, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue; Invoked: 56-39

10:38am The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #459, John Koskinen, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue Confirmed: 59-36

10:52am The Senate began a 10 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #382, Brian Davis, of FL, to be US District Judge for the Middle District of Florida

Invoked: 56-36 with 2 Senators voting present

11:09am The Senate began a 10-minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #382, Brian Davis, of FL, to be US District Judge for the Middle District of Florida  Confirmed: 68-26

11:25am  The Senate began a 10-minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #452, the nomination of Janet Yellen, of California, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve;

Invoked: 59-34

Under the previous order, the vote on confirmation of the nomination will occur at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, in consultation with the Republican Leader, on Monday, January 6, 2014.

The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Senator Durbin moved to proceed to Calendar #265, S.1845, A bill to provide for the extension of certain unemployment benefits, and for other purposes. He then filed cloture on the motion to proceed. Senators will be notified when the vote is scheduled.

Senator Schumer asked unanimous consent the Senate up and pass S.1882, a bill to extend the exclusion from income for employer-provided mass transit and parking benefit.

 Senator Hatched asked the request be modified and that the bill be referred to the Finance Committee.

 Senator Schumer objected to the modification and Senator Hatch objected to the original request.

Senator Durbin asked unanimous consent that all nominations received by the Senate during the 113^th Congress, First Session, remain in status quo notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 31, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.

 Senator Graham objected.

  By unanimous consent, the Senate confirmed the following military nominations and all nominations on the Secretary’s Desk in the Air Force, Army, and Navy:

 AIR FORCE

#460 Brig. Gen. Paul S. Dwan – to be Major General

#461 To be Major General-

Brigadier General Catherine A. Chilton

Brigadier General Stayce D. Harris

Brigadier General William B. Waldrop, Jr.

Brigadier General Tommy J. Williams

#462 Col. Josef F. Schmid, III – to be Brigadier General

#463 To be Brigadier General-

Colonel Talentino C. Angelosante

Colonel James R. Barkley

Colonel Thomas G. Clark

Colonel Michael J. Cole

Colonel Samuel C. Mahaney

Colonel Brett J. McMullen

Colonel Jose R. Monteagudo

Colonel Randall A. Ogden

Colonel John P. Stokes

Colonel Stephen D. Vautrain

#464 Col. Stephen E. Rader – to be Brigadier General

#465 Col. Michael T. McGuire – to be Brigadier General

#466 Maj. Gen. John W. Raymond – to be Lieutenant General

 ARMY

#467 Brigadier General Charles A. Flynn – to be Major General

#468 Lt. Gen. David G. Perkins – to be General

#469 To be Brigadier General-

Colonel James T. Iacocca

Colonel Daniel G. Mitchell

Colonel Kurt L. Sonntag

#470 Col. Anthony L. Hall – to be Brigadier General

#471 Col. Paul S. Wilson – to be Brigadier General, Judge Advocate General’s Corps

#472 Maj. Gen. Robert S. Ferrell – to be Lieutenant General

#473 Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson – to be Lieutenant General

 NAVY

#474 Rear Adm. (lh) Rebecca J. McCormick-Boyle – to be Rear Admiral

#475 Vice Adm. Michelle J. Howard – to be Admiral

#476 Adm. Mark E. Ferguson, III – to be Admiral

#477 Rear Adm. Joseph P. Mulloy – to be Vice Admiral

 The Senate discharged the Commerce Committee from further consideration and confirmed the following nominations:

 PN877 – To be Rear Admiral (Lower Half); Coast Guard

 Capt. Francis S. Pelkowski 

PN878 – All to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half); Coast Guard

Capt. Meredith L. Austin Capt. Peter W. Gautier Capt. Michael J. Haycock Capt. James M. Heinz Capt. Kevin E. Lunday Capt. Todd A. Sokalzuk Capt. Paul F. Thomas

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

1)      Confirmation of Executive Calendar #456, Alejandro Mayorkas, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security; Confirmed: 54-41

2)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #459, John Koskinen, of the District of Columbia, to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue; Invoked: 56-39

3)      Confirmation of the Koskinen nomination; Confirmed: 59-36

4)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #382, Brian Davis, of FL, to be US District Judge for the Middle District of Florida; Invoked: 56-36 (2 Present)

5)      Confirmation of the Davis nomination; Confirmed: 68-26

6)      Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #452, Janet Yellen, of California, to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Invoked: 59-34

Legislative items

Passed H.R.3343, to amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to clarify the rules regarding the determination of the compensation of the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.

Passed H.R.3487, the FEC Administrative Fines Program Extension.

Adopted S.Res.75, condemning the Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its Baha’l minority and its continued violation of the International Covenants on Human Rights with committee-reported amendments to the resolution and the preamble.

Adopted S.Res.325, designating the week of December 22 through December 28, 2013, as “National Toy Week”.

Adopted S.Res.326, Congratulating the 2013 Southern New Hampshire University men’s soccer team on winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Men’s Soccer Championship.

Adopted S.Res.327, Congratulating Sporting Kansas City for an outstanding 2013 season in Major League and for winning the Major League Soccer Cup 2013.

Adopted S.Con.Res.30, the adjournment resolution.

Completed the Rule 14 process of:

–          S.1859, a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions and for other purposes. (Reid)

–          S.1881, a bill to expand sanctions imposed with respect to Iran and to impose additional sanctions with respect to Iran and for other purposes. (Menendez)

Began the Rule 14 process of H.R.2109, to eliminate taxpayer financing of political party conventions and reprogram savings to provide for a 10-year pediatric research initiative through the Common Fund administered by the National Institutes of Health, and for other purposes.

Indefinitely postponed H.Con.Res.72, Providing for corrections to the enrollment of H.J.Res.59 and H.R.219, the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013.

Executive items

Discharged the Commerce Committee and confirmed:

PN877 – To be Rear Admiral (Lower Half); Coast Guard

Capt. Francis S. Pelkowski

PN878 – All to be Rear Admiral (Lower Half); Coast Guard

Capt. Meredith L. Austin

Capt. Peter W. Gautier

Capt. Michael J. Haycock

Capt. James M. Heinz

Capt. Kevin E. Lunday

Capt. Todd A. Sokalzuk

Capt. Paul F. Thomas

Confirmed all nominations on the Secretary’s desk in the Air Force, Army and Navy and the following items:

AIR FORCE

#460 Brig. Gen. Paul S. Dwan – to be Major General

#461 To be Major General-

Brigadier General Catherine A. Chilton

Brigadier General Stayce D. Harris

Brigadier General William B. Waldrop, Jr.

Brigadier General Tommy J. Williams

#462 Col. Josef F. Schmid, III – to be Brigadier General

#463 To be Brigadier General-

Colonel Talentino C. Angelosante

Colonel James R. Barkley

Colonel Thomas G. Clark

Colonel Michael J. Cole

Colonel Samuel C. Mahaney

Colonel Brett J. McMullen

Colonel Jose R. Monteagudo

Colonel Randall A. Ogden

Colonel John P. Stokes

Colonel Stephen D. Vautrain

#464 Col. Stephen E. Rader – to be Brigadier General

#465 Col. Michael T. McGuire – to be Brigadier General

#466 Maj. Gen. John W. Raymond – to be Lieutenant General

ARMY

#467 Brigadier General Charles A. Flynn – to be Major General

#468 Lt. Gen. David G. Perkins – to be General

#469 To be Brigadier General-

Colonel James T. Iacocca

Colonel Daniel G. Mitchell

Colonel Kurt L. Sonntag

#470 Col. Anthony L. Hall – to be Brigadier General

#471 Col. Paul S. Wilson – to be Brigadier General, Judge Advocate General’s Corps

#472 Maj. Gen. Robert S. Ferrell – to be Lieutenant General

#473 Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson – to be Lieutenant General

NAVY

#474 Rear Adm. (lh) Rebecca J. McCormick-Boyle – to be Rear Admiral

#475 Vice Adm. Michelle J. Howard – to be Admiral

#476 Adm. Mark E. Ferguson, III – to be Admiral

#477 Rear Adm. Joseph P. Mulloy – to be Vice Admiral

======================================================

Last Floor Action:12/19
11:05:00 A.M. – The Speaker announced
that the House do now adjourn pursuant to H. Res. 438.

The next meeting is
scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on December 23, 2013.