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Ted, … Thanks

12/16/2014 Nativegrl77

Dr. Vivek Murthy Confirmed As Surgeon General, With An Assist From Ted Cruz

After 517 days without the nation’s top doctor in place, the Senate confirmed Dr. Vivek Murthy to be surgeon general this afternoon by a vote of 51-43. This is an important victory for Americans, who now have a qualified public health leader and communicator-in-chief. It represents a defeat for the NRA — Murthy’s confirmation is the first time the NRA has been defeated on a scored vote since August 5, 2010. And it may not have happened without an unexpected gift from Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

On Friday, with the controversial government spending bill still not passed, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell thought they had an agreement to adjourn for the weekend and return Monday to vote on the so-called ‘Cromnibus’ bill. Under the deal, which required unanimous consent from all Senators, Republicans would also be able to vote Monday on a “constitutional point of order” to register their displeasure with President Obama’s immigration action. But Cruz and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) refused to wait until Monday, demanding the symbolic immigration vote then. When Reid refused, they in turn refused to give their consent to adjourn, leaving the Senate in session over the weekend. This tactic, however, had an unintended consequence for the hard-line conservatives: it allowed Senate Democrats to speed up confirmation for a number of key Obama nominations whose fate was still in question, including Dr. Murthy. Now, the only thing Cruz and friends have to show for their supposed hardball is the confirmation of a surgeon general they opposed on false grounds.

Here at CAP Action, we have been hard at work advocating for the confirmation of Dr. Murthy. And to be sure, it was a diverse group of progressive advocates who pushed the Senate during this lame duck session into giving the surgeon general nominee a vote. But today, in the holiday spirit of giving, we wanted to make sure Sen. Cruz also got a message of our appreciation. So we sent him a teddy bear.

Give Sen. Cruz your thanks as well by sharing this graphic with your social networks! Share on Twitter or share on Facebook.

Let’s remember, this isn’t the first time Cruz has taken a stance with the unintended consequence of helping those he opposes. Last year, he led the charge to shut down the government over funding the Affordable Care Act. And for three weeks during the botched roll-out of HealthCare.gov, when the nation’s attention could have squarely been on the mistake, it instead was also focused on blaming Cruz and his fellow conservatives for a government shutdown that cost $24 billion.

(Speaking of which: today is the last day to enroll in affordable health coverage on the exchange staring January 1! You could save money by shopping around.)

BOTTOM LINE: America now has the qualified surgeon general it needs. Many strong advocates played an important role in making it happen, but we also owe our gratitude to Ted Cruz for the important role he played as well. So Senator Cruz, our sincere thanks.

Like CAP Action on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

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2015 Spending bill

12/16/2014 Nativegrl77

By Meredith Shiner

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, right, and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, express their outrage to reporters that a huge, $1.1 trillion spending bill approved by the Republican-controlled House yesterday contains changes to the 2010 Dodd-Frank law that regulates complex financial instruments known as derivatives, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Democratic support for the omnibus bill funding every corner of government faded Wednesday as liberal lawmakers erupted over a provision that weakens the regulation of risky financial instruments and another that allows more money to flood into political parties. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

http://l.yimg.com/rq/darla/2-8-4/html/r-sf.html

Late Tuesday night, congressional negotiators unveiled a spending deal to keep most of the government funded through September 2015, but on Wednesday it became clear that the substantial policy concessions made by Democrats in a bid to attract enough Republican votes to keep the government open are likely to shrink the coalition supporting the last-minute bill.

The 1,600-page spending document could be forced through the House and Senate in less than one week, giving lawmakers little time to review its contents but enough time to be angered that certain controversial provisions were included, most notably major changes to two of the biggest laws approved by Congress since 2000, which had rewritten Wall Street rules and reformed the campaign finance system.

The current government spending bill expires on Thursday, and failure to pass new legislation by then will trigger another shutdown a little more than a year after Republicans forced a 16-day government closure in October 2013. That GOP standoff over defunding the Democrats’ health care law cost the nation an estimated $24 billion.

Though the so-called cromnibus bill funds the majority of the government through an omnibus package for the rest of the fiscal year, it pays for the Department of Homeland Security only through February via a stopgap measure known as a continuing resolution, or CR. Conservatives hope to isolate the department, which is tasked with implementing President Barack Obama’s recent executive order exempting millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation, and the bill will give Republicans a chance to freshly debate its funding in the new year, when they will control both the House and Senate.

Yahoo News’ list of the most interesting and significant policy changes in the year-end spending bill:

Eliminating a key Wall Street reform. The Democratic-controlled Congress in 2010 approved sweeping changes to the nation’s financial systems, many of them tailored to prevent the kind of crisis that tanked the economy in 2008. One of the centerpieces of the bill was a measure designed to spin off banks’ riskiest activities into subsidiaries, isolating the main functions of banks from those risks and also ensuring that taxpayers would not be on the hook to pay for losses created by those risky trades in the event that they failed. The spending bill approved by Congress eliminates the so-called push-out provision from the Dodd-Frank law, meaning that the trading of derivatives — the risky swaps or bets made against the rise and fall of value in assets — can now once again happen in-house in Wall Street’s largest banks.

Democrats led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are outraged by this return to old ways, and she has said she will oppose the whole bill if the provision remains in it.

Dismantling what was left of campaign finance reform. The Supreme Court since 2010 has repeatedly struck down political donation restrictions approved by Congress in the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. With the spending bill approved by Congress this week, lawmakers at the last minute agreed to undo the most significant remaining changes from the law: the limits for individuals on how much they can give to political parties. Before the change, which was inserted in the last few pages of the mammoth spending bill, the most any one person could give to a party group like the Democratic National Committee or Republican National Committee was $32,400 per year. Now any individual will be able to give anywhere from $97,200 to $777,600, depending on the interpretation of the language included in the government-spending bill.

Meddling in D.C. politics. Because the District of Columbia is not a state, it relies on Congress annually to appropriate its budget. And so Washington, D.C., perennially bears the brunt of congressional compromises as Republicans target D.C. programs to highlight social issues they oppose and Democrats acquiesce in the knowledge that the District will vote overwhelmingly for Democrats no matter what Congress does. During the first shutdown threat of Obama’s tenure in 2011, the GOP pushed through a ban on funds for abortion services in D.C. and started a school voucher program.

This year, Democrats agreed to support Republican language targeting a D.C. ballot initiative legalizing recreational marijuana, which voters approved by nearly 70 percent in November. The wide-ranging appropriations bill bars funds from being used for the implementation, regulation and taxation of marijuana and also, adding insult to injury, mandates that no money provided by Congress can be used by D.C. officials to petition for representation in Congress. Instead of a regular congressperson, D.C. has a delegate, Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, who does not have voting privileges in the House.

Cutting IRS and EPA funding. Republicans are touting cuts to the budgets of the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency. The spending deal reduces IRS spending by $345 million in an olive branch to conservatives still miffed over a scandal involving the agency and its targeting of political groups that were using nonprofit loopholes to avoid paying certain taxes. The IRS funding levels in 2015 will now be lower than they were in the 2008 fiscal year.

Republicans have cut the EPA’s budget for the fifth consecutive year. In a press release the day after the deal was announced, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, touted cuts to the EPA as one of the “Ten Things You Should Know About the Omnibus Appropriations Bill” and the fact that the bill reduces EPA staffing “to the lowest level since 1989.”

Setting up a messy immigration funding fight. A key feature of the deal for Republicans is that it funds most of the government while specifically preventing Congress from filling the Homeland Security department’s coffers. That particular bargain will allow the House and Senate GOP majority in 2015 to fight over how to appropriate overall Homeland Security programs while withholding funds for the implementation of the president’s immigration executive order. As Yahoo News previously reported, it will be difficult for the GOP to defund implementation of the order because the DHS agency that oversees immigration status changes is self-funded through fees it levies on immigration applications. And yet by agreeing to this particular deal, Democrats are setting themselves up for a messy fight with Republicans about the immigration issue at a time when they will have much less leverage to get their way.

Rolling back truck safety regulations. A policy rider added to the bill to sweeten the deal for Republicans will roll back truck safety regulations issued by the Department of Transportation in 2011 to prevent traffic accidents resulting from trucker fatigue. The two basic requirements were that drivers take a 30-minute rest break within the first eight hours of their shifts and take a “restart” period of 34 hours of rest weekly. According to the Department of Transportation, the “net effect of these changes was to reduce the average maximum week a driver could work from 82 hours to 70 hours.” Trucking companies have been lobbying against these changes and now appear to have secured a victory by getting their repeal included in the spending bill.

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My family needs support

12/16/2014 Nativegrl77

President of the United States: Let us keep our American dream

caroline catois
United States

Sign Caroline’s petition

Black History

the Senate ~ CONGRESS12/16 ~ the House

12/16/2014 Nativegrl77

The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Tuesday, December 16, 2014.

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume executive session and vote on confirmation of the Santos and Rose nominations (expected voice votes).

Following disposition of the nominations, there will be up to 3 hours for debate equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees in relation to the Saldana nomination. It is anticipated that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will recess until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

The time from 2:15 – 2:30pm will be equally divided and controlled in the usual form, followed by 2 roll call votes on cloture and confirmation of the Saldana nomination.

At 6:00pm, there will be up to 2 roll call votes on cloture and confirmation of the Blinken nomination. Additional roll call votes are expected.

Tuesday, 10:00am—2 votes (voice votes expected)

Confirmation of Executive Calendar #979, Daniel J. Santos, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2017; and
Confirmation of Executive Calendar #635, Frank A. Rose, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance).

Tuesday, 2:30pm—Up to 2 roll call votes

Cloture on Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; and if cloture is invoked
Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security.

Tuesday, 6:00pm

Cloture on Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; and if cloture is invoked
Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State.

Additional roll call votes are expected

2:30pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security;

Invoked: 53-41

Confirmation of the Saldana nomination.

2:51pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security;

Confirmed: 55-39

Senator Mikulski asked unanimous consent that the Senate vote on Executive Calendar #1058, the nomination of Carolyn Colvin, to be the Commissioner of Social Security.

Senator Hatch objected.

6:02pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on cloture on Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State;

Invoked: 53-40

Cloture on Executive Calendar #1144, Colette Honorable

6:30pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State;

Confirmed: 55-38

Next: Cloture on Executive Calendar #1144, Collette Honorable, Member, FERC;

6:49pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on cloture on Executive Calendar #1144 Collette Honorable, Member, FERC.

There is a chance we vote on Tax Extenders after a very short amount of debate following this vote.

Cloture was invoked on the Honorable nomination 65-28. Notwithstanding cloture having been invoked, there will now be up to 30 minutes equally divided for debate on H.R.5771, Tax Extenders, prior to a vote on passage. The vote on passage is subject to a 60-affirmative vote threshold.

H.R.5771 – Tax Extenders (with H.Con.Res.124)

Leader: I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding cloture having been invoked, the Senate now resume Legislative Session and the Senate then proceed to the consideration of Calendar #627, H.R.5771, the Tax Extenders legislation; that there be 30 minutes of debate, equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees, prior to a vote on passage of the bill; that the bvote on passage be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold; that there be no amendments, motions or points of order in order prior to the vote; further, if H.R.5771 is passed, the Senate then proceed to the consideration of H.Con.Res.124, a concurrent resolution correcting the enrollment of H.R.5771, modifying the title of the bill; that the concurrent resolution be agreed to; and following disposition of the concurrent resolution, the Senate resume Executive Session and consideration of the Honorable nomination.

7:32pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on passage of H.R.5771, Tax Extenders (60-affirmative vote threshold).

7:32pm The Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on passage of H.R.5771, Tax Extenders (60-affirmative vote threshold);

Passed: 76-16

Senator Reid withdrew the cloture motions on and the Senate then confirmed by voice votes the Lopez, Jadotte, Stivers, Cruden, and Smith nominations.

The Senate confirmed the following nominations by unanimous consent:

BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS

#900 Karen Kornbluh – to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2016

CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD

#651 Richard J. Engler – to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years

#970 Manuel H. Ehrlich, Jr. – to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

#1079 Nicholas J. Rasmussen – to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

#514 Mark E. Lopes – to be United States Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank for a term of three years

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

#1104 Leigh A. Bradley – to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

#1141 Mark R. Rosekind – to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

#933 Helen Tierney – to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs

MORRIS K. UDALL AND STEWART L. UDALL FOUNDATION

#644 Charles P. Rose – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring May 26, 2019

#645 Mark Thomas Nethery – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2018

#646 Anne J. Udall – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2016 (Reappointment)

#737 Camilla C. Feibelman – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

#844 Martha L. Minow – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#845 Charles Norman Wiltse Keckler – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2016

#862 Gloria Valencia-Weber – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#864 John Gerson Levi – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#865 Robert James Grey, Jr. – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

#757 Thomas Hicks – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December 12, 2017

#1085 Matthew Vincent Masterson – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December12, 2017

#1086 Christy A. McCormick – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December 12, 2015

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

#1099 Isobel Coleman – to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U. N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador

#1100 Isobel Coleman – to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

#790 Paige Eve Alexander – to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

#1110 Robert M. Scher – to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

#1111 David J. Berteau – to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

#1090 Jess Lippincott Baily – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Macedonia

#1091 Robert Francis Cekuta – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Azerbaijan

#1092 Margaret Ann Uyehara – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Montenegro

#1093 Richard M. Mills, Jr. – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia

PN2092 Micheal P. O’Rielly, (FCC)

PN1279 – Laurie Mikva (Legal Services)

PN1280 – Victor Maddox (Legal Services)

PN2065 – Joseph Pius Pietzyzk (Legal Services)

PN1916 – James Huffman (Udall)

1005 Sep 11, 2014 PN1804 Department of Justice

Reported by Committee on the Judiciary

Arthur Lee Bentley III, of Florida, to be United States Attorney

for the Middle District of Florida for the term of four years; and

1062 Nov 13, 2014 PN1806 Department of Justice

Reported by Committee on the Judiciary

David Rivera, of Tennessee, to be United States Attorney for

the Middle District of Tennessee for the term of four years.

The Senate also confirmed Calendar #618, James Cole, Jr. to be General Counsel, Department of Education. Additional votes are possible tonight. The next vote would be cloture on Executive Calendar #1041, Stephen Bough, MO district judge. We expect to vote as soon as an agreement is reached, which may be soon.

As a reminder, cloture motions are still pending on the remaining district judge nominations in the previous order.

8:57pm, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on #1041, Stephen R. Bough, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri. We expect a roll call vote on confirmation of the Bough nomination shortly after this vote. There may be 5-10 minutes of debate prior to the confirmation vote.

Invoked: 51-38.

9:23pm, the Senate began a 15 minute roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #1041, Stephen R. Bough, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri;

Confirmed: 51-38

This will be the last vote of the Congress. Prior to the vote on confirmation of the Bough nomination, Senator Reid withdrew the cloture motions on the remaining district judge nominations and the Senate agreed to vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order in which cloture was filed. The Senate will confirm the nominations with voice votes.

Jorge Alonso (cal.#1070), District Judge – IL;
Haywood Gilliam (cal.#1071), District Judge – CA;
Amit Mehta (cal.#1072), District Judge – DC;
Allison Burroughs (cal.#1073), District Judge – MA;
John Blakey (cal.#1075), District Judge – IL;
Amos Mazzant (cal.#1076), District Judge – TX;
Robert Pitman (cal.#1077), District Judge – TX;
Robert Schroeder (cal.#1078), District Judge – TX;
Joan Azrack (cal.#1145), District Judge – NY;
Elizabeth Dillon (cal.#1146), District Judge – VA; and
Loretta Biggs (cal.#1147), District Judge – NC.

Senator Wyden asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass H.R.5701, Western Oregon Indian Tribal Lands Act.

Senator Vitter objected on behalf of Senator Sessions.

Senator Vitter asked unanimous consent the Finance Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R.4137, Preserving Welfare for Needs Not Weed.

Senator Wyden objected.

Senator Warren asked unanimous consent the Senate take up and pass S.1898, Truth and Settlements, with committee-reported substitute amendment.

Senator Toomey objected on behalf of Senator Cornyn.

Senator Shaheen asked unanimous consent the Energy Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R.2126, and the Senate take up and pass the bill.

Senator Toomey objected on behalf of a colleague who was unavoidably detained.

WRAP UP

Roll Call Votes

Cloture on Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; Invoked: 53-41.
Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1084, Sarah R. Saldana, to be an Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security; Confirmed: 55-39.
Cloture on Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; Invoked: 53-40.
Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1150, Antony Blinken, to be Deputy Secretary of State; Confirmed 55-38.
Cloture on Executive Calendar #1144, Colette Honorable, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Invoked: 65-28.
Passage of H.R.5771, the Tax Extenders Legislation; Passed: 76-16.
Motion to invoke cloture on Stephen R. Bough, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri; Invoked 51-38.
Confirmation of Stephen R. Bough, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Missouri; Confirmed: 51-38.

Legislative Business

Passed H.R.3608: Grand Portage Band Per Capita Adjustment Act

Passed H.R.4030: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 18640 NW 2nd Avenue in Miami, Florida, as the “Father Richard Marquess-Barry Post Office Building”.

Passed Calendar #131, S.684 with committee-reported amendments and Johnson amendment: Mni Wiconi

Passed Calendar #513, S.1800: Bureau of Reclamation Transparency Act with committee-reported amendments and Barrasso amendment

Adopted Calendar #648, S.Res.595: Nobel Laureates Satyarthi and Yousafzai

Adopted S.Res.226: Celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of the Birth of James Cleveland ‘Jesse’ Owens

Adopted S.Res.564: Centennial of the Passenger Pigeon Extinction, with amendment at the desk

Adopted H.Con.Res.125: Adjournment Sine Die Resolution by voice vote

Executive Business

The Senate confirmed the following nominations by voice votes:

Executive Calendar #979, Daniel J. Santos, to be a Member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for a term expiring October 18, 2017;
Executive Calendar #635, Frank A. Rose, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Verification and Compliance);
Executive Calendar #1144, Colette Honorable, to be Member of FERC;
Executive Calendar #840, Estevan Lopez, to be Commissioner of Reclamation;
Executive Calendar #922, Marcus Jadotte, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce;
Executive Calaendar #901, Jonathan Stivers, to be an Assistant Administrator of USAID;
Executive Calendar #735, John Cruden, to be an Assistant Attorney General;
Executive Calendar #553, Christopher Smith, to be Assistant Secretary of Energy;
Executive Calendar #1070, Jorge Alonso, District Judge – IL;
Executive Calendar #1071, Haywood Gilliam, District Judge – CA;
Executive Calendar #1072, Amit Mehta, District Judge – DC;
Executive Calendar #1073, Allison Burroughs, District Judge – MA;
Executive Calendar #1075, John Blakey, District Judge – IL;
Executive Calendar #1076, Amos Mazzant, District Judge – TX;
Executive Calendar #1077, Robert Pitman, District Judge – TX;
Executive Calendar #1078, Robert Schroeder, District Judge – TX;
Executive Calendar #1145, Joan Azrack, District Judge – NY;
Executive Calendar #1146, Elizabeth Dillon, District Judge – VA; and
Executive Calendar #1147, Loretta Biggs, District Judge – NC.

The Senate confirmed the following nominations by unanimous consent:

BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS

#900 Karen Kornbluh – to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors for a term expiring August 13, 2016

CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD

#651 Richard J. Engler – to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years

#970 Manuel H. Ehrlich, Jr. – to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

#1079 Nicholas J. Rasmussen – to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

#514 Mark E. Lopes – to be United States Executive Director of the Inter-American Development Bank for a term of three years

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

#1104 Leigh A. Bradley – to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

#1141 Mark R. Rosekind – to be Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

#933 Helen Tierney – to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs

MORRIS K. UDALL AND STEWART L. UDALL FOUNDATION

#644 Charles P. Rose – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring May 26, 2019

#645 Mark Thomas Nethery – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2018

#646 Anne J. Udall – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2016 (Reappointment)

#737 Camilla C. Feibelman – to be a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION

#844 Martha L. Minow – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#845 Charles Norman Wiltse Keckler – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2016

#862 Gloria Valencia-Weber – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#864 John Gerson Levi – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

#865 Robert James Grey, Jr. – to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation for a term expiring July 13, 2017

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

#757 Thomas Hicks – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December 12, 2017

#1085 Matthew Vincent Masterson – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December12, 2017

#1086 Christy A. McCormick – to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for a term expiring December 12, 2015

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

#1099 Isobel Coleman – to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U. N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador

UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

#790 Paige Eve Alexander – to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

#1110 Robert M. Scher – to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

#1111 David J. Berteau – to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

#1090 Jess Lippincott Baily – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Macedonia

#1091 Robert Francis Cekuta – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Azerbaijan

#1092 Margaret Ann Uyehara – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Montenegro

#1093 Richard M. Mills, Jr. – to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Armenia

PN2092 – Micheal P. O’Rielly, (FCC)

PN1279 – Laurie Mikva (Legal Services)

PN1280 – Victor Maddox (Legal Services)

PN2065 – Joseph Pius Pietzyzk (Legal Services)

PN1916 – James Huffman (Udall)

The Senate also confirmed Calendar #618, James Cole, Jr. to be General Counsel, Department of Education;

Calendar #1005, PN1804, Arthur Lee Bentley III, of Florida, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida for the term of four years; and

Calendar #1062, PN1806, David Rivera, of Tennessee, to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee for the term of four years.

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

Last Floor Action:
12:08:01 P.M. – The Speaker announced that pursuant to the order of the House of today, the House stands adjourned until noon on Friday, December 19, 2014, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 125, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution. Agreed to without objection.

Last Floor Action:12/12
3:10:44 P.M. – The Speaker announced that pursuant to the order of the House of today, the House stands adjourned until noon on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 125, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution. Agreed to without objection.

12:00:00 P.M.		The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
12:00:34 P.M.		The Speaker designated the Honorable Randy Neugebauer to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
12:01:40 P.M.		Today’s prayer was offered by Br. Thomas More Garrett, Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DC.
12:02:01 P.M.		Pursuant to section 3(a) of House Resolution 775, the Journal of the last day’s proceedings was approved.
12:02:07 P.M.		PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
12:02:50 P.M.		The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 12, 2014 at 6:20 p.m.: That the Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 121, H. Con. Res. 123 and that the Senate agreed to the House Amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3979.
12:03:20 P.M.		The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 13, 2014 at 4:25 p.m.: That the Senate passed H.J. Res. 131.
12:03:55 P.M.		The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 15, 2014 at 8:56 a.m.: That the Senate agreed to H. Con. Res. 122 and agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 83.
12:04:11 P.M.		The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 15, 2014 at 9:55 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 2591 and H.R. 5859.
12:05:15 P.M.		The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2014 at 9:03 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 2754, H.R. 3572, H.R. 1206, H.R. 1378, H.R. 5050, H.R. 5185, H.R. 5816, S. 706, H.R. 3027, H.R. 4416, H.R. 4651, H.R. 5331, H.R. 5562, H.R. 4276, and H.R. 5687.
12:06:44 P.M.		The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 16, 2014 at 10:57 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 2901, H.R. 1068, H.R. 2866 amended, and S. 1744.
12:07:00 P.M.		Without objection, the Chair announced that when House adjourns today, it shall adjourn to meet at noon on Friday, December 19, 2014, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 125, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution. Agreed to without objection.
12:08:01 P.M.		The Speaker announced that pursuant to the order of the House of today, the House stands adjourned until noon on Friday, December 19, 2014, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its adoption of H. Con. Res. 125, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution. Agreed to without objection.