the Senate Convenes: 10:00amET December 27,2012

• Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will begin consideration of H.R.5949, FISA Reauthorization, at which point Senator Wyden will be recognized.
• The next roll call vote will be at 5:30pm on Thursday, December 27^th in relation to the FISA bill or the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

The Senate has begun consideration of H.R.5949, FISA Reauthorization. Under the previous order, there will be up to 7 hours for debate on the bill and 30 minutes equally divided on each of the amendments listed below.

– Leahy (Judiciary committee reported substitute);

– Merkley (declassification of FISA court opinions);

– Paul (4^th Amendment – searches/seizures); and

– Wyden (public reporting);

Upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the order listed. Upon disposition of the amendments, the bill will be read a third time and the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended.

In addition to the FISA extension, we could also consider amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill today, as provided for under a previous order. As you may recall, cloture on the Supplemental was invoked last week and we reached a further agreement to limit amendments that are in order to the Supplemental.

Senators should expect a series of votes to begin at 5:30pm tonight in relation to the FISA extension and possibly amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

Senate-designate Brian Schatz will be sworn in as senator (HI) at 2:30pm today.

At 5:30pm tonight, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 3 roll call votes in relation to the following amendments to H.R.5949, FISA:

–       Leahy #3437 (substitute);

–       Merkley #3534 (declassification of FISA court opinions); and

–       Paul #3436 (searches and seizures).

There will be 2 minutes for debate between each vote. All votes after the first vote will be 10 minutes in duration. When the Senate convenes tomorrow, there will be 30 minutes for debate prior to a vote in relation to the Wyden amendment (public reporting) and passage of H.R.5949, as amended, if amended. Under the previous order, the amendments and passage of the FISA bill are subject to 60 affirmative vote thresholds.

Senator Reid has asked senators with amendments to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill to call up and debate their amendments tonight so that we can begin voting on the amendments tomorrow.

5:34pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Leahy amendment #3427 (substitute);

Not Agreed To: 38-52

6:07pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Merkley amendment #3435 (declassification of FISA reports);

Not Agreed To: 37-54

6:27pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Paul amendment #3436 (searches-seizures);

Not Agreed To: 12-79

The Senate has resumed consideration of H.R.1, the legislative vehicle for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill.

The Cardin amendment #3393 and the Tester amendment #3350 are pending.

Senator Mikulski announced her intention to have the following additional amendments made pending this evening:

– Senator Landrieu to be recognized for up to two minutes to call up her amendment #3415;

– Senator Coburn to be recognized for up to 30 minutes to call up his amendments #3368, #3369, #3370, as modified, #3371, #3382 and #3383;

– Senator Merkley to be recognized for up to five minutes to call up his amendment #3367;

– Senator Mikulski to be recognized for up to two minutes to call up on behalf of Senator Leahy amendment #3403 and on behalf of Senator Harkin amendment #3426.

The following amendments are pending to H.R.1, the legislative vehicle for the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill:

• Reid amendment #3395 (substitute)
• Reid amendment #3396 (technical)
• Reid amendment #3397 (technical)
• Reid amendment #3398 (technical)
• Reid amendment #3399 (technical)
• Reid motion to commit with instructions amendment #3400 (technical)
• Reid amendment #3401 (technical)
• Reid amendment #3402 (technical)
• Coats amendment #3391 (alternative substitute)
• Cardin amendment #3393 (surety bonds)
• Tester amendment #3350 (wildland fire management)
• Landrieu amendment #3415 (emergency protective measures)
• Coburn amendment #3369 (notification of grant recipients)
• Coburn amendment #3371 (most severe disaster assistance)
• Coburn amendment #3382 (competitive biding for disaster assistance)
• Coburn amendment #3383 (Corps of Engineers)
• Coburn amendment #3368 (cost-sharing for Corps of Engineers)
• Coburn amendment #3370, as modified (delinquent tax debts/fisheries)
• Merkley amendment #3367, as further modified (crop insurance)
• Leahy amendment #3403 (US embassy security)
• Harkin amendment #3426 (technical-grants)

The following amendments have been considered to H.R.1:

• Inouye amendment #3338 (substitute) withdrawn
• Inouye amendment #3339 (perfecting) fell
• Merkley amendment #3367 (disaster relief for agriculture) fell
• McCain amendment #3355 (strike funding for emergency forest restoration) fell
• Tester amendment #3350 (wildland fire management) fell
• Coburn amendment #3371, as modified and divided (per capita damage indictor) fell
• Bingaman amendment #3344 (Palau) fell

On Friday, December 28, when the Senate resumes consideration of H.R.1, the Emergency Supplemental (upon disposition of FISA bill), the Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments to the bill, under the previous order. All remaining time under the previous order with respect to the amendments will be yielded back. There will be two minutes equally divided prior to each vote with the exception of the following:

– 4 minutes equally divided prior to each of the votes in relation to the Coburn amendments and divisions;

– 10 minutes equally divided prior to the votes in relation to each of the Paul amendments;

– 8 minutes equally divided prior to the vote in relation to the McCain amendment #3355; and

– 10 minutes equally divided prior to the vote in relation to the Lee amendment.

That all other provisions of the previous order remain in effect.

As a reminder, under the previous order the following amendments are in order to the Supplemental:

– Cardin #3393 (surety bonds);

– Grassley #3348 (DOJ – vehicles);

– Feinstein #3421 (Army Corps projects), as modified with changes at the desk;

– Harkin #3426 (technical – grants);

– Landrieu #3415 (emergency reimbursement);

– Leahy #3403 (U.S. embassy security);

– McCain #3384 (Amtrak), as modified with changes at the desk;

– Bingaman #3344 (Palau);

– Coburn #3368 (cost sharing – Army Corps);

– Coburn #3369 (notification triggers);

– Coburn #3370, as modified and with two divisions – delinquent tax debts and fisheries);

– Coburn #3371 (severe disasters);

– Coburn #3382 (Merit based recovery contracts);

– Coburn #3383 (strike certain studies – Army Corps);

– Tester #3350 (Fire management);

– Paul #3376 (Non-application of Davis-Bacon);

– Paul #3410 (Offset)

– McCain #3355 (strike emergency forest restoration);

– Merkley #3367 (extend Agriculture disaster assistance programs), as modified;

– Lee #3373, as modified (special rules – retirement funds); and

– Coats #3391 (Republican alternative).

ROLL CALL VOTES

1) Adoption of the Leahy amendment #3437 to H.R.5949, the FISA Reauthorization Act; NOT ADOPTED: 38-52

2) Adoption of the Merkley amendment #3534; NOT ADOPTED: 37-54

3) Adoption of the Paul amendment #3436; NOT ADOPTED: 12-79

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Discharged the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee and passed the following:

–          H.R.2338, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 Florida Avenue in Cocoa, Florida, as the “Harry T. and Harriette Moore Post Office”.

–          H.R.3892, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8771 Auburn Folsom Road in Roseville, California, as the “Lance Corporal Victor A. Dew Post Office.”

Passed the following postal naming bills, en bloc:

–          H.R.3869, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 600 East Capitol Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the “Sidney ‘Sid’ Sanders McMath Post Office Building”.

–          H.R.4389, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 19 East Merced Street in Fowler, California, as the “Cecil E. Bolt Post Office”.

–          H.R.6260, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the “Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office”.

–          H.R.6379, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6239 Savannah Highway in Ravenel, South Carolina, as the “Representative Curtis B. Inabinett, Sr. Post Office”.

–          H.R.6587, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 225 Simi Village Drive in Simi Valley, California, as the “Postal Inspector Terry Asbury Post Office Building”.

Discharged the Finance committee and Passed S.3667, A bill to rename section 219(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as the Kay Bailey Hutchison Spousal IRA.

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Watch Most Recent House Floor Activity

The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on December 27, 2012.

2:00:50 P.M.		The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
2:01:46 P.M.		The Speaker designated the Honorable Steven C. LaTourette to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.
2:02:01 P.M.		Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.
2:02:53 P.M.		The Speaker announced approval of the Journal.  Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.
2:03:00 P.M.		PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Kucinich to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
2:03:58 P.M.		ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.
2:08:00 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 27, 2012 at 11:19 a.m.: That the Senate passed H.R. 1339, without amendment; passed H.R. 4212, with an amendment; passed H.R. 5859, without amendment; passed H.R. 6364, with an amendment; passed S. 3709; and passed H.R. 1845, without amendment.
2:09:01 P.M.		The Chair announced that, without objection, when the House adjourns on Thursday, December 27, 2012, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Monday, December 31, 2012.
2:09:02 P.M.		The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on December 31, 2012.