the Senate Convened at 9:30amET March 14, 2012

• Following any Leader remarks, there will be one hour of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The Republicans will control the first half and the Majority will control the final half.
• Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1813, Surface Infrastructure, with the time until 11:30am equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or designees.
• At 11:30am, we expect 3 roll call votes in relation to the following items:

• Boxer amendment #1816 (SoS emergency exemptions),
• Paul amendment #1556 (emergency exemptions), and
• Passage of S.1813, as amended.
• Upon disposition of the transportation bill, the Senate will proceed to a period of morning business until 2:00pm with the time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.
• At 2:00pm the Senate will proceed to Executive Session with 30 minutes for debate equally divided prior to the cloture vote on the Groh nomination (Executive Calendar #408).
• At 2:30pm there will be up to 17 cloture votes on judicial nominations, unless an agreement on nominations can be reached.

The Senate is in a period of morning business for 1 hour. Following morning business (approx. 10:36am), we will resume consideration of S.1813, Surface Transportation, with the time until 11:30am equally divided.

The only remaining first degree amendments in order to the transportation bill are the ones listed below. At 11:30am, we expect to have roll call votes on Boxer #1816, Paul #1556, and passage of 1813, Surface Transportation, as amended. I’ve noted what we expect to happen on the remaining amendments below.

– Corker #1810 (fail by voice vote)

– Carper #1670 (may make a statement, but is not expected to offer)

– Hutchison #1568 (may make a statement, but is not expected to offer)

– McCain #1669, as modified (will be withdrawn—included in the managers’ package)

– Alexander #1779 (pass by voice vote)

– Boxer #1816 (roll call vote)

– Paul #1556 (roll call vote)

– Shaheen #1678 (included in managers’ package, will not be offered)

The following amendments have been considered to S.1813, the Surface Transportation Act:

• Johnson-Shelby #1515 (banking title); withdrawn
• Reid amendment #1633 (Banking, Finance and Commerce titles); withdrawn
• Reid amendment #1634 (date change); withdrawn
• Reid motion to commit with instructions (date change); withdrawn
• Reid amendment #1636 to the motion to commit (date change); withdrawn
• Reid amendment #1637 to #1636 (date change); withdrawn
• Blunt amendment #1520 (moral objections to health care services); Tabled: 51-48
• Reid amendment #1730 (Banking, Finance and Commerce titles); withdrawn
• Reid amendment #1761; Agreed to by UC
• Vitter amendment #1535 (OCS) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 44-54
• Baucus amendment #1825 (Rural Schools) (60-vote threshold); Agreed To: 82-16
• Collins amendment #1660 (Boiler MACT) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 52-46
• Coburn amendment #1738 (OMB/Duplicative Programs) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 52-46
• Nelson(FL) amendment #1822 (RESTORE) (60-vote threshold); Agreed To: 76-22
• Wyden amendment #1817 (Keystone Pipeline) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 33-65
• Hoeven amendment #1537 (Keystone Pipeline) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 56-42
• Levin amendment #1818 (offshore tax havens); Agreed to by voice vote
• DeMint amendment #1756 (state discretionary authority); Not Agreed To: 30-67
• Bingaman amendment #1759 (privatized highways); Agreed To: 50-47
• Roberts amendment #1826 (ANWAR,Keystone, etc.) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 41-57
• Stabenow amendment #1812 (energy tax extenders) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 49-49
• DeMint amendment #1589 (repeal of energy tax subsidies) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 26-72
• Menendez-Burr amendment #1782 (natural gas) (60-vote threshold); Not Agreed To: 51-47
• Coats amendment #1517 (Apportionment formula); Not Agreed To: 28-70
• Brown(OH) amendment #1819 (Buy America); Agreed to by Voice Vote
• Blunt amendment #1540 (Off system bridges); Agreed to by Voice Vote
• Klobuchar amendment #1617 (Ag transportation); Agreed to by Voice Vote
• Portman amendment #1736 (gas tax flexibility); Not Agreed to: 30-68
• Corker amendment #1785, as modified (discretionary spending cap adjustment); Fell when the Budget Act was Not Waived: 40-58
• Portman amendment #1742 (rest areas); Not Agreed to: 12-86
• McCain amendment #1669, as modified (Grand Canyon noise abatement); Withdrawn
• Corker amendment #1810 (limitation on expenditures); Not agreed to by voice vote
• Alexander amendment #1779 (over-flights of national parks); Agreed to by voice vote

11:37am The Senate began a roll call vote on Boxer amendment #1816 (SoS on expedited emergency environmental reviews)

11:37am The Senate began a roll call vote on Boxer amendment #1816 (SoS on expedited emergency environmental reviews); Agreed To: 76-20

12:10pm The Senate began a roll call vote on Paul motion to waive Budget Act with respect to Paul amendment #1556 (environmental waivers); Not Waived: 42-54

12:38pm The Senate began a roll call vote on passage of S.1813, the Surface Transportation bill; Passed: 74-22

By consent, the cloture motions on the judges were vitiated. As a result, we will not have any votes at 2:30pm today. Senator Reid intends to turn to H.R.3606, the IPO bill, next.

Cloture was vitiated on the following nominations:

Cal.#408, Gina Marie Groh, of West Virginia;

Cal.#441, David Nuffer, of Utah;

Cal.#461, Michael Walter Fitzgerald, of California;

Cal.#462, Ronnie Abrams, of New York;

Cal.#463, Rudolph Contreras, of Virginia;

Cal.#464, Miranda Du, of Nevada;

Cal.#497, Susie Morgan, of Louisiana;

Cal.#509, Gregg Jeffrey Costa, of Texas;

Cal.#510, David Campos Guaderrama, of Texas;

Cal.#528, Brian C. Wimes, of Missouri;

Cal.#568, Kristine Gerhard Baker, of Arkansas;

Cal.#569, John Z. Lee, of Illinois;

Cal.#570, George Levi Russell, III, of Maryland;

Cal.#571, John J. Tharp, Jr., of Illinois;

Cal.#610, Jeffrey J. Helmick, of Ohio;

Cal.#612, Mary Geiger Lewis, of South Carolina; and

Cal.#613, Timothy S. Hillman, of Massachusetts

The previous order to proceed to Executive Session at 2pm has been vitiated.

The Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5pm, with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each and the time equally divided.

 At 1:45pm on Thursday, March 15, 2012, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the following nominations with 15 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees:

• Cal. #408, Gina Marie Groh, of West Virginia, to be US District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia
• Cal. #461, Michael Walter Fitzgerald, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California

Upon the use or yielding back of time (approximately 2:00pm), there will be 2 roll call votes on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed above.

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTES

1) Boxer amendment #1816 (SoS emergency exemptions); Agreed To: 76-20

2) Motion to Waive the Budget Act with respect to the Paul amendment #1556 (emergency exemptions); Not Agreed To: 42-54

3) Passage of S.1813, the Surface Transportation bill, as amended; Passed: 74-22

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Adopted S.Res.396, supporting the goals and ideals of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.

Began the Rule 14 process of S.2191, to amend the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to prohibit the Attorney General from administering or enforcing certain accessibility reglations relation to pools at public accommodations or provided by public entities (DeMint).

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

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The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on March 16, 2012.