
President of the United States: Let us keep our American dream |
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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)
Tuesday, 2:30pm—Up to 2 roll call votes
Tuesday, 6:00pm
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
Next:
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
Next:
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.
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
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 100th 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:
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)
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.
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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. |
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Wow! Thanks to you, the PepsiCo Global Call-in Day was tremendous. The stories are still rolling in, but we know the action generated thousands of calls to PepsiCo and activists around the global took the lead in organizing Call-In Day events. The timing of this global escalation on PepsiCo couldn’t have been better. PepsiCo is still dragging its heels, and as we speak, one of the most important rainforests left on earth – the Leuser Ecosystem – is getting ravaged by bulldozers. When you take action you are standing side by side with the communities who live on the frontline and are impacted by Conflict Palm Oil. Take the extra step today and make a donation to support our efforts demanding PepsiCo end its destructive ways. The magical Leuser Ecosystem is among the most biodiverse places ever documented. It is like nowhere else on Earth. Scientists and conservationists consider the Leuser Ecosystem to be among the most important forests left in Southeast Asia, as it is the last place where Sumatran tigers, orangutans, rhinos, elephants, clouded leopards and sun bears can still be found together. For our forests and our future, Jess Serrante P.S. Please chip in a $5 dollar gift today! Your gift will support our efforts to ramp up the pressure on PepsiCo to eliminate Conflict Palm Oil. Together, we can protect our remaining rainforests. |

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the U.K. Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street. During a tour of the residence, we were shown a painting of an elegantly dressed woman. “Of course, you know Lady Lovelace,” we were told.
Imagine our surprise to learn that we were staring at a portrait of the woman who is considered to be the world’s first programmer. Our group had never heard of her.
Ada Lovelace’s experience remains all too familiar: So many of the breakthrough contributions of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields continue to go untold, too often fading into obscurity.
Then add an untold history of your own, and make a commitment to share these stories in any way you can to help inspire more young women and men to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Women were central in the early teams building the foundation of modern programming. They unveiled the structure of DNA. Their work inspired new environmental movements and led to the discovery of new genes. It’s past time to write their stories permanently into history, so they can stand side by side with the extraordinary men like them who have used their technical and innovation skills to bring needed solutions and discoveries to our world.
And here’s what’s worth noting: Telling and sharing these stories will actively help create more of them in the future.
Research shows us that a key part of inspiring more young people to pursue careers in science and technology is simply sharing the stories of role models like them in these fields who have had a significant impact on our world.
Stories like that of Rosalind Franklin, whose research was essential for revealing the structure of DNA. There’s Katherine Johnson, who calculated key flight trajectories during the Space Race. The ENIAC team — six young women “Computers” who were the first digital programmers in America. Or Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, who first developed computer languages and a compiler to translate them into machine code.
You just might inspire the next Ada Lovelace.
Thanks,
Megan
Megan Smith
U.S. Chief Technology Officer
The White House
@USCTO
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