Friday, December 18, 2020

HIGHLIGHTS

Senate passed H.J. Res. 107, Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act.

Measures Introduced: Seven bills and three resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 5063–5069, and S. Res. 806–808.
Pages S7712–13

Measures Passed:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act: Senate passed S. 2800, to authorize programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, and the following amendment proposed thereto:
Pages S7650–82

Cruz Amendment No. 2718, in the nature of a substitute.
Pages S7666–82


Further Additional Continuing Appropriations: Senate passed H.J. Res. 107, making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021.
Page S7712


PRC for Native Veterans Act: Committee on Indian Affairs was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6237, to amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to clarify the requirement of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to reimburse the Indian Health Service for certain health care services, and the bill was then passed.
Page S7827


Seminole Tribe of Florida: Committee on Indian Affairs was discharged from further consideration of S. 4079, to authorize the Seminole Tribe of Florida to lease or transfer certain land, and the bill was then passed.
Pages S7827–28


Carl Nunziato VA Clinic: Senate passed H.R. 5023, to name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Youngstown, Ohio, as the ``Carl Nunziato VA Clinic''.
Page S7828


Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances Act: Senate passed S. 2353, to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop guidance for firefighters and other emergency response personnel on best practices to protect them from exposure to PFAS and to limit and prevent the release of PFAS into the environment.
Page S7828


GAO Database Modernization Act: Senate passed S. 4222, to amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to require Federal agencies to submit to the Comptroller General of the United States a report on rules that are revoked, suspended, replaced, amended, or otherwise made ineffective, after agreeing to the committee amendment.
Pages S7828–29


Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1966, to direct the Comptroller General of the United States to complete a study on barriers to participation in federally funded cancer clinical trials by populations that have been traditionally underrepresented in such trials, and the bill was then passed.
Page S7829


Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act: Senate passed H.R. 8906, to amend title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program under such title relating to lifespan respite care.
Page S7829


Dayton Peace Accords 25th Anniversary: Committee on Foreign Relations was discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 729, recognizing the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, and the resolution was then agreed to.
Page S7829


National Urban League 110 years: Senate agreed to S. Res. 808, congratulating the National Urban League on 110 years of service empowering African Americans and other underserved communities while helping to foster a more just, equitable, and inclusive United States.
Pages S7829–30

House Messages:

Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act: Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the House of Representatives and in the title amendment to S. 2174, to the extent provided in advance in appropriations Act, the Attorney General is authorized to use funds appropriated for the operationalization, maintenance, and expansion of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) for the purpose of carrying out this Act.
Page S7828


Enrollment Correction: Senate agreed to the motion to concur in the amendment of the House of Representatives to S. Con. Res. 52, to correct the enrollment of S. 3312.
Page S7828

Retiring Members Tributes--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to retiring members of the 116th Congress, and that members have until Monday, December 21, 2020 to submit such tributes.
Page S7827

Signing Authority--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the Majority Leader and Senator Tillis, be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions, on December 18 and 19, 2020.
Page S7827

Aenlle–Rocha Nomination: Senate continued consideration of the nomination of Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California.
Pages S7648–50, H7682–7701

Dietz Nomination--Agreement: A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that at approximately 11 a.m., on Saturday, December 19, 2020, Senate resume consideration of the nomination of Thompson Michael Dietz, of New Jersey, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims for a term of fifteen years.
Page S7830

Nomination Confirmed: Senate confirmed the following nomination:

Charles A. Stones, of Kansas, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation.
Page S7701

A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination, be withdrawn.
Page S7701

Messages from the House:
Page S7712

Measures Referred:
Page S7712

Additional Cosponsors:
Page S7713

Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S7713–H7810

Additional Statements:

Amendments Submitted:
Pages S7810–27

Adjournment: Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 7:08 p.m., until 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 19, 2020. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Majority Leader in today's Record on page S7830.)

No committee meetings were held.

Public Bills and Resolutions Introduced: 12 public bills, H.R. 9025–9036; and 4 resolutions, H.J. Res. 107–109; and H. Res. 1270 were introduced.
Pages H7277–78

Additional Cosponsors:
Page H7278

Reports Filed: Reports were filed today as follows:

H.R. 733, to provide for the transfer of certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (H. Rept. 116–665);

H.R. 1031, to take certain land located in San Diego County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–666);

H.R. 1162, to establish a grant program for the funding of water recycling and reuse projects, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–667);

H.R. 3723, to promote desalination project development and drought resilience, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–668, Part 1);

H.R. 4299, to reauthorize through 2024 the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program Act of 2005, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–669);

H.R. 5153, to assist Tribal governments in the management of buffalo and buffalo habitat and for the reestablishment of buffalo on Indian lands, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–670);

H.R. 5347, to require the Secretary of the Interior to establish a grant program to close gaps in access to safe drinking water in disadvantaged communities, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–671, Part 1);

H.R. 5598, to provide for the protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and interconnected Federal lands and waters, including Voyageurs National Park, within the Rainy River Watershed in the State of Minnesota, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–672);

H.R. 644, to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Navajo Nation in Utah, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–673);

H.R. 4891, to provide for the conduct of certain water security measures in the Western United States, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–674, Part 1);

H.R. 1922, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to include certain over-the-counter medical products as qualified medical expenses, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–675);

H.R. 4479, to temporarily provide Commonwealth-only transitional worker permits for workers in construction occupations involved in disaster recovery, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–676, Part 1);

H.R. 3794, to promote the development of renewable energy on public lands, and for other purposes, with an amendment (H. Rept. 116–677, Part 1); and

H.R. 3879, to modify the procedures for issuing special recreation permits for certain public land units, and for other purposes, with amendments (H. Rept. 116–678, Part 1).
Pages H7276–77

Recess: The House recessed at 10:20 a.m. and reconvened at 12 noon.
Page H7263

Suspensions: The House agreed to suspend the rules and pass the following measures:
Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act: S. 3418, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide capitalization grants to States to establish revolving funds to provide hazard mitigation assistance to reduce risks from disasters and natural hazards, and other related environmental harm;
Pages H7264–68


Federal Advance Contracts Enhancement Act: S. 979, to amend the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 to incorporate the recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office relating to advance contracts, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 386 yeas to 1 nay, Roll No. 246;
Pages H7268–70, H7271–72


Drone Advisory Committee for the 21st Century Act: S. 2730, to establish and ensure an inclusive and transparent Drone Advisory Committee; and
Page H7270

Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021: H.J. Res. 107, making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021, by a \2/3\ yea-and-nay vote of 320 yeas to 60 nays, Roll No. 247.
Pages H7273–74


Secret Service Overtime Pay Extension Act: The House agreed to take from the Speaker's table and pass S. 5036, to amend the Overtime Pay for Protective Services Act of 2016 to extend the Secret Service overtime pay exception through 2023.
Page H7272

Recess: The House recessed at 2:15 p.m. and reconvened at 5 p.m.
Page H7273

Senate Referrals: S. 481 was held at the desk. S. 1681 was held at the desk. S. 1782 was held at the desk. S. 2165 was held at the desk. S. 3248 was held at the desk. S. 4857 was held at the desk. S. 4971 was held at the desk.
Pages H7272–73

Senate Message: Message received from the Senate by the Clerk and subsequently presented to the House today appears on pages H7272–73 .

Quorum Calls--Votes: Two yea-and-nay votes developed during the proceedings of today and appear on pages H7271, H7273–74.

Adjournment: The House met at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 6:22 p.m.

No hearings were held.

No joint committee meetings were held.

H.R. 473, to authorize the Every Word We Utter Monument to establish a commemorative work in the District of Columbia and its environs. Signed on December 17, 2020. (Public Law 116–217)

H.R. 4975, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1201 Sycamore Square Drive in Midlothian, Virginia, as the ``Dorothy Braden Bruce Post Office Building''. Signed on December 17, 2020. (Public Law 116–218)

H.R. 5062, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9930 Conroy Windermere Road in Windermere, Florida, as the ``Officer Robert German Post Office Building''. Signed on December 17, 2020. (Public Law 116–219)

H.R. 5307, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 115 Nicol Avenue in Thomasville, Alabama, as the ``Postmaster Robert Ingram Post Office''. Signed on December 17, 2020. (Public Law 116–220)

No meetings/hearings scheduled.

No hearings are scheduled.

Program for Saturday: Senate will resume consideration of the nomination of Thompson Michael Dietz, of New Jersey, to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims, and vote on the motion to invoke cloture thereon at 12 noon.

Program for Sunday: To be announced.

HOUSE

Axne, Cynthia, Iowa, E1179

Boyle, Brendan F., Pa., E1185

Casten, Sean, Ill., E1185

Chabot, Steve, Ohio, E1180

Cunningham, Joe, S.C., E1183

DeGette, Diana, Colo., E1181

González-Colón, Jenniffer, Puerto Rico, E1181, E1184

Graves, Garret, La., E1185

Hudson, Richard, N.C., E1179, E1181, E1183

Jackson Lee, Sheila, Tex., E1180, E1182

Joyce, John, Pa., E1181, E1186

Kaptur, Marcy, Ohio, E1179, E1182, E1186

Maloney, Carolyn B., N.Y., E1184

Roby, Martha, Ala., E1180

Rogers, Harold, Ky., E1181

Rose, John W., Tenn., E1184

Stauber, Pete, Minn., E1181

Weber, Randy K., Sr., Tex., E1185

Young, Don, Alaska, E1183