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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Senate Passes $3.7 Trillion Budget, Setting Up Contentious Negotiations

Christopher Gregory/The New York Times
Senator Elizabeth Warren, left, at the Capitol in Washington on Friday before the final vote on the budget resolution.

By JONATHAN WEISMAN
Published: March 23, 2013

WASHINGTON — After an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., the Senate on Saturday adopted its first budget in four years, a $3.7 trillion blueprint for 2014 that would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red a decade from now.

The roll call voting records for the amendments to the budget resolution were placed on a table at the Senate Press Gallery. 

 
 
Christopher Gregory/The New York Times
The roll call voting records for the amendments to the budget resolution were placed on a table at the Senate Press Gallery.


The 50-to-49 vote in the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, sets up contentious — and potentially fruitless — negotiations with the Republican-controlled House in April to reconcile two vastly different plans for dealing with the nation’s economic and budgetary problems. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it: Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Begich of Alaska and Max Baucus of Montana.
All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014.

“The Senate has passed a budget,” Senator Patty Murray of Washington, the Senate Budget Committee chairwoman, declared at 4:56 a.m.

The House plan ostensibly brings the government’s taxes and spending into balance by 2023 with cuts to domestic spending even below the levels of automatic across-the-board cuts roiling federal programs now, and it orders up dramatic and controversial changes to Medicare and the tax code.

The Senate plan, by contrast, includes $100 billion in upfront infrastructure spending to bolster the economy and calls for special fast-track rules to overhaul the tax code and raise $975 billion over 10 years in legislation that could not be filibustered. Even with that tax increase and prescribed spending cuts, the Senate plan would leave the government with a $566 billion annual deficit in 10 years, and $5.2 trillion in additional debt over that window.

“The first priority of the Senate budget is creating jobs and economic growth from the middle out, not the top down,” Ms. Murray said. “With an unemployment rate that remains stubbornly high, and a middle class that has seen their wages stagnate for far too long, we simply cannot afford any threats to our fragile recovery.”

Republicans were harshly dismissive of the Democrats’ priorities. “Honest people can disagree on policy, but where there can be no honest disagreement is the need to change our nation’s debt course,” said Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the committee’s ranking Republican. “The singular truth that no one can escape is that the House budget changes our debt course while the Senate budget does not.”

Passage of the competing spending plans does advance a more orderly budget process after nearly three years of crises and brinkmanship. If House and Senate negotiators can agree on a framework for overhauling the tax code and entitlement programs like Medicare, Congress’s committees could go to work on detailed legislation, possibly under special rules that protect the bills from a Senate filibuster.

If the negotiations prove fruitless, the next budget crisis looms this summer when Congress must again raise the government’s statutory borrowing limit or risk defaulting on the federal debt. On Thursday, House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio revived a rule — breached in January — that any increase in the debt ceiling must be accompanied by equivalent spending cuts.

Final passage of the Senate budget was upstaged by the process that got the senators to it, a marathon session known since 1977 as the budget “vote-a-rama.” More than 500 amendments were filed, and 70 were voted on. Those numbers dwarf previous marathon voting sessions, reflecting pent-up Republican demand for votes and a new, uncompromising view of procedure on the part of Tea Party-backed senators.

The amendments were advisory only, but they put the Senate on record on a dizzying variety of subjects, including limiting the regulation of sage grouse, preventing the United Nations from infringing on Americans’ right to bear arms, repealing a tax on medical devices that helps finance the president’s health care law and building the Keystone XL pipeline.

By 4 a.m., the senators were sitting quietly in their seats, plowing through amendments like sleepy schoolchildren, breaking only to give the Senate pages a standing ovation and to grumble when a senator demanded a roll-call vote if a voice vote would suffice. As the senators recorded their final votes, they hastily left for a two-week spring recess.


But the sleepy bonhomie did not bridge the divide between the parties. Senate Republicans and Democrats could not even agree on what was in the Democratic budget. Ms. Murray said the plan matched its $975 billion in revenue increases with cuts and interest savings of equal size. But Republicans said it did not, since it reversed $1 trillion in across-the-board cuts but did not count that against their spending cuts.

Those differences did not lend themselves to much optimism about the coming budget negotiations. “The only good news is that the fiscal path the Democrats laid out in their budget resolution won’t become law,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

Senate Passes Budget, Calls For Nearly $1 Trillion In Tax Increases

  Kelly Phillips Erb Kelly Phillips Erb Contributor
3/23/2013 @ 10:59PM 

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 16: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) speaks to reporters after a meeting with Senate Democrats on Capitol Hill December 16, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

After an extraordinary four year dry spell, the Senate has passed a formal budget proposal. It now goes to the House where, mark my words, it has zero chance of passing.

Despite all of the back-slapping, the bill wasn’t all that popular in the Senate. The final vote resulted in a slim victory: 50-49. All Republicans in the Senate voted against the bill, as did four Democrats: Sen. Baucus (D-MT), Sen. Begich (D-AK), Sen. Hagan (D-NC) and Sen. Pryor (D-AR). One Democrat, Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ) did not vote.

The sticking point for most Senators was a series of tax increases worth a trillion dollars over ten years. Those tax increases, while largely unspecified, would target taxpayers at the top. To make that happen, the budget calls for special fast-track rules to overhaul the tax code (*insert fit of coughing here*).

The Senate budget is very different from the one passed in the House this week. That budget, penned by former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R-WI) focuses on cutting spending, including popular health care and social programs. The significant inconsistencies make the chances of a quick reconciliation between the two unlikely.

Just before the vote, however, the Senate embarked on a so-called “vote-a-rama” addressing a number of amendments. And by “a number”, I don’t mean a few. I mean nearly 500.

Not all of the amendments made it to the Senate floor. Those that did were a mixed bag.

One amendment that had considerable support was the repeal of the tax on medical devices. The tax, which was created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has been at the center of controversy since it was first introduced. In particular, the tax was heavily criticized from the medical industry for potentially driving up the cost of health care and possibly sending even more jobs overseas.

Also passed? An amendment asking Senators to donate 20% of their salaries to charity to make themselves feel better about getting paid this year. You may remember that, after getting a raise at the end of 2012 despite not passing a budget or a tax deal, Congress agreed to cut their pay if they couldn’t agree on a new budget by April 15. Er, only there was a slight problem with that: it’s unconstitutional. Of course, you’d expect Congress to know that before passing such a nonsense law to begin with but it’s apparently too much to expect Congress to understand the laws that govern their own pay. So, Congress can happily proceed with budget talks with no real consequences to themselves in sight.

While we’re likely to see fierce politicking between the House and Senate over their competing plans, Congress has some breathing room as the next “crisis” won’t emerge until summer (likely, August) when Congress has to address the debt ceiling or risk a default.

Why A Vote on the Medical Device Excise Tax Is The Biggest Deal Ever for Obamacare

Senate Health Care Law Repeal Amendment

Mar 22, 2013

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) debated an amendment to the 2014 fiscal year budget that would repeal the Affordable Care Act.

 

  •  

    R. Cruz, R-Texas

    11:29:26 AM (02:29:10)

    54 seconds
    Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, tomorrow is the 3-year anniversary of the passage of ObamaCare. ObamaCare is hurting. It is hurting seniors,
    it is hurting Hispanics, it is hurting African Americans, it is hurting single moms, and it is hurting the economy. It should be repealed.
    Yesterday over 70 Members of this body voted to remove one of the most pernicious taxes in ObamaCare, the tax on medical device providers. I happily voted for the amendment, but I would point out this is a wealthy industry which can afford to hire lobbyists.
    We should be responsive not only to wealthy corporate lobbyists but to the people and small businesses that are being hurt by ObamaCare and to the workers who are being hurt by ObamaCare. We should be responsive to the American people. For that reason, this amendment would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund to defund ObamaCare and repeal ObamaCare.
  • Thomas Harkin, D-Iowa

    11:30:27 AM (02:30:11)

    1 minute
    Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, this will be the 36th time we have voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I know the Senators on the other side want to revote to repeal it. That is fine. I wish to warn you, due to the way this amendment is drafted, it also repeals what we put in that bill on education; to wit, we put in money to increase Pell grants. We put in money to increase funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We put in money also to help the community colleges, $2 billion.
    We also included the more generous income-based repayment system to ensure people don't need to pay more than 10 percent of their discretionary income to pay back their student loans. All of that is wiped out in the Senator's amendment.
    Again, maybe it is just a drafting error. But I think Senators should know you are not just voting to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. That is fine if you want to do that. I don't think Senators on the other side of the aisle who are here wish to vote to decrease Pell grants and to decrease funding for universities.
  • Mr. CRUZ

    Mr. CRUZ. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  • The PRESIDING OFFICER

    The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second.
    The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
    The clerk will call the roll.
    The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  • Mr. DURBIN

    Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. LAUTENBERG) is necessarily absent.
  • The PRESIDING OFFICER

    The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote?
    The result was announced--yeas 45, nays 54, as follows:
    [Rollcall Vote No. 51 Leg.] 


    YEAS--45
    Alexander
    Ayotte
    Barrasso
    Blunt
    Boozman
    Burr
    Chambliss
    Coats
    Coburn
    Cochran
    Collins
    Corker
    Cornyn
    Crapo
    Cruz
    Enzi
    Fischer
    Flake
    Graham
    Grassley
    Hatch
    Heller
    Hoeven
    Inhofe
    Isakson
    Johanns
    Johnson (WI)
    Kirk
    Lee
    McCain
    McConnell
    Moran
    Murkowski
    Paul
    Portman
    Risch
    Roberts
    Rubio
    Scott
    Sessions
    Shelby
    Thune
    Toomey
    Vitter
    Wicker


    NAYS--54
    Baldwin
    Baucus
    Begich
    Bennet
    Blumenthal
    Boxer
    Brown
    Cantwell
    Cardin
    Carper
    Casey
    Coons
    Cowan
    Donnelly
    Durbin
    Feinstein
    Franken
    Gillibrand
    Hagan
    Harkin
    Heinrich
    Heitkamp
    Hirono
    Johnson (SD)
    Kaine
    King
    Klobuchar
    Landrieu
    Leahy
    Levin
    Manchin
    McCaskill
    Menendez
    Merkley
    Mikulski
    Murphy
    Murray
    Nelson
    Pryor
    Reed
    Reid
    Rockefeller
    Sanders
    Schatz
    Schumer
    Shaheen
    Stabenow
    Tester
    Udall (CO)
    Udall (NM)
    Warner
    Warren
    Whitehouse
    Wyden


    NOT VOTING--1
    Lautenberg


    The amendment (No. 202) was rejected.

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ANNIVERSARY -- (Senate - March 22, 2013)---

 MORNING BUSINESS -- (Senate - March 22, 2013)


Congressional Record article 46 of 56
[Page: S2320]  GPO's PDF

Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, three years ago tomorrow, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act. This landmark law will extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans when the reforms are fully implemented next year. Getting to this point has been an arduous process. But in the end, this achievement proved that real reform is possible, and that the voices of so many Americans who over the years have called on their leaders to act have finally been heard.
Since its passage, Americans have seen the immediate benefits of the Affordable Care Act and 3 years later, those improvements continue. Seniors on Medicare who have high-cost prescriptions are continuing to receive help when trapped within the coverage gap known as the doughnut hole. The Affordable Care Act completely closes the coverage gap by 2020, and the new law makes it easier for seniors to afford prescription drugs in the meantime. In 2010, more than 7,000 Vermonters received a $250 rebate
to help cover the cost of their prescription drugs when they hit the doughnut hole. Last year alone, nearly 6,400 Vermonters with Medicare received a 50-percent discount on their covered brand-name prescriptions, resulting in an average savings of $765 per person. Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, more than 5,000 young adults in Vermont have gained health insurance coverage under these reforms, which allow young adults to stay on their parents' plans
until their 26th birthdays. The improvements we are seeing in Vermont go on and on: in 2011 and 2012, 71 million Americans and 151,000 Vermonters with private insurance gained access to and received preventative screening coverage with no deductible or copay, including more than 80,000 Medicare beneficiaries. These are just a few of the dozens of consumer protections included in the law that are benefiting Vermonters and all Americans every day, and in many ways.
The law goes into full swing next year as even more consumer protections are implemented and millions more Americans gain access to health insurance coverage. Beginning in January, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to individuals with preexisting health conditions or to charge higher premiums based on health status or gender. Unfortunately, estimates show that 44,000 Vermonters currently do not have health insurance, but with the Medicaid expansion contained in the
Affordable Care Act, 84 percent of these Vermonters will qualify for Medicaid or a premium tax credit. Also important to Vermonters, to assist Vermont with our State's work on implementing Vermont's State-based health insurance exchange--or marketplace--Vermont has received more than $125,000,000
in grants for research and for information technology development, as well as almost $3,480,000 for maternal health programs. These tangible initiatives help at-risk families gain the support they need to improve their children's health and ability to learn, and they help prevent child abuse.
I was proud as well to work with Senator Grassley and others to include strong anti-fraud provisions in the law that already have helped prevent and detect fraudulent activities that in the past have cost American taxpayers multiple millions of dollars each year. Thanks in part to these efforts, $4.2 billion was returned to taxpayers last year alone.
In only 3 years, Vermonters across our State have seen the many benefits of health care reform unfold in their lives. I see and hear about these improvements and pocketbook savings in visits to every corner of our State. At home in Middlesex and throughout Vermont, whether I am in the grocery store, at the gas pump, or at church, I am constantly reminded of how important access to quality affordable health care is to individuals and families. I applaud Vermont's efforts to expand the Affordable
Care Act's reach even further to help every resident secure health insurance. I am proud that the Affordable Care Act offers Vermont the foundation it needs to reach this goal, and I look forward to working to see that it is met.
Regrettably, opponents of the Affordable Care Act continue to misleadingly attack the law in an attempt to undermine its implementation. The moment President Obama signed this bill into law, opponents sought to continue their political battle by challenging the landmark legislation in the courts. With the legal challenges now nearly resolved, we are now seeing amendments filed to every bill we consider on the floor, aimed at repealing or gutting the Affordable Care Act. In fact, on the budget
resolution we are considering today, dozens of amendments have been filed in an effort to block the Affordable Care Act's implementation, to undermine its success in making lives better across the land, or to repeal the law completely. This is unfortunate, it is shortsighted, and it is cynical. Even more shameful is the budget resolution considered and
passed by the House this week. The House-passed budget would make drastic changes to the Medicaid Program causing 14 to 20 million Americans to lose health coverage; it would replace Medicare with a voucher scheme costing seniors at least $6000 more per year; and would completely repeal all the consumer protections included in the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but in the true interests of the [Page: S2321]
people we represent we should be working together to ensure its success. We can make improvements where necessary, but we must allow full implementation to continue. Already the Affordable Care Act has changed so many lives for the better, and we must not turn our backs on the millions more who will have access to health care next year because of these reforms.
The Affordable Care Act is a tremendous achievement that will improve the lives of Americans for generations to come. This anniversary is a time to renew our commitment to completing this important work on behalf of the American people, who are counting on us to do the right thing. With each year that we move forward to implement the features of this landmark health care reform law, the stories of families not being able to gain access to affordable coverage are becoming fewer and fewer and are
being replaced by stories of the success of these reforms, one family at a time, all across Vermont and all across America. I look forward to continuing to work with Vermont and with the administration as the law moves forward in its fourth year.

Senate Session

Mar 22, 2013

The U.S. Senate convenes to resume consideration of S Con Res 8, the budget resolution for fiscal 2014, offered by Budget Committee Chairman Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).



*******NOTE: The vote count on the left is correct for the entire 2013 Senate from January.

   U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 113th Congress - 1st Session (2013)
VoteDateIssueQuestionResultDescription
00092 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Resolution Agreed to S. Con. Res. 8; An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2013, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023.
00091 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 139 Agreed to Inhofe Amdt. No. 139; To uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.
00090 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 154 Agreed to Portman Amdt. No. 154; To require the Congressional Budget Office to include macroeconomic feedback scoring of tax legislation.
00089 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 709 Agreed to Coburn Amdt. No. 709; No Statement of Purpose on File.
00088 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 416 Rejected Coburn Amdt. No. 416; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to eliminate non-defense related spending by the Department of Defense.
00087 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Motion S.Amdt. 673 Rejected Motion to Waive CBA Re: Lee Amdt. No. 673; To create a point of order against legislation that would further restrict the right of law-abiding Americans to own a firearm.
00086 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 702 Rejected Cruz Amdt. No. 702; To create a point of order against any legislation that would provide taxpayer funds to the United Nations while any member nation forces citizens or residents of that nation to undergo involuntary abortions.
00085 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 471 Rejected Cruz Amdt. No. 471; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to reduce foreign assistance to Egypt and increase funding for an east coast missile defense shield.
00084 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 338 Rejected Vitter Amdt. No. 338; To end the mobile phone welfare program.
00083 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 526 Rejected Vitter Amdt. No. 526; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to ensure election integrity by requiring a valid government-issued photographic ID for voting in federal elections.
00082 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 382 Rejected Paul Amdt. No. 382; To provide funding to the Department of Transportation for interstate bridge infrastructure projects and to reduce the Federal deficit by decreasing the amounts available for foreign assistance and loan guarantee programs administered by the Department of Energy.
00081 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 318 Rejected Crapo Amdt. No. 318; To amend the reconciliation instructions to include instructions to the Committee on Finance to achieve the Budget's stated goal of $275 billion in mandatory health care savings.
00080 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 136 Agreed to Ayotte Amdt. No. 136; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for the prohibition on funding of the Medium Extended Air Defense System.
00079 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 340 Rejected Shelby Amdt. No. 340; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for legislation that requires financial regulators to conduct rigorous cost-benefit analyses on all proposed rules.
00078 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 152 Rejected Portman Amdt. No. 152; To provide reconciliation instructions to reduce the deficit by $63,860,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2014 through 2023.
00077 23-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 614 Rejected Sessions Amdt. No. 614; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to achieve savings by prohibiting illegal immigrants or illegal immigrants granted legal status from qualifying for federally subsidized health care.
00076 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 359 Rejected Inhofe Amdt. No. 359; To reduce spending and decrease the risk of drastic energy price increases by prohibiting further greenhouse gas regulations for the purposes of addressing climate change.
00075 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 597 Rejected Scott Amdt. No. 597; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to the prohibition of taxpayer dollars and resources being used to automatically deduct union dues from the pay of Federal employees.
00074 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 213 Rejected Johnson (WI) Amdt. No. 213; To force Congress to ensure the solvency of the Social Security and Medicare programs.
00073 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 373 Rejected Lee Amdt. No. 373; To provide a point of order against budgets spending more on net interest payments on the debt than on national defense, and to ensure the United States government funds its military at higher levels than the militaries of foreign holders of its debt.
00072 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 514 Rejected Coats Amdt. No. 514; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to enable prompt action relating to the Presidential exemption for the rule of the Environmental Protection Agency commonly known as the Mercury and Air Toxins Standard for affected electric utility steam generating units that need additional time to install the major emissions control equipment, construct replacement generation, or implement other mitigation measures in order to ensure the reliability of the grid.
00071 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 535 Rejected Toomey Amdt. No. 535; To repeal the tax increase on catastrophic medical expenses created by Obamacare.
00070 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 689 Agreed to Vitter Amdt. No. 689; To end "Too Big To Fail" subsidies or funding advantage for Wall Street mega-banks (over $500 billion in total assets).
00069 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 263 Rejected Paul Amdt. No. 263; In the nature of a substitute.
00068 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Motion S.Amdt. 697 Rejected Motion to Waive CBA Re: Burr Amdt. No. 697; To create a point of order against legislation that would raise taxes on veterans, and for other purposes.
00067 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 307 Rejected Thune Amdt. No. 307; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to permanently eliminate the Federal estate tax.
00066 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 693 Agreed to Warner Amdt. No. 693; To repeal or reduce the estate tax, but only if done in a fiscally responsible way.
00065 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 138 Agreed to Isakson Amdt. No. 138; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to establishing a biennial budget and appropriations process.
00064 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Motion S.Amdt. 292 Rejected Motion to Waive CBA Re: Rubio Amdt. No. 292; To express the sense of the Senate to enact Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act.
00063 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 515 Rejected Alexander Amdt. No. 515; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund related to the education of low-income children, which may include allowing funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to follow children from low-income families to the school children attend.
00062 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 656 Agreed to Enzi Amdt. No. 656; Of a perfecting nature.
00061 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 494 Agreed to Hoeven Amdt. No. 494; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to promote investment and job growth in United States manufacturing, oil and gas production, and refining sectors through the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
00060 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 622 Rejected Boxer Amdt. No. 622; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to protecting the interests of the United States in making a decision relating to the Keystone XL pipeline.
00059 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Motion S.Amdt. 261 Rejected Motion to Waive CBA Re: Blunt Amdt. No. 261; To create a point of order against legislation that would create a Federal tax or fee on carbon emissions.
00058 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 646 Rejected Whitehouse Amdt. No. 646; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to ensuring that all revenue from a fee on carbon pollution is returned to the American people.
00057 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 409 Agreed to Coburn Amdt. No. 409; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to sunset the provision of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that increases payments to hospitals in a few States by reducing payments to the majority of States through the Medicare hospital wage index.
00056 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 651 Rejected Menendez Amdt. No. 651; To call for a comprehensive approach for wage index reform.
00055 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 630 Rejected Fischer Amdt. No. 630; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to protect women's access to health care, including primary and preventive care, in a manner consistent with protecting rights of conscience.
00054 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 438 Agreed to Shaheen Amdt. No. 438; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to protect women's access to health care, including primary and preventative health care, family planning and birth control, and employer-provided contraceptive coverage, such as was provided under the Affordable Care Act (PL 111-148).
00053 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 222 Rejected Crapo Amdt. No. 222; To establish a deficit neutral reserve fund to repeal the tax increases enacted under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that were imposed on low- and middle-income Americans.
00052 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 439 Agreed to Murray Amdt. No. 439; To amend the deficit-neutral reserve fund for tax relief to provide tax relief for low and middle income families.
00051 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 202 Rejected Cruz Amdt. No. 202; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to provide for the repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and to encourage patient-centered reforms to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs, promoting economic growth.
00050 22-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 158 Rejected Ayotte Amdt. No. 158; To prohibit the consideration of a budget resolution that includes revenue increases while the civilian unemployment rate is above 5.5 percent, the administration's prediction for the unemployment rate without the stimulus.
00049 21-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 156 Rejected Grassley Amdt. No. 156; To protect Americans from a $1,000,000,000,000 tax increase and provide for pro-growth revenue-neutral comprehensive tax reform.
00048 21-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 432 Agreed to Stabenow Amdt. No. 432; To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to protect Medicare's guaranteed benefits and to prohibit replacing guaranteed benefits with the House passed budget plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program.
00047 21-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 297 Agreed to Hatch Amdt. No. 297; To promote innovation, preserve high-paying jobs, and encourage economic growth for manufacturers of lifesaving medical devices and cutting edge medical therapies.
00046 21-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 433 Rejected Murray Amdt. No. 433; To amend the resolution.
00045 21-Mar S.Con.Res. 8 On the Motion to Recommit Rejected Sessions Motion to Recommit S.Con.Res. 8 to the Committee on the Budget; An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014, revising the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2013, and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023.
00044 20-Mar H.R. 933 On Passage of the Bill Passed H.R. 933 As Amended; Amend the title to read: "An Act making consolidated appropriations and further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013."
00043 20-Mar H.R. 933 On the Cloture Motion Agreed to Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.R. 933; Amend the title to read: "An Act making consolidated appropriations and further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013."
00042 20-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 26 Agreed to Mikulski Amdt. No. 26 As Modified, As Amended; In the nature of a substitute.
00041 20-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 115 Rejected Toomey Amdt. No. 115 As Modified; To increase by $25,000,000 the amount appropriated for Operation and Maintenance for the Department of Defense for programs, projects, and activities in the continental United States, and to provide an offset.
00040 20-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 93 Rejected Coburn Amdt. No. 93; To transfer appropriations from the National Heritage Partnership Program to fund the resumption of public tours of the White House and visitor services and maintenance at national parks and monuments.
00039 20-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 69 Rejected Coburn Amdt. No. 69; To prohibit Urban Area Security Initiative grant recipients from funding projects that do not improve homeland security.
00038 18-Mar H.R. 933 On the Cloture Motion S.Amdt. 26 Agreed to Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Mikulski Amdt. No. 26; In the nature of a substitute.
00037 14-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 66 Rejected Coburn Amdt. No. 66; To temporarily freeze the hiring of nonessential Federal employees.
00036 14-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 53 Rejected Harkin Amdt. No. 53; Of a perfecting nature.
00035 13-Mar H.R. 933 On the Motion to Table S.Amdt. 33 Rejected Motion to Table McCain Amdt. No. 33; To strike certain authorities relating to the use for grants of funds of the Office of Economic Assistance of the Department of Defense.
00034 13-Mar H.R. 933 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 30 Rejected Cruz Amdt. No. 30; To prohibit the use of funds to carry out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
00033 11-Mar PN7 On the Nomination Confirmed Confirmation Richard Gary Taranto, of Maryland, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit
00032 07-Mar PN48 On the Nomination Confirmed Confirmation John Owen Brennan, of Virginia, to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
00031 07-Mar PN48 On the Cloture Motion Agreed to Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of John Owen Brennan, of Virginia, to be Director of the CIA
00030 06-Mar PN2 On the Cloture Motion Rejected Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan, of New York, to be U.S. Circuit Judge
00029 05-Mar S.Res. 64 On the Amendment S.Amdt. 25 Rejected Paul Amdt. No. 25; To strike supplemental staff funding available only to a limited number of Senators in a time of sequestration.
00028 04-Mar PN15 On the Nomination Confirmed Confirmation Katherine Polk Failla, of New York, to be U.S. District Judge