The Senate stands adjourned to convene for pro forma sessions with no business conducted on the following dates and times:

Monday, March 30^th at 11:00am;

Thursday, April 2^nd at 10:00am;

Monday, April 6^th at 10:00am;

Thursday, April 9^th at 10:00am;

Monday, April 13^th at 10:00am; and

Thursday, April 16^th at 3:00pm.

When the Senate adjourns on Thursday, it will next convene at 3:00pm on Monday, April 20, 2020.

On Monday, following Leader remarks, the Senate will consider Executive Calendar #556, Robert J. Feitel, of Maryland, to be Inspector General, Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

At 5:30pm, the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Feitel nomination.

Senator McConnell’s remarks regarding the Senate schedule:

WHEN THE SENATE ADJOURNS THIS EVENING, OUR

           NEXT SCHEDULED VOTE WILL BE AFTERNOON OF MONDAY, APRIL 20. OF

           COURSE, DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED TIME FOR OUR COUNTRY, THE

           SENATE IS GOING TO STAY NIMBLE. AS ALWAYS WE WILL CONVENE

           REGULAR PRO FORMA SESSIONS AND IF CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRE THE

           SENATE TO RETURN FOR A VOTE SOONER THAN APRIL 20, WE WILL

           PROVIDE AT LEAST 24 HOURS NOTICE.

Roll Call Votes

1.     Adoption of Sasse amendment #1577; not agreed to: 48-48.

2.     Passage of H.R.748, as amended: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020; passed: 96-0.

Legislative Business

Passed H.R.3504, with Moran substitute amendment: Ryan Kules Specially Adaptive Housing Improvement Act of 2019.

Passed S.3587: Department of Veterans Affairs Website Accountability Act.

Passed H.R.4771: VA Tele-Hearing Modernization Act.

Executive Business

Confirmed the following nominations:

Executive Calendar #570, Charles Williams, of Missouri to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Executive Calendar #631, William Jordan Gillis, of Georgia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.

10:41pm The Senate began a 30-minute roll call vote on adoption of Sasse amendment #1577 (Unemployment Insurance).

Not agreed to: 48-48.

Next, 30 minute vote:

1.       Passage of H.R.748, as amended: legislative vehicle for COVID III [60-affirmative vote threshold]

No Roll Call Votes

No Legislative Business

No Executive Business

The Senate stands adjourned until 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R.748, the legislative vehicle for phase III of the COVID response.

Early Wednesday morning, Senators McConnell and Schumer announced that a bipartisan agreement had been reached with respect to the bill. The unofficial transcript of the Leaders’ remarks is at the end of this message.

The pending cloture petition on the motion to proceed to the bill ripens at 1:00pm Wednesday, but there will be an effort to reach a time agreement to withdraw that cloture motion and vote on passage of the bill during Wednesday’s session.

Roll Call Votes

1.      Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.748, upon reconsideration; not invoked: 49-46.

No additional Legislative Business

Executive Business

By voice vote, confirmed the following nominations:

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Executive Calendar #238 – Mindy Brashears, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety.

CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD

Executive Calendar #451 – Katherine Andrea Lemos, of California, to be a Member of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years.

Executive Calendar #453 – Katherine Andrea Lemos, of California, to be Chairperson of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board for a term of five years.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Executive Calendar #571 – James E. McPherson, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of the Army

Executive Calendar #630 – Matthew Donovan, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

NAVY

Executive Calendar #632 – To be Rear Admiral (Lower Half)

-          Capt. Bradley J. Andros

-          Capt. Mark D. Behning

-          Capt. Putnam H. Browne

-          Capt. Matthew J. Burns

-          Capt. Joseph F. Cahill III

-          Capt. Brian L. Davies

-          Capt. Lawrence F. Legree

-          Capt. Marc J. Miguez

-          Capt. Carlos A. Sardeillo

-          Capt. Richard E. Seif, Jr.

-          Capt. Derek A. Trinque

-          Capt. Dennis Velez

-          Capt. Darryl L. Walker

-          Capt. Robert D. Westendorff

-          Capt. Thomas R. Williams, II

The Senate stands adjourned until 10:00am on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R.748, the legislative vehicle for phase III of the COVID response.

During Monday’s session of the Senate, Senator McConnell filed cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.748. If no agreement is reached, that cloture vote would occur one hour after the Senate convenes on Wednesday.

1:29pm the Senate began a 30 minute roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.748, vehicle for COVID III, upon reconsideration.

Not invoked: 49-46.

Roll Call Votes

1.       Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.748; not invoked: 47-47.

No Legislative Business

No Executive Business                   

Schedule for Monday, March 23, 2020

The Senate stands adjourned until 12:00 noon on Monday, March 23, 2020.

Following Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R.748, the legislative vehicle for phase III of the COVID response.