Congressional Record/Volume 167/Issue 4/Senate
Senate
The Senate met at 12:30 p.m. and was called to order by the President pro tempore (Mr. Grassley).
PRAYER
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
Let us pray.
Almighty God, have compassion on us with Your unfailing love. As our lawmakers prepare to formally certify the votes cast by the electoral college, be present with them. Guide our legislators with Your wisdom and truth as they seek to meet the requirements of the U.S. Constitution. Lord, inspire them to seize this opportunity to demonstrate to the Nation and world how the democratic process can be done properly and in an orderly manner. Help them to remember that history is a faithful stenographer, and so are You.
We pray in Your sovereign Name. Amen.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The President pro tempore led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
The Presiding Officer (Mr. Lankford). Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved.
MORNING BUSINESS
The Presiding Officer. Under the previous order, the Senate will be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE SENATE
The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following letter from the Secretary of the Senate, which was ordered to lie on the table:
Dear Mr. President: On Tuesday, January 5, 2021, the President of the United States sent by messenger the attached sealed envelope addressed to the President of the Senate dated January 5, 2021, said to contain a message regarding additional steps addressing the threat posed by applications and other software developed or controlled by Chinese companies. The Senate not being in session on the day which the President delivered this message, I accepted the message at 5:00 p.m., and I now present to you the President’s message, with the accompanying papers, for disposition by the Senate.
Respectfully,
Julie A. Adams,
The Presiding Officer. The Senator from Iowa.
MEASURE PLACED ON THE CALENDAR—S. 11
Mr. Grassley. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading.
The Presiding Officer. The clerk will read the bill by title for the second time.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 11) to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.
Mr. Grassley. In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to its further reading.
The Presiding Officer. Objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar.
MEASURE READ THE FIRST TIME—S. 13
Mr. Grassley. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.
The Presiding Officer. The clerk will read the bill by title for the first time.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 13) to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations on improvements to the security, integrity, and administration of Federal elections.
Mr. Grassley. Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.
The Presiding Officer. Objection having been heard, the bill will receive its second reading on the next legislative day.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, for information of all of our colleagues, we don’t expect additional votes tonight.
MESSAGES FROM THE PRESIDENT
Messages from the President of the United States were communicated to the Senate by Ms. Roberts, one of his secretaries.
EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED
As in executive session the Presiding Officer laid before the Senate messages from the President of the United States submitting sundry nominations and a withdrawal which were referred to the appropriate committees.
(The messages received today are printed at the end of the Senate proceedings.)
PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE
REPORT RELATIVE TO THE ISSUANCE OF AN EXECUTIVE ORDER DECLARING ADDITIONAL STEPS TO BE TAKEN CONCERNING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES SUPPLY CHAIN DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13873 OF MAY 15, 2019, RECEIVED DURING ADJOURNMENT OF THE SENATE ON JANUARY 5, 2021—PM 1
MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE ON JANUARY 6, 2021
At 12:32 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mr. Novotny, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bills, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate:
H.R. 21. An act to enhance the innovation, security, and availability of cloud computing products and services used in the Federal Government by establishing the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program within the General Services Administration and by establishing a risk management, authorization, and continuous monitoring process to enable the Federal Government to leverage cloud computing products and services using a risk-based approach consistent with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 and cloud-based operations, and for other purposes.
H.R. 22. An act to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, to require the budget justifications and appropriation requests of agencies be made publicly available.
H.R. 23. An act to require congressional notification for certain changes in status of inspectors general, and for other purposes.
H.R. 26. An act to amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, to correct a provision on the prohibition on the use of a reverse auction, and for other purposes.
H.R. 27. An act to amend chapter 3 of title 5, United States Code, to require the publication of settlement agreements, and for other purposes.
The message also announced that the House has agreed to the following concurrent resolutions, without amendment:
S. Con. Res. 1. Concurrent resolution to provide for the counting on January 6, 2021, of the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States.
S. Con. Res. 2. Concurrent resolution extending the life of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and authorizing the use of the rotunda and Emancipation Hall of the Capitol by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies in connection with the proceedings and ceremonies conducted for the inauguration of the President-elect and the Vice President-elect of the United States.
The message further announced that the House has agreed to the following concurrent resolution, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate:
H. Con. Res. 1. Concurrent resolution regarding consent to assemble outside the seat of government.
The message also announced that the House has agreed to H. Res. 2, resolving that Cheryl L. Johnson of the State of Louisiana be, and is hereby, chosen Clerk of the House of Representatives; that Paul D. Irving of the State of Florida be, and is hereby, chosen Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives; that Catherine Szpindor of the Commonwealth of Virginia be, and is hereby, chosen Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives; and that Reverend Doctor Margaret Grun Kibben of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania be, and is hereby, chosen Chaplain of the House of Representatives.
The message further announced that the House has agreed to H. Res. 3, resolving that the Senate be informed that a quorum of the House of Representatives has assembled; that Nancy Pelosi, a Representative from the State of California, has been elected Speaker; and that Cheryl L. Johnson, a citizen of the State of Louisiana, has been elected Clerk of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress.
The message also announced that a committee of two Members be appointed by the Speaker on the part of the House of Representatives to join with a committee on the part of the Senate to notify the President of the United States that a quorum of each House has assembled and Congress is ready to receive any communication that he may be pleased to make.
The message further announced that pursuant to Senate concurrent resolution 1, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, and the order of the House of January 4, 2021, the Speaker appoints as tellers on the part of the House to count the electoral votes: Ms. Lofgren of California and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois.
The message also announced that pursuant to section 1238(b)(3) of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (22 U.S.C. 7002), as amended, and the order of the House of January 4, 2021, the Speaker re-appoints the following Members on the part of the House of Representatives to the United States China Economic and Security Review Commission for a term expiring on December 31, 2022: Mr. Jeffrey L. Fiedler of La Quinta, California, and Mr. Michael Wessel of Falls Church, Virginia.
The message further announced that pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 2001, and the order of the House of January 4, 2021, the Speaker appoints the following Members to the House Office Building Commission to serve with herself: Mr. Hoyer of Maryland and Mr. McCarthy of California.
At 11:15 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mr. Novotny, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has rejected the objection submitted by the Representative from Arizona, Mr. Gosar, and the Senator from Texas, Mr. Cruz, and is now ready to further proceed with the counting of the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States.
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE ON JANUARY 7, 2021
At 3:14 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has rejected the objection submitted by the Representative from Pennsylvania, Mr. Perry, and the Senator from Missouri, Mr. Hawley, and is now ready to further proceed with the counting of the electoral votes for President and Vice President of the United States.
MEASURES REFERRED
The following bills were read the first and the second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:
H.R. 21. An act to enhance the innovation, security, and availability of cloud computing products and services used in the Federal Government by establishing the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program within the General Services Administration and by establishing a risk management, authorization, and continuous monitoring process to enable the Federal Government to leverage cloud computing products and services using a risk-based approach consistent with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 and cloud-based operations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
H.R. 22. An act to amend the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, to require the budget justifications and appropriation requests of agencies be made publicly available; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
H.R. 23. An act to require congressional notification for certain changes in status of inspectors general, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
H.R. 26. An act to amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, to correct a provision on the prohibition on the use of a reverse auction, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
H.R. 27. An act to amend chapter 3 of title 5, United States Code, to require the publication of settlement agreements, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
MEASURES PLACED ON THE CALENDAR
The following bill was read the second time, and placed on the calendar:
S. 11. A bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.
MEASURES READ THE FIRST TIME
The following bill was read the first time:
S. 13. A bill to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations on improvements to the security, integrity, and administration of Federal elections.
INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:
- By Mr. Scott of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Lankford, Mrs. Fischer, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Sullivan, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Young, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Moran, and Mr. Rounds):
S. 13. A bill to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations on improvements to the security, integrity, and administration of Federal elections; read the first time.
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021, THROUGH TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2021
Mr. McConnell. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that upon the dissolution of the Joint Session, the Senate stand adjourned to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, January 8, at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, January 12, at 12:30 p.m.; Friday, January 15, at 10 a.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday January 15, it next convene at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 19; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
The Vice President. Without objection, it is so ordered.
ADJOURNMENT UNTIL FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021, AT 10 A.M.
At the conclusion of the joint session of the two Houses, and in accordance with the order previously entered, at 3:48 a.m., the Senate adjourned until Friday, January 8, 2021, at 10 a.m.