Senate Thursday lineup

Dorgan Grassley up first but needs a 60 vote supermajority; Harkin's school nutrition standards bill also up for debate later. From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:

Thursday, December 13, 2007

The Senate will convene at 8:30am.

· No morning business.

· The Senate immediately will resume consideration of the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R. 2419), for debate only, with the time until 9:15am equally divided.

· At 9:15am, the Senate will proceed to a roll-call vote in relation to the Dorgan-Grassley amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to strengthen payment limitations and direct the savings to increase funding for certain programs (#3695, as modified).

§ By unanimous consent, the Dorgan-Grassley amendment #3695, as modified, is subject to a 60-vote threshold. If it achieves 60 votes, then it will be agreed to; if it fails to achieve 60 votes, then it will be withdrawn.

· Upon disposition of the Dorgan-Grassley amendment #3695, as modified, the Senate will proceed to two minutes of debate prior to a roll-call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendments to the Senate amendments to the text of the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (H.R. 6), with an amendment in the nature of a substitute (#3841).

· The following amendments are pending to H.R. 2419:

· Harkin-Chambliss-Baucus-Grassley amendment in the nature of a substitute (#3500)

o Dorgan-Grassley amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to strengthen payment limitations and direct the savings to increase funding for certain programs. (#3695, as modified)

o Brown-Sununu amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to increase funding for critical Farm Bill programs and improve crop insurance (#3819)

o Klobuchar amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to improve the adjusted gross income limitation and use the savings to provide additional funding for certain programs and reduce the Federal deficit (#3810)

o Cornyn amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to prevent duplicative payments for agricultural disaster assistance already covered by the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund (#3687)

o Coburn amendment to Harkin-Chambliss #3500 to ensure the priority of the farm bill remains farmers by eliminating wasteful Department of Agriculture spending on casinos, golf courses, junkets, cheese centers, and aging barns (#3807)

o Coburn amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to limit the distribution to deceased individuals, and estates of those individuals, of certain agricultural payments (#3530)

o Salazar amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for the production of all cellulosic biofuels (#3616)

o McConnell amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to promote the nutritional health of school children, with an offset (#3821)

o Craig amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to prohibit the involuntary acquisition of farmland and grazing land by Federal, State, and local governments for parks, open space, or similar purposes (#3640)

o Roberts amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to modify a provision relating to regulations (#3549)

o Domenici amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to reduce our nation's dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources (#3614)

o Gregg amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude discharges of indebtedness on principal residences from gross income, and for other purposes (#3674)

o Gregg amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to provide nearly $1,000,000,000 in critical home heating assistance to low-income families and senior citizens for the 2007-2008 winter season, and reduce the Federal deficit by eliminating wasteful farm subsidies (#3822)

§ Sanders second-degree amendment to Gregg amendment #3822, to provide for payments under subsections (a) through (e) of section 2604 of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, and restore supplemental agricultural disaster assistance from the Agriculture Disaster Relief Trust Fund (#3826)

o Grassley-Kohl amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to provide for the review of agricultural mergers and acquisition by the Department of Justice, and for other purposes (#3823)

o Stevens amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to make commercial fishermen eligible for certain operating loans (#3569)

o Bond amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to amend title 7, United States Code, to include provisions relating to rulemaking (#3771)

o Tester-Grassley amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to modify the provisions relating to unlawful practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act. (#3666)

o Schumer amendment to the Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to improve crop insurance and use resulting savings to increase funding for certain conservation programs (#3720)

o Wyden amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to modify a provision relating to bioenergy crop transition assistance (#3736)

o Harkin-Kennedy-Gregg amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, relative to public safety officers (#3830)

§ Harkin second-degree amendment to Harkin-Kennedy-Gregg amendment #3830, relative to public safety officers (#3844)

o Harkin-Murkowski amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to improve nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in schools (#3639)

· Furthermore, the following amendments will be debated for the following time limits:

o Klobuchar amendment #3810: approximately 50 minutes, with 20 minutes under the control of Senator Klobuchar and 30 minutes in opposition

o Brown-Sununu amendment #3819: 60 minutes, equally divided

o Tester-Grassley amendment #3666: 60 minutes, equally divided

· Furthermore, the Klobuchar amendment #3810 is subject to a 60-vote threshold. If this amendment achieves 60 votes, then it will be agreed to; if it fails to achieve 60 votes, then it will be withdrawn.

During Tuesday’s Session

Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (H.R. 2419)

Gregg amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to strike the section requiring the establishment of a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (#3671) was not agreed to by a roll-call vote of 37-58.

Gregg amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to strike a provision relating to market loss assistance for asparagus producers (#3672) was not agreed to by a roll-call vote of 39-56.

Alexander amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to increase funding for the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems, with an offset (#3551) was not agreed to by a roll-call vote of 19-75.

Alexander amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to limit the tax credit for small wind energy property expenditures to property placed in service in connection with a farm or rural small business (#3553) was not agreed to by a roll-call vote of 14-79.

Gregg amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to improve women's access to heath care services in rural areas and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the delivery of obstetrical and gynecological services (#3673) was withdrawn by unanimous consent after it failed to achieve 60 votes, as required by unanimous consent, following a roll call vote of 41-53.

· Gregg second-degree amendment to Gregg amendment #3673, to change the enactment date (#3825) was withdrawn by unanimous consent.

Sessions amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a pilot program under which agricultural producers may establish and contribute to tax-exempt farm savings accounts in lieu of obtaining federally subsidized crop insurance or noninsured crop assistance, to provide for contributions to such accounts by the Secretary of Agriculture, to specify the situations in which amounts may be paid to producers from such accounts, and to limit the total amount of such distributions to a producer during a taxable year, and for other purposes (#3596) was not agreed to by a roll-call vote of 35-58.

McConnell amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the tax treatment of horses, and for other purposes (#3803) was agreed to by unanimous consent.

Durbin amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500, to provide a termination date for the conduct of certain inspections and the issuance of certain regulations (#3539, as amended) was agreed to by unanimous consent.

Kennedy-Durbin second-degree amendment to Durbin amendment #3539, of a perfecting nature (#3845) was agreed to by unanimous consent.

Coburn amendment to Harkin-Chambliss substitute #3500 to modify a provision relating to the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (#3632) was withdrawn by unanimous consent.

Cloture/Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007 (H.R. 6)

· Senator Reid moved to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to the text of H.R. 6, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute (#3841).

· Also pending: Reid second-degree amendment to Reid amendment #3841, to change the enactment date (#3842).

· Senator Reid filed cloture on this motion to concur. By unanimous consent, this cloture petition is considered as having been filed Tuesday, December 11.