Agreement on Highway and Transportation Funding Act--up to 5 roll call votes Tuesday evening

The Senate has reached an agreement to execute the previous order with respect to the Highway and Transportation funding Act tomorrow. At 2:45pm on Tuesday July 29, the Senate will proceed to a series of votes on confirmation of the McDonald, Andre, Hoza and Polaschik nominations. Upon disposition of the Polaschik nomination, the Senate will resume Legislative Session and proceed to the consideration of H.R.5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act. Under the previous order with respect to the Highway bill, the Wyden, Carper-Corker-Boxer, Lee and Toomey amendments are in order for consideration to the bill. Upon disposition of the amendments, the Senate would proceed to vote on passage of H.R.5021, as amended, if amended. The amendments and bill are subject to 60-affirmative vote thresholds

2:45pm on Tuesday, July 29-up to 4 votes--at least 1 roll call vote

1. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #952, Robert Alan McDonald, to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs (roll call vote);
2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #530, Larry Andre, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (voice vote expected);
3. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #543, Michael Hoza, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Cameroon (voice vote expected);; and
4. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #899 Joan A. Polaschik, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria (voice vote expected).

The Highway agreement is as follows:

Following disposition of Calendar #899 and resuming Legislative Session, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of Calendar #468, H.R.5021, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act; that the only amendments in order to the bill be the following:

Wyden #3582 (text of Finance-reported bill);

Carper-Corker-Boxer #3583 (Date Change and Finance Committee-reported financing provisions, with the exception of pension smoothing provisions);

Lee #3584 (devolution/text of S.1702); and

Toomey #3585 (Exemptions - Damaged Road/Bridge reconstruction)

Further, that each amendment have one hour of debate equally divided between the proponents and opponents; that there be up to two hours of general debate on the bill equally divided between the two Leaders, or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to votes on the amendments in the order listed; that no second degree amendments be in order to any of the amendments prior to the votes; that no motions to commit the bill be in order; that upon disposition of the Toomey amendment, the bill be read a third time, as amended, if amended, and the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; further, that the Secretary be authorized to make technical changes to amendments if necessary to allow for proper page and line number alignment; further, that the amendments and the vote on passage be subject to a 60 affirmative vote threshold; finally, if the bill is passed, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.Con.Res.108, which was received from the House and is at the desk; the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.