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Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, Netflix, Chevron, and Micron. He will also attend a prayer breakfast.

From the Senator’s Desk

From the Whip

The Senate will convene at 9:30am and will be in morning business for 1 hour.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 1813, the Highway bill. The time until 11:30am will be equally divided.

At 11:30am, the Senate will proceed to 3 Roll Call Votes on the following:

-Boxer amendment #1816 (sense of Senate re: expeditious environmental reviews)

-Paul amendment #1556 (emergency exemptions)

-Passage of S. 1813, as amended.    

At 2:00pm, the Senate will proceed to executive session for 30 minutes of debate.

At 2:30pm, the Senate will conduct up to 17 Cloture Votes on the following nominations:

-Gina Marie Groh, of West Virginia, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia

-David Nuffer, of Utah, to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah

-Michael Walter Fitzgerald, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California

-Ronnie Abrams, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York

-Rudolph Contreras, of Virginia, to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia

-Miranda Du, of Nevada, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nevada

-Susie Morgan, of Louisiana, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana

-Gregg Jeffrey Costa, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas

-David Campos Guaderrama, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Texas

-Brian C. Wimes, of Missouri, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri

-Kristine Gerhard Baker, of Arkansas, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas

-John Z. Lee, of Illinois, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois

-George Levi Russell, III, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland

-John J. Tharp, Jr., of Illinois, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois

-Jeffrey J. Helmick, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Ohio

-Mary Geiger Lewis, of South Carolina, to be United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina

-Timothy S. Hillman, of Massachusetts, to be United States District Judge for the District of Massachusetts

On Twitter

SenMikeLee

Secretary Chu says he no longer shares the belief that we need European level #gasprices: http://youtu.be/NkO1VnPGoug #painatthepump

SenLeeComs

RELEASE: Lee Applauds Reid’s Reversal on Political Stunt http://bit.ly/xcQYVE

SenLeePressSec

Another great press call with @LauraASchmitz @billyhesterman, @stgnews, @utahpublicradio and KSUB. Thanks for calling in!

SenLeeResearch

The photo Obama doesn't want you to see: http://bit.ly/zSZDDR #gas #gasprices #tcot #tlot

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with representatives of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Comcast, the Information Technology Industry Council, Verizon, and Cheneire Energy.

Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee will fly back to Washington.

From the Senator’s Desk

From the Whip

WEEK of March 12th

The Senate will convene at 2:00pm today and will be in morning business until 4:00pm. At 4:00pm, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 1813, the Highway bill. 

There will be No votes today.

Reminder - at a time to be determined on Tuesday, the Senate will continue voting on the remaining amendments that are in order to S. 1813, the Highway bill. 

Note - a managers’ package will also be in order, along with applicable budget points of order and motions to waive. Upon disposition of all pending amendments, the Senate will proceed to a Roll Call vote on final passage of the bill.

Amendments:

-Roberts amendment #1826 (tax extenders/ keystone etc.)(60 votes required)                        

-Stabenow amendment #1812 (energy tax credits)(60 votes required)                                 

-DeMint amendment #1589 (repeal certain energy tax subsidies)(60 votes required)  

-Menendez amendment #1782 (energy tax credits)(60 votes required)           

-DeMint amendment #1756 (state authority)    

-Bingaman amendment #1759 (privatized highways)                     

-Coats amendment #1517 (gas taxes equal to percentage of apportioned funds)

-Brown (OH) amendment #1819 (Buy America)                                   

-Blunt amendment #1540 (off-system bridges)        

-Merkley amendment #1653 (farm vehicle exemptions)                             

-Portman amendment #1736 (state transportation spending flexibility)                 

-Klobuchar amendment #1617 (agricultural commodities and farm supplies)                          

-Corker amendment #1785, as modified (FY13 discretionary spending cap)            

-Shaheen amendment #1678 (increase funding for public transportation systems)                        

-Portman amendment #1742 (non-highway uses in rest areas)                  

-Corker amendment #1810 (Highway Trust Fund)      

-Carper amendment #1670 (removal of federal program limitations)             

-Hutchison amendment #1568 (prohibit new tolls)                          

-McCain amendment #1669, as modified (noise abatement over Grand Canyon)             

-Alexander amendment #1779 (over flights of national parks)             

-Boxer amendment #1816 (SoS re: environmental reviews)           

-Paul amendment #1556 (emergency exemptions)    

Tuesday and Balance of the Week:

The Senate is expected to complete action on the Highway bill on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Senate will recess from 12:30 – 2:15pm for the weekly party lunches on Tuesday.

It is anticipated that the Majority Leader will file cloture petitions on several judicial nominations this week.

Roll Call Votes are expected throughout the week.

On Twitter

We need to abandon the phrase, "picking winners and losers." When the government picks, everyone loses: ow.ly/9yHUc #windfarms

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) March 9, 2012

DeMint, Paul, Lee "stalk" the Senatebit.ly/z67z4W (via @brianhdarling)

— Brian Phillips (@SenLeeComs) March 12, 2012

Lee congratulates #utleg on its “willingness to assert Utah’s rightful place in overseeing its own land" bit.ly/yDF9tD #utpol

— Emily Bennion (@SenLeePressSec) March 12, 2012

Gallup's national unemployment rate measurement jumped from 8.6% to 9.1% in February: bit.ly/y5jz6U #weneedjobs #tcot #tlot

— Joe Tauke (@SenLeeResearch) March 9, 2012

Featured Tweet

@SenRandPaul, with @SenMikeLee and @JimDeMint, US Senator have come up with a Senate Budget Plan. #tcot #gopgoo.gl/SJT0i

— Marie McClellan (@mariewmcclellan) March 12, 2012

Around the Water Cooler

Taliban vows revenge after US soldier allegedly kills 16 Afghan civilians

The Taliban is vowing revenge against the U.S. after an American soldier allegedly shot and killed 16 Afghan civilians in a Sunday rampage. 

In a statement on their website, the militant group promised to "take revenge from the invaders and the savage murderers for every single martyr."

Gas prices a drag on Obama's numbers

Gas prices are up, and the president's poll numbers are down.

Way down.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, Senator Lee will meet with Salt Lake City Mayor Becker and City Council members, as well as with representatives of the Utah Psychological Association, the National Association of Postal Supervisors, the Utah TRIO programs, West Valley City, St. George, and the American Psychiatric Association. He will also host a Utah tele-press conference at 5:30 PM EST (3:30 MST).