Thursday: Nominations, anti-trafficking

The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), includes provisions to bolster resources for law enforcement, as well as creates a fund for trafficking victims. 

 

{mosads}Democrats, however, have voiced concerns over the inclusion of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds being spent on abortions. 

 

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) doubled down Wednesday afternoon on his threat that Democrats would block the bill unless Republicans stripped out of the abortion measure. 

 

“Unless that language is taken out of the bill there will be no bill,” he said. “We cannot have this legislation hijacked by abortion.” 

 

Cornyn said he expects senators to take a cloture vote on the legislation Thursday. He suggested Democrats are trying to “kill the bill.” 

“Unless something changes between now and the time we vote on cloture on the bill, [that] is what’s going to happen,” Cornyn said. “I hope something happens between now and the end of the week.”

The Senate is expected to convene at 9:30 a.m. Thursday for leader remarks and morning business. They’ll restart debate over the anti-trafficking bill around 10:30 a.m. 

Senators are also expected to vote on a pair of nominations Thursday afternoon. Lawmakers will vote on Christopher Hart’s nomination to be chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as Tho Dinh-Zarr to be a member of the board. 

Senators are expected to debate the nominations starting at 1:30 p.m., with votes around 2 p.m.