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On Thursday, senators added a list of amendments to the massive 4,155-page omnibus funding bill, which now heads to the House for approval before reaching President Biden’s desk.
The multi-hour voting session saw senators vote on a series of 15 amendments, which consisted of measures seeking to extend a Trump-era immigration policy to expanding protections for breastfeeding workers.
The $1.7 trillion funding package passed the Senate in a 68-29 vote with 18 Republicans voting alongside all Democrats. The bill now heads to the House where top Democrats hope for a swift passage.
One of the approved pieces of legislation was the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act, which seeks to strengthen breastfeeding protections for workers in a 92-5 vote.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who co-sponsored the bill, called its passage “a win that’s been years in the making” in a tweet published moments after the measure was approved.
“Everyone should have the space and privacy to pump at work, and no one should be forced by their employer to stop nursing,” he said.
Another addition to the legislation is a bill sponsored by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), which will allow specific groups of victims of terrorism access to a compensation fund to benefit victims of terrorism, which these groups were previously excluded from.
The measure, called the Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, will add support for families of victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, victims of the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, and the 1996 attack on the Air Force barracks in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
The bill faced opposition from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) who stalled it after it initially did not include Beirut victims. The compromise was offered as an amendment to the 2023 funding bill and passed the Senate 93-4.
Another amendment was offered by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) which would “authorize the transfer of the proceeds of certain forfeited property to help Ukraine.”
That extends to property that was “possessed by, or was controlled by a person subject to sanctions and designated by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of State.”
The amendment, which was approved by a voice vote, comes months after Graham — along with Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) — introduced legislation, which would allow the assets of Russian oligarchs to be used to support efforts to aid Ukraine, as the Russian invasion continues.
In a 73-24 vote, the Senate agreed to adopt an amendment brought by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), to attach the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to the omnibus.
A release from the office of Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who has also been pushing for the measure, said the bill follows a model like the Americans with Disabilities Act and would “require employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow pregnant workers to continue working safely, such as additional bathroom breaks, light duty, or a stool to sit on if a worker stands all day.”
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) praised the vote in a statement, saying it was “one of the most significant improvements to workplace protections in years.”
“The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act makes a simple assertion: if you are pregnant, if you are working during your pregnancy, you should have the right to basic workplace accommodations,” he said.
In addition, an amendment was passed that continued pay and benefits for Navy Lt. Ride Alkonis. Deseret News reported that Alkonis’ pay was cut while serving a three-year sentence in a Japanese prison after he got into a car accident that killed two citizens.
A judge in Japan determined that Alkonis was asleep at the wheel when the accident occurred, but U.S. Navy investigators found that Alkonis suffered from acute mountain sickness and lost consciousness.
The Senate approved the amendment offered by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in a voice vote.
Rose Rambles... 