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A brief summary of events of January 27, 2006, other than the Alito nomination.

MEASURES REFERRED -- (Senate - January 27, 2006)
The following bills were read the first and the second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated ...
H.R. 4437. An act to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary. ...
H.R. 4647. An act to amend the USA PATRIOT Act to extend the sunset of certain provisions of such Act; to the Committee on the Judiciary. ...
The following concurrent resolutions were read, and referred as indicated: ...
H. Con. Res. 312. Concurrent resolution urging the Government of the Russian Federation to withdraw the first draft of the proposed legislation as passed in its first reading in the State Duma that would have the effect of severely restricting the establishment, operations, and activities of domestic, international, and foreign nongovernmental organizations in the Russian Federation, or to modify the proposed legislation to entirely remove these restrictions; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. ...
11 . MEASURES REFERRED -- (Senate - January 27, 2006)

Note that H.R. 4647, amending the sunset date for certain provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, is still pending. S. 2167 was used to extend the Act last December.

The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. In my capacity as the senior Senator from Virginia, I ask unanimous consent that the Chair now lay before the Senate the House message to accompany S. 2167.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
S. 2167
Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 2167) entitled ``An Act to amend the USA PATRIOT ACT to extend the sunset of certain provisions of that Act and the lone wolf provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to July 1, 2006'', do pass with the following amendment:
(1) Page 2, line 10 of the Senate engrossed bill, strike out [July 1, 2006] and insert: February 3, 2006.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the House amendment and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
Without objection, it is so ordered.
3 . USA PATRIOT ACT -- (Senate - December 22, 2005)

And now back to events of January 27, 2006 ...

The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:
By Mr. VITTER (for himself, Mr. SANTORUM, and Mr. DEMINT):
S. 2206. A bill to amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
13 . INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS -- (Senate - January 27, 2006)
At the request of Mr. ISAKSON, the name of the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. GRAHAM) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2182, a bill to terminate the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and for other purposes.
15 . ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS -- (Senate - January 27, 2006)
By Mr. VITTER (for himself, Mr. SANTORUM, and Mr. DEMINT):
S. 2206. A bill to amend title X of the Public Health Service Act to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I would like to offer my comments in support of The Title X Family Planning Act, which I introduced today. I am very pleased to have Senator SANTORUM and Senator DEMINT join me as original co-sponsors of this very important legislation. The Title X Family Planning Act prohibits the distribution of taxpayer dollars, through Title X family planning funds, to those that provide abortions. I believe that this important legislation is very timely, because this week thousands of pro-life advocates gathered in our Nation's capital for the March for Life, some of which came all the way from my home State of Louisiana.
In 1970, Congress enacted Title X of the Public Health Service Act, which is a program designed to make contraceptive supplies and family planning services available to those unable to afford them without government assistance. Originally, family planning services were not allowed to include abortions, and currently, Federal dollars cannot directly fund abortions.
Current law prohibits the use of Title X family planning funds ``in programs where abortion is a method of family planning''; and current regulations require some form of separation between federally-funded family planning services and abortions. 42 U.S.C. 300a-6 (1970). However, the current regulations do not contain a descriptive standard of what constitutes ``separation.'' 42 CFR part 59 (2000). It only requires that these activities be separated by something more than mere bookkeeping.
This level of separation--separation of accounting records and separation of facilities within the same building--is not enough. When Title X money goes to clinics that perform abortions, even though the money cannot directly fund abortions it is being used to indirectly facilitate abortions. For example, abortion providers are using Title X funding to offset operational costs, which, therefore, frees them to use monies that would otherwise be allocated to operational costs, towards funding abortion.
The Title X Family Planning Act would restore the original intent of Title X by prohibiting the distribution of Title X family planning money to grantees that perform abortions and to grantees whose subgrantees perform abortions, unless a physician certifies that the abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. ...
16 . STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Monday, January 30; I further ask that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the nomination of Samuel Alito to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; I further ask that the time from 10 to 11 be under the control of the Democrats, from 11 to 12 be under the control of the Republicans, and that debate continue to alternate on an hourly basis until 4 p.m.; I further ask unanimous consent that at 4 p.m., the Democratic leader or his designee be recognized for up to 15 minutes and that the final 15 minutes before the cloture vote be under the control of the majority leader or his designee.
24 . ORDERS FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2006