Senate

The bill also requires the collection of data from companies on pay to better enforce federal fair-pay laws.

Senators from plain states want the American bison to be designated as the national mammal of the United States.

Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) introduced S. 3248, the Bison Legacy Act, on Thursday. The bill would "honor" the animal by making it the nation's mammal.

The Democratic and Republican leaders ended the week with a debate over the Violence Against Women Act.

The Senate rejected two competing bills that would prevent interest rates on federal student loans from doubling.

The Senate on Thursday afternoon quickly approved a two-month extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), an action that was made possible by an agreement Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made to take up a longer-term extension when the Senate returns from the Memorial Day break.

The Senate approved the extension by unanimous consent, after Reid declared that the Senate had no choice but to extend the program, which expires at the end of May.

Sen. Reid praised the work of the bill's sponsors as "exemplary for what the rest of us should do."

Republicans in the House and Senate are pushing new legislation that would require the Obama administration to clarify how it intends to deal with the mandatory across-the-board cuts to 2013 spending known as the sequester.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), ranking Budget Committee member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and 28 other Republicans have introduced the Sequestration Transparency act, S. 3228, which would require the Obama administration to report on its plans for dealing with the $109 billion cut by July 9.

The Senate defeated an amendment that would have let Americans buy drugs from Canadian pharmacies.

The Senate defeated an amendment Thursday that would prevent generic and brand-name drug companies from entering into agreements that stall access to generic drugs.

The Senate Thursday morning quickly approved four amendments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) bill, by unanimous consent, including one from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that was not in the group of amendments agreed to on Wednesday.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) set up a unanimous consent vote on an en bloc amendment package just before noon, saving the Senate roll-call votes on these amendments later in the day. The amendments were from: