The fundraisers had been scheduled for aday after the deadline for the passage of the state budget, a process that wasn't originally expected to run up to its April 1 deadline.
The developments coincided with congressional passage during the day of a follow-up bill that fixed a stenographic error in legislation that cleared late last week.
The Pirate Party UK - which campaigns for the legalisation of non-commercial file sharing - said the passage of the bill marked "a sombre day for Britain's digital future".
Expeditions depart from either Puerto Williams in Chile or Ushuaia in Argentina, and include a tough three- to four-day crossing of the notorious Drake Passage.
The Vice President spoke movingly about the changes that have occurred since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act but also reminded us that three women aday still die as a result of domestic violence.