If the Earth is closer to the sun in December than in July what is occurring

Yes, during the period July - December Earth's orbital velocity will increase because it's approaching the sun. From December - July it will decrease as it moves farther away from the sun.

This orbital phenomenon is true not just for planets but for artificial satellites orbiting Earth too.
 
The closer the planet is to the star, the higher its speed will be. This is Kepler's Third law and is the consequence of the conservation of angular momentum.
 
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