Maria Cantwell

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I join my colleagues this afternoon who come to the floor and speak about the introduction of the Women's Health Protection Act and codifying access to reproductive freedom for women in America. It has been a little over 8 months since a radical Supreme Court overturned the 50-year-old landmark ruling guaranteeing the right to privacy and the right to obtain an abortion. I want to take this time to highlight the impacts that this decision has had, not just on our country but even in my State, in the State of Washington. We in Washington voted in 1991 to codify abortion as a legal right. We did that by a vote of the people. But we still need to worry about this issue because the problems that are causing the erosion of abortion rights in some parts of the United States are even causing hardship in our State. Abortion clinics in Washington are facing rising caseloads and rising costs. Planned Parenthood in Spokane reported that in January, their clinics saw a 75-percent increase in the number of Idaho patients who were traveling across the line to get abortions. Physicians are rightly concerned that they could be arrested or sued for providing reproductive care to patients from abortion-restrictive States. Pregnant women have it worst of all. If they go to a reproductive clinic for whatever reason, they can face a gauntlet of protesters. Yes, there are protesters right outside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Spokane. They are trying to set up fake clinics with fake names to divert women into their facilities instead of the actual care that they need. I will note that it wasn't that long ago--just a few years ago--that the Planned Parenthood clinic was bombed in Whitman County, just south of Spokane. So these issues are a problem. We even have had healthcare officials tell us that Washingtonians trying to get access to the morning-after pill had to go to four different pharmacies, only to find that it was not available. This drug has been an FDA-approved drug for decades, but all of a sudden, in Washington, it is not available. Since this ruling was released last summer, 24 States have enacted near-total bans or stringent restrictions on the ability to get an abortion. People are still getting pregnant, and they are coming to Washington to exercise that opportunity, and we want to make sure we have a healthcare system that can deliver. You know, employers are starting to avoid these abortion-restrictive States. I don't know if someone has thought through this issue. But I recently spoke to the cofounder of a very successful aviation company that just had one of the best demonstrations of the future of aviation. They are building a new facility, and he told me point blank he won't even consider locating in a State that doesn't provide reproductive freedom. He said he couldn't imagine having to ask an employee, who was enjoying that right in the State they live in now, to transfer to a State where that freedom was lost. He said it is absurd. We know that people are aggressively trying to restrict access to abortion. They are aggressively pursuing even more anti-choice policies, such as restricting the use of the FDA-approved abortion drug even though 5.6 million patients in the United States have used that drug successfully since the year 2000. It is plain to see that they are not going to stop, and that is why we are introducing this legislation and continuing the fight and awareness for reproductive health for women in the United States of America. We must put an end to these practices by passing the Women's Health Protection Act, which would make this a decision left up to women and their families and allow the future to be decided by them and not the interference of our government. Madam President, I know you know--because you have been a law enforcement officer in the State you represent--you know the challenges of having individuals' privacies protected. This now is up to us to make sure we are protecting these rights and protecting women's access to reproductive freedom. I yield the floor.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to support the nomination of Jamal Whitehead to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Mr. Whitehead is extremely well qualified and has demonstrated an allegiance to the rule of law throughout his very impressive law career. My Senate colleagues on the Judiciary Committee saw what an exceptional judicial candidate Mr. Whitehead is, and they recognized how valuable his perspective would be on the Federal bench. I was pleased to see that he was voted out of committee with a bipartisan vote of 11 to 9. Mr. Whitehead has spent his entire career in the Western District, making him uniquely knowledgeable of the district in which he will be serving. Throughout his career, he has defended workers from discrimination and enforced Federal employment discrimination laws. He has been dedicated to ensuring equal justice under the law and has demonstrated a profound commitment to public service. Mr. Whitehead has also sought to promote diversity in the legal field through outreach and education and is deeply involved in the community. He serves on the Executive Committee for the ACLU of Washington as well as on the board of Amara, a child welfare organization in the Seattle and Tacoma area dedicated to meeting the needs of children and families who have been impacted by foster care. In addition to his outstanding qualifications, Mr. Whitehead's confirmation continues the President's commitment to ensuring that the Federal bench better reflect the American public. Mr. Whitehead is the first judicial nominee by President Biden to have a physical disability. Now confirmed, he will be one of only a handful of Federal judges with a disclosed disability. Jamal Whitehead is well prepared to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. This is a historic confirmation. I am pleased to see that my colleagues supported Mr. Whitehead's confirmation to our Federal court. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 66, submitted earlier today.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions introduced earlier today: S. Res. 67, S. Res. 68, S. Res. 69, and S. Res. 70.

Ms. CANTWELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 15, S. Res. 59.

Ms. CANTWELL. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration and that the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 49.

Ms. CANTWELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 16; 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 for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Martinez-Lopez nomination postcloture; further, that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, for the information of the Senate, there will be two rollcall votes at 11:30 a.m. and one rollcall vote at 1:45 p.m.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 118th Congress. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying rules for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be printed in the Record.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to applaud the Biden administration and their historic step to permanently protect Bristol Bay, AK. More than a decade after the Pebble Mine was proposed, the Environmental Protection Agency, today, is finalizing a Clean Water Act protection that will permanently protect Bristol Bay. No company will ever be able to stick a mine on top of some of the best salmon habitat in the world. Salmon fishermen from Alaska and from my home State of Washington will continue to earn their livelihoods from Bristol Bay salmon, as they have for generations. No Bristol Bay salmon will ever have to swim through toxic soup just to get to its spawning grounds. This scientific decision today by the Environmental Protection Agency puts a final nail in this mine's proposal. It is difficult to understand and to really know the importance of Bristol Bay. In an average year, 40 to 60 million sockeye salmon swim into or out of the bay. Last year was a blockbuster run. Nearly 80 million sockeye salmon returned to Bristol Bay. That is why Bristol Bay is known as the holy grail of salmon. Today, Bristol Bay salmon fisheries are a $2.2 billion annual industry. They support over 15,000 jobs in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide, and that is through commercial fishing, recreational fishing, tourism, seafood, restaurants, shipbuilding, and other associated industries. I know the Presiding Officer knows this well because northern California also benefits from these salmon sectors and the salmon industry. Salmon are one of the most important products that we in the Pacific Northwest have. It is the symbol of our region. So Bristol Bay salmon, being a powerhouse and supporting nearly half of the sockeye salmon harvested around the globe, is certainly worth fighting for. So, as you can imagine, when a mining corporation decided to try to build a mine in the headwaters of this most powerful salmon run on the planet, fishermen in my State and in many other States were outraged. Estuaries and mines really don't mix, and they certainly don't belong together at the headwaters of one of the most important salmon runs and spawning grounds in the Nation. For fishermen, the destruction wrought by Pebble Mine would have swept away their businesses and their way of life, and they certainly raised their voices and came to ask me and others in Washington for help. In 2011, I was proud to stand with fishermen and Tribes from my State and from Alaska to speak out against Pebble Mine and to call for permanent protections under the Clean Water Act if the science showed that the mine would have irreversible impacts on salmon. Well, sure enough, the science is damning, and that is what is being released as part of this decision today. In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency found that more than 185 miles of streams and over 3,800 acres of wetlands would be permanently damaged or destroyed by Pebble Mine due to its toxic waste and habitat destruction, and that is just if the mine operated the way it was supposed to. That wasn't considering the kind of degradation that could happen if an accident happened. Those statistics don't account for a potential mine disaster that could really wipe out this irreplaceable ecosystem. So despite the clear science, the mining company has continued to claim that protecting Bristol Bay is a partisan government overreach. Their executives believe that stripping all the gold and copper out of Bristol Bay is a worthy goal, more important than our wild salmon or more important than the generations of Washington and Alaska fishermen who earn their livelihood from that. Protecting our fishing economy should not be a partisan issue, and that is why Congress created a fail-safe Clean Water Act provision called section 404(c). This provision says that if disposal or dredging in a waterway would destroy fisheries, municipal water, or have other serious impacts, the Environmental Agency could step in to stop the project. It is a simple concept, really: Let's not destroy a profitable, sustainable industry that keeps the water clean for the sake of just temporary extracting. Still, this authority in 404(c) isn't used lightly. Since 1972, millions of Clean Water Act permits have been approved, compared to only 14 times that this provision has been used to stop major projects like the one today that is being stopped at Pebble Mine. Republican Presidents have used this Clean Water 404(c) authority 11 times. Let me say that again. It has only been implemented 14 times in our history, and 11 times it was used by a Republican President. Ronald Reagan alone used the Clean Water Act 404 authority 8 times. So there was a time when people believed in this conservation. They believed in making sure that we preserve what is so unique about our planet. To sum it up, a multinational corporation thought that it could go to one of the most iconic salmon runs on the planet and decimate those jobs that we rely on in Bristol Bay and tear a hole in the culture of our Northwest fabric. And fishermen and we here said: No. I am proud of the scientific work done by the Environmental Protection Agency under President Biden, the University of Washington, and so many of the environmental partners that fought so hard to stop this project. I am proud to have stood with the fishermen and Tribes of Bristol Bay in saying we need to protect this unique place forever. I want to thank some of our greatest champions: The United Tribes of Bristol Bay, the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, and the fishing families in Alaska and Washington. I want to thank my staff, Nikki Teutschel, Amit Ronen, and Jeff Watters, who, through a decade, all continued this fight to make sure that every administration was listening to this cause. It seemed like a ``David and Goliath'' many times, this battle, but we know today that the voices of fishermen at Bristol Bay provided the leadership that we needed to preserve this area forever and said no to this project. Fishermen know that the Pacific Northwest salmon is worth more than copper, and today, salmon is even worth more than gold. It is our Pacific way of life, and thanks to this administration, it will be protected. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I know I am interrupting a very, very important debate, and I appreciate my colleagues being out here to discuss this. I know the Senator from Illinois, the leader, is also here to discuss this issue. I am asking if I could interrupt that for a second. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 591, S. 3773.

Ms. CANTWELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, for the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation I report favorably the following nomination lists which were printed in the Record on the dates indicated, and ask unanimous consent, to save the expense of reprinting on the Executive Calendar that these nominations lie at the Secretary's desk for the information of Senators.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor tonight to urge my colleagues to support the Respect for Marriage Act. Today, we took an important step by passing the procedural hurdle to make sure that marriage equality is put into law. This legislation would ensure that both the Federal and State Governments will continue to recognize all marriages and continue to not discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity or race. These are strong protections that are long overdue. I understand some of my colleagues do not see a need for passing this legislation, but I would ask them to stand in the shoes of someone in a marriage that is in danger of being dissolved overnight by a court decision. The same rationale for overturning Roe v. Wade can be used in this landmark Supreme Court decision we just saw that could erode further privacy rights and be used in same-sex marriages. While marriage equality is constitutionally protected today, the Supreme Court's reasoning in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization indicated the Court is open to reconsidering cases that determine certain fundamental rights are protected under the equal protection and due process clause of the 14th Amendment. I believe it is our job here in the Senate to represent the voice of our constituents, and those voices are loud and clear. An overwhelming majority of Americans support marriage equality. According to a Gallup poll, 71 percent of Americans approve of same-sex marriage. In September, over 220 businesses, representing more than 8.5 million employees, called on the U.S. Senate to pass this legislation. And this was not a bill that garnered support from just a few Republicans for the sake of calling it bipartisan. Forty-seven Republicans and over 20 percent of the House GOP Members recognized that this should be enshrined into law and supported the legislation. It passed the House by a large majority--267 to 157. Americans support this bill. Businesses support this bill. And now some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have taken the step to also support this legislation. The State of Washington was one of the first 10 States to legalize same-sex marriage and did so by a vote of the people. I recently received a letter from a constituent from Everett, WA, saying that she and her wife moved to Washington in 2016 because ``they needed to be somewhere where our rights would be protected in the event that they would be threatened.'' She said: ``As soon as I arrived in Washington, I felt like I had come home.'' Marriage equality has been protected under Washington State law for a decade. It has been protected by the Supreme Court for 7 years, and yet, here in the Senate, there are some who don't believe that we need to take further protections. At least 11.5 million people in this country are in an interracial or same-sex marriage. That is no less than 20 percent of all marriages in the United States. With a number like that, we all know someone in one of those marriages, whether they are our friends, our neighbors, our colleagues. We know that we need to give them the same certainty, and we know that codifying marriage equality into law, they will not be in jeopardy of losing those rights. Same-sex and interracial couples deserve the assurance that their marriage will be recognized. They need to know that they will continue to enjoy the freedom and privileges that are afforded to other couples, and we need to make sure that this is for generations to come. The American people want this legislation passed, and I urge my colleagues to come together and support this very important Respect for Marriage Act. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I rise today to support the nomination of Dr. Arati Prabhakar to be the Director of the Office of Science and Technology. Since 1976, the Office of Science and Technology Policy has worked to ensure that the United States leads in science and technology, to promote STEM education, and to make sure that our science Agencies share the common purpose of benefiting all Americans. Dr. Prabhakar is very well qualified for this job. As an engineer, physicist, leader, venture capitalist, and pioneer, she has had a trailblazing career, accomplishing a lot in a time period where she was Director of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, DARPA, and the first woman to lead the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST. And under Dr. Prabhakar's leadership, DARPA kick-started the development of a rapid-response mRNA vaccine platform. This platform was the basis for the fast, safe, and effective COVID-19 development. Under her leadership at NIST, she worked to expand the Manufacturing Extension Partnership to boost the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized American manufacturers. Just last year, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program helped our domestic manufacturers capture $3.9 billion in new sales. In my State alone, that translated into over $186 million and more than 2,000 jobs created or retained. Perhaps even more impressive, back in the 1990s, when Dr. Prabhakar was just in her twenties, she helped launch DARPA programs that made essential leaps forward in semiconductor manufacturing technology. Dr. Prabhakar's programs laid the groundwork for five generations of chip manufacturing technologies to help demonstrate leadership right here in the United States. Dr. Prabhakar is now ready to lead again, and now we are asking for her to lead this important Agency. We have just passed the CHIPS and Science Act, which is a renewed commitment to domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing and U.S. leadership in the next generation chip technology. Dr. Prabhakar has the exact experience we need to advise the President on semiconductor manufacturing, on bringing the supply chain and security that we need here in the United States, and on continued growth in science and technology jobs that come along with it. The CHIPS and Science Act directs the National Science Foundation to invest in translational research, including through a new NSF tech directorate. Before her nomination, Dr. Prabhakar was an important voice in support of this effort of a tech directorate, reaching out to House and Senate colleagues and helping to shape the directorate in its focus on big national and security challenges. And the CHIPS and Science Act reflects our commitment to diversity in science, to make sure that the engineering, math, and STEM fields are included and that we continue to grow a workforce that is needed. The important aspect of science is not always thought of in every aspect of growing the next generation. That is why I am so encouraged that Dr. Prabhakar is very committed to increasing the talent pool that we need in our country. For the first time in our country's history, the President has elevated the Office of Science and Technology Policy Director to a Cabinet-level post, meaning there will be a scientist in the room for our Nation's most important discussions. And for the first time in history, with the support of my colleagues here today, Dr. Prabhakar will be the first woman and person of color to serve as the Senate-confirmed OSTP Director. Dr. Prabhakar will have a lot to do, including developing the whole- of-government science and technology strategies for issues ranging from security to commercial space exploration. And at a time of growing competition, OSTP needs to tell the President and advise our leaders what we need to do to maintain our competitiveness as a nation. I know, coming from an innovation State, how important the Office of Science and Technology Policy strategies can be in helping our Nation attract and keep the best and brightest and prioritize collaboration between academia and industry. And since Washington has been a STEM leader--in fact, I think we are the most STEM-focused State in the Nation; that is, by number of people involved in STEM----we know that this partnership between the existing workforce and the workforce of tomorrow needs to grow. I know that, as a former DARPA Director, Dr. Prabhakar will help us with this engine of innovation and growing STEM education in America. Moreover, I know that Dr. Prabhakar will, on many issues, help to improve the participation of women and girls in the issues of STEM. This is such a big, important issue for us today. But just being at the helm of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, being a woman, being there at the Cabinet level, and advising the President of the United States, I know she will help to deliver a message that young women all across America need to be involved in the sciences to help our Nation in the next phases of innovation. I am so excited that she will be in this position. I ask my colleagues to support her as a devoted, experienced, and exceptional public servant. These are the kinds of people who we need in government. These are the kinds of people who can make America stronger, safer, and more competitive. I urge my colleagues to support the confirmation of Dr. Prabhakar as the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to ask my colleagues to vote on the nomination of Admiral David Pekoske to serve a second term as Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. We recently commemorated the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the 3,000 lives lost here in the United States when tragically the Pentagon was struck, downtown Manhattan, and Shanksville, PA. In response to that, Congress created the TSA--Transportation Security Administration--to strengthen the Nation's security and our transportation system. And every day that TSA works the frontlines to protect the traveling public, it is working to also prevent future attacks. It is safeguarding our Nation's infrastructure and certainly working every day to make sure that the flying public continues to move through a successful process. TSA's mission lies in the commitment of professionals and highly skilled individuals. Admiral Pekoske's confirmation and continued leadership of this team will enable the TSA to further its ongoing and important mission. Over the past two decades, the TSA has had to deal with many challenges: facing the continued threats of concealing weapons in shoes and underwear and even in soft drinks. And in 2010, the TSA began detecting explosives in electronics and countering attacks on the public side of airports. Today, the landscape is even more sophisticated with state and nonstate actors and cyber attacks. Unique challenges posed to us during the COVID pandemic have made these challenges to the aviation security landscape even greater. We know that we need to have continued experienced leadership. And Admirable Pekoske is well qualified for this position. He will continue to make transportation security and its modernization the Nation's No. 1 priority as it relates to the sector. Each day, at over 430 airports across the country, TSA screens over 2 million passengers and 1.4 million checked bags for explosives and other dangerous items. This helps ensure the security for over 24,000 domestic flights and nearly 3,300 outbound international flights per day. Security demands for the Agency are returning and every day are continuing to grow. Over the Labor Day weekend, TSA screened nearly 11 million people, or 3 percent more, over the corresponding period in 2019. In fact, TSA screened more people on 4 of the 5 days, from September 1 to 5, marking the first sustained period of checkpoint throughput during a holiday weekend above prepandemic levels. So the traveling public is back, and, obviously, we need dedicated TSA officers and individuals to continue to work. We are not saying that there aren't improvements to that process--there certainly are-- but TSA has been charged with a critical, obviously, responsibility to make sure that we continue to work to ensure the safety of our air transportation system. Last year's ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline threatened nearly 50 percent of the east coast's fuel supply. So we must harden all of our targets and make sure the TSA has leadership to make sure that they, too, are helping us address these emerging threats. Admiral Pekoske's experience in leading TSA in these critical missions deserves support for renomination to this position again. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. CANTWELL

Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.