Benjamin Cardin

Mr. CARDIN

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

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I was on the floor earlier listening to Senator Portman's farewell address to his colleagues in the U.S. Senate, and I must tell you, it brought back some very fond memories-- over three decades of friendship between Rob Portman and myself as colleagues, as partners, and as friends. Earlier this week, we had a chance in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to express our appreciation to Senator Portman for his service on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His wife Jane was there, and I made an observation that the sacrifice that Jane has made and that his three children--Jed, Will, and Sally--we thank them for sharing Senator Portman with us and with public service. I think back about three decades. I first got to know Congressman Portman in 1993, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. An introduction came from former Congressman Bill Gradison. Bill Gradison was a Congressman from Ohio that Rob Portman succeeded in the U.S. House of Representatives. I knew Bill Gradison from my days in the State legislature. We were friends. We had done some business--some bills--together in the House of Representatives, and he told me: You know, you are going to like this Rob Portman. He is the type of guy you are going to be able to work with. And, by the way, I have an issue I would like the two of you to take up. It was a legacy issue for Bill Gradison, and it dealt with hospice care. There wasn't a lot of interest in hospice care in the 1990s, but Congressman Portman and I got together and we worked on a bill, and we followed in Bill Gradison's footsteps to get that legislation accomplished. That was the beginning of a three-decade relationship that the two of us have had in pursuing legislation. Perhaps our best known legislation is the Portman-Cardin pension reform legislation. For many years, people thought my first name was Portman because of the association with Congressman Portman at the time. And I must tell you, we got amazing things done to expand retirement savings opportunities. We are very proud that several bills were enacted and signed into law, but we are equally proud of the process that was used in order to put that legislation together. We invited all stakeholders to join us. It was truly bipartisan. We wanted to get the best policy, and it was that process that led to the successful passage of the first Portman-Cardin bill that dramatically expanded retirement savings opportunities. Even though it was not in either the Democrat or Republican leadership package, we were able to get it into the Balanced Budget Act. I mention the process because that is the process that Senator Portman--Congressman Portman--has always used. He has used the bipartisan process to try to bring us together to get the very best possible solutions to problems. It has been the bedrock of his career, and that is why he has been so successful here in the U.S. Senate, and so many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle have expressed our gratitude for his public service. Now, I must tell you, he used that relationship sometimes to move issues that were not necessarily his partner's top priority. As he mentioned on the floor, he got me engaged in the IRS reform bill that dealt with the nuts and bolts of the IRS. Now, I ask you: How many people want to be known in their district for improving the IRS services for collecting their taxes? But Rob Portman was the leader on this, and he needed a Democrat in the House, and he was very persistent, and we were able to get significant reform done in the IRS when we were both Members of the House. Well, as you know, Rob Portman moved on to become the USTR, to become the budget director, and then returned to the U.S. Senate. And I was so pleased to be able to partner with him again when he returned to the U.S. Senate. On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, we talked about some of his major accomplishments. The two of us have worked together to promote the U.S.-Israel special relationship, to fight against anti- Semitism and the BDS movement, and there has been no stronger advocate in the U.S. Senate for the defense of Ukraine. His record has been an unbelievable amount of accomplishments of getting solid legislation accomplished because he has that ability to work across party line. He is very engaged on the issues. He knows the issues. He knows the substance. He knows your concerns. So we can work it out and reach a common level of agreement so we can get a bill to the finish line. So that is why he has such a remarkable record in getting retirement legislation enacted into law, getting trade legislation enacted into law, dealing with our National Park Service enacted into law, fighting drug addiction, which has been one of his major passions, making a huge difference on our war against drugs. And as was pointed out earlier, and I just really want to underscore that, his values of promoting human rights. In so many cases, he has been the key supporter, initiator, and had the ability to reach the finish line on bills that affect the basic rights of Americans going against such issues as human trafficking and so many other areas. So I just really wanted to take this time to say to my friend Rob Portman, through the Presiding Officer, thank you so much for your many, many years of public service. We wish Jane and you and your entire family only the best going forward. You have left the legislature once before and returned. Maybe, you will return again. We will see. But I wish you only happiness and success in what follows your Senate career. Thank you for sharing your talent with the American people.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 1201, Shailen P. Bhatt, of Michigan, to be Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture debate time on the Douglas nomination be considered expired and the vote on confirmation be at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Republican leader.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. 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.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. I further ask that the bill be considered read three times and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 5229, introduced earlier today by Senators Cardin and Van Hollen.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I further ask that the bill be considered read three times and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 408, S. Res. 124.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I further ask that the committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to; the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; the committee-reported substitute amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 593, S. 2333.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be considered and agreed to; and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill.

Mr. CARDIN. I ask that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 310.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, 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.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 866, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. CARDIN

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

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged and the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7535.

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Hassan substitute amendment, which is at desk, be considered and agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 867, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. CARDIN

Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to immediate consideration of Calendar No. 457, S. 4216.

Mr. CARDIN. I further ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Rubio substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; and the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

Mr. CARDIN. I know of no further debate on the bill.