Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, stop me if you have heard this one before: Two atoms walk into a bar, they collide into one other at extreme speeds, under extreme heat, and they leave later that evening combined--as one, single element. The process I have just described is known as nuclear fusion. For the past 60 years, it is a process that has only existed in theory--written on chalkboards and debated in lecture halls. But last week, everything changed, when the brilliant minds at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California made a breakthrough. For the first time in human history, these American researchers achieved what is known as fusion ignition. They constructed the world's largest laser system--the size of a sports stadium--to recreate conditions that can only be found in the cores of stars and giant planets. And they harnessed that power to combine two particles into one, and as a result, they created more energy than was used to start the process. In other words, these federally funded researchers achieved a scientific feat that could pave the way for unlimited, carbon-free energy. And in the words of our Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, it is a breakthrough that ``[only] happened because we invested in our national labs . . . and we invested in fundamental research.'' Now, let's be clear, this technology is a long way off from powering our homes and businesses, but it is a revolutionary proof of concept. These American researchers have proven that nuclear fusion--and, potentially, a carbon-free future--are possible. And this remarkable breakthrough is a return to form for America: Throughout our history, our government has funded the revolutionary research considered too risky for investors in the private sector--the kinds of discoveries that cost too much and take too long for private investors--but can change the world. And time and again, these Federal investments have paid off. Could you imagine the world economy today without the internet or the microchip? Well, both were the products of federally funded research. And both have created well-paying jobs for generations of families in our country. This new breakthrough in nuclear fusion proves that America is at its best when we pioneer the inventions and industries of tomorrow. And that is exactly why we, in this Senate today, need to invest our Nation's capacity to innovate. We can't face tomorrow's challenges with yesterday's budget. But sadly, that is the reality we are faced with if Congress fails to pass a spending package by the end of this month. Yes, it is that time of the year again in Washington: the end-of-year sprint to pass a government funding bill--also known as an omnibus. And as we approach the closing days of this Congress, we need to answer a fundamental question: Will we pass a government funding bill that adequately addresses our Nation's greatest challenges? Or we will give up and kick the can to the next Congress? And this isn't just about funding for fundamental research; we are talking about the fundamental problems Americans face every single day. If we don't pass an omnibus in the next several days, the Federal Government will have to rely on what is known as a continuing resolution; it is essentially copying and pasting last year's budget into next year. Imagine if a high school student did that on a term paper; they would fail the class--and for good reason. Fortunately, earlier this week, Senator Leahy, Senator Shelby, and Congresswoman DeLauro announced a spending framework that will hopefully lead to an omnibus appropriations package to fully fund the government through the next fiscal year. That omnibus bill will support healthcare for our senior citizens and veterans, infrastructure projects to rebuild and revitalize our communities, and community violence prevention programs to keep our kids and families safe. These are real solutions to the urgent problems American families deal with every single day. In fact, over the past 2 years, this Senate has passed a number of policies to address those same problems--many of them bipartisan. We passed the biggest infrastructure bill in a generation, to rebuild our roads and bridges and replace lead pipes in cities like Chicago. We passed the CHIPS and Science Act, to bring manufacturing jobs back to our shores and secure our domestic supply of a component that is critical in the 21st century economy. We passed the PACT Act, to keep our promise to America's veterans and help those suffering from toxic exposure during their time on the battlefield. And we also passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to combat the scourge of gun violence that has now become the No. 1 killer of America's children. But here is the issue: If we leave Washington without passing a spending package, these policies will be little more than words on paper--because none of these initiatives will receive the funding they need to start helping American families. That is unacceptable; the American people have already shown that they support these policies. How do we know that? Well, as members of this Senate, we voted on every one of those measures I just mentioned. They all passed. Last month, many of these same Senators touted their support for these measures in their reelection campaigns. And every single one of them was reelected--every single one. That hasn't happened since 1934. That is about as clear a message as you get in politics: The policies we have passed are popular--and even more important, they are necessary. So how can we now turn around and tell the American people: Sorry, you will just have to wait a little longer. We have decided not to fund those promises we made? How can we tell that to the veteran who needs lifesaving medical care today? Or the mother whose child is at risk of gun violence today? Or Americans who don't have access to safe drinking water today? These Americans have already waited too long, and they shouldn't have to wait a moment longer. We should do our job and fund the government. Passing an omnibus also will bring millions of dollars in earmark funding that Senator Duckworth and I have worked to secure for community projects in Illinois. These projects will improve our State's transportation systems, clean up our water, strengthen community violence prevention initiatives, expand access to healthcare, create jobs, and much more. But if we leave Washington without passing an omnibus, these projects will not receive the funding they need to move forward. And worse yet, public safety will suffer. In my town of Springfield, our U.S. Attorney tells me his office needs Federal funding to hire more assistant U.S. Attorneys, who are on the frontlines of combating gun violence and violent crime. And across the country, there is a shortage of more than 750 assistant U.S. Attorneys. If we fail to pass a spending package, those shortages, which are a risk to public safety, will extend into next year. That would be a pitiful closing act for the 117th Congress, which has done a lot of good work for the American people. So let's come together and finish the job. Let's fully fund the government before we leave for the holidays, so hard-working Americans can finally get the solutions they have been waiting on.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, 10 years ago today, when I first heard the news, I couldn't believe it. Then, as I heard the details and learned of what had happened in Connecticut, I thought to myself, This is the moment. This shooting is so outrageous and horrible, this is the moment when finally America will come to grips with the reality of gun violence. What I am referring to, of course, is the Sandy Hook Elementary School. It was 10 years ago today that 20 beautiful little children and 6 teachers and staff were murdered in a classroom at this grade school. I thought, This was it. All of the gun violence and all the gun deaths notwithstanding, this will do it. It is the tipping point. America will come to the honest reality that gun violence is unacceptable and will do something about it. Other nations have done something. Other nations have had incidents like this, maybe even fewer victims, and they have decided to change their nation's laws. They have done so, and they made their nation safer because of it. We are gathering here this morning at the request of Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut to remember what happened 10 years ago. Senator Murphy was with the families of Sandy Hook, as was Senator Blumenthal, when they learned of the children's fate. Can you imagine being the parent of one of these little kids and being asked to wait in a building across the street while they looked at the remains of these children and tried to identify them with their parents? I don't know if I would ever recover from that as a parent or a grandparent. Senator Murphy and Senator Blumenthal tried to give the families comfort. I can't imagine that assignment. They both have brought much more than sorrow to this cause. Since that shooting 10 years ago, they have brought a fierce resolve to do something about it and to end the horrific carnage of gun violence in America. This has been an important year for gun safety in this Congress. After the racism-fueled mass murders at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, after the slaughter of 19 little children and 2 teachers in their elementary school in Uvalde, TX, Congress passed the most significant gun safety law in 30 years: the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. And the Senate did something that hadn't been done for 7 years: We actually confirmed a Director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. That is a position the gun lobby had fought to keep open and unfilled for 7 years. We have a man on the job now. So we have made some progress, but we have a lot more to do. The American people want us to do more. It is hard to say, in this great Nation that we have been blessed to live in, that we are the only--only--Nation on Earth that accepts these horrifying levels of gun violence on a daily basis and mass shootings. A mass shooting is a shooting where at least four and sometimes more people are shot or killed. Many times, because of the repetition of this horrific conduct, we think it is inevitable, unpreventable, and we in America shrug our shoulders and say: That is what happens in the United States of America. Just in the category of fatal shootings in schools, kindergarten through 12th grade schools, how many fatal shootings have taken place in America in those schools in the 10 years since Sandy Hook? There have been 189--189 school shootings since Sandy Hook in America. Gun violence is now the leading cause of death of American children. Think about that for a second--the leading cause of death. Every year, more than 3,000 children and teens die by firearms--3,000 a year-- another 15,000 are wounded, and more than 3 million American children are exposed to gun violence every year. For many of these kids, the trauma of seeing friends, parents, siblings, classmates shot may result in lifelong damage to their physical, mental, and emotional health. That is what trauma does to the survivors. This past June, 2 weeks after their 10-year-old daughter Lexi was murdered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Kimberly and Felix Rubio testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. In their testimony, Lexi's mom Kimberly issued a prophetic warning. She said: There's a mom listening to our testimony thinking, I can't imagine the pain that family is going through, not knowing that our pain will one day be their pain unless we do something. While school massacres and other mass shootings tend to capture the Nation's attention, there are tens of thousands of Americans who die every year from the daily toll of gun violence, and many of these deaths barely make the news, they are so commonplace in modern America. They die in suicides, gun accidents--alone or in small groups--domestic disturbances, gang disputes, and crossfire. There is no corner of the country that hasn't been impacted by the gun violence epidemic. Some of the politicians like to point and say: Oh, Chicago has got all of the problems. Sadly, that is not the case. We all face these problems. There are many so-called red States that vote on the other side politically that have terrible gunshot and violence statistics. It affects red States and blue States, big cities, suburbs, small towns, rural areas--you name it. America is awash in guns and gun violence. So far this year in the city of Chicago, so far, 2,718 shootings have taken place. According to the Chicago Sun-Times tracker, 88 of those killed by guns in Chicago this year were children. Last Sunday, I was at a vigil in the Hyde Park section of Chicago at Augustana Lutheran Church. We come together each year to pray for an end to this gun violence, but we know in our heart of hearts that prayer is not enough. I believe the Good Lord expects us to pray but expects us to take action, too. The Senate Judiciary Committee, which I chair, has held 11 hearings on gun violence in these last 2 years. We have heard from a lot of witnesses. One I remember was Ernest Willingham from the West Side of Chicago. After the Cabrini-Green housing project towers were torn down, Ernest and his family moved to the west side of town. Before he was 17, Ernest Willingham's father, brother, and cousin had all been shot. A few years ago, he lost his best friend to a stray bullet. Despite the horror around him, Ernest became the first in his family to go to college. He is now a premed student at Northeastern University in Boston. He has been accepted to medical school. Ernest said that when he grew up, young people ``attend a lot more funerals than weddings,'' and parents ``live in constant fear that their [kid] will be the next'' victim. Since Sandy Hook, millions of Americans have advocated to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and people with mental instability and to protect their kids, but the gun lobby has worked to put more guns in more hands across America. Many gun manufacturers and sellers have launched aggressive marketing campaigns for their deadly guns. One of the more notorious ads showed a photo of an assault weapon-- this is a military-style weapon--with the words under it ``Consider your man card reissued.'' The assault rifle in that ad is a Bushmaster XM-15, the same kind of semiautomatic assault rifle used to commit that mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School. ``Consider your man card reissued.'' Another ad showed soldiers in combat with the words ``Use what they use.'' Use the same weapons that soldiers and marines use in combat, but use them here in America. The ad came from the company called Daniel Defense, the manufacturer of one of the semiautomatic assault rifles used to murder those 19 little kids and teachers in Uvalde. It gets worse. AR-15s and AR-style weapons have become the weapons of choice for mass shooters. This is an ad for a JR-15, a junior model of the AR-15. It is 20 percent smaller and lighter. It is designed for children--children-- under the age of 18. Look at the logos in this ad. I hope you can see it. They are also on the weapon. This gun manufacturer uses cartoon skulls sucking on pacifiers to try to hook children on using military-style assault weapons. If I made that statement without this ad, you would say: Durbin is making up a lie. That can't be true. They really want to sell these guns to adults to give to little kids, and they have them festooned with these images that children will find interesting? On July 4 this year, a 21-year-old with a Smith & Wesson AR-15 military-style rifle went up on a rooftop during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, IL. Now, Highland Park, IL, is one of these idyllic suburbs, a beautiful little place, wonderful families, a great community. And a Fourth of July parade is like a rite of passage. You take your kids out to see the flags, hear the bands, and enjoy every single moment of it. This Fourth of July that we just witnessed was different. Up on top of the roof, he pulled out his AR-15. He fired off 83 rounds in less than a minute. Don't tell me about good shooters with guns, good guys with guns that stop bad guys. There were good guys with guns all over the place, in uniform, with firearms by their side. What could they do in the 60 seconds when he fired off 83 rounds? Nothing to stop him. That gunman killed seven people and injured dozens more. Fourth of July parade, Highland Park, IL--he left a little 2-year-old boy, Aiden McCarthy, an orphan. He killed his mother and his father. He paralyzed an 8-year-old boy with a bullet that severed his spine. The Fourth of July attack in Highland Park was the 309th mass shooting in America in 2022. Do you know how many we have had since the Fourth of July? We have gone from 309 on the Fourth of July to 627 mass shootings in the United States of America this year. Not every shooting is committed with an assault weapon, but if a gunman wants to cause mass harm, assault weapons are the weapon of choice. And you ought to see, if you haven't already, the ``60 Minutes'' segment of what happens to the human body when it is hit with a bullet from one of these guns. It doesn't pass through neatly and cleanly. It does damage inside the body which is almost impossible to repair. Doctors know the harm these bullets cause when they tear through the flesh. They don't just pierce bones and organs; they pulverize them. I will make it clear: I support banning these military-style assault weapons from civilian use. We have banned them before, and I voted for that. It saved lives. It is time to ban them again. Military assault weapons belong in the hands of the military, not in the hands of an 18- or 19-year-old on a roof in Highland Park, firing off 83 rounds in less than 60 seconds. One other point: Federal law gives the firearms industry broad and unjustifiable immunity from civil liability. I am embarrassed to say that the laws of the United States protect the manufacturers of these weapons from liability. There may be a way around that, and I hope there is. Firearm manufacturers should not have a license to recklessly peddle high-powered killing machines to those who shouldn't have them. They should be held accountable. Every other product in America is held accountable. Why do guns get off the hook? The brave families of Sandy Hook took assault weapon manufacturers to court for their marketing practices. The families prevailed, leading to a landmark settlement earlier this year. Congress should do more to allow victims of gun violence and negligence to seek justice in our courts. If naming and shaming won't cause the gun industry to act responsibly, a day in court just might. As we mark the grim anniversary of that devastating day 10 years ago in Newtown, CT, we have got to recommit ourselves to do more--more to protect our kids, more to prevent mass shootings, more to reduce the daily toll of shootings in our homes and neighborhoods. Our work is not done. Families across America are counting on us. Let's do something. Let's stop this carnage in America. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, one of the frustrations of local government is that good work tends to go unnoticed. If the streets are clean and the trains run on time, it can be easy to overlook the hours upon hours of work and collaboration that go into good governance. And in my home State of Illinois, we have a team of heroes working behind the scenes of local government every day, in the second-largest county in the country. They are the 17 members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. And each one of them is responsible for funding Cook County's many agencies, keeping our streets safe, and providing oversight for everything from Chicago's courtrooms to one of the largest health systems in America. This year, one of Cook County's best is retiring after nearly 20 years of effective, dedicated service to the 13th district. His name is Larry Suffredin. And I have been honored to count him as a friend and admire his leadership for many years. Larry entered office as a reformer, a title he has proudly lived up to since he was first elected to the board of commissioners in 2002. Over the past two decades, he has been a staunch advocate for the health and safety of his constituents--from Rogers Park to Glencoe--and an expert on the innerworkings of county government. But long before Larry was elected commissioner, his commitment to the people of Cook County was clear to anyone who knew him. In fact, it is a commitment he demonstrated all the way back in the sixth grade, when he was hired for his first job: delivering newspapers to his neighbors in Westchester, IL. In Larry's words, it was a job that ``helped me figure out how to deal with people.'' And it meant waking up early in the morning, keeping close track over each stop on his route, and--occasionally--outrunning his neighbors' dogs. It was an experience that melded together two of Larry's great qualities: his assiduous attention to detail and his determination to help his community however he could. By the time Larry graduated high school, he had set his sights on a career in law. And after earning his bachelor's degree from Loyola in Chicago, he made his way to Washington, where he--like me--attended Georgetown Law. He actually received his J.D. just 3 years after me. With his law degree and sharp mind, Larry could have easily landed a comfortable job at a big law firm, but instead, he enlisted in the Air Force and served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. After being honorably discharged, Larry returned home to Cook County to serve his community as an assistant public defender. In just 2 years, he tried 32 cases to verdict. It was around this time that Larry started developing a reputation as an outstanding attorney. He distinguished himself in the courtroom with his knowledge of the law and a masterful command of the complexities of State government. Soon enough, the calls started flooding into Larry's office, and over the past several decades, he has been hired to argue cases before courts at every level, even the U.S. Supreme Court. But no matter how far his legal talents took him, Larry's heart always led him back to Chicagoland. And soon after Larry was elected to the board of commissioners, he emerged as one of Cook County's strongest advocates. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working alongside Larry. For instance, in 2008, he was instrumental in saving the Cook County Health System from financial collapse. Under his leadership, the county created an independent health board, a decision that received criticism at the time but, in retrospect, was both courageous and wise. Thanks to Larry, the Cook County Health System is still in operation today, providing comprehensive care that would not have been possible without the creation of that independent board. As commissioner, Larry has also been a champion for transparency. One of his first accomplishments was codifying the Cook County code of ordinances for the first time ever. Now, that may not sound like a big deal, but for the residents of Cook County, it was a game changer; it meant that everyday citizens could keep tabs on the Cook County Board, along with the laws making their way through the legislative process. It was a testament to one of Larry's core values: that government works best when it is both clear and accessible. That is why, as commissioner, he has regularly held community meetings with his constituents--to personally answer their questions about newly enacted laws or provide his take on the latest county board meetings. If you ask Larry, he would likely tell you that one of his proudest accomplishments in county government is the work he has done as Forest Preserve Commissioner. Cook County's forest preserves encompass 70,000 acres of wild, wonderful nature. In Larry's words, ``it's one of the most beautiful things we have . . . [the preserves hold] about 85 percent of all the stormwater runoff in the area. It gives us oxygen, because of all the trees. There are so many things that this land does to improve the quality of life in our area that we just take for granted.'' Well, under Larry's leadership, these forest preserves have never been taken for granted. In one of his last acts as commissioner, Larry pushed for a bond referendum to fund the cost of the preserves' restoration and maintenance. In last month's election, the referendum passed, with the vast majority of Cook County voters supporting it. Perhaps one of the only enemies that Larry has made throughout his years of service to Cook County is the gun lobby. Back in 2006, he spearheaded an ordinance banning assault weapons in Cook County. And that measure has withstood one legal challenge after another, making Larry one of the most effective advocates for gun safety reform in all of Illinois. It is hard to imagine Cook County government without Larry at the helm. But his legacy will be felt for years and decades to come by the more than 5 million Illinoisans who call Cook County home. For every resident appealing a property tax assessment or enjoying a sunny day by Bullfrog Lake, Larry has made a world of difference. Larry, I want to thank you for everything you have done for our friends and family in Chicagoland. I am grateful for your many years of partnership and friendship. Loretta and I look forward to celebrating your retirement with you, your wife Gloria, and your two children, who have grown up right before our eyes, Tom and Elizabeth.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Dana Douglas to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Born and raised in New Orleans, Judge Douglas' passion for the law and public service was inspired by her family's background in law enforcement. In particular, her mother, Ms. Ida Woodfork, served in the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office for 30 years, and her uncle, Mr. Warren Woodfork, Sr., was the first Black superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department. Judge Douglas earned her B.A. in social work and Black world studies at Miami University and received her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law. From there, she clerked for Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Judge Douglas then spent 18 years litigating, trying four cases to verdict or judgment and handling several administrative matters before State agencies. Although she worked in private practice, she also served the community for 9 years as a commissioner and then vice president of the New Orleans Civil Service Commission, a quasi-judicial body regulating the city's civil service. Since 2019, Judge Douglas has served as a magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. In that time, she has authored 111 reports and recommendations, all of which have been adopted in whole or in part by the district court. Judge Douglas enjoys the strong support of Senators Kennedy and Cassidy, and the American Bar Association unanimously rated her as ``qualified'' to serve on the Fifth Circuit. If confirmed, Judge Douglas will be the first woman of color to serve on the Fifth Circuit. Judge Douglas' experience, qualifications, and temperament will be assets on the Fifth Circuit, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination. Vote on Douglas Nomination

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper), the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Wyden) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I rise today to speak about the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, about to come before us. First, let me say this bill is aptly named in recognition of nearly three decades of service in the Senate of our colleague Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma. I count him as a friend, and I wish him the very best in his future endeavors. I am grateful to him, Chairman Jack Reed from Rhode Island, and their staff for working to produce this bill. This is the 62nd year that Congress has reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to produce this Defense authorization bill. It is about the only thing which you can count on with regularity every year, and I commend Senator Reed and Senator Inhofe for maintaining that tradition and maintaining our commitment to the men and women in uniform and the defense of the United States. This fiscal year 2023 Defense authorization bill has a top line of nearly $858 billion for defense and a deserved 4.6-percent pay raise for our troops--that is the largest increase in 20 years--to help military families deal with inflation. The bill also supports employment opportunities for military spouses, their kids, and improved military housing and childcare. It ensures that the United States can defend effectively against threats from China, North Korea, or any other nation foolish enough to challenge. And it boosts military aid to Ukraine, which is at the frontline of democracy, as defense against the Russian thug's brutal and illegal war. The bill invests important and innovative capabilities and technologies to improve the safety of military tactical vehicles and discover PFAS-free alternatives to firefighting. And it includes several provisions that I requested with Senator Duckworth, from protecting Scott Air Force Base--one of our premier Air Force bases--from divestment to strengthening security cooperation with our Baltic allies, to expanding Federal mental health services after FEMA emergency declarations. I am pleased the bill also includes bipartisan provisions from the Judiciary Committee to improve the security of Federal judges and strengthen protection for sexual assault survivors. You wonder, What is that doing in this bill? This bill is the vehicle for many good things to happen, and the bills that I have just referenced were bipartisan bills coming out of committee which we have hitched a ride on this bill to deliver. At the same time, I am troubled by several provisions in the text of the bill. First, this bill would lift the Pentagon's policy of requiring servicemembers in the military to receive COVID-19 vaccines. This is an extremely alarming and even dangerous decision. Mandatory vaccinations for the U.S. military are not new. They date back to the earliest days before we were a nation, when George Washington ordered small pox inoculations for troops in the Continental Army. The Pentagon currently requires several vaccines for military members, and appropriate exemptions already exist for medical and religious purposes. So many troops serve around the world in extreme conditions and in close quarters for extended periods of time by assignment, making any risk of infectious disease such as COVID all the more threatening and troubling. And the lingering damage of long COVID--and don't discount it. There are Members of the Senate who are privately and quietly battling with this issue--including respiratory, heart, neurological, and autoimmune conditions. This underscores the importance of our servicemembers being vaccinated. Thankfully--thankfully--more than 97 percent of all Department of Defense employees have been fully vaccinated, and more than 99 percent of Active-Duty servicemembers have had at least one dose. But the repeal of this mandate at the insistence of Republican Members of the House is a dangerous, disturbing insertion of politics into an important public health and national security matter. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, whom I greatly respect, has made it clear that he opposes this provision, as do I. In addition, the final bill extends for another year unnecessary restrictions on transferring detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo. Did you think Guantanamo was gone and closed? No, it isn't. Included in this bill is a complete ban of transfer of any of these detainees to the mainland of the United States for any purpose whatsoever for any period of time. This ban includes even transfers to the United States for prosecution in a Federal court or necessary medical care. This puts our medical professionals in a terrible, untenable, unprofessional position of having to provide medical care that cannot be safely provided on that naval base, Guantanamo. That endangers the lives of their patients, when we mandate it in this bill. I have come to this floor to advocate for the closure of Guantanamo for years. It saddens me that for more than two decades, the legacy of torture and indefinite detention has continued to betray our values as a nation and the rule of law. This detention facility was deliberately created to serve as a legal black hole where detainees could be held incommunicado, beyond the reach of law, and even subjected to torture. There is still, all of these years later, no due process for the prisoners at Guantanamo and no justice for the families of the thousands of people who died on 9/11. We held a hearing on Guantanamo, and one of the family members of the survivors of that terrible 9/11 occurrence came and said to us: Finally get it over with. Close this facility. Try these individuals if you have a charge against them; if not, put an end to it. Since that prison opened in Guantanamo, hundreds of detainees have come and gone. Today, there are 35 individuals at an unjustified and embarrassing cost of $550 million per year to keep the facility open. Quick math--we are spending $15 million a year for each of these detainees while there are ample vacancies in our Federal prisons. Why? The vast majority of the men who remain indefinitely detained have never--never--been charged with any crime and have been unanimously approved for transfer by defense and intelligence agencies, and American taxpayers pay $15 million a year for each of them to stay at Guantanamo. They languish at Guantanamo for no justifiable reason, contrary to any notion of due process or rule of law. I filed an amendment to this bill that I am referring to earlier this fall to close this prison at Guantanamo once and for all. Put it behind us. I am disappointed that it wasn't taken up and that the final bill doesn't address it. The Senate, again, did not have a regular floor process for this bill, which would have allowed debate and amendments. That is what the Senate used to do routinely. Now, it hardly ever happens in this body. Ultimately, I will vote for this bill even with my objections I have stated, but I want the record to be clear: The Defense Authorization Act has not been bogged down by ``liberal nonsense,'' as the Senate minority leader stated last week on the floor of the Senate. The reality is, this bill authorizes nearly $75 billion more for the national defense compared to the last fiscal year--a significant increase and critical for our Nation's defense and our troops--but I hope it will be matched in an omnibus by nondefense spending to keep parity as well. We must finalize and pass an omnibus bill without delay to keep our Federal Government functioning. I want to note one top priority that should have been included in this bill and should be included now in the omnibus spending bill. The bipartisan Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act is cosponsored by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and myself. We introduced it, and several of our colleagues joined us. Most Americans would be shocked to learn that the laws of the United States of America do not allow us to prosecute foreign war criminals who are roaming free right here in the United States--hard to believe. As that unspeakable atrocity continues in Ukraine, we must not allow those who are murdering and torturing the people of Ukraine to come and reside in the United States with impunity, period. We must close this gap in our laws and ensure that foreign nationals here on our soil can be prosecuted for war crimes. America must send a message to the Vladimir Putins of the world that their henchmen will find no safe haven here. I look forward to finally getting to this critical bill as soon as possible.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Tamika Montgomery-Reeves to a Delaware seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Montgomery-Reeves has significant experience as both a litigator and a judge. She received degrees from the University of Mississippi and the University of Georgia School of Law before clerking on the Delaware Court of Chancery. Following this role, she worked as a litigator with two national law firms, where she focused on complex commercial matters. In 2015, Justice Montgomery-Reeves was appointed to serve on Delaware's Chancery Court. There, she presided over cases involving corporate issues, trusts, estates, real property, and other contractual matters. In 2019, she was appointed to serve as a justice on the Delaware Supreme Court. She is both the youngest person ever to serve on that court and the first African-American supreme court justice in Delaware history. During her time on the bench, Justice Montgomery-Reeves has demonstrated a fair judicial temperament and a deep commitment to evenhanded decisionmaking. In recognition of her exceptional legal acumen, the committee has received many letters of support from her colleagues in both private practice and on the bench. Justice Montgomery-Reeves has been rated unanimously ``well qualified'' by the American Bar Association, and she has strong support from her home State Senators, Mr. Carper and Mr. Coons. I strongly support her nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, since 1963, the State Journal-Register, the oldest newspaper in Illinois, has awarded its First Citizen Award to residents of Springfield who have selflessly given their time and resources to help and serve others. This year, the State Journal- Register has selected a central Illinois legend to receive its 2022 First Citizen Award: businesswoman and philanthropist, Evelyn Brandt Thomas. If you ask Evelyn Brandt Thomas how she is doing, she often replies, ``Better than I deserve.'' She is a true pioneer with deep roots in central Illinois. Evelyn was born in 1923 on a farm in Salisbury Township, just outside of Pleasant Plains. Her father, Albert Brandt, raised horses for the first 12 years of her life. And as life on a farm goes, Evelyn had to do it all. She would handle tractors, gather eggs, and milk the cows, all without the luxuries of electricity or indoor plumbing. She was ahead of her time. Evelyn graduated from Springfield High School at just 16 years old and went on to receive a degree in accounting from Illinois Business College, an impressive feat at a time when women had few higher education opportunities and even fewer prospects in the fields of business and accounting. After several years of working in advertising, in the early 1950s, Evelyn and her younger brother, Glen--``GB'' for short--founded Brandt Fertilizer, a company that sold liquid fertilizer to central Illinois farms. At the time, dry fertilizer dominated the local market, but it also would come in heavy, 50-lb. bags that farmers would have to haul all across the farm. GB and Evelyn recognized a need and seized on the opportunity. Their original motto was, ``All You Have to Do is Lift the Hose.'' GB relied on his ``gift of gab'' going farm-to-farm selling this new product to make farmers lives easier while Evelyn handled the financials, which she watched like a hawk. Evelyn and GB were quite the duo, building their business on the principles of honesty and hard work. Their principles paid off. What started as a liquid fertilizer company operating out of a truck and an office has now grown into BRANDT Consolidated, Inc., a successful agricultural business that sells products in more than 45 countries, has several hundred employees, and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year. And it is still a family business. GB's son and Evelyn's nephew, Rick Brandt, has served as CEO and president since 1995. But Evelyn's long list of accomplishments goes far beyond profits and sales. Over the years, she has pursued a number of philanthropic projects and given back to central Illinois and the region. She has been a champion of education--especially in encouraging more women to explore careers in agriculture--supporting a variety of institutions of higher learning, like the University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College, as well as nonprofits like the Education Center for the Visually Impaired. Evelyn has established scholarships at the University of Illinois Springfield--UIS--and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She continues to support 4-H, the youth development nonprofit organization where she met her late husband Gordon, and the Future Farmers of America--an organization that prepares young people to be leaders in business and agriculture. In her work with the Education Center for the Visually Impaired, Evelyn has sought to improve the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired. In doing so, she has helped to provide education, training, and development opportunities through services and programs. For her decades of work, Evelyn has received numerous awards. She received the ATHENA International Award presented by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce in 2009, a Doctor of Humane Letters award from UIS in 2014, and was inducted into the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame in 2020. I have also been glad to get to know Evelyn's family over the years. In 2019, I worked with Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to help the Brandt family secure the specialized World War II license plate, ``GB,'' in honor of his military service. GB passed away in June 2020 at the age of 94. In January 2020, we held a press event at BRANDT Consolidated, Inc., to celebrate the benefits of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement for the agriculture production industry and the Brandt family's global leadership. How is Evelyn doing? I would say she is doing pretty well for a farm girl from central Illinois. And she deserves it. Evelyn and her family are a true Illinois success story. I want to thank Evelyn for her many years of service to the central Illinois community and congratulate her for receiving the State Journal-Register's 2022 First Citizen Award. Illinois is grateful for all of her service and sacrifice.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm another highly qualified judicial nominee: Jeffrey Hopkins, who has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Judge Hopkins received his A.B. from Bowdoin College and his J.D. from the Ohio State University College of Law. After graduating from law school, Hopkins clerked for Judge Alan E. Norris, both on the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Tenth District and on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. For the last 25 years, Judge Jeffrey Hopkins has served with distinction as a Federal bankruptcy judge in the Southern District of Ohio. In this role, Judge Hopkins has presided over approximately 3,000 cases that have gone to verdict or judgement, and he served as chief judge of the district's bankruptcy court from 2014 to 2021. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Hopkins worked as a litigator in private practice and served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Ohio, where he became chief of the civil division in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Judge Hopkins has the strong, bipartisan support of his home State Senators, Mr. Brown and Mr. Portman. Additionally, he received a unanimous rating of ``well qualified'' from the ABA. I support this highly qualified nominee, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth) and the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth) and the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth) and the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I am sure some people who are tuned into C-SPAN think they are watching an alternative universe because all of these Democrats have come to the floor to say something nice about a Republican, but it is Rob Portman--a special Republican and a special friend. (Laughter.) We have worked on many things together over the years, but I really think the highlight of it has been the work that we have done together in the past year as cochairs of the Ukrainian Caucus. I know that you have been there more often than I have, but I also know that your commitment to this issue goes way beyond anything political. It is personal. It is real. It is human. You can feel it. Rob is the type of person, the type of Senator, who takes his job so very seriously. He put me to shame with the maps that he brought to the floor of the Senate on a regular basis to chart the course of the bravery and courage of the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and their future and resist the invasion of Vladimir Putin and his thugs. I know that you have been there to meet with Mr. Zelenskyy, who heads up the Ukrainian effort. I know, as we met this week and many weeks before, that when the Ukrainian Parliamentarians come to town, they look forward to meeting our caucus and particularly meeting the Senator from Ohio because they know that he understands their plight and that he is a voice for them. It must be difficult to be a native of a small country--so distant from the United States--that is under constant attack, where people are leaving, their lives are being turned upside down, where innocent people are being killed every day, and you are counting on your friends in other parts of the world--the NATO alliance and particularly the United States of America. They find their way here to this Capitol Building with their Ambassador. We sit down, and we talk about the state of the war in Ukraine. So many times, they look to you, Rob, and they look to our caucus for the kind of message to take back home--a message of hope that they are not in this alone. Of all of the causes that I have worked on in the course of my senatorial career, this is one that means a lot to me. My mother was born in Lithuania, as I have probably mentioned to you. My feelings about freedom and my feelings about the oppression by the Russians and the Soviets over the years are very strong. That is being played out today in the course of the war in Ukraine. I thank President Biden for his leadership, but I thank you, Rob, for making this bipartisan. Honest to goodness, that is why it is strong; that is why it is credible; that is why it is a cause that many of us in the Senate take so very seriously. You have made that commitment. I would like to mention one other issue. I know that you take pride in your legislative legacy--and you should--but back in 2013, you made an announcement that sent shock waves throughout Washington. You became the only sitting Republican Senator to endorse marriage equality. At the time, you attributed your position to a member of your family who was part of the LGBTQ community. You said that your son's courage ``allowed me to think about this issue from a new perspective, and that's as a dad who loves his son'' so very much. Well, that evolution came full circle when you joined 11 of your Republican colleagues in supporting the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects marriage equality under Federal law. It was one of your final votes in the Chamber and a fitting coating to your proud legislative career. Loretta and I wish you and your wife, Jane, and your three children all the best as you say farewell to Washington and welcome to Cincinnati or wherever your life may take you next. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with you. Thank you, Rob.