Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Members, the Senator from Tennessee just provided us with this copy of his new amendment, and I hope you will take a look at it because it is recommitting this motion for 3 days. End of conversation, end of debate, end of any possibility of passing what we consider to be a major piece of legislation, from prescription drugs, dealing with environmental issues, and the list goes on. We have faced this so many times already in the last 12 or 14 hours. But the second thing I would like to note is, we understand the seriousness of this challenge, so much so that we have already decided it is a crime, and it is a crime that can be prosecuted. And it is a crime that is investigated and enforced by an Agency of the Federal Government which we funded just 4 months ago. Four months ago, we gave $8 billion to ICE for this purpose. Thirty-one Republicans voted against funding this purpose. One of them was the Senator from Tennessee. So now we are told we need the money, but 4 months ago he wouldn't vote for it. I think we know what we have here. We have a challenge that really is important to this motion that both parties share, but we have a political challenge with an effort to derail this measure today. Stick together and vote against this amendment.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Reserving the right to object.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I have read and reread the Senator from Kansas's resolution. As best I can determine, it is a declaration of war. For that reason, it should be taken very seriously. He says, in the earliest stages of the preamble, to express the sense of the Senate regarding the constitutional right of State Governors to repel the dangerous ongoing invasion at the U.S. southern border. The operative language at the end of his resolution on this decoration of war relates to a provision in the Constitution which is rarely quoted. It is section 10 of article I. I would like to read it into the record. It says: No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay. I am trying to understand the thinking of the Senator from Kansas, but here is the best I could come up with. He says that what is happening at the southern border with our immigration issues is, in his words, ``actual invasion of the United States.'' And then goes on to say: Governors of all 50 States possess the authority and power as Commander in Chief of their respective States to repel the invasion described in paragraph 2. So as best I can determine, the Senator from Kansas is suggesting that each Governor has the power to initiate military action. It doesn't say who the enemy will be or who the target will be. But according to this provision in the Constitution, these Governors can enter into compacts with other States for this military action or with a foreign power. I don't know if the Senator from Kansas has thought this through, this idea that the State of Kansas would team up with the State of Arizona and declare war on Nicaragua. Is that what he is thinking because Nicaraguans are presenting themselves to the border? I would suggest that I have never seen a declaration of war that calls on the States to take such action, and the only time--the only precedent in our history was a sad one that involved the Civil War in the United States. I don't know if the Senator is anticipating similar State action-- State by State or combination of States--attacking a foreign power. For that reason and many others, I object.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 5 minutes.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I hope that my remarks are even less. I stand in solid support of the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO. Just a few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to visit Lithuania. It is a country that means a lot to me and my family. I met with the former President Valdas Adamkus. Adamkus, a Lithuanian immigrant to the United States, had a distinguished record in our government's service here and then returned to Lithuania after his retirement from the U.S. Federal Government and ran successfully for President. He had the vision to realize that the future of Lithuania and the Baltic States was in the European Union and NATO and worked strenuously to achieve those goals, and I was happy to be joining him in that effort. Now, this moment in history really complements his leadership because the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO is a confirmation that the Baltic Sea is safer than ever when it comes to the West. If Vladimir Putin thought that by invading Ukraine he could somehow inhibit the future of NATO or in some way limit its future, the opposite has occurred. NATO is stronger than ever. And the United States' commitment to NATO is stronger than ever. The fact that only a handful of Senators from either political party are even questioning the accession of Sweden and Finland are good indications to me that we have bipartisan support for this NATO coalition now more than ever--and we should, first, for the Ukrainians and, secondly, for the United States and its future. Those who are speaking against the accession of Finland and Sweden suggest that we ought to focus our attention on Asia. Well, we cannot ignore Asia. It is an important part of our near-term future. And we have got to show strength throughout the world. Why don't we start right now? With this accession of Finland and Sweden, the strengthening of the NATO alliance says to any adversary of the United States, even to China and its future, that this country does business with other countries in the world on an arm's-length basis and a respectful basis and can deal with democracies in a constructive way in building their economies for the future. I will gladly join in the support of the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. I believe it not only strengthens that alliance when it comes to this war in Ukraine, it prepares us for challenges in the future, and it is the right thing for America's security. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will consider another highly qualified judicial nominee to the Federal bench. We will vote to confirm Judge Elizabeth Hanes to the Eastern District of Virginia. Judge Hanes currently serves as a U.S. magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, a position to which she was appointed by the current judges of the district court in 2020. She has already issued 100 opinions during her time on the bench. A lifelong Virginian, Judge Hanes has deep ties to the Eastern District. She was born in Roanoke, VA, and attended the University of Richmond and the University of Richmond School of Law. After graduating, she clerked for Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and for Judge Robert B. King on the Fourth Circuit. Judge Hanes began her career in public service as an assistant federal public defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia, a role she held for 7 years. She then joined Consumer Litigation Associates in Richmond. Judge Hanes gained significant trial experience during this time. And throughout her time in legal practice, she represented indigent defendants in criminal matters and low-income clients--including veterans--in civil claims related to predatory lending practices. Judge Hanes received a ``qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association and has the strong support of Virginia's Senators, Mr. Warner and Mr. Kaine. With her depth of experience and proven commitment to equal justice, Judge Hanes will continue to serve the Eastern District of Virginia with distinction. And importantly, as a former public defender, she will bring vital professional diversity to the Federal bench. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this outstanding nominee.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, this is my first day back in the Senate since I contracted COVID last week. It is good to be back, particularly for a historic week. I am grateful to the healthcare professionals and brilliant scientists who developed the COVID vaccines and therapies so quickly and am thankful for the Federal funding that made their work possible. Luckily, I am double-vaxxed and double-boosted, and I encourage everyone: Get your shots.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 273, had I been present for the vote I would have voted yea. I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 274, had I been present for the vote I would have voted yea.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, yesterday, during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I had a chance to share the story of this fallen hero from Chicago, IL. Her name is Ella French. Officer French joined the Chicago Police Department in 2018. A true public servant, she was always eager to help. She loved people, loved her family, and loved animals, particularly stray dogs. She would often pick them up in her squad car and ferry them to safety at the end of the day. Last year, tragically, Officer French was shot down during a traffic stop. She was 29 years old. Her partner, Carlos Yanez, Jr., was seriously wounded. The gun that was used to shoot both of them had been straw-purchased in Indiana, a State adjoining Illinois. A straw purchase takes place when someone without a criminal record, who can pass a background check, buys a gun for someone who cannot. In this case, the purchaser was turning the gun over to a convicted felon who used the gun to kill Ella and seriously wound her partner. During yesterday's hearing, which focused on law enforcement officer safety, we were joined by Officer French's mother, Elizabeth. She is a wonderful person. I want to take this opportunity to thank Elizabeth French for her bravery and her commitment to honoring her daughter's legacy. I want to thank our witnesses, including Chief Angel Novalez of the Chicago Police Department, who himself was shot in the line of duty, for participating yesterday in the hearing. Every time law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and badges, they put their lives on the line, especially in a country that is now awash in guns, America, the country of 350 million people and 400 million firearms. In fact, guns are not only the No. 1 cause of death for America's children, they are the leading cause of death for officers in the line of duty, second only to COVID. We have made some progress in recent months in reducing the risk of gun violence for police officers and our families. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act included a provision I have long supported, cracking down on straw purchases, like the gun that was used to kill this amazing young woman. We still have a lot of work to do. Yesterday, I introduced legislation--and I have named it in Officer French's honor--that would provide funding to multijurisdictional task forces to combat straw purchasing: the Officer Ella Grace French Task Force Support Act. I am glad her mother was there to hear that. I hope every Senator who prides himself on supporting law enforcement will join me in this legislation. I can think of no better way to honor the service and sacrifice of our officers, to protect our families and our children, and to demonstrate to America that this Senate is serious about stemming the tide of gun violence in our country. Right to Contraception Act Madam President, in the United States of America, nearly all women-- 99 percent--use some form of contraception in their lifetime to prevent unplanned pregnancy. They use birth control pills, IUDs, condoms, and other devices. Many women who are not sexually active still use birth control to manage medical conditions. Further, almost every woman who identifies as religious has used a contraceptive method in her lifetime--99 percent of mainline Protestants, evangelical Protestants, and Catholics--and 96 percent of people with other religious affiliations. In short, women in all stages of life in America and of all religious backgrounds rely on birth control. It is their constitutional right. It is their decision. But this right, this decision, is now under attack. Over a month ago, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, revoking for the first time ever an established constitutional right: the right to reproductive healthcare. And I fear that the Court's assault on our fundamental freedoms is just beginning. In his concurrence in the Dobbs opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas urged the Supreme Court to ``reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.'' He made reference in that statement to three Supreme Court decisions which have been on the books for over 50 years. That is an explicit threat by Justice Thomas against the very right to same-sex marriage, the right to consensual relationships between LGBTQ people, and the right to contraception, which has been protected by the Court's decision in Griswold v. Connecticut for 55 years. In that case, Griswold, a supermajority of seven Supreme Court Justices ruled that married couples have a right to access contraception. They based it on a word which you will not find in the Constitution: ``privacy.'' Now, more than half a century later, we are living in an America where women are no longer guaranteed this right to privacy, this right to reproductive healthcare, and where their very right to contraception is now in doubt and in jeopardy. This is not some alarmist rant. At this very moment, women in America are being denied their constitutional right to contraception. How could that possibly be in this country? Well, look no further than your local pharmacy. This past weekend, USA TODAY reported on the story of Abigail Martin, a young woman who has been taking birth control pills for the past 6 years. She went to a Walgreens pharmacy to refill her birth control prescription, which had been prescribed by her doctor. She was turned away by a pharmacist at Walgreens. It took 4 days before she was finally able to access her medication by going to a different pharmacist. That is a dangerous delay in healthcare. Apparently, Walgreens allows its pharmacists to refuse to fill a prescription for which they have ``a moral or religious conviction . . . [and] to refer the customer to another employee or manager on duty who will complete the transaction.'' Since Abigail's story went viral, other Walgreens customers have come forward to say that cashiers refused to ring up their condoms because they announced it violated their faith. A pharmacist should not be able to unilaterally decide that their personal moral or religious beliefs can delay or interfere with the medical needs of a patient standing at the cash register, buying a legal medication, which is why this week I sent a letter to the CEO of Walgreens, an Illinois corporation, for an explanation of their policy. If Walgreens is going to allow its individual employees to dictate what legal medical products customers can purchase, then the company should make this policy known to the public. They should be required to display signs at their cash registers alerting customers and the public that they may not be able to fill their prescriptions or buy healthcare products in a timely manner. Given this information, customers may decide to take their business elsewhere--to a pharmacy that does not allow individual staff members to restrict or interfere with their customers' legal purchasing decisions. A woman's right to essential healthcare should not differ based on which pharmacy she chooses, who fills her prescription, or who rings it up. Her right to this personal decision in her life is fundamental-- fundamental. That is why Congress must pass the Right to Contraception Act introduced by Senators Markey and Murray. This is a commonsense proposal, and I have cosponsored it. It would codify the right to contraception in America nationwide--a right that has been undisputed for 55 years. We need this legislation because now women in America are living with the consequences of six unelected Justices erasing the constitutional right to reproductive healthcare, and pharmacies, like Walgreens, are allowing their employees to dictate what healthcare products consumers are able to purchase. Walgreens says they want to be respectful of the moral judgment of their employees and staff. Should they not also be respectful of their customers? Politicians and pharmacists have no business standing between a woman and healthcare. If protecting this right sounds like common sense to you, then join us in supporting the Right to Contraception Act. If the Supreme Court will not respect this fundamental personal right, you have the right to demand that your Member of Congress will. CHIPS Act of 2022 Madam President, across America, tens of thousands of cars are lined up bumper to bumper in a total standstill. This is not an ordinary traffic jam. You see, these cars are brand new. They were assembled by some of the finest names in American manufacturing. But they are missing something, a key, essential component: microchips. If you are in the market for a new car or even a fridge or a smartphone, there is a good chance you have felt the semiconductor shortage. These tiny pieces of silicon power nearly everything around us. But with the coronavirus epidemic, supply chains have been snarled and foreign factories have been shut down, which has led to a global shortage of microchips. This has had a devastating impact on American consumers, businesses, and workers. Over the past 2 years, the price of a new car has skyrocketed by 20 percent--40 percent for used cars. We have seen the repercussions of this firsthand in my home State of Illinois, which is one of the leaders in the auto industry. Companies like Stellantis, which runs an assembly plant in Belvidere, have been forced to shut down production several times this year because of these shortages. Today, the Senate did something remarkable: We passed a bill, a bipartisan bill. How about that. And it is important. We came to the rescue of job creators like Stellantis and to the rescue of American consumers. We voted on this legislation to invest billions of dollars into making microchips right here in America. This bill is critical for the future of our economy. It is even critical for our national security. And we need it desperately for more scientific breakthroughs. But in the near term, the CHIPS Act is imperative for shoring up our Nation's supply chain and strengthening our defense system. Why? Because microchips are essential not just for cars and refrigerators and smartphones but for guided missile systems and fighter jets. Right now, America has to rely on foreign suppliers like China to supply the chips that power the next generation of defense in America. That wasn't always the case. In 1990, America produced almost 40 percent of the world's supply of microchips. Today, make that 12 percent. Somewhere along the way, we settled for outsourcing semiconductor production to Asia. That is just unacceptable, and it is unsustainable. Imagine our turning to the Chinese Communist Party to determine whether or not we can buy the microchips that fuel our economy and protect our Nation. That is a dangerous scenario. I have heard a few colleagues voice concern about the subsidies in this bill, but--let's be clear--this is no reckless corporate giveaway. The CHIPS Act will bring American factories back to life, creating good jobs in our country. The fact is, our competitors in Asia and even Europe are already investing billions of dollars in luring chipmakers away from America. We need to fight fire with fire. The CHIPS Act will. It will incentivize the biggest names in technology to manufacture right here in America, and if any company breaks their commitment to make it in America, we reclaim all of the funding that we give them under this bill. But beyond this economic and national security imperative, the CHIPS Act is important for another reason, one that really strikes at the heart of America: pioneering innovation. The CHIPS Act includes historic funding authorization for groundbreaking scientific research at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science. This has been a particularly important issue to me personally as a Member of the Senate for many years. It was 7 or 8 years ago when I decided to try to push for increasing medical research funds at the Federal level. I concentrated on the National Institutes of Health, with Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who was just on the floor before me, joining me in a bipartisan effort with Patty Murray in an effort to make this bipartisan and effective. It worked. We dramatically increased the investment in the NIH. But I knew that wasn't enough. We needed the Department of Energy's Office of Science, as well as the National Science Foundation, to have the same increase in funding. Today, with the passage of the CHIPS and Science bill, we are finally moving in that direction. We know how important scientific research is. We have learned it over and over. For instance, finding that vaccine for COVID-19 in recordbreaking time was a result of investing in science and medical research years and years before. We also know that we have launched some things which are going to change the world. The James Webb Space Telescope is one of those things. The deepest and sharpest photos of our universe are finally coming home to the United States and the rest of the world. What is NASA doing with this trove of data being collected by this telescope now? Well, since NASA is funded by taxpayers, they are sharing it with researchers throughout the country. One professor at the University of Chicago, Jacob Bean, says that he is planning on using this data to learn more about exoplanets orbiting faraway stars, whatever the possibilities may be that they can host a life. This one image of our universe has unleashed a flood of new ideas and just countless questions for researchers around the world. It shows how funding and scientific research can really change the place we live in. When we support scientists and researchers, we are paving the way for new discoveries. NASA was critical for developing so many products. Imagine, if you will, that they had a lot to do with developing athletic shoes, CAT scans, and smartphone cameras. These staples of American life and more were unintended discoveries pioneered in NASA's labs. With the CHIPS Act, we can kick-start a new generation of discovery. I am happy to say that, in Illinois, in the Chicagoland area, we have two of the best research operations in our country: the Argonne Lab and Fermilab. With this funding, these facilities will break new ground in researching emerging technology, like AI and quantum computing. In fact, Argonne and Fermilab already partnered together with the University of Chicago to launch the most advanced quantum network in the world. They are planning to expand it to other parts of the country, bringing more research into this cutting-edge research technology. And much like space exploration 50 years ago, quantum computing is the new frontier in science. We have only begun to explore techniques like teleporting qubits, which may sound like a line from Star Trek, but it has profound implications. Quantum computing could revolutionize the way we design electric batteries for cars, even solar technology, to maximize energy efficiency. These are the possibilities that lie before us. The passage of the CHIPS and Science Act today on the floor of the U.S. Senate is a vindication of our commitment to this Nation's future and an investment that generations will thank us for. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy) and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, at long last, it is official. Buck O'Neil and Minnie Minoso are finally where they deserve to be: in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. These two remarkable men, who were friends for decades, both started their careers in baseball's storied Negro Leagues. They went on to make history again in the Major Leagues--in the city of Chicago--and they stayed involved with baseball all their lives. And they were both known, as one writer said, ``as much for their grace and spirit of generosity as for their immense achievements in the game.'' I never had the good fortune to meet Buck O'Neil, but I have a baseball that he signed, and I keep it as a treasure. I did meet Minnie Minoso. He and Satchel Paige came to a Springfield Redbirds game many years ago, and I summoned the courage to shake their hands between innings. What a thrill that was. But meeting Minnie Minoso was an honor shared by so many Chicagoans. As his widow, Sharon Rice-Minoso, recalled at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, ``Baseball was his life. He was proud to wear his uniform and come to the ballpark every day to greet fans with a smile and sign autograph and after autograph. Some people believe that Minnie signed an autograph for every man, woman, and child in the Windy City.'' ``The Cuban Comet'' and ``Mr. White Sox.'' That is what the fans called him. His full name was Saturnino Orestes Armas Minoso Arrieta. He was born on a sugarcane ranch in Cuba in 1923--or maybe it was 1924 or `25. He was a little fuzzy on his age. He was a two-time All-Star in the Negro Leagues before becoming the first Black player for the Chicago White Sox in 1951 and the first Latino star in Major League Baseball, the Jackie Robinson of Latino ballplayers. He was one of the best hitters in the American League in the 1950s, a seven-time All-Star while with the White Sox and Cleveland Indians. He hit over .300 eight times, led the American League in stolen bases three times, hammered double-digit home runs almost every season, and won three Gold Gloves in left field. He retired in 1964--or so it seemed. Twelve years later, when Minnie was 50, the White Sox called him back for three games. He hit a line drive to left field, making him one of the oldest players in MLB history to score a base hit. The White Sox retired his No. 9 in 1983, and he remained close to the organization and its players until he died in 2015. Baseball analysts have long considered his omission from Cooperstown a glaring error. Now, finally, it has been set right. Buck O'Neil was a two-time All-Star first baseman with the Negro Leagues Kansas City Monarchs. He went on to be a scout for the Chicago Cubs, the first Black coach in Major League Baseball, and one of the most beloved ambassadors for baseball in the sport's history. He was born John Jordan O'Neil, Jr., in Florida in 1911, the grandson son of an enslaved man. He joined the Monarchs in 1938 and was a star player in the 1940s and `50s. As a first baseman, he was known for his smooth glove work, but he could also handle a bat. He was a three-time All-Star and became a Negro World Series champion in 1942. In 1943, at the height of World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and served for 2 years, including time in the Pacific. He returned to the Monarchs after the war and was the Negro League's batting champ his first year out of the service. In 1948, the Monarchs promoted him to player-manager. Among the many players whose careers he helped shape was a shy young shortstop who would go on to become the first African- American player for the Chicago Cubs, ``Mr. Cub,'' Ernie Banks. After the Monarchs were sold in 1955, Buck found work as a scout for the Cubs. Players he signed as a scout with Chicago--and later, the Kansas City Royals--included Lou Brock, Oscar Gamble, Lee Smith, and Joe Carter. He made history when the Cubs hired him as a coach in 1962, making him the first Black coach in the American or National League. In 1990, Buck O'Neil began what would become perhaps his greatest contribution to baseball. With a handful of others, he founded the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, just blocks from where he had played with the Monarchs and where Rube Foster had founded the Negro Leagues in 1920. He devoted the rest of his life to baseball and especially keeping alive the memories of the Negro Leagues. He helped build the Negro Leagues Museum from one room to a 10,000-square-foot showplace. He traveled widely, using his grace and wit to tell the stories of Negro League stars such as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Buck Leonard, Oscar Charleston, and his old Monarchs teammate, Satchel Paige. In 1994, not long after the World Series was canceled because of a labor dispute, Ken Burns' nine-part PBS series ``Baseball'' introduced Buck O'Neil to an even larger audience. He became the beloved Bard of Baseball. Also inducted into Cooperstown last weekend were: David Ortiz, ``Big Papi,'' the slugger who led the Boston Red Sox to three World Series Championships; Gil Hodges, All-Star first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers and manager of the 1969 ``Miracle Mets;'' Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat, two teammates from the 1965 pennant-winning Minnesota Twins; and Bud Fowler, born in 1858 and often regarded as the first Black professional baseball player. Minnie Minoso and Buck O'Neil were voted in under new rules that officially designated the Negro Leagues as a major league in 2020. Buck had been nominated once before--in 2006--but to the surprise of nearly everyone, fell one vote short. He accepted the verdict with his usual grace, even agreeing to speak on behalf of the 17 players who made it into Cooperstown that year. With this typical optimism, he told the crowd gathered at Cooperstown that day, ``I've done a lot of things I liked doing, but I'd rather be right here, right now, representing these people who helped build a bridge across the chasm of prejudice.'' Minnie Minoso and Buck O'Neil helped build that bridge, too. And now, they are finally where they deserve to be, among baseball's immortals.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is not often one gets to experience and celebrate a living legend. But we have a chance today to do with a member of our Senate family. On February 27, 1984, an important part of the Senate community opened: the Senate Employees Child Care Center. There for that historic opening was a very special teacher, Ms. Phyllis Green. Over the ensuing nearly four decades, Phyllis masterfully impacted the lives of so many students that passed through center. She helped them get started in their young, tender lives with humor, warmth, devotion, skill, and of course, great patience. She is also something of a legend among the families on my staff whose children had the privilege of being taught by her--Wren, Rayn, Alex, Leo, Oliver, Avery, and Harry--so much so that even the ones who didn't have her for a teacher knew of her class. It is hard to imagine, but students that were in her early classes are now in their 40s. Some years ago, during her 30th anniversary at the center, a number of former students, now adults, came back to celebrate with her, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Think about how many of us had a teacher who made an impact in our lives and the rare opportunity to go back as an adult to offer warm thanks for those memories. What a gift to reflect upon so many lives impacted during one's career, so much so that Phyllis's colleagues said during her final week that ``the Legendary, the one and only Ms. Phyllis is retiring.'' In fact, one of them wrote a poem that aptly noted of Phyllis, ``Your patience, knowledge and guidance opened up so much potential. For the children and the parents, your being has been essential. . . . In the eyes of many, you are a living legend, A pillar of our community, an educator, a teammate, a friend.'' On the 30th anniversary of the child care center, the former Senator Tom Harkin described its teachers and administrators ``as some of the unsung heroes of the Senate.'' I wholeheartedly agree and certainly Phyllis Green is one such hero. I thank Phyllis for her incredible service to nearly four decades of Senate employee families and their children. You have made a real impact on our world.