Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren), are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Stabenow), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, every year, 250 Chicago kids form 8 teams to perform 1,500 shows of acrobatic wonder at major sporting events, community businesses, and charities. They are called the Jesse White Tumblers, and for 60 years the troupe has delighted audiences in Illinois and across the world, including Hong Kong, Israel, and Croatia. Since 1959, more than 18,000 youths have put in the hard work and performed in the Jesse White Tumblers. Today, we congratulate this well-loved Chicago institution on its 60th anniversary. Jesse White, the man whom the troupe is named after, is the 37th secretary of State for Illinois. He is the first African American to win statewide office in Illinois, and he has held the office longer than anyone else. I am honored to count him as a friend. Just like the Tumblers, Jesse was an outstanding athlete and student growing up. He attended Waller High School in Chicago, earning All-City honors in basketball and baseball. He hoped to play professional baseball after graduating, but his father insisted on him going to college first. He went to Alabama State College, majoring in physical education. He was All-Conference in baseball and basketball. When he graduated, Jesse signed with the Chicago Cubs. Four days before leaving for spring training, the U.S. Army drafted him, assigning him to the 101st Airborne Division. In 1959, Jesse returned to Chicago and played third base in the Cubs minor league system. During the off-season, Jesse taught physical education at his alma mater, Schiller Elementary School, and in the Chicago Park District. In December 1959, the Chicago Park District asked Jesse to create a gym show for the Rockwell Garden Fieldhouse. The show he developed became the foundation for the Jesse White Tumblers. Jesse White has served the people of Illinois throughout his career, along with being secretary of State for Illinois. He was the recorder of deeds of Cook County from 1992 to 1999, a legislator in the Illinois General Assembly for 16 years, and a public school teacher for 33 years. But his favorite role may still be coach of the Jesse White Tumblers. Children between the ages of 6 and 20 can find a second family in the Jesse White Tumblers. Becoming a Tumbler is not an easy task. Thousands of young people apply every year, and few make it. In addition to athletic achievement, members must stay in school, maintain a C average, and stay away from drugs and alcohol. For the hard work, members get the thrill of performing and develop confidence, structure, and discipline. The program also helps with homework, study skills, and can provide financial support through scholarships. The Jesse White Tumblers have changed the lives of generations of young people. The Jesse White Tumblers have earned their reputation as a legend in the State of Illinois. Here is to many more years of success.

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. 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. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

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. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Wyden) are necessarily absent.

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. Madam President, the Republican majority leader was on the floor a little earlier, and he talked about the business of the Senate and how busy we are in the Senate. I would like to state for the record, so far in the calendar year 2019, on the floor of this U.S. Senate, where the greatest deliberative body meets and considers the lofty issues of our time, in the year 2019--currently this year--we have considered 22 amendments in the entire year--22 amendments. Madam President, six of them were offered by the junior Senator from Kentucky. One Senator had six amendments: Senator Rand Paul. They were all defeated. Then some 16 other amendments were offered. To put that into perspective, on a good day in the Senate, when the Senate was the Senate, there would be 10 amendments; bills would come to the floor; we would debate; amendments would be adopted. Some would lose. People would give speeches. We would pass legislation, send it over to the House, go to a conference. We don't do that anymore. Under Senator McConnell, the Republican leader of the Senate, we do not do that anymore. There were 22 amendments in the course of the entire year. If we were paid for the actual piecework that we do, we would not get a paycheck this year because we haven't done anything. I will take that back. What we have done is to fill as many Federal court vacancies as possible with some of the most unqualified people ever offered by a President of the United States. This week, a man named VanDyke is being named to the court in Nevada. He has such a limited connection with Nevada that both Nevada Senators refuse to approve him for this court appointment. He has no connection to their State, but he was chosen by the White House. He went through a background check by the American Bar Association, and they concluded unanimously that he was unqualified to be a Federal judge--unqualified. He is not the first. Under this President, we have had nine different court nominees found unqualified by the American Bar Association. You say, Well, that is going to happen, lawyers disagree. Do you know how many were found unqualified under the Obama administration in 8 years? None, not one. There are nine unqualified men and women now with lifetime appointments on the Federal bench because, for Senator McConnell, that is his priority: Fill the bench with people of his political stripe at any cost. Take up legislation? No. The Democratically-controlled House of Representatives has sent us over 200 different measures to consider on the floor of the Senate. Senator McConnell has refused. He will not take up any legislation. He is very proud of it. To his credit, he is not ashamed or embarrassed. He says to call himself the Grim Reaper when it comes to measures coming over from the House. He is here to kill them, and he has done a pretty good job of that, if that is his goal in what he wants to achieve. When I hear him come to the floor and say we are not doing enough in the Senate--22 amendments in 1 year. I say to Senator McConnell, you have been in the Senate for a long time. You know that that number tells the whole story.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Among the organizations supporting the resolution are the American Federation of Teachers, the Center for Responsible Lending, the Consumer Federation of America, the Education Trust, the National Association of College Admission Counseling, the NAACP, the National Education Association, the Student Veterans of America, and the American Legion on behalf of American veterans who have been victims of this fraud as well. When our resolution comes to the floor, I hope a handful of my Republican colleagues will take a look at it and realize that we have to give these students a second chance at their lives. We misled them into attending for-profit schools that were worthless. The schools defrauded them. They ended up with a debt to our government, and under the provisions of the Higher Education Act, that debt can be forgiven. Let's give these defrauded student borrowers a second chance. Ultimately, they deserve an opportunity from our government to have a better holiday coming before them and a better life ahead. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.