Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Sooknanan cloture motion be waived.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the next and all subsequent rollcalls be 10 minutes in duration.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) is necessarily absent.-

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that Paul Ghiotto, a State Department fellow in my office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the 118th Congress.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey, (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Butler), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from New York (Mrs. Gillibrand) the Senator from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Smith), the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Stabenow), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Tester), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner), and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Warnock) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Mustafa Kasubhai to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Judge Kasubhai received his B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley and his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law before working as a reference librarian at the University of Oregon School of Law Library. He then entered private practice in Eugene, where he specialized in workers' compensation cases and personal injury law. From 2003 to 2007, he served on the Oregon Workers' Compensation Board, where he reviewed workers' compensation appeals of administrative law judges' final orders for work-related injury claims involving Oregon employers. In 2007, Judge Kasubhai was appointed to the Oregon State Circuit Court in Lane County by then-Governor Theodore Kulongoski. He was reelected to a 6-year term in 2014. As a State court judge, he presided over judicial settlement conferences, appeals from administrative and municipal courts, and matters involving civil, criminal, family, and juvenile cases. Since 2018, Judge Kasubhai has served as a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in Eugene. During his time on the bench, he has handled a wide variety of both civil and criminal matters, and he has presided over four jury trials as a magistrate judge. Judge Kasubhai has deep ties to Oregon and enjoys the strong support of both of his home State Senators, Mr. Wyden and Mr. Merkley. The American Bar Association unanimously rated him as ``well qualified'' to serve on the District of Oregon, and in a letter supporting Judge Kasubhai's nomination, a former chief judge of the District of Oregon praised him as ``the very soul of fairness,'' a tribute to his judicial temperament. Judge Kasubhai's litigation background and his courtroom experience as an advocate, State court judge, and magistrate judge ensure that he will continue to be an asset to the district court. I am proud to support his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to join me.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Sarah F. Russell to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Born in Boston, MA, Russell earned her B.A., magna cum laude, at Yale College in 1998 and her J.D. at Yale Law School in 2002. After graduating from law school, Russell served as a law clerk to the Honorable Michael B. Mukasey on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2002 to 2003 and the Honorable Chester J. Straub on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals from 2003 to 2005. Russell then served as an assistant Federal public defender between 2005 and 2007 in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Connecticut. In this role, she tried five jury trials to verdict. She then served as director of the Arthur Liman Public Interest Program, lecturer in law, and associate research scholar in law at Yale Law School from 2007 to 2010. Since 2011, Russell has taught law at the Quinnipiac University School of Law in various roles, including most recently as a professor of law and the director of the legal clinic. Russell's scholarship has primarily centered on topics related to juvenile justice. The American Bar Association rated Russell as ``well qualified,'' and her nomination is strongly supported by her home State Senators, Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Murphy. Russell is an academic and former Federal public defender whose litigation experience and deep commitment to equal justice will be an asset to the District of Connecticut. I am proud to support her nomination.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it was not too long ago that the phrase ``infrastructure week'' was little more than a punchline. Our roads and bridges were crumbling, our water systems were aging, and too many students were struggling to complete their homework assignments because they lacked access to reliable internet. But 3 years ago, we finally came together on a bipartisan basis to agree that investing in our Nation's infrastructure is not a joke, and we did something about it. Last Friday marked 3 years since President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act--also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law--into law. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we have made historic investments in America. Since its enactment, the Biden-Harris administration has announced $568 billion in funding for more than 66,000 projects across all 50 States, DC, the territories, and Tribes. This funding has helped repair more than 196,000 miles of road, update 11,400 bridges, replace more than 350,000 lead pipes, and create nearly 16 million jobs. As the son of two railroad workers, an aspect of these achievements that is most exciting to me is the $66 billion invested in rail, which is the largest investment in passenger rail since the inception of Amtrak. For Illinoisans, this is especially important because Chicago is the rail hub of North America, with more trackage radiating in more directions than any other city. And thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, our rail is becoming more efficient and reliable every day. Senator Duckworth and I have worked to make sure these historic levels of investment in transportation and infrastructure are felt in Illinois. The Biden administration invested $18.9 billion in our State's public infrastructure--$12.2 billion going to transportation. This also includes $1.5 billion for clean water, including $578 million dedicated to lead pipe and service line replacement. For Illinoisans, this has meant investments through hundreds of grant awards all across the State, investments like CTA's long-awaited red line extension project, which will bring faster, more accessible transit options to our community, create thousands of jobs, and strengthen our economy. It has meant three large grant awards for O'Hare International Airport. This is one of our Nation's largest and busiest airports, and this funding will help it update its terminals and make sure Americans can get from point A to point B safely and on time. It has meant millions of dollars invested in improving Chicago's Union Station, one of the Nation's busiest rail stations; in finishing the Springfield Rail Improvements Project--a decade-long effort to relocate the rail corridor in our State's capital; adding new zero emissions buses to fleets across the State, including in Rock Island and Rockford; and in completing the Chicago Region Environmental Transportation Efficiency or ``CREATE'' program, which will untangle rail bottlenecks in the Chicago region. It also has meant investments in improving roadways like Goshen Road down in Edwardsville and replacing outdated railcars in East St. Louis. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making America's public infrastructure more reliable and cost-efficient. Now, there is no doubt that these historic investments serve hard- working families, strengthen our economy, and make us more competitive on the world stage. Now, some of you might say, ``Well, that all sounds great, but how did we pay for all of this?'' I am happy to share that this law was paid for, in part, by a bill of mine called the REFUND Act, which requires drug manufacturers to pay a rebate to Medicare for unused and discarded medications. You see, for far too long, Big Pharma packaged expensive drugs in excessive, Costco- sized vials and made taxpayers and seniors foot the bill for leftover medication that was literally thrown in the trash. With this legislation, not only did the profiteering come to an end, we are saving seniors and taxpayers billions of dollars that helped to offset the cost of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. When Americans need to take the bus, cross a bridge, or hop on the train to get to work in the morning, when they need to catch a flight to attend a family gathering, when they need to fill a pot or glass of water or connect to the internet, they expect that our Nation's infrastructure will safely, cheaply, and reliably deliver for them. In addition to making our infrastructure more dependable, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has already created millions of good- paying, union jobs, boosted domestic manufacturing, and grown our economy from the middle out and the bottom up in every community. In red States and blue States alike, in communities rural and urban, this law is investing in America the way Americans deserve.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is often said that the greatest thing a leader can do is help nurture, shape, and create the next generation of leaders. Over the course of her life, Barbara Taylor Bowman--a pioneering force in early childhood education--did just that. I am sorry that Barbara passed away on November 4 at the age of 96. I wanted to take this moment to share some details about the remarkable life she led and the tremendous legacy she leaves. A daughter of Illinois, Barbara was born just before the Great Depression. She was raised on the South Side of Chicago, where her early life was shaped by the positive values of community and education and the unjust realities of segregation and inequity. These formative experiences would later inspire her work and lifelong dedication to educational equity. Barbara graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1950 and pursued a career as a preschool teacher, going on to earn her master's degree in education from the University of Chicago in 1952. By this point, her passion for bettering the lives of children through education had firmly taken root. Pursuing teaching during President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, Barbara was inspired by the creation of Head Start, a program of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, and nutrition. Shortly thereafter, in 1966, the Erikson Institute-- originally founded as the Chicago School for Early Childhood Education by Barbara, child psychologist Maria Piers, social worker Lorraine Wallach, and philanthropist Irving B. Harris--was born. Their vision for the Erikson Institute was simple: create an institution that would equip educators with the skills and knowledge to give all children an equal opportunity to succeed. Each of its founders left their own mark on the organization, but as the longest serving of its founders, Barbara not only shaped the institute's direction, she shaped its legacy. She went on to serve as its president from 1994 to 2001 and maintained a professorship at the institute, where she was the Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Development. And her impact did not go unnoticed. Today, the institute's Barbara T. Bowman Professor of Child Development position is named in her honor. But this is far from the only recognition Barbara received. She served as the Chicago Public Schools' chief early education officer, the president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and was awarded honorary degrees from Bank Street College, Dominican University, Governors State University, Roosevelt University, and Wheelock College. Though impressive, these achievements fall short of capturing the impact Barbara had on Chicago and our Nation's children. She was a force for good, and she helped mold several generations of leaders through her commitment to education and social justice. But to Barbara, one of her most important roles was that of mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. With her beloved husband James E. Bowman, she raised their daughter Valerie Jarrett. She loved her daughter, her granddaughter Laura, and her great-grandchildren more than anything. Barbara was a fierce champion for the rights of children, a staunch advocate for the power of education, and a believer in the idea that all children should have the opportunity to discover their potential. In her professional and personal life, Barbara not only shaped a pivotal educational institution, but also the very foundations of the field. She made Illinois and our Nation better. When graduates of the Erikson Institute cross the stage with their diploma, they are each handed a yellow rose. This tradition began in Barbara's own garden, and it continues to this day as a symbol of her care and commitment to Erikson, its graduates, and our Nation's children. When future graduates receive their yellow rose, I hope they feel Barbara's presence with them and carry her legacy forward. Loretta and I send my deepest condolences to all of Barbara's family and friends who are mourning her passing but celebrating her amazing life.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin), the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Tester), and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin), the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Tester), and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I hope that many people tuned into the presentation that Senator Stabenow just made. Those of us who serve in the U.S. Senate know that as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, she not only walks the walk, she talks the talk. She has passed a farm bill; no mean feat. She has shown her own expertise in achieving that goal and her understanding of a very complex piece of legislation. Would the Senator from Michigan yield for a question?

Mr. DURBIN. Could you be kind enough to say for the record when the current farm bill expires?

Mr. DURBIN. Would you explain to those who are not familiar with it what happens if we do nothing.

Mr. DURBIN. And when you say ``Depression-era programs,'' are you literally talking about the 1930s?

Mr. DURBIN. And there are consequences for dairy interests, for example.

Mr. DURBIN. So if we fail to come together on a bipartisan basis before the end of the year, that is the reality that will be faced by the new administration?

Mr. DURBIN. Well, currently, under the Senate schedule which we have been told, we literally have until a little past the middle of next month to do our business.

Mr. DURBIN. Yes, of course. I would add to that we have many worthy judicial nominees on this calendar to consider too. So there is work to be done.