Kirsten Gillibrand

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to speak prior to the scheduled recess for 5 minutes: Senator Murray for 5 minutes, Senator Collins for 5 minutes, and me for 5 minutes.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, it has now been over 70 days--70 days--since hundreds of people were kidnapped by Hamas. In that time, more than 100 have been released, including 4 Americans, but 8 Americans remain in captivity. And from what we have heard from those who have been released and rescued, it is likely they are enduring unimaginable suffering. One of the released Americans, 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, was kept with four other hostages in above-ground apartments. She shared-- shared--one piece of pita bread per day with four others and did not have a shower in the entire 50 days in captivity. Her hair was cut because it was filled with lice. We have heard from others that they were kept in complete darkness for days. Some became psychotic and experienced hallucinations. A child was given ketamine for weeks, while others were given sedatives like Valium. We have heard reports of self-harm among the hostages, while some who have returned have suicidal ideations. Many were subjected to psychological torture. A 12-year-old boy was forced to watch videos of the October 7 attack and threatened with a gun when he cried. I have seen those videos. You cannot unsee them once you have seen them. I cannot imagine the nightmares that will plague that boy for the rest of his life. One man was told his wife was dead when she actually was alive. Others were convinced Israel no longer existed. A doctor who was treating hostages says that they were told that ``nobody cares about you. You are here alone. You hear the bombs falling? They don't care about you. We're [the ones] here to protect you.'' Most children lost between 10 to 15 percent of their body weight. These kids were starved. They had skin rashes and infections from being held in unsanitary conditions. Other children were branded--literally branded--with a motorcycle exhaust pipe to help identify them if they escaped. Many came back speaking only in a whisper because they were warned not to make any noises in captivity. Many hostages were deprived of medicine and proper medical care. One woman who was shot in the hand says a veterinarian performed surgery on her. Others were beaten with electric cables. Now, as the fighting in Gaza intensifies, the lives of hostages remain in jeopardy. I can't imagine what it must be like to live on only a piece of a pita a day for months. I can't imagine what it would be like to endure constant physical, psychological, and emotional torture for 70 days. We know that at least one American hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had his lower arm blown off by a hand grenade. His mother says his injury could have easily resulted in him bleeding to death. The treatment of these hostages are crimes against humanity. They are war crimes. And for those who remain in captivity, we are running out of time. We cannot give up hope. We cannot abandon them. We must go to the ends of the Earth to bring them back. These are American hostages, hostages from our ally Israel. We cannot stand quiet while they suffer. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, as Jewish families across the country celebrate the last night of Hanukkah tomorrow, too many of their loved ones will not be there to join them. Dozens of American citizens were murdered by Hamas during the brutal October 7 massacre, and several remain hostages in Gaza. It is critical that we continue to tell their stories. I recently met with Ranae Butler, who lost six family members, including at least five U.S. citizens on October 7. She told me how her mother, Carol Siman Tov, and her mother's dog Charlie were both shot in the head execution-style. Ranae's brother, Johnny Siman Tov, began texting with his sister when the attack began. As the terrorists set fire to the family's house, Johnny's final message read: They're here. They're burning us. We're suffocating. Johnny and his wife Tamar were both shot through the window of their safe room. Their three young children--Arbel, Shachar, and Omer--were all killed. They were found with black foam in their mouths. I have also worked with the family of 70-year-old Judih Weinstein and her husband, Gad Haggai. On October 7, the couple were walking in their kibbutz when the terrorists attacked. The family says they know both of them were shot, and that their phones were geolocated in Gaza. Based on a subsequent video of Gad's body, they worry he was killed. But as his death has not yet announced in Israel, they are still holding out hope that he might be alive. Judih is believed to be the last older woman still held hostage by Hamas, but her family has heard nothing about her whereabouts ever since she disappeared. They don't know if she is alive or dead. They don't know what became of Gad. They don't know if they are suffering or if they will ever see them again. The uncertainty is agonizing and nearly impossible to bear, but it is a feeling that is shared by many American families whose loved ones are still hostages. They include: Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old from Long Island; Itay Chen, a 19-year-old who was born in New York City; Edan Alexander, a 19-year- old from New Jersey; Sagui Dekel-Chen, a 35-year-old father and son to a former Brooklyn resident; Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a 23-year-old who was born in Berkeley, CA; Keith Siegel, a 64-year-old North Carolina native. All of these people are American citizens. They were born in our communities, educated in our schools. They are teens, parents, and grandparents; husbands, sons, and mothers. We owe it to our families--we owe it to all their families--to never give up hope. We must do everything we can do to bring them home. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to display photos of Ranae Butler's family.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 435, COL Andres O. Saslav, with the exception of COL John W. Sannes; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 443 and all nominations placed on the Secretary's Desk in the Coast Guard; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate resume legislative session.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, as fighting has resumed in Israel and in Gaza, I met with three families whose loved ones became victims of Hamas. One was the sister of Tamar Gutman, a beautiful 27-year-old Israeli woman who disappeared on October 7. Tamar had been attending the Supernova music festival when the terrorists attacked. Tamar's sister was in touch with her during the morning of the attack as Tamar and her friends tried desperately to hide from the attackers. But Tamar suddenly stopped responding to texts. Her family presumed she had been abducted and held out hope that she might still be alive. But 27 days after the attack, they finally got footage that indicated that she had been killed. Tamar's sister told me that as horrible as it was to see the image of her sister's dead body, it was a relief to see that her jeans were still on her body. But later, when the family recovered or tried to recover Tamar's body to give her a proper burial, they only found a few bones from her thigh and her chest. Her body had been horrifically dismembered, mutilated, and burned. I also met with friends of Ofir Tzarfati's, who was attending the Supernova music festival as well. He, his girlfriend Shoval, and his friends were there to celebrate his 27th birthday. When rockets began to fall, the friends all got in their cars and began driving toward the exit, but there was a huge traffic jam. Suddenly, hundreds of people started running to the other side of the cars, yelling: ``Terrorists! There are terrorists here! They shot a woman in the head!'' Ofir grabbed his girlfriend Shoval's hand, and they started running. People were freezing in fear and falling from gunfire around them. The couple and a friend hid for 4 hours behind a tree trunk. Shoval and others who had escaped say that Ofir was a hero, that he managed the whole situation to protect them, telling them when to run, when to crouch, when to hide. They saw his bravery, and they followed him. When an Israeli driver came to offer help, Ofir helped his girlfriend and her friend into the car. But there were already eight people inside that car, and there was no room for him, so Ofir told them to go without him, and he got into another car. Shoval wanted to get in Ofir's car, but the driver already hit the gas and drove off. She called him on the way to tell him where to meet her, but he never made it. Later, Ofir's loved ones learned that his car was attacked and that he was badly injured, but they held out hope that he was still alive and were told he had been taken captive. Sadly, on November 29, Ofir's family learned that his body had been found in Gaza. These are just two among the hundreds of innocent people who fell victim to Hamas. But despite the profound grief and despair their families are experiencing, they are dedicating themselves to advocating for the innocent hostages still in captivity. Last week, I also met with Merav Raviv, whose uncle, Avraham, and aunt, Ruti Munder, were kidnapped together with their daughter, Keren Munder, and her son, Ohad. Ruti, Keren, and Ohad were released, but Avraham is still being held by Hamas. He will turn 79 tomorrow. He is in very poor health, and he needs medication and care. His family said that a kind Israeli woman who was trained to be a nurse was trying to care for him in captivity, but since she has been released, they are very, very worried that he will not survive. We know what Hamas thinks about the sanctity of human life by what they did to Tamar and Ofir. Every day that the hostages remain in captivity is another day that their lives are at risk. It is time to bring every hostage home and reunite them with their families. It is the least that we can do to honor the memories of those who have been lost, those who have been killed, those whose bodies have been desecrated, and those who are in deep, deep sorrow. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to show framed photos of two individuals I would like to speak about today.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Madam President, I am here once again to highlight the stories of the people who have been and continue to be held hostage by Hamas. I am so happy to hear that several of our hostages, whose families I have worked with, have been finally returned. They include: 4-year-old Abigail Mor Edan, whose parents were both murdered in front of her eyes and who now faces the horrible process of healing from the many traumas she underwent; Danielle Aloni and her 5-year-old daughter Emilia. They had been visiting Danielle's sister Sharon, her brother- in-law David, and their 3-year-old twins Emma and Julie on the day of the attack, when all of them were taken captive. Sharon, Emma, and Julie have also just been released, but David still remains in captivity. I am so grateful that members of another family I have worked with have also been released. They include 67-year-old mother Shoshan, sister Adi, Adi's two young children Naveh and Yahel, Aunt Sharon, and Sharon's 12-year-old daughter Noam. It has been heartening to see these families reunited with their loved ones, to see the joy and the indescribable relief, and I am grateful to the Biden administration for making these reunions possible. But, of course, many, many more people still remain in captivity, including Emma and Julie's father, David, and Naveh and Yahel's father, Tal. These families have already endured the worst traumas imaginable, and yet now they have still been ripped apart, with no idea when they will see their fathers and brothers and sons again. Tal is a 38-year-old who reads a lot and loves to explore new topics as well as exercise and play sports. He and his family like to travel in the desert areas in southern Israel and spend time near the Sea of Galilee. David is a talented 33-year-old actor who lived with his family in Nir Oz. He and his family woke up on the morning of October 7 to the sound of bombs and sought refuge in their home's bomb shelter. But when Hamas set fire to their house, the shelter filled with smoke and forced them out to meet the terrorists. His American family last saw him in a video shared by Hamas where he can be seen in the back of a truck with Sharon and one of the twins. A survivor who was able to escape says she spoke briefly with him and that he said to her: I know that I left the safe room with two babies, and now I have only one. I can only imagine what it must be like for him now to have both of his babies ripped away. These two families, these fathers, don't deserve to be separated from their families. They don't deserve to be kept in horrific conditions, potentially with little food. As joyful as it has been to see some of the hostages reunited with their families, we must not stop pushing for the release of all the remaining hostages. I will continue to work with their families and with the Biden administration to advocate for these individuals, and I will not rest until we get every hostage, including the nine Americans, home. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, today, I want to tell you about a story of love, a love between two people that is beautiful and deep. It is the story of a couple known as Judy and Gad, two people in their seventies who believe in humanity and in peace. Judy is a native New Yorker who teaches English literature and mindfulness. Gad is a chef and a jazz musician who friends describe as funny and authentic. The couple raised four children and have welcomed seven grandchildren. They inspire those around them with their big hearts and their open minds. On the morning of October 7, they were walking near a kibbutz, Nir Oz. When rockets rained down overhead, they hid face down in nearby fields. At one point, Judy called an ambulance because the couple had been shot, but the ambulance couldn't reach them, and now they are both missing. Judy and Gad are just two of the hundreds of people held hostage by the terrorist organization Hamas. They are peaceful, loving people who don't deserve to suffer. But since October 7, their family hasn't heard from them, and as the war in Gaza grows, they are concerned about the couple's safety and well-being. Another family in Nir Oz was also taken by the terrorists. Their cousin, a New Yorker, has been working with my office. She says they are ``six of the human beings she loves most in the entire world.'' She says she won the lottery as a member of their close-knit family. According to Alana, the New Yorker we have been working with, Danielle is like her sister, a natural nurturer who gives great hugs. Danielle was with her 5-year-old daughter when they were taken hostage by Hamas. They were visiting Danielle's sister Sharon, her brother-in-law David, and their 3-year-old twin girls. When the attack began, the family hid in their bomb shelter as Hamas set fire to their neighbor's house. The shelter filled with smoke and forced them out to face the terrorists. The last time they were heard from was on a phone call with a relative. Sharon said, ``I don't think we can survive this, I love you'' and hung up. While these horrors can test our resolve, the love within these families should be an inspiration to all of us. It should strengthen our commitment to keep fighting for their safety. In this darkness, we must never lose that strength. To quote from an inscription written in defiance of the Holocaust, we must ``believe in the sun even when it is not shining.'' We must ``believe in love even when feeling it not.'' Nomination of Ramon Ernesto Reyes, Jr. I would now like to speak about the vote we are about to have on the floor. I would like to stand in support of Judge Ramon Reyes, an accomplished jurist and dedicated public servant whose breadth of experience on and off the bench will make him an outstanding addition to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. On February 9, 2023, Reyes was voted out of committee by a vote of 11 to 10. All committee Democrats voted aye. Reyes was unanimously rated ``well qualified'' by the ABA. This nominee was born in Brooklyn. He earned a B.S. from Cornell, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and his L.L.M. from New York University Law School. In addition to an Eastern District clerkship, Reyes had a varied legal practice over the course of 13 years, representing corporate defendants in a large firm, helping draft legislation from the New York City Council, handling both civil and criminal matters, and assisting a U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. Reyes was appointed in 2006 to serve as the Federal magistrate judge for the Eastern District of New York. Since taking the bench, Judge Reyes has presided over 33 trials--15 jury trials and 18 bench trials. They cover a range of cases that come before this district court, including criminal matters, employment issues, and civil rights cases. With his significant trial experience and depth of knowledge of the district to which he has been nominated, Judge Reyes will be a tremendous asset to the Eastern District of New York, and I urge my colleagues to support him. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, 10 days ago, the family of Omer Neutra lit 23 candles on his birthday cake. But unlike previous birthdays, the candles kept burning because Omer wasn't there to blow them out. Omer is one of the more than 200 people in Israel who were taken hostage by Hamas. The grandson of Holocaust survivors, he is an avid athlete and loves the New York Knicks. He deferred his acceptance to Binghamton University to spend a gap year in Israel before he joined the IDF. On the day of the attack, he was working as a tank commander defending the Gaza border. He was last seen being forcibly removed at the hands of Hamas terrorists. Since Omer's abduction, my office has been working with his family. We are doing everything we can to secure his safe release and the release of all the Americans who are still unaccounted for in Israel. I am grateful that the two American hostages released on Friday are doing well, but there are still several American citizens, many of whom may be injured or unwell, who remain in captivity. We must not stop fighting until all of them are safe. On Thursday, I met with the family of 3-year-old Abigail Mor Edan. Her family told me the harrowing story of her and her two siblings. Abigail's brother Michael and her sister Amalia locked themselves in a closet while their mother was slaughtered in their home. Abigail was with her father who was shot while holding on to her. His body was later found, but Abigail is still missing. I also met with the family of Keith and Aviva Siegel, grandparents who were kidnapped from kibbutz Kfar Aza. Keith is an American citizen and was seen being abducted with his wife. The family of Itay Chen has been in contact with my office too. Itay is a 19-year-old who was born in New York City and is now serving in the IDF. He was supposed to return home to his family in just a few days to celebrate his brother's bar mitzvah. Another hostage, named Sagui Dekel-Chen, is a U.S. citizen who was last seen fighting off the terrorists. His pregnant wife and two young daughters survived while hiding in their family's safe room. I have also heard from the family of Judy Weinstein, who was born in New York State. She and her husband Gad were on a walk when the air raid sirens blared. The couple hid face down in a field as hundreds of rockets rained overhead. Judy called an ambulance because she and her husband had been shot, but the ambulance was unable to reach them, and the couple is now missing. None of these people--these innocent people--deserve to be abandoned. They are Americans. We must fight for them as if they were our own sons, our own daughters, our own grandmothers and grandfathers. These people are our family, our lifeblood, our heart and soul. My commitment to these families is that we will not give up on them. We will go to the ends of the Earth to bring their loved ones home. And my message to the terrorists is: We will not give in. Your darkness and your evil will not destroy us. We will keep our hope alive and rally around these families. We will light our loved ones' candles and never blow them out. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, it has been more than a week since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and wounding thousands more. But every day, still more horrifying stories and images emerge, depicting unspeakable atrocities. Just the other day, there was an interview with an Israeli father on CNN. The father said his 8-year-old daughter went missing during the attack. After 2 agonizing days, the father learned his little girl was dead. But it was his reaction that really hit me. When he heard the horrific news, the father said that he felt relieved because ``if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death.'' Can you imagine what it must be like to fear your loved ones--your sons, your daughters--could be suffering; that they could be enduring a fate that is worse than death? As a mother, I cannot even imagine what it must be like to lose a child, let alone in this way, to see loved ones slaughtered, mutilated, and burned. But to see them taken hostage or paraded through the streets, to worry that at any moment they could be enduring unspeakable horrors, it is a pain that is unconceivable and seems impossible to bear. On Long Island, we have a family whose son was taken hostage. His name is Omer Neutra. He is just 22 years old--not much older than my eldest. Omer was an honors student in high school, and he loves the New York Knicks. He deferred his acceptance to Binghamton University to spend a gap year in Israel and join the IDF. On the day of the attack, he was defending the Gaza border. But he was last seen being forcibly removed by the terrorists and has not been heard from since. Omer is just 1 of nearly 200 people who were abducted by Hamas: toddlers, babies, teenagers, moms, grandmothers, grandfathers, people who cannot go without their medicine or are even too young to walk. Entire families were captured and used as human shields. One 85-year-old grandmother, Yaffa Adar, was carried off in a golf cart as she held her head high. But her family says without her medication, it is likely going to be a lot of pain for her. A mother was on the phone with her son when he was abducted, and she heard him say to the terrorists: ``Don't take me. I'm too young.'' Another mother, Shiri Silberman-Bibas, can be seen in her captor's video clutching her two young children, sheer terror in her eyes. And 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin had his arm blown off from the elbow down before he disappeared near Gaza. A young woman was thrust brutally into the back of a truck, her hands cable-tied behind her back, blood streaming down her arms, legs, and her back. A Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair-- imagine surviving the Holocaust only to be taken hostage by terrorists. This is the kind of anti-Semitic violence Jewish people have faced for millennia. Until last week, many of these people were ordinary, peaceful people just going about their daily lives: working, going to school, dancing at a music festival. Now we don't know what has become of them, and many of their families fear the worst. As the days wear on and the situation in Gaza becomes more desperate, the danger to those hostages only grows. Already, Hamas terrorists have threatened to execute hostages. As a U.S. Senator, my top priority is the safety of the American people, and I am going to be working closely with the State Department to secure the return of 13 Americans who are still unaccounted for, like Omer and Hersh. But as we continue in this mission, I want the hostages and their families to know, we will not stop fighting for you. We will do whatever it takes to bring you home, and we will never give in to terrorists. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I want to thank Senator Patty Murray for bringing us all together today. It is a privilege to be on the floor of the U.S. Senate; it is a privilege to serve in the Senate; and it was a privilege to serve with someone as extraordinary as Senator Dianne Feinstein. People know me as a Senator who cares deeply about women's rights, about LGBT equality, about children, family, safety. And anything that I have ever cared about, Dianne was fighting for, long before I was ever in public service. When we talk about public servants who leave legacies and when we talk about the giants on whose shoulders we stand, for me, that is Dianne. She was unlike any Senator I met when I first got here in 2009. She had a really incredible combination of elegance, brilliance, stature, certainty, toughness, and kindness. When I first got to the U.S. Senate, I didn't know anything. I was appointed. I hadn't just run a long election where I was telling the constituents of New York why I wanted to serve and what my vision for the State was. I was really, really new. I had been a House Member for 2 years. Dianne asked me to lunch. She said: How can I help you, Kirsten? What would be most useful, for you, for me to do for you? And I said: Well, could you just tell me a little bit about what is it like to be a Senator for a State of 60 million people. I have a State of 20 million people, so it is a lot, but I would love to hear how you have navigated this enormous job that you have. And she just went through it. She took me step-by-step, everything that she did to manage her office. She would get a memo every week from her staff about where her legislation sat, what was happening, who were her bipartisan cosponsors. She had a memo about how many calls her office had received, what the calls were about, what people wanted to talk to her about, what their concerns were. And that was extremely meaningful to me because she said: I have a copy of this memo, and I will give it to you. It is very confidential. It is just for me from my staff, but perhaps you can use it to model what you need from your staff every week to know if your office is working well, to make sure all the things you need your staff to be doing are happening. It was just a small thing, but it was such a big thing to me at that time in my Senate career. And every step of the way, Dianne always reached out. She always said--just as you said, Maggie--how are you doing? How are those boys of yours? Tell me how your struggle is. I never had to raise children while being a Senator. Tell me how that is. She always cared. She always bothered. She always stopped. I have had many dinners with Dianne. We had dinners together with our spouses. She would take me to her favorite restaurant in Georgetown. She would introduce me to her other favorite women who are public servants. And she always had something meaningful to talk about, a challenge, an issue, a crisis. At the first dinner, she wanted to talk about how the military was using nuclear weapons in a much more strategic way and changing the entire framework of what nuclear defense meant. She had that conversation with me and the then-chairwoman of Armed Services, of one of the key subcommittees in the House. She always asked: What do you think? How are you going to challenge that problem? Our most recent meeting was a glass of wine in her hideaway a week ago. We talked about what issues could we work on together. We agreed two of the biggest issues facing her State and my State were homelessness and affordable housing, and we decided we would start working on legislation together. She didn't stop working when she was here just because she had health issues. She never stopped being insightful in the Intelligence Committee, asking the right question at the right time. Dianne's legacy is extraordinary. She is an icon for women's politics--the first female Mayor of San Francisco; first of the two women ever elected to the Senate in California. There will be a lot of speeches about her, and so I am not going to talk about just her bio. But one of the areas where she really was a role model for me was in LGBTQ rights. She became a champion in the `60s. Sadly, she found Harvey Milk's body after he was assassinated. But she channeled that tragedy into her public service and made sure that while she was mayor of San Francisco that she made a difference for that community in her city and in her State. During the AIDS epidemic, she helped create the global standard for AIDS health in San Francisco. When she ran for California Governor and became the first woman in her State to win a major party's Gubernatorial nomination, despite losing that race, she went on to run for Senate to win. And we have seen her champion all those issues for same-sex marriage; reproductive rights; she helped pass the first assault weapons ban to keep our communities safe. These are all issues that I have always cared about and built on her record. If she didn't fight for those things, we wouldn't have been able to repeal don't ask, don't tell. We wouldn't have been able to make sure transgender servicemembers could still serve in the U.S. military. Without her hard work, we would not have been able to guarantee marriage equality at the U.S. Supreme Court. This body is less because Dianne's not here--that grace, that courage, that keen intelligence. She will be missed by me and by all our colleagues. I brought the last gift Dianne gave to me, a beautiful pencil drawing; again, just part of her kindness. And I am wearing Dianne Feinstein's famous red lipstick. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1065, and I ask that the Gillibrand amendment be reported by number.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I want to thank Senator Schumer for his unbelievable conviction and persistence in helping our 9/11 first responders. I also want to thank my Republican colleagues who helped us write this bill--Senator Braun, Senator Lummis, and Senator Cotton. I am just going to give you a vignette of what this is about. Mariama, a New Yorker, came home after 9/11 to find her apartment covered in a thick coat of ash. Her children have all developed life- changing respiratory conditions. Jamie, a 19-year-old, was a volunteer with the Sayville Ambulance that day. He spent weeks cleaning up at Ground Zero. He developed a rare 9/11 cancer as well. Another amazing person is Nate, who responded to the attack at the Pentagon. He spent weeks climbing in and out of the wreckage, searching for remains. He is now a disabled veteran who is suffering from PTSD and another rare, life-threatening disease. It has been over two decades since 9/11, but, still, thousands of people like Mariama, Jamie, and Nate suffer from these terrible cancers and conditions. In 2011, when Congress created the World Trade Center Health Program, which provided medical treatment and monitoring for the survivors, it was not fully funded then, and we are hoping to get closer to fully funding it with this addition. My amendment brings us one step closer to this funding gap, and it includes the Pentagon and Shanksville responders. 9/11 was a horrible day for everyone, but one thing I can say is that this body has stood with those responders every single year since then, and this body has never given up in making sure they have the healthcare they need to survive. Amendment No. 1065 (Purpose: To amend title XXXIII of the Public Health Service Act with respect to funding for the World Trade Center Health Program.)

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I am honored to stand in support of Natasha Merle, whom I was proud to nominate for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Merle is a deeply experienced litigator. She has practiced at virtually every level of the legal system, and she has litigated in both State and Federal courts, handling both civil and criminal matters. Ms. Merle doesn't just have the experience and training necessary for the Federal bench; she also brings a crucial and unique perspective as a former public defender. If confirmed, she would not only be the fourth Black woman on the district court but also the first person with experience as a public defender to fill this role in nearly 30 years. Ms. Merle has demonstrated fairness in the courtroom and will uphold the rule of law as a judge. Nineteen senior lawyers from prominent national and international law firms submitted a letter in support of her confirmation. And I can tell you that her high ethical standards and reputation for fairness will leave a powerful mark on our communities and on the Eastern District of New York. I hope she will receive a swift confirmation. I yield the floor.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following disposition of the joint resolution, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Executive Calendar No. 175, Jeremy C. Daniel, of Illinois, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; further, that the Senate recess from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for the all-Senators briefing.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Thank you so much, Mr. President. Thank you for your leadership and your extraordinary stewardship of our State. I rise today to thank and welcome my guest, Rev. A.R. Bernard, for leading us in that beautiful prayer this morning--so heartfelt, so purposeful, selected exactly for this moment in time. The wisdom that you bring us is very welcome. Through all the challenges that my constituents and Senator Schumer's constituents in New York have faced over these last few years, Rev. Bernard has been a steadfast and devoted leader, serving his flock through faith and good works. Not only does he lead one of New York's largest churches, Reverend Bernard is tackling some of the most pressing issues that our communities face: food insecurity, injustice, ensuring all of our children receive high-quality education. He truly embodies the Word and the grace of God, and I am proud to welcome him as my guest for the summit that we are hosting today for African-American faith leaders. I hope we will be able to learn from his example. I yield the floor.

Mrs. GILLIBRAND

Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of my amendment, the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act. This amendment is a bipartisan compromise that we have worked out to make sure there is not a shortfall in funding for this health program. This health program was stood up about 10 years ago, and we created a formula that was based on inflation. Unfortunately, the rate of inflation for healthcare has been higher. This is something that was unanimously agreed on from its inception, and I really hope you can support this. As you know, our 9/11 first responders have been suffering from lung cancer and different kinds of pulmonary diseases and respiratory diseases, and this healthcare is lifesaving. If they have to worry that the money is not there for their cancer treatments, it just creates more anxiety and PTSD for these individuals. It is really important that we fully fund this program. This funding will allow for the next 5 years to be covered. It is not everything we need, but it is enough to get us started.