Amy Klobuchar

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Just a few specific responses. First of all, this bill is very specific. It addresses health and location data, and, as I noted before, I continue to believe that we need Federal privacy legislation, in general, to address other privacy needs. But this bill is targeted at sensitive health data when it comes to location. And I know it was the conservative members of the Supreme Court who actually issued the broad decision to overturn half a century of precedent on a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions. And this bill is a targeted response on one issue, and that is to set commonsense limits on how companies can use people's personal data. I just also wanted to respond to the issue of mifepristone, which was temporarily thrown out by one judge in the State of Texas, and that is now pending before several different courts. A different decision was made in another court, in Washington State. But I will note that the statute referred to, which would somehow limit this drug that was approved by the FDA decades ago and has been found safe in dozens and dozens of countries across the globe--that law that was referred to was actually enacted, the Comstock Act in 1873--1873--when they treated pneumonia with bloodletting, when the Pony Express existed, and, which I know, is 10 years before they even did the ``Yellowstone'' prequel. So if my colleagues want to move backward to that time period, those are the laws they are citing. I believe the people of this country want to move forward. I yield the floor.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the U.S. Senate vehicle and alternate vehicle parking regulations, adopted by the Committee on Rules and Administration on May 17, 2023, in the Record.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise today as the Senate considers this week the resolution to rescind the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Amendment Act, passed by the DC City Council on January 19, 2023. As a general matter, I believe that the people of Washington, DC, and their elected representatives should have the autonomy to govern themselves. For years, I have cosponsored and fought to pass the Washington D.C. Admission Act, which would admit the District of Columbia as a state. I have also long supported funding for the police, as well as reforms, to help ensure that our justice system works for everyone. That includes being the lead sponsor of the COPS Reauthorization Act to provide Federal funding to law enforcement departments across the country to hire and retain police officers. I also support police reform measures focused on holding officers who break the law accountable for misconduct, increasing transparency in police practices, and improving police conduct and training. The DC City Council's bill included many changes to strengthen accountability measures and improve conduct, including reforms to prevent the use of chokeholds, limit the use of force, and expand the use of de-escalation tactics. The bill also takes steps to prevent officers who have committed serious acts of misconduct or were fired for disciplinary reasons from serving on the DC police force. I support these efforts, which is why I oppose the resolution. It is also important to note that the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Amendment Act does not include changes to qualified immunity. As Congressman Jim Clyburn has said, as we work toward common ground on police reform, we cannot ``sacrifice good on the altar of perfect'' and let disagreements about qualified immunity stand in the way of reform. The men and women in law enforcement who risk their lives every single day must have the confidence to make split-second decisions that can make the difference between life and death. I would not support this measure if changes to qualified immunity were made that put law enforcement officers who act in good faith at risk. While there are a significant number of critical reforms included in DC's police reform bill, I am not in agreement with the provisions that prevent the unions that represent DC police officers from including disciplinary procedures in their collective bargaining agreements. All other unions that represent public servants in the District of Columbia negotiate for fair disciplinary proceedings, and while police officers serve a unique role that requires oversight, we should not deny police unions the same opportunity. The DC Council should ensure that police officers who break the law are held accountable, but it should not do so by undermining the right of law enforcement to collectively negotiate. I also think changes could be made to provisions that set a fixed timetable for the release of data related to incidents involving the use of force. Law enforcement, working with City officials, should have some measure of flexibility to determine the appropriate timing for releasing information to protect public safety. It is my hope that DC government officials will address these issues as they continue to work with law enforcement and other interested parties to make needed reforms to their justice system.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I rise to celebrate the incredible life and storied career of Minnesota's dear coach Bud Grant. A legendary Vikings, head coach, NFL Hall of Famer, Gopher player, and Minneapolis Laker, Bud gave us so many Minnesota memories. I will always remember when, at age 88, Bud took to the field in a short- sleeved polo shirt in subzero temperatures for the coin toss in the 2016 Vikings/Seahawks playoff game. My dad and Bud were friends to the end of my dad's life. I grew up knowing everything about the Vikings, and no name loomed larger in my house than ``Bud Grant.'' I remember answering the phone as a young kid to silence on the other line, save for maybe the grunted word ``Jim.'' That meant it was Bud calling my dad back for the postgame story, regardless of the outcome. The first few times it happened, I would earnestly explain that my name wasn't ``Jim,'' but after a while, I got the drill, and I would just run to get my dad. Bud gave so much to his players, but he gave even more to the fans. Those Bud Grant years were an exhilarating time in Minnesota--158 victories and four Super Bowl appearances--but through it all, Bud remained steady and stoic, win or lose. Bud was a beloved coach and a dedicated outdoorsman. But above all, Bud was devoted to his family. Today, my heart is with all those who knew and loved Bud.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to join Senator Cardin, thanking him for his leadership for so many years, as well as Senator Murkowski and my colleague Senator Stabenow in support of this bipartisan resolution to remove the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment so we can finally enshrine equal rights for women into our Constitution. What are people afraid of? Minnesota ratified the ERA 50 years ago. Since then, women and men who stand with them have never rested in the fight to guarantee equality in the Constitution of the United States of America. After a half century of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, that long-fought battle for equality has come down to an arbitrary deadline. Passing the resolution will bring us one step closer to ratifying the ERA and finally enshrining permanent protections for women and girls in our Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment would make clear, once and for all, that women are guaranteed equal rights under the U.S. Constitution. The core of the amendment is only 24 words long, guaranteeing that ``[e]quality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.'' In 1972, the amendment passed both Houses of Congress with bipartisan support. The Senate voted to send the amendment to the States by a vote of 84 to 8, with 7 not voting, and the House passed it 354 to 24. Congress initially set a 7-year deadline for the required three-fourths of States to ratify the amendment, and it later extended the deadline by 3 more years. By the time that deadline expired, only 35 States had ratified, leaving the amendment three States short of the 38 needed. But the deadline did not stop the growing support for the ERA and women's equality. Since then, three additional States have voted to ratify the ERA, including Nevada, Illinois, and Virginia. It is long past time that equality of women be enshrined in the Constitution. I have been proud to join a bipartisan group of Senators in cosponsoring this resolution. This resolution is part of a long tradition of bipartisan support for the ERA. The past year has made it painfully clear that protecting equality remains fundamental to the lives of each and every American. As my colleagues have noted, the women of this country still face a gender pay gap that leaves them economically behind. Women still earn around 82 cents of every dollar a man makes, and for women of color, it is even less. Ten months ago, we saw the Supreme Court issue a rule shredding nearly five decades of precedent protecting a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions. Now women are at the mercy of a patchwork of State laws governing their ability to access reproductive care, leaving them with fewer rights than their moms and grandmas. Every branch of government has a responsibility to protect people's rights, and if one branch fails to do so, the Constitution gives Congress and the people the power to step in by proposing and ratifying a new amendment. Ratifying the ERA would affirm that sex discrimination is inconsistent with the Nation's core values of equal protection under the law. We know that the majority of Americans are on our side--78 percent of Americans, according to the Pew Research Center--support the ERA being added to the Constitution--78 percent of Americans. We know this proposal is common sense. This year marks the 101st anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, a critical milestone in our democracy. At this moment in our country's history, I am as committed as ever to fighting to ensure that all Americans are guaranteed equality under the law. Let's show the world that the United States of America is a place where equality is the law of the land. I yield the floor.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I am here to talk about the Fire Grants and Safety Act. I do appreciate the words of my colleague. It was good to hear his concerns, and I think we all share concerns about Americans being spied on and their data. I also note that as we look at dealing with platforms and social media and the like at the same time we pursue this, we must pursue the bills that have been out there for well over a year now and passed through the Judiciary Committee last year and will do so again. And those are bills related to monopoly power; bills related to the incredible imbalance in power with two of the platforms, Google and Facebook, when it comes to dealing with small newspapers and radio stations and TV and their content, a bill that was nearly passed at the end of last year; another bill that Senator Grassley and I have that speaks to the fact that other countries in the world are now putting forth regulations and rules about self-preferencing and the unfairness to our small businesses; and then, of course, other bills, some of which are in the Commerce Committee, on privacy and children's issues and the like. All of these bills must be considered on this floor because, as noted by my colleague, we have not passed any rules when it comes to not only the issues he was addressing but also when it comes to a competition tech policy since the advent of the internet. I think we know a lot more than we knew when Facebook was in a garage. We know a lot more, and it is time for us to get up to speed and to actually pass some rules and stop talking about it.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr President, I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 10 to roll back protections for veterans and their family members who are seeking to access basic reproductive healthcare. I would like to thank Senator Murray, Senator Baldwin, and Senator Duckworth for their leadership in standing against this resolution. Almost 10 months ago, the Supreme Court issued a ruling overruling nearly five decades of precedent protecting a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions. Now, women are at the mercy of a patchwork of State laws governing their ability to access reproductive care, leaving them with fewer rights than their moms and grandmas. S.J. Res. 10 is yet another attempt to roll back women's access to care. It would overturn a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow veterans and their family members to access basic healthcare. Currently, the rule allows Veterans Affairs doctors to provide counseling and care to women veterans and beneficiaries covered by Veterans Affairs insurance, as well as abortion care in the case of rape, incest, or when the life or health of the women is at risk. The rule is limited, and the Department has said that Veterans Affairs doctors, nurses, or healthcare professionals can opt out of providing abortion care. Women across the country are already facing so much uncertainty because of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This resolution threatens the lives and health of women veterans who risked their lives for our country. Today, we are standing up for them by making it clear that we will not settle for a reality where they cannot access basic care.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to recognize Anthony Williams's decades of service with the U.S. Postal Service. Nearly 43 years ago, Mr. Williams began as a city carrier at the Rice Street Station in St. Paul, MN, and on March 3, 2023, he retired as the Minnesota-North Dakota district manager. During that time, Mr. Williams supported the Postal Service in its work processing and delivering 425 million pieces of mail each day, including everything from Social Security checks and life-saving prescriptions, to birthday and graduation cards. When I think about Anthony's time with the U.S. Postal Service, I will always think about his commitment to problem-solving. In the face of polar vortexes, staffing shortages, and a global pandemic, he always found a way to regroup, examine the situation, and do what needed to be done to get Minnesotans and North Dakotans their mail. While in a practical sense the U.S. Postal Service brings us our letters and packages, as the only organization with the logistical capability to reach every address in the Nation, it also brings our country together. That is the heart of what Anthony did through his decades of service, and I will always be grateful. I hope that Anthony gets some much deserved rest and time with Cindy in retirement, and if I ever need to reach him, I know he is just a stamp away.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I rise in support of the legislation repealing the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force against Iraq. I am pleased about the vote. I want to thank Senator Tim Kaine and Senator Todd Young for leading this bipartisan legislation as well as Chair Bob Menendez for moving it through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. With this bill, we are asserting Congress's constitutional power to determine when to begin and end wars. These AUMFs were passed 32 and 21 years ago respectively. The Gulf war ended in a matter of months, and the Iraq war that began more than a decade later has been over for 12 years. It is time for Congress to act. Open-ended AUMFs serve no strategic purpose and undermine Congress's authority to determine if and when to send our troops into battle, which is a major decision that we should make. On top of that, they come with great risk. It is far too easy for a Presidential administration to treat an AUMF as blanket permission to enter into or to stoke conflicts abroad. It doesn't matter which party is in the White House--our Constitution grants war powers to Congress. We also must recognize that the situation on the ground has changed. Iraq is now a sovereign democracy and America's strategic partner in the Middle East. If we want to work with them to advance stability in the region--and we should--what kind of signal does it send to have our laws identify Iraq as an enemy nation? Repealing the AUMFs will not halt our military's strategic operations in Iraq, and it will not harm our national defense; but it will offer a measure of closure to the veterans and servicemembers who sacrificed so much on the battlefield. I will not soon forget when I went to Baghdad and Fallujah and saw firsthand the bravery and commitment of our troops. The Minnesota soldiers I met over there--as, I am sure, the Presiding Officer met with New Hampshire soldiers--never once complained about their missions. Instead, they asked me to call their moms and dads at home to tell them they were OK. And not a day goes by that I don't think of that afternoon at the Baghdad Airport. By circumstance, we were getting on a plane. I saw a group standing, and I went over there. They were members of the Duluth National Guard, whom I have met many times since. They were there, saluting, as six caskets, draped in American flags, were loaded onto a plane to be flown home. Our troops did their jobs and more. Let's do ours. It is time to bring an end to the AUMFs and the war. I yield the floor.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 23; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 25, S. 316; further, that at 11:30 a.m., the Senate vote on the Lee amendment, No. 22, as provided under the previous order.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I rise today, on International Women's Day, in support of the Women's Health Protection Act. I would like to thank Senator Baldwin for her leadership, from my neighboring State of Wisconsin; Senator Blumenthal for his longtime leadership of this bill; as well as Senator Murray and so many others, including yourself, Madam President, for your work on this. I also wanted to mention Erin Chapman, of our Judiciary team, who is here with me, who has worked on this as well, and my colleague Tina Smith, who is the only Senator to have worked at Planned Parenthood in the U.S. Senate. Last year, the Supreme Court issued a ruling shredding nearly five decades of precedent protecting a women's right to make her own healthcare decisions, against the wishes of 70 to 80 percent of Americans who believe this is a decision that should be made between a woman, her family, and her doctor. In this past year, we heard that majority loud and clear in States where access to reproductive healthcare was directly on the ballot. From Montana and Michigan to Kentucky and Kansas, voters turned out to protect a woman's right to choose. It was almost as if those who authored some of these resolutions--like in Kansas--that tried to limit a woman's right forgot that women were going to show up and vote; and in Kansas they did, in record numbers, right in the middle of the prairie. This doesn't come down to red States or blue States or purple States. As you know, this is about freedom. As voters across the country have made clear, it is unacceptable for women to be left to the mercy of a patchwork of State laws governing their ability to access reproductive care, leaving them, as Senator Baldwin just pointed out, with fewer rights than their moms and grandmas. That is right; my daughter has fewer rights right now than her mom and her grandma did. And you think about what has been happening. You think about the heartbreaking story of that 10-year-old girl in Ohio who had to go to Indiana after being a victim of rape and had to go to Indiana just to get her healthcare. I remember when that story came out. People, including news organizations--some of them said it was a hoax, and then they had to go back. They had to go back and apologize to that little girl because it wasn't a hoax. It really happened. And those are the stories we are, sadly, seeing across the country. So what can we do in the face of this threat to women's health and freedom? All three branches of government have a responsibility to protect people's rights. And if one branch doesn't do its job, then the other branch is supposed to step in. That is why we are introducing this bill. Congress must act to codify the principles of Roe v. Wade into law, and we have the opportunity and the obligation to do that with the Women's Health Protection Act. We have updated this bill to make clear Congress's intent to restore the rights the Supreme Court took away in the Dobbs decision. The bill also protects a woman's right to travel to another State to receive reproductive healthcare, something that I know you, Madam President, have been leading on during this past year. All of this comes down to one question, and I will end with this: Who--who--should get to make these personal decisions for women: a woman herself or politicians? I think the answer is clear. I do not think that women making these decisions want to see our Republican colleagues in the waiting room. That is why I urge every Senator to get behind the majority of Americans who support a woman's right to choose and support the Women's Health Protection Act. I yield the floor.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, on March 8, 2023, the Joint Committee on the Library organized, elected a chair, a vice chair, and adopted committee rules for the 118th Congress. Members of the Joint Committee on the Library elected Senator Amy Klobuchar as chair and Representative Bryan Steil as vice chair. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 57, submitted earlier today.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I rise with my colleague Senator Smith, who will be speaking shortly, to recognize the life of Senator David Durenberger, who passed away on January 31, 2023, leaving behind his loving wife Susan, to whom he was married over 27 years, as well as his four sons, two stepchildren, and 14 grandchildren. Last week, I had the honor of attending Dave's funeral at St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, MN. Attendees included Governors of both parties. Governor Pawlenty was there, Governor Walz and Governor Dayton. It was a fitting venue because in so many ways, Dave was St. John's College. He was raised there by his parents, George and Isabelle, both of whom were faculty members. And as a student at St. John's Prep and St. John's University, he grew up fully immersed in the Benedictine values of faith, listening, respect, stewardship, and justice. Those values shaped what he did. Shortly after I won my first Senate race, Dave invited me to breakfast, and there is actually a photo of us on the wall when we had that breakfast in that restaurant. He had a few lessons he wanted to share with me. He didn't sugarcoat anything. He said that Washington can ``eat you up'' and that, too often, the value of stewardship is missing. He told me to join the prayer breakfast, because he said it was one place where people could talk to each other, nothing would leak, and you could build trust and take a moment and put things in perspective. I did join the prayer breakfast, and 2 years later, as often happens in these things, I was actually cochairing it with former Senator Johnny Isakson, another good Senator we will miss very much. Dave also gave me a small book called ``The Teachings of Jesus'' and told me to keep it in my office, which I did. It is on my bookshelf. And as he predicted, I did look at it in moments of good and moments of bad. One of the teachings stood out to me as I was reflecting on Dave's life. From Matthew 5:16: Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. That is Dave. Through the bluster of Washington, Dave found ways to bring his good work and his belief in public service to the rest of the country. Dave took volunteerism seriously. We saw it in how he lived his life. He paired up with his then-Democratic colleague, Senator Paul Wellstone, on the legislation that created AmeriCorps. As a result of their efforts, millions and millions of Americans have gotten the support that they have needed to better their communities. Dave's devotion to stewardship is also clear when you look at what he did to promote conservation. It was in that spirit that he worked to successfully secure protections for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, for Voyageurs National Park, and for the Mississippi River. He wanted his grandkids and their kids to be able to experience the natural treasures that Minnesotans have enjoyed for generations. You simply can't talk about Dave's time in Washington without noting what he did to advance the rights of those with disabilities. From his faith, he carried with him the values of respect for all people, and from his time in former Republican Governor LeVander's office, in working on disability issues, he carried with him a steadfast commitment to improving the lives of disabled people across the country. Once, through his work in the Governor's office, Dave visited a hospital where he saw patients with disabilities, and in his words, they were warehoused. Most of them, he said, didn't even have clothes on. He knew that as a society we could and must do better, and in Washington, he saw to it that we did. As I know the Acting President pro tempore is aware, given the leadership torch passed on to her, through his leadership on the Americans with Disabilities Act, he helped to usher in a whole new era of disabilities rights--one where people in wheelchairs weren't trapped in their homes as a result of a lack of ramps, one where disabled people weren't systematically excluded from the workforce, and one where the destitute facilities that once motivated him to take action were phased out in favor of community residential treatment and care services. In the years that followed, he found a loving partner in Susan, his wife, whose dedication to mental health reform eventually led her to write her book ``The Crusade for Forgotten Souls,'' a rich history of the campaign to provide dignified care to Minnesotans with disabilities. And Minnesota, back through the time of Hubert Humphrey, when he gave his famous speech at the 1948 Democratic National Convention, has always been ahead of itself and the rest of the country when it has come to people with disabilities. Dave, a Republican, carried on that torch from the other side of the aisle. From the outside, Dave's work often looked like a manifestation of faith in action, but the way he saw it, he was just doing his job-- the good deeds--in letting his light shine onto others. When Dave left the Senate, it wasn't easy. It has been quite documented what happened. He could have been bitter or he could have just hidden away and ducked down and not taken responsibility, but he didn't. He apologized and kept working. He taught. He would bring his students out here on healthcare. He was an advocate for healthcare reform, and he still spoke around the State. He showed us that that kind of resilience only comes when something happens to someone where they have to decide, Am I going to sink down further in a valley or am I going to rise up on the mountaintop and do good again? That included mentoring new Senators and new people in public office, which included me. He did good both while he was in the Senate, before he got here, and then, of course, after he left. He had a higher purpose, and he found a way, one way or another, to improve people's lives as a Senator, as an educator, as a husband, as a dad, and as a grandpa. Dave lived every day of his life trying to do good. He learned that, of course, growing up at St. John's, but he brought it to this Chamber and beyond. Today, Senator Smith and I are coming together to introduce this resolution, which we are honored has passed, honoring Senator Dave Durenberger, a man whose higher purpose led our country to a higher ground. I yield the floor.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, the Committee on Rules and Administration has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 118th Congress. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Fischer, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to mark the new security cooperation agreement through the Department of Defense's State Partnership Program between the Minnesota National Guard and the Kingdom of Norway, which will be celebrated in Minnesota on Saturday, February 4, 2023. This partnership will provide a key avenue to deter aggression and assist in both of our nation's national security while broadening and deepening our long-standing relationship. Norway has been critical to Minnesota's heritage and culture ever since the first Norwegian settlement was established in Spring Grove back in the early 1850s, a few years before Minnesota officially became a State. Today, Minnesota is the proud home of more than 860,000 Norwegian Americans. Some of our most beloved Minnesotans have been of Norwegian ancestry, including my late friend and mentor, Vice President Walter Mondale. At the end of last year, we had the honor of welcoming Her Majesty Queen Sonja to Minneapolis to celebrate the opening of Norway House's new Innovation and Cultural Center. In addition to our cultural heritage, Minnesota and Norway share a strong, time-tested military relationship. In 1973, Norwegian Home Guard's Major General Herluf Nygaard invited the chief of the National Guard, Major General Francis S. Greenlief, to visit their Home Guard. What came out of that meeting was the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange, also known as NOREX. Through this program, members of the Minnesota National Guard and the Norwegian Home Guard have gotten the opportunity to participate in field training exercises with an appropriate emphasis on winter tactical training. For Minnesota guardsmen, it has meant skiing through the mountains of Norway and sleeping in tents and snow shelters. For Norway's soldiers, it has meant winter training at Camp Ripley. Every participant is taken in as a guest by a local family, making NOREX a true cultural exchange. For 50 years, the program has strengthened the militaries of both our nations while fostering goodwill and lifelong friendships. This new State Partnership Program brings with it the opportunity to build on that progress while offering reassurance to our friends throughout the globe and deterring our foes. This partnership will promote and deepen trust, familiarity, and interoperability between Minnesota and Norway. Norway is one of Minnesota's best friends around the world. They have stood with us. We have stood with them. And we will continue to stand together. Our friendship is unshakeable. Our progress toward initiating this new State Partnership Program is a testament to that.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise in support of the resolution that I lead with Senator Grassley to designate January 2023 as a focus on stalking awareness. This year's resolution has eight bipartisan cosponsors. This resolution builds on Congress's recent efforts to curb domestic violence. We already passed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which back in 2013 included the bipartisan STALKERS Act to improve Federal anti-stalking laws. Last year, once again, we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. But there is so much more work that needs to be done. You know, not so long ago, stalking was not seen as the harmful crime we know it to be today. It was only in the 1990s that the first anti- stalking legislation was passed in the United States. Without a consistent definition of ``stalking'' or resources for those in crisis, too often victims struggle to find the support they need to name and identify the harm they were experiencing. Through the tireless work of law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and service providers, we have seen progress. In the three decades since the first anti-stalking legislation was passed, every State in the country has passed anti-stalking laws. My home State passed it in 1993--3 years before Congress made stalking a crime. But we know our work is not done. Approximately one in every three women in the United States has experienced stalking. Each year, more than 13 million people report that they are victims of stalking. According to one study, young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 experienced stalking more than any other age group. As a former prosecutor, I know the emotional toll this crime takes. I know what the victims suffer from. Nearly 70 percent of those who are stalked by an intimate partner are physically abused by their stalkers, and three in four women who were killed by an intimate partner were stalked by their killers in the year leading up to their deaths. By passing this resolution today, we can show how deeply we appreciate the work of law enforcement, that we are there for the victims, and we will do all we can to provide the services, safety, and stability they need. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the vote scheduled for 1:45 begin immediately.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, Senator Lee and I rise in support of this amendment to the antitrust provisions of this legislation for one purpose: to ensure that they match the language of the original bills that earned strong bipartisan support in this Senate as well as in the House of Representatives. We are simply restoring the language that passed in the Senate and passed in the House before this bill went through the mix master that is called the omnibus. I want to thank Senator Grassley for his work on the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, which updates and reforms the merger fees-- something we have not done for 22 years. Senator Cotton's Foreign Merger Subsidy Disclosure Act is included and the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act--strongly supported by all members of the Judiciary Committee, which Senator Lee and I have led. This bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent, and this language was scored to language originally in the bill. Senator Lee will speak briefly, and then in the spirit of the holiday, with Santa Claus on our side, we will ask for a voice vote.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to celebrate the incredible legacy of Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. In his eight terms in the U.S. Senate, he racked up some incredible accomplishments. He established himself as Congress' most prolific photographer. He appeared in more Batman films than any of our other colleagues. And on one amusing occasion, he became the only politician to ever get a call from the President of the United States while on stage at a Grateful Dead concert. But when Senator Leahy wasn't on screen or onstage, he could always be found working behind the scenes, standing up for Vermonters. You can't drive around Vermont without seeing Senator Leahy's impact. I mean that literally. There is the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, The Leahy Center for Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity, Leahy Way, Leahy Road, the other Leahy Road--just to name a few. Those examples represent just a small fraction of what he has done for Vermont. He has gotten critical Federal investments in the iconic Lake Champlain. He successfully fought for resources to help Vermonters rebuild and restore their lives after Hurricane Irene. He got funding to revitalize downtowns, fund opioid treatment programs, support dairy farmers, and add more than 140,000 acres to the Green Mountain National Forest. Senator Leahy made it his priority to give Vermont a seat at the table, and that is just what he did. And on the national stage, he was always looking out for people, even and especially in the face of heartbreaking circumstances. He stood up for Alan Gross, the U.S. citizen who spent years withering away in a Cuban prison cell surrounded by rats and roaches. Senator Leahy played a key role in getting him released and back home with his family. During his decades of service on the Senate Judiciary Committee, he championed funding for law enforcement and led the creation of the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership to stop preventable tragedies. As a result, we have been able to provide more than 1.5 million bulletproof vests for law enforcement. He also successfully spearheaded the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013, providing crucial protections to countless women throughout the country. Senator Leahy has been a clear and consistent voice on human rights, especially on landmines. In 1989, he started a fund to get medical aid to landmine victims, and he later single-handedly got the first legislation in the world to stop the export of landmines through the U.S. Senate. He is an internationally recognized leader on this issue. In all his time in Washington, Senator Leahy never lost his sense of purpose or his fundamental belief in the power of our government to make life better for people. As a leader, that is what he has always done. Senator Leahy has a legacy that anyone would be proud of--and I am proud to call him a friend. I wish him and Marcelle all the best in this next chapter.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I want to thank the Senators who did such a tremendous job today really going through all the arguments for why our democracy is still fragile, why we must stand up for a democracy--so many good ideas. I especially want to thank Senator Whitehouse for never giving up hope when it comes to campaign finance reform. I think of John McCain, if he were sitting in here right now--we miss him very much, a friend of both Senator Whitehouse's and mine--and how he stood up for campaign finance reform because he knew it wasn't a Democratic or Republican issue; it was all of our issues. I think of Senator Merkley's incredible diligence and his incredible command of the rules of the Senate and how we can make this place work better, and then Senator King's very Maine-like independent take on all this, and then, Madam President, your incredible remarks, tying it into--I hadn't thought about that fact, that on Veterans Day, which is always after the election--and your dad's words that an election is just a war of words and it is something you go through in a democracy and it could be really tough, but it is nothing like a real war when people are putting their lives on the line. So thank you for that. Dream Act Madam President, I wanted to turn to two other issues that are still on our plates in such a big, big way--still integral, actually, to our own democracy and what we stand for. The first one--and I am going to be putting later into the Record some remarks of Senator Durbin, who has been such a big supporter of the Electoral Count Act and the like. This is another area--another important, major, major moment for democracy that Senator Durbin has been leading on, and that is the urgent need to ensure Dreamers can remain here. I was proud to support and cosponsor his efforts in the past on not just the comprehensive immigration reform, which we know included protections for Dreamers that we passed and which I strongly supported out of the Judiciary Committee--when I first got to the Senate, Senator Kennedy asked Senator Whitehouse and myself to be the first new Senators involved in the immigration effort, which included protecting Dreamers that President Bush supported. Each time, sadly, we have been stymied in getting this into law. President Obama moved on his own with Executive orders to protect Dreamers, and now their status continues-- continues--to be in limbo. There is an urgent need right now to ensure Dreamers can remain here in the only country that they have ever called home. We know them in our community as teachers and healthcare workers, builders and firefighters, reporters and entrepreneurs. Like generations of immigrants before them, they have made our country better; but for too long, their livelihoods have been subject to the whims of court decisions and partisan politics. They are incredibly sad and frustrated that Congress has not been able to come together to make progress. Comprehensive immigration reform should include a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, or at least right now in this Chamber, we should pass the Dream Act. I have been working on this for years. We have, many times, come razor-thin close to getting it done. We passed a bill in the Senate, then the House doesn't act; we are close to getting a deal, even during the Trump administration, then the Trump administration gut punches us. You, Madam President, were part of that agreement that would have guaranteed a place in our country that is already in our hearts for our Dreamers. We cannot wait another day to pass the American Dream and Promise Act and provide these Dreamers with the stability and security that they deserve. They know no other country. Many of them, for decades, have been here working. I know that Democrats support this bill, and I know that there are a number of Republicans who do, but we are never able to overcome the opposition on the other side of the aisle that is there to bring it forward. The time is long overdue, and we must pass the Dream Act. Afghan Adjustment Act Madam President, the second issue on my mind tonight is the work that we must do with the Afghan Adjustment Act. This is a bill that I have been working on for the past year. I want to thank Senator Coons, and I want to thank Senator Lindsey Graham for working with me on this bill. I also want to thank our other cosponsors who include Senator Blunt, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Murkowski, Senator Shaheen, Senator Moran--who has joined the bill after we made some changes to strengthen the vetting process; his support is very important--Senator Leahy, Senator Wicker has joined us on this bill now, the incoming ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. Why is that? Because this bill is so important to our military. So many of these Afghans have worked with our military. They had the backs of our military. They were their translators. They did all kinds of very, very difficult jobs to help our military and freedom in Afghanistan. And when they came to this country, so many of them thought we would be there for them. Right now, their situation is tenuous, at best. They are in limbo. I can't tell you how many members of our military have come up and said: I don't understand. The Chief of Mission has verified their status. Half of the Afghans--roughly half of them--who are here right now have been vouched for by our own military. We have put together the Afghan Adjustment Act based on instructions from the past. We saw what happened to the Vietnamese and the Hmong--I know in my own State we have the second biggest population of Hmong in the country--that they came here and our country knew that we owed them something because they had stood with us. We put them on a path that involved green cards, which is what we are doing here. All we are trying to do here is actually more intense than what we did back then. I just ask the other Senators to look at the Hmong and Vietnamese in their own communities. They are now many generations ahead. They are police officers. They are serving in the State legislature. They are pillars of their community. And in the Afghans, we have the same possibility. I remind my colleagues: They are already here. That is why Senator Wicker has now joined us, because there is the belief--and Senator Graham. I am hoping that we will have a group come together tomorrow to talk about this. Senator Graham understands as well as from his own service, when people have your back overseas in the hardest of times, you do not abandon them when they are in a hard time. That is going to get around the world if we just let them sit in limbo. So this is truly our moment to at least start this process. What does it mean? Well, it means, according to this bill, that we will be doing a vetting of the Afghans who, I note to my colleagues, are already here. They will submit to additional vetting, including in- person interviews. It makes the process much more orderly and much more thorough, which is why you see conservatives joining this bill. This bill has earned the support of some of our Nation's most revered military leaders, including Admirals Mike Mullen, William McRaven, James Stavridis, and Generals Richard Myers, Joseph Dunford, Stan McChrystal. They support this bill. The Veterans of Foreign Wars--the VFW--supports this bill. The American Legion supports this bill. Their members have been here in Members' offices asking them to support it. I cannot tell you how important it was to Senator Coons and myself to make sure that this bill was bipartisan in nature. We worked very hard all summer to strengthen the bill, to get at the concerns of our colleagues. That is why we have such a strong group of Senators supporting the bill. This is our moment to get this done. If we are unable to finish it at the end of the year, I consider this not an end but a beginning. We are so close to getting--as I know from my discussions with my colleagues-- more and more Republicans on this bill. I think that is because they understand that if we leave these people who helped us in limbo, what will people think the next time when they ask for our help in another country, in another war, in another conflict? I implore my colleagues to join us in this effort. I am looking forward to tomorrow when we will have a bipartisan group of Senators take the floor. But I didn't want to let another day go by without mentioning how important it is to get this done. I yield the floor. I know we have been joined by Senator Lee.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I first want to thank Senator Portman for his incredible work on Ukraine. He has given dozens and dozens of talks on this floor, but what is equally important is all the work he has done behind the scenes, working across the aisle, making sure the funding is there for the weapons, and meeting directly with President Zelenskyy. I just want to thank him for his incredible leadership, and we will continue his work. I have a feeling he will be calling us from Ohio or wherever he is to make sure we are doing it right. I thank him for that. Democracy Madam President, we are here today to speak about democracy. Of course, that is on the line in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy reminds us about it every day when he says these simple words: ``We are here.'' That is what he said the day of the Russian invasion. He went to the street corner and said, ``We are here.'' That is what we are here to say today, is that there are people who are carrying the torch for democracy in our own country. I am glad to be joined with my colleague today, Senator Whitehouse, who has been such a leader when it comes to the DISCLOSE Act and that part of our democracy, as well as voting, to make sure we keep our democracy and make the case that our democracy does not work if we do not have campaign finance and things that are transparent and know where that money is coming from, because it drowns out the voices of everyday people. Senator King is with us today on the floor. He is a member of the Rules Committee. He introduced, with Senator Durbin and myself, the original reform to the Electoral Count Act and has been a true leader when it comes to voting reform. The Presiding Officer herself will be addressing this from the great State of New Hampshire, where they understand a little bit about a democracy and freedom and what that means. Then Senator Merkley, the original sponsor of the For the People Act, which really set the table for the discussions we have been having on voting rights and the close vote we had when it came to finally passing the Freedom to Vote Act--that was built on the work that Senator Merkley and many others did on the For the People Act. Nearly 2 years ago, a violent mob of insurrectionists stormed into this Chamber right here. We are looking at the desks they were opening up. We are looking at the presiding dais, which they invaded. They desecrated our Capitol. They interrupted the hallmark of our democracy, the peaceful transfer of power. Just this last week, we gave the Capitol Police and the DC Metro Police--the police who protected us that day--the Congressional Medal of Honor. So many brave officers were there for us, and democracy prevailed that day. But what we have learned is that what the insurrectionists didn't finish with bear spray and flag poles in the U.S. Capitol, others have tried to do with voter suppression laws, nonsense lawsuits, and threats of violence. They have literally attempted to shut down the rule of law, to shutter our voting laws, and they literally have mocked and made fun of political acts of violence. Simply put, we know that Federal action was and is needed. That is why we introduced the Freedom to Vote Act to protect every American's right to vote in the way that works best for them. Through a summer of intense negotiations, we got all 50 Democratic Senators on board. Sadly, our efforts were halted by the filibuster. But we did not give up and we have not given up on that bill, as well as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Still, we are making progress in other places. A number of State voter suppression laws have been thrown out by courts, including by conservative judges. A number of State legislatures have taken action to protect the right to vote. Finally, just this week, as part of this omnibus bill before us, we are on the verge of getting the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act signed into law. We thank Senator Manchin and Senator Collins for their leadership, as well as so many other Senators who were part of that effort. I thank the members of the Rules Committee. We were able to get the bill, with some changes that Senator Blunt and I worked on together that were supported on a bipartisan basis, through the Rules Committee on a 14-to-1 vote. This year, it became clear that our democracy itself is on the ballot. The American people could be moved to act, and opponents of democracy, as we know, tried to put election deniers on the ballot. But whether it was Democrats, moderate Republicans, or Independents, they rallied around people who would stand up for our democracy. In many States across the country, when it came to election day, the highest vote-getters were not the most famous politicians; they were the secretaries of state who in many cases were not household names but were running against people who were election deniers. They ended up, including in my own State, having the highest vote percentages, highest vote totals of anyone in the State. So what about the Electoral Count Act? This is an antiquated law passed in the 1800s which was never meant to be a trigger point for an insurrection. What we have done with this bill that I believe we will pass this week, is we have made it absolutely clear that the Vice President does not have the power to reject electoral votes. We all remember the words, the horrific words, ``Hang Mike Pence,'' uttered just a few yards away from the Vice President in this very building. We need to also raise the threshold for objecting to electoral votes, so that it takes more than two of the 535 elected Members to gum up the counting. Even before the insurrection, when Senator Blunt and I looked at the objections that were going to be made, in many cases by one, two, three Senators, we realized it would take at least 24 hours to get through them. In fact, there was nothing stopping under this antiquated law a single Senator and a single House Member from objecting to every single State, including the States that perhaps their candidate had won, just to gum up the works. That is why we have pushed for the Electoral Count Act. Moving forward, we must address the root causes, not only of these antiquated laws, not only of voter suppression, but also disinformation and misinformation that allows lies that undermine our elections to go viral and violent. On January 6, we saw the cost of these lies up close. That is why we have to address the impact of disinformation online on our democracy. We can start by looking at the liability protections that we have put in place. Back when, yes, internet companies were starting in garages, back at the beginning. We have a legal provision, section 230, that protects social media companies from liability for the posting and spreading of dangerous content on their platforms. We know people are going to post things that are hateful, that aren't true. But the question is, when companies' algorithms are designed, in fact, to make money off of repeating those lies and expanding them, and, despite some efforts to reduce them, it keeps coming and coming and coming, I don't know why we would put in liability protection for that. If someone were to yell ``fire'' in a crowded theater, that person would be liable. That is not protected speech. But if the theater had in rules that protected its patrons, they wouldn't be held liable for that. But what if the theater was a multiplex and it decided that they would broadcast the words of the person yelling ``fire'' in all of its theaters. Would we think that was OK? Well, that is exactly what is going on with disinformation and hate speech on the internet right now. Companies are allowed to repeat hateful disinformation, and they actually can profit from it. And that is why many of us believe it is time to look at section 230 and the immunity that this Congress has given them. In addition, Americans should know who is behind the political ads they see online. We need to put in place the same rules for social media platforms that currently apply to political ads sold on TV, radio, and in print. That is a bill I had with Senator McCain and now with Senator Graham. It is time to bring that bill up for a vote. Even though the FEC has made some changes, they are not nearly what we need to have in place to allow Americans to have the information that they need. Finally, we have to talk about protecting people's right to vote. In the 2020 election, in the middle of a global pandemic, more than 160 million Americans voted--more than ever before--in what the then-Trump Department of Homeland Security called the most secure election in American history. A big reason turnout was so high in 2020 was that States went out of their way to make it easier for people to vote because of the pandemic. In the wake of that record voting, we saw a coordinated effort by State legislatures to make it harder to vote. In 2021, 18 States passed 34 restrictive voting laws, but the people of this country pushed back. Look at what happened in Georgia. There were concerted efforts to limit voting during the runoff and make voting by mail more confusing. Still, Georgians found a way to make their voices heard. Some observers will look at the result and decide that, oh, this was a threat, it was overplayed. But to paraphrase my friend Senator Warnock, this outcome does not mean that voter suppression does not exist, it simply means that the people have decided their votes will not be silenced. That is what we are dealing with right now. And we should be making an effort to make it easier for people to vote, and the best way to do that is to set some minimal Federal standard for voting. The last thing I would like to say is to thank Senator Blunt, who has been my cochair of the Rules Committee. He has been ranking, I have been chair; I have been chair, he has been ranking. And we have worked together, especially on the issue of protecting election workers and making sure that Federal funding was allowed to go for that purpose. It was Senator Blunt and I who were the last Senators here at 4 in the morning on the night of January 6 with Vice President Pence. We made that walk through the broken glass, by the spray-painted pillars, with the three pairs of pages holding the mahogany boxes with the last of the ballots up through Wyoming. We got to the House Chamber, and democracy prevailed. And after that, Senator Blunt and I went downstairs--the sun was coming out--and visited the Parliamentarian's office. As I look at our valiant staff, right now, sitting there, what I remember is the chaos and destruction in their own office which had been targeted by the insurrectionists. I remember the broken picture on the floor. I remember all the papers all over the place. That is what we saw that day, and that was forever, ever marked in my memory of how close we were that this antiquated law was being used as a reason for these insurrectionists to come into our very offices. Senator Blunt and I walked out of the Parliamentarian's office that day, sun coming in, and I still remember, he looked at me and he said, Well, I will see you tomorrow then. We have got a lot of work to do. I am proud of the work we have done since then. And one of the most important things we have done is to reform this law. And I want to thank my colleagues that understand that that is just the beginning and not the end. And with that, I will turn it over to Senator Whitehouse. Thank you, Senator Whitehouse, for your incredible leadership on campaign finance.

Ms. KLOBUCHAR

Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following notice be printed in the Record.