Mark Kelly

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 725, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. KELLY. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, and that following the prayer and the 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 upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Executive Calendar No. 922, the nomination of Constance Milstein to be Ambassador to the Republic of Malta, as under the previous order; further, that at 1:45 p.m., the Senate vote on confirmation of the Milstein nomination, with all other provisions of the previous order remaining in effect.

Mr. KELLY

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

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the Warner substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1098, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions, introduced earlier today: S. Res. 679, S. Res. 680, and S. Res. 681.

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to; the preambles be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senators Sullivan and Lankford.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if the Senate receives a message from the House that it has passed H.R. 1057, and if the text of H.R. 1057 as passed is identical to S. 1596, that at a time to be determined by the majority leader or his designee, in consultation with the Republican leader, the bill be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 903, Ventris C. Gibson, of Virginia, to be Director of the Mint for a term of five years; 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; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 16; and 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 upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 388, H.R. 3967, postcloture; further, that all time during adjournment, recess, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture, and that all time be considered expired at 11:15 a.m.; further, that upon disposition of H.R. 3967, the Senate vote on the motions to invoke cloture on the Alba and Boyle nominations, and that if cloture is invoked on either nomination, all postcloture time be expired and the confirmation votes occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader or his designee, in consultation with the Republican leader.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Madam President, it is past due for us to address veterans not getting the care they need after suffering an illness caused by toxic exposure. We can do that as soon as this week by passing the PACT Act. As a retired naval aviator, I know firsthand the sacrifice and hard work it takes to succeed in our military. I knew I wanted to join the military from a young age, and after attending the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, making that choice was easy for me. That is the case for some but not for everyone. Many more will say that this was the hardest decision that they had to make, putting families, school, careers, or all three through major changes in order to serve. This is a sacrifice for so many, and regardless of how someone comes to serving, what follows isn't easy. We spend years training to go to war. For me, that was training to fly off of and land on an aircraft carrier and put bombs on enemy targets. That is what I did during Operation Desert Storm, flying combat missions off the USS Midway in the gulf, to deliver weapons on dozens of targets in Iraq and Kuwait. War is by its very nature dangerous, and flying airplanes in combat or conducting ground combat operations is very complex. You need to focus on completing the mission while also focusing on your safety and that of your team or your crew. There are many opportunities to be killed or injured. We all get that. The public understands that. But there are also silent killers that affected soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who served abroad. No American soldier goes overseas and expects to be put in grave danger by their own military, but they were. We saw it in Vietnam with Agent Orange. We saw it in the first gulf war with toxic exposures that we are still grappling to fully understand. It happened again starting about 20 years ago when American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan were breathing in toxic smoke from American-made burn pits. Clouds of smoke containing plastics, rubber, medical waste, and chemicals billowed, and although the ``stink'' might have been a nuisance, the true physiological damage would turn out to be much worse. We sent young, healthy, and highly capable American troops--all of whom volunteered--overseas. When they came home, they got sick, and then they got sicker, just like in the case of SFC Heath Robinson, whose namesake and story are behind the PACT Act. Our servicemembers had put everything on the line, only to return with severe illnesses due to bad decisions. When those same servicemembers battling rare diseases filed claims with the VA, they were met with a closed door. They were told that it wasn't a service- connected illness, so it wasn't covered. This is shameful, and it is unacceptable. That is why this legislation is so important. Our military made mistakes, and thousands of Americans and more than 6,500 Arizonans have paid or are continuing to pay the price. We must--we must--live up to our solemn obligation to look after our veterans, and that is what the PACT Act will do. This bill will lower the threshold for veterans to receive benefits, expand access to VA healthcare, strengthen the VA's ability to process claims, create pathways for future presumptions based on developing medical research, and much more. So, together, let's get this bill across the finish line for our veterans and their families. They deserve better from Washington.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I call up my motion to instruct, which is at the desk.

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, microchips are in everything from household vacuums to the most advanced fighter jets. A resilient domestic microchip supply chain is important to our national security and to our economy, but we have two problems. We are facing a shortage of microchips, and we do not have the capacity to produce enough of them here in the United States. That is why we have worked together, Republicans and Democrats, to pass a plan in the Senate competitiveness bill that will boost American microchip manufacturing capacity, create thousands of jobs, and help lower costs for families. I ask my colleagues to support this motion to show the continued bipartisan momentum behind our plan so we can get this across the finish line. I am OK with a voice vote. Vote on Motion

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Madam President, on March 3, 2022, I missed vote No. 68, on S.J. Res. 38, a joint resolution relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted no.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, on February 16, 2022, I missed vote No. 56, cloture on Executive Calendar No. 692, Celeste Ann Wallander, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes. Mr. President, on February 16, 2022, I missed vote No. 57, cloture on Executive Calendar No. 476, David A. Honey, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes. Mr. President, on February 16, 2022, I missed vote No. 58, confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 692, Celeste Ann Wallander, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes. Mr. President, on February 16, 2022, I missed vote No. 59, confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 476, David A. Honey, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes. Mr. President, on February 17, 2022, I missed vote No. 60, motion to invoke cloture on the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6617; a bill making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes. Mr. President, on February 17, 2022, I missed vote No. 61, on the amendment S. Amdt. 4929: Lee Amdt. No. 4929; to prohibit funding for COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted no. Mr. President, on February 17, 2022, I missed vote No. 62, on the amendment S. Amdt. 4927: Cruz Amdt No 4927; to prohibit the use of Federal funding for schools and early childhood development facilities that enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates on children in order to protect the rights of parents to make medical decisions that affect their child. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted no. Mr. President, on February 17, 2022, I missed vote No. 63, on amendment S. Amndt. 4930: Braun Amndt. No. 4930; to strike the Statutory PAYGO exemption and require balanced budgets in concurrent resolutions on the budget. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes. Mr. President, on February 17, 2022, I missed vote No. 64, on passage of the bill: H.R. 6617; a bill making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted yes.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session and consider the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 476, David A. Honey, of Virginia, to be Deputy Under Secretary of Defense; that the nomination be confirmed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering is a critical position that helps lead and manage our military's science and technology work. This includes work on disruptive, cutting-edge technologies like quantum science, hypersonics, and artificial intelligence. Maintaining our competitive edge over China in these areas has been a focus of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, which I chair, and I know that all of us--all of us--here understand how important it is. We worked on a bipartisan basis to include investment and policy changes for these priorities in the NDAA that we are hoping to pass this week. The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering is tasked with carrying out many of these changes. Yet the nominee for this post has yet to be confirmed. Dr. David A. Honey is qualified. He brings decades of experience, including as an Air Force pilot, an intelligence officer, and in leadership roles at DARPA, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and within the intelligence community. Reflecting his qualifications, Dr. Honey's nomination has bipartisan support and was voice-voted out of the Senate Armed Services Committee in October. At a time when our adversaries are investing heavily in an attempt to outpace the United States, we need all hands on deck and confirmed leadership in this post, so I am very disappointed that we could not do that today. This is a matter of national security. I yield the floor.

Mr. KELLY

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

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I able to complete my remarks prior to the scheduled votes.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, today, I rise to honor one of Southern Arizona's own--known to many here as former Congressman Ron Barber--for a long and impactful tenure in public service. Ron has been a pillar of Southern Arizona for decades. He is also a close friend and trusted adviser to both me and Gabby. Ron has deep roots in Tucson. His dad was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base when Ron was a teenager. Ron attended Rincon High School and graduated from the University of Arizona. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy, who is here today, and built his family and his home and his career in Tucson, AZ. Safe to say, Ron embodies what it means to be a Tucsonan. It is written everywhere, from the art that hangs in his house to the bumper stickers on his car, and there are a lot of them. His love of Tucson is something that rubs off on others--myself included. I first met Ron at a meeting when Gabby was hiring folks to begin launching her first campaign for Congress. At the time, Ron had just retired from his senior post at the Division of Developmental Disabilities. He had spent decades serving as an advocate for families and vulnerable populations. For almost anyone, that would be a sufficient career in public service but not for Ron Barber. Ron was moved by Gabby's commitment to serving others. Now, he may not have had any experience in politics, but he showed up ready to help send Gabby to the U.S. Congress. Now, I wondered ``Who is this guy?'' but never really had to wonder again. He believed in her, and he did it early on. That is what makes Ron who he is--always believing, always early. And this is still true today. Really, Ron is literally always early to each and every event that he has staffed me for, and I am pretty sure that is the case with every person he has served alongside. His punctuality is matched by his generosity and his knowledge of Southern Arizona. That is why when Gabby was elected, she wanted him on her team. He joined as her district director, her eyes and ears back home. On January 8, 2011, Ron was doing that job when a gunman opened fire at the Congress on Your Corner event. He was standing next to his boss. Gabby was shot in the head. Ron was shot in the face and the leg. Eleven others were injured. Six died. We could have lost him that day too. Those events rattled the Tucson community that Ron loves so much, and there was so much grief. But in the days, months, and years that followed, we found out just how strong our community was because of people like Ron Barber. Southern Arizona needed Ron, and Ron needed Southern Arizona. Even through his own injury, he was there for me and Gabby and our family and countless others, as selfless as always. It is that exact selflessness that meant Ron never thought of himself as the right person to run for Gabby's seat after she stepped down. I remember sitting in a room with Ron and Gabby during her recovery. We were discussing what was next for Gabby and who would run for her seat in the House of Representatives. There was a long list of names that was thrown out, and at the end, Gabby said that it should be Ron. He was sitting right there, and I think he was probably pretty shocked, but, you know, he wasn't exactly in a position to refuse, either. He was reluctant at first but eventually rose at the chance to continue serving the community he loved in a way that he never imagined--in the U.S. Congress--and he did that job with grit and independence. Ron fought to protect our military installations. He worked on lowering healthcare costs and to get mental health services to Arizonans and Americans across the country. He was a public servant through and through or better yet, a ``citizen legislator''--a term he used to describe his vision for Washington lawmakers. After leaving Congress, Ron continued finding ways to serve. When Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick was elected to his old seat, Ron went back to work as her district director for nearly 2 years. For Ron, it is never about ego; it is only about helping in whatever way he could and wherever he could. Then, the day after my election last year, I called Ron and asked him to serve on my transition team. And then I asked him to join my office as our southern Arizona director, and he signed up for that as well, once again delaying his retirement to go back into public service one more time. I can't tell you what an asset it has been for our office and for the people of Arizona in that role. Now, we are going to miss Ron, but we also know that he is not really going anywhere either. While Ron might be retiring from his day job, he will still volunteer his time at several organizations in Tucson that impact his neighbors in ways that are unique to them and to him. In fact, a couple weeks ago, I saw Gabby trying to sign him up for something. And our southern Arizona community will be better for it. On top of being an extraordinary leader, Ron is a family man; a supportive and loving husband to Nancy, father to Jenny and Crissi, and grandfather to Kieran, Tillie, Ailsa, Elliot, and Emmy. And now that he is going to have some more time on his hands, I know that his family is going to be glad to see a lot more of him. So, Ron, happy retirement to you, but let's make it for real this time. I mean, it is true that you have been saying ``I will retire next year'' for well over a decade now, I think, but I think this time it is going to stick. But the fact is, you know, we have all really needed you on our teams. It was so important and so critical and it was critical to Gabby and it was critical to the success of my team, and I am sure Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick feels the same. So on behalf of the State of Arizona and our Nation, thank you, Ron, for your lifetime of hard work and service. And thank you, Mr. President, for allowing me to dedicate a few words to my friend. I yield the floor.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all without intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.