Mark Kelly

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 589, S. 3388.

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the Tester substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and 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. KELLY. Mr. President, I have one request for a committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. It has the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: committee on rules and administration The Committee on Rules and Administration is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Monday, December 19, 2022, at 3:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the bills, en bloc, be considered read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills, which were received from the House, en bloc: H.R. 6427, H.R. 7735, H.R. 8260.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 1466. The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 1466) entitled ``An Act to authorize the Director of the United States Geological Survey to establish a regional program to assess, monitor, and benefit the hydrology of saline lakes in the Great Basin and the migratory birds and other wildlife dependent on those habitats, and for other purposes.'', do pass with an amendment. Motion to Concur

Mr. KELLY. I move to concur in the House amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to 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 Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged and that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills en bloc: H.R. 6064, H.R. 6604, H.R. 6961, H.R. 7299, H.R. 7335, and S. 4949.

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the bills, en bloc, be considered read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 4719, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 365 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 874, submitted earlier today.

Mr. KELLY. 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.

Mr. KELLY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Lieutenant Colonel Asa Herring, an American patriot and hero who served with the famed Tuskegee Airmen before going on to complete a 22-year military career in the U.S. Air Force. Lieutenant Colonel Herring was born on October 3, 1926, in Dunn, NC. Despite being born during a time in American history when rights and opportunities for African-Americans were few, he persevered. At a time when high school graduation rates amongst African-Americans were in the single digits, Lieutenant Colonel Herring graduated at age 16 and then had to wait nearly 2 years before he could enter the military. After passing the Army Air Corps written examination, he entered Active Duty as an aviation cadet on December 27, 1944. However, World War II ended before he finished his training. On April 26, 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen flew their last combat mission, and less than 2 weeks later, on May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered. Lieutenant Colonel Herring did not wish to serve in a segregated military, so he decided to request an honorable discharge in 1946. On July 26, 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order No. 9981, ending the policy of racial segregation in the military. Less than a year later, Lieutenant Colonel Herring volunteered for service in the newly established U.S. Air Force and served until 1970. Throughout his service, Lieutenant Colonel Herring fought in both the Korean and Vietnam war, flew more than 350 combat missions, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star, and an Air Medal with 13 oakleaf clusters. He was also the first African-American squadron commander at Luke Air Force Base, where he trained pilots from several European countries in the F-104G Jet Fighter Gunnery Program. After retiring from military service, Lieutenant Colonel Herring joined Western Electric in Phoenix, AZ, where he served in several management positions until 1989. Personifying the Air Force core values, he also dedicated much of his time and talent to community service organizations across Phoenix and to educating others on the history and incredible legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. I join Arizonans in mourning Lieutenant Colonel Herring's passing on May 22, 2022, at the age of 95. He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Honor Herring, and is survived by his two sons, Asa D. Herring, III, and Mark Alan Herring; his seven grandchildren; and his 15 great-grandchildren--to whom we extend our gratitude for Lieutenant Colonel Herring's honorable service to his community and to his Nation.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 433, S. Res. 623.

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent the committee-reported substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to.

Mr. KELLY. I know of no further debate on the resolution, as amended.

Mr. KELLY. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble as amended be agreed to, and that the motions 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 the immediate consideration of S. Res. 726, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. KELLY

Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, just a few minutes ago, after a year and a half of work, we have finally--finally--passed our plan to boost microchip manufacturing in the United States. Microchips go in nearly everything we use. They are in the TV or the cell phone that folks are watching this on, and they are in lifesaving medical devices, and they are in our most advanced weapons systems. The United States invented microchips, and, once, we produced 40 percent of the world's supply. Today, we only produce about 12 percent, and we don't produce any of the most advanced microchips. Now, that leaves us vulnerable to disruptions in the supply chain, like the current microchip shortage that has halted production lines and driven up prices. If you have recently tried to buy a car--a new car--and waited months or paid more than you were expecting, the microchip shortage is a big reason why. So we have worked on a plan, Republicans and Democrats, with incentives to make sure the world's leading microchip manufacturers grow their operations here in the United States instead of in China or Europe. It also boosts research so that the most advanced chips in the world are invented and produced right here in the United States. That will mean tens of thousands of new jobs in places like Arizona, which is already a microchip hub, poised to grow as Intel and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company expand and build new manufacturing facilities. That is all made possible by this legislation, and it creates jobs, not just with those companies but also with the companies that supply them the tools and packaging for their products. And these are great- paying jobs, and many of them do not require a four-year degree. I visited Estrella Mountain Community College just several weeks ago, where they are training Arizonans to enter the semiconductor technician career track with just a 10-day course followed by a guaranteed job interview. Now, this is an enormous opportunity to reinvent our economy for the future, and this week, we are getting it done. This bill has now passed the Senate, and I am confident that it will pass the House and be signed into law. While this process has been long, it has also shown what we can accomplish when we work together, Republicans and Democrats. Senators Young, Cornyn, Warner, and I first began working on this at the beginning of last year, we found agreement, and we worked to build support from our colleagues. Since then, we have had to overcome more than a few roadblocks, but what matters most is that we got this done. As a result, our country is going to once again be a leader in microchip manufacturing, creating tens of thousands of great-paying jobs, strengthening our national security, and lowering costs for everyday products.