Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 237, S. Res. 238, and S. Res. 239.

Mr. McCONNELL. I know of no further debate on the resolutions.

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that with respect to S.J. Res. 20 and S.J. Res 26, Senator Paul, or his designee, be recognized at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader, but no later than June 14, to make a motion to discharge such resolution; further, that there be up to an hour of debate on each motion, equally divided between the proponents and the opponents, with 7 minutes reserved for both the chairman and the ranking member respectively, prior to each vote; and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote in relation to the motion to discharge; further, that if either motion to discharge is agreed to, the joint resolution be eligible for the expedited procedures under the Arms Export Control Act.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn, to then convene for a pro forma session only, with no business conducted on Thursday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, June 6, it next convene at 3 p.m., Monday, June 10, 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, morning business be closed, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Holte nomination. Finally, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, that the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen upon disposition of the Hertling nomination.

Mr. McCONNELL. For the information of all Senators, the Senate will vote on confirmation of the Holte, Alston, Jr., and Hertling nominations, as well as cloture on the Morrison nomination, in the order listed at 5:30 p.m., Monday, June 10.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 221 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Before the Senate adjourned for Memorial Day, I laid out seven more nominations for our consideration when we returned--four to fill important vacancies in the administration and three to the Federal bench. So this week, the Senate will continue our work to confirm more well-qualified nominees and finally let the American people's President have more of his team on the job. Yesterday we began by voting to advance the nomination of Andrew Saul, of New York, to be Commissioner of Social Security. Mr. Saul is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and has spent decades building a successful career in business and in public administration. In addition to his experience in financial management, Mr. Saul has previously served as vice chairman of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, where he oversaw programs relied upon by literally millions of Americans. It is no surprise that our colleagues on the Finance Committee voted unanimously to favorably report Mr. Saul's nomination to the full Senate. I hope Members will reach the same conclusion and support his confirmation. Later, we will turn to the consideration of David Schenker, of New Jersey, to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs; Heath Tarbert, of Maryland, to be Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; Susan Combs, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior; and three nominees to preside in a district court and the Court of Federal Claims. In each case, the President has put forward impressive and uncontroversial individuals who, I might add, in a previous era, would have been candidates for a voice vote. They are thoroughly qualified for public service. Their nominations should not have been delayed even this long. In the case of Mr. Schenker, for example, our colleagues have forced the top Middle East job at the State Department to remain open for 1 year. This is the top job at the State Department for the Middle East, and they have kept it open for 1 year--a year that brought no shortage of crises in that region. So I am glad we are continuing to get things back on track. I hope our colleagues will join me in voting to put each of these public servants to work for the American people. 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment Madam President, on another matter, today, June 4, 2019, marks a historic anniversary for the U.S. Senate. It was 100 years ago today that this body passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and sent it on to the States for ratification. It was 100 years ago today that this institution finally recognized that American women deserved the right to vote just the same as men. Of course, this victory for equality and fairness had been a long time in the making. The very same text that would become the 19th Amendment was first introduced in the Senate more than 40 years before, back in 1878. It was 40 years between the first introduction and the final passage. It was introduced by Senator Aaron Sargent of California, who, with his wife, was a close friend of Susan B. Anthony's. When it finally received a vote nearly a decade later, there were twice as many votes against it as for it. By 1914, there had been progress. When it received another vote that year, it failed by only 11 votes. By February 1919, there was more progress, losing by just one vote. The old justifications were eroding. Our Nation's true principles and clear logic were chipping away at this old mistake. Then, precisely one century ago today, the right thing to do became undeniable. Women's suffrage cleared the Senate floor. The rollcall vote was 56 to 25--2 more than two-thirds. Newspaper accounts tell us that several minutes of sustained applause and cheers filled the Gallery. Then the 39 words that would become the 19th Amendment were on their way to the States, on their way to concluding a 42-year journey and becoming enshrined in our Constitution. Of course, this chapter of Senate history is just a tiny slice of the incredible uphill battle that the broader women's rights and suffrage movement waged in American politics and in culture. There were the pioneering thinkers of the Seneca Falls Convention, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, and their famous Declaration of Sentiments. There was the incredible, history-changing intellectual and strategic partnership between Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and the prolific writing, coalition-building, and grassroots activism it produced. There were devoted organizers, such as Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells, and Mary Church Terrell, and so many more--both the dynamic leaders whom history remembers and the millions more women and men who lent their support to the cause and who made quiet contributions of their own. Some of them lived to see the fruits of their work become part of our Constitution, and many did not, but the progress we celebrate would not have been possible--it would have been literally unimaginable--without them. So this milestone brought one chapter of hard work to an end, but it really started a new chapter in our history as American women became more and more integrated into our democracy. It was just 6 years after the 19th Amendment was ratified that my own State of Kentucky elected our first female Member of Congress, Katherine Langley, to the House of Representatives. I could not be more glad that the Senate will spend today commemorating this historic milestone. This afternoon, I know a number of our colleagues plan to come to the floor to describe the history and significance of this day in much more depth. Later, we will vote on a resolution to officially mark the centennial of our predecessors' historic vote. Several more Senators have been working on additional legislation to help our Nation mark the whole year of commemoration that begins this spring and will continue through the anniversary of final ratification. I want to thank a number of our colleagues who helped lead the preparation for this. In particular, thanks to Senator Collins for her leadership in coordinating today and focusing the Senate's attention on this milestone. Thanks to Senator Murkowski, the lead sponsor for the resolution we will be voting on this afternoon. Thanks to our colleagues Senators Blackburn, Feinstein, Ernst, and others for their hard work. I would also like to thank the members of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, led by Chairwoman Kay Coles James and former Senator Barbara Mikulski, the Vice Chair, and their staff, including executive director Rebecca Kleefisch and Anna Laymon. Madam President, 100 years ago today, American women's right to vote was up for debate in this Chamber for the last time. As one Member of this body remarked on June 4, 1919, ``The advocates of the Susan B. Anthony amendment have won a great victory and are justly entitled to all the praise and honor which comes with the winning of a battle which has been fought for so long a time . . . the right of suffrage [for] those noble, patriotic, and splendid women of our country who have so long fought for this right and who so richly deserve [it].'' Today we reflect on our gratitude for that work, and we rejoice in that victory. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 98, S. Res. 135.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the remaining votes be 10 minutes in length.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 229, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent 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. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 96, S. 1328.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 4; further, 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, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Saul nomination. I further ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings; and finally, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Saul nomination.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. Thereupon, the Senate, at 6:55 p.m., adjourned until Tuesday, June 4, 2019, at 10 a.m.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as millions looked forward to an early summer weekend, Virginia Beach, VA, became the latest community where lives were shattered by violence. Twelve workers at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center were shot and killed when a lone gunman--a fellow employee--opened fire on Friday afternoon. Some of the victims had worked for the city for decades, one for just under a year. All of them leave behind a grieving community that must now try to make sense of the senseless. And several more of their colleagues were injured. As the community rallies behind those in grief and shock, the Nation is also learning about the selfless heroism of the law enforcement officers who bravely brought the violence to an end. Four officers moved quickly through the municipal building that housed 400 workers. They quickly located the shooter, hemmed him in to prevent further innocent casualties, and engaged him in a firefight. Reportedly, one officer was actually shot but was spared serious injury due to his bulletproof vest. Thanks to their bravery, about 45 minutes after the shooting began, the suspect was in police custody. Such stories of courage strike us as remarkable. They inspire gratitude and remind us of humanity's best, just as we are faced with its worst. They should also be occasions to remember just how many men and women across America put on their uniforms every day and report to work, knowing they might be called on for heroism just like this. Hundreds of thousands of police officers and other first responders across our Nation protect and serve every day. I know that all of my colleagues join me in prayer and solidarity for the victims of this evil violence, for their families, and for all of the first responders who stand ready to jump between their neighbors and harm's way. Remembering Thad Cochran Mr. President, on Thursday morning, we received sad news out of Oxford, MS. Our friend and distinguished former colleague, Senator Thad Cochran, had passed away. Thad took retirement a little more than a year ago to focus on his health and his family. That day concluded a truly remarkable career in the history of the Senate: seven terms; nearly four decades; the second longest serving Senator from Mississippi; and the tenth longest serving Senator, period, in American history. To put it all another way, when Senator Cochran first arrived in 1978, only one of our current colleagues was here to witness it. The other 99 of us are all newer at this club than Thad was. Such a storied career was far from guaranteed when Thad decided to give politics a try back in the early 1970s. I have always enjoyed the story about his very first run for Congress. Remember, Mississippi had only had one other Republican Congressman since Reconstruction. So when this young rising-star lawyer asked Rose how she might like being married to a Congressman, here was her response: ``I don't know, which one?'' If Thad's presence here in Congress at one point seemed improbable, it quickly became difficult to imagine Capitol Hill without him. His fruitful career produced a huge number of legislative accomplishments and a sterling reputation as a thoughtful, measured, and effective leader. He chaired the Appropriations Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and the Republican conference. He was at once a powerful force within our ranks and a trusted friend and partner to many of our friends across the aisle as well. In just the past few days, the authors of eulogies and tributes have enjoyed noting all the ways that Thad seemed to embody a whole region and era, as though he had come right out of central casting. One obituary talked up the ``traditional catfish fries,'' ``homespun politics,'' and ``Southern charm.'' Another newspaper described his ``Southern gentility'' as a ``courtly'' and ``understated style,'' seeming to suggest that approach was at odds with his impressive and powerful perch. It is true that over seven terms in this body, Chairman Cochran appeared on ``Meet the Press'' only twice. To say he did not crave a national spotlight would certainly be an understatement. He was just too busy racking up progress for the people of Mississippi and for the country--busy managing the appropriations process; busy finding new ways to elevate historically Black colleges and universities with scholarship opportunities, research grant funding, and new initiatives; busy working across the aisle on matters of national security, like the bipartisan Cochran-Inouye National Missile Defense Act; busy using his voice to champion the concerns of farmers and rural communities, clearing obstacles on commodity pricing and wetlands conservation. Thad was so confident in American agriculture that he used it as a tool for international development. Now overseas farm delegations learn U.S. techniques firsthand through the Cochran Fellowship Program. As much as the long list of achievements continued to grow, Thad Cochran's character and his values stayed steady. Thad may not have followed his schoolteacher parents into the education business, but he sure did take us all to school. His colleagues learned firsthand that a dogged work ethic and compassionate friendship are not incompatible here. His constituents learned that their ``quiet persuader'' kept his promises. And the Nation learned from a first-rate example of humility and grace in public service. So while we mourn that we no longer have our friend Thad in this life, we should also celebrate all of those lessons he taught us and celebrate the fact that they aren't going anywhere. On Thad's last day in the Senate, he left us with a remarkable farewell statement. In it, he noted that John Stennis, another long- tenured Mississippian, had previously used Thad's desk and had signed it, per Senate custom. But while Senator Stennis had noted his start date in 1947, he never wrote down any end date on the other side of the dash. ``Perhaps there is symbolism there,'' Thad wrote in his farewell, ``that our service does not end when we depart this Chamber.'' Isn't that the truth? When it comes to Thad Cochran, his legacy and his example are part of this place for good. His impact continues. His service still inspires all of us. I want to close with a reference to one more part of Thad's farewell. Here are his very last words in the Congressional Record, the capstone to 45 years of statesmanship. This is what he said: I will now return to my beloved Mississippi and my family and my friends there. I will miss this stately Chamber and this city. I will not miss the power or politics. I will miss people: you, my colleagues. . . . I trust, if your travels bring you to Oxford, MS, you will not hesitate to visit and join me for a refreshment on the porch. We can listen to the mockingbirds together. That was our colleague--gracious, generous, always with his home State and his fellow Mississippians at the top of his mind and deep in his heart. Today, at the State capitol in Jackson, Mississippians gathered to return the favor. Thad Cochran is at the top of their minds. He is deep in their hearts, and, most importantly, our friend is on his way to a just reward in his Father's house. So the Senate today sends our condolences and our prayers to Thad's wife Kay; his two children, Clayton and Kate; his grandchildren; and many, many friends. We stand together in remembering our good friend.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.