Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to the Pack nomination ripen at 11:40 a.m. tomorrow, with 20 minutes of debate under the control of Senator Menendez prior to the vote; I further ask that if cloture is invoked on the Pack nomination, the postcloture time expire at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow; finally, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, our Nation is caught within a number of grave problems at the same time. This week, in cities all across America, the pain of racial injustice has been compounded by violent riots that have drowned out peaceful protests and hurt innocent people. Millions of working families continue to face the historic economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, including unemployment levels not seen in decades, and, lest we forget, the actual pandemic itself is still with us. The virus continues to claim hundreds of American lives every day, challenge healthcare professionals, and paralyze schools, universities, and employers that are eager to reopen. Of course, there is also the important business we would have needed to have addressed even before the pandemic. So, for all of these reasons and more, while the Democratic House of Representatives may be absent--with no plans to return for weeks and weeks--the U.S. Senate is here and working for the American people. This week, we are filling more critical vacancies throughout our government. Yesterday, we confirmed the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Response. This is a brandnew position born of immediate necessity and goals shared by Members of both parties. Yet, though our Democratic colleagues said for weeks that CARES Act oversight was a top priority, our colleagues chose to delay this nomination for as long as possible. When the rubber met the road, yet again, picking small fights with President Trump took precedence over urgent work for the common good. At the same time, we also hear from the very same Democratic colleagues that they wish the Senate would spend less time on nominations. Well, the good news is that the Senate Democrats can change that whenever they want, but as long as they continue to visit delays and obstruction on even these lower level executive branch appointments, just for the sake of irritating the White House, the Senate will continue to do our job the hard way. Of course, in the weeks ahead, we will also tackle significant legislation for our country. We will turn to legislation to strengthen the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program for the workers and small businesses that are struggling to weather this storm. We will consider a bipartisan bill from Senators Daines and Gardner to safeguard America's abundant public lands. For the 60th consecutive year, we will also take up the National Defense Authorization Act to help guide the strategic and operational priorities of our Nation's Armed Forces in the face of evolving threats

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, make no mistake, the foreign actors who seek to harm the United States have not let up while we have attended to other problems. For example, in Afghanistan, despite agreeing just months ago to engage in further peace negotiations with the Afghan Government and sever its ties with al-Qaida, the Taliban has, instead, continued its violent campaign against the Afghan people. President Trump has expressed frustration with the Taliban's failures and is reportedly considering withdrawing from Afghanistan even more rapidly. Yet, as we weigh our options, we must not forget the painful lessons of the last administration's mistakes. Former President Obama and Vice President Biden were intent on beating a hasty retreat from Iraq, conditions on the ground notwithstanding. Just as many of us warned at the time, their recklessness left a vacuum that terrorists and Iran readily filled. ISIS flourished. Tragically, the rest is history. The resulting chaos threatened our interests and drew American efforts back into the region. By contrast, the Trump administration has seen a number of successes in this difficult region. The President's strategy has secured a territorial defeat of ISIS. It has put new pressure on Iran and given the Iraqi people a fighting chance, which their new government seems inclined to take. Yet helping Iraq stand up to Iranian influence will not be an overnight project. Iran wants to drive the United States from the region. China and Russia would also be thrilled with a reduction of American presence and influence there. So, as we struggle to clean up the broken pieces of one rushed withdrawal, we need to avoid repeating those mistakes somewhere else. I applaud the Trump administration for its approach thus far in Afghanistan. The President has taken constraints off U.S. forces. We have helped Afghan forces go after the terrorists. We have ratcheted up the costs on the Taliban, bolstered the Afghan forces that bear the brunt of the violence, and won international support for our mission there. We have done all of this with fewer resources and fewer personnel than during the previous two administrations. The President's strategy and diplomacy have helped create a path for discussions among Afghans--the only thing that could actually secure the country's future. If these qualified successes continue, it would be appropriate to further reduce our American presence as certain conditions are met, but we must retain enough forces and influence to maintain our counterterrorism capabilities. Given recent reports and our longstanding experience, we cannot just trust the Taliban will sever ties to al-Qaida and other terrorist networks. We need to be vigilant. We need to maintain enough presence to judge whether the Taliban complies with agreements and help the Afghan Government impose consequences if it does not. We need to maintain enough presence to preserve our strategic foothold against ISIS, the Haqqani Network, and al-Qaida. We should also maintain enough presence to help prevent a full replay of Iraq or Syria--a bloodbath and a human rights collapse, particularly for generations of Afghan women. Last year, a bipartisan supermajority in the Senate voted for an amendment I authored, which warned against precipitous withdrawals from Afghanistan and Syria in ways that could jeopardize the hard-won progress we have attained, embolden Iran and Russia, and create more pain for us and everyone else in the future. Our enemies would be thrilled if the United States would grow too tired to continue the hard work of standing with our partners, confronting our adversaries, and maintaining measured leadership that projects our security around the world. Our enemies would be delighted if we would grow too weary to act in our own long-term interest. We must not give them that satisfaction.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 606, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, 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, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Pack nomination, under the previous order.

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. Madam President, last night, the streets of major American cities were again the scene of looting and violent rioting that serves no purpose except to hurt innocent people and undermine peaceful demonstrations. Every one of us has an obligation to distinguish peaceful protests over the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery from the violent riots that continue to see innocent people hurt, businesses and neighborhoods destroyed, and law enforcement officers assaulted. The former is a cherished constitutional right that every single citizen should support, and the latter is an unacceptable scourge that State and local leaders should have ended days ago. So I want to thank Federal, State, and local leaders who are taking seriously their obligation to restore peace, protect the innocent, and stop this senseless violence. In some places, like my home State of Kentucky and here in Washington, last night was comparatively more calm and safe. But in too many other places, like New York City, it appeared to be open season for lawlessness, looting, and attacking law enforcement for yet another night. And for what? For what? Rioting for the thrill of it? For the chance to steal some expensive items? So people can say they were on social media? This selfish violence takes us further away from any national healing or forward progress. It does not bring positive change any closer; it simply pushes it further away. These rioters need to listen to what George Floyd's brother Terrence said in Minneapolis just yesterday. Here is what George Floyd's brother said: I understand [you all] are upset. I doubt [you're] half as upset as I am. So if I'm not over here blowing up stuff, if I'm not over here messing up my community, then what are [you all] doing? George Floyd's brother. [You're] doing nothing. Because that's not going to bring my brother back at all. So the legitimate and important voices of peaceful protesters will never be heard over the wailing of fire alarms, the smashing of plate- glass windows, and the sirens of ambulances coming for police officers who have been assaulted or shot in the head. Our Nation is united in horror and opposition to the violent killing of Mr. Floyd. We are united. It is well past time that we also unite on the side of peace in our streets and peace in our communities. We need to unite against these violent rioters, who seek only to aggrandize themselves and further damage a nation that needs healing.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 697.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume consideration of the Mercado nomination.

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on a totally different matter, obviously and unfortunately, this turmoil is not the only great challenge before us. Lest we forget, the healthcare fight against the worst viral pandemic in a century is still upon us. Our Nation is trying to smartly and safely reopen. Just as small businesses in some cities are sweeping up broken glass, American workers and entrepreneurs across the Nation are trying to rebuild the shattered prosperity our Nation was experiencing just a few months ago. Meanwhile, beyond our shores, our enemies and adversaries would be only too eager to catch the United States with our guard down. So there is plenty of work before the Senate, and unlike the Democratic House of Representatives, which I understand may next appear here in Washington in about a month--in about a month--the Senate is present and working. We are continuing to conduct oversight of our historic rescue package, the CARES Act, as it continues taking effect. I expect we will soon consider further bipartisan legislation to help the Paycheck Protection Program--the signature policy from Senators Rubio and Collins that has kept tens of millions of Americans employed--continue to work for our country. As we pivot toward reopening, the Senate is also working on significant COVID-related legal protection so our Nation's schools, healthcare workers, and employers are not swamped with frivolous lawsuits and taxpayer dollars do not just stimulate the pockets of trial lawyers. At the same time, critical vacancies remain throughout the Federal Government, and qualified nominees stand ready to fill them. So the Senate will work through two nominees to the Federal district courts and a number of important executive branch positions, including Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities; Deputy Under Secretary of Defense; and the new Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. What is more, we also have all the important legislation that needed to get done before the pandemic arrived in the first place. This month, we will turn to bipartisan legislation led by Senators Gardner and Daines to provide stable support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and lasting stewardship of our natural resources. Their bill will safeguard our Nation's public lands for recreation and conservation and help generations of Americans continue to access and enjoy these treasures. In the coming weeks, our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee will begin marking up the 60th consecutive, annual National Defense Authorization Act. I know our colleagues need no reminder of how important that task is; neither do our men and women in uniform. The COVID-19 crisis makes it more urgent, not less urgent, that we continue to authorize investments in our servicemembers and their families and in advancing and accelerating our national defense strategy. From honing our competitive edge against would-be rivals on land and sea to expanding our reach in the air and space, achieving our Nation's strategic priorities begins right here this month with the NDAA. So Congress's to-do list is clear, and the Senate is manning its essential post, working to get the American people's business done.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, first and foremost, I am a First Amendment absolutist. The right to peaceful protest is absolutely sacrosanct. It is a core American liberty. When peaceful demonstrations occur within the bounds of the law and with respect to the needs of law enforcement, leadership at every level has an obligation to respect and honor them. Our Nation must not turn a deaf ear to the anger, pain, or frustration of Black Americans. Our Nation needs to hear them. There is no question that the killing of George Floyd was horrific. In my view, it absolutely appears to have been a heinous act of criminal violence. It is totally unacceptable that Mr. Floyd is dead. There is no doubt that residual racism continues to be a stain on our country. We need to do more to address it. Over the last few days, we have seen peaceful protests hijacked on a nightly basis into a rolling series of riots that engulfed great American cities in wanton destruction and violent crime. These are the two issues the American people are focused on: justice for Black Americans in the face of unjust violence and peace for our country in the face of looting, riots, and domestic terror. Those are the two issues that Americans want addressed: racial justice and ending riots. Unfortunately, this resolution from my friend the Democratic leader does not address either one of them. Instead, it just indulges in the myopic obsession with President Trump that has come to define the Democratic side of the aisle. It pays more attention to the precise ways that Federal law enforcement protects Presidential movements around the White House than to the fact that great American cities, including my colleague's beloved New York, have been consumed by rioting, looting, and violence against police for several nights in a row, with no end in sight. Outside of the Washington, DC, bubble, there is no universe where Americans think Democrats' obsession with condemning President Trump is a more urgent priority than ending the riots or advancing racial justice. There is no universe in which the dynamics of Lafayette Park before the President seeks to exit the White House is a more urgent national priority than the shattered glass, destroyed businesses, and brutal attacks on law enforcement that are happening nationwide in places like Lafayette Street in New York City. I will object to my distinguished colleague's thin resolution and will offer something more full-throated in its place. My resolution would condemn a long pattern of unjust police violence toward Black Americans. It would champion the First Amendment and praise the peaceful protests that followed Mr. Floyd's death. It would clearly condemn the violent rioting that has paralyzed places like New York City and insist that local authorities finally get serious about protecting the innocent. I hope my distinguished colleague will not object. America is united and outraged at the death of Mr. Floyd, and I hope we can unite to condemn these senseless riots and move forward together as one Nation. Therefore, I object.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as in if legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 601 submitted earlier today. 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 legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motions with respect to the Anderson and Tipton nominations ripen at 12 noon tomorrow; I further ask unanimous consent that if cloture is invoked on the Anderson nomination, the postcloture time expire at 2:15 tomorrow; further I ask unanimous consent that if cloture is invoked on the Tipton nomination, the postcloture expire at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow; finally, if either of the nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Now, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 3; 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, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Anderson nomination under the previous order.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. So 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 Booker and Van Hollen.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, this is an hour of great pain and unrest in our country. Americans from coast to coast have been grieved and horrified by the killings of three African-American citizens: Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in my hometown of Louisville, KT, and George Floyd in Minneapolis. In each disturbing situation, investigations and reviews are ongoing. In Kentucky, I am glad that local authorities are investigating, I am glad the FBI is involved, and I am glad our attorney general is committed to taking any necessary action. We need the truth, and we need swift justice under law. But here is something that requires no investigation: In no world whatsoever should arresting a man for an alleged minor infraction involve a police officer putting his knee on a man's neck for 9 minutes while he cries out ``I can't breathe'' and then goes silent. To me, to a great many of my fellow Kentuckians, and to millions of outraged Americans, these disturbing events do not look like three isolated incidents. They look more like the latest chapter in our national struggle to make equal justice and equal protection of the law into facts of life for all Americans, rather than contingencies that sometimes depend on the color of one's skin. Obviously, this struggle remains incomplete. I have spent decades in the Senate not only as an advocate for civil rights but as a First Amendment purist. So I completely support and fully defend citizens' constitutional rights to speak their minds and engage in peaceful protests. Our Nation cannot deafen itself to the anger, pain, or the frustration of Black Americans. Our Nation needs to hear this. Yet, over the last several days, citizens have watched with horror as cities across America have convulsed with looting, riots, and destruction. On a nightly basis, initially peaceful demonstrations have been hijacked. Americans have watched protests dedicated to ending unjust violence mutate into riots that inflict unjust violence themselves. We have seen small businesses destroyed and public property defaced. We have seen the men and women of law enforcement--the vast majority of whom are not bad actors but brave public servants-- threatened and assaulted on our streets. Free speech and peaceful protest are central American liberties. Looting, rioting, assault, and arson are violent crimes that have no place--no place--whatsoever in our society. It is not a display of courageous citizenship to smash and destroy small businesses that had just barely hung on through the pandemic. It is not an act of principled protest to grab expensive merchandise or set fire to a church. It does not advance freedom or justice to vandalize the World War II Memorial that stands for those who bled and died for exactly those values. You do not advance peace by committing assault. You do not advance justice by inflicting injustice upon your neighbors. You do not promote the rule of law through anarchy. There is no constitutional right to commit violent crime or to terrorize communities, period. This cannot continue. It has already gone on for entirely too long. I hope State and local authorities will work quickly to crack down on outside agitators and domestic terrorists and restore some order to our cities. If State and local leaders cannot or will not secure the peace and protect citizens and their property, I hope the Federal Government is ready to stand in the breach. In Kentucky, we are already seeing violence and tragedy compound on themselves. Several days ago, seven people were shot in Louisville-- none, according to the mayor, by law enforcement. Last night, one individual was shot and killed by authorities after the police were fired upon from within a crowd. We are learning about the incident as fast as we can. I was just briefed by Governor Beshear today, and I support a full and thorough and immediate investigation. But this has to end. These important protests began with the notion that basic physical safety and legal protections must be non-negotiable for every single American, bar none; that American liberty and the rule of law must be universal truths for all, not special privileges for some. That point is absolutely right. That is a righteous and important mission. And it is exactly why these senseless and destructive riots need to end. Not next week. Not tomorrow night. Right now. Right now. We have real work to do to build constructive paths forward between law enforcement and affected communities. More violence and destruction is not just unfair to many innocent people, it also just makes this important work so much harder.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand there are two bills at the desk due a second reading, en bloc.