Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I send to the desk a resolution authorizing representation by the Senate Legal Counsel and ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a civil action pending in New Jersey Federal court against Senator Schumer and various private entities. The plaintiff previously brought a lawsuit arising out of the revocation of his medical license by the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners, and that lawsuit was dismissed. In this lawsuit, plaintiff asserts a conspiracy among Senator Schumer and two large insurance companies, a bank, a law firm, and a media company, to obstruct and undermine plaintiff's previous lawsuit by having the Senator use his influence over the presiding judge to dismiss the case. Plaintiff's claims against Senator Schumer are subject to dismissal for failure to State a claim and on jurisdictional grounds. This resolution would authorize the Senate Legal Counsel to represent Senator Schumer in order to seek dismissal of the claims against him.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have 5 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have 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 Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a closed hearing. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 10.30 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing nomination of Crosby Kemper III, of Missouri, to be Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Committee on Rules and Administration The Committee on Rules and Administration is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a closed hearing. Subcommittee on Security The Subcommittee on Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 455, 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 consideration of Calendar No. 326, S. Con. Res. 23.

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

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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn and then convene for a pro forma session only, with no business being conducted, on Friday, December 13, at 11:45 a.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, December 13, it next convene at 3 p.m., Monday, December 16; 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 resume consideration of the conference report to accompany S. 1790; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motion filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m., Monday.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that following the disposition of H.R. 2333, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the VanDyke nomination; further, that the postcloture time on the VanDyke nomination expire at 4:15 p.m. today and the Senate vote on the confirmation of the nomination; further, if confirmed, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that following the disposition of the VanDyke nomination and notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the Senate vote on the motions to invoke cloture on the Sullivan, Hahn, and Skipwith nominations in the order listed; finally, that if cloture is invoked on the Sullivan, Hahn, and Skipwith nominations, the confirmation votes occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, on Thursday, December 12.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, it is no secret that Washington Democrats have been itching to impeach President Trump since the moment he took the oath of office. Remember the Washington Post's headline on Inauguration Day in 2017: ``The campaign to impeach President Trump has begun.'' That was the Washington Post's headline on Inauguration Day in 2017. Just a few months later, in April of 2017, one leading House Democrat had already made up her mind. She declared she would ``fight every day until he's impeached.'' As an aside, this same senior Democrat is one of the committee chairwomen whom Speaker Pelosi asked to help lead the impeachment process. She was literally standing at the Speaker's shoulder as she announced yesterday that she will bring two articles of impeachment up for a vote. Yet she had had her mind made up more than 2 years ago, long before this supposedly fair inquiry. This is sort of emblematic of their whole process. House Democrats announced yesterday that they will rush ahead and prepare to send the Senate articles of impeachment based on the least thorough and most unfair impeachment inquiry in modern history. Well, the House Democrats' denigration of their solemn duty will not cause the Senate to denigrate ours. If the House continues down this destructive road and sends us articles of impeachment, the Senate will take them up in the new year and proceed to a fair trial. Now, in the meantime, our colleagues' obsession with impeachment has left us with a host of important, bipartisan legislation that is still unfinished at this late date. For months, Senate Republicans have been calling on our Democratic colleagues to go beyond picking fights with the White House and actually legislate for the American people. Yet, for practically the entire autumn, our Democratic friends' political calculation seemed to be that these vital pieces of business could wait until the eleventh hour because impeachment was the higher priority--and wait they have. Finally, after weeks of pressure from the Republicans and from hard- working Americans across the country, Speaker Pelosi backed down yesterday and announced that she will let the House vote on President Trump's USMCA. The Democrats have stalled this agreement for so long that it is now impossible for the USMCA to become law in 2019, especially given all of the other urgent things they have stalled right alongside it. The Democrats have simply run out the clock. Assuming the House Democrats send us articles of impeachment next week, a Senate trial will have to be our first item of business in January. So the USMCA will continue to be a casualty of the Democrats' impeachment obsession for several more weeks before we can actually turn to it. Yet I am glad the Speaker is finally beginning to bring her USMCA obstruction to a close. As we triage in the coming days, the Republicans hope we will be able to pass not only the NDAA conference report but also government funding legislation that allocates taxpayers' hard-earned money to urgent Federal priorities. The NDAA has consistently brought Members together from across the political spectrum--and with good reason--in that it gives Congress the opportunity to set priorities for the U.S. military of the future. The NDAA helps to guide the Pentagon's investments in modernization and readiness, cutting-edge weapons and capabilities, and in servicemembers and military families. I am grateful for the efforts by Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed, who made compromises from the beginning and worked hard to ensure the conference report remained true to the 58-year tradition of a bipartisan bill that prioritizes our military and sets aside unrelated partisan priorities. I cannot say the same thing about the Democrats in the House, unfortunately, but I hope they will learn from this year's difficult path to a conference report. Next year, I hope they will produce a bipartisan bill from the beginning that will put our national security interests first. Now, obviously, that authorizing legislation should be paired with the appropriations measure that will actually fund our servicemembers' tools and training and enable our commanders to actually plan ahead. I am grateful for the hard work by Chairman Shelby, his counterpart in the House, and our subcommittee chairs to reboot a stalled appropriations process and try to get bills over the finish line in the short time that remains. To be frank, only a laser focus from both parties in both Chambers on getting results will create a path to pass appropriations bills this year. There is simply not the time left for my Democratic friends to continue haggling over the exact kinds of poison pills, partisan policy riders, and Presidential transfer authorities that the Speaker and the Democratic leader had explicitly agreed months ago would be off the table. Under the agreement months ago, these were supposed to be off the table. The White House, Republican leaders in both Chambers, and the Democratic leaders in both Chambers all agreed to these parameters-- literally pledged in writing that these kinds of partisan roadblocks would be kept out of the process. So if all parties honor what they agreed to, we should have an opportunity to agree on government funding in time to make this a law this month, which means next week. Now that our Democratic colleagues are back at the table, Senate Republicans stand ready to do all we can in the time we still have. Let's end this legislative year on the right foot. Let's deliver for our All-Volunteer Armed Forces and for families all across our country. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. For the information of all Senators, the Senate will vote on the confirmation of the Skipwith and Sullivan nominations at 11:45 a.m. tomorrow, as well as the confirmation of the Hahn nomination at 1:45 p.m.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if any of the nominations listed are confirmed, the motions 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. Mr. President, I have 7 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have 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 armed services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on commerce, science, and transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on foreign relations The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on indian affairs The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 2:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Michael D. Weahkee, of New Mexico, to be Director of the Indian Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services. committee on indian affairs The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on the judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on small business and entrepreneurship The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, at 2 p.m., to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Jovita Carranza, of Illinois, to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk due for a second reading.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to further proceedings.

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, December 12; 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 Skipwith 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, following the remarks of Senators Carper and Whitehouse.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, as we enter the final weeks of 2019, two things seem to be true here in Congress. No. 1, our Democratic colleagues, particularly over in the House, seem eager to pour the vast majority of their time and energy into their 3-year-long journey to impeach the President the American people elected. As a consequence, No. 2, Congress has yet to fulfill a number of its core governing responsibilities for this year. At this late date, several crucial, must-pass bills remain undone. For months, my fellow Republicans and I have been stressing the need for productive, bipartisan cooperation on these pressing subjects: funding for the Federal Government, Defense appropriations--the money for our troops--and the National Defense Authorization Act. Yet, for months, our calls for the Democrats to join us in serious negotiations have gone largely unanswered as the Democratic leadership has opted for a different political playbook--to obsess over impeachment and obstruct this core business that we must do every year. Earlier this year, the House Democrats pushed through what we believe was their first purely party-line NDAA that either Chamber has ever passed in the 58-year history of the legislation. This is the legislation that puts forward Congress's priorities for equipping, training, and maintaining the greatest fighting forces in the world. It has never been used before as a purely partisan weapon--that is, not until this year. Reassuringly, the past few days have finally brought an end to bipartisan talks and produced a compromise NDAA. The end result should be able to pass both Chambers and earn the President's signature. Believe me, it will not come a moment too soon. The NDAA authorizes resources to keep crucial military installations--like Fort Campbell, Fort Knox, and the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky--running smoothly. It is similarly important to facilities in many of our colleagues' home States as well. Nationally, of course, it directs readiness efforts, prioritizes research and development programs, and enacts vital reforms at the Pentagon. I look forward to sending the final, bipartisan product by the conference committee to the President for his signature soon. In addition to that authorizing legislation, Congress, of course, needs to actually appropriate funds for our national defense and for all other functions of our Federal Government. Just a few months ago, when leaders on both sides put their names to a bipartisan-bicameral roadmap for the appropriations process, it looked as though we might keep partisan disputes out of this process and finish up the appropriations with time to spare. Unfortunately, our Democratic colleagues decided that picking fights with the White House was a higher priority, and we spent the autumn being mired in disputes over exactly the kinds of poison pills and Presidential authorities the Speaker and the Democratic leader had previously promised would be off limits. Yet, as we speak, Chairman Shelby and appropriators in both Chambers are trying to bring months of near stalemate to a close. Last month, a bipartisan-bicameral agreement was reached on subcommittee allocations, and talks continue this week on outstanding issues. Thanks to the months of delay, we have a long way to go and a very short time in which to do it. I hope that our Democratic colleagues can finally stick to the terms of the budget agreement and keep partisan policy fights out of this process. That is the only way both Chambers will have a chance of being able to vote on funding bills before the end of this year. That brings us to the USMCA. For the better part of the past year, President Trump's landmark agreement to update North American trade policy has been languishing as Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats have indulged further and further in impeachment. There are 176,000 new Americans jobs that have sat waiting on ice as the Speaker has offered lukewarm assurances month after month that her caucus is hoping to be ``on a path to yes.'' This week, at long last, it appears that the House Democrats may finally be willing to take action for American workers and job creators and let the House vote on the President's deal. I was pleased to hear that U.S. negotiators, led by Robert Lighthizer, were to head to Mexico today to finalize the details on this important win for the American economy. I hope this forward momentum continues. So that is the state of play. There is a lot left to do for the American families we represent if our Democratic colleagues will simply allow it, and it will certainly take a great deal of cooperation and consent right here in the Senate if we intend to consider and pass these measures before the end of the year. Obstruction and stalemate have brought us to the eleventh hour. I hope that, now that we are here, both Chambers will be able to set aside the Democrats' impeachment parade long enough to get the people's business finally finished.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, it is with great pride that I pay tribute to a long-standing community institution in southwestern Kentucky. The Kentucky New Era newspaper recently marked 150 years of quality journalism and community engagement, and I would like to take a moment today to review the paper's distinguished history and celebrate its many achievements. Prominent Kentucky newsman Chip Hutcheson, whom I am proud to call a dear friend, spent years working for the New Era, and he summed up the reason it has thrived for so long. Chip recalled a paper-wide culture of writing ``columns that cemented readers' relationships to the writer and the paper.'' I think it is that commitment to readers and to what matters in their lives and community that has helped make the New Era the oldest business in Hopkinsville, KY. Since the paper was launched as a weekly publication in the winter of 1869, the New Era has certainly undergone some change to solidify its relationship with readers. To meet a demand for local, State, and national news, the New Era added a daily issue, and delivered the news and commentary its subscribers wanted to read. Part of that frequent change during the early years came in the form of different owners, but in 1873, Hunter Wood took charge, and his family would steer the New Era as majority owners for the following 130-plus years. Under their direction, the paper covered a wide range of issues affecting life in Christian County. From politics to agriculture, mixed with lighter community-interest pieces and extensive coverage of high school sports, the New Era has served as a important source of information for its readers. Its staff would attract several award-winning journalists, including my friend Mary D. Ferguson, who held a high standard on its pages. Adapting to changing markets, the New Era expanded its operations. To serve the nearby U.S. Army installation, the paper's media group began publishing the Fort Campbell Courier. Other respected local papers, including the Princeton Times Leader, the Providence Journal Enterprise, and Dawson Springs Progress, joined the New Era's organization to further stretch the reach of its community journalism. In whatever form subscribers want to receive their news--in print, online, or even listening to a podcast--the New Era is committed to reporting on the stories that must be told. Just last year, the paper joined another well-respected Kentucky news institution, the Paxton Media Group. With this partnership, the Kentucky New Era has the ability to continue thriving into the future. Through the years, I have enjoyed reading the paper and speaking with its top-tier professionals, and I look forward to many more accomplishments to come. It is a privilege to congratulate the Kentucky New Era on its celebration of 150 years of journalistic success, and I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in saluting this community institution on its anniversary. I would like to extend my best wishes to the reporters, editors, and staff who have made the New Era a vital resource in west Kentucky.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.