Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 450.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, earlier this year, President Trump led the Federal Government to recognize our insecure southern border for what it is: a national emergency, a humanitarian and security crisis. Congress had heard plea after plea for more border security funding. We heard from senior leaders and career Border Patrol officers. We heard about all the surging illegal crossings, the unprecedented numbers of family units, and the strain on our facilities. Yet Washington Democrats decided that giving this very real crisis the resources it required might anger the far left, which wants them to oppose President Trump at any cost. So the President tapped into a longstanding, 40-plus-year-old Presidential authority and reprogrammed a narrow set of funds to address the urgent crisis. I have never been shy about my commitment to the institution of Congress and its unique authorities, not the least being the appropriation of taxpayer dollars. But we are talking about 40-plus- year-old Presidential authorities in current law. Unlike President Obama, who vaguely shrugged off the Federal Code when he established his DACA policy, President Trump's decision was squarely within existing law. Nevertheless, our Democratic colleagues made the Senate vote to undo the President's declaration back in March. Their resolution fell far short of earning a veto-proof majority. Now, still unwilling to work with the President and Republicans on a long-term bipartisan solution for border security, Senate Democrats are making us repeat the same show vote again. I would urge all colleagues to once again vote for border security and vote against the Democrats' resolution when it comes up later today. I understand the Democratic leadership would like to invent a false choice between border security and other important military construction projects. They want to tell the American people that we can either have border security or these other important projects, but for some reason, we can't have both. There are two problems to that argument: Problem No. 1 is that it is a false choice of Democrats' own invention. The only reason there could be any tradeoff between border security and these other priorities is their refusal to support commonsense border security. The only reason there is any tradeoff is that Democrats have refused to work with the President. Problem No. 2 of their argument is that Congress has the full power to ensure that all of the military construction projects are fully funded. Work is ongoing on appropriations and the NDAA. It would be easy to ensure that these projects get all of the money they need. Later today, the Senate will vote on exactly that. We will vote on several motions to instruct our NDAA conferees. One of those motions will be a Republican proposal that we insist on fully funding these projects for our own servicemembers. With the Kentuckians I represent, this is pretty simple. Kentuckians want our Nation to have a secure southern border. Kentuckians want full funding for the middle school at Fort Campbell--funding they have been waiting on for years, which is funding I proudly secured in the first place. Kentuckians know perfectly well that with everything the United States of America spends money on, there is no earthly reason the Democrats should force us to have one or the other. They don't want to be used as pawns in the Democrats' political games. Even my Democratic colleagues who don't support the administration's border security agenda should not take out their frustrations on our Armed Forces. Every single Member of this body should be able to support the measure to fully fund military construction. I would urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on that motion later today.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following disposition of the resolutions to instruct on S. 1790, the Senate proceed to executive session and vote on the motions to invoke cloture on the Hyten and Scalia nominations in the order filed; further, that the mandatory quorum calls be waived.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, great works of artistic expression are so much more than something simply to look at or listen to. They are often a reflection of the artist, her community, and a unique culture. Kentuckian Cornelia Dozier Cooper recognizes the encouraging effect of creative works, and she has spent her lifetime promoting them in eastern Kentucky. It is a privilege to recognize my dear friend Cornelia, who was recently selected to receive our Commonwealth's highest artistic honor: the Milner Award. In tribute to her accomplishment and philanthropy, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations for this well-deserved honor. Born in Madisonville, KY, Cornelia developed a passion for the arts at an early age. Supported by her parents and a fostering education, she grew her skills in both visual and musical arts. She was quickly recognized for her talent and studied English watercolor at the prestigious Oxford University. I have had the privilege to visit Cornelia's home, where I admired her beautiful watercolors up close. Her own artistic works, in which she hopes to display the glory of God's creation, were just the beginning of her contributions to Kentucky. With her husband, Richard Cooper--brother to another outstanding Kentuckian, Senator John Sherman Cooper--Cornelia's devotion to the arts extended far beyond her own brush and canvas. She sought to give her fellow Kentuckians the opportunity to create great works of art and to be inspired by them in their communities. Cornelia worked with several organizations, including as a founding member of the Kentucky Arts Council, promoting aspiring talents in her home of Pulaski County and throughout the Commonwealth. She also established the Cornelia Dozier Cooper Endowment Fund for the Arts, providing grants to support a variety of eastern Kentucky artists. The endowment is funded, in part, by the proceeds from the sale of her own watercolors. At a ceremony in the Kentucky Capitol Rotunda, surrounded by artistic works celebrating the Bluegrass State's illustrious history, Cornelia received her Milner Award. Even at the age of 93 Cornelia still brings the same enthusiasm to promoting young artists. To many throughout Kentucky, she is a mentor and a creative inspiration. Her selfless philanthropy will certainly continue to encourage young artists to develop their talents and follow their passions. I am grateful to Cornelia for her friendship and her lifetime spent enriching our home State. She has certainly earned this distinction. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in congratulating this remarkable Kentuckian, Cornelia Dozier Cooper.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. First, this morning, I join the Kentucky families and first responders in Meade County in mourning the loss of volunteer sheriff's deputy Chris Hulsey, who was killed in the line of duty over the weekend. According to reports, on Saturday evening, Deputy Hulsey was attacked while investigating a suspect and pronounced dead at the hospital hours later. Deputy Hulsey proudly answered the call of public service with a decades-long career that also included time as a firefighter and a paramedic. His service left his community safer, and his sacrifice left it in grief. I stand with them in mourning his loss and honoring his service. The community will hold a candlelight vigil tonight to honor this Kentucky hero. The prayers of the Senate will be with them.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on an entirely different matter, the Senate continues making headway in the personnel business. It is still too bad that our Democratic colleagues continue to insist on cloture votes, floor time, and rollcall votes for the kinds of uncontroversial nominees who have ordinarily traveled by voice vote for past administrations of both parties. Yet the Senate hasn't been deterred by this novel campaign of systematic obstruction from our Democratic friends. We will keep right on getting these talented public servants on the job, where they belong. Later today, we will confirm a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury. Then we will confirm an ambassador, a solicitor of a Cabinet department, and a deputy commissioner of Social Security. They aren't the only nominees we will confirm this week. Before our work is finished, we will also have confirmed our next Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and, pending the committee action of our colleagues, our next Secretary of Labor--another group of talented professionals put to work for the American people and more of the President's team in place.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on yet another matter, the productive, bipartisan work that needs to happen in the Senate will stand in stark contrast to the choices made by the House Democrats across the Capitol. Over there, it seems as though a far-left socialist ideology is increasingly becoming mainstream Democratic Party doctrine, and rather than roll up their sleeves and work with the Republicans and with the White House on proposals that could actually become law, the House continues to promote one dangerous leftwing policy after another. The Senate has already voted on the Green New Deal, the Democrats' socialist wish list that seeks to outlaw affordable energy and transportation, eliminate the jobs many Americans rely on, and even empower government bureaucrats to redesign families' homes. Needless to say, it didn't do too well. Here in the real world, out of the college campus atmosphere that seems to characterize the House Democrats, the Senate voted it down. I have already discussed the recent House-passed bill that would have cut down on our domestic energy and American energy independence. We also all know about Medicare for None, which is the plan the Democrats' Presidential candidates are rushing to embrace, that would literally outlaw the existing health insurance 180 million Americans currently get on the job and throw everyone into an untested, one-size- fits-all government plan. Just last week, Speaker Pelosi expanded on the Democrats' Medicare for None philosophy by introducing a bill to micromanage Americans' medicine and start trying to have Washington, DC, run the prescription drug industry because, if there is anything that has been proven to increase competition and affordability for American families, it is huge, new doses of heavyhanded Washington, DC, interference. No, we will not let the Democrats take us down the path that embraces the socialist concept of starting to nationalize an industry with people devoted to finding cures and saving lives. The life sciences sector is driving the search for cures to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and countless other diseases that impact millions of Americans. The Speaker and her caucus may be content to spend their majority passing leftwing messaging bills, but in this Senate, we take the American people's priorities more seriously, and we will stick to getting their business done.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this week, we will also address our responsibility to keep the Federal Government funded. The Republicans regret that our Democratic colleagues have chosen to back away from the agreement we all reached just last month to ensure a smooth, bipartisan funding process. We regret that the Democrats chose to block funding for the national defense, including a pay raise for our men and women in uniform, in order to pick a partisan fight with the White House. Yet, for the sake of the country, our near-term priority is that of passing a continuing resolution so the government can stay open while work continues. I am glad the continuing resolution on the table earned significant bipartisan support across the Capitol and has also earned the green light from the White House. The Senate will vote on it this week. As Chairman Shelby and Senator Leahy continue their work on regular order appropriations, I hope the cooperation that has surrounded this CR can carry over and that we can get the appropriations process back on track.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, reserving the right to object, all of us share the concern for protecting whistleblowers who use appropriate, established channels to raise legitimate concerns. The Senate's obligation is to treat such allegations in a responsible and deliberate manner, to avoid racing to judgment based on media leaks, and to not fuel media speculation with reckless accusations. There is much we do not know about the complaint lodged with the intelligence community's inspector general, including whether the complaint involves intelligence activities at all. Before the Democratic leader elected to go to the media yesterday, the chairman and vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence had already been working together in a bipartisan manner-- free from politicization--to get more information from both the Acting Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence community's inspector general. Given the progress the committee was making, I don't believe this made-for-TV moment was actually necessary. I would have preferred the committee be allowed to do its work in a quiet and methodical manner. It doesn't serve the committee or its goals to litigate its business here on the floor or for the television cameras. Nevertheless, I agree that the DNI should make additional information available to the committee so it can evaluate the complaint consistent with the statute and other procedures that exist to safeguard classified and sensitive information. I also want to express my appreciation for President Trump's announcement that the White House will release tomorrow the ``complete, fully-declassified, and unredacted transcript of [his] phone conversation with President Zelensky.'' I hope this will help to refocus the conversation away from reckless speculation and back toward the facts. So, stipulating that our objective here is simply to conduct the kind of bipartisan oversight of intelligence matters that the committee has successfully conducted in the past, I have no objection to the Senator's request.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

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 each.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 415.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25, S.J. Res. 54 be discharged from the Committee on Armed Services and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. Further, I ask that the time until 12:15 p.m. be equally divided between the leaders or their designees on the joint resolution and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the joint resolution be read a third time and the Senate vote on the resolution. Finally, I ask unanimous consent that following the disposition of the joint resolution, the Senate proceed to the consideration of resolutions to instruct conferees to be submitted pursuant to the order of September 18, 2019; that they be made pending and reported by number with concurrent consideration until 3:45 p.m., equally divided between the leaders or their designees; and that at 3:45 p.m., the Senate vote on the resolutions in the order listed, with 2 minutes of debate equally divided prior to the votes.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 113, H.R. 1158.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Hassan substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that 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. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 313 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam 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. 326, S. Res. 327, S. Res 328, and S. Res. 329.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam 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.