Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 114, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I further 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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, March 15, 2019, at 11 a.m.; Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at 9:30 a.m.; Thursday, March 21, 2019, at 2:10 p.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, March 21, 2019, it next convene at 3 p.m., Monday, March 25, 2019, and that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and 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 Bade nomination; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m., Monday, March 25, 2019.

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 Senator Sullivan.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 113, submitted earlier today.

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 with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday the Senate confirmed a well-qualified jurist chosen by President Trump to serve on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Paul Matey of New Jersey will bring a wealth of experience to the bench, and I was proud to support his nomination. We also voted to advance the nomination of Neomi Rao to the DC Circuit. This nominee is yet another of the President's excellent choices to serve as a Federal judge. Ms. Rao graduated with honors from Yale and the University of Chicago School of Law. Her record includes a distinguished tenure in academia, public and private sector legal experience, as well as a clerkship on the U.S. Supreme Court. Most importantly, in testimony before our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, she demonstrated a commitment to maintaining the public trust and upholding the rule of law. So the committee favorably reported Ms. Rao's nomination, and soon the Senate will have an opportunity to continue fulfilling our advice and consent responsibilities by voting to confirm her to the Federal bench. We will also vote this afternoon on the nomination of William Beach, who has been waiting for over a year to take his post as Commissioner of Labor Statistics. Our colleagues on the HELP Committee recommended Mr. Beach to the floor in December of 2017. A full year later, with no progress, he was returned to the White House. Now he is finally getting a floor vote. This pointless obstruction needs to change, but I am glad we can at least confirm Mr. Beach this week.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday the White House released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2020. Understanding the President's key priorities and vision for Federal spending is critical to the success of the entire funding process here in Congress. Republicans agree that we need to remain focused on important goals, such as the continued rebuilding of our military, keeping up the fight against opioid abuse, and addressing the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis at our southern border. As the senior Senator from Kentucky, I was especially encouraged to see the President's commitment to our Nation's veterans front and center, including a request to fully fund construction of the new Robley Rex VA Medical Center in my hometown of Louisville. Together with my Senate colleagues, I look forward to carefully reviewing the administration's priorities as this year's funding process moves ahead.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time on the Rao nomination expire at 12 noon tomorrow; further, that 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. I further ask unanimous consent that if cloture is invoked on the Beach nomination, all postcloture time expire at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow; and that 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. 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, on behalf of myself and the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Schumer, I send to the desk a resolution authorizing the production of testimony and representation by the Senate Legal Counsel, and ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a request for testimony in a criminal action pending in New York Federal district court. In this action the defendant is charged with making threats, in the course of telephone calls to former Senator Al Franken's office, to kill and inflict bodily harm upon a former President of the United States. A trial is scheduled for March 18, 2019. The prosecution is seeking testimony from one of the Senator's former staff assistants who heard the statements at issue. Senator Franken would like to cooperate with this request by providing relevant former employee testimony from his office. The enclosed resolution would authorize that staffer, and any other former employee of the Senator's office from whom relevant testimony may be necessary, to testify in this action, with representation by the Senate Legal Counsel of such staffers and Senator Franken.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 106, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that 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. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 107, 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. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 91 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Coons amendment to the preamble at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 105, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that 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. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. 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 our Democratic colleagues.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, moving right along, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 13; 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 resume consideration of the Rao nomination under the previous order.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL. In order to place the measures on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceeding en bloc.