Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 687 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask 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 now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions, which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 704, S. Res. 705, and S. Res. 706.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, 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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, November 27; 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; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Vaden 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. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time on the Vaden nomination expire at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27, and that if the Vaden nomination is 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, with the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, we are reminded that this year and this Congress will soon come to a close. The past few years have been a time of historic accomplishments on behalf of the American people: historic tax and regulatory reform, landmark legislation to combat the opioid epidemic, a return to regular order appropriations, much needed reforms and resources for our men and women who wear the uniform today and for our veterans. The list goes on and on. As the 115th Congress comes to a close, my colleagues will have much--much, indeed--to be proud of. But we aren't finished yet. The Senate still has a full plate of important business that we must complete before the end of the year. At the top of the list are more nominations--well-qualified individuals that the President has chosen for executive and judicial service. Since the beginning of this Congress, the majority has taken the Senate's role in the personnel business very seriously. We have taken the opportunity to process nominations efficiently and fulfill our responsibility to advise and consent. Of course, thanks to a concerted delaying effort from our colleagues across the aisle, a number of important offices remain unfilled. Accomplished nominees have waited patiently on the Senate calendar. Important posts have remained vacant while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle slow-walk nominations and force a record-breaking number of cloture votes. We are 2 years into this administration. The President deserves his team, and our constituents deserve the government they voted for. So, as we have this entire Congress, we will continue to make nominations a top priority for as long as need be. The nominees we will consider this week are highly regarded and well equipped for public service. We will begin with Stephen Vaden, who has been nominated to serve as General Counsel at the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Vaden is a graduate of Vanderbilt and Yale Law School. He brings experience from multiple Federal court clerkships and from years in practice in administrative law and appellate litigation. This nominee was voted out of the Agriculture Committee with bipartisan support, including that of the ranking member. So I urge each of my colleagues to join me in voting to advance Mr. Vaden's nomination this afternoon and to confirm him this week. Then we will turn to more nominations for the Department of Commerce, for the Federal judiciary, and for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I look forward to confirming each of them without undue delay. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

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, it is my pleasure today to recognize one of the greatest voices for Kentucky's agricultural communities, the Kentucky Farm Bureau, KFB, as it prepares to commemorate its centennial year. With a mission to identify the challenges facing farmers, to improve farm income, and to enhance the quality of life for growers, processors, and all of us who enjoy the fruits of their labors, the KFB has been a force for good throughout my home State. Since its establishment almost 100 years ago, the KFB has done all of this and more. I am so proud to have this opportunity to congratulate the men and women of the KFB on this impressive milestone. In 1919, a small group of Kentucky farmers gathered in Louisville to form an organization to serve as the ``Voice of Kentucky Agriculture.'' Beginning as a member-based and member-driven organization, the KFB has proudly kept to its founding vision, striving each day to uphold that same goal. In the last 100 years, the KFB has grown beyond anything its founders could have imagined. With nearly 500,000 members, the organization maintains a presence in all 120 counties in the Commonwealth. The KFB has developed many service programs to benefit its members and other parts of the agricultural community. These services include providing crop insurance products, Young Farmers development, public affairs representation, and estate planning assistance, just to name a few. As it celebrates its centennial year, the KFB can also be proud of being one of the largest State Farm Bureaus throughout the entire Nation. Since my first day serving in the U.S. Senate, I have had the opportunity to be Kentucky's champion on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Every step of the way, the KFB has helped guide my work on that committee on behalf of my State's farm families. Through several agricultural bills--and countless fly-ins, the KFB has proved to be a partner I can rely upon to support Kentucky farmers. We have accomplished a great deal, and I look forward to many more projects we can work on together. One particular event I look forward to each year is the KFB's annual country ham breakfast during the Kentucky State Fair. I make it a point to attend every year possible so I can not only have the opportunity to enjoy the delicious food, but also to spend quality time with the many friends of Kentucky agriculture I have gotten to know over the years. The tradition began in 1964 as a way to showcase our agricultural products during the Kentucky State Fair, and it has grown into one of the Nation's premier agricultural events. Each year, thousands of Kentuckians from across the Commonwealth gather to enjoy some of the best locally sourced food our State's farmers have to offer. The morning culminates in a charity auction of the blue-ribbon country ham. This year, the winning bid was a record-breaking $2.8 million to be donated to Kentucky charities. While the ham breakfast may be among its best-known public events, it is just one example of the KFB's many accomplishments. Throughout 2019, I hear the KFB plans to celebrate its century of successes on behalf of Kentucky's farmers. I would like to recognize the contributions of the organization's leadership, in particular Mark Haney and his executive team. They are wonderful representatives of the KFB and proud advocates for farmers. With their guidance, the KFB has a bright future ahead. I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in the recognition of the KFB, its members, and all who have benefited from its century of service to Kentucky. The organization's unmatched dedication to farmers and commitment to agricultural advancement continues to serve the KFB's mission well. I look forward to its continued successes, and I am grateful for the chance to publicly join the KFB in celebrating this anniversary and to offer my thanks for everything it does to support farm families in the Commonwealth.

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, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding adoption of the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 140 with further amendment No. 4054, as modified, that amendment No. 4054, as modified, be further modified with the changes at the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL. So for the information of the Senate, the modification that occurred was necessary to fix a technical error that omitted a number of important charts and tables from the bill.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the Senate's final order of business this week will be to confirm Michelle Bowman, the President's choice to serve on the Federal Reserve Board. As I highlighted in recent days, we have before us a nominee whose skills and background are tailor-made for the responsibilities of the office. Ms. Bowman has extensive experience in community banking, and the seat to be filled is intended for an expert in that very field. My colleagues hardly need me to illustrate any further the role that small community banks play in the lives of family farms, small businesses, and communities all across our country. It is time to take an important step for them and confirm this well-qualified nominee. Yesterday, we passed legislation to reauthorize the Coast Guard by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. The Senate took action to reaffirm the critical security, interdiction, and rescue missions that keep America safe and to streamline duplicative regulations at the same time. The provision to clarify the regulation of vessel incidental discharge delivered a much needed victory for the communities and small maritime businesses, including so many in my State of Kentucky, that rely on America's inland waterways for their livelihood. The reauthorization delivered some well-earned certainty to the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard, whose commitment to service should make all of us proud. Of course, the Coast Guard legislation was just the very latest installment in a long list of bipartisan successes passed by this Senate in this Congress on behalf of the American people. The big battles may be what captivate the press, and Republicans are certainly proud of our signature accomplishments, like historic tax reform and confirming Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh, but at the same time, it is frequently overlooked how many of this Congress's achievements have been thoroughly bipartisan. Republicans and Democrats together passed landmark legislation that marshaled more resources to the frontlines of communities fighting against opioids, more specialized training and resources for first responders, greater access to grant support for State and local authorities, and more support for treatment, recovery, and workforce reentry programs to heal the wounds of this devastating epidemic. Together we reformed some of the excesses of Dodd-Frank and lightened the load on local lenders. Together we ended the cycle of chronic continuing resolutions for defense funding that denied certainty to our Armed Forces and eroded our readiness. We rebuilt a regular appropriations process. It featured the largest year-on-year defense funding increase in 15 years and the biggest pay raise for servicemembers in nearly a decade. Together we made new investments to start rebuilding our Nation's infrastructure. Together, we brought new resources and new reforms to the systems that serve our veterans. Together, we improved comprehensive sanctions to target maligned behavior throughout the international system. We passed major bills to combat sex trafficking, improve school safety, expand opportunities for vocational and technical training, and extend the right to try new medical treatments to those with terminal illnesses. This isn't even an exhaustive list. Clearly, the Senate has proved to be fertile soil for bipartisan work. It has made life better for the American people in tangible ways. We should all take pride in this, and we need to keep up this momentum for the remainder of this year as we consider more legislation and confirm more nominees. We will need it throughout the next Congress. We will need to work across the aisle within this body, and this Republican Senate and Democratic House will need to learn to collaborate as well. This long list of accomplishments offers just the blueprint we will need. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 51.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to 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 move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 544.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 939.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 626.

Mr. McCONNELL

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