Mitch McConnell

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 the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 482, 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 the Rubio amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2061 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the President of the Senate be authorized to appoint a committee on the part of the Senate to join with a like committee on the part of the House of Representatives to escort His Excellency Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, into the House Chamber for the joint meeting on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Wednesday, April 25; 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, I ask that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Pompeo nomination.

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 have 9 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 Agriculture The Committee on Agriculture is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``The State of Rural America.'' Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. to conduct a 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 Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing. Committee on Finance The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Early Impressions of the New Tax Law.'' 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 Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing on S. 2680, S. 2315, S. 2597, S. 382 and the following nominations: Sharon Fast Gustafson, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a term of four years, Jon Parrish Peede, of Mississippi, to be Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Humanities for a term of four years, and other pending nominations. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Mitigating America's Cybersecurity Risk.'' Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Abducted Abroad: Exploring the Plight of International Parental Child Abduction and Its Effect on American Families.'' Select Committee on Intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a closed hearing. Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastrucure, Safety and Security The Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Maritime Transportation: Opportunities and Challenges.''

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 360, H.R. 4300.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today our colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee will vote to report the President's choice for the next Secretary of State. It is really hard to imagine someone more thoroughly qualified than Mike Pompeo. His career is a success story on every single level. He graduated first in his class from West Point, served as a U.S. Army officer, and attended Harvard Law School. Then came success in business, and then Mike's neighbors elected him to Congress in 2010. That impressive resume explains why, a little more than a year ago, a large bipartisan majority of Senators confirmed Mike as CIA Director. His qualifications were perfectly obvious, and, by all accounts, his track record at the CIA shows that vote of confidence was exactly the right decision. He has demonstrated mastery of the daily briefings he both receives and delivers. His high-quality counsel on sensitive matters has won the confidence not only of our national clandestine service but also of the Commander in Chief, and he has returned our CIA to the aggressive gathering of foreign intelligence. Along the way, he has built a reputation for listening to all points of view, trusting career staff, treating everyone fairly, and acting decisively. In Mike Pompeo, the United States will have a chief diplomat who will enjoy the total confidence of the President and is uniquely qualified to reinvigorate our Foreign Service and represent our interests abroad. It is hard to imagine a better nominee for this mission, at this moment, than Mike Pompeo. I look forward to upholding the tradition of this body and voting to confirm him this week. The Senate will also vote later this afternoon to advance the nomination of Kyle Duncan of Louisiana to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Duncan's legal credentials show that the President has made another outstanding choice. With degrees from LSU and Columbia under his belt, he built an impressive record in litigation, rising to serve as appellate chief in the Louisiana office of attorney general. His accomplishments also extend to private practice, where his work earned the respect of his colleagues and peers, including his opponents in court. A few weeks ago, a law professor and litigator who sparred with Kyle Duncan in a high-profile case wrote: Kyle Duncan is a magnificent nominee for the Fifth Circuit. . . . His confirmation should be supported by all who value judges committed to fairness and scrupulous application of the law. A bipartisan group of current and former State solicitors general wrote to our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to praise his nomination. Here is what they said: As frequent advocates in the U.S. Courts of Appeals, we are well-acquainted with the qualifications and characteristics that make good judges, including intellect, integrity, legal experience, and temperament, all of which Mr. Duncan possesses in ample quantities. They went on to say: We came to know him as a highly skilled lawyer with an easygoing demeanor, and as someone we could routinely turn to for advice and interest on issues of mutual interest. Even though we have worked for state Attorneys General of different political stripes, we all agree that Kyle Duncan has the personal and professional qualities that should typify the federal judiciary. No wonder the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary awarded Mr. Duncan its highest rating of ``well qualified.'' I urge every one of our colleagues to take his credentials, experience, and bipartisan support into account. Let's vote to advance the Duncan nomination this afternoon.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume 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 the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 480, 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 immediate consideration of S. Res. 479, 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 immediate consideration of Calendar No. 354, S. 2325.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Murkowski amendment at the desk be agreed to and the committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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, April 24; 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. I further ask that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Duncan nomination; further, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Duncan nomination. Finally, I ask that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

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 Durbin and Senator Whitehouse.