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, on behalf of myself and the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Schumer, I send to the desk a resolution authorizing testimony and representation by the Senate Legal Counsel, and ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. President, this resolution concerns a civil case pending in the Court of Common Pleas for Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in which defense contracting logistics firms based in Kuwait have sued competitor firms for defamation and tortious interference for allegedly sending false emails to various U.S. government agencies harming the plaintiff companies. The complaint asserts that in 2011 representatives of the defendants communicated allegedly harmful allegations to a number of government agencies and officials, including an employee in the office of then-Senator Mark Kirk. Senator Kirk forwarded the information for investigation by the Defense and Treasury Departments. The plaintiffs issued a subpoena seeking deposition testimony from the former Senate staffer about his communications with the defendants' representatives about these allegations. Senator Kirk would like to cooperate by providing relevant and unprivileged staff testimony about these communications. Accordingly, consistent with the rules of the Senate and Senate practice, this resolution would authorize former Senator Kirk's staffer to testify at a deposition. The resolution would also authorize the Senate Legal Counsel to represent Senator Kirk's former employee in connection with his testimony.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 357, S. Res. 224.

Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported amendment to the resolution be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, the committee- reported amendment to the title be agreed to, and the motions to consider 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. 458, 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. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 457, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed, 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, this week, as I stated yesterday, the Senate will focus on personnel business. Six well-qualified nominees are currently before the Senate. They are awaiting the full consideration they clearly deserve. Their nominations have been vetted. Their expertise is well known. Their positions sit empty, waiting to be filled. The American people are waiting for their President to have his full team and for their Federal Government to be appropriately staffed. If last evening's vote to advance Claria Horn Boom's district court nomination were any indication, we would be in for a productive week. Ninety-six of our colleagues voted in support--96. With such broad bipartisan support, you might think that filing cloture should not have been necessary in the first place. With nominees as uncontroversial as these, you might think the Senate would roll quickly through them and move on to other business, but unfortunately, for more than a year now, our Democratic friends have used the partisan playbook to delay and obstruct even the least controversial nominees. So unless we can reach the kind of bipartisan agreement that was once the norm around here and process noncontroversial nominees more promptly, we are left with no choice but to proceed the hard way, and that is just what we have done. Facing historic obstruction, Republicans have confirmed ambitious reformists to crucial posts where fresh ideas were long overdue, and we have confirmed top-notch legal minds to the Federal bench, including a record number of circuit court judges for a President's first year and the generational choice of Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court 1 year ago today. I have already stated that the Senate will remain in session as long as it takes to clear this slate of nominees. Following the confirmation of Ms. Boom, we will move to consideration of John Ring to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. After Mr. Ring comes nominees to the Department of Labor, the EPA, and two more nominees to fill district court vacancies--all vetted, all qualified, all sitting right here in the Senate. In at least one case, several of my Democratic friends have already proactively announced support for the nominee. So let's get back on track together. Let's consider and confirm these nominees without delay.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that at 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11, the Senate vote on confirmation of the Ring nomination 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 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 Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 454, 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. 455, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. 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 Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 456, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the 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 ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 377 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. 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. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 454 and S. Res. 455 as a further mark of respect to the late Senators Zell Miller of Georgia and Daniel Akaka of Hawaii.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 11; 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 Ring nomination under the previous order.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 304, H.R. 3445.

Mr. McCONNELL

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