Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 356.

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 suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII that at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, there be 30 minutes of postcloture time remaining on the Grasz nomination, equally divided between the leaders or their designees, and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the confirmation of the Grasz 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. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment 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 with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 274, S. 447.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate advanced the nomination of Mr. Leonard Steven Grasz to be a judge on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Grasz has sterling credentials and strong support from the Nebraska legal community. I proudly voted to advance his nomination, and the Senate will confirm him soon. Next, we will vote to advance the nomination of another well- qualified individual, Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett, to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Justice Willett respects the rule of law and our foundational legal principles, and he will be a strong addition to the Fifth Circuit. His story is an inspirational one. Adopted at a young age and raised by a widowed mother in a town of 32 people, he was the first person in his family to graduate from high school. As our colleague Senator Cornyn said at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, ``Justice Willett's life [reflects] the best of Texas, and the best of America.'' From these humble beginnings, Justice Willett has led a remarkable career. After graduating from Duke School of Law, he clerked for Judge Jerre Williams of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the panel he has now been nominated to join. He spent a short time in private practice before entering public service in then-Gov. George W. Bush's administration as a legal and policy adviser. When President Bush entered the White House, Justice Willett joined him as the Special Assistant to the President. In that role, he helped shape the domestic legal policy of the Bush administration, especially in the President's efforts to increase charitable activities in neighborhoods across the Nation. The next year, he became Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Policy. There, he oversaw both civil and criminal policy initiatives, including what became the PROTECT Act of 2003, which increased law enforcement's ability to prevent and prosecute violent crimes against children. Afterward, Justice Willett returned to Texas to serve as the Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel. As the top legal aide to then- Attorney General Greg Abbott, he advised the office on a wide variety of legal matters. In 2005, he was appointed to serve as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Elected to a full term in 2006 and reelected in 2012, Justice Willett has served with distinction on the Texas high court now for over a decade. During that time, he has ruled fairly and impartially. Four of his former colleagues on the Texas Supreme Court wrote a letter to the Judiciary Committee supporting Justice Willett's nomination. They wrote, ``His demonstrated belief is that the courts should enforce both constitutional rights and constitutional limitations and uphold the rule of law, but not enforce a personal agenda.'' ``On occasion,'' they continued, ``we did not agree with each other or with him on the disposition of an appeal but we respected Don's opinions and never doubted his devotion to principle.'' In addition, the retired Texas Supreme Court justice, Wallace Jefferson, recommended Justice Willett's nomination, writing that he will be ``a thoughtful, hardworking, diligent, and influential member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.'' Justice Willett has also been recognized for his excellence by the Texas Review of Law and Politics, which named him its Distinguished Jurist of the Year in 2014. I would like to commend President Trump for nominating Justice Willett to the Fifth Circuit. Under Chairman Grassley's leadership, the Judiciary Committee has done an excellent job processing this nomination and many others. By joining the Fifth Circuit, Justice Willett will use his talents to continue to serve his State and his Nation. I look forward to advancing his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Mr. McCONNELL

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 ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 358, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, as we continue to learn more details about the attempted terror attack this morning in Manhattan, I wish to commend the law enforcement and intelligence community that quickly reacted to the attack. Their courage in the face of danger protected the lives of those around them.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this week, the Senate will consider three more outstanding individuals nominated by President Trump to serve on our Nation's Federal circuit courts. For 8 years, we had a President who selected judicial nominees based on a so-called ``empathy standard.'' It was an ideological litmus test designed to find nominees who would favor certain groups or individuals over others. While that may sound like a good standard for the party in the case for whom the judge has empathy, it doesn't sound so great if you are the other person. On the other hand, President Trump has nominated talented individuals who will ensure that the Federal judiciary maintains its particular role in our constitutional system. The judicial nominees before the Senate this week are each well-credentialed and have the integrity and temperament to serve our Nation on the circuit courts. They are dedicated to upholding the rule of law and giving every litigant a fair shake. That is how the American people expect judges to decide cases, and the Senate is working to confirm President Trump's nominees, who will do just that. First, the Senate will consider the nomination of Leonard Steven Grasz to serve on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Then it will consider the nomination of Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Finally, later this week, the Senate will consider the nomination of James Ho to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Each of these nominees will make strong additions to the Federal bench, and I look forward to considering them in the coming days. I wish to once again commend Chairman Grassley for his leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His excellent work has allowed us to bring these nominees to the floor. Later today, the Senate will advance the nomination of Mr. Grasz, a talented individual with experience in both private practice and public service. After graduating from law school at the University of Nebraska, Mr. Grasz began a distinguished career in law. Working as the chief deputy attorney general of Nebraska for nearly 12 years, he excelled, representing the State of Nebraska in numerous appellate cases, including before the U.S. Supreme Court. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, along with five other top State officials, wrote a letter to the Judiciary Committee supporting Mr. Grasz's nomination. Here is what they had to say: Steve has become a leading expert on state and federal constitutional law. His demeanor and temperament have earned the respect of Nebraskans across the political spectrum in our state. Mr. Grasz has won the support of prominent Nebraskans from both sides of the aisle. Our former colleague, Senator Ben Nelson, came to know Mr. Grasz when Senator Nelson was the Governor of Nebraska. Senator Nelson wrote: Steve won my respect by putting considerable skills to work as an effective legal advocate for our state. We sometimes found ourselves disagreeing on policy; nevertheless, I quickly learned that Steve was the kind of consummate professional who is capable of putting whatever personal views he may have aside when appropriate in his capacity as a public servant. He was an asset to our state, and Nebraskans benefitted from having such a capable and thoughtful professional in public service. Furthermore, the Obama administration's U.S. attorney for Nebraska worked with Mr. Grasz in the State, and she wrote in support of his nomination: Steve has always enjoyed a reputation for honesty, impeccable integrity and dedication to the rule of law. He possesses an even temperament well-suited for the bench, and always acts with respect to all [who] interact with him. In addition, a letter from the current and previous presidents of the Omaha Bar Association stated that the Omaha legal community supports Mr. Grasz's nomination ``without hesitation.'' The letter goes on to say that he ``possesses the legal expertise, professionalism, character, and ethics that are demanded of a Judge on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.'' The local legal community--both government officials and private attorneys--overwhelmingly attest not just to Mr. Grasz's impressive qualifications but to his commitment to fairness and the rule of law. Through his decades of legal practice, Mr. Grasz has shown that he is the right choice to serve on the Eighth Circuit. I am proud to join with our colleagues from Nebraska in supporting Mr. Grasz's nomination. I look forward to voting to advance this nomination later today and to confirming all three of these circuit court nominees this week.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 4 p.m. on Monday, December 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; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Grasz nomination; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m., Monday.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, 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. 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. 351, S. Res. 352, and S. Res. 353.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived.

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

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 move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 535.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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