Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, at 12 noon on Thursday, October 26, all postcloture time be considered expired on the Palk nomination, and that following disposition of the Palk nomination, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the McFadden nomination.

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. 305, S. Res. 306, and S. Res. 307.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I thank my friend from Illinois.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Senate Republicans had a productive discussion with President Trump yesterday about our shared agenda. We were particularly focused on how to bring tax relief, economic growth, and jobs to the middle class through tax reform. It is clear we share a lot of the same goals. It is clear we are united in an effort to take more money out of Washington's pockets and put more in middle-class pockets. It is also clear we are all excited about this once-in-a-generation opportunity to get America going again and growing again. So we are watching our friends in the House with anticipation as they consider the comprehensive, responsible budget that cleared the Senate last week. We anticipate they will pass it by the end of the week. Once they do, we will have important legislative tools to move tax reform forward. That is something everyone can look forward to. More importantly, that is something the American people deserve, especially after so many years of an economy that failed to reach its potential-- an economy that, so often, failed them. Tax reform represents the single most important thing we can do today to get the economy reaching for its full potential. We are looking forward to taking the next steps very soon to get it done. Mr. President, on another matter, I would like to again commend President Trump for the outstanding judicial nominees he has sent us this year. So far, every nominee we have brought to the floor has been confirmed by a majority vote in the Senate. In some cases, those majority votes have been bipartisan and massive, like 95 to 1, like 97 to 0. Yet almost every time a judicial nominee is brought to the floor--even nominees with votes like these, nominees whom both parties support--Democrats throw up partisan procedural roadblocks. For what reason? Certainly, it is not to change the outcome. No. Like I said, in many cases, Democrats actually support the nominees. They are just wasting more of the Senate's time because they can. They are doing it again now. Let's take the two judicial nominees who are currently before the Senate. First, there is Scott Palk. After nearly two decades as a State and Federal prosecutor, Mr. Palk has the legal skill and community support to excel as a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination by a large, bipartisan vote of 17 to 3. Then there is Trevor McFadden. Mr. McFadden's sterling record of public service makes him an ideal candidate for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Not a single Member--not one--of either party opposed him. These nominees should have sailed to confirmation yesterday. Instead, Democrats are forcing us to waste time so we can again arrive at the exact same conclusion, but simply later this week. This really has to stop. In President Obama's first year in office, Republicans forced this procedural hurdle for a single judicial nominee, and it was a controversial one. Let me say that again. In President Obama's first year in office, Republicans forced the procedural hurdle we have had to endure many times for one nominee, and that nominee was controversial. In President Trump's first year in office, Democrats have forced this procedural hurdle for every single judicial nominee except one, even if they actually supported him or her in the end. This is just the kind of partisan game that Americans are so sick of. President Trump should be commended for his strong judicial picks. The Senate is going to keep working hard to confirm them, and we are going to succeed. The only question is whether the Democrats are going to keep wasting more of the Senate's time getting there. I hope they won't. I hope they will end these pointless games so that the Senate can keep its time and focus where it belongs. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 280 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 97, S. 226.

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

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

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 301, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 302, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today, the Senate will pass an important measure to provide relief for communities that are struggling to rebuild after the natural disasters that have affected many different parts of our country. Soon, this emergency funding legislation will be on its way to the President for his signature. With these new resources, Federal aid workers from FEMA and the rest of the administration can continue their critical recovery operations, including search and rescue missions, debris removal, and infrastructure repair, as well as providing much needed assistance to individuals and to families. I will continue to monitor these disaster response efforts, and I will continue to engage with leaders both in Washington and on the ground. The Senate will also continue doing its part to help the victims recover.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another matter, as we continue our work in the Senate, we look forward to hearing the President's perspectives on how to advance our shared agenda, particularly the upcoming debate on bringing tax relief, economic growth, and jobs to Americans through tax reform. Last week, the Senate passed a comprehensive, responsible budget that will help put the government on a path to balance and help put our economy on a road to robust growth. This week, the House plans to bring the budget to the floor for passage by Thursday. Once they pass it, we will have important legislative tools to help our economy grow through tax reform. As we all know, after years of an economy that failed to live up to its full potential, the time is now to pass tax reform so that we can get America going again and growing again. We want to make taxes lower, simpler, and fairer. We want to close loopholes that are exploited by the wealthy. We want to make it easier to create new jobs in America and keep them here. In short, we want to take more money out of Washington's pockets and put more in yours. These are the ideas that drive tax reform. They are shared by the President. They are shared by Americans in both political parties. They should be shared by Senators of both political parties, as well, and for many years, they actually were. The former chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Wyden, called our current Tax Code an ``anticompetitive mess.'' The senior Senator from Michigan, Ms. Stabenow, expressed her concern for a tax code that incentivizes jobs to be shipped overseas, and our friend, the Democratic leader, wrote about our Tax Code's failure to help American workers compete. Many Democrats called for action to get tax reform done. I hope that our Democratic friends will work with us now in a serious way to actually do it. After all, it is not as if the need for tax reform has changed since our friends made these statements as recently as a few years ago. The only thing that has changed is the occupant of the White House. That is the only difference. So let's get this done. The American people are counting on us.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on one final matter, in addition to our important legislative priorities, the Senate is also working hard to confirm the President's excellent judicial nominees. Last night, I filed cloture on two nominees for U.S. district courts. Scott Palk has been nominated to serve as a district judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. He has served in multiple roles in the U.S. attorney's office in prosecuting organized crime and terrorism cases, and the Senate Judiciary Committee sent his nomination to the floor with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Another nominee, Trevor McFadden, was voted out of the Judiciary Committee with no opposition at all. He has been tapped to serve as a district judge for the District of Columbia, and as a former police officer, Mr. McFadden will bring a wealth of law enforcement experience to the bench. The Senate will vote on both of these nominees this week, and then we will continue working to confirm President Trump's outstanding judicial nominees. I look forward to supporting these nominees, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm them. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, colleagues, we regret to hear that our friend from Arizona will conclude his Senate service at the end of his 6-year term. I would like to say, on behalf of myself and I think many of my colleagues, we just witnessed a speech from a very fine man--a man who clearly brings high principles to the office every day and does what he believes is in the best interest of Arizona and the country. I am grateful the Senator from Arizona will be here for another year and a half. We have big things to try to accomplish for the American people. From my perspective, the Senator from Arizona has been a great team player, always trying to get a constructive outcome no matter what the issue before us. So I thank the Senator from Arizona for his service, which will continue, thankfully, for another year and a half, and for the opportunity to listen to his remarks today

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, all postcloture time now be considered expired, all pending motions and amendments be withdrawn, except for the motion to concur, and that Senator Paul be recognized to speak for up to 5 minutes and then make a budget point of order; that myself or my designee be recognized to make a motion to waive; that following disposition of the motion to waive, the Senate vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2266; and that if the motion is agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 234.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the Ernst amendment to the preamble be considered and agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 304 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Cassidy substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and 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 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 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; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Palk nomination, with the time until the cloture vote equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

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 Franken.