Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I further 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 ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 218, S. 705.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 292, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 327, 332, 333, and 337.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.

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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, October 6, at 10:30 a.m.; Tuesday, October 10, at 9:15 a.m.; and Friday, October 13, at 8:30 a.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, October 13, it next convene at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 16; 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 Gingrich nomination, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the Senate's adjournment, committees be authorized to report legislative and executive matters on Friday, October 13, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

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 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. 287, S. Res. 288, S. Res. 289, and S. Res. 290.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following leader remarks on Tuesday, October 17, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 191, the nomination of David Trachtenberg to be Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense. I further ask that there be 10 minutes of debate on the nomination equally divided in the usual form; that following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on confirmation with no intervening action or debate; 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 proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 365, 366, and 367.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, during the Obama years, many of the hard-working men and women of America's middle class felt completely forgotten. Paychecks often did not keep pace with rising costs. Opportunities for work could often seem bleak. For those men and women, the promise of a hard-earned retirement seemed to drift further and further away. For so many middle-class Americans, the last decade meant a weak economy and a decline of opportunities. People of this Nation deserve better. They deserve larger paychecks, more jobs, and better opportunities to get ahead. This Congress is committed to helping the economy live up to its full potential once again, which is exactly why we are committed to passing tax reform. This is our once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul a broken tax code that holds us back and replace it with something that actually works for the hard-working people of our country. It represents the single most important thing we can do today to get our economy back on the right track. Working together, President Trump, his team, and the tax-writing committees in Congress have developed the framework that will help us get there. Here is what it envisions: For American workers, we want to make your taxes lower, simpler, and fairer. We want to take more money out of Washington's pockets and put more in yours. Helping individuals and families succeed is the first aim of tax reform. Helping businesses succeed is the second aim, so we can help create more jobs and keep them right here in America. American businesses, both large and small, face an increasingly competitive global economy. We want to put American businesses and workers on a level playing field because when they are, they can win. We want to help bring jobs and profits back home, and once they are here, we want to give businesses the right incentives to keep them right here in America. We want to unleash the potential of the American economy--helping you keep more of the money in your paycheck, helping businesses grow and workers succeed, helping move the economy into high gear so we can sustain real prosperity into the future for America's middle class. These are the kinds of ideas that should be shared by everyone, Republicans and Democrats alike. Our friends across the aisle supported the need for tax reform for many years. They used to advocate it loudly. But the tone seems to be different now. What changed? The President, or so it would seem. We know that our Democratic friends are under immense pressure from the hard left to oppose everything this President touches, but I hope they can resist that pressure and do what they know is right. After all, shouldn't we all support cutting middle-class taxes, helping small businesses, and bringing jobs and investments back to our country? I was always under the impression that Democrats wanted to end corporate offshoring, eliminate loopholes for the wealthy, and cut middle-class taxes. Well, these are all aspects of the current tax reform framework. So there is no need for our friends to invent reasons to justify opposing tax reform. There is no reason to launch attacks on the tax reform framework based on made-up details that aren't actually in it. Tax reform has been a bipartisan effort in the past. It can be, and it should be, again now. It is up to our Democratic friends to decide if they would like to engage in a serious way. I personally hope they will join us in advancing this important initiative for our country. I think we owe at least that much to the millions of Americans who felt forgotten over the last decade. Tax reform can help move our economy into high gear. It can help deliver more jobs, higher wages, and increased opportunities for the American people. The men and women of this country deserve it, which is why I am committed to keeping up the work to get tax reform accomplished.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, earlier this week, I filed cloture motions on four qualified nominees for various agencies throughout the Federal Government. I shouldn't have had to. In different times, we may have even considered them on voice votes. But this is where we are, and now it is time to advance and confirm them as soon as possible. Later this morning, the Senate will consider Eric Hargan to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. As the people of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands continue to recover from a series of devastating hurricanes, Mr. Hargan's expertise in disaster response and public health will help the Department respond to these crises. I look forward to confirming Mr. Hargan soon so he can help coordinate multiple agencies under his supervision to respond to the hurricanes, deliver relief, and help save lives. After that, this afternoon we will take up the nomination of Randal Quarles, the President's nominee to help oversee the Federal Reserve System. Mr. Quarles brings with him both domestic and international financial experience from multiple administrations, and he will be a strong guide for our Nation's monetary policy. We also intend to confirm Mr. Quarles to the position of Vice Chair for Supervision. This is an essential role created by Dodd-Frank, and it is critical that Mr. Quarles begin this work over at the Fed. Tomorrow, the Senate will confirm Lee Francis Cissna to be Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Mr. Cissna has a wealth of experience in immigration policy, serving in senior policy positions in both the Bush and Obama administrations and then working for the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was voted out of committee with bipartisan support. I look forward to his confirmation to this important role. Then we will consider Callista Gingrich, whom the President has nominated to be our Nation's Ambassador to the Holy See. Ms. Gingrich's work will continue the strong relationship between our Nation and the Vatican, building upon shared values, goals, and global responsibilities. I thank each of these nominees for their willingness to serve our Nation. They are each well qualified and suited for their role. I look forward to the Senate confirming them very soon.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday, Chairman Hatch held another hearing on a subject that is incredibly important to the economic future of our country: tax reform. For too long, our economy has failed to live up to its full potential. For too long, Americans have suffered through stagnant paychecks, a lack of steady work, and retirement that can seem to slip further away by the day. These are the forgotten men, women, and families of the last decade. For many Americans living on the coasts, working in Silicon Valley, or in finance, the recession of 2008 to 2009 may seem like just a moment in history, but for too many Americans, the last 10 years have been a lost decade where our economy has stumbled along and opportunities have declined for American workers and their families. Tax reform represents the single most important thing we can do today to get our economy back on track and give American workers a leg up. It is our once-in-a-generation opportunity to replace an outdated tax code that holds us back with one that works for American families and small businesses. We want to lower taxes and simplify rates. We want to expand job creation and grow paychecks. Put another way, we want to take more money out of Washington's pocket and put it in yours. That is the essential goal of tax reform. That is our message to the American people. It is what I believe. It is what Chairman Hatch believes. It is what Chairman Enzi believes as well. Chairman Enzi has an important role to play in this process, too, because later today he will lead his committee in marking up a comprehensive budget for fiscal year 2018 that will help our country achieve balance by reining in Federal spending. It will also help our economy grow, and one of the ways it will do so is by providing legislative tools to advance tax reform. I thank the Budget Committee for all its good work so far, and I look forward to its continued efforts to get our fiscal house in order and our economy back on a path to solid growth after the lost decade of disappointment I just spoke about.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to congratulate Dr. Tom Appleton of Lexington, KY, on his retirement from the History Department at Eastern Kentucky University. One of Kentucky's premier historians, Tom has spent his career writing about the Commonwealth's rich heritage. He joined EKU's faculty in the fall of 2000, and over the years, he has left a positive imprint on his students, his field, and his State. He has also proved to be an invaluable resource for me. A number of years ago, I began a series of talks focused on former U.S. Senators from Kentucky. In each speech, I have tried to convey a bit of political history through the lives of these distinguished individuals. Tom's counsel has been invaluable in my work to prepare these speeches and pay tribute to some of Kentucky's prominent political leaders. Before joining EKU's faculty nearly 20 years ago, Tom spent more than two decades at the Kentucky Historical Society. It certainly shows. Even the TV show ``Jeopardy'' has used him as a historical resource. Tom has been the coeditor of six books on the history of the American South, including a groundbreaking look into the lives of Kentucky women, and he is currently working on a biography of Kentucky's own A.B. ``Happy'' Chandler, who served as Governor, Senator, and baseball's second commissioner. Tom's passion for Kentucky's rich history is obvious. He has been a wonderful friend and resource for me, a real champion and advocate for our Commonwealth, and has made a lasting impact on the next generation through his teaching. As one former student recalled, ``Dr. Appleton's mission in teaching Kentucky history was less about imparting facts and dates and more about ensuring that students departed the class with an enhanced understanding of the rich cultural tapestry of Kentucky. He admonished students to be worthy of the proud legacy of our Commonwealth's great statesmen, military leaders, writers, and sports legends.'' That is a legacy to be proud of. After his final semester of teaching, Tom could be forgiven for wanting to retire from his work as a historian altogether, but that is not Tom. He plans to continue his research and writing about the lives and events that shaped our home State, and I plan to continue reading his fascinating take on our shared Kentucky heritage. I wish Tom well, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Tom Appleton on a truly remarkable career.

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. on Wednesday, October 4; 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 Hargan nomination, with the time until 11 a.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and 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 I wish to mark the 30th anniversary of the University of Kentucky's Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center. The city of Lexington, KY, known as the Horse Capital of the World, is the proud home to the Gluck Center dedicated to scientific research and education. Because of its cutting-edge research, the center is internationally renowned and a destination for students, faculty, and members of the equine industry. Since the center's founding in 1986, it has made significant contributions to the field of equine study. As part of the university's College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, the faculty at the Gluck Center are also committed to the education of the next generation of veterinarians and researchers. The Gluck Center's success would be impossible without the vision of its founder and namesake, Maxwell Gluck. With his wife, Muriel, the Glucks encouraged the university to establish the center and grow UK's connection to the equine industry, which is vital to the economy and culture of the Commonwealth. I would like to extend my congratulations to the director of the Gluck Center, Dr. David Horohov, and the chair of the Gluck Foundation, Dr. Stuart Brown. Under their leadership, this center has continued to grow and earn acclaim from all levels of the equine industry. Their efforts, along with those of UK's administration, including President Eli Capilouto and college dean Nancy Cox, have helped to fulfill Maxwell and Muriel Gluck's vision. To mark this milestone, the center is hosting a seminar and open house featuring the inaugural ``Teri Lear Memorial Lecture,'' which will honor the life and scholarly legacy of Dr. Teri Lear, a beloved UK professor of veterinary science who passed away last year. Dr. Lear was one of the foremost experts of equine cytogenetics and helped lead the Horse Genome Project. This lecture series will continue to build upon the center's reputation for excellence in research. In addition to the lecture, the Gluck Center will also host a celebration to honor one of its faculty members, Dr. Peter Timoney, for a career of international accomplishment in the field of equine infectious disease treatment. Dr. Timoney previously served as the director of the Gluck Center from 1989 to 2006 and is also the past president of the World Equine Veterinary Association. I would like to add my voice to the chorus of congratulations to Dr. Timoney for his accomplished career, and I look forward to his continued contributions to his field. For 30 years, this center has helped lead in equine research. I am proud to join the UK community to celebrate the Gluck Equine Research Center and its many contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and to the industry. I urge my colleagues to help me commemorate this occasion, and I look forward to many more achievements from the Gluck Center.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. For the information of all Senators, we have now locked in the following vote schedule: one vote at 11 tomorrow morning, two votes at 3:15 tomorrow afternoon, three votes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and one vote at 1:45 on Thursday afternoon. This will allow debate time on all of the pending nominations and accommodate important committee hearings that will be occurring off the floor.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture vote on the Hargan nomination occur at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 4, and that if cloture is invoked, the Senate vote on confirmation at 3:15 p.m. with no intervening action or debate; 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. I further ask that, upon disposition of the Hargan nomination, the Senate vote on cloture on the Quarles nomination, and that if cloture is invoked, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 5; 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; further, that the time on Wednesday evening be for debate on the Quarles and Cissna nominations, concurrently. I further ask that the cloture vote on the Cissna nomination occur upon disposition of the Quarles nomination, and that if cloture is invoked, all time postcloture be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation with no intervening action or debate; 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. I further ask that following disposition of the Cissna nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the Gingrich nomination, with a vote on cloture at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday; and that if cloture is invoked, the Senate vote on confirmation at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, October 16.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 357 and 358.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.