Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Wednesday, December 2; 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 Hauptman nomination, under the previous order.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have 2 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 banking, housing, and urban affairs The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. select committee on intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed briefing.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 1982. The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 1982) entitled ``An Act to improve efforts to combat marine debris, and for other purposes.'', do pass with an amendment. Motion to Concur

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 842.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 761.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL. 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. 753 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed to; and that 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 en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 905 and 906.

Mr. McCONNELL. 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; and that 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 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, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, December 1; 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 McNeel nomination under the previous order; 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the postcloture time on the McNeel nomination expire at 11 a.m. tomorrow and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination. I further ask that, if cloture is invoked on the Calabrese nomination, the postcloture time expire at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; finally, if any of the nominations are confirmed, the motions 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 order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, first, as the Senate reconvenes this afternoon, I am especially happy to welcome back our President pro tempore. Senator Grassley quarantined and worked from home following his positive COVID test 2 weeks ago. We all predicted that if any Member of this body had the stamina and spirit to kick the virus to the curb, it would certainly be him, and, sure enough, our colleague reports that he experienced no symptoms. His doctors have cleared him to come back to work, and we are sure glad to have him back. Chairman Grassley had to put his epic streak of consecutive votes temporarily on hold for the sake of other people. Of course, leadership and example-setting are nothing new for the senior Senator from Iowa. I am confident our colleague will pick up exactly where he left off, resuming both his perfect attendance record and the tireless work for Iowans that it represents. We all benefit so very much from his leadership.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Senate is back in session to finish up 2020. The American people are counting on us to finish strong. We need to reach agreement on Federal Government funding to avoid a lapse in basic programs and services. We need to finish the annual Defense authorization to shore up the U.S. military's competitive advantage over our adversaries, and we need to continue processing well-qualified nominees for vacancies throughout the government, especially--especially--on the Federal bench. These are important assignments, but they aren't the only things that Congress should get done before the end of the year. There is no reason--none--why we should not deliver another major pandemic relief package to help the American people through what seem poised to be the last chapters of this battle This morning, we got yet another major sign of hope. More data appeared to confirm that the vaccine developed by Moderna is more than 94 percent effective. They are going ahead and asking the FDA for emergency use authorization. Experts are calling this news ``absolutely remarkable.'' Alongside other promising vaccine developments from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and others, there is continued cause to suspect that victory over this pandemic is not far off. But a huge amount of work remains before us. If Operation Warp Speed remains on this historic trajectory, we need to continue investing in the system that will distribute these vaccines around our country. If we want the small businesses that have already hung on for most of the year to survive a few more months, we need a second round of the job- saving Paycheck Protection Program for the workers at the hardest hit establishments. Some major parts of the historic CARES Act have already run dry, and many others are set to expire at year's end. We Republicans have spent months trying to renew important help and provide even more. We have tried to send more than $100 billion to help schools and welcome students and teachers safely to the classroom. We have tried to implement commonsense legal protections that universities and charities have been clamoring for. We have tried to pass all of this over and over again, but Speaker Pelosi and the Senate Democratic leader have blocked it. They have been very transparent about all of this with their political strategy--laid it right out there. The Speaker of the House spent the entire summer and the entire autumn literally gambling with the health and welfare of the American people. She gambled that if American families didn't get any more relief before the election, her party would expand its majority in the House, and Democrats could continue demanding the right to remake all of society along far-left lines in exchange for passing any more COVID relief whatsoever. But their all-or-nothing obstruction backfired. Democrats did not pick up seats in the House but instead appear to have lost seats. They have not gained any leverage, but instead they have lost leverage. And in the meantime, with the coronavirus surging from coast to coast, the American people have gone entirely--entirely--without any additional aid--even the least controversial, most bipartisan programs--because the Democrats say no. Here is a summary from one news outlet: Pelosi seems to have overplayed her hand as she held out for $2 trillion-plus right up until the election. The results of the election, which saw Democrats lose seats in the House, appear to have significantly undercut her position. By now it is abundantly clear to everyone that the Speaker will not be getting to fundamentally transform American society in a socialist direction in exchange for more bipartisan relief. The hostage-taking was never going to work. Now there is only one remaining question for the Speaker and the Democratic leader--just one question: Will they finally--finally--let Congress pass hundreds of billions of dollars of relief on all the subjects where we agree? Or will they continue to insist that either they get their entire ideological wish list or the American people get nothing at all? Even their fellow Democrats are increasingly seeing this as not a terribly difficult question to answer. For example, over the weekend, Professor Austan Goolsbee, who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama, called on Democrats to finally play ball. Here is what he said: There are a lot of people really hurting. . . . I hope [Congress] can agree on something soon. . . . [I]f they have to accept half a loaf, then they have to accept half a loaf. Speaker Pelosi's No. 2, the House Democratic majority leader, feels the same way: I just hope that we can get agreement. It may not be everything that everybody wants, but at least. . . . some significant relief to people. Our distinguished Senate colleague from Illinois, the Democratic whip, said the same thing: ``[G]et something done that is significant, do what we can achieve now.'' Here is the headline from Newsweek: ``Democrats Urge Pelosi to Accept Smaller Stimulus Package to Ensure Relief by End of Year.'' Even the Speaker's own House Democratic Members are now openly campaigning for our Republican approach. Here is one Democratic Congressman, who nearly lost his reelection after Speaker Pelosi's stonewalling: We absolutely have to get something done. . . . Mitch McConnell is talking about a bill we can pass. . . . We should negotiate that to the finish. That is a House Democrat saying that the Senate Republican proposal is the template that can pass. Rank-and-file Democrats in both Chambers are telling Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leader to stop stonewalling and move forward with the approach Republicans have been urging for months. The American people need more help, and they need it right now--right now. Democratic leaders have already burned through 3 months--3 months--and they didn't even get the political results that their cynical strategy was supposed to deliver. So let's hope our colleagues at the top of the Democratic Party can finally hear their own Members and stop blocking the commonsense, multihundred-billion-dollar measures that Republicans have been ready to deliver for months.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday something extremely rare happened here in this Chamber, something so unusual that only a few of us current Senators had ever seen it before--a rollcall vote that did not include the name of our President pro tempore and distinguished colleague from Iowa, Senator Chuck Grassley. Before yesterday, the senior Senator from Iowa had not missed a single vote in this body since 1993, when he was in Iowa helping with historic flooding. Since then, across 27 years and 8,927 votes, Senator Grassley had shown up for every single one. It is by far the longest such streak in Senate history. Senator Grassley broke the previous record back in January of 2016 and obviously continued to extend it for almost 5 years. This show of diligence and dedication is remarkable by any measure. But because of who Senator Grassley is, it hasn't seemed remarkable at all. That incredible commitment to serving Iowans and working around the clock is just who our colleague is. That devotion is just his daily routine. This is the Senator who manages to visit all 99 counties in Iowa every single year. We call it the ``full Grassley.'' Nearly 9,000 consecutive Senate votes must have seemed like a cakewalk by comparison. But yesterday, our colleague's streak had to be temporarily placed on hold. On the advice of doctors, after close contact with someone who had later tested positive for the coronavirus, Senator Grassley began self-quarantining yesterday morning. Later in the day, our colleague let us know he had tested positive himself, underscoring why his good judgment to follow doctor's orders while awaiting his test result was the right decision. So our colleague's historic run has been put on pause for the same reason that it was compiled in the first place--leadership, service to others, and a determination to set the right example. On Monday, in his floor remarks, our colleague reminded all Americans of our duties in this moment: Although promising vaccines for the coronavirus are on the horizon, it is more important than ever to stop the surge. . . . Wash your hands; limit your activity outside your household; social distance; wear a mask. We are going to get through this together, but we need everyone to do their part. All of the Senate's thoughts and prayers are with our distinguished colleague, who reported yesterday evening that he still feels fine. We hope that will remain the case. Certainly, if any Member of this body has the good health and stamina to kick the virus to the curb, it is Senator Grassley. So we will look forward to seeing him soon.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motion with respect to the McNeel nomination ripen at 5:30 p.m. Monday, November 30.

Mr. McCONNELL

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