Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 30; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time of the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 483, S. 4049; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 until 2:15 p.m. 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, following the remarks of our Democratic colleagues.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 2080.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask consent that the reading of the amendment be waived.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3377.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time. The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read the third time.

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

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 until Monday, June 29; 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 483, S. 4049; and, finally, that notwithstanding rule XXII, all postcloture time on the motion to proceed to S. 4049 expire at 5:30 p.m.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, the American people have been asked to swallow a number of contradictions over the past few weeks. I have already discussed some of them here on the floor. Many citizens were told by their mayors that small religious services were just too dangerous. At the same time, massive political protests were not just allowed but encouraged. Americans have been told they should very carefully distinguish good people from bad apples if they are talking about protests and riots, but they must not make the same distinction if they are talking about the police. Recently, the country was informed by hysterical journalists that a rational policy essay from our colleague Senator Cotton was just too inflammatory to publish, but the Speaker of the House can say Senator Tim Scott and his 48 cosponsors are ``trying to get away with . . . the murder of George Floyd,'' and Democrats just cheer her on--cheer her on. Americans have been ordered to rethink and relearn our Nation's history by a movement that is itself so historically illiterate that they mistake George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, and a 19th-century abolitionist for enemies of justice and destroy their monuments. One common thread seems to connect all this: The far left wants you to play by one set of rules if you think like they do and a completely different set of rules if you dare to think anything else. Well, yesterday here in the Senate, the latest absurdity was added to the list. Our Democratic colleagues tried to say with straight faces that they want the Senate to discuss police reform while they blocked the Senate from discussing police reform. They declared that Senator Scott's bill, which contains many bipartisan components, which literally contains entire bills written by Democrats, was beyond the pale. Senator Scott offered a wide-open, bipartisan amendment process, and they walked away. Over in the House, when Democrats shoot down every Republican amendment in committee and allow zero amendments on the floor, you can bet it will be anointed a big, big success. Now, as an aside, I could not help but notice that in the Democratic leader's lengthy remarks yesterday morning, he did not once address or acknowledge the junior Senator from South Carolina as the author of the JUSTICE Act--not one time. Not one time did the Democratic leader address Senator Tim Scott as the author of the legislation he was trashing. I cannot see why the Democratic leader talks right past Senator Scott as if he were not leading this discussion, as if he were barely here. All I can say is that it was jarring to witness, especially in a national moment like this. Senator Scott was the leader of the working group. He wrote the bill. He has been studying and working on and living these issues since long, long before the Democratic leader came rushing to the microphones on this subject a few weeks ago. I can certainly take all the angry comments my colleague from New York wants to throw my way. I don't mind. But if he would like to learn something about the substance of this issue, he might want to stop acting like Senator Scott hardly exists and learn from the expert who wrote the bill. The American people know you do not really want progress on an issue if you block the Senate from taking it up. They know that most police officers are brave and honorable and that most protesters are peaceful. They know our country needs both. We need both. The American people know they don't need history lessons from common criminals who are dragging George Washington through the dirt. They know prayer is no less essential than protest. They know that a politician who compares a policy disagreement to a brutal murder has just permanently forfeited the moral high ground to the grownups who want solutions. Some forces are desperate to divide our country any way they possibly can, but if people of good will and common sense stick together, the radical nonsense will not stand a chance.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on a completely different matter, the Senate does not have the luxury of letting these disagreements prevent needed bipartisan progress on other fronts. While the House has been missing in action on the longest spring break in human history, the Senate has been conducting the people's business alone. We have confirmed nominees. We have conducted critical oversight. We passed historic legislation for our national parks and public lands. We have kept a close watch on the bad actors abroad who would love nothing more than to take advantage of a distracted and divided United States. Today, months of focused work from our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee will let the Senate start to move toward this year's National Defense Authorization Act. Thanks to Chairman Inhofe and the committee, for a 60th straight year, the Senate has an opportunity to lay out our priorities for the U.S. military with a united voice. Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed guided a collaborative, bipartisan process. The committee considered 391 amendments and reported out their final bill on a nearly unanimous basis. The result is legislation that honors the unique sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, from authorizing a pay raise for Active-Duty personnel to ensuring high-quality housing, health, and childcare services for families stationed at home and abroad. Their product will help ensure our military continues to attract the next generation of warfighters and leaders and that those men and women will have cutting-edge equipment and tools to face off with competitors and defend our security and our interests around the world. In just the last several weeks, China has grown even bolder in its supposed ``enforcement'' of disputed waters and picked deadly fights with the world's largest democracy in the Himalayas. Russia has deployed aircraft to within eyesight of U.S. airspace and has kept testing the free world's tolerance for cyber attacks. North Korea has threatened a new round of the Korean war. Iran continues to flout international agreements and fuel instability throughout its region. Terrorists prey on the instability to advance their own extreme violence. Clearly, those who mean us harm will not wait for America's domestic challenges to fade away, and they certainly will not wait for the United States to quit bickering. So, notwithstanding all our other differences, I hope and expect this body will be able to put partisanship aside and honor the bipartisan tradition that has defined this crucial bill for decades.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session and the Committee on Commerce be discharged from further consideration of PN1674; that the Senate proceed to its consideration; that the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and that the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 618.

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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President. I have 3 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 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 25, 2020, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 25, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 433, S. 2472.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill 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 notwithstanding the provision of rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 483, S. 4049, ripen at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, June 25.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, June 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 that morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 483, S. 4049, under the previous order.

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 have 7 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 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on Indian Affairs The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing. Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations. Select Committee on Intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m., to conduct a closed hearing.