Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 14; 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; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Edwards nomination; further, that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, these resolutions concern requests for evidence in two criminal actions pending in Federal district courts, one in the District of Columbia and the other in the Southern District of Texas. Trials in both matters are expected to commence on January 8, 2024. In the first case, pending in Federal district court in the District of Columbia, the defendant is charged with multiple counts arising out of the events of January 6, 2021. In this case, brought against Anthony Antonio, the prosecution has requested testimony from Daniel Schwager, formerly counsel to the Secretary of the Senate, concerning his knowledge and observations of the process and constitutional and legal bases for Congress' counting of the Electoral College votes. Senate Secretary Berry would like to cooperate with this request by providing relevant testimony in this trial from Mr. Schwager. In the second case, pending in Federal district court in the Southern District of Texas, the defendant is charged with threatening to injure and murder Senator Ted Cruz in a voicemail he left with the Senator's Houston, TX office. In this case, brought against Isaac Ambe Nformangum, the prosecution has requested testimony from Amy English, the Senator's staff assistant, and Grant Murray, the Senator's special operations adviser, who witnessed the relevant events. The prosecution has further requested trial testimony from Anthony Rodregous, Senator Cruz's counsel, who has knowledge of the Senator's official duties and position on the 1965 Civil Rights Act, which formed the basis of the defendant's threat. Senator Cruz would like to cooperate with these requests by providing relevant employee testimony from his office. In keeping with the rules and practices of the Senate, the enclosed resolutions would authorize the production of relevant testimony from Mr. Schwager, Ms. English, and Messrs. Murray and Rodregous, with representation by the Senate legal counsel.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, earlier this morning, Senator McConnell and I welcomed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to the U.S. Senate, his third visit to the U.S. Capitol. It was a very powerful, enlightening, and positive meeting. President Zelenskyy's message was direct: Ukraine will win the war against Russia if more aid is approved. But his message to the contrary was also true: If no more aid is approved, Putin will win. It is that simple. Ukraine, the West, the U.S. strength as a credible ally are all hanging in the balance right now. Also, President Zelenskyy urged that we need to pass this aid quickly because if we don't pass it quickly, it will send a signal to the whole world that we are abandoning Ukraine and could start a snowball cascading to Ukraine's detriment and to our detriment. If Ukraine falls, it will be a historic and colossal tragedy. If Russia is victorious, future generations will remember this as a moment of shame for the West, for the United States, and for those in the Senate who sought to block it. This is a moment when a friend in need called on our help. We must rise to the occasion. If we abandon Ukraine to the dark forces of autocracy, we will all pay a price. The price won't be tomorrow, meaning next week, but it will be in the months and years ahead but will be an awful price. And everyone who voted against aid to Ukraine will have to live with it. This is a time for Republicans to be serious about reaching an agreement. ``Serious'' is the word we are saying to our Republican colleagues. It is not a time for one side to demand maximalist, fringe policies that they know are unrealistic and then say ``our way or the highway.'' If our Republican colleagues want an agreement on the border, they must meet us at the middle. They need to show us they are serious. So far, when they just ask for H.R. 2--or something like it--they are not showing seriousness. There are two words to describe Democrats right now. Just like the Republican word should be they need to be ``serious,'' the two words that describe Democrats right now: ``still trying.'' We are still trying to find a good-faith compromise with Republicans, but they must do the same. Now, last night, I got on the phone with Speaker Johnson and urged him to keep the House in session to give the supplemental a chance to come together. I told him that the House should stay in session because over the past 24 hours, I have been alarmed to see some of the same Republicans in the House--and now a good number in the Senate--who had previously demanded action on the border are now suggesting there is no urgency to act before Christmas. After months of saying the border is a crisis, that we must get something done yesterday, many Republicans now seemingly prefer to go home rather than pass a bill. If Republicans are serious about getting something done on the border, then why are so many of them in such a hurry to leave for the winter break? Has the border simply been an excuse to kill funding for Ukraine? By Republicans being unwilling to budge on H.R. 2 and getting ready to rush out of town, unfortunately, it may seem the case that these are both excuses, and they really want to kill funding for Ukraine and never had any intention of passing it. That is not true of all Republicans but too many--enough simply to hold us up right now from getting something done. Do Republicans not realize how thrilled Putin must be right now seeing the gridlock? Russian state TV is even running segments on how great it is for Russia that Congress can't pass Ukraine funding. Think about that. Putin's allies on Russian state TV are running segments right now on how great it is for Russia that aid to Ukraine is stalled. Democrats remain committed to finding a realistic, bipartisan agreement on securing the southern border. We will not accept Donald Trump's cruel border policies as envisioned in H.R. 2, which even Speaker Johnson has reminded his colleagues didn't get a single Democratic vote in the Senate. But if Republicans show they are serious about meeting us in the middle, we are willing to meet them in the middle. I hope my Republican colleagues take to heart President Zelenskyy's warnings: The one person happy right now about the gridlock in Congress is Vladimir Putin. He is delighting in the fact that Donald Trump's border policies are sabotaging military aid to Ukraine. I urge my Republican colleagues to show they are serious about getting a supplemental package done. Democrats are still trying, and we will continue to work with Republicans in good faith in the coming days.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, tomorrow morning, Leader McConnell and I will welcome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Senate. This will be the third time President Zelenskyy meets with Senators since the start of the war, and it will be his most important visit of all. The war in Ukraine stands at a crossroads, with our friends in desperate need of American aid to maintain pressure on Vladimir Putin. The last time President Zelenskyy spoke to the Senate, he warned us that without more aid, Ukraine will lose the war--simple as that. Earlier today, he warned military officers at the National Defense University that ``if there's anyone inspired by unresolved issues on Capitol Hill, it is just Putin and his sick clique.'' So if there is a word for what we most need this week, the word is to be serious about the task at hand. If Republicans in the Senate do not show they are serious about finalizing an agreement for the national security package, Vladimir Putin is going to walk through Ukraine and right through Europe. Both parties understand that aiding Ukraine and resisting Putin are critical for our national security, but Republicans and only Republicans are holding everything up because of unrealistic, maximalist demands on the border. Last week, we put forth a serious bill to address our national security needs. The package included robust border security provisions. Republicans rejected it out of hand, demanding their way or the highway, even though they were offered an amendment of their choosing-- and they only need 11 Democrats to go along. This posture is unserious. Again, Republicans and only Republicans are holding everything up because of unrealistic, maximalist demands on the border. I want to be very clear. Democrats very much want an agreement if possible. We talked all weekend with our Republican counterparts to find some kind of agreement. We talked again earlier today. We are not there yet, but as a sign of good faith, Democrats are going to keep trying. If Republicans keep insisting on Donald Trump's border policies, then they will be at fault when a deal for aid to Ukraine, Israel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza falls apart. The onus is on Republicans to show they are willing to moderate. Let me say that again. If Republicans keep insisting on Donald Trump's border policies, then they will be at fault when a deal for Ukraine, Israel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza falls apart. Republicans will be giving Vladimir Putin the best gift he could ask for. Democrats are serious about reaching reasonable, bipartisan compromise to pass this package. The question is if Republicans are now willing to do the same.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I have an amendment to the instructions at the desk.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.

Mr. SCHUMER. I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask that further reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion filed today be waived.

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

Mr. SCHUMER. I move to recommit the conference report to conference with instructions.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask that further reading be dispensed with.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I move to proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Executive Calendar No. 352.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, yesterday morning, Democrats came to the floor of the Senate to try and pass the assault weapons ban and other lifesaving gun safety legislation. Sadly, Republicans stood in the way of the Senate passing lifesaving legislation to get rid of the scourge of gun violence in America. Just hours later, we learned of yet another shooting on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Our prayers are with the victims of the shooting at UNLV and their families, our prayers are with the students and staff of the university reeling from this horror, and thanks to the brave law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting and prevented even more deaths. The pain from these shootings in these communities never truly fades. 30th anniversary of the long island rail road massacre Mr. President, I still remember the pain I felt when I first heard about the Long Island Rail Road massacre which happened in my own backyard. Today, December 7, marks 30 years since the Long Island Rail Road massacre. It is heartbreaking that the horrors of a tragedy 30 years old still feel like it happened yesterday. I remember the reports well: the 5:33 p.m. rush hour train from Penn Station, filled with commuters, average working Americans going home after a hard day's work to see their families. Moments later, a gunman unleashed carnage--6 dead, 19 injured. Many more lives were shattered, changed forever. Among those killed and injured were the husband and son of Carolyn McCarthy, a nurse from Mineola. Following the shooting, Carolyn began to advocate for tougher gun laws. Carolyn understood that something had to change. So after Carolyn's Congressman at the time announced he would be voting to repeal the assault weapons ban that I had championed--I carried the law in the House--she took matters into her own hands and ran for a seat in the House and won on that issue. She served in Congress for 18 years with me and many of my colleagues in this building and remained a vocal advocate for stronger gun safety laws. So now, in memory of those lost and those injured 30 years ago today on the 5:33 p.m. Long Island Rail Road train, I ask for this Chamber to observe a brief moment of silence. (Moment of silence.) Supplemental Funding Now, Mr. President, last night was a sad moment for the Senate, for the country, and for our friends in Ukraine and Israel and around the world. With our values and democracy on the line, Senate Republicans killed a much needed bill with funding for Ukraine, for Israel, and humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, and for the Indo-Pacific. If there is a word for what we need now most, it is to be serious. Republicans need to be serious and stop game-playing. It is absurd that we are even in this situation to begin with. Let me retrace the steps that got us here and then how we can get out and get something done. First, we all know how important Ukraine aid is. Both sides have long claimed to support it. To quote a recent speech from my friend the Republican leader, Leader McConnell, ``helping a democratic partner . . . against an unprovoked attack from a common enemy is obviously in America's interest.'' In another speech here on the floor, Leader McConnell added that ``now . . . is not the time to ease up'' on helping Ukraine defending their sovereignty. Interestingly, he didn't mention anything about the southern border that day. Second, it was Republicans who threw an unnecessary wrench into Ukraine funding by tying it to the extraneous issue of border. We all agree that border security is important. President Biden included strong border provisions in the proposal he sent us. But we also know it is a complicated issue--very complex--that has escaped bipartisan solution for years. I am certainly willing to have that difficult conversation. I was a leader of the Gang of 8 that produced the last real border compromise a decade ago. But it is not realistic for Republicans to suddenly hold up Ukraine aid, which they claim to support, and then suddenly demand that we take up border, which has been a problem for years, and then solve it in a matter of days. Nevertheless, we Democrats were willing to give it a try. And that is my third point. For 3 weeks, Democrats have sat down at the negotiating table with our Republican counterparts to see if something on the border was possible. We talked for 3 weeks, and, actually, negotiations ended up moving backward after Speaker Johnson said the only thing his Republican caucus would accept was Donald Trump's extreme border policies as embodied in H.R. 2. So Democrats tried to negotiate in good faith, but after the Speaker pushed H.R. 2, talks remained at an impasse. Fourth, to work our way out of this morass, we Democrats offered our Republican colleagues a golden opportunity: an offer for a vote on an amendment on any border policy of their choosing. And all they would have needed to pass it were 11 Democratic votes. They rejected our offer. I must say, it defies credulity for Republicans to demand border, hold up Ukraine because of the border, and then reject an offer to vote on a border amendment of their own crafting here on the floor. It may well be that Republicans can't even agree among themselves on a proposal. Either way, they rejected our offer and voted down the bill. So where are we now that that has happened yesterday? Well, we are left with only two paths forward to break the logjam: Either Republicans can take us up on an amendment offer or we can restart negotiations. Now, if we are to negotiate, it has to be in good faith. Republicans need to show they are serious about reaching a compromise--not just throwing on the floor basically Donald Trump's border policies. Again, Republicans need to be serious and stop the game-playing. They have been game-playing when they pushed Donald Trump's radical border policies, when they said border is the ransom they want, and when they moved the goalposts during negotiations. We need to stop playing around and get serious about the immense challenge in front of us. Both sides must accept that we have to compromise on things important to each side if we have any hope of passing the supplemental. Let me state: We Democrats very much--very much--want an agreement. We are willing to make compromises and concessions to meet our Republican colleagues, as long as they are willing to do the same. Let me conclude, again, with how important this is and with the warning that the Republican leader issued in recent months that if we aren't willing to invest in the defense of democracy right now, we are going to be forced to pay a much higher price down the line. It is better to defend democracy with American resources today, instead of American lives tomorrow. That is the danger of allowing brutes like Vladimir Putin to win the day. So the time is now for us to show the world we are willing to defend democracy in its hour of need. Democrats are serious about reaching a reasonable, bipartisan compromise to pass this security package. The question is if Republicans are now willing to do the same. Hanukkah Mr. President, finally, on Hanukkah, Jewish people around the country and around the world will celebrate tonight the first night of Hanukkah. This year, more than most years, Hanukkah comes at a moment of grief, of trial, and of fear for many Jewish Americans. And, perhaps, for that, it is all the more meaningful. The story of Hanukkah is a story of perseverance--perseverance in the face of unspeakable hatred. We have been taught about how the Jews of a different age--forced from their land, forbidden to practice their religion, their temple destroyed and desecrated--gathered to pray in secret, banded together in the hills and fields, and fought off their attackers. And once they endured, they set about the hard and slow and painful work of rededicating the temple and lighting once again the eternal flame of hope. I believe that America should do the same thing right now: rededicate ourselves to that noble promise of being a land of tolerance for all people--all people. Anti-Semitism, frighteningly, is on the rise. Islamophobia is on the rise. Hatred and discrimination remain a festering wound in the soul of our country. We must rededicate ourselves to stand against anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination. We must rededicate ourselves to rebuilding a more perfect Union, one that preserves tolerance and equality for every single American. I have faith that the forces of intolerance will lose in the end, just as they did in the days of Hanukkah, when Judah Maccabee led the Jewish people against an oppressive majority. I yield the floor. Recognition of the Minority Leader

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion filed today, December 7, be waived.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 410.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first let me thank Chairman Reed of the Armed Services Committee for his great leadership, Ranking Member Wicker, and all the members of the committee and the conferees for their good work in the past few weeks. So, in a few moments, I will lay down the NDAA conference report. There was a lot of hard work on both sides, and we have reached agreement for this year's Defense authorization bill. It is never easy--harder now than ever before. I will file cloture on the NDAA later today. Members can expect to take votes on this early next week. At a time of huge trouble for global security, doing the Defense authorization bill is more important than ever. The annual Defense bill is a prime example of both sides cooperating on a strong bipartisan package to strengthen America's national security, to take care of our servicemembers, and to keep the United States the leader in innovation. When we began the December session, I said the Senate faces three important tasks: ending the hold on military nominees, which we did earlier this week; getting NDAA done, which we are doing today and early next week; and, then, the biggest and hardest of all is passing the supplemental. We want to get that done as well. It is critical. We are going to keep working. Vote on Motion to Proceed I move to proceed to the conference report to accompany H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act. And now I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 30, H.R. 815.