Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 307, Philip S. Hadji, to be a judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims for a term of 15 years, that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I have four 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 energy and natural resources The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a business meeting. committee on health, education, labor, and pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 11 a.m. 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, September 21, 2023, at 11 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations. special committee on aging The Special Committee on Aging is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 9 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. 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. 208.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the Shaheen amendment at the desk to the resolution be agreed to; the resolution as amended be agreed to; the Shaheen amendment at the desk to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble as amended be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 359, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 358, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, 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. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, 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, September 21, be waived.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I have just filed cloture to move forward on FAA. As I have said for months, we must work in a bipartisan fashion to keep our government open, avoid a shutdown, and avoid inflicting unnecessary pain on the American people. This action will give the Senate the option to do just that.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned to convene for a pro forma session, with no business being conducted, at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 22, 2023, and then that the Senate stand in recess until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26; that on Tuesday, following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 211, H.R. 3935; further, that the cloture motion filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. 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. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 281.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 354, which is at the desk.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, 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. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, 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. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the time until 12:15 p.m. be for debate only. At 12:15 p.m., we have a vote on the cloture motion on moving forward on the minibus.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, Senators from both sides of the aisle will have a chance to affirm that bipartisanship still rules the day in the Senate appropriations process. In a few hours, we will hold a cloture vote on the suspension of rule XVI, to override the stall tactics of one Member who objected last week to waiving rule XVI. It is yet another reminder that, in both Houses, a small group of hard-right Republicans is dead set on grinding the gears of government to a halt. For MAGA Republicans, it is as if chaos is a virtue and cooperation a crime, but I do not believe that this is the view of most Members in this Chamber, Democrats or Republicans. The appropriations process has been a true bipartisan success story to date. Our colleagues on the other side have asked for regular order, and we have worked with them to ensure we have done just that, just as we did on the NDAA bill. Our colleagues on the other side have asked for amendments, and we have worked with them to consider amendments. We worked side by side with our Republican colleagues in the Appropriations Committee to bring these three bills to the floor: MILCON-VA, Agriculture, and Transportation-HUD. It has taken a lot of hard work. We have had plenty of disagreements, as both sides normally do, but we have worked through them. It is a reminder that, even in divided times, it is the hard work--hard work--of achieving bipartisanship that produced results. Today, we have a chance to make sure all the good work of the appropriators is not wasted. Whether the Republicans give us cloture or not, we on this side of the aisle are going to do our best to ensure that the minibus gets done. We have come very far, and there is no good reason to turn back. Government Funding Now, Mr. President, on the CR, every day we get closer to September 30, one truth becomes clearer and clearer: There is no scenario for avoiding a government shutdown without bipartisanship. A government shutdown would be a terrible and unnecessary outcome for our country. Millions of Americans who count on government services would have their lives disrupted. It could impact the pay of our servicemembers, who so bravely serve us. Air traffic controllers and TSA employees would have to work without pay. FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund--needed by so many--could dry up. A shutdown would be disastrous. A shutdown would be unnecessary. Make no mistake, a shutdown is certainly avoidable. Yet, with each passing day, House Republicans seem less interested in avoiding a shutdown and more interested in catering to the hard, hard, unreasonable, adamant, and stubborn hard right. A few days ago, House Republicans released what they claimed was a deal for a CR--a slapdash, reckless, and cruel bill that everyone knew had no chance--no chance--of passing in the Senate. It would have cut 8 percent to virtually all nondefense spending. It would have cut investments to the Social Security Administration. It would have meant cuts to law enforcement, to NIH funding for cancer research, to nutrition assistance, to protections for clean water, for small business loans, even for the people protecting the border. Still, it wasn't extreme enough for the hard right. House Republicans rejected their own extremist bill, and by rejecting it, that is a dead giveaway they are not serious about avoiding a shutdown. They seem more interested in just finding the lowest common denominator--finding something, anything, that can appease the hard right no matter how extreme, no matter how unrealistic, no matter how cruel, and no matter how unseriously this would be taken by the country and by this body. This is not a serious way to solve the crisis. Look, I sympathize with the Speaker. I know his task isn't easy, as he has a lot of very, very difficult Members to deal with. But we all have--including the Speaker--a responsibility to the American people. Real lives would be disrupted in a shutdown. The answer to avoiding a shutdown is right in front of Speaker McCarthy, and he knows it: bipartisanship. Speaker McCarthy says he wants to avoid a shutdown. He says nobody wins in a shutdown. Well then, he should reach across the aisle to find an agreement that actually has the votes to pass both Chambers. That is the only way--the only way--this crisis gets resolved. When Members of your own side operate in bad faith, when has appeasement ever worked? If he gives in to them now, they will want something more tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Some of them have stated boldly that they want a shutdown. The Speaker has an obligation not to let those people who want a shutdown have their way. Chasing the lowest common denominator won't ever solve the Speaker's problems. The hard right will just keep demanding more extreme things. It is the pattern we have seen play out all year long, and that approach will only lead to one outcome: a MAGA government shutdown. This has been the problem with MAGA extremism from the start. It is not serious about governing. It hates governing. ``Chaos'' is the only word in their playbook. We have Members of the hard right who openly say--bragging--they want a shutdown. Well, it doesn't have to be this way, and it shouldn't be this way. Those few who want a shutdown should not control the House. Speaker McCarthy doesn't have to pretend like a MAGA bill is the only option. Again, there are real people who will be hurt if the government is shut down. They like to see us work together so their lives don't get disrupted. Today is September 20. House Republicans have less than 10 days to figure this out. If Republican leadership chooses to work with Democrats, we can avoid a shutdown very quickly, but if they continue to appease the MAGA hard right, we all know exactly how this is going to end. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I enter a motion to reconsider.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 249.