Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. 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. Finally, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 11; that 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; following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Small nomination postcloture; further, that all time be considered expired at 11:30 a.m., and following the cloture vote on the Hidalgo nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; further, notwithstanding rule XXII, at 2:15 p.m., the Senate vote on cloture on the Evanson nomination; that the Senate recess from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. to allow for the all-Senators briefing; that at 4:30 p.m., if cloture has been invoked on the Hidalgo or Evanson nominations, that all time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order in which cloture was invoked; finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session, the motions 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. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SCHUMER. Very soon, Mr. President, AI will reshape life on Earth in very dramatic ways. It will transform how we fight disease, tackle hunger, manage our lives, enrich our minds, and ensure peace. But we cannot ignore AI's dangers: workforce disruptions in a very serious way, misinformation and new weapons, threats against our elections, and there is the danger that we may prove incapable of managing this technology at all. Congress cannot behave like ostriches in the sand when it comes to AI. Yesterday, I laid out my SAFE Innovation framework for AI. I call it that because innovation must be our North Star. AI could be our most spectacular innovation yet, could lead to generations of prosperity, so Congress must promote its growth here in the United States. But if people don't think innovation can be done safely, without danger, that will stifle AI's development and even prevent us from moving forward. So my SAFE Innovation framework balances both prioritizing security, accountability, protecting our foundations, and explainability as safeguards, guardrails we need to make AI work safely for us. Yesterday, I also announced that later this year, I will invite the top AI experts to come to Congress and convene a series of first-ever AI Insight Forums for a new and unique approach to developing AI legislation. These Insight Forums are the first of their kind. They have to be the first of their kind because AI moves so quickly, will change our world so decisively. It is so much deeper in its complexity than almost anything else we have dealt with and lacks the legislative history in Congress that other issues like the military or education or healthcare have. Our jobs as legislators will be to listen to the experts and learn as much as we can so we can translate these ideas into legislative action. We must work quickly but not precipitously, because this issue is so complex. We will have no artificial deadlines. We will come up with proposals in a matter not of days or weeks and not of years, but months. These forums can't and won't replace the activity already happening in Congress on AI. Our committees must continue serving as the key drivers for legislation we produce in Congress, but the AI forums will give us lots more information and knowledge from which we can draw legislation. I thank all Senators from both sides who are already working on this issue. We are keeping it bipartisan, as it must be. We must exercise humility as we proceed. ``Humility'' is a key word here because this is so overwhelming. Success is not guaranteed. AI is unlike anything we have dealt with before, and it may be exceedingly difficult for legislation to tackle every single issue. But if we can find some solutions and create some consensus, we must press ahead. As Theodore Roosevelt said, ``We are in the arena.'' And there is no substitute for government being involved because without government, there will be no guardrails. Some companies may put them in, but they even won't put them in if other companies don't and gain an advantage. So government must be involved here. It is the only force powerful enough to impose guidelines on what could otherwise be an unfettered AI. Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi Now, Mr. President, on the Modi visit, later this afternoon, I will join congressional leaders in welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to the U.S. Capitol, where he will speak before a joint meeting of Congress. I will tell Prime Minister Modi the same thing I told him earlier this spring when I led the largest Senate codel ever to India: Our two nations will need each other if we are to beat back the forces of autocracy. When I visited India, I got to see the vibrancy and future potential of that society. It is astounding. And India will grow in power and strength over the next century. If we want to hold firm against the Chinese Government and the Chinese Communist Party, then the world's two largest democracies must work in unison to ensure peace. It means expanding trade and expanding opportunities for workers to come to the United States. It means safeguarding our common defense, which I know will be one of the big announcements during the visit. But I also told Prime Minister Modi during our meeting that we cannot lose sight of the values that define us as democracies in the first place, like freedom of expression, minority rights, and civil liberties. I told this to him in person because without that, no democracy--no democracy--can long thrive. So I look forward to meeting for the second time this year with the Prime Minister later this afternoon to stress the importance of democratic values and the urgency of our Nation working together. Tax Convention with Chile Mr. President, on the Chile tax treaty, for decades, Chile has been one of America's strongest partners in Latin America--economically, diplomatically, militarily, and scientifically. Today, the Senate will take a monumental step to strengthen United States-Chile relations by passing the Chile tax treaty. This treaty has been in the works for over a decade. It has strong bipartisan support, and now is the time to finally get it across the finish line. The United States-Chile treaty is consistent with other tax treaties we have with more than 60 countries, which boosts American competitiveness on the global stage. Chile is the home to the world's largest lithium reserves--the precious metal used in emerging technologies like iPhones, EV batteries, and renewable energy storage. So as the world races to advance clean energy technologies, Chile will be a critical ally for anyone looking to lead the way. But without a tax treaty with Chile, American companies could face double taxation and other barriers to investment and trade, leaving them at a significant disadvantage against foreign competitors. If the United States is serious about remaining ahead of countries like China, it is imperative we pass this treaty today and put American business back on a level playing field with the rest of the world when it comes to Chile. So this is a very important treaty for our future and for our leadership in technology and in clean energy. I hope it will get as close to unanimous support as anything can get in this body. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially Senators Menendez and Risch for their work on this issue, and I look forward to the Senate finally getting this treaty passed later this afternoon. H.J. Res. 44 Finally, Mr. President, on the pistol brace CRA, later this morning, Senate Republicans will force a vote on a bill seemingly designed to make America's gun violence epidemic even worse. Here, at a time with all this gun violence, Republicans are putting a bill on the floor that makes it easier--easier--to conceal an assault-style pistol, something that has been used in mass shooting after mass shooting. Shame on them. At issue is a commonsense rule released by the ATF regulating the use of pistol braces, widely available accessories that modify AK-style pistols so that they function identically to short-barreled rifles. If you have ever seen a gunman fire what looks like a machine gun with just one hand, that is what pistol braces allow you to do. And because they don't have a long barrel, it makes it much easier to conceal them; so people for bad purpose, particularly those who are involved and want to do mass shootings, love these weapons. And we are making it easier for them to get them. Some of the moves that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle make are just appalling. America's legacy of gun violence has been made significantly worse because of pistol braces. Even a surface look at recent mass shootings reveal that gunmen were often aided by a pistol brace. In the shooting in Dayton in 2019--9 killed, 17 injured--outside a bar, the gunman used a pistol brace. Consider the shooting in Boulder in 2021--10 killed, including a police officer. Again, the gunman used a pistol brace. And we cannot forget that tragedy in Nashville--three teachers murdered, three 9-year-olds slaughtered. The photo from that day haunts me and should haunt us. I think of it all the time: students ushered by police in a single file through the parking lot, parents frantically looking for their children, a little girl--that is the picture I think of--a little girl looking out the window of the schoolbus in tears, scared for her life. Today's Republican push to ease access to deadly pistol braces is an insult to countless families who have lost loved ones because of these enhanced weapons. This proposal is a shameful--shameful--step backward in America's fight against gun violence, and it is just utterly confounding and perplexing that our Republican colleagues are pushing this kind of legislation. Americans are tired of hard-right politicians who intentionally turn a blind eye to all the suffering in our communities while they actively work to take us backward in the fight against gun violence. I will strongly oppose this CRA and urge my colleagues to likewise vote no. Nomination of General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. Mr. President, finally, later this morning, I will be meeting with Gen. CQ Brown, President Biden's nominee for the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Brown is exceptionally qualified to serve as the Nation's highest ranking military officer and will be an important adviser to the President on military decisions and operations. General Brown's nomination would normally pass with consent, without cloture needed. I want to hear this morning from General Brown about the damaging impact that Senator Tuberville's holds on senior military promotions is having on our national security and military readiness. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, America's tragic epidemic of gun violence has been made worse by easy access to pistol braces. But today, amazingly enough, with all of these mass shootings, Republicans want to loosen safety rules regarding these accessories and take us backward in the fight against gun violence. It is hard to believe that that is what is happening. Pistol braces make it easier to conceal and transport weapons that function as highly dangerous short-barreled rifles and, in many instances, have been accessories of choice in recent mass shootings. Some of these mass shooters choose these braces to cause mayhem, and we are loosening the rules on them. It is hard to believe our Republican friends are doing this. How on Earth can Republicans look at our Nation's gun violence and think the right answer is to make these accessories easier to own? How can Republicans look away from tragedies in Dayton, in Boulder, and in Nashville, and in so many other places where pistol braces were involved, and conclude that we should reverse commonsense gun safety rules? When you use a pistol brace, if you are up to bad purpose, it makes it easier to conceal a weapon with AR-15-like power. Today's Republican push to reverse safeguards against deadly pistol braces is an insult to families torn apart by these accessories. It is in my mind almost every day, when the shootings occurred in Tennessee and the shooter used a pistol brace, and three 9-year-olds were killed, as well as three teachers, and you saw the picture of the little girl crying on the bus leaving the school because she was so frightened. I think of that picture every day. This proposal would mark a horrible--horrible--step backward in America's fight against gun violence. I urge my colleagues--I hope on both sides of the aisle--to vote no. Vote on H.J. Res. 44 I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 56.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 8.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, June 22, be waived.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. 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. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. 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. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this treaty is not getting much attention, but it is one of the more important things we are doing in the Senate in the last month--in the last few months--because it is very important for U.S. leadership, in the things we care about in terms of climate change, clean tech, EV batteries, that we have this treaty. The treaty is going to have lasting benefits for the United States and Chile. It expands investment in one of the most mineral-rich regions in the world--critical for making EV batteries and other clean tech. It will ensure that Chinese competitors won't continue to have the edge over U.S. companies in the race for lithium and other minerals when it comes to Chile. The Chilean people want to be close to the United States. I see some of our Chilean representatives in the Gallery. This treaty makes us much closer because there is no double taxation for American companies when they want to invest in Chile. Let's not forget that Chile has more lithium than any other country in the world, and lithium is one of those key elements that we need to make EV batteries and make solar panels and so many other things. So this Chile tax treaty is very good news for American jobs, American clean energy transition, and we are strengthening our economic bonds with a crucial ally, a vital ally, in South America. I just had the opportunity to meet with the representatives of the Chilean Government--the Foreign Minister, the Ambassador. I want to thank you for being here on this wonderful occasion. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for doing this--Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch. This is a very important treaty that will serve the United States, Chile, and the world economy very well in the years to come. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 178.

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 33.

Mr. SCHUMER

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