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. Madam President, I have three 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, June 1, 2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on foreign relations The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a business meeting. committee on the judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct an executive business meeting.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. So, Mr. President, 3 days ago, President Biden and Speaker McCarthy announced a bipartisan budget agreement that will protect the U.S. economy while eliminating the threat of a catastrophic default. I support the bipartisan agreement that President Biden has produced with Speaker McCarthy. Avoiding default is an absolute imperative. The damage that default would inflict on our country, our economy, and our families would be enormous and take years from which to recover. Of course, nobody is getting everything they want. There is give on both sides. But this agreement is the responsible, prudent, and very necessary way forward. Today, the House of Representatives is beginning the process of moving that legislation through the Chamber. When this bill arrives in the Senate, it is my plan to bring it to the floor as quickly as possible for consideration. Senators must be prepared to act with urgency to send a final product to the President's desk before the June 5 deadline. I commend President Biden and his team for producing a sensible compromise under the most difficult of circumstances. The bipartisan agreement accomplishes two major goals: First and foremost, it takes default off the table, sparing Americans from immense economic pain, and, second, it protects key investments that are essential for growing our economy, for fixing our infrastructure, and for making the United States more competitive on the world stage. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will not be touched. Our veterans will be cared for. And, again, we are avoiding the single worst outcome possible--a default on the national debt. From the start, I have said that the best way forward to avoiding default is bipartisan cooperation, and that is what this agreement represents. Again, nobody gets everything they wanted, but this bill is the responsible, prudent, and necessary way forward. A default on the national debt would be one of the great disasters in our Nation's economic history. It would mean another painful recession. It would mean 8 million fewer jobs, and it would mean soaring costs on credit card payments, mortgages, small business loans, and diminished 401(k)s. There is no reason to subject the American people to the pain of default. We still have more work to do in Congress, but I am optimistic that the path has now been paved and our objective is clear. We must pass this bipartisan agreement avoiding default as soon as we can. I hope the House moves quickly, and I will make sure the Senate moves quickly the moment this bipartisan bill is sent to us by the House.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand in recess under the previous order.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Good evening. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it recess until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 31; that following the prayer and pledge, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m., to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; further, that at 2:30 p.m., the Senate proceed to legislative session, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and it be in order to make a motion to proceed to H.J. Res. 45, which was received from the House and is at the desk; finally, that if the motion to proceed is agreed to, the vote on passage be at a time to be determined by the majority leader following consultation with the Republican leader on Thursday, June 1.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 221, submitted earlier today.

Mr. SCHUMER. I know of no further debate on the resolution.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent 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. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the negotiations are currently making progress. As Speaker McCarthy has said, he expects the House will vote next week if an agreement is reached, and the Senate would begin consideration after that. Following the vote on the Abudu nomination, Members should remain aware and be able to return to the Senate within a 24-hour period to fulfill our responsibilities to avoid default. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 222, 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, so, on AI, yesterday, I met with a bipartisan group of Senators--two Democrats, including myself, and two Republicans--to talk about spearheading our bipartisan efforts to focus on comprehensive AI legislation. Our group agreed that because AI technology is developing so quickly, Congress has to move fast. Over the past several weeks, my staff and I have met with close to 100 CEOs of companies who do AI--scientists, AI academics, leaders in the industry of many different viewpoints, and critics of AI. And I plan to continue to do this. If harnessed responsibly, AI has the power to do tremendous things for the public good. It can unlock unimaginable marvels in medicine, business, national security, science, and so many other areas of life; but if left unchecked, AI has the power to do tremendous, tremendous harm. It can accelerate misinformation, breed new forms of racial prejudice, create severe economic disruptions, and hinder human agency in the most severe of ways. So let me make a few observations in light of my conversation and our meeting. First, as I said a month ago, Congress must move quickly. Many AI experts have pointed out that the government must have a role in how this technology enters our lives; even leaders of the industry say they welcome regulation. So if we were to fulfill our role properly, our approach to AI must be fast-moving. We can't move so fast that we do flawed legislation, but there is no time for waste or delay or sitting back. We have to move fast. Second, our group also agreed that any approach must be bipartisan. AI technology already touches virtually every industry, field, and facet in our society, so our process must be collaborative and must draw from a broad and bipartisan range of views and issues. And, third, we think we have a good case study for how the bipartisan process can work: CHIPS and Science. When the Senate passed CHIPS and Science, both sides came together on an issue that impacted the Nation and involved a lot of committees, inputs, and views--much like AI will. And because there was so much bipartisan overlap in CHIPS and Science, as there is in AI, it makes it a lot easier to do this in a way that brings bipartisan groups together from the very beginning. So I hope CHIPS and Science can be a model for how we approach AI. I thank my colleagues--so many of my colleagues--not just the four of us who met, for their attention on this pressing issue, and I look forward to continuing to work with a wide range of Senators for many committees and from both sides of the aisle as we move forward.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, as I mentioned earlier, negotiations continue making progress. As Speaker McCarthy says, he expects the House will vote next week if an agreement is reached, and the Senate would begin consideration after that. Members should be aware and be able to return to the Senate within a 24-hour period to fulfill our responsibilities to avoid default. But I also want to take a moment to talk about some of the work the Senate has made progress on recently in the last work period. Over this work period, the Senate confirmed more than seven district court judges and three new circuit court judges--Bradley Garcia, Anthony Johnstone, and Nancy Abudu--confirmed earlier this afternoon to serve a lifetime appointment on the Eleventh Circuit that represents Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Ms. Abudu's appointment to the bench is barrier-breaking. She will be the first Black woman to preside on the Eleventh Circuit, and her circuit is home to nearly 8 million--8 million--Black Americans, including the Presiding Officer's great State. We have a duty to ensure that Federal judges are individuals of the highest caliber, and that includes appointing judges from a wide variety of personal and professional backgrounds. Ms. Abudu meets that higher standard, and she will serve admirably on the bench. With the confirmation of Ms. Abudu, the Senate has now confirmed 129 judges under President Biden--129. Elsewhere, the Senate passed the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act so firefighters can better afford lifesaving equipment and personnel, particularly in smaller, more rural, and more suburban areas, where the equipment is harder to find and harder to afford. Senators also reintroduced the SAFE Banking Act to enable cannabis businesses to access critical banking structures. Just last week, the Banking Committee held its first hearing on this legislation. And I will also work to make sure we include criminal justice provisions to SAFE Banking. Last week, the Commerce Committee moved on the bipartisan Railway Safety Act out of committee. I will work with Senators on both sides, including Senators Brown and Vance, the two lead sponsors, as well as Casey and Fetterman, also sponsors, to bring the Railway Safety Act for a vote soon. I will likewise work with my colleagues on efforts to make prescription drugs more affordable, including insulin. Last week, the HELP Committee advanced significant drug reforms, and it is my hope this process will continue to move forward in a bipartisan manner and will enable us to lower the cost of prescription drugs, particularly insulin. This work period, I joined with colleagues and committee chairs to announce the next steps in the Senate's effort to outcompete the Chinese Government and preserve America's global leadership in the 21st century. Last week, the Commerce Committee marked up bipartisan legislation on the U.S. semiconductor supply chains, and, this week, the Appropriations Committee held a bipartisan hearing on investments to outcompete the Chinese Government. The House Government Affairs Committee also marked up several bills on security and competitiveness. Our committees will continue working on various efforts on this issue during the next work period. Outcompeting the Chinese Government will be one of the great challenges of our generation, and we must be clear- eyed and act accordingly. So this has been a busy stretch for the Senate on a number of different fronts: more judges, progress with Fire Grants, SAFE Banking, Rail Safety, competing with the Chinese Government, prescription drug reform, and a whole host of important issues.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations: all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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. Mr. President, finally, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned to convene for pro forma sessions, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times: Friday, May 19, at 9:45 a.m.; Tuesday, May 23, at 12 noon; Thursday, May 25, at 12:30 p.m.; and Friday, May 26, at 9 a.m.; further, that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, the 26th, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30; 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 following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Papillion nomination; further, that the confirmation vote occur at 5:30 p.m. and that if the nomination is confirmed, 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. 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. Madam 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. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 203.

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 215, S. Res. 216, and S. Res. 217.

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. 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. Yesterday, I joined Congressional leaders to meet with President Biden for a good meeting about this year's spending priorities while also affirming the need to protect the full faith and credit of the United States. The meeting was the most positive we have had. There was goodwill, an openness to work together, and it was a promising step forward. Everyone agreed to a few important points: We must work to take default off the table, and a bipartisan bill in each Chamber that can get enough votes to pass in each Chamber is the best solution for averting default. Bipartisanship is needed. It is the only way to go. It is the only way we have solved these problems in the past. No bill premised on brinksmanship or hostage-taking can pass through both the House and Senate, and the other side recognized that today. Instead, we must focus on a bipartisan bill that can get the votes to actually become law. We still have a lot more work to do between now and the day we bring the legislation to the floor, but yesterday's meeting was a promising step in the right direction. Now, I asked the Speaker if he agreed that this needed to be a bipartisan process, and he said yes. Again, this, I believe, is a promising step in the right direction. Nobody will get everything they want in these discussions, and I hope nobody--nobody--draws redlines in the sand. Nobody should ever use default as a hostage, where they say, ``Unless you do this, we will default,'' because the consequences would be disastrous. Bipartisanship was the key to averting default under Trump. It is the key to averting default under President Biden, and it will be the key to averting default before June 1. I am hopeful we can reach an agreement as soon as possible. Defaulting on the debt would be the worst--the worst--outcome for this country, as I have outlined repeatedly in speeches in this body. There is no need--none--to subject the American people to the anguish of default, and I am glad both sides are making a good effort, for now, of removing default from the table.

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, May 18; 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 following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Abudu nomination postcloture; further, that all time during adjournment, recess, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the nomination; further, if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.