Chuck Schumer

Mr. SCHUMER

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. 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 move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 1133.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks by the Senator from Delaware.

Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, what took place here on the floor yesterday was nothing short of the Senate working at its very best. The Senate took a bold step toward securing greater justice for millions of Americans by advancing the Respect for Marriage Act with a resounding bipartisan vote. Standing here on the floor yesterday, you could feel the sense of relief, of joy, within the Chamber. After the vote, I got on the phone with my daughter and daughter-in-law and told them the good news, that marriage equality is now on the march toward final passage--thank goodness. Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is no longer a matter of if but only of when. Later this afternoon, the Senate will take the next step in the process by formally adopting the motion to proceed. After that, both sides will have to work together to reach an agreement for voting on final passage as soon as we can. Yesterday's vote was a vindication that it was well worth the wait. While nothing was inevitable about the result, I never lost faith that deep down enough of our colleagues would understand how important it was to get this bill done. I am glad that that faith has now been justified. While some may want to delay this process, make no mistake, there is no stopping this bill from final passage. As I said a moment ago, the question of passage is not about if but when. I hope my Republican colleagues will work with us to move forward with this bill sooner rather than later. I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who spearheaded this legislation: Senators Sinema, Baldwin, Collins, Portman, and Tillis. They did terrific work. We wouldn't be here without them. Finally, I hope this bipartisan legislation, and all others we have passed this Congress, will continue to show how the Senate can function in the upcoming 118th Congress. I have always said I have a hierarchy: First, try to get things done in a bipartisan way whenever possible. It is far better to get things done for the American people than to hold show votes that bring political reckoning but have no hopes of passing. Our job, after all, is to get things passed and make lives better here in the Senate. And when the new Congress begins next year, that will continue to be my guiding star and No. 1 focus. Midterm Elections Madam President, now on MAGA, last week's midterm elections revealed a basic but often unappreciated truth about politics: When elected leaders prioritize getting things done--getting things done--and when candidates can run on accomplishments, the American people respond positively. That shouldn't be some remarkable insight, but, unfortunately, too many seem to forget it. Indeed, too many of my Republican colleagues seem to have forgotten it over the last couple of years. Look at what happened on Tuesday. The Republican side ran many flawed candidates who embraced MAGA radicalism, and they lost. They spread the Big Lie, sowed doubt and division and nastiness, and they ignored the issues that mattered most to Americans. As a result, voters ran in the other direction. But don't take my word for it. Here is what Leader McConnell himself said earlier this week, and I want to quote him in full. This is Leader McConnell: We underperformed among independents and moderates because their impression of many of the people in our party and leadership roles is that they're engulfed in chaos, negativity and excessive attacks, and it frightened independent and moderate Republican voters. Listen to that part again: [I]t frightened independent and moderate Republican voters. That is exactly what I have been saying. MAGA Republicans did, in fact, scare a lot of Americans who might have otherwise given the GOP a closer look. All that talk about stolen elections, threatening poll workers, it frightened people--and thank God. Americans said this is not for us. Americans believe deeply in democracy, despite the rightwing radical MAGA news media throwing all kinds of lies and incendiary statements at them every day. The roots of democracy are deep and a shield against that kind of activity. Republicans have a choice to make when the 118th Congress begins next year. If they continue embracing the MAGA approach of chaos and gridlock and division, they are going to keep losing. I earnestly hope that Republicans realize it is better for them and, of course, for the country to cure themselves of this MAGA sickness as quickly as they can. I know that it won't happen overnight, and I know that some on the other side would prefer to double down on MAGA, but it is critical for our Nation's health, and, in fact, their party's health that they learn this lesson. Americans don't want government to be an endless circus of MAGA insanity. They want leaders who will take their job seriously and work across the aisle to solve our Nation's problems. They know we are not going to succeed at everything, but they want good, earnest efforts at trying. And when we try--when both sides try in good faith--we often get a lot done, as this past Congress has shown. If Republicans fail to accept this wisdom, they will only invite further defeat in the future. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I just left the floor of the House for one of the most emotional moments I have had in my career: the valedictory of Nancy Pelosi, one of the greatest legislators and greatest people I have ever met. I first met Nancy Pelosi back in 1987. I was a Congressman, and we had a little dinner group that would go out to dinner every Tuesday night. One of the leaders of that group, George Miller, a Congressman from California, came up to me. He said: In a few minutes, I am going to introduce you to a new member of our group. She is the new Congresswoman from San Francisco, and she is going to become the first woman Speaker. That was the first thing I heard about Nancy Pelosi, even before I met her, and the moment I met her, I saw what he meant. It was obvious that this new Member from the west coast of California had it all-- Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi. She is the proud daughter of Baltimore's Little Italy neighborhood, the estimable Representative from the State of California, and the first woman ever as Speaker of the U.S. Congress. It was amazing. She did an amazing job, and I wanted to go over to the House floor where I had served 18 happy years, many of them as a colleague of Speaker Pelosi and a friend, to just say thank you for the amazing things she has done for our country. Few in American history have been as effective, as driven, as successful as Speaker Pelosi. She has transformed practically every corner of American politics and unquestionably made America a better, stronger nation. You know, I am known as having a lot of energy, but I have never ever met anyone with more energy than Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi. She is always moving in many directions at once, and she has a complete grasp of each direction in which she is moving even though she is moving at the same time. She is just an amazing person. She never forgot why she is in the fight to begin with--as she said, the children, always her North Star, helping the children of America. She did so much--her passion to pass the ACA was for the children above all; and for women, where she broke, of course, one of the greatest glass ceilings we have had, becoming the first woman Speaker; and the American Rescue Plan and the Lilly Ledbetter Act and the infrastructure bill and VAWA and pandemic relief; climate change; repealing don't ask, don't tell--just a few of her amazing achievements. She taught me a whole lot. Nancy Pelosi paid attention to each of her Members--I try to do the same--and she always taught the Members to be unified. Her expression that she repeated over and over again, which I have repeated to my caucus on so many occasions: Our unity is our strength. She would tell us, she would tell everyone: If everyone goes in his or her own direction, you will get nothing done, but if we all come together and everybody gives a little bit, we could get a lot done. And she sure did. I remember the moments that just became available on the tape when she and I were at the ``secret place'' during the attack on this Capitol, which so, so struck her, but there she was, cool, calm, and collected. Together, we worked to try to get either the National Guard or the police on the Hill, and we resolved that we were going to come back and actually count the votes--heavily regarded as one of Speaker Pelosi's greatest moments. And, again, she was cool, calm, collected. She knew exactly what to do and how to do it. So it is hard to fathom that very soon we will begin a new Congress where she is no longer a member of the party leadership. In my time as Democratic leader and as majority leader, she has been the best partner and ally I could ask for, and we have also been friends. She shared the joy of the birth of my children. I shared the joy of so many of the good things that happened in her family. She would always be talking about her family and always wanted to hear about mine. She was not only a great legislator; she was a great human being. Today particularly, I want to wish the very best to her family, especially Paul. I cannot imagine how painful and scary it has been for the Pelosis in the aftermath of Paul's attack, but, as usual, Speaker Pelosi carried herself with the same courage, grace, and dignity that she has always been true to. Finally and maybe most importantly, Nancy Pelosi made our country a much better place for countless women and girls from every walk of life. Nancy Pelosi was the one to blaze the trail, but you can be certain that countless other women will rise up in leadership in this country because of what she has accomplished and how she inspired them. I am going to have more to say in the weeks to come, but for now, let me finish with this: To Nancy Pelosi, my dear, good, and close friend, thank you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for dedicating your life to public service. Thank you for teaching us so much. Thank you for inspiring us all. It has been an honor of a lifetime to work with you. Order of Business Now, one notice to the Members, who I know want to hear about the schedule: We are working on an agreement on the marriage equality bill, and I hope that we can have a vote on the motion to proceed shortly. If we do not reach agreement, the vote is going to occur at 10 p.m. this evening. Members should be aware, and Members should stay close. I yield the floor.

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we continue to work on an agreement on the marriage equality bill. If we do not reach agreement, the vote on the motion to proceed will occur at approximately 10 p.m. this evening, so Members should stay close by.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions introduced earlier today: S. Res. 839, S. Res. 840, S. Res. 841, S. Res. 842, S. Res. 843, S. Res. 844, S. Res. 845, S. Res. 846, and S. Res. 847.

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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 848, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and 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 to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 6487.

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

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The yeas and nays are ordered. Amendment No. 6488 to Amendment No. 6487

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, in a few moments, I am going to file cloture on the substitute amendment for the Respect for Marriage Act, as well as the underlying bill. The substitute I am filing will contain the legislative text for the Senate session of the Respect for Marriage Act negotiated by both parties. We will hold a cloture vote on the substitute amendment when the Senate comes back into session on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Let me be clear. Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is not a matter of if but only of when. I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who led this bill, and I have zero doubt that Respect for Marriage will soon be the law of the land.

Mr. SCHUMER

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7132, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. SCHUMER

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