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>> this is joe. >> when you're connected, you're not alone. >> cox supports c-span as a public serce along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> we take you live now to the floor of the u.s. senate for more debate on president biden's nomination to the amtrak board of directors. later in the week lawmakers will consider judicial nominees. live coverage of the senate here on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, the reverend dr. barry black, will open the senate in prayer. the presiding officer: the . the chaplain: let us pray.

oh, god, our hope for the years to come, continue to guide our lawmakers during these challenging times. infuse them with wisdom and energy so that they will not become discouraged by what sometimes seems overwhelming. lord, show them the road that will load to a desired destination, as you assure them of your presence, love, and grace. help them to defer to each other, to respect each other, so that by attitude and action, they will reflect your divine will. we pray in your great name.

amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington d.c., january 23, 2024. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable raphael g. warnock, a senator from the state of georgia, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patty murray, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved.

mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i understand that there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: h.r. 6914, an act to require institutions of higher education to disseminate information on the rights of and accommodations and resources for pregnant students and for other purposes. mr. schumer: in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions rule 14, i would object to further proceedinge÷. the presiding officer: the objections having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. and now to today's remarks. senate negotiators continue their work on a truly

significant undertaking, reaching a bipartisan agreement to protect america's national security, to strengthen our border, and to provide critical aid to ukraine, israel, our friends and partners abroad, as well as humanitarian aid for the palestinians in gaza and humanitarian aid to other places around the world. we're close to reaching a bipartisan agreement on the supplemental, but we are not there yet. negotiators are still working through some outstanding items. all of us want to reach an agreement, but it is very important that we get this right. so i'm heartened that negotiations are in a good place, even as we have more work to do. i stayed in close touch with my senate colleagues, with the republican leader, and with the white house, and we're all on the same page that we want to reach an agreement. the president said he's willing to work with republicans in a big way on border security. for the last two months democrats have demonstrated that we're willing to have this very

difficult debate. it's not easy. in fact, border security is one of the most difficult things we've understand taken by -- undertaken, but democrats are serious about getting something done. but as i've said from the beginning, any outcome on the border has to be bipartisan. it has to be something that can get 60 votes in the senate. we believe we can get it done so we're going to keep working. now, there are many on the hard right who are trying desperately to kill these negotiations before they even finish. many of them are motivated by naked partisanship. others are taking cues from donald trump. they talk about the need to fix the border but now they don't actually want to see a bipartisan solution on the border, which is the only kind of solution of course that can pass. but here in the senate both sides have an obligation to make sure these hard right voices stay in the minority. we must let the negotiators finish their work. too much hangs in the balance

for our national security, for our border, for our friends around the world. this is especially true for the war in ukraine. very soon we will reach the two-year mark since putin commenced his illegal invasion and the war now stands at a turning point. american aid which has been so crucial for helping our ukrainian friends hold the line has been exhausted. the only way to provide more aid is through congressional action. and it's essential that congress act because as ukraine supplies run low, russia's supplies are replenishing. according to a report yesterday, weapons from north korea are now making their way to the battlefield, including north korean missiles. the more weapons from north korea enter the war, the more precious resources ukraine will be forced to use to shoot these weapons down. resources that are already in short supply. in fact, ukrainian commanders have already said they've been forced to ration munitions

because they don't know when or if another round of american aid is coming their way. so to my senate colleagues, the matter is quite simple. as president zelenskyy himself told us over a month ago, if the united states congress approves more aid to ukraine, they can win the war against putin. but if congress fails to act, ukraine faces defeat. and make no mistake, a defeat for ukraine will make the world a more dangerous place for the united states. whatever costs we bear to resist putin today will be magnified in the future. we dare not go down that road. we dare not shrink from our obligation to defend democracy in the hour of need. our friends in ukraine need our help. we must answer their call by finishing work on the supplemental. i yield the floor. note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

snail the clerk: ms. baldwin.

and to provide critical aid to ukraine, israel and her friends and partners abroad as well as humanitarian aid for the and humanitarian aid to the places around the world. look, were close to reaching a bipartisan agreement on the supplemental. we are not. negotiators are still working through some outstanding items. all of us want to reach an agreement but it is very important that we get this right. so i am heartened that negotiations are any good place even as we have more work to do. i have stayed in close touch with my senate colleagues with republican leader and with the white house and we're all on the same page of the want to reach an agreement. the president said he wanted to work with republicans in a big way on border security. for the last two months democrats have demonstrated that we're willing to have this very difficult debate. it's that easy. in fact, bore security is one of the most difficult things we have undertaken but democrats

are serious about getting something done. but as i said from the beginning, in the outcome on the border has to be bipartisan. that has to be something that can get 60 votes in the senate we believe we can get it done so we're going to keep working. now there are many on the hard right who are trying dispensed . the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: the goals of supplemental national security legislation are pretty straigh straightforward. we need to restore security and order at our southern border. we need to help the fights against authoritarian aggression in europe. we need to invest seriously in competition with our top strategic adversary. and we need to stand side by

side with israel and other allies to impose real costs and restore real deterrence against iran and its terrorist proxies. keeping america safe, securing our interests, standing with our al allies. it's basic appeal to a fundamental governing responsibility. but unfortunately, it's especially evident in the middle east that the biden administration and some of our colleagues here in congress have yet to muster the resolve and clarity to fulfill this responsibility. three and a half months after iran-backed terrorists slaughtered 1200 israelis on october 7, the resolve among

some washington democrats to help our ally fight back seems to be flagging. i've said repeatedly that israel deserves the time, space, and support it needs to restore its security. but increasingly the administration and some of our colleagues have expressed a different sentiment, that america deserves the final say in how israel conducts its defense. just consider the renewed fixation with russian -- with rushing to a two-state solution. first, why would any of us think it's a good idea to reward hamas and the palestinians who rejoiced on october 7 with a state? who, i might ask, do our

colleagues expect is ready to govern such a state? we know the answer is not hamas. every time those terrorists have faced a choice between improving the lives of palestinians and taking the lives of israelis, hamas has chosen the latter. billions upon billions of dollars in international aid, and yet the only thing gaza's rulers appear to have chosen to invest in is lethal weapons and terror tunnels. hamas certainly doesn't a two-state solution. it wants to destroy israel from the river to the sea. palestinians have endured the raw opposition of their supposed leader's -- leaders' corruption and terrorism for generations. make no mistake, the most prominent alternative to hamas

is not substantially better than the darlings of iran's tripps network -- iran's terrorist network. leaders of the palestinian authority, from arafat to abubazin have rejected every chance at an agreement to live in peace. the p.a. is also relentlessly and thoroughly corrupt. their officials may skim off the top to line their own pockets, rather than to line terrorist tunnels with concrete like hamas. but the result for average palestinians is not dissimilar. i cannot understand why some of my democratic colleagues, including the chair of the foreign relations committee who pushed so hard to pass legislation combating global corruption, now wants to shovel billions of taxpayer dollars to

one of the most corrupt entities on the entire planet. if we're serious about cou countering corruption, there's no choice, there's no better place to start than with the palestinian authority. if there's a path to peace between israelis and palestinians, it's not through rewarding terror, it's through new palestinian leaders and reformed institutions focused on improving lives, not radicalizing a generation of martyrs to destroy israel. and yet, some washington nfectew form of b.d.s. is i don't mean the vial boycott divestment sanctions that seems to delegitimize the jewish state, although the growing prominence of this movement on the left is also truly wor

worrisome. i mean bibi derangement syndrome. my colleagues seem to allow their personal feelings about isr israeli's democrat krattly -- democratically elected prime minister to cloud their views about israel. more recently, the american left is outraged that the prime minister would cast doubt on the biden administration's desire to leap back into negotiation abouts a two-state solution. perhaps, they should listen to israel's president, isaac herzog, a long-standing leader of the israeli left. just last week, president herzog put to rest any notion that prime minister netanyahu is the obstacle to peace. no israeli in his right mind, he said, is focused on peace negot negotiations. he went on to explain israel

lost trust in the peeps process because -- in the peace process because they see terror is glorified by our neighbors. but he also reity raided a more fundamental -- reiterated a more fundamental point, one my colleagues might do well to consider. here's what he said, the world has to face it point-blank. there is an empire of evil emanating from iran, and that iran's activities undermine any chance for peace and stability. if we're serious about giving peace any hope of success, america must continue to stand with our ally israel as it removes hamas tribalists from any -- hamas terrorists from any calculus of palestinian future. we must demand significant reforms of the pall authority, and we must lead the international effort to impose

real, real costs on tehran until it changes its behavior. on a recent matter, i've spoken about the choice facing america's most elite universities. in the wake of october 7, an alarming surge of anti-semitic hate swirled around the loftiest campuses in our country. and we're all painfully aware by now, the responses of university administrators were not exactly profiles in courage. from the equivocations and weak public statements to the absurd double standard invoked in testimony before congress. after months of alumni uproar and pressure from the public, harvard and penn appeared to recognize that it was time for new management.

as i've said, universities shopping for presidents would do well to focus on scholarly integrity, moral clarity, and rock-solid commitment to the even enforcement of free speech. unfortunately, we're still waiting to see any real signs that these universities have actually taken the lessons of the past few months to heart. harvard, for its part, rolled out a new presidential task force on combating anti-semitism to much fanfare. sounds promising. that is, until you learn that the choice for cochair of the panel has a record of calling israel a regime of apartheid. the university has also made no plans to terminate an exchange

partnership with a university in the west bank that proclaimed glory to martyrs in the wake of october 7 and whose students have eastern been arrested -- even been arrested for planning a tax rate attack with -- a terrorist attack with weapons supplied by hamas. so you'd be forgiven for assuming that cutting ties with affiliated organizations would be step one in any serious effort to reform a university. these responses would be laughable if they didn't have such clear, measurable, dangerous consequences. just last month a poll showed one in five americans between the ages of 18 and 25 doubts -- doubts -- that the holocaust happened. let me say that again. just last month a poll showed one in five americans between the ages of 18 and 29 doubted that the holocaust happened.

perhaps this shouldn't surprise us when we look at young people in post-modern critical theory that subjectizes norms and endlessly deconstructs the wisdom of the ages and assaults the very notion of objective truth. the holocaust is not an alternative fact. it's not simply a narrative to be questioned by students' lived experiences. and yet 20% of the young people in this country doubt whether the most vile and systematic genocide of jews in the world ever happened? and the most elite universities vying to shape their minds have now spent months in an embarrassing public struggle to

avoid reckoning with their role in the rise in anti-semitic hate. if these institutions ever want to regain the cultural authority that they once held, they might want to start with taking the world's oldest form of hate a bit more seriously. mr. durbin: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority whip. mr. durbin: mr. president, i'd like to take a moment to honor the six national gun violence memorial week. this week we recognize the unbelievable toll of gun violence in america and we offer our support to survivors who were left behind. no state or city is safe from the epidemic of gun violence. just yesterday in joliet, illinois, less than an hour

outside of chicago, seven lives were taken within minutes by a shooter with a gun. joliet police chief bill evans said, and i quote, i've been a police officer for 29 years. this is the worst crime scene i've ever been associated with. in highland park, illinois, a shooter with assault rival fired 83 -- assault rank and file fired -- assault rifle filed 83 rounds killing seven innocent people, wounding dozens before law enforcement could final lay even identify where he was. so much for the theory of a good person with a gun stopping a bad person with a gun. when it comes to assault rifles, that is not even in the realm of possibility. katie gilman was one of many of my constituents who was there in highland park. she was with her husband and two

daughters to see the 4th of july parade. then the shooter opened fire on the crowd. she and her children ran for their lives. katie still lives in fear that what happened that day could happen again and that she may not be able to protect her kids this time. she recently wrote to me sand and said, for close to a year i've had deep-seated fear that my children won't make it through the schoolday due to gun violence. and each day in the news, there's proof of these fears. the unfortunate reality is that americans are forced to worry about whether their kids will be safe from gun violence at school, at the movies, at concerts, at church, virtually everywhere. since 2020 or, the united states has suffered more than 600 shootings each year, almost two a day. there's no place in america that's been spared. and guns are now the number-one

cause of death for american kids and teenagers. think of that. in the entire world, it's in america -- the number-one cause of death of kids and teenagers, guns. not auto accidents, not cancer -- guns. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to enter into the record an editorial opinion published this morning entitled "-illinois's ban on assault weapons is working." it was published in "the sun times." i ask unanimous consent to enter it in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: thank you. it reflects the fact that illinois decided to change its law. we said toed to come to flip with the assault weapons scourge that hit highland park and continues to threaten america. this is an article that is written by the ceo of gun violence prevention pac,

kathleen san when he. in it, she makes note of the fact that the new law in illinois is being measured as to whether it is been successful on its one-year anniversary. the analysis of data from the gun violence archive shows 10% fewer mass shootings in illinois between 2022 and 2023. gun dealers haven't sold assault weapons in illinois in the past 12 months, she writes, and there isn't any evidence of violations by dealers. gun dealers are complying with the ban, and that's evidenced by their complaints about the loss of sales, collectively costing dealers millions of dollars but saving untold numbers of lives. when the assault weapons or high-capacity weapons are used in shootings, 155% more people are shot, 47% more people are killed. that simple, commonsense effort to put an end to gun violence is working in illinois, thank goodness. but we must do more.

we cannot lose hope. instead we should focus on what we can do to address the gun violence crisis. in cities like chicago dealing with gun violence has turned public health professionals into battlefield experts. i heard from doctors in chicago who are sick ever treating gunshot victims on the operating table. 50% of whom, if they survive, would leave the hospital and return gunshot victim again. they wanted to prevent this gruesome injury scenario from happening in the first place and then repeating. so in 2018 i brought together the ceo's of the ten largest hospitals serving chicago to talk about how we can help. we formed a group known as the chicago heal initiative, which has emerged as an example of how hospitals can collaborate and reach outside their walls to prevent gun violence. most importantly, they aren't just stitching up physical injuries.

they're addressing the emotional scars of these patients. we must do more for the survivors. that means providing resources like the healing initiative and preventing weapons of war from causing bloodshed in the first place. it is time to come together to create real change. congress must pass commonsense legislation to help keep america's children and communities safe. mr. president, i'd like to turn briefly to another urgent topic. we must restore order at our southern border and enforce our immigration laws in a fair and humane way. that's why the senate has been engaged in bipartisan talks on a path forward for weeks. the republican governor of texas takes a much different view. he has implemented cruel, even deadly and ineffective immigration policies that sow chaos, risk lives, and prevent federal border officials from

doing their jobs. last week a woman and two children tragically died in the rio grande river while mexican authorities rescued other migra migrants in distress. u.s. border patrol could not reach the migrants in need because the texas national guard actively blocked access to the rio grande river. this is just the latest tragedy resulting in governor abbott's policies. as part of its so-called operation lone star, texas has strung razor wire along the border and has seriously injured migrants and has dropped migrant children off in subzero temperatures. we warned him. the governor of illinois warned governor abbott of texas that if you haphazardly drop these migrants off at this time of year, terrible things can occur. a few weeks ago a little boy died. god knows which others were in

change because of the governor of texas and his strategy. just last week texas began arresting immigrants that make it a state crime to cross a border without inspection, placing them in state custody. governor abbott defends these policies even though there is zero evidence that they deter migrants from crossing the border. we must discourage migrants from risking their lives. but we cannot stand by while governor abbott increases the likelihood of injury or death. december spite their desperation to reach safety, most migrants wish to enter the united states lawfully. many wait months at our border for appointments to make asylum claims. in defending his policies, the governor of texas recently bragged, and i quote, the only thing we're not doing is we're not shooting people across the border because, of course, the biden administration would charge us with murder. a direct quote from governor abbott. his actions are not only

dangerous and cruel; they're unconstitutional. under our constitution, states do not have the right to pass their own laws preempting federal laws on immigration. just yesterday the supreme court ruled in favor of the federal government allowing border patrol agents to cuss through or -- to cut through or remove razor wire that the governor from texas installed on the border. as former justice ■anthony kennedy wrote in a case which found parts of arizona's anti-immigrant law unconstitutional, and i quote, the history of the united states is in part made up of stories, talents, and lasting contributions of those who crossed oceans and desert to come here. with that sentiment in mind, congress must do its job and pass immigration laws that honor our history as a nation of immigrants and provide the critical resources necessary to address challenges at our border. mr. president, i guess i'm pretty well known as chairman of

the senate judiciary committee in favor of immigration, legal immigration to this country. i believe immigration is a critical element in who we are and what we will become. it is part of our past. it will be part of our future. my mother was an immigrant to this country, and i've never forgotten t i'm hucky to be -- i'm lucky to be standing here as a united states senator because her parents had the courage to come to a country where they didn't even speak the language in the hopes of a better life for her and her chin. -- and her children. one of her chairman is now standing in the united states -- one of her children is now standing in the united states senate. there are certain elements with i we must acknowledge. number one, the united states cannot absorb all of the people who want to come to this country at this moment. we have to have an orderly process that makes sense not only for the migrants but also makes sense for america, first and foremost. we have to be cognizant and sensitive to our nation's safety and security. that's number one. we should never knowingly allow

anyone to come to this country who would cause us harm. secondly, we've to make sure that those who come will add to america. and i believe most will. if given a chance, they become part of our economy, even starting at the lowest levels and working their way up. the story of immigration in america. in addition to that, we need to work with other countries to regulate the flow of refugees. the refugee crisis in the world today is the worst it has ever been, and we're seeing it evidenced in the fact that those who present themselves at our southern border are often from places like china and asia and africa, and they find their way to the mexican border with the united states in the hopes of a future. we need an orderly process, but we also need to make sure we have legal authorization of people to come to this country to work. i can't tell you how many people in illinois have come to me and said we are desperate for workers.

americans won't fill these jobs and we need people who will. all the way from the farming industry, that's the story and that's the reality. what we need to do is come to an agreement that is sensible here, a bipartisan agreement, and do it quickly. the numbers are approaching -- the numbers approaching our border are so overwhelming. we have no choice but to do that. i want to work on a bipartisan basis in good faith and goodwill with those who recognize that immigration is for our future and we must work in an orderly fashion. i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

mr. thune: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. thune: is the senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: it is. mr. thune: i would ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, this past saturday marked three years of the biden administration, and after three full years under president biden, the question naturally arises is america better off? are americans better off? and for a whole lot of americans, the answer is no in a december poll, 55% of voters said they are worse off under

president biden. in a january poll, 46% of voters said their personal financial situation is getting worse compared to just 28% who said it is improving. a recent abc b kbc news -- abc arting, in the sign of the times, barely more than a quarter americans say the american dream still holds true. end quote. mr. president, it's no wonder. perhaps the biggest legacy of the president's first three years in office is a massive inflation crisis that has still, still not gone away. inflation may have descended from the stratosphere of heights it reached earlier in the president's term, but we are still stuck with an inflation rate well above the federal reserve's target rate of 2%. inflation actually ticked up again in december by a not significant margin.

the practical effect, mr. president, has been that a whole lot of americans have seen their breathing room disappear under president biden. according to a recent analysis, members of the joint committee here in congress, a typical household has to spend over $11,000 more each year to maintain the same standard of living it had at the beginning of the biden administration. 11,000 -- $11,000 more each year. that, mr. president, is a staggering amount of money. it's money that a lot of families don't have. and so it's not surprising that 55% of voters say they are worse off under president biden. it turns out that when you're spending 20% more on groceries and 18% more on shelter and 35% more on gasoline and 25% more on electricity and on and on, over

the course of just three years you don't feel very prosperous. and i haven't even mentioned how difficult it's gotten for many americans to achieve the dream of homeownership thanks in part to rate hikes that the federal reserve has had to implement to deal with president biden's inflation crisis. suffice it to say that the inflation crisis president biden helped create with his so-called american rescue plan has resulted in economic misery for a lot of americans. mr. president, the president will unquestionably be remembered for his massive inflation crisis, but he will also be remembered for presiding over a border crisis of staggering proportions, a crisis that like the inflation crisis he had a large hand in creating. from the day he took office when he rescinded the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border, president biden made it clear that border security was at the bottom of

his priority list. and over the three years since, he's turned our southern border into a magnet for illegal migration from repealing border policies of his predecessor to misusing our asylum and parole systems which are now providing temporary amnesty to hundreds of thousands of individuals who are here in our country illegally. we've had three record breaking years of illegal immigration at our southern border on president biden's watch. fiscal year 2021 saw a record breaking 1,734,686 migrant encounters at our southern border. and fiscal year 2022 broke that record. and then fiscal year 2023 broke that record. and if fiscal year 2024 continues on its current trajectory, we will end up breaking the record yet again.

december reportedly saw a staggering 302,000 migrant encounters at our southern border, the highest monthly number ever recorded. to borrow annal ji from our colleague -- analogy from our colleague from pennsylvania, it's like having the entire city of pittsburgh show up at our southern border in just one month. that doesn't count the got-aways. and of course the overwhelming numbers we're seeing make it easier for dangerous individuals to make their way into our country. between october and november alone, 30 individuals on the terrorist watch list were apprehended, attempting to cross our southern border. in other words, roughly one every other day. and those are just again, mr. president, the individuals that were actually apprehended. since october 1, there have been more than 83,000 known

got-aways. those are individuals the border patrol saw but was unable to apprehend. how many of them were criminals? terrorists? or other dangerous individuals? the truth of the matter is, mr. president, we just don't know. but what we do know is that the crisis at our southern border is leaving a gaping hole in our national security, one that the president has spent a majority of the past three years essentially ignoring. mr. president, his border crisis and his inflation crisis might be the two most notable features of the president's first three years in office, but the president is also leaving some other trouble legacies. his hostility to conventional energy production and his devotion to green new deal policies that put us on a dangerous trajectory when it comes to our nation's security. we're already seeing weaknesses in our lek trick grid, and the president's energy policies are

putting us at risk of significant disruptions to our supply. on the trade front, the president's almost complete lack of action on meaningful trade agreements has meents declining market access for america's farmers and ranchers and threatens americans' competitiveness in the global market. and the weakness the president has frequently demonstrated on the national security front, i should say, from his disastrous withdrawal from afghanistan to his attempt to revive president obama's dangerous nuclear deal with iran have compromised america's ability to deter hostile actors on the world stage. so, mr. president, i could go on. but i'll end it here. suffice it to say that it has been a rough three years for our country under president biden. and it's not over yet. mr. president, i yield the floor

and i suggest the absence of a qu quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

>> negotiators continue their work on a truly significant undertaking. reaching a bipartisan agreement to protect america's national security. to strengthen our border and to provide critical aid to ukraine, israel and her friends and partners abroad as well as humanitarian aid for the palestinians in gaza and humanitarian aid to other places around the world. we are close to reaching a bipartisan agreement on a supplemental but we are not there yet. negotiators are still working through some outstanding items.

all of us want to reach an agreement but it is very important that we get this right. so i'm heartened that negotiations are any good place even as we have more work to do. i stayed in close touch with my senate colleagues, with republican leader and with the white house, and we're all on the same page that we want to reach an agreement. the president said he's willing to work with republicans in the big way on border security. for the last two months democrats have demonstrated that we're willing to have this very difficult debate. it's not easy. in fact, or security is one of the most difficult things we've undertaken. democrats are serious about getting something done. but as i said from the beginning, in the outcome on the border has to be bipartisan. it has to be something that can get 60 votes in the senate. we believe we can get it done so we're going to keep working. now there are many on the hard right who are trying desperately to kill these negotiations before the even finish. many of them are motivated by

naked partisanship. others are taking to some donald trump. these hard right saboteurs go on and on about the need to fix the border but now they don't actually want to see a bipartisan solution on the border which is the only kind of solution of course that can pass. pass. but here in the senate both sides have an obligation to make sure these hard right voices stay in the minority. we must let the negotiators finished their work. too much, too much hangs in the ballers for our nationals agree, for our border, for our friends around the world. this is especially true in the working ukraine. very soon we will reach the two-year mark since putin commenced his illegal invasion and the war now stand at a turning point. american aid which is been so crucial for helping our ukrainian friends hold the line has been exhausted. ..

weapons from north korea are making their way to the battlefield including korea missile. weapons entered the war, the more precious resources ukraine will be forced to use. resources already in short supply. ukrainian commanders have already said they are forced to ration because they don't know when or if another round of american-made is coming their way so my senate colleagues, it's quite simple. president zelenskyy himself told us united states congress approves aid to ukraine thinking when the war congress fails to act like ukraine faces. make no mistake about defeat will make the world a more dangerous place in the united states and breezes putin back in

the future. we dare not go down that road. we dare not shrink from our obligation to defend democracy. our friends in ukraine need our help so i must answer the call finishing work on the supplemental. iq before. >> the goals of supplemental legislation is pretty straightforward. we need to help because of the return of russian and europe we need to invest seriously in competition for top strategic adversary.

our other allies who compose real deterrence. america safe, securing her interest, standing with our allies. it's basic appeal to fundamental but it is especially evident in the middle east the biden administration colleagues in congress get to muster resolve and clarity to fulfill this responsibility among some

fighting and absent repeatedly israel serves time, praise and support it needs to restore security that the administration expressed a different sentiment. the pharmacy and is defense considered renewed fixation with russia to a two state solution. i don't think any of us think it's a good idea to reward, and rejoice october 7. who do our colleagues expect

will govern in such a state? know the answer every time they face between improving lives of past and taking celexa israelis. billions upon billions of dollars and yet the only thing they appear to have chosen is lethal weapons and a two state israel from the river to the sea. palestinians adored brought a position of terrorism. make no mistake the alternative, is not substantially better

friends terrorist networks. leaders of the palestinians argue and have rejected every chance to live in peace. relentlessly and thoroughly corrupt and align their own pockets in the response is not similar. i cannot understand why the chair of the foreign relations committee pushed so hard to pass legislation to combat global corruption. billions of taxpayer dollars on

the entire planet. if we are serious, there's no choice, no better place to start than with palestinian authority. israelis and palestinians and rewarding terror and remove institutions and improve lives and destroy israel. the sanctions on this movement on the left truly worsens.

the deranged syndrome and lava personal feelings and their views and outraged the prime minister on the biden administration on a two state solution perhaps they should listen to the long-standing leader. he went on to explain the peace process

our country. the administrators were not exactly in the public testimony. after mom of pressure from the public recognize the university

and the search of moral clarity to the evening enforcement. in a new presidential task force and anti-semitism you learn of the university has been no plans in the west bank that proclaims

markers in the wake of october 7 and weapons supplied by hamas. you be forgiven for assuming7( this sub any serious reform. these were clear and pleasurable, dangerous consequences just like the polls showed, 18 and 29 jobs. this last month showed to 29.

this process when we look at young people subjective as the and deconstruct wisdom and very objective truth, an alternative, it's simply a narrative and students lived experiences and get 20% of the country with genocide abuse in the most elite universities in an american public trouble the lord their

role in it is a medicaid. these institutions any authority they might work to part with the oldest form

quorum call:

this primary is historic in american politics calendar, thet be higher. look at the first for early primary states, business the one state where you could say donald trump could be there and the republican nomination will have to go smoothly and pulling around 45% for much of the year so that's on the appropriate on

the democratic side talk about it enough

and there are structural reasons for that. >> paul a victory nikki haley today would first need, what does it mean? the only historical parallel we've seen in 2024 on the republican side, the dominant owner was george w. bush in 200010 texas governor■, he just won the iowa caucuses it is winning in every primary state and look at the polls promote dominant front runner nationwide and along came john mccain.

john mccain pulled out 18-point when the new hampshire primary. if you want to look at two or three metrics, one with support of independent crews would be talking about all morning, he had humongous. nikki haley has a lead. we don't talk about the stuff, john mccain, independent voters but he won conservative in the election in nikki m haley where he's getting smoked. call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schmitt: thank you, mr. president. i also ask unanimous consent that william wallace, an intern in my office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the congress. the presiding officer: also without objection. before we continue, let me announce that morning business is closed and that under the

previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report.■b the clerk: nomination, amtrak board of directors, christopher koos of illinois to be a director. mr. schmitt: thank you, mr. president. i point out that the intern, william wallace, should not be confused with william was has from "braveheart." we're happy to have him. i rise today to speak about an issue. i've spoke about this on the floor but the issue came to a head again last week with another continuing resolution, another effort to sort of just kick this can down the road and our inability as a senate, unfortunately, to spend the time necessary to pass appropriations bills. now, whether you want ito minibuses or individual appropriations bills, my cup of tea is to have individual appropriations bills, but the fact of the matter is that i have been in the senate now a

year an a month and we have spent exactly eight hours -- eight hours -- that whole time dealing with appropriations bills. we -- the facts are damning. we have an overall debt of $34 trillion, before he blank an eye, it'll be $40 trillion. this senate, which is supposed to be the most deliberative body in the world, a knewnique place -- a unique place where 100 people come together, unlimited debate, to debate the important issues of our time. but nothing could be more important than what our annual budget is, how we spend literally trillions of tax dollars. for me, my perspective on this is, i know how hard people back home work. i know many other senators do. they work -- my dad worked seven days a week on the midnight shift. there are a lot of people out there who work hard. money is taken out of their paycheck every single week, every other week or every month and sent here. and i think people are of the

belief that we spend time here talking about priorities, how that money sd it should be saved, can it be sent back to them,ing what about military spending, what about transportation. we don't do any of that. we don't do any of it. what we do is a couple of people get in a room and decide how we're going to do that, and then it's unveiled with no time to read■ it, and either vote on ths or you're in favor of shutting down the government. i'm sorry, that is a false choice. there is a better way to do it, and i can tell you, i've had conversations not just among republicans but among democrats, ranking-and-file senators who are begging for reform. thirsty for reform. a process where you can come out here and say, i've got an idea. i've got an amendment. and have it voted on.

republican or democrat. and let the chips fall where they may. but we've got to get away from this deadline politics. it's killing us financially, by way of trust with voters. this is not the way. and, by the way, we haven't debated any of those appropriations bills really. and we're getting ready to talk about a supplemental request now. which is being negotiated in secret, that will at some point be foist upon us, my guess is -- i hope i'm wrong -- but the democrat leader isn't going to send it to a committee. all this language that we're told has taken months to parse out because it's complicated, this senate, republican or democrat, the message to individual senators are -- is, yeah... vote on it. tomorrow.

this is nuts. no other, you know, this. but this is where we're at. and maybe it's, as i've talked to people, maybe it is a lack of muscle memory of voting on hard ings.is just an unwillingness. but i think it has to do with control. senator schumer wants to contro public viewing of all of this as possible, whether it's normal appropriations or supplemental appropriations. again, i might win some votes, i might lose some votes. but something is getting lost here. and i think it's time for senators to come together and demand something better. this captain be the way. -- this can't be the way. when you run for office and you, you know, getting around missouri, missouri is a big state. i like to say that kennet, missouri is closer than the west

is. it is a big state. you want to come up here and they care about. we don't do any of that. so we've got another test. you know this c.r. thing was kicked again to march. we've got a supplemental budget request now coming. let's just try it. let's give people time to review things, to ask questions, to offer amendments. maybe we get to a conference committee. i me, ndaa -- at least we were able to do that. and i'm proud to serve on the armed services committee. but i just wanted to take this opportunity to just point out that it feels like the only time we have these conversations is when we approach a deadline and then it goes away, and it really disempowers everyone in this chamber, except for a few people. and i don't think that's the best way to run a railroad. and it certainly isn't the best way to run a country. so, mr. president, i'm just

hoping for something better. i've been discouraged again. the first 13 months we spent eight hours on it. perhaps the most important thing we can do around here. and we're desperately in need of reform. the thank you, mr. president. i yield back. : test.

the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:. the clerk: mr. boozman, mr. braun, mr.brown. mr. budd. ms. butler. ms. cantwell. mr. capito. mr. cardin. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cramer. mr. crapo.

the clerk: mr. cruz. mr. daines. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand.

mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar.

the clerk: mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney.

ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema. ms. smith. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan. mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden. mr. young. ■/ +t

senators voting in the affirmative -- baldwin, blackburn, cornyn, crapo, fischer, johnson, lankford, marshall, merkley, padilla, peters, rickets, rounds, schatz, stabenow, thune, warner, warren. senators voting in the negative -- schmitt, scott of florida.

the clerk: mrs. murray, aye.

supplemental. vote:

the clerk: mr. graham, aye. 0

the clerk: ms. klobuchar, aye.

the clerk: mr. risch, aye.

the clerk: mr. schumer, aye. . mr. kaine, aye. the clerk: mr. fetterman, aye.

the clerk: mr. vance, aye. mr. wicker, aye.

the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye. the clerk: mr. hoeven, aye.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye. mr. kennedy, aye. mr. daines, aye. the clerk: mr. lujan, aye.

the clerk: ms. hassan, aye.

mr. wyden, aye. the clerk: mrs. hyde-smith, aye. ms. duckworth, aye. mr. casey, aye.

mr. tester, aye. mr. booker, aye. ms. rosen, aye.

the clerk: mr. grassley, aye.

mr. moran, aye. mr. cassidy, aye.

the clerk: ms. collins, aye.

the clerk: mr. cotton, aye. mr. brown, aye. mr. whitehouse, aye. vote: the clerk: mrs. shaheen, aye.

mr. welch, aye. mr. carper, aye.

the clerk: mr. boozman, aye. mr. mullin, aye. ■>

the clerk: mr. king, aye. mr. ossoff, aye.

the clerk: mr. reed, aye. mr. warnock, aye. mr. hickenlooper, aye. mr. durbin, aye. mr. hagerty, aye. ms. hirono, aye. mr. sullivan, aye. mr. cardin, aye.

mr. sanders, aye. ms. ernst, a

the clerk: mr. tuberville, no. the clerk: ms. sinema, aye.

mrs. capito, aye. the clerk: mr. murphy, aye.

ms. lummis, aye. mrs. britt, aye.

the clerk: ms. cantwell, aye. mr. braun, no. mr. markey, aye.

the clerk: mr. budd, aye. mr. cramer, aye.

the clerk: ms. smith, aye. mr. tillis, aye.

the clerk: mr. rubio, aye.

the clerk: mr. lee, no. ms. murkowski, aye.

the clerk: mr. barasso, aye.

the clerk: mr. young, aye.

the clerk: ms. cortez masto, aye. mr. van hollen, aye. mr. romney, aye. mr. cruz, aye.

the clerk: mr. paul, no.

the clerk: mr. menendez, aye.

the clerk: mr. manchin, aye.

the clerk: mr. blumenthal, aye. mr. coons, aye. mr. hawley, no.

the clerk: mr. mcconnell, aye. v

vote:

the clerk: ms. butler, aye. the presiding officer: the yeas are 91. the nays are 7. the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately be notified of the senate's action. a senator: mr. president. mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from minnesota.

ms. smith: i ask unanimous consent that the cloture motion with respect to the today bat nomination be withdrawn and that following disposition -- the presiding officer: order. ms. smith: that president cloture motion with respect to the szabat nomination be withdrawn and that following disposition of the coscia nomination, the senate immediately vote on confirmation of the szabat nomination with all provisions of the previous order remaining in effect. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. ms. smith: for the fwoergs of the senate, senators should expect two roll call votes starting at 2:15 p.m. we do not expect additional votes this evening. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the notion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 357, anthony rosario coscia of new jersey to be a director of the amtrak board of directors signed by senators.

the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of anthony rosario coscia of new jersey to be a director of the amtrak board of directors for a term of five years shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mr. braun. mrs. britt. mr. brown. mr. budd. ms. butler. ms. cantwell.

mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo.

mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan.

ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney. ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz.

mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan. mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden.

mr. young. senators voting in the affirmative, blumenthal, britt, butler, capito, coons, cortez masto, durbin, fisher, graham, grassley, heinrich, hickenlooper, lankford, manchin, mcconnell, menendez, moran, mullin, peters, ricketts, romney, sanders, shaheen, stabenow, thune, tillis, welch, and young. senators voting in the negative -- blackburn, hawley, paul, and rubio. mr. barrasso, aye.

mr. budd, no. mr. cornyn, aye. the clerk: mr. wyden, aye.

mr. daines, no. ms. rosen, aye. mr. sullivan, no. mr. crapo, no.

the clerk: mr. lee, no. mr. scott of florida, no.

the clerk: ms. hirono, aye.

the clerk: mr. warnock, aye.

vote: the clerk: mr. tester, aye. mr. schatz, aye.

the clerk: mr. cotton, aye. mr. johnson, no. the clerk: ms. smith, aye. mr. cruz, aye.

ms. collins, aye. mr. cassidy, aye.

ms. klobuchar, aye. mr. ossoff, aye. the clerk: mr. kennedy, aye. mr. cramer, aye.

ms. sinema, aye. mrs. hyde-smith, aye. the clerk: ms. ernst, aye.

the clerk: mrs. murray, aye. ms. cantwell, aye.

the clerk: ms. hassan, aye.

the clerk: ms. duckworth, aye.

the clerk: mr. padilla, aye. mr. hagerty, no.

mr. braun, no. mr. tuberville, no. mr. rounds, aye.

the clerk: mr. reed, aye. mr. wicker, aye. mr. cardin, aye. ms. warren, aye. mr. king, aye. the clerk: mr. carper, aye.

mr. lujan, aye. the clerk: mr. murphy, aye. mr. whitehouse, aye.

the clerk: mr. brown, aye.

the clerk: mr. boozman, aye. vote:

the clerk: ms. baldwin, aye.

the clerk: mr. kaine, aye. the clerk: mr. schmitt, no.

the clerk: mr. marshall, no.

the clerk: mr. risch, no. the . the clerk: mr. fetterman, aye. mrs. gillibrand, aye.

mr. merkley, aye.

the clerk: mr. warner, aye.

the clerk: mr. vance, no. the clerk: ms. lummis, aye. mr. casey, aye.

the clerk: ms. murkowski, aye. mr. booker, aye. the clerk: mr. schumer, aye.

the clerk: mr. hoeven, no.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye.

vote

the clerk: mr. van hollen

the clerk: mr. markey, aye. the presiding officer: the yeas are 79, the nays are 19. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: amtrak board of directors, anthony rosario coscia of new jersey to be a director. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate

officials may skim off the top palestinians is not dissimilar. cannot understand why democratic colleagues including the chair of the foreign relations committee who push too hard i want to shovel billions of taxpayer dollars to one of the most corrupt enemies on the entire planet. read more at roll call.com. ♪♪ she's been is your unfiltered view of government funded by these television companies and more including media column.

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