to how issues are debated and decided, with no commentary, no interruptions and completely unfiltered. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government who are funded by these television companies and more, including buckeye broadband. ♪♪ >> buckeye broadband supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> u.s. senate is about to gavel in for the day. lawmakers will consider two u.s. district court nominations

for new jersey and northern california. later today, senators are expected to attend their weekly hear remotely from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. nd intelligence officials are all on capitol hill today to brief all senators on tik tok and national security concerns. and now live to the floor senat c-span2. the presiding officer: the ... presiding officer: the senate will come to orde the chaplain will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. me enlighten our lawmakers with a shining inward light

and remove the shadows from their hearts.n>control their th prepare them to face the inevitable challenges that invade our nation and world.now. that their times are in your hands and that you are willing to fight the battles of all who trust in the power of your name. fill their hearts with thanksgiving, and may they take time throughout this day to remember your direct involvement in the details of their lives. lord, help us all to maintain a

pure conscience, a love for truth and a passion for peace on earth. we pray in your mighty name. amen. the presiding officer: please the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to theone nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the cl march 20, 2024. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable peter welch, a senatofrom the state of vermont, 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, and morning business is closed. and und will proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination, which the clerk will report.nominatio judiciary, edward sunyol kiel of new jersey to be united states district judge for the new jers. q ■ 7

mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: if republicans and democrats keep working together in good faith to government, i hope we're just days away from completing the appropriations process. the job's not done, but we're very close. a few days ago congressional leaders announced an agreement on the last six funding bills. these bills will make significant investments for our national defense, for well-being of our servicemembers, for keeping the u.s. competitive against the chinese communist party, and so much more.tk working on the legislative text, and despite the tight deadline, they continue to make very good progress. they're very diligent. they work through the night, and we salute them on both sides of the aisle. susan collins staff, and leader mcconnell's staff for trying to get this done, as well as all

yet know precisely when the house will act. but as soon as they send us the funding package, i will put it on the senate floor, and from there, ase know, it will take cooperation to get the bill, to get on the bill and consent from everyor to keep this process moving quickly. even with bipartisanship, it's going to be a tight squeeze to get this funding package passed before the weekend deadline. i ask my colleagues to be flexible, to be prepared to act quickly, and to prioritize working togethern finish the appropriations process. if we proceed like we did two weeks ago with the first six funding bills, then t odds are good we can get this done without excessive delay or headaches. again, i want to thank my senate colleagues, to chair murray,■; vice chair collins, leader mcconnell, the speaker, and all appropriators for working in good faith to finish the job.

now on something near and dear to mychips. chips in america. today president biden will be in phoenix, arizona, to roll out a colossal $8.5 billion grant to intel to expand its chip production here in america, an historic sum made possible by the chips and science act, something i was proud to author and push. today's chips announcement lands like a thunder clap. $8.5 billion. 10,000 manufacturing jobs. 20,000 construction jobs. thousands upon thousands indirect jobs. 100 billion in private investment. and the ripple effects will be felt huge swath of the country from oregon to arizona to new mexico to ohio. these are just some of the places where a golden new age of americanhip production will manifest itself. and today's announcement comes about a month after global

foundries in new york received its own $1.5 billion award to expand their legacy chip production and further make new york state a global hub for chi companies like micron in central new york. you'll hear good announcements about that, soon enough. on announcement time -- one announcement at a time, we're keeping our promise of bringing manufacturing back to ame■ri an making the united states the leader in microchip production once again. and let me be clear. this isn't the tech of yesterday. this is something entirely different and entirely new. when people in the future think tech, it won't be just enough to mention places like silicon valley anymore. they'll think of the silicon heartland. because of chips in science, the ■sty of american innovation will now happen in places like new albany, ohio, where intel is building its ohio one facility.

this one facility will create 3,000 new jobs and 7,000 union construction jobs. these jobs will pay exceedingly well and not all are going to require college degrees. along with senators cantwell, kelly, warner, wyden and so many of my republican colleagues too. i want to tak a moment to applaud senator brown for making chips in science happen. thanks to my good friend, sherrod brown, these jobs i2n nw albany will be good-paying, union jobs. because sherrod brown worked with the administration and worked with intel, intel is using a project labor agreement for the deal which makes sure the workers building this fab are well prepared and well compensated. it n intel will directly hire thousands of new workers. the benefits will also extend to universities across the region, especially hbcu's. it will benefit other industries like the auto industry. this investment will help generate a pipeline of highly

skilled tech workers right in the heart of ohio as well as arizona, new mexico, oregon. and the benefits will spread across communitiha have long been waiting for a second chance. and this is what so many of us here if envisioned when wrote chiefs and science -- chips and science. i thought of this years ago, working with senator young. today's announcement by intel, the one announced last month in upstate new york and many others to come, our faith in this bill jobs and in terms of leadership, not only in chip manufacturing but in science. so, many of us envisioned this when we wrote chips and science, a cascade of public investment that in turn creates a fountain of private sector activity. today's announcement is perhaps the clearest signal yet that chips and science is delivering.

in the long run, these are the investments we need to keep america safe, keep america competitive, keep america a world leader for innovation and manufacturing in the future. america was the envy of the world for much of the 20th century precisely because of our ambitions in innovation and manufacturing. when i started working on what i then called endless frontiers few years back, we retitled it chips and science because too many people thought endless frontiers had something to do with covered wagons, i did it because i knew we america competitive, and it would take an immense investment by the federal government. other countries were investing. if we didn't, we would have fallen way, way behind, much to the detriment of industries across america, because so many depend on chips, and much to the detriment of our national security, because not only does our defense industry depend on chips, but if they're made

have -- might have sway over us, economically and foreign policy-wise. it's taken a while to get here, but the results are truly,uerul. i'm excited and feel vind cated about all the work we put into this. i want to thank president biden foris leadership in making today's announcement possible. president biden understood the need to do this immediately when we talked to him about it. and hisadministration, particularly commerce secretary raimondo, has done a great job negotiating with the companies as today's announcement shows. finally, another shout out to sherrod brown, who understood the importance of bringing chip manufacturing to ohio, for its auto industry and for so much else in presenting the future -- projecting a future for a stron. now, on the supplemental, mr. president, the longer that the national security

supplemental sitsns desk, the m desperate the situation in ukraine becomes. the war in ukraine hasntire cit and villages. not just reducing buildings to rubble, but also decimating their populations. as a result,s beginning to run out of soldiers. one ukrainian village even reported to have practically haveo men left, because so many am drafted to fight. many, sadly, will not return. a few weeks ago, i i haves idded -- i visited ukraine whse. i'll never forget when they look us in lviv to a cemetery. it was a■ lot four months earlier, but they needed more room to bury the dead. half the cemetery was already filled with graves. you saw the pictures obmf the yk men and women -- of the young men and women whose lives were taken so career in their lives. right across the way, there were

workers working as we looked at those already buried, building new graves, because they knew there'd be so many more dead. this w but it never saps the vitality and strength of president zelenskyy and of the ukrainian people. so, we need to help them. what does ukraine need? ukraine is running out of munitions. russia is now■■# artillery and as the u.s. and europe. ukrainian forces are suffering the consequences on the ground. the supplemental package will provide ukraine the resources it lacks, military equipment, munitions, intelligence support, weaponry, more, and making sure it needs is one of the best ways we can help them compensate for being outnumbered on the battlefield. speaker johnson knows this as well as i do. if he puts the supplemental on the floor of the house for a

vote, itill pass with the same kind of bipartisan support we saw in the senate. so, my question for the speaker is this -- providing ukraine th critical aid it needs to defend itself against vladimir putin? the supplemental package is best chance to win this war. the aid supplied by our europea. ukraine needs more help. our allies are looking at the house of representatives, are looking at speaker johnsonsto step up.or speaker johnson is clear -- put the supplemental on the floor of the house for a vote and help deliver ukraine the aid it desperately needs, or kowtow to president trump and the maga hard right, who seem to want a victorious putin. history will remember what we do here in this time of great consequence for democracy. the senate answered the call by passing thental with large

bipartisan majority. now it's time for the house to do the same. the clock is ticking. i yield the floor and note theq. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. ■]69

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent un the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: more than five months after the butchery of october 7, israelis are overwhelmingly united behind their government's unity war cabinet in support of ongoing military operations against hamas. contrast, some prominent american democrats are increasingly vocal in theirlief government and israeli voters are wrong. that is, after all, what we're talking about here. as much as some of our colleagues might like them to

be, democrats' egregious and hypocritical attempts to influencesr domestic politics aren't some simple or narrow critique of a particular prime minister. they're an affront to the very independence of the state of is israel, a sovereign nation, a robust democracy, and one of america's closest allies and friends. not a colony, not a vassal state, not some appendage of our own domestic p. as i said last week, our democratic colleagues don't have an anti-bibi problem. an anti-i problem. what else are we supposed to make of the way democrats have fallen in line hyped the

position -- behind the position the democratic leader expressed here on the floor lastweek? it is absurd enough for american senators to masquerade as duly elected members of e knesset, as if their views should have any bearing on how israel conducts its domestic politics, but unfortunately it now seems important to remind our president that he's america's commander in chief, not some supreme allied commandser omman authority over israel's war operations. i was worried to see the u.s. intelligence community opine publiclyast week on the stability of the israeli government. it seems to me we should ask our intelligence professionals to keep their

closest partners a bill closer to their about just how embarrassing our colleagues would find this behavior if it was directed toward any other democratic u.s. ally. think about how we received if the dni or cia director publicly commented on political tensions within ger germany's coalition government or on the decision-making processes of president macron or on the declining public support for the trudeau government in canada. america's best served when our intelligence professionals refrain from public comments on politics, both our own and our

allies'. so the war thrust upon israel by hamas and palestinian islamic jihad has already brought a host of profoundly embarrassing revelations to light. it's exposed the united nations relief and works agency as irredeemably corrupt and appallingly complicit in bh the violent kidnapping of israelis and the indoctrination of palestinians and a culture of hate, violence, andterror. it's exposed the rank anti-semitism that america's allowed to fester on their e campuses, and some of these institutions' weakening grasp r. and now it's exposing democrats as unwilling or incapable of resisting the political pressures of radical base.

just look how our colleagues have staked out bizarrely vocal support for policies for which even the israeli left has said it has no time.base. so membership in the u.s. senate does not come with voting rights in the knesset, and it certainly doesn't entitle colleagues who spent years decrying foreign politics to flip the script on our allies. let's get one thing straight, the violence and this hunitaan rests entirely on the shoulders of hamas. this entire conflict would end if the cowardls who ruled gaza from beneath schools and hospitals released their innocent hostages. and the oppress

every day, the people of gaza, have a say in matter. they can turn on hamas, turn in terrorist leaders like yayosh, and turn over whose who started the conic the first place. until then, mr. president, israelis' unity government ought to continue to do■ what the overwhelming majority of israelis expect of it. bring the innocence home, bring the terrorists to justice, and bring peace and security to its citizens. and i might add, pay the peanut gallery no mind. ferent matter. this week the biden

administration's radical epa is finalizing will force ordinary americans to conform their lifestyles to coastal elite sensibilities, this rule would use strict emission requirements on auto manufacturers to effectively ban gas-powered vehicles. the president's energy agenda that keeps on putting climate d american workers in the dust. from counseling new oil and -- canceling oil leases to threatening to ban gas stoves, trade working families' livelihood for kudos from their liberal base.

this week the republican majority is fighting back. they have considered to undo some of the worst offenses of the biden administration regulatory state. they'll take up bills to clear radical roadblock that are preventing so many infrastructure projects and protect energy sector jobs againstfreezes, on fraking and -- fracking and other energy development. to repeal a multi-million dollar taxpayer slush fund for green energy projects and to warn of a disastrous effects economy. the biden administration keeps trying to vehicles, but the american people aren't buying

the hype. 14,000 more than the average gas-powered vehicle. auto dealers around the country have noticed that demand forehi and at least one rental company is selling off its stocks due t meanwhile, state utilities are glowing concern that their power grids are already under soaring demand for electric. just imagine what would happen to our fragile electrical grid if it forced people to drive electric cars. now, that doesn't seem to concern the biden administration, neither does th the critical minerals in e.v. batteries run straightó tough■ the people's republic of china. the epa's new emission standards

are so stringent that require that electric vehicles make up two of every three vehicles on the consumer market within eight years, regardless of whether charging infrastructure is ever available. apparently rolling blackouts are one of the many costs of administration to the biden administration's green future. so i'd like to house republican colleagues for putting serious solutions on the table, and i hope washington democrats will snap out of their climate daydream before it becomes a nightmare for working families. matter. here on the floor yesterday the democratic leader defended his efforts to restrict rural americans' acces justice.

and played some rather partisant that he still has not managed to bully the judicial conference into embracing his vio unequal justice. during the course of his speech, he invited to find ways to restore trust in the judiciary. well, i have one of the bills from senator cotton to be end nationwide injunctions. the federale texas and louisiana, as an en entity, isn't what erode trust in the judicial branch. what erodes trust is the individualit of judicial judges everywhere to apply orders nationwide. i think we should end the practice in amarillo and in san francisco, in lubbock and in

seattle, in dayton and in baltimore, if the democratic leader wants to restore trust in our judiciary, he can join me in supporting this commonsense, nonpartisan reform, or perhaps he would rather have a dhs secretary in oakland who just wears a robe. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. ■a

very close.ms. baldwin. ■a a few days ago congressional agreement last exit funding bills. these bills will mix and advocate investments for our national defense for the well-being of our service members come for keeping use competitive against chinese communist party and so much more. today, appropriators continue working on the legislative text, and despite the tight deadline they continue to make very good progress. they are very diligent. they work through the night a we salute them on both sides of the aisle. eader mcconnell's staff are trying to get this done as well as all of the other members of the

appropriations subcommittees. we don't yet know precisely when the house will act but as soon as they send us the funding package i will put on the senate floor, and from there as we all know it will take cooperation tl and consent from every senator toeephi moving quickly. even with bipartisanship it's going to be a tight squeeze to get this funding package passed before the weekend deadline. i asked my colleagues to be flexible, to be prepared to act quickly, and to prioritize working together in good faith so we can finish process. if we proceed like we did two weeks ago with the first six funding bills then the odds are. again what to think by senate colleague, chair murray, vice chair collins, leader mcconnell, the speaker and all appropriators for waking in good faith to finish the job. out on something you're into to

my heart, chips, chips and america. today, president biden will be in phoenix, arizona, to rollout a to intel to expand its chip production here in america. a historic some made possible by the chips and science act, something i was proud to offer and push. today's chips announcement lands like a thunderclap, $8.5 billion, 10,000 manufacturing jobs, 20,000 construction jobs, thousands upon thousands of indirect jobs, 100 billion in private investment, the ripple effects will be felt across a huge swath of the country from oregon to arizona to new mexico to ohio here these are just some of the places where gold and new age of american chip production will manifest itself. and today's announcement comes about a month after global foundries in new york received

its own billion and a half dollar were to ean production ad further make new york state a global hub for chip manufacturing. companies like micron in central new york. you will hear good enough this about that i believe soon enough. on announcement time, at one announcement at the time we're keeping our promise of bringing manufacturing back to america and making the united sta the leader in microchip production once again. and let me be clear, this is of the tech revolution of yesterday. this is something entirely different and entirely new. with people in the future think tact, it won't be just enough to mention places like silicon valley anymore. they will think of the silicone heartland. because of chips and science the story of american innovation will now happen i new albany ohio where intel is building its ohio one facility.

this one facility will create 3000 your jobs and 7000 union construction jobs. these jobs will be exceedingly well, and not all are going to require college degrees. along with senator cantwell, kelly, warner, widen and so me of my republican colleagues, too, i want to take a moment to applaud senator brown for making chips and science happen. thanks to my good friend cherie brown these jobs in new albany will be good paying union jobs. because sherrod brown work with administration and work with intel, intel is use a project labor agreement for the deal which make sure the workers!ç building this are well prepared and well compensated. it's not just that intel would directly hire thousands of new workers at the benefits will also extend to universities across the region, espially it will benefit other industries like the auto industry. this investment will help generate a pipeline of highly

skilled tech workers right in the heart of ohio a as arizona and new mexico, oregon. and the benefits will spread across communities that have long been overlooked and have long been waiting for a second chance. and this is what so many of us here in the senate envisioned when we wrote chips and science. i thought of this year's ago. i work with senator young. it took as long time to convince people how important this was but today's announcement by intel, that was announced last, last month in upstate new york, and many others to,, our faith in this bill is being vindicated in terms of jobs and in terms of leadership medal in chip manufactured but in science. so many of us envisioned this when we vote chips in size, the casket of public investment that in turn creates a fountain of private sector activity. today's . today's announcement is perhaps the clearest signal yet that chips and science is delivering.

and in the long run these on investments wendy to keep america safe, keep america competitive, keep america a world leader for innovation and manufacturing in the future. america was in the of the world for much of the 20th century precisely because invitation to technological innovation and manufacturing. when i started working on what i've been called endless frontiers a few years retitle the chips and science because too many people put endless frontiers of something do with covered wagons, i did it because i knew we had to keep america competitive and it would take an immense investment by the federal government. of the countries were investing. if we didn't we would have fallen way, way behind, much to the detriment of industries across america because so many depend on chips. how much to the detriment of her national security, because not only does our defense industry depend on chips but if they are made overseas, foreign countries might have swayp? over us

economically and foreign policy wise. so it's taken a while to get here, but the results are truly, truly paying off. i'm excited and feel vindicated about all the work we have put into this. so i want to thank president biden for his leadership in making today's announcement possible. president biden understood the need to do this immediately when we talked to him about it. and administration, particularly commerce secretary raimondo has done a great job negotiating with the companies as today's announcement shows. and finally under the shout out to sherrod brown who understood the importance of bringing chip manufacturing to ohio for its auto industry, for so much else in presenting -- in projecting a future for a strong manufacturing base in ohio. now on the supplemental. mr. president, the longer that

johnson's desk, the more desperate situation in ukraine becomes. the war in ukraine is towns and villages. not just reducing the buildings to rubble but also decimating their populations. as aes beginning to run out of soldiers. one ukrainian village has even reported to practically no man n left because so many w to fighty will not return. a few weeks ago i visited ukraine with a group of senators and i'll never forget the moment when they■; took us to a cemete. it was a parking lot for months earlier but they needed more room to bury their dead. half the cemetery was already filled with the grades, and you saw the pictures on each graveside of the young men and young women whose lives were taken so soon in their lives. but right across the way there

were workers working as we were looking at those who were already buried building new graves because they knew there would be so many dead. this was a sad sight but it never saps the vitality and strength of president zelensky and of the ukraine people. so we need to help them. what does ukraine need? ukraine is running at a munitions. russia is down making three times, three times as much artillery and munitions as the u.s. and europe. and ukrainian forces suffering the consequences on the ground. the supplemental package will provide u it lacks some military equipment, munitions, intelligence of four, weaponry, more. and making sure ukraine has the resources that it needs is one of the best ways we can help them compensate for being outnumbered on the well as i do. if he puts the supplemental on the floor of the house for a sae

kind of bipartisan support we saw in the senate. so my question for the speaker is this. why delay provide ukraine the critical aid it needs to defend itself against vladimir putin? the supnce to win this war. the aid being supplied to ukraine by our european allies, they are generous but is not enough. ukraine needs more help and allies aroun the world are looking at the house of representatives, are looking at speaker johnson to step up. epeaker johnson is clear. put the supplemental on the floor of the house for a vote and help deliver ukraine the eight it desperately needs, or kowtow to president trump and the maga hard right who seem to want a victorious putin. history will remember what we dt consequence for democracy. the senate answered the call by passing the national security supplemental with large

bipartisan majority. now it's time for the house to do the same. the clock is ticking. >> more than five months after the butchery of october 7, israel is our looming united behind the government unity war cabinet in support of ongoing military operations against hamas. by contrast, some prominent american democrats are increasingly vocal in their belief that israel unity government and israeli voters are wrong. that is, after all, what we're talking about here. as much as some of our colleagues might like them to be, democrats egregious and hypocritical attempts to influence israeli domestic politics are not some simple or

narrow critique of a particular prime minister. during -- they are an affront to the very independent of the state of israel, a sovereign nation, a robust democracy. and one of america's closest allies and friends. not a colony, not a vassal state, , not some appendage of r own domestic politics. as i said last week our democratic colleagues don't have an anti-db problem. nti-rael -- bibi. what else are we supposed make of the way democrats have fallen in line behind the position the democratic leader expressed here on the floor last week?

it is absurd enough for american senators to masquerade as duly elected members of the knesset,e any bearing on how israel conducts its domestic but, unfortunately, it seems important to remind our pridt that he is america's commander-in-chief, not some supreme allied commander with authority over isr■ll' operations. i was worried to see the u.s. intelligence community opine n the stability of the israeli government. it seems to me we should ask our intelligence professionals to keep their aes our closest partners a bit closer to their chest. think about just how

embarrassing our colleagues find this behavior if it was other dc u.s. ally. think about how we might be received if the dni or the cia director publicly commented on political tensions within germany's coalition government, or on the decision-making processes of president or on the declining public support for the trudeau government in canada. rofessionals refrain from public comments on politics, both our own and our allies. so the war thrust upon israel about hamas and palestinian islastssing

revelations to light. it's expose the united nations work agency as irredeemably corrupt, and appallingly■y the violent kidnapping of both israelis and indoctrination of palestinians in a culture of hate, violence, a it's exposed the rank anti-semitism that america's most elite uni to fester on ther campuses. and some of these institutions weakening grasp on moral re and now it's exposing democrats unwilling or incapable of resisting the political pressures of their look at how s have shaped out bizarrely vocal even the israeli left has said

it has no time. so membership in the u. s. senate does that come with voting rights in the knesset, or the bundestag. in its early doesn't entitle colleagues who spent years decrying foreign interference in american politics to decide one day to flip the scrip■■ on our allies. let's get one thing straight. to violence and that you mention crisis rests entel of hamas. this entire conflict would end if the cowardly terrorists who ruled gaza from the schools and hospitals released their innocent hostages.and the peopls every day, the people of gaza -- will press -- have a say in the matter. they can turn on hamas, turning

terrorist leaders, like -- and turned over the hostages whose seizure by palestinian terrorists started this conflict in the first place. until then, mr. president, israelis unity government ought to continue to do what the overwhelming majority of israelis expect of it, bring the innocent home, bring the terrorists to justice, and bring peace and security to its citizens. and iht add, pay the peanut gallery no mind. on on a different matter, thisk the biden administration's radical epa is finalizing yet another regulation that would force ordinary americans to conform their lifestyles to

coastal elite sensibilities. this latest role would use strict emission requirements on auto manufacturers to effectively ban gas powered vehicles. the president's energy agenda that keeps on putting climate actors in the driver seat and leave american workers in the dust. from counsel dash canceling new oil leases and clean energy projects like lng elegy to threatening to ban gas stoves, the biden administration has made it abundantly clear that they willing to trade working families livelihoods for kudos from their radical base. this week the house republican majority is actually fighting back. our colleagues have dedicated this week to considering common e

senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: yes. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lq suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, we've heard some concerning statements on israel in recent days from leading democrats. t leader came to the floor to deliver a speech in which he took the extraordinary step of calling for a regime change in israel. that's right. the democrat leader of the united states senate, who hasn the past fiercely decried the prospect of foreign interference in u.s. elections, decided hims unfortunately elect -- into the internal electoral process of a close u.s. ally. it was an inappropriate moment. it wasn't the only be troubling statement lately from a democrat

leader. the president has also recently inserted himself into israel decision making by criticizing would be a, quote, red line for israel to go after hamas holds in rafah, in effect telling israel that hamas should be allowed to continue to hold this region. both the president and democrat leader are entitled to their personal strategic opinion and their personal opinions on israel's leadership. what they are not entitled to d election process or the strategic planning of a sovereign nation. ther be justifiable outrage if one of our allies attempted to dictate to our country when we should hold elections and whom we should us.

as equally offensive for u.s. leaders to attempt■5 to dictate war planning or election outcomes to one of our allies. mr. president, i also have to wonder where the similar examp iran. iran has been fomenting terror across the middle east for decades. hezb hezbollah, the houthis, shi'ia militias in iraq and syria, isl of course hamas. hamas gets approximately 90% of its military budget from iran, and there's reason to wonder whether hamas would even have d the capability to carry out its october 7 attack without its history of support from iran. er wandserwhat the middle east would look like today if iran

hadn't spent decades funding and arming terrorist organizations. yet, mr. president, in his entire state of the groupon address the president -- state of the union address, the presid mentioned iran only once. the same goes for last week's speech from the democrat leader. where are the red lines for the calls for regime change? for that matter, where are the red lines for hamas? because, let's remember, that's how we ended up here. israel didn't attack hamas. hamas attacked israel. president biden himself has noted that october 7's brutal attack against israeliiest day jewish people literally since the holocaust. more than 1100 individuals were

killed and more than 240 hostages were taken. and 130 of those hostages still, still remain in gaza, including five american citizens. this was not a war of israel's making. the current warf hamas. and hamas has pulled its own citizensnt the war zone, because that's what they do. it has woven its terrorist infrastructure all through g ca into and outright hide behind the civilian and the israeli military has continued to discover hamas tunnels network beneath schools, hospitals, and the united nations headquarters in gaza,

unrwa. lives of its own citizens seem to mean as little to hamas as do the lives of israelis. mr. president, the world has seen the evil of hamas and its is precisely why israel must succeed in removing the threat of hamas from its borders. when democrats do things like set red lines around an offensive operation into rafah, they are supporting the conditions that will perpetuate this terror. no other nation would accept this threat j its bo border. and we must not ask our long-standing ally israel to make such a dangerous exception. and i hope and pray that israel will succeed in permanently disabling hamas and paving the way tofor israelis and for

pales palestinians. mr. president, in an age in which the increasingly certaineding -- surrendering to its most extreme left wing, perhaps and the democrat leader's comments should not have been unexpected. but expected or mot, they were inappropriate -- expected or not, they were inappropriate and troubling. there's an old adage that when you find yourself in a hole, and yet, democrats are out with a letter this morning that sets forth a new laundry list of conditions for israel to mepres be on supporting our ally israel and working for a future where both israelis and palestinians can live free from terror like hamas'. and that requires focus on the task at hand of helping our ally defeat these

terr terrorists, bring the hos home, and restore peace. mr. president, i yield the floor. mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: thank you, mr. es we go again. i cannot believe i'm here today on the senate floor talking about americans dying at the hands of illegal aliens. i said i'd do this every week and give an update on the young peop aple of our country that are dying at the hands of illegal aliens. specifically young people. our kids are dying because joe biden's immigration policies. i was on the floor last week talking about the death of laken riley, a young woman who was

running around the university of georgia minding her own business when she was abducted and brutally beaten unrecognizable by an illegal alien from venezuela. just a week ago, i came to the floor to talk about the death of washington state trooper gadd. he was on duty at a dui checkpoint when raul benitez santana, an illegal alien from mexico, drunk behind the wheel, crashed into trooper igadd's police cruiser. trooper gadd was 27 years old. there are so many other youngle be recognized and remembered. so many sad examples of the deadly impact this

administration's open border policies have had in this country. it is in december, travis wolf, 12-year-old boy from missouri, was when their car was struck head on by another vehicle driving down the wrong side of the road 70 miles per hour. the wrong side of the road 70 miles per hour. court documents driver of the ot crashed into travis wolf was a . 12-year-old travis spent the last three months on life support. he died on march 6. his family hasn't received an apology from joe biden. they're not going to get an apology from secretary mayorkas.

they just buried their 12-year-old son. do my colleagues care? do they care? last august in ohio, a minivan driven by hermano joseph, an illegal alien from hecha,- from collided with a school carryinge very first day. though from haiti, joseph illegally entered the country through the southern border. 26 kids one child, 11-year-old aiden clark, was ejected from the bus and pronounced dead sesat the scene. in aiden's obituary, the he lov with his dad, trample lining with his -- trampo lining wh

■t■ehis sisters and snuggling w his mother. travis wolf will not get to grow up. trooper gadd had a wife and 2-year-old daughter. his never see her father again. laken riley will never become a nurse.ang out with her friends again or celebrate a victory at the university of georgia with her friends and family. is a parent's worst nightmare. we can't possibly imagine what their families are going but we prevent more deaths from occu occurring. we know what no be done. the people in this body know what needs to be done. people in the other end of the building, in the house, the people in the white house knows what needs to be done to protect these lives. president biden can authorize

and use the laws that have been given to him from previously adminis administrations. he can do that. he doesn't need more laws. he can use the laws that have already been written. he caninish the border wall, which he steamed -- which he stopped and now is selling all the materials at the border to build the american taxpayers paid for, they're selling it for $0.10 on the dollar. you can't make this up. he can exploiting the department of homeland security's parole authority by letting in millions of people without screening or processing. president biden can stop supporting sanctuary cities eraw enforcement officers are blocked from working where federal officers to get criminal

aliens off the stree and out of our communities. order country.n can bring back we're losing it daily. he can do all these things right now. he doesn't need another law. the ls there. just go by the laws. he himself suspended the border he authorized homeland security to continue paroling people without consequences. arnd his blue state supporters set up shelters in the middle of cities and suburbs to house illegal aliens indefinitely, costing ■you, the american citizen and taxpayers, billions of dollars. when we have homeless and veterans on the streets. not taken care of. hospitals, schools, and other

community resources have been d forced to provide for both u.s. citizens and the millions of illegal aliens crossing the border. u.s. citizens are paying for all this, not the biden administration, the u.s. cize it's their right. it's embarrassing. our country's leadership must be reminded of their greatest responsibility -- the safety and security of americans. number one responsibility. this administration could care less. let's look at a recent example of a country's prioritizing safety for its the dominican r been doing in response to gang violence and unrest in haiti, because haitian a coming to the dominican republic? what are they doing? they secured their border.

the biden administration established a parole program specifically for haitians. our immigration policy priorities are completely misaligned and totally opposite of what they're doing at the dominican republic. with our duty to support and all enemies, foreign and domestic, they are letting our guard down. owe states arecters into their own hands. yesterday, the supreme court ruled that a new allows state and local law enforcement to arrest and detain, deport illegal aliens could go review at the lower court level. but late lat nyes, the -- late last night, the fifth circuit court again blocked enforcement of the new texas law, ahead of oral arguments.

this is a crime. spoken. so while the biden administration won't arrest, detain, or depart illegal aliens, texas would have been doing so. it's shameful that a state has to take matters into their own hands like this. it's embarrassing that president biden's department of homeland security sued texas for implementing immigration laws which they should have beeney h they want more people in this country to vote administration. americans are being killed by illegal aliens and the president simply cannot be bother. lood o trooper gadd, travis hayden clark and so many other americans are on his hands, the

blood of those victims andl not forgotten. democrats say their open bothered policies is moat -- border policies are motivated by compassion. we have compassion in this country. who's compassion? plenty of compassion for illegals. what about american citizens, taxpayers, those dying at thex= should in the be here but only are here because of this administration. they don't seem to have compassion for victims or any crime. joe biden, last called an illeg illegal in the state of the union address. that sets the scene for everything. they could care less about the

american citi care more about pm other countries. this is madness. this madness must end. we can't w until an election. we can't let four or five million more people in, we can't let people die at the hands of these illegal aliens. our children's lives are at stake and our country is at stake. mr. president, i yield the floor. the absence of a quorum the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. "u■é

joined now by senator peter welch, democrat from vermont. welcome to the program. >> guest: thank you. >> host: let's start with the funding deadline on friday, what have we seen so far? >> guest: the lt it's good news/bad news. in the senate we've had a bipartisan agreement. senator murraynd chair and vice chair, have worked very closely together. but the committee, we've got an agreement. the house is facing its usu challenges. they're close to an agreement, it's a handshake agreement, but there's still -- as there has been in every one of these funding fights, pushback from the freedom caucus which is a small but influential part of the republican conference. and there'shi will satisfy them other than less, less, less. and also they've chosen as a tactic shutdown is something they want to do if they think

theyan achieve something from that. so the latest optimistic news is that we'll get text that has to be out for 7■3 before with we can vote. so if we adhere to that schedule, we can have a partial shutdown. >> host: i want to turn to israel now because you joined seven other democratic senators in a letter to president biden. and in the will letter you urged the administration to the enforce the federal law that prohibits foreign countries that receive u.s. assistance from restricting or otherwise prohibiting access to humanitarian aid. how do you think u.s. aid should be conditioned to israel? >> guest: frankly, i don't think that we should be sending offensive military weapons like those 2,000-pound bombs to israel. we're seeing the consequences of how they're being used. 30,000 --ua 31,000 palestinians have been killed. 80 president of the homes -- 80% of the homes that used to exist in gaza have been destroyed in

gaza city. so this is a really serious situation that's getting worse, because now the likely hood of famine -- likelihood of famine that could result in the loss of many more lives than those who h explosions. this is a very, very difficult situation. israel got the brutal attack by a hamas, it's terrible. israel has the rightd itself. but according to international a law, they have to do it in a a way that's consistent with that. that's asking a lot, but it'swh. so the point we're making with this letter is the only way we can get aid in to israel -- pardon me, into gaza,rvation there, is with the cooperation of the israelis. hay control gaza. and that means that they have to work with international partners including the u.n. to facilitate the delivery of food aid a to people who are starving. >> host: and if yo join the conversation and ask a

question of senator welch, you can do so on our lines. democrats, republicans, 202-748-8001, and independents, 202-748-8002. i want to ask you aboting pier o get the aid a into gaza. this is cnn.coming that says u.s. could take two months and 1,000 troops to construct floating pier to deliver aid to gaza, according to the pentagon. first off a,ow[s useful is that going to be? and then, second, are we going too far boots -- to have boots on the ground? because then you're going to have a target, and you're going to have to have ways to get that aid a off the ships and distributed out into the civilianopulation. >> guest: well, let me go through the it one of a time. first of all, it's absolutely not optimal. there's a lot of hazard that's associated with building a pier. if there are american troops

that are building it, you're right, he could become a target. finish the president's a made it clear that there are no boots on the ground. but the pie if is being built largely -- the pier ising being built largely because israel is not cooperating with the far easier way to get aid in, and that's through trucks. and the number of trucks that are going in, went in before the whole conflict if began is to help the food situation was 500 a day. it's now around 100, 150 a day, somewhat less than that, and the need is much greater. so the alternative ways to get aid in like the airdrops that the president authorized, like this pier that's manager that's being championed -- something ■

flow in to all of gaza where they need the aid. >> host: as you know, senator schumer made a speech on the senate floor calling for new elections in israel and for netanyahu to step down. here is the reaction, a statement on senator schumer's remarks. it says this, israel is an independent and proud democracy that elected prime republic. prime minister netanyahu leads a determined policy that is supported by a huge majority of the people. contrary to assume or 's words, the israeli public supports a huge victory over hamas, rejects any international dictates to establish a palestinian terrorist state and opposes the return of the palestinian authority to gaza. reaction, whe solution here, senator? >> guest: well, the fact is their only solution is going to be a two-state solution where there's a demilitarized west

bank as there is now and a demilitarized gaza. and that's the point that that setor let's step back for a second. there is, in congress, nobody who has been more of a supportee more of a supporter of israel than senator assumerrer. he's jewish. he represents more that live in his district than live in tel aviv. it's in his bones. he cares. what he did, i think, was explicitly what we all know is true, that our policy of a two-state the solution, our policy against continuing settlements in the west bank that is resulting in considerable violence and eroding the possibility of a two-state solution. it is absolutely repiewduatedded by the netanyahu government. he's for more settlements, and he's, you know, his policy in gaza is

loss of innocent civilian palestinian lives. so senator schumer, i think, was making clear intatiwlng publicly what we've all known. in my view is, his candor is really essential for us to now have a discussion about how do we get to that two-state soti give senator schumer real credit for this and also can absolutely categorically that that there is nobody who is more committed to israel's future as a jewish democratic state than senator schumer. >> host: and what's your opinion of a potential rafah invasion by the israeli defense force? >> guest: it's a catastrophe. first ogm people there. why are they there? because israel told them to move from the mort to the south and be safe. -- north to the south and be safe. now y have people in tent, in encampments without infrastructure that they at least have a place where they were, quote, safe. and military invasion -- and,

again, i have she for israel. hamas is in tunnels down there. but iner have a military operation with all that population who's there living in close, close quarters and there because israel told them to go there, you're going to have a massive loss of civilian and innocent life. and the dilemma here is that can you destroy a hamas in the way that that israel is thinking it can? many people dispute that, that there's ultimately got to be and the military approach that's been advocated by many is for targeted attacks on known locations where hamas leaders are. so it's a real dilemma because you've got kind e of a gordian knot here. israel's position is that they can't destroy hamas with a ceasefire. also#t the humanitarian realitys you can't get hostages out.

and, by the way, let's not forget what's happening to hostages. every day that goes by, obviously, is a real threat to their safety. but you can't get hostages out or aid if in unless we do have a ceasefire. and that's why i think it's so important that this negotiation for a ceasefire, it's temporary. my hope is that'll be successful and let's talk to callers. mark is up first in springfield, illinois with. democrat. >> caller: good with morning. thank you for taking my c much s situation admittedly, but i just locations, and i'm juston k wondering, it does seem like israel is winning whatever conflict there is over there. i don't understand why so much aid is required or so much conversation is had other aid a for an entity that seemses to be doing what ti understand that t,

there is in this group that is hiding and attacking some behin, but there's a reason why they were there in the first place. and that's kind 46idofion. cornyn mr. president, over the weekend, the russian federation surprise, surprise, officials declared a landslide victory for president vladimir putin. by their account, putin won a fifth term with a whopping 87% of the vote. mr. cornyn: the highest level of this reminded me of a story i think may b reporter that was traveling with a driver in a rack in a runup to a runup to the iraq war.

as was typically the case in dictatorships, the report w sad the vote. and the reporter asked the driver, he said, well you'veith. clearly you haven't been able to go and cast your ballot to which the driver responded, well, i guess saddam knew what was in my heart. as implausible as that result was and as implausible as this result is, it's entirely electi are unlike elections here in the united states or any democracy. in russia elections are carefully orchestrated by the kremlin. the candidates are hand selected. the result is and the opportunity for change is nonexistent. in short, russia's electio are a sham. they're neither free nor fair

and it's no surprise that vladimir putin will continue to lead the corrupt kremlin. the result of this election was always guaranteed and the only next. what if anything will change with the start of putin's new term in office? we widespread speculation that this could signal the beginning of a new military mobilization kremlin lt of rolling out unpopular policies in the period after a presidential ec following 2018, for example, the kremlin raised the retirement age, a move that was deeply unpopular a the russian people. putin even alluded to this new strategy when speaking to reporters in moscow. develop russia will we have certainly be carried out and

their goals achieved. he added, we have come up grandiose plans and will do everything to carry them out. well, this should be an that cannot be ignored by the united states or our allies. we're at a critical russia's war against ukraine, and more support is desperately needed. it is in america's national security interest to help ukraine because vladimir putin will not stop in ukraine, just as he did not stop with the invasion and annexation of the crimea in 2014. he will keep coming and he does very far to go after ukraine encountered nato, the north atlantic we have a treaty obiza with those -- obligation with

those countries under article 5 to come to the defense of in i one of those count so this is very close and near and dear to the ud security in. over the past few months, the u.s. has provided ukraine with unprecedented defense aid, javelins, stingers, grenade launchers, small arms, ammunition, and more. a few weeks ago the senate passed a securityd additional support for ukraine as it battles russian forces. that legislation pased overwhel bipartisan support, but it awaits action in the hves. the senate as we know is not a rubber stamp for the house, and the house is not a rubber stamp for the senate. neither chamber is under any obligation to take up bills that

originated in the other chamber and pass them as ise also have address the biggest threats that our country is facing. one posed by russia's aggression in ukraine and in europe generally. i'm glad that our friends in the house are working o security supplemental. i'm -- i appreciate the comments being made by the speaker that we will not leave out to dry. we know that the house is working on ideas that include a number of of the senate's legislation. one of them is called the repo act, ct which would repurpose seeded russian assets to help finance aid for ukraine. it would shi of the financial burden of supporting ukraine from u.s. taxpayers to

putin and the russian oligarchs whose assets have been is a bip introduced by senator risch, the it's been cosponsored by a e quarter of all senators, myself included. now, the house version ofntrodud and fellow texan chairman michael m{l1}c{l0}caul, chairma committee, and it has more than 75 bipartisan cosponsors. this is a smart and effective way to c without sticking american taxpayers with the bill. i'm disappointed that these senate's supplemental, but i hope our colleagues in the house will pass this bill, the repo act as part of their security supplemental.

i'm also encouraged to hear that the house is likely to extend t lend-lease authority. this authority was created as pertains to ukraine by legislation i with senator cardin, the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee called the ukraine democracy defense became the la years ago. it was rooted in the same principle as president roosevelt's■, lend-lease act in world war ii which allowed the u.s. to supply great britain and other allies with military resources. president roosevelt recognized how critical it was to support great britain, which lacked what it needed to protect its people aggression. he famously vowed to transform the united states int arsenal of democracy and work with congress to get the

lend-lease act passed to achieve that goal. the original■@ lend-ejase was signed into law in march of 1941 and allowed the united states to supply its allies with resources at a critical moment during world war ii. later that year, winston churchhill said the bill -- and i quote -- must be regarded without question as the most th recorded history. the circumstances we find ourselves in today are not the equal 1941, thank goodness, but they could be. ci look eerily similar to the circumstances in 1939 when hitler invaded czechoslovakia. for many of similar reins --

reasons putin says he has a right to invade ukraine. if the world had stood up to germany then, we may have avoided global calamity and prevented the loss of millions of innocent lives. the lessons of the past must inform the present. and i believe we have a duty to exercise our role, america's unique role, as the arsenal of democracy to help ukraine defend its soverei prevent further spread of military aggression and russian desires to restore soviet union, which is what vladimir putin said the failure of the soviet union in was the greatest geo political tragedy of the last hundred years. you know, it and contrasted that statement with the fact that russia lost

between 20 millionion in world . putin says the failure of the soviet union was the greatest geo political tragedy last hundred years, and he must mean greater -- a greater tragedy than the loss of 20 million to 30ilrussians. that's how he thinks. and he wants to restore the sov. and so he will not stop with ukraine.n the aid provided by congress over the last couple of years, the biden administration hasn't relied on the lend-lease authority to -- to aid ukraine but that doesn't mean it isn't needed now. ukraine is willing to figh lead that fight, but it needs additional assistance from the

united states and our nato allies to fend off this russian invasion. ukraine's arsenal is shrinking by the day. it is rationing its artillery shells and its other ammunition, and i'd asked the united states for help. now, there are different points of view, but there's broad bipartisan agreement america should continue to support ukraine. but there's also a growing concern over the cos assistance. i understand that. it's a concern that i share, which is why i introduced the first place. because lend-lease is not a blank check. it gives the administration the option to lease or rent defense articles to ukraine. it would allow us to answer ukraine's call to provide more

of what ensure it's done in a more fiscally responsible way. the weapons the united states and our have allowed ukraine to punch above its weight against the russian army. but ormy is capable of doing is to engage in a war of attrition s=imply t wear down the opposition, both militarily and politically.but its weight against the russian army, but it can't do so without ammunition and without defense articles. additional american assistance is vital to ukraine's success in this war, and we need to reauthorize the lend-lease authority as soon as possible. our security on was attempted

supplemental, and for some reason it didn't make the cut. but i hope now that our colleagues in the house will pass a security bill that includes both the lend-lease extension and the repo act and send that bill back here to the senate without further delay. the future of ukraine is at stake, but that's not all. of t watching. -- to see how the united states and our nato allies respond to . if the u.s. fails to support ukraine in this pivotal moment, other authoritarian governments will take note. america's response to this war will likely affect iran's calculations. omes to israel and its other proxies that it supports throughout the middle east,ing

being the number-one state sponsor of terrorism, and it will also figure into china's calculations when it comes■[ to taiwan. if they see the united states respond with passivity, they can expect to be met with the same level of weakness when these other autocrats and dictators act. we cannot allow america's globe th it's ip to be diminished in dangerous. this isn't a status symbol or something that we want to be able to brag t. safety and our own national security. and that comes from strength, as ronald reagan said, peace comes through strength. the tyrants and the madmen around the world must see the united states and our a strong security supplemental is one key to demonstrating that strength and that commitment.

mr. president, i yield the floor. i would note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. president.

the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: i ask unanimous consent to suspend the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection.

mr. lee: mr. i be permitted to speak for up to ten minutes, followed by senator menendez for up to five minutes prior to the scheduled vote. the presiding fi objection. mr. lee: mr. president, it's a familiar headline. congress announces deal to avoid a shutdown. it's currently midday on wednesday, marche.v friday at midnight, just a -- day after tohe government will run out of funding for more than half of the 12 budget categories, and most of the government's funding is found within thisection that will shut down absent legislation by congress. we're told that the only way we can avoid a shuowfor what we ex monstrous spending plan, a bill

written in secret by a small handful of appropriators and ultimately given the of senator schumer, mcconnell, and jeffries. no one member of this body has review the legislative text, or in the case of all members of congress, to see any of of it. we can't see it. we're not aowedo it. we don't know much about the particular details of the bill, what will be in it and what won't be in it, but is any indicator, as it has proven to be reliably in the past, there are a few things about thel now be certain, even before laying eyes on it. it will, among other things, be full of these special interest giveaways handed out as sweeteners, as if to make the medicine go down.tp■■[■1

it won't force president biden to secure the border. it will perpetuate massive deficits approaching or possibly even exceeding $2 trillion. to add insult to injury, we can be sure that when the text is finally released, there will be, alas, insufficient time to read, comprehend the text, air it with the public, debehe bill, and offer and consider amendments. you see, these bills, massive legislive undertakings that in many instances bundle all federal spending -- or in this instance, most federal single package have become innone must with -- synonymous with legislative excess and manipulation. the firm's modus randy involves creating these

with only a select group. by design, and not by any coincidence, these bills are pu members of congress with barely any time to spare before a potential government shutdown. the strategic timing which often unfolds strategically right before a ensures that the bill passes with minimal scrutiny and little or no opportunity for debate, certainly, or for amendments. in other words, it becomes a take it or leave it charade, oc softened by allowing just a few votes on just a few amendments. but make no mistake, a the firm yields its influence to ensure that no substantial changes are made, certaly threaten the supp

sanctity of their original draft. members are, thus, cornered into a false dichotomy in which their votes for the measure are extracted, extorted, if you will. we're told to■ unread, not understood, undebated, or alterna chaos and vitriol associated with a government shutdown. thus, the individual voices orer elected lawmakers here in congress in both houses of both political parties, and by extension the■> will of the american people are diluted in a process dominated by a few a it's not that these bills are bad in every circumstance. there are a lot of things that are within them that the needs,

perhaps all of this body, in some cases, would find objectionable. the problem is not that the bill is rotten to one end to the other. it is instead that it's been written by a select few and the many are not allowed say in it, and when it's brought forward without any timely, ful for airing and debate and amendment, congress as a whole becomes a rubber stamp to otofirm. will of the public is the firm. the will of the public is thwarted and hundreds of millions of american peoples are effectively disen-france franchise -- disenen from chaised from -- disenfranchised throws american taxpayers under the bus and forsakes fiscal responsibility if in fact w

in so doing, the measures that the vast majority of americans would support -- stopping an invasion happening right now at our southern border, resulting in a wave and destruction we haven't seen in the past. it's not because this whole system of government funding -- this is, rather, entirely the result of the whole system of government fundingei designed not to benefit the vast majority of americans but, rather, to benefit the very architects of these bills, the lobbyists, special interests and, of course, all under the direction of the firm. these entities thrive in the shadow of this process, influencing legislation in ways that serve the architects themselves, often at the expense

of the general public. americans are bearing the cost of decisions made without their consent or their knowledge,in, things, skyrocketing costs of living and a staggering national debt, now exceeding $34 trillion. dismantle this corrupt process and restore transparency and accountability to the way we fund our■ government. the process behind what we fully expect to be a wasteful, insulting minibus bill is a disgrace, and let history show that a few of us stood up and said so. this is not the bill, we shouldn't be forced to rush to judgment on it without debate, discussion, or amendment. we sho instead adopt a short-term continuing resolution that would take us to april 12 to give lawmakers adequate time to review and understand the

bill, to air it to the public, to offer amendments to theill to improve it, and finally vote on it. that's the order in which it should occur, not the opposite. steairm would take us down yet another road of fire, ready, aim. voting for this in favor of mas deficits, corrupting earmarks, and funding joe biden's border invasion. and so i both sides of the aisle to join us in fighting for fiscal responsibility, for the best interests of american families, the same families that we're supposed to represent in washington. this proposal this short--term continuing resolution is near the democratic nor republican, it is neither liberal nor conservative. it is just common sense. give the people's elected lawmakers the chance to be involved in the lawmaking■k process.

because we're certainly not doing that now. to that end, mr. president, as if in9o legislative session, i k unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of my bill which is at the desk. i further ask that the considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: i objection? mrs. murray: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: mr. president, reserving the right to object. us.have a clear and we have at long last a bicameral, bipartisan agreement on all of our full-year bills. it is t them passed and close out f.y. 24. after all we're six months into the fiscal year. we have to get a,é-on. let's stay focused on the deadline in front of us right now. we are working as fast as possible to release the bill, text of the mini bus as soon as

possible. and if there's bipartisan cooperation, we can get this package passed by the deadline. this83i bus is a carefully negotiated bipartisan package that reflects the input of nearly every senator and the priorities of every state america. we need to turn the page on fiscal year 24, take the government off of ought toe pilot -- autopilot and focus on passing these bills before friday at midnight. i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. lee: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: i'll be wrapping up my remarks. i just want to say this is unfortunate. we owe it to each other. we owe it to thosectually discu the merits of legislation before being forced to pass on it. the fact there's bipartisan agreement as to final numberskj have even seen the bill. they have not. they have kept it secret from us and from those we represent. it's simply disingenuous to

suggest this has been agreed upon long ago. we need at least a few days to do this. that we extend the spending period out to april 12. that would give us time to do that. it's unfortunate we didn't get that agreement today. we'll be back.you. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. a senator: mr. president, i rise to to support the confirmation of mr. edward sunyol kiel to the u.s. district court of new jersey. mr. kiel w i proudly recommended to president biden is eminently qualified for this . kiel spent his career demonstrating an even tempe temperament and equal justice under the law. with 27 years as a practicing attorney in new jersey, he has amassed an abundance of trial experience and objectively impressive record of pro bono work for numerous organizations and church groups.

atop his outstanding credentials, mr. kiel is already quite familiar with the new jer courthouse. he currently serves as a magistrate judge on the very same court. mr. menendez: during his time on the bench, he hasimself a capab and even keeled jurist, a sharp legal mind with a depend reverence for precedent a of la. beyond his regular duties to the court, judge kiel has also devoted generous amounts of timy program, an important initiative that offers treatment alternatives and noncustodial sentences force again proving h commitment not just to the law but to human beings impacted by our justice system. i'd be remiss to discuss judge kiel's qualifications without also touching on his incredible personal kiel was born in south

korea ya to parents who fled as on foot. while they did not have much in terms of material wealth, they were rich in faith and in love. with just $40 in their pockets, a gift pooled together by their relatives before the journey, his family made the decision to come to the united states and bet it all on the american dream. on their very first sunday in the united states, judge kiel's mothern the church's offering plate, a symbol of her undying optimism for her family's new life in america. today judge kiel works every day in the same exact courthouse where his parents became u.s. citizens in the 1970's. and if that's not a shining example of the american dream, i don't know what is. judge kiel's story is one that is familiar t state and across .

his confirmation will be another important step towards achieving the ideal of an independent judiciy t reflects the best of american mirrors our nation's rich cultural tapestry. to this end i commend president biden for nominating the mostal group of qualified federal judges of i president so far in our nation's history. in all branches and all levels of our government, our democracy, institutions are made stronger by public servants whose lived experience are as unique and colorful as america itself. this is a cause to which i have dedicated my senate career ensuring that the governed see themselves in their government. to ensure that our democracy is genuinely a government of, by, and for the people. it's therefore today in favor of confirming judge kiel to the district court of new jersey. i urge my colleagues to do the same. i have no doubt he will continue to be an asset to new jersey's federal bench and i encourage my

colleagues to join me in swiftly confirming him today. thank you, mr. president. with that i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 465, edward sunyosey to states district judge for the district of new jersey signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous nsent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of edward sunyol kiel of new jersey to be united states district judge for the

district of new jersey shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: ■r 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. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey.

mr. cassidy. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duh. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman.

mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono.even. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. kaine.n. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan.

ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell.. menendez. mr. merkley.l mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray.mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. ters. 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. the clerk: senators voting in the affirmative -- blumenthal, casey, duckworth, heinrich, hickenlooper, markey, menendez, whitehouse. mr. lujan, aye. senators voting in the negative -- britt,■6■! budd, cotton, graham, lee, rounds, schmitt, tillis, tuberville, and young. mr. ricketts, no.

mr. king, aye. the clerk: ms. collins, no. mr. risch, no.

vote: the clerk: mr. reed, aye.

the clerk: mr. warnock, aye.

the clerk: mr. no. ms. stabenow, aye.ñ

the clerk: mr. boo a■ mr. fetterman, aye.og■"■x

the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye. the clerk: mr. lankford, no.9p ms. cantwell, aye.+u mr. sullivan, no.

the clerk: mr. cornyn, no.1z

the clerk: mr. merkley, aye. mrs the clerk: mr. crapo, no.

the clerk: mr. coons, aye.

mr. scott of florida, no.

the clerk: mrs. fischer, no.$■o

the e.

mr. scott of south carolina, no"

the clerk: mr. cruz, no. mr. schatz, aye.

the clerk: mr. rubio, no. mr. hagerty, no. mr. carper, aye. the clerk: ms. klobuchar, aye.

mr. moran, no. mr. grassley, no. vote:

the clerk: mr. warner, aye. 9>■

the clerk: ms. baldwin, aye. mr. schumer, aye. fó■n

the clerk: mr. paul, no ms. luis mr. brown, aye. mr. van hollen, aye.

the clerk: mr. mcconnell, no.■6

the clerk: mrs. shaheen, aye. dn

the clerk: mr. wyden, aye. ■#m

the clerk: mr. barrasso, no. ms.nema, aye.

the clerk: mr. welch, aye.

the clerk: mr. marshall, no.■( the clerk: ms. rosen, aye.

bennet, aye. the clerk: mr. cramer, no.

the clerk: mr. padilla, aye. the clerk: ms. hirono, aye. mrs. capito, no. ■r. peters, ay

the clerk: ms. ernst, no. ms. murkowski, no. jí3p5

the clerk: mr. boozman, no.

the clerk: mr. daines, no. mrs. . braun, no.

the clerk: mrs. hyde-smith, no.

the clerk:

the clerk: mr. kennedy, no.

the clerk: mr. durbin, aye.

the clerk: mr. thune, no. ■b the clerk: mr. cassidy, no. mr. ossoff, aye. the clerk: mr. cardin, aye.

ms. cortez-masto, aye. ■o■

the clerk: mr. murphy, aye. the clerk: ms. hassan, aye.

the clerk: mr. vance, no. peddling. vote: zoo

the clerk: mr. tester, aye. mr. manchin, aye. ms. warren, aye. mr. kelly, aye.

the clerk:sanders, aye. t h

the clerk: mr. manchin, no⌝

the clerk: ms. butler, aye. ■■n(

the presiding officer: on this vote the yeas are 50, the nays

are 48, and the motion is agree senate stands in recess until >> the fast -- senate is now in recess. republicans are scheduled to minister benjamin netanyahu today. the lawmakers will be back at 2:i 15 eastern for more votes on u.s. district court nominations for new jersey and northern california. 'qf >> celebrating the 02th anniversary of our annual student cam documentaryn. highle milestone of the anniversary, each participant was given the option to the look 20■q years into the future or into the past.

in response, we received inspiring and thought-provoke isingocore than if 3,200 students across 42 states through conducting in-depth interview ises with experts, students criticalling doings. >> for one, it has already started replacing human -- [inaudible] work. >> challenges in climate -- >> our tap i have can no longer sustain the richness and diversity it once held. >>isbout criminal justice -- >> race, bias and the american criminal justice system. >> we're excited to share the in the middle school division, the first price goes to -- from isaac graham newton middle the documentary, beyond just sci-fi: a.i., reshaping america's tomorrow, delves into the evolve ising world of fi division's first prize is

awarded the dermot foley in silver spring, maryland, for his film, the promise of langley park, the purple line, climate change and reimagining the future of america's suburbs. brianna johnson and troy, michigan, claimed the first prize in their high school central division with their production, unseen heroes: the caregivers of america. in the high school western division, brendan k emily and max from palo alto senior high school in california earnedf che which tax a critical look at the fast fashion industry. and our top award of $5,000 for nate coleman and jonah -- tenth graders at westen high school in connecticut. their compelling docentary, innocent held hostage: navigating past and future conflicts with iran, deals with a timely and sensitive subject and with a former iranian hostage. >> instead of saying so you're

free to leave, i was blindfolded, hand cuffed, thrown in the back of a car to ebbing . >> it brings me great joy out of 3200 students that participated in this competition this year, you guys are of student cam 202. >> oh, my god, thank you. >> thank you so much. thank you. wow. >> this is a huge honor. we -- we are so grateful for this opportunity. we really thank you a lot. >> we extend our gratitude to the educators, parents sported each of these young -- supported each of these young film makers on their creative journeys. congratulations to all our win winning documentaries will be broadcast on c-span starting april 1st, plus catch each of the 150oi award-winning student cam films online anytime at studentcam.org. join is us in celebrating thesep inspiring young ooh minds as

they affect our world. >> earlier today the house oversight committee held a hearing on the republican-led impeachment inquiry into president biden. former associates of hunter biden as well as lev -- a former associate of rudy giuliani, were among the witnesses. watch the entire hearing tonight st on c-span2, c-span now, our free mobile video app, or online at c-span.org.■, a healthy democrat just look like this, it looks like this. where americans can see democracy at work, where citizens are truly informed our are republic thrives. get informed straight from the source on-s unfiltered, unbiased biased, word for word. from the nation's capital to wherever you are, because therst is your own. this is what democracy looks like