ukrainians in temporary i could buy territories. it was a task during war is a serious task or order to do it right now. but right now we have to liberate them first of all. and after that we will provide reintegration. a lot of questions humanitarian, it's a question. rebuilding restoring justice scope of work. but there are no detailed recipe on it. >> so were almost out of time but i will take maybe one or two more questions is that all right? okay. you and -- >> mic. >> my name is mark, business

background microsoft and long-term kyiv resident. you can choose one or two of these, that big that the topics patricia observations. first topic only real hope for russia to change generationally but before ukraine victory. speed is the thing is coming in today to consider the nomination of the chair of the nuclear regulatory commission. and looking ahead senate majority leader chuck schumer announced plans to vote on wednesday on whether to advance a bill access to library to the floor of the senate here on the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the aplain: let us pray. eternal god, before you nations rise and fall; they grow strong

or wither by your design. help our nation to embrace righteousness and to strive for unity and renewal. may america set an example of right living that willns other nations to follow you. peace so we may plow up battlefields and pound weapons into liberation tools. teach us to talk across boundaries as brothers and sisters united by yo today, help our senators to work with a of their accountability to you.

we pray in your sovereign name. amen. 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 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 june 3, 2024.

to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1 paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tammy duckworth, a senator from the state of illinois, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patty murray president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous orderer you can the leadership time is reserved. mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i move to proceed 400, s. 4381. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 400 s. 4381 a bill to protect individual's ability to access contraceptives and so forth. mr. schumer: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: 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 motion to proceed toalendar number 400 s. 4381 a bill to protect an individual's ability to access contraceptives and so forth, signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. schumer: waive waive.

d. shall. mr. schumer: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i note the aum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. the clerk: ms. baldwin. quorum call:

"q

mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: so, madam president, thursday a jury found forr president donald trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records as part of a hush money scheme. former president convicted felon.

the most important takeaway from this case is that nobody is above the law, including donald trump. the former president went through the same legal process that all americans go through. he was tried according to the facts and the law and was found guilty -- guilty -- by a jury of his peers. as donald trump considers his next steps, there should continue to be no outside political influence intimidation or interference in the case. i encourage mr. trump's supporters and critics alike to let the process move forward according to law. now, on reproductive care this month america marks a dark and somber anniversary. two years since a radical maga majority on the supreme court overturned roe v. wade. the decision will go down as one of the worst supreme court cases in modern times. it will be remembered as one of the most draconian reversals of

individual liberty in american history. there should be no question who brought our country to this crisis. it was donald trump and hard-right republicans who have made clear that they will not rest until freedom of choice is eliminated across the country. democrats will not stand for republicans' relentless attacks on reproductive teams. this week the senate will begin our defense of freedom of choice with a vote to access to contraceptives. before the memorial day i began the process -- before the memorial day holiday, i began the process for the in a the to consider the right of the contraceptive act, led by senators markey and hirono. today i j motion to proceed to that bill. members should expect a vote moving forward on the right to contraception act on wednesday. federal protections for contraceptives is a critical piece of protecting american

women's pre-productive freedoms. and this legislation would codify it into federal law. for those who think that federal protections for birth control are unnecessary, just look at what's happening at the state level. republican governors in virginia and nevada have already vetoed bills to protect birth control. and the arizona legislature has blocked similar bills, too. theernment should absolutely have a say in ensuring every american has access to birth control if they need it. come after that. over the coming weeks, senate democrats will put reproductive freedoms f this what i am so that -- before this chamber so that the american people can see for themselves who will stand up to defend their fundamental liberties. the erosion of freedom of choice is perhaps the defining worry for tens of millions of americans since the maga court eliminated roe. today at least 20 states have near-total bans of severe -- or

rhea sun severe restrictions on abortions. tenses of millions of -- tens of millions of american women lack access to reproductive care. and even services like ivf, which millions have relied upon can no longer as totally safe. none of this happened in a vacuum. result of donald trump and maga republicans who made the repeal of roe their north star for decades. and republicans aren't even hiding it. donald trump said quote, he's proud -- he was proudly the person responsible, unquote for the disastrous roe reversal. does anyone seriously think that if donald trump and republicans get into power again that they won't try to restrict abortion, and reproductive care even. of course they will. that's why it's more important now than ever that we pass legislation like the right to contraception act to protect this vital lifeline for millions of women across the country.

this week and in future weeks, senate republicans will have to answer for their antiabortion anti-womennda. and my republican colleagues should know that the american people are closely watching.il well madam president, we just finished celebrating the memorial day holiday. on the one hand it is a solemn holidays a remembrance for all who died to protect our country. on the oth hand of course, memorial day weekend is an unefficiently start -- unofficial start to summer. schools go out on break, families and friends go on vacation. so it is not hard to feel the frustration, the sheer exasperation felt by millions when america's biggest oil companies rake in record p but still raise prices at the pump. pump. it is deeply unfair. now we have reason to believe in some casesit may be unlawful. last week i joined with myng on

the department of justice to investigate the oil federal trade commission uncovered evidence of price fixing and according to the ftc, pioneer natural resources, one of the most important producers in the country, ma have colluded -- may have colluded unlawfully with foreign nations of opec to limit production and artificially boost prices during the early days of the pandemic. much of the ftc's complaint is redacted but even what's public is very very troubling. according to the ftc, pioneer's former ceo worked ex tensism with opec -- extensionively with opec as early as 2020 to limit production ensuring american companies who normally completed against each other were quote, working to keep output artificially low. low artificial -- artificially low output means higher prices for americans. pioneer's former ceo reportedly

told his competitors they need to, quote, stay in line, and that quote, if anybody goes back to growth shareholders will punish those companies, unquote. a month ago, he went a saying even if oil gets to $200 a barrel the independent producers are going to be disciplined. this strong arming seems to have worked unfortunately. today, growth in u.s. oil output is down 50% since the pandemic but the average household is $500 more a year per car of possible collusion. $500 more a year per car for gasoline because of possible collusion collusion. that's what frustrates americans so much about big oil, even when they're making money hand over st they keep raising prices on us. they will keep squeezing us for everything we've got, and now

they may -- may have crossed the line into unlawful behavior. so the doj needs step in and determine if any laws against collusion or price fixing have been broken. at minimum, the american people deserve to know if big oil executives are conspiring with each other or with opec behind our back to illegally raise prices at the pump. finally, on the trump tax cuts day one that trump tax cuts stunk to high heaven and now cbo has shown they're even worse than we thought. lastcbo reported an extension of the 2017 trump tax cuts would add a whopping $4.6 trillion to the deficit. hear that deficit hawks on the other side of the aisle, who keep complaining that the deficit's getting higher? the trump tax cuts would add a whopping $4.6 trillion to the deficit.

that's 50% higher than original estimates. the latest cbo report is a harsh reality check for the self-proclaimed fiscal hawks on the right who complain about the deficit. they complain about spending $50 million to help feed kids but they seem to have no concern at a tax cut that mainly goes to the wealthy and big corporations that increases the deficit. et cetera another remin the day the trump tax cuts were a dud for the for the republican party. i yield the floor andote the absence of a quorum. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

immediate 48 hours and on the left interesting dynamic i had

democrat jon tester of montana senators who shot away from this this. and a convicted felon who gets the upper hand here? we'll see. >> hearing on the federal government and alvin bragg an idea. it's with ways investigation and discuss any of this in

>> independence joe manchin said he stepping away the u.s. senate senate why do that. >> he always keeps his thing was to pursue for governor or center. west virginia and by it is easier be dependent is an mcglothlin their own be but dimensions that he will

democrats have our visit rising up to the chamber. in his chairmanship he doesn't have to have anyone. the house is back in eastern returns 3:00 p.m. eastern in the wake of the memorial day week long holiday don't appear capitol hill, what is the ? click on about an interesting time they've hunted or finished the deadlines until september these deadlines coming up. this weekend the coming week wef messaging party as well attempt to push forward with appropriation legislation this week.

>> one high-profile hearing and others you want to talk about the attorney general on capitol hill tuesday they want to hear from you about what let's. >> a regular oversight hearing and get the opportunity to ask questions to the aftermath of the verdict last week at the local level and they are likely to bring up the attorneyol hill as with high-profile. >> this is one of the luckily cover lid on just after 8:00 and it's monday so we are talking about the week ahead and what stories you want to focus on. what

you are and the coming weeks. >> a rules committee hearing and sanctioning israeli theaters of the war and the committee but given their majority this is where we feel that happened make it to the house for about against legislation.

>> the conservatives there watching what here in the rules committee. >> reporters will know it's often a proceeding the magic happens in late at night. often concerns of house publicans before -- we see things before it's voted on a house for because they have the ability to block all legislation legislation. >> where are we -- esiding officer: without objection. morning businesder, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, nuclear

regulatory commissionan to be a member. mr. durbin: madam president. in washington. i used to come int building and sit up there where the visitors are sitting and watch. i remember so many things particularly the day that bobby kennedy gave his speech about vietnam, highly anticipated, came walking through the door ted kennedy, both york the other from massachusetts. it was an historic moment. it was a magic moment for a college student. it was overwhelming to be a witness to that history, to realize what this chamber has met to this nation what this building has meant to this nation throughout our history,

that's why i'll never forget what happened in this chamber on january 6, 2021. violent extremists stormed the capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 presidential election. donald trump was engaged in the big lie, for the first time really in the history of the united states he questioned the legal outcomef the election. madam president, you and i both know that is fundamental to a democracy to believe that we can have a peaceful transition of decision-makers guided by the people of this country without political interference many carried banners to show their support for president trump to overturn the election the big lie. the stop to steal campaign on behalf of president trump were on display that day. one was an american flag flown

upside down. the other a so-called appeal to while the events of january 6 were hard to imagine, reports that the same battle flag flew outside the supreme court justice samuel alito's home were nearly as shocking. in january 2021 less than two ion at the capitol, an upside down american flag flew alito's front lawn in suburban 2023 the appeal to heaven flag flew on the flagpole of the alitos' beach home in new jersey. while these flags may have once held other meanings in the year 2021 they were closely associated with election deniers and extreme right-wing politicians. they are in fact the battle flags of trump's maga movement. the supreme court's authority, madam esident, ultimately rests on its reputation in public confidence. the supreme court doesn't own an

army. it doesn't have a vast treasury. it depends on people trusting the justices to make honest professional decisions. this reputation and public confidence is the strength of the supreme court. that is why the supreme court's recently adopted code of conduct requires justices to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all activities. the code of conduct and federal law requires justices to recuse themselves when their impartiality might be questioned. the flying of these flags marks a new disturbing chapter in the supreme court's ongoing ethical crisis. it suggests that justice alito has not only chosen sides in an ongoing political dispute, about his allegiance in pending legal disputes. as we speak, the supreme court is considering two critical cases relating to the 2020 presidential election and the insurrection.

in trump vs. the united states the supreme court whether former president trump is immune from criminal prosecution for his efforts to overturn the election. and in fisher vs. the states the court, again the supreme court, will determine whether the felony obstruction statute applies to the january 6 rioters who tried to stop congress from exercising its constitutional duty to certify the election. the court's ruling o$=be critical to ensuring that those responsible for one of the darkest chapters in our history are held accountable. but displaying the upside down american flag and appeal to heaven flag creates the peerns that justice alito has already aligned himself with the stop the steal campaign. he cannot credibly claim to be an umpire calling balls and strikes in these cases. he has donned the jersey of his favorite team. that's why i call on justice

alito to recuse himself and why i urge chief justice roberts to finally step up and take what steps are necessary to ensure that justice alito does not sit on those cases and rather that he recuse himself. last week justice alito refused my request. i'm going to keep this letter the original version that was sent to me and senator whitehouse by justice alito in which he makes an argument that the flag should not be taken seriously, that it was his wife's decision. there were complications in her decision. it's hard to accept this. it's hard to first, to believe that this man who we're asking to recuse himself from the supreme court cases has somehow stood in judgment of himself and decided that he did not unethical and should not recuse himself. he to come before the committee and refused

our request to recuse himself from these cases. in doing so he claimed he bears no responsibility for the january 6ated flags flying over his homes. instead he placed t solely on his wife. he went on to down play the significance of the upside down american flag display claiming it was part of a dispute with neighbors and denied a-- knowing the connection between the apappeal to heaven flag and the snucks in the capitol. the chief justice refused to take action and deferred to justice alito's decision. justice alito's decision to recuse begs the question why shou the sole power to decide whether recusal from the case is necessary. additional reporting called into question his version of the events with text messages and even recording to call the police suggesting a neighborhood dispute occurred after the

upside down american flag flew over the alito residence. and whether justice a legal tow raised flags himself or stood idly by while his we did so the fact remains the same. a reasonable person would question justice impartiality. but the consequences of justice alito's actions go far beyond this. he needs to recuse himself from these cases. justice alito presented himself as a political actor and ally of the far right. his actions suggest no matter what arguments are made and what evidence is presented at the supreme court his decisions will align with personal beliefs and policy preferences. no matter=r what explanations he provides now or in the future it will be hard anybody before the court to believe justice alito approaches their case withou bias.

we cannot afford further erosion of public confidence in our courts. our faith in the impartiality of functioning of our legal system and democratic form of government. for more than a year story after story has broken about ethical misconduct by the sitting justices of the supreme court. we've learned that some just justice alito again, accepted gifts and travel from billionaires with interests before the court. to know the full extent of how immense wealt private access to the justices. that's why the senate judiciary committee is exercising its constitutional authority to investigate what has been provided to the justices and i will continue to push for legislation a bill sponsored primarily by senator sheldon whitehouse but many of us joined as cosponsors to establish a binding code of conduct and justices. why in the world should the highest court in our land have the lowest standard of judge is held to a standard of ethics to

make certain that their reputation is intact why would that not apply to the justices sitting on the highest court of the land? we'll continue to push for legislation to create a binding code of conduct and recusal standards that th american people can see. last year the judiciary committee reported to the floor the supreme court ethicsand transparency act. importantly, this legislation's ethical and recusal requirement would apply equally to every justice of the supreme court regardless of the party of the president who appointed them. the supreme court has failed to act to address the ethical crisis that h engulfed it and the senate must do so. simple fact there is a chief justice of the supreme court, js within his power to resolve this ethical issue tonight, to have it done by the morning to make it clear that the supreme court is taking a different course one that is credible to the american people. justice alito cannot stand in judgment of himself. the fact that we have to come to

the floor of the senate to plead this case makes it clear that there are no avenues to be followed for ethical consideration before the court today. that can change. the bill that is pending on the calendar is a step in the right direction, and i totally support it. i close by asking unanimous consent that the letter sent to me by justice alito b part of the "congressional record." the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: madam president, i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

the same legal process all americans go through and found guilty by a jury of his peers. if donald trump considers his step there should continue

to be no outside influence intimidation or interference. i encourage trump supporters and political left going forward. now from reproductive care and the radical majorityurned will be weighed in the decision will go down as one of the worst in modern times and individual liberty and donald trump made clear they were eliminated across the country and the press will not stand for republicans on reproductive will begin

defense freedom of choice a vote to protect access contraceptives contraceptives. before him while they process often for the memorial day holiday consider the right to contraception led by editors today all closure the most bill. numbers to inspect move forward wednesday. federal protections critical piece of protective america's reproductive freedoms on legislation would codify the right for those who think federal protections are unnecessary, look at what's happening at the state level. republican governors in virginia vetoed in the arizona legislature blocked similar

bills, to in the federal government should have a say in ensuring every american has access and there will be more action for the coming weeks senate front and center of the american people can see for themselves will stand up for their liberties. erosion of freedom of choice is perhaps the binding worry tens of millions of americans. today at least the s fans restrictions on abortion. tens of millions lack access to reproductive care services millions of americans have relied on can no longer be assumed is totally safe. this is a direct result of donald trump a republican to

make their appeal. does anyone seriously think they get into power and they will restrict abortion reproductive care given mark? of course they will and that's why it is more important now than ever that we ask legislation like the right to contraception act for millions of women across the country. this weekend senate republicans will have to answer to their anti- women agenda. my colleagues should know the american people are closely watching.

remembrance world died and on the other hand memorial day is the unofficial start to summer families and friends get together and millions of americans go to work so not heard to feel the frustration. exasperation when america's bi profits raise prices at the pump pump it is unfair and reason to believe in some cases it may be unlawful. last week i joined with my democratic colleagues on the department of justice trade. according to the ftc international resources foreign producers in the country

unlawfully the fine nations of will to limit production crisis in the early days of the pandemic. much of the evidence and i could but even with public is very troubling. according to the ftc former work extensively as early as 2022 limit production enjoy will normally compete against each other will working to keep up reportedly told competitors they need to quote state and line and that anybody goes back all shareholders punished those companies. a month ago he went as far as saying i think it 200 dollars a

barrel independent producers going to be disciplined. his strong-arming seems to have worked unfortunately. today growth is down 50% since the pandemic for the average household is paying $500 more a year a car because of possible collusion $500 more a part for gasoline because of possible what frustrates americans so much about big oil even when making money hand over fist squeezing us for everything that got. now they may have crossed the line with unlawful behavior so the d.o.j. needs to seven the german any laws against collusion has been broken. minimum, the american people

with each other opec behind our back they legally raise drop prices at the pump. finally on the trump tax cuts even from they wanted trump tax cuts to high heaven and it showed there even worse than we thought. last month po reported an extension from the tax cuts would add a walking $.6 trillion deficit and on the other side of the aisle the deficit getting higher accepts would add $4.6 trillion to the deficit.n about spending $50 million to help the kids seem to have no concern tax cut that

goes to the wealthy and big corporations is it by $4.6 trillion ano reminder light at the end of the day accepts the economy in a political loser in the party.

2000. tonight 42% of americans say they have confidence in the judicial system. u.s. is tied with italy judiciary. when you think that is? >> i suppose just the arising what they are seeing in newspapers and media and decisions that come down it punishes get limited judges and courts because it is a component in our judicialdo system. the polls done on person to have served 76% of all people went through the experience of jury selection and jury in the trial.

i would caution trial by jury is not part of that. >> how long for you but. >> i was appointed by the first in 1990. lawyers aund the country that took procedures and make them more sound so they can appreciate our jury even more than they already have -- i was a trial lawyer first and i love the courtroom and i love the dynamic of the jury trial and that i became lawyer for the dcc

council and got involved in public policy. after doing that for several years before i was app bench i had this urge to go back to the port of a judge caretaker. >> are these high-profile cases in the hun biden is a good and focus the judicial? >> i do i think people don't think about juries or courtrooms unless they are litigant or juror and our statistics show 31 million americans were summoned for jury duty every year and

about 150,000 served on a jurys more like 31.8 million were summoned and one of the have million four roughly 50000 jury trials our country every year. >> one thing i want to hear from viewers splitting phone lines regionally. certainly want to hear your experience so what you want to do in the jury system.

>> to improve our process so more citizens when they receive are willing to serve the mayor more countable so to speak and young children are claimed. candace important. it is very important. it is called four weeks. is a statement

want to serve it is also while be back for at least another two years. it is selecting who want to serve. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, here we are back in the nation's capitol doing the people's work but over the last couple of weeks, i've been traveling across the state of texas where our communities have been battered by extreme weather of one kind or another, from

houston up to the metroplex and valley view and to lubbock, storms have caused widespread power out jajs one mile-per-hour winds toppled transmission lines, power lines, and trees, and ripping windows out of skyscrers, last week the hail was so large that thether service had a novel description, called the hail ddd size and dallas saw baseball-sized hail which of my constituents without power. and five tornadoes touched down in north texas during a six-hour span last satu one of those tornadoes, an ef-3

traveled through eight counties with speeds peaking at 140 miles per hour. tragically it led toep seven deaths and -- led to seven deaths and an estimated 100 injuries. this year the national weather service has recorded 1300 heavy weather events in texas and more than 100 of those reports came on a single day last week. many of our communities are still clearing debris restoring power and assessing damage and i've spoken with leaders regions about the recovery process and offering a helping hand. i appreciate everything being done to keep our communities safe and support those who suffered the damage caused by this severe weather. in many areas, the level of destruction far exceeds the capabilities of the city or county and there's a need for

federal support. governor abbott has worked quickly to ensure texas receives the resources and support it needs from the state and he requested assistance from the federal government too. he submitted a major disaster declaration request to president biden for the county's -- counties impacted by severe weather and flooding. senator cruz and i have been in communication with the administration to emphasize how critical these resources are, and we've urgedresident to grant the governor's request for all of the affected counties. many counties are still waiting for that criticalw declaration, and i urge the administration to move expeditiously to grant those requests as soon as possible to unlock critical assistance. i appreciate the biden administration working with us to support these counties and these constituents who were impacted by the recent string of storms. there's a lot of partisan

disagreements here in washington, d.c. thatat we do day to day, but those divisions have never critical emergency relief. of hurricane season officially upon us and experts predicting an active season i know i join all texans in hoping for an expeditious recovery for impacted communities. madam president, as i was able to travel around the state and dodge the severe weather that seemed to pop up instantaneously, i was able to spend time with many of my constituents. for example, in -- i kicked off the week in san antonio at my favorite annual event. it's where all of the students who have been admitted to service academies gather with their parents and are sent off to their service academy with a rousing speech and best wishes by everyone there. we had vice admiral joe maguire

provide a speech to somebody who was 36 years in the navy seals and now is the director of the strouse -- excuse me the clement center in austin texas, working with the strouse center and other university of texas institutions to try to help educate the next generation of our nation's leaders.s memorial day event to celebrate young attend military service academies. and this year we had the joy of hosting more than 100 studentsus their families and friends along with several ele officials, community leaders, and representatives from various veterans groups. as i mentioned, our keynote speaker was vice admiral joe maguire. as we honor the lives of those who died in service to our country, it is very powerful to celebrate the next generation of leaders who are committed to protecting their nation.

these are some of the smartest and most accomplished young people in the country, and they've chosen to pursue their education at our service academies. but they made the decision to take their talents to these service academies and pursue anill be full of challenges and gone to some elite school in the north east with the hopes of making millions of dollars over their students have made a different choice a choice that puts service above self. and i applaud all of them. it was great to meet with these young men and women because it gives me hope of our country. i'm grateful to the famil who were there cheering their students on who traveled from across texas to help us celebrate in san antonio. and i incredibly proud of these young men and women for answering the call to serve. and i wish them the best luck. last week i also had the chance

to spend some time out in west texas at the good fellow air force base near saint anglo, texas. that is one of the principal training sites for our entering airmen sailors, soldiers and now the space force called the guardian. all of these folks a training to become intelligence specialists to saint anglo for some of their most basic training. i got a chance to see them in action and learn how they're evolving their training missions to match the threat of an evolving landscape. i also had a chance to meet with some of the base's senior leaders and recognize some of the incredible servicemembers who were stationed there. may of course is -- was military appreciation month, and it was great to spend some time celebrating some of our country's past present, and future military leaders last

week. these young men and women are the reason the united states continues to be the greatest most powerful country on earth, and they deserve our deepest gratitude for their enduring texas is the proud home to many servicemembers veterans and their families and it also serves as the home to thece the equipment and the ammunition they use on the ba f-35 joint strike fighters in fort worth, the pantex plant near amarillo which disassembles and evaluates nuclear weapons, we have many of these sites located through the state. but last week i had a chance to visit the newest to texas' defense industry. general dynamics just opened its new heavy artillery manufacturing facility in mesquite just outside of dallas. this facility will increase production of 155 millimeter shells which are crucial to ukraine's defense against russia

and our preparation for other conflicts around the world. this new factory will expand domestic manufacturing to produce more than 30,000 shells each month, which amounts to one-third of all u.s. production of 1455 millimeter -- 155 millimeter artillery shells. one of the things that the war in ukraine has exposed is our defense industrial base which has not been prepared to meet the needs and demands not only of the united states but also of our friends and allies around the world. this is the first new start of the ukraine war, and i'm glad that in the lone star state. texas is critical to america's national security and it was good to spend time with t secretary of the armyisti war warmooth seeing the incredible work being done to secure our

nation's security as well as our friends and allies around the world. my final state on my across-the-state travels was the new children's hospital in the rio grande valley. until recently many families had to travel 150 miles just to receive this specialized care their children needed. with the opening of this new state of the art facility that has finally changed. hospital offers nearly 150 patient beds eight operating rooms, sophisticated technology and even a therapy dog by the name of tesla. this is the type of facility that is life changing for countless families in the region and i was glad to join elected officials and community leaders to celebrate the newest addition to health care delivery in the rio grande valley. so madam president, it was a busy week in texas. we have 254 counties and as i like to tell people it's closer to the pacific ocean from el

paso than it is from el paso far west texas to the eastern tip of our state. everybody knows texas is a big place, and i can attest to that again after my travels this last week. but i'm grateful to many of my constituents and friends who share their ideas and feedback with me. it's amazing how different their priority is emanating from washington, d.c. it is an honor of a lifetime to serve 30 million texans in the united states senate and i'm ready to get back to wor madam president, i yield the floor, and i'd note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

was from a jurors point of view i have to keep my eye on the ball and the ball is in this case, one case in the next case, then the next case. >> are the branches well-balan? >> are they truly coequal? >> i th. i think so. in each branch there are more people that respect and honor what the constitution and our founders want than those that would like to put it aside and may be grandstand, i don't know. i think anyone that tries to answer that question has to look at a situation and in this situation, was a separation of powers honored or not? did this branch live up to its constitutional duty and not exceed it? lee, rockville maryland.

>> hi. this is lee and rockwell merited -- marilyn how are you today. >> i am fine, thank you. >> i used to live in the several of your colleagues. i also used to work for the district of columbia government. i worked very closely with your colleagues in the d.c. superior court. i just wanted to there a bunch of very honest hard-working dedicated people. they really are. i just wanted to make comment. >> thank you. >> i also wanted to say one other thing. the district of columbia as you well know is a unique jurisdiction. the seven or 800,000 people who lived in d.c. are the only ones in the united states who do n a district attorney or ada.

all of the criminal cases 90% of them are prosecuted by the u.s. attorney, the federal prosecutorunusual situation. you go to new york or -- the elected the people don't like him, they can vote him out. in the district of columbia if like the da, there is no da. just a federal prosecutor. as you well know. >> leave let me take up that point. is that a good system? >> well it is a product of a provision in our constitution when it was crafted and then adopted in 1801. this provision of 1789. the provision of the seed of the federal government shall be no larger than a 10-mile square determined by that.

creating the district of columbia in 1801. in india they put a provision that the congress should have authority over the policies ofa. this is something that i as a d.c. resident and others i have lived in the city for 50 years and we are very sad that we do not have voting representation in congress. there is a license plate that says no taxation without representation. there is a bumper sticker i don't see much anymore that you would see on district of columbia vehicles, the last d.c. the last colony. so it is a sore point for those that live who grew up in another part of the country who could vote in congressional elections, it is a sad memory. that right that i used to have, i don't have.

>> the caller had high praise you and your colleagues. you mentioned you had been involved in high-profile cases. can you say what some of those cases where? to my mind is a very in this area, successful business family, there was a huge breakdown of relationship between the patriarch of the business and his sons. there was a divorce and there was business one case was a divorce case another case was a business breakup case. i had the business breakup case. it was you know in this business section of the post almost every day you know i knew that that was happening but my focus was on the courtroom ball him and respect because the parties had a tendency when they took

the stand tuba rate their father or their son and you knowhose emotions is what i had to do. the media i never had to worry about. they seem to just call it likeit was. managing of the emotions in the courtroom was my big task. >> what is a supr what? >> you know, some people useuestion, superior. it is a common name that i say at least half the trial courts in the country are called superior court's. in new york state the trial court is called the supreme court. i think those names apply to these trial courts because that is the opening. that is the first step in the administration of justice is to file a complaint in a trial court and get a trial eventually, or settled. policymakers legislatures that

create these courts a message behind the wordup and supreme at the trial level because this is perhaps the most part of a litigation is how things are handled at the beginning. the first judgments that are madege. >> is it a case is settled as opposed to a jury rendering a decision? >> i think so. a settlement gives a message that the parties want to bury the hatchet and they want to put an end to this battle and move on. i have done some arbitork in my life and i think it is a wonderful adage that a settlement is successful when both parties are disappointed to some degree. there is been something given up to obtain something that is even more valuable. >> this is johnny and granite walls washington. go ahead. >> thank you for taking my call.

my experience was i was on a jury years ago and i a very interesting experience. i cannot say i enjoyed it. it was a domestic violence case. i would encourage people to take the opportunity to serve if they can. my question for you is it is about justices and judges and how they get their jobs can you briefly explain why some are elected and why some are appointed and can you one method is better than the other? >> well, thank you johnny for that question. how judges are appointed and what their term of office is his created state by state. when the constitutional conventions were held at the beginning of the life of every one of our states, there was debate like there was in the federal government among our founders.

how are we going to choose our judges and how long are we going to keep them? some states and founders of that government state government decided we want the people to have a really strong direct voice and who occupies our judiciary. so they believe in having judicial elections.ome a judge or in some jurisdictions state legislature appoints the judge and then at the end of the term of office of such a judge they have to stand for what is called retention elections. to see if they are performing satisfactorily. other jurisdictions have said it should be the who appoints, not the electorate. so it is variety. i am not in a position to second guess what the founders of these appointment systems decided.

that is for the people in that jurisdiction to amend their constitution or their state state statutes. if they think that the appointment process could be improved. >> you have met many judges. do you think one of those prophecies leads to a better judge? >> i think that for me i am glad i was not in elected judge because i would out -- tied up internall the lawyers who are appearing before me or any of the parties they represent, they were involved in election to keep my job. what a distraction that would be for me. i would have a hard time with it and, so, speaking for myself i prefer that i am beholden to the code of conduct and once a

president or governor appoints a judge, they are duty-bound to live up to that code of conduct and at -- many states have judicial disabilities and tenure en rugstruggling for years and their situation is deteriorating rapidly. independent and community pharmacies play ann invaluable role in the health care of our country and especially inal communities like those in my home state. for many americans, the local pharmacist is not just a convenient health care provider but it's also someone with whom they feel most comfortable medical advice. i remember my dad into his 90's declined to go to see the doctor because he knew they'd find something wrong with them but when he had a cup of coffee at the drugstore, he talked to the pharmacist who provided him with health care, occasionally putting a blood pressure cuff on his arm and saying ray, to go to the doctor. they are advice is invaluable as wry to make sure that all

americans are more healthy. local pharmacists know their patients their health situation, and even their families and it is the norm in tight-knit rural communities. the service occurring at a local pharmacy is not simply one for physical medication but offers relational aspects so often missing in today's health care system and in factd. community pharmacies do not just dispense medications, they build relationships with t offer a familiar face and trusted advise,extending value far beyond their role as just as provider of medication and prescription drugs, although that's their profession. despite their irreplaceable role from 2003, to 2021 the number of independently owned rural pharmacies declined by 16 where in rural areas. through the covid pandemic and in its aftermath, local pharmacies have been hit hard by

the same difficulties our entire health care system and infrastructure are facing -- highinflation, nonexistent workforce and supply chain shortages. however, in addition to these factors experienced by many pharmacies face significant challenges that threaten the solvency and are forcing and increasing number of independent and community pharmacies to close. challenges with the 340-b drug pricing program and actions of participating manufacturers are reducing the revenues for contract pharmacies. while 340-b was created to ensure low-income and eninsured patients have access to discounted drugs, pharmacies have relied upon the for revenues a policy that congress awed ought to codifien with the 340-b factor is the pbm's. we have three committees in the united states senate all who have passed legislation, dealing with pbm's but none of those pieces of legislation have come

to the senate floor. pbm's, who unlike any other sector of the health community, have operated without oversight for years. the obscurity of their industry allows pbm's to argue they're for patienteds while ensuring a higher reimbursement for pharmacies. recent studies, investigations of pharmacies and their patients tell us the exact opposite is true. i hear this from my pharmacist kansas. if you -- it used to be early in my days in the united states senate and even in congress the gathering place in the enjoyable place to visit was the community pharmacy the community drugstore. today if you enter the drugstores as an elected official you will hear the difficulties that those pharmacists are facing in their profession and busins. part of that is the story of pbm's. the pbm's clawback from pharmacies rebates that did not reach patients and went instead

to the pbm's vert gallon integration and unfavorable a 340-b -- offered to 340-b pharmacies have become increasingly common. action taken by the pbm's pharmacies have been forced out of or unable to serve tricare beneficiaries. two years ago tricare began a new contract with express scripts. the new express scripts contract offered interested pharmacy participants -- participants were offered reimbursement rates that were far too low for many of our pharmacies or pharmacists to accept. the pharmacist did not have the ability to ne take-it-or-leave-i without negotiations, countless numbers of kansas could not participate in the new tricare network express scripts. in addition to community farmives of the

farmives -- pharmacists dese to serve veterans the cost-of-living adjustments associated with tricare prevented them from doing so. of dispensing a drug are higher than the reimbursement a business a pharmacy simile can't make that math work and stay solvent. yet we continue to ask our community pharmacists across the nation to do that each and every year to make that situation work year after year. while perhaps you can get by f a year or maybe two, you can't get by year after year after year.uz it is not -- it is not an exaggeration to say that the nation's independent and community pharmacies are facing a crisis and if congress does not act, a significant number of local pharmacies will be forced to close. we frequently discuss the high rate of rural hospital closures but rather do we d. -- -- but raly do we discuss the loss of pharmacies at this currentm told that

32% of community pharmacists ary are considering closing this year. that 32% include a vast number of kansas pharmacists. as of 2021, kansas is one of four states with the most counties lacking sufficient access to a pharmacy. what i'm saying is there's already a problem in access but with the trend that now presents itself more and more kansans, more and more americans will have less access or no access to pharmacy. today many of our health care needs are met by prescription drugs and yet that will the be an option for many americans. so often we take for granted the health care infrastructure we have in our nation from hospitals and community health centers to specialists and pediatricians and primary care practices. no matter where an individual is seeking care one place that is is a common denominator for the entire health care system is the

pharmacy. independent and community pharmacies in kansas and across the nation is the one place where a patient can go to fill their medication, see a friendly face and know the local access to care is there for them when they need it. we are asking miracles from the community and independent pharmacies to remain solvent throug of unfair situations none of their own making. they deserve better than what we are asking from them just as they offer lifesaving services to americans congress ought to heed the warnings from community pharmacists offer lifesaving savings to thank you for my time. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: thank you you madam president. a presidential campaign and a political party misreported

payments to lawyers as legal expenses and thus violated the law. am i referring to donald trump and his trial? no. i'm referring to the democratic national committee hillary clinton campaign. in 26 presidential electionhey improperly reported money used steele dossier as a legal expense and in doing true purpose, which was opposition research against trump. the federal election commission held six years later that it found probable cause that the democrat national committee and the clinton campaign violated federal law. they were fined over $100,000.

were they criminally prosecuted? of course not. the now-debunked steele dossier threw our country into crisis and did it for years. in 2020 senator johnson of wisconsin and i were able to get once classified information declassified. that declassified information showed that christopher steele's sources were one, connected to the russian government; two, supported hillary clinton; and, three, that the russian intelligence was aware of steele's anti-trump w fbi started their investigation. this is information that the justice department failed to

tell the fisa court. the justice department failed to even apprise the fisa court that the fbi a counterintelligence case on sources. the clinton campaign and the democratic national committee democratic national committee colluded with the russians. they used a former british spy, fusion gps, any law firm to create a f tried to cover it up by it under the federal election rules. this case is referred to as crossfire hurricane. it's a textbook example of government weaponization. it was to get trump at allts

as t now that weaponization has moved to the judicial system. our last line of defense against partisan political cancer. dist attorney bragg manufactured a by reviving a time-barred, state-based misdemeanor for allegedly falsifying business records. to revive the alleged crime and elevate to a felony he alleged it was done in furtherance of another crime. and he also alleged 2016 election by trump. so what were these extra crimes? violation of federal election

law, tax law, and other business records. the judge allowed district attorney bragg to essentially prosecute alleged federal violations in state court, but because it was a state co couldn't actually charge trump for those further crimes which were federal in nature. so what an absolute mess and scary precedent this partisan process has created, be a sore on public policy statutory law, and a precedent to be carried on by other prosecutors in the future. this was the case that bragg initially declined to prosecute

but just as his predecessorclined to prosecute, and that was a case that federal prosecutors in the southern district of newdeclined so too and as well did the federal election commission. now thatsecutor in manhattan that failed to prosecute the same things that bragg prosecuted was a well-respected cyra vance junior. now we have bragg taking up what an outstanding prosecutor by thename of vance would not do. even liberal legal analysts have noted that this case wouldn't have been brought against anyone

other than donald trump. a state prosecutor has no jurisdiction over a federal crime, whereas the justice department does. and here the justice department and the federal election commission have exclusive jurisdiction over these kinds of matters. the biden justice department didn't d assert its jurisdictional hook as when for example, states file lawsuits involving federal immigration law. bi number-three official at the justiceew kolon kolongenlow left as a prosecutor in the bragg office this

specific prosecution. eventually the zombie case against trump, as has been described by legal scholars was revived for the 2024 presidential e cycle. in fact the grand jury came out with a verdict less than two months after trump announced the election election. then the judge allowed the jury to pick from not one, but throw different secondary crimes that i mentioned earlier that trump allegedly committed to impact the 2016 election. this means t jurors could disagree on the crime, yet the judge would still consider the

verdict unanimous to convict. as andrew mccarthy said in his june 1 article, quote the jurors were told that they need not dprae on what unlawful -- re what unlawful conduct trump engaged in to conspire to corrupt the election which was not charged in the indictment end of quote. this is a judge who repeatedly contributed to a group, quote dedicated to resisting the republican party and donald trump's radical right-wing legacy end of quote. and in his article, quote how can there be guilt beyond a reasonable doubt if the jury doesn't agree on whether prosecutors have proved

a key element of the case end of quote. i could go on and on about the defects in this political persecution. what concerns me most is the damage that's done to our american institutions. federal law enforcement, thecommunity, and now the judicial branch have contorted themselves in ways unimaginable just to try and at the same time destroy trump. in the process, they have broken faith with the laws with the rules, withethics with the truth, and with the american people. the steel and concrete

foundations of our law enforcement and the judicial institutions are breaking apart piece, bit by bit. it's not the american people who are doing it. it's those with running those institutions who are responsible for their shockingly quick decline. that decline won't sp any time soon so long as the left and their allies in the media continue to use thestem to destroy their enemiesmake-believe cases. the left wing's law fair crusade has given them what they wanted for a decade now -- donald trump's conviction on something, anything

anything just a conviction. but what the left wing has failed to foresee is the aftermath injecting partisan political cancer into our once storied institutions. that is they run the catastrophic risk of the american people not caring any more. did t indict someone on major criminal charges? well many people may react with doubt about the merits and the integrity of that indictment because of the justice department's past political decisions. did the fbi arrest a major criminal? well many people may begin to person arrested is now part of a political persecution based on made-up information like what happened with the fisa court and

crossfire hurricane, everything involving hillary clinton in the 2016 election. a democratic judge and prosecution team t convicted a republican in a district that's almost 90% democratic they asked for going to someplace elsewhere they might get a more fair trial, and it not a quick no -- and it got a quick no. so i hope you get t cture. that's why millions of americans refuse to take sham conviction very seriously. trust is easy to lose and gain. andrew mccarthy stated in his excellent analysis, quote, quo what happened in manhattan was monstrous. the fallout is antithesis of a

constituon that presumes innocence, imposes the burden of proof on the state, venerates its new process rules, and guarantees equal protection of the law. the antithesis is now thenorm regardless of what happens to donald trump, all of us will to regret it end of quote. ultimately only we the people can solve the constitutional crisis that politicians, judicial officers have disdprasfully created -- disgracefully created. i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a test. quorum. -- and absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

ing officer: is -- mr. whitehouse: i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehou very much. as the presiding officer knows, i have come regularly to the floor to discuss multiple aspects of the scheme run by a bunch of right-wing billionaires to and control the supreme court and how that

mah know that it is fundamental to a democracy the belief that we can have a peaceful transmission ethics problems already at the supreme court after the billionaire gifts program certain justices gave them luxurious free undisclosed free travel gifts around the world, paid for homes for for dependents and even an expensive motorcoach that appears to have never had the principal repaid. nowe know that maga battle flags were flown over the alito residences. we don't know all the facts of what happened. we doo's version of events differs from corroborated statements of other wpss to -- witnesses ofto those

events. and for sure we know that people need to be able to trust that judges maintain the highest standards of impartiality which includes avoiding even the appearance of bias. and say what you will about the excuses andhe reasons for flying maga battle flags over the house of a supreme court justice, you cannot saythose flags did not appear. you cannot say that they did not create an appearance that to a reasonable person would raise serious questions about whether that justice flying maga battle flags over his home had a bias particularly with respect to arising out of the january

6 maga whatever those fact differences are, they are important to try to get to the bottom of and the problem is it's hard to get those fact differences resolved because alone in the entire federal government alone, supreme court are subject to no process. if the presi the r- or the minority leader or majority leader or me were subject to ethics complaints the ethics committee has the ability to do factfding and even to take statements. it's true over in the house. even the powf the house can be subject to sanction can be subject t have to make statements. heck president biden sat for an official interview about the

documents in his garage. but the justices and only the nine justices, are protected even from any factfinding, the most rudement foundation of legal process. the supreme court is supposed to defend the integrity of legal process in this country and what they exempt themselves from its most rude meantry pillar. obviously t all part of a long string of problematicome to the public's attention, none of has received adequate factfinding over at the court. so for sure these far right justices have demonstrated that they need to be subject to an enforceable ethics code. remember the routine they've been on first, it's don't bother us nobody's concerned. then it was, oh, all right,

we're going to have this ethics statement that we're going to about our ethics and then it was okaye'll do an ethics code. we'll play by the rule baseball except for the part of umpires. we'll have an ethics code and we'll get to call our own balls and strikes and there will be no dispute because there will be no ne. we also know that the justices won't talk to us about their s declined a meeting. alito sent us a letter expanding on his challenged version of events but his correspondence is not subject to the voe rahs veracity of falsehoods or omissions. making matters worse, alito's s other reports and the supreme court and no other government

has a mekism for getting to the truth. if the court won't create one then we need to and my supreme court ethics bill would do just that. every investigator knows that you have to take a proper statement to get to the truth. the supreme court itself took statements from it was investigating the alito-dobbs draft opinion leak. but no matter what the circumstances, no matter how bad it gets no factfinding process applies to nine justices. just them. everybody else in government is subject factfinding process, not them. fixed. nowhere is the supreme court forbidden to have an inbox for ethics complaints. nowhere is the supreme court

fo to hire clerical staff to sort out nutty from ethics complaints. nowhere is the court to hire staff attorneys to look into the legitimat ethics complaints and do a little investigating. nowhere is the court forbidden to allow staff attorneys to interview justices to help determine what the facts are. i'm sorry, sir. this should take less than an hour but i need to go through the events in this complaint and get your statement of what the facts are here. not hard. and the court forbidden from allowing for instance a panel of senior respected federal chief judges who administer the ethics code in their own circuits to compare what the justices did, what the factfinding investigation what those chief judges would allow their

circuits. and then make that comparison public. none of that offends the separation of powers. it would be all run within the judicial branch and even without any actual disciplinary punishment the bm-e' t

e. then, aye.

the clerk: mr. vance, no.

ms. ernst, no.cy the clerk: mr. mr. lankford, aye. mr., aye.

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

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

the clerk: mr.

the clerk: bennet, aye. mr. paul, no. the clerk: mr. young, aye.

the clerk: mr. moran, aye.

the clerk: mr. lujan, aye.

the clerk: mr. lee, no.

the clerk: mr. kaine, aye. ?q

the clerk: mr. warnock, aye.

the clerk: mr. cruz, no. mr. scott of south carolina, no. vote:

the clerk: mr.hawley, no.

the clerk: mr. barrasso, aye. mr. schumerç&

the clerk: mr. markey, aye. as?vs,

g1wll co