morning business be closed. that following the conclusion of proceed to executive session to rosner nomination, postcloture. further, that the cloture time be considered expired at 11:30 a.m. and following the cloture vote on the see nomination the senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings. further, that if cloture has been invoked on the see nomination, all time be considered expired at 2:15 p.m. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. kelly: if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until senate stands adjourned until today the senate advance nomination of david r rosner one of three now many senators will vote on this week to the federal energy regulatory commission.

if all three are confirm the commission will have all five seats filled. democrats holding three -- two majority part later this week lawmakers will vote on whether to begin work on legislation to protect nationwide access to in vitro fertilization treatments. watch live coverage of the senate here on cspan2. >> again open forum chooser 27,488,001 for republican democrats two 202-748-8000. independence 202748 thousand two. we will take those calls. along the way it will talk with a couple of legislators about various things. first when joining this morning, representative adam smith democrat from washington state armed services committee as the ranking member. represen■etive smith good morning. >> good good morning how are you. >> fine thank you very much. you recently expressed an article informed policy about cs to gaza. i was wondering how the hostage rescue might have changed or

shaped your thoughts on israel strategy going forward? >> it is not really change anything. back that has toget the be a top priority. the best way to do that is a cease-fire agreement and get hamas to release those hostages. until agrees to that, understandably israel has to try to get them back by other means and that is what they are working on. the larger question is what will bringwo has to be an alternative to her mouth. the only alternative is standing authority. my trouble is israel right now is not working towards that. hamas is a factor. you have to have an alternative. they don't have that alternative and in fact in many cases theyy e undermine the palestinian authority. hathat undermines long-term pea. what's up viable alternative look like? what does a number i of countris in jordan, saudi arabia, uae are

working with the palestinian pan leadership in the region. there are viable alternatives but you have to help them. they're in a tough situation. hamas is a violent they will attack those who try tlternative some measure of economic security, of government supportt which we have tried in the t pas working. the palestinian economy was getting better and netanyahu became primean minister peace pn fell apart and he took a strategy which was to undermine the ability of the palestinian authority to be effective. you got strategy and built up a reasonable alternative so there is a path towards the palestinian state brickwork secretary of state is in israel this morning and talked a little bit about his optimism when it comes to possible result all these things. at this point what is your level of optimism? >> that is hard to save the very difficult situation. hamas seems to have been dug in

and is refusing to the cease-fire that's been on month. wish she would give a temporary cease-fire in exchange for returning the hostages print exchange for palestinian prisoners being released. getting hamas to change their mind on that is the main■ i am also concerned left the israeli cabinet i think he was a more moderate invoice goinga forward. the confidence i not high i do support the biden administration effort to gethe cease-fire get to it long term solution but they are doing everything they■i can to get that result. >> the prime minister of israel will head to c month what'd you think about the invitation? what are you hoping to hear? >> to mee the debate over tha a distraction for it we talked about just a moment ago getting long-term peace.g but i hope to hear isn't prime minister netanyahu's vision for

that. not just someone to destroy hamas and the war's going to go on as long as it has to go on but what is his plan for a long-term peace process in the middle east? there is no future for the palestinians there will be no peace for israel. for that is which is what many against wendy before he left the cabin is not yet heard a long and short term use of military weapons of the united states within ukraine itself apart what youhe think about that directiv? within russia itself. >> yes. >> it is the right thing to do. but we have said from the very beginning what biden has said is we do not want a war with russia. we went rusa of ukraine but the war is coming from russia into ukrai. tacking forces is not wanting to go into russia. it is about them spping russia from attacking ukraine.

which is perfectly consistent with the biden ministration i think they should have loosened those restrictions sooner. hope they continue toon take ths approach. if russia does not wantkr to attack at they should stop attacking ukraine. that is will bringhe region. and now ukraine is build a hit back against those who are attag >> any sense of slippery slope with >> i don't think so. the slippery slope he would rry about is the work turns into ukraine trying to seize a russian territory which is not going to the likely outcome is a russia begins to feel the pressure as they finally realize they are not going to take all of ukraine despite the fact that is what putin once. assets within russia at risk. that is an incentive for putin to come to the table push for a negotiated settlement. >> representative on tenside ros

convert 55 billion more in defense spending. i do not know if you seen particulars but what he think of the idea? >> we should stick to the budget agreement we got from last year. you always want more money but i have not yet come across in operation and said yes we would likeke more money. but what we really want is you want a timely last year in particular we did not pass bills for the pentagon until march 6 months after the end of the fiscal year. if we get into a another protracted debate about how much money to spend we will onc again be delayed. that's as harmful as the pentagon as anything congress the budget numbers. reopening that debate jeopardizes the ability of congress to pass the budget for tthe pentagon and a time that matters. >> one expressed with the increase in spending was a built

in the united states to fight on multiple fronts. if that weren't necessary is that a current concern of yours? >> have always found it ridiculous of the neat defense world those who argued we have to be able to do absolutely everything that might happen. that is just not the weight the would you like to beat one 100% covered against all contingencies? sure. we are just not going to the world is tooed and threatening onto many levels. you have to have atr balance risk and an intelligent way. partnerships.is building up given the threats we face from russia, china, iran, north korea, hamas, a whole bunch of different groups we needs. were going to need to work with partners and allies. are going to magically be able to fight every single war that is imaginable. if enough money compass out the way this works

or. >> it is an election year what does defense strategy look like of the former president wins office? >> you'd have to ask someone else about that. >> what are your concerns about a defense sugatestra. >> much, much better question my biggest concern it will undermine those alliances and partnerships i just talked about. he is go it alone strategy. he has to push us out of natives trying to push us away from south korea he's basically alienating every alley important that we have a go it alone strategy is a major mistakeld we face. that is the biggest concern i unpredictability of the approach e wake up one day and say out all troops out of germany. who do a contingency plan to try to figure that out that unpredictability also creates problems or.sl smith, merrick garland will be front and center

on capitol hill today special the rules committee censured towards him or a resnse to towards him paid what he think of that effort? >> is the republicans weapon■ecp icing. it is so ironic they whine, cry, scream how the justiceg3 department is weaponize against them. nobody, presiderund all the republicans are the ones have been aggressively ivadvocating, using our institutions like the justice department for their partisan en it. they want to get revenge on the people they think have wronged or as what merrick and garland is trying to do is enforce the law. and i am sorry law, even if your name is donald trump, you deserve to be investigated. and potentially prosecuted. edthat is all america garlanded and the very ominous way. we are two democrats and the president son. there is no argument the justi e trying to do their job. republicans are trying to make it a partisan exercise. >>