the presiding officer: does any senator wish to vote or change his or her vote? if not, then the manchin amendment number 3420 is passed 90 affirmative, zero saying nay.

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new mexico. a senator: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination, calendar number 365, that the senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from idaho. a senator: mr. president, i behalf of myself, senator rubio from the great state of florida, we both object. the presiding officer: the october is heard. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new mexico. a senator: mr. president, i would ask to be recognized in morning business for as much time as i macon assume. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: -- may # consume.

the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: play if friend jeff flight from arizona appeared just an hour or so before and also spoke on the issue that i'm going to speak about today. that issue is the ambassadorship to mexico and the woman that has been nominated by president obama, roberta jacobson. mr. udall: we believe this nomination has really, really strong bipartisan support, and we look forward to working together to get this to the floor, get an up-or-down vote. so i rise again today to urge support for roberta jake object son. she is a dedicated public certificate advance, more than ready to be our ambassador to mexico. "the l.a. times" has called roberta jacobson among the most

qualified people ever to be tapped to represent the u.s. and mexico. we have a distinguished candidate, a career member of the senior executive service. shows a ready to serve. -- she's ready to serve. we have strong support for her on both sides of the aisle. what we need now is an up-or-down vote. and once again we failed to get one. it's hard to explain this dysfunction when i talk to my constituents in new mexico. they just don't understand this kind of dysfunction. they don't understand it neither do i, frankly, and we are a border state. this is a critical position. it is critical to our security. it is critical to our economy. earlier today senator flake, senator klobuchar, and senator heinrich and i met with the hispanic chamber of commerce about the urgent need to confirm this nomination. our business leaders in new mexico, arizona, and every other state in our country are telling us they need an ambassador in mexico city.

we have ongoing border-related business, issues that need attention. from time to time we will call on the mexican government to work with us on coordinating ports of entry, infrastructure, and other important issues. we are at a disadvantage without an advocate for america in mexico city. it's very frustrating, and this is not the first time we've faced this kind of dysfunction. i pushed for reform of the senate rules in the last two congresses, and we did change the rules to allow majority votes for executive and judicial nominees to the lower courts. but that does no good if they remain blocked. and that is what is happening in this congress. this line gets longer and longer of perfectly qualified nominees denied a vote, denied an opportunity to be heard. roberta jacobson was approved by the senate foreign relations

committee months ago with a bipartisan vote. yet the weeks go by and still we wait. what is holding up her nomination? it isn't her qualifications. that isn't the problem. a big part of the problem is presidential politics and the policy differences with the administration over her work with cuba. this year we reopened diplomatic relations twoon threlations betd states and cuba. roberta helped negotiate on half of the administration. after over 50 years of failed policy towards cuba, we have opened a 21st century relationship with the people of cuba. -- one that has already seen change, as more cubans enter the private sector and more americans who are our best diplomats continue to increase their engagement with the cuban people. i congratulate the president for leading this historic change. some disagree. i understand that.

but their objection is with the president's cuba policy. we're talking here about mexico, an important position that has been unfilled since last summer because a few senators would rather return to the failed policies of yesterday and are using rough beer at that to make a political point. just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. now a seat on the supreme court is empty, and the majority leader is actually arguing it should stay empty for over a year, no matter who is nominated by the president. this isn't governing. this is a failure to do one's job. is it any wonder that the american people are frustrated, fed up with political games, with obstruction in the senate, with special deals for insiders, and campaigns that are being sold to the highest bidder? they see this obstruction as just another example of how our democracy is being taken away from the people.

mr. president, each year we have a student leadership institute in my state. high school juniors and seniors attend to learn about and discuss the challenges affecting our state and the nation. i always look forward to the meeting with these bright, young people. they're smart and committed, and they raise thoughtful points about how government works and how sometimes it doesn't work. one thun thing we talked about s year was how important it is to listen. this is one of the most underrated virtues, especially in politics. stating your views but also listening to the views of others. i'm always optimistic when i see studentsen gauged in that -- students engaged in that process. i only wish we could mow more of it in wawrchl th washington. the art of politics is standing your ground but also finding common ground and listening to the american people.

our democracy depends on every voice being heard and on every vote being counted. we're losing that. we have to get it back or we will continue to pay a heavy price. because we can be sure of one thing beyond all the money, beyond all the special interests, these students and all americans deserve to be heard, and they deserve a democracy that works. campaigns should be about the best ideas, not the biggest checkbooks or rigged districts. the u.s. supreme court create add wild west of campaign finance regulations with their decision in citizens united and 2014 decision called the mccutcheon decision. they opened up a firesale of super pacs trying to buy elections nationwide. we are seeing the results from the iowa caucuses to local elections in los las cruces, new mexico. we need to overturn those bad

decisions. that's why i've led efforts to amentamend the constitution, to restore power to the congress and to the united states to pass commonsense campaign finance laws. we need to listening to the voters, not to the billionaires hiding in the dark corners. that why earlier this week i introduced legislation to abolish the broken federal election commission. congress created the federal election commission to fight political corruption after watergate. that's when they created it. but today partisan gridlock leaves the agency powerless and dysfunctional. it even fails to enforce the few campaign finance laws remaining on the books. the federal election administration act would create a new agency with five members appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. a chair would lead the agency. the remaining members would equally represent the political parties.

it's modeled after a bipartisan proposal previously introduced by senator john mccain and former senator russ feingold. super-tuesday was just two days ago. once again we are seeing record spending, including millions of dollars in undisclosed dark money. without a strong watchdog looking over their shoulders, super pacs and billionaire donors have free wre rein to puh the limits. it is clear that the f.c.c. -- it's absolutely clear that the f.c.c. has outlived its use lness. we need a new asian one with the power and will to crack dpow --k down on campaign finance violations. mr. president, the supreme court has put billionaires an other special interests on a galloping horse. they are running away with our democracy, our elections. we have created a dark money, special interest, gerrymandered

train wreck and the losers are the american people. that's why i've also introduced the fairness in independence and redistricting act, because part of that train wreck is the secretive and highly partisan congressional redistricting process. and we need to end it. the president highlighted this issue in his state of the union address saying, we've got to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters and not the other way around. in most states today, congressional maps are drawn behind closed doors by partisan lawmakers. their aim is to keep incumbents in office, and they do that. pick almost any district in the country, and you'll see that almost every one is skewed to favor one party or another. we can end the gerrymandering status quo. redistricting commissions should be independent, they should be led by citizens, not

politicians. arizona and california voted for reform, and they're already bringing new faces to congress. the american people deserve fair elections, elections that are free of unlimited and hidden special interest money, and free of rigged district lines. next year i will meet again with students in my state. we will talk about leadership, about challenges, and about how government works. i hope that i will be able to say to them, we have moved forward, we have reformed a broken system. i hope that i can say to them, we have done our job and made sure that voters, not powerful elites, have their say. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

is. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. mr. peters: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. peters: mr. president, i rise to speak in support of amendment 3391 to the comprehensive addiction and recovery act of 2015. i am proud to join senator daines in filing this important amendment. the daines-peters amendment would make it possible for certain dishonorably discharged veterans to be eligible for veterans treatment courts. specifically the amendment would allow the attorney general to determine veterans treatment court eligibility on a case-by-case basis to dishonorably discharged veterans that have been diagnosed with service-connected post traumatic stress disorder, military sexual

trauma or traumatic brain injuries. currently veteran courts are open to any veteran with a discharge other than dishonorable or a dishonorable discharge that can be attributed to substance abuse. however, studies have shown a direct connection to ptsd, t.b.i. and m.s.t. are the leading cause of substance abuse disorder. in general, drug courts reduce correctional costs, protect community safety and improve welfare. federal treatment courts take the work of drug courts one step further. according to the national association of drug court professionals, veterans treatment courts bring the united states department of veterans' affairs, health care networks, the veterans' benefits administration, state departments of veterans affairs, volunteer veterans mentors and veteran family support organizations together in one place in order to provide support for veterans. these are resources that speak to the unique needs of this

nation's veterans. in my home state of michigan, judge michelle freedman-apple is a veterans treatment court in oak park is the site of weekly accountability, encouragement and rehabilitation, and i commend her work. our veterans treatment court judges are committed to the well-being of this nation's veterans, connecting them to services they need to reach their full potential. service members suffering from the invisible wounds of war who are discharged, regardless of the characterization of that discharge, truly need the assistance provided by veterans' treatment courts. that is why the daines-peters amendment is so important. former service members, particularly those suffering from ptsd, t.b.i. and m.s.d., should have access to veterans treatment centers and courts. i urge my colleagues to support the daines-peters amendment number 3391.

mr. president, i would like to stay on the subject of veterans for a moment longer. behavioral changes are often seen in individuals suffering from mental traumas like ptsd and trauma sick brain injury or t.b.i. unfortunately, those individuals will often receive a less than honorable discharge, also known as a bad paper discharge rather than an honorable discharge. this discharge status makes veterans ineligible for certain benefits, including g.i. benefits and v.a. home loans. this is simply unacceptable, and we need to make a change. our nation's heroes who honorably serve their country deserve access to the care and benefits that they have earned. that's why i introduced the fairness for veterans act which will help these veterans. the fairness for veterans act will create a presumption in favor of the veteran with a bad paper discharge when petitions

the secretary of defense for an upgrade in discharge status based on hard medical evidence certified by the v.a. or appropriate medical professional. this bill has the support of both parties and in both chambers. i introduced the fairness for veterans act with my republican colleagues steve daines from montana and thom tillis from north carolina. i appreciate the many senators who have cosponsored the bill since its introduction, particularly senator gillibrand who has been a champion for the bill on the armed services committee. today in the house of representatives, representative mike kaufman, a republican from colorado, tim walls, democrat from minnesota, lee zelden, republican from new york, and kathleen rice, a democrat from new york, led a number of members introducing the bipartisan bill. this legislation is also supported by a number of veterans groups, including iraq and afghanistan veterans of

america, veterans of foreign wars, disabled veterans of america, military officers association of america, the american legion, paralyzed veterans of america, vietnam veterans of america, the veterans health council, united soldiers and sailors of america, and the military veterans advocacy company. improperly discharged service members should not lose access to the benefits that they have erched through their service. that's why we must ensure that they are getting the fairness they deserve when petitioning for an upgraded discharge status. this is a nonpartisan issue, and i am committed to fighting on on behalf of our nation's veterans. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from montana. mr. daines: mr. president, the bill we are debating today is an important step forward in helping to combat addiction and

opioid abuse. according to the department of veterans' affairs, 20% of veterans with ptsd also have a substance abuse disorder. i'm going to repeat that statistic. in our country, 20% of veterans or one in five with ptsd have a substance abuse disorder. and that's why we need to ensure that they have all the avenues to care and treatments available to them. we cannot allow them to suffer in silence. that is why i've offered two amendments to the bill that will help our veterans struggling with the invisible wounds of war. my first amendment, 3390, makes sure that these veterans are not forgotten, including their struggles in the findings. my second amendment, 3391, allows veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma and service-related traumatic brain injuries that received a dishonorable discharge to have access to veterans treatment

courts. and i am proud to be joined by senator peters in ensuring veterans at risk of substance abuse have access to the veterans treatment courts, particularly those most at risk. we cannot turn our backs on those who answered the call to protect our country and are now struggling. many who are struggling in silence. we must do everything we can to uphold the promises our government made to our veterans, and i'm honored to be doing just that. i want to thank senator peters for this bipartisan effort that we move forward here to fight on behalf of our veterans. mr. president, i yield back my time. mr. president, i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. mr. hoeven: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. mr. hoeven: mr. president , i rise today to discuss two

amendments i'm introducing to s. 524, the comprehensive addiction and recovery act. across the country, including in my home state of north dakota, families are experiencing the devastating effects of opioid and heroin addiction. in fact, in 2014, 61% of all overdose deaths in the united states were related to opioids. in north dakota alone, overdose deaths have tripled in the past decade and it's no mystery why. in 2014, the north dakota bureau of criminal investigation seized 1,549 dosage units of opioids. in 2015, they seized 5,593. that's a 3.5, 3 1/2-fold, increase in just one year. so an increase of more than three times in just one year.

similarly, law enforcement seizures of heroin from canada have grown exponentially. but our data about cross-border drug smuggling is limited. to battle drug abuse effectively, we need to know not just how much but how those drugs are getting into our country. the amendments i am proposing today will strengthen the overall bill by providing law enforcement with additional resources to address security vulnerabilities at the northern border that could be exploited by drug traffickers. mr. president, my first amendment allows state law enforcement to use grant funds to partner with local and federal law enforcement agencies. in the underlying bill, the attorney general may make grants to state law enforcement agencies to investigate the distribution of heroin and prescription opioids. my amendment allows states to use those grants to partner with local agencies as well as the drug enforcement administration,

the d.e.a., and the federal bureau of investigation. in north dakota, our law enforcement has faced increased challenges in combating the flow of illegal drugs, including prescription opioids and heroin. however, our state has had a successful track record of partnering with local, state and federal law enforcement to investigate and prevent criminal activity, specifically drug-related offenses. one successful example of these partnerships is the bakken organized crime strike force. this task force was created in part by north dakota's attorney general, wayne stenghem, along with the organized crime and drug enforcement task force to address the increased drug activity in the bakken region, oil producing region, in western north dakota. my amendment will give states greater opportunities to partner with local and federal agencies to investigate the trafficking of heroin, opioids and other

illicit drugs as we have done successfully by creating these task forces in north dakota. my next amendment also addresses drug smuggling. it requires a study of drug trafficking in states along the northern border. while there is much attention and energy focused on the trafficking of drugs through our southern border, there are vulnerabilities that exist at our northern border as well. my amendment directs the secretary of homeland security, in coordination with the attorney general, to conduct a study on the trafficking of narcotics, specifically opioids and heroin, in states along the northern border. the secretary of d.h.s. and the attorney general must submit a report on those findings to congress. those findings will give congress greater insight of the security needs at our northern border to prevent the trafficking of illegal drugs into the united states.

mr. president, opioid and heroin addiction is a scourge that ruins lives and crushes the spirit. and s. 524 is a potent weapon in the fight against it. i urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill as well as my amendments which seek to make the legislation even stronger by increasing dlab ration among law enforcement -- collaboration among law enforcement and addressing the security needs of our northern border. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor. i also note the absence -- i also note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the chair will note that a colleague is in the chamber. the clerk will call the roll.

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from delaware. mr. coons: mr. president, are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. coons: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that proceedings under the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. coons: mr. president, earlier this week, i joined a bipartisan group of senate colleagues -- senator graham, senator ayotte and senator blumenthal -- republicans and democrats alike, to send a letter to the united states department of treasury. in our letter, we urged secretary jack lew to continue the obama administration's necessary and vital efforts to crack down on mohan air, a private iranian airline, that provides support for iran's

terrorist proxies and funnels weapons to hezbollah and the murderous assad regime in syria. mohan air is only the latest example of a pattern of behavior we've come to expect from iran, supporting terrorism and conducting destabilizing activities in the middle east, conducting illegal ballistic missile tests in violation of u.n. security council resolution 1929, and committing ongoing major human rights violations. indeed, as we wrote in the lette secretary, quote, strong and swift sanctions is vital to hold iran to account for its ongoing support of terrorism, ballistic missile development and human rights violations. today i'd like to dive further into mahan air's activities and explain why it's important that america work with our allies to continue to push back on iran's bad behavior and to hold iran to the terms of the agreement reached last summer with regards to iran's nuclear program.

i'll also explain why it's critical that we -- financial intelligence who plays a key role in pressuring our allies to push back on iran and who in the absence of confirmation is weakened in that vital role. if we are serious about our shared intentions to hold iran accountable, then this senate must confirm adam zubin and our europe ann allies must work with us to sanction mahan air. mr. president, although mahan air is technically a private iranian airline, it supports the operations of the r the iranian revolutionary guard core committed to the preservation of the revolutionary and extremist iranian regime. mahan air also provides services to the kutz force, an elite military force that is designated as a terrorist group by the united states treasury department under executive order 13224. its ties to the rigc, mahan air

directly and indirectly provides men and material to his bala, a terrorist organization based in lebanon and the murderous regime of bashar al-assad in syria. mahan air is still flying into 24 airports in countries around the region and world, including the united inning dom, germ -- kingdom, germany, france and italy and it's pro occurring aircraft and equipment using front companies and evasive approach that mirror's iran's strategy in a number of industries. since october 2011 the treasury department has taken key steps to sanction mahan air. that month, october 2011 mahan air provided travel for members the force who flew from iran and syria for military training and other suspected officers who flew covertly in and out of iraq. less than a year later in september 2012, treasury further cracked down on mahan air and two other airlines for a series of bad actions, including

sending military and crowd control equipment to the assad regime in syria in coordination with his hezbollah often under the cover the humanitarian aid. later in february of 2014 and may of 2015, our department of the treasury took further action against two front companies that helped mahan air to procure equipment and parts. the 2014 action penalized personnel and companies in the united arab emirates that helped them to procure aircraft in other parts. this ongoing long-term pattern of behavior by iran and its rigc make clear why the united states and our vital allies must work together to cut off mahan air's access to international markets and airports and i commend our department of the treasury for taking these important steps to designate mahan and its employees. these actions alone are important but not sufficient. both the united states and our european allies must do more.

to start i urge governments across the european union to also designate mahan air and its many front companies for their support for terrorism. by continuing to support syria's violent and discredited president bashar al-assad, iran has directly contributed to the slow and grinding collapse of syria to the enormous humanitarian crisis that has resulted into the destabilization of the region. there's a direct correlation between iran's destabilizing actions in syria but also in yemen, lebanon and iraq and the migrant crisis now facing all of western europe. the more that iran uses mahan airlines to transport the very goods that supply hezbollah, the longer the instability inside syria will persist and the more refugees and migrants will flee syria towards our allies in western europe. without the support of companies such asthma han air and the many front companies that it depends on, iran and the rigc would find

supporting the assad regime substantially more difficult and expensive. we must work together to keep mahan air from purchasing engine, aircraft and other equipment for these malign purposes. the second step our allies can and should take is simple, to stop allowing mahan air to land at your airports. a company like mahan air which supports terrorism in tkwe fines of international norms should not have easy access to international airports. more broadly combating iran's destabilizing actions in the middle east and successfully and rigorously enforcing the terms of the nuclear deal with iran will require meaningful international coordination. as i recently wrote in an ed doral that ran in -- editorial that ran in the guardian, while i understand that many european companies will seek to do business with iran now that certain economic sanctions have been lifted in compliance with the terms of the nuclear agreement, i urge our allies to remember three simple things. first, the united states and the

u.n. continue to maintain and enforce economic sanctions against iran. the united states designation of mahan air is one of many unilateral sanctions examples and many that we continue to keep in place. second, stopping iran's quest for a nuclear weapon must always remain a top priority. we are counting on our european allies to continue to share this view and to act in accordance with it. a view that they stated during our negotiations that led up to the nuclear deal. and third, as iran's relationship with mahan air shows, the iranian government remains a revolutionary regime with a long history of pursuing nuclear weapons and a long track record of supporting terrorism and destabilization in the middle east. mr. president, iran's use of mahan air to evade international scrutiny is yet another reminder that we must remain vigilant in our oversight of iran. here in the united states we appreciate the partnership of our european allies. in fact, the strength of this

ledge kwrapbs and our ability to act as one was a key factor that led iran to agree to the strict terms of the nuclear agreement. we must continue to advocate for and keep front of mind the idea that the most important contract with iran is the one we've already signed in the nuclear agreement. we must pursue every possible means of enforcing it. that means cracking down on the front companies that facilitate mahan air and companies that are playing a direct role in fuming instability in the middle east -plt just as importantly i urge my colleagues today to put politics aside and confirm adam zubin who oversees the sanctions in the treasury department. with experience in both the bush and obama administration, adam is the definition of an outstanding nonpartisan dedicated to his job, committed to his country. he has been widely praised by senators of both parties but his confirmation has been blocked for nearly a year for reasons utterly unrelated to his capabilities or her performance on the job. the cause of this hold is and

has been raw politics but the consequences of the hold go far beyond that. when acting under secretary szubin sits down on the negotiating table, the individuals from the other side, friend or foe should know that he speaks for the american people and has the weight of the senate and the whole government of the united states behind him. when adam szubin travels around the world and asks senior officials from foreign governments to sanction mahan air and its front companies or to prevent mahan from flying into their airports he's trying to convince foreign governments to do something difficult but necessary. those foreign officials should know that he speaks not just for the obama administration but for the executive and legislative branches of our whole government and that we as a people stand united against iranian aggression. mr. president, let's demonstrate to our allies and to iran that congress take these issues assessorly as we pro claim. let's confirm adam szubin and other nominees who are vital to this effort whose confirmations have been stalled too long.

let's work together to crack down on mahan air and other iranian avenues and in the same spirit of collaboration that led to the nuclear agreement, let's come together to rigorously enforce the terms of the deal. thank you, mr. president. with that i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president some. the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. a senator: thank you, mr. president. thank you, senator coons. thank you for your leadership on this very important topic. and i could not agree with you more that we need to fund the iaea. we need to confirm adam szubin to the position of under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence and that our european allies must join us in sanctions against mahan air. mr. peters: the jcpoa is focused upon one clear goal, preventing iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. the fact that an agreement like

this was able to be achieved at the negotiating table is a testament to the strong economic sanctions that were imposed on iran in direct response to iran's past illicit nuclear activities. the jcpoa required iran to complete key nuclear steps verified before any sanctions were removed. iran has shipped out 25,000 pounds of low enriched uranium thereby trip hreupbg its breakout time. iran has removed the core of its iraq heavy water plutonium reactor and has rendered it unusable. iran is also limited to 300 kilograms of uranium enriched to only 3.67% which is below weapons grade. these are positive steps towards preventing iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. but they came at a time when the world community possessed the most leverage and iran had the

most to lose by not complying with the deal. now in the aftermath of implementation day and with certain sanctions relief provided to iran, we must remain increasingly vigilant in our efforts to counter the iranian regime support for terrorism and violations of human rights of their own people. the iranian regime must understand that there will be consequences for violations however minor of the jcpoa. if iran seeks a nuclear weapon, the world community led by the united states is ready to implement the snap back of sanctions in response. and if iran attempts to test our resolve through small but persistent violations of the jcpoa, they need to be punished swiftly. i recently traveled to vienna along with senator coons and several of my colleagues to meet directly with the u.s. mission to the international organization in vienna,

including the international atomic energy agency, the iaea. the iaea is the world's nuclear watchdog and the organization that under the terms of the jcpoa is responsible for verifying iran's compliance with the terms of the deal. we must ensure that the iaea which serves as our eyes and ears on the ground in iran with direct access and 24/7 online monitoring capabilities has the resources necessary to execute its critical mission. it is incredibly important that we continue to ensure our strict compliance with the joint comprehensive plan of action, the terms of the jcpoa do not change regardless of setbacks in iran's politics and our resolve to vigorously enforce the deal will not waiver. we will judge iran's leadership by its actions and not words. last week iran conducted some

elections. but let's be clear. many of the iranian candidates being touted as so-called moderates are labeled that way simply because of their support for or connections to iranian president rohan any. according to the united nations and i quote, iran continues to execute more individuals per capita than any other country in the world. executions peaked at 753 in 2014 during the president's second year in office, including those conducted in public along with executions of women and at least one juvenile. amnesty international has reported on continued crackdowns against artists and activists who were tortured into confessions of crimes, such as spreading propaganda against the system and insulting islamic

sanctities. and we know that iran remains a leading states sponsor of terrorism. unfortunately i do not believe that the election results in iran or in any way transformable. i agree with my colleagues' assessment that's ran's elections are neither free or fair and a top clerical body of the iranian regime disqualified thousands of candidates from standing for election. we cannot reasonably expect a transformational shift in iran's foreign policy, human rights record or support for terrorism when the hardline regime elements that promote these disturbing policies are allowed to prescreen and disqualify candidates for office. iran's support for terrorism and the ability to foster instability in the region has serious consequences for our european allies and for our own

homeland security. i served in the united states navy reserve, including time in the persian gulf where i saw firsthand the straits and the statistic choke . that exists there. last year iran seized a commercial vessel in the straits requiring the united states navy to accompany vessels and provide security when moving in and out of the persian gulf. the iranian regime is a threat not just to the middle east but to the security and stability of the entire world. in closing, i want to reiterate the need to confirm highly qualified nominees like alan szubin who will oversee treasury department sanctions against iran and the front companies used to elude and urge our allies to join us. we need to ensure that we provide the iaea with the resources needed to do its job

and conduct rigorous daily oversight of the jcpoa. but most importantly, we must continue to provide strict oversight of the jcpoa and ensure compliance with its terms. we cannot let up or be distracted by perceived improvements or setbacks in iran's politics. we made a commitment to the american people that iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. this is a commitment we must uphold and be focused on each understanand every day. -- each and every day. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk should call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call: