anytime on our website at c-span.org. we take you live now to the u.s. senate on today's agenda, the adam walsh reauthorization act. it would authorize $81 million for sex offender registration programs and it would establish new justice department programs to assist survivors of sexual assault. this is why the senate coverage on c-span2. -- this is live senate coverage on c-span c-span2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain dr. barry black will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. mighty god, you shine in glorious radiance. the world belongs to you

and everything in it. teach us to trust you in turbulent times, striving always to live for your glory. bless our senators. may your completeness surround their incompleteness, your strength support their weakness and your wisdom guide their minds. give them the insight, guide them down paths they cannot see. give them the insight, the courage and the faith to escape the repetition of old errors as they strive to embrace your truth. lord, help us all to offer to you the sacrifice

of repentant hearts. we pray in your merciful name. amen. the president pro tempore: 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. mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: last week, the

republican-led senate passed two more appropriations bills by a large bipartisan majority. both bills passed out of committee with unanimous support, were subject to hours of debate and deliberation and included the input of both democratic and republican senators. the first appropriations measure for transportation and housing infrastructure will help ensure air travel is safer and more efficient, invest in important infrastructure and help strengthen america's surface transportation network. as senator collins pointed out last week, this bill includes recommendations from more than 75 senators from both sides of the aisle as well as more than three dozen amendments. i want to thank my friend from maine for her skilled leadership and hard work with ranking member reed of rhode island and colleagues from both sides to advance this measure. the second funding measure for veterans in military construction will ensure veterans receive benefits and health care they have earned while enhancing oversight and

accountability at the v.a. helping improve quality of life on military bases for soldiers and their families and advancing critical national security projects like missile defense. as senator kirk noted last week, this bill incorporate over two dozen amendments both from democrats and republicans. senator kirk is a true champion for veterans. i know he always had the needs of our heroes top in mind as he worked with democrats and republicans and in particular ranking member tester of montana to move this critical bill forward. by returning to regular order and working through the appropriations process, we have been able to pass appropriation measures like these that support national priorities in a responsible way. i also appreciate senators working toward a compromise approach to zika, preventing the spread of zika is a priority for all of us, and i'm pleased the senate has approved a compromise provision to focus resources on this important health issue. we have now begun discussions on

how best to resolve the differences between the house and senate and get a bill to the president. now, on an important issue, the senate will address today the republican-led senate believes in the importance of combating sexual assault and providing key protections for the victims of these heinous crimes. in less than 18 months, we have already passed many different measures to help victims and help stop these crimes. we passed the amy and vicki act which will help the victims of child pornography get restitution from those who profit from their pain, and because we know the pain doesn't end when these images are produced, it can help victims find the closure they need and deserve. we passed an important measure championed by senator toomey who worked with senator alexander to include in the k-12 education reform bill a requirement that states put laws and policies in place to help ensure schools are no longer able to ship child predators to other school districts. we passed a measure from senator

portman who worked with senator mccaskill to hold an infamous child sex trafficking company in contempt and force it to turn over critical information, information that's needed for their bipartisan human trafficking investigation to continue. and of course we passed the justice for victims of trafficking act, the victims of modern slavery deserve justice, they deserve a voice, which is why after years of previous inaction, a new republican-led senate made it a priority to pass this important antislavery bill and of course it is now law. this week we have two more opportunities to protect victims. the first contained in a provision within the national defense authorization act is the end modern slavery initiative act. this effort would address human trafficking beyond our borders with tools to help end the scourge of modern slavery worldwide. i thank senator corker for his work on this measure. the second, the adam walsh reauthorization act, will

bolster efforts to prevent future sexual assault crimes and help victims receive justice. we'll pass that one today. one group dedicated to combating trafficking noted its strong support for this -- quote -- vital legislation which it called essential to the fight against child sex trafficking. the adam walsh reauthorization act has also received the support of the nation's largest antisexual violence organization, rain, along with organizations like the national center for missing and exploited children. i have been involved with the national center for missing and exploited children since its inception and have had the privilege of working closely with the organization over the years. protecting children and bringing justice to victims has been a top priority of mine for many years, and i have long worked with john walsh, adam's father, to advance efforts to do so. i supported the original adam walsh child protection safety act in 2006 in order to enhance

law enforcement's ability to track sexual predators and improve its information-sharing capabilities and to support resources to aid in the apprehension of fugitives who commit these offenses. it's an important law, but the authorization for it expired in 2011. it was disheartening to watch reauthorization legislation languish in the senate and in the judiciary committee for years, with you then chairman grassley came along. not only did he work to reauthorize this bill, he worked to make it stronger with additional rights and protections for victims of sexual assault and human trafficking crimes. like he's done with other priorities, chairman grassley realized the urgency of moving this reauthorization forward and then worked diligently to advance it. it's just another example of his efforts to put the judiciary committee to work for the american people. under a new chairman, the judiciary committee has reported out some 30 bills and has seen more than a dozen signed into law. time and time again, the committee has taken on important

issues and worked toward real solutions for our country. we saw a great example of that recently with chairman grassley's efforts to help combat the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic that's hurting so many communities across our country. states like mine have been especially impacted by this drug crisis. i pressured the stead -- appreciated the steadfast commitment of colleagues like senator grassley along with senators like portman and ayotte to address the issue and ensure senate passage of the comprehensive addiction and recovery act. chairman grassley has worked hard to pass other pieces of legislation as well like a law to protect american innovation in the 21st century, for instance, and the justice for victims of trafficking act that i mentioned earlier. without chairman grassley's commitment in committee and senator cornyn's relentless efforts on the floor, that important trafficking bill would not have become law. so it's clear that senator grassley has led the judiciary committee with renewed focus on providing hope and providing a

voice to those in need. we have just the latest example of this commitment in the bill before us today, so i commend chairman grassley for his strong leadership and urge my colleagues to join me today in supporting this important legislation. on one final matter, i want to close by saying a few words about marvin simms who will be retiring from the senate recording studio this month after three decades of service. marvin was one of about a dozen original staffers brought on to help shoot the first-ever life gavel to gavel broadcast on the senate floor. he has since become a real pro at capturing the best angles of this chamber. so for marvin, getting there meant studying up on the senate procedure and teaching himself to instantly recognize a rotating cast of 100 different names and faces, an impressive feat in itself. his career includes a number of

historical milestones, from presidential inaugurations and gold medal ceremonies to supreme court nominations and the occasional all-night filibuster. i'm told he's now looking forward to having a little more time to focus on his family. on behalf of the entire senate family, i'd like to thank marvin for many years of dedicated public service and wish him well in his retirement. mr. reid: madam president? the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. reid: last friday, as he should, president obama gave the nation an update on the fight against zika, this virus that has become such a difficult issue to face. here are the facts, as outlined by president obama and reported by the center for disease

control and prevention. as we speak, there are more than 500 confirmed cases of zika in the continental united states. there are at least 800 confirmed cases of infection in puerto rico. most experts believe the actual number is significantly higher. there are 279 pregnant women in the continental united states and territories are being monitored for a possible zika infection. we have yet to confirm any local transmission from zika-carrying mosquitoes in the continental united states. remember, we have had an unseasonably cold spring. that means that a mosquito with zika has not yet infected anyone in the mainland, but the public health experts tell us that's going to change as soon as it warms up, and it's nearly the warmup time now. it's only when the warm weather hits that the mosquitoes become active, and they really become active. these pests are capable of

transmitting zika in 39 states. residents of our nation's most populated cities like new york, los angeles, chicago and houston could be at risk of infection. madam president, this chart says it all. there are some places when -- where there is only one type of mosquito, and of course the worst is the blue, but there are places when there is a mixture of mosquitoes. there are two kinds of mosquitoes that cause a problem. it's spread to people primarily through the body of an infected mosquito. but look where it goes. from maine to texas, even reaching into northern california, las vegas. i see one red dot up there. that's boulder, colorado. so, madam president, it's a concern, a real concern.

for pregnant women, contacting zika could mean devastating birth defects. for their children, as we know, with these tiny little heads and undeveloped brains and collapsed skulls. for others, the dangers of zika range from possible nervous system disorders and potential paralysis to minor symptoms like rashes and fever, like the flu. this is a threat the republican congress has been ignoring for many months now. back in february, we are fast approaching june, and in february president obama sent an emergency appropriation request to congress for almost $2 billion to fight zika. $1.9 billion is the exact figure. it wasn't some number that he picked out of a hat. this is a figure that researchers, public health experts and doctors explicitly requested. $1.9 billion is what our country needs. that's the number i support and

democrats support. anything less than that is simply not enough. the republicans did nothing in response to the president's request, letting weeks and weeks go by as the number of infected americans grew. because of republicans' refusal to allocate zika funding, president obama had to act. he did the only thing he could do. he used $510 million in ebol look money to fight zika. it was 18 months ago that we were first hit with the ebola scare. and it was a scare and rightfully so. we were panicked about ebola. americans had been infected with this awful disease. but the only thing we could do was do more to find out how we could stop it with a vaccine,

with other treatments. it takes money to do that. but to take more than half a billion dollars in ebola money and fight the spread of zika is really literally from the proverbial taking from peter to pay paul. what choice did president obama have? they were ignoring his pleas for help. now that they can no longer ignore zika, republicans in congress are reluctantly going through the motions of providing funding. going through the motions. as my friend, the republican leader said, we've taken care of zika here on the floor. how wrong, how misleading. the senate agreed to provide $1.1 billion, about half of what president obama requested, about you everyone knows that's not going to do the trick because that money is not getting to be coming till some time this fall.

to make matters worse, the president is requesting the full $1.9 billion. the senate passed $1.1 billion that would do nothing to pay back the ebola money. it would pay back a tiny fraction of the $510 million of ebola funds that are so necessary to continue to work on ebol la. the senate's $1.1 billion in funding is wrapped up in the appropriations process. the appropriation bills take months to get done. by the time is gets to the president's desk, it will be fall and we will know by then for sure how much damage has been done before -- because of the republicans' inability and refusal to help us with that money. the american people should not have to wait that long. that's why senate democrats have repeatedly come to the floor and asked that we move to a zika

funding package as a stand alone bill separating from the very, very slow, tedious appropriations process. but each time republican leadership has objected, senate republicans don't want to expedite the issue. they prefer that our response to zika is wrapped newspaper a drawn out appropriations process. our nation cannot afford the unnecessary delay. house republicans could not even pass a budget, and now we're depending on them to pass an appropriations bill before we do anything with zika. they don't have a budget. these are the same house republicans who last week passed legislation to give president obama a third, $622 million, a third of what the president asked, in fact a little less than a third. and guess what? guess where they're going to get that money? they're going to take it by raiding more ebola money. our nation spent the last two years fighting ebola, but

although we have successfully responded to ebola, it remains a threat. we do not have the ability to handle that disease. last week the white house reported that c.d.c., the centers for disease control, here in west after carks they're processing 10,000 new ebola samples a month. we can't afford to drop our guard on ebola. that's just what the republicans are telling us to do. we take these funds away from our nation's response to ebola, it's a virus that's devastating and we use them instead to underfund our response to zika, we're ensuring that our defenses against both are inadequate. that's irresponsible and terribly dangerous. i don't understand republicans' refusal to take zika seriously. why do they refuse to listen to the experts who tell us they need the full $1.9 billion to be able to fight this devastating virus? it's as if the republicans are betting that zika won't be a disaster.

like the horse race we had in baltimore on saturday. this is not a bet. it's as if they are betting against all the experts and c.d.c. and n.i.h. who say the zika virus is a real threat to americans. they're saying it's a real threat to americans because it is. so instead of gambling with health and safety of millions of americans, republicans should give our nation the money it needs to fight zika. and they should do it now, not next month, not in the fall but now. as the president said on friday, we in congress should not leave for the memorial day break without having taken care of this issue. he's so right. we've been on record for weeks saying the same thing. we don't need more time off. we already hold the record, the record for working less time. this senate is working less time than any congress in the last six or seven decades.

so we don't need more time off. so next week when we take some -- rather than take some time off, let's get the legislation to the white house appropriating that money. we have time to get out ahead of zika but we need to do it now but that window is rapidly closing by the day. so let's work together and do it now. democrats, republicans, give our nation the tools it needs to keep the american people safe from the zika virus. right now we're not safe. mr. president, i would unanimous consent that i be able to speak on another subject. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. reid: i joined my friend, the republican lead near congratulating marvin simms on his well deserved retirement next week. after more than 30 years working in the senate recording studio. he's been involved in so many things i've done the last 30 years. we started here about the same time. when marvin began as part of what was then called the senate television crew, it was a much

smaller operation than it is now. as the senate evolved and the age of 24-hour press and media, so much going on the internet also, so did his job. over his three decades in the senate, marvin gained more and more responsibility culminating in his position today as a broadcast production director. he's worked on many of my television interviews and he did a superb job. i wish marvin and his family the best in his retirement. he's an avid friend of nasa, our national agency that does so much in space, all things related to space. he's so interested. he's an avid fan. i hope he will use the extra time he has in retirement to -- quote -- "boldly go where no man has gone before." so for all you who don't know what i'm saying here, if you know anything about "star trek," you'll realize this is a phrase from the show's opening

sequence. so marvin, go boldly where no man has gone before. thank you very much for your good work. the floor appears to be empty, mr. president. -- madam president. i would ask you announce what we'll do the rest of the day. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning business till 4:30 p.m. with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

ms. warren: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. ms. warren: madam president, i ask that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. warren: thank you, madam president. aeubgt years ago reckless bankers on wall street sparked a financial meltdown. their too big to fail banks encouraged reckless mortgage lending by funding slimy subprime lenders who peddled their miserable products to millions of american families.

those same banks gobbled up those mortgages, repackaged them and spread huge risks throughout the financial system. the consequences were truly disastrous. wall street greed destroyed $7 trillion in housing wealth and resulted in millions of americans losing their homes. it killed 8.7 million american jobs. it gutted hundreds of pension funds, leaving millions of retirees hung out to dry. thanks to washington bailouts, wall street is once again flying high. corporate profits are up, the stock market is soaring. but the real people who were hurt by the financial collapse, the millions of workers who lost their jobs, lost their homes, lost their retirement savings because of wall street's reckless greed, many of them haven't bounced back. the evidence of this is everywhere but consider one

recent example. earlier this month 400,000 participants in the central state's pension fund narrowly escaped having their hard-earned pension benefits slashed by as much as 70%. their benefits were on the chopping block because that fund is in terrible trouble. and there are a lot of reasons why, but one reason is beyond dispute. wall street greed. the story is ugly. in the run up to the financial collapse, goldman sachs and northern trust were in charge of managing the central state's pension fund. instead of doing what was best for workers and retirees, those financial giants invested those retirement savings in junk bonds, in mortgage bonds issued by firms whose names today would fill a wall street hall of shame. bear stearns, countrywide, indy

mac, lehman brothers. the crash of 2008 hit the pension fund like a shith in the ribs. in 2008 and 2009 pension funds managed by goldman sachs and northern trust dropped by 42%. 42%, that's more than twice the losses suffered by other multiemployer pension funds. you know what adds salt to the wound? the part that really twists the knife here? from 2005 to 2009, goldman sachs and northern trust charged central state $41 million for the privilege of managing and wrecking their retirement fund. last month the treasury department rejected pension cuts to the central state's pension fund for the short term and bought these retirees some time. but this story isn't over.

unless the senate acts, this pension plan will collapse within ten years. unless the senate acts, hundreds of thousands of retirees whose pensions are currently on life support will lose those pensions entirely. tomorrow the republicans who control the senate are ready to act. tomorrow they will bring a pension bill to the floor. now, is it a bill to help save the 400,000 men and women of the central state's pension fund, whose futures were decimated through no fault of their own? on that topic, the republicans have nothing to say. instead, the republicans are bringing up a bill to make it easier -- easier -- for giant wall street financial institutions to cheat americans out of their retirement savings. the senate will be voting to make it easier -- easier -- for

shady financial institutions and unscrupulous financial advisors to mislead investors about the quality of the investments so those advisors can continue pushing lousy products, just like the junk bonds and mortgage bonds that tanked the central state posts pension plan. the senate will be voting on whether to overturn the commonsense regulations that the department of labor completed last month to protect americans' hard-earned retirement savings from slick-talking advisors who push complicated products that give great payoffs to the advisors and terrible results for the customers. here's the problem: because of a loophole in the law, it has long been perfectly legal for investment advise torres -- to push products that drain away customers' savings while they generate high fees, free

vacations, cars, bonuses and kickbacks for the advisors. these conflicts cause american families an estimated $17 billion every year. the new commonsense rule would put a stop to these practices. it is a pretty simple rule. it would ensure financial advisors have to recommend products that are in the customers' best interest. no more pushing products just to generate high fees and payments for the advisors. no more free vacations, no more kickbacks. why would anyone on earth vote to overturn a rule designed to protect americans from financial fraud? why? because it's an election year, so senators and congressmen have their hands out, willing to take every dime of wall street money they can get. killing this new rule would cost american families $17 billion a year in lost retirement savings,

but it will sure help fill up the campaign accounts of the republican senators who vote for it. and in the meantime, the clock keeps ticking for hundreds of thousands of central state's retirees, and the republicans refuse to do anything. the republicans who control the senate may think that tomorrow's vote will help their fund-raising efforts. i will be voting "no" because we weren't sent here just to raise money for reelections. we weren't sent here to work for wall street and their armies of lobbyists and lawyers. we weren't sent here to reward the too big to fail banks that tanked our economy and then got billions of dollars in bailouts. we weren't sent here to make it easier for financial institutions to cheat people. the republicans who run the senate seem to have forgotten that. and if they don't remember it soon, you can bet the american people will remind them in

november. thank you, madam president. i yield and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, i know president obama is visiting vietnam, and i want to speak briefly about that, but i want to also just comment about the contribution many vietnamese americans are making here in the

united states and particularly back home in texas. they really demonstrate the -- the vividness and the life of -- pursuit of the american dream because these are some of the most accomplished people in our communities back in texas. many people don't realize how big a vietnamese american community that texas has, and many are surprised when i tell them that vietnamese is the third most commonly spoken language in texas. now, admittedly english, even texas english, is number one. then obviously spanish with 38% of our population of hispanic origin. but it's still a sizable, vibrant part of our state and our communities. and i have been particularly impressed by the passion and drive that those from vietnam who have now made america their home, how passionate they are about things that we perhaps take for granted, like the same

freedoms we enjoy here that folks back in vietnam do not enjoy. as a matter of fact, it's important to remember even as president obama is traveling to vietnam that vietnam is a brutal communist regime that continues to disregard basic human rights. sure, our economic relationships could bear fruit. in fact, i'm encouraged by that and would encourage it. but we can't forget that at bottom, the regime is communist and it disregards basic human rights. i expect a lot of the conversations the president is having with the government will focus on our common threats in the pacific, particularly the rise and belligerence of china, particularly in the south china sea, and i'm sure it will focus on a need for more robust economic relationship and perhaps the benefits of trade agreements like the trans-pacific partnership. i agree that economics and trade

are important, but we can't let the prospect of greater economic ties dampen our conviction as a democratic nation to encourage greater freedoms for the vietnamese people. recently, reporters without borders ranked vietnam 175th out of 180 countries worldwide when it comes to freedom of the media. 175th out of 180. and unfortunately the regime doesn't fare any better when it comes to religious liberty either. the truth of the matter is our two countries will never achieve the kind of close relationship that i know many in vietnam and many in the united states aspire to until vietnam releases all political prisoners, demonstrates basic respect for human rights and embraces self-government ideals that we again take for granted here in america. i believe that until that

happens, the united states has no choice but to continue to hold vietnam at arm's length, and that means we must do all we can to put pressure on the regime to strengthen freedoms for the vietnamese people. i'm hopeful that moving forward, the united states will do a better job of making clear that the communist regime in hanoi must improve its human rights record. fortunately, we here in congress can play a role. earlier this year, i reintroduced a piece of legislation called the vietnamese human rights sanctions act, legislation that would impose travel restrictions and other sanctions on vietnamese nationals who were complicit in human rights abuses against their fellow people, and i intend to offer this legislation, the vietnam human rights sanctions act, as an amendment to the national defense authorization bill that we will be debating this week. the united states simply must do

more to support the rights of the vietnamese people and freedom-loving people everywhere, and we simply can't give a pass to the vietnamese regime and a pass to their oppressive government because, frankly, it's a little inconvenient to bring up during the time we're talking about trade and better economic relationships. this bill is a step forward in the fight for their civil, religious and political liberties. separately, madam president, shortly, the senate will pass another important piece of legislation, the adam walsh reauthorization act. this is legislation that will better equip the states to track sex offenders and prevent abuse. since the new majority took control of this chamber, the senate has prioritized bills that protect victims, that make our communities safer, and this latest bill fits that model. for example, i was proud to

introduce the justice for victims of trafficking act which was signed into law by president obama this last spring. that happened -- happened to enjoy a 99-0 vote here in the senate, clearly bipartisan legislation directed at helping the victims of human trafficking. this law i'm glad to report has already begun helping those victims recover and find a path for healing. and then another -- in another example, the senate judiciary committee recently approved the justice for all reauthorization act, legislation i introduced with our colleague from vermont, senator leahy, that will improve the criminal justice team by helping eliminate the backlog of untested rape kits in communities throughout the country and by helping victims find justice faster. i might add that thanks to the leadership of chairman grassley and the senate judiciary committee, the judiciary committee has been as active and

as productive as any other time that i've been in the senate. and finally, earlier this year we joined several of our colleagues to introduce carey's law, another bipartisan bill that would ensure that people have the ability to directly call 911 without having to dial an extra number. this happened to be particularly important in hotel rooms and other places where particularly in a young child picks up a phone and dials 911 like they've been introwbsed, that they would be able to get -- that they would be able to get through. this is a simple change but help law enforcement reach help as soon as possible. i hope we can move this legislation forward soon as well. madam president, i'm proud of the work that the senate has done in these and other areas this year. i hope this afternoon we can add the adam walsh reauthorization act to that list. madam president, i yield the floor. i'd note the absence of a

quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mrs. shaheen: madam president? the presiding officer: morning business is closed. the senator from new hampshire. mrs. shaheen: madam president, i ask that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the? the will proceed to the -- the senate will proceed to the consideration of s. 2613, which the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 2613, a bill to reauthorize certain programs established by the adam walsh child protection and safety act of 2006. mrs. shaheen: madam president, i rise today to discuss the sexual aassault survivors rights act. i'm pleased that this legislation has been incorporated into the adam walsh reauthorization act that is before us this afternoon. i want to thank the chair and ranking member of the judiciary committee, senators grassley and leahy, for their help and support in moving this important legislation forward.

the sexual assault survivors rights act builds on the legacy of thto address unique issues id by sexual assault survivors. these rights coupled with renewed efforts to educate survivors about available options and resources will help empower survivors already in the justice system. in addition, this bill will send a powerful message to survivors all across the country. you do have rights. we do care about you. if you choose to come forward, we're going to be there four and we're going to ensure a justice system that treats you with dignity and fairness. now, as many of our colleagues know, sexual assault remains one of the most pervasive an andcomplex. it affects every segment and demographic of our society, young and old, rich and poor, rural and urban.

the immediate physical harm of an attack can result in a lifetime of emotional scars and lingering stigma. sexual assault is also one of the most difficult crimes to prosecute. for starters, it is the most underreported crime in our country. the department of justice estimates that nearly 70% of attacks go unreported and only a small percentage of perpetrators go to prison. when we ask survivors why other victims don't come forward and press charges, they h tell us tt our justice system seems to be working against them, not for them. they even say that the flaw of an attack can be compounded by the disappointment they feel when our legal system puts so many needless obstacles in the path of justice. for survivors, it's too often a grueling and bewhic bewildering process. many feel intimidated and ultimately choose not to go forward. some who may initially file

charges give up before their case is resolved or that he simply slip through the cracks. in many states, sexual assault survivors risk having their untested rape kits destroyed, sometimes without their knowledge. now, this issue came to the attention of my office when a 24-year-old young woman, amanda nuyen, came and told me about her experience with this issue and she had the tragic circumstance of having been raped in massachusetts and, despite the state's 20-year statute of limitations for sexual assault, amanda has had to return to the same police station every six months just to make sure that her rape kit evidence is not destroyed. so that means that every six months, she has to relive the crime that was committed against her. she has to meet with a different person, reexplain her situation,

and hope that her evidence is not destroyed. and, what's worse, if amanda had not been proactive in figuring out all the rest policies, her evidence could have been destroyed without her even being notified. but minority fortunately, amanda didn't give up. they decided this was wrong, she was going to do something about it. she visit add number of offices across capitol hill. and when she got to ours, we said, you're right, this is wrong, we need to do something about it, and we worked with her and with an organization that she started called "rise" to put together legislation that could serve as a model for the rest of the country. fortunately, the senate has an opportunity to responding to the issues that amanda raised and so many people have faced across this country. this bill will establish in the adam walsh reauthorization act the first set of

court-enforceable rights for survivors of sexual assault, quodified in the u.s. criminal code. these rights are specifically designed to address many of the unique challenges faced by survivors of sexual assault. they include commonsense changes such as ensuring that survivors are not charged toker their rape kits, requiring that the relevant evidence be kept for the entire statute of limitations period, the right to be informed of the medical results of a rape forensic examination, the trite have written notice before a rape kit containing critical evidence is destroyed. it is important to note that the rights contained in this bill would only apply at the federal level. however, they're drawn from best practices developed by many states. and we're hopeful that they will serve as a model and a catalyst for each of the 50 states to enact or improve their own survivor bill of rights.

already we've heard from several state legislatures that intend to introduce bills mirroring the federal standards in this legislation. so, madam president, we know this the status quo is not acceptable. currently inadequate laws work against survivors, against law enforcement, and against prosecutors serving only the perpetrators who too often remain at-large. it is past time for a reform process that ends the silent surrounding sexual assault, that brings it out of the shadows and that gives survivors a fair shot at justice. this is exactly what the sexual assault survivors rights act will do. i am so pleased that it's been included in the adam walsh reauthorization act that is before us today. again, i thank the judiciary committee. i thank amanda nguyen and "rise" who have been so critical to et

going this legislation included in the adam walsh act, and i urge my colleagues to support this bill when this comes to the floor and yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from iowa s. mr. grassley: i ask that the calling of the quorum be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: madam president, today we'll vote on the adam walsh reauthorization act. >> >> somebody makes a difference in the community. marla: the search continues for the people who killed a community activist in a drive-by shooting one month ago. but then do a his legacy will live on to help others. he could not pass up getting this all on video. straight ahead.bd >> the coach has the plans

for the future and the team. straight ahead. marla: thanks for joining us tonight on news 13.rs a sunny start to the workweek our chief meteorologist is live in the weather center. will the sun stick around? >> we're expecting a dry weekend with a lot of to sunshine and is only 20% chance. without side some cumulus clubs working their way across orange county into osceola county. 82 daytona beach.

week-old just cite - - slightly across the eastern part of the peninsula. overnight mild temperatures expecting the of did end up for sixties and your morning low will be right around 53. check out the weather had a alliance quiz seasonably warm conditions with highs in the upper 80s in the neck strain chance we will discuss coming up with your "weather on the ones" have joind as cosponsors or contributed in some ways to the bill's success. as a reminder, the adam walsh act originally was enacted in response to notorious cases involving children who had been targeted by adult criminals. many of them repeat sex

offenders. the names johnny gosh, eugene martin, and jetsetta gauge as examples bring heartbreaks to all iowans. johnny gosh was 12 years old and a paper boy, delivering those papers in west des moines, iowa, when he disappeared in 1982. two years later, 13-year-old eugene martin disappeared in des moines, iowa, also while delivering newspapers. and ten-year-old jetsetta gauge was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender in rural county, iowa in 2005. the original adam walsh act was enacted in response to those and many other cases involving

missing children. the 2006 law established numerous programs, but their authorization expired some years ago. several of these programs for which congress continues to provide funding in an annual appropriations bill are the centerpiece of the adam walsh act and remain key to a successful implementation. this bill would extend the authorization for these pivotal programs. so i'd like to go into some detail. this bill would reauthorize the sex offender management assistance program. it is estimated there are more than 700,000 registered sex offenders in our country. this program helps states to

meet national tphoefbgs -- notification and registration standards. it helps improve registry systems and information-sharing capabilities. the second feature of this bill, it would extend the jessica lundsford verification address program. who can forget jessica landford, for whom this program is named. the 9-year-old florida girl was abducted and murdered by a registered sex offender who lived nearby. her story is not unlike that of jetseta gage, a 10-year-old girl from cedar rapids, iowa, who was sexually assaulted and murdered by a registered sex offender in

2005. the jessica lunsford program authorizes grants to state and local governments to help fund programs that verify the residence of registered sex offenders. it's quite obvious, having accurate information on where sex offenders live is crucial to ensuring that law enforcement can adequately protect the safety of children and keep the public so informed. the third portion of this bill authorizes continued funding for the u.s. marshal service to support local efforts to track down sex offenders who fail to register as such or who later disappear from the system.

these fugitive apprehension activities authorized under the original adam walsh act continue to be funded by appropriators but need to and are herein reauthorized. extending the authorization signals congress' continued commitment to ensuring that these activities continue. the most important function is the -- is the substitute amendment that incorporates a package of new rights for sexual assault survivors. it was accepted when with unanimous consent of our committee members several members worked with me on its development, and i appreciate their contributions. i want to especially thank miss

amanda wynn, a young woman who has bravely spoken out about her experience of sexual assault. amanda, who founded a nonprofit known as rise, originated the idea for a survivor's rights package and urged me to incorporate such language in this bill. the package we adopted in the judiciary committee includes new rights under our federal criminal code for victims of sexual assault offenses. these rights are in addition to those already available to all victims of crime under the federal criminal code. they include the right not to be prevented from or charged for receiving a medical forensic exam. they include the right to have a sexual assault evidence

collection kit preserved without charge for the statutory limitation period or 20 years. they include the right to be informed of the results of that kit's analysis, as well as policies governing the kit's collection and preservation. they include the right to notice when the government intends to dispose of the sexual assault evidence collection kit. the nonprofit organization rise endorsed these provisions way last july. the bill reported by our committee also clarifies that the justice department can make discretionary grants available under the crime victim fund to start -- to states that agree to notify sexual assault survivors of any applicable rights under state law.

the bill calls for the establishment of a federal working group to disseminate best practices for the care and treatment of sexual assault survivors and for the preservation of such forensic evidence. the bill also would extend the statutory deadline by which child victim of certain human trafficking and child abuse offenses can file suit against their perpetrators. we also added language to the bill at the suggestion of the united states judicial conference to clarify that courts can supervise sexual offenders after their release from civil confinement. courts already do this in practice just as they do with criminal offenders after their release, but this legislation clarifies all judges authority

in this area. before concluding, i should mention that the adam walsh reauthorization act not only has the bipartisan support of members of this chamber but also has the support of groups that advocate for child protection and safety such as the national center for missing and exploited children. it has the support of the nation's two largest antisexual assault organizations. it has been endorsed by two leading antihuman trafficking organizations, polaris and shared hope international, and as already mentioned, the legislation has the support of john walsh and the nonprofit organization rise. finally, i want to reiterate that the 35th anniversary of the abduction of and murder of young adam walsh will take place

in july. it is my hope that we send -- can send this legislation to the president's desk before that 35th anniversary happens. as a father, as a grandfather, i cannot stress enough the importance of making this bill's passage a priority for both houses of the 114th congress. we cannot bring back adam walsh, jetseta gage, jessica lunsford or the other innocent children who have lost their lives under these terrible circumstances, but what we can do, we can do our best to honor their memory and to protect america's present and future children by extending these key programs that were authorized under the original adam walsh act.

i yield. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mrs. ernst: mr. president, i have one unanimous consent request for a committee to meet during today's session of the senate. it has the approval of the majority and minority leaders. i ask unanimous consent that this request be agreed to and that this request be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. ernst: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mrs. ernst: i ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: is there objection? hearing none, so ordered. mrs. ernst: mr. president, i am pleased to report that last week, bipartisan legislation to restore the rights of the women air force service pilots or wasp to have their ashes inurned at

arlington national cemetery was signed into law. i was proud to honor this group of revolutionary women who courageously served our country. i thank congresswomen martha mcsally and susan davis for their leadership spearheading this bill in the house. on the heels of pearl harbor, these trail blazing women bucked the status quo and made tremendous sacrifices for this nation. they joined ground breaking flight training programs for women, flying noncombat service missions for the army air force to free their male counterparts for combat duty overseas. the wasps willingly put their lives on the line for this country during a time of war. this work wasn't easy and certainly contained peril. in fact, 38 wasps died in service to our great country

during world war ii. their sacrifice and love for this nation deserves to be celebrated and always remembered. iowa was at one time or another home to at least 25 cage rouse wasp. while they were eventually granted veterans status in 1977, it was not until 2002 that the army allowed these women to have their ashes placed in arlington national cemetery with full military honors. in 2015 that honor was inexplicably and wrongly revoked by the army. with less noon a hundred wasps still living, time was short to do what was right and honor these women for their selfless sacrifice and service to our nation. they were role models for women in the military like me and

proved their strength and fortitude in the missions they carried out. i want to take this time to honor these extraordinary women and thank them for their remarkable military service. as memorial day approaches, i am grateful that we can restore a basic honor to them and their families through this law. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. i will note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: will we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to calendar 469, s. 2943. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the bill. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar 469, srks 2943, a brill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for military activities of the department of defense and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloarmt. the clerk: cloarmt, 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 to calendar number 469, s. 2943, a bill to

authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017, for military activities of the department of defense and so forth and for other purposes signed by 17 senators. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum call be waived. the presiding officer: without objection -- is there objection? hearing none, so ordered. the. a senator: from arizona. mr. mccain: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: the senate is not in a quorum call. the senator is recognized. mr. mccain: mr. president, i'm sure all of my colleagues made note of the latest tragedy which is most likely a terrorist attack and that is the airliner that disappeared and now they are finding pieces of that airliner. we don't know positively what

happened, but it has all the earmarks of a terrorist attack. and i know that many of my colleagues know that the director of national intelligence, general clapper testified before our committee and said they're -- there most likely are going to be additional attacks in europe and the united states, either the type that took place in san bernardino or attacks that mr. bagdady has sent his people into the refugee flow to commit attacks on the united states of america. we just finished marking up a couple of weeks ago, some few days ago a defense authorization bill. that bill contains, and it's a very large bill, it contains reforms. it contains changes in the way we do business. it changes a whole lot of things, but also it takes care of the men and women who are

serving in the military. it provides them with greater capability to fight this virus of radical terrorist islam which is threatening the united states of america in a way that's been unprecedented in 70 years. we'll be subj -- we'll be subject to attacks, like san bernardino, like we just saw with the airliner, which is most likely -- i am not positive, but it has all the earmarks i've seen enough to know that this is most likely a terrorist attack. and meanwhile, isis has metastasized in libya. it is committing attacks in baghdad, which are killing hundreds of people. we see the terrible atrocities committed by isis or daesh, whichever one you call it, all over the world. into africa and other parts.

and so we need this legislation, mr. president -- we need this legislation. the men and women who are serving, the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general dempsey said that what we're doing now puts us on the "ragged edge" of being able to defend this nation. the chief -- the commandant of the united states marine corps said the same thing. the chief of staff of the united states army has said we're putting the men and women in the military at greater risk. those are his exact words. we're putting the men and women in the military at greater risk. so what are we doing here? we're not moving forward with the bill. for some reason, the majority leader is having to file cloture and then we wait a few number of days and then we take up the bill and then maybe we don't finish the bill, while we go into recess. don't we owe the men and women in the military better than

that? shouldn't we take up this bill and dispense with it?, d do a conference with the house and send to to the president's deck so that the president of the united states will sign it and the men and women of the military are better-equipped, better-trained and better to defend themselves in this nation? or are we going to go through some kind of foolishness of having the majority leader having to file cloture and then we wait 48 hours and then maybe -- it's, it's, it's -- it's being totally divorced from reality of what is happening in the world. just a few days ago a brave young seal was killed -- was killed up in syria. a young man named keating. i happen to know his name very well. now, the president of the united states still won't say that we're in combat. but the fact is, we are increasing dramatically our presence, both in syria, iraq, and now libya, and these men and

women need equipment to fight with. they need to have a military that is the best we can provide them with. so why shouldn't we do it now? why should we wait a couple of days? there is no justification for not moving to this bill right now. so, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration -- the immediate consideration -- of calendar number 469, s. 2943, the national defense authorization act. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. reid: mr. president, reserving the right to object -- the presiding officer: the minority leader. mr. reid: mr. president, as i have stated on the record many times, i have great admiration for the senator from arizona. we came together to the house, came together to the senate. but i have to say, it's obvious

my friend has a short memory, these bills take a long time. that's traditionally how it's worked around here. weeks we work on these bills. now, i understand the bill as reported complies with the budget agreement, and i appreciate that. but the senator from arizona, i have been told, wants to offer his amendment to expand military spending without doing anything to address america's middle class. a fight against terrorism, the fight for securing our country is more than bombs and bullets. it's the f.b.i., department of homeland security, it's what we're doing to fight the scourge of drugs -- all these things are important for the purpose the security of this nation. and there's nothing being done

in this bill to fight zika. is that a security issue? yes, it is. there's nothing being done to fight opioids. the is that a security issue? it sure is. during the time we're going to have this little exchange, there will be a number of people die across america as a result of the overuse of opioids. flint, michigan, that's been going on for months. those poor people have been ravaged with lead in the water. so i would have to say that my friend, as i've catted, has -- as i've indicated, has a very short memory. i don't know how many times he's voted to not proceed to a piece of legislation. we need to address these issues that i've talked about. now, the people of arizona, the people of this country i think want us to do our jobs.

and do you think that one thing we could do is look at this bi bill? this bill is not 64 pages long, not 164 pages long, it's 1,664 pages long. and, to make it even more concerning to me and my caucus, is the fact that it was basically demon secret. it was closed -- basically done in secret. it was a closed hearing. so, for heaven's sake, let's be brought back to reality. we have been very clear. we think we should take care of the middle class, as we take care of our military. we're obligated to do both. the president will scre visa anl that -- will veto any bill that violates that principle. it wouldn't be bad if we read it, okay. it wouldn't be bad if we had a chance to study this. it wouldn't be a bad idea if we had our staff give us some in fact on this bill.

1,664 pages. so without any question, i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. mccain: mr. president, let me just say -- the presiding officer: the senators a raze. mr. mccain: the bill was reported to a committee by a vote of 24-3. so what the democratic leader is saying is that because we don't fund the i.r.s., then therefore we then shouldn't proceed with defending this nation. that is a remarkable statement. if the democratic leader is interested in money for f.b.i., homeland security, and others, i would be more than happy to consider that, to authorize some additional funding for those agencies of government that particularly -- that protect the government. but what my colleagues have just heard is that we won't move forward to provide for the well-being of the men and women who are serving you, their ability to defend them, take them out of risk as much as possible by providing them with what they need, which by the way

95% is input and requested from the executive branch, the defense department. so we're not going to move forward on this bill because we don't include the other agencies of government. that is now putting our nation i.s. -- our nation's security and the other functions of government on exactly the same plane, and totally disregards the fact that we are being attacked. we are being attacked by cyber, we are -- there are plans-to-a tack the united states of america, the director of national intelligence said that there will be attacks on the united states of america. where is the democrat leader? what is he thinking? what could you be thinking? the presiding officer: the time of the senator from arizona has expired. caning caning we need to move forward -- mr. mccain: we need to move forward with this legislation now for the sake of the men and women defending this nation and

putting their lives on the line. this is disgraceful. mr. mcconnell: would the senator yield? mr. mccain: i would be glad to. mr. mcconnell: how many senators voted against this bill on the committee? > kaifn cane none. -- mr. mccain: none. the three votes against on this side of the aisle. mr. mcconnell: i call up grassley amendment 78. the presiding officer: the the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky calls up amendment for senator grassley, number 4078. the presiding officer: the clerk read the title of the bill. the clerk: s. 2635 13*, a bill to reauthorize certain programs established by the adam rail walsh child protection and safety act of 2006.

the presiding officer: question is pajts on the bill as amed? is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: have all senators voted? any senator wish to change their vote? on this vote the yeas are 89. the nays are zero. the bill as amended is passed. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. mr. cochran: i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in a period of morning business with

senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. mr. brown: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. brown: i thank the senator from mississippi. on saturday i visited the general motors lords town plant near youngstown to celebrate its 50th anniversary. for half a center this plant has been an anchor of the mahoning valley, supporting jobs through good times and bad. seven ohioans -- get this, seven workers at that plant have been there for all 50 of those years: albert gifford, moscow dubois, john brinkow, robert pulansky and steven godstick built 21 different general motors models since 1966 starting with the chevy impala. the car they make now are the chevy cruz. my wife and i are proud owners.

i drove to the plant in one. i was proud to be there in 2010 to see it drive off the assembly line. the first ones were painted red, white and blue. they represented the determination of a country. think about the state of the economy in 2010. they represented the ability of the country to bounce back and succeed in the face of national naysayers who wanted to write off this plant and that community. it has been a you rough few years for that company. think about where we were less than aing decade ago. auto sales were down 40%. a million jobs were being lost on top of the millions lost as president obama took office. we've heard right-wing politicians on the news calling the american auto industry dead but what they really meant is they didn't believe it was worth saving. they wanted to bet against american companies and against american workers. but the workers at lords town

and at plants like it across ohio and toledo in cleveland, in walton hills and avon lake and across the country proved them wrong. working together with president obama, we invested in rescuing the american auto industry. right now because of the auto rescue, because of workers in lords town, parma, cleveland and across the midwest, the american auto industry is growing back to life. g.m. posted 5% gains in sales last year. ohio and much of the midwest would be close to a depression if the doubters and naysayers had their way. we refuse to let the auto industry collapse, and history has proven it was the right thing to do. the people of northeast ohio know how important it was, so do people across the whole state, so do people across that region. because the cars made in lordstown epitomize how central the auto industry is to ohio's economy.

the chevy cruze features components made at plants all across ohio. the engine blocks are manufactured in defiance. the transmissions are assembled in follow lead dough. the -- toledo. the wheels for the chevy cruze eco are made by acao in cleveland. ever since the first chevy impala rolled off the lot in 1966, this valley has depended on lordstown. this is the industry and the company on which the great american middle class was built. on saturday anyone could see how central this plant is to its community. g.m. estimates more than 10,000 people, young and old, families with their children, vintage car buses, former workers turned out to watch the parade, stroll through the car show and tour the plant. the line to get into the plant stretched down the street and around the block. that's what this plant and this auto industry mean to the communities they serve. i know this community and this state will continue to depend on

auto workers for another 50 years and beyond. mr. president, i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. a senator: mr. president, tomorrow apparently the senate is going to have an opportunity to weigh in on the issue of whether it is good policy to allow uninspected, adulterated vietnamese catfish into the united states. mr. wicker: that will be the issue before us in the form of a resolution to disapprove a usda regulation. the senate will vote on whether it's a good idea to expose american consumers to catfish containing illegal antibiotics, heavy metals, and other carcinogens.

i think the senate will once again say that we need to protect american consumers from these harmful contents of imported catfish and we need to protect them by continuing a new united states department of agriculture catfish inspection program. now, what had happened before we had the usda catfish inspection program? under previous law, the food and drug administration inspected catfish coming into the united states. principally vietnamese catfish. and what we found out in this program, that only 2% of the catfish coming in got inspected. the other 98% came through without the federal government taking a look at it. and what we learned from the information given to us was that

some of the catfish coming in did have these harmful chemicals in them. and so the farm bill passed by the congress changed the inspection regime from the f.d.a. to where it is now, the united states department of agriculture. and under the department of agriculture program, almost all of the catfish will be inspected to make sure it's free of these harmful substances. now, the people who are trying to go back to the old method of inspection make some claims. they say the rule is duplicati duplicative, the new usda rule is duplicative. they say it's a w.t.o. violation and they say it's costly. i would tell my colleagues, and i want people listening back in their offices, i want my colleagues back in -- listening

in their offices, mr. president, to understand this. there is -- there will not be a duplicative program. f.d.a. is out of the catfish inspection business. as of march 1 of this year. the only inspections being carried out now are through us usda. so the argument that this new program is duplicative is factually incorrect. you can say it as many times as you want to. it doesn't make it true. there's no duplication. furthermore, there's no w.t.o. violation. the equivalent standards are being applied both to imported and domestic fish. and so the standards are the same. we just want to make sure they're safe. we're pretty sure about domestic catfish. a lot of it is grown in my state of mississippi. a lot of it is grown in missouri, arkansas, alabama.

those catfish farms are inspected. they're grown under -- the fish are not caught out in a river somewhere. they are inspected where they're grown and harvested under very controlled conditions. we just want all the fish consumed in the united states to be as safe as domesticall domestically-produced fish. thirdly, they say the new rule is costly. well, the entire program is going to cost $1.1 million a year through usda. i would say a million dollars a year to protect the american consumers is a reasonable price to pay. it is not costly in the scheme of things. now, let me tell you what we found so far in the brief history of this new usda program. we found that catfish coming in from vietnam was adulterated.

i could hardly pronounce these words, but i have here a publication from food chemical news today dated today, may 23, and it reports that according to the usda food safety and inspection service, they have already found two shipments that have just come in in recent weeks that were adulterated. this is vietnamese catfish that would have been consumed by american consumers in restaurants and bought at supermarkets that the us department of agriculture caught and wouldn't let it in, sent it back. thank efen they did because it -- heaven they did because it contained crystal violet, gentleman knee then -- jenetian crystal violet in one shipment so they didn't allow it in. that's the kind of inspection that this vote tomorrow will try

to stop. i want to keep those inspections, mr. president. the other shipment that was not allowed in contained mal malchie green, it contained enrow fluxacion and floor rowcholone, all substances that are prohibited to be consumed in the united states because they're not safe. they contain heavy metals. they contain carcinogens. they contain illegal antibiotics and we're trying to protect the united states consumers from doing this. i will give the authors of this resolution of disapproval tomorrow. i will give them credit. this would cut the price of fish somewhat in restaurants. but i'll tell you what, if my

colleagues want to foist less expensive catfish off on the american consumers that contain heavy metals, antibiotics and carcinogens, let them have at it. i don't think the majority of the senate wants to do that in the name of a duplicative program which is not duplicative and in the name of reducing costs when the whole program costs about a million dollars a year. so i want my colleagues to be aware that this vote is going to come up tomorrow. it's a very unusual vote. it's a congressional review act. and for of my colleagues have signed a petition so it must come to a vote and it must come tomorrow afternoon. the vote to proceed will take place tomorrow afternoon. if the vote to proceed passes, and i certainly hope it does not, then we will have ten hours of debate right here in the mind of the week when we -- middle of

the week when we should be talking about national defense and all of the issues that really trouble americans. we have ten hours of debate according to the law on whether the regulation should go forward. i would hope, mr. president, that we'll simply vote against the motion to proceed tomorrow, and that way under the rule, under the congressional review act, that will be the end of the matter. and the department of agriculture can keep inspecting and keep protecting american consumers. so americans should be aware that this is coming up and members of my colleagues and their staff should get schooled in this rather obscure issue. should the resolution pass, mr. president, we'll have the very unusual and unworkable situation of the farm bill being -- still

being the law of the land of the department of agriculture still being the agency in charge of inspections. that will still be the law. we simply won't have a rule allowing that part of the bill to be implemented. and so in effect since the f.d.a. inspex ra -- inspection regime has ended according to law, we'll have no inspection whatsoever. that is my understanding of the result should the resolution of disapproval be approved. i don't think it will be approved. i think we will stand tomorrow for consumer protection and for applying the laws of consumer safety and food safety evenly and across the board. so i urge a no vote tomorrow on the motion to proceed. i thank my colleagues for their

attention. i yield back, mr. president. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. blumenthal: thank you, mr. president. i am here to thank my colleagues for their strong overwhelming bipartisan support for the sexual assault survivors bill of rights, an act that i have been proud to help lead and champion along with my colleagues senators shaheen and leahy. it's a cause that i have championed as well as a prosecutor and a law enforcer in my state as the federal prosecutor, united states attorney, and then as our attorney general in the state of connecticut. it's a cause that deserves this kind of overwhelming bipartisan support because survivors of sexual assault too long have been denied the basic care and rights they need and deserve and

too long they have been victimized twice, first by an assailant who fundamentally violated their rights and then by a court system and a law enforcement system that failed to respect and recognize their need for those rights to be enforced effectively. when a survivor of sexual assault engages the criminal justice system, she must be secure, absolutely confident and trusting in her rights and empowered to make informed decisions. reporting sexual assault requires incredible courage, bravely beyond the imagination of many men who fail to understand how much courage is required and too often the

system fails to respect those rights. she deserves a system that is worthy of that bravery. too often survivors are simply uninformed about what is happening, not told about basic evidence and proceedings, and they find that vital evidence was destroyed without their consent or encounter procedural barriers to justice. that's wrong. this bill represents important steps toward a system that mirrors unsparing prosecution of people who commit these heinous offenses with sensitive and fair treatment of survivors. currently, depending on the jurisdiction, there are a wide array of different practices and procedures, sexual assault victims often experience a

complex and cryptic maze of policies that deter those survivors from pursuing justice. this legislation will address unique challenges faced by sexual assault survivors, particularly regarding notice, access, and preservation of evidence. the presidentervation of evidence is -- the presidentervation of evidence is tuckly important because the sexual assault evidence collection kits are absolutely vital to justice and successful prosecution. this bill would empower survivors to make more informed decisions throughout the criminal justice process by supporting state efforts to better notify survivors of available resources as well as applicable state rights and policies. and finally, the bill would establish a joint department of justice and health and human

services, a working group to more effectively implement best practices regarding the care and treatment of survivors across the country, a beacon of information and leadership from the federal government to assure that sexual assault survivors are treated with the respect they need and deserve. it's that simple. this legislation does not address every barrier faced by victims of sexual assault. there is no question that more action is needed. to achieve that, state and local governments must follow suit and must create a culture, a changed culture of compassion for people who have experienced this heinous crime. it is a crime, and it should be treated as one of the most serious and outrageous crimes

that anyone can commit. today the senate has sent a message that we side with survivors. we are on their side. we will do everything in our power to lighten the burden and pain they bear and to help them seek both justice and healing, which they truly deserve. i want to thank my great friends and colleagues, senator shaheen and senator leahy, for their leadership on the on -- on this. i have been proud to join with them. i want to thank the connecticut groups and the permanent commission on the status of women, and the many leaders in connecticut who have made our state such an important engineer of progress in this area. again, a journey that must be continued. the permanent commission on

status of women has done great work and provided important leadership in this area, and i want to thank amanda wen for her courage and hard work to make this day a reality. all of my colleagues who join today in supporting this measure can be proud of the work we have done, the leadership we have shown, and the bipartisanship that it took. and i thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: snrp. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: the senate is? a quorum call. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask that the senate mb a feared of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to ten minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask that the senate proceed to the consideration of calendar number 398, s. res. 375. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 375, raising awareness of modern slave rhode island officer snrer objection to proceeding to the snaish without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, with no intervening action or debate.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: so now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, tuesday, may 24. following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for two lairds reserved for their use later in the day. following leader remarks the senate vote on the motion to proceed to h.j. res. 88. the presiding officer: is withot objection. mr. mcconnell: if there is no further business to come before the snas senate, a i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate

>> enjoining us now on the phone is thank you for being with us. >> really should the excerpt in just a moment but what was your overall take away his demeanor and how we is approaching the general election? >> it is interesting. paul ryan a couple weeks ago told cnn he was adopting the al leads and see attitude if his tone improved rand his policy in this evening shift even after the summit last week. it is funny the word that he

keeps using his party unity but the key for that than i have discovered with the speaker for the podcast was that his definition of unity is different than doubled trompe this is stan behind him at a lectern to smile next to chris christie but paul ryan is much different. he wants trump to stop speaking harshly about immigrants and also a the policies especially the temporary ban on muslims. >>host:, important is this for the trump organization? >> it is hard to say. prior to donald trump he was considered to be better use standard and the guy who was drafted by his own people to take over after john boehner after the speaker

candidacies fell apart. but events have passed him so there is a sense that what paul bodyman goal will be as it was clearly articulated to be the keeper of the conservative flavor while the trump storm blows over or changes into a full-blown hurricane. >>host: where did the interview take place? >>guest: this is funny but it took place in the speaker's conference room at this highly polished oak table a grant room in the capital that you would imagine but as i was walking in paul ryan says you see the carpet they are brand new seeded grapes they are brand new we had to rip everything out to get the smell of cigarette smoke out that i noticed there was no oil paintings just cardboard

pictures of president san i said why? he said the librarian of congress refused to allow job gainer to haying oil paintings because of the nicotine smoke. >>host: a portion of your interview is available deal they can win? >> sure. of course, if. >> please save he would win? >> i am not a betting man. [laughter] i think if we get our party unified to do the work we need to do a full strength and offer the country a clear and compelling agenda that is inspiring and inclusive that fixes problems, solutions based and based on good principles then yes. not just one person it is all of us. i very much believe like jack kemp the style that may

not be in vogue today but nevertheless is the right kind of politics. >> what you mean? pretty optimistic inclusive evangelize your ideas and principles but to those were not familiar that is very important i think we need to spend over time talking to people who may never have wanted to listen in the past to compete for their votes and their hearts and their minds. >> i'd think that is admirable that we have seen a campaign with that has not happened that is the opposite. >> but i think the whole primary process was like that. and the democrats are doing the same thing with hillary clinton embrace sanders are competing over the democratic voters to and from those from the

democratic primary. the question of going forward is getaway now move across the scale with a broad spectrum so voters to do so in a way that is inviting and interesting with real solutions? i believe we have an opportunity because seven of 10 americans did not like a path to realign they think we're going in the wrong direction. therefore the other party not in the white house has the opportunity to offer a better way and a portion of the of podcast interview from "politico". you also said he took 2012 to a serious and that was one of his mistakes? >> yes that was interesting. i asked if joe biden was in the news he said he thought he would have been a more difficult challenger than hillary clinton but they have that very energetic

debate almost shouting but i believe that the answer was from my perspective the most interesting moment and said i will paraphrase, i won the debate because i did what i needed to do, i kept my cool while being attacked. he said it is one thing to have the intemperate 68 year-old split it is another to have the intemperate and tested 43 year-old speaking of himself that is completely emblematic statement. this puts him stylistically and spiritually in opposition with discipline and self containment.

>> what do they want from the republicans of the house and the senate? >> i will take reince priebus south -- out of this but if paul ryan is an attack she said she -- situation in their reince priebus is even touchier. but what he wants is his own freedom or to a party caucus. shot up. [laughter] tone it down and he was sent to agree on a consensus set of policies to present the republican party as a substantive alternative to the obamacare and what hillary clinton has presented. i think the likelihood of that occurring at this point and time is pretty low and raises the question as to whether or not reliable ever

ever meet the social unity or for those of the inevitable and indoors by default? >> will he turn as the convention share this july? spee vicki has offered to withdraw that will be interesting dynamic and and the test of trump's capacity or anybody that disagrees. if trump or if paul ryan does not enter the conventional reinforcing donald trump that would be a pretty difficult situation optically for the republicans if the guy with the gavel does not support the man with a microphone. >>host: this says that trump could win but i'm not betting on a. full details on "politico".com reporting by glenn thrush.

>> madam secretary we proudly give 72 of our delegate votes to the next president of the united states ♪ ♪

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>>. [cheers and applause]

held zero. that is weak. hello. >> hello. >> greetings to john hopkins university i give thanks to the president and the board of trustees, faculty administration and the graduating class of 2016. [applause] and again we must acknowledge the people to make this possible, of the parents. [applause] has the great philosopher and poet mr. pr nelson once said dearly beloved we gather here today to get through this thing called life. the in the year of our lord

of 2016 john hopkins university i have been blessed to do what i want in a what on love and love what i do and i make films i am a storyteller and i make films. and there are two words better in all of my films to date. the two words are wake-up. wake up from the sleep. wake up from being comatose wake up from the slumber that keeps your eyes shut to in the quality and injustice in the evil and crazy and insane world that we live in. let's move our unconscious minds to the front to a conscious state and wake up.

let's leave our lofty towers of institutions and get down to the people as the sisters and brothers say on the block. get woke be alert and open-minded like those knuckling this there is truly no difference between love and hate as malcolm x said we have been hoodwinked gore led astray run amok and bamboozled. we had a very crooked moment in history of these united states of america and the way that i look at it today to tell you the truth and

things are looking dicey. it can go either way. i don't know about you but i am worried. i am worried for the graduating class here at john hopkins university i got educated butted in addition i wish we're graduating to peace and the light and love but that is not the case. rigo with it a fairy tale after today it will be real life iran but that is no joke to israel for the other 99 percent out here for sure

and it is up to you for the degeneration. it is up to the graduating class of 2016 to make a better world to be hoodwinked or double crossed not incarcerated or miseducated used to reduce or shot down on our streets. graduates please leave here on the straight and narrow down go from skulduggery i got back from mike tyson. united states of america is a diverse nation one of the many things that it takes is great despite the legacy of slavery.

united states five years from now white children will be a minority this is happening people. here and now it is time to start embracing a. matter how one might wish we're not making america great again by going back to german shepherds firehouse jim crow and leave it to beaver. [cheers and applause] we're not having a. now is the time to seize the day to take a vantage to build bridges among says. talking about gender, race, religion commendations.

let us build bridges of love instead of foils of hate. [applause] sidebar number one. it here i am amongst some of the greatest minds in the world here at john hopkins is university. people who were a lot smarter than me. so i ask, can somebody please educate me, with a public school education from brooklyn new york, can somebody please explain to me how you can tell mexico to build a 25-foot wall of the border then had the audacity to tell them you have to foot to the bill

also? wtf? [laughter] [applause] sidebar number two. we give a fund-raiser for my president barack obama and for his first term in office i don't know about you. i will miss him. and he will be of the right side of history. [applause] but i heard of this football the device that looks like up briefcase that when triggered it activates the trigger of a nuclear attack. it is always close to the president but when the vehicle parked outside i

stand before you this is not a myth and it is for real. i was scared just to catch a glimpse of it. fast forward today now have recurring nightmares i toss and turn because my nightmare donald trump has become the 46 president of united states of america and has the nuclear coated. he has the football. he gets mad we will go. boom. boom. boom. . . antonin

scalia >> ambassador to the u.s. delivers events at in washington, d.c. live coverage now. >> to provide our distinguished guest an opportunity, all of you, after this presentation by the ambassador, facilitated by the distinguished ambassador ron newman, to ask questions. please listen carefully. to listen doesn't mean to hear. we have an opportunity tonight to listen to and hear from two experts representing a region of

the world, afghanistan, a sovereign nation that is a participating member in our global community, affiliated by the world bank and ims. a country in transition thanks to the efforts of the ambassador, president guhany and others, working together in harmony towards a common goal. the transition of a country that has known too much violence, conflict, and separation. to be embraced by the world community as a peaceful, emerging leader for its region in the world, diplomatic, and global community. afghanistan got independence

from britain in 1919. timing is everything, ambassador. first diplomatic ties to the united states in 1921 and that relationship has been maintained to the present day. the population now is almost 32 million, 50% under the age of 18, 27% of its population live in urban areas. two official languages. afghanistan is a land linked nation. it is almost as big as the state of texas. i don't know if that is a backhanded compliment or not but it is a compliment. education is critical to the

population. unless they treat equal access to young men and women to education and the future of afghanistan will not be as bright as everybody in the world community wants it to be. the u.s. and afghanistan signed a ten year partnership that reflects the shared commitment to combating terrorism and promoting peace, democratic values and economic opportunity in afghanistan and the region. now at 200,000 strong, the afghan armed forces are drawn throughout afghanistan, protecting and helping to

develop the new afghanistan. numerous challenges along the way, daish threatens to supersede al-qaeda an an internal security threat. afghan patient for economic development and employment are not truly excited about the current prospects. opium cultivation remains a vital income source in rural areas threatening national policies of eradication and differences in party affilation, electoral reform hurts the communities. the task of rebuilding afghanistan is challenging but through the efforts of individuals afghanistan has made strides toward being more prosperous, stable and peaceful nation.

saturday, i think the prospects of peace were enhanced. i hope the reports are true and mansour was killed. i hope that whoever replaces him will see that there is a path to the future that should not involve conflict. secondary enrollment in afghanistan schools has increased from one million boys in 2002 to eight million boys and girls to date. that is a phenomenal achievement and augers well for the future. the national action plan on women security will align afghanistan with international accords and promote article 22 of the afghanistan constitution where the citizens of

afghanistan, man and women, have equal rights and duties before the law. and finally, the jobs for peace program seeks to stem people leaving for europe and reunite the afghanistans in a collaborative effort to rebuild our nation -- afghanistan's. ambassador, who i have known and follows, has impressed be greatly. he is a man of honor and soft diplomacy in terms of appealing to hearts and minds, educating people to the new afghanistan.

he served as ambassador to the united states since september 2015 prev previously was deputy chief of staff to the afghan president. he founded a think tank and initiated multiple community service programs for women and is about to become a dad. this is good. moderator the discussion today is ambassador ron newman. a fellow with a rye sense of humor. there are only two ambassador's families in the history of u.s. diplomacy where a son has

followed a father in their diplomatic posting. so we have here tonight one of those individuals because the first one's name was adam a long time ago. ambassador newman and i are friend, professional colleagues, and we share the same space and the same point in space in time in terms of our commitment to doing anything we can to mobilize whatever networks we have that we can in support of your nation's quest for long-term piece and economic development on success in the global community. so i am very honored to ask two ambassadors to come to our table tonight. but before i do so, i want to thank the ronald reagan building, the international trade center, for their kindness

in being our strategic partner in terms of the work that we do through our public programs. i also want to thank ms. stephanie fles fesler, the director of international affairs, and kristen roach, our director of communication, and the interns who work with us for their commitment to our cause. so, please give a very loud, stomp your feet and clap your hands, welcome to ambassador mohib and ambassador newman. [applause] >> i guess ambassador newman will have something to say about that. i have been called many things.

i have had my name carried in the street in protest but rascal is new. thank you, i think, tony for that introduction. it is a privilege to be here with you. >> it is a pleasure to be here. thank you to the world affairs council. to be here, i met some members at our embassy, we had had honor of hosting one of the events. it was a great experience. we decided to do it twice. >> it is an interesting evening and interesting days in the news. before we go to the hard stuff, which i am sure will occupy most of the evening, the size of the youth population was mentioned and a great deal of the hope of