vote:

vote:# vote:

the presiding officer: any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or to change their vote? if not the yeas are 89. the nays are 1. the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's action. mr. sullivan: mr. president. the presiding officer: the

senator from alaska. mr. sullivan: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. sullivan: mr. president, every week i've been coming down on the floor for over, gosh, almost going on two years now trying to talk about what makes my state and the great state of alaska such an amazing place to live. gorgeous untouched mountains, glaciers, the wildlife. i've got some live webcams in my office for people who want to see those. bears, walruses, see some of the salmon spawning, bears scooping up these amazing fish and choke streams. please come on by. but most of that happens during the spring and summer and fall. in the winter, of course, is the longest season in alaska, and in

my opinion, it is one of the best times to experience our state. so for those watching on tv or in the gallery, we want to welcome you to alaska. come on up. you'll have the, you'll have the trip of a lifetime. i guarantee it. but, mr. president, it is truly the people who make my state such a truly special place. sand what we try -- and what we try to do each week is stalk about some of those -- is talk about some of these people in what we've termed the alaskan of the week. celebration, to talk about community, to talk about so many alaskans who are helping not only their state and their community, but the country. generous yet tough and competitive people who make up our wonderful state. and many of them get real excited when the snow starts to fall. they strap on their skis and they fly through the snow. one group of alaskans who every

winter strap on their skis and train, and actually train all year round and compete on the hundreds of miles of anchorage's trail system is the alaska pacific university nordic ski program. hands down, the very best ski team in america. hands down. and they are our alaskans of the week. mr. president, let me tell you a little bit about the a.p.u. nordic ski program led by coach eric flora, alaska's a.p.u. nordic ski team year after year after year produces some of our nation's finest athletes who compete in races all across the world, including the upcoming winter olympics in korea. as i mentioned, mr. president, year after year a.p.u. athletes

are simply the best cross country skiers in the nation. their depth of talent was put on display earlier this month at the u.s. cross country championships in anchorage where they took 11 out of the 24 podium spots in the senior races and 8 out of the 24 junior podium spots. think about that. one team dominating the u.s. cross country championships this year. now, they train all year round. in the summer the ski team trains on eagle glacier, accessible by a ten-minute helicopter ride. as the anchorage daily news put it, this unique training area has, quote, been a spring board to a.p.u.'s international and

domestic success and dominance. flora and his staff have groomed serpentine trails that mimic international courses on a glacier in alaska in the summer. that's great training. year round. now in addition to training and coaching these world-class athletes, the a.p.u. nordic ski center also has a popular junior program which helps develop the next generation of olympic skiers. mr. president, i've had the honor to get to know some of these skiers, these wonderful athletes over the past few years, and i think they would make, they certainly make alaskans but i think they would make all americans proud. great young men and women dedicated, disciplined, humble, hardworking, very smart, and they're students, and they're very, very good students. i've even had the opportunity to come and train with them

occasionally. now i'm more of a downhill skier than a cross country skier, so i went out with them in the fall where there wasn't any snow on the ground to do some mountain interval training. running with them up and down the mountains. to witness and train with these world-class athletes was an amazing experience for me, but i must admit it was a difficult experience for me. i think i was smoked after about ten minutes with them, and they had about a two-hour workout session on the mountain. but it gave me a sense of just how hard they work and just what dedicated world-class athletes we have in my hometown. so next month several of these a.p.u. skiers will travel to korea to represent the united states of america at the winter olympics.

the way they have in previous olympics. top skiers for america. let me just name a few. first, and i would say foremost there's kikan randall, america's most decorated cross-country skier in u.s. history and an alaskan icon. she will participate in her fifth winter olympics. let me say that again, mr. president. she will participate in her fifth winter olympics. that is an incredible record for any american athlete, winter or summer games. she's also a wonderful person, very, very community oriented. alongside her will be a.p.u. teammates sadie and eric burenson. they are e brothers and sister. rosie brennan and maybe,

hopefully, even a few more. additionally their a.p.u. teammate just yeatin who was born in australia but grew up in alaska, will ski for the australian cross-country ski team. you're getting the picture. this is a group of people who are going to do very, very well in the olympics and are going to represent our country and other countries proudly. cross-country kassig is woven -- cross country kassig -- skiing brings people together and helps build community. so many of our skiers including and especially the a.p.u. team are also generous and kind in helping others learn how to ski and graciously hosts skiers from all across the country. as was on full display during the recent u.s. cross-country championships. so on behalf of all alaskans, really on behalf of all u.s.

senators, i'd like to wish the team good luck in korea. we will be watching. i know you will make alaskans and our fellow americans very proud as you compete on the world stage once again. thanks for all you do. thanks for your tremendous hard work and dedication. and to the a.p.u. nordic ski team, thanks again for being our alaskans of the week. mr. president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. hatch: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. hatch: thank you. mr. president, i rise today to discuss the need to improve our high-sciel immigration -- high-skill immigration system. it is also an issue that i believe ties in directly with the recent discussions we've

been having about merit-based immigration. as i said on the floor last week, high-skilled immigration is merit-based immigration. it's immigration targeted at the best and the brightest and the most highly educated. it's immigration targeted at individuals who have the skills employers need. we want to have a discussion about immigrants who will have skills and well educated, high-skilled immigration is what we should be talking about. for years we had a system for bringing high-skilled workers from other countries to the united states to fill jobs for which there is a shortage of american labor. this system does not replace american jobs, rather it

supplants the workforce with talent from other countries in an industry where there is not enough qualified workers to meet the demand. but it is out of date. it caps the number of visas that employers can obtain each year, a number far below demand. this year, like the year before, the annual cap on h-1-v visas were capped. there were twice as many visa petitions as there were available visas. our laws also lack a straightforward path for companies to lure educated students from other countries on a permanent basis after graduation. we educate the best and brightest here in america and

send them back home because they can't get permanent work in the united states. now, that makes no sense. in fact, it is just plain stupid. there's a significant backlog for skilled professionals and advanced degree holders who want to come to the united states. they want to come here on green cards. these are the very individuals we should be encouraging to come to our country, individuals who have technical skills, our science and technology companies need, and who will earn good salaries and contribute meaningly to our economy and yet have to wait years and years to obtain a green card. again, mr. president, you want to talk about merit-based immigration, these are the folks that we should welcome to our country with enthusiasm. instead we throw out barrier after barrier until many give

up. a handful of companies have found ways to gain the h-1-v system to displace lower-paid employees. we have heard the stories that american workers will be replaced. if they want a good reference, they need to train their replacement. these stories disgust me, as they should disgust all americans. under no circumstances should an employer be able to use a program that was designed to mitigate workforce shortages to put hardworking americans out of a job. that was never the intent of the h-1-v program, and it must not be allowed to continue. there are also other problems with the h-1-v program that we need to fix. too often large employers crowd

out small businesses by submitting far more visa petitions than they actually need. this practice can lead to wasted visas and put significant disadvantage in the h-1-v lottery. another concern for h-1-v workers who wish to change to green card at itus. because of a significant backlog, high-skilled workers who wish to come to the united states on a permanent basis often start out on h-1-v visa. because of our immigration laws, these workers must stay with their original sponsor employer until a green card becomes available which could take ten years or longer many during this time the employee may be forced to make sub optimal wages and

work under sub optimal conditions. if the employee were to take a better paying job at another company, the employee would lose his or her place in the green card line. this creates a power imbalance between h-1-have workers an employers and leads to a whole hoes of issues. so there are a number of problems that we need to address with our high-scieled immigration -- high-skilled immigration system. that's why i am introducing my immigration act to bring our immigration system into the 21st century. this critical legislation contains reforms that will end abuse, provide a clear path for individuals educated in the united states to stay in the united states, and enable employers more easily to hire the talent they need. i'd like to thank my good friend

from arizona, senator flake, for cosponsoring i-square. senator flake and i have worked together for a long time on this issue and i'm grateful for his leadership. many of my colleagues are familiar with the i-square bill. i've introduced previous versions in the last two congresses. the verse i'm introducing today, however, has a number of important changes. in many ways it's a different bill. allow me to highlight some of the changes. like previous versions, my updated i-square bill raises the annual h-1 cap to better meet market demand. it ties the cap to market demand so that the cap increases and decreases as demand increases and decreases. it enables h-1-v workers to change jobs without losing their

status and allows those students attending universities to declare an intent to stay in the united states following graduation so they can more easily secure full-time employment. the bill authorizes the recapture of unused green cards from previous years and eliminates per country green card caps that unfairly discrimination against individuals from countries with larger numbers of applicants. here is what is new. first, and most important, the bill creates an expressed prohibition on hiring an h-1b worker with the intent to replace an american worker. that was never the intent of the h-1b program an must not be allowed to happen. second, the bill creates an expressed prohibition on continuing an -- conditioning a

employee training and h-1b replacement. it raises the wages to prevent employers from using h-1b workers to be undercut costs. the bill updates the law that exempts h-1b employers from nondisplacement requirements if the employer pays its h-1b employees a high enough salary. specifically, the bill raises the salary threshold to match inflation and eliminates the exemption all together for particularly heavy users of h-1b's. fifth, the bill imposes penalties on employers who found more h-1b petitions than they

need to prevent large cash rich employers from freezing out small businesses. all of these provisions will work to tamp down on the abuses we've seen in the h-1b system. my updated i-square bill will also end the problem of h-1b workers who are on the path to a green card being locked into their current job by enabling such workers to change their jobs without losing their place in the green card line. it creates a new streamlined green card processes for high-skilled workers who want to come to the united states on a permanent basis and obtain residency without the h-1b system. many of the problems with our current h-1b program stems from the fact that workers seeking temporary employment and workers seeking long-term employment are funneled into the same system.

my updated i-square bill will help separate these two employment streams in ways that will benefit both employers an employees. finally, my updated i-square bill will provide nearly $1 billion in new funding for stem indication and worker training programs without raising a single cent in taxes. it does this by increasing fees for h-1b petitions and green cards and directing the new funding to state block grants for state training. in many ways, mr. president, the last piece is the most important provision of i-square. the stem disciplines, science, technology, engineering, and math, are going to be critical to our country's success in the coming decades. increased funding for stem education and worker training programs will help ensure that we have the workforce we need to

succeed in this global economy. it will help produce more graduates with the computer science and engineering skills high-tech employers require. it will help to displace globalization in the changing economy to require new in-demand skills so they can restart their careers. and if we're successful, increased stem funding may even reduce the demand for h-1b and other skilled visas in the first place, because it will better align our workforce with employer needs. i-square is supported by a broad coalition of tech companies, trade associations, and other job creators. i ask unanimous consent at time that to enter into the record a number of letters in support of the bill, including letters from information technology industry and the semiconductor industry

association. thank you, mr. president. other key stakeholders that will be issuing statements of support include microsoft, facebook, the internet association and the software alliance. mr. president, there's a lot of debate about immigration right now. we all know that we need to do something about daca. i know that as well as anyone. i've been working on a solution for the dreamer population for a very long time. and we're going to find a solution. we also need to do something about border security and interior enforcement so we don't end up back in the same place 20 years from now. but we can walk and chew gum at the same time. at least i believe we can. and i think talking about merit-based immigration is a good thing. it's an important principle. as we do so, we need to remember

that we already have merit-based programs built into our existing immigration laws. the problem, mr. president, is those programs aren't working the way they're supposed to. they're not properly aligned with employer needs, and in their current setup there's too much room for waste and abuse. my i-squared bill will fix both of these problems. it will help ensure we have the talent in our country that we need to succeed. it will also help equip the next generation of americans to meet the demands of our increasingly tech-driven economy. i-squared will also help put an end to the troubling abuses we've seen in the h-1b program and ensure that the program is used as it was intended, to supplement, not replace, american labor. i repeat what i said at the outset, mr. president.

high-skilled immigration is merit-based immigration. it's immigration targeted at the best, the brightest, and the most highly educated. as we debate how to improve our immigration system, let's keep in mind that we already have merit-based programs in our existing laws. no question about that. thinking outside the box is important, but it's also important not to overlook what's right here in front of us. my i-squared bill will help ensure that we have a high-skilled immigration system that works, that meets employers' needs, that keeps america competitive, and that prepares the next generation of americans to succeed. it is commonsense legislation. it is balanced legislation. and i urge all of my colleagues

to support it. mr. president, turning to another subject, i'd like to speak for just a few minutes on sam brownback's recent confirmation as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. i've known governor brownback for many years, and i'm confident he will serve our nation well in advancing and defending religious freedom across the world. throughout my senate service, it's been my privilege to defend and uphold religious freedom. in 1990, for example, i served as one of the principal authors of the religious freedom restoration act or rfra, a christianly important piece of legislation that prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion unless doing so is necessary to further a compelling government interest. the bill passed the senate 97-3 and passed the house without

recorded opposition. the remarkable broad support demonstrated that religious liberty is a rare issue that unites americans of all stripes. that unity of purpose extends to our commitment to protect this fundamental right abroad. in 1948, the united states was one of the original signers of the international declaration of human rights which proclaims that every person has the right to freedom of religion. 50 years later congress unanimously passed the international religious freedom act. i was proud to support this act which declares religious freedom to be a universal human right, a pillar of our nation, and a fundamental freedom. the law established the u.s. commission on international religious freedom and created the position of ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom,

a position to which governor brownback was just confirmed. and should have been confirmed without any problems at all. sam is a wonderful man and a very religious man. as evidenced by his work here in the senate, governor brownback surely understands the need for leaders who will stand up for religious liberty and ensure that all people, no matter where they live, are able to worship how, where or what they may. during his 14 years in this body, governor brownback was involved in a wide range of issues related to religious freedom. ambassador brownback knows firsthand how crucial the commission is in keeping our nation and world leaders informed about the status of religious freedom. not just here but throughout the world. mr. president, it seems unfathomable in this day and age that thousands and even hundreds of thousands of our brothers and

sisters throughout the world are being imprisoned, tortured, and even executed for their personal convictions. in recent remarks, secretary of the tillerson discussed the prevalence of religious persecution and intolerance. he noted that almost 80% of the global population lives with restrictions on their freedom of religion. as a nation, we must act to protect this most fundamental and inalienable right for all people. at his recent confirmation hearing, governor brownback pledged to, quote, stand for liberty and stand with the persecuted to promote respect for religious freedom by all governments and peoples. unquote. i believe he will fulfill this pledge, and i thank him for his willingness to serve our country as ambassador-at-large for

international religious freedom. and i think everybody in this body will owe him a debt of gratitude for the work that he will do. sam's a good person. he's a very religious man. he understands the importance of religious freedom. and i personally am very happy that he's confirmed. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of the following nomination, executive calendar 474. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the senate vote on the

nomination with -- the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, jonathan h. pittman of the district of columbia to be an associate judge of the superior court of the district of columbia. the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate, that if confirmed the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the president be immediately notified of the senate's action, that no further motions be in order and that any statements relating to the nomination be printed in the record. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. is there further debate? if not, all in favor say aye. opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the nomination is confirmed. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous

consent the committee on veterans affairs be discharged from further consideration of s. 1873 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 1873, a bill to require the secretary of veterans affairs to carry out a program to establish peer specialists in patient-aligned care teams and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the committee is discharged. the senate will proceed. mr. mcconnell: i further ask the blunt amendment which is at the desk be considered and greed to. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. the amendment is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill as amended be considered read a third time and the senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill as amended. the presiding officer: without objection. is there further debate? if not all in favor say aye. those opposed no.

the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill as amended is passed. mr. mcconnell: i finally ask the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 3 381. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 381, designating the week of january 21 through january 27, 2018, as national school choice week. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to immediate csi