we limit what you can buy and used to go deer hunting but not likely sold to people who want to shoot children. there are young students outside the capital who brought their powerful message to those of us inside the capital. they say thoughts and prayers are welcome. >> the senate is back. we will take you live to the floor of the senate on c-span two. resident, i ask unanimous consent to speak for five minutes before we begin voting. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. crapo: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, we are about to witness a rare bipartisan moment in the senate that has been years in the making. we've had the opportunity to highlight this bill for over the last two weeks. i've been very encouraged by my

colleagues' support for its critical results. i again thank each of the senators who support this bill, including many members of the banking committee for their interest and involvement in the many discussions, hearings, and personal conversations we've had to get to this point. i want to stop at this point and give a special thanks to my staff who have spent countless hours, weeks, actually months and years getting us to this point on this legislation. and the staff of the other members who have worked so closely with us as we worked to find yes to difficult problems, solutions to difficult problems we're facing. since the bill passed out of the banking committee, supporters have worked in good faith to include provisions that different members have offered including those who do not support the bill. the substitute amendment we introduced last week reflects the additional provisions that the bill supporters were able to agree to. the final bill we are about to vote on today is the product of careful negotiations and good

old fashion statesmanship. the majority of us in this body recognize that our community financial institutions have been struggling to keep up with the regulatory demands coming out of washington, and that it was time to revisit current law and make changes where necessary. and while there are certain provisions that i would like to have included in this bill, i believe the package on which we were able to reach consensus is an important step in the right direction. and will deliver much needed relief and economic growth to main street america. when this bill is signed into law, it will right size regulation for financial institutions, including community banks and credit unions, making it easier for consumers to get mortgages and to obtain credit. and those are the real victims of this regulatory overreach. individuals who find it difficult to get access to credit, to help get a loan for college, to get a mortgage for a house, or small businesses seeking to start up or to expand

who cannot get necessary access to capital, not because they're not creditworthy but because the system we have created makes it so that our smaller financial institutions who do the relationship banking throughout so much of america don't have the ability to serve them anymore. it also increases important consumer protections for veterans, senior citizens, victims of fraud, and those who fall on tough financial times. this bill has received widespread support for good reason. the cycle of lending and job creation has been siefled by -- stifled by onerous regulation, absent regulatory burdens, local banks and credit unions will be able to focus more on lending and turning propelling economic growth and in turn propelling economic growth and creating jobs. not to be overlooked, this is also an important moment for bipartisanship and working across the aisle to legislate.

many people are worried about the gridlock in congress. this bill shows that we can work together and can do big things that make a big difference in the lives of people across this country. those who support this bill have recognized that with the right regulation, tailored regulation, we can promote local economic growth through our nation's smaller financial institutions. i'll end with this. this bill is a bipartisan compromise. the changes are common sense and it will allow financial institutions to better serve their customers and communities while maintaining safety and soundness and important consumer protections. at a time of intense political polarization, we have proven that we can work together to get things done. this is good for small financial institutions, good for small business, and good for families across america. and i encourage my colleagues to support its passage. i yield back my time.

the presiding officer: the question now occurs on the motion to waive the yeas and nays previously ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, on vote, the yeas are 67, the nays are 31. three-fifths of the senators duly chosen having voted, the motion is agreed to, the point of order falls. under the previous order, the clerk will read the title of the bill for the third time. the clerk: s. 2155, a bill to promote economic growth, provide tailored regulatory relief and he hance consumer protections and for other purposes. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question occurs on passage of s. 2155 as amended. is there a sufficient second?

there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or to change their vote? if not, the yeas are 67. the nays are 31. the bill as amended is passed. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, 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 nomination of kevin k. mcaleenan to b --

the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of kevin k. mcaleenan of hawaii to be commissioner of u.s. customs and border protection shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 79, the nays are 19. the motion on cloture is

approved. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: department of homeland security, kevin k. mcaleenan of hawaii to be commissioner of u.s. customs and border protection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, all postcloture time on the mcaleenan nomination be considered expired and the senate vote on the nomination at 5:30 p.m. on monday, march 19, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. officer without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to legislative session. the presiding officer: question is on the motion. all though those in favor say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to h.r. 1865.

the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to the consideration of h.r. 1865 and act to amend the communications act of 1964 and so forth and for other purposes. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion.

the clerk: cloture motion: 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 339, h.r. 1865, an academto amend the communications act of 1934 and so forth and for other purposes. signed by 1 senators as follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the names be dispensed with. officer without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of the following nomination, p.n.1357. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: national aeronautics and space administration, jeffrey dee witt of arizona to be chief financial officer. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the president be immediately

notified of the senate's, a no further motions be in order and any statements related to the nomination be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. hearing no further debate, all those in favor say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the -- the presiding officer: the nomination is confidence. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate resume legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. res. 436 submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 436, recognizing the girl scouts of the united states of america on its 106th birthday and affirming the importance of leadership development for girls. the presiding officer: without

objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. mcconnell: i further ask the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion 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 the chair lay before the senate the message to accompany s. 188. the presiding officer: the chair lays before the senate the following message. from the house which the clerk will report. the clerk: the bill from the ndaa senate s. 188 entitled an act to prohibit the use of federal funds for the cost of painting portraits of officers and employees of the federal government do pass with amendments. the presiding officer: i move to -- mr. mcconnell: i move to concur in the house amendments and ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table,. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the committee on agriculture be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 2154 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 2154, aen act to rename the red river valley agricultural research center in fargo, north dakota, as the edward t. schaefer agricultural research center. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged. the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes itsbition today, it adjourn until 10:00 a.m. thursday, march 156789 further, following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. finally, i ask that the ting leader remarks the senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to calendar number 339, h.r. 1865. the presiding officer: without objection.

mr. mcconnell: so if there is to further business to come before the senate, i ask it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> today in the senate, members agree to a bill that made changes to the dodd frank bill that would ease financial regulations for smaller banks. the final vote was 67 to make 31. senators voted to limit debate on kevin -- to be the u.s. director of customs and border protection. work continues on thursday. off the floor rallies were held outside the u.s. capital and around the country to protest gun violence in schools. earlier charles schumer said the senate should take up legislation on guns.

>> mr. president, this moment all across the country students are walking outside of their school for 17 minutes to commemorate those who lost their lives one month ago today. here on the floor the senate i joined with those students and remembering the following students and teachers at stoneman douglas. i joined with them and remembering the beautiful children who died in the elementary school and new tone. i joined with them and remembering the long line of american children who perished in the slow-moving tidal wave of gun violence that is consuming our country. all of the own open presents, on celebrated birthdays, the empty chairs at dinner table and graduation