quorum call:

a senator: mr. chairman? the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. boozman: thank you plrks chairman. i ask permission the quorum call be removed. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: again, thank you plrks chairman. i want to thank senator inhofe and senator reed, their staffs for all of their hard work on getting us to this point on the defense authorization bill which is so, so very important. through the european deterrence initiative, we made important progress in preparing u.s. forces and allies to address russian threat to american

interests and the international order that protects them. i was just in poland visiting u.s. forces with senator inhofe, capito, and enzi. we saw firsthand the work that they are doing to preposition equipment and establish the necessary footprint to sustain operations. the ndaa contains a provision that would require the secretary of defense to conduct an assessment of the feasibility and advisability of permanently stationing a u.s. army brigade combat team in poland. this amendment would require a report to accompany the assessment detailing the requirements for combat enablers to deter aggression by russia and execute the department of defense's contingency plan. combat enablers are the essential noncombat force that

helps to maintain our defense posture around the globe. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment as the senate continues to play its oversight role to ensure we defend our interests and our allies in europe against russian aggression. and with that, i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. rounds: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. rounds: illiterate ask that the quorum call be eliminated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. rounds: i would ask unanimous consent to withdraw amendment 2273. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. rounds: mr. president -- the presiding officer: amendment is withdrawn. mr. rounds: i would ask unanimous consent that the votes following the first vote in this

series be ten minutes in helping. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. reed: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. reed: mr. president, i would ask unanimous consent to address the senate for one minute. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. reed: mr. president, the reed amendment would name a fellowship program on behalf of senator john mccain. i can't think of anything more fitting in addition to the naming of this bill than naming this fellowship program on behalf of senator mccain. i would hope all my colleagues would join me unanimously in voting for senator mccain's fellowship program. thank you. the presiding officer: under the previous order, all postcloture time has expired. the question now occurs on amendment 2885 offered by the senator from rhode island, mr. reed. 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 change their vote? if not the yeas are 97, the nays are zero. the amendment is agreed to. the question now occurs on amendment number 2276 offered by the senator from oklahoma, mr. inhofe, for the senator from arkansas, mr. boozman. the question is on the amendment.

the question is on the amendment. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the amendment is agreed to. the question now occurs on amendment number 2282 offered by the senator from oklahoma, mr. inhofe, as modified and amended. the question is on the amendment. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the amendment is agreed to. the amendment as modified and amended is agreed to. 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 calendar number 442, h.r. 5515, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year

2019, and so forth and for other purposes, signed by 17 senators. 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 h.r. 5515, an act to go authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military acts of the department of defense for military construction and for defense activities at the department of energy to describe military personnel strength for such fiscal year and for other purposes shall be close -- 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 to change their vote? if not, the yeas are 81, the nays are 15. three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.

the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana. mr. cassidy: i ask unanimous consent the senate 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. cassidy: i yield.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. we are not in a quorum call. the senator is recognized. mrs. murray: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i rise today to join my colleague, senator cassidy, and many of our colleagues in recognizing one of washington state's favorite sons, spokane's own steve gleason. i have to say as a fellow cougar

sponsoring this legislation to recognize steve's legacy of excellence from martin state in pullman to the nfl to his avid work as an advocate in the health world was a no-brainer for me. but, mr. president, our bill to award steve the congressional gold medal, the highest honor congress can bestow on an american citizen, has been embraced and cosponsored by more than 70 members of this chamber from both sides of the aisle is a testament, not just to the incredible respect steve has garnered across our nation as a standout athlete, but to his inspiring leadership and tireless advocacy that has made an indel bl impact on our nation and our culture. now, of course, steve's skills and talents on the football field are legendary. many won't soon forget that iconic blocked punt at the superdome in 2006, a play that helped lift up the spirits of an

entire community struggling in the aftermath of hurricane katrina. but, mr. president, it has been steve's work off the gridiron that has had perhaps the most lasting impact on our country and on our future. since he was diagnosed with a.l.s. in 2011, steve has become a passionate warrior for a.l.s. survivors and their families. through his gleason initiative foundation, steve actively supports critical research efforts to combat a.l.s. and has helped raise much-needed public awareness about the condition, while also providing a.l.s. patients with leading edge technology, equipment, and services to help them not only live with their a.l.s. diagnosis but thrive. motivating others boy his -- by his lived together, steve together with his wife, his mother, and everyone at team gleason has inspired hope in individuals throughout washington state and across the globe.

he has undoubtedly changed countless lives for the better. mr. president, few people make washington state as proud as steve gleason, and i am delighted to sponsor this legislation to award him the congressional gold medal. so i urge our colleagues to support our efforts, and i want to thank my colleague, senator cassidy, for his leadership on this and working with me on really an important piece of legislation that will recognize an incredible human being. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana. mr. cassidy: i ask unanimous consent that andrew hampton, an intern in senator sullivan's office, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the day. the presiding officer: without objection.

the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana.

mr. cassidy: mr. president, i'm here to speak about honoring steve gleason with the congressional gold medal. steve is well known in louisiana through the gulf coast and to football fans across the country. he's a washington state native, as senator murray recently spoke, but now lives in new orleans with his wife, michelle, and his son, rivers. steve played in the nfl for eight seasons, mostly with the new orleans saints, famous for the new orleans saints because on september 25, 2006, monday night football, the first game back in the superdome when the superdome reopened after hurricane katrina, the saifntses were playing their arch rierval the hated atlanta falcons. probably the presiding officer likes the falcons. the falcons were punting deep in their own territory. steve broke through the line, blocked the punt, the ball recovered for a touchdown. the stadium erupted.

70,000 fans in a domed stadium. i was watching on tv. al michaels was blown away. an incredible moment, not just for the football team but because it was when the game just opened after hurricane katrina that almost destroyed a city and indeed the whole gulf coast. it had that much more meaning. the emotion was about a play but for as much as what the play symbolized as for the game. and steve gleason's blocked punt symbolizes steve would say no white flags. new orleans, the gulf coast is back. despite katrina's devastation, we would not surrender. now, steve demonstrates that no white flags now in another arena. in 2011, steve was diagnosed with a lateral sclerosis also could lou gehrig's disease. he can't speak and except for moving his eyes and blinking, he

cannot move but steve can still think and because he can think and what he has done with his thoughts is why he inspires and why we wish to honor him with the congressional gold medal. he has a difficult challenge but his accomplishments addressing that challenge is what is noteworthy. after his diagnosis, steve and his wife began a mission to show that patients with diseases like a.l.s. cannot only live but they can thrive. steve declared that there would be no white flags and that became the mantra of something he began which is the gleason initiative foundation. now, this foundation helps provide individuals who have neuromuscular disease or other injuries with cutting edge technology, equipment, and services. it raises global awareness about a.l.s. to find solutions and an end to the disease. it has also helped hundreds of people with a.l.s. experience life's add ven sturs -- adventures they never thought

possible. steve's mission have been chronicled by national and local media outlets as well as a 2016 documentary gleason which showed what his life has been like since 2011. and when you first meet steve, you expect to feel pity. and yet as you walk in and meet him and see what he has done as he speaks to you through the machines he's helped develop, you feel inspired. and his perseverance and commitment to giving hope to others is amazing. mr. president, since his diagnosis, let me give you a partial list of that which he has done. he and his wife. again, he founded the foundation of which i just spoke. steve in partnership with microsoft -- and i have a poster here to demonstrate.

here's steve. the microsoft team. in partnership with microsoft developed eye tracking technology which allows him to communicate and to move. so steve looks up here. again, he can only move his eyes and blink his eyes. so he can look at this keyboard and if he says turn my wheelchair to the right, he looks there and blinks his eyes, then his wheelchair will turn to the right. he's got some prerecorded statements so if you walk in, he's going to blink at a prerecorded statement. it says hello, my name is steve gleason, how are you? then if he wishes to say something spontaneously, he can blink, blink, blink and it will say, well, let's discuss this further. now, it's not all just -- it's not just all kind let's talk business. he has his i tunes on there. he can blink and get his favorite song. so there's a multiplicity of

function here that allows the man to live. and not just him because among the other accomplishments steve gleason and his wife, michelle, have achieved is he led efforts to enact legislation, the steve gleason's give them a voice act, i believe it was called, to make devices available to those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. it was a bill i was privileged to introduce and which was passed into law. steve continues to challenge the heads of industry and medicine so improve the technology and the science to find a cure for a.l.s. he also opened the team gleason house for innovative living where 18 people can live as productively and independent as possible. a few years ago steve hosted a global summit bringing together researchers, patient, caregivers, and others in the a.l.s. community. the summit resulted in the single largest coordinated and collaborative a.l.s. research

project in the world called answer a.l.s. it has nearly two dozen research institutions, a thousand patient, and 20 trillion data points that will help define unknown pathways to lead to new treatments or to cures. in recognition of steve's work, in april i introduced legislation with senators murray, kennedy, and cantwell to honor steve gleason with the congressional gold medal. steve's story is so compelling that in less than two months over 70 of our colleagues joined to affirm steve's inspiring story and impact upon -- and impact upon his fellow americans to make him worthy of the highest honor congress can bestow. he is an example of what makes our country great. he has given hope to many. he gives hope to all those who have ever received a devastating diagnosis, and his message is simple -- your life still has meaning. your best years can still be

ahead of you. steve is a role model not just for those in the disability community but for all americans. i suspect that he may appreciate -- that what you may appreciate most about this honor is the attention it brings to find solutions and cures for those with diseases such as a.l.s. i'd like to thank my colleagues, their staff, and everyone else who has helped build support thor this legislation, including microsoft, the a.l.s. association, the nfl, and the new orleans saints. i wish to encourage my colleagues in the house to cosponsor this legislation and to pass it as soon as possible. and i'd like to thank steve for continuing to be an example of commitment, perseverance, and inspiration. now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs be discharged from further consideration of s. 2652 and that the senate

proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 2652, a bill to award a congressional gold medal to steven michael gleason. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged. the senate will proceed to the measure. a senator: i ask consent that the bill be read a third time and paps and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cassidy: i yield the floor.