you, on where we are going in our policy toward turkey in dealing with what will happen east of the euphrates? >> is committing because we have the us and the joint patrols with the turks but at the same time the turks are now struck after the fdf and halted their fight against isis. if any have feelings there seems to be momentum for attila who is in jail right now 432 or 36 months and it seems like there might be some sort of deal to send them back to turkey despite his convicted of sanctions with iran. >> does a lot of things if you like to address some. >> the last two minutes of this program for the middle east institute on website c-span .org but right now we take you to the

u.s. senate which is back for a lame-duck session after last week's midterm elections on the agenda today is a 20 billion-dollar postcard policy and bill. live coverage of the c-span of the life senate on season two. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer.

en. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal father and sovereign king, as our lawmakers prepare for another chapter in our legislative history, bless those who will be leaving us and those who will be coming. give them wisdom and courage for the living of these days. may your gift of wisdom provide them with a guide for the unknown way, enabling them to approve things that are excellent. remind them that the most important choices demand the ability to discriminate not only good from bad, but the best

from the better and the good. may your gift of courage empower our senators to permit their reach to exceed their grasp for the glory and honor of your name. and, lord, continue to extend your mercies to the members of the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. we pray in your merciful name. amen. ?oo 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, with liberty and ufts -- and justice for all. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved.

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i'd like to begin by recognizing the brave fire and rescue personnel who are working around the clock to stop the spread of fires out in california. i know all of our colleagues join me in remembering the more than 40 people who have lost their lives to the blaze and sympathy for their families and in prayer for all those whose homes, lives, and livelihoods have been thrown into chaos by this disaster. as thee -- these communities rebuild, americans everywhere will stand with them. now, on an entirely different matter, this is an exciting week for the senate. for one thing, we're beginning to welcome several new members

to our ranks. they may not be sworn in until january, but these new senators-elect are already arriving in town for orientation events and to vote in their parties' leadership elections. i know i speak for my colleagues when i say congratulations and warm welcome. we'll looking forward to working with all of these new colleagues. even as we begin looking ahead to january and the 116th congress, the reality is that we still have a series of important, outstanding subjects to tackle between now and the end of the year. first on the list is legislation that will reauthorize funding for our coast guard and implement a number of important reforms. our nation calls on the coast guard to protect america's ports and to maintain shipping lanes,

to interdict illegal drugs before they reach the border and to risk their lives to save others in the midst of fierce storms and natural disasters. in each case, the -- they embody their motto, sem per -- semper atus, always ready. they will fulfill a promise to some of the brave men and women who have taken an oath to keep us safe. aspects of this legislation is particularly important to states like my own state of kentucky, the heart of our nation's inland waterway system. for too long vessel owners and barge operators have struggled under a system of overlapping regulations. they make normal shipping functions needlessly difficult, including the incidental discharge of ballace water, a confusing web of rules from

states, the coast guard and e.p.a. leave owners and operators to face constant uncertainty and lead to higher costs. the vessel incidental discharge act, or vida, replaces the system with a cost-effect, national standard enforced by the coast guard. for the 13,000 kentuckians whose jobs depend on our state's inland waterways, this provision can help cut costs, promote efficiency, and protect our natural waters. and for the countless farmers, miners, and manufacturers who dpentd on -- depend on these waters, vida ends the headache and delivers relief. vida reported out of committee on a voice vote. in fact, it has been reported out of committee numerous times in recent years, including when our democratic colleagues were

in the majority. it is time to help to pass this bill and help the coast guard continue its important work and deliver its much-needed predictability to the mariners. i ask that all of my colleagues join with me to advance it later this afternoon. after that, we will turn to another qualified nominee, michele bowman to serve as a member of the board of governors. she serves as a banking commissioner for the state of kansas. i look forward to confirming her this week as well. the presiding officer: morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of the house message to accompany s. 140, which the clerk will report. the clerk: house message to accompany s. 140, an act to

amend the white mountain apache tribe water rights quantification act of 2010, and so forth. mr. mcconnell: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. schumer: mr. president, are we in a quorum? the presiding officer: we are. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: mr. president, first, let me say that all of our hearts go out to everyone affected by the terrible wildfires in california, and once again express how grateful we are to the first responders and firefighters, those brave

people on the scene. we continue to monitor the situation. the senate will do everything it can to help. now, let me welcome everybody back after the midterm elections. last week, americans voted in record numbers to deliver an unambiguous message. they wanted change. people across the country were disappointed in what two years of one party republican rule had delivered -- rising health care costs and declining quality, a massive giveaway of public resources to the multinational corporations to the wealthiest few. a congress that failed to provide a check and balance on the president, so the american people voted for a change. they voted for a check on president trump and a congress that would stop trying to take away their health care. after two long years, that's

what they'll get -- republican plans to rip health care away from americans have been stymied. democrats won the house of representatives decisively. democrats flipped several governors and state legislatures. and here in the senate, democratic candidates did extraordinarily well with a very difficult map. overall, last tuesday night was a very good night for democrats. but more importantly, it's a very good night for america and for beginning to restore some normalcy to our nation's governance. this afternoon, let me welcome the new republican senators and the two new democratic senators, jackie rosen and kyrsten sinema, of nevada and arizona, the women of the west, whom i met with this morning. both are highly accomplished. both are tough and incredibly

bright -- principled but also pragmatic. and i assure you, mr. president, they will both make excellent effective senators. i could not be more pleased to welcome them to this chamber. but now that the hard-fought midterm campaign is over, we must turn the page and see what democrats and republicans can accomplish together for the american people. in the lame-duck session, we'll consider legislation dealing with the coast guard and wrap up the appropriations process. and then in january, the house and senate will come back with new legislators and new priorities. one item can't wait, though, until january, mr. president. last week, president trump asked for the resignation of his once-best friend, attorney general jeff sessions, and announced that matthew whitaker, the chief of staff to the attorney general, would become the acting attorney general.

even though deputy attorney general rod rosenstein, already confirmed by the senate, was next in line for the title of acting attorney general under the department of justice's succession statute, president trump took the highly unusual step of naming another person to the job, mr. whitaker, who has not been confirmed by the senate for any job in the justice department. first and foremost, there are serious questions about whether or not mr. whitaker's appointment is even constitutional, considering the requirement for senate confirmation in article 2 of the constitution. but in addition to the very serious questions about the appointment itself, americans should be very concerned about the appointee, mr. whitaker, and what he might mean for the special counsel's investigation. it's amazing -- mr. whitaker claimed that russia didn't interfere with our elections, contrary to the conclusion of 17

intelligence agencies. when someone ignores the facts and just says these things, you know they are an ideologue. they are not trying to dispense justice or anything else down the middle. they are an ideologue. 17 intelligence agencies say russia interfered in our elections. this is not about collusion, just whether they interfered. and whitaker says no, he's called for, quote, pulling the reins back on the russia investigation. that's hardly a neutral arbiter who is going to call the shots as they should be called down the middle. he referred to special counsel mueller and his staff as a lynch mob. you know, mr. president, when i saw general flynn on the 2016 campaign, a three-star general screaming lock her up, i said something is wrong. a general shouldn't do that, no matter what their political views. well, when the special counsel mueller refers to -- when the

acting attorney general of the united states refers to special counsel mueller and his staff as a lynch mob, it's way over the top in a similar way. and whitaker has openly mused about how to grind the investigation to a halt. there is simply no question that mr. whitaker enters his role as acting attorney general with a clear bias against the russia investigation. essentially, mr. whitaker has prejudged the outcome of an investigation he now oversees. that's awful. that's not america. that's so highly political in a bad way. in light of this, two things must happen. first, we are demanding that mrm the russia investigation. on sunday, i sent a letter along with leader pelosi and top democrats from both houses and the relevant committees to the department of justice's chief

ethics officer explaining why mr. whitaker should be recused and requesting the chief ethics officer notify congress with ethics guidance as to what guidance mr. whitaker has given. we have heard that mr. whitaker's meeting with the ethics officials this week, and we expect, we expect that congress will be notified about the results of those discussions. second, if whitaker does not recuse himself, we democrats are going to attempt to add legislation to the must-pass spending bill in a lame-duck session that will prevent acting attorney general whitaker from interfering with the mueller investigation in any way. the judiciary committee democrats have also requested that chairman grassley schedule a hearing with mr. whitaker and former attorney general sessions. i support that request wholeheartedly. now, even if you don't believe that mr. whitaker poses a threat

to the mueller investigation, there are serious questions about whether his appointment is lawful and beyond that whether mr. whitaker has the experience, the temperament, and the independence, the fidelity to the rule of law required for such a vitally important position. given that the senate never confirmed him for his current role in the justice department, now is the time to consider whether mr. whitaker is qualified for his new role as our nation's chief law enforcement officer. let's remember one thing -- democrats, republicans alike have said that if president trump interferes with the russia investigation, we would be on the brink of a constitutional crisis the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. altering the chain of command in the justice department to put a partisan loyalist in charge of the investigation certainly feels like we may be heading down that road. why not head the whole thing off

at the pass? mr. whitaker can and should recuse himself, and regardless, the senate should pass legislation to protect the integrity with the russia investigation. in conclusion, it is a far better thing to be safe than sorry when it comes to something as paramount as the rule of law and fidelity to the great constitution of the united states of america. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator there delaware damp damp mr. president, i -- mr. carper: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. carper: thank you, mr. president. i start off by saying it's good to see you. good to be back. hope you had a good break and we have serious business to do. we closed out before we took our recess around election time, we closed out by passing by a 99-1 vote here, unanimous vote in the senate, a major water infrastructure bill that we worked on with a number of our colleagues and back here today to do some more good work. i'm grateful to everyone who has had a part in it. i rise in support of the coast guard reauthorization bill and urge our colleagues to vote yes on the pending cloture motion and on final passage of this legislation tomorrow. ensuring that our coast guard comprised of nearly 95,000 men and women across our country have the resources to do their

important work is incredibly important. the coast guard steaked at the behest of treasury secretary alexander hamilton who's known more recently for the musical but he was actually behind the establishment of the coast guard all those years ago. this is one of his greatest hits, if you will, but he played a crucial role in our country, including my state of delaware from the very birth of our nation, and also in wisconsin where our presiding officer is from. we ask this branch of our military who combat illicit trafficking and smuggling, protect maritime operations are expanding throughout our arctic waters while still keeping our waters safe for recreation al and -- recreational and car go vessels like the delaware bay. it will increase resources by about 10% so they are equipped to continue the oftentimes life-saving work. this legislation also allows

multi-year funding in order to protect and procure future national security cutters which will reduce cost, increase productivity and stabilize work forces like a win-win-win. for a state like mine, that is serious about its recreational boating, the bill would increase safety by implementing engine cutoff switches and alternate -- full ter nat signaling devices. for the coast guard, the contingent in delaware about halfway between ra rehoboth beah and the maryland line, it increased operational and maintenance funding for personnel, for boats, easier access to health care for crews and their families, better quality of life through updated leave policies, extra funding for shoreside infrastructure improvements and clarity oin spexes and -- inspections and enforcement proceedings for vessel boardings. the impacts are real. they will be felt in the coast guard contingents across our

country, but this bill also includes a major win with regard to our shared environment. many of our senate colleagues have invested far more than i have in time and effort to bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to our nation's management of potentially harmful water discharges from vessels flying our waters. it has culminated in the discharge act better known as vida as in vida bill which is contained in title 9 of the amendment before us. the bill will go a long way toward preventing polluted balance ballast water, minimize the invasive species in the great lakes and other sensitive ecosystems and maintain important environmental protections for our water that are enshrined in the clean water act. this past april the senate failed to invoke cloture on a prior version of this reauthorization bill. many of my colleagues and i were concerned that the earlier

legislation failed to maintain the appropriate roles for the coast guard and for e.p.a. this new version makes sure that the e.p.a. is responsible for setting vessel discharge standards while the coast guard is responsible for approving the technologies that can meet those standards and thus allow vessels to operate safely. this is the key. i'm going to say it again. this new version makes sure pa is responsible for setting vessel standards while the coast guard is responsible for approving the technologies that can meet those 12-rds -- standards and thus allow adviceles to operate safely and operate efficiently. as ranking member of the senate and environmental public works committee, i'm grateful for the excellent work done by the chairman of the commerce committee senator thune, the senator from florida senator nelson and the staffs for working with us on this very important bipartisan bill. this speech does not mention the senator from i a alaska, dan

sullivan. it's his birthday so i'm going to give him a shout out and he and his staff worked on this as well and we're grateful for them being our partners. with the support of our commerce committee colleagues and the active participation of many senators including our pacific coast, great lake lakes and east coast partners, we have strengthened vida in substantial ways since our last vote on this legislation in april. let me take a minute and explain how. first of all, we clarified that the clean water act should govern this important endeavor to keep our waters clean, healthy, and productive and that the environmental protection agency should take the lead in establishing standards for the discharge of waters polluted by invasive species and other substances from vessels. this legislation also recognizes the expert tease, if you -- expertise, if you will, the experience of the coast guard by ensuring it maintains responsibility for determining the best available technology necessary to meet pa's discharge

standards while also maintaining maritime safety. in addition, the coast guard would assume the primary federal role in mon toferring and enforcing these standards. so there you have it. as a former governor, some of my colleagues call me a recovering governor which is true. it was critically important to me that we ensure the robust role for states especially given the waters that are most at risk for inshaysive species pollution coming from ships. with that in mind we've ensured the states maintain a coenforcement responsibility to ensure these federal standards are met. the coast guard in close coordination with the states will establish a set of inspection and enforcement procedures that will ensure a common approach in the state's enforcement of discharge standards and requirements. we also require that governors consulted in the establishment of discharge standards and they can act to drive the federal agencies to issue emergency measures should invasive species

appear off of their shores. governors will also be able to directly petition the e.p.a. and coast guard for national standards and requirements if necessary or the technology has evolved. e.p.a. will be required to respond to a governor's petition quickly and on the merits, not side stepping concerning that might be raise. should the state find its waters are threatened despite the protections offered by the national standards that state could petition e.p.a. to establish no discharge zones, protect those vulnerable waters from any vessel discharges or force e.p.a. to issue emergency orders. under this legislation, great lake governors for the first time -- for the first time have a defined process to adopt stronger requirements and more protective equipment on vessels entering or traveling within the great lakes. in addition, a new aquatic

nuisance species program is established that would address the waters of the great lakes and lake champlain. also establishes to ensure protection for critical region requirements. under all circumstances, no further discharge standards, regional requirements or technology mandates could ever be weaker than the federal requirements that are in place today. let me say that again. under all circumstances, no future discharges -- no future discharge standard, regional requirements or technology mandates could ever be weaker than the federal requirements that are in place today. furthermore, no state laws or regulations will be preemptive unless or until the new more proactive, federal protective standards and federal requirements are in place meaning they are both final and enforceable by the coast guard and the states. this bill contains equal measures of environmental

urgency and common common sense. it sets clear roles and responsibilities for the federal agencies involved in implementing and provides certainty and predictability to all who rely on the great lakes to fish, recreate and carry our cargoes. this has been a multi-year endeavor and it is a common appreciation of how important our waters are to our country. no matter how far away from the coast we may live, none of us are untouched in some way by the environment and resources extending from our shores. again, let me commend everyone who has helped in ways both large and small to craft the important compromise that is before us today. with its inclusion we'll have a clear path to adopting a much needed coast guard reauthorization bill with the strong vida provisions. i'd urge my colleagues to join us in supporting it and by doing so demonstrating that even on the heals of last week's election, the senate is still

committed to hammering out principled compromises like important issues like these. i might close, mr. president, by harking back to my days in the u.s. house of representatives after i was treasury i served in the house for a while. became governor of my state and came here and joined me colleagues? the senate. i served on the coast guard subcommittee on the fisheries committee. i had the opportunity to visit coast guard facilities not just on the east coast but as far away as alaska, kodiak island. i'm a retired navy captain and spent a lot of time sometimes on ships. i understand the important role the coast guard does and we see that every day on the east coast. we have huge visits on the shores, the beaches of delaware. and the coast coast guard plays a hugely important role in that endeavor. so today we thank and salute -- the navy salutes the coast guard

and for all the men and women doing their job for all of us. i again want to salute especially the three senators i mentioned earlier, senator thune, senator nelson and senator sullivan, our birthday boy for a job well done and those on my staff. i'll mention a few. andrew rogers, the leader -- the head of our staff on the environmental and public works committee and our colleagues on the other side on e.p.w. it's a good team effort. people say to me all the time back home -- i'm sure they say it to the presiding officer back home, when are you going to get things done. john was just on the floor and spoke briefly to the presiding officer. we got something big done, the water resources and development act, a big infrastructure bill we passed by a big, big margin as i said earlier. and today's vote -- i don't care if you live on the coast or the

great lakes or some other place around our country, we all have a dog in this fight. and we're -- not just talking about it, pointing fingers at one another. we're doing something about it and by working together. i'm grateful to everyone who has had a part in it and i would note the absence of a quorum, mr. president. thank you so much. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. a senator: i would ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: i ask unanimous consent that john reardon, a coast guard fellow in senator

wicker's office be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the congress. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. moran: i rise to pay tribute to a long-time member of my staff. will router has served kansans for 11 years and counting. including my last for as legislative director in our office here in washington, d.c. it is always difficult to say goodbye to day goodbye to our staff but for many reasons it will be uniquely difficult to replace will. will grew up in a small western kansas town told plainville. if that sounds familiar to any of the folks back home, it is because plainville is my hometown as well. 11 years ago i weighed two strong applicants for an internship opening in my office. the first candidate, as i recall, attended an east coast private schools and was recommended by multiple individuals.

the second was a young man from plainville whose parents ran a gas station and who was immediately approachable, down-to earth and eager to serve kansans. perhaps it goes without saying that in choosing will 11 years ago i made a right decision. will's plainville roots and the value instilled by his family, hometown neighbors and friends kept him grounded during his service in our nation's capital. my ability to work on behalf of kansans is greatly enhanced when dedicated individuals who care about our home state are there by my side. i've often told my staff i'm an enabler. i enable them to do more for our state. i can think of no staffer who better epitomizes and articulates the reason i am here today as a united states senator working to preserve the rural way of life and the american dream for the next generation than will router. just last week this resonated with me in a powerful way.

a short bus ride north from hayes is plainville. my staff and i were in hayes on our staff retreat and we made a surprise pitstop to visit will's parents. it was a special moment for our staff to pay tribute to the router family and to will the oldest of six router children. as a light rain fell, will shared what it meant to come full circle back to his roots and why the work we do in the nation's capital is so important to ensuring that rural america remains alive and well, particularly at a time when the american dream is become being haired and harder to achieve. will has accomplish add great deal on behalf of kansans p. a few weeks after i was sworn in as a senator, it was will who drafted the resolution honoring kansas' 150th birthday. in response to a devastating gas explosion in hutchison, kansas that took the lives of two

kansans and destroyed half a block of downtown businesses, will spent years to pass legislation for safety inspections of underground gas facilities. he was involved in water infrastructure victories in kansas and almost always on a bipartisan basis. i always say that if i had to lose good staffers, i hope it is because they're returning to kansas. for will, perhaps that was inevitable. but for the past several months, will has had the unfortunate existence of working a state away from his wife and kid whose made the preemptive move to overland, kansas, when his wife received an exciting job opportunity. i know he is excited to move home to spend time with liz and watch his children grow up. today i want to thank will router of plainville, kansas. thank you, will, for spending 11

years of your life in the nation's capital trying to make things better and for the way you've always conducted yourself on my behalf and on behalf of kansans back home. whether you believe it or not, you have left the a significant mark on this makers on our office and on me and your presence are be sorely missed. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that my following remarks appear in a separate place within the journal. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. moran: tomorrow the senate will consider kansan michelle bowman for a seat reserved for a community bank regulator. to understand her qualifications, we should look at the position for which she has been nominated. the original federal reserve act requires appointments to the board to include a representative of the agriculture community. when congress further defined the fed's representation, it created a specific seat for someone with a community bank background having either worked

in or supervised a community bank. micky bowman has done both. her experience as both kansas state bank commissioner and her time as farmers and growers bank in kansas satisfies both of those requirements and she is even more qualified with her impressive background in public service and the private sector. in total, mickey bowman has served as bank supervisor and regulator. mickey was nominated on april 26, 20s 1, as a member of the federal reserve board of governors, as a community bank representative for the remainder of a 14-year term expiring january 31, 2020. if confirmed, she will represent region 8, the st. louis region, missouri, of the federal reserve. she is also be the first person nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate to hold the seat specifically reserved

for one member with demonstrated primary experience working in or supervising community banks. she would be one of seven members of the board. mickey's early years echo that of many kansans. she attended the university of kansas to earn a bachelor's degree and went on to earn a law degree from washburn, university. she was called to public service where she served in a variety of capacities including a staff member for senator dole and staff member for several house committees, fema, a deputy assistant secretary policy advisor at the department of homeland security under secretary tom ridge. following that, she and her husband moved to london where mickey subtle consult on government and public affairs. like many kansans who love and appreciate our state, mickey made her way back home. she returned to council grove to take the helm of a family bank for the next seven years. far from london and washington, d.c., mickey felt the need to return to her community to make a good life for her children and

to serve her community. once again called to public service, mickey was nominated by kansas governor sam brownback to serve as the kansas city bank commissioner, a position she still holds to this day. mickey's experience as both kansas state bank commissioner and her time at the farmers and council grove bank shows her impressive background in public service and the private sector. community banks are an important part of communities and small cities across the country. they extend credit for homes and small businesses, for farm equipment while also sponsoring little league baseball teams and the school band. in addition, mickey understands the role that relationships play in the approach to business. in rural kansas and across america are community banks act as economic engines, leveraging relationships with local community members that rely on trust and honesty.

mickey could tell story after story about the friendships and high levels of trust that she's built with her customers. it is a different kind of banking and one that will help make certain that rural america can thrive well into the future. i urge my colleagues to vote tomorrow in favor of mickey bowman to serve on the federal reserve board of governors so we can bring her experience and unique perspectives to the federal reserve board. mr. president, thank you. with that, i yield the floor. mr. president, i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. nelson: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. nelson: i ask that the quorum calls be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. nelson: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to allow coast guard details katherine caribine and sean stewart to have the privilege of the senate floor during consideration of the coast guard bill. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. nelson: thank you, mr. president. well, we finally have the coast guard bill here. mr. president, i want to urge our colleagues to support the passage of the coast guard authorization act of 2018. we've been working on and passing through committee, then in intensive discussions with the house, and finally the final product is here.

mr. president, coast guard personnel live by the motto of always ready. and just last month i saw firsthand how coast guard efforts in protecting life and property followed hurricane michael up in the panhandle of florida. coast guard ships, planes, and helicopters came from across the country to help hundreds of people on the florida coastline and inland, and the coast guard, as always, was there to assist. always ready, their motto. in panama city, the shallow water response teams provided food, water, and oxygen and

ensured the relocation of over 130 nursing home residents, 35 of which were bedridden, and they saw them to safety and medical care in as far away as pensacola. the coast guard also conducted damage assessments to facilitate the reopening of the florida waterways and ports. and this isn't something new. the coast guard provided similar efforts to florida, the u.s. virgin islands and puerto rico following hurricanes irma and maria last fall. if there is a disaster, aside from the federal agency that is tasked with providing for that disaster -- fema -- you can

bet your boots that the coast guard is going to be there. during just five weeks of the 2017 hurricane season a year ago, the coast guard saved over 11,000 people and more than 1,000 pets and mobilized nearly 3,000 personnel. for hurricane maria alone a year ago, the coast guard deployed over 500 personnel with seven helicopters, 17 planes, and 14 cutters. and you know the devastation that hurricane maria did on the island of puerto rico. on behalf of floridians, i want to thank the coast guard for their hurricane response and

their invaluable assistance provided to storm victims. we owe the coast guard our gratitude for its readiness and its service to the nation. and what mariner does not know that when they're out in their fishing boat and they get stranded out in the ocean, who are they so happily contacting but the coast guard for rescue? now the coast guard does much more than just saving lives. it also serves as a first line of defense against cartels and smugglers who seek to flood the united states with illegal drugs. last year, for instance, was a banner year for the coast guard drug enforcement. they prevented over 200 metric

tons of cocaine valued at over $6 million, prevented it from entering the u.s. in florida, the coast guard cutter mohawk, home ported in key west, confiscated over seven tons of cocaine in august. a month later the coast guard cutter tahoma offloaded six tons of cocaine at port everglades. and just last month the miami-based coast guard cut ter, bernard c. webber, it confiscated over 3,500 pounds of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana. the bottom line is the coast guard is an adaptable, responsible, responsive military force that maintains a

persistent and comforting presence along our rivers and our ports, on our coastal waters and on the high seas. mr. president, i've had the privilege of the spending great deal of time with the coast guard. i've gone in their helicopters, chasing down, go fast, showing me in a simulated chase of how they would shoot out the engines from the open door of the coast guard helicopter. i've also done that chase in the high-speed coast guard getting off the cutters into the go-fast. go-fast that can turn on a dime, that even the speediest boats at the end of the day the coast guard is going to catch them. and if they can't catch them

with the go-fast small boats, they'll catch them with the air. i've been with the coast guard up in alaska where the navy has pretty well ceded the protection of the seas up in alaska and off to the arctic to the coast guard. and we have a substantial fishing fleet up there. and of course who do they rely on when they get into trouble? and that's why we have a substantial presence of the coast guard in alaska. and the bottom line is that the coast guard is this incredible force. it is especially present in the state of florida since we have so much coastline. nearly 40% of all the coast guard personnel are in and around the state of florida, and down in key west is the

joint task force center maintained by all agencies of the federal government, tracking the movements of the drug smugglers. and if we just had more assets in the caribbean and the pacific, we'd be able to pick up a lot more of the drugs trying to enter and poison our children in the united states. and so we should do everything that we can to support the coast guard's work, and that's why we're here today. the bipartisan bill before us will reauthorize the coast guard for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. it authorizes $2 billion funding increase for the coast guard through fiscal year 2019. this includes new money to help

the coast guard continue modernizing its aging fleet of cutters and aircraft. a good part of the coast guard's new modernization of their fleet, the new offshore patrol cutters, it's being built by a shipbuilder in florida. this legislation will also better enable the coast guard to execute its missions, provide adequate resources and training to meet operational demands and support service members and their dependents. you should see these coast guard bases around the country. even on the great lakes, just think there are mariners on the great lakes.

there's a great deal of commercial shipping on the great lakes. and as a result, we have substantial coast guard presence and coast guard bases on the great lakes. this is a good bill, and we can be proud of it. passing it will ensure the coast guard has the tools it needs to continue to carry out its many important missions, including its lifesaving and disaster response roles that so many americans have come to rely when they call they know they can depend on the coast guard. mr. president, i urge our colleagues to support this motion for cloture and then tomorrow to support the final passage of the bill. mr. president, i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. moran: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, amendment number 4054 be modified with the changes that aring at the desk. the presiding officer: is there objection? if not, so ordered.

mr. moran: now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the democratic leader, but no later than november 16, senator paul or his designee be recognized to motion to discharge senate joint resolution 65 and there be up to an hour of debate on the motion equally divided between the opponents and proponents and following the use or yielding back of that time the senate vote in relation to the motion to discharge. further, that if the motion to discharge is agreed to, the joint resolution be eligible for expedited procedures under the act. the presiding officer: is there objection? if not, so ordered. mr. moran: i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we the undersigned senators in aaccordance of rule 22 of the sanding -- standing rules of the senate, house amendment to accompany s. 140, an act to amend the white water apache tribe water act of 2010, 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 the debate on the motion to concur on the house amendment s. 140, the bill

to amend white apache water rights quantification water rights for the wmat settlement fund with amendment 4054 as modified offered by the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, should 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 wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, on this vote the yeas are 93. the nays are 5. three-faiths of the senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the

senator from montana. mr. daines: mr. president, on the heels of veterans day and in honor -- the presiding officer: will the senate be in order. the senator from montana. mr. daines: on the leels of veterans day and in honor of president trump designating 2018 as national veterans and families month, i have the distint pleasure of -- dedicated to serving veterans in north central montana. jason serves as the nurse practitioner in the great falls community-based outpatient clinic, has become one of the most sought-out experts in veterans health care. a veteran himself, jason spent 20 years in the montana air national guard retiring as lieutenant colonel. during his time in the guard, he served as officer in charge of health promotion, medical readiness -- the presiding officer: will the senate be in order.

daines and assistant chief nurse where he gained a great deal of knowledge caring for fellow service members. jason retired from the air national guard in 2015 and since then has dedicated himself to providing exceptional health care to montana veterans. he has built and maintained a patient panel that is at 110% capacity and 1,000 patients. when another provider recently retired, he stepped up and he took over the patient panel and provided care to another 556 veterans. jason's also worked to improve the overall montana v.a. system. he has recruited and mentored other nurse practitioners which helped to fill critical positions within the v.a. system. jason also participated in a v.a. residency program that trains providers to better serve our women veterans. in 2011 he experienced a deep

personal tragedy when his wife of 16 years, heather, passed away from a stroke leaving him a widower with three children. after his wife's death, he dedicated himself to becoming an expert on strokes. he regularly speaks to health care providers across the country about stroke prevention, stroke treatment and received the montana state department of health and human services stroke initiative hero of the year award. montana is incredibly lucky to have a health care professional like jason gleason serving our veterans. he's truly an excellent example of someone who put service before self, understands that his service to our country did not end with his service in the military. i want to personally congratulate and thank jason if his excellent work. thank you, mr. president. i yield back my time.

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mr. daines: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from montana. mr. daines: i have three

requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. daines: i ask unanimous consent that the appointments at the desk appear separately in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. daines: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today it adjourn until 2:00 p.m., wednesday, november 14. further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour 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, following the leader remarks, the senate resume consideration of the consideration of the house message and vote on the motion to concur in the house amendment with a further amendment as modified. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. daines: if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until 2:00 p.m., wednesday, novembe