the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i understand the senate has received a message from the house to accompany s. 756. the presiding officer: the senator is correct. mr. mcconnell: i ask that the chair lay before the senate the message to accompany s. 756.

the presiding officer: the chair lays before the senate a message from the house. the clerk: resolved, that the bill from the senate s. 756, entitled an act to reauthorize and amend the marine debris act to promote international action to reduce marine debris, and for other purposes, do pass with an amendment. mr. mcconnell: i move to concur in the house amendment with a further amendment. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, moves to concur in the house amendment to s. 756, with an amendment numbered 4108. mr. mcconnell: i ask the reading be dispensed with. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. all those in favor say aye. mr. mcconnell: i have a second-degree amendment at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, for mr. kennedy, proposes an amendment numbered 4109 to

amendment numbered 4108. mr. mcconnell: i ask that the reading be dispensed with. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask that the second-degree amendment be divided in three parts in the form at the desk. the presiding officer: the senator has that right. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk for the motion to concur with further amendment. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the 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 concur in the house amendment to s. 756, a bill to reauthorize and amend the marine debris act to promote international action to reduce marine debris, and for other purposes, with a further amendment numbered s. 4108, signed by 17 senators as follow- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask the mandatory quorum call be waived. the presiding officer: is there

objection? without objection. the presiding officer: the clerk shall call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. roberts: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: it is so ordered. mr. roberts: thank you, mr. president. i rise today or this afternoon along with my distinguished colleague and the ranking member of the senate agriculture committee to discuss the farm bill conference report, the agriculture improvement act of 2018. i am grateful that my colleagues approved this measure with

strong support. the vote was 87-13 earlier this week. i applaud members of the house for following suit with a similar strong vote yesterday, and we look forward to the president signing the conference report into law soon. the level of support is what happens when the congress works in a bipartisan and bicameral fashion. senator stabenow and i started by listening to producers in manhattan, kansas, and on to michigan, and continued to listen to stakeholders from all over the country. this is a good bill that accomplishes what producers ask us to do. first we listen, then they ask, to provide certainty and predictability for farmers, families, and our rural communities. the 2018 farm bill meets the needs of producers across all regions and all crops.

it doesn't matter what you grow and it doesn't matter whether you grow it in kansas or elsewhere in this country. this bill is designed to work for you. and it ensures that our voluntary conservation programs are keeping farm land in operation while protecting our agricultural lands, forests, and other natural resources. the bill focuses on program integrity, requiring better management to address challenges with fraud, waste, and abuse and commonsense investments to strengthen our nutrition programs to ensure the long-term success of those truly in need of assistance. we make sure that snap employment training is coordinated with the private sector to provide the skills needed for the jobs available in the workforce, and with trade and market uncertainty to say the least, the bill provides certainty for our trade

promotion and research programs. feeding an increasing global population is not simply an agriculture challenge, mr. president. it is a national security challenge. this means we need to grow more and raise more with fewer resources. that will take investments in research, new technology, lines of credit, animal health activities, and proper risk management. it takes the government providing tools of then getting out of the producer's ways. more than 900 and counting organizations representing millions of agriculture, food, nutrition, hunger, forestry, conservation, rural, business, faith-based research and academic interests have issued statements of support. we have made tough choices being very judicious with the scarce resources we have on behalf of

the taxpayer. this is a budget-neutral bill. and most important, this farm bill provides our ranchers, our farmers, and other rural stakeholders in kansas throughout the country with much-needed certainty and predictability. simply put, this bill -- getting this bill done has taken a team effort, and i would like to my staff -- and they are as followr staff director, donita murray, janae brady, greg klein, haley donahue, matt harrison, chance huntley, chu wang, chelsea keys, sara little, kurt mann, andy resendes, katherine thomas, and andrew velocity.

and in my office, jackie catrell, amber kirchoffer, morgan anderson, stacy daniels, and ray price. those are folks in my personal office. i especially want to thank the distinguished ranking member, senator stabenow, and her team led by joe schulze and jacqueline snyder. she has been a great partner throughout the senate and conference committee process. there are some tough days, but we both work together to get the job done. and i am also grateful to chairman mike conoway and ranking mum colin peterson as well as their staff members on the house agriculture committee. the efforts of jessie williams, amanda kelly, bobby metta, katie salay and michael worthham have been invaluable to the senate ag committee and the conference process. additionally, i want to thank the technical support from

secretary perdue, the secretary of agriculture has been simply outstanding as well as his staff down at the u.s. department of agriculture, a great partner. he has been a valuable partner throughout this process. we're grateful for his support, and the president's support of our nation's farmers, ranchers, and growers. i also appreciate the work of both the congressional budget office staff including tiffany arthur, megan carroll, kathleen fitzgerald, jennifer gray, jim langley, and robert reece. and the congressional research folks al heizuzen and elizabeth rabickey. finally i'm grateful for the help of the legislative counsels in the senate, heather burnham, lorena edwards, urise elsefan, christina kennelly, heather lowell, mark mazone, patrick ryan. apologies to all of those folks whose name i just mispronounced.

the staff members have done a fantastic job, and i am pleased that they are members of our team. my predecessor in this business and one of my mentors a long time ago, senator frank carlson of kansas said there are no self-made men or public -- or women in public office. it is your friends who make you what you are. and i apply that to staff. all of the people i have just mentioned represented a great team effort to get this legislation passed in such fine fashion. for all of them and especially to my fellow senators, we are grateful for the support we have received this week. together we have done what we're sent here to do -- work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner. this is a good bill for farmers, ranchers, growers, consumers, many of whom take their food supply for granted, families in rural small town america.

thank you very much, mr. president. i yield the floor. ms. stabenow: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. ms. stabenow: thank you, mr. president. i rise today to discuss a true bipartisan victory along with my friend and colleague, the leader of our senate agriculture, nutrition, and forestry committee. i hear a lot of people say that bipartisanship is all too rare these days, but in our committee, it's our bread and butter. specifically, i want to thank my partner and friend, chairman pat roberts. he's the only person to have written a farm bill as both the chair of the house and senate agriculture committees. kansas is fortunate to have such a champion and all of american agriculture owes him a debt of gratitude for his persistence, doggedness, and tenacity. maybe it's his marine training, but he never gave up on this bill even when negotiations got

tough. maybe i had been an honorary marine, mr. chairman. he also knows that to do anything big, it takes a team approach. thanks to his commitment to bipartisanship, we were able to achieve a real historic victory. this summer, chairman roberts and i made history by passing our senate farm bill by 86 votes, and i'm pleased to say we beat that record this week by passing the final bill by 87 votes, the most ever. one of the reasons i love my work on the agriculture committee is because the work we do truly affects everyone, from the well-being of our children to the viability of rural america to the health of our lakes, rivers, and streams, to our access to the most abundant, most affordable, safest food supply in the world, the farm bill impacts all of us. i like to say that it's our

rural economic development plan for the country. that's been true since the very first one in the 1930's. in the wake of the great depression, president franklin delano roosevelt signed the first farm bill to get agriculture and our economy back on track. over the past 80 years, the roll of the farm bill has evolved alongside our agriculture and rural economy. in the 1970's, nutrition assistance was linked to the farm bill for the first time, marking a major step in strengthening the connection between our farms and food. in the 1980's, we saw the first-ever conservation title demonstrating the critical role of preserving land, water, and wildlife while supporting working farms. in the 1990's, thanks to the leadership of my friend, senator patrick leahy, we recognized evolving consumer preferences through the creation of the national organic program. and of course the landmark 1996

farm bill where then-house chairman roberts first left his mark, tackling one of the biggest challenges in farm policy, reducing the incentive for farmers to plant for payments rather than for markets. in 2018, i was proud to author the creation of the first-ever specialty crop title, recognizing fruits and vegetable growers and local food systems for the first time. in 2014 we made major reforms to commodity programs, streamlined our conservation title, and made specialty crop research and clean energy programs a permanent part of the farm bill. each of these changes represented elite forward in farm and food -- a leap forward in farm and food policy and progress to broaden the farm bill to support every corner of america and american agricultu agriculture.

and the momentum toward recognizing the gersty of our -- diverse if i of our farm and food economy has truly accelerated over the past 15 years. in every title of the farm bill you can find policies that reflect the wide variety of things that we grow and how we grow them. and i'm proud to say that this farm bill has continued the trajectory of progress to diversify american agriculture. from expanded crop insurance to historic support for urban farmers and improved coverage options for our dairy farmers, this bill helps all types of farms, all sizes of farms, and farmers in every region of the country. in order to cultivate the next generation of agriculture, we made permanent investments to support veterans, socially advantaged and beginning farmers, and we expand agricultural market opportunities so that our farmers can make a living.

historic investments in organic farming help producers tap into one of the fastest growing sectors of agriculture. new permanent support for international trade promotion will help our farmers sell their products abroad. and streamlined permanent investments for farmers, market, food hubs, local food processing will help our farmers sell to their neighbors. while we know the farm bill supports our farmers, it also supports our families. we protected access to food access, noted the partisan changes that would take away food from those who need the most while still improve access to healthy food and improving program integrity. i hope that the administration takes note of this and does not try to push forward with regulations that conflict with the farm bill -- farm bill's bipartisan approach to protecting food assistance. and we continue the farm bill's legacy of one of the largest

investments in land and water conservation. this bill maintains conservation investments, rejects harmful provisions that would jeopardize drinking water and public lands. instead we focused on successful conservation partnerships that will actually grow funding by leveraging nearly $3 billion in new private investment over the next decade. we also lift up our small towns and rural communities and celebrate what makes them great places to live and raise a family. by making strong investments in rural water infrastructure and high-speed internet, we help revitalize rural america and grow opportunities. these important priorities have been 80 years in the making. and there are a number of people i'd like to thank for working hard to continue the legacy of this farm bill. of course, i want to thank my

leader, our democratic leader for his leadership and support throughout this process. the majority leader who made sure this bill moved quickly on the senate floor and was an active participant in the agricultural committee as well. and of course my partner, senator roberts who stayed true to our commitment to deliver a bipartisan bill. our counterparts in the house, chairman conway and ranking member peterson for their hard work throughout this process. and for all our colleagues in the house and senate who supported this bill with historic votes in the house and the senate. i also want to thank my incredible staff who have worked so hard for almost two years to bring this farm bill to the finish line. my committee staff director joe shulings and deputy staff director and policy director jack schneider who both led this process. our legal team led by chief

counsel mary beth shuttle and our amazing commodities and livestock team mike and kyle varner for supporting our farmers with the help of farm bill veteran susan keith and our fellow ria mada. our team conservation ashley mccann and roz brumett protected our land and water with the help of detailee lindsey white. our forestry and environmental expert shawn, preserved wildlife habitat and public lands. katie nason for her work to support the innovative future of agriculture with the help of dominick warren. our rural development and energy expert kevin bailey for creating opportunities for our small towns. katie who led our work on trade and food aid to help our farmers feed the world as well as my staff and my person -- in my

personal office. chief of staff mike, legislative director emily carwell, deputy chief of staff ed and my senior aid crystal, my communications director matt williams, ag press secretary jess mccarren and the rest of the communications team, miranda migowski, and amy philips. my state team led by teresa and our michigan ag expert kelly f foxx. and i want to thank everybody, especially anita. we spent a lot of time together and i know with joe and jacqueline and our team and i think at the end we were working as one team, mr. chairman, and that is something i'm very, very grateful for. true professionals who exemplified how to lead a farm

bill conference. and jesse williams as the chairman has said and amanda kelly and bobby mada and everyone who worked behind the scenes on the ag committee. also appreciate our floor staffs and those in the leadership staff office that are so important and c.b.o. and of course thank you to all the members of the agriculture, nutrition and forestry committee and their staffs. with a lot of hard work by a long list of very talented people, this congress has passed a strong bill that supports the 16 million jobs in america that depend on agriculture and our food economy. i look forward to the president of the united states signing this bill into law as soon as possible. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the clerk shall call the roll. quorum call: a senator: mr. president, i ask the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. klobuchar: i first want to thank senator roberts and senator stabenow for their fine leadership of this farm bill as well as their staff. what a great opportunity to thank them. this was something that was just universally well accepted and exciting for our state and really for every state in the country the way we got 87 votes. as i noted, at home we don't get that many votes for a volleyball resolution and it really put the bill in a good place to get done so thank you for your leadership. i want to thank brian warner of

my own staff would has long worked on these issues. as well as at home andy martin and chuck ackman who have done ag work for us in minnesota. so thank you for their work on this bill as well. so i am here, mr. president, to make some brief remarks about two of my favorite colleagues who are leaving us and both good friends of mine and both from the middle of the country and both extraordinary leaders. and i'll start with my friend senator claire mccaskill. senator mccaskill and i were first elected at the same time. and so we came in together and during our years of serving together, i've seen this strong, incredible woman stand up for the people of missouri and stand up for the people of this country. now, we were the only two women

in our senate class when we came in. and one of my first memories of claire that occurred near the beginning of our time in the senate was that we were driving out of the capitol together to go speak at an event, and i looked out the window and there was my husband, john, walking across the lawn with a pink box. and she sees him and she looks at me, and she says, what is john doing walking across the capitol lawn with this pink gift wrapped box. and i yell out the car window. i said what are you doing with this pink box? and he yells back, it's the senate's spouse club event. i'm going to jim webb's wife's baby shower. and claire looks at my husband and says in her typical blunt way, that's the sexiest thing i've ever seen. that's claire. we were rejoicing together in the car at that moment as we thought we were witnessing a

milestone in senate spouse history but also in our own histories and in the journey of having more women in the senate. claire is someone who never keeps quiet, who always speaks her mind, and that is so refreshing. when she found out about the substandard care for our veterans at walter reed, she took it on. she was a tbreshman -- freshman senator but she wasn't quiet and took it on. her dad was a veteran and she felt the veterans of today deserve the same quality care that he got. that is the kind of leadership she has always shown. she never backs down, especially in the face of corruption. and i think a lot of that was because of her work as a prosecutor. we shared that in common. and if there were rights that needed to be respected, great. if there were wrongs that needed to be righted, she was right there.

she is never afraid to speak truth to power. and by the way, in her own words she is now unleashed and i know that will continue in a big way. whether she is at a hearing or writing one of her famous tweets, she does it in a voice that is a hundred percent authentic and a hundred percent claire mccaskill. i'll never forget when she was grilling wall street executives at a senate hearing for their role in the financial crisis and she said, you guys have less oversight than a pit boss in las vegas. one example. as missouri's former state auditor and as someone who worked her way through school as a waitress, senator mccaskill has always rightfully demanded accountability for those in positions of power. we saw it again when she stood up to opioid manufacturers and distributors, investigate,ing suspicious shipments of these dangerous drugs in communities

across the country. we saw it with her leadership in the fight against sex assault and online sex trafficking where she worked to take on backpage. we saw it in her fight to strengthen the role of independent watchdogs at our federal agencies and to expand protections for whistle-blowers. we saw it every time she stood up for american consumers highlighting the challenges that consumers often face when they get errors on their credit reports or when they have fraudulent robo calls. i would always think of how she would challenge the commonsense wisdom of her beloved mom, betty, who's no longer with us. and i had the honor to meet betty. whenever i would watch claire take on these crime, especially crimes against seniors and speak out about them, i would always think of her mom and how her mom was such an early powerful feminist and a woman who stood up and spoke truth to power. and perhaps most of all, as i

mentioned earlier, her work with walter reed on behalf of our nation's veterans. it was claire who, by the way, found out in addition to the work she did in calling out what was happening at walter reed, it was claire who found out that contracting failures had led to thousands of graves at arlington national cemetery being unmarked or unproperly marked. it was claire's whose legislation overhauled the i.t. systems at arlington and ultimately held the secretary of the army accountable. that was trademark claire. seeing an unjustice, uncovering it, speaking out and then never giving up until it's fixed. that is what she has done time and time again. what's cool about it, despite what i wish had not happened, that she didn't win her election, what's cool about claire is she's most resilient person i know and she will continue to serve and continue to do that work in her way. after a former political

opponent once accused her of being unlady like, she told an iowa audience once that the traits needed to excel in leadership, to speak out, be strong, take charge, change the world are traits she sees as very, very lady like. claire has showed us how to be both strong and ladylike. it's been my privilege to serve with her. i am so honored to call her a friend, and i'm excited about what's to come for claire mccaskill. next i'm going to talk about my friend, senator donnelly, also someone who made extraordinary contributions to his state, the state of indiana, as well as to our country. now, indiana holds a special place in my heart. my husband john was born there. his parents met in a ballroom dance class at ball state, of

all places. we also have -- our states have a lot of confusion because people always seem to not be able to tell the difference between indianapolis and minneapolis. and there is a difference. we also share some thriving metropolitan areas and a lot of tech job things like that in our two major metropolitan areas, but we also share rural areas. and whenever i visited indiana -- and you know how much indiana loves cars. well, joe donnelly loves driving. i have been with him in south bend where he went to school at notre dame, close to where he and jill live in granger, and actually i will never forget one time when i was in indianapolis for something and joe drove all the way just to accompany me on this trip, and he had his -- by himself, drove down there, drove me around for these campaign

events, and then always had his lunch bag with him just in case he needed some lunch, a paper bag, but then decided that he would take me, treat me to his favorite lunch stop, panera bread. i have always believed in a simple idea about public service, and that is that you don't just go where it's comfortable. you go where it's uncomfortable. and joe donnelly has exhibited that kind of leadership by taking on the tough issues every time that he can. for joe, that's meant going to factories that have been shut down to meet with the employees or standing with the former indianapolis united steelworker leader chuck jones who took on the president over jobs at an indiana plant that were being sent to mexico. later at his retirement party, chuck jones said of joe donnelly's efforts on behalf of the workers, he got it done and he didn't get the fanfare, but people benefited all the same.

and that's what's so special, so powerful about joe donnelly's leadership. he doesn't always get all the attention he deserves, but he has this incredible understated strength and conviction. he has this great sense of humor that i wish everyone could see. and mostly, he has been a champion for the people of his state, whether it was farmers when he served on the agriculture committee recently working with senator stabenow and others to get that farm bill done, whether it is the work that he has done in the armed services committee on behalf of our military, or whether it's work he has done with our service members to make sure they get the medical health care that they need and deserve. because of joe's conviction, his very first bill as a senator with the jacob sexton military suicide prevention act which requires annual mental health assessments for all service

members, and because of his leadership, that legislation became the law of the land. he also teamed up with senator young on a bill to improve mental health services for the law enforcement officers who sacrificed so much to keep our communities safe. joe has stood up in the fight against the opioid epidemic, passing legislation to help ensure that nonaddictive medications are developed and that substance abuse and treatment providers that work in areas that have high overdose rates are there, like in our rural communities. and he stood up against high rates on student loans by helping our students pay for school with our empowering student borrowers act. whenever you are lucky enough to work with joe donnelly, you see his heart, his effectiveness, that twinkle in his eye. you also see his caring, caring work that he does every single day.

one of my funniest moments with joe is i called him once when they had that report come out that shows how much money people have when they're in congress, and they have the richest members at the top, and you keep looking down to see where you end up. i called joe donnelly once. i said guess what? we're tied. we have the same amount of money. and joe donnelly, without missing a beat, says i'm sorry. i'm sorry for you. but in any case, that was him. earlier this year, senator donnelly was at a practice for the democrats on the congressional baseball team. he was chatting with congressman steve ask -- steve scalise who had been a victim of the horrific shooting at a practice the year before. when asked about the majority whip's return to the field, joe said it's great to see him, you know. in the end, we're all brothers and sisters. it is very sad to be losing one of my favorite brothers here in the senate, but what i know is

this -- joe donnelly will never stop. he's going to be doing great work. he will always do great work. and we look forward to seeing him again. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk shall call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

a senator: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to speak in morning business. the presiding officer: the senate in a quorum call. a senator: i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: and i ask to speak in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. wicker: i come to the floor to recognize rex buffington, who is retiring next year as the executive direct of the john c.stennis for public leadership. he had a tall order to fill in 1998 when he was named the first executive director of the newly created stennis center. this native of mir riddian had been selected by john stennis him servings demonstrating the confidence -- himself, demonstrating the confidence the senator must have had in the

young man. after all, the center would bear stennis' name and be located at his alma mater, mississippi state university. the center would be a living tribute to this 41-year career in the senate, which is still one of the longest in our nation's history. under rex buffington's leadership and guidance, the stennis center has fulfilled its purpose, as set forth by congress. the center was established by statute for the purpose of promoting public service as a career choice and providing training and education to state and local leaders, congressional staff, and students. as part of the legislative branch, the stennis center is subject to annual oversight and has always proved its value. a major success of the center, and no doubt a credit to its longevity, is the reach of its

leadership development programs. the center truly offers something for everyone, whether that person be a student body president, a hill intern, a veteran staffer, or a member of congress. one of the center's best-known programs is the congressional staff fellows program, which counts among its alumni hundreds of senior-level staffers. these chiefs of staff, staff directors, and legislative directors representing different political parties, different parts of the country in both congressional chambers are given the opportunity to discuss the challenges facing congress and how it can work better for the american people. through this important dialogue, the program not only brings a wealth of talent to the table but also opens the door to future collaboration between staffers who might otherwise never have met.

rex buffington is also a key supporter of the stennis-montgomery association, a collaboration between the stennis center and the g.v. sonny montgomery association, named after another graduate of mississippi state university. the association encourages greater political participation among a group of m.s.u. students of all backgrounds and academic disciplines. when these students visit washington, i never fail to meet with them, and i never fail to be impressed. another of the center's signature events is the annual southern women in political service conference. since 1991, the conference brings together -- has brought together a diverse group of women in politics to learn new skills and make new connections. rex was certainly ahead of his time in recognizing the need to

bring more women to the table, as important policy decisions are made at every level of government. rex learned firsthand from the senator's senator, as senator stennis was known, that a good mentor can have a profound impact on a young leader's career. he created the emerging leaders' program to connect senior congressional staff with those still early in their careers, a nod to senator stennis' legacy of lending his time and wisdom to new lawmakers. in keeping with senator stennis' support for our armed forces, culminating in his role as chairman of the armed services committee, rex buffington implemented initiatives to recognize military leaders and give them opportunities to speak directly with members of congress, often on an informal basis. as part of this initiative, i

was privileged to cohost a series of meetings with senator reed to bring together members of this body and senior members of the military. rex buffington and his staff of eight -- four in starkville and four in washington -- have encouraged young americans to take part in their communities and their government. this small but mighty team has helped build productive working relationships and lasting friendships between democrats and republicans. house and senate staffers and those at different stages of their careers. the senate and house are better because of rex buffington and the stennis center. our work product is better. many of my colleagues would agree, and i mention in particular my friend, senator coons from delaware, who served with me on the center's board of

trustees. it is my understanding that senator coons may be submitting remarks for the record in honor of rex's career. i have no doubt that retirement will bring more opportunities for rex to serve the starkville community and to spend time with his wife ann and their two children, john gavin and katherine. he certainly will not sit still in retirement. i offer this unsung hero, rex buffington, my sincere thanks for making the stennis center what it is today, and i wish him all the best in his next chapter. thank you, mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: mr. president, i ask consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: thank you, mr. president. i rise today to remember those killed at sandy hook elementary school in newtown, connecticut,

in 2012, just six years ago. tomorrow will be that anniversary of that horrible day when america lost 20 first graders and six adults in one of the worst mass shootings in our nation's history. since 2012, i've kept -- and i know others have done similar things to remind us -- i've kept just a one-page from a newspaper on my desk here in the russell building and i won't show all of it, but here is the top half of it. it is obviously yellowed from six years. it is the -- just happens to be "the wall street journal" dated monday, december 17, 2012. at the top of the page is says "connecticut school shooting" and then the headline there just says two words -- shattered lives. and then gives a photograph of

almost every child and every adult. they miss add few because of the timing of this. but then it has a biography of each individual killed. and as i said, 20 of them were children. we have to remember tragedies like this to remind ourselves of our obligation an many issues, but this is certainly one of them. i want to read the names of all those 26 americans that were killed on that day. i'll just read through them and also indicate after reading each name -- i'll also note the age of the individual on that horrible day in december of 2012. charlotte bacon, six years old. daniel barden, seven. rachel diavino, 29.

olivia engel, six. josephine gay, seven. dillon hawkly, six. dawn lafferty y hochsprung, 47. madeleine shy, six. kath lynn hubbard, six. chase kowalski, seven. jesse louis, six. anna march questions green, age six. james mattioli, six. grace mcdonald, seven. ann marie murphy, 62.

ememilie parker, six, jack pinto, six. noah posner, six. caroline previti, six. jessica racos, six. aviel richmond, six. lauren russo, 30. marie mary sherlach, 56. victoria soto, 27. benjamin wheeler, six. and allison wyatt, age six. those are the 26 individuals. there are so many ways to express our sorrow, to continue mourning, as we did as a nation. i can't even imagine what each

family had to live through and still lives through today and how that community has had to endure in that moment of horror those days of horror and mourning and sadness and all these years later. the great recording artist bruce springsteen, after the 9/11 attacks, wrote a number of songs reflecting upon that tragedy. one of the songs that he wrote -- at least the lyrics that i remember -- probably capture the same sentiment that we all think about. we're thinking about that kind of a tragedy. the name of the song is "you're missing." and the refrain of the song goes like this, "you are he missing when i shut out the lights. you're missing when i close my eyes. you're missing when i see the sun rise." and i'm sure that's been the circumstance for those families.

every day missing that loved one. for 20 of those fathers it was missing a loved one -- for 20 of those families, it was missing a loved one who was age 6 or 7. and for the others, missing an adalat family member of various ages. we have a lot to do in this body, not only in the next couple of days but certainly as we start both a new year and a new congress. this scourge of violence which has consumed our country for so many years now should be at the top of that list of priority issues that we focus on. just think about it this way, these 20 children who died at sandy hook would be in the seventh grade right now. and as we still mourn, we must make sure that we come together to make sure that no other

family has to endure a tragedy like that. the shooting at sandy hook was a turning point for me as a public official and i'm sure a turning point for many americans about what our obligation is to respond to this problem. this tragedy in connecticut fundamentally changed the way i view both our nation's response to gun violence and my own responsibility as a public official. i believe that each of us has an obligation to help to take action to work as members of the united states senate -- i would include members of the house of course -- and the executive branch. we must continually ask ourselves a number of questions. one of those questions surely is, is there nothing -- is

there nothing our nation can do to try to prevent this kind of tragedy or other tragedies thatl note in a few moments but is there nothing we can do to prevent this? that there is no law, no action, no policy change that we can come together on to at least reduce the likelihood that will we'll have another mass shooting in a grade school or in a lot of other places around our country? some people here in washington seem to believe that that there literally is nothing you can do, the most powerful country in the world that has solved some big problems -- haven't solved all of them, we've solved some pretty tough problems in this chamber and in the other body, the how -- house and working together on a

number of big issues over the years. but on this one some people throw their hands up and say there is nothing we can do. absolutely not a single law that we can pass other than enforce existing law. that's all we can do and we hope that enforcement will reduce the likelihood. but if it doesn't, we have to throw up our hands. i don't believe that. i don't think many americans believe that. no matter what side of the political aisle that they're on. i believe we have an obligation to take a couple of steps. the first one ought to be easy because some of the data tells us it's supported by 90% of americans, or maybe even more than 90%. and that's universal background checks. we made an effort, we undertook an effort in the senate back in 2013 in the aftermath of the sandy hook massacre, and we

made progress on getting bipartisan support for universal background check bill. but we haven't done a lot since then in the united states senate on that issue. so that's one bill we could vote on in 2019, and i would hope the majority leader would schedule a debate on that bill, whatever version that we have now in front of us, or will in the new congress. we have scheduled debate and have a vote. obviously senators can vote any way they want, but let's have a debate and let's vote on universal background checks. is that a magic wand that will wipe out this problem forever? no. but background checks will make it less likely that you're going to have the kind of mass shootings we've not only endured as a nation but have grown, unfortunately, tragically accustomed do. i believe as well, and i know there are plenty of people who disagree with me, but we ought to have a debate on and vote on another issue: banning

military-style weapons. i know, i understand that we've got, by some estimates double-figure millions of these weapons already on our streets. i get that. but does that mean we should continue down this road and have 20 million of them and then 25 million of those weapons on our streets? and then 30 and 40 and 50 and 60 million? just throw up our hands and say it's all we can do, that we have to have tens of millions of military-style weapons, weapons that belong on a battlefield, not on our streets and our communities and our neighborhoods. that would be a good debate to have on that bill. we ought to have a debate and a vote on limitation of the magazine capacity so you don't have one person who can spray hundreds of bullets in a matter of moments. is there nothing we can do about that? the greatest country in the world can't do anything about these issues, these votes? how about preventing people on

the terrorist watch list from getting their hands on a firearm? we made a determination after 9/11 that we were going to take certain steps even against political pressure not to take certain steps, to protect our nation from terrorists. one of them was if you are a terrorist, we're going to do everything we can to prevent you from getting on an airplane. or if we have a reasonable suspicion that you're a terrorist, we're going to try to prevent you from being on an airplane, so we don't have another 9/11. the same country that did that so far, because inaction by the united states congress over many years, allows that same individual who's too dangerous, who we've deemed them too dangerous to get on an airplane can get a firearm because we haven't plugged that loophole yet. we've tried a couple of times but not nearly enough. so let's at least have a debate

on a few of these issues and have up-or-down votes. if you want to vote against them, fine. but let's not pretend that we're dealing with an issue when we don't even have a debate. and we don't even have votes. it doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and i'm sure it doesn't make sense to americans, no matter what side of the debate they're on. so we can't simply throw up our hands and do nothing as thousands of lives are lost each year. why not try to do something to reduce that number? so we need a sustained debate and a series of votes. it's a good time, by the way, coming up. new year, new congress, 2019, brand-new congress. we could start fresh by putting these issues on the floor of the united states senate. we need to make sure that the american people know where their

ledges is slay tors, in -- legislators, in this case federal legislators, where their members of congress stand so they can be held accountable. that, as americans, something we can do in this body. but we need to do it for the children and the staff of those who were killed at sandy hook elementary school. we need to make sure that their lives are remembered not just in mourning, not just in recognition of a tragedy, but are actually remembered by way of our action, of taking action, of doing something substantial that will reduce the likelihood. now we've had too many of these tragedies just in the last couple of years. i'll do a partial list or a partial itemization of other

tragedies. not all of of them but just a few. orlando: we know these cities by the tragedies that took place in these cities. orlando in a nightclub. charleston in a house of worship. sulphur springs. las vegas, parkland, thousand oaks. in my home state of pennsylvania, just now only a couple of weeks ago, i guess almost two months ago now. the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh where the killer came into a, another house of worship on a saturday morning and gunned down people who range in age in that circumstance, not children but range in age from i guess mid50's all the way late 80's, early 90's in age. 11 people. so whether it's sandy hook elementary school or tree of

life synagogue or a lot of places in between -- and i'm just mentioning the ones since 2006 roughly, there were plenty before that. we have to not just remember, but take action. in 2018, just one year not yet completed, but so far in 2018 there have been 13,743 gun deaths and 26,581 injuries. this is a uniquely american problem. it doesn't happen around the world. it's happening here. that is yet another reason for the american people to demand that we do our job here in the senate and in the house and in the executive branch. if it's a uniquely american problem, americans should try to solve it, or at least get on

the road to solving it. i hope we would have a measure of satisfaction. if we pass just one bill in 2019, even if nothing else happens for years, but maybe 25 years ago -- or 25 years from now we could prevent one school shooting, prevent just one shooting in a synagogue where 11 people lose their lives in a house of worship, prevent a school or another place in our community from being unfortunately etched in that wall of tragedy and loss and horror forever. the name of a town, the name of a community remembered only in some cases because of the violence that took place there. and i'll say it again. this is a uniquely american problem, and we've got to try to solve it together.

so the status quo -- to say the status quo is unacceptable is a terrible understatement, but that's the truth. and i think people understand that. mr. president, i know that this is an issue where people on both sides care very deeply about. we haven't come together yet to take very much action. if you look at the record on taking action on gun violence, i hate to use the word but it's true, it's pathetic in terms of federal action. but i am still hopeful that the american people will continue to demand more of all of us, both parties, both houses and two branches of the federal government coming together not just to mourn and to remember and to pay tribute and to offer prayers and condolence, but to take action, to do what americans do when we're faced with a problem, to take action. just like we did after 9/11.

we didn't throw up our hands and say this is just the new normal. we said, no, we're going to take action to try to stop it, or at least reduce the likelihood. we can do the same on this issue of gun violence. mr. president, i would yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk should call the roll. quorum call:

mr. portman: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. portman: mr. president, today i want -- the presiding officer: the senate is in a quorum call. mr. portman: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. portman: this evening he want to talk a little about the nexus of high prescription drug

costs and the opioid epidemic that has gripped my state, our country. it's the number one public health crisis in america today. it's the story of greed, frankly, and it's the story of the need for some fixes here in congress to keep it from happening again. with regard to the opioid epidemic crisis -- the opioid epidemic crisis, 72,000 died from overdoses from drugs. it's a grim statistics. more than two-thirds of those overdose deaths include opioid, including painkillers and fentanyl which is responsible for most of the opioid deaths. i think we made god progress over the past couple of years here in congress to pass new legislation to address this problem, new, innovative ways to get people into treatment, longer-term recovery which we

know works well in some instances and do a better job on education. i think the numbers will turn around, but they haven't yet. the comprehensive addiction an roifer act which we passed is starting to work, the cures act is starting to work and the president signed legislation to reduce the cost of this synthetic opioid coming through china most thrie the mail system. that's called the stop act. again, making progress. but these overdose death rates are just unbelievably high, and it's a tragic situation, not just in my state, which is probably top three or four in country but throughout our nation. there is a miracle drug that can be used to reverse the effects of an overdose and one reason we're seeing progress in my state and around the country is we are getting this out to first

responders and then we get the person into treatment and not have the overdoses occur and that is where the program is starting to make a difference. but i guess i could say that we have never in the history of our country for the miracle drug to reverse the effects of an overdose. it's called naloxone, and, again, it's something we're using more and more and saving more and more lives. i'm going to talk this evening about a company that exploited the opioid epidemic by dramatically increasing the price of this naloxone drug by more than 600% just in the space of a few years. the senate permanent subcommittee on investigations, which i chair alongside tom carper, democrat from delaware, conducted a year-long

investigation -- bipartisan investigation, really nonpartisan investigation -- into this naloxone issue. we were concerned about the rising costs and wanted to find out why it was happened. we focused on a pharma -- pharmaceutical company and a drug called elzio. naloxone is in generic form, one is the nasal spray called n.r.a. contain. -- narcane, many first responders use and know about, but the other one is this evizone drug. narcan is available at the cost of $125 for two doses. ezio, i thought it was an innovative product when it came out.

the unit includes two auto injectors and talks the user through using the product. before the pharmaceutical took ezio to the market, they said they should charge between $250 to $300. again, miracle drug to reverse the effects of an overdose. they told the company that they could own the market at that price of $250 to $300. instead the company decided to charge a higher price, taking it to the market in october of 2014. to about four years ago they took it to the market for a price of $575 per unit. with sluggish sales, i think because the price was higher than was advised, they could have lowered the price. instead the company implemented a new distribution model for an outside drug pricing consultant

who has installed similar distribution models at other pharmaceutical companies and this dramatically raises the drug price. as part of the distribution model the pharmaceutical increased the price from $575 in 2014 to $3,750 in february of 2016 and then to the current price of $4,100 in january of 2017. so they started off a little high, had sluggish sales, and instead of going lower, they went from $575 to $4,100. that's more than a 6 -- that's a 600% increase over the space of two and a half years, 600% increase in this drug that's so needed now in our communities. why did they do this? well, according to company documents, the new distribution

model for ezio was to, quote, capitalize on the opportunity on opioid overdose at epidemic levels. so, in effect from the company's own documents, they chose to capitalize or exploit the opportunity of the opioid epidemic, this tragic epidemic that is killing more americans than any other thing in my own state of ohio and the number one cause of death for those under 50. 72,000 is the number from last year, number of overdose deaths. as part of the new model, the company worked to ensure that doctor's offices indicated that ezio was medically necessary. why is that necessary? it ensured that government programs like medicare and medicaid, programs that, as you know, already programs that we look at every year and think,

gosh, how do these costs keep going up? what do we do to maintain these important programs? but they said they would increase the cost of this drug because they he could get doctors to say that this was medically necessary, and that meant that these government programs, medicare and medicaid, would cover the costs regardless of what the cost was, even though it increased 600% in two and a half years. that was the concept behind the new distribution model. it relied on prescriptions being filled -- refilled on riptions being covered. for those who didn't have insurance, the company gave the drug to the patient for free. in these instances, the company incurred the roughly $52 cost for the goods. it was worth it because they could get high prices from medicare and medicaid. this distribution model worked, as i mentioned, when physicians

deemed that ezio was medically necessary, then it would cover the cost, medicare and medicaid up to $4,100 a unit. under this new model, the price jumped from -- jumped up to 98%. -- 89%. they made a killing at the expense of the u.s. taxpayer and the experience of all of us. the majority of the company's revenue was from medicare and medicaid, and the cost has been about $142 million, despite fact that a much less costly alternative was readily available. you will remember for most of this time narcan, this other project was available for $125 for two doses. so instead of filing recommendations by drug pricing are experts to take the product to market at that lower price,

the company decided to exploit this loophole in our health insurance market and charge this much higher price to the american taxpayer through medicare and medicaid. our report from the permanent subcommittee on investigations was released on the same day that 60 minutes aired a new story on kaleo and why the price was so high. they talked about how they transferred the cost of this drug to taxpayers. you can see our report online at the permanent subcommittee on investigations website. that p.s.i. report in and the 60 minute segment were released on november 18. today, less than a month later, i'm very pleased to tell you that kaleo has publicly stated its plan to take steps toward now reducing the cost, the price of its naloxone auto injector from $4,100 per unit down to

$178. this is a very positive step forward, and i'm hopeful that it will increase access to naloxone, this drug that saved so many thousands of lives already, but i'm also pleased that they made this change because it's going to save taxpayers a lot of money. make no mistake, i don't believe that this change would have occurred but for our year-long investigation, the p.s.i. report, and the 60 minute story shinning a light on these incredibly high drug prices. does anybody really believe that these prices would have been lower if not for exposing it and the transparency that was then able to show what was happening. so the bipartisan investigation has produced a good result, but we need to do a lot more. a -- our report includes recommendations to prevent this

happening again. the centers for medicare and medicaid services, c.m.s. should review its policies regarding medical necessity exceptions for part d in medicare to prevent companies from influencing prescribing. while there are legitimate uses of the exception sometimes we need to be sure it is not exploited. congress should also require c.m.s. to improve transparency regarding the total amount of drugs purchased by health care programs so we can stop these programs. and to combat the underlying factors affecting addiction, congress has to do more here. we should put in place a three-day limit on prescription pain medication for acute pain, not for chronic or cancer, but acute. it should require all states to

utilize prescription monitoring programs. there's reason to be optimistic, as i said earlier about the direction our country is heading to in overcoming the opioid epidemic. we committed ourselves here at the government to be better partners with state government, local government, and nonprofits, that's good, and i'm proud of the work that this congress has done. but the tragedy of overdoses has created the opportunity for companies like kaleo to exploit or capitalize on this public health crisis. that's wrong. it's shame full. i'm proud of the investigative work weef done. -- we've done. i will continue to do what we can to reduce prescription drug prices and protect programs like medicare and medicaid. thank you, mr. president. i would like another part of the record, if i could, mr. president, to meac a separate statement.

the presiding officer: -- to make a separate statement. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. portman: mr. president, today on the floor the senate voted on legislation dealing with saudi arabia, two issues, the death of journalist khashoggi and also the ongoing and tragic war in yemen. you may have seen on the floor somebody who helped orchestrate this debate. i thought it was a hillty debate. it was good. people offered amendments, offered the opportunity to discuss their amendments and debate them in full. i appreciate the fact that at the end of the day, the senate voted by an overwhelming mar jim, in fact by unanimous consent for a resolution that sends a clear signal to saudi arabia, to our other partners in the region, and, frankly, to the trump administration. the pern who was -- the person who was orchestrating this, you may have seen down on the floor of the senate is the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. his name is bob corker. senator corker is leaving after

this week, assuming congress is going to be out of session after this week or next week. and i think we will. he's chosen to retire, not to run for reelection. so come january, we'll have another senator from tennessee who will be joining us. but bob corker is going to go back into the private sector. so today i want to talk a little bit about chairman corker, the person you saw on the floor if you were watching earlier, and a friend but also a very valued member of the united states senate. the reason other people aren't on the floor talking about him right now is he chose not to give a departure speech, which is unusual. most senators choose to take to the floor and give a speech about their departure and their reflections being here and what they might do in the future and then other members come and talk about them. bob corker in his typical style, being a guy who's here for all

the right reasons and that's not him, it's about others for him have said, i don't think i'm going to give a departure speech so i don't think we'll have a chance to talk about him as we have with other colleagues in their presence because he's not growing to give that speech. but i will say he deserves to have others like me talk about his record because he has had so many accomplishments. he's been a leading voice in this body on so many important initiatives and issues. as chairman of the senate foreign relations committee, of course on the global stage, he's been active focusing on issues to improve the u.s. image around the world, our diplomacy is something he believes in and has supported. he is concerned about the u.s. role in the world. he wants to be sure america continues to play the leading role on things like human rights and spreading democracy and opening up channels of commerce. but he's also been very involved on budget issues, focusing on the debt and the deficit and the

problems that we face here in this country. and finally, he's been active on other legislative matters. one that comes to mind is banking issues. he's on the banking committee and very involved in how to deal with freddie mac and fannie mae and particularly after the financial crisis, some of the issues that arose and then after the great recession. so he has been very active as a legislator. he also brings an interesting perspective to this place because to this day he would tell you he's a business person, not a politician. and he came up as a developer, a builder. he didn't come up through politics. he did become the mayor of chattanooga and that's how he got involved in the political world. but he's got this business approach to things around here which i think is refreshing. he's also got the work ethic that comes from somebody that comes from the private sector. and that's relentless. i see it on display every day

but i think it's been part of bob's personality since he was a kid. he started his first job at age 13. that was picking up trash and bagging ice. he started his own construction company at age 25. by the way, that construction collator expanded to 18 state, 17 states in addition to his home state of tennessee. and he first entered public service not in a very glamorous job but having been successful in the private sector, he wanted to give back. and he was offered an opportunity to help his state and he said he wanted to be the finance and administration department director of tennessee. sort of like the budget person. and he was very helpful to the governor and to the state of tennessee in that role and then became mayor of chattanooga, his hometown. in 2006, he raen for federal office for -- he ran for federal office for the first time for the united states senate. he quickly to rose to prominence as someone who had expertise on

some of the issues. it was during the housing market. the market crashed and someone who advocated for conservative principles like reining in federal spending and reducing the united states deficit. in 2012 he was reelected to the senate handedly and has been chairman of the senate foreign relations committee for the past four years. i'm a member of that committee so i've had the opportunity to see his work up close and watched how he works patiently with republicans and democrats alike and focuses not just on the sound bites and throwing out the rhetoric but how to get something done that helps our great country. i can fell you -- i can tell you with certainty that during chairman corker's tenure on the foreign relations committee, our allies around the world have benefited and our adversaries have been held accountable. that's his approach. pretty simple. he's played a key role in helping restore america's leadership role in the world and i'm pleased with the work we've accomplished from combating russia's continued aggression in eastern europe to standing up

for our friend and ally israel to what we did today with regard to sending a clear message on values. just recently legislation he championed is called the build act. and it was signed into law by the president without a lot of fanfare but it's going to make a big difference in helping our country, in helping not just our image around the world but ensuring we're helping bringing other countries out of poverty by using u.s. market forces that work. it helps bring u.s. private sector investment to low income countries around the world to reduce poverty, to grow investment. and this is important in any context but certainly today with one of our competitors, china, trying to do the same thing but using another tactic, not the private sector but the public sector. it's a perfect example of the kind of impact bob corker has had on this body. he's built up international relationships and he's bolstered our national security all at once. it's been a pleasure working with him and i wish him all the best. he is a restless guy so he's

going to end up doing something else very creative with his life, i'm sure. and i know he will enjoy spending more time with elizabeth, his wife of 30 years and their two daughters and two grand children. but i'm eager to see what bob is going to do next. i know we will be hearing from him because his thirst for public service and helping others is just too great. so to bob corker, congratulations on a career of public service and i hope you enjoy the next exciting chapter of your life. mr. president, i yield back my time. mr. cassidy: mr. president?

the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana. mr. cassidy: mr. president, i rise today to honor two people in our state, my state and yours, who served in world war ii and are being celebrated in northwest louisiana. charles davis and doug carter. both are 92. mr. davis celebrates his 93rd birthday in to days and -- two days and so on behalf of you and my behalf i wish him a happy birthday. these american heroes are part of the greatest generation. mr. davis joined the navy when he was 16 years old just after pearl harbor was bombed in 1941. imagine that. 16 years old leaving home, volunteering to face a world of danger to defend our country. he bravely served six years at iwo jima, okinawa, and elsewhere. his courage tested on numerous

occasions but one example when the ship on which he served was destroyed leaving he and his fellow crew members stranded in the middle of the ocean with only life vests for keep them alive for 37 hours. charles said he spent a lot of time talking to god during those painful hours, particularly painful because his brother serving on the same ship did not live. a terrible loss but when charles talks about his life, he speaks with humility and gratitude about his life experiences. he says he lived a great life and no small part to the great country that we live in. asked how he was always so positive, he says that every morning you could decide to have a good day or a bad day. and for him he says it is not a tough choice. mr. doug curtis he served from january 1944 to august 1946,

starting in little rock, arkansas. he deployed overseas to the philippines in japan, prepared to do whatever was needed pledging patriotic duty to protect our country and the people he loved. a special celebration is being thrown on december 14, tomorrow, in manny, louisiana, to honor charles and doug. my office will present them both with american flags which have flown over this capitol building. a small gesture but meant to honor these two men and to celebrate their service, sacrifice, and examples. i thank these great louisiana heros for their service to our country. and, mr. president, i'll convey your thanks as well. i yield back.

mr. lankford: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. lankford: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 698,-2606. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 698, h.r. 2606, an act to amend the act commonly known as the ziegler act with respect to restrictions applicable to indians of the five civilized tribes of oklahoma and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. lankford: i ask unanimous consent that the lankford amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill sam be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the tables.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lankford: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the calendar number 685, s. 2599. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 685, s. 2599, a bill to provide for the transfer of certain federal land in the state of minnesota for the benefit of the leech lake band of ojibwa. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. lankford: ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lankford: i know of no other debate on the bill, as amended. the presiding officer: if there is no further debate, the question is on the passage of the bill, as amended. all those in favor, say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it.

the ayes do have it. mr. lankford: ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table -- the presiding officer: the bill as amended is passed. mr. lankford: i ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lankford: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the calendar number 699, h.r. 4032. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 699, h.r. 40 3,an act to confirm undocumented federal rights-of-way and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. lankford: ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lankford: i know of no further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: if there's no further debate, question is on passage of the bill. all those in favor, say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it.