vote:

the presiding officer: have all senators voted? any senator wish to change their vote. the yeas are 72. the nays are 22. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of sherri a. lydon of south carolina to be united states district judge for the district of south carolina 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 did bait on

the nomination of sherri a. lydon of south carolina shall be brought -- debate on the nomination of sherri a. lydon of south carolina shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays have been ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: have all senators voted? any senator wish to change their vote? on this vote the yeas are 79, the nays are 14. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of robert m. duncan to be a governor of the united

states postal service signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of robert m. duncan of kentucky to be governor of the united states postal service shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 91, the nays are 1. and the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, united states postal service, robert m. duncan of kentucky to be a

governor. mr. peters: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. mr. peters: mr. president, when i travel across to michigan, one issue comes up regularly in my conversations with businesses, workers, and families. that issue is the need to close the skills gap. there are good-paying jobs available all across my state, but not enough workers that have the specific skills needed to fill them. that's why one of my top priorities in the senate is to expand access to quality skills training programs like registered apprenticeships that are connected to today's

in-demand jobs. effective apprenticeships are good for business, they are good for workers in both urban and rural areas of michigan, as well as all across our country. but i have also heard from veterans like rick donovan in oakland county about how there is a lack of apprenticeships available for veterans that qualify for them to use their g.i. benefits. the g.i. bill offers veterans in approved apprenticeships additional financial support for housing and other training materials as they progress through the program. unfortunately, only a small portion of apprenticeship programs registered by the department of labor are also approved by the department of veterans' affairs. in michigan, for example, there are over 1,000 registered apprenticeship programs, but only a couple hundred of which veterans can use their v.a. educational assistance in connection with that program. this is simply unacceptable. veterans should have access to

as many opportunities as there are available. that's why senator capito and i introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure veterans' interests are not falling through the cracks between federal agencies as they per sue apprenticeships to launch their career. our support for veterans takes three commonsense steps to expand opportunities for veterans to use their financial assistance for quality training programs that lead to good-paying jobs. first, the bill will ensure that every program applying to become a regular apprenticeship is proactively thinking about ways to support veterans. programs would need to provide written assurance to the department of labor that they are aware of g.i. bill assistance and commit to taking the steps necessary to enable benefits to use these benefits as apprentices. second, that the skill and training that veterans gain

through military service would be a factor as to how they are place -- placed in the program. many veterans may apply for advanced placement due to it their unique experiences while bravely serving our country and our bill will recognize those skill sets. third, the bill will improve coordination between federal agencies. it would direct the department of labor to notify the v.a. of newly registered apprenticeship programs, it's a straightforward action, to update new apprenticeship opportunities. our nation's returning heroes deserve every opportunity to pursue their professional dreams after their service. my expanding qualified apprenticeships, this bill will make a real difference in the lives of our veterans. heinrich a veteran advocate from michigan said that he would not have known he could use his b.i. benefits for on-the-job training had he not crossed paths with a

senior veteran who knew about it. with the support of the g.i. bill, rick was able to pursue an apprenticeship and now used that training towards a college degree and is now a sheet metal worker in michigan. we need to work with veterans like rick to open doors to fellow veterans so they can achieve economic success in the 21st century. so, mr. president, as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on help be discharged from further consideration of senate bill 760, and that the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 760, a bill to enable registered apprenticeship programs to better serve veterans and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without

objection, the committee is discharged and will proceed to the measure. mr. peters: i ask unanimous consent that the peters amendment at the desk be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: weeks. pete -- without objection. mr. peters: i know of no further debate on this bill as amended. the presiding officer: if there's no further debate, the question on the passage of the bill, as amended. all in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill, as amended, is passed. mr. peters: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. peters: thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. ms. ernst: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are not. ms. ernst: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, there is something we can do in congress today, right now, right this very minute that would lift a burden and provide peace of mind for millions of people across this great country. as we all busy ourselves making holiday plans, iowa's farmers and manufacturers are struggling

to confidently look to the future. many of the tools they need to feel confident and secure in the months ahead are laid out in the united states-mexico-canada agreement. the usmca trade agreement was signed by president trump 369 days ago. 369 days ago. folks, that's over one year ago. speaker pelosi and her house colleagues have had more than enough time to pass this important agreement, yet they've failed to do so. instead house democrats are fixated on impeaching the president.

let's not forget, though, when the house democrats decided to go down this impeachment path, the american people were guaranteed that the house democrats would be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. they promised that they could process this impeachment inquiry while continuing to do the work of the people. well, folks, there's not much walking and chewing gum going on. instead, that gum seems to be stuck under some park bench somewhere. that's where we are today, folks. while millions of americans whose livelihoods are tied to trade wait for the democrats to get serious. it's really unthinkable that usmca is not already ratified by

the united states. folks, the usmca is written, it is signed, it is agreed to by our partners. all we have to do is vote to pass it. it really is that simple. as i mentioned, it's been over one year since the trade agreement was signed. that means iowa farmers have now gone through an entire cycle of planting, harvesting, and selling their crops without a finalized trade agreement with our two biggest trade partners. yes, they are our two biggest trade partners, mexico and

canada. i spent all year crisscrossing iowa to visit all of my 99 counties. i do that every year just as senator grassley does. and not once did i hear someone say hey, senator ernst, let's wait on the usmca. you know, folks, it was quite the opposite. whether i was at one of my 35 town halls that i held this last year or during a farmer round table or a visit to a small manufacturer, i heard consistently and across the board that iowans want usmca right now. they want it now. these hardworking folks know the impact the usmca will have on our iowa economy and the u.s. economy as a whole.

there is no reason iowans should have to wait any longer. there is no reason the american workers shouldn't have the certainty that they need. my house colleagues have not been able to offer any reasonable explanation for their inaction. i beg to say though, folks, that it's because of who sits in the white house. which would be a sad reality that once again democrats would choose to put their own politics ahead of what's best for the american people. folks, the usmca is not partisan. it's not about president trump. it's about what's best for

hardworking iowans. it's what's best for the american people. the work has been done for congress. the trade agreement has been written. all we have to do is say yes for the american people. that's it. so simple. so, folks, let's get serious. let's do the simple task that folks back home are asking us to do. and that is to pass the usmca. thank you, mr. president. i will yield the floor. mrs. fischer: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from nebraska. mrs. fischer: thank you, mr.

president. i rise today alongside my republican colleagues to once again voice my strong support for the united states, mexico, canada agreement. this agreement has been on the minds of nebraskans for well over a year now. nebraska and rural america as a whole was dealt a tough hand in 2019. however, every time that i meet with nebraska's farm families, ranchers, ag producers, and manufacturers, they reassure me that they can endure these challenges. they will sacrifice short-term anxiety for long-term certainty and predictability. but they need to know that there's going to be a light at the end of this tunnel. one important thing congress can do to meet their needs is simple. pass the usmca.

this agreement is a victory for nebraska and for america. i'll give you a glimpse into what this means for my state. currently canada and mexico receive 44% of nebraska's total exports. in 2017 alone, our state sent nearly $900 million of ag products to mexico and nearly $450 million of ag products to canada. these exports include our world class corn, soybeans, ethanol, and beef. as i've said before, america's heart beats in the same rhythm as agriculture. when our ag producers succeed, entire communities reap the benefits. the nebraska department of agriculture reports that our state's $6.4 billion in

agricultural exports in 2017 led to nearly $8 toy 2 -- $8.2 billion in additional economic activity in our state. that's why it's so important that nebraska's top two markets, mexico and canada, are protected. we all know that the usmca is the product of bipartisan good-faith work. both sides agree this deal not only updates but it strengthens our environmental responsibilities, and it places enforceable labor obligations at the core of the agreement. all former secretaries of agriculture since the reagan administration, both republicans and democrats, have voiced their strong support. even though washington post

editorial board conceded that the deal is, quote, a real improvement over the status quo. end quote. last july a group of 14 house democrats sent a letter to speaker pelosi urging her to move forward with usmca immediately. the president of mexico made his own plea to the speaker in a letter last week. canada is still waiting for us to act. the senior senator from iowa noted that a deal between house democrats and the trump administration must be struck this week if ratification of the usmca is to take effect this year. time is running out meanwhile house democrats are distracted by impeachment proceedings when

they should be focused on passing this very meaningful agreement. in the final weeks of 2019, we will see if the needs of hardworking men and women in the heartland take priority over political theater. i urge my colleagues to follow through on our nation's priorities and end the months of needless stalling. we must act now. the passage of usmca would be an incredible win for nebraska, and it would be an undeniable victory for america. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north carolina. mr. tillis: thank you, mr. president. i come to the chamber today to rise with my colleagues to talk about the usmca. the unite united states-mexico-a trade agreement. before i talk about the vote that i hope is in this chamber on fairly short order, i'd like to go back to december of 1993. in december of 1993, president clinton signed nafta. a month later it was ratified. to be honest with you, it started a period of time in north carolina where we suffered. we had a challenge to actually determine how we were going to

react to a very different north carolina where there was textiles, a number of other industries suffered initially under the nafta implementation. but today north carolina is one of the greatest benefactors of nafta. as a matter of fact, we're one of the top states in the country for job creation and commerce, and canada and mexico are two most important export markets. the problem is nafta was implemented in 1994. i think that's back when the back street boys were topping the charts and emcee hammer was popular. it was a long, long time ago. it's time to modernize it. it was before the internet was even invented. we have so many opportunities to modernize our trade relationship it our two most important trade partners. and the usmca is the opportunity to do that. now while it only took about a month to ratify the nafta

agreement knowing there was a lot of work to be done before we would completely benefit from it, we've waited a year to ratify an agreement that will be immediately beneficial to the american economy. it will create more than 170,000 new jobs. $70 billion a year in additional economic activity putting us on a level playing field. so our automotive industry which has grown over the last 20 years, several automotive manufacturing facilities in the south and many businesses in my state that support it, opening up the markets for our farmers. north carolina is one of the -- is the ninth largest agricultural economy in the united states. nearly $90 billion a year in agricultural products. we want those markets open in canada and mexico so that we can grow our farm economy in north carolina. we also want to recognize that the usmca agreement is a very, very important step in getting

china to come to terms with fair trade with the united states. we settled an agreement with two of our most important trading partners, then china will take notice and they will follow the president's lead in understanding that we no longer are going to allow them to cop peat unfairly. -- compete unfairly. there are provisions in the usmca that i hear speaker pelosi talking about that frankly give me some concern. the house is entitled to make changes to the baseline agreement that both the mexico and canadian governments have ratified as proposed and signed by the president. they give me concern and we hope that speaker pelosi will speak to the baseline agreement, but we've got to get to work to get this agreement ratified so that these kinds of things continue to be positive stories that come out of north carolina, positive stories that come out of nebraska and iowa and across this nation. there is no downside to this agreement. as a matter of fact, one of the

reasons why i know there's no downside is there are dozens of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in the house who are prepared to vote for it in the form that the president signed. this is a very, very important agreement. and i do have to agree with my colleagues the only reason i can imagine that we don't have this agreement ratified last year is because of a focus on all things impeachment. this is a good deal. this is a good deal, i have no doubt, that if president clinton had signed this agreement in 1993 it would have been ratified a month later. yet we've waited a year for this agreement to get any air time in the house chamber. we need the usmca signed today. we need it the usmca put into place so that we can realize the immediate economic advantage for hardworking farmers, for small businesses, for the 170,000 new jobs that will be created, so that we can continue this economic recovery that started

with tax reform and regulatory reform. this is another step in the right direction, and no reasonable member of congress should be holding off on what is a great decision on the president's part, it's a great decision, it's a great policy for the american people. it's going to help my farmers in north carolina. it's going to help my small businesses. and it's going to continue to make the u.s. economy the envy of the world. so i ask speaker pelosi and my colleagues in the thousands get to work -- in the house to get to work. you can walk and chew gum. you can go ahead and focus on impeachment, if you want to. but from time to time why don't you take some chamber time, some of your resources to do right by the american people. that's what the usmca does. that's what we need the house to do. and i'll guarantee you, when it comes to the senate, we will quickly send to to the -- send it to the president's desk. thank you, mr. president.

h.o.v. mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from from north dakota. mr. hoeven: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: no, we are not. mr. hoeven: the time to pass usmca is now. this agreement will increase exports, expand consumer choice, raise wages, and boost innovation throughout north america and especially here in the united states. it's clear that usmca is good for the country and good for our economy. the u.s. international trade commission estimates that the usmca will raise g.d.p. by nearly $63 billion and create more than 175,000 jobs in the united states. no one knows agriculture better than american farmers and ranchers. technology has made them more efficient than ever. they've maintained an ag trade surplus for the last 50 years, exporting the best products around the world. american agriculture needs

access to foreign markets to reach its full poe essential. the same is true for my state of north dakota, which is a powerhouse in terms of ag product. shipping $4.5 billion worth of ag products around the globe from 201, making us the -- 2017, making us the country's ninth largest exporter of ag goods. our farmers and ranchers depend on free and fair trade in order to sell the lowest-cost food supply to the world. we lead on a variety of crops, including spring wheat. one-fifth of north dakota's farmable akers are carpeted with rows of compete. canada downgrades wheat to the low of the designation, designation being for animals only, regardless of the quality of the wheat. we grow the highest-quality

wheat in the world. this unfair trade practice puts growers at a disadvantage when sending wheat to canada. having access to canadian markets is a big win for growers. a quarter of our state's wheat is grown within 50 miles of canadian grain-handling facilities. by eliminating the automatic downgrade of u.s. wheat growers have access to an additional market. usmca ensures north dakota wheat growers that they'll be compensated fairly when selling their product in canada. those are the types of provisions provided for in the treaty, which makes it very clear that we need to get it passed. in addition to wheat, u.s. dairy products will see increased access to the canadian market as well, which is estimated to be worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars. the agreement also provides increased access to the canadian market in other products like poultry, chicken, eggs, and turkey exports, as well as others. these examples are just some of

the many benefits for american agriculture in the usmca. by maintaining all zero-tariff provisions on ag products, the usmca will secure critical market access to u.s. farmers and ranchers. canada and mexico are critical markets for u.s. agriculture, and pass will give you are -- passing it give our producers certainty that these markets will remain open. our farmers and ranchers are facing real challenges now. weather has destroyed crops or made them impossible to harvest. unjustified retaliatory tariffs have disrupted markets and driven prices lower. now more than ever, farmers and ranchers depend on stability in our trading relationships with canada and mexico, our nation's two largest trading partners. the ability to ratify this agreement would be detain -- the inability to ratify this agreement would be detrimental.

i believe that usmca has strong bipartisan support in the senate, but the implementing legislation must originate in the house. that's why i'm urging my colleagues in the house to do what's best for the american people. that's to take up and pass usmca as soon as possible. that means agreeing to the provisions in it the usmca and putting it on the floor for a vote in the house to get this process started. and we need leadership in the house to do that, to agree to take the implementing legislation and put it to a vote on the floor. -- on the floor of the house. i think it would pass with a large bipartisan majority in the house, and then and only then can we take up that legislation here in the senate. i believe it would pass with a large bipartisan majority in the senate. and, mr. president, we're ready to go. thank you, and i yield the floor.

mr. sasse: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from nebraska. mr. sasse: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, farmers and ranchers are in a tough spot. there are a lot of families on the edge of bankruptcy in my state and in ag country more broadly, and as we get closer to christmas and new year's without a trade deal with canada and mexico, the situation is getting bleaker. let's be blunt about this. by needlessly stonewalling the usmca trade agreement, speaker nancy pelosi and the house democrats are taking nebraska agriculture hostage. this is petty, stupid politics at its worst. the usmca trade deal is -- it's a free trade win for our farmers and ranchers, and they desperately need this win right now. with hard work and grit, nebraskans have cultivated one of the most powerful

agricultural economies in the history of the world. we literally feed the world, and we do it with free trade because we grow so much more food than we could ever consume. we need export markets and lots of people around the world want to be consuming our ag products. it's pretty simple. trade with canada and mexico is a win-win-win. in 2018, mexico and canada bought more than $40 billion of american agricultural products. the trade commission expects usmca to increase that trade by more than $33 billion. the usmca deal is designed to reinforce those partnerships with ways that make sense for an economy that has changed a lot since nafta was passed in the 1990's. in the 1990's sign felled was still on tv, we still watched movies on v.h.s. tape and we took our pictures with these things that the pages probably don't know, which are cameras that had film. we still want a lot of seinfeld

at my house. we've a he seen massive digital revolutionary change in nearly every sector of our economy. farmers are using new tech to increase our productivity and get more out of the most fertile land on god's green earth than ever assumed possible. the usmca trade deal makes that kind of basic improvement in our deal with our neighbors and we need that. for example, it scraps the old rules about importing cars that still have cassette tape players. chuck grassley apparently still has a car that has a cassette tape makers but he's proud of it, so we won't make fun of him here. passingthe usmca would secure long-term stability with our partners across america and it would also send a signal to other potential partners around the world that the u.s. is open for business. we need to bring japan, the

european union, and others to the negotiating table and passing the usmca would strengthen our position significantly in setting up those trade agreements. but time is running out. if we don't pass usmca this year, we're going to send a very different signal to our potential partners. speaker pelosi and house democrats can't get their act together on usmca, they'll be telling the whole world that we may or may not be open for business. it all depends on short-term political posturing. that's the message they're sending now, and that's a message that might be cemented if this calendar year ends without passing usmca. try running a convenience store like that and you'd be out of business in a month. a lot of folks in san francisco and new york city might not think much about beans and corn prices, bus every farmer and rancher in nebraska is -- but every farmer and rancher in nebraska is baffled that this no-brainer trade deal hasn't been passed yet. it is simply in the best

long-term interests of every involved. this is not something that should be slipping beyond this year. this is something that should pass now. we should call the vote on christmas morning, if that's what it takes. the congress should not be leaving d.c. without passing the usmca. time is running out and we don't want to let our farmers and ranchers face 2020 with the uncertainty and confusion they feel. these nebraskans want to do business, they want to trade, and we want to win. congress is the place where americans deliberate about the long-term challenges that we need to face for the future of our country, but instead of deliberation right now what they see on their tv's or newspapers is vicious partisanship and short term posturing. the american people deserve better than this. the clown show in the house of representatives shouldn't bring everything to a grinding halt. it shouldn't stop us from doing right by farmers and ranchers. the usmca trade agreement would pass by large majorities if

introduced on the house floor and i speculate it would get between 85 and 90 votes on this floor. we can't take it up until the house votes and the house would pass it with a big majority. that means only nancy pelosi stands in the way of usmca certainty for the world's greatest producers. everyone knows this, and speaker pelosi should be scheduling the vote. we have only 28 days left in stwient, but that is -- in 2019 but that is plenty of time to vote on the usmca, plenty of time to get a win for our farmers and ranchers. speaker pelosi, please schedule the vote. thank you, mr. president.

mr. gardner: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from drovment colorado.

mr. gardner: i have eight requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the permission of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. gardner: i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the nomination for a vote. the clerk: the judiciary, john l. sinatra jr. of new york to be united states district judge for the western district of new york. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: