root of things the systems are not equal and not just. you got to go down to the basics. if i could close with one last thing on what he said because it's so important. so much of this happens because the power is consolidated in a few hands. we talk about that let me address that. i'm trying to get a bill passed through our legislator that lets us review the consolidation in the healthcare market because more and more they hospitals and now more and more wall street hedge funds and private equity firms are buying up mid size community hospitals, clinics and gobbling up and they are predators and getting so big. we are trying to have a bill passed that would give the department of justice the authority to review cases of consolidation and to make sure it's not just profitable for the predator but there is a value that goes into that -- >> we leave this live event to take you back to the senate floor.

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader is recognized. mr. mcconnell: for the information of all senators, after the senate adjourns today, we will have our regular pro

forma meetings through the end of the state work period. if the speaker of the house and the minority leader of the senate decide to finally let another rescue package move forward for workers and for families, it would take bipartisan consent to meet for legislative business sooner than scheduled. as has been the case, the senators would receive at least 24 hours' notice before any unanticipated votes. the american people need more help. coronavirus is not finished with our country, so congress cannot be finished helping our people. republicans have been waiting and trying to pass bipartisan relief literally for weeks. i would hope our democratic colleagues will let the senate act sometime soon.

i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 771. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, brett h. ludwig of wisconsin to be united states district judge for the eastern district of wisconsin. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of brett h. ludwig of wisconsin, to be united states district judge for the eastern district of wisconsin, signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the reading of the names be waived.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 772. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: judiciary, christie criswell wiegand of pennsylvania to be united states district judge for the western district of pennsylvania. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of christie criswell wiegand of pennsylvania to be united states district judge for

the western district of pennsylvania, signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 811. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, hala y. jarbou of michigan to be united states district judge for the western district of michigan. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the

nomination of hala y. jarbou of michigan to be united states district judge for the western district of michigan. signed by 17 senators as follow- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 646. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk which report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, thomas t. cullen of virginia to be united states district judge for the western district of virginia. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk

will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of thomas t. cullen of virginia to be united states district judge for the western district of virginia, signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 358. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, diane gujarati of new york to be united states district judge for the eastern

district of new york. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of diane gujarati of new york to be united states district judge for the eastern district of new york, signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to consideration of the following nomination, executive calendar 819. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report. the clerk: executive office of the president, michael d. nemelka of utah to be deputy united states trade representative. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the senate vote on the

nomination with no intervening action are or debate, if confirmed the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. the question is on the confirmation of the nomination. all in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the nomination is confirmed. the motion to reconsider is considered laid and made -- made and laid on the table. and the president will be immediately notified. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of the following nomination, executive calendar 704. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report. the clerk: federal mediation and

conciliation services, richard g. giacolone of virginia to be federal mediation and conciliation director. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate, if confirmed the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. the question is on the nomination. all in favor say aye. those opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. ymed. -- the ayes do have it. the nomination is confirmed. the motion to reconsider is made and laid upon the table. the president will be immediately notified. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations, exoif calendar 817 and 818. the presiding officer: without objection, the clerk will report

the nomination en bloc. the clerk: the judiciary, alina i. marshall of virginia toen a judge of the united states tax court. christian n. weiler of louisiana to be a judge of the united states tax court. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc, the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. the question is on the confirmation. all in favor say aye. those opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the nominations are confirmed en bloc. the motion to reconsider is made and laid upon the table. the president will be immediately notified. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session with a period of morning business with

senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i understand there are three bills at the desk chght i ask for their first reading en bloc. the presiding officer: without objection, the clerk will read the titles of the bill for the first time en bloc. the clerk: h.r. 3, an act to establish a fair price negotiation program and so forth and for other purposes. h.r. 151, an act to provide for -- a 1, an act to provide for the admission of the state of washington, d.c. into the union. h.r. 1425, an act to amend the patient protection and affordable care act for provide for an improved health insurance afford annual fund and so forth. mr. mcconnell: i ask for a second reading and i object to my own request all en bloc. the presiding officer: the objection having been heard, the bills will receive their second reading on the next legislative

day. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming jump month -- adjournment of the senate, the president of the senate, president pro tempore and the majority and minority leaders are authorized to make appointments to committees, board, conferences or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law by concurrent action of the two houses or by order of the senate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the appointment at the desk appear separately in the record as if made by the chair. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only with no business being conducted on the following dates and times and that following each pro forma session, the senate adjourn until the next pro forma session. friday, august 14. 10:00 a.m. tuesday, august 18, 12:00 p.m. friday, august 21, 11:15 a.m.

tuesday, august 25, 2:30 p.m., friday, august 28, 2:00 p.m. tuesday, september 1, 7:00 a.m. friday, september 4, 10:00 a.m. i further ask that when the senate adjourns on friday, september 4, it next convene at 3:00 p.m. tuesday, september 8 and that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. further, upon the closing of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to resume the ludwig nomination. finally, notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: so if there's no further business to come

before the senate, i ask it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until senate stands adjourned until >> the u.s. senate gobbling out for the day making no progress toward both on the next go to 19 relief bill. when the senate returns we will have live coverage here on c-span2. we take you back lives now to the discussion with democratic attorneys general on racial inequality. >> fighting the governor because the governor of minnesota is trying to protect people from covid and we will fire commissioners, withhold your budget and until you kick open the state so covid could spread everywhere and we are confronting them and did vindicated the governor and we are proud of our colleagues who have been fighting