minority party in the rule change could pass. that is somethin to watch but rule changes on the house floor because that will be significant as far as campaign ammunition and as far as i've been in washgton the rule has been if a motion to recommit by the minority just would need a majority so two thirds would be a significant vote. >> let's hear what are viewers have to say. joann in portland, oregon, democratic color. goodorning. >> caller: good morning.ed hello, i just wante to congratulate president biden and vice president kamala harris. they need to start transitioning over. they w. nobody makes the rules. nobody changes the rules. that is the way it is. >> joe ben was scheduled for 135 eastern we are notble to bring youue to our long-time

commitment for live senate coverage starting in a moment howevewe will recd the presidt elect and have it later on the c-span networks. live to the senate where they e planning to wk on a nomition for u.s. district court for the southern district of mississippi. the president pro tempor the senate will come to order. thchaplain, dr. barry black, will open the senate with the chaplain: let us pray. eterl redeemer, provide our laakers with your grace, mercy, and peace by your grace, may they forget the challenges behind them. by your mercy, may they reach

for the opportunities that beckon. by yr peace, may they possess anquanimity of temperament during life's fluctuating intricacies. lord, give them a passion for truth and a reluctance to major minors. use their exemplary lives to inspire people to live wh faith, purse, and power. remind us all that though we may planned, you deterne what will finally happen. amenray in your great name. the president pro tempore:

please joi me in the pledge. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, invisible, with liberty and justice for all. mr. grassley: mr. president? the presiding officer:he senato from iowa. mr. grassley: one minute for morning business. the presiding officer: without jection. mr. grassley: although many proking vaccines for the coronavirus -- although

promising vaccines for the coronavirus is more important than ever, it is more important to stop the surge. countries across the world are seeing cas explode. it's critical for iowans to step up their personal responsibilities, to stay safe and healthy for themselves and their loved ones. and that, of course, includes our tireless health care professionals, those on the front lines working to save lives. this virus is hitting rural and urban areas alike. no community is immune. i ask every iowan to continue to do their part to keep their family and neighbors safe. wash your hands, limit your activity outside your household, social distance, wear a mask. we're going to get through this together, but we need everyone to do their part. i eld the floor. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader.

mr. mcconnell: once again this morning brought two different sets of headlines on the pandem we've been battling for the last nine months. on one hand, rates of infection and hospitalization are rising rapidly natnwide. we must all continue taking smart precautions, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. but, at the same time, we continue to receive hopeful signs that victory may actually be on the horizon. this morning the american biotech firm m moderna and their national institutes of health announce that early trials suggest the vaccine their developing may not only be safe but 95% effective. this follows pfizer's announcement last week as f.d.a. commissioner scott gottlieb summed it up, when the full data comes out, we may have two highly effective vaccines

against covid. if these results hold, we're told the first doses of a vaccine could be administered to certain vulnerable people as soon as next month. with wider distribution by next spring. this is a remarkable testament to american ingenuity, to bright researchers and brave test participants, to bold commitnts from the private sector and historic support from smart public policy like operation warp speed from the trump administration and from this senate. as moderna's c.e.o. said this morning, quote, i want to thank our partners atarta and operation warp speed who have been instrumental in accelerating our program to this point. operation warp speed spent billions in funding to expedite research and development. it provided a streamlined regulatory environment and

prepurchase agreements to reduce risk. it has mobilized the compilation of the basic supplies -- things like needles and swabs -- that need to travel with the vaccine itself. we have every indication that this historic public-private partnership is on track to delir a scientific miracle and help us defeat the virus in the months ahead. certainly there is no time to waste. kentucky just announced our highest ever weekly count of new positive cases. the numbers are troubling in places all across our country. so for now, our job is to continue doing all we can to stay safe and slow the spread. now, mr. president, on a totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all u.s. military forces from syria, iraq, and afghanistan.

here in congress, a small minority in both parties seem think it is in america's power to unilaterally remove conflicts by simply walking away from them. met me say that again -- let me say that again. a small minority in both parties seem to think it's in earthquake in's power to -- it's in america's power to unilaterally resolve conflicts by systemly walking away from them -- by simply walking away from them. of course all wars must end. the question is, now how they end and on whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the united states. and nothing about the circumstances we face today suggest that if we lose resolve, the terrorists will simply leave us alone. over the last four years, the trump administration has made tremendous headway in creating

the conditions that will secure the enduring defeat of the terrorists. this president and his policies have strengthened america's hand in multiple middle east conflicts while reducing the risks and costs to our country. the isis caliphate has been shattered and millions have been liberated from their brutal rule. we've removed master terrorists like al-baghdadi, soleimani, and senior al qaeda and isis leaders from the battlefield. the trump administration has brokered diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled region. the abraham accords are a geostrategicame changer. the last four years have also brought increased skin in the game from our allies and our

partners. our friends in europe and elsewhere have a shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. today in africa, our limited american presence supports a multinational initiative led by france to combat radical islamic terrorists. likewise, in places where american forces continue to play roles in ongoing conflicts across the middle east, cretaries mattis worked hard to secure renewed contributions from european partners and to transition our posture more and more towards a supporting role. our local partners are demonstrably the lion's share of the fight. we scored major battlefield successes by supporting and

working with and through local partners such as the afghan national security forces, the elite iraqi counterterrorism service and the local kurdish and arab fighters of the syrian democratic forces. the situati we face today is totally different than what we faced 10 years ago. we do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. we do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad. we're not an occupying force. today our limited american military presence in the middle east is supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. we're playing a limited -- limited -- but important role in defending american national security and american interests against terrorists who would like nothing more than for the

most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up our ball and go home. they would love that. that's why last year 70 senators -- a bipartisan supermajority -- voted for an amendment i authored that acknowledged the progress made in syria and afghanistan, identified the risks that remain, and cautioned that precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that iran, russia, and the terrorists would be delighted -- delighted -- to fill. there is no american who does not wish the war in afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers had already been conclusively won. but that does not change the actual choice before us now. a rapid withdrawal of u.s. forces from afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight -- delight -- the people who wish us harm.

violence affecting afghans is still rampant. the taliban is not abiding by the conditis of the so-called pee deal. e consequences of a premature american exit would likely be even worse than president obama's withdrawal from iraq back in 2011, which fueled -- fueled -- the rise of isis and a new round of global terrorism. it would be reminiscent of the humiliating american departure from saigon in 1975. we'd be abandoning our partners in afghanistan, the brave afghans who are fighting the terrorist us and destroying the government's leverage in their talks with the taliban are designed to end the fighting. our retreat would embolden the taliban, especially the deadly haqqani wing, and risk plunging afghan women and girls back into

what they experienced back in the 1990's. it would hand a weakened and scattered al qaeda a big, big propaganda victory and a renewed safe haven for plotting attacks against america. and it would be welcome news to iran, which has long provided arms and support to the taliban and explicitly seeks our retreat from the middle east. a disorganized retreat would jeopardize the track record of major successes this administration has worked hard to compile. as a number of former officials and ambassadors recently stated, the spectacle of u.s. troops abdoning facilities and equipment, leaving the field in afghantan to the talibannd isis would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of u.s. defeat and humiation and of victory for islamic extremism.

president trump deserves major credit -- major credit -- for reducing u.s. forces in afghanistan to a sustainable level, scoring major victories against terrorists acrosshe region, and ensuring the afghans themselves are at the front of the fight. that same successful approach should continue until the conditions for long-term defeat of isis and al qaeda have been achieved. mr. president, i ask unanimous the immediate consideration of calendar number 505, h.r. 6395. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 505, h.r. 6395, and act to appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activits of the department of defense a so fort and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure.

mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the inhofe substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. . mcconnell: i know of no fuher debate on the bill, a amended. the presiding officer: if there is no further debate, the question is on 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. mcconnell: i asknanimous consent the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: suggest the

absence of a quorum. the presidg officer: the clerk will call the roll. quor call:

orum call:

the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. schumer: isk unanimous consent that the qrum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, mr. president, tomorrow the senate will vote on the nomination of judy shelton to serve on the board of governors of the federal reserve. her views are extreme and retrograde. she seems to prefer the economic policies that foregrounded the economic depression and

advocated a return to the gold standard and long questioned the need for federal deposit insurance and in march 2009, in the midst of our last economic crisis, she questioned why do we need a central bank. imagine someone like ms. shelton with her retrograde views sitting on the federal reserve during a time of economic crisis. imagine someone like that making decisions about monetary policy back in april when our economy was in free fall. we should not firm to the federal reserve someone who would likely stymie efforts to dig ourselves out of this economic crisis. i urge every one of my colleagues, democrat and republican, to reject this terrible, terrible nomination. covid -- covid-19, as we know, unfortunately, has upended nearly every aspect of american life for the better part of a

year but as impatient as we all are for our lives to return to normal, the harsh truth of the matter is the coming months might be the worst of the pandemic. cases have skyrocketed to well over 150,000 americans per day. we're now recording one million new covid cases a week. hospital i. krumplet's and -- i.c.u.'s and morgues are beyond capacity. americans must brace themselves for a long winter the we cannot tire of the limited precautions that save lives. wear a mask, social distance, avoid large indoor gatherings, stay vigilant. we must do our part to prevent this next surge from overwhelming our health systems. congress, as well, should be doing all that is necessary to support those efforts and prevent the worst from

happening. too many americans have lost health care coverage as a result of losing their jobs this year. medicaid has seen a huge increase in new enrollees and needs resources. as unemployment remains in tens of millions, extended unemployment insurance is paramount and many more things besides. speaker pelosi and i have been in regular communication with president-elect biden and his transition team. unlike the current administration, the incoming administration wants to move rapidly to get a handle on the virus and recover our economy. today president-elect biden urged the senate to pass the heroes act, comprehensive legislation that sleeves no one -- leaves no one intiendz. our country deserves a bill that meets the needs of the american people and the moment. if leader mcconnell and our republican colleagues want to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan solution with a bipartisan process, democrats

are ready and willing and able to do so. but, unfortunately, its been two weeks since leader mcconnell said he was in charge of negotiating the next covid-19 relief bill and he still hasn't spoken to speaker pelosi or myself. we have 14 votes on the floor this week on nominations for a lame duck president, but we have nothing -- nothing pertaining to covid. there is, however, a bit of good news today. a second u.s. company announced it has discovered an effective vaccine in phase three trials. early figures suggest it is close to 95% effective. as these two vaccines move through the final approval process, we should distribute them to everyone in a comprehensive bill that includes robust vaccine funding. finally there is light at the end of the tunnel but we're still in the tunnel and may be

so for several months. we must do everything in our individual power to turn the tide of the virus. on elections. instead of working to pull the country back together so we can fight our common enemy, covid-19, the republican majority is busy spreading conspiracy theories, denying reality, poisoning the well of our democracy. it seems like republicans all over washington are nudging each other aside to say who can say the most outlandish thing in support of president trump's faceless claims of election fraud. two members of this chamber went so far as to accuse their state's election result of not being delivered honestly because president trump didn't win. they demanded their own secretary of state, a fellow republican, resign. the two senators provided no evidence, not a shred to support the claim that the election

wasn't conducted honestly. a republican governor suggested sernding alternative state of electors to the electoral college, he encouraged them to ignore the will of the voters to send the electors who would vote for donald trump. i understand my republican colleagues dislike the results of the presidential election, but this has gone beyond ridiculous. this is reckless. president trump is working to convince millions of americans that the election wasn't fair and was stolen without a scrap of evidence. whatever fears my colleagues might have about president trump abandoning their party if they don't show sufficient support, that's no excuse for sanctioning his efforts to discredit our democratic elections. the percentage of republicans who now believe the election was not free and fair has doubled to 70% -- 7-0 -- in the united

states of america. how much longer will senate republicans stand by while president trump shreds americans' faith in our democracy? so i have a simple message for my colleagues. the election is over. president trump lost. joe biden will be the next president of the united states. cam cam kamala harris will the vice president. ironically the president's legal challenges have accomplished one thing, they have revealed how secure our elections were as courts from pennsylvania to michigan to arizona dismiss these claims, they are confirming there is no credible evidence of fraud or ig regularies -- irregularities. not one vote was tossed out.

in order to keep up this shraid, the trump administration is now denying national security briefings to president-elect biden. it is actively refusing to coordinate with the incoming administration on the coronavirus. how unimaginably stupid is that. we shouldn't be discussing for one minute whether or not republicans will accept the democratic results of our presidential election or whether the next president should receive security briefings. that should be a given. but it appears, sadly, unfortunately that our republican colleagues will follow president trump all the way down the rabbit hole to the very bitter end of his very bitter presidency. and every day that goes by, the more damage is done to our country, to our national security, to our ability to fight covid, and to americans' faith in our democracy.

so i plead with my republican colleagues, stop denying reality, stop recklessly sowing doubt about our democratic process. stop going down to the lowest common denominator that president trump seems to live with all the time and start focusing on covid. let's bring the country together and get some things done. i yield theloor and note the abnce of a quorum. the presiding office the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the presiding office the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. psident -- the presiding officer: the sena is in a quoru call. mr. leahy: oh, i ask unanimous consent that the call of the quorumming dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection.

thest under the previous reserved.e leadership time is morning business is closes. under e previous order, the senate will proceed to executi session to resume consideration of the following nomination, whh the erk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. kristi haskins johnson of mississippi to be united states district judge for the souther district of mississippi. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, i'm struck by the fact, as i cal people around my state of vermont, which is, like your state, every state, is suffering from covid, althou our -- i will compliment our republican governor, who has kept the numbers dow lower than practically any other state in the country. but we're facing winter, and even today the outgoing prident does not seem to be willing to acknowledge the huge

mistake he made in not accepting the fact that we had a covid pandic coming to this country. we lost too much time preparing for it. we're still not adequately prepared for it. we could take some hope in news of new vaccinations. but even those going to take months before that can be fully implemented. the reason i mention this, mr. president, is that the senate time and time and time again is voting on jicial nominees that have been recommended predominatenantly by special interest group -- predinantly by a special interest group, or a couple different interest groups, and we have to vote on these special-interest judges for lifetime appointments. but we can't do a single thing

to help the average people who are suffering because of covid. this is not -- should not be a republican or democratic issue. in my state, i hear from business peoplwho have small b b's, they have restaurants, a small business. as republican or democrat.selves they just say, we can't open. what are we going to do? i hear from parent whose say, what's being done so our kids can go back to school. the school says they could probably doing i but they need the money to set up various covid protections. small hospitals are overwhelmed. we've seen this in statesll over the country, the hospitals are being overwhelmed and the

people working there are being overwhelmed. and the united states senate hasn't done a single thing. we had a bill before us from the house in june and july. we could have voted on it. the republican leader says, no, we can't because there's some parts we republicans may not like. well, that's why you vote. bringt up, vote it up, vote it down. bring up amendments, vote for them, vote against them. buto it. instead we spend our timeay after day after day voting on special interest judges, people that have been proposed by special interest groups who are picked because they feel they will vote with these special interests. what we should be doing -- take a little time off fm that and vote for the american people. in my state we have republicans and democrats. we have a republican governor who is doing anxcellent job.

he's just been reelected. and he's -- and we have a wonderful mocratic woman who is he a been elected as the new lieutenant governor. they both want to work togetr to geteople back to school, back to work, protect their health, and they keep saying, where's the help coming from washington? now, i think instead of spendg all this time talking about fanciful thoughts -- i saw one of the trump supporters on television saying that she was there to rally for donald trump, to resist those millions of votes that came in at the last minute from china into the voting booths. she thoroughly believed it, and she seemed like a good,

intelligenterson. but let's talk about reality. the reality is that covid did not go away in the spring, as the president said. the reality is that you have to wear masks. the reality is you have to take steps to keep from having covid. the reality is that our schools are suffering, our families are suffering, our small businesses are suffering, our government agencies are suffering. america is suffering. you know, i think about a few years ago when we had ela plague, and thebama administration put in place with strong bipartisan support a special unit at the white house to react to plagues or serious

novel diseases coming here. as a result, america was protected. but we has d as america does best, we've helped other countries to handle the question of ebola. what did we do when this administration came in? well, because president obama had set up that infectious disease unit, they quily disbanded it. and for months, as the reports were coming in making it very clear we were facing a serious threat, they ignored it, refused to acknowledge it. now at least they ackwledge it somewhat but are unwilling to take theteps necessary to fight it. so i would suggest that the united states senate ought to do its job. hold off for a while these special interest judges and actually vote for the things that help people who don't have

a special interest -- the vast majority of republicans and democrats, men and women, families throughout the united states of america. do something t help them. brg up the bills, bring up the covid bills, bring up the appropriations bills. certainly senator shelby and i are prepared to bring them to the flo. and if people don't like a particular bill, then partnership an amendment, vote it -- and bring up an amendment, vote it upr down. why are we afraid t vote? let the amecan people see what we're doing. certainly i do not know a single rson -- republican or democrat -- in moo state who wou tell me, i would much rather have you vote on these special interest judges than to vote on things that might actually help us to keep our business from closing, help us be able to afford for our kids to for example to

school, help us -- to go to school, help us put food on o table. that's what we should be doing. let's vote on real things. let vote on the covid appropriations. let's vote on the hel let's bring up our appropriations bills. after all, in just a few weeks, all fding for the government stops. bring it up and vote on it. vote up or down. if people don't want to fund the government, then vote no. if they want to fund the government, vote yes. if they don't like a particular part of the funding package, bring up an amendment and have the couge to put your name on it and then vote it up or down. ll speak further on this as we go on. i see one of my colleagues on e floor. i think heants to speak, so i will yield the floor, mrpresidt.

mr. moran: mr. president? the presiding officer: th senator from kansas. mr. moran: mr. president, thank you. i'm on the floor this afternoon to encourage us in the united states senate to address at least some of the needs related to the consequences of covid-19. there's a dead lining that's fast approaching,reated -- this problem is created in statute by legislation that was passed, the cares act. and i have intduced legislation called the risers act to offer a solution to the issue i'm about to describe. as covid-19 has swept across the country, businesses and commity institutions have been forced to adapt to the virus, fundamentally cnging the way in which the operate. more people are working from home today than ever before whe others are being asked to dedicate increased resources for public health, precautions and

support management. virtual education and health care have changed as communities are forced to conduct from afar to prevent the spread of the diase. apting to this is costly. to aid in this transition, as part of the cares act, congress established the coronavirus relief fund -- or c.r.f. -- it's a multibillion-dollar fundor state and local governments to disperse covering a variety of expenses that have arisen due to covid-19. expenses that can be paid from the.r.f. funds include providing small busesses and other organizations with grants to reimburse them for cost associated with handling coronavirus. this funding was partly intended to address immediate unforeseen costs absorbedid our public emergency officials and health care providers. kansas county's health departments have categoriry relied on this funding to ense

their able to meet the needs of their counties now and in the future as this pandemic stretches on. many states a, including my state of kansas have also cread programs to establish grants for this respond to covid-19 such a telemedicine, and projects that would improve broadband infrastructure. these communities already face a sharp divide in terms of broadband availability and this pandemic has highlighted unfortunely that for all the work we've accomplished in spreading the use of broadband, the ability of broadband, increasing its connectively, there is still plenty ofreas that need to be improved for access to quality internet services. as more broadband-init everrive work like videoconferencing takes place at a much higher aircraft the urgency to improve these services increases. rural commuties stand to lose the most without these types of projects.

many of the projects require long lead times to wisely plan and appropriate and ex-spend federal funding p the cares act mandates that the c.c.r.f. funds bepent by end of the year, now a little more than a monthway. that is absolutely not enough time for preparation. intensive procts to be careful lay executed, the current deadline puts several long-term economic development plans at ri of losing funding if they are not completed by december 31 and it also prevents new meaningful proposals from being considered in the first place. many ksans from our county health departments to our universities to our schools, to our cities and counties, to mayors and county commissioners that i have visited with have urged us to extend this looming deadline. we need to have a longer period of time so federal dollars are not the spent, and i always try-to-a void using the phrase

federal dollars. they're borrowed money thatas to beaid back by borrowers and it is a proposition that we require the money to be spent when what it will mean is we will spend money less effectively a less efficiently than we otherwise would in the absence of this near-term deadline. that's why senator roberts and i have introduced the remove intoedments to a successful economic rovery act, or riser. this bill would extend that deadline for state andocal gornments by two years for a set of currently eligible expenditures that meet critea for qualified economic development plans. this bill would allow plans for projects that require additional attention d time for a more thoughtful investment to be spent me effectively without cutting sho or strategic investment that congrs made back in march to support our communities that need it the most. i believe that state and local governments know what's best for their communies including

where understand when it 0 spend these federal dollars. extending the relief for c.r.f. payments dedicated to particularly job creation projects a how can canned other state -- willllow kansas and other states to target areas of need over a longer period of time making more certain that our taxpayer dollars are making th greatest impact to help our communities, help our people recover from this pandemic. this will better ensure that the areas in need identified by states and localities have a stable source o investment that will aid in the ongoing economic recovery. that said, i remain engaged with the treasury and senate finance committee to improve the act to ensure the availability of bipartisan suprt. this is a bill iant to pass, not a bill i just want to introduc while this thoughtful discussion th treasury and the finance committee continues, i recognize that congress must urgently act to extend the deadline in the

meantime. while i have a particular bill that does things that i think are hugely important in this arena, i also recognize that we don't have the time to wait. often throughout the feways that i have been home away from washington, d.c., i have bee asked how's your legislation coming? and the answer is ere is broad bipartisan support. most senators, most republican senators, most democrat senators are supportivef this measure, but t issue is will we be able to exten the deadline i time for our local units of govement to know that they have an additional amount of time or in the absence of that ll we allow them or require them to spend money in ways less effective or efficnt than they otherwise would? i know that there is other pieces o legislation introduced by a few of my colleues that wouldffer what we would call a clean extension of the c.r.f. deadline, and i urge my senate colleagues toupport the immediate enactment of these

flexibility in fostering provide meaningful investments in our home states. around here, too oftent see that if we can do everything to solve a problem, we do nothing to solve a problem. i have never undstood that attitude or approach. the things that we can agree on- and this is one i think we can, this extension of the deadline, we ought not wait for a larr package that ctinues white house andpeaker pelosi or between republican and democrat leadership of the senate or the republican leadership with the democrat leadership in the house. whatever the negotiations are ongoing today to get us to a point in which we are addressing at we generally call phase 4, another effort to improve the opportunities for us to provide relief to our constitues due to the pandemic, whatever all those machinaons are, they will not happen quickly enough, and they certainly will not happen quickly enough to make

certain that our local officials and their citizens know that they no longer would need to spend the money that we have provided them in the next five or six weeks. by including the coronavirus relief fund in the cares act, congress extended hand to states, local governments, and areas in need across the country that are looking to adapt to the new realities of the ongoing pandemic. in the absence of an extension of the deadline, money will be misspent and will certain not be spent inhe most effective and valuable way. i urge m colleagues not only to support the legislation that i have introduced, the riser act, but to work with others, all of us, to come to a point in which we are cable this wee if it doesn't get done this week, it probably means very ttle in an extension, to this speak pass an extension beyond december 31 for the use of those

cares dollars in states across the nation. i urg my colleagues to join m legislation. i urge my colleagues to join to ensure that the hand we oered under the cares act won't be withdrawn way too soon. dam president, i thank you for the opportunity to address my colleagues in the senate. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from ia. mr. grassley: tay i paid tribute to our former colleague and my friend, former u.s. senator roger jepson. roger jepson passed away last friday at age 91 at clarissa c. cook hospice house in quad an iowa native,n american

patriot, roger devoted his life and service to his family, faith, and community. he spent his youth on his family farm near cedar falls about five miles from whe i was born and grew up, and i still reside within four miles of the farmhouse i was born in. regardless of that close proximity o us as young people, i didn't become acqinted with roger until he represented scott county in the iowa legislature i wish i would have known him earlier when we were neighbors, as children. for 14 years, roger served our tun in the united states army. he was a parrooper in the 82nd airborne division, and then he later served in the army reserves. roger worked for 20 years in the

life insurance business and was a member of the national association of life underwriters. along the way, roger answered civic leadership.c service and for more than two decades, he climbed the ranks of elected officials in service to his community and the state of iowa. he started out as a county supervisor incott county, iowa, anwent on to represent his neighbors in iowa senate district 15. an active grassroots leader in the republican par of iowa, roger served as a delegate to the national g.o.p. conventions of 1972 and 1980. in968, he w elected as iowa's 39th lieenant governor where he served with governor bob ray for two terms. until iowa adopted reforms under

a constitutional amendment in 1972, the oice of governor and lieutena governor were on the ballot every two years in my in 1978, when i won reelection to iowa's then-third congreional district at the u.s. house of representatives, roger jepsen flipped iowa's u.s. sena seat. he defeated the incumbent at the time, political observers gave roger scant chance o a ctory that year and eed up serving in the united states nate, but on election day, roger jepse pulled off the upset, beating his opponent by more than 26,000 votes. in that same election, roger returned both houses of the state legislature to republican controlor what would be governor ray's final termn

office. in the christmas eve legislative session, iowa expanded its historic right to work law. for decades, this incremeal policy has enhanced iowa's ability to attract businesses, create jobs, androw wages across the state. it was under attack in the last election. iowa vots responded by majority at the iowa state house under a repubcan administration led byovernor kim reynolds. dung his six years here in the united states senate, roger jepsen sidified his pro-life, he was a fiscal conservative. he flexed steadfast support for the military, and he word to put money back in the taxpayers' pockets. in 1981, he voted to end the bracket creep by indexing for

inflation across-the-board tax cuts. an outspoken advocate for rural america, roger jepsen fout to boost the economic recovery acro the farm bill. he championedarm exports, expanded lending and tax relief for farmers. he was chairman of the joint economic committeend served on the senate agriculture and armed services committee. after losin his bid for reelection in 1984, president reagan nominated roger jepn to serve as chairman of the national credit union administration where he served from the years 1985 to 1993. although he and hisife dee retired to floda, scott county was what he considere his home. roger and dee devoted considerable time and efforto end religious persecution and promote religio liberty.

alongse congrsman jackemp, they cofounded the christian rescue effort for the emancipaon and -- of dissidents known as ced to human freedom around the world. each tim i return home by way of cedar falls, iowa, i pass jepsen row. in fact, it --- jepsen road. in fact, it intersects my street he over the years, roger and my path crossed many times in service to iowans. seeing that street sign reminds me that no dream is too big for an iowa farm kid. roger and dee celebrated 62 years of marriag in september. together they raised six children. barbara and i extend our

condolences to his family and loved ones. on behalf of the state of iowa, we thank roger for his service here on earth as he iselcomed home into the hands of the lord. i yield the floor and suggest e absee of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: quorum call:

a senator: i ask that the quorum callen dispensed with. we are if without objection. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: it is no secret that covid-19 son the rise. dr. angela klend enin is an epidemiologist and she attributes this increase to what she calls pandemic fatigue. after months of vigorous hand

washing and mask wearing, it seems that people are becoming less and less vigilant. she said, if we continue in the behaviors that we're behaving in right now stout regulatory intervention, we are going continue in the direction we're headed. i guess that's one way of saying, if we don't shape up, the present spread of the virus will continue, with perhaps in some instances danger you even fatal, consequences. that's a path we should not head down and one that will put an even greater strain on our health care workers. as i think about it, there are two ways to approach this pandemic. one is to leave it to government to tell us what we can and cannot do. to engage in more and more lockdowns and deprivation of our individual liberty. or we can take personal responsibility. speaking for myself -- and i hope others -- i hope the personal responsibility route is the one we will take.

from staffing shortages due to the coronavirus exposure to short supplies of personal protective equipment to lack of critical equipment like ventilators, our frontline health care workers have carried on this fight in the face of tremendous challenges. now, with cases climbing in parts of my state and around the country, these heroes are in dire need of another line of defense and the public -- meaning congress, on their behalf -- has the power to provide that help. through the same simple steps we've heard about since the beginning of the pandemic, we can stop or at least dramatically slow the transmission of covid-19. again, it gets back to the basics we've all been taught and i think more or less most of us have been employing -- washing your hands, wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and don't let pandemic fatigue

win. we need to all remain vigilant and committed to these basic practices until the experts tell us that covid-19 is no longer a threat, likely a point after which the vaccine has been widely deployed. and none of us know exactly what that might happen, but we have been getting some great news this last week or so about scientific developments that have been funded by the efforts that we in congress have taken together on a bipartisan basis. on friday in my state the governor announced that the department of health and human services will distribute a new covid-19 therapy to hospitals across the state as early as this week. the antibiotic treat is produced by eli lilly and will be critical in reducing hospitalization. it is meant for those who are known to be at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms, like the elderly or those with underlying illnesses, for those who are diagnosed with covid-19,

this drug may be effective in preventing the on-set of severe symptoms. the antibiotic treatment has received emergency use authorization from the food and drug administration last week, and i'm hopeful it will help stop or at least slow dramatically the alarming rise in hospitalizations that you we've seen across my state. so far about 80,000 doses are ready for distribution nationwide, and we should have that up to a million doses a day by the end of the year. while the quantity is limited at this point, every single dose could mean a life saved. this alone is cause -- gives cause for hope. but the news doesn't stop there. last week pfizer announced its covid-19 vaccine has been more than 90% effective in clinical trials, and just this morning moderna announced its vaccine is

nearly 95% effective. this is exactly why we have invested billions of dollars in developing these lifesaving drugs earlier this year. the funding that we have appropriated has supported not only research and development but manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics. we wanted to be sure that distribution could begin as soon as these drugs were approved as safe and effective, and that's exactly the direction we're headed in. we're on track to have tens of millions of doses of vaccine available by the end of the year, like lay from at least two different -- likely from at least two different drugmakers. this historic drug upvestment has led to historic progress and i could not be more proud of the men and women who have made this possible. i'm incredibly grateful to the health care workers who are continuing to fight this serious -- this serious up fection with -- this serious infection on the front lines. and i want to thank the doctors

and health workers and volunteers who are supporting the development of vaccines and therapeutics. beyond the physical toll this virus has taken, it's also having a profound impact on this country's mental health. this pandemic has brought on a range of new stressors, including isolation, financial struggles, health anxiety and the stress of teaching children from home. in a kaiser family foundation poll in march, roughly one-third of adults reported that their mental health was negatively affected by pandemic stresses. that number had risen to more than half of the adults in the united states in july. as we continue to discuss what future coronavirus legislation will look like, we should not, we must not ignore the mental health impact. i've spoken at length about the need to support community mental health centers and community behavioral health organizations, which are vital mental health

providers across much of my state and across the nation. these providers are a critical source of care and support for those battling mental health and substance abuse disorders, and the need for their services has only risen during the pandemic. the one group that's too often ignored in conversations about mental health care are those transitioning from the criminal justice system as well. more than half of those in the criminal justice system have experienced a mental health issue, and our criminal justice system is ill-suited to provide the sort of treatment and support that they need. but even when these individuals do receive treatment while incarcerated, they are rarely given the tools they need to succeed upon release. approximately 80% of the people -- of these people are insured after being released, making it nearly impossible to continue mental health treatment. earlier this year, senator blumenthal, the senator from

connecticut, and i introduced a crisis stabilization and community reentry act to support those who have become part of the criminal justice system and provide a stable source of treatment for them after they leave incarceration. most prisoners who are receiving treatment for a mental health or substance disorder are released without a plan to keep up with their regime. this leaves to higher recidivism rates which could be avoided. it also means that law enforcement is tobacco often left to be the first responder to a mental health crisis, which can escalate those scenarios and put both the officers and the individual at risk. our bill creates grants to connect law enforcement officials to state, federal, and local resources to help individuals who are either engaged in the criminal justice system or being released from prison to get access to the support that they need. these grants connect those services to make sure that

people suffering an acute episode can assess -- access treatment without the risk of unnecessary incarceration. many times, these people need help. they don't need to go back to jail. it has the ability to strengthen our community-based crisis response, reduce suicides during incarceration, and close a revolving door that leads people back to prison. i hope the senate can pass this legislation soon and that our colleagues in the house will follow suit. with the ongoing mental health challenges brought on by covid-19, there could not be a more critical time to strengthen our nation's mental health resources.

madam president, i ask unanimous coent that the senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i further ask consent that the notice of proposed rule making for the congressional accountability act from the office of congressional workplace rights be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, i now ask unanimous consent that the committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 3589, and that the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 3589, an act to award a congressional gold medal to greg lemond in recognition of his service to e nation as an athlete, activist, re model, and community leader. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and will proceed -- the senate will proceed to the measure.

mr. cornyn: i now ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 509, h.r. 835. the presiding officer: the clerk will rept. the clerk: calendar number 509, h.r. 835, an a to iose criminal sanctionsn certain person involved in international doping fraud conspiracies, and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding ficer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, i now ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 4104 which was recved from the the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 4104, an act to require the secretary of the treasury to mint a coin in

commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of theegro leagues baseball. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measu. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i now ask unanimous consent that the committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs beischarged and that the senate proed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 1830. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1830, an act to require the secretary of the treasury to mint coinsn commemoration of the national purple heart hall of honor. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee will discharge and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i further ask that the schume amendment be considered a agreed to, the bill as amended be considered re a third tim and passed and thathe motions to reconsider

be considered made and laid upon the tab witho any intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i now ask unanimous consent for the senate to proceed to the immediate coideration of calendar number 556, s. 4462. the priding ficer:he clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 556, s. 4462, a bill to establish a national intntegrated flood information system within the national oceanic and atmospheric administtion, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, that the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be consided made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. corn: madam president, i ask unanimous nsent that the senate proceed to the iediate consideration of calendar number 561, s. 2981. will report.g officer: the clerk the clerk: calendar number 561,

s. 2981, a bill to reauthorize and amend the national oceanic and atmospheric administration-commissioned officer corps act of 2002, and r other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be withdrawn and that the sullivan substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon e table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i now ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 320, s. 1342. the presing ofcer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar nber 320, s. 1342, a bill to require the atmosphere to updateoceans and periodically the environmental sensitivity index products of the national oceanic and mospheric administration for each coastal area of the great

las, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be agreed t the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, i now ask unanimous consent that the judiciary committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 3312, and the senate proceed to its mediate csideration. the presing officer:he clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3312, a bill to establish a crisis stabilization and community reentry grant program, a for oer purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee will discharge and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the cornyn substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the judiciary committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 2174, and that the senate proceed to its immediate nsideration. the presidinoffice the crk will report. the clerk: s. 2174, a bill to expand the grants authorized under jennifer's law and kristen's act t include processing of unidentified remains, resolvingissing personases, and for other purposes. the presiding office without objection, the committee will discharge and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the cornyn amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconser be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 484, s. 4054. the presiding officer: the clerk will report.

the clerk: calendar number 484, s. 4054, a bill t reauthorize the unit states gras stanrds act, and for other purpos. the presiding offir: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the roberts amendment at the desk be considered and agreed t and that the bill as amended be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, i know of no further debate on the bill as amended. the presiding officer: with no further debate, the questio is on the passage of the bill as amended. all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appeato have it. the ayes do have it. the bill as amended is passed. mr. cornyn: i ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: i now ask unanimous consent, madam president, that the judiciary committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 4612, and

the senate proceed to its the esidinoffice the crk will report. the clerk: s. 4612, a bill to designate methamphetamine as an emergi threat, and for oth purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. cornyn: i asunanimous consent that the bill be considered read third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. corn: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the discharged from further consideration of s. 732 and that the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 732, a bill t amend the protect act toxpand the national amber alert system to territories of the united states, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged, and the senate will proceed to the measure.

mr. rnyn: i further ask that the bill be considered read a the motions to reconsider beat considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: madam president, now ask unanimous consenthat session and resume consideration of the johnson nomination. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. coyn: and finally, madam president, i wld ask unanimous consent that t mandatory quorum call with respect to the johnson nomination be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. mr. wicker: observers of the united states senate might take note that their senators just passed a host of bills and cleared a host of items from the calendar, representing bipartisan accomplishments on behalf of the leadership of the senate, republican leadership and democratic leadership, a

great deal of work by chairs and ranking members of committees and subcommittees, and i salute both sides of the aisle, madam president, for these accomplishments. in the same vein, we will vote in a few moments on a cloture motion for the judicial nomination of kristi haskins johnson, and i would think that this would be another opportunity for a strong bipartisan vote. we passed two judges last week, as i recall, and both judges were confirmed with strong bipartisan support, strong support, welcome support on both sides of the aisle, and i would think that with regard to this particular nominee, our mississippi candidate kristi haskins johnson, she would

continue in that vein this afternoon and later on this week when i hope we will be voting to confirm her. it's noteworthy that the southern district of mississippi has never had a woman federal judge, and so kristi johnson will -- will break new ground in that regard, and i'm particularly delighted that this momentous accomplishment is right upon us. she has had the distinct honor for the last several months of being mississippi's first solicitor general, and so this could turn out to be a ground-breaking year and a barrier-shattering year in more than one way for soon-to-be judge johnson. in her current role as solicitor general, she serves as

mississippi's lead advocate for appellate litigation and works closely with the state attorney general in crafting legal strategy for significant legal cases in mississippi, and on a national scale. she has received the highest recommendation that a candidate for u.s. district judge can receive from the american bar association, and that is a qualified rating. as we know, candidates for appeals court judge can get the rating of highly qualified. the best you can get for district judge is qualified, and so she received the highest rating she could possibly receive and rightly so. she has a unique record of accomplishment as a public servant, private attorney, a scholar and a professor. she served over five years in the u.s. attorney's office in jackson. there she prosecuted fraud and

financial crimes as part of the civil division. before that, she made her mark in private practice at the firm of ogeltree and stewart focusing on labor law and employment issues. kristi haskins johnson is a native of hurley, mississippi, population of 585 in jackson county, mississippi hsm she attended school there and went on to receive her undergraduate degree at the university of mississippi, graduating in 2003 and then she was admitted to law school at mississippi college school of law where she graduated summa cum laude, second in her class. as a law student, she served not only on the law review but as executive editor of the mississippi college law review

and received numerous american jurisprudence awards in the areas such as criminal procedure, legal research and writing and employment discrimination. so excellence all the way through, including the time that she served as a clerk, both as a clerk at the district court level for judge sharon acock, mississippi's first female district court judge in the northern district of mississippi and then for appeals court judge leslie southwick in the fifth circuit. she takes time to share her skills as a teacher and adjutant professor at her alma mater mississippi college school of law. ms. johnson is a member of the men'sa court, american bar

association and resides in brandenton, mississippi. i'm delighted at the fact that we're going to make some news and -- and her -- hurdle some previously existing barriers with this outstanding nominee. she has the academic judicial and personal qualifications necessary for federal jurisdiction. i think she will make a great judge. people back home in mississippi believe this also, and it is my hope that we can invoke cloture in just a few moments in a strong bipartisan way leading to the confirmation later on this week of kristi haskins johnson. thank you, and i yield the floor.

mrs. blackburn: mr. psident. the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. i think everyone has been watching a lot of news lately, and i will tell you i have talked to some tennesseans this weekend who feel like that they can tell that the journalists working at our mainstream media outlets are getting frustrated by how much pressure we're putting on big tech companies like facebook, twitter, and gole. but, you know, we are putting pressure on them. it's important for them to be in their lanes. it's important if they are going to be news sources if they do -- that they do something like hiring a new director. and i think they've fallen into the same trap that a lot of people fall into when a story dominates the headlines for a

while and then it doesn't resolve itself quickly. you know, they get pretty sick of hearing about it. they saw the initial reports of censorship, bias and antitrust concerns. they didn't feel that personal sense of outrage about what was happening and either checked out of the conversation or let their frustration breed resentment against those who would very much like for their tweets to stay put. but they knew something was going on out there that made them a little bit uneasy. they were hearing about censorship. they were hearing about blocking and throttling and shadow banning and, you know, they were a little unsettled by lack of privacy and data mining and data

harvesting. but we shouldn't use these basic notions of privacy, security, and open debate as a political football. these are, indeed, universal concerns that anyone who owns a smartphone, who uses social media or uses search engines really should care about. and, yes, people are right to feel a little bit uneasy about what is going on in the virtual space. why shouldn't we be allowed to ask powerful tech c.e.o.'s questions about what's going on behind the scenes? we had a hearing in commerce committee a couple of weeks ago, a few weeks ago just prior to the election. chairman wicker was in charge of that hearing and people listened and thought, why won't they

answer the question? why don't they admit that they are data mining? why don't they admit their advertising practices? we click on it our search engine and suddenly our screen populates with things that we've recently searched, things we've been talking about. so we have another hearing that's coming up tomorrow and at judiciary committee we're going to receive testimony from facebook c.e.o. mark zuckerberg and twitter c.e.o. jack dorsey about their now infamous censoring and throttling of the the "new york post" social media accounts, their blocking of a story that was relevant to the american people and to the election process. now, keep in mind this wasn't

some conspiracy side or some anonymous blog known for posting hacked information or stories that are extreme. this was the "new york post," a trusted source in news here in the united states since 1801 when it was founded by none other than alexander hamilton. not essentialism, news. brought to you as a trusted source since 1801. and you're probably thinking that's been around for a while, and, yes, indeed it has. it's america's oldest continuously published newspaper but apparently random fact checkers 3,000 miles away

sitting in their posh environs in the silicon valley decided that the time-tested editors were not good enough for them. they think they know better. they think they are smarter than everyone else. they think since they control and have power in the virtual space, they think they get to play god. they think they can determine what qualifies as free speech. now, i've spoken before at length about why this is a problem and right now i want to focus on what happened on the other side of that takedown.

the "post" fought both facebook and twitter on this content moderation decision. they questioned it, they demanded answers, and after enormous pressure both from the "post" and in the public scare, both facebook and twitter eventually walked back their moderation decisions and allowed their users to share this article that they decided to censor the "post" is bad enough. that they couldn't even cite a policy that they could back up their decision under pressure is even worse. they couldn't tell you why they took it down. what did it violate in their community standards? what did their -- did it violate in their terms of service?

mr. president, they did not know. what they did know -- what they did know is they were on joe biden's team. they wanted him to win so thereby they took issue with anything that they did not agree with. it did not fit their narrative. big tech companies like facebook and twitter have an enormous amount of control over the flow of information many they were designed to be this way from the beginning. millions of americans use their feeds as a main source of news updates. and bear in mind, mr. president, the internet is a title 1 function of the 1996

telecommunications act, title 1, it is an information service. it is not a telecommunication service, it is not a news service. this is something. it's a wonderful resource that should be the public square but only as long as you can count on it to put factual information in the pipeline, to not censor, to not take sides. and this is why americans have so many questions about how the companies make their content moderation decisions. and this is why the judiciary committee will hold this hearing tomorrow. if either of their companies had been able to come to the table

with a simple defensible explanation of why they chose to censor the "new york post," i don't think they'd be in the position that they are right now, but they had no explanation. they didn't repent. they did cave eventually but they could not explain why they blocked it. now, mr. zuckerberg and mr. dorsey are competent c.e.o.'s who know their businesses inside and out and it's time for them to get down to the knity gritty, explain what happened, how is it that their content moderation practices are still so full of holes as to allow a content moderator, a singling individual to put their opinion in front of

a post, to panic and blast list and admittedly essential but certainly -- sen but certainly newsworthy story, without any evidence that it contained misinformation or hacked information or false or defamatory information. they did it because they could. they just did not like the story. the ensuing scramble to walk back that decision is an indictment of their internal moderation processes. whether it is algorithms or individuals, it is subjective. the people who are responsible for this owe us answers and we hope that the hearing tomorrow will help lead to those answers.

it bears repeating that these companies are not just entertainment or social media companies. they have an inordinate amount of control over the flow of information and because of this, they control what we see, what we hear, even what we say. and thereby what we think and how we vote. i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the clerk cloture.ort the motion to invoke the clerk: clore motion. we, the undersigned senators, in cordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing res of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate o the nomination of kristi haskins johnson, of misssippi, to be united statesistrict judge for th southern districtf mississippi. 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 kristi haskins johnson of mississippi to be united states district judge for the southern district of mississippi shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the rl. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 51, the flays are 38. the -- the nays a 38. the motion is agreed to. mr. monnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the -- expire at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow and senate vote on confirmation of the nomination. if cloture is invoked on the benjamin joel beaton nomination, the postcloture time expire at 2:15 and senate vote on confirmation of the nomination. if any of the nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately

notified of the senate's actio the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. monnell: i ask unanimous consent senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning biness with senators permittedo speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcnnell: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:00.m. on tuesday, november, 17, further, following the prayer and pdge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be aroved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. following leader remarks the session and resume consideration of the johnson nomination under the previous order, finally i ask that the senate recess following the cloture vote on the benjamin joel beaton nomination until it 15:00 for the weekly conference meetings.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask that the senate stand adjourned following the remarks of senator brown. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. brown: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mrbrown: start by asking the presiding officer to wear a mask -- i n't tell you what do -- the presiding officer: i don't wear a mask when i'm spe being fine, but i don't need your instruction. mr. brown: i know you don't need your instruction but there isn't much interest in this body in public health. we have a president who hasn't shown up at the coronavirus task force and we're voting on an unqualified nominee and at the same time to vote for judge after judge after judge exposing all the people who can't say anything, i understand you, the people in front of you and expose all the staff here and

the majority leader just doesn't seem to care. mr. president, the american people sent a clear message in this election, they voted for stability. they rejected an administration that failed them in the middle of a health an economic crisis. people want a government works for them and is on their side. my colleagues in both parties know this. i know some of you feel like you have to humor the outgoing president, continue to make excuses for him, continue to run from the media when they might ask a question about your opinion on the president. but you know that joe biden won and you won -- most of you won your elections, including the presiding officer, fair and square on the ballot. he threatened the republican governor of ohio today because the governor of ohio, i think he said the term president-elect biden, that offended the president. you don't have to play along with the tweets and chaos and the crazy anymore. we need to move on and deliver

for the people who voted for us and put their faith in us. the last thing we should be doing is granting trump one last wish, one more opportunity to salt the earth on his way out. the federal reserve is supposed to be a steady guiding hand making sure the economy actually delivers for the people who make it work. they are supposed to worry about the big picture of the economy so hard-working families don't have to. and most of my colleagues know this. i talked to many of them. that's why trump wants one last check for the federal reserve and senator mcconnell and all the spineless people in this body continue to give him that last wish. 80 million americans voted for stability, shelton promises more trump chaos. we have differences, we have progressive and conservative ideas. i'm fine with agreements. that's what government is about, that's what self-government is

about. judy shelton isn't a conservative. she is way off the ideological spectrum. for three decades and more than 50 publications, shelton advocated for returning to the gold standard. let's be clear what that means. it would mean abandoning some of the important tools we have to make people's lives better. we can't sabotage the economic recovery. we can't put people in charge that would drive us backwards many we'll all know that. you have to do president trump's bidding one more time. if we followed shelton's advice, we might be in the great recession. she said that she opposes the f.d.i. insurance, the insurance that protects your money and my money when we put in the bank. she thinks when a bank fails, we all remember from 2008, banks do indeed fail, one after another after another, if a bank fails and she thinks the families with

their families savings in the bank, they should lose that money. passing f.d.i. insurance -- guarantees your money is safe in the bank, is the bedrock of our modern economy. it's not some intellectual exercise. it's real. i dare anyone to explain to working families in georgia, ohio, pennsylvania, or colorado, or any community that saw banks close their door in a great recession, judy settleon wrote that f.d.i. insurance is hugely distorting factor. whatever that means. people on both sides of the aisle greece she has no business making huge decisions affecting what kind of jobs people can get, the interest rate on mortgages and the power they have to negotiate for higher pay. "the new york times" seen by many as pretty progressive, the national review is pretty conservative, both oppose her, so do the conservative thinkers at the american prize institute,

it they use names like dangerous and a gamble. others who are more conservative than i warn about putting her on the fed. she won't do what is good for workers. she won't do what is good for the economy. she a political hack. she the outgoing president's political hack, that's why senator mcconnell marchs down the aisle, pushes judy shelton. why? not because his members want it. they mostly be don't. most don't have the guts to stand up to leader mcconnell or especially to the president. he's pushing it because president trump wants one last request to put his hack on the federal reserve. the american people had enough of gambling, they made that very clear. now is not the time in this terrible economy for fringe here theories. we're in a public health are crisis an economic crisis. one of my republican colleagues asked her this question, how would we get out of a situation -- had is last year

many how would we get out of a situation where consumer confidence and spending dropped, unemployment dropped from 3.5% to 6.5% in a short period of time and we're in a short recession many how do we get out of that? her response was, it's hard to imagine that situation. think about that. it's hard to imagine that situation. really? that's supposed to be the job of the federal reserve. every american lives through it it things are much worse than that question, 3.5% to 6.5% in a short period of time. the unemployment rate shot up from 3.5% to 15% in april. right now 11 million people are out of work, coronavirus cases are skyrocketing all over the country, the outgoing president abandoned his job, except, of course, pushing for a hack at the federal reserve. he's not going to coronavirus meetings, senator mcconnell doesn't seem to care, the

republican majority doesn't seem to care that he's not going to the meetings. instead we're meeting this week to confirm far right judges and a hack on the federal reserve that a whole lot of fed chairs from both parties, that all kinds of bush economists and economists working in democratic administrations, both sides, are saying she's a hack and shouldn't be on the federal reserve. yet, one, two, three -- i don't know how many republican senators are in line because president trump said, yet in line and vote for judy shelton. people have enough to worry about, the health-their loved ones, their job, their rent, their utility bills. shelton is so out of touch she can't imagine so many families live that reality. families shouldn't have to worry about fringe academics running the economy. people want confidence that the people in charge can handle this crisis so they can get back to their lives many you can't say you support working people and

want to get them back to work and back to their paychecks while at the same time putting someone in a position of authority who has no problem threatening your jobs and savings to push her bizarre intellectual economic agenda. in fact at a time when unemployed americans would love to be able to safely go to any job, judy shelton didn't show up for her last job. that's not someone who has empathy and understands workers lives. my colleagues understand she has no business on the central bank just like you know trump lost the election. i know you can't say that, you can't say trump lost the election, you can't say perez- -- president-elect joe biden, if you do, president trump will threaten you like he did this morning. most of you think you can vote against a hack you voted before the election and now that the election is over, most of you said you're going to vote for him.

i don't understand that. americans had enough of government being treated like a game we need people to restore their faith in the government. we can't allow trump to sabotage our government and economy from within creating chaos wherever he can especially after voters decisively rejected him by more than five million votes. an electoral landslide in five million more votes the president-elected biden than president trump. i ask that my colleagues join me in opposing judy shelton's nomination. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.nel?

e presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: once again this mo once again this morning broughtwo different setsrn of headlines on the pandemic we have been battling for thean last nine months. on one hand, rates of infection hospitalizations are rising rapidly nationwide. we must all continue taking smart precautions such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing. but at the same time, we continue to receive hopeful signs that victory may actually be on the horizon. this morning, the american biotech, dharna announced that early trial subjects the

vaccine they are jointly developing may be both safe and 94% this follows pfizer similar announcement next week as former fda commissioner summed it up this morning, when the full data comes out i may have two highly effective vaccines against covi covid. of these results hold, we are told the first doses of a vaccine could be administered to certain vulnerable people as soon month. with wider distribution friday. this is a remarkable testament to american ingenuity, to bright researchers and brave test participants to both commitments of the private sector and historic support from smart public policy bikend operation or up speed from the trump administration.

asthma dharna ceo said this morning, i want to thank our partners and operation at warp speed have been instrumental to this point. operation warp speed that billions in funding to expedite research and development. it provided to streamlined regulatory environment and prepurchase agreements to readers in gent reduce risk. it is multiplied the compilation of the supplies things like needles and swabs that need to travel with the vaccine itself. with every indication that this historic partnership isra on track to deliver a scientific miracle and help us defeat the virus in the months ahead.er certainly, there is no time to waste. kentucky announced our highest ever weekly count of new positive cases all across our

country so for now, our job is to continue doing all we can to stay safe and slow the spread. now mr. president i've totally different matter, the last several days have brought renewed speculation about the prospect of rapidly withdrawing all u.s. military forces from syria, iraq, and afghanistan. here in congress both parties seem to think it is in america's power to unilaterallylk remove conflicts by walking away from them. let me say that again. a small minority in both parties seem to think that it is in america's patter to unilaterally resolve conflicts by simply walking away from them. of course all wars must end. the question is now, how the end.

and whether the terms on which they end are favorable or unfavorable to the security and interests of the united states. and nothing about the circumstances we face today suggests that if we lose it resolve, they will simply leave us alone. over the last four years trump administration has major headway in creating the connections that will secure the end during feet about tariffs. this president and his policies have strengthened america's hand in multiple middle east conflicts or reducing the risk and cost to our country. it has been shattered at millions have been liberated. we have removed the master like al-baghdadi, soleimani and isis leaders from the

battlefield. the trump administration has broken diplomatic successes that should help bring long-term stability and more economic opportunity to a troubled regio region. abraham accorded a geostrategic game changer. the last four years have also brought increased skin in the game for our allies and our partners. our friends in europe and elsewhere have aha shared interest in stopping safe havens for terror. today in africa a limited support for multinational initiative led by france to combat radical islamic terror. likewise in places where american forces continue to play roles and ongoing conflicts across the mid east secretary madison or chart and successfully to have renewed contributions in european partners and transition our

posture more and more towards a supported role. our local partners are shouldering the lion share of the burden and the fight. neither afghanistan or iraq, nor syria are american combat forces playing a primary role. we scored major battles and successes by working through local partners such as the afghan national security forces, the elite iraqi terrorism service in the local curtis and arab fighters of the syrian democratic forces. so mr. president, the situation we face today is totally different than what we faced ten years ago. we do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat and brought it. we do not have hundreds of thousands of soldiers engaged in combat abroad.

we are not an occupying force. today are limited presence in the middle east and supporting local forces and enabling multinational efforts. we are playing a limited, limited but important role in defending america's national security and american interests against terrorists would like must more than for the most powerful force for good in the world to simply pick up her ball and go home. they would love that. that is why last year 70 senators, a bipartisan supermajority voted for an amendment that acknowledge the progress made in syria and afghanistan, identify the risk that remain in cost and a precipitous withdrawal would create vacuums that iran, russia and the terrorists would be delighted. delighted to fill. there is no american that does

not wish to warn afghanistan against terrorists and their enablers have already been conclusively won. but that does not change all the actual choice for us now. and rapidhd withdrawal of u.s. forces from afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delights, delights the people who wish us harm. that afghans are still ran for the taliban is not abiding by the conditions of the so-called peace deal. the consequences of a premature american exit would likely be even worse than president obama's withdrawal from iraq back in 2011. which fueled the rise of isis and a new round of global terrorism. it would be reminiscent and humiliating for an american departure from saigon in 1975.

we'd be with our partners in afghanistan. the brave afghans are fighting the terrorists and destroying the governments leverage. in their talks with the taliban, are designed to end the fightin fighting. our tree would bold in the taliban. especially the deadly and plunge women and girls back into what they experienced back in the 1990s. i would have a weekend and scattered al qaeda a big, big propaganda victory. in the renewed safe haven against america. it will be welcome news2 iran which is long provided arms and support to the taliban. explicitly seeks our retreat from the middle east. a disorganized retreat would jeopardize a track record of the major successes this administration has worked hard

to compile. as a number of former investors stated the spectacle of u.s. troops abandoning facilities and equipment leaving the field and afghanistan to the taliban and isis would be broadcast around the world as a symbol of u.s. defeat and humiliation and a victory for islamic extremism. president trump deserves major credit, major credit for reducing forces in afghanistan to a sustainable level. scored major victories against terrorists across the region and ensuring the afghans themselves are at the front of the fight.ld that same successful approach continued until the conditions for long-term defeat of isis and alaeda have been achieved. is to present the senate will vote on that judy shelton to serve on the board of governors of the federal

reserve. judy shelton's views are breathtakingly extreme and retrograde. she actually seems to prefer the economic policy around it. she openly advocate to the gold standard. she is on question the need in the federal deposit insurance. and in march, 2009 in the midst of the last economic crisis she questioned why we need a central bank? imagine someone like her with her retrograde views sitting on the federal reserve during a time of economic crisis. imagine someone like that making decisions about monetary policy back in april when our economy was in free fall. we should not confirm to the federal reserve someone who would likely stymie efforts to dig ourselves out of this economic crisis.

i urge everyone of my colleagues, democrat and republican to reject this terrible terrible nomination. covid. covid-19 as we know unfortunately has upended nearly every aspect of american life for the better part of a year as impatient as we all are for our lives return to normal, the harsh truth of the matter is coming months may be by far the worst of the pandemic. cases have skyrocketed to well over 150,000 americans perco day. we are now reporting 1 million new covid cases a week. we have morgues and all over the country are approaching or are beyond capacity. americans must brace themselves for a long winter. we cannot tire of the simple precautions that limit the spread of the disease and saves lives. where a mask, social distance, avoid large indoor gatherings,

stay vigilant. we must all continue to do our part to prevent this next surge from overwhelming our health systems endangering our fellow citizens. congress as well should be doing all that is necessary to support those efforts and prevent the worst from happening. too many americans of less healthcare coverage as the result of losing their jobs this year. medicaid has seen a huge t increase in. unemployment lays in tens of millions. extending unemployment insurance is paramount to many more things i beside. speak up or losey and i've been a regular communication with president-elect biden and his transition team. unlike the current administration, the incoming administration wants to move rapidly to get a handle on the virus and recover our economy. today, president-elect biden urge the senate to pass the heroes act, comprehensive legislation that leaves no one behind. that is just the right

approach. our country deserves a bill for the need of the american people meets the needs of the moment. if leader mcconnell and i republican colleagues went to sit down and negotiate a bipartisan solution with a bipartisan process, democrats are ready and willing and able to do so. but unfortunately, it has been two weeks since leader mcconnell said he was in charge of negotiating the next covid-19 relief bill and he still has not spoken to speaker pelosi or myself. we have 14 votes on the floor this week on nominations for a lame duck president. but we have nothing, nothing pertaining to covid. there is however a bit of good news today a second u.s. company announced that is discovered of an effective vaccine in phase three trials. early figures suggest is close to 95% effective. as these two vaccines move through the final approval process we should prepare the

kind knee to distribute to everyone in a comprehensive bill includes robust funding. finally there is light at the end of the tunnel. but we are still in that title. mav so for several months. so we must pull together to do everything in her individual power to turn the tide. of the virus. on elections. instead of working to pull the country back together to fight covid-19 the republican majority is busy spreading conceit. see theories denying reality, poisoning the well of our democracy. it seems like republicans all over washington are dishing for profiles and cowardice. nudging each other side the most outlandish things in support of president trump's baseless claims for fraud. two members of this chamber what so far as to accuse their election result of not being

delivered honestly because president trump did not win. they demanded their own secretary of state, a fellow republican resign. the two senators provided no evidence, not a shred to support the claim that the election was not conducted honestly. i republican governor this weekend supported r the idea sending alternative slates of electors to the electoral college. he encourage republican state legislatures and states through ignore the will of the voter's intent send electors who would vote for donald trump. this is gone beyond ridiculous. this is a reckless. president trump is working to convince millions of americans at the election was not fair and was stolen without a scrap of evidence.

if they don't show sufficient support, that is no excuse for sanctioning his efforts to discredit the percentage of republicans who now believe the election was not fair have doubled to 70%, 70 in the united states of america. how much longer senate republicans stand by will president trump shreds americans faith in our democracy? so i have a very simple message to my colleagues. president trump loss, joe biden will be the next president of the united states. kamala harris within x vice president of the united states legal claims by the president being left out of court. ironically the presidents legal challenges have accomplished one thing. they have revealed just how secure our elections were. from michigan dismiss these

claims they're confirming there is no credible evidence of fraud or irregularities these are facts as long as republicans refused toee acknowledge it the more damage is done. in order to keep up this charade the trump administration is now actually denying national security briefings to president-elect biden. his refusing to coordinate with the incoming administration on the coronavirus. how unimaginably stupid is that. we should not even be discussing for one minute whether or not republicans will accept the democratic results of ourer presidential election. aware that the next presidenten should receive security briefings. that should be a given. but it appears sadly, unfortunately the fall president trump all be down

the rabbit hole to the bitter end of his very bitter presidency. more damage is done to our country, our national security or ability to fight covid and to americans faith in our democrac democracy. so, i plead with my republican colleagues, stop denying reality. stop recklessly showing doubt about our deck democratic process. stop going down to the lowest common denominator start focusing on covid. let's bring this country together to get some things done. i yield the floor. stomach mr. president. i am struck by the fact is they call people around the state of vermont which is like your state, every other state has suffered from covid. i complement a republican government who's kept the