substance use disorders and mental health. what we've seen across the country is that covid-19 has exacerbated what already existed in the opioid epidemic. we were beginning to make some progress in new hampshire and in many states across the country until the coronavirus hit, and now we're seeing that progress being lost. our plan bolsters support for federal investments and a number of programs that respond to the substance use disorder crisis in our communities, and it also addresses suicide prevention. this pandemic has created significant burdens for those who are struggling with substance use disorders, and of course we've heard the number of mental health issues has been greatly exacerbated. our bipartisan plan addresses three of the most important pieces of the strategy to get on the other side of this pandemic.

testing, tracing, and vaccine distribution. as overwhelming as this crisis has become, we can't just throw our hands in the air. we've got to continue to prioritize robust testing and contact tracing so that we can track and contain community spread. and of course we need to follow the c.d.c. guidelines. wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, staying home as much as possible, handwashing so we can help flatten the curve and help our hospitals. now as we are -- we hope just weeks away from having a vaccine, we need to ensure every measure is taken so we're ready to go on day one. the manufacturing and distribution of a safe and effective covid-19 vac enseen -- vaccine is critical to putting an end to this pandemic and restoring normalcy in our

society. our covid framework to boost funding for each of these three priorities. when the senate came together during the early days of this crisis, we worked in good faith to deliver the cares act that's provided relief to americans throughout the country. we did it before and i believe we can do it again. this bipartisan framework is the only bipartisan measure in congress. it's the only bicameral measure in congress. it's the only proposal that has an opportunity to clear both houses. we aren't done, obviously. negotiations are ongoing. there are a lot more people who have to see this work and hopefully will decide to support it. and we have -- still have more concerns to sort out. but this is a compromise. it doesn't have everything i want to see. it's not what i would have written if i'd been able to write it by myself. but it is a compromise that i

believe we can get majority support to pass. of course, it's step one. it's a relief bill to help americans stay afloat over these next very difficult months. and our work doesn't end if we can provide this relief. we're still going to need a stimulus bill to get our economy moving again. but right now the most urgent need is to address those concerns that individuals and families have. and if congress fails to act and get this over the finish line, the consequences will be dire. our hospitals are already overwhelmed. too many small businesses are closing. families are going hungry and facing homelessness. inaction is really not an option. we need to get this done. there's no reason why we can't come to an agreement. we've done it before. i urge senators on both sides of the aisle to join in this

effort. i urge leader mcconnell and leader schumer to move forward with us to help us get this proposal over the line so that together we can deliver much-needed relief to americans and do it before the holiday season so that people will have something to look forward to. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from louisiana. mr. kennedy: thank you, mr. president. i would like to speak for a few moments today about a baton rouge and louisiana rock star. i'm talking about baton rouge's own diane deeton. this week diana announced that she's going to retire from her post as a weather forecaster at

wafb-tv which we refer to as channel 9 where she has served on nine news this morning and on early edition for many years. diane is known -- widely known affectionately as queen dee. she has been reporting the weather for the people of louisiana, particularly southeast louisiana for 37 years. 37 years and all at the same station. and over a wafb career spanning what nearly four decades, diane has become a beloved fixture in our state and in our state capitol. her compassion has been on regular display and not only in the way she has walked

louisianians through hurricanes and tornadoes, weather is imported to us in louisiana, mr. president. diane has invested in first and second graders at buchanan elementary in east baton rouge parish through an extraordinary program called the reading friends program. she's built new homes for families through habitat for humanity where she currently serves as a board member. diane has been part of the l.s.u. tiger hats therapy pet program. that's where she and her colleagues visit young patients and their families at one of the leading hospitals, our lady of the lake children's hospital. diane's awards are many. i won't list them all but they include the louisiana association of broadcasters lifetime achievement award, the holly rentals humanitarian of

the year award and the capital area -- rather that was from the capital area animal welfare society. and the goodman volunteer of the year award from the baton rouge ballet theater. i don't know how she finds the time but dianne is also certified as a delta society pet partner for her work using therapy animals. and yet i noticed that diane's announcement was characteristically humble as she steps away after 37 years. here's what she said. she said, quote, i have never taken for granted the honor and privilege you have given me over these many years by choosing me and my colleagues here at wafb-tv to keep you and your family safe and informed. i think that the gratitude among

louisiana and baton rouge residents, mr. president, is certainly mutual. i'm glad to hear that diane will not be leaving our great state. i want to emphasize that. she is going to retire in louisiana. and i hope she enjoys every moment, every single moment she gets to sleep in after december 18. no one can argue, no fair minded person can argue that she hasn't earned a rest, even though her familiar weather casts will be sorely missed in a state that takes more than our fair share of beatings from mother nature. mr. president, i thank you for the chance to honor diane deaton. i thank you for the chance to honor diane deaton for all of

her hard work on behalf of everyone who relies on wafb-tv for news and for everyone in louisiana and baton rouge whom her volunteer work has touched. and that numbers in the hundreds of thousands. diane, may the years ahead bring as much joy to you as you have brought to our state and our community. god bless you. i yield the floor, mr. president. mr. cotton: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. cotton: for many years i've supported the annual national defense authorization act. it always contains many worthy provisions and usually passes with large majorities. after all, who wants to vote no when the common refrain to pass

the bill is, support the troops. but at some point you have to draw the line and this year it's where i draw it. just look at these bills over the last few years. five years ago the ndaa was 968 pages. not unusual around here and something you can get your hands around but last year the ndaa report was 1,794 pages. and this year the report is an astonishing 4,517 pages, not even counting the classified annexes. i doubt anyone really knows what's in it except maybe some lobbyists. and get this. as the bill grew more than sixfold in length, we had even less time to read it. the number of people who could read the bill at any one time was restricted. social distancing. can't have too many people in the room we were told.

that's final. i understand. we're still in a pandemic. but then we should have had more time to review the bill, not less. yet armed services committee members were asked on this floor last week to sign the bill after having only a couple of hours to review it. as this massive bill was written in secret and then rushed to a vote, some seem to have forgotten to consult with the commander in chief or recall that he has a veto power. it's pretty well known that the president wants the bill to reform or repeal section 230, a giveaway to big tech oligarchs who get to censor the american people without consequence. the bill stiff arms the president, not a word in more than 4,500 pages about section 230. the sponsors claim they couldn't air drop provisions into the bill at the last minute. i take the point.

i'm not sure the president will, though. and he's the one with the veto. but there's more. the bill condemns the president for proposing to move some troops out of germany and restricts his ability to do so even though nato's frontier has shifted hundreds of miles to the east and germany hasn't exactly carried its share of the nato load. the senate didn't debate this major policy change. our earlier bill didn't even mention it. as far as i'm concerned, this provision was, to borrow a phrase, air dropped without appropriate consultation with committee members. and for the record, i'm a senior member of the committee, but i only learned about this provision in the newspaper on friday, two days after i was asked to sign the bill. it would appear the standard for air dropping provisions into the bill is that we won't air drop things that support the president's priorities but we will air drop stuff that thwarts

its priorities. i doubt that will get past the president's veto either. this failure to consult committee members is not an isolated incident. the president's 5g plan released valuable but unused spectrum owned by the government. the pentagon protested mightily but only with vague evidence. we had hearing on this issue and it sharply divided committee members. yet again this bill disrupts the president's plan and again we learned about it only after the fact. another thing that happens behind closed doors is broken promises. we were promised last summer that the radical warren amendment wouldn't survive the conference committee. not only did it survive, not a single word was changed. you may have heard about the warren amendment. you probably heard it would merely rename some army bases

that are named after confederate officers. no harm in having that debate. i've always found it curious that we don't have a base named after, say, u.s. grant or john pershing yet the warren amendment is far more radical than merely renaming a few bases. the amendment explicitly applies to all military property. that's a lot more than bases. it includes military museums, service academies, and cemeteries. you think i'm exaggerating? i'm not. read the bill. no exceptions for museums, for academies, even for cemeteries. let me give you just one example. the west point library contains portraits of grant and lee in close proximity, the two commanders of the civil war, juxtaposed as today's cadets learn the history of our nation,

our army, and their own school. that painting may have to come down. so i suppose tomorrow's cadets may learn that grant defeated an unnamed enemy with an unnamed commander and accepted surrender from no one at appomattox. but if you really want to see the radical consequence of the warren amendment, just look across the river to arlington national cemetery. our nation's most sacred ground. those gardens of stone stretch in symmetrical rows across the horizon except for a single odd section laid out in circles rather than rows with pointed head stones rather than rounded ones. the 481 graves in section 610 contain the remains of americans who rebelled against our

country. that section also contains a memorial to those who died in that rebellion. we should be grateful that those rebels and their cause lost on the battlefield yet we should also be mindful of the historical context of this patch of our most sacred ground. section 16 of arlington was created as a symbol not of secession but of reconciliation by the very men who had fought for the union. president william mckinley, a decorated veteran of the union army, promoted three times for battlefield valor, oversaw its creation. in a display of magnanimity, he declared, in front of the georgia legislature, of all places, the federal government would assume responsibility for confederate graves. he then signed a bill

authorizing the reinterment of confederate soldiers at arlington. senator warren apparently believes that she knows better how to handle the legacy of our civil war than did the union veterans who bled and defeated the confederacy on the field of battle, or even barack obama who continued a long-standing presidential tradition in 2009 of sending a wreath to the confederate section of arlington on memorial day. if the professor gets her way, a crane may drive into arlington and rip out a memorial whose history dates back to president mckinley and which was honored just a few years ago by president obama. again, i'm not exaggerating. in the committee markup, senator warren said that's exactly what she wants to happen. and if that happens, maybe the professor will be applauded in factity lounges, but my

perspective is a little different. i served at arlington with the old guard. my soldiers and i have laid to rest our nation's heroes. a lot of those funerals started in section 16. before those funeral started, we talked sometimes about that odd section and the war occasionally. after all, the army has a lot of amateur civil war historians. we were proud to wear the uniform of and be the heirs to grant, sherman, and sheridan, the great warriors who saved the union and vindicated freedom and equality for all. we also had a little humility. we didn't presume that we knew better than grant and mckinley how to heal our nation's wounds after the civil war, or that we knew better than abraham lincoln

who called for malice towards none with charity for all. maybe senator warren and those in our streets repudiate the wisdom of grant and lincoln and mckinley. perhaps they think lincoln should be canceled. a mob tried to tear down his statue just a few blocks from here last summer. too many of these condemn our nation as racist to its core. they look at the confederacy and see not a rebellion against america but the true heart of america. so naturally their iconoclassroom doesn't stop witp with tearing down statues of lee but move to statues of lincoln and grant. they tried to tear down those last summer, too, if you recall. i will never stand by while

jackabins tear down statues of jackson, lincoln, and grant, nor will i support a bill that permits a crane to drive into arlington and desecrate that sacred ground. we celebrate the triumph of the union and the cause of freedom and equality and defeat of the confederacy, but why does it follow that we have to rip panes off the walls of libraries and museums and tear down war memorials in arlington national cemetery? and i suspect a lot of other senators wouldn't support this bill either if they knew what it does. and that takes you back to the larger problem. we were promised this radical language wouldn't be part of the final bill. that promise was discarded behind closed doors. now we've got a 4,500-page bill at the last minute in the rush to fund the government and pass another coronavirus relief bill before the holidays, all with a presidential veto hanging over it.

an overlong bill negotiated behind closed doors, dropped at the last minute. major policy shifts without consensus or even much debate. broken promises, wishful thinking about a veto threat. these are the hallmarks of an ndaa process that has deteriorated rapidly in recent years. that has to change. if it doesn't change this month, mark my words, it will change next year. mr. president, i yield the floor. i notice the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the democratic leader.

mr. schumer: are we in a quorum? i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, mr. president, sadly, i return to the floor today to say farewell to another member who will conclude his time in the senate at the end of the term, the junior senator from alabama, doug jones. we all know doug came to the senate as a storied courtroom lawyer and u.s. attorney, but fewer people know about his more humble origins. doug was born and raised in fairfield, alabama, just outside of birmingham, the son of a steelworker, the grandson of a coal miner. when he was 19 years old, he spent his summer working at the local cotton tie mill, ten hours a day, six days a week. one day a freak accident sent a bit of shrapnel flying his way, and he came within inches of losing an eye. several stitches later, doug went right back to work, early evidence of a stubborn streak. only at the end of the summer

did doug decide it was time to focus a bit more on his studies. that same work ethic, the sometimes stubborn work ethic followed him his entire life. he brought it next to law school. on the one occasion, doug decided to skip class, it wasn't to throw a pigskin around the quad or engage in some extracurricular activity with friends. no. doug skipped class to attend the trial of the klansman ringleader of the 1963 bombing of the 16th street baptist church, a tragedy that had chain the conscience of a nation. a young doug jones was moved by the disposition of justice in that trial, but he was left with the impression that other members of the conspiracy had escaped the reach of the law. only a scriptwriter could have imagined that 24 years later, that law school truant would become the u.s. attorney in alabama, and that his office would uncover the evidence to bring charges against two more

klan members involved in the bombing, and that 40 years after that awful crime, doug jones would win the conviction of the remaining conspirators, delivering a long-delayed yet righteous justice. history would repeat itself a few years later when doug would again find himself at the center of events. doug was eating breakfast one day just blocks away from the scene of the bombing of the all-women health clinic. he took charge that day, made sure that investigators and first responders worked together in perfect unison. doug would later go on to secure the indictment of eric rudolph, the perpetrator of that heinous bombing, as well as the blame park bombing two years earlier. of course, not every one of doug's cases involved matters of life and death. the u.s. attorney's office once prosecuted local officials for trying to steal an election by bribing absentee voters with cash, beer, and a little liquor for good measure. now with only -- if only

defendants had known about doug's affinity for bourbon. kidding aside, kidding aside, those years revealed for doug something profound about the public service in government. you can have the best laws in the world in principle, but it takes dedicated effort to make the law work for everyone in practice. to take our ideals of justice and equality and fairness and opportunity and make them real in the everyday lives of citizens and doug brought that revelation with him to this chamber. he worked with his trademark determination to finally repeal the widows tax. he helped pass legislation to permanently fund historic black colleges and universities. he worked across the aisle to combat veteran suicides, strengthen the v.a. and support our military bases, so important to the great state of alabama. not every issue would be so easy or so bipartisan, especially for a new senator facing a difficult reelection. but every time doug approached a politically sensitive vote, and

i marveled at this, he was untroubled. he would do what he always did. he'd act on principle. he'd vote his conscience. politics be alabamaed. -- be damned. president kennedy had a phrase those triumphed over all personal and considerations. he called them profiles in courage. doug jones is a profile in courage for our times. but before i get carried away with too many grand compliments. it's important to remind colleagues that doug jones is a human being, just a joy to be around. just ask his good friend, the senator from montana. more than once doug would catch senator tester giving an impassioned speech on the floor and think to himself, i'll bet you he didn't turn his phone off. let me give him a ring and see what happens. just take a look at doug's office festooned with

memorabilia of every particular crimson tide footballs, keepsakes from his favorite bands. you can go see his rocking chair, one of those southern veranda sweet-tea chairs and most impressively to this yankee fan, joe dimaggio. if doug jones has one hobby beside hunting, it's autograph hunting. he's managed to collect a signature on a baseball from every senator in this chamber today, including its newest member. the junior senator from arizona was sworn in only a week ago but five seconds after he lifted his hand from that bible, there was doug to congratulate him, furnishing a clean baseball ready for mr. kelly's john hancock. that is doug jones, someone who never let the immense pressure of this job change who he is, someone who has made a life of joy for everyone in our caucus, and someone who understands that the end of the days we get sent to this chamber to make life

better for our constituents, to do it courageously, even when the odds are not in our favor. i'll end with one final story. several years ago doug was asked to participate in a stage adaption -- adaptation of his favorite work of fiction to kill a mockingbird which of course includes his literary icon, another great alabama lawyer atticus finch. hearing doug's life story, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was ripped from the pages of that harper lee classic. so perhaps it was fate that one day doug would be asked to play a part in that story. there was just one hiccup. doug was asked to play the judge. so he never got to deliver that passage shortly after the death of mrs. dubose when at tuesday explains to his son that real courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. real courage, atticus said, is when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no

matter what. you really win but sometimes -- you rarely win but sometimes you do. doug spent his time in the senate, indeed his own life embodying the courage that atticus describes. the story of the 16th street bombings is a reminder of the fact that even against tremendous evil and seemingly impossible odds, if you're dogged and determined and see it through no matter what, sometimes you do win and justice prevails. so while doug didn't get to play atticus finch that weekend at the virginia sanford theater in birmingham, that's okay. it's already the role of his lifetime. doug has said that it is his greatest honor of his life to fill the seat of his mentor. doug, you've upheld the honor of that seat and set an example for every senator who will follow in it. whatever the next chapter of your life may bring, the entire senate democratic family wishes you and your family the very,

very best and politely requests that you do not call us when we're in the middle of giving a speech. i yield to my friend, the very distinguished and wonderful, wonderful, wonderful junior senator from the great state of alabama. mr. jones: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. jones: thank you, mr. president. thank you, minority leader schumer for those remarks. i'm humbled. you know, everyone knows the old saying, my how time flies when you're having fun. my time here has drawn to a close but despite the difficulties, the challenges, despite the rancor that we often see in this body as well as washington, d.c., i can honestly say i've had a lot of fun. the last three years have been amazing and i have loved being a member of this body.

i actually did able to accomplish a few things thanks to you but you've been fun. you've not just been colleagues. it's really been good. and by the way, your staffs have been awesome. i know you hear that a lot or -- from constituents. maybe you don't hear it enough from other senators. your staffs have been amazing to us. and i really very much appreciate it. you know, as the minority leader said, everybody knows i'm a baseball fan. you go into that office, you will see in my reception area all 100 baseballs that i had signed. and it was fun getting those. either here on the floor, in a committee room at the retreat that the democrats had. there were so many that had never signed a baseball and you figured out -- and it wasn't easy to sign a baseball. even those that signed in their office where we sent them to the office, they always came up to me and talked about it. and it was a time to put

politics aside and just talk a little bit, something we really don't do enough of around here. leaving the weighty politics and responsibilities that we have, just to sign a baseball and talk about how much it was -- fun it was. i remember right after i was elected, i was talking to a friend of mine dreaming big about the things that we could accomplish that make a difference in the lives of the people of alabama and people of america. we talked about the possibility that we do work on a bill as important as the civil rights act of 1964 or the voting rights act of 1965. but i knew, i knew, though, such opportunities were not likely, especially in what i knew to be a three-year window and not knowing what the future would hold, although i got to be honest. i had a pretty doggone good idea when i got here. if there's one thing my momma

always taught me was to be realistic about things. but i knew it was going to be tough. but to even have an opportunity to talk and work on things that has had such transformational change, you know, those kind of things come along once in a generation if we're lucky. they're that legislative equipment -- equivalent of a perfect game in baseball. you're lucky if you get to be part of that in your career, but you always have to hope. you have to strive for the possible, not just the likely. for those of you who really don't know about baseball and there may be a few, a perfect game is just that, nine innings, three out, three up, three down. everything has to work together. it's not just the pitcher who throws balls and strikes. it's the outfielder who catches the flies, the second baseman who has to get the out, and throw the player out, runner at first. everyone has to fall in line and work together as a team, as a

team. and it's not just that -- it's the people on the field. they're all working and they're all striving for the same goal. as it turned out, i didn't get a chance to be a part of a perfect game. didn't think i would but i didn't get that chance. sometimes i worry as many of you do, especially if you listen to the farewell speeches of lamar alexander and tom udall and mike enzi and others. i worry if those perfect games can ever be had in this senate again. i worry about that. but we always come close and i came close. right after i got here, i got invited to be part of the commonsense caucus which i had to explain to people in alabama that that really is not an oxymoron, that there is common sense up here. but within six weeks of being up here, i was at susan collins'

office with so many here, some 20 senators, republican, democrat, talking about immigration, working on immigration reform. it was the hottest topic of the day, an important topic that still is important today. and i just marveled at the fact that here i was six weeks into this and i was in that room being a part of those discussions. what was even more astonishing to me is that people actually wanted to hear what i had to say. ha didn't happen -- that didn't happen having grown up, raised three children, been married, you don't always get that when people want to know what you got to say. but they did. and i was so gratified and i was so honored. you know, we'd meet in senator collins' office, we'd meet in hideaways. it was exciting and we came so close. i'll remember that. we came so close, within about three votes of doing what they

said couldn't be done, of doing something that was possible but not probable, that sense, what i saw of my colleagues is why we ran for the senate. i could see it, i could feel it in those rooms, in those discussions. i could see it on the floor that day as people were voting. it's why we wanted to be in this body. i remember sitting in the cloakroom and i was as disappointed as ever when we failed. and for a long time, probably still to this day when i'm asked what is your most disappointing day in the senate, i will always talk about that vote that failed so close, which was so important. but what it did demonstrate is through that effort, effort that anything is possible. you've got to come close sometimes before you get across the finish line. you've got to play in the red zone a little bit before you get the touchdown. you've got to hit that line.

but whatever we did, it's possible. the senate is capable of great things if we do them, of bridging divides that society may view as too wide to cross. we can do that. it is not that wide between here and there. it is not that wide. and people need to know it and respect it. i am not the first and i certainly will not be the last to talk about the importance of bringing people together, who hold opposing views and working toward what is both possible and palatable. but all too often the desire to do that kind of gets lost among other actions that don't quite match the words that we say. i noticed the other day how many heads were nodding at the farewell speech of senator alexander, senator enzi, senator udall. and then what happens? i've looked at a lot of farewell speeches in the last month. they all say a lot of the same things. and everybody i'm sure nods. but we've got to do better.

you have to do better. you know, i don't think i fully appreciated it and i listened to the minority leader talk about where i've come from from fairfield but i don't think i fully appreciated it until fairly recently. it seems like i just kind of love a lost cause. i just -- it just seems like every time there is something that needs there, i'm there fighting for justice, for others, for others who feel like hope is lost. from the church bombing case to a senate election in alabama, i fought for those causes because i believe in hope. i believe in redemption. i believe in the possibility. some may call it naive and many have, but i've not been afraid to touch on the so-called third rail issues of our political system because i believe that right now especially there is no time for caution. my first speech on the senate

floor was about gun violence. no one could believe a senator from alabama actually talked about how we can stop gun violence in a way that made some sense, not from an extreme view on the right or extreme view on the left but right there in ways that made sense. it was a topic that i knew could have easily been twisted into a negative campaign ad, which by the way it was. we saw it coming. but i always knew action was so important and we took some small steps on that issue over the last three years, despite a lot of political pressure to the contrary. and i hope you'll do more in the years ahead because lives will depend on it. everything doesn't have to be a perfect game. that's the great satisfaction in the day-to-day tryups. we -- triumphs. we did hit a home run or two and more than our share of singles and doubles. i'm really proud of the 20-plus bills that i led or coled,

bipartisan bills that have been signed into law over the last three years. none would have been possible without bipartisan work. one of my first original bills, civil rights cold case act, records collection act would never have become law without the commitment of senator cruz to help bring long overdue closure to the victims of those terrible crimes. i see -- i appreciate senate cruz's involvement in that. i have to say, it was -- it was so much fun after we got that done to go back home and tell that to all my democratic friends. what is your proudest moment? the proudest moment right now is with my partner ted cruz. but it shows what is possible, folks, and that was an important bill. none of those would have meant more to me, though, than the bipartisan effort that i led with senator collins, to eliminate the widow's tax.

so many of you went to bat for that bill, senator reed, senator inhofe, others, you were getting a lot of pressure, not from me or susan collins, but you were getting pressure for a lot of those military widows. they had been up here for 20 years and for 20 years the dollars and cents kept it from becoming a reality. we did it because we knew it was right. you could not put a price on the duty we owe to the men and women and -- in the armed services and their families. i will never forget the ndaa that included the widows tax. there were gold star widows who had been here to years plus trying to get it done and never getting it done and on that day, we did.

you did it. susan and i get a lot of credit, but it was this body and some folks in the house that made it happen. that was one of the most memorable day. swearing in day was unbelievable. an explosion of emotions. to walk on the floor as a united states senate 34 years as i left as a young staffer to my mentor to take the oath of office for his seat was a remarkable circle of life. there are two especially significant things about that day too. one is that i hope that you all recognize by now that the freshman class of 2018 will likely go down in history as one of the greatest freshman classes ever. the team of smith and jones can't be beat. it is as american as apple pie. and i was really proud and honored to be there with tina

smith that day. but i was also honored to be, if you will recall, there were three vice presidents on the floor of the senate. now president-elect joe biden escorted me in, walter mondale escorted senator pence and we have a soon to be vice president kamala harris. it was remarkable in what i hope is going to be a new tradition in the senate took place when we had on two different occasions once each year six senators, three democrats, three republicans, reading dr. king's letter from a birmingham jail. that document remains one of the most significant in american history and it is as important today as it was when it was written in 1963.

in some ways maybe more important for the moment that we find ourselves in. i have asked and i know he will do this, my colleague, senator brown, to carry on that tradition in my absence. also will on that day -- then there was the day of the swearing in this january of 2019. i was here to observe, pay my respect for all those returning, for those who were joining and i was standing in the back by the cloakroom and senator tester walks up and says, jones, what are you doing? you can't get anything past tester. there were probably a few profanities in there as well if you know senator tester. i said, jon, what do you think i'm doing with a couple of minor profanities. he said daines is caught in a snowstorm back home and can't make it and i would like for you

to escort when i take the oath. as it turns out, it's likely to be the only time i'll get to do that and it was a true honor, my friend. simply sitting at this desk is perhaps the greatest thing. taking this place in, watching each of you, noting the bipartisanship, especially as we close a congress, especially as we close this congress, how senators move freely from one side of the aisle to the other. occasionally i will tell you i confess i will come back here by myself and open this drawer and read the names of the senators who sat here, john kennedy, hubert humphrey, my friend senator shelby and so many others. it is just overwhelming. you know, growing up, it was always the presidents and

presidential candidates who captured my attention. i knew the names of some senators, but that began to change for me watching the senate select committee on watergate when i was in college. remarkable time in a remarkable committee. and then everything changed again in 1979 while i was studying for the bar and got a phone call from senator heflin's chief of staff, hike house. -- mike house. he offered me a one-year position on the senate subcommittee which i eagerly took. that year changed not only my life but brought about a respect for this senate as an institution, as individuals, for so many of its members that i never had before. from that point on, folks, i was hooked -- i was hooked on this body. before being elected to the senate and now i'd come to love the senate a lot, and importantly, all of the

possibilities that go with it, which is why i don't really want to spend my last moments on the floor talking about what i've done. i want to talk about what needs to be done, what can be done, what is possible. you know, even back in 2017 people said it was just not possible to elect a democrat from alabama to the u.s. senate, and here i've been. it's possible to make affordable quality health care a reality for all americans. the a.c.a. right now is the best hope and only plan that is out there. as president obama himself said and everybody should do this, if there is a better plan you can come up with, put it out there, let's do it. i'll publicly support it. the goal is health care for everyone in some way. there are so many in this country and my state of alabama that desperately need it before, during, and after this covid

crisis. it's possible to give people in remote and rural areas access to health care, but it will take a lot of work and it's going to take getting out of partisan corners. it's possible to provide a quality education to every american child. i know education is often funded locally, but it's possible to do it. you've just got to roll up your shirt-sleeves and get it done. it's possible to extend broadband -- access to broadband to all americans and bring every man, woman, and child in the modern era just like we did -- the congress did with roosevelt with electric. broadband is the new power. it's possible to do that. high-speed and affordable, that is the key -- affordable broadband. it's possible to ease the burdens on working class americans by setting a minimum wage that will not hamstrung

businesses but raise the quality of living for so many in this country. so many in my state are in poverty, but yet they work. they work. they work hard, but yet they are still below that poverty level and we need to do what we can to lift them out of that poverty. it takes a lot of work. it takes hard work. it's possible forelaw enforcement to -- for law enforcement to serve and protect all americans, not just some. to root out the systematic racism that exists within law enforcement by enlisting the support of both law enforcement and the communities. it is possible. i will candid i will tell you that i was disappointed when we let that pass hoping that maybe with a new senate, maybe a new congress we could get something accomplished. i hope that still happens but i

was disappointed that we let this moment pass. the country was behind us to please do something. please do something that we've known about for decades, for centuries, please do something. law enforcement said let's do something. we let it pass. it's never too late to do the right thing. it's never too late for justice. it's possible to ensure that every eligible voter is able to cast a ballot and have it counted. now is the most important opportunity we have seen in 2020 concerns about our election process. that it might have been stolen, there might have been fraud. use that opportunity to say, let's don't let these allegations have any credence going forward. let's get together. the technology is there. figure out a way that together we can make our election safe

and secure. and that all people will have access to the ballot box -- all people that are eligible to vote in this country. it's possible for our system of justice to treat all americans equally, not just talk about it but to do it. it is what i have tried to do throughout my career. it is possible, and this is going to be a challenge. it's possible to restore the american people's faith in government. and we all know right now that that faith has been shaken for many, many reasons, the faith has been shaken, but it is possible to restore it. it's possible for each of us to learn as atticus finch taught us, to see things from another person's point of view, walk around in their skin or in their shoes, to see things from other's point of view to find that common ground.

it's possible for us to realize that deep down that progress is not a zero-sum gain, that a rising tide lifts all boats. these things are not easy. they take dedication and hard choices, but they are worthy goals and i know many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle are dedicated to these same goals. and though i oant be able to -- i won't be able to cosponsor anything with you from this point on and amendments in committee if you get amendments in committee, i will support you in any effort i can no matter what side of the aisle your desk is on and i will keep working. remember as we get into the political rhetoric, just remember the jones law of politics, adapted from newton's third law, remember that for

every action, even in politics, there is an equal and opposite reaction. if you go too far on one side, you will get another reaction just as far. it makes it harder and harder to reach that common ground. in senator brown's book about his desk he quotes the political philosopher who observed the good administration in history are usually of very short duration, but afterwards have a decisive but a short time of influence, a long influence over what happens over long periods testify time. short time -- and i know may think, well, doug was only here three years, so that's what he's talking about, but i'm not. i'm talking about something else, whether it's martha mcsally's two years, or my three, senator alexander's 18 or enzi and robert's 24 or if

you're like pat leahy since moses was in the bull rush, our time here is short. there's not anybody on this floor right now who's not thinking about their time that they were sworn in and said it was just like yesterday because it was. our time is short. it's of a limited duration and we've got to act like that. and we've got to make sure that every day we're moving. it's been a realization of a long-held dream. i have so many to thank, doug turner who is here, joe trippy, and my late friend giles perkins, an amazing family, my bride louise, my rock. my two boys, carson and christopher, who have wanted to kill both me and louise since they have been living at home during the pandemic.

but the -- they are incredibly supportive and then my daughter court any and her -- courtney and her husband and her two beautiful daughters who are the brightest stars in the sky. i am grateful to all of my colleagues. i'm grateful to an amazing staff. an i'm not going to go all the way through. they have been true rock stars. i'm going to enter something into the record about my staff. i'm grateful to the advice and counsel of senator shelby. while richard and i may disagree on many ploils -- policies we share a commitment to the people of alabama to make sure we do all we can to get people in alabama a quality of life that they deserve. and i so much appreciate richard's service to the people of the state of alabama. his long and distinguished

service which started out as a democrat, by the way. just saying. it's where the seed was planted, folks. i also want to mention briefly the chairman of the committees i worked on. senator crapo, senator inhofe, senator alexander, who was one of the first people that helped me come over, and the work that we did together. he pulled me and helped me. senator collins, who chaired the aging committee. but i'm especially grateful for the ranking members of those committees -- senators brown, casey, murray and reed. their friendship and counsel have been invaluable. of course i want to thank the minority leader for all of his work for me, on behalf of me. and as i think you guys know, not always the people of alabama, senator schumer never

tried to put puppet strings on me. i know i got accused of that, but he never ever tried. and for that i am very grateful. to the people of alabama, i promise to do my best to represent each of you, whether or not you voted for me. and i'm proud of the work that we did on your behalf, that i've accomplished on your behalf. thank you to the people for giving me the honor of serving you as your senator. finally, i'm going to resist the urge to tell you what's wrong with the senate, how it operates today. you hear it virtually every time a senator gives a farewell address and instinctively you know it deep down. but i will offer you this, there's a book i finished reading recently that ira schapiro, a former staffer wrote. he wrote a book called "the last great senate." it ought to be required reading for every senator coming in. it was published eight years ago about how the two congresses

during the carter administration and how they operated. bob byrd as the majority leader, howard baker as the minority leader, how they got things dob for -- done for the american people. and the author laments that the senate doesn't operate today nbltions fashion. i was here for one of those years. senator leahy was here. his closing is more today than it was when the book was published. america is adrift in turbulent and dangerous waters facing enormous challenges at home and abroad. we urgently need our once vaulted political system to function at its best instead of at its worst. to be sure, it's more difficult being a senator today than it was in the 1960's, in the 1970's. the increasingly vitriolic political culture fueled by the 24-hour news cycle, the endless pressure to raise money, the proliferation of lobbyists and

organized interests are all known and they take a toll. but all of those factors make it essential that our country has a senate of men and women who bring wisdom, judgment, experience, and independence to their work along with an understanding that the senate must be able to take collective action in the national interest. please remember that as you go about the country's business. remember that as you go about the senate's business. remember that as you go about your business as a senator. and as you do, keep and preserve the reverence that the founders envisioned for this body. as former majority leader mike mansfield once said, the constitutional authority does not lie with the leadership. it lies with all of us individually, collectively and equally. in the end it is not the senators as individuals who are of fundamental importance.

in the end it is the institution of the senate. it is the senate itself as one of the foundations of the constitution. it is the senate as one of the rocks of the republic. something we should all remember. one more little bit of advice. take out the word negotiation when you're talking about legislation. don't talk about negotiating this bill or that bill, whether it's covid relief or even appropriations. let me tell you what's happening out there. what's happening out there with the people is that they hear those words, and they think that this is some side or the other trying to get an advantage. it's like labor and unions, like a civil or criminal lawsuit. somebody's trying to get an advantage and to try to do things for their own interest. we can talk about it from the democratic side of how we're

negotiate negotiating for the people. we can talk about it from the republican side about how we're negotiating for businesses to make sure they're protected. but what's being heard by the american people is this is all about democrats. this is all about republicans and getting that political power. talk about common ground. talk about sitting down with the administration or whoever and finding common ground. talk about the goals that you agree on and how to get there. negotiation is just a bad word, and i hate it but it is. so as i prepare for the next chapter of my life's journey, there's a sadness at what i'm going to leave behind. but there's also optimism, optimism, a glass half full. the men and women who serve in this body and their successors and the staff that support them -- and i emphasize that again, the staff that support them -- leading together will continue to bring a better

future for the american people, for your constituents, for each of us. together, not as a caucus, but together as a senate. we're just a damned unbeatable team. you're an you be beatable team. so may god bless you all. may god continue to bless the united states of america. mr. president, with a deep sense of humility and gratitude, i say for the last time, i yield the floor.

a senator: mr. president, what a good speech here. we don't hear them like that every day. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. mr. shelby: to my colleague, senator jones, three years was not a long time here, but we feel his presence. i can tell you that i've known doug a long time. i came to the u.s. house when he came up to work in the senate for senator heflin in the judiciary committee. i supported him when he was nominated by president clinton to be the u.s. attorney to the northern district of alabama, where he did a tremendous job. i worked with him day after day, as we all do, on a lot of issues that affected the country, but affected especially our state of alabama at times.

and we worked hand in glove. we have become friends. we have our differences, but we also have a lot of things that he talked about today where we would come together for the state and for the country. i wish him well. i think we will hear more from him in the weeks ahead and the months ahead. i certainly hope so. he's got a lot to give. he's got a great family. he's got a great wife in lieu lieu -- louise, great partner there. he's got great staff that we've worked together on and we'll continue to do this. one theme that i like and he kept expounding on today, that if we work together in the senate, republicans and democrats, we get things done. if we're not, things don't happen. mr. president, with that, i wish senator jones godspeed and

wish him the best. i ask unanimous consent that my written testimony -- my written statement be made part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. a senator: mr. president, i yield to the senator from --. the presiding officer: the senator from montana. the presiding officer: i'm going to be very, very short. the truth is that serving with doug jones has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. mr. tester: this guy, his last name shouldn't be jones. it should be justice. he is somebody like nobody i've ever seen, the moral compass is so to the right that it has been an incredible pleasure for me to be able to serve with him and to know him and to also wish him

the best moving forward. i don't think we've heard the last of doug jones. doug is not the kind of person who will shrink away. there will be another moment where he can exhibit his ability of common sense, as he's done here in the united states senate for the last three years. i am deeply going to miss his friendship and his ability to sort the wheat from the chaff, because he's been able to do that from day one and continue today with his farewell speech. and i just want to say god bless you, doug jones, and god bless your family. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mr. alexander: mr. president, i heard a lot about doug jones before he got here from another courageous former united states attorney hal harden from

nashville. i was not disappointed when he arrived. doug jones reminds me of another former democrat who was very effective in the senate -- ted kennedy. ted kennedy would come on the floor and make the most -- no one could ever say he abandoned his principles based upon his speeches because he would stand back there at the back, and the things he would say would rally any republican lincoln day dinner. all i had to do back in tennessee was to stir up the republican crowd was to mention ted kennedy. and i did that on a regular basis. however, when he made my maiden address, without my knowing it, ted kennedy went around and got 20 cosponsors for the legislation i introduced that day. and i got a good dose of what it means to be an effective united states senator, somebody who sticks to his or her principles principles, and at the same time those were here to try to work on some sticky issues and get a result that most of us can

vote for and that the country can accept. well, in his time here doug jones did that. i got to watch him because he was a member of the health, education, labor, and pensions committee. senator kennedy used to chair that committee, working with senator enzi, senator gregg, senator hatch and others to produce a lot of legislation. he used to say that committee has a third of all the jurisdiction in the senate. maybe that's about right. doug jones was one of the newest senators. we have 23 members. he was way down at the end of the line. but i noticed he always came, and he always asked questions, and he always listened. he seemed to me to be trying to say what he believed but learn from the witnesses how to get a result. let me just mention one contribution he made that i think will stick with him and with the people of alabama and this country for a long time. that was the work we did in 201,

doug jones, senator tim scott, senator bennet of colorado was on it from the beginning -- to do two things at once to help low-income americans who wanted to go to college. the first was to simplify the dreaded fafsa, the federal aid application form that 20 million americans fill out every year that's 108 questions long, about 90 of them are unnecessary. everybody agrees. and for years we've been working on that to try to simplify that. and finally we got a significant part of that done. and doug jones played a major role in that, because what that legislation did was to say to the low-income family in alabama or tennessee or arkansas or illinois, wherever, you don't have to send your tax

information in to the federal government twice and let them see if they can catch you making a mistake and hold up your pell grant for two months while they figure that out. all you have to do is check a box, and the internal revenue service will fill out the tax questions on your pell grant application for you. so there is no chance of a mistake. that made a big difference. and at the very same time, we agreed, republicans and democrats, to permanently fund historically black colleges, a goal that had been there for a long time. so that, i hope, i would say to my friend from alabama, i hope you put that on your wall somewhere because that helps a few hundred thousand low-income families in alabama aloan, and there is some work still to be done on that to finish the job, to finish the fafsa simplification.

maybe some other support for historically black colleges that we might even be able to get done while you and i are still here. but i wanted to acknowledge a senator who arrived, went to work, stuck to his principles, worked across the aisle, got a result. you can't have a much better scorecard than that. i thank the president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from west virginia. mr. manchin: i rise also to acknowledge my very dear, dear friend doug, but i do it in a different vein. some good things have been said. i think anyone who knows doug or pays attention to what was said today is very accurate as far as his commitment to the rule of law, his compassion for any person, especially those who haven't had the same opportunities as a lot of us in life. that's what moved us all, but i got to see him in a different light. him and his wife invited me down, got to campaign with him. it's all about alabama. i got to go down and spend a couple of days. that tells you the true person.

it not only tells you what they believe and what they feel for the people of their state and how they represent them, it truly tells you what the people of their state think of them, and i saw firsthand. i saw it at a football game. now, nick saban and i grew up together in a small coal mining community. i want you to know coach say ban and his wife terry send their best and they want to thank you for your service. and to see the fans gather around doug, to see the happiness that he and louise had, we were just out running, going through the tailgates, and it was a wonderful, wonderful sight. that tells me everything. for his purpose of being here. and i hope alabama knows how truly fortunate they were to have this gentleman who loved alabama with every fiber and bone in his body, gave them everything he had and represented their state better than any state i have ever seen represented for the true passion that you have. love you, buddy.

thank you. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, i have the privilege of serving with senators of both parties, many of whom i have applauded. some stand out especially. some for longevity, but some for who they are. doug jones stands out for who he is. i think listening to his work as a prosecutor, of course is near and dear to my heart having been a prosecutor, but never facing what he did, and i think of his discussion, of the summation he

gave, and the trial, the people involved with the bombing of the church in alabama and the killing and maiming of youngsters. in fact, i had a chance to meet one of the survivors of that, and i saw how she thought about him all these years later because he had the courage to stand up and do something that may not have been popular with some in his state, but it was the right thing to do. in all the years i have known him here, what he's done, the right thing to do. i have only had one objection about him. they showed me a picture that was taken when this young man,

doug jones, working for hal hefron, judge hefron, standing there with gray beards, and this senator from vermont, and i say who is this youngster in the picture? senator jones for bringing that. i know those in my office had a kick out of that because one of them had the opportunity to work with you. we have done things where we have been able to joke about like being in the airplane -- it mason an aging plane. he is sitting in the front, i am sitting in the back. it's on the ground. senator jones hollers out to

someone in the audience, one of the military people there, and says where is the button for the ejection seat for the back. that got my attention. but then i have also seen this man sit there when we are trying to discuss legislation and he is talking about how to help people. i don't want this because it's politically beneficial to me. how will it help people? and i heard about towns in alabama i never even knew about. i also heard the things he would tell me about him made me think of towns in vermont and realized we were talking about the same problems. never wanted to say these are the republicans or these are the democrats. these are people of alabama who need help. and we worked on that. i will speak further about this, but senator jones, you -- you and your wonderful family.

i think of you, i think of the trips you and your wife, my wife and i have taken together. and i feel that i was a better senator for knowing you and traveling with you and listening to you, and i will miss you, my friend. mr. president, i will speak further on this, but i yield the floor. mr. durbin: mr. president. the presiding officer: the assistant democratic leader. mr. durbin: mr. president, there is something about this doug jones in the earliest stages of his life that he knew he was going to be a little bit different. when i grew up in east st. louis, illinois, it was expected that my childhood hero to be st. louis cardinals great stan musial, but when you grew up in fairfield, alabama, also a

baseball fan as a boy, it turned out your childhood heroes included joe dimaggio, roger maris, and mickey mantle. i'm not sure how that goes over in the deep south to say that you're rooting for a team called the yankees, but you did it, and we knew from the start that you were willing to strike out and do a radical, controversial thing. you were 9 years old in september of 1963 when four phenomenons of the ku klux klan bombed the 16th street baptist church in nearby birmingham, killing four innocent young girls not much older than you were. 14 years later, you were an idealistic young law student skipping class to sit in on the trial of the ringleader in that church bombing. you were mesmerized listening to alabama's then-attorney general and lead prosecutor in the case tell the jury, quote, it's never too late for justice.

the jury agreed, convicted the bomber. you would go on to march louise and god blessed you with three beautiful children, two sons and a daughter. but those memories of those four little girls killed in that church never left you. in his eulogy for the four fallen girls, dr. martin luther king said that the girls say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. they say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murders. their deaths say to us we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the american dream. i'm sure a lot of people heard those words and nodded, but you heard those words and you were inspired. in 2001, as a u.s. attorney for the northern district of

alabama, you led the successful effort to try and convict the remaining two coconspirators in the church bombing. both men were sentenced to life in prison. in that same office, you coordinated a joint state-federal task force that led to the indictment of a domestic terrorist, eric rudolph. you advocated that rudolph should stand trial first in birmingham for the deadly bombing in the city of a woman's health center before being tried in atlanta for the centennial olympic park bombing. all told, these and other bombings killed two people and injured more than 150. rudolph pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four life terms in prison because of your commitment. i was honored during the course of the campaign, doug, to do a joint fundraiser with you and louise and my wife loretta. i got to sit out on my deck in springfield and listen to jason

isabel and joe walsh. it was a lot of fun that night. sometimes campaigns are fun. it certainly was to be with you and louise on that particular night. i want to close by saying you shocked me on the floor of the senate with your first speech. i couldn't believe that this new senator from the state of tbam gave a speech about guns -- state of alabama gave a speech about guns and gun violence. it really told me all i needed to know about you right there. you're willing to stick out your neck for something you believe in, even if it's going to be controversial and even if you're going to catch hell for it because you believe in it sincerely. i know you're a proud hunter, gun owner. there is no question in my mind about your views on that issue. but after the pulse nightclub shooting in orlando, florida, that took the lives of 49 young men and women, one of the worst mass shootings in our nation's history, you supported tighter background check for gun sales

and raising the age requirement to purchase a semiautomatic weapon. i want to personally thank you as well for showing exceptional political courage in cosponsoring my daca legislation in the dream act. i'll never forget it. i'm also proud that the original cosponsor -- that you originally cosponsored justice and policing. that wasn't easy anybody, for you especially, but you stood up for what you believed in. that's legislation that i joined in introducing with our friend, cory booker, and soon-to-be vice president kamala harris. and so you've left your mark. it may seem like a short time in the senate, but there are those who served much longer and have a lot less to show for it. you told us who you were on the first day, and you proved it every day thereafter. it's been an honor to count you as a colleague. i know that you're going to continue to find ways within

that moral work of the universe for justice. i look forward to supporting you in every way that i can going forward. i wish you the best. mr. president, i would suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. scott: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. scott: i request we vitiate the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. scott: mr. president, i came to the senate two years ago because the people of florida entrusted me to fight against the broken ways of washington and the out of control spending that is threatening the future of our children and grandchildren. i fight against a political class in washington, the same elites that scoff when people like me when i say the government needs to be run like a baseball. they say it's too complicate. i say any elect official or bureaucrat who believes that should resign tomorrow because they are a part of the problem. it's time to wake up. it's time to wake up to the fact that every dime spent in washington belongs to american

taxpayers and every dollar spent now is a tax increase for ar future generation. it's time to wake up to the fact that our nation is more than $27 trillion in debt. every cent we spend moving forward threatens our ability to fund our military and our safety nets like social security, medicare and medicaid. it's time to wake up to the fact that our position as a leader of the free world is not promised and shouldn't be taken for granted. irresponsible career politicians who care more about their next election than the future of our country will run this nation into the ground if we let them. and i'm fighting to make sure that they don't. let me be clear. i support another relief measure to help our small businesses and individuals that are hurting because of the coronavirus. for months senate republicans have been trying to pass responsible and targeted measures to quickly help those in need and for months democrats have blocked these measures

because of politics. nancy pelosi admitted it. she said she purposefully stood in the wait of a deal until after the presidential election so that politics would be in their favor to, quote, avoid considerations in the legislation that we don't want, unquote. it's shameful and exactly why the american people are fed up with washington. congress has already allocated $2 trillion in direct and indirect aid to states and localities. and we now unfortunately, because congress tried to get this money out the door as quickly as possible, many programs within the cares act are riddled with waste, inefficiency and fraud. now, a group of my colleagues want to spend another trillion dollars, including almost $200 billion to bail out liberal states with governors that can't do the basic job they are elected to do, manage their own budgets and we don't even know how much is still unspent from the previous coronavirus relief

packages. i've reached out to every single governor twice now to learn how they spent hundreds of billions of dollars they already received and only ten have replied. they won't tell us because they don't want us to know that there's still billions of dollars left unspent. they don't want us to know that the real purpose is to take that taxpayer money to help us get through the crisis and use it to back fill their inefficient wasteful budgets and pension programs. liberal governors and mayors think the american people are stupid. they think that taxpayers in states like florida won't realize if the federal government uses their taxpayer money to bail out states like new york and california and pay for those states' wasteful spending. governor newsom has had his hand out, despite california's is wrunning 18.6% above protections.

their tax revenue was $1 billion, 15.6% higher than in the previous october. and sales taxes were up 9.2%. for the last four months, overall revenue in california has exceeded spring forecasts and even 2019 collections. this is a state that paid $1.5 million to the chief investment officer of its public pension fund which was actually invested in companies tied to the chinese communist party only to it find out this person was personally invested in companies with ties to the chinese communist party. you can't make it up. same story with governor cuomo, new york's tax revenue was up 4.3%. these are the same governors who are okay issuing new stay at home orders that are killing small businesses as long as they get more money from the federal government to back phil their

pension plans, they don't care how many people will suffer. they don't care as long as they don't have to follow their own oppressive rules. let's not forget about nancy pelosi and the hair salon, governor newsom dining out and others who urged people to stay home. these liberal politicians who refuse to open their states are seeing high numbers of unemployment. most of the states with the highest unemployment rate in the country are controlled by democrats. on the other hand, republican-led states are making the hard choices to get on as fiscal responsible path and reopen their economy safely are succeeding and seeing lower unemployment rates. 30 states that have had their -- have halved their unemployment rate, erasing losses from the

previous quarter. you can see there, this is from a wall street editorial, if you haven't heard, they are experiencing a surge of tax revenue, politicians don't want this to get out because they want to get more of our money from states like florida to pay -- pay for the budgets o jersey. and over here you can see states have seen a big dropoff in their unemployment rates by half over the last six months and there's been a big growth in private sector employment but it doesn't stop these liberal governors and mayors from wanting more money. look, i know everyone wants to help our states and so do i. we help our states by ensuring appropriate spending of the billions of dollars in taxpayer dollars already allocated. we help our states by safely opening the economy and getting americans back to work. we help our states by spending -- sending money to schools to safely reopen and funding distribution.

most states will be in a strong position to get through this pandemic without more federal aid and that is great news for our country we know that new york, illinois, new jersey don't need bailouts, they want bailouts so they can use that money intended to address covid to backfill their budget and fengs problems. i said all along -- and pension problems. i said all along it is not fair to citizens in a state like florida where we made the hard choice that's were hard that put our state on a fiscally straight path. we cut taxes, balanced our budget every year without borrowing money. $908 billion -- $908 billion in spending today equals a tax increase of $7,000 per american family down the road. it's not money that we have. it's a tax increase of $3,000 per american family down the line. many families in our country right now are trying to figure out how to celebrate this

holiday season while they struggle to afford daily expenses. these are the people we need to be helping. you wouldn't run your business or family the way washington is run. like there's an endless supply and no consequences to ratcheting up unthinkable amounts of debt. that's what many of my colleagues want. but to keep spending money like this means taking away the same opportunities that i have had and others have had to live the american dream. it will take it away from our children and grandchildren. it's time to wake up, time to make the hard choices to put our country on a path to recovery, recovery from the virus, from the economic devastations brought with it and from the fiscal climate that decades of politicians have ignored, that means refusing to bail out states for their poor fiscal choices. thank you, mr. president, and i yield the floor.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from missouri. mr. blunt: mr. president, later today we'll vote on the -- whether to go forward with the arms sales that the administration notified the congress of a few weeks ago. these would be sales to -- equipment sailings to the united arab emirate. it would continue the 20 years of growth in our relationship, working side by side against common concerns and common enemies. this really, mr. president, goes back through three different administrations, going back to 9/11 and beyond where the u.a.e. has consistently been willing to stand with us in at least six long-term deployments.

they come, they stay, they are side by side with us in the field. they have been with us in the air. they are flying what has previously been our best piece of aircraft at a level that we would share it with other countries who are friends of ours. this sale will continue that. it continues to allow the even more inner operate ability between the united states -- operateability of -- between the united states and israel. israel is supportive of this sale. the ambassador from the united arab emirates and the ambassador from israel this week had a public event where they both talked about the support of israel for this sale. as you know very well, mr. president, the -- our law requires a quantitative advantage for israel when we sell them equipment.

we have even a slightly different advantage, but being able to continue this rip is important. -- relationship is important. the f-35 jets, the mq-9 unarmed aerial vehicles, advanced munitions. i think the total sales is about $$23.5 billion. and this is not any kind of gift from the united states to the u.a.e., this is the u.a.e. making a purchase totally in -- totaling $23.5 billion for equipment that is made by american companies and almost always by american workers. you know, in august, we had the first breakthrough in a diplomatic sense in the middle east and a long -- in a long time. president trump deserves credit for that. israel deserves credit for that. but the u.a.e. deserves credit for that. the abraham accords where the

u.a.e. recognized formerly israel, began to have flights back and forth and other things that were significant in changing the environment in the middle east, the most difficult part of the world, the greatest breakthrough in 40 years. but that followed a number of breakthroughs that weren't quite as public where these -- this relationship has grown, the israel relationship with the u.a.e., just like our relationship has gotten stronger over time and to see the recognition of the two governments together, to see bahrain follow that, i think we're going to see other -- other countries in the area decide that a region that lives in peace with israel is a good thing for everybody involved, not pa bad thing for anybody -- nod nod a bad thing for anybody -- not a bad thing for

everybody. so it's important. i think how congress deals with this is significant. we've been notified, as the law requires us to be notified. i think under this notification process, i don't believe any sale has been denied and only one sale has been altered. the president has to agree so if we debate this for hours and somehow it narrowly passes and the president vetoes it and we don't have the votes to override the veto, i with i i'm confident we would -- which i'm confident we would not. i think we have the votes to deal with this right here, right now. it is the right thing to do. it is the right time to do it. we will never have more of a long-term runway of how things under the bush administration, the obama administration, and the trump administration have continued to progress to where the u.a.e. has become a trusted

ally. now they've become a trusted ally and a trusted diplomatic partner in this important breakthrough. having this kind of equipment not only allows us to be inner operatable, but, frankly, it creates opportunity for american military an american technicians to be working with them every time you have an upgrade, every time you have a significant maintenance issue. that just further enhances as does working through how those -- that equipment is used afterwards, all of that further enhances the constant dialogue, the constant reinforcement of our friends who see common enemies and are working directly to move their country and their region in a much better direction. so, mr. president, i hope that

the senate today does what it needs to do and sends that message that we understand what israel would like to see happen, what the u.a.e. would like to see happen and, frankly, what will happen and happens better if this debate focuses more on what that outcome produces rather than a debate that makes people wonder exactly what do you have to do to continue to be a trusted partner of the united states. and so with that, mr. president, i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. brown: thank you, mr. president. i wool restate my request whenever i come to the floor, the presiding officer wear a mask because he has people sitting in front of him that could be at risk. this weekend we lost a former member of this body who truly emon bodied the spirit -- embodied the spirit of service. his chair of -- his name is paul sarbanes. he passed away a few days ago, long-time chair of the committee that the presiding officer and i both sit on. as chair of the banking and housing committee, he was always a voice for consumers and working families standing up against powerful corporate interests. the accomplishment that bears his name, the sarbanes-oxley act

was a landmark law in our efforts to hold corporations accountable, help protect americans who invest hard-earned money for retirement and for their kids' education, from corporate accounting fraud, the kind that bankrupted families after scandals like enron. senator sarbanes also never ignored the housing parts of our committee's jurisdiction. he fought to make sure all americans could find and afford a place to call home. whenever developers tried to make a deal in maryland, he was always adamant that they include affordable housing in their projects because fundamentally, he never forget where he came from. the son of greek immigrants, paul sarbanes grew up a working class kid busing tables at his family's restaurant on the eastern shore. in the senate he cared about getting results for the people we serve, not about getting the credit. some of his colleagues called him the stealth senator. he welcomed the nickname. he told "the baltimore sun" that stealth is one of the most important weapons in our military arsenal.

if you let somebody else take the credit, you can get the result. senator sarbanes was the definition of a true public servant. may he rest in peace as he joins his beloved wife christine. connie and i pray for the entire representative john sarbanes, his son, and the entire sarbanes family. i hope my colleagues will join me in honoring senator sarbanes by building on his legacy, standing up to the corporations that have too much power in this country, and fighting for the working people we serve. paul sarbanes like many of us in this body understood the dignity of work. mr. president, i ask that the following words be placed in a different place in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. brown: yesterday, mr. president, the house overwhelmingly passed the ndaa conference report by a veto-proof majority of 335-78. that bill includes our comprehensive bipartisan reform of our antimoney laundering

laws. i'd like to thank any colleagues, especially senator crapo and other banking and housing committee colleagues, senators warner, jones, reed, rounds, and off the committee senator wyden, senators whitehouse, graham, and grassley and the presiding officer senator cotton for his work on this legislation. on the house side, chairman owe chairwoman waters and chairwoman maloney and representative cleaver, thank you to all of them for working so hard to ensure that today we have this crucial bipartisan legislation in this defense conference report that will reform our money laundering laws and finally, finally end abuses by anonymous shell companies. i'd like to extend any thanks to a former colleague, chairman levin who is chair of armed services and permanent subcommittee of investigations and to president obama who both worked on these issues for years. many of their good ideas are codified in this bill harvesting some of the seeds they planted years ago. the antimoney laundering act and

the corporate transparency act are the products in months of months and months of bipartisan negotiation. between and among members on the house and senate and certainly the staff of senator cotton and me and senator crapo and others. i thank them for their good work. the bill is a critical step to fight money laundering and crack down on shell companies. while there are things i would have done differently had we be writing the bill on our own, overall it's an effective, comprehensive response to the problem of illicit finance. i strongly support it. criminals abuse the u.s. financial system to launder money from drug trafficking, organized crime, medicare, medicaid fraud, weapons sales, other criminal activities. i spoke today about this with sheriff tharp of toledo, long-time sheriff and u.s. marshal pete elliot of cleveland. they welcome this language, they welcome this law. this will help them do their jobs better. much of this dirty money that

comes from organized crime and medicaid fraud and weapons sales and drug trafficking and sex trafficking, much of this dirty money is laundered through anonymous shell corporations. they directly hurt ohio communities, especially those torn apart by the -- by the opioid crisis. -- fentanyl traffickers have been destroying thousands of families. they use money laundering to get their drug money in and out of the country. human traffickers who prey on runaways at truck stops along major interstate highways in ohio and across the country also use the financial system to launder their profits. we need to give law enforcement new, modern tools to stop their crimes. the bill finally requires comprehensive reporting by u.s. companies of their actual owners. no more hiding these abuses in anonymous shell companies. it cracks down on bankers who look the other way to actively aid money laundering. it cracks down on big banks that have shoddy compliance systems.

if you're helping drug traders hide their illegal fentanyl profits, you deserve more than a slap on the wrist. banks can't be -- banks cannot be too big to jail and laws can't treat them that way. i'll closely monitor how this critical legislation is being implemented. i spoke this week already with the secretary of the treasury designee and the deputy secretary treasury designee about being ready to administer and enforce these laws. i look forward to working with the administration to ensure that treasury puts in place effective antimoney laundering and corporate transparency rules to implement the bill as soon as possible. we know that criminals have long been revising their tactics to get around our current laws. this bill will enable us to get ahead of them and stay ahead of them. i urge my colleagues to support -- they supported this language in ndaa. i urge them to support ndaa. i ask that my full statement, mr. president, my full statement be included in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. brown: thank you.

i note the -- i yield the floor. mr. paul: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from kentucky. mr. paul: i rise today to oppose another massive infusion of arms into the volatile middle east. someone must ask the question, can a lasting peace be purchased with more weapons? will selling sophisticated fighter jets and weaponized drones bring more stability to the middle east? is it wise to pour fuel on the fire that burns in the middle east? the senate today is debating with these joint resolutions whether to disapprove of the announced sale of 50f-35's and reaper drones to the united emirates encouraging steps specifically toward israel but with an overall record that should give concern. the primary questions we should be asking ourselves are to what

ends has the u.a.e. deployed its military and its military technology in recent years? does the u.a.e. have a record that we can trust? what military behavior are we encouraging and rewarding with the sale? will the u.s. bear responsibility if the u.a.e. misuses these incredibly sophisticated weapons? the answers to these questions are far from clear. in fact, the u.a.e.'s record should give us pause. the u.a.e. is not a democracy. their human rights record is mixed and their military activities in the region as a one-time member of the saudi coalition contributed to the bloodshed and devastation in yemen. on human rights, let's look at some recent reported examples. in 2017 ahmed monsur, a human rights activist was given a ten-year prison sentence based on his speech.

specifically, he was charged for posting false information that harms national unity on social media. the charges against him were based on a call for the release of another activist who had been put in prison for political speech. is this the kind of democracy or lack of democracy, lack of speech that should be rewarded with our most sophisticated weaponry? in 2017 the u.a.e. government also handed down a ten-year sentence to nassar ben ghaith, an economist for his criticism of the u.a.e. and egypt then governments. is this the kind of country that deserves our most sophisticated weaponry? in 2018 the u.a.e. arrested matthew hedges, a british citizen and doctoral student and denied him access to legal counsel for five months. they sentenced him to life in prison for spying, charges based on a confession that was obtained in an undisclosed

location. they were ultimately forced to pardon:after international outrage -- pardon him after international outrage. this this the kind of country we can trust with our most sophisticated weaponry. the fact that the u.a.e. is willing to buy this technology is not in and of itself justification for the sale. this is the time to carefully study the situation in the region and to consider the effects of accelerating middle east arms race -- the middle eastern arms race in the short term and in the long term. this is why our government shouldn't be rushing into approving this sale. yet our government is moving at wharp speed to approve this sale. it's as if we intentionally don't want to consider all of these issues. the most frequently cited argument in favor of this sale is that the u.a.e. has taken encouraging steps in the last few months. they have normalized relations with israel, facilitated civilian travel and more. great. i'm all in for that.

we should be encouraging peaceful relations between countries. i support those efforts. but it's not clear that dropping advanced military technology into the region is in fact encouraging peaceful relations given on how it's been used, how these weapons have been used in recent times. the u.a.e. spent years bombing yemen as part of the coalition with saudi arabia to stop the hugh jis. this bombing campaign was undisciplined and sloppy. civilians, residents and other nonmilitary targets were often destroyed. the u.n. reports approximately 7,000 civilians killed in yemen and over 10,000 wounded. the saudi u.a.e. coalition helped create a humanitarian crisis in yemen. amid collapsing public services, the largest cholera epidemic on record has infected at least two million people, probably more and killed almost 4,000. a lot of this is to be blamed on

the civil war that has been perpetuated by saudi arabia and the u.a.e. at the height of the destruction, a yemen any child would die of starvation every ten minutes. more than 50,000 children have been lost to starvation. i have argued for years that the u.s. should play no role in worsening the crisis via an arms pipeline to the coalition that perpetuates this war. american technology helped facilitate this crisis and should be a real concern about sending more american bombs and fighter planes into this region. if they weren't used wisely in the most recent years in the yemeni war, will they be used differently in the future? can we trust the people who were part of a many booing campaign of civilians -- of a bombing campaign of civilians in yemen to use be better in the future?

let's not forget that weapons we sent to the coalition, u.s. weapons that were sent to the saudi-u.a.e. coalition were lost and handed over. military equipment was sent to the u.a.e. but wound up in the hands of terrorists. the saudi-u.a.e. coalition reportedly used u.s. weapons as currency to win the approval of militias inside yemen. these are against the terms of sale. we told them, you can't give away our weapons. you can't use our weapons to purchase the support of sunni extremists in yemen, but they did. this should give us cause for concern. this should make us say, whoa! let's stop, let's pause before we send more weapons into this war. not only that, but iranian proxies captured some of these weapons and predictably pointed them back at the saudi-u.a.e. coalitions.

guns, missiles, vehicles ends p in the hands of terrorists. weapons that we put on the ground in the middle east. the same investigation found mine manufacture resistant ambush protection vehicles, m wraps, in the hands of sunni allies of the u.a.e. and saudi arabia. but guess who some were? al qaeda in the peninsula. they were getting weapons that we were giving to the u.a.e. in saudi arabia. does this sound like the kind of behavior we should reward with more weapons? one of the mrap's still had the export label on it indicating that it had been sent from bowmont texas to the u.a.e. before ultimately getting transferred to extremists in yemen? this is the type of behavior we should reward with more of our sophisticated technology? the serial number on another mrap in possession of the

iranian-backed houthis was traced about a being to the 2014 sale of u.s. mrap's to the u.a.e. so the u.a.e. not only was trading our weapons for support among sunni extremists, they also were having their equipment taken by the houthis. so on both sides of the war in yemen, we had u.s. weapons. is it a good idea to flood the middle east with more of our weapons? is it a good idea to keep sending weapons that wind up in the hands of people who don't have our best interests at heart? now people say, well, the u.a.e. is doing better. they've stepped brac from the coalition. they're not fighting as vigorously in the u.a.e. but there still are reports that u.a.e. is still involved in the civil war in yemen. that they're still engaged. the u.a.e. has a very conflicted record on human rights. i mention add few of those who have been imprisoned for ten years to life for speech, for

speech against the government or even just speech the government doesn't like. but flogging is also used as a form of punishment. there's no true free trade agreement of speech or press in the u.a.e. is this the kind of country we should give our most sophisticated technology to? activists have been held in detention. electric shock has been used as a form of punishment in the u.a.e. social media statements against the government are criminalized. you can be put in prison for text messages and people have been put in prison and/or deported for text messages. the government has used mass trials against dissidents. statements of support for qatar were made illegal during the region's diplomatic standoff. criticisms of government officials were made illegal by decree. this is not an open society. this is not a democracy, and this is decidedly not a country

that we should be giving our most sophisticated weaponsry to. do we believe these arms sales will encourage or discourage bad behavior from the u.a.e.? we are clearly communicating to the u.a.e. that human rights take a back seat to arms sales. part of the consideration for these arms sales is the recent developments from the u.a.e. -- most prominently the u.a.e.'s normalizing relations with israel through the abram accords. it's a positive development, without a doubt. i'm all in favor of it. i'm all in favor of trading with the aver. i'm all in frayed of israel trading with the u.a.e. i'm in favor of good diplomatic relations. but you can also have diplomatic relations without flooding the region with our most sophisticated armaments. outwardly we are told by all involved that the f-35's are not a condition for the abram accords.

but if you ask whether it is a good idea to send some of our most advanced weaponry to the u.a.e., we are none less told, if we don't, it might jeopardize the ad cords. well, which is it? they're either part of the accords or they're not. if the weapons were not to go, i think that the advantages to israel-u.a.e. having diplomatic advantages in trade are so great that they will continue. atessures is that we will guarantee what's called israel's qualitative military edge in the region. even after the sale of f-35's and reaper drones to u.a.e. so the message to israel is, yes, we are giving the same advanced fighter jets to the u.a.e. but we'll give you even better jets in the future. all i can say is, that is a big maybe. and people accept on the face of that that, oh, yes we're going to guaranteeing is, but we're giving the same equipment to people who have been on the the

other side of virtually every other war in the middle east, i think, is a hopeful promise but not necessarily a guarantee. the easiest way, if you favor protecting israel's q.m.e. or military edge is to stop sending military aassets to other countries in the region. we're competing with ourselves right now. we give advanced weaponry to israel and then we say we're going to keep your advantage, but then we give the advanced weaponry to the u.a.e. and so israel comes back and say, we need more. then we give more to them and the saudis want more. then israel wants more. it is a never-ending arms race before the so-called countries that are actually getting along not to mention the arms race between those who are opposed to iran in the region. the easiest way to protect the qualitative military edge of israel is to quit sending more advanced weaponry into the region.

we've committed to protecting israel's q.m.e. in response to these sales, but we continue to obligate ourselves to increasingly large sales to offset the large sales we've already approved to others. like u.a.e. and saudi arabia. there is another aspect to qualitative military edge that's rarely discussed. it's the q.m.e. that saudi arabia and the gulf sheikhdoms have over iran. saudi arabia is the third biggest purchaser of weapons, the third biggest spender on military of anyone in the military now. but if you add the saudi arabia weapons to the gulf sheikhdom's weaponry, you find that they spend eight times more on their military than iran. so what kind of response would we imagine? we may not like what iran does, but we should at least think about what they will do in response to what we do and what in response to the saudis do and

u.a.e. does and israel does. exacerbating the q.m.e. inevitably leads to pressure on iran, to further escalate the arms race and becomes a never-ending destructive cycle of more and more weapons. people say -- and this administration has said -- we want an agreement with iran but not just a nuclear agreement. we we got out of the nuclear agreement. we want an agreement on conventional weapons. but how would that work? we ask iran to limit their weapons but we keep piling weapons on the other side. you think iran is going to agree to limit their weapons if we keep piling more of our sophisticated weapons into the hands of the saudis and into the hands of u.a.e. and others? there is great concerns with this sale and rushing it through is a mistake. what happens if the f-35's are shot down? what if russia or china is able to access our sensitive stealth

technology? how will the need for contractors be be handled in a secure fashion? some supporters of israel are very worried about this. the zionist organization of america, for example, has opposed the sale because it jeopardizes israel's qualitative military edge and makes the technologies on which israel relies less secure. this statement from the zionist organization of america is quite clear. quote, the security of both the u.s. and israel is best served by preventing any other countries from acquiring this advanced aircraft. they couldn't be clearer. even many in israel were initially and very vocally opposed to this sale. their minister of defense said absolutely it was a terrible idea. their minister of settlements, same thing. i would urge my colleagues to consider the possible consequences of this sale. we should not accelerate an arms race in the middle east.

we should not jeopardize the security of our military technologies, and we should not reward a decade-plus of undesirable behavior by the u.a.e. i urge a vote in support of these resolutions of disapproval. and, mr. president, i think we'll go ahead and call up theless ares are. i don't think that will stop the continuance of the debate? or will it? okay. pursuant to the arms export control act of 1976, i move to discharge the foreign relations committee from further consideration of s.j. res. 78, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed military sale to the united arab emirates of certain defense articles and services. the presiding officer: the motion is pending. mr. paul: thank you. and i relinquish the floor.

a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: madam president, i rise today to urge my colleagues to support these two resolutions of disapproval. i appreciate my distinguished colleague from kentucky and his support and advocacy here in these particular arms sales to the united arab emirates. simply put, many aspects of this proposed sale remain conceptual. conceptual. and we're being asked to support a significant transfer of advanced u.s. technology, without clarity on a number of key details regarding the sale or sufficient answers to crit call national -- to critical national security questions. there are simply too many

outstanding questions about the protection of critical u.s. military technology. the broader implications of these sales to u.s. national security regarding the u.a.e.'s relationships, for example, with russia and china, as theyies today -- as they exist today. i heard some of my colleagues say, well, aren't we cornered that they'll go to russia? they have relationships with russia and china as they exist today in a military purchase context. and about the long-term implications of course to the united states and to our ally, the state of israel. now, it's disappointing that we are forced to discuss these issues in such a public way through a formal congressional expression of disapproval. that's not normally how we do this. however, the administration left us no choice because of the way that it attempted to rush

through these sales by completely subverting congressional oversight, and it appears increasingly the need for greater interagency review. now, the united states congress has a unique legislative responsibility to oversee u.s. arms sales abroad. this process allows congress to engage privately with relevant national security agencies and the intendants recipient countries in order to better understand the intricacies and security implications of any proposed sale. but, as it has done before, the administration decided to ignore to the congressional responsibilities here and rushed through with this sale. they blew right through that period of review that the

congress has had, normally for about 40 days. now, let me just say, the united arab emirates from my view has been an important partner in the fight against terrorism and for other u.s. national security priorities. and i will suspect that it will to be so after this. it's unfortunate, however, that we find ourselves in this situation. following the historic abraham accords, we started hearing that the administration was planning to grant the u.a.e. a long-standing request. the sale of the united states' most advanced stealth fighter jets. both the emirateis, and i've spoken to their foreign minister and to their ambassador, and the u.s. administration continue to insist, however, that there is no connection, none, between the abraham accords and this sale. so that's a red herring for those who are concerned that

somehow we are going to disrupt the abraham accords. and while i join just about all of my colleagues in applauding the advancement of diplomatic relations that builds upon years already of israeli and emirati engagement, there is absolutely no reason to rush through an arms sale of this magnitude especially when we're being told there's no connection. interagency review of such sales usually takes many months of careful deliberation. the departments of state, defense, and others must assess what capabilities are safe to sell, what technology security measures are appropriate and necessary? what restrictions on use are imposed? and how the sale will affect the national security of our friends and allies in the region and elsewhere. once these deliberations have concluded, a sale of this

magnitude usually sits with the senate foreign relations committee for an informal review process that by the state department's own requirement, state department's own requirement would last 40 days. and then for reasons the administration has concealed, expleelt subverted this review process and officially started a 30-day review all before any briefings were even given to staff, let alone senators and members of the committees of jurisdiction. to date we have yet to get a clear answer as to why the president and the secretary of state are trying to again circumvent the congressional arms sales oversight process by rushing the sale of 50 of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, technology that gives israel and the united states a critical military

advantage over any adversary. moreover, the administration wants to push through without any congressional oversight the second largest ever sale of armed reaper drones to the u.a.e., and over 14,000 additional aircraft munitions on top of the 60,000 already sold to abu dhabi as part of the nonemergency last year. i say nonemergency because they declared emergency. there was no emergency to be justified. delivery of this most advanced features could take years. and i say that because, therefore, there is no reason that giving us a time frame to do what we normally do to determine whether this is the right sale in the national security interest of the united states, not starting an arms

race in the middle east, also dealing with israel, is that too much to answer when you're not going to get any of this equipment for years? these are major sales by any measure. part of this conversation is also, as my colleague has said, about israel's qualitative military edge that it currently has over its neighbors and was expected to main -- maintain with its own purchase of 50f-35's still in the process of being delivered. let me make it clear. i take a back seat to no one when it comes to advancing u.s. policies to protect israel's national security. i have proven that time and time and time again. but this sale is fundamentally about the united states national security, about the united states qualitative military

edge, and about our long-term national security. it's also about not wanting to start and thinking about at least what does it mean in terms of an advanced arms race in the region. now unfortunately, particularly for members who do not serve on national security committees, there is much we cannot discuss in an open setting, but let me assure all of my colleagues, these sales have very real implications for their own technology security. on october 9 of this year, armed services ranking member senator reed and i sent a letter to former secretary of defense esper and secretary of secretare pompeo with 16 detailed questions about the f-35 sale. to date we have not received satisfactory answers to any or

all of those questions. and i ask unanimous consent to submit that letter into the "congressional record." the presiding officer: without objection. mr. menendez: now i am not opposed to these sales if they make sense and pose no threat to u.s. or israeli security in the short and the long term, but these sales require and deserve careful and deliberate consideration within the interagency process and by this congress. however, that simply has not happened. now a little while ago my distinguished colleague from missouri, senator blunt, asked on the floor, what do you have to do to be a treated partner -- a trusted partner i should say. a trusted partner. so let me try to answer that question. following a classified briefing with the administration, the details of which i will not discuss here, there is a whole

host of issues that a trusted partner would ultimately have to agree to. one, the united arab emirates has been building its military relations with russia and china. just a few years ago the emiratis and russia signed an agreement to develop a fifth generation fighter jet. our own department of defense inspector general recently indicated that they may be funding the malicious russian wagner mers -- mercenary forces in libya. what's the status of and what specific efforts are we taking to address the u.a.e.'s current and future military relationship with china, where they are talking about building a, an air base, the chinese, outside the u.a.e.'s waters on an artificial land and russia. there are no answers to that.

do we not deserve if we're going to send the most sophisticated equipment in the world to the u.a.e. to make sure there is a written commitment that they're going to phase out those military engablingments? -- engagements? what specific steps is the united states taking to safeguard u.s. military technology against sophisticated espionage? and what specific commitments do we have from the emiratis? there's no answer to that question. a trusted partner would agree to those safeguards. the u.a.e. last year transferred u.s.-origin weapons to a terrorist organization in yemen that has a history of targeting civilians. the emiratis have been repeatedly accused, along with others, of violating the u.n. arms embargo on libya. what assurances do we have about how and where these new sophisticated weapons will be

used? there is no answer. a trusted partner would agree to those limits. four, the long-term threat of a highly lethal arms race and the great power competition implication this could set off across the region and implications for future gulf cooperation. the qatarrys have already asked for their own f-35's. is that what's next? saudi arabia? well, they may say we like the united arab emirates, but we can't be inferior for our own national security. what security threats will be posed when the entire region is armed with the most sophisticated weaponry we have to offer? there are no satisfactory answers, if any, to these questions. what guarantees do we have that these weapons will not be used against the united states or israel's national security in the future? how will that be determined?

what might israel need in the future to secure its qualitative military edge? no clear answer to that. what specific military threat have the emiratis articulated that they need the f-35's to address right now? if they have specific needs, we need to know that because if these aren't going to come online for some time maybe their needs are more consequential and need to be dealt with in a different way. how might the iranians react to the increased of stealth aircraft in their neighborhood? we have no analysis of that. finally, the timeline. when will the letters of offer and acceptance be concluded? why was there an initial artificial deadline? why the rush to cut short the normal months-long interagency review process by the congress and national security professionals? why? why? are they trying to lock in the

sale before president-elect biden is inaugurated regardless of the possible cost to u.s. and israeli national security? we have no answer to that. as i've said before, the united arab emirates has been an important partner for critical u.s. interests including the fight against terrorism and in our efforts in afghanistan. but according to the united nations and to the department of defense's own inspector general, at the same time the u.a.e. also seems to be working against our stated interest in other areas. a trusted partner would be in collaboration, cooperation with us. i wish we could have had these discussions in more appropriate settings. that's what we normally would have done. this is of course not the first time the administration has subverted congress' important oversight role in arms sales. last may the administration notified more than $8 billion of weapons to saudi arabia and the

united arab emirates. it cited a bogus, quote, immediate threat from iran, despite the fact that most of the sales, like these f-35's, would take years, years to reach their intended recipients. so, colleagues, at the end of the day we must assert our congressional prerogative not for the sake of prerogative in and of itself, but to safeguard the u.s. national security interest that we alling collectively and individually entrusted to do. we must demand answers to the very serious and very reasonable questions many have of this sale. now perhaps with due diligence, we will find that this sale will indeed bolster u.s. national security, but right now the truth is we do not have clarity on that most fundamental question. so, colleagues, do you really want a sale of this magnitude to go through without the

appropriate vetting measures? voting against these resolutions sends a message to the executive branch, whoever -- i don't care who's sitting there. the present occupant, a future occupant. whoever is sitting in the white house that we are willing to give up our congressional responsibilities. hard to bring that back once you let it go. it says that we will not stop arms sales in the future that have not gone through the appropriate review process. for that reason, i urge all of our colleagues to support these resolutions of disapproval so that we may have more time to assess for ourselves the nuances of these sales, the repercussions they may have in the rejob for decades to come -- in the region for decades to come, to ensure technology transfer doesn't take place, to ensure that the national security interests of the united states are preserved. i urge you to support these

resolutions to stand up for those propositions. both are critical to protecting u.s. national security interests. and with that, i yield the floor. if i may reclaim the floor are -- i ask unanimous consent that all debate time on s.j. res. 77 and s.j. res. 78 be yielded back. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. under the previous order, the question occurs on the motion to discharge s.j. res. 77. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: do any senators in the chamber wish to vote or change his or her vote? if not, the yeas are 46. the nays are 50. the motion is not agreed to. under the previous order, the question occurs on the motion to discharge s.j. res. 78. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be.

the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change his or her vote, the yeas are 47, the nays are 49. the motion is nod agreed to. the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask the chair to lay before the senate the conference report to accompany 6795. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the committee on conference on the disagreeing votes on the two houses on the amendment of the senate to the bill h.r. 6395, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021, and so are forth and for other purposes having met have agreed that the house received from its disagreement to the amendment of the senate and agree to the same with an amendment and the senate

agree to the same. signed by a majority of the conferees on the part of both houses. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk for the conference report. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on the conference report to accompany h.r. 6395, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021, and so forth and other other purposes, signed by 17 senators as follows: mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. scott: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 189, senate

1151, i ask that the committee substitute amendment be agreed to, the the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. murphy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. murphy: mr. president, reserving the right to object. this is a substantial proposal, one that merits full consideration on the floor of the senate with the opportunity to debate and amend to understand how many government agencies would be affected, to understand whether it merits a sunset date to understand what the effect will be not just on the regime of venezuela but the people of venezuela and for that reason i would object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. scott: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. scott: mr. president, rise to speak about the crisis in venezuela, nicholas miew did mao yes is starving his own people

and children are dying. every day that passes, the situation in venezuela grows more dire. maduro orchestrated a sham election. maduro is a dictator who doesn't respect liewm rights or the will -- human rights or the will of his people. he must be topped. the trump administration has taking actions to hold maduro accountable. but the united states and all freedom-loving countries around the world must do more. as governor i strictly prob hibtd the state of florida, including all state agencies, from allowing any company to do business with maduro's oppressing regime. why would we use taxpayer money to support a regime. this would prohibit federal

agencies from doing business with anyone that supports maduro. last year we included a targeted version of this measure in the ndaa that prohibited the department of defense from doing business with anyone supporting maduro's regime. now it's time for us to be clear and united in our support for the venezuelan people and prohibit every agency in the federal government from doing anything that would support maduro and his genocide. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to address the senate in spanish. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. scott: speaking in spanish. mr. president, what i propose is a simple action we can take as americans to help end maduro's genocide. i am disappointed by my democratic colleague's objection to my request. this cleared the government

homeland security committee by unanimous consent. i hope that he and the other senators -- the other senators that objected before will work with me to get this done. unfortunately they have not been willing to meet with me to fix this and to get this done. i'm not giving up. i plan to bring this up again and again. we don't have time to delay. we cannot lose sight of the fact that nicholas maduro is killing his citizens. we need to take every action that we can to signal to maduro that the united states will not stand by and let this continue. even though my bill was blocked today, i will never stop fighting until venezuela and all of latin america can begin a new day of freedom. with that, i yield the floor. and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. the presiding officer: is the senate presently in a quorum call? the presiding officer: the senate is. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: thank you, mr. president. i mentioned recently in one of these speeches that an