connection at all in order to give their children a brighter future. indeed, that story of hard work and boundless optimism is the common thread that runs throughout our latino community, all 60 million of us living in the united states. and i would argue that story is as american as they come. let us ensure that the story is told right here in the nation's capital where it belongs. let us pass h.r. 2420 and let us ensure that some day in the near future, latino and latino children and other children who walk through our national mall will no longer wonder why the story of their families are missing. i know i cannot wait for the day that i can take my granddaughters to the national museum of the american latino. so it's been a long and winding road for this bill, one of which i hope will complete its path today in congress. this has already been passed by the house of representatives by

voice vote, no opposition. this passed the rules committee in a unanimous voice vote. now, we've been asked to make some changes to accommodate my colleague, the chair of the energy and natural resources committee. and while i personally do not believe that these changes are fair to the latino community or required or necessary for the bill, i am committed to making them to pass this bill and finally moving one step closer to the construction of the museum. so with that, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 600, h.r. 2420, i ask unanimous consent that the murkowski amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. lee: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: reserving the right to

object. i want to thank my friend and colleague, the senator from new jersey, for bringing this issue to the floor today. cultural programs may represent and do in fact represent a tiny fraction of all federal spending, but they're magnified many times over by virtue of their symbolic and their substantive impact. culture is upstream from politics and it's more important and it's more deserving of more of our attention. for that reason, the smithsonian institution is more than just another line item in our federal budget. it's one of the great cultural triumphs of our republic. from the moment of our founding, the united states has faced an almost unique problem in history. how do we turn our huge nation's cultural, religious, ethnic, and regional differences from a potential weakness into a real strength?

the way our nation has always achieved this is by creating institutions that unite americans around shared interests and the mystic chords of collective memory. the constitution, the senate itself are free enterprise economy, our armed forces and public schools, federalism, localism, the first amendment, and even march madness all fit this bill. they have the power to harness our individual and community differences to the common good of the whole nation. now, the smithsonian institution does the exact same thing. it winds all the mereyed strands of history into one imperfect but heroic story. americans of every age, race, creed, and background come to washington from all over the country to visit the smithsonian museums, natural history, american history, air and space, american art, the national zoo.

within the walls of a smithsonian museum just like at the national gallery of art or the great memorials that dot this city, there is no us and them. there's only us. and so my objection to the creation of a new smithsonian museum or series of museums based on group identity, what theodore roosevelt called hyphenated americanism is not a matter of budgetary or legislative technicalities. it's a matter of national unity and cultural inclusion. now, we've seen in recent years what happens when we indulge the cultural and identity balkanization of our national community. the so-called critical theory undergirding this movement does not celebrate diversity. it weaponizes diversity. it sharpens all those hyphens into so many knives and daggers. it has turn our college campuses

into grievance pageants and loose orwellian mobs to cancel anyone daring to express an original thought. especially at the end of such a fraying, fracturing year, congress should not splints -- r one of the national stiewlal corner -- constitutional corner cornerstones of our national identity. the smithsonian institution should not have an exclusive museum of american latino history or a museum of women's history or museum of american men's history or mormon history or asian american history or catholic history. american history is an inclusive story that should unite us, us. madam president, the senator from new jersey is absolutely right that the history of american latinos is a vital part of america's history.

so of course is the history of american women who have written more than half of the american story going all the way back to plymouth rock. their stories are our stories and their stories emphatically should be told by the smithsonian institution at the museum of american history, period. no hyphen. now, the senator from new jersey is well aware of my stingy views on spending. but if american latino or women's history are being underappropriated at the museum of american history, that is a problem and that's a problem we should address here. i'll happily work with him or anyone else to correct those problems, even if it means more money, more exhibits, new floors or wings. i understand what my colleagues are trying to do and why. i respect what they're trying to

do. i even share their interests in ensuring that these stories are told. but the last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation within an array of separate but equal museums if hyphenated identity groups. at this moment in the history of our diverse nation, we need our federal government and the smithsonian institution itself to pull us closer together and not further apart. on that basis, madam president, i object. mr. menendez: mr. president? the presiding officer:he objection is heard. the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: madam president, i'm sorry. madam president, 60 million latinos in this country are watching tonight because this is a much expected moment, univision, telemundo, affiliates across the country, national organizations and others have

been waiting for this moment, a moment that everybody in the congress of the united states agrees to except for one colleague. the house of representatives passed this on voice. the rules committee passed it on voice in a bipartisan manner. and tonight one colleague stands in the way, one republican colleague from utah stands in the way of the hopes and dreams and aspirations of seeing americans of latino descent having their dreams fulfilled and being recognized, just being recognized. now, the smithsonian is a collection of museums. let's be honest with that. did we need an air and space museum? do we need a museum of the native americans? did we need an african american museum? i would say yes to all of them because they are part of the mosaic. they are brought together under the rubric of the single, most

significant cultural institution in the nation which is the smithsonian. i don't know if these arguments were made against the native americans. i don't know if these arguments were made against african americans. but i don't see them as being separate and apart. i see them as part of the collective history mosaic that is coming together under the smithsonian. half -- more than half of the nation's population are women. are we to deny them that their history in our country is not being told? it's not. it's beyond betsy ross who i appreciate very much. so this idea -- and talk about funding. this bill requires that 50% of all the funding becoming -- be coming from private sources so we will fuel the development of programming as well as the physical structure, as well as all the other elements by the

community and communities who want to see this become a reality. 30 years of willful neglect. nobody cared. nobody made any effort. nobody did anything about it. and the one chance we have since this has been a 20-plus year journey to try to make this museum possible, one republican colleague stands in the way. one republican colleague stands in the way. it's pretty outrageous. it's pretty outrageous. i yield the floor. a senator: madam president? the presidin officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: i want to be clear about something. all racial, ethnic, religious groups in america are worthy of celebration. even to the extent of having their own museums. indeed many of them already do. in many instances institutions, museums that are not part of or funded by the federal government in whole or in part.

if we have more museums and fewest tweets, america would certainly be better off. this isn't about whether such museums should exist or not. this is about the smithsonian institution which is itself federally funded. i understand that they also raise a significant portion of their money but there is a brand that comes along with the smithsonian institution and a lot of money that's taken from the american people in the form of tax revenue. and so as a result of that, the smithsonian institution has a unique role and responsibility in our culture and as a repository and teller of america's national story. now, it's absolutely true, african americans and american indians have a unique place in that story in that they were rather uniquely deliberately,

systemicallyexcluded from it. unlike other groups they were persecuted and essentially written out of our national story. even had their own stories virtually erased. not simply by our culture or evolving values but by that very same government, this same federal government, it's therefore uniquely appropriate that the federal government provide the funding to recover and tell those communities specific stories today. dedicated museums in the specific context of having been so long excluded from our national community in our national sry. thank you. a setor: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: i just have to say we have been systematically -- systemically excluded. we who founded the oldest city in america before there was a

united states of america. we who ultimately were used as farm workers and discriminated against in the blasaro program. we who were discriminated against when we voluntarily joined the armed forces of the united states to defend the nation. we have been systematically excluded not because this senator said so but because the smithsonian itself said so. and yet we are supposed to entrust the willful neglect that has taken place for more than three decades, taken place longer but acknowledged for three decades. oh, no, we're somehow not systematically excluded. believe me, we have been. and the only righteous way to end that exclusion is to pass this bill. mr. lee: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: if the smithsonian institution in its reported 1994, in fact acknowledged that it had systematically excluded the stories of in i one segment

in american -- any one segment in american society, i struggle to understand that the only response to that has to be a separate siloed museum. why not direct them when telling our national story at the national museum of american history, to tell that story there. if we have to expand it, we'll do that. if we have to add more floor space and more staff and more research, let's do that. but the fact that they've identified their own failure over time doesn't mean that they themselves should then get to decide that we have a separate siloed museum. thank you. the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: napt -- napt, before i give -- madam president, before i give my remarks, i want to strongly associate myself with the comments that have been made this evening by my colleagues from texas and new jersey,

senator cornyn and senator men den -- menendez in support of a museum to celebrate and commemorate the achievements of latinos in our country. i could not help but wonder, as i heard the comments of my colleague from utah, whether he also tried to block the museum celebrating and telling the history of african americans. that museum which is so popular on the mall. i've had wondered whether he tried to block also the creation of the museum that tells the story of native americans. madam president, i am convinced

if this bill, which has just been described by my two colleagues, were brought to a vote on the senate floor, it would pass not unanimously -- that's clear -- but with a very strong vote. and it seems wrong that one senator can block consideration of a bill that would have overwhelming support by a majority of this body. so, madam president, i rise today on behalf of myself and the senator from california, senator feinstein, to urge the senate to take the important step of passing our legislation to establish a long-overdue

women's history museum in our nation's capital. madam president, this is an issue that i have been working on since 2003 when i introduced the first bill to tell the story of more than half of our population, of the contributions of american women to our country in every field -- government, business, medicine, law, literature, sports, entertainment, the arts, the military, the family. telling the history of american women matters, and a museum recognizing our achievements and experiences has long been a goal of many of the women and men who serve in this chamber.

following 18 months of study by an independent, bipartisan commission established by congress, the commission unanimously concluded -- quote -- america needs and deserves a physical national museum dedicated to showcasing the historic experiences and the impact of women in the country -- end quote. madam president, i agree wholeheartedly with the commission's unanimous conclusion. this year, madam president, we commemorate the 100th anniversary of suffrage for women in this country and the

decades-long fight for women's equality at the ballot box. it is extraordinary to me that just 100 years ago not every woman in this country was allowed to vote in every state. that's not that long ago. that story is one of the stories that needs to be told. admit the celebrations of this historic year. i can think of no better way to tell the story of american women, to inspire those young girls and young boys who come to washington to tour all the wonderful museums that are part of the smithsonian than to create a museum of american women's history so that they can

better understand the contributions of american women to the development of our nation and its proud history. madam president, as with the museum that would establish -- and as with the legislation that would establish a museum celebrating and commemorating the history of latino and latina americans, this legislation has passed the house by an overwhelming margin. surely we ought to be able to take it up and pass it here, too. so, madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number

599, senate bill 959. i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be withdrawn, the murkowski amendment at the desk be agreed to, and the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. lee: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. ms. collins: madam president, i think this is a sad moment. i had hoped that we could proceed with both of these bills and pass them before the end of this year. surely in a year where we're celebrating the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage,

this is the time, this is the moment to finally pass the legislation unanimously recommended by an independent commission to establish an american women's history museum in our nation's capital. i regret that that will not occur this evening, but we will not give up the fight. thank you, madam president.

ms. murkowski: mada president? the presiding officer: the senator from alaska is recognized. ms. murkowski: thank you, madam president. i would to follow on the comments that you have just shared with the body about your support for women's history museum and also to theomments made by both the senator from new jersey and the senator from texas regarding the american latino museum. i am privileged to serve as the

chairman of the interior appropriations subcommittee, and as part of that subcommittee, we have oversight of the smith sewnians, and it is an incredibly ring part of the job that i have to do with oversight. so i am well aware of these national treasures, what they tribute to the education, to the dialogue, to just the motivation that comes when we know and understand more about our own country, about the people that make up this extraordinary mosaic called america. and so how we recognize and how we celebrate those contributions, how we acknowledge the challenges that women have faced along the way, african americans, or latinos as

they have truly been extraordinary participants in this american society, i also recognize that our smithsonians don't come free. they don't come cheap, as the senator from utah noted. the smithsonians are funded with significant federal taxpayer dollars, so we are required to show a level of exercise with how we move forward, and we have been extraordinarily judicious. i think, as the presiding officer noted in her comments, when the discussion of a women's history museum first came about, it was not just a flash-in-the-pan idea. it was something that had germated for a long time. goes to a commission. there are a whole series of steps that must go and arizona

approvals that -- and approvals that go along the way. so the path that we have taken has led us to the point today where there has been a request made to be able to advance both of these significant recognitions to american latina and american women by which of additional smithsonian facilities. i support both of those, just as i have supported our smithsonians, as they have -- as new ones have come online, as the american -- african american museum has most recently. whether it is the renovations that have been under way for a period -- i also recognize that the effort tonight made by both you, as the prime cosponsor -- prime sponsor of the american women's history museum and incorporating an

amendment that i had requested that ensures that as we are looking to sites for these significant facilities, that we're doing so with a level of cooperation. i don't think anybody wants to be in a situation where the smithsonian would effectively be able to tell whether it is the department of agriculture or the u.s. forest service, we want your building. that's not how the process works. and so the amendments that were incorporated in both of these measures that were before us today i think was an important one. i think it was a significant one. some may have heard that lisa murkowski was not supporting these museums. far from it. what i wanted to ensure is that we have a good, sound process for where we site these extraordinarily, extraordinarily

important facilities. my hope is that we will resolve this impasse because the contributions, whether they be from women over the decades, the latina community, the latino community over the decades and the centuries, that there be facilities that appropriately recognize and celebrate them. with that, madam president, i yield the floor. i would suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding ofcer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quor call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

ms. murkowski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. ms. murkowski: request that proceedings under the quorum call being disnsed with. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. res. 79 submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the the clerk: senate resolution 799 desnating december 2020 as national impaired driving prevention month. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the meare. ms. murkowski: i further ask that at resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and motions to ronsider. the presiding officer: without

objection. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on banking, housing, understand urban affairs be discharged from further consideration of s. 633 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. thelerk: s. 633, a bill to award a congressional gold medal to the membersf women's army corpwho were assigned to the 6,888th central postal alba tail on-known as the 6 triple 8. the presidinofficer: without objection, the committee is the discharged. the senate will to the measure. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the moran substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: i now ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 1925 received from the house. the presiding officer: the clerk will repor

the clerk: h.r1925, an a to designate t manhattan campus of the new yorkarbor health system of the departmen of veterans affairs as the maaret cochran corbin campus of the new york health care system. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the gillibrand substitute eliminate be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time adds and passed and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: i ask the chair lay before the senate the messageo accompany s. 900. the presiding officer: the senate -- the chair lays before the senate a message from it t hoe. the clerk: resolved, that the bill from the senate, s. 900, entitled an act to designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the dertment of veterans affairs in bozeman, moana, as the travis w. atkins

clinic do pass with an amendment. ms. murkowski: i move to concur in the house amendment and ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on veterans' affairs be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 4983 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the priding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 4983 an act to designate the department of veterans affairs community-based outpatient clinic in gilbert, arizona, as t staff sergeant alexander w. conrad veterans afirs health care clinic. the presiding officer: thout objection, the committee is discharge and the senate will proceed to the measure. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on veterans' affairs be discharged from further consideration of

h.r. 7347 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding ficer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 7347, a act to designate theedical center of the department of veterans affairs in ann arbor, michigan, the lieutenant colonel charles ketes medical center. the presiding oicer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senat will proceed to the measure. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 560, which is s. 2730. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the cle: s. 2730, a bill to establish and eure an inclusive and transparent drone advisory committee. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. ms. murkowski: i further ask

that the committee-reported substitute be considered and agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsidere considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. friday, december 11. further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. finally you following leader remarks, the senate resume consideration of the conference report a company h.r. 6395. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: if there is to further business to come before the senate you i ask that it stand journeyed yard. -- adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the

he u.s. senate gobbling out r the day. today lawmakers worked on the final versionf the 2021 policy bill. tomorrow they are expected to vote on legislation to extend government fding past this friday's midnight deadline. when the senate returns watch live coverage here on cspan2 >> senator pat roberts is retrying gave us farewell speech on the senate floor after giving 40ears in congress pretty talked about his career with the work on the farm bills and the eisenhower memorial in washington d.c. after his speech colleagues paid tribute to his career. vac first i think the leadership on both sides for ivthis opportunity to give the pat roberts audio speech. the story of how i got into politics is a pretty straight family path