mr. barrasso: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from wyoming. mr. barrasso: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i come to the floor today to ask our democrat colleagues to join us, the republicans, in providing immediate relief, relief in the fight against coronavirus and relief, economic relief, for the people of this country. you know, americans don't ask much of their government, but they are asking us for something right now. number one, they are asking to help control the spread of the coronavirus. and number two, they are asking to help with an economic recovery. america and americans shouldn't have to choose between staying

open and staying healthy. we need both, and congress needs to provide a path beyond the pandemic. now, a path forward, as you know, mr. president, is something republicans have been proposing now for a long time. and we've done it, first with the cares act, and we need to do it right now with additional coronavirus and economic relief legislation. our bill is practical, it supports our neighborhoods, the men and women working on main street in our small towns and communities all across the country. we also need to provide unemployment help for those who for no reason of their own happen to find themselves out of work as a result of the pandemic. we need to get the vaccine to as many americans as we can as quickly and safely as we can,

especially during this holiday season when we are really looking at a pandemic. what we see from the other side, mr. president, is gridlock. no path forward on the economy. no path forward on coronavirus. we've seen them play politics with the pandemic. house and senate republicans have tried now 40 times, 40 different times to get something that's acceptable that can be sent to provide that relief for the american public. the democrats each and every time blocked it. mr. president, the gridlock must end today. i would like to spend just a moment, mr. president, on this historic vaccine discovery.

it is to me as a doctor comparable to insulin, comparable to the vaccine, to polio, comparable to penicillin as an antibiotic. it's going to be that dramatic in terms of the change in the world. well, as we gather on the floor today, planes, trucks, u.p.s., federal express all taking vaccines across the country, many, many locations, over 636 this first week, so it's not just a scientific triumph. it's also a logistical triumph. every newspaper in the country yesterday, i believe, had a picture of somebody receiving the vaccine, receiving the shot in that local community. it's a remarkable time for our nation. as christmas packages are being delivered, so is this great hope for people receiving the vaccine. all told, this week, 3 million

doses distributed to people around the country, 636 sites in my state alone, wyoming. five different locations where the vaccine has arrived. over 5,000 people being vaccinated this week. by the end of the year, 15,000. i'm sure, mr. president, in your state of indiana, more locations than that, more people being vaccinated. the frontline workers are getting it first, and that's -- that's the way we need to do it. you know, as part of the cares act, mr. president, you and i voted for it, $10 billion went to help develop the vaccine, money spent to distribute the vaccine, but we need to do more. about $6 billion is additionally needed to help in a full distribution of the vaccine. well, i'm ready to vote for that. i want to make sure we have that money so the vaccine which has been amazing in the speed of

development can also be deployed and similarly done. this vaccine has been done at an unprecedented scale, the number of people being vaccinated, the success, the timeline. a safe, effective, powerful vaccine. never has a vaccine been developed or distributed faster. it truly is. it's the senate, under the cares act, and this administration under operation warp speed which stood this operation up and made it successful. so we're seeing the real effects as people are getting the shot. when you think about it in the big picture, this is why -- and you know this, mr. president, from your background in business and contributing to your community, this is what we talk about when we talk about american ingenuity.

it's why people around the world look to america for answers, because when things that are critical occur, it's america that finds the solutions, as we have done right now for this vaccine. we've come together public as well as private over the last eight months, the f.d.a., to approve a vaccine that -- that it's interesting, mr. president, you think who should get it first, the doctors, the nurses, and the firefighters are getting it here in the district of columbia. firefighters have been getting it at home in wyoming. people that are health care providers. and then of course those who are most vulnerable, the people who are finding themselves, who are in nursing homes now, assisted living facilities, people who are most vulnerability. those are the yuns that get it first. when the time comes, i'm going to get it, my wife will get it. we will say yes, i believe it's effective, i believe it's the solution that gets us through

the disease and gets the economy back on track. i talked to one of the doctors who runs the intensive care unit at wyoming medical center. the health care personnel are exhausted. they have been working double shift. if one gets sick, others have to pick up the work lahood. as -- workload. as more and more people show up in the hospitals and emergency rooms with coronavirus. this is very welcome relief. i talked to a physician who works in the emergency room. she is going to be vaccinated on friday. so this is -- this is what we need, mr. president. you know, it's so interesting, the pundits talk about the dark winters of the coronavirus surge, but for the health care providers in our home communities, these are -- they have to keep the doors open every day, keep the lights on, and take care of these patients one after another after another.

once the first one came and the wave hit different parts of the country at different times, once the first patient came, they continued to come. and they're still coming today, and that's why this vaccine is such a welcome relief and why for the health care providers who have done such a -- such remarkable work, we can say this is their finest hour. they have kept us going, kept patients, offered of themselves, and now the vaccines have arrived. we need to do more in this body. we have health care workers leading by example. we have folks in assisted living. and close to half of all the people that lost their lives because of coronavirus were residents of assisted living. of those millions of health care workers, we need to make sure

that the vaccines continue to flow to them and to all of the society and to all people in this country. and it is by doing that that we will put this disease behind us. we will be back to our strong, robust, growing economy. our kids will be back full time in school and universities will be returning to the robust future that we know is ahead of them. and it's because of the work of this body months ago with the cares act that our work is not done, and as we approach the christmas holidays, there is more work to be done. i turn to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and say please join us this holiday season. to make sure that the american people, who don't ask for much, are able to continue to keep

their lives on track, back on track, and move forward into the year 2021 with a vaccine available to everyone and for a much better new year. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

mr. sanders: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. sanders: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, let me say a few words on the coronavirus relief package that is now being negotiated. in my view, this bill of roughly $900 billion has a number of

enormously important provisions in it which will do a great deal of service and help for the american people. we are talking about funding for vaccine distribution, which is a no-brainer; we've got to get that vaccine out to every state in this country, if we're going to finally put an end to this horrific pandemic. we're talking about in this bill -- in this proposal increased funding for education, health care, child care, nutrition, housing, transportation, and many other very important areas. i agree with all of that. but the problem is that while this proposal addresses some of the major crises facing our country and the families of our

country, there is simply not enough money in the proposal to deal with the unprecedented crises that we now face. it is no secret to anybody that right now at this moment in america we face the worst set of crises that this country has seen for perhaps 100 years. the pandemic is surging throughout america. more and more people are being diagnosed with the virus. more and more people are ending up in hospital. more and more people are dying. but it is not just the public health crisis that we're addressing. we're dealing with a terrible, terrible economic meltdown, when many, many millions of people have lost their jobs; they have lost their health care; people are working, in many cases, for

fewer hours. rather than 40 hours a week, they're working 30 hours a week, less income coming in. so this bill has a lot in it that is good but, given the enormity of the crises that we face, it simply does not go anywhere far enough. mr. president, as you may well remember, in may, in response to the crisis, the democratic house passed a heroes bill calling for $3.4 trillion in new money to address the kind of crises that we are facing. and while that bill did not have everything that i wanted in it, it was a serious, serious step forward in addressing the

multitude of crises facing our country. it was a $3.4 trillion bill passed in the house in may. in july, the house came back and said, well, we're not going to spend $3.4 trillion. we're going to reduce it to $2.2 trillion, and they passed what was called a heroes 2 bill, which called for $2.2 trillion in new money. again, did not go as far as i would want but was a very serious effort. and among other things in that bill, as well as the first heroes bill, there was provision to extend unemployment benefits for another four months and provide a $600 supplementary check. and there were provisions in it to provide a $1,200 direct

payment to adults and $500 to their children. that was the heroes 2 bill for $2.2 trillion. just a few months ago, the trump administration represented by secretary of the treasury mnuchin proposed a $1.8 trillion bill. $1.8 trillion. and today the bill that is being negotiated calls for all of $348 billion in new money. that is $900 billion bill, but most of the funding is carried over from the cares act. $348 billion in new money. in other words, this is roughly

10% of what democrats in the house passed in the first heroes bill. now, i was a mayor for eight years. i know a little bit about negotiating. i frankly don't know how you negotiate from $3.4 trillion down to $348 billion. you got 10% of what you originally started with. this is not just numbers. what this is about is whether in this moment of unprecedented crisis, when families are struggling to feed their children, when a half a million people are sleeping out on the street, when in the midst of this awful pandemic over 90 million americans are uninsured or underinsured, can't go to the doctor in the midst of a

pandemic when they are sick, at a time when many, many millions of families are worried about getting evicted from their apartments or their homes because they no longer have the income to pay their rents or pay their mortgage. that's the crisis that we are in right now. and, unfortunately, this proposal does not address that crisis to the degree that it should. now, that is the bad news. and my hope, very sincere hope, is that when the biden administration comes to office in late january, that their very first priority will be to address the deficiencies and

inadequacies in this bill. the american people today, the working class of this country today, is struggling in a way that we have not seen since the great depression of the 1930's. people are desperate. i will never forget in my state, in my community, my neighborhood a few months ago, burlington, vermont, they shut down -- the state shut down a highway, and hundreds and hundreds of automobiles lined up, one behind each other, in order to get emergency food distributed by the vermont national guard. in my community. and that is going on all over this country. where states are in worse shape than the state of vermont. people who have never, ever gotten -- gone to an emergency food shelf are now lining up for emergency food packages in the united states of america, in the richest country in the history of the world, at a time, by the way, when a number of

billionaires are doing phenomenally well. so this bill, in my view, does not go anywhere near far enough in terms of addressing our crises, and i hope that as soon as the biden administration comes into office they will address those deficiencies. now, the good news -- and this is some good news, and i'm happy as we enter the holiday season to say something that i think the american people are wanting to hear -- and that is, when you ask the american people -- and the pollsters do that and they say to the american people, we're in the midst of this terrible crisis. what do you think should happen? and overwhelmingly you some 80% of the american people, overwhelmingly republicans, democrats, independents, they say that in the midst of this emergency, we need the united states government to respond to our pain because we don't want

to get evicted, we don't want our kids to go hungry, we don't want to be saddled with incredible debt. the government has got to do something. 80% of the american people, democrats, republicans, independents understand that. and then when you ask them what is the most important thing that can be done? and there's a long list of things. what they say the most important thing that can done is in this moment, help my family out, get me some money so i can pay my bills, so i don't get evicted, so i can feed my kids, so i can go to the doctor when i get sick. get me a direct payment. as you know, mr. president, the cares act provided $1,200 for every working-class adult in this country. that is, an individual earning less than $75,000 a year, $a couple, $50,000 an individual, plus $500 for their kids.

that means for a husband and wife, two kids, that's $3,400. it means that maybe you can pay your bills. maybe you can breathe a little bit easier. maybe come christmastime, you might be able to buy your kids a few gifts. maybe the fear of eviction is lessened just a little bit. that's what we did in the cares act. and that is what i wanted in this bill. now, a week ago, ten days ago nobody here was talking about the need for direct payments, help for working families, despite the fact that that is the issue, the program that the american people most wanted. a lot of other important things that we're dealing with. that is what the american people wanted, help us out. let us make a decision. get us some money in this time of need. but i'm happy to say, working

with people like senator hawley of missouri, working with the progressive caucus in the house of representatives, working with senators gillibrand and warren and merkley, markey and wyden, working with congresswoman joyia pall and many others in the house, alexandria ocasio-cortez, we have stood up a understand say, we have got to have direct payments. i am happy to say that as of now -- and we're going to fight for more because this process is not over -- the proposal as i understand it provides for a direct payment of $600 for every working-class adult and $600 for their kids. that means

for a family of four, that would be $2,400. that is half of what i wanted, but it is a step forward. and i'm going to do my best to make sure that we come as close to that $1,200 as we possibly can. mr. president, millions of our people today are living in desperation. half of our workers are living paycheck to paycheck while one out of four american workers today are either unemployed or making a starvation wage of less than $20,000 a year. during the holiday season, over one-third of americans expect to lose income.

one-third are having a difficult time paying for basic household expenses. in america today hunger is at its highest level in decades. more than half a million americans are homeless and over 30 million of our people are on the brink of eviction. by january 1, 12 million americans will owe an average of $5,800 in back rent. and as bad as this crisis is for the whole population from coast to coast, it is worse for the african american and latino and native american communities. during this pandemic, nearly 60% of latino families and 55% of african american families and

many, many native american families have either experienced a job loss or a pay cut. so, mr. president, all across this country working families are standing up, and they say, you know what? we have served in the military. we are doing our best to raise our kids in this unprecedented moment in american history we need help. and i want to thank not only my friends in the congressional progressive caucus in the house, representatives jaipol, taliz, ocasio-cortez and many, many others. i want to thank the millions of americans that have stood up and demanded that the needs be met. i want to thank over 60 groups

representing millions of working families, progressives, the elderly and young people including the center for popular democracy, the sun rise movement, social security works, presente and people's actions for pushing a progressive agenda forward and for demanding that this government respond to the needs of our people. so here we are i have, as this proposal continues to be negotiated. as i said earlier, it is my hope that not only do we make sure that unemployment benefits are extended for another 16 weeks at $300 per week, it is my hope that we can see some light here and get to the $1,200 direct payment that adults in this country desperately need.

so, mr. president, i am going to do my best in the coming days to make sure that that happens, and i hope that the american people will join with me to get on the phones to call up their members of the house and members of senate to say that in this unprecedented moment in american history, government has got to respond to the needs of working families. and with that, mr. president, i would yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. roberts: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. roberts: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. roberts: mr. president, i also ask that the scheduled vote

be taken place now. the presiding officer: without objection. all postcloture time has expired. the question occurs on the dawson nomination. mr. roberts: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

you vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 56. the nays are 39. and the nomination is confirmed. the senator from north carolina. mr. burr: i ask unanimous consent that the -- i senate will come to order. a senator: i ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. a senator: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of charles edward atchley jr. of tennessee to be

u.s. district judge for the eastern district of tennessee signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by u.c., the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is is it the sense of the senate that debate of the charles edward atchley jr. to be district judge of the eastern district of tennessee shall be brought to a close. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote:

is vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 54, nays are 41. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. charles edward atchley jr. of tennessee to be united states district judge for the eastern district of tennessee.

mr. menendez: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: madam president, i come to the floor today, and will soon ask unanimous consent for the passage of the daniel underall judicial, security and privacy act of 2020. this legislation is about standing up for the independence of our federal judiciary and the safety of all of those who serve

it. many of you already know the terrible tragedy that recently struck federal district judge ester salas and her family in new jersey. a man showed up impersonating a package delivery driver. when her son answered the door, the assailant opened fire, taking the life of her only child and seriously wounding her husband mark anderall. unfortunately this tragedy is not the first attack on a federal judge. there was a 1979 murder of judge john wood in san antonio, texas. the 1988 murder of judge richard duronko in new york. the 1989 murder of joj robert vance in alabama. the 2005 murder of the husband

and mother of judge joan lefko in illinois. there have been other attacks as well. in june 2013 chief judge timothy korrigan was shot by a gunman who purchased his home on the internet for a mere $1.91. the gunshot missed his ear by less than two inches. last month a judge's address was circulated on social media urging people to gather outside his home while the judge was hearing a high-profile case. according to the u.s. marshal service, threats against federal judges rose by 500% between fiscal years 2015 and 2019. this trend should worry all of us who care about our constitution. an independent judiciary in

which judges can render decisions without fear of retribution and violence is essential to the integrity of our democracy. indeed the idea that any judge at any level of government could be intimidated undermines the very concept of the rule of law. we expect all americans to have respect for the rule of law, even when they disagree with the outcome of a case or a particular ruling. unfortunately, that's not always the case. some individuals delude themselves into believing that violence is the answer. well, we may not be able to eliminate hatred from someone's heart, but what we can do is make sure that the men and women who serve on our federal bench do not make for such easy targets. that's why after daniel's murder, i made a personal commitment to judge salas. i told her that i would develop legislation along with my

colleague, senator booker, to better protect the men and women who sit on our federal judiciary, to ensure their independence in the face of increased personal threats on judges and to help prevent this unthinkable tragedy, unthinkable tragedy from ever happening again to anyone else. the daniel ander all judicial and privacy act is a bicameral plan to safeguard the personal information of federal judges and their families. i want to thank my colleague, senator booker, who has been there every step of the way, a member of the judiciary committee. and senator graham, senator lindsey graham, for leading this effort with me. our legislation makes it unlawful for data brokers to knowingly sell, trade, license, purchase, or otherwise provide personally identifiable information of a federal judge or their family.

since its introduction, we have worked with several stakeholders, including the administrative office of the u.s. courts, the u.s. marshals office, the american civil liberties union, among others. together we carefully updated legislative language in order to uphold the first amendment right of the press to report on matters of public concern and balance that right with our urgent need to better protect the safety of federal judges and their families. federal judges and their families will continue to be able to seek relief through the courts for the knowing and willful publication of their personal information and the party responsible for the violation will have to pay the cost and reasonable attorney fees. the bill enjoys widespread support among judicial and attorney organizations including the national association of attorneys general, the national judicial conference, federal judges association national

conference of bankruptcy judges, american bar association, the national hispanic bar association, the national bar association, and several others. madam president, america's federal judges must be able to render rulings without fearing for their lives or the lives of their loved ones. we must better protect federal judges' personal information from those who would seek to do them harm. that's exactly what the daniel anderl judicial privacy act of 2020 will do. this legislation will not bring judge salas's son back, but we must ensure, as judge salas said, that his death not be in vain. as she recently wrote in "the new york times", and i quote, daniel's death is speaking to us, but will we listen? for the sake of my brothers and sisters on the bench, congress

must act now. every day that goes by without action leaves our federal judges, our justice system and our very democracy in danger. close quote. madam president, we must protect the independence of our courts, the safety of our judges, and prevent this sort of tragedy from ever happening again. this is a commonsense bill. it will save lives. and i urge my colleagues to approve it without delay. before i ask for consent, i want to turn to my distinguished colleague, the senator from new jersey, senator cory booker. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. booker: i come to the floor today in support of my senior senator's unanimous consent request to pass the daniel anderl judicial security and privacy act. as senator menendez pointed out, this is a bipartisan piece of legislation. it is bicameral. it will take important steps to safeguard the personally identifiable information of federal judges and their family

members from individuals who wish to do them harm. and as senator menendez said it is named after daniel anderl, the son of judge salas and mark anderl who was senselessly murdered in july of this year by a hate-filled gunman. the gunman was able to access the personal information, as senator menendez said, by going to judge salas's information, getting it, including where she lived, the routes she took to work and her place of worship and home address. as a result, judge salas and her husband have gone through something no parent you should have to go through. no person who takes on the responsibility of serving as a federal judge should ever have to live in fear that they or their family could be targeted by someone wishing to do them harm, who is able to easily access their personal information. passing this bill today in

memory and in honor of daniel anderl will mark a commitment of this body to safeguarding the privacy and security of our federal judges and their families so that we can make sure we are doing all in our power to prevent this from happening to another family. our bill, as senator menendez said, has broad support. it has been endorsed by the administrative office of the u.s. courts, federal judges association, the federal magistrate judges association, the national conference of bankruptcy judges, the federal bar association, the national association of attorneys general, and others. people from all backgrounds, people from both parties, independents. we have a unanimous chorus of

support of people who believe that this is justice and will help keep judges safe. james c. duff said in his statement of support of this bill that, quote, it is critical of our system of justice that judges decide cases without fear for their safety and for that of their family. he is absolutely right. i echo senator menendez's request to pass the daniel anderl judicial security and privacy act. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: therefore, as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that the judiciary committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 4711, the senate proceed to its immediate

consideration. further that the menendez stiewlt amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to. the bill as amended be read a third time and and passed that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection? a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from kentucky. mr. paul: reserving the right to be 0. i agree at that members of the judicial branch need better protection. in fact, i've been active in this issue for the last couple of years, and each time this has come forward at the end of the year with very little time to do the normal process, i've advocated that an amendment be added that would include protection of members of congress. i really think that this is important that we protect addresses for our judges, but it's also important that we do this for our elected officials. in recent years what has happened has taught us that the legislative branch needs better protection as well. that was clear in 2011 when congresswoman gabby giffords was

tragically shot while doing the most important part of the job, meeting with constituents. words cannot express how happy and inspired i was to see congresswoman giffords in the chamber as her husband was sworn in. words cannot express the pain of the family of the people who were killed and wounded that day. that should have been a wake-up call to better protect members of congress and in doing so better protect the people around them. but just as a few years later, a shooter nearly killed congressman steve scalise diewrng baseball practice for the annual charity baseball game. i was there and i said at the time our lives were saved by the capitol hill police. had they not been there things might have gone much worse. the capitol hill police are not stationed at our homes where our families live, where we serve in washington. extending the provision of this bill to the members of congress would better protect all of us, our families, our neighbors, and our constituents. it's a very minor request that i'm asking.

it's an amendment that would not change anything or lessen anything about the bill. it's a very reasonable request, and i don't understand exactly why we can't make this bill better by applying it to both judges and members of congress. my substitute amendment which i will offer for unanimous consent will make simple changes to the legislation. it would extend the same protections it would offer to the judicial branch to the legislative branch. second, the laudable goal of this legislation is to protect personally identifiable information from being sold and posted online by data brokers, allowing at-risk individuals to file private action against data brokers for injunctive relief plus attorneys fees will achieve that goal. i ask the senator to modify his request to instead include my substitute amendment at the desk and my substitute amendment 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: does the senator so modify his request? mr. menendez: reservin -- reserving the right to object to the modification. i appreciate the senator's concern to expand the universe of people covered by this bill, including members of congress. and while that is a laudable goal, i personally think it is more appropriate to legislate in another bill. this bill is for the federal judiciary because of the special threats they face and the importance of ensuring their independence in terms of being able to make judgments based on the laws and the facts, not upon some fear that lurks outside of their home or outside of their chambers. i also understand that the amendment would strip out -- if i'm wrong i'd be happy to be

corrected -- would strip out the ability to seek redress in the court as it relates to the provision that we provide for judges without the threat of some damages there's little incentive for a data broker to remove the personably identifiable information of a judge of his or her family. this is not about frivolous suits. this is about protecting the federal judiciary. in addition to that, we have made several good-faith efforts before we got to this point to address the concerns for my colleagues across the aisle. we've actually had the administrative office of the u.s. courts engaged in conversations directly with our colleagues. my colleagues had concerns about a new grant program in the states. we changed that language. senator lee was part of those concerns to better understand

the proper federal law, we changed it to a report. they don't want to deal with some of the questions about the -- that we had for the u.s. marshals. and, again, this is about protecting the federal judiciary. guess what branch protects the federal judiciary, the u.s. marshals, but we changed that. so it never seems to be enough. it never seems to be enough. and it's unfortunate that the federal judiciary will pay the price of this re -- recalcitrate. i cannot agree to the modification, therefore i object to it. the presiding officer: is there objection to the original request? mr. paul: reserving the right to object, i would like to offer across the aisle that we are willing to compromise with the senator from new jersey. we are willing to work with him

on getting the bill passed. the only thing we would like to do is have it include congress as well. the other parts that you object to changing, i would agree to discuss. i think we can have a middle ground. no one gets their way. i'm not saying you can't have it. i'm for your bill, i think it should be expanded to congress. we had two people shot. gabby gifford shot, steve scalise shot. congress is threatened and family is frightened. i don't know about you but routinely the sheriff and police have to come to my house for threats. i'm not a loan. it happens to other impeachment there's no reason to -- for other reasons. there's no reason to -- they put a satellite picture of my house on the nightly news basically pointing out where every crazy person can go to find my house.

so we do need to do something. this isn't a new request. i requested this a year ago when a similar bill came up for special protections for the judiciary, i said once again, good idea. we go forward a whole year and we're doing the same thing again and nobody seems to be listening, but i will tell you that i am willing to compromise on this. i'm willing to work with you to pass it, but i think we should extend it and it's not that hard. if we extend it to the coming, -- congress, flip it back, and i think it would pass in the congress as well. but i object to this version. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: by the statement of my colleague, i am certainly concerned for the safety and -- for his safety and security and of my colleagues. i look forward to working with him on that. the other elements that senator lee incorporated into his amendment renders the security whether for a member of congress or for the judiciary in which

case i don't want to give any false security to anybody that they are being protected if they don't have the wherewithal to do so. i look forward to that opportunity. i promise judge salas that her son's death will not be in vain. we may not have achieved it tonight with senator booker, but we'll make it happen, hopefully sooner rather than later, but we're going to make this happen. with that, i yield he the floor.

mr. hawley: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from moi. mr. hawley: -- from missouri. mr. hawley: madam president, i came toll this floor -- to this floor on two separate occasions with senator sanders to talk about the need for direct assistance to working families in my state and across missouri and across the country. i said i was willing to use every tool at my disposal to make sure that this body acted to give direct assistance to working people in need as part of covid relief. and i said then, and i say it again today, that working people should be first in line for covid relief, not last. they should be the first consideration, not some

afterthought. i'm pleased to report that we're told today as negotiations are ongoing about a covid relief bill, we're told that direct assistance to working people and working families is in the bill. that working people will be getting assistance, and i want to say once again here on this floor as that package continues to take shape, how important it is that working families be able to count on some relief and how important it is for this body to prioritize working people over government, over big businesses, over government programs but to give assistance directly to the people themselves. look, people know how to spend their money and what's best for their own families. the quickest way to help people in need is to give them direct assistance and let them make the choices for their own families, for their own kids, not to have to wait in line for some

program, not to have to talk to some bureaucrat, but to be able to make their own choices direct with assistance that comes direct to them. that's going to be in this bill, i understand, and i'm sure as heck going to continue to fight to ensure it is in this bill and that any bill that the senate passes prioritizes people who work. some questioned whether this is really necessary. some have said, well, it's not an emergency and this bill is only for emergencies and direct assistance isn't an emergency. to which i say, is it not an emergency that working people are having to line up for food food -- literally line up for this food in this country in this day and age because they don't have enough money to go purchase nutrition for their own children. just think about what's happening in my own state. let me tell you about monarch

baptist church in southwest missouri, monarch baptist church has a food distribution program, as covid intensified, they stood up their efforts, neighbors came together, donated, they went out there in naosha, missouri, and they distributed food to hundreds of families for hours. and when they had run out of the food there were over 50 cars -- not individuals, 50 cars still in line as far as the eye could see, having driven miles and miles around from neighboring counties to come for the help. these are working people, madam president. these are not folks who want some handout. these are working people. these are proud people. these are people who don't want government to do stuff for them. they want to be able to get back up on their own feet and provide

for themselves, and government shut down their businesses and took away their jobs this past year and put them in this position of, in some cases, outright desperation. let me tell you about a gal from kansas city, 22 years old. her first name is mars. i won't share her last name for her privacy. she talked to me. told about her plight. she moved to kansas city earlier this year, around the time the pandemic started. got an apartment, and was getting going and then the pandemic hit, and she lost her job, her plumbing and she complained to the landlord, the landlord wouldn't do anything. then she didn't have money to make rent and the other day she woke up with a 10-day eviction notice out on her front door. these are the people who need help. not because they don't know how to work but because they do know

how to work and the government has put them in the position that they are facing today. this pandemic has put them in the position they are facing today and what they want is the ability to get back up on their own two feet and provide for themselves by the work of their own hands and that is what direct assistance to working families will do. so to those who say it's not an emergency, i urge you to open your eyes and it to look around at the people who are hurting, who are struggling, who are desperate for help. i've heard that and said that, well, it's not stimulative. what a word. direct assistance isn't stimulative. as if the american people are nobodies and dials -- knobs and dials to get turned around, as if the economy is something to be micromanaged from washington, d.c. i'm not interested in stimulus, i'm interested in helping working people survive and help them to get back up on their

feet so they can manage their own lives. that's why the need is so great. that's what we're trying to accomplish. we have a chance to do this, madam president, to get this done to get accomplished here something that we can be proud of before christmas to send a message the american people that they matter. to send a message to working people in my state and in every state in this country that they matter. and that we are here fighting for them. that we look forward to the day when they are back at work, ready to work, able to support their families and we're on the path to getting there. that's the message that we can send. that's the message that we must send and i will not leave this body until it is accomplished and i can promise you this, if i have anything to say about it, we will not be leaving here before christmas until direct

assistance is on the way to the working people of this nation. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. reed: thank you, madam president. madam president, i want to take some time to thank and commend my colleagues who are departing this senate. all of these members have devoted themselves to serving the nation and serving their states. we're all better off for their service. let me begin with my friend and league tom udall. tom inherited a family tradition of fighting for the american

west and its citizens. his time in the senate only added to the udall legacy. he has been one of our leaders on conservation and the environment. he championed the creation of monuments and blocked the harmful environmental as follows and this year he helped secure permanent funding for the land and water conservation fund which was pioneered by tom's father steward udall. tom's commitment to the health of our nation's environment has always been evident and i was proud to hand off my role as the democratic leader of the senate interior appropriations subcommittee to tom in 2015. during his tenure, funding for the interior appropriations bill grew by 25% and more than 100 anti-environmental riders were blocked. these victories would have been impossible without tom's ability to connect with his fellow members and get things done. they are also a testament to

tom's deep knowledge of america's lands and resources. of course, tom's successes go beyond his environmental work. tom has worked tirelessly to ensure our nation's native americans receive the respect and support they are entitled to. he salvaged and ultimately passed bipartisan legislation updating the toxic substances control act for first time since 1976, which was a big victory for public health. i was also pleased to work with tom to pass legislation in 2016 to help reduce and prevent suicide among adolescents and young adults. finally, i'm especially grateful for tom's efforts to increase resources for the national endowment for the arts and the national endowment for the humanities. these federal agencies are part of rhode island's late and great senator claiborne pell's lasting legacy. they lift our spirits, tell

other stories. tom's work has enriched our country and helped bring so many people together. thankfully, tom has said that while he's leaving the senate, he is not retiring from public service. i know new mexico and our country are better off for that. i wish tom and his family the best, as he goes forward. let me turn now to my dear friend doug jones. i have had the privilege to serving along doug jones both on thal unservices committee and the -- on the armed services committee and the banking committee. doug has had a long and successful career in helping those who need it most and doing what is right, even if the price is high and difficult. yet i was still struck time and time again by his dedication to the welfare of our service members and veterans and their families, something i witnessed firsthand when we traveled together to visit service members in iraq and afghanistan.

and nowhere was doug's commitment to these americans more apparent than in last year's national defense authorization act. doug was greatly troubled that thousands of gold star families were being unfairly shortchanged by certain laws related to survivor benefits, so doug -- like he has throughout his professional life -- went to right an injustice. he introduced the bipartisan military widow's tax elimination act and was the democratic lead on the gold star family tax relief act. i was proud to help doug enact these bills, which allow military which is dough widows and widowers to receive their benefits. that was part of the fiscal year 2020 national defense authorization act. doug's work on these issues has directly improved the lives of tens of thousands of gold star families who have given so much to our country.

and naturally doug worked hard again this year to shape the fiscal year 2021 national defense authorization act, and he shaped it for the better. the legislation includes a provision written by doug requiring the g.a.o. audit of continuing efforts to ensure that racial and gender disparities in the military justice system are properly addressed and eliminated. he was also instrumental during the markup of the fiscal year 2021 ndaa when the committee voted to remove the names of confederates from our military installations and in the wake of the deadly shooting at the naval air station pensacola, doug met with the family of a slain navy ensign watson and fought for two specific provisions in the f.y. 2021 ndaa, to conduct live emergency response training

events to help prevent such tragic shootings in the future. doug also continued his career-long fight for civil rights in the senate. an act that requires the release of records to help deliver relief to the victims' family members. doug has never been afraid to take a difficult vote or speak out for what are right and we'll miss doug's persistence and conscientiousness in the senate. i salute him and wish him well in his future endeavors. now, with respect to chairman lamar alexander, bipartisanship and compromise are synonymous, and they've always been central to the success of this institution and no one has been more of a contributing factor to

the successes we've had than lamar alexander. he bodied these principles during his time in the senate. i first had the privilege of working with him in the help committee which he now chairs. and we have spent many years serving on the appropriations committee. lamar is focused more on getting things done than making headlines. he worked across the aisle to pass landmark laws, including the every student succeeds act, the 21st century cures act, and the support for patients and communities act. he and i also worked together to enact laws that reduce infant deaths and make children's medications safer. these laws have improved the lives of countless americans. they are a testament to lamar's work ethic and the influence he has in the senate. lamar has also not shied away from tackling contentious issues. i've always a appreciated his

willingness to take lonely positions on matters such as immigration and government shutdowns. i wish him we well in the futur. he has left an extraordinary legacy sand example for all of us. now, pat roberts has had a distinguished career in both senate and the house of representatives. his work has touched on many issues but he's been particularly dedicated to preserving the strength of our national defense and ensuring the well-being of our service members. pat's concern for the nation is outstanding. he began in the united states marine corps and he has displayed the steadfast resolve of the marines throughout his time in congress. i have observed his commitment firsthand during our years serving and traveling together as part of the senate armed services committee. pat successfully pushed for creation of a more modern refueling and transportation tanker for our air force. he helped secure improvements at

fort leavenworth and created the first senate caucus exclusively dedicated to supporting the united states marine corps. as chairman of the eisenhower memorial commission, pat ably led the effort to build a memorial to president dwight d. eisenhower in washington, d.c., and i'm delighted that after years of pat's hard work and leadership -- and i observed it firsthand as a few years as a emin of the commission -- the memorial was officially opened and dedicated in september. that, too, will be a lasting tribute to pat roberts' work. beyond his defense work, pat was greatly concerned with the welcome of our farmers d. with the bcra of our farmers. he is -- with the well-being of our farmers. we also worked closely to pass legislation regarding our nation's trauma centers to ensure that severely injured patients receive the best possible care. pat was always quick with quips

and brought levity to the body. i thank him for his lifelong service. mike enzi has long served the people of wyoming with distinction. we spent many years working together on the banking committee and the help committee. i've always appreciated his decency and thoughtfulness. he spent his time in the senate advancing his 80/20 approach to legislation. he sought to focus on the 80% of issues where both sides could come to an agreement rather than the 20% of issues where we felt an agreement was unreachable. he worked quietly behind the scenes to get things done, and he got things done. mike is one of the few u.s. senators with an accounting background and he and i worked closely together to bring greater awareness to financial literacy issues as well as create the senate financial literacy caucus to help americans maintain healthy financial acts.

as the then-rank member of the help committee, mike played a pivotal role in securing the law's passage. our work together was of great importance and i'll miss his thoughtfulness and determination. i wish mike well in all his future endeavors. i also want to recognize kouroi r.ry gardner. while we never served on the same committee, i had the american ofworking with him on a number of issues. we were able to come together with a umgroup of our colleagues and passed a law designating 988 as the national suicide prevention and mental health hotline. the designation will make it easier for people to access this critically important lifeline. when they really need it. and i thank cory for his partnership and leadership on this issue. cory also worked diligently to secure passage of the great american outdoors act last

summer. this law permanently funds the land and water conservation fund and addresses a maintenance backlog on federal parks and public lands. the great american outdoors act is a real victory for the environment and conservation. i thank cory for his service and wish him the best as he leaves the senate. i also want to thank martha mcsally for her service. martha is a veteran of the air force and has always been a fighter. in fact, when you say veteran of the air force, you're really understating her role in the air force. she fought to become the first american woman to fly a fighter jet in combat. sheet fought to become the first american would many to command a fighter squadron. and she continued fighting while a member of the united states senate. indeed, martha was a steadfast champion for the well-being of our service members, military families, and veterans during her time on the armed services committee. she worked to include language

in the fiscal year 2020 national defense authorization act, improving the effectiveness of sexual assault investigations in the military and strengthening support for victims. martha also played a key role in helping enact over 30 provisions in the fiscal year 2020 ndaa to address the systematic crisis of privatized housing and helped remedy of mistreatment of military families. she teamed with tester and sullivan to pass legislation enhancing the tools the department of veterans affairs uses to meet the mental health needs of veterans. these accomplishments are only a few examples of the important work she did here. but they illustrate her wholehearted commitment to bettering the lives of those who do so -- do search for our country -- do so much for our country. i attribute all of this great success and achievement -- first woman fighter pilot, first woman to lead a squadron into combat

-- to a simple reason. martha was born and raised in warwick, rhode island, right next to my hometown of cranston, rhode island. martha's close relative was the mayor of cranston and my dad worked as a custodian in the school system and he respected, admired and was a friend of jim taft. martha's father was one of the most respected lawyers in rhode island, someone who was a tenacious and bright lawyer, and that tradition is carried on by her mother mark, who i had the privilege and pleasure to know while i was practicing law in rhode island. it is a wonderful family, and she has brought great distinction to not only this senate, not only to the state of arizona, but also to the state of rhode island. i wish her the very best going forward. finally, while kamala harris is

not leaving the senate entirely, i want to thank her and recognize her as she moves to her new role as vice president of the united states and president of this body. kamala is determined to help and support the most vulnerable americans. she has helped lead the charge to protect dreamers, expand health care coverage, and reform our criminal justice system. kamala dedicated her senate tenure to policies that make america a more equitable country and ensure equal opportunities and rights for communities of color. kamala is also a former prosecutor, and she brought a prosecutor's incisiveness and grit with her to this body. she led the case against many of the administration's most harmful policies, and i know she will bring that tenacity to the office of vice president of the united states. i also know that she will help

guide and heal our nation as we continue to combat the covid-19 pandemic. i wish her well as she begins her new role, and i look forward to working with her and president-elect biden to meet the many challenges before us. to all of my colleagues who are departing the senate, i give you my greatest respect and admiration for your service to your states, to the senate, and to the united states of america. mr. president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. mr. sullivan: mr. president, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection.

mr. sullivan: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, the postcloture time on the achtly nomination expire at 11:30 a.m. thursday, december 17. further, if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the presiding officer: without objec -- objection. mr. sullivan: mr. president, it's getting toward the end of the week and we still have a lot of work to do here in the united states senate, particularly on a relief package, end of the year appropriations. so we're working hard on that, but i also want to take the opportunity, given that it's the end of the week, to do what i consider one of my favorite activities of the entire week each week here in the senate and that's talk about someone in my state who's making a difference,

helping make our communities in alaska and our state one of the best states -- the best state in my view in the country. this is what we call the alaskan of the week. i want to do an acknowledgment of some of our hill reporters who have taken an interest in the alaskan of the week each week i think sometimes because they recognize it's kind of finishing up the week. we're not done yet, though, mr. president, as you know, a lot of work yet to do. but also i appreciate the reporting on it because it's just good to see stories about people who are doing good work for the state and their community. and what we try to do with this series, which we've been doing now for a number of years is talk about people who don't always get the recognition that they deserve. people who are making a big difference. you know, mr. president, alaska,

like really every other state in the country, is experiencing serious challenges right now as a result of covid-19, but i'm confident, just like the rest of the country, we're going to get through this more resilient than ever. we have a saying, i certainly love this saying. tough times don't last, but tough people do. americans, alaskans, north dakotans are tough and we're going to get through this. mr. president, i'd like to introduce our alaskan of the week, linda bentkin from the gorgeous city of sitka alaska, the paris of the pacific, it's called. a fun fact about sitka, it's the largest city in the u.s. by land area, encompassing over 4,800

square miles, including water. that's big. population, fairly big for our state. beautiful. if you haven't been to sitka, you ought to go. it is gorgeous. now, linda, boy, talk about linda. linda is innovative, caring, and she has a deep and abiding commitment to our great state, her community, and to the profession that she's devoted her life to, one that is revered and so important in alaska, and that's commercial fishing. for more than 30 years now, linda has been on a boat catching fish out of alaska's waters. the best seafood, mind you, in the world. no doubt about that one, wild alaskan seafood. not only is she a successful fisherman, which is, of course, a full-time -- full-time job. mr. president, she has also

worked to ensure that alaska continues to have sustainable fisheries. we are what i call the super power of seafood. over 60% of all fish caught in the united states is harvested in alaska's waters. 6-o. that's huge. but we need to make sure that we have our oceans that are clean and sustainable and that the profession is safe and small fishermen can thrive and that young fishermen can enter the profession, and, mr. president, that is what linda has been focused on for her entire career in alaska. for this work and so much more, including a huge role in helping needy families, particularly during this pandemic, linda was recently awarded the prestigious

heinz award for the environment, named after the late u.s. senator john heinz. it is a very prestigious award, and here's the thing, linda didn't even apply for it. she didn't seek it. she was sought out and i believe shocked when she found out she received this very prestigious award that comes with a $250,000 cash prize. now, that is a big deal. i'll say more about that cash prize in a minute. so let me tell you a bit more about linda's story and how she came to be such a passionate steward of our fisheries, of our seas, of our oceans. born and raised in connecticut, linda headed to alaska in 1982, during a summer break from college. she wanted to make some money. she heard that one of the ways that you could do it was to fish in the great state of alaska.

she took a ferry from bellingham, washington, to sitka, and she immediately fell in love with this gorgeous, and i mean gorgeous community, the minute she got off the boat. it took her about a month pounding the docks to find a deckhand job. there weren't a lot of women in this business then and she did eventually find not just a job but a wonderful community. the fishing community, she said, is full of independent and resourceful people who are really there for each other in their times of need. she also described how when the fishing was done or when it was bad weather, people would gather around the docks, some would light up a grill, some would bring pie, a loaf of bread, instruments were come out, stories were told, kids played. linda said, quote, i found a sense of community that i really

hadn't found anywhere else. she loved it. she went back to the lower 48 to finish her undergraduate degree, but alaska was always with her. she knew that she had found a home and a mission to help create more sustainable fisheries in the great state of alaska. to that end she enrolled in a master's degree program in resource development at yale and then came back to alaska. quote, when i saw what was going on in the ocean, it drove me to graduate school. during that time in the 1980's, she said the way the fishing was managed wasn't working well for the smaller fishermen, nor was there much of an emphasis back then on sustainability. when she came back to alaska, she began to fish again. eventually buying her own small commercial fishing boat, which she now fishes with her husband

and two sons and who have themselves fishing since a very, very young age. i always said that the alaskan fishermen, mr. president, is the quintessential small business man, small business woman. often family businesses. they take huge risks. they reet a great product. -- create a great product. they work as hard as can be. they are the quintessential small business men and women in america and linda proves a point. she became the executive director of the alaska longline fisherman's association, which is an alliance of small boat commercial fishermen committed to sustainable and safe fisheries. mr. president, let me talk about safety on our waters in alaska. fishing, particularly in alaska's waters, is one of the most dangerous jobs out there. and linda lass had -- has had

many harrowing stories caught out fishing in the frigid waters for hours, in the center of storms, man overboard, challenges, winds whisking away equipment, but all in all it's much safer now than it used to be when linda first started to fish. then, when a certain fishery opened, everyone rushed out at once to get as much fish as possible, regardless of the conditions. that has changed, and now fishing is a safer but still dangerous business in my great state. linda was also involved in limiting bigger commercial vessels from operating in the waters in southeast alaska and worked for more stringent environmental regulations on the cruise ship industry. among other things related to fisheries, she served nine years on the north pacific fishery council and is a founding member

of the national sustainable fishery trust which promotes alaska seafood, helps younger men and women enter the field and helps feed the -- feed people from the bounties of the win, which contributed to her winning the heinz award. mr. president, this pandemic has negatively impact so many lives but it also brought out the best in us, in alaskans, in americans, in people across the country reaching out to their neighbors, volunteering time to give as much as they can. and this includes linda. when she read early on in the pandemic that a grocery store in her area stopped accepting checks, she got to work. working with her groups, the alaska sustainable fisheries trust and the alaska longline fisherman's association, they

began delivering food, fish to people's door locally caught an processed sea -- and processed seafood to those who were needy. so for, get this, mr. president, with their partners, they have provided over 400,000 pounds of delicious alaska seafood to people in need -- 400,000 pounds. wow. the children's programs, food pantries, women's shelters, tribal organizations, military organizations. you get the picture. she's working hard. they've done amazing work and i want to thank her and so many who worked with her for this great effort. something else that linda did, a decision she made for her community. earlier i spoke about that cash prize that came with the heinz award, $250,000.

she took $100,000 of that money that was hers, prize money, and donated it back to the organization that she helped found, the alaska sustainable fisheries trust to work on sustainable fisheries, combating climate change and to help young fishermen enter the profession so we have sustainable fisheries going forward. i'm sure linda probably heard the good news. our legislation, my legislation, the save our seas 2.0 legislation to clean up our oceans passed the senate recently. it's on its way to the president's desk for his significant. more good -- signature. more good news. as she said, we won't have jobs if we don't take care of our fisheries, keep them sustainable and get young people into the profession. mr. president, it's people like linda, committed, organized,

generous of spirit, hardworking, in love with what she does in her state, in her community that will get us through this pandemic. these are the people in alaska and in america. and it's people like her that will also ensure that alaska remains the super power of seafood not just for america, but for the world. so, linda, for all that you do. for all that you're going to continue to do, thank you, thank you, thank you. great work and congratulations on being our alaskan of the week. i yield the floor.

mr. inhofe: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. inhofe: mr. president, i -- six days ago on the tenth, i came down to the floor after discovering something that had happened, i think was not intentional the way it happened, but i would like to share that with you and share the frustration that i had. there's a situation that's taking place and has taken place for 30-some years in western sahara. this is an area where after a colonial period the -- the different colonies that were attached to other countries in the case of western sahara had been attest to spain and it was called spanish sahara at that time. this was back in pre-1966, and what our -- one of the ethics that -- one of the many good things that president trump has done, he has put together this

program called the abraham accords, and that is bringing the arab population and the jewish populations in the middle east together. this is something that presidents have tried to do for a long period of time, both democrat and republican, not successful, and this is becoming successful, because the thing that was announced just six days ago was that morocco was going to establish a relationship with israel. i don't know how many -- what kind of detail went into that, but inadvertently i think they agreed to something that morocco has been trying to do for a long period of time, and that is have the united states recognize that they have rights to the land that is known as western sahara. now, the western sahara after the colonial days, they started

getting their independence in various parts of that world, and they had been attached to spain at that time. well, so anyway, what the president did -- and i say i don't think this -- i think this was inadvertently done, was to give morocco claims to the land that has rightly belonged to the western is a -- saharans. i think he could have secured the agreement with morocco without giving way and reversing 45 years of long-standing policy. i have to confess that when i came down to the floor last week, i was feeling shocked and deeply saddened by the announcement. the news about the united states recognizing more okay he owe's -- morocco's claim over western sahara took me by surprise because i have been involved in that issue for a long period of time. and we have had a policy in the united states since pre-1966

that we -- we firmly supported the rights of the saharan -- the western sahara people to their own land that was taken unfairly from them. now, this came as a surprise to me, and i came down to the floor six days ago, and i want to tell you what's happened since that time. just to refresh the memory of those individuals -- and there are a lot of people out there that are concerned about this to remember what happened. historically, a chronology of what happened in western sahara. first of all, in 1966, the united nations general assembly resolution agreed a resolution of self-determination should be held, and that is to allow the united nations endorsing the idea that a resolution of self-determination be made for the -- for the population of

western sahara. that was 1966. we are in full agreement with that here in the united states. then because of the fact that morocco was trying to claim some ownership of the land that belonged to the people of western sahara in 1975, the international court of justice denied morocco the right to territory of western sahara. now, this is -- this is the international court of justice. that's supposed to be a final thing. and morocco then invaded western a. -- western sahara. keep in mind you have morocco, a very, very wealthy country with all kinds of resources, with people who have been sent out of their homes and out and living -- i have been there several times. the conditions are just not livable conditions. and then of course they were invaded by morocco. as a result of the international court of justice decision.

well, that -- in 1991, the u.n. cease-fire mission began to provide a referendum of self-determination. so that's the united nations coming in again and saying that they need to have the right of self-determination, and that's something that was -- that is restated over and over again. well, that was a cease-fire in 1991. that's supposed to stop all kinds of brutality and the bad things that were going on in that part of the world. i became very close many years ago with james baker. james baker back during the bush 1 administration was secretary of state, he was secretary of treasury. he took this on back during the first bush administration as a personal thing. he was -- he went and became familiar with the -- and tried to put together a special envoy to western sahara and worked at it for a long period of time. james baker is still around and still committed -- i remember

when i called james baker. this was several -- several years ago. i said i have been watching what you did -- what you tried to do in western sahara to free these people up, and i just want you to know that i have been there, i have seen it, and i agree with you, and i want to get your advice as to how we can best make this happen. all we want is a referendum of self-determination so people can decide for themselves what they want their land to be a part of. and so james baker responded to me that he said that was one of the very few failures that we had during that administration. he said i was secretary of state, and i worked hard on it, did everything i could, and i failed, so i wish you the best of luck. well, in 2004, the united states and morocco signed a free trade agreement. this is interesting because we signed the free trade agreement with morocco, and the agreement

exclusively, explicitly excluded western sahara because morocco does not have sovereignty over it. so they agreed, they signed the same thing that we signed saying that that land did not belong to morocco, and it was specifically agreed that it would be excluded. that was the united states and morocco way back in 2004. so you have 1966 united nations making that declaration, 1975, the international court of justice denying the right of the territory to morocco, 1991, the cease-fire. 1997, then again 2004 united states and morocco signing a free trade agreement, which all of this was agreed to. so this isn't news for me. i have been involved in this issue for decades as well, and i visited the refugee camps in that area. about ten years ago, i met with

aminedu hadar. it was someone who had become well recognized of some of the abuses that had been taking place for some time. she was here in washington and she came to my office. she was from that area. she was here to accept an award from the robert f. kennedy center for human rights for her work on behalf of her people in western sahara. i remember her so well. she had been arrested by morocco for demonstrating peacefully in western sahara. she was imprisoned for four years. she was blindfolded the entire time for four years, and she was tortured and treated terribly, and she lost her eyesight as a result of that. all of that was for peacefully protesting on behalf of her homeland. but it didn't stop her work. she kept fighting for her people, even facing arrest again. additionally, 15 years ago, i

had -- i did something that was kind of unusual here in washington. people don't realize this, that members of the house and the senate don't always testify before the other body. 15 years ago, they were having a hearing in the house on international affairs, and i asked if i could be a witness, and so i went there and testified. i gave the history that's similar to what i have just stated, the history of what has been going on there and why the referendum for self-determination was so necessary, but i also called out a hidden part of this. that's the lobbyists. you know, it seems like every time somebody has a cause that's unjust, they go and hire all the lobbyists in washington. we're having that right now with an organization in another subject area. but at that time, that was 2005, at that time the following lobbyists had been hired by morocco. the livingston group, two

cardenas, edelman public relations, middleton chivalier, robert hawley and the whiton case. those are six lobbyists, seven lobbyists that were hired by morocco. now that hasn't changed. today right now, they are represented by j.p.c. strategies, third circle, neo creek, averaging over a million dollars each year. so all these lobbyists in washington have been hired by morocco. and who do the western saharans have to lift up their voices? they have no one, no one at all. so given my personally history, you can forgive me for being shocked and deeply saddened at having their future so harshly stolen from them after they spent three generations waiting for the promise of a referendum for self-determination.

and i have to say this. i'm quite sure that our president was not even aware of that. he's doing the right thing in terms of the accords that we're doing in that part of the world, bringing the arabs and the jews together. it's a good thing, but this is an issue that should never have come up or been a part of it, and i'm quite sure that he was not aware of this. so now, seeing the reactions around the world, it's clear that there is a kind of a silver lining. i look at this as an opportunity. it's an issue that people are worn out on. we tried and tried and tried everything we could think of. and just from my coming to the floor six days ago, all these things have happened since that time. people have a new hope. and remember, the conflict in western sahara is what we used to call a frozen, forgotten conflict. that has a finality to it. something about a frozen conflict, nothing more is going to happen. they called it a frozen conflict and made it easy for the rest of

the world to let the status quo continue, leaving the western saharan people in limbo, waiting for a referendum that had been promised way back in 1966. the forgotten conflict allowed morocco to continue encroaching and getting away with human rights abuses like the one i just described, torturing that young lady for four years, causing her to go blind. so that was the unintended consequences of this arrangement that was made with morocco. so it's never been so clear to international -- i've never seen the international community so united. everybody's on our side on this, the side that we have had and will return to for -- for some 30 years. the african union, they said this is just -- since the last six days. the position of the african

union remains unchanged in conforming with relevant a.u. -- that's african union -- and united nations resolutions. the united nations, the united nations said thursday its position was unchanged on the disputed western sahara region after the united states recognized morocco's sovereignty there. that's the united nations coming back again. in a news article, the european union indicated last thursday that, quote, the status of western sahara has not been determined and must be negotiated in a process led by the united nations after the president of the united states, donald trump, has recognized the moroccan sovereignty. so they are in full -- the european union is in full agreement with what we are about to try to do again. the united kingdom. they said, quote, our position and the status of the western

sahara remains unchanged. didn't change them a bit what we did here in the united states. algeria, algeria is right next door -- i meant to bring a map down here to familiarize everyone with the area that we're talking about. algeria said, and this is a quote, the conflict of western sahara is a question of decolonization which could only be resolved through the application of the international law and the well-established charter of the united nations and the african union in this matter which provides for an authentic exercise by the sahrawi people of their inalienable rights to self-determination and independence. that's algeria. by the way, i would add every one of the 52 nations in africa is in full agreement to what we're talking about right now. if james baker hadn't gone away -- this is way back in the first bush administration. he was secretary of state. this is his statement just the other day, yesterday it was. quote, while i strongly support

the abraham accords, the proper way to implement them was to -- the way it was done with the u.a.e., bahrain, and sudan, and not by cynically trading off the self-determination rights of the people of western sahara. i agree with senator james inhofe -- that's me -- when he characterized this development as shocking and deeply disappointing. it would appear that the united states of america, which was founded first and foremost on the principle of self-determination, has walked away from that principle regarding the people of western sahara. this is very regrettable. that's james baker. even more, this is other opinion pieces that came out that i just read this morning. david keene. we all remember david keene. he was with the "washington times," the american conservative union, with the n.r.a. his quoteas