>> caller: thank you for c-span. with joe biden in their it is going to be more peaceful domestically. i don't think you will have all the rioting, protesting but corporate warmonger. we are going to run into problems internationally. i don't want to get weird, spiritual with karma and all this but we will cause problems all over the world and it is going to come back sooner or later to bite us. that is just my opinion. >> host: now to michigan, randy, a democrat, good morning. >> caller: i would like to start by thanking you and all the other men and women who bring us this great program, you're doing a great service for the nation. >> host: appreciate that. >> caller: i would like to start -- >> u.s. senate is coming into session, lawmakers will offer general speeches and more biden

administration confirmation votes but none are currently scheduled. now live to the floor of the u.s. senate on c-span2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. almighty god, you are our shelter from the storm. keep us from shame. lord, you often answer prayers in mysterious ways. as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are your thoughts

higher than our contemplation. inspire our senators to be so sensitive to your spirit that they can recognize your gentle nudge. make them glad that you are near. lord, equip our lawmakers with wisdom and foresight for these challenging times. may your peace go with them as they seek to do your will. we pray in your strong name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all. mr. schumer: mr. president owe tell pour.

-- mr. president pro tempore. the president pro tempore: mr. majority leader. mr. schumer: yesterday, mr. president, we began a new chapter in the history of our nation. on the same steps respect stormed by domestic terrorists would weeks ago, we held a ceremony totten during power of our democracy. it was a symbol to the world that america is back and a message to those domestic terrorists that they will never prevail. even as the festivities were in full swing, our new president and this new senate commenced the work of rebuilding our country and healing its wounds. with the stroke of a pen, president biden started the process of rejoining the united states to the paris accords. he extended the pause on student loan payments. put an end to the muslim travel ban. reinstalled safeguards for our nation's dreamers. and put a halt on the

ineffective border wall. crucially, president biden signed a number of orders to refocus the federal government's efforts on fighting the coronavirus pandemic. the u.s. has rejoined the world health organization. a mask mandate has been issued for all federal property. and president biden has named a new coronavirus response coordinator to manage vaccine distribution, which is so desperately needed and was such a failure under the trump administration. our country has suffered deeply from a chaotic, lackluster, and incompetent federal response to covid-19. as we cross the grim milestone of 400,000 -- 400,000 american fatalities from covid, the biden administration is wasting no time in marshaling the resources of the federal government into action. and today released a national strategy to defeat the pandemic.

what a concept. a president who actually takes the defining crisis of our time seriously. what a change. and how great is the need. here in the senate, the first order of business is to fulfill our constitutional duty to advise and consent on the president's appointments to his cabinet. last night, the senate confirmed the president's selection for the director of national intelligence, avril haines. we appreciate the bipartisan cooperation to get her confirmen done yesterday. and we should continue in that spirit today. traditionally, the senate has confirmed several national security nominees for an incoming administration during their first few days. even as power changes hands from one administration to the other, the work of keeping our nation

safe, but it must not be paused or be disrupted. foreign adversaries will seek to exploit this period of transition. and we cannot allow america's military intelligence and national security policy to be disrupted by staffing delays. in 2017, president trump had his defense secretary and secretary of homeland security in place on inauguration day. president biden deserves his national security team in place as soon as possible, as well as key officials in charge of responding to the current health and economic crises. with the cooperation of our republican colleagues, we can and should confirm the secretaries of defense, state, homeland security, and treasury without much delay. while national security is paramount, i'd remind my colleagues we're in the middle of an economic crisis. the sooner we confirm a treasury

secretary, the better. and so as we begin the process of bringing our country back together, let the first week of this congress be a collaboration between our two parties to confirm president biden's cabinet. i yield the floor. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the inaugural ceremony proceedings be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. the presiding officer: you are welcome, mr. majority leader. mr. schumer: a new politeness from the chair. the presiding officer: i am honored. mr. schumer: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: for this 117th congress, the american people chose an evenly split senate. 60 republicans and 50 democrats. with the election of vice president harris, that means the democratic leader will act as majority leader. so i want to congratulate my colleague from new york. his pride and emotion were palpable yesterday as this self-described kid from brooklyn and son of an exterminator and a housewife became the first

jewish member of congress to lead either chamber. an historic milestone. now, the senate's handled an even split before. 20 years ago, faced with the same scenario, the two leaders brokered a power-sharing agreement so the institution could function smoothly. the democratic leader and i are discussing a similar agreement now. i have been heartened to hear my colleague say he wants the same rules from the 2000's to apply today. because certainly 20 years ago, there was no talk, none whatsoever, of tearing down long-standing minority rights on legislation. the legislative filibuster is a crucial part of the senate, leading democrats like president biden himself have long defended it. democrats themselves just spent six years using it literally to

block bills from senator tim scott's police reform to coronavirus relief. and less than four years ago, when it was republicans who held the senate, the house, and the presidency, 27 current democrats plus vice president harris signed a letter insisting this long-standing rule should not be broken. so if the talk of unity and common ground is to have meaning, and certainly if the rules from 20 years ago are to be our guide, then i cannot imagine the democratic leader would rather hold up the power-sharing agreement than simply reaffirm that his side won't be breaking this standing rule of the senate. i appreciate our ongoing good-faith discussions and look forward to finding the solution together. our side takes a great deal of pride in the accomplishments

of -- that three consecutive republican senates have delivered for the american people. in 2014, our majority was elected to check and balance the last years of a lame-duck presidency. in 2016, we were reelected to help ignite a real all-american economic comeback, rebuild and modernize our military, and fight for the forgotten corners of our country. together with the trump administration and a republican house, we did just that. in 2018, we were rehired again on those strong results, especially the historic job market for american workers and our commitment to the judiciary. and now even as voters choose president biden for the white house, they simultaneously shrunk democrats' house majority and elected this evenly divided senate. the 2020 election was far from the sweeping mandate for ideological transformation, as any election we've seen in

modern history. the american people stunned the so-called experts with the number of republicans they sent to the house and to the senate, to make sure commonsense conservative values have a powerful say in the government. so our side is ready to share ideas and work with the biden administration to find common ground. if and when our friends depart from common sense, when they retreat from common ground, when their proposals will harm the common good, we will use the power the american people have given us to push for what we think is right. on the biden administration's very first day, it took several big steps in the wrong direction. the president reiterated the failed climate agreement that would set us up for economic pain on working american families with no assurance that china or russia would honor their commitments.

in fact, the u.s. has already been reducing carbon emissions while china and other nations in the agreement have kept increasing theirs. rejoining will just set us up to kill american jobs while our competitors continue to roar on by. the president also unilaterally canceled the keystone x.l. pipeline. the day one priority was to kill thousands of american jobs, including union jobs, disappoint our strong ally canada, and reverse some of our progress toward energy security. this is a project that the liberal canadian government and prime minister trudeau support, and investment in north american energy, even the obama state department concluded it would not harm the climate. but because canceling it feels like the green thing to do, the new administration killed all these jobs. this was not the day one the american workers deserved. the new administration has also

sketched out a proposal for blanket amnesty that would gut enforcement for american laws while creating huge new incentives for people to rush here illegally at the same time. this kind of failed approach will invite another humanitarian crisis on our border and privileged, powerful interests ahead of american workers. and for all the talk about norms within government, last night brought a truly unprecedented move at the national labor relations board. the president fired the board's independent general counsel almost a year before the end of his term. even left-wing activists called the unprecedented move aggressive. it's still early, mr. president. there is still plenty of time for president biden to remember that he does not owe his election to the far left. the president can and should refocus his administration on creating good-paying american jobs, not sacrificing our people's livelihoods to liberal

symbolism. senate republicans will be ready, willing, and eager to help make that happen. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: majority whip. mr. durbin: i ask consent the quorum call be suspended.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: mr. president, i'm happy to be standing here today on the senate floor during an exciting week and one that really provides us with hope for the future. i welcome president biden and of course vice president harris to their new roles and look forward to their leadership that they will provide in these difficult times. we can never forget that america is still in the midst of a deadly pandemic. tragically we lost over 400,000 americans. in my state of illinois, we've seen more than one million covid cases and 18,398 of my neighbors and friends in illinois have died due to this deadly virus. as we continue to try to stop the spread of this pandemic, i'm glad that the vaccine rollout has been able to help some in my state. 537,000 people in illinois have received vaccines. it's refreshing and a long

overdue sight to have the president and white house fully engaged in addressing this pandemic with a focus on science and racial equity. on his first day yesterday, president biden signed several important executive actions, including instituting a mask mandate for all federal facilities and buildings. secondly, he moved to rejoin the world health organization. this was one of the most confounding decisions by the trump administration, in the midst of a global pandemic president trump opted to remove the united states from the world health organization which was focusing on the spread of this pandemic and it's impact on nations around the world. finally, president biden created an office to coordinate a national response to the

pandemic. today he is outlining a strong plan to provide a national strategy to liberate us from this threat. i must say that i was disappointed in the transition when first president trump refused to acknowledge that he lost the election, and then his agencies dragged their feet when it came to informing the biden administrative of the status quo in america. thus, thus today we learn that we were not as prepared as we should have been when it came to distributing the vaccines that were being manufactured across this country. now we almost have to start from zero to find a way to meet president biden's challenge of a hundred million americans vaccinated in the first hundred days that he is in office. i pray that he is successful. we should do everything in our power on both sides of the aisle to give him the resources and

the cooperation he needs. the fact sheet of things that will be done by the biden administration on covid-19 is lengthy and impressive. the president on the first day established a white house covid-19 response office and coordinator. as i mentioned, required mask wearing and social distancing in federal facilities and rejoin the world health organization. today president biden also unveiled a national strategy to leverage federal resources. it outlines detailed plans for a comprehensive vaccination strategy. if there was cheering and there should have been for the warp speed project developing successful vaccines in a short period of time, it was followed by some disappointment that even with these vaccines, the knowledge of how to make them were not producing them in the quantities necessary and were not addressing the logistics of spreading these vaccines across

america where they're needed the most. the president is setting out to restore trust by leading with experts for public outreach and he's relying on science. that is refreshing. it's hard to imagine something that basic is as refreshing as it is. he's providing resources and guidance to reopen most k-8 schools in 100 days. wouldn't it be a blessing. there isn't a parent or grandparent in this country who won't cheer that particular goal. he's addressing supply gaps and state capacity and we're finding them virtually all over the united states and he's focusing on vulnerable populations, including those in long-term care facilities and communities of color. to implement this plan, president biden will sign executive orders today to direct agencies to exercise all authorities, including the defense production act, to accelerate manufacturing delivering of vaccination, testing, and medical supplies.

let me say i never understood why president trump refused to use this defense production act to its full capacity, to use his leadership as president to marshal the resources of production and distribution of vaccines and other absolutely necessary medical devices. president biden also is directing fema to increase federal reimbursement to states from 75% to 100% for emergency supplies such as p.p.e. and national guard personnel. he's establishing a healthy equity task force to provide recommendations on how to allocate and address racial and ethnic disparities that have been magnified in this crisis. we know the economic damage of this virus continues to linger. nearly one in four people in my state in renter households report being behind on rent. and one in three households report having difficulty just

covering usual household expenses. we continue to see historic numbers of americans filing for unemployment, including more than a hundred thousand people in illinois who applied for unemployment last week. but to fully address the health and economic toll of the pandemic, congress needs to build upon the work we did in december and heed the call of 1.-- $1.9 frill plan that president biden outlined last week. mr. president, i was part of a bipartisan group of senators that met several months ago and talked about following on the cares act with some measure of covid relief. we proposed a plan of $908 billion which was then embraced by the leaders on both sides of the aisle and the white house, and they negotiated further. that resulted in the measure we passed just a few days ago. but make no mistake. that was not the end of the story, nor did we envision that it would be. this was done on a temporary

emergency basis to cover the first quarter, that is, the first three months of this calendar year. i pray that this little pandemic and all of the problems it's caused will soon be gone, but i doubt that it will happen in the next three months. we have more work to do and president biden knows it. i think we all do. we need to come together again on a bipartisan basis. the first cares act passed the senate by a vote of 96-0. there were no dissenting votes. the second measure i believe had 91 or 92 votes in favor of it. so we have shown real bipartisanship. we can't quit on this challenge. janet yellen who has been named as the treasury secretary designate by president biden had a conversation with her two weeks ago. and we talked about the perilous state of the economy. it is naive for us to believe that the worst is behind us. we have to face the reality that

we may have darker days ahead, and we've got to be prepared to deal with it. first with the pandemic and second with the economy. even the chairman of the federal reserve has encouraged us not to take our foot off the excel -- accelerator less we lapse into a recession or worse. let's take this seriously. let's help the businesses, help the workers, help the families and do our best to get this economy back on its feet. illinois has spent $834 million in our health departments to expand testing and vaccine delivery from the december package with half a million people vaccinated so far in a state of 13 -- and a state of 13 million, more resources and support are needed. take means providing the $20 billion for vaccine distribution and $50 billion for testing president biden has asked for as part of his rescue package. so we can finally, once and for all, crush this virus, get the economy back on its feet, and

get our kids back in school. it also means investing in the health workforce such as through a bill i introduced with senator marco rubio, republican of florida, to provide scholarship and loan repayment to the national service corps for doctors and nurses to serve in communities with a shortage of providers. mr. president, i'm sure you're personally aware there are fewer african american doctors in the united states today than there were 20 years ago. i'm sorry to report that. it should be just the opposite. we should have so many more for many reasons, not the least of which is to overcome the health inequity. this scholarship program that senator rubio and i are proposing builds on the model of the national health service corps which attracts young doctors to come and serve in underserved areas and to help underserved populations and then helps pay off their student loans. we take the approach keep that, it's good. expand it where we can. but let's look at another

aspect. what if we provided scholarship assistance and really directed it toward minority candidates to become doctors and dentists and nurses and health care professionals. all those aspects would be encouraged if people knew they had a scholarship through the national health service and the promise that they would serve where they were needed after they graduated. we hope this will be included in any measure that's passed in the near future. the president plans to set out additional relief measures that will flow to those in need. i am especially encouraged by making the child tax credit fully refundable. that's going to benefit one million kids in my state. this plan aims -- this also, the biden plan, aims to safely open schools, businesses, and travel while protecting workers in these areas and committing to protecting our most vulnerable populations. i'm ready to continue pushing for covid relief. the job isn't finished by any means. we must provide american families and workers the tools

they need to survive in this difficult economic time. as chairman yellen said earlier this week, without further action we risk a longer, more painful recession now and longer-term scarring of the economy later. let's do this, america. let's do it together. let's let the spirit of unity that we saw on the west front of the capitol yesterday bring us together here in the senate and the house in a joint effort to help the american people with the resources they need to survive this pandemic and this lengthy financial hardship. mr. president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. excuse me. before i do anything, mr. president, i have one request for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. it has the approval of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. durbin: thank you. mr. president, i now yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: without objection, the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. thune: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. thune: is the senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: yes. mr. thune: i would ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, i want to start by congratulating president biden and vice president harris who took office yesterday. we have a team of former senators in the white house. mr. president, yesterday was a hopeful day. the capitol building so recently besieged by violence and lawlessness resumed its rightful place as the seat of our democracy, and the backdrop for the peaceful transfer of power

from one president to the next that is a hallmark of our system of government. the faith of many americans has been shaken in recent weeks, but yesterday reminded us that our democracy still stands and our nation endures bruised maybe but unbroken. i also want to express my profound gratitude to the capitol police officers and other law enforcement who go outnumbered and overrun who defended this capital on january 6, and to the soldiers and to law enforcement who have guarded this building in the days since. we live in peace and freedom because of the service and sacrifice of our military and our police officers. mr. president, after the election in november, president biden gave a victory speech in which he pledged to be, and i quote, a president who seeks not to divide but to unify, who doesn't see red and blue states but a united states, and who will work with, he said all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people, end quote. he reiterated that commitment in

yesterday's speech stating, and i quote again, on this january day my whole soul is in this bringing america together, uniting our people, uniting our nation, end quote. mr. president, that is what we need right now, a president who will unite us. president biden can truly be a president who governs for all americans, who respects all americans, and who works to win the confidence of the whole people. he will have done our nation a great service. i do think president biden is capable of doing this. but, mr. president, i do want to sound a cautionary note. it's common to talk about unity at presidential inaugurations, but all too often that commitment to unity is forgotten by the president or by the members of his party. i hope this commitment will be backed up with action. and the democrat leaders in congress will embrace the president's words. that means respecting those

americans who didn't vote for president biden as well as those who did. it means working together to confront our nation's challenges instead of adopting the our way or the highway approach. it meaning preserving minority rights in the senate when it comes to legislation. the heart, the heart, mr. president, of what makes the senate special and something republicans, i might add, defended during our time in the majority. for the president, it means nominating individuals who represent a majority of americans, not the far-left fringes of his party. i've seen some hopeful actions from president biden. several of his nominees from port and post while perhaps not those i would have chosen are public servants who i believe will serve our country well in positions like director of national intelligence, we voted on yesterday. and the president has demonstrated both his leadership and his concern for all americans by prioritizing the

pandemic and focusing on getting americans vaccinating. but there have been troubling things as well. while the president has nominated some mainstream candidates, other nominations raise serious concerns on issues like overregulation of the economy and life and conscious protections. while i applaud the president's focus on the pandemic, i am concerned that a number of the measures in his proposal are heavily partisan and certainly not things that should be rushed through congress without serious consideration of the long-term impact they would have on our economy and american families. mr. president, if there was any mandate given in this election, it was a mandate for moderation. an historic number of americans voted for president biden, but a historic number voted for president trump as well. democrats lost seats in the house of representatives and the senate is evenly divided. i hope, i really hope,

mr. president, the democratic leaders and the president will remember that and not allow the far left which has sought to hijack the democrat party in recent years to determine their agenda. we have a chance, a chance for a new day here in this country, mr. president, and i believe that president biden is committed to leading us there. and i pray that that commitment will endure and that we can spend the next months and years working together, legislating together and ensuring the voices of all americans are respected and heard. mr. president, i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. scott: mr. president, there have been few other times in american history when a need for economic growth through strategic, responsible, pro-business policy have been as great as it is today. nothing is more important to a

family than a good-paying job. that's where the american dream begins. today as our nation fights to overcome the horrendous health and economic impacts of covid-19, we must balance our approach. we have to protect american families and individuals that have been hurt by this crisis, support commonsense public health policies and an aggressive vaccine district -- distribution effort while keeping businesses open and standing up to adversaries like communist china. we also need to continual cutting regulations to make it easier for businesses to operate and for entrepreneurs to create jobs. president biden and his cabinet have an important task of revitalizing our economy amidst one of our nation's worst economic crisis. in my years as governor in florida we cut $10 billion in taxes, paid off one-third of

state debt and added 1.7 million jobs. instead of looking to innovation and proven policies at states like florida that will help jobs and american small businesses, the biden administration is already making promises to go the opposite direction. let me be clear, i support targeted relief to help our small businesses and individuals that are hurting because of the coronavirus. with the start of a new administration, i was hoping to hear fresh new ideas on how to accomplish our shared goal of addressing this crisis. but that's not what we're hearing from the biden administration. their answer is the same it's always been for democrats -- more government, more spending, higher taxes, no accountability. voters are befuddled by the claim that while families cannot borrow without limits or consequences, somehow the federal government can. it's irresponsible, and i won't stand for it. we have to get serious about how

we're spending taxpayer dollars. we already have more than $27 trillion in federal debt. if interest rates return to their 50-year average, the interest on our federal debt will make it impossible to fund our military, medicare, and social security. president biden wants to spend more than $350 billion to bail out wasteful liberal states for their decades of mismanagement and his nominees, including ms.s nonsense. andrew cuomo threatened the new york wealthy that if they don't give him help to get a federal government bailout he will raise their taxes. i was elected as governor of florida while he was elected as governor to new york. i lowered taxes each year. he raised them. since then families have left new york for lower taxes, better schools, better roads and warmer weather in florida. asking taxpayers to bail out failed politicians in liberal

states like new york and illinois and save them from their own bad decisions isn't fair to the taxpayers in fiscally responsible states like florida. after all, many florida taxpayers left new york because of cuomo's tax policy. it makes no sense. congress has already allocated more than $4.5 trillion to address this crisis. think about it. we just passed a nearly $1 trillion relief package four weeks ago. mr. president, this is all borrowed money. the federal government doesn't have savings for a rainy day and we still don't know how much money is unspent from the previous coronavirus relief packages. how can we possibly justify l spending more money right now? we don't even know what we might need to spend money on. for states like california, we know they don't need it. california's tax revenues for this fiscal year is running $9.9 billion or 18% above projections. personal income tax revenue in october was $1 billion, 15%

higher than in the previous october. and sales taxes were up 9.2%. the last four months overall revenue in california exceeded spring forecasts and even 2019 collections but that hasn't kept government newsom and budded dis in -- buddies in congress from keeping their hands out for more money. it's shameful. we also heard the biden administration and his nominees call for a new national minimum wage of $15 an hour. it's clear that these folks haven't talked to business owners. small businesses in america are struggling like never before especially in liberal states where repeated lockdowns exacerbated the work to stay open. president biden believes now is the time to slap another mandate on their back and drive even more americans chasing the dream of this country out of business. i'm not sure how you could possibly more detach from reality.

according to the congressional budget office, a federally mandated $15 minimum wage would cost as many as 3.7 million americans their jobs. let me tell you, i know what it's like to be poor, to live in public housing, to not have enough money to afford health care for a family member. i watched my parents struggle for work. i don't want any family to go through what mine went through. i ran for office because i wanted to help struggling families like the one i grew up in have the chance to live the american dream. so when i hear folks when they say job loss is very minimum, it leaves me at a loss, watching 3.7 million americans lose their jobs will not be minimal. adding insult to injury, we've also heard great praise for the implementation of a carbon tax. let's remember this was part of the green new deal which would be a disaster if fasted. according to estimates from the heritage foundation, a carbon emission tax would cost the country 1.4 million jobs while decreasing our g.d.p. by $3.9

trillion and reducing income for a family of four by $40,000. with disproportionate costs falling on low-income families. again, how could this be seen as a logical step when so many in our nation are simply trying to recover and rebuild from the devastation of the covid-19 pandemic. if the administration has its way americans should prepare for higher taxes, less income, less opportunity, and more government mandates. ms. yellen seems to think that solutions to americans' economic woes is more government, more taxes and more regulation, not individual opportunity. that's wrong and will only send us further into debt and our families further into despair. based on what i've heard, i am concerned and frankly disturbed by what is being offered as the future of america's economic policy. when i ran for the senate, i did so to fix washington's broken ways of doing things. we have to address washington's unconscionable need to waste tax

dollars on things that don't actually help or even hurt american families, especially working families and those on fixed income. i will never give up this fight. in 2018 ms. yellen was quoted speaking about the unsustainable debt and said if i had a magic wand, i would raise taxes. we know that's not the realens to solving our debt issue. it's the lazy liberal approach. it's time to get value out of every dollar we spend and help families to ensure a strong economic future for our nation. i cannot support the nomination of a candidate that proudly promotes joe biden's policies to mortgage our kids and grandkids' futures with irresponsible and shortsighted taxes and spending. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

a senator: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

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a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. mr. sullivan: madam president, i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. sullivan: madam president, there's a lot going on in the senate, a lot of activity behind the scenes right now. leadership of both parties, they're negotiating a 50-50 power sharing agreement, very important for the senate, very important for our nation.

madam president, one issue that is being discussed is the status of what's going to happen possibly -- hopefully nothing is going to happen -- with a really important element of the u.s. senate, the legislative filibuster, something that has been a hallmark of this body almost since the founding of the republic. madam president, this shouldn't be a hard issue. i have a letter here i'd like to submit for the record. this is a letter led by senator collins and senator coons, april 7, 2017, to the then-majority leader senator mcconnell and democratic leader senator schumer. the majority of republicans and majority of democrats in the u.s. senate sent this letter to the then-leadership of the

senate saying in essence don't change the legislative filibuster. now a bunch of democrats and a bunchl of republicans -- i was going to read the names but they know who they are -- the majority on both sides for both parties in this body in 2017 said don't change it. this shouldn't be something that the u.s. senate changes. and part of the reason this was going on is because at the time then-president trump was pressing senators, particularly majority leader mcconnell at the time, to change the filibuster. the filibuster requires 60 votes to move legislation in the senate. it requires compromise. it requires bipartisanship. it's what makes us different from the house. so at the time the

then-republican president trump was saying change it. i want legislation to move more quickly. republicans, the majority leader, then-majority leader mcconnell said that's not a good idea. most of us said that's not a good idea, so we didn't do anything. we didn't change it because we didn't want to change the nature of the united states senate. so, madam president, this is one of the issues being discussed right now, but it shouldn't be a difficult issue because as i said, the vast majority of senators in this body a couple of years ago said don't do it. we don't want the senate to just become a smaller version of the house, because that's what would happen if you got rid of the legislative filibuster. so i do want to extend my congratulations to the new majority leader as of

yesterday, senator schumer. but to the new majority leader, this should not be a difficult issue. this should not be something that we're having a problem in terms of the negotiations between democrats and republicans that is delaying the power-sharing agreement. this should be a piece of cake. the vast majority of democrats and republicans just a couple of years ago said don't change the legislative filibuster, and we want to make sure that remains the case. and i think for the new majority leader this would be an act of statesmanship, an act of compromise, and certainly a statement that he is going to keep the senate the same as it's been for decades, for centuries because changing the legislative

filibuster would change the entire structure, history, precedent of this very important body in our country. so it shouldn't be hard. the vast majority of democrats and republicans have already h agreed to this. so to our new majority leader, do what you know is right and act in statesmanship, compromise. we've all been talking about it. and this should not be a difficult decision, particularly given that so many senators on both sides of the aisle feel strongly enough to have written senator schumer and senator mcconnell just a couple of years ago on this. so to all my colleagues who signed that letter -- you know who you are -- make sure you're pressing the new majority leader to stick to what you pressed him on just a couple of years ago. important.

madam president, i also want to talk about another important issue, and that is president biden's nomination for the very important job of secretary of defense, mr. lloyd austin. we're going to be voting on his nomination here on the senate floor in a couple hours. and i had the honor of introducing mr. austin just two days ago at his confirmation hearing. i thought the confirmation hearing went well, so i want to talk a little bit about mr. austin before we take what are essentially going to be two important votes for his confirmation. now the last time i was actually on the floor of the united states senate, our capitol was under siege. and from a foreign policy and national security perspective,

america's authoritarian rivals have been gloating over what happened on that day, have been reveling in our disunity. democracy brings chaos, they tell their people. better to have a strong hand that keeps order s. well, madam president, as you know, we do live in an imperfect democracy, no doubt. and the american i was honored to introduce at the armed services hearing the other day, mr. lloyd austin, understands our imperfections more than many. but on closer inspection, the world's dictators have little to celebrate. congress went back to work on january 6, right here on the senate floor, to count electoral votes. yesterday there was a peaceful transfer of power at the top of our government, as there has been since our republic's

founding. and at some point, maybe sooner than we think, chinese and russian citizens are going to ask, why can't we do that? why don't we have strong, resilient institutions that ensure the regular election of new leaders invest in self-government and the people. and when these citizens ask these question of authoritarians like putin or xi ping, they're not going to be gloating anymore because they don't have answers to these questions. so what does this all have to do with mr. lloyd austin? a lot. mr. austin has been nominated to lead one of america's most trusted institutions, the department of defense. many of us have worked hard over the last few years to rebuild

our military strength and readiness, but i think we can all agree that there's been too much turmoil at the top of the pentagon. as its civilian leader, i am confident that mr. austin will bring steadiness, leadership, and respect to this indispensable american institution. now i got to know mr. austin in 2005 and 2006. serving together in an army- heavy combatant command conducting combat operations throughout the middle east, we had what might be referred today as an unequal power relationship. he was a two-star general. i was a major. he had spent years on active duty. i was a reservist. he was a soldier. i was a marine. i was just one of hundreds of field grade infantry officers

recalled to active duty, deployed in the region during a challenging time for our nation. but when i asked for his time, mr. austin gave it. when i had a problem, he listened. and when i asked for help on an important mission, he provided it. a critical hallmark of exceptional leadership, especially for organizations like the pentagon, is not just how one treats subordinates -- let me back that up. not just how one treats superiors, but how one treats subordinates, those down the chain of command. and what i saw was respect and integrity and someone who knows how to get things done in a difficult environment. it is clear to me that core principles of mr. austin's life have been duty, honor, country west point has done its job.

that may sound quaint to some, but i think having individuals of impeccable character at the top of our government is more important than ever. other than integrity, there's no singular requirement for the difficult job of secretary of defense. but as the former director of the joint staff and as the former centcom commander, mr. austin certainly has insights on critical issues such as interagency budget battles, working with allies and budget oversight. mr. austin is fully committed to the constitutional principle of civilian control and our military, something that those who serve in uniform typically understand and revere more than those who don't. in that regard, madam president, you may recall we had a hearing on the armed

services committee about ten days ago on this very important topic, but i actually thought some of the witnesses had a rather simplistic view of this important issue. they had brought up topics and discussions of so-called, quote, military logic by those who wear their uniform versus political logic for those who don't wear the uniform. so let me play devil's advocate for those who participated and watched that hearing. the very nature of the confirmation hearing that we had with mr. austin just two days ago and indeed the very nature of the transfer of power that we saw yesterday here at the capitol is evidence in my view that seville yang control of the military is to the at -- is not at risk in america. i actually believe they're related but opposite problem

should be of more concern today, at this moment. and that problem is no military experience in the top ranks of our government with the exception of mr. austin, no nominee on the incoming biden administration's national security team has ever served in uniform with regard to the entire biden cabinet, only one other nominee has any military experience at all. this is not wise. if confirmed, i'm sure -- i want to agree with all of mr. austin's decisions, but when the inevitable budget battles occur, it will be critical for our nation's security and very importantly the military members and their families who serve to have a secretary of defense who understands firsthand the very

real morale and readiness problems that result from drastic cuts to our military. something unfortunately i think many of my colleagues in the senate will be pushing for and even members of the briden administration will be -- biden administration will be pushing for. so let me conclude with this. right now a number of this are interviewing cabinet members for confirmation for the incoming biden administration. i anticipate opposing some, supporting others. certainly i'll be anticipating opposing some if i believe they will hurt the working families of my state. but with regard to mr. austin, i am fully supporting his nomination. we are living through difficult times, a pandemic, racial

tensions, riots, turmoil at the top of the pentagon and rising dangers from china, russia, and iran. mr. austin's confirmation won't solve all of these problems but it will help. he represents the best of america, a man of integrity, humility, and character with a wealth of relevant experience. our allies will take comfort in his confirmation and our adversaries will take pause. and as america's first african american secretary of defense, he will be an inspiration to millions, both in and out of uniform. and for all these reasons, madam president, i strongly urge my colleagues to support mr. austin's confirmation and the waiver in federal law that it requires.

i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. portman: madam president, i can say with certainty that general austin has no better friend or ally in this chamber than senator dan sullivan who's seen him as a person and seen him as a commander. those votes will occur later

today. madam president, i rise today on the floor to talk about what happened yesterday at the capitol and what happened two weeks ago at the capitol. yesterday we had the 59th presidential inauguration right here, the citadel of democracy was once again the place where a president and vice president were sworn in for four years. starting in 1789 every four years america and the world has witnessed this remarkable event that provides for the peaceful transfer of executive power and the continuity of government, something we sometimes take for granted but is rare even today. it has happened through wars. it's happened through economic recessions. we've had our inaugurations today during this unprecedented covid-19 pandemic. what's more, the inauguration took place two weeks to the day on the very west steps of the united states capitol where a

violent mob stormed this building desecrating these halls and tried to stop our constitutionally mandated deliberations in this body. it was the ninth inauguration ceremony i've attended. i was proud to be there as president biden and vice president harris were sworn in. i'm here on the floor today to thank the capitol police and other law enforcement agencies, including the secret service and its director jim murray who took the lead on this national special security event to ensure that things went smoothly, that we indeed had a peaceful transfer of power. i also want to give special thanks to the men and women of the national guard who worked to ensure this ceremony was safe and secure. over the past two weeks 25,000 national guard troops from across the country, including all 50 states and three territories, answered the call leaving their family and friends and for most leaving their

regular jobs to help defend this sacred celebration of democracy that occurred at this place yesterday. this number of 25,000 troops includes nearly 1,000 guardsmen from my home state of ohio. i had the opportunity to meet with a couple hundred of these citizen soldiers from ohio yesterday. i was able to tell them how much we appreciate their commitment to the mission and what they've done truly to protect democracy and to help our capitol police during a stressful time. because of their efforts, the ceremony was safe for everyone in attendance and we were able to proceed with this transfer of power. when i thanked them, they all told me the same thing. they were just doing their duty. they were proud to be here. they were protecting their country and their fellow citizens. i've seen this firsthand over the years when i visited at national guard installations around our state including the mansfield air base, the

springfield air base, ri rickenbacher national guard. i've had the chance to hand out food with members of the ohio army national guard who have been working around the clock at food banks i've been at like cleveland's food bank and central ohio food bank. they're working hard alongside volunteers to respond to a true crisis. the ohio national guard has played a role in providing critical assistance to our prisons and our jails when guards were out with the covid virus. they've helped with testing. they've helped to get the covid-19 vaccines distributed across our state and are continuing to do that. we can't thank them enough for what they've done during this time of crisis. as i visited with the guard this week, both with regard to the ohio members and guard from all over the country, including some conversations i had this morning, i've told them all what i've heard from the capitol police this week.

i've heard that they really appreciated the backup. at a time when shifts had been long, sleep has been rare, and the effects of the attack on the capitol are still acutely felt. it's been a tough two weeks on our capitol police officers, been a tough two weeks since the attack on the capitol. i want to take this opportunity to also express the gratitude of all of us in this chamber and all americans to the capitol police for bravely holding the line against an illegal violent mob that threatened this building, our potion and our colleagues. in effect the men and women of the capitol police force put their lives on the line to defend democracy. it's that simple. as i said on this floor, that terrible night two weeks ago, it was because of their courage that we were safe and because of their courage that we were able to demonstrate to the american people and the world that we

were going to accomplish our constitutional duty of certifying the election. they allowed us to do that. as a congress we've begun a complete impartial and nonpartisan investigation ass to what went wrong that day. i'm working with the government affairs committee where i will be the ranking republican, the rules committee, appropriations committee and intelligence committee to ensure our capitol police are never put in that kind of position again. we are performing oversight to ensure they have would they need to be able to protect the capitol going forward. without prejudging, our investigation, we must consider what reforms need to be made and take a hard look at the physical security of our capitol complex. while these buildings must remain accessible to the people, we need to look at incorporating the best practices and physical security to include shatter proof windows and doors that can't be easily breached. this will cost money but it's absolutely necessary based on

what happened on the 6th of january. i look forward to helping lead this bipartisan effort and i urge my can fellow members of congress to join in. again, i don't want to prejudge our review, but i know among the findings we will make is a finding that the officers on the line were heroic and those officers deserve our gratitude. we must never forget those who lost their lives that night, including a law enforcement officer, member of the capitol police, officer brian sick ns dick since 2008 had patrolled these halls and been a familiar face to many of us. traj egg -- tragically killed defending this capitol. he gave his life in heroic defense of us and our democracy. only a couple of days after the attack, i learned of the tragic news we lost another officer, a friend, officer howard

leavengood. how we was on duty the day the capitol was attacked and responded to the attack just as many brave comrades did. he experienced some difficult experiences that night. i was devastated to learn of his death the next day. how we was someone i used -- howie was someone i used to see almost every day, usually stationed in the russell building where my office was located. he was an utmost professional, someone who took great pride in his work and had an ironclad commitment to keeping people safe. his dad was sergeant at arms. he brightened my day every time i saw him. the last time was a few weeks ago when he was standing guard outside the doors at russell building, alone in the cold, vigilant and good humored. today i reread a letter that i wrote to the chief of the capitol police several years ago commending the exceptional work of howie and his partner chris

gallow. i quote, professionalism coupled with their kind demeanor, howard represented what is great and good about not just our police force but our country. rest in peace officer brian s sicknick and officer howard liebengood. we heard about the heroic action, of gene goodman who protected us here in this senate chamber by leading the mob away from the chamber while many of us were still inside. he unself yshly put himself in danger and handed him -- handled him self with professionalism. i was pleased to see his promotion. his efforts are to me representative of the actions of all the brave officers of the capitol police who on that day of violence and lawlessness held the line against the mob.

i'm proud of another member of the capitol police. this is the supervisor. inspector tommy lloyd is commander of the capital division as compared to the house and senate, commander of the division to protect the capitol itself. this is a powerful photograph that i saw in "time" magazine. it's a photograph of him facing the mob. shoulder to shoulder with his line officers. the capitol was breached but because of the valor of these men and women, we were able to complete our job and are able to be here today discussing the workings of our democracy, confirming members of the new administration, doing our job. the actions of law enforcement in the capitol should serve as a reminder to all of us of the risk our police officers take every single day to keep us safe, not just here in the

capitol but around the country. on monday, for example, the city of the toledo, ohio lost one of its own. when officer brandon stalker of the police department was killed in a standoff with a gunman. officer stalker, only 24 years old, was a father to two young children and engaged to be married. he had a promising life ahead of him. my thoughts are with the friends and families of officer stalker and the friends and families of officers sicknick and liebengood during this time. our officers of the law here and around the country carry on in their duties to protect and to serve. they are truly the best of america. officer stalker's fellow officers will continue to patrol the streets of toledo to keep its citizens safe. and yesterday, despite the hardships they have faced, the capitol police once again lined the halls of congress keeping watch over the inauguration.

-- of the next president and vice president of the united states. together the national guard, the capitol police, secret service, other law enforcement protected a presidential inauguration that was at once like none other in recent memory. an unbroken chain of peacefully transferring power that our nation has cherished since 1789. they did their duty, as they do every day, in defense of the values we americans hold dearest -- democracy, liberty, rule of law. and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. i yield back.

mr. schumer: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: are we in pa quorum call? madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: in a moment i'll be asking for unanimous consent that we do the waiver on the secretary of defense, and we

will vote on that relatively shortly. do we have a time? relatively shortly, the members should be aware. so, madam president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate receives h.r. 335 from the house, the senate proceed to its immediate consideration, that there be 30 minutes for debate, that the bill be considered read a third time, that the bill -- and that the senate vote on the passage of the bill with 60 affirmative votes required for passage. and that the the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all without intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: mr. majority leader, could you please correct the number of the bill that you read. mr. schumer: h.r. 335. the presiding officer: is there 0,? without objection. mr. schumer: thank you, madam president. i yield the floor.

mr. schumer: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: we expect that vote to