power to regulate congressional elections, specifically including redistricting. and the court referenced favorably, the apportionment act of 1842, the first of congress' power of drawing congressional districts and the congressional representation process. and went on to explain that congress specifically does have the power to make laws regarding congressional districting. so there wasn't really wasn't much question about congress' power to apportionment to redistricting. >> c-span.org to fulfill our commitment for live coverage of congress. the senate is about to gavel in. nominations for the equal

community commission, and at lunchtime will meet with president biden and discuss infrastructure legislation. live coverage of the senate on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal lord god, the fountain of wisdom, teach us this day that you continue to work for the good of those who love you. strengthen the hearts of our lawmakers against temptations,

and make them more than conquerors in your love. may they faithfully perform whatever you command, thankfully enduring whatever burdens you have chosen for them to bear. lord, guard their desires so that they will not deviate from the right path. empower with your mighty arms to do your will on earth even as it is done in heaven. we pray in your powerful name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. 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. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c., july 14, 2021. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the senator lujan, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties of the chair. signed patrick j. leahy. the presiding officer: , morning business is closed, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report.

the clerk: nomination, department of labor, the equal opportunity employment commission, josh lynne sanders, of maryland.

mr. schumer: mr. president, well, late last night, after a very, very -- just amazing meeting -- several hour meeting of the budget committee, last night the senate democratic majority on the budget committee reached a landmark agreement on a $3.5 trillion budget resolution, which will pave the way for historic legislation later this year called the american jobs and families plan. very simply, this budget

resolution will allow us to pass the most significant legislation to expand support and help american families since the new deal -- since the new deal. this is generational, trans -- transformational change for families who need the help in this rapidly changing world. every major program that president biden has asked for is funded in a robust way. the president will be attending the democratic caucus lunch later today to talk about not only agreement but the next steps along the way. when you consider the american jobs and families plan, in conjunction with the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is close to $600 billion, you get $1.4 trillion, which is very, very close to the total amount that president biden has asked congress to invest. both traditional infrastructure, like roads and bridges and

social infrastructure, we mean by that things that help people and families directly, such as health care, family leave, and education, will receive the kind of support that the american people so need and are asking for. we are very proud of that plan. now, we know the road ahead is going to be long. there are bumps along the way. this is only the first step in the long road we will have to travel and must travel, but we are going to get this done because we so fervently believe that we must make average american lives a whole lot better. we want middle-class people to be able to stay in the middle class and breathe easier in the middle class. we want poor people to be able to climb that ladder to get to the middle class. and nothing, nothing that has been put on the floor of this senate will do that better than

this bill, nothing that has been put on the floor of the senate for the last several decades will do that the way this bill will. it is transformational, and frankly it is exciting. the eventual legislation we are talking about is best understood in three buckets -- jobs, families, climate. instead of giving a giant tax break to large corporations and the wealthy, as our republican colleagues did when they were in the majority, we're going to strengthen the backbone of the middle class by making critical investments in infrastructure, creating thousands upon thousands upon thousands of good-paying jobs in the process with apresent isships and training so that people who never had opportunities to have these jobs can get them and then lead good lives for decades later. the resolution will make sure that there are no tax increases for families under $400,000, and

no tax increases for small business. this is about rebuilding the middle class and creating jobs. it will change our tax policy far different than what our republican friends did. the very wealthy, the people at the top who escape paying all or a lot of taxes, no, no, no, they're going to pay their fair share for the first time in a long time. so different than what our republican colleagues did. their bill gave the top 1%, a huge percent, some estimate as high as 83% of the breaks. we're going to give it to the middle class, to the working people. for american families, we will introduce paid family leave as well as one important addition to president biden's proposal, which is a robust expansion of medicare to cover dental vision

and hearing. this is something that chairman sanders, budget chairman sanders has championed and alerted, not just this chamber but the nation to its needs. we're going to get it done. and on climate, we must act on climate. we've seen what's going on just in the last month. we're going to invest in green infrastructure, strong, bold green infrastructure, electric vehicles, clean and renewable power, resilient projects, housing, and more that will not only help our country adapt to a change in climate but slow climate change itself. on top of president biden's plans, democrats will add other policies to significantly deal with climate such as reducing methane emissions, one of the most potent and deadly of the greenhouse gases. so jobs, family, climate, these are the three buckets that

democrats will be working on. again, let me repeat, there is a long road ahead of us. but the fact that we were able to come together last night with diverse views on the budget committee was a strong shot out of the gate. now, i'm sure my friends on the other side of the aisle are going to pan this and say one thing or another. we can predict they would label anything where we reach out to help american families, they don't want to do that. they just want to help those wealthy people. they don't want their taxes to rise. they don't want the government to help people, so they're going to criticize it, use their usual name-calling. that's what they have been doing for years no matter what legislation there is. i'm quite sure they will raise phony concerns about the debt and deficit. hello, my colleagues. you raised the deficit by

$2 trillion so you could give tax cuts mainly to wealthy people and big corporations, and now you're going to claim when we want to help middle-class families, poorer families, that there is a deficit. give us and give the american people a break. it's hypocrisy. the american people won't buy their criticisms, creating jobs, providing family leave, making education, housing, and health care more affordable, fighting climate change. no one seriously believes that these policies are the policies on the road to what they might call socialism. this is what the american people want, paid family leave, helping people go to college. come on. that's part of our democratic tradition, where we build ladders up. and i mean small d, american tradition where we build ladders up to help people climb up and live a good life.

so the goals we must pursue are goals to build back our middle class, secure our middle class, help more people get to the middle class, to bolster our economy, to lay the foundation for another century of american prosperity, just as franklin roosevelt did close to 100 years ago. and that's exactly what the democratic majority, mr. president, is going to do. now, on another subject. later today, on marijuana, later today, i will join my colleagues , senators booker and wyden, to release draft legislation to reform the federal marijuana laws. principally, to end the prohibition on marijuana at the federal level for the first time in several generations. over the past decade, americans' attitudes towards marijuana have undergone a dramatic transformation. listen to this.

nearly 70% of americans support legalizing adult use of marijuana, 70%. 18 states plus d.c. have passed laws on adult use of marijuana. 37 states and d.c. have legalized marijuana for medical use. the states are supposed to be our laboratory for democracy, and by all accounts, these experiments have been a success. the doom and gloom of predictions of the naysayers, oh, crime will go way up. drug use will go way up, have never, never materialized. i note that a state like south dakota had on its ballot in the last election. in that conservative state, the majority of people voted to -- in the same direction that we're talking about here. for decades, for decades, young men and young women, disproportionately young black and hispanic men and women have

been arrested and jailed for even carrying a small amount of marijuana in their pocket. a charge that often came with exorbitant penalties and a serious criminal record because of the overcriminalization of marijuana, and it followed them for the remainder of their lives. it makes no sense, and it's time for change. now is the time for congress to engage in this debate, update our federal laws, to not only reflect popular wisdom but science. marijuana amazingly in this 21st century is still treated by federal law with the same hostility as heroin, despite it being far, far less dangerous. so i great deal look forward to releasing this draft legislation with my colleagues, senators wyden and booker today. we'll speak about how our bill will address the issues relating to updating our federal marijuana laws, not just ending the federal prohibition but how it will ensure restorative justice, protect public health,

and implement responsible taxes and regulations. and a final matter, myrna perez. in a moment, i'm excited to head over to the judiciary committee to introduce an outstanding nominee for one of the most important courts in the country, the second circuit court of appeals in new york, and the person i will introduce is myrna perez, one of the foremost election lawyers in the country. the daughter of mexican immigrants, myrna graduated from yale, harvard, columbia law school before joining the brennan center for justice as a voting rights and election litigator. the federal bench has long been occupied by former prosecutors and corporate lawyers. it's about time that civil rights attorneys, federal defenders, and voting rights experts like myrna perez, one of the foremost voting rights experts in the country, join the ranks. especially now when our democracy is in peril in many ways. it's crucial we elevate someone

like miss perez to the bench. someone we can trust to faithfully and equally apply the law of our great democracy. i was proud to recommend her to president biden, and i look forward to formally introducing her to the committee today. when i met her, as i did to interview candidates, she knocked my socks off with her brilliance, her persistence, and her strong and wonderful personality. i yield the floor.

mr. mcconnell: at any particular moment, with total certainty, washington democrats know one of two things to be true. either american democracy is so well functioning, so sacrosanct that nobody can possibly question or badmouth it, or democracy is in total crisis, hanging on by a thread, and only a massive, sweeping partisan overhaul by democrats can save

it. now, it would be hard to guess which of those opposite stories democrats will be shouting on any given day. the narrative flip-flops at a dizzying pace. after 2016, when voters picked republicans, secretary clinton and a whole cast of senior democrats called the new president illegitimate. two-thirds of all democrats said russia had probably or definitely hacked into our voting systems and actually changed the tallies. a baseless conspiracy theory, a big lie. four years later, they kept insisting that democracy was broken and democrats had to overhaul it. h.r. 1 was written and introduced on that pretense. as recently as last summer when

the 2020 election was looking close, democrats and cable news spent multiple weeks in literal hysterics over what they said was a massive secret election conspiracy revolving around the postal service. another big lie. it was one tranparticular meltdown after another. constant, silly claims that our democracy was dying. but last november, their story turned on a dime because democrats got election results they liked a lot better. now suddenly our elections were no longer in crisis. now american democracy was finely tuned, fully legitimate, and beyond reproach. 11 weeks from president biden's election through his inauguration, democrats and

their media friends briefly stopped being our democracy's biggest doubters and became its number one fans. but now as democrats look ahead to the first midterm that is almost always challenging for the sitting president's party, the silly hysterics have been switched right back on. this spring the state of georgia passed a mainstream election law that expanded early voting and made drop boxes permanent for the first time. the left responded with a total meltdown. regulations that left georgia with more flexible early voting and more flexible absentee voting than many blue states including new york were insanely called jim crow 2.0. what nonsense. georgia democrats scared huge corporations into promoting a moral panic that was completely

and totally false. it was a shameless effort to manufacture an era of crisis to help democrats ram their election takeover bills through the congress. but it didn't work. the senate rejected all the bad ideas in s. 1 so the madeup outrage had to be cranked up even higher, even higher. so this week state legislators from texas decided to grab some beer, hop on a private plane, and flee the state in what they are pretending is some great moral crusade. in reality they've just come here to washington to snap selfies, bask in the limelight, and beg senate democrats to take over texas elections. once again this outrage is completely phony.

the texas legislature was going to consider bills that would expand the minimum hours of early voting, make even more counties provide 12-hour days of early voting, and make it even easier for voters to fix mistakes on mail-in ballots so their votes would actually count. these bills would apply voter i.d. to mail-in ballots through a simple process that doesn't even require a driver's license number. they'd clean up voter rolls to remove voters who have died or moved away. this is not controversial stuff. it's common sense. more than 80% of texas -- texans support voter i.d. but democrats have pulled out the same chicken little playbook that failed in georgia, the same big lies. yesterday the president of the united states delivered a speech that was set in an alter nat

universe -- alternate universe. he called these mainstream state laws, these modest integrity measures that are wildly popular with americans, quote -- now listen to this -- the single, the most significant test of our democracy since the civil war. really? this is our new president who promised to lower the temperature, bring america back together and rebuild a civil society where we can dialogue as fellow citizens. that's the person who's now yelling that mainstream state laws are more dangerous than two world wars, more dangerous than poll tests and actual jim crow segregation and somehow analogous to the civil war? that's what the president of the united states said yesterday?

what utter nonsense. it would be laugh-out-loud funny if it wasn't so completely and totally irresponsible. here are the great sins of the texas proposals. here is what is apparently so outrage us. -- outrageous. they want to wind down a few emergency covid voting procedures, including drive-thru voting and polling places that are open all night long. i'm serious. that's what this is all about. that they want to wind down two covid voting procedures, drive-thru voting and polling place that are open 24/7. because of the pandemic, for the first time ever some places in texas experimented with these brand new unusual measures.

but now winding them down is somehow an assault on democracy? really? if texas is not interested in permanently letting people vote from their car windows or at 3:00 in the morning, then president biden says, quote, they want to make it so hard and inconvenient, they hope people don't vote at all simply because you can't vote all night. really? these brand new exceptions for a hundred-year pandemic are supposed to now be sacred pillars of our system? things that we did last year to deal with a 100-year pandemic? to get rid of any of that is a threat to our system? voter i.d. protections are supported by majorities of white americans, black americans, and hispanic americans, but president biden calls these things, quote, a 21st century

jim crow assault. one big lie after another. these people think if they keep repeating the same fellow dramatic cliche -- owe mel la dramatic cliches, they'll finally get to pull off the power grab. these false comparisons are an insult to the actual hurdles that americans have overcome over the years together. we've won two world wars, faced down the soviets, unwound segregation, and defeated actual jim crow laws and endured the 9/11 attacks. but now the sky is falling? the sky is falling? because these mainstream laws that people actually support, because texans want to allow

16-hour days of voting but just not in the dead of night? do they know that nobody outside of liberal twitter and cable television is buying an ounce of what they're selling. the big lies, the fake outrage, failed in georgia. the big lies and fake outrage failed here in the senate and they'll fail in texas. the big lies and fake outrage are totally failing to persuade the american people. americans want to make it easy to vote but hard to cheat. americans know that having widespread and accessible voting along with voter i.d. isn't an attack on democracy. it's the definition of

democracy. so, look, i understand the democrats may be growing nervous about the 2022 elections. i can see why. liberal policies are overspending, overborrowing, and hurting our economy. they're destabilizing the middle east, weakening our southern border, and increasing violent crime across our country. but, mr. president, the solution is not to keep lying to the american people about the health, the health of our democracy. the answer is not this desperate craving for an unprecedented partisan takeover so washington democrats can appoint themselves the board of elections for every country and state. the longer these fake hysterics keep up, the more americans will keep wondering just why

democrats are this desperate, this desperate to seize control over election laws and why democrats are this panicked by the prospect of voter integrity measures that are simple, that are fair, and that are popular with the american people. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. thune: is the senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, the republican leader was here discussing an issue which i think has gotten a lot of play here lately and that is this attempt by democrat members of the texas legislature to come to washington, d.c., to protest legislation that is being moved through the legislature in the state of texas. in fact, this is the cover of one of the -- yesterday's newspapers or i should say today's newspaper. it has a photograph of all of the texas democrats are here and they are playing hooky from their jobs in texas, having flown in, i'm told, on their private jets. so much for doing something

about the climate. to protest the fact that in texas their voice is not heard and they are not given input in the legislative process. i say that because it is incredibly ironic. it is rich with irony. sometimes around here you say, i can't make this stuff up. they are here in washington, d.c., away from texas, which is where their jobs are, to protest the fact that their views and voice is not being heard in texas and that the majority in texas is running roughshod over the minority and their rights. the same -- rights. the same democrats, i would add, who here in washington, d.c., are trying to get rid of the legislative filibuster in the united states senate. the very mechanism that historically has protected the rights of the minority and given them a voice in the legislative process, the very thing that has been used historically in a way

that ensures that the senate has to come together behind big solutions, collaborate, find that common ground, find that compromise, the democrats here in washington, and these democrats from texas, all in favor of getting rid of the legislative filibuster. i mean, think about that. it's really pretty remarkable that they would come up here to protest what's happening in texas at a time when they support getting rid of the very protections that give the minority here in the united states senate a voice in that legislative process. and the other really remarkable irony about this is the issue that they are here to speak in support of is s. 1, the bill that would federalize, that would nationalize elections in this country and take power away from states when it comes to regulating and administering elections, a power that has been held by states going back to the

founders. and so they came here basically to say, you need to pass h.r. one. what is h.r. 1. it is massive federal takeover of elections in this country and it's also the test case for why we got to get rid of the legislative filibuster. and i'd bet -- i'd be willing to bet that the democratic leader at some point in the next couple of weeks is going to call up s. 1 again. we voted on it once already, but he's going to call it up again because he thinks it's good politics, plus he wants to pressure his members to do away with the legislative filibuster in order to pass s. 1 with 51 votes. so, again, the irony of all this, honestly, some stuff you just flat can't make up. but i would reiterate what i said before about s. 1. it is a -- a solution in search of a problem. we have states around this

country who are in some cases, you know, moving to put in place election integrity measures, measures that will ensure that every vote counts and that everybody has an opportunity to vote, but that -- that people don't have an opportunity to cheat. that's all this is about. it's about election integrity and most of the legislation is being adopted about that. again, historically consistent with the way that our election process has been governed in this country and that is to allow states to make those to do things in a decentralized way, to not consolidate power here in washington, d.c., but rather to distribute that power and make it harder for somebody to hack into it. you have 50 election systems in this country, it was what the founders intended. they wanted to distribute power and not have one driven and controlled by a bureaucracy here

in washington, d.c., and i think that's consistent with what the american people believe ought to happen and the cases it should be when it comes to elections in this country. so it really is interesting to see these legislators -- democrat legislators from texas coming here to washington, d.c., playing hooky from their jobs in texas, to protest a piece of legislation used by the democratic leadership to get rid of the legislative filibuster, the very mechanism that protects the rights and the voice of the minority in the united states senate. it has literally since our country's founding. mr. president, last week, the u.s. department of agriculture announced that going forward, agriculture producers will be able to hay or graze cover crops at any time, without a reduction in their prevented plant payments. this is good news for farmers around the country, but particularly for farmers in more

northern states like south dakota who are set of at a disadvantage by the present haying and grazing date. a tough winter kept many south dakota farmers from their usual planting. as a result, many farmers were looking to sow quick-covered crops, but they faced a problem. at the time the department of agriculture would not allow farmers to harvest or graze these cover crops until novembe. farmers who hayed or grazed before the state had a reduction in their payments, which are crop insurance payments which are used to cover their income losts when the fields can't be planted due to flooding or other issues. november 1 was a reasonable date for farmers in southern states

but ofnl in northern -- often in northern states, november 1 was too late. it was too late for the use of cover cops for pasture. so i and other members of congress successfully lobbied the department of agriculture moved up the haying date. but that was a short-term fix for a frequent problem. in march of 2020, i introduced legislation, along with senator stabenow to remove the november 1 grazing and haying date and i continued to lobby the department of agriculture on this issue. the department of agriculture has permanently eliminated the november 1 date. cover crops are a winner-win situation for the farmers and environment. they prevent soil erosion, improve soil health, which

improves future crop yields. and reduce feed shortage and provides another source of feed for the livestock. last week's decision by the department of agriculture will reduce a barrier to reduce cover crop adaptation and ensure that the farmers can sow the crops. mr. president, usda's victory, but unfortunately it doesn't solve the challenge that the agricultural producers are facing in my state. almost every acre in south dakota is experiencing drought conditions. a huge portion of the state is facing a severe drought. in some kears of -- areas of the state have been classified as extreme drought and ag -- producers are facing the same condition. some cattle producers are cutting down herds, which is

devastating. mng haying and grazing of conservation reserve program acres can help alleviate for raj shortages. they have 1.4 acres reserved in south dakota. i'm a long-time champion, which supports the agriculture and hunting descris in south dakota. the conservation reserve program provides critical habitat for wildlife. haying and grazing can provide a lifeline for south dakota ag producers. last month i sent a letter to tom vilsack urging him to release additional conservation reserve program acres to help south dakota. while i'm pleased that usda is

allowing emergency grazing in many counties, emergency c.r.p. haying is not allowed until after the primary nesting season ends on august 1. agriculture, mr. president, is a tough business. our producers have had to endure a tremendous amount from tough weather conditions to the covid pandemic. and they are dealing with market volatility which has market-high -- i will continue to press the administration in working with my colleagues to hold the big four meatpackers accountable to the producers and consumers who depend on them. the department of agriculture should do everything they can to help farmers an ranchers weather the drought and i will do everything i can to get relief to my producers in my state and around the country. i'm grateful for the department of agriculture's decision on

haying and grazing. i will continue to work that c.r.p. and all programs will meet the needs of producers while making sure we balance the wildlife and conservation needs of our state. mr. president, i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator is recognized. mr. grassley: i ask the calling of the quorum be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: first of all, i ask unanimous consent that gary tombley, a detailee of my office, be granted floor privileges for the mairmd of the congress. mr. president, the countdown is on. today marks the beginning of 100 days until the critical and lifesaving authority placing fentanyl-related substances in schedule 1 expires. in 100 days, that expires. the congress has extended this

multiple times, most recently in may. however, when choosing how long to extend this authority, congress shortchanged itself by providing only five months to contemplate how to permanently control fentanyl analogues. i pushed for a longer extension, even spearheading bipartisan legislation that would have extended this authority into the next year. but my colleagues on the other side of the aisle insisted that five months was sufficient to work with the administration to find a permanent solutions scheduling fentanyl-related substances. i had skepticism about this when the five-month extension passed in may, and i have even more

skepticism now. that's because we're only 100 days away from losing this essential authority, and the administration still has not indicated how it intends to solve this problem, so congress is operating in the dark. the administration says that a legislative proposal will be sent to congress as early as next year. no, as early as next month, but this proposal won't be a done deal once it arrives on capitol hill because, you know, presidents propose, congress disposes. if it doesn't include measures to protect vulnerable communities, to be prevent more drug overdose victims, and

proactively determine and punish drug traffickers, then it won't be enough to solve the problems of a drug, fentanyl, killing several hundred thousand people. i have been beating the drum on scheduling fentanyl analogues for a long period of time. because it's a fight worth having. we simply can't afford to let these deadly substances go on schedule -- go unscheduled. what happens if we don't schedule fentanyl analogues in the next 100 years? well, it's pretty obvious. opioids-related deaths fueled by fentanyl analogues increase by 35% in my state of iowa. what about the other 49 states. but 35% in iowa last year.

that happens to be in line with nationwide trends. so deaths will continue to rise if we don't buckle down and get onto this issue of scheduling fentanyl, schedule 1 on a permanent basis. also according to the customs and border patrol, so far this year, enough fentanyl and its analogues have been seized to kill the entire population in the united states. not once but ten times over. some may view drug crimes as victimless. now, you need to tell that to the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost a brother, sister, parent, or child to fentanyl. tell that to rob and deb

courtney, the parents of chad courtney, from north liberty, iowa. chad died five years ago because of fentanyl. he used painkillers and then turned to abusing heroin. rod and deb tried to help their son through rehab and treatment. then one day, they received the call that they had been dreading. their son died because a drug dealer laced heroin with deadly fentanyl substance. rod said that one of the last memories he had of his son was picking him up from treatment, and chad stating, quote-unquote, i just want to make a difference. we owe it to chad and the other 36,359 victims of fentanyl-related overdose deaths to make a difference now, and

that means passing legislation that schedules fentanyl and its analogues permanently. congress can ensure that we put people over profits and communities over cartels by permanently scheduling fentanyl-related substances. i don't doubt that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle want to protect their constituents. nobody wants more overdose deaths in their own states. so let's work together to put this issue at risk at last. starting today, the countdown is on. as i said at the beginning, 100 more days. i hope the administration and my senate colleagues are ready to

get to work on permanently scheduling fentanyl-related substances. i know that i am ready. i yield. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from wyoming. ms. lummis: i ask unanimous consent that the following interns be granted floor privileges today, july 14, 2021. tanner connally, peyton mckendry, and mat son stoddard the presiding officer: without objection. ms. lummis: mr. president, i rise today to discuss two troubling nominations by president biden for positions that have very real impacts on my state of wyoming and the people who live there. one of the simplest, yet truest rules of governments, that personnel is policy.

we've seen this rule play out over and over under president biden. during last year's election, the media created a narrative that a biden presidency would unite the country with bipartisanship. that has not happened. many of the president's policies have been extreme appeals to the far left and decidedly hostile to our way of life in wyoming and the west. i believe much of this can be traced to the people with whom he has surrounded himself and to those he's appointed. that's why i am so concerned about two of the president's nominees that the senate is considering. first there is tracy stone manning, president biden's nominee to serve as director of the bureau of land management. i am particularly interested in this nomination because the b.l.m. manages about

18 million acres in wyoming and huge tracts of land throughout the west. in fact, 90% of federal and public land is west of the mississippi. we need a land manager who understands, respects, and implements multiple use of public lands with which americans in the west are particularly accustomed. the b.l.m. has historically managed for multiple use, which is in many cases required by law. under ms. stone manning, i am very concerned that multiple use principles will change, and the reason is quite simple. this nominee is a radical. she has been involved with ecoterrorists in the past, including a tree-spiking incident in idaho. her extremist ties and past activism have even led a former

obama b.l.m. to withdraw his support for her. wyoming and other states in the west would be completely hamstrung if b.l.m. land policy changed. given ms. stone-manning's militant history, i'm not sure she would care. then there is david chipman, president biden's nominee to lead the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives. one would be hard pressed to identify a worse candidate for the job. according to reports, chipman may have lost his own gun while serving as an a.t.f. agent. he also failed twice to define the term assault weapon during his confirmation hearing. this level of irresponsibility and lack of basic firearms knowledge is hardly an an endorsement for someone tasked with overseeing gun use in the united states.

chipman has also reportedly adduce accused black americans who were successful on an a.t.f. test of cheating because, in his opinion, too many were passing the test. let's be real. this kind of discrimination would tank a republican candidate. mr. chipman has also endorsed efforts to defund the police and has supported the science fiction-sounding notion of precrime arrests. his idea of effective law enforcement would be to arrest people before they commit crimes. mr. president, i came to washington to solve real problems and get things done. i don't care if the constitutions come from the right or the left. i'm here to support good legislation and good policy. that's why i have backed president biden's decision to bring our troops home from afghanistan. that's why i have supported many

of his nominees with whom i may disagree on some policy points, but they are nonetheless qualified for the roles. nominees including janet yellen, pete buttigieg, and gary gensler. but based on their past experience and expressed behavior, tracy stone-manning and david chipman have disqualified themselves and are direct contradictions to the bipartisanship and unity that president biden called for and promised in his inaugural address. if these extremist nominees are confirmed, they will direct their respective agencies towards ends that are actively and openly hostile to the wyoming way of life that i am here in washington to support and defend. i call on president biden to withdraw these names and instead send us nominees for these positions who better reflect the

bipartisan reputation the president spent decades cultivating in this senate. if the president does not withdraw these nominees, i strongly urge my colleagues to vote to reject them. thank you, mr. president. and i yield the floor.

mr. boozman: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senior senator from arkansas booze thank you. it's an honor to be with my friend and colleague as we rise to honor police officer kevin apple who was killed in the line of duty on saturday, june 26.

he made the ultimate sacrifice while attempting to apprehend two suspects fleeing from police. although this would be the last example of his selfless service and dedication to protecting his community, it was certainly not the only one. officer apple bravely devoted his life to law enforcement and the good that it can bring about. he worked tirelessly to uphold law and order over the course of 23 years serving several northwest arkansas communities, including the last three years. he was known to consistently support others. the compassion he exhibited in and out of uniform will be fondly remembered by those he helped. he gave me hope again, one citizen remarked, about officer apple. another individual commented that the result of officer apple, he changed his life. now more than 20 years later he maintains a deep appreciation of

the support he received from officer apple. he did much more than serve and protect. officer apple put humanity in the job. for a police officer, there's no higher complement than that -- compliment than that. he was also known as a prarvegster, was usually upbeat and lifted the spirit of those around him with a smile that would light up a room. friend, neighbors and colleagues described him as someone who cared passionately about his role in supporting public safety and was more concerned about lending a helping hand than writing tickets. he was a loyal friend and leader who always put the needs of others above his own. officer apple leaves a legacy of lasting impact on all those whose lives he touched in his own unique way. whether attending a child's birthday party or checking on an elderly citizen, he went above and beyond the call of duty and

constantly showed his dedication to the people he was sworn to protect. my hope is the community support will provide comfort to his family, his friends, and brothers and sisters in blue. we can be very proud of how northwest arkansas has already bonded together to give back to the peerage police department and the fallen officer's loved ones. he wassen embodiment of what it means to wear a police badge and uniform. his exemplary service and dedication to serving his community is truly inspirational. and he leaves behind a worthy example for other officers to imitate. he all mourn the loss of officer apple and are deeply saddened by this tragedy. i join with arkansans in expressing our gratitude for his service and sacrifice. i'm honored to recognize his life with senator cotton today as we pray for his family and his colleagues and community members and know that he will

forever be remembered as a hero. with that i yield to senator cotton. mr. cotton: thank you. kevin dale apple protected the communities he loved for 23 years. but officer apple's long and honorable career in law enforcement was cut tragically short just a couple of weeks ago. it all began with a call to be on the lookout for a blue jeep that was fleeing from police in rogers. officer apple and a fellow officer spotted the vehicle at a convenience store and sprung into action approaching the car to speed to its occupants. when they did the driver of the jeep rammed one of their police cars and then struck officer apple dragging him to his death. he succumbed to his injuries at the age of 53. officer apple's death is a tragedy and a crime but it's also a reminder, a reminder of

the grave danger that police officers across the country face every day when they put on their bulletproof vest and leave home not knowing whether they'll come home that night to take it off. this year alone barely halfway through the year, 162 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty across our country. officer apple's death is also a reminder that every time an officer approaches a suspect, he or she may be exposed to hidden threats such as a concealed weapon or in this case a vehicle transformed into an instrument of death. all of the comfortable critics of the police who love to second-guess their every move under incredible stress and danger in the heat of the moment stand to learn from that sobering fact. officer apple's death is also a warning of the tragic consequences of ill-conceived soft on crime policies. the woman who killed officer

apple shauna cash was known by police long before that fateful day. she was facing multiple counts of theft and other drug-related offenses but she was reportedly released from jail due to the coronavirus. when criminals get let out of jail and put back on our streets, tragedy tends to follow. a brave officer would still be alive today if his killer had remained behind bars. the trade-off here should be obvious. this criminal with a rap sheet longer than your arm should have remained in jail. and officer apple should have gone home to his friends and his family. and for every future shauna cash who gets let out of jail early because of the coronavirus or soft on crime policies or other

foolish and naive reasons, just remember there could be another officer apple or another murder victim or rape victim. like every victim of the terrible murder wave sweeping our nation, officer apple's life mattered. he leaves behind loved ones, like his mother, daylene and his brother kyle. he leaves behind fellow officers and comrades who remember his jokes and his goofy sense of humor. he leaves behind a legacy of 23 years of honorable, courageous service to his fellow arkansans. officer apple will not be forgotten and we must never forget the law men who lay down their lives to keep the rest ofous safe. we will respect officer apple's memory just as we respect every law enforcement officer who wears the badge with honor.

i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: is there objection? 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 executive calendar

number 121, jocelyn samuels of maryland to be a member of the equal employment opportunity commission signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of scwos lin samuels of maryland -- joslin samuels of maryland to be a member of the equal employment opportunity commission shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote: vote:

vote:

vote:

vote: vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are a 53, the nays are 47. the motion is agreed to. 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 executive calendar number 120 seema nanda of

virginia to of department of la. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of seema nanda of virginia to be solicitor for the department of labor and shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 53, the nays are 47. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: department of labor, seema nanda of virginia to be solicitor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands in recess until 2:00 p.m.