with durham's recent indictments, we now have even more proof that the trump-russia collusion investigation had the wrong name. it should have been the clinton d.n.c. russian collusion investigation. those in the democratic party ought to be ashamed of the falsehoods that they were spreading throughout these years. our political discourse has been damaged for decades to come because of that scheme. recently "the washington post" had to correct over a dozen articles relating to this, its previous russia reporting, in

light of the extensive errors made by that newspaper. years of errors, i might add, i think is somewhat unprecedented and i'm sure "the washington post" hated to retract and correct the record. as durham proceeds, i say this, don't take your eyes off of government misconduct. the justice department and the f.b.i. had critical information from the fisa court that would have cut against their case. they failed to correct the record when they should have corrected the record. simply put, the justice department and the f.b.i. misrepresented information to

the court. that conduct can't be allowed to pass. on another matter, just a short point i want to make about a very important voice in agricultural journalism that has gone silent. every tuesday morning, probably for 50 out of 52 weeks of the years, i hold a conference call with agricultural reporters and farm broadcasters to discuss news and issues impacting the 2% of the americans who feed and fuel the world. i'm talking about our family farmers. for the past several decades the first question each week came from a very familiar voice in the agricultural community.

writer of wnax of yankton, south dakota, sadly tom passed away on november 21, just a few days before thanksgiving. tom rarely, i mean rarely, ever missed my weekly call. in fact, he always kicked off the discussion that was carried on by probably another double -- another dozen people kicked off the discussion with a smart question about farm policy. undoubtedly his reports kept his listeners informed on issues that make a big difference to their lives, their farms, their ranches, and businesses in the american heartland. he happened to be a native of rock rapids, iowa, not far from

yankton. he was a fellow university of northern iowa panther. tom joined wnax in 1999 so he was around that station for 22 years i think it adds up to. ever since i've looked forward to our weekly discussions. i'm grateful for tom's dedication to his craft, specifically his work to expand the public's understanding and appreciation of the ag community's contribution to our society. most importantly, that 2% of the people in this country produce the food for the other 98%. my wife barbara and i extend our sympathies to tom's family and friends. the wnax family, and his

colleagues in the ag press community. we've lost a very big voice for american agriculture. he will be greatly missed. i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. murphy: i ask to dispense with the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. murphy: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, our collective heart as a nation is breaking for your state. at oxford high school today, reports suggest that a 15-year-old turned a

semiautomatic weapon on his classmates. three are dead. eight are injured. our hearts are breaking a little bit harder in connecticut because we know the pain that ravages a community when a shooting happens at a school. newtown, connecticut, will never be the same after what happened there now almost a decade ago. reports are that at oxford high school, nearly 100 911 messages came in to police during the time of the shooting. it gives you a vision into the terror that happens inside a school when a classmate opens fire. i think about this first and foremost as a parent of a 7th

grader and a 4th grader that are part of a generation that accepts as part of their childhood the risk of not leaving school at the end of the day because of a violent attack. that's the reality of being a kid in school today. i'm angry about it as an american, but i'm angry about it as a parent that my children have to go through active shooter drills because this has become a regular facet of being a child in america, exposure to gun violence. it sickens me to think that my 4th grader has to worry about this when he goes to school every day. mr. president, i understand that my republican colleagues have very strong views on issues

related to abortion, but i listened to my republican colleagues come down here one after another today and talk about the sanctity of life at the very moment that moms and dads in michigan were being told that their kids weren't coming home because they were there was a shooting at school. do not lecture us about the sanctity, the importance of life when 100 people every single day are losing their lives to guns, when kids go to school fearful that they won't return home because a classmate will turn a gun 0en them, when it is in our control whether this happens. you care about life? then get these dangerous military-style weapons off the streets, out of our schools. you care about life? make sure that criminals don't get guns by making sure that everybody goes through a

background check in this country. this only happens in the united states of america. there's no other nation in the high-income world in which kids worry about being shot when they go to school. it happens here in america because we choose to let it happen. we're not unlucky. this is purposeful. this is a choice made by the united states senate to sit on our hands and do nothing while kids die. it doesn't even involve any political risk. the changes we're talking about in order to make our schools safe places, they're supported by the vast majority of americans, republicans and democrats. and yet the gun lobby and the gun industry is more important to half of the members of the senate than is the safety of our kids. and that is infuriating. make no mistake about it.

there is a silent message of endorsement sent to would-be killers, sent to individuals whose brains are spiraling out of control when the highest levels of the u.s. government does nothing shooting after shooting. somewhere in these broken brains they have convinced themselves that they can right perceived wrongs by firing a gun into a crowd. and when congress, when the highest, most important, most powerful leaders in the land do nothing shooting after shooting, you can understand why those broken brains imply that as endorsement. we have become part of the problem. our silence has become

complicity. and i'm here to tell you that there is a very low likelihood that your child will die in a school shooting. it is still a very, very infrequent occurrence in this country, given the number of kids who walk into a school every day. but the very fact that every child fears for their life, the very fact that every parent thinks about this when they send their kid to school, that is both a moral and practical stain on this country because kids' brains can't learn when they fear for their lives. no parent should have to sit down and talk to their kid about why even though you see this happen in newtown and you see this happen in parkland and you see this happen in michigan and

you see this happen in california, it won't happen to you, dear. because when these kids see it on tv every single day, you can't blame them for coming to the conclusion that it may happen to them. i remember watching on tv once a young woman in the aftermath of a school shooting. there's so many now that i can't even remember which one this was and she said to the tv reporter who was interviewing her, i just assumed that it would happen at my school eventually. what a sad state of affairs that this is what it's come to. i'm beyond my tipping point. but i needed to come to the floor today because having sat in that chair listening to my colleagues tell me about how much they care about human life, well, you have an opportunity to do something about it.

you have an opportunity to save lives right now, kids that are walking into schools tomorrow need you, need you to step up and pass laws that are going to make sure that only responsible people own guns and the guns that are used in these school shootings, the semiautomatic rivals, the ar-15 variants, they stay in the hands of law enforcement. and even if you don't believe that those laws will have the practical consequence of stopping every school shooting, please acknowledge that there is a moral impact of the actions that we take. by signaling to everyone in this country -- but in particular these individuals who are contemplating these evil actions -- that we don't accept this level of carnage, there will be an impact.

and i tell you that because i know history. there are two massive declines in the murder rate in this country in the last 100 years. it is not coincidental to the ten-year period after the two most significant antigun violence measures passed by congress. the first big decline is in the late 1930's and 1940's right after congress passes its first bill regulating the possession of firearms in this country. the second big decline is in the 1990's and early 2000's, right after congress passes the universal background checks law and the ban on assault-style weapons. that's not coincidental. it's because those laws had a practical effect on crime but also a moral effect as well. the proof is right there in

front of you. of what can happen, of how many lives can be saved if we stand up and act. so, please, i beg my colleagues, if if you're going to come down here and talk about the sanctity of life, explain to the american people why the gun lobby matters more than the safety of our children who are walking into school every day fearing for their life. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the help committee be discharged from further consideration and the senate now proceed to s. res. 437. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 437 expressing support for the designation of november 8, 2021, as national first generation college celebration day. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that motions to

reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following senate resolutions which were submitted earlier today -- senate res. 426, senate res. 463, senate res. 464. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the resolutions en bloc. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table all en bloc. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: finally, madam president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today it adjourn until 12:00 noon wednesday, december 1. that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. that upon the consideration of morning business, the senate

resume consideration of h.r. 53 -- 4350, the national defense authorization act. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> the u.s. senate has gaveled out for the day. during today's session senators continued work on the 2022 defense programs and policy bill. later senate and house lawmakers are expected to debate legislation to extend federal funding past freddie's midnight deadline to avert a government shutdown. you can watch live coverage of the senate when they return here on c-span2. >> wednesday the supreme court hears the case on the constitutionality of a mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. live coverage of oral argument

at 10 a.m. eastern on on c-s, online at c-span.org or watch full coverage on c-span now, our new video app. >> c-span is your buns filled review of government. we are funded by these television companies and more including mediacom. >> the world changed in an instant but mediacom was ready. internet traffic soared and we never slowed down. schools and businesses went virtual and we powered a new reality because at mediacom we are built to keep you ahead. >> mediacom supports c-span as a public service along with these other television providers giving you a front-row seat to democracy. >> treasure secretary janet yellen and the chair of the federal reserve jerome powell were on capitol hill to testify on covid-19 relief and the state of the economy. they were asked about workforce participation,