of having to decide whether to give the child up. that's its own monumental decision so there's nothing new about the safe haven loss or at least nothing new about the availability of adoption as an alternative. wrote in case he already took cap effect and there certainly all of the bodily integrity interests but also autonomy interests as well. >> okay, so the reliance interest in the right to be able to choose to terminate the pregnancy rather having to terminate parental rights. >> i think that out of it for many women, it's an incredibly difficult choice but one this court has recognized must be left up to them -- >> you can watch the last couple of minutes and oral arguments in regard to our website c-span not workrk or c-span now video app. we take you lift to the u.s. senate which today is considering nomination of rosen morsel through the federal

communications mission. president biden has not made it to the chair of commission. there expecting that 530 p.m. eastern. live coverage of c-span's senate. c-span2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. o lord our god, -- the chaplain: let us pray. o lord our god, you are ready to hear us than we are to pray. we praise you that will you know our needs, even before we call.

provide us with listening ears, responsive hearts, and willing spirits. lord, bless our senators. fill their lives with meaning and shower them with faith. reveal to them the issues that matter most so that their work will glorify you. keep them from becoming weary in doing what is right as they embrace your promise that their harvest will come. we pray in your righteous name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in 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. the president pro tempore: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session, resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, federal communications commission, jessica rosenworcel of connecticut to be a member.

ms. hirono: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from hawaii. ms. hirono: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. leahy: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont.

mr. leahy: madam president, i ask consent the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: madam president, i know many senators will be speaking further on this floor about one of the most distinguished senators, certainly i've had the honor to serve with, and that's bob dole, the senator from kansas, former majority leader. we were here -- we will hear, as we should, of his bravery, courageous nature in world war ii, how he overcame the horrific injuries received to go on to a life of service, continued service to the state of kansas. we can have so many wonderful memories of him, how he and the democratic leader would meet in

person or by phone several times a day. the comments they made about each other, i could always take his word. he never surprised me. and that's what he was. he was the way senators should be, always kept his word. but i also think of the personal things when he went to europe, to italy, to represent president ronald reagan on d-day. president reagan was going to be at normandy and he asked senator dole to go over and represent him in italy and there would be several congressional medal of honor recipients on board the plane. i was honored that he wanted to make it a bipartisan trip, and he asked me and my wife marcelle to join him on the trip to it

italy. but the reason i mention the trip is that these congressional medal of honor recipients, all for enormous bravery, they like so typical congressional of honor recipients did not brag about what they did. they were just so honored to talk to senator dole about what he did. senator dole tried to be modest about his exploits and talked to them about exploits of theirs that brought about the receipt of the congressional medal of honor. they would brush it off but senator dole, what about this and what about that? and all the way through he was -- a great sense of humor, self-deprecating but everybody on that plane realized this was a true hero of that war.

i will speak more later on, madam president, but he was a good friend. i was honored to join senator pat roberts and speak about senator dole when he received the congressional gold medal, and i told him how honored i was that he asked me to speak. it's certainly, when i think back during my years here in the senate, that's one of the highest honors i received to have this man whom i admired, i liked, was my friend, that he asked me to speak for him. i also felt that there were so many others who probably even far better prepared to speak, i felt the honor. thank you. madam president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

mr. schumer: madam president. pgh the president pro tempore: majority leader. mr. schumer: rewith i in a quorum? i ask majority consent the

quorum be dispensed with. pgh the president pro tempore: without objection. mr. schumer: yesterday, our country lost a great statesman, and many of us in this chamber lost a dear former colleague. senator bob dole, who represented kansas in the senate for 27 years and served three years as senate majority leader, parsed away yesterday -- passed away yesterday morning at the age of 98. throughout his life bob dole redefined and elevated is what it has meant to be a public servant. he was born not to wealth, but in poverty, the son of the kansas heartland, who grew up beneath the shadow of the great depression. as a young man, bob unblinkingly answered the call to serve by ep listing in the army during world war ii, we earned two purple hearts and a bronze star. after election to the senate, senator dole quickly won the admiration of his colleagues with his candor, sharp wit, his penchant for good-natured ribbing.

but beneath all that was a unquenchable desire to get things done in this chamber. while he frequently sparred with democrats, some of his greatest achievements were bipartisan endeavors, including his work to pass the americans with disabilities act. , legislation to strengthen social security, and revamping federal nutrition programs. despite rising to the top raimpings of his party -- ranks of his party, senator dole always kept close relationships with those on the other side of the aisle. senator dole exemplified the greatest generation. while i never had the pleasure of serving in the senate with him, i always admired his steadfast advocacy for veterans, for americans with disabilities, and his love for his country. for the information of all, senator dole will lie in state this thursday under the capitol rotunda, where we will pay tribute to his life and to his legacy. i thank the speaker and leader

mcconnell in helping make this event ceremonyies possible. for today, i join all my colleagues in mourning the loss of this great public servant, and i wish all of senator dole's family my deepest condolences. on another tragic note, we learned today the passing of fred hyatt, the "washington post" longtime editorial page editor. he was a titan, at the paper, and in journalism for years. my heart goes out to his family and colleagues on their terrible and sudden loss. now, on a different matter, as we begin the first full week in december -- of december, there is much that the senate must attend to before we reach the end of the year. first, senate democrats remain committed in taking up and passing president biden's build back better act before christmas. as i outlined in a letter to my caucus this morning, senate democrats have been working furiously to clear the necessary

steps to achieve this goal, as we all know the reconciliation process is not a easy one. the reason why this timeline is so important is because this legislation is about lowering costs, lowering costs for american families. as we enter the winter months, american families deserve a little extra help affording things like child care and pre-k. they need help lowering costs of things like prescription drugs and making healthcare more affordable. and families need to know that critical programs like the child tax credit will continue uninterrupted. this program has already done immense good for millions upon millions of families. build back better will make sure these benefits stay in place. for these reasons, we're going to continue the process until build back better is signed into law. this is arduous work. it takes time, precision and a lot of pieces moving together. it has taken months of communication, negotiation,

countless late nights and weekend workdays to bring us to this point. i want to thank my colleagues, their staff and the parliamentarian for dedicating the full measure of their attention and talent toward this endeavor. we are close and we will keep going until the job is done. other senate priorities: as we continue working on build back better, democrats will simultaneously address other-year priorities as well. first, we'll continue working as necessary to process president biden's nominations, both to the federal bench and to serve in key posts within his administration. on that front, today we'll begin consideration of a terrific nominee, jessica rosenworcel tapped by president biden to serve as chair of the fcc. ms. rosenworcel has nearly a decade of experience already as a f.c.c. commissioner and will soon be the first ever woman confirmed to serve as chair,

breaking another glass ceiling in our government. she has been a fierce advocate for closing the digital divide, for protecting net neutrality, and when confirmed ms. rosenworcel will oversee chris cal federal programs that help low-income americans secure internet access. there are other nominees to come this week. regrettably, if our republican colleagues continue their holds on various individuals, senators should prepare for the possibility of late nights and votes on the weekend. the president deserves to have his team, and we will spend whatever time we need to ensure his nominees are confirmed. and finally, madam president, democrats will also continue addressing other issues before this year. we will keep working on finding a path forward on voting rights legislation, and there are many intense discussions going on in that area. we will also work to address the debt limit and preserve the full

faith and credit of the united states, and i want to thank leader mcconnell for his cooperation in that regard. and this week we will also -- we also anticipate we'll be able to reach a final conference agreement on the ndaa. congress has passed the annual defense bill without fail for roughly 60 years. largely on a bipartisan basis. i expect this year will be no different. so, there's a lot of work to do, madam president. it will likely take weekends and late nights to get it done, but we'll continue forging ahead on behalf of the american people. i yield the floor. mr. leahy: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: madam president, i thank the distinguished leader for his words and his statement about my friend bob dole, and i also agree with him. we have to stay here and get

this work done. mapped, -- madam president, as someone who's observed the evolution of relations between the united states and cuba for nearly 50 years, particularly since i first traveled there in 1999, i find the situation between our two countries today bewildering, tragic and frankly exaspirating. bewildering because senior administration officials who publicly and privately action knowledge that the 60-year policy of un rally united states sankss and isolation threats have failed to achieve any of its objectives over those 60 years. instead, it's hewitt the cuban people -- it's hurt the cuban people. but they've nevertheless adopted the same failed policy as their own.

it's tragic because the policy has emboldened cuba's hard liners, who have cracked down even more on citizens who dare to peacefully protest about shortages of food, medicine, and electricity, and against government repression. and has exacerbated the crisis that engulfed the islands due to the covid pandemic, and the government's dysfunctional economic policies. but even more, it's exaspirating. anyone who understands cuba could have predicted what has happened since the trump administration reversed the obama administration's policy of engagement and would have taken steps to mitigate it. instead, the current policy is just making the situation even worse. for the past ten months, i've urged the white house to not repeat past mistakes, and those

past mistakes are so obvious. when it comes to our relations with cuba's government and the cuban people. instead, to pursue a policy based on our long-term national interests. and i deeply regret this has not yet happened. indeed, this administration's policies so far have been dictated by a tiny but vocal con stirch whency in this -- constituency in this country that always opposed u.s. engagement with cuba. they've done this for decades. it's a policy that history has shown is doomed to fail. currently, the united states and cuba have diplomatic relations, but to what end? there's no meaningful diplomacy being conducted. our embassy in havana and cuba's embassy in washington are barely functioning. consular operations have ceased.

the dialogues we had with the cuban government on issues of mutual interest, and we had significant dialogues, ranging from law enforcement to human rights to public health, these are dialogues the trump administration cut off, and for some reason they have not resumed. now, how can that be in our national interest? well, cuba remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism due to a last-minute, politically driven, vindictive and factually indefensivable decision of the trump administration, we continue to have diplomatic relations. is this not irreconcilable? whatever became of the administration's review of that deeply flawed designation, a review promised months ago? cultural, scientific and educational exchanges have largely ended.

now, that's neither justified nor in our national interest. the covid pandemic provided obvious opportunity for cooperation between american and cuban scientists. but that opportunity, like so many others over the years, was squandered due to politics, distrust and spite. the u.s. treasury department continues to block remittances from cuban americans to their relatives and families on the island, even though it's their money, not the treasury's money. shouldn't cuban americans have the right to decide for themselves whether to send their own money to their relatives, rather than have that decision dictated by the white house? remember, those remittances helped cubans be less dependent on the government, improves their standard of living, it provides seed capital for cuba's

growing private sector, which today comprises one-third of the cuban workforce and which both my wife and i have visited many times. the amount of remittances siphoned off which the -- by the cuban government is a small fraction of what some have falsely claimed is no more than what other governments charge. i just say, why don't we base our policy on facts rather than on rumors and what might play well domestically? in cuba, cuba, just 90 miles from florida, is is the only country -- the only country -- besides north korea where travel by americans is severely restricted, despite a common history and cultural tradition. now, if that sounds ridiculous, it is, but it's also self-defeating. the white house has repeatedly

said that democracy and human rights are at the core of its policy toward cuba. well, these are aspirations, and i agree laudable aspirations, but they're not a policy. we all want to see a cuba where political freedom and fundamental rights, especially freedom of expression, are respected and where an independent judiciary protects the rights of due process. those rights are severely restricted in cuba today, as they are in many countries, including some countries that receive hundreds of millions of dollars of u.s. foreign aid. where we disagree is how best to support the cuban people's struggle to obtain those rights. i've asked but i have no idea what the administration's practical objectives are in cuba or how it proposes to achieve them. after being told six months ago

that the state department was conducting a review of its policy, we've yet to see any change from the policy put in place by the trump administration a year ago. i'm just curious. what happened to the review? and if they actually had the review, what did it say? now, several administration officials have justified the continuation of president trump's punishing sanctions because of the public protests in cuba on july 11. they just casually say everything changed on july 11. well, i agree, cuba is changing. access to social media, cell phones have dramatically increased. attitudes among the younger generation are changing. the cuban government is making historic, albeit hesitant, reforms to relax restrictions on private business.

president obama's open to cuba which only lasts two years brought about those changes. so rather than acknowledge the unprecedented progress during that short two-year period, those who defend the policy of sanctions say obama's policy of openness failed because cuba remains a repressive one-party state. well, that completely ignores that the same was true for 50 years before obama, for five years since obama, and when it comes to helping to bring positive changes to the people of cuba during pa short period -- during that short period president obama wins hands down. the united states is clinging to an outdated policy that history has shown will not succeed. in fact, it's having the

opposite effect by denying opportunities to both cubans and americans. you know, our policy, the united states policy, toward cuba is replete with contradictions, hypocrisy, arrogance -- arrogance -- and missed opportunities. cuba is an impoverished country. it poses no threat to the united states. yet we treat it as if it does largely because of our own actions. and while we maintain an intricate web of unilateral sanctions that every nation in this hemisphere imposes, the russians and chinese are aggressively filling the vacuum, as anyone from cuba today can readily see. they're smart enough to know that anyone who walks away,

there is a great opening for them. policies that are anathema to our own does not restore legitimacy on that government's leaders or acceptance of its repressive policies. if that were the case, we should cease engaging not only with cuba but with dozens of governments around the world, including several u.s. partners like saudi arabia, egypt, as obvious examples. we condemn the arbitrary arrests and laws that criminalize civil society and the imprisonment of political dissidents, as we should. these abuses, though, are common to many countries, and we apply targeted sanctions and we restrict aid, as we should. but for purely domestic political reasons, we continue to impose a vast web of sweeping sanctions against cuba, even

when the administration and everybody in this body knows they have not worked. as i've said many times, our policy toward cuba needs to be guided first and foremost by what is in our national interest, not by what is in the interest of a tiny domestic constituency and not by making demands we know cubans won't submit to. but engaging with cuba and u.s. diplomats and americans citizensern the ability to build relationships with cuban counterparts and identify issues of common interest on which to make progress. we saw that during the obama administration, despite some who could not bring themselves to admit it. over time, that's how we can then begin to address the more difficult issues that divide us. knowing that it is the cuban

people, not the united states, who will ultimately determine their country's future. now, this administration has had 10 months to demonstrate that continuing the failed trump policy and trying to bludgeon the cuban authorities into submission can produce positive results. there's not even a tiny shred of evidence that it can. but it never has. so my question is, are we going to waste another year and another after that? i hope not. but that is what will happen if the white house does not change course and show the kind of thoughtful leadership in cuba that we saw during the obama administration. and incidentally, that was welcomed by a large majority of the american people. albert einstein once said and so many have repeated, insanity is

doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. well, i have supported the biden administration, but i'd say in this case the administration can do better. frankly you madam president, for the sake of our -- frankly, madam president, for the sake of our country, for the sake of our hemisphere, for the sake of our people, especially the young generation in cuba, we have to do better. with that, madam president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: hard to believe, it's been 25 years since senator dole took lead of the senate.

even harder to believe he passed away this past weekend. not because it comes as a shock to say goodbye to an elder statesman at age 98 but because our colleague was so energetic, so involved, and so forward-looking right through to his final months. if you didn't know bob dole, if you just read a summary of his impressive senate career, his leadership tenure, his presidential campaign, he might sound like a man of contrast. on the one hand, our friend from kansas preached conservative values, personal responsibility, and fiscal discipline. but he was also laser focused on caring for the most vulnerable,

notching landmark wins on subjects from food insecurity to veterans' issues to the rights of disabled americans. on the one hand, senator dole took pride in our republican party. he rose to key roles that were necessarily somewhat partisan, first leading our senate republican conference for many years and then leading a presidential ticket. but he was also a consensus-finding legislator, an honest broker with deep friendships and working relationships that spanned the aisle. on the one hand, our colleague was earnest, unironic and somewhat serious, a true greatest generation midwesterner. but he also we haded a charming, disarming and self deprecating sense of humor,

whether he was cracking one liners often at his own expense or doing a joint appearance with his comic i am percent nay tor. -- impersonator. allow me one example of bob dole's comedic talent. in january of 1997, just after president clinton had defeated bob and won his reelection, the president graciously bestowed on bob the presidential medal of freedom. there they were in mid-january, just three days before the day bob had spent months hoping he'd be inaugurated, but president clinton would be reinaugurated instead. it was a gracious gesture and a warm event all around. the time comes for bob's remarks. he walks up to the podium, looks around, and he begins --

i, robert j. dole -- the crowd is already cracking up -- do solemnly swear -- then a theatrical pause -- oh sorry, wrong speech. once of laughs begin to die down, there came the self-deprecating punch line. i thought i'd be here this historic week receiving something from the president, but i thought it would be the front door key. the thing is, madam president, there was no contradiction in any of it. no paradox. bob's life and career were very, very consistent. the virtues and the values that led bob dole to raise his right hand, enlist in the army, and fight bravely until he could not raise that hand any longer were the same virtues and values that compelled him to raise his left hand for a different oath in the

kansas state capitol a few years later. and then across the rotunda in the u.s. house and then here in the senate, the same virtues and values that animated bob's passionate, pointed speeches in the 19 6's about a citizen's duty animated his great empathy towards those who needed help. with bob dole, what you saw was what you got. and from his comrades in the 10th mountain division to his constituents in kansas to the whole senate and the entire country, what we got was extraordinary. i cannot summarize in one speech the full life or legacy of our friend bob dole. there are the battle field heroics, hospital friendships with future senators, phil hart

and the best bridge player at percy jones hospital, dan inouye. there's the policy legacy that endures to this day. these remembrances will take congress this whole week, and they'll occupy historians for decades to come. bob dole had the same chief hero for his entire adult life -- his fellow senate kansan, a general and then a president, dwight eisenhower. bob didn't just like ike, he idolized him. in his farewell speech in 1996, he saved the second to last quotation for his hero from abilene, kansas. he kept his foot personally on the gas peddle for the eisenhower memorial here in washington well into his 90's. he invoked and praised ike constantly throughout his career. once such occasion was in late

1979. an event was held at eisenhower's boyhood home, presidential library and the grave site in abilene on what would have been his 89th birthday. it so happened that only a couple weeks later mrs. eisenhower would pass away and be laid to rest there as well. on that day senator dole explained that america had gotten lucky. why? because, quote, when we were thirsty for leadership, we turned to a man from kansas, a genuine hero who embodied in his own life the finest qualities of the american people. a man from grassroots america, steeped in the traditions of neighborhood and patriotism and service. a strong man who earned his strength in war, yet never forget the disease of poverty or the scourge of personal

suffering. bob was always eloquent, and those lines of his certainly did describe ike. but now that our friend's 98 amazing years have come to a close, we can say with certainty that eisenhower isn't the only kansan who meets those standards. not only general eisenhower, but also second lieutenant robert j. dole was a genuine hero from kansas who helped satisfy our nation's thirst for leadership, who was steeped in home-spun american values and proud of it, who fought with great courage and valor on the battlefield, and whose concern for the most vulnerable in our society came right with him into the halls of power. i mentioned that eisenhower was bob's second to last quotation in his farewell remarks to the

senate, so i want to close today where he closed 25 years ago. musing on both his past and his future, our colleague's final quote was from the midwestern poet carl sandburg. yesterday is a wind gone down, a sun dropped in the west. i tell you that there is nothing in the world, only an ocean for tomorrows, a sky of tomorrow. now for our remarkable friend, the sun of of his world has sett last but we pray in faith that he now beholds an even brighter light, that the endless ocean of tomorrows now stretches before him. the entire senate sends our prayers to elizabeth and robin

and his so many family, friends, and former staff of senator dole. the whole country stands with you not only in grief, but in gladness and thanksgiving for almost a century that was lived so patriotically, so gratefully, and so well. now, madam president, on a totally different matter, last week brought new information about russia's military activities along its border with ukraine. heavily armed ground forces are mobilizing by the tens of thousands. it's looking more and more like vladimir putin intends to redraw another border by force.

the escalation of putin's ongoing war against ukraine is an immediate threat to ukraine's sovereignty and to the security of its people. but as always with putin, it's also a test with much broader consequences. can aggressive powers violent sovereign countries without facing serious consequence? fellow authoritarians in beijing and tehran will be watching how the free world responds, and president biden has an opportunity to set the tone when he speaks with putin tomorrow. the stakes for the president's call with putin couldn't be clearer. we know what happens when the united states fails to engage with russia from a position of strength. we know what weakness and capitulation get us.

remember how president obama treated arms control and european based missile defenses to be traded away for moscow's goodwill. remember how he mocked republicans perhaps most notably our colleague senator romney who dared to suggest that we ought to take the threat of russia seriously. remember the cuts to defense spending. remember the dithering over whether to provide meaningful capabilities to ukraine when putin first invaded and how useless or blankets and m.r.e.'s were against russian armor and moscow-trained little green men. this weakness didn't purchase a reset. it produced a more emboldened russia willing to engage in more repression at home and more aggression abroad. and here we are today.

vladimir putin is gearing up to escalate his violation of ukraine sovereignty, and if the free world doesn't object, there's no reason to assume he'll stop there. so tomorrow president biden has both the opportunity and the responsibility to tell russia and ukraine and our allies in europe that the united states cares about sovereign borders and will help its friends protect them. if the free world is serious, its leaders, first and foremost the president of the united states, will leave putin no room to doubt that ukraine's sovereignty is inviolable. by extension they will signaling to chairman xi that similar prospecting in the pacific will come with prohibitive cost. if our leaders do not defend the fundamental tenet of international order, we can not be surprised by the chaos that will follow.

so if president biden is serious, he'll convince germany's new government to abandon the nord stream 2 pipeline and instead try to reduce its dependence on resources that enrich putin and its cronies and give moscow leverage over europe. if the president intends to learn from the past and actually help ukraine defend itself, he should expeditiously provide weapons systems that will materially help ukraine defend itself against air threats. finally, for the united states to lead the world's response to authoritarian aggression, i hope president biden will call on our allies to do more to contribute to our collective security. in europe, nato member states must treat their own military modernization as the top priority. and in the indo-pacific, our friends in taiwan and elsewhere must commit the resources, training, and reforms needed to help them face down their own

looming threats. tomorrow's call must mark a turning point for the biden administration's approach to major power competition. from one where words are penned on hopes to one where its words are literally backed by strength 44. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: madam president, i learned this morning about the passing of senator robert dole. what an extraordinary person he was. it was not my good fortune to serve with him in the united states senate, but as a member of the house of representatives i knew his work. i can remember when we enacted the americans with disabilities

act. tom harkin was our leader on the democratic side. he had a member of his family who suffered a disability and tom was always sensitive to that. but bob dole's leadership on the other side, from the republican side, made a remarkable difference. because we knew bob dole was not speaking about disability as some other person's experience but, frankly, his own. i don't know what measure of courage bob dole showed before he served the united states in world war ii, but we all know that that experience led him to a battleground injury which he carried the rest of his life. it was amazing me that he kept his public life so active despite the limitations that he faced. his loss of use of one arm put

him in a position where he was compromised in many ways every single day and yet he soldiered on literally every day not only in the armed forces, but in the united states senate, to pass legislation, major legislation like the americans with disabilities act. it's remarkable that he lived as long as he did having faced the injuries that he did. and i would say, madam president, you know better than most what we're speaking of with senator dole's contribution to the country and the battle he continued to wage the rest of his life. i respect him so much and hope the senate will just pause for a moment not only to reflect on him, elizabeth dole and his family, but also on the fact that his bipartisanship made a difference in the lives of ordinary americans. he was willing to sit down with the party on the other side of the aisle, compromise and be determined to get things done.

shouldn't we do the same in his honor? i think we you'd should -- i think we should. madam president, i ask that the next statement i'm about to make be placed in a separate part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: two weeks ago, there was an uproar, hardly a senator would take the committee dais and not raise their mock horror and outrage of a decision by the department of justice by president biden to notify school boards and school board members and teachers across the united states that we would not tolerate violence against them for their public duties. merrick garland, as attorney general, volunteered to work with state and local law enforcement to make certain that members of the school board, teachers, and administrators would be safe in the execution of their duties and none of them should fear violence. you wouldn't believe the reaction from the republican side of the dais and the

judiciary committee. they came in and said this is an effort by the biden administration to suppress free speech, to stop people who show up at school board meetings from expressing themselves. we repeated over and over again it wasn't expression of speech we were worried about, it's violence that the department of justice was responding to. they wouldn't hear of it. they refused to acknowledge the very real reality across the united states, and even in our state of illinois when it comes to violence against school board members. the members of this senate share something in common. at some point in our lives we heard the call to public service. it may have come in the form of a law we wanted to change or passion for serving our communities back home. but for some the greatest call in public service is to help children. the desire to do what you can itch by itch -- i by i, day by day. that is one of the reasons that

caroline wybel, from illinois, decided to put her name in the ballot to run for a local school board. we wanted to advocate for the safety and well-being for every child in st. charles, illinois, a suburb of chicago. sadly her career as a public servant was cut short and it was not because she had any change of heart, it was because she feared for her family's safety. the trouble began last summer. caroline started receiving threatening e-mails because of her views on mask requirements and in-person learning. at first she brushed them off and said she would ignore them. she figured harsh feedback was part of being a public servant but then she received messages that read, quote, your days are numbered. this mother, school board member at a nonpaying job was having

her life threatened. but then she started to receive other messages and other events occurred. soon enough, her personal information was spread out online and her home became a target. caroline started discovering dead road enters thrown -- rodenters thrown in her driveway. and then came the final straw, caroline heard someone sneak on to her property and opened the door to her laundry room. she resigned from the district school board in october. in describing her decision to one news outlet she said, quote, i had to put the safety of myself and my family first and she said, even though i've resigned, i'm still receiving the threats. caroline is far from the only school official who feared for

her safety in recent months. i commend her situation to my republican colleagues who were so critical of the attorney general for even raising the possibility of violence against school board members. all throughout the country school board members, teachers, and other officials have reported harassment, intimidation, even assaults. in pennsylvania, one school board president received a deluge of threatening e-mails, voice mails, social media posts because of the district's covid policies. some of the messages threatened her life while others threatened to share her personal information with the world. down in florida, a school board member received death threats because she chaperoned a parent field trip to an lgbtq family restaurant, she received threats from all over the united states. in ohio a school board member received a threat that said, quote, we're coming after you.

after she shared the information, another school board member said they received the similar threats. the list goes on and on. look for it in your favorite search engine. these threats are widespread and serious. a recent report from ed week research center said that 60% of the school board members they surveyed said that someone in their district has been threatened in the past year because of the district's response to covid-19. one in three of the official surveys said the school board members, even their nurses had faced similar threats. i understand the pandemic has caused great concern and confusion for parents, especially parents of young kids. it's a new challenge for all of us and there are no simple or straightforward answers in keeping our schools open and safe. it's every parent's right to

voice their disagreements with members of the school board and emotions may run high, that is part of open debate in a free society. but there is a clear difference which we should never overlook between free speech and threats of violence. we need to be unequivocal in drawing that line. i salute the attorney general for making it clear he was willing to stand up and defend those school board members who were subjected to harassment, intimidation and even violence. these people work for no pay. many of them are parents themselves. they are not part of some shadowy organization or conspiracy. they are our neighbors. they deserve to be safe just as we all do. the unprecedented rise of threats against school board members and school officials should not be taken lightly or politicized. there have already been too many instances of officials being assaulted. law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to take these

reports seriously and that's exactly what the f.b.i. is doing by tracking reports of violence an threats of violence against school officials. keeping track of those incidents and those involved in them will save lives. it will enable state and local law enforcement to develop tailored strategies to keep communities safe. as a part of these efforts, attorney general garland issued a memo encouraging members to reach out to law enforcement. this is part of the department of justice responsibility. i'm thankful these conversations are under way. instead of condemning violence, some of our republican colleagues have been railing against the justice department for suggesting there is even a possibility. why? do they believe these threats of violence are acceptable, that they shouldn't be taken seriously? i don't believe that. there has been a growing trend

of violent behavior. everyone from flight attendants and school board officials have been harassed and assaulted. more than four in five flight ascend ants have had to deal with unruly passengers. as a frequent passenger on airlines, i heard the announcements they make to tell people how serious this is. at a moment in danger these servants -- public servants are vulnerable and that's why the department of justice has to do its job. and here in the senate we have to be united in saying that the threat of violence have no place in public life, whether in a public building or airplane or school board meeting. when parents like caroline wybel are harassed, we need to have the common sense and courage to speak up and speak to members of

law enforcement who are doing everything they can to protect all of our families. among fleemeds in america, -- freedoms in america is our right to live without fear. i yield the floor. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. moran: madam president, it's an honor to be here to address my colleagues in the united states senate and it's an honor that you sit in the chair as i could do so as i pay tribute to the honorable senator bob dole. i was in church on sunday. i got out of church, it's

advent, christians are preparing for christmas only to learn that during that church service bob dole had died. it has been the topic of conversation by kansans ever since. not that kind of curiosity conversation that sometimes you have when someone passes away, but that deep respect, can concern, that care, that appreciation for a life well lived. senator dole grew up down the road from where i grew up. i remember kind of the earliest conversation with my own dad about world war ii experiences was that bina dole, bob dole's mother was, as well as my grandmother, were on party

lines, and the conversation between my grandmother and mrs. dole was the terrible circumstance that her son, bob dole, had experienced in the battlefields of italy. my dad, who served in world war ii and served in northern africa, italy, was in the neighborhood and request from one party to another, one party line participant to another, do you think there's any way that ray can find out how bob is doing. so my earliest recollection, my earliest understanding of the life of bob dole was as a soldier, a member of the army, a person who served in world war ii and was horrifically injured. and my view is and -- i don't know this but having known bob dole and having seen the

consequences of his life, what i think is true is that that experience, the near death experience, the expectation not to survive and the long road to recovery created in bob dole, in his mind and heart, a different circumstance and a different result than if that had never happened. people talk about bob dole's life as a member of congress. he was elected to the united states house of representatives in 1960. i was asked over the weekend, when did you meet bob dole? and i can't remember the first instance, but he was my congressman. and i was engaged in republican politics as a teenager and bob dole was always there at every gathering. and so i grew up in politics

around him but never with -- other than a sense this is somebody we really respect. nch8 congressman bob dole became senator bob dole. and his life in this body and his life in the mowps culminate -- house of representatives culminated in amazing achievements on the legislative battlefield. but when people ask me what do you remember or what made bob dole bob dole, my view is his service to america in world war ii. i think it made him more aware of people who were struggling, people who had disabilities. i think he saw the challenges that people from across the

country faced as a result of their service. he saw the challenges that people in foreign countries experienced in world war ii. and when we look at his legislative achievements, we often think -- at least i think of three -- americans with disabilities act, food aid, what i call the dole-mcgovern bill but what many people call the mcgovern-dole bill that helps feed hungry people, particularly children around the world. and his service to other veterans. his work on this floor resulted in many americans and in fact many citizens of the world having a better shot at life. on my maiden speech on the senate floor, i recognized the

circumstance of me, now a united states senator, serving in what we would call in kansas the dole seat and the tremendous challenge that that caused for me knowing that those footsteps my feet would never fit in those shoes. i sit and work from the dole desk. this drawer has his name sketched in it. and it's a reminder to me about those shoes left unfilled. when i get frustrated with this place, which is not infrequent, i'll put on my running shoes and i'll walk to the lincoln memorial.

but in the last decade that allows me not only to go by the vietnam wall and come back by the korean war memorial but now i can stop and pay my respects at the world war ii memorial. that's only because bob dole cared about those he served with. bob dole demanded that there be a memorial to those who served in world war ii. but he did more than demand, did more than insist. he helped plan it. he recruited volunteers. he raised the money. and so today we have the chance and i assume this week we'll be at the world war ii memorial paying respects to all world war ii veterans but we'll emphasize the service of bob dole who made that place to pay those respects possible. i try to visit with every honor

flight that comes to washington, d.c. and in the beginning days of that honor flight, almost everyone, perhaps everyone who came was a world war ii veteran. my own dad got to see the honor built in his -- the memorial built in his honor because bob dole made it possible. my dad came here on an honor flight. and bob dole was there that day just like he was at almost every circumstance in which veterans were coming to washington, d.c., particularly world war ii veterans, and bob dole didn't stand there for the glory of his service. he stood there to thank others who served in that war. he was there not to take the podium, not to be the public official but to be the fellow soldier who served.

lots of things we can command and express our gratitude for what bob dole did, but honoring veterans he saw it as a lif lifetime, lifetime responsibility and opportunity. it's only been a few years since veterans coming to the world war ii memorial didn't get to shake the hand of bob dole. finally at the age of 96, 95, it became physically impossible to do that. but he was there at every opportunity for as long as he could. he served 36 years in congress, 79 of his 98 as a public servant, a servant of the nation, in the military.

and in addition to the legislative accomplishments, he was a decent person. he exhibited civility. he had warmth. and no elected official, no offense to my friend and colleague who knew senator dole so well, senator robert, no offense to pat, but no one could compete with bob dole's wit. my guess is that as an injured soldier spending months in a bed in a v.a. hospital where incidentally, he shared a -- the hospital with daniel inouye who was also gravely injured and later these two soldiers who survived battle and rehabilitation became fast friends, one a republican, one a democrat. the republican-democrat thing didn't mean that much. it was the shared service, the

sacrifice that these two world war ii heroes brought them together and maintained that friendship. bob dole exhibited that wit. in fact, i had so many people after bob dole's 1996 run for the presidency, he appeared on shows in the evening, late night talk shows. i don't know, hundreds of times people would say i've only seen bob dole, that side of him, he probably could have been elected president. he had the capability of causing people to smile and it could take the edge out of a difficult circumstance because of his wit. we're going to spend some time honoring senator dole this week. i want to make certain that i

use my opportunity that kansans have given me to express on their behalf, not every kansan, in fact not many kansans will be in washington, d.c. and not many people will be able to have the public eye and ear to express their thoughts. but even this weekend throughout the time that bob dole has been in office and the time that bob dole was no longer in office, kansans have held him in the highest regard. they've appreciated his service. they respect him even in disagreements. i've seen disagreements. i've been in the room where senator dole was there. he voted on the bill that raised taxes on financial institutions and something there to do with farmers, and they were there to complain. but bob dole had such stature that no one could complain very long about a vote he cast,

especially when he explained you can't get everything you want here, but we can make things better if we give a little here to get a lot more there. a lesson, a lesson for us today. so on behalf of all kansans i express their care, their love, and their sympathies and condolences to senator elizabeth dole, his wife, to robin, his daughter, to other family members, nieces and nephews. i also express my condolences to all those who worked for senator dole in his office, whether it was his kansas office or the office of the majority or minority leader. there are so many people in washington, d.c. today and in fact i looked to see how many united states senators served with bob dole during his tenure

here that still serve today. i heard senator leahy on the floor earlier this afternoon, senator grassley, senator mcconnell, i heard him as well. senator shelby. senator feinstein. senator murray. senator inhofe. and senator wyden. they all had the opportunity to serve with the kansas senator, with the senator from kansas bob dole. and i can't imagine that that doesn't influence the way they do their work and the way they look at the united states se senate. but those who served in his office as members of his staff and many of them have gone on through nominations and quon fir nations to -- confirmations to become hugely important people in agencies, departments, and bureaus across this government. his mentorship lives on, another legacy of bob dole is all the kids that were interns, all the

young men and women who worked here, for him. all the people who were influenced to have a little bit different approach to the rest of the world, a little bit different attitude toward people who they might disagree with. and a chance to bring the values that bob dole exhibited in his public life to more people across the nation. i don't know how to sum up, but i assume i'll have a few more opportunities this week to express the life of bob dole, to express the value of the life of bob dole. so this afternoon it's not a conclusion but it's an ending of these remarks. i thank senator dole for being a

kansan with a lot of common sense. i thank senator dole for his willingness to serve, serve our nation, put on the uniform, go through the terrible experience of his injuries and his rehabilitation. i thank kansans who helped him through that experience. most of my life i've heard the stories of bob dole's hometown of russell, kansas. again, i grew up within 15 miles of russell. and upon his return from the v.a. hospital to his hometown, the community rallied to his survival and his success and his rehabilitation. the story of cigar boxes in the drugstore where he worked as a soda jerk in high school. the business men and women, the people, the farmers and laborers, the workers who put nickels and dimes, a few dollars

here and there, into the cigar boxes around town to make sure that bob dole and his mom and dad had the resources to recover. maybe it takes us back to that value of coming from a small town where people know each other and care about each other, where on a party line too worried -- two worried mothers could have a conversation about their sons in service, where a community knows the importance of respecting and helping those in need. so to the people of russell and to the people across kansas, thank you for the manner in which you have treated and respected a man worthy of our respect. madam president, i yield the floor.

mr. moran: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. moran: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: i ask that the calling of the quorum be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: this week marks the 80th year since f.d.r.

delivered his day in infamy speech. that was national joint session of congress. f.d.r. told the nation that the united states of america was under attack. besides that attack, pearl harbor changed the course of history, including the future and fortunes of a young man from russell, kansas. today i come to the floor with a heavy heart. i'm here to pay tribute to my best friend in the united states senate. yesterday senator dole passed away at 98 years of age. for 35 of those years, he

served kansas here in the congress. he also was the second-longest serving republican leader. when iowa selected me to serve in the senate, bob dole took me under hits wing. i couldn't have asked for a better mentor. he treated me like a brother. even when we disagreed, he treated me with respect. we shared conservative midwestern values. those values steered us to champion fiscal discipline, american agriculture, rural health care, and limited government. from humble beginnings, the

three sports agent athlete at the university of kansas left his field of dreams, he left them behind to enlist and serve his country. near the end of world war ii, he was called to serve on the front lines in the northern mountains of italy. from the great depression to the greatest generation, senator dole was battle tested to tackle whatever life threw at him. during his presidential campaigns, he got to know my state of iowa very well, just like almost every presidential candidate does. bob loved my state of iowa. he won the iowa caucuses twice. in 1988 and in 1996, i was

proud to join him on the campaign trail and crisscross the state visiting as many iowans as possible in as many of our 99 counties as possible. i think he earned an honorary nickname as iowa's third senator. on the campaign trail, it was often my job to introduce bob dole, so i'm going to tell you about some of those introductions, how maybe sometimes i screwed them up, but it was all with the intention of honoring my friend and fellow senator, a person who i thought would make a very good president of the united states. so i would start out these meetings by telling the story about the day he nearly lost his life on the battlefield. i wanted to show how this young soldier from the kansas prairie

led a platoon of mountain troops to flush out the enemy, far, far afield from serving chocolate malts at dawson's drugstore in russell, kansas. to illustrate his grit, his courage, and his resiliency, i explained how a then 21-year-old soldier belly crawled across the mountain valley under heavy artillery to secure what i thought was hill 15, or was it hill 13, and then bob dole would chime in, kind of interrupted me with some witty remark. more often than not i flubbed the name of that hill in my introduction of this presidential candidate to the

voters of iowa. he patiently said to me, it's not hill 15. it was hill 913. humble through and through, he didn't share that his injuries left him paralyzed from the neck down. rather he joked that i got the name of the hill wrong. he went on to say that what's important is that we're in the right state, meaning iowa, at the right time, and right now. senator dole's legacy was secured that day on the italian mountain side. as second lieutenant of the 10th mountain division, as he pulled his radio operator to safety, bob's right shoulder was nearly blown away. the hit paralyzed him from the

neck down. he waited for hours in pouring rain, bleeding and in pain, before being carried down the mountain. bob dole was eventually sent home to kansas in a body cast. he endured years of surgery, infections, rehabilitation, in relentless pursuit to walk again, and he did walk again. he learned how to write with his left hand, his right arm remaining paralyzed. bob never forgot the people who helped him along the way -- a doctor in chicago or the medical professionals in italy. they made it possible to serve later on in elective office. even though senator dole endured more than his share of

hardship, it surely didn't take away his sense of humor. anybody who knew him knew that there was hardly a speech or a conversation where something witty wasn't said. he was a master of witty one liners, and they could defuse red hot partisanship with a single quip. as republican senate majority leader, he finessed thorny policy issues with a no-nonsense charm. he was able to find consensus with allies and adversaries alike. when senator dole became chairman of the senate finance committee, he and house speaker tip o'neill forged bipartisan

consensus to rescue social security, and here we are 35 years later still rescued but still in need of some help. less than ten years later he helped broker the americans with disabilities act of 1990, of which my colleague from iowa, senator harkin, played a very major role in. his compassion for the disadvantaged informed his legislative achievements to expand medicare, medicaid, school lunches, hospice, and food stamps. senator dole was awarded the world food prize in des moines with senator george mcgovern, a dual honor that it was. that is the year 2008.

they got this world food prize for their work to combat hunger hunger, specifically, nutrition for children in poverty. he never forgot from where he came, and his legislative record reflects his compassion for others. he was a compassionate conservative because of his instincts and because of who he was, and not as a political gimmick. senator dole had an uncommon ability to make you feel like you're the most important person in the world. he was plain-spoken, not a smooth talker. his authenticity wasn't manufactured. it pumped through his bloodstream, shaped by the

hardships in the dust bowl and sacrifice as a war hero. his midwestern instincts guided his decision on one crucial factor here in the senate -- the looming deadlines. he knew when to fish or cut bait. senator dole mastered the art of compromise, embracing transparency, and bank trust and respect of supporters and opponents alike. senator dole knew what it took to make the senate work. we all know that it's not so very easy to make the senate work. one former majority leader referred to the job as majority leader as a job of hurting cats.

leader dole was effective because he was exceptionally skilled at figuring out what each side needed to claim victory. you can't be an effective leader if you don't have followers, and dole had lots of them. he was a war hero and a workhorse rolled into one, a soldier, a senator, a statesman. he led the 10th mountain division to defeat tyranny and champion the tenth amendment to uphold the blessing of freedom and liberty. when senator dole stepped away from public life, he didn't stop public service. he poured his heart and sole into honoring veterans. he was instrumental in getting the national world war ii memorial established.

for nearly two decades he went there often to greet veterans at the memorial face-to-face, each time thanking them for their service and their sacrifice. barbara and i extend our condolences to elizabeth and the entire dole family. so many are grieving the loss of this extraordinary american here at home and also around the world. from his former colleagues to the core of loyal staffers who worked with him here in the united states senate to leej end of -- leej ends of -- who followed him on the campaign trail. he was a widely respected leader on both sides of the aisle. senator dole referenced

scripture when he resigned from the senate in 1996 to hit the presidential campaign trail at full speed. he said, quote-unquote, to everything there is a season. a quarter century has passed since he shared those very words with us here in this chamber. today the time has come to say farewell to robert joseph dole. the lord has called him home as a loyal servant. until we meet again, enjoy the new balcony of eternal paradise. it's got a better view to keep watch over washington and your beloved sunflower state. it's fair to say that dole beach

is now even closer to the sun. may you enjoy the warm sunshine upon your faith. and may the hardship borne upon your shoulders worn with grit and grace, weathered by ravages of time and war be taken now by our lord god and savior. always at the end of the day on the campaign trail, whether it was getting on an airplane to fly to the next stop or whether it was in a car going to the motel or a car going to a restaurant, we always heard dole at the end of a day of maybe four or five campaign stops saying, free at least, free at

last. well, bob dole is now free at last. godspeed, my friend. you've made a difference in our lives. you made a difference in our country. your service and sacrifice will be celebrated for generations to come. i yield the floor. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. ms. cantwell: madam president, i know that we're expecting a vote shortly and i know the leader -- the majority leader make some motions and my colleague wants to speak so we're going to just try to move forward. i sent my condolences to the dole family and thank our colleague for his heartfelt comments this afternoon. madam president, i rise to support president biden's nomination to the f.c.c. of jessica rosenworcel, to be the chair of a new term of commissioner of the federal fedl

communications commission. in selecting her, president biden picked someone with great experience with great knowledge of the f.c.c. at a moment where we need tremendous leadership. the f.c.c.'s oversight in scope touches just about every part of our domestic economy and our lives and we know that in an information age it can be an exciting time of a lot of change but also of many rechallenges. so know that this f.c.c. chair will be challenged. there will be lots of things for every household from afford ability to reliability to protecting consumers to an open free internet to safeguarding the publg interest. there is a lot to do at the f.c.c. the policy decisions before the f.c.c. are substantial and chairwoman rosenworcel is committed to those priorities and as i said immensely

qualified to lead at the moment. before president biden designated her to serve as chair, she worked for more than a decade at the f.c.c. and knows how to get things done, furthering the agency's work on how to narrow the digital divide. when the pandemic hit, we obviously had a new challenge facing us, how to get students connected, how to get those living in disparity to get access to affordable broadband for the tribal community of the macon nation -- i will yield to the majority leader. mr. schumer: madam president, unanimous consent that the votes start after the remarks of senator cantwell and senator markey. i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the

question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to executive session to consider executive calendar number 585. the. the presiding officer: question somebody on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, department of justice, rachael rollins, of massachusetts, to be united states attorney for the district of massachusetts. mr. schumer: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 585, rachael rollins, of massachusetts, to be united states attorney for the district of massachusetts, signed by 16

senators as follows. mr. schumer: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to executive session to consider executive calendar number 482. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination corporation for national and community service, michael d. smith, of virginia, to be chief executive officer. mr. schumer: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination

of executive calendar number 482, michael d. smith, of virginia, to be chief executive officer of the corporation for community service. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, december 6, be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: finally, i ask unanimous consent that the senate now resume consideration of the jessica rosenworcel nomination, as provided under the previous order. the presiding officer: without objection. the senator from washington. ms. cantwell: madam president, i thank the majority leader for moving forward on the rosenworcel nomination. for those who don't have access to broadband, the macob tribe,

90% of those don't have access to broadband. i know that one county in mississippi, the home of my colleague, that is estimated that the broadband mapping overestimates coverage by a whopping 80%. this is unacceptable. we need accurate mapping and we need the broadband funding to move forward. i know the biden administration understands the importance of affordability of broadband. i know they want to deploy broadband and make it more affordable and we want to work with them. chairwoman rosenworcel looked at the issue of health care and that the internet is access to doctors, medical information, to monitoring patients and keeping the lights on. this is also why i think her nomination is so important. she took time to first-hand visit telehealth in the state of

washington in seattle and how we were pushing forward and yet the f.c.c. is going to do more in this particular area. her leadership will help her sure that her spectrum policies will help with the economy and she will help with the next 5g wireless technology and communication. úweh the f.c.c. and i ask that my colleagues move her nomination. i thank the president, i yield the floor. mr. markey: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. mr. markey: i rise in support of jessica rosenworcel, president joe biden's nominee to serve as

the chair of the federal communications commission. in her time on the commission, chair rosenworcel has been a tireless advocate for consumers in today's fast-changing media and digital landscape. she stands up for consumers. she stands up for competition, she stands up for children. that is what the job of chair of the federal communications commission is all about. it's standing up for all of those core principles that our country believes in. she has made it very clear that she does believe that title 2 of the communications act is something that can be and must be used in order to ensure that we give full protections to broadband users in our -- in our country now more than ever we need strong leadership at the federal communications commission. as senator cantwell was just

speaking, we have 12 million to 17 million children in the united states who did not have the internet during the first year of the covid crisis and we were able to build in huge funding that has reduced dramatically the number of children who have, who do not have the internet at home but more work must be done. and the best way to do it is to add even more money into the build back better bill. and if we do that, we will see that we are dealing with the fact that especially black and brown and immigrant children in our country have access to the tools which they are going to need to be able to get an education. the coronavirus is coming back. it's taking a u-turn and its implications for the education of poor children in our country is dramatic. that's why chair rosenworcel is

the right person at the right time in order to serve as the chair of the federal communications commission. we have to ensure the competition is at the heart of our policy. that is chair rosenworcel. we have to make sure the consumers benefit from these innovations in technology, that is her agenda and we have to make sure that children, every child in our country gets access to the technologies that are going to be necessary for every one of them to maximize their god given abilities. that is what chair rosenworcel is all about. i recommend with the strongest possible voice that i have to have a very strong vote on the floor of the senate to confirm her for the federal communications commission, and i yield back, madam president, to the chair.

the presiding officer: 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 567, jessica rosenworcel of connecticut to be a member of the federal communications 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 jessica rosenworcel of connecticut to be a member of the federal communications 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:

. the presiding officer: on this vote the yeas are 64, the nays are 27. the motion is agreed to.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. portman: i'm here on the senate floor again this evening to talk about the so-called build back better legislation. this is legislation that democrats are trying to push through the process here on a purely partisan basis under what's called the reconciliation process. i believe this massive tax-and-spend bill is irresponsible at a time when we see an uncertain economy, thanks in large measure to all of the challenges we are now finding with regard to covid and omicron in particular, at a time of really high inflation that's hurgts my constituents and everybody's constituents in this chamber, and at a time of record levels of debt. certainly this is not a time for us to put out another piece of legislation that spends dramatically more money and also has big tax increases on the economy. this is the tenth consecutive week while congress has been in

session that i've come to the floor to talk about reasons why i believe this legislation is bad for america. as we've talked about before, this massive new spending bill represents the largest amount of spending of any legislation ever passed by the u.s. congress. this is a big deal. now some would say, well, the official score is only $1.7 trillion. so it's the second largest because the first largest would be the $1.9 trillion that was already spent earlier this year. that's fine. you can say that, but what sets this legislation apart as a number of analysts have shown us including the penn wharton study is a lot of spending in this bill, the cost of the bill has sunsets so it camouflages the full cost of the bill. i'll give you an example of one of the major spending priorities that could end spending more than experts say. the child care tax credit is extended for one year in this legislation which means that after next year this new benefit people have come to expect could be cut off.

based on the history here in congress, that's not how it operates. benefits like this are not ended. if it doesn't end and this program is not sunset, penn wharton estimates the total spending goes from $1.75 trillion to about $4.5 trillion, more than double the largest spending bill ever considered by the u.s. congress. at a time of record debts and deficits, my hope would be that democrats and the biden administration have come up with a responsible way to pay for this multitrillion-dollar reconciliation package. unfortunately, some of us have been arguing for months that this legislation is about as far as responsibly paid for as you can get. one of the primary sources of proposed revenue is a series of tax hikes that despite what democrats might say hits the middle class, hits families in the middle class, hits small businesses the hardest. as an example, the proposed medicare surcharge on active investment income is going to

hit millions of small businesses that structure themselves as pass-throughs with a new across-the-board 3.8% increase on all income. other tax increases will hit american workers based on the nonpartisan congressional budget office and the joint committee on taxation. they say that when you increase the taxes on businesses, the main impact is to increase taxes on workers. why? because wages and benefits are reduced because of it. costs will be passed down to working families. this means higher prices for everything. what's even worse is that while the worker making $20,000, $40,000, $60,000 a year is hit hard having to pay more for gas, groceries and clothes, at the same time wealthy americans under this legislation would get a tax break worth hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to the democrats' insistence on raising the cap on what's called the salt, the state and local

tax deduction. as part of the tax cuts in 2017, we decided to limit the deduction you can take for state and local taxes to $10,000 per year. why? because it was very expensive to have that deduction out there because it's regressive, helps wealthy americans much more, because it's an effective policy that leads to an incentive where states are incentivized to raise their taxes because people get a corporate, a federal tax deduction for it. and it's just not fair. my constituents in ohio are subsidizing new york and california for their high taxes. however, under this build back better bill passed by the house they raise that cap from 10,000 up to $80,000. over the next five years alone that provision would cost $285 billion. the vast majority of that tax benefit would go to the wealthiest americans with one recent analysis from the tax policy center, finding that

almost no benefit will go to americans not in the top 10% of income earners. of conversely, child tax credit expansion which democrats argue is designed to help lower and middle-income americans costs $185 billion. $285 billion for the salt which primarily goes to wealthier individuals. $185 billion is put in place for what is viewed as the cornerstone safety social net program in this whole bill. there's $100 billion more in the regressive tax cut than there is nblg cornerstone -- in this corner social safety net program. as mark goldwine as the committee for federal budget put it, and i quote, we're debating about whether to give lower and middle-class families $1,000 a year for child tax credit while giving upper class families $10,000 through salt. through lifting the salt degucks and a number of other poorly

planned tax overhalls under the so-called build back better legislation, almost 70% of people making $1 million or more a year, almost 70% of them, over 68%, will get a significant tax cut. so if you make over $1 million a year, 70% are going to get over, are going to get a significant tax cut. nearly 90% of taxpayers earning between $500,000 and $1 million are going to get a significant tax cut. contrast that to people who make $30,000 a year as an example, while 70% of those making $1 million get a tax cut, only 30% of those making $30,000 a year or more are going to get a tax cut. guess what? that's in the first year. in the second year it goes down to 12%. in the third year it goes down to 10% or less and then it goes to single digits. if you make $30,000 a year or more, you've got really no significant benefit here at all. if you make a lot of money you get a huge benefit. that doesn't make sense.

for example, in california, where there are graduated income tax rates of over 10%, the state income tax rate, that would amount to a $47,000 deduction on average for somebody making $5,000 a year while the average taxpayer in california is seeing a $20 per year benefit. you're getting a deduction of about $47,000 if you make over $5,000 where the average tp will get a $20 per year benefit. it doesn't make sense. the people i represent in my home state of ohio are very concerned right now about the economy, particularly about inflation. they're worried about rising prices for everything, from gas to groceries. they're worried about the fact that their hard-earned paychecks aren't going as far as they did just a few months ago. back in march when the democrats pushed through that $1.9 trillion spending package, many of us on this side of the aisle tried to warn them that this

stimulus was not needed to get the economy moving. the economy was going ahead on its own at that time. and yet, this stimulus was thrown into the economy which we said would overheat the economy. and it wasn't just republicans. larry summers who served as the treasury secretary for president clinton and director of national economic council under president obama warned that injecting so much money into the demand side of the economy would lead to inflation. he was right. now the same lawmakers are gearing up to do it again. not only does build back better deal an unfair hand to the working families they claim to champion, giving a tax break to the wealthy and leaving other americans struggling to get by, it will stoke more inflation by pumping more money into the demand side of the economy. that's not what we should be doing now. ultimately the american people are going to have to look at this reconciliation package, this so-called build back better package, with its job-killing tax hikes, tax breaks for the wealthy and stimulus spending

and judge whether it's the right thing for the economy right now as we grapple with high inflation and struggle to get out of this pandemic. it's certainly not the right thing. it's not in our national interest to be providing tax breaks for the wealth and burdening businesses with higher taxes while stoking more inflation. we're -- dealing with a host of economic changes, from inflation to supply chain delays to omicron to work force shortages. while we're seeking to overcome the challenges, let's not make it worse. i yield the floor.

mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to legislative session, be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i have one request for a committee to meet during today's session of the senate. it has the approval of the majority leader and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to consideration of s. res. 468 submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 468, permitting the collection of clothing, toys, foods, and

housewares during the holiday season for charitable purposes in the senate buildings. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i move that the motion be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask that the senate proceed to s. res. 469. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 469, designating december 3 as fnal awareness day. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection, it is so ordered. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 470, submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution

470, relating to the death of the honorable robert "bob" j. dole, former senator for the state of kansas. the presiding officer: the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: finally, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn under the provisions of s. res. 470, until 10:00 a.m., tuesday, december 7, following the prayer and pledge, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. that upon the conclusion of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the jessica rosenworcel, postcloture, and that it expire at 11 -- 11:00 p.m. 30, further,

that if cloture is invoked on the hamilton nomination, all postcloture time expire at 2:15 p.m. and all postcloture time expire at 5:30ing, if any of the nominations are considered, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: for the information of senators there will be two roll call votes at 11:30 and two roll call votes at 2:15 p.m. and at least one roll call vote at 5:15. the presiding officer: under the previous order, pursuant to s. res. 470, the senate stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on tuesday, december 2, 2021, and does so as a further mark of respect to the late robert bob respect to the late robert bob

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tarter is connecting us. >> charter communications support c-span as a public service. along with these other television providers giving a front row seat to democracy. >> bob dole died sunday at the age of 98. he was elected to the u.s. house in 1960 in the senate in 1968. he resigned as senate majority leader in 1996 to focus on his presidential campaign. he gave his farewell speech june 11, 1996. >> majority leader. you are recognized. >> i appreciate very much the resolution just past. neon or -- [laughter] can have anyan political advertising audit but -- [laughter]