the whole. it actually started last spring we have seen the number of troops going a bit up and down. we have seen some forces moving in and some moving out. but the trend the net effect is minute steady increase. the facts are putting a battle tank on a train and move it in a similar direction does not prove withdrawal of troops. that is not the same as real de-escalation. these capabilities are moving around all the time in andnd ou. it has to be a meaningful withdrawal, a meaningful de-escalation for. >> u.s. senate has been a racist we now return to live gavel to gavel coverage. nations be confirmed en bloc, the motions to reconsider, be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, that no further motions

be in order on the nomination, and the president will be immediately notified on the senate's actions. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the senate consider the following nomination, calendar 650, martha williams, to be director of u.s. fish and wildlife service. that the senate vote on the nomination without inteeng action or debate, that no further motions be in order on the nomination, with no intervening action or debate, and the president be immediately notified on these actions, and the president will be immediately notified on the senate's actions. and the senate resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection. the question is on the nomination. all in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the nomination is confirmed. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 519 submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk

will report. the clerk: senate resolution 519, supporting an independent and democratic ukraine against any further russian military invasion and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate on the resolution. the presiding officer: is there further debate? hearing none, all those in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the resolution is agreed to. mr. schumer: it's cop sent that the preamble be agreed to, the motions to be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: just a word, this was a very significant resolution that we passed. it was led by senators shaheen and portman and sends a very

strong message to mr. putin that the united states senate, democrats and republicans of all different ideologies are united in defending ukraine in the ways that the administration sees fit. now, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 520 submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 5 to 20 -- 520 designating february 21 through february 23, 2022 as public schools week. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate on the resolution. the presiding officer: is there further debate? hearing none. all those in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the resolution is agreed to. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the preamble be

agreed to the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following senate resolutions introduced earlier today, s. res. 521, s. res. 522, s. res. 523, 524, and s. res. 526. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed en bloc. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the health committee be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 1667 and the senate proceed to immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1667 an act to address behavioral health and

well-being among healthcare professionals. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i further ask the bill be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate. the presiding officer: the question is on passage of the bill. all those in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill is passed. mr. schumer: finally, i ask that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar 44 h.r. 189. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 44 h.r. 189, the public service act. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will

proceed. mr. schumer: i further ask that the bill be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate. the presiding officer: the question is on passage of the bill. all those in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill is passed. mr. schumer: finally, i ask that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the finance committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 3373 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. let me rephrase that. i ask unanimous consent the help committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 3373 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3373 a bill to improve the iraq and afghanistan

service grant and the children of fallen heroes grant. the presiding officer: without objection the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the committee on homeland security and governmental affairs be discharged from further consideration of s. 3059 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3059 a bill to amend the ethics in government act of 1978, so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged. and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the cornyn substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill be considered and read a third time. the presiding officer: wowct.

mr. schumer: i know of no further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: is there further debate? hearing none, the question is on passage of the bill as amended. all those in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill is passed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the motions to be reconsidered be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the banking, housing, and urban affairs committee be discharged and the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. 697. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 697, a bill to require the secretary of the treasury to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the bicentennial of harriet tubman's birth. the presiding officer: without objection the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: is there further debate? hearing none, the question is on passage of the bill. all those in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. and the bill is passed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the motion to be reconsidered be considered made and laid upon the table. it. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the nead proceed to immediate consideration of s. 4706, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 4706 a bill to provide for the application of certain provisions of the secure rural schools and communities self-determination act of 2000 for yoirveg 2021 -- for fiscal year 2021. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and

passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i understand there's a bill at the desk and i ask for its first reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the first time. the clerk: h.r. 4521 an act to provide for a coordinated federal research initiative to ensure continued united states leadership in engineering biology. mr. schumer: i now ask for its second reading and in order to place the built on the danders provision is of rule 14, i object to my own request. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the bill will be read for the second time on the next legislative day. mr. schumer: and now, madam president, for the notice of members, now we are beginning to proceed on moving forward on the conference between the two bills in the house and senate that deal with america's -- with america competing well on the rest of the globe.

now, i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming adjournment of the senate, the president of the senate, the president pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be offered -- be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law by concurrent action of the two houses or by order of the senate. officer without objection. mr. schumer: and, final i will i ask unanimous consent that when the senate complete is its business today, it adjourn to convene for pro forma sessions only with no business be conducted on the following dates and times and that following each pro forma session, the senate adjourn until the next, friday, february 18, sat 9:00 a.m., tuesday, february 22 at 3:00 p.m. and friday, february 25 at 2:00 p.m. i further ask that when the senate adjourn on friday, february 25, it next reconvene

on monday, february 28. i ask that senator leahy be recognized to deliver washington's farewell address. following his remarks, the senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to calendar number 139, h.r. 3755. further, that cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m. on montana i did a, february 28. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: if there is to 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 on a bipartisan vote the senate passed legislation to extend federal funding through march 11. preventing a government shutdown at midnight tomorrow braid the bill was approved by the house last week so it now heads to president biden for his signature. as always you control the senate

live when it returns here on cspan2. ♪ cspan2 is your unfiltered view of government. funded by these television companies and more including comcast. >> do you think this is just a community center? no it is way more than that. comcast is parted with 1000 committee centers to create wi-fi enabled so students from low income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. comcast support c-span is a public service along these other television providers giving you a front row seat to democracy. the white house council of economic advisers testify on the state of the u.s. economy and concerns about inflation at a hearing held by the senate banking committee. senators also discussed the need to fill vacancies at the federal reserve after republicans recently boycotted a committee vote