and i assume i'm not going to receive any answers because it's an embarrassment to the v.a. as spotlight on waste, fraud, and abuse at the pentagon, and i'm

going doing it elsewhere as well. i will continue advocating for whistleblowers with every tool at my disposal, and as an iowa farmer, i know why farmers make a way when the sunshine. sunshine helps hold government accountbling to the people. and let me repeat again, accountability brings -- or, transparency brings accountability. i got another point i'd like to make, madam president. we were able to pass something with the omnibus appropriations bill that i've been working on in a bipartisan way for years. it was a program that was abused. we finally got together, senator

leahy and i, to finally win what we've been trying to do for years. so i'm here to speak about reforms to the -- about the eb-5 investor visa programs that were included in last week's omnibus bill. i also addressed this issue before the vote, but i'd like to follow up on that statement with some brief remarks. -- some brief remarks about how important this is after years of fighting to get it done. first, this wouldn't have been done without working with my friend and colleague, senator leahy. so i thank him. he worked with me for several years on reforming this eb-5 program. senator leahy, as well as his

staff, have put in a great deal of time and work on a number of legislative efforts to reform the eb-5 program. i appreciate the partnership that we had on this issue for those many years. as i mentioned in my previous statement on the day the bill pass, -- pass, congress originally it in 1985 as 95 as a pilot program. and as an outgrowth of the eb-5 investor visa that was created by congress two years before that in 1990. when the eb-5 visa and regional center programs were established, congress intended for them to spur investment in, number one, rural areas, and,

number two, in economically freed areas. and i emphasize rural and economically depressed because this whole program over a period of the next 20 years evolved into a program for -- far removed from the original goals. senator leahy and i recognized that five, six years ago. but, you know, to get around all the interest groups that have something to do with the eb-5 programs -- and particularly those that are enriching themselves from it -- it is hard to get changes made here in the congress of the united states. thank god we were fortunate not to get the eb-5 program extended from year to year because that's what happened four or five years is we were working on these reforms. they'd just extend it and let the fraud and abuse of the law go on. but finally about a year ago we

kept that program from being extended year to year, and it forced people to sit down and talk to us in a responsible way to get to where we are today. so it's unfortunate the eb-5 regional center program in particular has been plagued with all this fraud and abuse, rampant and abusive gerrymandering of the eb-5 programs targeted employment areas also undermined congressional intent that lower investment thresholds be a tool of chanaling investment into areas that truly need it and are the rural areas and the economically depressed areas of our country. gerrymandering undermined the whole purpose of the program. another program that the --

another problem that the reforms accomplished was that eb-75vestment levels had not been adjusted by -- eb-5 investment levels had not been adjusted by congress since 1990 and they should have been adjusted for the inflation that's taken place since then. and our act does make some adjustment in that area. doesn't quite make up for all the inflation we've had since 1990 but still better than if we'd gone with the 1990 figures. the eb-5 reform and integrity act of 2022, which was included in the omnibus bill, will address a number of these issues. the bill, which senator leahy and i primarily authored, formally repeals the pilot program created by congress in 1992 and codifies in its place a new regional center program

reflecting a number of reforms that we pursued for many years. these reforms will help to crack down on fraud and abuse that have plagued the program far too many years. as i said in my previous statement, all eb-5 regional centers that operated under the lapsed and repealed pilot program will be expected to seek a new regional center designation. and in that process they'll have to certify compliance with all the relevant requirements and reforms laid out in our bill, now law, in order to receive such a designation. additionally, for the first time since 1990, the bill statutorily raises eb-5 investment levels

and mandates that they be adjusted for inflation every five years. so we don't have what's happening in the last 30 years, using 1990 figures for investment. the legislation also codifies certain aspects of the 2019 eb-5 immigrant investor program modernization rule. specifically, the bill codifies the 2019 rule definition of high unemployment targeted area and alouse only the department of homeland security to make such a designation. the so-called doughnut in targeted employment area model from the 2019 rule will be significantly -- will significantly limit the number of census tracks that may be used to seek designation as high

unemployment area. this targeted employment area model, combined with exclusive authority of department of homeland security to make high unemployment targeted employment area designations, should crack down then on the targeted employment area gerrymandering, which gerrymandering has long deprived the rural and the economic distressed areas of the investment that congress intended when congress passed that legislation, now i guess 30 years ago. now listen to this next point. i want the department of homeland security to pay attention to this. this also -- it is also melee

and expectation that the -- it is also my belief and expectation that the department of homeland security should reserve high unemployment, targeted employment area designations for census tracks that have experienced persistently high unemployment for a number of years rather than just brief strikes -- spikes in unemployment due to temporary and extraordinary circumstances such as what you could have because of covid-19 pandemic, as just one example. finally, the legislation puts in place specific visa set-asides for rural area projects, high unemployment area projects, and infrastructure projects. the visa set-aside for infrastructure projects is

limited to true public infrastructure projects; that is, in further explanation, those that benefit the public and the american people not public-private partnerships or projects for private businesses. i will continue to monitor the implementation of this bill as well as developments in the eb-5 program over the coming months and years. this bill was entitled the eb-5 reform and integrity act of 2020. it is the result of years of hard work, and i hope it brings real reform to a program badly in need of that reform. i'm grateful that it was included in the omnibus bill and was happy after all of these years to see meaningful reform

of the eb-5 program finally signed into law. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. thune: madam president. the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: in thursday, the february numbers were released. the inflation for february was 7.9%, the highest since january of 1982. 40 years ago, madam president. we're in the grip of the worst inflation in 40 years. american families have been hit hard by this crisis as the price of every day necessities have soared and energy prices, particularly gas prices are one of the top challenging americans. electricity is up 9%, propane, care seen, firewood are up 19%.

utility gas services up 23.9% and prices at the gasoline pump are up 13%, the price for gas was dz 4-dz .32, up from $2.46. that's $1.45 per gallon. that's a big problem for american families. that's a big problem for our entire economy. high energy prices don't just have an impact when americans fill up their cars, it affects prices across the economy. it drives up the cost of operating a factory and the cost of raw materials and the cost of getting goods to customers. madam president, president biden would like to blame the inflation situation, particularly high energy prices on vladimir putin. i don't need to tell anyone how ludicrous that is. our inflation crisis has been

going on fora year. vladimir putin invaded ukraine three weeks ago. i'm afraid passing the buck to putin doesn't hold water. now, it is true, that the uncertainty surrounding putin's war and corresponding sanctions are the cause of the most recent spikes in gases. had gas prices been lower to start with, americans wouldn't feel the bump to the extent it is. the democrats' american rescue plan spending spree helped create our inflation crisis and americans don't need to look further than the white house to wonder how the united states, a recent net exporter of energy is not on stronger footing to weather these tumultuous times. the president has pursued an energy agenda that has done next to nothing to help drive energy

prices down and is, in fact, almost guaranteed to crease energy sources further. from the moment he took office, the president sent a negative signal to energy producers by making it clear that his administration was not going to embrace conventional energy production. he set the tone for his administration on day one by canceling the keystone xl pipeline, an environmentally responsible pipeline project that was already under way and to be paired with $1.7 billion of renewable energy to fully offset its praying emissions. he also almost immediately -- president to federal gas leases on federal lands, sending a clear signal that his administration would be reluctant to work with them to increase american energy production. president biden has recently been touting the number of available permits available for

oil and gas development. which is positive, as far as it goes, but new permits have dropt precipitously this year. and issuing permits alone is not enough. the biden administration has thrown up roadblock after roadblock to energy development. companies are struggling to break through regulatory red tape to get oil and gas development up and running. they struggled to -- to obtain right of way, like access roads to oil rig sites. they are also struggling to get timely pipeline permits to transport the oil and gas that they extract. unfortunately, they know exactly how this administration feels about building pipelines. and the biden administration is fully responsible for these problems. the administration has the ability to immediately take action to expedite american oil

and gas development. it's refusing to do so. instead president biden seems ready to increase our reliance on energy imports from despotic governments in volatile areas of the world. madam president, this is not acceptable. energy independence, relying on homegrown production instead of foreign energy sources is key for a number of reasons. for starters, energy security is national security. the more we rely on imports from other countries, the more we're dependent on those countries. we've seen that during the current conflict in ukraine. european gunts like germany have been unable to divest from russian energy. without russian energy, more than one country in europe would face a dire energy shortage as putin is well aware.

we don't want to give another country thatch power over us. energy -- that much power over us. energy independence also reduces the risk to americans from price hikes in the global market. the more oil and gas the united states produces as a share of the global market, the more we're able to influence global supply, which is the leading driver of cost. madam president, the biden administration has not been good for american energy independence. we've increased our reliance on foreign sources of energy during this administration, including our reliance on russian energy production. and now that we banned russian energy imports, president biden seems ready to replace russian energy, not with increased american production, but oil and gas from human rights challenged countries like venezuela. madam president, i realize that president biden and many democrats would like to see the

united states focus solely on alternative energy production. but the fact of the matter is that we are a long way from being table to rely exclusively on alternative energy technologies. whether the democrats like it or not, our country is going to need oil and natural gas for quite a while now. and all of democrats' wishful thinking isn't going to change that. and the answer is not to get that oil and natural gas from despots but to get it from energy production. biden administration and may not be the only blame for the higher oil and gas prices, but they have the power to control it by unleashing american energy production. all of it, both alternative and conventional. and they are responsible for

their failure to do so. we need an all of the above energy policy that embraces everything from oil and gas to hydroelectric to nuclear to solar and wind. we need to invest in all proven clean energy technologies, not just what the administration approves of like electric vehicles. there are biofuels which has demonstrated significant emission reduction versus conventional gasoline. i would like to see america work to expand to expand biofuel consumption. this means not only row bust blending projects, but approving advanced fuels from corn kernel

fiber and restoring the year-round sale of e-15. last week, i led a letter to the president with the democratic whip urging the president to enable e-15 to be sold to provide americans with a lower-cost fuel that would help displace russian oil. yesterday, the president's press secretary said, e-15 was on the menu. well, it deserves real consideration, madam president. american drivers can't afford for the president not to take action. the president could get us on a path to lower energy prices today -- today by announcing that his administration will get serious about expediting american production of oil and natural gas. if he fails to do so, then he really will be responsible for the prices that americans are

facing at the pump and for the hit that our national security will take from our increasing reliance on foreign sources of energy. madam president, i hope the president will decide to unleash american production and put our nation on a path to long-term energy independence. madam president, i yield the floor. i suggest -- i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: duly noted. quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

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 682, ruth bermudez montenegro of california to be united states district judge for the southern district of california signed by 17 senators. before -- 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 ruth bermudez montenegro of california to be united states district judge for the southern district of california shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. and the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote: vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: have all senators voted? does any senator wish to change his or her vote? if not, on this vote, the yeas are 57, the nays are 42, and the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, ruth bermudez montenegro of california to be united states district judge for the southern district of california. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion to invoke

cloture. the presiding officer: 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 678, victoria marie calvert of georgia to be united states district judge for the northern district of georgia, 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 victoria marie calvert of georgia to be united states district judge for the northern district of georgia shall be brought to a close? the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

vote: .

the presiding officer: the yeas are 52, the nays 46.

the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the presiding officer: nomination, the judiciary, victoria ma ri calvert to be united states district judge for the northern district of georgia. mr. menendez: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, at 6:3e on the cloture motions with respect to calendar numbers 683, 679, 680; r 681, 685, and 662. that tomorrow morning the senate vote on confirmation of executive calendar numbers of 656 and 738 and at 1:45 p.m., the senate vote on calendar

number 677. if any -- that the senate vote on the confirmation of the nominations at a time to be determined by the majority leader or his designee following consultation with the republican leader. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. 6. mr. menendez: mr. president, i have eight requests for dmoits meet today during -- for committees to meet today. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. menendez: mr. president, i rise today to seek unanimous consent to confirm four nominees to post that are critical -- critical to our response to putin's war against ukraine. through smoke and rubble and artillery fire, ukrainians are leaving their homes with nothing more than a backpack, nothing more than their children in

their hands. over the past 20 days, vladimir putin's illegal and horrific assault on ukraine has left more than three million refugees to flee into neighboring countries. they are suffering from a deteriorating situation. with putin blocking -- with convoys blocking ukrainians. there are unjustified attacks on civilians, bombing maternity hospitals and destroying kinder kinder -- kindergartens. we need to demand accountability for war crimes. if we want to rise to this challenge, if we want to respond to the mounting human suffering,

one thing is clear, we need to have the people in place, the people the president has selected to lead and carry out this work. their leadership is critical in our response to the growing crisis in ukraine and the looming refugee across eastern europe. they will defend human rights when they are violated, they will fight to defend democracy when it's attacked and they will make sure we maximize the pained the price putin pays for this heinous war. that is why we must confirm jim o'brien. he is the coordinator for sanctions. this is our most significant tool against putin and his regime, sanctions. this is the president's nominee for coordinator of sanctions. once confirmed, ellen hans the

biden administration's efforts with our allies and partners to impose devastating costs on russia. to date more than 30 nations have joined this cause. countries have stepped up that we never would have expected, but the fight is not over. we have to keep up the pressure. we must keep up the coordination and we must ensure that we are implementing and enforcing sanctions in concert with dozens of countries around the globe. i know my republican colleagues agree this must be a top priority. i heard it on the foreign relations committee. we need to do more sanctions. i heard it on the senate floor and in conversations with my colleagues, we need to do even more. i know they want our sanctions to be as effective as possible. so to them i say, confirm jim o'brien today. now, mr. president, i can also give you three million reasons why we must confirm juletta.

because three million people have already fled their homes in ukraine. three million people have left a war-torn country with their dreams shattered, their children traumatized. three million people who have no idea what the future holds. and even as i speak, that number has surely been surpassed. there is a reason we have the population refugee migration bureau. there is a reason there is a qualified nominee to lead it. ms. no is is that -- ms. noois. her nomination has been languishing on the floor for 128

days because of republican holds. we need a leader to take charge of the u.s. response to the refugee crisis forming in europe as well as the crisis that already exists around the world. we need someone to work alongside our european allies as they face the fastest-growing refugee crisis in europe since world war ii. we need her confirmed today. not tomorrow, not next week, today. and the humanitarian crisis inside ukraine is worsening every day. we can all see it for ourselves. you can see the images with more than 200,000 civilians remained under siege cut off from food, fighting for their lives. you can see the frightened faces of children crossing over to poland. this is a trauma they will

struggle with for the rest of their lives. it baffles me that we would wait another hour, let alone another day to even think about qirnlg ambassador -- confirming ambassador erin mckee. the minute she gets in the door, the minute we sends her to us-aid, she will work on behalf of the millions of ukrainians that are suffering many she will make sure that we are meeting basic needs and that we help ukraine's neighbors shoulder the crisis. let her get to work and help the people of ukraine today. finally, there is a danger that putin will unleash a chemical weapons attack against ukraine. the bureau of national security and nonproliferation has a crucial role to play here. not just to prevent the spread

of chemical weapons, but to help safeguard chemical facilities in ukraine. the leader of that bureau, dr. elliott kahn would work with the international atomic energy agency. because of republican delays, he has not yet been confirmed despite the fact that he was nominated 328 days ago. 328 days ago. think about that. that was almost a year ago. and he has not yet been confirmed. mr. president, because we cannot wait, because of the people of ukraine cannot wait, i rise to seek unanimous consent for the confirmation of these four nominees, each of them moved to the foreign relations committee with bipartisan support.

there is no reason for republicans to block their confirmation. the situation in ukraine is dire and our national security demands it. so because of that,. mr. menendez: i ask unanimous consent the senate consider the following nominations en bloc.

calendars 462, 783, 384, that the senate vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening action or debate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the record and that the president be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. scott: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. scott: reserving the right to object. the biden administration has not overseen the pan american organization. paho has cooperated with the cuban doctors. they know there are cuban doctors trying to sue paho. here are the facts in july 2013, there was a signed agreement to formalize for cuban doctors to provide medical services in brazil.

that included the former brazilian president to transport a monthly payment to paho to each cuban doctors from serving brazil. more than 20,000 cuban medical professionals had their wages stolen by the cuban government and received only a small fraction of what they earned. their family members were prohibited from accompanying them. cuban doctors were the only medical professionals participating who had their salaries directly garnished from their government. while others received their full wages for the medical services. other cuban doctors are suffered in other countries, for example, in 2019, a group of cuban doctors reported they had been

directed to use medical services in favor of the maduroa regime. this gross program is a huge moneymaker for the communist ruling thugs in cuba. in 2018, they pocketed more than $6.3 million to have cuban professionals work overseas. this represents a majority of those profits. as i came to the senate, i've been fighting for the cuban doctors and against human trafficking. my colleague from new jersey has voiced concerns about this issue in the past. but nothing has been done to hold paho accountable. paho is hiding behind legal immunity. president biden has the power to lift the immunity and i requested this administration to do so multiple times but they shamefully declined. victims of trafficking deserve to see their alleged abusers in court and paho should never be allowed to hide behind claims.

i've becomed secretary blinken that until steps are made, i will be blocking all relevant state department nominees. americans deserve qualified people in position, of power who put american interests first. if this administration wants to apiece dictators like they have with castro regimes, i will hold them accountable. therefore, madam president, i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. menendez: i would like to ask the senator from florida through the chair does the assistant administrator for europe and asia, usaid, have anything to do with paho? does the assistant secretary for international secretary for nonproliferation have anything to do with paho? i guess the senator doesn't want to engage in a colloquy. madam president, it's amazing to

me. my colleagues who get up and applaud zelenskyy, my colleagues who come to the senate floor and talk about both the need to help ukraine and the humanitarian realities that are compounding every day and yet here we are with four pertinent key positions that could help in regards to each and every one of those elements. and on some unrelated issue, not ukraine, not even europe, not about proliferation, not about humanitarian response, no. there is a wholesale objection. now, if you wanted to pick your objection and target it, that might make sense. but i'm deeply troubled that the

junior senator from florida is once again obstructing the senate's responsibility to provide advice and consent on presidential nominees -- nominations, not only preventing us from fulfilling our constitutional duties but in this case moreover he is single-handedly undermining the ability of the united states government to respond fully to russia's brutal invasion. in doing so he seeks to single-handedly damage our ability to ensure a coordinated international effort to sanction putin, his cronies, sectors of the russian government. he is undercutting the united states government's ability to support the ukranian people and our allies. he is undercutting our ability to provide and coordinate the humanitarian assistance for three million ukranians who have left and millions more who are inside of the country and need help. it is mind boggling, mind boggling. get up and then come to the

floor and object to the very things that can make it happen. mind boggling. now, let me address the issue of the junior senator from -- that the junior senator from florida has raised today. simply put, the diaz canal regime like the castro regime before it does object cuban doctors to forced labor while pocketing the doctors' wages and generates billions of dollars annually. i have been working on this issue since before my colleague ever held public office. i've -- i've engaged multiple administrations on this issue. we've actually authored regulation and resolutions on the subject. my track record standing up for cuban doctors who are trafficked by the cuban regime clips that of any other member of congress, period. but my god, as passionate as i

him about that issue, no one will be more passionate than me. it is not right to hold up everything we are trying to do on ukraine. this is a global emergency, the fate of no only ukraine but of democracy and its ability to achieve victory is in the thread. and here we have objections to critical positions that can help us make sure that we win in that battle. let me try one other thing. i want to make in order the same request that i previously made with respect to calendar 788, elisabeth mckey to assistant administrator for international development. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from kansas. a senator: madam president, thank you. i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. menendez: okay, madam

president. so here we go. the person who would be responsible for helping the humanitarian challenge in ukraine and in the surrounding countries where three million people have fled to, we can't get her in position. can't get her into position to do the job. to help millions of ukranians who are fleeing. i don't understand how the party of reagan, the party of freedom and democracy, the party of standing up to these people can actually create a set of circumstances where this is like helping putin at the end of the day. it's like helping putin at the end of the day. now, while senator marshall didn't speak to it, i understand his concerns are about covid origins. there's nothing wrong with that. there's been a lively topic of

discussion including the senate. but these have nothing to do with ambassador mckee and what she's nominated for. assistant administrator for europe and asia. we need to do everything possible to support ukranians in their time of need. blocking ambassador mckee is self-defeating. it's also not clear to me what more usaid can do to satisfy senator marshall. i inquired because i heard this is the issue. usaid has been engaged at the most senior levels in trying to be helpful and responsive to senator marshall. they've offered him and his team briefings and i understand that none of those offers have been accepted. they also have pointed senator marshall's office to a wealth of information on specific usaid project of interests. so i would urge the senator instead of blocking nominees to act on usaid's multiple briefing

offers and encourage and engage them meaningfully. that would be more helpful toward his ultimate goal but not to helping putin at the end of the day, not being able to take care of the humanitarian needs. i've seen a lot over my course of 40 years in public service and 30 years in the congress. this is mind boggling but more than that, it really undermines our national security. it really undermines our help for the ukranian people. and so i hope that some saner minds will prevail in the days ahead when i come back to the floor to try this once again. with that, madam president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: madam president, i'm joined on the floor today by my friend and colleague senator graham. we have the honor of coleading the u.s. congressional delegation to the munich

security conference which for a great number of reasons, all well deserved, is still called codel mccain. it is the only codel that is named for a senator who is no longer with us and it is in respect for senator mccain's long tradition of support for that conference, nato, and the atlantic alliance more generally. this year obviously things are very different. the russians are on the border of ukraine and two things came out of this conference that i thought were important. one was an early flicker of hope within the delegation that the ukranians might actually pull this off. that was supported by none of our briefings. the entire national security

establishment has presumed that it was only a matter of time until ukraine fell. but senator graham and i and others were questioning each other during that trip is there really no chance? and the other thing was going after the kleptocrats and oligarchs around putin and making their lives miserable. and there was just a wonderful explosion of bipartisan support for that that has now manifested in funds, in laws, in pending bills, in lots of bipartisanship. and senator graham and i are going to have a bit of after colloquy about that with the chair's permission. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: i'll say one thing and i'll hand it over to senator graham. on march 8, i sent out over social media this sentiment. keep alive in your heart the possibility that ukraine could

actually win. columns stalled, defense fierce, casualties high, morale low, desserters surrendering, food and fuel snafu, population uncowed. since then we're hearing more and more. i'll read four quotes. the first is from the man we heard from this morning, the president of ukraine volodymyr zelenskyy who in his speech to the people of ukraine on march 14 didn't just talk about peace for ukraine although he did talk about peace for ukraine but he also talked about our victory, victory. it's an important word to keep in mind. he's not alone. general wesley clark on cnn also on march 14 said the battle for ukraine is hanging in the balance if we can get enough in there, they'll push the russians out.

victory. to continue his quote, it will be a tremendous win for the west. and apple balm knows probably at much about this area as anyone. she joined us on the munich security delegation. and she also spoke afterwards on the 15th of march about, and i'll quote her here, victory in this conflict. victory. she said victory would provide an enormous transformational boost and confidence to the entire democratic world. michael kaufman of the director of russian studies at the center for naval analyses said the same thing. are the ukranians in a position to win the war? yes, he said. and i'll close with francis fukiyama on the 10th of march, the author of the political order, i'm quoting from a much longer piece selectively. one, russia is headed for outright defeat in ukraine.

victory. two, the collapse of their position could be sudden and catastrophic rather than happening slowly through a war of attrition. the army in the field will reach a point where it can neither be supplied or withdrawn and morale will vaporize. five, the biden administration's decisions not to declare a no-fly zone or help transfer polish migs were both good ones. they kept their heads during a very emotional time. it is much better to have the ukranians defeat the russians on their own, depriving moscow of the excuse that nato attacked them. finally, a russian defeat, he said, will make possible a new birth of freedom and get us out of our furveg about the declining state of global democracy, the spirit of 1989 will live on thanks to brave ukranians. we are here together on the floor in bipartisan fashion to

urge that in the press coverage and in our national security conversations about this, we keep open in our hearts and in our planning the possibility of victory for ukraine. senator graham. mr. graham: thank you. all i can say is sheldon, thank you. john's no longer with us but i think he's here in spirit this moment. senator -- if senator mccain were here, it would be 27 migs they would want to transfer because he would probably be in one headed toward ukraine. the bottom line is 20 days into this fight we're all amazed at how about the russians are doing and how well the ukranians are doing. and i think what senator whitehouse is trying to remind us all of, that the outcome of ukraine really does matter to the world at large. senator mccain was known for his support of the transatlantic alliance, a rules-based society,

values-based world. and putin has put that in jeopardy. so let's look at it this way. if putin wins, sheldon, then the largest war criminal survives the dismemberment of a neighboring democracy, slaughter of the innocence on a mass scale. if he is still standing, i think china understands what to do with taiwan more clearly. the i -- the iranians are more bold when it comes to nuclear ambitions and the ripple effect will be felt if putin wins. if putin loses and the ukraine wins, victory for ukraine, i think it would be the biggest change for the good since world war ii. what would it mean? it would mean that a murderous war criminal who tried to use force of arms to impose his will on his neighbor lost. it would mean that the good guys

won and the bad guys lost, and china would have to think twice about taiwan. and how do we make sure victory for ukraine is maximized? only god knows how this ends, but here's what i think we can do working together. three lines of effort -- economic and military aid. we've had a very robust package leave the congress. the president announced $800 million or more of military aid today. we have a difference about the mig's but otherwise we're pretty much on the same sheet of music. sanctions against russia. the war is not against the russian people. they are in many ways a victim of putin as much as anybody. but unfortunately, the only way we can bring this to conclusion and have victory for ukraine is to crush the russian economy. so secondary sanctions needs to be on the table. and if china comes to putin's aid, they need to understand the consequences of that

decision. so, all sanctions -- secondary sanctions are now in place. the ukrainian ambassador asked me yesterday to broaden sanctions to russian officials in different regions part of putin's war machine. president zelenskyy asked fod fod -- for that today too. my good friend, sheldon whitehouse, has been speaking about victory when nobody else hardly would, and iep here to say that victory for ukraine is victory for america, is victory for the rule of law, is victory for the postworld war ii order that led to prosperity. three lines of efforts -- military assistance including mig's, economic aid, fuel, food, humanitarian airlift if that's feasible, crushing

sanctions, and labeling putin the war criminal he is, and letting every russian military commander know that if you pick his side and you carry out these war crimes against the ukrainian people, we're coming after you. so senator whitehouse and myself met with the british foreign secretary and ambassador to create a joint effort, an intel cell to collect information about russian units engaged in war crimes in ukraine, start putting the commander's name out for the tworld understand -- for the world to understand so they'll know we're watching them. how does this end? the russian people end the reign of terror of putin. it's in their hands, i encourage them to do it. finally if there's been one voice on kleptocracy, it is sheldon's. he's got it on climate change. he's determined to see that issue through to the end. but senator whitehouse was talking about kleptocracy long

before the invasion. so we're going to introduce together asset seizure for ukraine reconstruction act, which is an effort by our government, joining with international partners, to get every yacht we can get, to raid every bank account we can find, take the money away from the thieves and give it back to the ukrainian people and eventually the russian people. so what senator whitehouse and i are trying to do in a bipartisan fashion is to make the war real to the oligarchs. without the oligarchs, there's no putin. it's time for them to enjoy a, an experience of having their assets that they stole taken away from them. maybe not enjoy is the right word. it's time for us to enjoy the sight of russian oligarchs having their property taken that they achieved through thievery. it's time for us to start putting people in jail who

engaged in the mass theft of the russian people. and victory for ukraine is not only possible, i think if we're all in on sanctions, we're all in on labeling, naming and shaming people around putin as war criminals to break their will, and we begin to pour it on when it doms regaining -- when it comes to regaining control of the skies. i'm not for a nato no-fly zone because i think it will put us in a situation with nato and russia i'm not comfortable with right now. but i am for ukraine controlling their skies, a no-fly zone enforced by the ukrainian military. that's why i want more antiaircraft systems and the mig's. the bottom line here is that victory for ukraine is possible because i think the russian people and the russian military are really not into this. i think the world is coalescing

around the idea that if putin wins, it's bad for us all. now is the time. this is the most historically significant moment since the end of world war ii for the continent of europe and for freedom itself and for the rule of law. if we can pull this off, then those who come after us will be very pleased with our efforts. if we fail, future generations will wonder what the hell were you doing, just like we all wonder how hitler could have gotten so strong and nobody stopped him when they could. so let it be said that this moment in history, that senator whitehouse, senator graham and many others, particularly the ukrainian people, believe not only is victory for ukraine possible, it's absolutely necessary. with that, i turn it back over mr. whitehouse: madam president, just in conclusion, let me

thank senator graham. he's been an extraordinary leader on the munich security delegation year after year, and i think has a mccainian view of our foreign policy needs. i would close by saying if there's a lesson from ukraine, it's that oligarchs can throw out a dictator if you put pressure on them. so the kleptocracy initiative is important strategically in ukraine and it also puts in motion forces that can diminish kleptocracy and corruption around the world in a way that enhances our rule of law and national security. the press has tended to buy in to the narrative of defeat, but not entirely.

ragavan went to the front for "the washington post," and he reported back this -- to be sure, most military ajts -- analysts predict russia will encircle kiev. while this could prove true, he said, it's far from clear whether russia will prevail. that leaves open the important planning option of victory for ukraine. and then when bad news comes, sometimes it's just not the whole story. the bbc reported the bad news that russian forces are already inside the city of irbe pin. -- irpin. there is more to the story than that. a ukrainian army officer said ukrainian forces were waiting for civilians to evacuate irpin

before, we quote him, we start to clear the city of russians. they don't have enough provisions, food, water, he said. they don't have a lot of gasoline. they'll get tired, and then we will go and drive them out. well, it appears that that counter offensive is underway right now as we speak. and as i close, i think all of our hearts and prayers go to the ukrainian troops trying to drive those russians out of irpin and out of ukraine. i yield the floor.

mr. brown: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. mr. brown: we are not in a quorum call, correct? the presiding officer: we're not. mr. brown: thank you, madam president. over the course of just three days the world lost three talented, ten -- tenacious

journalists. brent renaud was a film maker working to tell the story for the world of putin's war when he was fatally shot in the kiev suburb of irpin on sunday. on monday two more journalists with fox news lost their lives when their vehicle came under fire outside of kiev. camera man and veteran war reporter pierre shatavesky was killed. we lost ukrainian journalist ovsyannikova was 24 years old. jurnts know they face -- journalists know they face

danger. they put themselves in harm's way to tell the world the true stories we need to hear. the senator, the presiding officer from minnesota today joined me and dozens and dozens of others and saw the video, the pictures, the photos of war in ukrainian shown to us -- in ukraine shown to us by president zelenskyy, and those pictures, many of them were taken by very courageous journalists that risk their own lives. they bring us the unvarnished truth unfiltered by government propaganda when we need it most. they are committed to ideals of truth, accuracy and transparency. so committed they put their lives on the line to make sure the world knows what is happening. their commitment to these ideals only makes their deaths that much more tragic. today three families, so many colleagues grieve for these three journalists, grieving losses that can't be replaced. the war was started by a man with no regard for freedom of

the press or basic human rights, a man, former k.g.b. agent with open contempt and hostility towards real reporters, towards real journalism, toward free speech, a man who presides over a regime where journalists are killed with impunity. according to the committee to protect journalists, 28 journalists have been killed in russia since putin came into power 20 years ago. ten are in prison for telling the truth, for doing their jobs. according to reporters without borders, russia ranks 150 out of 199 countries for press freedom. they're actually behind afghanistan and south sudan in the republic of the congo. last october, the u.s. and 18 other countries issued a statement warning, quote, about the russian government's intensifying harassment of independent journalists and media outlets in russia. in 2020, the russian government began labeling many outside

journalists, quote, media foreign agents, a term reminiscent of the worst in the cold war. putin's government has am applied the media foreign agent label to outlets operating near the country's borders, russian reporters themselves. it is the kind of authoritarians that ukrainians fight every day. think don't want to have a world where journalists can't tell the truth. journalists ask questions and afflict the comfortable. reporters put their safety and as we saw with these three brave journalists, their lives on the line, whether it's covering hurricanes in the united states or traveling the globe to bring us the stories in war zones. we depend on reporters in my

state and around the world to bring us the story that impact our day-to-day lives and tell the stories that might not otherwise be told. they are too frequently under attack and recently we had a president of the united states who attacked journalists in almost every stop. let's recommit ourselves to fighting just as hard as they are for freedom of the press and free speech. they made the ultimate sacrifice to show the world the heroism of the ukrainian people. we pray they are the last that has to do that. we recognize that president -- that putin has been shocked by two things. shocked by the heroism of the ukrainian people, those fighting back, those brave journalists, these freedom fighters, those mothers, children, and fathers who stood up against russia and how president biden has put

together an international coalition, not just from the countries you would expect, but germanyed and fin -- germany, finland and switzerland who have stepped up the way all of our countries have. we send our sympathy and gratitude to the families of brent renaud, to to pier r- pierre and we have a better understanding because of journalists like them and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts. madam president, i ask to put the following remarks in a different part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. brown: thank you. i'd like to remember an ohio public servant who we lost this year. long-time friend of mine, jefferson county sheriff, eastern ohio, along the

pennsylvania-west virginia line along the ohio river, fred abdullah. he took office in 1985. he served his community for nearly four decades, in a sheriffs car going to steubenville and wintersville, all over jefferson county. his colleagues and neighbors call him tough but big hearted. he was tough on crime. his deputy worked with him for 32 years. he said he and i had a lot of cases together, we laughed a lot, cried a lot, we worked as a team. there is a moving remembrance of him. they wrote, although we miss you dearly, we will care iy on -- carry on in the face of adversity. you were always involved with

answering calls with your staff. you led by example. you never ordered a deputy to do something you would not do yourself. his passing is a real loss for my state, for all who knew him. his dedication to his community will not be forgotten. rest in peace fred abdullah. i yield the floor. i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

>> good morning. in the morning mr. president. good morning madam ambassador who is with us this morning madam ambassador. [applause] ambassador. mr. president it is my honor to present to you the congress of the united states which has. respect and admiration and appreciation for your courageous leadership. members of congress i have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of ukraine, volodymyr

zelensky. [applause] my colleagues. >> thank you very much. madam speaker members of congress, ladies and gentlemen, americans, friends i am proud to greet you from our capital city of kyiv that is under missile attack from russian troops every day. it doesn't get up and we have not even talked about -- just

like any other communities and our beautiful country who have found themselves in the worst war since world war ii. i have the honor to greet you on behalf of the ukrainian people and freedom loving who for eight years have been resisting the russian aggression. those who give their best sons and daughters to stop this full scale russian invasion. right now the destiny of our country is being decided. the destiny of our people and whether ukrainians will be free, whether they will able to serve in their democracy russia has attacked not just us and not just their land and not just our

cities, it went on other brutal offensive against our values, human values and against their freedom and our their right to live freely in our own country and decide their own future. i danced our desire for happiness come against the -- just like the same things you have, you americans just like anyone else in the united states. i've remember your national memorial. the faces of your sovereign president those who have laid the foundation of the divided states of america, democracy come independence freedom for every person for everyone who worked diligently to live honestly, who respect the law.

we in ukraine want the same for our people. dad is a normal part of your own life. ladies and gentlemen, friends, americans in your. history you have been allowed to understand the agreement and understand us now we need you right now. remember pearl harbor. that morning of december 7, 1941 when the planes were attacking it. remember set member the 11th a day in 2001 when the evil tried to turn your city and dependent territories in the battlefield. innocent people were attacked,

attacked from the air like no one expected it. our country experiences the same every day right now at this moment, every night for three weeks now. ukrainian cities russia has turned it into a source of for thousands of people. russian troops have already fired nearly 1000 missiles at ukraine and they use drones to kill us with precision. this is a terror that europe has not seen for 80 years and we are asking for an answer to keep this terror from the whole

world. to create a no-fly zone over ukraine to save people. is this too much to ask? some things that ukraine thought russia would not be able to terrorize our free cities. if this is too much to ask we offer an alternative. we know what kind of defense systems we need and other assistance. we know their ability to use air craft and strong aviation to protect their people are freedom and aircraft that can help europe and you know that they exist and you have them. they are not in the ukrainian

skies. they do not defend our people. these words are not to each of you today. i have a need or they need to protect our country. i need your help which means the same you feel when you hear the word i have a -- ladies and gentlemen ukraine is grateful to the united states for its overwhelming support, for everything that your government and your people have done for us with weapons and ammunition and the leadership in this free world. a quorum call. ms. cantwell i come to the floor to support john chun and i know we will vote later tonight on

that nomination. i was proud to nominate him to president biden -- i was proud to recommend judge chun and my colleague, senator murray and i, know what a qualified individual he is to serve our country. he has spent his entire legal career practicing law in the western district of washington, making him deeply knowledgeable of the district he will serve. he is well prepared for the western district and as served as a superior court judge for four years and before joining the court of appeals in 2018 as well as his tenure in private practice. through his extensive courtroom experience as a former trial judge and current appellate judge, he has had much time as a trial litigator. he will be ready on day one two serve effectively on the federal

district court bench. he has received profound support. not only did his nomination receive bipartisan support from the senate judiciary committee, it also received support from the american bar association, which unanimously rated him well qualified to serve this position. in addition to the endorsement from the national asian pacific bar association, judge chun's nomination has received praise from many organizations in our state, including the washington low-income housing alliance, the vietnamese american housing association in washington, the south washington bar association in washington, the asian bar association in washington and the korean coalition in washington. as i'm sure my colleagues can see, judge chun is immensely qualified to serve on this court. i urge them to join me and my colleague senator murray in supporting his nomination to serve as judge for the u.s.

district court of the wernl district of the state of washington. i thank the president. i yield the floor. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania.

mr. casey: madam president, are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are not. mr. casey: thank you, madam president. i would ask consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: thank you very much. i rise as so many of us have of late to talk about the invasion of ukraine by russia. this invasion, as we know, started on february 24, and it's now, i guess, in its 21st or 22nd day. at the time of the invasion, i think it was the day after or two days after, i was reading in a newspaper the reference to one resident of ukraine who said the following about the onset of the hostilities by vladimir putin and russia. he said, quote, it was the worst sunrise in my life, unquote. i can't even begin to imagine what that individual in ukraine

or tens of thousands of families were feeling on that day, and hundreds of thousands throughout the country, millions even. this attack which is ongoing was both unprovoked and unjustified. it's an attack on a sovereign nation by a murderous dictator who has no regard for human life and no regard for the rules-based international order. i think a lot of people knew that before the invasion, but now it's abundantly clear to the world of what vladimir putin's intentions are and what his practices are when it comes to attacking a sovereign nation. "the new york times" told us last friday, march 11, about putin, and i'm quoting here from "the new york times." quote, he has demonstrated in

the past -- and they made reference in this story to his actions in syria as well as chechnya. he has demonstrated in the past a willingness not only to bomb heavily populated areas indiscriminately, but also to use civilian casualties as leverage against his enemies, unquote. use civilian casualties as leverage. that's the dictator that the people of ukraine are dealing with right now. and i think it's clear from the reporting, and so many americans have read the stories and seen the coverage of the bombings. it's clear that he's bombing indiscriminately. it's clear that he and his army, his military are targeting civilians. all you have to do is look at the list of locations.

the list would be hundreds if we read all of them. but here's just a couple of examples. maybe the most graphic in the last couple of days was the bombing of a maternity ward, and that footage of a stretcher coming out of that rubble with a pregnant woman who has since died, as did her child. that's an example of that kind of indiscriminate bombing. but in addition to a maternity ward, he's bombed a shoe factory, a psychiatric hospital, apartment buildings, cafes, homes, parking lots near a shopping center, bombing near a kindergarten, bombing of a mosque, bombing, we're told the most recent number 34 medical facilities damaged in ukraine. and that number, of course, will grow. most recently just in the last day or so a super market.

i think at least 12-story residential tower. then just today another reference to just one example of the brutality of putin -- ten people killed whaigget in -- waiting in line for bread in ukraine. the advisor to the mayor of one of the most besieged cities, mariupol, said the following. this advisor said, quote, humanity has not invented a word, has not yet invented a word to describe what russia is doing to us. i think that says it all. there's no way to describe what's happening. the world has never seen this in recent history. maybe the closest thing would be, closest example would be what happened in syria, which of course was also paid for and led by the russian military and mr. putin. despite all that horror and all

that bloodshed and all that is to follow, despite all of that grim reminder of the brutality of mr. putin, the ukrainian people have inspired so many of us. when i say us, i don't mean just people, voting members of congress or people throughout the country. they have inspired people the world over. we've never -- i've never seen anything in my lifetime that equates to the inspiration that they have generated. their courage, raw physical courage of the people, of the military, and all the contributions they're making to their country. their r.e.s. duty determination to -- their resolute determination to protect their freedom, to protect their families, to protect their nation, and really when you think about it in a larger

sense, to protect democracy itself because that is very much on the line in ukraine. the ukrainian people's stubborn refusal to be intimidated by a ruthless autocrat and his military has inspired so many people every single day. i just saw another example this morning. women who had left ukraine with their children, to bring their children to safety, coming back into ukraine to join the fight, or in some cases i guess to rejoin the fight. women putting their lives at risk for their country. this morning we had the honor -- i know the presiding officer and all of us, the members of congress had the honor to listen to president zelenskyy's address to the congress. and i know the nation saw it as well. his address this morning was

also inspiring, every bit as inspiring as that engendered by his people. but his address was also a call to action for us to do more. we've got to do more. and we've got to provide additional support. president zelenskyy thanked our president, president biden and the american people for all the support that we've provided, especially in the last couple of weeks since the invasion began, but also before that. and president biden responded just two or three hours later when he announced even more military assistance or security assistance, which if you add up just that part of the support, just since he took office is now at about $2 billion. that doesn't include other support like humanitarian support. but here's just a quick list of what that security assistance

is, and i'll just itemize a few. this isn't exhaustive but examples. stinger antiaircraft systems. we've provided many hundreds of them and now we're providing a lot more than that. the javelin antiarmor systems that have had such success against the russian military, russian tamptions. helicopters, patrol boats, grenade launchers, guns and ammunition, grenades, mortar and artillery rounds. secure communications, military medical equipment. on and on and on. as i mentioned, the president responded specifically today by announcing the united states will add $800 million just on security assistance, bringing that total, as i said, to $2 billion since he began his administration. it was noteworthy that two of

the component parts of that -- the stinger systems and the javelins, both are being used with great skill by the ukrainian fighters. those numbers, the increase in those numbers is not just a few hundred. in both cases it's either doubling or tripling what we've already done. and we'll do more. we'll continue to do more. the congress has passed a spending bill just a couple of days ago, at the end of last week, and the president signed it this week which allowed that $800 million to be available. so that's the good p news. more money for weapons and other security assistance. more money for humanitarian support. that number is growing all the time because of the need that the ukrainian people have. the sanctions, the crushing, unprecedented sanctions that already are having effect. i had a briefing today just on that topic of the impact of the

sanctions, and it is substantial, and it will only grow as time goes by. we'll have more time later to talk about that. and of course the contribution as well, all of these are contributions of not just our government, but our people, the american people made these contributions of military assistance and humanitarian support and our ability to impose sanctions with our allies, with our nato partners. but at the same time what gets lost sometimes in the discussion about ukrainian is the intelligence support we've provided. all kinds of offices throughout our intelligence community providing actionable intelligence or intelligence that is, that the ukrainians can use as they fight the battle, fight the war. that is probably incalculable in terms of the advantages given on the battlefield and beyond.

so that bears emphasis as well. i think one area of positive development in the last couple of months is the unity. not just the unity of nato, which has never been stronger, probably never stronger since the 1960's or even more so, but the unity here at home, unit in the senate, unity in the house, unity throughout the country to support the people of ukraine. the people, but also to support the military. i have to say, though, as much as we have that unity with our nato partners and here in the congress, there are voices here in washington and around the country that are not as unified. we know that voices like our former president and his continued approval of putin's, quote, genius, unquote -- why

would you ever say that about a murderous dictator? he's not a genius. he's, i believe, a war criminal. that kind of language and that kind of support for putin, at least by way of laudatory words, has tarnished that unity, has undermined that unity here at home and around the world. but it's not enough to break that unity. i just hope, just hope that republican members of congress, when someone in their party, especially a leader of their party, or a member of congress or any other republican official, i hope that when they say things about vladimir putin that is positive or in any way supportive, that they would call it out and condemn it. when you're supporting the people of ukraine at a time of war, you have to use every tool in your toolbox. military assistance,

diplomacy, sanctions, humanitarian support. but also your words as leaders. and we should be condemning any american leader who supports or says positive things about mr. putin. so i hope the republican members of congress who have stood up and been very supportive of the ukrainian people in this fight would also call out members of their party and condemn such statements. because that didn't happen in july of 2018 when the former president, in my judgment, this is my view of it, was genuflecting before vladimir putin on the world stage had helsinki, finland, in probably what i believe is the worst day for an american president on the world stage ever when he took the side of mr. putin, a murderous dictator over the

determinations made by our intelligence agency. that was a low moment it for america, democracy and for our country. so we now have, i think, very clearly a choice. it's not a choice of three or four options or five options. there are only two. only two options here. you can choose mr. putin or choose mr. zelenskyy. you can choose a dictator who has no regard for human life and all of the enablers around him or you can choose the president who is standing up for freedom, mr. zelenskyy, the president of ukraine. it's really a simple choice. it's the choice between the incarnation of evil or the personification of freedom. that's the choice. there's not a third option here.

every american has to make this choice, but especially members of congress, elected officials. that's part of our job. you've got to make a choice and it's very simple. the good news is republicans, democrats, and independents, house and senate, the two branches of government, have made a choice and the american people have made a choice. they made a choice for freedom, to support that personification of freedom by supporting president zelenskyy and supporting the ukrainian people who are putting their lives on the line for freedom itself. i will conclude with these thoughts. like the constitution, which we turn to for both not just guidance and inspiration, but we turn to remind ourselves of our duty, so too are the people of ukraine turning to their

constitution for that guidance and that inspiration and that call to action. here's what that constitution says in pertinent part, and it sounds very familiar. it says, and i quote, the people -- the people are the barriers of sovereignty and the only sources of power in ukraine. to affirm and ensure human rights and freedoms -- freedoms is the main duty of the state, unquote. that's what the ukrainian constitution says, a mandate that freedom must be the goal and the work of the state. and, wow, are they doing that now. president zelenskyy and his government and the people of ukraine are standing up for freedom. when we are at our best here at home, we do the same. we have a great anthem for our

nation, o beautiful, and you know the rest of that great anthem. one of the verses of that great anthem says o beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years. that the dream of a patriot isn't just to stand up in the moment and fight, that that patriot is standing up for freedom and fighting and willing to put their lives on the line, or his or her life on the line for freedom because they are seeing beyond the years. they are standing up for freedom, not just for themselves and their families and their nation, but for the future -- for the future of that nation. that's what the people of ukraine are doing right now and that's why we have to continue to support them in that -- in that great fight. so i think most americans have made this -- already made the choice, we just have to back them up and stand for freedom.

not to stand for the incarnation of evil, mr. putin and his government right now, but to stand for the personification of freedom. we saw that this morning with president zelenskyy. mr. president, i will yield the floor. mrs. murray: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: thank you, mr. president. you know, mr. president, i come to the floor today to speak out against the recent wave of hate attacks on transgender youth happening across our country. over the last few months, we have seen extreme republican lawmakers take unprecedented steps to go after transchildren and their families. not only are they spewing hateful rhetoric around gender identity making something personal, and something that a lot of americans don't think

about every day, into a cruel political kuj kujal. but they are also targeting transpeople and transkid in particular. last month texas governor greg abbott actively investigated targeted parents of strans gender -- transgender kids and provider, making it -- saying that it is child abuse. lawmakers got dangerously close to passing legislation for criminalizing providers for giving kids the gender care they need. there is a bill in floor to erase transgender kids and teachers from our school. while democrats have been focused on getting our schools back open and helping students catch up after two really tough

years, republicans are targeting transkids and gay students and taking incredibly important and personal decisions away from parents and families. right now it feels like far-right lawmakers are in a race to legitimate the most extreme, most hateful bill they can think of at the expense of transkids. we all have a responsibility to stand up and make clear this is not right. transpeople are our friends, they are neighbors, they are families. transkids deserve to be just kids, to play sports, to go to school, to see a doctor or get health care. they should get the same opportunities as any other child to learn and grow and play and thrive, free from fear and discrimination. and parents deserve to be table to make their own parenting decisions with their medical providers to do what's best for their kids' health. they should not have to worry

about what a right-wing politician thinks is best for their kid. they definitely shouldn't live in fear that a state legislature will intervene in their parenting decisions and hurt their child. so we have to push back against these attacks on transkids in every way we can in the courts, with legislation, through executive action, and by speaking out and speaking up. because i can tell you, having just talked to my constituents in washington state, the hurt and fear the governor of texas has caused is not staying in texas. what greg abbott said about transkids has an effect on many states. i wish it didn't, but the truth is all of those measures are not only really scare for transfamilies across the country, but they also embolden more hateful rhetoric and even violence against transpeople. and it is harming transkids' mental health no matter where

they live. we have got to be louder than greg abbott, or whoever is taking aim at transkids. we've got to push for legislation like the equality act that would send a powerful message of support and fairness for trans and gay americans. we have to stand up for america without this hateful harm and division we're seeing and with a lot more compassion for each other. it's not too much to ask. mr. president, while i have the floor, i also rise today to urge my colleagues to join me this evening in voting to confirm judge john chun for a federal judgeship in washington state. he is a pacific northwest native, he is a father and son of south korean immigrants. he would be the -- he is patient

and thoughtful, someone the people of washington state can really count on to uphold the rule of law and recommend all parties before him with grace and respect. judge chun's qualifications are superb having served for eight years as a state court judge. he has a commitment to fairness and impartiality. whether through his service as a board member for the washington low income housing alliance or his many pro bon -- pro bono commitments. his service as a federal district court judge in my home state of washington would surely help rebuild faith in our judicial system. i respectfully am here today to confirm judge chun. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

mr. lankford: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. lankford: mr. president, i come today to the floor with a simple i ask unanimous consent -- unanimous consent request. it doesn't allocate any dollars, it is a statement of belief from the united states senate. it's a statement to say, we hold certain things very important. i will talk through some of the resolution part of it, it ends with resolve, that the senate recognizes and promotes the importance of parental involvement in their child's education and recognizes the necessity of school choice as a tool to empower all patients

with the freedom to choose the best occasional environment for their children and reject destructive ideologies, such as krit cal -- parents should be the primary decision may for their children. not only where they are educated so they don't live in a certain neighborhood and say, you live there and have to go here. so parents have the flexibility of knowing one child is a good fit for one school and another child would be a better fit for another school, and whether it is in a district that moves place to place or in my state where you can change from disirkt to disirkt -- district to district. if a parent works in another district, that parent is able to

allow their child to go to school in the same district. why? because not every kid or environment is the same. not every school district is the same. it's important for us that every school district is successful. there is no place that we don't want any child to be able to being successful. we should admit the facts. not every school district is thriving. as we invest dollars and time and encourage great teaching in that district, that child in that district that is not successful is trapped in a location that is not successful. maybe they can be successful in five years from now when they work through the issues they have, but that child doesn't have a second shot. that child has no opportunity to choose and their parents are locked into that spot, we'll say we'll fix everything in this district in a few years and that child is just allowed to get an

option out. i doesn't think that's helpful for that child and parent. giving parents the ability to make the choice between public schools, private schools, charter schools, whatever it is best for the state and the policies created is the best thing. any kind of teaching in a school that promotes one kid as the oppressor and the other kid as the oppressed simply because of the color of their skin should not be taught in our schools. why don't we teach that every child is equal, why don't we teach every child should have opportunity? why don't we teach every family has an opportunity in this great country of ours? where we have weaknesses, we work on our weaknesses, but we don't label a child as an oppressor or oppressed based on the color of their skin. that is what is rising up on the

critical race theory. i had many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle say that's not true. that's not actually being taught. great. let's make a resolution and say we don't believe this should be taught. let's teach and love every child and this resolution also affirms the rights of parent to be able to speak out, in the -- not in a violent or destructive way but for parents to speak out. why is it several months ago that our department of justice and our nation starts a whole investigation on parents to be able to say are there parents that are actually maybe closet terrorists that are showing up at school board meetings complaining about what's being taught, complaining about a mask mandate in their school, complaining about a vaccine mandate, complaining about critical race theory, or just saying i don't like this particular curriculum. that used to be the rights of parents to engage, and now we hear really parents don't know enough about these difficult

things, parents just need to sit down over there. we'll take care of this as professionals. again this resolution doesn't add additional funding, doesn't change the structure of our schools, but does say we as the senate believe in the power of the parent to be able to make the right choice for their children. so with that, mr. president, as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that with the committee on health, education, labor, and pensions be disacialged if further consideration -- discharged from further consideration and the senate proceed to my resolution s. res. 493. i further ask that unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? mrs. murray: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: mr. president, reserving the right to object. mr. president, i got my start in national politics as a parent advocating for my kids' preschool program. i am a former preschoolteacher.

i'm a former school board member. and i am now chair of the senate education committee. i have worked across the aisle on fixing no child left behind. i've also fought against efforts, many during the former administration with betsy devos as secretary of education because i felt they took us further from the goal of making sure that every student in our country no matter who they are or where they live or how much money their parents make can get an excellent public education and all the opportunity that comes with it. all this is to say i could not care more deeply about making sure every child gets the chance to learn and succeed in life. and my belief that parents should be as involved as possible in their kids' education could not be more firmly or personally held. in fact, i can remember the times when as a u.s. senator with young kids at homieself --

at homieself, i would would try to read my memos at night and help with homework. i wanted my kids to have that support from me just like i want every parent to be able to be on top of what is going on in their kids' schools. i also know from talking to my own family and so many students and families across washington state these last two years have been some of the toughest, most overwhelming time for parents and kids that many of us can remember. here in the senate our job is to recognize that and do everything we can to get things back on track, which is why, mr. president, democrats acted quickly to pass the american rescue plan and give schools the resources that they need so they could reopen and stay open safely. we also recognized after two really disruptive years many students would need extra help, so in that american rescue plan as we speak right now, paying

for after-school programs and tutors and summer learning so students all across the country can catch up. mr. president, i'll remind you that this bill to help reopen schools safely and keep them open passed with zero republican votes, not one. not only that, senate republicans have come to the floor twice last month alone with ideas about snatching federal funding away from our schools, and republican leaders even rolled out a plan that would eliminate the department of education a altogether. could there be a clearer message about their priorities? mr. president, at all times, emily after the last two years, there is no excuse for anything short of an all hands on deck national effort to put students' education first. but unfortunately, mr. president, here's what we've got happening. democrats acted to reopen our

schools safely and keep them open. congressional republicans down to theses to ourtion's schools.

let's prioritize stem education and advanced course work and make them available to more of our k-12 students. let's make students' mental health a top priority so they can focus on learning. so i will be asking unanimous consent on legislation that would help us all do this

importantly in a way that seeks parents' input directly on what will matter most to their kids and their communities. if you're trying to get our schools back on track, this should be an easy yes vote because it will be a vote for students' education, parents' peace of mind and actually doing something real about the tough challenges students and parents are facing. i hope my friend from oklahoma will support it and moving forward republicans will take education as seriously as they claim to and reverse course and join us in working to meet this moment for students and parents' sake. at this time i object to the senator from oklahoma's unanimous consent. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. the senator from washington. mrs. murray: as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the murray bill which is at the desk, a bill to appropriate funds for students'

academic and mental health needs. further, i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is thereiding officer: the senator from oklahoma. mr. lankford: reserving the right to object. i appreciate the dialogue on education. but degree is an education. my mom is a lifelong educator. i spefnts my centers -- summers growing up in the school library putting books in the dewey decimal system, putting the new piece of tape on the outside of it and actually back in the old days, filing a new card in the card catalogue which half the people listening to me right now have no idea what that is. i'm passionate about education. i have two daughters that i stay very engaged in the issue of education. so it's always interesting to me when my democratic colleagues say when republicans guess

serious about education. it's always interesting. you know, we'll pass a bill like what happened in the omnibus or what happened in any education bill before and there will be billions and billions of dollars in education, but the comment will always be well, if you really love kids, you'll do just one bill more. but because you don't love kids, you did one billion less. it's never enough on it. this resolution that i brought today was not about an extra $1.3 billion in education to be able to hire more people. it was just about empowering parents. it is an interesting side by side to say what families need more is more employees at school and what i'm saying is we need more empowerment of parents. one costs $1.3 billion. the other one is just free. one says let's have folks at

school know how to be able to take care of your kids best and the other one says well, let's make sure there are certain things like critical race theory that we don't teach at school to make sure every child is taught the same. if that parent wants to teach that at home, they're welcome to teach that at home but let's not impose that on every child. let's not call some children oppressors because of the color of their skin. why would we do that? so the resolution i brought is not about a billion dollars. it's just a statement of support of parents. a statement of support of what parents want to be able to teach. it's not about more school employees. it's about stronger parents. that's what i think that we ought to continue to be able to address. this is not about who loves education more. quite frankly, i know my colleague from washington is passionate about kids and about education. she's lived it. as a mom, as a leader in this senate, and as someone i watched

negotiate with lamar alexander some of the toughest education policy and conversations. she's a remarkable legislator and is passionate about this. we have some disagreements on some of these issues. i'm just passionate about doing whatever we can to be able to honor parents as often as we can and to tell them no, you're not going to be investigated. as she mentioned, parents in texas being worried about being investigated. i would tell you parents in oklahoma have said to me i no longer go to school board meetings because i'm afraid the f.b.i. is going to be there and they're going to open a case on me because i've heard that the attorney general is looking for parents that are problems across the country. and so i don't feel comfortable going to a school board meeting anymore because of the u.s. attorney general may open a file on me. now that's a real conversation with a parent at home.

so let's find a way to be able to empower parents and do whatever we can. so i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. a senator: first i would ask consent i -- i be able to complete my brief remarks before the vote starts. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cardin: i rise today in support of the confirmation of baltimore city circuit court judge julie rubin to be united states district judge for the district of maryland. i recommended judge rubin along with senator van hollen to president biden and we strongly support her nomination. judge rubin has been nominated to fill the vacancy created when judge ellen hollender appointed by president obama in 2011 announced her intentions to take

senior status. president obama nominated judge rubin for this position on november 3 of last year and the judiciary committee held a hearing on december 15. judge rubin was favorably reported by the judiciary committee on january 20 of this year by a bipartisan vote. she received a unanimous well qualified rating from the american bar association standing committee on the federal judiciary which is the organization's highest rating. the a.b.a. assesses the nominee's professional competency, integrity, and judicial temperament. shortly after the november 2020 presidential elections, i worked with senator van hollen to establish a judicial selection committee in maryland. we used an open application process with public advertisement and communicated closely with state, local, and special bar associations in maryland. in particular, we sought out highly qualified and diverse applicants. our committee interviewed everyone who submitted an application, which involved

several dozen interviews. senator van hollen and i personally interviewed several finalists with four recommending names to the white house. born in baltimore, judge rubin received her b.a. cum laude from mount holyoke college in 1995 and her j.d. from the university of maryland school of law in 1998. she worked handling intellectual property and employment law matters in both federal and state court. judge rubin was appointed by the again of maryland as a baltimore city circuit judge and was elected in 2014 by the people of baltimore to a 15-year term. the circuit court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in maryland, covering both civil and criminal cases and is the exclusive court for jury trials. similar jurisdiction to what the federal district court handles. so she has that experience. judge rubin brings tremendous experience