with the pen in the oval office. right there, folks. case closed. that's how all of these crises were created over the past year. now, imagine how some of the other policies being proposed by democrats, like defunding the police, abolishing i.c.e., or enacting the green new deal could turn out if president biden is given the chance to sign them into law. taxpayers can rest assured that republicans in congress will keep doing our part to make sure those bills never make it to the president's desk. and if the president tries to bypass congress and enact his radical agenda by signing

executive orders behind the closed doors of the white house, americans can count on republicans to clue you in. thank you, madam president. i yield. mrs. blackburn: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mrs. blackburn: thank you, madam president. well, it has been over a year since joe biden, kamala harris and the democrats took control of all the government here in d.c. and they like the fact that

they've got their hands on the drivers, and they're enacting their policies. but what is so interesting as my colleague from iowa was pointing out is they continue to try to blame donald trump and republicans for the issues that are in front of us. now, just a few years ago, if you had asked me how i would evaluate a government that spent their way into inflation, record-breaking inflation, surrendered our border to the drug cartels, and abandoned two embassies, i'd tell you that that sounds like an administration that is in disarray. i think most people would believe that to be a fact. but here is the problem -- we've moved beyond disarray. tennesseans feel like that it's more like a catastrophe.

this is not mere incompetence at work. joe biden is earning his disapproval rating that he was joking about at the correspondents' dinner last week. he knows that it is indeed low. some of the lowest ever. the fact is that president biden and vice president harris have had a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad year, and they did this to themselves. and now their allies in congress are ready to make things even worse. they're doubling down. and this is what happens when you try to force an agenda filled with pet projects that the american people are telling you they do not want, and as taxpayers are saying you can't afford this.

this is what happens when you really have no vision for the future of the country. it's all about power, all about control. last month, the harvard kennedy school institute of politics released a poll showing that this distinction between agenda and vision actually matters to people. they found that 56% of young americans aged 18 to 29 disapproved of joe biden's job performance. that's correct, had 56% disapproved. and just last spring 59, that's right, 59% of young americans were still in his corner. look at what is happening. look at that flip that is taking place. the measure of success or failure for this administration shouldn't come down to how many

boxes they can check off their wish list, but how many young americans look at what they're doing and they say i can't support this, this does not give me hope, this does not look good for my future. indeed, 56% of young americans ages 18 to 29 disapprove of the biden agenda. right now, this age group, they're losing hope. that same harvard poll shows that their top concern isn't the environment, it isn't abortion or roe v. wade, it's the economy. and why wouldn't it be? the current inflation rate is 8.5%. last year it was 2.6%. how can anyone be expected to plan for their future if they're struggling to plan for next week's grocery run? they're paying a premium just to

live. meanwhile, the president is asking them to sacrifice even more so he can check some more boxes on his to-do list that is all about this leftist agenda. it's not about the people. it's about power. it's about control. young americans, and i would say all americans, tennesseans, deserve better than this. they deserve leaders who have a vision for the future of this country, who have the god-given common sense to see it through. joe biden and the democrats have been in power for more than a year. the window for blame shifting and excuses is closed. it is shut. it is time for the president to abandoned this self-destructive agenda and give the american

people a fighting chance at reclaiming their own vision for the future. i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. kaine: madam president, in a moment i'm going too make a motion to, by unanimous consent, call up and hopefully confirm significant appointments in the department of defense. we are in the midst of a war in europe right now. it's hard to imagine that, and yet it is the case, and every day we see atrocities committed by niewpt niewpt's illegal -- vladimir putin's illegal invasion of u.k. a, but every day we see the concerted -- illegal invasion of ukraine. we see us trying to provide support for the ukrainian defense force and people. we honor their resolve and heroism and feel proud of the role the united states and other nations are playing in providing defense. i hope we'll take additional defense support up on the floor in the days to come. however, this is not easy work

to do. one of the positions that i'm going to be seeking a u.c. on is the d.o.d. deputy secretary for sustainment, christopher lohmann, a virginian. he and his family live in fredericksburg. mr. lowman is, according to the committee, completely noncontroversial, and very much desired in this position. he was born in germany of a military family, grew up in virginia, went to check in new jersey, was united states marine beginning in 1984, and then after his active marine service entered the army civil service as a army maintenance management intern. he's been with the army since. his specialty is logistics. this deputy secretary of sustainment is kind of the peak logistics officer in the pentagon. he previously was the acting principal deputy assistant director of the army for acquisitions, logistics in

technology. ok, that's a title that's -- what does that mean? i'll tell you what it means. when the united states is trying to get historic amounts of military aid across a contested border from allied countries into a war zone, we need people who know logistics. it may not be the sexiest part of the military mission, but it is part of the mission that is absolutely critical, and it is part of the mission where the u.s. military is second to none in the world. if you wonder why the russian military's grand plans to topple ukraine in just a couple of days came to naught, you first say it's ukrainian heroism and second say it's the support of the allies, but third you have to points out the russian military has demonstrated that they haven't mastered logistics. the inability to maintain supply chains, the inability to do proper maintenance of tanks and other vehicles is one of the

reasons that the russians have not been able to accomplish their aims. and so what this war in europe has dem -- is demonstrating is militaries that have the capacity to do logistics and provide supplies to people on the front front end of the fight are critical to success. given the fact that the united states is the key to pulling together the international effort to provide support to the ukrainian defense force and given the fact that that mission depends upon having the best logistics in the world, why would we leave the chief logistics officials at the pentagon position vacant in the middle of a war when the united states is playing this heroic war? so, for that reason, madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations en bloc, calendar numbers 477, 5

9, 777, 779, 780, 781, 8 1, 886. that the senate vote en bloc without interveeng action or debate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, that any statement related to the nominations be printed in the record, that the president be immediately notified of the senate's action and the senate resume legislative session. the presiding officer: is there objection? a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from missouri. mr. hawley: reserving the right to object. i find myself here on the floor again with my friend, the senator from virginia, whose sincerity and urgency on this issue i don't doubt for a second, tries to move a whole slate of nominees, to which multiple republican senators have objections. let me give you a sense of why. one of the nominees that my friend is attempting to move here, let's be clear, to do this without a vote, we could be voting on these nominees, the majority leader could schedule

votes on them anytime. but he hasn't done that. he hasn't done it in some of the cases for months. no, this is a request to suspend the regular order of the senate and to confirm these nominees without a vote. well, i for one am not going to consent to confirming without a vote people like robby chadray, nominated for assistant secretary of the air force. he appeared before the armed services committee on which i sit, as does my friend from virginia, mr. chadray has proposed using a.i. technology, artificial intelligence, to track members of the military, identify them as extremists, and then have them expel. he said, these are his words, the key to disrupting them, meaning extremists, his word, people whose views he doesn't agree with, the key to disrupting them is uncovering

and understanding their initial behaviors. i'm still quoting, behaviors, elements that are contained in their electronic footprints. what mr. chadray has proposed to do is to use surveillance on members of the united states military to determine whether they might in the future commit acts that he might disapprove of. and then to take action against these members of the military. in 2015 he wrote this, that the military exhibits a culture of xenophobic cronyism. he went on to say that there was a xenophobic command climate in the united states military today. i said to mr. chadray, at the time, when we had our hearing, that i cannot believe that he would propose to use surveillance on members of the united states military to track their speech, to track their activity online, to track their

movements online, all in an effort to decide if they might in the future commit acts that he disagrees with. i submit to you, madam president, not only is that wrong, it is blatantly unconstitutional. blatantly. blatantly unconstitutional. and it is frightening. what is further frightening is that he would be nominated for a leadership position in the department of defense. i call on the president of the united states to withdraw this nomination today. just as he should withdraw his unconstitutional disinformation board that he is attempting to force on the american people as we speak. this is the most radically anti-free speech administration in american history. their actions are an affront to the basic constitutional values of this nation, including and especially the first amendment. i am appalled -- appalled -- at what this administration is doing, censoring american

citizens, surveilling them and now advocating it in the united states military to the men and women who put their lives on the line? so, no, i will not consent to have this individual, who never should have been nominated for this position, fast-tracked to be confirmed without a vote, without a single solitary vote on the floor of the united states senate. a senator: mr. the senator yield for a question? mr. hawley: i think you have the floor, senator, so -- mr. kaine: is it strikes me that the senator's objection is, you do not want to have this candidate, the bloc of them advance without a vote. if i can guarantee that you get a vote 0en these nominations, will you drop your objection? mr. hawley: can i respond to that? mr. kaine: yes. i know you'll vote no. you've made your point. but if you get a vote, will you drop your objection? mr. hawley: on all eight of

them, senator? mr. kaine: yes. mr. hawley: to have a vote on the floor? mr. kaine: yes. mr. hawley: i would be happy to have a vote on the floor. mr. kaine: we are not fast-tracking these without a vote. that is motion to allow a vote en bloc on the floor. so vulan opportunity to vote against mr. -- so you will have an opportunity to vote against mr. cadre -- mr. khaudaay or others. that's all i am seeking. so my request basically would guarantee your vote on all of these nominations, if you drop your objection. mr. hawley: is this a recorded vote on the floor, senator? mr. kaine: it would be -- yes. it would be en bloc, but it is a reasonable doubt ared vote is my understanding. -- but it is a recorded vote is my understanding.

again, madam president, just to clarify, my motion is only that the senate be allowed to vote on these nominees -- alex wagner for assistant secretary of the air force, ashish desrani, lester martinez lopez, ago necessary schaefer, lynn parker, musetta johnson, and ravi chaudry. i understand my colleague will vote no, but all i am moving is for the senate to have a vote on these nominees.

mr. hawley: on all eight at one time? you don't want to voten each one? -- mr. kaine: my motion is to consider them en bloc. but it will be a recorded vote, is my understanding. mr. hawley: what i propose to do here is, there are multiple senators on this side of the

aisle besides myself who have objections to different -- multiple of these. what i propose to do is object to this now, but i think we can work something out on this going forward. so i think -- do i have the floor now? can he -- the presiding officer: the senator from from virginia has the floor. there's a pending unanimous consent request. mr. hawley: okay. so i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i appreciate the objection being heard, and i would just say to my colleague, i hope we could work out a deal that would enable us to have a floor vote where my colleague could vote as he chooses on these nominees. this was not an attempt to bypass aest have. it was just an effort to the have a vote where everybody could be recorded on the nominees. i hope we can work that out. the presiding officer: the senator from missouri. mr. blunt: thank you, madam

president. i want to continue to tuck -- talk about some of the challenges that the administration is facing and the country is facing. let me talk about the border, the economy, and about our ongoing concerns on covid. first of all, the border. we've had a number of people come to the floor and talk about the border, the problems at the border. many of these problems are really self-unflicted on day one -- self-inflicted on day one. the president on the first day of his presidency -- and i have chaired the inauguration on january 20, and hours after that the president decided to stop building the wall. i was never an advocate of needing a wall everywhere along the southern border, but we had a wall in lots of places already. it was doing some good but wasn't doing as much good as it

needed to do. just the idea that we would, with the material on the ground and the old wall torn down, would decide to stop building a wall i think started these problems. and if that wasn't enough, then the president -- then president trump had made arrangements, the state department had made management arrangements, everybody involved with mexico to have people who were applying for asylum wait for their court date in mexico. it was my view at the time that we should do anything we could to help the mexican government make that work because the alternative was people would come into the united states and not show up for an asylum date later. in mexico they'd learn they weren't going to qualify for asylum because fewer than nine out of ten people roughly will

not qualify. you found that out before you got into the united states and successfully had entered our country, even though you weren't eligible to. if you were waiting in mexico and you found a lawyer to talk to and maybe even a way to hear your case some way there, you would find out that you weren't going to qualify for asylum 8.5 times or 9 times out of 10. that's where you should have found that out. to come in the country and wait for months to have a court date that you may or may not show up for just simply has not worked. and everybody that understands this system understands it doesn't work. and everybody that understands the obligation of a government understands that a government has some obligation to control its own border oz, and you don't control your own borders by having people come into the country that aren't legally eligible to come into the country and then just stay here.

so that policy produced real chaos. then title 42 under the public health law was another thing that we put in place, as we pull all kinds of other covid-related protections in place, and now we want to eliminate title 42. the only place, apparently, if you follow the c.d.c. closely right now, that we don't need to especially our game -- up our game on covid protection is the border of the united states. none of these things make sense. we have too many people that have been encouraged wrongly to be told to come to the united states, you ask for asylum, they let you into the united states, and then you don't show up for your asylum hearing. i'm for legal immigration. i'm sore solving the dreamer problem. i'm for doing a lot of things we need to do to make our immigration laws work properly.

you know, we need to understand the workforce needs of the country. we need to understand what to do about people who came or stayed illegally, but we also need to understand how to secure the border. that's where for any of these other things to work you have to do that. the covid problem, as i said, appears to only be a problem at the c.d.c. -- well, it actually appears to be a problem everywhere but the border. the c.d.c. just yesterday had a new rule that even for domestic travel people should now -- their advice is violence a test for domestic -- their advice is have a test for domestic travel. the efforts that we were working on and working hard on to replenish the categories that have been spent for research, particularly for the therapeutics that we need to have a stock of that haven't

been fully certified yet, so they have to be -- the government is the purchaser of those. we were working on a $10 billion bill, and even this morning again the secretary of commerce at our appropriations hearing said, well, that would just be a start. we need $10 billion or $20 billion, or $30 billion before the end of this fiscal year more than we currently have. and it's a emergency. $10 billion, $20 million, $30 million who are -- $10 billion, $20 billion, $30 billion more than we have now. but at the border this is no problem. we need billions of dollars to deal with it internally. we need to not only have fewer tests, which everybody agrees, fewer standards for come to particular travel, we now need a new standard for domestic travel. surely they will think about that. and while we're negotiating

again spending, this issue comes out simultaneously that the border is a problem. and then of course everybody knows the economy is a problem. all you've got to do to find out the economy is a problem is go to the gas station or go to the grocery store, and most americans do that and do it a lot. and when gas prices go up, when food prices go up, every family knows it. and what we're seeing now is inflation that i think it's 8.5%. it may be settling in at 8.5%. but wherever it settles in, it's a lot higher than it was at any time during the obama administration when the highest month in the entire obama administration of inflation -- that's not a year average, that's the highest single month -- was 3.4%. under president trump, the highest single month was 2.9%.

we're now at 8.5% and the producer price index has been in double digits since december. that's usually a sign that the other index is going to follow that double-digit scary number that's out there h so energy policies that produced exactly the result you thought they would -- higher energy prices; spending policies, the american rescue plan. i thought at the time it was a final covid bill, but when you look at the bill before we had a chance to vote on it and saw it, it really didn't have much to do with covid. maybe 6% of the $1.9 trillion went to covid. the rest of it went to things that put money in people's pockets to help them recover in an economy that was already recovering. you can't spend $1.9 trillion in a short period of time even in

the biggest and most vibrant economy in the world and not drive up prices. so whether it's inflation, whether it's the economic stress -- i talked to a group of missouri realtors today. they're beginning to see people wonder if they can afford a house at the interest rates that are out in front of us. it makes a big difference if the interest payment is based on 3.5% or 5.5% or 6.5%, or 7.5%, or 11% to 15%. most of these issues have an explanation that is rooted in confused policy decisions in the administration. i look forward to those confused policy decisions heading in a different direction.

let's look at the information. let's be realistic. let's not continue to see all of these things headed in a direction that makes no common sense in america today. and i would yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate will resume legislative session and resume consideration of the house message to accompany h.r. 4521 which the clerk will report. the clerk: house message to accompany h.r. 4521, an act to provide for a coordinated federal research initiative to ensure continued united states leadership and engineering biology. -- in engineering biology. the presiding officer: the senator from kentucky. mr. paul: i call up my motion to

instruct conferees which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. paul, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include the provisions contained in section 6107 of the senate amendment related to prohibiting funds made available to any federal agency from being used for gain of function research conducted in china. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the paul motion to instruct. mr. paul: last year the senate unanimously adopted my amendment to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to finance gain of function research in china. my motion to instruct asked that this language be incorporated into the final bill. gain of function research enhances the severity or transmissibility of existing viruses that may infect humans. the dangers are so acute that

from 2014 to 2017, the n.i.h. suspended funding of all gain of function research projects. while we may never know whether the pandemic arose from a lab in wuhan or occurred naturally, the emergence of covid serves as a reminder that dangerous research conducted in a secretive and totalitarian country is simply too risky to fund. congress must ensure that taxpayer dollars will not be used to fund gain of function research in china. i urge a yes vote. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. kaine: i yield all back -- all time back on the democratic side. the presiding officer: all time is yielded back. the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the clerk -- the motion is agreed to.

the senator from kentucky. mr. paul: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from wyoming. mr. barrasso: thank i, madam president. i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. barrasso: i call upon my motion -- please call up my motion to instruct conferee, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from wyoming mr. barrasso moves that the managers on the part of the senate of the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include provisions that require immediate development of a 2022-2027 federal oil and gas leasing program on the outer continental shelf which shall be finalized not later than june 30, 2020 and which shall provide for a minimum of 10 region wide oil and gas lease sales in the gulf of mexico and alaska regions of the outer continental shelf with a minimum of two oil and gas lease sales per calendar year not fewer than one of which

shall be in the gulf of mexico region each calendar year. mr. barrasso: madam president? the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the barrasso motion to instruct. mr. barrasso: thank you, madam president. i rise in support of the motion to instruct conferees to require the department of interior to finalize a five-year offshore oil and gas leasing plan no later than june 30 of 2022. i require -- it will require at least ten sales in the gulf of mexico and alaska and in consultation with both senators rubio and scott it does not impact any moratoriums, including florida's. the biden administration has failed to develop a five-year plan. gina mccarthy has told us why. last week she said president biden is absolutely committed, she said, to blocking additional drilling. jen psaki confirmed at the white house. instead of begging for oil from our enemies like iran and

venezuela, we should produce more american energy. i urge my colleagues to join me in support of this amendment. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. mr. markey: madam president, i rise to urge any colleagues to vote no on this motion to instruct from senator barrasso. if we want to talk solutions to the energy price crisis, we want to talk solutions to the climate crisis, we've got bills to do that. our federal oil and gas leasing programs include critical state and public involvement that this amendment is attempting to undercut and sabotage and to try to weaponize this bill in order to have the hope of prompting another giveaway for oil and gas companies which is not going to do oo thing to help the american people or the american country. oil and gas have 1,500 offshore leases they are not using encompassing a swath of ocean

larger than the state of maryland. oil and gas companies posted $237 billion in record profits last year which they should be using if they want to drill there, but they're not doing it. so we need to focus on delivering clean energy, efficient solutions to communities, not undercutting federal processes and giving more handouts to big oil. i urge my colleagues to reject this amendment. mr. barrasso: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: has

every senator voted? does any senator wish to change his or her vote? if not, the yeas are 53. the nays are 44. the motion to instruct is agreed to. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the junior senator from texas. mr. cruz: madam president, i call up my motion to instruct conferees which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from texas, mr. cruz, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include section 3258 of the senate amendment which requires a report identifying major areas of diplomatic, energy, infrastructure, banking, financial, economic, military, and space cooperation between the peoples republic of china and the islamic republic of iran

regarding the policy of the united states to limit such cooperation through terrorism related sanctions imposed on the central bank of iran and the islamic revolutionary guard corps as such sanctions are necessary to limit such cooperation. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the cruz motion to instruct. mr. cruz: madam president, china and iran are two of the most dangerous enemies of the united states. china is our most significant geo political foe for the next hundred years. iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. the biden administration unfortunately has been dealing with both from a position of weakness, specifically the biden administration has refused to enforce oil sanctions against iran allowing iran to sell more than a million barrels a day of

oil primarily to china. at the same time the biden administration is negotiating to lifter rich sanctions on -- terrorism sanctions on the islamic guard corps and central bank of iran. the irgc is responsible for murdering over 600 service men and women. the irgc right now is actively trying to murder the former secretary of state of the united states and the former national security adviser. if you supporter rich sanction -- support terrorism sanctions on the irgc you should vote yes. if you want to lift those sanctions, you should vote no. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the junior senator from connecticut. mr. murphy: thank you, the provision in the underlying bill that senator cruz's motion argues for is a good one. we should care about cooperation between china and iran. but i would urge my colleagues to oppose this because of anothers on trainious provision in the motion. the motion argues that the

united states should tie our iran terrorism sanctions to our china policy and that frankly is a bad idea. terrorism related sanctions are about punish -- punishing and deterring support for terrorism. if we want to use sanctions to deter cooperation between iran and china we should craft those tailored sangs but to tie our iran terrorism sanctions would have the effect of muddying the waters about the purpose of our terrorism sanctions. terrorism sanctions should be about stopping terrorism, period, stop. if we start applying terrorism sanctions for other purposes, it weakens our entire antiterrorist strategy and for that reason i would urge opposition to the motion. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion to instruct. mr. cruz: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll.

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 86. the nays are 12. the motion to instruct is agreed to. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: i call up my motion to instruct at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from new jersey, mr. menendez, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist upon the provisions contained in section 7300 -- mr. menendez: i ask that further reading of the motion be waived. the presiding officer: without

objection. under the previous order, there will be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the menendez motion to instruct. mr. menendez: mr. president, this motion would establish an inspector general at the office of the u.s. trade representatives as we have seen over the past several years, inspector generals are a key way that congress conducts oversight over our federal government through these independent watchdogs we prevent waste, fraud, abuse, increasing trains parenty while ensuring federal agencies remain accountable to the american people. it is a model that most of the federal bureaucracy has adopted because it works. but when it comes to the office of u.s. trade representatives, it remains an outlier, one of the only cabinet-level agencies without this key oversight tool. an agency led by a senate confirmed appointee tasked with carrying out decisions affecting every worker, business, consumer in this country is currently operating without one of the most effective guardrails we

have against overreach. just a few years ago congress saw how two negotiators for usmca were using their positions to solicit consulting work on the regulations they had written. we saw how the agencies' opaque tariff exclusion process was beset by inconsistent decision making and political favoritism. so this is an amendment that has been sponsored by over 53 senators, republicans and democrats alike. it passed in usica originally with a 91-4 vote. i urge my colleagues to support it and i on that i am happy to take a voice vote. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the amendment? if not the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from idaho. a senator: mr. president, i call up my motion to instruct conferees which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will record. the clerk: the senator from idaho mr. risch, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include provisions that take actionable steps to address the risks of and countermalign or undue influence or activities in the united states and abroad by the chinese communist party, the government of the peoples republic of china, or individuals or entities acting on their behalf. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the risch motion to instruct. mr. risch: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from idaho.

mr. risch: mr. president, i didn't stop the reading because it's pretty self-explanatory what this is. there was language in senate bill 1261. it left and went over to the house under division c that would have strengthened the ability of the united states to counter chinese influence abroad. and specifically the influence we're talking about here in one particular case especially is what's going on at colleges and universities around the country. what this does is put some very clear windows into what the chinese communist party is doing on college campuses, particularly as it relates to grants and money that they're putting into the colleges and universities. we're asking that the -- and directing the negotiators to see that there is such language in the final bill that comes out. thank you, mr. president. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the motion? the question is on the motion.

mr. risch: mr. president, i'll ask a roll call vote. excuse me, i'll accept the voice vote. the presiding officer: all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from arizona k. a senator: i call up my motion to instruct which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will record. the clerk: the senator from arizona, mr. kelly, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include incentives to support investments in semiconductor

manufacturing and innovation in the united states, including investments in the fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging and research and development of semiconductors. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the kelly motion to sphruct. -- instruct. mr. kelly: mr. kelly: mr. president, microchips are in everything from household vacuums to the most advanced fighter jets. a resilient domestic microchip supply chain is important to our national security and to our economy. but we've got two problems. we're facing a shortage of microchips and we do not have the capacity to produce enough of them here in the united states. that's why we have worked together, republicans and democrats, to pass a plan in the senate competitiveness bill that will boost american microchip manufacturing capacity, create thousands of jobs, and help

lower costs for families. i ask my colleagues to support this motion to show the continued bipartisan momentum behind our plan so we can get this across the finish line. and i am okay with a voice vote. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the motion? if not, the question is on the motion to instruct. all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from utah. mr. lee: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be

suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lee: mr. president, i call up my motion to instruct conferees which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from utah, mr. lee, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report not include the provisions contained in the following sections of the bill as passed by the house of representatives. one, section 30609 relating to building united states economic growth and technological innovation through the green climate fund. two, section 30607 relating to addressing international climate change mitigation, adaptation and security. three, section 30601-b7e

relating to the sense of congress on implementing the paris agreement. four, section 30610 relating to ensuring a whole of government response to climate action. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the lee instruction -- motion to instruct. mr. lee: mr. president, americans are facing an affordability crisis. in my home state of utah, the average household is having to pay an additional $702 every month just for basic living expenses relative to a pay every month at the beginning of last year. inflation is unsustainable. energy is one primary driver of inflation and this administration's senseless energy policies are largely to blame. the house's version of this bill contains more of these damaging

policies that will hurt americans and hurt utahans in particular while they can least afford it. my motion instructs conferees not to include the house provisions, including one sending $2 billion per year indefinitely to developing countries to support their supply of zero emissions vehicles. another provision that would sent $8 billion to the u.n.'s green climate fund which is historically given money to china as well as another provision expressing the sense of congress that the united states should implement the paris agreement. which is estimated to lead to a 20% increase in the cost for the average american family's electric bill and shrink our national g.d.p. by $2.5 trillion. americans can't afford these energy policies. my motion will make sure that they don't have to pay for them. mr. whitehouse: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: mr. president, if we want friends overseas and if we want a robust world

economy, it is important that america plays fair with the rest of the world on the one hand climate -- on climate. participatingin the international climate fund, participating in the paris accord and the c.o.p. agreements are all distinctly in our national security and economic interests. i urge voting no on the lee motion to instruct. and i further urge that if we want to protect the american consumer, get the heck off of fossil fuel before it drives us into ruin with high prices set by international cartels and massive pollution. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. is there a sufficient second? there is. there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 48. the nays are 49. the motion to instruct is not agreed to. the senator from tennessee. a senator: i call up my motion to instruct. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from tennessee mrs. blackburn moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment

to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include a provision that requires the director of the office of management and budget in consultation with the administrator of general services, the director of the national institute of standards and technology, the director of the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, the director of national intelligence, the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, and the chairman of the board of governors of the federal reserve system and consistent with information security requirements designed to address any national security risks to develop guidance for executive agencies requiring adequate security measures for any transfer, storage, or use of digital wand on information technology. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote on the blackburn motion to instruct. mrs. blackburn: thank you, madam president. if we continue to ignore the threat posed by the digital wowuhan beijing will use this

technology to increase its surveillance capacity, afford u.s. sanctions and threaten the dominance of the u.s. dollar in the global trade. this is the reason for this motion. this motion would require the managers to include a simple provision that will require o.m.b. to work with our executive agencies to put some much needed security measures in place. we cannot afford to look the other way while the c.c.p. increases its own global power at the expense of the free world and is looking for opportunities to use the digital wuhan to increase surveillance. i urge a yes vote on the motion. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the motion? if not, the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to.

a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas arkansas. mr. cotton: i call up my motion to instruct conferees which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from arkansas mr. cotton moves that the -- that the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to assist -- insist upon reject be the authorization of appropriations for contributions to the grine climate -- green climate found under section 36009b and insisting upon an authorization of appropriations of $8 billion within section 2118 of division a of the senate amendment relating to funding for the defense advanced research projects agency for department of defense research, development, production, and procurement of weapon systems needed to compete with china. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be two minutes of debate

equally divided prior to a vote on the cotton motion to ins instruct. mr. cotton: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. cotton: the united states is in a new cold war with china but joe biden doesn't seem to be up to the fight. the president's defense budget can't keep up with the democrats own right of inflation. the president endenies that china is waging a cold war against us. while we're shortchanging our own military against the dangerous communist adversary, the democrats want to send $8 billion of your money to u.n. boondoggle called the green climate fund. if anyone should be paying for a green climate fund, it shook the chinese communists, the world's worst polluters, not american taxpayers. my proposal is simple. instead of giving that $8 billion to the united nations to waste on climate seems and -- schemes and corruption, we should send it to our troops and help build our military. the u.n. or the u.s. military. it's an easy choice. i urge my colleagues to support the motion. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the

senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: madam president, this is the second shop that has been taken this afternoon at the international climate fund by our friends on the other side. america is a great and powerful nation, and it is usually good for great and powerful nations not to be a jerk. and therefore sticking up for the countries that are suffering because of climate pollution. it's something that a great and powerful nation ought to do. don't be a jerk and clean up your own messes are two things i learned as a child, and i think that our national security and our economic advantage are both served by actually supporting the international climate fund and helping the world work its way through the predicament that the fossil fuel industry has foisted on us. i urge a no vote on this. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll.

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 50, the nays are 44, and the motion to instruct is agreed to. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. ms. murkowski: i call up my motion to instruct conversationees which is -- conferees. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: mrs. murkowski moves that the managers on the part of the senate on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include the text of --. the presiding officer: the senate will be in order. the clerk: 117th congress as reported to the senate on december 17, 2021. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will be now two minutes of debate equally divided prior to a vote

on the murkowski motion to instruct. ms. murkowski: madam president, the senator from rhode island and i have offered a motion related to our bipartisan globe act. this is legislation that focuses on our oceans. they are a key source of food for us. they produce mostly oxygen. they help us breathe, help us maintain our global climate but we largely ignore them, unfortunately. we haven't done enough to address overfishing, pollution and acidification. according to noaa, we've actually mapped more of the moon than we have our oceans. so blue globe will change that by improving data collection, accelerating focused innovation, taking important steps, strengthen our economy, protect against china's illegal fishing and bolster national security along the coast. it is a perfect fit for a bill on competitiveness, so i would urge the senate to support this motion to instruct conferees to

include blue globe into the final bill. the presiding officer: is there further debate? hearing none, the question is on the motion to instruct. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed nay. the motion to instruct is agreed to. ms. murkowski: thank you, madam president. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from north carolina. mr. tillis: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. mr. sullivan: i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. sullivan: madam president, i call up my motion to instruct conferees which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from alaska, mr. sullivan, moves that the managers on the part of the senate at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521 be instructed to insist that the final conference report include provisions that prohibit a renewable energy project receiving federal financial assistance, a subsidy, or any other financing mechanism authorized under the final conference report, such as a grant or tax credit from

purchasing materials, technology, or critical minerals, mine produced, processed or refined and the people's republic of china or the russian federation. mr. sullivan: madam president. there will be two minutes of debate prior to the vote on the sullivan motion to instruct. mr. sullivan: our nation produced the critical energy technology we use in america, but not anymore. unfortunately russia and particularly china have a stranglehold on most of these critical minerals and clean energy technology that our nation needs. to make matters worse, madam president, some of these critical minerals and materials we are importing, like solar panels, e.v. batteries, are processed and manufactured in china using forced labor in some of the -- the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. mr. sullivan: madam president,

may i have 30 seconds to complete my statement in. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. sullivan: thank you, madam president. we can change this, madam president. we must change this had my motion to instruct is simple. any renewable energy project receiving federal funds cannot use materials, technologies, or critical minerals from china or russia. simple, common sense, humane, and in the interest of america's workers and our national defense. i urge my colleagues to vote yes. the presiding officer: the senator from oregon. mr. wyden: madam president, this congress and the clean energy for america legislation, which passed the senate finance committee is the best opportunity in the past decade for bold action that deals not just with the threat of climate change but gives us a chance to get those big investments here in the united states with

domestic manufacturing and good jobs an economic win-win. our country should be doing everything possible to invest in a technology neutral private sector driven approach to promote a clean energy future, including investing in renewable energy products, including manufacturing of solar, wind and other technologies here at home. further, i would note that our country has a clear pro prohibin on products made with forced labor that is restricting and will continue to restrict renewable energy projects produced with forced labor in china from the united states. my friend would have a vague restriction that would tie our hands and limit businesses ability to resource necessary

materials for the products with overly broad restrictions. i urge my colleagues to oppose the nation. the presiding officer: is there further debate? hearing none, the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the motion to instruct is agreed to. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. rubio: i -- i call up my motion to instruct conferees, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from florida, mr. hbcu rubio, the -- mr. rubio, moves on the conference of the disagreeing eaments to h.r. -- amendment to h.r. 4521, that the conference

report have a counterintelligence review to certify grants, funding, awards or other resources provided and intellectual property developed as a result of the conference report have national security protections in place to prohibit misappropriation an theft of federal resources. the presiding officer: there will be two minibuses of debate -- two minutes of debate prior to a vote on the rubio conference. mr. rubio: our research, our ingenuity, our products, our secrets, china steals it. we're about to spend tens of billions of dollars on research and if we do that we need to make sure the tens of billions are not also stolen. i think most of us would agree not to spend money on research without protections to keep the chinese from stealing it. what this motion to instruct would do is to ensure that there

is a counterintelligence review to certify that the entities getting this money through direct funding have national security protections against the theft of american research and resources. this would ensure there are protections in place to support the funding requirements and to ensure review of the funding for university technology centers. if this bill is truly to be america's competes act, with we need to make sure that america's funding and grants and other taxpayer resources are not going to be stolen by our adversaries to beat us using our own money. so i ask my colleagues to vote yes on the motion to instruct. the presiding officer: is there further debate? mearg none, the question -- hearing none, the question is on the motion. all those n- favor say aye. -- in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is -- the motion to

instruct is agreed to. ms. stabenow: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from michigan. ms. stabenow: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

a senator: madam president, i ask consent the quorum call be ended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. johnson: madam president, i call up my motion to instruct conferees. the presiding officer: the clerk

will report. the clerk: the senator from wisconsin, mr. johnson, moves that the managers on the part of the senate on the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 4521, be instructed to prohibit the possession, receipt, transportation, sale or purchase of mink raised in captivity for fur production. the presiding officer: there will be two minutes of debate. mr. johnson: this is two of the more inappropriate additions to ban the farming of mink for the production of fur. it makes no sense. it supports hundreds of jobs in wisconsin and so my motion instructs conferees to reject

any proposals. i want to thank senators romney and i ask that my colleagues vote in favor of this motion to instruct. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. booker: this directs conferees to reject a bipartisan house language that addresses a serious public health concern related with mink. it has spawned five covid vairnts that infected thousands of people. the next could infect millions of people. and the risk of virus mutation on mink farms remains significant. today there are only 60 mink farms left in the u.s. and they sell their furs to biers in china -- buyers in china, not here. americans have stopped buying fur because keeping the

semiaquatic wild animals in cages and breaking their next to kill them for fur is inhumane. other countries have phased out mink farming because of the serious pandemic risks they present. the u.s. should immediately follow suit and i urge my colleagues for the health of our country to join me in voting no on this motion to instruct. i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the question is on the motion to instruct. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

i

vote: