most popular of the irs time you're not going to see rob. . busy boy want. no chance. you'll see how brisk is that she's probably not going to the sharkey. do you worry congress across the aisle will be the type? >> i think on the one hand we lost some of publicans that we don't live in a bipartisan way. but i think the republican party as a whole and mainstream of balkan party has learned and is learning that the trump way to work and maga wade work that's not enough omnibus was as successful as it was. it did have people that are still there be sure if you look at the votes, it was the

desire on the republican side despite the pressure from the maga house republicans said to get this done. i think you're going to see the same pressure, as is indicated . last one. >> the provisions are no used ? >> is between christmas and new year's is seriously the next two years. with old clothes. goodholiday she is . >>

>> i worked for jeff sessions and pats toomey and mike lee and worked for a number of senate conservatives in that capacity and great honor to work in that fabulous institution. >> part of your work now is taking a look at effects of congress. you recently wrote a piece taking a look at lame duck congress. you call it a threat to knock seizure disorders, can you -- democracy. can you talk about what spurred this on? >> in the leadup to the election and after the election, there's been a lot of talk of election

deniers and discussion about the threats to america's democracy and only helpful for people, americans regardless of what they believe to be concerned about their government to be concerned about political process and regard to the lame duck, it was very concerned to me and here we have a congress and standard practice today is to wait till after american's vote and wait till after they cast their ballot and make all the important decisions and this isn't like congress ran out of time. congress intentionally waited until after the election so that it can make decisions either with members retiring and not seeking to come back in january who can no longer be held accountable or members on the ballot two years from now but that's two years from now during a busy holiday season and weeks of december following the election and that is by definition a threat to democracy

and undermines voter's ability to hold elected officials accountable for the decisions they make on their behalf. >> especially if they were voted out of office and technically in office on the clock so-to-speak. what's wrong with them making these kind of decisions? >> absolutely. they had time left in their turn with the 20th amendment ratified in 1993 sought to address this before the lame duck session lasting up till mar of the upcoming year. this case march 2023. the 20th amendment tried to get at that and tried to end lame duck sessions by requiring congress begin a new session in january, on january 3, of the year following an election. there was some time a couple of weeks between the election and that january date for congress to address the emergencies just in case something arose and that's how they used lame duck sessions early on. however, i think the real problem is that members are purposesly, intentionally waiting until after, until after the people vote to make

decisionings. they're not doing it just because it's a emergency and not just doing it because they ran out of time or had other pressing things to do. they're doing it intentionally because it's easier to pass big controversial bills in the dead of night with no one looking when you have the holidays bearing down upon you and you no longer are worried about people going to the polls in a couple of days to cast ballots. >> you're with us till 8:45 talk about them and highs and lows of the 117th congress and you'll ask them questions and call republicans (202)748-8001. democrats (202)748-2000 and independents at (202)748-8002 and text (202)748-2003. on the 20th day of january and senators and representatives and in such terms would have defended and goes onto bear.

mr. wallner you talked about waiting and butting up against these lame duck packages and would you cite this as an example of waiting for this congress to take on something that big? >> absolutely. congress released last night a $1.7 billion omnibus spending package. it's a lot of money and there's a lot of stuff in the bill. i doubt many people if anybody had a chance to read it and they're waiting till the last possible minute. they've had a whole year to complete work on this. technically they're supposed to have this stuff done by the end of september but congress doesn't meet the deadline and doesn't meet because it's trying and running out of time. it doesn't meet its deadline because it's not trying to meet the deadline. it waits and members themselves and they're all good people, they're doing what they think is best, but this is the way that they've kind of decided to do business over the last 20 years or so. when you have a $1.7 billion

dill that is thousands of pages long that is released in the dead of night and they're going to vote on it and get it out of congress and to the president's desk before week's end in a mad rush to get home for the holidays, it's very, very hard to identify who the pivotal players are in the debate and hard to identify what's in the bill, it's hard to hold people accountable for the decisions they make and it's very hard to influence the process if you so chose if you don't like what's in the bill or want something else in that bill. here we see the america's system of representative government literally breaking down in front of us and what's remarkable and striking is that it is so routine now that both democrats and republicans do it and no one seems to care much. >> some republicans make the case that we're taking the gavel beginning of next year so let's wait to make these decisions. >> if you took over the house of representatives and more

leverage in the new congress if there's a majority and makes no change all along and passing evolution to delay it with congress and after all congress loves passing continuing resolutions when it thinks it'll have a and kevin mccarthy and speaker of the house of representatives and the democracy and there's nothing wrong walleye that is the

defense. >> they'll return to regular order when it comes to passing the budget bills. why do you think that's been unable to happen. if there's something pressing they need to address and the

american politics and they work and they keep them represented and they have to go along and they may not want to do that and the democratic party and divisions of the republican

party. separating thousands of democrats and independents and james wallner and hear first from lisa in minnesota and the democrat line and more. >> my question to respect to amy coney barrett and the opportunity to meet with senators and would have gone with them according to republicans at the time and later. and the american people want at the point with anyone appointing to the size of them and more

down the line. going for the point and getting supreme court justices and rolling in the process and and the senate is fully within the rights to hold hearings and allow votes on nominees and the supreme court justice and the court of public opinion and the

chance to weigh in and they chose not to and make that really highlight and the confirmation process and senate republicans seem to be more interested in using the sounding board as a medium and they can go out and make statements that appeal to the people and make kind of forward leaning process and rolling up their sleeves get the bill passed on my amendment and we see very little action in the united states.

>> they don't want to take your phone calls and say you're not in my district and don't want to hear and call 1800 congressional office. if they don't take what you have to say with any meaning at all, it never goes anywhere. that's the gospel truth. it never goes anywhere. inflation for two years and issues of chipping into the social security amount of money because of the inflation for two years. it's like been last year i got $107 and it was -- usually getting $22 or $13 or things like that. that's a huge problem for the future. yet no one talks about it. and everybody says they care.

thank you for listening. >> thank you, roberta, for calling. >> yeah, that underscores the concerns i see with the lame duck. at the end of the day, americans need to understand that they are not ruled by the people they choose every two years and ultimately in this country and the nation it's the people themselves that are ultimately sovereign and choose poem to go and act on their behalf and the activities and self-government is an activity and we participate and don't go into a voting booth and come out and do nothing and there's a lot of great examples in our nation of people who chose, even when the congress wouldn't listen to them. even when society wouldn't listen to them and engaged in acts of civil disobedience and suffrage movement and decade struggle ongoing in many respects to get ratification of

the 19th amendment and dr. keen of the civil rights movement and montgomery busboy cot and des of 1955 and december of 1956. that's a long time and takes effort and you cannot just pick up the known and call someone and ask them to do something and expect everything to go well. sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. when it doesn't, it's incumbent on all americans, conservingtives and liberals, democrats and republicans and anybody in between to do the things we have seen in american history, the kind of nonviolent direction action, the kind of writing and pleading and making your case to colleagues and neighbors and friends and family to ultimately ensure that your government is taking your concerns to heart and ultimately acting in a way you see fit. >> my caller had given congress her grade. how would you grade the 117th if you've seen it and what highlights or low lights would you take from that? >> right now not too encouraged by the congress and the

legislative environment and they're struggling to tackle the issues that are utmost on the concerns of the american people. it's about the dobbs decision in an abortion and there was one vote and one to codify roe v wade ahead of dobbs decision being leaked and democrats had one vote and failed to get 60 votes and drop it had as quickly as they could and moved on. they haven't tried again. if you recall back to an earlier time and not that long ago in 2003, four, and five, there was a nominee named miguel estrada and republicans wanted to confirm him and forced seven counter votes, seven votes over a very long period of time. they kept coming back and held

all night sessions and kept the senate in when the senate would otherwise not be in. they really tried and then we look at the dobbs decision and effort to codify roe apparently and presumably on abortion and they are and it's the common view and they couldn't try again and wonder why nothing happened and out of the struggle when people try to debate and learn different things and have to ultimately learn different things. >> next year we'll see them being ruled by the republican party presumably kevin mccarthy seeing legends with that and new minority leader and have the senate with the side of government and choose to be legislating on capitol hill. >> it will certainly change the discourse a bit and not in the

grand scheme of things, the outcome won't be a little different and there'll be a hard time defense issue the congress from the 118th congress but it's a step in the right direction if only to the extent that we need more conflict and political conflict and fighting within congress and in between the house and senate. we need rank and file lawmakers to aggressively push and constituents can take note and >> go ahead. >> in my opinion, as i think the united states has done, we ain't got no congress and we ain't got

no military men. i think we're already in communism and i'll just tell you what, i ain't got no respect for the people of the united states right now as far as running the country. it's gone to the dogs and they're going to have to do something to show the people that what's going on in this united states. i appreciate it, thank you and have a good day. >> thank you, kenneth. >> what impacts of what congress does? >> i think to your point with congress, if you think about the institution only interest as long as it's used for what it was created for. congress is where we go to fight, disagree, debate and argue. when we no longer use it for that, we no longer use it to achieve our goals for all intents and purposes.

purposes. doesn't mean it can't come back tomorrow if the lawmakers wake up and be law make herbs again and use congress. congress is not doing what it was ultimately designed to do as a institution. >> you've written a couple of books on this idea of the deliberation. that a thing long lost in congress or is it still possible? >> there's always going to be decisions made behind closed doors and there has been. the key difference is to which the rank and file lawmakers are able to participate in the process and they're doing it to themselves and it's not like there's a shadowy figure and forcing everybody to do something. if you want to know why congress is broken, its members broke it and that's a reflection ons and it's a deliberation and compromise but we're thinking about really is consensus. we don't like disagreement. we think that disagreement is a bad thing but before you

exomictions tough disagree and have a difference of opinion. if we had a consensus on things, we wouldn't need congress after all. if we want deliberation and want to see more compromise and more bipartisanship, we have to embrace, we have to embrace the outlie ores, liberals and conservatives and embrace the idea of political conflict and agreement and we have to see them as good things in the productive period. >> you had looks of charts of bills that were passed or public laws enacted and if you go back to 89 or 90th or 101st congress, it was 408 substantive bills and 118th congress social security

233 but the numbers go up and down from then but as far as passing laws, the number you look at or the quality of laws that you pass. >> the number of laws that can be -- they aren't very consequential or maybe have a broad, widespread support and think about that and overall there's a top line number that do matter and what's more important thing and not many people remember that act and congress isn't passing legislation to deal with that and congress can pass 1,000

public laws but if it's not adjudicating the concerns of the real american people that we can see n a way that we hold accountable. they don't really mean much in the end. >> from lawrence in new york, democrats line. >> yes. my name is lawrence and i wanted to know that biden is doing his job. i have too many people with complaints about him and actually he's doing his job. he's 24 hours. that's a job. that's a number one job as highest point of state or office. >> okay. that's lawrence there in new york. mr. wallner, mr. biden formally because of his senate career, what about his relations with his experience in congress? >> biden is your quintessential legislator and i was in the senate when he was there and had great relationships with

members, remembers and democrats alike and i want to point out what's often lost and these people, the members of congress, the people in the executive branch are judges and the president and they're doing a very difficult job and we may disagree with them and may not like what they do all the time and comments can get pretty critical and that's nasty at times and that's really important we recognize that we are all americans and they're all doing what they think is best and disagree with how they're going about doing it and ultimately it's a very important to keep that perspective in mind. >> peter on the republican line. >> good morning, mr. wallner. i agree with how there's big

talk and trying to blame they had candidates and it's because the republican party no longer want to prove to the american people they deserve to take back and they should be passing for the constitution and nobody and people that vote along with the democrats. for instance i'm not working with you on any major legislation till you secure the boarder and republican cans do that and republicans and i'm a

republican. republicans him and haw and complain and when it comes time to act why they're doing so poorly and unless it shows the people they mean business. >> it's unified and call out president biden and say immigration and it's comprehensive immigration reform and tom covert to support the bill and defeated by half the republican party and mitch mcconnell was visibly upset and

frustrated on the cspan video library and see it after the vote is called and you can see mcconnell's point of view there. he has his own policies and his challenge is to try and unify a thing that's not agreeing with immigration and a point you raised about election in canada and i'd encourage all the viewers to resist the urge to have a one size fits all explanation for something. the fact is there are great republican candidates doing well and poorly in some places and poorly in others. i don't think we'll understand it and be perplexed and confused

by it. >> talking about senate in your experience and what did you think about the recent decision about kirstin sinema and the process with the shed and real difference but at the end of the day it won't change how it'll hold and release the the influence and influencing policy and depending on how much they agree with their fellow democrats on the issue. >> well, this influence is really given them by the party and gnat torrs by the leadership. when i worked in the united states senate you realized how hard and difficult it is for one senator to do anything there's

plenty of rules on the books for them to go around and mansion and sinema on the floor and we've seen the leaders play hardball and not anything in the

senate and not going to do that and down in the particular congress and she has been and i don't agree with everything show has been and opposite sides of things and her skill has been just incredible of what the

effective leadership looks like and we want skilled leaders to also achieve those goals. >> hello. first of all, i got a question for you, i know you are blaming a lame duck session and you don't and politicians and the american people have to be clear with who's funding it. that's what drives the decisions in congress is the money. you can't even identify who's getting what most of the time.

what's your opinion on there? we have the supreme court making decisions that are more political in my lifetime recently. what's your cure for these problems is some are generated by the court and some are generated by the parties attacking the election process so that's the big problem and that's the concerns of the light to see our representatives adjudicate the concerns and seeing what people can ultimately decide and hold our elected representatives accountable and there's nothing wrong for that and that's inherent in american self-government. the problem is increasingly both among the american people and their representatives and colleagues that we have now come

to the pointed where if you don't agree with what you think is right, i'm going to do everything i can to make sure you don't have a right to participate in the process and that you aren't able to adjudicate your concern and i'm not able to vote on what you think is best. >> i usually vote republican but i'm independent. i live in the deep blue state of

maryland and it's i just look at what's going on and i see a uni party and i want to get your thoughts on the uni party because the big issue, which in my mind is the fiscal conservative is more action that's concrete in that. you've got the entitlement programs of social security and medicare that haven't been addressed since tip o'neal and ronald reagan address it had, and it seems to me that the politicians in this country are taking decisions based on their self-interest and their career politicians and what we need. we need legislators not going to be voting in their own self-interest, colluding with the opposition, which as you said should be a crucible of conflict and instead is for a group of people who collide with

each other and they can continue their careers as politicians and get rich and they all come out as millionaires and i want to get your thoughts about belaboring the point. >> thank you, bill. >> we shouldn't be surprised and it's always going to be hard to change the status quo and in the last debate and interest of the parties and people and supported those that won the last debate and the american people have to feel empowered and right now you see a lot of apathy and a lot of apathy and frustration and powerlessness in the population and that's very concerning because ultimately in the early 1960s and status quo issues like civil rights issues was extraordinarily powerful in the 1950s. in 1958 there was a number of

democrat liberal senators that came in and not going to continue to do business as usual and the reason is their constituents pushed them and we're not tolerating you continuing business as usual in dc and we'll get somebody expels you had more and more join them and they disrupted things and started forcing votes and, yeah, they lost the votes but you have to lose before you win.

>> we haven't seen a lot of oversight out of congress in recent decades and among democrats and republicans and it's a good thing whenever congress decides it wants to do something. it's a good thing in my book. it's incumbent on people that don't like to try and resist it but the way is resisting inside congressthat underscores the fact there's other ways to punish citizens and you actually

can't and shouldn't be impeaching citizens because that's not in the constitution. there's another interesting thing if we look at impeachment trial to the january 6 committee hearing and one reason why democrats and some republicans alike wanted to convict the former president and that impeachment trial is they wanted to ensure that he couldn't run again and gives the senate the ability to say if an impeached official, you can't run again. they didn't prevail on that vote and ultimately if you look at january 6 committee efforts here, it could be seen in a way that kind of convicts the president in the court of public opinions and he cannot run again. again, it's important that we distinguish the political and legal implications here and try to evaluate them both independently. >> do you think it would have been different results, say the original state of republicans and house speaker and house minority leader wanted on the committee and would have made a difference? >> well, it just depends.

making a difference and finding smoking gun or finding evidence and haven't released what we don't know about yet then, you know, maybe more conflict that leads to that. what happens is it raises issues and inviteds people into the process and gives them something to watch and gives them a sense of kind of engagement and helps to bring out information that we otherwise wouldn't see. but it's important that any representatives who are partes pating in this on the -- participating in this on the republican side and the they're proceeding and precisely out of conflict and out of disagreement, we get a better understanding of the truth of reality in the realm. and not sure there's a lot of support for that kind of a process on the democratic side or among republican supporters for the january 6 committee hearing. >> let's hear from pennsylvania and we have -- let's hear from

paul. paul in texas. >> good morning. i want to thank cspan for all they do and my question is just tuning in but your thoughts on citizens united statessed with the 2010 supreme court case that has a lot of flood of money coming in from corporate donors and what's your take. >> you and i on that. they're giving them a look and meanings with regards to congress and the president. the supreme court is extraordinarily important institution and absolutely vital

it's healthy and strong but as long as we continue to look to the supreme court and campaign finance and after all the supreme court has spoke and now the only way to get around that is with the supreme court and that ultimately undermines the supreme court and a weaker institution and harder for the supreme court to do the job that it ultimately has to do under the institution. >> the website for our guests.

>> the city of tucson accepted over 15% of total population just in migrant releases since april of this year. in yuma, the threat of street releases persist every single day including today. with thousands of migrants coming to our border and seeking asylum, our overwhelmed border patrol agents are now additionally passed with processing asylum seekers taking them away from important work of patrolling the border apprehending illegal crossers and stopping cartels, drugs, and smugglers. the consequences are plain to see, the mayor even recently reported seeing migrants traveling along intercity highways because border patrol

was too overwhelmed to apprehend them closer to the border. humanitarian organizations across the state and brave men and women in blue have the burden of a failed system, washington continues to politicize them. they're retreating to partisan corners and examining the process for what it is. and focusing on the meaningful solution. some refused to acknowledge the need for need for security welcome all into the country and they want to fund their agencies

and they provide care for the asylum seekers and the country and these are all fall choices and the partisan effort changes and bipartisan vote and immigration system continues. just as we have in a number of complex issues from gun violence to marriage equality and religious freedoms, we focused on the shared values and shared goals. before we could tackle the issue of a backlog asylum process, employment visas or the status of undocumented residents, we

knew we had to focus first on securing the border. a problem as big as all broken boarders needs a smart comprehensive solution and that starts by investing in the brave men and women who keep our border safe. a robust, well trained, and well resourced border patrol, office of field operations and air and marine operations force are critical to secure the border to keep our communities safe and ensure the fair and humane treatment of migrants. senator tillus and i enforce boosting pay and giving officers the equipment and security they need to boost their job safely and efficiently. beyond supporting the men and women in blue, green and brown they get to reassert control of the border.

to secure the border we need to do things that make sense but relying only on physical barriers is a 17th century answer to a 21st century problem. the fact is the majority of illegal drugs seized coming into the country arrive through the ports of entry and this past october, our office of field operations officers reported in 73% increase in fentanyl seizures compared with just one year ago. and just two weeks ago, the office of field operations officers at the nogales port of entry seized over 1.5 million fentanyl pills in less than five days. a wall alone can't stop the drugs from finding a way into the country and killing our friends and neighbors and our loved ones.

we must supplement security barrier withs innovative technology solution and boost our border protection and patrol forces and we must update the policies governing or border needed at the moment. >> for years our system represented the promise of america welcoming those fleeing persecution. the entire system is broken and our border patrol are not able to do their jobs and catch dangerous criminals. in order to uphold the promise of protection and freedom and ensure that our asylum seekers are there and we must acknowledge that the status quo and the officers remain completely backlogged and case is taking years to resolve and sending a message that america

does not take this process seriously and that our system is articulated. in arizona, the impact is clear, small towns along our border like san luis, nogales, yuma, and aho are overwhelmed daily, struggling to care for their own residents while managing an increasing influx of hundreds of migrants a day. with our asylum system broken, more make the arduous and devastating journey to the border. they risk not being access to care and medical. arizona's humanitarian organizations do incredible work and they go above and beyond every day to avoid street releases and to ensure migrants are treated fairly. they can only do so much. for example, the main

humanitarian organization in tucson has been serving over 600 asylum seekers a day. ...

to ensure that our border states economies continue to grow and to ensure our nation's economy continues to thrive for generations to come we need a robust workforce and that's why our bipartisan proposal has a loophole in our employment system. for years hundreds of thousands of visas have gone to. by writing goes wrong to increase our country's competitiveness and ensure that america has the workforce it needs to power our economy and to be on the world stage. i believe the future of our country also depends on the full inclusion of millions of young people often known as dreamers. in america we don't punish children for the actions of their parents. and millions of young people have been brought to this country through no fault of their own. these kids have grown up in our

neighborhoods, attended our schools, graduated, gotten jobs. they have served in our military. they have contributed to our economy all while making our communities more vibrant and rich places to live. now they are stuck in limbo, a casualty of washington's inability to help our immigration system. that's why we have said enough is enough. we call on our colleagues to join us in a bipartisan plan to give these young people a chance to be recognized as americans. it is tough but it is fair and i'm certain it will make america a stronger and safer place for all of us. i stand here today disappointed as we come close to closing out the 117th congress that washington has chosen yet again

to retreat to its partisan corners instead of doing the hard and necessary work of finding a lasting solution when it comes to the crisis at our border and in arizona we will continue to shoulder the burden. part of the problem is that many in washington have never taken the time to look at our border up close and without seeing it for all its diversity and its challenges it can be easy to to rely in the partisan points instead of focusing on a meaningful realistic. that's why when we come back to congress in january 1 of the first things i will do with senator tillis is convene a bipartisan group of senators who are willing and committed to get something done. we are going to bring them to the border. we are going to see what arizonans see every single day because the crisis this big should not and cannot be read in

arizona we cannot afford for this crisis to continue much longer. over the past four years i have been privileged to work with colleagues in the spotty on both sides of the aisle to solve some of our country's toughest challenges for honesty and collaboration. we have shown that america there is so much more that unites us than divides us. we have shown america was possible when we listen to one another, not to debate but to understand it there is no challenge more intractable more difficult to bridge and more dire for us than our border and immigration crisis. i believe that we can come together and honestly solve this challenge. i am willing to do the work and i couldn't be more grateful for

partners like senator tillis who is also willing to do his work and today i call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us. put down the politics. let's get this done. thank you. i yield the floor. >> mr. president. >> the senator from north carolina. >> thank you mr. president. i want to thank my colleague senators and a for her comments. she sprained a lot of challenges that we are seeking to address that will persist into the next congress now. one of the things we have to do if we are able to achieve bipartisan consensus for the next congress is to get more people to recognize justice center cinema stated in her first few lines o comments that were made, we have the crisis at the southern border and it's a crisis where the southern border

states bear the brunt of it. but it affects everybody in the united states, every city, every state, every community is being affected by the crisis at the border. i think this administration has to recognize if sanford -- interesting if you watch the news coverage house suddenly one end of the spectrum says now it's time for congress to act. 2 million illegal crossings in each of the last 12 months period for a total of 4 million people crossing the border. we dodged a bullet this week when title 42 which is a policy that allows expedited approval for certain group of those crossing the border illegally to be returned. tomorrow or next week or in the next couple of weeks out policy is going to come off the books. then, order patrol says they will no longer have control over

the border. they have already said they can barely keep up. the vast majority of people are border patrol agency should be responding to these crossings are working in the aftermath of 2 million people coming across the border over the last 12 months. they are providing housing and transportation. they aren't actually doing law enforcement. this title 42 goes away that 2 million is estimated to be 3 million over the next few months and it could go up from there. ever since president biden is taken office we have to keep in mind that this is just an objective observation of the 12 months before president biden came into office. there were a half million illegal crossings and the 12 months before the 12 months after there were 2 million in the 12 months after that there were 2 million. now we have the threat of 3 million continuing.

what's even and not on the one hand when you see somebody risking their life to come into this country you have to take it as a compliment. they want to realize the american dream and i admire that. one of the reasons why we are so attracted as a country to come and live and prosper is because we are a nation of laws. we have order. now we have disorder at the borders and even though it's a huge problem is even a problem to have 50,000 -- the way it works out on the border, i have been to the border several times for the vast majority of the people that crossed the border immediately you literally see the northern side of the rio grande and arrow that points you to where you can go to be processed. they know they will be treated respectfully and they will be given housing and food and they

will go through the process read what's concerning is there are some 50,000 per month who intentionally evade apprehension. why on earth if you have an asylum plan we don't have a critical -- criminal record why would you not get in line and present yourself and be released within a few weeks? the reason for that as many have criminal background records. we have 750 recently apprehended who are documented members of gangs in their country of origin. these are people that are coming to this country and quickly going into the communities and making those communities less safe for the people who are legally present or people who have been relocated over the past years with the flood of the border. you also have to understand the

cartel, the reason the demonstrations has to recognize this is a crisis is the cartel has made an estimated $800 million over the last 12 months paying a toll to come to this country. if you are in a latin american or south american country you pay on average between five to $7000 per person. if you are from china you are paying $35,000. these cartels have set up a marketing function. they go to these countries and say if you pay us we will get you to the united states. in spite of the fact that they may have passed through the other safe countries where they could seek asylum. that's what we talk about when we talk about abusing our asylum system. our national treaties as if somebody comes to you and you have a credible fear for your life for your family's life in the country that you live we will relocate you to a country that can grant you asylum and go through the process but the

cartel says we don't care where you are in the world literally and we will get you to the united states. you'll pass through several countries where you could apply for asylum in between and when you get here the cartels coach them on exactly what to say to make you think they have a credible asylum plan in spite of the fact with hundreds of judges , democrat judges, republican judges, independent judges, 80% of those asylum claims are deemed not to be credible. so the asylum system is broken and it has to be fixed. it's the only frame i could support. we need more technology and more enforcement at the ports of entry because the same cartels that are making $800 million a year spending that money and bringing in truckloads of fentanyl and dangerous drugs poisoning in killing americans. so i hope in the next congress

we can recognize number one hopefully the administration will recognize that we do have a crisis at the border and it can't be solved on partisan grounds. we have to have a conversation on both ends of the political spectrum need to recognize we need to point to a solution otherwise americans are going to be poisoned to death in and people trying to cross the border are going to die and it's a moral obligation we have to get out of our political comfort zone and get something done. otherwise the death, the blood of the people who died as a result of inaction are on the hands of everybody in this room. thank you mr. president. quorum call:

>> mr. president i want to thank my colleagues for their statements earlier on the floor on the issue of immigration. a number of us are coming to the floor to discuss it today. it's a sad day, said because there were many people who were counting on this congress to do something, who understood that we have an immigration system that is terribly broken and paying a heavy price for it and there are many who are watching this proceeding today who are paying an even heavier price. if we do nothing to help those who are affected by daca and did nothing to help the dreamers court decisions may. this and for some these people

to face the reality that they can no longer legally work in america and they are subject to deportation. many of these young people are and i'll tell you the story of one and just a man have their whole lives here in the united states. they have gone to our schools and they go to our churches and they go to their high school football games. they work at the dairy queen kids all over america. they are part of america and at least they think they are but they are not. they are undocumented and their parents brought to them to this country when they were toddlers and little kids in grew up in this nation thinking that they were part of it in their respective awakening when the parent said we have got to tell you the truth, you are not here legally. these are dreamers people we try to help for over 20 years since i introduced the first d.r.e.a.m. act and i wanted to help them now and i thought perhaps we could get something done. but we haven't been able to and

unfortunately today it looks very unlikely that we will. but i hear in the comments from the senator from arizona and north carolina the bottom-line truth any reasonable factual discussion or debate on immigration not only deals with dreamers and those who are here in undocumented status but that also has to do with what's going on at our southern border. senator from arizona is correct its humanitarian and security nightmare that's only getting worse. we are being flooded the border by people who want to be in the united states, safely in the united states. i had an opportunity to meet some of these migrants who were bused to chicago a few weeks ago and sit down across the table from them and hear their stories. i will tell you i recommend that to all who work on this issue. here are the real stories of desperation and dangers that they faced in the countries they came from and realized protected

an american had an opportunity in america was the same who brought my grandmother to this country with her 2-year-old sister and brother. i recall the stories. these are not people sent setting out to cheat a political system. these are people fighting for survival. they four months on a journey from venezuela to our border and in addition to that individual's as a college educated individual who left because for fear of her life and came to the united states and during her trek to this country went through a violent personal assaults in mexico. she broke down in front of us as she told us the story. these are real people real human beings. the bottom-line principals that guide us i think there are at least three but the one to come to mind we have to have an

orderly process at the border. there has to be some system that monitors the number of people coming in. that's number one. number two we should never knowingly about anyone dangers to come to this country. that's unequivocal. i think that everyone agrees on that in on that in third and this is the hardest part we cannot accept at any given moment all the people who want to come to america can. we have to have an orderly time a process that make sense for america makes sense for our reputation as a nation and move them forward on the right track. i think of the streamers because i've come to this for so many times, five different times calling for passage. five different times i got a majority but on the floor in the senate as most people know it takes 60 out of 100 i couldn't get the 60 vote margin five times. 10 years ago we had a saturday

morning vote. this gallery was filled with these young people or they were wearing caps and gowns to tell the stories of their graduates of high school and colleges and when we lost that voted and didn't get our 60 votes i join with them at a lutheran church and there were a lot of tears being shed. for me and all the others. i said to them at the time i'm not going to give up on you. don't give up on me. we can do this. i reached out in every direction that i can think of to find allies in this conversation who will sit down on a bipartisan basis to fix our immigration system but i want to thank the senator from arizona for taking the initiative on this issue along with senator tillis. i believe, although i didn't agree with it all it's a great starting point to the conversation and debate on a bipartisan basis.

the real selling point has to be the true stories of the people who'll be affected by this. let me tell you one as i have before but but this is a 100 30-second time i've taken to the floor of the senate to tell the story of a dreamer. this young man's name is josé flores. he arrived in this country from mexico when he was only 11 months old. he grew up in my home state of illinois in dekalb illinois. from a young age he served as an interpreter for his family. it was through these experiences will providing support to his family his passion for health care boom. high school josé and rapanos certified nursing assistant course in his goal was to eventually be a doctor. it was not until he was 16 his classmates were getting driver's licenses and making decisions about college is when josé realized he was undocumented. even though he was accepted to

the university of illinois chicago his legal status meant he didn't qualify or any federal government assistance or scholarships and he couldn't afford a steady job the first semester. he didn't let that stop him. josé recently earned an associate degree in illinois. on top of his schedule josé worked for the travel nursing agencies a certified or sing sing assistant for this role he traveled to six different states worked in rehab centers, nursing homes hospitals and providing care to our most vulnerable citizens. the pandemic end josé was flying across the country to meet the health care needs. he was far from home and unable to be by his grandfather's side when his grandfather passed away from covid. it was one of the many sacrifices jose made to pursue

his passion for serving our nation. today josé has earned a full scholarship at loyola university in chicago to complete his three medical student studies and obtain a bachelor's degree. madam president let me take a moment. there are many great institutions in my state and in our nation. they have gone out of their way to show that they care for people like josé. it was their strict college of medicine which open competition for the first time to daca students all over the united states. they didn't give them a "or to say that there was only a certain number that will be accepted. for many of these daca students in illinois and outside it's the first chance they have ever had to apply to a medical school. as a result more than 25 students were accepted by loyola and here they have accepted a

full scholarship to complete his previous studies on the way to a bachelor's degree. he wants to attend medical school and begin his journey toward becoming a doctor and plans to open a clinic for low-income people. he considers daca quote is opportunity to be a member of society. a simple question is america better or for having him? would we be better off if we deported him back to mexico quickly came to america when he was 1-year-old and didn't know where his parents were taking him. volunteering to help with health care risking his own life during the covid-19 crisis to help other people, doing the hard work that many people would turn away from it now trying to finish college with a pre-med degree so hey he can become a medical professional in america. do we need in chicago places

around our state waiting for people with nursing and medical background to step up and treat american people. one of the hospitals in chicago came to see me last week and it's in a tough neighborhood. they said they administered at the hospital we almost closed down. luckily, luckily we were able to bring in 30 filipino nurses to augment our staffing keep that department opened. 30 immigrant filipino nurses keeping open a major hospital in the city of chicago. that story is repeated everywhere. for people who say we need no more immigrants we just don't need them, they are wrong. we need jose when he does nurses and people will make this a better nation. we have to deal not only with their situation undocumented situation but also with border security. the senator from arizona was correct there is a humanitarian

challenge and now it may have to wait for another day since we can't finish it this week but when we do return let's do it with an open mind and an open heart. let's understand we can make this a better and safer nation, a nation of immigrants who make this a better place and we can have order at the border as well. that's the only thing that gives us a chance to thrive as an american nation in the future. i look forward to working with the senators and i thank them for their initiative and i will do all i can to help them. mr. president i yield the floor. >> madam madam president. >> the senator from missouri. >> i won't be able to work with you or others on this in the next congress. i'm coming to the end of my 26 years here in a couple more weeks. i will move onto whatever's the next chapter and i'm excited about that. i'm frustrated we haven't been able to do a better job with

this issue. first of all let me say i heard maybe not all 130 some of those speeches that senator durbin has given but i have heard a lot of them and like him i'm fully supporting up the kids who grew up here being able to stay here. we should want them to stay here and we should eagerly be looking for ways to be sure they stay here. we have one demographics matter a younger society is a more healthy society in lots of ways but also the fairness of asking somebody not to live where they grew up or more importantly asking to go back and try to live somewhere where they have never lived before is a critical thing that we should easily be able to get beyond. i actually thought the plan that senators sinema and senator tillis have put together had a lot of appeal because we have tried to do just enough things

that were doable to get them done together. i've always thought madam president in 20 plus years of looking at this same challenge that the comprehensive solution is unlikely to be the best solution we can achieve. i was a whip in the house when i was in the house and it takes 218 people do get something done in the house. when you look at the challenges before us, how do you secure the border, what do you do about people who came or stayed outside the law? what do you do about people seeking asylum? the same 218 house members that may be the best two and 18 members are the same 60 senators that may be the best 60 senators to deal with the issue of how do you secure the border probably aren't the best 60 senators to figure out what do we do about the legitimate workforce needs of the country? neither of them may be the best

60 senators to figure out what do we do about people who came or stayed without documents? it's about half-and-half i think. none of them may be the best 60 senators to figure out what is the very best way we can rap her arms around people who grew up here and let them know for sure we need them here we want them here and to find a quick solution. i frankly think the dreamer problem is and should be the easiest problem of all of these problems to solve because the alternative to solving a problem makes so little sense, makes so little sense in a personal way and so little sense an economic way in so little sense for our communities. everyday we are doing hard things in american adding to their education and capacity. again we should want that to happen. the asylum system clearly is

broken. it just can't work that you can walk up to the border in the united states of america and say, i come seeking asylum, i come with fear for my life whatever, living in a poor dangerous country is not the criteria for asylum. that is why when people do go to court to have their case heard it's about one out of 10 times that they qualify. somebody has told them before they got here that they would qualify or the system works and the way that if you get here you can get into the country. we are so far behind and who knows what might happen if they allow you to stay longer than you think you might be able to stay. the border, securing the border is definitely a definition of one of the responsibilities of the country. if you can't secure your own

border, no matter what country you are talking about, you don't need an entry level definition of a country. it's incredibly basic and we are not doing that. frankly under the last administration i think we were doing a lot of things right when it came to securing the border. a barrier where you needed a barrier and other things you needed to monitor what was happening. being sure that people understood the likelihood that they'd be able to go to an asylum make an asylum claim in court. all those things mattered and did matter. trying to be sure that people have the information they need and even if you are trying to get to a safe country that should be your goal. your goal is to try to get to a country with a better economic opportunity you should probably be trying to come to the united states of america by the senator durbin said and i suspect every

senator when asked about this will say everybody can't come here who lives in a country that is less safe or less economically successful than ours. we just can't have it. it's not possible. we can't have the border that allows everybody who has the desire and can get to the border to permanently be in the country. but a bill i was arranges within but we ran out of time to get to it, it looked at the asylum system that was gaining strong support from the border guards and immigration officials who came to see me and others and said here's what we need and here's where the bill was perfect and here is where it can be made a little bit better and if this happens we will vote unanimously for it. i thought that was a good approach. he didn't try to do everything. try to do enough things that people could feel like they were making progress.

the easiest thing that should be the dreamer's getting bored of her and others who work with people into a real job rather than the java detaining people who aren't here are the reasons they say they are here, who they know or will soon find out they don't have an asylum claim. it's just not working. it's not working, no matter what anybody says. the border is clearly not under control. it's hard to solve these other problems at the border that's not under control but i thought the idea that we would move towards that control and have some sign-ups before we move further is one of the good things in a bill that i was looking forward to seeing presented and debated. it's time we have built debated on the floor and shared more information and more thoughts.

it's time we found the right number of senators to solve these problems in the best way rather than frankly not being able to find 60 senators that has ever been able to come up with a comprehensive solution that will also pass congress. i hope we can continue to pursue the right thing for our country the right plan for dreamers, the right plan for our economy and the workforce, the right thing for people who meet the skill needs of our economy and come here and find jobs at the level of jobs if they are prepared for. we need to move forward and thanks to senators sinema and senator tillis for your efforts in this but i look forward to watching is hopefully we continue to move more dramatically towards that goal for america and the right goal for people who want to be americans.

>> madam president. >> the senator from arizona. >> madam president i join my colleagues to discuss the importance of tackling the issues at the border and our immigration system. i think what folks have heard so far is that republicans and democrats find a lot of common ground even on this topic. i'm here today because securing our border and fixing our broken immigration system is a priority for me and for the state of arizona. in the state of arizona it bears the brunt of washington's failure on this issue. this is a national security issue. for decades now politicians have

tried and failed to fix our border and fix our immigration system. we see crisis after crisis under administered to the both parties nbc attempts by congress to pass reforms to allow over and over and over again. on this issue more than any other folks often retreat to partisan corners rather than finding common ground that we know exists. it's what led to the federal government in border states like arizona for decades when it comes to border security. it is led to a broken immigration system that doesn't work for families. it doesn't work for dreamers. doesn't work for businesses, small and large. doesn't work for our country. in arizona these aren't abstract issues.

these aren't theoretical questions to debate over. these are real problems and arizonans deserve real solutions. our state is left to deal with crisis after crisis at the border including the one we are facing right now, where record numbers of border crossings are streaming on law enforcement and streaming on humanitarian organizations. this is unsustainable. the change to title 422 title ii authority now is only going to make these challenges force. that's why we are here today because it's past time for congress to work together to reform the broken immigration system and plan better to prevent this continued humanitarian crisis. over the past couple of weeks including today have been speaking with verizon officials at the border about the

situation on the ground. that includes border patrol who are seeing their staff stretched even further. that includes cities and counties who were having their emergency services strained. that includes humanitarian and nonprofit organizations who are trying to increase their capacity because they are being stretched so thin and they are expecting to be stretched even further just to help people. so i've been pushing the department of homeland security as they work to mobilize and cut staffing and resources in court nation ahead of the change of their title 42 authority. there's a lot left to do and i'll keep working with them towards a secure humane and orderly process that the border. ultimately, ultimately congress needs to step up to. we have to do our jobs.

because it's not just arizona that sees the impacts of washington's collective repeated failures to tackle this issue. there are hundreds of thousands of dreamers across the country who are just as american as my own two kids and my grandkids. they still do not have a pathway to citizenship. they watch every court case, every legislative effort to understand how it will impact their lives. that's so they can determine if they can continue living, studying and working in the only country that they have ever known, planning their lives, their careers and their goals based on the outcome of a court hearing and what we do in this room or failed to do? that's just wrong.al

they deserve a pathway to citizenship. i know it's a priority for many who i have spoken to here over the last two years. it's time we do this. furthermore our immigration system just doesn't work for our economy. across the country they there are businesses that can't get the workforce they need or they face huge backlogs in immigration system and a lot of families face similar backlogs due. these are folks who are following the rules laid out by our laws. still run into a wall of bureaucracy. it's leading to labor shortages that squeeze supply chains and raise prices. so let's fix fix it and let's te action to better secure the border. that includes putting up physical barriers where they make sense.

just like i've been able to do in places like the morales dam in you for where pushed to finish the construction. but also hiring more border patrol personnel increasing their pay and deploying more of the right technology. here's the thing, when you are willing to sit down and really worked together, you find that there's a lot of common ground on this issue. that is my message to my colleagues today. come to the table and let's get this done. let's stop kicking the can down the road. let's do the tough work that we were sent here to do and get something done to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system. thank you and madam president i yield the floor.

>> the senator from nevada. >> thank you. madam president i know arizonans feel the same way that i talked with some of my colleagues. i'm frustrated. time and again over the last two decades they have seen congress work towards much needed legislation on immigration only for reasonable bipartisan agreement that falls apart because someone is playing politics this happen happen in the senate just last week when some of my colleagues madam president because if you and senator tillis, we saw a framework of a bipartisan bill to give them a pathway to citizenship and also provided

resources to increase our border security. there's a bounce there to adjust to we are hearing and i heard my colleagues today and we are seeing on the news what's happening at the southern border right now. just as we seem to be closing in on a deal it unfortunately fell through once more. i know the hope is that we will continue to work on this in congress and i hope we are able to bring our colleagues together because if we don't the alternatives are just unacceptable. there is broad bipartisan consensus in my state and i know crosses country and i've heard it from some of my colleagues for a path to citizenship for dreamers across the country. i heard senator blunt earlier say the solution for dreamers exist and that should be the easy thing to pass.

it's really been over two decades since legislation was first introduced to protect people who are brought to this country as children and this is the only place they have ever known. it's been over a decade since the creation of the daca program which protects some but not all of our dreamers. the program continues to face legal challenges and that is left not just nevada in limbo but so many across this country and terrifying limbo. without legal protection dreamers can't reach their full potential. even though many of them have had incredible successes thanks in part to daca. there are 12,000 daca recipients in nevada alone and many thousands more that we know in nevada and across this country. they are teachers and business

owners and health care professionals. they are servicemembers. they go to work and school every and school everyday and they pay taxes than they care for their families and they contribute to our communities. all over this country dreamers and rich our nation. not only do they warrant a passage of citizenship, they deserve it. they are on the frontlines in the pandemic and they were the essential workers. madam president i've heard my colleagues talk about this and i know that you know this. oftentimes we need to show to washington the very faces that we are talking about because sometimes we get lost. we talk about numbers and we have grass and we should do this and we should depape but we don't have the very people that we are talking about in front of us right now so that we can show our colleagues who may not know what we are talking about. madam president this is a stack of letters that i received from dreamers in nevada and some

across the country. i want to bring attention to some of these dreamers that i know that have sent me letters. this is why we should be working on at the very least legislation that focuses on moving the ball forward. this is from a dreamer in nevada. his name is ricardo. he says i am an undocumented student at the college of southern nevada. i will be graduating in the spring of 2023 with a 4.0 jpl -- gpa and i both the major murals they prepared to college i graduated with a high honor diploma and a gpa of 3.65. this track record has allowed me to be eligible for many opportunities. unfortunately i haven't been able to take advantage of it due

to my status. even though i've done many things to be a stellar student and get the opportunity have only been able to go so far with my academics because of my status. many times throughout my life in school and outside i've been told that i couldn't do anything i wanted in life is a the longest i worked hard for it. i work twice as hard to get half as much success. madam president that is true for all of the dreamers that i've talked to today work hard, they love this country and it's a only country they know. they do everything they can to excel whether it's in school or at work. they want to be a part of our workforce. they are committed to doing so and that's why a senator blunt

said they should be -- and i will tell you by the way these are dreamers in nevada that i talk about in nevada. i get letters from dreamers in kentucky. i've gotten letters from dreamers in texas. they are all over this country. they are similar to the ones i just talked about. so yes i think they deserve a pathway to citizenship and not sometime in the future or some future congress. people on both sides of the aisle knows we have been close to compromise so frequently and so frustratingly but i know it's possible to come together on a compromise that supports dreamers and increases border security. the presiding officer: indeed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations en

bloc, 763, 1153, 1169, further, that the homeland committee be discharged from further consideration of p.n. 2225, interns edwards, to be inspector general of the national reconnaissance office, that the senate vote on the nominations en bloc, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action and the senate resume legislative session. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged, as appropriate. the senate will proceed en bloc. the question occurs on the nomination. all those in favor say aye. any opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the nominations are confirmed en bloc. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. 5357, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 5357, a bill to

provide compensation for victims of libyan state sponsored terrorism. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask that the bill be considered and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the commerce committee be discharged from your further consideration and the senate proceed to s. res. 785. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 785, designating october 30, 2022, as a national day of remembrance for the workers of the nuclear weapons program of the united states. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged, and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent, resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the appointment at the desk appear

separately in the record as if made by the chair. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to its immediate consideration of h.r. 10282, which was received from the house and is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: an eact to pro -- an act to prohibit the -- to study the incident of fate fatal and nonfatal assaults and for-hire vehicles in order to enhance safety and save lives. the presiding officer: the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the wicker amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the amendment to title be considered and agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: we are in a quorum call. mr. schumer: thank you. i shall return.

for your time. can you expand on your role that you served particular in the role of the investigation help congress investigate events and things? >> guest: i was simultaneously chief counsel for the democrats s consent that the senate proceeds to the immediate consideration of s. res. 663, 4321. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar 663, s.4321, a bill to save our seas 2.0 act. and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the sullivan amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the finance committee be discharged from further consideration of

s. 4105 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 4105, a bill to treat certain liquidations of new motor vehicle inventory, and so forth. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar 548, s. 0304 2. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar 548, s. 3641, a bill to codify the authority of the secretary of agriculture and secretary of the interior to conduct certain land scale scale restoration projects and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed and the motions to

reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar 619, s. 2708. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 619, s. 2708, a bill to provide for greater consultation between the federal government and governing bodies and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. 271, s. 2524. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 271, s. 2524 a bill to amend the alaska settle claims act and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on energy and natural resources be discharged from further consideration of s. 3428 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3428, a bill to require the secretary of energy to establish a program, and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the manchin amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, and the bill as amended be read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i know of no further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the bill? if not, all in favor say aye. any opposed, nay. the bill as amended is passed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the amendment to the title be considered and agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on energy, natural resources be

discharge from further consideration of s. 3873, and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3873, a pill to designate the -- a bill to designate the outdoor amphitheatre at the blue ridge music certain in galax, virginia, as rick balcher amphitheatre. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: finally, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today it convene for pro forma session only on the following dates and times, friday, december 23, 11:00 a.m., tuesday, december 27, 5:30 p.m., friday, december 30, and tuesday, january 3, 11:30 a.m. following january 3, the senate convenes at 12:00 noon pursuant to the constitution.

further, following the prayer, pledge, the swearing in, and the required live quorum the morning hour be expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. for the information of the senate, on january 3, the swearing in of other new and recently elected senators will be at noon, followed by a live quorum. if there's no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it be adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until