in society . i can only speak for myself but for ap it's taking strides to be able to call out lies obviously and be able to give nuanced context to things that lawmakers say and other public officials say but it is a lifelong conversation. >> host: farnoush amiri has been with the ap for four years and he's on twitter. thank you so much. >> live and on-demand, keep up with today's biggest events with live streams of floor proceedings and hearings from the congress, white house,, campaigns and more from the world of politics all at your fingertips and also stay current with the latest episodes of washington journal and live billing information for c-span's networks plus a variety of compelling podcasts.

c-span now is available at the apple store and google play . c-span now, your front row seat to washington anytime, anywhere. >> lawmakers about to begin their legislative work for the day working on the nomination of jabari walker to the us district court judge for eastern virginia. it confirmed he would be virginia's first openly gay federal judge and also oklahoma editor james lankford will be reading george washington's farewell address a tradition that began on washington's birthday in 1896. we take you to the senate floor live here on c-span2.

>> ...

the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. we praise you, o god, for the opportunity to serve you and country. may we refuse to boast about tomorrow, as we trust you completely to guide our steps. today, sustain our senators in their legislative work of sowing and reaping. may they faithfully plant and water the seeds of truth, justice, and peace.

give them the wisdom to cultivate the soil of debate with kindness, and civility. lord, whatever they do in word, or deed, may they do all in and for your honor. and, lord, we sthang you for the legacy of our first president, george washington. we pray in mur mighty name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c, february 27, 2023. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable tammy duckworth, a senator from the state of illinois, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patty murray, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. pursuant to the order of the senate of january 24, 1901, as amended by the order of february 16, 2023, the senator from oklahoma, mr. lankford, will now read washington's farewell address.

mr. lankford: in 1781, the war had stopped and george washington, then as the commander in chief led the eample until the new government could be formed. and in 1738, he came to annapolis, maryland, commander in chief george washington resigned his commission of the military. now, we don't see that as a significant event, but it's one of the most significant events at the beginning of our nation. because in the past, if you led the army and you won the war, you'd become the leader based on the fact that the army is behind you. that's the way it had always been in everyplace an every country. you have the army, you have the

power. george washington approached a civilian government. in the beginnings of a new republic, resigned his commission and stepped back to being a private citizen. that event is so significant john trumpbull, his painting hangs in the united states capitol. it has been there since 1824, the painting of george washington resigning his commission is actually older than the dome it is under. we don't think about a military leader taking over the united states. that's unthinkable for us. because of the path that george washington laid down behind us. he did a lot of firsts in a lot of his leadership. he was our first president. he was a civilian leader. after one term, he wanted to be able to step down. in fact, he and madison actually

wrote together a letter to be able to go out to the american people after his first presidency, but so many people came to him and encouraged him to run again, that he relented and ran again. but at the end of his second term, he would not relent and had determined he was not a king. he was not the only person that could lead these new united states, but it was time, after 45 years, for him to step aside. and this time with the help of another gentleman he worked with for be a long time named alexander hamilton, who served together since the continental army. they wrote an address to the american people. this was to be the end of his presidency and his public service. interestingly enough it's referred to as george washington's farewell address. he never actually spoke it, but he wrote it and they published it together.

many people didn't know that george washington didn't like speaking in public. so they published it and it became a signature. this speech begins with a farewell to the nation saying i'm stepping aside as president of these united states. but then he goes on to be able to challenge the nation in multiple areas, beginning with being careful in the days ahead. he saw the seeds of factions and he challenged the nation. he challenged the nation to be able to hold fast to its faith and to be able to live the principles of its faith. he challenged the nation on the issue of debt and to be able to say that don't be a nation to carry a lot of debt. there will be times of war where you have debt, but pay it off as quickly as possible. he challenged the nation in the issue of foreign entanglements and foreign alliances and he

challenged the nation to forgive him of any mistakes he might have made while leading the nation. this nonspeech speech that he presented to the nation has become a signature now for more than two centuries. it wasn't set aside. in fact, during the civil war, for the first time, members of congress gathered on the other side of the building in the new house chamber in 1862, where house and senate, all of the military leadership gathered in one room and read it out loud as a reminder to the nation and as an encouragement to the legislators. it was set aside until 1893 when the senate picked it back up again and a senator was chosen to be able to read it out loud to the senate. it was done in 1893, 1995, stopped in 19 -- 1895, and was

picked up again in 1896 and has been read every year in this chamber right around george washington's birthday. a fitting tribute to a president who did much to able to establish who we are as a country. i'm honored today to be the one selected to be able to speak this speech. i'm also honored to be able to note that i'm the first oklahoman in the history of the senate to actually read this speech out loud in the senate. we're a young state. we've only been a state since 1907, but we've only been reading it out loud since 1893. oo so i'm honored to be able to give to you george washington's farewell address and his look to the future of our nation to say these are the things that i would request that you do not forget. he began -- friends and fellow

citizens: the period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the united states being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice that i should now apprise you of the resolution i have formed to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made. i beg you, at the same time, to do me the justice to be assured that this resolution has not been taken without a strict regard to all the considerations appertaining to the relation which binds a dutiful citizen to his country; and that in withdrawing the tender of service, which silence in my situation might imply, i am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest, no deficiency of grateful respect for your past kindness, but am supported by a full conviction that the step is compatible with both.

the acceptance of and continuance hitherto in the office to which your suffrages have twice called me have been a uniform sacrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty and to a deference for what appeared to be your desire. i constantly hoped that it would have been much earlier in my power, consistently with motives which i was not at liberty to disregard, to return to that retirement from which i had been reluctantly drawn. the strength of my inclination to do this previous to the last election had even led to the preparation of an address to declare it to you; but mature reflection on the then-perplexed and critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations, and the unanimous advice of persons entitled to my confidence, impelled me to abandon the idea. i rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment

of duty or propriety and am persuaded, whatever partiality may be retained for my services, that in the present circumstances of our country. you will not disapprove my determination to retire. the impressions with which i first undertook the arduous trust were explained on the proper occasion. in the discharge of this trust, i will only say that i have, with good intentions, contributed toward the organization and administration of the government the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable. not unconscious in the outset of the inferiority of my qualifications, experience in my own eyes, perhaps still more in the eyes of others, has strengthened the motives to diffidence of myself; and every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome.

satisfied that if any circumstances have given peculiar value to my services they were temporary, i have the consolation to believe that while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene patriotism does not forbid it. in looking forward to the moment which is intended to terminate the career of my political life, my feelings do not permit me to suspend the deep acknowledgment of that debt of gratitude which i owe to my beloved country for the many honors it has conferred upon me; still more for the steadfast confidence with which it has supported me; and for the opportunities i have thence enjoyed of manifesting my inviolable attachment by services faithful and persevering, though in usefulness unequal to my zeal. if benefits have resulted to our country from these services, let it always be remembered to your

praise, and as an instructive example in our annals, that under circumstances in which the passions, agitated in every direction, were liable to mislead -- amidst appearances sometimes dubious, vicissitudes of fortune often discouraging, in situations in which, not infrequently, want of success has countenanced the spirit of criticism -- the constancy of your support was the essential prop of the efforts and a guaranty of the plans by which they were effected. profoundly penetrated with this idea, i shall carry it with me to my grave as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every

department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, in fine, the happiness of the people of these states, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation which is yet a stranger to it. here, perhaps, i ought to stop. but a solicitude for your welfare, which cannot end but with my life, and the apprehension of danger natural to that solicitude urge me, on an occasion like the present, to offer to your solemn contemplation and to recommend to your frequent review some sentiments which are the result of much reflection, of no inconsiderable observation, and which appear to me all important to the permanency of your

felicity as a people. these will be offered to you with the more freedom, as you can only see in them the disinterested warnings of a parting friend who can possibly have no personal motive to bias his counsel. nor can i forget, as an encouragement to it, your indulgent reception of my sentiments on a former and not dissimilar occasion. interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the attachment. the unity of government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. it is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad, of your safety, of your prosperity, of that very liberty which you so highly prize.

but as it is easy to foresee that from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth -- as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed -- it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a

suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts. for this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest. citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. the name of american, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. with slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles.

you have, in a common cause, fought and triumphed together. the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts, of common dangers, sufferings, and successes. but these considerations, however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your interest. here every portion of our country finds the most commanding motives for carefully guarding and preserving the union of the whole. the north, in an unrestrained intercourse with the south protected by the equal laws of a common government, finds in the productions of the latter great additional resources of maritime and commercial enterprise and precious materials of manufacturing industry. the south, in the same intercourse, benefiting by the same agency of the north, sees its agriculture grow and its commerce expand.

turning partly into its own channels the seamen of the north, it finds its particular navigation invigorated; and while it contributes in different ways to nourish and increase the general mass of the national navigation, it looks forward to the protection of a maritime strength, to which itself is unequally adapted. the east, in a like intercourse with the west, already finds and in the progressive improvement of interior communications by land and water will more and more find, a valuable vent for the commodities which it brings from abroad or manufactures at home. the west derives from the east supplies requisite to its growth and comfort, and what is perhaps of still greater consequence, it must of necessity owe the secure enjoyment of indispensable outlets for its own productions to the weight, influence, and the future maritime strength of the atlantic side of the union

directed by an indissoluble community of interest as one nation. any other tenure by which the west can hold this essential advantage, whether derived from its own separate strength or from an apostate and unnatural connection with any foreign power, must be intrinsically precarious. while, then, every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in union, all the parts combined cannot fail to find in the united mass of means and efforts greater strength, greater resource, proportionably greater security from external danger, a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign nations; and, what is of inestimable value, they must derive from union an exemption from those broils and wars between themselves which so frequently afflict neighboring countries not tied together by the same governments, which their own rivalships alone would be

sufficient to produce, but which opposite foreign alliances attachments, and intrigues would stimulate and embitter. hence, likewise, they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. in this sense, it is that your union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty and that the love of the one ought to endear to you the preservation of the other. these considerations speak a persuasive language to every reflecting and virtuous mind and exhibit the continuance of the union as a primary object of patriotic desire. is there a doubt whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere?

let experience solve it. to listen to mere speculation in such a case were criminal. we are authorized to hope that a proper organization of the whole, with the auxiliary agency of governments for the respective subdivisions, will afford a happy issue to the experiment. it is well worth a fair and full experiment. with such powerful and obvious motives to union, affecting all parts of our country, while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be reason to distrust the patriotism of those who, in any quarter, may endeavor to weaken its bands. in contemplating the causes which may disturb our union, it occurs as matter of serious concern that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by geographical discriminations -- northern and southern, atlantic

and western -- whence designing men may endeavor to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views. one of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. you cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection. the inhabitants of our western country have lately had a useful lesson on this head. they have seen in the negotiation by the executive and in the unanimous ratification by the senate of the treaty with spain, and in the universal satisfaction at that event throughout the united states, a decisive proof how unfounded were the suspicions propagated among them of a policy in the general government and in the atlantic states unfriendly to their interests in regard to the mississippi. they have been witnesses to the

formation of two treaties -- that with great britain and that with spain -- which secure to them everything they could desire in respect to our foreign relations toward confirming their prosperity. will it not be their wisdom to rely for the preservation of these advantages on the union by which they were procured? will they not henceforth be deaf to those advisors, if such there are, who would sever them from their brethren and connect them with aliens? to the efficacy and permanency of your union, a government for the whole is indispensable. no alliances, however strict, between the parts can be an adequate substitute. they must inevitably experience the infractions and interruptions which all alliances in all times have experienced. sensible of this momentous truth, you have improved upon your first essay, by the adoption of a constitution of

government better calculated than your former for an intimate union, and for the efficacious management of your common concerns. this government, the offspring of our own choice, uninfluenced and unawed, adopted upon full investigation and mature deliberation, completely free in its principles, in the distribution of its powers, uniting security with energy, and containing within itself a provision for its own amendment, has a just claim to your confidence and your support. respect for its authority, compliance with its laws acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. the basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.

but the constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. the very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government. all obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle and of fatal tendency. they serve to organize faction; to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the

community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels and modified by mutual interests. however combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion. towards the preservation of your government, and the permanency of your present happy state, it is requisite not only that you steadily discountenance

irregular oppositions to its acknowledged authority, but also that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts. one method of assault may be to effect, in the forms of the constitution, alterations which will impair the energy of the system and, thus, to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown. in all the changes to which you may be invited, remember that time and habit are at least as necessary to fix the true character of governments as of other human institutions; that experience is the surest standard by which to test the real tendency of the existing constitution of a country; that facility in changes, upon the credit of mere hypothesis and opinion, exposes to perpetual change from the endless variety of hypothesis and opinion; and remember especially that, for the efficient management of

your common interests in a country so extensive as ours, a government of as much vigor as is consistent with the perfect security of liberty is indispensable. liberty itself will find in such a government, with powers properly distributed and adjusted, its surest guardian. it is, indeed, little else than a name where the government is too feeble to withstand the enterprises of faction, to confine each member of the society within the limits prescribed by the laws, and to maintain all in the secure and tranquil enjoyment of the rights of person and property. i have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the state with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. let me now take a more comprehensive view and warn you in the most solemn manner

against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. this spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. it exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy. the alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. but this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. the disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and, sooner or later, the chief of some

prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purpose of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty. without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. it serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. it agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasionally riot and insurrection. it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion.

thus, the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another. there is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. this, within certain limits, is probably true; and in governments of a monarchial cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. but in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. from their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. and, there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. a fire not to be quenched, it

demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming it should consume. it is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. the spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one and, thus, to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. a just estimate of that love of power and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. the necessity of reciprocal

checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositories, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern; some of them in our country and under our own eyes. to preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them. if, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the constitution designates. but let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. the precedent must always greatly overbalance in

permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield. of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. in vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. the mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. a volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. let it simply be asked, where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the

sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? and let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. it is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. the rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric? promote, then, as an object of primary importance institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.

in proportion, as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened. as a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. one method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible, avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear. the execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives;

but it is necessary that public opinion should cooperate. to facilitate to them the performance of their duty, it is essential that you should practically bear in mind that toward the payment of debts there must be revenue; that to have revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant; that the intrinsic embarrassment inseparable from the selection of the proper objects (which is always a choice of difficulties) ought to be a decisive motive for a candid construction of the conduct of the government in making it and for a spirit of acquiescence in the measures for obtaining revenue, which the public exigencies may at any time dictate. observe good faith and justice toward all nations. cultivate peace and harmony with all. religion and morality enjoin this conduct.

and can it be that good policy does not equally enjoin it? it will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great nation to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. who can doubt that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it? can it be that providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue? the experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices? in the execution of such a plan, nothing is more essential than

that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings toward all should be cultivated. the nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is, in some degree, a slave. it is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. antipathy in one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and to be haughty and intractable when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur. hence, frequent collisions; obstinate, envenomed, and bloody contests. the nation prompted by ill will and resentment sometimes impels

to war the government, contrary to the best calculations of policy. the government sometimes participates in the national propensity and adopts through passion what reason would reject; at other times, it makes the animosity of the nation subservient to projects of hostility, instigated by pride, ambition, and other sinister and pernicious motives. the peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of nations has been the victim. so, likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification.

it leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained and by exciting jealousy, ill will and a disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. and it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.

as avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. how many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils! such an attachment of a small or weak, towards a great and powerful nation, dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter. against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (i conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens), the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. but that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial, else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided

instead of a defense against it. excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. real patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people to surrender their interests. the great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. so far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. here let us stop. europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none or a very remote relation.

hence, she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities. our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. if we remain one people under an efficient government, the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we

may choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel. why forego the advantages of so peculiar a situation? why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of european ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice? it is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world, so far, i mean, as we are now at liberty to do it; for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements. i hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs that honesty is always the best policy. i repeat, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. but, in my opinion, it is

unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them. taking care always to keep ourselves by suitable establishments on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. harmony and a liberal intercourse with all nations are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. but even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand, neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing with powers so disposed, in order to give trade a stable course, to define the rights of our merchants, and to enable the government to support them, conventional rules of intercourse, the best that present circumstances and mutual opinion will permit, but

temporary and liable to be, from time to time, abandoned or varied as experience and circumstances shall dictate; constantly keeping in view that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another; that it must pay with a portion of its independence for whatever it may accept under that character; that, by such acceptance, it may place itself in the condition of having given equivalents for nominal favors and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. there can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. it is an illusion which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard. in offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, i dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting

impression i could wish -- that they will control the usual current of the passions or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. but if i may even flatter myself that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good; that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism; this hope will be a full recompense for the solicitude for your welfare, by which they have been dictated. how far in the discharge of my official duties i have been guided by the principles which have been delineated, the public records and other evidences of my conduct must witness to you and to the world. to myself, the assurance of my own conscience is that i have

at least believed myself to be guided by them. in relation to the still-subsisting war in europe my proclamation of the 22nd of april, 1793, is the index to my plan. sanctioned by your approving voice and by that of your representatives in both houses of congress, the spirit of that measure has continually governed me, uninfluenced by any attempts to deter or divert me from it. after deliberate examination, with the aid of the best lights i could obtain, i was well satisfied that our country under all the circumstances of the case, had a right to take and was bound in duty and interest to take, a neutral position. having taken it, i determined, as far as should depend upon me, to maintain it with moderation, perseverance, and firmness. the considerations, which respect the right to hold this

conduct, it is not necessary on this occasion to detail. i will only observe that, according to my understanding of the matter, that right, so far from being denied by any of the belligerent powers, has been virtually admitted by all. the duty of holding a neutral conduct may be inferred, without anything more, from the obligation which justice and humanity impose on every nation, in cases in which it is free to act, to maintain inviolate the relations of peace and amity towards other nations. the inducements of interest for observing that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. with me, a predominant motive has been to endeavor to gain time to our country to settle and mature its yet recent institutions and to progress, without interruption, to that degree of strength and consistency which is necessary to give it, humanly speaking the command of its own fortunes.

though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration i am unconscious of intentional error, i am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that i may have committed many errors. whatever they may be, i fervently beseech the almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. i shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence and that, after 45 years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest. relying on its kindness in this, as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love toward it, which is so natural to a man who views in it the native soil of

himself and his progenitors for several generations, i anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat in which i promise myself to realize, without alloy, the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens the benign influence of good laws under a free government, the ever-favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as i trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers. united states 19th september, 1796. george washington.

the presiding officer: morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed 20 executive session to resum consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. jamark. walker of virginia to be united states district judge for for the eastern district of virginia.

:

peaceful goals of possible firms in china to russia from all that ahead is our. got a question from an article in the title of his piece in the

upcoming issue is berlin will go conflicts old long for the struggle. joe biden's national security work on secret the president safely out of ukraine's anniversary invasion. in the closer to home, suspected chinese sky-blue have been airspace lincoln was repairing all of his trip in february 4 as the worldwatch yesterday to shut down the coast of south carolina wasting. smollett. united states three more floating objects sign any of them china. by then, the machinery

confrontation was here an interview children, speculated that it will work republicans contender for the presidency in 2024 signaled that regime change. china will end up cast is the client is most of the misuse of military force. he writes this in particular, the fill is the world and cleaned so deeply by the kind of conflict john f kennedy called a long twilight over the shape of its future rock terms, between the realms of democracy and

autocracy of the u.s. and allies against dominant for china. (202)748-8001 is the republican line. democrats used to 02748800 and independents and others, (202)748-8002. early on the verge is the threat of a new usa today peddling nuclear core work lies suspending the arms of the possibly of arming the russian military even as the u.s. and allies celebrated this week that russia was far in the attempt to certain developments have questions or beyond standing. the last tree in the largest nuclear powers, no u.s. and

russian nuclear forces for the first time since the 70s. the risk of nuclear launch international or otherwise would rise and that's from usa today. yesterday on abc's this week on i should say meet the press, dan sullivan, of alaska was asked about china helping russia in the war and here's what he had to say. >> would you think the best way is to deter china from helping the russians right now? if they do, what should the consequences be? >> they are already helping the russians. chinese officials talk about this, they are blaming us, blaming nato for ukrainian for. i agree there should be a serious spread line supplying military equipment to the russians and should be in the

form of sanctions. there is a broader issue here and i think this is another one for republicans are more united and the war in ukraine revealed that we are in this new era of authoritarian oppression led by xi jinping and putin. they are working together, increasingly isolated. they view their democratic neighbors in a paranoid way and i think this challenge where they are looking to take aggressive actions against their neighbors whether ukraine or taiwan, i think it will be with us for decades. need to face strategic resolve and confidence so a number of things in regard to strategic vantages over these dictators that we should promote if we are wise enough to use them, military and allies and natural resources and energy and our commitment to democracy and liberty.

mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: like a number of senators on both sides of the aisle, i spent the first part of last week meeting with our nato allies and our european partners in munich. in munich, we met an array of world leaders, including a bipartisan meeting with german chancellor schultz. it's clear from our meetings in munich that europe is moving in the right direction. but more must be done across the alliance to rebuild our defense capacity and to give ukraine the weapons they need to defeat russia's aggression. after the munich security conference, senators tillis, ernst, budd, brit, ricketts and i continued on to meet with more american partners in both europe and the middle east where

we met up with senator mullin as well. we met with president herzog and prime minister netanyahu in israel with the crown prince of saudi arabia, with the president of the uae as well as the president of finland. we had the pleasure of meeting some of our own american diplomats and civilian personnel who are on the ground advancing our nation's interests in each of these places. and i was especially happy to meet some of the men and women serving in our armed forces who are on site at installations in these countries or stationed protecting our embassies. it was a great honor to run into fellow kentuckians serving in an expeditionary wing at the air base in the uae. here in washington you hear american leadership in the world

discuss and debate it like it's some fuzzy concept or abstract principle. but let me tell you when you travel to europe, when you travel to the middle east, when you meet with the civilian and military leadership in those nations that are america's friends and wish us well, well, there's nothing unclear about the importance of america's leading role in the world. our friends in europe know beyond any doubt that peace and prosperity depend on a strong and involved america. our partners in the middle east know without a doubt that security and stability rely on a strong and involved america. we are the indispensable nation. our super power status is paramount, not just for these other countries but even more importantly for our own interest here at home.

putting up our drawbridge and pretending we can go it alone as fortress america will not cut it, will not cut it in the 21st century. it would put the future of our economic security, energy security and national security at enormous risk. the need for american leadership is palpable. my colleagues and i will have much more to say on this subject in the coming days. now on another matter, the attention and prayers of the entire nation have been fixed for the past several weeks on the town of east palestine and the surrounding area in ohio. the derailment led to a disastrous chemical release forcing many from their homes and leaving community vul nearable. the people of east palestine are

anxious and upset and of course they deserve answers. our colleague the junior senator from ohio has been all over this issue. we will continue to work with him to ensure the people of ohio are appropriately informed and supported in the months to come. we also thank ohio governor mike dewine foe his leadership on the ground. unfortunately this leadership has cut a sharp contrast with the biden administration's secretary of transportation. even amidst a catalogue of crises on his watch, from this and other recent train derailments to the meltdown in air travel back during the holiday season, secretary buttigieg has seemed more interested in pursuing press coverage for woke initiatives and climate nonsense than in attending to basic elements of his day job. understandably there were initial concerns in my home state of kentucky about possible impacts since we are down river.

but the good news is that even after careful monitoring by local experts, there's no reason to believe kentuckians have anything to worry about local water authorities are monitoring the rivers closely and so far have seen no cause for alarm whatsoever. every indication is that the situation for kentuckians is a hundred percent normal. even so my staff and i remain in close communication with all the relevant utilities and local authorities. now, on one final matter, january was the 21st month in a row with year-on-year inflation of at least 5%. the u.s. economy has seen prices rising at an annual rate of 5% or more every single month following president biden' first -- president biden' first 100 days. spending has made soaring costs

a fixture for everyday life for families all across our country. real wage declines have become a tragic reality for workers in every single state. last week new data proved yet again that persistent inflation has become actually embedded in our economy. one key measure of consumer behavior, the personal consumption expenditure index grew at triple the monthly rate from december and at its fastest pace since june of last year. inflation in the services sector is -- in particular is 5.7% higher than it was a year ago. the democrats' inflation is not just driving up the prices for groceries and essentials that families pay themselves at the checkout counter. it's also baked into the cost families pay indirectly through service providers from plumbers to contractors to medical providers and beyond. in every corner of the economy workers and businesses are still

having to hunker down against the ongoing consequences of democrats' reckless mistakes. would an odd time then for the biden administration to declare victory over a problem it helped actually create. the white house press secretary declared earlier this month that the president's economic plan is indeed working. well, today 57% of americans say they have less money in their pocket than they did a year ago. nearly two-thirds say they're living paycheck to paycheck. the white house calls this mission accomplished. the american people call it a nightmare for two years and counting. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

you got the hitler regime will end of florida take books away the playbooks of hitler, even traumatic to the pages out of playbooks to unite this country so i have this is from your conscious mind, nothing is, the having ukraine and russia heading toward cease-fire.

after a year of brutal fighting in which thousands of lives have been lost, civilian infra structure destroyed and untold damage, the war has reached a stalemate. on the battlefield, but a armies contest small strips of territory terrible cost. the threat of nuclear escalation hangs in the air. this is in ukraine today, is the korean peninsula of 1951. no two wars are exactly right but the long history of carnage, one word stands out in ukraine. the war in korea 1950 to 1953, south korea's and allies headed by the united states battled it out against north korean and chinese backed by the soviet union. there are all sorts of lessons from the conflict but the most important might be how it ended. in ukraine, it seems a long way off for russia, the greek would most likely entail securing russian territory it claims it owns. ukraine, nothing less than driving russian troops out of the country including.

neither side is interested in negotiations and hard to see how peace settlement would come about but he writes that in korea the situation was similar neither north nor south koreans wanted sponsors in a hurry to end the war but the conflict which claimed as many as 3 million lives and destroyed entire cities gradually fizzled out into cease-fire and temporary division of the korean peninsula that proved more lasting than anyone could have imagined at the time. in the end, stalemate or improved preferable to the alternative. the potential threat of new cold war based on a piece this morning and the new yorker, your thoughts on the? in wisconsin, john on the democrat line. john go ahead.

>> thanks for taking my call. >> thank you for the correction. [laughter] >> i just wanted to correct the first caller stated biden met with zelenskyy. zelenskyy was not president -- l levels continue working around the clock helping the people of east palestine recover from one of the worst train derailments in decades. the scene in palestine the last month has been the stuff of nightmares. a 38-car derailment, an entire town forced to evacuate. the stench of industrial chemicals and soot hovering in the air. parents scared of their kids' drinking water, and kids anxious about life returning to normal. now, no community deserves this. while a full investigation of the derailment has yet to be

completed, the chair of the national transportation safety board said this accident was, quote, 100% preventable. again, ntsb safety board chair, the accident was 100% preventable. the fault for this disaster lies first and foremost with norfolk southern. norfolk southern's sea alan shah needs to come before the senate, answer questions under oath, and explain to the american people exactly what went wrong and how they will prevent accidents like this from happening. he should not duck. he should be there. he should come before the senate and we are asking him to do just that. the american people should hear from norfolk southern's ceo precisely why they thought it was a good idea to spend years,

years lobbying to loosen regulations designed to present -- prevent accidents like this. and i especially want to hear from november folk southern after -- norfolk southern after receiving a record $3.3 billion in profits last year, prioritized billions, billions in stock buybacks instead of putting that money towards safety and towards their workers. there has been no shortage of opportunists racing to blame the administration for the derailment. former president trump himself showed up in east palestine and blamed everyone but himself for the tragic accident. but president trump as usual omits a crucial truth. the trump administration spent years working to loosen regulation intended to make these types of accidents is less likely. they're in the behest of the big

rail companies. when president trump entered office, rail companies spent millions pushing for repeals on all sorts of safety regulations, from inspection requirements, mandates for newer brakes and rules governing the number of employees required to operate a train. in one instance, the trump administration repealed requirements for an electronic braking system because, according to them, the safety benefits were simply not worth the costs. let me say that again. in 2017, the trump administration decided to repeal requirements for brake upgrades because they didn't think the safety benefits were worth the cost. i think the people of east palestine know -- now know that that analysis was wrong and that they're suffering the consequences of rail companies putting profits over people.

now, i want to be clear, a full investigation is still needed to determine which, if any, safety regulations might have prevented the accident in east palestine, but you don't need to be an expert to see that when companies prioritize profits over safety, when they loosen safety rules, lay off thousands of workers and spend more money on stock buybacks than in preventing accidents, you're flirting with disaster. it is so typical of donald trump. he does the bidding of corporate special interests and it leads to serious harm to the american people, and when he gets caught, he turns around and blames someone else. it just doesn't wash. the american people see through it. disasters like the one in east palestine are precisely what can happen when safety takes a back seat to maximizing profits and when self-aggrandizing

politicians like donald trump allow and encourage it to happen. now, i particularly want to thank my colleagues from ohio and pennsylvania for being vigilant in responding to this disaster and working in a bipartisan way to solve it. i also, of course, with aens to thank all the first responders at every level of government for working without rest to keep people safe. the senate is going to look into precise will what i went wrong in east palestine, a good first step will be hearing directly from norfolk southern's ceo. i hope he'll work with us in good faith to come before the senate as soon as possible. now, last week i joined with a umin of senate colleagues in leading my first congressional delegation as a majority leader. we went to germany, india, pakistan, and israel. i've only been on one other codel as senator in all my years as senator, back in 2011 with

harry reid to china. i thank all of my colleagues for making this trip a success. they were nine of us. now that we're back, i want to share a few takeaways from our trip that implicate america's national security and our economic future. first, we relayed a very important message during our meeting with indian prime minister modi. india and america are going to need each other to outcompete the chinese communist party. india is precisely the kind of partner that the u.s. needs to provide a check against the hostile tactics of the ccp. they are eight world's largest democracy -- they are eight world's largest democracy, still young compared to its peers and primed for tremendous growth in decades to come. i told the prime minister that if our democracies are to prosper in this century, we're going to have to work together, not only to boost our common defense but to promote our

mutual prosperity. that means working together to strengthen our economic ties, deepen trade, and make it easier to recruit talented workers from abroad to work in our country. it also means we must collaborate to establish the norms for the technologies of the future. right now the world's democracies are competing with the chinese communist party to dominate the technologies that will rule this century, like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, clean energy, advanced semiconductor manufacturing and more. in india, the u.s. and all the world's democracy, we're the longer h. largest two. we must make sure these technologies become vectors of prosperity, not the weapons of autocratic regimes. we've willer already seen -- we've already seen how the chinese uses artificial

intelligence to eavesdrop on its people. i think the prime minister appreciated the point we were making about the need for india and the united states, the two largest democracies, to work together against the ccphegemon. india san amazing country. i was enthralled by it. incredible. it has a thriving diaspora, many of whom live in new york, here in the united states. our partnership has a huge potential for growth in the 21st century. on a second point about our codel, during the codel, we also meet with leaders in pakistan, germany, and israel. much of our discussion with them, as well as with prime minister modi of india, stressed the importance of standing with ukraine in its struggle against russia. we asked each of these leaders to do more. it's been more than a year now since vladimir putin began his illegal invasion, and i made it

clear to leader a broad the worst thing we can do right now is waiver in our support for the ukrainian people. i warned them that a russian victory in ukraine would mean an end -- would not even -- i warned them that a russian victory from ukraine would not mean an end to putin's expansionist proclivities so much as it would mean an escalation of his viciousness and desire for more terrortory. success in ukraine will only embolden putin, if he sees the free nations of the world turn a blind eye to his aggressions. should putin anyone ukraine, it would endanger the security of democracies and burgeoning democracies across the world. and i think the leaders i spoke with -- the leaders all nine of us spoke with -- got that message. finally, own on -- on a more personal note, i was deeply moved to lay wreaths at both the dachau concentration camp in

germany and yavashem in jerusalem. as the highest-ranking jewish leader in american history, i used this to never forget this dark chapter of history. as a time when public understanding of the holocaust is waning, as the next generation is further removed from the horrors, the just sheer histories of the past and as anti-semitism makes its resurgence, now more than ever we must commit to that sacred obstacles to never forget. quote, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, unquote. we must never remain silent. we must never allow anti-semitism and bigotry to fester and flourish. we must recommend to never, never again. i want to thank my colleagues who joined with me at both dachau and yavashem.

and i thank everyone, members and staff alike, for the incredible job they did, for their excellent work in making our trip fruitful and productive. and finally, madam president, commerce secretary gina roman dough, a great floored in my opinion, announced that starting tomorrow the commerce department will launch their first application for chips fund with a focus on chip fab manufacturing facilities. i'll have proper to say in the morning, but i i just -- i'll have more to say in the morning, but i just with aens to say that the benefits are clear and unmistakable. over $200 billion in private investment has been announced across 16 states. that includes $100 billion proposed by micron to manufacture advanced memory chips in my home state of new york, an investment that will translate to tens of thousands of good, high-paying jobs, and transform upstate new york once the manufacturing powerhouse of

america -- of course, some of those jobs went overseas. but chips, science, high tech gives us a great chance to revive that area. this story is being replicated not only in upstate new york but in many parts of the country that similarly lost jobs over the last decades. i applaud secretary roman dough for rolling out the chips funding, standing up a brand-new major program so quickly and efficiently. as you know, the chips and science bill was a pet of mine and we worked for two and a half years to get it done. i also applaud my colleagues from both sides who spent years pushing this bill over the finish line. this is about laying the crucial foundation to make the u.s. a global leader in chip production once again which is critical to our national security and competitiveness. and starting tomorrow, applications will be open to begin to make these significant investments in u.s. industry and in u.s. workers.

i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: we need to stay in great

nation. we never did this, that was a bad mistake. that's something we need to do now. if we are going to have to democracy in the world we need to back them up and i say put our troops down there. tell putin and do the same thing with china. the united states is the greatest country in this world and everybody heremight as well fight for our freedom . ... ,

humanitarian assistance for innocent people who are bearing the true cost of russia's brutality. it's been a difficult year

fueled by both victories and setbacks, but i remain confident and inspired by the courage and the capabilities of the ukrainian people. at the start of this war, no one expected ukraine to keep up the fight as long as it has lasted. they were outmanned, outgunned, and it seemed like a matter of when ukraine would be defeated, not if. over the last 12 months, though, we've witnessed heroic strength and fortitude by the ukrainian forces and civilians. we've seen the serious series of setbacks by the russian army, which was once thought to be among the most capable in the world. as we mark the one-year anniversary of this war, the big question in everyone's mind is what comes next.

general david petraeus once said the most important question to ask in any conflict is how does this end. and in this case, we don't have a clear answer. there's no resolution on the horizon, which has caused many people to doubt america's involvement. over the last year, our country has made serious investments in ukrainian victory in the form of weapons, equipment, training and humanitarian aid. these contributions have been integral to ukraine success so far, but they've not come without cost. there's the financial cost, which is always a big concern, particularly with $30 trillion debt. as well as a prospect of recession as a result of the federal reserve's tightening interest rates in order to stave off the impact of inflation.

there's also the impact on our own military readiness, our weapon stockpiles have dwindled and the timeline for replenishment is far too lengthy. i've heard from my constituents back home in texas who are deeply concerned about what these costs will mean here at home, and i understand exactly where they're coming from. this is a tough time for american families due to the ravages of inflation and the uncertainty about their economic future. our own interests must always come first. the point that keeps getting lost in this war is that a ukrainian victory is in our national interest. it's important to our security here at home. america's assistance is not a handout. it's not a charity project. and as much as we want to see

ukraine prevail in this war, our financial support is not entirety altruistic. the united states isn't just investing in ukrainian victory. we're also putting our resources toward the defeat of a russian -- of russian aggression. if history has taught us anything, it's taught us that power-hungry dictators do not accept small gains and call it a day. they just keep on pushing. you don't have to go back very far in our history books to find a good example. in 2005, president vladimir putin said that the collapse of the soviet empire was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century. and clearly, he's doing everything he can to try to reconstitute the former soviet union. president putin has used his time in power to build -- rebuild russia's military and

try to redraw the map of europe. in 2008, russia invaded the nation of georgia. in 2014, it invaded ukraine for the first time since the end of the cold war, taking the cry mia region -- the crimea region. of course, true to form, putin's appetite for consequence was not satisfied. if anything, it made him more hungry for power. and the message that we sent by doing nothing in 2005 and 2014, the message was he could take all he wanted and there would be no consequence. but this time we can't make the same mistake. putin must understand that russian aggression will not be tolerated. the outcome of this war will determine how putin's quest proceeds in the future. will he continue to intimidate neighbors in europe and invade

sovereign nations? or will he crawl back to moscow, tail tucked between his legs? the answer to those questions are very important. despite the fact that american troops are not engaged in this war, that could change in an instant. if the next chapter of putin's war includes the invasion of a nato partner, the united states and our allies will no longer be on the sidelines. we will be part of the starting lineup. collective defense is at the heart of nato's founding, and article 5 of that founding treaty makes clear that an attack against one member nation is an attack against all. suffice it to say i hope and pray we will never reach the point where the collective defense clause is invoked. the most effective way to keep american troops out of the line of fire is to help the

ukrainians stop putin now, before his conquest moves even further west. as though the stakes weren't high enough already, we know it's not just the scope of putin's power that's at stake here. the rest of the world is watching as well. to see how the u.s. and our nato allies respond to this power-hungry dictator. if we fail to support the ukrainians in this pivotal moment, other authoritarian governments will take note. today the problem is russia. tomorrow the problem could be the people's republic of china. president xi jinping has made no secret of his desire to capture taiwan. he's called it unification, and he's even offered details about what sort of timeline we might expect. of course, we found, as with

mr. putin, when one person is making that decision, that person can make the decision to go at any time. but president xi said he wants to be ready to unify the people's republic of china with taiwan by 2027, just four years from now. there's no question that president xi is paying close attention to the world's response to russian aggression. if the u.s. and its allies respond with passivity, the chinese communist party will expect to be met with the same level of weakness. as a matter of fact, i believe that president putin was shocked to see the ukrainians demonstrate their will to resist russian aggression and other democracies in the world have come to its aid, particularly after the embarrassing,

precippous -- precipitous withdrawal from afghanistan by the biden administration, without notifying our nato allies. we know what happened -- the leadership of the afghanistan government was spirited off in an airplane to another country, and the taliban walked in without a shot being fired. i think after mr. putin saw that in afghanistan, he thought, well, maybe i can do the same thing in ukraine. well, a passive response to this sort of aggression would risk further instability and hurt the cause of peace, to say the least. and it would inevitably diminish america's leadership position in the global order. that's why the tyrants and the mad men of the world must see the united states and our allies respond with strength. that's the only way to assure long-term security and

stability. last spring, like many of our colleagues, i had the opportunity to travel to ukraine. this time last may was with senator mcconnell, the republican leader, senator collins and senator barrasso. we had the pleasure of meeting with president zelenskyy and affirming america's commitment to a ukrainian victory. one year into this war, my resolve has not softened. our resolve cannot soften either. the united states and our allies must remain steadfast in our support of the ukrainian people, not just for their sake but for our sake as well. through strategic investments, with ample oversight and accountability -- those are important -- we'll continue to shape the outcome of this war by giving the ukrainian people everything they need in order to prevail. and in doing so, we'll send a clear message to russia and

china and any other authoritarian dictator that aggression against a sovereign nation will not be ignored. again, it is our own national interest that is at stake here. this war cannot end with a russian victory. madam president, i yield the floor. mr. durbin: madam president. the presiding officer: the senior senator from illinois. mr. durbin: madam president, let me first thank my colleague from texas. we disagree from time to time, but when we agree, i feel good about it, and today we do agree. certainly on the ukrainian war and the role and responsibility of the united states. the senator from texas was in munich at the security conference. it was a -- such an inspiring get-together. leaders from all over europe and from many parts of the world all came together, and virtually

unanimous in their opinion that this aggression by vladimir putin needed to be stopped, and we neaded to do -- needed to do everything in our power, either through nato or other alliancens and presenceships to show hol -- friendships to show solidarity. what a sharp contrast in leadership from last week. first, presidents biden biden ad zelenskyy in kiev, standing against russian aggression. president biden went to neighboring poland where he told an enthusiastic crowd of thousands, quote, one year ago, the world was facing for the fall of ceerve. i can -- fall of kiev. i can report kiev stands strong, proud, it stands tall and most important it stands free. that was president biden visiting poland. he vowed the united states and its allies will never weaver in their support -- waver in their support of ukraine and nato will

not be divided and we will not tire. the same sentiments were on display in munich. nearly 30 of my senate colleagues joined us in this international conference. it was a bipartisan show of unity and resolve, with both senator schumer, the democratic leader of the senate, and senator mcconnell, the republican leader of it the senate, urging sustained, determined support for ukraine against russian tyranny. compare these messages of transatlantic and bipartisan unity to the rambling set of manufactured grievances delivered at nearly the same time by the russian war criminal, vladimir putin. the contrasts could not have been starker. many russian officials in attend abc at putin's speech sat stone-faced, some even dozed off. they may have fallen what kind of nightmare had befallen the russian people in pursuit of one

man's murderous folly. following the munich conference, senator jeanne shaheen, of new hampshire, and i had the opportunity to visit the former soviet-dominated countries of georgia and remainia. both nations -- and romania. both nations remember russian tyranny all too well, and spent decades working to be part of the transatlantic communities of democracy. georgia suffered most recently at the hands of russian imperialism. putin military aerial seized -- militarily seized 20% of the landmass still occupied illegally by the rains today. georgia has so much talent and so much potential. the overwhelming majority of the people of that country see their future in europe, in west. the georgian military worked closely with the united states, and we have strong cooperative relations on a wide range of issues. it's my hope georgia will continue its path towards the european union and eventual nato

membership. that is for the georgians to decide, but i believe they would be valuable alyieps in the nato alliance. it has some serious issues to resolve, stim facing -- still facing political questions which the world is facing closely. a few self-inflicted setbacks to avoid, such the proposed law on discloish, by -- disclosure by nongovernmental organizations. a step that is backward by a nation aspiring to freedom. these can be overcome in a way that ensures a better and more secure future for the georgian people. in the same black sea region, senator sha shaheen and i visd romania, my first time, an eastern european nation already firmly in e.u. and nato. what a nato ally it is. we stopped at an air base where thousands of u.s. soldiers from the legendary 101st airborne

was located. they are close closest to the fight in ukraine. we could seep rows of -- see rows of grain ships. that final commerce in such a strategic area is a reminder of the importance of advancing senator shaheen and romney's bipartisan legislation to establish a u.s. black sea regional strategy legislation which i've cosponsored. senator shaheen and i had a chance to speak to the brave americans serving in romania in defense of nato and i'm proud to say, and i hope my colleague hernanadez -- colleague hears this -- we had soldiers from danville, forest park, chicago ridge and red bud, illinois, downstate, and many more. we got to meet and have lunchl with those soldiers. we had a chance to speak with the romanian prime minister who is clear-eyed on the threat of

the russian aggression and romania's role. he understood the threat nato poses to the neighboring democracy of moldova where they occupy some of their territory. because of this, president biden met with the moldovan president and reaffirmed strong u.s. support for her country's sovereignty and territorial integrity which i also want to reiterate here on the senate floor. many of my colleagues here today know that my mother left as a little girl from russian-occupied lithuania many years ago. she barely would recognize the country she left behind. later this year lithuania will host a summit by which time i hope we will have added finland and sweden den. that is the future the ukrainian people are still fighting for and what we must continue to support to make sure ukraine is secure in the future.

i yield the floor and i ask consent before yielding the floor that a separate statement i have be placed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. ms. duckworth: madam president, i come to the floor today to honor my friend, chief warrant officer fye joseph lamenz who we lost suddenly. he was full of energy and empty of ego. in many ways he was the epitome of what a soldier, with a capital s, should be. he was dedicated to service, service to his most beloved and to those with whom he was barely acquainted, service to neighbors in illinois and to total strangers throughout his four deployments to the middle east. joe first enlisted in the united states army reserve when he was just 17 years old, then served continually for the next 42

years until his retirement last march. his work ethic was tireless and sacrifices he made for his nation were immeasurable. he was selfless, giving. he would be the first one to offer to lend a hand, then would refuse to accept payment for his good deed. he seemed quiet until you got to know him. then his laugh made you laugh so hard that eventually you forgot why you were both laughing at all. as a fellow pilot, i especially appreciated the way he gravitated towards machines, the way he loved having the power of an engine, whether it be a snowmobile or a blackhawk helicopter, at his fingertips. as his commanding officer from my years as a mad dog, i couldn't have asked for a better maintenance test pilot, although i always question the sanity of anyone who would fly broken helicopters on purpose. i considered myself lucky that joe was a member of our battalion when we were in iraq.

maintenance officers, especially those like joe, arrest rare commodity and joe was one of the best. when we got back to u.s. soil after i was wounded and could no longer get from point a to point b, i was luckier to have joe show up at my house with his toolbox in tow ready to remodel my home to make it wheelchair accessible. he combined the grip of a midwesterner with the grace of faith. he combined the resilience of a soldier with the brilliance of an engineer. i know he will be dearly missed. he already is. and my thoughts are with his wife katherine and his children and had i newborn grandson, whom he was able to see. i thank them for sharing joe with us for all those engineers and for their own -- all those years and for their own service to our great nation. we will all miss joe but we will forever catch an echo of his larger than life laugh whenever

we hear the favorite sound, the smooth rumble of a well-cared-for engine. i yield the floor.

a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama.

mr. tuberville: thank you, madam president. last week, like many of my colleagues, i spent time meeting with many folks in my home state, the great state of alabama. it was great to be home and share the progress my office made in the first two years as well as my vision and priorities for the 118th congress. i visited huntsville, alabama, and had the opportunity to meet with some of the leaders in defense, education, and business. this included stops at nasa's marshal space flight center, alabama, a&m university, one of the top hbcu's in the country, and other important sites, including business in madison county, alabama. but i'd like to take some time today to speak specifically about one stop on my trip that opened my eyes to a subject we should talk about more often in

this chamber. the national children's advocacy center in huntsville is a global leader in services, investigations, and counseling for children who suffer physical and sexual abuse. the center's work is important, and i'm proud to share that work today. i think we can all agree we want our kids to have access to all the opportunities that this great country provides. unfortunately, many children in alabama and across the country are robbed of the opportunity to thrive and pursue their dreams because of abuse and neglect. during my visit, the center's executive director, chris newland, shared that one in ten american children today will be victims of abuse before the age

of 18. this has horrific -- this is horrific, it's unacceptable and it's embarrassing to our country. these kids don't know what it's like to have a care-free childhood or loving families who support their goals. they aren't able to devote energy to school, join in team sports, or having fun because their only goal in life is just to survive. not only are they robbed of their childhood, but many times they're robbed of their adulthood as well. studies show that there are several long-term effects of child abuse. these include delayed brain development, lower educational success, and limited career

opportunities. victims are also more likely to suffer from future abuse, drug usage, and medical complications. additionally, there are less likely -- they are less likely to own cars, buy homes, engage in business, making them less likely to be able to support a family in the future. nearly 600,000 kids in the united states were abused in 2021. let me repeat that. 600,000 in the greatest country on the face of the earth were abused in 2021, with the most common form of abuse being neglect. child abuse cases in alabama have increased throughout the years, with more than 12,000

victims reported in 2018, costing the state of alabama $3.7 billion. now that's up $1.5 billion from just three years earlier. the cost is outrageous. and while we are still collecting data from the past few years of covid, and we know how bad that was, we all know those numbers are going to be outrageous. we cannot allow this to continue in the united states of america. fortunately we have people in our state of alabama who have made it their mission to help victims of child abuse. founded in 1985, the national children's advocacy center, also called the ncac, is stepping up to save lives and offer hope to thousands and

thousands of young people. the ncac in huntsville has established more than 1,000 children advocacy centers in the united states and in 41 countries around the world. their work serves thousands and thousands of kids every year, like 7-year-old benji who was found unconscious by his grandmother and rushed to the hospital. there it was discovered he had broken fingers, a broken rib, countless bruises, and old bones that had been broken but never fixed. doctors determined benji was also sexually abused. that night benji left the hospital with julie, who would eventually become his new foster mom, and arrived at the ncac

the very next morning for evaluation. thanks to the work of the dedicated and selfless professionals in huntsville, benji now has a safe and loving home. he's made tremendous strides in playing with other children, bonding with family members and their new family kitten, trusting his adoptive mother was a huge benefit. benji's therapists say he continues to show more confidence and will likely graduate from therapy in just a few short months. but just imagine how many benji's there are out there in our world today. the center's reach does not end in alabama. it has expanded around the country and across the world. in 2021, over 30,000 child abuse professionals from 50

states and 17 countries received ncac training, and more than 400,000 children were served. just in 2021. alabama's network of children advocacy centers now includes 47 different locations that have conducted tens of thousands of counseling sessions each year. and thanks to their work, more abusers have been brought to justice. communities with children advocacy centers have seen a 196% increase in felony prosecutions of child sex abuse. i am confident their work will continue to make tremendous impact in local communities in alabama and around the world. so we all have a duty to stand up for our kids.

that's our responsibility. children are our number one commodity in this country. they will become the next generation of educators, nurses, doctors, lawyers, engineers, even senators, and maybe even president. and if we're going to have a strong future, we must make sure we protect and empower this next generation. i commend the team of the national children's advocacy center for their commitment to giving kids a fighting chance -- a fighting chance to overcome unthinkable hardships that most of us never had to realize. by stepping up to help those who have been left behind, the center gives kids the opportunity to dream and pursue better lives.

i hope we all join this group in doing our part to rescue child abuse victims. i will continue to fight for kids in alabama and all across our great country because they deserve it. and i want to thank the national children advocacy center for reminding me that we all have a part to play in protecting and serving those who need us most. i yield the floor.

mr. warner: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. warner: madam president, i rise today in support of mr. jamar walker, whom president biden has nominated to serve as a u.s. district court judge for the eastern district of virginia. jamar is a fellow virginian, an outstanding public servant. for the last decade he has been an invaluable asset to virginia's legal community, bringing both his zeal for public service and his personal life story. jamar is a virginia native originally from our eastern shore. if you ever look at a map of virginia, you see this strip that may not be completely connect can connected, it is a p of land that is very rural, but jamar is from that part of our commonwealth. he is a two-time graduate of the university of virginia. following his time at both uva as an undergrad and uva law,

jamar began his career in public service, clerking for the honorable raymond jackson in the eastern district of virginia, whose same seat is actually, if we approve him tonight, nominated to -- nominated to fill. he has dedicated his professional career in the u.s. attorney's office for the eastern district of virginia, where he serves as the financial chief of the financial crime unit. his ability to try complex cases, jamar was received five service awards from the fbi for his be excellent work in public corruption, wire fraud and bank fraud cases. his commitment to the commonwealth expands far beyond his day job. he has volunteered for countless trials and speaks out on guest

panels. he will be the first openly gay federal district judge in virginia. his community-oriented mind-set and numerous accolades makes him an exceptional nominee for the eastern district of virginia, a district that is known as the rocket docket in terms of moving cases quickly through. it -- his experience will help. i urge my colleagues, when this vote starts in about ten minutes, to start his nomination. he came out in a bipartisan vote from the judiciary committee. he is an exceptional young man and i know will do a great job. and with that, madam president, i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to legislative s.. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 24. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, colleen r. lawless, of illinois, to be united states judge for the the district of illinois. mr. schumer: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we,

the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number it 24, colleen r. lawless, of illinois, to be united states district judge for the central district of illinois, signed by 17 senators as follows. schumer i ask unanimous consent that the -- mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the negotiation is agreed to. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 35. are. the presiding officer: all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the

nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, jonathan james canada grey, of michigan, to be united states district judge for the eastern district of michigan. the presidingmr. schumer: i sene motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 35, jonathan canada grey, of michigan, to be united states district judge for the eastern district of virginia -- of michigan. the presiding mr. schumer: i ask that the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion agreed to. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to executive session to consider

calendar number 39. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in sphaifer say aye. all those opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, james edward simmons, jr., to be united states district judge for the southern district of virginia. mr. schumer: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the on the nomination of executive calendar number 39, james edward simmons, jr., of california, to be united states district judge for the southern district of california, signed by 16 senators as follows. the presiding mr. schumer: i ask that the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: finally -- i move to proceed to legislative

session. the presiding officer: question the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. all opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 40. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all those in favor, aye. all those opposed, nay. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, gordon p. gallagher, of colorado, to be united states district judge for the district of colorado. mr. schumer: i send a cloture motion to the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. cloturethe clerk: cloture motio, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 40, gordon p. gallagher,

of colorado, to be united states district judge for the district of colorado, signed by 16 senators as follows. mr. schumer: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the -- be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i yield the floor. mr. kaine: madam president, i rise in support of jamar walker, who is nominee natured to be united states district -- nominated to be judge for the eastern district. he is the acting chief for the financial crimes and public corruption unit. he was raised by a single mother on the eastern shore of virginia, where he graduated from nandua high school.

he's a double graduate of the university of virginia, and he clerked for judge raymond jackson, whose seat he has been nominated to fill in a particularly nice turn of events. mr. walker counts judge jackson as among his mentors who inspired him not just a life of service but also a deep commitment to the commonwealth of virginia and the eastern shore. following his clerkship, mr. walker worked as an associate at covington and burlington and worked for the head of the litigation session, and then he joined the u.s. attorney's office in the eastern district of virginia. given his deep history, it will come as no surprise that mr. walker has broad support in this very important court, starting with judge jackson. in his letter of support, judge jackson oabs that mr. walk -- observes that mr. walker has the

temperament that is fundamental as a judge. dana benty noted that mr. walker has unimpeachable character and has a keen intellect, sober judgment and humility. as you can see he would be serving the same community that raised him where he has deep ties. for these reasons he received a well qualified rating from the american bar association. his nomination is historic in that once confirmed he will be the first openly lgbtq federal district judge in virginia. i practiced in this court for 17 years. it's justifiably called the rocket docket because it has one of the fastest times from filing a case to trial of any district in the united states. six months from filing a case to trial. such speed is tough on the judges and it's tough on the lawyers but the eva does it

because for the lit gafnltses, the ability to know they'll have their claim heard within six months is a wonderful, wonderful thing. it is also a little bit unique because of its proximity to the pentagon and the c.i.a. and federal government agencies gives it a docket that has a high percentage of national security cases. mr. walker's experience in and knowledge of and work on cases of that kind will be very critical to his success once he is confirmed. in short, this is an exceptional nominee and history maker who is well qualified to serve on a most unique court. he received a strongly bipartisan vote in the judiciary committee. i urge my colleagues to vote in support of his nomination. with that i yield the floor, madam president. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture.

the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 16, jamar k. walker of virginia to be united states district judge for the eastern district of virginia signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of jamar k. walker of virginia to be united states district judge for the eastern district of virginia shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote: vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: on this vote, the yeas are 52, the nays are 39, and the motion is agreed to.

ms. smith: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from minnesota. ms. smith: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. smith: 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. ms. smith: mr. president, i understand that there is a bill at the desk, and i ask for its first reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the first time. the clerk: s. 532, a bill to preserve and protect the free choice of individual employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations or to refrain from

such activities. ms. smith: i now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14 i object to my own request. the presiding officer: objection is heard. the bill will receive its second reading on the next ledges lative day. ms. smith: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate if completes its business today it stand adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on tuesday, february 28, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. further, that upon the conclusion of morning business, the senate resume consideration of the walker nomination, postcloture. that at 11:30 a.m., the senate vote on confirmation of the walker nomination, and that following the cloture vote on the whitehead nomination, the senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to

allow for the weekly caucus meetings, that at 2:15 p.m. if cloture has been invoakd on the whitehead nom -- invoked on the whitehead nomination, the senate vote on confirmation of the nomination. further, if cloture has been invoked on the martinez-algua nomination, the vote be at 4:30 p.m. finally, if any nominations are confirmed tuesday, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered. a senator: if there is no further business to come before the senate, a i ask had a it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> and in the central today work on the nomination of jamar walker to be a u.s. district court judge for eastern virginia

confirmed to be virginia's openly gay federal judge. also to the oklahoma center james lankford read george washington's farewell address. a senate tradition that began on washington's birthday in 1896. with the senate returns for legislative work watch live coverage here on cspan2. c-span is your unfiltered view of government. funded by these television companies and more. including comcast. books are you thinking this is just a community center? no it is way more than that. comcast is part of 1000 committee centers to create wi-fi enabled so students from low-income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. comcast supports c-spa as a public service along with these other television providers giving a front row seat to democracy. u.s. navy secretary carlos laid out the navy and