view of government. we're funded by these television companies and more, including midco. ♪♪ >> midco supports c-span as a public service along with these other telision providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. live sunday, attorney and author phillip k howard will be our guest in depth, to take your calls on governmentnd legal reform in america. written six books, including collapse of the common good, life without lawyers, and best seller. join the live conversation with attorney and author phil k.

howard sunday noon eastern on book tv on c-span2. watch video on demand anytime online at c-span.org. and try our points of interest feature, a timeline tool that uses markers to quickly guide you to news worthy and highlights of our key coverage. use points of interest anytime online at c-span.org. this morning, on capitol hill, senate lawmakers continue to work on the nominees for district court judges for new jersey and new york. now live to the floor of the u.s. senate here on c-span2. senate will come to order. the chaplain, the reverend dr. barry black, will open the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. almighty god, our hope and guid,

during this season where each day seems to bring news, we find difficult to believe, we continue to trust your sovereignty. look with mercy upon our senatos in these challenging times. draw them close to you and each other in humility, so they will sincerely seek to find common ground. as they seek to confront history's surprises, may they not lean only on their abilities, but put their ultimate trust in you. lord, prepare them to expect and celebrate the healing

intervention of your powerful providence. we pray in your magnificent name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge f 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., may 2, 2023. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable raphael g. warnock, a senator from the state of georgia, 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.

test:

mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: first a little housekeeping. i understand there are two bills

at the desk, due for a second reading en bloc. the presiding officer: the leader is correct. the clerk will read the titles of the bill for the second time en bloc. the clerk: s. 1395, a bill to temporarily suspend the debt limit through december 31, 2024. h.r. 2811, an act to provide for a responsible increase to the debt ceiling and for other purposes. mr. schumer: in order to place the bilt bills on the calendar under provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding en bloc. the presiding officer: objections having been heard, the bills will be placed on the calendar. mr. schumer: thank you, mr. president. now, yesterday treasury secretary janet yellen released a letter warning that the u.s. government will likely default on its obligations as soon as june 1, only 30 days away. rather than listen to reason,

speaker mccarthy has caved to extremists. by passing the default on america act, he's handed the keys over to the house freedom caucus, many of whom are more than happy to let the u.s. default if they don't get every last cut and every last unrelated hard-right policy that had been added to this bill chocka block. every one of them they want. as one house freedom caucus member said plainly, speaker mccarthy cannot get to 218 with changes to this deal. let me read that again, so everyone here's it. this is where we're at. a freedom house caucus member, each of whom, as we know, has great power in the house because they didn't change their rules. as one freedom caucus member has said plainly, quote, speaker mccarthy -- no, here's the quote, speaker mccarthy, quote, cannot get to 218 with changes to this deal, unquote.

but, as is obvious to just about anyone who looks at this, the default on america act has no future in the senate. consequently, speaker mccarthy has created a situation where he knowingly passed an extreme bill, has been boxed by his republican colleagues into a corner, and now has little room to maneuver, lest he provoke the ire of the house freedom caucus. mccarthy is giving us two terrible options -- either default on the debt or default on our country, with steep, severe, devastating cuts to things like law enforcement, veterans, families, teachers, kids, even cancer research. the only real option that does not hurt the american people is a clean, bipartisan bill to avert default. as americans look into the default on america act that the house has passed, they'll discover it reads like a plan -- they'll discover -- as americans

look at the default on america act, which the house just passed, they'll discover that it reads less like a plan for averting default and more like a house freedom caucus manifesto. the default on america act would tear at the fabric of american society, impose dramatic cuts to our public security, cutting law enforcement dramatically at a time when we need help from them. the cruel abandonment of veterans, when we should be defending our veterans. terrible job losses at a time when this last congress, under democratic control, started bringing jobs back from overseas to america, on chip fab, on manufacturing, on batteries and so many other things. blocking access to affordable health care, over 21 million americans would lose their health care gains we've made over the last while, and brutal attacks on working families. across the board. in fact, nothing about the

default on america act has been on the level. let me quote something that speaker mccarthy said right after becoming speaker. this is a quote from kevin mccarthy, quote, i want to give all americans a personal invitation. you're welcome to see this body at work. no longer will the doors be closed. but the debates will be open. from the committee rooms to this floor, we commit to pursue the truth passionately and embrace debate. well, let's go over that one. no more closed doors? give me a break. the default on america act bill was written entirely behind closed doors without a shred of transparency. this bill would so dramatically and deeply and harmfully hurt america, was done entirely behind closed doors. debates will be in the open? how many committee debates did the house gop hold on their default on america act? how many expert witnesses were invited? how many amendments from the democratic side were allowed to be presented?

again, the truth is default on america is an extremist bill that would never have a shot at passing muster with the american public on its own. as such, everything about this bill was rushed, was secret, was the antithesis of open and transparent. mccarthy's words ring hollow. the american people deserve better. now, if republicans refuse to level with the american people about their bill, senate democrats are more than happy to do it. we will show the american people how the default on america act will decimate federal law enforcement in this country, erasing nearly 30,000 law enforcement jobs and leaving border security hanging out to dry. we'll show how the default on america act is a direct assault on families. it slashes child care, cuts pell grant funding, even takes aims at programs as popular and beneficial as meals on wheels. i mean, do republicans seriously think that's the way to avoid

default? by depriving our country from critical resources to feed hungry americans? we'll show the american people how the default on america is chock full of totally irrelevant, hard-right goodies that would unregulate, deregulate fossil fuels, empower the biggest corporations, give tax giveaways to the ultrarich, and impose cruel and unmop lar attacks -- unpopular attacks on working families. we'll take the first steps to expose these atrocities on thursday, when the senate budget committee holds hearing on how the default on america act will weaken our economy and slash hundreds of thousands of jobs. it will be the very first legislative hearing in either house that looks at what default on america act does, and there will be more hearings to follow. if republicans want to sell their awful agenda to the american people, they're welcome to do so in debates about the budget and the appropriations process. that's where these debates have

always happened, not in the middle of a default crisis that now stares us in the face. as democrats expose the default on america bill for what it is, our position remains the same. both parties should do what we have done in the past, the last three times default faced us. both parties should pass a clean, bipartisan bill to avoid default, together, before -- before -- we hit the critical june 1 deadline. now, on senate business, mr. president, today will be another busy day on the senate floor as we continue confirming more highly qualified judicial nominees to serve on the federal bench. yesterday we confirmed an outstanding circuit judge to a lifetime appointment for the ninth circuit. today, we will continue our efforts to build on -- we will build on our efforts to restore balance to the federal bench by holding votes on three more

outstanding nominees. the senate will hold two votes this morning to advance two district court judges, and later this afternoon we'll have three votes on president biden's highly qualified judicial nominees. members should be aware that i filed cloture last night on two additional judges, and that moving their nominations forward will be a top priority for the senate this week. i yield the floor. note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: dchendoraicapósvc10: quorum call:

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: today democrats on the judiciary committee are holding a hearing that's ostensibly about supreme court ethics reform. really, mr. president, it's just another chapter in washington democrats' three-decade long -- three-decade long campaign to be undermine the earl -- the federal judiciary at any cost.

it was an absurd campaign aimed at robert bortac and janice -- bork and janice robert brown. and last-minute surprises against the nominations of justice thomas and justice kavanaugh. it was the silly attempt at a boycott by democrats on the committee who didn't want to engage with justice barrett. washington democrats apparently find a texturallist court that upholds the constitution to be a mighty a -- unappealing proposition. in the last few years, the who's tilt has reached reckless new --

hostility has reached reckless new highs. unhinged activists marching on justice families' homes, publishing the location of their childrens' schools and fueling a frenzy that had one unstable person literally plotting to assassinate a member of the court. attorney general garland refusing to enforce clear federal law and stop illegal mob protests at judges' homes. now -- now we've got the next rath of silly personal attacks, this time they want people to gasp in horror that one supreme

court justice vacations with his friends. that another one sold his house when he moved and that chief justice roberts' wife has a career outside the home. democrats even tried to pressure chief justice roberts to trade the supreme court for their kangaroo court and show up in person today to hear them grandstand a totally inappropriate request as the chief's facts-based reply made clear. for goodness sake. we now have senate democrats openly threatening to defund the court's budget by the exact amount they need for security to protect the justices and their families. if the justices don't reorganize internal affairs the way some

democrats want. every five minutes, the democratic party wants to give lectures about upholding our institution and protecting democracy but then they take a new way at a reckless attack of the court and the rule of law. look, look, i'm proud of how our nation's highest court has weathered these baseless attempts to attack its authority. i believe in the integrity and honesty of all nine justices, all nine of them. they should pay the partisan grandstanding no mind at all. now on an entirely different matter. there was a remarkable exchange yesterday when a russian reporter tried to put false

words in speaker mccarthy's mouth about alleged republican opposition to helping ukraine defeat russian aggression. well, the speaker put him in his place and shut him down. he reminded everyone of his ongoing support of aid to ukraine and of republicans' commitment to help our friends win. republicans are the party of american strength at home and abroad, and that includes standing up to would-be tyrants who are invading sovereign countries, killing innocent people and putting -- equipping ukraine to defend itself is a direct investment in america's own national security -- our national security. as brave ukrainians degrade the russian military on the front lines, a major threat to western

security and economic prosperity gets weaker. in the meantime, our own defense capabilities are actually getting stronger. a large part of the security assistance appropriated for ukraine actually funds the production of new cutting-edge capabilities for the u.s. military and supports good-paying jobs for skilled american workers right here at home. unfortunately, it is the administration whose policies have been slow and halting. since the beginning of russia's escalation, the biden administration has lagged several steps behind the pace of relevance in delivering decisive aid to ukraine. every approval of had new assistance has required agonizing deliberations and prodding from congressional

republicans and democrats alike. this was the case with the stringer and javelin systems the ukrainians needed to drive back russian convoys and polish fighter jets that stood waiting on the tarmac. with the himars and har moneys and -- harpoons they needed to put the russians on their back foot and the support they needed for a counter offensive. and now with the cluster munitions longer-range fighters and fighter -- fourth-generation fighter jets that they need to turn the tide. at every single mile marker, every one, the biden administration has dithered -- dithered unnecessarily. it's time for the president to get serious about victory and invest in american strength.

the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

>> thank you, mr. president. now yesterday treasury secretary janet yellen released a letter warning the u.s. government will likely default on its only 30 days away. rather than listen to reason, speaker mccarthy has caved to extremists bypassing the default on america act he's handed the keys over to the house caucus. many of whom are more than happy to let the u.s. default if they don't get every last cat, and every last unrelated hard right policy added to this bill. everyone of them they want. as one house freedom caucus member said plainly, speaker mccarthy cannot get to 218 without changes to this deal. let me read that again. sir everyone hears it. this is where we're at. by freedom house caucus member, each of them as renault has great power in the house because it didn't change the rules.

as one freedom caucus member has said plainly, quote, speaker mccarthy -- here's the quote. speaker mccarthy, coal, cannot get to 218 with the changes to this deal, unquote. but as is obvious to just about anyone who looks at this of the default on america act has no future in the senate. consequently, speaker mccarthy has created a situation where he knowingly passed an extreme bill, has been boxed by his republican colleagues into a corner, and now has little room to maneuver, lest he provoked the ire of the house freedom caucus. mccarthy is giving us a two terrible options. either default on the debt, or default on our country with steep, severe, devastating cuts, to things like law enforcement, veterans, families, teachers, kids, even cancer research. the only real option that does not hurt the american people is a clean bipartisan bill to avert

default. as americans look into the default on america act that the house has passed, , they will discover it reads like a plan, they will discover that it, as americans look at the default on america act, which the house just passed, they will discover it reads less like a plan for averting default and more like a house freedom caucus manifesto. the default on america act would tear at the fabric of american society, and posttraumatic cuts to our public security, cutting law enforcement dramatically at a time when we need help from them. the cruel abandonment of veterans when we should be defending our veterans, terrible job losses at a the time whens last congress under democratic control started bringing jobs back from overseas to america on chips come on manufacturing, on batteries and so many of the things. blocking access to affordable health care, over 21 million americans could lose the healthy

gains we've made over the last while and brutal attacks on working families across the board. in mr. thune: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. michael farbiarz of new jersey to be united states district judge for the district of new jersey. mr. thune: mr. president, it's about time. 90 days after his last meeting with speaker mccarthy and after weeks of point-blank refusal to engage in discussion, president biden has finally agreed to meet with the speaker about debt ceiling legislation. i'll say it again. it's about time. if the administration's estimate

is correct, the united states is mere weeks away from reaching the limit of its borrowing capacity, which means of course that the president has to reach an agreement with the republican-led house of representatives on a debt ceiling bill. but the president has been completely awol on this issue. and while i'm very pleased that the president's treasury secretary has apparently managed to convey the urgency of the matter to the president and that the president is actually going to sit down with speaker mccarthy, it remains to be seen how seriously the president will take negotiations. he certainly hasn't been taking this issue certainly so far. house republicans, on the other hand, have been taking this issue seriously. they've offered legislation to raise the despaired with spending reforms to slow the rate at which we're accumulating debt. but up until 18 hours ago, the president was refusing to engage on the issue at all.

the day republicans passed their debt ceiling legislation last week, the president was asked if he would sit down with speaker mccarthy to negotiate on the debt limit. his reply? i'm happy to meet with the speaker, but not on the debt limit. the debt limit isn't negotiable. in other words, it's my way or the highway. you either accept my position on the debt limit, a debt ceiling increase with no spending reforms, or i'll let our nation default. mr. president, if that's not an unserious position, i don't know what is. the fact is in recent history, increases in the debt limit have almost always been the result of negotiations, and seven of the last ten -- seven of the last ten -- debt limit increases have included some mix of policy or budgetary changes rather than

simply a straight increase. no matter how much president biden would like his word on the debt ceiling to be law, the fact of the matter is that in our system of government, the president does not have absolute power. and when the american people have sent divided government to washington as they did in the last election, then if you can't persuade the other side to see things your way, you have to negotiate. you have to compromise. president biden understood this at one time. back in 2011, here's what then-vice president biden had to sake about lawmakers who didn't want to negotiate on a debt ceiling increase. and i quote, how can you explain the fact that grown men and women are unwilling to budge up till now and still some of them are still unwilling to budge by taking an absolute position, my way or no way. that's not governing. that's no way to govern.

you can't govern that way. end quote. that from then-vice president biden back in 2011. and then vice president biden was right. and i am very much hoping that he will remember those words now and not only sit down with speaker mccarthy but actually commit to reaching a compromise. i was not encouraged by a reference from the senate democratic leader's office to sitting down with congressional leaders to discuss a clean debt limit bill. that hardly displays an understanding of the fact that any debt ceiling legislation will require compromise between the white house and house republicans. it's also the height of hypocrisy for the democratic leader to talk about a clean debt limit bill when just a few years ago he was using the debt ceiling as leverage to negotiate with president trump. but the apparently one rule for me, another for thee is the

democrats' watch word. mr. president, our nation's debt situation is very serious. our current national debt is over $31 trillion. yeah, $31 trillion, and it's projected to grow to more than $50 trillion over the next decade. at least if the president's budget were to be adopted. that's an unfathomable amount of money. more to the point, it's an entirely dangerous amount of money. our national debt already exceeded the size of our economy, which is a very dangerous marker to hit. under our current trajectory, by 2033, debt held by the public will be at the highest level relative to gdp, relative to the size of our economy, literally in history. exceeding even post-world war ii levels. in fact, according to the

nonpartisan committee for responsible federal budget, 50 cents of every dollar our country borrows in the next ten years will go just toward paying interest on our national debt. debt at that level threatens economic growth, it sucks money away from essential government spending on things like social security and medicare and our national defense, and it leaves us excessively dependent on other countries, sometimes hostile countries, who hold our nation's debt. for all those reasons and more, it threatens our national security. house republicans are absolutely right to take this opportunity to insist on some attempt to at least slow our rate of spending, and the american people would seem to agree. a recent poll found that 65% of

americans, including 58% of democrats, believe that the debt ceiling debate is a good time to force tough issues like cutting future spending to reduce the deficit. that's the way the question was worded in the poll. let me just repeat that. 65% of americans, including 58% of democrats, believe that the debt ceiling debate is a good time to force tough issues like cutting future spending to reduce the deficit. mr. president, let's hope that democrats are paying attention. the ball is in the president's court. house republicans have been at the table for a while now. they've offered ideas. they've put forward and passed legislation. now it's up to president biden. he can either get serious about

this fundamental responsibility, engage in real for negotiatioh speaker mccarthy and arrive at a genuine compromise on debt ceiling legislation, or he can continue to refuse to meaningfully engage on this issue and ensure that his presidency is remembered not just for a massive inflation crisis but for a democrat default on the debt. the choice is his. mr. president, i yield the floor. and i suggest the absence is of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum: quorum call:

>> thank you, mr. president. now, yesterday treasury secretary janet yellen released a letter warning that the u.s. government will likely default on its obligations as soon as june 1, only 30 days away. rather than listen to reason, speaker mccarthy has caved to extremists. bypassing the default on america act he's handed the keys over to the house freedom caucus. many of whom are more than happy to let the u.s. default if they don't get every last cut, and every last unrelated hard right

policy added to this bill. everyone of them they want. as one house freedom caucus member said plainly, speaker mccarthy cannot get to 218 with changes to this deal. let me read that again. so everyone hears it. this is where we're at. a freedom house caucus member, each of whom as we know has great power in the house because they didn't change the rules. as one freedom caucus member has said plainly, quote, speaker mccarthy -- here's the quote. speaker mccarthy quote, cannot get to 218 with changes to this deal, unquote. but as is obvious to just about anyone who looks at this the default on america act has no future in the senate. consequently, speaker mccarthy has created a situation where he knowingly passed an extreme bill, has been boxed by his republican colleagues into a corner and now has little room

to maneuver, lest he provoked the ire of the house freedom caucus. mccarthy is giving us two terrible options. either default on the debt, or default on our country with steep, severe, devastating cuts to things like law enforcement, veterans, families, teachers, kids, even cancer research. the only real option that does not hurt the american people is a clean, or partisan bill to avert default. as americans look into the default on america act that the house has passed, they will discover it reads like a plan, they will discover that it, as americans look at the default on america act, which at the house just passed, they will discover it reads less like like a r diverting of default and more like a house freedom caucus manifesto. the default on america act would tear at the fabric of american society, and posttraumatic cuts

to our public security, cutting law enforcement dramatically at a time when we need help from them. the cruel abandonment of veterans when we should be defending our veterans. terrible job losses at a time when this last congress under democratic control started bringing jobs back from overseas to america on chips, manufacturing, on batteries and so many other things. blocking access to affordable health care, over 21 million americans could lose the healthcare gains that we have made over the last while, and brutal attacks on working families. across the board. in fact, nothing about the default on america act has been on the level. let me quote something that speaker mccarthy said right after becoming speaker, a quote from kevin mccarthy, quote, i want to give all americans a personal invitation. you are welcome to see this body at work. no longer will the doors be closed. but the debates will be open

from the committee rooms to this floor we commit to pursue the truth passionately and a brace debate. well, let's go over that one. no more closed doors? give me a break. the default on america bill was written entirely behind closed doors without a shred of transparency. this bill was a crime that dramatically and deeply and harmful it hurts america was done entirely behind closed doors. debates will be in the open? , any committee debates did the house gop hold on their default on america act? how many expert witnesses were invited? how many amendments from the democratic side were about to be presented? again, the truth is default on america is an extreme is a bill that would never have a shot at passing muster with the american public on its own. as such, everything about this bill was rushed, with secret, was the antithesis of open and transparent.

mccarthy's words ring hollow. the american people deserve better. now, if republicans refused to level with the american people about their bill, senate democrats are more than happy to do it. we will show the american people have default on america act will decimate federal law enforcement in this country from raising nearly 30,000 law enforcement jobs and and leaving border security hanging out to dry. will show how the default on america act as a direct assault on families. it slashes chunkier, cut spell grant fund to come even takes aims at programs is popular and beneficial as meals on wheels. i mean give republicans a seriously think that's the way to avoid default? by depriving our country from critical resources to feed hungry americans? and we wish her the american people how the default on america is chock full of totally irrelevant hard right goodies that would and regulate, deregulate fossil fuels, and

power the because corporations, give tax giveaways to the ultra rich and impose cruel and unpopular attacks on working families here we will take the first step to expose these atrocities on thursday when the senate budget committee holds hearings on how the default on america act will weaken our economy and slash hundreds of thousands of jobs. it will be the very first legislative hearing in either house the looks of what default on america does, and there will be more hearings to follow. if republicans want to sell their awful agenda to the american people they are welcome to do so in debates about the budget and the appropriations process. that's what these debates have always happened, not in the middle of a default crisis that now stares us in the face. as democrats expose the default on america bill for what it is, our position remains the same. both parties should do what we have done in the past the last three times default faced as

pure both parties should face as he cleaned the present to avoid default together before, before we hit the critical june 1 deadline. now on senate business. mr. president, today will be another busy day on the senate floor as we continue confirming more highly qualified judicial nominees to serve on the federal bench. yesterday we confirmed an outstanding circuit judge to a lifetime appointment for the ninth circuit. today we will continue our efforts to build on, we will build on our efforts to restore balance to the federal bench by holding votes on three more outstanding nominees. the senate will hold two votes this morning to address two district court judges and later this afternoon we will have three votes on president biden's highly qualified judicial nominees. and members should be aware i filed cloture less but on two additional judges and that moving denominations forward

will be a top priority for the senate this week. i yield the floor. i note the absence of the court. >> the clerk call the roll.

mr. menendez: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. menendez: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. are. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. menendez: i ask unanimous consent that my full statement be concluded prior to the vote. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. menendez: i come to the floor in support of two remarkable, dedicated nominees to serve on the u.s. district court of new jersey, mr. michael farbiarz and mr. robert kirsch. both nominees represent the best our state has to offer. both have served with

distinction in various roles. both deserve to be confirmed swiftly to the district court. consider the distinguished career of michael farbiarz, he has served as assistant u.s. attorney as cochief of the terrorism narcotics unit and general counsel of the new york-new jersey port authority. he is a shinning star in new jersey's legal community, a reputation that's not given but earned. and while serving in a leadership roles he's had and enforcing our laws as a federal prosecutor and providing legal counsel to those who serve on the port authority commission, his breadth and depth prepare him well to serve the garden state as a fair and effective federal judge. robert kirsch is a dedicated public servant who has been

serving on the superior court of new jersey for over a decade. a native of south orange, he was sponsored for his position by then state senator tom kaine jr., a republican. was appointed by governor corzyn, a democrat. he has consistently earned bipartisan support in his long and impressive career in public service. he holds a wealth of experience both as a jurist and a former federal prosecutor. and while presiding over a busy docket of criminal cases, judge kirsch has ctionly -- consistently chosen to do what is right, not what comes easy. outside of the courtroom, robert kirsch is a devoted advocate for public safety and the well-being of his community. in particular he has led a passionate effort to improve new jersey's juvenile justice system earning him numerous awards and widespread recognition. this commitment to fairness and impartiality, values he has

demonstrated throughout his career will surely be an asset while serving on the federal bench. i submit to my colleagues that mr. farbiarz and judge kirsch are two phenomenal nominees to fill new jersey's final judicial vacancies. they have earned well qualified ratings from the american bar association. they have letters of support from both the new jersey state bar association and the association of the federal bar of new jersey. in short, they are the final pieces of the puzzle as i alongside senator booker and biden administration have worked to fill not one, not to but eight vacancies that were existing. it was a judicial emergency on the district court of new jersey. at the beginning of the last congress, the number of vacancies was so dire that it was deemed a judicial emergency. one of the busiest courts in america, work ground to a halt as a result creating a backlog that delayed justice for victims of crime and plaintiffs in

court. we had our work cut out for us but by putting our heads down and noses to the grindstone, senator booker and i can now proudly say we have shepherded eight well qualified nominees through the process. these are individuals who believe in precedent, who are not judicial activists, who are in essence in the mainstream of the law. all that remains is for this body and our colleagues to join us in confirming these final two nominees to their roles. it will be a great day for the state of new jersey and for our country as we vote to elevate michael farbiarz and robert kirsch to the federal bench. we thank them both for their incredibly dedicated service, and i certainly look forward to thanking my colleagues for their dutiful consideration of these two nominees on the floor. and with that, mr. president, i yield the floor.

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 121, michael farbiarz of new jersey to be united states district judge for the district of new jersey signed by 20 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 michael farbiarz of new jersey to be united states district judge for the district of new jersey 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:

the presiding officer: the yeas are 65, the nays are 34. the motion is agreed to. 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 122, robert kirsch, of new jersey to be united states district judge for the district district of new jersey, signed by 20 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 robert kirsch of new jersey to be united states district judge for the district of new jersey 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: the yeas are 57. the nays are 42. and the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: the judiciary, robert kirsch of new jersey to be united states district judge for the district of new jersey. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands in recess subject to the stands in recess subject to the >> the u.s. senate now in recess for the weekly party caucus meetingsnd 118th congress photo. today lawmakers are considering the president's nominees to serve justice a court judges for new jersey and new york. throughout the week senators will continue work on judicial and executive nominations

including colleen shogan to the archivist of the united stas. watch live coverage of the senate when lawmakers return here on c-span2. >> watch video on demand any time online at c-span.org and try our points of interest feature a timeline tool uses marcus to quickly guide you do newsworthy and interesting highlights of our key coverage. use point of interest anytime online at c-span.org. >> tonight ellicott supreme court ethical standards following phrase reports of justices clarence thomas and neil gorsuch in possible violation of current ethics rules. we will hear from legal scholars including district judges from california and new york at 9 p.m. eastern on c-span, c-span now our free mobile video app, or online at c-span.org. >> live side the attorney and author philip howard