in 1976, milton freedman won the nobel prize for economics and was an advisor to british prime minister margaret thatcher who presented him with the presidential medal of freedom. the lecturer of economics, university of california, santa barbara, author milton friedman will join us to discuss the book. watch, books that shape america, free to choose, monday live 9 p.m. eastern, on c-span, on our video and app or online and learn more on podcasts about the authors featured. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government funded by these television companies and more, including media com. >> at media com, we believe what you have right here or

right here or way out in the middle of anywhere, you should have access to fast, reliable internet. that's why we're leading the way. >> media com support c-span as a public service, alo with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> the senate is about to gavel in for the day where they will work on three judicial nominations. yesterday members vote today limit debate on the nominees and to block a proposed rule from the federal highway administration on electric vehicle chargers. you're watching live coverage here on c-span2. dr. barry black will open the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. mighty god, we praise you and will tell of your marvelous works.

even in a chaotic and confusing time, you continue to bring us joy. our enemies cannot conquer you. they stagger and disappear. today, empower our lawmakers. silence the noises that distract them, enabling them to hear your still small voice. lord, infuse them also with such courage that they will patiently endure even your silence, as they seek to fulfill your purposes by their work. and lord, let your peace and power prevail in our nation and world.

we pray in your righteous name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the 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., november 9, 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. 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, monica ramirez almadani of california to be united states district judge for the central district of california.

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tuesday's elections -- maybe today's too, who knows -- but tuesday's elections were another horrible defeat for maga extremism and the -- by now, republicans need to admit there's a pretty clear pattern at play. ever since donald trump was elected president, the maga agenda has led to failure in big elections, small elections, red state elections, and blue state elections and everything in between. and shouldn't -- it shouldn't be any bigamistry why maga candidates and maga issues keep turning out to be duds. americans don't want hard-right extremists and the chaos they bring to govern this country. americans don't want to support a maga agenda that has at its bedrock radical attacks on women's health care. americans want their elected leaders to choose bipartisanship, to focus on people's lives instead of cable

news shows. sadly, republicans seem mightily impervious to the obvious truth that maga equals disaster for america and for their party. and it's much more to do here in congress right now that will demand exactly the kind of bipartisanship americans have made clear they want. in a little over a week, the federal government will shut down if congress does not come together to pass a bipartisan extension ever funding. today i'm taking the first prowrm step for the senate to -- procedural step for the senate to move forward on a legislative vehicle we can use next week to pass a temporary extension to avoid a government shutdown. over the next few days democrats will continue talking to republicans about finding a path forward on avoiding a shutdown that both sides support. and i earnestly hope we can reach agreement sooner rather than later. no matter how negotiations evolve over the next week, one thing is not going to change.

the only way, the only way -- let me say it a third time -- the only way we avoid a shutdown is with bipartisan cooperation. just as it was true in september and it will be true in the future. i implore speaker johnson and our house republican colleagues to learn from the fiasco of a month ago. hard-right proposals, hard-right slashing cuts, hard-right poison pills that have zero support from democrats will only make a shutdown more likely. i hope he don't go down that path in the week to come. now, on nominations. earlier this week i'm proud to say, really proud to say that the senate majority confirmed the 100th woman to the federal bench since president biden took office. and i'm equally proud to say it was the 150th judge overall. today the senate will hit two more significant mile stoanls. after we confirm monica almadani and brandy mcmillion today, this senate majority will have

confirmed 50 black judges and a hundred people of color to the bench. democrats are making our courts look more like america. this majority has confirmed more women, more black people, more people of color to the bench than any full term in any previous president. that's a record to be proud of. under president trump, just 16% of judicial nominees were people of color. under president biden and this senate majority, 100 of the now more than 150 judges have been people of color. yesterday the senate confirmed ramon reyes as a district judge for the eastern district of new york. judge reyes is now the only male federal judge of puerto rican descent and second hispanic man to ever sit on the eastern district. judge reyes is a truly outstanding jurist who will be an excellent addition to the eastern district. i was proud to recommend his nomination to president biden,

and even prouder to see him confirmed yesterday. on our a.i. insight forum, yesterday the senate held our fifth and sixth bipartisan a.i. forums. both forums were huge success. we learned a lot. we had a lot of good discussions. we all left with a better understanding of the ways a.i. is already reshaping our world. our elections and democracy a.i. insight forum was especially forum. it's the area that requires the most immediate action because the 2024 elections are fast approaching. and we know there have already be been and always been bad actors trying to jaundice our elections but we agree, we agreed in the hearing, in the forum that a.i. will be a dramatic force multiplier for the spread of disinformation. we also agree that government can't alone act to create guardrails to protect our elections in the age of a.i. a.i. was proud to see flee major companies in the room during the

a.i. insight forum. meta, microsoft, google come out and say they supported legislation to create these guardrails. we also agree that we need to act quickly to secure our democracy in the age of a.i. because time is of the essence ahead of next year's elections. it may be the thing we have to do first when it comes to legislating and creating guardrails in a.i. on the supreme court. the american people are experiencing a severe crisis of confidence in the integrity of the highest court in all the hand. today the senate judiciary committee is taking an important step to restore confidence in the supreme court by voting to authorize subpoenas to harlan crow and leonard leo who have used their immense power to gain undisclosed access, undisclosed access to supreme court justices. i support chairman durbin and

the judiciary committee's decision to authorize these subpoenas because americans are sick of reading in the paper that rich maga extremists are using their yachts and jets and gifts to pal around with the supreme court and doing so largely in secret. these previous undisclosed reports of lavish gifts suggest there's a two-tiered system of justice and that needs to be fixed. americans know there's something shady going on when ultrawealthy maga extremists can basically buy face time with the judges who then turn around and overturn roe v. wade, gut affirmative action, block student debt relief and green light discrimination against lgbtq americans. the same millionaires and billionaires who are with -- are meeting with, giving gifts to, giving trips to these justices, are the very same people pushing a whole lot of this agenda with the supreme court and, whoa, lo and

behold, the supreme court does it. the bottom of the line, at the very least the appearance of this kind of imtroptory -- improprietary should stop and americans need to learn more. the senate is well within its right to look under the hood and make sure we increase transparency, which these subpoenas would do. i support the judiciary committee's vote to authorize the subpoenas. i thank chairman durbin and my democratic colleagues on the committee for their work. now, on liz moynihan. this week, new york lost one of its towering figures, one of its brightest minds and most radiant spirits, liz moynihan, who passed away tuesday evening. i had the immen's joy of knowing liz, the partner to my old mentor, senator moynihan in the senate. he may have been in the spotlight, but everyone knew there would be no daniel without a liz, who was not just a lifelong partner, but also top

adviser, best advocate and arguably best political strategist. to borrow a phrase attributed to another powerful new york woman, behind every great man is a greater woman, and that was certainly true for liz. liz moynihan was someone who preferred to operate outside the limelight, but was able to command the attention of presidents, senators, ambassadors, mayors and even archaeologists, having discovered the gardens of an empire while living in india. in short, liz moynihan was a virtuoso in so many ways. she never held office, yeft she made the careers of so many, most of all, her husband's possible. may she rest in peace after a wonderful, full and rich life dedicated to making this country better. my condolences to ni dear frien, all of the moynihan family, and everyone whose lives she touched

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mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: this weekend, with parades and gatherings, solemn ceremonies and phone calls to loved ones, america will mark veterans day by expressing our gratitude to the men and women who've served our nation in the armed forces. but veterans day is much more than a once-a-year observation. it's a reminder of our daily obligation to honor their service, uphold our promises to care for them when they come home, and do everything we can to equip those defending our nation today and tomorrow for

success. so, today, i'm reminded of some letters i've saved in my archives. they're letters my father sent home to my mother from his own service in patton's army in 1945. with nazi germany on the ropes, with peace within reach, my dad was already seeing firsthand the sorts of threats that would define the next half century of american history. in the parts of his letters that made it past army censor, he told us how the russians were going to be a a big problem. well, today, america faces threats every bit as grave, like those of the 1940's, our adversaries today aren't being

shy about their efforts to win the next half century of competition with america and the west. as one recent analysis summed it up, russia, china, and iran are working to end the world order that has prevailed for three generations under american leadership. under american leadership. this didn't happen by accident. the western order of peace and freedom was deliberate -- was delivered by the sacrifices of american servicemembers like my father, and preserved by generations of brave men and women in uniform ever since. so, right now, we have an obligation to those

servicemembers, to our allies, and to the american people to behave like the world leading power we actually are. we have a duty to invest seriously in american strength. it's time to offer a clear strategy for victory against russia, and then deliver the resources ukraine needs to achieve it right now. putin is not deterred in his -- and his imperial ambitions do not end at ukraine's boarder with the nato alliance. if the united states abandons our support for ukraine's resistance, we would risk yet another generation of american forces becoming veterans of war in europe. it's time to get serious about deterring iran. the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and the leading sponsor of violence against

american servicemembers in iraq and syria. i welcomed yesterday's strike on an iranian facility in syria, but it will probably take more than striking ammunition warehouses to restore the deterrence the biden administration's policies have actually squandered. it's time to redouble our efforts to equip allies and partners in the indo-pacific, to raise the costs of further aggression from communist china. and as i've said repeatedly, it's long past time to make commonsense policy changes to address a southern border crisis that has required u.s. servicemembers to help border patrol maintain order. these are the tasks before us, and they will not get any easier to address the longer we wait.

now, on another matter, for three years, the biden administration's radical climate agenda has laid siege to affordable american energy and american consumer choice. slash development of abundant domestic energy reserves, soaring prices for gas and heating oil, and a thicket of new regulations from unelected bureaucrats, from construction permitting to home appliances. as the president's policies made life harder for working americans, democrats took the administration's green obsession on the road. special climate envoy john kerry went to china hoping to treat climate goals as a free-standing

issue from our major strategic competition. not surprisingly, the prc saw things differently, and chairman xi stated publicly that china had no plans, none, to stop increasing its carbon emissions for at least another seven years. meanwhile, the governor of california took his own trip to beijing and pledged to prc officials that, quote, regardless of what happens nationally, subnationally you have a partner in california. well, mr. president, they sure do. in fact, the supply chains for some of our coastal liberals' favorite green passions, like electric vehicles, run directly through china. close to 75% of lithium batteries as well as 70% of our cathodes and anodes required to produce these batteries come from china.

the prc holds more than 50% of the processing and refining capacity for critical minerals, like cobalt. by all relevant measures, the united states lags dangerously behind. but earlier this year, the biden administration decided to make bringing these critical supply chains home even more difficult by waiving buy american requirements, materials vehicle chargers. the administration is so to advance -- why should democrats want to force americans to drive blue states' millionaires favorite electric cars that they're willing to cut communist china in on the problems. interchange fee fortunately, the

senate had an opportunity yesterday to set things straight. thanks to the leadership of senator rubio, a bipartisan majority voted to block the biden administration's waiver policy using the congressional review act. apparently the president's radical climate agenda is too radical for several members of his own party. hopefully he'll listen to them soon. on one final matter, hardworking men and women in kentucky have been in the business of growing the food that feeds our nation for centuries. when it comes to supporting these farmers, there's no organization that has had a greater impact on the agricultural community than the kentucky farm bureau federation. art caney, the farm bureau's

longest-serving president and a proud farmer himself is has played an important role in preserving our commonwealth's agricultural heritage and recruiting the next generation of young producers. this year the farm bureau bids mark a warm farewell as he prepares to step down, closing out 15 successful years as president and over three decades on the board. nearly 75,000 farms back home help keep dinner plates full all across the country. and for the better part of this century, they've trusted mark to lead them through the good times and the bad. from adapting to ever-evolving red tape from washington to helping farm families recover and rebuild after devastating storms to navigating a

once-in-a-generation pandemic. personally, i've leaned on mark for his counsel on challenges that face rural america. and having worked with him for decades, i'm confident this is not our final goodbye. mark is sure to be an invaluable asset to kentucky's agricultural community and the organization he loves well into the future. so elaine and i extend our good wishes to mark and his wife marlene on his well-deserved retirement. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the

>> i think that the whole charade is truly disgusting. now, if the go back to the dots leak, and i'm one of those i would like to know who the leaker is and i like to know why they did it. but since that leak, our supreme court justices, especially thomas, alito, gorsuch, kavanaugh, barrett, the been subjected to threats on their lives, their families have been subjected to threats on their lives. and yet this is what you and senator whitehouse are choosing to focus on is a discrediting of the court. and we know what this is about. we should be talking about protections for the court. i think that it appears that what you were doing is you are

going after them because right now you don't agree with some of the decisions that are coming out of the court. so instead of letting them exercise and fulfill their jobs, what they're required to do, what are you doing? you're going after a way to delegitimize the court as an institution. tennesseans know this. we see it. but, you know, senator graham mentioned justice sotomayor. now, this summer what we learn was that over the years her staff has pressured public institutions to buy her books. and these books and her book deals have earned her $4 million. and i haven't heard you mention that, none of you have mentioned

that. you don't want to talk about that. nor had he mentioned the fact that she refused to recuse herself from, not one, but two copyright infringement cases concerning her book publisher. you clearly don't want to talk about that one either. so i filed an amendment issuing a subpoena to justice sotomayor's staff who helped to sell her book as well as to her book publisher so we can fully understand the back story of these deals. and since we're in the business of issuing subpoenas now, here are a few more that i filed. a subpoena to jeffrey epstein's a state to provide the flight logs for his private plane, given the numerous allegations of human trafficking and sexual abuse surrounding mr. epstein. i think it is very important

that we identify everybody that was on that plane, and how many trips they took on that plane and the destination to which they arrived. i've also filed a subpoena authorizing secretary becerra to come before this committee and explain to us how hhs and the office of refugee resettlement has lost track of 85,000 children. in addition, i felt a subpoena to compel the biden doj to provide all documentation about their disastrous decision to terminate the successful china initiative. that was a program that was critical to targeting and prosecuting chinese spies in america. next, we have to get to the bottom of the far less effort to

take down president trump. that's what i filed a subpoena for all documents relating to any political donations and participation by special counsel robert mueller's staff. and let's talk about the two tiers of justice that we are all seen in the biden administration. administration. this administration loves to talk about misinformation, but they clearly have the goal of censoring conservative speech online. in the latest example of this, doj on behalf of the ftc, filed a privacy and securities practices suit against twitter. so i think we need to get to the bottom of president biden's efforts to silence elon musk. that's what i found a subpoena to compel doj and the ftc to provide all documents related to

the investigation of elon musk. so, mr. , mr. chairman, i te are real issues that we should be talking about, social media, and the way it's destroying our kids lives while -- wall "t journal" has an article in on this today. our southern border is wide open. it is a vulnerability. the president's administration has lost track of 85,000 children. the world is on fire. but what you have chosen to do is to launch an assault on the legitimacy of the supreme court. if you want to take our time and go there, mr. chairman, we can all go there. i think this is a sad day for this committee, and for the confidence that the american people would like to have in our institution and in this prestigious committee.

>> thank you, senator. when i recognized you i did know what subject you wish to speak to pick as i announced at the beginning the first and will consider the two two traditl nominations and then will move to the subpoena and i see people seeking for the recognition on that issue. so after lengthy debate on these nominees at the last meeting, the question is -- >> mr. chairman, i want to speak on the judges. >> senator cotton. >> no, you go ahead. >> i want to speak on judges after senator cotton. >> i would like to speak today about the nomination of mustafa taher kasubhai to be the district judge for the district of oregon. we have seen some bad nominees from this administration, quite a few in fact. there have been a few that a been reasonable and qualified. windows come up i voted favor of them. that include some judicial nominees from states where both senators were democrats, believe it or not.

he is not one of those reasonable nominees. he not is even one of the run of mill left wing nominees. he is uniquely unqualified to be a federal judge. first, as several others have mentioned, mr. kasubhai wrote an law review article claiming that quote, most intercourse is right, end quote. and that quote, heterosexual relations per se are infused with violence and control, end quote. if you were confirmed i wonder whether someone accused of rape or any other sex crime falsely or otherwise would feel he or she could ever get a fair hearing in mr. kasubhai's courtroom. doesn't seem that mr. kasubhai would ask her care all that much whether someone being tried in his courtroom for a crime was

guilty in any case. and at 2021 interview for the oregon state bar, again 2021, not some youthful indiscretion 40 years ago, mr. kasubhai said quote, we have to set aside conventional ideas of proof when we are dealing with the interpersonal work of equity, diversity and inclusion. we have to set aside conventional ideas, proof. i want to be clear, he was talking specifically about how he views truth in the courtroom. in that same interview he goes on to say, quote, as a judge i can appreciate the challenge of employing a different note of understanding truth than that which most lawyers are accustomed to in our work, end quote. as a judge. not as a human being, not as a

father, not as a neighbor but as a judge. a different mode for understanding truth than that which most of our lawyers are accustomed to in our work. like say the rules of evidence. as amazing as a statement is, begs a question here if he feels that way about the modern racism and bigotry of the cultural marxism labeled diversity equity and inclusion, , what are the other areas where mr. kasubhai doesn't like being bothered with pesky things like conventional ideas of proof? we could go on for hours about the problems with mr. kasubhai's nomination, but i'll keep it brief because unfortunately i suspect my democratic colleagues in this room are prepared to rubberstamp his grossly unqualified nominee. but there's one additional issue i would like to raise.

i i think most of you are familr with the work of the left wing charlatan who calls himself a borough x candy. riding the wave the blm riots in 2020, mr. candy is really whether what is even henry rogers, wrote a book on so-called antiracism which argues in line with other critical race theory texts for the destruction of western civilization. capitalism and our legal and political systems. according to him, america is fundamentally racist to its core. by the left was salivating over this new set of data labels or cultural marxism, he was raking and tens of thousands of dollars for appearance to spend just a few men's on zoom calls telling

companies and nonprofits that they should all feel guilty because deep down they are racist cop put out a a kids bk called the antiracist baby, trying to indoctrinate toddlers and kids to believe that they, too, racist and everything around it is racist and the y is racist and should all be torn down. boston university even brought them on to create something called the center for anti-racist research which received some $30 million as the university canceled classes for a day to praise the new antiracism leader as a saint and a pantheon of the left. they also took several silly political position such as by claiming that photo identification laws are quote, and especially anti-black forum of state violence. but within a few years it's all come crashing down with half of

the staff of the boston university center fired and the rest -- fellowship model. nobody is quite sure what happened to the millions of dollars that ibram x. kendi received. turns out that counting absurdities about race as a gets a lot easier than generating rigorous research to back it up. maybe senator durbin could use subpoena power to subpoena boston university and rogers to investigate and expose his fraud. but come back to mr. kasubhai, he's a big fan of rogers, calling him quote an amazing historian but he does have one complaint picky doesn't think it goes far enough. mr. kasubhai himself said he would, quote, like to push some of rogers ideas a bit further.

i don't know how much further one can push a radical ideology like this but but i do knowt anyone who mr. thune: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. thune: is the senate in a quorum call. the presiding officer: it is. mr. thune: i would ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president, as i is ed before when it comes to actions of government, it's often legislation that grabs the biggest headlines but it's equally important to focus on what a presidential administration is doing with its regulatory power. something i was reminded of again last week when i signed on to a letterheaded by senator cassidy on the biden administration's proposed new overtime rule. because in the modern regulatory

state, presidents have a tremendous amount of power to effect our economy and policy through regulation. today i would like to take a couple of minutes to talk about labor relations coming out of the biden administration that are likely to prove detrimental to business owners, workers and our economy. let me start as i mentioned with the biden administration's proposed new overtime rule. this proposal would impose a 55% increase in the exemption threshold for providing overtime pay for covered employees. currently employees are required to pay covered employees -- employers i should say are required to pay covered employees making less than $35,568 per year overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week. under the biden administration's proposed new rule, employers would be required to pay overtime to covered employees making less than $55,068.

as i said, a massive 55% increase in the exemption threshhold. what would be the effects of this proposed rule? well, it would likely result in some combination of higher prices, fewer job opportunities, and lower base pay for employees. because employers and i'm thinking particularly of small businesses who will always be hit hardest by regulations like this are going to be forced to look for ways to offset what could be a substantial increase in costs. indeed, many small businesses will have to find some way of offsetting this cost increase if they want to stay profitable. and so businesses large and small are likely to compensate either by increasing prices on their goods or services, reducing the number of positions that they have available, or lowering the base pay to create room to pay overtime wages.

and needless to says, none of these are attractive options for, woulders, consumers, or businesses. consumers are currently stretched to their limit with price hikes in the biden economic and lower base pay or fewer available positions are not attractive options for american workers. by the way, you don't have to take my word for it on that lower base pay. the head of president biden's own council of economic advisers has previously noted and i quote, the costs of increased overtime coverage would ultimately be borne by workers as employers set base wages, taking expected overtime pay into account. end quote. mr. president, it would be nice if this were the only bad labor rule coming out of the biden administration, but it's not. among other bad regulations, there's also the independent contractor rule which the biden labor department is likely to

finalize soon. it's referred to as independent contractor rule but in many ways that's a misnomer because this rule is likely to substantially reduce the number of independent contractors. how? well, by replacing the previous administration's independent contractor rule which would have provided a clear guidelines for determining whether a worker classifies as an independent contractor with a vague, sweeping new rule that could end up with many workers being reclassified as employees. now, mr. president, independent contractors who range from computer programmers to freelance editors to uber and lyft drivers generally value independent contracting thanks to things like the flexibility and opportunity that this path provides. indeed, a 2017 survey from the bureau of labor statistics found

that fewer than one in ten independent contractors would prefer traditional employee status. but thanks to the biden administration, many of them may be forced into employee status. the rule will threaten workers in the gig economy which is made up of platforms like uber, lyft, door doosh and tank rabbit that allow workers to pursue full time work with a platform or simply augment their income from a regular nine to five position. and, mr. president, the bad ideas don't end with the independent contractor rule. there's also the joint employer rule, the national labor relations board recently finalized, yet another move from the biden administration to use the power of the federal government to advantage unions. the joint employer rule substantially changes the standard of what constitutes a joint employer which comes into play in a major way with

franchising. to put this in practical terms, this rule means that companies could end up being considered joint employers of employees at franchise locations of their business which could force both the company and the local franchise owners to negotiate with unions or make both, the company and local franchise owners, liable for unfair labor practices that potentially only one party is responsible for. the result is likely to be that companies cut back on franchising or increase oversight or control of their franchisees which would disrupt one of the most accessible paths to business ownership for americans looking to run their own businesses. in comments after the new joint employer rule was proposed, the international franchise association noted, and i quote, the proposed rule will needless upend the franchise business

model and close the door to opportunity for hundreds of thousands of americans especially women, people of color, veterans, and first-time business owners. end quote. but apparently that doesn't matter to itself biden administration as long as union bosses are benefiting. mr. president, on the economic front, president biden is perhaps most famous for helping to kick off the worst inflation crisis in 40 years with the so-called american rescue plan. but as these rules and regulations demonstrate, the president is continuing to build on that negative economic legacy with regulations that will diminish economic opportunities for workers and entrepreneurs and likely continue to drive up prices for consumers. in other words, business as usual in the biden administration. the president imposes his big government policies and the american people end up paying the price.

mr. president, i yield the floor. and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. shone upon how that happened at what happened? what went wrong. did anybody learn? let's not do it again. those of the types of things that immersive simulation can do and we had the capacity to actually have controllers control airplanes on greater scope and and in simulatorsr

so they can practice these things. i think it's a terrific advantage. i think it enhances safety greatly. if you've only seen a maneuver to her three times and know what you've got, what got you into it and had a probably get out of it, i think that's a great benefit. >> thank you. has the ntsb ever made acequia recommendation to the faa baseman relationship between exact number of hours spentus flying aircraft versus using of the kinds of structure training program? >> know, we have not. >> thank you. do you agree with each of the former faa administrator and administered administrator whitaker the baseman your experience at the ntsb and corporate ghost advanced simulator technology infrastructure pilot training programs may play a role in improving safety at them pgh yes there is a role for technology. what doesn't exist is a safety data to shop much time and how much actual flying time is a rightan amount. >> thank you.

as discussed today, air-traffic control is an integral component of our safety international airspace. i understand faa has authority for direct hiringba individuals internal facilities from the academy. so does arizona state and the tech universities. i could do that by reviving the collegiate training initiative. you yourself went through a from the community college of beaver county and were directly hired into a chronically understaffed facility. do you think the faa should establish a program like this to direct hire into facilities to supplement the staffing of our facility is across the country? >> thank you for the question and would certainly be found to increase the throughput and subsidize at the academy. but of the said before the standards can be lessened by those, and the oversight needs to bef maintained. >> thank you. mls question, today at most

airports controls to use paper flight strips to keep track of light. i see myself in arizona. the faa terminal flight data manager program is modernizing this among increased control situational awareness to allow them to better handle vietnam war. he repaired and maintained aircraft for a strong defense. after 33 years of service, lieutenant cool knell skenectdy retired but he wanted to continue to serve. so he joined alabama's wing of the civil air patrol in montgomery. he served another 16 years helping to support the u.s. air force in a civilian capacity. now at 78 years old, he's just as proud of his time wearing this uniform as he's ever been and he should be. i'd also like to tell the senate

about commander sergeant major joe godwin of mobile, alabama. he wanted to join the military ever since he was 14 years old. by the time he was 17, he couldn't wait anymore. he got his dad's permission to join the army. he went on to serve in three wars. world war ii, the korean war, and the vietnam war. he helped guard and transport ti prisoners during the numberburg trials -- nuremburg trials. today, joe is 94 years old. when people tell him he's a hero, he says the real heroes are the ones who didn't make it back. he's a humble man. i think they're all heroes, anyone who served, and we ought to thank them today, tomorrow, and every day.

finally, i'd like to talk a little about sergeant david henry of warrior, alabama. sergeant henry has served as a firefighter and a paramedic. these experiences gave him skills that he used as a medic in the iraq war. his first deployment came when he was -- his son was only 6 months old. sergeant henry deployed again in the middle east when his son was 3. he had to sacrifice to be an ocean away from his famil his son's growing up. he had to explain to a 3-year-old why dad was going to be gone, and he didn't know when he was coming back. a lot of families know what that's like. our heroes in uniform often

serve as a family. and so, on veterans day we thank their families too for their service. they're also making a huge sacrifice for our country. today sergeant henry is back in sweet home alabama. we are deeply grateful for his service to alabama and to america. colonel scan eke -- skanecki, sergeant major godwin and sergeant henry are three examples of the 400,000 heroes who call alabama their home. the writer g.k. chester once said, quote, the true soldiers fight not because he hates what is in front of him but because he loves what is behind him. you can see that in the lives of these veterans in alabama.

our veterans fought because they believe in this, the united states of america. they believed america was worth fighting for and even many dying for. they laid down their lives for the people of this country, for millions of people that they don't even know. everything we have in this country depends on a military that is very strong. our economy, our security, and our way of life depends on our military. president ronald reagan summed it up best when he said, quote, veterans know better than anyone else the price of freedom, for they have suffered the scars of war. we can offer them no better tribute than to protect what they have won for us. this veterans day and this

veterans day weekend i hope we will remember the price of freedom and those who have paid that ultimate price. and so, to all of our veterans, thank you for your service, thank you for your sacrifice to ensure america remains a country of freedom and opportunity for all of the many generations to come. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor, i notice the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

short congress is above.

i read on the level. there industries today trying to walk back you discuss pricing are not being performed in level seven train so they are trying to save money walking back what is already in. i agree we need to make sure any training is performed in the past similar. >> i agree completely, i think they have the technology today to do the things you discuss but i also want to say for the record that there are places where different simulation becomes important so the first day will come into flight training you need to sit in a simulator, you don't. stationare

and learn. it doesn't count the same? it does not but it is helpful. there simulation and we have seen both curriculums that discuss simulation and i agree it is right in front of us, we just need to adopt. >> they are appropriate for certain types of training. after i was wounded in getting my license even though i was commercial helicopter pilot, had to learn takeoff and landing, i had to learn landings and we did a and a simulator it's over technology until i got good with it but none of that counterpart the minimum amount of time needed, you don't subtract the time, it's an addition. it's why i proposed the saved lives act and my bill with mark

here what types of training you need before you become an officer so i think we need an hundred hours, 200 of that should be night flight time. seventy-five hours of actual imc in 200 hours in an airplane or second-in-command performing the duties while under supervision. fifty hours of my lifetime, who pilots with lifetime experience relevant, we don't want them to know 152 skype but you don't want to do it in a simulator either and that's where the discussion we have to have your, how we get 1500 hours plus how do we get that first officer see in the commercial line whether it is regional jet or 737 or whatever, have to put forth the

best pilots possible and i am concerned we are doing a one-for-one swap without clearly stating exactly what type of simulator is being used and would you associate this but it's important as to what type of simulator class. >> if we don't, it will go so absolutely what is done and what structure because it cannot, if you leave it, they will make it connect you have to be crystal clear. i think we should remember with

stimulation, your teaching a technique, this is how you do it and you can do it without agent. if you make a mistake, similar crashes but nobody is hurt. you can't use it completely to say that's all the fight on my knees, plus the actor either. in early pilot told me a long time ago, i could, is never a surprise private. >> want to give you extra time. understand air crews on scientific methods, i remember when i was at walter reed and i was going into surgery for my 14 arm surgery and my surgeon came

up to me as a reporting anesthetic to paris under said been planning all week, i know exactly what i'm going to do, is 14 to 18 hours, we're going to take care of you, i was up all night thinking about this. just about to go to sleep, the last thing i remember, did you get any sleep, doc? i would feel better knowing you gone so i want to talk about this, i do believe you've got air traffic controllers another such demand we are going with minimum best required before they show up for work and that should not become the standard. >> i want to clarify first, schedules are in accordance to allow respirators expansion of

our days and six day work weeks exasperate this potential risk with fully functioning and fully staffed air traffic control would be less monthly and get more productivity out change schedules. the answer is not continuing to burn us with more effort. it's hiring the right amount of controller so so these are not 70, 60 and 80%. it needs to be corrected through hiring and not changing the standard. >> thank you. senator cruz is recognized. >> thank you, madam chair. i like to start off the month of

the past decade the faa has meant a call for air traffic controllers. this year they hired 1500 controllers to go through the economy. next year the member will be 1800. 30% are likely to wash out. retirement and how many controllers will we be at next year? >> how many total or hiring? as we continue certified controller we expect to be over 11000 certified controllers making our way up and continue to her at 1800 for slightly better in the near future this great it would take years to hire enough controllers to meet the need for specially given your process from initial filing for an additional controller

training facility help boost capacity and improve performance of the workforce? >> on the charges for half is the number of retired controllers available to provide instruction in going to locate where the economy may be. some strategies we are trying to explore augmenting training for losses and federal facilities such a delicate balance trying to find people training. >> thank you. thank you for being here today and staying on the subject of air traffic controllers. reports that 77% of critical atc facilities are understaffed with new york terminal approach

control at 54%. given that the majority of facilities are understaffed, are you concerned about the impact or safety of the airspace? >> absolutely. i'm happy to continue. i wanted to be respectful of your time. absolutely i am worried about safety. what's happening in overtime, it ends up leading to fatigue and distraction which is what we are seeing it all comes down to shortage of staffing. >> was recently said it has not

kept up with a lot of attitude. an open secret current rules incentivize pellets life about her mental the presiding officer: the senate is in a quorum call. health would ask suspension of the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. stabenow: i rise today to strongly is support the nomination of brandy mcmillion, whom president biden nominated to serve as the u.s. district judge for the eastern district of michigan. ms. mcmillion is an outstanding nominee with extensive experience in both civil and criminal cases. she will be a great judge because she has always been committed to the law and has the right values certainly. from the time she was six years old growing up in ohio, ms. mcmillion wanted to be a lawyer. it was her dream, and she never

wavered from it. ms. mcmillion was raised in michigan, since she was 12 years old, she earned engineering degrees at the university of michigan, and then she earned her law degree from george washington university law school. ms. mcmillion then worked in private practice, where she gained significant experience in lauans in labor and employment, intellectual property and financial services. but she didn't stay away infrastructure her adopted state for long. since 2015, she's served as an assistant u.s. attorney in the u.s. attorney's office for the eastern district of michigan. and last year she became chief of the office's general crimes unit where she prosecutes offenses, including bank robberies, gun crimes, and federal crimes against children.

so it's no surprise that the american bar association standing committee on the federal judiciary unanimously voted ms. mcmillion as well-qualified. when she's not at work, she spends a lot of time behind the wheel, she says, driving her kids to all their sporting events and other activities. mom ceo is what she likes to say. she is also active in her community. she is a very involved member of delta sigma theta sorority. she also mentors moms through the organization warrior women against poverty, which aims to change lives one woman at a time. ms. mcmillion knows better than anyone how the right support at the right time can change a woman's future. the senate, i hope, is going to

strongly confirm ms. mcmillion to the federal bench. i know that she is someone that is thoughtful and experienced. she will serve the eastern district well. we thank everyone for -- we thanked everyone for their vote yesterday, the cloture votes, to move her to her final vote. i urge my colleagues to support this outstanding nominee to be on the federal bench. thank you you mr. president. and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

most of these situations can learn from, who will never do that again. myself as an example, i think anyone tragic accident in dallas-fort worth, airline pilot in this country how to get an hour and a simulator because

airbus, boeing at the faa changed the technique to recover from else. every pilot in the country had to go get with. now we use a new technology is great exposure and we learned so much and it was not the problem it was then. it is huge there of learning expertise and coordination. >> i recognize the value and time and will call on concerned it doesn't provide adequate exposure to commercial aircraft or prepare them for unexpected potentially dangerous scenarios.

>> there is always a role for simulators as a part of training but the most realistic scenario training is pilots become proficient. >> thank you. if i could, during my time, authorization act of 2018 included prioritization of great to both of the air traffic control system. this is in addition to concepts such as an image airspace to utilize existing infrastructure increasing capacity. recent issues have highlighted the need, what technology of great should provide incidents

like these? >> anything that increases situational awareness is a great technology improvement and watching three areas of technology can be programmed locally and it will be laid out 70 towers to clear for takeoff or landing the service awareness for rapid acquisition and commercial services that provide similar to what apollo can bring to the aircraft now so anything

that increases data between air traffic controllers as well as safety is helpful. >> my time has expired will have additional questions for the record. >> i have an objection. >> i think all of you for being here, a timely opportunity to make sure we get not just centers educated but the broader population of the world. the cost to build in traditional power can reach up to $20 million and this can be a real impediment. the regional airport going out

trying to build their tower to attract new reliable service airlines making sure they installed a remark tower project. this will grossly local economies. it is important the faa break into the system. what is going to for innovation? my organization works with our organization and there is opportunity there initial technology evaluated shortfalls and i can tell you we want to make sure the system works and

it's reliable provides the equivalent level of safety and the stock market there is promise continue to work bringing additional technology in new jersey where he allow them to bring in technology to build that level of trust in it meet the same standard. >> anything i say we have been watching the mantra. close to catastrophic proportions that seem to me increasing alarming rates.

a hotspot where it has increased risk of unintended airspace collision and structure law continues to make strategic investment to improve to modernized runways infrastructure and safety, which affected project designs, best practices does the ntsb recommend airports should implement following recent runway meetings. >> we don't have any current recommendations we may have passed recommendations we have close but i'm happy to get those to you. >> it is a national issue, i think the more ways we can look

at the more successful it will be. the bureau of labor statistics is 13% increase in the need for profits by 2030 so it might be conservative. aviation is a key part of our economy and affects a lot of components and elements and our economy. along pathways available, airlines are establishing academies and airlines have their academy and further increase training available to young pilots to increase safety. we have university, the first university in colorado accredited to offer aspiring pilots so they can achieve

transport pilot certificate and partnering with a number of affiliates in the immunities. would you describe the impact or how would you describe your could you describe, i know you can, the impact of the programs they have on the pipeline training pilot? >> thank you for the question and there is more than one pathway and having an academic program, a two-tier degree get to 50 our deduction into 500 hourses nomination. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question occurs on the nomination. ms. sinema: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll.

vote: the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mr. braun. the clerk: mrs. britt. mr. brown. mr. budd.

ms. butler. ms. cantwell.

the clerk: ms. cantwell. mrs capito.. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley.

mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford.

mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray.

mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney. ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema.

ms. smith. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan. mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden. mr. young.

the clerk: senators voting in the affirmative -- baldwin, brown, casey, cortez masto, durbin, fetterman, klobuchar, lujan, peters, rosen, sinema, smith, tester, warner. the clerk: mr. kaine, aye. senators voting in the negative -- braun, cornyn, hagerty, lankford, marshall, rounds, rubio, tillis, tuberville.

the clerk: mr. ossoff, aye. mr. reed, aye. mr. coons, aye.

the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye. the clerk: mr. heinrich, aye.

mr. kelly, aye. the clerk: mr. blackburn, no.

the clerk: mr. padilla, aye. mr. crapo, no. ms. hassan, aye. mr. whitehouse, aye.

mr. graham, aye. mr. merkley, aye. mrs. hyde-smith, no.

mr. cruz, no. the clerk: mr. markey, aye.

ms. duckworth, aye.

the clerk: mr. sanders, aye. mr. welch, aye. the clerk: ms. lummis, no.

the clerk: mrs. britt, no. mr. risch, no.

mr. hoeven, no.

the clerk: mrs. murray, aye. mr. cassidy, no.

ms. murkowski, no. ms. collins, no. ms. stabenow, aye. mr. carper, aye. mr. booker, aye.

the clerk: mr. moran, no.

the clerk: mr. cotton, no.

vote:

the clerk: mr. paul, no. mr. king, aye. ms. butler, aye. mr. boozman, no.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye.

the clerk: mr. budd, no. mr. thune, no. mr. van hollen, aye.

the clerk: ms. warren, aye. the clerk: mrs. capito, no. mrs. fischer, no. mr. young, no.

the clerk: mr. hickenlooper, aye. the clerk: mr. mcconnell, no. mr. scott of florida, no. mr. cardin, aye.

the clerk: mr. grassley, no. mr. schatz, aye. ms. ernst, no.

mr. wicker, no. the clerk: ms. cantwell, aye.

the clerk: mr. murphy, aye.

the clerk: ms. hirono, aye.

mr. wyden, aye. mr. romney, no.

the clerk: mr. manchin, aye.

vote: the clerk: mr. sullivan, no.

the clerk: mr. schmitt, no.

the clerk: mr. lee, no.

the clerk: mr. johnson, no.

the clerk: mr. kennedy, no.

mr. hawley, no. mr. daines, no. mr. warnock, aye.

the clerk: mr. blumenthal, aye. the clerk: mr. mullin, no.

the clerk: mr. ricketts, no. mr. menendez, aye.

the presiding officer: on this vote the yeas are 51, the nays are 44, and the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's action. the clerk will report the mcmillion nomination. the clerk: the judiciary, ana de alba, of california, to be united states -- brandy r. mcmillion of michigan to be united states district judge for the eastern district of michigan. the presiding officer: the question occurs on the

nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. there is. the clerk will call the roll. vote: the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mr. braun. mrs. britt. mr. brown. mr. budd. ms. butler. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin.

test: vote:

the clerk: ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin.

ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney. ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer.

mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema. ms. smith. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan. mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker.

mr. wyden. mr. young. senators voting in the affirmative -- durbin, hickenlooper, king, manchin, menendez, padilla, schatz, shaheen, smith, warnock, and wyden. senators voting in the negative -- boozman, capito, grassley, hagerty, hyde-smith, kennedy, lummis, mullin, paul, romney, rounds, tillis, and young. mr. blumenthal, aye. mr. moran, no. ms. cortez masto, aye.

the clerk: mr. crapo, no.

the clerk: mr. fetterman, aye. mr. reed, aye. mr. johnson, no. mr. cassidy, no.

the clerk: mr. kelly, aye. the clerk: mr. rubio, no. mr. booker, aye.

mrs. murray, aye. ms. hassan, aye.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye. mr. welch, aye. mr. scott of florida, no.

the clerk: mr. schmitt, no. mr. kaine, aye.

the clerk: mr. daines, no. vote: the clerk: ms. ernst, no.

ms. sinema, aye. mr. carper, aye.

mr. cornyn, no. mr. cotton, no. mr. wicker, no. mr. merkley, aye. the clerk: ms. warren, aye. ms. stabenow --

mr. graham, aye. ms. stabenow, aye. ms. butler, aye. mr. tuberville, no.

the clerk: mr. sanders, aye. mrs. britt, no. the clerk: mr. whitehouse, aye.

mr. ossoff, aye. mr. lankford, no. the clerk: mrs. fischer, no. ms. hirono, aye.

the clerk: mrs. blackburn, no. the clerk: mr. sullivan, no.

the clerk: ms. collins, aye. mr. braun, no.

the clerk: mr. murphy, aye.

the clerk: mr. schumer, aye.

the clerk: mr. cruz, no.

the clerk: mr. budd, no.

the clerk: ms. cantwell, aye. mr. heinrich, aye.

the clerk: mr. risch, no. mr. mcconnell, no.

the clerk: mr. ricketts, no. mrs. gillibrand, aye.

the clerk: mr. markey, aye. mr. lujan, aye.

the clerk: mr. thune, no.

the clerk: mr. cardin, aye. mr. warner, aye. mr. hoeven, no.

the clerk: mr. lee, no.

the clerk: mr. van hollen, aye.

the clerk: ms. duckworth, aye. mr. brown, aye.

vote: the clerk: mr. coons, aye.

the clerk: mr. hawley, no.

the clerk: ms. baldwin, aye.

the clerk: ms. rosen, aye. ms. klobuchar, aye. mr. casey, aye.

the clerk: mr. peters, aye.

vote:

the clerk: mr. tester, aye.

the presiding officer: the ayes are 53, the nays are 42, the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's actions. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. 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 calendar number 30, h.r. 815. the presiding officer: the clerk

will report,. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 30, h.r. 815, an act to amend title -- 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 motion to proceed to calendar number 30, h.r. 815, an act to amend title 38, united states code, and so forth and for other purposes, signed by 17 senators as follows. mr. schumer: i ask that the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: finally, i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion filed today, november 9, be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i yield the floor. mr. young: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from indiana. mr. young: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent to speak for

up to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled roll call vote. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. young: mr. president. days before he died fred knepler had a letter of instruction once he was gone. there was, he wrote, to be no memorial service or expensive coffin. it should be private and simple attended by a handful of hoosier veterans, and when it was lowered into the ground his body should be wrapped in an american flag. republics such as ours are uncommon. it's of great value for us, its

citizens, to recall our blessings. and it is our heros who provide that reminder. though he was born an ocean away from america, frederick knefler dedicated his life to defending those blessings. he was one of those heros. as a contrary remarked after his death, no descendant of a mayfowrp pilgrim -- mayflower pilgrim was more attentive as he. he was a jewish immigrant, one of the soldiers who saved our union, a private citizen who spent his final days building a still-inspiring monument to their example. before he ever set foot in

america, though, as a teenager he had already fought in a civil war, the00 gairn r glarian -- the hungarian revolution, he was enfired to look elsewhere for freedom. he found it across the flick. he and his family arrived in new york and then settled in indiana in 1850. there they were among the earliest members of the indianapolis hebrew congregation, the city's first and today its older synagogue family. he fell in love with america. he embraced its laws, customs and institutions. he even taught himself english by reading shakespeare. then he moved on to military history and tactics. in 1861 when the southern states deserted the union, abraham

lincoln called for volunteers for an army to bring them back. knefler's whose admiration of america -- he volunteered for war. true to his word, he left his job as a clerk and enlisted in the spring of 1861. after the bombardment of fort sumper. he -- sumpter. he didn't return to civilian life until 1865 after the surrender. he joined the 11th regiment, serving as a lieutenant and then promoted to colonel of the 79th indiana -- governor oliver morton was so offended by

his profanity, he was hesitant to offer him a military appointment. he was a man of strong opinions. a talk with him was like a stiff breeze a friend once said. his men labored greatly under relentless discipline and constant drilling but came to admire their leader. and he whipped the 79th into a fighting machine, from their organization in indianapolis in 1862 until they mustered out in nashville in 1865 as part of the army's of the ohio and then the cumberland, these hoosiers saw action. at the deadly union victory at stone's river, which helped embolden abraham linkon to issue the emancipation proclamation, at the disaster which damaged

the army of the cumberland into retreat. as he marched through georgia and captured atlanta and cut off supplies leading to abraham lincoln's reelection in the south's defeat. but it was in november 1863 from the foot of missionary ridge that the 79th ascended into history. you see, at that time the army the cumberland was cornered and cut off in chattanooga. winter neared, rations were low, soldiers were starving and disheartened. the confederate army raided its artillery and waited for the yankees to surrender. jefferson davis himself even arrived to take in the scene and predicted that victory was near. as knefler recalled, the gift of prove sif was not the -- prophecy was not the

confederate's strong point. desperate to break the seeds, joseph hooker's men took out on november 24 on the following afternoon the 25th union soldiers mounted an offensive and they cleared the rebels from the base of missionary ridge. then without orders, they spontaneously, knefler said, they were guided by a mighty impulse. they spontaneously followed the retreating enemy up the steep ridge. when the confederates looked down, they saw a flood of blue rising up. the rebels unleashed shell, shot, and rifle balls down the mountain. soon the entire ridge was enveloped in a cloud of gray smoke, shooting off lightning bolts of musket fire. the 79th joined by another indiana regiment, the 86th charged up through it. through the fierce fighting and

incredible determination, they took missionary ridge. they sent the enemy into retreat, and they broke its lock on chattanooga. that defeat heralded as a rebel lamented the death knell of the confederacy. general ulysses s. grant later recalled that frederick knefler was the first field officer to reach the top of missionary ridge. at the conclusion of the conflict, knefler bringing deerp general, the highest jewish officer to fight in the civil war. this hoosier returned to indianapolis. he settled into private life. he practiced law. he advocated for fellow veterans. fittingly, the final years of his life were dedicated to the construction of a monument to them in indianapolis. in 1895 when the long discussed

project reached an impasse, indiana appointed knefler to lead the board of regents responsible for rescuing the project. knefler threw himself obsessively into the work raising money, scrutinizing design plans, fixating on details, dealing with temperamental artists. when the sculpture complained the model of a figure representing representing wasn't wearing an overcoat, he reminded them when the union men came home in 1865, is was summer. whoever heard of a soldier wearing a big overcoat in july, he snapped at the sculpture. because of knefler's exertionses and urgency, he desperately wanted the monument finished while veterans of the civil war remained. the soldiers and sailors monument was dedicated on may 15, 1902. on that day bands played, battle

flags waved, soldiers marched, statesmen dlimped speeches and -- delivered speeches and crowds wept at the foot of a towering column built of indiana limestone, of course. among the thousands of attendees, knefler was absent. he had died the year before. but in the days leading up to his death, stricken with disease, he worked to honor his promise that the monument would be as great a work of art as the world ever saw. he didn't see it complete but that work of art would have been neither great nor completed without him. folks, we don't celebrate veterans day in order to venerate war but rather to reflect on its horrible costs. but we also honor our veterans like frederick knefler on this holiday for the same reason we build monuments to them. doing these things reminds us

what is precious and that what is precious is fragile. for over two centuries, this nation, however imperfectly has been a rare outpost of freedom, an outpost of tolerance in a world where both throughout history were the exception, not the norm. look to the monument knefler worked so hard to raise, the focal point of indianapolis' city. on its crown sits a brown statue of lady liberty, her arm outstretched, the torch of liberty in her hand. below that statue -- below stands statues of the hoosier soldiers and sailors who risked and gave their lives to protect it, to preserve the sacred pledge that all men are created equal. this nation with the singular values has endumped thanks to our veterans, men and women to use knefler's words of heroic

mold, who have held it with fire and steel. so on veterans day, we give them our deepest gratitude and our pledge, our pledge to do our part to guarantee what they have held is never lost. thank you, mr. 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 222, an de alba of california to be united states circuit judge for the ninth circuit signed by ■17senators 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 ana de alba be united states circuit judge for the ninth circuit shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory

under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mr. braun. mrs. britt.

the clerk: mr. brown. mr. budd. the clerk: ms. butler. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey.

the clerk: mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman.

mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall.

the clerk: mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney.

ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema. ms. smith. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan. mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville.

the clerk: mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden. mr. young. vote:

the clerk: senators voting in the affirmative, bennet, brown, butler, cantwell, coast card, carper, cortez-masto, duckworth, durbin, gillibrand, hassan, hickenlooper, hirono, kaine, klobuchar, merkley, padilla, peters, schatz, shaheen, sinema, smith, tester, warnock, warren

and wyden. mr. markey, aye. mr. menendez, aye. mr. reed, aye. senators voting in the negative, boozman, braun, britt, budd, capito, cassidy, collins, cornyn, cotton, crapo, daines, ernst, fischer, graham, grassley, hoeven, hyde-smith, johnson, kennedy, lankford, lee, lummis, manchin, mcconnell, moran, paul, ricketts, risch, romney, rounds, schmitt, scott

of florida, sullivan, thune, till, tuberville, wicker and young. ms. baldwin, aye. mr. hagerty, no. mr. lujan, aye. mr. booker, aye.

the clerk: mr. casey, aye.

mr. cruz, no.

the clerk: ms. stabenow, aye. mr. sanders, aye. mr. ossoff, aye.

the clerk: mr. blumenthal, aye.

the clerk: ms. rosen, aye. mr. fetterman, aye.

the clerk: mr. welch, aye.

the clerk: mr. king, aye.

the clerk: mr. hawley, no. mr. van hollen, aye.

the clerk: mr. kelly, aye. the clerk: mrs. murray, aye. mr. murphy, aye.

the clerk: mr. coons, aye. mr. whitehouse, aye.

the clerk: mr. mullin, no.

mr. warner, aye. mr. schumer, aye.

the presiding officer: the yeas are 49, 9 nays are 42, the motion is disagreed to. -- is agreed to. cloture having been invoked, the senate will resume executive session to consider the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. ana de alba of california to be united states circuit judge for the ninth circuit.

test.

the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: thank you very much madam president. recently i had the opportunity to meet with a group of religious leaders from ukraine. they represented multiple christian denominations, plus islam and judaism. they spoke of the role faith is playing in resilience and determination that we have seen from the ukrainian people.

one of the religious leaders who spoke to me was dr. ivan rosene. he is president of the ukrainian evangelical theological seminarian. his seminarian trains evangelical ministers from various protestant backgrounds. it was hit by six russian rockets when russia invaded. dr. rosene lives in bacha, and we all see that as being infamous by the atrocities that were committed against civilians by the russian occupiers and also some of those people being brought before the world court of inhumane treatment. in fact, russian soldiers even

occupied dr. roshene's home. under the soviet union, ivan and his family had to practice their faith in secret because evangelicals were imprisoned if caught. in today's ukraine, he and fellow ukrainians are free to practice their faith. in fact, he told me that the relief work his seminarian has been doing since full-scale invasion has been bringing more and more people to the church. dr. rusyn is a humble, soft-spoken man, with a clear and powerful message. he said that in the midst of war, it is sometimes hard to feel the presence of god.

but coming to the united states with this delegation, meeting people who care about the suffering of the ukrainian people, he felt god's presence more than ever. his strong faith in god and his deep concern of his fellow ukrainians impressed me. dr. rusyn also told me about the persecution of his counterparts in the russian-occupied areas of ukraine. that's about 20% of ukraine. religious leaders are kidnapped and evangelicals are singled out for persecution just like in the days of the old soviet union. a ukrainian priest among the group told me that most of the faith leaders sitting in my

office are on putin's hit list to be singled out for persecution or death if they fall into the hands of the russian military. under vladimir putin, russia has passed a law in as recently as 2016 requiring all religious organizations and churches to be registered with the russian government. the law bans what the law calls, quote-unquote, missionary activities like preaching, like praying, like disseminating religious materials outside of officially approved sites within russia. according to a special report by the institute for the study of war, russia has used this 2016

law to prosecute american baptists and pentecostal mission aries operating in russia, also to outlaw most mormon missionary work, and to burn foreign distributed bibles not properly registered with the state. now according to this report by the institute for the study of war, the russian state has also prosecuted seventh day adventists, jehovah witnesses, roman catholics, presbyterians, methodists, lutherans, and orthodox groups that are not affiliated with the russian state. russia's prosecutor general's office declared four evangelical

christian groups as, quote-unquote, undesirable organizations as recently as 2021. now that effectively have banned these organizations from operating within russia. russian authorities in the occupied miletopol raided a ukrainian pastor's home in 2022 and accused the pastor of being associated with the same undesirable organizations that russian authorities banned in russia in 2021. the former head of russian occupied donetsk declared in may of 2015 that ukrainian orgt -- orthodox church members, greek

catholics and evangelical christians were, quote-unquote, sectarians and that occupation authorities would only recognize the russian orthodox church, catholicism, islam and judaism. the russian orthodox church plays a role in the russian state that is hard for americans to understand. and most importantly, with all the killing going on in ukraine, the head of the russian orthodox church has blessed that war by particularly saying putin's doing the right thing. now in our country, we know under our constitution the founding fathers prohibited the establishment of a state church and enshrined the right to free

exercise of religion in the first amendment. this was done to allow religion to flourish independent of our government. now by contrast, and great contrast, the russian orthodox church has always been not just a state church, but an instrument going back as far as the czars of russia. under the soviet union, it became an instrument of the kgb, the russian secret police. in fact, the current patriarch of the russian orthodox church was a kgb agent. and as i've indicated already in these remarks, that individual has blessed this work, and being a kgb agent it's no wonder

he's so close to putin, who also worked for the kgb. that same russian patriarch has vocally, as i'm saying again, supported the brutal invasion and told russian soldiers they will be absolved of all sin should they die in the ukraine military operation. because the russian orthodox church acts as a tool of the russian state, many orthodox churches in ukraine have joined the restored independent orthodox church of ukraine. some church officials in ukraine that remain loyal to moscow have been documented to act as agents of influence and espionage on behalf of the putin regime.

so naturally some have been arrested by ukrainian authorities. one ukrainian orthodox priest who was captured by the russian military shortly after the full-scale invasion back in february 2022 tells how his captors tortured and interrogated him, demanding it know what part of the russian secret service he worked for. assuming that they do in ukraine like they do in russia, that the church might be part of some government scheme to narrow freedoms or whatever, for that matter. these russians assumed that because their priests are tied to a successor kgb, ukrainian priests then must be agents of

the ukrainian state, which is not the case. the ukrainian government also canceled a lease with the russian-affiliated orthodox church of kyiv, laugh -- lavra monastery, a national historic landmark owned by the ukrainian state right there in the center of the capital of ukraine, kyiv. the a lot of -- the lease cancellation led to false reports of the ukrainian government persecuting christians. however, two weeks after the russian-aligned church officials left, a member of my staff visited this same monastery and received a blessing from the ukrainian orthodox priest. so i can confirm that christian services are still performed

there, only now it's in the ukrainian language. incidentally, the former russian orgt decks head -- orthodox head priest of the monastery was apparently nicknamed mercedes because he collected mercedes cars, and that's not the hobby you'd expect of a lot of spiritual leads. putin likes to pretend that russia is some kind of a defender of the christian faith, but in reality russia is one of the most secular countries in the world. the soviet union, as we know, was an atheist state, so most countries that share a soviet past have lost much of their religious life. that is doubly true in russia, where according to the 2018 pew research poll, only 7% of the

people attend weekly church services. only 18% of russians pray daily, and only 16% feel that religion is very important in their lives. now by comparison, in ukraine, these people are significantly more religious than russians with well over twice as many people attending weekly services at 17%. 30% of the ukrainians reported praying daily, and 23% say that religion is a very important part of their lives. russia has been designated a state -- by our own state department as a country of particular concern.

and according to that designation, quote, engaging in and tolerating sphim -- systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom, end of quote. by contrast, ukraine has religious freedom, and there is no state church, so it is no wonder that ukrainians are more active in their faith. i was encouraged by dr. rusyn's account of his growing ministry. he also said that he has contributed chaplains from his seminarian to the military since the full-scale invasion, something that was not previously a tradition of orthodox countries. as a result, evangelicals are particularly well represented as military chaplains.

now i'm sad to say one of his students has already been lost serving as a chaplain at the front lines. i'm going to go back to this report by the institute on the study of war that i referenced earlier. quote, the most common victims of russian religious persecution after ukrainian orthodox are protestants, particularly evangelical baptists. protestants of all denominations were the victims of 34% of the reported persecution events that the institute on the study of war observed. baptists made up 13% of the victims, the largest part of the

group after ukraine yas orthodox. russian forces persecution of protestants is most intense in southern ukraine. protprotestants are the victimsf 45% or 48% of the persecution events in the occupied kersan. protestants suffered two-thirds of the reported oppression events in the occupied maripol city. the study also cited an incident where russian troops, quote, cam man deared a ukrainian evangelical institute from march to november of 2022 and ebb

established a -- and established a crematorium to cremate killed russian soldiers. the institute's head stated that they harassed the baptists calling them american spies, calling them sectarians and calling them enemies of the russian orthodox people. one russian officer reportedly told workers at the institute, quote, evangelical believers like you should be completely destroyed, a simple shooting will be too easy for you. you need to be buried alive. end of quote. and another russian soldier reportedly said, quote, rewill

bury -- we will bury baptist sectarians like you. end of quote. russian soldiers raided and closed another baptist church in september of 2022. congress gants reports -- they reported that armed russian soldiers interrupted their services, quote, your feet will not be here after referendum. we have only one faith, orthodoxy, end of quote. nearly 100 religious sites were destroyed, d.n.c., or a lotted during the first year of the russian invasion. people of faith in ukraine are suffering. dr. rusyn asked americans a simple thing, please hear our

cry. end of quote. towards of end of my meeting with the russian faith leaders, the rabbi in the group made another ask of me. he said the ukrainians need our prayers. this was echoed by other ukrainian faith leaders in my office. i agreed to keep the ukrainian people in my prayers. i ask that my fellow americans of faith also surround the american people in prayer at this very difficult time, and i pray that they feel the very real presence of god amongst their suffering. i yield the floor. mr. sullivan: mr. president. the presiding officer: the

senator from alaska. mr. sullivan: madam president, it's thursday afternoon here on the senate floor and it's one of my favorite times. we've got some new pages, so they're going to think at a certain point consider this their favorite time on the senate floor. it's when i get to come out on the floor and talk about the alaskan of the week. now i've been doing this several years now. try to get down here most weeks. a lot going on here in the senate, as many people know, but as we're heading had into veterans day weekend, i am making sure that we reignite or alaskan of the week special for this weekend. there are so many special alaskans working to medicare our state the best state in the country. you know, some senators might disagree, but, hey, we're all proud of our states. but i will tell you this, when

it comes to veterans and patriotism, i'm pretty sure my state tops the list of any state in the country. we have more veterans per capita than any state in america. alaska natives, a big part of our population, serve at higher rates in the military than any other ethnic group, patriotism, military service, it is in our dna, madam president. getting on a plane here in about an hour with my wife julie. we're heading home to celebrate veterans day. so just looking back over several years, a lot of my alaskans of the week were veterans. 100%. so it's not surprising that this one is as well. as we head into veterans day weekend, i want to talk about a special veteran, a really special veteran, people are going to love this story. a vietnam vet named gene horner,

he's actually a plays the trumpt and a of the bugle. if you have gone to a military funeral, chances are the person breathing out the bugle, the 24 notes of taps, the most poignant 24 notes every played is our gene horner, our alaskan of the week. wherever he is, whatever he is doing, if he gets the call to play at a veterans' -- veteran's funeral in alaska, he gets his trumpet, jumps into his car and gene is .there who is gene horner and how did he become known as the best taps player? alaska? and, madam president, i would say the best taps player in

america. a self-described unruly teenager from texas and california, gene joined the army when he was 17 in 1967. quote, it was go into the army or get in more trouble. one or the other, that's what gene said. so he joined the army. by the way, many a great american has started their service to america this way. hey, join the marines, join the army or you're going to jail. so he did that. gene was assigned a regular duty station in alabama, and it was here that he was given the opportunity to play in his post band at his army station in alabama. while he considered himself a very, quote, mediocre trumpet player, gene proved to be indispensable. during the height of the vietnam war, before he himself was

deployed to vietnam, he sounded paps for 187 -- taps for 187 funerals throughout alabama and the south in just three months. think about that. that's a big reminder of the service our vietnam veterans did. 187 funerals in just one month, one guy. when gene received his own orders to head to vietnam in 1968, his route stopped through anchorage, my hometown of it was august 1, midnight sun was out, it was sunny 75-degrees. anyone who has ever flown into anchorage, which i highly recommend anyone watchinging do, come on out visit our great state. there's a point when you're coming in, you're flying over the mountains, the engines silence themselves and you head to the ground and you see the

glaciers, the mountains, and joan said -- gene said to himself when he was landing in anchorage, this is the last i'll ever see of america. think about that. they poignant. heading to vietnam, he did not think he was coming home. a lot of people didn't come home. during his six-hour layover on the ground in anchorage before he went to vietnam, he and his friends sat down at the airport bar. the soon to be u.s. alaska senator mike ravell walked in p and said, rp -- and said, buy a drink for the soldiers headed to vietnam. gene thought to himself, if i live through this deployment, i'm going to come back to alaska. it's a pretty cool place. the u.s. senator's buying you

beers. when he was in vietnam and a battlefield memorial was required, gene would fly out on a helicopter with the chaplain for the service. over there he said, i didn't know the names of half the people i played taps for. i seldom knew their names at all, but those 24 notes in taps pulled on my heart all the same. when gene's vietnam service ended 15 months later, he went to california, he said in search of a beautiful woman he knew named percilla, who he met on his way to vietnam. she would later become his wife. together, gene stuck the promise he made to himself and they moved to alaska in 1972. and alaska, of course, benefited tremendously.

he joined the carpenter's union and became a pile driver and his wife was a cpa. they settled in the beautiful matsu value, and i will head there tomorrow for veterans services. they had a son and a nice life for 20 years. gene like so many veterans did not talk about his service in vietnam at all. nobody he knew, didn't talk to anybody about it. kept it to himself. did not want to relive the past. it was not until 1999, during the funeral of a coworker and a close friend who served in world war ii that gene took his trumpet back up and played taps in 1999. first time. when he arrived at the funeral, and asked, hey, where's the bugler for the service, gene was directed to a boom box -- a boom box, just a recording.

but as fate would have it, gene had just picked up his trumpet from repair that day, and he asked, hey, instead of the boom box, can i sound taps for my friend, the world war ii veteran? and they said, of course. do it. now, xien said this -- now gene said this, it just goes against everything to leave taps for a recording. by the way that is happening more and more as military bands get cut. so it was this experience that ignited gene's passion for sounding taps at military funerals. 20 years after his vietnam service, 20 years since he had even talked about taps and what he did in vietnam, gene began performing at veterans' funerals

in alaska and recruiting other trumpet players to join the ranks. it wasn't until i started playing taps locally that i realized you're never really out of the military, gene said. you're just breath away from it and every veteran deserves a live breath coming from a bugle at his or her funeral. playing taps is emotional work, he said. you're not just sending off an individual veteran, you're sounding the call that has sent millions of veterans off to be buried for hundreds of years. you're sounding the mystic cords of memory that abraham lincoln spoke of, quote, stretching from every battlefield and every patriot grave to every living heart all over this great land.

that's abraham lincoln. because of this, many buglers who has taken up this honor has said that taps is the hardest 24 notes they'll ever plays a a trumpeter, and gene has likely played them more times than anyone else in alaska, and who knows, many more times than most people in america. he said this, playing at carnegie hall would be nice, but for a trumpet player, i don't think there's a greater honor than sounding taps for a soldier's final farewell. he plays dozens, sometimes hundreds of funerals a year. he's logged in over 10,000 volunteer hours with the v.a. in alaska. let me repeat that as we go into veterans day weekend. over 10,000 volunteer hours for

the v.a. in alaska. that is patriotism. that is patriotism. he remembers all of them. but he has a distinct memory of sounding taps at the funeral for a beloved young marine named grant frasier, one of the first alaskans to be killed in operation iraqi freedom. now, grant frasier, lance corporal grant frasier was an actor who loved the works of homer and shakespeare. he was a mountain biker, a skier, a pianist, a scuba diver, a rock climber, a tennis player. he was a lighthearted, mischievous united states marine. after the marines he was planning on coming back to anchorage, his hometown, to work as a paramedic with the fire department. shortly after 9/11, like so many patriotic young americans across our nation, grant surprised his family and friends when he

announced he was joining the marines. he served with echo company 4th reconnaissance battalion in anchorage. it was later deployed in iraq in 2005 and it was there on a mission in an var province on august 3, 2005 that grant frasier was killed in action and made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. he was 22 years old, not much older than the pages right here. i want to lance corporal grant frasier's burial here in arlington cemetery. i will tell you it was the most moving burial i've before been to. everyone from the commandant of the u.s. marine corps on down and many, many alaskans came to that funeral. but there was also a funeral service for grant in anchorage, and this is the funeral that

gene horner said was the most moving funeral he had ever been to of the hundreds that he has played taps for. he said first of all, the funeral was packed. it was like the entire town of anchorage showed up. and for him it brought back memories of young men and women sacrificing their lives in foreign lands. it brought back all of those battlefield funerals he had done in vietnam that he had played for and all the funerals he had played in alabama, and all the funerals he would play for in anchorage. it brought back battlefields -- brought back battlefields and violence and heroism and sacrifice. but on that august day in anchorage, like he did in vietnam, like he had done for so many others in alaska and in

vietnam and in alabama, gene was there for one man, the young marine hero lance corporal grant frasier. so he got that feeling in his stomach as he was sounding taps. the one he always gets at funerals and burms when he's -- burials when he's sounding taps. the one that travels to his chest and makes it swell. he picked up his american heritage trumpet, took a breath, and sounded taps for the young marine. so gene, as we're coming in to veterans' day in alaska, i want to thank you for your great service. i want to thank you for being there for literally hundreds if not thousands of veterans in alaska and across our nation. i'm going to actually see you tomorrow at an event in the valley. and of course congratulations on one of the biggest honors anyone

can achieve, being our alaskan of the week. semper fi, gene. happy veterans' day. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. kaine: mr. president, i first ask unanimous consent to use three easels rather than the two prescribed in senate rules. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. kaine: and second, i ask unanimous consent that my legislative fellows kristin pharaoh and walker be granted floor privileges for the duration of their fellowships with my office. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. kaine: mr. president, i rise and i'm glad i'm rising after my colleague from alaska, because i am rising on behalf of a group of very special people and also in commemoration of three very special days. the group of people are 364

nominations for military appointments who have been pending for months and months and months on the floor of the united states senate. and i rise in their honor with the intention in a few minutes to begin offering unanimous consent motions so that they may finally be confirmed to the positions they've earned through their sacrifice in the uniform of this country. i also rise to commemorate three special days. november 9, november 10, and november 11. november 9, today, is military day in alabama, designated by governor kay ivey about ten days ago recognizing the deep connection between imam and our nation's military mission.

governor ivey asked all who are veterans or active duty to wear their uniforms today. she asked employers to encourage that to happen, and she said that this day, thursday, november 9, 2023, in the state of alabama should be ab day -- be a day where we commemorate our active duty and veterans. when i saw that today had been says natured military day in alabama, i was interested in that and i wondered whether that was the case in other states as well. it turns out no, that it's not. i hope that it might be a trend that other governors pick up on in future years. the second day that i want to acknowledge is tomorrow, november 10, which is the marine corps' 248th birthday. i offer this one with a little bit of parental pride because my oldest son was a marine infantry commander who is now a marine reservist. the marine corps was founded on november 10, 1775, when at the

second continental congress in philadelphia there was enacted the creation of this corps of marines. and almost immediately the effort began to recruit marines to fulfill the continental congress' mandate and the recruitment began at a tavern, tons tavern which is still commemorated in philadelphia. and then the final day is veterans' day which is set for november 11 every year. we commemorate it when it's ob a weekend on the nearest weekday so veterans' day this year is going to be celebrated tomorrow, november 10. veterans' day has an amazing history as well. world war i hostilities ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. and so a year later congress,

president wilson acted to declare that november 11 would hence forth be a day to recognize the heroism of world war i veterans. it was originally armistice day. armistice day then began to be celebrated as armistice day beginning in -- excuse me. it was first commemorated in 1921 with the burial of an unknown soldier from world war i at arlington national cemetery in arlington, virginia. in 1954 by now armistice day had been extended to celebrate all veterans of all wars. and the name of it was changed by congress under president eisenhower to veterans' day. and so we stand here today on november 9, military day in alabama, tomorrow will be the marine corps' 248th birthday,

and we will commemorate tomorrow and saturday, veterans' day all across this country. i said i was standing on behalf not only of three special days but also hundreds of special people. my colleague and armed services colleague senator tuberville of alaska, as is his right as a senator, imposed a blockade on consideration in the normal course of business pursuant to senate practice the confirmation of now 364 high ranking military officials who have come through the armed services committee. senator tuberville did not object to them coming through the committee, but he has placed a hold on these nominees on account of his disagreement with the department of defense policy that provides leave and travel authorities for military servicemembers and their families who must travel to seek noncoverred reproductive health care, including abortion care,

invitro fertilization services, and others. as of today according to the pentagon 364 individuals are being held in this way. huge numbers of these individuals are either in virginia awaiting confirmation for new positions. in other states awaiting confirmation for positions that would move them to virginia, or have had some of their military service in the commonwealth of surge. i haven't done the math but i would venture to suggest that this affects virginians and future virginians more than it might any other state. and to be plain, none of these 364 have anything to do, any responsibility over the policy with which my colleague from alabama finds significant disagreement. my colleague and i disagree on the policy. that's the norm on the senate floor. my colleague has had his

opportunity to convince armed services committee members that the policy is wrong, and has failed to do so. and he's had the opportunity to bring it forward on the senate floor and has failed to do so. but these individuals are in limbo that's very painful to them. and it is my hope that because my senate colleague did not object to them when they were before the armed services committee, he might see fit on military day in alabama and on the eve of commemorating the marine corps' 248th birthday and veterans' day to finally allow them to serve in the positions that they have earned. and so with that, mr. president, i would like to quickly read a letter that we recently received from the american legion also timed around veterans' day and then move into an effort to seek by unanimous consent the confirmation of all 364 nominees pending before this body.

to begin from the american legion, this was a letter that came to us yesterday, no doubt timed because of the pendency of veterans' day. dear senate leadership, on behalf of our 1.6 mildews-paying members, the american legion respectfully requests your timely attention to the hundreds of u.s. military vacancies awaiting confirmation. your leadership and the resolve of your conference is to come together and end this blockade is vital to america's national security and to preserving the lives of our men and women in uniform, failure to find a bipartisan solution to the continued political chess risks the lives of our servicemembers and the safety of our nation. since 1919 the american legion has emphasized the importance of a strong national defense, a well-funded, well-equipped and well-trained military plays a

vital role in safeguarding the principles our nation holds dear. as u.s. troops are targeted in the middle east and global tensions are on the rise, it is imperative that leadership vacancies within our military are filled now. our allies and adversaries are watching closely and action -- inaction risks innumeral consequences. it extends far beyond uniform candidates with uncertain promotions. u.s. servicemembers may pay the ultimate price if the perception of chaos continues to create opportunity for adversaries. as we've seen in the past month alone, the pentagon has reported more than 38 attacks against u.s. troops in the middle east. while politicians continue to play games and use our servicemembers as pawns, their lives remain in harm's way and could be left paying the ultimate price. the american legion urges both

conferences to come together to end the inaction holding our armed forces hostage. your leadership is vital to protect our servicemembers, national security, and our country. for god and country, daniel j. seahafer, national commander, american legion. with that, mr. president i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of the following nomination, calendar item 46, concerned lee a. swanson to be brigadier general, that the senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate, that if confirmed the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the record and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the

senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar i'm 47, major general shawn a. gainey to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar i'm 48, major general heidi hoyle to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 49, brigadier general lawrence s. linton to be major general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama.

mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 50, big dear general stacy -- brigadier general stays i am m. babcock to be major general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? the senator from alabama? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to andrew j.gabarra to be lieutenant general. promise is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 52, major general collins. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. i object. the presiding officer: are the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask for the same

request with respect to calendar item 82, the following individuals nominated to be brigadier general, colonel amy s. bumgarner, colonel ivy d. garner, colonel raja j. charry, colonel jason carruthers, colonel john creel, colonel nicholas b. evans, colonel bridget gigliati, colonel christopher hammond, colonel leslie houck iii, colonel curt healthenstein, colonel abraham l. jackson, colonel benjamin r. johnson, colonel joy m. kazzer, colonel christopher j. leonard, colonel christopher e.menui, colonel david s. miller, colonel jeffrey a. phillips, colonel eric n. quigley, colonel michael

s. row, colonel derek m. sawme, colonel kay m. stevens, colonel joseph e. sumengil, colonel terrence taylor, colonel jason d. voorhees, colonel michael o. walters, colonel adrian l. williams. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 83, colonel cory a. simmons to be brigadier general. promise is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 84, rear admiral

george m. wick-off to be vice-admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 85, rear admiral frederick w. kocher to be vice-admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 86, the following group of individuals who have been nominated to be brigadier general, colonel shawn m. carpenter, colonel mary k. haddad, colonel james l. hardle, colonel aaron hike, colonel joseph janic, colonel michael t. mcginley, concerned kevin j.

merrill, colonel tara nolan, colonel rodrick owens, colonel mark d. richie, colonel norman b. shaw jr. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with request to calendar item 87, the following couple of individuals nominated to be brigadier general, colonel kristin a. hillary, colonel michelle l. wagner. the presiding officer: is there an objection? time mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 88, the following group of individuals nominated to be major general, brigadier general elizabeth e. arl ij, brigadier general robert m.

blake, brigadier general vanessa j. dorn whoever, brigadier general christopher a. freeman, brigadier general david p. garfield, brigadier general mitchell a. hanson, brigadier general jody a. merit, brigadier general adrian k. white, brigadier general william w. wittenberger general and brigadier general christopher f. yancey. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 90, rear admiral shoshanna a. chat field to be vice-admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in

order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 91, colonel william f. wilkerson to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? time plan. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, ski to make the same request with respect to calendar item 92, colonel evelyn e. laptook to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar item 93, brigadier general ronald r. reagan, r-a-g-i-n, to be major general. promise is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to

calendar item 94, the following group of individuals nominated to be brigadier general, colonel brandon c. anderson, colonel beth a. bean, colonel matthew w. bramman, colonel kenneth burgess, colonel thomas burke, colonel chad chalfont, colonel kendall j. clark, colonel patrick m. costello, colonel rory a. crooks, colonel troy m. denemy, colonel sarah dudley, colonel joseph escandon dwrks -- colonel alrick francis, colonel george hackler, colonel william hannan jr., colonel peter g. hart, colonel gregory l. holden, colonel paul d. howard, colonel james g. kent, colonel curtis w. king, colonel shannon m. lucas,

colonel land is c. maddox, colonel kareem p. montagu, personal john mountford, colonel david c. phillips, colonel kenneth n. reed, colonel john w. san is, colonel andrew saslof, colonel shaoln shalworth, colonel jennifer walkowics, scott wilkinson, jeremy s. wilson, colonel scott s. woodward, colonel joseph w. wortham ii, journal david j. zin. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. thune: mr. tuberville: i object. mr. kaine: with respect to calendar item number 95, the

following group of individuals nominated to be brigadier general, colonel david r. everly, colonel kelvin galman, colonel aldolfo garcia jr., colonel matthew t. goode, colonel trevor hall, colonel richard d. joyce, colonel omar j. randall, colonel robert s. whiler. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar i'm 96 lower half for the following two individuals, captain walter d. bradford, robert j. hawkins. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to the

following, with respect to calendar item 97, the following group of individuals nominated to be rear admiral lower half, captain amy n.baroschmitt, captain michael davor, captain thomas donovan, captain frederick goldhammer, captain eye ian johnson, captain neil caproski, captain paul lansalota, captain joshua lasky, captain donald marks, captain craig mattingly, captain andrew t. miller, captain lincoln m. rifestick, captain frank rhodes iv, captain thomas schultz, captain todd whalen, captain forest o. young. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object.

the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask to make the same request with respect to calendar item 98 to be rear admiral lower half, captain julie m. trainer. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, ski that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 99, two individuals nominated to be rear admiral, casey j. moten and rear admiral stephen tetford. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i objects. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar item 100, rear admiral rick friedman to be rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard.

mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 101, rear admiral lower half kenneth w. epps to be rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 102, the following group of individuals nominated to be rear admiral, rear admiral lower half stephen d. barnett, rear admiral lower half, richard t. brophy jr., rear admiral lower half joseph f. cahill iii, rear admiral lower half brian l. davies, rear admiral lower half michael p. donnelly, rear admiral lower half daniel p. martin, rear admiral lower half richard e.seiff jr., reared a

mir lower half paul spadaro jr., rear admiral lower half darren drinka, reproductive admiral lower half den es velez, rear admiral lower half darrell l. walker, rear admiral lower half jeremy b. williams. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same with respect to calendar number 103, captain frank gsheriff iii to be lower half. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. mr. kaine: i ask that be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 1404, the following pair of individuals to be nominated to be rear admiral lower half -- captain joshua c. heinz and captain curtis a. mole.

the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to the following group of individuals on executive calendar 105, to be rear admiral lower half -- captain thomas j. dickenson, captain kef j. smith, captain todd weeks, and captain dana wolfson. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: socks is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 106 to be major general, brigadier general thomas w. herald and brigadier general janine rider. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is is heard.

mr. kaine: i ask that it be novo nordisk to make the same request with respect to lieutenant general james w. beer man is to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 110, these individuals as a group nominated to be major general -- brigadier general curtis r. base, brigadier general kenyan k. bell, brigadier general charles d. bolton, brigadier general playerry r. rodwe will jr., brigadier general scott a. cane, brigadier general sean m.shokett, roy w. collins, brigadier general john r. edwards, brigadier general jason t. heinz, brigadier general

justin r. hoffman, brigadier general stacey j. user, brigadier general ma tay know martamucci david a.minnow, paul d.moga, brigadier general thai newman, brigadier general christopher j. mimi, brigadier general brandon d. parker, brigadier general michael t. rawls, brigadier general patrick s. rider. dividend g. shoemaker, brigadier general rebecca j.sonkas, claude k. tudor, and dale r. white. the presiding officer: an objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i observe. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number

111, major general bradford i. gearing to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer:? an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i observe. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 112. major general pregnantry l.maseelo to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer:? an objection? mr. tuberville: reserving the right to object -- the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: there is no institution in this world i honor more than the united states military. ill i am thankful to every veteran, just not on veterans day. the republican party has been a pro-life party for half a century. we ought to be proud that we stand for life. we stand for the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn. so let me explain again why i'm doing this and how we got here. and where we go from here.

nine months ago, the pentagon announced that they would start using taxpayer dollars to facilitate abortion. the pentagon is now paying for travel and extra time, time off for servicemembers, and their dependents, to get abortion,s. let me remind everybody -- congress never voted for this. we also never appropriated money for this. there is no law that allows this administration to do this. in fact, there is a law that says they can't do this. it's 10 usc section 1039. it says the only time the pentagon can spend taxpayer dollars on abortion is in cases of rape, incest, and threat of life too the mom. so this is a policy there is illegal and immoral. this is about life, and it's also about the rule of law. it's about our constitution, it's about whether we make laws

at the pentagon or whether we follow the constitution. this is also about the integrity of our military. the only thing in this world i honor more than our military is the constitution itself. the one that we all swore to serve. i also feel real strong about the obligation to do something about this when the constitution is attacked. i cannot simply set idly by while the biden administration injects politics in our military and spends taxpayer money on abortion. the only power that is senator in the minority has is to put a nomination on hold. the only power. i am not the first person to do this. holds on nominations happen all the time. holds on military nominations happen and have happened many times before. typically they don't last long because the senator gets what he wants and negotiates and then

doesn't get what he wants. that's not what's happened this time. abortion is so important to the democrats, they have not negotiated with me. zero. this has been a long nine months for us all. every day this continues is a day that my democratic colleagues think abortion is more important than these nominations. i support many of these nominees. i agree that they're very, very important jobs. but we could have been voting on these nominees the entire time. i'm not blocking all these at once. vote on them one at a time. i have been talking about that. the senate has had more than 90 days off this year. each nomination could take as little as two hours. we confirmed three just last week. the senators from at the very top ought to be voted on anyway. -- the nominees at the very tomorrow ought to be voted on anyway. these nominees are too important not to receive the advice and consent of this body, the united states senate.

i have respectfully -- i respectfully disagree with my colleagues about the effect and hold on the readiness that our military supposedly is not being able to be ready because of people not in positions. but not one of these jobs is unfilled, as we speak. the biden officials have been saying this for month and nobody has explained to me what reasoning that they come up with. so the fact is, no jobs are going unfilled. every job is being done. in fact, general mark milley, who just retired from the joint chiefs of staff, said recently that our readiness is the best it has been in years. time and time again generals and servicemembers have assured me that they are ready. i believe them. so so i'm going to keep my -- so i'm going to keep my holds in place. if senators want to vote on these nominees one a at a time, i'm all for it. but i will keep my holds in place until the pentagon allows me the opportunity to negotiate this change of law.

this is about our constitution, and it's about the right to life. there are some -- they are some. most important things in this world and very important to me. so for that, mr. president, i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, before returning to calendar number 113, i want to respond briefly to my colleague from alabama. his position on abortion and reproductive rights is well known. but his claim that the pentagon policy is unlawful is incorrect. in fact, there has been a policy in place since the reagan administration that impacts directly upon the policy in the pentagon. the senator from alabama is correct that except for limited exceptions, federal funds may not be used to pay for abortions. that is true. we commonly call it the hyde amendment. and i am a hyde amendment supporter. but in the 1980's the reagan

administration was confronted with an issue. what if women imprisoned in the bureau of prison become pregnant and want to terminate a pregnancy? could federal funds be used to allow that pregnancy to be terminated? the reagan administration's solicitor general analyzed the situation and said that the hyde amendment would prohibit funding to procure the abortion but federal funds could be used to enable a prisoner to travel to medical care, where she could make the choice to terminate a pregnancy. later administrations grappled with the same question with respect to peace corps volunteers. if a peace corps volunteer in a country that does not have reproductive rights access gets pregnant and wants to terminate a pregnancy in a way that's lawful in the united states but not where she is deployed, would the hyde amendment allow federal funds to be used?

and consistent with the reagan administration's ruling, federal policy has been that federal funds can be used to enable this peace corps volunteer to travel, but the payment for the abortion itself would have to be done privately. when the dobbs decision was handed down by the supreme court in the summer of 2022, you suddenly had a whole variety of states eliminate a right that women had been able to count on for a half a century that in the early phases of pregnancy they could terminate a pregnancy without intrusion by the state. i got a kid in the military. he didn't get to decide where he went. the women who are in the united states military, they don't get to choose where they are deployed. and so now huge numbers of women who serve this country are deployed either in nations or in states within the united states where they are no longer able to

make their own reproductive choices because of where they are deployed possibly against their will. we want people to be deployed where the military think it's best for them to go. we don't want soldiers to have a veto where they go. but in the aftermath of the dobbs decision, the pentagon grappled with the same question that republican and democratic administrations had grappled with with respect to women in federal prisons and peace corps volunteers. should you be able to travel to seek medical care, including terminating a pregnancy, in a way that's lawful in the state where you go and could that be paid by the pentagon? and with that consistent policy in place under democratic and republican administrations, the biden administration said, we should treat our servicewomen no worse than prisoners.

we should treat our women servicemembers no worse than peace corps volunteers. federal funds, pursuant to the hyde amendment, cannot be used to pay for an abortion but if for being dids we've allowed federal prisoners and peace corps prisoners to travel and had the federal government pay so they could make a decision that's theirs to make on their own dime, we will treat servicewomen no worse. it is a policy that's not unlawful. it is a policy that's completely consistent with the way the u.s. government, under democratic and republican administrations, have treated similarly situated women since the 1980's. furthermore, the senator has indicated the only option a minority member has is to place a hold on nominees. to the contrary. not a single one of these individuals has had anything to do with the policy that my

colleague doesn't like. why take it out on them? there's another avenue -- convince your colleagues that you're right. the senator and i are on the armed services committee. in june we marked up the national defense authorizing act and we set around the table, and it is a slight majority democratic committee by one member, and senator tuberville offered the amendment saying, hey, the pentagon is wrong. we should rescind the pentagon policy. and he didn't get the votes. he was not able to persuade his colleagues that he was right. in the armed services committee, i make amendments all the time that i'm not able to persuade my colleagues to go along with me on. i've been on the committee for 11 years now. i bet i've offered dozens and dozens of amendments. i have a pretty good batting average. i lose amendments all the time.

never once -- never once have i lost an amendment that i'm able to convince my colleagues that i'm right and then said i'm going to take it out on brave men and women wearing the uniform of this country who had nothing to do with the policy that makes me upset. instead, i try harder. i come to the floor and make an amendment to see if i can convince my colleagues here. senator tuberville had an opportunity when we considered the defense bill on the floor to offer the amendment, to change the pentagon policy, and yet he failed to do so. we offered him the opportunity. he failed to take it. why? because he was going to lose on the floor even worse. even worse. there are ways to handle a policy disagreement. persuade your colleagues you're right or persuade your colleagues in some middle ground, but don't punish these

individuals whose names i am taking time to read because each one of them has served this country bravely, in most stainses for decades, -- instances for decades, with purple hearts, with silver stars, with gold stars, with service in combat zones. the senator understands this. his father was a decorated world war ii veteran who received a purple heart. albeit the grave of -- i'll be at the grave of my father-in-law, a world war ii sub mariner, he was buried. i will give my dad a call this weekend, an army veteran who served after the korean war in the united states army. i'll think about my son, now a marine reservist, i will think about my chief military l.a., a marine veteran. they don't deserve this punishment. and, mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same

request with calendar number 113. i believe 112 has been disposed of already. if i could ask with respect to calendar number 113, rear admiral james b. downy to be rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 130, major general john w. brennan to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask ask it be in order to make the same request with 131 vice admiral carl o. thomas to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. kaine contain i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 132, lieutenant general michael s.sedehome to be lieutenant general.

the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask to make the same request with respect to 133, major s. durham. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: ox is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with 134, the following 3 individuals to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. kaine: colonel brandy p. bench saly and general rhodes general sparks. the presiding officer: dubester tuberville i object. mr. kaine: i make the same request with 135, brigadier general william green jr. to be major general.

mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 136, major general mark simmerly to be major general. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 138 vice admiral clapperton to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 139, colonel bryan r. moore to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 180, vice admiral daniel w. dwier to be vice admiral.

the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president are. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request for 128, the following individuals to be darrell k. -- excuse me. calendar number 182, rear admiral lower half darren k.via to be rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with what it appears to be a redundant a -- appointment. calendar number 1le 83, -- 183, rear admiral darrell k.vira. the presiding officer: objection is heard. karen kaine i ask to make the

same request with respect to calendar number 184 scott l.pleas to be general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 185 brigadier general darrell r. white to be general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 186, major general david a. harris jr. to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 187 major general iverson to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama.

mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 188 lieutenant general kevin b. snyder to be general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask to make the same request with respect to calendar number 189, major general laura l.lenderman to bel the general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 190, major general david m.hodney to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 191 major general robert b. turner jr. to

be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection had? the senator from alabama. tuberville tieb i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 192, rear consider admiral daifdz to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator dpr alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 193, rear admiral brendon r. mclean to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 194, rear admiral john e.gumbleton to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: objection is heard.

mr. kaine: i make the same request with rear admiral christopher s. gray to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. tuberville tieb i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to charles e. cooper ii to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? tuberville tieb i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same are request with respect to calendar number 197 james e. pitts to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection iser heard -- is heard. karen karen i make the same -- mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to 198 general wilsbot to be general. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard.

mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 199 linda s. hurry to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order it make the same request with respect to calendar number 200 brigadier general menendez to be major general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 201 colonel markoten to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i is ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 202 vice admiral william j. houston to be admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard.

mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order it make the same request with respect to calendar number 203, colonel david m.castanata to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 204, rear admiral robert m.gosher to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 205 rear admiral douglas g. perry to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request with respect to calendar number 224 major general carl h. gingrich to be lieutenant

general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request for calendar number 225 rear admiral lower half kenneth are blackmannd and rear admiral lower half robert c.knoakowskior rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i make the same request for the following individuals on calendar number 226 nominated to be rear admiral lower half, captain jeffrey a.gergamyer, captain richard s. lofgren, michael s. mattis, captain richard myer, captain brian t. smith, captain michael

r.vanputz. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 227, captain john e. byington to be rear admiral lower half. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 228, captain john a. robinson iii, to be here admiral lower half. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is hert. -- is heard. mr. kaine: is the next calendar number 229. mr. president, then i ask the

same request that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 229, captain david ludwa to be rear admiral lower half. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 230, captain peter k.mashiski to be rear admiral lower half? the presiding officer: there is an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president are. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 231, captain mark f. williams to be rear admiral lower half. the presiding officer: is there objection. mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order

to make the same request with respect to calendar number 232, lieutenant general andrew enrolling to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is it there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order it make the same request with respect to calendar number 233, major general john b. richardson iv to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection? the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 234, vice admiral jeffrey w. hughes to be vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 236, lieutenant general gregory m. gio to be general. the presiding officer: is

there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the alabama senator -- the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request for calendar item 237, major general heath a. collins to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 238, lieutenant general jeffrey a. cruz to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 239, major general michael g. kafshesky to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask

it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 240, lieutenant general donna d. shipton to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 241, major general anthony r. hail to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 242, lieutenant general laura a. potter to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 243, major general w. j. hartman to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object.

the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 244, lieutenant general john s. kolshesky to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection. mr. tuberville: i actor. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 245, colonel matthew m. gephardt to be brig. the presiding officer: -- brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 246, colonel katherine m. braun to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 248, major general len minority leader f. anderson

iv to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 262, lieutenant general timothy d. howe to be general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 283, two individuals nominated to be rank of major general, brigadier general mary f. krueger and brigadier general anthony l. mcqueen. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that the same request be made with respect to calendar item 284, colonel jack j. stum to be

brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: i ask that the same -- that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 285, colonel james f. porter to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 286, brigadier general beth a. salisbury to be major general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 287, major general michael j. luton to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard.

mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 288, lieutenant general james j. mingus to be general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 289, major general thomas l. james to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 290, major general charles d. comes costanza to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 291, major general james h. adams iii to be

lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 292, lieutenant general michael a. gotline to be general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 293, lieutenant general phillip a. garant to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to the following three individuals on calendar item 294, nominated to the rank of major general, brigadier general donald j. cothrine, brigadier general troy l. endicott, brigadier general

timothy a. seigepot. the presiding officer: is there objection. mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 295, major general shawn n. bratton to be major general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 296, major general sean n. bratton to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 325, brigadier general laura l. clellan to be major general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the

same request with respect to calendar item 326, colonel john b. henson to the rank of brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 327, captain michael t. spencer to be rear admiral lower half. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: oakes heard. mr. kaine: i ask it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 328, lieutenant general steven n. whiting to the rank of general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 350 brigadier general lisa j. whoo to be major general. the presiding officer: is

there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 331, itself following two individuals nominated to the rank of major general. brigadier general jacky a. uber and brigadier general warner a. ross ii. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 332, the following group of individuals being nominated to the rank of brigadier general, colonel paul w. dayland, hugh better l. davidson jr., colonel sean m. fuelenbock, eric l. gagland, joy grimes, john c. kenton, colonel scott c. lewis, colonel jason a.

salsgiver, colonel daren d. schuster and colonel jeffrey v. valley. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 335, vice admiral james w. kilby to the rank of admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 336, two individuals to the rank of brigadier general, colonel matthew s. allen and colonel lawrence t. sullivan. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to

calendar item 337, colonel trent c. davis to the rank of brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 338, lieutenant general james c. slife to the rank of general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 339, major general sean m. pharrell and major general adrian l. spain to the rank of lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 342, brigadier general margie v. crewgarato to

the rarvetion of lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection. mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 343, major general steven g. smith to the rank of lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 344, colonel renee v. doorval to the rank ever brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 345, colonel robert s. crockum jr. to the rank of brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 346, colonel

clifford r. gunst to the rank of brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 347, rear admiral lower half heidi k. burg to the rank of rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that tb in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 348, rear admiral jeff arrive t. jeblon to the rank of vice admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection. mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 349, rear admiral blake l. converse to be vice

admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar 350, rear admiral lower half michael a. brooks to the rank of rear admiral. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i'd ask is the next item 351? mr. president, i would ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 351, major general david n. miller to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 382, colonel paul t. sellers to the rank of brigadier general.

the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 383, colonel mic cal c. henderson to the rank of brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 384, a group of individuals nominated to the ranking of major general. brigadier general richard t. applehans, brigadier james b. bar thole meese, jacqueline d. brown, brigadier general lance d. curtis, michelle k. dan a hugh, brigadier general thomas m. felty, brigadier general

lawrence g. ferguson, egregious andrew c. gainy, egregiouser brigadier general david w. gardner, brigadier general gavin j. gardner, brigadier general clean air gill, derrick m. harmon, richard a. harrison, brigadier general joseph e.helper, darryl o. hood, brigadier general charles t. lombardo, brigadier general douglas s.lowery, brigadier general steven m. marx, brigadier general mark c.quander, john t. ryan jr., brigadier general laurie l. robinson, brigadier general monty l.rohn, william a. ryan

iii, brigadier general eric p. shirley, brigadier general david f. stewart, brigadier general curtis d. taylor, brigadier general brandon r.tenkmyer, collin p.tewley, john w. widener, james p. wicker, and brigadier general richard l. zellman. the presiding officer: there an objection? mr. tuberville: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. mr. kaine: i ask unanimous consent to make the same with respect to these two individuals nominated to the ranking of brigadier general. colonel christina j. brink, and colonel more row. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: norm

alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is is heard. mr. kaine: i ask unanimous consent to make the request with respect to calendar number 386, anthony b. pool to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: there an objection? mr. tuberville: i object. officer objection is is heard. mr. kaine: calendar number 387, the following group of individuals nominated to the ranking of major general. brigadier general james a. benson, brigadier general karen a. barry, brigadier general bobby l. christine, brigadier general jeffrey l. copeland, brigadier general david a.degalo, brigadier general joseph a.donuno, terry l. grisham, brigadier general david l. hall, brigadier general charles d. houseman, brigadier

general cindy h. haygood, brigadier general steven f. logan, brigadier general corwin j. lusk, jesse a. morehouse, brigadier general isabel r. smith, brigadier general craig w. strong, and brigadier general katherine e. white. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: socks is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 388, brigadier general michael j.regan jr. to be brigadier general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: socks is heard. -- the presiding officer: socks is heard.

the presiding officer: is it is there an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item number 90 engineers lieutenant general douglas a. simms to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is? an objection? mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. the presiding officer: socks is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar number 391, major general david d. isakson to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i ask that it be in order to make the same request with respect to calendar item 392, major general douglas

a.sheis to be lieutenant general. the presiding officer: is there an objection? mr. tuberville: i object. the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. kaine: i believe i have now offered u.c. requests for all 364 servicemen and women whose nominations have been pending on this floor for many months. they have waited patiently after serving their country courageously, and i'm -- there are some in the chamber wondering why bother to take the floor for a couple of hours when the outcome of this was pretty well known in advance. on the evening before veterans day, on the evening before the marine corps' 248th birthday, and on the day that the state of alabama is celebrating its ties to the military, i wanted to offer these unanimous consent requests so that i could have a

chance to say the name of each individual as a way of letting them know that there are many in this body who will not forget about them until they are confirmed. and with that, mr. president, i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

mr. kaine: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. kaine: i would ask that the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. kaine: i now ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to dealingive session and be in aered pooh of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. kaine: i have four requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. these requests have the approval of both the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on foreign relations

be discharged from further consideration and the senate now proceed to the consideration of s. res. 408. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate resolution 408, condemning hamas for its premeditated, coordinated, and brutal terrorist attacks on israel and demanding that hamas immediately release all hostages and return them to safety and for other purposes. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. kaine: i ask unanimous consent that the rosen substitute amendment to the resolution be agreed to, the resolution, as amended, be agreed to, the rosen substitute amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble, as amended, be agreed to. and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. kaine: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the

senate now proceed to the consideration of s. res. 459, which was submitted is earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 459, recognizing national native american heritage month and so forth. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed with the measure. mr. kaine: ask unanimous consent that at resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection to -- is there objection? without objection. mr. kaine: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it stands adjourned until 3:00 p.m. on monday, november 13. that following the prayer and pledge, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. that upon the conclusion of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to

resume consideration of the de alba nomination, postcloture. further, that all postcloture time be considered expired at 5:30 p.m. today and that the cloture motion filed during today session ripen at 5:30 p.m. if now nominations are confirmed during monday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. kaine: if there is to further business to combefore the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 3:00 p.m. on monday.announcer: "washington