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 elizabeth l. branch of georgia to be united states circuit judge for the 11th circuit signed by 17 senators as follows -- mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the namessen dispensed with -- names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 153, russell vote. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. all in favor say aye. all opposed no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the motion is agreed to the clerk will report the nominati nomination. the clerk: nomination, executive office of the president, rustle voght of virginia to be executive directo

hacking into the 2018 elections and if you're an american citizen that ought to send chills up and undersigned. kirsten, going back to the obama administration, where was james clapper and john brennan. the doj statements and statements reveal the extent the motivation of the rushed interference in the 2016 election claim that a hoax and tatters may seem impossible that russia not yours did not influence at least some americans. i don't understand why they won't let it go. didn't it become clear on friday with the report that we got in the press conference that while the goal of russia was to create discord in our political system, it did not influence the results which is why stocks went down and came back a. >> yeah, that was definitely a big part of the indictment and the deputy attorney general roz rosenstein coming out in making the statement was that this did not influence the outcome of the election. however, we do know they did favor one candidate over another. what's interesting to see also facebook afterwards coming out to say most of the money spent on ads was after the election. th

the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on on the nomination of a. var vin quartle -- a. marvin quattlebaum jr. the presiding officer: the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of a. marvin quattlebaum jr. to be district judge of the district of south carolina. the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote vote: e 123450 vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 69. the nays are 29. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. a. marvin quattlebaum jr. of south carolina to be united states district judge for the district of south carolina. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. the senator from pennsylvania. mr. casey: thank you, mr. president. i would consent -- ask consent to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. casey: i ris

the undersigned counsel wish to inform the court that irreconcilable differences have developed whichake our effective representation of the client impossible. last month rick gates' attorneys made their first request to withdraw from the case and they asked that an exhibit outlining the circumstances of their withdrawal be sealed because, quote, this exhibit involves highly sensitive matters concerning the defendant and public disclosure of the information would potentially be prejudicial to the defendant, as well as mba rasing. today eric holder made news when he told politico that he believes the special prosecutor could prosecute president on charges. here's what he said tonight on that to rachel maddow. >> i think you technically have a case of obstruction of justice. i'm not saying this is a case that you would necessarily bring at this point and i don't know what other evidence the special counsel has. but i think on the basis of what's been reported in the media and assuming those reports are accurate, i think you have a technical case of obstruction of justice. >> jill, i hav

that is undersigned. first of all do identify yourself by name position, please state that. then state the question. there are many in this is not yes, there is a roving microphone. i feel right there. >> thank you, bill. paula stern persons, i run to thank you for your presentations question is about like the issue that was raised was in which ira and i worked together to fill on in the 70s rights. the protest. this greatest activity and yet congressional sort of the v white house and being called so my question really to you the baby boomers that explain the aberrations something more systematic so that act to that. of and responsibility taking. >> i will say is that involved a willingness by congress to additional reasons for itself vis-À-vis the executive branch don't think it's unconnected could be in the majority for a long time and i think that given that expectation it was safer to democrats on these questions of that act and willing of the party together to stand up to what i have seen as an overreach by the executive branch. >> my perspective on it would be that th

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 motion to concur in the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 695, a bill to amend the national child protection act of 1993, and so forth and for other purposes. signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, by unanimous consent the mandatory quorum has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the motion to concur in the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 695 shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any members in the chamber wishing to vote or to change their vote? if not, on this vote the yeas are 55. the nays are 44. three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i

the clerk: cloture motion, we the undersigned senators in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing reuss of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of elizabeth l. branch of georgia to be united states circuit judge for the 11th circuit signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of elizabeth branch of georgia to be united states circuit judge for the 11th circuit shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule of the the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: have all senators voted? does any senator wish to change their vote? on this motion, the yeas are 72, the nays are 22. the motion is agreed to. the senator from north dakota. a senator: mr. president, i rise today to heroin the u.s.a. women's hockey team for their outstanding victories in the 2018 winter olympics. mr. hoeven: all told, the team won four games, including two 5-0 wi

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 motion to concur in the house amendment to the senate amendment to h.r. 695, a bill to amend the national child protection act of 1993 to establish a voluntary national criminal history background check system and criminal history review program for certain individuals who related to their employment have access to children, the elderly or individuals with disabilities and for other purposes signed by 17 senators as follows. mr. mcconnell: i ask the reading of the names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to refer the house message on h.r. 695 to the committee on appropriations to report back forthwith with instructions. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, moves to refer the house message on h.r. 695 to the committee on appropriations to report back forthwith with instructions being amendment num

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 russell vought to be deputy director of the office of management and budget signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of russell vought of virginia to be deputy director of the office of management and budget shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 49, the nays are 48 and p the -- and the cloture is invoked. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: executive office of the president, russell vought of virginia to be deputy director of office of management and budget. the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: thank y

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 motion to proceed to calendar number 302, h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 and so forth signed by 17 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the motion to proceed to h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to allow the premium tax credit with respect to unsubsidized cobra continuation coverage shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule and the clerk will now call the roll. vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: on this vote, the yeas are 97, the nays are 1, three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to. mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. the senate will be in order. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent

we, the 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 senate amendment numbered 1958 as modified to h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 and so forth, signed by 16 senators as follows. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the reading of the named be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk for amendment numbered 1959. the clerk: 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 senate amendment numbered 1959 to h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986, and so forth, signed by 16 senators as follows. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unan

we, the undersigned senators, -- a senator: the senate is not in order. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the clerk: 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 senate amendment numbered 1959 to h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986, and so forth, signed by 16 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on amendment numbered 1959, offered by the senator from iowa, mr. grassley, to h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 to allow the premium tax credit with respect to unsubsidized cobra continuation coverage shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are -- two minutes are equally divided -- who yields time? the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: mr. president, i hope my minute won't start until everybody shuts up. the presiding officer: the senator will suspend. the chamber will come to order, plea

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 motion to proceed to calendar number 302, h.r. 2579, an act to amend the internal revenue code of 1986, and so forth signed by 17 senators. mr. mcconnell: i ask the reading of the names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to immediate consideration of h. con. res. 104 which was received from the house. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h. con. res. 104 concurrent resolution providing for correction in the enrollment of h.r. 1892. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the amendment? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the amendment at the desk be agreed to, the