center booker and durbin spoke on the senate floor about legislation the same to eliminate federal crack and powder cocaine this who have disproportionally affected black americans for decades.r. >> mr. president i like to speak on a another topic. but still relevant today as it has been for so many years. i want to restart by calling 35 years ago i was a member of the house of representative face on the the most troubling boats in my whole career. it was the height of the war on drugs. a new narcotics showed up it was called crack cocaine. we did not know much about it but we knew several things. first, highly addictive. second, dirtrt cheap, third, of a woman who was pregnant used it she could cause permanent harm to the baby she was carrying. we started worrying this to be the jug drug of choice across america. the war on drugs will be lost that in forever. just about the time or debating this event took place but rock the capitol there's a basketball player at the university of maryland he was a very good basketball player, destined for the nba. sadly he overdosed and died, shocked everyone. all across the region it certainly was felt in the house of representatives. perhaps it

center booker and durbin spoke on the senate floor about legislation the same to eliminate federal crack and powder cocaine this who have disproportionally affected black americans for decades.r. >> mrsident i like to speak on a another topic. but still relevant today as it has been for so many years. i want to restart by calling 35 years ago i was a member of the house of representative face on the the most troubling boats in my whole career. it was the height of the war on drugs. a new narcotics showed up it was called crack cocaine. we did not know much about it but we knew several things. first, highly addictive. second, dirtrt

mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the booker amendment at the desk toreamble be considered and agreed to, the preamble as amended be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the committee on agriculture, nutrition, and forestry be discharged from further consideration, the senate now proceed to s. res. 418. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 418, expressing support for the designation of october 3 through october 9, twupt, as national 4- h -- 2021, as national 4-h week. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the motion. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of senate resolution 422, s

mr. chairman, do you know the answer? >> you have exchanged that so many times, we know where we stand. now we have request for three minute rounds and i have one senator haroney, lee and booker. sorry, first of course ranking member grassley. we will stick to three minutes. been four hours since the attorney general been in the chair with couple of breaks. i think we should try to wrap up if we can. >> request to put something in the record, "wall street journal" editorial titled about the domestic terrorist parents, the article notes the october 4th doj memo should be be formally rescinded. >> without objection. >> general after great deal of pressure from victims in congress, i know that you're taking another look at the department's disgusting decision not to prosecute employees for lying to government officials in the nassar investigation, do you anticipate the department will similarly expunge records of these employees like mccabe or give them get out of jail free cards as you have done so far? >> senators, as i said, we are reviewing the decisions with respect to the false -- alleged false statements. that review is being done by the criminal division. >> okay. beginn

mr. chairman, do you know whether he sought an ethics opinion? >> we have a request for three-minute rounds, and i have one from senator hirono, senator lee, and senator booker. i'm sorry, and first, of course, ranking member grassley. we're going to stick to three minutes. it's been four hours since the attorney general has been in the chair with a couple breaks. and i think we should try to wrap up if we can. >> request to put something in the record. a "wall street journal" editorial titled about the domestic terrorist parents. the article notes that the october 4th doj memo should be formally rescinded. >> without objection. >> general, after a great deal of pressure from victims in congress, i know you're taking another look at the department's disgusting decision not to prosecute employees for lying to government officials in the nassar investigation. do you anticipate that the department will similarly expunge the records of these employees just like mccabe or continue to give them get out of jail free cards as you have done so far? >> as i said, senator, we are reviewing the decisions with respect to the alleged false statements. that review is done

mr. booker: we're not in a quorum call, may i be recognized. presiding officer: the senator from new jersey. mr. booker: i understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. the clerk: s. 4, a bill to amend the voting rights of 1965 to device which states are subject to the act and for other purposes. mr. booker: in order to place the bill on the calendar under rule 14.1, i would object to further proceeding. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, sarah a.l. merriam, of connecticut, to be united states district judge for the district of connecticut. mr. booker: i would ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the following nomination, calendar number 265 shaland

mr. booker: thank you, thank you, mr. president.en i came to the united states senate, i found a friend, i found a mentor and i found a leader on issues of justice. the incredible friend i have in the senator from illinois, he has been leading on issues from immigration reform and fighting for dreamers all the way to being the principal leader for the democratic side for the passage of the first step act. i'll never forget he inviting me to the white house in my earliest days with then- president obama, centering me on that table. i had just gotten here, and he then was talking about these issues, the issues of mass incarceration, the issues of racial discrimination and incarceration. this what i rise to talk about really is an issue that my colleague has been dealing with for 35 years. he gave important history. it was a bipartisan issue. 35 years ago, when the senate and the house of representatives voted to pass the anti-drug abuse act of 1986, and the president signed it into law that year, he said very specifically one of the t