mr. cochran and shapiro and marsha. >> reporter: every move in the courtroom scrutinized. >> reporter: you said o.j. was the quarterback, not the running back. >> there were occasions when he came over to make sure his questions were asked. i remember during the closiing arguments he took notes making sure that his attorneys would hit his points that he thought was important. and o.j. know how things played. >> reporter: and that played out in the courtroom was the racial tension outside the courtroom. >> reporter: his famous quote was i'm not black. i'm o.j. he achieved a colorlessness, and yet, when he was charged with murder, he used his racial identity as his defense. >> that's sort of one of the great ironies of the story. >> we were playing the evidence card. we were playing the credibility card where the credibility of the central witness was at issue. >> reporter: when audiotape surfaced of the police officer who found the bloody glove ranting racial slurs -- it was seen as a touchdown for the defense. >> reporter: who says things like that? it was so foul. it was so despicable tha

mr. cochran: mr. president, we come to a point where it's timely that we urge the senate to approve the military construction and veterans affairs conference report. this conference agreement increases funding for veterans programs by nearly 9%, including a 4.1% increase in discretionary funding for the department of veterans' affairs. the agreement provides funding for veterans health care, benefit claims processing and medical research. the agreement funds housing for military personnel and their families and enhances the capabilities of u.s. military forces. the conference agreement also includes $1.1 billion in emergency supplemental funding to fight the zika virus. this is the same amount previously approved by the senate. these funds will be used for mosquito control, vaccine development and health services. the conference agreement also enhances mosquito control efforts by eliminating duplicative permitting requirements or approved pesticides. this provision is specific to combating the zika vi

. >> reporter: but when it comes to johnnie cochran -- >> i am ashamed of mr.llow himself to become an apologist for this man. >> reporter: despite their fiery exchanges in front of the jury, darden remembers his courtroom foe fondly. >> i miss johnnie. i wish he were here. i wish we could sit in a room like this and argue about that case. as a lawyer, you know, i had nothing but respect for johnnie cochran and i till do. >> reporter: now, darden also says that if he could do things again he wouldn't even join the prosecution team at all. his book about that trial "in contempt" in available in paperback or on e-book. robin. >> all right, mara. we bring in cnn senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin. he's in washington and abc news senior legal correspondent sunny hostin is good enough to be with us in the studio. good morning to you both. let me start with you, jeffrey. you were there in that courtroom every day. what did you make -- >> i was. >> what did you make of darden's performance? >> well, i thought he did a competent job mostly. the issue in the case was f

senators collins, kirk, mcconnell, mccloskey, capito, cochran, blunt, graham, tester, murray, reed, udall, schatz, baldwin, murphy, mikulski and leahy. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i send a cloture motion to the desk for s. 2943. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the cloture motion. 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 calendar number 469, s. 2943, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for military activities of the department of defense for military construction and for defense activities of the department of energy to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year and for other purposes, signed pie 17 -- by 17 senators as follows. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the reading of the names be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask u

mr. tillis: i ask unanimous consent that elizabeth joseph the help policy fellow in the office of senator cochran, be granted privileges of the floor for the remainder of the 114th congress. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. tillis: i ask unanimous consent that bo die yers and lawrence finch in the offices of senator cotton be granted consideration of of the floor during consideration of senate bill 2943, the national defense authorization act. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. tillis: thank you, madam president. madam president, i'm here today to talk about a very important event in american history. 72 years ago today six american and four british and canadian divisions began the assault on adolf hitler's fortress europe on what german filled marshal ramal referred to as the longest day. as the paratroopers moved to their planes and infantry men embarked on their ships dwight eisenhower said you're about to embark on the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. the eyes of the world are upon you. the hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywh