mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: mr. president, my colleague has just stepped off the floor from texas. he has spoken at some length about his position on this nomination, and i would like to address the same issue. first, with the utmost respect, for my colleague from texas, we disagree on many political issues but we are truly friends. we work together on the senate judiciary committee. i respect him very much, although we may disagree, as we do on this issue, and i want to say -- put in context what i am about to say in expressing my respect for the senior senator from texas. but, mr. president, i'm at a loss to explain the position of the senator from texas and the republican party of america when it comes to the issue of immigration. what are we to make of what they tell us when we talk about immigration? without fail, mr. president, they say to us, first, first and foremost we must have enforcement at our borders. once we have secured our borders from the inflow of illegal immigrants, then and only then can we di

durbin. >> thanks, mr. chairman. this is my last markup on this committee at least for now i hope some day to return but i'm glad it's on an issue and subject of this historic moment. i can recall many sleepless nights as a congressman and senator contemplating decisions on war knowing that at the end of the day my vote would result in the loss of life even american life fighting valiantly on our side. and i am glad we're taking this seriously and we have good attendance to debate it. it is true the commander in chief has authority and we give it to him or her if the case may be to protect our nation. there's never any question that a president needs to respond quickly to protect our borders, to protect our people. to protect our vital national interests. but the constitution goes on to say that when it comes to war, congress let me take that back. when it comes to war the american people through congress will make that decision. it is a limitation on the power of the president, it is a limitation on the commander in

mr. durbin: madam president? the presiding officer: the assistant majority leader. mr. durbin: madam president, i don't understand this. i'm glad the senator from alabama is still on the floor but i just don't understand this. how many speeches have we heard on the floor of the senate that the number-one priority of the republican side is border enforcement? how many times have we heard over and over and over again that before we can have any conversation about those in the united states, we've got to seal our borders from the illegal immigrants coming into our country. i've heard it from the beginning. in fact, i've heard it every time a republican member has initiated a conversation about immigration. isn't this interesting. two nights ago -- two days ago, we passed the budget bill for the remainder of this fiscal year that it was initiated by the house of representatives and sent over here. it was not called an omnibus spending bill, which would have meant all of the agencies of government are in the budget. it had this peculiar name, cover any bus. -- cromnibus. what

mr. durbin? >> no. >> udall? >> aye. >> mr. murphy? >> aye. >> mr. kane? >> aye. >> mr. markey? >> aye. >> mr. corker? >> no. >> no by proxy. >> mr. rubio? >> no. >> mr. johnson? >> no. >> mr. flake? >> no by proxy. >> mr. mccain? >> no by proxy. >> mr. barrasso? >> no by proxy. >> yes. >> mr. chairman? >> no. >> please record me as no. >> mr. chairman the ayes are five. nays are 13. >> is there anyone else willing to offer an amendment? if not, the vote is on final passage of the aumf as amended. clerk will call the roll. >> aye. >> aye. >> ms. shaheen? >> aye. >> mr. coontz? >> aye. >> mr. durbin? >> aye. >> mr. udall? >> aye. >> mr. murphy? >> aye. >> mr. kane? >> aye. >> mr. corker? >> aye. >> mr. rubio? >> no. >> mr. johnson? >> no. >> mr. flake? >> no by proxy. >> mccain? >> no by proxy. >> mr. barrasso? >> no by proxy. >> mr. paul? >> no. >> mr. chairman? >> yes. court will report. >> mr. chairman, the yeas are ten, nays are eight. >> the aumf will be reported favorably to the senate. i ask unanimous constent the staff be allowed to make technical and conforming changes b

mr. durbin: mr.sident, the holiday rush is underway and millions of americans are decorating, shopping and preparing to spend christmas, hanukkah and kwan disa with their loved ones. i want to draw attention to one woman from illinois who is doing something different. janet teasely is a registered nurse in chicago. she has volunteered to spend her holiday season in blear -- liberia treect -- treating patients with the potentially deadly ebola virus. when she told family of her plan she said she encountered resistance. one doctor told her half kiddingly he thought she was crazy. once he realized she was serious he told her he admired her. it is estimated nearly 16,000 people contracted the ebola virus. nearly 6,000 have died. today it is estimated that 7,000 people in liberia where janet teasely is volunteering have ebola. she is helping some of the neediest patients in that country that's been the hardest hit by this disease. although ebola has been contained so far here in the united states, the out

mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the assistant majority leader. mr. durbin: mr. president, the great caesar chavez once said, "if you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with them. the people who give you their food, give you their heart." that's true. sometimes they give you more than that. sometimes they give you an adventure in eating that you'll never forget. that's what happened to me when in january i was invited by mark pryor to be his guest at a legendary arkansas political event. i'm talking about the historic, well-known annual gillette, arkansas, coon supper. never heard of the gillette coon supper in arkansas? it is to arkansas what tom harkin's stake fry is to iowa, only it's nonpartisan. it draws about 1,200 people and unfortunately they don't serve stake. coon is raccoon served in large buckets. folks just reach inside and pull out a chunk of coon, as they say in gillette. well, i was there that night with mark pryor. wanted to make sure i had my best manners as a visiting guest. certainly appreciative of the invitation to a

mr. durbin, mr. schumer gathered one last time to finish clearing out boxes and say goodbye. lamp rested precariously on a stack of hard cover books. an oversized mousetrap remained in wait in the kitchen. and the refrigerator offered a lingering odor and a handful of bud lights. sorry, guys. you've got to grow up sometime. coming up, what cuban-american senator marco rubio doesn't know about cuba. >>> let me explain to you who the chinese government is. the chinese government provides their people no access to the roughest, toughest cold symptoms. vicks nyquil severe. with maximum symptom fighting ingredients. ♪ twhat do i do?. you need to catch the 4:10 huh? the equipment tracking system will get you to the loading dock. ♪ there should be a truck leaving now. i got it. now jump off the bridge. what? in 3...2...1... are you kidding me? go. right on time. right now, over 20,000 trains are running reliably. we call that predictable. thrillingly predictable. get to the terminal across town. are all the green lights you? no. it's called grid iq. the 4:51 is leaving at 4:51. ♪ th

mr. durbin, mr. schumer gathered one last time to finish clearing out boxes and say goodbye.amp rested precariously on a stack of hard cover books. an oversized mousetrap remained in wait in the kitchen. and the refrigerator offered a lingering ooddor and a handful bud lights. sorry, guys. you've got to grow up sometime. coming up, what cuban-american senator marco rubio doesn't know about cuba. and cialis for daily useor you. helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any a

mr. durbin: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority whip. mr. durbin: madam president, many people think that congress is irrelevant, unimportant and wastes its time with floor speeches that go nowhere. yesterday on the floor of the united states senate, something historic occurred. standing right back here, the senator, senior senator from california, senator dianne feinstein, delivered to congress and to the nation a report on the use of torture by the united states of america. seated on this side was senator jay rockefeller, who as her predecessor and chairman of the senate intelligence committee, initiated this investigation into the use of torture. her speech, that lasted about an hour, was followed by senator john mccain who stood up and applauded her for releasing this report. it's worthy of note that what happened on this floor of the senate yesterday was an assertion of constitutional principles that goes back to the founding of this country. it was an assertion of the three branches of government and their authority, and the authority o

mr. durbin? >> aye. >> mr. udall? >> aye. >> mr. murphy? >> aye. >> mr. kane? >> no. >> mr. markey? >> aye. >> mr. corker? >> no. >> mr. rubio? >> no. >> mr. johnson? >> no. >> mr. mccain? mr. barrasso? >> no. >> yes. >> mr. chairman? >> recorded as a yes. >> any other amendments? >> yes, this is paul amendment number three. this amendment would set geographic limits on this aumf. it reads, nothing in this joint resolution shall be construed as authorizing the use of force against the islamic state outside of the geographic boundaries of iraq and syria, and no action may be taken outside such area without congressional authorization. now, many have made the argument that we've added too many limitations. there should be no limitations, and they've argued historically that we haven't done this. the national security network looked back at all of the uses of authorization of force since the beginning of the republic, and they found that 60% of those actually did have a geographic limitation on them. some would say, well, you know, we just don't need this. it's too confining. the probl

thank you. >> let me turn to senator durbin. >> thanks, mr. chairman.this is my last mark-up for this committee for now. i hope someday to return. but i'm glad it's on an issue and subject of this historic moment. i can recall many sleepness nights as a congressman and senator contemplating decisions on war, knowing that at the end of the day my vote would result in the loss of life, even american life, fighting valiantly on our side. and i'm glad we're taking this seriously and we have good attendance to debate it. it is true the commander in chief has authority and we give it to him or her, if the case may be, to protect our nation. there's never any question that a president needs to respond quickly to protect our borders, to protect our people, to protect our vital national interest. but the constitution goes on to say that when it comes to war congress -- let me take that back. when it comes to war, the american people through congress will make that decision. it is a limitation on the power of the president. it is a limitation on the commander in

mr. durbin: next to the state of illinois, i've spent more time campaigning in your state of iowa than any other state. obviously the presidential caucuses have brought me over there and i've come to know your home state of iowa and also to appreciate that even though there's an extraordinary iowa democratic organization, it is a tough state, and there are elections when they are hotly contested. i can recall when i was running for the senate in 1996, you called into our headquarters, suffolk mspoke to my campaign md said, how is it going, senator? and i said, i am besieged. you survived it and many others. it is because of two things. one is your dogged determination and, number two, your commitment to values that you've never given up on. i think there's an authenticity to tom harkin that has saved you in tough years. people who disagreed with you respected you because you stood up for what you believed in. some of the things you and i believe in may not be as fashionable politically as they once were. there was one a tim once a timei worked for a man called paul douglas who called himse

mr. chairman. chairman durbin, ranking member cruz, and members of the subcommittee. i'm wade henderson, president and ceo of the leadership conference on civil and human rights, the coalition of more than 200 national organizations representing persons of color, women, children, organized labor, persons with disabilities, seniors, lesbian, gay, bisexual and friends gender community, and the faith-based community. let me start by thanking you, chairman durbin for your remarkable leadership from passing bipartisan legislation like the matthew shepperd and rights, ct to voting stand your ground laws, apple civil rights of american muslims, you have been a champion on issues of vital importance to the civil and human rights community for years. let me also acknowledge you, rafrpbling member cruz, in your role as the new chair of the subcommittee for the 114th congress. senator, we are hopeful that as the new chair you will build on the subcommittee's legacy and continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to make progress for our nation. we look forward to collaborating with

mr. chairman, senator durbin. member s of the subcommittee. i'm c.e.o. to have leadership onference on civil rights. let me start by thanking you, chairman durbin for your remarkable leadership of the subcommittee. on the matthew shepherd and james bird jr. hate crimes acts to stand your ground laws and the civil rights of american muslims, you have been o champion on issues of vital importance to the civil and human rights community for years. let me also acknowledge you, ranking member cruz in your role it is a new chair of the subcommittee for the 114th congress. senator, we are hopeful as the new chair you will build on the subcommittee's legacy and continue to work and n a bipartisan fashion to make progress for our nation. we look forward to collaborateing with you to achieve our common goal of protecting and advancing civil and human rights for all american. this hearing is taking place at a pittal time for our nation -- pivotal time for our nation. it has fueled a growing, diverse, passionate and increasingly organized movement for justice across

address is followed by tributes from senators susan collins, dick durbin, tom carper and jeff sessions. >> senator from arkansas. >> mrpresident, thank you. i have to begin today by saying one thing, and that is to god be the glory. and i'll finish with that, too, but first let me offer a few words. since election night, i had many, many arkansas kansans come up to me and thank me for my service. i appreciate that, but i need to thank them for allowing me to do this for the last 12 years. it sounds like a cliche, but it isn't. serving in the united states senate has been the greatest honor of my life. it truly has been. i have loved it, and i've always done it with a cheerful heart. and i go back to my beloved arkansas. i have to thank the people of arkansas for allowing me to work for you, but i must confess i'll miss waking up every morning and thinking how can i make a difference for arkansas and for america today. those years were momentous in so many ways for our country and for our world. i had a front row seat to making history, and i hope i made a little bit of it myself. on a personal level, those years were

mr. durbin: will the majority leader yield for a question? mr. reid: i will. mr. durbin: i would like to ask for classification. it is my -- for clarification. it is my understanding at midnight tonight officially funding for our government ceases? mr. reid: absolutely true. mr. durbin: the majority leader asked the republican side of the aisle to extend it? mr. reid: yes, we had yesterday evening a piece of legislation from the house doing just that, extending the time for a few days. mr. durbin: was there an objection by the republicans to the short-term extension so our government would continue operating? mr. reid: we were told it wouldn't be necessary to do that because we couldn't get agreement to do it so the answer is yes. mr. durbin: late last night the junior senator from texas came to the floor. is he part of the group that is objecting to moving forward on the omnibus bill? mr. reid: it appears so. at 10:00 or so last night he gave a relatively extended speech. but if someone looks at that speech -- if you look at that speech, he wasn't critical of me.

mr. durbin: i ask the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: i see my friend and colleague from wyoming who just spoke on the floor is still in chamber, and i want to acknowledge publicly, i hope he will, too, we're friends, we disagree on the nomination of dr. vivek murthy to be our next surgeon general. i'd like to speak for a few moments about why i'm supporting him and why i hope a majority will join me in support of his nomination. this is an indication of what can go wrong in the senate. we received this nomination from the president of the united states to fill this post of surgeon general, reported from committee in february this year. obviously, we're in december. it's been sitting here since never. in fact the most of surgeon general has been vacant since july. the surgeon general was supposed to be the leader, one of the leaders in america speaking to issues of public health. can anyone think of a public health issue that we've had to face since february when dr. murthy was reported to the floor of the united states senate? pe

island, udall of new mexico, whitehouse, klobuchar, stabenow, coons, menendez, boxer, harkin, and durbin. mr. reid: i now move to proceed to legislative session. the presiding officer: question is on the motion. is there is sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: squasnroo vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the ayes are 52, the nays are 42. the motion is agreed to. mr. reid: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: i move to proceed to calendar number 840, astephan lopez, and i move that -- and do so that we are in executive session. the presiding officer: the question is on the motion. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. 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? on this vote, the ayes are 54, the noes are 40. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, department of the interior, he iest