mr. grassley: i yield the floor. mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: yesterday, the senate voted to confirm kenneth lee of california to serve as a judge for the ninth circuit. yet another individual will uphold the rule of law as a federal judge. mr. lee is far from the only nominee to an important position whom the senate confirmed this week. on tuesday, we confidence michael truncale of texas to the federal bench in the eastern district of texas, and today we'll consider three more of the president's abundantly qualified picks to fill vacancies in the executive branch and in the judiciary. first we'll vote on wendy vitter of louisiana who's been nominated to be u.s. district court judge for the eastern district of louisiana. ms. vitter's impressive legal career includes experience in private practice and a decade in the new orleans parish district attorney's office where she handled more than 100 felony jury trials. ms. vitter has been favorably reported twice by the her colleagues on the ju

mr. grassley: i ask that the calling of the quorum be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: i'm here to discuss with my colleagues issues dealing with the work of the senate finance committee and possible legislation that hopefully will come up this summer to keep health care costs down, particularly prescription drugs. but in the process of doing that, i want to set the record straight on an issue that affects every american who's eligible for medicare. more specifically, i'm here to talk about efforts to reduce the rising costs of prescription medicine. prescription drugs save lives. millions of americans like myself wake up every morning and take their daily medication, but there's something that's become a very tough pill to swallow for an increasing number of americans, and that is paying for the rising cost of prescription drugs. i applaud president trump for turning up the volume on this issue last summer. that's when the president announced his administration's blueprint to lower drug costs for all americans. he

mr. grassley: i want to address my colleagues with three different subjects. the first one is very, very short. but things that are being talked about right now, particularly in the other body. many in the media seem very, very unhappy with the results of the mueller report, or might be embarrassed that the world knows that they sold a bunch of snake oil for the past two years. talking two years about collusion with russia. and now after the mueller report has come out, they now find out that the jig is up. i hope the media will pursue the origins of the russian collusion investigation with the very same vigor over the last two years that they have pursued the collusion narrative. it would go a long ways then to restore the media's damaged credibility, and knowing how all this started will help us prevent such a fiasco from ever happening again. now for a third or fourth time i want to visit with my colleagues about the flooding in the midwest and particularly my state of iowa. this is an ongoing flooding in the midwest, and particularly iowa, and i.t. not goi

mr. chairman... >> grassley is, like, 13 words into his remarks when they start badgering him.>> ou are outyou are out of order, i'll proceed. >> we cannot possibly moveir forward, mr. cn, with this hearing... >> i extend a very warm welcome...n >> we have not bven an... >> the democrats had agreed that weekend that they should do this. >> mr. chairman, i appeal to the chair to recognize myself or one of my colleagues...) (gavel bangi >> you're out of order. >> mr. chairman, i, i appeal to be recognized on yourense of decency and integrity... >> mr. chairman, if, if we cannot be recognized, i move to adjourn.op >> the american ... >> mr. chairman, i move to adjourn. (protesters shouting) >> ... travesty of justice. this is a travesty of justice. we will not go back. cancel brett kavanaugh, adjourn the hearing.ay >> we're here too be a hero! be a hero. (inaudible) that's no way to conduct ang) hearing. i think that the process was not becoming of the united states senate. >> but this is the first confirmation hearing for a supreme court justice i've seeno basically ing to mob rule. >> this i

mrs. grassley? >> absolutely. >> which the other side said we would never have again. obama said we would have to wave a magic wand to get the 3%. but we got a 3% gdp growth. we got 3.4% national unemployment. do you think that helps the average family, mrs. chrysler? >> yes. >> thank you. and we also got 3.2% wage growth. we have had 3% wage growth for like the last 10 months. when's the last time that happened, mrs. chrysler? do you know? >> i don't have that statistic. be jik for 10 years. do you think that helps the average family, mrs. chrysler? >> it absolutely does. >> it absolutely does. those of the fact i want to point out. we got the 3-3-3. which people with say we would never get. 3% wage growth. 3.4% on appointment. 3% gdp growth. these are magical. now, if you want to talk about your effect on small business, you go right ahead with the zero second --. i will disclose saying, i think we all have something going for us in just the free enterprise system here. policymakers don't always have to enact something to help workers out. the case of mr.'s sancamp h

chairman grassley: thank you all for being here. >> mr. mitchell, believe you mentioned that you take this drug? >> i take it. >> what was the price of the drug on an annual basis? >> when i started it was around $8,000 on an annual basis. five years later it was $11,000. 2015.as int today it sells for about $15,000 for a 21 day supply of the drug, a drug that was approved by the f.d.a. in 2005. >> let me put a little meat on the bone here. as i understand it, it is a drug , andultiple myeloma m mds. the patent was filed in 1996. other patents are not set to 2027. until 2023 or and still more patent applications that are pending in granted will not expire until the mid-20 30's. is there anyone on the panel who would like to defend the status quo? i don't know anything about any particular drugs, but i think it is important when we are talking about innovation that we realize that it is incremental that products come to the market but then they ed.tinue to be innovati for example, in cancer, it is important for different innovations that tr

signed: chuck grassley, president pro tempore. mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on finance be discharged from further consideration of s. 1370 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 1370, a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 and so forth. 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. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i further ask that the papers be held at the desk and if the house passes the bill identical to the text of s. 1370 just passed by the senate, the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no

l >> committee chairman chuck grassley -- to the justice department for investigation. >> convicted of the crimes in the investigation, mr. avenatti would face a maximum sentence os 333 years in federal prison. >> laura: he was practically cohosting shows on cnn, wasn't he? but here we are, and democrats facing another brilliant legal mind with impeccable credentials.em they went back to the prop closet once again. >> chicken barr should have shown up today and answered questions. he was afraid of barry burke afraid -- and attorney general who was picked for his legal acumen, and he would not be fearful of any other attorneys questioning him for 30 minutes.c >> laura: does he sleep with that chicken? i didn't know it was pronounced "acumen," i guess i am wrong. the real chickens are the democrats who are too afraid to admit that they got it all wrong on russian collusion. and you know what else? they are too afraid to actually advance an agenda to defend what other policies they want to forward now, in the midst of a roaring trump economy. that is hard stuff. so they revert to their same old tactics, which we have expose

grassley, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: monday of course is memorial day. americans will take time out of our ordinary routines and busy lives to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate price for the security of our nation and the liberty we cherish. we mourn every young american whose sacrifice has furthered the cause of our founding ideals and we acknowledge in a special way the gold star families they leave behind -- parents, spouses and children whose grief is only matched by the thanks of a grateful nation. as president reagan said one memorial day day across the river at arlington, today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. and so while this day is a day for honoring and remembering in particular our fallen heroes, it's natural that our thoughts also turn to the brave men and women who are currently serving. i'm thinking of the service men and women who are defending our country overseas and especially those engaged in com

here that one of the senators, chuck grassley, republican, despite what he hears from some frustrated farmers, he says that there are plenty more who are rooting mrtrump on. from farmers who say that they voted for trump and are done with him and haven't heard that yet, i think they have patience, that's what he told the local station there. from jodi ernst, she said that she too has patient -- patients with the president supporting -- the president, supporting him as of now. a state of the economy that you can watch on her website, c-span.org. also starting at 10 a.m. this , the emergency preparedness response subcommittee of oversight, management, and accountability will have a joint hearing on fema contracts, reviewing lessons learned from past disasters to improve preparedness. headlines out of the omaha newspapers this morning, mid land lawmakers question the white house bid to add border funding to stalled disaster aid relief. one more complication to the story reads that capitol hill negotiations over federal disaster relief for drenched states like iowa and nebraska, the white house is looking to roll $4.5 billion in emergency funding for

mr. chairman, i want to make it clear that i very much share your views with respect to the retirement enhancement and savings act. colleagues, i think it's the view of chairman grassley and i that this important bill should have become hlaw eons ago. i'm going to begin my remarks today with a quick word on social security, the foundation of retirement in america. according to the most recent trustees report social security can pay full benefits until 2035. after that retirees would be hit with a 20% cut. that means that a 50-year-old worker who's paid into social security out of every paycheck faces the prospect of not receiving the full benefits that he or she has earned. i want to be blunt about this this morning. as long as i have anything to say about it, that cut is not going to happen, not going happen. full stop. the congress has solved fiscal challenges bigger than this one and it's going to have to do it again. furthermore, let's understand that no program has done more for american's economic stability than social security. social security is not a pig gy bank for lawmakers to smach when they're hooking for money for other priorities. instead it's critical

grassley using an attorney to question the witnesses? no, they did not. i don't see anyone on record having said that. so mr. chairman, let's be clear. we are at a brink of importance between democracy and dictatorship. if we ignore checks and balances. and i fully support holding this attorney general in contempt for refusing to comply with constitutional foundations. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. >> gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk, mr. chairman. >> clerk will report the amendment. >> amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommending that the house of representatives find william p. barr, attorney general, u.s. department of justice, in contempt of congress for refe l few sal to comply with the subpoena duly issued by the committee on the ju dish area, offered by mr. gates of florida. after the last paragraph on page 27, insert the following. rule of construction, no provision in the -- >> without objection, the amendment is considered as read. gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. earlier today,

grassley using an attorney to question the witnesss? no, they did not. i don't see anyone on record having said that. so, mr. chairman, let's be clear. we are at a brink of importance between democracy and dictatorship. if we ignore checks and balances. and i fully support holding this attorney general in contempt for refusing to comply with constitutional foundations. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield mr. nadler: for what purpose does the gentleman from seek recognition? the clerk: amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute, the committee reports that a resolution that the house of representatives find william p. barr, u.s. department of justice for refusing to comply with the subpoena issued by the committee of the judiciary issued by mr. gates of florida. hall gaetz of florida. >> no provision -- mr. nadler: without objection, the amendment is considered as read. mr. gaetz: the gentlelady from pennsylvania, the vice chair of the committee said, and i quote, nobody is asking the attorney general to break the law. nobody is asking the attorney general to break the law, closed quote. that comment inspired me to write thi

senator grassley to prevent anti-competitive abuses that he and i have introduced as well as the preserve access to affordable generics and biosimilars act. so let me start with the pay for delay. mr. mitchell, do you agree that we need legislation to address the problem of anti-competitive pay for delay agreements? the fdc has been doing some work in this area after the court case, but do you agree we still need legislation? >> we. we would be very grateful if you would enact legislation. yes, there have been fewer cases of pay for delay since the activist decision, but congress really needs to codify that decision to deal with what professor carrier says, which is courts make mistakes. the cases are complicated. so we very much hope you will enact the pay for delay legislation that you sponsored with senator grassley. >> professor carrier, you've written extensively about anti-competitive abuse of the fda petitioning process, the practice of filing sham petitions, risk delaying the profl of generics and biosimilars and imposes unnecessary burdens on limited fda resources, something i think has to be changed. i have some ideas with the antitrust laws and things that we could do t

mr. grassley: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: i ask to speak for two minutes as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: first, i'd like to tell my colleagues in the senate a project that i worked on in iowa getting a history from various veterans. this morning i delivered 20 stories from veterans to the veterans history project at our library of congress. these stories will be preserved in the permanent collection of the library of congress, making accessible the personal accounts of american war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war. i want to thank all of our veterans, including those that were interviewed, who have sacrificed for the defense of our freedoms. their service ensures that all americans will live in peace and prosperity for generations to come. secondly, may is national foster care month. due to the opioid crisis and other substance abuse issues plaguing communities in iowa and all across americ

mr. grassley: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: i ask to speak in morning business for one minute. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: may has been recognized as national foster care month for over 20 years to bring awareness to the challenge that foster youth face. through my work on the senate caucus on foster youth, i've had the opportunity to hear firsthand what children in foster care need. they need love, support, safety, and permanency. they need a family. i salute all those who dedicate their time and resources to help these kids. moving forward, i will continue to work to find a better solution and secure better outcomes for youth in foster care. mr. president, i ask for one more minute. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: last week the department of labor released its monthly scorecard for the u.s. workforce. the unemployment rate fell to 3.6 which is the lowest rate since december 1969. a new 50-year low. moreover, an additional 263,000 jobs were created. job gains had ave

mr. grassley: sometime, specifically february 28, i came to the senate to visit with my colleagues aboutthe more than 2,000 tax provisions that expired at the end of 2017. that same day i joined with finance committee ranking member wyden, of oregon, to introduce a bill entitled tax extender and disaster relief act of 2019 to extend these two dozen tax provisions through 2019. and i very much thank ranking member wyden for his cooperation on this effort. actually, we have a lot of cooperation on a lot of different subjects within the finance committee. now, unfortunately, we're still waiting on house democrats to send us a tax bill that includes those provisions so that taxpayers who have relied on an extension can finish their 2018 tax returns. i've had some discussions with the chairman of the ways and means committee, and i don't have any reason to believe that he doesn't believe some of these extenders should be extended but i suppose because they are new to running the house of representatives and they have dissension within their own caucus, it takes a while to get a -- an active g

signed: chuck grassley, president pro tempore. mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: on monday i introduced legislation to raise the national minimum wage for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21. i walked through the long history of our nation's complicated relationship with this major cash crop. i laid outer the challenges -- i laid out the cheabltion facing tobacco products in kentucky and other states and new opportunities some of them are actually turning to, and i explained why, as we see signs of a new public health crisis of nicotine addiction in the younger generation, now is the time to take decisive new action. together with senator tim kaine, who represents another state with a very long history of tobacco production, i was proud to introduce a bill that builds on the existing structure that is already in place and simply raises the minimum wage to 21. rather than reinvent the wheel here in washington, it would set one national standard for enforcing new age 21 restrictions. it's a bill design