mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, i totally agree with both the senator from alabama and the senator from maine. first, as they said, this violates the bipartisan agreement this body made and agreed with the president, but the things we would do, 73,000 jobs would be cut from the federal highway administration projects when we need them, 3,830,000 low-income women, infants, and children no longer receiving w.i.c. in the interest of time and the storm warning we have outside, i would ask consent my whole statement be made a part of the record. the presiding officer: without objection. is there further debate on the amendment? if not, the question is on the paul amendment 3543. is there a sufficient second? there is. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators wishing to vote or to change their vote? if not, the ayes are 25. the nays are 74. the amendment is not agreed to. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from ohio. a senator:

mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, can we have a modicum of order? just a modicum. the presiding officer: will members please take their conversations off the floor. order in the chamber, please. the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: got the modicum. i applaud what the senior senator from alabama said, that we're continuing to work on a managers' package, and i also want to be able to bring up some point in my security grants package which especially as we know that russia and others continue to try to interfere with our elections. i applaud senator shelby. we worked very closely together throughout the weekend, yesterday and today. i believe the senate has to act as a coequal branch of government with regard to the threat of democracy. the threat is very real. almost everybody in our government, certainly our intelligence community, unanimously agree that russia interfered in the 2016 elections. and there's an imminent threat to our 2

mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: mr. president, today the senate is considering one of the most troubling executive branch nominations that this president has made to date, the nomination of brian benczkowski to lead the criminal division of the justice department. for years, they have studied the criminal division, and here it's an amazing, amazing nomination. i think it's enough to oppose mr. benczkowski's nomination because he is objectively unqualified for this important position. but there are also compelling reasons to believe that it would be uniquely reckless to confirm him to this position. now speaking about mr. benczkowski's lack of qualifications to this role is not meant to denigrate him. many of us know him, as i did from his service in the judiciary committee, as a staff director for the ranking

mr. leahy: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: madam president, i ask consent that the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: madam president, as we all know in this country, in 2016, the russian government waged a covert, multifaceted criminal campaign to interfere in our elections. now we know it was intended to help then-candidate donald trump win the presidency. we don't know the full impact from russia's interference, but it's beyond debate that it happened. russia, as we now found out, used inflammatory propaganda, actually was fake news, attempting to suppress democratic turnout and blue support for donald trump. he also stole communications belonging to the democratic national committee and the clinton campaign, which were then strategically released to maximize the impact, and they were released at times when they could counter negative news stories about donald trump. and then just last week,

mr. leahy: i ask consent the call of the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. leahy: mr. president, i see nobody else seeking the floor. i'll speak briefly. i would urge the congress, both bodies, to heed the clear warnings of our intelligence community. i urge them to take a meaningful step, important step toward defending our democracy. if we do nothing, we leave our elections vulnerable to the aggressive foreign adversary fully intent on destabilizing our country. to many of the senators in the chamber, it's a simple choice. it's a solemn responsibility. today the senate should vote on my amendment to provide $250 million in grants for the states to help secure their election systems. we have to send a clear message to russia and other foreign adversaries that tampering in our elections will not be tolerated. simply giving a speech about it is not enough. we should vote on this. in we had missile attacks or air attacks or others against any of our state, we would respond immediately. our democracy is a sacred par

mr. leahy: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: madam president, i am pleased to join with my friend, the senior senator from alabama, chairman shelby, as we prepare to debate the second set of appropriations bills to reach the senate floor this session. senator shelby has noted, this is a change in recent years, and i commend him. i commend both republicans and democrats who have worked together in the way we used to and now are again. and this minibus contains four important bills for fiscal year 2019 -- the interior, environment and related agencies bill; financial services and general government bill; agricultural, rural development, food and drug administration, related agencies; and transportation, housing, urban development, and related agencies bills. now, that's a significant thing to be on the senate floor in past years. what's even more significant -- i think chairman shelby would agree with me -- each of these bills was reported by the appropriations committee unanimously. every republican, every democrat voted fo

mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, i appreciate what the distinguished senator from illinois just said. i'll speak about the same amendment. we'll be offering this amendment. it does provide $250,000,000 for state election security grants. it provides it to protect our upcoming elections, attacks by russia especially but from many other hostile foreign power. we don't do this as a -- as an exercise. we know the attacks have been there in the past and they're coming in the future. look what our intelligence community -- they unanimously said that russia interfered in our 2,016 election. and after the intelligence community unanimously said they interfered, congress came together. we appropriated $380,000,000 for state elections security grants in the fiscal year 2,018 omnibus. now, since that time, we had 55 eligible states and territories. they requested funding. a hundred percent of these funds have been committed to the states. as of yesterday 90% of the funds have been dispersed to the states. it's pretty

mr. leahy: i would simply say to the senator from alaska, having served -- having had the honor of serving here with both her father and with picture former chair of the appropriations committee, senator stevens, and i hear her saying things that are very similar to what i have heard both of them say. i will say that perhaps senator stevens, rest his soul, would say it with a little bit more emphasis, especially if he is wearing his incredible hulk tie. but the senator from alaska is one of those who believes in the senate working the way it should and getting things done. i want to compliment her, her efforts. senator shelby and i had made a pact that we would try to get these appropriations bills through because they have been stalled for years. and the senator from alaska has essential, as were a number of senators on both sides of the aisle, in getting that accomplished. we got our bills through. almost all of them passed the appropriations committee unanimously. i joke that sometimes you c

mr. chairman, senator leahy. i present you have to be here today and look forward to our conversation. i appreciate the opportunity to talk about the presidents budget and senator graham, the list you sure there are long and i could add a couple others and i'm sure you could add a couple more as well. i want youio to know how much i present you have operated in a bipartisan manner. talk to many of you on the phone and haveg productive conversations over a wideil rane of topics. i know i'm always available to listen to make sure that our priorities and we were thinking about the world is helpful but something i do as a courtesy but something i value extraordinarily. you are all very short opening statements and i will do the same. you should see the overall purpose but to reflect an effort to manage dollars wisely. we've already made progress on next year'sr' budget. a record to working to achieve america's foreign policy d objective and i have a written statement and i have submitted and happy to close their intake questions. >> thank you. we will do six minute rounds and get on with i

senator leahy sent a letter on the same subject directed to mr. kavanaugh personally. he was involved in more than just shuffling papers, he decided what the president would read, and what the staff proposed to the president. is this relevant to the conversation about his service on the supreme court? exactly relevant. under oath, heunder oath, he st, and now we have somewhat contradictory evidence to the contrary. we have a bipartisan standard we have used over and over with supreme court nominees. unfortunately we are in a position where this administration and this leadership in the senate has decided to change the rules. it doesn't help us do our job. senator durbin: thank you, dick. before we call onour -- call on our guests, could you move over a bit? these are the missing empty record boxes. we want them filled with records. >> [laughter] haveor schumer: we now kristine lucius with us from the leadership conference on civil and human rights. durbin, yourenator comments take me back to the confirmation hearing, and what a stunning moment it was when he responded

mr. chairman. >> thank you very much, senator brownback. let me make an assessment here as to a potential second round. senator leahy, do you care for a second round? >> i do. >> senator schumer? >> yes. >> i infer that all those absent do not. >> i would not infer. we will ask them on thisside. >> could you find out? >> we are doing that right now. >> senator hatch? >> frankly, i will pass for now. >> senator cornyn? that is a qualified pass. all right. well, we will proceed with the second round. i think we will finish before 5:00, as it appears to me, mr.kavanaugh. you declined a break 20 minutes ago. you may reconsider that without petition at any time you choose, if you would like a break. brett kavanaugh: thank you, mr. chairman. i am ok. >> you are ok. ok, then you have establisheda number of qualities without further comment.[laughter.]mr. -- further comments. [laughter] mr. kavanaugh, on the second round, whichwe begin now, i have noticed a reticence on your part to criticize people, not necessarily a bad habit. you did not want to criticize karl rove. you did not want to say how you would vote on impeachme

leahy. >> thank you, mr. chairman. stranger and stranger as we hear this, i know the president's policy of systematically separating infants and toddlers from their families, seems to me to be a betrayal of american democrat.publican or i think that is why so many in this country stood up and said, that has to change. now we're trying to pick up that -- now we're trying to pick up the pieces, we have children separated from their families. being directed to separate families under the zero-tolerance policy, what instructions to the white house or secretary of homeland security provide your agency for how to ensure every single separated child. i did with their parents? besk this -- separated child reunited with her parents? -- reunited with their parents? dhs secretary, 100% of the parents referred to prosecution. for kind of guidance did you have? >> thank you for your question, sir. under zero-tolerance the prosecution 100% for all amenable adults. it was not focused on anyone demographic. during the timeframe of the

mr. kavanaugh, i asked you to think of ways to alleviate these concerns and i look forward to hearing your testimony. thank you. >> thank you, senator schumer. >> ranking member leahy will be here in an hour. mr. kavanaugh clerked for supreme court justice anthony kennedy. jed stapleton and judge kaczynski, it is our practice to ask witnesses to be sworn at nominations as we have a number justices sworn for the confirmation of justice alito. when you rise and take the oath? -- would you rise and take the oath? do you solemnly swear the testimony will hear before the judiciary committee be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you? >> i do. >> both answered in the affirmative. thee stapleton, you are first circuit judge for whom mr. kavanagh clerks so we will begin with you. members of thed committee, i appreciate the invitation to introduce brett kavanaugh. that is not because i think he needs any introduction to this committee. i believe iecause am in a position to share information that is probative with respect to the important issue that is before you. i have been a federal judge for over 35 years, the last 20 of those years as a member

leahy, feinstein, schatz and murphy. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate will resume executive session. the senator from west virginia. mrs. capito: i have 11 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mrs. capito: thank you, mr. president. i want to take a few moments to talk what i believe is an excellent choice president trump made monday and that is in selecting judge bret kavanaugh -- brett kavanaugh to fill the supreme court vacancy. his credentials is well suited for the supreme court. he excelled as an undergraduate and law student at yale and clerked for justice kennedy, the man he would replace, along being a clerk for the federal appeal court judges. he served in a critical position in president george w. bush's administration, and beyond his resume is respect and effectiveness. he is highly regarded by his colleagues on the federal judiciary, and i think that says a lot about his potential and his character in terms of potential to become a supreme court justice. he is also impressed other