mr. leahy: what is the -- the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: what is the parliamentary situation? are we just in morning business? the presiding officer: we're in morning business. mr. leahy: i thank the distinguished presiding officer. i do have a few comments i will make. mr. president, i've had the privilege of serving in the u.s. senate for 44 years. 20 of those 44 years as either the chairman or the ranking member of the judiciary committee. and during those 44 years, i've seen 19 nominations to the supreme court. most of the nominees i voted for by both democratic and republican presidents. the first one was john paul stevens, and it was president ford. and i voted on every current member of our nation's highest court. when i was in vermont over the weekend, i was thinking back over this, and i don't think i've ever seen so much as stake with a single seat as with the current nomination of judge kavanaugh. now, one thing we can all agree upon, republicans and democrats, like many supreme court nominees before him, judge kavanaugh ha

mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, i know there's been discussion a lot about the judicial nominee and we have the material need. we do not have the material we need. when justice kagan was up for nomination, the republicans asked for all the archives. i joined them in that. i was chairman. i along with jeff sessions who was ranking member sent a letter saying that we needed all her white house records. we got 99% of them. now we're told after carefully selected by steve bannon's attorney that we can have 3% of hers. it's an interesting standard. republicans want all of it when it was a democratic president for a woman who was nominated. now the -- republicans, they nominate this man, we'll give you 3%. it's an interesting double standard. it makes me wonder what is there to hide there. why not take the time to see it all? if i'm going to vote on a lifetime appointment -- i voted for a lot of republican nominees in the supreme court and other courts but i want to see the whole record. i don't want to have a

mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator's time is expired. the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: our intelligence community unanimously agrees that russia interfered in the 2016 election. there is an imminent threat to the 2018 election. our country, our democracy is under attack, and we should respond. let's heed the warnings of our intelligence agencies. the lights are blinking red. let's listen to our state attorneys general and secretaries of state. my amendment does provide $250 million for state election security grants to protect our upcoming elections. it helps states improve elections cybersecurity, replace outdated electrical equipment. we did provide, as the distinguished senator said, $380 million in fiscal year 2018. that was the first new funding for election security in years, but more is needed. the president is not going to act. the duty has fallen to us. let's not after an election find out that this country was defenseless against attacks from russia and s

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 values, republican or democrat. 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 t -- now we're trying to pick up the pieces, we have children separated from their families. prior to 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? i ask this -- separated child be 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 guidance was 100% prosecution for all amenable adults. it was not focused on anyone d

senator leahy has a conflict so ask unanimous consent that the introduction of mr. orhard be included in the record. >> without objection. mr. morhard, the lives of a lot of people including the astronauts and the success of ambitious most will depend on you ant administer --'s ability agency and to seek he expert scientific and technical people to advise you. if confirmed, i would certainly you to seek out the nasa l of career professionals such as gersten cabana.nd also bob we're also going to continue the nomination of dr. kelvin to be the director of the white house office of cience and technology policy, otherwise, the president's adviser. there is certainly no question, doctor, as to your qualifications. the d, norm and neo wrote committee saying would you be an outstanding science adviser in ay administration, and that's pretty good endorsement from heavyweight people. note, dr. nal duggmeyer, your work on extreme weather is, of course, very to the country. t's important to the people of category fouras a closes in it certainly very people of my he state. but

mr. schumer: thank you, madam president. as the senate to work on appropriations, i want to thank the chairman, senator sheldon and the ranking member, senator leahy. the work has been productive. both sides have worked to avoid poison pill riders. next up is the annual appropriations bills for labor, the department of health and human services. we've already achieved substantial increases in funding for important priorities through the appropriations process, including significant new resources for the n.i.h., significant new resources to combat the opioid epidemic, significant new investments in infrastructure, child care, social security, and the v.a. that's a big victory for the american people who have waited too long for our country to invest in them. middle-class families are worried about staying in the middle class. people trying to get to the middle class are worried that the ladder is steeper and longer. these kinds of things help them, college affordability, helping with child care, building infrastructure, making sure social security is around. all of that helps the middle class. for years a hard-right group on the republican side jus

leahy and senator shelby. it's a good day here, i think, on the floor of the united states senate. thank you. and i yield the floor to senator more -- moran. mr. moran: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas. mr. moran: mr. president, thank you. it is a privilege to be here on the floor of the united states senate today on this occasion as we work our way through another set of appropriations bill. today the defense appropriations bill and the bill we call labor-h. it involves the department of health and human services, which includes the national institute for health, n.i.h. and the senator from west virginia was correct in her commentary in regard to this being a good day, but she she wh correct in her -- she she was ao correct in the number of people. i serve on the subcommittee with senator murray from washington state but i'm pleased to be here with the senator from west virginia, senator capito and the senator from maine, senator collins. it is an indication that there is broad support, and i now notice that the ranking member, the vice chairman of the committee, is with us as well, senator leahy from vermont. an

mr. president, as a member of the defense appropriations subcommittee, let me begin my remarks by thanking chairman shelby and ranking member durbin as well as vice chairman leahy for their leadership on the committee and their advocacy for the men and women who defend our nation. at a time when the threats to our nation are increasing rather than decreasing, the work the defense subcommittee is vitally important -- the work of the defense subcommittee is vitally important to ensure that our men and women in uniform as well as our d.o.d. civilian employees have the training, ships, planes, vehicles, and other equipment that they need to defend our country. the bipartisan bill reported out of committee reaffirms the strategic importance of our navy and our shipbuilding programs. by including funding for three arleigh burke-class destroyers in fiscal year 2019 while also including $250 million in advance procurement funding for an additional destroyer in fiscal year 2020. mr. president, this funding signals our strong belief that the navy should sustain an aggressive rate of growth for large-surface combatants in fiscal year 2020 and beyond in order to project st

mr. leahy: mr. president, we have no objection. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: the senator from kentucky, mr. mcconnell, for mr. paul, proposes an amendment numbered 3967 to amendment numbered 3695. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: mr. president, i'll just take a minute to conclude my remarks and then yield to senator king of maine who i believe will be followed by senator van hollen of maryland. the rule that we're looking at is basically about 98% scott pruitt. if you look at the timing. scott pruitt was one of the most disgraceful tenures in any cabinet position in the history of the united states. to the extent i have anything good to say about him it's that he wasn't very good so that e.p.a. following the direction of the fossil fuel industry lost over and over again as its phony sham activities and rulings and regulations were challenged in court. what we saw over and over

mr. leader, and senator schumer, thank you for your kind remarks. senator leahy. mr. leahy: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: madam president, i thank the senior senator from alabama for his kind words. but i also thank our two leaders for their kind words. senator shelby and i met with senator mcconnell and senator schumer earlier this year. and we said that we want to get the senate back to what it should be and what it has been. and what better way than do it in the appropriations bills? i served here longer than anybody in this body, and i have seen what works and what hasn't worked. senator shelby and i felt we could do it. and i would urge an aye vote, of course, on this final passage. each of these were reported by the appropriations committee unanimously. republicans and democrats voted together. some have said we couldn't agree on the sunrising in the east, but we agreed. incidentally, with my friend, the senator from alabama, i would note that the tie that i'm wearing is one that he and dr. shelby gave me for my birt

mr. leahy: mr. president. the presiding officer: cloture having been invoked, senate will resume legislative session on h.r. 6157 which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar 500, h.r. 6157, an act making appropriations for the department of defense ending fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, as vice chairman of the appropriations committee, i'm sure i can also speak for the chairman of the appropriations committee, senator shelby. we appreciate this vote, this strong vote so we can move forward. we have spent a lot of time here on the floor, but what many people have not seen are the hours and hours and hours that a number of senators, both republican and democrat, have been working out and getting where we are, and then tens of hours more being done by our staff. i get e-mails sometimes at 1:00 in the morning because of negotiating. we are just within an hour of finishing and doing things that the senate, as senato

mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator for vermont. mr. leahy: i know senator shelby has spoken and will speak again. also, we're coming up on time for some votes. let me speak in my capacity as vice chairman of the senate appropriations committee. today, as you know, the senate -- today senate begins consideration of defense and labor, health and human service, education, related agencies, a minibus appropriations bill. this will actually be the third appropriations package brought to the senate floor this year, and once we complete action, the senate will pass nine out of the 12 committee-reported appropriations bills for the fiscal year 2019. certainly much faster than it's been done in years. but i want to thank chairman shelby for his commitment to a bipartisan process. that and the fact that we have been friends for decades has made this progress possible. but i also want to thank senators blunt and murray and durbin for their work on these bills. again, a bipartisan effort. but i think the bipartisan process is due to the shelby-heah

leahy, ar patrick member of the judiciary committee, also addressed mr. manafort's conviction. suspect that it is sending some shockwaves through the white house. tweets will be otherwise but i'm sure it is. as i understand it, there are no acquittals, just hung jury on several counts of mr. manafort's. counts andinging 18 i got a jury hung on eight of them and convictions unanimously on 10, i would consider that quite a victory. concern thatthe the president could pardon him. leahy: that would have such backlash, that would have watergate written all over it. some of these cases now coming in state courts. those, you can't pardon. , if i was his advisor, i would let the process play out. whohat about michael cohen pled guilty -- senator leahy eight counts. leahy: eight counts. i think that one is going to be the one that creates as much concern at the white house. knew that mr. manafort's way of doing things was primarily to help mr. manafort. , because of his very close association with president trump, i suspect that is going to concern him the most. reporter: [indiscernible

mr. leahy: i just want to applaud what the senator from missouri just said. he's had a lot of experience both in the other body and here in the senate. he and myself have been here at a time when we actually voted on these bills and got them done. i would note, mr. president, he's been a tremendous help in getting us this far. senator murray, because of her necessary absence, i will manage her part of this bill when it's up, she has worked very hard with him. i think as the senator from missouri just said, the vote it had in the appropriations committee -- keep in mind, the appropriations committee goes across the political spectrum of both parties. and we got it out unanimously. i commend senator shelby, too. we are opposed to authorizing legislation on the right or the left unless there's total agreement with everybody because we want to get this -- we want to get these bills done. we still have to go to conference with the house when they come back in a few weeks, and we want to have a solid vote here. so i thank the senator from missouri for the work he h

announcer: senator patrick leahy, a member of the judiciary committee, also addressed -- adjustment -- addressed mr. manafort's position. it has sent shockwaves through the white house. i'm sure the tweets will be otherwise. but i am sure it is. as i understand it, there are no acquittals, just hung juries on several counts of mr. manafort. i was a prosecutor. if i had 18 counts, and had a jury hung on eight of them and convince actions -- convictions come i would consider that a victory. >> but about the concern that the president could try to pardon? is that something that goes through your mind? >> the president could but that would create such a backlash. that would have watergate written all over it. remember, there are several of these cases coming in state courts. those you cannot pardon. think, if i was his advisor, i would say, let the process play out. >> [indiscernible] >> eight counts. >> [indiscernible] >> yeah, i think that one is the one that is going to create as much concern at the white house. that mr. manafort's way of doing things was primarily to help mr. manafort. because oft

leahy, ar patrick member of the judiciary committee, also addressed mr. manafort's conviction. suspect that it is sending some shockwaves through the white house. tweets will be otherwise but i'm sure it is. as i understand it, there are no acquittals, just hung jury on several counts of mr. manafort's. counts andinging 18 i got a jury hung on eight of

mr. president, without the partnership of vice chairman leahy and the leaders mcconnell and schumer with us. i want to thank both of them once again. mr. president, our work continues, starting now. we have a great opportunity to extend the success we have generated thus far. it has been more than a decade since the senate passed a labor h.h.s. appropriations bill, period. and it's been a dozen years since the president was able to sign a defense appropriation bill into law before object 1. -- october 1. these two records i believe, mr. president, must be broken. we must not only provide the resources necessary to rebuild our military, we must do so before the end of the fiscal year. there's no time to waste when it comes to our national security. with the confirmed cooperation of my colleagues, i'm confident that we will continue to do our work done in a deliberate and a timely manner, and i want to thank all senators for working together to produce regular order in the appropriation process. i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will cal

mr. manafort. , because of his very close association with president trump, i suspect that is going to concern him the most. reporter: [indiscernible] senator leahy: it was interesting. >> in new york, the president's former attorney michael cohen pled guilty to violating campaign-finance laws and implicated the president in his plea agreement. the district attorney for the southern district of new york spoke to reporters outside the courthouse. >> good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. i'm the deputy united states attorney for the southern district of new york and the attorney for the united states in this matter. ,ith me is bill sweeney assistant director in charge of the new york field office of the supervisory agent in charge of the office for the irs. also with the our prosecutors from the attorneys office of the southern district of new york who prosecuted the cohen. i will have a brief statement and will not be taking questions. today, as you heard, michael cohen pled guilty to eight felony charges. five of those dealt with tax evasion for the years 2012 through 2016 in which he failed to report approximately $4.1 million in reported income