mr. leahy: mr. president, this is a debate about the women's health protection act. protecting women's health. protecting half of america's health care, protecting their ability, half of america, protecting their ability to make decisions about their own bodies. how is this even a question of -- question up for debate? today the senate considers the women's health protection act. a woman's right to make choices about her own body is a constitutional right. it was affirmed by the supreme court nearly 50 years ago. polling is that that should be the benchmark by which we legislate shows that two out of three americans say roe v. the benchmark of roe v. wade should be upheld. here we are today, a body of 100, 76% of which are male, making decisions about the private lives about the nearly 168 million women in this country. that's ludicrous. the right of any one woman to receive the health care they choose and seek should be important to each and every one of us. women, our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, friends. they know what's best for them in their own lives. h

mr. leahy: the senator is absolutely right. he was essential at putting that together. unfortunately, it passed here. would have passioned the house. they had enough votes, enough votes, republicans and democrats, but the then speaker said he couldn't bring it up because it didn't have the majority of his party, and it would violate the sacred dennis hastert rule. i don't think they followed that rule after former speaker hastert went to jail. mr. bennet: i thank the gentleman for his historic recollection, which is 100% correct. i want to make it clear how extraordinary the process was. i think people in this country are entitled to believe that the way this place works is the way that old schoolhouse rock cartoon said it worked, about how a bill becomes a law. i think people ought to be entitled to believe that is the way this place works. it almost never works that way. it did in the case of this bill and in the case of the chairman's leadership of the judiciary. we need people willing to wo

mr. leahy: i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: despite the fact these very same companies are engaged in widespread massive violations of labor law and the question we're asking today is a very simpleone . should federal taxpayer dollars go to companies that violate label law and illegally prevent workers from exercising their constitutional rights to join a union. while corporations engaging in a legal activity is not new and it is widespread, this morning we're going to focus on one company, amazon who as we speak right at this moment is engaged in massive, well-funded antiunion activity. as i think all of us know just last month amazon workers in staten island voted to form the first union at amazon and amazon is one of the largest employers in the country, almost 1 billion workers and this followed union organizing attempt at amazon warehouse in alabama. and organizing a union in bessemer alabama ain't easy and we thank those workers who are here with us today were joining from bessemer. from the very beginning of

leahy. >> thank you. mr. secretary i wished the senator happy birthday earlier today. secretary it's great to see you crand i appreciate all the times you have been able to chat and is good to see you. i want to discuss a new initiative. i worked with senators baldwin hoeven and shelby in the fiscal year 2022 spending bill and the new investment for the department of health so it's a harder ship and when tropical storm ireneen tore through vermont devastating communities there were challenges brought upry around covid-19. we tried to find new ways to tackle these problems. the institute for rural partnerships the usda can plan for future challenges and it's up priority of this committee that they can forge connections between public and private areas of government and i think it'snk extremely important. you probably more than anyone mr. secretary understand rural america. when do you anticipate it will move forward with this initiative and how do you estimate our ability to the best practices that can be used in rural areas? >> senator national institute of agriculture

leahy: thank you. sen. collins:. thank you mr. chairman, thank you both for your service, and thank you's secretary austin for going to ukraine. i think that was extremely important. mr. secretary, for the second year in a row, the administration has submitted a budget request that would resolve in a real reduction in defense spending when you take inflation into account. the 2018 bipartisan national defense strategy commission recommended an increase in the annual defense budget at a rate of 3%-5% above inflation, which we know is that a 40 year high today. given the aggressive rate at which china is modernizing its military, and the fact that everywhere we look we see a new threat, including the largest land war in europe since world war ii, i am very concerned that this budget would result in real cuts in defense spending at exactly the wrong time. if you look at the services and the combatant commands, unfunded priorities list that they submitted, they amount to more than $21 billion. what are the areas in the budget where the

mr. attorney general, welcome. before i begin asking my questions, i wanted to note that, when senator leahy was asking you about the voca fix, know that something we are monitoring very carefully. we worked hard to make sure that we had $5 million for the victims service organizations in alaska, to help. that was a real panic cry that we heard from the state. i am concerned, senator leahy has emphasized making this a priority. but i want to make sure that we're not in a situation where we are looking, again, realizing we're not measuring up here, there is a gap. so, if there is any kind of alternative funding line items to ensure that our victims organizations are able to receive this, i certainly hope that the department is looking at that. he also raised an issue with regards to some of the new grant programs in vawa that, for reasons known or unknown, have not been reflected in the presidents budget. you indicated, you aren't sure what those might be. some of the ones that we have looked at are those grant programs, the new grant programs, focused on expanding access to s.a.n.e.s as well as two medical forensic

mr. chairman: we wish you luck in getting a top line numbers. hopefully you can get to that number soon so we can get a budget out by september. sen. leahy: i will not be here next year. i know some who will. we will try to get a clean slate for the committee at noon on january 3. mr. chairman: i think we are all on board with that. senator collins, you may proceed with your questions. >> thank you. secretary alston, i have spoken to you privately about this, but you know how much i appreciate seeing you in secretary of state blinken working hand and h and, not only in the u.s., but in europe. your trip abroad including a very important one to ukraine. i think your partnership has been a driving or's. if you years ago, i wondered if the united states could give our nato allies, our other partners to join on the same page, two of you, president biden, you all worked very hard to do that. i think that is so important. secretary alston, do you agree that the investors -- investments we make the spending are all centered to our national security? >> either. -- i do. investments made by the legislature will power the comers to provide to thei

mr. putin to continue his genocide and mass deportations undercover as he is been doing since he first invaded in 2014. on the floor of the senate last night, president pro tem, senator leahy of vermont falling -- calling on the senate to pass the aid package. [video clip] >> the horrors we have witnessed in the weeks and months following vladimir putin's attack on ukraine are an abomination. an affront to all civilized people. entire communities wiped from the faith of the earth -- base of the earth, countless lives ruined. we've seen pictures of unarmed civilians executed randomly in the street, civilians. millions of desperate people fleeing because one man's zeal to destroy what is ever necessary to realize his own twisted version of the world. all of this fueling a humanitarian crisis across the region, spiraling costs and sparking a global hunger crisis. this congress needs to act decisively, act now to reaffirm our unwavering support of the ukrainian people. and protect their lives and country. host: that aid package advancing pretty much in bipartisan efforts. mitch mcconnell back from a congressional delegation trip to ukraine as well, speaking on the floor. also

mr. putin to continue his genocide and mass deportations undercover as he is been doing since he first invaded in 2014. on the floor of the senate last night, president pro tem, senator leahyf vermont falling -- calling on the senate to pass the aid package. [video clip] >> the horrors we have witnessed in the weeks and months following vladimir putin's attack on ukraine are an abomination. an affront to all civilized people. entire communities wiped from the faith of the earth -- base of the earth, countless lives ruined. we've seen pictures of unarmed civilians executed randomly in the street, civilians. millions of desperate people fleeing because one man's zeal to destroy what is ever necessary to realize his own twisted version of the world. all of this fueling a humanitarian crisis across the region, spiraling costs and sparking a global hunger crisis. this congress needs to act decisively, act now to reaffirm our unwavering support of the ukrainian people. and protect their lives and country. host: that aid package advancing pretty much in bipartisan efforts. mitch mcconnell back from a congressional delegation trip to ukraine as well, speaking on the floor. also tw

mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: one of the with a is to try to save money -- one of the ways to try to save money is, again, not rhetoric but reality. i would urge everybody to join with us on both sides of the aisle. we're working to get our appropriations bills together where we can reflect the actual needs and go forward with that. again, rhetoric is easy. reality is a tad more difficult. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. hagerty: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. mr. hagerty: i ask permission to vitiate the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. hagerty: thank you, mr. president. with the president of the united states soon departing on his first ashah trip, i rise today to speak about united states policy in the indo-pacificification an area of the world that i know very well, having served as u.s. ambassador to japan prior to joining the united states senate. while u.s

mr. leahy: mr. president, this is a debate about the women's health protection act. protecting women's health. protecting half of america's health care, protecting their ability, half of america, protecting their ability to make decisions about their own bodies. how is this even a question of -- question up for debate? today the senate considers the women's health protection act. a woman's right to make choices about her own body is a constitutional right. it was affirmed by the supreme court nearly 50 years ago. polling is that that should be the benchmark by which we legislate shows that two out of three americans say roe v. the benchmark of roe v. wade should be upheld. here we are today, a body of 100, 76% of which are male, making decisions about the private lives about the nearly 168 million women in this country. that's ludicrous. the right of any one woman to receive the health care they choose and seek should be important to each and every one of us. women, our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, friends. they know what's best for them in their own lives. h

mr. leahy: madam president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the national women, infants, and children association welcome to the program. >> guest: thank you for having . what is your organization the national women and infants and children association, what is its mission? >> guest: we are a nonprofit membership organization representing the state and local providers of the wic program and the wic program provides nutrition assistance and nutrition services for low income pregnant postpartum women, infants, and children up to the age of five. >> host: who qualifies for that assistance and how many women are currently availing themselves of that aid in the united states? >> guest: wic as a means tested mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the senatorial. mr. mcconnell: yesterday in a bipartisan landslide, the senate -- the presiding officer: we are in a quorum. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed wi

leahy, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. you mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: madam president, there is a playing, -- a plague, a plague upon this nation, a plague of gun violence that has taken over this country. two weeks ago that plague claimed the lives of ten black americans who were massacred in broad daylight while shopping at a grocery store in buffalo. they were black and they were in a grocery store. that is the reason they were shot by an 18-year-old with an ar-15. and then yesterday, just ten days after buffalo, that plague struck again in uvalde, texas, where 19, 19 innocent children and two teachers were gunned down at robb elementary in the middle of the school day, just before the start of summer when these kids were looking forward to having such a wonderful time with their family and friends, gone. they're gone. the shooter crashed his truck near the school, overpowered the police already at the scene, and reportedly began shooting inside a fourth grade classroo