mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations, executive calendar number 461, 462, 464, 478, 479, 480, 488, and 490. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report the nominations. the clerk: nominations, department of defense, goas of kernan of florida to be under secretary of defense for intelligence. guy b. roberts of virginia to be an assistant secretary of. robert l.wilkie of north carolina for under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. robert baylor of pennsylvania to be director of operational tests and evaluation. thomas b.modly of maryland to be under secretary of the navy. james f. geurts of pennsylvania to be an assistant secretary of navy. robert h. mcmay hadn't of georgia to be an assistant secretary of the shon j. manaskco of texas to be an stant secr

mr. mcconnell: now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. wednesday, november 15. further, following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. finally, following leader remarks the senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the zatezalo nomination. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: no further business to come before the senate, it stands adjourned

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: the senate not in a quorum call. mr. mcconnell: i cuck that notwithstanding rule 22, that at 11:30 a.m. on thursday, november 16, there be 30 minutes of postcloture time remain on the otting nomination equally divided between the leaders or their designees. following the use or yield back of that time, the senate vote on the confirmation of the otting nomination to qualify -- to confirm, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. i further ask that following disposition of the otting nomination, the senate vote on the pending cloture motions on the coggins and friedrich nominations in the order filed. if cloture is invoked, the postcloture time on the nominations run consecutively. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the fo

mr. mcconnell: so, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 4:00 monday, november 13. further, that following any leadefollowing, thetime tort led for their use later in the caned morning business be closed. further, following leader remarks, the senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the kan nomination. finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, the cloture motions filed during today's session ripe an following the disposition of the kan n.o.m. nomination. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stands adjourned until senate stands adjourned until >> that wrapped up work for the senate for the day and week. lawmakers today working on executive domination being the nomination of the administered of his sister under an ass

mr. mcconnell: mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 250, h.r. 194. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar 250, h.r. 194, an act to ensure the effective processing of mail by federal agencies, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, at 11:00 a.m. on thursday, november 9, there be 30 minutes of postcloture time remaining on the wehrum nomination, equally divided between the leade

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, that at 11:30 on thursday, november 2, there be 30 minutes of postcloture time remaining on the eid nomination, equally divided between the leaders or their designees, and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the senate vote on the confirmation of the eid nomination and that, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 3

mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to calendar number 165, s. 1519. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to the consideration of s. 1519, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the department of defense, and so forth and for other purposes. mr. mcconnell: madam president, during the last decade, hardworking american families have tried to get ahead, but they too often faced insurmountable barriers. the economy was sluggish, paychecks were stagnant, jobs and opportunities seemed literally out of reach. the people we represent deserve a whole lot better than that, and it's time for us to deliver. it's time to take our foot off the brake and get our economy going again and growing again. we can go that through tax reform. every american who has ever interacted with the i.r.s. already knows that our tax code is broken. rates are too high. the deductions and loopholes are too complex to understand, and it's too ea

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: the republican national is continuing its important work on behalf of the american people. we're moving forward on legislative priorities that will benefit hardwork being families throughout the country. we're also continuing to confirm president trump's nominees throughout the federal government. last week we continued our momentum with the confirmation of well-qualified and talented individuals to serve in the federal judiciary. this week the senate is considering multiple nominations to important agencies. yesterday we confirmed officials to the department of defense and to the department of justice. soon they'll get to work for the american people. next the senate will vote to confirm peter robb as the general counsel of the national labor relations board. as i said yesterday, mr. robb's experience in employment law will help return the nlrb to its role as an impartial arbiter of labor disputes instead of a political cudgel for left-wing special interests as it was under

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: tax reform represents our best chance today to get the economy living up to its true potential, and its once-in-a generation opportunity. the last time major tax reform happened was more than 30 years ago. in the years since, our country, our economy, and the global marketplace have changed in profound ways. moreover, the lingering economic challenges of the last decade only compound the urgency to get this done. jobs went overseas, wages didn't grow like they should have, hardworking families worried if they'd be able to send their kids to college or save for retirement. it's clear that families and small businesses had a rough go of it during the obama economy. they deserve relief. they deserve the chance for something better. tax reform is an important way to help get the economy, jobs, and opportunity moving again in a serious way. listen to this small business owner and franchisee from lexington, kentucky. she wrote to my office expressing the need for tax reform. with

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: during the past decade many in the middle class struggled to make ends meet. the economy was sluggish. paychecks were often stagnant. and jobs for many were too hard to find, perhaps not on the coast where the well-to-do were able to flourish under the obama economy but in middle america in states like kentucky pain was real. hardworking families across the country deserved better. they continued to deserve an economy that reaches for its true potential, one in which more americans can find a good job to support their families and achieve the american dream. so now this is our chance to set a new course. this is our opportunity to jump start the economy and to boost job growth. passing tax reform is the single most important thing we can do right now to support those left behind by the obama economy. though obvious, it's worth repeating, our nation's tax code is broken. first the rates are too high and americans are sending too much of their hard-earned money to uncle sam. s

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that the order of november 2, which notwithstanding rule 22, be modified to have all executive session cloture motions ripen following the disposition of the gibson nomination. further, that if cloture is invoked on the engel nomination, the time postcloture be counted as if invoked at 5:30 on monday. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: most -- to most americans, church is a place of worship and love, a place where the faithful go to feel mercy and compassion. which is why what happened in texas yesterday is so difficult for many to comprehend. why would an individual do this? families lost so much. our hearts go out to them in this time of untold grief. our gratitude also goes out to the civilians and first responders who answer the call when others are in need. as we continue to learn the details of yesterday's tragic n events, i, along with all members of the senate, will keep the victims of this tragedy and their families in our prayers

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12:00 noon, tuesday, november 28. further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning business be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. finally, following leader remarks, the senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the katsas nomination. then subsequently recess until 4:00 p.m. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent notwithstanding rule 22, that at 4:00 p.m. on tuesday, november 28, there be 90 minutes of postcloture debate remaining on the kat

mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: during the last decade our complex tax code left hardworking families behind and allowed the wealthy and well connected to get ahead. it's so bad one small business owner in paducah, ky, wrote to my office asking for relief, because, as he says, taxes are suffocating my company and me personally. the pain isn't just being felt in kentucky. it's an urgent problem nationwide. families and job creators are doing their best to get ahead but too often our tax code keeps them reaching for the american dream. working families and small businesses in our country deserve better than our outdated tax code, and that's what we're trying to deliver. tax reform represents the single most important thing we can do right now to spur economic growth, help support good jobs, and boost the middle class. this is our once in a generation opportunity and we should meet the challenge. overhauling our tax code can mean more money for small businesses to hire, to invest, and to expand. it can mean f

mr. mcconnell: now, mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m. wednesday, november 15. further, following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. finally, following leader remarks the senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the zatezalo nomination. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: no further business to come before the senate, it stands adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> the senate finished up work for the day confirming steven bradbury to be the transportation department general counsel and moved ahead with a mine safety and health nomination. watch live senate coverage here on c-span2. attorney general jeff sessions took questions today on capitol hill from memb

mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 249, s. 1285. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 249, s. 1285, a bill to allow the con fed rated tribes to lease or transfer certain lands. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments be agreed to, the bill as >> >> the time that the two leaders is reserved in morning business be closed the previous order. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: so if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of senators portman, value hollen, warren and wyden. the presiding officer: without objection. mr.

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, the distinguished chairman of our finance committee is on the cusp of the accomplishment of his career. this comprehensive tax reform will make a huge difference for america and i just want to commend him for the efforts that have gotten this far. you've heard members of the finance committee speaking to the bill that's been presented to our conference. this is going to be an extraordinary accomplishment, not only for the american people but for the distinguished chairman of the finance committee.ore racing. exploration.e racing.

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that with respect to the katsas nomination, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action, and the senate then resume legislative session. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to s. 1519. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to the consideration of s. 1519, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the department of defense, and so forth and for other purposes. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from north dakota. mr. hoeven: mr. president, i rise to discuss the tax relief bill which the senate is working very hard to pass, and i brought some charts with me today to show the impact that this bill will have in terms of reducing the tax burden for hardworking american taxpayers, and also helping to -- to gr

mr. mcconnell: this has been another important week here in the senate. we're moving forward on multiple aspects of the president's agenda. later today the senate finance committee will release its plan for tax reform. i'll have more to say on this in a moment. but i would once again like to commend chairman hatch for his leadership to get us to this point. the senate is also focusing on confirming the president's nominees so they can finally get to work. we've built strong momentum from last week when we confirmed four circuit court nominees. this week we will -- we have confirmed nominees for the department of defense, the department of justice, the national labor relations board, and soon we'll also confirm the head of a critical office at e.p.a. william wehrum will put his experience to good use in the e.p.a.'s office of air and radiation, one of the most important, but under the obama administration it was one of the offices with the most significant overreach. it was in desperate need of new leadership from someone who understands thousand implement

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 223, h.r. 1679. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 223, h.r. 1679, an act to ensure that the federal emergency management agency's current efforts to modernize its grant management system includes applicant accessibility and transparency a understand for other purposes. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that the when the senate

mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: for too long many of america's middle-class families felt left behind by the obama economy. paychecks seemed to stagnate. good-paying jobs seemed harder to find, and opportunities seemed difficult to come by. our country can do better for hardworking families, and that's exactly what we're working to deliver as we continue our efforts to pass tax reform. it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity and it's the most important thing we can do today to get our economy really growing again and going again. last week the house ways and means committee passed its proposal to lower taxes and to boost economic growth. i'd like to commend chairman brady for his efforts to get the bill approved by the committee and to the floor of the house. here in the senate, we also remain focused on tax reform this week. today the finance committee began its markup of the tax reform proposal released last week. under the leadership of chairman hatch, the committee will consider this plan that has real

mr. mcconnell: most -- to most americans, church is a place of worship and love, a place where the faithful go to feel mercy and compassion. which is why what happened in texas yesterday is so difficult for many to comprehend. why would an individual do this? families lost so much. our hearts go out to them in this time of untold grief. our gratitude also goes out to the civilians and first responders who answer the call when others are in need. as we continue to learn the details of yesterday's tragic n events, i, along with all members of the senate, will keep the victims of this tragedy and their families in our prayers. now, on a completely different matter, last monday, i said the senate would confirm four excellent judicial nominees by the end of the week. that's just what we did. amy barrett, confirmed. joan larsen, confirmed. allison eid, confirmed. stephanos bibas, confirmed. after eight years of a president who selected judges based upon an ideological litmus test designed to find nominees who favor certain groups or individuals over others, we now have a president who is sending

mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22 at 3:45 p.m. today there be 20 minutes of postcloture remaining on the robb nomination equally divided between the leaders or designees and following that the senate vote on the confirmation of the robb nomination. if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. finally, that there be two minutes of debate equally divided prior to the cloture vote on the wehrum nomination. the presiding officer: is there objection? seeing none, without objection. mr. mcconnell: i have six 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: so noted. ms. hirono: mr. president. the presiding officer: the sen

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. mcconnell: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i yield back all time on this side and reserve one minute for senator carper. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. carper: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from delaware. mr. carper: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are not. the senator is recognized. mr. carper: as we prepare to vote on this nominee, i want to implore my colleagues to take one last minute to think about this decision before us. i ask them to recall the words i said just a bit earlier this morning. martha and i heard at our church not far from our home in wilmington, delaware. a beautiful spring morning, a hymn we all know, for the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love from which our birth over and around us, lives lord of all to thee we raise, this hymn of grateful p

mr. mcconnell: yesterday's attack in manhattan was sickening, twisted, and heartbreaking. the suspect appears to have been inspired by isil. we know that in the days ahead our intelligence community will make every effort to learn more about him and whether he had any connection to this terror group and its hateful ideology. but today we're thinking of everyone affected by the tragedy. we're praying for the victims and their families. we're thinking of our fellow americans in new york. we're expressing our gratitude for the critical work of our first responders, and to them we say thank you for your courage. thank you for all you do, especially in the face of such a terrible tragedy like we witnessed yesterday. now, mr. president, on an entirely different subject, after eight years of sluggish growth and missed opportunities for the middle class under the obama administration, the american people elected a new president and a congress dedicated to getting our country moving again after so many years of failed left-wing policies. we're working hard on joint legislative init

mr. mcconnell: from across my home state of kentucky, i heard the calls for tax reform. for too long hardworking men and women have been held back by an economy that has failed to live up to its potential. they are ready for us to get the economy going again. the east kentucky power cooperative which serves a half million families and businesses in my state recently wrote to my office in support of tax reform. the cooperative encouraged us to put more disposable income into the hands of hardworking citizens that encourage investment. in addition the kentucky chamber of commerce which represents thousands of businesses across the commonwealth recently wrote a letter encouraging us to consider relieving the tax burden of small businesses by simplifying the code and reducing costs. he concluded the letter by asking the senate to support federal tax reform to achieve the economic growth that has been kentucky's potential for so long. this morning a group of small businesses and women from kentucky joined senators here on the hill with small business administrator linda mcmah

mr. mcconnell: i talked to general kelly on saturday. the vice president yesterday. obviously we're in discussion here about how to salvage this see the if possible. and it appears as if the only option would be a write-in. that's very seldom successful. although we've had an example of it in 2010. lisa murkowski from alaska lost the primary. ran a write-in campaign in the general election and actually won. i think the last person to do that was strom therman in the 1950's. why did she win? she was totally well known. and extremely popular. and the name being most often discussed may not be available, but the alabaman who would fit that standard would be the attorney general, who is totally well known. and extremely popular in alabama. that obviously would be a big move for him and for the president. as the president is winding his way back to the united states, i'm confident this is an issue they're discussing in great detail. >> so is jeff sessions a possibility? mr. mcconnell: we don't know but he fits the mold of somebody who might be able to pull off a write-in.

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that there now be a period of -- for debate only to count against the underlying bill. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: so for the information of all senators, the senate will continue to debate the bill tonight. the next roll call votes will be at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. mr. nelson: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. nelson: i call up my amendment to commit the bill to the finance committee, which is at the desk and is supported by senator harris. mr. president, while we are working out the consent, the tax bill before us is not for the middle class. the presiding officer: the senator will suspend much the senate will be in order. the senator may resume. mr. nelson: thank you, mr. president. as a matter of fact, this is a big cut for corporations. this is not a cut for you. it's not a cut for hardworking families, and it is so lopsided as a cut to big corporations and the fact th

mr. mcconnell going to conference? are you guys seriously going to conference? the speaker: put the political hack aside, we are going to conference and that's the point i made, we are going to conference. the person, i don't even know -- which hack did that. but if you were there, we're going to conference. why are we going to conference? because we're doing this the right way, we're doing this regular order. yes, the senate bill will be different than the house bill because that's the legislative process. what's encouraging in all this is just as we discussed at the front end of this process, we have a framework that we established with the white house and the senate and these bills are being written with inside that framework. but the house will pass its bill. the senate will pass its bill and then we will get together and reconcile the differences which is the legislative process and that's how this process will continue. reporter: thanks. i wanted to ask you a follow-up on the politics of this. you talked a lot about how this will affect individuals and fam

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i move to proceed to calendar number 266, h.r. 1, and i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the question is on the motion. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: vote:

mr. mcconnell, bring it on. his lawyer is challenging one of the accusers. >> an attorney for roy moore held a press conference, calling for release of a yearbook the latest accuser said he signed decades ago. >> judge moore said there's no way it was his hand wright. >> moore called her a sweet beautiful girl as she detailed how the assistant district attorney tried to rape her when she was 16. late wednesday two more women had issues with moore, one who said he grabbed her in 1991 when he was married. another claims he tried to take her out in 1982 when she was in high school. >> not one time have i ever seen him act even remotely inappropriate against any woman. that's the man that i know. >> nelson's attorney gloria allred is now demanding moore testify before congress about the allegations against him. republicans here on capitol hill just want him to drop out of the upcoming alabama senate race. >> clearly this candidate cannot be an effective senator if he were aelected. >> moore's democratic opponent. >>

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 22, at 4:30 p.m. today, tuesday, november 7, there be 30 minutes of postcloture time remaining on the engel nomination equally divided between the leaders or their designees and that following the use or yielding back of time, the senate vote on the confirmation of the engel nomination and that if exon firmed, the -- confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. further, that there be two minutes equally divided prior to the cloture vote on the robb nomination. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: ms. klobuchar: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator minnesota. ms. klobuchar: i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. the. ms. klobuchar: mr. presiden

the great game of foreign policy which was played by industry and all that is laid down by mr mcconnell and the feelings of every day french people who do not think that the enemy is being named. and what about the role of this here my corner was was his rise to power and the changes that he's made in the walls there was that all the able by the attacks two years ago. when he made the change he would not have thought of that change himself because we had an emergency law and some of it was passed into into all the way the patriot act was passed into law in america so that. efficient fight against terrorism was was made possible in france and to be quite honest there have been protests about the palace given to the police but you will find a broad majority will be on the street because majority to say we understand that this is completely necessary and this is what has to happen. pretty easy to that. i'm going to have to ask you when you know when you look at the reports from two years ago when you you hear what and how you were reporting the events that night i mean what goes through yo

mr. mcconnell, bring it on. tonight co-reports that he has been exploring the possibility of a new special election by asking luther strange to resign. >> governor ivy will not call a special election to interrupt the system that ongoing. reporter: the fact that national gop leaders would even consider such drastic matters. a gadsden woman said moore groped his buttocks when she left his office in 1991. he didn't pinch it, he grabbed it. earlier this week, gloria allred pointed to a yearbook signature as evidence of contact between moore and the allegations. but:moore says d.a. were the initials that appear on the signature of his assistant. moore said he did not date under aged girls and am beginning to take steps for defamation. >> we are daying in our lane and focusing on our issues. reporter: a fox news poll of likely alabama voters shows 40% believe the allegations are true. 54% of all voters and 75% of republicans in the state believe moore should stay in the race. the moore campaign ended a news conferenc

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i listened carefully to the excellent remarks of the chairman of the judiciary committee outlining the history of the blue slip, and i must say to the chairman, mr. president, that he has outlined a sensible use of the blue slip, which involves consultation, but does not lead to a one-senator veto of a nominee. and so i thank the chairman for the history lesson. it's a history lesson the senate needed to hear. i also want to thank the chairman for the spectacular job that he has done all year long with this new administration in processing and bringing forward highly qualified nominees. for generations to come, americans will follow the third branch will be indebted to the chairman for the way he has handled these nominations, processed them, moved them out on to the floor, and given the senate the opportunity to express its will. and so i wish every member of the senate had been able to hear the chairman's remarks, but i'm certainly going to call these remarks to the attent

mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate -- that senator wyden or his designee be recognized to offer a motion to commit the bill, text of which is at the desk. i further ask that the time until 8:00 p.m. be equally divided between the leaders or their designees and that at 8:00 p.m. the senate vote in relation to the motion to commit with no intervening action or debate and that following the disposition of the wyden motion, the majority leader be recognized. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. wyden: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from oregon. mr. wyden: i ask unanimous consent that the following individuals, my personal and finance committee offices be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the congress, claudette, carmen, warren, jonathan harris, robert and mike michael cecil. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. wyden: mr. president i call up the motion that i have at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk w

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