mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. and i would like to articulate the reasons for the objection to the senator from virginia's legislation. let me begin by saying we are all for free and fair and honest elections. now, i know the senator from virginia spent some time as governor of virginia. he knows that in 2016 no ballots, no ballots, no one's vote was incumbered or affected. he knows that i served on an election commission, and i know that the senator from virginia appreciates that our county election commissions and our state election commissions are in charge of securing those elections. and i will have to tell you, mr. president, i know that in the great state of tennessee, our county election commissions and our state election commission and our secretary of state are very focused on making certain that these elections are fair and honest elections and they're going to do that for all elections. local elections, state elections, and of course in the 2020 presidential election. a little bit of context i think is

mr. chairman. sen. wicker: thank you, senator udall. senator blackburn. ackburn: thank you. mr. aaron, to your comments about investing in newsrooms, i think of our social media platforms were to have those before they put things out, that would be something that would be helpful. i am so glad we are doing this hearing today, because the video marketplace is indeed vibrant. i serve not only here on commerce but also on the judiciary committee, and probably most importantly represent the great state of tennessee, which of course, call that home, and copyright, and protecting copyright. is how they really make their living, and as i lamented and spoke about in the last reauthorization of stelar, when i was in the house, the laws that were made do not keep up with the evolving video and technology marketplace, and so i think it is something we have to pay very close attention to, because it evolves much faster than congress operates. so we need to keep that in mind as we look at the technology and the delivery systems that are made available to the american public today. mr. powell

mrs. blackburn: thank you. i thank the senator from maine for her leadership as we commemorate the senate's action in passing the 19th amendment and sending that to the states for ratification. it is amazing think that it was 100 years ago today -- today and women in this country still did not have the right to vote. and it is the reason that even though today, mr. president, when we think about nashville, tennessee, we're thinking about country music, we're thinking about bash bacheloret -- we're thinking about bachelorete parties. but in the summer of 1920, nashville, tennessee was the focus on both sides of the debate on women's suffrage because that summer was that final push to get the 19th amendment ratified so that women would forever have the right to vote. and suffragettes from all across the country looked to tennessee in that last-ditch effort to pass an amendment before the 1920 presidential elections. well, as it all came together and as everybody was coming into nashville, and you had the red rose

mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. in 1831 a young frenchman seeking to understand the motivating principles behind the world's newest independent nation mused that, and i quote, in america the principle of sovereignty snowe either barren -- is not either barren or concealed as it is with some other nations. it is recognized by the customs and proclaimed by the laws. it spreads freely and arrives without impediment at its most remote consequences. now alex sister detoak -- alexis de tocqueville had come to american on a training mission. he had no schooling in political science but was fueled by knowing if the principles guiding the early american republic could help his fellow frenchmen. even as an outsideer de tocqueville saw freedom, not a long figurehead or compulsory philosophy as the foundation to build upon. freedom is what he saw as an enduring foundation. today, however, the belief in a moral right to self-governance is more often than not portrayed as quaint and the kind of fierce independence that drove our

mr. chairman. sen. graham: senator blackburn. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. secretary, thank you so much for your service. i will tell you that this past friday, as i was in the el paso sector, i just was really grateful for the men and women that are there and working. i know that you all have been bringing people in from across the country. from memphis who was been downbeen working , for a few weeks to helping out the coast guard as you mentioned , helping with health and doing some of this greetings. and this is such a heart -- screenings and this is such a heart wrenching situation such a heart wrenching situation, especially when you look at the children and the unaccompanied alien children. i know that this is an issue. when i was in the house in 2014 , i had visited one of the concerns.d it raised it couldn't get bipartisan support to do some things at that point. you know, being down there and visiting with some of these unaccompanied alien children, there was even a 1-year-old in that facility. she was there with her mom, who was a minor child, and

blackburn. this is just over 30 minutes. >> mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the rules committee be discharged from

mr. chairman. >> thank you, senator hirono. senator blackburn. >> thank you, mr. chairman. mr. secretary, thank you so much for your service. i will tell you in past friday as i was in the el paso esectori was really grateful for the men and women that are there and are working. i know you all have brought people in from across the country. i saw a guy from memphis who was down working -- had been down for a few weeks helping out the coast guard, as you mentioned, helping with health and doing some of those screenings. and this is just such a heart wrenching situation, especially when you look at the children, and the unaccompanied alien children. and we know this is an issue when i was in the house and in 2014 had visited one of the centers raised concerns. and couldn't get bipartisan agreement to do some things at that point. and, you know, being down there and visiting with some of these unaccompanied alien children there was even a 1-year-old in that felt, there with her mom who was a minor child. and they were waiting to find out what was going to happen with them. but one

senator blackburn: thank you, mr. chairman and thank you all for being here and talking with us about this. n tennessee, the impact of the synthetic opiods has had a tremendous effect. and we look at this issue with just such frustration. and trying to get our hands around it. in working with local law enforcement and combined with that frustration is such compassion for families. i have looked at this issue as a mom and as a friend and seeing friends whose children and ouses have been so adversely impacted by this. it is absolutely heartbreaking. nd director liskamm, i want to talk to you and talk about d.o.j. because we rely on you to put these traffickers in prison. and i will tell you, i think the way you have held firm and chapo forward with the el trial, we are not going to stand for traffickers. they deal with drugs and human beings and they traffic drugs and human beings and stopping them and letting them they are going to be put in prison, getting rid of them is something that we know is imperative to do. we

blackburn. this is just over 30 minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. warner: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the rules committee be discharged from >>

blackburn. this is just over 30 minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. warner: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the rules committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 1562 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration and that the warner substitute at the desk be agreed to. that the bill, a

blackburn. >> thank you mr. chairman and i want to thank each of you for being here. i look forward to the work we're going to do. miss king, i want to come to you first and talk a little bit about autonomous vehicles. when i was over in the house, we had passed the legislation to put in place some parameters and we look forward to the senate. filed enators have legislations that would deal with the a.v.'s. we know this technology is coming. we know that some of the pilot projects are going to be taking place. but congress needs to act and build that framework out. i think it is also an important step for us to take because when it comes to the a.v.'s and the e.v.'s, we want to set the standards for this. we do not want china setting the standards for this. if we don't take that action, we know who'll take that action. so if you will just speak for a moment about the involvement, where you are, why it is important for you to engage from the manufacturing process through, well, the design process, the manufacturing process and then the rules of the road. if you'll give

blackburn escaped from a plantation in kentucky. the colored community was involved in helping them escape to toronto, in canada. to numbers, mr. and mrs. lightfoot and mr. and mrs. french were prominent in that escape and they were future members of the second baptist. act in 1831, we were involved. did not become a place of worship until 1836. the second baptist is the oldest congregation for people of color in michigan. one of the oldest in the midwest. we became a congregation because we got tired of worshiping in our homes. we were members of first baptist for several years, but because we were segregated at first baptist, not permitted to participate fully as numbers of the congregation, we petitioned the territory of michigan for our own place of worship. baptist, since its inception, has been active within the community and concerned about the well-being of the community. it was only natural, i believe, that we would be involved with the underground railroad in helping freedom seekers on their journey to canada. was a destination. second baptist was the destination because of the vigilant committee. they would go down t

blackburn: awesome. we hope you keep that up. i noticed some of the media covers this weekend with operation rocket, some of the college students gathered in tennessee, mrairman, and they were trying to get a rocket off of the ground. i like seeing that on genuity that on genuity at -- ingenuity at work. chair inhofe: thank you. i have got to mention you are on a good role with me until you mentioned cleansing. it happens every time. i understand. thank you so much to both of you for your service. general raymond, i do want to follow up a little bit with what senator shaheen talked about with the guard unit, because you sure are aware, especially having spent so much time at maxwell, we have got some guard units in alabama that are doing some critical space-based missions. in october, you issued a memo about prioritized air force reserve components in which indicated and allocate space control squadron. can you elaborate a little bit on that and what your plans might be for the guard units, incorporating -- following up more information was senator shaheen said? gen. raymond: senator, in my current role as the joint air force commander, we operate space

mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president. i ask unanimous consent to complete my remarks. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. blackburn: thank you, mr. president, it's so interesting to always come to the floor and speak on topics that are important to tennesseans. and i think also to americans. as i begin my remarks, i want to kind of build the context for this and take us back to a time i know that mr. president recalls and so do i. it was the 1960's. i was a child that was growing up and i remember it as a decade where bold statements and brash behavior and activists from each side of the aisle set the standard for what we today look at and say is a modern day spl political protest. what we saw in this decade was wump sleepy college campuses became the scene of widespread unrest. conditions were -- tensions were high and conditions were perfect for what else but a supreme court battle. in september 1969, a group of students attending central connecticut state university decided they wanted to organize