ms. murkowski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. ms. murkowski: mr. president, i call up the following amendments en bloc and ask that they be reported by number and be considered en bloc along with amendment number 2963, offered by senator murkowski. cantwell amendment number 3276, klobuchar amendment number 3302 as modified, flake amendment number 3055, flake amendment number 3050, hatch amendment number 3237, murkowski amendment number 3308, heller amendment number 3286 as modified, vitter amendment number 3075, portman amendment number 3168, shaheen amendment number 3292 as modified, heinrich amendment number 3155, manchin amendment number 3270, cantwell amendment number 3313 as modified, cantwell amendment number 3214, vitter amendment number 3266, sullivan amendment number 3310, heinrich amendment number 3317, vitter amendment number 3265 as modified, kaine amendment number 3012, alexander amendment number 3290, gillibrand amendment 3004, warner amendment number 3233 as modified, thune amendment number 3239, udall amendment number 3231, coons ame

ms. murkowski: plant? the presiding officer: the senator from alaska. ms. murkowski: mr.president, in the short time -- the presiding officer: can you -- ms. murkowski: excuse me, mr. president. i request that proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. murkowski: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, in the very short time we have before the vote is called, just a few meants -- comments here this morning as we have completed our work on a bill that includes more than 350 amendments that were filed to this broad bipartisan bill. we've accepted a total now of 65 of those amendments. and that bill contains priorities from over 80 members of this body. not everything has been smooth. i think we recognize that. but i think that this bill has shown that the senate does work. the senate can work cooperatively. they can work towards a bipartisan product that will produce long lasting benefits for the people who have sent us here to serve them. so our next step, our last step is final passage. and i would strongly encourag

ms. murkowski: mr. president, i want to thank my colleagues for their support for the energy policy modernization act. i think the vote that we have just concluded is indicative of what i have been saying for years now. i got a relatively lengthy policy man or handbook, if you will, of how i view the energy space and how we can work to advance our energy policies. but as with so much nowadays, if you put down 115-page book or if you have a multipage white paper, it kind of goes by the way. so i have framed my energy policy in to three simple words. i don't have it on a chart this afternoon, but it's basically pretty simple. "energy is good." and i think that's what we have concluded with passage of the energy policy modernization act of 2016. 85 members supporting us in this effort here. i want to thank my ranking member, senator cantwell, for working with me throughout this very, very collaborative process. the way that we built this bill was not just the two of us as colleagues on the energy committee

ms. murkowski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator alaska. ms. murkowski: mr. president, i'd like to acknowledge and thank the majority leader and the minority leader for their cooperation, their help in getting us here. and specifically, to recognize the good work of senator cantwell. you do not get to a point in this body with significant legislation if you don't have a willing pattern on the other side -- partner on the the other side. we have not taken up energy reform or any real energy legislation in over eight years now. and in those intervening eight years, much has happened in the energy space. but our policies, as they relate to energy, whether it's l.n.g. exports or renewables, hasn't advanced, and the commitment that senator cantwell and i made to one another over a year ago to try to move legislation -- not just to move messages but to move legislation, was a commitment that held us through a lot of hearings, a lot of discussion, a lot of debate going back and forth, but to the point where we are today with an agreement to move forward to final pas

ms. murkowski: thanks, mr. president. mr. president, as we're trying to determine whether or not we have a path forward for an energy bill that we've been working on for months as well as the f.a.a. reauthorization, i thought i would take the time to come to the floor to speak about the importance of this much-needed federal aviation administration reauthorization. recognizing the importance of what the f.a.a. does, it is just a reminder to us that when we delay needed reforms and those initiatives that provide some certainty of funding for airport improvements, it doesn't help us out here. and making sure that -- that we are attending to these matters in a timely manner is important. i think it's fair to say that all of us in this body travel a fair bit. most everyone seemingly will fly home to their respective states, visit with their constituents, be with their families on weekends. some of us that are from further away make -- make efforts to be back home as often as we can. but the distances might complicate it a little

ms. murkowski: madam president? the presiding officer: we're in a quorum call. ms. murkowski: i request the proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. the senator from alaska. ms. murkowski: i ask unanimous consent that amendments submitted to the previous substitute senate amendment 3464 be contributed as long as instructions to the clerk are drafted properly. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. ms. murkowski: madam president, i have nine unanimous consent requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. i ask unanimous consent that these requests be agreed to and that these requests be printed in the record. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. ms. murkowski: thank you, madam president. and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: mrs. boxer: mr. chairman? the