ms. murkowski: madam president, in support of that argument outlined in that headline, the news miners editorial board said as follows. encroachment on one branch by another and consolidating of power of one branch worried some of the founders as they crafted our system of independent yet interlocking government branches. the "federalist papers" contained references to that concern. and then the editorial board goes on to refer to federalist 51 that says, and i quote here, the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists in giving to those who add motionsterred to -- administered to each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachment of the others. ambition must be made to counteract ambition. so you translate that into just plain old english, and it basically is congress is a coequal branch of government and as such, congress should stand up for itself. and that really is the reason, the root of why i have announced my support for this resolution of disapproval. i think it's fair to say that we al

ms. murkowski and there might be one other. we're going to have to produce facts that force their constituents to do what is the right thing to do for america the rule of law. >> with nixon, you had a felony. you had his connection to the burglary, the cover up with the tapes. so when they went to him and say which way do you want to go down? he saw the writing on the wall. you're no water near that. so how do you bal thance the interest of oversight without over playing your hand? >> doing what woor arer doing. requesting documents and we have outstanding consultants who have background and knowledge of some of the information we've already. and then have hearings to have the public know what is there. we dont know what we'll get from the mueller report. he expects nor indictments. i think mr. graph might be right about what he's thinking is going to come. we have to wait and see whether it come said from mueller and if mr. bar let us see part if not all of the report. if he can't indict the president and maybe done things tha

ms. murkowski, and there might be one other. but you need to have 16 or 17, and to get that, we're going to have to produce facts that force their constituents to put the pressure on them to do what is the right thing to do for america and the rule of law. >> because remember, congressman, with nixon, you had a felony. you had his connection to the burglary. you had the cover-up with the tapes. you had him. so when they went to him and said, this is the case. which way do you want to go down? he saw the writing on the wall. you're nowhere near that here. so how do you balance the interest of oversight with not overplaying your hand? >> well, i think what you do is what we're doing, is requesting documents, going through those documents, and we've got some outstanding consultants in barry burke and norm eisen who have background and knowledge of some of this information already to go through it with the committee staff and with committee members and then have hearings to have the public know what it is there. we don't know what w

ms. murkowski: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senior senator from alaska is recognized. ms. murkowski: mr. president, are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: no. ms. murkowski: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i have come to the floor today to recognize a truly exceptional member of the united states senate, not one who has a vote on this floor but certainly one who has wielded great influence and who has generated great appreciation from many of us who have had the privilege and the honor to serve on the appropriations committee as you have. but today i am here to speak about an individual who has been serving on the united states senate on the interior appropriations subcommittee now for two decades, and this gentleman is a friend by the name of leif vonaspek. he started on the interior subcommittee under the helm of chairman slade gordon from the state of washington, and then also the chairman of the full appropriations committee at that time, my friend and mentor, ted stevens. so it is a, it's actually a little bit bittersweet for me to be speaking about l