is it it the sense of the senate of paul c. ney jr. to be counsel of the department of defense? the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote: vote: the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote? if not, the yeas are 74, the nays are 25. the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: nomination, department of defense, paul c. ney jr. of tennessee to be general counsel. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. blumenthal: thank you, mr. president. i ask that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: the senate is not in a quorum call. mr. blumenthal: thank you, mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator is recognized. mr. blumenthal: thank you. mr. president, we are at a crossroads, a historic turning point for the united states supreme court and our country. this body is often called upon to consider court nominations for the district courts and the court of appeals. but we are at an extraordinary decision point for the united states supreme court, t

the clerk: nomination, department of defense, paul c. ney jr. of tennessee to be general counsel. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: quorum call: a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. mr. cardin: i would ask consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: the senate is not in a quorum call. the senator is recognized. mr. cardin: thank you very much. madam president, i rise today to discuss a topic far too many of my colleagues also had to face, yet another fatal mass shooting in their state. this time, it was in annapolis, maryland, our state capital. exactly two weeks ago on june 28 at about 2:30 p.m., a 38-year-old man who had a long-standing grudge against the "capital gazette" newspaper made good on his sworn threats. he entered the newspaper offices, headed to the newsroom, and by the time he was done, he had shot and killed five employees of this community newspaper. "the capital gazette" is the local paper of record in annapolis. it is one of the oldest co