senator. when senator thurmond retired, i was honored to be able to take his place. fritz was my senior senator for two years. i just want to thank him and recognize what he did for me to become established in the senate. he was kind, he was gracious. we did not agree on policy, but he could not have been a better friend. i spent half my time trying to interpret what he was saying on the floor. i caught about every third word. he has got this charleston accent that even i can't understand at times, but nobody enjoyed their job more than senator hollings, nobody was ever better at it, and when it came to south carolina, senator hollings was able to move mountains. he was the chairman of the commerce committee, the budget committee. he was one of the great environmentalists of our time. in south carolina, a beautiful place along the coast where three major rivers come together, it was senator hollings who established that now and forever to be preserved. he helped establish noaa that's done so m

i called senator hollings back. and i asked him in a second to be ation, was i going table to depend on him to hold when the bill was introduced anticipated reactions that would be unfavorable. he s way, he assured me would stand firm. i called the congressional research service and i asked em, has anything like this been done before? has anyone in the history of this great country ever asked that his or her name be removed from a federal building in order to accommodate someone else. they came back to me several weeks later and said, no. that's never been done before. we put forth the legislation. it passed the house and the senate. and i joined senator hollings and others at the ceremony, moving his name from the judicial center in charleston, south carolina, and today, the waties waring is on that building. fritz hollings, one of a kind statesman. with that, i yield to my colleague, congressman joe wilson. mr. wilson: mr. speaker, thank you, mr. clyburn, for inviting senator to remember hollings. i remember senat

the senate. at a time when leader mcconnell brags about confirming more judges than anyone has done in a very long time, he feels the need to invoke the terribly destructive and disproportionate procedure of the nuclear option in order to fast-track even more of president trump's ultra conservative nominees to the federal bench. before i discuss in greater detail, i want to note for the record democrats were prepared to confirm the nomination of mr. kessler by unanimous consent so the cloture vote we had was unnecessary. now, if you had been listening to senators debate this issue in recent days, you've heard a lot of claims and counterclaims about cloture votes, about rates of confirmation for circuit and district courts in different congresses, about judicial vacancies and other arcane things that may not sound very illuminating. vacancies and other arcane things that may not sound very illuminating. so i want to start which making clear what this debate is really all about. i want to issue a w

senator. when senator thurmond retired, i was honored to be able to take his place. fritz was my senior senator for two years. i just want to thank him and recognize what he did for me to become established in the senate. he was kind, he was gracious. we did not agree on policy, but he could not have been a better friend. i spent half my time trying to interpret what he was saying on the floor. i caught about every third word. he has got this charleston accent that even i can't understand at times, but nobody enjoyed their job more than senator hollings, nobody was ever better at it, and when it came to south carolina, senator hollings was able to move mountains. he was the chairman of the commerce committee, the budget committee. he was one of the great environmentalists of our time. in south carolina, a beautiful place along the coast where three major rivers come together, it was senator hollings who established that now and forever to be preserved. he helped establish noaa that's done so m

senator, thank you.uestions for senator bernie sanders, plus two of the issues that could end up really defining the race to the white house as we come back here to bethlehem, pennsylvania, and our town hall. ♪ ♪ and i don't add up the years. but what i do count on, is staying happy and healthy. so, i add protein, vitamins and minerals to my diet with boost®. boost® high protein nutritional drink has 20 grams of protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. all with guaranteed great taste. the upside- i'm just getting started. boost® high protein be up for life. your control. like bedhead. hmmmm. ♪ rub-a-dub ducky... and then...there's national car rental. at national, i'm in total control. i can just skip the counter and choose any car in the aisle i like. so i can rent fast without getting a hair out of place. heeeeey. hey! ah, control. (vo) go national. go like a pro. i swibecause they let metual, customize my insurance. and as a fitness junkie, i customize everything, like m

group of senators. we had senator -- five drunks or six drunks. nobody drunk in the united states senate. we don't have time to be drunk. we got more than that. we got the women. we had one woman. she was outstanding, but she was outstandingly quiet. margaret smith from the main, wonderful lady. now we have 15 or 17 and you can't shut them up. they keep on talking and talking and talking, and you get into a debate with barbara mikulski or barbara boxer, they will take your head off. they know how to really present a viewpoint. that is a very, very soluble thing. the senators have done a wonderful job. the senate itself is the greatest of institutions yet. but i know that we can do better. as a trial lawyer, i was overjoyed. i came here, you have the adversary perceiving to learn the truth. you could hear the best of witnesses. you had better clients as a united states senator and obviously you could make the final argument to the jury and then go in the jury room and vote. that to me is a trial lawyer.

senator aiken, senator morse, senator romani joins the debate. the opposition whip refuses. debate is underway, there's also activity on the house side. the majority party is making a desperate effort to pass the bill through the senate. congressman martin favors legislation to aid farmers but is opposed to the methods proposed in the administration's bill. he is determined to block the bill in the house, or force a compromise. he has his secretary summoned the republican whip for the house. the party with directs the maneuvers on the floor. they decided they need the advice of a former house leader for the republican party. he is invited to join the conference. they must think this out carefully. they must bring to bear all of the strategies they have learned through many years of legislative experience to stop the majority bill in the house. this constant struggle between the majority and minority, the two parties in congress, the republicans and democrats, is the very essence of democratic lawmaking. it assures that every bill made into a law shall be subjected to the mos

>> senator, do you want to go first. >> i'll jump at that first, senator. look, i think that's a crucial point and from a technology perspective, at the end of the day what we want to achieve to chairman thune's point, we want to be sure the bad, illegal robocalls are stopped, block or mitigated and legal, will he legitimate calls will go through. shaken is not going to be the silver bullet, but it can help authenticate legitimate calls so that legitimate businesses and individuals can make their legitimate calls while stopping the illegal robocalls. does anyone want to add anything further to that? ms. saunders? >> i think there is some misunderstanding about what you call the robocalls rules. it does not prohibit all robocalls. it only requires automated calls sent to cell phones to include -- to be consented to first. so those folks that are following up on inquiries, the inquiries -- >> we have numerous companies that have had problems with that, and so as we look at shake and stir what we want to do is make certain that they are not disadvantaged, but

thank you, senator markey. senator chapel? >> thank all of you for being here, and i join my voice in the irritation category of spoofing. i can tell you just walking around, whether you're grocery shopping or something, it's inevitable that somebody will say, can you do something about these spoofing calls and these numbers that come in? i'm glad the traced act is moving in that direction. here's my concern. through the tools we're giving in the traced act to block and authentica authenticate, i mean, there are people out there now trying to figure out how to get around that. i guess my question is, in this bill, do we give the ability for the fcc and others to sort of look beyond to the nextnexta aa algorhythmic effort? >> there are parts of this bill that look on the furtherance issue. this is involan evolving challe. i think they've done an admirable job of not only developing these standards and deploying them, but also deploying powerful and important tools for consumers. so as the bad actors change their tactics, which

senate. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order.he clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c., april 18, 2019. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable roy blunt, a senator from the state of missouri, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: chuck grassley, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 9:00 a.m. on >> and the senate wrapping up a brief pro forma session on this thursday. lawmakers are in the midst of a 2-week break and will return to capitol hill on monday, april 29th. when senators return it will continue the confirmation debate for district court judges and executive nominees in the trump administration. we have live coverage of the senate on c-span2, earlier congressional lawmakers received a redacted version of robert mueller's report for, possible collusion between the trump campaign and russia to influence the 2016 election. you se

to senator hollings. this is about 30 minutes. president, my mr. distinguished colleague has been more than generous, and i will be thanking him not just today but for the years to come. i do so genuinely in the sense here as a coming senator has almost made going over on the wall and turning on the light. here i had somebody diligently working to get things done. that is why i came to the senate. to get things done for south carolina. is not onlygraham -- worked hard, because we all worked hard. there is no lazy senator in the 100th senate, but he has got that secret of making frames. after all, this is a political body. and you can't go ahead and get things done unless you make friends. and he instantly came to the chamber and started working, which was a surprise to me, working with democratic senators on this side of the aisle. atngs are so confrontational the present time in politics, to see that occur, i said, that fellow, he is going to be here a long time, and i believe it. he is going to be here

senator sanders: i do. i do. nation asas everybody knows a troubled, troubled history in terms of racism, in terms of sexism, in terms of homophobia and many other injustices. i think it is absolutely say in the to constitution of the united equal that women will be to men, and of discussion. [cheers and applause] >> can you name a policy of yours that you which champion as president that would specifically help women of color ? senator sanders: the answer is absolutely. it's not just one policy, it's a number of policies. equal toit is to say that in the year 2019, the time is very long institutional racism in all of its forms all over this country. what does that mean? it means to say that we will not accept discrimination in the .orkforce it means we will and the absurdity of women in general making $.80 on the dollar compared to men and minority women making a whole lot less than that. it means we will open the doors of educational opportunity for all people regardless of income. one of the issues i have been

senator -- senator durbin. senator durbin? and congratulations to you and senator murray.r years of consistent growth at nih is saving lives. the president's recommendation of making a cut in medical research, i believe, will be roundly dismissed by both political parties, and i hope that that's the outcome soon. i thank you all, including senator alexander. so, mr. secretary, i have so many questions, so little time, as they say. let me go to this unaccompanied children issue for a minute. when i asked the inspector general to investigate the zero tolerance policy of the trump administration which forcibly removed over 2800 children from their parents when they came to the united states, we were told that, in fact, the public announcement of this program actually postdated the initiation by as much as a year that there could have been thousands that a had not been disclosed prior to the announcement. were -- when did you first become aware, mr. secretary, of the president's zero tolerance policy? >> so i became aware of the attorney general's zero tolerance initiative bas

senators are elected on the basis of state representation -- two senators from each state regardlesspopulation. they hold office for longer terms, six years. their terms of office are staggered, so that some expire every two years, guaranteeing there will always be experienced men in the senate. all of our federal laws have to go through the house and the senate. this is the way it works, bill. first, a proposed law is introduced into one branch of the legislature as a bill. it is given a number and it is printed, like this one. it is then turned over to one of the legislative committees for consideration. the committee holds hearings where the public can speak for or against the proposed legislation. this gives our citizens the chance to have their wishes on each known to congress. sometimes, these hearings go on for months. unless it is killed by the committee, the bill then goes to the floor of the house or senate, whereever it originated, to be discussed and voted on. suppose, for example, this bill started in the house of representatives. if it is passed, it then goes on to the

senator grassley: senator warner. senator casey was ahead of you. i told senator warner he could go next. you'll be next, then senator casey. mr. r warner: thank you, chairman, thank you, senator casey. senator grassley: i hate to referee among the other party. time starts over. senator warner: i commend you being off to a good start in this tax filing season. i do want to go back to the line of questioning briefly that the ranking member asked. i personally believe that 6103 is clear that this is a provision that gives the chairman, the finance committee chairman -- the chairman of the finance committee and the chame of ways and means the ability to examine the president's tax returns without any involvement of the treasury or white house or others. i would simply point out and just want to get your view on this, secretary mnuchin appeared before the ways and means committee in the house and the statement he made was he thought in terms of 6103 this would not be something he would sign off on, it would be something the i.r.s. commissioner would sig

senator manchin? >> madam chairman, i also defer to senator hirono who has another pressing meeting. >> thank you very much, senator manchin. >> mr. secretary, it's not unexpected that an administration that does not acknowledge the science beyond global warming would come up with a budget that contains a commitment to supporting the fossil fuel industry, even if the budget cuts 23% from the fossil energy office. but when you look at the other cuts to the renewable energy side, either elimination of programs or cuts around the, 86%, this isn't really going in the right direction as far as i'm concerned. in the years since you testified, to this committee, california and mexico have joined hawaii in requiring the states to get 100% of their electricity from carbon free resources by 2045. but hawaii and other states need a federal partner to work with states and businesses to solve the challenges involved, in transitioning to 100% clean power. if congress provides more funding for renewable energy and e

senator grassley and senator wyden, the senior leaders on the senate finance committee which shares jurisdiction over health care. we're working together on specific bipartisan steps to help deal with the startling fact which has come -- by experts who have come before our health committee that up to half of what americans spend on health care is unnecessary. that's according to dr. brent james from the national academy ps in testimony before our -- academies in testimony before our committee. in order to focus on reducing health care costs, after the senate health committee held five hearings on reducing the cost of health care, i wrote a letter to the american enterprise institute, the brookings institution, governors, state insurance commissioners, doctors, patient groups, academic experts, and the public asking them to submit specific recommendations to congress to lower health care costs. as of the march 1 deadline for response, we received over 400 recommendations. some as many as 50 pages long. ip want to talk about some of those today -- i want to talk about some of those to

senate they wanted that they didn't. he said after all it doesn't take more than 51 votes to pass anything out of the senate. it's just 60 votes is required to get to the point where you can pass it. i suppose it's true but that process worked fairly recently when not everybody all the time decided that they were going to make a federal case out of this. that is has all changed. it changed substantially again in the 1970s when it seems to me so many things are wrong in our system. again i want to stay out of the details but the democratic leader mike mansfield change the way the filibusters work. it used to be you had to stand there and talk if you were to filibuster something. became much more a gentleman's filibuster where minority leaders, have become the minority leader and say i have 41 votes here to stop you from bringing this up so don't bother. usually that's exactly what happens. why go through all of this angst if you aren't going to get to the point where you can pass this bill anyway? it becomes easier to fil

senate january, 1977. senator baker won thatot race by one vote. succumbing you can imagine he had a very high opinion of senator richard lugar and they became close friends. in 1980 when i was governor of tennessee in wanted to run for president so to nashville to meet in my office, senator lugar and his aide mitch daniels later the governor of indiana and now the person from purdue university and the senator from new hampshire and his aide. i admired him then and throughout the rest of his career. it was a privilege to serve with him on the foreign relations committee while he was the chairman of that file i was elected in the united states senate. when richard lugar had something to say, he had something to say some people actually listen to him. we have a tradition where we have thursday lunch hosted by various members of the caucus. i will serve something from the jack daniels, not the whiskey, but the food. senator highsmith served some food last week before the recess. we go around the room in the o

>> senator sanders: no. no, no, no.spending, bret, we are spending more than the next ten nations combined, including many of our allies. we are now spending over $700 billion a year on defense, so we need a strong defense, but i will also tell you this, we have a pentagon -- there are some republicans, the ranking member of the budget committee, mike is the chairman of it and mike and ii think are in the agreement on this, the conservative republican, there's something wrong with the pentagon is the only major agency of government that has not undertaken or completed in major audit, and there are very few people -- a massive amount of waste. if you are john mccain, late john mccain talked about the incredible cost overruns with dominic existing in the pentagon. we do need a strong defense, support our strong defense but i don't support waste and profiteering. >> martha: a quick lightning round, try to go about 152nd answers. >> senator sanders: oh, i hate this. all right. >> martha: the first one is very serious questi

senator zooms, senator markey, and senator fischer and many of the cosponsors of the traced act of this important fight. the 80's with forward to providing comments to the fcc and implement regulations. i look >> forward to answering your questions. thank you, mr. peterson. chairman thing, ranking member shots, members of the subcommittee, thank you for giving me the opportunity to appear before you today. my name is kevin ruby, i am a partner in the telecommunications media, technology practice at wiley rhine. i'm here today on behalf of u.s. telecom to broadband association. shares them committee's concerns on illegal robo calls and is please to support the trace act. --traced act. since i last testified, there have been three significant developments in this area and i would like to mention a fourth point. year, industryst has undertaken considerable efforts to deploy call authentication technologies, commonly referred to shake and store -- and stir that will enhance the ability of the --egal robo callers significantly diminish the ability of illegal robo color's to spoof caller id i

because certainly in the senate, if we don't have him on board, it will be very hard to get the senate to go along. we said we would meet in three weeks and he would present some of his ideas on funding. so this was a very, very good start and we hope this will go o a constructive conclusion. >> how hard is it to work with this president on infrastructure when he is stonewalling you on investigations? ms. pelosi: obviously, we are here to do something for the american people. we have said all along in our for the people agenda that we ran on, that we were there to lower the costs of health care for the american people, by lowering the costs of prescription drugs and hope to work with the president on that. we said we are lowering health care costs and bigger paychecks by building infrastructure of america and we talked about cleaner government. so the first two we think we can work with the president on. while we may have our difficulties in other areas. we cannot ignore the needs of the american people as we go forward. [indiscernible chatter] >> did it come up in this conversation? m

chairman risch: thank you, senator. senator gardner. >> thank you, senator. >> thank you, mr.chairman. thank you, mr. secretary forou your service. a couple questions and i'll try to doo this quickly here in your testimony he stated the united states future secured a prosperity and leadership depends on maintaining a free, open and secure indo-pacific to advance the strategy, the budget request nearly doubles your for assistance resources targeting this crucial area compared to the fy 2019 request. you are committed to fully implement the initiative act we discussed many times? >> it makes great sense of will do our level best to fully comply. >> i was going to talk about the report, the report on association of southeast nation, the report on approaching surges as it relates to denuclearization of the north korean -- >> we are closed. >> thank you for that. could you quickly identify these programs to build up to prioritize under, buildout or prioritize? >> goodness, that i let our team -- we have racked and stacked to think about this. i'd love to the team committee get your

a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: madam president, while many folks in washington, d.c. remain ambivalent about what's happening along the southern border, i'm here to report that we are reaching a breaking point. every month, customs and border protection releases the total number of people who attempt to cross the southern border. the total includes those who cross illegally between the ports of entry as well as those deemed inadmissible in a port of entry. just to give you an idea of the size and scope of the numbers we have been dealing with, since june, 2014, the month that president obama referred to this as a humanitarian crisis, more than 66,000 individuals were encountered along the border. at that time, we thought 66,000 was a huge number, but it pales in comparison to what we are seeing now. last month, more than 103,000 people attempted to illegally cross the border. that's 103,000, up from 76,000 the previous month. i know a few weeks ago we got into a debate about what did and what did not consti

bill barr facing the senate today. this was the first time he's done that since bob mueller finished his probe. the top democrat who runs the party's subpoena power takes a new shot here. speaking pelosi making it clear she doesn't trust barr saying he is not the attorney general of donald trump. he is the attorney general of the united states. i don't trust barr. i trust mueller. and basically comparing his work to a train wreck. >> a very, very dismaying and disappointing that the chief law enforcement officer of our country is going off the rails yesterday and today. >> barr trying to turn attention to his comments on the lawful surveillance of some trump aides today. that was his rhetorical or strategic priority and it has gotten some attention. i would draw your attention to the top of our broadcast to one of the more important substantive revelations. it kams under cross-examination by senator van hollen pressing barr on his own choice to release his own view on findings of obstruction of justice when mueller poi

>> senator, thank you. i think it's important to come and to put boots on the ground, so to speak, to be there to see what all is going on in a particular part of the country. b and a, up, from the relatively tropical part of the united states and my history being in texas and what have you. although i have been to alaska a number of times as an energy member and as a state house member, to be there with you to go not only up on the north slope but also to going into the community of old harbor and sit and talk to the burns family about the challenges that they have there. and recognize that the united states is an arctic nation. and i think that's sometimes very important for us to recognize that the united states is an arctic nation. so the commitment to that region, and to recognize the valuable resources that are encompassed in that area, and the unique challenges that that has. kevin foster, who runs our office of indian affairs, is very, very familiar with that area. let's expand the conversation abou

senator cantwell as we try to schedule its passage in the senate. it may have something to do with the water conservation fund at the same time. i'd like to keep it at the top of the list. >> thank you, senator alexander. a priority around here. we appreciate you raising. >> senator manchin. >> i wanted to wait until the end. make sure my colleagues got their questions in. mr. bernhardt, change is a priority. my focus working with the chairman and the staff, i'm seeking pragmatic solutions for the energy mitigation on public lands. at your confirmation hearing two years ago, you testified we would take the science as we find it, whatever it is. then you added, you believe that you should take the science and put it in the paradigm in policy perspective. i know you're put in a tough position on this. is that still your view and while you're willing to look at the science, are you able to push back if the administration is going against the science that's been produced and you feel like you can have input with our help? >> first off, i really apprecia

welcome, senator. please, come on out. >> senator, a pleasure. please. >> wow, thank you. >> it's good to have you. let's get right to the questions. we have fall out from the mueller report as a topic. our first question in our audience is john, freshman at harvard at capetown, massachusetts. >> should the house judiciary committee move forward with impeachment proceedings against president trump? >> okay, so i believe very strongly that president trump should be held accountable. when you look through that report it is appalling some of the things that were going on. and you can see time and time again, maybe you've read parts of it, that was his advisers that held him back. so i believe first of all we need to have hearings in both the house and the senate and not just with attorney general barr. we need to bring director mueller before the united states senate, right? because otherwise we are never going to get to the bottom of it. the impeachment proceedings are up to the house. they're going to have to make that decision. i am in the senate

senator.hey want somebody who's going to listen to them and be concerned about the story of their lives, not the dc story of the day. tennesseans are ready for bold ideas on how the federal government should spin their tech Ãbspend their taxpayers dollars. they do want tweaks around anth edges, they want something bold. they're concerned about how we are going to fund the military. they are concerned about what we are going to do to further our presence in this land. tennesseans want a senator who will respect freedom and the rule of law. it is a beautiful and diverse state. it represents the best of what this nation has two offer. our history reflects a common set of values that are based on faith, family, freedom, hope and opportunity. ed i look forward to working with my colleagues to preserve these values and to fight back against those who would attempt to undermine them. i yield the floor. the complete guide to congress is now available it has lots of details about the house and senate f

senator coons is next followed by senator graham, senator shots and senator feinstein. we will conclude shortly after the role is called. senator coons. sdp >> thank you, attorney general barr, for being here. i have many questions about the budget but i first will turn to questions that i think are urgent concerning the special counsel's report. the primary purpose for the special counsel's report was to provide a clear and effective conclusion in a report to the american people. i'm concerned that over the last three weeks your actions have created some confusion and distrust around the process and look forward to the imminent release of as much of that report as you can to the american people and to congress. you stated that the redacted portions of the special report will be color-coded and explained the basis for redactions. will those notes reflect which category was applied or provide some information to congress about the specific justification for redactions? you mentioned you envisioned a situation where congress, under the appropriate safeguards, could verify

she can run for the senate if they don't confirm her. i said, i'm sure she wants to be a senator.ur job, she has to start somewhere. >> she was untested but proved very quickly in that senate race, she's got that. phones down. we need a solution. introducing... smartdogs. the first dogs trained to train humans. stopping drivers from: liking. selfie-ing. and whatever this is. available to the public... never. smartdogs are not the answer. but geico has a simple tip. turn on "do not disturb while driving" mode. brought to you by geico. with my bladder leakage, the products i've tried just didn't fit right. they were too loose. it's getting in the way of our camping trips. but with a range of sizes, depend® fit-flex is made for me. with a range of sizes for all body types, depend® fit-flex underwear is guaranteed to be your best fit. for all body types, ♪ applebee's bigger, bolder grill combos. now that's eatin good in the neighborhood. openturning 50 opens theuard. door to a lot of new things... like now your doctor may be talking to you about screening for colon cancer. luckily the

chairman. >> thank you, senator. >>> senator mansion followed by senator that mean. . >> thank you that i remember i appreciate it and thank you secretary first of all for being here and also for your service. >>> and you i talked briefly and i just i'm asking for the help that we need in our little state of west virginia. we face the largest per cap that economic burden in the consistent my deer friend sandra that mean is right behind us on this. the epidemic is costing or economy and forcing us to share the largest gdp of any state of cost related to the crisis which is 12%. i appreciate what you all done and everyone is concerned about the cutting i think we'll work through this, okay. but the 15% set aside for hard hit states, i'm asking through rules and regulations if you can do this, you have to take into consideration the deaths per cap that not just the total deaths. i have counties where it's enormous. if you look at the total deaths in off setting 159% we can't help them that much. does that make sense? >> there's a lot of sense to that. and i appreciate your raising that iss

senator isakson: senator cramer. senator cramer: thank you, mr. secretary, for being here. thank you for our previous discussion. i will ask my questions specifically to you and you can defer them to others if it is more appropriate. you talked a fair bit in your testimony about alternatives to pain management, alternatives to opiods and you talked about something like ack cue puncture and other times of care. but you didn't talk about the chamber treatment and particularly for pain. we found it to be effecttive and other types of treatment like post-traumatic stress, brain injuries, things common to veterans and athletes. i wonder why and what do you think the potential is for that? secretary wilkie: it wasn't for lack of appreciation of the treatment and i pledge to you that i will be out in fargo to look at the headquarters of one of america's largest chambers. we have to be more creative. particularly as treatments become more complex for more complex injuries, particularly the injuries of the brain. we are not at the sputnik stage when it comes to exploring the brain a

murkowski: thank you, senator daines. senator cortez masto. masto: i guess you know what i'm going to talk to about. [laughter] sen. cortez masto: let me ask you this. in the president's budget he requested $160 million to restart licensing activities for the proposed nuclear waste repository, which would ultimately bring high-level nuclear waste into nevada. sec. perry: ok. sen. cortez masto: let me give you some time. sec. perry: no, no. sen. cortez masto: for purposes of the state of nevada, we have been -- we have been united, it is not safe for the storage in nevada and the concern we all have is the end run around the science. let me ask you this, because i think it is still happening. on march 21, 2019, the safety board sent you a report saying they are concerned the department of energy has not adequately addressed the seismic hazards for the defense assembly facility at the nevada national security site and that a seismically induced high explosive violent reaction could result in unmitigated those consequences to the public. predomin

thank you. >> thank you, senator. senator king. >> thank you, ma'am. governor, secretary, you have a very tough job coming into a hearing like this defending a budget that i think has some real problems. i think first -- and this goes to senator widen's question and you've answered this several times, but i want to get it clear, will you commit to responsibly administering the budget that is passed for your department by congress? >> yes, sir. and i hope that the activities and our work that we've done together is a pretty good reflection of that over the last two years. >> i actually checked on that, and my impression is, is that is the case. that you have pursued and funded those programs that were authorized and appropriated by congress even though they weren't in the original budget. and your commitment is you'll continue that policy? >> i respect this process, sir. >> thank you. there are some good things in the budget and i think there are some things that should be recognized, one is an initiative on energy storage. this is one of the most impor

what's your question for the senator. >> senator sanders, thank you for being here. your tax returns recently revealed that you are, in fact, a millionaire. how would you respond to concerns that your financial status undermines your authority as someone who has railed against millionaires and billionaires? >> that's a good question. and here it is. all right. you ready to have me plead guilty. i plead guilty to have written a book which was an international best seller. okay? and when you write a book that makes it to the top of the new york times best seller list, you make money. and i made money. i suspect that in a couple of years my salary will go back to 173,000 which is what a member of congress gets. but i think your question should ask, well, now that you wrote a book and you made money, is that going to mean that you change your policies? well, you're looking at somebody who not only voted against trump's disastrous tax plan, 83% of the benefits going to the top 1%. but i have and will continue in this campaign to fight for progressive taxation. in other wo

he's been a senator since he was 29.t's a more direct way of interacting with your constituents. >> i think joe is joe and everybody who knows him well knows he is always in your space. he connects. he connects not only by being empathetic but also by touching people. >> in a tweet, biden acknowledges social norms are changing. i understand that. and i will be more mindful about respecting personal space in the future. >> i think it will take him fully recognizing how uncomfortable this makes people in order for him to win the nomination. >> despite that, biden feels he's the true populist to rally the electorate. >> given his experience, history with the campaign and the presidency of barack obama and given his years of service and his life story, he could be the soul of america in this campaign. i do think the moment could be right for joe biden. >> now, biden wants another chance. and the resiliency he's shown in overcoming intense personal setbacks. >> coming up. >> november 7th we were sitting on top of the world. d

that is the essence of the senate. that is exactly what george washington hope the senate would become. that things would slow down, the place where things were thought over and the place where a lot of bad ideas didn't become law. >> bret: so you are fighting democrats here on the filibuster and may be the white house too, write? >> mitch: at the president was antsy about this but i told him we weren't going to do it and we didn't and i think now he's probably thinking i was right. >> bret: i want to get your thoughts on the testimony today from the attorney general. i got a lot of attention to heat and he was asked if spying on the trump campaign and he said yes. top democrats reacted today. >> the conspiracy theory is nonsense. look at this imaginary conspiracy versus the fact that the russians in regard to the elections. >> i'm very concerned about the statements made by attorney general barr. i think they undermine our constitution. they undermine the role of the internal channel. i don't trust the seven but i tru