it was written about the senate in the 1950's and really sort of looks at how the senate this did in very club atmosphere way. it goes through the types of people who become senators and how they relate to each other. it is kind of a time capsule of the senate of the mid-20th century. if you want to look at the senate of the 1950's with lbj, go to robert carol's "a master of the senate." it does a good job of capturing lyndon johnson. if you are looking at the 19th century, there has been some books recently on the 1850 compromise that does a wonderful job of exploring that pre-civil war senate where debate in and legislative compromises were the rule of the day. brian: here is robert carol when his book came out, "master of the senate" sitting in the taj , mahal room where lyndon johnson used to sit. see if there is anyone like this today. [begin video clip] >> the lyndon johnson had so much space that they used to call this wing johnson ranch east. on the floor above us, he had the entire western end of the building, six floors for his various offices. and down here he had this room

brian: when was charles sumner in the senate? betty: he came in the 1850's and stayed until he died in 1874. brian: what makes them so interesting? betty: part of the interest for me is that there are parts of sumner's career that are famous and very well known. everybody who has visited the they've heardng, infamous caning. but that is often the only thing they know about him. he left the senate for a few years and came back in 1859. the most interesting part of his career came after that. he came back in 1859 and the most important part was when he becomes a dedicated advocate for civil rights laws. he was contradictory and he was ornery. he was difficult and arrogant and most of his colleagues hated him. he has left a lasting legacy that i think is quite profound. brian: why everett dirksen? brian: he was from a different perspective. senatory in the 1960's.nd he died in 1969. he was probably the most effective minority leader we've ever had. this is the time of heavy party dominance in the senate. nevertheless, he managed to s

how the rules are. here is senator cruz on the floor of the senate. i cannot believe he would tell a flat out lie. based on those assurances. what we saw was an absolute know onlyion that what he told every republican senator but what he told the press over and over again. it was a simple life. -- lie. how he is talk about disliked. can you do that in the senate? betty koed: you are not supposed to do that in the senate. it takes great slide -- pride and its to quorum and respect in the chamber. on, there was a set of rules and procedures and one of them is that you do not speak ill of another person on the floor. confrontations through the years, this was mild compared to many of them that come along. they have built a set of rules and expectations that are geared towards having respectful debate in the chamber. what is the rule on something like that? betty koed: whoever is sitting in the presiding officers chair would preside over it. in that particular case, they came back into session a few president and the read

the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: i ask unanimous consent that proceedings under the call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. collins: mr. president i ask unanimous consent that the following amendments be called up en bloc and reported by number. senator kirk's amendment numbered 3997, senator tester's amendment 3998, senator perdue's amendment 3933, senator mikulski's amendment 4030, senator daines amendment 4008, senator brown's amendment 3920, senator inhofe's amendment 3969, senator boxer's amendment as modified numbered 3935, senator flake's amendment 4038, senator manchin's amendment 4043, senator flake's amendment 3980, senator feinstein's amendment 3944 senator johnson's amendment 3993, senator klobuchar's amendment 3910, senator heller's amendment 4005, senator durbin's amendment 4029, senator sasse's amendment 4023. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. the clerk will report by number. the clerk: the senator from maine, ms. collins proposes en blo

live coverage of the senate here on c-spanthe senate hereon c-sp. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. esternal god, the giver of every perfect gift. we thank you for the life and legacy of former senator bob bennet. lord, we praise you for his diligence, integrity, intellect, and courage for he has left exemplary footprints for us to follow. be with his beloved widow, joyce, comforting her and his loved ones and friends in their grief. lord, we also remember sergeant christopher eni, officer jacob chestnut, detective john gibson, and sergeant clinton holtz, u.s. capitol police who gave the last full measure of devotion. remind us that earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. today give our lawmakers the singularity of heart to seek, find, and follow your will so that their legacy will also be exemplary. we pray in your merciful name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pled

a club like the senate? intelligent people with s.arp elbows and big ego they have their own hopes and aspirations not only for the country.t for trying to synthesize all of that semblance of music is like conducting the orchestra. somebody's always a little bit off-key. host: maybe tying history into this conversation as we close here. when you look at the kind of politics that happened in this chamber during the civil war year, 1850 leading up to the war, really tough times with really important stakes. people say today this is the most partisan environment that we've ever experienced what tell about that? senator mcconnell: that it's not anywhere near true. that thea shame american people think that things are more contentious now .han they used to be we haven't had a single incident where a congressman came over death ad to beat to senator on the floor of the senate, which happened in the .850's what's different today is that more americans are exposed to the arguments through the internet, through cable

we leave here as the u.s. senate comes in returning after yesterday failing to advance the energy and water spending bill. it was the third attempt to move the legislation for. democrats have prevented the bill from advancing over an amendment by tom cotton that would prevent the purchase of heavy water from iran. and less an agreement is reached vote on energy and water spendinspending bill and they ct amendment will happen tomorrow but it's the first appropriations bill to send has taken up. live coverage here on c-span2. eternal god, help us to so live that the generations to come will know of your mighty acts. today, guide our senators in the path you have created, inspiring them with the potency of your powerful presence. may they trust you in times of adversity and prosperity, knowing that they will reap a productive harvest if they persevere. lord, keep them from underestimating the power of your great name, inspiring them never to forget that nothing is impossible with you. give them the wisdom to solve the h

now, lie to the senate floor on c-span 2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain dr. barry black will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. o god, who renews our strength and guides us along right paths, we honor your name. we do not fear what the future may bring, for you are close beside us. send our senators forth today to do right as you give them the ability to see it. may their deeds fit their words and their conduct match their profession. by your sustaining grace, may their hearts be steadied and stilled, purged of self and filled with your peace and poise. as memorial day nears, we pause to thank you for those who gave their lives that this nation might live. and lord, today we thank you for the more than four decades of service on capitol hill by ruby paone. we're grateful for the joy she has brought to our lives. as she prepares to leave us, bless her more than she can ask or imagine. we pray in your mighty name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegia

the roll. quorum call: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from florida. mr. nelson: i ask consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. is there objection? without objection. mr. nelson: thank you, mr. president. i'm waiting on senator reed who will be coming here to make a motion with regard to the zika crisis that we have. while we've got a moment here, i just want to set the table. can you imagine being a pregnant woman in a southern part of the united states this summer in a poor county that does not have the funds for mosquito control because that pregnant woman knows that if she gets bitten by the aegypti mosquito carrying the zika virus, that there's a good chance that that virus is going to infect the baby in her womb and could have the consequences all of which we have seen in these very, very disturbing photos of children born with deformed heads. as a matter of fact, the doctors in the centers for disease control tell us that the baby can be born with no abnormalities but that the abnormalities appear later in the

i'll tell the senator from wyoming. it's the young men and women who are just returning from iraq and afghanistan. we're giving them a choice. we're giving them a choice to be able to get the care they need and deserve. in my home state of arizona, 50 veterans died while on a nonexistent waiting list. 50 of them. and you know, that's why we have the choice card, so that they can go out and get the care that they need or want and not be on a nonexistent waiting list. i don't know what the senator from wyoming's priorities are but i can tell him now they're not mine and they're not of the men and women who are serving this nation who deserve the best care and the choice of going to the provider that they want to within certain parameters. this is simply an extension of a program that cares for the young men and women who have served our nation with sacrifice and some of them didn't even come back to have a chance to have a choice card. mr. president, i ask for the yeas and nays and waive the budget point of order. mr. pres

now, on an important issue, the senate will address today the republican-led senate believes in the importance of combating sexual assault and providing key protections for the victims of these heinous crimes. in less than 18 months, we have already passed many different measures to help victims and help stop these crimes. we passed the amy and vicki act which will help the victims of child pornography get restitution from those who profit from their pain, and because we know the pain doesn't end when these images are produced, it can help victims find the closure they need and deserve. we passed an important measure championed by senator toomey who worked with senator alexander to include in the k-12 education reform bill a requirement that states put laws and policies in place to help ensure schools are no longer able to ship child predators to other school districts. we passed a measure from senator portman who worked with senator mccaskill to hold an infamous child sex trafficking company in contempt and force it to turn over critical information, information that's needed for their bipart

host: the fireplace? senator mcconnell: well, it has fireplaces which some of which actually still work but we don't use them anymore because of portraits like henry clay here on the wall. that was a contemporary portrait of clay. and smoke is not good for old portraits. clay would have been thrilled. he and jackson were, i would argue, basically -- their rivalry began the modern two-party system. they disagreed on absolutely everything. clay took jackson on directly one time in 1832. jackson won overwhelmingly. they argued and debated. and that was the beginning of the whig party under clay which became the republican party. and, of course, jackson was a prominent democrat. i think clay would have enjoyed the fact that since my predecessor is from tennessee, when i moved into this office and replaced him, i took jackson down, sent him back to the museum, and put henry clay up. so clay finally bested jackson in at least something. host: the other portraits are from -- senator mcconnell: republican presidents. hos

as the amendment offered by senator nelson. the threat of the zika virus is a serious public health issue and congress must act to help minimize its spread before we have an epidemic on our hands. it's been over two months since the administration asked for emergency funds for a comprehensive response to the zika virus and to speed up development after vaccine. this should not be a partisan issue, and inaction leaves us more success september to believe this serious public health emergency. this decease is spread -- this descreez idisease -- this diseas spreading rapid any other countries. we are flifg an interconnected world and we are not immune to the spread of these diseases. already there are over 1,000 cases of zika virus in the united states and united states territories, including over 100 pregnant women. we've only seen two cases so far in my home state of rhode island, but the virus is spreading, and it isn't going away on its own. we will certainly see these numbers increase as we approach the summer months. i had the

a senator: mr. president? the presidin the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. mccain: i want to thank -- the presiding officer: the senate is in a quorum call. mr. mccain: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mccain: and i address the senate as if in morning business. i want to thank the senator -- senator warner and senator schumer, the senators from virginia and new york. they're committed to the veterans in their states and in this country, and i believe that we have worked out an agreement to try to get them the vet ran services that -- veteran services that they have earned and are not receiving at this time. the usual calm and quiet conversation has led to a conclusion that now i can ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment in order to call up amendment 4039. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: the senator from arizona mr. mccain proposes amendment number 4039 to amendment 3896. the presidin

i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. mr. wicker: madam president, are we in morning business? the presiding officer: we are postcloture. mr. wicker: i wish to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. wicker: let me congratulate my friend from oregon for his remarks. and simply to point out to the chair and to my fellow members that this is another example of bipartisan accomplishments in the united states senate and in the house. this represents a lot of work on both ends of the building, republicans and democrats coming together. this is about to get done, as my friend said, and once we put this on top of a number of accomplishments, including education, including dealing with the zika virus, including dealing with the drug problem, and so many other things that we have actually been able to get legislation done, sent to the president, signed into law to help make our country better and stronger and better protected. so i appreciate what my friend has said about the tsca bill and i'm

the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: i ask consent the quorum call be suspended and i be allowed to speak in morning business. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. durbin: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i'm honored to represent the state of illinois. it's a big state. from chicago to cairo at the southern tip of our state is 40e is more state north of chicago. i have traveled the state over the last several months and last week went to the southern tip of the state, worked my way through it, came back through central illinois and was in the city of chicago. there is one recurring challenge i find all across the state. no matter what community i visit, i've learned that there is no town too small, no suburb too wealthy, no city that has caped the opioid heroin epidemic which we are now facing. america is losing more people to heroin overdose than we are losing to traffic accidents. it has become that common. i tried to have roundtables around the state. rural areas, suburban towns and really try

i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. a senator: thank you, mr. president. i rise this afternoon to speak about amendment 4012. i want to thank my cosponsor senator sessions, vitter, canton and inhofe. mr. toomey: this amendment addresses a very serious public safety threat and that is the threat posed by sanctuary cities. this is a problem, mr. president, that's not a theoretical abstraction. it's a problem that some americans know all too well. one father in particular. on july 1, 2015, just last year, jim steinly was walking arm in arm with his daughter kate on a pier in san francisco. a gunman opened fire, hit kate, and within moments she died in her father's arms. her last words were "help me, dad." now what's maddening about this, mr. president, is the shooter should have never been on the pier that day in the first place. he was an illegal immigrant. here illegally, he had been convicted of seven felonies and he'd been deported five times. but it gets worse. just three months prior to his shooting and killing kate

live now to the floor of the senate. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, who hears our prayers and listens to our cries for help, thank you for your mercies that come to us new each day. you save us with your strength, continually showing us your unfailing love. help our lawmakers today to discern your voice and do your will. lord, give them the ability to differentiate your guidance from all others, permitting you to lead them to your desired destination. speak to them through your word, guide them with your spirit, and sustain them with your might. oh god, you are our rock, our fortress, and our savior. all your promises prove true. we pray in your mighty name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. mr. mcconnell: mr. preside

efforts that the senate has made. last year the full senate passed the senate mental health improvement act. this year, working with the senator from connecticut and louisiana, the senator from washington, senator murray, we've incorporated that into the mental health reform act. we're very hopeful that we can pass that legislation on the senate floor in june -- in june -- and work with the house to turn it into a law this year. now, no doubt we'll have more to do on the mental health crisis after that. and we'll have more debates to have on this floor about what the senator from connecticut called the gun crisis. but there's no reason we cannot move ahead what we already have a consensus on in mental health, and i'm committed, understan asw senator murray is, is doing that. so are other senators on this side as well as that wufnlt i know that senator blunt from missouri feels passionately about the mental health needs. senator cornyn is working on helping us resolve this legislation, and senator mcconnell has said tha

if that's the senate's will, so be it. but denying a duly nominated candidate a responsible and dignified confirmation process is choosing to further endanger the people we serve and the body that we serve in. finally, every republican member must know that having a meeting or calling for hearings and a vote without taking any action to make it so is pretty much naked politics, and americans aren't going to be fooled. if members of the majority actually wish to see the senate do its job, they can force the senate to make it happen by denying the leadership the ability to act on other less pressing matters until they take up this responsibility. to go home and claim you would like hearings, that you would like a vote without taking action to make it happen is simply lip service to the constitutional responsibilities of a senator. mr. president, i'm going to close with just a couple of last thoughts. my colleagues have the opportunity to redeem this body. my colleagues have repeatedly said it's not the position. it's the prin

this is our job in the senate. this is their job. the job established for them, for us by america's founding fathers. and unfortunately the majority is refusing to do it. i've talked with a lot of hardworking people in michigan and, frankly, people around the country about what would happen if they decided not to do one of the most basic parts of their job, if they said for the next year i think i just am not going to do this major part of my job description. and usually when i ask people about that, they laugh and they go, well, that's simple. i'd be fired. that's the response of the majority of americans. if we go back in history and look at how long it usually takes for the senate to process a president's supreme court nomination, you can see how unprecedented these delays really are. if this republican-controlled senate did its job like previous senators did, then there would have been a hearing of the judiciary committee by april 27. that's three weeks ago. three weeks ago. but that hasn't happened. the judiciary committee would

of the same issue. senatoroberts says he feels that republicans have successfully run out the clock on guantanamo. -- do youcheck online agree? that it is a done deal and it is too late to do anything. have the republicans want? guest: i don't know about one. we had a direct vote on this. votedelmingly the house on leaving the restrictions in place. the house has voted that way ever since president obama has been in office. under democratic and republican majorities, that has been -- those restrictions have been in play. i think that's where congress and the american people are. moderator: are you concerned about this big something that republicans have to protect against for the duration of obama's term? guest: current restrictions, which say you can't bring guantanamo detainees to the u.s. , and you can't alter it in the u.s. to house them, i think they are going to stay in place. under both parties, that has been the restriction. i don't foresee that changing. moderator: if i could go back to readiness. when

the u.s. domestic and foreign policies. senator sam ervin of north carolina chair the committee to look into those allegations in 1971. two years after that, sam ervin chaired another committee, the senate watergate committee to investigate allegations of impropriety during the 1972 presidential campaign. -- investigation, there were new allegations made about the political uses of the fbi and cia during the campaign. of 1974,in december pulitzer prize winning journalist seymour hearst published a front-page above the fold article in the new york hads alleging that the cia developed a domestic surveillance program which would have been in violation of its charter. it was to know -- supposed to have none of these applications. that allegation came about a month after the midterm elections of 1970 or, when a large -- 1974, when a large group of watergate babies were elected to congress. many of them had run on a campaign pledge to clean up the executive branch and to come into congress to provide better oversight of the executive bra

the nomination is confirmed. nor senator mr. president? the presiding officer: under the previous order, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the president will be immediately notified of the senate's action, and the senate will resume legislative session. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. boozman: thank you, mr. president. mrs. murray: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: mr. president, i am delighted to be here today with the senior senator from maryland, a long-term champion for women in this country and their access to equal pay. because in our country, mr. president, women in the workplace, no matter where they live, no matter their background, no matter what career they choose on average earn less th

[applause] >> the u.s. senate is about to gavel in on this tuesday. >> many congressional hearings streamed live on the site. if you are away favorite television, you can watch on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. c-span archives all of its programs in the c-span video library. so if you miss an episode of "washington journal," booktv or in a program, you can find it online and watch at your convenience. in fact, the c-span video library contains more than 200,000 hours of c-span programs and its powerful search engine helps you find and watch programs going back many gears. too much of your television, c-span publishes its on-air schedule for all radio station. just click on c-span.org, a public service on your cable or satellite provider. so if you're a c-span watcher, check it out. it is on the web at c-span.org. >> the u.s. senate is about to gavel in on this tuesday morning. after leadership speeches, senators plan to vote on moving forward on debate to block retirement investment advisors. the hous

here are their remarks from the senate floor earlier this week. murray: as a mother and grandmother, i know that one of the most frightening questions and expectant parent has to ask their doctor is, is the baby safe? too many parents are asking that question right now because of the zika virus. there are now more than 1200 reported cases of eco-in the united states and three territories. more than 100 of these are pregnant women, and on friday, puerto rico announced its first case of zika related microcephaly. unfortunately, those numbers are only expected to grow so this really is an emergency, and public health experts have repeatedly made it clear that as we get closer to the summer and mosquito season, we cannot afford to delay. we need to better control mosquitoes that carry the zika virus. we need to raise awareness to make sure families are informed about this disease, and we need to give access to family planning services and accelerate the development of a vaccine. president, has a strong emergency proposal to accomplish each of those goa

that was sort of the question. and so senator church received a good deal of criticism for brandishing that weapon, if you will. people thought it was sensationalizing a serious topic. others said look, we needed to get press attention to the issue and more broadly to take notice of what we were finding. to help us achieve our legislative goals coming down the pike and i'm sure we will talk about those later, but a congressional hearing is a moment that provides opportunity for members to focus national attention and that did just that. focus attention on these types of programs. >> so to wrap up this issue of the colby hearing, the first public hearing, what was the legislative result? did they get what they wanted? >> it was limited. it was a limited success. from the very early stages of the committee investigation, there were staff who were devoted to developing what we call charter legislation. charter legislation was just an effort to legally define exactly what these agencies should be doing. there was -- the cia operated

so here's hoping the u.s. senate can provide at least some leadership by ending the protectionist treatment of one of vietnam's most valuable exports: catfish." this is "the wall street journal." most of thans side of the aisle have a great deal of respect for the opinions that are on the editorial page of the "wall street journal." they go ton say that, "vietnamese exporters have competed with u.s. catfish farmers since the 1990's. trouble began in 2002 when mississippi republican thad cochran and other southern lawmakers barred foreigners from calling their product 'catfish' because tech neckly it is pangasius, an asian cousin with similar tastes and whiskers. this didn't stop from buying the tasty imports, neither did tariffs imposed on the fish in 2003." so mr. cochran went further using the 2008 farm bill to transfer oversight of catfish to the department of agriculture from the food and drug administration, even though the meat and poultry experts at the usda regulate no other fish. this required classifying pa

week the senate confirmed the secretary and the was a hold along the lines of the same issue and senator robert said he was listing the whole because he felt like republicans have successfully run out the clock on guantanamo. i wonder if you agree? if you think it is a done deal and it is too late to do anything. have the republicans won? >> i don't know about won. we did have a direct vote and overwhelmingly the house voted to leave the restrictions in place and the house has voted that way ever since president obama has been in office. those restrictions have been in place. i think that's where congress is and i think that is where the american people are. >> are you still concerned this is something to protect against? >> i think the current restrictions which say you cannot bring guantanamo detainees to the united states and you cannot alter facilities to house them -- i think that will stay in place. i do not for see that changing. >> when you talk to service members about how budget cuts have affected their lives, what do they tell you? >> some of them get quite emotional. they don

i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. mr. cardin: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that floor vistles be granted to michael laughlin who is a fellow on my staff during the consideration of h.r. 2028, the fiscal year 2017 energy and water appropriations act. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cardin: mr. president, i take this time to speak in support of an amendment that will be voted on shortly, i believe at 4:30 this afternoon, amendment number 3871 that i have offered. and i was listening to my friend, senator alexander. i know he was not talking about my amendment. i know he was talking about a different subject, but i always listen to senator alexander because he always makes such important points, and i couldn't agree with him more. laws are not worth the paper it's printed on unless it's implemented properly. that was the comment that he made. that's the reason why i filed the amendment, amendment 3871. let me just point out the congress passed the fish and wildlife coordination act in 1958. it was that

to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable lisa murkowski, a senator from the state of alaska, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: orrin g.hatch, president pro tempore. mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: mr. majority leader. mr. mcconnell: this week we commemorate national police week and pay tribute to the local, state and federal law enforcement officers who keep our country and our communities safe. we're grateful for their service and for their sacrifice. we benefit from their pledge to serve, protect, and defend. i had the pleasure recently of meeting with several officers from richmond, kentucky, who were in town for the events of police week. i also met with the families of kentucky police officers who laid down their lives in the line of duty. typically, tragically five officers from the bluegrass state were lost in p 2015. on march 5 lieutenant clifford scott travis, on mark 11, officer burke; jevon rhodes. on september 13, state trooper joseph palmer and september 6 s

and now to live coverage of the senate. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the clerk will read to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c., may 31, 2016. to the senate, under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3 of the standing rules of the senate i appoint the honorable bill cassidy, a senator from the state of louisiana, to perform the duties of the chair. signed orrin g. hatch, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate stands adjourned until 1:00 p.m. stands adjourned until 1:00 p.m. testified on ways to combat the u.s. and abroad in a recent hearing on capitol hill. they spoke to lawmakers about strengthening the visa waiver program and preventing certain individuals from becoming radicalized by online propaganda. this is just under two hours. >> this hearing will come to border. i want to welcome our witnesses. thank you for taking the time to be here today and for submitting your thoughtful testimony. we are looking forward to the answers to our questions. when i took over as chairman of this committee, working w

he served on the committee 18 years. he was a senate veteran. he had been a prominent outspoken critic of the vietnam war. he was deeply involved in issues related to u.s., the use of intelligence abroad. he was, himself, a former intelligence officer during world war ii. he served as an intelligence officer. he has respect for the intelligence gathering, he was skeptical about the applications, particularly domestic applications. the vice chair was john tower of texas. he was a firy member of the republican party. he was a ten year member of the armed services committee, knew a lot about u.s. intelligence operations and was a little bit skeptic skeptical, a little concerned about how the senate could investigate these sensitive national security issues without revealing national security secrets. so, he later boasted that he was put ton committee to make sure this didn't become a media extravagant, a sensational event. and, in some ways, to protect the intelligence agencies. that's really the origins of the church committee. >> could you tell us

joined by the guy who was the minority leader in the senate. so the guy in charge of the republican party and the guy in charge of the democratic party at the same time in the senate they will both be in prison together along with the previous two guys in charge of the senate and the guys who were in charge of the house at the same time. the minority leader of the senate is due to be sentenced next week and could look at 20 years. and when he gets there after his sentencing next week there will be nine state legislatures, including four of the last leaders of the legislature, all in prison all at the same time. all from the same state. and the only reason it's not ten all in prison at the same time is because one deputy majority leader from the senate who got convicted and would have been sent away, instead he got house arrest and was sick and passed away last week while still on house arrest, but had he been well enough to go to prison, there would have been ten of the same legislators all in prison all at once. and the truly amazing thing abou

it >> the u.s. senate is about to dabble in for the day to continued work on the 2017 transportation housing and the military anecdote. we expect $1.1 million zika virus spending. now live to the floor on c-span the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, our hope and our salvation, we trust you to surround us with your divine favor. your way is perfect. give us the wisdom to follow your guidance. be for us a shield of salvation, as we seek to do your will. lord, keep us from self-made cares, as we continue to look to you the author and finisher of our faith. today, support our lawmakers with your grace. give them faith to look beyond today's challenges and trials knowing that nothing can separate them from your love. help them to demonstrate their gratitude to you with selfless service to those who need your love and care. we pray in your holy name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. i

the presiding officer: the senate is post clot on the motion to proceed. a senator: i ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business for up to six minutes. the presiding officer: without objection. a senator: mr. president, thank you. every day that i drive into washington, d.c., come here to work, i pass by the here jeem pa memorial and arlington, cemetery. this is a humbly reminder of the valiant men and women from across this nation who have answered the call of duty to two world wars, wars in korea, vietnam, persian gulf, iraq and afghanistan and numerous other conflicts waged to keep america free. it constantly reminds me of the fight to care for our nation's veterans is my duty and my responsibility, mr. president, as a member of the united states senate. these fearous warriors had moms and dads of their own, sons and daughters, loved ones, neighbors and friends but they made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. mr. heller: they stood against tyranny, fought oppression, injustice, defended liberty with the highest measure of honor, valor, a

of the u.s. senaten television. beginning thursday on c-span. and see more about 30 years of coverage of the u.s. senate on c-span2. go to c-span.org. >> congress is in recess but the news out of house speaker paul ryan's office today is that there is no funding shortage to fight the zika virus. this is in direct opposition to the white house and democrats were pressing for 1.9 billion dollars to fight the zika virus. the house speaker gave the commencement address at carthage college in kenosha, wisconsin and encouraged graduates not get bogged down by a plan and follow a path that leads to fulfillment. >> thank you. dr. ryan. sounds a tom clancy novel. i forgot about that. thank you very much. to the class of 2016, congratulations. [applause] this is a big moment in your life and no matter how much fun you're are going to have tonight you are bound to remember some of it. [laughter] if you forget the speech, no big loss. i will get over it eventually. just for member one thing. remember the people tha

the u.s. domestic and foreign policies. so, senator sam irvin of north carolina chaired a committee to look into the allegations in 1971 and two years after that, sam irvin again shared the senate watergate committee to investigate allegations of impruprity over the presidential campaign and there were new allegations made about the political uses of the fbi and cia during that campaign. and then finally, in december of 1974, pulitzer prize winning journalist published a front page above the fold article in the new york times alleging that cia had developed a domestic surveillance program, which would have been in complete violation of its charter. it was to have no domestic intelligence applications. and that allegation came about a month after the mid-term elections of 1974 when a large group of so-called watergate babies were elected to congress and many had run on a campaign pledge to clean up the executive branch and come in to provide better oversight. so, something like the abuses that were revealed during the watergate investig

debated here on the senate floor. it essentially would put a cap on federal regulations, a one-in, one-out rule. if you are a federal agency and you're going to put more regs on the u.s. comirks then you have to look at -- on the u.s. economy, then you have to look at your big portfolio regulations and sunset in terms of regs. four-page bill. the u.k. is doing this, canada is doing this, and it's working. some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle thought it was a good idea. we bring it to the floor. a simple idea that would help our economy. party-line vote, goes down. and just last week, as we were debating the aappropriations bill in terms of transportation, we wanted to move forward on another simple reg idea -- real simple: if there is a bridge in your neighborhood and it's structurally deficient -- by the way, the united states has 61,000 structurally deficient bridges -- and you're not going to expand the bridge, you're just going to do maintenance or reconstruct it, you expedite the permitting, so it

lamb: historian of the united states senate. if you had to choose a character to write a book about who would it be? becky: it would probably be a time between charles sumner and everett dirksen. two people that the more i learn about them the more interesting they get. charles sumner just seems to be a bottomless pool of interesting facts and passions and contradictions. as i learn more about everett dirksen i'm finding things good and bad. they are both characters. trust sumner was in the senate in the mid-1850's and he stayed there until he died in 1874. there are parts of sumner's career that are very famous and very well-known. for anyone who just capital building they've heard about the meaning of charles sumner in the old chamber in 1856. that is often the only thing they know about him. much of his career came after that. most important part of his career was during the civil war and reconstruction. he was a dedicated and passionate proponent for civil rights laws. contradictory he was ornery was difficult. he was arrogan

revels only served for a short time in the senate. he later goes on a speaking tour around the country and he is as "the 15th amendment in flesh and blood." rainey, too, was a symbol for african-americans. these were men who not only represented their small districts or the states, but they represented african-americans nationally. they were a source of pride. that is reflected in the material culture. rainey serves for eight years in the house. he is the longest serving african-american during the reconstruction period in the 19th century. he is the first african-american to preside over the house while it is in session. that happens in 1874. his experience though is typical of a lot of these other individuals who come to the house in relatively small numbers. the high point for the number of african americans is the 43rd congress, mid-1870's. there's only six or seven african-americans in congress at that point. they are really too small of a group to drive any legislative agenda. and where they do contribute to legislation is to com

two in the senate. largely a house story. and it has to do with the role of congress during the civil war and in the decade after. during the civil war, there were a group of radicals in congress. radicals because they believed in the equality of african-americans and wanted to create a society in the south after the war that was a multiracial society. these were radicals in the house like thaddeus stevens who was chairman of the ways & means committee and a very powerful leader. also people like henry winter-davis, alihu washburn. in the senate, people like charles sumner and benjamin wade. and they really drove the agenda and pushed the lincoln administration to not only prosecute the war more vigorously but also to have a reconstruction after the war that was one that was not so lenient toward southern states and was going to ensure that political rights were extended to african-americans. >> well, so the war ends in 1 1865, but how do you get from 1865 to the first african-american members of congress? because it's not --

goneter: the case has now to the senate. the house voted in in at debate three weeks ago that they should pass on the case to the senate. that is where the case is residing now. one would assume that authorities, it lies with the brazilian senate. however, and might come down to the supreme court. in the next couple days. wonder we are all confused. for more on the fallout from these impeachment proceedings, i was joined by the associate director of the atlantic council's latin american center. asking you, as a brazilian in washington, d.c., what do you make of what is happening in your country? >> it is a bit shameful. it it shows the extent to which the congress has fallen out of touch with the population and with the desire to help brazil get out of the hoel and move forward. blame would you put equal on both sides or do you think that one or the other is more guilty than the other? equallynk blame can be divided on both sides, because i think there has been a disrespect for the way of conducting things and conducting proc

the presiding officer: the the presiding officer: the >> the u.s. senate today confirmed the presence nominee to be the us representative to the international atomic energy agency, and the senate continue debate on the defense programs and policy bills authorizing a budget for the pentagon and would require women to register for the draft. it also continues the prohibition on transferring guantÁnamo bay detainees to the us. the senate will be in recess for memorial day with no legislative business until the senate reconvenes on monday, june 6. >> next, a hearing on the iran nuclear deal. some members of the house foreign affairs committee criticized the obama administration for not taking tougher action on iran human rights violations and ballistic missile testing. this is one hour 50 minutes. [inaudible conversations] >> this hearing will come to order. last week, a commander in iran's islamic revolutionary guard corps made headlines around the world for boasting that iran could wipe out israel in less than eight minutes. remember, this is the same iran t

i hope it passes the senate. if it doesn't, it will be because the majority of senate republicans vote against it. if that happens, we will be forced to consider another proposal. this is a health emergency. the ship is sinking but you can only get the sick to take the sick. this might give the chance to tell republicans to respond. this is not how science works. it is not possible to delay a response to a health emergency for months after months without consequences. it is not possible to nickel and dime without consequences. in short, the republicans half measures has four million people facing the prospect of a half response. this proposal would only give the president half of what is needed but it would cover the cost by gutting the prevention and public health fund which provides significant support to local public health departments all across the country. you heard that right. some senate republicans think the best way to fund america's emergency response to the zika virus is to rob from america's topline r

she served in the north carolina senate from 1999 to 2009. after taking office in january of 2009, she served on four committees in housing and urban affairs, small business and entrepreneurship and health education labor and pensions. she introduced the bipartisan opposition to train workers for the jobs available right now by bringing businesses together with colleges to create a nationwide program. she's been a champion for education through her career in public service. as a member of the committee she worked to include earlier legislation the financial literacy to students in education reform. to assure the u.s. remains competitive she left the fight for the public schools to meet the needs of today's students. she was born and shall be north carolina and is a graduate of florida state university and wake forest law school. please join me in welcoming tonight panelists. [applause] first i want to say thank you so much for coming in having me to talk about broad influence and i want to thank the senator for doing this. it's really awesome

he went on to dismiss the idea by knowing that the senate is not a pretend office. apparently, he was overruled. later today democrats democrats will have what he called a pretend hearing, the democrats initially invited a witness, who at the beginning of the wit bush administration wrote this. the senate should not act on any supreme court vacancy that might occur until after the next presidential election. he also wrote that this would be a quote responsible exercise of the senate constitutional power. apparently that witness is no longer available.cond the would be witness is a former democratic congressman and federal judge and white house counsel. he wrote these words in the second year of president judge don't be a british first term. e it was not like the situation today. in the eighth year of a term limited president democrats certainly have a complicated history when it comes to their own words and their supreme court. they have the schumer standard. don't consider a nomination one and a half years but for the final term and the biden role. don't consider a