a fair hearing, a fair process and a fair vote on the actual nominee forget about fill in the blank. >> madam president, our adversaries information, this information in our society and seek to influence our elections. vladimir putin will stop at nothing to diminish western democracies, research in china wants to take america's place on the world stage but the greatest threat to our democracy right now does not come from any foreign capital, it comes from our own. the greatest threat to democracy in america is president donald daump. yesterday at a news conference, president trump refused to commit to the peaceful plans for power should he lose the

election in 41 days. let me repeat that, yesterday at a news conference, president trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the election in 41 days. we are going to have to see what happens, he said. i've been complaining strongly about the ballots and ballots are a disaster. press further, the president said get rid of the ballots, there won't be a transfer, frankly, a continuation, get rid of the ballots and there won't be a transfer, there will be a continuation. all his words, get rid of boating, get rid of the ballots, just let him stay in power, whichever way he chooses to do so. that is what he is saying. everyone from schoolchildren to the most senior among us know the peaceful transfer of power is one of democracies core attributes. there's no democracy without it. like the rule of law, the powers, checks and

balances, everything is learned great and noble about our system and government, president trump has diminished and now he threatens to dismantle. the greatest threat to american democracy right now is donald trump. the president issued similar events in the 2016 election and he is doing it again now. if i win, he said, the proposed, the election is legitimate. argues the president but if i lose, it is great, that is whata he's saying now. again, if i win the election i legitimate, if i lose, it is rigged. by the way, i may just stay in office and not count the ballots. unbelievable. the greatest threat to american democracy right now is president trump.

the republican majority here in the senate practically brushes it by, they don't know the full context. the president says crazy things. maybe he was joking, they say. and they are willing to continue banning supreme court justice through, who the president said was needed before the election because the election will be before the u.s. supreme court. where are our republican colleagues? democracy is at stake. every constituent from every corner of the land, regardless of party or ideology should be t asking the republican senators to speak out and demand donald trump not be allowed to do what he says is going to do and say they will join all of america standing in the way if he tries.

the most instant interpretation of the president'snt comments, s he's just trying to get people not to vote, mail and voting is rigged, i'm going to stay anyway, he criesie, 12 more yea, they chance at his rallies. all to erode the election and discourage americans from voting. doesn't matter how undemocratic, doesn't matter how corrosive it is to oursi democracy, president doesn't care, it's his own ego and nothing else the president says it, if he thinks it will help him win. that's most innocent interpretation. if you take the president at his word, he wants to throw up ballots, refuse the peaceful transfer of power and rushed through a supreme court to ensure he could rule in his favor if the election is contested, that is his word according to a new article in the atlantic magazine, some

republicans actually consider a scheme to override the will of the voters in certain states. under this scheme, if the president loses the state controlled by republicans they would ignore the results, ignore the voters ask for and send rival electors to washington instead, deliberately provoking a constitutional crisis. every american should read this article. i ask unanimous consent it be placedor in the record. >> without objection. >> if you read the facts about belarus hungary, you might not that and i but this is america, this is america. here in america, our elections are sacrosanct. peaceful transfer of power is

our lifeblood, the rule of law, the very foundation of our society, these current run deep in our things and are stronger than the flimsy authoritarianism of president trump. president trump, you're not a dictator and america will not permit o you to be one. he will not permit you to be one. this november, he will have an election, the votes will be counted. it may take a little longer than usual because so many will vote by mail because of covid but they will be counted. there are numerous lawsuits in short it happens and lawsuits are succeeding. the results of the election must be accepted. the peaceful transfer of power must follow. otherwise we will lose our democracy. at this peerless moment, every republican in this chamber should stand up and say the president who isn't entirely

sure if he will commit to a peaceful transfer of power isn't the president at all. stand up and say is wrong. you don't want to live in a if republicans stand up and say this is wrong, that may be able to sway the president or his followers from repeating these attacks. there's something every citizen can do, particularly those alarmed or discouraged by what resident trump said this week, vote. the president cannot deny your right to vote. the answer to those make it direct is more democracy, vote. don't let trump intimidate or discourage you, vote. vote like our democracy is on the line because it is vote,

vote, vote. another matter. in 2016 the mcconnell and senator hawkins supreme court vacancy open to for nearly a yeard the american people should have a voice in selecting the next supreme court justice. now, 41 days before a national election in which we might have a new president, peter mcconnell cannot even mention his suppose a principal. another speech on the floor today ever mentioned. all the diversionary arguments are getting more and more like trump, it doesn't undo the fact that he totally reversed himself and the american people know it. the overwhelming majority of americans want us to wait until a new president is elected

before we choose a supreme court justice. yesterday, the presiding officer confirmed thet senate has neve, never confirmed the supreme court nominee this close to the election. in all the history, all the relevant facts don't deny. yesterday the presiding officer in the senate, a neutral figure, happens to be republican, confirmed theon senate has neve, never confirmed a supreme court nominee this close to an election. we hear a lot of talking from the other side, twisted readings but facing a simple question, has there been a senate president confirming a justice this close to an election between july and election day, presiding officer confirmed that no such precedent exists. leader mcconnell and republican majority are not following their suppose a principal and they are not following president. this is nothing more than an exercise it may very well

destroy already waning sense in the senate of this great chamber. it may have done an end to it, unfortunately and sadly. for what? why do we go to such great lengths? why ran through adjusters weeks before an election making a complete mockery of the previous positions because this is the only way republicans to achieve their radical right-wing agenda the public will the poor. unable to get the legislative agenda passed through congress, we have to rely on the courts to erode the rights of the american enjoy.to not t republicans would say, that's not true. they are hysterical, they are just trying to scare voters.

this is what the president has said, he wants to nominate a justice who will terminate the affordable care act. his administration is, right now, suing in court right now to invalidate the law case that will be heard one week after the election, case that could rip away healthcare tens of millions of americans in the middle of the pandemic and leader mcconnell says this is hysterical, go to a o mother or father whose son or daughter has cancer and they can't get insurance and they know, longer have the protection, is a circ circle. shane. this is real stuff and not speculation, there's a court suit before the supreme courtcu right now on this issue. speculation, was it not been trump who said women should be punished for having an abortion? does not republican majority confirmed majority of judges the federal bench with disturbing

views on women's rights to choose? was it not the republican leader who admitted hede hopes to pick away at women's rights through ethe courts? what about workers rights? what about voting rights? the supreme court, even justice ginsburg slowly eroded workers and voting rights in shelby county, opening the door for a flood of voter suppression efforts. just imagine, america, what another right-wing justice, a solid six 23 authority eroded the right. this is not speculation, this is about the rights and freedoms americans hold dear. it's no wonder president trump and senate republicans are afraid to test this in an election, eager to rush this nomination through.

final matter. on breonna taylor, her unfortunate death. yesterday, a grand jury in kentucky inclined to charge three officers in the shooting of breonna taylor. one was indicted on minor charges of wanton endangerment in the other two will face no charges at all. today, i and millions of americans grieve for the family of breonna taylor knowing justice will not be served in the murder of their daughter the fact and african-american woman and have her lifeed taken while she sleeps in her own bed those responsible are not held accountable is a harrowing reminder something is very broken in our system. another reminder we are in desperate need of comprehensive policing reform. a few months m ago, the after mh

of george floyd death, senate democrats introduced the justice and policing act. it would ban no knock warrants in federal judge case, it was the no knock warrants that killed breonna taylor. it will fan chokehold and make it easier for americans to hold police department accountable when they violate their civil and constitutional rights. the house passed this important bill in june here inth the sena, mcconnell typically refused to take it up at all but we will not stop fighting until he finally bring lasting change our nation needs, change that protesters, civil rights organizations and the families of george floyd, i'm not operating in breonna taylor is still tragically waiting for. >> proceed to the consideration of motion 718 whichen was submitted earlier today. >> the clerk will report.