if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr.oung: i ask unanimous consent that the senate recess until 2:15 p.m. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate stands in recess the senate stands in recess >> you can follow live senate coverage here on c-span2.

>> the latest results of vaccine trials continue to suggest our victory over the coronavirus is on the horizon. but here in washington the additional relief that would help families, , workers, schoos and small businesses crossed the finish line has been held for months while democrat leaders pursued an all or nothing approach. when the speaker of the house put forward the so-called heroes act back in may, multiple, multiple house democrats called the political start that it clearly was. when democrat said it was not focused, rushed to a vote to fast, and it doesn't help us accomplish the core mission of helping struggling people. well, after a several months wih no progress the same democrat just said a few days ago that

said republicans proposal, quote, is a bill we can pass. we should negotiate that to the finish. even speaker pelosi's own members think our senate republican bill is better than hers. well, let's hope our democratic colleagues will fight let us make a law and all the enormous important areas where we do not even disagree. in the meantime, the senate will proceed with pressing business on the executive calendar year will vote to confirm several more well-qualified nominees beginning today with taylor mcneil, the president's choice services district judge for the southern district of mississippi. i will hope i collect support me in supporting this impressive nominee, and those who will follow. now an entirely different matter, madam president, is a 116th congress draws to a

close, i once again face a a tk that is among my favorite and least favorite jobs at this particular time. bidding farewell to some of the people we probably called colleagues and friends. but i'll take any excuse to brag about the impressive men and women we get to work alongside every single day. today i'll begin with the junior senator for arizona, martha mcsally. for the last two years senator mcsally s has held the seat from occupied by a dear friend john mccain. it's only fitting our maverick was followed by a fellow veteran and pilot who approached her service to theth people of ariza with such unabashed pride. by their own account if you would as the school age martha mcsally who was apparently both shy and prone to motion sickness, whether a career in cockpits and then in politics

sounded appealing, she would've lookedou at you like you were crazy. but even then the future full bird colonel and senator was already on her way to a life defined by service. when martha lost her father, , a a young age, his final words to her work, quote, make me proud. make me proud. with this challenge in mind, the youngest of five children took her academic and athletic talents to the u.s. air force academy. the plan wasl to earn a trip to medical school through military service. back then a ground-based group must have sounded like a sensible plan. after all, being a combat pilot wasn't an option. back then for female officers. she was on the wrong side of the height

requirement for any pilot seat. no women and no people her size were eligible at the time. but after our ride along training mission in an f-16 drink whatever summer assignments, cadet mcsally realize flying was just too cool to pass up. some doors were going to have to make, to open to make it an option. but if those doors were not open already come than martha mcsally was prepared to bust them down. .net shaking off three straight rejections for a medical waiver --.net -- of the height requirement. it meant inventing new tests to prove her exceptional aptitude not only among casino candidates but the entire pool here it meant not taking no for an answer. and roughly as many feathers as

needed until she got to serve. of course none of these skills and talents would sound at all to know to us here in the senate. not at all. by the time our future colleague won her spot as the first woman behind the stick of a combat fighter mission, she was charted in the course in more ways than one. her place in the squadron had made history, at the jet she flew, the a-10 warthog had a unique place of its own. the a-10 flies low over the battlefield. it provides close air support, hunting and destroying threats to friendly forces on the ground. it's a machine gun on wings that hold special respect among combat military. now many seasoned soldiers have a story or two about times when

pilots like martha mcsally swooped in to get them out of aa bind. some are those flight hours were literally w clearing away for hr fellow servicemembers in more ways than one. her trailblazing help change the perception and treatment of women in our armed forces. in one instance she took the dod to court over unfair dress codes for female servicemembers overseas, and she won an important change in policy. pretty quickly folks caught onto the fact that when colonel mcsally potter might her mind to something, it got done. so naturally when then congresswoman was sworn in here in the senate she dove right into tracking down answers for her fellow arizonans, solutions for american servicemembers, and the care and justice for fellow veterans deserve. from her first day senator

mcsally my did everyone here that public service is personal. -- reminded -- what we do has a direct impact on the lives of millions of americans. so after swearing the oath on a bible recovered from the bombing of the uss arizona at pearl harbor, she brought her experience and expertise to solving issues that are personal to her and to others who have worn the uniform. in solidarity with her fellow a-10 pilots and the force that e project, senator mcsally fought to preserve and fund that unique weapon. using her role on the senate armed services committee she let her own painful personal experiences with sexual assault in theit military fuel the purst of justice for fellow survivors. she offered expanded protection for service academy students who

experienced assault. she proposed new preservation requirements for service records to promote accountability, and she made sure each was included when the senate passed defense authorizations. first service men and women in uniform didn't stop with those on active duty. senator mcsally was also championing a expanded care and services for our veterans as they transition back to civilian life. greater federal support for telehealth and suicide prevention, expanded veterans treatment course. so many important changes have been enacted because martha mcsally made them happen. last year it came to our attention that one remarkable 95-year-old arizona veteran had not received the formal recognition he deserves for distinguished service back in world war ii. senator s mcsally mature they got that purple heart hand-delivered, and dozens of young airman on hand to honor

him. so, madam president, the junior senator from arizona has chartered a singular course. she has balanced respect for tradition with an eye toward the future. she opened countless new doors for others. at every single step our colleagues has done it with dignity, faith and a deep love of her state and her country. that she cannot help but where on her sleeve. she departs with a long list of accomplishments and every reason to hold her head high. whatever life after the senate takes her, whatever life after the senate takes her i am confident our colleague will continue to be the most enthusiastic advocate for her state, for its people, its prosperity, and its natural wonders. that includes all theur interesting creatures that she and her four-legged wingmen boomer beat when they're out hiking at trails. no, i'm pretty certain