where we are and what we're trying to do. anybody on everything that we've agreed on over here-- you ask any questions you want to anybody over here if you would. so come on up, gang and say whatever you want to say. thank you all. thank you, god bless you, thank you for staying, if you've got a question come up and ask us. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> you're watching c-span2, your unfiltered view of government, create bide america's cable television companies as a public service and brought to you today by your television provider. >>

will open the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, ruler of heaven, you alone are unutterable. teach our lawmakers to obey you, to embrace the truth, to treat others fairly, and to avoid speaking harshly. give them such respect for one another that they will assume the best motives

for the actions of their colleagues. help our senators to remember that you are the judge of the universe, who sees everything, whether good or bad. lord, you can even see the motivations of our hearts. inspire us all to permit our thoughts, words, and actions to be acceptable to you. and, lord, we respect the conclusions of the electoral college and ask you to bless president-elect joseph biden and vice president-elect harris.

we pray in your great name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. 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. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: one minute for morning business, please. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: we're probably all guilty of not remembering the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, but particularly

during this time of year it is especially difficult for them to be away from friends and family. right now there are almost 1,500 iowans deployed overseas with the iowa national guard, just as one example of a group we should be thinking about. and i think about this group because that 1,500 includes one member of my own staff. we rely on our brave men and women in uniform to protect our way of life, our democracy, and the liberties we cherish. the sacrifices they make are not taken for granted and won't be forgotten by future generations. all of our nation's service members and their families will be in my prayer and i hope the prayers of all of my colleagues

during this holiday season. i yield the floor. mr. mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: over the last four years our country has been benefited from a presidential term filled with major accomplishments. president donald trump has repeatedly surprised the skeptics, confounded his critics and delivered significant policy victories that have strengthened our country. case in point, back in may when the president set the goal of finding a pandemic-ending vaccine by the end of this year, his timeline was literally dismissed by people who assumed they knew better. here was one quote. trump promises coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year scoffed one headline, but his own experts temper expectations. fact check, complained another

headline, coronavirus could come this year trump says. experts say needs a miracle to be right. end quote. well, with the genius of science, support from congress and the bold leadership of the trump administration, that medical miracle arrived right on schedule. americans on the front lines are receiving vaccinations as we speak. this episode offers a microcosm of the last four years on so many subjects from economic prosperity to foreign policy to protecting american families, the skeptics doubted him. the critics derided him, but president trump has delivered. when president trump ran for office, he promised to help open a new chapter for working families. after eight years of failed

policies that concentrated wealth and optimism among the lucky few, prosperity was going to flow to all kinds of workers in all kinds of communities he said, and that's exactly what happened. before this pandemic spread from china and the world had to slam on the brakes, the american people had the best job market in living memory. with help of the policies from president trump and republicans in congress, american workers dynamited the stagnation that experts had said was the new normal. unemployment hit a 50-year low, capital markets hit record highs. at this time all kinds of americans got to share in the gains. we saw earnings grow faster for workers than for managers, faster for the bottom 25 than for the top 25.

this success was fueled in part by the policy leadership of president trump. this administration pursued bold regulatory changes. once in a generation tax reform had eluded prior leaders. this president signed it into law in his first year. together we repealed the unfair obamacare, the mandate was zeroed out. he strengthened the future of the trade with the world. he secured the historic mexico-canada agreement and the bilateral tax treaties with partners in europe and in asia. a nation this productive needs plenty of energy to keep it going. fortunately president trump and his administration ended the

ideological war on fossil fuels and hit the accelerator on all of the above energy dominance. in the last four years we suppressed saudi arabia in -- surpassed saudi arabia in oil production, we saw energy exports exceed energy imports for the first year in almost 70 years. we saw co2 emissions fall along with other harmful pollutants. that energy independence has dramatically strengthened our hand with respect to the rest of the world, particularly the middle east. so speaking of the middle east, president trump wasted little time pulling back from the prior administration's disastrous iran deal. his team eliminated daylight between us and israel and repaired our relationships with arab partners. and he aligned these

relationships around our common shared interests, countering threats like radical islamic terrorists and iranian aggression. under president trump's command, our forces took terrorist leaders like baghdady and qasem soleimani off the battle field. the previous caliphate on the previous president's watch -- this led to the islamic accord that included u.a.e., bahrain, sudan and most recently morocco and the potential is there for more on the horizon. now the middle east isn't the only place where the trump administration has shored up our footing on the world stage. our 45th commander in chief set out to rebuild and modernize

our military from a chapter of weakness and apology into a renewed posture of strength. four years later we have a new national defense are strategy to compete with and deter adversaries like russia and china, we have rebuilt the military and invested in new technologies to enhad sure that america keeps our edge in everything from cyber to space to advanced weapons systems. nd the president's leadership has not stopped with those who are currently serving. he signed into law the historic v.a. mission act to ensure our dedication to the men and women in uniform does not end when their tours conclude. clearly, madam president, the list of american accomplishments since 2016 is nearly endless. there are the many miles of new protections on our southern border. at one time our apprehensions at

the border hit the lowest levels since the 1907's. essential causes like religious liberty and the unborn have had a champion in this administration instead of an adversary. there have been historic new steps to conserve our national treasures like the great american outdoors act. and perhaps most important of all, president trump nominated and this senate confirmed three outstanding supreme court justices along with more than 220 more article 3 federal judges. these are brilliant, young, constitutionalists, men and women in life-time appointments who will renew the judiciary for a generation all because president trump knows that we need judges that will fit the third branch of government. so, as you can see, madam president, it will take far more

than one speech to catalog all the major wins that the trump administration has helped to deliver for the american people. the outsider who swore he was shake up washington and lead our country to new accomplishments both at home and abroad proceeded to do exactly that. president trump and vice president mike pence deserve our thanks and our gratitude for their tireless work and their essential roles in all of these victories and in many more. six weeks ago the -- americans voted in this year's general election. the legal and constitutional process has continued to play out since then. yesterday electors met in all 50 states so as of this morning our country has officially a

president-elect and a vice president-elect. many of us hoped that the presidential election would yield a different result, but our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on january 20. the electoral college has spoken. so today i want to congratulate president-elect joe biden. the president-elect is no stranger to the senate. he's devoted himself to public service for many years. i also want to congratulate the vice president-elect, our colleague from california, senator harris. beyond our differences, all americans can take pride that our nation has a female vice president-elect for the very first time. i look forward to finishing our the next 36 days strong with president trump. our nation needs us to add another bipartisan chapter to this record of achievement.

i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. durbin: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: i ask consent the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary, thomas l. cishes ii of indiana to be united states district judge for the seventh circuit. mr. durbin: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois.

mr. durbin: if you follow the united states senate which of course many of us do, there was a noteworthy moment this morni morning. it was actually a prayer by our chaplain barry black and in that prayer he acknowledged and called for the blessings of god on the prek joe biden and vice prek kamala harris. owthe reason it's noteworthy ist has been a contested issue among politicians on capitol hill for weeks as to whether or not joe biden could be described as president-elect. many have stepped forward and said yes, but many resisted. the acknowledgment by the chaplain caught me by a little surprise this morning, and i came to the floor to hear the republican leader, senator mcconnell, go through an accounting of the trump presidency and all of his

achievements and conclude by acknowledging as well that we have a president-elect in joe biden. "believe that that -- i believe that reflected the reality of the november 3 election and the finality of the electoral college decisions being made across the nation in so many states. i thank those who have stepped forward to acknowledge the reality of the new president and hope that they will join me in an effort to do our best to make certain that his tenure is a success, not just for him personally and the vice president but for our nation. we deserve nothing less. it's a long story, these last few weeks since november 3 and what's happened across america. i don't think anyone could have predicted we would see the diswi--divisive reaction we havn nor could anyone have predicted

what happened yesterday. some states had to take extraordinary measures to protect electoral college electors. what used to be a routine, somewhat tedious and boring mission resulted in the closing of legislative buildings in michigan to the public and according to press reports, credible threats of violence. in arizona electors met in an undisclosed location to safely cast their votes. these measures followed a last-ditch effort by 17 republican attorneys general and more than half of the house republican caucus joining in a lawsuit and accompanying amicus brief before the supreme court which incredibly argued that the courts should nullify the votes of more than 20 million americans. these ludicrous argument, couldn't hide the true justification for joining this

effort to undermine our democracy. the people who were protesting simply don't like the results of the 2020 election, and they don't want to turn their backs on president trump. the conservative-leaning supreme court summarily dismissed this effort outright, rejecting the lawsuit in an order on friday evening wasting no time in doing it. despite repeated and forceful judicial rejections of their base hz allegations of fraud and attempts to nullify the votes of americans, only 27 congressional republicans would publicly acknowledge the obvious president-elect of the united states joe biden as of last week. now that the electoral college has spoanl, more congressional republicans are finally stepping up. the fact that it took six weeks for my colleagues to recognize

reality and stop undermining our democratic process is sad and disappointing. when we were sworn in as members of congress, we took a simple oath. support, defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, foreign and domestic. it's not an oath to one person, nor one president. it's not conditional if one receives enough angry phone calls. it's not dependent on whether the responsibilities are difficult and it's certainly not optional if one has to face a more challenging electorate. and yet with the exception of only a few in this senate chamber, the silence in upholding his oath in the face of president trump's blatant attempts to undermine our democracy has been overwhelming. just compare it to the courage shown by state and local

election officials across the united states, including many republicans who always hasten to add that they had voted for president trump. they were disappointed in the election of joe biden. but the election in their state by their measure was honest and fair. they don't enjoy the perks of protections we have here in congress but they stepped up and spoke up and i respect them for it. proud americans of both parties under personal threat for their integrity and defending an american election that the president of the united states wants overturned. senator murphy, the junior senator from connecticut, came to the floor on friday and spoke eloquently about this threat to american democracy that has been playing out in plain sight. the blatant and shameful attempt to use the power of the presidency to overturn a free and fair election, an election which is the foundation of our democracy. senator murphy reminded us about the fragility of our democracy

and how it should never ever be taken for granted and he warned about collaborating in silence as these efforts are made to destroy it. how democracies die. the poignant remarks and outrage actions of recent weeks reminded me of a dinner i hosted with the authors of a powerful book "how democracies die." the author steven la zinsky details democracies which are weakened, collapsed, and destroyed. i recommend it as urgent reading to my colleagues in the senate at this moment in our history. they highlighted the critical role of established political leaders in standing up or failing to stand up in key moments when events or persons threaten their democracies. venezuela in the early 1990's, a key establishment party leader,

opportunistically sided with chavez after giving chavez critical legitimacy he then used to gain power and bring this country to its current state of decline. i believe we have such a moment here that demands leaders of both parties to carry out their oaths of office and defend our treasured democracy. quite simply, silence is unacceptable. i'm glad for what senator mcconnell said this morning on the floor of the senate. perhaps chaplain black inspired him and will inspire others to step up and speak the truth. madam president, on a separate issue, i've given a big part of my life to this institution of the senate, and i respect what we have been able to do on many occasions. through honest give and take and compromise, we've been able to bring legislation to this floor to debate it, to consider amendments, to pass the

legislation, and ultimately not only make a law but change the lives of americans. we are at that moment where we need it again. and ten of us, five democrats, five republicans, as well as house members decided three weeks ago that enough was enough. we needed to show some leadership and try to work out a compromise between us for another covid relief package. you see, it's been nine months since we passed what was known as the cares act on the floor of the senate. 96-0. overwhelmingly, unanimous, bipartisan decision to spend about $3 trillion not only to fight the pandemic but to restore our economy. thank goodness we did. it really gave us an opportunity to do something for america when it desperately needed it.

we thought that the threat of the pandemic would soon ebb away but it did not. it wasn't gone in six months. it isn't gone today. in fact, in some places in america, it's worse now than ever. my state of illinois, despite the heroic efforts of my governor and many others is suffering with infections, hospitalizations and sadly too many deaths. that is the reality of where we are today. and so this group of ten, five democrats, five republicans, have been meeting for three weeks, even on thanksgiving day when we did a zoom call, had some conversation about a phase of this that might be important for us to consider. i tell you that because we did produce a work product and one that i think is worthy of consideration immediately on the

floor of the senate. it was an effort to reach a spending target of $809 billion -- $908 billion to provide immediate assistance across the board in the united states to extend unemployment benefits where they are desperately needed, to give help to businesses some $300 billion in new lending authority, to provide additional funds for snap, the food stamp program, which many desperate families turn to feed their children, help to our farmers, help to the renters who are facing eviction under their leases if we do nothing, help to hospitals and nursing homes and clinics. we all know they are on the front line of this battle. money for testing of those who suspect that they are infected with covid-19. and more resources for the logistics of vaccinations.

the cdif program is an effort to extend lending authority, particularly in desperate communities that are battling both poverty as well as this pandemic. $5 billion for mental health, and we certainly know we need it. the psychological pressure that america is facing is obvious in so many ways. education, over $80 billion in education. $10 billion in child care. we can't overlook the fact that many can't return to work because there's no child care that they trust with their kids. help as well for expanding broadband as our kids have to turn to remote learning in many places in america, broadband has become a fact of life across this nation. $45 billion in the whole transportation system -- network that's been devastated by this economic downturn.

$10 billion to our postal service. they are working harder than ever and we want to make sure the men and women of the postal service who do just a wonderful job know that we have their back. extensions of spending authority for the cares act are just a few of the things that we considered over the three-week period. we came up with a bill that spends $748 billion. there were two items that were not included in the base consensus bill because we couldn't reach a consensus on them. state and local government assistance i support completely. i know the cities, my counties and what my state have gone through, they need our help. we couldn't include that but i hope that changes today. and finally, the issue of liability and immunity from

liability. this is one raised by senator mcconnell for months. he basically said that nothing is moving until he gets a provision, which i find objectionable, originally offered by senator cornyn. here's what it comes down to. should people be able to go to court if they believe they have been harmed or members of their family have died as a result of the wrongdoing by people during this covid-19 pandemic. some argue that businesses should not have that possibility hanging over their head and that's what senator cornyn used as a basis for his provision that makes it nearly impossible for anyone to cover during covid-19. others show that we need to have an even-handed approach to both sides. if we are -- if businesses are trying to protect their businesses and companies, we should leave the possibility

open that those responsible for their actions need to be held accountable in court, i think that is a simple and basic provision that there be ect on both sides, not just for plaintiffs but also for defendants. we tried mightily during the last several weeks and i want to salute my colleagues that engaged directly in that effort, angus king of maine, chris coons of delaware, dick blumenthal of connecticut and maggie hassan. we couldn't reach an agreement. the others on the democratic side who were part of this overall effort deserve mention in the record. i don't want to miss anyone but i want to include certainly joe manchin of west virginia and mark warner of the state of

virginia and jeanne shaheen of new hampshire. for all of them, i thank them for bringing forth this measure and now it's going to be in the hands of the leadership. i hope that we should call it this week. we should not go home without it. madam president, i yield the floor. mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. schumer: thank you, madam president. as the republican leader acknowledged a new moments ago, joe biden will be the next president of the united states and kamla harris will be the vice president of the united states. republicans should acknowledge that joe biden will be the next president and kamala harris will be the vice president. president trump should take his cue from leader mcconnell that it's time to end his term with a

modicum of grace and dignity, what is a grand traditional of a peaceful transfer of power. enough is enough. for the sake of the democracy for the sake of the peaceful transition of power should stop the shenanigans, stop the misrepresentations and acknowledge that joe biden will be our next president. enough is enough and they should follow republican senators and republicans throughout the country should follow leader mcconnell's lead and acknowledge now that joe biden will be the next president of the united states. now on covid-19. in a year full of grim milestones, yesterday delivered the grimmest yet. more than 300,000 americans have died from covid-19, greater than the number of american soldiers

that died during world war ii, a population the size of st. louis or pittsburgh wiped off the map. 300,000 american souls. as trucks bear the first vaccines, the first best hope to defeat the pandemic in the new year, we cannot lose sight of what we lost this year, that is what the end of 2020 has brought, hope tinged by grief. it was an amazing sight yesterday to see the first american inoculated against a disease, a nurse at long island jewish medical center in convenes, my home -- queens, my home state of new york. for so many the vaccine has not come soon enough. let it be a tribute to the americans we lost to limit the number of losses moving forward, to distribute as many vaccines as are necessary and encourage

every american -- every american to take the vaccine when it is available to them. three million doses of the vaccine are already out the door and another vaccine is already in the emergency authorization process. still another vaccine candidate may be ready early next year. as i said yesterday, the discovery of the coronavirus vaccine in the span of a calendar year is a crowning scientific achievement of the 21st century. our job now is to ensure that the good work of america's scientists, biochemicallists and medical research is brought to bear. that given the tools we stamp out covid-19 from our country and begin the road to recovery. we need to fully fund not only the function of the vaccine but the distribution as well. i suggest the absence of a quorum.

the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. thune: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority whip. mr. thune: is the senate in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: madam president, yesterday was a hopeful day as the first covid vaccines were distributed to the health care workers and there will be an emergency use authorization for moderna's vaccine, meaning we

could have a second coronavirus authorized vaccine before christmas. if all goes well, we could have 100 million americans vaccinated by march. madam president, that is an amazing statistic when you consider a year ago we didn't even know about the virus. and it's a tribute to the innovative power of the private sector and the efforts of congress and the trump administration to ex expedite vaccine development. it's been a long, hard year, but the light at the end of the tunnel is coming. but while yesterday was an encouraging day, we have more work to do on the covid front. first, we all need to keep following the c.d.c.'s recommendations, the rollout of pfizer vaccine is wonderful news but cases in the united states is still surging. until we can get a let more people vaccinated we need to do more to prevent spreading the virus and overwhelming our

hospitals. weed need a second covid bill here in congress to provide more vaccines and deliver urgent relief to fellow americans. democrats have -- republicans have been trying to pass covid legislation literally for months, madam president. i'm encouraged that in the past few weeks a number of democrats have stepped forward to work with republicans to develop bipartisan legislation. just yesterday a bipartisan group of senators released legislation along the lines of what the majority leader has advocated, targeted relief that focuses on our most critical needs in the areas where republicans and democrats agree. this includes important covid priorities like vaccine funding, money for schools and help for the hardest-hit small businesses. republicans and democrats' ideal covid bills might look very different, but there are a number of things that all of us agree need to be addressed and we should, madam president, in

fact we must, pass legislation to take care of those priorities. i'm thinking about vaccine distribution especially. we've been blessed with not one, but two viable vaccines with more on the horizon. we can't afford to undermine the success by failing to provide the resources necessary for widespread distribution. madam president, the ball is in the senate democratic leader and speaker pelosi's court. we have bipartisan support for targtdz -- targeted relief to address our most critical priorities. in fact, the democratic leader in the house noted on sunday that, and i quote, i think we need to get an agreement and we need to get this bill passed. nobody ever gets everything they want and it's critically important that we deal with these very, very important objectives even if we don't get on either side everything that we want.

end quote. that from the democrat leader in the house of representatives. meanwhile the democrat weapon on -- democrat whip on the senate side was part of the bipartisan group that suggested dropping the most controversial aspects and focusing on those things on which we most agree. so the answer, madam president, really lies with speaker pelosi and the democrat leader here in the senate. are they going to heed the bipartisan calls to deliver critical coronavirus funding or are they going to continue to block relief for americans? madam president, around our country americans are struggling under the worst wave of the virus to date. they need more help and above all they need the vaccineses that will help -- vaccinations that will help bring this pandemic to an end. we can pass additional coronavirus relief legislation this week. and to quote the majority

leader, let's get it be done. madam president, i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. cornyn: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: mr. president, are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are. mr. cornyn: i'd ask consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: mr. president, yesterday evening president trump shared the news that attorney general bill barr will be leaving the administration in coming days, and i want to take a moment to publicly thank the attorney general for his service to our country. under two different presidents and at two very different times in our country's history, bill barr gladly answered the call to service. his steadfast leadership has enabled the department of justice to continue its mission at a pivotal moment in our nation's history. and i particularly appreciated attorney general barr's attempt to get to the bottom of some of the abuse of power by the f.b.i.

and the department of justice during the latter parts of the obama administration and early in the trump administration. during his time as attorney general, general barr has consistently fought to improve the safety of our communities across the country by tackling violent crime and aggressively countering transnational criminal organizations. he's been a project -- a champion of project safe neighborhoods which has strengthen community partnerships and help reduce crime rates across our country. he's taken aim at the threats that exist beyond our borders from drug cartels in mexico to economic exploitation and outright theft by china. through it all he's been dogged in preventing injustice as in pursuing wrongdoing.

soy want to thank the attorney general wasn't again for not only answering the call to serve a second time butle for once again -- but also for once again serving with distinction and integrity. mr. president, on another matter, this week is set to be the final week for the 116th congress, and the american people are counting on us to do our job. we have until this friday to fund the government, and i hope we can pass legislation that provides more certainty than the stopgap bills that have become the norm in recent years. it's simply impossible for government agencies and departments like the defense department to plan with short trp continuing -- short-term continuing resolutions. they need longer term so they can plan and actually spend taxpayer dollars far more efficiently. this is also our final opportunity to reach an agreement on another coronavirus bill, something that's been on

our to do list since this summer. and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to send a stack of bipartisan bills to the president's desk for his signature. now, these may seem like small -- small ball compared to some of the big issues like keeping the lights on for the government or another covid-19 relief bill, but they're very important bipartisan pieces of legislation. one of those is the jenna quinn law which i've spoken here on the senate floor many times. the goal of this legislation is straightforward, to stop child sexual abuse. it will help us do that by building on the success of what's now known as jenna's law in texas and in other states which requires training for teachers, caregivers, and other adults who work with children who will receive specialized training on how to detect and report and thus prevent child

sexual abuse. signs of child sexual abuse are unique from other forms of child abuse and correctly identifying these signs as integral to bringing children out of sexually abusive situations. now, you might ask if there's a texas state law providing for this. why do we need a federal law. well, not every state has done what texas has done but also they need the funding to help pay for this specialized training. that's what the general f.a.a. quinn law -- the jenna quinn law that's pending in congress will do. and it will encourage other states without similar laws to implement programs to address child sexual abuse. there are -- should be few things more unifying than the war against child sexual abuse which is why this bill passed the senate unanimously earlier this year. the days have turned into weeks and weeks have turned into months and the house still hasn't passed jenna -- the jenna

quinn law. it's not because house members oppose the bill. if it came up on the floor today, nearly every member of the house of representatives would vote for it. this bill hasn't been able to pass the house because one chairman, democratic chairman, won't even give the house a chance to vote on it. for months education and labor committee chairman bobby scott has refused to move the jenna quinn law despite repeated requests from countless child advocacy groups and a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen. it continues to -- it continues in purgatory on the committee calendar. senator hassan sent a letter to scott asking him to take action and allow this to pass the house this year. he responded to our letter saying he will continue to hold this legislation because he

wants to add it to other more complicated legislative measures next year. so when it comes to detecting and preventing child sexual abuse, chairman scott thinks we can wait until next year. we can't wait until next year. in short he admitted that this legislation is so important and so valuable, he can't let it pass on its own. it's got to drag other more controversial, more partisan pieces of legislation along with it. and just when you think things -- when you think things can't get any worse, they do. as i said, this legislation will provide funding to the states and will encourage states like congressman scott's home state of virginia to implement them. you would think that congressman scott would care if he didn't care for the bill that would

benefit the rest of the country, you would think he would care how it would benefit his constituents in his home district in virginia. virginia doesn't currently require these -- this training for teachers, caregivers, and other adults who work with children, and this legislation would fix that. and making this matter even more urgent is the pandemic. experts believe that the unique conditions created by covid-19 have caused instances of child sexual abuse to go up while the number of reports have gone down. families are experiencing a range of new stressors including everything from job losses to financial instability to health anxiety all while isolating at home with their children. and the children who aren't going to school each day are out of sight from the teachers, the bus drivers, and other adults they would otherwise come in contact with who are most likely to identify and report child

sexual abuse. adults who work with children are the number one reporters of that abuse. so there could not be a more urgent need for this legislation. this is not a partisan pet project. it's legislation that will save the lives of children across the country. victims in my home state of texas and congressman scott's home state of virginia would experience the life-saving benefits of the jenna quinn law. a couple of weeks ago the dallas morning news published an editorial titled if congress can't even pass a law to help save kids from sex abuse, what can a get -- what can it get right? well, that's a fair question and a tough but necessary question. when you see what chairman scott is doing, it's easy to see why congress' approval rating is so abysmal. if a high-rasking leader --

high-ranking leader really of a house committee will block commonsense legislation that is directed at stopping child sexual abuse, how can the american people have faith in congress' ability to accomplish anything? so, mr. president, now is not the time to play politics or use child sexual abuse victims as leverage. this bill is one step away if going to the president's desk and congressman scott is the only one standing in the way. it's time to quit playing games and allow the jenna quinn law to pass. mr. president, now on one final matter, we are less than a month away from the biannual changing of the guard here in congress before we gavel out for the year. i want to say just a few comments about our friend from colorado who will soon be leaving the senate, senator cory

gardner. senator gardner has proudly represented the people of colorado for 15 years first in the state house, then the house of representatives, and now in the united states senate. once you get to know cory, it's easy to see how this boy from uma -- yuma became such a trusted voice for his home state. for starters he's a prime example of what ronald reagan called the happy warrior. at the end of his speech in 1985, president reagan spoke about the pursuit of high ideals like liberty, freedom, and fairness, and the reasons our country has to be hopeful and optimistic. he said, so let us go forth with good cheer and stout hearts. happy war years out to seize back a country and a world to freedom. those qualities of good cheer and stout hearts could not be a

more appropriate description of our friend from colorado. senator gardner has maintained an understanding -- has a very keen understanding of the challenges we have faced as a nation, and he channels his passion and his optimism in finding solutions to those challenges. and there's no question he does get results. in the six years he's been in the senate, cory has accomplished more than some senators have accomplished and double or maybe even triple that time. he's been a strong voice on the senate foreign relations committee and has helped lead changes. he helped pass sanctions on north korea to denuclearize one of the most untethered states and nations in the world. he's fought to hold china accountable for their gross human rights violations,

specifically those targeting the uighur people. and he's led efforts to strengthen our relationship it the united states and taiwan. but i think the accomplishments he's most proud of are those that hit much closer to home. cory introduced legislation to designate 988 as a national suicide prevention and mental health hotline. it's impossible to know how many lives have been and will be saved by simply adopting this three-digit phone number. and this last year he led in the passage ever the great american outdoors act, the largest conservation bill in a generation. a big factor in cory's success has been his relationships with his fellow senators. not those backroom transactional relationships you think about perhaps when you think about politics but i mean real friendships with folks throughout the capitol complex.

if there were a mr. or ms. conyeen quality award, wee win by a landslide. it's common to see him talking with not only senators from both parties but staffers from other offices. he was once a staffer in senator wayne allard's office so he can identify them as well as the countless police and men and women who keep congress running from cafeteria workers to cleaning staff. he greets every person with the same genuine smile and would gladly spend a few minutes chatting asking about your family, holiday plans, or how someone's day is going. that sincerity, his willingness to listen and deal with people on such a human and personal level is something we need more of, not less of here in washington, especially these days. so, mr. president, the senate will miss our happy warrior and

the trademark positivity he brings to even the most contenuous de-- contenuous debate. while we're sad to see him go, i'm -- i know this won't be the last we see of him. the only thing more enduring is his drive to help people from all places and all walks of life. while our colleagues are sad to bid farewell to our friend cory, we know that jaimie, allison, kaitlyn and thatcher are all eager to have him back home in yuma and see more of him and spend more time together. mr. president, i yield the floor and i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

the presiding officer: the senator from oregon. mr. wyden: i ask unanimous consent to vacate the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. wyden: mr. president, millions and millions of people will breathe a bit easier on january 20. that relief will be especially sweet for those who suffered under donald trump's cold-hearted approach to immigration and asylum. the president has built a wall to immigrants, but it's not made a fencing -- it's not made of fencing or brick or mortar.

the president has rebuilt the infamous paper wall like that of the 1930's that kept too many jews out of the united states, trapping them within the murderous regime of nazi germany. the paper wall was anti-migrant operations including anyone who might be a so-called public charge. it was reinforced by racism, anti-semitism and nativism. it created bureaucratic roadblocks that had no purpose other than to frustrate applicants, block visas and refugees and slow immigration to a trickle. that is awfully familiar to

those who watched donald trump succeed horribly at repeating some of america's worst immigration mistakes. in the last four years i've often thought about my late mom and dad who were refugees to america. my parents were german jews who fled the nazis. not all of our family got out. my great uncle max was one of the last to be gassed at auschwitz. when my father arrived here at 13, he barely spoke any english. he studied hard. when the war came, my dad, who wasn't exactly built like

captain america, wanted more than anything to wear the uniform of the u.s. army. my dad essentially talked his way into the service. he joined in the army's psychological warfare division because with his fluent german, my dad wrote propaganda pamphlets that our planes dropped on the enemy soldiers that were retreating further and further back towards berlin. i've seen those pamphlets, and with a little son pride, they were smoking. they just told the nazis they didn't have a chance. in contrast, the material their military dropped on our soldiers was written in mangled english,

comical stuff. my dad has really been singled out. he's in the holocaust museum for his contributions to helping our army beat the nazis, and after the war he became a journalist and author. my mom came in 1939, a few years after my dad. during the war, she served in the women's army corps. she was in england and france and germany and on the wall at home is a picture of my mom in her wac uniform. you can look at that picture and you can see pride in serving our country from every single pore. after the war, my mom had a long career as a research librarian and she worked even harder

raising her older son who mostly wanted to play nba basketball instead of hitting the books. both my parents felt so blessed that they could get out of germany. they made it over the paper wall, mr. president. they had a chance to become americans. most jewish families in the united states, is for -- stories just like these, some were able to get out and some were lost. many remember the u.s.s. st. louis with mostly jewish fleeing germany in 1930. originally they sailed for cuba, but they were turned away when they reached havana. then they tried to come to america. they got so close they could see

the lights shinning in miami, but again they were turned away and sailed back to europe. hundreds of them, mr. president, died in death camps. many more lives like those aboard the st. louis could and should have been saved, but the paper wall -- that paper wall kept too many people out. in 2020, caring people look back and recognized that paper wall and our failure to save more people from execution at the hands of the nazis. it was a staggering humanitarian disaster, a real stain on american history. donald trump and his advisors, on the other hand, must look back and see the paper wall as a big success, a playbook for

their administration. under donald trump, the policy of the united states on immigration, asylum and refugees, sum it up in one world, cruelty. trump's worst asylum without a doubt is the kidnapping and abuse of youngsters, children, locking them in cages, losing track of them, losing back of their -- track of their children. it's the forced sterilization of women in the u.s. government, it's violating u.s. law and international treaties to turn asylum seekers into criminals. i went to the border to see for myself what trump's family separation policies looked like in practice. when you see it, you never forget it. i met a migrant woman who was almost nine months pregnant and

suffering complications. a pediatrician from oregon who came with me was concerned that her life was in danger as well as her your honor born child. she -- as well as her unborn child. she had been stopped at the border with her unborn son even though she had a legal right to make an asylum claim. our pediatrician who was worried that the woman would go into labor right there had to make a judgment call about what we ought to do. so fortunately we got her case before the right border authorities. she was to be able make her asigh lum -- asylum claim, get medical care, keep her family together. at the time i saw a little boy who had been detained for several nights in a cold, cramp cell, they called them ice boxes, and sent back to mexico.

this youngster was so traumatized at the border that he became entirely nonverbal and afraid of adults. his father held my hand, the child cried and told us how helpful they felt as a parent. i will never forget that experience. children and parents on the southern border have experienced some of the worst of donald trump's hostility, but it doesn't end there. his administration has relentlessly attacked and squeezed the tradition systems of immigration and humanitarian assistance and resettlement as well. a lot has gone -- a lot has gone into this paperwork. anti-immigration policies have book ended the trump four years. one of their first new policies out of the gate was the muslim ban which was a nightmare for

many immigrants and immigrant families. now in donald trump's final days, his administration has made the citizenship exam twice as hard and twice as long. reportedly questions were rewritten with trump-friendly political bias and tricky language designed to trip people up. there wasn't any discussion about any exams here in congress. when you read the old version of the test that existed before the trump meddling, it was pretty darn challenging. there was no good-faith explanation for the changes. it was only about making it harder -- making it harder to become an american. through his years in office, donald trump steadily lowered the cap on refugees allowed in the country.

for 2021 he set it at the lowest number ever. then there's the daca program, deferred action for childhood arrivals. we talked here in the senate about the dreamers. and when the program was created, there was a promise made that it would be okay for the dreamers to come out of the shadows. you could apply without fear, have your application renewed in two years. i think government has a moral obligation to keep a promise. not on donald trump's watch. if not for court orders, daca would be dismantled by now. there are more than 11,000 hardworking young people in my home state that are daca recipients. i've talked with a lot of them. they come to my town hall meetings, we meet on campus and

meet in coffee shops. not long after the pandemic hit, one young oregonian daca recipient started working with covid patients. just wanted to help during the pandemic. coordinating tests, working on follow-up, contact tracing. what a roughly person doing essential work during the pandemic, but her temporary daca status ran out just when the trump administration blocked renewals. fortunately, my staff and i were able to help her reapply, retain her status so she could keep working in the only place she ever called home. the harsh reality is there are thousands and thousands of young dreamers who have been faced with the same panic, losing their status, being ripped from their homes, and deported. the fact is donald trump has

used these dreamers like pawns. i recently dusted off the public charge rule used in the past to discriminate against jewish refugees. i consider it a wealth test for immigrants, a cruel system that pushes vulnerable immigrant families into destitution. in oregon right now, it means that there are families that are just afraid to seek assistance they are entitled to receive, afraid to seek emergency medical assistance during a pandemic, afraid to seek disaster relief after huge wildfires. these families, we talk to them. mr. president, they desperately need help. they are members of oregon's collective community, but they can't get it because they are fearful they will be labeled a public charge. donald trump revoked protected

immigration status from hundreds of thousands of u.s. residents originally from countries ravaged by war, famines, and epidemics. many of those people who lived here for decades have planted deep roots. nothing is accomplished by revoking their status and deporting them other than stattering their lives and weakening their communities. then the trump administration adopted a no-blanks policy so they could reject applications for visa and asylum if there were just simple paperwork errors. for example, let's say an only child filling out a visa application leaves a blank where it asks for details on siblings. they could be rejected. even simple errors that mean nothing. writing in a dash instead of an n/a for an inapplicable

question. the policy has resulted in huge cuts to immigration and asylum. during the pandemic, the trump administration denied covid relief to tax-paying, law-abiding american immigrants who secure america's food supply or save lives as frontline health care workers. next, there is a sabotage of the system of printing documents for immigrants, including green cards that allow residents to work and go to school. this affected tens of thousands, again who did nothing wrong. some of them were newly approved applicants. many others were long-time u.s. residents, replacing green cards that were expired or lost. if an immigrant's green card expires and they don't have the replacement, they are out of luck and technically in a kind

of legal never-never-land. it's all because donald trump wanted to break the system just to cause harm. now let's talk about those who work alongside our military overseas. you would think that if there was any group, any group, mr. president, whose immigration status got a special level of care from our government, it would be those whose lives are in danger in their home country because they served courageously alongside our forces. that has not been the case under donald trump. for example, there have been reports on those on the run from the taliban because its clearance to reinstate in the u.s. was reversed. the u.s. army pilot who trained him said, quote, he is marked as a dead man. he has done all he can there. if anyone needs to be a u.s.

citizen, it's him. but the trump administration, which initially approved his relocation, went back on his word. this pilot is now reportedly in hiding with his wife and 4-year-old daughter. they are among tens of thousands of afghans and iraqis whose lives are in danger waiting for the u.s. government to decide on their immigration status. the number of these courageous individuals brought to the u.s. has plummeted under donald trump, again because of this anti-immigrant bias. i remember the late senator john mccain speaking often about why our country needed to protect those who help our men and women in battle. john mccain said it wasn't just a moral issue, but also a national security issue. he said won't it be harder to get people to help our soldiers

in the future if america abandons those who helped us in the past? for donald trump, it seems hostility towards immigrants overrides even america's national security. donald trump has often claimed he supports immigration. he wants hijacked and naturalization -- he once hijacked a naturalization ceremony which would be a solemn event, no politics. he toll that moment from the group of people becoming citizens so he could go on and on about false claims about citizenship and immigration. he said, and i want to quote here, tremendous numbers of people to go in. over the last, i guess, eight or so minutes, mr. president, i have proved that's sure not true. the reality is donald trump cut legal immigration in half. if i were to walk through every

cruel and inhumane thing this administration has done to immigrants, asylum seekers, and registers, mr. president, we would be standing here until the beginning of january. it's going to be hard work dismantling donald trump's paper wall but it's a must-do for the president and vice president-elect. and i want to close my remarks, mr. president, by talking a little bit about why immigration matters. as an oregonian, i can tell you that oregon is clearly stronger today because of our openness to immigrants and refugees and asylum seekers. we call it at home, people hear me talk about it here, as the oregon way, and it's about fundamental decency.

no other way to describe the oregon way than those two words, fundamental decency. here is an example of how the oregon way collides with the trump policies pertaining to visas. 12 years ago, an iraqi boy named mustafah came to oregon to receive badly needed medical care. he was gravely injured. lost a leg during a u.s. bomb strike. he needed complicateed surgery that he couldn't get done in iraq. so a group of oregonians worked with a nonprofit to bring him to my hometown of portland. mustafah got good care and was able to go home. the plan was for him to come back to oregon periodically for ongoing treatment. back home in iraq, however, communication is difficult, and his family was displaced by islamic state militants. miraculously, in 2016, oregonians recognized mustafah on the tv news from a refugee

camp outside fallujah. it was clear he still dealt with serious health problems. again, oregon citizens and nonprofits went to bat for him. again they worked to bring him to the united states for care, except this time, this time the trump administration had closed the door to iraqis, they were out of luck. my staff and i got involved, and together with all these dedicated oregonians, we were able to work with the embassy and get key officials to get a temporary visa for mustafah and his mom and he got the lifesaving care he needed. the oregon way actually beat back trump's hostility to immigration. now, supporting immigration is not just the decent thing to do. it's also the smart thing to do for our economy. my state is a perfect example. from the high-tech economy in

the silicon forest to our wonderful family farms all across the state, immigrants contribute every day to our economy. nationwide on average, communities with more immigrants, a stronger and more dynamic economies. immigrants are more likely than those born in the united states to participate in the labor force. immigrants are more likely to own a small business. immigrants are more likely to move for employment and take jobs that otherwise go unfilled. those immigrants, mr. president, flood gaps in our economy. they plug gaps in our job markets. immigrants are more likely to be entrepreneurs. their kids are more likely to want to just work and work and work, and they have shown that they are more likely to climb the economic ladder. immigration has also proven to be a big economic and population boost for our rural communities,

which too often in too many parts of the country somehow look like people just are willing to turn them into economic sacrifice zones compared to the focus on the cities and suburbs. our colleges and universities desperately need more foreign-born students. most foreign-born students pay full sticker price and subsidize the students born in the united states. due to covid and anti-mieg -- anti-migrant policies, fewer and fewer international students come to study in american schools. they are choosing to study in other countries instead. you can bet those other countries are happy to welcome the bright minds at our expense and let them find a way to help their economy. our schools struggle to keep the doors open under these conditions. they managed to block some trump

policies that are particularly harmful to students, and i'm very proud that my alma mater, the university of oregon, led one of those lawsuits. still, many schools are likely to close. if there are fewer international students coming here that are subsidizing americans, the price that american-born students pay for college education goes up. it's legislative malpractice for lawmakers to allow that to happen when it's a crisis you know is headed this way. it's obviously, mr. president, in our interests to be a magnet for the best and the brightest. immigrants also protect vital safety net programs that americans care so deeply about. with 10,000 people reaching retirement age every day, our country needs more workers, more people paying into social security, more people paying into medicare, welcoming into the country more working age

people that can help shore up those trust funds. it can help to protect the medicare guarantee and help ensure that social security pays full benefits. it's a big mistake to pass up that opportunity. finally, the economic boost isn't the biggest reason to support immigration. the biggest reason is immigration is about our national character. it's about our common history. our country was founded by people with courage and audacity people who picked up their lives and crossed oceans to start something new. who are we to turn away all those who would follow in their footsteps? welcoming immigrants from around the world makes us more youthful and resilient. it honors our founding. america has always been a land

of opportunity. it's why my parents loved the united states so deeply after they arrived here as a frightened -- as frightened youngsters fleeing the worst of humanity. decades later, because of the opportunity this country handed my parents, their son, a first-generation jewish kid, has the honor of standing on the floor of the united states senate, the honor of representing oregon in the united states senate, and what an honor it is to be able to be here this morning, mr. president, to talk about why the wyden family is so grateful

to the united states of america. someday -- if someday people around the world no longer see the united states as a land of opportunity, we will have strayed from america's character and purpose. for for now the good news is that donald trump's presidency ends next month. the attacks on our immigration system and on people who dream of becoming americans will be nothing more than the angry tweets from a man voted out of office. with the end of the trump era, the united states can tear down the trump paper wall and rebuild the coalition of americans from all across the political spectrum who value the contributions of immigrants and who care for asylum seekers and refugees. it is an important part of what

makes america so special. mr. president, i yield the floor and i believe we have another speaker. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from north carolina. mr. tillis: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i'm here to today to honor the life of officer tyler herndon, a member of the police department in north carolina not far from where i live. he tragically lost his life in the line of duty last week just days before his 26th birthday. officer herndon will be laid to rest today. i want to take a moment to honor his life, his service to his community, and speak about the noble profession he chose. officer herndon was responding to a report of a break-in on friday morning and upon his arrival, he was murdered on the scene. he'd been a police officer of

mount holly for less than two years. he's described by his colleagues on the mount holly police department as the guy you just couldn't help but like. he was active in his community not only as a law enforcement officer but as a volunteer at local schools. his goal was to become an f.b.i. officer and he was just approaching the two years he needed as a police officer to become eligible to apply for the f.b.i. officer herndon's life and promising career were senselessly taken away. his tragic death is a reminder of the dangers our men and women in blue face every single day that they go to work to protect our communities. in 2020, this year, we've lost 47 police officers who have been killed in the line of duty across the united states. of those, eight were ambushed and premeditated attacks. two were victims of an unprovoked attack.

and 37 officers were killed in the line of duty. these gruesome killings are in addition to the hundreds of officers who have been shot and injured this year. these 47 americans are not only law enforcement officers, they're somebody's parent, they're someone's spouse, they're someone's child. that's a point that unfortunately has been neglected by some, especially given the shameful effort to not only minimize the work of law enforcement but also demonize it. law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe every single day. our debates in congress should not be whether to defund or abolish the police. it should be about how we can respect and support law enforcement through greater investments and commonsense reforms. i'll never turn my back on the brave men and women of law enforcement who protect north carolina and protect this nation, communities across in great nation. but congress needs to start

showing more support and respect for law enforcement not only through our words but through our actions. and we must hold violent criminals who target them accountable. that's why i and several colleagues have introduced the serve and protect act. it's legislation that would create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target local, state and federal law enforcement officers with violence. next congress i plan to reintroduce this legislation and work to build support until its passage because with increased penalties like those proposed in the protect and serve act, criminals may start thinking twice before targeting an officer. and if they choose to do it, they're going to regret it. there's no doubt that being a law enforcement officer is one of the hardest and most dangerous jobs in this country. but it's also one of the most noble and honorable professions. they run to danger to protect others. they're fully aware of those dangers as they go through the

police academy and begin their career as officers and yet they do it every single day. tyler herndon is an officer who answered the call, ran into danger to protect others, and lost his life. my thoughts and prayers are with officer herndon's family. the mount holly police department and the community he served. i want tyler herndon's family and law enforcement across the state of north carolina to know we will never forget the sacrifice he made and that they make every day, and we're going to work hard to get them the respect and the resources that they deserve. thank you, mr. president. mr. president, i have four requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they've -- they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from minnesota. a senator: mr. president, i rise today to honor and pay tribute to our senate colleagues who are

departing at the end of this congress. ms. klobuchar: i was able to work with all of them in different ways, and we're going to miss them. before that i did want to mention the importance of the continuing negotiations on end of the year pandemic relief. i've been involved in those, and i have been really -- i want to thank those members that have been at the forefront of this all through the weekend, all through the last few weeks. and i cannot stress how important it is right now. my state just got through a spike in covid. we lost so many people. we have so many small businesses like so many states in this country that are closed down. and while we see the light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine, i talked to a friend of mine whose husband is an infectious disease doctor, and she said when is he saw those trucks rolling out of michigan, she just started to sob, just

seeing it on tv. i think that's how a lot of people in this country feel. but it's on us right now to make sure we get the funding so that vaccine gets distributed as it should and to also ensure that our economy is in a place that when we start going back into the workplace, not just virtually, that we will be able to bounce back as we should. and that means pandemic relief at the end of this year. so my departing colleagues, and i like every single one of them. i'll start with my good friend senator doug jones. throughout the years i've gotten to know doug as so many of us have as a colleague but more importantly as a friend. these past few years have not been easy for anyone, but what they have called for who are leaders who will do what's right, who are willing to show courage and take risks. and one of those leaders is doug jones. a native of fairfield alabama and the son of a father who

worked in the steel industry, my grandpa worked in the iron ore business underground. i know a little bit about this. doug graduated from the university of alabama and the university of alabama law school. afterwards he served as a top aide for his home state senator hall heflin. i still remember hal heflin after he left government. he would call for him and the accent was a little hard for a minnesotan to get through. and i remember mondale literally within a few days, a few hours howling with laughter when he took the call. and i'm sure that was a great mentor for doug to have when he first got into politics. doug then became the u.s. attorney for the northern district of alabama and in 2017 he became the first democrat to represent alabama in the u.s. senate since 1997. i'll never forget the first

speech doug gave on the senate floor. it was about gun violence calling for bipartisanship and pragmatism and for the courage to seize the moment. and he actually quoted senator heflin saying our constitution itself came about through a series of great compromises. it was not written by ideologues who clung to their way or no. compromise and negotiation, the hallmarks of moderation aimed at achieving moderate centrist policies for our country should not be viewed as negatives. doug believed in a simple philosophy when he was here, never compromise your principles, and he certainly showed us that. but work with your colleagues, democratic or republican, to move our country forward. i remember what he said about gun safety in his maiden speech. he was hopeful we may have reached a tipping point because, quote, our men and women are awakening the conscience of america. that's something doug has done

in his time in the u.s. senate. and he showed it evening before that. when as a prosecutor he brought closure to the families of the four little girls killed in the 16th street baptist church bombing by prosecuting those who sought to use fear, hatred and violence to inhibit the rights of others. he did that for his state because that was his job. but in so doing, he brought closure and just for our nation. we're all fortunate to call doug a friend. he has been a champion for veterans after the tax bill had a problem for survivor benefits for gold star families. it was doug who introduced the bill to fix the problem and got it passed for those who already made the ultimate sacrifice. it has truly been an honor and privilege to work alongside senator jones. integrity, decency, those are the words i think about when i think about doug jones. and he will be missed in this

senate. senator udall, nor udall of new mexico has been an incredible steward and champion of so many of the things that the -- at the heart of our country's greatness. like america's great outdoors and natural lands, a culture enriched by tribal nations and enduring commitment to democracy. america's environment, native communities, and our right to vote are some of the fundamental elements that make this country so unique and senator udall has faithfully served the people of new mexico and all americans as an incredibly gifted national leader on these issues and so many more. i got to serve with senator udall on the commerce committee where during the pandemic we worked together to bridge the digital divide and expand broadband, especially for our tribal communities where as we all know, he served as a ranking member of the top democrat on the indian affairs committee. he also was proud to serve with senator udall on the rules

committee. we worked on native american voting rights together, that he was the lead, he was the lead on so many bills that would make our democracy better. i hope one of his legacies when he's gone that we'll finally be able to put these laws into operation and get them done. one of his great pieces of legislation was a constitutional amendment to overturn citizens united. and one day we will get this done. so many people are tired of the many streaming into our politics. the fact that you have 4euden money streaming into our politics and his amendment would fix so much of this. he wall also cofunder of the congressional international conservation caucus where he left his mark on this country with his work to protect public lands and national parks while promoting america's leadership in conservation. from his years as new mexico's

attorney general to his ten years of service in the house of representatives and his 12 years as a u.s. senator, tom udall has been literally a giant in public service. no one should be surprised. he once summed up what drove him by saying the thing that inspired me the most when i was very young was the idea that if you had a good idea of reforming something and you really stuck to it, you could literally change the world. while i'm going to miss senator udall and we're also going to miss his wife jill who i got to know well. i have a fond memory of one of the new senator's orientations where tom and jill and my husband john and i were tasked with talking to the arriving senators a few years ago, brand new in this building and giving them tips on how they operate and how they handle their first few years and how you can stay married while being a u.s. senator. i remember it fondly because

mitt romney was sitting in the front row taking notes diligently and i thought maybe he didn't need our advice on this. but tom and jill are just an incredible couple in a town where it's not always easy to keep such a strong, beautiful relationship. so i want to thank senator udall for his work on behalf of his state, the beautiful state of new mexico, and thank the state for sharing their extraordinary senator with the nation for so many years. senator udall, thank you for your service. and i know there is more to come. senator roberts. my colleague senator pat roberts, as we know, is the longest serving member of congress in kansas history. he leaves the senate as a giant in his home state and a true champion for the people of kansas. in his words he's a kansan through and through. born in topeka earning his

journalism degree from kansas state and representing kansas for 16 years in the house and 22 years in the senate. i serve on the agriculture committee, and he has been my chairman. and i have been proud to serve with him as a fellow farm state senator where he has been a champion for the breadbasket of america as kansas is known. he has also worked tirelessly to honor those legendary kansans who came before him. earlier this year senator roberts was there to cut the dedication at the eisenhower memorial, a monument he has been devoted to as chairman of the eisenhower memorial commission. he is one of the few members of congress who can actually say he met president eisenhower. at the dedication senator roberts remarked that eisenhower understood one person's ably to chart his or her course and

change the course of the world. that is something that senator roberts has done, often in a quiet manner. i have really admired the way he worked across the aisle with senator stabenow every day, they didn't always agree on everything but they found common ground. i got to work with him on a number of issues, ensuring that our wheat growers would get relief during the cares program and making sure that farmers would be able to acquire equipment and protecting science and research. when i think about the legacy that chairman roberts will leave, i think about the investments in science and research through the creation of the food and agriculture research and the national bioand agriculture -- bioagriculture facility. it will help today's farmers and ranchers tackle the many challenges that they face.

he's also been cochair of the senate rural health caucus, working to ensure quality health care, not just in urban areas where it is so important but also in urban areas. we both come from families of newspaper men. senator roberts' great-grandfather, jay w. roberts founded the second oldest newspaper in kansas and my dad started at a minneapolis paper as a sports reporter where his main beat was the minnesota vikings. maybe the things that we have in common stop there, but certainly that newspaper background is something that we have talked about and shared. i will miss senator roberts' humor and i will miss his good work and look forward to continuing to work with senator stabenow and senator boozman as leaders of the agriculture committee. next, senator alexander. senator alexander has served the people of tennessee for more

combined years as governor and senator than anyone else from their state. with both senator roberts and senator alexander, we will be missing people who bring to this place a long sense of commitment and service to our government. senator alexander worked to find consensus on the issues that mattered most like education, health care, mental health and addiction. i saw him work day by day with senator patty murray. they were able to pass so many bills to show this chamber that, in fact, you can get little things done, yes, but you can also get big things done, including the changes that they made that were long needed to no child left behind, included the changes that they had done when it comes to health care. as he gave advice to his successor, incoming senator big

haggart said it is hard to get here, it is hard to stay here and while you are here, you might as well try to accomplish good for the country. like his many mcallen clip -- his many clips and many things he has shared with me for advice, running for president, didn't work out for either of us, but you could tell the love he brought to the people of this country and the people of his state and how he talked about them and how he approached his work. as a former secretary of education under president george h.w. bush, president of the university of tennessee and chairman of the health, education, labor and pension, senator alexander, we know, has worked tirelessly to ensure that every child can succeed. in addition to the work i just mentioned that he did with the every student succeeds act and the work he did on the carl d.

perkins career and technical education act, he's also led legislation to help people in their youngest years as well as their senior year. i appreciated especially the work that he did on alzheimer's and making sure that we continue to invest in our science and education. one little fact you may not know in all of the tributes that have come out about senator alexander and i was here for his speech was that for every summer for 25 years he and his wife and children have gone to the boundary waters to canoe and fish in minnesota, very close to where my dad grew up. in fact, the town that's a gateway to the boundary waters in eli, minnesota. something that way back when senator alexander was going there for the first few years, my dad was writing about for the newspaper in an effort to make sure that we kept the boundary waters protected.

i certainly hope that senator alexander continues to spend time there and enjoy our lands and help the work that he has done which he has seen, the great american outdoors act, and see it first hand. we know that his red and black flannel shirt will be welcomed in minnesota. it's something we see everywhere in northern minnesota and throughout our state and we hope to see him back soon. next, my friend senator enzi. true collegiality and come -- camaraderie has sometimes been hard to come by in washington in the past few years, when i think about someone who never let's the temperature rise, who is always trying to find that common ground and as i have heard him say and heard him say many times before his closing speech here is that in his words, i always believe we could agree on 80% of the issues and

on 80% of each issue and that if we focus on the 80%, we can do great things for the american people. i remember him saying that when he would work with ted kennedy and their genuine friendship and i remember he said that many times to me as we worked on bills together. one of the first bills that i worked on a few years coming in here was with senator enzi and it was with our par medics and using the information they gained in the iran conflicts, making sure that they could use that experience and use it in our own country because we had a shortage, we still do and we wanted to respect that. so many small towns where they would have to travel to get the final degree that they needed to be able to continue working as a paramedic and mike and i wanted

to make sure that the experience they had serving our country would be put to good use and allow them to get degrees faster. i was fortunate to work with mike on trying to work on new cuba policy. he was willing to work with me on that and was one of my cosponsors to lift the embargo. i hope that it will get done in his honor as he understood the way to get to democratic change in cuba is by enhancing our relationship and that the cuban people did not necessarily share the same views and many of them do not of their government and so many people in cuba love america and that it was very important for us to improve that relationship. as chair of the budget committee and one of only two accountants in the senate, senator enzi has also been dedicated to addressing our deficit and debt challenges. he has lorng urged the -- long

urged the federal government to move to biannual budgeting, something that i support as well and something that my friend jeanne shaheen has been working with him on. senator enzi has a lot of smart proposal that's he has put forward -- proposals that he has put forward. i will remember mostly his spirit that we see at the prayer breakfast and of course he can come back to that as a former member and of course the work he did at the senate and how he would genuinely try to find common ground. i told him how much i loved his state having biked from -- from minnesota to jacksonville and how my husband and i in the middle of the pandemic, we decided to drive somewhere this summer, we drove to women and hiked in the tetons.

i hope him all the best in his retirement. senator gardner. senator gardner and i served together on the commerce committee. throughout his tenure as a member of congress, he has been a champion of public lands and, of course, with the beautiful, beautiful national parks in colorado. i think you couldn't be doing your job for your state it -- state if you weren't such a leader on lands. he has worked tirelessly to pass the very important great american outdoors act which invests in our commitment to ensure that our trails, public lands, parks and open spaces remain protected and accessible for generations while also permanently funding the land and water conservation fund. i was proud to cosponsor this legislation which, as you all know, was signed into law in august. we've also worked together on

the commerce committee on travel and tourism hit especially hard during this pandemic. he may have a little bigger ski hills than we have in minnesota, maybe some higher mountains than we have, but we both share not only a love for the outdoors but also an understanding of how much tourism contributes to our economy. together we worked, along with senator blunt and senator cortez masto to organize the brand u.s.a. bill. it has a total impact of nearly $48 billion by allowing our country to pair up with the private sector to reach out to visitors to get them to come to america, whether it is the rocky mountains in colorado or the mall of america in bloomington, minnesota. last year brand u.s.a. generated

$1.4 billion in incremental visitor spending resulting in a return on investment of 32 to 1. i have fond memories of getting to know senator gardner and his wife at the last inauguration at the lunch, which i'll just share not every detail, but let's say it was a memorable lunch that we had and then also we one time got to do a humor speech together when there was a last-minute cancellation and i had three hours to fill in for the winter gridiron dinner and senator gardner did not find out until i got there and had to quickly change his jokes from senator warner to me which the joke about billionaires didn't really fit for my fiscal situation of millionaires and

senator gardner was great and we had a lot of fun that night as well. so we're going to miss him and miss all these senators. and one of the reasons i wanted to do this all at once was that i think we have to remember that this senate and this institution is bigger than ourselves. that people do come and go and they all make their mark and you don't necessarily remember everyone's names and -- nor does everyone in your state of who is there late at night either passing the great outdoors act or who's the one willing to work with a freshman democratic senator to get a bill passed on paramedics or to be willing to take that -- that little bit of a risk and work on some issues that maybe aren't popular in your own political party and all of these senators in their own way have shown that courage, whether it's doug jones giving his first speech on gun safety, whether it is senator tom udall

who had a decision to make and what he knew would be his last two years, was he going to be the ranking member of the rules committee or the indian affairs committee and he chose indian affairs because he knew that that mattered and that this was a group of people that had been so long overlooked and he was going to spend his last two years hechg them. -- helping them. so i will miss all of these senators and i just know that they know that their work will live on but it's just a reminder to all of us that maybe 1 -- in 100 years they won't remember who we are, but people will be benefiting from generations to come from their work. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate previous order, the senate

>> the u.s. senate has recess for the weekly party lunch meetings. they have been working on the judicial nominee to replace now joseph amy coney barrett on the u.s. appeals court seventh circuit. a couple of major pieces of legislation are pending this week. also a covid-19 relief package issues they will likely be talking about dreams of lunch meetings. live coverage when senators return at 2:15 2:15 p.m. easten today here on c-span2. >> the food and drug administration meets in open session to approve moderna vaccine for covid-19's. live coverage thursday at 9 a.m. eastern on c-span3. stream live and on-demand@c-span.org on-demandt c-span.org or listen on the free c-span radio app.

>> with coronavirus cases increasing across the country use our website c-span.org/coronavirus to follow the trends, track the spread with interactive maps and watch updates on demand any time at c-span.org/coronavirus. >> and the hhs secretary alex azar and u.s. surgeon general jerome adams discuss the pfizer biotech vaccine at george washington university hospital in washington, d.c. before several doctors and nurses receive their first doses. >> i'm sure they will let -- >> are we ready to go? okay. good afternoon, everyone and thank you for joiningno us. myam