Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I am proud to come to the floor today to stand with my good friend and a great leader on this issue, Senator Martin Heinrich, on a matter of life and death.

A few days ago, the MAGA Supreme Court struck once again, reversing a ban on dangerous bump stocks like the one used in the Las Vegas shooting--the deadliest mass shooting ever committed by one person.

Today, the Senate must step into the breach and pass a Federal ban on bump stocks, which Senator Heinrich has championed. I urge Republicans not to block this commonsense safety measure.

Banning bump stocks should be the work of 5 minutes. It is an idea that even some conservative Senators have claimed to support in the past. One conservative colleague of mine on the Republican side said a while ago that if a bump stock ban ``actually gets on the Senator floor, I'd vote for it.''

The senior Senator from South Carolina also said:

I think doing away with bump stocks, that's achievable. . .

. I'm willing to get rid of that.

Senate Republicans even supported Donald Trump when he, hardly a friend of gun safety, backed bump stocks after the Las Vegas shooting. If banning bump stocks was good enough for Republicans in the past, it should be good enough for them today.

But if Republicans block this bill today after claiming to support bump stock bans in years past--a ban even President Trump supported when he was President--shame on them. They would be siding with the gun lobby over families exasperated by gun violence.

Mr. President, it is amazing to me that the MAGA Supreme Court even went to the right of Donald Trump on this issue. It is surprising, appalling, and very, very hard to swallow that they would have this kind of reasoning.

If Republicans now believe a ban on bump stocks is simply too much, they should explain their change of heart to the families in Nevada who lost loved ones. If Republicans block this bill today after claiming to support bump stock bans in years past, shame on them. Republicans should explain to parents and teachers and students why they would rather make it easier for murderers to access dangerous weapons instead of making it harder. It is not enough for Republicans to roll their eyes and dismiss this bump stock vote as a show vote. Tell that to the families who lost loved ones.

I urge Republicans not to object. Americans are sick of gun violence. They are especially sick of lawmakers who obey the gun lobby and kill any effort to make our communities safer.

I want to thank my friend and great leader in the Senate Martin Heinrich on this and so many other issues,

whether it is conservation or environment or protecting the rights of people or just helping New Mexico in every way, as he is now vowing to help them with the fires that are ravaging in his State. The Senator from New Mexico is one of our great leaders here, and I am so proud to yield to him to make the unanimous consent request.

Mr. President, first, let me thank Senator Peters, Senator Whitehouse, and so many others for their great work on this.

Today, the Senate does a great thing for our firefighters in New York and across America by passing the bipartisan Fire Grants and Safety Act. The Fire Grants and Safety Act reauthorizes several expiring funding programs that help firefighters with the basics, from staffing to equipment, to training, and more. I was very proud to help create these programs a long time ago with Senator Chris Dodd, but they would have expired in a few months had we not acted today. Today's bill keeps our firefighters whole.

This helps two kinds of firefighters. It helps our paid firefighters in larger cities by giving the ability of those communities to hire more firefighters, but it also particularly helps our volunteer firefighters. These are people who volunteer, who rush to danger in suburban and rural communities. They are particularly strong on Long Island, which I represent. Yet they can't afford and their communities can't afford the equipment that is so desperately needed. They are rushing to danger, risking their lives. They ought to have the best equipment, and these grants allow that to happen. It is so important to our volunteer firefighters in New York, particularly on Long Island, and for our paid departments in New York City, Albany, Buffalo, and across New York State. The ability to get more firefighters to help them so they are not overstretched and help communities pay for them is so important.

I am also glad that today's bill includes the ADVANCE Act, which secures America's leadership in the next generation of clean, safe, and affordable nuclear energy. Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and Sheldon Whitehouse, who sponsored the legislation, have done a great job. It is going to support job growth, clean energy, and American leadership, while preserving the NRC's fundamental mission of safety.

This is a great bill. I am sorry it took so long. The House dithered after we passed it. But now our firefighters, both paid and volunteer, can breathe a sigh of relief. This is going to happen very, very soon, and it will go to the White House and be signed into law.

I yield the floor.

Vote on Motion to Concur

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume executive session and resume consideration of the Maldonado nomination.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 671 through 699 and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, I have seven requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 20; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Maldonado nomination; further, that the cloture motion with respect to the Maldonado nomination ripen at 1:45 p.m.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Madam President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Madam President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading.

In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to further proceeding.

Madam President, a few moments ago, I took the first procedural step to place on the legislative calendar the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, sponsored by Senator Murray and myself and cosponsored by all the women Senators on our side. This measure affirms a woman's fundamental right to choose and calls for enshrining the protections of Roe v. Wade into law, as most Americans say they want.

I thank Senator Murray and all of my colleagues who cosponsored the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, and I will work to bring it to the floor.

We are only halfway through June, but it has already been a dismal month for MAGA Republicans and their attacks on reproductive freedoms. In the last 2 weeks, Senate Republicans have shown that, for all their attempts to sound moderate on reproductive freedom, when it comes time to vote, they are falling in line with MAGA extremists.

This month, Senate Republicans have already blocked legislation protecting commonsense reproductive care, like contraception and IVF, as the Acting President pro tempore knows well. House Republicans, meanwhile, voted overwhelmingly on Friday to pass the Defense funding bill, with hard-right poison pills restricting access to reproductive care for our servicemembers.

And Donald Trump, while speaking to Republicans on Capitol Hill last week, once again attacked the decision of Roe and said abortion should be left to the States, even if States pass terrible restrictions on women's freedoms, as is happening all over the country.

Republicans cannot escape a simple reality: Their record on women's healthcare is dangerously out of step with the views of most Americans. Poll after poll affirms that a majority of Americans disapproved of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe.

So I will say it again: So many Senate Republicans and so many House Republicans will try to talk like moderates on reproductive freedoms, but their own record is irrefutably against them. And when it comes time to vote, they vote against women and reproductive freedoms over and over again. The American people know that when it comes to protecting their fundamental freedoms, actions speak louder than words.

Republicans can't claim to be pro-contraception but then block Federal protections for contraception. But that is just what they did a few weeks ago.

Republicans can't also claim to be pro-family but then block Federal protections for IVF. But, once again, that is just what they did a few days ago.

Remember, Donald Trump, to this day, continues to brag about his role in eliminating Roe, aided by Republicans in this Chamber who voted to confirm not one, not two, but three hard-right Supreme Court Justices with the goal of overturning Roe.

Make no mistake. The MAGA extremists aren't done. If they get the chance, they will push for their ultimate goal of a national abortion ban.

Many Republicans say a national abortion ban is plain old fearmongering. But, remember, these same Republicans weren't even able to stand up to the MAGA right long enough to support a simple IVF bill. Do we really trust them to resist the MAGA right when it pushes a national abortion ban? Of course, not.

With November fast approaching, Republicans continue to show the American people where they really are: with MAGA extremists and not with the majority of America. That is what Republican Senators and House Members are doing.

Madam President, now on bump stocks, last Friday, the MAGA Supreme Court struck once again, saying the Federal Government cannot prohibit the use of bump stocks--the accessory responsible for the deadliest shooting in American history.

Nearly 7 years ago, a lone shooter fired over 1,000 rounds in just 10 minutes upon a crowd of concertgoers in Las Vegas. Sixty innocent people were murdered; another 850 were injured. This was all possible because the shooter modified his rifles to function, essentially, as machine guns. The ATF under the Trump administration--under the Trump administration--banned the use of these accessories shortly after the Las Vegas shooting.

Yet on Friday, the MAGA Court reached the incredible conclusion that weapons modified to act like machine guns, to fire bullets at almost the same rate as machine guns, and in which, in Judge Alito's own admission, do not show ``any material difference'' with machine guns are somehow not machine guns, which have been banned for a very long time, since the 1930s.

Friday's ruling is yet another warning that this MAGA Court is going off the deep end, aligning itself more and more with the most extreme elements of the hard right. They have struck down freedom of choice, environmental protections, affirmative action, fair redistricting, gun safety, and more. The MAGA Supreme Court is now even further to the right of Donald Trump, who is very hard right himself.

So this week, the Senate will step in to try and fix the chaos the MAGA Court just unleashed. As soon as tomorrow, Democrats will seek passage of a Federal ban on bump stocks. I urge my Republican colleagues not to block Senator Heinrich when he comes to the floor. He is the author of the bill banning bump stocks and leading the charge to get it passed quickly.

Passing a bill banning bump stocks should be the work of 5 minutes. Most Americans support this step. Poll after poll show that a majority of people, including Independents, support restrictions on AR-15-style rifles, which is what bump stocks are designed to emulate.

I understand that the issue of gun safety provokes intense disagreement in Congress, but shouldn't we all agree that preventing another tragedy like Las Vegas is just plain common sense and a good thing? Banning bump stocks would go a long way to making it harder for murderers to carry out large shootings. So I hope our Republican colleagues join us.

Two years ago this month, Democrats and Republicans showed America that even something as controversial as gun safety can get passed when both sides are willing to work in good faith. I was very proud, as majority leader, and so proud of Members like Senator Murphy and Senator Sinema who worked hard on passing this legislation.

Democrats are ready to pass gun safety once again, as soon as tomorrow. The question is, Will Republicans join us? Will Republicans join us to prevent another tragedy like Las Vegas and vote to ban deadly bump stocks?

Republicans were supportive of banning bump stocks when the Trump administration took this step, so they should support it tomorrow.

Will Republicans stand up to the gun lobby and side with parents and teachers and law enforcement who worry about violence striking their communities without warning?

Will Senate Republicans resist the pull of MAGA extremism and embrace bipartisanship so once again we can keep people safe?

I hope the answer is yes. I hope we can repeat the success of 2 years ago when we passed the first major gun safety bill in 30 years since I led the passage of the Brady bill in Congress. I was a Congressman then.

We have a long way to go to cure America's disease of gun violence. Today, you don't need to show people the statistics. Americans know violence is disgustingly unacceptable. They can feel it in their bones. They are worried about where they go. They go into public spaces and instinctively look for exits. Sometimes just a loud noise can frighten people in public.

And now this MAGA Court has undone the ban on bump stocks that will make it easier for deranged individuals to turn their weapons into near machine guns.

If my Republican colleagues want to do the right thing for the country, the answer is very simple: Join us--every one of you--to ban bump stocks so that we never see the kind of carnage we saw in Las Vegas NV, ever, ever again.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 597.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion filed today, June 17, be waived.

I yield the floor.

I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) are necessarily absent.