Floor Statements

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 590.

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

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, May 23, be waived.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 653 through 665 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 action.

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

Madam President, I have three 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:

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2365 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, a few moments ago, the Senate unanimously passed the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, a bill that for the first time marshals Agencies across the government to tackle this disease--this awful disease--in a comprehensive way.

I thank Senators Murphy and Capito and everyone who championed this bill. Parkinson's is truly a terrible illness. It has taken an awful toll on my own family. My mom suffers from this disease. It is very hard on us. I know Parkinson's has affected the families of others in this Chamber as well as over a million Americans in this country.

This bill, for the first time, will unite the government in an effort to find a cure for this disease once and for all by promoting better Parkinson's research, encourage more effective treatments and other measures. With this bill, we are taking one step closer to bringing this awful disease to an end, and I thank everyone who made it possible.

I also, in particular, wish to thank Representative Jennifer Wexton, of Virginia, who spent months championing this bill even after being diagnosed with a particularly rare form of Parkinson's. She is an inspiration. While many would have been discouraged and lost hope with a disease like this, she has endured. She has used her

struggle to help others. Now the bill goes to the President's desk.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 367, S. 138.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that

the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 706, submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 707, which is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 708, which was submitted earlier today.

I know of no further debate on the resolution.

I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

I yield the floor.

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

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 397, S. 4361.

Mr. President, I would like to begin with a few words about Donald Trump's dangerous post last night on Truth Social. What Donald Trump said, falsely suggesting his political opponents are out to kill him, is beyond the pale and is the stuff that leads to political violence. Donald Trump seems to have no consideration for the sanctity and peacefulness and further functioning of our democracy.

Everyone who was here on January 6 should immediately see what he is doing--what Donald Trump is doing--using conspiracy theories to spin the hard right into a frenzy, and it is despicable for Members of Congress to spread Donald Trump's lies. This is how people get killed, how the seeds of political violence are sowed, and how people lose faith in this democracy. Donald Trump has no regard for that. He would basically rip up parts of our democracy for what he thinks is his own personal gain.

Let's speak truthfully. What the FBI did was follow standard practice. They worked with the Secret Service at Mar-a-Lago ahead of time to coordinate how to carry out a search warrant. Donald Trump wasn't even in Florida but instead in New Jersey on the day of the search.

So this idea that his political opponents are out to kill him is absurd. Every single Member of the House and Senate, Democrat and Republican, should condemn Donald Trump's outlandish and dangerous statement. It

should be the easiest thing they do today.

If words like Donald Trump's are not fiercely condemned, we are only begging for something far worse to happen to our democracy down the line. We cannot let this man, Donald Trump, or anybody else throw these kinds of matches to light flames that could burn our democracy. It is just horrible. I can't believe that someone would do something like that.

Mr. President, now on judges, a much better note, today, the Senate reaches a significant milestone: 200 judges confirmed to lifetime appointments under President Biden and this very proud Democratic majority: 200 judges who are restoring balance in excellence to our courts, 200 judges who are increasing the diversity and dynamism of our judiciary, 200 judges who are committed to applying the law fairly, impartially, equally. Of those 200 judges--I am so proud--127 are women; 125 are people of color, both traditionally underrepresented demographics on the bench. We are making our courts look more like America. It is not just going to be male White partners in fancy law firms. It is much more diverse, and the bench is better for it. It is something we can all be proud of.

Mr. President, 127 women, 125 people of color, over twice as many women, and more than three times as many people of color have been confirmed under the last administration. We have confirmed more Black judges, more Latino judges, more Asian-American judges. We confirmed the first Muslim-American man and woman on the bench, the first Navajo Federal judge, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, of course, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

We have confirmed more judges who have served as public defenders and civil rights lawyers and consumer lawyers and immigration lawyers and labor lawyers; again, not just partners of big law firms. We have confirmed more judges, in other words, who embody the very ideal of America, a place where the rule of law is protected, where the rights of all are honored, and where everyone--everyone--gets a fair shake.

I commend Chairman Durbin. I commend the Judiciary Committee for their great work processing judges in and out of our committee. I commend President Biden for nominating so many of these people and working with our Senate colleagues as to who would be best from their States and regions.

Senate Democrats are very proud of our record. We are proud of our judges, and we will keep going.