Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S. 1147, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the Cornyn substitute amendment at the desk be considered and 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 555, S. Res. 556, S. Res. 557, and S. Res. 558.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to; that the preambles, where applicable, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table all en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 12 noon on Saturday, February 10; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; and that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 30, H.R. 815.

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

Mr. President, we are going to have a cloture vote now, and I am hopeful we can move forward on this bill.

I ask for regular order.

cloture motion

Mr. President, it is a very good thing that the Senate has just voted to proceed to the national security supplemental. This is a good first step. This bill is essential for our national security; for the security of our friends in Ukraine, in Israel; for humanitarian aid for innocent civilians in Gaza; and for Taiwan. The bill also strengthens our military at a time when they need it most. Failure to pass this bill would only embolden autocrats like Putin and Xi, who want nothing more than America's decline. Now that we are on the bill, we hope to reach an agreement with our Republican colleagues on amendments.

Democrats have always been clear that we support having a fair and reasonable amendment process. During my time as majority leader, I have presided over more amendment votes than the Senate held in all 4 years of the previous administration.

For the information of Senators, we are going to keep working on this bill until the job is done.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, it is a very good thing that today the Senate cleared the first procedural hurdle to pass the national security supplemental.

For the information of Senators, the Senate will convene tomorrow at 12 noon to resume postcloture debate on the motion to proceed. If no agreement is reached, the Senate will vote on the motion to proceed at approximately 7 p.m. tomorrow evening.

As I said this morning, we still hope to reach an agreement with our Republican colleagues on amendments. Democrats have always been clear that we support having a fair and reasonable amendment process. Nevertheless, the Senate will keep working on this bill until the job is done.

Now, Mr. President, on a few more procedural matters, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 482, Jeffrey Prescott, of the District of Columbia, to be U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, with the rank of Ambassador; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of

the Senate's action; and that the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 46, S. 709.

I further ask that the committee-reported 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 548, S. Res. 549, S. Res. 550, S. Res. 551, and S. Res. 552.

Mr. President, this resolution concerns a request for evidence in a criminal action pending in State district court in Lansing, MI. In this case, 15 defendants are charged with multiple felony counts relating to a certificate of votes for President and Vice President submitted by an unofficial, alternate slate of electors from Michigan in connection with the 2020 Presidential election. The first preliminary hearing, which began in December 2023, is set to resume on February 13, 2024, with additional preliminary hearing and trial dates to be scheduled thereafter.

The prosecution in this case has requested testimony from Daniel Schwager, formerly counsel to the Secretary of the Senate, concerning his knowledge and observations of how electoral ballots are received and processed in the Senate, and the process and constitutional and legal bases for Congress's counting of the Electoral College votes. Senate Secretary Berry would like to cooperate with this request by providing relevant testimony at the preliminary hearings and trial from Mr. Schwager.

In keeping with the rules and practices of the Senate, the enclosed resolution would authorize the production of relevant testimony from Mr. Schwager, with representation by the Senate legal counsel.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 553, which is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that 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 have nine 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:

Finally, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 553 until 12 noon on Friday, February 9; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 30, H.R. 815, postcloture; further, that all time during adjournment, recess, leader remarks, and morning business count postcloture.

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

First, happy birthday, Mr. President. Have a good one. I hope we all have a good one today.

All right. Today, Mr. President, Senators face a decision several months in the making: Will Senate Republicans vote to start debate-- just a debate--on bipartisan legislation to strengthen America's security, stand with Ukraine, and fix our border or will they cower to Donald Trump's orders to kill this bill? Will the Senate stand up to brutish thugs like Vladimir Putin and reassure our friends abroad that America will never abandon them in their hour of need? Will Republicans take ``yes'' for an answer and seize the best opportunity--the best opportunity--that Congress has seen in decades to secure our border? This is the choice Republicans face today. They can either choose what is good for the country's national interest or they can choose what is good, at least in their minds, for Donald Trump.

I have always believed the Senate works best when we take the bipartisan path. Not everything is perfect in this bill, but I see it as my job to let bipartisanship take hold whenever possible, and this bill reflects that. But all week long, Senate Republicans have looked more and more like their House counterparts and transformed themselves into the chaos caucus. Republicans have said they can't pass Ukraine without border. Now they say they can't pass Ukraine with border. So, today, I am giving them a choice. They can show America where they stand and what they stand for. Which way will it be?

Today, I have laid out both options for Republicans to do the right thing. Democrats certainly want to fix the border. It is extremely important, and we have shown our willingness time and time again to take big steps to secure the border, but we will move forward today with either option.

First, I have scheduled a vote on the supplemental that includes strong bipartisan border reforms that Republicans have demanded for months. Negotiators on both sides worked themselves to the bone putting this border package together. I was heavily involved. I saw the work-- the blood, the sweat, the tears--that went into it. Why did we do it? Because that is what Republicans wanted. They said: Can't do Ukraine, can't do Israel, can't do humanitarian aid without border.

I made sure negotiators had enough time to do their work. I gave them the space to keep going, even when it seemed like a deal was out of reach, because, again, Democrats want to secure the border because it is extremely important. It is urgent. It can't wait. We must act. We are ready to move forward on this bill now.

Today, when we vote, it will be clear as day who is serious about fixing the border and who is not. I urge Republicans to take ``yes'' for an answer.

If Republicans block this national security package with border legislation that they demanded, later today, I will give them the opportunity to move forward with a package without border reforms. This package will otherwise be largely the same. It will have strong funding for Ukraine, funding for Israel, help for innocent civilians in Gaza, and funding to the Indo-Pacific.

The legislation on the floor today is one of the most important security packages the Senate has considered in a very long time. So the onus is on Senate Republicans to finally take ``yes'' for an answer.

It would be an embarrassment for our country--an absolute nightmare for the Republican Party--if they reject national security funding twice in one day. Today is the day for Republicans to do the right thing when it comes to our national security.

Now, it must be----

No, I will not.

Not now. I am in the middle of my speech.

Now, Mr. President, it must be said that the 180-turn Republicans have done on border is one of the most stunning things I have seen Congress in a long, long time do. The damage Republicans have done this week to their credibility cannot be understated.

After all, how many times have we heard our Republicans colleagues give speeches here on the floor about the emergency at the border? How many times have we heard Republicans say, year after year, that Congress must act, that legislation is the only long-term solution? They have said that: Legislation is the way we have to go.

How many times have we seen Republicans take field trips down to the border, like Eagle Pass or Laredo, and take pictures with the fence towering behind them, while bemoaning that the problem at the border is only getting worse?

Apparently, that was all for show. Apparently, Republicans aren't actually serious about fixing the border, because you cannot--you cannot--claim to be serious about fixing the border while voting against the kind of border package we have before us today. You cannot claim to truly care about fixing asylum if you are going to vote against the biggest updates to asylum law in decades.

You cannot claim to care about our Border Patrol agents while depriving them of the very tools and funding they are asking for. Remember, the union of Border Patrol agents--a very conservative, almost always pro-Republican group--wants us to pass this bill.

Why are we doing all of this? Why are they going to kill, in one fell swoop, this agreement that has taken months to piece together?

The answer--why are the Republicans doing all of this? Why have they backed off on border when they know it is the right thing to do? Two words: Donald Trump.

Donald Trump doesn't like that the Senate finally reached a real bipartisan border deal. So he has demanded Republicans kill it. Let me say that again because it is as plain as could be. Donald Trump doesn't like that the Senate finally reached a bipartisan border deal. So he has demanded Republicans kill it. He thinks it is far better to keep the border in chaos so he can exploit it for personal political great gains.

Senate Republicans--vertebrae nowhere to be found--are ready to blunder away our best chance of fixing the border in order to elevate what they see as the interests of Donald Trump above the interests of the country.

I expected this kind of cynical nonsense from the far-right House MAGA Republicans, but it is shameful and embarrassing to see MAGA radicalism take hold here in the Senate.

No matter how today shapes out, I hope Republicans end up doing the right thing when it comes to national security, before the day is done, and agree to move forward on those things they do support, because if there is one other person besides Donald Trump who is rooting for chaos in the Senate, it is Vladimir Putin.

If we fail in this moment, if we abandon our friends in Ukraine to Vladimir Putin, history will cast a shameful and permanent shadow on Senators who block funding. It is a matter of the highest national urgency that we get this right.

Remember what Putin said 2 months ago about American aid to Ukraine:

[T]he free stuff is going to run out some day, and it seems

it already has.

That is Vladimir Putin taunting the Senate, taunting America. We have a chance today to make him regret those words.

Republicans of decades past would have never hesitated to support funding for nations like Ukraine. In previous generations, both parties would have bent Heaven and Earth to stand up to Russian dictators. I can hear Ronald Reagan giving a speech passionately asking the Senate to vote for aid to Ukraine. We spent half a century safeguarding the free world against the malicious spread of communism, against tyranny, against those who have tried to undermine our values.

Those very same issues--of Western democracy, of the sovereignty of free nations, of the safety of our troops and our citizens--are on the line yet again in the 21st century. They are the very things that stitch this supplemental together. It is why we are here with this bill before us in the first place.

There is only one right answer for the Senate today to address the great challenges we face. There is only one path forward to fulfill our obligations to the American people. There is only one way Senators-- Democrats and Republicans, both sides of the aisle--should vote today, and that is for us to move forward on the package of national security.

I yield the floor.

No questions.

First, I thank the Senator from Arizona for her strong, courageous, and heartfelt words.

Now, briefly, Madam President, Senators have a chance to show precisely where they stand: Are they for border security or are they not?

The choice is plain and simple, and this vote will show precisely who is serious about securing the border and who is not.

We hope our Republican colleagues, so many of whom know this is the right thing to do, will not bend to the wishes of Donald Trump, who only wants chaos.

Unanimous Consent Agreement

Now, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion on the motion to proceed to H.R. 815 be waived.

Madam President, I move to reconsider the vote whereby cloture was not invoked on the motion to proceed to H.R. 815, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Vote on Motion

Madam President, we have just finished the vote on the motion to reconsider. We will recess until tomorrow and give our Republican colleagues the night to figure themselves out. We will be coming back tomorrow at noon, and, hopefully, that will give the Republicans the time they need. We will have this vote tomorrow.

Now, I move the Senate stand in recess until 12 noon on Thursday, February 8, 2024.

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