Floor Statements

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

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 223.

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

Finally, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, November 27, be waived.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 248,

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, today, President Biden will meet face to face with President Xi Jinping during the APEC summit in San Francisco. One month ago, President Xi said during our bipartisan codel that there are at least ``a thousand reasons'' for China and the United States to have a good relationship. Today, President Xi has the chance to show he is serious on at least a couple of those reasons.

Above all, I look forward to President Biden following up on our codel conversation with President Xi in order to get serious on combating the spread of fentanyl. Fentanyl was one of the biggest issues we raised with President Xi during our bipartisan codel, and I related to Jake Sullivan earlier this week that the President should be strong on this issue during this meeting.

One specific issue we raised was for Chinese law enforcement to coordinate with U.S. law enforcement and enforce laws already on the books to stop the sale of precursor chemicals that go into the making of fentanyl.

Let's be clear. Fentanyl is an American crisis with roots, in large part, in China, where large chemical companies openly sell precursor chemicals to buyers in places like Mexico, where it is manufactured by gangs into fentanyl and then sold in the United States.

When my colleagues and I met with President Xi a month ago, we were blunt on how fentanyl was devastating our communities and that China must recognize its role in combating this crisis. I told President Xi that China taking steps to crack down on the sale of precursor chemicals would be a great, great deal for them. The benefit they would see in the boost in American goodwill would far more than outweigh the tiny cost on their economy. Any good businessman would see that this would be a great trade.

President Xi seemed receptive to our concerns, and I believe that there is a

good chance we will get some good news coming out of today's meeting. So I thank President Biden for his leadership as he meets with Xi for the second time in office. It was our experience that President Xi was responsive when we spoke candidly with specifics. I know President Biden will do the same today.

Mr. President, we reached an agreement here, which I will get to in a second. I just want to say a brief word about the vote that just happened.

I am very glad that this CRA was defeated. There are millions of students--poor, working class, some middle class, almost none wealthy-- who benefit from what the President has done. The very poor people, they don't have to pay student loans. For most of the rest who are working class and middle class, they pay about half of what they did. It really is a change to help our young people. It is a good thing. It is a good thing.

I want to say that I am very glad that this Chamber had the good sense to defeat it, because I don't understand my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who believe in ``we can cut taxes for the very wealthy and decrease the deficit, but not help students with the big loan burdens on their shoulders.'' But that is how it is.

President Biden has been really careful about doing this. I believe it will be approved in the courts.

And, now, the 25.5 million students who have benefited from this and millions more will continue. So this is a real victory for our young people and for the future of America, so kids can afford to go to college and then have decent lives, not burdened by huge amounts of student debt after they graduate.

Now, the good news is--that was good news, at least in my opinion. This is probably good news in many of our opinions, on both sides of the aisle, that we have an agreement.

Unanimous Consent Agreement--H.R. 6363

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 248, H.R. 6363, be withdrawn and that the motion to proceed be agreed to; further, that the only amendment in order to H.R. 6363 be the Paul amendment, No. 1366; that there be up to 15 minutes for debate equally divided; that upon the use or yielding back of the time, the Senate vote on or in relation to the amendment; that upon disposition of the amendment, there be up to 30 minutes for debate equally divided; that upon the use or yielding back of the time, the bill be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill as amended, if amended, with 60 affirmative votes required for passage, without further intervening action or debate, and with 2 minutes for debate equally divided prior to each vote.

Unanimous Consent Agreement--H.R. 2670

Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that following the disposition of H.R. 6363, the Chair lay before the Senate the message with respect to H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act, which was received from the House; that the leader or his designee then be recognized to make the compound motion under rule XXVIII; that the Senate insist upon its amendment, agree to the conference with the House, authorize the Presiding Officer to appoint conferees with the ratio of conferees being 13 to 12; further, that if the compound motion is agreed to, it be in order for the following Senators or their designees to offer motions to instruct, which are at the desk: Klobuchar, Rubio, Hickenlooper, Blackburn, Lankford, Lummis, Cramer, Moran, Ernst, Hagerty, Braun, and Manchin; finally, that the Democratic conferees be Senators Reed, Shaheen, Gillibrand, Blumenthal, Hirono, Kaine, King, Warren, Peters, Manchin, Duckworth, Rosen, and Kelly; and that the Republican conferees be Senators Wicker, Fischer, Cotton, Rounds, Ernst, Sullivan, Cramer, Scott of Florida, Tuberville, Mullin, Budd, and Schmitt.

Madam President, I have good news for the American people: This Friday night, there will be no government shutdown. Because of bipartisan cooperation, we are keeping the government open without any poison pills or harmful cuts to vital programs--a great outcome for the American people.

I am pleased that Speaker Johnson realized he needed Democratic votes to avoid a shutdown. If the Speaker is willing to work with Democrats and resist the siren's song of the hard right in the House, then we can avoid shutdowns in the future and finish the work of funding the government.

Today's CR is a good first step and a very good omen for the future. I hope we see more bipartisanship down the line.

Every time I have gotten on the phone with the Speaker, I have stressed we need bipartisanship if we want to finish the appropriations process. I hope the new Speaker continues to choose the bipartisan approach as he commendably has in his first foray.

Now, keeping the government open is a good outcome, but we have a lot more to do after Thanksgiving. We must finish passing President Biden's emergency supplemental with aid to Israel, Ukraine, humanitarian assistance for innocent civilians in Gaza, and funds for the Indo- Pacific. We will keep working with Leader McConnell on a way forward.

I know that both sides genuinely care about providing aid to Israel and Ukraine and helping innocent civilians in Gaza, so I hope we can come to an agreement, even if neither side gets everything they insist on.

We will also complete our work on the National Defense Authorization Act before the end of the year. For now, I thank my colleagues for voting to keep the government open. I thank Leader McConnell, Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, and all of the appropriators. Again, no government shutdown, no cuts to vital programs, no poison pills. This is a great outcome for the American people.

Now, my colleagues, after this vote on the CR, we have one more vote, to vote a conference on the NDAA. I urge everyone to stay here so we can finish the next vote quickly, and then do the third vote without further delay.

I yield the floor to the wonderful chair of the Appropriations Committee who did so much to get us here.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 212, Roger F. Nyhus, of Washington, to be Ambassador to Barbados, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; 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; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 354.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 308.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.