Floor Statements

Madam President, now on an FCC letter, last month, my colleagues and I wrote the FCC, urging them to adopt a number of key principles from our infrastructure law that fight against digital discrimination and ensure equal access to high-speed internet. Well, I have good news. The FCC heard us loud and clear and will vote tomorrow to implement the provisions I pushed with my colleagues to ensure everyone can access high-speed internet no matter what ZIP Code they live in.

The digital divide has caused our country so much damage. It has shut out rural, urban, and low-income Americans, including far too many women and people of color, for whom basic internet access remains unavailable or unaffordable.

I am proud of the great work we did to address the digital divide in our bipartisan infrastructure law.

Now I encourage all of the FCC Commissioners to take advantage of the provisions in our infrastructure law so that underserved communities can access high-speed internet just like everybody else.

Madam President, on a circuit court judge, last night, the Senate confirmed the 37th circuit court judge under President Biden: Ana de Alba to serve as circuit court judge for the Ninth Circuit.

Judge de Alba's confirmation is significant. She is the 30th Hispanic judge confirmed by this Democratic majority under President Biden. With the confirmation of this 30th Hispanic judge, that is the most Hispanic judges confirmed by any President in one term--something we can all be proud of. That is the most Hispanic judges ever confirmed by any President in his first term--30--30 new Hispanic judges.

We are making the bench look more like America. One judge at a time, Democrats are making our courts look more like America--greater diversity, more women, a broader range of professional and personal experiences. We will keep going.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I have eight 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 move to adjourn until 7:03 p.m. today.

Madam President, this week, President Biden will attend the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, where, on Wednesday, he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Earlier today, I spoke with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and urged that President Biden should push President Xi on some of the same things my colleagues and I did during the bipartisan codel I led to China last month. At the top of our list is the fentanyl crisis, which has killed tens of thousands of Americans each year--so many of them young Americans--and which, in large part, originates in China.

For years, Chinese chemical companies have faced little oversight as they have sold chemicals like fentanyl analogs, xylazine, and other substances to Mexican buyers. Mexican cartels then turn these chemicals into fentanyl that they sell in the United States and ultimately into our communities, wreaking havoc, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

So when my colleagues and I met with President Xi, we explained in graphic detail how fentanyl was devastating our communities and that China needs to stop the exportation of these precursor chemicals. We spoke in very strong terms--I did, Senator Hassan, and Senator Cassidy. We all told him what havoc this was wreaking in America.

Then, I explained to President Xi that my dad used to be a small business owner and that it would go a very, very long way toward improving China's image for Americans if they took action to crack down on the fentanyl crisis; that the benefits China would get from cracking down on these companies, in terms of American good will, would far more than outweigh the tiny cost it would have on the economy. And I said any businessman knows that would be a good thing to do. President Xi seemed receptive to our concerns about fentanyl and said he would look into it.

So, today, I relayed to Jake Sullivan that President Biden should be really strong on this issue and ask for concrete action from President Xi on this important topic.

It sounds as if there may be a chance for progress with the Chinese Government on cracking down on exporting precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, so we are eager to hear

more come out of Wednesday's meeting.

If they will crack down on these precursor chemicals that are used to make fentanyl, it would be of huge benefit to this country and save thousands of lives. So we are optimistic and hopeful that our codel and now President Biden pushing the issue will get some real results. It was among the highest priorities for our codel last month.

I also urged Jake Sullivan to make sure that President Biden echoes what we told President Xi about the need for reciprocity between U.S. and Chinese businesses. Time and time again, our best companies are prohibited from competing freely or competing at all in China, while many of their best companies can freely compete here.

So many of our companies are severely disadvantaged when the Chinese Government stacks the deck against them in the form of forced technology transfers, the theft of their intellectual property, and other unfair practices. This is costing countless American jobs and tens of millions--if not more--to our economy every single year.

We listed, roughly, a dozen major companies that right now face a major disadvantage competing in China, and we hope the President will strongly push President Xi on those this week.

We also stressed to President Xi last month that if the United States and China are to improve their economic relations, U.S. companies need to be able to compete freely in China, just as they compete freely here. I expect President Biden will emphasize the same this week.

Finally, I hope President Biden is adamant, as we were, with President Xi that China must lean on Russia and Iran not to exacerbate the military crises happening around the world.

On the Israel-Gaza conflict, in particular, we told President Xi that China needs to use its influence on Iran to stop them from acting in any way that would widen the conflict. China should play a positive, not a negative, role in this delicate crisis.

In fact, during my meeting with President Xi, as you may remember, I criticized the Chinese Government for issuing a statement about October 7 that failed to condemn the killing of civilians, and they ended up issuing a stronger statement the next day. When President Biden is similarly firm that China should play a stabilizing role with Iran and Russia, I think it will make a big difference.

In short, Wednesday's meeting between President Biden and President Xi will be a real test for China to show that they truly want a better relationship with the United States.

When my colleagues and I met with President Xi in person, we were pointed and specific with our questions and issues and found him to be responsive. So I expect President Biden will have the same sort of frank conversation we did a month ago.

When the President hammers home the same things we focused on in Beijing on fentanyl, on reciprocity for U.S. businesses, on ensuring stability on the world stage, then, given what we saw in our conversations, we think it could make significant progress on issues we have long focused on here in the U.S. Senate.

I salute President Biden for meeting with President Xi, and I am very hopeful we will get some real results as a result of that meeting.

Madam President, on avoiding a government shutdown, it is a critical week here in the U.S. Capitol. This Friday, at midnight, the Federal Government is going to shut down unless Congress acts first. The last thing the American people want to see is another unnecessary and painful government shutdown.

Democrats certainly don't want to have a shutdown, and many of our Republican colleagues have likewise claimed they don't want to see one either. Even the mere act of approaching a shutdown is damaging. Last Friday, when Moody's announced they lowered the U.S. credit rating to ``negative,'' citing ``continued political polarization'' as one of its reasons, that proved to be true.

The answer for avoiding a government shutdown is what I have been saying all along: Bipartisanship is necessary. I have said on multiple occasions that if we are going to work together to keep the government open, Speaker Johnson will have to avoid pushing steep cuts or poison pills that Democrats can't support.

For now, I am pleased that Speaker Johnson seems to be moving in our direction by advancing a CR that does not include the highly partisan cuts that Democrats have warned against.

The Speaker's proposal is far from perfect, but the most important thing is that it refrains from making steep cuts while also extending funding for defense in the second tranche of bills in February, not the first in January.

Today, the House Rules Committee will take up the Speaker's bill, and that will give us the first indication of how committed Republicans are to keeping the government open.

The next few days will tell all in the House, and I hope the Speaker does not buckle to the loud voices on his hard-right flank to add partisan cuts as the price for keeping the government open.

In divided government, extremists on one side cannot expect to dictate the agenda for the rest of Congress, especially when their views are so out of line with the majority of Congress and the majority of the American people.

I hope Speaker Johnson recognizes that he will need support from Democrats in both Chambers if he wants to avoid causing a shutdown. He needs to stay away from poison pills and steep, hard-right cuts for that to happen.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture vote on the motion to proceed to H.R. 815 occur at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Republican leader, but no later than Saturday, November 18; further, that if the cloture vote does not occur under this order, the cloture motion be withdrawn.

Madam President, now a few moments ago, I asked for consent that the Senate delay today's cloture vote and allow for it to be rescheduled to a time to be determined later this week.

We are pausing on our plans to move forward on a Senate vehicle to allow the House to move first with their proposal.

I have said since the very beginning that bipartisanship is the only way to avoid a government shutdown; and for that reason, I am heartened that the bill Speaker Johnson is advancing omits the sort of devastating cuts that are nonstarters for Democrats.

The Speaker's proposal is far from perfect, but the most important thing is that it refrains from making steep cuts while avoiding a costly government shutdown--two things we very much believe in and need.

I hope the Speaker continues to acknowledge that he will need Democratic votes in both chambers if he wants to avoid a government shutdown. He needs to stay away from poison pills and steep, hard-right cuts to make that happen. Bipartisanship is the only way to get this done.

I yield the floor.

I ask unanimous consent that the following nominations be returned to the Committee on the Judiciary: Calendar Nos. 405 and 406.

Mr. 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 427.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 461, 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it recess until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 14; that following the prayer and pledge, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

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

Mr. President, today's elections were another horrible defeat--sorry--Tuesday's elections--maybe today's, too, who knows--but Tuesday's elections were another horrible defeat for MAGA extremism and another affirmation for the democratic agenda of jobs, infrastructure, and lowering costs for the middle class.

By now, Republicans need to admit there is a pretty clear pattern at play: Ever since Donald Trump was elected President, the MAGA agenda has led to failure in big elections, in small elections, in red State elections, in blue State elections, and everything in between. And it shouldn't be any big mystery why MAGA candidates and MAGA issues keep turning out to be duds. Americans don't want hard-right extremists and the chaos they bring to govern this country. Americans don't support a MAGA agenda that has, at its bedrock, radical attacks on women's healthcare.

Americans want their elected leaders to choose bipartisanship, to focus on people's lives instead of cable news shows. Sadly, Republicans seem mightily impervious to the obvious truth that MAGA equals disaster for America and for their party.