Floor Statements

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 334.

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. 329.

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. 333.

Mr. 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, October 31, be waived.

Mr. President, a few moments ago, I filed cloture on the President's nominees for Chief of Naval Operations and Air Force Chief of Staff, the remaining vacancies on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I have also filed cloture on the nomination of Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney to serve as Assistant Commandant for the U.S. Marine Corps. Lieutenant General Mahoney's confirmation is urgent in light of the frightening news that Gen. Eric Smith, confirmed last month to lead the U.S. Marine Corps, was hospitalized Sunday after a serious medical emergency. We pray for General Smith's recovery. Our thoughts are with him and his family.

This scary incident involving General Smith shows why it is supremely risky to play politics with military appointments, as Senator Tuberville is doing. Emergencies happen, and when they do, the chain of command must be able to respond. But thanks to Senator Tuberville, there is no current No. 2 at the Marine Corps to fill in.

The situation at the Marine Corps is precisely the kind of avoidable emergency that Senator Tuberville has provoked through his blanket holds. Lieutenant General Mahoney should have been appointed a very long time ago, but he is one of the more than 300 nominees whom Senator Tuberville is brazenly blocking to advance his extreme agenda.

Every day that Senator Tuberville continues his blanket holds, our military preparedness is worse off, our military families suffer, and our military appointments risk being further ensnared in partisan politics, which is a point of no return we must never cross in the Senate.

Senator Tuberville should drop his blanket holds at once, and in the meantime, the Senate will proceed to confirm these nominations that should have been swiftly approved long ago, as has been the custom in the Senate for decades.

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.

Madam President, I have two requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have 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 the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 442, which is at the desk.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 443, which was 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 206, S. 447.

I ask unanimous consent that the Hickenlooper substitute amendment at the desk to the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; the committee-reported substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 209, S. 1648.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments 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.

The committee-reported amendments were agreed to.

The bill (S. 1648), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed as follows:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 1; that following the prayer and the 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 upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 198,

For the information of the Senate, there will be two rollcall votes at 11:30 on Paul amendments No. 1217 and No. 1347, as provided under the order of October 24, with additional rollcall votes in the afternoon so we can complete action on the minibus.