Floor Statements

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I just got back from an important event at the White House where President Biden announced a first-ever Executive order regulating AI, artificial intelligence. I applaud the President for breaking new ground with this Executive order, and I told him that the Senate will work very closely with the White House to do more on AI through legislation.

Tomorrow, the Senate's bipartisan AI gang--Senators Heinrich, Rounds, Young, and myself--will meet with President Biden at the White House to talk about the next steps we can take to work together. While today's AI Executive order is a massive step forward, everyone agrees there is no substitute for congressional action. Congress must act, must take the next step to build upon, augment, and expand today's Executive order by the President, and we must do it through bipartisan legislation.

We must act with urgency but also with humility, balancing both innovation and commonsense safeguards because you can't do one without the other. We must act with urgency because other countries may take a lead on AI--and countries particularly with values we don't share. But we must act with humility because this is one of the hardest tasks Congress can undertake because AI is so complicated, so far-reaching, and changing all the time.

On Wednesday morning, the Senate will bring some of the Nation's leading minds in labor, business, and tech to talk about AI's impact on America's workforce, as part of our third AI Insight Forum. And on Wednesday afternoon, we will hold our fourth AI Insight Forum to discuss areas where AI will have an especially high impact, including healthcare, financial services, and our justice system.

If the Senate's AI Insight Forums have made anything clear so far, it is that the government must be involved in AI, must be ready to invest significantly toward AI innovation, and that we don't have a lot of time. AI development is moving quickly. Adversaries like the Chinese Government are moving quickly. So Congress has to act quickly too. That is why I am encouraged that the Senate's efforts on AI so far have been both balanced and bipartisan.

We need a lot of voices at the table, not just AI developers, although they must be there, but critics worried about AI's potential harms and advocates from labor and civil rights and other areas. Everyone must have a hand in shaping the legislation.

But our AI efforts must also remain bipartisan. They have to be because the goal is to pass legislation, and that will only happen if both sides work together. So far, thankfully, bipartisanship is precisely what we have seen at the committee level, and through our bipartisan AI gang--which I am proud to be part of alongside Senators Rounds, Young, and Heinrich--we are making very good progress.

So, again, I applaud the President for today's first-ever AI Executive order and note that the Senate will build on today's announcement by working to get closer to passing bipartisan legislation. We cannot afford to wait.

Madam President, on the supplemental, tomorrow morning, the Senate Appropriations Committee will hear testimony from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken about why Congress must pass President Biden's supplemental request--with aid for Israel, Ukraine, the South Pacific, and humanitarian help for Gaza--and do so quickly.

Right now, America faces an unavoidable moment of truth. Democracy and freedom are under attack around the globe in ways we have not seen since the end of the Cold War. We must pass the President's supplemental as soon as we can, with bipartisan support, for a simple and important reason: It will make the world safer for the United States, our allies, and our democratic values.

In the Middle East, Hamas and its allies, like Iran and Hezbollah, seek nothing less than the total annihilation of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish

State on Earth. In Europe, Putin continues his onslaught against the Ukrainian people with the goal of not just subjugating Ukraine but reasserting Russia as a world power along the lines of the old Soviet Union. In the South Pacific, China's aggression continues to magnify, increasing military activities off the coast of Taiwan, ramming into Philippine Coast Guard ships, and having near misses with an American B-52 bomber over international airspace. That is what the Chinese Government is doing, and this is all in just the past few weeks.

And in Gaza we must ensure that humanitarian aid gets to civilians who need it urgently. This is one of the things that I pushed strongly for President Biden to include in his supplemental request.

All of these challenges share one thing in common: They directly impact--directly impact--America's national security, America's democratic values, and the international world order that has allowed democracy to take root. The way forward is exceptionally clear: We must pass the President's supplemental request, which has funding for Israel, Ukraine, and the South Pacific, while also providing critical humanitarian aid for Gaza.

America does not have the luxury of burying our head in the sand or leaving our friends to fend for themselves. If we want the world to remain a safe place for freedom, for democratic principles, and for America's prosperity, we must defend against those who are working hard to undermine us. So we need to pass this supplemental as soon as we can.

We need to work with our colleagues in the House to ensure all these forms of aid make it to the President's desk. We must not succumb to the false allures of isolationism that the hard right now professes, because the only thing that will achieve is to make America less safe.

Madam President, about what happened at Cornell, I am sickened and frightened by the news that has come out of Cornell University where, over the weekend, messages appeared on a noncampus online forum calling for violence--violence--against the school's Jewish community. The posts made specific references to a building on campus housing the Center for Jewish Living and called for violence toward Jewish students.

Cornell has decried this appalling act and has alerted the FBI. The incident targeting Cornell's Jewish community is utterly revolting, but, unfortunately, it was not an isolated occurrence. Across the country, on campuses and in public spaces, the ancient poison of anti- Semitism has found new life. The ADL reports that the incidents of anti-Semitism are up over 300 percent since Hamas's attack in Israel on October 7.

In cities ranging from L.A. to Indianapolis to New York--and, in fact, all around the world--Jews are receiving death threats, vandalism, and public assaults for no other reason than because of who they are. In one instance reported by the ADL, a woman was punched in the face in Grand Central Terminal in New York. When she asked her assailant why he did that, he said: ``You are Jewish.''

Anti-Semitism is absolutely on the rise here in America, and we have an obligation--a strong obligation--to condemn this behavior whenever we see it, wherever we see it, and no matter who spreads it. Every single American--no matter his or her background, no matter their beliefs, no matter how they feel about the awful violence in the Middle East and its history--ought to condemn with full-throated clarity anti- Semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of racial and religious prejudice. We must condemn all forms of hate.

Nobody denies that people of good will can have disagreements about the conflict in the Middle East, but the redline is crossed when these disagreements lead to violence or threats of violence like what is happening, unfortunately, in too many communities around the country.

And no matter what our beliefs are, all of us must remain vigilant-- absolutely vigilant--against critiques that quickly turn into threats of violence and outright anti-Semitism. Here in America, we must condemn anti-Semitism, always. We must condemn all forms of Islamophobia, always. We must fight all discrimination and preserve the values that make us American to begin with: that all people have dignity and a right to live securely always.

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

Mr. President, this morning, the Nation grieves with the people of Lewiston, ME. After last night's horrible, senseless mass shooting, the shooter remains at large, and we pray that there is no more bloodshed after the horrors of last night.

The stories coming out of Lewiston are gut-wrenching--people gunned down while just trying to enjoy their Wednesday night out at the bowling alley and a restaurant--a bowling alley and a restaurant. These are supposed to be places where families go to have a good time, but now they have become sites--too many places--of tragic mass shootings in America. It is beyond heartbreaking that mass shootings like this continue to happen in our country.

My condolences are with the families and loved ones. I can just imagine them sitting at home just wondering, why did this happen to us? My prayers will be with all Mainers and first responders as authorities keep working to locate the shooter. Today, our hearts are with Lewiston.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Mr. President, on the new Speaker, yesterday, after a monthlong paralysis in Congress, House Republicans finally--finally--elected a new Speaker of the House.

I spoke with Speaker Johnson last night and expressed my congratulations on his election to the speakership. I told Speaker Johnson the exact same thing I told Speaker McCarthy: In a divided government, the only way we will avoid a shutdown, fund the government, or pass the supplemental is bipartisanship.

I hope the new Speaker learns lessons from the disastrous experiences of his predecessors--Speakers Boehner, Ryan, and McCarthy--and realizes that coddling the hard right is disastrous both for the country and for the Republican leadership because, like it or not, Speaker Johnson will not be able to ignore the need for bipartisanship in divided government.

Right now, the world is in crisis. Americans and the citizens of the world--people across the world--are looking for a Congress that is functional, decisive, and able to reach across the aisle.

We must work together to send Israel the help she needs. We must stand with our friends in Ukraine, which majorities in both Chambers have made clear they support. To allow Putin to succeed is to endanger America's national

security, and it is alarming that a growing number of House Republicans don't seem to care about this. We also need humanitarian aid to reduce the suffering in the Middle East, in Ukraine, and elsewhere.

We must also finish the bipartisan appropriations process. Extremist funding bills that make cuts way below the bipartisan June agreement will not fly. If Speaker Johnson tries to send those cuts over here, they are not going to happen. They will be dead on arrival. All they will do is waste more time at a moment when every day counts. So he cannot listen to these 30 Members of the hard right who somehow think they have all the knowledge and all right on their side and then tie us in a knot.

Again, whether House Republicans like it or not, this is divided government. Bipartisanship is the only way we will be able to get anything done. I hope and pray Speaker Johnson realizes this quickly. If Speaker Johnson repeats the mistakes of Speaker McCarthy, if he tumbles down the MAGA road, it will be inevitable that the House finds itself trapped in even more chaos very soon. If Speaker Johnson lives up to the label that Congressman Gaetz has given him, ``MAGA Mike,'' he will fail, as the previous Speakers have. But if Speaker Johnson chooses the bipartisan path, we can do great things for the American people, just as we did last Congress with an evenly divided Senate and a narrowly divided House.

I look forward to working constructively with Speaker Johnson and congratulate him on his election.

Government Funding

Mr. President, on the minibus, the Senate today will continue the bipartisan appropriations process here on the floor.

Yesterday, Senators were busy voting through a number of amendments offered by both sides. We held rollcall votes on 4 amendments offered by our Republican colleagues and adopted 25 additional amendments, many of them bipartisan, by voice vote. We have more amendment votes to hold later today, and Members should expect to keep voting into next week. It is my hope that we can wrap up work on these appropriations bills as soon as next week.

When the Senate passes these three bills, they will be the only appropriations bills passed in either Chamber that both parties support, and I think that is key to remember as we move forward. As I said a moment ago, when I spoke to the newly elected Speaker Johnson, I said the only way we will solve our most pressing problems--funding the government, avoiding a shutdown, passing a supplemental--will be bipartisanship.

The Senate has been a model for how we can make bipartisanship happen, and it is all to the credit of our appropriators, particularly Chair Murray and Vice Chair Collins. I thank my colleagues for their work. I look forward to holding more amendment votes today and into next week.

Domestic Supplemental Funding

Mr. President, on the domestic supplemental, as the Senate works on America's needs on the world stage, including passing robust funding for Israel, Ukraine, the Pacific region, and humanitarian aid for Gaza, for Israel, and for Ukraine, we will also work to take care of our needs at home.

Last week, the President released his emergency supplemental to help our friends in Israel and Ukraine defend themselves. Now Democrats are working with the administration on a domestic supplemental to support the needs of American families.

Our domestic supplemental will fund bipartisan priorities for Americans, like disaster response, securing American energy independence, fighting the scourge of fentanyl, expanding access to affordable high-speed internet, and so much more.

Among our greatest needs right now is addressing childcare, which remains outrageously expensive for too many families and something I want to see the Senate address. I have had many conversations recently with my colleagues about how the Senate can make childcare more affordable. We are at a cliff now. As of September 30, funding was greatly decreased, and now childcare workers are being laid off and childcare slots are being rescinded. Families are in turmoil when that happens. We have to work on making childcare more affordable, and we have to work on it on the domestic side and have to keep it in the domestic supplemental and do everything we can to get it done.

Just as we have to work on national security on a bipartisan basis, the Senate should absolutely work on America's domestic needs with equal bipartisan fervor. You can't have one try to argue against the other. We need both domestic help and national security. It is not an either-or in this situation. The President has wisely offered a supplemental on domestic issues.

Nomination of Jacob J. Lew

Mr. President, on the nomination of Jack Lew, yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 12 to 9 to report out the nomination of Jack Lew, President Biden's pick to serve as Ambassador to Israel. Later today, I will file cloture on this most urgent nomination so Mr. Lew can be appointed to the post of Ambassador ASAP.

The team at the U.S. Embassy is doing a heroic job right now under terrible circumstances, including a wonderful charge d'affaires who helped us during our visit.

Israel is in crisis. America needs to stand with her, and a most urgent and obvious step would be to make sure we have an American Ambassador in place.

Australia

Mr. President, finally, later this morning, it will be my honor to welcome Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia to the U.S. Capitol for a bipartisan meeting.

Australia is a key ally, partner, and friend of the United States. The strength of the U.S.-Australia alliance is illustrated powerfully by the AUKUS trilateral agreement and by our shared commitment to enhancing Indo-Pacific security and by our strong economic bonds.

I will tell the Prime Minister that the Senate will keep working to pass all of the AUKUS agreement, because our national security interests align with respect to China. I was proud to work alongside my Senate colleagues to include AUKUS Pillar II in the Senate NDAA, and I will work with my House colleagues during the NDAA conference to ensure its inclusion in the final bill. We are now working to make sure Australia can receive the Virginia-class submarines that are an essential part of the trilateral agreement.

So, again, I thank Prime Minister Albanese for meeting with us today. I look forward to discussing the importance of AUKUS and finding new, innovative ways to collaborate.

United Auto Workers

Mr. President, on the UAW, I am so pleased to hear that Ford and UAW may have reached a tentative agreement. I hope that this spurs GM and Stellantis, as well as the UAW, to continue negotiating in good faith.

The bottom line is simple, the workers gave up plenty when the auto industry was in trouble. Now that the auto industry is making large profits, the workers need to share fairly in that.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, before I begin, I want to note that I am wearing a dog tag given to me this morning by one of the families of the hostages held in Gaza. So we pray and hope for their release.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 306.

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. 370.

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 26, be waived.

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 five 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:

committee on banking, housing, and urban affairs

The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

committee on energy and natural resources

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

committee on the judiciary

The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct an executive business meeting.

special committee on aging

The Special Committee on Aging is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

subcommittee on chemical safety, waste management, environmental

justice, and regulatory oversight

The Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight of the Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

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

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