Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, as we get closer and closer to an unnecessary and totally avoidable government shutdown, one thing remains clear: The only way forward is bipartisan cooperation. That is what we have been pursuing here in the Senate.

I want to salute not only Patty Murray but Susan Collins, Leader McConnell, and our Republican colleagues as we work to pass this CR. But that work is not yet done.

Order of Business

Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, we will convene tomorrow at 10 a.m. to continue consideration of the CR so we can avoid an unnecessary and devastating government shutdown.

Members are also advised that we will hold two rollcall votes beginning at noon on U.S. attorneys for the Southern District of California and the Southern District of Mississippi.

I hope that we can come to an agreement to pass the bipartisan CR quickly. A government shutdown, as we all know, would be a terrible outcome for the American people. It would gravely impact pay for our troops, our border, TSA, nutrition programs, food inspections, and so much more.

If no agreement is reached tomorrow, Members should plan on voting Saturday morning on cloture.

I thank my colleagues for their good work.

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. 360.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it recess until 10 a.m. on Friday, September 29; that following the prayer and pledge, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed; that upon conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3935; further, that at 12 noon, the Senate execute the order of September 27, 2023, relating to the Gee and McGrath nominations, and that all debate time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations in the order listed.

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, well, yesterday afternoon, Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement on a CR that will keep the government open until November 17, and, with a strong bipartisan vote of 77 to 19, the Senate agreed to move forward last night on this legislation. It shows that, in the Senate, both parties can work through our differences for the betterment of the country.

But in the House, Republicans have tried everything but bipartisanship. Last night, the Speaker twisted himself into pretzels yet again, trying to avoid his responsibility of governing. But this is the truth: Every bill House Republicans have pushed has been partisan, every CR has been aimed at the hard right, and every path they have pursued to date will inevitably lead to a shutdown.

Speaker McCarthy, the only way--the only way--out of a shutdown is bipartisanship, and by constantly adhering to what the hard right wants, you are aiming for a shutdown. They want it. You know it. You can stop it. Work in a bipartisan way like we are in the Senate, and we can avoid harm to tens of millions of Americans.

Bipartisanship is precisely what we have been pursuing here in the Senate. We haven't agreed on everything, and there is still a lot more work to be done. But we haven't let our differences paralyze us, and the result has been a commonsense, bipartisan, sensible approach for a

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 370, submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, in a moment, my friend from West Virginia will submit a resolution regarding the Senate dress code. Although we have never had an official dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path forward.

I deeply appreciate Senator Fetterman's working with me to come to an agreement that we all find acceptable, and, of course, I appreciate Senator Manchin's and Senator Romney's leadership on this issue.

I will move for the Senate to adopt this resolution in a few minutes.

I now yield to my colleague from West Virginia.

Mr. President, as I mentioned a minute ago, although we have never had an official dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel that formalizing it is the right way forward.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 376, submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to 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. 373, S. Res. 374, S. Res. 375, and S. Res. 377.

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

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:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it recess until 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 28; that following the prayer and pledge, 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 H.R. 3935, postcloture, and that all time be considered expired at 11:45 a.m.

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, as I have said for months, the only solution for avoiding a harmful government shutdown is bipartisanship. We now have 4 days to go until funding expires on Saturday at midnight. We are now right at the precipice. Yet, all last week, Speaker McCarthy, instead of focusing on bipartisanship, catered to the hard right and has nothing--nothing--to show for it. And now the Speaker will put on the floor hard-right appropriation bills that have nothing to do with avoiding a shutdown.

So, this week, the Senate will move forward first. Over the weekend, Senate Democrats and Republicans together worked in good faith to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution that will keep the government open beyond September 30. We are very close to finishing our work and hope to release text very soon.

This bipartisan CR is a temporary solution, a bridge toward cooperation and away from extremism, and it will allow us to keep working to fully fund the Federal Government and spare American families the pain of a shutdown. While, for sure, this bill does not have everything either side wants, we will continue to fund the government at present levels while maintaining our commitment to Ukraine's security and humanitarian needs and while also ensuring those impacted by natural disasters across the country begin to get the resources they need.

In a few hours, we will hold the first procedural vote to move forward on the vehicle for the CR, and I thank my colleagues and staff from both sides of the aisle who spent all weekend negotiating in good faith to get us to this point. The Senate CR is a good, sensible, and bipartisan--let me emphasize, bipartisan--bill. It will achieve the most important immediate goal,

avoiding a shutdown. It will protect American families from needless pain, pay our troops, and make good on our promise to American seniors. It will promote access to affordable healthcare, sustain investment in lifesaving research, and avoid costly disruptions to our supply chains.

Now, of course, today's agreement won't have everything that both sides want. But let me repeat: This CR is a bridge, not a final destination. It will help us achieve our immediate and necessary goal of avoiding a government shutdown and move us away from the senseless and aimless extremism that has dominated the House so we can get to work on appropriations.

We can and must do more to respond to disasters that have ravaged the country. We can and must do more to lower costs and grow the middle class. We can and must do more to stand with our friends in Ukraine and resist Putin's dangerous attacks on democracy and freedom. And we can and must do more to finish the bipartisan appropriations process in a way that makes strong investments in our country, in our families, and in our future.

We will continue to work on these and many more, but, right now, this CR is a must-needed bridge away from extremism and toward cooperation. Make no mistake, a shutdown would be a terrible outcome for the country, despite what some on the hard right would have us ludicrously believe.

It is hard for me to believe that some on the extreme right in the other Chamber say they actually want a shutdown--what insanity. This will avoid that, that terrible outcome.

It will pay for our servicemembers, which could be halted if there is a shutdown. It would prevent millions of Americans who count on government services from suffering. It would prevent food safety, public health protection, small business loans, and infrastructure projects from being cut and, at least temporarily, ended, because they are all at risk right now, if there is a shutdown.

If there is a shutdown, TSA could be thrown into chaos, meaning possible delays and disruptions for all flyers. Border enforcement Agencies would be undermined. Even FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund could actually dry up.

We don't need to go through any of this. The Senate's bipartisan CR will ensure that none of the bad things I just enumerated happen. I urge--I urge strongly--reasonable Members of both Chambers to come together to pass this bridge CR and move forward, freed from the hard- right extremists who are hell-bent on destroying trust in government and hurting millions and millions of middle-class families.

United Auto Workers Strike

Mr. President, now on labor, the UAW, and the WGA, early this morning, before I came to Washington, I went to Rockland County, NY, and stood with UAW Local 3039 on the picket line in solidarity with their fight for better wages, better benefits, safer working conditions. Rain or shine--and today it was mostly rain--UAW Local 3039 is out there, standing for a fair, equitable contract to share in the profits they helped create.

We must not forget that during the auto crisis of 2008, unions and workers gave back plenty. It is one of the reasons that the auto companies are making such large profits. And the workers are entitled to have a fair share of those profits. So we need to make sure the settlement is fair to working people.

It is simple: When unions win, workers win; the middle class wins; America wins. Just take the WGA strike--the Writers Guild--for example. This past weekend, after nearly 5 months on strike, the WGA announced a tentative settlement with Hollywood studios to get members back to work. The WGA deal proves that progress is possible, that workers can gain, and I hope it encourages the big three auto companies to stay at the table and bargain in good faith.

Today, in a milestone for the UAW strike and the history of working people in this country, President Biden traveled to Michigan today to stand with the UAW on the picket line. It is likely to be the first time in 100 years a sitting President joined workers on the picket line. It shows how important strong labor unions are to this President and to Democrats. That is why I thought it was appropriate for me this morning to join some of our New York UAW members on the picket lines in New York, as the President marched in Michigan.

President Biden's visit underscores a historic moment for the American labor movement. We may be on track to see the most labor activity in 40 years. And I am proud that so many of my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle have stood on the line with workers, fighting for a better life.

As President Biden said today, ``The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class.'' Praise God we have a President as pro-union and pro-worker as President Biden in office at a time like this. Of course, we weren't always so lucky. Former President Trump will also be in Michigan this week, where he will no doubt try to style himself as a champion of unions and working Americans. That is pretty rich coming from someone who led one of the most anti-worker administrations in recent memory, one openly hostile to labor unions, disinterested in the well-being of working families, and who appointed anti-labor people to many of the Agencies that regulate labor.

No working American should believe Donald Trump when he claims to fight for them. Where was Donald Trump when UAW went on strike against GM in 2019? All talk, no substance. Even now, he is openly attacking the UAW that is trying to secure better contracts.

The difference between the Biden administration's record on labor and the Trump administration's record couldn't be starker. Under the Biden administration, Democrats secured historic relief to protect hard- earned pensions through the American Rescue Plan. Under the Trump administration, on the other hand, Republicans reversed rules to expand overtime pay for 8 million workers, loosened infection and safety rules for oil rigs and coal companies, and reversed bans on toxic pesticides that protected farm workers.

Under the Biden administration, Democrats broke the nearly decade- long funding freeze on the National Labor Relations Board. But under the Trump administration, Republicans appointed the most anti-labor NLRB nominees, and they voted to make it harder for workers to organize, while making it easier for employers to oust existing unions.

Under the Biden administration, we passed historic bills, like the infrastructure bill, CHIPS and Science, and the Inflation Reduction, all of which are creating good-paying jobs. As majority leader, I made sure that pro-union provisions were written into this legislation. But under the Trump administration, Republicans passed a $1.5 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefited big corporations and the ultrawealthy, while giving peanuts to working families whom Donald Trump claimed to fight for.

So it easy to see who is really on the side of unions and working Americans and who isn't.

I was proud to stand with the UAW this morning, and I am proud that President Biden is standing with working people of this country today.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader.

Mr. President, let me first thank the Senator from Washington State, the chair of Appropriations. We worked together so hard and diligently over the weekend, and we produced a result, I think, that shows that bipartisanship can triumph over extremism. Here in the Senate, we are bipartisan. I want to thank Leader McConnell. He worked with us throughout. I want to thank Ranking Member Collins. They worked with us throughout because we all know, together, that a government shutdown will be devastating--devastating--for this country.

It amazes me that some in the other body--just an extreme few--say they want a shutdown. That hurts tens of millions, hundreds of millions of Americans for only some kind of ideological political purpose. But we said no. The funding levels continue at the same level as before.

There is $6.1 billion for Ukraine on the defense side and on the--on the State Department side. There is $6 billion for disaster relief. On all of these, this is a bridge towards cooperation. This is not going to be the final proposal for the whole year. But to avoid a government shutdown, we needed a bridge. It is a bridge toward cooperation and away from extremism, which will allow us to keep working to fully fund the Federal Government and spare families the pain of a shutdown.

Let us hope that we get many people on both sides of the aisle voting for this product and that the House understands that bipartisanship there is the only way to go to avoid a shutdown.

I yield the floor.

Cloture Motion

Mr. President, I am very glad to see cloture was adopted by a very large, bipartisan majority. This shows we can work together, even with our differences, for the betterment of the country. I hope the House follows suit.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the veto messages on S.J. Res. 9 and S.J. Res. 24 be considered as having been read and be printed in the Record and spread in full upon the Journal.

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the veto messages with respect to S.J. Res. 9 and S.J. Res. 24 be considered at times to be determined by the majority leader in concurrence with the Republican leader prior to October 4; that there be up to 2 hours for debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees on each resolution; that the Senate then vote on passage of each joint resolution, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 365, S. Res. 366, S. Res. 367, S. Res. 368, and S. Res. 369.

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