Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 872, 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 the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 873, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, the Secretary of the Senate and the Senate Sergeant at Arms have received from the Department of Homeland Security subpoenas for personnel records of a Sergeant at Arms employee sought in connection with an administrative investigation.

In keeping with the Senate's practice under its rules, this resolution would authorize the Secretary and the Sergeant at Arms to provide these personnel records to the Homeland Security Department for use in this matter.

U.S. Senate,

Office of Senate Legal Counsel,

Washington, DC.

To: The Hon. Charles E. Schumer and The Hon. Mitch McConnell.

cc: The Hon. Soncceria Ann Berry and The Hon. Karen Gibson.

From: Patricia Mack Bryan and Morgan J. Frankel.

Re: Production of records of the Secretary of the Senate and

the Senate Sergeant at Arms.

Date: December 6, 2022.

The Secretary of the Senate and the Senate Sergeant at Arms

have received from the Department of Homeland Security

subpoenas for personnel records of an employee of the

Sergeant at Arms. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

is conducting an administrative investigation in an

immigration marriage fraud matter focusing on a third party

and has determined that the personnel records of a Senate

employee are needed for the proper adjudication of that

matter.

Both the Secretary and the Sergeant at Arms would like to

cooperate with these

records requests of the Homeland Security Department.

In accordance with Senate Rule XI and the Senate's

practice, the accompanying resolution would provide the

Secretary and the Sergeant at Arms with authority to provide

these personnel records to the Homeland Security Department.

I further 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.

I ask unanimous consent that the Sullivan substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the committee- reported substitute, as amended, 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 5973 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed 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 immediate consideration of Calendar No. 544, S. 4460.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be considered and 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 564, S. 4893.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion 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. 550, H.R. 5343.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 572, S. 2135.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Hassan substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar 642, S. 1143.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged and the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1917.

I ask unanimous consent that the Peters substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and 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.

Mr. President, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 1687.

The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 1687) entitled

``An Act to amend section 21 of the Small Business Act to

require cyber certification for small business development

center counselors, and for other purposes.'', do pass with an

amendment.

Motion to Concur

I move to concur in the House amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I have four 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 authopized 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 Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

committee on indian affairs

The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a business meeting.

committee on small business and entrepreneurship

The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

select committee on intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, December 15, and that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, 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 proceed to executive session for the consideration of the Johnson nomination; further, that at 12 noon the Senate vote on confirmation of the Johnson nomination; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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

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

Mr. President, before I begin, I want to extend a massive--massive--congratulations to the Syracuse Orange men's soccer team for winning the NCAA College Cup national championship last night in a heart-stopping 7-to-6 victory, after penalty kicks. A big congrats to Coach McIntyre, all the amazing players, and the staff on a phenomenal accomplishment--the first in Syracuse history. Go Orange.

Government Funding

Mr. President, now on the omnibus, a more serious subject, negotiations for a yearlong omnibus agreement move forward. There is a lot of work left to do, but we are optimistic that if we preserve the good faith we have seen so far, we will get there. I remain hopeful because despite disagreements about the ultimate package, there is little disagreement that an omnibus is by far the best solution for funding the government. Still, we are going to need a little more time beyond this week to get an omnibus done.

To avoid a shutdown this Friday, the Senate should be ready to pass a 1-week CR by the end of this week to give negotiators more time to finish an agreement by the holidays. The House is set to begin consideration of a weeklong CR today, and after all the progress made towards an omnibus agreement, I hope nobody here in the Senate stands in the way of getting a 1-week CR passed quickly, through consent if needed.

Again, an omnibus is the best option--the most responsible option-- for funding the government in the next fiscal year. It will ensure that the Federal Government has all the resources necessary to serve the public at full capacity. It will make sure our troops in uniform are taken care of. And I expect an omnibus will contain priorities both sides want to see passed into law, including more funding for Ukraine and the Electoral Count Act, which my colleagues in the Rules Committee have done great work on. It will be great to get that done.

After all the work we have done this year to pass important new bills, like the PACT Act and the CHIPS and Science Act and so much more, a CR into next year could prevent the investment secured in those bills from going out the door. The vast majority of us don't want to go down that road. So, again, the best option--the most responsible option--is to proceed toward an omnibus, even if it won't contain everything both sides want.

Nomination of Arun Subramanian

Mr. President, now on judges, later this morning it will be my honor to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee to introduce an exceptional public servant, Arun Subramanian, whom President Biden nominated on my urging to serve as a district judge for the Southern District of New York.

Here on the floor, Arun Subramanian is one of the few South Asians who are on the bench--we need more--but he will pave the way. And it is my intention to continue to support South Asians to come to the bench.

Nomination of Dana M. Douglas

Mr. President, here on the floor, we will also proceed with the confirmation of Dana Douglas to serve as circuit court judge for the Fifth District, which covers Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Judge Douglas's confirmation today will be significant for a few reasons. For one, Judge Douglas will be the 28th--the 28th--circuit court judge this majority confirms in the last 2 years. Of the many votes we take in this Chamber, confirming circuit court judges ranks near the top in importance. The lion's share of all Federal cases, after all, are decided at the circuit court level.

Judge Douglas is also significant because, after her confirmation, the Senate will have confirmed 11 Black women to serve as circuit court judges. This is a record for any single session of Congress. Before President Biden, only eight such nominees had been confirmed by this Chamber. So this is truly a historic shift in the court's composition.

This representation matters enormously. The health of our Federal courts hangs on judges who will both apply the law correctly while also earning Americans' trust in the first place. The more our courts look like the country at large--the more languages and backgrounds and specialties we have on the bench--the more likely the trust endures. That is more important than ever, given the recent disturbing decisions handed down by the Supreme Court.

That is why judges like Dana Douglas matter. That is why circuit court judges matter. And we are going to keep working for the rest of this year and beyond to bring diversity and balance back to our courts.

Respect for Marriage Act

Mr. President, on the White House signing ceremony, finally, this morning I want to note my tie. I am wearing it today for two reasons. First, it is a constant reminder of one of the happiest moments of my life, the day my daughter got married. And, second, I am wearing it because, later this afternoon, President Biden will sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law.

For many Americans in same-sex marriages--or who one day wish to marry their partner--today is a day of relief and of jubilation. By passing this law, we are sending a message to LGBTQ Americans everywhere: You, too, deserve dignity and equality under the law.

Few bills have hit home for Members on the Hill quite like this one. Marriage equality is not just the right thing to do for America, it is personal for so many of us, our staffs, and our families.

My daughter and her wife are beautifully--praise God--expecting their first child, my third grandchild, next spring, and I want them to raise their child with all the love and security that every child deserves. Thanks to the dogged work of many of my colleagues, my grandchild will live in a world that will respect and honor their mothers' marriage.

And, look, nothing about the Respect for Marriage Act was inevitable. On the contrary, it took a lot of faith and a bit of risk taking to reach this point. When my colleagues came and asked me for a delay, I made that choice, and it was because they believed--and I believed-- that the bipartisan process could indeed work.

It wasn't a decision we took lightly, but today that gamble is paying off. So I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for making today's signing possible, and I thank my friend Senator Feinstein, who originally authored this landmark bill. Because of them and because of the millions of Americans out there who pushed for change, history will be made at the White House later today.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.