Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 800 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; the Hyde-Smith amendment at the desk to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, 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 Committee on Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 801.

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 the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1437, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

I further ask that the substitute at the desk be considered and agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and 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 H.R. 7132, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, in a few moments, I am going to file cloture on the substitute amendment for the Respect for Marriage Act, as well as the underlying bill. The substitute I am filing will contain the legislative text for the Senate session of the Respect for Marriage Act negotiated by both parties. We will hold a cloture vote on the substitute amendment when the Senate comes back into session on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Let me be clear. Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is not a matter of if but only of when.

I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who led this bill, and I have zero doubt that Respect for Marriage will soon be the law of the land.

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 6487.

Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The yeas and nays are ordered.

Amendment No. 6488 to Amendment No. 6487

Mr. President, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The yeas and nays are ordered.

Motion to Refer with Amendment No. 6490

Mr. President, I move to refer H.R. 8404 to the Committee on Judiciary, with instructions to report back forthwith with an amendment.

Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I have an amendment to the instructions at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the substitute amendment to the desk.

I send a cloture motion to the bill to the desk.

I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 1133.

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 1147.

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, Thursday, November 17, be waived.

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 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 authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 515, H.R. 521.

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

And, finally, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Tuesday, November 22, at 5:30 p.m., and Friday, November 25, at 8 a.m.

I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, November 25, it next convene at 3 p.m. on Monday, November 28; 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 resume consideration of Calendar No. 449, H.R. 8404; further, that the filing deadline for first-degree amendments to the substitute amendment No. 6487 and the underlying bill be 3:30 p.m. on Monday, November 28; and, finally, that the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 28.