Floor Statements

Madam President, finally, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15; and that following the prayer and the 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 and resume consideration of the Young nomination postcloture; that the Senate recess from 12:30 until 2:15 to allow for weekly caucus meetings; further, that all postcloture time on the Young nomination expire at 4 p.m.; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday'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.

For the information of Senators, Members should expect up to three rollcall votes at 4 p.m.

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

Madam President, last night, the House of Representatives passed the strongest, boldest, and most significant government funding package we have seen in a very long time, bringing us one step closer to fully funding the government for the 2022 fiscal year.

As we all know, funding the government is a basic responsibility of Congress, but rarely does this responsibility arrive at such a critical moment for our country and for the world. War has erupted in Europe, and Americans are looking to relief from rising costs, and this package is critical for facing these challenges.

After weeks of hard work, I am pleased to report that this bipartisan funding package represents a robust and unapologetic investment in the American people: It will give our troops a raise, provide more money for schools and Head Start programs and Pell Grants, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, fund the President's Cancer Moonshot, and open the floodgates for funding the bipartisan infrastructure law. This funding bill is overflowing with very good things for our troops, for American jobs, for our families, and for America.

Once this bill arrives at the Senate, Republicans must work with Democrats to pass the bill as soon as possible--hopefully, tonight. There is every reason in the world to believe that we can arrive at a path forward quickly.

For one, the people of Ukraine need our immediate help, and this omnibus is the quickest and most direct way of getting them the help fast. At nearly $14 billion, Congress will approve more than double-- more than double--what the administration originally requested for Ukraine aid, and that is a huge accomplishment. We took the President's original request for Ukrainian aid, examined it and added to it.

I can confidently say every last penny of this aid package will be much needed and well spent. It will provide food, medicine, shelter, and support for over 2 million refugees and resources for Ukraine's ruined economy. It will also inject billions into military assistance. It will enable weapons transfers like Javelins and Stingers. It will reassure and strengthen NATO and add teeth to our defenses against Russia's malicious cyber warfare.

And to every corrupt Russian oligarch who has dined off Putin's regime for years, beware. This package will increase the government's tools for hunting you down and holding you accountable.

The Ukrainian people are fighting for their lives and fighting for the survival of their young democracy. Congress has a moral obligation to stand behind them as they resist the evils of Vladimir Putin and his campaign of carnage.

The 2022 government funding bill is one way we are keeping that promise, and for that reason alone, it should pass the Senate as quickly as possible.

But on the homefront, as I already mentioned, there are lots of important things. This package increases investments across nearly every single domestic priority, very much needed.

I am particularly thrilled to say that, after a decade of false starts, this package will finally reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which I originally helped write and pass when I was a Congressman back in 1994. Unfortunately, this very needed, important bill to protect those who are abused has languished in limbo for far too long. VAWA is one of the most important pieces of legislation of the past 30 years, and once it is reauthorized, it will once again provide lifesaving support for countless women who face sexual assault and domestic abuse. I thank Senators Feinstein, Durbin, Ernst, Murkowski, and all the cosponsors--bipartisan--for helping to bring this law back to life.

Now, of course, nobody argues that this package is perfect. I am deeply disappointed--deeply disappointed--that the administration's request for more COVID funding failed to make it into the House bill, but we are going to keep fighting to make sure we get that money approved as soon as possible.

COVID funding right now is all about being prepared. It will provide funding for vaccines and therapeutics and testing, which means it will be much easier to keep schools open, to keep businesses open, and to keep life closer to normal than it was during Delta and Omicron. So we will keep working on COVID relief. It is very much needed.

Now, we are not over the finish line yet, but I want to thank appropriators from both sides of the aisle--bipartisan--for putting this package together, never an easy task. I especially thank Chairman Leahy for his leadership and his counsel over the course of this process, and I thank Ranking Member Shelby as well, and my House colleagues, too, for working in good faith to make this bill possible.

It has not been easy to draft this truly robust package, but after years of needless chaos and uncertainty under Donald Trump, this year Congress has been able to work together on a bipartisan basis to fund the government in a serious way. Now the Senate must follow through in finishing the job by approving this bill quickly and sending it to the President's desk.

Madam President, so we still have some more work to do, but it has already been a remarkably busy and productive week here in the Senate.

After nearly a decade of work, this week the Senate finally passed the largest postal reform bill in a very long time, with huge bipartisan support, I am happy to say. We also sent to the President's desk the first bill in American history that finally, finally--long overdue--declares lynching a Federal crime after a century of failed attempts. These are both momentous and indeed historic accomplishments, and I thank my colleagues for working in good faith to get them done.

I have always said that, whenever possible, Democrats would be willing to work in a bipartisan way to get things done, and, once the omnibus is done, in this week we will have achieved three major bipartisan accomplishments.

Yesterday, Senate Democrats also met for our DPCC retreat over at Howard University, where we had a spirited and productive conversation about the biggest issues facing American families: lowering costs. As the world continues to struggle with COVID, supply chain disruptions, and Russia's war on Ukraine, Americans need relief--relief on everything from energy costs, prescription drug costs, the cost of groceries and meat and so much more. Democrats will keep working these issues with laser-like intensity and unflinching focus.

Moving forward, the Senate will also continue the process of considering and, ultimately, confirming President Biden's exceptional nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. That Judge Jackson is qualified for the High Court is not in question. That she merits bipartisan support should not be disputed, because on three occasions she has already come before this Chamber and has been embraced by people on both sides of the aisle.

When Judge Jackson's confirmation hearings begin on March 21, the entire Nation will get to see what many of us in the Senate are learning for ourselves: Judge Jackson is brilliant, she is beloved, and she belongs on the Supreme Court. The three b's: brilliant, beloved, belongs.

We have more work to do before this week comes to an end, but, for now, I thank my colleagues for a very, very productive few days.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, it is my understanding that the Senate has received a message from the House of Representatives to accompany

I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 2471.

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

Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives

(H.R. 2471) entitled ``An Act to measure the progress of

post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption,

governance, rule of law, and media freedoms in Haiti.'', do

pass with an amendment.

Motion to Concur with Amendment No. 4984

Madam President, I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2471, with an amendment.

That is the correct number.

I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I have an amendment at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.

Madam President, I move to refer H.R. 2471 to the Committee on Appropriations, with instructions to report back forthwith, with an amendment.

I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

I ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that if Senator Paul makes a motion to discharge S.J. Res. 35, the vote on the motion occur at 4:15 p.m. today; further, that following the vote, the Senate proceed to executive session and vote on the confirmation of Calendar No. 547, the nomination of Maria Pagan, as provided for under the previous order; and that following the disposition of the nomination, the Senate resume legislative session.

I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to call up the following amendments to the motion to concur with an amendment: Lee No. 4989, Braun No. 4990, Kennedy No. 4983; that they be the only remaining amendments in order to the House message on H.R. 2471; that at 8:30 p.m. today, the Senate vote in relation to the amendments in the order listed; that upon disposition of the amendments, the motion to refer and the motion to concur with an amendment be withdrawn and the Senate vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2471, and with 60 affirmative votes required for adoption of Kennedy No. 4983 and the motion to concur, with 2 minutes for debate equally divided between each vote, and all votes after the first vote be 10 minutes; finally, that if the motion to concur is agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table without intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, now, in the last 4 days alone, the U.S. Senate has passed a sweeping postal reform bill, unanimously approved anti-lynching legislation, approved emergency aid to Ukraine, and now we are about to fully fund the government. From start to finish, it has been a very productive and very bipartisan week in the Senate. If we cold boil down this week to three words in the Senate, they would be ``productive,'' ``bipartisan,'' and ``successful.''

In a few moments, the Senate will pass the strongest, boldest, and most significant government funding package we have seen in a long time. This bipartisan funding package is a significant and far-reaching win for the American people, and I am glad the Senate moved as quickly today as I hoped we would.

To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I say: Bravo. A job well done.

We are keeping our promise to support Ukraine as they fight for their lives against the evil Vladimir Putin. With nearly $14 billion in emergency aid, Congress will approve more than double what the administration originally requested. We took the President's original request for Ukraine aid, examined it, and added to it, and every last penny of the money will be well spent. We are giving the Ukrainians billions for food, medicine, shelter, and support for the over 2 million refugees who have had to leave Ukraine, as well as funding for weapons transfers like Javelins and Stingers.

We are going to reassure and strengthen NATO and add teeth to our defenses against Russia's malicious cyber warfare.

We promised the Ukrainian people they would not go at it alone in their fight against Putin, and once we pass this funding in a short while, we will keep that promise.

On the domestic front, this funding bill is awash with good news for our country. We are about to give our troops a pay raise. We are increasing funding for our schools and Head Start Programs and Pell grants. We are reviving at last the Violence Against Women Act. We are kick-starting the President's Cancer Moonshot. And with this package, we will unlock billions upon billions to fully fund the bipartisan infrastructure law.

Of course, we didn't get everything we hoped for. In the weeks ahead, we must--we absolutely must--work to secure more COVID money. COVID funding is about being prepared. By funding vaccines and therapeutics and testing, we will be ready for the next variant and stand a better chance of keeping schools open and preserving normality in our daily lives. We are going to keep working on this. It is too important to ignore.

Now, as we reach the finish line, I want to sincerely thank Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Shelby. What a fitting and worthy accomplishment as they near the end of their tenures in office.

I have always said from my first day as majority leader that Democrats would be willing to work in a bipartisan way to get things done whenever we could. Once the omnibus passes, the Senate will have sealed the deal on three major, bipartisan accomplishments this week alone.

Of course, when we are unable to find common ground, Democrats will hold firm in defense of our values and be willing to work alone if needed, but this week, bipartisanship has propelled us over the finish line. It has not been easy to put this package together, but we are moments away from getting it done, and I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, if we want to hasten the evening, I would suggest everybody stay around. Try to sit in your seats. We are going to try to limit the rest of the votes to 10 minutes.

Madam President, before I do all of these things, let me just thank Senator Leahy, who was so diligent and so relentless from 3, 4, 5 months ago in warning our caucus of the dangers--of the very real dangers--of a CR, which wouldn't have been able to move the government forward. His hard work, his diligence, and his dedication has been amazing.

I join him in thanking the great staffs of the Appropriations Committee, who are second to none, as well as my staff, who worked very hard with them. Meghan Taira is another person of whom I might be able to say it wouldn't have happened without her.

It is a very good night for this country, a good bipartisan night, and I thank our Senator from Vermont--and our President pro tempore, of course.

(Laughter.)

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 79, which was received from the House.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.J. Res. 75, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 209, S. 497.

I further 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 with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 543, submitted earlier today.

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.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 726.