Floor Statements

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, last Thursday, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer announced that after 27 years of service, he will retire from the Supreme Court at the conclusion of this term.

Shortly after his nomination was first announced in 1994, then-Judge Breyer mused publicly about what he expected his time on the High Court would bring. He told reporters it was his hope to ``make the average person's ordinary life better.'' Nearly three decades later, we can safely say that Justice Breyer has met that mark and then some.

Throughout American history, only 115 individuals have sat on the Nation's High Court, and few have served as long and as effectively as Justice Breyer. From his opinions on voting rights, environmental protections, women's reproductive freedom, and protecting access to affordable healthcare, Justice Breyer's impact upon our Nation will last for generations. America is a more perfect Union today because of Justice Stephen Breyer.

Of course, Justice Breyer's legacy of service extends beyond even his remarkable time on the Supreme Court. For 13 years, he also sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Before that, he served for 8 years as a member of the Army Reserves. And, of course, Members of this Chamber cannot forget that he was once a part of the Senate itself, serving as an aide on the Judiciary Committee in the seventies, where he worked closely with our dear friend, the late Senator Ted Kennedy. At every step of the way, he remained his essential self-- decent, brilliant, and dedicated to our democracy.

Now, with this new vacancy on the Court, President Biden will have an opportunity to make history by nominating the first ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. I am confident that the President will select an outstanding individual to fill Justice Breyer's seat, and we intend to move quickly on our constitutional duty to act on his nominee when announced. I can assure all Senators that the Senate will have a fair process that moves quickly so we can confirm President Biden's nominee to fill Justice Breyer's seat as soon as possible.

Today, Members of this Chamber say thank you to Justice Breyer for his lifetime of public service.

Now, Madam President, as our country continues to recover from the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, last week, we received a remarkable bit of news: The U.S. economy grew 5.7 percent--5.7 percent in 2021.

Let me say it again. Last year, the U.S. economy grew by 5.7 percent--the largest single-year growth rate in about 40 years.

Last year's economic growth did not happen on its own. Faced with a historic crisis, Democrats took unprecedented steps in 2021 to give American families and businesses the support they needed to make ends meet and stay healthy. Although we have more work to do to lower costs and expand opportunity, we are undeniably better off today than we were a year ago when we first took office as a majority Senate.

It is frightening to merely remember how bad things were at the start of 2021. We were entering the very worst of the pandemic. The economy had its worst year since World War II, and 11 million people were out of work. More than 3,000 Americans were dying each day from COVID-19.

But Democrats responded by passing the American Rescue Plan 2 months into the President's term. We later passed a historic infrastructure package that is putting people to work fixing our roads and our bridges and our highways. Thanks to the heroism of health workers, the leadership of the Biden administration, and action taken by congressional Democrats, over 200 million Americans have now been vaccinated.

Because of these steps that Democrats took last year, unemployment has plummeted faster than many forecasts predicted a year ago, to below 4 percent. The economy added the largest number of manufacturing jobs in three decades. As wages keep climbing, layoffs are near record lows.

Make no mistake, this economy is in the midst of a historic turnaround, thanks in large part to swift action by Democrats in the Congress and in the White House, but, of course, the work is far from over. We must keep working to lower costs for American families. We need to help businesses struggling with strained supply chains, particularly the chip shortage affecting everything from auto manufacturing to household appliances. Workers need protections to ensure they share in our continued economic recovery.

That is why Congress must keep working on legislation like the United States Innovation and Competition Act, which the Senate passed last year with strong bipartisan support. This week, the House will hold a vote to pass their counterpart to this bill, the America COMPETES Act. I am glad the House is taking this important step in the right direction. When the America COMPETES Act passes, the House and Senate can begin the bicameral process of resolving the differences in each bill and send a final product to the President's desk.

With historic investments in science, technology, and American manufacturing, the policies of USICA represent the boldest steps in decades to secure America's economic future.

By bringing manufacturing back to the United States from overseas, it would strengthen domestic supply chains and help address our country's dangerous semiconductor shortage that has driven up prices in everything from cars to microwaves.

All this would not only relieve rising costs by making us less reliant on foreign manufacturing; it would also advance our national security.

This legislation would help fix our country's dangerous semiconductor shortage that has driven prices up in everything from cars to microwaves by strengthening domestic supply chains and by increasing production. It would not only relieve rising costs; it would also advance our national security.

For months--months--I have spoken with both my Republican and Democratic colleagues about finding a way to get this bill to the President's desk.

Now I am glad that the House will take action later this week on their version of this legislation, and I look forward to working through this bill so that President Biden can finally sign this landmark manufacturing and innovation bill into law.

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

Mr. President, last night was a reminder of a difficult but important reality of our great democracy: The march to freedom, through thick and thin, is never over--and we have to keep marching.

While last night's vote was disappointing, it will not deter Senate Democrats from continuing our fight against voter suppression, dark money, and partisan gerrymandering. Democrats are proud of the fight we held last night. The strength, eloquence, enthusiasm, and overwhelming participation of my Democratic colleagues during debate was exhilarating and shows the passion we feel about this issue.

Facing an uphill battle from the start, we lost the vote. But to have not voted would have been a far greater loss, a loss for our Democratic Party, which for generations has stood for voting rights; a loss for the civil rights advocates who have sacrificed so much on this issue; and a loss for the American people and what this country stands for. On an issue this important, not doing everything we could would have been unacceptable.

Now, the bromides of the beltway class hold we should not have held a vote on voting rights if the outcome was not certain. They are wrong. Imagine telling Dr. King not to march from Selma to Montgomery because he could not be sure what obstacles awaited him and his fellow freedom fighters. Imagine telling John Lewis he should never have crossed the Pettus Bridge because it was unclear what perils awaited him on the other side.

Every Member of this body who has ever invoked these great titans of freedom has an obligation--an obligation--to uphold their legacies not just with words but with actions. Senators were elected to vote. The examples of Dr. King, of John Lewis inspire us, give us strength, and show us that sometimes the only right option is to move forward.

And we need to remember what this is about. With the advent of Donald Trump and his many Big Lies, with the January 6 insurrection, with the vicious acts of voter suppression throughout the States, and with the greedy dark money interests that fuel the Republican Party these days, this is a fight for the soul of America--nothing less. So Democrats will not shy away from an uphill fight; we will continue to face them.

And I believe that the lessons of history are clear: When Representatives have to take a stand, when they have to show to the American people where they are on the issues, the right side of history ultimately prevails. We know history is on the side of voting rights, and we know that forcing leaders to take stands will ultimately move the ball forward.

Now, finally, I want to thank all my colleagues who came to the floor yesterday to speak valiantly in defense of voting rights and for working assiduously for months on this vital issue: Senators Klobuchar and Merkley, Booker, Schatz, Senator Kaine--you, Mr. President-- Senators King, Tester, Warnock, Ossoff, Durbin, Padilla, Leahy--and so many, so many more. Their leadership, their expertise, and their dedication to protecting our democracy is inspiring. It gives our caucus strength, and it made such a difference. Last night was unusual and exhilarating because we fought the good fight.

As former Majority Leader Alben Barkley of Kentucky said 80 years ago this November, facing a filibuster, which successfully blocked anti- poll tax legislation--the majority leader, Alben Barkley, from Kentucky, said:

I am glad I have made this fight. I have made it in behalf

of what I believe to be the broad and true foundations of a

true democracy.

Senate Democrats fighting for voting rights is not over. We will keep fighting until voting rights are protected for every single American. And one day--hopefully, sooner rather than later--we will succeed.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask to execute the previous order with respect to the Thomas nomination.

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

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 655.

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 legislative session.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 406.

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. 657.