Floor Statements

Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to advance at least one more Biden judicial nominee; we will move forward on our annual Defense bill; we will vote on the motion to proceed on legislation to raise the debt ceiling--all, hopefully, before we start the afternoon. It is a busy day for the Senate, so let me break down each of these items in some detail.

On the legislative front, later this morning, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on the annual Defense bill, negotiated on a bicameral- bipartisan basis. For over 60 years, the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act, has passed without fail, on a mostly bipartisan basis. So I thank all of my colleagues for working in good faith to get this Defense bill done.

The Senate will then turn to the critical matter of addressing the debt limit in order to avoid a first-ever default on our sovereign debt. Last week, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass legislation, setting up a fast-track process for addressing the debt limit. Today, we are going to complete that process, and it will come in two steps.

First, as I said, we will vote on the motion to proceed, followed by a vote on final passage later today. Thanks to last week's agreement between Democrats and Republicans, today's motion to proceed will be set at a majority threshold. Once we are on the bill, no amendments will be in order. Debate will be limited to 10 hours, and we hope to yield back debate time on our side to keep this process moving. The resolution we will vote on will provide for the raising of the debt limit to a level commensurate to funding that is necessary to get into 2023.

As I have said repeatedly, this is about paying debt accumulated by both parties, so I am pleased Republicans and Democrats came together to facilitate a process that has made addressing the debt ceiling possible. I want to thank the Republican leader and all of my Republican colleagues who reached out across the aisle in good faith to bring us to this point--no brinksmanship, no default on the debt, no risk of another recession. Responsible governing has won on this exceedingly important issue. The American people can breathe easy and rest assured there will not be a default.

So, once again, I thank the Republican leader and my Republican colleagues who voted with us to address this issue. The Senate can be done with this matter before the end of the day--

crossing another major item off of our December to-do list.

Off the floor, Democrats continue working to put the Senate in a position to act on President Biden's Build Back Better Act, along with the timeline I have set out for our caucus. This week, bipartisan Byrd bath meetings with the Parliamentarian will continue. I thank my colleagues, the Parliamentarian, and her team for working through this important and difficult process.

The President will also continue his conversations with our caucus as we hash out the final details of the legislation. Build Back Better is moving forward, and I thank all of my colleagues and the President for their diligence and their commitment to get this done.

Mr. President, on judges and nominations, in addition to our legislative agenda, the Senate will also work today and the rest of the week on confirming more of President Biden's nominees to serve on the Federal bench.

First, we will hold a vote this morning to proceed on the nomination of Samantha Elliott to serve as a district judge for the District of New Hampshire. As soon as today, we also hope to vote on the confirmation of Jennifer Sung of Oregon, nominated to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Senate invoked cloture on Ms. Sung at the end of last week, and I want to say a few words in support of this remarkable nominee.

Throughout her career, Ms. Sung has proven herself to be an exceptionally impartial adjudicator, a valiant advocate for working Americans, and I am confident she will be an excellent judge who adds to the personal and professional diversity of the Ninth Circuit.

A graduate of Oberlin and Yale Law School, Ms. Sung's first experience with the Ninth Circuit came while she served as a clerk for Judge Betty Fletcher before embarking on a career in private practice focused on employment and on labor law. For over a decade, she regularly represented low-income workers, minority workers, and underserved communities in disputes against their employers. As a member of the Oregon Employment Relations Board, she struck a difficult balance between protecting the rights of working Americans while applying the law without prejudice--the key ingredients for any successful Federal judge.

If confirmed, Ms. Sung will be one of the very few Asian Americans to sit on the Federal judiciary. Along with Ms. Elliott, she would be the 31st judge whom the Senate Democratic majority has confirmed this year--the most under any President's first year in decades--and we are doing it with outstanding, impartial, and diverse nominees, and we are going to keep working in the months ahead.

Today, article III judges are still overwhelmingly White, overwhelmingly male, and overwhelmingly from big law firms or prosecutorial backgrounds. Many of these individuals have served admirably on the bench, but we hope the trailblazers of today can be closer to the norm of tomorrow. We want our courts to include more women, more diverse candidates, both demographically and professionally, and more judges who come from unique walks of life. That is how we can strengthen Americans' trust in an independent and impartial judiciary--so important to the vitality of our democracy.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 184, S.J. Res. 33.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all remaining time be yielded back.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, today the prayers of the Senate extend to all of those impacted by the deadly tornadoes that broke out across the South and Midwest over the weekend. We pray and mourn especially for the people of Kentucky, where far too many lives have been lost and the full extent of the damage has yet to be determined.

Over the weekend, President Biden declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, authorizing FEMA to coordinate disaster relief and provide emergency assistance. He also announced he will travel this week to Kentucky to assess the damage and receive briefings of recovery efforts.

It is likely that the storms from this weekend will go down as some of the worst tornado outbreaks on record, and with heavy hearts we will continue to monitor rescue and first response efforts in the coming days.

Madam President, on another matter, this week the Senate has a lot to get done as we approach the end of the year.

Over the course of the week, we expect to hold a number of votes to confirm more of President Biden's nominees to serve lifetime appointments to the Federal bench. On that front, we will later vote this afternoon on the confirmation of Judge Lucy Koh to serve as a circuit judge for the Ninth District Court of Appeals. Her nomination was favorably reported out of the committee with bipartisan support.

If confirmed, Judge Koh would be the first-ever Korean-American woman to sit on any circuit court in the country. The daughter of immigrants, her background is an inspiring testament to the American dream. Lucy's mom escaped as a child on foot from the oppression of North Korea, eventually coming to the States. Lucy spent the majority of her own upbringing in rural Mississippi, graduating from both Harvard and Harvard Law School.

For the last 11 years, Lucy Koh has served admirably as a district judge for the District of Northern California. She has authored over 3,000 opinions and presided in 270 cases--everything from the rights of criminal defendants in seeking legal representation to the protection of online consumer data in the hands of companies, to ensuring that the Trump administration did not prematurely end its completion of the 2020 census. She did all those things. She wrote on all those things and offered opinions.

All the while, she has conducted herself with impartiality, excellence, and above all, with fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law. I have no doubt she will continue building on her excellent judicial record as an appellate judge on the Ninth Circuit, and I look forward to voting in favor of her confirmation later today.

Later this week, we will hold votes on other nominees as well, including Samantha Elliott to serve as a judge for the District of New Hampshire and Jennifer Sung to serve as a circuit judge for the Ninth Circuit.

Once we confirm all three judges--Koh, Elliott, and Sung--the Senate will have confirmed a total of 31 judges to the Federal bench, 11 to the circuit courts, and 20 to the district courts. I am proud to say over half of them are women. Over half of them are people of color.

All of them are outstanding, highly qualified, and they bring sorely needed diversity to the bench--not just personal diversity but professional diversity as well. In decades past, it would have been hard imagining many of these nominees getting a serious look in this Chamber, but one by one, Senate Democrats are working with President Biden to expand the possibilities of who can and who should serve as a judge in this country, and we will keep working.

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

Madam President, 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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 854 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask that the bill be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill.

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 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S. 2959 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3377, which was introduced earlier today.

I ask further 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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 477, 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 ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, December 14; further, 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 to resume consideration of the Elliott nomination; further, that the cloture motion on the Elliott nomination ripen at 11 a.m. and that notwithstanding rule XXII, if cloture is invoked, all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at a time to be determined by the majority leader following consultation with the Republican leader; further, that following the cloture vote on the Elliott nomination, the Senate vote on cloture on the motion to concur in the House message to accompany S. 1605.

Madam President, for the information of Senators, there will be three rollcall votes starting at 11 a.m. on cloture on the Elliott nomination, cloture on the House message, and on the motion to proceed to the joint resolution to raise the debt limit.

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.

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

Mr. President, earlier this morning, it was my honor to join with President Biden, the Vice President, Leader McConnell, the Speaker, and other congressional leaders in paying a final tribute to our former colleague, Senator Bob Dole of Kansas.

From defending our country in World War II, where he fought the Nazis on the hillsides of Italy, to dedicating his final years advocating with disabled Americans and veterans, Senator Dole redefined and elevated what it means to serve our country. By 21, he had given more of himself than most of us give in a lifetime, and then he kept going for 70 years after that.

Leader Dole, rest in peace. Thank you for all you did to make our country better. And I extend my condolences and prayers to his wife, Senator Elizabeth Dole, their family, and all who mourn the loss of the gentleman from Kansas.

Debt Ceiling

Mr. President, now on the debt ceiling.

Later today, the Senate is going to hold a crucial vote that will enable us to address the debt ceiling on a fast-track basis, avoiding the prospect of a catastrophic, calamitous default on our sovereign debt.

The proposal I worked on with Leader McConnell will allow Democrats to do precisely what we have been seeking to do for months, what I have been coming down to the floor advocating since the fall: provide a simple majority vote to fix the debt ceiling without having to resort to a convoluted, lengthy, and ultimately risky process.

The Nation's debt has been incurred on a bipartisan basis, so I am pleased that this responsible action will be taken today to facilitate a process that avoids a default.

I want to thank Leader McConnell for working with us on this agreement. Our multiple conversations were fruitful, candid, productive.

This is the responsible path forward: no brinksmanship, no default on the debt, no risk of another recession.

We still have a few more steps to take before we completely resolve this matter, but I am optimistic that after today's vote we will be on a glide path to avoid a catastrophic default.

Build Back Better Act

Mr. President, now on Build Back Better. In the first 9 days of December, Democrats have made very good progress on some of our largest priorities for the month. We successfully avoided a needless government shutdown. We cleared the path to address the debt ceiling and avoid a default. And now we are close to passing an annual Defense bill on a bipartisan basis, as we have done for decades.

Last night, I filed cloture on NDAA and, for the information of my colleagues, we will vote early next week to move forward on this bill.

Soon we will be able to turn to another crucial item on our December to-do list: passing Build Back Better in time for Christmas. We remain on schedule to bring this bill to the floor of the Senate before December 25. Yesterday, four Senate committees released their titles of the Build Back Better Act, and the Congressional Budget Office released scores for those titles. More titles and scores are scheduled to be released this week.

For the knowledge of all Senators, the text and scores can be found online at the Senate Democrats' and CBO websites. So it is available to everybody.

Senate Democrats have also wrapped up all of our final meetings with the Parliamentarian's office. Those are the meetings where just Democrats talked to the Parliamentarian. Republicans also get their chance alone. And now we anticipate that the bipartisan Byrd bath-- where both sides are together to make their case to the Parliamentarian and argue back and forth--we expect those to start next week.

I want to thank the Parliamentarian's office and all of our committee's staff for working so hard this week to bring us to this point.

For all the reasons we should pass Build Back Better, I want to talk about one in some detail this morning: extending the child tax credit.

During the holiday season, American families are looking for every option to lower costs, make ends meet. So the best thing we can do is pass Build Back Better before some critical tax breaks from the American Rescue Plan--above all, the child tax credit checks--come to a premature end. That is one thing no American should want.

COVID isn't over, and so these checks shouldn't lapse either. On the contrary, they should keep going. Roughly 35 million families will get their next $300-per-child check in the mail on December 15, and we need to assure that they will get their checks in January, too, without any glitch. As a number of outlets have reported, families are at risk of seeing these checks end after December, if we don't take action.

So let's get this done. Let's pass and enact Build Back Better into law before Christmas so families won't see their checks come to a halt in the coming months, and families, as they are doing their Christmas shopping, can be assured that new checks will be coming over the next year.

For the tens of millions of families that have taken it on the chin during COVID, an extra $300 per month, per child could be what helps the parents stand on their own two feet. That is extra money for groceries, fill up the tank at the gas station, pay for diapers.

These are not luxuries. These are not handouts. They are daily essentials that nobody should have to worry about in today's day and age. In an affluent society, no one should have to worry about these things, and that is what these checks do: they bring a little more fairness into our economy.

They say to poorer people: You can have a chance and, more importantly, your children can have a chance. That is part of the American dream.

Of course, Build Back Better will do more than that. It will, for example, provide the largest investments to date to fight climate change.

I have been working with my colleagues for months to make sure our climate investments will be robust, effective, and will lay a foundation for us to keep taking action to fight the climate crisis here in Congress in the future.

Climate change costs our country tens of billions of dollars every time that storms we used to label ``once in a century'' slam us. Build Back Better will help us address the climate crisis by lowering emissions, making our communities more resistant to disasters, and protect our planet for the next generation.

Our work on Build Back Better will keep going until we get the job done.