Floor Statements

I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 337.

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I move to proceed to legislative session.

I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 360.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations, en bloc: Calendar Nos. 369, 412, and 470; that the Senate vote on the nominations, en bloc, without intervening action or debate; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations: Calendar Nos. 467, 478, and 479, and all nominations on the Secretary's Desk in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Foreign Service, Marine Corps, and Space Force be confirmed, en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2911 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, 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 Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3475, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, 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 Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4172, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, 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, finally, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3919, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read three times and passed, and the motion to be reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

The bill (H.R. 3919) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have 5 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:

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

Mr. President, today, the Senate is going to continue focusing on confirming even more of President Biden's highly qualified nominees, both to serve in his administration and for lifetime appointments on the Federal bench.

Yesterday, we confirmed three more district judges through this Chamber, each with bipartisan support. We are going to continue today with two more nominees, and I hope we can see continued bipartisan cooperation.

In less than a year, Senate Democrats have worked swiftly and decisively to fill vacancies on the Federal bench with qualified, mainstream, and dedicated jurists. We are well on our way to making today's Federal bench the most diverse in a long, long time. Through September, at least three-quarters of President Biden's circuit-level nominees have been people of color.

Let me say that again because that makes me proud. Through September, at least three-quarters of President Biden's circuit-level nominees have been people of color.

Nearly a third of all of President Biden's nominees are former public defenders, and several of them have impressive backgrounds as civil rights lawyers, voting rights champions, and experience outside the well-trodden path of corporate law or Federal prosecution.

By focusing intentionally on confirming judges that bring both personal and professional experience to the judiciary, we are expanding the possibilities of who merits consideration to the bench at all.

Judges, obviously, are an essential component of a healthy democracy. We will strengthen the public's trust in a fair, independent judiciary if the bench better reflects the rich diversity of this country, while adhering to the rule of law.

One confirmation at a time, Democrats are swiftly restoring balance to our courts, and we are full steam ahead to confirm more mainstream and qualified and diverse judges as they become available.

Now, on Build Back Better, Mr. President. Yesterday was another productive day as we make progress towards finalizing President Biden's Build Back Better plan.

After another vigorous, spirited caucus lunch, meetings continue with Senate colleagues and members of the White House, as well as with the President. An agreement is within arm's length, and we are hopeful that we can come to a framework agreement by the end of today; but we must-- we must--continue working a little more to make sure it is the best deal possible for the American people.

I am working especially hard to strengthen Medicare and make prescription drugs more affordable. Senator Sanders has worked hard to push for many of these Medicare provisions, and I support them.

At its core, the goals of Build Back Better are about restoring the middle class in the 21st century; helping people who are in the middle class stay there; helping people who are struggling to get to the middle class to get there; and give more Americans the opportunity for good, fulfilling lives and better lives for their kids. And, of course, we must take bold action to tackle the climate crisis, which could overwhelm our globe all too quickly if we don't act.

It is an agenda that favors not those at the very top, but everyday Americans who are struggling to achieve the American dream in the 21st century. Unfortunately, the past 20 years in America have been a story of middle-class decline. Even before COVID, the Federal Reserve estimated that over 40 percent of Americans in this day and age would still--still--have trouble covering an emergency expense of just $400, which you can easily incur if you have to fix your car, make repairs at home, or visit a doctor.

A few decades ago, the story was very different. For much of the post-war era, most Americans had confidence that if you were willing to work hard, you could save a little and you could leave something behind for your loved ones. Nobody was guaranteed riches, but the basic bargain in America was that those who put in an honest day's work would be able to make ends meet.

Build Back Better is precisely--precisely--about rekindling that faith in the American dream. That is no easy task. Americans face serious, severe challenges today that did not exist in the past. Raising a family is more difficult than ever. The challenges of finding and affording childcare and pre-K have grown exponentially. Seniors are struggling to afford basic drug care and basic drugs.

These are not luxury items. These aren't handouts or entitlements. These are essentials. They are essentials that families need in order to work and get ahead, and they are oftentimes much, much harder to afford than they were in the past.

That is what we mean by providing ladders to the middle class and helping families stay in the middle class. That is what we mean by reviving that sunny American optimism, which this country has lost in the last few decades. We have got to get it back, and the only way we can get it back is by bold action that gives people renewed hope in their futures and the future of their children.

The work we do right now will echo far into the 21st century. This is the best opportunity we have had in a long time to make sure that the decades to come will offer the same--or even greater--opportunities that Americans enjoyed in the past.

And if Democrats keep working together, if we keep our eye on the ultimate goal, and we keep negotiating to find that legislative sweet spot, then we will succeed in rewarding the trust that the American people have placed on us.

I yield the floor.