Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 294.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 4; 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 H.R. 3684.

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.

Thereupon, the Senate, at 8:23 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at 10:30 a.m.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, yesterday evening, as everyone knows, the group of bipartisan Senators working on infrastructure finished the text of the bill. I immediately moved to make that text the base of the bill here on the floor, as promised.

Last night, Democrats offered to begin the amendment process right away. There are three bipartisan amendments to the bill ready to consider. Two were led by Republicans: a Rounds-Smith amendment and Thune-Tester amendment, and another from Senators Padilla and Moran.

Let me be clear. These three amendments would constitute only the first

tranche of potential amendments. The Senate can and should consider more amendments afterward.

I encourage Senators from both sides of the aisle to submit potential amendments to the bill. And, as we have already done several times this year--on the anti-Asian hate crimes bill and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, just to name two examples--the majority will work with the minority to put together packages of amendments for the Senate to vote on.

At the moment, we need consent from our Republican colleagues to start the amendment process, and we await their answer. I hope we can use our time in the Senate efficiently.

Let's start voting on amendments. The longer it takes to finish the bill, the longer we will be here.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendment to the substitute be called up and reported by number: Lummis-Kelly No. 2181; further, that the Senate vote in relation to the amendment on Tuesday, August 3, at 11:45 a.m., with no amendments in order to the amendment prior to a vote in relation to the amendment, with 60 affirmative votes required for adoption and 2 minutes of debate equally divided prior to the vote.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 3, 2021; 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; and that upon conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3684.

Mr. 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, from the very beginning, my stated goal for the July and August work period has been that the Senate pass both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions. This is our so-called two-track strategy: both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions. And despite some bumps in the road, always expected on two bills as large and comprehensive as these, we have remained firmly on track to achieve our two-track goal.

On the bipartisan track, I have worked with my colleagues throughout the process to help produce an outcome that all parties find acceptable. I have tried to prod the negotiators when they have needed it and given them space when they have asked for it.

Deadlines were necessary to advance the negotiations. We are here right now, during a rare weekend session, in order to move the bipartisan bill forward as quickly as possible.

The idea here is to produce an outcome, a real bipartisan agreement that provides a significant down payment toward the level of infrastructure investment our country needs.

The process from here is simple. Once the legislative text of the agreement is finalized--and I understand it is being finalized imminently--I will offer it as a substitute amendment, as I have always promised, and then the Senate can finally begin voting on additional amendments.

Given the thoroughly bipartisan nature of the bill, I expect we will be able to consider all the relevant amendments and finish the bill in a matter of days.

But we know that this bill is not everything our country needs. That is why, after the bipartisan infrastructure legislation passes this Chamber, I will immediately move to the other track: passing a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions, which will allow the Senate to make historic investments in American jobs, American families, and efforts to reverse climate change. Both tracks are very much needed by the American people and we must accomplish both.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, well, I thank my colleagues for their fine speeches, and I very much appreciate them.

Now, the bipartisan group of Senators has finished writing the text of

the infrastructure bill, and in a moment, I will take the procedural steps to make their legislative language the base of the bill here on the floor.

I want to congratulate the Members of the bipartisan group for their efforts. We haven't done a large bipartisan bill of this nature in a long time. I want to especially thank the staffs, who burned the midnight oil many a night, for their diligence, their hard work, their intelligence, and their skill.

Thank you, staff, listening and a few in the room here tonight.

These days, it isn't easy to do major bills in the Senate, especially bipartisan ones, so I have tried to prod the negotiators along when they have needed it and given them the space when they have asked for it. In the end, the bipartisan group of Senators has produced a bill that will dedicate substantial resources to repair, maintain, and upgrade our Nation's physical infrastructure. It has been decades-- decades--since Congress passed such a significant stand-alone investment, and I salute the hard work that was done here by everybody.

In order for our workers, our businesses, our economy to succeed in the 21st century, we cannot have infrastructure that is stuck in the last century. The bipartisan infrastructure bill is designed to bring our infrastructure up to date for a new century, and that is a significant achievement.

Now, for the future, for the information of Senators, here is how we plan to move forward. I will offer the text of the bipartisan infrastructure bill as a substitute amendment, as I promised, making it the base of the bill.

Then the Senate will work to consider additional amendments to the bipartisan framework. Given how bipartisan the bill is and how much work has already been put in to get the details right, I believe the Senate can quickly process relevant amendments and pass this bill in a matter of days.

Then I will move the Senate along the second track of our infrastructure effort and take up the budget resolution.

A bipartisan infrastructure bill is definitely necessary, but to many of us, it is not sufficient. That is why soon after this bill passes the Senate, Democrats will press forward with a budget resolution to allow the Senate to make further historic, vitally important investments in American jobs, American families, and efforts to reverse climate change.

Look, I have set out two very ambitious goals for the Senate this summer, and we are now on the way to achieving both. As I said, both tracks, this one and the other, are very much needed by the American people, and we must accomplish both.

Now, after many days of waiting and a lot of hard work and a lot of compromise, I ask that the clerk report the pending business.

I call up the Sinema-Portman substitute amendment No. 2137.

I ask to dispense with the further reading of the amendment so we may get forward to other amendments.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now resume morning business, with all previous provisions in order.

Would my colleague just yield for a minute for a brief interruption? I will close the Senate but then allow him to speak for as long as he should choose.

I see he doesn't have many notes, but it is all sui generis, I know that.

No comment.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate complete its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Monday, August 2; 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 conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3684.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Lee.

I yield back to the Senator from Utah.