Floor Statements

Mr. President, yesterday, a substantial bipartisan majority of Senators agreed to move forward with a debate on the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Senators from the bipartisan group continue to finalize the text of the agreement. Once the bipartisan group completes the legislative text, I will offer it as a substitute amendment, making it the base of the bill on the floor. And then we can proceed to the consideration of additional amendments.

Look, I understand that writing the text of a bill of this size is a difficult project. I have been part of many such efforts in the past. But I urge the bipartisan group to finish their work so we can begin the amendment process here on the floor.

I have said for weeks that the Senate is going to move forward on both tracks of infrastructure before the beginning of the August recess. The longer it takes to finish, the longer we will be here. But we are going to get the job done.

I will update the Senate on the timing of the next vote as we move forward.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I just want to give a quick update.

As everyone knows, we are waiting for the bipartisan group of Senators to finalize the text of their agreement. I have been informed the group is working hard to bring this negotiation to a conclusion, but they believe they need a little bit more time. I am prepared to give it to them because--because, as I have always said from the beginning, I am fully committed to passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill, and so the Senate will remain in session today so that they can bring this to a conclusion.

Again, this is an important bill. I know all the parties want to get this right. As soon as their legislative text is finalized, we will review it, and then I will offer it as the substitute amendment. After that, we can begin voting for amendments.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess subject to the call of the Chair.

Mr. President, the bipartisan group of Senators has still not finalized the legislative text of their substitute amendment. The staffs are still working and say they will have the final legislative text ready tomorrow. Therefore, the Senate will reconvene tomorrow at 12 noon.

As I have said, when the legislative text is ready, I will offer it as the substitute amendment, and, after that, we can begin voting on amendments.

As a reminder, upon completion of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Senate will turn to the budget resolution with reconciliation instructions.

I want to thank the Capitol Police, the clerks, and the Senate staff for working these past 2 late nights.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Sunday, August 1; that following the prayer and pledge, the Executive Journal be approved to date and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day.

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, now, for the second time this week, sadly, the Senate has lost a greatly admired former colleague. Last night, Carl Levin--Michigan's longest-serving Senator, a Harvard- educated civil rights attorney, and former taxidriver--passed away after a battle with cancer.

Over the years, many have been called model Senators, but few have earned the title like Carl. He was no frills, hyperfocused on policy and results, and fearless in taking on entrenched powers.

When the Pentagon was profligate, you could be sure that Carl Levin was there. When large financial institutions fleeced consumers, you could be sure Carl Levin was there. And whenever and wherever the interests of assembly line employees, the shift workers, or the servicemembers were at stake, you could be sure Carl Levin was there.

He was Mr. Integrity. Like a true son of the ``Motor City,'' he punched the clock at an auto assembly plant as a young man. Decades later, he proudly carried his 1953 union membership card in his wallet, a silent reminder of where he came from and who he fought for.

He was certainly not a Senator out of central casting. As the tributes came pouring in from all corners of the country, the word most often you would see associated with Carl is ``disheveled''--the rumpled suit, the stark-white hair, the glasses perched precariously at the end of his nose.

Well, he may have been disheveled in his appearance, but there was nothing--nothing--disheveled about his mind and principles.

It reminds me of one story. In 2006--I try to teach some of my caucus members some certain Yiddish words, and one of them is ``schlumpy.'' It means disheveled, not dressed to the best.

So when Harry Reid heard that Bernie Sanders was coming to the Senate, he got up at our caucus lunch one day, and he said: Well, we will finally find somebody here in the caucus more schlumpy than Schumer: Bernie Sanders.

Carl Levin said: I object to that; I am the most schlumpy.

He had a great sense of humor. He was a fine man. His intellect was fierce, a sharpened blade designed to cut to the core of an issue, or sometimes cut through the unimpressive answers of a witness in front of his committee. To modify a well-known expression, one of the most dangerous places in Washington was the witness chair across from Chairman Levin.

And while he was not a veteran himself, the Armed Forces of the United States could not count on a better friend than Carl Levin. For more than three decades, the not-so-invisible hand of Senator Levin shaped America's defense policy. There were large and weighty issues: matters of war and peace, terrorism and national security, billion- dollar budget decisions.

But there was also the Michigan Korean war veteran, denied a veterans' loan because his military records were destroyed in a fire. It would have been enough for Carl to set his office to the task, find the lost records, and ship them off in a manila envelope. Instead, Carl went to visit with him in person and deliver four service medals.

He was an example that inspired and one to aspire to. Because of who he was and what he accomplished, the Senate, the State of Michigan, these entire United States, and our globe, our world, are much better off thanks to Mr. Carl Levin.

Infrastructure

Mr. President, on another matter entirely, later today, we will vote on the nomination of Ur Mendoza Jaddou, of California, to be Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This is a Department in desperate need of capable leadership after four chaotic years under the Trump administration.

The daughter of Mexican and Iraqi immigrants, Ms. Jaddou would be the first woman to ever lead the USCIS, and I am confident she has the skills, expertise, and experience to do the job well.

In a short time, the Senate will also take a procedural vote to move forward with a bipartisan infrastructure bill. I expect the vote will receive the same significant margin of support today as it did on Wednesday.

Once Senators agree to proceed to debate on the bill, it is my intention to offer the text of the bipartisan agreement as a substitute amendment, making it the base of the bill on the floor.

The Senate remains on track to reach our goal of passing both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution, with reconciliation instructions, before the start of the August recess. It is an ambitious deadline, absolutely, but the hard work put in by Senators and staff means that we are on the right track to get it done.

Given the bipartisan nature of the bill, the Senate should be able to process this legislation rather quickly. We may need the weekend. We may vote on several amendments. But with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues, I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days.

While our job is not nearly complete, I do want to take a moment this morning to recognize the sweat that our Members and staff have already put in. Senators from the bipartisan group have worked long hours for many weeks to first reach, and then finalize, this agreement.

I want to thank Senators Sinema and Portman for taking the lead, to the entire G-22 group--as it is called--as well as the White House for helping pull all of this together.

There has been significant work behind the scenes. In order to prepare the legislative text, staff members from our committees, the group of bipartisan Senators, and the legislative counsel have worked not just long hours but endured sleepless nights to finish writing the bill.

And the work I am talking about--a massive down payment toward rebuilding our Nation's infrastructure--will

benefit our economy for years and decades to come.

Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Session

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that upon the disposition of the Jaddou nomination, the Senate remain in executive session.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, before I close the Senate, I want to inform the Senators where we are today.

First, I want to thank all of the Senators who voted to proceed today. The bipartisan group is still finalizing the text of their agreement, which will be the substitute amendment, with a nonpartisan legislative counsel.

Once they are finished--this is a big job--the text will be reviewed, and then I will immediately offer the text of the bipartisan infrastructure agreement as the substitute amendment, making it the base bill, as I have promised. As soon as the bipartisan group finalizes the text of the substitute amendment and it becomes the base bill, we can start voting on amendments and make further progress on the bill over this weekend.

The Senate will resume session tomorrow at 11 a.m.

This is a really important bill, and I know all the parties want to make sure it is done right.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a morning 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. 1046 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and 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. 75, S. 1301.

I ask unanimous consent 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 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 2045 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be discharged from further consideration and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 318.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions 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. Res. 333, which was submitted earlier today.

I further 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 the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 160, 161, and 230; 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.