Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 130.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 127.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar 46, H.R. 7.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Finally, I ask unanimous consent that the cloture motions with respect to Executive Calendar Nos. 130 and 127 ripen at 5:30 p.m., Monday, June 7; that the cloture with respect to the motion to proceed to H.R. 7 ripen upon disposition of S. 1260 and the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today, May 28, be waived.

Madam President, I have a brief statement on the vote on the January 6 Commission.

My colleagues, this was a case of good news and bad news about the Republican Party in the Senate.

The good news: Republicans worked with Democrats on comprehensive legislation to strengthen our commitment to scientific research, which will pass the Senate when the Senate resumes session.

The bad news: The Republican minority just mounted a partisan filibuster against an independent Commission to report on January 6. Both efforts should have moved forward solidly in a bipartisan way, but out of fear or fealty to Donald Trump, the Republican minority just prevented the American people from getting the full truth about January 6. The Republican minority just prevented the Senate from even debating the bill--no opportunity for amendments, no opportunity for debate.

There was an attempt by the Republican minority to shunt this vote into the dark of night, but because of today's Senate time agreement, it was done in broad daylight. The American people will see how each Republican Senator voted.

This should have been simple. The Commission was bipartisan, independent, straight down the middle. House Democrats accepted every change that House leadership requested. Speaker Pelosi and I supported and still do support the changes Senator Collins proposed, and we told that to other Senators.

Senate Republicans, for months, publicly supported the idea of a Commission, but now, all of a sudden, the Senate minority and the Senate minority leader waged a partisan filibuster against the bill.

This vote has made it official: Donald Trump's Big Lie has now fully enveloped the Republican Party. Trump's Big Lie is now the defining principle of what was once the party of Lincoln.

House Republicans canned Congresswoman Cheney for the crime of telling the truth that Joe Biden is President. Republican State legislatures seizing on the Big Lie are conducting the greatest assault on voting rights since the beginning of Jim Crow. Republicans in both Chambers are trying to rewrite history and claim that January 6 was just a peaceful protest that got a little out of hand. And now this--a partisan blockade of a simple, independent, bipartisan Commission.

I have heard all the excuses why Republicans are opposing this bill: It is too early. It goes on too long. It is not needed. Almost all of these excuses are meritless and were invented in the past 2 weeks.

We all know what is going on here. Senate Republicans chose to defend the Big Lie because they believe anything that might upset Donald Trump could hurt them politically.

We all lived through the horrors of January 6. I was no farther than 30 feet from those White Supremacist hooligans. Do my Republican colleagues remember that day? Do my Republican colleagues remember the savage mob calling for the execution of Mike Pence, the makeshift gallows outside the Capitol, men with bulletproof vests and zip ties breaking into the Senate Gallery and rifling through your desks, and police officers crushed between doorways? Shame on the Republican Party for trying to sweep the horrors of that day under the rug because they are afraid of Donald Trump.

Our democracy has long endured because leaders of good faith, even if they disagreed, even at political costs, shared a fidelity to the truth. That is not so today.

I hope this is not the beginning of an effort by Senate Republicans to prevent this Chamber from debating reasonable, commonsense legislation. We will soon see.

After the State work period, I will bring forward legislation that would help provide equal pay for women. Will our Republican colleagues let the Senate debate the bill, or will they engage in another partisan filibuster of urgent legislation? We will soon see.

Madam President, I have a lot of pages here, a lot of business to conduct.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to consider the following nominations: Calendar No. 132 and all nominations on the Secretary's Desk in the Foreign Service; that the nominations 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; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate then resume legislative session.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 133; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table 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; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate then resume legislative session.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2523 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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 Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 195.

Madam President, I know of no further debate on the measure.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Inhofe amendment to the preamble be agreed to, the preamble as amended be agreed to, and that 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 the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 61, S. 921.

Madam President, I further ask that the committee- reported substitute amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that 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 the consideration of S. Res. 255, submitted earlier today.

Madam President, I know of no further debate on the measure.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 256, 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 the Senate proceed to S. Res. 257, submitted earlier today.

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 with no intervening action or debate.