Floor Statements

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 854.

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

I yield the floor.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session and the only remaining amendments in order to H.R. 82 be the following: Paul 3346, Paul 3352, Cruz 3360, and Crapo 3331; that there be a 60-affirmative vote threshold for the adoption of the amendments; that upon disposition of the Crapo amendment, Senator Lee be recognized to make a budget point of order; that upon disposition of the point of order, the pending amendments and motion be withdrawn, H.R. 82 be considered read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of the bill with 60-affirmative votes required for passage; further, that following the disposition of H.R. 82, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 10545; that there be up to 30 minutes for debate on the bill, equally divided, and that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on passage of the bill, with 60 affirmative votes required for passage and with no amendments or motions in order to the bill; further, that following the disposition of H.R. 10545, the Senate resume executive session to consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 851, 853, 854, 857; 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 and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that there be up to 2 minutes for debate, equally divided, prior to each vote, all without further intervening action or debate.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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 have very good news for my colleagues and for the country. Democrats and Republicans have just reached an agreement that will allow us to pass the CR tonight before the midnight deadline.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Came close. Came close.

Mr. President and my colleagues, we want to finish at a reasonable hour. If we want to finish as quickly as possible, I would urge Members to stay in their seats and answer to your name when it is called. That will speed things up. Thank you. And we are going to have a 10-minute limit on votes, period.

(Applause.)

Please, Members, stay in your seats. Let's get this done quick.

Madam President, tonight, the Senate finally corrects a 50-year mistake by passing the Social Security Fairness Act. Millions of retired teachers and firefighters and letter carriers and State and local workers have waited decades for this moment. No longer will public retirees see their hard-earned Social Security benefits robbed from them, thanks to this bill. It is a very good thing that one of the final acts of the 118th Congress is delivering a huge win for working Americans.

I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their outstanding work, particularly Senators Brown, Collins, and Cassidy, who led the way, and all those who relentlessly, across the country, called their Senators and got this done.

American Relief Act of 2025

Madam President, tonight, the Senate delivers more good news for America. Tonight, the Senate delivers good news for America. There will be no government shutdown right before Christmas.

(Applause.)

This is a good bill. It will keep the government open and funded, and it helps Americans affected by hurricanes and natural disasters. It helps our farmers and avoids harmful cuts. After a chaotic few days in the House, it is good news that the bipartisan approach, in the end, prevailed. It is a good lesson for next year. Both sides have to work together.

By dealing with people who have had trouble with disasters, by helping our farmers, and avoiding harmful cuts, this is a good bill, and I am glad we are passing it.

I thank my Republican colleagues for working with us to move this bill quickly through the Senate. It is a good outcome for America and the American people.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, this is the last vote not only of this evening but of the 118th Congress.

We yield back all time.

(Applause.)

Vote on H.R. 10545

Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. President, the work of the 118th Congress comes to an end. The majority in this Chamber will soon change hands.

Tonight, I would like to take a moment to thank my colleagues for their outstanding work over the past 4 years. This was the most productive, ambitious, and historic 4 years the Senate has seen in decades. I am proud that many of our biggest accomplishments were bipartisan--something I hope the incoming majority embraces as a model. And the accomplishments speak for themselves. They are enormous. I was so proud to lead the Senate when we did so much for so many people-- and, as I said, so much of it bipartisan.

It started at the beginning in 2020, when COVID was at its worst. We passed the American Rescue Plan, sending checks to every mailbox and shots in every arm. It helped reduce the problems with COVID so quickly--more quickly than people ever felt.

We passed a once-in-a-generation bipartisan infrastructure law. You see the effects of it all over America right now. Infrastructure is being rebuilt. People are being employed. Our country is getting more efficient, which it always does when we have better infrastructure. It rebuilt America's roads, bridges, and highways. It provided kids with safe drinking water. Rural communities and urban communities got access to broadband, which they had never had before--so essential in the 21st century.

We brought manufacturing jobs back to our shores and revitalized American innovation through the Chips and Science Act.

We took on the NRA and won by passing the first gun safety law in 30 years.

We passed the greatest expansion of veterans care in a generation to ensure that no veteran is denied treatment related to toxic exposure and burn pits.

On this and almost every one of these issues, it was the Senate that led the way; bipartisan--Senators got together with one another and passed legislation that then the House followed and the President signed. But make no mistake about it, we were the cauldron; we were the place where it all got put together and melded together. And I am proud of the job, frankly, that I did as majority leader, but I am so proud of our Senators on both sides of the aisle who got so much done.

There were other things we did as well. We stood with our friends in Ukraine as they defend their country against the brutality of Vladimir Putin.

We took a stand to protect marriage equality.

Through the Inflation Reduction Act, we made insulin $35 a month for millions of seniors.

We empowered Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for the first time.

The IRA was also the most ambitious clean energy bill in American history. The effects are happening all over the country. Our kids are going to breathe cleaner air. Our communities will see less pollution. Future generations are going to see millions of new, good-paying jobs as we complete the wind and solar and nuclear and all the other parts of the bill.

Again, it made us so proud of what we were able to do. It was incredible. The list goes on and on. Our legacy in these past 4 years when we were in the majority is just large. It is grand. I am proud of it.

We also, let's not forget, confirmed 235 highly qualified and historic judges to the bench--more than a quarter of all active judges. We are so proud of this ambitious record.

Years from now, when Americans drive on better roads, buy cleaner cars, make faster chips, have better paying jobs, save on prescription drugs, it will be the work of this majority.

In conclusion, I want to thank the staff here in the Senate who work behind the scenes and make this Chamber come to life, the incredible floor staff sitting here who do incredible work. Thank you to the miracle workers in the cloakroom. They always find everybody, wherever they are. If you say someone is missing, there they are. Thank you to the Senate doorkeepers, to the Secretary of the Senate, and the Senate Sergeant at Arms, to the pages and support staff, and to all of those who make this place function.

A special thanks to my staff. What an amazing, hard-working, dedicated, smart, passionate, and caring group of people they are. I know this for sure: Without my staff, none of this would have been accomplished. They keep me going. Sometimes when I veer off course, they get me back on course. Sometimes when I am doing too much, they sort of limit me. Oftentimes, when I want to do something that is a yes, they sometimes say no, but all too often, they find a better way to do yes. So they are great. I love them, and I am grateful to them as well.

There will be much to do in the year to come. The work will continue. The challenges will be great. And we will no longer be in the majority; we will be in the minority. But our North Star will not change: working every single day to serve the American people and reward the trust they have placed in us.

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 Senate proceed to executive session and the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of PN Nos. 794; 795; 796, excepting Peter Gauthier, Mark Gray, Steven Rynecki, Lori Du Trieuille; 898, excepting Kenneth MacLean, Amanda Van den Dool, Adriana Harvey; 1535; 1536; 1538; 1539, excepting Sean Jones, Karl Fickenscher; 1540 excepting Kenneth MacLean; 1975; 2031; 2146; 2148; 2233; 2234; 2235; 2004; 1537 excepting Janee P. Pierre-Louis; 1978; and 2147; that the Senate proceed to their en bloc consideration and vote without intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the junior Senator from Virginia, the senior Senator from Ohio, and the senior Senator from Maryland be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions from December 20, 2024, through January 3, 2025.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 648, H.R. 4984.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 685, S. 5098.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, 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 the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 686, H.R. 5887.

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.