Floor Statements

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. 846.

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

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, last night, the Senate stayed late to keep working on confirming more of the President's judicial nominees. We made excellent progress this week confirming judges, and I am pleased to say that we have cleared the way to confirm many more judges when we return after Thanksgiving.

Today, we will pick up right where we left off last night. Later this morning, we will hold two more cloture votes to advance two more district court judges: Noel Wise to the Northern District of California and Gail Weilheimer to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. We will finish today with a confirmation vote of Sharad Desai to be district judge for the District of Arizona. This would put our total for the week at six new judges confirmed to lifetime appointments to the Federal bench, one circuit court judge and five district court judges. And again, we are in a strong position to confirm many more judges when we come back. We hope to make progress on as many as we can.

Now, I thank all my colleagues for their hard work last night and for being flexible amidst all the rollcall votes. And I want to thank the floor staff, the cloakrooms, the pages, and all the staff in the Senate for staying late several nights this week so we could keep working on the floor. I understand if you feel a little groggy this morning. That is OK.

I am proud that the judges we have confirmed under President Biden are exceptional, highly qualified, and have already begun to bring balance to our bench. Our nominees are adding new perspectives and broad ranges of experience to their courts. We have confirmed individuals with strong experiences in consumer protection and voting rights and civil rights, Supreme Court advocacy, prosecution, and more. In other words, the nominees we have considered represent a balanced and evenhanded group of jurists.

And we will keep going when the Senate returns. Voting on the President's nominees is a basic responsibility of the Senate. We will take that responsibility very seriously between now and the end of the year.

Now, a look ahead. When the Senate returns after Thanksgiving, Senators can expect a very busy few weeks to finish our work before the end of the year. Both sides must continue working together to keep the government

open beyond the December 20 deadline. Letting the government shut down just before Christmas would be asinine, plain and simple, and nobody wants that to happen. Well, there may be a few in the other Chamber who do, but they are a distinct minority.

We must pass the annual Defense authorization bill to provide for our troops and hold the line against America's adversaries abroad. We have passed the NDAA every year over the last six decades. With so much going on around the world--in the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, in Europe, and beyond--passing the NDAA is as critical as it has ever been. We intend to get it done.

We also hope to make progress on the farm bill to avoid going over the so-called dairy cliff at the end of December. Chair Stabenow released text of her bill earlier this week, and I want to commend her for drafting such a strong bill that provides for farmers and ranchers as well as working families through nutrition programs. I know that Democrats are ready to work with Republicans to get the farm bill done.

Another issue we hope to get done is disaster aid. Both sides know we need to act because both sides represent States that have been impacted by disaster. Earlier this week, the Biden administration released a comprehensive plan for disaster aid that does a lot of very good things. It replenishes not just programs housed within FEMA--which is what most Americans think about when they think of a disaster response--but other programs across the Federal Government that are dangerously low on funding, if not totally depleted.

A few days ago, I highlighted the important role that the SBA's Disaster Loan Program plays in times of crisis.

Another one I want to mention is the Department of Transportation funding to repair and reconstruct our highways and roads. When disaster strikes and highways and roads are damaged and rendered impassable, it brings everything to a standstill. Aid is slower to arrive, getting people out of danger is harder, and entire communities can be left isolated.

This is just one example of why we need to pass a robust disaster aid package, and I hope to work with Republicans to get it done as soon and as robustly as possible.

Finally, as I have said, when we return after Thanksgiving, we will pick up right where we left off, confirming more of President Biden's judicial and executive nominees. So it will be a very busy and consequential few weeks in the Senate when we return, and I thank my colleagues for their cooperation.

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, when I wrote and led passage of the bipartisan Chips and Science Act, I often spoke about days in the not too distant future when this legislation would bring manufacturing back to the United States, strengthen our national security, and deliver big for New York, particularly Upstate New York.

Today, I am proud to say, is precisely the kind of day I had in mind when I helped write the bipartisan Chips and Science Act. Today, semiconductor company GlobalFoundries finalized a $1.5 billion award-- that is $1.5 billion with a ``b''--to build a new, cutting-edge, massive chip factory in Malta, NY, and expand production in the Capital Region of New York. This award was made possible precisely because of the law I wrote and passed.

This chips award is now locked in. The agreement is signed, sealed, and delivered--in fact, ready to deliver a better future for Upstate New York and for America. Importantly, this funding is protected for years to come.

GlobalFoundries' announcement is exciting for several reasons. First, it means thousands of new, good-paying manufacturing and union construction jobs are on the way to the Capital Region, as GlobalFoundries triples its production in Saratoga County. When we wrote the Chips and Science law, we wanted to make sure that it was union labor that built these factories.

Mr. President, the funds will also modernize a GlobalFoundries facility in Vermont, you will be happy to know. These are jobs that will help transform the region, jobs that even the children and grandchildren of workers today will hold decades from now. When your kid gets one of these jobs, you are not going to think, oh, it will be gone in 5 years, because this is a growing, burgeoning industry. Semiconductor chips are the future of our modern economy.

So it is a great thing for optimism for our future, for those ladders up that we so believe in here in America.

Second, this funding will help create a strong domestic supply of essential chips that America needs for our national and economic security. The chips made by GlobalFoundries are critical to the auto industry, to national defense, to artificial intelligence, all the way down to our smartphones. If we want to keep prices low and prevent shortages, one of the best things we can do is build chips here at home. This funding will help make that happen.

Most importantly, as I said, the $1.5 billion award is cemented for New York and for America as long as GlobalFoundries meets its project milestones. Upstate New York, the Capital Region, can rest assured that the funding announced today will be there in the years to come.

So today is a great day for the Capital Region, a great day for New York, and a great day for American leadership in the global semiconductor industry.

Madam President, I come to the floor to speak on the resolutions we will be voting on shortly to share why I strongly oppose them.

Israel is surrounded by enemies dedicated to its annihilation, from Hamas to Hezbollah, to the Houthis, to most threateningly of all, Iran.

These threats, sadly, have been around for a long time and will persist for many years into the future. Israel needs to protect itself, not just today but also tomorrow and next year and beyond. It has been a cornerstone of American policy to give Israel the resources it needs to defend against its enemies. We should not stray from that policy today.

Many of the arms sales in question today will not reach Israel until years from now. We have no idea what kind of threats Israel will face by then. It could be an even more emboldened Iran or a strengthened Hezbollah or some other threat.

There are few, if any, who imagined the barbaric assault perpetrated by Hamas on October 7. The twisted and hateful ideology that underpins that violence from places like Iran will sadly continue in the region for some time to come. Israel will need to be fully prepared to face those threats. So voting to block assistance today could well very embolden Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran and endanger Israel's security on into the future.

I know there are many in this Chamber who have been strongly critical of Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies. I am certainly one of them, as I have made clear right here on the Senate floor, where I clearly stated the urgent need to diligently pursue a two-state solution.

I have also made clear that Israel must do more to reduce the suffering of innocent civilians in Gaza and do much more to get humanitarian aid to where it is urgently needed. However, our security assistance to Israel transcends any one Prime Minister or any one government.

This is about Israel's long-term security and honoring a cornerstone of the U.S. policy that we will give Israel--a democracy and a steadfast ally--the resources it needs to protect itself in a difficult world.

There are ways to express criticism and to work on addressing these criticisms without impacting Israel's security.

So this is why I will be voting no. Again, while it is perfectly legitimate to have objections with the Netanyahu government--and I know many of my colleagues wish to express their disapproval--I believe these resolutions are the wrong way and the wrong strategy to voice those objections.

I vote no and urge others to do the same.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, if cloture is invoked on the Sooknanan nomination, the Senate immediately vote on the Murphy, Hwang, Dixon, and Henry cloture motions in the order in which cloture was filed; further, that during Thursday's session of the Senate, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate vote on the Wise and Weilheimer cloture motions in the order in which the cloture was filed; further, that if cloture is invoked on any of the above nominations, all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Republican leader, no earlier than Monday, December 2, 2024; further, that the mandatory quorum calls for the above cloture motions be waived; finally, that the cloture motion with respect to the Desai nomination be withdrawn and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Republican leader, during Thursday's session of the Senate.

For the information of Members in plain English, this means we are going to have four votes tonight. We are going to--and we are not going to have those 2-hour intervening times so we can get them done quickly if we stay in our seats.

We then will vote tomorrow. We have two votes tomorrow morning and one vote before 1:45.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

This is the last vote, everybody.

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 have eight 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:

committee on environment and public works

The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 9:45 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

committee on environment and public works

The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

committee on foreign relations

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 3 p.m., to conduct a classified briefing.

committee on homeland security and governmental affairs

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 11 a.m., to conduct a business meeting.

committee on indian affairs

The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 3 p.m., to conduct a business meeting.

committee on the judiciary

The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

select committee on intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed briefing.

subcommittee on economic policy

The Subcommittee on Economic Policy of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet in open session during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 2 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 285, S. 1153.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Peters substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.

I ask that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.