Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 565.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that the Perdue amendment to the preamble be considered and agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the

motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, December 12; further, that following the prayer and the 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; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of S.J. Res. 64 and that the Senate vote on adoption of the resolution at 12:15 p.m.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask 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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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, this has the potential of being a historic week in America. The last 10 days have been very troubling to me as a U.S. Senator, as an individual citizen, husband, father, son.

I am very troubled today by the extreme measures we see being made right now about a case my colleagues across the aisle are trying to make. I am outraged, actually. After a personal incident that involved my wife and me this week, we have seen firsthand the length to which Members of the other side of the aisle will go to distract us away from the truth.

This body, the U.S. Senate, has become nothing more than a bully pulpit for someone's special cause, when it should be a deliberative body. We should be finding the truth.

My Democratic colleagues claim they want to work together with Republicans. They talk all the time about working in a bipartisan way. Yet, when we get into the heat of the battle, nothing could be further from the truth.

This is bigger than confirming Judge Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is about civility in our country. People have died supporting our Constitution and fighting for the freedoms we have in this country: innocent until proven guilty, for goodness' sake. When that is not convenient with an argument you are trying to make, it gets trashed. That is what we have seen this week in this body.

This is about the common discourse in America. Whoever said we always have to agree? We don't. But whoever

said you have to hate someone if you disagree with them?

Senate Democrats have made it clear, they are willing to say or do anything to stop the President's agenda which, by the way, is working. We are growing this economy at twice the rate we achieved under President Obama. We have over 331 nominees today waiting to be confirmed--the first time in history this has ever been done to this degree.

One of my Democratic colleagues called Judge Kavanaugh ``your worst nightmare.'' Another called him ``a nominee who wants to pave the path of tyranny.'' Yet another said: This Supreme Court confirmation would mean ``the destruction of the Constitution.'' Seriously? That is irresponsible for somebody in this body. She said that before Judge Kavanaugh was even announced as a nominee. Worst of all, another one of my Democratic colleagues said anyone who supports Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation is ``complicit in the evil.'' I just don't understand that.

Really? Senate Democrats want to be reasonable and work together? Seriously? This rhetoric sounds anything but reasonable to me. In fact, I believe my Democratic colleagues have gone one tick too far this time. When paid activists who support you attack my wife, you have gone too far. The American people will know that on both sides. That didn't start outside this body; it actually started in here. You are inciting this disrespect of our law.

One of my Democratic colleagues in this body has encouraged people to ``get in the face of some Congresspeople.'' Really? How does that move the cause of justice forward? The House minority leader wants to see ``uprisings all over the country.'' Seriously?

Another Member of the House said--and I am quoting the entire quote here.

They're not going to be able to go to a restaurant--

Talking about Republicans--

they're not going to be able to stop at a gas station,

they're not going to be able to shop at a department store.

The people are going to turn on them. They're going to

protest. They're going to absolutely harass them until they

decide that they're going to tell the president, no I can't

hang with you.

The same Member of the House also said:

If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a

department store, at a gasoline station . . . you get out and

create a crowd, and you push back on them and you tell them

they're not welcome.

This is America, but these are the tactics of the Brown Shirts in Germany in the 1930s--unacceptable, totally irresponsible. This is outrageous and unacceptable behavior for anyone but much less a Member of this body, a Member of Congress, and a Member of the U.S. Senate. You have crossed a line. Inciting dangerous behavior is not something we should be about in this body.

Now, when it comes to Judge Kavanaugh, America was built on a bedrock principle that we were trying to instill in America as opposed to what we lived with under different rule in Europe, and that is this: The presumption of innocence is sacred. An individual here is innocent until proven guilty. That is part of what makes our country so exceptional.

Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have become so far removed from getting to the truth that they will stop at nothing to delay this Supreme Court confirmation. That is all this week is about. It is another delay.

Any objective observer would agree that Chairman Grassley afforded both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh an equal opportunity to speak before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and to the American people. As a matter of fact, any war on women this week and in this sad story here has been perpetrated on Dr. Ford by Senate Democrats. She wanted this to be confidential, and this body could have done that. They could have done all the investigation confidentially without dragging her name through the media--or Judge Kavanaugh's.

Some people on the Democratic side of the Senate want America to believe this is just a simple case of he said, she said, and it comes down to whom do you believe. It is a lot more than that. It is not only he said, she said, but it is ``they said.''

The accuser in this case named three people who she said would corroborate her story. Not only did they not corroborate her story, they actually corroborated his story.

Senate Democrats were not satisfied even with that. They weren't satisfied that when the letter was leaked to the press--it wasn't given to the committee--but when it was leaked to the press some 6 weeks after it was received by Senate Democrats--6 weeks--an investigation was started immediately by the Judiciary Committee. Oh, but wait. Senate Democrats chose not to participate. How is that for looking for the truth? Instead, what they did is they waited until we had a hearing and then said: Oh, we need another FBI investigation that we knew would be totally redundant with what had just been done by Federal investigators employed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but we went ahead and agreed as a committee to do just what you wanted; that is, to allow a full and open FBI investigation into this, which is nothing more than redundant with what had just been done in the prior couple of weeks.

Judge Kavanaugh has had six--six--FBI investigations. This is the seventh formal FBI investigation. Not only that, the minute the committee saw Dr. Ford's letter, it immediately, as I said, went into detail with these outside Federal investigators, without the help of Senate Democrats who are members of that committee. As a matter of fact, when the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee met with Judge Kavanaugh a few weeks ago, she had been in possession of this letter from Dr. Ford for several weeks, and her staff had already recommended an attorney to Dr. Ford, but in that meeting with Judge Kavanaugh--the first meeting between the ranking member and Judge Kavanaugh--she didn't mention the letter one time. That is in the testimony. She held on to Dr. Ford's letter for 6 weeks before it was leaked to the press.

Again, it is clear this is all a well-orchestrated effort to cause delay and push this decision, hopefully--in their minds--past the election. Shame on any Member of this body, Republican or Democratic, that puts self-interests and political interests before their constitutional responsibility.

The committee has voted favorably to move Judge Brett Kavanaugh's nomination forward. That means it comes to this floor. It is time to take a full vote before this body, before the U.S. Senate.

We hope in the next few hours, the next day, to have this FBI report and to put this sad saga to bed. It is time to put partisan politics and delays behind us. It is time to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

I want to say one more thing. It is time for this body to reread their oath of office, to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States, to make sure that what we say in this body is the best and the very best America has to offer, to move our concerns forward.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of Executive Calendar Nos. 1113 through 1122 and all nominations placed on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy; that the nominations be confirmed; 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; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading.

In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would object to further proceedings.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 582, S. 3170.

I ask unanimous consent that the Grassley amendment at the desk 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 that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 583, S. 3354, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Grassley amendment at the desk be agreed to, and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 568, S. 1768.

Mr. President, I further ask that the committee-reported substitute be withdrawn, the Feinstein substitute amendment at desk be considered and agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 557, H.R. 4254.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be agreed to, 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 that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 637 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I further ask 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 656, 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 657, 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 658, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, 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.