Floor Statements

Madam President, on September 6, 2022, I missed rollcall vote No. 326 while quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 326, cloture on the nomination of John Z. Lee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.

Madam President, on September 7, 2022, I missed rollcall vote No. 327 while quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 327, confirming John Z. Lee to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.

Madam President, on September 7, 2022, I missed rollcall vote No. 328 while quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 328, cloture on the nomination of Andre B. Mathis to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

Madam President, on September 8, 2022, I missed rollcall vote No. 329 while quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 329, confirming Andre B. Mathis to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.

Madam President, on September 8, 2022, I missed rollcall vote No. 330 while quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 330, cloture on the nomination of Salvador Mendoza to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.

Mr. President, in the month since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the assault on reproductive rights by anti-choice MAGA Republicans--well, it has been relentless.

We have seen and heard the horror stories of women in States that have outlawed abortion. We have seen women and even young girls-- children as young as 10--who were raped and unable to get an abortion in their own States. We have seen examples of States looking to restrict--restrict--a woman's ability to travel to other States-- restrict a woman's ability to travel to other States--to get the medical care, the often lifesaving care, they desperately need. In fact, this is an issue that Republicans in this Chamber objected to when Democrats brought up a bill to guarantee the fundamental right of women to travel in this country in order to seek care.

MAGA Republicans--oh, wait. They want to strip women of their freedoms, and they want to strip women of their ability to choose what happens to their own bodies. If MAGA extremists have their way in Congress, they will enact a rigid--a rigid--nationwide abortion ban which will threaten women and their doctors with jail time.

Look at what is already happening: Anti-choice States are working to stop women from going to pro-choice States to seek care, and now they are even going after the doctors--after the doctors--in those States, who are simply doing their jobs by taking care of their patients.

This is utterly and completely outrageous. We cannot allow this to happen. That is why Senators Murray, Padilla, Lujan, and I introduced legislation to protect doctors in States like Nevada--where abortion remains legal--from facing prosecution by anti-choice States.

Let me be clear. No doctor should ever be jailed for providing women with the reproductive and often lifesaving care they need wherever-- wherever--those women are from.

Our bill, the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act, would do exactly what is in the name. It would let doctors--medical professionals--provide reproductive care in States like Nevada where abortion is legal, without fear of prosecution or fear of jail time.

Our bill would empower the Department of Justice to protect women and their doctors in pro-choice States from anti-choice States' attempts to prosecute them. This means that if a woman from Texas travels to my State of Nevada, a pro-choice State, the Nevada doctor she sees cannot--cannot--be prosecuted under Texas's extreme abortion ban.

We need to pass this now, without delay and without objections, because we must protect women, and we must protect their doctors. We must pass the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act now.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if the Senate receives a message from the House that it has passed H.R. 1842, and if the text of that bill is identical to S. 697, that the bill be considered read three times and the Senate vote on passage of the bill without intervening action or debate, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, for months, our country has experienced a severe computer chip shortage, one that has impacted nearly every American industry and increased costs for nearly every American. From cell phones to cars to televisions, even our refrigerators and washing machines--products we use every day--well, they need computer chips to function.

They are also used in critically important technology like the medical equipment at our hospitals and the technology used by our military. This is why the computer chip shortage we are facing is a critical economic and national security issue. It has caused prices to rise, contributed to supply chain issues, and limited the availability of many products, something that anyone who has tried to buy or rent a car over the past couple of years knows all too well.

This shortage was directly impacting hard-working families and the businesses that support jobs across our Nation.

It has hurt companies that employ people in my State of Nevada, like Varian Medical Systems, which uses computer chips to manufacture cancer-fighting and other critical medical technologies. This shortage is impacting lives and likelihoods.

For decades, America was a global leader in manufacturing and innovation; but over the years, we outsourced the production of computer chips to countries like China, costing us millions of potential American jobs and increasing our reliance on foreign nations for technology that is critical--critical for our national security and

for our safety. All of this has been exacerbated by a global pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

We can't afford to wait any longer to bring manufacturing of computer chips back to the United States. The Senate will be voting on bipartisan legislation to bring computer chip manufacturing back to the U.S. and help existing manufacturers compete, creating thousands of new American jobs and enhancing both our economic and our national security.

We will also improve our supply chain, which will help businesses like Varian Medical Systems, and it will minimize the supply chain disruptions which will ultimately help lower prices for consumers. This bill will do so much more to spur innovation and invest in our American economy.

As the first and only former computer programmer to serve in the U.S. Senate, I am so excited about what this legislation will do for the future of American technology and innovation. It will establish a first-of-its-kind effort to accelerate our development of critical technologies, like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing. We will invest heavily in STEM education and in our cybersecurity workforce. And it will help build regional technology hubs all across this country to spark innovation.

I am also so proud that this bill includes bipartisan provisions that I worked on in the committee that wrote the bulk of the legislation, which includes these: my bipartisan Rural STEM Education Act with Senator Wicker to increase access to quality STEM education for rural schools so it is accessible to all of our students no matter where they live. It also includes provisions I worked on with Senator Blackburn to support advanced manufacturing workforce development and a bipartisan amendment I introduced with Senator Lummis to develop a secure and reliable critical mineral supply chain.

This historic bipartisan legislation is just common sense. So let's build up our communities; let's strengthen America's competitiveness; let's invest in American innovation; let's lower prices for hard- working families; and let's bolster our domestic supply chain. Let's pass this critical piece of legislation now.

Mr. President, on May 17, 2022, I missed rollcall votes Nos. 179, 180, and 181 while traveling to my

daughter's graduation from law school. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 179, cloture on the nomination of Jennifer Rochon to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York; yea on rollcall vote No. 180, cloture on the nomination of Trina Thompson to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California; and yea on rollcall vote No. 181, cloture on the nomination of Sunshine Sykes to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California.

On May 18, 2022, I missed rollcall votes Nos. 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, and 189 while attending my daughter's graduation from law school. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 182, confirmation of Jennifer Rochon to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York; yea on rollcall vote No. 183, cloture on the nomination of Barbara Leaf to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs; yea on rollcall vote No. 184, confirming Barbara Leaf to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs; yea on rollcall vote No. 185, cloture on the nomination of Elizabeth Watson to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor; yea on rollcall vote No. 186, confirming Elizabeth Watson to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor; yea on rollcall vote No. 187, confirming Trina Thompson to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California; yea on rollcall vote No. 188, confirming Sunshine Sykes to be U.S. District Judge for the Central District of California; and yea on rollcall vote No. 189, confirming Christopher Lowman to be Assistant Secretary of Defense.

On May 19, 2022, I missed rollcall votes Nos. 190, 191, 192, and 193 while attending my daughter's graduation from law school. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall votes Nos. 190 and 191, cloture and final passage, respectively, of H.R. 7691, the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022. Since the beginning of Russia's brutal war, I have been a strong supporter of additional aid to Ukraine, and I am glad that this legislation passed the Senate with broad, bipartisan support.

Had I been present on May 19, I also would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 192, cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 4008, the Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022. This important bipartisan legislation would have provided over $40 billion in COVID relief to support restaurants, live entertainment venues, and other struggling small businesses. I have been a longtime supporter of replenishing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and providing more aid to small businesses, so I was extremely disappointed that the Senate fell many votes short of beginning debate on S. 4008. I will continue to be a champion for Nevada's restaurants and small businesses, working to make sure they get the resources needed to get back on their feet.

Finally, had I been present on May 19, I would have voted yea on rollcall vote No. 193, cloture on the nomination of Stephanie Davis to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a beloved member of the Las Vegas community, Angie Ruvo, who passed away this month at the age of 98. Recognized as Las Vegas' first celebrity chef, Angie, along with her husband Lou, her sister Maria, brother-in- law Al, and son Larry, established the Venetian Pizzeria in downtown Las Vegas in 1955--the first pizza restaurant in Las Vegas. Later known as the Venetian Ristorante and Pizzeria, the famed restaurant hosted a wide array of clientele, ranging from celebrities such as Frank Sinatra--a customer so loyal he enlisted a bellman to pick up dinner for him from there every night--to tourists who traveled from across the country and all over the world to experience the warmth and comfort of Angie's cooking.

Born in Niagara Falls, Angie became the matriarch of the Las Vegas restaurant scene almost as soon as she came to Nevada, but her remarkable legacy in the Silver State goes beyond her business and culinary achievements. When her late husband Lou was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Angie embraced the role of devoted caregiver. Sharing her own experience and advice with other caregivers became a significant role for Angie, and she frequently reminded other caregivers of the importance of self-care. In 2009, Larry Ruvo and his wife Camille opened the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in his father's memory. In honor of her 94th birthday, Larry and Camille created the Angie Ruvo Endowed Caregiving Chair, which provides financial support to caregiving research at the Lou Ruvo Center.

In addition to being a champion for caregivers, Angie dedicated her life to charitable work in her community and was honored by various organizations over the years, including receiving the Augustus Society's Justinian Award, presented to notable Nevada Italian Americans. A woman praised and recognized by Senators and celebrities alike--and for whom Nevada Governors issued official proclamations-- Angie lived a life of philanthropy, generosity, and dedication. Her passing marks an immeasurable loss to her family, our community, and the Nation. May her memory be a blessing.

Mr. President, for years, solar power has been a growing source of clean, low-cost energy and economic development in my State of Nevada, in States across our Nation, and surely in States like the Presiding Officer's, in California, but Nevada currently has the largest solar economy in the country, with the most solar jobs per capita--per capita--of any State.

Supporting solar energy creates American jobs, and these jobs are helping us to transition to clean, renewable energy. Our domestic solar industry is made up of more than 10,000 businesses, large and small, located in every single State, employing over 250,000 American workers. But, at this moment, the American solar industry is at risk. All of the progress we have made to transition to clean energy and dramatically lower energy costs for American families is at risk. Hundreds of thousands of good-paying solar jobs are at risk because of a Department of Commerce investigation into imported solar panels.

Our domestic solar industry's success depends on a steady supply of solar panels to install. If we don't have the panels to install, we do not have--we just don't have--a domestic solar industry. Unfortunately, solar panel manufacturers in the United States can only meet the needs of 15 percent--15 percent--of American solar projects. That leaves 85 percent of solar projects without any access to solar panels, and this requires--requires--importing solar panels.

And let me make something very clear. I 100 percent support ramping up domestic solar manufacturing so that someday all of our solar panels and cells can be made in the United States, and I have introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Jerry Moran to do just that. However, today, we simply do not have the capacity or the capability to manufacture enough panels to meet demand or to support the hundreds of thousands of American workers--many in union jobs--whose livelihoods-- well, they depend on access to available, affordable solar panels.

Utilities across the country, and especially in the southwestern States, are shifting to renewable solar energy. They have already hired workers and in many cases have made multimillion-dollar investments to do so. These are good-paying jobs, which often require special expertise to install and maintain our solar installations.

But since the administration's investigation was launched, there have been widespread reports of project cancellations and layoffs. It has thrown the entire solar industry into uncertainty, and it is threatening jobs. It is setting us back on our clean energy goals, and it is just sending--well, sending the wrong message to our communities as they plan for their infrastructure investments.

One industry report states that as a result of the solar freeze, over 80 percent of American solar companies--I want to repeat that--over 80 percent of American solar companies are facing cancellations; they are facing delays on all the materials that they need. Projects are on pause, companies are facing closure, and American jobs--people's livelihoods--they are in jeopardy.

Earlier this month, the State of Indiana announced that, due to the investigation, it will not be able to complete its solar projects on time and will have to keep its coal-powered plant opened several years longer than initially planned. They won't be able to complete their solar panels in time.

And in my State of Nevada, NV Energy, the State's largest power company, has said that this investigation is causing massive disruptions to multiple Nevada solar projects that would provide low- cost--low-cost--power to more than 114,000 homes. This is hurting President Biden's own clean energy goals. It is reversing our progress toward clean, renewable energy.

I have highlighted all this in bipartisan letters that I have led to the Department of Commerce and to the White House signed by nearly a quarter of the Senate, including many of the colleagues you are going to hear from today.

If the Department of Commerce continues down the path we are on and enacts additional and retroactive solar tariffs, more than 100,000 American jobs could be lost. Hard-working families across this country will feel the pain of this decision that will cause energy costs--they are going to cause energy costs to go up.

Americans are already getting squeezed at the gas pump, facing historic inflation, and paying more for groceries. We cannot allow home energy costs to increase as well.

The administration--they can prevent this outcome and quell the panic in the solar industry by swiftly bringing the Department of Commerce's misguided investigation to an end.

I understand and respect the Department of Commerce's need to be thorough in investigating any claims of unfair trade practices, but as I have been pointing out, this petition is built upon a house of cards. The petition for the investigation was brought by one--one single solar company relying on data from researchers who say the company's claims are wrong and that the claims and the complaint do not accurately reflect their research.

We cannot let this one single company use data in a misleading way to destroy hundreds of thousands of American jobs. We must support and build our U.S. solar manufacturing, and I stand ready to work with all my colleagues to make that possible. But there are supply needs that need to be met right now, and we cannot simply build our domestic solar manufacturing overnight. This is not an either-or situation. We need to do both. American jobs are on the line. We need a resolution.

So I call on the Department of Commerce and the White House again to use every resource at their disposal to expedite this process and get American solar--well, let's get us back on track.

President Biden, we need action today; not next week, not next month, or later this summer. Hundreds of thousands of American solar workers, their families, our communities, they are counting on you.

Today, we will hear from several of my colleagues on this critically important issue, and I look forward to hearing from them about how we can continue to work together to save American jobs and protect our climate future.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I am honored and humbled to congratulate former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator Richard Bryan on his retirement last month from Fennemore Craig. A dedicated public servant and champion for Nevada, Senator Bryan spent over half a century advocating for others, serving in just about every position in government, from the Nevada Senate to the Governor's mansion to the U.S. Senate. Throughout his extensive and storied career, Senator Bryan always put Nevadans first. As the person with the privilege to serve in his Senate seat today, I think frequently about Senator Bryan's steady, unwavering leadership, and his pragmatic approach to addressing issues that mattered most to the people of Nevada.

To note only a few of Senator Bryan's incredible accomplishments would be a disservice to his long history of achievements for the public good, but I will do my best. As a young man, Senator Bryan served his country in the U.S. Army, the Las Vegas community as a prosecutor, and later Clark County as its first--and youngest--public defender. Young Richard Bryan showed Nevada's youth that anything is possible when you are dedicated and determined. Later, he served as Nevada's 27th attorney general, and as Governor of Nevada, Senator Bryan helped shape our State during a pivotal time in its history, helping Nevada attract the best and brightest, inviting businesses of all different sectors and sizes, to call Nevada home.

As a U.S. Senator for two terms, Senator Bryan never stopped fighting to protect Nevada's natural beauty. He stood up for policies that safeguarded our public lands, leading the charge for passage of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act of 1998, which to this day makes land and resources available for various public purposes to better the communities in our State. I also want to recognize Senator Bryan and the late Senator Harry Reid for being the leading voices in the fight against Yucca Mountain, standing up for Nevadans and against our State becoming the Nation's nuclear dumping ground. During his time in the Senate, Senator Bryan also worked tirelessly to advance civil rights, empower women in government, make our roads safer, and protect consumers from fraud. As a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Bryan was the lead sponsor of seven consumer protection and highway safety bills that passed the Senate. And as chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, Senator Bryan demonstrated his commitment to the notion that public servants should fight for the interests of their constituents, not their own interests.

Senator Bryan has been beloved his entire career--by his staff, by his constituents, and by his late wife Bonnie, who was the light of his life and stood by his side throughout Senator Bryan's public life, serving Nevada with poise and grace. Those who worked for Senator Bryan remember him as the kind of boss who made everyone feel like an integral part of the team, from the chief of staff, down to new interns. That is why they have stayed close with one another and with him ever since Senator Bryan left the Senate in 2000.

Nevadans will forever be indebted to Senator Richard Bryan for his many selfless years of public service. I, personally, will always be grateful to Senator Bryan for his care, his compassion, and his kindness, particularly when I first joined the Senate to restore the Richard Bryan seat to a Democrat for the first time since he held it. I will never forget Senator Bryan walking me down the center aisle of the Senate Chamber, arm-in-arm, as I was sworn in to represent the people of Nevada, just as he had done decades earlier. I know I am a better Senator because of Senator Richard Bryan, I know we as a State and a nation are better off for his tremendous efforts, and I wish him all the best as he enters a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nominations of Judge Cristina Silva and Professor Anne Traum, nominees to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Both nominees have built tremendous careers and legal reputations, and, last night, cloture was invoked on both of these nominees with strong bipartisan support.

Judge Silva has spent the bulk of her career as a Federal prosecutor in the city of Las Vegas, where she served as chief of the criminal division. In this role, Judge Silva oversaw all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office. She has gained vast experience dealing with Federal criminal trials, including violent criminal cases, civil rights violations, and cyber crime.

Since 2019, Judge Silva has served with distinction as a Nevada State court judge, where she has earned the respect and admiration of her colleagues, as well as those who have appeared before her in court. Colleagues have called her ``intellectually gifted and extremely hard- working'' and have commended her ``deep commitment to the rule of law.''

These are exactly the kinds of qualities we need in someone nominated to serve on the Federal Bench, and they are the qualities that Judge Silva exemplifies. I know she will serve with independence and integrity.

For her part, Professor Anne Traum has also developed a distinguished legal career, one rich with examples of her commitment to the law and to public service. She has litigated civil cases with the U.S. Attorney's office, served as a Department of Justice trial attorney, and has worked for years on criminal cases as a Federal public defender.

Since 2008, Professor Traum has dedicated her career to helping shape the minds of Nevada's future lawyers as a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas's Boyd School of Law.

A deeply admired teacher, Professor Traum has gone above and beyond, founding a clinic to provide legal services to parties in Las Vegas who lack resources and volunteering significant time to pro bono programs in Southern Nevada. Professor Anne Traum has

worked to ensure that all individuals have adequate representation to defend their rights and that all individuals have access to our justice system.

And there is no better way to judge a professor than by the opinion of her students. In Professor Traum's case, her students regularly credit her courses as the most important courses in their legal careers.

The bipartisan judicial selection committee that Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and I put together fully vetted both of these nominees, and we both worked hand in hand with the White House to ensure that they were chosen for their exemplary qualifications, intellect, and passion for the law.

I was glad to see that both Professor Traum's and Judge Silva's nominations received bipartisan support--both as they advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee and during last night's cloture vote. These highly qualified nominees for the U.S. district court are fully deserving of your support now, and I urge each of my colleagues to vote for their confirmation next week.

Nevada's Federal district court has been under enormous strain, with delays driving up the costs to businesses and individuals pursuing their claims in court. Filling the vacancies with these nominees would ensure that Nevadans have fair and reasonable access to the Federal courts.

It is time to confirm these nominees, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of Judge Cristina Silva and Professor Anne Traum.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, for weeks, the United States and the world have witnessed the horrors that are unfolding in Ukraine, the result of Russia's unprovoked and unjust attacks on a sovereign nation and its people. Innocent men, women, and children have lost their lives. Homes have been destroyed, neighborhoods and businesses obliterated. Families and communities have been torn apart, some never to be reunited again.

Let's be clear: The blame for this chaos and devastation falls directly on the shoulders of one tyrant--one tyrant--Vladimir Putin. And no amount of hollow justifications, false equivocations, false flag operations, or outright propaganda will change that.

Putin, you are responsible. Putin, you will not prevail. Justice is coming--coming for you and coming for your cronies.

And as appalling as the stories and videos of Russia's brutality have been, we have also seen incredible acts of heroism, kindness, and patriotism from Ukrainian leaders, the military, and, well, everyday citizens. The people of Ukraine have inspired the entire world with their resilience, with their courage, and with their determination to live in a free and democratic country.

This past week, I joined my colleagues in a call with President Zelenskyy, and I will say now what we said to him then. We are with you. And the people from Nevada, we are with you too.

From north to south, Nevadans have come together to voice their support for the Ukrainian people and their opposition to Russia's aggression and brutality. Nevadans agree that we can't sit idly by as Putin continues to terrorize--terrorize--the Ukrainian people. The horrific images that the world has seen, they require action. They require action. We cannot sit idly by and do nothing.

Here in Congress, we are working to give Ukraine more security assistance and to hold Putin accountable by crippling Russia's economy. And I call on every Senator in this body to vote yes on the omnibus package, which includes nearly $14 billion to aid Ukraine's fight against Putin's forces and to support the Ukrainian people. This bipartisan legislation builds on the work that Congress and the administration have been doing over the past several weeks to confront Vladimir Putin head-on.

I applaud the Biden administration for so forcefully bringing together an international coalition of partners, a coalition that stands behind Ukraine's cause: the cause for freedom. But we must do more. We must do more to support Ukraine, to devastate Russia's economy, and to stop Putin's violent attacks.

President Zelenskyy made it clear in our call just this past weekend that Ukraine urgently needs fighter jets to defend itself. Let's heed his call and work closely together with our European partners that have these jets to provide Ukraine with the aircraft they desperately need and to find ways to compensate or backfill our allies' supplies.

We also must continue to strengthen the security of our NATO allies and demonstrate that the transatlantic community remains united. And we must do more to bring Putin's war to an end and make Putin himself feel the full consequences of his horrible actions. That means hitting Russia's economy where they will feel it most: energy.

Just this week, I cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would end all Russian energy imports to the United States. I am glad to see the Biden administration responded to this call and that the United States is now ending all Russian energy imports, which are funding Putin's cruel, cruel, cruel, and unprovoked war. I am heartened to see the United Kingdom follow suit, and I call on all of our allies to do the same.

Another area where we can put pressure on Russia is through trade. As chair of the Commerce subcommittee that oversees trade policy, I strongly support legislation to strip Russia's most favored nation status at the World Trade Organization. And I am committed to pursuing additional actions that would severely weaken Russia's economy and drain Putin's war fund.

And our efforts are not only about defending Ukraine and stopping Russia, though stop them we must. This is about defending democracy and the fundamental right of a nation and its people to choose their own destiny--the fundamental right of a nation and its people to choose its own destiny.

America must make it clear that we will not stand idly by when an autocratic bully decides to invade another nation without provocation and without justification. The United States and our allies must leave no stone unturned to ensure that Vladimir Putin pays a steep price for his aggression against the people of Ukraine.

We--we--must continue to serve as a shield and a beacon for democracy and freedom for those in need. On behalf of the Battle Born State of Nevada, I stand with Ukraine and will continue fighting to make sure the United States stands proud and strong as a beacon of peace and security.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to allow these highly qualified Federal law enforcement nominations to move forward.

In my State of Nevada, the position of U.S. attorney has been unfilled for nearly a year.

This position, well, it plays a vital role in maintaining the rule of law and making sure that justice is carried out in our State. The continued obstruction of these critical nominees impacts the public safety of Nevadans and impacts their ability to see justice served.

They have a highly qualified nominee to serve as U.S. attorney, Jason Frierson. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno, and the Boyd Law School of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a former Nevada Supreme Court clerk. And he served in the district attorney's office as a public defender and as a deputy attorney general for our great State.

In addition, Mr. Frierson has a long track record of fighting for hard-working Nevadans as speaker of the Nevada Assembly. I know he will lead in his role with integrity--integrity and a deep commitment to upholding the law as a top Federal prosecutor for our State.

There is absolutely no basis to delay his nomination and the nominations of other U.S. attorneys and marshals around the country. Holding up these qualified nominees does not help Americans. It only leaves them unprotected.

We must rise above partisan politics and do our duty to allow these key roles to be filled. For all of the people, for my State of Nevada, I urge my colleagues to allow the nomination of Jason Frierson and the other nominees in this block to finally move forward.

Senator, I will reiterate what my colleague from Minnesota said. I do not serve on the Judiciary Committee, and I do not serve in the Department of Justice. Therefore, I am not privy to the information that has been provided in privacy to the Department of Justice.

Those marshals, if they would like to divulge their information, they are free to do so as U.S. citizens. But there are privacy agreements with attorney-client privilege that is clearly not being able to be pursued in this fashion. So my opinion does not matter. What matters is the law. I do not serve in the Department of Justice; therefore I cannot answer your question.