Floor Statements

Mr. President, I have 6 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 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Race to 5G: Exploring Spectrum Needs to Maintain U.S. Global Leadership.''

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on legislation and pending nominations.

Committee on Foreign Relations

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``An Update on American Diplomacy to Advance our National Security Strategy.''

Select Committee on Intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Joseph Maguire, of Florida, to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Ellen E. McCarthy, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Intelligence and Research).

The Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans

The Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``How the Multiemployer Pension System Affects Stakeholders.''

Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness

The Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Destination Mars: Putting American Boots on the Surface of the Red Planet.''

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Mike for his hard work as an intern in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Mike is a native of Savery. He is a junior at the University of Wyoming, where he is studying environmental systems science, biology, and chemistry. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Mike for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Bella for her hard work as an intern at the Senate Republican Policy Committee. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Bella is a native of Casper. She is a junior at Rocky Mountain College, where she is studying political science and communication studies. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Bella for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Victoria for her hard work as an intern in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Victoria is a native of New York. She is a student at Lander University, where she is majoring in management and marketing. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Victoria for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Lucas for his hard work as an intern in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Lucas is a native of Maryland. He is a sophomore at Cornell University, where he is studying environmental and sustainability sciences. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Lucas for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Patricia for her hard work as an intern in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Patricia is a native of Oklahoma. She is a student at Loras College, where she is majoring in philosophy. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Patricia for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Bethany for her hard work as an intern at the Senate Republican Policy Committee. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Bethany is a native of Casper. She is a student at Casper College, where she is studying business administration. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Bethany for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Isabelle for her hard work as an intern in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Isabelle is a native of Colorado. She is a student at Southern Methodist University, where she is majoring in political science, corporate communication, and public affairs. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Isabelle for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Nate for his hard work as an intern in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Nate is a native of Illinois. He is a student at Northern Illinois University, where he is majoring in political science and communications. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Nate for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Mikalah for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Mikalah is a native of Casper. She recently graduated from the University of Wyoming, where she studied French, political science, and international studies. She has demonstrated a strong

work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Mikalah for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Harrison for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Harrison is a native of Casper. He is studying business at Casper College. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Harrison for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Jack for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Jack is a native of Story. He is a freshman at Loyola Marymount University, where he is studying international relations and Spanish. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Jack for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

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

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, last week, President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. People have begun looking over his extensive record, and he has been getting rave reviews around the country. Just look at a few of the headlines we have seen across the country.

The New York Times, July 10: ``A conservative stalwart wins praise for his intellect and civility.'' The New York Times--it is astonishing.

The Wall Street Journal said: ``Trump's nominee will be an intellectual leader on the bench.''

The Detroit News said his record suggests that ``he will maintain a commitment to interpreting the law as it is written, and not how he may wish it had been crafted.'' That is exactly what Americans should be looking for in a Supreme Court Justice because a judge's job is to apply the law, not to rewrite it.

People looking at Judge Kavanaugh's record and reaching the conclusion that he knows the right way to approach this very important job.

It is not just newspapers that are saying wonderful things and singing the praise of Judge Kavanaugh; legal scholars are lining up to commend his independence and his wisdom as a judge. Some of them are extremely liberal people he has worked with over the years. They just respect him that much as a judge who they find has been devoted to the law and the Constitution. Imagine that. That is what we

should expect in anybody who serves as a Justice on the Supreme Court.

A law professor from Yale wrote an op-ed for the New York Times last week titled ``A liberal's case for Brett Kavanaugh.'' The professor called Judge Kavanaugh ``a superb nominee'' and said that ``it is hard to name anyone with judicial credentials as strong as those of Judge Kavanaugh.''

Another liberal law professor called him a ``highly qualified mainstream conservative judge.'' He cited Judge Kavanaugh's reasoning as ``an example of the judging ideal, setting aside ideology and party politics, and just trying to get the law right.'' That is a liberal former law professor. He said Judge Kavanaugh gives ``an independent judiciary the job it is supposed to do: Interpret the law.''

There are lawyers who have appeared before Judge Kavanaugh who said the same things. I am not a lawyer, I haven't done these sorts of things, but I understand there are surveys of lawyers who appear before judges in court, people who have won cases and people who have lost cases. They put up their ideas about what they thought about the judge afterward.

Across the board, they called him ``an excellent judge.'' They said that he ``has a history of excellent legal argument and analysis,'' someone who can think intellectually, think clearly, and come up with a legal argument and analysis to make the assessment, to apply the law as written. One lawyer actually said: ``It is daunting and humbling to be in front of that brainpower.'' This was an anonymous survey of lawyers who appear before Judge Kavanaugh. I don't know if they won or lost, but people get to put in their opinions, winners and losers, after cases in anonymous surveys. ``It is daunting and humbling to be in front of that brainpower.'' This wasn't people just trying to kiss up to the judge to win favor in a case; these are results from people after the case who were just telling it like it is. ``Excellent legal judgment,'' they say.

If you look beyond the courtroom, people are just as willing to talk about Judge Kavanaugh's character as a person, not just a judge. That is part of it--to look at somebody's legal philosophy, their intellect, and their character--when trying to assess a judge who has been nominated, to say: Is this person the right person to be a Justice on the Supreme Court?

The Washington Post even ran a piece by a woman who knows Judge Kavanaugh because he coaches her daughter's basketball team. She wrote that she was impressed by ``his traits of personal kindness, leadership, and willingness to help when called on.''

There are three things I look for in a nominee for the Supreme Court: judicial philosophy, a strong intellect, and a solid character. What we are hearing is overwhelming evidence from people who know him that Judge Kavanaugh has all of these qualities. He is someone who takes the law and the Constitution at face value.

The Constitution is a legal document, not a living document, and it was built for certainty. He knows that a judge's job is to ``interpret the law,'' not to legislate from the bench, ``not to make the law or make policy.'' That is what he actually said in a speech last year.

He has an extremely strong intellect, and I can't imagine there is anyone out there who can deny that. ``It is daunting and humbling to be in front of that brainpower''--this is what one of the lawyers who appeared before him said. And he is a person of solid character. That is what we are hearing from people who have known him over the years from being extremely active in the community. The New York Times summarized it: ``A conservative stalwart wins praise for his intellect and civility.''

So what is there for Democrats to come to the floor and object to? Why are they objecting to all of this? Why are some Democrats already saying they oppose a judge known for his intellect and civility? They were actually saying it before he was even named by President Trump. Whomever President Trump names, they are going to vote no. It is astonishing to see Democrats making that decision. Then they are asking for reams and reams of documents after they have already said they are against Judge Kavanaugh. What are they looking for? It is amazing.

That is what I believe the big difference is between Republicans and Democrats in Washington: Republican Presidents choose judges and justices to follow the law; Democratic Presidents seem to pick judges and justices who are guaranteed to push liberal policies and liberal agendas, preconceived notions of how they should rule on a case before they hear the facts. They know the way they are going to go, maybe using things like emotion, sympathy, and empathy. The Constitution is a legal document.

Even though you have legal experts from around the political world and around the spectrum of all sides of the aisle who praise his intellect and civility, it is not good enough for the liberal activists in this country. They don't even want to consider Judge Kavanaugh's qualifications, and they have said it here on the floor of the Senate and on television, if you listen. They are already making opposition to his nomination a liberal litmus test for Democrats in this Senate, and I am sorry to say that more than a few Democrats seem to be playing along. We have seen Democrats in the Senate who have already said that they don't care about Judge Kavanaugh's intellect; they don't care that he is ``just trying to get the law right''; they don't care that, as one lawyer said, ``it is hard to name anyone with judicial credentials as strong as those of Judge Kavanaugh.''

When you have someone with these qualifications, Senators ought to be looking at his record. They should look at the 300 decisions he has written in 12 years on the bench. It is absolutely the right thing to look at. They should meet him and talk with him.

We have just begun this confirmation hearing process. I hope that more Democrats in the Senate will have an open mind about this nominee. I hope they will consider the kind of person we should have on the Supreme Court and then make their decisions about whether Judge Kavanaugh has those qualities. From what I have seen, he absolutely does.

I plan to continue to look into his record and listen to people who know him best. I plan to sit down and talk with him. Everything I have seen so far tells me that this is someone who is exactly the kind of Justice we need on the Supreme Court.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, last week, President Trump was in Europe meeting with other NATO leaders. One of the major issues he raised was the need to bolster energy security throughout NATO. He specifically talked about a natural gas pipeline that the Russians are building between Russia and Germany. It is called the Nord Stream II Pipeline. I have been talking about this pipeline for years.

President Trump was absolutely right to bring up this important subject. Here is how the Boston Herald put it in an editorial over the weekend: ``Trump's testy, tough talk to NATO on point.'' They say the President's tough talk was absolutely on point.

The President pointed out that Germany relies on natural gas for a substantial amount of its energy needs.

More than half of Germany's natural gas imports come from Russia. With this new pipeline, Germany will actually increase its dependence on Russian gas. Russia will have more of an influence on Germany.

Germany and other countries are members of NATO, and the reason they are members of NATO is to protect themselves against Russian aggression. So if you are Germany, why would you want to become more dependent on Russia when you joined NATO and have been a member of NATO for years to protect against Russia aggression? It seems that Germany has turned around now and given Russia influence over its energy security.

President Trump pointed out how strange it seems. I think it seems strange to other members of NATO, and it seems strange to people all across the country. No one who understands the facts can say that President Trump is wrong. President Trump is right. His tough talk to NATO was on point. Even the Obama administration knew it. The rest of NATO knows it. Even Germany knows it. When one country allows another aggressive, opportunistic country like Russia to have that kind of influence over its energy security, I believe it is asking for trouble. Germany seems to be betting that increasing its economic ties to the Kremlin will have no effect on the political manipulations that Russia wants to play on Europe. I think it is a sucker's bet.

Energy security is national security. Energy security is called the master resource for a reason. It powers our country. It powers our economy. It is an instrument of power. It is a force multiplier. It is important for the United States and our allies around the world to have that correct understanding of energy and the impact that it has globally as a geopolitical weapon. We have seen Russia in the past use its natural gas as a geopolitical weapon. Russia threatens other countries. It extorts money from them. It bullies them. Russians then can tell their customers: Do what we say, or we turn off the tap and we shut off your gas. They have done it in the past.

It also means a lot of money going from our NATO allies straight into the Kremlin's pocket. That is money they could be using instead to fund aggression in Europe and other parts of the world. That is what Russia wants to do with the money, if they get that money from Germany, from the energy. They use the money against us and against our NATO allies.

This new pipeline, I believe, was all the desire of the Russian people--and specifically of Vladimir Putin--to put our NATO allies much more under Russia's control. With the new pipeline, Russia is seeking to make Germany and the rest of Europe even more dependent and even more susceptible to this kind of Russian coercion.

The Wall Street Journal had an editorial on the subject last week. They wrote that ``the embarrassment for Berlin and NATO is that Germany is so happy to help Vladimir Putin execute this plan.'' That is the embarrassment for Berlin and the embarrassment for NATO. They said: ``Usually hostages need to be taken, instead of volunteering.'' But that is what Germany is doing right now--volunteering to be Russia's hostage. That is exactly right.

Europe needs new energy, new energy security, and a new energy source. They need diversity. That is what the European Union needs. They need diversity in both the types of energy--that is what our NATO allies need--diversity in the types of energy that they use and where they get their energy from. That is how countries ensure that their own long-term economic health and independence is sound.

Russia has a right to compete in the world market for energy. The trouble starts when Russia gets so much of the market in some of these European countries that they become a monopoly in terms of the way they act. Russia is the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe. Across Europe, nearly 40 percent of the natural gas imports come from Russia. So Russia has incredible control. In some countries, it is virtually 100 percent.

Countries like Germany should be reducing the amount of natural gas they buy from Russia, not increasing it, but that is what this Nord Stream II Pipeline between Russia and Germany does. It increases the amount of natural gas Germany will be buying from Russia.

Germany should absolutely reject the Nord Stream II Pipeline as part of their reduction of dependence on Russia. That would help shrink the influence and the threat Russia continually poses to our NATO allies. It would also help our other allies in the region because, right now, a lot of Russian gas travels through pipelines that cross Ukraine and other countries into Central Europe. These countries make money from the gas crossing their territory, and they get a lot of their energy through these pipelines as well. But remember, Russia has invaded parts of eastern Ukraine. Russia has taken over Crimea. If Russia has their other new pipeline to help export its natural gas, it can shut off the revenue for countries, such as Ukraine, and shut off their energy completely.

Remember, one of the things President Trump has done, which I think has been helpful and which I had been calling for for years during the Obama administration, is actually provide lethal weapons to Ukraine to deal with the incursions coming from Russia to eastern Ukraine. Vladimir Putin actually cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006, 2009, and 2014. He invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in part to cut off access to the natural gas and oil resources.

This is a pattern Vladimir Putin has of using energy as a weapon, and the best defense against this weapon is for these countries in Europe to have the kind of energy diversity and energy security that I have recommended.

In March, I wrote a letter to the Treasury and State Departments encouraging the Trump administration to look at ways to stop the construction of the Nord Stream II Pipeline. That is what we need to do--stop the construction of the pipeline. It was a bipartisan effort, and 39 Senators from both parties signed on to the letter to express our concerns to President Trump about what was happening between Russia and Germany.

Today, I take the next concrete step and introduce legislation to do four very important things.

First, the legislation directs our representatives in NATO to work to achieve energy security for our partners throughout Europe and Eurasia.

Second, it calls for a comprehensive strategy that involves increasing American energy exports to these countries being held hostage by Russia.

Third, it requires the Energy Secretary to speed up approvals of American natural gas exports to our NATO allies and other countries.

Finally, it authorizes mandatory U.S. sanctions on the development of Russian energy pipelines like Nord Stream II.

It is in the national security interests of our country to help our allies reduce their dependence on Russian energy. Where those countries don't see it for themselves, we need to show them how important it is for their own security. Our NATO alliance is strong. A robust energy security strategy will make it even stronger.

When Vladimir Putin looks at natural gas, he doesn't think natural gas; he thinks politics, he thinks money, and he thinks power, because that is how he equates the energy he supplies to these countries, on which they have become so dependent--money, power, politics.

Germany and other countries in Europe and NATO should be doing all they can to diversify their sources of energy so they can help reduce the threat Russia poses to them. The United States should do all we can by exporting our abundant natural gas to our allies as quickly as possible. We have more than enough natural gas to meet our own needs and to export to our friends around the world. We can boost the security of our NATO allies and our friends around the world, and we should be doing it. We can do it through a peaceful process and a peaceful means without spending tax dollars, while at the same time growing our American economy with the production of American energy.

When President Trump came to office, he said: It is no longer about energy security or energy independence; it is about energy dominance. Given what we have been blessed with in this country and the amount of energy and resources we have, we have an opportunity and, I believe, an obligation to use that energy wisely and productively.

Vladimir Putin thinks about energy as money, as power, and as politics, and I think that what we need to do with the resources we have, as I am introducing in this legislation today, is a very commonsense approach.