Floor Statements

I thank Senator Corker. Mr. President, I thank, too, all those who were mentioned: the Foreign Relations leadership, Senator Corker and Senator Cardin; Senator Brown, my colleague in the Banking Committee; and all the others who have been so involved in this issue.

This is one of the examples of how we can work together in a bipartisan fashion to craft critical legislation for protecting and strengthening America. Frankly, it is past time for us to stand strong as a nation in response to the increasing aggression that we see in Russia around the world--whether it be in Ukraine, in Crimea, in Syria, in facilitating corruption globally, or in the cyber security attacks we have seen that have been directed not only at us but at our allies across the world.

It is very important that we implement this legislation. I am glad to see the solid bipartisanship that we have been able to build. I also hope that we can build this bipartisanship on many, many other issues.

We are going to be looking at North Korea, as has already been said. I am hopeful and confident that we will stand again on this floor soon as we deal with the threats we face from North Korea.

Again, I thank all of those who have worked so closely with us on this legislation and appreciate the opportunity for us to move forward, united tonight on this critical issue.

I yield back.

Mr. President, today the Senator from Ohio and I wish to speak about Scott Alvarez, general counsel of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Mr. Alvarez is retiring after a 36-year career with the Board of Governors, including the last 12 as general counsel.

He joined the board's legal division in 1981, immediately after graduating from Georgetown Law School, and worked as a staff attorney on bank regulatory issues for many years, until he was named general counsel in 2004.

In that role, he served as a key adviser to Chairmen Greenspan and Bernanke and Chair Yellen.

He was also general counsel of the Federal Open Market Committee, and he was the chief lawyer in carrying out some of the Fed's other roles, including overseeing the payments system and issuing currency.

I have enjoyed working with Mr. Alvarez over the years and have appreciated the insights and feedback he has provided to me and the Banking Committee.

On a personal note, his help was particularly valuable in 2006, when the Senate passed the Financial Services Regulatory Relief Act of 2006, which was then signed into law by President Bush.

I want to thank Mr. Alvarez for his assistance on that bill and others and for his service to the Federal Reserve and to the country.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the servicemembers and civilians who served on Wake Island in World War II, as the last gathering of the Survivors of Wake-Guam-Cavite, Inc., is scheduled to be held in Boise in September.

Survivors of the defense of Wake Island and their families have held annual reunions and other get-togethers for the last nearly 71 years. Idaho became home to annual reunions of Wake Island survivors and their families. Many of these gatherings have been organized by Alice Ingham, whose husband was on Wake Island, but since many Wake Island survivors have now, unfortunately, passed away, the organization has decided to wind down their reunions, noting, ``We would like to honor all of our Wake men--the living, the deceased, and those who never made it home from the war--with this final reunion.'' The last worker from Idaho, Joe Goicoechea of Boise, passed away this past year.

The astounding Americans who served on Wake Island and their families are lasting examples of courage and resolve. The history of World War II and the bravery of the American servicemembers who fought for our Nation and its allies are familiar parts of our collective national history, but an often overlooked part of this legacy is the service of the civilian workers on Wake Island who were swept into the war. The civilian workers, including many Idahoans, working for Morrison Knudsen Company, building infrastructure on the island, when it was attacked the same day as the attack on Pearl Harbor, immediately became soldiers. Their service cannot be forgotten. I thank all those who have helped keep the memories of those who served on Wake Island alive.

In Veterans Memorial Park in Boise, a memorial honoring Americans who served on Wake Island gives the following account: ``Five hours after bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, Japanese forces attacked Wake Island, a tiny island midway between Hawaii and Japan. The United States was constructing a runway essential for planes to refuel on their way through the area. There were 449 Marines, 68 Sailors, 6 Army Air Corps, and 1146 civilians employed by the Boise-based Morrison Knudsen Company on the island. Approximately 250 of the MK workers were from Idaho. For 15 days the military and civilians bravely defended the island from the Japanese forces. Wake Island fell to the Japanese on December 23, 1941.

``Following the battle, 98 civilian construction workers were kept on Wake Island to labor for the Japanese. When their work was complete, they were forced to dig their own graves before being executed. The remaining defenders of the island, both military and civilian, were taken as prisoners of war by the Japanese and held for 44 months. These brave heroes endured exceedingly harsh conditions, serving as slave labor for the Japanese government in Japan and China. Many died in captivity. In 1981 the civilian MK employees were granted Veteran status in recognition of their service in the War of the Pacific . . .''

Those who survived and returned home have enriched our communities. Thank you to those who served on Wake Island and their families for the immeasurable service you have given to our country and for your enduring examples of devotion and strength.

Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague, Senator Risch, to speak on the nomination of Judge David Nye to be a U.S. district judge for the Federal district of Idaho.

First, let me acknowledge the diligent work of Judiciary Committee

Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein in expediting the confirmation process for Judge Nye's renomination.

I also thank both President Obama and President Trump for nominating Judge Nye to the Federal bench. It is rare to be nominated by Presidents of two different parties, but it is a fitting testament to Judge Nye's sterling reputation that he has secured that distinction.

Finally, I appreciate the majority leader giving Judge Nye the honor of being the first U.S. district judge by the 115th Congress.

Judge Nye is supremely qualified as a candidate for the Federal district court seat, having a unanimous ``well qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association and having received approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee without dissent twice in a little less than a year.

Judge Nye has long been ready to assume this high office. A longtime member of Idaho's legal community, Judge Nye has been a law clerk, a practicing lawyer, and since 2007 a judge on Idaho's Sixth Judicial District Court. This court handles all felony criminal cases, major civil cases, and appeals from the magistrate court from six counties throughout the southeast portion of Idaho. He also served from 2009 to 2012 as the administrative district judge for the Idaho Sixth Judicial District, elected by his peers on the court for the 3-year term to this position.

He is not just a well-respected jurist in Idaho. Judge Nye is heavily involved in the training and orientation of new Idaho judges, and he serves on the Idaho Supreme Court's committees on judicial education and felony sentencing.

Action on Judge Nye's nomination is critical and timely. Idaho is one of only three States having just two authorized district court judgeships. The nonpartisan Judicial Conference of the United States has declared a judicial emergency for Idaho and has recommended in every one of its reports to Congress since 2003 that Idaho be authorized a third district judge position. For the past 2 years, Idaho has had a three-judge caseload handled by just one active judge. What is even more challenging is that our lone remaining active judge is already eligible to take senior status since this past March. Even with Judge Nye's confirmation, Idaho still needs another U.S. district court judge.

Confirmation of Judge Nye today or tomorrow is undoubtedly a proud day for the entire Nye family, including Judge Nye's wife Katre and their eight children. Knowing that a successful public servant draws so much strength from the family surrounding him or her, I salute their partnership with Judge Nye in making this important occasion possible.

Again, I strongly endorse Judge Nye's nomination and appreciate the Senate's confirmation of him.

Mr. President, I have 7 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 armed services

The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at 9:30 a.m., in open session to consider the nomination of: Mr. Richard V. Spencer to be Secretary of the Navy.

committee on foreign relations

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 10 a.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Nominations.''

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 Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at 10 a.m. for a business meeting.

committee on intelligence

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the 115th Congress of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 from 2:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. in Room SH-219 of the Senate Hart Office Building to hold a closed business meeting to consider the nomination of Mr. David Glawe to be Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security.

committee on intelligence

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the 115th Congress of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 from 2:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m. in Room SH-219 of the Senate Hart Office Building to hold a closed hearing.

committee on veterans' affairs

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. in SR- 418, to conduct a hearing on legislation pending before the Committee.

committee on the judiciary subcommittee on crime and terrorism

The Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on July 11, 2017, at 2:30 p.m., in Room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Concurrent Congressional and Criminal Investigations: Lessons from History.''

Mr. President, my colleague Senator Jim Risch joins me today in recognizing the Idaho National Laboratory's achievements in 50 years of operation of the advanced test reactor. The success of the scientific mission of the advanced test reactor is a pride of Idaho and of the entire American nuclear science community.

The advanced test reactor is a unique system designed to support multiple different experiments simultaneously. It can serve as a nuclear ``time machine'' by testing the stresses of nuclear power 20 times faster than conventional systems. It is currently involved in research to convert weapons-grade nuclear material to reactor fuel. This will strengthen American energy independence.

The U.S. Navy's nuclear propulsion program is a key customer of advanced test reactor research. It is one of many ways in which Idahoans contribute to our national security. The advanced test reactor is also the only American source for a particular isotope known as Cobalt-60. Cobalt-60 is vital for its use in modern brain cancer treatments and is saving the lives of Americans every day.

Beyond these good works, the advanced test reactor is available to our universities. Our next generation of scientists has access to this unique system on the condition that their research be published for the benefit of the American public. Through this and other efforts, the Idaho National Laboratory works to support current and future generations.

Congratulations to the dedicated men and women of the Idaho National Laboratory. They are the embodiment of American scientific achievement and leadership in nuclear research.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak 5 minutes before the vote.

Mr. President, I rise in support of Mr. Marshall Billingslea, who has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing.

Mr. Billingslea proved at his nomination hearing before the Banking Committee that he is exceptionally qualified for this job. As Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Mr. Billingslea would be in charge of coordinating Treasury's efforts on terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, and other illicit financial threats to the domestic and international financial system.

Mr. Billingslea would work with the entire national security and law enforcement communities, the private sector, foreign governments, and other entities to carry out this mission.

As demonstrated at his confirmation hearing, his unique background includes 22 years of experience working with these entities to protect the Nation, and it also includes time in the legislative and executive branches, as well as the private sector. After 9/11, Mr. Billingslea served in senior positions in the Department of Defense and NATO. Prior to that, he worked on national security affairs at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he drafted numerous pieces of sections of legislation intended to combat weapons of mass destruction and disrupt terrorist networks.

Mr. Billingslea's qualifications and capabilities were affirmed when he received bipartisan support from the Banking Committee in a 19-to-4 vote.

Before we proceed to the cloture vote on Mr. Billingslea, we will have a final vote on Ms. Sigal Mandelker's nomination to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, which I spoke about yesterday.

These two positions are critically important to defending our Nation from threats and securing our interests. As Assistant Secretary, Mr. Billingslea would work closely with Ms. Mandelker as head of the policy and outreach apparatus for the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, which Ms. Mandelker would lead.

As we saw with the Senate passage of the Iran sanctions bill and our Russia sanctions amendment last week, there is strong bipartisan support in Congress to remain strong against these Nations. As with the passage of that bill, I urge my colleagues to confirm Ms. Mandelker and to move forward with Mr. Billingslea's nomination so they can carry out the important work for which we have already shown such strong bipartisan support.

Thank you. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise in support of Ms. Sigal Mandelker, President Trump's nominee to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes.

Five weeks ago, at Ms. Mandelker's hearing, members of the Banking Committee were moved by her heartfelt story of her parents' escape from the Holocaust. As her father proudly sat behind her, she explained to the committee how, as Holocaust survivors who narrowly avoided death, her parents raised her to never take for granted our safety, security, or freedom.

It was this that motivated Ms. Mandelker to public service, where she had an impressive career in law enforcement and national security at the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security before joining the private sector.

Like many Americans, she was compelled to action following 9/11 and joined to serve in Justice's counterterrorism and national security mission. Throughout the nomination process, it was obvious Ms. Mandelker would be a strong leader to defend our Nation against terrorism and illicit finance threats. She received bipartisan support from the Banking Committee in a 16-to-7 vote advancing her nomination.

Also, with bipartisan support, just last week the Senate voted on the Iran sanctions bill and our Russia sanctions amendment. Part of Ms. Mandelker's job as Under Secretary would be directly overseeing sanctions policy on Iran, Russia, North Korea, Syria, and some 25 other programs.

In fact, when asked what her top priorities would be in assuming office, she noted that, first and foremost, she will focus on the areas posing the greatest threats--those being North Korea, Iran, ISIS, Syria, and Russia. She also affirmed that she would work closely with the Banking Committee and Congress in carrying out her duties.

I don't need to stress the importance of confirming Ms. Mandelker's nomination so Treasury can carry out this important mission, especially given that the Senate vote on our sanctions package last week was so strong. The two leaders and many Senators of both parties were able to work together to pass this important, comprehensive sanctions legislation, as they should, to ensure Senate confirmation of this nomination.

Given Ms. Mandelker's strong qualifications, dedication to service and mission, and bipartisan support from this committee of jurisdiction, I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.

I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President. I rise to speak on behalf of the Crapo- Brown-Corker-Cardin Countering Russian Aggression and Cyber Attacks Act of 2017. This is filed as amendment No. 232 to the pending Iran sanctions bill, and as has been indicated, we will vote on it in just a few minutes. This amendment is the result of a partnership between the Senate Banking Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Amendment 232 ratchets up pressure against the Russian Federation for its illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea, its continuing escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine, and its malign cyber activities against businesses and citizens of the United States. It also provides Congress with strong oversight over almost any termination or suspension of these sanctions.

I spoke yesterday about the hard work of Senators Corker, Brown, Cardin, and their staffs. I thank them again for their leadership. I also thank Senators McCain, Graham, and Shaheen, who contributed to these efforts. I recognize our latest cosponsors, Senators Perdue, Menendez, Warren, Rubio, Scott, Heitkamp, Reed, and Toomey. I appreciate their cosponsorship and support as well. We appreciate the leadership of Majority Leader McConnell and Democratic Leader Schumer, who helped ensure we could move a good Russia sanctions package. The need for this legislation is underlined by the fact that many Americans have deep concerns about Russia's behavior over the past few years.

Since coming to power, Russian President Putin has become increasingly belligerent, nationalistic, and autocratic. Americans are concerned about Russia's behavior in Ukraine and Syria, and they are concerned about Russia's increased cyber intrusions.

Many of us on both sides of the aisle feel the United States needs to be much stronger in its response to Russia. Americans want to see the United States stand firm in defense of our long-held values, which include respect for territorial integrity, human rights, and liberty.

The Crapo-Brown-Corker-Cardin amendment signals to the world that the United States has unflagging commitment to the sanctity of territorial integrity, human rights, and good governance. Our amendment also demonstrates our resolve in responding to cyber attacks against American citizens and entities and against our allies.

In summary, the Crapo-Brown-Corker amendment does the following things: It escalates and expands the current sanctions regime against Russia, it creates new sanctions against Russia, it engages Congress at a higher level than before by providing a mechanism for Congress to vote before lifting any sanctions on Russia, and it increases the Treasury Department's ability to track illicit finance, including illicit flows linked to Russia.

The amendment will result in some very powerful and new sanctions. Amendment No. 232 includes Congressional Review Act language to ensure Congress exerts proper oversight over the use of these powerful sanctions. It also requires the creation of a national strategy for combating the financing of terrorism and related forms of illicit finance. This strategy ensures that the United States pursues a coordinated and effective fight against illicit finance at all levels of the Russian Government.

As we move forward with this amendment, we must engage all of our allies and our trading partners. It is important that we work together to minimize collateral damage and unintended consequences.

This is a strong bipartisan measure that, in important respects, represents the next step forward. Even though unilateral actions are not the best option, America must lead on the issue now and encourage others to follow. The times call for clarity of purpose and a correct amount of pressure. We have that in this amendment.

Again, thank you to Senators Corker, Brown, and Cardin for your hard work and support, and all of the other Senators I have mentioned. Thank you to our cosponsors, and especially to Leader McConnell and Democratic Leader Schumer for all of your help and your support. I look forward to passing this measure in short order.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to speak on the Crapo-Brown-Corker- Cardin Countering Russian Aggression and Cyber Attacks Act of 2017. This bill, filed as an amendment, was filed as amendment No. 232 to the Iran sanctions bill late last night.

Yesterday, the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees concluded their work on a groundbreaking piece of legislation regarding Russia sanctions. I say groundbreaking because the legislation not only ratchets up pressure against the Russian Federation for its illegal invasion and annexation of Crimea, continuing escalation of violence in eastern Ukraine, and its cyber activities against businesses and citizens of the United States, but it also, importantly, provides Congress with a strong oversight process over almost any termination or suspension of these sanctions.

Senators Corker, Brown, Cardin, and their staffs spent many hours to ensure that we put together a thoughtful and measured product, and I thank them for their work.

Senator Brown and I have worked together for months to try to craft a responsible Russia sanctions package, and Senator Corker has been a tireless champion of this measure as has Senator Cardin. I also would be remiss if I did not recognize the work of Senators McCain, Brown, Shaheen, and the many others who have worked to develop much of what has ended up in this legislation. All of us appreciate the leadership of Majority Leader McConnell and Senator Schumer, who worked with us as we came to our final agreement.

The need for this legislation was underlined by the fact that many Americans have deep concerns about Russia's behavior over the past few years. Since coming to power, Russian President Putin has become increasingly belligerent, nationalistic, and autocratic.

Currently, the United States has imposed sanctions on Russia for Russia's invasion and annexation of Crimea and its role in supporting the separatist movements in eastern Ukraine, Russia's increasing cyber attacks and cyber espionage against the United States, Russia's support for the Assad regime in Syria, and Russia's complicity for corruption.

Although this is not an exhaustive list, it demonstrates the lengths to which Russia will go to seize power and influence in the international arena.

Unfortunately, Putin's desire to increase Russia's political influence is not driven by a desire to raise the standard of living for Russians. Instead, it is driven by a craving to enrich and empower himself and his cronies.

Over the course of the past 3 months, the Senate Banking Committee has held hearings assessing the impacts of the current sanctions regime against Russia. We examined the existing Russian sanctions architecture in terms of its effectiveness and its economic impact. The Russians have largely learned to live within the economic confines of the existing sanctions regime.

In Putin's calculation, the cost of the sanctions do not outweigh the benefits of occupying Crimea and contributing to unrest in Ukraine, to continuing to support the Assad regime's assault on civilians in Syria, and conducting cyber attacks on people, companies, and institutions around the globe.

Many of us on both sides of the aisle feel the United States needs to be much stronger in its response. Americans want to see the United States stand firm in the defense of our long-held values, which include respect for territorial integrity, human rights, and liberty.

At this point, the only way to change Putin's cost-benefit analysis is to increase the pressure which we apply directly through sanctions.

The Crapo-Brown-Corker-Cardin amendment is an effective way to increase the pressure on Russia for its irresponsible conduct. Our legislation signals to the world the unflagging commitment of the United States to the sanctity of territorial integrity, human rights, and good governance. Our amendment also demonstrates our resolve in responding to cyber attacks against U.S. citizens and entities and against our allies.

In summary, the Crapo-Brown-Corker-Cardin amendment does four things: It escalates and expands the current sanctions regime against Russia; it creates new sanctions against Russia; it engages Congress at a higher level than before by providing a mechanism for Congress to vote before lifting any sanctions on Russia; and it increases the Treasury Department's ability to track illicit finance, including illicit flows linked to Russia.

We escalate and expand the current sanctions regime against Russia by codifying and modifying six current Executive orders. Four of these orders relate to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and two relate to Russia's malicious cyber activity.

We expand the sanctions under the Ukraine-related Executive orders to reach Russian deep-water, Arctic, and shale projects worldwide. We also permit the President to apply these sanctions to Russian railway, shipping, and metals and mining sectors.

The amendment also creates several new sanctions against Russia. There are new sanctions for those who are engaged in significant activities undermining cyber security. These sanctions also apply to those providing material support for such malicious cyber actors.

We also impose mandatory sanctions on entities engaged in special Russian energy projects and on foreign financial institutions facilitating transactions in response to Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine.

The amendment includes tough sanctions on Russian Government officials, their relatives, and close associates responsible for significant corruption in Russia or elsewhere.

It sanctions people who help others evade sanctions and people responsible for human rights violations in any territory controlled by Russia.

Additionally, it sanctions those who work for or on behalf of the Russian defense and intelligence sectors, those who invest or support the construction of Russian energy export pipelines, and corrupt government officials who enrich themselves after making deals to privatize state-owned assets.

Finally, it sanctions those who help the Assad regime acquire chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons technology, ballistic or cruise missile capabilities, or destabilizing numbers and types of advanced conventional weapons.

The Crapo-Brown-Corker-Cardin amendment will result in some very powerful new sanctions on Russia. Part of our agreement includes congressional review language to ensure Congress exerts proper oversight on the use of these powerful sanctions. We require the President to notify Congress when imposing certain types of sanctions, and we will have the opportunity to review any attempts to lift sanctions with regard to Russia. We intend to use this review model on all sanctions regimes moving forward, and I intend to work to apply it to sanctions on Iran.

Amendment No. 232 is more than just the sanctions and congressional review;

this legislation also includes important counterterrorism financing provisions adopted by the House and Senate during the 114th Congress. It requires the creation of a national strategy for combatting the financing of terrorism and related forms of illicit finance. This strategy ensures that the United States pursues a coordinated and effective fight against illicit finance at all levels of the Russian Government.

Our measure requires the strategy to enhance public-private partnerships to prevent and detect illicit finance. The measure also requires the Treasury Department to report on its efforts to identify illicit finance flows linked to Russia affecting the U.S. financial system or the financial system of our allies. We must engage all of our allies, particularly our trading partners, to work with us so that we achieve our objectives without collateral damage, which is so often the case. It is important that our trading partners be with us on this issue rather than being the victims of the actions we take.

This is a strong bipartisan measure that in important respects represents the next step forward. Of course, this will not be the last step if Russia does not begin to demonstrate verifiable steps toward reducing its course of aggression on multiple fronts. Make no mistake-- the sanctions currently in place and those submitted in our amendment last night are Putin's fault and not a result of Putin's confused notions of Russian power and pride.

Even though unilateral actions are not the best option, America must lead on this issue and encourage others to follow since the most successful sanctions result from a united front of United States and European Union cooperation.

Since the unlawful annexation of Crimea, the years of destabilizing eastern Ukraine through relentless war, the global spread of cyber intrusions, and Putin's indefensible support of Assad's leadership of Syria, particularly in light of its recent chemical attack, fewer are left in Europe to defend Putin's policies. The times call for clarity of purpose and a correct amount of pressure. We have that in this amendment.

Again, thank you to Senators Corker, Brown, and Cardin for your hard work and support and to each of the other Senators from both sides of the aisle who have worked to help develop and pursue the policies adopted in this legislation. Thank you to Leader McConnell and Senator Schumer for all of your help and support.

I look forward to passing this measure in short order, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment.

With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I wish to commend Idahoans and specifically the Boise community for coming together so quickly to fight hate speech and related vandalism.

Kindness, support, and respect run deep in Idaho. The response to the recent vandalism of the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial in Boise, ID, is the most recent example of the depth of compassion in Idahoans. Since the recent vandalism, considerable resources have poured in to repair and enhance the memorial. Rather than responding with anger and hate, Idaho is moving forward with a positive spirit of renewal and inclusiveness. Dan Prinzing, executive director of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights that built the memorial with support from the Carr Foundation and others and now partners with Boise Parks and Recreation to maintain the memorial, said, ``An act of hate by an individual is not us, the community's response to the act is what defines who we are and the values we share. Now what does that do for us? It emboldens the message of the Memorial and reinforces that our work is not done.''

The Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial was dedicated to the public 15 years ago to offer a place for visitors to consider and reflect on human rights and inspire engagement with others about the issue. The memorial is a beautiful and thought-provoking resource, which includes a statue of Anne Frank, quotes and excerpts of her writings, as well as a wall of inspiring quotes. The love and care, including the support of Idaho students and their families, that went into this memorial's creation is prevailing upon its restoration and contributing to ongoing human rights discussions. Among the many quotes highlighted at the memorial is the following from Mother Teresa, ``Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.''

I commend all those who are coming together to counter the acts of hateful vandalism with kindness that will continue to echo through our communities and Nation.

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

Mr. President, I rise today in support of Mr. Jay Clayton, who has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

On January 4, 2017, then President-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Jay Clayton to be the next chairman of the SEC. He noted that ``Jay Clayton is a highly talented expert on many aspects of financial and regulatory law, and he will ensure our financial institutions can thrive and create jobs while playing by the rules.''

This sentiment was proven by Mr. Clayton's testimony and interactions during his nomination hearing. In fact, he passed out of the Banking Committee by a vote of 15-to-8, with bipartisan support.

Mr. Clayton is a highly regarded and exceptionally qualified candidate. As a partner at a prominent law firm, he built a reputation as a highly skilled financial markets expert, representing clients of all types and sizes, both domestically and internationally. He has also invested in a younger generation of lawyers, passing on his knowledge as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Throughout the nomination process, Mr. Clayton has proved his dedication to unbiased and fair conduct.

Mr. Clayton's comments, experience, and actions provide me with confidence that he will lead the SEC with the highest integrity and effectiveness.

The SEC has an important three-part mission: to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and to facilitate capital formation. At his nomination hearing, Mr. Clayton echoed the importance of the SEC's mission and how the SEC can do more to ensure that our markets remain the envy of the world.

Although the United States capital markets remain the most robust in the world, they have been challenged by competition from abroad. During his hearing, Mr. Clayton observed that our capital markets have become less attractive to businesses than they ever have been before. Capital markets drive innovation and job creation, and access to them is the lifeblood of our economy.

The JOBS Act helped revitalize primary markets, and both Congress and the SEC should continue to find ways to help companies go public and allow investors to share in their successes. Mr. Clayton pledged to do just that. He committed to working with his fellow Commissioners, with SEC staff, with Congress, and with the President to support and defend our capital markets.

Mr. Clayton also repeatedly committed at his nomination hearing that he would protect investors. He stated that he is ``100 percent committed to rooting out any fraud and shady practices in our financial system.''

During the Banking Committee's hearings on Mr. Clayton, some raised the concern that he previously represented many firms on Wall Street and that he would continue to look out for their best interests. He appropriately responded by pledging to the American people that he will show no favoritism to anyone and maintain a high degree of transparency.

Given Mr. Clayton's strong qualifications and his pledge to work to improve capital formation and uphold investor protections, I urge my colleagues to support his nomination. Congress and the SEC, led by Mr. Clayton and the American people, can ensure that the U.S. financial system and markets remain the preferred destination for investors throughout the world. I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on the nomination of Mr. Jay Clayton.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.