Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of S. Con. Res. 6 and S. Con. Res. 7.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolutions be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate en bloc.

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

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the chair lay before the body a message to accompany S. 483.

The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 483) entitled

``An act to enact into law a bill by reference'', do pass

with an amendment.

Motion to Concur

I move to concur in the House amendment to S. 483.

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

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m., Monday, March 4; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Rushing nomination; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motions filed during today's session of the Senate ripen at 5:30 p.m., Monday, March 4.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, yesterday, the Senate confirmed the 31st new circuit judge since January of 2017. Eric Miller came to the Senate for our consideration with a stellar resume and a sterling legal reputation. We had every indication he would interpret our Nation's laws and Constitution as they are actually written. This is exactly the kind of judge the American people deserve to sit on our Nation's courts of appeals. That is why the Senate will continue to make judicial nominations a top priority.

This week, however, we need to make more progress on the backlog of important executive branch nominees whom Democrats' delaying tactics and obstruction have left literally languishing on the Senate calendar.

The first is Michael Desmond, the President's choice to serve as Chief Counsel of the IRS. Mr. Desmond has put his legal expertise to work through years of public service, including at the Department of Justice Tax Division and at the Department of the Treasury. He has an impressive private sector background as well.

So listen to this: In the last Congress, the Finance Committee recommended Mr. Desmond to the full Senate by a vote of 25 to 2. That was last August. Yet this noncontroversial nominee never got a floor vote and had to be sent back to the White House. Well, Mr. Desmond was renominated. Earlier this month, our colleagues on the Finance Committee reported him favorably yet again--26 to 2.

I am sorry my Democratic colleagues required us to file cloture on this thoroughly noncontroversial nominee. It is a good example of the unreasonable tactics that have, sadly, become their standing operating procedure in many cases, but I am glad we voted to advance the nomination yesterday, and I urge everyone to join me in voting to confirm him soon.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, all postcloture time on the Wheeler nomination be considered expired at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, with the time between 12 and 12:30 equally divided in the usual form; further, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action. I further ask that the cloture motion on Executive Calendar No. 12 be withdrawn and that following disposition of the Wheeler nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the Ryder nomination, with the time until 1:45 p.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees, and that at 1:45 p.m., the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; and that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that PN389, the nomination of Ian Paul Steff to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, sent to the Senate by the President, be referred jointly to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 83, submitted earlier today.

I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 84, submitted earlier today.

I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, February 28; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Wheeler nomination under the previous order.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of our Democratic colleagues.

Madam President, the Senate had an opportunity yesterday to affirm our commitment to the dignity of human life. We had a chance to state plainly that newborn babies who happen to have survived abortions are entitled to the same legal protections and professional care as other newborns.

In all honesty, the fact that this legislation even needed to be written is a sad reminder of the degree to which our society is at risk of losing some crucial moral bearings, and the fact that the U.S. Senate could not even vote to advance this bill is beyond dismaying.

The legislation was silent on the abortion issue. All it would have done is to have affirmed the rights of these newborn babies, but apparently even that was a bridge too far, not just for the far-left fringe--not anymore--but for the vast majority of our Democratic colleagues right here in the Senate.

We are no longer dealing with a normal, traditional Democratic Party; we are looking at a party that has been dragged so far to the left, it would have been unrecognizable to folks just a few years ago. In 1996, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan condemned partial-birth abortion by comparing it to infanticide. He was a distinguished, mainstream Democratic Senator from New York about 20 years ago. And today? Ninety- four percent of Senate Democrats could not even vote to protect babies after they are born. The only explanations they could offer were bizarre euphemisms and vague references to issues that have no bearing once a child has already been born alive.

It was a sorry display, but I can say this: This fight isn't over. The Republicans will not let this stunning extremism from our Democratic colleagues be the last word on this subject.

Madam President, on another matter, fortunately, the Senate did make progress in another area. Yesterday, we advanced what will be the 31st circuit court nomination to be confirmed so far during the Trump administration.

As I discussed yesterday, Eric Miller has a distinguished record in both public service and private practice. He holds degrees from Harvard and the University of Chicago, and his legal experience includes holding prestigious clerkships on our Nation's highest courts. Yet, rather than take my word for it, I urge my colleagues to consider the endorsements of those with whom the nominee has studied and worked.

For example, 54 members of the University of Chicago Law School's class of 1999, with their wide-ranging views on politics and judicial philosophy, have offered a ringing endorsement for Eric Miller. In a letter to our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, they cite Mr. Miller's ``diligent work ethic, his keen legal mind, and his deep consideration for every legal issue he confronts.'' All in all, his classmates--many of whom have also been his colleagues over the years-- say that Mr. Miller is ``extraordinarily well qualified to serve as a Federal judge.''

I urge each of my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm this fine nominee soon.