Floor Statements

Mr. President, I have on a red sweater this morning in the hopes that Christmas is not too far away for all of us, including the Members of Congress. With that in mind, let me give everyone an update on where we are.

Yesterday, the Democratic leader and I reached a procedural agreement to create space for ongoing negotiations over government funding. To provide flexibility as the White House and Senate Democrats continue their discussions, the Senate already officially proceeded to the House-passed funding legislation--so that is pending--but we did so with an understanding that no further votes will occur until the President and Senate Democrats have reached an agreement to resolve this.

Let me say that again. We pushed the pause button until the President, from whom we will need a signature, and Senate Democrats, from whom we will need votes, reach an agreement--no procedural votes, no test votes, just a meaningful vote on a bipartisan agreement whenever that is reached, and it is my hope that it is reached sooner rather than later.

It is no mystery why securing our Nation's borders is such a major priority for Republicans here in the Senate and Republicans over in the House and for President Trump. Any look at the plain facts leads to one simple conclusion: The crisis of security at our southern border is real.

Over the past year, Customs and Border Protection's records of apprehensions and interdictions at our southern border are literally staggering--800 known gang members, a 50-percent increase over last year, nearly 7,000 individuals with criminal histories, including weapons trafficking and violent offenses, more than double the levels of fentanyl, along with other illicit substances.

So the report card is quite clear. America's borders are in crisis. These facts I have stated are not partisan facts. They aren't ideological. They are just facts--just facts. They don't describe the Republican Party's version of events or the President's version of events. They describe reality.

So one would think that securing our homeland, controlling our borders, and protecting the American people would be bipartisan priorities--uncontroversial, commonsense, bipartisan priorities--a core duty of any nation's government.

And here is the interesting thing. Until very, very recently, that seemed to be the case. Back in 2006, Democrats were perfectly happy to support hundreds--hundreds--of miles of physical barriers along the border. Twenty-six Democrats voted for the bill, including then-Senator Obama and then-Senator Clinton and my good friend the current Democratic leader from New York, but what about more recently? Earlier this very year--this year, Mr. President--the Democratic leader offered $25 billion for physical barriers in his negotiations with the President, which is five times as much as the White House is reasonably requesting right now. That was just earlier this year.

Republicans in the House and in the Senate believe the House's provision for $5 billion in border funding plus additional disaster funding were completely reasonable. I was glad to vote

to advance that legislation yesterday. My colleagues and I are proud to stand with the American people on this subject for the safety of American families and the health and security of our communities, but this time--this time--Democrats have rejected that reasonable request. They have refused to meet President Trump half way and provide even one-fifth of the resources for the border they were willing to provide just a few months ago.

There is no bright line of principle that separates hundreds of miles of physical barriers in 2006 from new physical barriers in 2018. There is no major philosophical shift that made $25 billion for border security worthwhile just a few months ago but makes a far more modest investment of $5 billion immoral and unacceptable today.

No, Democrats haven't rejected the President's request and invited this partial government shutdown because of some principled objections they just discovered in the last few weeks. It is not some principled discovery they just made in the last few weeks. They brought this about because they are under a lot of pressure--we all know this--from their far left and feel compelled to disagree with the President on almost anything and certainly this.

So that is where we are, but we don't need to be here for long. In order to get us out of this mess, a negotiated solution will need to check these boxes. It is really very simple. It will need the support of 60 Senators, which will obviously include a number of Democrats. It will need to pass the House. And it will need a Presidential signature. That is how we make a law in this situation. Sixty 60 votes in the Senate, a majority of the House, and President Trump's signature are what is needed. That is what will end this regrettable episode, reopen the lapsed portions of the Federal Government, and produce the investment in border security that our Nation really needs.

So I am glad that productive discussions are continuing at this hour between my friend the Democratic leader, the Democratic leader in the House, and the White House. When those negotiations produce a solution that is acceptable to all of those parties, it will receive a vote here on the Senate floor.

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 Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of Calendar Nos. 1204, 1206 through 1215, and 1228 through 1232; that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration and that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of PN Nos. 2507, 2626, 2638, 2639, 2670, 2671; that the nominations be confirmed; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

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

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 3661.

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

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 3661) entitled

``An Act to provide for a program of the Department of

Defense to commemorate the 75th anniversary of World War

II.'', do pass with an amendment.

I move to concur in the House amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7319, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7318, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4689 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and 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 the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 663, H.R. 1967.

I further ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 4203, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the Toomey substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 7279, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 742, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 743, submitted earlier today.

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