Floor Statements

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of the Democratic leader.

Madam President, this week, the Senate has taken important steps to fulfill our advise-and-consent responsibility on the President's nominees. We have ended unnecessary delays that kept well- qualified individuals from filling important posts at the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce and confirmed both of them.

Now, on an entirely different matter, I am sorry to say it is time to begin offering thanks and farewells to Members whose Senate service will conclude at the end of the 115th Congress.

Today, I would like to begin with our friend, the senior Senator from Nevada. It doesn't feel like much of an exaggeration to say that Dean Heller may have been destined for public service. I don't just mean his eagerness to serve or his outgoing personality. There were other signs. For example, one of the stops on his childhood paper route in Carson City was the Governor's mansion itself. Talk about early civic involvement.

At every step of the way, from successful businessman to his local and statewide races, all the way here to the Capitol, Dean earned the respect of his neighbors and constituents by following the hard-working example set by his parents. His mother worked as a cook in a school cafeteria. His father was an auto mechanic who raced stock cars on the side. Their son grew up to be the only sitting Senator I would trust to replace my transmission.

When most politicians use phrases like ``rolling up their sleeves'' and ``getting their hands dirty,'' they are usually referring to things like late-night negotiating or taking tough votes--in other words, more talking. Not Dean Heller, he means it literally. As Dean likes to say, here in Washington, during the week, he works for the people of Nevada, but at home, on the weekends, there he works for his wife Lynne on the ranch they keep up together.

But let it not be said that even in the midst of hard labor, Dean isn't capable of multitasking. After all, sometimes official duties just can't wait. I have it on good authority that on one occasion Dean had to field a surprise phone call from President Obama on his cell while standing right in the middle of a ditch. Another time, he took a call from President Trump and talked business right there in the aisle of a home improvement store. Something about this image seems just right--not talking, not posturing, doing. That is Dean Heller; isn't it?

He didn't come to Washington to court praise for lofty rhetoric or to become a TV star. He came here to do. In just 7 years, Dean has authored or helped to introduce 100 pieces of legislation that are now law.

Perhaps first and foremost, he has built a reputation as one of the Senate's chief advocates for our veterans. Dean shares his home State with more than 200,000 men and women who have served our Nation, including one he calls ``Dad.''

Keeping the promise of top-notch VA services across Nevada's widespread rural communities is no small task. The facilities in Reno, in particular, weren't always up to the job, but day in and day out, Dean has made it his mission to right the ship. As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, he has fought to expand access to care, contributing key provisions to the VA MISSION Act and spearheading the 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act. It is a legacy that is already making a difference for our veterans.

But these are hardly the only victories Dean won for Nevada and for our Nation. He came to the Senate in 2011, representing a State that had been hit hard by the great recession and was trying hard to regain its footing. Nevada communities faced ballooning foreclosure rates and persistent unemployment. Fortunately, their new Senator was intent on hooking up the economic jumper cables and getting things humming once more.

Dean has seized opportunities to champion an economic agenda that puts workers and job creators back in the driver's seat. He was a driving force behind the once-in-a-generation tax reform passed last December to put more

money in the pockets of working families. It is pouring a new 21st century foundation for American businesses to compete, win, and create more jobs right here at home.

Today, Nevada is doing better, our Nation is flourishing, and Dean Heller was there every step of the way. He was especially instrumental in making sure that tax reform increased the child tax credit. Dean knew that working parents need that money more than the IRS does.

Nevada veterans, Nevada workers, Nevada families--Dean never lost sight of the reason he came here to Washington. He has been a happy warrior here in the trenches, with a ready grin and an iron determination to do right by his friends and his neighbors.

I also have it on good authority that seeing Dean in action back home in his natural habitat is truly a sight to behold. His joy at every conversation and every handshake around Carson City are palpable. Nevadans are Dean's people. They always have been, and he has always been theirs too.

According to some of the staff who travel around the State with him, it is practically impossible to make any brief stops anywhere. At a fast-food restaurant, or a sporting goods store, or even a gas station, Dean would inevitably run into friends and set about swapping stories or Carson City inside jokes. On the rare occasions when Dean didn't know the proprietor or fellow customers--no trouble, no trouble--he would have a room full of new friends in about 3 minutes flat.

I am told it never got old for the people around Dean to witness the energy he drew from his friends, neighbors, and constituents. He was delighted to be one of them and honored to be their employee--``a man of the people''--not a cliche, in this case, a reality.

You don't need to take my word for it. I hear there is objective evidence out there, photographs from the Nevada Day Parade in Carson City. Suffice it to say it takes a certain kind of person to steal the show, riding horseback, dressed head to toe in full western regalia, something like John Wayne. It is no wonder his grandkids--Brielle, Zachary, and Ava--know him as ``Duke.''

Now, his boss, Lynne, might very well have put him up to it. I hear she rides right there alongside him. But Dean is no newcomer to the parade. In fact, it is the very same parade he marched in as a Scout years ago.

If you read that story in a book, you would think it was almost too earnest and too all-American to be true, but that is Dean Heller. He is the paper boy who started out delivering the headlines and wound up making the headlines, the Senator who still saddles up for the same parade from his childhood memories, one of Nevada's favorite sons and a dedicated servant of the entire Silver State.

Dean's colleagues are really sorry to see him go. For a leader with this much heart and this much talent, any departure would feel premature. This one certainly does, but I doubt Dean will have trouble finding good uses for a little more spare time. I know he and Lynne must be looking forward to saddling up their horses and setting out for the Sierras a little more often than they have been able to lately, and I hear he could use a little bit of rehearsal time before he leads the Heller family band through its repertoire of Christmas carols this year--lead trombone. Lead trombone is no laughing matter. Maybe he will even find time to get back in the driver's seat for a race or two.

So whatever it is that Dean does next--whatever it is--he should take with him great pride in all he has accomplished here in a policy legacy that will continue lifting up our Nation's veterans, workers, and middle-class families literally for years and years to come, and the sincere best wishes of the friends he has made here in this Chamber for health, happiness, and every future success for himself, for Lynne, and for their entire lovely family.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I move to proceed to legislative session.

I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 1153.

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion be waived.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, key members of the administration will be coming to the Senate at 11 a.m. this morning for an all-Members briefing with respect to Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Senators on both sides of the aisle have legitimate concerns about the war in Yemen, the terrible humanitarian plight of Yemeni citizens caught in the crossfire, and the multiple U.S. interests wrapped up in this conflict.

The U.S.-Saudi relationship is a longstanding and critical one, but Senators on both sides of the aisle also have legitimate concerns about the recent conduct of the Saudi Government. All of us want to see our critical foreign partners behave responsibly. I have been encouraged to hear both Secretary Mattis and Secretary Pompeo call for an end to the war in Yemen and for accountability following the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. So I look forward to hearing from both Secretaries today and learning more about the administration's strategy to achieve these and other important objectives.

Mr. President, there is a lot more work to do. That has been our message after returning from the Thanksgiving holiday. The Senate is staying focused on wrapping up this year's remaining priorities: getting more of the President's team in place, confirming well-qualified nominees to our Federal courts, and attending to the pressing legislative business the American people need and expect us to handle.

Yesterday, the nomination of Stephen Vaden to serve as general counsel at the Department of Agriculture was confirmed with bipartisan support, and the motion to advance the nomination of Karen Kelley for Deputy Secretary of Commerce was cleared by an even wider margin.

But these important steps haven't always come easily. As I mentioned yesterday, between the day the Vaden nomination was favorably reported by our colleagues on the Agriculture Committee and yesterday's confirmation vote, 351 days elapsed--351 days on the Executive Calendar.

These stories are similar for so many of the President's well- qualified nominees: Needless delays, a recordbreaking number of cloture votes, and then many go on to clear this Chamber with bipartisan support. In some cases that support is nearly unanimous, but my Democratic colleagues made this body drag its feet regardless.

We will press on and continue this week to make progress and put to rest the various outstanding items that have to be completed before the end of the 115th Congress.

Today, the Senate will vote to confirm Karen Kelley to serve as Deputy Secretary of Commerce. By any metric, Ms. Kelley has the experience and economic acumen to continue a record of outstanding service in that role--a record she has already begun by serving capably in her acting capacity since last year. I hope each of my colleagues will join me in voting to confirm her.

Then the Senate will turn to consideration of the judicial nominee, Thomas Farr, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Mr. Farr is a graduate of Hillsdale College, Emory Law School, and Georgetown University. Over a nearly 40-year career in law, he has developed expertise in labor relations and constitutional law. The American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary--a body that has frequently been held up by our Democratic colleagues as the gold standard--has awarded Mr. Farr its highest possible rating, unanimously ``well qualified.''

Our friend, Senator Burr, has testified that his fellow North Carolinian has ``the requisite expertise, character and judgment required for the federal bench'' and that ``he will serve in this role honorably.''

I urge all of our colleagues to join me in voting to advance his nomination later today.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following the cloture vote on the Kelley nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15; further, if cloture is invoked, all time during the recess counts postcloture on the nomination.

Mr. President, the Senate returned from our Thanksgiving recess and got back to work.

Since the election earlier this month, there has been plenty of prognostication about what the new Congress will bring, but I would rather focus on the one we are still involved in, and this Congress has more business to complete before the end of the year. Even after two historic years of accomplishments for the American people, there are still important items left to check off our list.

Yesterday evening, we voted to advance the nomination of Stephen Vaden, the President's choice, to serve as general counsel for the Department of Agriculture.

Mr. Vaden has strong legal credentials, both public and private sector experience, degrees from Vanderbilt and Yale, and he comes with an upbringing in agriculture. He grew up on his family's farm in Union City, TN--and according to the Tennessee Farm Bureau, it shows. As my friend Senator Alexander referenced yesterday, that organization wrote that Vaden has ``a passion for agriculture that can't be taught, but that is necessary for the job'' of general counsel.

It is hardly surprising, then, that this nominee received bipartisan support at the committee level, including the support of the ranking member.

What is surprising? The fact that since clearing the committee, Mr. Vaden's nomination has languished for 351 days, waiting for Senate Democrats to end their obstruction--long, even by the standards of this Congress. So I hope that each of my colleagues will join me in turning the page and voting to confirm Mr. Vaden later today.

Following the Vaden nomination, we will turn to consideration of Karen Kelley to serve as Deputy Secretary of Commerce. She is a graduate of Villanova. She has built a 35-year record of expertise in investment, management, and financial strategy.

She currently serves as Undersecretary--a position to which she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate--and oversees the Department's statistical programs through the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Ms. Kelley is already acting in the role to which she has been nominated.

Through this service, Ms. Kelley has earned the respect and esteem of her colleagues at the Department. Secretary Ross has said he is thankful to have such a qualified individual fill the position.

I hope my colleagues will join me in voting to advance her nomination today with a strong bipartisan vote.

As we look over the record of this 115th Congress, a number of accomplishments were made possible with significant bipartisan support--from landmark opioid legislation to major improvements in veterans' medical care and services, to our tremendous progress on appropriations and a lot more.

Our remaining work will require more of that bipartisan spirit when it comes to closing out appropriations, confirming more nominees, and other subjects as well. So let's continue the momentum and keep moving forward.

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 legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. McCONNELL. 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 Armed Services

The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Rita Baranwal, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Nuclear Energy), Bernard L. McNamee, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Raymond David Vela, of Texas, to be Director of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

Select Committee on Intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed hearing.

Subcommittee on Seapower

The Subcommittee on Seapower of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and

Data Security

The Subcommittee on Communication, Technology, Innovation, and The Internet of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission.''

Subcommittee on Multilateral, International Development, Multilateral

Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental

Policy

The Subcommittee on Multilateral, International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental

Policy of the Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Multilateral Economic Institutions and U.S. Foreign Policy.''

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 2074.

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

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 2074) entitled

``An Act to establish a procedure for the conveyance of

certain Federal property around the Jamestown Reservoir in

the State of North Dakota, and for other purposes.'', do pass

with an amendment.

Motion to Concur

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

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 440.

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

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 440) entitled

``An Act to establish a procedure for the conveyance of

certain Federal property around the Dickinson Reservoir in

the State of North Dakota.'', do pass with an amendment.

Motion to Concur

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