Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 650, H.R. 5317.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Indian Affairs Committee be discharged and the Senate proceed to immediate consideration of H.R. 1074.

Mr. President, 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 Veterans' Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3946, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 674 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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 Armed Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 424 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the Baldwin amendment to the preamble be considered and agreed to, that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to, and that 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. 3661, introduced earlier today.

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 Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1918 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the Menendez substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be read a third time.

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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the postcloture

time on the Kelley nomination expire at 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 28; further, that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 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, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Kelley nomination, with the time until 11 a.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; finally, that the Senate recess from 11 a.m. until noon tomorrow.

Mr. President, 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 Senator Booker.

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

Mr. President, with the Thanksgiving holiday behind us, we are reminded that this year and this Congress will soon come to a close. The past few years have been a time of historic accomplishments on behalf of the American people: historic tax and regulatory reform, landmark legislation to combat the opioid epidemic, a return to regular order appropriations, much needed reforms and resources for our men and women who wear the uniform today and for our veterans. The list goes on and on.

As the 115th Congress comes to a close, my colleagues will have much--much, indeed--to be proud of. But we aren't finished yet. The Senate still has a full plate of important business that we must complete before the end of the year.

At the top of the list are more nominations--well-qualified individuals that the President has chosen for executive and judicial service. Since the beginning of this Congress, the majority has taken the Senate's role in the personnel business very seriously. We have taken the opportunity to process nominations efficiently and fulfill our responsibility to advise and consent.

Of course, thanks to a concerted delaying effort from our colleagues across the aisle, a number of important offices remain unfilled. Accomplished nominees have waited patiently on the Senate calendar. Important posts have remained vacant while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle slow-walk nominations and force a record-breaking number of cloture votes.

We are 2 years into this administration. The President deserves his team, and our constituents deserve the government they voted for. So, as we have this entire Congress, we will continue to make nominations a top priority for as long as need be.

The nominees we will consider this week are highly regarded and well equipped for public service. We will begin with Stephen Vaden, who has been nominated to serve as General Counsel at the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Vaden is a graduate of Vanderbilt and Yale Law School. He brings experience from multiple Federal court clerkships and from years in practice in administrative law and appellate litigation.

This nominee was voted out of the Agriculture Committee with bipartisan support, including that of the ranking member. So I urge each of my colleagues to join me in voting to advance Mr. Vaden's nomination this afternoon and to confirm him this week.

Then we will turn to more nominations for the Department of Commerce, for the Federal judiciary, and for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I look forward to confirming each of them without undue delay.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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. President, it is my pleasure today to recognize one of the greatest voices for Kentucky's agricultural communities, the Kentucky Farm Bureau, KFB, as it prepares to commemorate its centennial year. With a mission to identify the challenges facing farmers, to improve farm income, and to enhance the quality of life for growers, processors, and all of us who enjoy the fruits of their labors, the KFB has been a force for good throughout my home State. Since its establishment almost 100 years ago, the KFB has done all of this and more. I am so proud to have this opportunity to congratulate the men and women of the KFB on this impressive milestone.

In 1919, a small group of Kentucky farmers gathered in Louisville to form an organization to serve as the ``Voice of Kentucky Agriculture.'' Beginning as a member-based and member-driven organization, the KFB has proudly kept to its founding vision, striving each day to uphold that same goal.

In the last 100 years, the KFB has grown beyond anything its founders could have imagined. With nearly 500,000 members, the organization maintains a presence in all 120 counties in the Commonwealth. The KFB has developed many service programs to benefit its members and other parts of the agricultural community. These services include providing crop insurance products, Young Farmers development, public affairs representation, and estate planning assistance, just to name a few. As it celebrates its centennial year, the KFB can also be proud of being one of the largest State Farm Bureaus throughout the entire Nation.

Since my first day serving in the U.S. Senate, I have had the opportunity to be Kentucky's champion on the Senate Agriculture Committee. Every step of the way, the KFB has helped guide my work on that committee on behalf of my State's farm families. Through several agricultural bills--and countless fly-ins, the KFB has proved to be a partner I can rely upon to support Kentucky farmers. We have accomplished a great deal, and I look forward to many more projects we can work on together.

One particular event I look forward to each year is the KFB's annual country ham breakfast during the Kentucky State Fair. I make it a point to attend every year possible so I can not only have the opportunity to enjoy the delicious food, but also to spend quality time with the many friends of Kentucky agriculture I have gotten to know over the years. The tradition began in 1964 as a way to showcase our agricultural products during the Kentucky State Fair, and it has grown into one of the Nation's premier agricultural events. Each year, thousands of Kentuckians from across the Commonwealth gather to enjoy some of the best locally sourced food our State's farmers have to offer. The morning culminates in a charity auction of the blue-ribbon country ham. This year, the winning bid was a record-breaking $2.8 million to be donated to Kentucky charities. While the ham breakfast may be among its best-known public events, it is just one example of the KFB's many accomplishments.

Throughout 2019, I hear the KFB plans to celebrate its century of successes on behalf of Kentucky's farmers. I would like to recognize the contributions of the organization's leadership, in particular Mark Haney and his executive team. They are wonderful representatives of the KFB and proud advocates for farmers. With their guidance, the KFB has a bright future ahead.

I urge my Senate colleagues to join me in the recognition of the KFB, its members, and all who have benefited from its century of service to Kentucky. The organization's unmatched dedication to farmers and commitment to agricultural advancement continues

to serve the KFB's mission well. I look forward to its continued successes, and I am grateful for the chance to publicly join the KFB in celebrating this anniversary and to offer my thanks for everything it does to support farm families in the Commonwealth.

Mr. President, on behalf of myself and the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Schumer, I send to the desk a resolution authorizing representation by the Senate Legal Counsel and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, this resolution concerns a State court civil case alleging price fixing in gasoline markets in northwest Vermont, in which one of the defendants has issued to an employee in Senator Sanders' Burlington, Vermont office a deposition subpoena for testimony and documents arising out of his Senate duties. Senator Sanders is opposing this subpoena on grounds of sovereign immunity and the absolute immunity afforded the Senator and his staff under the Speech or Debate Clause, as well as for imposing an undue burden. This resolution would authorize the Senate Legal Counsel to represent Senator Sanders' office and his employee and to move to quash the subpoena.