Floor Statements

Mr. President, for most Americans, a church is a place of worship and love, a place where the faithful go to feel mercy and compassion, which is why what happened in Texas yesterday is so difficult for many to comprehend. Why would an individual do this? Families lost so much. Our hearts go out to them in this time of untold grief. Our gratitude goes out to the civilians and first responders who answer the call when others are in need.

As we continue to learn the details of yesterday's tragic events, I, along with all Members of the Senate, will keep the victims of this tragedy and their families in my prayers.

Mr. President, on a completely different matter, last Monday I said the Senate would confirm four excellent judicial nominees by the end of the week. That is just what we did--Amy Barrett, confirmed; Joan Larsen, confirmed; Allison Eid, confirmed; Stephanos Bibas, confirmed.

After 8 years of a President who selected judges based upon an ideological litmus test designed to find nominees who favor certain groups or individuals over others, we now have a President who is sending over nominees who will ensure that the judiciary is actually living up to the role we expect in our democracy: treating everyone equally, giving every litigant a fair shake, applying the law as it is actually written, not as the judge wishes it might be. The four circuit court nominees the Senate confirmed last week will do just that.

Democrats have put up a lot of procedural roadblocks to prevent the Senate from moving forward all year. We have moved ahead anyway. As a result, despite all the obstacles from the other side, we are making significant progress.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the hard work and notable leadership of Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, and I want to thank him again for everything he has done.

We are not finished yet. We are going to keep pressing forward on judicial nominees. We are going to keep confirming the other nominees before us as well.

This week the Senate will consider some of President Trump's other qualified nominees for various positions throughout the Federal Government. Each of these individuals will help lead their agencies to fulfill their particular mission in running the government.

First, we will advance the nomination of Steven Engel to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel. Mr. Engel previously worked in the OLC, having done so under President Bush. He also served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General

and counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. He obviously has a lot of experience advising senior policymakers on a wide variety of legal issues facing the executive branch. That is good because the role he has been nominated to has the responsibility for providing legal advice to the executive branch on all constitutional questions and reviewing pending legislation for constitutionality.

I look forward to advancing Mr. Engel's nomination tomorrow so that he can begin putting his experience to work for our country as soon as possible, and then we will turn to the various other nominees before us so they can begin doing the same. Confirming the President's nominees is an important part of the Senate's business, and I urge all of our colleagues to work together so we can get this done.

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. President, today I wish to congratulate a dear friend whom I have known for more than 30 years, Dr. John Logan III, of Henderson, KY. John was recently honored by his community for a lifetime of servant leadership. The city dedicated a plaque on the Henderson Riverwalk, which is one of the many landmarks that John had an indispensable hand in building and one I was proud to work with him to help secure. In a surprise ceremony--John thought he was simply going to lunch with a friend--they honored him for decades of philanthropy and service to his community.

The plaque includes a quote from author Margaret Mead, which reads, ``Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'' These words perfectly encapsulate the impact of my friend John.

John serves as the chief medical officer of the Methodist Hospital in Henderson, where he started working in 1962 specializing in family medicine. A number of years ago, John embarked on a mission to highlight the extraordinary history of the hospital. Because of his tireless work, the successes of this Henderson institution will continue to be remembered for years to come. In addition to his work caring for patients and leading the administration of the hospital, John gives of himself to other aspects of the community.

In 1971, John joined the Family YMCA's capital campaign, working to help the group move from its old home downtown to a much larger facility on 5 acres of land. He has continued to work with the YMCA, making sure that young people in Henderson have a well-equipped facility to enjoy and grow. John also helped establish other community initiatives, including Henderson's Depot Welcome Center and the Methodist Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

In 2012, the Henderson Community College board of directors presented John with an award recognizing his substantial service to the school. Through the years, John has taken a keen interest in the students. He worked with State legislators and community leaders to raise $1 million to support scholarships to the college and to build a fine arts center. His impact will be felt by students for years to come.

John has spent his life giving to others--his community, the Methodist Hospital, and his friends. So many of the projects in Henderson would not have been possible without John's dedicated leadership, and I am immensely proud to call him my friend. His decades of service have truly made Henderson and Kentucky a better place.

I ask all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the selfless work of Dr. John Logan, a remarkable Kentuckian and a wonderful friend.

Mr. President, The Gleaner in Henderson recently published an article on John's career of service. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3031, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, 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 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1370 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Johnson-McCaskill substitute amendment be considered and agreed to and the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, November 7; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for debate only until 11 a.m., at which point the Senate proceed to executive session and consideration of the Gibson nomination under the previous order; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.

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 Senator Durbin.

Mr. President, the Senate continues to press forward confirming President Trump's outstanding nominations to the Federal courts. Already this week, we have confirmed two strong, smart, and talented women to serve on our Nation's circuit courts. Today we will consider two more well-qualified nominees: Allison Eid and Stephanos Bibas.

First, we will confirm Allison Eid, whom the President has nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Justice Eid has big shoes to fill in taking that seat--it became vacant when Neil Gorsuch ascended to the Supreme Court. It is a hard act to follow. Yet I have every confidence she will excel in the role. You see, nominees such as Justice Eid and Professor Bibas are more than just the sum of their credentials--although theirs are indeed impressive, and I will expand on those credentials in just a moment--nominees such as these also believe, like Justice Gorsuch, that the role of a judge is to apply the law equally to everyone and to do so as the law is actually written, not as they wish it might be.

As Judge Gorsuch said, ``A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge--stretching for results he prefers rather than those the law demands,'' or, put a different way, ``I don't think there are red judges, and I don't think there are blue judges. All judges wear black.'' That is the view of Neil Gorsuch. That is the view of Allison Eid and Stephanos Bibas. That is just the kind of fair- minded judge we want serving on the bench and just the kind of fair- minded judge we are confirming this week, including the exceptional nominees before us.

Justice Allison Eid graduated from the University of Chicago Law School with high honors. She earned the opportunity to clerk for Fifth Circuit Judge Jerry E. Smith and then for Justice Clarence Thomas before joining the faculty of the University of Colorado School of Law, where she served as a professor for our colleague Senator Gardner. When he introduced his former professor before the Judiciary Committee, Senator Gardner noted how much she cared about ``robust debates and hearing the views of others.''

``Justice Eid,'' he said, ``was open to their views, engaging with them, and [was] never biased against different perspectives.''

Later, Justice Eid was appointed to serve as Colorado's solicitor general and, in 2006, to the Colorado Supreme Court. Two years later, 75 percent of Coloradans voted to retain her. Her time on the State's high court has been marked by clear and precise writing and judicial independence.

One of Justice Eid's former clerks wrote a column in the Denver Post in support of her nomination. As a jurist, this clerk wrote, ``Eid commits her full mental energy and attention to each case, carefully mastering every legal and factual detail in order to conduct a rigorous analysis dictated ultimately by the law.'' In addition, this former clerk added a personal touch to Justice Eid's incredible resume:

For women striving to achieve that elusive balance between

family life and a successful career, it can be hard to find

strong role models. But Colorado's Allison Eid is a shining

example.

Justice Eid is clearly well qualified for the position to which she has been nominated. She is just the kind of fair-minded judge people would want hearing their case. I look forward to supporting her nomination today, and I ask each of my colleagues to join me in confirming the nomination of this extremely well qualified jurist.

I would ask them to join me in supporting Professor Bibas too. Professor Bibas has served as assistant U.S. attorney. He has experience in private practice. He has clerked for a circuit court judge and for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Today he is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where, according to the former dean of students, he ``enjoys

the give and take of discussion'' and is ``very fair, considerate, and encouraging.''

Moreover, as a bipartisan group of more than 100 law professors put it in a letter to the Judiciary Committee, Professor Bibas's ``fair- mindedness, conscientiousness, and personal integrity are beyond question,'' and in their view, ``his judicial temperament will reflect these qualities and . . . he will faithfully discharge his duty to apply the law fairly and evenhandedly in all matters before him.''

Professor Bibas also reminded us that he, like Justice Gorsuch and Justice Eid, believes in a fair-minded approach to the law. In his words, ``People need to know and believe that judges will apply the law impartially and evenhandedly to all litigants, regardless of their wealth or power.'' He is right. Let's join together in supporting him today.

I would like to once again thank Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley for all his work to bring these impressive nominees to the floor. Together with the President, we will continue working hard to put judges on the Federal courts who will uphold the law as it is written, not as they wish it were.

Mr. President, on another matter, the Obama years were not easy for America's middle class. For many, steady work became harder to find, paychecks stagnated, and opportunities faded. America's middle class deserves better after a decade of drift, and we are working hard to deliver for them.

Tax reform is the single most important thing we can do today to get the economy reaching for its true potential again. That is why the Senate recently passed the legislative tools to advance it. That is why the House recently did the same. And because we did, later today, after months of hard work, the House's tax-writing committee will unveil its version of tax reform legislation.

I commend Chairman Brady and the members of the Ways and Means Committee for their hard work in unveiling this critical legislation today. This announcement is more positive momentum from our colleagues over in the House, and I look forward to continued work with them as we move forward. Here in the Senate, the Finance Committee will continue its work on tax reform legislation as well.

Both Chambers are working on this at full steam because we are committed to achieving our mutual tax reform goals for the middle class, working families, and small businesses. Our main goal is this: We want to take more money out of Washington's pockets and put more in yours. This goal is shared by the American people, it is shared by the President and his team, and it is shared by Republicans in the House and in the Senate.

The goals of tax reform used to be shared by our Democratic colleagues as well. Over many years, multiple Senate Democrats, including the Democratic leader himself, have called on Congress to pass reform. But then something changed. It was the President who changed, it seems.

Now we are reading reports that our friends across the aisle plan to oppose any tax reform bill at all, regardless of what is in it. It seems that Democratic leadership is praying that this chance to put more money in the pockets of the middle class will not succeed. But why? To protect incentives and encourage companies to ship jobs overseas? I thought they were against those. To prevent working families from keeping more of what they earn? I assumed we were all for that. According to recent news reporting, Democrats apparently want to tank tax cuts for the middle class because it might give them a political leg up. In other words, it seems that this is some kind of game to them.

I certainly hope what we read is not true. I certainly hope Democrats will take note of the fact that their latest false talking point about tax reform just got debunked today as well. This effort is way too important for any of that. I hope our friends will decide to work with our colleagues in a serious way instead. That is what their constituents sent them here to do, and that is what their constituents deserve after the last decade of economic disappointment. There is no reason for our Democratic friends not to work across the aisle in a serious way to help shape this critically important effort.

I thank Chairman Hatch and Chairman Brady for their commitment to tax reform and regular order. Through the committee process, Members on both sides of the aisle will have the opportunity to offer input as the tax reform effort advances. Today's announcement is an important step forward for that process, as well as for our once-in-a-generation opportunity to fundamentally rethink our Tax Code and deliver real relief. It has been 30 years since we did that. It is time to do it again.

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 en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 409, 410, 411, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 431.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 361.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nomination be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following nominations: Executive Calendar Nos. 295, 296, 323, 324, and 325.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.