Floor Statements

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 165,

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, September 26; 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1519; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

Mr. President, later today, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Noel Francisco to become our Nation's next Solicitor General.

The Office of Solicitor General is responsible for representing the United States in litigation before the Supreme Court. It is a very important office, and Mr. Francisco is very well qualified to lead it. His private sector resume is impressive, and his public sector service is remarkable.

He clerked for a towering figure on the Supreme Court, the late Justice Antonin Scalia. During the administration of President George W. Bush, he worked in the White House Counsel's office. He is currently serving as a senior advisor in the Justice Department, after having served as Acting and Principal Deputy Solicitor General earlier this year.

Mr. Francisco has successfully argued a number of complex cases before a number of courts, including, notably, the case of the National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning before the

Supreme Court. In that matter, he represented the plaintiff, Noel Canning, in its successful challenge to President Obama's unlawful so- called recess appointments.

That case is especially important for this body because the Supreme Court's unanimous 2014 decision in favor of Noel Canning reaffirmed that the Senate, not the President, possesses the clear constitutional authority to prescribe the rules of its own proceedings.

Noel Francisco is a great choice for this tough job, and I urge colleagues to join me in supporting him.

Mr. President, this morning the Senate Finance Committee is hosting another of a series of hearings on comprehensive tax reform. The President, his team, and many of us here in Congress are in agreement that passing tax reform is the single most important action we can take today to energize the economy and help families get ahead.

Our Tax Code is overly complex and has rates that are too high. Chairman Hatch and members of the committee are working to improve American competitiveness under a simplified Tax Code that works better for all of us.

Last week, the committee's hearing examined how to make the Tax Code work better for American individuals and families. Today, the Finance Committee is discussing the consequences of our outdated Tax Code for American businesses and workers.

In an increasingly competitive global economy, our Tax Code stands as a barrier between American enterprise and economic prosperity. It actually incentivizes companies to shift good American jobs overseas. That doesn't make any sense at all. What we should be doing is working to bring them home. Comprehensive tax reform offers the chance to do so.

This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fundamentally rethink our Tax Code. We want to provide American businesses, small and large, with the conditions they need to form, invest, grow, and hire. We want to stop American jobs from being shipped overseas. We want to bring jobs and investments home so we can spur economic growth and restore opportunity for our families.

After 8 years of a heavyhanded Obama economy, in which it often seemed that only the ultrawealthy could get ahead, it is time to help working class families and small businesses get ahead. It is time for comprehensive tax reform.

Many of our Democratic colleagues have expressed support for an overhaul of the Tax Code. I hope they will choose to work with us in a serious way to modernize our increasingly outdated tax system.

I want to thank Chairman Hatch for his leadership, and I look forward to this morning's hearing and more hearings to come, as we continue to discuss our tax reform goals.

I want to thank the President and his team, as well, for their strong involvement.

Comprehensive tax reform is clearly a top priority for this White House, just as it is for this Congress. So let's deliver more opportunity for the middle class. Let's continue the hard work of tax reform to help American families and small businesses get ahead.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at 4 p.m. today, there be 2 minutes of debate, equally divided between the managers or their designees, and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Emanuel nomination.

Mr. President, I listened carefully to Chairman McCain talking about his long association with Joe. I thought maybe it was appropriate, I would say to my colleague from Arizona, to point out that he eliminated an awful lot of my earmarks over the years.

I will have fond reflections as well, in a sense. I want to join you, Senator McCain, in congratulating Joe for a great job for you and for our country for a very long time.

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, today I wish to remember the life of Fran Jarrell, of Paintsville, KY, who passed away on August 27, 2017, at the age of 72.

For many years, Fran was a driving force in her community. She served on numerous public committees and boards, supporting the efforts of organizations from the mentoring committee for Community of Hope to the Paintsville Garden Club. She also was a member of the Paintsville City Council for many years, dedicating herself to making the community a better place to live and work. Most recently, Fran was the executive director of the Paintsville/Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, where she was committed to bringing economic development and opportunity to the area. In her numerous roles, Fran worked to bring out the beauty and possibilities of her city.

The Paintsville community mourned Fran's passing. Flowers decorated the entire downtown area as a tribute to her life, her passion, and her dedication to others. Elaine and I send our condolences to Fran's children, sisters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the passage of H.R. 2810, as amended, that amendment No. 545 be considered and adopted.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3110, 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 Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 265, 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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for a pro forma session only, with no business being conducted, on Thursday, September 21, at 8:30 a.m.; I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, September 21, it next convene at 4 p.m. on Monday, September 25; 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 Emanuel nomination, with the time until 5:30 p.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; finally, that at 5:30 p.m., all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on the confirmation of the Emanuel nomination with no intervening action or debate, and, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then resume legislative session.

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 Blumenthal.

Mr President, our Nation faces many national security threats across the globe.

The threats and challenges posed by Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, ISIL, al-Qaeda, and its affiliates represent a diverse range of conventional and asymmetric capabilities that threaten our national security and that of our allies.

We also know that the challenges we face have been compounded by everything from sequestration to the last administration's self- defeating foreign policy, with the Obama administration's focus on reducing the size of our conventional force only adding to the burden of our forward-deployed units.

We have to be smart if we are going to address these challenges effectively and do right by our men and women in uniform appropriately.

We have to provide our servicemembers with the resources and training they need. That is obvious.

We have to continue the hard work of rebuilding our military and restoring combat readiness. That is ongoing.

We have to modernize the Pentagon and root out waste within the military bureaucracy. That is important for strengthening accountability.

We also have to prepare for the threats of both today and tomorrow by promoting defense innovation, enhancing cyber security, and--especially when you consider all the recent belligerence from North Korea-- strengthening missile defense.

For these reasons and many others, like authorizing a well-deserved raise for our servicemembers, it is imperative that we join together today in passing the defense authorization legislation before us.

Mr. President, I thank the Armed Services Committee for its good work on this year's National Defense Authorization Act. The members of that committee, from both parties, came together to support this year's NDAA and send it to the Senate floor. It is yet another testament to the leadership of Senator McCain, the committee's top Republican, and Senator Reed, his Democratic counterpart.

So thank you, Chairman McCain, thank you, Ranking Member Reed, and thank you, everyone else, who worked so hard on this legislation.

Now let's pass it.

Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, last week, the Senate confirmed a talented and experienced nominee with an impressive career in law enforcement to be the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. Russell Coleman is the right person for the job.

After graduating from my alma mater, the University of Kentucky College of Law, Russell entered public service. His wide-ranging experiences at the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Senate, and in private practice make him particularly qualified for this new role.

As the chief Federal law enforcement officer for the Western District of Kentucky, Russell will use his skills to serve the people of Kentucky and the United States very well. Having served as a special agent with the FBI, Russell understands the particular challenges facing law enforcement. In that role, he regularly collaborated with Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials on a vast array of issues, and he is well respected in the law enforcement community.

For instance, Kentucky continues to struggle with the opioid addiction epidemic that is tearing families and communities apart. Russell stands ready to collaborate with stakeholders and community leaders to combat it. He has earned the support of the Kentucky Narcotics Officers' Association, which looks forward to his leadership on drug enforcement issues.

Russell also worked in my office as legal counsel, helping me serve the people of Kentucky. With good humor and an unmatched determination, he advocated for the issues that were important to my constituents.

The president of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police wrote to me in support of Russell's nomination: ``Russell was forever thoughtful, courteous, and a true friend to our membership.''

Now Russell has the opportunity to serve once again.

I congratulate him and look forward to his service to the Commonwealth and to the country.