Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 341, submitted earlier today.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 14; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 198, H.R. 4366, postcloture; further, that all time be considered expired at 10:30 a.m.

Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

I echo the words of Vice Chair Collins and thank her for her tremendous work on this.

A lot of work has gone into these bills. All three of them were reported unanimously out of our committee after a tremendous amount of work. To finish that work and to allow all the Senate to speak, we need to vote yes to get on this bill.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. President, at the start of the year, when Vice Chair Collins and I took over as leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, we announced something ambitious: We were going to return the committee to regular order.

The first thing everyone told us was: That is great. We all want to return to regular order. We all want to show the American people that Congress can actually function; that we can work together and solve problems and pass bills to make their lives better.

But the second thing they told us was essentially: Good luck. You are going to need it.

Well, Vice Chair Collins and I went to work. We said: Look, if this is going to happen, we have to show we are serious about writing these bills that can actually be signed into law. That meant a few things.

First of all, it meant we had to work with the funding levels in the debt ceiling deal struck by President Biden and Speaker McCarthy, a deal that I had--and I still have--concerns about and which required tough funding decisions across each of our 12 bills. But the President and Speaker shook hands, and that is the agreement that Congress passed into law. We can't produce serious bills if we start by throwing that framework out the window.

Secondly, it meant we had to work together to find common ground, including on tough and thorny issues, and compromise where necessary to produce spending bills that could make it through both Chambers and to the President's desk. That meant avoiding poison pills that could sink these bills.

And, third, we wanted to make sure that we had an open, bipartisan process. We wanted to give each and every one of our colleagues the chance to weigh in on these bills and the American public the chance to see our work on them. So we held over 40 hearings this spring to assess our Nation's needs for the year ahead. We sought input from all of our colleagues. We wrote these bills together, and then we held markups for the first time in 2 years. We televised the markups--the first time ever--so people could follow this debate from home. And at those markups, we discussed the draft legislation, considered amendments, and voted on our bills.

The result: For the first time in 5 years, we passed all 12 of our funding bills out of our committee, and we did it with overwhelming bipartisan support. Nine of the twelve bills passed unanimously or had just a single ``no'' vote. In total, 97 percent of the votes on our bills in committee were ``yes'' votes.

These are not the bills I would have written on my own. They are not what Vice Chair Collins would have written on her own. They are the bills we wrote together, along with our colleagues on the committee and with input from nearly every Senator on both sides of the aisle.

They are serious bills that can be signed into law, which is how this process should work. We should come together, look for common ground, and build on it to write bills that solve problems and make people's lives better and give our Nation and communities the resources they need to stay safe and competitive, to grow and thrive. That is exactly what the three bills in this package do.

As chair of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, I am

pleased to say I was able to work with Senator Boozman to put together a bill that gets our military and our veterans the support we owe them, the support that they need.

This is essential to keeping our Nation safe because our ships and submarines and aircraft are only as good as the infrastructure they rely on and the troops who operate them. So this bill provides DOD with $19.1 billion for military construction. That is an increase over fiscal year 2023 levels.

This funding will help with construction needs across our country at base installations for projects like childcare development centers to make sure our servicemembers and their spouses can go to work knowing that their children are safe and housing like the barracks project at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in my home State and other facilities across the country to support our troops.

It will help make sure that our shipyards, like the naval base in Kitsap and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, are up-to-date and up to the challenges of this moment.

These investments will build our presence around the world, especially in the Indo-Pacific regions, and strengthen our military infrastructure to keep it resilient in the face of threats like severe weather and earthquakes.

And I am really glad we included funds to address harmful PFAS chemicals and other toxins at former installations that could put our communities in harm's way.

I am also very proud of the work we have done in this bill to support veterans and their families. As the daughter of a World War II veteran, I take the promises we made to those who fought for our country very seriously, and this bill ensures that we keep those promises by fully funding VA's budget request. We are talking about increased funding for mental health, suicide prevention programs, the caregivers program, expanding the childcare pilot program--that continues to be a huge priority for me across all of our appropriations bills--funding for homelessness prevention programs for our veterans, rural health programs, and, of course, women veterans' healthcare.

By the way, women are the fastest growing demographic of veterans overall. Our MILCON-VA funding bill also increases VA infrastructure funding so we can begin to address the challenges related to VA's aging medical facilities, and it reflects the much-needed pause and reset happening with the electronic health record modernization program.

I was raising the alarm from day one about how the unacceptable botched rollout of that program hurt veterans in my home State, and I am watching closely to make sure we see changes that provide real results for our veterans and our VA providers because, at the end of the day, these investments are not just about programs and contracts. This is about our promise to get veterans the benefits they earned and need to stay healthy, like prescriptions, mental health care, cancer screenings, and more.

So the stakes could not be higher for those families, and we owe them that much, which is why I am proud this bill sends a clear, bipartisan message: We are not going to shortchange our veterans and servicemembers, and we will live up to our obligation to provide them with the resources that they need.

The next bill in this package--from the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies-- makes sure we are living up to another crucial obligation, and that is to keep our food supply safe and secure, and support rural communities across our country, because, at the most basic level, we can't have strong communities if people can't put food on the table. That means making sure that the food that is sold in our country is safe. It means protecting families from shortages--so avoiding and mitigating supply chain disruptions, addressing climate crises, like droughts, which can threaten crops we all rely on. It means addressing food insecurity so people can afford--and access--the food they need to keep their families healthy and fed. And it means supporting our Nation's farmers, who are such a huge part of our economy. For example, every day in my home State of Washington, we ship apples, cherries, wheat, potatoes, pulse crops, and so many other commodities across the country and across the world.

So I want to thank Senator Heinrich and Senator Hoeven for their very hard work to help put together a bipartisan bill that delivers on those crucial issues. This bill will make sure the FDA has the resources it needs to keep grocery stores and dinner tables safe and to implement the bipartisan cosmetics legislation that we negotiated last year and that many of us worked on very hard to pass.

It also includes crucial funding to support our farmers, for example, increased investments in agricultural research. Just last month, I was home and visited my alma mater, Washington State University, which is home to world class agricultural research programs. This funding will help universities like WSU to tackle problems that our farmers are facing, like, in my State, smoke exposure to wine grapes, herbicide resistance, and little cherry disease; not to mention efforts that we need to make to address water shortages, improve our yields, use inputs, and more.

The bill also funds absolutely critical nutrition programs like WIC, which is a lifeline that keeps so many families from going under. This bill fully funds WIC at the level included in the President's budget request, and we know that participation and costs for the program are changing. So as we work to get final appropriations bills signed into law, I will keep working around the clock to make sure that no one loses their WIC benefits and no one is forced to be on a wait list. We have got to maintain the strong bipartisan support for that program going forward and continue to fully fund it, and that is a top priority for me.

My family had to rely on food stamps for a short time, and thanks to that help that we got when I was young, every one of my six brothers and sisters and I have been able to now grow up and give back to our communities because our country had our back when we needed it.

So make no mistake, our investments in WIC are not just the right thing, the moral thing; it is an investment in the future of America.

So if I haven't painted a picture yet, investments like this, which maintain our nutrition programs, support our farmers, and keep our food supplies safe and secure are truly mission critical to our Nation's future, but they are also bipartisan. There are things that we can all agree on that are important for America.

Finally, this package includes the funding bill from the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. I previously led this subcommittee alongside Vice Chair Collins, as the chair and ranking member, and, I can tell you, investments here are critical to help prevent people from living on the streets or being out in the cold and to get people and goods where they need to go in a safe and timely way.

Washington State, like so many other States in our country, has really been grappling with our Nation's housing and homelessness crisis for years. So I am glad that we are able to maintain and build on some key investments in this bill that provide rental assistance to families in need, increase our housing supply, support maintenance for distressed properties, and connect people with healthcare, education, unemployment programs, and other support services.

And I hope we can come together in a bipartisan way to do more to tackle those challenges in a serious way in the future, because while this bill does take important steps and includes necessary investments, our housing and homelessness crisis is going to take a lot more than flat funding in most areas and modest funding increases in some programs, which is what was possible to negotiate under the tough budget caps in this debt ceiling deal.

When it comes to our Nation's transportation infrastructure, the investments in this bill are especially important in light of some of the derailments and disasters and disturbing close calls we saw this year. I am very pleased that we were able to increase funding for the Federal Aviation Administration so it can address the shortage of air traffic controllers, reduce flight

delays, increase efficiency, modernize technology, and critically improve safety, which is so important given the concerning number of near misses we have seen recently.

This bill also increases the Federal Railroad Administration's funding for its safety work to make sure we have enough inspectors to keep our rails safe and that we can research important questions to improve rail safety and efficiency.

So I really want to thank Senator Schatz and Senator Hyde-Smith for their excellent work putting that bill together.

Each and every one of the appropriations bills in the package before us today is the result of an open, bipartisan process that invited input from every single Senator. In fact, that is true for all 12 of the bills our committee passed--all in overwhelming, bipartisan votes.

And, as my colleagues know, the Senate Appropriations Committee has plenty of Members on opposite ends of the political spectrum--strongly progressive Democrats and deeply conservative Republicans. In other words, getting here took a lot of hard work, late nights, and early mornings. And we had to really set politics aside, listen to each other, focus on the problems, and find common ground.

I think I speak for everyone when I say this work has not been easy. And, of course, I know as well as anyone that our work is not done. I think we all understand a CR will be necessary to see this process through. And we all understand supplemental funding is absolutely essential to respond to some of the urgent challenges our States are facing, like delivering disaster relief that communities desperately need today, paying our wildland firefighters, continuing to have our Ukrainian allies' back, and addressing the fentanyl crisis, not to mention the need, as I have spoken, of addressing the childcare funding cliff that threatens to put childcare further out of reach for too many families.

And, of course, even after we pass this funding package before us today, we need to get all the rest of our appropriations bills across the finish line. But by passing this package and the rest of our appropriations bills, we are showing the American people that there is a clear, bipartisan path for us to do our jobs and fund the government.

There is absolutely no reason for chaos or a shutdown, and I will continue working nonstop with my colleagues to make sure we get that job done. This was never going to be easy, but none of us came here because we thought it was easy. We came here because we wanted to make life better for folks back home, helping people and solving problems. I have said that a lot during my time here in the Senate, and I have brokered a lot of bipartisan deals, always in service to the people I represent back home, the friends and neighbors that I grew up with. Helping people and solving problems, that is our job, and I would like to see us do more of that together--Democrats and Republicans.

So I urge all of our colleagues: Let's keep this momentum going. Let's show the American people that Congress can work for them. There doesn't have to be a calamity over funding the government. Let's show that there can and will be major policy disagreements on any number of issues, but their elected leaders can come together on what we agree on, and we will fund the government responsibly so they don't have to worry about chaos or shutdowns.

And on that note, I would like to encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come to the floor and talk about these bills-- what they mean for your State, what they mean for your constituents, what your priorities are here--and to talk to me and to talk to Senator Collins if you have amendments and ideas for how we can make these bills better, because Senator Collins and I are working now to clear a managers' package and set up votes. Our staffs are still working too, and we are happy to work with your team so we can pass the strongest bills possible.

We have been working closely from day one to run an open, bipartisan process and to get input from all of our colleagues and to make sure everyone can make their constituents' voices heard.

One issue Vice Chair Collins and I heard about from many of our colleagues is the need to support communities rebuilding after recent disasters. I will have more to say on that in the days ahead, but it is front of mind for both of us and the Appropriations Committee as a whole to take care of our communities that are working so hard to rebuild after the recent horrible disasters, which include, as we know, the wildfires in Hawaii and in areas in Washington State, flooding in Vermont and California, as well as the damage caused by Hurricane Idalia.

So, as we get started on this bill, I say to all of my colleagues: Come to the floor. Talk to us. Work with us so we can get this funding package passed, help people, and solve problems.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I certify that the information required by rule XLIV of the Standing Rules of the Senate related to congressionally directed spending items has been identified in the committee reports which are incorporated by reference in Senate amendment 1092 to H.R. 4366 and that the required information has been

available on a publicly accessible congressional website at least 48 hours before a vote on the pending bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 5 minutes.

Mr. President, last month, the Gray and Oregon Road wildfires in Eastern Washington caused serious devastation and forced thousands of people to evacuate, including members of my family and members of my staff. While folks on the ground are still assessing the awful scope of the damage and what resources our communities need to recover and rebuild in the aftermath, we already know that these fires burned tens of thousands of acres; destroyed hundreds of buildings, including over 350 homes; and, tragically, the fires were responsible for two deaths.

My heart goes out to the many families whose lives have been upended by these horrific fires, including our selfless firefighters, some of whom lost their homes to the flames while they were working hard to defend others'. I am incredibly grateful to all of our firefighters who have worked around the clock for weeks to get these fires under control. And I am also grateful to so many other first responders who helped keep our families safe from the blazes--law enforcement officers who raced door-to-door warning people as the fires approached, dispatchers who

worked so quickly to coordinate emergency response efforts, and everyone who helped those in danger, from evacuating families to conducting boat and helicopter rescues, to all of the volunteers who chipped in for the recovery effort.

We are all relieved that those fires are now under control, thanks to the heroic efforts of so many firefighters, but communities in Eastern Washington have a long way to go on the road to recovery. So I will absolutely be staying in close touch with folks in my State and on the frontlines and making sure that our families and communities have the support they need to get through this.

I am also going to continue to push to bolster our national efforts to prevent and mitigate and respond to wildfires and other extreme weather events, and that has to include more action on climate change because it is painfully clear--and it has been for a while now--that the climate crisis continues to make wildfires like this more common and more severe.

Beyond the recent fires in Eastern Washington, my State has seen devastating fires in the Sourdough fire in the North Cascades; fires on our Olympic Peninsula, on Tribal lands, in the Columbia River Gorge; and we have seen high risks for catastrophic fires in literally every corner of my State.

Over the last few years, Washington State has seen drier and hotter summers, which means longer and more dangerous fire seasons. And we are not alone. My heart breaks for the communities in Hawaii where the Presiding Officer has seen the impact firsthand. They were hit hard by devastating, unprecedented wildfires last month and are still suffering from that damage.

We have to do more to address the climate crisis that is driving increasingly severe disasters. And on another important note, we absolutely must provide more resources for the critical work being done by FEMA and our Federal wildland firefighters to respond to fires across the country.

FEMA's disaster relief fund is running dry. The Agency has already been forced to begin prioritizing immediate response efforts over longer term recovery projects. So it is absolutely essential that we deliver the additional resources FEMA needs as soon as possible because leaving behind communities struck by disaster is simply not an option.

And we absolutely cannot let Federal inaction result in a salary cut for Federal wildland firefighters at the end of this month. After all they do for our communities, the last thing our firefighters need is to see their pay slashed.

I know there is bipartisan support for providing the resources FEMA desperately needs in making sure wildland firefighters do not face a pay cut. I am talking with colleagues on both sides of the aisle about how we can make sure we get this done by the end of the month.

But as the Presiding Officer knows, people are hurting right now. But they are also coming together to support survivors and gather donations and rebuild our communities. We need Congress to come together as well so we can tackle the climate crisis, support our wildland firefighters, continue to build on our investments in wildfire prevention and mitigation in a big way, and make sure FEMA has the resources it needs to help our communities.

As the Presiding Officer well knows, when there is a fire, you don't ask what someone's politics are; you grab a bucket and go to work. That is what we need to do.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a joint letter from me, in my capacity as President pro tempore of the Senate, along with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, regarding the reappointment of Dr. Phillip Swagel as the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

Mr. President, last week, we saw an important step to recognize the legacy of our nuclear weapons program and live up to our obligations to the people and communities still touched by that work. And, no, I am not talking about a movie. The new release may focus on part of the story, but there is another important chapter I will not let us overlook or forget, one that takes place in my home State of Washington, one that is not over yet. That is Hanford, where men and women in my State are diligently now doing the hard, dangerous work of cleaning up one of the most hazardous nuclear waste sites on the planet.

As some of my colleagues may know, during World War II, the Federal Government established the Hanford Site in Central Washington State to produce the plutonium our Nation needed for nuclear weapons. Hanford wasn't just where they made the plutonium; it is also where they left 177 tanks, 56 million gallons of highly toxic radioactive waste. For decades now, workers have been doing the critically important work and very dangerous work of cleaning up that site.

I have fought for decades to make sure the Federal Government lives up to its moral and legal obligation to support our Hanford workers and clean up the Hanford Site, and I am still fighting to make sure we live up to those obligations today. That is why I meet regularly with workers from Hanford to hear about the challenges they are facing and the help they need. It is exactly why I have been pushing so hard to get my Beryllium Testing Fairness Act passed, and I was thrilled that the Senate voted overwhelmingly last week--96 to 2--to add this to the annual Defense bill.

My legislation makes sure that workers are getting support to deal with one of the most dangerous threats they face at Hanford--beryllium exposure. This is a serious health risk that can cause severe respiratory disease, irreversible scarring of the lungs, and lung cancer.

Now, Congress passed legislation in 2000 providing care to those who have made incredible sacrifices by working on our nuclear arsenal. I fought to make sure this covered the medical costs for those with chronic beryllium disease and provided cash benefits to people who have been diagnosed with that disease. But here is the thing: Not everyone who needs those critical medical benefits for beryllium exposure can get them today. That is because the diagnostic standard is outdated and out of line with current science.

Right now, to qualify for advanced medical monitoring, you have to show an abnormal blood test. But if your blood test is borderline for beryllium sensitization, that doesn't count toward your diagnosis at all--even when you are plainly experiencing the effects of beryllium exposure or even if it is your third such borderline result. That is not right, and by the way, it is not consistent with today's science.

Workers in America who are cleaning up one of the most toxic and radioactive nuclear sites on the planet should not have to jump through cumbersome and unnecessary hoops and have the care they need delayed or denied all because the standard is outdated. That is why my bill will update that statute and bring it in line with an OSHA rule that was finalized actually under the last administration so that three borderline tests count as conclusive and more workers can get the care they need.

Let me take a step back to make clear why this policy matters. Less than a year ago, when I met with Hanford workers to talk about my bill and to hear their stories, I heard from one worker whose name was Tina. She talked about her friends and neighbors, people who power the work at Hanford. She talked about how a colleague's mom got beryllium disease, and then she retired. After many years of working at the site, she is now not chasing her grandkids around. She can't. She doesn't have the lung capacity to run around and play with her grandchildren. It is heartbreaking, and it is not an uncommon story in the Tri-Cities. That is why this bill matters.

Yes, it is technical. Yes, it may not seem like a big difference if you are not involved in this kind of work day to day. But this bill will make sure we don't lose precious time getting workers the support they need to manage this awful disease.

I am glad we are on track to get this passed into law now, and there is a lot more I want to get done to make sure we are living up to the obligation to take care of those workers. But this is meaningful, important progress. They may not be telling the stories of these workers on the silver screen yet, but as long as I am in the Senate, you can bet their voices will be heard in the Halls of our Nation's Capitol.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, we all share the view that oversight of our assistance to Ukraine and any other nation is critical to make sure it is used appropriately and effectively. That is why we continue to increase our support for the existing permanent IGs and are encouraged that they have space to operate from in Ukraine and are implementing a joint oversight plan. We have also tasked GAO with specific oversight requests.

Adding additional layers of coordination would be counterproductive to our ongoing oversight efforts, and involving the Agencies in the selection for the assessment of the lead IG, as proposed in the Senator's amendment, would potentially compromise the inspector general's independence.

There is no gap in U.S. authorities, presence, or even additional resources for our oversight efforts that this amendment addresses. We should remain focused on strengthening existing oversight efforts as our support for Ukraine continues.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment.

I yield to my colleague from Illinois.

Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 300, and I ask that it be reported by number.

Madam President, for my colleagues who don't know, during World War II, the Federal Government established the Hanford site in Central Washington State to produce the plutonium that our Nation needed for nuclear weapons.

To this day, workers are on the job in cleaning up that site. It is important but dangerous work. One of those dangers is beryllium exposure that causes serious respiratory diseases.

Now, Congress passed legislation providing care to those working on our nuclear arsenal, but here is the thing: Not everyone who needs these critical medical benefits for beryllium exposure can get them today. Right now, people have to jump through very costly, unnecessary hoops, and, even then, they could be denied--all because the statute is outdated.

Right now, a beryllium blood test that is ``borderline'' does not count toward a diagnosis even when you are experiencing the effects of beryllium exposure or when it is your third such borderline result. That is just not right. By the way, it is not consistent with the current science either.

My amendment simply updates the statute and brings it in line with an OSHA rule that was finalized under the last administration so that more workers can easily get the care that they need.

And it is a fiscally responsible measure. The CBO estimates it will cost less than $500,000 over 10 years, if anything at all, but it will make a real difference for these workers who have sacrificed so much for our country.

So I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the amendment.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the Senator's amendment. This amendment actually changes a longstanding definition related to the President's use of drawdown authority to provide critical military support to our partners in times of need.

It would artificially inflate the value placed on the defense articles--things like weapons or military items or technical data that we provide to our partners and allies, resulting in the administration hitting the cap on its authority much more quickly. That means less aid to Ukraine, less aid to Taiwan, less aid to any ally that needs assistance in the future.

This would undercut our current efforts to support the Ukrainians, limiting our ability to provide them with critical defense articles they need to defend themselves. If this amendment passes, it will be a loss for our ability to support our allies. I urge a ``no'' vote.

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

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to confirm two excellent judicial nominees to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington: Tiffany Cartwright, whom President Biden first nominated well over a year ago, and Kimberly Evanson, also nominated last year.

I am proud to say I recommended both of these women after they were vetted and endorsed by a nonpartisan judicial merit selection committee made up of Democratic and Republican legal experts. In fact, since 2021, the Senate has confirmed five judges to the Western District, each of whom were strongly supported by the same committee. And with Ms. Cartwright and Ms. Evanson, it is clear to me they have done it again.

These are two incredibly well-qualified nominees, with records which show they have an expert understanding of our laws, a passion for justice and fairness for everyone, and an appreciation for how their decisions will affect the lives of people across Washington State.

Tiffany Cartwright grew up in Kitsap County in Washington and received her law degree from Stanford University. She has clerked on both the Alaska Supreme Court for Justice Dana Fabe and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for Justice Betty B. Fletcher, and today she is a partner at a leading civil rights firm in the Pacific Northwest.

As a trial lawyer in Seattle, Ms. Cartwright has established herself as a preeminent civil rights attorney, dedicated to ensuring our laws are faithfully executed on behalf of the people they are meant to defend. She has represented employees who faced discrimination in the workplace, farmworkers who were denied the overtime they had earned, voters seeking to ensure that their vote was counted, and the families of victims of police misconduct.

She has argued cases in State and Federal court, including before the Washington Supreme Court, and also has earned the support of law enforcement officers, including a Washington State corrections officer, an ATF special agent, both of whom spoke to her dedication to their cases and her commitment to justice.

For 6 years, Ms. Cartwright also served on the local Rules Committee of the Federal Bar Association for the Western District of Washington, offering her unique expertise to consider some of the region's thorniest legal issues.

She also served on the board of directors for Legal Voice, an organization that is focused on women's rights.

Ms. Cartwright is a tested and proven civil rights attorney, with extensive Federal court experience and a track record of seeking justice for people who have faced discrimination, police misconduct, and more. Importantly, she is someone who will apply the law fairly and impartially and will make an excellent addition to the bench in Washington State, as will Kimberly Evanson.

Ms. Evanson was raised by two Washington State public school teachers and has dedicated her career to serving the State.

After attending law school in Georgetown and clerking for Judge Emmet Sullivan on the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, she returned home to Washington State where she has practiced law for many years with distinction.

Throughout her career, Ms. Evanson has earned the respect of her peers and her opposing counsel through her work on cases of public importance.

As a partner at Pacifica Law Group, she has represented State, municipal, private, and nonprofit clients on a range of complicated legal issues.

In her work in Seattle, she regularly advises clients on constitutional and statutory questions around the First Amendment, complaints under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and more, not to mention her pro bono work. She has lent her time, services, and expertise to the Seattle Clemency Project and the Western District of Washington's Federal Civil Rights Legal Clinic to provide legal counsel in cases involving access to justice, employment discrimination, housing discrimination, and more.

The ABA has rated her ``well-qualified,'' and it is easy to see why. She has shown she has the expertise to work through the most complicated legal matters and the compassion to understand the stakes of these matters for people's everyday lives, all of which will serve her and the people of Washington State well on the bench of the Western District.

The people of Washington State deserve a court system that delivers justice for everyone, not just the powerful and well connected. They deserve judges who will carefully review each case on the merits and show respect for the law and everyone who appears before them. Based on their records of service in my State, I believe those are exactly the kind of judges that Ms. Cartwright and Ms. Evanson will be.

These appointments are well-deserved, and confirmation is well overdue. So I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for these highly qualified nominees. And I was pleased to see that both of them received bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee. I hope to see that continue here on the Senate floor.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.