Floor Statements

Madam President, I got home last night or at least got back to Washington last night at midnight after completing a whirlwind trip of 3 days to Lithuania. I went there in a bipartisan delegation to be present for the NATO summit. It was a historic meeting. President Biden was there and the leaders of many countries from around the world--not just the NATO allies but, for instance, the President of the Republic of South Korea and the Prime Minister from Australia. What brought them all together was a historic event.

The NATO alliance, which has been in existence for over 70 years, was created after World War II to bring peace

to at least the European and American region of the world. It has been successful because we gathered nations--now 31--together in common purpose to fight off anyone who would attack us, to let those who are thinking of attacking us know the heavy price they would pay.

So the message from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Vladimir Putin this week is not a good one for him. The message is that the NATO alliance is bigger, stronger, and more unified than it ever has been in history. In a way, it is kind of a surprise. It wasn't that long ago that the previous President, Donald Trump, raised enough questions among leaders in the world that they wondered if there would be a NATO. Trump, of course, was a close friend--I still can't understand why--of Vladimir Putin's, often finding him so admirable and praising him for his crazy politics. Yet, when it came to the NATO alliance, President Trump was very critical--to the point where, when Joseph Biden became President of the United States and started meeting with world leaders, the first question they asked was, well, what is the position of the United States when it comes to this common security alliance? Biden assured them that it was strong and would continue to be, and he has proven it.

What happened in Lithuania at the NATO summit this week is a tribute to leadership by many people, not the least of whom is our President. He came together and understood that we are stronger when we stand together, and we saw it in Vilnius. The situation that we witnessed yesterday was historic.

My mother was born in that little country of Lithuania many years ago and immigrated to the United States at the age of 2. I have been back many times. My first visit was in 1979 before I was elected to Congress. I am glad I went. It was good for me to see what Lithuania looked like in Soviet times and to see the sharp contrast today with modern Lithuania.

It is just plain historic that a NATO summit would be held in that same former Soviet socialist republic, this year, 2023. The summit was hosted in Lithuania because of that country's extraordinary journey from Soviet tyranny to a thriving democratic voice.

Knowing Putin's tyranny all too well, Lithuania has been an outspoken supporter of Ukraine despite the invasion by Putin, as well as a supporter of the exiled voices from Belarus and Russia and has stood firm against Chinese economic bullying resulting from growing trade with Taiwan.

It brought back to mind what I witnessed over the years. That former Soviet socialist republic was literally the first republic to step forward and say: We are breaking with Moscow. We want our own independence.

They paid a heavy price: pressure, killing, invasion--all of the things which Gorbachev and Soviet leaders could conjure up to try to stop this little country from succeeding. But they failed. Lithuania is a proud nation now, and I am glad it hosted this NATO summit.

We saw at the summit an amazing array of international leaders, including Asian allies like Australia and South Korea as well as our own President and Secretary of State Tony Blinken. What struck me was the sustained resolve and common purpose in defeating Russia in their war with Ukraine. Our NATO allies, many former captives of the Soviet Union themselves, have enduring memories of war and are determined to not allow Russia's imperial actions of today.

I want to recognize President Joe Biden's clear-eyed vision and leadership in galvanizing and reinvigorating the critical NATO alliance and its support for Ukraine.

The chairs of our journey, the NATO observers from the Senate, were Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. They did an admirable job, and I was glad to be part of their effort.

We must never forget that NATO was born from the ashes of two horrific wars in Europe, with many newer members eventually joining after decades of Soviet oppression.

Despite Putin's warped paranoia to the contrary, NATO is not a threat to Russia, but it will defend every inch of member territory from Russia or any other such attack. The alliance is still growing, with this summit's newest member, Finland, and now Sweden on the way.

Putin's colossal strategic blunder in Ukraine has cost the lives of more than 100,000 Russian soldiers, and it lowered Russia's standing in the world. Much to his disappointment, Putin's senseless invasion in fact strengthened and expanded the NATO alliance, including along hundreds of miles of Russian border.

There were a few other key summit outcomes--notably, further security guarantees to Ukraine and an easier pathway for Ukraine to ultimately be part of NATO, which I hope it will be.

I believe Ukraine's future rests ultimately within NATO, and, until then, the United States and our allies must continue to support its defense against Russian aggression.

I think Lithuanian President Nauseda argued this well--that the Europeans understand that Ukraine's fight is their fight. That also is my feeling and of most of us here in the Senate of both political parties. Ukraine's fight for democracy and sovereignty is our fight too.

In Vilnius we also met with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya. Her husband Sergei was jailed after trying to run in an election against Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka, the last dictator in Europe. So she ran in his place, and probably won. But with Lukashenka refusing to honor the election results, she tragically had to flee to neighboring Lithuania.

Her country has become a puppet state of Putin, even allowing Russia to move nuclear weapons into its territory. Countless Belarusians have been jailed for demanding basic freedoms, and yet she and so many others heroically continue their struggle, including some who were fighting to help Ukraine.

This poster shows two jailed Belarusian journalists who worked for Radio Free Europe, which is doing heroic quality journalism in the region: Andrey Kuznechyk and Ihar Losik. Both were jailed by Lukashenka for simply being reporters. They and all the country's political prisoners should be released, period.

I also hope the administration will soon announce a new special envoy for Belarus, and I plan to work with my Senate colleagues to update and strengthen the Belarus Democracy Act.

I want to close with a message to Vladimir Putin from the summit. The NATO alliance is stronger than ever, and we are united in our determination to stop your ruthless invasion of Ukraine.

Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Myong Jin Joun to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Judge Joun is a long-serving State court judge with extensive experience as a litigator. And with his confirmation, this Senate will take another important step forward in building a Federal judiciary that reflects the personal and professional diversity of America and the legal profession.

Born in South Korea, Judge Joun received his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in 1999. Prior to law school, he served for 6 years in the U.S. Army Massachusetts National Guard as an E-4 specialist. He even served throughout his undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts, where he earned a B.A. and graduated magna cum laude. After earning his law degree, Judge Joun began his legal career at a civil rights law firm, where he worked for 6 years before starting his own firm in 2007. During his 15 years in practice, Judge Joun tried approximately 20 cases to verdict, including 17 jury trials. In 2014, Judge Joun was appointed as associate justice of the Boston Municipal Court. Over the past 8 years, he has presided over approximately 140 trials, including 98 jury trials, for both criminal and civil matters. Importantly, if confirmed, Judge Joun would make history as the first Asian-American man and first Korean American to serve on the District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

With his extensive trial experience on and off the bench, Judge Joun will make an excellent addition to the district court. He enjoys the strong support of Senators Warren and Markey. And the American Bar Association has unanimously rated him ``well qualified'' to serve on the District of Massachusetts.

I support this outstanding nominee, and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.

I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Rosie Hidalgo as Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, OVW. Ms. Hidalgo is a proven champion for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and her extensive experience, as well as her longstanding commitment to justice, will make her an outstanding Director of OVW.

Ms. Hidalgo received her B.A. from Georgetown University and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She began her legal career providing direct representation to survivors of domestic violence, as well as assisting them in securing custody of their children. She then joined the nonprofit Esperanza United, where she advocated on behalf of victims of gender-based crimes and promoted policies designed to improve public safety. Ms. Hidalgo is particularly equipped to lead OVW, having worked there as deputy director for policy. In this capacity, she implemented Violence Against Women Act--VAWA--related grants and engaged with relevant agencies and stakeholders to devise new ways to improve the law.

Today, Ms. Hidalgo serves as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor on Gender-Based Violence at the White House, where she played a key role in securing the bipartisan reauthorization of VAWA.

After more than a decade without a Senate-confirmed Director, OVW will benefit from Hidalgo's expertise, leadership, and unwavering commitment to aiding survivors of gender-based violence.

I strongly support her nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.

(At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mr. President, today the Senate will vote to confirm Kymberly Evanson to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. A native of Longview, WA, Ms. Evanson received her bachelor's degree from Seattle University and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Evanson began her legal career as an associate with K&L Gates, where she practiced for 2 years before joining her current firm, the Seattle-based Pacifica Law Group.

At Pacifica, Ms. Evanson has a varied practice with an overarching focus on public interest legal work, including on behalf of legal municipalities and municipal agencies. She has handled cases that touch on a broad range of issues, from the State constitutional amendment process and federalism to immigration, trade secrets, and clemency. Her work also includes two briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court. The American Bar Association rated Ms. Evanson ``well qualified,'' and she has the strong support of Senators Murray and Cantwell.

Given her breadth and depth of litigation experience, as well as her commitment to equal justice and the rule of law, Ms. Evanson will make an outstanding addition to the Western District of Washington.

I strongly support her nomination and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for her confirmation.

(At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 174, confirmation of the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 175, motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Rosemarie Hidalgo to be Director of the Violence Against Women Office, Department of Justice. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 176, motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Kymberly Kathryn Evanson to be U.S District Judge for the Western District of Washington. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 177, confirmation of the nomination of Rosemarie Hidalgo to be Director of the Violence Against Women Office, Department of Justice. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 178, confirmation of the nomination of Kymberly Kathryn Evanson to be U.S District Judge for the Western District of Washington. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No. 179, motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Tiffany M. Cartwright to be U.S District Judge for the Western District of Washington. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

Mr. President, I was necessarily absent for rollcall vote No.

l73, motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Had I been present for the vote, I would have voted yea.

Mr. President, I want to follow the remarks of the majority leader. Last Saturday night, there was a Juneteenth celebration in Willowbrook, IL. There was music and people gathered in a parking lot of a strip mall, and they were having a generally good time. And then gunfire erupted. At the end of just a few minutes, 1 person was dead and 22 had been wounded--Saturday night.

That wasn't the only gun violence in the region over the holiday weekend. We estimate that at least 14 were killed and another 61 injured from gunfire. It is a common occurrence, sadly, across America. We have felt it in Illinois. Some estimate that we have had over 50 mass shootings so far this month, and we are only at June 22.

What is going on in America? It is a serious question.

But what has happened every weekend in communities across this country is a reminder that Americans cannot gather to celebrate a holiday, a graduation, or even a funeral without the ever-present threat of gun violence.

It goes without saying, but I am going to repeat it: Gunfire is the No. 1 killer of America's children. Gunfire is the No. 1 killer of America's children.

Many of my constituents beg me to do something as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They say: Can't you at least regulate the use of some of these guns so that they don't get in the hands of people who will misuse them?

I tell them that I want to do that and I share their sentiments but I don't have the votes to do it. You need 60 votes on the floor of this 100-Member Senate to get anything of that nature passed, and it is hard to do.

One in five Americans say they have lost a loved one to gun violence--one in five. That is unthinkable in other countries around the world. Yet it has become the American way, sadly.

Yet, today, we are facing an incredible effort by the Senate Republicans a little later this morning. They are trying to take a gun safety provision off the books. They want to weaken a law that has been on the books for 90 years--90 years.

They want to overturn a regulation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives that prevents people from turning pistols into short-barreled rifles. This regulation is on devices known as stabilizing braces. They convert pistols into a weapon that can be fired from the shoulder, but they still only have a barrel under 16 inches long so they can be easily hidden under a jacket.

For almost 90 years, short-barreled rifles have been controlled under the National Firearms Act, along with machineguns and sawed-off shotguns. Why? Because they combine the accuracy of a rifle with the concealability of a handgun. It is a deadly combination.

Pistols with stabilizing braces have a reputation in this modern America. The mass shooter who killed 9 people and injured 17 in Dayton, OH, in 2019 used one of these weapons. One was used by a mass shooter in Boulder, CO, in 2021, who killed 10 people, including a policeman, and by another mass shooter who killed 5 and injured 19 in 2022 in Colorado Springs.

The Covenant School shooting in Nashville, TN, this past March--that horrible scene that we remember, teachers and children being killed at their school--that shooter had one of these weapons as well.

So a Republican Senator is going to come to the floor today and say that we should weaken a safety measure that has been on the books for almost 90 years, to make it easier for people to wield short-barreled rifles that have been used in mass killings in America.

What are we thinking?

The Fourth of July is just around the corner. I remember the last Fourth of July. My wife and I were vacationing in Michigan when we heard the news that there had been a mass shooting in Highland Park, IL, at the Fourth of July parade. A gunman got on top of one of the downtown buildings where the crowd had gathered for this parade, and he used an assault weapon and fired 83 rounds in 60 seconds, firing randomly into a crowd, killing 7 innocent people who just came out for the Fourth of July parade and wounding almost 55 others.

Think of that for a moment: in 60 seconds, that kind of damage with those kinds of weapons.

And here we have, leaving for the Fourth of July break this year, an effort by the Senate Republicans to authorize the use of a piece of equipment that has been used over and over again in America in mass shootings, killing innocent people, including schoolchildren in Nashville, TN.

What are they thinking? At a time when gun violence is the No. 1 killer of children, at a time when we read about it day in, day out, they want to make it easier to have a weapon that serves as a short- barreled rifle, that makes so many people vulnerable and kills them in such a rapid fashion. This makes no sense whatsoever, but it defines the Republican Party's attitude toward gun control.

We have had one exception to what I just said, and that was last year. After the Uvalde incident, we finally did something. I think it was positive, and it was bipartisan. I salute the Republicans who joined in on that, but I hope today they come to their senses and don't weaken this 90-year-old law and make it easier for people to use these weapons in a violent way, in a deadly way.

The ATF rule gives law-abiding gun owners plenty of options to comply with the law: removing the stabilizing brace which is at issue here, attaching a longer barrel to the gun, or registering the weapon like other short-barreled rifles because that is what it is. So there are plenty of ways that you can comply with the rule, but our colleagues want to throw it out and make it easier to buy these weapons, equipment, that can be used to make a more deadly weapon.

The rule is common sense, and the last thing we should do is wipe it off the books. I urge my colleagues to vote no on the resolution.

Pride Month

Mr. President, on a separate issue, this weekend, cities around the globe, including Chicago, will be hosting their annual Pride parades. It will be a chance to join together in celebrating the LGBTQ community and to honor the history of the Pride movement.

Sadly, today, even during Pride Month, extremist politicians throughout America are trying to rewrite that proud history. Since the start of the 2022 school year, Republican lawmakers in more than 30 States have introduced bills banning or limiting access to books in our Nation's libraries and classrooms, and many of these books focus, at least in part, on LGBTQ identity and history.

This is not a coincidence because these book bans are not only an affront to the First Amendment; they are a shameful and deliberate effort to erase the LGBTQ community from the American story. Well, try as these politicians might, the truth is that you can't erase the history or the progress when it comes to human rights. You cannot erase the courage and sacrifice of Pride pioneers like Marsha P. Johnson and Harvey Milk, and we cannot erase our LGBTQ colleagues who have broken barriers and who are proving to young people like them that they are a vital part of the Nation's history.

I am going to ask that the remainder of my statement be placed in the Record because I have to go to the Appropriations Committee, but I want to salute the people who participated in yesterday's hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was a hearing that, really, I was proud of at the end. I didn't know going in how it would work.

There was a 16-year-old transgender girl from Alabama with her father who appeared, and she did an extraordinarily good job testifying and answering questions. There was a doctor from Texas who has been involved in gender-affirming care for more than 10 years. She talked about the difficulties in dealing with children who are searching for answers in their lives, looking for a place in this world, and hoping that they can find someone whom they can talk to--parents and medical professionals.

It struck me that there are decisions being made every single day across America by parents and families, life-and-death decisions and decisions that are critical. We need to say to these families: You make the best decision for your child.

But when it comes to gender affirming care, many States have stepped in

and said to the doctors involved and the parents involved: Stop the conversation. You are not going to discuss it with children who are troubled and need some help.

That is wrong. Medicine and science should prevail, not prejudice, when it comes to transgender people. The hearing yesterday was a good one, and I think it was an indication that Pride Month is taken seriously by the U.S. Congress and particularly the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The history of Pride is the history of America--hard-won progress, that may come in fits and starts, but over time, brings us closer to fulfilling the promise of equal justice under law. And if we truly want to honor Pride's history--then we need to do more than celebrate the month of June; we need to draw from the Pride movement's legacy and spirit of resistance.

Yesterday, as I mentioned, the Judiciary Committee, which I chair, held a hearing on the urgent need to defend the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. You see, the very same politicians who are at this moment trying to ban books in schools and libraries are also introducing laws targeting our LGBTQ+ youth, along with the medical professionals who care for them and the parents who love them.

Since the start of 2023, more than 525 of these bills have been introduced in 41 States, many specifically targeting trans youth. Some bills seek to ban gender-affirming care, while others are designed to dictate what sports kids can play or what bathrooms they can use. But all of them are part of the same, concerted effort: using the powers of government to target children and their families.

Put yourself in the shoes of these families for just a moment. Imagine being the parent of a trans child and meeting with a doctor who is helping guide you through potentially life-and-death decisions. These are the most personal moments imaginable. They are hard enough as is. And the last thing you need is a politician forcing themselves into the doctor's office and telling you how to care for your child, a child who is already struggling--and who is only asking for the freedom to live as who they are in their hearts.

The Committee heard from one of those young Americans: Harleigh Walker. She is a 16-year-old transgender girl from Alabama, which has enacted laws threatening her ability to access the care she needs to be happy and healthy. Ms. Walker told the committee, ``I want all of you to look at me, here and now, and hear my words. I am a VERY happy 16- year-old. I have wonderful friends who accept me . . . for who I am. I'm active in my school's debate team and other extracurricular[s]. . . .

``I'm just trying to be a teenager in America. Same as any other teen, but I keep having to jump through hoops that other people my age don't have to. . . . I'm here in front of this Committee instead of enjoying summer vacation, just to try and ensure that my right to exist isn't taken away.''

Ms. Walker identified an urgent need for new policies that support transgender children and protect them from bullying and harassment.

Parents and families of transgender children are facing fundamental questions about their children's health, identity, and future. They are asking for Congress to step up and protect their children from discrimination in schools, businesses, and hospitals. And this Senate has a chance to do so by passing the Equality Act, which was reintroduced this week by Senators Merkley, Baldwin, and Booker and which I am cosponsoring.

Let us show these families--and every LGBTQ+ American--that they are not alone. Let us show them our support and solidarity--not just during Pride month, but every day of the year.

I yield the floor.

I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) is necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker) and the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, last week the Senate passed legislation I helped lead with Senators Cruz, Menendez, and others that renames the street in front of the Cuban Embassy for Oswaldo Paya.

Paya led a heroic and decades-long effort to bring basic democratic reforms to Cuba, which resulted in years of harassment that culminated in his death in 2012 when his car was run off the road by government thugs.

And also last week, after years of urging by me and several colleagues, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights released its verdict on this tragic event, confirming what we suspected all along, that the Cuban Government was responsible for his tragic death.

This important judgement is a reminder that Paya's work and that of so many other brave Cubans fighting for basic freedoms remains a work in progress, one which I will continue to support.

Mr. President, earlier this month, my state of Illinois lost one of our most dedicated public servants. Her name was Mary Ann Lamm. She was a trailblazer and a changemaker in Illinois politics. Most importantly, she was a dear friend of mine.

During her many decades of service to our State, Mary Ann made history as the longest serving county recorder in Sangamon County. And really, it is no wonder why she was elected--and reelected to this position a record-breaking eight times. Every single day, Mary Ann lived up to the motto that she created, and affixed to the letterhead for the county recorder's office: ``Public Service. Working for you.''

And Mary Ann's tenacious spirit was only surpassed by her selflessness. Even though she was a giant in Sangamon County, there was no problem too small for her to solve. Whether you were starting a business or buying a home, her doors were always open--and she was always ready to help. From making sure your paperwork was filed on time, to protecting your personal financial information, Mary Ann mastered the complexities of local government to make it work for the people. Mary Ann also was a pioneer in building a bench of political talent in Central Illinois. And today, there is a generation of leaders throughout our State who look to her legacy as the model for public service.

Like me, before moving to Springfield, Mary Ann was born and raised in East St. Louis. And to really understand how she developed her tireless work ethic, look no further than her mother Dorothy, who worked past the age of 100. Dorothy was a warden for the Sangamon County jail--and would even prepare meals for her fellow employees and county prisoners. Like Dorothy, Mary Ann not only had incredible culinary talents, she used those talents to bring people together through delicious, home-cooked meals.

Mary Ann's career in public service began in 1963. At the age of 25, she was elected clerk for the village of Southern View, located smack dab in the heartland of Illinois. With fewer than 1,500 residents, Southern View was the perfect proving ground for Mary Ann's neighborly approach to public service. Whenever you needed her help, it was all hands on deck. Four years later, Mary Ann made her way to Springfield, where she was elected capital township trustee. And it was during this period that the two of us met for the first time. We were fast friends.

When I first ran for office, Mary Ann was one of my most loyal supporters--and was among the first of my friends to help dust me off after a tough loss. And she was also among the first to celebrate in 1982, when I won my race for Congress.

And Mary Ann always had a way of bringing people together. Whenever she hosted an event, just about everyone in town would show up--and not for the networking opportunities, but the food. She would prepare a seemingly endless supply of her homemade mostaccioli, a fan favorite. People would practically leap from their seats to get a taste. And everyone would leave with a full belly, along with a home-baked brownie, gently placed atop a napkin, for the road.

As I mentioned, the crown jewel of Mary Ann's career in public service was the 32 years she served as Sangamon County Recorder. As county recorder, she ushered the office into the digital age, leading the transition from microfiche and microfilm to modems and modern computing. Under Mary Ann's leadership, the county recorder's office emerged as a nimble, accessible public asset that all of our residents in Sangamon County rely on to this day.

Whenever I campaigned with Mary Ann, I was always surprised by not only how many people knew her, but how eager they were to shake her hand. She was humble, hard-working, and a hero to everyone she represented. Everything she touched, from every political campaign, to every elected office she held, turned to gold. She was one-of-a-kind and extended kindness to everyone who crossed her path.

Loretta and I join Mary Ann's children Robert, Therese, and Melissa; her grandchildren Laura, Alyssa, Nick, Libby, Eric, and Sophia; her siblings Bob, John, Ginny, Kepp, and Tom; and all of her nieces and nephews in mourning her loss. We miss you dearly, Mary Ann, and I speak for everyone in our State when I say: Thank you for your service.

Mr. President, for nearly 20 years, Scott Laughlin lit up the radio, welcoming WJBC listeners in the Bloomington, IL, area to a new day. It has been a few years since I have had the pleasure of being on the radio with Scott since he retired in 2019, but I would like to take a moment to wish him a happy birthday. We used to catch up monthly on his show, chatting about the big news of the day or the latest Cubs game. I like to think he had as much fun during those interviews as I did.

On the air, I could always count on Scott to ask me thoughtful questions about the on-goings in Washington. And he was never shy about letting me know where he stood. On more than one occasion, he let me know I voted against his opinion. But with each political discussion we broached on the radio, he did so with the utmost respect and willingness to understand the other side--and with a good sense of humor, too. He was a gracious host to both his guests and listeners.

Sadly, Scott cut his time at WJBC short, retiring a year ahead of his own schedule, when he discovered he had kidney cancer. In the 4 years since his diagnosis, Scott has fought hard, and his resolve continues to serve him today. His story, along with those of the nearly 82,000 Americans who receive this same diagnosis annually, reminds us why we faithfully advocate for medical research funding in hopes of finding a cure for cancer.

While he has many fans from his time as a radio host, Scott's favorite listeners have always been his wife Lori; his two kids Casey and TJ; and his granddaughter Lucy. In his retirement, he has enjoyed extra time with them, sometimes spent on the golf course or relentlessly cheering on his teams: the Chicago Cubs and Bears, as well as the Illinois State University Redbirds.

I miss chatting with Scott over the radio, but I am sure he has found new joy in retirement. As his birthday approaches--July 5th--I am wishing Scott a very happy birthday, hopefully spent celebrating with friends and family, and maybe a round of golf or two.

Mr. President, today the Senate will vote to confirm Natasha Merle to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She is a highly skilled litigator who has practiced at virtually every level of the legal system. Ms. Merle received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from New York University School of Law. She then completed two Federal clerkships, one in the Southern District of New York and another in the Eastern District of New York. Following her clerkships, Ms. Merle devoted her early career to representing indigent clients, particularly as an assistant Federal public defender. She has also spent time in private practice, where she represented individuals, companies, and financial institutions in commercial litigation.

Since 2016, Ms. Merle has worked at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where she has devoted her practice to ensuring equal justice under law. She has also taught at two of the Nation's top law schools: Columbia Law School, as a lecturer in law, and New York University School of Law, as an adjunct professor of clinical law. Ms. Merle has significant experience in the courtroom at both the trial and appellate levels. She has litigated in State and Federal court on both civil and criminal matters, practiced before the U.S. Supreme Court, and successfully argued an appeal before the California Supreme Court. Ms. Merle's deep expertise, diversity of experience, and commitment to public service will make her an outstanding addition to the Eastern District of New York.

The American Bar Association rated Ms. Merle ``well qualified,'' and she has the strong support of her home state Senators, Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Gillibrand. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Ms. Merle's nomination.