District of columbia. Core business of our nation does not stop while we fight the sen. Mcconnell core business of our nation does not stop while we fight the coronavirus. Members are tracking the implementation of the cares act. We are discussing how congress can do everything from further shuttering getting strengthening the house frivs lawsuits does not redirect the National Recovery into a trial lawyer bonanza. Here on the floor, were filling major vacancies in the federal government. Today well confirm William Evanina to lead the National Counterintelligence and Security Center as our nation grapples with challenges at home, it is important that a complement of skilled professionals keep watch on our foes, adversaries and competitors. He will be the first Senate Confirmed director of the cnsc. He is the senior most expert in counterintelligence. He has served three decades as a special agent with the f. B. I. As chief of the c. I. A. s Counterespionage Group and one of the principal advisors to the director of the national intelligence. His long professional experience has given him al welltrained eye and hes made clear hes been focused on the most severe espionage threats facing our country today. Chinas insidious efforts to steal our industrial, governmental, technological and political secrets and russias continuing efforts to meddle in our democracy. So we have a qualified professional who is tailored made for an important job. Our colleagues on the Intelligence Committee report him out on a unanimous bipartisan basis, twice. The vice chairman senator warner said that bill evanina should be confirmed without further delay, but even still our democratic colleagues choose to obstruct his nomination on the floor and require a full day of floor time to confirm him. Ironically, at the same time weve also heard some of our democratic colleagues complain that we spend too much time voting too much time voting on nominations. Its bad enough to spend three years three years delaying nominations to an historic degree and deliberately making the process painful, but it reaches a new level of irony for my democratic friends to do all that and then complain complain that their own strategy is inconveniencing their schedules. Essential matters of government do not cease because of the coronavirus. And they do not cease because of partisanship either. As long as Senate Democrats continue to make incredibly qualified nominees travel the hard way, including someone whom their own democratic Ranking Member has openly praised, then i assume i will assure them that well need to show up and cast votes. The countrys business will not go undone. Now, speaking of nominations, this morning our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee are examining the qualifications of judge Justin Walker the judge walker is a fellow kentuckian. Hes a district judge for the Western District of enkentucky and he of kentucky and he is a nominee to serve on the court of appeals for the district of columbia. Im grateful to chairman graham and all the other chairmans finding creative ways to perform government business. The work of the senate must and can continue all albeit in new. To respect this time in social distancing, i will offer this on the floor instead of over in the committee. Since judge walker was tapped to serve the people of kentucky on the Federal District bench, hes wasted no time in expanding his strong reputation for intellectual brilliance, legal acumen and total fairness and impartiality. In just the last few weeks judge walker has won National Attention for an eloquent and persuasive opinion that forced kentuckys amendment freedom of religion and he has earned a wellqualified rating from the leftleaning American Bar Association that the Senate Democrats like the democratic leader has frequently described as the gold standard. So let me say that again. In the span of just a couple of weeks, almost simultaneously, judge walker has won praise from religious redom advocates freedom advocates nationwide and the approval of the a. B. A. Which democrats call the gold standard. That illustrates the kind of impressive individual that the committee is considering this morning. Already judge walkers reputation as a brilliant legal rising star precedes him. When you consider the full scope of his educationern experience, its hardly a surprise. Judge walker graduated from Duke University summa cum lauda and he edited the law review. And then prestigious law clerks for Justice Kavanaugh and for thenjustice anthony kennedy. He learned at the elbows of legal giants. Then he moved on to skilled performance in private practice and then to a distinguished scholarship at Louisville Law School with expertise in national security, Administrative Law and the separation of powers. Indeed, an impressive record. But as kentuckys secretary of state mike adams put it recently, judge walker is more than just a c. V. Hence the outpowering of praise from his peers, colleagues, and neighbors in kentucky who know him well. 100 kentucky lawyers, many of whom practiced before judge walker in the District Court wrote about his courage to apply precedence faithfully. 16 judges said that he weighs the facts against the law as it is written, not as he wishes it to be. So, mr. President , im confident our colleagues on the committee will find this nominee possesses a generational legal mind, a kind heart and total judicial impartiality. President trump made an outstanding choice when he asked kentuckians to take Public Service to the next level. Im confident judge walker will not disappoint. So i urge the committee to approve his nomination. I look forward to confirm him soon here on the senate floor. E dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, mr. President , the senate is here, open for business. The janitors and food service workers, the police officers, and all the staff that operate the floor are here. Theyre all here. Capitol police are doing their usual excellent job. The republican leader called us back despite