Quorum call mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings under the properly be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to h. J. Res. 123. Which was received from the house and that there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form in relation to h. J. Res. 123. Further, that following the use or yielding back of that time, the joint resolution be considered, read a third time, and the senate vote on the joint resolution with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. The clerk will report. The clerk h. J. Res. 123, making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from alaska. Mr. Sullivan mr. President , every week i come down to the floor to talk a little bit about my great state, about the wonders of its natural landscape, a land that everybody should see for themselves, and we call we talk about special people. I know the presiding officer looks at this as one of the favorite times in his long week. We talk about these people who have made a difference in alaska as our alaskan of the week. Its one of the best things i get to do here as alaskas senator because i get to talk about alaskas beauty, the people that make my state so special, the kind, generous people full of rugged determination, full of patriotism, full of drive, full of life. Living in the north in some of the most difficult terrain and extreme conditions of the world breeds competition in the best ways possible. It also sparks creativity all across the state. And when creativity meets competition, great things can happen. You saw great things happen on the Basketball Court late last month when the university of alaska anchorages Womens Basketball team, who are our alaskans of the week, won the championship at the great alaska shootout in anchorage. The seminal sports event of the year that for four decades has corresponded with thanksgiving weekend. Mr. President , let me talk a few minutes about the great alaska shootout. In the late 1970s, a coach from the university of alaskaanchorages Basketball Team had a vision to put the fledgling u. A. A. Basketball program on the map. But how to do that . He would create a Preseason College basketball tournament, and he would make sure that participation in any tournament outside the contiguous lower 48 states didnt count against the limits for how many games a team was allowed to play. And so was born the great alaska shootout. And so for the past 40 years, tens of thousands of alaskans from all over the state and i would say americans from all over the country, many who had never been to a professional game or even a college game, traveled to anchorage to watch some of the best basketball in the country, and in anchorage, people opened their homes to the teams from the lower 48 to enjoy a homecooked thanksgiving dinner. The teams and the players that came to alaska over the last 40 years are legion. Patrick ewing, glenn robinson, sam perkins, ray allen, dwyane wade, and alaskas own trayjon langdon, just to name a few. And all the great College Basketball coaches at one time or another came to our state. Coach k. , jim valvano, bobby knight, danny crum, tom i. Owe, pat summitt, and so many others. As one reporter put it, quote, it was an annual thanksgiving week staple for espn and it made anchorage the center of the College Basketball world for one bright, shining week. And time and again, the u. A. A. Sea wolves, both the men and womens team, division two programs who were up against some of the biggest division one powerhouses in the country showed the world what basketball in alaska looked like, and it looked strong, mr. President. The great alaska shootout was a gift to the world, to america, and to all of alaska. Now, times have changed and so have College Basketball tournaments. More choices are available. Other states have begun to compete with alaska. So this last this past thanksgiving sadly was the shootouts last tournament. But again, u. A. A. s Basketball Teams made us proud. All told, the mens teams won 39 games in 40 shootouts, and this past thanksgiving day, the u. A. A. Women, which has become a division two powerhouse under the leadership of coach ryan mccarthy, claimed the womens championship in the final shootout, beating the Division One University of tulsa golden hurricanes 5952 in a thriller. It was their seventh title in tournament history. So everyone involved, businesses who sponsored the shootout over the years, the many avid fans who havent missed a game, and all those who played in the great alaska shootout over four decades are deserving of recognition, but at this years final great alaska shootout, the u. A. A. Womens team showed us all the true meaning of grit and determination. So heres to the sea wolves, our alaskans of the week. Heres to the history of the great alaskan shootout. Its a great day to be a seawolf, mr. President. And thanks for all the great qms games, the great memories great games, the great memories, and a truly great alaskan and american basketball tournament. I yield the floor. Mr. Leahy mr. President. The presiding officer the president pro tempore emeritus, the senator from vermont. Mr. Leahy thank you, mr. President. First, i applaud the senator from alaska. It makes us all want to be there. So, mr. President , let me just speak for a moment about my role as vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee about the continuing resolution that the distinguished majority leader has just mentioned. You know, the current spending caps set in place will not responsibly fund the government or alleviate the consequences of sequestration on both our domestic priorities and our military readiness. Since march 1, along with many others, i have constantly repeated we must reach a bipartisan budget deal thats based on parity, free of poison pill riders, not waste taxpayer dollars on a useless border wall which will never be reimbursed from mexico, but with the current continuing resolution expiring tomorrow, we are running out of time to reach an agreement. The continuing resolution before us today will allow us more time to reach a bipartisan agreement to keep the governments lights on during negotiations. I was joined with the distinguished majority leader in voting for this, but the key to a successful negotiation during that time is parity. Sequestration has had devastating consequences on our country. Theyre going to impact a generation, but we have to raise the caps on both sides of the ledger, defense and nondefense. Anywhere you go, the vast majority of americans agree. And its not an academic exercise. The decisions we make here today have real impacts on peoples lives. There is no question sequestration has hurt our military readiness, but its also hurt our nations economy, and its led to a decline in critical Government Services on which millions of americans depend. Our veterans will be shortchanged. An average of 538,000 veterans failed to get a Health Care Appointment during the 30day standard. The average wait time for the v. A. To process a benefit appeal is over three years. And our infrastructure is crumbling. America, this great nation, now gets a dplus rating from the American Society of civil engineers. That means the roads, the bridges, the dams, the drinking water, the public parks, the schools we all use and depend on have a nearfailing grade. Education programs have suffered. The purchasing power of the maximum pell grant now covers only 29 of the average price for college. Our elderly citizens are getting shortchanged. More than one million Social Security benefits appeals are backlogged, an average of 605 days. An estimated 10,000 people die each year before their appeals are completed. I could go on and on. If we raise the caps on the defense programs but also do not raise the caps to properly fund our nondefense priorities, we still shortchange our men and women in uniform. If we dont invest in our nations economy, educate our youth, the military will not have the examiner tease to qualify soldiers or advanced research that needs to be the best in the world. If we dont invest in diplomacy, our world becomes less safe, and we are less safe. As our secretary of defense said, if youre not going to invest in diplomacy, you better buy me more bullets. We have failed to provide the level of care for our veterans that they deserve. Now, i talked with both republicans and democrats, and im confident we can reach an agreement that addresses our countrys needs, responsibly funds our government. If we in the Congress Work on it. Its discouraging that the president has cast doubt in these negotiations. Hes even invited, quote, a Good Government shutdown, close quote. So far as this party as his party is in charge, i dont know why he would say that. The Washington Post has reported the president said a Government Shutdown would be good for him politically. Its 325 million americans that are going to be affected by a Government Shutdown. Its irresponsible. Its no way to govern. In all my years in the senate, with democratic and republican president s alike, never have i heard such damaging rhetoric come from either republicans or democrats from the president of the United States. The last republican shutdown 2013 dealt a devastating blow to the nations economic growth. In an amount estimated at 1. 5 billion each day each day for 16 days of the shutdown. Federal workers furloughed through no fault of their own no a combined total of6. 6 million days installing Important Research grinding our government to a halt. Now, i know the republicans are in charge of the house, the senate, and the white house. If the republican shutdown this fiscal year, its because they want to. But i talked to a the low of republicans and democrats that i respect and work with every day who hope the twoweek continuing resolution before us is an indication we wont go down that path. And i hope these republicans will work with democrats to produce a responsible, bipartisan budget deal that meets the needs of our nation. We squandered enough time. I stand ready, as i said, since march, since march when we negotiated a budget agreement that kept us from having a shutdown last time. Ill work with the Republican Leadership as i did then to secure the funding agreements we need to complete our appropriations work for the first cal year. This twoweek continuing resolution will give us that chance. I would urge my democratic colleagues to join with the republican leader and vote aye. Mr. President , how much time is remaining before the vote . The presiding officer the gentleman has eight minutes. Eight minutes. Mr. Leahy and what on the other side . The presiding officer nine minutes. Mr. Leahy we will vote unless time is yielded back. Mr. President , i think everybody has spoken. I would ask consent that all time be yielded back on both the republican and democratic side. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Leahy mr. President , have the yeas and nays been ordered . I ask for the yeas and nays. The presiding officer is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. Under previous order, the joint resolution is considered read a third time and the clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote james. The presiding officer anyone wishing to vote or change their vote . If not, the on this vote the yeas are 81, the nays are 14. The joint resolution is passed. Under the authority granted on a motion yesterday, the chair appoints the following as conferees on the part of the senate on the disagreeing votes of the two houses. The clerk hatch, enzi, murkowski, thune, portman, wyden, sanders, murray, cantwell, stabenow, menendez, and carper. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that it be in order to make a motion to proceed to executive calendar numbers 533, 534, and 535 today. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to proceed to calendar number 533. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. Opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk judiciary, Leonard Steven grasz of nebraska to be United States circuit judge for the eighth circuit. Mr. Mcconnell i sent a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on nomination of steven grasz of nebraska to be United States circuit judge of the eighth circuit. Mr. Mcconnell i ask that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it, the ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to xoif session executive session to consider calendar number 534. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those opposed say no. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, don r. Willett of texas to be a circuit judge United States court of appeals for the fifth circuit. Mr. Mcconnell i send a motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on nomination of don r. Willett to be arc circuit judge United States court of appeals to the fifth circuit signed by 17 senators as follows. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to ledges legislative session. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed, say no. Thethe ayes appear to have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 535. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have. It the motion is agreed to. The clerk will report. The clerk nomination, judiciary, james c. Ho of texas to be United States district judge of the ninth circuit. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on nomination of james c. Ho of texas to be United States circuit judge for the fifth circuit signed by 17 senators as follows. Mr. Mcconnell i ask that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls and the cloture motions be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the Senate Resolutions submitted earlier today, s. Res. 351, 532, and 352, 5 353. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection, the senate will proceed to the measures en bloc. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the resolutions be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Mcconnell now, mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 4 00 p. M. Monday, december 11, further 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, and morning business be closed. Further, following leader remarks the senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the grasz nomination, following notwithstanding the rules of rule 22 the cloture motions filed in todays session ripen at 5 30 p. M. Monday. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Mcconnell if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until 4 00 p. M. On m a senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from minnesota. Mr. Franken thank you, mr. President. A couple months ago, i felt that we had entered an important moment in the history of this country. We were finally beginning to listen to women about the i was