Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate U.S. Senate 20240714

Normal. We cannot grow accustomed to this kind of disgraceful behavior. We cannot look at the poor behavior of already confirmed nominees and conclude that we should lower our standards when it comes to miss blanchards nomination. This is the United States senate, supposedly the worlds greatest deliberative body. We should examine the fitness and qualification of every single individual nominated to be the face of america in nations across the world. We should expect our ambassadors to represent the United States with dignity, respect, and sound judgment. And we should remember that americas role as a leader of nations rests on our moral standards and greatest values. Something is wrong if we willingly confirm people to these positions who repeatedly spread fake news, baseless slander, and the most despicable of conspiracy mongering. For these reasons, i will be opposing the nomination of Lynda Blanchard, and i urge my colleagues to do the same. With that, i yield the floor. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. The clerk cloture motion. We, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of clifton l. Corker of tennessee to be United States district judge for the Eastern District of tennessee, signed by 17 senators. The presiding officer by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. The question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of clifton l. Corker of tennessee to be United States district judge for the Eastern District of tennessee shall be brought to a close. The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or to change their vote . If not the yeas are 55. The nays are 41. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. The clerk cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Lynda Blanchard to be ambassador ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the republic of slovenia. Mr. Mcconnell by unanimous consent. The presiding officer the question is, is it the sense of the senate that the debate on the nomination of Lynda Blanchard of alabama to be ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of america to the republic of slovenia shall be brought to a close. The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to rollcall vote or change their vote . If not, the yeas are 95, the nays yeas are 55, the nays are 41. The clerk cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22, do hereby bring to a close debate on of donald ortak to be ambassador and extraordinary plenipotentiary of the United States of america to jamaica. The presiding officer is it the sense of the senate of donald tapia, of arizona, to be ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States of america to jamaica . Yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote  the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . If not,es yeas are 67, the nays are 28. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, department of state, donald r. Tapia of arizona to be ambassador to jamaica. Ms. Ernst mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Ms. Ernst are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer no. Ms. Ernst mr. President , july 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the first step man took on the moon. For that brief moment, all mankind stood united watching an awesome spectacle transpire few would have imagined possible just years earlier. It stands as one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind. And it cemented the United States as the world leader in science, technology, and discovery. In 1961 when president kennedy boldly challenged the nation to land a man on the moon and return him safely to earth by the end of the decade, the technology needed to do so, for the most part, didnt even exist. That we accomplished this monumental goal is a testament to American Ingenuity and innovation. In fact, some of the very Technology Developed for the Apollo Mission is still having a positive impact on the lives of iowans nearly half a century later. Our First Responders wear fireresistant textiles developed for the use in apollo spacesuits. Our communities rely on Water Purification technology designed for the apollo spacecraft. And our soldiers in the field depend on the m. R. E. s or meals ready to eat created to safely feed Neal Armstrong, buzz aldrin and Michael Collins on their halfmillionmile journey to the moon and back. In my libby, who is a cadet at west point, was recently sharing some and well just say some very strong opinions about these m. R. E. s, but maybe shell feel differently when i tell her this was actually food for astronauts. But in all seriousness, when the government makes wise and sound investments in the development of emerging technology, the benefits can be tremendous. G. P. S. Is an example of this. G. P. S. Originally has its roots in the military with a strong air force stewardship and its significance only continues to grow with the advancements of satellites and the development of drones. But g. P. S. Has evolved beyond just military use. It impacts the everyday lives of iowans from driving directions and Ride Share Services to the electric power grid, g. P. S. Is utilized by businesses and consumers across the country. This Important Technology supports new and emerging applications, including water quality, driverless vehicles, and precision agriculture. It is estimated that civilian and commercial access to g. P. S. Added 90 billion in annual value to the u. S. Economy in 2013. Examples like these demonstrate why its so important that this body and our nation as a whole continue to push the envelope when it comes to science, technology, and discovery. And thats exactly what Senate Republicans have been doing. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities, i have made it a priority to ensure the United States remains the world leader in the development of Artificial Intelligence or a. I. From novel defensive capabilities and Data Analysis to the Predictive Maintenance of military hardware, theres no overstating the value of a. I. To our national security. I also fought to assure the recent bill prioritized the continued development of advanced manufacturing techniq techniques otherwise known as 3d printing. Look no further than Rock Island Arsenal which employs so many of my fellow iowans. Theyre doing some truly innovative work in this arena, work that has the potential to transform the way we supply our men and women in uniform. As a former Company Commander overseeing supply convoys in a war zone, i know personally how important this is. And of course theres a consensus on both sides of the aisle that we can do more to get our students, especially young girls, excited about futures in stem and steam. I hope we can Work Together to advance that effort in the near future. After all, the moon landing could have never happened without the contributions of thousands of women from across the nation. These Unsung Heroes did everything from developing apollos on Board Software to weaving the copper wire for the spacecrafts guidance system. As we mark the 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing, there will be countless commemorations and tributes to this monumental event. Well look back on president kennedys bold call to action, the hundreds of thousands of hardworking american men and women who answered that call, and the three heroes who rode apollo 11 to the moon and back. And then in that same spirit, well turn our gaze to the future, to the innovation, to the technology, and to the discovery. And be it here on earth or out amongst the stars, the United States will continue to lead the way as we look to take that next great step for mankind. Thank you, mr. President. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from mississippi. Mrs. Hydesmith mr. President , i am pleased to join my colleagues in commemorating the 50th anniversary of american astronauts becoming the first humans to walk on the moon. 50 years ago the United States met one of the Biggest Challenges it had ever set for itself. Through determination, hard work, invention, and innovation, the United States fulfilled president kennedys vision to reach the moon before the end of the 1960s. I remember that time very well. July 16, 1969, was my dads 37th birthday. We were vacationing in florida at the spyglass inn on the beach. We were so excited to be close to merit island, florida, where apollo 11 was being launched. We were in our hotel room watching the television. That is one vacation i will never forget. I remember as a young girl watching those first astronauts step foot on the moon. It was with great awe that i watched the apollo 11 lift off from the earth and the lunar module land safely on the surface of the moon. With a lot of amazement, i watched Neil Armstrong and buzz aldrin as they announced the eagle has landed. And then take those first brave steps on the moon. And it was with great pride that i watched them plant the American Flag on the moon. Today those brave nasa astronauts of the Apollo Program continue to serve as an inspiration that we are capable of anything we set our minds to. Equally important is the reminder that those astronauts could not have reached the moon without the support of thousands of men and women both in nasa and in the Aerospace Industry. It is a reminder that we are at our best when we Work Together. While nasas mission has changed and evolved over the last 60 years, the Aerospace Industry continues to play a vital role in our quest for knowledge and Americas National security mission. In my home state of mississippi, we are very proud of the conspicuous roles our citizens play in our nations Space Exploration and endeavors. Since the earliest days of americas space program, mississippi has played an Important Role in the quest to explore the stars. For more than 50 years, the john c. Stennis space center in hancock county, mississippi, has dutifully tested and approved nasas largest rocket engines including the saturn 5 rockets that took our astronauts to the moon and later the engines for the Space Shuttle program. Today stennis is testing engines for nasas space launch system which we again take humans below beyond the earths orbit and i am pleased that much like in the apollo days, mississippi has an Important Role in the s. O. S. Program. As we are fond of reminding everyone, the road to space goes through mississippi. However, stennis isnt only known for its rocket testing to support nasa missions. It also proudly bears the title the federal city. And one of the federal governments best places to work with a 13,800 acre surrounded by a 125,000 acre buffer zone, it has allowed dozens of our federal and private sector tenants to take advantage of its unique isolation and security to serve our nations interest across many sectors, perhaps most notably in the field of oashing on geography and meteorology. The meteorological and oceanographic modeling and forecasting capabilities that stennis provide naval commanders with the information they need to make good decisions that affect the safety of ships and sailors around the world every single day. The navys largest supercomputer is located at stennis. The unique federal city of Stennis Space Center covers exploration from the bottom of the ocean to the far reaches of the universe. It is americas largest rocket test complex, an impressive tsunami and weather bie bowie protection site and special personnel conduct highly advanced river rain and jungle training using cutting edge Unmanned Systems technology. Stennis also houses several private initiatives such as aerojets, rocket Engine Assembly facility, lockheedmartin mississippi space and technology center, a rollsroyce test facility, and relativity space. The national and International Scope of work taking place at stennis every day creates a local direct Economic Impact of nearly 600 million and nearly a billion dollars in global impact. As we mark this 50th anniversary, i am pleased that Stennis Space Center is helping to inspire, encourage, and prepare students to pursue science technology, engineering, and mathrelated careers, the talents we will need to get to mars and beyond. Since its inception, more than 60 years ago, nasa has pioneered scientific discovery and captivated the nation. These capabilities are especially important in todays world where innovation and fostering an interest among our youth in science, technology, mathematics and engineering fields are vital to the United States continuing to be a success in this world. I am proud that mississippi plays a vital role in our nations work to meet the technological challenges of today and tomorrow. This work occurs not only at Stennis Space Center but also at so many other related businesses across the state of mississippi. The people of mississippi look with pride at our role in the United States reaching the moon 50 years ago, and we will look forward to the decades ahead when the testing, technology and innovation taking place in our state helps the American Space Program Reach new monumental achievements. Mr. President , i believe the 50th anniversary of the apollo 11 moon landing can and should inspire generations of people around the world to explore and push the boundaries of what they believe possible. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from north dak dak. A senator thank you. Im honored to join my colleagues to commemorate this incredible anniversary. 58 years ago in may of 1961, the year that i was born, president john f. Kennedy appeared before congress and boldly declared that the nuns would send an american to the moon before the end of the decade. Mr. Cramer no small task obviously. Programs had to be funded. Scientific advancements had to be made. Foreign adversaries had to be kept at bay. As the head of nasas Space Task Force group said, quote, flying a man to the moon required an enormous advance in the science of flight in a very short time. But president kennedy was not deterred. Ignoring conventional wisdom and the ever present naysayerers he pressed on and so did the patriotic americans that were charged with making this happen. A few years later, nasa began their Apollo Missions and the necessary scientific advancements became reality. In october of 1968 apollo 7 became the first Apollo Mission in space and conducted the very first live tv program of a United States spacecraft. Apollo 8 launched two months later and successfully orbited the moon. Apollo 9 carried the first lunar module into orbit in march of 1969 and we were getting closer. Apollo 10 launched in may and was a full dress rehearsal for the apollo 11 mission. They were successful. We were ready. So 50 years ago yesterday, Neil Armstrong, buzz aldrin and Michael Collins launched the apollo 11 mission to fulfill president kennedys promise. They were landing on the moon. That week my 8yearold self and an estimated 650 million of my closest friends from around the world watched Neil Armstrong land on the moon and plant our nations flag. He offered the famous phrase thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Mr. President , that giant leap was a monumental moment in history for sure and it didnt happen in the abstract. It was the result of hundreds of years really of scientific discovery and decades of work from countless Public Servants who doted their lives to this cause. Apollo 10 gave apollo 11 the confidence that the operation would be successful. Apollo 7 gave us the opportunity to see their success with our own eyes. Apollo 1 astronauts in a fatal 1967 tragedy gave their lives to this mission. That giant leap happened because of the small steps taken before it and those who took that giant leap are pressing on even today. Scientific discovery and Space Exploration made possible of those Missions Continue to this day including the my great state of north dakota. Just a few years after the moon landing the university of north dakotas John Odegaard asked buzz aldrin to come to our state to help us start a Space Education Program Within the university of north dakota and buzz aldrin said yes. He left of course the state ultimately but the program stayed. And it grew. Today students from across the globe enroll in the university of North Carolina to learn about the cuttingedge technologies and scientific breakthroughs in Space Exploration. Some of the recent endeavors provide vital insights for future explorations, including for a mission to mars. Mr. President , north dakotans dont just learn. They get involved. Some even become astronauts. New rockfords own James Buckley joined nasa in 1979 and six years later became the first north dakotan to go to says. Hes now in the to go to space. He is a he anow in the u. S. Astronaut hall of fame. Then tony england launched into space six months later. Englands career is marked by his work 15 years earlier at mission control, where he and others heard the committing words houston, we have a problem. Englands team helped save the lives 6 those on the apollo 13 mission that day. Then jamestowns rick heed launched into space three times starting in 1991. In the 1994 graduate karen nyber go was the first to launch into space as a woman. She did it in 20 is 13 and now serves on the board of the university of north Dakota School of arrow Space Foundation giving back to their alma party. Northnorth dakotans leave a marn the world of Space Exploration. The university of north dakota touts over 100 students taking graduate classes in the department of space studies and they have handed out nearly 800 mastert of science degrees in space studies since the program began. Im optimistic about the roles these leaders will play in the futurement, following the leads of buzz aldrin. I was only eight years old during the Apollo Mission. I found it to be an exhilarating experience. But i know i didnt fully grasp the importance of what i was watching that day. I worry, mr. President , that sometimes many people still dont. Space was, is, and will be integral to our way of life and we must be able to maintain our technological and military edge in this important domain. I hope we use this anniversary an an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to Space Exploration and to remind ourselves of the Impact Investments made today can have on orphism future. Along the way perhaps we can reunify that american spirit that was so prevalent 0en that day 50 years ago and perhaps even give inspiration to aspiration once again. I yield. Mr. Wicker mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from mississippi. Mr. Wicker if the gentleman from north dakota was here to speak about apollo 11 and got here a moment or two before me, id be happy to yield to him. Mr. Hoeven i thank the good senator from mississippi. The presiding officer the senator from north dakota. Mr. Hoeven this was a tremendous feat for our country. The recognition of this true american triumph, im cosponsoring a Senate Resolution celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Our resolution recognizes the vision of president kennedy and the hard work and the ingenuity of the men and women of nasa who made it possible for our nation to achieve what seemed to be an impossible goal at the time. Like many americans, i can still remember the excitement at seeing the American Flag planted on the moon and hearing Neal Armstrong say the famous line, quote, thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. End quote. And truly it was a giant leap. Nasa not only helped develop technologies to put astronauts on the mornings but these technologies have benefited industries, including our military, medical field, energy, and many others. We all know nasa is a premier center for Scientific Research and technological advancement. Its important to remember that nasas mission includes not only space but also aeronautics. Like our nation did during the space race, we are now working to stay at the forefront of new technologies, including unmanned aerial systems. In particular, i want to highlight the Research Nasa is doing right now in support of unmanned aviation. Nasa is designing an unmanned air Traffic Management system that will provide air Traffic Control for Unmanned Aircraft operations. This Traffic Management project is critical to unlocking the potential of unmanned aviation from Package Delivery to pipeline inspections. Nasa is at the forefront of this effort to make unmanned flight safe and efficient for a multitude of operators. North dakota works right along with nasa towards this goal with a u. A. S. Test site that is helping advance all aspects of unmanned aviation. In fact, they were recently selected by the if a to hold an un f. A. A. To hold an unmanned Traffic Pilot Program and develop a Strong Partnership with nasa to research, develop, and demonstrate this technology. I continue to support funding for unmanned Traffic Research because im confident that nasa, with the help of its Industry Partners as well as our test site in north dakota, will meet this complex technological challenge. By making a relatively small investment in unmanned Traffic Management research today, nasa is going to help unlock billions of dollars in Economic Activity in the nottoodistant future. Weve work hard to ensure that ensure that north dakota is an important part of exploring this new nasa frontier, and were thrilled to help realize the wide variety of benefits that unmanned aviation will bring in making our nation more prosperous and secure, and we can only imagine where well be 50 years from today. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor to the great senator from the great state of mississippi. The presiding officer the senator from wisconsin. Mr. Wicker the presiding officer the senator from mississippi. Mr. Wicker well, i thank my friend from north dakota, and i thank all of the people whove arranged for this special recognition who have will the snore yield for a unanimous consent request . Mr. Wicker i would be happy. Mr. Inhofe i would ask unanimous consent that following the remarks from the senator of mississippi, i be recognized for such time as i ma consume. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Wicker thank you, mr. President. And thank you, senator inhofe, my chairman. Its really hard to believe that the first moon landing was 50 years ago when is in fact 50 years ago today three americans were on their way to the moon. Neal armstrong, buzz aldrin, and Michael Collins had the honor of actually meeting with buzz aldrin just the other day, shaking his hand and being able to listen to his perspectives about what has happened in the last 50 years. What a great american. And i would also honor the names at this moment of Neal Armstrong and Michael Collins. While Neal Armstrong and buzz aldrin got to step foot on the moon, Michael Collins assignment was to stay in the vehicle and orbit solo above. It was not at all guaranteed that his two colleagues would get back. We certainly thought we had the technology. We thought we could do it, and indeed would did. But it was was not a given. Michael collins wrote during that lonely flight while his two colleagues were walking on the face of the moon, i am absolutely isolated from any known life. I am it. If a count were taken, the score would be 300 billion plus two on the other side of the moon and one plus god knows what on this side. The words of American Hero Michael Collins. These three men were separated from the rest of humanity, but they certainly were not alone. Hundreds of millions of people watched and prayed and gave them their best wishes. Its hard to believe i still have to pinch myself to think that i was a freshman in college for this moonwalk and that was 50 years ago. How could 50 years have passed by so quickly . You know, mr. President , men and women have always looked up at the night sky and seen their heroes in the constellations. Now we still look up at the sky, and we see our heroes. But among them are astronauts who go to the stars and return and will go to the moon and to mars and return. I want to salute the people whove done it before and the people who are making plans to put a man and woman on the face of the moon within five years. I was so honored to charity to chair a hearing just this morning featuring nasa administrator bridenstine, who has put forward a bold, bold proposal from the trump administration, which has moved the deadline up from ten years to five years. And indeed, i can tell you, it is the goal of nasa and it is the goal of this United States senate and the committee which i chair to facilitate making this goal and actually putting a man and woman back on the face of the moon in five years. And