Justice, and righteousness. May they cultivate such ethical consist tency, that their words will be undergirded by right actions. Lord, keep them aware of your continued presence, as they find in you fullness of joy. Show them the path to life, as you guide them to your desired destination. We pray in your merciful name. Amen. The president pro tempore amen. Please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of americ, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Grassley madam president . The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i ask to speak as if in morning business for one minute. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley the United States of america has the mightiest military in the world to protect our freedoms and to guarantee peace around the world. Thats why its so important to keep check on the pentagons financial ledgers. Taxpayers expect their money to be spent wisely, and its our job in the congress to make sure that that money is spent wisely. Im glad that secretary esper has said that he will work with whistleblowers to stop wasteful spending and to prevent more spare parts ripoffs. These are things thats been of interest to me over the last several decades with the defense budget. I met with secretary esper, and i believe he has his heart in the right place to help us accomplish these goals. He has also indicated that he will prioritize getting a clean audit of our military services and an opinion that can be certified because 2010 law was not met by 2017, that all the audits ought to be certified and still not done. And how can you follow the money if it cant be audited . Our men and women in uniform deserve no less than to make sure that every dollar in the Defense Department is spent wisely. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Mcconnell madam president . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell yesterday the administration the presiding officer were in a quorum call. Were in a quorum call. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell yesterday the administration informed congressional leaders that secretary mnuchin, white house chief of staff mulvaney, and acting o. M. B. Director vought had reached a deal with Speaker Pelosi to prevent a Government Spending crisis and deliver on the president s top priorities. The agreement secures the most important priority of the republican conference. In fact, in my view, i. T. The most important its the most important obligation of the entire congress, and thats securing the resources we need to provide for the common defense. This deal does it. Over the past two and a half years, republicans in congress have worked with the president to stop and reverse the decline in the strength and the readiness of our armed forces. After years of insufficient funding that hurt readiness and tied commanders hands, congress and President Trump have secured badly needed funding increases to rebuild and modernize the u. S. Military. They still have more work ahead. The progress that weve made remains tenuous. Americas adversaries arent taking the foot off the gas anytime soon. So we cant either. We have to keep up the momentum, and this agreement provides the stability of funding that our military deserves and requires. Thanks to tough negotiating by the Trump Administration, this deal delivers for the security of our nation. It delivers for our men and women in uniform. It protects the progress of the last two years and provides the fuel for further progress. So thats the bottom line, madam president. The nature of divided government means this certainly isnt the agreement that republicans would have written all by ourselves. For example, ill never understand why our democratic colleagues treat funding the United States armed forces like a republican priority that somehow needs to be matched up with additional spending that democrats like in order to make it palatable for them. It seems to me that every one of us both sides should jump at the chance to fund defense adequately. But, alas, thats not a mystery that was going to be solved for me in the immediate future. The fact is, the effect is coming up with urgent deadlines with respect to the debt limit and beginning the appropriations process. The full faith and credit of the United States cannot be in question, and the last thing americans need is for washington to throw a big wrench into this redhot economy thats creating historic levels of Job Opportunities and growing their takehome pay. And so faced with our democratic colleagues reluctance, the administration took the high road. They did what needed to be done for our armed forces and veterans and negotiated a successful deal. In fact, compared to current law, the administration has secured a larger increase for defense spending than for nondefense. Let me say that again. A larger increase for defense than for nondefense compared to current law. Whats more, the administration success itly kept leftwing poly riders far away from this agreement. I applaud the fact that no leftwing riders were allowed into the deal. This is the deal that was necessary to continue rebuilding our National Defense after years of not guilty and its the deal that was of neglect and its the deal that was possible in limiting government. Ill be proud to support it when the senate votes on the agreement before we adjourn at the end of this month. In the meantime, this body has other significant business to complete for the American People. Most immediately, in just a few hours, well be confirming a new secretary of defense. The vote to advance dr. Mark espers nomination came in yesterday afternoon at 856. Thats the kind of overwhelming bipartisan vote thats called for in this six. The nominee is beyond qualified. His record of Public Service is beyond impressive. His commitment to serving our Service Members is beyond obvious. And the need for a senateconfirmed secretary of defense is beyond urgent. I urge every one of my colleagues to vote to confirm our. The majority secretary i. Mr. Mcconnell i urge every one of my colleagues to vote to confirm our next secretary of defense later today. I know that my colleagues dont need any extended lecture from me about the sol he have commitments this program presents. Commitments to the firefighters, police officers, and all the First Responders who rushed selfish lizard the World Trade Center just moments after the attacks began to the First Responders and workers who reported for duty days or even weeks later putting their health at risk to help others. Commitments to those who responded to the pentagon and in shanksville, pennsylvania, and, madam president , in the cases where the injury or illness that is claimed the lives of those heroes, commitments to the surviving families. Congress can never repay them for their sacrifices. But we can do a small part to make our heroes whole. Thats why the senate has never failed to attend to the fund before and were not about to do so now. I had the honor of meeting with a group of First Responders and advocates several weeks back. They gave me the badge of louis alvarez, a bomb squad detective who was ill and has passed away. It was my honor to receive it. It is my honor to reiterate that the senates commitment toest going this done was never in doubt. I wanted the senate to address this prior to the august recess and today we will do so. And itll be my honor later today to vote for the funding and ensure this fund is secure. I would urge my colleagues to do the same. On one final matter, i have spoken about our nations renewed competition with other great powers like russia and china. Despite decades of efforts to welcome these nations into a peaceful, prosperous and Fair International system, were constantly reminded that these nations have their own designs on the future. And in their visions principles of sovereignty and a rulesbased International Order tend to take a back seat to power politics and the pursuit of hegemme. The Chinese Communist party, for example, is working to extend its control and influence everywhere from taiwan to cambodia to laos to burma to hong kong, as weve seen recently. The tools and tactics may differ but the goal is the same. Beijing wants to bend its neighbors to its will. Earlier this month, after historic protests, hong kongs government hit pause on legislation that would have further eroded its autonomy and invited more meddling from the mainland. But victory is not yet assured. The bill has been suspended but hasnt been totally withdrawn. Hong kongs people emboldened by this rare victory over the creeping influence has asserted the right slowly sliced away in recent years by the p. R. C. Protests continue and with them countervailing pressures from authorities beholden to beijing. Increasingly Brutal Police tactics and promainland vigilantees are drawing blood. Madam president , hong kongs autonomous government, political freedoms, and stable rule of law have been a cruel precondition of its growth and prosperity. U. S. Firms have invested tens of billions in hong kongs economy because they trust the autonomous regions political climate, independent judicial system, and degree of independence from beijing. By contrast, International Firms are currently pulling back from china due to concerns about corruption, autocracy, intellectual Property Rights violations, and statesponsored corporate espionage. So, madam president , at a time china faces slowing growth, beijings seeks to emulate hong kong and not to remake hong kong. The p. R. C. Has long been working hard under the surface to increase its influence and power. In hong kong, like in so many other areas, china has used this approach that experts have called hide and bide. Hiding their intentions and biding their time. Slowly slicing away resistance, building leverage, and encroaching one step at a time. In the case of hong kong, beijing and its agents have overreached. But theyre recalculating. Postponing action on the legislation while biding time to resume the encroachment. This is not just a matter for the people of hong kong. The p. R. C. s treatment of hong kong, just like its treatment of the uighurs or the tibetans, is an indicator of how chinese rulers will behave abroad. All nations who trade with the p. R. C. Should be watching the drama unfolding on the streets of hong kong. The world is watching and wondering if a government cannot respect the basic rights of people it claims as its own citizens, why on earth would it be trusted to respect the rights and interests of its neighbors, its trading partners, or the companies that invest in its economy . As we all know, the people of hong kong have been carrying the banner for decades. Im proud to say that here in the United States, we have been marching alongside them the entire way. Back in 1992, i was proud to author the u. S. Hong kong policy act and help codify americas stance on the special status of hong kong. And so on the 70th anniversary of the p. R. C. And the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre, im grateful the administration and the congress on a bipartisan basis is reexamining americas relationship with the p. R. C. Im grateful for the bipartisan work my colleagues have done on this important issue, and im confident congress will continue to hold hearings and stay vigilant on the subject of autonomy and democracy in hong kong. As well as chinas overall strategy and its implications for the United States, our allies, and the entire world. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Schumer madam president. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer thank you, madam president. Excuse me one minute. Now, last friday, i went with a group of Senate Democrats to visit several Detention Centers at our southern border, including the Border Patrol facility at mcallen and Processing Centers at donna and ursula in texas. The searing accounts about the conditions endured by the migrant families are true. We saw overcrowding. We heard migrants tell us they are unable to brush their teeth, shower, call their families, or access feminine hygiene products. And we saw children in soiled clothing caged and expressionless. Heart breaking. 1,000mile stares on the faces of toddlers. Where smiles and laughter should be. It breaks your heart. It makes your blood boil all at once. But we saw something else. I am always looking for the positive. And we saw a much better model employed by a nonprofit Catholic Charity center run by sister norma perentell. There families had access to medicine and food and showers as their asylum cases were being processed in an orderly fashion. These people were being treated humanely, and they were following the law. Sister norma told us the government could replicate this model. She explained that if i. C. E. Reinstated the family Case Management program, we could see as high as 99 compliance with Immigration Court orders without the need for expanded detention and overcrowding. What a difference that could make. Sister norma showed us that we can treat these migrants with respect and decency without sacrificing Border Security or law and order. The two are not mutually exclusive. That is such an important point. You can have both humane treatment and rule of law. Anyone who says we must choose between treating these people humanely and enforcing our laws is offering a false choice. We can do both, and we can follow the model of Catholic Charities all along the border. Thats why democrats have been pushing to restart and infuse more dollars into alternatives to detention, despite republican objections. The family Case Management program, coupled with the democratic bill to address the treatment of children, a bill that senators merkley, feinstein, durbin, and i have sponsored, as well as many other, over 30 democrats, i believe, would both improve conditions at the Detention Centers and ensure families comply with our immigration laws. And id say one more thing about these kids and the parents they are not criminals. I asked mark morgan, hardly a soft certainly known as a hardliner on immigration, what percentage of these kids and parents are criminals . A very small percentage. At one point, it was said 96 . At another point, 98 are not criminals. They arent the same people that our grandparents or great grandparents or greatgrandparents who who sought safety and a decent life in america. Their children and their grandchildren on my fathers side, im one of the grandchildren. On my mothers side, im one of the greatgreatgrandchildren have done good things for america throughout the country. Thats what americas all about. These people are not fleeing to break the law. They are not fleeing to trafficking drugs. They are fleeing because the gangs down there told the parents well rape your daughter, well murder your son, well burn your house if you dont do what we want. Fleeing for the safety, the beauty, and the opportunity of america that generations since the 1600s have done and made this country great. We need to return to a rational discussion about the reality on the ground, and that includes the discussion about the root causes of immigration.  again, when the president says that americans should know that all these people arriving at our borders are criminals, trying to game the law, he should know who they are. As i said, his own c. P. B. Commissioner marching morgan admitted as much to our congressional delegation on friday when we questioned him. The vast majority of families are fleeing unimaginable violence and degradation in their countries. So lets get at the root causes of this instead of just tweeting and going on tv and ranting, which people do. First, allow migrants to apply for asylum inside their own countries. Second, hire more Immigration Judges to reduce the backlog in cases at the border. And third, provide Security Assistance to these Central American countries to help them crack down on the vicious gangs and drug cartels that cause so many to flee in the first place. This is a rational thing to do. I think most americans, regardless of their ideology, regardless of their party, regardless of their political position, would support, but the Trump Administration has now pledged to end the Security Assistance to Central American countries. Thats counterproductive. Its boneheaded, because its going to cause more people to flee. And so its unfortunately been typical of the president s approach. This morning, the president tweeted about and bragged about how he has cut off funding to guatemala nine months ago. Counterproductive. That means more, not less, people at our borders. Plain and simple. In my experience, i have not seen the president be serious about dealing with immigration. Hes used the issue, he riles up his base, without telling them the truth, making them think they are all criminals. We have seen this on fox news all the time as well. Demeaning immigrants, which is what america is all about, inflaming racial tensions, stoking fear. So we in congress, democrats and republicans, should take the lead and develop a way forward, a real way that will solve the problems at the border in a way that both complies with humanity, the american way, and rule of law. Yesterday, on a on a different subject now. Yesterday, the four congressional leaders and the Trump Administration reached a bipartisan agreement that will strengthen our National Security and clear the way for important investments in americas middle class, investments in health care and education, in child care, in veterans, in cancer research, and more. First, i am pleased to report first and foremost, i am pleased to report that in this deal, democrats have finally found a way to end the threat of sequester permanently. The arbitrary and draconian limits of the sequester have hampered our ability to invest in working americans for too long. There are large forces pushing the middle class around. Globalization, automation, and the only answer is most of our International Companies dont really make the effort, at least until now, is government. Providing ladders, ways out, ways in, ways up. So that average middleclass people can maintain that Great American dream, which means, simply put, if you work hard, you will be doing better ten years from now than you are doing today and your kids will still be doing better than you. We need those kinds of programs education and infrastructure and health care and child care. To make this happen. Otherwise, these big economic forces are going to continue to push the middle class and poor people around. The wealthy, theyll do fine, even though this Republican Party and this administration seems to make them their first choice. Look at that tax cut. So this is a good thing. It means that the shadow of sequestration, the inability of the government to provide ladders so middleclass people can deal with the big forces pushing them around, will no longer whoever over our work on the federal budget. Now, not only did we permanently end that devastating sequester which, by the way, the military hated as much as people who wanted help on the domestic side. It slashed them as well. General mattis was fanatic almost in a good way about this. I miss him. But we democrats did this in an extraordinary fashion. The agreement includes a significant increase in funding for critical domestic priorities, including an increase in the domestic Budget Authority that even exceeds the increase in defense by 10 billion over the next two years. For those counting, yesterdays deal means that democrats have secured over 100 billion in funding increases for domestic programs since President Trump took office, and at the same time ensures our military is prepared to keep americans safe around the world, and this 100 billion sounds abstract. Let me tell you what it means. More funding for the states for opioid treatment. The states are desperate for more help. Young people are dying of these horrible drugs. Treatment works. I held in my arms a father from buffalo whose son had served in iraq, got ptsd and then got hooked on opioids when he got back here. Finally the kid hit rock bottom. He said dad, i want to go to a treatment center. Unfortunately, there was a 23week waiting period, and the young man killed himself in the 22nd week. The father cried in my arms. A big steelworker with tattoos and everything else, devastated like anybody else would be over the loss of a child. Well, now there will be more money for that. This is not abstract. What about fixing v. A. Hospitals . What about more money to help educate our kids properly . What about some money to make the burden of college less great . As heavy as it is. What about money for climate and clean energy . What about money for infrastructure and transportation . All of these things, that 100 billion is not abstract. Its going to mean jobs for the American People. Its going to mean ladders up for the American People. Its going to mean some hope for the American People. And i know on the other side some on the right will say this increases the deficit when just a year ago they voted to increase the deficit by 1. 5 trillion, now maybe 2 trillion, with a deep tax cut, the overwhelming part of which went to the wealthiest people in america. Dont start hollering deficit when it comes to helping the middle class when youre willing to deepen the deficit when it comes to helping the wealthy. And of course now part of this is the debt ceiling will be extended until the summer of 2021, preserving the full faith and credit of the u. S. So looking forward, i think weve laid the groundwork for legislation that will hopefully avoid another senseless and harmful government shutdown. The house will now move quickly to put this agreement up for a vote and then the senate can follow suit and send it to the president s desk. And i was glad to see that the president tweeted, i believe it was tweeted and put out a statement that he supports this agreement. Finally, something were going to vote on today at long, long last, the Victims Compensation fund for those brave heroes who rushed thought towers on 9 11. The light at the end of the tunnel of whats been a very long and sometimes a very dark tunnel is only now a few hours away. Too long weve waited to settle this matter. Too many people have put up bipartisan roadblocks along the road. But now we are here about to exit the tunnel and guarantee once and for all that the heroes who rushed to the towers 18 years ago will no longer have to worry about compensation for their families when theyre gone. These men and women, many of them sick, some of them gravely so, wont have to return to congress any more to fight for the compensation they always should have been given. Theyll be able to go home, attend to their illnesses, their family members, their friends. Thats what they always wanted to do, just take care of themselves and their families, their friends who got sick from the poisonous stuff that was in the air right after 9 11, and bravely these men and women rushed to the towers. Thats all they wanted. Well, finally too long, weve waited too long. Now were going to have a few amendment votes first, and i warn my colleagues on both sides of the aisle if you vote for these amendments, you will at best delay the bill but at worst kill it. Neither is a good choice. Neither is a palatable choice. Neither is an acceptable choice. Lets defeat these amendments. I believe they will be defeated. And then lets pass the bill overwhelmingly. This body has come together to help veterans time and time again. These people are just like veterans. At a time of war, 9 11 seemed like a war i was there. I was around. I was there the next day. I was in washington the day it happened. In a time of war, these brave people selflessly risked their lives and rushed to the towers to defend our freedom, just like our soldiers do, just like our Armed Services do. And so we should sign this bill into law. Now ill have more to say on the matter after the vote, before and after the vote about what this means and thanking the many people, particularly the First Responders, names like zadroga, pfeiffer, alvarez who made this happen. Until then, let me just say it is hard for me to express how much i am looking forward to passing this bill later today. I yield the floor. I notice the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Thune madam president. The presiding officer majority whip. Mr. Thune madam president , is the senate in a quorum call . 0. The presiding officer it is. Mr. Thune i would ask that the quorum call be lifted. The presiding officer without objection, under the previous order the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h. R. 1327, which the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 153, h. R. 1327, an act to extend authorization for the september 11 victim Compensation Fund of 2001 through fiscal year 2092, and for other purposes. Mr. Thune madam president , later this morning we will be voting on the nomination of mark esper to be secretary of defense. Dr. Esper is an outstanding choice. I dont need to tell anyone how essential a position of the secretary of defense is to our National Security. The secretary of defense is key to ensuring that our nation is prepared to meet and defeat any threat. Dr. Esper has the experience, the knowledge, and the character for the job. He has an illustrious resume. West point grad, gold four veteran, bronze star recipient. Rifle company commander. A total of ten years on active duty and an additional 1 1 in the National Guard and army reserve. And in addition to his practical military and leadership experience, he has extensive experience on the policy side of things as well. He has a masters degree from the john f. Kennedy school of government at harvard and a doctorate in Public Policy from George Washington university here in the nations capital. He worked as a senior professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Governmental Affairs committee. As policy director for the house Armed Services committee and as National Security advisor to former Senate Majority leader belittle frist. He served as Deputy Assistant secretary of defense during the george w. Bush administration and during the Trump Administration he has served as secretary of the army. As Army Secretary, he has driven budget reform and army modernization, supported defense cooperation with our allies and supervised the most significant reorganization of the army in 45 years. His character and his expertise have won him respect from both sides of the aisle. The democrat junior senator from virginia recently described dr. Esper as, i quote, a person of sound character and moral courage, end quote, and encourages colleagues to support dr. Espers nomination. Reacting to dr. Espers appointment as acting defense secretary the democrat chairman of the house Armed Services committee noted the department of defense would benefit from his leadership. Dr. Esper was confirmed as secretary of the army by an overwhelming bipartisan majority and his nomination as defense secretary was reported out of the senate Armed Services committee with nearly unanimous support. I look forward to seeing a similarly strong bipartisan vote for his confirmation later today. Madam president , in november of 2018 the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission released a report warning that our readiness had eroded to the point where we might struggle to win a war against a major power like china or russia. And the commission noted that we would be especially vulnerable if we were called on to fight a war on two fronts. Rebuilding our military and equipping it to meet 21st century threats has to be a priority. I was encouraged yesterday by the fact that the budget deal arrived at by the administration and Speaker Pelosi prioritizes funding for our militaries. While it is not a Perfect Piece of legislation, it will ensure that we are able to keep rebuilding our military and deliver ontime for our men and women in uniform. During his confirmation hearing, dr. Esper revealed his clear understanding of what needs to be done on the National Security front. Modernize and rebuild our military, ensure that we are prepared for a new era of Great Power Competition while maintaining our ability to confront terrorist organizations and rogue nations. Cultivate our relationship with our allies, and support our men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much to keep our nation safe and free. Madam president , i am confident that dr. Esper will be an outstanding secretary of defense and i look forward to supporting his nomination later today. Madam president , i yield the floor. A senator madam president. The presiding officer the senator from washington. Ms. Cantwell madam president , i rise today to speak in opposition to the nomination of stephen dikson to be the next administrator of the f. A. A. I have said that it is very important that in this day and age when it comes to aviation, safety must always be our top priority. Weve considered mr. Dicksons nomination, his record and ongoing case of a whistleblower retaliation and given all of that, it is clear to me he is not the right person for the Safety Culture that we need today at the f. A. A. It is distressing to me that mrf committee on just a partyline vote. Weve never had a partisan vote on an f. A. A. Nominee in the past and i believe we should have found consensus on the nominee for the f. A. A. Given all the concerns the public has about flying safety. The reason why i oppose mr. Dickson is when i understood after the hearing a first officer carline petite, an experienced pilot over 40 years, happens to be one of my constituents but at a hearing basically understood that no one was holding mr. Dickson accountable for actions that he took against her at Delta Airlines. Back in 2010 she was a pilot on an a330 flight and she had seen a crash of an a330 plane tragically an air france plane in the atlantic ocean. She had also heard comments from those in the delta executive team that if you have a concern about safety, say something. So she thought she was doing just that. As part of what she thought was Important Information following these a330 incidents, she said she had concern about Pilot Training when it came to potential automation and failures of making sure that they were giving enough rest time to pilots. She observed that there were issues she thought were putting both her and passengers at risk. So what did she do . She did what all employees we hope would do. She informed her superiors and suggested possible solutions. She was persistent and wanted to make sure that these recommendations were met with by the leadership of the organization, mr. Dickson and his second in command, jim graham. And some of the concerns she raised about inadequate Pilot Training and not enough pilot rest were things that you would thought would have maybe gotten her recognized for the great contribution to a Safety Culture that is so necessary today in an age of more and more automation, whether youre talking about an automobile or an airplane, its essential that automation and training go hand in hand. But instead of officer pettit getting the attention she deserve the, instead the company sent her for a mandatory psychiatric evaluation. Can you imagine as a whistleblower bringing up concerns and as a pilot plying for many years and instead of being paid attention to be sent for a psychiatric evaluation . Just a few months later, after first officer pettit continued to try to raise her concerns, thats exactly what happened. Delta and mr. Dickson removed her from duty and required her to undergo a Mental Health evaluation and forced her to protect her career and her reputation. The psychiatrist that mr. Dicksons team handpicked to examine ms. Pettit also has his own problems of serious red flags and retaliatory threat. For example, the doctor cited that just because officer pettit had three kids, a job, and helped her husband with his career, she must be manic. I dont know about you, madam chair, but, to me, it just sounds like being an American Woman today juggling many things. The psychiatric the psychiatrist even had the nerve to insist to ask when the first officer was breastpumping hill being for her children. Thats the kind of questions the officer had to answer . Well,ed good news for us is well,ed good news for us is well, the good news for us is there are laws on the books. Later a panel of eight doctors from the myoclinic and an mayo clinic and an independent doctor all came to the same conclusion, that dr. Pettit had no mental issues and she should continue to fly, as she had done for many years. Its very unfortunate that this situation arose, but it was more unfortunate that mr. Dickson was not even candid about it when his nomination came before the committee. It is Standard Operating Procedure in the United States senate to ask nominees the question, have you or any business that youve been associated with or nonprofit been involved as a party in an administrative agency, criminal, or civil litigation . Why do we want to know that . We want to know that because we want any kind of derogatory information about a nominee that we are about to entrust the Public Confidence through the United States senate to know if there have been any issues about whether that trust has been misplaced. But instead of answering that question, he did not bring up this incident at delta. Now, i dont know of any nominee before the Commerce Committee that failed to disclose this kind of information that then moved forward after it was brought up. Thats right. The only reason why we knew about this incident is not because of his requirement to disclose it and his failure to disclose it. Its because p when we had a hearing and everybody heard all this glowing information, this whistleblower, who had this incident, came forward to explain to members of the committee that this is exactly what had happened to her in her career as she tried to raise these important issues. When we asked mr. Dickson for further information about this lawsuit and why he didnt disclose it, he went on to minimize his involvement, saying that it amounted to essentially one meeting with the pilot. However, review of written records, emails, deposition materials, and others, it shows that mr. Dick it shows that mr. Dickson was more involved than just one meeting. Madam president , we all want our officials to show the commitment to safety and establishing rules and cultures that protect the flying public. That is one reason why captain sullenberger has come out against this nominee. He knows that when it comes to creating a Safety Culture, it has to start at the top, and we have to listen to people like the pilots who are showing concerns today about the boeing 737 max, and we should listen to them and to i. G. s, the inspectors general, on what types of processes we should be putting in place to resolve the challenges we face, as we do want to integrate more automation. Automation can help us make things safer. But automation, without the Pilot Training, without the integration, without a culture that rewards people for bringing up these issues to try to resolve them instead of almost redcoating them as a response, is not what we need to be doing. A 2016 report by the department of transportation Inspector General highlights the essential role of the f. A. A. In oversight to reduce hazards and increase the and the increasing reliance on flight deck automation. The f. A. A. Estimates that automation is used 90 of the time in flight, and yet according to the Inspector General report, the f. A. A. Did not have a process to ensure that Airline Pilots are properly trained to use and monitor Automation Systems while maintaining proficiency in manual flight operations. The report recommended that the f. A. A. Provide guidance of defining standards that airlines can use to train and evaluate pilots in the use of automation. It also recommended the standards to be established to determine whether pilots were receiving that efficient training to develop those skills while flying. These are the very matters that first officer pettit had focused on. And they are just as critical today as they were for the a330. We are going to live in an era of increasing automation, and we have work to do. I guarantee you, were going to continue to play a role on this in the Commerce Committee in making sure that the i. G. , Inspector Generals criticisms of the f. A. A. When this comes to these issues are addressed. Someone who takes safety serious also and listens to the pilots is what we need on the front line. I know that these issues are weighing on the american public. The very questions that dr. Pettit asked. And i am sure with the right amount of engineering and cooperation, we can get them right. But mr. Dickson has doubled down. He basically said he had no regrets about how he handled the situation. When we came back at him about the fact that the information wasnt submitted, he basically said he had no regrets, no regrets about trying to end a 40year career of a whistleblower. So, madam president , i find this very challenging. I want the f. A. A. To move forward with confidence that we are going to create the Safety Culture necessary for todays environment. I know that captain sullenberger said it best. Quote, this nominee, while an executive adult Delta Airlines, either caused or allowed a passenger to be retaliated against, i am strongly opposed to the nomination. The decision the next f. A. A. Administrator will make will determine how safe every Airline Passenger and crew will be, end quote. I know its hard for people in bus circumstance busy jobs to in busy, busy jobs to slow down and listen to whistleblowers. But i guarantee you. They have helped us many times solve many problems. So i ask my colleagues to turn down this nomination today and to help us create an environment where whistleblowers will be listened to. I thank the president. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Wyden mr. President , i ask unanimous consent, mr. President , to vacate the quorum call. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Wyden mr. President , today i rise to rebut the deeply flawed proposal that the attorney general has just made this morning. This morning, he raised a tired, debunked plan to blow a hole in one of the most important security features protecting the digital lives of the American People. Mr. Barr once again echoing the views of some on the far, far right, is trying to undermine the strong encryption and required Government Back doors into the personal devices of the American People. Now, encryption is a technical term that gets thrown around by people in government who dont want you to use it. The idea, however, is simple. Its using math to encode your information so that the only people who can read it are the ones that you want to read it. As is often known, encryption is used every time a credit card is swiped or an Online Bank Account is accessed. It helps protect our kids from predators, predators who would spy on them through their cell phone cameras or surreptitiously track their movements. It keeps our Health Records and other personal communications and other Sensitive Data secure from hackers. And strong encryption helps protect National Security secrets from hackers working for the russians, the chinese, the north koreans, and other hostile governments. I have spent a full decade fighting off horrible plans to undermine strong encryption. My usual argument goes Something Like this you cant only build a back door for the good guys, for government officials who are trying to protect people. Once you weaken encryption with a back door, you make it far easier for criminals and hackers and predators to get into your digital life. And then i go through all the rebooted government plan to build a back door is just about the worst idea since crystal pepsi. Now, mr. President , today i want to raise some even more pressing concerns that are new. Many times in the past, i have warned that unnecessary government surveillance holds the potential to be abused, but i have never done what i am doing today. Today i fear, rather i expect that if we give the attorney general and the president the unprecedented power to break encryption across the board and burrow into the most intimate details of americans lives, they will abuse those powers. I dont say that lightly, and yet when i look at the record, the public statements and the behavior of william barr and donald trump, it is clear to me that you cant make the case for giving them this kind of power. There is too much evident that they will abusive it. The record shows they do not feel constrained by the law. They have not been bound by legal or moral precedence. Donald trump, by his own words, has no ethical compunction these are his words about using government power against his political enemies. Never before have i been so certain that an administration in power would knowingly abusive the massive power of government surveillance. It is for that reason that building Government Back doors into the encrypted communications of the American People is now uniquely dangerous and must be opposed at all costs. Now, these are serious charges that i have made and im going to walk through my reasoning. First, id like to discuss the attorney generals history when it comes to government surveillance and government power. When this body voted on mr. Barrs nomination earlier this year, i laid out in great detail his history when it comes to executive power. Anyone wishing for a full airing of mr. Barrs lifelong devotion to unbounded executive power can dial up those remarks of mine on cspan. But i just want to highlight one item again this morning. Mr. Barr testified in october of 2003 where he there laid out his ideological position that the president is not restrained when it comes to surveiling people here in the United States. Not by laws passed by congress, not by the Fourth Amendment. No constraints. In that 2003 testimony, mr. Barr said that the patriot act didnt go far enough in terms of government surveillance. Even worse, mr. Barr said that laws going back to the 1970s had no real effect on president ial powers. Mr. Barr said, and ill quote, numerous statutes were passed such as fisa, foreign Intelligence Surveillance act, that purported to supplant president ial discretion with congressionally crafted schemes whereby judges become the arbiter of National Security decisions. In one sentence, mr. Barr just sweeps 40 years of congressional action and 200 years of constitutional governance out the window. We ought to take him at his word that he has contempt for the Fourth Amendment and critical laws that protect our lawabiding people. It is far more than just words, however, that lead me to this conclusion. Its now public record. William barr, when he was attorney general in the 1990s, approved a massive illegal surveillance program. The Inspector General of the department of justice revealed this march that william barr gave the okay to a bulk phone records dragnet at the Drug Enforcement agency that ran for more than 20 years. The Inspector General found that mr. Barr never even looked to see whether that Drug Enforcement administration Bulk Surveillance Program was legal. Here is what the Inspector General said. He called it troubling because of the disconnect between what the law says and how it was secretly being interpreted and used. That Drug Enforcement Agency Program that william barr approved relied on subpoena power, their required records being collected are relevant or material to an investigation. But mr. Barr didnt bother to consider whether all of the phone records that were collected in bulk, collected in bulk were consistent with the law. He just went ahead and rubber stamped it. Now, the Inspector General tends to be polite about outright calling Government Programs illegal, but even the Inspector General pointed out that there are multiple court cases, and i quote, clearly suggested potential challenges to the validity of the Drug Enforcement agencys use of this statutory subpoena power in this expansive , nontargetted manner. Finally, the Inspector General found that the records collected from the program were used outside the Drug Enforcement agency for investigations that had nothing to do with drugs, a practice that the Inspector General said, and i quote, raised significant legal questions. The Inspector General goes on to note the congress was kept almost entirely in the dark, entirely in the dark. At a time when the American People are hungry for transparency and openness and accountability, the Inspector General says congress was just kept by mr. Barr in the dark about a decadeslong illegal Bulk Collection Program with the exception of a single secret Intelligence Committee hearing in 2007. But even then, it was obvious the program was illegal. Thats why my colleague, senator feingold, and i wrote to the head of National Intelligence pointing out that the subpoena authority the d. E. A. Was using was never intended for bulk collection. This was secret law, secret law, wrong and dangerous. Thats why i wanted people to make sure people knew mr. Barrs history because the secret illegal Bulk Collection Program was approved by the current attorney general. So you have an attorney general who not only has said hes not constrained by the law but hes got a history of breaking the law. You also have a president who almost every day expresses contempt for any legal or constitutional restraints on his power. That attitude applies to surveillance, too. In 2016, in response to russian hacking of his opponents, donald trump said, and i quote, i wish i had that power, unquote. So donald trump, the president who attorney general barr thinks can do no wrong, is the one who is driving this. This is the president whom attorney general barr thinks is above the law, this is the president whom the attorney general will in effect cover for at virtually every attorney as he did when he repeatedly lied about the contents of the mueller report. Let me just close by talking about why this matters to William Barrs efforts now to break into americans encrypted communications. The argument that the government needs to weaken encryption has always been based on the promise that the government will never use the back door without a courtordered warrant, but mr. Barr in his own words and actions has demonstrated repeatedly when it comes to surveillance the laws dont matter, the courts dont matter, even the constitution doesnt matter. The only thing that matters is what he and the president feel like doing. So i would ask, mr. President and colleagues who are here, what senator in their right mind would give these men the authority to break into the phone of every single american . Break into every single american phone. Imagine what kind of information they could gather on their political opponents if a member of congress was secretly gay and desperate to height the fact. Imagine that a member of congress cheated on his wife despite campaigning on family values. Would a man like the individuals i have described here use that information against them . Would donald trump use it to secure their loyalty in the face of his own wrongdoing . I understand that the world is a frightening place. Anybody who serves on the select committee on intelligence would share that view. Some Government Agencies will always advocate for greater powers to surveil americans intrude into their digital lives. But its important, as i touched on in the beginning, banning encryption in america will not stop bad guys from using encryption. It will not ban basic math and algorithms elsewhere in the world. It will only leave americans less secure against foreign hackers. And i regret having to say this. It will leave americans less secure against intrusions by an administration that has shown they are willing to support lawless measures. Mr. President , with that, i yield the floor. A senator mr. President , i ask for the quorum call to be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Sinema im honored to rise for my maiden speech. I was sworn into this distinguished body just over six months ago and im incredibly honored and humbled to join only a dozen others who have had the honor of representing the great state 48 in the United States senate. And i am filled with gratitude to the people of my state who entrusted me with this duty. Continuing the work of leaders who have held this senate seat from senators Barry Goldwater and Dennis Deconcini to most recently senators jon kyl and jeff flake, i have pledged to uphold arizonas proud tradition of putting country above party. Most new senators deliver their maiden speeches soon after being sworn in. I waited so that i could use these six months to demonstrate to arizonans in actions more than words exactly how i intend to serve our state in the senate. I promised arizona that i would do things differently than others in washington. Americans see a lot of chaos in the city. There is intense pressure from all sides to spend time and energy on every scandal, every insult, every tweet and every partisan fight. And it is very easy to get distracted. Its the simplest thing in the world to line up on either side of a partisan battle. Whats harder, though, is ignoring the chaos and getting out of our comfort zones to build coalitions and get things done. I promised arizona i would do the hard work, and that approach has produced results. In these first six months, two bills i sponsored to improve protections and services for veterans have passed the senate and the house and now await the president s signature into law. These new measures expand American Legion membership to veterans across the country, protect veterans from scam artists and help veterans achieve the dream of homeownership. Few efforts better illustrate my approach to service or are more worthy of our attention than that of the somers family. As a congresswoman, i share the story of Sergeant Daniel somers on the floor of the u. S. House. And ill now share that story for the first time on the floor of the senate. Sergeant somers was an arizona army veteran who served two tours in iraq. He served on task force lightning, an intelligence unit, and ran more than 400 combat missions as a machine gunner in the turret of a humvee. Part of his role required him to interrogate dozens of terror suspects. His work was deemed classified. Like many veterans, Sergeant Somers was haunted by the war when he returned home. He suffered from flashbacks, nightmares, depression, and other symptoms of post Traumatic Stress disorder, all made worse by a traumatic brain injury. Sergeant somers needed help, and he and his family did what all families facing similar challenges are urged to do. They asked for help. But when the v. A. s answer came, it demonstrated exactly what happens when americas veterans are left behind. The v. A. Enrolled Sergeant Somers in Group Therapy sessions, sessions he could not attend for fear of disclosing classified information. Despite repeated requests for individualized counseling or some other reasonable accommodation to allow Sergeant Somers to receive appropriate care for his ptsd, the v. A. Delayed providing him with suitable support and care. Like many veterans, Sergeant Somers isolation got worse when he transitioned to civilian life. He tried to provide for his family, but he was unable to work due to his disability. He struggled with the v. A. Bureaucracy. His disability appeal had been penning for more than two years without any resolution. Pending for more than two years without resolution. And he didnt get the help he needed in time. On june 10 of 2013, Sergeant Somers wrote a letter to his family. In his letter, he said, i am not getting better. I am not going to get better, and i will most certainly deteriorate further as time goes on. He went on to say i am left with basically nothing. Too dropped in a war to be at peace, to damaged to be at war. Abandoned by those who would take the easy route and a liability to those who stick it out and thus deserve better. So you see not only am i better off dead, but the world is better without me in it. This is what brought me to my actual final mission. That day we lost Sergeant Daniel somers to suicide. Americans returning home from serving our nation must always have somewhere to turn for support. I am committed to ensuring no veteran feels trapped like Sergeant Somers did and that all of our veterans have access to appropriate Mental Health care. Sergeant somers story will sound too familiar to too many military families. Perhaps less common is the astonishing bravery demonstrated by Sergeant Somers parents, howard and jean, after their sons death. Howard and jean are in the Senate Gallery today, and i am so honored to have them here as i share their sons story. Howard and jean were devastated by the loss of their son and nobody would have blamed them if they had turned inward to deal with their grief. But they didnt. Howard and jean face the world bravely sharing Sergeant Daniel somers story and they have created a mission of their own. Their mission is to ensure that Sergeant Somers story brings to light americas deadliest war, the 20 veterans we lose to suicide in this country every day. While serving in the u. S. House, i worked closely with howard and jean to develop and pass into law the Daniel Somers classified veterans access to care act, legislation that ensures veterans who serve in a classified capacity receive Behavior Health services in an appropriate care setting. And now its time to take the next innovative step to provide the support our Service Members and veterans have earned. Service members loved ones are not always aware of the Resources Available to them, resources that can prove critical when those Service Members encountered challenges during active duty or after separation from the military. The somers family and i have worked over the past several months with the department of defense on new legislation to create a network of support for our military members. In may, i introduced the bipartisan Daniel Somers network of support act cosponsored by my friend and colleague on the Veterans Affairs committee, republican senator thom tillis. Our legislation requires each new Service Member be asked for the names of loved ones that he or she considers to be part of his or her network of support. In return, the department of defense and the red cross will provide information about benefits and Services Available to military members. By engaging loved ones and families from the beginning, the department of defense can better prepare and equip our military families and friends to better understand military life, to notice when Service Members are in need, and to help ensure that Service Members get the ride kind of assistance or the right kind of assistance or care. We must do Everything Possible to empower family and friends who are the first line of defense in preventing suicide amongst our veterans and Service Members. This commonsense solution could be a game changer for the men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedoms, because isolation leads to tragedy. Weve worked with congressman scott peters of california who introduced companion legislation in the United States house and working as a team across party lines, we successfully included our network of support legislation in the National Defense bill passed by both the senate and the house over the past few weeks. Im proud of this accomplishment, but we have so much more to do. When Service Members transition from active service to veteran status, they face old and confusing regulations that can be difficult to navigate, even for those who are able to care for themselves. We must ensure that veterans receiving care from the v. A. Also have a network of support in place to help them thrive and prosper when they return to civilian life. Ive spoken directly with v. A. Secretary robert welke. And i look forward to working closely with him to get work done. As we continue this work, i urge my colleagues to join me in expanding this critical program. Together we can help ensure that all veterans have networks to turn to so they never have to face their challenges alone. The story of Sergeant Somers and his parents, the failure of the v. A. Bureaucracy to provide the support this Arizona Veteran needed, and the resulting tragedy is not a story that dominated the national headlines. It was not a political scandal, and it wasnt a partisan food fight to which members of congress were pressured to respond. Its not what reporters in the capitol hallways are asking about and its not what people tweeted me on a daily or even an hourly basis. Youll never see a push notification on your iphone about legislation like ours. But this is the kind of work that matters. It matters to Sergeant Somers parents and it matters to veterans across my state. It matters to military families and to loved ones, and it matters to arizona. And its exactly why as arizonas senior senator, i wont spend my time focusing on areas of disagreement, because Spending Energy on the latest tweet, the latest insult, and the petty politics simply doesnt move the needle for everyday people like the somers. As a member of the Veterans Affairs committee, im fortunate to serve with republican chairman Johnny Isakson and Ranking Member jon tester, two senators who demonstrate every day what can get done when leaders put aside their differences and work toward common goals. Our Bipartisan Legislation got this far thanks in part to support from senators isakson and tester as well as the leaders of the Armed Services committee, chairman james inhofe and Ranking Member jack reed. However, in this effort and in so many others, i sorely miss the leadership of a former Armed Services chairman, my personal hero, john mccain. So many of my colleagues in this body came to know and love senator john mccain for his military heroism and for his years of leadership in the senate. Back home in arizona, senator john mccain is also a hero for what he represented in Public Service. What senator mccain said in his last speech in this very chamber shapes my service to arizona every day. He said make no mistake. My service here is the most important job i have had in my life, and i am so grateful to the people of arizona for the privilege, for the honor of serving here and the opportunities it gives me to play a small role in the history of the country i love. He went on to say merely preventing your political opponents from doing what they want isnt the most inspiring work. There is greater satisfaction in respecting our differences, but not letting them prevent agreements that dont require abandonment of core principles, agreements made in good faith that help improve lives and protect the American People. What a great honor and extraordinary opportunity it is to serve in this body. Senator mccain talked of what is possible when the senate works the way that it was meant to work. He stood for everything we stand for as arizonans, fighting for what you believe in, standing up for whats right even if you stand alone, and serving a cause greater than oneself. He taught us to always assume the best in others, to seek compromise instead of sowing division, and to always put country ahead of party. One of senator mccains last acts in the senate was to shepherd last years annual defense bill into law, the same annual bill which this year includes our Daniel Somers network of support act. I hope that we are making senator mccain proud with such important work. So with senator mccains example lighting the way and with the trust of the people of arizona shaping my service, i recommit to ignoring political games and focus on upholding arizona values to get things done for the states and for the country that i love. Mr. President , i yield the floor, and i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be suspended. The presiding officer without objection. A senator thank you. The presiding officer the senator from nevada. Ms. Rowsen mr. President , i rise today to address an issue that transcends politics and strikes at the very core of who we are as americans. Throughout my time in congress, i have made it my priority to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. M ms. Ros en to work toward passing commonsense legislation so we can help working families in nevada and across our country. Ms. Rosen in the house, i was proud to be named one of the most bipartisan members of congress, and thats a title i plan to keep in the senate. So i hope that my colleagues recognize the seriousness of why i rise today. It is without partisan motivation when i say that we have a crisis on our hands. Make no mistake about it. There is a humanitarian crisis at our southern border, and we are failing to address it. This administration is failing to address it, this congress is failing to address it. With violence and political unrest increasing in the northern triangle countries of el salvador, honduras, and guatemala, we are experiencing a surge in the number of migrants who have come to our southern border seeking refuge from violence and persecution. More than 60 of migrants are families and unaccompanied children fleeing for their lives and seeking a safe place. Children and their families are coming to our country for the same reason so many of our ancestors did, because they have no other choice. And they are coming to the United States, a nation of immigrants, a nation built on a foundation of core values, and we do not turn away those fleeing persecution and certain death. And its those same values that tell us that when children, including infants and toddlers, are at our doorstep, we do not put them in cages, tear them from their mothers arms, let them go without showers, food, or medical attention, or let them sleep on cold floors. The reality is customs and Border Patrol officers are not trained to care for children, much less those who have experienced trauma. They are not prepared nor qualified to provide the muchneeded care to the families and children who are coming here. Whats also true is that there are members of our Border Patrol and Law Enforcement who are trying to do the right thing. Those men and women, they signed up to protect our country from terrorism, narcotics, and foreign threats. They are not trained to take care of traumatized children. But the fact remains the state of things in these immigration facilities is untenable and indefensible. I have had the chance to see this crisis firsthand, so allow me to speak a little bit on what i have witnessed and how we got here. Children and families have been placed into overcrowded and unsanitary facilities, left without suitable living conditions, or even the most basic of necessities for days or even weeks. Last year, while serving as a member of the house of representatives, i traveled to the u. S. Mexico border with one of my colleagues. We toured the torneo unaccompanied minor facility and the Paso Del Norte Processing Center in texas. What we witnessed there was heart breaking. We saw a tent city holding unaccompanied Migrant Children and children separated from their parents. They had no access to legal counsel, no way to regularly talk to their families without any idea of what might happen next. Throughout their camp, there was a sense of anxiety, of hopelessness, and despair. I have carried the images of what i saw during that tour with me to this day. In Committee Testimony and in followup briefings, in conversations with the administration and its agencies, we were told that conditions would improve, that plans were in place to provide the care that is so desperately needed, and that families would be reunited. We now know that is wrong. Weve all seen the news and read reports detailing the abysmal state of these facilities, children still in cages, still going to sleep hungry, still going weeks without bathing or access to clean clothes. Young children being tasked by officers to care of toddlers, and in some cases, allegations of sexual abuse by officers. To find out firsthand whether conditions are improving, just last week i joined my Senate Colleagues in touring detention facilities in the mcallen, texas, area. Im sad to say that these news reports are accurate, these horrific conditions have not changed. Families are still being separated, children still in cages, not knowing if they will ever see their parents again, and this administration continues to ignore basic human rights. Children should never be held in these conditions under any circumstances for any amount of time, period. We saw children stuffed into crowded spaces, the people detained in these facilities lacking access to basic necessities like toothpaste and access to sanitary supplies. There are few, if any, pediatricians. No Child Welfare professionals, no hope. Just thousands of children, families in the care of Law Enforcement officers. This is not who we are. The dehumanization of migrants, including many tender aged children in our Detention Centers today, is unacceptable. The psychological trauma they have experienced and that they are continuing to experience will likely leave children with deep scars that will haunt them for the rest of their lives, so let me be clear we are failing our Law Enforcement. Sore failing our families, and we are failing children. We can agree that immigrants with criminal records or those who have falsified their reasons for coming should not be allowed to stay, but during my visit to mcallen last week, the acting head of Border Patrol, told all of us that the vague majority of migrant families are not criminals. I refuse to stand by while this takes place on american soil. So i decided to take action by placing holds on two individuals nominated by this administration to serve in administrative and policy roles at d. H. S. Until conditions in these facilities drastically improve, until d. H. S. Meets the standards it is obligated, obligated to uphold. This is the United States of america. All children deserve to be treated humanely and with dignity. And those of any age who come to our country claiming asylum have a legal right to present their case. We must ensure that we achieve at the very least minimum humanitarian standards at c. B. P. Facilities. That means that at all c. B. P. Facilities where children are processed or detained, we need to have onsite medical professionals with pediatric training and Child Welfare professionals. That means implementing a process for announced and unannounced visits by n. G. O. s so that we can ensure proper oversight and accountability as well as direct services for children. Even something as simple as a sign that communicates to migrant families explaining where they are and what to expect, something that simple could reduce anxiety and hopelessness that these individuals and children are feeling. There is so much good in the American People, and that shows in the outpouring of support from n. G. O. s that are ready and willing to step in and respond. They do so in so many other humanitarian efforts. Yet our government is turning away these offers of help. Conditions at these facilities have not improved, and until they do, i will not remove my hold on this administrations nominees. And once we have taken the necessary steps to ensure Migrant Children are being held in safe and sanitary conditions, we must then take up the critical and long overdue task of reforming our longterm immigration policy. We owe it to Migrant Children and families to reach an immediate solution. We owe it to our Law Enforcement to prevent this difficult situation from continuing. We must come together, we must take action now, because at the end of the day, these are human lives, and they depend on us. I suggest an absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call a senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator. The presiding officer mississippi. A senator i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Wicker thank you, mr. President. And in a few moments, 12 00 noon, the senate will vote on a cloture motion for the nomination of stephen m. Dickson to be administrator of the federal aviation administration. I rise in strong support of that motion. I think it will pass today. And i will be supporting then the nomination when it comes to a full vote on the floor of the senate sometime later. Let me just report as chair of the committee on commerce, science, and transportation, we recently voted to report mr. Dicksons nomination favorably out of the committee. And i hope the senate will soon confirm this highly qualified nominee. Steve dickson was chosen for this important position based on his strong qualifications which include almost 40 years of combined service in the United States air force and the commercial air transportation sector. Mr. Dickson is a 1979 distinguished graduate of the air force academy and graduated magna cum laude if Georgia State University College of law in 1999 where he earned his j. D. He has served in the United States air force as an f15 fighter pilot, including assignments as a flight commander, instructor pilot, and flight examiner. From 1991 until october of 2018, mr. Dickson was employed by Delta Airlines as a pilot and management executive. He retired after rising through the ranks to become deltas Senior Vice President of flight operations. On may 15, the Committee Held a hearing to consider mr. Dicksons nomination and he clearly demonstrated the experience and leadership leadershippabilities leadership abilities necessary to lead the f. A. A. I dont think there was a Single Member of the committee, mr. President , who failed to be impressed. After mr. Dicksons hearing, new information came to the committees attention which we gave Due Diligence to looking into. The information involved employees reporting possible safety violations at mr. Dicksons former employer while he was serving as Senior Vice President. These matters merited further examination and the Committee Conducted an extensive review of these allegations, including multiple followup conversations and meetings with mr. Dickson. We studied hundreds of pages of legal documents. Here is what we know for a fact about these allegations. We know for a fact and it is uncontroverted that mr. Dickson was not a named party in any of these matters. We also know for a fact that he was not personally alleged to have retaliated against any of his fellow employees who raised the safety concerns. Mr. Dicksons responses to post hearing questions for the record demonstrate that he has commitments to safety and to the protection of employees who report concerns and that that is paramount in his view. In fact, mr. Dickson unequivocally stated in his written responses that he was never named as a party to any judicial administrative or regulatory procedures and he proceedings and he was never accused of recalation retaliation of any sort during his tenure at his former employer. I think the f. A. A. We all agree should be the Gold Standard in aviation safety, and i think Steve Dickson is the correct person to be confirmed and sit at the helm of the f. A. A. At this crucial time for the agency. The majority of the committee believes that mr. Dickson is an excellent nominee for this position and will bring the commitment, experience, and expertise necessary to lead the f. A. A. And fulfill its mission. So im going to be urging my colleagues to vote yes on the cloture motion and then to swiftly confirm mr. Dicksons nomination. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Mr. Inhofe mr. President . The presiding officer i recognize the senator from oklahoma. Mr. Inhofe mr. President , i ask unanimous consent i have seven requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate. They have the approval of the majority and the minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Inhofe and, mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that we i complete my remarks before the vote, we move to the vote to confirm our next secretary of defense. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Inhofe were in a very great position were not very often in that we have someone that is enthusiastically supported by republican, by democrats, and he is obviously the right person. He has the trust of our president , the trust of our military, the trust of congress and the country to keep our nation safe. Dr. Mark esper is the right man for the job, a great choice to lead the pentagon and im proud to support him. Im not the only one. In fact, id like to make or to take a moment to share some of my bipartisan support that we have for dr. Esper from the defense experts, former officials, and my own colleagues. Senator kaine from virginia said dr. Espers confirmation hearing, during our hearing he said and this is a quote he is a person of sound character and moral courage. Hes been proactive in transparent trademarks of exceptional leadership. Secretary mattis, you remember him. When dr. Esper was being sworn in as the secretary of the army, thensecretary of defense mattis said, quote, the bottom line is the virtuous written history but lets remember here today that were the good guys and this is a man who can take us forward, unquote. Then mark jacobson, the Senior Advisor to the to ashe carter. We all remember him. This is someone who can work across the aisle. This is someone who can work with congress and thats what really defines him a soldier, a scholar. The Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell said anybody impartial would have to come away impressed by dr. Espers mastery, intelligence, and thoroughness. My colleagues on the Armed Services Committee Also widely support dr. Espers nomination. Advancing his nomination with an overwhelming bipartisan vote. Across the capitol both the chairman and Ranking Member of the house Armed Services Committee Support dr. Esper. They all support him. Chairman chairman smith said that dr. Esper is capable of executing the National Defense strategy in a way that is Ranking Member Mack Thornberry said he has done an excellent job. I agree with congressman thornberry. He managed the largest reorganization of the army in 45 years, prioritizing research, development and innovation. He showed accountability to the taxpayers by being responsible with his budget, making tough decisions, tough choices, streamlining legacy programs and directing defense dollars to critical future needs. Impressive but a good Army Secretary isnt enough on its own. Secretary mattis reminded us that civilian leaders in our military must be more than their past accomplishments. Mark esper more because he truly respects and honors his commitment to the men and women in uniform. Ive seen this first hand. Back in april, i asked him, dr. Esper, to join me on a visit to fort still in my state of oklahoma. What impressed me is how he talked to the troops in the field. You could see the love he had for them. He joined them, this is in fort sill, he joined them with a fitness test workout, he ate the m. R. E. s out in the field. Not everyone will do that, but mark esper did. He deeply cares about the troops whether its the equipment and training they need to succeed in their missions or to see that they have quality housing when they are on base. We moved quickly to consider dr. Espers Nomination Committee here on the floor but that isnt because we didnt fulfill our cute of advice and consent duty of advice and consent, we did. Between his hearing and followup questions for the record, answered approximately 600 questions. Its clear that dr. Esper has what it takes to lead the department of defense and most of my colleagues thinks so as well. He served the nation with honor an integrity and im sure he will continue to do so when he is confirm. So i strongly request a strong vote to confirm dr. Mark esper to be our next secretary of defense. With that, i will yield the floor. The presiding officer under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. The clerk nomination, department of defense, mark t. Esper, of virginia, to be secretary. The presiding officer under the previous order, the question occurs on the nomination. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . If not, the yeas are 90, 9 nays are 8. The nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table. The president will be immediately notified of the senates action. 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 stephen m. Dickson of georgia to be administrator of the federal aviation administration, 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 stephen m. Dickson of georgia to be administrator of the federal aviation administration, shall be bought too 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 change their vote . If not the yeas are 52. The nays are 45. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The Clerk Department of defensf transportation, stephen m. Dickson of georgia to be administrator of the federal aviation administration. The presiding officer under the previous order, the senate will resume legislative session. Ms. Collins mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from maine. Ms. Collins mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the Senate Recess until 2 00 p. M. For the Weekly Conference meetings. The presiding officer without objection. The senate is in recess until 2 00 p. M