S . Roo vote vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . Seeing none, the yeas are 52, the nays are 39. The nomination is confirmed. The clerk will report the next nomination. The Clerk Department of state, John Joseph Sullivan of maryland to be ambassador of the United States of america to the russian federation. The presiding officer the question is on the nomination. A senator i ask for the yeas and nays. The presiding officer is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or wishing to change their vote . Seeing none, the ayes are 70, the nays are 22, and the nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table, and the president will be immediately notified of the senates action. The clerk will report the next nomination. The Clerk Department of health and human services, stephen hahn of texas to be commissioner of food and drugs. Mr. Menendez madam president. The presiding officer the senator from new jersey. Mr. Menendez as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that the Senate ForeignRelations Committee be discharged from further consideration of s. Res. 150, and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The presiding officer without objection. The clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 150, expressing the sense of the senate that it is the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Menendez madam president , i further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Menendez madam president. The presiding officer the senator from new jersey. Mr. Menendez thank you, madam president. We have just passed the Armenian Genocide resolution recognition, and it is fitting and appropriate that the Senate Stands on the right side of history in doing so. It commemorates the truth of the Armenian Genocide. On monday, we commemorated the International Day of commemoration and dignity of the victims of the crime of genocide and of the prevention of this crime. The u. N. General assembly established this day of remembrance to commemorate and honor the victims of genocide and to highlight efforts to combat and prevent genocide. Passing this resolution is a fitting tribute to this day of remembrance. I have come to the floor on various occasions to talk about the history of the Armenian Genocide, and an armenian priest recorded some of the massacres of innocent armenians. He said in ankara and surroundings only a couple of hundred miles east of constantinople, the killing was like a slaughter house. Armenians were hacked to pieces. Infants were dashed on rocks before the eyes of their mothers. It was indescribable horror. Even when armenians were supposedly deported, the conditions they were forced to live in made clear that turkeys ultimate goal was to eliminate the armenian people. A visitor to one turkish city in october of 1915 wrote, quote, the 16,000 deported armenians who were living in the tents have been sent to cattle trucks. At night while thousands of these unfortunate people without food or shelter shiver with cold, those brutes who are supposed to be their guardians attacked them with clubs. Women, children and all men are packed together in the trucks. The men climb on top of the trucks despite the dreadful cold. Their cries are heart preag but all in vain. Heartbreaking but are all in vain. Henry morgan that will, the morganthal, the u. S. Ambassador to turkey from 1913 to 1916 understood full well what was transpiring. He left his post in early 1916 because as he later recalled, quote, my failure to stop the destruction of the armenians had made turkey for me a place of horror. Madam president , american diplomats like henry morganthal were on the ground in turkey, and they made heroic efforts to help the armenian people, but here in washington at the time, no one did anything in the face of this heinous crime. As former u. N. Ambassador Samantha Power wrote in her pulitzer prizewinning book, a problem from hell, americas nonresponse to the turkish horrors established patterns that would be repeated. As my colleague from texas, my cosponsor who has been such a stalwart advocate with me, has very often noted, this is the first genocide to be recorded in a century. We know all too well the horrors that would be repeated later in the 20th century with the holocaust and other genocides around the world. So here in the senate today, we break those patterns. We join the house who voted to do so by passing a resolution affirming the facts of the genocide 40511. Today the senate shows the same resolve. I am deeply grateful to senator cruz for his stalwart leadership on this issue, to the 27 other senators from both parties who have cosponsored the resolution and demonstrated their commitment to the truth, and the truth finally will set us free. I am thankful that this resolution has passed at a time in which there are still survivors of the genocide. Mr. Menendez well be able to see the senate acknowledges what they went through. With that, madam president , i yield the floor. Mr. Cruz madam president. The presiding officer the senator from texas. Mr. Cruz madam president , i thank my colleague and friend, the senator from new jersey, for his powerful remarks, and i rise today to celebrate a bipartisan achievement. An achievement of the senate, an achievement for truth, an achievement for speaking the truth to darkness, for speaking the truth to evil, for speaking the truth to murder, for speaking the truth to genocide. This journey has been a long journey. Senator menendez has been fighting this fight a long time. I have been proud to stand by his side this is the third week in a row we have come to the senate floor seeking to pass this resolution, and im grateful that today we have succeeded. The menendezcruz resolution affirms u. S. Recognition of the Armenian Genocide. It has been far too long in coming. From 1915 to 1923, the Ottoman Empire carried out a forced deportation of nearly two million armenians. Of whom 1. 5 million were killed. It was an atrocious genocide. That it happened is a fact and an undeniable reality. In fact, the very word genocide literally means the killing of an entire people, and it was coined by rafael lambkin to describe the horrific nature of the Ottoman Empires calculated extermination of the armenians. It is why we have the horrid word genocide in our english language. Over 100 years ago, the world remained silent as the armenian people suffered and were murdered, and even today many people are unaware of what happened. But we must never be silent in response to atrocity. We have a responsibility to stand up and speak the truth. With this resolution, the United States is now saying it is the policy of the United States of america to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance. We have a moral duty to acknowledge what happened to the 1. 5 million innocent souls who were murdered. Its the right thing to do, and i am grateful that today we have seen every republican, every democrat come together in support of the bipartisan menendezcruz resolution. This is a moment of truth that was far too long coming. Madam president , i ask that the next portion of my remarks be reflected in a different part of the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cruz madam president , i rise today to celebrate yet another major bipartisan victory that is included as part of the National Defense authorization act that the house has passed and the senate is preparing to pass. As it so happens, today is the oneyear anniversary, the one year to the very day that the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to condemn the construction of the nordstream two pipeline between russia and germany. By a vote of 133105, the members of the european permanent called for the project to be canceled because and this is a quote it is a political project that poses a threat to European Energy security and the efforts to diversify energy supply. In the coming days, the United States congress will answer the call to stop this profoundly dangerous project. The house has acted and the senate will act very soon. As part of the National Defense authorization act, sanctions on the pipeline are included. The cruzshaheen legislation, legislation i introduced, Bipartisan Legislation. Senator shaheen and i and the Foreign Relations committee brought our legislation to a vote. We won an overwhelming bipartisan vote, a vote of 202 out of the Foreign Relations committee. And in the past weeks and months, there have been extended negotiations to include this legislation, these sanctions in the National Defense authorization act. We have negotiated with republicans and democrats, republicans and democrats on the Senate Armed Services committee, on the Foreign Relations committee, on the banking committee, in leadership and also republicans and democrats on the house Armed Services committee, Foreign Relations, banking, leadership. And weve achieved a remarkable consensus. Part of the reason we were able to achieve this bipartisan victory is that the sanctions are narrowly targeted, precisely targeted. The nord stream pipeline is a pipeline from russia to germany to carry natural gas that if completed would generate billions of dollars for putin, billions of dollars that would fund Russian Military aggressi aggression. Not only that, but this pipeline if completed would make europe even more dependent on russian energy. Even more vulnerable to russian blackmail. Putin has demonstrated he is more than willing to cut off the gas in the dead of winter as economic blackmail against his neighbors. This pipeline is being built this very moment. It is near completion. The legislation that we are passing is designed to operate like a scalpel specifically directed to the ships that lay the deep sea pipeline needed to complete i nord stream 2. There are only five companies on the face of the earth with the technological capability to lay the deep sea pipeline. Russia does not have one of those companies. The russian government lacks the expertise to lay this pipeline. As a result russia has contracted with a Swiss Company all seas. And right now as we speak, all seas has a ship called the Pioneering Spirit that is laying this pipeline right now. The legislation that has passed the house, that is about to pass the senate imposes crippling sanctions on any company laying this pipeline. Its designed to operate like a scalpel so it doesnt impact anyone else, but if this legislation operates as congress intends, as both republicans and democrats in the senate and house insend, then it will halt construction of this pipeline overnight. The best estimates we have are that if uninterrupted, the nord stream 2 pipeline would be completed by the end of january. That means the window to stop the pipeline is vanishingly small. When the Senate Passes the National Defense authorization act which will be any day now, and the president signs it, which will be shortly thereaft thereafter, two things need to happen immediately. Number one the Treasury Department and the Administration Needs to immediately begin working implementing these sanctions. And im confident the administration will follow the directives of President Trump that he has said that nord stream 2 is harmful to the National Security interests of the United States of america and its harmful to europe. But number two, there will be a decision made by the c. E. O. And corporate leadership of allseas. The instant this bill is signed into law and we are only days away from that, if allseas continues with construction of the nord stream 2 pipeline, even for a single day after this law is signed, then allseas risks crippling sanctions that could devastate the company. Now the purpose of this legislation is not to see those sanctions implemented on allseas. The purpose of this legislation is to stop construction. And the only responsible and rational decision for allseas to make is to stop construction. My understanding is their contract with the russians have an explicit escape hatch in case sanctions were passed. And so allseas shareholders are at profound risk if allseas corporate leadership does anything other than the day this is signed cease construction and stop the pipeline. Mr. President , if and when that happens, that will be an incredible victory. It will be an incredible victory for europe, an incredible victory for ukraine, and incredible victory for energy security, and an incredible victory for jobs in the United States of america. Its far better for europe to be relying on energy from the United States than to be fueling putin and russia and dependent on russia and subject to economic blackmail. That is why, as i noted, the European Parliament voted by a vote of 433105 to condemn nord stream 2. Passing these nord stream 2 sanctions are an incredible victory for the United States and National Security, but its also an incredible loss for Vladimir Putin and russia. So i commend my democratic cosponsor senator shaheen. I commend the cosponsors that this legislation has had, both republicans and democrats in a bipartisan way, and i commend the United States senate and the United States house for coming together at a time when so many other issues divide us. We have united in defense of america and in defense of europe and in opposition to russias military aggression. Passing nord stream 2 sanctions is a big, big deal. And i commend the u. S. Congress for acting swiftly in the rapidly closing window we have to stop this project. Mr. President , i yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator for rhode island. Mr. Whitehouse mr. President , im here to speak about the success of the Affordable Care act in rhode island. In rhode island it has been very well managed and it has made a big difference in many, many lives. The marketplace plan that the Affordable Care act set up in rhode island is called Health Source rhode island. And it has been well run. It has been successful. And for 2019 it has 34,533 people Getting Health Insurance through the plan. We also expanded medicare as medicaid as the Affordable Care act allowed. And under the medicaid expansion, 72,000 Rhode Islanders got coverage that they didnt have before. So if you put those two together, thats 106,000plus Rhode Islanders who got the benefit and the comfort and the confidence of coverage for health care as a result of this bill. Its 10 of our population. And it has driven our uninsured numbers way, way down to low single digits, which has been a very big win for us. Ill also say that weve taken really good advantage of the Accountable Care organization provisions of the Affordable Care act with two of the best performing a. C. Ompleghts in the country a. C. O. s in the country as two of our lead primary provider groups, coastal medical and primary care partners. They are showing just terrific results as they are changing the way they deliver care because they can do so because weve changed the way they can be reimbursed for care. That rhode island snapshot is part of a larger story of success. 11. 5 million americans around the country have enrolled in a. C. A. Marketplace insurance in 201911. 8 Million Medicare beneficiaries saved a total of over 26. 8 billion on Prescription Drug costs. Thats over 2,200 per senior. So thats something to celebrate. Unfortunately its still at risk in the courts. President trump, this Republican Administration are still trying to knock it down. If they succeed, 133 million americans with preexisting conditions will be at risk of losing Health Care Coverage protections. 156 million americans with private or employersponsored insurance will lose the Consumer Protections in the a. C. A. For Preventive Care, disallowing lifetime annual limits, closing waiting periods to enroll, things that have really made a difference in peoples lives. These are big numbers and they add to a tremendous story of success. But behind the numbers are fac faces. Everyone every one of those 34,533 Rhode Islanders who signed up and got Health Coverage through Health Source rhode island has their own story. And its my privilege today to come to this floor of the United States senate to tell the story of brigette from tiverton, rhode island. I cant tell it better than she does so i will simply read her story. For the majority of my life i have suffered from chronic pain. Though i am only in my 20s, very suffered from acute arthritis in my left hip due to multiple surgeries to correct complications from a hip dysplasia surgery for almost 15 years. I was told for years that i was not a candidate for hip replacement as i was still growing. So when i was finally developed enough and found a surgeon willing to perform the hip replacement surgery, my life felt like it was actually mine again. Last year i finally was approved for a hip replacement. It has been a year since that day and i thank god every day that i was able to receive the help i need. Without the hip replacement, i would still be living in bed and confined to a wheelchair or crutches. Without my coverage, the Preventive Care that ensured that my health would not backpeddle would have been gone. I cannot stress enough how terrifying the thought of losing the opportunity of living my life was. I would not wish this on anyone, especially a child without coverage as ive been in their situation. Since my surgery, ive been able to hold my first full time job. Ive been able to consider going back to college. I have lived pain free for the first time in practically my whole life. No one should have to struggle with chronic issues or be discriminated against because of preexisting conditions. Every day i grow stronger and my voice for those who are not as strong as i am now grows louder. I will fight for my right to health care and for others who deserve the treatment they need for the rest of my life. Brigette, congratulations. Thank you. God bless you. And let us make sure that we do not let this administration tear down the millions of stories like brigettes that they seek to undo with this reckless litigation. I yield the floor. I note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Manchin mr. President . The presiding officer the senator for West Virginia. Mr. Manchin mr. President , i rise today i ask to vitiate the quorum call. The presiding officer yes, without objection. Mr. Manchin i rise today to reflect on the accomplishments that chairman murkowski and i have been able to make this year. Today i will focus on the Energy Agenda we have put forward. The year began with my appointments to Ranking Member of the committee. There were some expressions of uncertainty about where chairman murkowski and might lead that committee, and there was a great deal of skepticism about my ability in addressing Climate Change. But i can assure you, it is strong. On march 5, 2019, wheeled the first hearing on climate in the committee in seven years. Just this morning we passed an additional five injuring bills, making the five energy bills, making the total count for this year 52 energy bills report the out of committee. Weve examined endlessly our nations work on innovation in the energy and manufacturing sectors and we have been reminded that the United States must lead in this space in order to ensure that we can address Climate Change effectively. As discussions about large climate bills move forward, it is important that congress is doing the work to ensure that we have the Technology Necessary to meet the challenge of reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions in a comprehenscy and timely way. In the midst of all political noise, our committee has been quietly leading this effort over the last year. The strong bipartisan nature of our committee has enabled us to move dozens of pieces of legislation that will push the department of energy and the private sector into its next phase of research and development as we seek technological emissionsreducing solutions. In reflecting on this years progress, i want to highlight that bipartisan because i believe it is absolutely the reason we are delivering solutions worthy of the people of West Virginia, alaska, and the entire country. Its simple the chairman and i talk to each other and we talk to one anothers colleagues on either side of the aisle and sometimes we disagree. But we never disrespectfully disagree because we are friends. We must come together in this chamber to solve this crisis and also ensure no community is left behind. From even before the founding of our country, my home state of West Virginia has poured its Natural Resources and its Human Resources into every one of our nations ambitions. Its wellknown that West Virginia has produced the coal that has powered us. We have literally done the heavy lifting. You may not know that our salt deposits were used to make gunpowder in the french and revolutionary wars. Our greatly ingrained hard work led to the steamboat innovation in 1787, just like it is leading to the National EnergyTechnology Laboratories inventions today. West virginians have applied all of our resoarses coal, hydropower, natural gas, geothermal, wind, solar and human ingenuity to achieve our common goals. But these natural and Human Resources have been tested significantly in the past decade. The decline in Coal Production and use has gone beyond rise has gone beyond rising unemployment town raffle the tax revenues needed for our schools and communities. These downturns have occurred alongside the opioid crisis. Flooding resulted in the tragic death of 23 of our friends and families and neighbors. None of these obstacles have or will get the best of West Virginia. Nothing ever has. Just as the innovators have sought to use all the resources at their disposal to seize opportunities and overcome challenges, we must reflect that resolve here in the halls of congress. We cannot turn the American Energy system on its head because the costs costs will fao heavily on people in rural areas and energyproducing regions like West Virginia. At the same time, we cannot disregard what the science tells us about the reality and severity of Climate Change. Across the country we can clearly see that the cost of Climate Change are mounting. But we need to refocus our attention on the solutions dedicated to it. Whether that is former coal miners, the collaboration between oil and gas and geothermal on new ways to access hot rocks or the installation installer who retrofits our homes, the opportunities exist in every community, not just on the coast. Ive said time and again that the miners who build our country are the best workers. It is our responsibility as their representatives to include them and their communities in the economy of the future by passing the laws and making the investments needed to shape that future, creating those jobs and guiding the private sector and others towards new ambitious Climate Solutions. That is why ive pursued bills that will build new energy and Natural Research jobs in rural communities. The advanced geothermal innovation leadership act would significantly invest in new geothermal projects to unlock vast resorrieses in the eastern United States, bringing proven Renewable Technologies to fossil fuelproducing regions. The act would make the First Federal investments in direct air capture and firm up our commitment to carbon capture, utilization and storage necessary Climate Solutions and ones that can be built in the valleys of West Virginia. The Clean Industrial Technology act would incentivize new technologies to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions in industrial and heavy transport fuel sectors, solutions that reenergy the manufacturing heartland of the United States. These bills and many others we have reported out will lay the foundation for meeting our climate goals while creating the innovation jobs needed in our rural communities, all while leading the world. That brings me back to the bipartisan nature of the energy and Natural Resources committee. The legislation we have passed reflects the diversities of our members and constituents who have sent us here on their behalf. These bills invest in the programs necessary to bring Climate Solutions to bear and it will create jobs and opportunities. Our bipartisan work on Energy Innovation is evidence of the good work that can be done in congress and stands in contrast to the skeptical and cynical narrative that dominates our politics today. But our work is far from done. We will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion with our colleagues in this chamber and in the house to take those 51 bills and turn them into an impactful energy package, one that can move the needle on reducing emissions and one that can be signed into law. I congratulate my dear friend and colleague, chairman murkowski, and the members of the committee for their work, and i luke forward to this and i look forward to this chamber taking you are our Energy Innovation package in a new year. So thank you, mr. President , and i yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator for alaska. Ms. Murkowski mr. President , i want to thank my colleague, the Ranking Member on the Energy Committee and reallya friend on not only Energy Matters but so many of the other initiatives that we have worked on. As he has mentioned, every now and again our two states might see things differently, but we have come to understand where we come from, what we bring to the table, and figuring out how we Work Together collaboratively and then set that collaborative tone for the full committee as a whole. So i appreciate the opportunity to just highlight a few of the accomplishments that we as a committee have achieved over this past year. We had a holiday lunch at the first of this week with with both of our staffs assembled, having some good food and i was able to share that i felt like we were the committee that were kind of like the little engine that could, the childrens storey storybook where the little engine is plugging along. Just like the little engine, we kind of put our head down, we go to work and we achieve a lot. And in our case, even in a divided time, we are seeing good, strong, Bipartisan Legislation that is helping just about every member of the senate, all areas of the country. You think about where we started off this year. Youll recall it was unfortunately in the midst of a Government Shutdown. But what we were able to do even at that time was to move through a significant victory, and that was the passage of our sweeping lands package, containing more than 120 individual measures that reflected the priorities of dozens of members in the senate and the house. We passed that out of the senate 928. The house passed it out 36362 and the president signed it shortly thereafter. But it was sweeping. It provided for Economic Development for so many small communities, protected treasured landscapes, addressed a range of sportsmens priorities. We permanently reauthorized the land and Water Conservation fund. We it took a long time. There were many of these initiatives that wed been working through for a considerable period of time, but our aability to be able to pass it shortly after this Government Shutdown underscored that even at a time when we are known for our divisions, we can still achieve bipartisan success. So the Committee Really took the momentum and we ran with it. As senator manchin has pointed out, some 51 bills, 52 bills here. Today we just moved 19 bills out of Energy Committee markup. We have moved out measures focused on energy efficiency, renewables, energy storage, advanced nuclear energy, carbon utilization and storage. We focus on mineral security, cybersecurity, and a range of additional technologies that really work to ensure that Energy Becomes more affordable as it becomes cleaner. Weve been working real lid real lid hard on the public lands side. One bill youre sure to hear more about is the restore our parks act that will address the multibilliondollar deferred maintenance backlog at our parks. The crown of our nation. That bill will fix dilapidated trails, roads, bridges, monuments and historic markers. Working on the parks and the land side. We reported 13 nominees for key leadership positions at delawarf energy, ferc. Nearly all of them were confirmed so the nation has a chance to carry out our Nations Energy and resource policies. Weve also held hearings to highlight the opportunities and the challenges that we face within our jurisdiction. This is everything from the need for new and innovative technologies, as senator manchin pointed out, to the future of our Strategic Petroleum reserve. And as he mentioned, we have held hearings, many hearings now on Climate Change, makerring that a priority amongst making that a priority amongst priorities. I think its fair to say we have been develop productive as a committee. We know the work isnt done. Its one thing to report the measures out of committee. Its another thing to actually get them enacted into law, and thats where our eyes are directed right now is on these next steps. Early next year we hope to bring much of the work that we have processed through the committee, bring it here to the senate floor. Were counting on colleagues to join us and to help move these bills on to the house and to the president for his signature. Whether youre interested in Energy Innovation, resource security, access to public lands, this work should appeal to just about every member and provide a great opportunity to advance the security, prosperity, and competitiveness of our nation. I really want to share the appreciation, the deep appreciation that i have for my Ranking Member, for senator manchin, and his partnership. Weve navigated some complicated stretches, i think, but weve done so by working together to ensure a good outcome for the committee, for the senate, and for the american people. And i think youve seen some of that. We saw some of the good work reflected of a gentleman who we have lauded on the floor now throughout this week, and we will continue to laud because he is a most laudable and wonderful human being. That is our friend, the senator from georgia, senator isakson who will soon be stepping down after a very good and honorable career here in the United States and before that. It was a pleasure to be able to know that we were able to move out of the Energy Committee this morning, one of his priorities this is something that hes been working on, which is the preserving americas battlefields act. He is a great historian and has put a great deal of himself into advancing that important legislation. Another markup that i was part of this morning was in the health, education, labor, and pensions, where we moved out two significant bills that had Johnny Isaksons fingerprints all over it. His care, his compassion for the most Vulnerable Children who have been abused, he has been a leader in the capta legislation that moved out of that committee by voice vote this morning, and he was also instrumental in another measure that moved through the committee, the adoption opportunities act. So it gives you a glimpse of the range and the breadth of this extraordinary legislator, whether his great efforts working for our veterans and his leadership on the Veterans Affairs committee, his leadership on those matters that he cares so personally and passionately about in the help committee and of course what we see in the other committees like we have seen in energy with his focus on americas history. Johnny isakson is not only a great legislator, a laudable man, he is a true friend, and he is one who has reminded us all that relationships matter, that how we speak to one another matters, that how we treat one another as human beings and friends matters. And i know that as we say our goodbyes to senator isakson from this chamber, we will long remember not only the contributions that he has provided from a legislative perspective and a policy perspective, but as a person and as a lovely and decent human being. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for maine. Mr. King thank you mr. President , i rise for a few moments to compliment my colleague of the energy and Natural Resources committee along with her colleague, senator manchin who spoke a few minutes ago, the senator from West Virginia. I have done a lot of thinking about leadership, and one of the observations ive made is that the character and personality and thoughtfulness of the leader affects the entire organization. And in this case the chair and the Ranking Member of our committee have produced one of the most remarkable records of achievement in a committee that ive seen since ive been here over the past year. And its been because of their willingness to listen, their willingness to work with all the members of the committee. And its a quite diverse committee in terms of geography, in terms of ideology, in terms of representation of various interests at the table of the, of important questions of energy that face us. This has been a really amazingly productive year. I attribute that to the skill and leadership and character of senator murkowski of alaska, senator manchin of West Virginia. It has been a wonderful experience for me to see what can be done in this institution. And now the next step of course is to get to the floor of the United States senate and move these bills forward, as i think they can and should, through the house of representatives and to the president. So again, i rise to not only congratulate but to thank the leadership of this committee for the great work that theyve done this year, and i look forward to even better and greater things in the years to come. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from connecticut. Mr. Murphy thank you very much, mr. President. Mr. President , im on the floor briefly today to remind my colleagues, to remind their constituents that december 15 is the open enrollment dead care for health care at deadline for health care at healthcare. Gov. This is important because if youre uninsured, currently on a plan, if you dont renew or sign up by the 15th youll be frozen out of the marketplace unless you have whats called a qualifying event. I just want to make sure that we, as we head back for the weekend, make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that there arent more people that go into the new year without insurance than is absolutely necessary. This is especially important because weve seen a big decline in the number of people who have insurance in this country since President Trump took office. Obviously we made enormous progress after the passage of the Affordable Care act. We were able to get the percentage of americans without insurance down to around 5 . Thats really, really extraordinary. Yet, we have seen that progress reverse. Weve seen more and more people go without insurance since this administration started to wage what is a pretty consistent remarkable war on the Affordable Care act. As we speak today, are the Trump Administration is in court trying to get the court system, the federal court system to strike down the entirety of the Affordable Care act. If they are successful in that endeavor, then next years deadline wont matter because the Affordable Care act will be gone. 20 Million People will lose their health insurance. Insurers will once again be able to charge you more because you have a preexisting condition or your kid has cancer or youre a woman. But as we fight that court case, we need to remember that the Affordable Care act is still out there and is still very affordable for millions and millions of americans. 70 of enrollees who go on to Health Care Gov find that they qualify for financial help, meaning that the Sticker Price is not actually what you pay. The tax credits in obamacare will help you get that premium lower. And in fact, on average, folks are getting pretty sizable premiums, in the neighborhood of 500. That can make health care incredibly affordable, even if the Sticker Price looks out of your range. A woman in hartford named debra visited a local enrollment fair after receiving a letter saying that her premiums actually might be going up. And she said this, she said, quote, that scared me a little bit, so i wanted to come in and have someone explain to me whether it was going to go up, decrease, you know, what were my options. What ended up happening is that actually my premium went down for the same plan, but i also learned that just because they renew you, i had the opportunity to go in and say, no, i dont want that plan. I want to choose this plan. Im ecstatic with my new plan. I got educated on the insurance process, and i look that. The presiding officer you can still get that help mr. Murphy you can still get that help. You can get somebody on the phone to walk you through your choices and i encourage people to do that by this sunday. But for folks that do find an affordable plan, i hope that youll also step up and try to help us maintain the protections and the coverages that we have. Weve been fighting a battle with the Trump Administration. It doesnt like the Affordable Care act simply because the president s name is on it, despite the fact that americans dont want the Affordable Care act repealed. But the administration has been doing everything within its power to try to make it harder for people to sign up. The administration has rolled back the advertising for the Affordable Care act, so this is what qualifies for advertising today. Charts on the floor of the United States senate. The administration has rolled back the money for the navigators, the people that help you pick which plan is right for you. The administration for a period of time threatened to stop paying insurance companies, which chilled the interest of insurers to actually offer plans on these exchanges. And now, as i mentioned, the administration is going to court to try to unroll and unwind the entirety of the act through a court case. Lastly, though, what you will find if you go and enroll in some states are plans that look like Affordable Care act plans on these websites that actually arent, that are what we call junk plans, shortterm plans, plans that dont really cover anything. They might not cover Maternity Care or addiction care or mental health. Some of these plans dont cover you if you enter on a friday sore saturday. Friday or saturday. The president has allowed for those junk plans to be sold right next to the Affordable Care act plans. So make sure that youre signing up for an Affordable Care act regulated plan. Thats a plan thats bronze or silver or gold, not one of these junk shortterm plans that is not going to be right for the vast, vast majority of americans. Not too late. Sunday is the deadline. If youre in connecticut, make sure to go to Access Health connecticut or your state exchange, if your state runs an exchange. If not, you can get health care through www. Healthcare. Gov. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Mr. President , i would also note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Lankford mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for oklahoma. Mr. Lankford i ask that the quorum call be eviscerated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Lankford i ask unanimous consent the vote scheduled at 1 45 would begin right now. The presiding officer without objection. The question occurs on the hahn nomination. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote