Vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . If not, the yeas are 65, the nays are 28. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 655. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, department of defense, victor g. Mercado of california to be an assistant secretary. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the cloture motion. 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 victor g. Mercado of california to be an assistant secretary of defense, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 652. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is disagreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The presiding officer nomination, department of the treasury, brian d. Miller of virginia to be special Inspector General for pandemic recovery. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the cloture motion. 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 brian d. Miller of virginia to be special Inspector General for pandemic recovery, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 656. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, department of defense, james h. Anderson of virginia to be a deputy under secretary. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the cloture motion. 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 james h. Anderson of virginia to be deputy under secretary of defense, signed by 17 senators as follows the presiding officer i ask consent the mr. Mcconnell i secretary the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer all those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to calendar number 644. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is disagreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, drew b. Tipton of texas to be district judge for the Southern District of texas. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk 789. The presiding officer the clerk will report the cloture motion. 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 drew b. Tipton of texas to be United States district judge for the Southern District of texas, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Blunt mr. President . The presiding officer the senator for missouri. Mr. Blunt mr. President , weve seen things in the pandemic crisis that nobody in living memory has dealt with. In so many ways, were writing the book and trying to read the book at the same time, trying to figure out how we get to where we need to be. Clearly, theresen about an incredible strange clearly, theres been an incredible strain on the American Economy and an incredible strain on the American Health care system and everybody involved with that. Public Health Experts have told us we have to flatten the curve, and the Economic Cost of flattening the curve was pretty great. On the other side of that equation, the impact on hospitals was significant in that many of them have been ready and waiting for whatever they needed to do. And because we flattened the curve, the worstcase scenarios didnt occur, and in most cases they were prevented. And we had plenty of hospital beds, and before it was over with, we had ventilators and all those things we will have later. But the crisis, because of flattening the curve, has certainly lasted longer and will last longer than it would have otherwise. Im not saying thats a bad thing. Im just saying, measures like closing businesses and sending people home from work, practicing social distancing, putting people on the unemployment rolls have really created Serious Problems for people that have caused that have cause to have challenges really to their mental wellbeing. I think nearly half of the adults in the United States say the that the coronavirus has impacted their Mental Health. This is on top of the statistic where we traditionally believe that the National Institutes of health and other places, that one out of four or one out of five adult americans has a diagnoseable and id i wouldnt hesitate to add, an almost always treatable Behavioral Health problem, a Mental Health problem. But coming through the coronavirus again, one half of all adults say that their Mental Health has been impacted by that, whether that was social distancing or everybody trying to do everything that youd normally do at other places at home. Maybe it was economic uncertainty. That along with the isolation can certainly create depression and anxiety. Its, in almost all cases, likely to be worse for people that had a prior Mental Health problem or prior Mental Health diagnosis. But those are the only people that have been affected addiction issues have become a bigger problem again than they were six months ago. People that dont have access to their support system, people that were moving with great focus on the part of the federal government and many state governments away from opioid addiction are in a situation where theyre isolated, theyre depressed, theyre concerned about job or family or health and beginning to think what was that one thing that really made me feel good. Maybe i could just do that one more time and have that great feeling, and i wouldnt get addicted again. It turns out addiction doesnt work that way. So, you know, we see people with unprecedented challenges as this almost perfect storm impacting Mental Health hits us. Last month the Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration reported nearly a 900 , a 900 increase in the number of calls to its disaster, distress hotline over this time last year. Nine times as many people calling that distress hotline, that disaster distress hotline that were calling a year ago. Practitioners in Behavioral Health see the impact issues every day. Theyre certainly warning that this could produce its own second wave of impact that lasts well beyond the time we have treatment for coronavirus because people, even if theyve had the vaccine, even if theyve stopped worrying about the coronavirus, have found themselves in a place with their Mental Health issues that they dont want to be but might not be able to figure out how to get out of. If we dont respond quickly and we dont respond forcefully, we could certainly lose more lives to this pandemic. The new study from the wellbeing trust estimates that 75,000 more people will die from things like suicide and Substance Abuse because of the pandemic. Were already seeing evidence that that may be a place where were moving. My hometown newspaper, the springfield news leader reported this week that green county, my home county, the first place i was elected as a county official, has already received a 25 uptick in suicide and Overdose Deaths in the last couple of months. Mr. President , may is Mental Health awareness month. I think its appropriate for us to talk about the ways that coronavirus has widened the gap in the medical system between access to physical Health Issues and access to Mental Health issues. This is the month and the time, we need to realize that you cant separate those issues. We need to realize that those issues are of equal concern and need to be treated equally. As i mentioned before, the estimate generally is somewhere in the neighborhood, one in four americans have a diagnosable Mental Health issue, but the other estimate is that less than half of them seek any help for the care they need. As that number has grown now to one in two saying that they have concerns about their Mental Health or their Mental Health is not where it was before this all started, we see coming together factors here that weve got to figure out how to deal with. We need to take steps on how we address it. We need to realize that more needs to be done. We need to continue to work toward the normalization of treating all health the same. In the cares act, the congress did provide 425 million for Substance Abuse and Mental Health services. That includes more than half of that, 250 million, to Certified CommunityBehavioral Health clinics, 50 million for suicide prevention, and 100 million for Emergency Response grants to address substance and Mental Health disorders. Federal resources are critical, but, mr. President , most of the response and most of the important work will be done at the local level. And so the Congress Also unanimously agreed in the cares act to extend the excellence in Mental Health and addictive Treatment Demonstration Program through november 30. We added two states. I talked to c. M. S. This morning about moving forward in adding those next two states, of the 19 states that originally applied. Weve expanded this program, it was First Authorized in 2014 in some legislation that senator stabenow from michigan and i had sponsored at the time. It created the whole concept of Certified CommunityBehavioral Health clinics that care for patients regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. 24hour, sevendayaweek access. It was necessary if youre going to be part of that program you can get preventive screenings, you have Health Coordination with your other providers. By the way, mr. President , if youve got a Behavioral Health issue, it clearly has impact on what other Health Issues you might have. And if youre dealing with that Behavioral Health issue in the right way, youre going to save a lot of money and a lot of caregiver time in most cases as you deal with your other issues. If youre doing what you should be doing, if youre feeling better about yourself, if youre taking your medicine, eating better, sleeping better, showing up for appointments, your other health costs are going to to go down. So not only is this the right thing to do, but it also, in my view, will turn out to be a moneysaving thing to do to invest money where it needs to be invested. In the eight states that have the Certified Centers under the excellence act, those patients have reported a 62 reduction in both hospitalization and emergency room visits. That one statistic on its own may have offset whatever investment we made in this Mental Health program. People not going to Emergency Rooms obviously means youre less likely to come in contact with people that have covid19 or some other virus. We need to be sure using telehealth to connect you with your health care provider, whether thats a Mental Health provider or another provider, critically important. People who are struggling with Mental Health or addiction are particularly challenged right now. We need to let them know that they are not forgotten, and no matter how alone they feel, they are not alone. And the congress is paying attention to this, but we need to Pay Attention to the people on the front lines who are assuring that the right things are done in the right way at the right time. I yield, mr. President. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from noorld. Mr. Hoeven i want to associate myself with the words of mr. Blunt. I want to say thank you. My real purpose of coming to the floor today is to generate my support for Scott Spelman of the United States army corps of engineers. He is up for promotion to attorney general and been nominated to replace general semonite as he retires. Mr. Cramer since coming to the senate general semonite and i have become acquainted with each other. While we dont always agree, i appreciate his hard work and access ibilityd especially during accessibility especially during this covid19. I wish him well. As a member of the Armed Services committee and the environment and Public Works Committee i serve on two of the army corps committees of jurisdiction. It is a rare occasion that i compliment the corps. It is an agency that is the epitome in many cases of cumbersome bureaucracy. Mr. President , im not unique in my frustration. During our last e. P. W. Hearing with the corps, criticism was bipartisan and tangible. From rhode island to north dakota to oregon each of us expressed frustration with a seemingly tonedeaf bureaucracy which either does what it is not to do or what it is supposed to do. Throughout this process ive worked closely with general spelman on issues important to north dakota and other Western States. Early on i spoke with him regarding the snake creek embankment. The corps was going to move forward with a water control plan that could potentially devastate water supply and irrigation needs in eastern parts of my state. As per usual the corps precision matrix was overly complicated and did not reflect needs and realities of rural america. General spelman promised to take a fresh look and reassess the economic impacts. He worked with me to craft legislation supporting his efforts which was added to the Water Infrastructure legislation we unanimously passed out of e. P. W. Not too long ago. He listened to the problem and is working with me to help solve it. I also challenged general spelman on Western State water rights, a problem thats plagued Western States who operate under the prior appropriation doctrine. On a bipartisan basis, democrats and republicans from Western States have been frustrated by an army corps which either ignores states and tribes or needlessly inserts their extra bureaucracy and decisions that are really not theirs to make. Once again, general spelman listened intently to the concern and provided thorough, honest responses to be used as a guidepost for corps policy moving forward. Of equal importance, mr. President , he acknowledged the flaws within his own organizations. In my time in congress, honesty sometimes seems to be missing but not with general spelman. He has proven hes willing to listen and be responsive in a forthright manner, and i thank him for that. Im confident general spelman will continue to listen to Western States and provide the necessary deference to them pursuant to congressional intent and to our nations constitution. Ive appreciated getting to know the general and while my oversight and questions may not always have been the most enjoyable to him, he has proven up to the task of replacing general semonite. I support his nomination and promotion and hope his Exemplary Service will be replicated by the rest of the bureaucracy he is going to lead. I yield the floor. Mr. Wyden mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for oregon. Mr. Wyden mr. President , on monday our country will celebrate memorial day, and it is a very special day, one that we as americans set aside each year to honor those members of the military who have given their lives in sacrifice to their country. And right now this is typically the time when im getting ready to travel home and go to Southern Oregon, to eagle point, to Central Point, wonderful communities, to spend memorial day with hundreds of veterans and members of their families. These are events that take place each year and are inspiring and affirming and basically a time when oregonians from very young to often approaching almost 100 years old assemble and are part of a centurylong lineage of patriots who have been willing to serve and sacrifice for our great nation. And there are other communities that come together to remember lost friends and loved ones, but at home in oregon, weve always said eagle point and Central Point are the Gold Standard in terms of services and programs to recognize our veterans, members of their family that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. And i think we all know that this memorial day is going to be different. There wont be the same big gatherings, and there wont be as many parades. But one of the reasons i wanted to come to the floor of the senate today, and ill be home this weekend thinking about eagle point and Central Point, is i want to make sure that our country never ever diminishes the significance of this day. Never should our country take away our determination to honor those who paid the ultimate price in service to america. And it shouldnt cause us to forget that memorial day can be hard, very, very hard on the parents and spouses and children and friends that our fallen heros left behind. I know when im recognized to speak in Central Point and eagle point, mr. President , i look out in the crowd and i always see family members with a kleenex by their eye trying to remember and at the same time deal with the inevitable grief. And this memorial day im going to be thinking of all of those who have come year after year to Central Point and eagle point in Southern Oregon to do something very, very important, to speak up for oregon on the importance and appreciation we have for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. My view is this year on memorial day its more important than ever to reach out and connect with those folks who are remembering loved ones that theyve lost in the line of duty. To give them a call, ask how they are holding up because the last few months in particular have been tough on everybody and their sacrifice shouldnt be forgotten so i know when im home in southeast portland this weekend, im going to be thinking about who im going to be talking to, checking in with, see how they are doing just for the reason i mentioned. These have been tough times for everyone, and i think this is going to be a very difficult memorial day for those americans who are remembering loved ones theyve lost in the line of duty. Its also more important than ever to remember for ourselves that as americans we owe so much to so many, the parades and the services may have to wait until memorial day 2021, but our deep respect and gratitude for sacrifice does not. And just on a very personal note, mr. President , aprpo of the respect and gratitude for sacrifice, i think about my great father and my mother, both of whom fled the nazis. Not all our family got out. My great uncle max is one of the last who was gassed in auschwitz. My father basically talked his way into our army because he was affluent young man in german and he convinced our military that he could be part of our propaganda unit to drop our pamphlets on the nazis making it clear they could never defeat our great troops. My mother, on the other hand, was a w. A. C. , and i look often at the picture thats on my wall of my mother in her w. A. C. Uniform. And for them during their lives memorial day was a really special day because they were so thrilled to be able to come to the freest and most open nation on earth, to be able to serve in our military, and they in particular would say if they were here today, ron, this is a special day for showing our deep respect and gratitude for those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and we are never going to miss a memorial day without expressing that sentiment. So, mr. President , i am going to be, this weekend, thinking about how much i want to be back to eagle point and Central Point to celebrate memorial day, and im going to be thinking about how now weve got to find a way to honor and remember our Fallen Service members a little bit differently than before. So i would just close and perhaps im the last speaker today in the senate, mr. President. I think i can speak for every member of the senate that this is especially important now to keep all those who have died serving our country in our hearts. Lets do right by their families who are still with us and i want to close my remarks, mr. President , which wishing all oregonians and americans from sea to shinning sea a healthy memorial day, and i yield the floor and i would note the absence of a quorum, mr. President. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Cornyn mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from texas. Mr. Cornyn rewould in a quorum call in. The presiding officer we are. Mr. Cornyn i would ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , over the past couple months, our country has gone into lockdown, but then slowly but surely begun to adjust to the new normal brought on by covid19. Many of us have been working safely from home, as kitchen tables have been transformed into makeshift Office Tables and in many cases classrooms, as parents navigate the challenges of Remote Working and learning. But many of the most critical jobs in our country captain be done with a laptop and an internet connection. Defense contractors, for example, the intelligence community, Law Enforcement agencies, and, of course, our heroic Health Care Workers. They have to be on the front lines doing their job eve and every day each and every day, in a matter what the risk is, because they are work is considered to be essential. Our Health Care Workers continue to fight this virus on the front lines, delivering lifesaving care and comfort to those isolated from their loved ones. Our farmers and ranchers are producing the food. Truckers are transporting it, and the Grocery Store employees are stocking shelves so that amidst all this uncertainty we dont have to worry about having enough to eat. Then there are the postal workers, the delivery drivers, the waste collectors, and an entire network of people we depend on who are keeping the cogs of our society running. Whether working from home or heading out the door each morning, these men and women are doing their jobs, even when it isnt easy or convenient. Mr. President , they expect their elected officials to do the same thing. Just because the pandemic has brought our society to a screeching halt doesnt mean the United States congress should pack up shop. Just as the men and women across the country continue to show up for work each day, congress should do the same. After all, our responsibilities during this crisis have become more important, not less. Thats why we moved quickly to pass four Coronavirus Response bills totaling nearly 3 trillion, something none of us imagined we would do just a couple of months ago. And we provided vital support to our country amidst so much uncertainty. This, of course, came in the form of additional resources, including equipment for our Health Care Workers and funding for Ongoing Research into vaccines and treatments. We also sent aid or what i consider to be a lifeline to those workers who, through no fault of their own, had no job and no paycheck. And then weve also provided serious resources to help Small Businesses and their workforce stay afloat. A Financial Investment in our fight against this virus was desperately needed, and thats preslice what we delivered precisely what we delivered on a bipartisan basis. But our response to this crisis cannot begin and end with blank checks. We need to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly and that were making the changes needed to recover from this crisis. Every day i hear, usually through a videoconference, my constituents in texas telling me how these bills are being implemented. And whats helpful, what isnt, and whats needed from congress. This feedback has been incredibly valuable. As we look for more effective ways to strengthen our response and speed our recovery. So the republicans in the senate believe that its wise, its prudent to take stock of everything weve done before passing another relief bill. I believe the presiding officer and i heard the same report at lunch today that only about half the money that weve appropriated is actually out the door yet. And yet here people are clamoring for more and more money. And Speaker Pelosi and really in really an unfortunate act of showmanship rammed through a 3 trillion bill that has no prayer of becoming law. Its safe to say that House Democrats are taking a different approach than we are here in the senate. Well, they passed this 3 billion bill, and they called it the heroes act, expressing their support for our Nations Health care heroes. Well, we would join them in that sentiment, but the fact is their priorities are much different. This bill mentions cannabis more times than it mentions doctors, hospitals, and nurses combined. An interesting tribute, if you ask me. And if this bill were to become law, taxpayers wouldnt be going to Coronavirus Response; theyd be funding a range of completely unrelated pet projects Environmental Justice grants, soil health studies, and not one but two studies on diversity and inclusion, again in the cannabis industry. Interesting. Two more studies on diversity and inclusion in the cannabis industry. The list of absurdities in this legislation is as big as the bill itself, and heres another one. They want to make sure the wealthiest americans pay less taxes. This is from our democratic friends, who say the top one percent dont pay enough . Yet they present them with a huge tax cut for the wealthiest people in america. It also would complicate the hiring that our struggling businesses are already facing and rapidly big our nation deeper and deeper into debt. And for what . To attack the coronavirus, to come up with a treatment or a vaccine . No. This is a liberal wish list thats consumed all the time and energy of House Democrats over the last several weeks. This is what they think is more important. Rather than returning to washington for more than a driveby, which is what they did last friday, to work on Bipartisan Legislation that might actually have a chance of becoming law, rather than that, they chose to put together this partisan bill that, without consulting with the white house or the senate, but it doesnt address the crisis at hand, let alone the Ongoing National security challenges that cannot be ignored. The threats we face before this virus ever reached our shores, both on land and in cyberspace, have not gone away, from beijing to tehran, moscow to pyongyang, and in nearly every corner of the globe our enemies and adversaries are watching and continuing their efforts to work against our interests. Now, theyre not going to politely pause their efforts so we can focus our efforts on covid19. If anything, they are doubling their efforts about. We cannot afford to be caught flatfooted. Unfortunately, our counterintelligence and counterterrorism experts are already without some of the key tools they need in order to carry out their duties. In midmarch, the house refused to vote on a clean, shortterm extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act under section 2 a 15 that would have preserved these essential tools while we discussed longterm changes that might need to be made. Had they agreed at that time in midmarch, these authorities would still be intact through the end of this month. But instead, House Democrats chose to let those authorities lapse. After two months now, our counterintelligence and counterterrorism experts have been forced to work without some of the most powerful tools in their toolboxes. Fortunately, last week the senate was able to pass a bill to reauthorize these critical provisions that expired in midmarch. This legislation would not only restore those authorities but strengthen oversight of our nations intelligence activities at a time when its desperately needed this bill passed the senate with broad bipartisan support but were still waiting for the house to show up for work and to take it up and pass it. Theyre not coming back until the 27th, i think, of this month, after that what can only be described that is a driveby vote last friday, after having not been in town for two weeks and leaving promptly thereafter. Now that theyve completed their work on their 3 trillion wish list, i hope that we will see some action soon on things that will keep our country safe. Thats only part of the critical National Security work weve done here in the senate since we returned to washington earlier in month. I applaud majority leader mcconnell for bringing us back. People are hearing all sorts of scary things on social media and cable news and even conscious disinformation campaigns by some of our adversaries about this virus and about how we ought to conduct ourselves. But the best thing we can do as members of the senate is to demonstrate that with a little bit of personal responsibility and respect for others maintain social distancing, masking when you can that we can actually still function; we can show up for work like those Health Care Workers, those Law Enforcement officers and others i mentioned a moment ago. But one of the things that our majority leader likes to say is the senate is in the personnel business, and today we confirmed a fellow member of the texas congressional delegation, congressman john ratcliffe, now to be the director of national intelligence. Ive known john about ten years or more maybe. Hes prepared to continue the legacy of outstanding leadership weve come to expect and count on at the as director of national intelligence, and im confident in his ability to serve as a leader and advocate for the intelligence professionals in the intelligence community. Weve also confirmed other important nominees for critical positions, including the Nuclear Regulatory commission, the National Counterintelligence and security center, and the department of homeland security. Just as the work of the country has been waged on in the face of these challenges, so must our work. The American People are not just counting on Health Care Workers and First Responders and farmers and deliverymen and Grocery Store employees to do their jobs, as important as they are. Theyre counting on us, too. Not only to continue to respond to this pandemic, to stay nimble and adapt, to watch and listen and learn on how we can better, but by also strengthening our national securities, keeping an eye on our National Debt and doing it all on a bipartisan basis. So, mr. President , like workers across america, Congress Needs to show up, especially when it isnt easy or convenient. This pandemic may have temporarily halted the daily functions of many people in this country, but it cannot stop the critical work of the United States congress on behalf of the people we are privileged to represent. Mr. President , i yield the floor. And i would note the 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 from maine. Ms. Collins mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that proceedings under the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Collins thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , i rise today to introduce with my colleagues, senators rubio, cardin, and shaheen, legislation to strengthen the Paycheck Protection Program which has proven to be such an important lifeline to americas Small Businesses and their employees during this pandemic. Senators rubio, cardin, shaheen, and i worked together as part of the Small Business task force to create this program during the development of the cares act two months ago. Since its launch in early april, this program has provided forgivable loans totaling more than 510 billion to approximately 4. 3 million small employers across the country. The overwhelming majority of borrowers are very small employers. In phase one of the program, the average p. P. P. Loan size nationally was 206,000. That translates to an average employer size of just 18 employees. As more loans have been approved in phase two, the average loan size nationally has dropped to 118,000, suggesting an average business size of about ten employees. In maine, the average loan size is even smaller with borrowers having an estimated 12 employees in phase one and just three employees in phase two. According to the u. S. Census bureau, nearly twothirds of the Small Businesses in maine have benefited from p. P. P. Loans, and that is, im pleased to say, among the highest rates in the nation. In many ways its not a surprise. Maine is the state of Small Businesses. 90 of all of the businesses there are considered to be Small Businesses, and they employ approximately 60 of all the workers in our state. Overall nationwide, the funds are sufficient to support approximately im sorry. This is a state of maine figure. These funds in maine have been sufficient to support approximately 200,000 jobs. So lets think about this, mr. President. That means that a business who, that has seen receipts go down, is in a cash flow problem, liquidity is dried up, can still retain employees that otherwise would have been laid off. In other cases, it has allowed a business to call back furloughed employees. And even in cases where the business has been forced to close its doors because of government orders, it has kept alive the connection between the employer and his or her employees. That is so important because as the economy does open back up, we want to make sure that that link between the employer and the employees remains intact so that the workforce can come back to work as soon as possible. It is important as we discuss the Economic Data behind the p. P. P. To remember that these are real businesses with real people. People like larry gayden, who owns and runs a Craft Brewery and pub in bangor, maine. Larry calls the p. P. P. A lifeline bill that has made all the difference in helping him to bring back 25 of his employees and reopen for takeout business. Another maine borrower, the owner of a small marina told me that the p. P. P. Was exactly what he needed at exactly the right time. With the p. P. P. , this marina has been able to keep all of its employees on payroll. And because they werent worried about whether they would have a paycheck, these employees continued spending as they normally would, exactly what our maine economy needs. Another example of a Small Business helped by the p. P. P. Is the frog and turtle gastro pub in westbrook, maine. This pub just completed an extensive renovation and is hoping to reopen june 1, the first day that sitdown Dining Service will be allowed again in the state of maine. The owner of this pub wrote to me to say that the p. P. P. Program allowed us to bring back our 15 employees and sustain our business during these trying conditions, and that taking a p. P. P. Loan was the right decision for his employees and for his small restaurant. Mr. President , when we were initially developing the Paycheck Protection Program, we had no idea how long the pandemic would last. We did not know that there would be virtually universal economic shutdowns. Nor did we know how each state would respond to outbreaks in their communities. The bipartisan bill that were introducing today builds on the success of the p. P. P. By providing Small Businesses with additional flexibilities so that they can more effectively use these funds in con junction with state reopening plans. And again, i would remind my colleagues that when we were drafting the first version of this, it was before there were widespread orders shutting down restaurants and bars and retail establishments. Specifically, the Paycheck Protection Program extension act that were introducing today would do the following, it would allow borrowers 16 weeks to use their loan funds instead of eight weeks. Small businesses could choose the period that they believe works best to coincide with the reopening of their local economy. So some Small Businesses took the loans very early thinking that the shutdowns would not last or that the pandemic would be on the way down by now, which it is in some states, thank goodness, but not in all. Well, this builds in more flexibility. You would have 16 weeks to use the loan funds instead of eight. Second, it extends the deadline to apply for a p. P. P. Loan from june 30 to december 31 of this year. Again, this reflects the fact that shutdowns lasted far longer in virtually every state than we anticipated when we were drafting the bill in march. Third, the bill would allow borrowers to use loan funds to purchase personal protective equipment for employees and to pay for adaptive investments needed to reopen safely. Adaptive investments could include modifications to a commercial property to comply with the social distancing regulations or guidelines from the c. D. C. It could mean creating or expanding a drivethrough window service, erecting physical barriers such as we see at the Grocery Stores now, those plexi glass barriers or sneeze guards. It will could mean installing ventilation system upgrades, or as many restaurants have mentioned to me, theyd like to add an outside patio for outdoor eating which would allow them to maintain the same number of customers which they cant do now and abide by the social distancing guidelines. The bill would also clarify that the current lender hold harmless provision relates to all Small Business administration and treasury guidance regarding p. P. P. Loans. This would ensure that our lenders, who in good faith followed federal guidance related to p. P. P. , would not be later held liable if the guidance subsequently changed. And id like to do a shoutout to our Small Community banks and Credit Unions in the state of maine. They have really stepped up to the plate for this program to serve the Small Businesses, the small employers in our state, the small nonprofits, and that has made a real difference to the employees of these establishments. And, finally, the bill would clarify that borrowers who have maintained payroll for eight weeks will not lose loan forgiveness due to the extension of the program to 16 weeks. Now, i would hope that that would be obvious, but we wanted to make sure that we were explicit. Mr. President , the Paycheck Protection Program is the single most critical Stimulus Program protecting main street america from the economic devastation of the measures taken to control the spread of covid19. The bill that we are introducing today strengthens the p. P. P. To reflect the evolving nature of this pandemic, the necessity of regulatory actions that have caused a great deal of economic harm but were necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. And i urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , seeing no one is seeking recognition, i would request the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell a few announcements for the information of all of our colleagues when we reconvene after meeting with our constituents and monitoring the Pandemic Response in our states, the senate will fill critical vacancies in the executive branch. This week we confirmed a new director of national intelligence, in a moment we will confirm a new secretary sef the navy. But our democratic colleagues would not allow us to fill several more posts at the pentagon. So as sadly has become the norm, the senate will be spending floor time and multiple roll call votes on each of the following, the deputy under the secretary of defense for policy. If you can believe this i also had to file cloture on the incoming Inspector General for the pandemic recovery. If we had a nickel, a nickel for every time our democratic colleagues have claimed that congressional oversight of the recovery programs was important, the cares act would have paid for itself. And yet democrats blocked the confirmation of the special Inspector General to look over the program this week. So the senate will prepare to confirm these qualified people the hard way. Three years and counting of democratic heal dragging heel dragging continues. There will be plenty legislative business before us as well. Senators will continue to monitor the Pandemic Response and discuss ways to help the nation pivot toward reopening and economic recovery. In addition, thanks to the hard work of Senators Gardner and daines, well be able to take up their bipartisan Great American outdoors act in the next work period. A milestone achievement to secure public lands and ensure their upkeep well into the future. And well have the National Defense authorization act so that we do not let this Pandemic Take our eye off the ball of our nations security. So well have much work to do in our home states next week. Well have much to do when we get back here after that. All around the nation americans are taking precautions but theyre continuing to show up to do essential jobs and keep the nation going. The senate is not going to be an exception to showing up. Now, mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of the following nomination, executive calendar 654. The presiding officer without objection, the clerk will report. The clerk agreement of defense, kenneth j. Braithwaite of pennsylvania to be secretary of the navy. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate, that if confirmed the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table and the president be needly notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. The question is on the nomination. All in favor say aye. Opposed no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The nomination is confirmed. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the environment and Public Works Committee be discharged from further consideration of p. N. Number 1608 and 1333 and the senate proceed to the consideration of the nominations en bloc. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection, the senate will proceed to the nomination consideration of the nomination en bloc. The clerk will report. The clerk Nuclear Regulatory commission, Christopher Hanson of michigan to be a member. David a. Wright of South Carolina to be a member. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the president be needly owe immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. The question is on the nomination the question is on the confirmation of the nomination en bloc. All in favor say aye. Opposed . The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The nominations are confirmed en bloc. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to consideration of executive calendar 691 and 692 with the exception of prestige and rivera, that the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered 345eud and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and the president be immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of executive calendar 658 through 688 and all nominations on the secretarys desk and the air force, army, marine corps and navy, the nominations be confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and the president be immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration and the senate now proceed to s. Res. 556. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 556 designating may 1, 2020, as United StatesForeign Service day and so forth. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. The committee is discharged. The senate will proceed. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate Resolutions which were submitted earlier today. S. Res. 597 through s. Res. 599. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measures en bloc . Without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Mcconnell i know of no further debate on the resolutions. The presiding officer is there further debate . If not all in favor say aye. Those opposed no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The resolutions are agreed to en bloc. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the preambles be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table all en bloc. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i understand there are two bills at the desk and i ask for their First Reading en bloc. The presiding officer the clerk will read the title also of the bills for the first time. S. 388 a bill for forgive the loan forgiveness period for the Paycheck Protection Program. 680 0rbgs an act making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2020 and for other purposes. Mr. Mcconnell i ask for its second reading and i object to my own request all en bloc. The presiding officer the objection having been heard, the bills will receive their second reading on the next legislative day. Mr. Mcconnell so now, mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its Business Today it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only with no business being conducted on the following dates and times and that following each pro forma session, the Senate Adjourn until the next pro forma session. Friday, may 22, 9 00 a. M. Tuesday, may 26, 9 30 a. M. Thursday, may 28, 11 00 a. M. I further ask when the Senate Adjourns on thursday, may 28, it next convene at 3 00 p. M. Monday, june 1 and that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. Further, upon the closing of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to resume the tipton nomination. Further, at 5 30, the senate resume consideration of the badalamenti nomination under the previous order. I finally notwithstanding the provisions of rule 22, monday, june 1 count as the intervening day with respect to cloture motions filed during todays session of the senate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell so if theres no further business to come before the senate, i ask it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of senator sullivan. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Sullivan mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from alaska. Mr. Sullivan mr. President , it is thursday, one of my favorite times in the week, because it is the time i get to come down on the senate floor and recognize an extraordinary alaskan who we refer to as the alaskan of the week. Now, memorial day is fast approaching, certainly one of the most sacred days in our nation throughout the year. And this weeks alaskan of the week, sharon long, its a day that is a particularly profound day. Sharon long is a gold star mother, lives in anchorage, and she remembers her son grant frazer every day of the year. But for her and her family and for so many people who knew grant, who served with grant, memorial day is a day when his memory is particularly honored. Mr. President , before i get into sharon longs story as well as the remarkable story of her son grant, let me talk a little bit about whats going on in alaska right now, as we and our country continue to face the challenges of this pandemic. Were doing pretty we will in our state medically, certainly. Things could of course change quickly. But the number of people infected by the virus is very slow. Businesses are starting to reopen. Life by no means is back to normal. And theres much that were going to need to do to recover from this virus and pandemic, which has very, very negatively impacted so many parts of the great state of alaskas economy. The energy sector, the tourism sector, Fishery Sector we will get through this stronger and more resilient, but its a challenging time. Mr. President , as you know, memorial day weekend commemorates many virtues of our nation service, selflessness and, of course, sacrifice. But memorial day also commemorates and inspires hope. And i know hope can be a bit hard to come by during these challenging times, but i dont think we have to go very far to see signs of hope in our great nation, in my great state. Hope is in the faces of those we love. In alaska, its in our mountains, in our glaciers, in our clear waters. Its also woven into the fabric of our country, the soul of our nation. Its at the very heart of who we are, and its been so throughout our history, often manifesting itself in the battles that have shaped our nation over decades, over centuries, that define so much of the american character and the people who fought those battles and died defending their nation who we commemorate this weekend. And hope is what sharon long and other gold star mothers throughout our state and nation love lost a child while defending america have to offer us. So let me tell you about sharons story. And about her son, marine corps Lance Corporal grant frazer, who gave his life for our nation. From seattle, sharon moved to our state to live with her aunt and uncle when she was just 16 years old. She graduated from West High School in anchorage, studied Political Science at alaska methodist university, which is now alaska pacific university, and embraced the great state of alaska with everything she had. It was a heady and exciting time in alaska. The prudhoe field on the north slope was just discovered, the biggest oilfield in north mesh the late 1960s, early 1970. One of the biggest land claims act in u. S. History was being debated and then passed right here on the floor of the United States senate. Alaska was a wide, open space that wanted the energy of my generation, sharon said, and she got to it. She got to work. She worked at the department of Natural Resources, an agency that i had the honor of being the former commissioner of. She worked for the joint federalstate Land Use Planning commission for alaska, inventorring the inventorying the abundant Natural Resources we have in our state. And she sand a girlfriend traveled the world for a year and landed at the end of her tour in d. C. She was young, broke, on a friends couch, and she came here and asked for and got a job with former alaska u. S. Senator mike gravel. Some might remember him here in the senate. She worked on Natural Resources for him. Eventually she made her way back home to alaska, met her husband, an air force anecessary theyllologist, james frazer, who made his way into private practice. Sharon helped run the office, and they had two wonderful children, grant and victoria. So who is grant frazer, her son . Popular at Service High School in anchorage where he graduated. He was an actor who loved the works of homar and shakespeare, he was a mountain biker, a seer, a pianist, a tennis player, he was lighthearted and miss chiefious and according to his marine brothers the only thing that could really rile him up is when they talked about his sister the way in which sometimes marines have the way of doing. You did not joke about his sister victoria, who by the way now is a professional soprano singer who has performed all over the world. So sharon and her husband james assumed that grant would become an athlete very is or a scholar very, very smart young man but shortly after 9 11, like so many patriotic Young Americans across our nation, he surprised his family and his friends when he announced he was joining the marines. No, no, no, no, sharon told her son. That isnt the plan. You are going to school now. He told his mom, mom, this isnt my scholarly time of leech. Im ready to serve and fight for my country, if need be. He knew he would thrive in the marines, and he did. He planned on coming back home to anchorage to work as a paramedic with the fire department. Grant and i briefly overlapped in the marine corps unit we both served in in alaska, fourth reconnaissance battalion, which was later deployed to iraq in 2005. On august 3, 2005, in anbar province, iraq, grant was on a mission, operation quick strike, to avenge the killing of his fellow marines that had happened just a few days earlier. He was riding in an amtrak vehicle on an attack into the city. They hit a massive improvised explosive device and was 22 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Now, i love our military, but lets face it sometimes it can be bureaucratic and boneheaded. It took 11 years and the tenacious work on the part of grants amazing mother, sharon, to finally get her son an appropriate burial across the street at arlington. Just two days before the funeral, i was sitting next to general joe dunford, the marine corps chairman of the joint chiefs of staff at a dinner. I told general dunford about grants heroism and about sharon longs heroic perseverance to get her son appropriately honored with a burial at arlington. On an overcast day september 30, 2016, grant frazer was put to rest among his brothers and sisters, our nations heroes who we honor this weekend at Arlington National cemetery. Family, friends, and especially United States marines from all across america came to that service to say goodbye to their friend. I was there, and when i got there, i was honored to see many marines, but one in particular who came to the funeral early and stayed till the very end the chairman of the joint chiefs, general dunford, attended in his dress blues out of respect for this young marine corps Lance Corporal. He later told me that when he read about what happened with grant, he couldnt sleep. He wanted to be at the funeral to honor grants sacrifice and that of his family, especially his mother, sharon. General dunford stayed after most others had left to talk to sharon long, grants mother, and his marine corps brothers. I dont live very far from here, the general told sharon. I will be checking in on grant from time to time. Now, mr. President , ive been to a lot of funerals in my marine corps career. But this was the most moving funeral ive ever attended. Not because of the presence of a fourstar general and chairman of the joint chiefs, general dun forks the most powerful u. S. General dunford, the most powerful u. S. Military officer . The world really. Not because of the serendipitous presence of the marine captain in charge of the arlington burial honor guard whose twin brother was one of the fallen marines who grant frazer had been sent to avenge the day he was killed 11 years earlier. It was so moving on that day because on that day rank didnt matter, medals didnt matter. That day we were all just americans grieving the loss of one of our own. Miss chiefious, smart marine corps Lance Corporal grant frazer, an actor, an alaskan, a brother, a son, and it was so moving because of the dignity, grace, and beautiful determination exhibited by sharon long, who epitomizes the love, the suffering, and quiet sacrifice of so many gold star mothers across our country, especially this weekend. Sharon stays in touch with grants marine corps brothers. They call her on mothers day. They send her flowers, invite her to their weddings, their kids birthday parties. Two of them showed up at their family home when sharons daughter victoria we already talked about and her date were headed to prom. They needed to make sure grant would be, would have approved of victorias date. Im sure victoria appreciated that. Grant would have been in the same place in life as these young men are now. As one of them said to sharon, i came back home from iraq to live the life grant couldnt. And sharon is proud of all the men and women who have served, who serve with grant, who continue to serve. She understands their calling. She understands their camaraderie. These incredible warriors in our nation give her hope. With men and women like that, sharon has said, quote, how could you not be proud of this country . How could you not be optimistic about this country . Mr. President , the lives of hundreds of thousands of americas sons and daughters have been lost fighting for our great nation, and on memorial day theyre in the hearts of all americans. Theyre in the hearts of all alaskans. Theyre in the hearts of all gold star families. And theyre in the hearts of sharon long and her family. Like gold star mothers all across the country and in our great state, sharon was fiercely determined to advocate for her son. She sacrificed much but never gave up, and neither will we ever give up on them, on them, or their memory, which we commemorate this weekend. Sharon longs actions were called in the memorial day words of president reagan in 1985 after placing a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier, a place that is not far from grant frazers eternal resting place. As president reagan said, if words cannot repay the debt we owe these men and women, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and final sacrifice. Our first obligation to them and ourselves is plain enough. The United States and the freedom for which it stands and the freedom for which they died must endure and prosper. Their lives remind us that freedom is not bought cheaply. It has costs. It imposes burdens. And just as they, whom we commemorate, were willing to sacrifice so much, so too must we in a less and final and less heroic way be willing to give of ourselves for our nation. Thank you, sharon long, for your brave sacrifice, for your dignified determination, for your hope which gives us hope as we head into another sacred memorial day weekend, thank you for being our alaskan of the week. Mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that my following remarks appear in a different section of the congressional record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Sullivan mr. President , i would like to speak about the due process protections act which was sponsored by myself and senator durbin of illinois and which passed the United States senate last night unanimously. I want to thank my colleagues for their support for this simple but important bill. In fact, the due process protections act is so simple that it really probably shouldnt be necessary. But believe me, it is necessary unfortunately it is necessary, and i was pleased that this body passed it last night. Mr. President , let me explain. The due process clause of the u. S. Constitution as interpreted by the United StatesSupreme Court in the landmark decision brady vs. Maryland requires that prosecutors turn over all material evidence favorable to the defense. Thats what a fair trial is about. The prosecutor has exculpatory evidence as we call it. You need to make sure the defense has it. This is such a bedrock element of our criminal Justice System and constitutional due process that the name of this kind of evidence is simply now called brady evidence, after the case brady vs. Maryland. Now the vast majority of the federal prosecutors and, by the way, f. B. I. Agents who work in our criminal Justice System are patriots, many are veterans, they work day in, day out to keep us safe and abide by their constitutional duties and obligations. And they do turn brady evidence over to the defense as theyre required to do by the constitution. The sad fact is, mr. President , some prosecutors dont do this. Some choose instead to win at all costs by taking shortcuts. Not justice, but shortcuts. And when i say shortcuts, im talking about violating a defendants Constitutional Rights. The prevalence of these violations is not easy to quantify. These brady violations as we call them. One study and im not vouching for the accuracy stated, and this was a study called the National Registry of exonerations, stated that from 1989 to 2017, prosecutors concealed exculpatory evidence at trial in half of all murder exonerations. That fact if that statistic is even remotely true, it is outrageous and needs to stop. Now, mr. President , such potential brady violations have once again been in the news with thes ciewtion of form with the prosecution of former National Security advisor michael flynn, general michael flynn. Theres all kinds of articles out there. I recently wrote the head of the f. B. I. About this very issue, about the potential brady violations by federal pros prosecutors that appears to have taken place in this prosecution. What that has done in my state, mr. President , is it has opened old wounds, old wounds and difficult memories. My colleagues here, every single one of them remember the late great senator ted stevens of alaska. As a matter of fact, his portrait is right off the senate floor, an incredible new portrait that we just put there recently. He was charged by federal prosecutors with making false statements and was convicted very prior to his reelection, which he lost because of the conviction by prosecutors. Not long after the conviction, it started to become apparent that there was prosecutorial misconduct in that very highprofile case. So the trial judge in that case appointed a special prosecutor to investigate this, and there was a report that came out in 2012 by the Justice Department, by the special prosecutor that was highly critical of the prosecutors and the f. B. I. s conduct. In particular, mr. President , they withheld all kinds of brady evidence. Just six months after senator stevens conviction, it was revealed that federal prosecutors had concealed numerous pieces of evidence that very likely could have resulted in his acquittal. Among the more egregious examples and there were manya witness whose testimony would have supported senator stevens, the government flew the witness home to alaska. Thats pretty pathetic. The prosecution also concealed that its star witness who was testifying against senator stevens had an illegal sexual relationship with an underage woman whom he had asked to lie about the relationship. And to this day, to this very day there are still questions about whether the federal government offered that star witness in exchange for his testimony, leniency on not prosecuting him for violating the man act. Still questions to this day. The special prosecutor that the district judge appointed to investigate the prosecutorial misconduct in the stevens case found that the Justice Department lawyers had committed, quote, deliberate and systemic ethical violations by withholding Critical Evidence pointing to senator stevens innocence. Thats the Justice Departments special prosecutor determining just how corrupt the Justice Department was in prosecuting and convicting ted stevens. Yet, the special prosecutor who investigated all this also found that the District Court judge was powerless to act against the wrongdoers, the corrupt prosecutors, because the District Court had not issued a direct written court order at the beginning of the trial requiring the prosecutors to abide by their ethical and constitutional obligations as laid out in brady vs. Maryland. Now, its a bit remarkable because every law student knows you learn brady vs. Maryland your first year in law school. But somehow these prosecutors over across the street at the Justice Department forgot about it, and they were going to be punished but the system of justice said you cant punish them because they didnt know. Because the judge didnt tell them. Again, mr. President , im not sure we even need a law to deal with this, but like i said, unfortunately we do. As you can imagine, this was maddening to the people of alaska. Those who violated senator stevens Constitutional Rights and, by the way, forever changed the Political Landscape not just in alaska, but in america. Dont get me going about what happened there. That these prosecutors couldnt even be held accountable and were not held accountable because they werent instructed by the District Court about the brady evidence requirements that they learned in law school their first year. So in response to the stevens case and due to growing concerns about the unfortunate frequency of brady evidence violations by prosecutors, a number of Federal District judges began issuing specific local rules or Standing Orders that explicitly remind prosecutors of what they learn in their first year in law school, which is you have to turn over brady evidence. But the federal Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the rules of criminal procedure procedure so essentially the judges that advise on the rules have consistently declined to require all federal courts to do the same. So right now all federal courts dont have to issue instructions on brady evidence. Well, today, mr. President , congress is beginning to change all of this. My bill, which passed last night unanimously, the due process protections act, codifies this practice and requires it of every federal judge nationwide by amending rule 5 of the federal rules of criminal procedure to require a judge issue a written order to prosecution and defense counsel that confirms that disclosure obligations of the prosecutor under brady vs. Maryland and its progeny under every criminal case. Now our bill allows each judicial district flexibility to promulgate their own model rule, but they have to do it. Congress is telling them that they have to do it so they will do it. Having this Standing Order in place will explicitly remind the prosecution of their obligations making it a priority to protect the due process of all americans, including defendants, and it will provide for quicker recourse upon discovering any brady violations that occur. Now, mr. President , we obviously cant undo what happened to the late great senator stevens nor can we undo all the harm that it has caused to my state, my constituents, and really the people across america who have also been victims of these kind of violations because it undermines trust in our system of justice. But Going Forward we can work to stem the corrosive effects to our democracy when prosecutors dont abide by their constitutional obligations. We can work to ensure our system of justice, the foundation of american democracy is stronger and fairer for all, and thats what the due process protections act will do. So i want to thank the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, lindsey graham, for helping facilitate this bills passage, my colleague, senator durbin, who was my original cosponsor of this bill, and the other cosponsors, senators lee from utah, booker from new jersey, cornyn from texas, and whitehouse from rhode island, and hall from kentucky. That is about as broad of a political array political spectrum in the u. S. Senate, democrats and republicans, who believe in this issue, and thats why i think it is so important. Our system of justice will be fairer once our bill passes the house and is signed into law by the president , and i just want to thank my colleague, all my colleagues, who voted for this he necessary for this necessary and important and simple piece of legislation. And unfortunately, we need that unfortunately we need in america today. I yield the floor. The presiding officer under the previous order, the Senate Stands adjourned until tomorrow atident . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell all month the senate has been on the job senate has been on the job omotoso that has been on the job attending to the needs of our country. We legislated confirmed nominees and we held major hearings and conducted oversight in the historic responsibility and. Yesterday we learned that our Senate Action continued to contrast with her absentee neighbors across the ropes onto. While the central central workers across the country continue to clock in the Democratic House of representatives essentially put itself on paid leave for a month. Since early days of this crisis the selfdescribed