People we are privileged to represent. Mr. President , i yield the floor and i would note the absence of quorum. Mr. President , its thursday, one of my favorite times in the week it has its time i get to come down on the senate floor and recognize an extraordinary alaskan and 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 along, its a day that is a particularly profound day. Sharon long is a gold star mother who lives in anchorage, and she remembers her son grant fraser 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 p particularly honore. Mr. President , before i hit into her story as well as the remarkable story of her son, grant, let me talk livid about whats going on in alaska right now, as we and our country continue to face the challenges of this pandemic. We are doing pretty well in our state, medically certainly. Things could change quickly. We remain vigilant as estate, but the number of people infected by the virus is very low. Businesses are starting to reopen. Life i know means is back to normal. Theres much that were going to need to do to recover from this. Virus and pandemic which has very, very v negatively impacted so many parts of the great state of alaskas economy. The energy sector, tourism sector, fisheryor 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 do 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 face of those we love. Its in alaska, in our mounds, in our glaciers and dinner 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 defined so much of the a american character and the people who fought those battles and died defending their nation who we commemorate this weekend. And hope is what shared long and other gold star mothers throughout our state, and nation, who have 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 fraser 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 if she graduated from West High School in anchorage, studied Political Science at alaska methodist university, which is now alaska the civic university, and embraced the great state of alaska with everything she had. It was a heady and exciting time in alaska. Prudhoe bay oilfield on the north slope was just discovered. Biggest oilfield in north america if this is the late 1960s, early 1970s. They alaska native claims settlement act of 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 place that one of 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 landuse Planning Commission for alaska, inventorying the abundant worldclass Natural Resources we have in our state. And she and her girlfriend traveled the world for your for and landed at the end of her tour in d. C. She was young, broke, on a friends couch, and she came here and ask for and got a job with former alaska u. S. Senator mike ravel. Some might remember him here in the m senate. She worked oned natural resourcs for r him. Eventually, she made herly way back home to alaska, met her husband, an air force anesthesiologist, 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 fraser . Son, popular at Service High School in anchorage or he graduate. He was an actor who loved the works of homer and shakespeare. He was a mountain biker, a skier, a pianist, a scuba diver, a rock climber, a tennis player picky was lighthearted and mischievous, and according to his marine brothers, the only thing that could really rile him up is when the talked about his sister the way which sometimes remains unfortunately have a habit of doing. He was a m fiercely loyal broth. You did not joke about his sister, victoria, who by the way not as a professional soprano singer who has performed all over theor world. So sharon and her husband james assume that grant would become an athlete maybe or a scholar, a 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,n. No, sharon told hr son. That isnt the plan. You are going to school, now. He told his mom, mom, this isnt my scholarly time of life. Im ready to serve and fight for my country, if need be. He knew he would thrive in the marines, and did it. He planned on coming back home in anchorage to work as a paramedic with the fire department. Grant and i briefly overlapped in the marine corps unit we both served in an alaska, echo Company Fourth reconnaissance battalion, which was later deployed to iraq in 2005. On august 3, 2005, in anbar province,r iraq, grant was on a mission, operation quick strike, to avenge the killing of his fellow marines that it happened just a few days earlier. He was riding in an amtrak vehicle on an attack into the city when a massive improvised to explosive device and he 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, toly finally get her son and appropriate aerial across the street at arlington. Just two daysef before the funeral, i was sitting next to general joe dunford, the marine corps chairman of thefs joint chiefs of staff at the dinner. I told general dunford about grants heroism and about sharon longs heroic perseverance to get her son a properly honored with a burial at arlington. On an overcast day, september 30, 2016, grant fraser was put to rest among his brothers and sisters, our nations heroes, who we honor this weekend at Arlington National cemetery. Family, friends,ds and especialy 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 you read about what happened with the 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 othersmo had left to talk o sharon long, grandmother, 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 , been to a my marineerals in corps career, ive been but this was the most moving funeral ive ever attended. Not because of the presence of a 4star general and chairman of the joint chiefs, general dunford, the most powerful u. S. Military officer in america, in 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 ofle the followg marines who grant fraser had been sent to avenge the day he was killed 11 years earlier. It was so moving on that day because onha that day rank didnt matter, metals didnt matter. That day we were all just americans grieving the loss of one of our own. Mischievous, smart or wrinkle or Lance Corporal grant fraser, an actor, and alaskan, a brother, a son, and it was so moving because of the dignity, grace and the default determination exhibited i sharon long, who epitomizes the love, suffering, and quite 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 sent her flowers, invite her to their weddings, to their kidsti birthday parties. Two of them showed up at their family home when sharon to daughter, victoria, we already talked about, and her date were headed to prom. They needed to make sure grant wood have approved of victorias date. Im sure victoria appreciated that. Grant what event 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 served with t 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 americans sons and daughters have been lost fighting for our great nation, and on memorial day they are in the hearts of all americans. They are in the hearts of all alaskans. They are inr the hearts of all gold star families, and they are 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 him, 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 two of the unknown soldier, a place that is not far from grant frasers 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 and a last and final unless 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 help 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 asken unanimous consent that my following remarks appear in a different section of the congressional record. Without objection. 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 c thank my colleagues for their support, for the 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 has to 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 versus 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 n 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 v. Maryland. Now, the vast majority of the federal prosecutors, and by the way, fbi 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 either constitutional duties and obligations. Do turn brady evidence over to the defense as they are required to do by the constitution. But 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 the defendants constitutional rights. The prevalence of these violations is not easy to quantify, these brady violations as we call b them. Study, and im not vouching for the accuracy, stated, and this was a study called the National Registry of exonerations, stated that from 1989ro2017, prosecutors concead exculpatory evidence at trial in half of all murder exonerations. If that fact, if that statistic is even remotely true, it is outrageous and needs to stop. Now, mr. President , suchti potential brady violations have once again beenin in the news wh the prosecution of former National Security adviser michael flynn, general michael flynn. Theres all kinds of articles now out there. I recently wrote ahead of the fbi on this very issue about the potential brady violations by federal prosecutors that appear to have taken place in this prosecution. And what that is done in my state, mr. President , is that it is opened old wounds, old wounds, andnd difficult memorie. My colleagues here, every single one of them, remember the late great senator ted stevens of alaska. As a matter fact, his portrait is right off the senate floor, an incredible new portrait that we just put their 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 high profile case. So the trial judge in that case appointed a special prosecutor to investigateto 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 fbisnd 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 many, rather than call a witness whose testimony would have supported senator stevens, the government flew the witness home to alaska. Thats pretty pathetic. The prosecutionth 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 are not persecute prosecuting him for the mann act. Still questions to this day. The special prosecutor of the district judge appointed to investigate the prosecutorial misconduct in the stevens case foundad 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 Department 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 either ethical and constitutional obligations as laid out in brady v. Maryland. Now, its a bit remarkable because every lost it knows you learn brady v. Maryland your first year in law school. But some of 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, that those who violated senator stevens constitutional rights, and by the way, forever change the Political Landscape not just in alaska but in america, dont give me going about what happened there, that these prosecutors couldnt even be held accountable, and were not held accountable because they were not instructed by the District Court about the brady evidence requirements that eluded law school their first year. So when response to the stevens case and due to growing concerns about the unfortunate frequency of brady evidence relations 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 the first year of law school, which is you have to turn over brady evidence. But the federal Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the rules of criminal procedure, so essentially judges that advise on the rules, have consistently declined t to reque 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 this. My bill, which passed last night, unanimously, the due process protections act, codifies this practice and requires it up every federal judge nationwide by amending rule five of the federal rules of criminal procedure to require judge issue an oral or written order to prosecution and defense counsel that confirms the disclosure obligations of the prosecutor under brady v. Maryland and its prodigy. Thats closing from ideal. At the beginning of every criminal case. Now, our bill allows each flexibility to promulgate their own model rule, but they have to r do it. Congress is telling them 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 is caused to my state, my constituents and believe the people across america will also been victims of these kind of violation 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 obligation. We can work to ensure our system of justice, the foundation of american democracy is stronger and fair for all, 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, with my original cosponsor of this bill, and the other cosponsors, senators lee from utah, booker from new jersey, cornyn from texas, white house from rhode island, and paul from kentucky. And, mr. President , you know those senators. That is about as broad a political array in terms of the political spectrum in america and the aesthetic, democrats and republicans, who believe in this issue, and thats what i think its so important. Our system of justice will be more fair once a bill passes the house the house and a signed into law by thene president , and i just want to thank my, colleagues, all my colleagues, who voted for this necessary and important and simple piece of a legislation. And, unfortunately, we need in america today. I yield the floor. Watch cspan sedately unfiltered coverage of the government response to the coronavirus pandemic with briefings from the white house, congress, and governors from across the country. Plus join in a in the conversan our live callin Program Washington journal, and if you missed any of our live coverage watch anytime ondemand at cspan. Org coronavirus. This memorial day weekend on booktv, saturday at 3 25 p. M. Eastern bestselling eastern bestselling author James Patterson talks about his efforts to assist bookstores impacted by the coronavirus plus his latest book, the house of kennedy. Watch booktv this memorial day weekend on cspan2. Sunday night on q a, historian jeff quinn discusses his book the vagabonds about the summer trips taken by henry ford and thomas edison. The idea came that they would take a car trip into the everglades. There would be lots of exotic plants and animal life in would be an adventure. It was pointed out to them does not really roadster and is dangerous and alligators and worse, and people could die. But they knew better. The trip lasted a day and half. That was a monsoon. There were snakes. There were alligators. They fled, but they like the idea, and so it came about that they would take the trip once a year if they could, but with a little bit of planning for disaster less living. Sunday night at 8 p. M. Eastern on cspans q a. Cspan has unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court and Public Policy events from the president ial primaries through the impeachment process. And now the federal response to the coronavirus. You can watch all of cspans Public Affairs programming on television, online, or listen on our free radio app and be part of the National Conversation through cspans daily Washington Journal Program or through our social media feeds here cspan, created by americas cabletelevision companies as a public service, and brought to you today by your television provider. The u. S. Senate is getting ready to gavel in on this friday morning. This is the first of three pro forma sessions being held during their weeklong memorial day holiday recess. Senators are returning to the home states and will work from there. One senator has been assigned to chair the days short meeting. Legislative work will resume on monday june 1. We will take you live to the senate in just a moment