Vote the presiding officer on this vote, the yeas are 90, the nays are 7. Threefifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for arkansas. Mr. Cotton our country faces real challenges today. For example, antiamerican mobs are roaming the streets in many cities, tearing down statues of our greatest statesmen, men like abraham lincoln, u. S. Grant, and george washington, after whom this capital city is named. For the but the democrats arent doing anything about that problem. Oh, no, on the contrary, the mob is in many ways the Youth Movement of the Democratic Party. So they are perfectly content to look the other way. Or even cheer it on. I mean, have you heard joe biden, chuck schumer, nancy pelosi denounce the mob violence we see in our streets . Me either. But instead, the democrats have found another pressing issue. The house is voting tomorrow on a bill to make washington, d. C. A state. If that sounds insane, youre not alone. More than twothirds of the American People oppose d. C. Statehood, according to a gallup poll last summer. By some estimates, d. C. Statehood is less popular even than defunding the police. So why are the democrats pushing for it . The answer is simple. Power. The democrats want to make washington a state because they want two new Democratic Senators in perpetuity. The democrats are angry at the American People for refusing to give them total control of the government for going on a decade now, so they want to give the swamp as many senators as your state has. They want to make washington a state to rig the rules of our democracy and try to give the Democratic Party permanent power. But in doing so, the democrats are committing an act of historical vandalism as grotesque as those committed by jacobin mobs roaming our streets. In their rush to make washington a state, they disregard the clear warnings of our founding fathers. If the democrats succeed in forcing through d. C. Statehood, they will do so only as a narrow faction that scorns the history of our country and seizes power against the will of the people who want washington to remain what it has been for more than 200 years a federal city, our nations capital. The District Of Columbia is unusual although not unique among capitals of the world in that it didnt grow naturally over the centuries but was purpose built as the capital of our nation. The founders created washington as a federal city so that the operations of government would be safe and free from domination by the states around it. James madison wrote in federalist 43 that the indispensable necessity of complete authority at the seat of government carries its own evidence with it. Its so obvious as to be selfevident. Without complete control over its territory, madison wrote the government might be insulted in its proceedings erupted with impunity. Hostile magistrates or angry mob might interfere with the peoples elected representatives or even usurp the government. This was no abstract concern for the founders. Just five years before madison wrote those words, several hundred mutinous soldiers assailed the congress in philadelphia where it met at the time. They issued demands to congress for money and wantonly pointed their muskets at independence hall. Pennsylvanias governor rejected congress pleas for help, saying hed wait until the mob committed some actual outrages on persons or property, before sending in the state militia. Congress ultimately had to adjourn and flee to new jersey while washington sent in troops to put down the mutiny. This mutiny was an insult, an interruption of the sort madison refers to in federalist 43. The founders made washington, d. C. Independent so that the federal government would never again be at the mercy of a mob or a hostile state. The wisdom of this decision was on display just days ago when violate riots erupted near the white house, setting fire to an Historic Church and committing other acts of vandalism and destruction across the city. Those riots were contained thanks to an impressive show of force by federal Law Enforcement officers under federal control. One can only imagine how much worse the destruction would have been if those federal officers hadnt been there. If most of washington was under the control not of the federal government but of a leftwing politician like Muriel Bowser who frequently takes the side of rioters against Law Enforcement. Would you trust mayor bowser to keep washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor . Would you trust marion barry . More important, should we risk the safety of our capital on such a gamble . Of course the democrats will argue that the statehood bill doesnt entirely eliminate federal control of washington because it preserves a small Federal District that encompasses the white house, the capitol, the Supreme Court, library of congress, the National Mall and a few other government buildings. What a humbling demotion from the grand federal city that president washington and Pierre Lenfant envisioned more than 200 years ago which they hoped to rival paris in size and ambition. By contrast, look at this ridiculous map. Look at it. The democrats propose to turn washington into little more than a gerrymandered government theme park surrounded on all sides by a new state, controlled of course by the democrats. The federal governments safety and independence cannot be assured by such a laughable district. Again, look at it. Its got 90 sides. A mere city block, less than 200 yards separates the white house from the proposed boundaries of a new state, governed at prept by a politician at present by a politician who hates the president. The Supreme Court and several Congressional Office buildings are right at the edge of the map, separated from the new Democratic State by the width of a single city street. In the event of an emergency like the philadelphia mutiny of 1783, those boundaries could jeopardize the operations of the federal government. Consider also whats not included in this ridiculous new map of a new washington, d. C. The headquarters of the department of Homeland Security would be outside the federal governments control, as would be the headquarters of the f. B. I. And the f. C. C. , which governs all communications in the country. The seat of government would be separated for the first time from its military bases, fort mcnair in southwest washington, the Marine Barracks in southeast washington, and Bowling Air Force base across the and bolling it air force base. Washingtons 200 embassies would no longer be in the Federal District but in the democrats new state giving it unusual prominence in foreign affairs, precisely the special treatment the founders hoped to avoid by creating a federal city. And while the proposed Federal District would have access to a single power plant, undoubtedly it would rely on the democrats new state for many basic utilities. Not just power, but water, siewblg, sewage and telecommunications. It would also rely on the new state as well as virginia for access by land. The Civil Servants and officers of the federal government would have no choice but to reside in a different state on which they would wholly depend for access to the federal zone. These may seem like minor or obscure problems, and at peaceful times maybe they are. But recognize the truth. The government of the most powerful nation in the world wouldnt have control of Critical Infrastructure necessary for its own safety, functioning, and independence in a crisis. Maybe that seems like a remote danger, although one should think better after the riots earlier this month. To say nothing of a civil war itself. When our seat of government faced imminent danger of encirclement by hostile forces, in fact the danger was so severe that president lincoln wanted washington to be enlarged, not diminished, to include the area south of the potomac that was retro creeded to virginia in 1846. He said the present insurrection shows i think the extension of this District Across the potomac at the time of establishing the capitol here was eminently wise and consequently that the relinquishment of that portion of it which lies in the state of virginia was unwise and dangerous. How much more unwise and dangerous would it be to shrink the Federal District even further, to just a few buildings in a 90sided map . But thats exactly what the democrats propose to do. And those are just the practical and prudential problems. D. C. Statehood also presents a grave constitutional conundrum. Attorneys general as diverse as Bobby Kennedy and ed meese understood that the 23rd amendment to our constitution forecloses the democrats proposals. It gave washington residents a meaningful vote in president ial elections. The amendment grants three electoral votes to in its own words, the district constituting the seat of government in the United States. But of course the democrats new state would also be entitled to its own three electoral votes. Yet, if the 23rd amendment isnt repealed, the rump Federal District will retain its three electoral votes. The practical effect would be to increase the swamps electoral power in president ial elections. Even the candidacy ral democrats cant i go even the radical democrats cant ignore this problem. Their bill calls for the swift repeal of the 23rd amendment but they would allow washington to become a state before the amendment is repealed. But theres no assurance that the amendment would actually be repealed. The constitution has only been amended on 18 occasions in our nations history. Its not a walk in the park in the best of times, yet the democrats want you to think that they can pull off an amendment to alter the Electoral College in the midst of a president ial election. And in the meantime, d. C. Statehood along with the 23rd amendment will lead to absurd consequences. This small Federal District with three electoral votes would have virtually no residents. In fact, as far as i can tell, the only residents in the district is right here, the white house. So if the house passes this bill tomorrow and the senate were to approve it for the president s signature, then donald and Melania Trump need only change their Voter Registration from florida to washington to get their own, their very own three electoral votes. I cant help but think this isnt what nancy pelosi had in mind. Even putting aside these practical and constitutional problems with d. C. Statehood, though, we return to a basic truth. Washington is a city with all the characteristics of a city. Not a state. Washington doesnt have the size or diversity of interest of even the smallest of the 50 states. Consider washingtons size. At just shy of 70 square miles, d. C. Is 18 times smaller be than the smallest state in the union, rhode island. But of course the democrats say size doesnt matter. What matters is population. Washington has just over 700,000 residents, more than wyoming and vermont, and about as many as alaska. Doesnt this qualify washington as a state . Well, if it did, wed need a lot more states because washington is just the 20th largest city in the country. If washington deserves to be a state at 700,000 residents, how much more does new york city deserve to be its own state at eight million residents . Perhaps bill de blasio should trade out his title from mayor to governor all the better to battle his nemisis andrew cuomo on equal terms. But lets not give the democrats any bright ideas. What about jacksonville, florida, at more than 900,000 residents . Shouldnt we have a state of jackson to accompany the new state of washington . We all know that wont do. Jacksonville is governed by a republican and the democrats have canceled andrew jackson. Washington also doesnt have the diversity of interest and Financial Independence that madison explained were necessary for a wellfunctioning state. Yes, wyoming is smaller than washington by population, but it has three times as many workers in mining, logging and construction, and ten times as many workers in manufacturing. In other words, wyoming is a wellrounded workingclass state. A new state of washington would not be. What about alaska . It provides more than 60 of the nations seafood, and its vital geography both protects the population with Defense Systems and enables us to check russian and chinese ambitions in the arctic. But what Vital Industries would the new state of washington represent . Lobbying . Bureaucracy . Give me a break. By far, the Largest Group of workers in the city are bureaucrats and other whitecollar professionals. This state would be nothing more than a pennedage of the federal government a pendage of the federal government. Faced with these insuperable facts, the democrats will retreat to the claim that its not fair for washington to pay taxes but not be represented in congress. Washington residents, they say, get a raw deal. No taxation without representation, as their license plates proclaim. But of course this is backwards. As our nations capital, the District Of Columbia is represented by the very fact of its privileged position and it reaps the benefits of that privilege. For every 1 that District Residents pay in taxes, they get 4 back in federal spending. Thats more than any of the 50 states. Nor is washington unique in its relationship to congress. Just like other territories, puerto rico, the u. S. Virgin islands, american somoa and guam, washington as a nonVoting Member of congress who is empowered to introduce legislation, advocate it on the house floor and sit on committees. Washingtons delegate introduced the very bill that democrats plan to vote on tomorrow to create this ridiculous Federal District. If its a special indignity for washington residents not to have a Voting Member of congress, is it also an indignity for the 55,000 residents of american somoa . Should they get two senators as well . Once again, though, lets not give the democrats any bright ideas. They already want to make puerto rico a state. But all of my observations about the practical effects and constitutional obstacles in the end give too much credit to what the democrats are really up to, a naked power grab. Democrats in congress are advocating d. C. Statehood against the will of the American People, including the will of democratic voters, a majority of whom oppose d. C. Statehood. Democratic politicians are pushing for this radically unpopular idea not because its a sound idea, but because theyre angry that they dont win every election under the current rules. So they want to change the rules. If you doubt this whole endeavor is about power, consider that the democrats could just as easily call for retroceding the District Of Columbia to maryland. This would give washington residents the voting power in congress that is supposedly at the heart of this matter. A Voting Member of the house probably of its own and representation in the senate. Theres even historical precedent for retrocession, unlike turning the Federal District into a state. But retrocession wouldnt give the democrats their real aim, two Democratic Senators in perpetuity to rubber stamp the swamps agenda. So you wont hear them talk about that. Also consider the democrats other big ideas as of late. Youll see a startling theme. Earlier this week the junior senator from delaware expressed his openness to ending the legislative filibuster in the senate, even though he wrote the letter demanding that we preserve the filibuster. Having two more Democratic Senators would be awfully handy tobltions goal. To that goal. The democrats had a scheme to abolish the Electoral College so liberal cities can pick the president from now on. They want to pack the Supreme Court so liberal activists never lose again at the highest courts in our land. These proposals have constitutional problems as glaring as d. C. Statehood but the Democratic Party pushes forward nevertheless because their goal is to accumulate as much power as possible and never relinquish it. This week the mob comes for washington. His statue, his history, and now his city. We must oppose this destructive campaign here in the senate, just as it is opposed by a majority of the American People across the country. Mr. President , i yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator for maryland. Mr. Cardin thank you, mr. President. This sunday will mark a grim anniversary. On june 28, 2018, a 38yearold man who held a longtime grudge against the Capital Gazette newspaper in maryland for reporting about him made good on his sworn throats. He entered the newspapers office, headed to the newsroom and deliberately shot and killed five employees of this community newspaper. The Capital Gazette is the local paper of record in annapolis. It is one of the oldest, continuously published newspapers in the United States. It traces its roots back to the maryland gazette which began publishing in 1727 and the capital which was founded in 1884. Two years later, the senseless loss of life remains so personal to so many people in annapolis and around the state. You need to understand that the Capital Gazette is as much a part of the fabric of annapolis as the State Government that it covers better than anyone in the business. Today it still carries out that Mission Better than anyone else with an added priority of covering gun violence that continues to plague this country and efforts to reduce gun violence and increase public safety. As i did two years ago, i want to take a moment to mourn those we lost and to thank the First Responders who appeared on the scene literally 60 seconds after the 911 call. On this day two years ago, Anne Arundel Police officers happened to be down the street from the Capital Gazette office when the shooting started. Their location and Fast Response most definitely saved lives. According to the Anne Arundel Police chief, within two minutes, the police department, the Annapolis Police department and the anne arundel Sheriffs Office rushed into the office, into the newsroom and apprehended the gunman. State and federal Law Enforcement personnel from the federal bureau of investigation, the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives, and many other agencies quickly arrived to support local officials in their efforts to clear the building and meticulously investigate the scene. I want to thank chief atlimere and every one of the officers who did their job and contributed to the Emergency Response and i want to acknowledge again the victims. Gerald fischman, servings an editor with more than 25 years of service with the Capital Gazette, wellknown at the newspaper and throughout the community for his brilliant mind and wright. Most often he was the voice and his insightfulness that came through on the pages of the Capital Gazette. Rich hutzel described him as someone whose life was committed to protecting our community by telling hard truths. Rob hiaas sext n was a storyteller who brought compassion and humor to his reporting. He was a coach and a mentor to many. According to the former Baltimore Sun columnist susan reemer, he was so happy working with young journalists, wanted to create a newsroom where everyone was growing. John mcin a mara was an avid sportsman who combined his passions in his 24year career as Sports Reporter at the Capital Gazette. Former Capital GazetteSports EditorJerry Jackson when remember him said, he could write, he could edit, he could design pages, he was just a jack of all trades. And a fantastic person. Rebecca smith, age 34, with a as newly hired Sales Assistant known his kindness, compassion and love for her family. A friend of described becca as the absolute most beautiful person with the biggest heart and called her death a great loss to this world. Wendi winters, age 65, with a as talented writer to built her career as a Public Relations professional and journalist, wellknown for her profound reporting on the lives and achievements of people in the community. She was a Proud Navy Mom and navy daughter. Wendi saved lives during the attack. She confronted and distracted the gunman throwing whatever she could find around her at him. As the up in noted, wenda died protecting her friends but also in defense of her newsroom from a murderous assault. W endi died protecting freedom of the press. My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the families of these five wonderful people. The surviving Staff Members also deserve our continued prayers and praise for their resilience and dedication as journalists. During and after the attack, the staff continued to report by tweet, sharing information to those outside, taking photos and documenting information as they would any other crime scene. Despite their grief, shock, anger, and mourning, their surviving staff with the help of her sister publication, the Baltimore Sun and other reporters who wanted to lend a hand to fellow journalists put out a paper the next morning, as they have done every day since. The staff fittingly left the editorial page blank that day after the shooting, but for these few words today we are speechless. This page is intentionally left blank to commemorate the victims of thursdays shooting at our office. The staff promised that on saturday the page would return to a steady purpose of offering rears informed opinions about the world around him that they might be better citizens. And they carried that out. Our constitution, which establishes the rule of law in this country, grants us certain rights and responsibilities freedom of the press, central to the very First Amendment of the constitution, has often been under attack figuratively speaking since our nations founding. Today those attacks have become more frequent and theyre not just figurative anymore. Theyre physical. These attacks are spurred on by dangerous rhetoric that has created an open season on the media for doing its job. Asking questions that need to be asked, investigating stories that need to be investigated, and bringing needed transparency to the halls of power whether they are in annapolis, washington, d. C. , or anywhere in this country. In 2018 after the shooting at the Capital Gazette, the United States was for the first time added to the list of the most deadly countries for journalists. In an annual report by the group reporters without borders. President trumps rhetoric calling the media an enemy of the American People certainly has been harmful. Ive said this before and i will keep saying it the president s language is dangerous. It has gone beyond the pale and he needs to stop it. As jason reticen wrote in the Washington Post after the shooting, donald trump didnt create the problem of hostility to journalists, but he exploits it. He went on to say, thats true, too, of the leader of other countries who often call the reporters National Security threats and enemies of the people. And we must be vigilant in standing up to these empty accusations. In the United States, physical attacks on the media have grown so troublesome that the committee to protect journalists, a nonprofit, actually started a u. S. Freedom tracker to show the scope of the problem. So far in 2020 there have been 107 journalists attacked and 36 arrested. In the United States. Instead of attacking the free press, we need to be honoring it. Towards that end, ive introduced a bill, s. 1969, to establish the fallen journalists memorial here in washington, d. C. Im pleased that the national l Natural Resources committee ordered the bill to be reported favorably by voice vote. The changes the committee made reflect input from stakeholders, including the National Park service, which supports the bill. The legislation is bipartisan, noncontroversial, and did not impose any additional costs often taxpayers. The member will serve as a fitting tribute to the Capital Gazettes staffed and all journalists who have died in the line of duty and to our nations commitment to the free press. My hope is that we all can agree that a building that building a new memorial to honor the fallen victims is appropriate and should be done and should be passed. As Walter Cronkite remarked, freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy. With that, mr. President , i would suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call the presiding officer the senator for texas. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , i ask consent the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , yesterday the senate was prepared to answer the call of millions of americans to take action on Police Reform, the senseless death of houston native george floyd galvanized all people to speak out against the injustice that persists in our criminal Justice System and demand action. We tried to take that responsibility seriously. Senator tim scott, our colleague from south carolina, led the effort to draft a bill that would improve policing practices around the country. That bill, the justice act, addressed choke holds and no knock warrants, two practices for good reason have been brought into question by recent events. This legislation would have ensured the best and the best trained officers on our Police Forces are using body cameras and being held accountable for crossing deadlines. We thought our colleagues across the aisle would take this matter seriously as well. They drafted their own version of a reform bill, and while there were differences between the two proposals, there was a lot of overlap. In fact, there was more these two bills had in common than were different. Both bills, for example, focused on training, transparency, and accountability, and i hope that meant we would be in a good place when it came to trying to reconcile the remaining differences. After all, the democratic leader had been urging the majority leader to put a Police Reform bill on the floor by july 4, and thats exactly what we did. Leader mcconnell made clear this would be an open debate, there would be amendments and an opportunity for our democratic colleagues to work with us in order to make the bill better, and ultimately if they decided to get on the bill, as the presiding officer knows, there are 60vote thresholds on the back end that would have given them leverage to make sure that that debate was fulsome and fair. But that simply wasnt enough for our friends across the aisle. When it came time to take a purely procedural vote to begin debate, they blocked it. They refused to engage in any meaningful or productive way. So after promising the American People that they were going to act to reform Americas Police departments, they were be given the opportunity but they broke their promise. As senator scott said yesterday, it wasnt what was being offered, but who offered it. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle find themselves too politically conflicted to work on a bipartisan basis to enact meaningful reforms, so they have chosen to take the low road of obstruction. They have showed they cant be bothered to pass a bill that would help families like the floyds who have lost their loved ones in a senseless and completely preventable way. They proved yesterday that this was a purely political calculation. Very sad. Both democrats and republicans have said repeatedly over the last few weeks that the status quo was not sustainable and that its time for change. As i said, both parties drafted bills, but its pretty clear there was only one Party Interested in making the law. Unless you can get enough votes to pass a republicanled senate, a democratled house and to get the signature of a president , those reforms wont change the behavior of a single officer. But those solutions only live on the page of a bill or within the borders of a press release, they are not going to accomplish anything. So i understand i understand that our democratic colleagues werent happy starting with the justice act, but the temper tantrum we witnessed yesterday isnt moving us one step closer to achieving the result they claim they want, which is change. The majority leader has indicated that this body will have another opportunity to vote on whether to begin debating this legislation. Again, this wasnt about the final bill. This was about beginning the process of determining what that bill would look like. So i hope our colleagues across the aisle will reconsider. I hope they will listen to the millions of americans who want to see us working together. They want to see action, not cynical political gestures. Mr. President , turning to another matter, im glad the senate has now moved to consider another critical piece of legislation, the National Defense authorization act. The ndaa, as its called, represents one of the most basic duties of the federal government, and that is to provide for the common defense. The ndaa is how we ensure Critical Department of defense programs are continued and that American Service members are paid and that our National Defense is modernized to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threat landscape. All of us have understood the importance of passing the ndaa each year, which is why for the last 59 years weve done it without delay. I hope members of this body are committed to continuing that tradition because, as our nation battles on so many different fronts, we cannot afford to let military readiness lapse. One of my Top Priorities is to make sure men and women in uniform have the support they need, the training they need on and off the battlefield. The Defense Authorization bill builds on the progress we have made to implement the National Defense strategy and ensure that our military is prepared to counter the threats we face today and those that will inevitably come tomorrow. It goes a long way to maintain our technological advantage, to modernize our weapons, to build resilience and to strengthen our alliances. Americas 2. 1 million Service Members have made a commitment that few are willing to make and join the ranks of americas heroes who defended our country throughout our history. Roughly 225 of them called texas home, places like fort hood, fort bliss, Lackland Air Force base, Naval Air StationCorpus Christie and ellington field, just to name a field. Those texans, those americans carry out missions that are crucial to our National Security, again protecting us from increasingly complex threats. We have a responsibility to provide our troops with the training, equipment, and resources they need so they can complete their Critical Missions and hopefully return home safely. After all, these men and women are much more than dedicated and talented Service Members. They are our sons and daughters, our parents, our spouses, and our family members. So while were providing them resources they need to succeed, we need to support those military families. This legislation includes a 3 pay love pay raise for our troops, Additional Support for the family members, such as Military SpouseEmployment Opportunities and child care. Earlier this month, the Senate Armed Services committee completed its markup and voted overwhelmingly to send this bill to the senate floor. So as we begin consideration of the Defense Authorization bill, i want to thank all of the men and women who serve in our United States military and ensure them that we will do everything we can to support them and ensure that they are empowered and mission ready. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. Sanders mr. President , if there was ever a moment in American History to fundamentally alter our national priorities, now is the time. Whether it is fighting against systemic racism and Police Brutality, transforming our Energy System away from fossil fuel, ending a cruel and dysfunctional Health Care System or addressing the grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality in our country, now is the time for change, real change. And when we talk about real change, it is incredible to me the degree to which Congress Continues to ignore our bloated 740 billion Defense Budget which has gone up by over 100 billion since trump has been in office. Year after year, democrats and republicans who disagree on almost everything come together with minimal debate to support an exploding pentagon budget which is now higher than the next 11 countries combined, now higher than the next 11 countries combined and which represents more than half of our discretionary spending. Incredibly, after adjusting for inflation, we are now spending more on the military than we did during the height of the cold war when we faced a major adversary in the soviet union or during the wars in vietnam and korea. This extraordinary level of military spending comes at a time when the department of defense is the only agency of our federal government that has not been able to pass an independent audit, when defense contractors are making enormous profits, while paying their c. E. O. s exorbitant compensation packages, and when the socalled war on terror will end up costing us some 6 trillion. I believe that this is a moment in history where it would be a very good idea for all of my colleagues and the American People to remember what former republican president dwight d. Eisenhower said in 1953. And as we all recall, eisenhower was a fourstar general who led the allied forces to victory in europe during world war ii. He knew something about war and defense spending. Eisenhower said, and i quote and this is a profound statement that we should never forget. Eisenhower said, and i quote every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. End quote, dwight d. Eisenhower. What eisenhower said was profoundly true 67 years ago, and it is profoundly true today. If the horrific pandemic we are now experiencing has taught us anything, it is that National Security is not just building bombs, missiles, jet fighters, tanks, submarines, Nuclear Warheads and other weapons of mass destruction. National security also means doing everything we can to improve the lives of our people, many of whom have been abandoned by our government decade after decade. Mr. President , in order to begin the process of transforming our national priorities, i have filed an amendment to the National Defense authorization act with senator markey of massachusetts to reduce the military budget by 10 and to use the 74 billion in savings to invest in distressed communities all across our country, communities that have been ravaged by extreme poverty, mass incarceration, deindustrialization, and decades of neglect. At a time when more americans have died from the coronavirus than were killed fighting in world war i, when over 30 million americans have lost their jobs in recent months, 30 million, when tens of millions of americans are in danger of being evicted from their apartments or their homes because they no longer have adequate income, when education in america from child care to graduate school is in desperate need of reform, when half a million americans are homeless tonight and when close to 100 million of our people are either uninsured or underinsured, now is the time to invest in our people, in jobs, education, housing, health care here at home, not more military spending for an already bloated military budget. Now is the time to get our priorities right. Under this amendment, distressed communities in every state in our country would be able to use this 74 billion in funding to create jobs by building Affordable Housing desperately needed in our country, by investing in schools with School Budgets all over america when School Budgets all over america are in desperate shape, investing in child care facilities, Community Health centers, public hospitals, libraries, Sustainable Energy projects, and clean Drinking Water facilities. These communities would also receive federal funding to hire more Public School teachers, provide nutritious meals to our children, and offer free tuition at public colleges, universities, or trade schools. Mr. President , at this Pivotal Moment in American History, we have to rethink our nations priorities and we have to make a fundamental decision about who we are as a people. Do we really want to spend billions more on endless wars in the middle east, or do we want to provide goodpaying jobs to millions of unemployed americans at home as we rebuild our communities . Do we want to spend more money on Nuclear Weapons or do we want to invest in child care and health care for the American People who need it the most . Mr. President , when we take a close look at the Defense Department budget and sorry to say, i dont think we are doing that here in the senate it is interesting to note that congress has appropriated so much money for the Defense Department that the pentagon literally does not know what to do with it. Children go hungry in america, people sleep out on the streets streets, young people cant afford to go to college, but Defense Department literally does not know what to do with all of the money that Congress Throws at it. According to the Government Accountability office, the g. A. O. , between 2013 and 2018, the pentagon returned more than 80 billion in funding back to the treasury. They couldnt spend the money that they had. In my view, the time is long overdue for us to take a hard look not only at the size of the pentagon budget, but at the enormous amount of waste, cost overruns, fraud, and at the financial mismanagement that has plagued the department of defense for decades. Mr. President , let us be clear about half of the pentagons budget goes directly into the hands of private contractors, not our troops. And i think i share the view with every member of the senate that we must protect our troops. I dont want troops and their families on food stamps. I dont want to see our military living in inadequate housing or lacking child care for their kids. We must make sure that our men and women in the armed forces have as good a quality of life as we can provide. But let us again not forget that about half of the pentagons bblg budget goes directly into the hands of private contractors, not the troops. And over the past two decades virtually every major defense contractor in the United States has paid millions of dollars in fines and settlements for misconduct and fraud, all while making huge profits on those government contracts. Since 1995, boeing, Lockheed Martin, and united technologies, some of the major defense contractors in america, have paid over 3 billion in fines or related settlements for fraud or misconduct. Over 3 billion in fines or related settlements for fraud or misconduct. Yet those three companies received around 1 trillion in defense contracts over the past two decades alone. Mr. President , i find it interesting that the very same defense contractors that have been found guilty or reached settlements for fraud are also paying their c. E. O. s excessive compensation packages. Last year the c. E. O. s of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman both made over 20 million in total compensation, while 90 of the companys revenue came from defense contracts. In other words, these companiest to note, and we dont talk about this often for all intent and purposes, these companies are governmental agencies. They are receiving over 90 of their revenue from the federal government. Theyre a private corporation but they are essentially a subsidiary of the federal government. And yet, despite receiving over 90 of their funding from the taxpayers of this country, they are paying their c. E. O. s over 100 times more than the secretary of defense makes. And the secretary of defense does just fine. But the c. E. O. s on government revenue of the major Defense Companies earn 100 times more than the secretary of defense. It is not, therefore, very surprising to learn that we have a revolving door where our generals and admirals and highranking officials in the military leave Government Service and then end up on the boards of directors of these major Defense Companies. Moreover, mr. President , as the g. A. O. Has told us, there are massive, massive cost overruns in the Defense Departments acquisition budget that the United StatesCongress Must address. According to the g. A. O. , the pentagons 1. 8 trillion acquisition portfolio currently suffers from more than 628 billion in cost overruns with much of the cost taking place after production. In other words, they tell the government, they tell the d. O. D. That they will produce a weapons system for x dollars. It doesnt mean much because the total amount ends up being y after they get the contract. G. A. O. Also tells us that, quote, many d. O. D. Programs fall short of costs, schedule and performance expectations, meaning the d. O. D. Pays more than anticipated, can buy less than expected, and in some cases delivers less capability to the war fight, end of quote. Thats from the d. O. D. Thats from the g. A. O. , sorry. The g. A. O. Mr. President , the commission on wartime contracting in iraq and afghanistan concluded in 2011, that 31 billion to 60 billion spent in iraq and afghanistan have been lost to fraud and waste, 31 billion to 60 billion. In 2015 the special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reported that the pentagon could not account for 45 billion in funding for forreconstruction projects. It just got lost. A few bucks here, a few bucks there. 45 billion of taxpayer money was lost, could not be considered accounted for. And more recently an audit conducted by ernst and young for the Defense Logistics Agency found that the d. O. D. Could not properly account for some 800 million in construction projects. Mr. President , that is what happens when you have a huge agency that is truly unaccountable. Now i believe in a strong military, but we cannot keep giving more money to the pentagon than it needs when millions of children in our country are food insecure. When 140 million americans cannot afford the basic necessities of life without going into debt. Throwing billions after billions into the pentagon and a few blocks away from here, the nations capitol, people sleep out on the streets. Children cant find decent education. Young people cant afford to go to college. In 1967, dr. Martin luther king jr. Warned us that, and i quote, a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. Let me repeat that. Dr. King said, and i quote, a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. The time is long overdue for the United States senate to listen to what dr. King said. At a time when in the richest country in the history of the world half of our people are struggling paycheck to paycheck, when over 40 million americans are living in poverty, and when over 500,000 americans are homeless, to quote dr. King, we are approaching spiritual death. At a time when we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any major country on earth, and when millions of americans are in danger of going hungry, we are approaching spiritual death. At a time when over 60,000 americans die unnecessarily every year because they cant afford to go to a doctor when they need to go to a doctor, and when one out of five americans cannot afford the prescription drugs their doctors prescribe, yes, we are approaching spiritual death. Now at this moment of unprecedented national crisis, it is time to rethink what we value as a society and to fundamentally transform our national priorities. The status quo is no longer good enough. Now at this moment of national crises, a growing pandemic, an economic meltdown, the demand to end systemic racism and Police Brutality and an unstable president , it is time for us to truly focus on what we value as a society and to fundamental transform our national priorities. Cutting the military budget by 10 and investing that money in human needs is a modest way to begin that process. And with that, mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. Sullivan mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from alaska. Sum sul mr. President , is the mr. Sullivan mr. President , is the senate in a quorum call . The presiding officer no. Mr. Sullivan thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , it is thursday, and its that time of the week that i like to come down on the senate floor and talk about somebody whos doing something great in my state, someone i get to brag about, a special alaskan, someone we refer to as our alaskan of the week. Now sometimes this week has made big headlines back home, maybe even across the country. Throughout the state people know them, but oftentimes and one of the whole reasons that we started this series many years ago was oftentimes this is a person who maybe has worked more behind the scenes, day in, day out, year in, year out, doing the kind of Public Service that is so vital for the health and wellbeing of our communities, through alaska, through america, but is not always recognized, certainly is not recognized enough. Our alaskan of the week, Fairbanks Police officer daniel wellburn, is one of those people. Recently retired from the Fairbanks Police force after 26 years more than a quarter of a century and is one of those everyday heroes that i think we think is important to highlight as alaskans of the week and as americans helping their fellow americans and alaskans. But before i get into officer wellburns story, let me tell you a little bit about whats going on in alaska right now. The weather has been glorious in many areas, sunny in a lot of places, rainy in others we have a very big state. The summer solstice is just a few days behind us. Thats the long of the day of the year. Thats a huge day in alaska. Midnight sun, energy, its great being in alaska right now. Most of the state has opened up with precautions, of course, in place, given the pandemic. More and more people are getting out. The salmon are certainly run, beginning to run up our rivers. The bears are fully woke well, maybe not woke in that sense, but they are awake. I was back home in fairbanks last week celebrating the life the amazing life of my motherinlaw maryjane fate, mo our family put to rest, one of the most revered alaskan natives and elders. Who recently passed away and we had a beautiful, moving ceremony talking about this trailblazer woman. And i cant wait to get back home, get back home to fairbanks in particular, the golden start city, where officer wellburn has spent his entire career protecting and defending. Now, mr. President , as you know, much attention has been spent on our nations Police Forces in recent weeks. But there hasnt been nearly enough attention in my view drawn to what it actually means to be a police officer, not annuationcy job, and to be a not an easy jobs, and to be a good police officer, a critically important job, which the vast, vast, vast majority of Police Officers certainly in alaska but i would say across america are. Good Police Officers. Who put their lives on the line every day for us, and alaskans and americans should be grateful that they do that. As ive said many times before at Police Memorial ceremonies back home, every job in our country, every job in my state is important, but there is something special, noble, even sacred about a job that entails protecting others and being willing to put your life on the line to keep your fellow citizens safe. So let me talk about a good police officer, one of many in my state. Dan welborn and his family moved to fairbanks in 1988. Dans father was in the army, which of course draws a lot of people to the goldenheart city of fairbanks to the great state of alaska. We have more veterans per capita than any state in the country. And by his father and mother and probably im sure a bunch of his siblings, he was taught discipline and respect and the importance of giving back to his community. Dan graduated from west valley high in fairbanks and then went on to the university of alaska at fairbanks. U. A. Fief, as we call t it is a a student, he began working with the campus police, which piqued his interest in Law Enforcement as a career and led him to put himself through the Law Enforcement academy in alaska. Eventually, newly married and considering starting a family, dan got a job at the Fairbanks Police department, and that is the job he has kept for 26 years. And hes done it very w hes done and hes done it very well. Hes done nearly ever job there is to do on the force traffic duty, patrol, oversight of investigations, homicides, sexual assaults, fraud, forgery, computer and internet crimes. You name it, dans done it. He helped build a property crimes unit in fairbanks. He wrote dozens and dozens of grants to help the department get the equipment it needed so they could keep up with the times. His awards are extensive, mr. President. I was looking at his record very impressive. Officer of the year, Numerous Service awards, ribbons, his Community Service is also extensive, beyond just being a police officer. Serving on the boards of mothers against drunk driving, starting a project called operation globe in fairbanks, which helps keep kids safe on halloween when theyre out trickortreating. In 2016, officer welborn was promoted to deputy chief of police where again he excelled. Hes known throughout the state for his solid decisionmaking. His even temperament and for the way that he has with people, the good way he has with people judicious, stern when needed, but always kind, considerate and respectful, which is what we want in our Police Officers. Service also runs in dans family. I love this part of his life. His brother doug is also a Fairbanks Police officer and his son brett was sworn in as a Fairbanks Police officer on may 20, a month ago. Wow that is a family of service. What he tells his son brett is this quote, its important that you understand defensive tactics. This is not always easy work. But the most important thing is your people skills. You need to be able to sympathize, empathize with people, and take charge if you need to. And if you need to take charge, and you get someone under control, you must treat them with professionalism and respect. Its a hard thing to remember sometimes, but its the most crucial thing to remember. Unquote. Thats officer welborn. Thats sage wisdom. Now, i hear that dan will be moving to st. Louis to be close to his beloved baseball team, the cardinals. Hell miss the community. And his job and his family. By the way, his sister patti wrote this great letter to me, which i read all about his Community Service. Boy, dan your sister things a amazing. Thinks youre amazing. We hope that youll come back. Actually, were pretty confident youre going to come back to alaska because we want you to come back. Youre not done serving our community. But we know this officer welborn will certainly be missed and hell miss being a patrol officer. He loved working the traffic beat because of all the people he got to meet and all the times he got to help people on the road. Of course, there are things about the job he wont miss, and im not sure this is talked about enough. Aimages that will like imimages that will likely stick with him, images that unfortunately haunt many Police Officers across the country. Because the fact of the matter is the, people can be difficult, people can be brutal to each other, domestic violence, child abuse. The police see it all. Its not easy. And hes witnessed way too much of that brutality. And hes protected and he has protected fairbanks citizens from a lot of t but heres what he also knows that mostly the sort majority of people are the vast majority of people are good. Thats so important to remember. Alaskans are good people. Americans are good people. And hesens withed that, too and hes witnessed that, too. And hes contributed to that goodiness. He recently told a story about his time at the department about a time at the department that will stay with him. He talked about attending a wedding at a hotel. There was a man there setting tables, working at the hotel. He looked at officer welborn and said, officer, can i talk to you for a minute . He said, sure. And this man went up to officer welborn and said, officer, you probably dont remember me, but you arrested me years ago for a d. U. I. And i was having problems then, and ive turned my life around since then. All these years later, officer welborn, i still remember how well you treated me. Think about that. Those are the kind of good memories that will stay with dan, too. So, thank you officer welborn for all youve done for our city, the great city of fairbanks, thank you for your service to alaska, to america, for protecting us, for setting the example with respect. We wish you all the happiness in retirement. We really want you to come back to alaska, so dont stay in st. Louis too long. The cardinals arent even that good of a baseball team. And congratulations on being our alaskan of the week. I yield the floor. . Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to executive session and the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration of p. N. 1674, and the senate proceed to its consideration. That the nomination be confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, the president be immediately notified of the senates action. And the senate then resume legislative session. 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. 618. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 618, designating june, 2020, as national posttraumatic stress awareness month, and so forth. The presiding officer without objection, the committee is discharged. And the senate will proceed to the measure. 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 the Judiciary Committee be discharged and the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. 3377. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. 3377, a bill to amend the antitrust criminal penalty enhancement and reform act of 2004, to repeal the sunset provision. The presiding officer without objection, the committee is discharged, and the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i know of no further debate on the bill. The presiding officer if there is no further debate, the question is on passage of the bill. All in favor say aye. Opposed no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The bill is passed. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i have two requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate. They have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 00 p. M. Monday, june 29. Further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning business 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, following leader remark, the senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to calendar number 483, s. 4049. Finally, that notwithstanding rule 22, all postcloture time on the motion to proceed to s. 4049 expire at 5 30. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell so if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until 2 00 p. M. On monday 3 00 p. M. On monday. On monday. Qnexa conversation about the looser form posted by Georgetown University law center. Participants talked about ways the idea could be implemented. They also talked about the history of police were told it toward black and other minority communities. This runs for an hour. This series called rethinking police activism and reform has examined efforts to reform the police as well as preparing the next generation of her activism and healing. I invite you to explore each of the substandard uninspiring sessions on our web site but today our panel of legal experts will focus on reestablishing what it means, what it doesnt mean that what a big safety could look like without policing as we know it today. Our aim with this series is to educatnd