Mr. Coons i ask proceedings under the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Coons mr. President , on this past friday evening, on rosh hashanah, our nation lost a giant on the Supreme Court. We lost a trailblazer for womens equality, a woman who although diminutive in size was a giant and a force for justice. For my daughter, for all americans. I am so grateful for the work and the service and the life of Supreme CourtJustice Ruth Bader ginsburg. Having passed on rosh hashanah, the tradition of the jewish people teaches that she is especially blessed, particularly righteous. Its heart breaking that her dying wish dictated to her granddaughter was that the voters should choose the next president and that next president , her successor, and that already there are some who are racing to undo that wish. This was her wish because she understood the consequences of this decision for the senate, for the American People, and for the Supreme Court to which she dedicated 27 years of service. Mr. President , if we push through a nominee now, just 43 days before an election, as half of our states are already have already voted, the very legitimacy of the Supreme Court may be undermined by further politicization in an already divided country. My friend, my colleagues in the other party use the argument in blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland in 2016 that we must give the American People a voice in the selection of the next justice. That argument was advanced ten months before the next election. Here today on this floor, the exact argument is being advanced just 43 days before an election in which half our states have already voted. As a colleague from alaska recently said, the precedent said by the majority in 2016 is the precedent by which they should live now, fair is fair. I cannot agree more. Mr. President , on the ballots and on the agenda, on the docket of the Supreme Court is health care. This decision will have an impact on all americans of all stripes and backgrounds. One week after the election, a case will be argued in front of the Supreme Court, which seeks to remove all that is left of the Affordable Care acts protections, protections against preexisting conditions discrimination for 100 million americans. Health insurance itself for 20 million. In the middle of a pandemic in which six million americans have been infected and have new preexisting conditions. And in some ways, most gallingly, that provision of the Affordable Care act which prohibits gender discrimination by insurance companies. All of this is at stake as our protections Going Forward after this election for clean air and clean water, for equal pay, for equal work, the right to organize, its all on the ballot and will be on the docket. So, mr. President , let me close by calling on my colleagues to do whats fair and what i believe is right, to respect their own precedent and let the American People have a voice in just 43 days and then proceed after the election to honor Justice Ginsburgs dying wish, to focus on delivering relief to the American People and a package to address this pandemic in our next few weeks rather than diving deeper into division. It is my fervent prayer that we can yet find a way together to listen to the voice of the people and the voice of this most storied justice. Mr. President , i have one other purpose in coming to the floor today, and that is to recognize my colleague, my friend erica saunder, my chief counsel who i now embarrass, who is departing this week. Erica is an immensely talented lawyer and has been an invaluable member of my team for over four years. A suma graduate at the university of illinois at urbane university of . Ois at urbanachampagne. A graduate of harvard law school. A Deputy Editor of the school of law. A clerk on the sixth circuit for judge cornelia kennedy. After all of that, she went to one of washingtons most prestigious law firms. After nine years of diligent litigation and work, she earned her way into being a partner. But during all this time, dedicated her time to pro bono work, to advocating for those seeking justice. She could have had a much more lucrative career than the last four years here in the senate. And her trajectory was not a typical one for a chief counsel on a judiciary committee. She was willing to make the sacrifice, and i was grateful for the chance to serve with her. Her dedication to upholding and defending democratic principles is unwavering, and every day she has put the interests of the American People and delawareans first. No one has worked harder in her four years on my team than her. Her commitment to our shared values has helped guide me and my team through some of the most difficult and challenging moments of these years. She has capably led my entire legal team and helped us and a navigate through some truly historic fights. It was just three days after she joined my team that we were in the rose garden for president obamas nomination of judge Merrick Garland. And she led my team and my work on the confirmation hearings of nowjustice gorsuch and justice kavanaugh. She led us through tinveigatione impeachment trial. She has been integral to legislative efforts, including the special counsel integrity act, a bipartisan effort to support the integrity of independent investigations and to protect the mueller investigation, the driving for opportunity act, the bipartisan bill to create incentives to stop debtbased drivers license suspensions and extend criminal Justice Reform and a project for which we both have particular passion, the noban act, which would repeal president trumps executive order blocking travel for a majority of muslim countries and prevent another baseless discriminatory travel ban. She has contributed so much more than this. She has been a teacher and mentor to so many in my office and particularly young women who look to her as a role model and a source of wisdom and strength. Personally she and her husband, mike, who are both dedicated attorneys and passionate Public Servants are constant reminders of why we are here and for whom we fight. As we reflect today and in the week ahead on the legacy of Justice Ginsburg whose life was committed to the fight for equality and justice, i see that same fight in erica. Justice ginsburg blazed a trail and changed the world. Her incredibly talented for incredibly talented and capable women like erica so she could lead the life she has. Erica is a true patriot, a great colleague, and a wonderful friend who has put country over self, and i have been blessed to have the benefit of her counsel and her friendship these four years. Im proud she will go on to continue to fight for our shared values. I wish her luck. I will miss her dearly, and i pray this is not the last time we will serve together. Thank you. And with that, mr. President , i expansion of 5g. R. President , i this is three and half hours. Our nation is in the mist of one of the greatest crisis as we have ever faced. As we approach the grim milestone of 200,000 american deaths from covid19 and in the last few months we have seen double digits on up limit numbers as well as the worst economic contractions since the great depression. According to the director of the cdc we might hope to start seeing positive impacts from a vaccine in the late summer to early fall of next year. Simply put, the pandemic has changed the way we live our lives and we will continue to feel its impacts for some time to come. The energy and