Vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . If not, the yeas are 93, the nays are 2. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the bill. The clerk calendar 552, h. R. 8337, making continuing openings pros for fiscal year 2021 and for other purposes. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i call up amendment 2663. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk the senator from kentucky, mr. Mcconnell, proposes an amendment numbered 2663. At the end, added following this act shall take effect one day after the date of enactment. Mr. Mcconnell i ask that the reading be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment. The presiding officer is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. There appears to be. The yeas and nays are ordered. Mr. Mcconnell i have a seconddegree amendment at the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the amendment. The clerk the senator from kentucky, mr. Mcconnell, proposes an amendment numbered 2664, to amendment number 2663. Mr. Mcconnell i ask the reading be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk for the bill. The presiding officer the clerk will report the 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 calendar number 552, h. R. 8337, an act making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2021 and foreother purposes, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the mandatory quorum call be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Enzi mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from wyoming. Mr. Enzi mr. President , i come to the floor today to introduce a bill to honor the late robert l. Brown of thermopolis, wyoming. He was a lifelong resident and exemplified wyomings values and a commitment to public service. After graduating from thermopolis, he served in both the europe and pacific theaters. Later in 1950 when he was part of the National Guard, bob deployed to korea where he was a member of the 300th armored Field Artillery battalion. He served in world war ii in both theaters and then korea. The United States was poorly prepared for korea, downsizing the military after the second world war. The National Guard responded with little or no training or equipment. Bob brown went to another war. He earned a unit citation, received the combat infantry badge, and the purple heart. Upon returning to thermopolis, he began a career with the United States Postal Service. That career spanned 44 years, including many years as postmaster. I hope john will tell more of the postal love affair and how bobby brown met how bob brown met and courted the person who picked up the mail. That lady later became my first sunday schoolteacher. Bob passed away earlier this month at 96 years of age. Did he have some health issues. But he had a devoted daughter. Bobby brown barrasso, wife of senator barrasso, who had been senator thomas state director, she was her dads caregiver. She drove him back and forth wherever he wanted or needed to go, which meant especially back and forth to needed clinics with doctors in thermopolis and in casper. When covid happened, she stayed with him and protected him. Bob brown will be sorely missed in his community and i can think of no better way to honor someone with such a long and storied career with the United States Postal Service as well as with the people of thermopolis than to introduce this bill to name the Thermopolis Post Office after him. That building carries the memories of a veteran who came home to work and spent his entire career in that build being winding up as post mast area. The lead democratic cosponsor of this bipartisan bill is senator tom carper, who is the strongest advocate i know of for the United States Postal Service. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Mr. Carper i want to thank our colleague, senator enzi. For allowing me to be his wingman in this particular postalnaming bill. I never met robert brown, but i certainly know his daughter bobby, and i certainly know his soninlaw, john barrasso, our colleague. Just reason listening to just listening to what senator enzi has said, service in world war ii, service in the korean war, service in the u. S. Postal service. That is a lifetime of service. That is a lifetime of service. My own family, weve been my dad, my uncles all served in world war ii, a number in korea as well. A cousin, the u. S. Postal service for many years. And i like to say i dont know this is original for me, but service is service to others is the rent we pay for the space we take up on this earth. If youre listening, robert l. Brown, i think you are, for your extraordinary service. And thank you for bobbie and we want to thank bobbie, your daughter, mr. Brown, for sharing her husband with us. He is a good man. Were grateful for that. None of us can live forever. Senator barrasso was telling me, gosh, not even a month ago about driving his fatherinlaw he was, like, 400 miles or something from wyoming up to montana for medical attention, medical care. I thought it was an extraordinary act of love and kindness. But it was really, you know, i dont think his death was imminent at the time, but it was a way to bond one more time. It is sad to say goodbye. None of us can live forever, though. For those who live lives of service like bobbies dad, we just say especially in navy talk, i am a retired navy captain, vietnam vent. We like to say to folks in the army, different uniform, same team, when folks do extraordinary things for our country, whether it is in the uniform of the army, navy, or Postal Service, we stay bravo. Thank you so much. Mr. Barrasso mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from for wyoming. Mr. Barrasso i would like to express my deep appreciation and admiration to senator enzi and senator carper, for introducing this legislation to honor bob brown. There he is. This is actually a picture of im next to him. You look at that smile and thats a smile its as beautiful as a sunrise, as welcoming as a rainbow. What a wonderful man. He was known by many in thermopolis as bob brown, the nicest guy in town. And it was his town. This greatest generation both mike and tom, as veterans, having worn the uniform, born the battle, know that were losing the greatest generation so rapidly. What a generation. World war ii, the european theater, the pacific theater, returning home, working the post office. As senator enzi said, he was a postal clerk and there was a young lady, jerry l yes. Jerry lyn, worked at the local bank and would come and pick up the mail. She cut his eye, he caught her eye. They were married. Two wonderful children, mike brown, my wife bobbie and a granddaughter who really was the apple of their eye, hadley. But this Group World War ii and then korea, the korean war, bob was part of the 300th, the cowboy cannoneers, unit bravery citation. He was awarded the purple heart. Never talked about it. Returned to thermopolis. Took care of people in the community. Serving as a postmaster for many of his years with the post office. I know mike had a chance to talk to the postmaster in thermopolis yesterday. She knew bob as anyone in town had. Last year bob and jerry celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary and we lost jerry this spring, and now on 9 11 we lost bob. He peaced away at the age of 94 he passed away at the age of 94. He was surrounding by his loving family and his daughter bobbie is the caregiver as i say, she is a saint. People who know her, know that to be true. As we talk about this greatest generation of which bob was a very significant part, you know, we can think back to the history of this country and, mr. President , in the chair, you are a marine and you know this. It reminds me of the onto etch that Abraham Lincoln gave when he was first year as president at the white house. On the 4th of july there was a flagraising ceremony. He gave a very short speech. The speech that lincoln gave that day was, it is my job to raise the flag. And then to everyone else there he said, and it is your job to keep it up. Thank you, mr. President. Thank you you, senator enziy. Bob enzi. Bob brown was one to keep it up. Since we have bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation, let me talk about john kennedy who at his inaugural talking about this nation being willing to support any friend and oppose any foe. Thats bob brown, all american. Ronald reagan talked about the fact that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Not something that we inherit in the bloodstream, something that has to be fought for and protected and handed down to the next generation to do the same. And thats bob brown. And this year is wyomings 130th birthday, turned 130 this summer. So 30 years ago we celebrated the 100th anniversary of wyoming and George Herbert walker bush, then president of the United States, came to wyoming to talk about wyoming and its history. He said wyoming is a very special and sacred place. He said the values and visions of wyoming continue to inspire america. Well, bob browns values and his visions continue to inspire everyone who was ever privileged to know him. May he rest in peace. Thank you, mr. President. And i yield the floor. Mr. Carper mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for delaware. Mr. Carper i just want to add one final thought. I was about to jump in my minivan and head to delaware. Your fatherinlaw served all those years in uniform in the army and then many more years in uniform with the for the Postal Service. I want to say to the men and women who serve in the Postal Service around the country and men and women who serve in the military uniform, i just want to say to the Postal Service, thank you for enabling our men and women in service to actually vote this year. When i was when i was a naval fighter flight officer in southeast asia, my first and third tour and we were in the South China Sea and off the coast of vietnam and i was asked by my Commanding Officer to be the voting officer. Not once but in 1970 and 1972, we had 92 men, and it was to get these men signed up and registered to vote in their states and they are from all over the country. And did it again in 1972. It was a great source of joy to me to exercise our right to vote on the other side of the world made possible by the Postal Service. That thought occurred to me because your dad was on the sending and Receiving Side as a member of the army and Postal Service. May he rest in peace. Thank you for the extra minute. The presiding officer the senator for west virginia. Mr. Manchin i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 1718. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 718, restoring the peaceful return to power called for in the United States and for other purposes. The presiding officer without objection. The presiding officer without objection, the senator will the senate will proceed. Mr. Manchin i ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. Manchin mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for west virginia. Mr. Manchin mr. President , i would like to speak to the resolution. Mr. President , you know its a shame that we have to come and reaffirm our commitment to our country, to our constitution, and who we are as a people and how we became a great country, the greatest country on earth, the freedoms we all take for granted many, many times, and sometimes we hear things that challenge that, and we heard that yesterday, and we were very concerned about that. As of today, my friend and colleague from indiana, senator braun, basically wanted to reaffirm our commitment to the pledge of allegiance. Which is something that we should do every day. Our pledge of allegiance to our flag of our great country. What we are doing with this resolution is saying that basically the bedrock of democracy is the orderly and peaceful transfer of power when the president transitions out. It should not be a question. There should not ever be one iota of interruption whatsoever as that peaceful demonstration. I remember 1960, the race between at that time senator john kennedy and Vice President richard nixon. Very, very close. Everybody was on pins and needles. But there was an orderly transfer. Richard nixon conceded, and rather than take this out further, he did a peaceful, orderly transfer, and away we went. And then you had al gore and senator al gore at that time, Vice President al gore, former Vice President , and george w. Bush in 2000. We know how that turned out, with the chads and all the hanging chads and all the consternation, not knowing for so long. And then basically for the sake of our country, did the right thing. And again, we expect that to be done. Were in the most difficult times right now, and for the president to even to even address, to address the subject of maybe not knowing if he would accept or not is beyond all of our checks that that would ever happen in america. That it could ever happen there would be discourse. The will of the voters, the verification of the votes. And being able to protect the ballot box. We have come through a lot in our country, and we continue to be challenged, but i believe to have the leader of the free world talk as if we are an autocracy, authoritarian versus a democracy, is something that alarmed me and alarmed a lot of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, even those quiet as some may be, i know theyre alarmed. And with that, what we did is reaffirm who we are in the senate and what we believe in, and the resolution is very clear. All it says is we reaffirm as the senate our commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the constitution of the United States and intends that there shall be no disruptions by the president or any person in power to overturn the will of the people of the United States. Its really who we are. Its what you defended. Its what you fought for when you entered the service. I am so proud of all the people who have served. Thank you for your service, mr. President. Thank you to all the people in west virginia, the most patriotic people in the world. I have said this so many times, i am so proud of my state. We have more veterans per capita than most any state. Shed more blood, lost more lives for the cause of freedom than most any state. Never failed to answer the call. We have even done the heavy lifting. Our people have worked hard, including my grandfather and all my relatives. We mined the coal that made the still that built the guns and ships and factories and defended our country and built our great nation. We are very proud of all that. This is not who we are. This is not who we are, and we must speak loudly. This is not politics. This is not republican or democrat. Make no mistake. This is basically if you believe , forsake of the good lord and all we believe in and our country, this is about maintaining this democracy. Thats all its about. Maintaining. And we will defend that, and we have today just reaffirmed our commitment to the orderly transition of power by the president of the United States, whoever that should be, whenever that might happen, that they must have an orderly transfer that we all will defend and uphold. So thats what we reaffirm today. And i thank you, mr. President , for giving me the opportunity, and i thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for basically standing true to who we are and what we believe in and what we have committed ourselves to. And with that, i yield the floor and see the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer the senator for virginia. Mr. Kaine are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer we are. Mr. Kaine could i ask that it be suspended . The presiding officer yes. Without objection. Mr. Kaine i want to rise just briefly to pay tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I saw a statement about her in the aftermath of her passing that said she will probably go down in history as one of the as the greatest woman lawyer in the history of the United States, and i dont think that does her justice. I want to take the floor to say that Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in my view, will probably go down as in the top three judges and lawyers ever in the history of the United States, male or female, and i want to describe why. Before i do, mr. President , i just want to notice the outpouring of support for her. In the four days after she passed from friday night until tuesday night, my office received 37,000 pieces of correspondence about Justice Ginsburg. Praising her, lifting her up as a role model, expressing concern about what the court would be without her. In my eight years in the senate, i have never seen an outpouring of support for an individual like that. And thats just an example of how highly we hold her in regard. Justice ginsburg, the justice, is well known. And particularly well known in virginia. One of the opinions she authored that is one of her real pivotal opinions was an opinion that ruled that a Public University, the Virginia Military institute, could not deny access to women students. That was a very controversial case in virginia. Justice ginsburgs opinion was courteous and recognized the great virtue of v. M. I. As an institution that held up its many virtues and values and said that women students at this Public University should be able to have the same access. So Justice Ginsburg as a justice is just so has left her mark on our society in such an amazing way. But what i wanted to do, mr. President , is talk about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the lawyer, because i assert that if Ruth Bader Ginsburg had never been on the Supreme Court, she still would have earned her way into one of the greatest american lawyers or jurists of all time. Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was a virginian that wrote into the declaration of independence the words that may be among some of the most known words in the english language. We hold these truths to be selfevident, that all men are created equal. Those words are so powerful, they they set out a powerful north star for our country, the equality principle, but they had an ambiguity wrapped up in them. Because jefferson, although he believed in equality, he knew and was deeply troubled by the fact that slaves and other even freed African Americans at the time were not treated equally. He wasnt particularly troubled, jefferson wasnt, he wasnt particularly troubled that the fact that women were not treated equally at that time. He had an ability to see what the principle should be but not necessarily to apply it to his own life which was frankly a weakness that i think we all have suffered from at some times during our lives, but at least he set out the right principle and said it applied to men. I think you can look at the history of our country as a north star was set for us in 1776, and over the time we sort of progressively realized, wow, thats what equality means, and we have to orient closer to the star. A sailor can steer by a star without ever reaching to it and maybe because were imperfect people, we can orient by the star of equality and never get fully there because we are imperfect, but when we orient by it, we do pretty well. In the aftermath of the civil war, the constitution was dramatically rewritten with the addition of the 13th amendment banning slavery, the 14th amendment creating due process and equal protection under the law and the 15th amendment blocking limitations of voting based on race. I want to talk for a minute about the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment might be the longest amendment in the institution, and its power packed. Every citizen is entitled to the privileges and immunities of citizenship. No one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, but especially that echoing of what jefferson said, all persons are entitled to the equal protection of the laws. The 14th amendment is interesting because in other parts of the amendment, it talks about what you get if you were a citizen, but on the equal protection side, you dont have to be a citizen. All persons are entitled to the equal protection of the laws. When that was passed by congress and modified by states in 1870, the constitution fundamentally changed. Mr. President , one of the fascinating things is as soon as the constitution had this 14th amendment with this particular clause in it guaranteeing equal protection of the laws, let me tell you one of the first cases that came to the Supreme Court. A woman by the name of Myra Bradwell, living in illinois, wanted to be licensed to practice law. She wanted to be a lawyer, just like Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Illinois would not allow her to practice law because she was a woman. And she said wait a minute, we have a 14th amendment, and it guarantees me the privileges and immunities of being a u. S. Citizen. It guarantees me the equal protection of the laws. And so she took her case all the way up to the United States Supreme Court after illinois denied her a law license, and in 1871, just one year after the constitution had been amended to guarantee the equality of every person, by an 81 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Myra Bradwell could not practice law and that illinois could limit law practice to men if thats what they chose. Let me read to you from that opinion. Justice bradley wrote an within, then on the court, and heres what he said. Quote, the natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex evidently unfits it for many of the preoccupations of civil life. The paramount destiny and mission of women are to fulfill the noble and benign offices of wife and mother. This is the law of the creator. And by an 81 decision, the United States Supreme Court, on which Ruth Bader Ginsburg would later sit, after a distinguished career as an attorney, said that illinois could deprive women of the ability to practice the profession of lawyer. When did the Supreme Court change that ruling . Its still kind of shocking to me that it was not until 1971, 100 years later, 100 years later in a case called reed versus reed, a case that came out of the state court system in idaho, that chief Justice Warren burger , for a unanimous Supreme Court, said wait a minute, the 14th amendment says all persons are entitled to the equal protection of the laws. Guess what . That applies to women. How the court in 1871 could have read those words and said it didnt apply to women is kind of hard to imagine, but it should make us humble because it should suggest that even educated, smart people can get things wrong. But 100 years later, 1971, reed versus reed, and it was a technical, quirky case about idaho law that preferred men to be executors of estates over women, so that if there were two with an equal claim in terms of a relation of somebody who died intestate, they would prefer a man over a woman. That was the quirky, technical case. Came to the Supreme Court and after 101 years following the passage of the 14th amendment, the Supreme Court said wait a minute, women are citizens, women are people, women are entitled to equality. Who wrote the brief in that case . The brief in that case was written by a talented young lawyer who had been one of nine in her class at harvard law school, who had afn been told she couldnt do this or couldnt do that, who hadnt been offered jobs along the way. The brief in that case was written by Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And in a very, very characteristic humility, she was the brains behind the case, but she allowed the case to be argued in the Supreme Court by the idaho attorney who was very close to mrs. Reed who was pursuing the appeal in the Supreme Court. Mr. President , when reed vs. Reed was decided, it was an earthquake. To say after 100 years finally that of course women are equal, of course women can make claims under the 14th amendment was an earthquake, and it affected all aspects of american law. In congress immediately after reed vs. Reed, Congress Went through the entire United States code, and there were dozens, possibly hundreds of distinctions in the code that gave a preference to men over women or made some distinction between men and women. But after reed vs. Reed, congress scrubbed the laws of this country to eliminate secondclass status for women at least in law. We havent completely gotten there maybe in practice. And the state legislatures of all 50 states did the same. All kinds of quirky and archaic rules that held women back in property, in civil matters, laws that, for example, that said a married woman, because of being married, couldnt prosecute a rape charge against her husband. Or that it was a defense to rape if the man married the woman. That could be a complete defense of a wipeout criminal offenses. All these weird distinctions in law that had been allowed since the beginning of our country, even with a constitution that guaranteed womens equality were suddenly under the microscope with a new way of looking at our society and changed because of this tiny giant, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And so thats the only point that i really want to make today on the floor. As a justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg changed our country and had a big impact in virginia in that decision about the Virginia Military institute. That decision was about one institution, but it became a decision that applied to all institutions. Public educational institutions cannot deprive women of equal access to the educational experience. But ill just conclude where i started. If Ruth Bader Ginsburg had never been a Supreme Court justice, the work that she did as an architect of helping the american legal system and also american citizens understand that equal protection of the laws applies to women just like it applies to men would entitle her to be viewed as one of the most impactful lawyers of all time. I would put her up with john marshall, the first great chief justice of the court who really had to form so many of the doctrines that we now sort of take for granted about our american jurisprudence and thurgood marshall, who in many ways carried the same fight for equality to make us realize that it applied to people regardless of the color of their skin, and then served on the Supreme Court. These are the two lawyers that i think of when i think of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And im not sure that anyone else is in the same class with her other than those two. Its a sad time when someone passes of such magnitude, but i can tell from the 37,000 pieces of correspondence that my office received in the first four days after she left that if you measure a life not by the day that it ends but by the influence that it has and the example that it sets, its also a time where we can just justly admire, be in awe of and celebrate the accomplishments of a wonderful american. And with that, mr. President , i yield the floor and i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senate is in a quorum call. A senator mr. President , i would ask to vitiate the quorum call. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Udall thank you, mr. President , and thank you for the recognition. Thank you for the recognition. Last friday as the jewish new year Rosh Hashanah began, our nation lost a titan of justice and an unmatched force for good. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. According to jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah is a person of great righteousness. Justice ginsburg, who was not only the seventh jewish Supreme Court justice and the first female jewish justice, was indeed righteous. My wife jill and i were proud to call ruth a friend. And like all santa feans, were proud ruth graced our city at the Santa Fe Opera every summer. She loved new mexico and new mexico loved her. Our hearts are with Justice Ginsburgs family. You shared a Great National treasure with all of us, and we are eternally grateful. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of only 12 women who graduated from Columbia Law School in 1959. With a young child in tow, she tied for first in her class. Talk about a trailblazer. Indeed, r. B. G. , as she was so affectionately called, blazed so many trails, too many to list. The first woman to serve on two major law reviews. One of the first female law professors in the nation. She cofounded the first law journal on womens rights and coauthored the first casebook on gender discrimination. Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to push open those doors because no one opened them for her. She was no stranger to gender discrimination. She was demoted at work when she became pregnant with her first child, refused a u. S. Supreme Court Clerkship because she was a woman, paid less than her male counterparts as a law professor. Always driven toward justice, r. B. G. Became the leading legal mind behind incrementally dis dismantling gender Discrimination Laws in the u. S. She spearheaded the strategy to apply the 14th amendment requiring equal protection under the law to women and won in the Supreme Court five times. Her victories helped take down the mass of legal structures relegating women to second class status. She accomplished what was nearly impossible and expanded who is included in we the people. Her quest for justice never ended. As a jurist, she authored groundbreaking opinions, striking down strict requirements on abortion clinics designed to put them out of business, establishing the right of persons with Mental Illness to be treated in the community instead of in institutions, opening up the Virginia Military institute to female cadets, which i think senator kaine talked about a little bit earlier. Shes as well known for her forceful dissents. I dissent has become a rallying cry around an activist conservative court. In 2013, when the court struck down the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights act, Justice Ginsburg declared and i quote here, hubris is a fit word for the demolition of the v. R. A. Observing that striking down voting protections because they work too well was like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because youre not getting wet. Justice ginsburg was brilliant, determined, and courageous. Now as her long and welllived life has come to an end and as the nation mourns, it is only fitting that she continue making first, as the first woman to lie in state in the capitol. All of us, women and men alike, owe a debt of grated todd to Justice Ginsburg and to her righteous and unwavering commitment to justice and equality under the law. As youve now heard many times, Justice Ginsburgs last words to the American Public were and i quote here my most fervent wish is that i will not be replaced until a new president is installed end quote. Yet mere hours after the Supreme Court announced Justice Ginsburgs passing, while the nation was in mourning, leader mcconnell announced he would replace her before the current presidency ends. Let me say this. While my heart is broken, my soul is on fire. Not only are Senate Republicans disregarding Justice Ginsburgs last request, they aring it up their back on the principle that they claimed was pure just four years ago. In february 2016, Justice Scalia passed away a full nine months before a president ial election. At that time, the majority leader refused to hold hearings on president obamas highly qualified nominee, proclaiming and i quote here the American People should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president end quote. Those words meant nothing. They were deceitful tricks in pursuit of law raw power, and they have brought shame montana this body. Election day is only 40 days away, but its more accurate to say that the election ends this 40 days because the election is actually under way today. Voters are already voting in 29 states, more than half of the states are voting. Tens of millions of americans will cast their vote before election day. The leaders vow to vote to row place Justice Ginsburg is a slap in the face to these voters and reasons roughshod over the and runs roughshod over the constitution. Senator mcconnell is moving at light lightning speed to steal the second Supreme Court seat because he knows this body faces an uncertain electoral future. Hes scared to let the American People, as he put it, have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice. This hypocrisy is only outmatched by the utter disdain for the american voters, disdain for their intelligence and will. But the real scandal will be what this means to the American People. On november 10, seven days after election day, the Supreme Court will hear argument on the legality of the Affordable Care act, or what many call the a. C. A. After failing to repeal the a. C. A. In congress, now the republicans are trying to destroy it in the courts, and theyre rushing to fill this vacancy with a judge who will do that work for them. The Trump Administration is standing with 20 republican governors and attorneys general who are asking the Supreme Court to strike down the a. C. A. Republicans are trying to take away Americans Health care in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century. Its unforgivable. By overwhelming numbers, the American People support the a. C. A. Before the a. C. A. , Insurance Companies could deny Health Care Insurance to people with preexisting conditions. Up to 129 million americans under age 65 have preexisting conditions. The millions of people who have been infected by covid19 now have a preexisting condition for the rest of their lives. In my home state of new mexico, more than 840,000 people live with a preexisting condition. Because of the a. C. A. , 23 million more americans have Health Care Insurance and millions more have medicaid expansion. This includes hundreds of thousands of new mexicans. When the a. C. A. Was challenged years ago, the Supreme Court upheld it by a 54 vote. We are one vote away from the decimation of our health care rights. At a time when nearly seven million americans have contracted covid19. The threat is not only to the a. C. A. But also to womens Reproductive Health care, our environmental protections, and what is left of our Campaign Finance limits. So we know why theyre moving at a record pace to fill the seat. But while the president and the majority leader want to rush through a lifetime justice in just a few weeks, covid relief has languished on senator mcconnells desk for months. Millions of americans are out of work. Small businesses are closing their doors. Schools cant reopen safely. Parents are burning the candle at both ends working and caring for kids at home. State, local, and tribal governments cant meet budgets for essential services. The American People desperately need another relief package. But the Senate Republicans and the president dont think theres any urgency. Leader mcconnell said that himself. And according to the president , covid19 quote affects virtually nobody end quote. The president said that. Affects virtually nobody. This virus that affects virtually nobody is the thirdleading cause of death in the u. S. , has taken more lives in eight short months than the vietnam and middle east wars combined, and has sent our economy into a nosedive not seen since the great depression. We talk a lot about priorities here in the senate. Right now youre seeing Senate Republican priorities in stark relief. Theyll rush a lifetime Supreme Court pick in weeks, violating every principle they established themselves to please their farright donors. But theyll neglect relief for you, for struggling families, for people out of work, for people sick and dying for months. Finally, we cannot ignore the fact that the president has explicitly said he wants to fill this vacancy to help decide the 2020 election in his favor. He has repeatedly lied that absentee ballots, votes from democratic areas, or votes that are tabulated after election day are somehow fraudulent and like an authoritarian he does not even try to correct himself when his lies are debunked. Instead, he openly admits he wants the Supreme Court to decide the election by disqualifying votes he does not like. And even refuses to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. The senate should not become an accomplice to this an accomplice to this corrupt scheme that threatens the future of our democracy and every Senate Republican should condemn the president s refusal to commit to give up power peacefully. And i would note that several of my republican friends have stood up and have said that there should be a peaceful transition of power, and i applaud them for that. And with that, i would note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Mcconnell mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that further proceedings your honor the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that with respect to the nominations confirmed this week, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, around the president be immediately notified of the senates action. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the journal of proceedings be approved to date. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the senate be in 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 senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate Resolutions which were submitted earlier today s. Res. 719, 720, 721, 722, and 723. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed to the resolutions en bloc. Mr. Mcconnell i know of no further debate on the resolutions. The presiding officer if there is no further debate, the question is on the adoption of the regulations en bloc. Resolutions en bloc. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say 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 the preambles where applicable be degreed 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 ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h. R. 1812, which was received from the house. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. R. 1812, an act to amend title 38 United States code to finish center readjustment counseling to certain individuals. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h. R. 23072 which was received from the house. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. R. 2372, an act to direct the comptroller general of the United States to conduct an ahe ssessment of all memoranda of understanding and memoranda of agreement between under secretary of health and nondepartment of Veterans Affairs entities relating to Suicide Prevention and Mental Health services. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 4929, s. 2693. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 492, s. 2693, a bill to improve oversight by the federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast Emergency Alert systems. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Mcconnell i further ask that the schatz amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent the committee on Veterans Affairs be discharged from further consideration of h. R. 6168 and the senate product proceed to its immediate consideration. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk an act to increase effective as of december 1, 20 to, the rates of compensation for veterans with serviceconnected disabilities and so forth and for other purposes. The presiding officer without objection, the subcommittee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i understand there is a bill at the desk due a second reading. The presiding officer the clerk the read the too title. The clerk s. 4675, a bill to amend the Health Insurance portability and accountability act. Mr. Mcconnell i object to further proceedings. The presiding officer objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for a pro forma session only with no business being conducted on monday, september 28 at 2 45 p. M. I further ask that when the senate adjoins on monday, september 28, it next convene at 3 00 p. M. Tuesday, september 29, 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 conclusion of morning business, the senate resume consideration of h. R. 8337. Further, with respect to the cloture motion filed during todays session of the senate, the filing deadline for all firstdegree amendments be 4 00 p. M. Notwithstanding the provisions of truly 22, the cloture motion filed during todayst session ripen at 5 30 p. M. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell if there is to further business to come before the senate, i ask it stand adjourned under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until Senate Stands adjourned until logical tvs coverage of the 20th annual National Book festival this weekend. This Virtual Event hosted by the library of congress, features online authors discussion plus live sections saturday 7 00 p. M. Eastern, author gail collins with their book, no stopping us now. Right now, since the 1970s, theres been transformation of the economic role in america. 7 45 p. M. , a live discussion taking your phone calls. Then 8 00 p. M. , john meacham with his book, his truth is marching on. Is a man born in 1940 repeatedly in the American South 50 and 60 years ago acted in the tradition of essentially an early christian saint. Followed by a live segment 8 30 p. M. Hell take your questions sunday 7 00 p. M. Eastern, her book, cosmos. The first was the broadest possible global topic. Coordinates in space and in time. She will take your live calls and tweet starting at 7 30 p. M. And 8 00 p. M. , the book reagan planned. Right about the corporate world, organizing against what i talked about. Live calls starting 8 40 p. P. M. , logical tvs coverage of the 20th annual National Book festival this weekend on cspan2. Mitch mcconnell and Chuck Schumer both spoke on the senate floor earlier about the current Supreme Court vacancy. During his remarks, senator schumer relocked to the comments made by President Trump yesterday. He talked about the protests and violence in his hometown of louisville, kentucky. I spoken repeatedly in recent months about the tragic killing of Breonna Taylor in my hometown of louisville. The healing work ahead for our community. Kentuckys attorney general, Daniel Cameron conducted exactly the kind of the world in partial investigation justice demands. Yesterday the chapter concluded the grand jury conducted handoff to criminal prosecution. I have full confidence in the painstaking
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