Badly, badly. And so is our constitution. I believe the unprecedented obstruction our republican colleagues mounted last year against judge garland was a shameful chapter for the United States senate. Judge garland, a consensus builder, one of those qualified judges in our country, waited 293 days for a hearing and a vote that ultimately never came. Im still deeply troubled by the 293 wasted days and i am still deeply troubled by how judge garland was treated. I believe judge garland still deserves a hearing and he still deserves a vote. While i do not believe that two wrongs make a right, i believe that this may be our only opportunity to right a wrong and erase enormous black mark of the senates failure to consider judge garland leaves on this chapter of american history. I think its unacceptable to put partisan politics over fidelity to our constitution. Confirming anyone for this vacancy other than judge garland would be a stamp of approval for playing politics with Supreme Court nominees. From where i sit, upholding our oath to protect the constitution means finding agreement on moving judge garlands nomination forward at the same time, at the same time as judge neil gorsuchs, President Trumps Supreme Court nominee. When President Trump lost the for lar vote by nearly three million votes last year, nearly won the electoral college, he promised to be a president for all americans. I think a fair question is, has he upheld that promise . You decide. An unconstitutional muslim ban, an unnecessary and overpriced wall on the southern border, a failed Health Care Bill that would have provided less coverage for more money, a rollback of Environmental Protection for all of us who dont want to drink dirty water and dont want to breathe dirty air. If you ask me, the president has broken the promise to be president for all americans. I realize others might differ and disagree, but his nomination of judge gorsuch represents what i believe isnother broken promise. Ive heard from middleclass folks, from workers up and down my state, from special education teachers, from immigrant communities, from women who depend on access to health care, and my guess is my colleagues have as well. Many of them fear that judge gorsuch is not on their side and despite his impressive resume, i have i share those same concerns. At this time i believe it is appropriate to hit the pause button until an agreement at that can be reached that provides justice for judge garland while restoring credibility of the United States senate. That belief is only bolstered by the crowd that lingers over President Trumps campaign. As f. B. I. Director jim comey testified last week, there is an Ongoing Investigation to determine the links between russia and the Trump Campaign and whether there was any coordination between the Trump Campaign and russia to interfere in the 2016 election. Its also been widely reported in the media that officials from the Upper Echelon of the Trump Campaign have close ties to Vladimir Putins interest in weakening democratic governments throughout the west. There are Many Americans who believe that judge gorsuch has been nominated for a stolen Supreme Court seat. There are also a number of americans who believe that he has been nominated by a man Whose Campaign may have coordinated with adversaries on stealing a president ial election. At the moment, let me be clear at the moment no evidence has been made public to indicate that this is the case. But there are few nominations that any president will make that will have more of an impact on our constitution and on the lives of Everyday Americans than the United StatesSupreme Court. To hastily move forward with judge gorsuch, who is 49 years old, could serve on the Supreme Court well into the middle of this century, without first getting to the bottom of the suspicions and irregular actions of the Trump Campaign officials i believe would be a mistake. The American People need to know that the president s campaign was above reproach before we decide whether judge gorsuch merits approval for a lifetime appointment. Mr. President , our presiding officer from indiana, i will close my remarks by offering a word of caution to my colleagues. We have maintained and preserved a 60vote threshold for Supreme Court nominees to prevent democrats and republicans from choosing political expediency over bipartisan concerns, and bipartisan consensus. If judge gorsuch fails to obtain 60 votes on the cloture vote next week, i would think it could signal one of maybe three things. First, that judge gorsuchs views are outside the political the judicial, rather, mainstream. Second, that wetill have an opportunity to rectify the injustice done to judge garland and to our constitution. Or, third, that we still do not know the nature of the relationship between the Trump Campaign and russia, a country whose leadership has ordered an attack on our our election and our democracy as well as a whole lot of other countries around the world. If judge gorsuch fails to achieve 60 votes on the first try or the next try, it does not mean that his nomination will not move forward at some point in the future. It means we have hit the pause button. It may very well be that while we paused, another vacancy on the court could owe merge. No knows when another vacancy might occur. If you ask me, another vacancy might present the senate with an opportunity to right what i believe is an historic wrong. And we should see if the other objections that have been raised about judge gorsuch could be addressed before we change the rules of the senate in favor of the party in power. In closing, ill say again, judge garland waited 2939 days for a 293 days for a hearing and a vote that never came. Judge gorsuch waited 48 days for a hearing and we will be voting on his nomination next week. Talk about a rush to judgment. The presiding officer the senators time has expired. Mr. Carper i ask unanimous consent for 15 more seconds, please. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Carper thank you. Talk about a rush to judgment. We have time, the American People are watching us, and history will judge us. Lets make sure we get this right. Lets make sure we get this right. With that, id yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from utah. Hatch mr. President , as we approach the end of another week here in the senate with a twoweek recess on the horizon, i think its a good time to reflect on where we are on various highprofile efforts and to talk about the pathways forward. Mr. Hatch as is generally the case, when any new administration comes into office, the republican majorities in both the house and the senate begin 2012 with an ambitious agenda in order to make good on the promises we made to the American People over the last several years. Many of the key items on the agenda fall squarely in the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance committee, which i chair. That being the case, my colleagues on the committee and i have been hard at work trying to find the right solutions on things like health care, tax reform and trade policy. I dont think im going to surprise anyone when i say, it hasnt been easy. Honestly, i think that might be the biggest understatement of the year. Things have been difficult for a number of reasons. One reason is were coming off of a bitter election year, one that shocked a number of our colleagues after a hotly contested campaign, it can sometimes take a while for things to return to norm a however, i dont think that excuses the tactics and rhetoric weve seen from o friends on the other side of the aisle. In any of these bigticket policy efforts, whether were talking about repealing and replacing obamacare, fixing the tax code or updating americas trade policy, cooperation between the legislative and the executive branches is key. My democratic colleagues know this, which i suppose is probably the reason they appear to be bound and determined to prevent any meaningful cooperation from happening. Now, dont get me wrong. I dont expect my friends to change their views and back policies that they find disagreeable however, youd think that at the very least theyd allow the new president to get his team in place, a courtesy that has typically been extended to past president s regardless of party. Yet over the last few months, weve seen a systematic effort from our democratic colleagues to smear, attack, and undermine the vast majority of executive branch nominees and in many cases after the baseless attacks have failed to gain traction, theyve had used every procedural tl at their disposal, including surprise boycotts of committee markups in order to slow the confirmation process down. Now, this level of obstruction with regard to nominees is unprecedented, and i think its safe to say that its slowed our efforts down somewhat. Which i suppose is the exact reason our colleagues have taken this path. Still, mr. President , despite these childish tactics, the teams are coming together and we are moving forward in a number of key areas. Like i said, it still hasnt been easy, but to paraphrase a number of important figures, nothing worth doing is ever easy. For example, on health care, i think its safe to say that the ongoing effort to repeal and replace obamacare took a hit last week. But i dont think that has weakened anyones resolve. Obamacare is a disaster, and one way or another, it has to go away. The American People are demanding that we take action, and i expect that the volume of those demands is going is only going to go up. I commend speaker ryan for his efforts thus far, and i commend all my colleagues in the house and senate for their commitment to repealing and replacing the socalled Affordable Care act, and i remain hopeful that in the near future we can find a workable path forward. And that includes my democratic colleagues as well. On tax reform we have some indications that the Trump Administration intends to be more actively engaged in finding and developing a path forward. Ive said for years that if were going to be successful in tax reform, the goal shared by members of both parties, its going to take president ial leadership and cooperation by both parties. While president obama was genelly unwilling to meaningfully engage on tax reform, President Trump and his team appear to be anxious to drive the process. The are some differences of opinion with regard to tax reform. Still, i think theres a remarkable amount of agreement, ateast among republicans, on the mor issues we needo deal with to fix our broken tax code. Overall, id say tha republicans in the senate, the house, and the white house agree on about 80 of the major tax reform issues a a number of key andundamental questions are answered in that 80 . For example, we all generally agree on the need for comprehensive reform. We agree on the need bring down tax rates for businesses and job creators. We agree that we need a simplifi rate structure on the individual side. We agree on the need to fix the International Tax rules to level the Playing Field for American Companies and encourage more investment in the u. S. And we generally agree on key process issues, including the appropriate revenue baselines and the use of macroeconomic analysis in budget scoring. Still, that 20 of issues where we dont necessarily agree is not insignificant. Well need to find a consensus path forward on those issues as well. One area where weve yet to reach a consensus and the one getting the most attention is on the proposed borderadjustment tax. People have a umin of opinions about this people have a number of opinions on this, and ive had numerous people on both sides of the issue in my o theres a number of opinions on this proposal and theyve been more than willing to express them publicly. As for myself, im anxious to see what it looks like once our friends in the house put it all together. It is too early for me to express a defensive medicinive opinion now, so all ill say is that i have some basic questions about the proposal. For example, who will ultimately bear the tax . What extent will be borne by consumers, workers, shareholders, and of course foreigners . Another question is the proposal consistent with our International Trade obligations . Finally, since border adjustability would likely be a significant shift in business tax policy, would it require us to make adjustments to ensure we dont enduly increase the unduly increase the tax burden on specific industries . If so, what adjustments would be necessary and how would they be structured . I look forward to receiving more details on this proposal. However, here in the senate, we also hav some work to do, and i have been active working with the members of the finance committee to find various solutions to our nations tax problems. At the end of the day, i dont think it will surprise anyone to hear me say that i believe were going to need to have a robust and substantive tax reform process in the senate. In my view, its not real list stuck to think that the senate will simply take up and pass a house bill without our members having a significant input on the substance of the bill. Thats how the congress is supposed to operate, and i think that is what will produce the best result in the end. I look forward to continue working with my colleagues in the house on tax reform. I also appreciate the willingness of the new treasury secretary and the president S National Economic council to lead on this effort. And i look forward to continuing to work with them as well. I will also say this, my hope is that both parties can find a way to Work Together on tax reform. And while we have procedural tools at our disposal to get tax reform legislation through congress with strictly republican votes, i personally believe that it would be better to find a bipartisan path forward. A bipartisan bill would allow us to put in place more lasting reforms and give the overall effort additional credibility. Im sure there are some who think that it is impossible for republicans and democrats to Work Together on something of this magnitude, but ive been in the senate a long time, and i think my record for bipartisanship speaks for itself. I and should Work Together, and im willing to talk and work with anyone who is willing to set politics aside and engage in good faith on these matters. Ive been banging a drum on tax reform for six years now, and throughout that time ive invited my democratic colleagues to join in this effort. Ill do so again today. Hopefully some of our colleagues on the other side will take me up on this offer. Finally, mr. President , i want to say a few words about u. S. Trade policy. Trade is another area where President Trump h some ambitious plans. And where up to now progress has been hindered. But i delve into that let me reiterate a key point. In 2015 csongres outlined its trade priorities with our legislation to renew trade Promotion Authority which was signed into law by president obama. The t. P. A. Statute gives clear guidance as to what a trade agreement should look like if its going to win congress approval. President trump was fortunate to come into office with t. P. A. Already in effect, and i am committed to working with him to enact trade agreements that meet those standards established by the t. P. A. Law. When it comeso new trade agreements or revisions to modernize existing trade agreements, that is my top priority as chairman of the Senate Committee with jurisdiction over trade policy. Our trade laws are designed to ve congress a voice in both the negotiation and implementation of trade agreements. In addition to priorities and objectives outlined under t. P. A. , there is the office of u. S. Trade representative which is intended to be the chief intermediary between congress and of course the administration on trade policy matters. In other words, in order for the two branches to effectively Work Together on trade, the office of ustr needs to be fully functional and fully staffed. Unfortunately up to now some on the other side have been making unreasonable and wholly unrelated demands in relation to the confirmation of President Trumps nominee to be ustr, even though he has support from members in both parties. This is unfortunate. However, i am working with my colleagues to remove any remaining roadblocks, and im hoping that we can make progress on this very soon. As you canee, mr. President , we have quite a bit of work to do here in congress, and im only talking about a handful of major issues before us. Im very concerned. There. There are, of course, many other priorities that we need to address and matters we need to resolve. Im hopinghat in the coming weeks and months as we put more distance between us and the 2016 election, more of our colleagues on both sides will be amenable to working together to address these kinds of important issues, even if it means allowing President Trump to claim some successes. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from minnesota. Mr. Franken thank you, mr. President. I rise today to talk about a path forward on health care. Last week republicans in the house failed to pass the American Health care act, a deeply flawed policy that amounted to little more than a massive tax break for the wealthy at the expense of working people. The failure of that bill means that as speaker ryan put it, the a. C. A. Is the law of the land for the foreseeable future. So today id like to invite my colleagues on the other side, on the other side of the aisle to leave repeal efforts behind and instead roll up your sleeves, our sleeves, and work with me and other democrats to improve the system that weve already got. That is the law of the land for the foreseeable future. Its time to pass commonsense reforms that build on the successes of the a. C. A. And Lower Health Care costs. Senator alexander, chairman alexander, in a recent help committee hearing, said that he wanted to work on a bipartisan basis to stabilize the individual market. Great. Lets do that. We should reinstate and strengthen programs that help Insurance Companies stay in the marketplace and continue to serve even the sickest patients. We should pass a public option to make sure theres competition in every market. We should provide more tax credits to more people. And while we work on those things, theres Something Else we should do, something that together with a group of my colleagues, i introduced a bill about yesterday. Its time to bring down Health Care Costs for everyone by reducing the price of Prescription Drugs. Its time to pass the improving accesso affordable Prescription Drugs act. I think all of us would agree that no one should have to choose between arvedding a life affording a lifesaving drug and putting food on the table for their family, but right now thats happening. Companies are setting prices that are beyond the reach of consumers and that are driving up costs for insurers and taxpayers. In fact, one in five americans one in five americans say theyve not filled a prescription simply because they couldnt aord it. Others are rationing care due to high prices. A study published just last month found that about 10 of Cancer Patients skipped their medication, and about 13 delayed filling their prescriptions. Weve all been shocked by the stories of epipen prices shooting up nearly 500 . The price of insulin has more than doubled in the last five years. Drug companies can essentially set whatever prices that they want. As a result, in recent years Drug Companies have secured some of the highest Profit Margins of any industry. Drug prices are too high. Thats why my colleagues and i are introducing comprehensive legislation to tackle Prescription Drug prices. We want to make sure that companies can not exploit the sick and dying to make a profit. The bill includes 17 policy changes that will improve transparency, promote affordability, spur innovation and enhance competition. Today id like to highlight just three of those provisions. First on transparency, this legislation requires Drug Companies to disclose how much they spend on research, manufacturing, and marketing, as well as Research Grants from the federal government to help all of us understand why prices for lifesaving drugs are so high. Its especially galling that so many drugs that are developed with taxpayer dollars are unaffordable for so Many Americans. Getting this information would help all of us hold Drug Companies accountable. They can be important this can be an important step toward bringing prices down. Second, something that President Trump called for on the campaign trail, the bill will allow medicare to negotiate lower prices for Prescription Drugs. Its just common sense that the biggest buyer of pharmaceutical products in america should be able to use its negotiating clout to bring prices down. And, third, the bill would end the practice of socalled pay for delay. Right now Drug Companies that make the expensive brand name drugs will pay other companies that make generic alternatives to keep their product off the market. This is called pay for delay, and it is outrageous, and its increasingly common. This bill will stop these agreements once and for all. Theres a lot more that this bill does. It penalizes companies that price gouge for lifesaving medicines. I think we can all agree on that. It puts a cap on outofpocket drug costs and insurance plans. It speeds up generic competition. It funds new innovation. That includes the number of other provisions. Tackling the high cost of Prescription Drugs is an issue that many of my colleagues care deeply about. This bill reflects many of their ideas and proposals, and im grateful for their work with me. Moreover, its obvious that the public is ready for action on this issue. Overwhelming majorities of americans in both parties support Government Action to curb outofcontrol drug prices. Im eager to hear from colleagues on both sides of the aisle and from the administration about how we can Work Together to pass the reforms in this law and pass them into law. This is an area of Health Policies that democrats are eager to work on. We hope that the president will stand by his promise to stand up to Drug Companies and reduce costs to american families. It is morally wrong that some people are denied access to lifesaving drugs because they cant afford them. And it is something that we can address. It is something that we can fix. I am in the senate so that i can fight for policies that improve peoples lives. Thats why im here. With this bill, i am trying to do exactly that. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me to help bring down the cost of Prescription Drugs. Thank you, mr. President , and i would note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. Res. 107 submitted earlier today. The presiding officer which the clerk will report. The clerk Senate Resolution 107, congratulating the rifle team of West Virginia university of winning the 2017 National Collegiate athletic station rifle championship. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 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. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 00 p. M. Monday, april 3, further, that following the prayer and pledge, morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved until later in the day, and morng business be closed. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell if in 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 3 00 p. M. On monday. Is the number one industry of california in their are all the campuses of the for them have agriculture we experience all over california for agriculture itself off. From the pentagon documents what is clear it is moving in the military environment with the idea of merging man and machine she called for continued progress on womens issues