Its a testament to her knowledge and status that she worked as counsel and later senior counsel both republican and democratic chairs of this committee. Susan later moved to the democratic stamp on the former chair Ranking Member john conyers where she expanded her portfolio to include Administrative Law the federal courts and ethics issues. When i was elected to serve as chair he also asked susan to serve as committee parliamentarian. In addition to her all their duties. To develop procedures for hearings, markups and other committee activities. Regular viewers of this committee will recognize as the person sitting behind me providing the wise counsel. Susan has been essential to the operations of this committee and shes been involved in nearly every pace of Committee Business over the last year. Though she will be leaving the committee she will continue the book service as she transitions to a position with the Administrative Office of the u. S. Court. I wish her well as i think her
To start the work week. Lawmakers are expected to continue working on allowing kelly kraft to upset the United States in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in new york. They moved to advance her nomination is set for 5 30 p. M. Eastern today. Now to live coverage of the u. S. Senate here on the. The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Almighty god, sovereign of our nation and lord of our lives, thank you for infusing us with the confidence that you order our steps each day. Give our lawmakers courage and a strong resolve to glorify your name as they trust the unfolding of your providence. As they remember what you have already done to bless this nation, inspire them to march confidently toward tomorrows difficulties with a total dependence on your power. May they recommit themselves each day to faithfully fulfilling the awesome responsibility you have entrusted to them. L
Mr. Bennet madam president , id ask the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Bennet thank you, madam president. Last month over 50 americans were killed in Mass Shootings in this country while we were on the august recess when we should have been here doing our job. 100 americans are killed every day from gun violence. There are 100 desks in this room. There are 100 chairs behind each one of those desks. And if these were the americans killed by gun violence, they would add up to every single desk thats in this room. And yet the majority leader didnt bring us back during the august recess, didnt say we should cancel our vacation and come back to work for the American People, hasnt put a bill on the floor or given the opportunity for anybody else to put a bill on the floor now that weve been back in session for the last two months. In colorado alone in the last 1 months weve 18 months weve lost 882 people to gun violence. Thats a record in my state, mada
The presiding officer the senator from connecticut. Mr. Murphy are we in a quorum call, mr. President . The presiding officer we are not. Mr. Murphy thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , i thank my colleagues for their indulgence this evening, and for those of us those of you who help us keep this floor open. I will make some longer remarks later this evening, but while we have a short break in the floor waiting for senator brown to arrive, i wanted to say a word of appreciation to all of my colleagues who have decided to join us this evening on the floor. This is my first appearance here, to talk about the imperative of changing the nations gun laws, recognizing that this number, 100 americans killed by guns every single day, is not inevitable. Almost every single one of these murders and suicides and accidental shootings is preventable. If we make different choices here on the floor of the United States senate, and our purpose tonight is to try to bring some consistency of effort
Across our land. I remember the sights and sounds of parents at the firehouse in sandy hook on the horrible day in 2012 when 20 beautiful children and six great educators died. The firehouse is where parents went to find out whether their children were okay. And the way they found out was that their children either appeared or they did not. For them in the cries and sobbing they experienced, the expressions of anguish, the look on those faces was only the beginning of their nightmare. But it transformed connecticut. And what we did in connecticut was to adopt commonsense measure, comprehensive steps to stop gun violence. But the lesson of connecticut is not only that those steps have reduced gun violence including homicide but also that states with the strongest laws are still on the the in ersy of the one mercy of the ones with the weakest because guns have no respect for state boundaries. They cross state lines and they do damage and death in states like connecticut with strong guns