The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. God of our destiny, you have watched over us from generation to generation. May our lawmakers trust your faithfulness during this challenging season of our nations history. Lord, inspire them to recall how you have sustained the land we love in prosperity and adversity, in peace and in war. Give our senators the wisdom to believe that they can trust your constancy and greatness, as they cling to your promise never to leave or forsake them. Believing in your power, help us all to face fresh challenges with total confidence in you. And lord, we pray for the health and safety of all as communities begin the process of reopening businesses. We pray in your mighty name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it
Environment that will support a full economic recovery. I yield the floor. In march, our country lost a great statesman and my fellow squealer, former senator tom coburn of oklahoma. A family physician who delivered more than 4,000 babies, he was known as dr. Tom in oklahoma. But in washington, he was called dr. No because of his fierce opposition to adding more red ink to the National Debt. Having served just 10 years in the senate before retiring in 2014, the year i was elected, i never had the honor to serve alongside dr. Coburn. Nonetheless, his leadership and his efforts to eliminate government waste and overreach continues to be an inspiration to me and to many others. If you cannot find waste in any part of the federal budget, he once commented, it can only be for one reason, you havent looked. Many of the outlandish examples he exposed are now what i like to call legendary. Take, for example, the shrimp on a treadmill, and of course, there was the bridge to nowhere. Every feder
A senator madam president . The presiding officer the senator from minnesota. Ms. Klobuchar madam president , are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer no, we are not. Ms. Klobuchar madam president , we are here today to vote on a nominee to be a commissioner at the federal election commission, the independent Agency Responsible for enforcing federal Campaign Finance laws. I am deeply disappointed in todays vote which is a departure from the senates longstanding tradition of considering f. E. C. Nominees on a bipartisan basis and another step in eroding the fra decisions of the the traditions of the senate all for a candidate that hold extreme views towards the agency that he would be appointed to. Prior to today, the senate has voted to confirm 47 f. E. C. Nominees and 42 of those nominees have been confirmed through a bipartisan process. As the ranking democrat on the rules committee, i have repeatedly urged my republican colleagues to work with us to get the f. E. C. Running a
Pandemic, essential workers in the United States have continued in their daily jobs to care for and protect americans, to produce and deliver food and essential goods, and to uphold our nations Critical Infrastructure. These men and women, our moms and dads, brothers and sisters, are putting the livelihoods of their fellow americans ahead of their own. Each and every morning despite the pandemic, they wake up and they go to work. In this fight against the invisible enemy, the critical logistics operators, the supply workers, medical professionals, and many others who are on the front lines responding to coronavirus could not be more important to our victory. They truly are our heroes. Folks, our nation cannot weather this pandemic without our essential workforce. They first and foremost deserve our gratitude. So today we want to say thank you. Thank you to our doctors, our nurses, and our Health Care Workers who see firsthand the seriousness of this disease yet put their own health and
Madam president. I asked unanimous consent be initiated. Americans have come together in this moment. To defeat the coronavirus. Come together to rev up testing, to ramp up healthcare, and to reopen our communities and our country. The coronavirus has brought out the best in so many ways and america and the american people. From her front line Healthcare Workers, taking care of patients, to scientists and researchers working on testing and on treatment and on vaccines. To those in Public Service keeping a central part of the government running day in andn day out for those working on supply chains to deliver goods 24 hours a day. And to those who are staying at home to keep themselves and keep others safe. Americans are in this together. Madam president , its interesting because all the your sing from the other side of the political aisle, is more of the same old politics and namecalling. President obama is taking cheap shots at present trump. Speaker pelosi just put out a 3 trilliondo