Bill with a final vote scheduled for this morning. Theyll also work on the nomination of Justin Walker to serve on the u. S. Court of appeals. Live Senate Coverage here on cspan2. 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. Lord, god of heaven and earth, today teach our lawmakers to do things your way, embracing your precepts and walking in your path. Lord, make them powerful instruments for goodness in our nation and world. Remind them at the narrow and difficult road leads to life and few find it. You honor those who honor you. As our senators receive guidance from you and following your leading, replace anxiety with calm and confusion with clarity. Give them attentive hearts and open minds as they seek to find in the diversity of ideas what is best for our nation and world. We pray in your great name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Grassley madam president. The presiding officer the senator from iowas recognized. Mr. Grassley i ask to speak for one minute in morning business and if the leader doesnt come, i may ask for an additional three minutes. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley yesterday i gave the details of an Historic Police reform that passed unanimously in both houses of the Republicancontrolled Legislature and it passed unanimously. Surely if democrats in iowa can work with republicans to find unanimity, we shouldnt have any problems here in the United StatesCongress Passing something unanimously as well. Lets not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. This morning senator majority leader mcconnell, senator tim scott, and other members of the Republican Task force unveiled a piece of legistion that goes by the title of justin Unifying Solutions to invigorate communities everywhere or the being a ri number justice for acronym just for short. I applaud their leadership on this. Democrats should stop partisan attacks and instead spend their time with us working together to find solutions. So its Pretty Simple for me. If the Iowa Legislature can do it in a bipartisan, unanimous way, we can do it here as well. Madam president , while there are reports of plans to remove troops stationed in germany, im reluctant to comment on a proposal that i have not seen. What i can say, however, is that congress will have a say. And what i can also say that the u. S. Commitment to nato and our european allies is rock solid. That said, it is not in the american character to project power for powers sake. Since world war ii we have reluctantly accepted the lesson that our geography and goodwill alone cannot protect us in the United States from being dragged into other things around the globe, and particularly conflicts. The u. S. Military presence in europe since world war ii has preserved the freedom of half of europe and contributed to the eventual freedom of the other half of europe. Yet, despite enjoying economic and security benefits, polls show our presence is unpopular with the with a large segment of the german population. Combined, the american publics reluctance to station troops abroad with a sense that they are not wanted or appreciated by their hosts and you can expect some second thoughts. But this isnt the whole story. I know many german political leaders who treasure the friendship between our two countries and their voices are needed now more than ever before. Moreover, our bases in germany are not there just for the germans. They provide critical support to troops in harms way in the middle east and are vital for nato deterrence. The people of poland and the baltic countries are among the most proamerican that you can find anywhere in the world. And the governments representing them put their money where their mouth is when it comes to nato. Armor presence in europe reduces the likelihood of russian aggression against these friends and a repeat of their past oppression. America will not abandon our allies, our credibility and National Honor demand it. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell madam president. The presiding officer the majority leader is recognized. Mr. Mcconnell on behalf of the entire kentucky delegation, all kentuckians and the entire United States congress, i must begin this morning by expressing our deepest condolences to our colleague, representative andy barr and his family. His lovely wife carol passed away suddenly and unexpectedly yesterday. She was only 39 years old. She leaves behind her husband, their two beautiful young daughters, eleanor and mary clay, and an entire community that knew her, admired her and valued her many contributions. To meet carol bar was instantly to like her. Her warm personality filled the room and uplifted everybody. Her face, her her faith, her love of family and her dedication to her community were totally evident. Through her own career and work with andy, she poured her time and talents to giving back to her neighbors in the sixth district. Were so very, very sorry for our colleagues loss. All of our prayers go out to andy, to their girls, and to the entire barr and level families at this tremendously difficult hour. Now, madam president , on an entirely different matter. Breonna taylor, george floyd over the last several months our country has been shaken by the killings of more black americans at the hands of Law Enforcement. And the people of this country have called for change. The United States of america is not a fundamentally racist country. Were the greatest nation in world history, built on the promise of liberty and justice for all, but our founding promise was stained by the since of slavery and racial prejudice. Generations of americans have spent more than a century working to remediate that stain. We fought a civil war. Black americans led a movement that won Historic Supreme Court wins and landmark federal legislation. Weve squeezed racist lives out of Mainstream Society and relegated them to a pathetic fringe. But the events of the last few weeks have reminded this country that the stain is not totally gone. We have a lot more work to do. While the far left has tried to exploit americas pain and anger to push insane policies like defunding or disbanning all police or nonsense claims like the insertion that enforcing laws is inherently racist, the rest of the country has been uniting around commonsense truths. When black americans tell us they do not feel safe in their own communities, we need to listen. When american Citizens Lack faith in our Justice System from start to finish, we need to respond. When the equal protection of the laws feel to some americans like a contingency of demographics and not a universal fact of life, we need to act. So that is what this Senate Republican majority is doing today. We are acting. Sadly, the junior senator from South Carolina is no stranger to this subject himself. Senator scott has led the construction of a strong proposal that will increase transparency, grow accountability and advance the cause of Police Reform without lashing out at the lions share of brave Law Enforcement officers who serve bravely and well. Later today he will introduce this new legislation and it will be the very we consider here on the senate floor. We will be turning to this bill next week. Senator scotts justice act provides solutions that are as sober, as serious, and as significant as this watershed moment demands. Faced with the fact that policing is primarily a local and state rather than a federal concern, our colleague has nevertheless found a variety of levers that will advance, incentivize and insist on the changes that we need to see. We need to encourage Police Departments across america to end choke holds, training their officers to deescalate tense situations, and having prior disciplinary records play a greater role in hiring. B that. We need to increase accountability so bad officers are easy to spot and good officers good names stay clear. This bill does that. It will get more body cameras on the streets, helping ensure their use and have better practices for discipline or dismissal when necessary. We need more transparency so communities have greater visibility under local Law Enforcement. This bill does that too. Well require full reporting to the f. B. I. When a local officers has used force or discharged his or her weapon. And in a subject that is tragically become a major focus for my hometown of louisville, kentucky, we address noknock warrants as well. We will require new transparency and new reporting from state and local authorities so that surrounding communities and the federal government can all better understand how, when, and why this practice is used. These are just some of the major parts of our colleagues legislation. The justice act will also finally make lynching a federal crime. It will close the consent loophole by forbidding Law Enforcement from taking advantage of people in their custody. And more. This legislation is a substantial effort to help our nation make major headway on substantial challenges. Im grateful to senator school for his appreciate scott, and appreciate the work of senator capito, cornyn and sasse. The democratled house of representatives is, of course, out of town. Theyve had time to issue partisan attacks from Long Distance but have yet to take up any Police Former legislation since the weeks of the death of ms. Taylor or mr. Floyd. The action, madam president , is in the senate. The leadership is in the senate. Now over the past several days some of our Senate Democratic colleagues have undertaken to attack this new legislation before they even read it. Before it was even released, while it was still being compiled, as a matter of fact. Let me make this perfectly clear. Senate republicans are interested in making a law. We want to enact needed reforms. We want to make policing in america better. Weve just demonstrated on the cares act and once again on the Great American outdoors act that we can act together and achieve bipartisan support. This, madam president , is another one of those issues that needs to be addressed, needs to be addressed now, and can only be addressed in the senate if both sides are willing to Work Together. Needless to say, if were going to make law on this issue in the senate, it will have to be a bipartisan effort. So i hope and expect there will be opportunities for amendments from both sides, so i hope we can step up, stand together, and work in good faith to turn this impressive starting point into law for our country. Well have the chance next week, so lets dont waste it. Now, on another matter, every year in kentucky, nearly 350,000 people take to the Great Outdoors to go hunting. More than a third of them on public lands. Over half a million head to the commonwealths lakes and rivers to fish. 1. 3 million enjoy the open space and the magesty of our wildlife, looking for a glimpse of the bluegrass native species. And 120,000 kentuckians earn their living keeping these vibrant traditions of Outdoor Recreation up and running for everyone else. Public lands are an important part of life across our state, from the Cumberland Gap to the land between the lakes, our parks, refuges, and Historic Sites form the backbone of local economies and welcome millions of visitors from across the country and around the world. And if you ask any of my colleagues, you would hear similar stories about the landmarks, wilderness and history that made their own states unique. Americas hundreds of millions of acres of public lands are the results of hundreds of years of expiration and conservation. Today, the senate will act to ensure this inheritance will stand the test of time for generations of americans yet to come. The Great American outdoors act will bring muchneeded resources to the longdeferred maintenance and upkeep in parks and other public lands all across our country. And it will secure permanent support for the land and Water Conservation fund and its mission to expanding access to national treasures. This major legislation is only before us because of the persistent effort on the part of several of our colleagues. So one last time, id like to thank senator gardner and senator daines for their outstanding leadership, and senators portman, manchin, alexander, and warner, among other colleagues on both sides, for all their work to bring this bipartisan project to completion. I hope following our action the house will take it up and pass it quickly. The president has already said he is eager to sign it. We should not let this historic opportunity pass us by, so i look forward to passing this monumental legislation later today. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h. R. 1957, which the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 75, h. R. 1957, an act to amend the Internal Revenue code of 1986 to modernize and improve the Internal Revenue service, and for other purposes. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Thune madam president. The presiding officer mr. Thune madam president , is the senate in a quorum call . The presiding officer yes, it is. Mr. Thune i would ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Thune madam president , in the wake of recent tragic deaths of several African Americans at the hands of police, our country has reaching a turning point. Americans of every race, background, and political persuasion are calling for change. Too Many Americans feel unsafe right now. Too Many Americans live in fear that what happened to george floyd could happen to their own fathers and sons and brothers. Too Many Americans see Law Enforcement officers as individuals to be feared rather than trusted. Americans are ready for all of that to end. They want reform and increased accountability. They want to make sure that we are holding our Law Enforcement officers to the highest standards. And they want their fellow americans to feel confident that what happened to george floyd, Breonna Taylor and too many others will not happen to their loved ones. Madam president , members of congress have been listening. I have been listening. Today im proud to rise in support of senator scotts policing reform bill which i am cosponsoring. Senator scotts just and Unifying Solutions to reinvigorating communities everywhere, the justice act, is the result of years of great work. It addresses various aspects of policing reform. One important section of the bill, the george floyd and walter scott notification act which would direct deficiencies in Law Enforcement reporting of use of force incidents. Right now, the f. B. I. National use of force Data Collection only receives data on about 40 of Law Enforcement officers. That needs to change. The only way we can understand the scope of the problems were facing is to have full and accurate data. A complete data picture will allow us to pinpoint problems, identify troubled Police Departments and develop best practices for use of force and deescalation training. There are many Police Departments across our nation that are doing an exemplary job policing, that have excellent relationships with the community, and that are already implementing a lot of best practices, but there are also more troubled Police Departments, Police Departments that fail to train their officers properly or overlook officer misbehavior. And we need to identify those Police Departments and demand their reform. Collecting full and accurate data on use of force incidents will help us do that. Madam president , one policing measure that has been found to reduce both officers use of force and complaints against Police Officers is body cameras. Bodyworn cameras record every officer interaction with the community, which encourages appropriate behavior and helps to create an accurate record of events. These cameras keep both citizens and Police Officers safer, but implementing the use of these cameras can be costly, as can storing the copious data that accumulates. So the justice act will create a new