In 30 seconds or less tell us your pic a why. Be sure to watch books a shaped america live every monday at 9 p. M. Eastern on cspan. The u. S. Senate is gambling in now on the agenda today Vice PresidentKamala Harris is expected to swear in Laphonza Butler as he ascended her. Shes California Governor Gavin Newsom stick to fill the late senator Dianne Feinstein sea. At 5 30 p. M. Eastern there was a vote scheduled with advance the nomination of James Obriant to the assistant secretary of state for european and eurasian affairs. And now live to the senate floor here on cspan2. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain dr. Barry black will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. O god, most holy, you are more ready to hear us than we are to pray, for you know our needs before we ask for help. Give us listening ears, responsive hearts, and willing spirits. Bless our senators. Fill their lives with meaning and shower them with your wisdom. Reveal the issues that matter most so their work will glorify you. Let your love sustain them through the welter and variety of the legislative process. And whrord, and lord, empower your new addition to the United States senate, ms. Butler. We pray in your marvelous name. Amen. The presiding officer please join me in reciting 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 stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington d. C. , october 3, 2023. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable peter welch, a senator from the state of vermont, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed patty murray, president pro tempore. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. The Vice President the chair lays before the senate one certificate of appointment to fill an unexpired term. Created by the death of the late senator Dianne Feinstein. Of the state of california. The certificate, the chair is advised, is in the form suggested by the senate. Hearing no objection, the reading of the certificate will be waived and it will be printed in full in the record. If the senatordesignate will now present herself at the desk, the chair will administer the oath of office. The Vice President please raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god . Ms. Butler i will. The Vice President congratulations. Mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Schumer could we have some order. Thank you, mr. President. The presiding officer there is order. Mr. Schumer it says let me be the first to welcome our newest colleague, but i see shes had a lot of good welcomes already. Let me be the first majority leader to welcome our newest colleague to the United States senate, senator Laphonza Butler sworn in moments ago as the next senator from california. Mr. President , i cant help but think how proud senator feinstein would be seeing someone as brilliant, as accomplished, as history making as Laphonza Butler take her place. I know that her old colleague is looking down at this moment with pride now that her seat is in good hands. Congratulations to senator butler on this immense honor. This is a historic moment for the senate, for california, and for the entire country. Senator butler is im the third black woman in American History to serve in the United States senate. Shes the first openly lesbian senator from california, and shes the first openly lgbtq senator of color to serve in this body. Today, the senate takes another step towards fully reflecting our vibrant democracy. Now, laphonzas life story can be sum riemsed in two words serving summarized in two words, serving others. By her own telling, service was practically a dinner table conversation growing up in magnolia, mississippi. After losing her father to illness, she watched her mom sacrifice everything to put her kids first. Working night shifts as a nurse, a security guard, a classroom aide, anything to help her kids have a better life. No surprise. That example left a mark on laphonza for the rest of her days. Following in her moms footsteps, laphonza dedicated her entire career to fighting for others fighting for women, fighting for working families, and fighting for the cause of justice. I know shell do the same here in the senate. So again, this is a proud moment for all of us, and i know this must be a proud moment for laphonzas family. I know youre not supposed to address members before the senate in the senate gallery, mr. President , but let me say this to everyone who had attended here and who is still here were all very happy laphonzas family could join us to share from this special day. We share in their joy, too. Finally, to our colleague, laphonza, i know these last few days have felt like a whirl wind. I know it seems like theres a million things to do and so little time to do them. But rest assured, were here to help you. I spent a great halfhour, 45 minutes talking to laphonza, and shes going to be one great senator. Were ready to work with her. All of us who have stood where laphonza assistants now and felt the awesome weight of holding this office are ready to help her. I urge you, if you permit me, to never let the sense of duty disappear, for in our hands rests the trust, the wishes, the homes, and the burdens of the American People. So to senator butler, congratulations on this honor, and welcome to the senate. Today is a day of celebration. And as we celebrate, we also remember and give thanks for our late colleague and friend senator feinstein, for the information of senators, the floor of the senate will close so members can attend the Memorial Service of senator feinstein in San Francisco this thursday. On that day, it will be my honor to speak at senator feinsteins memorial to give thanks for all she did for this country and to honor the legacy she leaves behind. I hope all my colleagues who have worked with her all these years are label to attend so we are able to attend so we can say a final goodbye to one of the greatest Public Servants to serve in this chamber. Mr. President , i understand theres a bill at the desk due for a second reading. The presiding officer the senator is correct. The clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. The clerk h. R. 5692, an act making supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2024, and for other purposes. Mr. Schumer in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding. The presiding officer objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. Mr. Schumer i note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. The clerk ms. Baldwin. Is congress hopefully more times it will use to fund for Appropriations Bills. On the house and seeing Appropriations Bills for god, talk about that is a process. We 12 Appropriations Bills usually combined and sometimes a few and if funds discretionary portion of the budget and is about a third of the budget and a little less, i thought medicare or medicaid but its the things where we picked the level every year so we say how much money are we going to give nasa for nh . In the department of defense selected this one third across 12th bills so house and the senate have been working on all 12 bills of them and they talked about going on. Go ahead. One of the back dropped behind this is the bills level a part of the reason we are in a difficult place is the sudden and bipartisan basis almost fully consistent, a little bit higher the house began writing bills and part of the issues here and it was a couple of months ago. You made some statements and i want to read some of the statements and illustrate on. He said the bill as far as they were looked at for ongoing defense programs, start their. The deal a couple of months ago the majority of the house and republicans voted, that total level for Government Spending in the budget, it was already spending on the current basis by 49 billion so the House Republicans appropriations bill passed 58 billion for ongoing programs so out of the cdc and the Social Security and the various things, 58 billion and in addition, a bunch of other spending by 94 billion and thats underfunding by 152 billion. The interesting thing Speaker Mccarthy indicated they are planning another 60 billion and they have it around 5 billion. Thats why we are in this difficult situation, House Republicans with a massive cut beyond the couple going to go. If you want to ask questions about the operations process and funding process 202 7488001. Republicans 202 7488000 independence 202 7488002. Text at 202 7488003. Ricardo hawkins and hot pot appropriations bill in the work on the committee that because of the differences from what the senator said want versus the house side. The senate has begun, they have major bipartisan support they are moving a minibus and i think it had 89 or 91 green so they have a huge agreement in the bill and it takes a while. Congress will pass a resolution it is extremely common. I would say its working normally. The house is offering lower than initially agreed upon. The senate can and will go ahead. The house consists below the deal we are setting up another showdown mid november. I dont think there is an appetite among Senate Republicans or democrats breaking the deal so similar when there are budget caps for 2012 through 2021 and it didnt go below any of those. Objection. Mr. Mcconnell id like to begin today by welcoming our newest colleague, senator Laphonza Butler of california. As the Senate Continues to mourn our late friend and colleague, Dianne Feinstein, i know the people of california are grateful for senator butlers willingness to serve and i know our colleagues join me in welcoming her. Now, on another matter, last week, the senate voted to prevent a domestic budget dispute from shutting down the federal government. Now, with straightforward, shortterm funding in place, its time for congress to redouble our effort on a number of unfinished priorities. In the coming weeks the senate needs to continue making prog rels on progress on fullyear appropriations, and well begin by funding important resources for military construction, veterans services, agriculture, housing, and transportation infrastructure. But our work does not stop there. The Senate Also Needs to address urgent supplemental funding needs and continue our work to bring the Biden Administrations reckless spending and radical regulations to heel. Many of our colleagues are particularly keen to deliver additional relief to communities rebuilding after devastating national disasters, from hurricanes on the gulf coast to wildfires in hawaii, to flooding in kentucky. Bipartisan majorities in both chambers continue to recognize that providing additional lethal assistance to ukraines defense against russias aggression is in the United States direct interests. Across the country as historic inflation continues to wreck household budgets, working families are ready to turn the page on biden nommics. After three recordsetting years of functionally open borders, folks in every state are eager for congress to force the Biden Administration to start cleaning up the southern border crisis. Is the fiscal year that just ended saw apprehensions at the southern border exceed two million for only the second time in history. The first time was just last year. Some reports expect that the last months total could clock in as the highest on record. On President Bidens watch, illegal border crossings and asylum claims have stretched the Border Patrol and ice earn he will to their personnel to their breaking point. Theyre seizing hundreds of millions of lethal doses of fentanyl. Though they also estimate that theyre apprehending just a fraction a fraction roughly a quarter of all the fentanyl thats smuggled at the border. Frankly, mr. President , this is less about providing border personnel with new resources than it is about giving them the authority and direction to actually enforce the law. Its certainly not about bailing out blue state sanctuary cities while the tsunami of illegal immigration continues unabated. Its about the administration finally taking commonsense steps to end their wrongheaded policies that have encouraged Illegal Immigrants to cross our borders in the first place. Every state is now a border state. Major cities like new york and chicago are being overwhelmed by arrivals from the southern border. Finally, even blue state mayors and governors are joining the chorus, calling out the administration for its utter failure on Border Security. Of course, across the country, liberal local governments and innocent residents are also facing the consequences of years of softoncrime policies and once again our nations capitol leads the headlines. Just last night congressman Henry Cuellar was the victim after violent carjacking, a few blocks from the capitol building. Armed assailants threatened him at gunpoint and stole his car. Thankfully our house colleague was not injured, and his car has been recovered. Its not even the first time this year that a member of congress has been assaulted while in town for work. But this is what private american citizens are facing every single day. Like the 22,000 people who have had their car stolen in chicago this year or the 20,000 victims of felony assault in new york city, this sort of brazen violence against anyone should be a wakeup call to local officials. Last year a 55yearold man was murdered at a gas station in washington by a group of teenagers attempting to steal his car. The city is now averaging two carjackings every day, and these crimes are increasingly being committed by young people. Now, at a certain point the American People who visit our Nations Capital by the millions every year might expect the citys liberal government to finally start getting serious about securing the streets. But even as senseless violence increases, local leaders are bent bent on undermining public safety. One member of the d. C. Council, the same softoncrime panel that tried to weaken sentencing for repeat offenders earlier this year, proposed recently that local courts be required to provide a written explanation before releasing violent criminals before trial. The courts response . Such a requirement was not feasible because it would significantly increase their workload. All this in a city where prosecutors decline to even prosecute twothirds of the arrests last year. American families deserve to feel safe in their homes and their neighborhoods, and certainly in the Nations Capital. It shouldnt take another assault or carjacking or homicide to convince leftwing local leaders to start actually doing their jobs. Mr. Durbin mr. President. The presiding officer the democratic whip. Mr. Durbin mr. President , it is my honor to represent the state of illinois and the city of chicago. I cannot felt you how many times members of the senate and the house in the other party have gone to the microphones to condemn the constituent of chicago and its crime rate. Let me tell you pointblank theres too much crime in the city of chicago, but it is not the only chicago in america that suffers from that problem. Cities large and small have problems every single day with violent gun crime. My hometown of east st. Louis, a tiny little town of 20,000, 25,000 in comparison to the large metropolitan of chicago and yet the rate of gun violence there is even higher in east st. Louis than it is in chicago. We have to do everything we can to deal with it. Let me tell you what everything we can means. It means we have to look at the flood of guns coming into these cities from out of state fry merrell without background checks that are getting into the hands of criminals who are turning around and killing innocent people to ignore this flood of guns in the United States and condemn crime is to take a position that youre not going to take a look at reality. Thats what were faced with. We have to have a sensible policy when it comes to background checks, universal background checks to make sure guns are not ending up in the hands of people that will misuse them. When they confiscate thousands of guns every year, which they do in chicago, they find that they come from the surrounding states which have lax laws, if any, when it comes to checking the background of purchasers. If you raise that issue on t