good morning. it is 11:00 a.m. eastern. 8:00 a.m. pacific. i'm jose diaz-balart. we begin with breaking news. democratic senator dianne feinstein, the longest serving woman in the senate, died at the age of 90. we're awaiting president biden, who will be speaking at a ceremony honoring the service of the chairman of the joints chief of staff mark milley. we'll bring you that live when it begins. on capitol hill, we're closely following any developments as congress barrelsowards a federal government shutdown. and we begin in washington where reaction continue to pour in amidhe loss of senator feinstein. in a statement, feinstein's office said, she passed ay at her home in washington, d.c. last night. quote, there are f women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother. senator feinstein was a force of nature. here's what we heard just this morning from senate majority leader chuck schumer. >> we look at that desk and we know what we have lost. but we also give thanks, thanks to someone so rarified, so brave, so graceful a presence, served in this chamber, someone like that served in this chamber for so many years. >> feinstein announced in february she planned to retire at the end of her term next year. she had faced calls to resign amid her ongoing health challenges and now the nation mourns the powerful force that was senator feinstein, a trailblazer in politics, a fierce defender of civil rights and a mentor to thousands of women in public service. joining us now, chief white house correspondent peter alexander, nbc news capitol hill correspondent ali vitali, susan paige, usa today washington bureau chief, former senator heidi heitkamp and an in a annie carney. condolences are pouring in. what are we hearing. >> reporter: one of those moments where all party politics are put aside, jose in remembrance of this trail blazing senator, dianne feinstein of california. you mentioned there the remarks that chuck schumer gave, getting choked up in the chamber. there were many of her colleagues who took to the senate floor to remember her. lisa murkowski of alaska saying that this is a woman who joking she probably would have appreciated the recent legislating around the dress code. feinstein always coming in, dressed to the nines, whenever we saw her here in the senate halls. her colleague mitch mcconnell, the top republican in the chamber, saying that there's the word often thrown around in washington and no one really means it that way. but for him and his wife elaine chao, he was friends with dianne feinstein and her late husband. now, though, they get to be together in the next phase of this. i have to say that the most jarring, i think, reaction that we saw was from former speaker of the house nancy pelosi. this is what she said this morning. >> it's very sad for all of us. may she rest in peace. she left voting the last day. >> pelosi there rose through the ranks of california politics alongside feinstein. and i think today, so much, jose, as it often is about legacy, but i think when we talk about dianne feinstein, the thing i'm struck by is 1984, she was one of two women who was in the mix to be a vice presidential candidate with then democratic nominee walter mondale. ultimately he chose geraldine ferraro, but that was such a striking moment because there were so few women who could have been considered for a position of that caliber. now the day that feinstein leaves us, it is so striking to see the number of women who can stand on that senate floor and point to her as someone who blazed a path for them to get into public service and, of course, it is not just in the senate chamber. it is in the house chamber. and it is throughout the ranks of california and national politics as well. >> and you contributed to the obituary for senator feinstein in "the new york times." ali was talking about legacy. what is it some of her most important service to our nation that, you know, contributed to this long legacy of service? >> i think there is two things she's best known for in the senate, being the author of a 1994 assault weapons ban, chris murphy, the senator from connecticut who is a lead advocate for gun safety measures credited her with the entire gun safety movement that has sprung up since then. and the other is authoring the torture report as head of the senate intel committee. this was a real act of bravery, took real spine, she was under pressure from the obama administration not to release this report that would embarrass the cia, it would embarrass the administration and she took her duty seriously, doing congressional oversight and released it. it gave her this real moral authority she was willing to buck her own party and tell the truth about the u.s. use of torture. those are kind of the two main things. she was also known for legislation that created yosemite national park. she was the first woman mayor of san francisco, before she came to the senate. and she had the -- a huge legacy. and one thing that -- in recent years as we have seen her ailing and frail and not really able to do the job on her own anymore, one of the biggest concerns i heard from people close to her is that it would overshadow what is really a huge and impressive legacy that she had. >> indeed. and, senator heitkamp, i want to thank you for being with us. what is it that you want to share with us about your experiences with senator feinstein? >> well, i think, imagine this, you take a young woman from north dakota who wants to be a senator and you host her, you mentor her, you reach out to her, even though we didn't agree on everything. she was truly a friend to so many of us. excuse me. she was a force of nature. and, you know, did it with an amazing level of grace and thought about not only what happens in this country. i remember a dinner we had, one of the first women, she convened women in the senate for dinner and she was talking about what we could all do working together in a bipartisan way. and talking about the women of afghanistan, concerned about what would happen after we left. i know that haunted her, given her interest in human rights and women's rights across the country. she -- i think that the most important thing to remember is that she truly was a friend to so many. she embraced all of us. she tried to understand where we were coming from, tried to find out where we could work together. she was kind of the glue for women senators that held us together, that made us laugh and really led with such grace. she will be incredibly missed by so many of us. >> yeah, and, senator, i'm wondering, she was the first in so many things, in so many ways. and, you know, and you were talking about just how broad her interest and her leadership and her knowledge of, you know, being the chair of rules and select committee on intelligence, so many aspects of her were firsts, and i'm just wondering, senator, you know, you talk about how she often spoke about bipartisanship. and the need to be able to speak to everyone, even people you don't agree with. and i'm just thinking that's such a -- it seems a lost art now, in politics, but she kind of epitomized a lot of that. >> well, and she took a lot of criticism for it. you know, assuming that you're going to be the overliberal coming from california, but she was incredibly pragmatic. i remember probably one of the moments that i remember with such clarity when i served, do you sit in the chair, you preside over the senate, i was presiding when she presented the torture report and as she was talking, john mccain came to the floor to support her. and two giants of the senate, doing the right thing, against a lot of odds and against a lot of criticism. where is that courage today and i hope that as john has passed and she has passed that people in those seats think about the legacy of courage under fire. grace under fire and the ability to get things done. and so i -- where i consider dianne a great friend and mentor, i think she is an incredible example for how we need to lead in this country again. >> yeah. and, susan, you were talking about some of the things that she, you know, was -- she broke so many barriers. what kind of doors did senator feinstein open for women and in public service? >> yeah, you know, jose, it is easy to forget how different times were when she got into politics and the list of firsts illustrates that. the first woman mayor of san francisco, the first woman senator from california, the first woman to chair the senate rules committee, the first woman to chair the senate intelligence committee. these things did not come easy. when she was elected to the senate, in 1992, there were two women in the senate. now there are 24, 25 women, so lots of change, not quite parity, but not easy for her. it is also -- we should remember her persistence in defeat. she was defeated twice for mayor before she was elected mayor, she ran for governor of california, 1990, lost, came back and ran for the senate the next year. so a real legacy of determination and a willingness to take on established forces to give women a seat at the table. >> and, susan, i just -- i've been thinking this morning, you know, i want to hear from you, because, you have studied and reported on, learned so much from so many public servants in our american society and reality. what do you think her -- just role in being someone who broke so many barriers and role as a leader and someone who could be a trailblazer for so many others. >> you know, i remember actually the first time i met her, which was in 1984, democratic convention in san francisco, now, that was a disastrous year for democrats. walter mondale went on to lose 49 states. but that was a good convention. you know who was running it? dianne feinstein, the mayor of san francisco and nancy pelosi, then a political volunteer who was leading the host committee. and it was hard to miss, even then, the kind of energy and competence and possibility that they brought to their political careers that followed. >> peter, what are we hearing from the white house about the loss of dianne feinstein? >> well, i do think, jose, as you noted at the top of this how we expect to hear from president biden, as soon as the next couple of minutes. we're keeping a close eye on that as he celebrates the conclusion of the term as joint chiefs chair mark milley departs. but the president did post a ent that was shared with us a short time ago, celebrating his friend dianne feinstein as a cherished friend, a true trailblazer and he said, a pioneering american. often the only woman in the room, dianne was a role model o many americans and jobs she took seriously by mentoring countless public servants, many she had an immense impact on n. younger female leaders for whom she generously opened doors. dianne was tough, sharp, always prepared and never pulled a punch. but she was also a kind and loyal friend and that's what jill and i will miss the most. we're keeping a close eye on the flags here above the white house, with the expectation that they will be lowered to half-staff anytime now and certainly a presidential proclamation that would go along with that. i'm told by those close to the president that he and feinstein had spoken several times over the course of the last several years -- the last year, earlier this year he reached out and spoke to her a couple of times when she was out to make sure she was doing well. when she returned to the senate? in may, he checked in with her again. he reached out to her again last month, but was unable to reach her, instead sharing his thoughts to her and of her with a member of her staff, jose. >> i was thinking, susan was talking about how when she got there in 1992, there were two women, things have changed, but still, a lot more needs to be done. but i'm wondering, in those years of essentially being one of a handful of women, she was so instrumental in being in specific places, in specific times in our history, to make a difference. i'm thinking of her role in judiciary and so many of the things that she led on were fundamental because they were -- because it was her at that specific time in our history. >> well, she was always clear on why she was there. it wasn't about her, it was about the cause, it was about what she was fighting for and she didn't flinch. she grew up in the rough tumble politics of san francisco. as susan said, she had to fight to get that job. she had to fight to democratic party establishments in california. so she came in, understanding that, yes, you come in, being friendly, but you also might have to throw some sharp elbows, and i think it steeled her for her work later on, on the torture report, for her ability to stand on the floor, and fight for the gun legislation that she knew was essential. she really, i think, not only because she is a woman, but how she governed, and how she did not flinch. and you see that both, they're in rooms where some people would expect that they would listen and not talk, never was that her legacy. she commanded the room. when she walked in, you knew who the boss was. and, you know, because she, as the president said, was always prepared, always willing to speak her mind, and led with conviction and not ego. >> listen and don't talk never accepted. that's so great. it is so wonderful. i want to welcome california congresswoman maxine waters who joins our coverage this morning. your thoughts, first. >> well, i just left the senate chamber, where her colleagues were making remarks and speaking about her and her time there. and her leadership and all of those comments were just so complimentary, so strong in recognizing the tremendous role that she has played as a united states senator from california. i've known her since she was a mayor in san francisco. and don't forget, san francisco has always been a place where things were happening for the first time. leadership in different ways. the lgbtq community was stronger, et cetera, et cetera, and she knew how to deal with all of those issues. she had conviction. and i want to tell you, any democrat will tell you we didn't always agree. but she knew how to work across the aisle. she was dignified. she was committed. she was always prepared. and no matter if you did not agree at some particular time, you knew that she had the best interests of california and this country in mind. >> congresswoman, what do you think it is -- and, you know, it is so clear and evident sometimes that individuals can make a huge difference in our collective existence. and it is -- what is it about these individuals that are able to do so much for so many, even when they are fighting against these huge tidal waves of barriers and walls that have been there for generations, what is it about someone like the senator that makes them that effective? >> well, you're describing an unusual individual. what you're describing is someone who has the courage of their convictions. you're talking about someone who has the independence to not fear when what she is leading may not be accepted by everybody. you're talking about someone who is willing to stand up, to engage, to be in the fight, but also to negotiate. and you don't have a lot of that, even, you know in the halls of congress. you have an individual that is unusual in the way that they understand themselves, believe in themselves, and willing to do what they believe is the right thing to do. and so she was that kind of individual. and there were times when i did not agree with her. but i had the highest respect for her. and i love the fact that she was so dignified. as a matter of fact, i was a little bit reticent when i first decided to run -- >> congresswoman -- >> i didn't think i could be like dianne feinstein. >> congresswoman, i'm sorry to interrupt you, but the president is speaking. let's go to that right now. >> -- trailblazer for women, a great friend. dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment, gun safety, to protecting civil liberties. the country is going to miss her dearly and so will jill and i. i'll have more to say about her later today. vice president harris, our second gentleman, secretary austin, members of congress, leaders of the department of defense, both current and former, friends and officials from around the world, thank you for being here today to mark the change of responsibility and to celebrate the service of general mark milley. combat infantryman, master parachutist, green beret, who served five years in war zone, from panama to haiti to bosnia and afghanistan to iraq, and a chest full of medals to show for it. a leader who once ran across a bridge booby trapped with mines to stop two battle tanks evacuating wounded troops from driving across it. a patriot, uncompromising in his duty, unflinching in the face of danger and unwavering in the service of the country. and holly ann, none of us can say enough about you. you served alongside him, every step of the way, and that's not hyperbole, you served alongside him, every step of the way. you pulled double and triple duty to make sure you and mark were always doing right by your family, supporting the military community while maintaining your own career as a nurse. it is incredible what you have achieved, holly ann. the work you've done to increase support for military spouse employment, going to keep improving the lives of military families for a long time. and peter and mary, thank you for sharing your dad with us. i know it wasn't easy. all those moves, all those schools, all those months your dad was deployed, you couldn't be together, thank you for all you've given to our country. and, mark, i know one of the best parts of you is already mentioned by our secretary, he's going to spend more time with his kids. that's going to be fun, man. i tell you what, i love my kids, i'm crazy about my grandkids. now, everyone who spent time with mark knows three things about him. several already mentioned. one, he's from boston. he parks his car in car garages. he likes maps. and he loves the constitution. each of these three things points to something deeper about mark's character. his boston heritage isn't just about pride of place, it is pride in which shaped him, the values that have guided his whole life, it is about the father and mother, both veterans of world war ii, who set the example of nobility of serving your country. it is about knowing that his dad was among those who landed at iwo jima, and of those young men his father served alongside could raise a flag on mount sir baulchy and there is nothing, nothing, nothing america cannot accomplish when we work together. it is about how his parents sacrificed so their children would have every opportunity to chart their own future. it is knowing that everyone who served under his command had their own story and in his view just as important as his. and to this day, whenever mark attended an event, i watched him, we attended many events together, i watched him, he'll talk to every young person, every veteran, every gold star family who wants to speak to him, no matter how long it takes so he can hear their story as well to show his respect. the boston pride is about knowing where you come from. the maps are about knowing where you are and where you're going. mark wants to make sure he has the necessary facts to inform his decisions as a leader. and his advice to others. as commander in chief, i relied on mark's counsel because i know he always gives it to me straight, no matter what. he always gives it to me straight. he's working with the best information possible and he doesn't hold anything back. during his tenure as chairman, mark has been a steady hand, guiding our military as we navigate what i would argue is one of the most complex security environments our world has faced in a long time. he's been critical of strengthening america's existing alliances from nato to the indo-pacific to building the new strategic partnerships and keeping our force at a cutting edge of the fields of cyber and space. continuing to take terrorists off the battlefield, standing with the brave people of ukraine, making sure they have the equipment and the support they need, when they need it, to defend their freedom, letting them know, letting them know how much he respects them. mark, your partnership has been invaluable to me. i give you my word of that. and i think it has been invaluable to secretary austin as well. i want to thank you for always seeing, always sharing the whole map with me, the whole map. [ applause ] . thanks, pal. when it comes to the constitution, that is and always has been mark's north star. i'm so damn proud to serve with him. he's made -- he's made it his central image on his challenge coin. those three little words that mean so much to every american, but especially to those who stand in the service of our nation, it says we the people. we the people. a reminder to all of us what makes us a strong nation, who we are as a democracy, and how the united states, for more than two centuries has always managed to keep moving forward. not fealty to any one person or to a political party, but to the idea of america. the idea unlike any other in human history. the idea that we're all created equal. that is what the constitution safeguards. that's what we swear an oath to and that is why generations of young women and men, americans of every background and creed, have stepped forward to be part of the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. and that's not hyperbole. the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. [ applause ] after seeing you in afghanistan, iraq, i don't want to get started. our military is going to keep growing stronger, keep growing stronger with general cq brown and charles q brown jr. as our 24th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. congratulations, old buddy. [ applause ] as mark will tell you, i'll be meeting a lot with you. i said when i nominated general brown as a seasoned warrior with deep combat experience, experience commander of the joint force, top flight strategist, leader known throughout the force for his unmatched judgment and unflappable demeanor. like general milley, general brown is a patriot through and through, sworn to uphold and defend the constitution. he and his wife shereen have dedicated themselves to keeping our military and their families healthy and vibrant. thank you, both, and your son shawn and ross, for everything you've given to our country over the years. i look forward to working even more closely with you, c.q., as we take on the challenges ahead to ensure that our force can continue to deter and defeat any potential threat of the american people. as secretary austin noted, i'm glad that general brown was confirmed by the senate, along with the new commandant of the marine corps and army chief of staff, but i must be careful here how i say this, but it is thoroughly, totally unacceptable that more than 300 other highly qualified military reservists are still in limbo. i've been here a long time. i've never seen anything like this. it is outrageous. and it must stop. their promotions, their careers, their families, their futures held hostage by the political agenda of one senator and the silence of the other 47 of them. it is a drag on our force. it impacts everything from readiness to morale to retention. and it is an insult, an insult to the officers. years of dedicated service. our troops deserve so much better. and the house fails to fulfill its most basic function, it fails to fund government by tomorrow, will have failed all our troops, our service members will keep upholding their oath, showing up for work, standing around the world, keeping our country secure, but they won't get paid. it is a disgrace. thousands of defense department civilians and civilian servants will be sent home. and the longer they shut down last, the harder it will become for military families to pay their bills. can't be playing politics while our troops stand in the breach. it is an absolute dereliction of duty. as leaders, we must never lose sight of the direct impacts of the decisions we make and the impact they have on the lives and the families around the world. general milley, general brown, secretary austin, all the many great leaders across every branch of our military, we got to where you are by demonstrating extraordinary care and concern for the troops you command. it is a lived leadership of being in the field alongside your troops, sharing their hardships, holding each other together when times are hard, never forgetting the humanity beneath the uniform. it is an enormous credit to each of them personally and enormous asset for our country. secretary austin told a story about and general milley got blown up together by an ied in iraq. the part of the story that stands out to me is the reason they were there that night to begin with, the reason they were there. they're going to see one of milley's soldiers who had been wounded. in fact, during that tour in iraq, then colonel milley was down at that hospital, sitting with the wounded, so they wouldn't be alone, rounding up his troops for an impromptu blood drive. the docs let him know they're running low on units. putting an arm around his team, gather, them together, seeing to their injuries, both physical and mental, when war extracts the greatest of toll. that's leadership. that's patriotism. that's strength. that's mark milley. [ applause ] mark, you know how strongly i feel about you. you've given remarkable service to our country. you've done honor to the uniform of our nation. you upheld your oath. thank you. thank you, my friend. thank you for being my friend. my god bless you all and may god protect our troops. [ applause ] >> and now we're expecting general milley will be speaking shortly in this ceremony. his tribute, as he retires. we have with us peter alexander at the white house. peter, the president spoke about senator feinstein. but this is a ceremony to honor, pay tribute to general milley who is retired. >> -- through our congressional leaders, our department of defense leadership, both past and president, our distinguished guests, family, friends, joint teammates. >> right now we're listening to the incoming joint chiefs chairman as they celebrate the tenure of the outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs, mark milley there, seated alongside secretary austin, of course, the defense secretary. and, jose, to your point, the president at the top of his remarks on this day of celebration frankly of the service of mark milley, he also celebrated the life and honored the legacy of his dear and cherished friend as he described her dianne feinstein, saying among other things she was a historic figure, a trailblazer for women, and said she made her mark on everything from national security to the environment, gun safety, to protecting, excuse me, civil rights as well. you know, this morning we also heard from the california democratic governor gavin newsom who had powerful words that were shared with me. he described feinstein as a political giant and said her tenacity was matched only by her grace, describing how she broke down barriers and glass ceilings. but one thing he said that i thought was striking is that she was not just a mentor, but a role model to him, he said, as well as to his wife jennifer and their daughters for what a powerful, effective leader looks like. and as we look at some of the leaders of this country, on the civilian and military side, president biden, vice president kamala harris, secretary austin, and the incoming joint chiefs chairman, you're reminded about the unique role that senator feinstein played for so many years. the only woman in the room in so many rooms as the first female mayor in san francisco, the longest serving female senator of the united states, joining the judiciary committee after for years watching the way that the all male panel of senators interrogated anita hill when she was testifying during the confirmation hearings for clarence thomas. she really was a unique and one of a kind figure, jose. >> peter alexander at the white house, thank you so very much. we'll take a short break. coming up, the other breaking story of the day, soon on capitol hill, the house will hold a procedural vote on a republican short-term spending bill in order to stop a government shutdown, less than 48 hours away. we'll have the latest on where things stand. take a look at that clock on the bottom right of your screen, we're talking about 36 hours and 22 minutes away from a shutdown. are things going to get done before that to avert it? 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[stomach growling] it's nothing... sounds like something. ♪when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion♪ ♪upset stomach, diarrhea♪ pepto bismol coats and soothes for fast relief when you need it most. the government through october 31st. a short time ago, the white house said the president would veto that bill if it reaches his desk. moments ago, house speaker kevin mccarthy said he intends to move forward with the bill despite the presidential veto threat. >> what i expect to do is exactly what we did last night, to not give up and pass our bills and keep government open. i believe keeping government open is the right thing to do. i believe securing the border is the right thing to do. i believe this bill will bring us morereedom and make the nation stronger. >> federal government shutdown d he a huge impact across the country. millio fedal workers would not get paid. essential wor including service members, air force, air trafc controllers, bor patrol agents, tsa agents, would be forced to work without pay. millions of people who rely on nutrition benefits would see their aid delayed. food assistance and veterans benefits would be impacted. national parks and monuments will all close. with us to talk more about this, nbc news capitol hill correspondent julia tsirkin and ali vitali and nbc news chief white house correspondent peter alexander. ali, where do things stand at this hour? >> right now we're watching and waiting for them to move on to the rule vote that we have been anticipating here. this is going to be voting on the continuing resolution. there has been much debate to get them to this point. and there is also the very real reality that this rule could fail. it would deliver yet another blow to speaker mccarthy and leadership, who really have been trying to herd the cats within their conference to try to keep them on board. we watched them notch a few wins last night, however tangible they might have been in passing those spending packages. it was meant to be a show of good faith to the right wingers who want to see this go through a process called regular order. going through each spending bill of the 12 appropriations bills, and trying to meet spending cuts that conservatives want. whether or not this gamut works, we're going to find out in the next few minutes here. i have to tell you, jose, i spoke with speaker mccarthy on his way to the floor and he sounded his regular notes of optimism, i asked him what happens or if he's prepared for this rule vote to fail. and instead of engaging with the substance, he did something we know him quite well to do often here, which is say he's on optimist and he's surprised it hasn't rubbed off on us more. so we'll see if the speaker's optimism is founded. this is yet another moment where he is at an inflection point. i have to tell you in looking at our ever moving capital hill group chat, some colleagues caught up with key republican members who say there is a reality here, that the rule could fail, but this at least provides the majority of republican members to say they voted to keep the government open. of course, saying that you tried to do it doesn't mean that it happened and if this rule vote fails, it very much brings them back to the drawing board as time is ticking off this clock closer to a government shutdown. >> and speaking of all things live right now, let's go back to washington, general milley is speaking at his retirement tribute. >> several medal of honor recipients who served with uncommon valor beyond the call of duty. they're the epitome of courage in the face of death. second is our wounded warriors who are here today, one of whom you saw earlier, sang "god bless america." they represent the thousands of those wounded in action who sacrificed so much in the defense of liberty. and, third, our gold star families, many of them are here today. they carry on the legacy of those in uniform who gave the last full measure of devotion so that our nation would remain free. the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians and coast guardsman, many of whom standing watch at this very moment and represented in the field before you, thank you. thank you for your service. thank you for your sacrifice. you are, in fact, the most capable and lethal military force in the world today and in all of human history. let me thank my family. my family and friends that are here include my classmates from princeton. maybe we can hear you shout. [ applause ] that was pretty weak, actually. so, i'm not sure what to make of that, but i was made an honorary member of the class of 1980 from west point so all the west point classmates, maybe we can hear from you. oh. that's even weaker. let me go back to princeton. [ applause ] that's all a result of last night. so, and, of course, my actual family deserves my greatest and deepest gratitude. i was blessed with great parents who taught me what it meant to serve and how lucky we were for born in america, a country where you rise or fall based on your merit, and where you're going to be judged by the content of your character. my mother was a navy wave and a military hospital in seattle taking care of the wounded, returning from the central pacific during world war ii. while my father served with the fourth marine division as a navy corpsman in the central pacific, making the assault landings at saipan and iwo jima. neither one of them ever went to college, but they knew what this country was about. they were working class americans who taught me and my siblings the values that truly make this country great. my father taught me that you have to plant the flag, that was a lesson he took from iwo jima. he meant that no matter the challenge, no matter how difficult it is, no matter the cost, you must accomplish your mission. you have to drive on. you have to be resilient. you have to keep moving forward until you complete your mission. there is no quitting. like most kids, we owe our parents everything. also i want to recognize my cousins who are here, the mccalls and murphies and so many others that are with us today. and my older brother sandy is here with his wife and sons and our sister mary catherine who recently passed, but i know she, along with our parents, are here in spirit. but most importantly i want to say thanks to my wife of 38 years, holly ann. you've been the anchor of our family, essentially a single mom to two wonderful kids during two decades of war. like so many other spouses of those of us in uniform. you buried our dead, you comforted the families in their grief, you cared for our wounded in ways not seen by i know you never expected the heavy burden of being married to someone like me. but the good lord blessed me to have you walk this path of struggle for the last 40 years. i love you more than words can ever express. to mary and peter, the sacrifice of those of us in the military is always felt by our families, but most of all, most heavily, the burden falls on our children. you attended 11 different schools and 24 moves. mary, you were just born when i went into panama. and you were 12 and peter was 10 when terrorists attacked this country on 9/11. you watched your dad deploy year in and year out for the next decade and a half. you dealt with struggles that children should never have to be burdened with. the fear that your father would never come home. some of the fathers and mothers of your friends were, in fact, killed in action, and others were wounded. you saw that trauma and saw that pain and saw that agony through the eyes of a child. and you, like the children of every soldier, sacrificed more than most in this crowd will ever know. through it all, you have persevered. you have grown into incredible adults with families of your own. you make me and mom so proud of everything you have done and everything you will do. i could not have made it through 4 1/2 decades of military service without each of you. i'm deeply honored to have worn the cloth of this nation for 43 1/2 years and i'm humbled to have served as the 20th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. joint force, as i said, is the most lethal and capable military in the world. our enemies know it. we are currently standing watch on freedom frontier with a quarter of a million troops deployed in 150 countries. the last four years, we have executed countless operations, exercises and training around the world. we have destroyed i.s.i.s. and served justice to baghdad. supported ukraine in their fight against putin and strengthened the nato alliance. we fought terrorists in the middle east. we defended the homeland, provided support in disasters, protected the american people during covid. more than 800,000 of us served in afghanistan. and to each of you, be proud that you protected this country for 20 consecutive years at great cost of 2,326 killed in action and 20,713 of us wounded alongside your brave colleagues from cia and fbi and many others from our government and our allies and partners. hold your head high. you served. you did what your country asked. each of you served with honor, courage, skill, and dignity, and never forget that. [ applause ] today our joint force is ready. right now, as we are here at ft. myer on this field, there are 60 to 100 united states navy warships sailing the seven seas to ensure freedom of navigation. our coast guard has saved countless lives at sea. right now, in the last 24 hours, we flew over 5,000 sorties. we do that every day to protect our homeland, support our allies and to keep the skies safe. our space force is rapidly expanding into that new domain. our army and marines are currently deployed to maintain peace and stability throughout the world. simultaneously, this joint force is preparing for the future. we are investing in capabilities to sustain and modernize the force. our pace forward will not stop. general c.q. brown is -- >> let's go to washington, d.c., nancy pelosi speaking on the floor. >> leading us with great dignity, with great effectiveness and great leadership. much more will be said about it. we will have time to talk and brag about dianne feinstein. her legacy will be a long one we will all be inspired by. but today at this time, just hours since her passing, rather than talk about her, let us just pray that she rest in peace. in that regard, mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all present in the chamber as well as members and staff throughout the capitol to rise for a moment of silence and remembrance of the late honorable senator dianne feinstein. thank you, mr. speaker. thank you. >> pursuant to clause 8 of -- >> just occurring seconds ago on the house floor, ali vitali is still with us this morning. ali, this was a very emotional moment there on the floor. >> reporter: very emotional moment there. we know that former speaker pelosi was on the senate side of the building earlier this morning commemorating feinstein, her longtime colleague in california politics. now and notable to what may have led to this moment of silence on the floor, pelosi and speaker mccarthy had a brief moment where they spoke over here on the house floor that our colleagues were able to see that might not seem notable to a casual viewer, but to those of us that know there's really no love lost between those two leaders, the fact that they were communicating, the fact that they were speaking, you have to imagine it was about something like this. both of them, of course, california lawmakers, california natives. they are at odds on so many things. but they are members of the same congressional delegation. it's entirely possible that pelosi went to mccarthy and asked him for this moment. you saw her joined by her colleagues from california. i saw judy chu, adam schiff, as we look to the corner of the screen. many others who have served for many, many years alongside feinstein, traveling between california and washington. i think that while we are watching this commemoration, it is also important to notice and remember the chaos, frankly, the backdrop to the moment of silence. after watching lawmakers move on, they moved to vote on a rule that would allow them to move on to the bill that could be a stopgap funding measure to help them avoid a government shutdown. i don't have high hopes for the actual stopgap measure itself. what's interesting in the last few minutes is talking to some of the hardline conservative members who have held up the process -- i'm looking around for them now. but in talking to them, it sounds like maybe they are not going to make a move on trying to tank the rule but instead, allowing the rule to go through and tanking the continuing resolution itself. it's just a different point where they are going to try to once again foil speaker mccarthy's plans and put this country closer tie shutdown. >> ali, trying to foil the speaker's plans as the speaker speaking with you just a couple minutes ago still sounds optimistic with 36 hours until the shutdown. >> reporter: kevin mccarthy is regularly an optimist when he talks to us in the halls. he has taken on -- i don't know if you can call it a yolo mentality, because it's another moment where he feels that he is at a pinch point. he knows the realities. mccarthy is one of the first to remind that this is a tough job with tight margins. certainly, that's true. it was true for speaker pelosi. here again, we see mccarthy trying to herd his conference. several making it nearly impossible. >> yep. ali, there is still a lot to do in these next 36 hours. as you say, even the whole issue of a cr being up for grabs or a possibility up and down on that one tells you how complicated things are. ali vitali, thank you so much. it's great seeing you from capitol hill. thank you for keeping u