your time. i really appreciate it and i enjoyed the conversation always and thanks again. >> we take you live now to the u.s. capitol where the senate is about to gavel in on this tuesday morning. today lawmakers will consider several of president biden's nominations including dana douglas to be a court of appeals judge for the 5th circuit. also this week members are expect today take up the 2023 defense program's legislation and a government spending bill. current funding runs out this friday and midnight. live coverage of the u.s. senate is here on c-span2. 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, our rock and fortress, you put the mountains in place and bring silence to roaring waves. you are a strong tower where we find safety. we ask you for peace on earth and good will to humanity. lord, strengthen our faith and forgive us for doubting your power and providence. thank you for this great land and for the many freedoms we sometimes take for granted. we appreciate your faithfulness and your mercies that are new each day. today, lead our lawmakers so that your name will be honored. protect them from hidden dangers and sustain them through the lengthening shadows. we pray in your wonderful name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. 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 president pro tempore: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. dana m. douglas of louisiana to be united states circuit judge for the fifth circuit. the president pro tempore: the senator from georgia. mr. warnock: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the president pro tempore: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. schumer: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, mr. president, before i begin, i want to extend a massive, massive congratulations to the syracuse orangemen's soccer team for winning the ncaa college cup championship last night in a heart-stopping 7-6 victory after penalty kicks. a big congrats to coach mcintire, all the players and staff. go orange! now, on the omni, a more serious subject, negotiations for a year year-long -- a year-long omnibus agreement go forward. there's a lot of work to do but we're opt mis-stick that if we preserve the good faith we've seen so far, we will get there. despite agreements about the ultimate package, there's little disagreement that an omnibus is by far the best solution for funding the government. still, we're going to need a little more time beyond this week to get an omnibus done. to avoid a shutdown this friday, the senate should be ready to pass a one-week c.r. by the end of the week. to give negotiators more time to finish an agreement by the holidays. the house is set to begin consideration of a week-long c.r. today and after all the progress made towards an omnibus agreement, i hope nobody here in the senate stands in the way of getting a c.r. passed quickly, a one-week c.r. passed quickly through consent, if needed. again, an omnibus is the best option, the most responsible option for funding the government in the next fiscal year. it will ensure the federal government has all the resources necessary to serve the public at full capacity. it will make sure our troops in uniform are taken care of. and i expect an omnibus will contain priorities both sides want to see passed into law, including more funding for ukraine and the electoral count act, which my colleagues in the rules committee have done great work on. it will be great to get that done. after all the work we've done this year to pass important new bills, like the pact act and the chips and science act, and so much more, a c.r. into next year could prevent the investments secured in these bills from going out the door. the vast majority of us don't want to go down that road. so again, the best option, the most responsible option is to proceed toward an omnibus, even if it won't contain everything both sides want. you no, on judges -- now, on judges, later this morning, it will be my honor to come before the senate judiciary committee to introduce an exceptional public servant, arun subramanian, for the southern district of new york. here on the floor, he is one of the few south asians around the bench. we need more. but he will paiive the way. it's my intention to continue to support south asians to come to the bench. here on the floor, we'll also proceed with the confirmation of dana douglas to serve as circuit court judge for the fifth district, which covers texas, louisiana, and mississippi. judge douglas' confirmation today will be significant for a few reasons. for one, judge douglas will be the 28th circuit court judge this majority confirms in the last two years. of the many votes wisconsin we take in this chamber -- many votes we take in this chamber, confirming circuit court judges is among the top. the lion's share of cases are decided there. judge douglas is also significant because after her confirmation, the senate will have confirmed 11 black women to serve as circuit court judges. this is a report for any single session of congress, before president biden only eight such nominees had been confirmed by this chamber. so this is truly a historic shift in the court's composition. this representation matters enormously. the health of our federal courts hangs on judges who will be bote law correctly while also earning america's trust in the first place. the more our courts look like the country at large, the more languages and background and specialties we have on the bench, the more likely the trust endures. that's more important than ever, given the recent, disturbing decisions handed down by the supreme court. that's why judges like dana douglas matter. that's why circuit court judges matter. we're going to keep working for the rest of this year and beyond to bring diversity and balance back to our courts. on the white house signing ceremony, finally, mr. president, this morning, i want to note my tie. i am wearing it today for two reasons. first, it's a constant reminder of one of the happiest moments of my life, the day my daughter got married. and second, i'm wearing it because later this afternoon president biden will sign the respect for marriage act into law. for many americans in same-sex marriages or who one day wish to marry their partner, today is a day of relief and jubilation. by passing this law, we are sending a message to lgbtq americans everywhere -- you too deserve dignity and equality under the law. few bills have hit home for members on the hill quite like this one. marriage equality is not just the right thing to do for america. it's personal for so many of us, our staffs, our families. my daughter and her wife are beautifully, praise god, expecting their first child, my third grandchild, next spring, and i want them to raise their child with all the love and security that every child deserves. thanks to the dogged work of many of my colleagues, my grandchild will live in a world that will respect and honor their mothers' marriage. look, nothing about the respect for marriage act was inevitable. on the contrary. it took a lot of faith and risk taking to reach this point. when my colleagues came and asked me for a delay, i made that choice, and it was because they believed, and i believed, that the bipartisan process could indeed work. it wasn't a decision we took lightly, but today that gamble is paying off. so i thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for making today's signing possible, and i thanks my friend, senator feinstein, who originally authored this landmark bill. because of them, and because of the millions of americans out there who pushed for change, history will be made at the white house later today. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: mr. mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: senate republicans have spent literally months focused on the need for a strong bipartisan national defense authorization act, as well as robust funding for our armed forces. defending our homeland, deterring future threats, and supporting our allies and partners should not be last-minute low priorities. they're fundamental duties if we want to remain the strongest power in the world, and investing in strength today protects our country, our servicemembers, and the american taxpayer tomorrow. let's take, for example, ukraine. for nearly a year now the free people in the sovereign nation have stood firm and battled against brutal and lawless aggression. the ukrainians' brave stand has made possible, in part, because the united states and a number of other countries have realized that supporting their self-defense directly serves our own interests. europe, together, constitutes america's largest trading partner. instabilities in europe pose as direct threat to countless american producers who sell to our friends across the atlantic. further huge disruptions to european markets would only add to the inflationary challenges that democrats' spending has caused us already here at home. what's more, a successful russian invasion would embolden the entire club of anti-american thug regimes to take bolder and more brazen steps toward further conflict, including direct threats to american lives. every day russia spends on the back foot and ukraine and degrades the ability to wage further wars and diminishes the calculus for others who might contemplate similar violence. continuing support for ukraine is the popular mainstream view that stretches across the ideological spectrum. on my side of the aisle, for example, the former director of national intelligence john ratcliffe said recently that supporting ukraine fully and completely is in the best interest of the united states. the top foreign policy expert at the heritage foundation has spoken out forcefully about the need for continued military assistance. so has former secretary of state pompeo, former vice president pence and virtually every other leading national security official from the previous administration. while the conflict exposed serious weaknesses in russia's ability to wage conventional war it has also exposed shortcomings in the west particularly with our defense bases. our european friends who treated themselves to holidays from history after the cold war, pro presumed a new normal stability and security and shifted spending disproportionately into domestic programs have received a harsh, harsh wake-up call. they are rushing to reinvest more in their own defenses. some politicians here in america fell victim to the same lullaby. now fortunately supplying the pacific ends of american armaments ukraine needs does not cut our supplies to other important regions. china and neighbors are watching the conflict in ukraine closely and the ccp would be delighted if ukraine fell to russia. with the long lead times to replenish what woor sending -- we are sending still provide us with a sober reminder. we know for a fact that the world's foremost military and economic super power can and should both produce all the capabilities that we need for ourselves and serve as freedom's arsenal for our friends at the same time. we just need to organize our resources and make critical overdue investments in our defense industrial capacity. that's why the national defense authorization act will -- we'll take up soon provides multiyear procurement authority for planning and efficiency. it authorizes significant investments in modernizing our force and capabilities. but following through on these promises also requires that we pass robust appropriations. i made that clear at last week's briefing with the biden officials. i'll say it again. providing for the common defense is a fundamental governing responsibility. it's not extra credit. our democratic colleagues will not receive a goody bag of domestic spending in exchange for fulfilling this solemn duty. now on an entirely different matter, i'd like to begin my tribute to another of our distinguished departing colleagues by quoting his own words from a letter written back in 2009. here's what he said -- dear mr.u for entrusting me with your son's memorial brace lt at the asheville day ceremony. i wish there had been more time to talk that day. i return to washington with the bracelet on my wrist. your son's unrelenting courage and zeal for life are what i will think of when i look at his name on my wrist. rest assured i will wear this bracelet forever. end quote. the quiet gesture, unheralded and understated, but leaving hugely impactful ripples in its wake, ago perfect case study of senator richard burr. at first glance, it might appear to the uninitiated that our distinguished friend is a man of contrast or contradictions. for example, his impeccably dressed southern gentleman has been known to drive around town in a ricty -- rickety old volkswagen. i think our departed john mccain once called it an assault on senses. take the fact when most of us finished high school as a successful jock or successful student richard was a standout football player and a winner of the science fair. consider our unflappable, calm colleague with an easy manner, almost casual really, has been one of the chamber's most dogged legislators and most relentless champions across a whole array of critically important causes. that special bracelet bearing army chief warrant officer carverr's name isn't just a comfort to one gold star family. it is an outward sign of richard burr's entire approach to his job. supporting service, honoring sacrifice, and making life better for folks in north carolina and across the nation. for five years richard's colleagues tasked him with helming the intelligence committee, some of the, some of this institution's most sensitive and critical responsibilities wound up right in his lap. but senators on both sides knew that richard's thoughtfulness, fair-mindedness and discretion tailor made him for the role. no showy victory laps, no braggy press tours. he led with a serious collegial and patriotic tone that the issues actually demanded. this quiet confidence has been part of the richard burr brand from the very beginning. as a back bench sper, he spearheaded massive reforms at the food and drug administration. long before covid-19 he had a personal passion for helping to equip barta and other pandemic preparedness initiatives. richard authored transformational legislation that disability advocates call the most important advance for their cause in a quarter century. he reached across the aisle to help deliver justice for victims of decades-old hate crimes. he drove bipartisan consensus on a measure that's helped save students and families near $100 billion in loan payments. in a situation, folks in my own state know well, he stepped up to help tobacco farmers transition to succeed in a freer market. and as the ranking member of the veterans' affairs committee, richard delivered much-needed relief to -- with the veterans choice act of 2014. it is amazing what you can accomplish when you're willing to be patient, keep an even keel, share some credit, oh, and occasionally even jump out a window. let me explain. this has created problem solving in action. during sequestration when staffing shortages closed some of the normal exits and entrances around the campus, our friend found himself in the russell building while the only open exit was all the way over in dirksen. rather than extending his commute he found the lowest window around, grabbed his dry cleaning, shimmied out and hopped right down to the sidewalk. now the day is fast approaching when our colleague will escape from this institution for good, but richard's remarkable legacy here will endure. whether that's meant using his charm and judgment of character to disarm committee witnesses and get to the bottom of complex issues under investigation or using his fluency to translate key issues issues -- for his colleagues in the upper chamber. if an issue is dragging out and no solution appears forthcoming, unless richard was the point person himself he frequently would threaten to leave town altogether until things got worked out. we're talking about a colleague who's famous for keeping closer tabs on the senate's weekly wrap-up proceedings than just about anyone. in fact, as i understand it, richard's team became so famous for tracking the timing of final votes so closely, that some other offices would try calling team burr for the scoop before they would even try the cloakroom. now with richard's seemingly laid-back demeanor you might assume our friend was eager to get out to the beach or hit the links, but that would be another one of those deceptive appearances. the truth is richard didn't become an expert at speedy getaways because he wanted to shortchange his duties. in fact, it was just the opposite. even as a devoted public servant as senator burr knew that in the final analysis another set of duties was even more essential. when many our colleague was first elected to the house in 1994, he and his beloved wife brooke had two young sons and brooke was carving out her own tremendously successful career in business. so our friend was bound and determined that serving the people of north carolina would not mean skimping on his proudest job of all, as father to tyler and william and now as a grandfather as well. through decades of committed service, he's found a way to do it all. but even so, i know richard is excited to make up for lost time. so we thank our colleague for his outstanding work for our country. and i have it on good authority that our friend has a favorite catchphrase that he's used to bid farewell to his office after they spent a long day doing good work. so, richard, as you like to say, dilly-dilly. mr. mcconnell: i ask the clerk to call the roll. quorum call: quorum call: >> mr. president, before i begin i want to extend a massive, congratulations to the syracuse orange men's soccer team for winning the ncaa college cup national championship last night in a heart stopping seven the six victory after penalty kicks. big congrats to coach mcintyre, all the amazing players and the staff on a phenomenal accomplishment, the first in syracuse history. go orange. now on the omni, more serious subject. negotiations for your long omni, omnibus agreement move forward, there's a lot of work left to do but we're optimistic that to preserve the good faith we've seen so far we will get there. i remain hopeful because despite disagreements about the ultimate package, there is little disagreement that and on the bus is by far the best solution for funding the government. still, we will need a little more time beyond this week to get an omnibus done, to avoid a shut and decided to sit it should be ready to pass a one-week cr by the end of this week. to give negotiators more time to finish an agreement by the holidays. the house is set to begin consideration of a weeklong cr today, and after all the progress made towards an omnibus agreement i i hope nobody hern the senate