Destruction. Extricate us from traps we have set for ourselves. Remind us that you are a god of justice from whom we borrow our heartbeats. Arise, mighty god, and make those who defy your purposes tremble with reverential awe. Hear the prayers of our senators, and give them wisdom, courage, and integrity for these challenging times. We pray in your strong 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. The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley one minute for morning business, please. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley the virus pandemic is disrupting our daily lives in unimaginable ways. The National Institutes of health is working with a private sector Biotech Company and have already begun early stage human trials for a pot
Focus today executive nominations, including brian miller for pandemic recovery. And the vote for mr. Miller setting for 4 30 p. M. Eastern. Take you live now to the senate floor on cspan2. 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. Lord god, have mercy upon our nation for the winds of suffering buffett our land. We hear the cries of the voiceless and the anguish of the unheard. We see the criminal actions of those who threaten freedom. Lord, snatch this nation conceived in liberty from the precipice of its own destruction. Extricate us from traps we have set for ourselves. Remind us that you are a god of justice from whom we borrow our heartbeats. Arise, mighty god, and make those who defy your purposes tremble with reverential awe. Hear the prayers of our senators, and give them wisdom, courage, and integrity for these challenging times. We pray in your strong name. Amen. The presid
Hello, welcome to bbc news. The conservatives will pledge not to raise the rate of income tax, National Insurance or vat when they publish their election manifesto this afternoon. Borisjohnson has also said he wants to bring his brexit deal back to the commons before christmas, if the conservatives are returned to power. Our Political Correspondent, nick eardley reports. What would he do with power . This afternoon, borisjohnson will unveil the conservative manifesto. His basic message deliver brexit and move onto domestic priorities. He will pledge that the bill that will deliver brexit will be brought back to parliament before christmas if he wins the election. That, he says, would allow the country to move on. So what will the conservatives do on the home front . They will pledge today not to raise rates of income tax, National Insurance, or vat. Thatll make it harder for the government to raise money, but the tories are still pledging to spend. Mrjohnson has already promised money
This vote is the first to take place since protests and often violent clashes with police started back in june. So it will be a test of support for pro democracy and pro bejing candidates. The poll is for the lowest rung of government in the city. More than 1,000 candidates are running, competing for more than a50 seats throughout the citys 18 districts. A number of seats currently held by pro beijing incumbents, are being contested by pro democracy candidates. Butjoshua wong, one of the prominent protest leaders is banned from running, because he called for Self Determination for hong kong. Jonathan head joins us. It is early in the morning, but what is the mood like where you are and what is the turnout been like, from what you can tell . A very impressive turnout, and we are getting a report from other polling stations as well. In fact, at this one, people came down pretty much on time and the voting started at 7 30am, about an hour and a much on time and the voting started at 7 30a
A number of seats currently held by pro beijing incumbents, are being contested by pro democracy candidates, butjoshua wong, one of the prominent protest leaders is banned from running, because he called for Self Determination for hong kong. Lets go to hong kong, where our correspondence Jonathan Head lets go to hong kong, where our correspondenceJonathan Head is with us. CorrespondenceJonathan Head is with us. Jonathan, how high up the list of priorities is the protest in hong kong for voters, do you think, there are other issues, obviously, but the protests are the things everybody is talking about, and which seem to have blighted the lives of so many people there . Yes, i think for everybody here, the so called five demands being called for by the protest movement, embraced by large numbers of hong kongers, the polls suggest a large number of people are sympathetic to those demands, though of course not everybody supports the way the protesters have expressed their opposition, and t