[Pages S5416-S5419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Stephen 
Akard, of Indiana, to be Director of the Office of Foreign Missions, 
with the rank of Ambassador.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.


                         Tornado in Sioux Falls

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, as I begin this morning, I need to mention 
the tornado that tore through my hometown of Sioux Falls last night. 
Thankfully, there appear to have been no fatalities, but there has been 
a lot of structural damage. I am grateful to all of the emergency 
responders, the electric crews, and all of those who worked through the 
night to keep the residents safe. My thoughts are with Sioux Falls 
today and with all of those who are dealing with the tornado's 
aftermath.
  I had the opportunity this morning to speak with Mayor Paul TenHaken, 
of Sioux Falls, who, as you would expect, was up throughout the night 
with his team. I just expressed our support to him, to his team, and to 
our community as they begin the process of the cleanup and recovery 
from what was a very damaging storm.
  I also talked with my wife and older daughter, who lives in Sioux 
Falls, both of whom were in their basements last night as, I think, 
most residents were. I am glad to hear that people took the necessary 
steps to keep themselves and their families safe.
  As I have reported, so far--knock on wood--we are not aware of 
injuries that have been associated with this. Yet I will continue to 
monitor the situation, and my staff and I are available to help with 
whatever will be needed as a result of this storm.


                       Remembering September 11TH

  Mr. President, it is difficult to believe it has been 18 years since 
the September 11 attacks. That bright September morning is seared in 
our minds as if it were yesterday--the shock, the horror, the sense of 
unreality in the days that followed, the grief and loss but also the 
resolve and the unity of purpose.
  As always, where there is great evil, good rises up in response--that 
of the courageous passengers on Flight 93 who laid down their lives to 
protect their fellow Americans; Vietnam veteran and Morgan Stanley 
security chief Rick Rescorla, who successfully evacuated more than 
2,000 of his firm's employees from the World Trade Center and died 
returning to help evacuate others; Jason Thomas and Dave Karnes, two 
former marines who dropped everything and sped to the Towers and saved 
the lives of the two Port Authority officers they found who had been 
trapped in the rubble; National Guard pilots Heather Penney and Marc 
Sasseville, who scrambled their F-16s--weaponless--to meet the threat 
that was headed toward DC and who were prepared to sacrifice their 
lives by ramming their aircraft into Flight 93 before it could hit the 
Capitol or the White House; and the hundreds of first responders who 
ran toward the Towers, toward the inferno, and headed up the steps 
while civilians ran down.
  Then there were the countless ordinary Americans who were far away 
from New York and Washington who flooded blood banks and overwhelmed 
organizations like the Red Cross with their donations; who stormed 
Heaven with prayers for the missing and the injured and the suffering; 
and who proudly flew their flags and reached out to their neighbors.
  In the weeks and months and years to come, there was a 9/11 
generation of soldiers--those who signed up in the wake of September 11 
to fight back against the terrorists and those who were already 
serving. They deployed around the globe to fight terror and to defend 
freedom, and thousands of them laid down their lives. Eighteen years 
on, we remember the horror of that September day, but we are also 
lifted up by the memory of the heroes who came out of it.
  For those of us who serve in Congress, the anniversary of September 
11 is also a reminder of the obligation we have to provide for our 
Nation's defense and to ensure that we are prepared to meet and defeat 
any threat. In the Senate, I am proud that both parties have worked 
together over the past couple of years to rebuild our Nation's military 
after years of its being underfunded and the strains of the War on 
Terror.
  September 11 is also a reminder of our obligation to care for those 
who stand between us and danger--our soldiers, our veterans, our first 
responders, and our law enforcement officers. They take on a heavy 
burden so the

[[Page S5417]]

rest of us can live in peace and safety. We owe them a debt we can 
never repay. This year, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to 
make the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent to ensure that 
first responders whose health has suffered in the wake of their work at 
Ground Zero, at the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania will have the 
resources they need.
  While we are on the subject of veterans, like all of my colleagues, I 
am saddened that Senator Johnny Isakson is retiring at the end of this 
year.
  We were members of the same freshman class in 2004. During his time 
here, he has been a tireless advocate for veterans, and he will be 
deeply missed. Yet his hard work in the Senate as the head of the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs will continue to bear fruit, and we will 
continue to work to implement the VA reforms he shepherded to ensure 
our veterans receive the care they have earned.
  I was here in Washington, DC, on September 11, and I evacuated the 
Capitol Complex. One of the things I remember very clearly from that 
day were the Capitol police officers who directed us out of the 
buildings. We were running from the danger, and they were not. They 
were not going anywhere until they were sure every last man and woman 
had made his way out.
  Against that spirit of courage and self-sacrifice, evil will never 
ultimately triumph. May God bless all of those who stand between us and 
danger. May He bless the victims of September 11 and their families, 
and may He continue to bless the United States of America.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                     Nomination of Michelle Bowman

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the nomination of 
Governor Michelle Bowman to be a member of the Board of Governors of 
the Federal Reserve System and the nomination of Thomas Peter Feddo as 
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security in the 
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
  First, I will speak about Governor Bowman. Michelle Bowman currently 
serves as a Governor on the Federal Reserve Board and was the first 
person to fill the Federal Reserve's community banking seat, after her 
confirmation last year by a bipartisan vote of 64 to 34. Her current 
term expires on January 30, 2020, and President Trump has renominated 
her to the same position for a full 14-year term.
  Prior to serving as Governor, she was the State bank commissioner of 
Kansas from January 2017 to November 2018. She also served as vice 
president of a Kansas-based community bank, Farmers & Drovers Bank, 
between 2010 and 2017 and served in a number of government roles.
  Confirming Governor Bowman to a new 14-year term will provide the 
needed stability on the Board.
  During her current term as Governor, she has played a crucial role at 
the Federal Reserve by providing the community banking perspective and 
highlighting their importance to people, households, and small 
businesses across this Nation, as well as the U.S. economy broadly. She 
has also contributed meaningfully toward appropriately tailoring 
regulations in accordance with S. 2155.
  If confirmed, I am confident her experience and skill will continue 
to benefit the Board in promoting the effective operation of the U.S. 
economy and serving the public interest. I will be voting in support of 
Governor Bowman and urge my colleagues to vote in support of her 
nomination, as well, today.
  Turning for a moment to another important issue regarding the Federal 
Reserve, I want to reinforce that maintaining the independence of the 
Federal Reserve is of the utmost importance in this country.
  The recent remarks made by former New York Fed President Dudley 
urging the Federal Reserve to sway an election by using monetary policy 
are incredibly troubling. The job of the Federal Reserve is to provide 
this Nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and 
financial system. I continue to encourage the Federal Reserve to 
conduct its monetary policy while remaining independent of politics.


                    Nomination of Thomas Peter Feddo

  Mr. President, now I would like to turn to the nomination of Thomas 
Peter Feddo for Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment 
Security in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, 
or what we often call CFIUS.
  CFIUS plays an important role in today's investment market by 
reviewing the national security implications of certain transactions 
involving foreign investment in the United States. Congress recognized 
and underscored the importance of this national security job when it 
repurposed the previous Assistant Secretary slot with passage of FIRRMA 
last July.
  Up until that time, the Assistant Secretary split his time between 
CFIUS and work on international markets, and, today, the Assistant 
Secretary for Investment Security is dedicated 100 percent to CFIUS 
responsibilities.
  Mr. Feddo's nomination comes at an important time in history, when 
China's ambitions forced Congress to reevaluate the reliance of U.S.-
China commerce and the laws and regulations governing that 
connectivity.
  FIRRMA expanded the jurisdictional reach of CFIUS to better protect 
U.S. cutting-edge technology companies from hostile foreign takeover 
and influence based on a couple of concerns. First, CFIUS did not have 
visibility into many investments from China that might provide coercive 
influence over U.S. cutting-edge technology companies. Second, these 
investments were resulting in technology transfers that could convey 
capabilities, advancing Chinese economic and security interests while 
restricting the U.S. military and national security structure from 
leveraging that technology.
  FIRRMA not only increased the bandwidth of CFIUS but also expanded 
the resources given to it to meet the new level of today's challenges.
  The time is now to fill this sensitive vacancy.
  Thomas Feddo is the ideal candidate to take up the mantle because he 
has the keen intellect and natural suspicions of a dedicated financial 
warrior. He currently leads the U.S. Department of the Treasury's 
Office of Investment Security in executing Treasury's statutory role as 
the chair of CFIUS during one of the most trying times that investment 
markets have seen. For over a year now, he has led the CFIUS team at 
Treasury, but before that, he put in a 7-year tour at the Treasury 
Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, where he oversaw 
implementation and enforcement of some 29 U.S. sanctions programs.
  As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, with a degree in naval 
engineering, Mr. Feddo served as a lieutenant in the Navy's nuclear 
submarine force and as an officer at the Navy Antiterrorist Alert 
Center. Because of his unique experience and his technical education, 
once confirmed, Mr. Feddo will hit the ground running, moving CFIUS 
forward in pursuit of its continuing mission to guard U.S. 
technological leadership from foreign adversaries.
  I look forward to continuing conversations with him on opportunities 
to improve America's foreign investment review system, which requires 
constant vigilance. I also look forward to working with him on how we 
can make CFIUS programs more effective and efficient and be a faithful 
steward of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
  Mr. Feddo enjoys nearly unanimous support from stakeholders, which 
speaks volumes to his strong track record of experience and expertise. 
Thomas Feddo's nomination was advanced by voice vote in the Senate 
Banking Committee on June 18, 2019, with overwhelming bipartisan 
support. I ask my colleagues once again to vote to confirm him to this 
critical post.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S5418]]

  



                           Background Checks

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, before I begin, I would like to take just 
a moment to remember the thousands of innocent lives lost 18 years ago 
today and to thank the first responders who so bravely sacrificed their 
lives in the service of others.
  September 11 is a day that will always weigh heavily upon our Nation, 
but it is also a day that shows the strength and resiliency of the 
American people. In response to tragedy, we saw beyond our differences 
and came together as a country. That is the lesson we must never 
forget.
  Today, I come to the floor as a voice for families in my home State 
of Washington who have had enough of just ``thoughts and prayers'' and 
as a mother and a grandmother who has had enough of them too. My heart 
breaks with every report of another horrific mass shooting.
  Like my colleagues here today and the rest of our country, I watched 
in horror last month as devastating gun violence claimed dozens of 
innocent lives and threw our communities into a state of panic yet 
again. This heartbreak has become all too familiar to so many of us--
from El Paso and Odessa, to Dayton, to Maryville in my home State of 
Washington, and in schools and movie theaters and community spaces 
across our country. So what we are doing here today is refusing to 
accept this as normal and demanding the change that so many families 
are crying out for.
  Democrats are committed to heeding the voices of countless people 
back in Washington State and across our country who are desperate for 
leaders in this Washington--including President Trump and Leader 
McConnell--to address this crisis. That is why I am joining my 
colleagues on the Senate floor throughout today to call on Leader 
McConnell to take up commonsense gun safety legislation, starting with 
universal background checks.
  We know universal background checks save lives by closing dangerous 
loopholes to help keep guns out of the hands of people who should not 
have them. That is why more than 80 percent of Americans support 
universal background checks and are demanding immediate action from 
Congress to make universal background checks the law of the land.
  There certainly are other steps we can take as well. We could 
strengthen the extreme risk protection orders, which have worked in my 
home State of Washington. We could revive the assault weapons ban, 
invest in gun violence prevention research, and regulate firearm 
magazine limits. All of those steps could save lives and prevent more 
families from enduring the horrific pain and trauma too many already 
have. But H.R. 8--the universal background check legislation that has 
already passed the House--is literally sitting here in the Senate, 
waiting to be called up for a vote.
  As I close, I want to be clear. Passing universal background checks 
must be this body's first order of business if we are serious about 
protecting people and helping to keep guns out of the wrong hands. I 
and all of my Democratic colleagues and so many others are going to 
keep up the pressure as long as we have to, to get this done.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Under the previous order, all postcloture time is expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Akard 
nomination?
  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. 
Roberts).
  Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. 
Alexander) would have voted ``yea.''
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet), 
the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California 
(Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator 
from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. 
Warren) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sasse). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 90, nays 2, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 270 Ex.]

                                YEAS--90

     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Blumenthal
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Coons
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Jones
     Kaine
     Kennedy
     King
     Lankford
     Leahy
     Lee
     Manchin
     McConnell
     McSally
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Paul
     Perdue
     Peters
     Portman
     Reed
     Risch
     Romney
     Rosen
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden
     Young

                                NAYS--2

     Gillibrand
     Markey
       

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Alexander
     Bennet
     Booker
     Harris
     Klobuchar
     Roberts
     Sanders
     Warren
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.


                       Remembering September 11th

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I think everyone knows today is the 
anniversary of 9/11. Many of us here remember evacuating this very 
building on September 11, 2001. We knew the world would never be the 
same.
  For the people of New York, an ordinary beautiful morning was brought 
to a screeching halt as the clear blue sky filled with smoke. For those 
at the Pentagon, the workdays in service of our Nation turned into a 
literal nightmare. For hundreds of air travelers, routine flights gave 
way to tragedy, and, thanks to the bravery of passengers and crew, 
incredible acts of heroism.
  The Senate stands with the entire Nation as we remember the terrible 
events of 18 years ago today and the nearly 3,000 innocent lives that 
terrorists stole away. We stand in solidarity with those who still 
grieve, and we honor the patriotic resolve that inspired first 
responders, U.S. servicemembers, and countless Americans who dedicated 
themselves, that day and since, to selflessly keeping our Nation safe.
  May our remembrances renew our commitment to building a world where 
terrorist evil has no home. May we never forget.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I join the leader. Eighteen years ago, on 
a cloudless Tuesday morning, my city, our country, and our world 
changed forever. In the span of a few hours, the Twin Towers fell, the 
Pentagon was hit, and smoke rose from an empty field in Pennsylvania.
  More than 3,000 souls were taken from us that day. I knew some of 
them: a guy I played basketball with in high school, a businessman who 
helped me on the way up, and a firefighter whom I went around the city 
doing blood drives with. It was one of the bloodiest days on American 
soil since the Civil War.
  Each year we correctly and appropriately pause to remember that awful 
day. We mourn those whom we lost and think of them. The day after 9/11, 
I called for every American to wear the flag. I wear this flag every 
day. I have worn it every day since then in memory of them.
  We also remember our resiliency and the resiliency of New Yorkers, 
the brave firefighters, police officers, and

[[Page S5419]]

ordinary citizens who rushed to the Towers.
  The generosity--I will never forget a man who had a shoe store about 
two blocks north of the Towers who just gave shoes to all the people. 
Some men and women who had to run 90 flight of stairs left their shoes 
behind.
  I remember the next day, when President Bush sent us back up to New 
York, and the empty skies, a bunch of F-16s around our plane going down 
there, smelling the smell of burnt flesh and death in the air, and 
seeing over 1,000 people lined up with little signs, because we didn't 
know who was gone and who might be found: Have you seen my sister Mary? 
Have you seen my son Bob?
  It was an awful day and a day we live with, but we know our 
resilience. Many predicted that Lower Manhattan would be a ghost town 
forevermore. It has more people, more jobs, and more business than 
before 9/11. Many thought that America would succumb to the evil 
brutality of the terrorists. We have fought back very successfully.
  We think, finally, of those who are dying now as a result of their 
rushing to the Towers into the hours and days after, and we are also 
grateful that this body has now fully funded both the health fund and 
the fund to see that the families are taken care of.
  It is an amazing moment. I live with it all the time. I ride my bike 
around the city, and every seventh or eighth block has the name of a 
street commemorating someone who died--firefighter this and police 
officer that.
  But America, New York, and all of us have not been beaten by the 
terrorists and have not been beaten by adversity. On this issue, we 
have come together, and we will prevail.
  I ask unanimous consent that there be a minute of silence in memory 
of those who were lost both that day and who are still being lost 
because of their heroism a few days after.


 Moment of Silence in Remembrance of the Lives Lost in the Attacks of 
                           September 11, 2001

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate will observe a moment of silence in 
remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001.
  (Moment of silence.)

                          ____________________