EXECUTIVE SESSION; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 113
(Senate - July 08, 2019)

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[Pages S4685-S4689]
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 and resume consideration of the following 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       Daniel Aaron Bress, of California, to be United States 
     Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.


                         Youngstown Vindicator

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, at the end of June, we received news that 
sickened so many of us. The Youngstown Vindicator, one of Ohio's 
greatest local newspapers, is closing after 150 years in business.
  It is devastating news for a community that is already reeling from 
General Motors' abandonment of

[[Page S4686]]

Lordstown--and ``abandonment'' is the right word. General Motors made 
the decision to shut down production, losing 4,500 jobs in Lordstown, 
OH. They moved some of their production to Mexico. They took part of 
their tax cuts and their profits and used that money to buy stock 
options for their top executives.
  The Vindicator was reporting the story about GM's abandonment of 
Lordstown before the national media came to town. When GM laid off one 
shift of workers back in late 2016, after the Presidential election, 
then a second shift several months later, the Vindicator was there 
covering what those job losses meant to this community. We know the end 
of the Vindicator's coverage is another huge blow to Mahoning Valley.
  Our hearts break for the dedicated journalists and support staff 
losing their jobs. This was a family-owned paper for 132 years.
  This will not just be a loss for those who worked there. When local 
newspapers close, everyone suffers. Local reporters know their 
communities better than anyone. David Skolnick, Mark Sweetwood, and the 
entire Vindicator team have held local officials accountable. They told 
the stories of how national issues affect real Ohioans, how our trade 
policy hurts Ohio workers, and how the opioid crisis has devastated the 
valley. Craig Graziosi and many others have done vital work covering 
Lordstown. These journalists care about the cities and towns they 
serve. They hold those in power accountable, whether it is local 
government or city business leaders.
  NPR reported on what happens when local papers shut down. First of 
all, investigative reporting suffers. Long investigations are 
expensive. Usually, when there are no local newspapers to do these 
stories, no one steps in to fill the void. The investigations don't 
happen. Corruption increases, the city's financial health suffers, and 
citizens get hurt.
  Three researchers looked at local newspaper closures over a 19-year 
period. From 1996 to 2015, 300 papers across the country closed in that 
time. They found that where papers closed, city borrowing costs went 
up. Without local journalists, city watchdogs, the city's finances took 
a hit. It became more costly for taxpayers to fund local schools and 
other projects. It is just more evidence that journalists are vital to 
our communities and are necessary for our democracy.

  Too many people in this country already undermine the work that 
journalists do--or worse. We see reporters restricted, vilified, and 
even threatened--all for getting up every day and doing their jobs 
honorably.
  On the anniversary of the shooting at the Capital Gazette in 
Annapolis, MD, where several reporters were murdered in cold blood, the 
President of the United States joked about getting rid of journalists. 
That is pretty sick. He is the same President who says journalists are 
the enemy of the people.
  Meanwhile, Wall Street hedge funds gobble up local papers around the 
country. Just this spring, the Cincinnati Enquirer and other papers 
around the country that are owned by Gannett fought off a hostile 
takeover by a New York hedge fund. These guys--and they are mostly guys 
in the hedge funds--buy up local newspapers and turn around and 
dismantle them. They fire reporters, and they sell company assets. That 
is their business model--to put tens of millions of dollars in their 
pockets. There is no public benefit to that; there are only benefits to 
the hedge fund operators. It is the last thing we need as the news 
business gets tougher and tougher.
  We have lost veteran reporters at Cleveland.com and at the Columbus 
Dispatch. The Dispatch's parent company, GateHouse Media, laid off more 
than 100 journalists this spring, including its longtime Washington 
bureau chief, Jack Torry, and now The Vindicator is closing its doors 
for good.
  It is time for us in the White House and in this Congress to stand up 
for the free press, to stand up for community newspapers, and to stand 
up for local journalists, who are vital to the fabric of cities and 
towns like Youngstown and all across this country.


                     Nomination of Peter C. Wright

  Madam President, Ohioans in the Miami Valley are living with the 
presence of toxic chemicals known as PFAS that are contaminating their 
drinking water, and the people have been forced to pay for water 
treatment costs without their getting the help they need.
  PFAS chemicals are contaminating water supplies all over the country. 
It is why Senators on both sides of the aisle have called on the EPA to 
officially designate PFAS chemicals as the hazardous substances they 
are so that communities like Dayton can access the Federal funds they 
need for cleanup and can hold polluters accountable.
  The administration, similar to what the Democratic leader just said, 
has dragged its feet. Peter Wright has been at the EPA for a year, and 
under his leadership, the Agency has released a PFAS Action Plan that, 
frankly, includes very little action. Now the Agency expects the Senate 
to reward this action by confirming him to oversee the EPA's Superfund 
Program.
  We know the influence of oil and gas. We know the influence of 
polluters in this administration. We know they pulled out of the Paris 
accord, which almost every major country in the world agreed to. We 
know this administration has tried to compromise on mileage standards. 
There is an overwhelming agreement in this country that the government 
should not be on the side of the polluters and oil industries but 
should be on the side of public health. Someone who has repeatedly 
failed to hold polluters accountable for the damage they have done to 
the drinking water in Dayton and across the country has no business 
serving in a leadership role within the EPA. I will say it again. 
Someone who has repeatedly failed to hold polluters accountable for the 
damage they have done to drinking water in Dayton and across the 
country has no business serving as a leader within the EPA.
  It is not a partisan issue. This year, I joined a bipartisan group of 
colleagues in introducing legislation to require the Environmental 
Protection Agency to step up and declare those chemicals as hazardous 
substances. Last year, I demanded the government release its Federal 
study of PFAS chemicals and how safe or unsafe they really are. The 
residents of Dayton and the residents of other communities shouldn't 
have to worry about the safety of their water supplies. Ohioans deserve 
answers from the Environmental Protection Agency. The government is 
there to protect them.
  I thank my colleague Senator Carper for his leadership on this issue.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose Peter Wright's nomination--another 
Trump administration official who fronts and shills for the oil 
industry, for the polluters, and for people who shouldn't have roles in 
government. We should demand a nominee who will take this job seriously 
when it comes to protecting the water supply in Dayton, OH, and across 
this country.
  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. JONES. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


              Remembering Howell Heflin and Giles Perkins

  Mr. JONES. Madam President, I rise to honor two of Alabama's great 
citizens. The State misses greatly the late Senator Howell Heflin, who 
was a Member of this body for 18 years, and my friend and campaign 
manager, Giles Perkins, who was a lawyer in Birmingham, AL. These two 
men spent their lives working to improve our great State, and both 
shaped the future of Alabama in his own way. Following these remarks, 
we are going to be honoring both of these men in a reception to be held 
in my office.
  I last spoke on the floor of my friend and former campaign manager, 
Giles Perkins, following his death last December. Giles was an 
accomplished attorney, community leader, brilliant political adviser, 
and strategist. Although a native of Texas, he moved to Alabama 
following his marriage to his true love, Hillery Head, and he quickly 
came to understand how Alabama's complicated and sometimes dark history 
shaped our State. He had the vision of a brighter future if all 
Alabamians could have just simply worked together to create one Alabama 
for everyone.

[[Page S4687]]

  Whether in politics, his legal practice, or with regard to his 
remarkable community projects--most notably Railroad Park, which helped 
to transform the city of Birmingham--for anyone who crossed paths with 
Giles, one saw in him his passion for making Alabama and the entire 
South better places for us all.
  Giles' last political effort was my 2017 Senate campaign. As campaign 
chair, he was nothing short of extraordinary. He challenged me 
constantly--so much so that I began calling him Yoda. I still often 
refer to him as Yoda. His ability to see the bigger picture and his 
``tough love'' approach with me made me a much better candidate, a 
better person, and certainly a better U.S. Senator. I will always 
cherish his friendship.
  Howell Heflin was, to say the least, a lion of the U.S. Senate and a 
political mentor of mine. A military hero who hailed from Tuscumbia, 
AL, Judge Howell Heflin was sometimes described as the ``conscience of 
the Senate'' as he was widely known for his unshakable integrity. 
Because of that, he was the chair of the Ethics Committee, I think, for 
12 years running--something that, in his final remarks, he described as 
anything but enjoyable, but he was a man of unshakable integrity. He 
was part of the ``greatest generation.'' He became a marine at the age 
of 21, and he served the Nation during World War II. He was awarded the 
Silver Star for valor in combat, and he received two Purple Hearts for 
his actions.
  Even by Members of this body, Howell Heflin was always affectionately 
referred to as ``Judge.'' If you read back over the day he announced 
his retirement, which was on March 29, 1995, all of his colleagues 
referred to him as ``Judge'' because of his extraordinary career. As a 
one-term chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, he modernized 
Alabama's court system and won numerous awards for it as well as for 
himself personally. He was a known national figure because of his work 
on the courts. Later, while in this body, he helped to streamline the 
Federal courts in order to help move the civil courts and the criminal 
justice system. He always believed that justice delayed was justice 
denied.
  He was elected to the Senate in 1978. I was then in my third year of 
law school. During the summer of 1978, I opted to work full time on his 
campaign rather than to clerk for a law firm. This was in part because 
I believed that his election, following a 20-year or more domination of 
Alabama politics by George Wallace, would be one of the most 
significant elections in Alabama's history--a turning point for a State 
whose reputation had sorely suffered throughout the civil rights 
movement. It turned out I was absolutely right. Howell Heflin's 
election ushered in a time in Alabama during which politicians in our 
State began to look beyond the dog whistle politics of race and to do 
their best to represent all of the citizens of Alabama.
  He was a champion of the rural farmer, NASA, and businesses 
throughout Alabama. He was also a champion of the small business 
leader, teachers, members of the union, and African-American citizens 
in Alabama, who were still feeling the effects of discrimination and 
restricted voting rights.
  By today's standards, Howell Heflin would certainly be considered 
pretty conservative with his positions that many, including myself, 
would probably not agree with. Yet, in his heart, Howell Heflin 
believed in the Constitution of the United States, and he strived to 
ensure that we lived up to the creed that all people are created equal. 
During his floor speech in which he announced his retirement, he said, 
``Not until we become genuinely one nation under God, indivisible, with 
liberty and justice for all can this country realize its potential for 
true greatness.''
  He worked as a Senator to secure the extension of the Voting Rights 
Act, which is something we are still arguing about today--23 years 
after he left the Senate. He appointed the first two African Americans 
to the Federal bench in Alabama. Sadly, even though the number of 
Federal judges in Alabama's three Federal districts have grown 
significantly in number, there are still only two active Federal judges 
in Alabama who are African American. He supported historically black 
colleges and universities, and he ensured the passage of the civil 
rights restoration bill. He helped to pass the fair housing bill and 
helped to establish a national holiday that honors the late Martin 
Luther King, Jr.
  Howell Heflin's commitment to racial justice and his sensitivity to 
issues of race led him in 1993 to give a remarkable floor speech that 
opposed an insignia patent bill that contained an image of a 
Confederate battle flag. This was over 20 years before the tragedy in 
Charleston, SC, when battle flags across the country came down. It was 
20 years or so before that when he opposed an amendment that would have 
contained an image of the Confederate battle flag. It was truly a 
remarkable speech, and I referenced it just recently in a speech I gave 
here on the Equality Act. It was considered by many--his friends, his 
family, his staff, and all who knew him, especially those in this 
body--to be his finest hour. It was his finest hour because it was one 
of those rare occasions on the floor of the Senate during which an 
impassioned speech by one Senator swayed a vote.
  There was an amendment and a motion to table on that bill--a motion 
that had not succeeded. Howell Heflin then took to the floor so as to 
sway Senators to reconsider. Then, overwhelmingly, by a vote of over 75 
to 20-something, the motion was tabled, and the bill died, as it should 
have.
  That led Carol Moseley-Braun--the first African-American female 
Senator in history--to state the following:

       His integrity, his intelligence, his commitment and faith 
     in the Constitution of these United States, faith in what the 
     American dream has always stood for and can be in the future, 
     has led Judge Heflin in a direction that I think is without 
     peer and without parallel in this body. He has been a force 
     for good. He has been a force for right.

  There are very few people who have known Howell Heflin and there are 
very few people in Alabama who remember him who would say otherwise.
  He was a force for good, and he was a force for right.
  I am so proud that my first job after law school was working with him 
as staff counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was just an 
amazing experience for a kid who had never been to Washington, DC, 
before taking the job.
  It is now my privilege to hold the seat that Judge Heflin had for 18 
years. It is my honor. The fact that I walked off this floor with him 
as a staffer in 1980 and walked back on in 2018 in his seat has been 
one of the greatest honors of my life.
  In gratitude for that opportunity the Judge gave me, I have 
established a fellowship in my office for a recent law school 
graduate--just like me in 1979--and I look forward to welcoming the 
first Howell Heflin fellow to my team later this month.
  Howell Heflin was sworn into the Senate in 1979, 40 years ago this 
past January. And it was about 40 years ago this time of year that I 
joined his staff--fresh out of law school, fresh off of taking the bar 
exam. He was certainly my mentor and role model in many ways, and each 
day that I am in the Senate, I strive to continue his legacy--not that 
I always vote as Howell Heflin would, although, frankly, knowing him as 
I did, I am absolutely convinced that he would have moderated many of 
his positions with changing times. He was that kind of leader. But I am 
certainly guided by the principles of public service to his 
constituents that he described in his retirement announcement, in which 
he said:

       I have endeavored to represent Alabama in a studied, 
     impartial, and fair-minded manner. My record certainly 
     indicates at least an independent streak. I hope Alabamians 
     know that my decisions were based on what I thought was in 
     the best interest of my State and Nation. While some may 
     argue or disagree with my decisions, I was convinced that I 
     was right. And I believe most Alabamians felt that nothing 
     more could be expected of me.

  I agree with him 100 percent.
  Ironically, Judge Heflin passed away 10 years to the day from the day 
he gave that speech on March 29. I miss him. Alabama misses him. And I 
can assure my colleagues who didn't know him, the U.S. Senate misses 
him as well.
  The threads that tie Judge Heflin and Giles Perkins together in 
history are their deeply rooted integrity and their dedication to 
leaving the State of Alabama better than they found it. Their memories 
inspire me every day.

[[Page S4688]]

  Today, following these remarks, I am dedicating the conference rooms 
in my Senate office to these two men who, through leadership and 
commitment, made a positive difference in the history of the State of 
Alabama, as well as in my life.
  I am so happy that I am going to be joined by Judge Heflin's son Tom 
and his wife Cornelia, as well as numerous former Heflin staffers, 
including his longtime chief of staff, Mike House, who is the one who 
made that fateful call to me that summer as I was studying for the bar 
exam to offer me the job here on the Hill.
  Also with us will be Drew Perkins and his wife Nelly. Drew is the 
brother of Giles. They will be here with us as we celebrate both Judge 
Heflin and Giles Perkins.
  I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that in the corner of the 
Giles Perkins Conference Room will be the large Yoda doll that will be 
kept in his honor.
  As for me, I will strive to continue the work that they began, to 
fulfill their vision, and to honor their memories as long as I have the 
privilege of serving here in the U.S. Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.


                   Veteran Suicide Prevention Efforts

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, recently I met with members of the 
American Legion of Arkansas during their annual convention. This year 
they celebrated 100 years of helping veterans. I was honored to join 
them on this occasion and share how proud we are of their efforts to 
serve their fellow veterans.
  Since its founding, Legionnaires have been leading advocates for 
veterans and their families. They are committed to strengthening the 
policies, programs, and institutions to support those who have worn our 
Nation's uniform.
  One of the ways they have been instrumental in achieving this is 
bringing Legionnaires from across the country to Washington to share 
the Legion's priorities with me and my colleagues. Members from 
Arkansas expressed that one of the top issues for the Legion this 
Congress, as has been the case for the past several years, is suicide 
prevention.
  The American Legion and other VSOs like the VFW, AMVETS, IAVA, 
Wounded Warrior Project--and the list simply goes on and on--are 
pressing for action to improve access and treatment for veterans who 
are at risk of suicide. We all know there is room for improvement on 
this front.
  Congress has provided significant funding increases to the Department 
of Veterans Affairs to decrease veteran suicide rates. In fiscal year 
2010, the VA requested $62 million for suicide prevention outreach. 
That number nearly quadrupled to $222 million within 10 years. Despite 
the sharp increase in resources, sadly, 20 veterans commit suicide each 
day. That number has, unfortunately, remained roughly unchanged 
throughout the years. Tellingly and sadly, only 6 of those 20 veterans 
are receiving healthcare services at the VA.
  Veterans are particularly vulnerable to mental health struggles 
which, when untreated, can lead to increased risk of suicide. They 
suffer a disproportionately higher rate of suicide compared to the 
general population.
  In Arkansas, veterans represent about 8 percent of the population, 
but, sadly, they account for one-fifth of the suicides in my State. So 
you have 8 percent of the population yet 20 percent of the suicides.
  I have heard the anguish of family members and friends who miss the 
signs of mental health struggles in their loved ones. We have read and 
heard in the news about veterans who have taken their own lives on VA 
properties. They were so close to help yet felt that their situations 
were beyond repair. We need to close the loop to ensure that 
individuals at risk make contact with professionals trained to respond 
to address the needs of these vulnerable veterans.
  Congress is actively engaged in fighting this public health crisis. 
In 2015, we passed and the President signed into law the Clay Hunt 
Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. This was an important 
step to providing the VA with the tools and flexibility to get help for 
veterans living with mental illness. We knew this was just the start.
  My colleagues and I on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee are 
continuing to build on that foundation. I am hopeful that we can 
advance the three particular pieces of legislation I am about to 
highlight so that we can give help to veterans at risk of suicide.
  Senator Warner and I recently introduced the IMPROVE Wellbeing for 
Veterans Act. This bill will enable the VA to harness the potential of 
what is already occurring in communities by allowing it to provide 
grant funding to nonprofits and local organizations for expanded 
outreach to veterans.
  Our bill enhances coordination and planning of veteran mental health 
and suicide prevention services and will better measure the 
effectiveness of these programs in order to reduce the alarming number 
of veteran suicides.
  We can work with veteran-serving nonprofits to create and use a 
standard measurement tool that helps us in this area.
  Some nonprofit groups have implemented their own tools to track 
progress and monitor the results of their programs.
  The VA should examine how it can work with partners to develop or 
adopt a measurement tool that will be used uniformly across all groups. 
This will allow the VA and its partners to identify which suicide 
prevention efforts are having the most impact so that resources can be 
concentrated appropriately.
  VA Secretary Robert Wilkie called the IMPROVE Wellbeing for Veterans 
Act ``key'' to unlocking the veterans suicide crisis.
  I am pleased with the support we have received from the Secretary, 
members of the committee, and other colleagues, and I encourage other 
Senators to cosponsor this important legislation that will make a 
positive impact on our effort to reduce veteran suicides.
  It is also important to make it easier for veterans in crisis to get 
the help they need. That is why I teamed up with Senator Manchin to 
introduce the SPEED Act. This legislation would establish a three-digit 
number that is easy for veterans to remember in order to reach the 
Veterans Crisis Line. In a crisis, time is of the essence. Providing a 
more direct line of communication will save lives.
  Created in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered over 3.5 
million calls. This has been an essential tool to prevent veteran 
suicides. By taking an additional step to simplify the number, we can 
make further strides and expedite assistance to veterans in crisis.
  The VA has indicated that suicide prevention is its highest clinical 
priority. To help improve its operation, oversight, and evaluations of 
its suicide prevention media outreach campaigns, we have partnered with 
Senator Richard Blumenthal to introduce the Reach Every Veteran in 
Crisis Act. This bill supports recommendations by the Government 
Accountability Office study that found gaps in the VA's suicide 
prevention media outreach activities.
  By delivering an action plan for the VA to follow, we can isolate 
meaningful suicide prevention programs and ensure resources are focused 
on efforts that save lives.
  An important provision of the legislation requires establishing 
targets to evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach campaign. It is 
vital that we have metrics to measure the success of the VA's mental 
health and suicide prevention programs.
  As the chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I have been pushing the VA to incorporate 
measurement tools so that we can better evaluate the effectiveness of 
VA programs. That is why, in the subcommittee's fiscal year 2019 bill, 
we incorporated language requiring the VA to report to Congress the 
metrics it uses to evaluate the efficacy of all of its mental health 
and suicide prevention programs.
  My colleagues and I are committed to upend the trend of veteran 
suicide. We are blessed to have many organizations devoted to this 
common goal.
  Together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of veterans 
and their families and give them hope for a brighter tomorrow.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.

[[Page S4689]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Boozman). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                             Cloture Motion

  Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending 
cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination 
     of Daniel Aaron Bress, of California, to be United States 
     Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.
         Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Richard Burr, Richard C. 
           Shelby, Shelley Moore Capito, Roger F. Wicker, Johnny 
           Isakson, David Perdue, Tom Cotton, John Thune, Steve 
           Daines, John Boozman, John Cornyn, Mike Crapo, Pat 
           Roberts, John Hoeven, John Barrasso.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum 
call has been waived.
  The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate on the 
nomination of Daniel Aaron Bress, of California, to be United States 
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit, shall be brought to a close?
  The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio), and 
the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).
  Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio) 
would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. 
Tillis) would have voted ``yea''.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), 
the Senator from New York (Mrs. Gillibrand), the Senator from Vermont 
(Mr. Leahy), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator 
from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren), are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 50, nays 42, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 190 Ex.]

                                YEAS--50

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Burr
     Capito
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hawley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Lankford
     Lee
     McConnell
     McSally
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rounds
     Sasse
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shelby
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Toomey
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--42

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Brown
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Hassan
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Jones
     Kaine
     King
     Klobuchar
     Manchin
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Rosen
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--8

     Cassidy
     Gillibrand
     Harris
     Leahy
     Rubio
     Sanders
     Tillis
     Warren
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 
42.
  The motion is agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii is recognized.
  Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to speak for up 
to 10 minutes, followed by Senators Whitehouse and Heinrich for 10 
minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, I yield the floor to the majority leader.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.

                          ____________________