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[Pages S6033-S6034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in just a moment, I will move to
withdraw the pending cloture petitions and recess the Senate with pro
forma meetings until 2 weeks from today. Members will receive at least
24 hours' notice if any votes on urgent matters are scheduled before
October 19. That would take bipartisan consent. Otherwise, the full
Senate will next meet on October 19.
[[Page S6034]]
Obviously, the people's business does not come to a halt in the
absence of votes on the floor. The important work of our committees
will go forward as each committee sees fit. Chairman Graham has already
announced the Judiciary Committee will meet as planned on October 12 to
begin considering Judge Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court. We
are full steam ahead with the fair, thorough, and timely confirmation
process that Judge Barrett, the Court, and the Nation deserve.
The chairman has indicated the committee will use the same hybrid
format--with some participants appearing in person and others appearing
over video--that it has successfully used for more than 20 prior
hearings this year.
Let me say that again. The Judiciary Committee alone--just that
committee--has held more than 20 hybrid hearings since the start of the
pandemic. Many of these saw multiple Senators participating via video
conference. Some of them saw nominees participating by video
conference. At times, the Democratic members of the committee have gone
literally out of their way to praise this technology and the chairman's
flexibility with this format.
Across all of our committees, we have had 150 hybrid hearings since
the pandemic began. The Senate has used this format no fewer than 150
times. We have continued performing our constitutional duties while
protecting health and safety during the pandemic.
Our Democratic colleagues have largely welcomed this approach, and
they have frequently taken advantage of it. So whatever mix proves to
be the right decision at this time next week, it will be completely
consistent with the committee's own precedent and with the ways
committees all across the Senate have adapted and done their work
throughout the pandemic.
Our whole society is using these tools. Earlier today, the Supreme
Court itself resumed conducting oral arguments via teleconference, as
it has done since last spring. The Senate has been using these
processes for months. Just yesterday, the ranking member of the Rules
Committee reminded the country that she actually helped set them up.
It is nonsense for Senate Democrats to turn on a dime and now pretend
these procedures are somehow no longer workable. It is nonsense to
suggest that the tools that Senate Democrats have been happily using
across all of our committees for months have suddenly gone bad
overnight.
Nobody is taking these disingenuous tactics at face value because the
Democrats have told everyone, out loud, about their real intentions.
For weeks now, numerous Senate Democrats have publicly promised they
would try every trick in the book--every trick in the book--every
maneuver available, to obstruct and delay a fair confirmation process.
Weeks ago, the junior Senator from Hawaii pledged: ``I will look for
every procedural tool that I can [find] to make sure that this does not
happen.''
Weeks ago, the senior Senator from Massachusetts: ``We need to use
every tool. . . . We need to think seriously about everything we can do
to try to slow this down.''
The No. 2 Democratic Senator, our friend from Illinois, has said:
``we [will] use whatever tools we have available'' to ``slow things
down.''
Just yesterday, in the very same press conference where the
Democratic leader claimed that his latest call to delay the hearings
were rooted in health and safety concerns, he gave the game away just
moments later. In that same press conference, he admitted, ``We will
use every tool in the toolbox to delay''--so much about health and
safety concerns.
Our Democratic colleagues have admitted out loud what all these
stalling tactics are about. Senate Democrats have openly admitted they
are grasping at straws to block the exceedingly well-qualified nominee
from receiving a fair and prompt process.
Look, we have months of experience governing this way while
protecting health and safety here in the Senate. This body will not
cease to function just because Democrats are afraid they may lose a
vote. Chairman Graham has all the options and procedures he needs to
supervise a fair, thorough, and hopefully dignified confirmation
hearing next week. That is just what is going to happen.
I look forward to seeing Judge Barrett's brilliance and
qualifications on full display starting 1 week from today.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Virginia.
____________________
