The presiding officer any senator wishing to change their vote . If not, the yeas are 75. The nays are 22. The nomination is confirmed. The clerk will report the next nomination. The clerk nomination, department of labor, Eugene Scalia of virginia to be secretary. The presiding officer the question is on the nomination. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote the presiding officer are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . If no, the yeas are 53, the nays are 44. The nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senates actions. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell i have three requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate and they havate approval of the majority and minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 422. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All in favor say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it, the ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, department of defense, Barbara Mcconnell barrett of arizona to be secretary of the air force. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion. The clerk cloture motion we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Barbara Mcconnell barrett of arizona to be secretary of the air force, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 359. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, Frank William volck of West Virginia to be United States district judge for. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion. The clerk cloture motion we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Frank William volck of West Virginia to be United States district judge for the Southern District of West Virginia, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the reading of the names waived. Officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 363. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, charles r. Eskridge of texas to be judge. Mr. Mcconnell i i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion. The clerk cloture motion we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of charles r. S. Ridge of texas to be a United States district judge for the Southern District of texas signed by 17 senators as follow mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the reading of the names you can waive the. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 328. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, David John Novak of virginia to be United States district judge for the Eastern District of virginia. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion. The clerk cloture motion we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of David John Novak of virginia to be United States district judge for the Eastern District of virginia, signed by 17 senators as follows mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Mcconnell i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 348. The presiding officer question is on the motion. All those in favor, say aye. Those opposed, say no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary. Rachel p. Kovner of new york to be judge for the Eastern District of new york. Mr. Mcconnell i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion. The clerk cloture motion we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of rachel p. Kover of new york to be district judge for the Eastern District of new york. Mr. Mcconnell i ask the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i ask consent the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions be waived. The presiding officer without objection. mr. Lankford mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from oklahoma. Mr. Lankford the permanent subcommittee for investigation just finished a Major Research project. I happen to sit on the committee, led by rob portman, who has done a phenomenal job trying to pull all the information together to try to study government shutdowns. Government shutdowns are not new to us. We hear about them a lot lately, but in the last 40 years weve had 21 government shutdowns. 21. Weve seen this issue over and over again, that when we get to a point of contention and argument we end up shutting the government down to be able to resolve it, so the point of discussion is not just here in d. C. , its all over the country. The question is, how does that really affect the country and how does that affect the United States government . The basic study that p. S. I. Did to be able to go back and look at this was they found that the federal workforce in the last shutdown lost 57,000 years of productivity. If you spread out all the federal workers that were furloughed, the time they were furloughed and the time that was lost. The total economy lost about 11 billion in productivity during that time period. And the federal taxpayer lost right at 4 billion in lost money. Thats just gone. The cost of shutting the government down, the cost of reopening, the cost of pay during the furlough time periods when there werent actually people there, 4 billion lost to the taxpayer. But yet well probably have another one at some point and probably have another one. And it seems they just keep coming. 21 of these in the last 40 years. Theres a group of us that have continued to be able to push this. Rob portman has done it for years. Several oration of us several others have tried to figure out how do we resolve the issue of government shutdowns. Maggie hassan, she and i started a year ago talking through how to start a bipartisan solution to ending government shutdowns, and we have a very unique proposal to be able to go with this. Its its a proposal thats not trying to be novel or cute. Its trying to be able to solve the problem. Our issue is we have very serious differences when we get to budget areas. Its a trillion dollars in total spending that were talking about when we do the 12 appropriation bills. Its no small amount of argument. But we should be able to resolve these things in a way that actually works and is effective. So heres our basic idea. The process works, supposedly, where you do a budget that determines an overarching number that everyone agrees to. This is called the topline number. Then you take that topline number and the house and the senate and their appropriations committees, it gets broken up into 12 smaller bills. Those are called the appropriation bills. Those 12 bills all have to be passed by the house and by the senate. Then they have to conference them together and get that finished by the end of the fiscal year. It sounds like a good theory. That was the plan at least that was made in 1974 when this was designed, but that plan that i just laid out has only worked four times since 1974. So if you think every year the budget process didnt work again, you are correct. It didnt work again. Its only worked four times since 1974. So what Maggie Hassan and i would like to insert into this process is the ability to be able to have serious, hard debate on difficult Financial Issues where we have disagreements but contain the fight to washington, d. C. To do two things make sure we get to the appropriation process and its done well and to hold the federal workers and federal families and the rest of the country harmless as we argue through this. So here is the simple idea. If we get to the end of the fiscal year, if we do not have any one of those 12 appropriation bills done and we should have all 12 of them done, but even if one is undone, when we get to the end of the fiscal year, there is a continuation of spending exactly as it was the year before. It just continues to run the same as it was before so that federal agencies, federal workers would continue to operate as they normally do. But because there is not an appropriation bill done for the next year, while federal workers are being held harmless and agencies are being held harmless, members of congress and our staff and the office of management and budget of the Whitehouse White house would lose all travel ability. We would have no official travel ability at all. Couldnt go home and see our families, couldnt travel on codels, couldnt do other responsibilities. We are here in washington. And we have session in the house and the senate every day of the week, weekends, weekdays included. Literally it is the equivalent of when my brother and i would get into an argument when we were kids which clearly didnt happen often but when it did happen, my mom would say to my brother and i the two of yall go into your rooms, work this out. When you do work it out, you can come out. That would basically put washington, d. C. Inside the box. The rest of the country is not in it, but washington, d. C. Would have to stay here, we would have to work out our differences. When its worked out, then we pass appropriation bills. The other feature thats added into it is that we cant move on to other things. We couldnt get distracted and just say were not going to do appropriation bills and just stay here and do other things. We have to do appropriation bills during that time period. This simple idea, although for most people i have talked to have said that is too simple, that will never work. As i have talked to my colleagues in the house and the senate, just about all of them have cringed when i said we are going to be here weekdays, weekends, keep going on one topic until we finish that one topic. It is our constitutional responsibility to be able to take care of the american peoples tax dollars and to make sure its done correctly. We can move on to other things when we do our constitutional responsibility in that. Just about everyone i have talked to have said thats an idea that i could vote for, that i can support. I bring it up to this body to tell people were still negotiating the final language of this bill. If there is an idea that people have, that we say we have one thing to ask about it, bring it. If you have one thing to suggest to change it, bring it. In the next few weeks before we get to the november 21 deadline, which is the new deadline now for spending, before we get to that spot, i want this issue resolved. I want government shutdowns off the table. I never want to see on any of the news channels ever again the countdown clock to when the government shuts down. That hurts the american people, it hurts american companies, and it certainly hurts the federal families that go on furlough during that time period. Lets keep us in the ring boxing it out, and lets keep everyone else harmless as we go through the process. And id encourage my colleagues to bring their ideas, and lets get this resolved in the next few weeks. With that, i yield the floor. I notice the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call s. Mr. Braun mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for indiana. Mr. Braun are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer we are. Mr. Braun can the quorum call be suspended . The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Braun on roll call vote 311, i voted aye. It was my intention to vote no. Therefore, i ask unanimous consent that i be permitted to change my vote since it will not affect the outcome. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Braun thank you. The presiding officer the senator from ohio. Mr. Brown are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer we are not. Mr. Brown thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , this fall we celebrate the 25th anniversary of americorps. Since president kennedy challenged americans to serve our nation abroad in the peace corps in his Famous University of michigan speech, generations of americans have recognized that our greatest strength is is as a nation is our compassion. It wasnt until americorps was founded about 30 years later, in that we addressed the need for service here at home. When i think about the work that americorps members do, i think about the words of a speaker in a Martin Luther king breakfast in my home city of cleveland on a cold january morning when a speaker said your Life Expectancy is connected to your zip code. Think about that. Your Life Expectancy is expected to your zip code when you grew up in appalachia or ohio, inn, y like i did in mansfield or a small town, your zip code often determines whether you have access to Quality Health care or good education and the social support necessary to succeed, whether its city year, senior corps or vista, all parts of americorps, America Works to provide that and ensure so Many Americans regardless of their zip code have the opportunity not only to succeed but to thrive. Ive seen firsthand what a difference americorps makes in peoples lives. My two daughters had an amazing lifechanging experience teaching for a year through city year. We all benefit when we invest in organizations that serve communities that are too often left behind. And when these organizations are staffed by Young Americans who care about those they serve. In ohio, we have a city year in cleveland and columbus. I have met many of these city year volunteers and see the work that they do. Americorps in my state played a major difference in the summer feeding program, where literally tens and tens of thousands of children are able to eat well in the summer because of the work that americorps does. Since 1994, a million americans have served in communities across the country, serving tens of millions of americans. All their work will have a Lasting Impact on children and families. I cant wait to see what these good americorps members will do over the next quarter century. Mr. President , i ask that the following remarks be placed at a different place in the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Brown i rise today not very happily, if i can say, my employee and my friend jenny dihue is leaving our office to take a really, really big job in the u. S. House of representatives. Especially at a challenging difficult time and she believe believe she will serve there. She is a middleclass kid who grew up in idaho. I have not hired a lot of people in my office from idaho but if the next person from idaho is this good that will be a great thing. She went on to become a leader in the United States senate. Shes a leader among communications directors. Shes a leader in my office. Shes a leader in this entire body. Shes left an indelible mark. Part of being a good leader is being a good mentor. She nurtures young talent. She brings out the best in the people she works with. My wife connie schultz, who is one of jennys greatest admirery great admirers of jenny my wife loves to say that she is one of the most fierce advocates for young women she has ever met in her life, and she also says oftentimes that jenny carries as she climbs. She moves up in life and moves up into a new position, you can bet so many people are going to benefit from her leadership and her mentorship. Shes earned my wifes respect. That speaks such volumes about our friend jenny. Shes earned the respect of many ohio reporters. She understands how important their work is to ohio communities and to our democracy. She respects journalism, understanding that journalism is about comforting the afflicting and afflicting the comfortable. She knows that without journalism, good journalism, you cant have good democracy. Shes been with me through some of the biggest moments over the past four years as a friend, as an advisor, and challenging me sometimes and telling me when im wrong, oftentimes but always being there in the right ways. Shes been part of the dignity of work rollout. She was part of our trip to the border to bear witness to the humanitarian crisis in part caused by the president of the United States. She was part of the historic 2016 Democratic National convention. She helped put my vision of dignity of work on the road earlier this year, including a trip to selma, alabama. Jenny has such courage of her convictions. Shes not afraid to tell me when im wrong. Shes not afraid to challenge others, always, always coming from a place of integrity and honesty. Always. She never does anything halfway. When she says shell do something, when she sets her mind to doing something, she does it and she does it fully. She does it well. She does it better than pretty much anyone else could. The day after the 2016 election, my staff was pretty stunned that a human being like donald trump would be in the white house, that someone with his lack of character, with his inability to tell the truth, with his treatment of women, that he would be president of the United States. Were all pretty stunned. I gathered the staff in my office and told them our jobs had become that much more important. Jenny took on this charge. Jenny, who was already good before the 2016 election, she took on this charge, how our work mattered, how i was the only, one of the only elected officials in ohio that would challenge the president s dishonesty, that would challenge the president s illegal behavior, that would challenge the president s meanspiritedness at the border, on the overtime rule, cutting food stamps, all the things this billionaire has done. Jenny knew how important that was. She took on this charge with a sense of responsibility and a purpose that made me proud. Just like i know her parents and her grandparents are proud as she moves on to the next job in the house of representatives as a leader in the house, as she has been in the senate, moves on to continue fighting for justice and the dignity of work in her new role. Godspeed. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from alaska. Mr. Sullivan i ask the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Sullivan mr. President , this afternoon, id like to honor and recognize the Important Service of three men, three marine generals who have served their country in uniform and have served their country in the civilian world as well who have served with honor and dignity in ways that i think deserve recognition here on the floor of the United States senate. Theyve done this service in a manner thats fitting of marines, with dignity and class and honor. Mr. President , im talking about former secretary of defense jim mattis, former secretary of Homeland Security and the president s chief of staff at the white house, general john kelly, and lastly, id like to recognize general joe dunford who on monday will be stepping down as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. I intend to be there to honor him and to witness another remarkable transition of authority and power when u. S. Army general milley takes over in what is the most important position of a military officer in the United States of america. And it will be the end of an era, a remarkable era, mr. President , for the marine corps. Where these three marine generals, kelly, mattis, dunford served with distinction, not only in the corps as fourstar generals, but at the highest levels of government at a critical time in our countrys history. And its a remarkable story, mr. President , its a story of service and sacrifice and friendship. These extraordinary men rose through the levels of command together, the ranks of the marine corps together. They served together all over the world, including in combat in places like fallujah, elkut, baghdad. They fought together, they sacrificed together for our great nation asthma reason core officers, and then they went on to serve in other ways. The three of them have spent their whole lives in service to our country, and they have left an indelible mark certainly on the marine corps but i believe other institutions. Between the three of them, they have 130 years of active Duty Military Service to america. 130 years. Think about that. Of active military service to the United States of america and the marine corps. They have given their all for us in a way that i think makes most americans proud. Emphasizing the ethos of the marine corps, which is honor, courage, and commitment. And i know they have inspired countless numbers of young men and young women across the globe in the marines and beyond. So im going to talk a little bit about them today, mr. President. John kelly, general john kelly, straight talking, blunt, fierce warrior. Before he was 16, he hitchhiked to the west coast and rode the rails back. He is then said to have joined the merchant marines where a year where he is quoted as saying my first time overseas was taking 10,000 tons of beer to vietnam. In 1970, he enlisted in the marines where he found purpose and found a home. General jim mattis, a warrior scholar, appreciator of mavericks, known for the reading lists he expects his marines to follow. Who has a teenager was, quote, a mediocre student with a partying attitude, an attitude that landed him in jail a few times, but learning called and then the marines called, teaches him and others how to think like men of action and act like men of thought. Hes a legend in the marine corps 679 his motto in iraq was no better friend, no worse enemy than a u. S. Marine, the first and only marine to ever be secretary of defense. And then, mr. President , theres chairman of the joint chiefs general joe dunford whos had the marine corps flowing through his veins his whole life. His father served as a marine in korea and three of his uncles were marines in world war ii. General dunford had no doubt he would continue that tradition while earning a degree from st. Michaels college in vermont. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant. During his career from infantry command to commandant in the marine corps and chairman of the joint chiefs, hes known for inspiring respect in combat and on the field of battle and in the corridors of washington. I had a brief opportunity to meet general dunford a few times as a marine when i was in afghanistan and he was the icef commander and the respect that not only marines and American Service members but all the allied forces had for them was very, very apparent. All three as i mentioned served in iraq. In 2003, general kelly was promoted to Brigadier General and it was the first known promotion of a marine corps colonel to bringing near general brigadier zest Chesty Puller in january of 1951. And general doneford serving under general mattis during the invasion earned his own nickname of fighting joe which continued to serve him well in washington. So, mr. President , as you just saw from the senator, my colleague from ohio, theres much talk today on the floor of the senate, both sides of the aisle, about character, integrity, patriotism, or unfortunately the lack thereof in washington, d. C. , besides in the house, the senate, throwing bombs at each other, but i think sometimes its important to come down and talk about the other thing, character, honor, integrity, service because we have a lot of that as well. These three men have served our country with great distinction. They have all they will all be succeeded by strong leaders who im sure will carry out a similar tradition of service and dignity. Mr. President , last year i had the great honor of being promoted to colonel in the marine corps reserves. Im i love being in this job. Its a huge privilege to serve the people of alaska as a u. S. Senator, but i have no doubt the biggest honor of my life is earning the title of United States marine. And i knew that i joined a force for good with the cords of memory and value that stretches back to the founding of our country, the battle that the corps has fought in live in the heart of every marine. Montezuma, tripoli, pal would you, iwo jima, the chosen reservoir, caisson, way city, gulf war iraq, afghanistan. The list is very long. The greatest lesson ive learned as a marine is what true leadership looks like and, mr. President , we have seen that true leadership in the trio of officers of kelly, mattis, and dunford. And ive seen it in their lives after the marine corps in washington, d. C. Let me talk briefly about each of them. From his early days as commanding a Rifle Company and serving on two aircraft carriers to Commanding Task force tripoli during the iraq war and leading u. S. Southern command, general kelly has exemplified the warrior ethos of the marine corps. During the early days of tripoli, general Major General kelly was asked about the ability of his force to handle the iraqi military. His response was, hell, these are marines, men like them held the canal and took iwo jima. He had confidence and he was right. General kelly is a fighter but he also understands sacrifice. He lost troops in the field and tragically in 2010 he lost his own son, lieutenant Robert Michel kelly when he stepped on an i. E. D. While leading a platoon in afghanistan. General kelly knows sacrifice and became the highest ranking military officer to lose a son or daughter in iraq or afghanistan. After he finished his military service with distinction, he took on two of the most challenging jobs here in d. C. Secretary of Homeland Security and then the chief of staff at the white house. He didnt seek these jobs. He was asked to serve by the president and he did. And thats something unusual, mr. President , in a town where so many are crawling or scheming to climb up the ladder. Its refreshing to have leaders who are sought out or chosen to lead. And it should be noted that the jobs that general kelly took on demanded a different skillset after he took off the uniform. However, on a daily basis in these jobs, you still take incoming. Its just not with bullets and artillery. And in my view he did an outstanding job in these two very important positions at a critical time. Then theres general mattis who became our secretary of defense but also did not seek that job. That job sought him. I know this for a fact, mr. President , because before the election, i had the privilege of sitting down with general mattis when he was a scholar at the Hoover Institution to talk to him about leadership and strategy. It was a big honor for me to be able to do this. In october 2016. And when the rumors began swirling after the election in november of 2016 about him being the secretary of defense, my first phone call to the president elect to congratulate him also mentioned how i thought it would be a great pick to pick general mattis as secretary of defense. And i believe he did do an excellent job. General mattis, the first and only marine to ever be secretary of defense played a piff voltal pivotal role in redefining our National Security objectives and rebuilding our military. General mattis played a leading role in crafting the National Security strategy with National Security advisor h. R. Mcmaster in 2017 and then literally wrote almost entirely on his own the pentagons 2018 National Defense strategy. Together these two documents have shifted our nations Strategic Focus from countering violent extremism as we needed to do after the september 11 terrorist attacks to recognizing the return of Great Power Competition as the leading National Security challenge for the United States with china as the pacing threat. And, mr. President , its rarely recognized by the media, but these are very bipartisan documents in that senators, democrats and republicans, all believe these are very, very important, almost universally applauded and supported in terms of american strategy for the next several decades. General mattis recently published a memoir calle that cs on leadership and the need to sharpen the mind and the body and i think this book which im reading right now is a Great Service to our country. Youre part of the worlds most feared and trusted force he tells his marines. Engage your brain before you engage your weapon. Indeed, much has been written about general mattis keen intellect, but as he makes clear, reading and intellectual pursuits are not an end to themselves. They are part of the mission. They are at the heart of shaping the worlds most fearsome fighting force. In his book he says, quote, if you havent read hundreds of books learning from others who went before you, you are functionally illiterate. You cant coach and you cant lead. Mr. President , i also believe that general mattis secretary mattis did an outstanding job as secretary of defense. He rebuilt our military readiness that has plummeted when it was defense defense spending was cut from 2010 to 2015 by 25 . And i walked with general mattis, secretary mattis in alaska with our military forces there, and i can tell you the troops loved him, loved him, respected him. Mr. President , finally, i just want to talk about general dunford. As i mentioned monday will be the last day we get to call dunford americas chairman of the joint chiefs. Second marine to hold this highest leadership position in the armed services. Also a student of history known to be fearless and unflappable commander. General mattis told us a great story about how when they were serving together in iraq, dunford and mattis, general mattis watched a rocketpropelled grenade fly over dunfords humvee and blow up about a hundred yards behind him. Mattis wrote, general dunford barely glanced up and then went right back to writing his operation order. In his book general mattis talks more about general dunford. He said, quote, he had a gift of synthesis. He could coolly evaluate the larger picture. Joe reminded me of emperor consistently reaching fair conclusions and able to summarize a complex situation in just a few words. It has been precisely this ability that has allowed general dunford to so effectively navigate the tricky political and military worlds in both this administration and the last one. He was nominated to be chairman of the joint chiefs by president obama and did such an outstanding job, that President Trump renominated him. These are the kind of men and leaders that im talking about. And these are not easy times. Our country and our military are facing unprecedented challenges and wise counsel from those in these positions is paramount. Those who understand what it means to fight, what it means to be on the front lines of conflict, and what it means to have the wisdom sometimes not to fight. General dunford has provided that wisdom. A combat veteran in the u. S. Navy Academy Graduate was recently quoted in an article about general dunford where he said, quote, hes been one of the best joint chiefs of staff america has ever had. According to omar, dunford has been able to successfully navigate difficult times with regard to National Security, challenges to our nation and civil and military relations. Mr. President , with all the other challenges this country is to face, it is important to recognize these kind of leaders. And i also want to mention just how general dunford is not only known for his keen intellect but also for his compassion. He was known to personally write letters to the parents of his marines who were killed in action. He was the person who went to john kellys home, general kellys home to tell him that his own son had been killed in battle in afghanistan. And late err he wore a later he wore a team kelly shirt when he ran the boston marathon. And i have seen that personal compassion in my own life, mr. President. Its a story ill end with with regard to all three of these men and it involves a young Lance Corporal from alaska named grant frasier. Who is grant frasier . In high school in anchorage it he was an actor, loved the works of homer and shakespeare, a mountain biker, a skier, a pianist, a scuba diver, rock climber, a tennis player, a lighthearted mischievous young man and then he surprised family and friends when he joined the marines. While still in college because he wanted challenges and he knew hed thrive in the marine corps, and he did thrive in the marine corps and he planned on coming back home to work as a paramedic with the anchorage fire department. On august 3, 2005 in anbar province, iraq, grant frasier was on a mission, operation quick strike to avenge the killing of his fellow marines when his vehicle was hit by a massive improvised explosive device. He was 22 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice. Now, i love our military but sometimes it can be bureaucratic and very bone headed. It took 11 long years and the tenacious, beautiful spifer rit of grant phrase spirit of grant frasiers mom, sharon, to get a proper burial at arlington cemetery. Two days before the funeral in 2016, i was sitting next to general dunford at a dinner. I told him about grants heroism and sharon longs heroic perseverance to get her son buried at arlington. And on an overcast day september 30, 2016, his friends and families and fellow marines were gathering to put grant frazer to rest at Arlington National cemetery. A marine fourstar general in his dress blues appeared solemnly on the sidelines. The most important member of the u. S. Military decided to move his schedule and come to the funeral of this Lance Corporal. I had the opportunity to introduce him to sharon long and the chairman of the joint chiefs told me he couldnt sleep the night before thinking about how long it took for her to bury her son. And he felt he just had to attend to pay his respects to this marine. Mr. President , ive been to a lot of funerals in my marine corps career, but this was the most moving funeral ive ever attended. On that day, rank didnt matter, medals didnt matter. They were all just americans. The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff with us grieving the loss of one of our own. General mattis wrote, no marine is ever alone. He carries with him the spirit passed down from generations before him, group spirit, that electrical force filled with emotion that infuses and binds warriors together. These three men mattis, kelly, and dunford have brought that spirit not just to the marine corps but to america. A higher calling to the highest levels of government. And we should all be thankful. We in the Senate Confirm these men and women on a regular basis, but we rarely thank them on the floor. So from one u. S. Senator whos watched the careers closely of these remarkable three men and appreciate what theyve done, not just in uniform but after theyve taken the uniform off, i want to thank them for their honor, courages, and commitment, sacrifice, and example to those if not millions of americans and marines, and for keeping us safe. To general mattis, kelly, and dunford, thank you. Semper fidelis. I yield the floor. Senator mr. President . A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from from maryland. Mr. Van hollen thank you, mr. President. I want to start by saluting our friend, the senator, our colleague, the senator from alaska, for his moving and powerful statement and for his service as a marine and now a senator from alaska. And its been a great honor to work with him on many issues, including National Security issues. So i thank you. Mr. President , earlier today on this senate floor our colleague, the junior senator from alabama, senator jones, asked for unanimous consent for the immediate passage of the future act. The future act is an important bill thats essential to the success of minorityserving colleges and universities across the country, including historically black colleges and universities. The house bill passed within the last couple weeks. Its bill number is hb2486, and it is at the senate desk, meaning we could take it up and pass it at any moment if the leader would simply allow us to vote on that measure. And what it does is extends an existing mandatory Funding Program that provides essential resources to these underresourced schools. And we, as a Congress Senate and house, republicans, and democrats have recognized on a bipartisan basis the value of these institutions of the Higher Learning and the importance of this mandatory funding because we enacted this program a number of years ago on a bipartisan basis. And the goal was to make sure that we provide Additional Resources for academic pursuits, to improve management, and to ensure that they had the resources for highdemand areas of study in the areas of science, technologies, engineering, and math the stem disciplines. Mr. President , in my state of maryland, we have four terrific hbcus morgan state, bowie state, university of maryland, eastern shore. We also have a number of other schools that serve high numbers of students receiving needbased aid Like Allegheny College in western maryland and the kowat college of southern maryland. All of these colleges and universities need the resources that are provided through the future act. Its not only it not only has a bipartisan heritage but right now in the senate it has a bipartisan cosponsorship. In fact, senator scott is the lead republican on this bill. It passed the house of representatives unanimously on a voice vote. And heres the reason im on the floor now, and heres the reason that the senator from alabama, senator jones, asked for unanimous consent to take this up and vote on it earlier today. And that is because the current program, the current mandatory program, expires on sunday. It expires at the end of this month. And theres no reason for delaying action. Now, its possible we can buy ourselves a little bit more time with respect to the funding, but theres no reason that we should put this Important Program at risk. Mr. President , i have a number of letters here. In fact, i have 43 letters from 34 schools and advocacy organizations supporting this bill, and i ask unanimous consent to enter them into the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Van hollen thank you, mr. President. Aim just going to read from im just going to read from two of those 43 letters that express the urgency of Senate Action on this. This is a letter from the Thurgood Marshall college fund, from the president and c. E. O. , stating the Thurgood Marshall college fund strongly encourages the senate to take up the future act immediately and pass the bill before the opportunity slips away. While we appreciate the prospects of a longerterm or permanent solution to title 3, part f, we receive approval by the congress before spokesperson. I think we can understand their skepticism given the fact that the 30th is sunday and the congresses the senate is going to be out this afternoon. They go on to say, therefore, it is imperative that the senate act with all deliberate speed on the bipartisan and bicameral future act. Mr. President ,ist another letter. This is from the uncf, another organs dedicated to supporting these organization dedicated to supporting these important institutions. I am quoting from a letter shah says, it is imperative that the senate pass the future act because funding for hbcus, t. C. U. s and other minorityserving institutions expired september 30, 2019. While we support a permanent extension of mandatory funding, h. R. 2486 due to its passage in the house of representatives is the surest way for these institutions to maintain funding for fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2021. We strongly believe that passing this bill now will address the immediate funding needs of our institutions. So, mr. President , this is a bill thats got broad support. This is bill where the Program Expires on sunday, just a few days from now. Theres really no excuse for not taking this up and voting on it now. And i hope since thats obviously not going to happen because my colleague tried to get unanimous consent earlier today to take up and vote on this bill, i hope we will move with all deliberate speed as soon as the Senate Reconvenes so that we get this important work done. And i yield the floor. Mr. Hawley mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from missouri. Mr. Hawley mr. President , earlier this week the Missouri Department of health issued a new report that she is that Life Expectancy tombly declined in the state of missouri last year. The report showed that Life Expectancy has been falling in my state for almost a decade. Death rates for missourians who are between 15 and 44 years old rose by almost 30 between 2012 and 2018. The death rate for missourians who are between 25 and 34 is at its highest levels since the 1950s. And we know whats causing it. Its an epidemic of drug overdoses and suicides along with a spike in crime in our cities. Here are the facts. Opioidrelated death in missouri have more than doubled in the past decade. The number of suicides is up by over 50 . And theres no end in sight. And its not just missouri. New data shows that deaths from suicide and drug overdoses are exploding nationwide. Suicides in this country havent been so common since 1938, and alcoholrelated deaths havent been so high since the 1910s. The surge in deaths from drug overdoses in this country, meanwhile, is completely unprecedented. These numbers are tragic, but they are more than that. They are the signs of a crisis. We are witnessing the slowmotion collapse of the working class in america. All americans suffer from deaths of despair, but we know from the evidence that it is working people and working families who are hit the hardest. And so now the working middle of this nation is facing a struggle to survive. You dont have to look far to see it. Ive seen is it in the small towns of my state, in the places where tv cameras never go, where town squares sit half united arab emiratesty, where sit half empty. Ive seen is it in country places where meth is so common they tell me that dealers language bags of drugs from tree branches for their buyers to retrieve, a literal landscape of despair and addiction. Ive seen it in the faces of Young Farmers who put a crop in and pray for rain and pray for sun and pray for fair prices and then wonder if generations of family farming are going to end with them. Ive seen it from Young Mothers raising kids alone and working a job and trying to go to school at night and trying to shield their children from the drugs and from the pathologies online. Ive heard it in the words of young men who graduated high school only to find no jobs and no place to learn a trade. And no hope for anything thats better. This is the struggle of working life today. And in my state, it is a struggle shared by white and black alike and by everybody of every race because the breakdown of family and neighborhood and the loss of good work and the epidemic of drugs, these things dont no boundaries. This is a struggle we are in together. It is a struggle that brings us together, a struggle for the things we love together. For home and family and country. And the fused of this country will be de and the future of this country will be defined bid how we meet this challenge. You can see all of this if you look. The problem is this town wont look. This town is obsessed with partisan theatrics. This town is obsessed with money and influence and status. This town wants to keep its own good times going. The political elite here live in a world where the struggle of working americans is just a Human Interest story that you read about right along with the gossip page. But its time for this town to take some responsibility. It is time for the governing class to admit that the policies it has pursued for decades on trade, on immigration, on finance have helped drive working people to this crisis. And its time to acknowledge that a crisis for working america is a crisis for all of amer