0. Vote vote vote the presiding officer has every senator voted . Any senator wish to change his or her vote . On this vote, the yeas are 51. The nays are 46. Threefifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to. The clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. 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 Ryan Stras of minnesota to be United States circuit judge for the eighth circuit signed by 17 senators. The presiding officer by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. The question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of David Ryan Stras of minnesota to be United States circuit judge for the eighth circuit shall be brought to a close. The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote the presiding officer is there any nor who senator who wishes to vote or change his or her vote . Seeing none, the final tall is 5741. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, David Ryan Stras of minnesota to be United States circuit judge for the eighth circuit. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from utah. Mr. Lee mr. President , the United States is just one of seven countries in the entire world that currently allows elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. And were not in good company on that list. The other six countries that allow elective abortions at that very late stage of the childs development have half of those countries have authoritarian governments, communist governments with horrible records when it comes to human rights. Yes, our abortion laws are as extreme and inhumane as the abortion laws in vietnam, china, and north korea. It pains me, and it should pain all americans, that the United States lags so very far behind the rest of the world in protecting the unborn, protecting human beings simply because they have yet to take their first breath. 20 weeks is the fifth month of pregnancy. Now, just think about what that means. At that stage, the unborn child is about ten inches long from head to toe. He or she is roughly the size of a banana. A baby at this age sleeps and wakes in the womb, she sucks her thumb, makes faces, and in some cases might even see light filtering in through the womb. And by 20 weeks, if not before, science suggests that the baby can also feel pain. Each year in this country, more than 10,000 abortions occur after this point in the babys development. Today we have a chance to stop this grave injustice. Moments from now moments ago, this body voted on the paincapable Child Protection act, a bill that would prohibit abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. This is a commonsense restriction, one that is supported by a majority of americans. More than six in ten americans supports a ban on abortion after 20 weeks, according to a maris poll conducted earlier this month. Not only that, but a majority of democrats, 56 , in fact, said that they would support an abortion ban at 20 weeks. So yes, this bill does in fact have widespread support, and it would bring america back into the mainstream of nations. But more importantly, this bill is just, its humane, its the right thing to do, its the natural outcome of any question that, as with a degree of moral probity, is this right. The reason we signed up for this job is to fight for whats right, and it is wrong. It is selfevidently wrong that our country allows 5 month old unborn babies to be killed. We in this body have a moral duty to protect those vulnerable human beings, but i have no illusions that this will be easy. We have to overcome the information the misinformation that is out there within the abortion industry. This is a powerful special Interest Group that wants to keep abortion legal right up to the moment of birth. The abortion industry is attacking this bill by denying that there is any evidence that unborn babies can feel pain at 20 weeks. The linchpin of its argument is a 2005 study that claimed unborn babies could not feel pain until the 30th week of pregnancy. What the abortion industry never mentions, of course, is that this study was written by individuals with significant and i would add undisclosed ties to the abortion industry itself. As reported by the the Philadelphia Inquirer , the studys lead author who was not a doctor but a medical doctor, previously worked for and performed abortions as the medical director of an abortion clinic. How convenient that the abortion industrys denial of fetal pain rests on a study by its own employees. If i recall, the Tobacco Industry tried something similar when they denied that cigarettes cause cancer. As always, the antidote to misinformation is more information. And the antidote to bad science is good science. So i have right here three studies that address the topic of fetal pain specifically. They were all published after the abortion industrys favorite study, the one that they prefer to acknowledge to the exclusion of all others, and unlike that study, the one that they like to prefer to the exclusion of all others, none of these studies can be said to have been compromised by a conflict of interest. Now, this one is by the International Association for the study of pain. It concludes, quote, the available Scientific Evidence makes it possible, even probable, that fetal pain perception occurs well before late gestation. The study pinpoints fetal pain to the second try messster of pregnancy, well before the third trimester. Here is another study by the American Association of pharmaceutical scientists. It concludes, quote, the basis for pain perception appears at about 20 to 22 weeks from conception. And then finally, heres a 2012 study published in the journal of maternal fetal and neonatal medicine. This paper states that there is evidence that unborn children can feel pain beginning at 20 weeks. The authors note that at this stage, unborn children have pain receptors in their skin, that they recoil in response to sharp objects like needles, and release stress hormones when they are harmed. They conclude, quote, we should suppose that the fetus can feel pain when the development of the fetus is equal to that of a premature baby, close quote. I could go on, but i think thats enough for now. The takeaway is this the science at a minimum suggests that unborn children can feel pain at around 20 weeks, can feel abortionists instruments as they do their grisly work. These children feel, mr. President , until they cannot. That possibility alone, the mere possibility should be chilling to us, and that possibility alone should have us rushing to ban abortion at 20 weeks. So i would implore my colleagues who didnt vote for this to reconsider, and the next time they have an opportunity to support it, to vote yes on the paincapable unborn Child Protection act, a vote for this bill is a vote to protect some of the most vulnerable members of the human family. And yes, we are talking about members of the human family. The life form that were talking about is not a puppy, is not some other form of animal. This is a human being that were talking about. And this is something that instinctively calls out for us. We think about the needs of the most vulnerable among us, and we should be eager to protect them. Together, we can move our countrys laws away from those of north korea and china and towards our most fundamental belief, that all human beings are created equal, and that they have an unalienable right to life. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from New Hampshire. Ms. Hassan thank you. I ask unanimous consent that avir dalamid, a fellow in my office, be granted floor privileges through 2018. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Hassan mr. President , i rise today to oppose dangerous legislation that would endanger the health of women by limiting their constitutional right to access a safe and legal abortion. Mr. President , we must recognize the capacity of every woman in our nation to make her own Health Care Decisions and control her own destiny, and ensure that all women have the full independence to do so. Unfortunately, throughout the last year, the Trump Administration and republicans in congress have repeatedly tried to roll back access to care and undermine the health of women. We had seen bill after bill targeting Womens Health care by restricting access to abortion, increasing the costs of maternity care, and allowing insurers to treat diving birth as a preexisting condition. The Trump Administration issued interim final rules, allowing employers to deny women access to the Birth Control coverage that they need. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have confirmed Trump Administration officials and judges to the bench who are vehemently opposed to a womans right to make her own Reproductive Health decisions. And republicans have been relentless in their attempts to defund planned parenthood, which is an essential source of care for women in New Hampshire and provides key Services LikeBirth Control and cancer screenings. Mr. President , here we are once again with Republican Leadership bringing a bill to the floor that attempts to marginalize women and take away their rights to make their own decisions. This bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks, an extremely rare procedure that is often the result of complex and difficult medical circumstances. The bill lacks adequate exceptions for survivors of rape or incest, and it gets in the way of a woman and the judgment of her doctor, threatening to jail physicians for providing patients the care that they need. In fact, a group of medical and Public Health organizations has written to congress, saying, and this is a quote, this bill places Health Care Providers in an untenable situation when they are facing a complex, Urgent Medical situation, they must think about an unjust law instead of about how to protect the health and safety of their patients. And, mr. President this bill is a direct challenge to the president to the press sent set in roe v. Wade. Mr. President , we are to the precedent set in roe v. Wade. Mr. President , we are at a moment in our country when women are speaking out and fighting for basic dignity and respect at home, in the workplace, and in their daily lives. They also deserve that respect with regard to the most deeply personal Health Decisions they can make. Passing this legislation would send a message to women across the country that politicians in washington do not believe that women have the capacity to make their own Health Care Decisions, as if women dont understand or are unable to grapple with the physical, emotional, economic, and spiritual issues that are involved in deciding when or if to have a family or how to handle Critical Health challenges. Mr. President , rather than marginalizing women, we should be doing everything we can to include them in the had bipartisan work we need to do on priorities to move our nation forward. Divisive and partisan bills like this one undermine women and undermines our strength as a country. I was proud to join many of my colleagues in voting against this bill, and i am glad that it has failed in the senate today. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Mr. Moran mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from kansas. Mr. Moran mr. President , thank you very much. I want to take a moment this evening to congratulate one of the most Effective Advocates for american ago in our agriculture in our nations capital. We are often helped by those who have lots of knowledge and in the coming days Mary Kay Thatcher will be retiring from the American Farm bureau where shes recognized as one of the most knowledgeable experts on farm policy. On conservation, on crop insurance, ag data, and so many other issues this affect farmers and ranchers in rural america. Mary kay represents the best of washington, d. C. Shes smart, shes passionate, and shes authentic. Again, we often need help from those who have expertise to help us make the right decisions, and she is absolutely one of those people. And a great thing about mary kay that every is she hasnt Mary Kay Thatcher is she hasnt forgotten where shes come from. Her rural roots. She has steadfast support for americas farmers and ranchers. Too many people come to the beltway and forget why theyre here. Throughout her career shes never lost sight of what ought to be the mission of each of us to use our positions, our talents and our abilities to help others. For Mary Kay Thatcher, her career has been all about helping americas farmers and ranchers, for standing up for the food and fiber producers of our nation, and let me tell you, shoos he one of the best there is at it. Not only is mary kay one of the most articulate ag lobbyists i know, shes one of the most articulate people i know. Her ability to break down an issue and make it understand iblablefor everyone, including e who dont have an ag background, make her one of the most Effective Advocates for agriculture. Theres forward and fewer people in the United States senate and in the congress who understand agriculture, who come from farming backgrounds, and that ability to connect with them is so important. Ive always appreciates the advice and counsel that mary kay has provided me when working on the farm bill or other pieces of ag legislation. Ive also always noticed and appreciated how much time she spends educating staff, including those in my office. And i believe that a big part of mary kays legacy will be the generations of young people who are better prepared to continue to fight for american agriculture because mary kay took the time and made the effort to mentor and to teach them. Her passion for agriculture comes naturally. She grew up on an iowa farm and continues to own and manage that farm today. That helps guide her work here in the nations capital. She worked at American Farm bureau for over 30 years, but in ag circles its not necessarily the number of years people talk about, but its the number of farm bills. They refer to how many farm bills a person survived and at least by my account, mary kay has been part of writing at least seven farm bills in addition to many other key pieces of ag legislation. So i know im adding my voice to lots of others who will talk about how great of a person she is and what an advocate she is, but i do want to add my accolades because theyre so welldeserved. Mary kay thatcher, i thank you for all your work on behalf of american agriculture, including Kansas Farm Bureau and its members, but all of agriculture in our state. Your efforts have benefited kansas and improved our country. Youll be missed at American Farm bureau, but i know that youll find other ways to advocate for agriculture, and i hope that for many years to come we remain friends working together on behalf of American Farmers and ranchers. Congratulations, best wishes, and thank you said with Great Respect and with gratitude. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. Lankford mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from oklahoma. Mr. Lankford one of the important things the senate is taking up right now, obviously the issues of immigration, budget, disaster relief. A lot of pertinent issues that need to be resolved. One of those things that was in the middle of the conversation came up today. And its part of a conversation that quite frankly doesnt come up often in this body, but this seemed like a reasonable piece to be able to come up. It came up to the senate to open debate on it and failed to be able to get 60 votes to even support beginning to talk about what should be an easy conversation on a hard issue. This issue about children and life. In 1973 when roe v. Wade passed, the Supreme Court at that time determined children that were viable and thats the definition they left out there children that were viable, theres a governmental interest in being able to engage with those children. Viability in 1973 is very different than what it is now, decades later. 1973 viable was a much older child. Now we know a lot more. A lot more children survive. Children born at 22 weeks gestation have between a 50 to 60 chance of survival now. That was not so in 1973. The rest of the world has caught up to this technology, and their government has acknowledged this issue of a child that has ten fingers and ten toes and a beating heart, they suck their thumb in the womb, they yawn, they stretch, they move, that is a child. Now, i understand theres wide argument about a child at eight weeks that i believe is a child, but others look at it and say it doesnt look like a child yet. But a child at 20, 22, 24 weeks of gestation, that child even looks like a child when you look at that child on the ultrasound. Its hard to disagree, especially when children are born at that age prematurely and they survive. And many