As they work under the duress of time and pressures from diverse interests, inspire them to strive to live with integrity, making ethical decisions that honor you. Lord, be with their Staff Members who run the office and provide the data needed for responsible decisions. Be also with those who process the mountains of business in and out of the cloakrooms. Lord, sustain those who transcribe the debates for the congressional record. Bless those who monitor parliamentary order, schedules, and voting records. Protect those who provide security at the doors, on the floor, and on the street. And, lord, bless our pages. Strengthen all who are a part of the senates support system, surrounding them with your protection and favor. We pray in your strong name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance i pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i ask permission to address the senate one minute in morning business. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley i want to take our nation and my colleagues back to the revolutionary war. More than 240 years ago sailors aboard the warship warren disclosed significant misconduct by the commander of the continental navy. The congress then recognized these brave whistleblowers valuable contribution to our brandnew republic because on this day, today, 1778, Congress Passed this resolution saying, quote, it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States to give the earliest information to congress or others proper authorities of any misconduct, frauds, or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states. Thats the beginning of the government recognizing whistleblowers as a as valuable patriots. Following in their footsteps, this senate has manies unanimously agreed to designate today as National Whistleblowers appreciation day. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell madam president. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell the senate has a lot of important business to attend to before we adjourn for the august state work period. As a reminder to all our colleagues, heres our considerable todo list for this week. Later this morning well vote to confirm two more of President Trumps impressive nominees for district court. Michael t. Liburdi of the district of arizona, and peter welte for the district of north dakota. They are the first two of a significant list of judges, 19 in all, that the senate needs to process that the before we wrap up the week. We cant head home before making a significant dent in the backlog. In addition, the senate is not going anywhere until we confirm two impressive nominees to executive branch positions that play a vital role in u. S. Foreign policy and National Security. Ambassador kelly craft is President Trumps excellent choice to serve as our ambassador to the United Nations. David l. Norquist is his pick for deputy secretary of defense. Needless to say, madam president , these are troubling times in a troubled world. We need to give both of these highly capable Public Servants on the job this week. Finally, we must also pass the bipartisan government Funding Agreement that President Trumps negotiating team worked out with speaker pelosi. In the the realties of divided government, it is a strong deal that achieves our numberone priority to invest seriously in rebuilding the readiness of our armed forces and modernizing them to meet challenges of today. The Trump Administration negotiated their way to a major win on defense. The house passed a compromise legislation as the president is ready and waiting to sign it. Once the Senate Passes it later this week, he can sign it into law, taking Funding Crisis and longterm continuing resolutions off the table and pave congress path toward a regular appropriations process that will provide the resources our military commanders and our Service Commanders need to keep us safe. So i would urge all my colleagues to join President Trump in support of this legislation when we vote on it later this week. Now one final matter, as Senate Majority leader, it is my honor this morning to acknowledge a truly remarkable legacy of service to the senate and really to the nation. Next month the Senate Page School will say goodbye to its beloved principal. After 26 years heading up this unique institution, our very own ms. Katherine weeden is starting a new chapter as a very deserving retiree. For more than a quarter century, principal weeden has been a constant anchor in a place where rotation and change are par for the course. The page school, as we know, welcomes a new class of highachieving young people from all across the country every semester. These Students Experience is most famous for the fast paced hands on is exposure to the inner workings of the government that it involves. In the Early Mornings and late evenings when they are not delivering bill texts around the capitol, assisting members on the floor or engaging in any other tasks that help this place actually run, they are also dealing with the academic rigors of the 11th grade. 30 teenagers at a time living, studying, and working full time on capitol hill. Needless to say, keeping this unique arrangement running smoothly is less than an ordinary job. Even a fulltime one, and more like a lifes mission. And by all accounts, its a mission principal weeden has executed with constant competence, total professionalism and the utmost great. If i had to guess, a large share of that grace was spent in 5 00 a. M. Meetings most mornings. Thats typically when she would First Encounter what im sure were the most chipper and alert 16 and 17year olds around. But while the hundreds of pages who have worked, studied and grown under principal weedens watch may not miss their Early Morning math class, they sure will miss her. They left with lasting memories of her compassion. Among recent graduates of the page program, some of whom ive been proud to sponsor through my own office, the conclusion is clear, principal weeden is simply the best. They remember the way she would make time for weekly oneonone meetings to check up on their progress and talk about their future goals. They remember the way she radiated excitement, leading the school in assembling care packages for Service Members deployed overseas. They remember her reassuring words and for helping them put the daily stresses of high school in perspective. Inevitably, after 26 years, principal weedens legacy is counted in the flood of letters sharing stories like these following the news of her retirement. But its also measured in her commitment to transform the page scool as a topnotch academic institution. Thanks to her nononsense leadership its rigors earned the respect of prestigious universities and that it continues to attract talented and passionate educators to carry on in her example. Unsurprisingly the colleagues and faculty whom ms. Weeden has mentored and supervised is no less enthusiastic in her praise than her former students. Talking to them about their departing boss, you hear words like discipline, nurturing, and patriotic. Youre painted a picture that looks Something Like a mother superior, a nononsense administrator, an exacting leader, and a true friend all in one. Being entrusted with the care, feeding, education, and maturation of so many young men and women over so many years would be an accomplishment no matter where principal weeden had worked. But to do all that at the Senate Page School means something even more. To a special degree, her legacy will have helped form and saipped shaped americas civic future for the better. Because she gave of herself so generously to a special class of young people, those who are so interested in our american government, they just had to come see it firsthand, so today the senate celebrates this outstanding legacy and warmly congratulates principal weeden on such a tremendous accomplishment. We thank her for all she has done and we wish her nothing but happiness in the years that lie ahead. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer madam president. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer are we in a quorum . The presiding officer we are. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, madam president , the senate has just a few more days this week to pass legislation who lift the budget caps and extend the debt ceiling before the summer state work period. As the minority leader, i dont have control over the schedule here on the floor, much to my dismay. So im left to ask my friend, the majority leader, who does control the floor schedule why dont we vote on the caps deal today . The four congressional leaders and the white house reached an agreement two weeks ago. The president supports it. The house has already passed it. Secretary mnuchin has said we needed this legislation urgently, before the state work period, because he cant guarantee we wont hit the debt ceiling before congress reconvenes. The majority leader spoke about the importance of moving the budget agreement back in mid may. Now the clock is ticking. So id like to make clear to the leader and all of my friends on the other side of the aisle, as well as all americans, democrats are ready to vote on the house bill today so it can get to the president s desk and we can avoid even a glimmer of default. On another matter, last week, former special counsel mueller testified that russian interference in our democracy, quote, wasnt a single attempt. Theyre doing it as we sit here, and they expect to do it in the next campaign. The russians, he said, interfered in the last election and are trying to interfere again. Quote, he said much more needs to be done, said mueller, in order to protect against these intrusions, not just by the russians but by others as well. And it was not just mueller who said these things or agreed with these ideas and sentiments. F. B. I. Director wray, appointed by President Trump, has shared similar sentiments. Departing d. N. I. Director coats, lifelong republican, former member of this body, well respected by all, and appointed by President Trump, has repeatedly warned about the threat posed by russia. The Senate Intelligence committee, chaired by a republican, senator burr, did the same. It is with these facts as the backdrop, the testimony of prominent republicans, allies of President Trump, friends and allies of our colleagues here that democrats have been pushing for Election Security. So far, to little avail. Leader mcconnell and the republican majority have not allowed a single Election Security bill to reach the floor of the senate. We havent had a single bill open for amendment all year, so last week, understandably frustrated at the lack of progress, democrats asked unanimous consent to pass house legislation to safeguard our elections. Leader mcconnell blocked that request, saying yesterday, quote, im not going to let democrats and their water carriers in the media use russias attack on our democracy as a trojan horse for a partisan wish list of items. Partisan wish list of items . Really. What are these items on our partisan wish list, you might ask . Using paper ballots, thats partisan . Using paper ballots is widely agreed upon as a reform to protection our elections from manipulation. Does leader mcconnell object to paper ballots . Does leader mcconnell believe paper ballots are partisan . Theyre part of our elections, whoever wins. How about this one . We wanted postelection audits to make sure the russians or any other foreign power didnt interfere. Does leader mcconnell object to auditing our elections to make sure the outcomes are accurate . Are election audits partisan . Making sure the states and localities have adequate resources to update and maintain election infrastructure. Does leader mcconnell oppose that . 21 attorneys general have said they dont have enough money now to guard their election processes and machines from manipulation by russia or others. So thats, quote, our partisan wish list paper ballots, election audits, money to protect us from the russians. If leader Mcconnell Opposes these policies, fine, but let him say so. These are not, i repeat, protecting our election from russian interference is not a democratic issue, a republican issue, an independent issue. Its not a liberal issue. Its not a conservative issue. Its not a moderate issue. Its an issue that goes to the wellspring of our democracy, something the Founding Fathers warned about. Foreign interference. James madison, thomas jefferson, george washington, benjamin franklin, all were worried about foreign interference in our elections, and now leader mcconnell calls that partisan to worry about it . Please. If leader mcconnell wants to have other legislation than we proposed and that that passed the house, legislation like the fire act or the duty to report act or the prevention of foreign interference with elections act, bring it on, lets do it. If leader mcconnell wants to address Election Security in the appropriations process, we would welcome his support on an amendment to send more funding to the states. We want to get something done on Election Security because this is not, is not about party. This is a matter of National Security. This is about the sanctity of elections, something americans have died for for generations. Its not partisan at all. Its the wellspring of our democracy. But so long as the Senate Republicans prevent legislation from reaching the floor, so long as they oppose additional appropriations to the states, so long as they malign Election Security provisions as, quote, partisan wish lists, the critics are ripe to say leader mcconnell and republican senators are blocking Election Security, because at the moment, thats true. One last subject. After i conclude my remarks, ill yield to my friend, colleague, former roommate from illinois, who will ask this body to take up and pass what i believe is a very important measure temporary protected status for venezuelans currently residing in the United States. Last week, the house passed Bipartisan Legislation that would grant these protections, a lifeline to families who are facing a forced return to unstable and dangerous situations in their country. Few nations outside wartime have endured the economic, humanitarian, and political devastation that venezuela endures today. Hospitals and pharmacies lack basic medicines. The rate of Violent Crime has risen sharply. 300,000 children are at risk of dying from malnutrition. Venezuela clearly needs the standard for temporary protected status. The situation is too dire, too dangerous for venezuelan nationals to return to the country. So im glad the house has taken action to pass these temporary protections on a bipartisan basis, and the senate should do the following. The president could have acted on his own to help venezuelans live in america, but he has repeatedly denied congressional requests to extend t. P. S. Relief for them during this critical time of transition from the despotic regime of nicolas maduro. President trumps inaction has compelled congress to act. So i salute my friend, senator durbin, as well as senator menendez, our two leaders on this issue. As they ask the senate to take up the housepassed t. P. S. Bill. I hope earnestly that our friends on the other side will let it go through. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum for a moment so i might confer with my friend from illinois. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Durbin madam president. The presiding officer the senator from illinois. Mr. Durbin i ask the quorum call be suspended. The presiding officer without objection. Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, michael t. Liburdi of arizona to be United States district judge for the district of arizona. The presiding officer the senator from illinois. Mr. Durbin thank you, madam president. I want to thank the leader, senator schumer, from new york for his introduction of the remarks i am about to make, but before i do, let me preface it by saying i couldnt agree with him more. When you take a look at this empty Senate Chamber and realize we are in session this week, with the possibility of bringing important legislation to the floor, you have to ask the obvious question where is everybody . Why arent we acting like a senate . Why are we meeting and having speeches instead of debate on important legislation . And what could be more important than the security of an election . We have a lot of young people across america, we say to them register to vote. Your vote makes a difference. You get to choose the leaders for this countrys future. Be sure and vote. But weve