Vote vote the presiding officer are there any other senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change their vote . If not, the yeas are 47, the nays are 44. The motion is agreed to. Cloture having been invoked, the senate will resume executive session to consider the vought nomination. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for arkansas. Mr. Cotton whats happening at this moment in hong kong is a tragedy, a crime, and an affront to the civilized world. In a year in which so much has happened we may look back in the near future and view this moment in hong kong as the single biggest moment of the year. The presiding officer will the senator suspend. The senate will be in order. Members take their conversations off the floor. The senator for arkansas. Mr. Cotton mr. President , whats happening in hong kong right now is a tragedy, as it crime, its an affront to the civilized world. In an eventful year with so much happening every single day, we may look back in the near future and say this moment in hong kong was the most important event of the year. Its not getting enough attention because the Chinese Communist party is using the pandemic as a cover for its crime. Under the cover of night they have enacted a security law that threatens to sweep aside the traditions and freedoms that made that city such a special place. While the Chinese Communist party hasnt yet rolled in the tanks as it did in tiananmen square, the effects of this law are no less chilling to democracy. The security law imposes broad prohibitions on what it calls subversive activities. What kind of activities . Activities like waving flags or chanting a slogan like hong kong independence or hong konger build a nation. In other words, the security law criminalizes basic elements of peaceful protests and Democratic Change that hong kongers have used for years, and that set them apart from their fellow citizens on the mainland. The new law also erodes the rights of the accused that are essential for a fair legal system. The Chinese Communist party isnt interested in rights or fairness. Its interested in control, total control and this law exerts total control over the people of hong kong. Under the new law protesters accused of crimes like separatism or collusion can be smuggled away to Mainland China to be tried in communist courts. These socalled crimes dont even have to be committed in hong kong in order to be punished. Expatriots could be accused living overseas or here in america. Simply meeting with a United States senator like me or senator mcconnell or senator schumer or senator van hollen could hand a hong konger in prison for a lifetime. The Chinese Communist party thus extends its iron rule beyond its own shores to our free soil. Those convicted under the new law could face life in prisonment alongside many of the uighurs and other persecuted individuals from the Chinese Communist party has already disappeared. Indeed the crackdown is under way. The Chinese Communist agents in hong kong rounded up 300 protesters this week for what it called unlawful assembly. Some of the protesters were arrested under the supposed authority of the new security law. Their fate at this moment is unknown. The takeover of hong kong may seem like an event far away especially when we have so many problems here at home but the same could have been said after the Second World War when stal aind the soviet secret police dropped an iron curtain over eastern europe. Czechoslovakia and poland are far away but the oppression showed the world what was at stake between freedom and communism. We face the same sort of titanic struggle today and its not limited to hong kong. All across the periphery, the Chinese Communist party is acting aggressively. Its essentially invaded india and killed 20 indian soldiers. In the South China Sea, it is attacked or otherwise threatened develops from vietnam, malaysia and the philippines has increasingly encroached on taiwanese and japanese airspace. But in hong kong the security law proves most clearly that the Chinese Communist party will not abide by its commitments whether to its own people or to foreign nations. There was actions this week beijing effectively torn up the joint declaration it made with britain to govern the peaceful handover of hong kong as cynically as china has broken its commitment to the United States, to the world health organization, the World Trade Organization and others. And and, of course, this law exposes the hideous nature of communism which is so paranoid and insecure it cant tolerate even a tiny outpost of freedom within its borders. No wonder, freedom is an attractive, precious, and contagious thing. The way of life enjoyed by the citizens of hong kong could give the wrong ideas to the one billion chinese yearning for freedom elsewhere in the country. And nothing could be more threatening to the Chinese Communist partys rule. So now the partys begun the takeover that hong kongers have long feared. Those of us with freedom to speak and act on their behalf must do so now as one of the great citadels of asia slips into the totalitarian darkness. While dark days may lay ahead for hong kong, one day the future will return a sunny highlands of freedom to that small citadel. Mr. President , i yield the floor. Mr. Sullivan mr. President. The presiding officer the senator for alaska. Mr. Sullivan mr. President , thank you. And im here to come to the floor to talk about one of the favorite things i get to do all week, and thats talk about some alaskans who will making a difference, what we call our alaska indian of the alaskan of the week. And it means i get to speak about my state. Usually an individual, maybe a couple of people. But every now and then, mr. President , i like to mix things up, keep people on high alert because the people im going to talk about in alaska are the ultimate people, americans on high alert. So as opposed to recognizing one or two, im going to recognize a bunch of alaskans, an Impressive Group who work day and night not only to keep alaska safe but to keep america safe. And theyll be doing it this weekend, fourth of july, 247, seven days a week, 365 days a year, always on high alert. Mr. President , as were heading into the fourth of july weekend and russia is once again in the news and weve been debating the National Defense authorization act here on the senate floor, very critical bill im fully supportive of that funds our military, pay raises for our troops, i thought it would be very appropriate to highlight the hundreds of men and women in my state who stand watch and patrol the Northern Skies of alaska and america to protect our nation. They are unsung heroes. You dont hear a lot about them in the news, but we certainly appreciate them and i think all senators and all americans do, which is why i want to talk about them today. These brave Service Members who fly and maintain our f22 raptors, this amazing Stealth Fighter, our e3 centuries, which are known as awax which is known as the quarterback in sky as quarterback, our alaska guard kc135, our brave Alaska Rescue Coordination Center who operate hh66 pave hawk helicopters and h130 Hercules Aircraft should we need a search and rescue members. And our active duty guardsmen who maintain and monitor threats from other countries, for our country particularly threats coming from russia. These brave men and women, mr. President , hundreds of them, are keeping guard day and night over the Northern Skies of america. And when the russians fly their bear bombers and fighter jets into or near american airspace, these intrepid americans are on duty to ensure that our f22s are there to intercept and greet the russian pilots and their aircraft who threaten to move into our air Defense Identification Zone adi discharges as we call it. So they are there waiting, intercepting. Intercepting russian bombers. These airmen keep us all safe. And as i mentioned, mr. President , they are all worthy of the great title alaskans of the week. Now, mr. President , before i get into exactly what these men and women do to guard our nation and they do it round the clock, doing it right now, by the way; theyre going to be doing on the 4 Homeland Security of july, by the way id like to talk a little bit about russia and our close geography. There are actually places in alaska where you really can see russia from your house. Russia and alaska are divided by the Bering Strait, which is about 55 miles at its narrowest point. In the middle of the Bering Strait sit two islands big diamide, which is actually russian territory, and little diamide, which is part of alaska, part of america. They are less than two and a half miles apart from each other. Nearly touching. In the words of a New York Times reporter,it is the place where the quote, two great continental powers reaches across the map and all but touch, like the outstretched figures in michelangelos creation of adam. A little dramatic, but you get the point. Little diamede and little diameed. Now during the cold washings the alaska siberia frontier was called not the iron curtain by the ice curtain. Which we needed to stay closed. Much preparation was put into keeping russia from invading or infiltrating the United States from its northern flank, from the arctic, from alaska. In the early cold war years, our government recruited and trained fishermen, busch pilots, trappers and many, many in our patriotic native alaskan communities to stand guard for america during the cold war. And so many alaskans did this. For decades, patriotic duty guarding the northern flank of our great nation. There were the great eskimo scouts of the Alaska National guard who knew the land better than anyone else could and so patriotic for their love of this nation. Its still unclear how Many Russians were able to get to our lands, but storeries do abound stories do abound. Stories abound in alaska. Strangers speaking russian, showing up in communities unannounced. Five men emerging from the water in wetsuits over olivedrab uniforms, the color of the soviet special forces. Go to any one of our native american alaskan communities, and today youll still hear such stories. But something that is very clear and very wellknown is that between 1961, the United States military intercepted thousands of longrange soviet bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft when they were moving into american airspace. We used our aircraft back then, the f101, f102, f15s, and f16s. Our aircraft were superior to the russians and that was one of the reasons we won the cold war. But, mr. President , this is still going on today. Its still a threat. The russians continue to flex their military muscle from ukraine to siberia and have added some new blackjack bomb others to the mix and their su35 fighters, and they still come close to american airspace via flights near alaska, and thats where our f22s and those who support them come in. Mr. Sullivan just in the last six months, our alaskan f22s, shown here, mr. President , have intercepted ten russian bear bombers. So were starting to see cold war levels of intrusions into american airspace and, of course, our patriotic men and women young men and women by the way flying these great aircraft going after these big bear bombers, ten Missions Already and its just july 2. So what are they up to . The air force general tear rein oshawn necessaricy who commands norad linked up the pickup and uptick in Russian Military flights off alaskas coast to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and russias testing of our military readiness. Theyre testing us, mr. President , but we are ready for them. In essence, thats what weve been doing all week debating, getting ready to vote on for final passage the National Defense authorization act, which is all about our militarys readiness. And again in alaska 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, our brave men and women are guarding the northern flank of america. This is how Lieutenant Colonel david detulla, commanderrer of the 425th fighter squadron, the bulldogs, describes it. Quote, the russians will fly their bombers and fighters across the Bering Strait and they will test our airspace. They will try to see if they can come into american airspace. And if they were going to get into it, we are going to every time, before they get there, respectfully say, hello . Were here and were flying with live ammunition. He said the goals is to make sure that the russians know they are there to protect our nation. And try to deescalate. By the way, colonel detulla is a former air force fellow in my office and a great air force leader, just like his dad. As an aside, pilots in the military have what are called call signs, which are essentially their pilot nicknames. As a map, i know many pilots by their call signs. Lieutenant colonel detullas call sign is ghost. Maybe thats because he is a Stealth Fighter pilot able to sneak up on bear bombers like this without being seen and even heard. But ive also heard maybe its because when its time to pay the tab at the bar, he doesnt seem to be around. Thats just kidding there, concerns detulla, ghost. I cant think of a better call sign for an f22 Stealth Fighter pilot in alaska. And we are very, very proud of ghost in the Sullivan Senate office. So, mr. President , heres how it works. Heres what these brave young men and women in the u. S. Air force do to protect our nation. We have 15 longrange radar sites across the great state of alaska. Constantly feeding information to the 176th air Defense Squadron who analyze that information. By the way, i have the honor and pleasure next week of hosting the secretary of the air force in alaska. And she will be able to see our great military members, and we will go out and actually see some of these radar sites. When our military noticed troublesome activity, they send out a bonerattling alarm, whats called the clacksum to the alert cell. This is a group of pilots and maintainers who are always ready theyre like firemen, they literally have a pole where they come down, scramble to get to their aircraft, what they call a hotcocked armed f22 at the ready. As these pilots literally race to their jets, so, too, does the air crew of the awacs, the longrange eyes and ears for the f22s and they launch very quickly. Simultaneously this is taking place at jbear at anchorage. About 135 miles northern at another air force in anchorage, a unit of the Alaska National guard launches the kc135 tankers to meet the f2 2s as theyre going to intercept the russians to be able to top off the fuel tanks when theyre in the air and then refuel them on the way back. All part of one big mission. Thats what theyre doing. All told, mr. President , there are hundreds of alaskans in the air, on the ground, involved in operations like this every single time it happens. And as i mentioned, its happening a lot twice a month in the last half year. Patriotic young men and women always prepared to defend our country in the sky 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So one thing i wanted to do for this alaskan of the week, mr. President , is remind americans when theyre celebrating the 4th of july, which is a great thing to do, remember these dedicated warriors will be onguard protecting our nation. When youre barbecuing, celebrating america, think about with what theyre doing. If you see a video of the f22s flying, it is impressive. But we also have to remember that there are real pilots in those planes, and this mission look how close they are can be very dangerous. Think of this. Just give a sense of all this works. It is the middle of the night. The clackson goes off. It is winter in alaska, dark, 20 below zero. A pilot hustles to her airplane yes, her. We have f22 female pilots. One call sign contra, who we were just discussing what a great job she does in my office recently. She gets in the aircraft, flies nearly 600 miles. Sometimes certainly faster than the speed of sound to reach the rough bering sea to intercept a russian bear bomber like this in the middle of the night. Probably had to refuel on the way there. Sometimes russian pilots can get aggressive. According to ghost, we do not respond aggressively in turn. We are respectful. We are tough. We are professional. The russians know it and the russians know that theyre up against the best air force in the world. Armed and ready, and so the russians usually behave. But this can be a stressful mission. And as i mention. , its happened 12 ten times already in the last six months. But its so critical for our nation. So many Young Alaskans are involved in this. Mr. President , our men and women in the military represent the very best of this country. Brave, strong, committed, devoted to our country, devoted to democracy, devoted to the republic. Thats why what weve been doing all week and when we come back from our 4th of july work period, well be continuing to work on and pass the National Defense authorization act. For them. And on this 4th of july holiday, as i mentioned, i hope we can take the time to thank them and to remember those who have served before, knowing that when youre spending time with friends and family this holiday, dozens of