To limit debate on the nomination of judy shelton for Federal Reserve board. Three republican senators have announced opposition to her confirmation, and the vote is expected to be tonight. That vote is scheduled for 2 15 eastern time when senators return frotheir weekly party meetgs. The chaplain let us pray. Mighty god, help our lawmakers to not put their complete trust in mere humans who are as frail as each breath. Instead, give them the wisdom to totally trust you to guide them in doing what is best for our nation and world. Lord, remind them that eventually all will be well for those who pursue godliness, and that you reward those who diligently seek you. May they remember that you will judge their work and reward their faithfulness, for they are accountable to you. Inspire them to continue to plant and water the seeds of peace, knowing that a bountiful harvest will surely come. Keep their motives pure as they seek to glorify you. We pray in your merciful name. Amen. The presiding officer 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 g, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presidinofficer the clerk will read a mmunication the clerk washington d. C. , november 17, 2020. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorae cindy hydesmith, a setor from the state ofississippi, to pform the duties of the chair. Signed chuck grassley, president pro tempore. Mr. Mcconnl madam president . The presidg officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell there is significant outstanding business that Congress Needs to complete before the end of the year. My republican colleagues and i have stated over and over that we still want to pass more Coronavirus Relief for the american people. Senate republicans have voted multiple times to send hundreds of billions of dollars to schools, Small Businesses, health care, and laidoff workers. If Speaker Pelosi and leader schumer had not made the calculation to block it, that money could have been out the door many weeks ago. Instead, our democratic colleagues have spent months, literally months holding all of that urgent help hostage over unrelated leftwing wishlist items. Their socalled heroes proposal is so unrealistic that and poorly targeted that Speaker Pelosis own moderate democrats ridiculed the bill the instant she put it out and said it will never become law. It includes things like a massive tax cut for wealthy people in blue states and huge sums of money for state and city governments with no linkage to demonstrated covid needs. Some blue states including new york and california have actually seen higher state Tax Income Tax revenues this autumn than they saw during the same months last year. In part because they are taxing a chunk out of vulnerability peoples Unemployment Benefits. Theyre receiving more tax revenue now than they did in 2019. Some of these blue states are receiving more revenue now than they did in 2019. But alas, democrats still want Coronavirus Relief for the entire country held hostage over a massive slush fund for their own use. Well, even if our democratic colleague continue to block any bipartisan pandemic relief from becoming law, there are other responsibilities we still need to tackle together. The federal government is currently funded through december 11. The next few days will tell us a lot about whether congress can pull off the bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process that i believe both sides would like to deliver. Last week our colleagues on the Senate Appropriations committee released all 12 bills for fiscal year 2021. The bills would fully fund all kinds of crucial priorities from securing our border to caring for our veterans, to supporting Public Health at this particularly critical time. What needs to happen now is quite simple. Our colleagues on the committee and their counterparts in the house need to continue their bicameral discussions and settle on topline dollar amounts for each separate bill. I hope theyll be able to reach this broad agreement by the end of this very week. That would help keep us on a course to deliver fully fullyear funding legislation that helps all agencies plan and get ahead of the curve by the december deadline. For nearly two years we avoided the drama that had become a washington routine and funded our government on a bipartisan basis. Last august we passed a twoyear bipartisan Funding Agreement that let our committees do their work, even amid this divided government. When both sides have honored the agreement, chairman shelby has been able to deliver fullyear bills without drama. I hope we can replicate that successful pattern this year. Congress should also reach a bipartisan, bicameral compromise on the National Defense authorization act and pass a conference report before the end of the year. Our men and women in uniform need every tool and resource to confront the great power competitors, rogue states, and terrorists who wish us harm. Congress should be an asset to our own service members, not a liability. This year would make the 60th Consecutive Year congress will have passed an ndaa. This is no time to break that streak and leave our forces in the lurch. Lets get this done and pass a conference report through both chambers this year. Now, on another matter, while our committees are working, the full senate is keeping busy with one of the core Constitutional Responsibilities we have. Continuing to confirm wellqualified men and women to lifetime toiments to the Term Appointments to the federal judiciary. We voted to advance the nomination of Kristi Haskins johnson, the current solicitor general of mississippi with multiple impressive clerkships under her belt to serve as a district judge for the Southern District of mississippi. Shell make history as the first woman to join the bench in that district. This is just the first of several nominations well consider this week. Well also vote on benjamin beason, a kentuckian who has been nominated to be a district judge for the Western District of kentucky. Hes now outstanding choice by President Trump. He receives a first rate education from Kentucky Center college and Columbia Law School where he edited the law review. He slerked on the d. C. Circuit and Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader ginsburg. Since then mr. Beaton has excelled at some of the countrys top law firms. Hes also undertaken a substantial pro bono caseload and shown a dedication to community service. At each step, the nominee has demonstrated a Firm Commitment to the constitution and the rule of law. The American Bar Association has confirmed what kentuckians already knew mr. Beaton is well qualified to serve as a district judge. Last month our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced this brilliant nominee with no members voting in opposition. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him later today and our other impressive nominees this week. Now, this weeks nominees are only the latest example of the incredible qualifications that have characterized President Trumps nominees. Take the metric. That our democratic colleagues have called the Gold Standard. The ratings of the left leaning American Bar Association. As of a few months ago, across all the people that President Trump had nominated to the Federal District courts, 68. 8 had earned the a. B. A. s top rating, top rating of well qualified. If you look back over the last seven president ial administrations, only one, bush 43, has managed to post a higher average rating for judicial nominations. Even then it was only higher by just a hair, just a hair. Even the democrats own proposed Gold Standard destroys the talking point that President Trumps nominees have been less thoroughly qualified. Its just not factual and not true. Earlier this year looking at clerkships and professional experience, one liberal commentator admitted that, quote, the average trump appointee has far more impressive resumes than any past president s nominees. Let me say that again. This is a liberal commentator who follows these things admitted that, quote, the average trump appointee has a far more impressive respec resun any past president s nominees. So its pretty hard to argue, madam president , that these havent been extraordinary additions to our federal courts. This is a tremendous accomplishment. These are judges who will serve our nation honorably for generations to come. Our colleagues here in the senate should be rightly proud to have confirmed them. Were going to continue doing just that. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the beaton nomination be waived. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Mcconnell i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the erk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer madam president. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer ask unanimous consent the quoru be dispensed with. The esiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, before i begin, mad president , i want to remind senators to wear a mask as much as psible on the flr. I personally take my mask off when im addressing the chair, so long as other senators and staff are not nearby. Otherwise, a mask should be worn at all times on the floor. This is not only for the safety of other senators. This is for the safety of our staffs, everyone who works here on the floor, and everyone who works here in this building. As well as setting the right example for the american people. Now, on judy shelton. Today the senate will vote on a on the nomination of judy shelton to serve as a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve. Miss shelton is without a doubt one of the most unqualified nominees i have ever seen for our nations central bank. When her nomination first came before the Senate Banking committee, a former republican aide to a senator on the Banking Committee said that she was so unqualified and so far out of the mainstream that the, quote, idea of even calling miss something was beyond the pale. Thats a former republican aide saying miss shelton wasnt qualified to be a witness in a Committee Hearing let alone a nominee to the Federal Reserve board of governors. And its not hard to understand why. For years, miss shelton has advocated for the resurrection of the Gold Standard, a longsince discarded policy that in part led to the great depression. She has questioned the independence of the fed. And beyond that has even questioned whether the fed should exist. Miss shelton has also suggested that we put an end to federal deposit insurance, an institution that has protected americans savings since the 1930s. That is why over 130 of the nations top economists, including seven nobel laureates, have opposed her nomination, as have countless alumni of the Federal Reserve board of governors. Miss sheltons views have another strange quality. They seem to change when its politically convenient. When president obama was in office, miss shelton harangued the fed to increase interest rates, despite the economic downturn, but in 2017 when President Trump took office, miss shelton abruptly switched her position and argued that the fed should reduce rates, in her words, as fast, as efficiently, as expeditiously as possible. It may surprise few to learn that she was an advisor to President Trumps 2016 campaign. She has defended his candidacy, his policies, and encouraged world banks to hold International Conferences at maralago. Imagine. A nominee for the Federal Reserve, which is supposed to be an independent body. I have fought both democrats and republicans when they have tried to interfere with the independence of the fed, but miss shelton doesnt seem to care about it at all,o that might be the most concerning thing about her nomination, her stunning lack of independence. The Federal Reserve board must make decisions on an objective Economic Analysis and judgment, not whatever is best for one party or one occupant of the oval office. Thats why terms on the federal board last 14 years. We are supposed to trust Federal Reserve governors to be neutral arbiters, no matter which party is in power in washington. We are supposed to trust that everyone who serves on the fed is first and foremost well qualified and truly independent. But unfortunately, judy shelton is neither. Miss shelton has shown herself to be an economic weather vane, pointing which ever direction she believes the partisan winds are blowing. Every single democrat will oppose her nomination today. I understand a few of our republican colleagues will oppose her nomination as well. The question is will enough of our colleagues on the other side stand up and do the right thing today . Members of this chamber have stood up before to prevent President Trump from putting unqualified partisan advocates on the Federal Reserve. During these final few weeks of the trump presidency, its time to do it again. I plead with my republican colleagues, for the sake of an economy that is hurting from covid, for the sake of our future economy and its growth to reject mission sheltons nomination. On covid, by all rights, the senate should not be spending its time this week on so many nominees, especially such unqualified nominees while covid19 is surging throughout the country. The urgent need for another relief bill has been confronting the senate since march of this year. The republican leader put the senate on pause, as he said, all summer while the virus got worse and worse. And when he finally decided it was time to do another bill, he crafted a partisan, emaciated proposal that fell drastically short of what is needed to address a burgeoning health and economic crisis. Now, president elect biden has urged the senate to pass a comprehensive bill that actually meets the needs of the american people. He pointed to the heroes act, and thats the right focus. We need a comprehensive bill that meets the needs of the american people. But, of course we will want to sit down and negotiate with our republican colleagues. The republican leader should come to the table and negotiate with democrats on a bipartisan covid relief bill with a bipartisan process that addresses all of the challenges we now face. I yield the floor and note the sence of auorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Thune madam preside . The presiding officer the majority whip. Mr. Thune madam president , is the senate in a quorum call . The presiding offic we are. Mr. Thune i would ask unanims consent that the quorum call be lifted. The presiding officer without objectn. Under the prevus ord, the leadership time is rerved. 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 rept. The clerk nomination, the judiciary. Kristi haskins johnson of mississippi to be United States district judge for the Southern District of mississippi. Mr thune madam psident, for the second monday now in a row, weve received tremendous news about the prospects for a Covid Vaccine. Last week pfizer announced that the initial results of its Covid Vaccine showed a greater than 90 rate of effectiveness. Yesterday moderna announced that its vaccine is showing a similarly high effectiveness rate. This success is a tribute to the innovative power of the congrs and the Trump Administration to expedite the development of Covid Vaccines. Operation warp speed has helped Fund Development of modernas sack seen and will help Fund Distribution of both modernas and pfizers products. Whileaccine trials and development continue, so does research into new covid treatments. Drugmaker eli lilly just received emergency use organization in an antibody drug to treat patient with mild or moderate illness. Also filed for an antibody has treatment. There are other trials goi on righ now for Covid Vaccines and therapeutics. Meanwhile, were also strengthening Domestic Production of personal protective equipment for medical workers. And other essential 3m, which manufacture n95 masks upped production. I recently visited