Eastern, former president and presumptive nominee donald trump will speak before the delegates. Sunday, the Party Announces its president ial nominee for the president ial election. The Libertarian NationalConvention Live at cspan, cspan our mobile video app and online at cspan. Org. On this wednesday morning we take you live now to the u. S. Senate where today lawmakers will consider a pair of judicial nominations including a vote on the Biden Administrations 200th confirmation to the court and later senators will vote on nom fee to be the undersecretary of the air force. Live coverage here on cspan2. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain dr. Barry black will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Eternal god, this day we give you our lives, for without you we are like dust in the wind. Shield us from disgrace, as you surround us with your protection, mercy, and love. Remind us that disgrace comes to those who seek to deceive others. Lord, sustain our lawmakers. Show them the right plans, point them to the right path, and lead them to the right destination. Continue to keep them from stumbling or slipping, so that one day they will stand in your presence with great joy. We pray in your sovereign name. Amen. The presiding officer please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. 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 clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington d. C. , may 22, 2024. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable peter welch, a senator from the state of vermont, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed patty murray, president pro tempore. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserve. Mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Schumer i understand that there is a bill at the desk due for a second reading. The presiding officer the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. The clerk s. 4381, a bill to protect an individuals ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a Health Care Providers ability to provide contra contraceptives, contraception and information relating to contraception. Mr. Schumer in order to place the billing on the calendar under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceeding. The presiding officer objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to calendar number 397, s. 4361. The presiding officer the clerk will record will report. The clerk motion to proceed to 397, s. 4361, a bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for Border Security and combating fentanyl for the fiscal year ending september 30, 20 24shgs and for other purposes. Mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Schumer mr. President , id like to begin with a few words about Donald Trumps dangerous post last night on truth social. What donald trump said falsely suggesting his political opponents are out to kill him is beyond the pale and is the stuff that leads to Political Violence. Donald trump seems to have no consideration for the sanctity and peacefulness and further functioning of our democracy. Everyone who was here on january 6 should immediately see what hes doing, what donald trump is doing, using conspiracy theories to spin the hard right into a fr frenzy, and its despicable for members of congress to spread Donald Trumps lies. This is how people get killed, how the seeds of Political Violence are sowed, and how people lose faith in this democracy. Donald trump has no regard for that. He would he would basically rip up parts of our democracy for his own what he thinks is his own personal gain. Lets speak truthfully what the fbi did was follow standard practice. They worked with the secret service at maralago ahead of time to coordinate how to carry out a search warrant. Donald trump wasnt even in florida, but instead in new jersey on the day of the search. So, this idea that his political opponents are out to kill him is ab absurd. Every Single Member of the house and senate, democrat and republican, should condemn Donald Trumps outlandish and dangerous statement. It should be the easiest thing they do today. If words like Donald Trumps were if words like Donald Trumps are not fiercely condemned, were only begging for something far worse to our democracy down the line. We cannot let this man, donald trump, or anybody else, throw these kinds of matches to light flames that could burn our democracy. Its just horrible. I cant believe that someone would do Something Like that. Now, on judges, a much better note, mr. President , today the senate reached a significant mile milestone, 200 judges sorry, today the Senate Reaches a significant milestone, 200 judges confirmed to Lifetime Appointments under President Biden, and this very proud democratic majority. 200 judges who are restoring balance and excellence to our courts. 200 judges who are increasing the diversity and dynamism of our judiciary. 200 judges who are committed to applying the law fairly, impartially, equally. Of those 200 judges, im so proud 127 are women, 125 are people of color, both traditionally underrepresented demographics on the bench. Were making our courts look more like america. Its not just going to be partners, male, white partners in fancy law firms. Its much more diverse, and the bench is better for it. Its something we can all be proud of. 127 women, 125 people of color, over twice as many women, more than three times as many people of color confirmed under the last administration. Weve confirmed more black judges, more latino judges, more Asian American judges. We confirmed the first Muslim American man and woman on the bench, the first 1 2a hoe federal navaho federal judge, the first black woman on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji brown jackson. We confirmed more judges who served as public defenders, civil rights lawyers, consumer lawyers, immigration and labor lawyers. Again, not just partners in big law firms. Weve confirmed more judges, in other words, who embody the very ideal of america. A place where rule of law is protected, where the rights of all are honored, and where everyone, everyone gets a fair shake. I commend chairman durbin. I commend the Judiciary Committee for their great work processing judges in and out of our committee. I commend President Biden for nominating so many of these people and working with our Senate Colleagues as to who would be best from their states and regions. Senate democrats are very proud of our record. Were proud of our judges, and we will keep going. On the border, well, mr. President , tomorrow senators face an important decision will both sides come together to advance a bipartisan Border Security bill, or will partisanship get in the way yet again . Three months ago, donald trump told his republican allies to block the strongest bipartisan Border Security bill congress has seen in a generation. Luckily, we are trying again tomorrow. And i hope this time republicans join us to achieve a different outcome. The only way, the only way were going to fix the border is through bipartisan legislation, just like the one both sides spent months negotiating a few months ago, which were taking up again tomorrow. We dont expect every democrat or every republican to support this bill. It wasnt designed that way. It wasnt designed to get all the votes of one party, which then almost inevitably means you get none of the votes from the other side. It was intended to be a compromise that could pass and become law. We know there are disagreements, as there always are, about the best way to proceed on the border, but thats precisely why ive emphasized from day one we need to have Strong Border support if we hope to get border done. Unlike h. R. 2, a very partisan bill, the bipartisan border bill was written with the goal of getting 60 votes in the senate, with the support from both republicans and demes democrats. It had input from both republicans and democrats. H. R. 2 cant claim that. If anything is political, its h. R. 2. It didnt receive a single democratic vote in the senate, because democrats werent consulted. It didnt even get the full support of Senate Republicans. H. R. 2 was the definition of political theater, of one side sitting in a room by itself, writing what it wanted, not even thinking of how you pass a bill. Our bill, however, is what a serious attempt at border reform looks like. Now, most people might not remember, but a few months ago there was a lot of bipartisan interest in getting our border bill passed, before donald trump killed it in its tracks. Our republican colleagues, including the republican leader, was adamant we needed to get Border Security done as part of the National Security supplemental. This is what the republican leader said right before our bill was released i think this is the ideal time to do it. He then added, leader mcconnell added, this is a unique opportunity where divided government has given us an opportunity to get an outcome. These arent the words of someone who thinks our efforts were political theater. These are the words of someone who thinks we were close to reaching a breakthrough. He wasnt alone. My friend from South Carolina also said that, that to those who think that if President Trump wins that we can get a better deal, you wont, he a added, this moment will pass, do not let it pass. Republican senator from South Carolina. So lets be perfectly clear, our bipartisan border bill represented a real chance, in fact, the best chance in decades to act on Border Security, to make a law, not just to make a political point. Importantly, the bill would have made huge strides cracking down on the scourge of fentanyl, given billions for dea, dhs to hire officers to focus exclusively on drugs, and billions for stateoftheart equipment to detect the flow of drugs at border crossings and ports, and some of my democratic colleagues will be talking about that at 12 30, at an event, how this bill really does more than anything we have done thus far, and weve worked hard on it, to deal with the scourge of fentanyl. So today my democratic colleagues will shine a spotlight on the immense good this bill would do to protect our country from the free flow of this dangerous drug, fentanyl. If you told me a year ago that this was the kind of bill we had before us, i would have been certain republicans would have helped enact this bill into law, by any objective measure its strong, necessary. And one final note the last time we came close here was 2013, when we passed comprehensive immigration reform. We did it bipartisan. It was the only way to do it. I, and my late friend, good friend, john mccain, had a gang of eight, four democrats, four republicans. We got, i believe it was, 69 votes on the floor of the senate. Unfortunately, the house didnt pass it. Its a lesson to all of us, bipartisanship is the only way to go. H. R. 2 is not the least bill bipartisan. Our bill was completely bipartisan. So tomorrow were going to lay out a clear choice. Tomorrow, we will see who is serious about actually wanting to fix the border and who prefers to merely talk about fixing the border. Now, on the farm bill, tomorrow House Republicans will mark up their partisan farm bill that fr frankly completely misses the mark. The farm bill should support the farmers who grow our food. It should protect our land and invest in jobs for Rural Communities big and small to rebuild their economies. The farm bill should provide lifesaving lunger assistance for the millions hunger assistance for the millions of americans who rely on programs like snap and extend snap benefits to our friends in puerto rico, whove been excluded from this program for decades. And it will expand it to them. Its sad to see that rather than working together to get a serious farm bill passed, House Republicans are playing games and pushing a onesided insufficient partisan bill. Senate democrats, on the other hand, have released a farm bill proposal that maintains a Bipartisan Coalition and invests in all of the areas i mentioned, so i commend chair stabenow for her work. Let me be clear a purely partisan farm bill that departs from the longstanding spirit of bipartisanship has no future in the senate, and unfortunately i might add it seems to be where this Republican House leadership and party always goes, they always retreat to a corner of bipartisanship. Theyre not interested in improving the liechls of the American People in the lives of American People, but scoring political points to a narrow point back home, the maga group that has such power in the party. I hope that doesnt happen on the farm bill. Its always been bipartisanship. House republicans, come on. Wake up. You want to help our farmers . Work together with democrats and pass a bipartisanship bill. Contraceptives yesterday, we began the process for the senate to consider the right to contraception act, led by senators markey and hirono in june. Now more than ever, contraception is a critical piece of protecting womens reproductive freedoms, standing is nothing as nothing short of a vital lifeline for millions of american women across the country. Senate democrats are committed to restoring womens freedoms and will fight to protect access to contraception and other reproductsive freedoms that are essential safeguards for millions of women to control their own lives, their futures, and their bodies. I yield the floor, note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the clerk ms. Baldwin. Quorum call mr. Mcconnell mr. President , i ask that the quorum call ab dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Mcconnell last week i guess days after president or ban rolled out the red carpet in budapest for president xi, the chinese dictator rolled out a red carpet in beijing for vladimir putin. The friendship without limits struck between americas greatest strategic adversaries will now endure, quote, for general rapingses to come, end quote. For generations to come, end quote. And it appears to be rooted in a shared myth about the nature of world conflicts and a victim complex that would be laughable if it didnt carry such grave consequences for western peace and security. At last weeks summit, russia and china together accused the United States of threatening the worlds strategic balance, a if its washington rather than beijing or moscow trying to redraw borders by force or to disrupt global order. Well, if youre looking for the government that has doubled its Nuclear Arsenal in three years, youll find it in beijing, not washington. In fact, americas own Strategic Deterrence continues to suffer from chronic neglect. And the Biden Administration continues to submit Defense Budgets that fail to keep up with inflation, much less with the growing threat posed by the prc. And if youre looking for the regime recklessly developing an insanely provocative and destabilizing Nuclear Weapon to deploy in space, youll find that one in moscow. The worlds leading authoritarians never seem to let the facts get in the way. But economic and military realities matter enormously to the future of fledgling democracies and developing nations who are vulnerable to their economic concern coercion and thuggish political intimidation. The challenge to western peace and security is not confined to the taiwan straits and the trenches of ukraine. Chinese deathtraps and Russian Security forces are expanding maligned influence from Central America central asia to africa and to our own western hemisphere. Russias efforts to strangle democracy and wrestle free societies back under its control are perhaps most glaring along the borders of europe. After the collapse of the soviet union, the unshackled nations have largely chosen freedom and workeded to build democratic governments and societies oriented squarely to the west. The neosoviet imperialists in the kremlin see that as a threat. Leaders in washington are prone to forget how fragile our own experiment in democracy was during the earliest days and how precious are the safeguards or founders enshrined in our government to protect the minority from the excess of authoritarianism of majority rule. Sometimes, of course, politicians in washington even flirt with the idea of tearing down these safeguards of democracy to deny the minority any meaningful power. Fortunately, theres still a bipartisan firewall in the senate against this sort of shortsighted radicalism. But for nations vulnerable democracies, such safeguards face threats and in georgia a parli