Help them to whisper a prayer for your wisdom. Remind them that you desire that they set their affection on the things above that will live beyond time into eternity. May they not forget that you expect them to be accountable to you, seeking to be responsible stewards of their talents and abilities. Lord, fill them with your spirit so that they will mount up with wings like eagles, running without weariness and walking without fainting. We pray in your strong name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our 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. Mr. Mcconnell madam president . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell last week the senate took Decisive Action to address the Opioid Epidemic by passing the comprehensive addiction and recovery act. Its an important accomplishment for the American People. Its the latest example of a Republican Senate leading on important issues. It also reminds us what can be accomplished when senators focus on issues where they can agree rather than only fighting about issues where they dont grow. Its clear dont agree. Its clear that democrats and republicans do not agree about whether or not the American People should have a voice in the Current Supreme Court vacancy. Republicans know the American People elected a Republican Senate to be a check and balance to president obama. We know the next justice would dramatically change the direction of the court for decades. We think the American People deserve a voice in that conversation. Democrats want him to make this issue on the way out the door. This is one issue we dont agree. Lets keep our focus on the areas where can can find agreem. He ask colleagues to join us and continue to do our work here in the senate. As we do that, the American People can continue to make their voices heard in this Important National conversation. Passing cara was a great example of what can get done when we work constructively towards solutions. This week well have the opportunity to make progress on another issue, including one id like to mention now. Vermont recently passed Food Labeling legislation that according to one study could increase annual food costs by more than a 1,000 per family. These arent just vermont families im talking about. These are families all across our country. The senate will soon consider common sense Bipartisan Legislation that aims to assure decisions in one state or a patchwork of different state laws do not hurt American Families throughout our country, especially at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet already. The goal is to set clear sciencebased standards in order to prevent families from being unfairly heart by a patchwork of conflicting local and state labeling laws passed in states and cities where they dont even live. Id like to recognize the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, senator roberts, for his continuing work on this issue. The Agriculture Committee moved to pass the chairmans mark last week with bipartisan support. Chairman roberts is continuing to work with senator snab now, the Ranking Member and others stabenow, the Ranking Member and others on legislation that we can pass. I would urge members to continue working with him in that endeavor. Lets not forget this may well be our last chance to prevent the actions of one state, just one state, from hurting americans in all the other states. Legislation to address this issue passed the house last summer with bipartisan support, with cooperation from across the aisle we can take action on a bipartisan basis here in the senate as well. One final matter, when president obama was a candidate, he boasted that his energy tax policies would make electricity prices skyrocket for American Families. When president obama took office, his administration declared a war on coal families and their jobs. For a time his administration tried to deny it was declaring a war on anyone, but now we hear boasting from the highest ranks of the Democratic Party that these policies are going to put coal miners out of business. Miners in kentucky and across the country know that coal keeps the lights on and puts food on the table. What they want is to provide for their families, but heres how more democrats seem to view these hardworking americans and their families. Just statistics, just the cost of doing business, just obstacles to their ideology. This is callous. It is wrong. And it underlines the need to stand up for hardworking middle class coal families. Thats what ive done here in the senate and thats what ill continue to do and i would hope our colleagues would join me. Mr. Reid madam president . The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Reid g. M. O. , general neatically mod genetically modified food, thats basically what it is. What we want is to make sure that consumers know whats in their food. They deserve clear standards. They require disclosure of whats in their food, not a voluntary scheme that senator roberts is talking about bringing on the committee. All that does is leave consumers in the dark and thats the wrong way to go. Mr. President , i understand the Republican Leaders concern about coal not being the way it was. Its simply the American People that made a decision that well have to look at another way of producing energy. Theres still a place for coal in our society, but everyone has to acknowledge its not as it was a few years ago. So i wish the republican leader cared more about moving to help the pensions of these coal miners. Theyre desperately looking for support. We support it on this side. All the coal miners support it. We can get no support from the republicans. We tried during the work we did at the end of the year. We came close but the republicans said no. I want all those coal miners from kentucky and around the country to understand were trying to help you with your pensions. But unless we get some help from the republicans, there will be no support. Thats too bad. Were trying, were trying, were trying. Mr. President , Senate Republicans have finally admitted that their obstruction of president obamas Supreme Court nominee has nothing to do with precedent, has nothing to do with history and has nothing to do with the constitution. But has everything to do with base partisan politics. Last thursday democrats in the Senate Judiciary committee forced chairman grassley and Committee Republicans to debate the Supreme Court vacancy during a markup. Remember, this is the same markup that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee grassley canceled a week earlier because he and the republicans didnt want to make the meeting open to the public. He tried to have a secret meeting. Democrats wouldnt agree. At that committee meeting, the one held last thursday when finally they had a meeting, the senior senator from South Carolina, a republican, said and i quote, were sending a precedent here today. Republicans are in the last year at least of a lame duck eightyear term say it was going to be a fouryear term, that youre not going to fill a vacancy in the Supreme Court based on what youre doing here today. Were headed to changing the rules, probably in a permanent fashion, closed quote. I applaud senator graham, hes being forthright in admitting what his republicans colleagues refuse to admit. Their obstruction of a Supreme Court nominee is unprecedenced unprecedented. The senior senator from South Carolina said that and thats what ive been saying. So the question remains, if denying a hearing and a vote has nothing to do with setting a precedent and what is it all about . Fortunately the last thursday also yielded an answer to that question. During an interview with a wisconsin Radio Station, the republican senator from wisconsin johnson was asked if he would treat a Supreme Court nominee from a republican president differently. He answered and i quote, generally and this is the way it works frks a conservative president is replacing a conservative justice, theres a little more accommodations to it. Closed quote. So the senator from wisconsin admitted that he and his colleagues would accommodate a Supreme Court nomination from a republican president. So really what the republicans are doing is talking out of both sides of their mouth. Theyre simply adhering to precedent and the republican senator from South Carolina has said theyre changing precedent. Even as they admit theyre permanently changing their way that the senate treats Supreme Court nominations flt republicans claim they want to give the American People a voice. Thats what elections are all about, madam president. President obamas reelection was the American Peoples voice. Republicans claim, i repeat, they want to give the American People a voice. Waiting till after a new president is sworn even while admitting that doesnt make sense. Its illogical and unfair. The American People do not accept this duplicitous posturing and a rationalization for why republicans wont do their jobs. During the weekend, the Editorial Board of the Iowa City Press citizen, the presiding officers home state, made clear what they want senator grassley and Senate Republicans to do. They want republicans to follow the constitution. Quote,. Partisan posturing to score points at the expense of constitutional process doesnt change character based on the letter next to a lawmakers name. Currently a democrat is in the white house as this battle is fought but where the rules are reversed we would not alter our position. If down the line the Supreme Court justices retired or died in a president ial Election Year with a republican in power, we would simply urge a fair hearing for the president s nominee. Closed quote. The senates constitutional duty transcends partisan bickering. The people of iowa and america dont want the senate to treat its constitutional duties differently based on who is in the white house. They wants a senate that does its job. They want the republicans to do their jobs. So i say to my republican colleagues enough with the whole excuses and groundless rationalizations. So do your jobs. Give president obamas Supreme Court nominee a meeting, a hearing and a vote. Theres another aspect of the Supreme Court fight that we must address. Already as we know, republicans are resorting to what they call pinata politics. This is what senator cornyn promised. Radical conservative groups are running Smear Campaigns targeting president obamas potential Supreme Court nominees. One of those potentials is from iowa. One such ad from the Judicial Crisis Network a dark money right Wing Political Organization that operates in total secrecy, not knowing where its money comes from, probably the Koch Brothers because they fund almost everything else, is especially appalling. The antics aimed as an iowan serving on the eighth Circuit Court ever appeals, judge jane kelly. The accusations levels against judge kelly are despicable and they deserve to be answered by our own state senator i should say senators. But senator grassley is on the record as having strongly supported judge kellys confirmation at the eighth circuit. It was he who came to the floor in 2013 and read from a letter stating that judge kelly is, quote, a forthright woman of High Integrity and honest character and exceptionally keen intellect. Closed quote. It was senator grassley who told his colleagues about the same time and i quote, im pleased to support her confirmation. I urge my colleagues to join me. Closed quote. And senator dpraslys Judiciary Committee, of which avenues Senior Member even then, helped vet judge kelleys nomination even before confirmation to the bench. Yet senator grassley has been silent in the wake of these recent smears against judge quelly. I know the senior senator from iowa has been busy listening to what the Republican Leaders line is on the Supreme Court vacancy. But it disgusting rightwing attack on a judge he enthusiastically supported demands a response. Senator grassley needs to tell the people of iowa whether he supports the Smear Campaign his republican colleagues are hurtling at judge kelly. Did he support the smear chain . That the question that needs to be answered since the rightwing campaign praising him while at the same time smearing judge kelly. F if he doesnt go on record, he needs to do something i cant imagine why he wouldnt go on the record denouncing that type of disgustings rhetoric. I look forward to the senior senator from iowa setting the record straight on his fellow iowan and judge who he personally endorsed. Madam, theres no one on the floor. Would the chair announce the business of the day. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning business until 4 00 p. M. With senators permitted to speak therein for up it ten minutes each. Mr. Reid i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call ms. Baldwin madam president . The presiding officer the senator from wisconsin. Ms. Baldwin are with we in a quorum call . The presiding officer we are in a quorum call. Ms. Baldwin i ask that the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Baldwin madam president , i rise today to speak about something that guides the work of each and every one of us the u. S. Constitution. Each and every one of us has taken an oath of office to support and defend the constitution of the United States. We all solemnly swear that we will bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution and that we will faithfully discharge the duties of our office. Have some of the Senate Republicans forgotten this . Last week a colleague was asked in a radio interview on a wisconsin Radio Station if republicans would be more likely to advance a Supreme Court nomination had a republican been elected president in 2012. He said and i quote generally, and this is the way it works out politically, if youre replacing if conservative president replacing a conservative justice, theres a little more accommodation to it. End quote. Do Senate Republicans really believe that they need a republican president simply to do their jobs . I would like to remind my colleagues that president obama was elected to a fouryear term in 2012 with over 65 million votes. The American People decided who our president is. And according to the constitution, the term the president earned has more than 300 days remaining. The voices of those 65 million americans needs to be heard and respected, despite how much some people want to silence them, disrespect them and ignore them. On Supreme Court vacancies, the constitution is also clear. Under article 2 of the constitution, the President Shall appoint judges to the Supreme Court, and the senates role is to provide advice and consent. So its the constitutional duty of the president to select a Supreme Court nominee, and the senate has responsibility to give that nominee a fair consideration with a timely hearing and a timely vote. It was deeply troubling to me and the people that i work for in wisconsin that the republican majority would choose not to fulfill their constitutional duty. Before the president has even made a nomination to fill the current vacancy, a number of senators have announced that they will not perform their constitutional duty. This not only runs contrary to the process the framers envisioned in article 2, it runs counter to our nations history. Some of my colleagues have claimed that Senate History supports their historic obstruction. This is simply fals