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. , april 4, 2016. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable bill cassidy, a senator from the state of louisiana, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed, orrin g. Hatch, president pro tempore. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the Senate Majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell id like to welcome our colleagues back from their state work periods. The senate has gotten a lot done under e new majority and will continue well continue our work today. But first i want to remember the daily sacrifice of our Capitol Police in light of the incident last monday. Incidents like these remind us of the sacrifices officers make on our behalf each and every day. These brave men and women protect all who work here. They protect the countless visitors from across our nation and across the world. They defend this symbol of our democracy. And that means putting themselves in harms way day in and day out. And again, we thank them for it. We also welcome Capitol Police chief matthew verderoosa. The chief comes to us with more than three decades of Law Enforcement experience and thats a good thing given that this incident occurred just days into his new position. The chief inherits an able, brave team who work hard every day to keep us safe. We look forward to continuing our close working relationship with the Capitol Police under his leadership. Now, on a different matter. Today the senate will vote on the defend trade secrets act. This Bipartisan Legislation can help promote growth of the economy, help spur the increase in retention of american jobs and help protect American Innovation in the global economy. It aims to do so by providing tools for American Companies both small and large to effectively protect some of their most valuable assets in todays international economy. American companies spend billions every year in research and development and in the creation of products we use every day. But some thieves would rather not go through the trouble of developing products themselves. They would rather just steal the fruits of others creativity and innovation. Thats more than just wrong, it puts american jobs and the American Economy at risk. American businesses find themselves increasingly under attack from a sophisticated effort to steal the very things that give them a Competitive Edge in the 21st century economy. Things like codes, formulas and confidential Manufacturing Processes. While its never been easier for these thieves to launch attacks on innovation, sometimes armed with little more than a jump drive, Many American businesses now find themselves less able to protect their important assets under current law. Senator hatch knew we had to do something about this. He knew it was time to modernize our trade secret laws to keep pace with Rapid Advances in technology and in criminal techniques. He knew it was time to streamline and simplify the process for u. S. Companies to effectively defend american jo jobs, American Growth and the American Innovation thats increasingly at the heart of our modern economy. So senator hatch worked across the aisle with senator coons to develop the defend trade secrets act. This Bipartisan Legislation eventually gained the cosponsorship of a majority of the senate. This Bipartisan Legislation also passed the Judiciary Committee unanimously. Thats impressive and it wouldnt have happened without the able leadership of the chairman of that committee, senator grassley from iowa. Since the new majority took office, senator grassleys been a highly effective legislator as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. From comprehensive legislation to address americas Opioid Epidemic to protecting the victims of modern slavery to todays effort to support American Innovation, hes received widespread praise from both sides of the aisle for leading a very productive committee. Senator grassleys a hard worker and hes again winning kudos on this bill. The organization that represents americas tech sector said that the committees process has been very open and thoughtful. A broad crosssection of american businesses wrote that the approach to the bill has been consensus oriented. This, they said, led to a broad and enthusiastic support from a wide range of american organizations and Companies Representing the technology, medical device, agriculture, biotech, pharmaceutical, automobile, clean energy, Consumer Products and manufacturing sectors. So heres what i say. Todays trade secret theft is hightech. Its fast moving and it threatens americas economy, americas jobs and americas innovation. So i would ask colleagues to join me this evening in voting to fight back on behalf of the American People. I would ask them to join me in supporting the bipartisan defend trade secrets act. On one final matter, in recent weeks weve again been reminded of the pervasive threat posed by islamic terrorists to the world. Weve seen ghastly images in places as diverse as brussels, yemen and lahor. Attacks seem to be coming nearly weekly now. It feels like we hear of a new one almost every time we flip on the news. Over the weekend, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee delivered an address focused on the threat facing us and what we can do ultimately to overcome it. Senator burr noted that he could not remember a time when the u. S. And its allies faced a greater array of threats across the world, which is why, as he put it, we cannot simply focus our efforts on how to best respond to attacks once theyve already happened. Senator burr spoke on the significance of working with our allies to target threats at every level. He talked about the importance of ensuring Law Enforcement has the tools and authorities needed to keep americans safe. He also underlined the need for president obama to do more in directly taking on isil and made clear that doing so would require leadership that reached beyond the administrations current containmently strategy. Containment strategy. Its clear that dweeghtd isil defeating isil, al qaeda and its affiliates will require concerted efforts by the Intelligence Committee and International Partners around the world. Thats why we continue to press the administration for a serious plan to defeat these terrorist groups and not simply attempt to contain them. In addition to the ongoing air campaign, the predent has lauded deploying special Operations Forces to target and pursue isil. Its a positive step but a credible ground force will be needed to defeat isil. As senator burr put it, were beyond containment and must more decisively and with purpose move to eliminate the islamic state. The president , he continued, has accurately stated that isil poses a threat to the entire civilized world. Now is the time for a strategy to match that threat. Now, mr. President , i move to proceed to h. R. 636, the vehicle we will use for f. A. A. Reauthorization. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion. The clerk motion to proceed to calendar number 55, h. R. 636, an act to amend the Internal Revenue code of 198 to permanently ex 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations and for other purposes. Mr. Reid mr. President . The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Reid mr. President , i understand why, in my remarks ill make that very clear in a few minutes, why my friend, the republican leader is doing everything he can to throw a good light on the Judiciary Committee. Its kind of hard to do with whats going on today. And this bill that were going to vote on at 5 30, we dont this would have passed unanimous consent. Everybody knows that. We dont need to take up time of the senate on a bill that would pass just like that. Doing that because it focuses less attention on the inadequacy of the Judiciary Committee. The defend trade secrets act was reported out of the committee easily. No problem. It was a bill that everybody agreed on. So the there may be some reasons that i dont see today why the Judiciary Committee should be given a few pats on the back. The problem is, mr. President , that the committee does not deserve any pats on the back at this stage. As United States senators, we have a constitutional obligation to consider nominees to important positions. Its one of our constitutional responsibilities. Judges play an essential role in our society and we should give qualified nominees their fair shot they deserve. Sadly, the Republican Senate has refused to do its job. They have a new standard. Unless the judgetobe passes a test of the National Rifle association, as stated by the republican leader on national tv, cant vote for him. Now, the Judiciary Committee has been hammered and thats an understatement day after day in the state of iowa, the home state of the chairman of the committee. Headline grassley leads slowdown of judicial confirmations. Largest newspaper in the state, the Des Moines Register. Heres what this headline is all about. The Republicancontrolled SenateJudiciary Committee and its chairman have fallen far behind the incomparable senate in confirming judicial nominations. Reading directly from the Des Moines Register article i quote even before the current controversy over consideration of theupreme court justice, action on federal Court Nominations has slowed markedly since u. S. Senator Chuck Grassley took control of the senate Judiciary Committee. The article goes on, since republicans want a Senate Majority in 2014, the number of president obamas nominees winning confirmation to the bench has fallen compared with previous years and longterm averages as have the number advancing out of grassleys Judiciary Committee, according to data from the Congressional Research service and the federal judiciary. The article also quotes professor sheldon goldman, an expert on judicial confirmations at the university of massachusetts. Heres what he said and i quote with republicans taking over the senate, the strategys been to obstruct, delay and slowwalk these nominations at every stage of the process. Statistics from the nonpartisan Congressional Research service confirm professor goldmans assertion. Under chairman grassleys leadership, the Judiciary Committee is grinding the nomination to a halt. The number of judicial nominations confirmed this congress is the worst. To date, this republica Republicancontrolled Senate has confirmed but 16 judicial nominations. Thats one a month. Contrast that with the last years of george w. Bushs presidency when we had a democrat senate, we had a republican president. Then democratic chair leahy and his Senate Colleagues confirmed 40 judges. 40 confirmations to 16 under grassley. The numbers speak for themselves. But to better understand the dysfunction of senator grassleys committee, we have to consider the slow pace at which he and the republicans are reporting judicial nominations. We have to go back more than six decades to find a senate Judiciary Committee that was less productive than chairman grassleys committee is today. Republicans will doubtless claim that their committee has stopped working because it is the last year of obamas presidency. Thats nonsense. In 1988, the senate Judiciary Committee reported circuit and district Court Nominations as late as october. The Senate Considered president reagan, president clinton, president george w. Bushs judicial nominations in thage year of their terms in the eighth year of their terms, and many other president s were treated the same way. The republican leader is on record advocating for the confirmation of judicial nominees in a president s last year in office. This is what the republican leader said in july of 2008 even with lameduck president s, theres an historical standard of fairness as to confirming judicial nominees, especially Circuit Court nominees. End ever quote. End of quote. Those are the Republican Leaders own words. Yet now he refuses to. Why republicans changing the rules . For president obamas nominees . Given that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee refused to attend the Judiciary Committee, especially the judiciary, how is the Committee Spending its time . We know chairman grassleys committee is refusing to consider president Obamas Supreme Court nominee, judge garland. We know that chairman grassleys committee is refusing to adequately report district and Circuit Court nominees also. This much is clear the republican Judiciary Committee is not doing its job. Instead, the senior senator from iowa has taken his marching orders from the republican leader blocking judicial nominees at every level. This once proud, powerful Judiciary Committee set up hundreds of years ago has become a mere shadow of its former self. He has turned the oncepowerful and independent committee into an extension of the Republican Leaders office. This is the same gridlock the republican leader has imposed upon the senate for the last eight years. Since his party assumed the majority in the senate last january, the republican leader has carefully orchestrated obstruction of judicial nominations has accelerated to historical levels and judicial emergencies have tripled. My friend and i served in the senate for decades and come to the floor all the time talking about the success of the senate. No matter how many times you say a falsehood, it is still false. Leader mcconnell wants to regard himself the proud guardian of gridlock. Senator grassley has become his most willing disciple. It is disappointmenting that the senior senator from iowa has surrendered committee to the republican leader. Take for example the nomination of wavily grinshaw who was recommended by senators adetectioadleksander senators alexander and corker. Frees a well manufacture renowned law firm 234 nashville where he became the first africanamerican partner in 1990. The senator from tennessee, the senior senator from tennessee said that mr. Crenshaw would be an Excellent Federal district judge. I agree. He was reported out of the Judiciary Committee unanimously in july of 2015. Almost ten months ago. The vacancy in the tennessee district is the judicial emergency. Meaning there are more cases than the court can handle. The junior senator from tennessee said, i know theres a tremendous load of work in the National Office that Nashville Office that needs to get done. Weve talk add great deal with the other judges there and know this position needs to be confirmed. Last month the senator from maryland asked to bring the crenshaw nomination to a vote but the assistant leader objects. Both senators have brought this forward. The objection was the same. The senior senator from tennessee said it would lead to quote chaos close quote to schedule a vote on crenshaw. Chaos is exactly what the republicans are bringing to the judiciary. From the Supreme Court to the Circuit Courts to the District Courts, our entire Judicial Branch of government is under siege by this Republican Senate. After theyve crippled the judiciary, the republican leader and chairman grassley want to hand it over to donald tr