Past; you are our hope for the years to come. Thank you for leading us beside the still waters of your wisdom and through the Green Pastures of your peace. Empower our senators for the task of this day. May they put right before expediency, others before self, principle before partisanship, and you before all else. Lord, keep our lawmakers under the canopy of your care, sustaining them with your grace amid all sunshine and shadow. And, lord, thank you that america still stands with lamp held aloft as a beacon of freedom for our world. We pray in your sacred name. Amen. The president pro tempore 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. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President . The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell p later this morning the senate will have an opportunity to pass the f. A. A. Reauthorization and security bill which aims to secure our airports and look out for american travelers. This legislation received bipartisan support from the start and it shows whats possible with a senate thats back to work. Under the guidance of senator thune, the Commerce Committee chairman, and senator ayotte, the aviation chair, this f. A. A. Reauthorization and security bill incorporated ideas from both sides as it moved through the legislative process. I also appreciate the work of Ranking Member nelson and Ranking Member cantwell in working with them to advance it. After seven hearings and nearly 60 amendments accepted the bill passed the Commerce Committee by voice vote. On the floor the bill managers continued listening and working with senators from both sides to process more amendments that members thought would make all this good bill even stronger. For instance, they worked to include a number of additional security measures in an amendment that earned bipartisan support. That amendment aims to enhance inspections and vetting of airport workers to improve security for International Flights arriving in u. S. Airports and to help ensure Perimeter Security is reviewed. In addition to these important security provisions, we accepted an amendment from senator heinrich to shore up security in prescreening zones which could be particularly vulnerable to attacks. We also adopted an amendment from senators toomey and casey that addresses the security of cockpit doors. I appreciate these and other senators who put forth ideas to make the final product something both sides can support. The f. A. A. Reauthorization security bill will make important strides for our National Security and for travelers. It does so without increasing fees or taxes on travelers. It does so without imposing regulations that can stifle consumer choice. I look forward to supporting this legislation later this morning. Now, mr. President , on another matter, moving forward the Republicanled Senate will have another opportunity to pass Bipartisan Legislation, legislation aimed at modernizing Americas Energy policies. The Energy Policy modernization act is the result of more than a years worth of work by our Energy Committee chair, senator murkowski and Ranking Member, senator cantwell. These senators know its been nearly a decade since the Senate Considered major energy legislation, so they worked to do something about it. They also know that good policy results from good process as this bill certainly demonstrates. Its meant working through countless listening sessions and oversight hearings. Its meant numerous amendment votes and debate hours. It meant working to move this Bipartisan Energy bill to final passage. The Energy Policy modernization act aims to bring our Energy Policies in line with the demands of today and to position us to benefit from the Energy Opportunities of tomorrow. Heres how it can help achieve that goal. It expands domestic supply and improves efficiency. It addresses aging infrastructure and enhances safeguards. It promotes accountability and cuts through needless red tape. This broad bipartisan bill does all these things. It builds on Technological Progress in order to strengthen and sustain Americas Energy advances. It protects our environment at the same time, and it does all of this without raising taxes or adding a dime to the deficit. Heres what that means for our country it will help americans save energy. It will help americans produce more energy. It will help americans pay less for energy. And like the Airport Security legislation i mentioned earlier, the Energy Policy modernization act will help keep americans safe. It includes provisions to bolster our National Security by strengthening our cybersecurity defense mechanisms. This legislation will make significant strides for american Energy Policies and it wouldnt have been possible without the bill managers leadership and dedication. So i want to thank them again for their diligence in advancing this critical legislation closer to passage. Now, mr. President , on one final matter, id like to say a good words about police chief rick mccould he coven of the barts tn Police Department. We learned yesterday hell be retiring. He led his officers through some of the most troubling times in the Police Departments history. He did so with rigor and resolve, with grit and with grace. Nearly three years ago the barts Town Police Department took a blow to its very core with the tragic assassination of officer jason allen who was killed in an ambush while driving home in uniform and in a marked vehicle. Authorities have strong reason to believe the killing was a retaliation from drug traffickers against a Police Department that was making significant progress in rooting out trafficking and making drug arrests. Chief mccullen was the leader of that effort to stamp out drug crime. He spoke out on behalf of the whole department about the loss of their brother jason who will never be forgotten. I know that. I know that while the case remains unsolved today, he has led the effort to see officer elliss killers brought to justice. Chief mccullen continued the fighting by seeing bart town county earned inclusion in the Appalachia Program we called hidea in 2014. It is not another government acronym but a model that works. It kupls state and local it couples state and local tax forces with the technology they need. By getting them included in the hida program he brought power to fight Drug Trafficking and keep the citizens of barts town safe. Its been an honor to work with him over the years. He received an award in 2015 and i know the people of the county appreciate his diligence and determination to fight crime and to keep them safe. So i want to thank him for his service to barts town, to kentucky, and to the nation. Mr. Reid mr. President . The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Reid mr. President , i appreciate the republican leader talking positively about the energy bill. We call it Energy Efficiency the last two congresses, when we tried so hard under the direction of senator shaheen from New Hampshire to get this done. We tried so very, very hard. We had many runs at it. Promises from the republicans. I dont need to mention names, but they know who they are. Lets get back on this bill, well get it done. We only have three amendments. We only have two amendments. And we did that time after time after time over four years. And every time the obstruction would not go away, and we couldnt do the bill. Now, im grateful that we have a bill now dealing with Energy Efficiency. The names been changed but its the same bill. And i hope that senator shaheen from New Hampshire has some degree of i hope shes proud of what she started a long time ago. Her name is not on the legislation anymore, and i appreciate the junior senator from washington and the senior senator from alaska working hard to bring it to the floor today. When we brought it here to the point we are today is the result of a very long struggle. Sure the republican leader talks about the many years since the bill, since weve had an energy bill. The reason we didnt have one four years sooner is because they wouldnt let us. Gridlock. Obstruction. Thats because republicans blocked energy bills any chance they got. They insist on offering amendments that werent germane. They werent relevant. So were not acting the way they did. We want to get it done also. Its important for our country and its a positive step forward. I just want to make sure theres a full understanding of the history behind this. 21 years ago today in Oklahoma City, 9 02 a. M. Oklahoma city time, Timothy Mcveigh detonated a bomb in a Federal Building in Oklahoma City killing 168 innocent people, and 19 of them were children. They were there with their parents on business that the family had. This was a work day, and Timothy Mcveigh detonated that huge explosion that people could see the smoke from miles and miles away. It was the deadliest terror attack on american soil before 9 11. I think we can all see i know i can see in my minds eye images that were on television. This huge Federal Building destroyed. It had been ripped in half. I recall, as im sure people within the sound of my voice recall the images of chaos, bloody and disoriented victims trying to determine if they were alive, if they got their arms, if they got their legs, theyve got their mind, theyve got their eyes. And as soon as they got that straightened out, they started desperately trying to find and assist the injured. This was a heartrending day for our nation. People watched the aftermath and wanted to help in any way they could. One of those eager to help was a lawyer in the department of justice named Merrick Garland. His boss at the time, a wellknown political figure, Deputy Attorney general jamie garlic. She explained garlands desire to go to Oklahoma City and help with the investigation. Heres what she said. Its a quote. Both of us had kids about the ages of the kids in the Daycare Center in washington. We were sick to our stomachs, and merrick said i need to go. Merrick Garland went home that evening knowing he would be gone for awhile. He kissed his wife, his children and arrived in Oklahoma City less than 40 hours later. At this time Merrick Garland was a seasoned prosecutor, having served as u. S. Attorney for the District Of Columbia prior to making, taking a senior role in the department of justice. Those who knew him recall how competent he was having done some criminal defense work in my past, i know how difficult it is for somebody trying to defend somebody when you come up against a prosecutor with a reputation of garland. I mean, you say, oh, man, this is they have a way about them to make the case simple in the minds of the judge and the jurors even though it could be a complicated set of facts. Those who work with him recall him as an unwavering as a commitment to the law. He followed the law. He followed the procedure. He was guided by an acute sense of fairness. As the New York Times reported and i quote, former colleagues also recalled that mr. Garland insisted on doing the investigation by the book, like subpoenas even when Truck Rental Companies volunteered to simply hand over the evidence. He wanted to avoid any future trial problems. He also made sure there was a prosecutor responsible for keeping victims and relatives informed about the cases it developed. In speech after speech, the Senior Center from iowa has insisted a nominee at the Supreme Court should be supreme, should be someone, and i quote him, adheres to the constitution and the rule of law and decides cases based on wherever the text takes him or her. Merrick garland is the person the senior senator from iowa described. With an entire nation wanting justice served immediately to those responsible for the bombing, garland and his team refused to take shortcuts. They did it the right way. They did it the garland way. They adhered to the law every step of the way. Soism pressive was so impressive was mr. Garland throughout the investigation and the prosecution, that steven jones, the attorney for Timothy Mcveigh listen to this. Heres what the attorney from mcveigh said about Merrick Garland and i quote, personally, hes above reproach. He has integrity. He has the skills. Merrick garland was also devoted to the victims and their families. Clawed why denny was the mother of two children in the building at the day care center. Her children were critically injured, but they survived. Theyre alive. This is what she said of Merrick Garland and i quote, early on we got invited to the u. S. Attorneys office. They wanted all of our concerns. I think judge garland set thawp. We all got our set that up. We all got our voice heard. The oklahoma prosecution sended with convictions and guilty pleas for all who were involved. To this day oklahomans still revere Merrick Garland for his good work. Frank keating, governor of oklahoma at the time of the attack, has now spoken in praise of judge garland. He told n. B. R. Recently and i quote governor keating. People dont understand when theyre eating a good dinner on a friday night theres a chef in the kitchen that did it. In the case of what we saw after april 19, there was a chef in the kitchen that did it and it was Merrick Garland. The Junior Center from oklahoma recently praised judge garland saying quote i do plan a meeting with Merrick Garland in my office in the weeks ahead to say thank you for what he did for oklahoma during the bombing trial. But thats as far as senator lankford has said he will go. Hes made it clear that he will do nothing to help garland get a hearing or a vote. Following his work in the Oklahoma City case, Merrick Garland continued to work on other notable criminal cases. Oversaw the prosecution of the Unabomber Ted kaczynski, this evil man who is now in prison. And garland ran the investigation on the atlanta olympics bombing. Anyone that served with distinction in the Circuit Court of appeals where he now serves at the chief judge. Supreme Court Justice john roberts once said of doorland of garland and his judicial expertise, quote any time judge garland disagrees, you know youre in a difficult are area. Its time for republicans to allow the American People to see Merrick Garland themselves, not have me talk about him, see him yourself. This is a superstar. This is somebody that should be on the court. The republicans shall allow the American People to see this man for what the people of oklahoma and litigants in the courtroom have known for many years. This is a special man. Last year as part of the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City attack, judge garland and some of the fellow prosecutors were awarded their reflections of hope by the national Oklahoma City memorial. The honor is awarded to those who exfly the belief that hope can blossom amid chaos. Thats the hope Merrick Garland brought to oklahoma in the aftermath of that vicious attack. Were reminded of june garlands contributions in securing justice. In Oklahoma City and wherever he has gone. Hes a brilliant man, brilliant man. He was academically brilliant and he is a man who wasnt given anything on a silver platter silver platter. In my meeting with him, i asked him how he held the situation at harvard. Its an expensive place. He said, well, among other things, i sold my comic book collection. Mr. President , that doesnt sound like much to most people, but, you know, those coins, for example, my little brother, separated by 22 months, those coins hes been collecting since he was a little boy. They mean a lot to him. Most of them arent worth too much but so