June 8, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3971 in our national defense, which could The PRESIDING OFFICER. Also on the board of Denver’s highest per- have very serious consequences for our without objection, it is so ordered. forming charter school, the School of national security. NOMINATION OF REGINA M. RODRIGUEZ Science and Technology in my old dis- Less than 3 years ago, the bipartisan Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I want- trict. Somehow, she finds time to men- National Defense Strategy Commission ed to come to the floor today to share tor young lawyers from underrep- released a report warning—warning— a few words about Regina Rodriguez, resented communities. that our readiness had eroded to the President Biden’s nominee for the U.S. The evidence is overwhelming: Re- point where we might struggle to win District Court for the District of Colo- gina Rodriguez is an exceptional nomi- the war against a major power like rado. Gina’s nomination comes to this nee with a distinguished career and Russia or China. And while we have floor with broad, well-earned support commitment to service. She has blazed made some real progress since then, we across the State of Colorado. My office trails in Colorado and in Colorado law still have a lot of work to do to ensure has received a flood of letters on her through the sheer force of her intellect, that our military is prepared to defend behalf. All of them testify to her char- hard work, and character. Regina and our Nation and meet the threats of the acter, her hard work, and her commit- her family are what we mean when we 21st century. The Biden budget would ment to service, justice, and the rule of send us right back to the situation that come to this floor and talk about the law. American dream. we faced 3 years ago. She learned all of it from her family. I guess it is not surprising that a She has my full and enthusiastic sup- Her mom’s family knew injustice first- budget that fails to be serious about port, and I want to thank my col- hand. During the Second World War, fiscal realities would fail to be serious leagues on the Judiciary Committee about national security realities, but it they were relocated from California to for advancing her nomination with is deeply concerning that the President the Heart Mountain internment site in overwhelming, bipartisan support. doesn’t seem to understand the impor- Wyoming, joining over 10,000 people They saw what Colorado already tance of investing in our national de- whose loyalty was questioned by the knows, which is what an exceptional fense. U.S. Government based solely on their judge Gina would make, and I whole- President Biden has made the prior- Japanese ancestry. heartedly agree. I urge my colleagues ities of liberal interest groups the top Her mother Linda went on to become to come together and confirm this out- priorities for his administration— a teacher and administrator in the standing nominee in a big bipartisan whether that is canceling the Keystone Denver public schools, my old school vote. district. Her father Peter was a Mexi- XL’s good-paying jobs and economic With that, I yield the floor. growth to please the environmental can American who went from living in I suggest the absence of a quorum. left or overturning the Mexico City a railroad boxcar on the South Side of policy so that taxpayer dollars can go Chicago to earning a nomination for The PRESIDING OFFICER. The to fund abortions overseas. the NFL Hall of Fame. clerk will call the roll. On the question of abortion, Presi- Education and hard work trans- The legislative clerk proceeded to dent Biden’s budget abandons decades formed her parents’ lives, and Regina call the roll. of bipartisan compromise and elimi- has always sought to live up to their Ms. SMITH. Mr. President, I ask nates the Hyde amendment, which pro- example. Gina grew up in Gunnison, unanimous consent that the order for tects taxpayers from having their tax CO, but her family moved around the the quorum call be rescinded. dollars used to fund abortions here at country because her dad coached foot- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without home. You would think that if we can’t ball. She graduated with honors from objection, it is so ordered. agree that the human rights of unborn the University of Iowa, which I know is children should be protected, we should not the only reason Chairman GRASS- Under the previous order, the ques- at least agree that a taxpayer LEY supported her nomination but tion is, Will the Senate advise and con- shouldn’t be forced to pay for the kill- probably was an important one, and sent to the Neals nomination? ing of unborn children. then returned home to earn a J.D. from Mr. CRAPO. I ask for the yeas and Almost 60 percent of Americans op- the University of Colorado Law School. nays. pose using taxpayer dollars to pay for After starting at a private firm in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a abortions, but President Biden has Denver, Gina joined the U.S. Attor- sufficient second? made it clear that his allegiance to the ney’s Office. The Department of Jus- There appears to be a sufficient sec- radical abortion left trumps the opin- tice noticed her talent, and she went to ond. ions of the American people. So his work for the Attorney General on al- The clerk will call the roll. budget eliminates the Hyde amend- ternative dispute resolution—a new ap- The legislative clerk called the roll. ment and imposes a number of other proach at the time meant to avoid pro-abortion measures, like additional lengthy trials through arbitration and Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the government funding access for the Na- mediation. She helped to mainstream Senator from Vermont (Mr. SANDERS) tion’s largest abortion provider, the approach for all U.S. attorneys, is necessarily absent. Planned Parenthood. saving the government countless hours The result was announced—yeas 66, The Biden budget might be good news and taxpayers’ countless dollars over nays 33, as follows: for liberal interest groups, but it is bad the years. [Rollcall Vote No. 220 Ex.] news for the American people and bad Gina’s leadership in Washington YEAS—66 news for our country. I hope that my earned her a promotion back in Den- Democratic colleagues will think twice Baldwin Grassley Peters ver, where she rose to become Chief of Bennet Hassan Portman before forcing this massive government the Civil Division in the U.S. Attor- expansion onto the American people. Blumenthal Heinrich Reed ney’s Office. She was the first Latina Booker Hickenlooper Rosen I yield the floor. to hold that position and quickly de- Brown Hirono Rounds I suggest the absence of a quorum. Burr Hyde-Smith Schatz The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- veloped a stellar reputation among col- Cantwell Kaine Schumer pore. The clerk will call the roll. leagues and judges. Capito Kelly Shaheen The senior assistant legislative clerk Today, she is one of the most re- Cardin Kennedy Sinema spected trial lawyers in Colorado and Carper King Smith proceeded to call the roll. Casey Klobuchar Stabenow Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask has received reward after reward for Collins Leahy Tester unanimous consent that the order for her work. Coons Luja´ n Tillis Her commitment to the community Cornyn Manchin Toomey the quorum call be rescinded. Cortez Masto Markey Van Hollen The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. has been just as impressive. She is a Duckworth Menendez Warner PADILLA). Without objection, it is so founding board member of Colorado Durbin Merkley Warnock ordered. Youth at Risk, a nonprofit that helps Ernst Murkowski Warren Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask kids stay on the right track. She Feinstein Murphy Whitehouse Fischer Murray Wicker unanimous consent to complete my re- served as one of Colorado’s higher edu- Gillibrand Ossoff Wyden marks. cation commissioners and still serves Graham Padilla Young

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Blackburn Hawley Cruz McConnell Thune Risch For several years, American per- Blunt Inhofe Daines Moran Tuberville Sasse sonnel serving our country in Cuba, Boozman Johnson Scott (FL) NOT VOTING—1 Braun Lankford Shelby China, and elsewhere have experienced Cassidy Lee Sanders Sullivan unexplained, serious medical harm, in- Cotton Lummis Thune cluding, in some cases, permanent The nomination was confirmed. Crapo Marshall Tuberville Cruz McConnell brain injuries. Their conditions are be- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Daines Moran lieved to be the consequence of a mys- ´ LUJAN). Under the previous order, the terious, directed energy weapon used motion to reconsider is considered The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas are 72, the nays are 28. by an adversary. made and laid upon the table, and the As we investigate the source of pre- President will be immediately notified The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. vious attacks and seek to prevent fu- of the Senate’s action. f ture ones, the bill that passed the Sen- f ate last night would provide additional EXECUTIVE CALENDAR medical care and financial compensa- CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The tion to Americans who continue to ex- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant clerk will report the nomination. perience debilitating symptoms as a re- to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the The senior assistant legislative clerk sult of these heinous attacks. Senate the pending cloture motion, read the nomination of Regina M. The injuries that many of these vic- which the clerk will state. Rodriguez, of Colorado, to be United tims have endured are significant and The senior assistant legislative clerk States District Judge for the District life-altering. I have talked with many read as follows: of Colorado. of these victims. They have described debilitating headaches, a loss of vision, CLOTURE MOTION f a decreased ability to hear, dizziness, We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- RECESS ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the and many other symptoms as well, in- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under cluding a decline in their cognitive move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- the previous order, the Senate stands abilities. In some cases, they have been nation of Executive Calendar No. 127, Regina in recess until 2:15 p.m. forced to medically retire. In other M. Rodriguez, of Colorado, to be United Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:58 p.m., cases, they somehow continue on while States District Judge for the District of Col- recessed until 2:15 p.m. and reassem- coping with these symptoms. orado. bled when called to order by the Pre- I have spoken several times to CIA Charles E. Schumer, Richard J. Durbin, siding Officer (Ms. SINEMA). Director Burns and the Director of Na- Tina Smith, Sherrod Brown, Jon tional Intelligence, Haines, about these Ossoff, Alex Padilla, Jacky Rosen, f Tammy Duckworth, Brian Schatz, EXECUTIVE CALENDAR—Continued attacks, and I am heartened by the Chris Van Hollen, Catherine Cortez commitments that they have made to Masto, Robert Menendez, Richard The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- me and to other members of the Senate Blumenthal, Patty Murray, Martin ator from Maine. Intelligence Committee to care for the Heinrich, Michael F. Bennet, Sheldon HELPING AMERICAN VICTIMS AFFLICTED BY victims and to identify the perpetra- Whitehouse. NEUROLOGICAL ATTACKS ACT tors and the weapon used in these at- The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I tacks. imous consent, the mandatory quorum rise today to applaud the swift, unani- We can speculate. We have our sus- call has been waived. mous Senate passage last night of the picions. But the fact is, we do not know The question is, Is it the sense of the Helping American Victims Afflicted by exactly what the weapon is nor who is Senate that debate on the nomination Neurological Attacks Act, or the HA- wielding it. We need a whole-of-govern- of Regina M. Rodriguez, of Colorado, to VANA Act. This bill will provide much ment approach to identify the adver- be United States District Judge for the needed assistance to the employees of sary who is targeting our American District of Colorado, shall be brought the Intelligence Community, the State personnel, and I am grateful to the to a close? Department, and other Federal Agen- chairman and vice chair of the Senate The yeas and nays are mandatory cies who have suffered from often de- Intelligence Committee, who I know under the rule. bilitating brain injuries at the hands of are committed to getting to the bot- The clerk will call the roll. our foreign adversaries. Too often, tom of these attacks. The senior assistant legislative clerk these injured public servants have had I hope, when President Biden meets called the roll. to battle the bureaucracy to receive with President Putin, that he will ask The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 72, the medical care they desperately re- President Putin about these attacks, nays 28, as follows: quire. that he will grill him about them to [Rollcall Vote No. 221 Ex.] I am very pleased today to be joined see if the Russians are responsible. At on the Senate floor by the Chairman of YEAS—72 this point, we don’t know. the Senate Intelligence Committee, The public servants who work in our Baldwin Durbin Klobuchar Bennet Ernst Leahy Senator WARNER. He has been relent- embassies and consulates overseas Blumenthal Feinstein Luja´ n less in his pursuit of care for these in- make many personal sacrifices to rep- Booker Fischer Manchin jured public servants who risk their resent America’s interests. They de- Brown Gillibrand Markey lives for us, who serve in difficult and Burr Graham Menendez serve our unwavering support when Cantwell Grassley Merkley dangerous environments. Senator WAR- they are harmed in the line of duty, Capito Hassan Murkowski NER and the vice chairman of the Sen- just as we care for soldiers who are in- Cardin Heinrich Murphy ate Intelligence Committee, Senator jured on the battlefield. Last night, we Carper Hickenlooper Murray Casey Hirono Ossoff RUBIO, and Senator SHAHEEN of New took an important step in that direc- Collins Hoeven Padilla Hampshire worked with me to draft the tion. Coons Hyde-Smith Peters bill that the Senate unanimously The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Cornyn Kaine Portman cleared last night. ator from Virginia. Cortez Masto Kelly Reed Cramer Kennedy Romney We are very pleased that the fol- Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I Duckworth King Rosen lowing Senators cosponsored our legis- rise today to echo what my good friend

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