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Congressional Record—Senate S5080

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Congressional Record—Senate S5080 S5080 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 25, 2019 future cyberattacks. Sustained federal fund- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, re- BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE ing is necessary to pay for continued train- serving the right to object, what my Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, ing, equipment replacements, software up- friend the Democratic leader is asking for the information of all of our col- grades and implementation of security con- leagues, I want to provide an update on trols. This funding is vital if we are to ade- unanimous consent to pass is partisan quately equip our states with the resources legislation from the Democratic House the remaining items the Senate needs we need to safeguard our democracy. of Representatives relating to Amer- to complete before we adjourn for the Support the establishment of cybersecu- ican elections. This is the same Demo- August State work period. rity and audit standards for election sys- cratic House that made its first big pri- Here is what we need to accomplish tems. It is critical that the federal govern- ority in this Congress a sweeping par- before Members depart next week: We ment work with elections officials and tech- tisan effort to rewrite all kinds of the need to confirm well-qualified nomi- nical experts to establish guidelines and best rules of American politics—not to nees to two open positions of utmost practices for election security. We believe that the U.S. Election Assistance Commis- achieve greater fairness but to give importance—the Deputy Secretary of sion should update its standards for voting themselves a one-sided political ben- Defense and our Ambassador to the machines and take a stronger regulatory efit. U.N. These jobs are important, the role in testing voting equipment before it is The particular bill the Democratic nominees are impressive, and we need sold to states. The federal government leader is asking to move by unanimous to confirm David Norquist and Kelly should also keep state elections officials consent is so partisan that it received Craft next week. closely informed about suspected breaches, one—just one—Republican vote over in Obviously, we need to pass the bipar- alerts, and related intelligence. There should tisan funding agreement that President be clear channels of communication so that the House. Clearly, this request is not local and state officials can share informa- a serious effort to make a law. Clearly, Trump’s negotiating team worked out tion with federal authorities. something so partisan that it only re- with Speaker PELOSI. The House will Pass election-security legislation. Last ceived one single solitary Republican pass it today. The President is strongly year, a group of state attorneys general vote in the House is not going to travel in support of it. The Senate needs to voiced support for the Secure Elections Act, through the Senate by unanimous con- pass it and put it on the President’s bipartisan legislation that would improve in- sent. desk next week. formation sharing and strengthen election It is very important that we main- We need to make more headway on security. We reiterate our support for action the backlog of qualified judicial nomi- on election security reform. The National tain the integrity and security of our Association of Secretaries of State and our elections in our country. Any Wash- nees who are waiting for confirmation, state elections officials can be a valuable re- ington involvement in that task needs so next week we will also need to proc- source as Congress considers specific pro- to be undertaken with extreme care ess a significant, bipartisan package of posals. and on a thoroughly bipartisan basis. district court nominees. The nature of the threat against our elec- Obviously, this legislation is not that. That is our to-do list for next week— tion systems requires the federal govern- It is just a highly partisan bill from the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the ment to provide increased assistance to the U.N. Ambassador, the bipartisan gov- states. Securing our election systems is a the same folks who spent 2 years matter of national security and we hope that hyping up a conspiracy theory about ernment funding agreement, and a sig- you will take immediate action to protect President Trump and Russia and who nificant group of well-qualified judges. our election infrastructure and restore continue to ignore this administra- Not bad for a week’s work. That is Americans’ trust in our election systems. tion’s progress in correcting the Obama what the Senate will accomplish before Keith Ellison, Attorney General of Min- administration’s failures on this sub- we adjourn for August. nesota; Philip Weiser, Attorney Gen- ject in the 2018 election; therefore, I ob- f eral of Colorado; Kathleen Jennings, Attorney General of Delaware; Kwame ject. EXECUTIVE SESSION Raoul, Attorney General of Illinois; The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- Brian Frosh, Attorney General of tion is heard. Maryland; Dana Nessel, Attorney Gen- The Democratic leader. EXECUTIVE CALENDAR eral of Michigan; Xavier Becerra, At- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, just Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, torney General of California’ William for a moment, there are bipartisan bills Tong, Attorney General of Con- I move to proceed to executive session on this issue which the Republican ma- to consider Calendar No. 119. necticut; Clare E. Connors, Attorney jority has objected to. I suggest to my General of Hawaii; Tom Miller, Attor- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ney General of Iowa; Maura Healey, At- friend the majority leader, if he doesn’t question is on agreeing to the motion. torney General of Massachusetts; Jim like this bill, let’s put another bill on The motion was agreed to. Hood, Attorney General of Mississippi; the floor and debate it. So far, we have The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Aaron D. Ford, Attorney General of Ne- done nothing—absolutely nothing in clerk will report the nomination. vada; Letitia James, Attorney General this Chamber to protect our country The bill clerk read the nomination of of New York State; Ellen Rosenblum, and its election security. Michael T. Liburdi, of Arizona, to be Attorney General of Oregon; Peter I yield the floor. Neronha, Attorney General of Rhode United States District Judge for the Island; Mark R. Herring, Attorney Gen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- District of Arizona. eral of Virginia; Hector Balderas, At- ator from Connecticut. CLOTURE MOTION torney General of New Mexico; Josh UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 1247 Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, Stein, Attorney General of North Caro- Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I I send a cloture motion to the desk. lina; Josh Shapiro, Attorney General of have a separate bill. It has not come to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; us from the House, but it should have T.J. Donovan, Attorney General of ture motion having been presented Vermont; Bob Ferguson, Attorney Gen- bipartisan support. under rule XXII, the Chair directs the eral of Washington State. I ask unanimous consent that the clerk to read the motion. UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—H.R. 2722 Rules Committee be discharged from The senior assistant legislative clerk Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask further consideration of S. 1247; that read as follows: unanimous consent that the Rules the Senate proceed to its immediate CLOTURE MOTION Committee be discharged from further consideration; that the bill be read a We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- consideration of H.R. 2722, the SAFE third time and passed; and that the ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Act; that the Senate proceed to its im- motion to reconsider be considered Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby mediate consideration; that the bill be made and laid upon the table with no move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- read a third time and passed; and that intervening action or debate. nation of Michael T. Liburdi, of Arizona, to be United States District Judge for the Dis- the motion to reconsider be considered The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? trict of Arizona. made and laid upon the table with no James Inhofe, John Hoeven, Mike intervening action of debate. Mr. MCCONNELL. I object. Rounds, Joni Ernst, Kevin Cramer, Ben The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Sasse, Pat Roberts, John Boozman, objection? FISCHER). Objection is heard. Mike Crapo, Steve Daines, John Cor- The majority leader. The majority leader. nyn, James E. Risch, Roger F. Wicker, VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jul 26, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A25JY6.005 S25JYPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE July 25, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5081 Richard Burr, Thom Tillis, Roy Blunt, CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Mitch McConnell. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, question is on agreeing to the motion. f I send a cloture motion to the desk. The motion was agreed to. LEGISLATIVE SESSION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- f ture motion having been presented Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, under rule XXII, the Chair directs the EXECUTIVE SESSION I move to proceed to legislative ses- clerk to read the motion. sion. The senior assistant legislative clerk EXECUTIVE CALENDAR The PRESIDING OFFICER. The read as follows: question is on agreeing to the motion. CLOTURE MOTION Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, The motion was agreed to. We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- I move to proceed to executive session f ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the to consider Calendar No. 205. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The EXECUTIVE SESSION Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- question is on agreeing to the motion.
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