Senate Section
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 165 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2019 No. 35 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was are entitled to the same legal protec- be confirmed so far during the Trump called to order by the President pro tions and professional care as other administration. tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). newborns. As I discussed yesterday, Eric Miller f In all honesty, the fact that this leg- has a distinguished record in both pub- islation even needed to be written is a lic service and private practice. He PRAYER sad reminder of the degree to which holds degrees from Harvard and the The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- our society is at risk of losing some University of Chicago, and his legal ex- fered the following prayer: crucial moral bearings, and the fact perience includes holding prestigious Let us pray. that the U.S. Senate could not even clerkships on our Nation’s highest Majestic God, we ask for the fruits of vote to advance this bill is beyond dis- courts. Yet, rather than take my word Your unrivaled wisdom in these chal- maying. for it, I urge my colleagues to consider lenging times. Give our leaders the The legislation was silent on the the endorsements of those with whom strength and courage to triumph over abortion issue. All it would have done the nominee has studied and worked. stagnation and conflict, and grant us is to have affirmed the rights of these For example, 54 members of the Uni- forgiveness for our shortcomings. newborn babies, but apparently even versity of Chicago Law School’s class We praise You, O Lord, for we belong that was a bridge too far, not just for of 1999, with their wide-ranging views to Your Kingdom, and we are Your the far-left fringe—not anymore—but on politics and judicial philosophy, children. Bestow upon our great Nation for the vast majority of our Demo- have offered a ringing endorsement for Your everlasting light, and let Your cratic colleagues right here in the Sen- Eric Miller. In a letter to our col- perpetual goodness shine upon us. ate. leagues on the Judiciary Committee, Lord, our greatest debt of gratitude We are no longer dealing with a nor- they cite Mr. Miller’s ‘‘diligent work is owed to You, for without You, we mal, traditional Democratic Party; we ethic, his keen legal mind, and his deep can do nothing. Give us, this day, light are looking at a party that has been consideration for every legal issue he to guide us, courage to support us, and dragged so far to the left, it would have confronts.’’ All in all, his classmates— love to unite us. been unrecognizable to folks just a few many of whom have also been his col- We pray in Your merciful Name. years ago. In 1996, Senator Daniel Pat- leagues over the years—say that Mr. Amen. rick Moynihan condemned partial- Miller is ‘‘extraordinarily well quali- f birth abortion by comparing it to in- fied to serve as a Federal judge.’’ fanticide. He was a distinguished, I urge each of my colleagues to join PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE mainstream Democratic Senator from me in voting to confirm this fine nomi- The President pro tempore led the New York about 20 years ago. And nee soon. Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: today? Ninety-four percent of Senate f Democrats could not even vote to pro- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the VOTER FRAUD United States of America, and to the Repub- tect babies after they are born. The lic for which it stands, one nation under God, only explanations they could offer were Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. bizarre euphemisms and vague ref- on a final matter, anyone who has been f erences to issues that have no bearing attentive to the news these past few once a child has already been born days has learned about the complete RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY alive. debacle that unfolded in last Novem- LEADER It was a sorry display, but I can say ber’s election for North Carolina’s The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. this: This fight isn’t over. The Repub- Ninth Congressional District. Soon HYDE-SMITH). The majority leader is licans will not let this stunning extre- after election day, allegations of illegal recognized. mism from our Democratic colleagues ballot harvesting and vote tampering f be the last word on this subject. clouded a close result. The wrongdoing f seemed to have benefited the Repub- S. 311 lican candidate over the Democratic. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, NOMINATION OF ERIC D. MILLER Just last week, we saw the State Board the Senate had an opportunity yester- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, of Elections unanimously call for a new day to affirm our commitment to the on another matter, fortunately, the election. dignity of human life. We had a chance Senate did make progress in another For years and years, every Repub- to state plainly that newborn babies area. Yesterday, we advanced what will lican who dared to call for common- who happen to have survived abortions be the 31st circuit court nomination to sense safeguards for Americans’ ballots ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1447 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Feb 27, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A26FE6.000 S26FEPT1 rfrederick on DSK3GLQ082PROD with SENATE S1448 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 26, 2019 was demonized by Democrats and their turning up ballots will open the door to Democrats choose at this moment to allies. We were hit with leftwing talk- misbehavior. Remember, it is illegal in propose a sprawling Federal takeover ing points that insisted that voter North Carolina and in most States for of election law that would erode the in- fraud was not real—it never happens, the obvious reason, but I have noted tegrity of our elections even further. they said—that fraud just didn’t hap- with interest that the Democrats’ new So that, I think, pretty well under- pen and that modest efforts to ensure focus on this practice has yet to extend scores what the priorities of today’s that voters are who they say they are to California. I wonder why. Well, in Democrat Party is. and are voting in the proper places California, it is legal. It is a common f were really some sinister, rightwing practice in California. California al- plot to prevent people from voting. lows anyone—not just family members RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME As you might expect, now that an in- but anyone—to show up at polling The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under cident of very real voter fraud has be- places on election day with ballots that the previous order, the leadership time come national news and the Republican are not theirs. Welcome to California. is reserved. candidate seems to have benefited, Reports suggest that Orange County f these longstanding Democratic talking alone saw—listen to this—250,000 ab- points have been really quiet. We sentee ballots dropped off on election CONCLUSION OF MORNING haven’t heard much lately from the day last year. The county’s registrar BUSINESS Democrats about how fraud never hap- told the newspaper that some individ- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning pens. They have gone silent. Now some uals dropped off hundreds of other peo- business is closed. are singing a different tune. There is a ple’s ballots. We have no way to know f new interest in ensuring the sanctity if those ballots were sealed or if the of American elections. people had even voted when they were EXECUTIVE SESSION I have been focused for decades on harvested. The only evidence we have protecting the integrity of elections, so that the voter cast his or her ballot is I would like to welcome my friends on the signature. EXECUTIVE CALENDAR the left to their new realization. They This past election cycle turned out The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under have just discovered that this subject favorably for California Democrats, the previous order, the Senate will pro- really matters, but I have yet to see amazingly enough. These late-arriving ceed to executive session and resume any evidence that they are actually in- ballots seemed to help turn several consideration of the following nomina- terested in cleaning up the conditions races their way. Maybe this helps ex- tion, which the clerk will report. that lead to messes like this one in plain why: When House GOP leaders ex- The senior assistant legislative clerk North Carolina. pressed concern over ballot harvesting read the nomination of Eric D. Miller, At the root of the North Carolina de- in California, the State’s Democratic of Washington, to be United States Cir- bacle is a practice that is known as secretary of state mocked their con- cuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. ballot harvesting. Essentially, it is a cern by saying: ‘‘What they call Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, means by which campaign representa- strange and bizarre we call democ- I suggest the absence of a quorum. tives can collect absentee ballots on racy.’’ Now ballot harvesting has The PRESIDING OFFICER. The the premise of delivering them to a thrown out an election result in the clerk will call the roll. polling place or an election office. That U.S.