June 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4561 Contrary to Senate myth, the fili- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby Senate the pending cloture motion, buster is not in our Constitution—just move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- which the clerk will state. the opposite. The man who wrote that nation of Executive Calendar No. 148, The senior assistant legislative clerk Constitution knew well how requiring Radhika Fox, of California, to be an Assist- read as follows: ant Administrator of the Environmental supermajorities for routine bills had Protection Agency. CLOTURE MOTION doomed the Articles of Confederation. Charles E. Schumer, Thomas R. Carper, We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- They deliberately rejected a super- Jacky Rosen, John Hickenlooper, ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the majority requirement for common leg- Tammy Baldwin, Richard J. Durbin, Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby islation when they wrote the Constitu- Richard Blumenthal, Kirsten E. Gilli- move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- tion. brand, Raphael Warnock, Chris Van nation of Executive Calendar No. 173, Lydia Defenders say the filibuster encour- Hollen, Martin Heinrich, Christopher Kay Griggsby, of Maryland, to be United ages bipartisan compromise. Look Murphy, Sheldon Whitehouse, Bernard States District Judge for the District of around you. Does anyone really believe Sanders, Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray, Maryland. Charles E. Schumer, Richard J. Durbin, for a minute that this is the new gold- Margaret Wood Hassan. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- Benjamin L. Cardin, Chris Van Hollen, en age of bipartisan compromise in the imous consent, the mandatory quorum Jacky Rosen, John Hickenlooper, Senate? Tammy Baldwin, Richard Blumenthal, There are proposals to mend the fili- call has been waived. The question is, Is it the sense of the Kirsten E. Gillibrand, Raphael buster. We could bring back a talking Warnock, Martin Heinrich, Christopher Senate that debate on the nomination filibuster. We all remember the movie Murphy, Bernard Sanders, Jeff of Radhika Fox, of California, to be an ‘‘Mr. SMITH Goes to Washington,’’ Merkley, Patty Murray, Margaret where he withered and fell to the floor Assistant Administrator of the Envi- Wood Hassan. at his desk carrying on an endless fili- ronmental Protection Agency, shall be The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- buster. It isn’t that way any longer. brought to a close? imous consent, the mandatory quorum The yeas and nays are mandatory Senators now can start a filibuster call has been waived. under the rule. with a phone call and head home for The question is, Is it the sense of the The clerk will call the roll. Senate that debate on the nomination the weekend. That is not what the fili- The legislative clerk called the roll. buster was designed for. If a Senator of Lydia Kay Griggsby, of Maryland, to (Mr. DURBIN assumed the Chair.) be United States District Judge for the feels strongly enough about an issue to Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the grind the Senate to a halt, they should District of Maryland, shall be brought Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER) to a close? be willing to stand up and speak their and the Senator from Michigan (Mr. mind and stay on the Senate floor. The yeas and nays are mandatory PETERS) are necessarily absent. under the rule. Some have proposed changing the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. number of votes needed to end debate, The clerk will call the roll. COONS). Are there any other Senators The senior assistant legislative clerk possibly lowering the 60-vote require- in the Chamber desiring to vote or ment for cloture to 55. That is a prece- called the roll. change their vote? Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the dent that at least is consistent with The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 55, historical trends, but leaders of both Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER) nays 43, as follows: and the Senator from Michigan (Mr. parties need to agree on it. [Rollcall Vote No. 234 Ex.] I am willing to consider any reason- PETERS) are necessarily absent. YEAS—55 able plan that promotes genuine bipar- The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 57, tisan cooperation and ends the tyranny Baldwin Heinrich Reed nays 41, as follows: Bennet Hickenlooper Rosen [Rollcall Vote No. 235 Ex.] of the minority. What we cannot do is Blumenthal Hirono Sanders nothing. Brown Hyde-Smith Schatz YEAS—57 Burr Kaine After a minority of Senators used the Schumer Baldwin Graham Ossoff Cantwell Kelly filibuster to prevent—for now—the cre- Shaheen Bennet Grassley Padilla Cardin King Sinema Blumenthal Hassan Reed ation of the January 6 Commission, we Carper Klobuchar Smith Brown Heinrich Romney Casey Leahy all went home for a long Memorial Day Stabenow Burr Hickenlooper Rosen Collins Luja´ n weekend. On my flight home and all Tester Cantwell Hirono Sanders Coons Manchin Van Hollen Capito Kaine Schatz that weekend, I thought of the young Cortez Masto Markey Cardin Kelly Schumer men who stormed the beaches of Nor- Cramer Menendez Warner Carper King Shaheen Duckworth Merkley Warnock mandy on D-day, running straight into Casey Klobuchar Sinema Durbin Murkowski Warren enemy fire, knowing well that they Collins Leahy Smith Feinstein Murphy Whitehouse Coons Luja´ n Stabenow might die to preserve democracy. And Gillibrand Murray Wicker Cornyn Manchin Tester Graham Ossoff Wyden many of them did. Now we see Mem- Cortez Masto Markey Van Hollen Hassan Padilla bers of the Senate routinely abusing Duckworth Menendez Warner the filibuster because they are afraid NAYS—43 Durbin Merkley Warnock to face an unpleasant vote or an angry Ernst Murkowski Warren Barrasso Hagerty Romney Feinstein Murphy Whitehouse insult from Donald Trump. Surely, we Blackburn Hawley Rounds Gillibrand Murray Wyden are better and braver than this. Blunt Hoeven Rubio Boozman Inhofe Sasse NAYS—41 I yield the floor. Braun Johnson Scott (FL) Barrasso Hoeven Rounds I suggest the absence of a quorum. Capito Kennedy Scott (SC) Blackburn Hyde-Smith Rubio The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Cassidy Lankford Shelby Blunt Inhofe Cornyn Lee Sasse clerk will call the roll. Sullivan Boozman Johnson Cotton Lummis Scott (FL) The legislative clerk proceeded to Thune Braun Kennedy Crapo Marshall Scott (SC) Tillis Cassidy Lankford call the roll. Cruz McConnell Shelby Toomey Cotton Lee Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask Daines Moran Sullivan Cramer Lummis Ernst Paul Tuberville Thune unanimous consent that the order for Crapo Marshall Fischer Portman Young Tillis the quorum call be rescinded. Cruz McConnell Grassley Risch Toomey Daines Moran The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Tuberville objection, it is so ordered. NOT VOTING—2 Fischer Paul Hagerty Portman Wicker Booker Peters CLOTURE MOTION Hawley Risch Young The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas NOT VOTING—2 to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the are 55, the nays are 43. Senate the pending cloture motion, The motion is agreed to. Booker Peters which the clerk will state. f (Mr. BENNET assumed the Chair.) The legislative clerk read as follows: The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- CLOTURE MOTION CLOTURE MOTION pore. On this vote, the yeas are 57, and We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant the nays are 41. ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the The motion is agreed to. VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:15 Jun 17, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G16JN6.007 S16JNPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S4562 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 16, 2021 EXECUTIVE CALENDAR titled ‘‘President Biden Has Nominated evaluating her integrity, professional The clerk will report the nomination. as Many Minority Women to Be Judges experience, and judicial temperament. The senior assistant legislative clerk in Four Months as Trump Had Con- I was delighted to recommend the read the nomination of Lydia Kay firmed in Four Years.’’ Having judges nomination of Judge Griggsby to Presi- Griggsby, of Maryland, to be United with a broad range of backgrounds, ex- dent Biden, along with Senator VAN States District Judge for the District periences, and perspectives makes our HOLLEN. of Maryland. Federal bench more diverse and better Judicial nominees must meet the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- representative of the communities they highest standards of integrity, com- pore. The Senator from Maryland. serve, which builds greater public trust petency, and temperament. Judge Griggsby will safeguard the rights of UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT in the judiciary. all, uphold the Constitution and rule of Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask Instead of giving a formal introduc- law, and faithfully follow the judicial unanimous consent that notwith- tion to my colleagues of Judge oath to do equal right to the poor and standing rule XXII, the cloture vote Griggsby today, we should really say ‘‘welcome home’’ to Judge Griggsby. to the rich. with respect to the nomination of So I urge my colleagues to vote to When I first was elected to the Senate, Tommy P. Beaudreau, to be Deputy confirm Judge Griggsby, who I believe I served on the Judiciary Committee, Secretary of the Interior, occur fol- will be an outstanding member of the and my staff and I were pleased to lowing the disposition of the Griggsby Federal bench. She is already a sitting work with then-Chief Counsel nomination. Federal judge on the U.S. Court of Fed- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Griggsby. eral Claims, and I look forward to her She was born in Baltimore and went pore. Without objection, it is so or- continued public service, serving all to high school in Baltimore. dered. the people of our Nation as a Federal At that time, Judge Griggsby served, Mr.