[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7055-S7059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Thanksgiving
Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, next Thursday is Thanksgiving, and we
are here today because, even during a tough year like this one, we have
so many things to be thankful for.
In that spirit, I would like to tell a short story about a Nebraskan
whose contribution to the history of our country is pretty
extraordinary.
In 1886, Andrew Jackson Higgins was born in the small town of
Columbus, NE. He spent most of his childhood in Omaha, and he served in
the Nebraska Army National Guard after the turn of the 20th century
before moving to Alabama at the age of 20 to work in the lumber
industry.
He worked a wide variety of jobs, hoping to learn enough to
eventually start his own business. He succeeded in his dream in 1922
when he founded Higgins Lumber and Export Company, which quickly grew
to become one of the largest lumber companies in North America.
Four years later, his company designed the Eureka boat, a 36-foot-
long boat that was able to sail in just a few feet of water. At the
time, lumber could only be loaded onto ships at port, but a craft that
could operate in such shallow water could run on and off of riverbanks,
enabling Higgins Lumber and Export Company to load and unload its
lumber just about anywhere.
In short, Andrew Higgins built the Eureka boat simply to make his
employees' lives easier, and that was an honorable goal. But throughout
the next decade, as it became clear that Hitler decided to plunge the
world back into war, the U.S. military began to search for a way to
land soldiers directly onto beaches. They turned to the Eureka boat,
which beat the Navy's design in a head-to-head test in 1939.
There was just one problem: The only way to get on or off the boat
was by jumping over the sides, and this would leave soldiers exposed to
enemy fire in combat. To get around this, the Navy asked Higgins to add
a ramp door to the boat's bow. He returned with the final design just a
month later, and the Higgins boat was born.
Andrew Higgins' company went on to produce over 23,000 of these
boats, and his design worked so well that the Allies trusted them to
carry our soldiers across the English Channel on D-Day. Without the
Higgins boat, we may not have turned the tide of World War II at
Normandy. We may never have liberated Europe from Hitler's grasp.
In fact, President Dwight Eisenhower, who was the Supreme Allied
Commander in Europe on D-Day, went as far as to say that Andrew Higgins
was ``the man who won the war for us.''
It was an honor to attend the 75th anniversary of D-Day last year at
Omaha Beach, to see firsthand the beach where the ``greatest
generation'' jumped out of those boats that Andrew Higgins built to
save the world from Naziism.
I am thankful for them, and I am thankful for the sacrifices that all
of our veterans and Active-Duty servicemembers make each and every day.
We all know that Thanksgiving is going to be a little different this
year. As important as it is to spend time with our extended family,
many of whom we only see once a year, it is just as important to do
what we can to protect those we love from this virus.
I won't pretend that it is easy to spend Thanksgiving apart from
these large gatherings of loved ones, but I hope the far greater
sacrifices our soldiers and veterans have made will help us to keep
this hardship in perspective.
This Thanksgiving, let's give thanks for our military; let's give
thanks for Andrew Higgins and the Higgins boat, which saved the lives
of so many of our soldiers on D-Day; and let's give thanks for our
veterans and those currently serving this country in the Armed Forces.
Without the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make every
day, our country wouldn't be as great as it is today. Their service
makes Thanksgiving possible, this year and every year.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I am rising today, along with others,
giving thanks to our military and servicemembers and our veterans. In
our family, this comes naturally. I am the son of Wes Roberts, a World
War II Marine veteran who fought at Okinawa and Iwo Jima, and as a
Marine veteran myself, I say with certainty and pride that there is no
greater duty than to stand
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with those who have put country before self.
I might add that my dad was age 41; he lied about his age and said he
was 39. There was a niche in the Marine Corps at that time to be an air
ground officer. That quickly turned into a combat situation, both in
Okinawa and Iwo Jima. I am very thankful that he was spared. I would
also like to add that I thank former President Truman for making a
decision that allowed him and 800,000 other Americans to come home.
It is of the utmost importance, especially today, to pause and to
recognize and thank veterans everywhere for their service in defending
our Nation from threats, both overseas and here at home.
Another point of privilege I would like to point out is that before
the pandemic, we were set to dedicate the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
on May 8. That was the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day--an
anniversary with worldwide significance.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, we dedicated the memorial in September,
and now, after decades of work, the memorial dedicated to our President
and the Supreme Allied Commander and Kansas's favorite son, Dwight D.
Eisenhower, is attracting generations of visitors to the National Mall.
I drive by it on Independence Avenue when I am going home. I am always
amazed that there are 25 or 30 people taking pictures of Ike, both as
President and also the Supreme Allied Commander.
I am delighted that we are relearning the contributions of this great
President and a man who basically saved Western democracy and gave us 8
years of peace and prosperity as President.
The memorial encourages all visitors to learn more about the critical
role Ike played in not only shaping our Nation and defining the United
States of America on the world stage but leading our country through 8
years of peace and prosperity. He recognized the promise of America and
the reciprocal responsibility of his people to serve the Nation that
serves them. As he said in his first inaugural address, ``It is the
firm duty of each of our free citizens . . . to place the cause of this
country before the comfort, the convenience of himself.'' It was
Eisenhower's decision to launch the D-day invasion that helped turn the
tide of war in Europe and save Western democracy.
While the memorial pays tribute to his valiant leadership, it also
pays tribute to the ``greatest generation.'' Without their bravery and
sacrifice during World War II, the world, no doubt, would be a very
different place.
Now, we have another favorite son in Kansas. My dear friend and
mentor, Senator Bob Dole, is another one of these heroes of the
``greatest generation,'' and he made a tremendous effort in making the
World War II Memorial a reality. In talking with Bob about his effort
and then his key role in making the Eisenhower Memorial an actuality
and being successful, now anybody who is a World War II veteran--and
those numbers are decreasing dramatically every year--however, they can
get some transportation up here on Independence Avenue and pay homage
to their Commander in Chief and salute him as they would have liked to
have done years back.
I would point out that through my 40 years of service in both the
House and Senate, I have said many times that the No. 1 priority of our
Federal Government is to provide for the safety and security of our
great Nation and to encourage those who protect us and to give them
due. It has also been an honor to serve as a marine and to serve the
great State of Kansas in Washington.
Our Nation is forever indebted to the acts of bravery and sacrifice
of the service men and women who repeatedly answer the call of duty and
step forward to defend the freedoms we all hold dear. Each and every
one of us--more especially in this body--give the thanks of a grateful
Nation to our Nation's veterans.
I would be remiss if I did not close by stating ``Semper Fi.''
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
confirmation vote on the Vaden nomination occur at 2:15 p.m. today.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I am joined on the floor by the Senator
from North Carolina, and I think a few additional Members will be
coming to talk about Thanksgiving Day and about one of the things that
we are most thankful for in this Nation, which is the service of our
veterans who have stepped forward in uniform to give us the free
country that we enjoy today and the freedoms that we enjoy today--
veterans like my 96-year-old father, who was in World War II, who was
recognized at the Ole Miss-South Carolina game just Saturday night as
one of the surviving World War II veterans.
So I want to take a personal moment to recognize my dad and people
like him who served so many, many decades ago. They kept us safe and
defended our most important freedoms, including the freedom that
Americans exercised just this month--the freedom to cast a ballot.
I am a veteran myself, and I am a proud veteran. Of course, my
accomplishments do not compare with those of my World War II veteran
dad's. I am also the proud father of an Air Force major today, Maj.
McDaniel Wicker. So being a veteran is a proud tradition in our family.
Also, it is a proud recognition that we make as Members of Congress and
to take care that the promises we have made are kept to the armed
services members who have stepped forward and donned a uniform.
That means making sure, during this COVID-19 pandemic, that federally
run retirement homes, like the Armed Services Retirement Home in
Gulfport, MS, have the resources they need. It means acting boldly to
reform the VA, which we have done, actually, on a bipartisan basis, in
recent years, with legislation like the VA MISSION Act and the VA
Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. These laws have
reduced wait times, expanded access to telemedicine and private care,
and allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire employees who
have engaged in poor performance. As I say that, I might add, when I
talk to veterans who have used the services of the VA, so many times,
they are complimentary and profusely generous in their praise of the
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs. For those who don't
get the job done and perform poorly, we now have the ability, under
this important legislation, to get rid of them and replace them with
those who will join the majority of the VA employees in getting the job
done.
I have also introduced legislation with Senator Kaine to designate
September 30 as National Veterans Suicide Prevention Day. It is
something on which, again, we have worked in a bipartisan manner down
through the Congresses.
This month is not only Thanksgiving month and election month, but it
is Military Family Appreciation Month. Showing our thankfulness to
veterans also includes showing our thankfulness to the families of our
military members. So I am pleased to join my colleagues and yield the
floor, in just a few moments, to my colleague from North Carolina.
Just today, Members of the House and Senate are working on the final
paragraphs and the final provisions that remain undecided within the
National Defense Authorization Act. This year, it will be named after a
retiring colleague of ours, Representative Mac Thornberry, of Texas,
who did not seek reelection this year. I can tell you that Members of
the Senate and Members of this Republican conference are working hard
today to make our National Defense Authorization Act a reality again
for the 60th straight year and to serve those veterans and future
veterans who have done so much to make our country free.
At this point, I yield the floor
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from North Carolina.
Mr. TILLIS. Madam President, before the senior Senator from
Mississippi leaves, I would like to thank him for
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his comments and for his service to the Nation. He actually spent some
quality time in my great State of North Carolina when he was in the Air
Force.
Senator Wicker, thank you for your service and for your father's as
well.
I rise for the same purpose--to thank our men and women in uniform,
our veterans, and those actively serving.
In North Carolina, we have a proud tradition of military service. We
have one of the fastest growing populations of veterans in the Nation.
We will have surpassed a million over the next couple of years. We also
have over 100,000 Active-Duty servicemembers who serve bravely from
Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, New River, and Seymour Johnson,
which is where my colleague from Mississippi served. We also have a
fantastic, well-decorated National Guard and the largest air station
for the Coast Guard right up in the northeast part of our State. We
have a proud tradition of military service, and I am proud to serve
them as their U.S. Senator.
I also have the privilege of serving as the chairman of the Personnel
Subcommittee on the Senate Armed Services Committee and on the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs, where we work every day to try to make
life better for our men and women who serve today and for our veterans
who have served in the past.
I have to say, with regard to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, it
is one of my favorite committees because--and the American people need
to recognize this--we almost always come together, Republicans and
Democrats, to continue to make installments on a debt we can never
fully repay. Senator Wicker talked about some of the progress we have
made with the VA MISSION Act, which makes sure that we provide to the
veterans who need care the best possible care they can get.
I also thank for his leadership the Secretary of the VA, Robert
Wilkie, who is also a native North Carolinian. Out of 17 Federal
agencies, he has taken the Department of Veterans Affairs organization,
which was ranked 17th as the preferred place to work, to the top 5, and
its satisfaction rating among veterans today is over 90 percent. I
would put what they are doing up against any of the best healthcare
systems in the private sector.
We have a lot of work to do, and I want all of the veterans to know
that we are going to honor their service by doing our work here in the
Senate of continuing to do better by them.
I also want to talk about the fact that it is Military Family
Appreciation Month. I think the real silent heroes out there are the
spouses and the family members who are left behind when you are
deployed or are in training. We have to continue to make progress for
military families. Many people may not appreciate what it is like if
you are in a career as a spouse and are being moved from station to
station every couple of years or how difficult it is to get a job. For
many certified positions, it can take a year or more for you to get a
job in another State, and by that time, you are already planning for
another deployment. We have made a lot of progress in this area, but we
have much more to do.
On a special note, I want to talk to the military families who are in
military housing on our installations across the world, particularly to
the folks down at Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune.
We are not done with making sure that you have the best, safest,
cleanest housing that you can possibly have. We have made a lot of
progress in this Congress, but we have a lot of work to do.
So I make a commitment to every servicemember and every veteran: As
long as I am in the U.S. Senate, we are going to work to continue to
repay that debt. We are looking for your feedback, and we are looking
for your input so that we can do right by you.
To all of the veterans and all of the military families, I thank you
from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done and for all that
you continue to do.
On a final note, to those of the veterans service organizations, with
whom I work closely on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, thank you
for your continued service. You have served our Nation in the armed
services, and you continue to serve by helping veterans and helping to
be a voice up here in Congress.
To the veterans and military families, God bless you, and thank you
for your service.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Hyde-Smith). The Senator from Iowa.
Ms. ERNST. Madam President, I thank my colleague from North Carolina
for joining us to talk about our veterans and about how important they
are.
North Carolina, of course, is home to many of our Active-Duty
installations, which house many of our brave, young men and women from
across the United States. Many Iowans will travel to the great Fort
Bragg or other installations and call North Carolina home at least for
a short while. So thanks to my colleague for joining us today.
Thanksgiving dinner has become the single most celebrated meal of the
year, with tens of millions of Americans gathering with family and
friends to give thanks for their blessings and, of course, for one
another. And, folks, I know that this year, it is a lot different.
While we still have so much to be thankful for, the COVID-19 pandemic
means folks will be traveling less and might not be celebrating in
larger groups. As a result, many will be separated from their loved
ones on this very special day.
But, folks, this is a very familiar feeling for anyone who has ever
served in our Nation's Armed Forces. There is no vacation from
protecting our Nation. At any given moment, thousands of men and women,
moms and dads, brothers and sisters, are stationed around the world,
standing vigilant in the defense of freedom.
Those wearing the uniform aren't the only ones making a sacrifice,
either. Back home, there is an empty seat at the family table. There
are kids missing their mom or dad, as my daughter missed me while I was
deployed. Parents are missing a child, and husbands and wives are
missing a spouse.
Due to COVID, many who are stationed in the United States can't even
travel home to be with their families. My own daughter will not be able
to travel over Thanksgiving. Restrictions have been put in place
prohibiting nonessential travel to or from many military installations,
including Camp Dodge in my home State of Iowa. But every day, not just
Thanksgiving, can be a sacrifice when serving in the Armed Forces.
Those who enlist are well aware of this. Yet it is no deterrent.
As a combat veteran with over 23 years of service between the Army
Reserves and the Iowa Army National Guard, I understand what many
families are going through, and I have a deep sense of gratitude for
the sacrifice our men and women in uniform make for the good of their
neighbors.
Just last year, I visited our Iowa troops for Thanksgiving in
Afghanistan. It was good to see them, and I know how much they were
missing their families. They also want to make sure that the people
back home remember them--remember that they are far from home, remember
that they are working hard to protect our freedoms.
Our courageous servicemembers know the real cost of freedom. They
have seen and felt it firsthand. Many of them live with that price the
rest of their lives. Far too many who survive combat continue fighting
an internal battle when they return home.
That is why I have made it a top priority to work across the aisle to
combat suicide and mental health struggles among our veterans. My most
recent effort would designate a Buddy Check Week to educate veterans on
how to conduct peer wellness checks. It is a really simple measure that
could go a long way to support the health and safety of those who have
bravely served our Nation.
During this Thanksgiving season, we also must continue to show our
gratitude for those who are putting their own health and lives at risk
by serving on the frontlines in our fight against COVID-19.
Throughout this pandemic, there have been over 850 Iowa National
Guardsmen working to deliver personal protective equipment, food, and
medical supplies all across the State of Iowa. Having served in the
Iowa Army National Guard for many, many years, I could not be more
proud of their tireless and selfless efforts. That is why I
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have introduced legislation to provide tax-free hazardous duty pay for
our National Guard men and women to recognize the work they are doing
during this pandemic and provide them the pay they deserve.
I know I speak on behalf of all Iowans when I say I am truly thankful
for all of those who have ever served our Nation in uniform, and also
to their families. This month we honor and appreciate all the
sacrifices our military families make to support loved ones who are
serving our Nation in uniform.
While this Thanksgiving might look a little different, let's not
forget to be grateful for the freedoms and the blessings we have in
this truly great country.
May God bless all Iowans, including those serving overseas and those
caring for strangers during this pandemic. I am thankful for the
opportunity to serve you.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri
Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, first, let me thank Senator Ernst for
organizing this opportunity to talk about our veterans, to talk about
those who serve and the obligations we have to them, to talk about
their challenges. Last week, certainly Veterans Day was very much on
our minds, but also we ought to be sure that our veterans are on our
minds all the time.
We have appropriations bills we need to pass that will make a big
difference in how veterans' issues are dealt with. Obviously we need to
pass the appropriations bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs,
and every veteran would want us to pass the appropriations bill for the
Department of Defense. But there are also provisions in other bills
that help veterans get back into society more effectively when they
leave the military.
The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill that I
talked about on the floor last week increases assistance for veterans'
employment programs and veterans' training programs. It supports
veterans when they move from the military workforce to the civilian
workforce. It works to give homeless veterans a chance to have a home,
have a job, have an opportunity--break through whatever barrier is a
barrier for them. Opioid dependence--we all know those numbers are back
up. Those opioid death numbers are back up. Veteran suicide--not one is
acceptable. Funding the veterans hotline, funding behavioral health
programs, being sure that telehealth can be available to veterans who
may not be able to drive all the way to a provider but would be able to
quickly contact the person who helps them.
We need to understand the challenges for homeless veterans
particularly and post-traumatic stress in other veterans who sometimes
don't develop post-traumatic stress until decades after they serve.
Often our veterans, not just in leaving the military but in retirement
from whatever they did next, don't realize until that moment how much
their service has impacted the way they see things and do things and
think about things and are concerned about things.
We need to be sure that veterans who have experiences and skills that
they take out of the military are able to quickly connect with
employers as they transition to civilian life.
Every employer--in fact, at least I have never talked to an employer
who doesn't say: We really hire vets. It is a priority where we are to
hire vets.
But we passed some legislation a few years ago, the HIRE Vets Act,
which gave the Department of Labor the authority to recognize employers
that actually do that--that hire vets, that promote vets, that retain
vets. Secretary Alex Acosta was Secretary of Labor at the time, and
they took a program that--everybody who advised him on this said it
would take about 3 years to set this up. They set it up in about 6
months, and we began to recognize employers around the country who
truly do meet the standard that all employers say they meet, and some
do. Everybody wants to, but it is easier to say you do it than it is to
do it.
Seven Missouri businesses just received earlier this month the 2020
HIRE Vets Medallion Program Award. They are C2C in Chesterfield;
Connectria in St. Louis; Arnold Defense & Electronics in Arnold, MO;
AME Construction in Cottleville; Veterans of Foreign Wars in Kansas
City, an employer that at one time was the World War I Memorial--the
only memorial; On Target Solutions in Belton; and Pod-Grown in
Wentzville. They all received the recognition that they really do hire
vets and they really do promote vets and they really do meet
extraordinary standards that are part of that program. The program aims
to highlight companies that do just that.
Third, we have worked to make it easier for military spouses to
transfer their licenses and skills from one State to another. We
included that in the Defense Authorization Act passed in July. That
Defense Authorization Act hasn't passed the Congress yet. It has passed
the Senate; it hasn't passed the House yet. I know we have every
intention of getting that done this year. But when we do, we put
provisions in there that really do allow much easier transfer from one
State to another, whether you are a teacher or a nurse or a beautician
or a barber or an engineer, architect--whatever you might be
transferring and want to transfer as your spouse moves from one
assignment to another, it shouldn't take most of the time you are there
to finally get qualified to do what you were qualified to do before you
got there.
Lowering these license barriers for spouses--I think we ought to also
do all we can to lower those barriers for veterans themselves. If you
have been a medical technician in the Air Force, it shouldn't be very
hard to become a medical technician wherever you decide to move to
after the military. If you have been a truckdriver in the Army, it
shouldn't be very hard to get a truckdriver's license pretty quickly
once you decide this is where you want to go. If you have been an
electrician in the Navy, you ought to be able to get your license to be
an electrician pretty quickly when you go to where you go after you
leave the military.
So these are the kinds of things we can do. Certainly, our deep
appreciation for veterans, our deep appreciation for their families,
our honoring the flag that they have done so much for--all of that is
important. It is an integral part of what we are as a country. But
there are things we also do that show veterans that what they did, what
they learned counts, it matters, and we are going to recognize that as
employers, as coworkers, as Members of Congress.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
Mr. YOUNG. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to complete my
remarks before the vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. YOUNG. Madam President, in the Marine Corps, we have a motto:
Semper Fidelis. It means ``always faithful''--always faithful to our
Nation and to the brave patriots who have honorably served it.
Just last week, we recognized a day that is very special to me and I
think to all Americans--Veterans Day. On this important occasion, we
say thank you to our veterans, to those who have worn the uniform for
their courage and for their commitment to protecting our freedoms and
preserving our very way of life.
Their service, of course, should be an example to all of us. I try to
instill this in my children. It is something I discuss at school groups
oftentimes, encouraging people to think about maybe spending some time
in military service or finding other ways to serve their fellow
Americans.
Our veterans help keep us safe during times of great uncertainty and
unease--something all of us, I think, appreciate a little bit more
during this trying year.
The month of November also marks Military Family Appreciation Month.
Our military families don't always get the credit they deserve, but
they bear a very special and unique burden on behalf of our country
that, frankly, most of us cannot fully understand. They sacrifice their
peace of mind and their well-being on behalf of their neighbors, their
communities, and their fellow Americans, people they have never met--
What could be more beautiful than that?--because they believe in this
Nation and they believe in this country and the values that undergird
it.
Even though we can't begin to repay the sacrifices they make on our
behalf,
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we can honor them, and we can express our gratitude. So this
Thanksgiving season, this time for counting our blessings and
celebrating how many of them we enjoy even amidst this global pandemic,
may we remember all that we are thankful for--every bit of it--and who
we are thankful for, as well--yes, our family members, our neighbors,
and our close friends, but I personally am thankful for our Active-Duty
servicemembers. I am thankful for Indiana's more than 400,000 veterans.
I am thankful for their selfless families.
I hope all Americans will join me today, this month, this
Thanksgiving, and every day thereafter and reflect on these men and
women, the fellow Americans who sacrifice so much on behalf of all of
us. Our country simply would not be the same without them; it arguably
wouldn't exist without the families who are prepared to sacrifice so
much.
So God bless our Active-Duty servicemembers, God bless our veterans,
and God bless our military families, and may God continue to bless this
great country, the United States of America.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, all postcloture time
has expired.
The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Vaden
nomination?
Mr. ENZI. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator
from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Colorado (Mr.
Gardner), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from
Florida (Mr. Scott).
Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr.
Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr.
Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr.
Scott) would have voted ``yea.''
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs.
Feinstein), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from
Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr.
Whitehouse) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 49, nays 43, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 237 Ex.]
YEAS--49
Barrasso
Blackburn
Blunt
Boozman
Braun
Burr
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Enzi
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Hawley
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Inhofe
Johnson
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Loeffler
McConnell
McSally
Moran
Murkowski
Paul
Perdue
Portman
Risch
Roberts
Romney
Rounds
Rubio
Sasse
Scott (SC)
Shelby
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Toomey
Wicker
Young
NAYS--43
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Booker
Brown
Cantwell
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hirono
Jones
Kaine
King
Klobuchar
Leahy
Manchin
Markey
Menendez
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Schatz
Schumer
Shaheen
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Tester
Udall
Van Hollen
Warner
Warren
Wyden
NOT VOTING--8
Alexander
Feinstein
Gardner
Grassley
Harris
Sanders
Scott (FL)
Whitehouse
The nomination was confirmed
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip.
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the
President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________