[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 59 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2111-S2113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AMENDING THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE WATER RIGHTS QUANTIFICATION 
                              ACT OF 2010

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the 
Senate the message to accompany S. 140.
  The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message 
from the House of Representatives:

       Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 140) entitled 
     ``An Act to amend the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water 
     Rights Quantification Act of 2010 to clarify the use of 
     amounts in the WMAT Settlement Fund.'', do pass with an 
     amendment.


                            Motion to Concur

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment 
to S. 140.


                             Cloture Motion

  Mr. McCONNELL. I send a cloture motion to the desk on the motion to 
concur.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under 
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to 
     concur in the House amendment to S. 140, an act to amend the 
     White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Qualification Act of 
     2010 to clarify the use of amounts in the WMAT Settlement 
     Fund.
         Mitch McConnell, Cory Gardner, Orrin G. Hatch, Tom 
           Cotton, Steve Daines, Roy Blunt, Mike Crapo, James E. 
           Risch, Johnny Isakson, John Thune, Thom Tillis, James 
           M. Inhofe, Pat Roberts, John Hoeven, John Boozman, Jeff 
           Flake, Jerry Moran.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call 
be waived.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                Motion to Concur With Amendment No. 2227

  Mr. McCONNELL. I move to concur in the House amendment to S. 140, 
with a further amendment.

[[Page S2112]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] moves to concur 
     in the House amendment to S. 140, with an amendment numbered 
     2227.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       At the end add the following:
       ``This act shall be effective 1 day after enactment.''

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to concur 
with amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.


                Amendment No. 2228 to Amendment No. 2227

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the 
desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2228 to amendment No. 2227.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       Strike ``1 day'' and insert ``2 days''


                Motion to Refer With Amendment No. 2229

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to refer the House message on S. 
140 to the Committee on Indian Affairs with instructions to report back 
forthwith.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] moves to refer 
     the House message to accompany S. 140 to the Committee on 
     Indian Affairs to report back forthwith with instructions, 
     being amendment numbered 2229.

  The amendment is as follows:

       At the end add the following:
       ``This Act shall take effect 3 days after the date of 
     enactment.''

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.


                           Amendment No. 2230

  Mr. McCONNELL. I have an amendment to the instructions.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2230 to the instructions of the motion to 
     refer.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       Strike ``3 days'' and insert ``4 days''

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.


                Amendment No. 2231 to Amendment No. 2230

  Mr. McCONNELL. I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 2231 to amendment No. 2230.

  The amendment is as follows:

       Strike ``4'' and insert ``5''


                    Confirmation of Rebecca Jennings

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today the Senate completed its work on 
the personnel business for this week the way we started--by confirming 
a talented nominee to be a Federal district judge in Kentucky.
  President Trump nominated Rebecca Jennings to be the first woman to 
serve as a district judge for the Western District of Kentucky. Widely 
recognized for her outstanding legal talents and judgment, Ms. Jennings 
has earned the support of Kentucky's legal community. In fact, dozens 
of her peers wrote that ``she has a first-rate analytical mind and 
superb judgment. She is principled, thoughtful, and hard-working.'' 
These qualities are exactly what I believe we need on the Federal 
district courts. Our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee agreed, 
advancing Ms. Jennings' nomination to the Senate floor on a voice vote. 
Just moments ago, the Senate fulfilled its responsibility, confirming 
another well-qualified nominee for Kentucky and for the Nation, both of 
which will be well-served by Rebecca Jennings on the bench.
  I hope the Senate can build on this momentum and continue confirming 
more of the President's abundantly qualified nominees without undue 
delay.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.


                      Confirmation of John Broomes

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, judges and litigants in our State of Kansas 
have been anxious to have the vacant positions in our State filled. One 
of those two vacancies in district judgeships is the longest open 
vacancy in the country, and today we accomplished the filling of one of 
those positions with the confirmation of John Broomes.
  I rise to express my pleasure to my colleagues and to Mr. Broomes--my 
pleasure for his willingness to be considered for this position, to be 
nominated by the President, and now to be confirmed by the U.S. 
Senate--and to express my pleasure to my colleagues for seeing his 
qualifications and experience and capabilities and making that 
confirmation happen just a few moments ago. He is a highly qualified 
individual, he is a well-respected attorney, and he has the intellect 
and legal mind and legal experience to receive this lifetime 
appointment as a Federal judge.
  I take these lifetime appointments very seriously, and I want to make 
certain that, as a Kansas Senator and as a U.S. Senator, I am doing my 
part to put highly qualified and soundly principled judges in place to 
serve Kansas and the country. John Broomes meets these qualifications. 
In my conversations with him over the last year, he expressed a 
judicial philosophy that is dedicated to the interpretation of the law 
as written, recognition that no person is above the law, and treatment 
for all litigants in a fair and legal fashion.
  I appreciate Mr. Broomes' naval service to our country. His 
willingness to serve is a mark of his character and his love for our 
Nation.
  I want to highlight a note from a distinguished professor at Washburn 
Law School in Topeka, KS. He indicated in his letter that he found Mr. 
Broomes to be ``the most gifted legal mind he has ever encountered. 
Equally important, he is an honest and principled person and among the 
very best lawyers I know.'' Dr. David Pierce, a law school professor, 
is a highly regarded member of the faculty and chairman of the Washburn 
business and transactional law program, and his confirmation of my view 
of John Broomes is very fulfilling to me. It gives me great confidence 
that we have made a wise decision today.
  Mr. Broomes served as a law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald 
Bostwick and U.S. District Court Judge Monti Belot, and their 
reputation and experience add to Mr. Broomes' qualifications.
  I met Mr. Broomes' family, and I was so impressed with him as a 
father. I was impressed with his wife and their children. He has a 
reputation as a solid, decent, and conscientious person and a man with 
a conscience. He also has a reputation for expertly managing cases and 
solving complex litigation. He has been a valuable attorney to the 
Hinkle law firm, a highly regarded law firm in Wichita, KS. That firm 
is known for employing associates and having partners who meet the 
qualifications that we would want in a judge. He focuses on business 
and natural resources law, and that knowledge of those kinds of cases 
will be very valuable to litigation that is heard in my State.
  Mr. Broomes was unanimously confirmed by the Senate Judiciary 
Committee in December, and I appreciate the support my colleagues have 
demonstrated on his confirmation today.

[[Page S2113]]

  Thank you, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.

                          ____________________