[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 30, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Nomination of J. Campbell Barker

  Madam President, the Republicans' nomination antics, of course, go 
far beyond those important Agencies. The Republicans are also 
continuing to work with President Trump to veer our courts far right by 
stacking them with ideological judges, especially when it comes to 
women's health and reproductive rights, which brings me to another 
nominee before us whom I strongly oppose--Mr. John Campbell Barker. As 
we have seen with Justice Kavanaugh and with so many other nominees, 
President Trump is seizing every opportunity he gets to appoint judges 
who will be willing to chip away at the right to safe, legal abortion. 
Unfortunately, Mr. Barker fits that pattern to a tee.
  As deputy solicitor general of Texas, in the Whole Woman's Health 
case, he defended a law that imposed medically unnecessary requirements 
on physicians and clinics that were meant to make it harder for women 
to access safe, legal care. He has also made it clear that he believes 
employers should be able to decide whether the women who work for them 
can get birth control through their insurance coverage. These alarming 
positions are just a few of the reasons I oppose Mr. Barker's 
nomination. I urge my colleagues to do the same.
  The Republicans may be determined to continue their crusade of 
tipping the judiciary against women's health and reproductive rights, 
but they should know that the Democrats and women and men across the 
country are just as determined to stand up, call them out, and fight 
back.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cassidy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, all postcloture time 
has expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the 
Hartogensis nomination?
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Yes, there is.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Harris) 
is necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. McSally). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber desiring to vote or change their vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 72, nays 27, as follows:

                       [Rollcall Vote No. 83 Ex.]

                                YEAS--72

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blackburn
     Blumenthal
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Brown
     Burr
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Durbin
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Feinstein
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Jones
     Kennedy
     King
     Lankford
     Lee
     Manchin
     McConnell
     McSally
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rosen
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Sinema
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Warner
     Wicker
     Wyden
     Young

                                NAYS--27

     Baldwin
     Booker
     Cardin
     Coons
     Duckworth
     Gillibrand
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Kaine
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warren
     Whitehouse

                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Harris
       
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to 
reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the 
President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

                          ____________________