[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4417-S4418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Senate Accomplishments

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I would like to welcome you and all of my 
colleagues back from the August work period. I hope everyone had the 
chance to travel across their States, meet with their constituents, 
listen to their concerns, and share all the major accomplishments the 
Senate secured over the last few months.
  Indeed, the Senate gavels back into session after a season of immense 
productivity. When Democrats assumed the majority in 2021, I promised 
we would leave no stone unturned in tackling the biggest challenges 
facing our country. Twenty months later, Democrats have delivered on 
our promises.
  We promised to lower costs for the American people in the wake of 
crippling inflation; so we passed the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce 
energy costs, reduce healthcare costs, and expand tax breaks for 
working and middle Americans.
  We also promised to take on Big Pharma and lower prescription drug 
costs, so we passed historic legislation to lower insulin costs for 
seniors on Medicare, cap out-of-pocket expenses, and empowered Medicare 
to finally be able to negotiate drug prices--this for the first time 
ever; long sought after by many Congresses; accomplished by this one.
  We promised to take on entrenched oil interests and get tough on 
climate change, and so we passed the largest clean energy package 
ever--by a long margin, by the way.
  Thanks to our work, Americans will see their energy bills go down, 
their savings go up, all while we create millions of new, good-paying 
jobs and finally dealt with climate change in a very significant and 
real way.
  We also promised to bring manufacturing jobs back to America and get 
tough on adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, so we passed the 
CHIPS and Science Act, the largest investment in manufacturing jobs and 
science research since the aftermath of World War II.
  Of course, we promised to take on the NRA, as the Presiding Officer 
well knows, and protect our kids from gun violence, so we passed the 
first gun safety bill since the Brady law 30 years ago, which I was 
proud to author when I was a Member of Congress.
  Now, none of these accomplishments were easy. They demanded immense 
patience and persistence above all. But for anyone who thought 
Washington

[[Page S4418]]

was broken and couldn't do big things, this Democratic majority has 
shown that real change is possible. The results speak for themselves. 
Jobs across the country remain up. Americans are going back to work. 
Our supply chains are healing. In fact, freight rates on ocean trade 
channels have dropped by 60 percent since January. As gas prices 
continue their 2-month drop, we are seeing evidence that inflation 
might be starting to ease up.
  Of course, the work isn't done. As we begin this short work period, 
we have several high-priority items that demand our immediate 
attention. Before this work period concludes, the Senate must come 
together to pass a continuing resolution to extend government funding 
beyond the September 30 deadline.
  Last week, the administration sent us a request for a number of 
funding items they would like us to work on--aid to Ukraine, pandemic 
relief, and other items.
  This process, of course, needs to be bipartisan. Democrats are going 
to work in good faith to avoid even a hint of a shutdown, and it is my 
expectation that our Republican colleagues will do the same.
  We will also work this month to confirm even more of President 
Biden's judicial nominees. Later today, the Senate is scheduled to vote 
to advance the nomination of Judge John Lee to serve as a circuit court 
judge for the Seventh Circuit. If confirmed, Judge Lee would make 
history as the first Asian-American judge to sit on the Seventh 
Circuit, joining the proud company of other Biden nominees who are 
making our courts fairer and more representative of our great country.
  A graduate of Harvard and Harvard Law School, Judge Lee was 
unanimously confirmed by this Chamber a decade ago to serve as a 
district judge. In his time on the bench, he has proven himself to be 
impartial, fairminded, and committed to the rule of law.
  Judge Lee will be the first of many judicial nominees whom we will 
advance this month and beyond because now more than ever, the Senate 
must make judicial confirmations a top priority.
  We have a lot of work to do in the Senate to keep improving the lives 
of the American people, so in the coming weeks, let us continue with 
the same vigor, the same determination, the same persistence that has 
made this one of the most productive Senate sessions the Senate has 
seen in a long, long time.