[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 178 (Thursday, November 17, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6749-S6755]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 8404,
which the clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Motion to proceed to H.R. 8404, a bill to repeal the
Defense of Marriage Act and ensure respect for State
regulation of marriage, and for other purposes.
Recognition of the Majority Leader
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Democratic leader is
recognized.
Respect for Marriage Act
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, what took place here on the floor
yesterday was nothing short of the Senate working at its very best. The
Senate took a bold step toward securing greater justice for millions of
Americans by advancing the Respect for Marriage Act with a resounding
bipartisan vote.
Standing here on the floor yesterday, you could feel the sense of
relief, of joy, within the Chamber. After the vote, I got on the phone
with my daughter and daughter-in-law and told them the good news, that
marriage equality is now on the march toward final passage--thank
goodness.
Passing the Respect for Marriage Act is no longer a matter of if but
only of when. Later this afternoon, the Senate will take the next step
in the process by formally adopting the motion to proceed. After that,
both sides will have to work together to reach an agreement for voting
on final passage as soon as we can.
Yesterday's vote was a vindication that it was well worth the wait.
While nothing was inevitable about the result, I never lost faith that
deep down enough of our colleagues would understand how important it
was to get this bill done. I am glad that that faith has now been
justified.
While some may want to delay this process, make no mistake, there is
no stopping this bill from final passage. As I said a moment ago, the
question of passage is not about if but when. I hope my Republican
colleagues will work with us to move forward with this bill sooner
rather than later.
I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who
spearheaded this legislation: Senators Sinema, Baldwin, Collins,
Portman, and Tillis. They did terrific work. We wouldn't be here
without them.
Finally, I hope this bipartisan legislation, and all others we have
passed this Congress, will continue to show how the Senate can function
in the upcoming 118th Congress. I have always said I have a hierarchy:
First, try to get things done in a bipartisan way whenever possible. It
is far better to get things done for the American people than to hold
show votes that bring political reckoning but have no hopes of passing.
Our job, after all, is to get things passed and make lives better here
in the Senate. And when the new Congress begins next year, that will
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continue to be my guiding star and No. 1 focus.
Midterm Elections
Madam President, now on MAGA, last week's midterm elections revealed
a basic but often unappreciated truth about politics: When elected
leaders prioritize getting things done--getting things done--and when
candidates can run on accomplishments, the American people respond
positively. That shouldn't be some remarkable insight, but,
unfortunately, too many seem to forget it. Indeed, too many of my
Republican colleagues seem to have forgotten it over the last couple of
years.
Look at what happened on Tuesday. The Republican side ran many flawed
candidates who embraced MAGA radicalism, and they lost. They spread the
Big Lie, sowed doubt and division and nastiness, and they ignored the
issues that mattered most to Americans. As a result, voters ran in the
other direction.
But don't take my word for it. Here is what Leader McConnell himself
said earlier this week, and I want to quote him in full. This is Leader
McConnell:
We underperformed among independents and moderates because
their impression of many of the people in our party and
leadership roles is that they're engulfed in chaos,
negativity and excessive attacks, and it frightened
independent and moderate Republican voters.
Listen to that part again:
[I]t frightened independent and moderate Republican voters.
That is exactly what I have been saying. MAGA Republicans did, in
fact, scare a lot of Americans who might have otherwise given the GOP a
closer look. All that talk about stolen elections, threatening poll
workers, it frightened people--and thank God. Americans said this is
not for us. Americans believe deeply in democracy, despite the
rightwing radical MAGA news media throwing all kinds of lies and
incendiary statements at them every day. The roots of democracy are
deep and a shield against that kind of activity.
Republicans have a choice to make when the 118th Congress begins next
year. If they continue embracing the MAGA approach of chaos and
gridlock and division, they are going to keep losing. I earnestly hope
that Republicans realize it is better for them and, of course, for the
country to cure themselves of this MAGA sickness as quickly as they
can.
I know that it won't happen overnight, and I know that some on the
other side would prefer to double down on MAGA, but it is critical for
our Nation's health, and, in fact, their party's health that they learn
this lesson.
Americans don't want government to be an endless circus of MAGA
insanity. They want leaders who will take their job seriously and work
across the aisle to solve our Nation's problems. They know we are not
going to succeed at everything, but they want good, earnest efforts at
trying. And when we try--when both sides try in good faith--we often
get a lot done, as this past Congress has shown.
If Republicans fail to accept this wisdom, they will only invite
further defeat in the future.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. 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.
Recognition of the Minority Leader
The Republican leader is recognized.
Leadership Elections and Republican Policy
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday, the Republican conference
met and selected its leadership team for the 118th Congress. I am
deeply honored that my remarkable colleagues on this side of the aisle
decided to rehire me for another term as Republican leader. I am proud
of Senators Thune, Barrasso, Ernst, Capito, and Daines, who were also
elected to take on critical roles for the next 2 years.
We have impressive new Senators-elect. We have outstanding returning
Members. Our conference is brimming with energy, ideas, and enthusiasm
to fight for the millions and millions of Americans who elected
Republican Senators to be their champions and their voice in this
Chamber.
Republicans are a big-tent party that unites around commonsense,
conservative principles and policies to make our Nation stronger and
make American families' lives better. We stand for fiscal sanity
instead of the reckless liberal spending that created jaw-dropping
inflation. We stand for the pro-worker, pro-family, pro-growth ideas
that built the best economy for working people in a generation, before
COVID-19. Republican policies have fueled low inflation, low
unemployment, and robust growth, all at the very same time.
We stand for a strong, modern military that can deter and defeat
America's enemies and confident American leadership in the world
instead of this administration's deeply botched retreat from
Afghanistan and desperate cozying up to the murderous regime in Tehran.
We stand for American energy dominance instead of cutting off our own
supplies and canceling out our own pipelines while begging foreign
dictators to produce more.
We stand for real energy independence, not making China rich by
buying solar panel components that make American energy more expensive
and less reliable.
We stand for safer streets, and we understand that real compassion
means ensuring safety and security for innocent people, not giving
shorter sentences to the violent convicts who hurt them.
We stand for securing our border and enforcing our laws instead of
letting unvetted people and illegal drugs pour into our country 24/7.
We stand for putting parents' rights and parents' involvement back
into our Nation's schools and getting radical indoctrination out.
We stand for the quaint notion that judges need to follow our laws
and the Constitution as they are written, not act like a third
legislative branch that our citizens can't vote out.
We stand for free speech, religious liberty, and the freedom of
worship instead of using the courts and the government to prosecute men
and women of faith.
This is where we stand, Madam President, and it just so happens that
the American people stand with us. Last week's exit poll showed that
Republicans are more trusted on the kitchen-table issues that keep
American families awake at night. When the American people got a clear,
unmuddled look at our commonsense, conservative approach to the issues,
they liked what they saw. We have 49 outstanding Members on this side
of the aisle who are living proof of that fact, and in just a few more
weeks, we will have 50.
It is the honor of a lifetime to serve alongside my distinguished
colleagues and to serve our conference in this leadership role.
Now on a related matter, yesterday evening brought confirmation of
some great news for the future of our country. Republicans have secured
the majority in the House of Representatives for the next 2 years. It
will be Senate Republicans' great pleasure to partner closely with and
serve alongside the new Republican House. I want to congratulate soon-
to-be Speaker McCarthy and all of the new and returning Members of
Congress across the Capitol whose elections will be transforming the
people's House from a reckless rubberstamp into a sorely needed check
and balance.
The composition of the new House demonstrates that fatigue and
exhaustion with reckless and radical far-left policies are not just
limited to so-called red or purple States. New Republican Congress men
and women have been hired by their neighbors even in deep-blue States
like New York and California--even further evidence that when the
American people get an unmuddled look at our commonsense, conservative
vision on the issues, they like what they see. So I look forward to
working with our House Republican colleagues, new and returning, in the
years to come.
Inflation
Madam President, now on a related matter, the Capitol may be
preparing for the next Congress, but hard-working Americans are still
being hurt every day by the reckless, radical, party-line spending that
the Democrats rammed through during this Congress.
[[Page S6751]]
Since President Biden took office and his all-Democratic government
fired up the printing presses, our Nation has been hit with 13.9
percent inflation. In the State of Georgia, inflation is even worse; it
is closer to 15 percent since January of 2021. Families are having to
pay hundreds of dollars extra every month just to maintain their
standard of living from before the Democrats got power, let alone
trying to get ahead. The many Georgia families who can't afford it are
falling farther and farther behind.
Housing inflation alone is costing the average Georgia household an
extra $137 every month. Overall energy costs are up more than 9 percent
in the Atlanta area just in the last 12 months alone. As we head into
winter, nearly 4 in 10 households in Georgia use natural gas as their
main heating fuel. Residential natural gas prices have skyrocketed more
than 200 percent on President Biden's watch. The State's natural gas
prices are way, way higher than the national average, and that is
before you even get to the brandnew natural gas tax that both of
Georgia's Senators voted to pass into law just a few months ago.
The Democrats have passed radical policy on top of radical policy,
and it has brought hard-working Americans like the people of Georgia
pain on top of pain. But Washington Democrats still aren't finished.
A month ago, the Biden administration decided to insult working
Americans by unleashing yet another reckless giveaway that would
actually transfer even more wealth toward highly educated people who
already tend to be more well off.
As one study found, ``Upper-income households account for a
disproportionate share of student loan debt.'' That makes sense. They
borrowed money to obtain a credential that tends to push up people's
salaries in the future. But President Biden decided that working people
who worked their way through college or who already paid off their debt
or who planned entirely different careers to avoid student loans
altogether--President Biden says all those people will now be picking
up the tab for doctors' and lawyers' graduate studies.
Oh, and by the way, our colleague from West Virginia Senator Manchin
has himself admitted this one reckless move would more than eclipse the
supposed deficit reduction that Democrats claimed they bought with
their so-called Inflation Reduction Act. Even according to the generous
estimates of that bill's savings that Democrats actually liked, this
student loan socialism cannibalizes it all. All the supposed savings
that the senior Senator from West Virginia was promised are gone in the
blink of an eye. Apparently, the White House was planning the bait-and-
switch all along.
Now, not surprisingly, President Biden's attempt to circumvent
Congress and implement student loan socialism on his own has created
some legal trouble. After all, it was Speaker Pelosi herself who
admitted just months before the administration rolled out this plan
that they actually lacked the proper legal authority to do what they
did.
Earlier this week, a panel of the Eighth Circuit issued an injunction
preventing the Biden administration from going forward with its plan,
but, reportedly, President Biden's team is so desperate to make
inflation even worse in this fashion, they are planning to extend
student loan socialism anyway by extending their endless moratorium on
payments. Washington Democrats' top priority is making sure that
California doctors and Manhattan lawyers don't have to pay their debts,
even if it causes even more inflation, while working people in Georgia
keep getting burned.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican whip.
National Veterans and Military Families Month
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, on Sunday, I had the privilege of
attending a welcome home ceremony for the 235th Military Police Company
of the South Dakota National Guard after their 10-month deployment to
Guantanamo Bay. It was a fitting activity for Veterans Day weekend.
The ceremonies are always joyful occasions: seeing couples and
families reunited and celebrating together after a long absence,
welcoming soldiers back to the familiarity of home. But in the midst of
the joy and celebration, these ceremonies are also a powerful reminder
of all that our servicemembers and their families give up to serve our
country.
The joy of reunification points to the months of loneliness in which
spouses and loved ones have had to live without their husband or wife,
mom or dad, son or daughter. It highlights the long months in which
moms and dads have had to shoulder all the burdens of child-rearing
alone. The soccer games, the football games, the doctors' visits, the
emergency car repairs, the visit from the plumber--all the daily
challenges and responsibilities that couples usually share fall solely
on the shoulders of the spouse holding down the fort at home.
And on top of the responsibility is the anxiety--the constant worry
about the loved one halfway around the world and maybe in danger. These
moments of joyful reunion also point to all that our military men and
women sacrifice while stationed far from their families and loved ones;
the months of separation from spouses and children, with Zooms and
phone calls and emails being a poor substitute for bedtime stories read
together on the couch and holding hands on an afterdinner walk; the
loneliness, the worry about a pregnant wife or an ailing parent or a
child having a tough year in school--all while far away from the
comforts of home that the rest of us take for granted.
And, of course, while reunions are joyful, the challenges don't end
after deployment. It takes time for the stress of a tough posting to
dissipate; for soldiers to get reacclimated to the civilian world or to
their stateside base; for families to readjust to living together and
not apart, only to have to do it all over again when the next
deployment comes around.
Some servicemembers bear the invisible wounds of war for the long
term, not to mention those who are wounded in combat sometimes
requiring loved ones to become caretakers. And yet despite all of the
hardships and the challenges, men and women still rise up and answer
the call--for families to readjust to living together and not apart,
only to have to do it all over again when their deployment comes
around.
Servicemembers and their families spend years and decades serving our
country. They willingly shoulder the burdens and the challenges of this
life. Animated by love of country and of their fellow man, they choose
a life that asks them to forget their own needs and focus only on what
they can do for others. That asks them to forgo comfort and sacrifice,
up to and including the sacrifice of their own lives. Their sacrifice,
their willingness to serve, is what enables us to go about our lives in
peace and freedom.
We owe our men and women in uniform--and the families who support
them--a debt we can never repay. But we can at least--at the very
least--remember. As we go about our daily business, as we travel to our
jobs in security and come home again at night the same way, we can
remember that we live in peace and safety because of the sacrifice of
the men and women of the U.S. military who stand on watch for us.
I am profoundly grateful for the honor of representing some of the
men and women of the U.S. military here in the U.S. Senate as well as
our many South Dakota veterans. And I will continue to do everything I
can to ensure that our military and our veterans have the resources
they need and the resources that they are owed.
I have successfully fought for over a decade to prevent closures of
service reductions at VA facilities in South Dakota to ensure that
veterans can continue receiving the healthcare they need close to home.
And I will continue to work to make sure our State's VA facilities
remain open and available to our veterans and that community care is
equally accessible, if they so choose.
I will continue to work to ensure that our military members have
everything that they need to deter threats and to protect America. And,
as always, Ellsworth Air Force Base is at the top of my priority list.
I am currently working to ensure that we continue to make the needed
investments in the facilities and other infrastructure that Ellsworth
will need to host the future of B-21 bomber mission as well as to
ensure the influx of military
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families who will move to the area to have adequate school capacity in
housing access.
As we celebrate Veterans and Military Families Month, I want to
express my gratitude to the citizen-soldiers of the South Dakota
National Guard, the airmen at Ellsworth Air Force Base, and our South
Dakota veterans and their families.
May God bless you all and all of your brothers and sisters in arms.
And may God continue to bless America.
I yield the floor.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Alabama.
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam President, I would like to echo the words of
our Senator from South Dakota about Veterans Day. We weren't here. In
my State of Alabama, we have 400,000 veterans who have served our
country and served our country well. A lot of them put their life on
the line. We have a lot of injuries. And I just want to thank them for
what they have done, being that we weren't here in the Chamber on
Veterans Day. And I want to again thank them for their service. And,
hopefully, in the future we can talk more about our veterans here in
this Chamber because there is not a more special group than that.
Tribute to Stephen Boyd
Madam President, also, I want to start today by taking time to honor
my departing chief of staff, Stephen Boyd, and thank him for his
service to the State of Alabama and to our country.
For the past 2 years, Stephen has been at the center of every
decision and every action we have taken on behalf of the State of
Alabama in my office. And after nearly two decades of public service,
we say goodbye to this integral part of our team.
When you run for Congress, you learn that people are quick to give
you advice, especially when you have had a lifelong career in something
outside of politics. One tip I heard over and over was hire a great
chief of staff. But when I thought about what would make a good chief
of staff, I decided I needed someone with three main qualifications:
One, someone who knew the Federal Government; two, someone who knew the
great State of Alabama; and, No. 3, someone who would lead with
integrity. And that someone was Stephen Boyd.
Stephen brought a wealth of knowledge to my office from his time
working in the House, in the Senate, and as a Senate-confirmed
Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs.
Stephen has been quietly working in the background to help improve the
lives of the people in Alabama. And I have no doubt that he will
continue with that sense of service and succeed in his next endeavors.
So, Stephen, thank you for your service to our office; thank you for
your service to the great State of Alabama; and thank you for your
continued long service to the great country that we live in.
Midterm Elections
Madam President, meanwhile, our work here in Washington continues.
Moving forward, Congress has a lot to do to get our country back on
track, with a lot of division. Last week, millions and millions of
Americans across the country took part in one of the most sacred
traditions that we have here. It is called voting.
The right to vote in free and fair elections is the cornerstone of
our democracy. I was proud to see so many Alabamians exercise that
right and also people across our country. Voting is the best way for
the American people to tell the government how they feel about our
performance. That is how we are evaluated.
As expected, the people used that opportunity last week to send a
message to us here in DC: No more one-party rule in this building. For
too long, this Congress has been controlled by the Democrats and has
ignored a lot of the issues facing the American people as inflation has
skyrocketed.
My Democratic colleagues continue to spend trillions of dollars on
partisan bills that have made the problem worse. My Democratic
colleagues passed the so-called Inflation Reduction Act a few months
ago. You know, the name of the bill, which was intentionally
misleading--it really has nothing to do with contents. There is a lot
of content in that bill, a lot of money being spent, a lot of money
going to the so-called climate change. Is that going to help inflation?
Is that going to help the American people as we speak? No, it is not.
My Democratic colleagues need to know that the legislation will do
nothing--absolutely nothing--and has done nothing at the present time
to help inflation. But it does spend nearly 750 billion--with a ``b''--
more dollars on radical leftwing priorities, many of them focused on
green energy policies that have accelerated our economy's slide toward
recession.
You know, we are all environmentalists. We all love our environment.
But we also love the people in this country from top to bottom. And the
people come first. The lives of the people in this country come first.
As gas prices hit record highs and home utility bills are expected to
go through the roof this winter--and they have already started--this
administration has done nothing--absolutely nothing--to ease the pain.
Our President last week said, after the election--What do you plan on
doing to help in the future--to the American citizens--What do you want
to change?--he said: ``Nothing.''
So we can take him at his word. This looming energy crisis has been
obvious--very obvious--to all of us for months. Yet President Biden and
his allies have nothing to stop it from happening. Prices will continue
to go up. We have no answers. And that is why we are here. We are here
to have answers for the American people. In fact, this administration
has done the opposite: siding with climate activists and begging for
foreign adversaries for oil instead of promoting and unleashing energy
production right here at home.
Just a couple of weeks ago, President Biden promised a group of
climate protesters that there would be no new drilling while speaking
at a campaign rally. There are no answers in that statement for the
American people whom we represent.
In addition to inflation, painful high gas prices, leadership in DC
has done nothing to address the rising crime ravaging our communities.
The wide-open borders--it is a magnet for cartels and deadly, deadly,
deadly drugs.
I recently visited the southern border to see the madness taking
place just a few weeks ago and what it is costing the American
taxpayers. I visited Eagle Pass, TX. At Eagle Pass, which is the Del
Rio Sector, they control 200 miles of the border. That is basically
just a third of the border on our southern tip of the United States--
only one-third. We were spending $15 million a month just processing
the illegal immigrants coming across the border. That is only the cost
of processing. They come across, and they are released into our country
no less than 72 hours after they are brought across our border. And
they go to no-telling where--all over our country. It is a taxpayer's
nightmare. We are talking about 14- to $15 million per month for just
200 miles. You could imagine what the rest of the border is having to
pay out of the taxpayers' pocket.
One thing I want everybody to understand, I keep hearing about how
our border is secure. Folks, our border is not secure. I was almost run
over by the herd of people coming across the line early one morning,
standing there. People are excited about being in the USA. We don't
know who they are. Most can tell us where they are coming from, but
they have no identification. As of today, we have taken people from 180
different countries. A lot of them are here doing no good.
I will tell you this: Just talking to the Border Patrol, we have a
lot of people coming across maybe for a better life, but the ones
coming across running from our Border Patrol which we do not catch, we
do not see, which is 15 percent to 20 percent, when you are running--
running--from the Border Patrol at the border, when we are letting you
come across no matter who you are and come into our country, if you are
running from Border Patrol, you have something to hide. That something
to hide usually is not going to be very good for our country.
In addition to the tens of millions of illegal immigrants already in
the United States, we already had 5 million come across that we know
of. So you can probably add, as the Border Patrol said, another million
to that list--another million people here that include people selling
drugs, human trafficking, terrorists. It is a scary situation. We will
pay the price in the near future for this.
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Right now, the American taxpayer is paying a financial price, but in
the near future, we will pay a price that we will have to overcome. We
don't know what that is yet, but we will pay the price. The fact that
this administration has ignored the border is a difficult reality for
me to accept, and it should be a difficult reality for all of us to
accept.
We love people in this country. We are an immigrant country. We all
come from immigrants. When you are born in this country, you hit the
lottery. We live in, no doubt, the best country on the face of the
Earth. We are very fortunate. A lot of people weren't born in this
country, but we take a lot of people into our country from all
different places. But they should come in the right way, the proper
way, where we can recognize them, identify them, and understand that
they are coming here for the reasons of having a better life where we
can help them.
But right now, our border is overrun, and we better get control of
this because it is going to be a sad day when something happens in our
country and we are going to be on this floor apologizing to the
American people of something terrible happening again.
I am going to continue to push back on the radical spending in these
next 2 years in this Congress, our open borders, counterproductive
energy proposals, and the policies that take place.
And we make our criminals victims in this country. We have to stop
that. We have to make sure we put criminals in jail and don't make them
the victim. When my new Republican colleagues come to Washington in
January, our party will be united. We have had our problems. We work
out our problems, and we hope to be more united than ever before.
We want to deliver lower costs, safer communities, and a secure
border. We need to continue to talk about that. I would love to hear my
Democratic colleagues get up and talk about what they see when they go
to the border because it is one of the most important things that has
ever happened in this country--one of the most important. And we have
to have an answer to that. We can do this by cutting spending and
unnecessary resolutions.
We can help the American people. People ask: What are the Republicans
going to do? We want to cut spending, we want to cut regulations, and
we want to lower taxes, put more money in American people's pockets to
where they can live a better life.
Our Federal Government, the Fed now is raising interest rates. Their
job is try to keep inflation down. I understand that. Why do they do
that? They raise interest rates to slow down housing.
Folks, we have ruined housing in this country in the last 3 months.
We have achieved our goal. We have achieved our goal of people not
building homes. We have gone to almost zero in the State of Alabama. We
have put thousands of people out of jobs. We accomplished our goal of
putting housing on the back burner. I am for slowing down interest rate
increases. Let's see what has happened in the Fed. Let's make sure they
are working. We tend to raise them every couple of months now. Let's
see what has happened. Let's help the American people. Let's don't keep
kicking them to the back burner. We have slowed housing down. Let's put
people back to work now. Let's put them back to work and give them an
opportunity to live a better life.
We are in a tough time. It is going to get tougher. We will see a
deep recession in 2023. It is coming. There is no way around it. We
need to start making plans to help the American people overcome this
recession that is going to hit us all right between the eyes in the
next few months. We live in a great country, and this body needs to
help the people that live in this great country.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Booker). The Senator from California.
Respect for Marriage Act
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the
Respect for Marriage Act.
I was proud to introduce this bill earlier this summer with Senators
Baldwin, Collins, and Portman. I am greatly encouraged by yesterday's
bipartisan vote of 62 to 37 to advance the bill and continue moving
this important legislation forward.
The Respect for Marriage Act would guarantee legal protections for
millions of marriages in the United States by repealing the
discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and ensuring that marriages
entered into legally are given full faith and credit by every State and
the Federal Government.
Simply put, Americans should be free to marry the person they love,
regardless of sexual orientation or race, without fear of
discrimination or fear that their marriages will be invalidated. This
is a straightforward bill. It merely codifies the existing requirement
that the Federal Government and every State recognize legal marriages.
In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the
U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to marry for same-sex couples.
And 55 years ago, in Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court ruled that
``the freedom to marry . . . a person of another race resides with the
individual, and cannot be infringed by the State.''
These decisions also reflect the will of the American people. Over
the past few decades, public support for same-sex marriage and
interracial marriage has grown exponentially. In fact, recent polls
have found that 71 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage and
94 percent approve of interracial marriages. This bill has been
endorsed by hundreds of organizations, including nonprofits,
corporations, and religious organizations that span the ideological
spectrum.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a list of endorsing
organizations be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
List of Organizations Supporting the Respect for Marriage Act--November
17, 2022
ABB, Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Accenture, ACLU, ADL (Anti-
Defamation League), ADL Austin Region, ADL Florida, ADL New
England, ADL New York/New Jersey, ADL San Diego, ADL
Southeast, ADL Southwest, ADL Texoma, Adobe Inc., AEO, Inc.,
AFL-CIO, Airbnb, Alaska Airlines, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish
Renewal, AllianceBernstein.
Altria Group, Amalgamated Bank, Amazon.com, Inc., Ameinu,
American Airlines, American Bar Association, American
Conference of Cantors, American Federation of Teachers,
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,
American Honda, Motor Co., Inc., American Humanist
Association, American Jewish World Service, American
Psychological Association, Apple, Applied Materials, Inc.,
Asana, Inc., Ascena (Lane, Bryant, Ann Taylor, and, LOFT),
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, AT&T, Inc.
Auburn Seminary, Autodesk, Inc., Avanade, Avodah, Aytzim,
B'nai B'rith Connect, Bain & Company, Bank of America, BASF
Corporation, Bayer U.S. LLC, BCW, Believe Out Loud, Bend the
Arc: Jewish Action, Berkshire Bank, Best Buy Co., Inc., Beth
Chayim Chadashim, Bloomberg LP, Boehringer Ingelheim USA,
Boston Beer Company, Boston Consulting Group.
Boston Scientific Corp., BP, Braze, Inc., Bridgestone
Americas, California Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism (RAC-CA), Capital One, Carbon Health, Cardinal
Health, Cargo Transporters, Inc., Carlyle, Carolina Jews for
Justice, Catholics for Choice, Celanese Corporation, Center
for American, Progress, Center for Faith, Justice, and
Reconciliation, Central Conference of American Rabbis,
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Chobani,
LLC, City of Oakland, California, Coastal Roots Farm.
Cohesity, Columbia Jewish, Congregation, Comcast
NBCUniversal, Congregation Agudas Achim, Austin Texas,
Congregation Har HaShem, Boulder, CO, Congregation Rodeph
Sholom, Congregation Sha'ar Zahav, Constellation Energy
Corporation, Corteva Agriscience, Cox Enterprises, Creative
Artists Agency, CSAA Insurance Group, CVS Health, Daniel J,
Edelman, Inc., Danone North America, Deckers Brands (UGG,
HOKA, Teva, Sanuk and Koolaburra by UGG), Dell Technologies,
Deloitte, Delta Air Lines, Deutsche Bank USA Corp.
DignityUSA, DoorDash, Dow, Drobpox, DTCC, DuPont de
Nemours, Inc., DWS Group, Ecolab, Edison International, EMD
Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Electronics, Equality
Federation, Equinix, Equitable, Ernst & Young, LLP, Essence,
Etsy, Eventbrite, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
Exelon, Faith in Public Life.
Faithful America, Family Equality, Florida Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-FL), Ford Motor Company,
Freedom BLOC, Freedom for All Americans, General Mills,
General Motors, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GitHub, GLAAD, GLAD,
Google, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, GroupM, H&R Block,
Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America,
Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Havurat Shalom, Andover MA,
Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
Hexion Inc., Hilton, Hindus for Human Rights, HP, Human
Rights Campaign, Hyatt, IAC, IBM, IFF, IHG Hotels &, Resorts,
IKAR,
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IKEA Retail US, Ilinois Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism (RAC-IL), Intel, Interfaith Alliance, IRI
(Information Resources, Inc.), J Street, Jackson Family
Wines.
Jacobs, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, Jewish
Community Action, Jewish Community Center of Asheville,
Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, Jewish
Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Philadelphia, Jewish Community Relations Council
of Broward County, Jewish Community Relations Council of
Greater Boston, Jewish Community Relations Council of San
Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin. Sonoma, Alameda, and Contra
Costa Counties, Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA).
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Jewish Emergent Network,
Jewish Family Service Houston, Jewish Family Service of
Greater New Orleans, Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles,
Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Jewish Federation of
Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland,
Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Labor Committee,
Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Network, LLC (JTEEN),
Jewish Women International, Jewish Youth Climate Movement,
Jews for a Secular Democracy, Jews United for Justice (JUFJ),
Jewtina y Co., Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase.
JQY (Jewish Queer Youth), Judaism (RAC-MA), JYCA (Jewish
Youth for Community Action), Kane Street Synagogue, Kearney,
Kellogg Company, Keshet, KIND LLC, Kohl's, KPMG LLP, Lab/
Shul, Lambda Legal, Landor & Fitch, Latter-day Saint
Democrats of America, Leadership Conference on Civil and
Human Rights, League of United Latin American Citizens, Levi
Strauss & Co., Liberty Mutual Insurance, Link Logistics.
LinkedIn, Logitech, Louisville Presbyterian Theological
Seminary, Lowenstein Sandler, Lush Cosmetics--North America,
Lyft, Inc., Macy's, Inc., Makom Shelanu, Malkhut: progressive
Jewish spirituality in Queens, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals,
Many Voices, Maranatha, Marriott International, Mars,
Incorporated, Marsh McLennan, Massachusetts Religious Action
Center of Reform, MassMutual, Match Group, MAZON: A Jewish
Response to Hunger.
McKesson, MediaCom, Medtronic, Men of Reform Judaism, Meta
Platforms, Inc., MGM Resorts International, Michael Page
International, Micron Technology, Inc., Microsoft
Corporation, Milwaukee Jewish Federation, Mindshare, Mishkan
Chicago, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Molson Coors Beverage
Company, Momentive, MomsRising, Mondelez International,
Morgan Stanley, Motive.
Moving Traditions, Muslim Advocates, Muslims for
Progressive Values, National Association of Social Workers,
National Black Justice Coalition, National Center for Lesbian
Rights, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of
Jewish Women New York, National Council of Nonprofits,
National Education Association, National Grid, National
League of Cities, National Wildlife Federation, National
Women's Law Center, Nestle USA, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic
Social Justice, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, New
Belgium Brewing, New Israel Fund.
New Jersey Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-
NJ), New Ways Ministry, New York Life, New York Public Health
Association, New York Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism (RAC-NY), Nextdoor, NIKE, Inc., Nordstrom, Inc.,
Ogilvy, Ohio Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-
OH), Okta, Omnicom Group, Oracle, Owens Corning, Parity,
Patagonia, PayPal, Peloton, Peninsula Jewish Community
Center, Pennsylvania Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism (RAC-PA).
PepsiCo, Petco, Pfizer, PFLAG, Pinterest, Porter, Wright,
Morris & Arthur LLP, Power Home Remodeling, Presbyterian
Church (USA) Office of Public Witness, Prudential Financial,
PVH Corp., PwC, Rabbinical Assembly, Ralph Lauren
Corporation, Raymond James Financial, Reconstructing Judaism,
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Recorded Future,
Red Hat, Inc., Redfin, REI Co-op.
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Rockwell
Automation, Romemu, Royal Bank of Canada, SACReD (Spiritual
Alliance of Communities for Reproductive Dignity), SAJ-
Judaism that Stands for All, Salesforce, Samuel DeWitt
Proctor Conference, SAP America, Inc., Saul Ewing Arnstein &
Lehr LLP, Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, Service
Employees International Union, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, Shalom
Austin, Shipt, Shutterstock, Siemens Healthineers, Siemens
USA, Signet Jewelers.
Sixth Circle Consulting, Slalom, Society for Humanistic
Judaism, Sojourners, Sony Corporation of America, Sony
Electronics Inc., Sony Music Group, Sony Pictures
Entertainment, Southwest Airlines Co., St. Paul Jewish
Federation, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanley Black & Decker,
Starbucks, State Street, Sunrun, Inc., Sustainable Food
Policy Alliance, Synchrony, Sysco, Takeda Pharmaceuticals,
Talbots.
Target, TBE, TechNet, Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael, Temple Beth
El (Tacoma), Temple Beth El of Boca Raton, Tiffany & Co.,
Tivnu: Building Justice, T-Mobile, Toyota North America, TPG,
Tribe 12, Tripadvisor, T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human
Rights, Twitter, Tzedek Georgia, Temple Emanuel of Westfield,
Temple Kol Emeth, Temple Ohabei Shalom, Temple Shir Tikva.
Tesla, Inc., Texas Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism (RAC-TX), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, The Clorox Company, The Episcopal Church, The Freedom
BLOC, U.S. Bank, Uber Technologies, Inc., UKG, Unilever
United States, Union for Reform Judaism, Unitarian
Universalist Association, United Airlines, The Goldman Sachs
Group, Inc., The J.M. Smucker Co., The Knot Worldwide, The
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., The Shalom Center, The
Temple--Atlanta GA, The Walt Disney Company.
The Workers Circle, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TIAA, United
Church of Christ, United States Conference of Mayors,
Universal Music Group, Upwork, USY, Vail Resorts, Verizon,
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, VF Corporation, Via Transportation,
VMLY&R, VMware, VP Corporation, Walgreens Boots Alliance,
Walmart, Inc., Warner Brothers Discovery.
Warner Music Group, Wells Fargo & Co., Women of Reform
Judaism, WPP, Wunderman Thompson, Xperi Holding Corporation,
Ziff Davis, Zillow.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. I would like to applaud the House for passing the
Respect for Marriage Act with significant bipartisan support earlier
this summer. It is now the time for the Senate to do the same.
I would like to take a moment to speak to my Republican colleagues
who have said marriage equality is ``a nonissue'' right now. Some of my
Senate colleagues have said things like: It's the law of the land, so
passing legislation is not a good use of Congress's time.
As we saw this summer with the Supreme Court's decision to overturn
Roe v. Wade, hard-fought rights are still always vulnerable to repeal.
We must also remember that in a concurring opinion to the Roe v. Wade
repeal, one Supreme Court Justice explicitly called for the Court to
reconsider and overturn Obergefell. We must act now so that no matter
what happens in the courts, married same-sex and interracial couples
are protected.
Overturning Obergefell and Loving would return the country to a
patchwork of State laws where couples could be subject to State-
sanctioned discrimination. Many States still have bans on same-sex
marriages on the books that would immediately take effect if marriage
equality were overturned.
I would also like to touch on how far-reaching the legal
ramifications of overturning Obergefell and Loving would be. Without
the Respect for Marriage Act, if a married same-sex or interracial
couple lived in a State that decided to ban their union, their marriage
could be invalidated. Even if a couple lived in a State that permitted
same-sex or interracial marriage, that marriage could be deemed invalid
if they were able to travel to a State that did not have marriage
equality.
Invalidated marriages would also give rise to a host of legal
concerns for couples who relied on the ability to marry when making
major life and family planning decisions. For example, spouses may no
longer be able to make important healthcare decisions or even visit
their partners in the hospital. Nonbirthing parents may no longer have
parental rights over their children. There would be some serious
confusion about Federal and State tax violations and tax laws could be
arbitrarily and discriminatorily applied.
The Respect for Marriage Act will ensure that all legally married
couples are afforded the same protections, regardless of where they
live, providing security and peace of mind to millions of families.
I spent decades advocating for equality. As a supervisor and mayor of
San Francisco during the height of the gay rights movement, I witnessed
the terrible pain and trauma that resulted from hateful discrimination.
I watched firsthand as the LGBT community fought for legal
recommendation of their lives, their relationships, and their personal
dignity. We cannot return to a system that allows bigotry and hate.
Bigotry and discrimination have no place in this society. No one should
have to live not knowing whether their marriage will suddenly become
invalid.
This bill will give families the peace of mind and security that
comes with knowing that their valid marriages will remain legally
protected under Federal law.
I want to thank Senators Baldwin, Collins, Portman, Sinema, and
Tillis for their leadership on this important
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issue. I encourage the rest of my colleagues to please join us in
supporting the passage of the bill.
I yield the floor.
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. TESTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Nomination of Rheanne Wirkkala
Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to ask unanimous
consent for the confirmation of a highly qualified nominee standing
ready to lead the greatest military the world has ever known.
As we speak, it is no secret that Vladimir Putin's unprovoked and
deadly war is raging in Ukraine. Russia, along with China, Iran, North
Korea, and other adversaries, is actively working to erode our national
security and undermine democratic principles across the world.
Just last month, I had the opportunity to visit our troops stationed
in Eastern Europe. I could not have been prouder of these brave
American servicemembers who are at the tip of the spear protecting our
democracy. They have literally dedicated their lives to defending our
freedoms and the freedoms of our allies. These men and women need our
support, and they are depending on us to do our part and confirm
quality candidates to serve in strategic leadership roles.
With that in mind, I would ask to confirm Rheanne Wirkkala of
Maryland as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.
This nominee's years of service at the Defense Intelligence Agency, as
a senior staffer in the House Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, and as a special assistant to the Secretary of Defense
make her immensely qualified to serve in this position.
Our national security is critically important. It is a fundamental
responsibility of this body, and we must take action to make sure we
have the best people in the positions to defend our democracy and our
national security.
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