[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

[[Page S6750]]

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

[[Page S6752]]

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.

[[Page S6753]]

  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,

[[Page S6754]]

     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

[[Page S6755]]

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.

                          ____________________