[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9755-S9756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     
     
      COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT 
          OF 1972, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ``COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT''
     
       Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
     proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 876 submitted earlier today.
       The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
       The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
     
            A resolution (S. Res. 876) commemorating the 50th 
          anniversary of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, 
          commonly known as the ``Coastal Zone Management Act''.
     
       There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
     resolution.
       Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
     resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to 
     reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
     intervening action or debate.
       The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
       The resolution (S. Res. 876) was agreed to.
       The preamble was agreed to.
       (The resolution, with its preamble, is printed in today's Record 
     under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
     
     
                      Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act
     
       Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, for 10 months, the Ukrainian people have 
     put up a valiant fight--a fight that many thought they were going to 
     lose in just a few days, but here they are, still standing.
       As Ukraine has liberated city after city from Russia's grip, the 
     world has borne witness as crime scene after crime scene has been 
     revealed.
       Ukraine's investigators have already documented more than 50,000 
     alleged
     
     [[Page S9756]]
     
     Russian war crimes--the number keeps climbing; executions, torture, 
     rape, mass graves, innocent people--men women and children--dead in the 
     streets or in their homes, some with their hands tied behind their 
     backs, others bearing the telltale signs of torture.
       President Zelenskyy, who has bravely made the trip to Washington this 
     week and will speak to us in just a few moments, has called on leaders 
     around the globe to ensure that the perpetrators of these atrocities 
     can find no safe haven in their countries.
       He is right. We must send a powerful message to Vladimir Putin and 
     his henchmen and to the rest of the world that war criminals will have 
     no place to hide, let alone in the United States of America.
       But right now, at this moment, there is an egregious loophole in our 
     laws that prevents Federal prosecutors from holding foreign war 
     criminals found in this country accountable.
       Senator Grassley and I introduced the bipartisan Justice for Victims 
     of War Crimes Act to close this impunity loophole and give our 
     prosecutors the tools they need to ensure that war criminals have 
     nowhere to hide, let alone the United States.
       The Departments of Justice, State, and Defense support this change. 
     Congress must act.
       This morning I asked for unanimous consent, and this bill was passed 
     with unanimous consent.
       I wanted to put this statement in the Record because I think it is 
     appropriate, as we gather in this Chamber to walk to the House Chamber 
     for an address to the joint session of Congress by President Zelenskyy 
     of Ukraine, that we keep in mind that we are standing in this together 
     with the civilized nations of the world on the side of Ukraine and 
     against the war criminals that Vladimir Putin is turning loose on the 
     battlefield.
       Let us stand together for the values that this country stands for and 
     which the Ukrainian people are dying for every day.
       This is a cause worth fighting. I am glad to be part of the effort--
     the bipartisan effort to support President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian 
     people to bring freedom to their country.
       I yield the floor.
       The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
       Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I just met with President Zelenskyy, 
     and he made it clear that without this aid package, the Ukrainians will 
     be in real trouble and could even lose the war. So that makes the 
     urgency of us getting this legislation done all the more important and 
     getting it done quickly without flaw.
       So for the information of all Senators, we are still working on an 
     agreement to vote on amendments and pass the omnibus tonight. We aren't 
     there yet. We are making progress. But if we do not reach agreement, 
     because of the urgency of getting this done, I will file cloture this 
     evening for a Friday cloture vote. And we are going to have a rollcall 
     vote on the Schaefer nomination following the joint meeting.
     
     
                 Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Calendar
     
       Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate 
     reconvenes from recess this evening, it proceed to executive session 
     for the consideration of Executive Calendar No. 780, Agnes Schaefer, to 
     be Assistant Secretary of the Army; that there be up to 5 minutes for 
     debate on the nomination, equally divided between the two leaders or 
     their designees; and that upon the use or yielding back of time, the 
     Senate vote on the confirmation as provided for under the previous 
     order.
       The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
     
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