[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 30, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Business Before the Senate

  Mr. President, now, on Senate business, as Congress fulfills its 
responsibility to avoid default, the Senate begins this work period 
with a lot of work to do both on and off the floor. Later this 
afternoon, the Senate will vote on the confirmation of Darrel Papillion 
to be a district judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Off the 
floor, Senators will be busy with a number of important hearings on a 
wide range of bipartisan priorities.
  This Thursday, for instance, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 
will hold a markup on a critical treaty for the United States: the 
U.S.-Chile tax treaty. At stake in this treaty is access to critical 
minerals like lithium that make everything from iPhones to EVs 
function. The world is racing to source these materials, and this U.S.-
Chile treaty would give America an important edge. Thursday's markup 
represents a crucial step toward ratifying this treaty.
  Also during this work period, I look forward to working with 
colleagues on both sides to begin the process of advancing bipartisan 
legislation to, one, outcompete the Chinese Government; two, prepare 
for a future defined by artificial intelligence; three, to lower the 
costs of prescription drugs, including insulin; four, to strengthen 
rail safety regulations; and, five, to build on our work from the past 
2 years to make the United States more competitive and more prosperous 
in the 21st century.
  I thank my colleagues for their good work.
  I yield the floor.