[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 201 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Vote on Rayes Nomination

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time has expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Rayes 
nomination?
  Mrs. MURRAY. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk called the roll.
  The result was announced--yeas 53, nays 47, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 331 Ex.]

                                YEAS--53

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Brown
     Butler
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Collins
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Fetterman
     Gillibrand
     Hassan
     Heinrich
     Hickenlooper
     Hirono
     Kaine
     Kelly
     King
     Klobuchar
     Lujan
     Manchin
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Ossoff
     Padilla
     Peters
     Reed
     Rosen
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Warnock
     Warren
     Welch
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                                NAYS--47

     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Boozman
     Braun
     Britt
     Budd
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hagerty
     Hawley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Lankford
     Lee
     Lummis
     Marshall
     McConnell
     Moran
     Mullin
     Paul
     Ricketts
     Risch
     Romney
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Schmitt
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Tuberville
     Vance
     Wicker
     Young
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Butler). Under the previous order, the 
motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and 
the President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
  The majority leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, the question before us is simple: Will 
Senators rise to defend Western democracy, protect our fundamental 
values, and support our friends abroad fighting for their lives? Are we 
willing to stand up to autocratic brutes and respond to our adversaries 
with strength, not weakness? Will we help the people of Ukraine fight 
against Vladimir Putin like we promised?
  This is a moment in history. This is a moment history will record. 
The answer to all these questions should be an emphatic yes. At stake 
is America's safety, the survival of democracy, and the future of the 
war in Ukraine. As we have always done in our history, the Senate 
should rush to the defense of democracy and stand up to autocratic 
brutes.
  You can be sure Vladimir Putin is watching closely to see if the 
Senate will approve more aid to Ukraine. Whether or not we approve an 
aid package will likely sway the outcome of the war. We must act.
  To show our Republican colleagues that we care about this issue 
deeply and are serious about moving forward in a bipartisan way, we are 
willing to give them an amendment here on the floor on any border 
proposal of their choice at 60 votes. We will not interfere with 
whatever policy they want to present. It is vital we move forward and 
to show that we are willing to work with our Republican colleagues to 
be reasonable.
  This, again, is a moment of truth for the Senate, for the country, 
for the fight for democracy and Western values. Again, history will 
record this moment. We must rise to the occasion. We must stand with 
Ukraine. We should all vote yes.
  I yield the floor.

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