[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 202 (Thursday, December 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5836-S5837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE SESSION

  Mr. SCHUMER. I move to proceed to legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
  The motion was agreed to.


                                 Syria

  Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to this resolution. 
First, this resolution obscures the facts and alleges that American 
troops are involved in hostilities in Syria.
  American troops have remained in Syria across multiple 
administrations to ensure the lasting defeat of the Islamic State. Our 
presence is authorized under the 2001 Authorization for the Use of 
Military Force, the legal cornerstone of our counterterrorism 
operations around the world. The Islamic State remains a threat to 
Americans and our partners. According to the State Department's latest 
reports on terrorism, the Islamic State ``remains resilient and 
determined to attack.''
  Senator Paul no doubt recalls the Islamic State's attacks across the 
region--the depraved videos of slaves, beheadings, the Yazidi genocide, 
and the attacks against civilians in France and into the heart of 
Europe. As recently as last year, we saw the Islamic State conduct a 
prison break in northern Syria and witnessed an uptick in attacks. 
Despite the fact that we shattered their caliphate, the group is down, 
but not out. Our troop presence is a critical element to maintaining 
pressure on the Islamic State and keeping Americans safe.
  Senator Paul's resolution points to the numerous Iranian-sponsored 
attacks against our troops in Iraq and Syria. I share these concerns 
and urge the administration to do more to establish deterrence against 
Iran.
  The House went through this exercise as recently as March and voted 
down a similar effort to pull our troops by a wide margin.
  I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.


                      Vote on Motion to Discharge

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on S.J. Res. 51.

[[Page S5837]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
  Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays are ordered.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator 
from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), 
and the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds).
  The result was announced--yeas 13, nays 84, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 333 Leg.]

                                YEAS--13

     Braun
     Durbin
     Lee
     Markey
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Paul
     Sanders
     Tuberville
     Vance
     Warren
     Welch
     Wyden

                                NAYS--84

     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blackburn
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Boozman
     Britt
     Brown
     Budd
     Butler
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Coons
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Duckworth
     Ernst
     Fetterman
     Fischer
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hagerty
     Hassan
     Hawley
     Heinrich
     Hickenlooper
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Johnson
     Kaine
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     King
     Klobuchar
     Lankford
     Lujan
     Lummis
     Manchin
     Marshall
     McConnell
     Menendez
     Mullin
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Ossoff
     Padilla
     Peters
     Reed
     Ricketts
     Risch
     Romney
     Rosen
     Rubio
     Schatz
     Schmitt
     Schumer
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shaheen
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Warnock
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Young

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Cramer
     Moran
     Rounds
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Heinrich). The motion is not adopted.
  The motion was rejected.
  The Senator from Rhode Island.

                          ____________________