importance of that aspect of ukraine's defense. >> i will take one from the ipad. there's still time for you guys ask questions if you would like. this one is not fun but i thought it was interesting. russia and china are learning a lesson ukraine, one likely have to do with the risk that come with attacks and assault in the first cyber domain. nato and allies in each of like expect russian aggression acutely and are already grappling with aea range hybrid attacked. is nato prepared and what my part is due to increase the aligns the ability to deal with threats below the threshold? >> so i think this is definitely the frontier and everywhere we need to focus a lot of our efforts. i think you're right that particularly the states in the east of the nato alliance have been grappling with cyber

attacks from sources outside nato for some time now. sort of established quite capability in dealing with that. -- >> we will leave this here to take you live now to the u.s. senate where today lawmakers are expected to vote to limit debate on judicial nominations. later this week lawmakers will also take up a measure that would fund the federal aviation administration for the next five years. live coverage of the u.s. senate here on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, we exalt you, for you continue to rescue us.

you have done for our nation infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. lord, you refuse to permit our enemies to triumph over us. you hear our cries for help, sustaining us with your might. today, continue to use our lawmakers for your glory. as they become aware of your presence, may their lives experience the fulfillment and strength that you alone can give. help them to remember that you are still their refuge and strength, a very present help

in the time of trouble. send them forth to face this day armed with faith in you. we pray in your merciful name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c, april 30, 2024. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable peter

welch, a senator from the state of vermont, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patty murray, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to the executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, the judiciary. juror gentleman n. alexakis of illinois to be united states district judge for the northern district of illinois. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: mr. president, i'd like to begin today by saying a few things about the protests at columbia university. smashing windows with hammers and taking over university buildings is not free speech. it is lawlessness. and those who did it should promptly face the consequences that are not merely a slap on the wrist. free speech, discussion, and

even strong disagreement are fundamental american values and campuses should be places where those values are cherished. campuses cannot be places of learning and argument and discussion when protests veer into criminality, and those who commit such acts are doing nothing to convince others that their cause is just. it is also unacceptable when jewish students are targeted for being jewish, when protests exhibit verbal abuse, systemic intimidation, or glorification of the murderous and hateful hamas or the violence of october 7. as i said in my speech here on the floor last november and many times since, that is anti-semitism. it is loathful. it is unacceptable. now, on another note -- sad note -- yesterday in north carolina, four law enforcement

officers, including a deputy u.s. marshal were killed in the deadliest attack against u.s. law enforcement in eight years. cephal other officers have been injured. today the senate mourns the loss of these dedicated public servants. we grieve with their families. and we must do more to prevent shootings like this that involve ar-style weapons. it is a tragic reminder that today too many dangerous assault rivals continue to plague too many of our communities and congress has a responsibility to get these weapons of war off our streets. my heart goes out to all the families who have lost loved ones in this attack, and i thank all of our law enforcement officers who were on the scene working to keep the community safe. and finally, mr. president, i'd like to take a moment to recognize bill samuel of the afl-cio, a man who has spent his career fighting for americans -- america's workingmen and women. so many of us in this chamber on both sides of the aisle have worked closely with bill over

the decades, and we will certainly miss him as he steps down from his longtime post as director of government affairs for the afl-cio. early in his days in -- ever since his early days in the labor movement when he worked for the national treasury embryos union, the american federation of government combleeshgs and the united mine workers, bill has been at the forefront of improving working conditions. he continue that fight while serving at the department of labor and on the staff former vice president al gore n2010 n2010,after afl-cio president ale sweeney, bill got to work organizing lobbying grassroots efforts, communicating with senators, members of congress, the administration, an afl-cio union members. bill quickly gained the trust of members through his dedication and pragmatism. through his partnership with the next president, trumka, bill

brought the legislative areas ofs to new hates. he worked with us on critical, important issues such as the employee free choice act, the affordable care act, the border security act of 2013, man, our country would have been better off had that bill passed the house, the pensions bill, chips, infrastructure, the inflation reduction act and so much more. we night have won every battle but we were always there fighting to improve the lives of work,men and women, mr. president. i wish bill the best as movies on to new challenges and i'm comforted in knowing he will still be involved in the fight for progress. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

to urge biden to intervene axios. investigating allegations of war crimes dating back. this says johnson monday going disgraceful and flawless saying challenged by the biden administration create an arrest warrant the maddox and personnel

because johnson calling for the biden administration to immediately unequivocally stand found and used every available tool from axios and you could weave that into the mix during the spoken form. independent line junior, go ahead. >> i like to thank in the first segment should happen a question for black voters age 55 and under. second, i'd like to part of a paragraph on the article possess many families, white, black, hispanic application have to give up a pleasure of a leader to me throw. the article was part of the at donald trump plays 30 years ago and be found on the internet if

others want to read the entire article. admitting they raped and almost a woman ends park. my, and others but they were to because the report describing how they left the lady present in the park. it wasn't until years later they were exonerated because no one else admitted to the crime. i'm sorry they went through that for a time they did not commit. he served most of the time more than others but people need to stop being mad donald trump in the apologizing about his out from 30 years ago we assumed they were guilty. the race trump. have a blessed day.

>> donald trump. to find out he's not. thank you. >> (202)748-8001. republican. axios reporting this morning thousand conservative senators known as the breakfast club to influence the race for senate republican leaders and they would run for the republican doherty those who out on calls battle of the biggest while cars. the gop has a good ends up winning control in the chamber the breakfast club not official group but as close as the senate

to the hospital pockets. connell that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: for months, lead corners of american education have made headlines for all the wrong reasons. unfortunately, they're still finding new ways to embarrass themselves with vile anti-semitic radicalism. beginning of course with yet more alarming declarations like "burn tel aviv to the ground." freedom for palestine means death to america. the 7th of october is going to

be everyday for you. the student radicals behind hateful chants like "from it the river to the sea -- from the river to the sea" have proven to be incoherently ecumenical. they've chanted "long live hamas." sunni terrorist group. and waved flags supporting a shia terrorist group hezbollah and the terrorist group the popular front for the liberation of palestine. they've been joined on the picket lines by faculty members, for whom radical anti-semitism is merely an extension of their day jobs in post-modern

indoctrination. last week columbia's encampment was even visited by a member of congress who accused some jewish students of being, quote, pro-genocide. it's unclear whether the student radicals or the shadowy groups organizing these disruptions are actual fifth columns for adversaries trying to corrode american society from within or just unwitting pawns. what is clear is that basic comprehension of history, theology and geography is in very short supply in the ivy league. so-called elite universities aren't just in the news for a

well-documented decline in academic rigor. they're not drawing the nation's attention just because another generation of students has decided to test the limits of the first amendment with grotesque hate. no. no, they're in the news because weakness and inaction from campus leaders has allowed universities to become called rons, cauldrons of criminal chaos. in in recent days, an orthodox jewish student at yale was assaulted by organized hatem hatemongers. at mit, there's a so-called liberated zone of radicals occupying the very center of campus. at ucla, an aspiring commisars

blocked jewish students from walking to class or even entering the library. another california school is reporting millions of dollars in damages after radicals vandalized campus buildings. and last night brought yet more evidence that administrators at columbia have utterly, utterly failed to bring order to their manhattan campus. in the wee hours of the morning, the mob that has disrupted daily life from a tent encampment on the quad broke into a campus building with hammers and has barricaded itself inside. not long ago columbia's president was sensibly calling in the new york police department to dispense and arrest these disruptors.

this is the responsible thing to do, because the vast majority of students at columbia want to go to class, study for exams, and lead productive lives. but then her resolve appeared to give out. a minority of radicals and their faculty allies have used continued threats and intimidation to maximize the disruption and extend the reach of an odious ideology. the administration caved. the campus is now closed. but law enforcement remain outside the gates. and it remains to be seen whether administrators' latest threats of expulsion will actually be carried out. the situation at columbia is so bad that a prominent rabbi urged jewish students to leave campus

out of fear for their physical safety. this is particularly discouraging at a university that for decades has been known as a welcoming home for jewish stu students, even when the rest of the ivy league systematically discriminated against them. yesterday, a member of columbia's jewish community filed a class action lawsuit against the university, alleging sustained harassment and incitement of violence against jewish students. in the absence of leadership from administrators, the community has had to take protection of their basic rights on campus literally into their own hands. of course, today's campus radicals did not invent this brand of aggressive lawlessness.

here in the united states, they trace hair roots back to the -- trace their roots back to the 1960's. other country have had their infamous history of student intimidation and violence. most notoriously, the student nazis of weimar, germany. this is about dangerous radical politics. but just as the roots of this hate are not a mystery, near is the -- neither is the way forward for college administrators. leaders at columbia might do well to note the approach of the administration over at princeton, which has upheld clear prohibitions on activity like forming encampments, and responded swiftly and severely

to an attempt last night to occupy a campus building. they might also take a cue from our former colleague ben sasse. thus far, radicals at the university of florida have largely heeded, heeded his prohibition against unlawful disruptions because they know he means it. and last night, those who failed to obey repeated warnings from campus police were promptly arr arrested. as an official statement put it, quote, the university of florida is not a day care, and we do not treat protestors like children. they know the rules. they broke the rules. and they'll face the consequences. it's not enough for administrators to lament campus

disorder. strongly worded warnings only carry weight when they're backed up by action. the hateful ideas pouring out of campus encampments are not new to america's universities. the world's oldest form of hate has been alive and well in higher education for quite some time now. from the vial boycott divest and sanction movement that began over a decade ago, to the establishment of outfits like the rutgers center for security, race, and rights, the forces of bigotry have been on the move. and those forces have powerful friends. president biden's nominee for the third circuit, adeel

abdullah mangi, has long been a patron of the rutgers center. in fact, as new evidence indicates, he's played a much more active and enthusiastic role than he described to our colleagues on the judiciary comm committee. apparently, every progressive organization in the country is furious, furious that my colleagues and i dared to call attention to these disqualifying facts. so let's get it straight. radicalism has no place in higher education or on the federal bench. unfortunately, the president doesn't seem to agree. while he defends mr. mangi and his radical associations, he refuses to render an unqualified rejection of campus anti-semitism.

in fact, whip asked about it -- when asked about it, he seemed to say, well, there are good people on both sides. hard not to see this mealy-mouthed equivocation for what it is -- the president prioritizing the feelings of his political supporters over moral clarity. anti-semitism is not a nuanced academic theory. it's not just one of many different viewpoints, as the white house press secretary seemed to suggest yesterday in reference to campus disruptions. it is not justified by political disagreements with israel and its government. it is not entitled to take over campuses and make life miserable for jewish students.

luckily, some reasonable observers are getting mugged by reality. just as a growing number of democrats are rejecting mr. mangi's nomination, a growing number of ivy league alumni are rejecting the surging radicalism of their alma maters. but that will only go so far. leaders must lead. administrators must take charge of their institutions. the basic objectives here couldn't be clearer. on campus, protect jewish community members. clear the encampments. let students go to class and take their exams. and allow graduations to proceed.

here in washington, witt draw radical -- withdraw radical nominees, enforce the department of justice and education to investigate civil rights viol violations. if moral clarity does not pre prevail, in the ivory tower and the biden administration, this could go down as a particularly shameful moment in our history. i suggest the absence of a qu quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

one of the economic groups which includes rick scott in florida had crews ron johnson mike lee and rand paul of kentucky one morning each week for like-minded senators. daddy. again you can find at axios and in texas. >> i just want to say jobs, that's not so. didn't do all of them so they sent our jobs overseas. to stop saying all that.

thank you. >> franken gypsy, new york. defendant like. >> the palestinian prices for deuteronomy 28. it says they don't belong to either one of them. they are repeating 1969 against the war. a lot of innocent people but the government of netanyahu field

palestinians. there's no way you can justify that. >> reports on something that took place yesterday. and monday afternoon at the capital conduct under the nation's highest honors in columbus, georgia. capital and leaders including united states residents and their war veterans, seven

citizen and work u.s. capitol police officers of government paid during the korean war. enemy iran exposed themselves army rangers to destroy during the like wave attack which earned him the medal of honor. honoring the judgment senate majority mitch mcconnell comments about the late colonel. >> dear god, don't let me get a bunch of good guys killed. that's how the man we honor today, well-trained professional soldier before him betty command army ranger company in 1950. clear eyes about the horrors of

war. by november of that year, the popular assessment on the korean peninsula was optimistic that have the home for christmas but the 50 rangers under command turned out to be less rosy. ahead of them the crucible staggering odds along the front line mike u.s. forces in the sector were outnumbered three to two but on the hill 205 for the company would stand more than a

mile from the nearest reinforcement for outnumbered ten to one. imagine starbucks embodiment but they did the way. perhaps in 1950 target repeated a simple prayer he offered me to demand. don't make me get a bunch of good guys else. perhaps he asked for strength, courage and the result is met with honor. the benefit of hindsight all of us know that prayer was ranjit. our nation's highest operation

and generations to come the courage and self-sacrifice that bronchial will be this great man legacy. >> marketing program available at c-span.org and see on our app at what's your from evelyn and baltimore, maryland. go ahead. everyone talking about what's going on which i think is terrible are not going to cut off my nose to spite my face because they really think is going to be on their side when it comes to israel and palestine

and they are sadly mistaken. israel, they are back in the day nazis. >> you will have to watch the language, republican might look at the. i would like to you about your programming both out custom defenders of wildlife on the my have no disparaging remarks but you never have under proper anger on so thank you for listening to me.

>> who would you like to hear from on that? is there a specific group on mind? i'm not sure. cap america or any group that supports hunting and trapping and those who spend a lot of money. >> what perspective do think they bring to the conservation, what perspective do they bring? they bring the money montana once brought national wildlife could use the conservation stance and loan that type of

thing so i don't want to waste trouble or bring back idea to you. >> thank you for it. the idea journal reporting this morning matt gaetz the challenger and republican primary friday to run for the perfect republican. a qualifying deadline border with the passing of the deadline that talks about circuits. the story of that case you can find more about. let's hear from frank and nebraska independently forget. >> i wanted to say was right in the beginning. wall street went they are both

nasty, you don't trust them to fix your problem. >> nbc reporting five for horgan let in the administration over the sammy title ix. protect transgender a handful of other states publicly said they will not enforce the new rules for filing lawsuits. impacts and provoking the biden administration to block will which prohibits goals from barring transit students using facilities among other policies. that is the report therefrom nbc. it's overseas while antony blinken talking about efforts

for our making comments on that front of the world economic forum saudi arabia. we strongly support israel in its effort to ensure what happened october 7 never happens again but at the same time we are determined to do everything we can human something we see everyday gaza, children men, in a terrible aspire so maximizing protection support that gets to them and very much are bogus. the quickest way to get to cease-fire and release positive. as you said, there's an extraordinary effort made and i want to thank our friend in egypt playing an instrument a

little trying to get this expired and release of hostages a major effort has been made the last couple of months to get the hostages out. the proposal that is extraordinarily generous on the part of israel is moment the only thing between the people of gaza and spire is almost. we are looking to that and i'm hopeful we will make the right decision and have a fundamental change in the dynamic not the comments from saudi arabia from the new york times this morning about the latest on what's going on at new york university to

protester thing officials will discipline remain encampments. it was erected friday across the country. students removed product that and why you estimated but continued to stay overnight at the encampment. protesters with two options and face on charges reporting to statements leaders extended the deadline to respond monday afternoon students had not responded and remained spokesman reported moving forward let's hear from dylan and south dakota. >> i am up vietnam veteran and

this reminds me of college kids and i was over there. why don't they just dropped them? it's ridiculous. i am ashamed to be an american. >> nbc reporting the hush money trial in the case of former president trump resuming today. this very today saying the judge presiding over the hush money case tuesday of the former president criminal contempt at a gag order with witnesses. the judge ruled trump in violation of the gag order with $1000 in order prohibits the former president making others public statements about no

foreseeable witnesses and participation the criminal proceeding in public statements about any prospective juror. msnbc reporting got can't cameras pointed in the courtroom. entering into the building, some of the comments on this. >> this case should never have been brought. this is a disgraceful thing.

the hand and the computer and it was released. were these business. it is indeed a hoax including civil cases it and specifically trump and this was released a few minutes ago the general election.

this is very afflicted. giving us virtually no rules about to say that counsel. >> former president trump from -- quorum call:

burned to the ground. freedom for palestine means death to america. the seventh of october is going to be everyday. the radicals behind people champ like from the river to busy have proven to be incoherently a governmental. they chanted long with hamas. when like supporting the terrorist group has block and secular marxist terrorist group

of us on. if you drown the picket line faculty members for whom radical anti-semitism for their day jobs indoctrination. encampment by a member of congress accused of being pro genocide. it's unclear whether the student radicals organizing disruptions calls are adversaries corroding societies from within or

unwitting. what is clear is basic comprehensive history and geography is an short supply. so-called elite universities are just in the news for a decline at academic river, they are not dying attention just because another generation of decide on the limits of the first amendment with grotesque. they are in the news because of weakness and an action and chaos. in recent days that you were

assaulted by hatemongers. at an id, a so-called liberator radicals occupying the center campus and blocking and drink the library. another california school reporting millions in damages and last more evidence administrators have utterly failed to bring forth to the manhattan campus we hours of the morning that has disrupted daily life, a lot of broken to campus

building barricaded itself inside. not long ago columbia's president new york police department to dispense interest use disruptors. the vast majority students study for exams and reductive labs. radicals and allies continued threats and intimidation and extend the reach of the ideology. the administration caved campus

is now closed but law enforcement remains outside the gates and remains to be seen latest threats of expulsion to be carried out. the situation so that the prominent right urged campus out of your brother physical safety. this is particularly discouraging while for decades now for jewish students when the rest of the. yesterday number accession lawsuit university and sustained harassment and incitement of violence against jewish students

in the absence of leadership from administrators take protection of the basic rights are campus literally into their own hands. of course today's radicals did not have this friend of lawlessness. here in the united states they trace roots back to the 1960s. other countries have had their own. most notoriously germany. education never has anything to do with. dangerous radical politics. just as the root are not a mystery, neither is the way board for college

administrators. it is a columbia might do well in this approach of the administration which has upheld clear prohibitions responding and severely thune time class think to occupy. they might also take a cue from thence asked. radicals of the university, he did his prohibition because they know he means it. last night those failed repeated warnings from campus police were promptly arrested.

they know the rules, they broke the rules and they will face the consequences. it's not enough for administrators to look at campus disorder. strongly worded ways when they are backed up by action. encampments are not for america's universities. filled with hate, alive and well in education for quite some time now sanction and movement that began over a decade ago right

bigotry and on top harmful ones president biden's nominees in the third circuit long patron of the river senate. new evidence indicates displayed a much more active and enthusiastic will on the judiciary committee. every progressive organization in the country is here is my colleagues and i dare call attention just qualified facts. let's straight radicalism has no place in higher education for on

the federal bench. unfortunately while's radical associations to render prequalified rejection campus anti-semitism. when asked what he seemed to site well, there good people on both sides. hard not to see. hard not to see what it is. political supporters over moral clarity anti-semitism is not nuance academic theory and not just one of many different.

suggesting yesterday reference to campus disruptions, it's justified political disagreements of israel. it is not entitled to take over campuses or jewish students. luckily for some reasonable observers what they are getting loved by reality just as democrats are rejecting the nomination and alumni rejecting the surgery radicalism about so far administrators must take charge in the institution. the basic objectives couldn't be

clear. on campus. we are encampments students classic take the exams and proceed. here in washington, the nominees enforce the department of justice to investigate civil rights violations. moral clarity does not prevail. moral clarity does not prevail, and the ivory tower in the biden

administration, this could go down as a particularly shameful moment in our history. >> mr. president, i would like to begin today to say a few things about the protests at columbia university. smashing windows with hammers and taking over university buildings is not free speech. it is lawlessness and those that did it should promptly face the consequences that are not merely a slap on the wrist. free speech, discussion and even strong disagreement are fundamental american values and campuses should be places where those values are cherished. campuses cannot be places of learning and argument and discussion when protests veer into criminality. doing nothing to convince others out there because his just. it is also an accessible when

jewish students are targeted for being jewish. protests exhibit verbal abuse. systemic intimidation glorification of the murders and hateful hamas or the violence of october 7. as i said in my speech here on the floor last november and many times since, that is anti-semitism, it is multiple, it is unacceptable. now on another note, sad note, yesterday in north carolina, or law enforcement officers, including a deputy u.s. marshal were killed in the deadliest attack against u.s. law enforcement in eight years. several other law enforcement have been injured. they mourn the loss of these public servants. we grieve with their families. we must do more to prevent shootings like this that involve ar style weapons. a tragic reminder that today too many dangerous assault rifles

plague our communities. congress has a responsibility to get these weapons of war off of our streets. my heart goes out to the family set up loss of one's in this attack. i think all of our law enforcement officers who were on the scene working to keep the community safe. finally, mr. president, i would like to take a moment to recognize bill samuel a man who has spent his career fighting for americans, america's working men and women. many of us in this chamber on both sides of the aisle have worked closely with bill over the decades. we will certainly miss him as he steps down from his longtime post as director of public affairs of the afl-cio. early in his days, ever since his early days in the labor movement when he worked for the national treasury employees union, the american federation of government employees, bill has been at the forefront of improving working conditions.

he continued that fight while working at the department of labor and on the staff of former vice president al gore. in 2001 after the president john sweeney hired bill to lead his congressional efforts, bill quickly got to work organizing lobbying efforts. lobbying with the administration and the union members. bill quickly gained the trust of members there is candor, dedication, pragmatism. there was partnership with the afl next president which trumped him, bill brought the labor movement legislative efforts to new heights. it was a tireless advocate working closely with us on critical important issues such as the employee free choice act. the affordable care act the border security act of 2013. the pensions chips infrastructure the inflation reduction act and so much more.

we may not have won every battle but we were always there fighting to improve the lives of working men and women, mr. president. i wish bill the best as he moves on to new challenges and i'm comforted in knowing he will still be involved in the fight for progress. yield the floor.

we are waiting for a lawmaker to come to the floor to speak. senators are working on the nomination to be a district court judge for northern illinois. the senate will also be voting to accent programs for the federal aviation administration for another five years. your watching live coverage of the senate here on c-span2.

>> usa today takes a look at the current standing among president biden among some black voters in swing states recently. they cite this in a recent story of their saying saying mr. biden support from black voters is experiencing specific attrition and much of it coming from black men. he trails presumptive gop nominee and former president donald trump did in a handful of battleground states including georgia. the survey taken by morning consult showed eight points down in the swing state that he beat mr. trump and nearly four years ago. georgia voters say the economy is a top concern in the 2024 presidential election and 29% say that the economy is on the right track. that is usa today. taking a recent poll among swing state voters. this is what they found when it comes particularly to black voters. across the seven states that they surveyed, mr. biden is

winning 60% of black voters as well as 40% of hispanic voters and 40% of voters under the age of 30 on the two candidate ballot. those support levels are almost identical to the backing biden had in the journal's february poll of the national voter pool and are far weaker than what he wanted in 2020. nationwide, mr. biden that year carried 91% of black voters 61% of hispanic voters. that is a -- a large pool of the electorate that year. that is just some of the data but as far as you being a black coder and you want to tell us about your presidential choice when it comes to 2024, again, you can call us on the lines that best represent you. republican 8001. democrat 8000. if you are an independent, 8002. you want to texas your thoughts.

8003. as always you can post on our social media sites. facebook.com/cspan as well as c-span wj on x. to that to her that the vice president took yesterday to atlanta, this is from the atlanta general constitution. kamala harris kicked it off with the atlanta visit. polls indicate that she and president biden have work to do to shore up support against black georgians as they run for a second term. part of that yesterday which you can see on our website c-span .org and our app c-span now the vice president talking about the administrations benefits that they have fought for for black voters in economic matters. also talked about in some ways

they are fighting against discrimination. here is part of her statements from yesterday. >> so, the work we have been doing over the last three years has been focused on all of these areas and also understanding the context in which we exist. which is the disparities. understanding that in spite of those in certain parts of our country wanting to attack ddi, we understand that you cannot truly invest in the strength of our nation if you do not pay attention to diversity, equity and inclusion. [applause] we are, for example, paying attention to the fact that in order for any family or individual to have economic well-being much less the opportunity to create wealth, we need to take into account the history of, for example, the ability of black folks in america to own a home. let's go far back enough, we can go even further, let's go far

back enough to remember the g.i. bill. a promise by our nation to invest in who we called the greatest generation. who fought in that war. and, so, there was a policy that said, let us reward them for fighting for our nation and all that we hold sacred and give them access to loans for home ownership. and the reality, however, of a well-intentioned plan is that it was not well-intentioned to the way it was implemented for a lot of people. and that, black veterans did not receive an equal measure. certain folks and black folks did not receive the benefit.

>> a portion of the vice president you can see on the website. both have work to do to assure their support among black americans. telling the crowd of mostly black as its leaders and elected officials that he wanted to ensure the policies were reaching them. shirley is in south carolina. democrats line. black voters. your choice in 2024. >> my choice for 2024 is joe biden. if i live to see may 19 i will be 90 years old did i have never voted for a republican and i definitely will not vote for donald trump. i don't see how anybody can vote for donald trump.

the garbage that he got going on i'm keeping it real. >> specifically why give president biden another term. why do you think he deserves it? >> because he is for the poor and less fortunate. the people that cannot help themselves. donald trump eight for nobody but the rich people. i don't see how anybody could vote for him. especially with all the garbage he has going on. and i'm keeping it real. what i really want to say, he will cut me off. >> we will go on to howard then. howard and indiana. democrats line. >> good morning. i fully support joe biden. i think he has been an outstanding president. i think we lose sight of the challenge that was before the biden administration coming out of a poorly managed pandemic. accelerating vaccination program

that put us well ahead to a healthy -- economy. the polls indicating support for trump is quite accurate. i'm not quite sure what the polls are telling us. i certainly support joe biden. he is an outstanding president. >> philip is on outline for independence. he is in brooklyn. >> good morning. >> i don't know why, my people, black people, keep voting for democrats. we caught our democratic mayor, mayor adams, immigrants into a brand-new apartment building that was vacant for 10 years because of the people that built it went bankrupt. they found out what adams was

doing. >> i just want tell all black people -- >> i cannot seem to see past their nose. in the other week you add something about black. >> i just want to tell all black people that is listening to your station this morning that joe biden, under joe biden's administration, we have more black judges than ever before. we have a black supreme court judge. we have a black vice president. he has promoted blacks more than any other president ever in the united states of america. and for the polls to say what they are saying, i don't know who they are talking to. we have more black representation now than we have ever had before under the biden administration.

i will be voting for joe. >> the radical left have abandoned everything. >> for the polls to say what they are saying, we have more black representation now than we have ever had before the administration. i will be voting for joe. >> one of the people that made the case, that was a former president donald trump. >> with me, you will never be taken for granted. >> black americans overboard and it has been not a pretty thing to watch. you take a look at some of these inner cities. i and the republican party will fight for the black community like you have never had anybody fight for you before. [cheering and applause] they do nothing. they do absolutely nothing. two months before an election. the future we want is one nation

indivisible with liberty and justice for all and that is what we are doing and that is what we will have. >> again, more therefrom earlier this year. >> they come in and they seek your vote. the future we want is one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all and that is what we are doing and that is what we will have. >> again, more therefrom earlier this year when it comes to former president trump speaking at that event. if he is your choice or president biden is your choice, you can call and let us know. 8001 republicans. democrats 8000. independence 8002. this is johnny. i am voting a third party for cornell west.

the joe biden administration. he is sending money over to these foreign wars. this is our taxpaying money. all of the money that the american taxpayers are going overseas. it should be going to america. i totally disagree with everybody on the side of the republicans and democrats. >> if i may ask what is it specifically about cornell west that you support? >> i support that he does not want wars. he does not want wars forever.

cornell west is a man that i respect because he wants change in america money can be flown overseas and we are in a trillion dollar deficit.

keep the money in america. >> carmen is next to missouri. democrats line. >> hi. >> all the way people saying that trump does more than any president for black people, he has not done a thing for black people. as a matter of fact, he has not done a thing for white people. he has done everything for which people and himself. joe biden, he has done so much. i will be voting for him and that independent

>> yes, sir. good morning. definitely voting for joe biden. donald trump, he is just gas lighting. everything he does, he uses hyperbole. i cannot understand why people

believe anything. understand this. i cannot as a black person stand next to the proud boys and white christian nationalist to support donald trump and all of his lives. >> why are you voting for joe biden, though? >> joe biden -- historically, democrats have done more for poor people" of black people, of course. specifically for blacks like the lady said before me, he has appointed different judges and had some infrastructure stuff for americans. the bottom line is, when joe biden took office, he had to deal with the pandemic. we still have a little inflation he brought us out of that pandemic. donald trump was handed a great oak -- economy from obama.

remember, obama took us out of the financial crisis when he forgot in office. the republican coming, he messed it up, democrat comes in and fixes it. >> ronald and east orange new jersey. independent line, good morning. >> good morning. this year i will be voting for joe biden because donald trump and the republicans have been trying to take away all of the rights of black people. you better believe me there is no way i want a republican in office. thank you. >> what rights taking away specifically? >> voting rights. they want to limit our jobs. believe me, republicans do not want to do right by black people >> okay. ronald they are new jersey again for black voters for the next time, several minutes, you can

call in and let us know your thoughts when it comes to your choice in 2024. 8001 republicans. democrats 8000. independence 8002. the washington post took the issue of policy when it comes to gaza and talking about how it may impact the biden administration effort for reelection this year. they write in a piece you can find an april 17 saying as the gaza war enters it seven month some black americans say that some handling of the conflict makes them question whether he deserves a second term according to interviews with nearly two dozen voters. opinion leaders and activists working through a political and moral conundrum in the battleground state of pennsylvania. for some, 6000 miles away has already change their votes. edging out domestic concerns as the economy, inflation and crime again, you can weave that into your thoughts and comments when

it comes to your choice for 2024 independent line, this is edward >> good morning. pedro, it is going to have to be an independent candidate. it will not be a democrat candidate. i do not feel like the democrat party, to be completely honest, they are not delivering for black people. it is not because they are not getting, you know, participation or support or compromise with legislation from the republican party, i feel like locally and state even democrat parties are failing us. they benefit from this. minimum wage everywhere is not going up fast enough. housing is an issue everywhere. clean water, clear infrastructure. the democrat party is failing us that is just it. a cornell west light candidate.

he talks about government's responsibility to the people and to the least of us as well. note to democrats. obviously, no to any republican candidate. it will have to be an independent candidate. >> core will -- cornell west like candidate are you saying you will vote for him? >> if i have the opportunity, if i have the opportunity, yes. >> what sets him apart then, specifically. >> well, because. education for all. taxing the rich. vision really brought to life by a real leader. i'm a millennial right now and i really feel like the future will be realized with radical change. >> okay. edward and new jersey talking about cornell west not too long ago doctor west appearing on this program among other independent candidates that we

had during the week. if you are interested in seeing those interviews in a hearing those thoughts of those candidates go to our website@ c-span.org. the easiest way if you are a cornell west fan. type it in that box at the website and find those interviews as they took place here. kyle calls us from buffalo. our line for republicans. black voters only. >> yes. brother from new jersey independent kind of stole some of my thunder. it is tough because i cannot consciously vote for either one, to be quite honest. be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the congress. the presiding officer: without objection. ernst ernst thank you, mr. president. -- ms. ernst: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, typically you

legends emerge after events they commemorate have passed into history. however, the legend of colonel ralph public sector was present among us -- puckett was present among us for decades. he was a sands of giant of a man in his aissue mr. s, duties and passion. he started on his journey into legendary history when he graduated from west point in 1949. commissioning as an infantry officer. following the outbreak of the korean conflict in 1950, lieutenant puckett volunteered to command the newly created eighth army ranger company. this freshly minted lieutenant was chargeded with turning noninfantory soldiers into

battle-ready rangers in only five and a half weeks. and to no one's surprise, he did it. on november 25, 1950, the rangers dismounted their vehicles under heavy fire and secured hill 205 against an onslaught of north korean fighters who outnumbered them nearly 10-1. lieutenant puckett was instrumental in this effort. he called in supporting artillery fires dangerously close to his position. he intentionally exposed himself on six occasions allowing the enemy force to focus on him while enabling his men to locate

and kill the enemy. lieutenant puckett was wounded twice in this battle, but he refused to be evacuated and instead chose to continue to lead his men while they repelled five consecutive counterattacks. it wasn't until the sixth counte counterattack with supporting artillery fires unavailable and in the face of almost certain death that lieutenant puckett ordered his men to leave him behind due to his injuries and the chaos surrounding the close quarters fighting. instead of leaving their commander, two rangers fought their way to lieutenant puckett,

and they drug him to safety. for his actions, he was awarded the distinguished service cross. following the battle that nearly cost lieutenant puckett his life, he was sent to fort benning, georgia, for recovery. there he met his future bride, miss genie martin. they were later be married on november 26, 1952, the second anniversary of the battle of the instead of retiring from military service, lieutenant puckett chose to serve as a combat arms officer at the united states army rangers school. in 1967, lieutenant colonel puckett volunteered for a tour in vietnam where he once again

led soldiers in combat, most notably during the tet offensivive. in 1971, after 22 years of service, colonel puckett retired from active duty, but that was not the end of colonel puckett's service. when he and his family moved to georgia in 1990, he devoted much of his time to speak on base and to teach leadership courses. he also participated in numerous field training exercises and visited soldiers serving all around the world to pass on the leadership and life lessons he learned during his multiple combat tours. colonel puckett's influence extended to virtually every senior infantry officer and noncommissioned officer who served at fort benning, now fort

hal moore for nearly two decades. however, his mentorship wasn't limited to the men and women at the senior ranks. it resonated across all levels of our military. between his leadership at active tut and mentorship after he retired, he influenced generations, including me. i was fortunate enough to meet colonel puckett when i worked on fort moore in the 1990's. when i was deployed in support of operation iraqi freedom from 2003 to 2004, colonel puckett, who had been a mentor, would write me with word of advice and motivation. for a man of his stature and

legacy, to spend time, spend his time mentoring a young captain on deployment is just one small example of the character and tireless devotion of colonel puckett. rightly so, colonel puckett was an inaugural inductee into the united states army ranger hall of fame. he would go on to be the honorary colonel of the 75th ranger regiment from 1996 to 2008. and on may 21, 2021, colonel puckett's distinguished service cross was upgraded to the medal of honor in a white house ceremony that i was very, very privileged and fortunate to

attend. mr. president, colonel puckett lived a life of devoted service to our nation. his military awards include the medal of honor, the distinguished service cross, two silver stars, three legions of merit, two bronze stars with v device for valor, and five purple hearts. in addition, he has the combat infantrymen's badge with star, special forces tab, and ranger tab. colonel puckett was a legend, a legend of a man, a legend of a soldier, a legend of a ranger, a legend of a husband, father, and grandfather, and a legend of a citizens who knew no limits to serving his country.

after a literal lifetime of dedication and service to america, it is only fitting that we pay tribute to colonel puckett in the rotunda of the capitol to honor his sacrifices and the sacrifices of the silent generation and the more than 5,700,000 men and women who served in the armed forces of the united states during the forgotten war. this country is forever in your debt for answering the call to fight against tyranny and oppression in the korean conflict. mr. president, i ask that we take a moment of silence in memory of colonel puckett and the contributions he made both in and out of uniform, and to acknowledge the sacrifices his

family made when colonel puckett's duties took him away from home. [moment of silence] ms. ernst: mr. president, it has been a privilege and an honor to know such a man and to have walked in the footsteps of giants who have come before, giants such as colonel ralph puckett jr. may he rest in peace. rangers, lead the way. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

the enslaved having a unique relationship with this government issue. invisible into the people of color. here are some of the issues. we want our cash reparations

which were enslaved here in the united states. we want a hate crime specifically to protect black americans. we want the ending of qualified immunity for law enforcement. we want the return of our land that was taken from us through a illegal and deceptive means. we want our political prisoners released and those in prison for nonviolent crime. unrelenting a around the globe. this legislation will bolster israel's fight to defend itself against terrorists like hamas. it will support ukraine's ongoing defense against russian forces who are violating their sovereignty. and it will help countries in the indo-pacific like taiwan counter and deter, hopefully, chinese aggression.

america's always been known as one that stands by its friends and allies. that's actually one of the biggest differences between the united states and russia and china. we have friends, we have like-minded allies based on our commonly shared values. now there are strategic shotgun marriages which you see now between iran and china and russia, but nobody would mistake that for a shared value concept. it's just that they are arrayed against the united states. enemy -- my enemy is -- enemy of my enemy is my friend, is the nos if i that they -- is the philosophy they embrace. we have a long and proud history of defending democracy and standing up to adversaries, and i'm glad congress approved this legislation to continue in that tradition. as america's friends and allies combat evil around the world,

we're seeing a new wave cropping up right here on american soil. since hamas attacked israel on october 7 of last year, anti-israel protests have taken place across the united states. for our country, protests are nothing new. in fact, they are privileged and guaranteed under the first amendment to the constitution. so impassioned debate is not a recent innovation, but there is a clear line between protesting and rioting, and an even clearer line between free speech and violence. regrettably, that line has been crossed time and time again in recent months. some hamas sympathizers and supporters have used the guise of protesting to harass and intimidate jewish students across the united states in some

of the most disturbing incidents have been those on college campuses. in the wake of october 7, campuses have experienced a wave of anti-semitic attacks targeting their jewish students. last fall, for example, jewish students at a small university in new york city sheltered in the college library as pro-palestinian protesters banged on the doors and windows and chanted outside. multiple students at tulane university in louisiana were physically assaulted during a tense protest. and a cornell university message board was flooded with anonymous comments that threatened to physically harm any jewish person on campus. these incidents highlight a dangerous resurgence of anti-semitism that has spread like wildfire across college campuses, and too many people have tried to defend these

attacks as constitutionally protected speech. i would hurry to point out that not everybody involved in these protests and this disobedience, civil disobedience or even violence are even students at these universities, and in many ways i think this is another manifestation, another indication, more evidence that many of our institutions of higher education have lost their way. they should be focused on the next generation of american leadership, not engaged in primarily focused on, on this sort of activity. it's shameful and disingeneral wis to -- disingenuous to say this qualifies as protected speech. the first amendment does protect speech but protects the right to protest peacefully. it does not give anyone the

freedom to riot, to threaten or carry out acts of violence against other people or to even violate the rules of their university. the supreme court has long recognized that neutral protections like time, manner, and place provisions do not violate the first amendment, and those are the sorts of guidelines and rules that these protesters need to follow. and when they don't follow them, they should be held accountable for it. sadly, pro-palestinian groups are continuing to create a threatening environment by continuing to occupy and disrupt some college campuses. at yale university, a jewish student, journalist was attacked by a pro-hamas mob while attempting to film a protest. she was stabbed in the eye with a palestinian flag, and her attacker has still not been

identified. this last weekend at harvard, anti-israel protesters raised a palestinian flag in the place where the american flag should have been flying. protests at the university of southern california created such serious safety concerns that the university actually canceled its main graduation ceremony. and some of the most alarming incidents have taken place at columbia university where pro-palestinian students set up a tent encampment on the center of the campus. the situation has become so tense last week that a prominent rabbi urged jewish students to leave campus and stay away for their own safety. the situation grew more tense last night as a mob used furniture to bolt doors.

members of the building's maintains team says he was briefly held hostage. these institutions are known as some of america's elite universities, but their response to these incidents has fallen far short. they've allowed protesters to break university rules, threaten other students, particularly jewish students, and create a dangerous and hostile environment for their entire campus communities. under title 6 of the civil rights act, colleges and universities are required to provide an environment free from discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. so it's shameful that some of these so-called elite universities in our country do not take that responsibility seriously. last week protests erupted at the university of texas in austin, where i live, but i'm glad to say the response there was far different than what you've seen in many other parts of the country. as hundreds of protesters

attempted to occupy the campus, the university hasn't wavered in its commitment to preserve a safe environment for all of its stu students. it recognized the danger this could pose to -- education if you can't go do class or you can't participate activities on your own campus for fear of violence or threats. university of texas took quick action to break up last week's demonstration before things turned violent and it's continued to do the same thing as the situation heats up this week. i'm going to commend my friend president jay hartzel for doing what so many failed to do. he, with the backing of our

governor and other elected officials made it clear that the university's rules would be enforced. as we've seen at college campuses across the country, uncontrolled, or i should say, out of control protests create an dangerous environment for all members of the campus, and for jewish students for their e ethnic -- i'm glad the university of texas at austin made it clear that anti-semitism has no place on its campus. last week 26 of my republican colleagues and i urged the biden administration to do more to protect jewish students on college campuses, anti-semitic mobs are threatening jewish

students. given the wave of protests across the country, the biden administration must do more to combat anti-semitism and ensure that every student has a safe place to learn. universities, of course, are no strangers to activism, students for generations have raised their voices on a variety of political issues. the right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, but, mr. president, it doesn't grant anyone the ability to say or do whatever they want without consequences. recent demonstrations have turned into a breeding ground for anti-semitism and we must do to protect all of our students and restore safety to our college campuses and restore the basic mission are for what they were founded, which is to educate the next generation of

americans. mr. president, i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

biden knows what he is doing. i did not agree with most of what biden does. it is israel. i believe what i said on the phone this morning. it is a war law. mispronouncing the law. they have laws. israel is breaking them. i understand that israel is a partner of ours. telling a secret that we don't know. kind of like our eyes and ears in the middle east. >> you can still call in and give your thoughts when it comes to this idea of your choice in 2024. 2,027,488,001 for republicans, democrats. independence 7,488,002.

social media available to you as well, if you want. facebook.com/cspan. post on x at c-span wj. independent line, this is sue and wisconsin. hello. the caller is gone. let's go to maria in atlanta georgia. hello. >> good morning, pedro, c-span family. i am definitely voting for joe biden. there are several things. he traded policies to improve the economic and black community 2.6 million. he works towards helping get the education, higher education for, what is it, the student loans effort to federal contracts for

small businesses. he also is in the process of helping through treasury state small business credits. also addressing the issues to help military spending 37,000. so, for a lot of black people, they really don't know what he has done. how they need to do their homework. i don't think they know much about politics. >> there is a concern about georgia as far as a concern for black voters there. >> i am 61 years old. nobody i ever knew in my life has ever been polled so i do not believe the polls. i've never met anybody in my life at 61 years old. >> queen is next in virginia. independent line. hello.

i am a registered nurse. the one thing that obama did was healthcare. that is enough for me. these young people do not understand, do they remember that? trump wanted them killed. we need to get civics back in school and the educator, you need to teach these kids how a bill was made. >> with respect, as far as president biden is why are you supporting him? >> because i know history. i am part of history. i did not understand what he was saying.

>> go ahead and finish. >> that is all that i have to say. learn history. learn how a bill is made and learn how it is done. >> let's hear from mark. mark is in connecticut. >> hi. how are you doing. >> yes. i want to support donald trump. the reason is because, apples to apples. we have biden now and biden has not made anything better. not one single metric has he improved. i want cheap gas. i want lower inflation. i am a christian man. i don't agree with biden and his , you know, gender affirming care in these kinds of things. sex changes to children.

he supported that kind of thing. i do not know which christian can support that. crime out of control. locking up criminals and keeping them where they belong. trump is better on all of these issues. i don't know what these people are going to support. >> supporting the former president. >> it is fine. there is a lot of people during trump's first term and they bought into it with the media. just people in my world, coworkers and things, people are now seeing the difference. now, i can see a lot of people that did not like it before actually warming up. making such a mess of the place.

i think that if you care about the future of this country, you don't want to continue under this direction. look at joe biden in all of these wars going on. everything was better. i don't know why people want to continue. >> that is marked they are in connecticut. one of the recent ads from the biden campaign. aimed at the topic of the economy. here is that ad. >> is that it's trump was, his economy was worse. he got health insurance. giving tax breaks to the wealthy and big business. attacking voting rights and every of reelected bound to be a dictator and "get revenge". we cannot go back. as president i put money in pockets creating millions of new jobs in cap the cost at $35 a month. there's a lot more to do but we

can do it together. i am joe biden and i approve this message. >> let's hear from shirley. richmond, virginia. democrats lined. >> good morning. >> thank you very much. >> thank you very much for doing so. >> it has been a while, pedro. i am casting my vote for president biden. i am casting my vote to him because even though everybody makes mistakes, at least when he says something you can believe it. you don't have to worry about your kids watching tv calling people nasty. being the nastiest person they can be. talking about when he gave the list to this dude. ....

this is who you want your children to pattern themselves after a quick set on tickets right. >> surely in richmond and georgia and ohio republican line. >> hey at morning c-span. thank you pedro for this important topic. i'm voting for president trump. the reason why is if you picture america were picture america as the world trade center for families being brought down by design and picture the economy, the economy is being brought down by design and president trump says the only one that i see that is standing in the way of that. so thank you. >> sold in this next, sullivan is a new york on the democrats

line. good morning. you are next up. >> a good morning pedro. how are you this morning? >> i'm fine thank you. go ahead please. >> i'm not quite sure where to begin but it seems to me to be these black republicans in black independents voting for donald trump, their thoughts are wrong for the fbi report has reported that crime has fell 49%. the lowest it's been. you have hot pockets here and there but crime on the whole in new york where i live crime is on the decline. donald trump went into the supreme court and argued with the law school students student argued that the president is literally immune from everything. what president in our lifetime says that that was the case the pardon of nixon would not have

been accepted in a would have been mixed nixed. the other caller was talking about if biden was the leader and he's the most liberal resonance we have ever had. hugo was the former member and harry truman was a former klansman bird. i believe these people are talking rhetoric and they don't have the facts they don't understand how things work. >> that's the former president your specific choice who would that be and why? >> i have no choice but to vote for joe biden if i want the economy to move ahead. do i like everything that biden does, no but i see what he's done and look at the programs. i'm from trinidad. i remember president carter opening up immigration and that's how my grandmother got me here and joe biden opened up the camera with -- the border with chile and brought people here

but they are in "la la land" not understanding the repercussions of voting for donald trump. he does not have anybody is interested in hand except his own. >> lets. >> let's hear from cindy in illinois on the independent line. hi. >> hi. i am definitely voting for joe biden and i'm no great politician but i do have common sense. trump would not get my vote never have and never will. and to be evangelicals let me say this you are voting for someone who is first a, okay and a -- you are an evangelical. read your bible. thank you very much. >> jay in south carolina republican line. >> yes i am definitely supporting joe biden. it's very scary and it was scary

with the bleaching covid and all that but in order to be fair to mr. trump i can know they can put him in the regular prison population. they'll have to put them on house arrest because he will drive the inmates happily. it lets go back to your support for the joe biden as a republican. what's your case? >> i'm part of the exhausted majority. i've listened listen to this man over and over again, where in the world do you find someone that is never wrong, never takes responsibility and i can go back further than that because i was drafted around the same time he was but he didn't show up. he's not an honest broker. we need an honest broker in the white house. >> the current president got a deferment from the draft as well. >> well that doesn't, i guess

they can both be called out on that but i showed up. he made a medical excuse and biden got a deferment because he was in the legitimate crunch and there's a difference there. >> okay let's hear from surely in maryland on the democrats line. hi. >> hi i am definitely voting for joe biden and it's because not because of fox or "msnbc." i heard former president trump as well as rich mcconnell on tv talking about getting rid of social security and getting rid of medicare. according to the census bureau in about six years the majority of americans will be 65 years old. that includes me. that has a tremendous impact on this country and a black

person -- [inaudible] they will get rid of social security which we have paid into and medicare. in addition i don't like trump and all those people that of killing black people for centuries. i have no interest in anybody like that. so that's my reason. >> okay again let's hear from ivey republican line washington d.c.. >> yes, good morning. i've been listening to the comments. i'm black and i've been black my entire life. one thing that i can say is especially referring to the

86-year-old black woman, it is amazing how the average black voter uses innuendo, speculation and does not read factually accurate information. first, one thing that i would say very briefly a few things. president biden was a separatist. he's a documented separatist whose mentor was governor george wallace. he has been consistent in his attack on black america. so now his alliances have been with preachers, big preachers who again talk to their persian or zim persuade them not to read. i would never vote for joe biden and it is fundamentally grounded in his policies. there is no anti--- there is no

bill for the eradication of anti-. there was an anti-asian bill and there were no laws that fundamentally disprove that he has done anything beneficial for the black community and for the black woman who -- a bomb it's tale often with the black community that if you want to hide something from them propagandize it. >> that's who you are not supporting. who are you supporting actually? >> i'm supporting donald trump. we have no alternative. we have no alternative because we have to look at the border. we have to look at our policies that have to be implemented so we don't implode as a country. that's the first thing and everything else will fall into place. >> maryland is next on the independent line david and

clinton maryland, hello. >> is good morning to the american audience. a couple of quick comments and my rationale about what's going on. i'd take his dishy right now biden is in office as palestine and gaza. for him to request money on our behalf to send to the state of israel to kill women and children and i know that sounds like it's been repeated but it's a fact. maybe there are some terrorists but that's the way it is but to do that on my behalf i can't vote for him. the issue with black people speaking of reparations, it's asking for something for free. it's ancestor of grave robbing to say that they are owed something for what happened over 150 years ago or back further than that. you have folks out there like al sharpton trying to gin up people to get them to vote for certain

a certain party. i want even say which one but they are lapdogs and president biden, it's elder abuse. if you look at it he is in sad shape. who are you voting for? >> i'm an independent. >> i wonder if you had a choice as far as who you were going to vote for this point? >> i do believe biden and what he has done he request money. i believe that trump will do what he says. he would and that because he would take -- and i'm not willing to say what i'm going to do and that's part of the problem. everybody's going into their corners so i will leave it up to those folks and trying to get votes for me. >> okay again if you've been joining us for while we have been asking voters to give us a choice for 2024 for the next

several minutes. if you want to let us know your thoughts 2-027-488-0001 for republicans. the facebook page facebook.com/c-span hour x feed. maryland the democrats line wiley, good morning. >> of morning and thanks for taking my call. i just want to say for somebody older in this country biden made it possible for you to get your medication free for cheaper in the biggest race you ever got was from biden. he's creating jobs and read doing the infrastructure and there are many jobs in this country that require security clarence. how in the world can donald

trump pass a security clearance right now but he can become president. is that what you want? trump -- the border but also something is really going on. he is blocking it. thanks for taking my call. >> in georgia. ayaan are independent line. hi. >> hi thanks for taking my call. i'm 77 years old. i graduated in 1964 when the civil rights bill was passed. my parents voted republican before and democrat before as i have. i vote for the person who's going to do the most for me and my community. donald trump is a. i is coded for the first george bush because bill clinton was known to be an adulterer and an

man which is the number one reason that i would not vote for donald trump. he is. if there's a way that i can keep my grandchildren from seeing him on tv i will. i do not want them growing up looking at that kind of stuff. i respected my leaders and i was taught to respect them my entire life than they did up until this one. >> if that's the case make the case if you're supporting president biden, make that case. >> because i have no evidence that he's an man. as far as i know he cares about people. is he a perfect man? has he done things that were not in the favor i believe of black people but then so have i back when they were doing these crime bills and all this stuff. i saw that they were dissenting and i didn't know would be aimed at black people to keep them -- forever and i did understand that the people make mistakes

and then you correct them and you do whatever you need to do. he has tried to do the child poverty thing and if democrats in what i understand still have power in the senate and the house we would still have something for child poverty. donald trump saying will not replace us that was a thing and if, nothing will get better if donald trump is president. nothing will get better in ukraine. those are just things that are political. >> okay this is in d.c. the independent line you are next up. >> good morning pedro. how are you today? >> i'm fine thank you, how are you? >> glad to hear. i would never vote for donald trump at all. i'm not sure -- but he's been

charged and a caller from connecticut saying that, he said something about biden supporting some sort of surgeries or whatever it is, you need to get an adviser because being an adulterer and having three marriages vp champions and are rapist and a among other things so no thank you. >> as far as your choices concerned, who is it collects. >> it's ironic that the question is for black voters to basically decide so it's like if there were a choice i would have to look at the least but that doesn't make it any better.

>> as farce a third-party candidate that doesn't go into your choice as well considering a third-party candidate? >> absolutely. in this case absolutely but he doesn't stand a chance of the mere fact that these there are doesn't necessarily, it means your vote is thrown away like voting for any of person of color other than barack obama. again this is a distraction that donald trump is continuing doing. he's been consistent. he also said, i work on the hill and he said he was going to release the january 6 hostages the first thing he was going to do but it's ironic because during his campaign years ago he said mccain was a when he didn't support people who were hostages even though mr. spur mr. i can't serve was discriminating against people of color to move into their

residence. >> got your point. let's hear from alexandria virginia on the democrats line. >> i hope every day -- everybody stay bound to enjoy. black folks are faced with a sad dilemma. neither party represents the black interests. we do have donald trump which we know was involved in the central part five when he advocated in "the new york times" so we know his laundry list offenses against black folks. we do have troubles with biden and the fact of this war in gaza and we know america would sell its soul to advance israeli interests. a third party would only pretty much tie us together with the worst of the two evils which is the republican party which is trying to stifle the ability to

vote which is curtailing books that clarify the history of black folks and a whole slew of things that are destructive to black folks. republicans are not even a factor among really well thought out political depth and growth. biden, once he's in power we need to nudge him on the side of the right to end this war in palestine and to me more in balance when it comes to palestinians in israel and advance the course of all americans. >> one more call from mike in maryland on the republican line. >> hey of morning. i have my children and we talk about this all the time.

i think there's a misunderstanding from the black folks that think we should trust the media all the time one way and opposite and we let it go the other way. history is not proven to be truthful and the recent history says we should be independent and speak for ourselves and with us with respect to trump not using the media loan to get information about him just let look at what he did for hbcus. i was a graduate of an hbcu so i'm proud of that initiative that we start giving money to those colleges and universities. with respect to giving people a second chance out of prison and rehiring that was trump again. in relationship to this rhetoric we hear that trump is and he doesn't like women, he had three wives and he married women because he loved them. this rhetoric is not necessarily panning out so well for biden. biden has shown he still working on developing pro-trump has proven that he is developed and

is doing well whether you agree with his rhetoric or not you can compare those things because those things mean something to a man's perspective. i have three children the car they can say hi. they are listening to you guys talk every day and i sometimes have to wonder if the wisdom of the elder to for them. just because you are older does not mean you are giving wisdom to the children. i want them to be rhetoric free and independent in their thought patterns and educate to think freely. doesn't mean i'm always right for my children but when you call in my children are listening and they want you to give them wisdom. that's what i have to say about this and yes i will vote for trump. out of the candidates we have these the best one hopefully the storm that comes wakes everybody up. >> in maryland on the republican line i'm a man with his children listening along and thank you for everyone who called and known as the breakfast club to influence the race for the

senate republican leader and how the chamber would run with a republican majority. republican senators souring on -- the biggest wildcards in leadership race at the time the gop has a good chance of winning control of the chamber the november 5 election in the breakfast club is an unofficial group but it's closer to the house freedom caucus which has been a thorn in its side -- stored in the side of gop leadership. the group which includes republican senators rick scott afforded ted cruz texas ron johnson of wisconsin might lead of utah mike brought indianan rand paul of kentucky. they meet one morning each week and like-minded senators such as j.d. bands eric schmidt and roger marshall 30 again you can find that it axios. let's hear from emma and texas. hello. >> i just want to say these

people getting on here talking about the taking jobs. that's not so. our job was in mid--- that they send our jobs overseas. they are taking jobs from the people so you can stop saying all of that thank you. >> frank is in poughkeepsie new york on the independent line. >> yes. >> you are on, go ahead. >> my opinion of the crisis that's going on deuteronomy 20: 80. it says it doesn't belong to either one of them. we know who it belonged to and

they are repeating 1969 protest against an unjust war. now i understand hamas killed a lot of innocent people but the government of netanyahu went in there and disproportionately killed palestinians. there's no way you can justify that. i can understand going there and hitting your target. hamas has no qualms with killing innocent people. but you are supposed to be better than out but you are not who you are supposed to be its an okay that's frankie nader. abc reports on something that took place yesterday and you may have caught it the reporting of it saying the colonel of united

states army retired a name of upon her for known history medal of honor recipient pockets cremated remains lay at the capital rotunda one of the nation's highest honors but he died april 8 at the age of 97 in columbus georgia. it's a privilege reserved for the most distinguished leaders including the ice is present in some of the most decorated war veterans but only seven citizens in u.s. police officers have attribute and during the war pocket exposed himself several times to allow rangers to find and destroy enemy positions during the multiwave attack which earned him the medal of honor. one of the people speaking at that ceremony and honoring the gentleman is minority leader mitch mcconnell making those comments about the late colonel puckett. >> dear god, don't let me get a

bunch of good guys killed. that's how the man we honor today, able trained professional soldier, created the task before him as he took on the eighth army ranger company in 1950. with humility, with clear eyes about the of war. by november of that year, the popular assessment of the conflict on the peninsula was highly optimistic. gentleman carter himself that he could have american g.i.s home for christmas but for first lieutenant ralph puckett and the 50 rangers under his command the path home turned out to be much

less rosy. ahead of them was a crucible of staggering odds along the frontlines near the chinese border. u.s. forces and ralph puckett sector were outnumbered 3-2. but on the hill 205 where his small company would take a stand more than a mile from the nearest reinforcements. they were outnumbered 10-1. it's difficult to imagine a starker embodiment of the rangers leading the way. perhaps on october 25, 1950, ralph puckett repeated this simple prayer be offered to command. don't let me get a bunch of good

guys killed. perhaps he asked for the strength, the courage and the resolve to discharge his duty and lead his men with honor. for the benefit of hindsight all of us here today know that prayer was granted. ralph puckett wore our nations highest military decoration and in the hearts of generations of soldiers to come the courage and self-sacrifice that earned that honor will be this great man's "eternals" legacy. >> for that program available on our web site at c-span.org and you can see it on our app at csun -- c-span now. evelyn is in baltimore maryland democrats win on this open forum. go ahead please.

>> good morning pedro. listening to everyone calling and talking about what's going on in gaza which i think is but i'm not going to cut off my nose to spite my face when it comes to election time because if they really think that trump is going to be on their side when it comes to israel and palestine, they are set for mistaken. the people, not the jewish people but the people in israel like netanyahu, they are nothing but back in the day. >> caller you'll have to watch the language. brian a massachusetts republican line, good morning. >> good morning pedro. thank you very much for letting me talk. i would like to talk to you about your programming very briefly. greta and you have both had to adjust from defenders of

wildlife on and we never hear, i have no remarks about defenders of wildlife but you never have a pro sportsmen hunter treschle per angler group on to talk about things on earth day or anything like that. so thank you very much for listening to me. >> who would you like to hear from on that front? is there specific group in mind? >> i'm not sure the first rappers of america, any group that supports hunting and trapping and buys license fees and spends a lot of money for wildlife also. >> if i can ask you and this is out of pure interest the clerk the motion to invoke cloture.rk

the clerk: cloture motion. we, the undersigned senators, do hereby move to bring to a close the debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 598, georgia n. alexakis of illinois to be united states be district judge for the northern district of illinois. the presiding officer: the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is should debate on the nomination of georgia n. alexakis of illinois to be united states district judge for the northern district of illinois shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman.

mr. braun. mrs. britt. mr. brown. mr. budd. ms. butler. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. the clerk: mr. cruz.

mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. the clerk: ms. ernst mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham.

mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono.

the clerk: mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy.

mr. king. ms. klobuchar. sna mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. manchin. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell.

mr. menendez. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff.

the clerk: mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney. ms. rosen. mr. rounds.

mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. ms. sinema. ms. smith. ms. stabenow. mr. sullivan.

mr. tester. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner. mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch.

mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden. mr. young.

the clerk: senators voting in the affirmative -- cortez masto, durbin, hassan, heinrich, kaine, manchin, peters, rosen, sanders, schatz, sinema, stabenow, tillis, welch. senators voting in the

negative -- blackburn, cotton, crapo, ernst, grassley, hagerty, kennedy, marshall, paul, scott of florida, scott of south carolina. the clerk: mr. schmitt no. ms. butler, aye. mr. young, no. mr. merkley, aye.

the clerk: mr. fetterman, aye. mr. wicker, no. mr. barrasso, no.

the clerk: ms. lummis, no. ms. baldwin, aye. ms. warren, aye. ms. hirono, aye. mr. coons, aye. mr. warner, aye. mr. mr. rounds, aye. mr. ossoff, aye.

the clerk: mr. brown, aye. mr. hickenlooper, aye. mr. daines, no. mr. van hollen, aye.

mr. thune, no. mr. wyden, aye. mr. lujan, aye. ms. klobuchar, aye. mr. cassidy, no.

the clerk: mr. cardin, aye.

the clerk: mr. schumer, aye. mr. johnson, no. the clerk: mr. cornyn, no.

the clerk: mr. lee, no.

the clerk: mr. mcconnell, no.

the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye.

the clerk: mrs. shaheen, aye. mr. carper, aye.

the clerk: mr. rubio, no. mrs. hyde-smith, no. the clerk: mr. graham, aye. the clerk: ms. duckworth, aye. mr. budd, no. mr. tester, aye.

the clerk: mr. markey, aye. pros mrs. capito, no. mrs. britt, no. mr. braun, no.

the clerk: mrs. fischer, no. ms. cantwell, aye. mr. vance, no. the clerk: ms. collins, aye. mr. hoeven, no.

the clerk: mr. casey, aye. the clerk: mr. whitehouse, aye. the clerk: mr. moran, no.

mr. mullin, no. the clerk: mr. reed, aye.

the clerk: mr. warnock, aye. mr. boozman, no. the clerk: ms. smith, aye.

the clerk: mr. murphy, aye.

the clerk: mr. padilla, aye.

the clerk: mr. mendendez, aye. the clerk: mr. bennet, aye.

mr. ricketts, no.

the clerk: ms. murkowski, aye. mr. hawley, no.

the clerk: mr. sullivan, no.

the clerk: mr. blumenthal, aye.

vote:

the clerk: mr. king, aye. .

the clerk: mr. romney, no.

the clerk: mr. cruz, no.

the clerk: mr. cramer, no.

the presiding officer: on this vote, the yeas are 53, the nays are 42, and the motion is agreed to.

mr. whitehouse: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: mr. president, i -- we're not in a quorum call, is that correct? the presiding officer: we are not. mr. whitehouse: great. i'm here today for the 31st time in my series on the special interest scheme that captured the united states supreme court. there is an old adage that the best way to show that one stick is crooked is to set a straight stick down next to it. so, today we're going to look at some sticks. supreme court justices are caught over and over receiving enormous gifts, often from people very interested in court proce

proceedings, and refusing even to report the gifts as the law requires. the disciplinary process for these justices is virtually nonexistent. not even basic factfinding takes place. so, let's compare the court's dereliction about its own conduct with the straight stick of how other federal officials are treated when they don't report gifts. but let's start with a recap of the history. after the first round of gifts of yacht and jet travel from billionaire harlan crow to justice clarence thomas, the judicial conference, which is the administrative body that oversees the judicial branch of

government, investigated the matter, and that investigation buried the situation rather than get to the bottom of it. to the point even of applying the wrong legal process. the law requires the conference, if there's a reasonable chance that the failures to disclose were willful, to refer the determination of willfulness to the attorney general. and there's good reason for that. one, the attorney general has real investigative resources two, judicial clubbiness and mutual back-scratching is less likely. and three, three, the attorney general can determine whether other crimes, like tax and false

statement violations, are also implicated. but back then the judicial conference did not make the referral, nor did they issue any public report providing any real explanation for that decision. on that transparency score, zero. recently, the judicial conference, to its great credit, blew up what i call the scalia trick, which was, one, arranging free secret vacations with resort owners, and two, pretending the generous, free hospitality received was personal hospitality, under the disclosure laws, because he'd been extended a personal invitation. well, obviously that's not what they mean in the disclosure laws

by personal hospitality. it's supposed to cover things where you know people, where it's your in-laws, where it's your college roommates, where there's a true, long-standing personal relationship, not somebody you don't know extending you a personal invitation. so, stopping that nonsense was good. but here's the transparency part -- the conference described what they did in that decision as a clarif clarification, a clarification, which was also good because it acknowledged that was the rule all along. they weren't making a new rule. they were clarifying what had been the rule all along. but then along comes clarence thomas, who is usually completely silent on his many ethics failings, completely si silent. on this occasion, he instantly

launched lawyers to say he would comply with what they called the new rule. the trick to that stunt was the claim that this was a new rule. claiming it was a new rule meant that he would only have to comply going forward, not go back and clean up years of false financial filings. so, i have asked the judicial conference to clarify what it meant by clarification. so far, i have received no answer. so, as of now, years of thomas and alito misfilings remain uncorrected. but it is still going on. so, on that, the transparency

score is pending. the judicial conference is also reviewing the more recent round of harlan crow to clarence thomas megagifts. and it is to be hoped that the judges now on the judicial conference will do a better job of following the law than their predecessors did, that they wilo the attorney general and that they will let the facts be properly investigated. there is no sign of that yet, just that the investigation is ongoing. so transparency score on that, also pending. the danger in all of these decisions about judicial disclosure failings is the judges may see the whole mess as just a problem in a judicial

bubble. their own little concern that's really no one else's business, but, mr. president, it is far more serious than that, as i'm about to show. however, if there's nothing to compare their own behavior to, nothing to compare their own stick to, they might not notice its crooks and its bends. let me go back to one of the reasons for referral to the attorney general. he is positioned to determine if criminal laws were also violated along with disclosure laws. there is every reason to believe that justices who failed to report big ee malewe mants on their judicial disclosures also

failed to file tax disclosures. i recently saw an article pointing out that even academy award gift bags create tax consequences. it was reported, and i'm quoting, the academy decided to end its practice of giving out gift bags citing the tax commonsense for stars. if that must cause tax consequences to stars, so it must also to justices. if hollywood stars are expected to understand that, well, so should supreme court justices. if justices didn't make the required tax filings, they broke the law. and if they did make the required tax filings but still not the required judicial

disclosure filings, that signals potential will fullness. the attorney general's job to determine, but if it's determined that the misfiling was willful, that brings its own penalties and consequences. a large body of law about false statements also applies here. based on criminal laws like 18 united states code section 1001, a felony offense. who knows, proper investigation may show that even fraud and bribery statutes apply, at least with respect to the billionaires who so generously lavish these justices who keep handing them favorable decisions. remember, for instance, the $25,000 payment via the court

fixer leonard leo to thomas's spouse jenny thomas, specifying no mention of jenny, of course. this is serious. by shrouding in clubby secrecy judicial colleagues' violation of judicial disclosure laws, judges may also be covering up crimes, a problem reaching well beyond internal business of the judiciary. plus covering up crimes is just a bad look for judges. so to the straight stick how other government offices have been treated when the unreported gifts come to light. if it is the judiciary's

position that issueries are subject -- judiciaries are -- i would like to hear them say that outright. but if the standard for justices is not lower, than these cases are very relevant comparisons. to keep it simple, today let's just compare cases involving nondisclosure of free gifts, of vacations, event tickets, lodging and travel, like those gifts which thomas and or alito received from wealthy donors. in 2016, the government accepted a guilty plea from the resident

agent in charge of a mexico dea field office. the dea agent had failed to disclose gifts of private air travel provided him between his duty station in mexico and his home in texas. trips which he claimed were for personal purposes. he didn't pay fair market value for the flights, although he did occasionally pay fuel costs. for his failure to disclose these gifts, the dea agent pleaded guilty to a section 1001 false statements criminal violation, a felony, and was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. that same year, the government

accepted a guilty plea from the director of a veterans' affairs hospital for her failure to disclose gifts she received totaling a bit more than $21,000, including domestic and international airline tickets, concert tickets worth 730 -- $730, a check for $5,000, resort spa services, a gift card, and the registration fee for a marathon. she too pleaded guilty to a section 1001 false statement violation, a felony, and was sentenced to two years of probation. the government prosecuted an official at the department of housing and urban development for failing to disclose gifts he received from the president of a

company representing clients trying to secure hud contracts. the gifts included luxury box tickets to a washington redskins football game. that official pleaded guilty to a section 1018 false statements by a -- and had pay a $500 fine. the jack abramoff stanl included a -- scandal included failing gifts received, including a gift to scotlscotland, including all-expense pay and private jet travel, luxury accommodations in scotland and london and free

government, meals and transportation. his other undisclosed gifts included an all expense paid trip to new orleans to gamble, and a vacation in lake george, new york, included a chartered car and meals worth for than $2,500. he admitted to taking gifts. he pleaded guilty to a section 1001 false statements violation and to conspiracy to commit on a services fraud, make false statements and violate a lobbying ban. nay was sentenced to 30 months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $6,000 fine and 1200 hours of community

service. in the abramoff scandal, the chief of staff was -- for failing to disclose gifts he received from abramoff and others representing a client with business for the labor department. the unreported gifts included luxury box tickets to a georgetown university basketball game, luxury suite tickets to aular lem globetrotter game, tickets to a washington capitals hockey game. the official pleaded guilty to a section 1018 false statements by a public official violation and was sentenced to 36 months of probation and a $500 fine. the government also prosecuted a department of interior employee who had failed to disclose gifts from abramoff.

the gifts included tickets to a washington redskins game and to a simon and garfunkel concert. the employee and abramoff had developed a personal friendship. when abramoff begin giving this employee and his family sporting and concert tickets, the employee sometimes offered to pay for the items, but abramoff said the tickets were for unused seats and that he wanted to give them to his friend. precisely like alito's claims of empty private jet seats and personal friendship. the department of -- sorry. the department of interior employee pleaded guilty to a section 1018 false statements by

a public official violation and was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine. so what conclusion can you draw from those cases? the conclusion you draw from those cases is that over and over in the real world of proper government disclosure and accountability, government officials are prosecuted for failing to disclose gifts far lower in value than what supreme court justices have received. in that real world they plead guilty to felony criminal charges and they received criminal sentences. as felons they lose various legal privilege, and this is

just for failing to disclose. these cases did not involve tax crimes. the cases against these ordinary government officials, even a member of congress, provide a comparable -- a comparable against which undisclosed gifts to justices of the supreme court should be measured. what we see shows that equivalent acts in the other branches are prosecuted as crimes, but at the supreme court they are covered up behind a wall of judicial disguise. we can't even get the basic

facts. that is no way to run a judicial branch. the judicial branch should be the straightest of sticks. to be continued, mr. president. . mr. whitehouse: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from rhode island. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business with senators

permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 1042, which was received from the house and is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 1042, an act to print the importation into the united states of unirradiated low enriched uranium produced in the russian federation, and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. whitehouse: i further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that if the senate receives a message from the house that it has passed h.r. 7791, and if the text is identical to s.4057, that h.r. 7791 be considered as having been read three times and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer:

without objection. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 290, s.2116. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 290, s.2116, to require the secretary of commerce to produce a report that provides recommendations to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of department of commerce programs and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate will proceed. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, bill as amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 664, submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 664, recognizing the designation of april as community college month, and so forth.

the presiding officer: without objection. the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the mentions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 665, which is at the desk. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. res. 665, supporting may 3, 2024, as national space day, and for -- and so forth. the presiding officer: without objection. the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent 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. mr. whitehouse: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the appointment at the desk appear separately in the record as if made by the chair. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. whitehouse: i have four requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. the presiding officer: duly noted. mr. whitehouse: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today it stand

adjourned until 10:00 a.m. on wednesday, may 1. that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. that upon the conclusion of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the alexakis nomination, postcloture. further, that all time be considered expired at 11:45 a.m. and following the alexakis confirmation vote, the senate resume legislative session to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to calendar number 211, h.r. 3935. further, that the senate recess following the confirmation vote on the alexakis nomination until 2:00 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings, and the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to h.r. 3935 ripen at 3:00 p.m. finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during wednesday's session, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without

objection. mr. whitehouse: if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the presiding officer: the senate stand adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. in the senate hasn't gaveled out for the day but today lawmakers worked on georgia to be u.s. district court judge for northern illinois. later this week's editors were also be voting to extend faa programs for another five years. we will have live coverage of the senate when senate lawmakers return here on cspan2. talks earlier today nasa administtor bill nelson was on capitol hill to outline his agency 2025 bget request before the house sence, space, technologyommittee. watch the full hearing tonight at 8:00 eastern on cspan2 it's avaible on c-span now our free mobile video app or online at c-span.org.

the biden administration is planning to reclassify marijuana using federal restrictions. julie from nbc news and posted a rule is expected soon on rescheduling the drug for the first time since a controlled substance act was put in place more than 50 years ago. the article goes on to say since 1971 marijuana has been the same category as heroin, methamphetamine and lsd. defined as a drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. if the rule is a change in cannabis would be studied to identify concrete medical benefits opening the door for pharmaceutical companies to get involved with the sale and distribution of medical marijuana. for the 34 billion-dollar cannabis industry the move would eliminate significant tax burdens for businesse and states where the drug is legal. ♪