Motion to Discharge

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, pursuant to S. Res. 27, the Committee on the Judiciary being tied on the question of reporting, I move to discharge the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from further consideration of the nomination of Holly A. Thomas, of California, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit from the Committee on the Judiciary.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Madam President, I want to begin today with some celebrations.

Recently, our dear colleague and friend Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island cast his 8,000th vote as a Senator--a remarkable milestone for one of the most beloved and respected Members of this body.

A lifelong Rhode Islander, a graduate of West Point, and the dean of the Rhode Island congressional delegation, Senator Reed is one of America's best examples of doing politics and public service the right way: no fuss, no nonsense--just results.

Over the years, he has been a mentor, a friend, and an invaluable resource for countless Members on both sides of the aisle. Few in this Chamber can match his expertise on matters of national defense, veterans affairs, and the military. I would also add that the same can be said about matching his attendance. Over the years, he has missed just 38 votes on his way to 8,000--good for an attendance percentage of 99.5 percent. Wow.

As the Senate has undergone change over the years, Senator Reed has remained the same: focused on Rhode Island, focused on our country, focused on keeping this Chamber working on behalf of the American people. We are lucky to call Senator Reed our colleague and friend.

And so congratulations, Jack, on this milestone, and here is to 8,000 more votes to come. Nominations

Madam President, last night, I filed cloture on 22 of President Biden's nominees who, to date, have been pointlessly stalled by Republican obstruction--22. We are going to work until they are all confirmed by this Chamber, and we may need to add more.

In past years, many of these nominees would have sailed through with consent and cooperation, but, this year, a handful of Republicans have hijacked the rules of the Senate to slow the process down. It is cynical; it is entirely pointless; and worst of all, it is damaging--seriously damaging--to our national security.

This is the consequence of Republican obstruction. We are going to work on getting these nominees confirmed as long as it takes, and we could be back here in the near future doing this whole thing over again.

For all the tortured logic we hear coming from the other side for why these nominations remain frozen, the fact is that my Republican colleagues who are holding these nominations up are deliberately making the American people less safe and making it harder for the administration to address the national security and economic challenges that face our Nation.

It is unacceptable, and we are going to work to confirm these important nominees. Voting Rights

Now, on voting rights, Madam President, as we continue working to bring the Senate to a position where we can move forward on Build Back Better, Senate Democrats have spent the past few weeks engaged in a separate discussion on addressing another critical and urgent priority--protecting the right to vote and safeguarding our elections.

Yesterday, I joined with a number of my colleagues in detailed conversations about how the Senate will get voting rights done in time for the 2022 elections, including advancing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

In State after State, Republican-led legislatures are approving the most draconian voter registration laws that we have seen since segregation, and they are doing it on an entirely partisan basis. Let me repeat that. Republicans at the State level are passing the most egregious restrictions on voting rights that we have seen since segregation, and they are doing it on an entirely partisan basis.

Senate Democrats are working to find a path forward to respond to these attacks by passing legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act. Part of that conversation involves finding ways to restore the Senate so it can, once again, work as it is supposed to, as it has worked for generations before the gridlock of the past decade or so.

These conversations are ongoing. The fight to protect voting rights is far from over in the Senate. Just because Republicans will not join us to defend democracy does not mean that Democrats will stop fighting. This matter is too important not to act, even if it means we must act alone to get the Senate working. Tribute to Sara Schwartzman

Madam President, finally, a farewell--as anyone who has been here a while knows, the U.S. Senate is more than just the sum of its elected Members. Making this institution work is a daunting and awesome responsibility, and while the spotlight often falls on the men and women who stand behind these desks, this place would quickly unravel without the staff who work their magic behind the scenes.

Today, we say goodbye and thank you to one of those incredible staffers, Sara Schwartzman, who will soon leave the Senate to pursue an opportunity with NASA.

I join with all of my colleagues and with the rest of the Senate staff in saying thank you, Sara, and best of luck on the road ahead.

Thirteen years ago, Sara came to the Senate as a legislative support clerk with the executive clerk's office. Over the years, she climbed up the ranks, thanks to her skill and to her dedication, eventually becoming bill clerk in 2015.

For those who don't know, the bill clerk is one of the first gatekeepers for all new bills and resolutions that are introduced to the Senate. It is the bill clerk who brings order and sequence to the actions of this body, recording the Senate's legislative activities, assigning numbers to every bill and resolution, cataloging the status of each.

In good times, this is difficult and precise work. But over the last few years, as we all know, Sara fulfilled her duties in the midst of a global pandemic and has had to adapt in unprecedented ways. Through it all, she never missed a beat.

After 13 years, Sara deserves her gleaming sendoff as she pursues her next adventure in life. And as we say goodbye, we hope she knows she can always call this place home, and we will forever be grateful for all she has done to make this Chamber come to life.

So to Sara, thank you. Thank you for everything. We will miss you, and we can't wait to see what the future has in store for you.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

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