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Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I have some good news. The minority leader and I have come to an agreement to vote on the PACT Act this evening. There will be 3 amendment votes, a 60-vote margin on the Toomey amendment, on the Paul amendment, and on the Blackburn amendment, and then 60 votes for the bill. I am very optimistic that this bill will pass, so our veterans across America can breathe a sigh of relief.
The treatments that they deserve and have needed but have been denied by the VA because of all kinds of legal barriers and presumptions will now be gone. Veterans who were exposed to the toxic fumes of burn pits will be treated by the VA like they should have been from the very beginning.
So this is good news. It took us a while to get here, but I am grateful for the bipartisan cooperation and support that will allow us to move forward today.
And a little bit more good news: The fact that we can finish PACT today gives us a real opportunity to do the treaties that will allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO. And that can happen tomorrow if we can come to a time agreement. I am very hopeful that that can happen as well.
today the Senate proceed to legislative session and resume consideration of the House message to accompany S. 3373, with the time until 5 p.m. equally divided; further, that it be in order to consider and vote in relation to a Paul motion to concur with amendment No. 5184, a Toomey motion to concur with amendment No. 5186, and a Blackburn motion to concur with amendment No. 5185; that at 5 p.m., the Senate vote in relation to the motions in the order listed; that following disposition of the motions to concur with amendments numbered 5184, 5186, and 5185, the motion to refer and the amendments pending thereto and the motion to concur with amendment No. 5148 and the amendment pending thereto be withdrawn and the Senate vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 3373; that the Paul, Toomey, and Blackburn motions and the motion to concur be subject to a 60-vote affirmative threshold, with 2 minutes for debate, equally divided, prior to each vote; and that all votes after the first vote be 10-minute votes; all without intervening action or debate.
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