providers. even they know how the american people are reacting to this terrible decision. even in alabama. republicans in florida are now trying to save face by postponing the consideration of anti-abortion legislation. this is the state that said no abortions after a six weeks. most women don't even know they're pregnant. and, by the way, the popularity of the governor has dramatically dropped after he passed that legislation, because floridians don't like i. -- don't like it. even republicans here in washington are trying to save face by putting off the introduction of national abortion bans. because they recognize the mess they've gotten themselves into. and, of course, they're not fooling anyone. republicans are like the arsonist who set the house on fire and then said, why is it burning? amazing. confounding. perturbing and sad.

let me be clear, republicans spent decades calling for a national abortion ban. republicans spent decades packing our courts with hard-right, maga, reactionary judges. so republicans deserve zero benefit of the doubt now that the consequences of their agenda are sinking many and even spreading. in and even spreading. republicans can do and say all they want to try and run away from the truth, but the american people are not buying i. they're not buying it today, they won't buy it tomorrow, they won't buy it come november. democrats remain absolutely committed to doing everything, everything we can to protect women, families, reproductive freedom. now on the brady bill anniversary, 30 years ago president clinton signed the brady the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cardin: madam president, i

ask unanimous consent that the privileges on the floor be granted to the following interns on senator kelly's staff for to today, maya residih sal, gabby levin, cannon tulamelo and lalittlea parsons. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cardin: madam president, when alexey navalny died two years ago, he had been in solitary confinement for almost 300 days. outside his window the russian dissident and anticorruption campaigner could only see a tall fence and no light. far above the arctic circle, the prison was built on the side of -- site of a soviet gulag, a place the kremlin sent generations of russian citizens to break their spirit. but despite the subzero temperatures, despite the months of darkness, despite the violence, alexey navalny never

gave up. he never lost his sense of h humor. he never wavered in his commitment to fight for a better russia. and what really bothered the kremlin, he never gave up on telling the truth about putin. after all, he is the one who aptly described putin's united russian party as the party of crooks and thieves. he saw that putin, still the kgb agent who never turned away from the soviet legacy that crushed the reb elion in hungary in 1956, that suppressed the reforms in czechoslovakia in 1968, and that declared marshall law and attempt to crush solidarity in poland in 1981. this was a chance for russia to take a different path in the 1980's. many russians leaped at the opportunity after the clones of the ussr. their independent political

parties, their open elections, there was a free press. civil society emerged. russians connected with counterparts in europe and around the world. since his rise to power at the turn of the century, putin has turned russia in a very different direction. ruling with regimes as oppressive and corrupt as anything under breeze nefb or -- bresch nefb or khrushchev. he is old school soviet. today he wraps himself in white christian nam. i. he cracked -- nationalism. he has persecuted the gay and lesbian community. he shut down independent media and jailed journalists. like radio free europe, radio liberty journalist also carmarshova, a russian-born citizen who went to visit her ailing mother. or like americans like evan

kirsch ca vits of the -- who was jailed for doing his job as a reporter. he was the playwright, descendent, and later president of the democratic republic of czech. he wrote in "the washington post," i come from a country where as late as mid 198 , all around us toe toll taryn ice percent -- totalitarian icebergs were cracking. i was elected the president of the free czechoslovakia. long before that, hubble wrote a famous essay, the power of the powerless. in it, he explained that dick at that torial regimes are afraid of the courageous individuals who speak up. who tell the truth when the regime is telling lies. he could have been writing about alexey navalny. the putin regime is a house of

cards built on corruption and violence. i was in germany earlier this month at the munich security conference when the news of navalny's death broke. i met with his widow, yulia, who spoke movingly about her husband's death. i wanted to convey condolences and demonstrate solidarity with her at a painful time. despite putin's continuing threats, she is not afraid, and she is committed to continuing her husband's mission. his team at the anticorruption foundation is not afraid. they still have their lists of bribe takers and warmongers. navalny was not afraid. even after they poisoned him and left him in critical condition, he still went back to russia. courage only begets more courage. that's what scares putin.

nafb ailingney was not -- navalny was not alone. i want to speak briefly about another brave russian democrat unjustly imprisoned in putin's gulags. only a few weeks after appearing before a helsinki commission hearing i chaired, they also poisoned vladimir kiramasov. he refused to be intimidated or exiled and returned to russia time and again. they threw him in jail two years ago for his chrissicism of the unjust war in ukraine. there are others too, like ilya yoshen, subject to eight years in prison. we in the free world must do everything we can to lift up their voices. we give material support to activists both inside russia and across the diaspora. i was pleased to see the biden

administration levy more sanctions against putin's regime last week, including against the warden of the prison where putin promoted to the rank of colonel general three days after navalny's death. we must hold these -- those responsible accountable, including using global sanctions. at the same time, the house of representatives must pass the supplemental funding request to support the ukrainians fighting against putin. the fight against putin in ukraine is also the fight against putin in russia. there is something navalny clearly understood when he said russia must leave ukraine alone, allow it to develop the way its people want. i realize there is a painful sadness for so many across the russian community in the wake of navalny's death. it's a terrible loss. but remember what he told us, if they decide to kill me then it

means we are incredibly strong. navalny personified what hovel described as the power of the powerless. to my friends and family of alexey navalny, and those in putin's prisons, to the ukrainian people fighting the russian war machine, to the russian diaspora still dreaming of returning home, don't give up hope. have faith we will one day see peaceful and prosperous and democratic russia, where freedom and justice reign. with that, madam president, i yield the floor. mr. murphy: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. murphy: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that i be

allowed to finish my remarks before the scheduled vote. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. murphy: my colleagues, i come to the floor today to celebrate a remarkable man, a really important friend of mine, an irreplaceable member of a community that is very important to me. monsignor robert weiss, more affectionately known as father bob, retired last month from his post at st. rose of lima church in newtown, connecticut. a florida native, father bob was a teenager when he heard his calling to join the priest hood. he entered seminary in 1968, in new york, ordained five years later. his first assignment led him to st. andrew parish in bridgeport, connecticut. 26 years later, he was assigned to st. rose in newtown, connecticut, what became his

last job in the church. father bob gave his final sermon just weeks ago. i'm going to tell you the story in a moment of why father bob is a household name in connecticut. he's an othero to -- a hero to many of us, forged by fire and tragedy. that's not the sum of robert weiss, because during his r50 years in the priest -- 50 years in the priesthood, he brought such great joy to the people and families he served. he is arch an easy -- he is such an easy person to talk to. you meet him for the first time and see why it's no wonder that over his years of leadership thousands and thousands of parishioners sought out his counsel and advice, confided in him, relied upon him. he has this wonderful smile, a buoyancy to him. he'll admit a little of that has been robbed from him in the last ten years, but it makes you feel better just by being around him.

he's also wise. he has a gravitas about him that he carries with him. it makes you feel safer, makes you feel cared for when you're around him. he cares about his church community. he helped grow st. rose. but he cares about the community beyond the church just as heartily. he reaches out and builds bridges between religious institutions, between church and state, believers and nonbelievers. he isn't judgmental. he's an exceptional leader. that's who he was before december 14, 2012. that's who he's been after december 14, 2012. but that's the day, whether he likes it or not, that defines his career. it started out like any other day for father bob. he went to his favorite diner in sandy hook. ordered his usual, french toast. he was going to spend the

morning wrapping christmas presents. he didn't have a mass that day. then he got a call from the newtown police department, a gunman had opened fire at sandy hook elementary school. he told the administrators at st. rose school, the church affiliated with the -- school affiliated with the church, to put students in lockdown, then he drove to standee hook. he stopped at the -- sappedy hook -- sandy hook. he stopped at the firehouse. went to the parking lot of the school. a state police officer asked him if he would bless the children, the 20 bodies that lay on the floor of that school, and the six educators who laid on the floor as well. all waiting to be identified. and so he stood at the front door of that building, knowing that those children and those educators were no longer living on this earth, and he prayed for them. then he went back to the firehouse, where he stayed for the rest of the day and held the

hands of these parents as they waited to find out whether their child was in that school dead or somewhere alive. he had owe fishated the -- officiated the weddings of these parents, baptized the children. these parents confessed regrets and fears to him. by 3:00 p.m., governor malloy had ahearded -- alerted the families that remeained at the firehouse about the fate of their children. his day wasn't done. he led an impromptu service at st. rose that evening, senator blumenthal and i were there, maybe the most emotional night of my life. father bob, no time to prepare, stood up in front of thousands who had come to grieve that tragedy, at his church, because that's where so many of the families belonged. and he told the crowd that evil

visited us today, but we have to get through it and we have to find some good. even after the service, father bob didn't stop. from there, he joined the state police, until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. in the morning so that he could be there web the final -- when the final body identifications were made, and he could be there with the parents when they were given that final, awful, tragic news. the following week, father bob owe firstated -- officiated eight of the 28 finals. they were all students at st. rose. he wrote eight homilies. it is hard for me to explain to you what father bob meant to that community. in those days, in those weeks, and months after. in many ways, he was the emotional sponge for that entire

community, not just for his parishioners. he was so unbelievably generous with himself, with his time, and with his heart, in one-on-one time with those grieving, in big groups who needed to hear some spiritual guidance, who needed one of the preeminent religious lead engineers the community to make -- leadiers in the communities to make sense of what happened. on television, where father bob relieved that burden from so many others who weren't yet ready to process and talk about what all of this meant. he did it all. the one-on-one hand holding, the group counseling,s spokesman for the community. the catholic church requires bishops retire upon their 75th birthday but when father bob's 75th birthday was around the

corner in september 202 1shgs he realized he wasn't ready to be done. in his resignation letter, he requested a very rare extension to stay on at st. rose of lima for two more years because he wanted to mark the ten{l1}th{l0}an -- tenth anniversary of sandy hook. he wanted to see through that journey, the first decade after this tragedy that had ripped a hole in the heart of the community that he loved so much. i remember talking to father bob at that moment when he decided to stay on. he acknowledged what he had gone through, how much main he -- pain he had experienced, how different he was from the man that took that job, but he still knew that he had to see that finish line, at least the first decade after the tragedy. father bob may have celebrated his final mass as pastor of st. rose of lima church but he will

remain a pillar of this community. we will never ever forget how in the days, weeks, and years after that tragedy in sandy hook he led with his heart on his sleeve. he helped heal a broken community more than anyone else he bore the burden, separate and aside from the families who bore the majority of that burden. father bob's career would have been remarkable, even if december 14, 2012, never happened. but what he did that day, when he did in the days and the weeks and the years that followed, that makes him a legend. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question is on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll.

vote: 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. the clerk: mr. carper.

the clerk: mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz.

mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson.

mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. 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. 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. senators voting in the affirmative -- baldwin, booker, cardin, carper, coons, graham, heinrich, king, lujan, murphy, peters, reed, rosen, rubio, schatz, scott of

florida, stabenow, tester, welch, whitehouse, and wyden. ms. cortez masto, aye. senators voting in the negative -- barrasso, blackburn, britt, capito, cornyn, cotton, cruz, daines, fisher, grassley, hagerty, hoeven, kennedy, lankford, marshall, risch, romney, schmitt, scott of south carolina, sullivan, tuberville, and young. mr. boozman, no. mr. ricketts, no.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye.

the clerk: mr. hickenlooper, aye.

the clerk: mrs. hyde-smith, no. mr. warner, aye.

the clerk: ms. hassan, aye.

the clerk: mr. ossoff, aye.

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

the clerk: ms. cantwell, aye.

the clerk: mr. cassidy, no.

the clerk: mr. kelly, aye. the clerk: ms. collins, aye. the clerk: mr. fetterman, aye.

the clerk: mr. paul, no. mr. brown, aye. the clerk: mr. vance, no.

the clerk: mr. manchin, aye.

the clerk: ms. butler, aye. the clerk: ms. duckworth, aye. mr. rounds, no.

the clerk: mr. lee, no.

the clerk: mr. durbin, aye. mr. merkley, aye. mrs. shaheen, aye.

the clerk: mrs. murray, aye.

the clerk: ms. ernst, no. mr. kaine, aye. mr. braun, no.

the clerk: ms. hirono, ay rdrd. vote:

the clerk: mr. van hollen, aye.

the clerk: ms. murkowski, aye. the clerk: mr. johnson, no. the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye. mr. blumenthal, aye.

the clerk: mr. mullin, no.

the clerk: mr. thune, no.

the clerk: ms. warren, aye. mr. mcconnell, no. the clerk: mr. sanders, aye.

the clerk: ms. lummis, no.

the clerk: mr. mendendez, aye. mr. wicker, no.

the clerk: ms. sinema, aye. the clerk: mr. cramer, no. mr. tillis, no.

the clerk: mr. budd, no. mr. markey, aye.

the clerk: mr. schumer, aye.

mr. warnock, aye. mr. hawley, no. vote:

.

vote:

the clerk: mr. padilla, aye. the presiding officer: have all senators vowed? -- voted? does any senator wish to change his or her vote? if not, the ayes are 54, the nays are 44, and the nomination is confirmed. under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is are considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the senate's actions. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture.

the clerk: cloture motion, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 469, melissa damian of florida, to be united states district judge for the southern district of florida. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of melissa damian, of florida, to be the united states district judge for the southern district of florida, 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.

the clerk: 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. mr. cruz. mr. daines.

ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan.

mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan.

the clerk: 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. 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.

the clerk: 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. senators voting in the affirmative -- baldwin, blumenthal, capito, carper, cortez masto, cruz, lujan,

moran, murray, padilla, rosen, schumer, shaheen, tillis, and warnock. senators voting in the negative -- crapo, hawley, and tuberville. mr. heinrich, aye. vote: the clerk: mr. budd, aye.

the clerk: mrs. blackburn, no. mr. risch, no.

the clerk: ms. hirono, aye.

the clerk: mr. romney, aye.

the clerk: mr. schatz, aye. mr. graham, aye.

the clerk: mr. scott of south carolina, no. mr. grassley, aye.

the clerk: mr. reed, aye.

the clerk: ms. sinema, aye.

the clerk: mr. cassidy, aye.

the clerk: mr. ossoff, aye. ms. hassan, aye. the clerk: mr. casey, aye.

the clerk: mrs. hyde-smith, no. mrs. hyde-smith, aye.

the clerk: mr. brown, aye.

the clerk: mr. wicker, aye. mr. king, aye.

the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye. the clerk: mr. markey, aye.

the clerk: ms. murkowski, aye.

the clerk: mr. hagerty, no. ms. lummis, aye. mr. kaine, aye. mr. vance, aye. mr. wyden, aye. mr. marshall, no. vote:

the clerk: mr. paul, no. the clerk: ms. ernst, aye.

the clerk: mr. thune, no. mr. daines, no.

the clerk: mr. peters, aye.

the clerk: mr. tester, aye.

the clerk: ms. cantwell, aye.

the clerk: mr. johnson, no. the clerk: mr. sullivan, no.

mr. kelly, aye. mr. cotton, aye. ms. collins, aye.

the clerk: mr. bennet, aye. ms. warren, aye. mr. hickenlooper, aye.

the clerk: mr. braun, no. mr. rubio, aye. mrs. fischer, no.

the clerk: mr. barrasso, aye. the clerk: mr. fetterman, aye.

the clerk: mr. warner, aye. the clerk: mr. whitehouse, aye. vote:

the clerk: mr. murphy, aye. mr. scott of florida, aye.

the clerk: mr. mendendez, aye. mr. coons, aye. mr. cardin, aye.

the clerk: mr. rounds, aye. the clerk: mr. young, aye. ms. duckworth, aye.

mr. lee, no. mr. boozman, aye. the clerk: mr. lee, aye.

the clerk: mr. schmitt, no.

the clerk: mr. ricketts, aye.

the clerk: mr. manchin, aye. the clerk: mr. kennedy, aye.

mr. lankford, no. the clerk: mr. sanders, aye. mr. mullin, no.

the clerk: mr. van hollen, aye. mr. merkley, aye.

wetzel. vote:

the clerk: ms. butler, aye. mr. cramer, aye.

the clerk: ms. stabenow, aye. mr. hoeven, no.

the clerk: mr. durbin, aye.

the clerk: mr. cornyn, aye. mr. welch, aye. ms. britt, no.

mr. mcconnell, aye.

vote:

the presiding officer: on this vote the yeas are 77. the nays are 20. and the motion is agreed to. the clerk will report the nomination. the clerk: the judiciary, melissa damian of florida to be united states district judge for the southern district of florida.

night. my my u.s. senate again regulation. the truth is, just happy anybody remember my name. president reagan called me mitch o'donnell. close enough, i thought.

my wife and i married on president reagan's birthday, february 6. probably not the most thing to admit for both of us. thirty-one years, she's been -- the great state of texas will celebrate 1818 years -- 188 years since we declared our independence from mexico and fought for liberty. in the fight for our independence, many brave texans laid down their lives at the alamo, including william barret travis, james buoy and davy crockett. they risked everybody to make liberty a reality for generations of texans to come. it's a tradition on texas independence day to read the words of colonel travis, leader of the besieged forces at the

alamo. his call for reinforcements resounded across texas, across america, and across the world. and it reminds us of the bravery of those who fought there and died for liberty. i've had the blessing to read this letter aloud many, many times, and every time it stirs the spirit and speaks to the heart. commandancy of the alamo, bear february 24 had 1836, to the people of texas and all americans in the world, fellow citizens and compatriots, i am besieged by a thousand or more of the mexicans under santa ana, i have sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours, and i have not lost a man. the enemy has demanded a

surrender at discretion. otherwise the garrison is to be put to the sword if the fort is taken. i have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. i shall never surrender or retreat. then i call on you, in the name of liberty, of patriotism and of everything dear to the american character, to come to our aid. -- with all dispatch. the enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to 3,000 or 4,000 in four or five days. if this call is neglected, i am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what

is due to his own honor and that of his country. vic victory or death. signed, william barret travis, lieutenant colonel commandant. p.s. -- the lord is on our side. when the enemy appeared in sight, we had not three bushels of corn. we have since found in desserted houses 90 -- 80 or 90 beneficiariless and got into the walls 30 head of beeves. travis. at the battle of san jacinto in 1836, the texans finally secured a decisive victory. we won our independence and formed the republic of texas, a new nation. texas was an independent nation for nine years before we officially became part of the

united states of america. in february of 1846. sam houston, the founding father, the george washington of the lone star state, was also born 231 years ago on march 2, on texas independence day. sam houston was an extraordinary american. he was born in virginia. he spent many years in tennessee, where he served in the u.s. house of representatives and then became governor of tennessee. in texas, he led the texans to victory in the battle of san jacinto. when texas became an independent nation, sam houston served as president twice before texas finally became part of the united states. later, he served in the united states senate and finally as governor of texas. he is the only man in american history to serve as governor of

two separate states. sam houston was a tireless, talented leader, and a great statesman who believed in today. and the lone star state still follows that adage. to every texan, i wish you a gloriously happy texas independence day. may god continue to bless the great state of texas and the united states of america.

we lost elaine's angela a few weeks ago. when you lose a loved one particularly at a young age spectrum that accompanies the grieving process. perhaps it is reminding you of your own life's journey, prioritize the impact of the

world we all inevitably leave behind. i turned 82 last week, and of my contributions closer than i prefer u.s. senate again amidst the reagan revolution. the truth is, when i got here in, just happy my name was remembered. i was told which o'donnell. close enough, i thought. my wife and i got married on president reagan's birthday, february 6. probably the most romantic thing to admit but reagan meant a lot to both of us. for 31 years elaine has been the

love of my life and i am eternally grateful to have her by my side. i think back to the first days andenate -- ms. duckworth: are we in a quorum call? pre -- the presiding officer: we are not. ms. duckworth: i've been called a lot of names in my life, tammy, colonel, senator, but mommy is without a doubt my favorite name. it's the one my 5-year-old uses when she runs into the house after dance class eager to show me what she learned. it's the one my 9-year-old uses when she announces her life plan, when she was little she wanted to be a garbage collector and now she wants to be a cyber warier. they would not have been born

without the basic rights that americans have been depending on for nearly a half century. after a decade of struggling with infertility after serving in iraq, i was able to pregnant through the miracle of ivf. it is the reason why i get to experience the joy, beauty, stress and joy. it is the reason my husband and i are not just tammy and brian, but we're mom and dad. ivf made my heart whole and full. but for countless women in alabama, that desperately sought-after dream of becoming a mom just became so much harder. last week, that state's supreme court ruled that frozen embryos created through ivf should be considered children under state law, a ruling that paints women like me and our doctors as

criminals, and it throws ivf into chaos as people wonder if they might be criminalized for trying to create a family. if you're thinking this makes no sense, you're right. you're not misunderstanding anything. you're not missing something. it's the nightmarishly blend of hypocrisy and misogyny that you think it is. those claiming to -- that -- this prevent americans from starting their own families. this this is no longer a hypothetical worse-case scenario. ivf providers around the state have paused treatments out of fear that their doctors and patients could be punished. organizations that transports embryos to and from medical facilities in alabama have already announced that they'll stop doing so, meaning that would-be parents there won't be able to start their families in

any other states either. and now that the first domino has fallen, it seems like it could only be a matter of time before more hospitals and more organizations make the same call, before more state courts issue similar rulings, before more extremist politicians succeed in enacting even more draconian laws nationwide. think about that. think about what's at stake if state courts can simply strip away access to ivf. think about how many would -- would-be moms would not hear their child's first gurgle of a laugh, how many dads might not be able to play tooth fairy when their daughter loses a tooth. i was stationed in florida, and i didn't know it at the time but infertility would become one of the most heartbreaking struggles in my life, my miscarriage more

painful than any wound on the battlefield. a doctor at a well-known catholic hospital that my v.a. hospital referred me to told me i was simply too old for treatment that at 42, i should just if home and enjoy my husband instead and if it was meant to be i would get pregnant. it was pure luck that i found out that that doctor was lying to me. that she wasn't basing his advice on medical science but on her personal religious beliefs, nearly costing me my chance to have my two little girls. so it's a little personal when a majority male state supreme court suggest people like me who became parents with the help of modern medicine should be in jail cells and not nurseries, i couldn't don't -- don't understand how they can call themselves the member of the party of life. no rulings like this one and the

bills with the same intent being pushed forward in state legislatures around the country are not about being pro-life, they're about catering to an extremist base by controlling women's bodies, pushing politics into. so the most personal decisions anyone could make. when i was going through ivf, three-my five fertilized eggs were deemed nonviable. if a version of this ruling had been in place then, i might have been forced to implant each of these three -- each of those three nonviable embryos, i might have been forced to suffer through three more miscarriages or risk me or my daughter being convicted of manslaughter. that's the kind of extremist -- extremism we're talking about here. that's the level of cruelty we're facing, that's the kind of future we're fighting to

prevent. when frozen embryos have more rights than the woman who would carry them. let's be clear about what led to the moment. the overturning of roe made last week possible, transferring the power of whether or when to start families from us to politicians in state houses across the country. donald trump is the one who brags about taking down roe v. wade, donald trump asks if that is it something to be proud of. while it may be convenient for him to claim he had nothing to do with what happened in alabama, with we know the truth. ivf is at risk because of him. he is to blame. him and every other gop official who shamelessly kisses his ring, proving with every word they say, they care more about protecting his poll numbers than americans' freedoms. after roe v. wade was overturned, even before then, when the senate was deciding

whether to confirm brett kavanaugh and amy coney barrett, i warranted that red -- warned that red states would come for ivf and they have. if we do in the act now, it will only get worse. there are a lot of of nuanced tough calls we must make as senators, this simply isn't one of them. we know what's right even if extremist courts would like to rob us of our rights. we shouldn't have to wait nool women and doctors are thrown into jail before we act to protect them. that's why today i'm begging my colleagues to help me pass my access to family building act, a bill that would ensure that every american's right to become a parent through treatments like ivf are fully protected regardless of what state they live in. helping guarantee that no hopeful parnlt or doctor in this country can be held criminally liable for starting a family through ivf.

the reality is one in four married women have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term. that doesn't include part nefless americans or other families trying to have kids. that's one in four in red states and in blue states, in big cities and rural towns, in t the -- in the wealthiest towns and poorest of zip codes, infertility doesn't recognize state borders, no one should feel someone else's religious beliefs should rob them of their chance to get pregnant and no doctor should have to risk a criminal record just to provide women basic health care. to my republican colleagues, please, think about how many that one in four equates to in your state. women willing to go through expensive, painful medical treatments of treatments just for a chance to experience the smallest most proud homes of

parenthood, just to experience a baby that needs to be swaddled or a toddler who needs their shoes to be tied, if you believe they need to be called a mom instead of a criminal, this should be obvious legislation. because in this nightmarish moment it is nowhere near enough to send out a tweet claiming you care about women's right despite a voting record to the contrary. this is it where the rubber meets the road, if you care about families, and honestly interested in protecting ivf, then you need to show it by not blocking this bill today. it's that simple. thank you. madam president, as if in legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that the committee on health, education, labor and pensions be discharged from further consideration of s. 3612, and the senate proceed

to its immediate consideration. further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? a senator: reserving the right to object. the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. mrs. hyde-smith: i support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to ivf and bringing new life into the world. i also believe human life should be protected. these are not mutually exclusive. let's be clear about what the alabama case is about. this was a case brought by families whose human embryos were killed when an unauthorized individual walked into the fertility clinic through an unsecure door, removed several human embryos and dropped them causing their death. the court's holding in favor of the parents found that these

frozen embriyos are children under law. it did not ban ivf nor has any state banned ivf. the bill before us today is a vast overreach that is full of poison pills that go way too far, far beyond ensuring legal access to ivf. the act explicitly waives the religious freedom restoration act and would -- it could be forced to fa till tate procedures -- facilitate procedures that violate their core beliefs, including health insurance plans. this could be the first time that the act represented by chuck schumer was explicitly waived. the bill's expansion definition of artificial reproductivive technology sweeps in much more

than ivf and has far-reaching implicationings. it would legalize human cloning, it would legalize commercial surrogacy, including for young girls without parental involvement. it would legalize jean-edited designer baby -- gene-edited designer babies, it would legalize the creation of human animal, other developed countries like germany, new zealand and australia and states like louisiana have policies that allow ivf, coupled with commonsense protections to respect human life, creating rights to human cloning, the genetic engineering of human embryos and surrogacy i is too extreme and goes far beyond ivf. this bill misses the mark. we should strive to do both and

this bill does not do that. therefore, i object. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. ms. duckworth: madam president, i have the greatest respect and admiration for my friend from mississippi, but i have to say i disagree with her interpretation of my piece of legislation. this bill does three things and three things only, it protects the right of individuals to seek reproductivive technology without fear of being prosecuted for -- for seeking that technology. it preserves the right of physicians to provide that assisted preproductivive technology without fear of being prosecuted and it allows insurance companies to cover assisted reproductivive technology. that is all that it does. it does not force to seek reproductivive technology, offer it or cover it.

it says you have a statutory right should you choose to pursue reproductivive technology that you will be able to do so. i want to note that in louisiana there is already state law that prohibits the discardation of frozen embryos or frozen f fertili fertilizedation. in florida, there it is a bill pending before the state legislature that would deem that a fertilized egg is a human being and provide for the opportunity for penalties to be put into judgment for those who would discard the fertilizedation. so this a real threat today. with that, i would like to yield to my colleague from nevada. . ms. cortez masto: thank you, madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from nevada. ms. cortez masto: first, i want to start off by thanking my colleague, senator duckworth, for not only sharing her story of her wonderful family and beautiful two daughters

whoive -- i see myself what an incredible mother she is and her fantastic girls. i also want to thank her for bringing forward this important legislation. women across the country use ivf to start and grow their families. you're hearing that not only from senator duckworth, i've heard it from so many people in nevada and really across the country. they make that choice in consultation with their partners, their families, and their doctors, not a government official. not a government official. there is no logical reason to deny women that right. and yet afro v. wade -- after roe v. wade fell, we could see a mile away that ivf was in danger. senator duckworth came forward in recognizing that and that's why her legislation is so important. attackinga vf was -- ivf was another chance to erode women's rights in this country.

they've introduced a federal abortion ban that would supersede state laws. they've stacked the courts with antichoice judges. they've limited funding to women's health care. and they have repeatedly ignored the very science behind reproductive health care in order to push their agenda. we knew this was coming. in fact, we tried to do something about it a year ago. after roe was overturned, not only did senator duckworth come to the floor with her legislation, we have introduced numerous legislation on this floor to protect women's rights. and every single time, unfortunately, one of our republican colleagues comes forward to object. without any explanation but continuing to really erode women's rights in this country. and i have to say these extreme gop colleagues of ours claim to be pro-life. they claim to champion family

planning. but really when it comes down to it, they don't support it. you just have to be in our communities and listen to the women and their families and you understand that. the difference this time around is that the alabama supreme court is actually calling their bluff. the threat to ivf is no longer this hypothetical. in response to the ruling, and i believe it's an extreme ruling from this judge, but in response to this ruling, clinics, some clinics in alabama have halted ivf procedures. they've halted them. i have seen heartbreaking stories of alabama families who are being forced to put their dreams of starting a family on hold, and i'm here to tell you it will not stop with alabama. the consequences of this ruling not only will it close some of those clinics in alabama that we've heard about, it will have a chilling impact nationally. it's one thing to have the legislation that bans it outright, but the chilling

impact is another barrier. and you don't have to be from a state like nevada that's a pro-choice state. if you are threatening women, if you're threatening their families, if you're threatening doctors that want to help these women, that has a chilling effect even in nevada. even in nevada. these extreme gop politicians are seeing this. you know, quite frankly, i'm watching them and they're suddenly stuck. they have to decide whether to agree with this judge's antichoice decision or to concede that women should be allowed this basic right to choose if, whether, and how to become -- when, and how to become a parent. suddenly they have to decide how far they're willing to go in their crusade to control women. having a child through ivf is a wonderful thing. it is not a crime. and it should not be punished. our antichoice republican colleagues, they know this. yet they have once again refused

to do the right thing for american families, by supporting protections for accessing ivf. and let me just finally say their hypocrisy is on full display. and america is watching. you don't have to believe me. just listen to the american public. across this country a majority, a majority -- and i don't care -- it's women i hear from. it's their loved ones, it's men. i don't care what party you are. i don't care if you're democrat, republican, you're nonpartisan. a majority of americans want women to have this right to choose. they want them to have this ability. they believe in having families. they believe in ivf. they believe in women's reproductive rights. and most importantly, what t this -- some of our republican colleagues are doing is inhibiting and limiting women's access to 21st century health care. that's what this is about. why should we deny women the right to access 21st century

health care if it's going to save their lives, it's going to help them have families? what is wrong with that at the end of the day? so i have to thank senator duckworth. it's unfortunate that we had an objection to her legislation that is so needed. unfortunately in this day and age, but it is. that's where we are today, fighting for women's rights, fighting across this country. finally, my only other question to my colleagues is, i trust women to make this decision. why don't they? thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from washington. mrs. murray: thank you, madam president. thank you to my colleague from illinois, from nevada, and other senators who are out here to fight for the right for women to have basic health care services in this country. you know, i have said before that republican attacks on reproductive freedom would never

stop with roe. they would never stop with abortion. i have said before ivf was at risk. and now it has been so heartbreaking to see that warning become a gut-wrenching reality no women in alabama. and it is absolutely infuriating to see some of the same republicans who support so-called fetal person hood bills, who want to codify the very ideology in the alabama supreme court decision that ripped away access to ivf care. suddenly acting surprised. suddenly acting like they had no idea this would happen. suddenly acting like this was totally unforeseen when it is actually what we have been warning about and exactly what the far right has been working towards for decades. this isn't some surprise. the alabama supreme court decision is republican ideology

in action. so spare me the empty statements, especially after the objection that we just saw here, unless you're actually going to work with us to protect ivf. save your breath. there are women in alabama who desperately want to start a family, women who have tried for years to get pregnant, women who have gone through the heartbreak of miscarriage, women who are battling cancer and other devastating diagnosis for whom ivf is the only way they will be able to have children. and now after everything they've been through, the hope, the disappointment, the thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars it can cost to pursue ivf, after all that, these women have had their dreams shattered because republicans believe a frozen embryo kept in storage at an ivf clinic is the same and

should have the exact same rights as a living, breathing human person. that's not hyperbole. that is not hypothetical. that is what is happening. you don't have to imagine how painful this is. you just have to listen to the women in alabama who have had their worlds turned upside down now by this decision. megan cole has a rare blood disease, prevents her from carrying children. her hopes of starting a family through ivf and a surrogate were dashed last week whether her doctor called to cancel her friday appointment. she asked about transferring the embryos out of state. even that door has been slammed shut to her. jasmine york turned to ivf after previous ectopic pregnancies left her with no other options to have a baby. now alabama has left her with no

options at all. as she said, it's completely just derailed a lot of hope. could i la -- kyla lee spent nine years and $80,000 trying to have a child. she's gone through several miscarriages and she was days away, days away from getting a viable embryo transferred. but instead of getting that embryo transplanted, she got the same heartbreaking phone call. her hopes of a family were being put on hold. years of trying, tens of thousands of dollars, and at the last moment republicans pulled the rug out from under her. even families who have already gone through ivf are facing the fallout. can they afford to pay and store unused embryos indefinitely? can they be prosecuted if they don't? they don't know. right now no one knows. the anger, madam president, the

anguish, the stories of these women are heartbreaking. as ivf patient kelly belmont put it, quote, we've already invested so much time and money and just physical and emotional anguish into this process, and to think it could have all been for nothing and that we could be ending our journey to be able to have children is absolutely terrifying. i'm just trying to hold myself together emotionally. unquote. so powerful. i don't know how anyone can listen to these stories and still think politicians should be making women's health care decisions for them. i really don't. now, i said earlier republicans are acting surprised now by the result of the very policies they've pushed for. they can save their breath. that's because actions speak louder than words. and many of the same republicans saying they care now about ivf

are literally right now cosponsors of legislation that would enshrine fetal personhood into law and make ivf unavailable nationwide. you cannot support ivf and support fetal personhood laws. they are fundamentally incompatible. madam president, instead of empty words, democrats want to see action, and that is why we just tried to pass the access to family building act. it doesn't get any more straightforward than that. and yet just now republicans blocked the bill and showed their true colors when it comes to ivf. i am frustrated, madam president, but i am not done fighting, because i know americans are watching and they will not forget who's standing with families in alabama and across the country and who is standing in their way. thank you, madam president.

i yield the floor. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. blumenthal: as part of what we're doing here, i ask unanimous consent that the following senators be permitted to speak for up to five minutes each prior to the scheduled votes. myself, senator kaine, senator warren and wyden. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. blumenthal: thank you. i've been really awed and humbled by the eloquence of the women senatorswho have preceded me and i hesitate to add to what they've stated so powerfully already. but of course i'm a man. skandz this -- and this bill is about women's reproductive care and women's rights, but it is also about the rights of all of us. the name of the act is the

access to family building act. it's about families. it's about men like myself whose most awesome moment in life was the time they held their newly born child. men have an equal stake in the issue that brings us here today. men should be as scared and angry as women are about this trend which is so destruct ive o basic rights and liberties. women's rights are human rights. the rights at stake here are rights that are american. what could be more american than wanting to bring a child into the world and what could be more heartbreaking? we've all been through it through friends, neighbors,

maybe our own family. man and woman in love, want to have a child, miscarriages, other obstacles that prevent it. and there is a hole in their hearts, a hole in their homes and their families. as they struggle with issues of fertility and childbirth. this measure very simply guarantees the right for women and families everywhere -- in alabama and connecticut, in every state in this country -- to access the fertility care they need to bring children into the world. you know, over three years ago, before dobbs was decided and we never could have imagined that roe v. wade would be overturned and the republican party eviscerated access to abortion

care, i posed what ail thought was a really easy question to a supreme court nominee, amy cony barrett. i asked, is it constitutional to criminalize ivf treatment? she dodged, she ducked, she refused to answer. i thought it was self-evident. it is not constitutional to criminalize ivf treatment. that was before dobbs. that was before the legal landscape was volcanically uprooted by this supreme court, which has been captured by a far-right fringe. some may have wondered why at that time i asked what seemed like a very far-fetched, object view its, arcane question. a lot of people probably didn't even know what it meant. and they may have also wondered

why justice barrett refused to answer such an obvious question with such a self-evident answer. wasn't it settled that ivf free trade agreement is not only legally protected -- ivf treatment is not only legally protected but also a scientific miracle. think of it for a moment. the science here that is now accessible to every american, everyone in the world. and wasn't ivf pro-family, having children, parents who wanted a child and they may have wondered as well, wasn't ivf the last best hope for so many people struggling with infertility desperately seeking to experience the miracle of childbirth for themselves? who could possibly object to

that miracle in the lives of a family who would not only relish but raise a child to contribute to our great country? what has become devastatingly and tragically clear is that the republican party's animosity towards women's health and women's rights doesn't stop at abortion. it's why i asked that ivf question 20/20, and it's why i didn't get a clear answer from a republican nominee of the supreme court. the war on women and on reproductive choices by women and the war on families hasn't stopped at abortion or even ivf. the presiding officer: senator, your time is up. mr. blumenthal: so i conclude by thanking my colleagues who have brought this measure to the floor, particularly senator

duckworth, and i regret that republicans have blocked this measure. thank you, madam president. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. kaine: thank you, mr. president. the first child born in vitro in the united states is elizabeth carr, and she was born in norfolk, virginia, in 1981. elizabeth's parents were massachusetts residents, and they struggled with infer and they are dream was to are have a child and yet it was not to be. until they heard about a husband and wife team, walter an georgeann jones. and it must have been a hard road for them to find a place that said yes because this seemed like science fiction at the time. but the eastern virginia medical

school in norfolk said, open a fertility clinic here. i remember i was 23 years old then and in my memory there was something about it like on the cover of news "newsweek." i've gone back and realized, no, it was "life" magazine. science is so hard to even wrap your head around and yet the carrs heard about this and started to travel. they were not people with much money. they started to travel to norfolk and became patients of the two doctors, jones and their daughter elizabeth was born in virginia in the 1981. she is 43 years old today. she's raising her own family today a -- today. elizabeth has been followed -- wrap your head around this -- what seemed like unimaginable science fiction in 1981. there are now by best estimates, 12 million people walking this

planet who were born by ivf. living their lives, being happy, raising families, contributing to their communities -- 12 million people. what could be more pro-life than in vitro fertilization? 12 million people. elizabeth was interviewed two days ago by wbur, a public radio station, television station in boston, and here's what she said. she talked about her life and what she is sea doing. she said this very chillingly, for the first time in my life, i feel like an endangered species. i feel like an endangered species. i think many of us believed that the dobbs decision -- and we made predictions about it -- was not fundamentally about pro-life. it was about control. it was about control of women's decisions with respect to abortion, with respect to

contraception, and now with respect to deciding there's a path out of infertility. i can have a child. no, we want to control that, too. that's what the alabama supreme court has done. that's what dobbs was about. that's why i'm proud to sign onto the bill led by senator duckworth, the access to family building act. it's a simple -- it's as simple a bill as can be. patients have a right to access fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization services. this is not a mandate. the enforcement provisions are provisions that allow a person or a health care provider to bring action against a state or governmental entity that tries to interfere with the right that they have. no state should interfere with this right, none. and this is a very simple bill that would enable the elizabeth

carrs of the world to continue to be born and to continue to live happy and productive lives. i'm so glad to be a cosponsor, and, madam president, i yield the floor. ms. warren: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. ms. warren: madam president, just now, my friend and colleague, senator tammy duck worth, a longtime champion for ivf and a longtime champion for families, put forward an important bill that would ensure that families have being a is he is to the services they need -- have access to the services they need to have a baby, including ivf. since then, republicans have blocked this bill to protect ivf. now, remember that for all of their talk about supporting ivf when it came down to it, right

here in this chamber, republicans blocked ivf protection. republican opposition to ivf is terrifying. it makes me furious. but it should not surprise anyone. donald trump set the stage for the attacks on reproductive rights when he stacked the supreme court with ultraconservative justices and overturned roe v. wade. and since then, republicans banned or severely restricted abortion in 24 states. they're trying to ban medication abortion nation-wide, and now in alabama these extremists have virtually outlawed ivf. fertility care that gives people a chance to start a family. this has always been about conservative politicians controlling women's bodies.

this has been donald trump and the republicans' plan all along. and the opposition to senator duckworth's proposal today shows that republicans are doubling down against reproductive freedom. they are coming for medication abortion. they are coming for birth control. and they are even coming for prenatal care. make no mistake -- we will fight them every step of the way. i want to talk for just a minute about the people who are affected by these extremist policies. families in alabama who have been wanting and praying that ivf can help them have a baby. women who have injected themselves with medication for weeks or months or even years. people who have spent an entire life's savings trying to start a

family, only now to see their hopes go down the drain. lgbtq families who have spent years taking on every obstacles just for the chance to have a baby of their own. and for some, this was the last chance. and now republicans like donald trump and those in this chamber might try to backtrack, might try to say that they are working to protect ivf, but it's all talk. senate republicans' actions today speak louder than any empty promises they make. americans can tell when republican politicians try to talk out of both sides of their mouths. the american people want reproductive freedom. the american people support parents and those desperately trying to become parents. so here's what comes next --

democrats have made clear that we stand with president biden, with vice president harris, and with the millions of families affected by these heartless policies. we stand to protect reproductive rights for people all across this country. and together we will fight for every person to have access to a safe abortion, we will fight for every family to have access to the services needed to have a baby, and we won't stop fighting until we secure the congress that we need to protect reproductive freedom for everyone in this country. i am proud to be a cosponsor of senator duckworth's bill, and together we're going to get this done. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor.

mr. wyden: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from oregon. mr. wyden: madam president, i want to say to my colleague from illinois, i am so proud to be a supporter of your legislation that is going to provide the necessary protections for women in america to become mothers. and i think i mentioned this to my colleague at lunch a couple of days ago. 30 years ago, madam president, i wrote the fertility clinic success rate and certification act into law, and i would just say to my colleague, back then we never thought -- never thought -- we'd have to be standing today on the floor of the united states senate debating this, as we are today. but we are here because a few days ago alabama's far-right supreme court handed down a

first of its kind ruling effectively making ivf impossible in alabama. so we're seeing heartbreaking headlines about couples in that state being forced to rethink their plans to start a family through the ivf process that was just in effect getting going back then, 30 years ago. some of these families have already spent tens of thousands of dollars and have undergone extensive medical treatment. alabama's largest hospital system, the university of alabama, has already passed -- paused its ivf services out of fear of prosecution. the decision to conceive a child through ivf is rarely ever a parent's first choice. it's physically and emotionally painful, taxing and tedious and expensive. but for countless couples dreaming of just one thing, just one thing -- the chance to start a family -- the legislation that

my colleagues have been working on is absolutely essential. the ivf journey, as we started talking about years ago, for so many parents is gruelling, filled with countless doctors' appointments, agonizing waits for test results and, too often -- too often -- disappointment. the process is very delicate. embryos can expire at any time during the process due to an citizens. a doctor could be charged with wrongful death in an embryo expires. that means women who are already undergoing this incredibly painful process could also be handed a wrongful death lawsuit on top of everything else. that, in my view, madam president and colleagues, is nothing short of

criminalizing parents, criminalizing people who try to become parents. unfortunately while this ruling is a shocking one, it's not all that surprising if you've been paying attention to the ongoing war that the far right is waging on women and families in america. for years republicans laughed off the concerns about the vulnerability of abortion protections under roe. then they gutted it at the first opportunity. since the dobbs decision, these same republicans have tried again to convince the american people that there's no threat of a national abortion law and no threat to any other facet of reproductive freedom like contraception. in short, no domino effect. instead the repeal of roe has laid the groundwork for an onslaught of court rulings just like this one in alabama which explicitly references the dobbs case. the gaslighting would be laughable if it weren't so terrifying. we've all become familiar with

the adage when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. at every opportunity republicans have moved mountains in order to restrict the constitutional rights and freedoms of women, making it impossible for them to live their lives free from government intrusion. and it's pretty clear to me they're not going to rest until there's a politician in every bedroom and exam room in america. in the wake of last week's ruling, i saw a lot of my republican colleagues attempt to distance themselves from the decision, claiming that they unequivocally support ivf. but that's what they put in motion when they overturned roe v. wade. in fact, a year ago senate democrats tried to pass senator duckworth's bill. senate republicans blocked it. so now it's clear. if colleagues really do support ivf, as so many were spending all weekend claiming, then they're in luck.

they're in luck because senator duckworth is going to give them an opportunity to prove it by going on the record and this evening supporting this legislation. and as i say to my friend from illinois, i was thinking of coming over here today because back 30 years ago nobody ever thought we'd have to be out here trying to get started and making sure families had nchlths but what you're doing is so incredibly important, senator duckworth, because with your legislation in america, we will have the necessary protections for women to become mothers using ivf. i urge my colleagues to strongly support the duckworth legislation. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the question occurs on the nomination. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be.

the clerk will call the roll. the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman.

the clerk: 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. the clerk: mr. crapo. mr. cruz.

mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper.

ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine. mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. 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. mr. padilla.

mr. paul. mr. peters. mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. mr. romney. ms. rosen. the clerk: mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schmitt.

mr. schumer. the clerk: 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 -- baldwin, blumenthal, casey, cornyn, cortez masto, cruz, duckworth, grassley, kaine, lee, murray, peters, shaheen, tester, tillis, van hollen, warnock, warren, welch, wicker, and wyden. senators voting in the negative -- crapo, marshall, tuberville. mr. johnson, no. mr. boozman, aye.

mrs. blackburn, no.embryos. vote:

the clerk: mr. ricketts, aye.

the clerk: mr. markey, aye. ms. butler, aye.

the clerk: mr. vance, aye.

mrs. hyde-smith, aye. mr. paul, no. mr. lujan, aye. the clerk: ms. hirono, aye. mr. hoeven, no.

mr. schatz, aye.

the clerk: mr. carper, aye.

the clerk: mr. cotton, aye.

the clerk: mr. young, aye. mr. reed, aye. mr. durbin, aye. mr. heinrich, aye. mr. romney, aye.

the clerk: mr. scott of south carolina, no. mr. graham, aye. mr. manchin, aye.

the clerk: mr. lankford, no.

the clerk: mr. rounds, aye. the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, aye.

mr. warner, aye. mr. cardin, aye. mr. thune, no. mr. padilla, aye. mrs. britt, no.