Senator Inhofe: (4:02 p.m.)

• Spoke on U.S. energy policy.
  • "You can't look at success and see what's happening and really appreciate it without rousing everyone on the other side with extreme accusations. With every executive order, the Congressional Review Act resolution that rolled back burdensome regulation after burdensome regulation, we heard that the end of the days were coming. Now, let's pause for a minute here and see how you get rid of some of these regulations. You have two ways of getting rid of regulations. One is you do it with an executive order. Sometimes that adopt work, you can't use an executive order in certain types of regulations, so you have to go to the Congressional Review Act."
• Spoke on Republican economic policy.
  • "I think it's kind of interesting to go back and look at the fact that they have 4% unemployment. You know, I have always considered for as long as I can remember, 4% unemployment is full employment. There is always going to be some unemployables, but 4% is considered to be full employment. That's what we have. It's kind of interesting. I was in Texas last week. One of my liberal friends were down there. I was talking about what can you say now? Look at the economy. The economy has never been better."
• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  • "Again, the Supreme Court agreed with him. They're on his side. This opinion is also instructive to see his thinking on proper -- the proper role of the courts in our system of government. In his opinion, he wrote, quote, as a court, it is not our job to make the policy choices and set the statutory boundaries but to emphatically our job is to carefully and firmly enforce the statutory boundaries. This is the consistent part of his jurisprudence. Because of his position on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Kavanaugh has had many opportunities to check the federal government's overreach."

Senator Collins: (4:41 p.m.)

• Spoke on the minibus appropriations bill.
  • "By including funding for three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in fiscal year 2019 while also including $250 million in advance procurement funding for an additional destroyer in fiscal year 2020. Mr. President, this funding signals our strong belief that the Navy should sustain an aggressive rate of growth for large-surface combatants in fiscal year 2020 and beyond in order to project strength in an increasingly dangerous and complex world. In recognition of national security imperatives, the Navy's own 2016 fleet structure assessment increased the target number for large-surface combatants to 104 ships from the 88 ships called for under the previous 308-ship Navy requirement."

Senator Cornyn: (4:58 p.m.)

• Spoke on the minibus appropriations bill.
  • "These two appropriations bill are two of the largest ones in the federal government. One, of course, is for the Department of Defense, which appropriately is the number-one priority of the federal government, to maintain the peace and keep our nation safe. And the other funds the department of labor, health, and human services, and education. After we pass these bills this week - which we will - we will have passed 9 of the 12 appropriations bills which cover 87% of discretionary spending. When I mention discretionary spending, it's noteworthy that about 70% of what the federal government spends is not discretionary spending."
• Spoke on Republican economic policy.
  • "These are the men and women like Virginia Davis, a small business owner, who said the changes will help keep expenses down and help her company buy new equipment. Then there's Susan case circumstance a widow in new Brownsville, Texas, who's working part-time even when facing health issues. She wrote saying she appreciated our efforts saying that every little bit helps, close quote, especially when she's been saving up the money to go visit her grandson in California. In Texas, our economy has been robust for a long time now, and we heard that the last month, more than 23,000 jobs were added."
• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
  • "His confirmation process includes the largest production of documents ever in the Senate's consideration of a Supreme Court nominee. And I appreciate Chairman Chuck Grassley spearheading the effort in such a transparent, efficient, and thorough manner. Of course, to see how a judge will behave once elevated to the Supreme Court, the best evidence of how they will perform their job is how they have performed as a lower-court judge, as Judge Kavanaugh has been over the last 12 years on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The best way to find out about his judicial philosophy, his temperament, and how he actually handles cases is how he's done exactly each of those things during the 12 years while serving on the D.C. Circuit."

Senator Crapo: (2:15 p.m.)

• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  • "When we imagine a Supreme Court justice, we think of respected jurists well steeped in legal questions, rigorous in attention to detail, respectful of traditions, faithful to the law, awed by the recognition of the proud and profound responsibility wielded, and fair to all involved. Our legal system requires it and the American people value it among their highest ideals of government. Throughout our history the central tension of our republic can be defined as the exercise of government power versus liberty. Each expands at the expense of the other."

Senator Young: (2:28 p.m.)

• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  • "He's one of the most qualified nominees to ever come before the United States Senate. And when all is said and done, the Judiciary Committee will have reviewed more records than ever before for a Supreme Court nominee. The importance of protecting individual liberty cannot be overstated. I'm pleased we're considering the nomination of someone who by word and deed has committed himself to preserving freedom. I look forward to watching Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing, and after conducting a thorough and objective review of his nomination, I'm confident that Judge Kavanaugh will be an excellent addition to our nation's highest court."

Senator Durbin: (2:34 p.m.)

• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  • "I have listened to my colleagues who support Judge Kavanaugh ascending to the bench to a lifetime appointment to the highest court of the land. I am troubled by one particular aspect of this nomination. It is different than any nomination in the history of the United States to the Supreme Court, different in this respect. This president made it clear that any person who wanted to be eligible for the United States supreme court needed to pass a clearance by two organizations. One is called the Federalist Society, and the other is the Heritage Institute."

Senator Durbin: (10:14 a.m.)

• Spoke on the minibus appropriations bill.
  • "Our two hard targets, the most threatening nations when it comes to the United States? Well, that's where you have to step back and shake your head and say it can't be true, but it is true. The Russian defense budget from 2017 to 2018, $78 billion. Remember my earlier figures? We're going to be spending $700 billion, and their annual budget is $78 billion. How can there be such a disparity? Well, some people have argued it's because of the accounting methods. It's the fact that Russian soldiers are paid dirt wages and ours, thank goodness, are paid just compensation and given benefits. I accept all of that, but it still doesn't explain an almost 10-1 ratio of spending in the United States against spending in Russia."

Senator Schumer: (10:34 a.m.)

• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  • "I hope that he comes prepared to answer direct questions about his writings, speeches, opinions, and judicial philosophy. The nominee has weighed in on a number of legal issues publicly and in his role as a circuit judge. There's little reason why he should be unable to answer direct questions about his judicial philosophy, his record, and already - in already decided cases. I also hope he's willing to shed some light in the areas in his record that remain opaque. The senate and the public have only been able to see a funny fraction of the nominee's extensive written record because, unfortunately, the Republican majority continues to block access to the great bulk of these document. I'd ask Judge Kavanaugh, I'll ask our Republicans what are they hiding?"
• Spoke on healthcare reform.
  • "Over and over again he tries to undo the health care Americans have without even understanding what he's really doing. On day one, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at the health care law. It was the very first thing he did. He then proposed legislation with congressional Republicans to repeal the health care law, devastate Medicaid, and eliminate protections for tens of millions of people with preexisting conditions. That failed. But congressional Republicans managed to repeal the coverage requirement in their tax bill of all places"

Senator Alexander: (10:55 a.m.)

• Spoke on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
  • "I hope to see better behavior during the next few weeks as the senate begins hearings on president trump's nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to be a member of the United States Supreme Court. Instead of treating Judge Kavanaugh as someone recently released from San Quinten prison, I hope we treat him with dignity and respect so Americans can better understand about his temperament, about his intelligence, about his character. That's what we should want to know about a presidential nominee to the Supreme Court. The current rudeness is a recent phenomenon. Historically senators have recognized that bipartisan approval of qualified nominees helps improve the esteem of the court."