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

• Spoke on Democrat obstructionism.
  • "And he is far from alone, Mr. President. During and after disasters like a hurricane, Americans use products such as portable generators, ladders, power tools in greater quantity and frequency than during other times. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a mission to ensure that such products sold on store shelves or over the internet are safe. When there are safety issues, the commission is are charged with taking action, but nominations for this critical agency have also been blocked in the Senate. The same is true for the country's leading highway safety regulator. For months Democrats have blocked the nomination of Heidi King to be the administrator of the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration."
• Spoke on opioid legislation.
  • "In 2016, we passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act which authorized a variety of grants to states to boost their efforts to reduce opioid deaths and help individuals overcome opioid addiction. That year we passed the 21st Century Cures Act which provided state grants over two years to combat the opioid epidemic. In March of this year, congress passed an appropriation bill that provided $4.7 billion to address the opioid crisis. And today we voted on an appropriations bill that will provide another $3.8 billion to fight this epidemic."
• Republican economic policy.
  • "Mr. President, these are all facts. These are indisputable facts and they are the results of policies that are put in place with an eye toward growing this economy at a faster rate, creating better paying jobs and higher wages for people in our economy. Since President Trump took office, Republicans have focused on fixing those things that have been holding the economy back."

 

Senator Whitehouse: (2:45 p.m.)

• Spoke on climate change.
  • "When Pruitt's endless string of scandals finally proved too much, even for this epically swampy administration, President Trump then made a coal industry lobbyist the acting E.P.A. administrator. The fundamentally rotten bargain at the heart of today's Trump politics is that his party is essentially bank rolled by the fossil fuel industry. This is why you see Republicans seeking to freeze voluntary fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars. If consumers pay more at the pump to fill up, fine. What matters is that the oil companies get to keep pumping."

 

Senator Jones: (2:59 p.m.)

• Spoke on historically black colleges.
  • "And with all due respect to my colleagues, we don't just have the most HBCU's. I believe we have the best. Tuskegeeee University is the only HBCU with the college of medicine and the school produces over 57% of African American veterinarians in the world. It also has just hired its first female president Dr. Lilly McNair. Alabama University is the only 1890 land grant university offering four Ph.D. Programs. They're also the leading producer of African Americans with Ph.D.'s in physics."

 

Senator Sullivan: (3:48 p.m.)

• Spoke in tribute to the Alaskan of the Week.
  • "Mr. President, it's Tuesday. Normally I come down here on Thursday. I think it's Tuesday, yes. It's Tuesday. I come down here to the senate floor on Thursdays and do what is the favorite part of the week for me. I do something, our series called the Alaskan of the Week. So we're going to talk about the Alaskan of the Week this week, which is a great opportunity for me to talk about somebody in the great state of Alaska who's done something good for their community, their town, their state, maybe their country, and get to brag a little bit about what I think makes my state the best state in the country. It's the people, it's the community. It's people who are doing wonderful things and an inspiration."

 

Senator Barrasso: (4:25 p.m.)

• Spoke on WRDA.
  • "The name of the consensus bill is America's Water Infrastructure Act. The chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee had worked closely with Ranking Member Carper, with Infrastructure Subcommittee Chairman Inhofe, Subcommittee Ranking Member Cardin to reach this deal with the House. This is by far the most significant infrastructure bill this congress - of this Congress, and it is the most significant water infrastructure bill in decades. It's bipartisan and it helps all 50 states. The legislation does three big things. It grows the economy, it cuts Washington red tape, and it keeps communities safe."