Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday I announced that the Senate's regularly scheduled August recess will not occur this year. Members will be able to meet with our constituents during a standard 1-week State work period at the beginning of the month, and then we will come right back here and get back to work.

The reason is simple: We have too much left to do for the American people.

Sixteen months into the Trump administration, Senate Democrats persist in their unprecedented campaign to obstruct the President's nominees for a wide array of executive and judicial positions.

It is time for a little historic perspective.

During President Obama's first 2 years, the Senate needed only 12 cloture votes on nominations. In President George W. Bush's first 2 years, there were four cloture votes on nominations and for President Clinton, just eight. But less than a year and a half into this administration, the Democratic minority has stalled progress through-- listen to this--101 cloture votes, and counting, on nominations--101 cloture votes.

This used to be a rare tool of last resort, used only in a tiny handful of cases. Well, not these days. In many cases, the nominees in question are completely without controversy. Not a single Senator in either party voted against confirming Robert Wier or Fernando Rodriguez to serve as district court judges just yesterday. They were both confirmed unanimously. So were Walter Counts and Karen Scholer, two more district judges we considered back in January. But Senate Democrats forced us to invoke cloture on each of these nominees and then made sure they soaked up Senate floor time, even though literally no Senator opposed them.

This isn't due diligence. It certainly isn't good government. It is what happens when our friends across the aisle put political slogans about ``the resistance'' ahead of the country's needs.

We have gotten a great deal done this Congress. We have bolstered our economy with historic tax reform and regulatory reform. We have delivered critical resources to communities afflicted by the opioid crisis, with more on the way. We have undone harmful spending caps to fully equip our military. We have taken action to combat human trafficking and school violence. We have repealed ObamaCare's individual mandate tax and its Independent Payment Advisory Board and delayed several other healthcare taxes.

Republicans are still working to do more. We need to confirm more of the President's team and judicial nominees. We need to take up regular appropriations bills. We need to tackle legislative priorities like the water infrastructure bill, the farm bill, the Defense bill, and many others.

So the Senate will remain in session in August. We will work on legislation. We will confirm more nominees.

We will keep delivering on the agenda that has already done so much to make America stronger, safer, and more prosperous. Honoring Our Veterans

On another matter, Mr. President, I was honored to meet a number of Kentucky veterans at the World War II Memorial and welcome them to Washington.

My father fought in World War II, so I was particularly grateful to hear these veterans' stories and share their special moments of remembrance. One man I talked to is 100 years old. He was in the initial invasion when we finally got on offense in North Africa. He fought in every theater in Europe and was there when the Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945. He landed at Omaha Beach, but he said it was 2 days after the invasion, so there was a second wave of soldiers coming in after the invasion, and there are stories and stories of people like that.

I had a chance to thank each of them, as well as the Honor Flight Bluegrass organization, which takes on the logistical and financial burdens so that veterans can travel to their monuments at no personal cost.

I was especially glad this opportunity came today, on the 74th anniversary of the D-day invasion. On June 6, 1944, the free world embarked on a daring mission of historic proportions. With conviction, bravery, and patriotism, the ``greatest generation'' ran into the breach.

Many paid the ultimate price on D-day, but their bravery paved the road to victory in Europe. Allied troops stared down the most pernicious evil the modern world had ever seen--and prevailed.

The world has changed in the years since D-day, but some things haven't changed at all. We still honor the sacrifices of those who ran into the breach.

Today, the President will sign into law the VA MISSION Act that Congress passed last month. It is a set of major improvements in the way we care for American veterans--increasing their choices and expanding access to care for those who sacrificed to serve.

Here is something else that hasn't changed: We still call on brave men and women to take on a wide array of difficult missions. National Defense Authorization Bill

Mr. President, soon the Senate will take up the John S. McCain 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. It is the result of months of serious bipartisan work by the Armed Services Committee, and it is a major step toward delivering the resources our men and women in uniform need to tackle the challenges of today--challenges like an emboldened Iran, the destabilizing force it abets in the Middle East; challenges like the expanding capabilities of Russia and China in this era of renewed great power competition.

This moment requires that we support our All-Volunteer Armed Forces with the tools, training, equipment, and resources they need to support our allies, to defend the homeland, and secure the peace. Secretary Mattis's new national defense strategy spells out what our Nation must do.

Our landmark budget agreement this year set aside the funds to put that plan into action, and now, with this NDAA, Congress will take the next step toward getting those resources where they need to be. Its authorizations include quality-of-life improvements for servicemembers and their families, land, sea, and air weapons systems, and reforms to the acquisitions process to keep America's military on the cutting edge.

With bipartisan action on the NDAA, the Senate will ensure that the next generation of American warfighters is every bit as ready as the ``greatest generation'' to write a new chapter of courageous service.

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