S2428 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 27, 2015 Apollo Saturn V Rocket, which at the [Rollcall Vote No. 166 Ex.] Senators permitted to speak therein time defied the imagination of how YEAS—87 for up to 20 minutes each. large it could be—this is even bigger. Ayotte Feinstein Moran The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without This is called the Space Launch Sys- Baldwin Fischer Murray objection, it is so ordered. tem, and atop it will sit the human Barrasso Franken Nelson Bennet Gardner Paul f capsule Orion, which will start the Blumenthal Gillibrand Perdue CREATING A NEW BEGINNING process of developing the systems, the Blunt Grassley Peters techniques, the lifesaving, life-enhanc- Booker Hatch Portman Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, I rise Boozman Heinrich Reed today to address for the first time this ing, and life-protecting measures and Boxer Heitkamp Reid equipment that can take us all the way Brown Heller Risch august body, the United States Sen- to Mars. Burr Hirono Roberts ate—the greatest governing body ever Cantwell Hoeven Rounds So we need a professional at NASA to conceived. Out of respect, I have waited Capito Inhofe Sanders until we passed the 100-day mark to de- help General Bolden and his very dedi- Cardin Isakson Sasse cated team. I certainly commend Dr. Carper Johnson Schatz liver this speech, but I rise today be- Casey Kaine Scott cause I believe our Republic is in grave Dava Newman to the Senate as that Cassidy King Sessions person. We should confirm her today, danger. We need to create a new begin- Coats Kirk Shaheen ning by dealing with the very real cri- and we can continue this Nation’s ci- Cochran Lankford Shelby vilian space program. Collins Leahy Stabenow sis of leadership we face today. It is Coons Lee Sullivan why I ran for the Senate in the first I yield the floor. Corker Manchin Tester place—because we need a new perspec- I suggest the absence of a quorum. Cornyn Markey Thune Crapo McCain Tillis tive in Washington. Like many Ameri- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Daines McCaskill Warner cans, I am outraged by Washington’s clerk will call the roll. Donnelly McConnell Warren dysfunction, its fiscal irresponsibility, Durbin Menendez Whitehouse The bill clerk proceeded to call the Enzi Merkley Wicker its lack of leadership in foreign policy, roll. Ernst Mikulski Wyden its intrusiveness and overreach, and its negative impact on hard-working Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unani- NOT VOTING—13 mous consent that the order for the Americans. Alexander Klobuchar Toomey Before being elected to the Senate, I quorum call be rescinded. Cotton Murkowski Udall had never been involved in politics. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Cruz Murphy Vitter Flake Rubio Simply put, I am a political outsider objection, it is so ordered. Graham Schumer committed to changing the direction of Mr. ENZI. I yield back the remainder The nomination was confirmed. our country. I grew up in a small mili- of our time. (At the request of Mr. MCCONNELL, tary town in Middle Georgia, working The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time the following statement was ordered to on our family’s farms. My mom and has been yielded back. be printed in the RECORD.) dad were public school teachers, and I The question is, Will the Senate ad- VOTE EXPLANATION grew up modestly, as did most people vise and consent to the nomination of ∑ Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I am there. I worked my way through col- Dava J. Newman, of Massachusetts, to proud that Florida has such a rich his- lege and was blessed with a business be Deputy Administrator of the Na- tory and relationship with NASA. career that took me from the factory tional Aeronautics and Space Adminis- From the earliest launches of rockets floor to become a Fortune 500 CEO. tration? that established manned missions, to My story is not unique. It is the Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas the Apollo program and the continued American story. Only in America is and nays. support for the International Space this possible, thanks to hard work and self-reliance. It is called the American The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Station, my home State of Florida is dream, and it is our job to make sure it sufficient second? proud to take ownership in NASA’s past and will certainly be a part of its lasts. Many people today believe that There appears to be a sufficient sec- this dream no longer exists, that we ond. future. It is imperative that we continue to need big government to provide us with The clerk will call the roll. have a robust space exploration pro- more and more financial security. I dis- The bill clerk called the roll. gram that promotes America’s eco- agree totally. I believe our best days Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators nomic, scientific, and security inter- lie ahead. But we have to act boldly if are necessarily absent: the Senator ests, and that effectively utilizes its re- we are to save this dream and our very from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER), the sources. NASA must have strong lead- way of life. Senator from Arkansas (Mr. COTTON), ership and I believe Dr. Dava Newman As an outsider to the political proc- the Senator from Texas (Mr. CRUZ), the will serve the Administration well in ess, I am humbled by the privilege to Senator from Arizona (Mr. FLAKE), the her new role as Deputy Administrator serve my country as a U.S. Senator. I Senator from South Carolina (Mr. GRA- of NASA. While other obligations kept am sobered by the immense responsi- HAM), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. me from Washington, I would have bility of representing the people of MURKOWSKI), the Senator from Florida voted in favor of her nomination.∑ Georgia, and I am encouraged by the (Mr. RUBIO), the Senator from Pennsyl- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. opportunity we have to solve this crisis vania (Mr. TOOMEY), and the Senator LANKFORD). Under the previous order, of leadership and create a new begin- from Louisiana (Mr. VITTER). the motion to reconsider is considered ning. As one of the Original Thirteen Colo- Further, if present and voting, the made and laid upon the table, and the nies, Georgia has long been blessed Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX- President will be immediately notified with outstanding statesmen in the U.S. ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea.’’ of the Senate’s action. Senate. The first Senator to serve in f Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the this seat in the first U.S. Congress in Senator from Minnesota (Ms. KLO- LEGISLATIVE SESSION 1789 was Senator William Few. He also BUCHAR), the Senator from Connecticut The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under signed the U.S. Constitution. As fate (Mr. MURPHY), the Senator from New the previous order, the Senate will re- would have it, Sarah Few Collins, a York (Mr. SCHUMER), and the Senator sume legislative session. member of the team that helped me be- from New Mexico (Mr. UDALL) are nec- The Senator from Georgia. come Georgia’s 37th U.S. Senator in essarily absent. f this seat, is a direct descendant of Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ator Few. I think that is pretty special. LANKFORD). Are there any other Sen- MORNING BUSINESS This desk I use on the Senate floor is ators in the Chamber desiring to vote? Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, I ask also very meaningful to me. It has The result was announced—yeas 87, unanimous consent that the Senate be served such distinguished leaders from nays 0, as follows: in a period of morning business, with Georgia such as Saxby Chambliss, Zell

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Instead, Washington Jr. military spending and flexing its mus- has created a spiraling situation that I rise to speak about three issues cre- cle in the region. will only take us deeper into debt. ating this national crisis of leadership New asymmetric threats, combined What is worse, we have over $100 tril- we experience today: the abuse of Exec- with traditional symmetric challenges, lion in future unfunded liabilities re- utive power, the significant deteriora- create unprecedented demand on our lated to Social Security, Medicare, tion of American foreign policy, and military at the very time this adminis- Medicaid, Federal pensions, and the in- our out-of-control debt. tration has reduced military spending terest on the Federal debt. While devel- First, ‘‘What we are witnessing today to the point that we are about to have oping a long-term solution to this debt is one of the greatest challenges to our the smallest Army since World War II, crisis, we also need to protect today’s constitutional system in the history of the smallest Navy since World War I, seniors and save our safety net pro- this country’’—not my words but the and the smallest Air Force ever. This is grams so they will be there for people words of George Washington University simply unacceptable. who really need them the most, when constitutional law professor Dr. Jona- To address this global security crisis they need them. Shockingly, Social Se- than Turley, who incidentally voted and create a new beginning, we must curity and Medicare trust funds will be twice for President Obama. Unbridled have a consistent and strong foreign totally insolvent in just a few short use of Executive orders and regulatory policy. However, to have a strong for- years, and worse, this administration mandates has basically allowed this eign policy, we must have a strong de- has no plan to deal with that. President to run the country without fense. Unfortunately, we are already past Congress for the past 6 years. Accord- Providing for the national defense is the tipping point in this fiscal catas- ing to Professor Turley, this sets dan- one of only 6 reasons outlined in the trophe. If interest rates today were at gerous precedents for future courts and Constitution why 13 Colonies formed their 5.5 percent 30-year average, we future Presidents. our Union in the first place. To have a would already be paying almost $1 tril- To create a new beginning, we must strong defense, though, we have to lion in interest. That is twice what we first get back to our founding prin- have a strong economy, as we proved spend on our military, and it is totally ciples articulated in our Constitution during the Cold War with the Soviet unmanageable. that created this miracle called Amer- Union. People back home expect Washington ica in the first place: economic oppor- Our own fiscal irresponsibility jeop- to work. This fiscal irresponsibility tunity, fiscal responsibility, limited ardizes our very ability to fund a drives people back in Georgia abso- government, and individual liberty. strong military. ADM Michael Mullen, lutely crazy. Doubling down on bigger When government grows larger, indi- former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of government, more Federal programs, vidual liberty declines. I even believe Staff, once said that the greatest and more government spending is not that our Founders were committed to threat to our national security is our the answer, as has been proven repeat- the concept of citizen legislators—peo- own Federal debt. This debt crisis edly over the last 100 years. We have to ple would come to Congress, do their threatens our ability to defend our break the gridlock in Washington to work, and go home. I don’t believe they country, stand for freedom, and main- solve this problem. One side wants to could perceive of the potential rise of tain our very way of life. It is a pri- increase taxes; the other side wants career politicians we experience today. mary reason why we need to create a spending cuts. The result is that we We also face a global security crisis new beginning. have had gridlock in Washington for a that is getting worse by the day. This This debt crisis affects each of us generation. administration has created a situation every day. While the economy lurches The real solution, of course, is to where our allies don’t trust us and our along, we see working middle-class grow our economy. Just 1 percentage enemies don’t fear us. Leading from be- Americans struggling. Many people are point of incremental GDP growth hind has failed us as a foreign policy. having difficulty finding jobs, and would generate over $3 trillion of Fed- Right now, we face the threat of nu- those with jobs are lucky to have a job. eral tax revenues in the next decade clear proliferation starting with Iran. Their wages remain stagnant, making alone. Combine that with the elimi- As President Obama has conceded, this it harder and harder to get from pay- nation of truly duplicative programs, deal being negotiated would leave Iran day to payday. Many families can’t af- and we can develop a long-term plan to with a breakout time ‘‘almost down to ford to buy a home or plan for the fu- solve this debt crisis, as well as get zero’’ in 10 to 15 years. As Prime Min- ture. Moms and dads fear they can’t Americans back to work in meaningful, ister Netanyahu reminded us when he send their kids to college or prepare well-paying jobs. spoke before Congress, a nuclear Iran is them for a good job. Many college grad- To create a new beginning, my focus not just a threat to Middle East secu- uates today have sizable student loans in this body will be to add to the de- rity, it is not only a threat to U.S. se- and still can’t find meaningful employ- bate about how to grow our economy, curity, it is indeed a threat to global ment. A comfortable retirement is only rein in our outrageous spending, and security. a dream for many. solve this debt crisis. A nuclear Iran whose leaders are Back home in Georgia, people share To grow our economy, three prior- committed to the death of Israel and my outrage with Washington’s fiscal ities should be addressed right away. America would spark an unprecedented irresponsibility. From what I have seen First, we need to totally reinvent how wave of nuclear proliferation in the so far up here, there is not enough we fund our Federal Government. Middle East. Under no circumstances great sense of urgency in tackling this Many States, such as Georgia, have a can we allow Iran to become a nuclear skyrocketing debt crisis. There are no balanced budget law, and so should weapons State—not now, not in 10 innocent parties up here, either. Both Washington. American families can’t years, not ever. sides have pushed us to the brink, con- spend more than they take in, and nei- After battling terrorism for the past tributing to this unsustainable level of ther should their government. 14 years and fighting two major wars, debt we face today. In the last 6 years Our archaic tax system is choking with thousands of American lives lost alone, the Federal Government has growth, holding back innovation, and and billions spent, we still face ter- spent $21.5 trillion, but it borrowed $8 discouraging investment. Eventually, I rorist threats from jihadist Islamic trillion, so that today we have a Fed- believe, we should transition from an groups who openly vow to do us harm. eral debt of more than $18 trillion. We income tax to a simple consumption We face a tough choice, however: Deal simply cannot afford everything we are tax, such as the fair tax, that would with them over there or wait and deal doing as a Federal Government. We are level the playing field with the rest of with the consequences here at home. already overtaxed and overregulated. the world. We are also witnessing the return of The progressive policies of the past While that debate will take some great power rivalries. Last year, Russia 100 years and particularly the egre- time, there are things we can do right actually seized territory of a sovereign gious policies of this current adminis- now to stimulate our economy. We state and continues their aggression tration have failed the very people need to reduce our corporate tax rate

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This President has beginning. PERDUE is going to help drive this body created the fourth branch of govern- Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the to responsibly deal with fiscal issues ment—the regulators—which today floor. we have to deal with. makes more rules that affect our lives The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- We have a lot of work to do. We and our jobs than does Congress. jority leader. haven’t even begun. I look forward to Finally, we need to unlock our full f working with him, not only to ensure energy potential to get this economy that our Nation is safe and secure but CONGRATULATING SENATOR moving. We need to develop our domes- that we get our fiscal house in order. I PERDUE tic natural resources. Isn’t it time we could not be more gratified that Sen- finally develop a long-term energy pol- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I ator PERDUE is part of this body and icy that unleashes this potential while wish to congratulate our new colleague serving in the manner that he is. protecting our environment? from Georgia on his insightful and ac- I yield the floor. Doing these things now will also curate assessment of the biggest chal- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- allow us to fund our infrastructure lenges confronting our country. Not ator from Wyoming. needs, improve our education process, only did he lay out the biggest chal- Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I wish to become more competitive with the rest lenges, he certainly laid out the best congratulate the Senator from Georgia of the world, create well-paying, 21st- solutions to those challenges to get on the content of his speech as well as century jobs, and ignite the next eco- this country moving again and to guar- on his enthusiasm and also on how he nomic boom for our kids and antee, as he put it, that we leave be- follows through on what he says. I get grandkids. hind for the next generation a better to serve with him on the Budget Com- I have used the word ‘‘crisis’’ care- country than our parents left behind mittee, and I have been extremely im- fully and thoughtfully today. The first for us. pressed. step toward making the tough choices I congratulate our new colleague for At his first meeting, I introduced required to change our direction comes an outstanding major speech. him as someone who has balanced from a true realization that we indeed The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- budgets. He corrected me. In the pri- have a crisis. Americans respond better ator from Utah. vate sector, one can’t just balance the than anyone in history to a true crisis, Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am budget; you have to do better than but we are not always the quickest to grateful that we have the distinguished that. He has that kind of experience to recognize we have one. Senator from Georgia in the Senate. I bring to the Budget Committee and to To create a truly new beginning, it is really enjoyed his remarks here this this body, and I look forward to work- time for this eminent body, the U.S. evening. He laid out a program that we ing with him diligently on the budget. Senate, to rise above partisan politics ought to follow. We only had 6 weeks to do what hadn’t and do the right thing. It starts with I am very proud to have the Senator been done in 6 years, and he was a tre- leadership. It starts with making hard here, and I am proud to serve with him. mendous help in getting through that choices. It starts with telling the We wish him the very, very best in process and understanding some of the American people the unvarnished every way. I think he will enjoy this complexities. He is a good numbers truth. It starts with no longer kicking body in spite of all the vagaries and va- man. So when he talks about what we the can down the road. It starts with rieties of it. But he is a great addition need to do with the budget and paying having the courage to actually solve to this body, and we are very appre- down the debt and the ways we can do these problems independent of how it ciative that he is here with us. it, I look forward to working with him might affect our reelection chances. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- to get those things accomplished. My motivation is very simple. I do ator from Georgia. I yield the floor. not want to be a member of the first Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I wish The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- generation in American history that to note that my colleague from Geor- ator from Louisiana. has to tell its kids that we are leaving gia just made a great speech. In it he Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I wish them a country that is worse off than listed those who sat in the desk he now to commend my fellow freshman, Sen- our parents left us. sits in—Nunn, Russell, Chambliss. It is ator PERDUE, for a great maiden Ronald Reagan once said: obvious he has inherited that seat, and speech. I like particularly his emphasis Freedom is never more than one genera- he is equal to the task of those gentle- upon growing our gross domestic prod- tion away from extinction. We didn’t pass it men. I commend him on his first uct, growing our economy, and making along to our children in the bloodstream. It speech, and I am honored to serve with it stronger. It echoes what Senator must be fought for, protected, and handed on him in the Senate. ENZI just said. It is not just about bal- for them to do the same, or one day we will ancing the budget but about creating spend our sunset years telling our children I yield back. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the sort of growth that creates more and our children’s children what it was once prosperity for the families who depend like in the United States when men were ator from Tennessee. free. Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, I wish upon this prosperity for better jobs for them and their families. Let us fight to find common ground to say, I knew the Senator from Geor- gia prior to being a Senator. He was an It was a great speech. I thank the to create a new beginning for our coun- Senator for capturing the optimism try, for people back home who are outstanding CEO in a major public company. He has done business all over that makes the United States unique. struggling, and for the future of our I yield back. children and our children’s children. the world. I know when he campaigned f As I close, I am reminded of a sel- in Georgia for this seat, what he said dom-quoted closing sentence of the was that he was going to be the adult ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS Declaration of Independence: in the room. I just want to say that he certainly has distinguished himself And for the support of this Declaration, RECOGNIZING DR. DAVID RANKIN with a firm reliance on the protection of di- since he came here in acting that way vine Providence, we mutually pledge to each and looking at the big issues that our ∑ Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I wish other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred Nation has to deal with. to honor Southern Arkansas University honor. I know that he knows that still the president Dr. David Rankin who will Our Founders got it right. They greatest threat to our country right retire in June after nearly half a cen- would remind us of that commitment now is our inability to get our fiscal tury of dedication to education.

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