E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

Vol. 165 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2019 No. 203 Senate The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- voted out of committee 19 to 9 back in called to order by the President pro TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR July. tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). 2020—CONFERENCE REPORT—Re- We have the good fortune that the f sumed House of Representatives understands that the pricing of prescription drugs is PRAYER The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will re- a major problem. They passed a bill The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- sume consideration of the conference last week. I applaud them for taking up fered the following prayer: report to accompany S. 1790, which will this issue. It so happens that the bill Let us pray. be stated by title. they passed probably can’t get any- Mighty God, judge the nations with The legislative clerk read as follows: where near 60 votes in the U.S. Senate, Your righteousness and justice, and The committee of conference on the votes so I hope we will have an opportunity keep our lawmakers on the path of of the two Houses on the amendment of the to sit down with Speaker PELOSI and truth. May they strive to maintain a House to the bill (S. 1790) to authorize appro- other House Members to see what we clear conscience in whatever they do priations for fiscal year 2020 for military ac- can work out to do something about for You and humanity. Lord, give them tivities of the Department of Defense, for the high cost of prescription drugs for the wisdom to refuse to deviate from military construction, and for defense activi- the citizens of this country. Every integrity, coveting Heaven’s approval ties of the Department of Energy, to pre- Member of this body hears from their in their labors for Your Kingdom. May scribe military personnel strengths for such constituents that they don’t like the they also remember that they are rep- fiscal year, and for other purposes, having met, have agreed that the Senate recede fantastic increase in prices of drugs resenting Your divine purposes for our from its disagreement to the amendment of that occurs on a regular basis. Nation and world. the House and agree to the same with an I yield the floor. Lord, thank You that Your mercy is amendment and the House agree to the I suggest the absence of a quorum. from everlasting to everlasting upon same, signed by a majority of the conferees The PRESIDING OFFICER. The those who come to You with reverence. on the part of both Houses. clerk will call the roll. May Your glory endure forever. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The legislative clerk proceeded to We pray in Your merciful Name. ator from Iowa. call the roll. Amen. Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask f unanimous consent to address the Sen- unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ate for 1 minute as in morning busi- ness. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. The President pro tempore led the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without LANKFORD). Without objection, it is so Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: objection, it is so ordered. ordered. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICING REDUCTION ACT TRIBUTE TO DOUG CONNOLLY United States of America, and to the Repub- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I re- Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, lic for which it stands, one nation under God, today I rise to pay tribute to our long- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. cently heard from an 81-year-old Iowan who is battling cancer. She told me time Democratic Policy Communica- f that one test cost more than $12,700. tions Committee staff member, Doug RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME That is almost an entire year’s income Connolly, who will be retiring at the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. for that lady. On top of that, her medi- end of the month with an impressive 33 HAWLEY). Under the previous order, the cation is more than $4,700 a month. She years of working for the committee leadership time is reserved. is on Humana and Medicare, but that is and working for the Senate. I am pleased to have Doug with me today on f not enough for her to still afford her medical bills. the floor. CONCLUSION OF MORNING Too many Americans share this For a moment, think back to 1986. A BUSINESS Iowan’s story. That is why we must couple of top songs that year were The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning pass the Prescription Drug Pricing Re- ‘‘Stuck With You’’ by Huey Lewis and business is closed. duction Act, to finally help Americans the News and ‘‘Manic Monday’’ by the f afford the critical medications they Bangles. The top movie that year was need. ‘‘Top Gun,’’ and the average price of a LEGISLATIVE SESSION The bill I just named is a bipartisan movie ticket was $3.71. I don’t know if The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- bill sponsored by this Senator and we remember those, but it has been a ate will now resume legislative session. Democratic Senator WYDEN. It got while.

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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A lot of things have changed since CLOTURE MOTION then. We are all a little bit older, and f Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I C–SPAN has broadcast more than a few LEGISLATIVE SESSION send a cloture motion to the desk. hours of Senate floor proceedings. How- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- ever, one thing hasn’t changed: Doug is ture motion having been presented still as dedicated to public service as move to proceed to legislative session. under rule XXII, the Chair directs the he was on his first day of work 33 years The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk to read the motion. ago. I have been personally so im- question is on agreeing to the motion. The senior assistant legislative clerk pressed by Doug’s work ethic, though The motion was agreed to. read as follows: not surprised. After all, he grew up in f CLOTURE MOTION a hard-working auto family in Roch- EXECUTIVE SESSION ester, MI. We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- Over the years, Doug’s work ethic ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the has benefited a number of folks you Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby EXECUTIVE CALENDAR move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- have heard of, including Senator Rob- nation of Anuraag Singhal, of Florida, to be Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I ert Byrd, Senator , Sen- United States District Judge for the South- ator Byron Dorgan, Senator CHUCK move to proceed to executive session to ern District of Florida. SCHUMER, and Senator , consider Calendar No. 382. Mitch McConnell, John Boozman, Rich- whose website he designed. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ard Burr, Shelley Moore Capito, John Doug’s computer skills are legendary question is on agreeing to the motion. Cornyn, Mike Crapo, , and haven’t just benefited the Demo- The motion was agreed to. Roy Blunt, John Thune, Steve Daines, cratic caucus. They have benefited the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Thom Tillis, , Chuck Nation as a whole. Doug actually wrote clerk will report the nomination. Grassley, Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, the computer program that the Senate The senior assistant legislative clerk Roger F. Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith. Library and the Senate Historian rely read the nomination of Matthew Wal- f on to keep track of votes. That is im- den McFarland, of Ohio, to be United LEGISLATIVE SESSION portant information for the American States District Judge for the Southern public to know. District of Ohio. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session. Thanks to Doug, we know that since CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Doug has worked in the Senate, there Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I question is on agreeing to the motion. have been 11,114 votes cast. Only Sen- send a cloture motion to the desk. The motion was agreed to. ator LEAHY, Senator GRASSLEY, and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- Senator MCCONNELL have been around ture motion having been presented f long enough to have cast all of them. under rule XXII, the Chair directs the EXECUTIVE SESSION When Doug isn’t crunching numbers, clerk to read the motion. he is a voracious reader and a devoted The senior assistant legislative clerk father and husband. He is extremely read as follows: proud of his children. His son Nick is EXECUTIVE CALENDAR CLOTURE MOTION getting his doctoral degree in mathe- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I matics at the University of Iowa. His We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- move to proceed to executive session to daughter Caitlin earned her degree in ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the consider Calendar No. 466. Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby anthropology from St. Mary’s College move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The in Maryland and is an intern with the nation of Matthew Walden McFarland, of question is on agreeing to the motion. Smithsonian Institution. Ohio, to be United States District Judge for The motion was agreed to. Doug’s wife Brenda has him slightly the Southern District of Ohio. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The beat on career longevity. She has Rick Scott, Steve Daines, Mike Crapo, clerk will report the nomination. worked in the House of Representatives Pat Roberts, Marco Rubio, Lindsey The senior assistant legislative clerk for 34 years, and every day Doug walks Graham, John Boozman, , read the nomination of Karen Spencer over to the House side so that they can Roy Blunt, John Thune, John Cornyn, Marston, of Pennsylvania, to be United have lunch together. Pretty soon, how- Deb Fischer, Mike Rounds, John Bar- rasso, James E. Risch, Tim Scott, States District Judge for the Eastern ever, their lunch dates might be on a Mitch McConnell. District of Pennsylvania. beach. Doug is retiring this month, and CLOTURE MOTION f he hopes to be spending a lot of time Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I scuba diving in the Caribbean. LEGISLATIVE SESSION send a cloture motion to the desk. Doug, thank you so much for your Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- hard work, your creativity, and your 33 ture motion having been presented years of public service. The committee move to proceed to legislative session. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The under rule XXII, the Chair directs the has been incredibly lucky to have you, clerk to read the motion. and all of us will miss working with question is on agreeing to the motion. The motion was agreed to. The senior assistant legislative clerk you. I think it is fitting that after read as follows: more than three decades of spending so f CLOTURE MOTION much time reading the CONGRESSIONAL EXECUTIVE SESSION RECORD, now your name will be in it. We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- We all wish you and your family much ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby happiness in your next chapter. EXECUTIVE CALENDAR move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- I yield the floor. nation of Karen Spencer Marston, of Penn- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I I suggest the absence of a quorum. sylvania, to be United States District Judge The PRESIDING OFFICER. The move to proceed to executive session to for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. clerk will call the roll. consider Calendar No. 465. Mitch McConnell, Mike Crapo, Thom The bill clerk proceeded to call the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Tillis, Mike Rounds, Lamar Alexander, roll. question is on agreeing to the motion. John Hoeven, Roger F. Wicker, Pat

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