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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

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Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 No. 173 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was U.S. SENATE, his first year. Democrats have invoked called to order by the Honorable LU- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, this delay for every single one of Presi- THER STRANGE, a Senator from the Washington, DC, October 26, 2017. dent Trump’s judicial nominees, so far, State of Alabama. To the Senate: except one. This week, they are at it Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby again. f appoint the Honorable LUTHER STRANGE, a Today, we will have a cloture vote on Senator from the State of Alabama, to per- the nomination of Trevor McFadden to PRAYER form the duties of the Chair. the U.S. District Court for the District The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ORRIN G. HATCH, of Columbia. Not a single Democrat on fered the following prayer: President pro tempore. the Judiciary Committee registered an Let us pray. Mr. STRANGE thereupon assumed objection to the nomination; yet we O God, our King, we are grateful that the Chair as Acting President pro tem- still have to waste time in overcoming righteousness and justice are the foun- pore. a procedural hurdle from our Demo- dation of Your throne. Give our law- f cratic colleagues before the Senate can makers such a connection with You take up the nomination and consider RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY that they will hate evil. Let the light it. It came out of committee with no LEADER of Your wisdom shine upon them, pro- opposition. viding them with the joy of doing The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- We are not going to let these mind- right. Save them from life’s pitfalls, pore. The majority leader is recog- less attempts to slow progress stop us providing them with the protection of nized. from confirming the President’s nomi- the shield of Your favor. Lord, remind f nees to the judiciary. If that means them of Your faithfulness so that they more cloture votes and more time fo- JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS will trust the unfolding of Your loving cused on this task, that is what we will providence. Help them to remember Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the do, but we will confirm these nominees. that You have sustained America Senate is continuing to move forward You can count on it. throughout its history. Remembering on President Trump’s outstanding judi- f how You have led us in the past, may cial nominations. Many of the well- OPIOID EPIDEMIC our Senators feel confident that You qualified men and women the President will complete the work You have start- has nominated enjoy substantial bipar- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on ed. tisan support. another matter, for families in Ken- We pray in Your great Name. Amen. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats tucky and across the Nation, the dev- have decided to continue wasting the astation of opioid abuse can be a con- f Senate’s time with the pointless ob- stant and painful reality. Communities struction of these nominees. Time and are forced to endure grief, worry, and PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE again, they have erected partisan pro- loss. A recent report showed that my The Presiding Officer led the Pledge cedural hurdles that are designed not home State suffered more than 1,400 fa- of Allegiance, as follows: to change the outcome—they don’t talities as a result of drug overdoses I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the change the outcome—but simply to last year alone. United States of America, and to the Repub- waste the Senate’s time. Often, Demo- Despite the troubling statistics, how- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, crats do not even oppose the nominee ever, there are glimmers of hope. The indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. in question. Republican-led Senate has worked hard Let’s compare the number of times to pass important legislation like f this days-long delay has been invoked Jessie’s Law, the 21st Century Cures for nominees of the last two Presidents Act, and the Comprehensive Addiction APPOINTMENT OF ACTING during the first years of their Presi- and Recovery Act. These measures are PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE dencies—during the first year of the important steps that should lead to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Obama Presidency and the first year of real progress. There are many other clerk will please read a communication the Trump Presidency. Republicans re- important efforts across the country as to the Senate from the President pro quired cloture on one of President well. From coast to coast, we hear sto- tempore (Mr. HATCH). Obama’s judicial nominees during his ries of men and women in recovery who The bill clerk read the following let- first year—cloture one time on a judi- are managing their addictions. We are ter: cial nominee for President Obama in heartened by these testimonies that ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6825 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:52 Oct 27, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A26OC6.000 S26OCPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with SENATE S6826 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 26, 2017 proper treatment offers real hope. They LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-Tenn.) and of deficits. What a stunning hypocrisy help remind everyone as to why we PATTY MURRAY (D-Wash.) now offi- it would be to abandon those principles must continue to press forward. The cially falls into the category of ‘so ob- today and vote for this budget simply task that remains is staggering, but we vious it should pass immediately.’ ’’ because it gives tax cuts to the are committed. That is not CHUCK SCHUMER talking. wealthiest of Americans and the most Later today, President Trump will That is not even MITCH MCCONNELL powerful, largest of our corporations. help our country take another step for- talking—for those on the hard right Now I would also remind my Repub- ward. We expect that he will formally who might doubt MITCH MCCONNELL’s lican friends in the House—particularly recognize the opioid epidemic for the fidelity. It is the beacon of the hard those in New York, New Jersey, Cali- public health emergency that it is. right, the Wall Street Journal editorial fornia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, This announcement builds upon years page. Washington, and Minnesota—that vot- of progress that Congress has made in They say, again: Alexander-Murray ing for the budget today is tantamount responding to addiction with com- ‘‘falls into the category of ‘so obvious to voting for the elimination of the prehensive action, including preven- it should pass immediately.’’’ State and local tax deduction, and that tion, enforcement, and treatment. So, my fellow Republicans, what are would sock it to the middle-class tax- I commend the President for his con- you waiting for? Everyone on your side payers in their States and districts. To tinued commitment to this cause. wants the bill. Jump on it. Support it. most of our Republican friends from When he visited us in the Senate ear- Let’s get this done, and let’s help sta- those States, they are blue States, but lier this week, he discussed the na- bilize our markets, whatever our views there are red districts that are subur- tional epidemic and his administra- are on healthcare. ban, well-off. They will get clobbered if tion’s efforts to fight back. Along with Above all, these reports should be all they take away the State and local de- my colleagues, I stand ready to work the evidence that President Trump duction. Those are the constituents with him on future proposals to pro- needs to come off the sidelines and en- hurt the most—not the rich and not vide the necessary tools to protect our dorse the bill. It doesn’t bail out the the poor—the middle class and the communities from this scourge. insurance companies; that is what he upper middle class. Not only will it A single bill or program is never said he was worried about. It doesn’t raise their taxes dramatically, but going to solve this crisis on its own. cost the government money, and, in most people would lose deductions be- Only a sustained, committed effort can fact, it reduces the deficit by $4 billion. tween $10,000 and $20,000. That ain’t do that. I am proud of our efforts to So there is no good reason for Presi- chickenfeed. combat opioid addiction already. I also dent Trump to continue to obscure his It would lower home prices. A recent know that we will continue to push for- position. study by the National Association of ward with continued collaboration Leader MCCONNELL has said he will Realtors done by Pricewaterhouse Coo- with many groups both in Washington put it on the floor if the President says pers, the esteemed accounting firm, and in States and communities all he will sign it. By delaying, the Presi- showed that eliminating State and across our country so that, one day, we dent is harming healthcare markets, local would erode property values, the can finally say that our country has causing significant uncertainty, and rock of the middle class, by 10 percent. beaten this crisis once and for all.
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