Senate Section

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, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 No. 167 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was The Marine Corps has identified an- Democrats blocked a pay raise for our called to order by the President pro other one of the marines pictured in servicemembers because they would tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). this photograph as Cpl Harold Keller of rather fight with the President. f Brooklyn, IA. We know that across the Capitol, for Keller never sought recognition or months now, Speaker PELOSI has been PRAYER fame. He never mentioned to his chil- blocking the USMCA and blocking the The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- dren that he had helped raise that flag. 176,000 new American jobs it would cre- fered the following prayer: He died in 1979, so he doesn’t know we ate. Let us pray. now know it is he in the photograph. This week offers another test. Soon Come, mighty King, robed in maj- Seventy-four years later, I am proud we will be voting on appropriations, esty. Your throne stands firm, even in that this Iowan is finally recognized and we will see whether our Demo- the midst of chaos. You speak, and it is for his role in making history. cratic friends really can put aside their done. I yield the floor. impeachment obsession long enough to Lord, You are our strength and I suggest the absence of a quorum. get some real work done on the side. shield. Our protection comes from You. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Actions speak louder than words. Today, guide our Senators as a shep- clerk will call the roll. First, I hope we will tackle a package herd would lead the lambs. May our The senior assistant legislative clerk of domestic funding bills. After that, lawmakers find in You green pastures proceeded to call the roll. we will turn to a defense vehicle. I urge and still waters. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, our Democratic colleagues to drop the Lord, support us with Your powerful I ask unanimous consent that the order stall tactics that have left funding for hands until the shadows flee away. for the quorum call be rescinded. our Armed Forces in limbo and join Forgive all our sins and rebellion, em- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without with Republicans to deliver the funding powering us to glorify Your Name in objection, it is so ordered. our military commanders need to keep our thoughts, words, and deeds. f us safe. We pray in Your great Name. Amen. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY f f LEADER TURKEY AND SYRIA PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, The President pro tempore led the jority leader is recognized. on another matter, I opposed President Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: f Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the troops from Syria so I am encouraged United States of America, and to the Repub- GOVERNMENT FUNDING by press reports that his administra- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, tion is considering retaining a military indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. later today, the Senate will vote on fi- presence in that country to keep the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. nally getting the appropriations proc- pressure on ISIS. HYDE-SMITH). The Senator from Iowa. ess moving. We will vote on consid- Since September 11, our Nation has Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ering a package of domestic funding learned several key lessons about the ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 bills, and if we take up the legislation, fight against radical Islamic terrorism. minute as in morning business. I intend to stay on it until we complete The terrorist threat cannot be wished The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without it. away. The terrorists mean us harm, objection, it is so ordered. On both sides of the Capitol, our and we cannot allow them to establish f Democratic colleagues have spent re- safe havens and solidify their net- cent weeks insisting over and over that works. When they do, the bloodshed REMEMBERING HAROLD KELLER their 3-year-old quest to impeach the ends up right here on our shores. Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, President will not prevent them from American leadership is essential. We recent research by historians has iden- the substantive work American fami- have seen our partners and allies step tified a person participating in the lies need us to tackle. So far, the early up and take on important roles. In raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. returns haven’t been too encouraging. fact, as we speak, France is playing a That iconic photograph of marines A few weeks ago, we saw the unusual leading role in the African Sahel, but raising the American flag at Iwo Jima spectacle of Senate Democrats voting just about every place President is a testament to American strength to filibuster defense funding due to po- Obama tried to ‘‘lead from behind’’ pro- and sacrifice. litical fights with the White House. vides tragic reminders that there are ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S5931 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:55 Oct 23, 2019 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A22OC6.000 S22OCPT1 S5932 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 22, 2019 certain kinds of leadership only Amer- to get out of the Middle East.’’ ‘‘I against a democratic NATO ally that ica can contribute. think we ought to get out of the Middle we would against the worst rogue Fortunately, we are not in this alone. East,’’ said the senior Senator from state. The huge progress we have won in re- Massachusetts, and almost all of our Do we know what political impacts cent years against ISIS and the Democratic colleagues currently run- such sanctions will have inside Tur- Taliban has come by partnering with ning for President refused to sign on to key? Will they weaken President local forces, with support from a broad the McConnell amendment that earned Erdogan or rally the country to his international coalition. America has 70 votes earlier this year. cause? Do we know the impact sanc- only provided limited specialized capa- We can’t afford to dance around the tions will have on U.S. companies or on bilities to reinforce the local partners critical question of a U.S. presence in the economies of our closest allies that that do the heaviest lifting. This ap- Syria and the Middle East for the sake have deeply integrated their economies proach is sustainable. of Democratic Presidential primary with Turkey? Unfortunately, we know exactly politics. The Senate needs to speak up. If we are going to use sanctions what happens when America forgets We cannot effectively support our part- against a democratic ally, we are going these lessons and simply decides we are ners on the ground without a military to have to be careful. We are going to tired of sustaining the fight. Aban- presence. Senators who thought we have to be smart. We are going to have doning Afghanistan in the 1990s helped should withdraw from Syria and Af- to be thoughtful and deliberate. We create the conditions for al-Qaida’s ghanistan in February do not get to don’t want to further drive a NATO ability to grow and plan the September criticize President Trump for with- ally into the arms of the Russians. 11 attacks from a safe haven far from drawing from Syria today unless they Serious conversations about the use our shores. President Obama’s retreat go on the record, admit they changed of sanctions must involve our col- from Iraq allowed ISIS to rise from the their minds, and say it is too dan- leagues on the Foreign Relations, still-warm ashes of al-Qaida in Iraq. gerous to quit. Banking, and Finance Committees to If not arrested, withdrawing from So, today, along with Chairman ensure that this tool is used correctly. Syria will invite more of the chaos INHOFE, Chairman RISCH, Chairman The most important thing the Senate that breeds terrorism and creates a BURR, and Senator GRAHAM, I am intro- can do right now is speak clearly and vacuum our adversaries will certainly ducing a stronger resolution that ac- reaffirm the core principles that unite fill. knowledges hard truths and focuses on most of us, Republicans and Demo- It will invite the brutal Assad regime our strategic interests in the Middle crats, about the proper role for Amer- to reassert its oppressive control over East. ican leadership in Syria, in the Middle northeastern Syria, repressing Sunni Our resolution acknowledges the East, and, for that matter, in the Arab communities and creating the vital role our Kurdish and Arab Syrian world. same conditions that led to ISIS’s partners have played in rooting out We hope the damage in Syria can be growth in the first place. and destroying the ISIS caliphate. It undone, but perhaps, even more impor- Russia will gain more leverage to condemns Turkey’s decision to esca- tantly, we absolutely must take steps amass power and influence throughout late hostilities in Syria, warns against so the same mistakes—the same mis- the Middle East, project power into the the abandonment of our allies and takes are not repeated in Iraq or Af- Mediterranean, and even promote its partners in Syria, and urges President ghanistan.

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