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Congressional Record—Senate S6263

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Congressional Record—Senate S6263 October 30, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6263 confer on President Trump the most As Senate Republicans have said over of title 5, United States Code, of the rule basic rights of due process or, seem- and over and over again, we support submitted by the Secretary of the Treasury ingly, alter Chairman SCHIFF’s unfair protections for Americans with pre- and the Secretary of Health and Human process in the House Intelligence Com- Services relating to ‘‘State Relief and Em- existing conditions. And the adminis- powerment Waivers’’. mittee in any way whatsoever. tration has made it very clear that this There being no objection, the Senate Chairman SCHIFF can continue doing waiver program poses no threat—no proceeded to consider the resolution. this behind closed doors without the threat—to those protections. The Ad- Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- President’s participation, so long as he ministrator of the Centers for Medicare holds at least one public hearing at sence of a quorum. & Medicaid Services has stated that ‘‘a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The some point. He is not even required to section 1332 waiver cannot’’—cannot— clerk will call the roll. make all the evidence he obtains pub- ‘‘undermine coverage with people with The senior assistant legislative clerk lic. He alone gets to decide what evi- pre-existing conditions.’’ proceeded to call the roll. dence goes in his report. And the reso- What is more, as the White House has Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask lution doesn’t even give the President already made clear, Democrats’ resolu- unanimous consent that the order for any rights in the public hearing that it tion has zero chance of becoming law. the quorum call be rescinded. requires Chairman SCHIFF to hold. This is just another political mes- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without The resolution merely seems to con- saging exercise with no path to making objection, it is so ordered. template that maybe—maybe—some- an impact. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER day in the future, at some other phase I urge my colleagues to reject this The PRESIDING OFFICER. The of this, due process might—might—fi- resolution, keep fighting to lower pre- Democratic leader is recognized. nally kick in, but only if the House Ju- miums for the American people, and APPROPRIATIONS diciary Committee feels like holding protect those with preexisting condi- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, even hearings and calling its own wit- tions. as we consider the package of appro- nesses—in other words, no due process priations on the floor this week, we now, maybe some later, but only if we f must also think about how both parties feel like it. MEASURE PLACED ON THE can reach an agreement on all 12 bills ‘‘No due process now, maybe some CALENDAR—H.R. 4334 later, but only if we feel like it’’ is not we need to pass before Thanksgiving. It Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I is way past time for Democratic and even close to fair. ‘‘No due process now, understand there is a bill at the desk maybe some later, but only if we feel Republican appropriators to sit down due for a second reading. like it’’ is not a standard that should and hammer out bipartisan agreement The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ever be applied to any American, and it on allocations to the various agencies, clerk will read the title of the bill for should not be applied here to the Presi- known as 302(b)s. That is how we got the second time. dent of the United States. this done in the past. Democrats and I understand that many House Demo- The senior assistant legislative clerk Republicans in Congress have success- crats made up their minds on impeach- read as follows: fully negotiated two budget deals. The ment years ago, but our basic norms of A bill (H.R. 4334) to amend the Older Amer- key to those agreements was that the justice do not evaporate just because icans Act of 1965 to authorize appropriations President allowed Congress to do its for fiscal years 2020 through 2024, and for work and stayed off to the side. I be- Washington Democrats have already other purposes. made up their minds. lieve that, again, if left to our own de- Mr. MCCONNELL. In order to place vices, Congress could work out an f the bill on the calendar under the pro- agreement to fund the government. HEALTHCARE visions of rule XIV, I would object to As everyone remembers, the Presi- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on further proceeding. dent’s meddling and erratic behavior one final matter, our Democratic col- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- caused the last government shutdown— leagues do apparently have time to tion having been heard, the bill will be the longest in our Nation’s history. push for show votes on messaging reso- placed on the calendar. The best way to avoid another shut- lutions with no chance of becoming f down would be for the President to law. This week’s installment is a keep out of the appropriations process RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Democratic effort to limit the flexi- and for Republicans to stop the games bility that Governors of both parties The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under and get serious about negotiating in a have utilized to lighten the burdens of the previous order, the leadership time bipartisan way forward. ObamaCare. States have jumped at the is reserved. I believe there was a meeting yester- opportunity to use waivers to reduce f day, and there may be some progress. I the costs associated with ObamaCare’s think some progress was made. Let’s CONCLUSION OF MORNING continue moving in that direction, the mandate. In the States that have taken BUSINESS advantage, premiums decreased signifi- four corners of the Appropriations cantly. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning Committee—House and Senate, Demo- In 2018, the Trump administration ex- business is closed. crats and Republicans—and put to- panded this policy with an even more f gether an agreement we can all sup- flexible interpretation of this part of port. PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL ObamaCare. The goal was to give TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER States even more of what they had Mr. President, on the whistleblower, 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES been asking for, even more latitude to as the House of Representatives con- CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED preserve consumer choice and lower tinues its impeachment inquiry as to BY THE SECRETARY OF THE premiums. But notwithstanding all the whether the President jeopardized na- TREASURY AND THE SECRETARY evidence that says this is the right di- tional security by pressuring Ukraine OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV- rection for the American people, our to interfere with our 2020 locations, the ICES RELATING TO ‘‘STATE RE- Democratic colleagues want to roll White House, their allies in Congress, back the Trump administration guid- LIEF AND EMPOWERMENT WAIV- and the media have resorted to des- ance and limit States’ flexibility. ERS’’—Resumed picable tactics to falsely discredit indi- Since this position is virtually im- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under viduals who have provided the House possible to explain on its merits, our the previous order, the Senate will re- testimony. Democratic colleagues have instead sume consideration of S.J. Res. 52, Yesterday, LTC Alexander Vindman, turned to a familiar talking point: the which the clerk will report. an Active-Duty Army officer serving false claim that Republicans are trying The senior assistant legislative clerk on a detail in the White House, testi- to undercut protections for Americans read as follows: fied before Congress. Since Lieutenant with preexisting conditions. Sound fa- A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 52) providing Colonel Vindman’s testimony was an- miliar? But, of course, that is not true. for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 nounced and especially in the past 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:20 Oct 31, 2019 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G30OC6.002 S30OCPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S6264 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 30, 2019 hours, he has been vilified by individ- health insurance now, most of whom These urgent questions go to the uals in the media and elsewhere. Al- are under 6—innocents. When they heart of America’s national security, though he has served our country for have bad health, they need help. That and we need them answered today. more than 20 years, although he is a re- breaks your heart. The effect of all this I suggest the absence of a quorum. cipient of the Purple Heart after being sabotage is very, very real. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The wounded while serving in Iraq, he has Now, think about this issue, about clerk will call the roll. been called derogatory terms, and some protections for Americans with pre- The senior assistant legislative clerk have even gone so far as to call him a existing conditions. Think of a mom or proceeded to call the roll. spy and question his loyalty to the dad who has a son or daughter and they Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask United States. discover that he or she has cancer. unanimous consent that the order for These attacks are outrageous. They They go to the doctor, and the doctor the quorum call be rescinded. are unacceptable, and they are not un- says: Look, I have this very expensive The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without like the attacks the President and his medication or this expensive treatment objection, it is so ordered. allies have levied against the whistle- that will help cure your child, but the The majority whip is recognized.
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