Congressional Record—Senate S1857
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March 14, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1857 for all of Stew’s colleagues, that level Happy trails, buddy. not your typical vote on an appropria- of good cheer and concern for others f tions or authorization bill. It doesn’t really has been typical for a dozen concern a nomination or an appoint- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME years. ment. This will be a vote about the That is why his departure has trig- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under very nature of our Constitution, the gered an avalanche of tributes from the previous order, leadership time is separation of powers, and how this gov- people all over Washington and beyond, reserved. ernment functions henceforth. people—many of them junior people— f The Framers gave Congress the whom he wrote back with advice, met power of the purse in article I of the for coffee, shared some wisdom; this CONCLUSION OF MORNING Constitution. It is probably our great- sprawling family tree of men and BUSINESS est power. Now the President is claim- women who all feel that, one way or The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning ing that power for himself under a another, they owe a significant part of business is closed. guise of an emergency declaration to their success and careers to him. On f get around a Congress that repeatedly that note, I have to say I know exactly RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMER- would not authorize his demand for a how they feel. So today I have to say goodbye to an GENCY DECLARED BY THE border wall. all-star staff leader who took his job PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, The President has not justified the about as seriously as anybody you will 2019 emergency declaration. You would ever meet but who took himself far less The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under think in a moment like this, when seriously than most people you will the previous order, the Committee on there is not a war, when there is not an ever meet in the process. Professional Armed Services is discharged from fur- immediate disease, or when there is excellence and personal humility are ther consideration of H.J. Res. 46, and not a disaster—that is when we had rare virtues. Having a heavy dose of ei- the Senate will proceed to its imme- other declarations. They don’t need an ther is impressive, but only the com- diate consideration. elaboration, but this one would. But bination can explain Stew. There are The clerk will report the joint resolu- the President hasn’t done that. He sim- plenty of people in this town who tion by title. ply said he ‘‘didn’t need to do this.’’ haven’t tackled nearly the challenges The bill clerk read as follows: That is amazing, folks, my colleagues. or rubbed nearly the elbows he has, but A joint resolution (H.J. Res. 46) relating to The President said he didn’t need to do you better believe their egos dwarf his. a national emergency declared by the Presi- this, and yet he is declaring an emer- His resume looks like he belongs in dent on February 15, 2019. gency. It is a direct contradiction of fancy cocktail parties in tony neigh- There being no objection, the com- his own words. borhoods, but I am not positive Stew mittee was discharged, and the Senate Everyone here knows the truth. would even be allowed into a fancy proceeded to consider the joint resolu- Democrats and Republicans know the cocktail party. Regardless, I doubt he tion. sad truth. The President did not de- would find much time for the elite Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- clare an emergency because there is guests; he would be too engrossed in sence of a quorum. one; he declared an emergency because conversation with the security guards, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The he lost in Congress and wants to get valet parking attendants, hospitality clerk will call the roll. around it. He is obsessed with showing staff, talking Nationals baseball and The bill clerk proceeded to call the strength. He couldn’t just abandon his everything else under the Sun with the roll. pursuit of the border wall, so he had to people who actually made the thing go. Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I trample on the Constitution to con- Never before yesterday had I seen a ask unanimous consent that the order tinue his fight. That is not how this de- large number of Capitol police officers for the quorum call be rescinded. mocracy is supposed to function. That gather to surprise a departing Senate The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without is not how this democracy has func- staffer and send him off as if he were objection, it is so ordered. tioned. I have never seen it, where, out one of their own. That is the admira- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER of anger and out of a desire to win the tion and love that Stew has for the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The fight regardless of the consequences, a men and women who keep us safe—and Democratic leader is recognized. President would do this. vice versa. I know nothing I say today TRIBUTE TO ‘‘STEW’’ will really compete with that tribute. The President has not laid out where The only kind of man who would earn Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I he plans to divert funds from, though that sort of salute is the kind of man thank my colleague and friend from we know it is going to be from our who would prize it above and beyond Tennessee for deferring. military—from the men and women any fancy praise offered in a place like First, on Donald Stewart, I know serving us and from the things they this. Don’t get me wrong. Stew reveres Leader MCCONNELL talked about him. need. Everyone is going to miss him here in this institution, but he never once Senators who vote against this reso- the Senate. He was truly somebody seemed to covet the trappings or the lution this afternoon may be voting to whom everyone liked. He always had a power for its own sake; he just seemed gut funding for a military installation great sense of humor and a big smile. honored to serve. in their State or for a cut to military He served his boss, MITCH MCCONNELL, My colleagues and I are sad to bid pay and military pensions. How could extremely well, but he never let that farewell to the Senate staffer who they do that? made himself thoroughly famous by get in the way of being friendly and Most importantly, President Trump trying not to make himself famous. We working with the other side. He is has shown zero understanding of what are sorry to part with our tough-talk- somebody we will all miss. I enjoyed his emergency portends for the separa- ing workaholic who can’t bypass a cute my interactions with him a great deal. tion of powers in our democracy. The puppy without stopping for a good I think that is probably true of just President seems to regard the govern- scratch and a photo shoot. We will about every Member here. ment, not just the Justice Department, sorely miss our true-blue patriot who We wish Stew the best and thank him as his own personal tool to do whatever so loves this country where a kid can for serving this body so long and so he wants, whether it is in the private grow up from working odd jobs to well. sector or the public sector. We have counseling Senators and statesmen and H.J. RES. 46 never had a President like this. not lose an ounce of his character Today, Madam President, the Senate along the way. will vote on the resolution to termi- We have had lots of Presidents with Stew, we can’t quite imagine a place nate the President’s declaration of a lots of foibles, but none of them seem without you, but we are so grateful for national emergency. This is not a nor- to equate their own ego with the entire what you have made it while you were mal vote. What we are doing here functioning of the government of the here. today—this is not a normal day. It is United States, except this one. VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:31 Mar 15, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G14MR6.004 S14MRPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with SENATE S1858 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 14, 2019 We can’t succumb to that. It is our Members rise above politics for the makes enduring, verifiable reforms of job here, in Congress, to limit execu- sake of fidelity to our constitutional China’s economic and trade policies, tive overreach, to defend our core pow- principles and to this great United because the odds are high that if the ers, to prevent a President—any Presi- States of America. President walks away from a weak dent—from ignoring the will of Con- In conclusion, on this issue, this is deal, he will be able to get a much bet- gress every time it fails to align with not an everyday moment. This is not ter deal down the road. the will of the President. That is what just about going along with this Presi- I yield the floor. the balance of powers is. That is what dent or that one. This is a red-letter The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- checks and balances is. That is what day in the history of how the U.S.