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, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2019 No. 86 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was Senator from the State of Tennessee, to per- Already, our legislation has earned called to order by the Honorable MAR- form the duties of the Chair. the support of leading voices like the SHA BLACKBURN, a Senator from the CHUCK GRASSLEY, American Cancer Society, the Amer- State of Tennessee. President pro tempore. ican Academy of Pediatrics, the Amer- Mrs. BLACKBURN thereupon as- ican College of Cardiology, the Amer- f sumed the Chair as Acting President ican Heart Association, the American pro tempore. PRAYER Lung Association, the American Osteo- f pathic Association, the National Asso- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ciation of Secondary School Principals, RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY fered the following prayer: the Foundation for a Healthy Ken- LEADER Let us pray. tucky, the Kentucky Hospital and Med- Our Father in Heaven, supply the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ical Associations, and many others. needs of our Senators. Meet them with pore. The majority leader is recog- Here are just a few things these sup- new insights for the good of our Nation nized. porters of our bill had to say: and world. Lord, provide them with f One advocate called it a ‘‘critical fresh strength so they will not become step forward that will profoundly im- weary in doing what is right. Give S. 1541 prove the health of our children and fu- them the long view of their work. In- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, ture generations.’’ spire them with the vibrant belief that on Monday, I introduced legislation to Another stated our legislation ‘‘will it is better to fail in a cause that will raise the national minimum age for be instrumental in stemming the epi- ultimately succeed than to succeed in a purchasing tobacco products from 18 to demic of vaping that is afflicting chil- cause that will ultimately fail. 21. I walked through the long history of dren as young as middle school.’’ Strengthen them this day with the our Nation’s complicated relationship Yet another said our bill could poten- positive assurance of Your eternal with this major cash crop. I laid out tially ‘‘save hundreds of thousands of presence. the challenges facing tobacco farmers lives.’’ We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. in Kentucky and in other States and This should be an area where we all f the new opportunities some of them lock arms to get results. I am proud are actually turning to. I explained this body will have a chance to take PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE why, as we see signs of a new public action and stem the tide of addiction The Presiding Officer led the Pledge health crisis of nicotine addiction in among our Nation’s youth. I am proud of Allegiance, as follows: the younger generation, now is the to be standing with Senator KAINE. I I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the time to take decisive new action. hope each of our colleagues will recog- United States of America, and to the Repub- Together with Senator TIM KAINE, nize the opportunity before us, avoid lic for which it stands, one nation under God, who represents another State with a making this important issue any kind indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. very long history of tobacco produc- of partisan football, and join in sup- tion, I was proud to introduce the bill f porting the Tobacco-Free Youth Act. that builds on the existing structure f that is already in place and simply APPOINTMENT OF ACTING NOMINATIONS PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE raises the minimum age to 21. Rather than reinvent the wheel here in Wash- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ington, it would set one national stand- since President Trump took office in clerk will please read a communication ard for enforcing new age-21 restric- 2017, the Senate has confirmed 41 well- to the Senate from the President pro tions. It is a bill designed with States qualified individuals to serve on our tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). in mind, and it would allow States to Nation’s circuit courts. No. 41 was Dan- The legislative clerk read the fol- take measures even more restrictive iel Collins of California, whom we con- lowing letter: than Federal law if they choose. firmed yesterday to the Ninth Circuit U.S. SENATE, Senator KAINE and I have been grate- Court of Appeals. As I have noted al- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, ful to see—already, even in just the ready, Mr. Collins came before the Sen- Washington, DC, May 22, 2019. To the Senate: past few days—substantial support and ate with every conceivable indicator of Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, recognition from public health advo- a brilliant legal mind and an impec- of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby cates that our approach is the right cable professional record. I was proud appoint the Honorable MARSHA BLACKBURN, a way to address this pressing issue. that the full Senate followed up ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S3017 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 May 23, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A22MY6.000 S22MYPT1 S3018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 22, 2019 the Judiciary Committee’s favorable In the Midwest earlier this year, woman’s freedom to make her own report with a majority vote here on the storm surges flooded whole swaths of healthcare choices. Actually, if you be- floor. States and racked up millions of dol- lieve the polls, there are hundreds of But our work this week is just begin- lars in damages. As one expert recently millions of Americans in that category. ning. Yesterday, the Senate also ad- put it, ‘‘We have points in Iowa and Il- Republican legislators across the vanced four more nominees—these to linois that have been in flood stage for country have passed some of the most serve on district courts across the over 30 days’’—30 days—‘‘which hasn’t extreme restrictions on a woman’s country. Today, we will vote to con- occurred since we started keeping right to choose. With breathtaking firm all four. records—and some of them go back 150 speed, they are trying to take us back- The first, Howard Nielson, has been years.’’ ward, but they have already provoked a nominated for the District of Utah. As Across the Southeast and gulf coasts, fierce reaction among the American I mentioned yesterday, Mr. Nielson has recent hurricane seasons have left last- people. clerked for both the Fourth Circuit and ing scars. Hurricane Michael, which Just yesterday, I stood with hundreds the Supreme Court and has assembled swept across Florida into South Geor- before the Supreme Court to speak on an impressive record at the Depart- gia last October, has itself produced behalf of Americans everywhere who ment of Justice and in the private sec- nearly 150,000 insurance claims in Flor- believe that women don’t deserve to be tor. ida alone. treated this way by their government. Next will come the nomination of In Alabama, more tornadoes have al- Meanwhile, here in the Senate, the Re- Stephen Clark for the Eastern District ready been recorded in 2019 than in all publican leader is once again stalling— of Missouri. Mr. Clark is an accom- of last year. One that touched down in it seems to be his MO—on a bill to im- plished litigator with nearly three dec- Lee County on March 3 left 23 people prove legal protections for women who ades of experience in practice. dead. are victims of domestic abuse, assault, The third nominee is Carl Nichols, Nearly 2 years after Hurricane Maria and stalking. This is VAWA, or the Vi- the President’s choice to serve as dis- tore across Puerto Rico, too many olence Against Women Act. trict judge for the District of Colum- storefronts are still shuttered, too VAWA has been a landmark piece of bia. You will start to detect a pattern many homes still lack roofs, and power legislation, and it has greatly reduced because he, too, is a thoroughly im- remains too unreliable. the abuse of women. Well, there was an pressive nominee—clerkships for the And the list goes on. improved and expanded VAWA that DC Circuit and for the Supreme Court This is hardly the first time facts was passed by the House of Representa- for Justice Thomas, service at the De- like these have been laid out here on tives on a bipartisan basis. It got sig- partment of Justice, and recognized ex- the floor. In fact, this legislation has nificant Republican votes. It brings cellence in private practice. already taken far too long—far too much needed updates to existing Fed- Finally, we will vote on Kenneth long—to deliver. But now that we are eral law. It finally expands protections Bell, nominated to serve in the West- in the home stretch, it is past time to to women who are victims of violence ern District of North Carolina. Mr. Bell put partisan politics aside, move past from domestic partners or former part- has under his belt nearly two decades any tangential questions, and secure a ners, not just current or former of service in the Office of the U.S.