Congressional Record—Senate S3318
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S3318 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 24, 2021 Adequate policing is not an enemy of bone of our competition with China— tics and government in the last 40 civil rights. Among other things, a re- the resources we allocate to our Armed years or if you have called my office in cent study by multiple university pro- Forces and national defense—was not Springfield anytime in the last 24 fessors confirmed that more cops lead neglected. years, there is a good chance you know to fewer murders: Make no mistake, supply chains, es- the fellow I am about to speak about Larger police forces save lives, and the pionage, intellectual property—those this afternoon. For those who haven’t lives saved are disproportionately Black are all important topics, but all the been lucky enough to meet him yet, let lives. policy tweaks in the world would not me tell you about my friend, one of the Police funding isn’t the only impor- amount to much help if we lose our best people I have ever known. His tant issue where the nominee’s judg- military edge with respect to China. name is Bill Houlihan. ment has missed the mark. Soft power isn’t much good without Bill came to work on my first Senate Three years ago, when the then-At- the hard power to back it up. campaign in 1996, and when we won, I torney General was standing up a task The Chinese Communist Party ap- asked him to be my staff director for force on religious liberty, Ms. Clarke pears to understand this quite clearly. downstate Illinois—all 96 counties. He said this was designed ‘‘to make it According to one watchdog, it has in- has been with me ever since, and now easier for people to use religion to creased military investment by 76 per- he is State director of the entire State. mask their discriminatory goals’’—an cent over the last decade. China has in- Whenever I can’t attend an event in Il- incredibly out-of-touch, far-left state- creased its military spending by 76 per- linois, Bill is the person I turn to. I ment. cent over the last decade. The same don’t have to write any speech for him, Finally, we are currently watching data show that our own U.S. defense and I don’t have to check on what he an alarming spike in anti-Semitic at- spending fell 10 percent over that pe- said. People know Bill speaks for me, tacks and violence across our country. riod, thanks to the approach of the last and I have complete confidence in his I introduced new legislation on Friday, Democratic administration, and now judgment and integrity. with Senator COTTON, to confront anti- President Biden has signaled that he Everybody seems to know him. Just Semitism head-on, but as a Harvard wants to cut defense spending after in- try going to a grocery store with Bill undergraduate, Ms. Clarke invited, wel- flation—exactly the wrong approach. Houlihan in Springfield, IL. Be pre- comed, introduced, and then defended a No serious strategy for our competi- pared for delays as everyone needs to famously anti-Semitic guest speaker tion with massive foreign powers could talk to him or to thank him for some- who had authored a book literally enti- leave the U.S. Armed Forces, their thing that he might have done: Thanks tled—now listen to this—‘‘The Jewish tools, and their resources out of the for helping my mom get her Social Se- Onslaught.’’ conversation in a meaningful way. I curity. Thanks for helping my dad with The nominee has stated recently that hope and expect we will have a number the Veterans Health Administration. she regrets that decision. Goodness, I of further votes on important amend- Thanks for helping to get that passport would certainly hope so. ments before there would be any at- so my daughter could go away to Yet she also claims that her op-ed tempt to shut off debate on this wide- school. Thanks for helping the local from just last year, which asserted ranging measure. union get the project that creates the three times—three times—that we f jobs here in our community. must invest less in police, was not ac- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Over the years, Bill has helped thou- tually suggesting that we invest less in sands of people find jobs and provide The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under police. for their families. He knows about the the previous order, the leadership time This is not the right nominee for a dignity of work. He does whatever he is reserved. crucial post at a crucial time so I can to help whomever he can, having would urge colleagues to vote no this f no expectation of any recognition. week. CONCLUSION OF MORNING Bill started his professional life in f BUSINESS 1981, fresh out of Eastern Illinois Uni- CHINA The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning versity. He was the class president. His first job was with the Illinois Edu- Mr. MCCONNELL. Now, Madam business is closed. cation Association. They sent him into President, on another matter, last f week, a bipartisan majority of Sen- a David-and-Goliath battle scene in Pe- LEGISLATIVE SESSION ators voted to proceed to floor debate oria, IL, where they were trying to about our Nation’s long-term competi- --- convince the local teachers to sign up with the IEA. They hired Bill 6 weeks tion with China. ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT—Resumed There is no disagreement that the before the crucial election and sent The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under People’s Republic’s strategic capabili- him into Peoria—his first campaign for the previous order, the Senate will re- ties and its growing influence beyond a union. You see, Bill had worked on sume consideration of S. 1260, which the Indo-Pacific pose a singular chal- political campaigns for his dad, and I the clerk will report. lenge to American strength and secu- will talk about those in a minute. The senior assistant legislative clerk rity. There is robust debate about the When he got down to Peoria—a place read as follows: right ways to address this challenge. where he had never lived—everybody The legislation before us arrived on A bill (S. 1260) to establish a new Direc- knew him, and whenever he went up torate for Technology and Innovation in the the floor incomplete, and it spans a and introduced himself as Bill National Science Foundation, to establish a Houlihan, they would say: Well, are number of huge issues that occupy regional technology hub program, to require multiple committees’ jurisdictions. It a strategy and report on economic security, you the son of Bill Houlihan? is a prime example of a bill that needs science, research, innovation, manufac- He would say: No, I am the son of a thorough, bipartisan amendment turing, and job creation, to establish a crit- John Houlihan. process here in the Senate. So far, we ical supply chain resiliency program, and for Bill didn’t understand for a while have had a few votes on important other purposes. why he kept getting that question. It amendments. There are a lot more that Pending: turns out that he had exactly the same need consideration, and we should not Schumer amendment No. 1502, in the na- name as Peoria’s longtime and vener- close debate on this bill until those ture of a substitute. able TV weathercaster Bill Houlihan. amendments are addressed. Cantwell amendment No. 1527 (to amend- When, as a young union organizer, Unfortunately, during one important ment No. 1502), of a perfecting nature. Bill showed up, puzzled teachers always vote last week, our Democratic col- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- said: Are you sure you are not related leagues sent a telling signal. They jority whip. to Bill Houlihan? voted down Ranking Member INHOFE TRIBUTE TO BILL HOULIHAN Our Bill Houlihan was no TV person- and Vice Chairman SHELBY’s amend- Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, if ality, but Peoria teachers quickly ment to make sure that the real back- you have been involved in Illinois poli- learned that he cared about them and VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:42 May 25, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G24MY6.002 S24MYPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE May 24, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3319 that he knew his stuff. Just as impor- He left the Marines with a chest full with this big, wooden leg of his that he tant, he understands how to build po- of medals, including three Bronze would just swing forward as he made it litical organizations and campaigns Stars, a Marine Corps Medal, and, of with his cane and made his life despite and how to use that power to help ev- course, a Purple Heart. He went back that handicap. eryday people. Thank goodness for me to Chicago with one leg, an artificial Bill’s mom was a big influence on he knows how to win. The IEA won the leg, and a cane or a crutch. He went to him as well. She might have been election in a close, upset victory back a dance in the basement of St. Gabri- quieter than his dad but just as strong. in the day. It was the first of many el’s Catholic Church on the Chicago Think what kind of woman it was who election campaign victories for Bill South Side, and he met his future wife would marry John Houlihan, quickly Houlihan.