Congressional Record—Senate S5346
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S5346 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 9, 2019 EXECUTIVE SESSION certainly, dozens of lives as the shooter and servicemembers. Yet so often fami- was about to go into a very crowded lies don’t get the recognition they de- nightclub. Had they not gotten to him serve. To the officers and their fami- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR in less than a minute, the shooter lies, we are forever grateful. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under would have entered the doorway he was I suggest the absence of a quorum. the previous order, the Senate will pro- headed toward of the Dayton institu- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ceed to executive session to resume tion Ned Peppers, which was filled with clerk will call the roll. consideration of the following nomina- Ohioans who were out on a Saturday The bill clerk proceeded to call the tion, which the clerk will report. night. roll. The legislative clerk read the nomi- Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I nation of Kelly Craft, of Kentucky, to said: ‘‘Had this individual made it ask unanimous consent that the order be Representative of the United States through the doorway of Ned Peppers for the quorum call be rescinded. of America to the Sessions of the Gen- with that level of weaponry, there The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without eral Assembly of the United Nations would have been catastrophic injuries objection, it is so ordered. during her tenure of service as Rep- and loss of life.’’ That didn’t happen be- BACKGROUND CHECKS resentative of the United States of cause these dedicated public servants Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, America to the United Nations. did the job they signed up to do—to today this Chamber, once referred to as The PRESIDING OFFICER. The protect the people they serve. the greatest deliberative body, must President pro tempore. Over the past month, as we have take action. We have people all over Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask mourned those Ohioans we have lost, the country who want to see action, unanimous consent to speak as in we have also seen the incredible people who want to see change, people morning business. strength and solidarity of the Dayton who are crying out for their leaders in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without community. People from all over the Washington to do their jobs. objection, it is so ordered. city have come together to support the These days, the U.S. Senate has be- come a place where legislation goes to IOWA TOWN MEETINGS families of the victims and to support die and the important issues of the day Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, dur- the law enforcement officers and offi- go ignored, in addition to inaction— ing August, I continued my annual tra- cials who threw themselves in harm’s major, major issues, significant issues, dition of holding at least one Q&A in way to protect their friends and neigh- like climate change and infrastructure every one of Iowa’s 99 counties. I go to bors. Chief Biehl reported that the Dayton and immigration reform. Iowans where they work and live to Police Department has received hun- Today I will focus on three things hear what is on their minds so that I dreds of emails, social media messages, that are right before us—three bills in can better represent them in the Sen- and thank you cards—all from people the gun legislation area that right now ate. No matter the setting, my citizens thanking them for what they have are on the leader’s desk—and two other of Iowa set the agenda. done for this city. areas, election protection and bringing On August 27, with a town meeting in Dayton has faced so many challenges down the cost of prescription drugs, Spencer, IA, I completed the 39th con- this year. Each time, these officers and where we could literally take action secutive year of my annual 99 county the entire department have risen to the immediately. meetings. I look forward to continuing occasion. They kept the public safe I focus on these because they all in- my dialogue with Iowans throughout when a KKK group held a hate rally, volve bills that have passed the House, the rest of this year, just to emphasize and they helped residents after dev- and the Senate could literally act that I hold a lot more than just 99 astating tornados hit this summer. today. I focus on these because, in all meetings with my constituents every Now they are dealing with this awful three cases, the timing is urgent. year. gun violence and all kinds of tragedies I am talking about inaction in the I yield the floor. that have fallen on this community. wake of terrible tragedies in Dayton I suggest the absence of a quorum. I thank my friend Mayor Whaley, and El Paso and in Midland-Odessa, all The PRESIDING OFFICER. The who is here in Washington today to in just the last month; inaction in pro- clerk will call the roll. help honor these officers and who has tecting our elections and making it The legislative clerk proceeded to truly held this community together. I easier for people to vote; inaction in re- call the roll. think she put it best when she said sponse to serious issues of healthcare Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask that Dayton has had, ‘‘as I like to term costs, particularly prescription drug unanimous consent that the order for it, one hell of a summer, and you all prices. the quorum call be rescinded. have been on the front lines of it.’’ First, I will speak about gun safety. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without I met these officers at the Miami Think about the courage—the incred- objection, it is so ordered. Valley Hospital 3 days after the shoot- ible courage—of the people who were in TRIBUTE TO DAYTON POLICE OFFICERS ing. The President of the United States Dayton and in El Paso and in Midland- Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I rise to was there to honor these officers and to Odessa, of the mom who literally honor six brave Ohioans—Sergeant Wil- see the victims and some of the injured shielded her baby from death as she liam C. Knight, Officers Brian Rolfes, Daytonians who were victims of the herself perished from gunshot wounds, David Denlinger, Vincent Carter, Ryan shooting and to see their families. but she kept that baby alive. Or how Nabel, and Jeremy Campbell. I said to the President that the best about the grandpa who died shielding Last month, on Sunday, August 4, way he can honor these police officers his wife and granddaughter or the off- the people in my State woke up to dev- is to bring the Senate back into session duty soldier who carried children away astating news: A shooter had opened and pass universal background checks to safety? All of that happened in that fire overnight—at about 1 o’clock that as 93 percent of the American public store. Sunday morning—in Dayton. In 31 sec- supports it and as Congress has already As we approach the anniversary of 9/ onds, a shooter had fired 40 bullets. He passed it overwhelmingly. We could do 11, I think also about the first respond- had taken the lives of 9 Ohioans and it in a day. ers in all of these mass shootings. had injured 27 more. This was another I thank Sergeant Knight, Officer Those in Dayton, OH, got there in 1 senseless tragedy caused by gun vio- Rolfes, Officer Denlinger, Officer Car- minute—1 minute—but, still, we lost lence. As awful as it was, it could have ter, Officer Nabel, Officer Campbell, nine people in 30 seconds. But they been even worse had it not been for the and all of the Dayton law enforcement were there in 1 minute and saved so bravery and skill of the officers I just for responding far beyond the call of many lives. That is courage. mentioned. duty in saving the lives of so many That is the courage of ordinary peo- While others ran from danger, these people in the Miami Valley. ple doing extraordinary things, and I men ran toward it. They stopped the I thank their families, many of whom believe in this place of extraordinary shooter within 31 or 32 seconds after are here today. We know how families power that their courage must be the first shot was fired. They saved, sacrifice alongside law enforcement matched. The courage must be VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:41 Sep 10, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G09SE6.001 S09SEPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with SENATE September 9, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5347 matched to that mom, to that grandpa, They don’t. That is why the vast ma- check, and then somehow he was able to that soldier, to those first respond- jority of hunters support universal to get a gun. ers. These are ordinary citizens who background checks and a lot of these Those parents had the courage to do stepped up and saved lives. It is the other measures we talked about that that. Then, a few hours later, this least we can do to match their courage. day in that conference room in the place didn’t have the courage to pass The American people can’t afford White House. It was on TV, so people that bill. more inaction. But over the past few can see it. There is a video of it.