Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 114 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 161 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015 No. 100 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at 12 p.m. Senate MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015 The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY have confidence that he can achieve called to order by the President pro LEADER those goals. There is no doubt the Sen- tempore (Mr. HATCH). The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. ate and the American people will be ex- ERNST). The majority leader is recog- pecting that he will. f nized. f f TRADE PRAYER TRANSPORTATION SECURITY Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ADMINISTRATION when it comes to keeping the American fered the following prayer: people safe, there are many things Con- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, Let us pray. gress can do. Encouraging reform at we will vote tonight to bring long-over- the TSA is one important step, but so Eternal Father, strong to save, may due permanent leadership to an agency is leading on trade. this quiet moment prompt us to think in urgent need of reform and culture President Obama’s own Secretary of thoughts about Your goodness and change, and that is the TSA. I wish the Defense recently said that the trade power throughout this day. May these White House hadn’t waited 6 months to legislation before us was as important thoughts keep us faithful and diligent send us a nominee to lead this troubled to him ‘‘as another aircraft carrier.’’ in all our work, motivating us to labor agency, but now that the administra- This is the Secretary of Defense of the for Your glory. tion finally has, we are pleased to see a United States who said that the trade Lord, inspire our lawmakers to be highly qualified candidate such as legislation before us was as important honorable and generous in their deal- Peter Neffenger. to him as another aircraft carrier. But ing with each other, remembering Your It is never easy to ensure a Senate he cautioned that ‘‘time’s running out great commandment to love their review process that is appropriately [to] cement our influence and leader- neighbors as they love themselves. thorough yet necessarily expeditious in ship in the fastest-growing region in O God, You have been a refuge for the face of so many months of White the world.’’ Your people through many genera- House delay, but that is just what We all know how critical this legisla- tions. Be our fortress in every moment Chairman THUNE and Chairman JOHN- tion is for lifting up American workers, and every need that we face this day. SON achieved with the nominee before American wages, and the American Guide us through the uncertainty and us. I thank them both for their good economy as well. We shouldn’t let this darkness, continually strengthening us work. opportunity for a significant bipartisan for times of testing. If confirmed this evening, Vice Admi- achievement slip past us. If we can con- We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen. ral Neffenger will certainly have a tinue working together in a spirit of tough job ahead of him. We are all trust and if we simply vote the same f aware of the recent inspector general way we did a couple of weeks ago, we report that questioned the TSA’s abil- won’t miss this opportunity. ity to meet its security mission with- I know how important it is—particu- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE out some significant changes. The larly for my friends on the other side of The President pro tempore led the American people will be counting on the aisle—to get both TPA and TAA, Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Mr. Neffenger to validate the trust trade adjustment assistance. That I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the their elected representatives place in linkage has been acknowledged from United States of America, and to the Repub- him tonight by pursuing every nec- the beginning of this process. It is why lic for which it stands, one nation under God, essary reform in the wake of such trou- I set in motion a process last week—fil- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. bled findings. The Senate appears to ing cloture on the vehicles for both ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4333 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:12 Jun 23, 2015 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A22JN6.000 S22JNPT1 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with SENATE S4334 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 22, 2015 TPA and TAA so that we get one done tutions, such as China. People are perate need of repair. Some 64,000 followed immediately by the other— going to China and other countries to bridges are structurally deficient. This that will put both pieces of legislation get their loan guarantees and buy prod- isn’t 6,400; it is 64,000 bridges. Fifty per- on the President’s desk before the July ucts—not from America but from coun- cent of our roads are dangerously in 4 State work period. tries where those banks will take care need of repair. Still, Republicans in I don’t want anyone to think we are of their loans. This is so sad. Congress have refused to work with getting TPA done this week, with a Despite the positive benefits the Democrats in making an adequate promise to get TAA done at some other Bank provides for our economy and long-term investment in our country’s time. The process this week is very thousands of Americans, Republicans surface transportation programs. clear: We will vote on TPA and then we have decided that reauthorization is Delaying and stalling has become will vote on TAA. So this is how that not a priority. The Republican leader their normal practice. Republicans are will look. Tomorrow, we will begin the has openly opposed reauthorization of content to take a page straight out of process of approving TPA. The next this important Bank. I repeat, there their playbook. That playbook is called day, we will begin the process of ap- are 165,000 jobs as we speak, and they ‘‘Republican Manufactured Crisis Play- proving TAA, along with the AGOA and are American jobs. book.’’ They do this day after day. preferences measure. Quoting the senior Senator from They just go to that playbook that has Before the week is out, I intend to go Kentucky: ‘‘I personally think the Ex- been used over and over again. We have to conference on the Customs bill. This Im Bank has outlived its usefulness seen it before, and we are seeing it is a bill with broad bipartisan support. and ought to go away.’’ Really? The again with highways. We are seeing it Members on both sides want to get it Bank should be put out of business? I with Ex-Im Bank. Instead of working done, and we are going to formally don’t think so. This resource supports with Democrats to create long-term so- begin the process to complete our work thousands of jobs for Americans and lutions to our Nation’s woes, the Re- on the Customs bill. So I am com- could not possibly have outgrown its publican leader will wait until the mitted to concluding work on that con- usefulness. But in the 6 months since deadline is imminent—and on high- ference as quickly as possible. I am the Republicans have taken control of ways, we can see it coming—and he sure Members on both sides will hold Congress, this mindset has governed will offer another short-term extension us to that commitment. their decisions. Sensible programs that to stave off a disaster of his own mak- So what does all this mean? It means benefit average Americans and ing. That is unacceptable. We have al- that with continued bipartisan co- strengthen our economy have taken a ready had 33 Republican short-term operation, we can ensure that TPA, backseat to special interests. We can fixes—33. We don’t need a 34th. TAA, and AGOA reach the President’s see that by what is going on in this Governing by crisis is a reckless desk this week, and it means we can body this week. strategy that leaves the well-being of ensure that the Customs bill is placed Just as he has on countless issues so Americans and our economy hanging in on a path to swift approval, too. It was far this Congress, the Republican lead- the balance. The Republican leader always the goal to ensure that these er is intentionally ignoring deadlines should abandon this policy and stop bills passed Congress in the end. It re- that are obvious—these deadlines are dragging our country from one crisis to mains the bipartisan goal today. We obvious weeks and even months ahead another crisis. Republicans can get are now on the verge of achieving it. of time—and offering no plan or solu- started today by bringing up reauthor- With just a little more trust, a little tion to these pertinent issues facing ization of the Ex-Im Bank for a vote more cooperation, and simply voting our Nation. Today, we are talking before the charter expires in just a few consistently, we will get there.