Congressional Record—Senate S5198
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S5198 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 12, 2017 More trickle-down economics, more Kevin’s nomination has received sup- Merkley Schumer Wyden Sanders Udall tax cuts for the rich are not the ways port from an ideologically diverse Schatz Warren to build an economy. We build an econ- group of notable economists, including omy by building from the middle class past CEA Chairmen. Additionally, the NOT VOTING—3 out. That means a tax system and a Senate Banking Committee approved Menendez Nelson Rubio trade system that works for Greenfield, his nomination by voice vote. The nomination was confirmed. MA, and works for Mansfield, OH. I am pleased to support Kevin’s nom- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Mr. CRAPO. Mr President, I support ination today. I wish him, his lovely the previous order, the motion to re- the nomination of Mr. Kevin Allen wife, Kristie, and their sons, John and consider is considered made and laid Hassett to serve as Chairman of the Jamie, all of the best in this new chap- upon the table and the President will Council of Economic Advisers. His ter of their lives. be immediately notified of the Senate’s nomination received wide bipartisan Mr. BROWN. I suggest the absence of action. support, not only in the Banking Com- a quorum. f mittee, but also from other esteemed The PRESIDING OFFICER. The members of his profession. clerk will call the roll. LEGISLATIVE SESSION Mr. Hassett was voted out of our The senior assistant legislative clerk The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under committee on a voice vote with wide- proceeded to call the roll. spread support. We received a letter in the previous order, the Senate will re- Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I ask sume legislative session. favor of his nomination signed by a bi- unanimous consent that the order for partisan group of 44 economists, in- the quorum call be rescinded. f cluding 14 former Chairmen of the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Council of Economic Advisers and two NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- objection, it is so ordered. TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR former Federal Reserve Chairmen. At All time has expired. Mr. Hassett’s confirmation hearing, he 2018—MOTION TO PROCEED—Con- The question is, Will the Senate ad- tinued expertly fielded questions on a wide vise and consent to the Hassett nomi- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- range of economic issues and provided nation? insights on progrowth policies that ator from Kentucky. Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I ask would support all members of the econ- Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I rise for the yeas and nays. omy. In my office, we discussed at today to oppose unauthorized, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a length his extensive experience in eco- undeclared, and unconstitutional war. sufficient second? nomic and tax policy modeling. What we have today is basically unlim- There appears to be a sufficient sec- Mr. Hassett brings a wealth of rel- ited war, anywhere, anytime, anyplace ond. evant experience in academia, govern- upon the globe. The clerk will call the roll. ment, and policy. His counsel, insight, My amendment would sunset in 6 The senior assistant legislative clerk and expertise will be invaluable as the months the 2001 and 2002 authorizations called the roll. administration addresses initiatives for use of force. What does that mean? Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator like tax reform, which undoubtedly This was legislation passed many years is necessarily absent: the Senator from will have a large impact on the macro ago to go after the people who attacked Florida (Mr. RUBIO). economy. us on 9/11. I supported that battle, but Further, if present and voting, the Thank you. I think the mission is long since over. Senator from Florida (Mr. RUBIO) Mr. MCCAIN. Mr. President, I am I don’t think anyone with an ounce of would have voted ‘‘yea.’’ pleased to support the nomination of intellectual honesty believes these au- Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Dr. Kevin Hassett to be Chairman of thorizations from 16 years ago and 14 Senator from New Jersey (Mr. MENEN- the Council of Economic Advisers. years ago—I don’t think anyone with DEZ) and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Kevin is exceptionally qualified to be intellectual honesty believes they au- Chairman of the CEA, where he will NELSON) are necessarily absent. thorized war in seven different coun- play an integral role in tax reform and The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. tries. shaping this administration’s HOEVEN). Are there any other Senators Not only is it lives we are losing, the progrowth economic policies. in the Chamber desiring to vote? American soldiers, the brave young I have known Kevin for quite some— The result was announced—yeas 81, men and women who are sent to dis- beginning when he served as the chief nays 16, as follows: economic adviser to my Presidential tant lands and asked to give their lives [Rollcall Vote No. 194 Ex.] for their country without the Senate campaign in 2000. The only time I have YEAS—81 doubted his intellect was when he taking the time to authorize the war— Alexander Feinstein Murkowski agreed to return to advise for my 2008 I think that is terribly unjust and Baldwin Fischer Murphy should end. Presidential campaign. Barrasso Flake Murray He has an extensive economic career Bennet Franken Paul There are some who argue that we spanning multiple administrations, in- Blunt Gardner Perdue don’t even need to vote at all. Some of Boozman Graham Peters the Presidents, Republican and Demo- cluding those of Presidents Clinton and Brown Grassley Portman George H.W. Bush. Currently, Kevin Burr Hassan Reed cratic, have said they have article II— works at the American Enterprise In- Cantwell Hatch Risch this is the second article of the Con- Capito Heitkamp Roberts stitution—they say that by the Con- stitute, AEI, as the State Farm James Cardin Heller Rounds Q. Wilson Chair in American Politics Carper Hoeven Sasse stitution, they can do what they want, and Culture and director of Research Casey Inhofe Scott when they want, where they want, and for Domestic Policy. Before joining Cassidy Isakson Shaheen that Congress never has to approve Cochran Johnson Shelby their authorization and never has to AEI, Kevin served as a senior econo- Collins Kaine Stabenow mist at the Federal Reserve and did a Coons Kennedy Strange give authority to go to war. These ad- stint at Columbia Business School Corker King Sullivan vocates of perpetual war argue that teaching economics and finance. Cornyn Klobuchar Tester these powers are implicit and that no Cotton Lankford Thune To understand fully how smart he is, Crapo Leahy Tillis one can stop a President who wants to Kevin’s former colleague told me the Cruz Lee Toomey go to war. story of how he printed out a 400-plus Daines Manchin Van Hollen This is diametrically opposite of page technical paper at the request of Donnelly McCain Warner what our Founding Fathers thought. Durbin McCaskill Whitehouse Kevin, only to realize he had printed Enzi McConnell Wicker Madison in particular disagreed. Madi- out the original German version rather Ernst Moran Young son wrote that the executive branch is than an English translation. Without NAYS—16 the branch most prone to go to war; batting an eye, Kevin said ‘‘no prob- therefore, the Constitution, with stud- Blumenthal Duckworth Heinrich lem’’ and went about reading the schol- Booker Gillibrand Hirono ied care, vested that power in the Con- arly report in German. Cortez Masto Harris Markey gress. Our Founding Fathers saw the VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:40 Sep 13, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G12SE6.012 S12SEPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with SENATE September 12, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5199 history of Europe as the perpetual his- military force to go in? Three days. to Afghanistan, you think somehow it tory of war—brothers fighting broth- People say Congress will never get it will make our country safer, let’s vote ers, Kings of two different countries done. Maybe it is because we are di- on it. So what I am advocating is a who were cousins, brothers, uncles, fa- vided. vote. For the first time in 16 years, I thers, sons. The history of Europe was We haven’t been attacked, we have am advocating that we should vote on perpetual war. no clear purpose in Afghanistan, and whether we should be at war. It should When we broke away, we said: We are there is no clear route to victory. Real- be a simple vote, but it is like pulling going to have some checks and bal- ize that in 2011 President Obama put teeth. I have been trying very hard to ances in place. We are going to make it 100,000 troops into Afghanistan. Sure, get this vote for 5 years now. I am this difficult to go to war. We are going to he pushed the Taliban back. Where did close. I am hoping to get the vote vest that power in the Congress. they go? To our ally Pakistan, which today or tomorrow, but it isn’t easy be- But somewhere along the way, we has gotten billions and billions of dol- cause we have been obstructing and ob- lost our way, and we now commit our- lars of American welfare and as we sit structing, and no one wants to be on selves to war or one man or one woman here is destined to get another half a the line. Yet that is why we are elect- commits us to war without any vote by million of your money in American ed—to put our names, our John Han- Congress.