E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017 No. 76 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was number of America’s priorities, achiev- mains when it comes to strengthening called to order by the President pro ing important things that would not our border infrastructure and stem- tempore (Mr. HATCH). have been possible under the previous ming the tide of illegal immigration. f administration. We know more work remains when it Let’s take the border. President comes to restoring our military’s com- PRAYER Trump and the Republican Congress bat readiness and meeting the full The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- made securing the border a priority, needs of the force. fered the following prayer: and this funding bill acts on it. After But this legislation represents a step Let us pray. years of an administration that failed in the right direction in both of these Our Lord and God, we would not jour- to get serious on border security, this areas, and it advances conservative pri- ney through this day without contact bill provides the largest border secu- orities in many others. It adheres to with You. Increase our faith, hope, and rity funding increase in a decade. the spending caps, it reforms bureauc- love, that we may receive Your prom- Passing this bill means updating ises. physical border infrastructure. It racy, and it consolidates, eliminates, Be merciful to our lawmakers and fill means enhancements in surveillance or rescinds funds for more than 150 gov- them with Your hope. May they be technology. It means increasing sup- ernment programs and initiatives. fully persuaded in their minds about port for border personnel. It means fi- It supports the implementation of receiving guidance from You for the nally providing resources to end the the Every Student Succeeds Act, which decisions they make. practice of catch and release. shifts control of education out of Wash- Lord, deliver them from a reluctance On securing our border, this bill obvi- ington, and it extends an important to respect honest differences as they ously makes a departure from the school choice program. It helps tackle remember their ultimate account- Obama years, and it is an important terrorism, fight crime, support vet- ability to You. Provide them with Di- step forward. erans, protect life, reform the IRS, and vine insights as they grapple with com- Let’s take defense. President Trump freeze funding for it. plexities that require nuanced choices. and the Republican Congress made re- It cuts funding for the EPA, prohibits May their ultimate goal be to serve building our military a priority, and funding for President Obama’s climate You by doing what is best for our Na- this funding bill acts on it. After years slush fund, and advances an all-of-the- tion and world. of an administration that drew down above energy policy that prioritizes re- We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. our conventional force structure and search on technical advancements in f failed to address increasing threats across the globe, this bill provides a nuclear, natural gas, and coal power PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE critically needed downpayment on re- generation. The President pro tempore led the building our military. Passing this bill This research funding, along with the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: means allowing our force to retain bill’s support for troubled coal mining I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the higher levels of end strength. It means communities and dislocated miners, is United States of America, and to the Repub- funding the largest military pay raise important for States like mine, as is lic for which it stands, one nation under God, in 6 years. It means replacing muni- the provision I was proud to secure indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. tions used in the fight against ISIL. It that will permanently protect f means finally ignoring the Obama-era healthcare benefits for thousands of re- demand of requiring defense funding tired coal miners and their families. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY increases to be equally matched to This bill also extends resources for a LEADER nondefense increases. pilot program I worked with Congress- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. On rebuilding our military, this bill man HAL ROGERS to secure, which will PAUL). The majority leader is recog- obviously makes a departure from the nized. Obama years and is another important fund the reclamation and development of abandoned mine sites. f step forward. These are notable wins, and they wouldn’t have happened with- Moreover, this bill also provides sig- GOVERNMENT FUNDING out this administration’s tireless work nificant new resources to tackle the LEGISLATION in conjunction with the Republican prescription opioid and heroin epi- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, Congress. demic that continues to ravage com- later today, the House will vote to pass Of course, there is further to go in munities in Kentucky and across our a funding agreement that advances a both areas. We know more work re- country. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2687 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:37 May 03, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A03MY6.000 S03MYPT1 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S2688 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 3, 2017 The many achievements in this bill to provide private sector employees re- of our economy. The resolution before resulted from countless hours of com- tirement programs that do not’’—I re- us will repeal a regulation that Presi- mittee work and bicameral negotia- peat, do not—‘‘have the same high- dent Obama apparently personally or- tions. I want to recognize again the ap- level protections as other private em- dered Labor Secretary Tom Perez to propriators, our Members, and this Re- ployer-sponsored plans.’’ So, as they draft as a gift to certain blue States. publican administration for the tireless put it, ‘‘passage of [the legislation be- The regulation eliminated long- effort that made this bill possible. fore the Senate] would ensure that all standing Federal protections for the re- The President and his team should be retirement plans’’—all of them—‘‘for tirement savings of private sector commended for their efforts in working private sector workers are subject to workers, specifically giving States a with the Republican Congress to ad- equal consumer protections under the ‘‘safe harbor’’ from the protection that dress many important needs for our law.’’ workers have had for decades under country in this bill. I look forward to That is why we will vote today to ERISA if the State requires employers the House passing the bill today so overturn this regulation, which under- to either set up a retirement plan or that we can take it up and send it to mines a private retirement savings sys- enroll its employees in a State-run President Trump for his signature tem that millions of Americans have plan. soon. counted on for decades. By blocking These State plans do not have to be f this State-run retirement regulation— portable, nor do they have to permit as we already did with a similar regula- workers to withdraw their savings at CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT tion aimed at municipalities—we can any time. States like California, Or- RESOLUTION empower families in making their own egon, Connecticut, Maryland, and Illi- Mr. MCCONNELL. Now on to the leg- decisions when it comes to saving for nois are already using this authority to islation we will turn to today. the future. impose new mandates on both large In recent months, the Republican So I want to recognize Senator and small employers, including startup Congress has voted to provide much HATCH, the Finance Committee chair- businesses. Some of the mandates needed relief to the American people man, who has been leading the charge apply regardless of the size of the busi- from Obama administration regula- on this important issue. We look for- ness. tions pushed out the door at the elev- ward to sending this resolution to the The regulation not only encourages enth hour. We have voted to eliminate President’s desk very soon. States to impose conflicting and bur- 13 harmful regulations already, using densome mandates on private sector f the tools contained in the Congres- businesses, but it also encourages sional Review Act, and we will vote to RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME States to bar private workers’ access eliminate another later today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under to their retirement accounts, and it Too often, the Obama administration the previous order, the leadership time would let States invest private work- pursued regulations that grew govern- is reserved. ers’ retirement assets, ignoring provi- ment at the expense of jobs, wages, and sions in Federal pension law that re- economic growth. Too often, under the f quire prudent pension investment prac- guise of helping ordinary Americans, MORNING BUSINESS tices and that ban kickbacks and self- the administration was really just dealing. helping to expand the reach of govern- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Some States have already made it ment. the previous order, the Senate will be clear that once they take control of That is certainly the case with the in a period of morning business, with the private worker assets, they intend regulation we are considering today. Senators permitted to speak therein to invest them just like they invest President Obama’s Department of for up to 10 minutes each.