S508 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 25, 2018 Consumer confidence is up. Unem- ness for event equipment. He recently tion reform, there is no end to what ployment is down. Markets are break- explained that ‘‘the relief that will be each party says could be on the table. ing records. From small businesses to provided by the new tax bill gives com- Republicans want vast curtailment of our largest job creators, pay raises, bo- panies like mine the capital to pur- legal immigration. Democrats want to nuses, and plans for new investments chase new inventory . as well as discuss a pathway to citizenship for 11 are all in season. hire additional employees.’’ million. That is a recipe for delay when Of course, the engine of American Summing it up, American enterprise we can’t afford one. Some on the other prosperity is the American people, but is thriving. Tax reform helped make it side are insisting on expanding this be- smart policy can help by getting the happen. yond the DACA and border security government out of their way. f issues. That will just delay. That will Last December, Republicans in the just make sure that things don’t work. House and the Senate joined the Presi- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME My Republican colleagues, particu- dent to deliver once-in-a-generation The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under larly the leader and his more moderate tax reform. Every day, more evidence the previous order, the leadership time Members, should feel the pressure to piles up that tax reform is already is reserved. get this done, or else this administra- working for the American people. The tion will start separating families, tak- f headlines are full of major employers ing kids out of school, servicemembers announcing pay raises and bonuses for CONCLUSION OF MORNING out of our military, and workers out of workers, as well as new investments. BUSINESS our companies. They will rip them For example, Brown-Forman—a glob- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning from the American fabric in which al spirits company headquartered in business is closed. they are embedded. What a tragedy my hometown of Louisville that em- that would be. ploys more than 1,000 Kentuckians—an- f So the clock is ticking on Dreamers, nounced yesterday that tax reform will EXECUTIVE SESSION and we don’t have time for extraneous help the company to start a new chari- issues that some on the right or the table foundation for community invest- left might want to add that have noth- ment and commit $120 million to fund EXECUTIVE CALENDAR ing to do with DACA or border secu- employee pensions. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under rity. The clock is also ticking for pen- Soon, thanks to tax reform, a Main the previous order, the Senate will pro- sioners, for victims of opioid addiction Street small business owner will fi- ceed to executive session and resume seeking treatment, and for our vet- nally be able to realize her dream to consideration of the following nomina- erans seeking quality healthcare. We expand into the vacant shop next door. tion, which the clerk will report. have other issues: rural infrastructure, Of course, that will mean hiring more The senior assistant legislative clerk childcare, things that Democrats want help. read the nomination of R.D. James, of to get done in this deal. We have to get Soon, thanks to tax reform, a father- Missouri, to be an Assistant Secretary a budget deal and a DACA deal that and-son manufacturing plant will be of the Army. can get 60 votes—13 days before Dream- able to afford the new equipment they Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I ers get a lot closer to deportation; 13 have been eyeing and give their work- suggest the absence of a quorum. days to help our economy, our commu- ers new skills in the process. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nities, and the middle class, who have Stories like these may not make clerk will call the roll. been waiting for over a year for this waves here in Washington, but believe The senior assistant legislative clerk Congress to do something for them, in- me, they will be front-page news in proceeded to call the roll. stead of just helping business interests. communities all across our country. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask FBI From coast to coast, Americans’ lives unanimous consent that the order for Mr. President, now I want to focus on will improve as Main Street businesses the quorum call be rescinded. one more thing that really should dis- operate for the first time under a 21st- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without turb every American, and it certainly century tax code. objection, it is so ordered. disturbs me—recent events concerning This is not just a tax law for the big the Federal Bureau of Investigation. RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER guys. Now even the smallest businesses For decades, the FBI has been our will be able to take a significant deduc- The Democratic leader is recognized. Nation’s premier law enforcement tion on their business income, giving DACA AND OTHER ISSUES BEFORE THE SENATE agency, admired from one end of the them more money to buy new equip- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, there country to the other. TV shows and ment, hire new employees, or provide are now only 13 days remaining before movies all talked about how good the health coverage for their team. the continuing resolution expires on FBI was. We know because we trust So much focus has been on bonuses, February 8. In that short amount of them with protecting our country pay raises, and 401(k) matches, and for time, we must seek a budget deal, an against many-faced threats: drug traf- good reason. But we should not forget agreement on healthcare legislation, ficking, terrorism, white-collar crime. all of the jobs that will be created and a bipartisan bill to protect the In 2016, the FBI—not politically, but when businesses decide to invest more Dreamers and provide for border secu- just in the way it works to keep being because they can immediately deduct rity. All these items are important. All vigilant to protect us in our security— their capital expenditures. I am al- of them are urgent, and we are working was tasked with another mission of ready hearing from small business own- hard to get them all done. great importance—investigating Rus- ers this law was designed to help. On the issue of immigration, the bi- sia’s interference in our elections. Before tax reform, one franchise res- partisan group of moderate Senators As that investigation progressed, it taurant owner in Kentucky wrote me should continue trying to find a con- found that members of the Trump cam- to say that ‘‘the current high tax rate sensus. I think that is an excellent paign had concerning associations with that I pay as a pass-through entity re- idea. The White House, unfortunately, the Russians in the lead-up to the elec- duces the amount of earnings I can re- has proven unreliable and wildly unpre- tion. That was pure law enforcement. invest into my business, employees, dictable. Within the course of hours, That wasn’t some political direction. and community.’’ She went on to say, they say different things. Every time Now that that investigation led by ‘‘I am very encouraged that tax reform the President moves forward on one Special Counsel Mueller has resulted in is under way in Congress and hope that thing, his staff pulls him back and two guilty pleas and two more indict- it can be accomplished in a timely undoes what he said. The action should ments of Trump campaign officials, manner.’’ Well, Republican majorities be here in the Senate to find a narrow there seems to be a fervor on the other in Congress and the President did just deal on DACA and border security. side to discredit what the special coun- that. Now, as we have found time and sel’s investigation has already re- In Nicholasville, KY, another con- again, when we open up the negotia- vealed. That should give serious pause stituent of mine operates a rental busi- tions to discussions of broad immigra- to Democrats, Republicans, and all VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:48 Jan 25, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G25JA6.002 S25JAPT1 dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with SENATE January 25, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S509 Americans. A foreign power, probably up on casual texts sent between FBI What the FBI is investigating right the one that is most in our face, Rus- agents to peddle the nonsense that now is about shielding our democracy sia, is interfering in our elections. I there is a ‘‘secret society’’ at the De- from the disinformation campaigns of don’t care if it is Democratic elections, partment of Justice, without a shred of foreign adversaries. Russia wants noth- Republican elections, national elec- evidence. I saw one of those—the Sen- ing more than to undermine our de- tions, or local elections. When a for- ator who was propagating this, this mocracy by eroding people’s faith in its eign power interferes in our elections, morning on television. It looked crazy. institutions, for without resilient that gnaws at the wellspring of our de- It looked delusional. It looked para- democratic institutions, there can be mocracy. All of us should be giving the noid. What began as an attempt to dis- no democracy. FBI space and encouragement to finish credit the investigator has now de- Make no mistake about it.