January 18, 2018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S303 amendment SA 1905 proposed by Mr. ary 18, 2018, at 2 p.m., to conduct a cer of the Corporation for National and MCCONNELL to the bill H.R. 195, to hearing on the following nominations: Community Service, and other pending amend title 44, United States Code, to Samuel Dale Brownback, of Kansas, to nominations. restrict the distribution of free printed be Ambassador at Large for Inter- f copies of the Federal Register to Mem- national Religious Freedom, Richard GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL bers of Congress and other officers and Grenell, of California, to be Ambas- employees of the United States, and for sador to the Federal Republic of Ger- Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, other purposes; as follows: many, Yleem D. S. Poblete, of Virginia, the House has sent us a bill that should Strike ‘‘4’’ and insert ‘‘5’’ to be an Assistant Secretary be an easy ‘‘yes’’ vote for every Sen- ator in this Chamber—an easy ‘‘yes’’ f (Verification and Compliance), James Randolph Evans, of Georgia, to be Am- vote. This bill continues government AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO bassador to Luxembourg, Joel Danies, funding, prevents a needless shutdown, MEET of Maryland, to be Ambassador to the and extends a key health insurance Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I have Gabonese Republic, and to serve con- program for vulnerable children for 6 9 requests for committees to meet dur- currently and without additional com- years. Its content is bipartisan. There ing today’s session of the Senate. They pensation as Ambassador to the Demo- are no provisions that any of my have the approval of the Majority and cratic Republic of Sao Tome and Prin- Democratic friends oppose. It is a sim- Minority leaders. cipe, Carlos Trujillo, of Florida, to be ple step that will let us continue bipar- Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph Permanent Representative of the tisan talks without throwing the gov- 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Sen- United States of America to the Orga- ernment into disarray for no reason. ate, the following committees are au- nization of American States, with the Americans are surprised this is even thorized to meet during today’s session rank of Ambassador, and routine lists a debate. I don’t blame them. I share of the Senate: in the Foreign Service, all of the De- their surprise that some Democratic COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES partment of State. Senators see the prospect of a govern- The Committee on Armed Services is COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL ment shutdown for more than 300 mil- authorized to meet during the session RESOURCES lion Americans, see a possible lapse in The Committee on Energy and Nat- of the Senate on Thursday, January 18, health coverage for 9 million vulner- ural Resources is authorized to meet 2018, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing able American kids, and they have at- during the session of the Senate on on the following nominations: Michael tempted to hold all of that hostage Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 10 a.m. D. Griffin, of Alabama, to be Under until we resolve a nonimminent prob- to conduct a hearing on the following Secretary for Research and Engineer- lem related to illegal immigration. nominations: Melissa F. Burnison, of ing, Phyllis L. Bayer, of Mississippi, to The surprise is compounded for any- Kentucky, to be an Assistant Secretary be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, one who listens to the public state- (Congressional and Intergovernmental and John Henderson, of South Dakota, ments of my Democratic colleagues Affairs), and Anne Marie White, of and William Roper, of Georgia, each to and takes them at their word. Less Michigan, to be an Assistant Secretary be an Assistant Secretary of the Air than a week ago, the senior Senator (Environmental Management), both of Force, all of the Department of De- from Colorado was asked whether it the Department of Energy. fense. was prudent to shut the government COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, down over the issue of illegal immigra- COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AND PENSION tion. He insisted it was not. AFFAIRS The Committee on Health, Edu- Last month, my friend, the senior The Committee on Banking, Housing, cation, Labor, and Pension is author- Senator from West Virginia, had this and Urban Affairs is authorized to ized to meet during the session of the to say: ‘‘I’m not going to make 300 mil- meet during the session of the Senate Senate on Thursday, January 18, 2018, lion people suffer because I can’t get on Thursday, January 18, 2018, at 9:45 at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing enti- the process working the way it a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled tled ‘‘Reauthorizing the Higher Edu- should.’’ ‘‘CFIUS Reform: Examining the essen- cation Act: Financial Aid Simplifica- The junior Senator from Virginia put tial elements.’’ tion and Transparency.’’ it even more clearly. This is what he COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, had to say: ‘‘I will exercise every bit of TRANSPORTATION AND PENSION leverage I can . . . but if there is a vote The Committee on Commerce, The Committee on Health, Edu- that would lead to a shutdown, that is Science, and Transportation is author- cation, Labor, and Pension is author- where I draw the line.’’ ized to meet during the session of the ized to meet during the session of the Not more than 2 days ago, the senior Senate on Thursday, January 18, 2018, Senate on Thursday, January 18, 2018, Senator from Missouri said she wasn’t at 11 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the at 12:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing sub- ‘‘interested in drawing a line in the following nominations: Leon A. West- committee assignments and on the fol- sand’’ because ‘‘that’s how negotia- moreland, of Georgia, to be a Director lowing nominations: Mitchell Zais, of tions get blown up.’’ of the Amtrak Board of Directors, South Carolina, to be Deputy Sec- Well, I hope their votes this evening Barry Lee Myers, of Pennsylvania, to retary, Kenneth L. Marcus, of Virginia, reflect those recent statements. be Under Secretary of Commerce for to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Some of my colleagues say they are Oceans and Atmosphere, Diana Rights, and James Blew, of California, reluctant to support this measure not Furchtgott-Roth, of Maryland, to be an to be Assistant Secretary for Planning, because of illegal immigration but sim- Assistant Secretary of Transportation, Evaluation, and Policy Development, ply because they are tired of con- Brendan Carr, of Virginia, to be a all of the Department of Education, tinuing resolutions. They point out Member of the Federal Communica- Patrick Pizzella, of Virginia, to be that this is a suboptimal way to fund tions Commission, James Bridenstine, Deputy Secretary, Scott A. Mugno, of our government, especially our of Oklahoma, to be Administrator of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Sec- warfighters. the National Aeronautics and Space retary, Cheryl Marie Stanton, of South That is precisely why Republicans Administration, and Ann Marie Carolina, to be Administrator of the worked hard all last month and all this Buerkle, of New York, to be a Commis- Wage and Hour Division, and William month—all last month and all this sioner, and to be Chairman, and Dana Beach, of Kansas, to be Commissioner month—to try to negotiate a long-term Baiocco, of Ohio, to be a Commissioner, of Labor Statistics, all of the Depart- spending caps agreement that would both of the Consumer Product Safety ment of Labor, Brett Giroir, of Texas, bring stability back to government Commission. to be Medical Director in the Regular funding, but the Democratic leadership COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS Corps of the Public Health Service, and made it clear they would not be serious The Committee on Foreign Relations to be an Assistant Secretary of Health about these spending talks until this is authorized to meet during the ses- and Human Services, Barbara Stewart, unrelated immigration issue was sion of the Senate on Thursday, Janu- of Illinois, to be Chief Executive Offi- solved.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:45 Jan 19, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18JA6.032 S18JAPT1 S304 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 18, 2018 So now, unfortunately, a continuing ing health coverage through SCHIP. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, resolution is the only option our They want a sensible compromise on not to prolong the debate, but the Armed Forces have this evening. Let’s immigration. But they cannot for the Presidency under our constitutional not pretend for a moment—not a mo- life of them understand why—why— system is not irrelevant. He is the per- ment—that our men and women in uni- some Senators would hold the entire son who signs things into law. And form and their families benefit from a country hostage until we arrive at a most of us in the House and Senate on government shutdown. solution to a problem that doesn’t fully the Republican side are interested in This is how we got here. My Demo- materialize until March. what his views are, and those have not cratic colleagues’ demand on illegal Military families, veterans, and chil- been made fully apparent yet. immigration, at the behest of their far- dren benefiting from the SCHIP pro- What we have before us deals with a left base, have crowded out all other gram don’t need to be shoved aside— real emergency—tomorrow night at important business. They have crowded they don’t need to be shoved aside— midnight. What our friends on the it all out over the issue of illegal immi- while we continue good-faith negotia- other side are pushing is not an emer- gration. Now they are threatening to tions. So we ought to pass this resolu- gency. It doesn’t have anything to do crowd out the needs of veterans, mili- tion, and we ought to get back to work. with what is before us. It is completely tary families, opioid treatment cen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The irrelevant to the issue of avoiding a ters, and every other American who re- Democratic leader. government shutdown and taking care lies on the Federal Government, all Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I of 300 million Americans, most of over illegal immigration. will have much more to say after this whom depend on the government in one There is no imminent deadline facing vote on the motion to proceed, which way or another. the DACA Program. Congress has at Democrats will support because we f least until March to arrive at a bipar- want to move forward. We want to get tisan solution that is acceptable to Re- something done. We don’t want to keep FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING publicans, Democrats, and the person kicking the can down the road. But I SAVINGS ACT OF 2017—MOTION who needs to sign the bill—the Presi- just had to answer the leader, briefly. TO PROCEED The leader is looking to deflect dent of the United States. Do veterans, Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, opioid treatment centers, and the fami- blame, but it just won’t work. We all I understand the Senate has received a lies of fallen soldiers need to suffer be- know what the problem is; it is com- message from the House to accompany fore a compromise is reached? plete disarray on the Republican side. H.R. 195. Democratic Senators’ fixation on il- The bottom line is very simple. Our The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- legal immigration has already blocked Republican leader has said that he will ator is correct. us from making progress on long-term not negotiate until he knows where Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, spending talks. Now, that same fixa- President Trump stands. That is why I move that the Chair lay before the tion over illegal immigration has them negotiations haven’t gotten anywhere. Senate the message to accompany H.R. threatening to filibuster funding for Let me quote. Here is what the leader 195 and ask for the yeas and nays on the whole government. said just yesterday: ‘‘I am looking for my motion. Years ago, my friend, the Democratic something that President Trump is The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a leader, described how irresponsible it going to support, and he has not yet in- sufficient second? would be to shut down the government dicated what measure he is willing to There appears to be a sufficient sec- ITCH MCCONNELL said that he over the issue of immigration. He said sign.’’ M ond. still has to ‘‘figure out what the Presi- it would result in ‘‘governmental The question is on agreeing to the dent is for.’’ How can you negotiate chaos.’’ That is what my friend, the motion. when the President, who has to sign Democratic leader, said a while back, The clerk will call the roll. the legislation, is like a sphinx on this but earlier today on the floor, he in- The senior assistant legislative clerk issue or says one thing one day and one sisted that we put every other Amer- called the roll. thing the next? ican priority on hold—put it on hold— Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator So here is what we can do to solve until we resolve immigration. Only is necessarily absent: the Senator from then, he said, can we work on defense the problem. We could solve it right Arizona (Mr. MCCAIN). now. The four leaders could sit down— spending or domestic spending or CHIP The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. or disaster relief—put all of that on there has been a lot of discussion—and HOEVEN). Are there any other Senators come to an agreement and do what the hold over the issue of illegal immigra- in the Chamber desiring to vote? President said at one point: Send it to tion with no imminent deadline. It The result was announced—yeas 97, his desk and he will sign it. We could only needs to be addressed by March. nays 2, as follows: Well, that is apparently how our get that done before the deadline of to- Democratic colleagues rank their pri- morrow night expires, or we could give [Rollcall Vote No. 13 Leg.] orities. It is not how I would rank the President a few days to come to the YEAS—97 mine. I don’t think it is how many of table, now that he knows this plan Alexander Durbin Manchin our colleagues on either side would won’t work, and we could get this done Baldwin Enzi Markey Barrasso Ernst McCaskill rank theirs either, but we will have a in a few short days and not kick the Bennet Feinstein McConnell chance to find out in the coming days. can down the road. Blumenthal Fischer Menendez It is certainly not how the American This is the fourth CR that we have Blunt Flake Merkley Booker Gardner Moran people expect us to act. I think the done and accomplished nothing. There Boozman Gillibrand Murkowski American people clearly would not ex- is no promise and no likelihood that Brown Graham Murphy pect us to act this way. another kicking of the can down the Burr Grassley Murray The bill before us is an opportunity road will get something done. We have Cantwell Harris Nelson Capito Hassan Perdue to correct course. It is a chance for my to sit down together and solve this, Cardin Hatch Peters colleagues to remember that we rep- with the President or without. Until Carper Heinrich Portman resent millions and millions of Amer- that happens, no amount of CRs will Casey Heitkamp Reed ican citizens. Cassidy Heller Risch get this done. Cochran Hirono Roberts The American people want the Fed- I would suggest we all vote for the Collins Hoeven Rounds eral Government open for veterans, motion to proceed but instead move a Coons Inhofe Rubio military families, and the vulnerable. very short-term CR, and we will either Corker Isakson Sanders Cornyn Johnson Sasse They want food and drug inspections to negotiate it ourselves or the President Cortez Masto Jones Schatz continue without interruption. They will join us, and we can get the job Cotton Kaine Schumer want death benefits to continue to go done. Crapo Kennedy Scott out to the families of servicemembers I yield the floor. Cruz King Shaheen Daines Klobuchar Shelby killed in action. They want children in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- Donnelly Lankford Smith low-income families to continue receiv- jority leader. Duckworth Leahy Stabenow

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