Congressional Record—Senate S7679
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
November 3, 2015 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7679 Sunday. He wants to spend more time President Obama will veto them. Yet public service fueled his commitment with his family, and I applaud him for Republicans are content to waste the to bipartisanship and compromise. that. There were some people who Senate’s time just so they can launch Fred Thompson was known for his cou- mocked Congressman RYAN for that, another attack on the environment. rageous heart and straightforward ap- and they are wrong. All parents should This is the first of a series of environ- proach to public service. work to protect that time with their mental attacks we expect this month I will miss him a great deal. He was families. from Republicans. They are also pre- always very kind and thoughtful and Here is the problem. For millions of paring to nullify the President’s rules friendly to me, and the Senate is a bet- Americans, the concept of work-family to address climate change. They have ter place for having had him here. life balance is nothing more than a fan- no solutions and no plan to keep our f tasy. For far too many Americans, water clean or address climate change. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME more time at work and less time with They are wasting valuable Senate time family is the only way to put food on on these show votes. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- the table and a roof over their heads. f pore. Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Still, these hard-working families are CONGRATULATING SENATOR f falling behind. An unpaid day off is out GRASSLEY ON CASTING HIS of the question. 12,000TH VOTE FEDERAL WATER QUALITY PRO- Contrast that with the Senate. The Mr. REID. Mr. President, every year TECTION ACT—MOTION TO PRO- Republican-controlled Senate doesn’t CEED work 5-day weeks. Yet millions of in the Senate we are sent to this dis- Americans can’t get a day off when a tinguished body for one reason: to rep- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- loved one dies or a child is confined to resent the people of our State and the pore. Under the previous order, the a hospital bed. If you play baseball, the people of this country. Our constitu- Senate will resume consideration of average salary is more than $2 million ents expect us to legislate. They expect the motion to proceed to S. 1140, which a year. If your wife has a baby, you us to be here on the Senate floor voting the clerk will report. The legislative clerk read as follows: take off. But they make millions of and representing their interests. In the dollars a year. Middle-class Americans Senate, there is no one better at up- Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 153, S. holding that responsibility than the 1140, a bill to require the Secretary of the don’t make that. Army and the Administrator of the Environ- While Speaker RYAN insists on a fam- senior Senator from Iowa. Last Thursday, CHARLES GRASSLEY mental Protection Agency to propose a regu- ily-friendly work schedule for himself, cast his 12,000th vote as a U.S. Senator. lation revising the definition of the term he is blocking legislation that would ‘‘waters of the United States,’’ and for other As remarkable as that is, as my friend give the bare minimum in paid leave purposes. the senior Senator from Kentucky said, for hard-working Americans. Before we The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under it is even more impressive that he has worry about ourselves, we should worry the previous order, the time until 12:30 cast almost 7,500 consecutive votes on about the millions of Americans who the Senate floor. He hasn’t missed a p.m. will be equally divided between can’t get a day off work to care for a vote since July 14, 1993. He holds the the two leaders or their designees. sick child—can’t get a half day off The Senator from Vermont. second longest consecutive vote streak work. That would be real family val- Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask in Senate history, behind our colleague unanimous consent to speak as in ues. Senator William Proxmire of Wis- f morning business. consin. That is a lot of votes. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With- Senator GRASSLEY’s constancy and DRINKING WATER PROTECTIONS out objection, it is so ordered. unwavering work ethic comes as no Mr. REID. Mr. President, this week TRIBUTE TO SENATOR CHARLES GRASSLEY S surprise to those of us who have known ’ the Senate will vote on two pieces of 12,000TH VOTE him and are acquainted with his back- legislation that will nullify drinking Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have ground. CHUCK GRASSLEY is a farmer. water protections for 117 million Amer- had the privilege of serving with sev- He is proud of that. He got started in eral hundred Senators in this body over icans. politics when he was elected to the The Obama administration’s clean the years I have been here, and Senator Iowa House in 1959. He served for 15 water rule will restore important safe- GRASSLEY has been a very special years. In 1974, he ran for Congress and guards to protect American water served three terms in the House of Rep- friend during that time. He has rep- sources from pollution and contamina- resentatives. resented the voices of Iowans for near- tion. This landmark rule from the He was elected to the Senate in 1980. ly three and a half decades. I think we Obama administration will finally re- Thirty-six years, 12,000 votes—that is have been friends for that three and a solve years of confusion and provide remarkable, as is 7,474 consecutive half decades. regulatory certainty for businesses, votes. So I say congratulations to my When I think of Senator GRASSLEY— farmers, local governments, and com- friend CHUCK GRASSLEY on those in- 12,000 votes, hundreds of hearings, munities without creating any new credible milestones. countless tweets, and probably four permitting requirements and maintain- dozen sweater vests later—he is the f ing all previous exemptions and exclu- same down to earth Iowa farmer who sions. REMEMBERING FRED THOMPSON visits every one of the State’s 99 coun- The Republicans in Congress are in- Mr. REID. Mr. President, over the ties every year. He is also the Iowa tent on undermining these important weekend, the people of Tennessee lost a farmer who, when Vermont was hit protections. The Republican leader and member of their family. Senator Fred with terrible flooding a few years back, his colleagues unfortunately are forc- Thompson, whom my friend the Repub- was the first person to contact me to ing the Senate to vote on legislation to lican leader has talked about, died say, ‘‘Vermont stood with Iowa when roll back President Obama’s clean after a recurring battle with we were hit with a natural disaster. water rule. This legislation will fail, of lymphoma. Iowa now stands with Vermont.’’ course, and Republicans know it will Those of us who served with him re- He and I have worked together, and fail. member that wonderful voice. His we have had a productive relationship Last week, the junior Senator from voice was so good that many people that spans those decades. On the Judi- Texas said this: said he should be an actor. Well, he ciary Committee, we take our leader- [N]ext week we will have a show vote on was. He was an actor. He had a beau- ship responsibilities seriously. We have the waters of the United States. Leadership tiful voice that projected so very well, both made sure that, both as chairman is very happy. We will have a show vote. We but he was good wherever he was—the and ranking members, that every Sen- will get to vote, and it will fail. floor of the Senate, movie studio, the ator has a chance to be heard. We have Perhaps the junior Senator is right; town square of his home. found ways to come together on mean- this is another Republican charade. I He was a statesman in every sense of ingful legislation. We enjoy each oth- hope not. If these bills were to pass, the word. His dedication to responsible er’s company. We are able to kid each VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:45 Nov 04, 2015 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G03NO6.005 S03NOPT1 smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with SENATE S7680 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 3, 2015 other, as I did on his recent birthday. upheld these values in the Senate. He for Sunday brunch after church, to But more importantly, we do what I is a workhorse and has dedicated his talk about cyber security or sentencing was told to do when I first came to the entire career to serving Iowans. Iowa reform, I am glad to do it. Senate, and I am sure what Senator has no greater friend than Senator What is important to the people of GRASSLEY was told when he did—we CHUCK GRASSLEY. Iowa is my vocation. I am grateful for keep our word. We have always kept Congratulations, Senator, on your the opportunity to cast 12,000 votes. our word to each other. 12,000th vote. Congratulations to Bar- Thanks to the people of Iowa, thanks It also helps that we both married bara, also. Get your Twitter ready be- to my wife Barbara and the rest of my above ourselves.