E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

Vol. 165 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 No. 150 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was In the early hours of November 3, APPROPRIATIONS called to order by the President pro 1917, while posted in the trenches near Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). the French village of Artois, the Impe- an entirely different matter, today the f rial German Army attacked, and Merle Senate will have an opportunity to Hay was killed. Hay’s father said: ‘‘I PRAYER take the first procedural step toward am proud of my boy if he has given up keeping the Federal Government fund- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- his life for his country.’’ ed and open. fered the following prayer: Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, IA, is At the end of July, the White House Let us pray. a constant memory of this person’s and the Speaker of the House reached Eternal God, who judges justly our sacrifice. an agreement to guide the appropria- Nation and world, we honor Your I yield the floor. tions process. Both parties, both Cham- Name. You are so patient with us. bers, and both sides of Pennsylvania Cleanse our eyes, that we may see f Avenue agreed to the terms. We laid more clearly. Open our hearts, that we out top-line funding targets for defense may love You more dearly. Lord, we RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY and nondefense; we swore off poison confess that sometimes injustice seems LEADER pill policy riders; and, unlike the past to prevail. Avenge injustice, O God, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- several budget deals, which took a full and cause the godly to rejoice. Deliver jority leader is recognized. year to negotiate while appropriations us from those who seek to set an am- languished, we finished this year’s deal bush for freedom. f much earlier to ensure we had enough Lord, give our lawmakers the wisdom time to move the appropriations bills. to look to You for safety, for You are REMEMBERING DAVID JONES, SR. In other words, congressional leaders our strength and salvation. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I and the President laid the ground for a We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. would like to take a moment this sensible, bipartisan funding process, f morning to mourn the passing of a de- but instead, over the past week and a PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE voted son of Louisville, KY, and some- half, we have seen our Democratic col- one I was lucky to call a very dear The President pro tempore led the leagues suggest that they may try to friend. Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: shoehorn their longstanding disagree- I can say without exaggeration that ments with President Trump into this I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the David Jones, Sr., was the single most United States of America, and to the Repub- appropriations process. Even though lic for which it stands, one nation under God, influential friend and mentor I have we all agreed not to insist on poison indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. had in my entire career. I have never pills or change existing Presidential The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. forgotten something he told me when I authorities, Democrats are threatening CRAMER). The Senator from Iowa. was starting out in Jefferson County. to filibuster Chairman SHELBY’s clean Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask unanimous He said: ‘‘The most important word in Defense bill over their disagreements consent to address the Senate for 30 the English language is ‘focus.’ ’’ with the President on immigration pol- seconds. David used his extraordinary focus icy. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without and many other talents to build an ex- I sure hope that doesn’t happen. I objection, it is so ordered. traordinary American business and to hope our Democratic friends will allow better his community. Whenever a the process to move forward when we f local need had somebody—almost ev- vote later today. The stakes are high. HONORING MERLE DAVID HAY erybody, actually—stumped, David al- We are talking about critical resources Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ways seemed to end up in the thick of for the missions of the Department of would like to share some real Iowa his- it, forging a path to success. Defense. Our military commanders tory this morning. In the days ahead, many will rightly have told us that this funding is vital Merle David Hay from Glidden, IA, pay tribute to David’s brilliance and to keeping peace with Putin’s Russia, was the first Iowa serviceman to die in his determination, but he was also one China, and all their efforts to harm World War I. Hay enlisted on May 9, of the kindest, most decent, most gen- America’s interests. Just days ago, 1917, with his father’s blessing, as he erous individuals I have ever met. I Saudi Arabian energy facilities lit- was too young to be drafted. He was as- will sorely miss his friendship, and erally went up in flames after what ap- signed to the 1st Infantry Division, Kentuckians will miss his extraor- pears to be a massive, coordinated at- Company F. dinary leadership. tack by Iran.

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.000 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5548 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 In a world this dangerous, uncertain well. You would think the country Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- funding and continuing resolutions will would be united in celebration, but not sence of a quorum. not cut it for our national defense. Our everyone is happy. Oh, no. Last week, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The men and women in uniform do not de- just days before this massive disrup- clerk will call the roll. serve to have the funding for their tion in the Middle East, House Demo- The senior assistant legislative clerk tools, their training, and their own pay crats sent us several bills designed to proceeded to call the roll. raise, by the way—pay raise—used as limit domestic energy development and Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask leverage by Senate Democrats to try to literally tie America’s hands. One of unanimous consent that the order for extract concessions from the White those bills would have shut off explo- the quorum call be rescinded. House. ration in a small portion of ANWR in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without So, look, I would urge each of our remote Alaska. They want to reverse objection, it is so ordered. colleagues to join me today in taking something that had been sought for 40 APPROPRIATIONS the first step toward fulfilling our obli- years until Republicans secured it in Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, defense gation to keep this country safe and se- 2017. funding is always an imperative. There cure. So, as far as I can tell from the bills are always going to be bad actors who f the House keeps sending us, the social- threaten our country, whether they are ists who are calling the shots over major powers like China or Russia or ENERGY INDEPENDENCE there have never seen a pipeline they terrorist organizations like ISIS or al- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on didn’t want to cancel. They have never Qaida. We have to be prepared to another matter, we are closely moni- seen a pipeline they didn’t want to can- counter those threats. toring events in the Middle East fol- cel, a responsible development they In the United States, we are used to lowing that provocative and dangerous didn’t want to kill, or a step toward having the most outstanding military Iranian attack on Saudi energy facili- American energy independence they in the world. In fact, we have come to ties, which included the largest oil didn’t want to reverse. rely on it. We assume our military will processing facility in the entire world. Along with the Democratic House, always be the best because it has been As I said on Monday, Iran’s reckless this also seems to describe their par- the best for as long as we can remem- behavior is not just a threat to the re- ty’s Presidential candidates. Almost ber, but we can’t forget that our mili- gion but to the entire global economy, all of them have endorsed the radical tary preeminence is the result of sus- and it must be met with swift con- idea of ending oil and gas exploration tained investment. While our soldiers, sequences from the international com- on Federal lands not only offshore but sailors, airmen, and marines constitute munity. onshore, too. Let me say that again. the most advanced and proficient fight- As the United States and our allies Almost all of them have endorsed the ing force in the world, they can’t do continue to learn more and weigh our radical idea of ending oil and gas explo- their jobs or maintain our military su- options, there has already been one ration on Federal lands, not only off- periority without adequate resources. positive lesson that should not go un- shore but onshore, too. That is today’s That includes funding, not just the noticed. While the attack has shaken Democratic Party. This ideology has weapons, equipment, and technology of global energy markets, to be sure, the consequences for American prosperity, today, but also the weapons, equip- United States is in a much better posi- but it also weakens our Nation’s foot- ment, and technology of the future. It tion to weather the storm than we ing in the world. is too late to modernize our military might have been in past decades. Just days after these Democratic when the threat has reached us. We For years and years, an international votes, we were offered a sobering re- need to invest in the equipment and attack of this magnitude would have minder of just how important Amer- technology of the future now so that been virtually guaranteed to roil the ican energy really is. when the threats of tomorrow mate- U.S. economy and send gas prices soar- So here is the good news: This Repub- rialize, we will be ready. This means ing for Americans at the pumps, but so lican Senate is on the job, and we delivering platforms like the future B– far, this time around, analysts don’t won’t let Democrats take us backward. 21 bomber on schedule and making ro- expect this event to yield the signifi- We won’t let them reduce our pros- bust investments in the cyber and cant impacts we would have seen back perity or make us more vulnerable to space domains. in the seventies or even in the nineties. overseas chaos. Republicans will keep Right now, our military is rebuilding Why is that? The answer is three working to help our Nation thrive. after years of underfunding and the words: American domestic energy. strains in the war on terror. Here in f Over the last decade and often over the Senate, Members of both parties the strenuous, strenuous objections of RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME have worked together over the past Democrats, our Nation has made in- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under couple of years to meet our military’s credible strides toward energy inde- the previous order, the leadership time funding and rebuilding needs. I hope pendence. We have explored new tech- is reserved. that trend will continue. nologies, new methods, and new ways In November 2018, the bipartisan Na- f to fuel America’s prosperity right here tional Defense Strategy Commission at home, and it is paying off big time. CONCLUSION OF MORNING released a report that warned that our By 2015, our production had become so BUSINESS readiness had eroded to the point at robust that I led the charge to lift the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning which we might struggle to win a war outdated ban on crude oil exports. Late business is closed. against a major power like Russia or last year, thanks in part to Republican China, and the Commission noted that f policies, the United States became a we would be especially vulnerable if we net exporter of oil for the first time in EXECUTIVE SESSION were ever called on to fight a war on decades. two fronts. That is a dangerous situa- Get this: Across all forms of energy, tion for our country to be in, and we the Department of Energy projects EXECUTIVE CALENDAR need to keep working to rebuild our that next year our Nation will export The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under military so that we are not trailing be- more energy than we import for the the previous order, the Senate will pro- hind other nations. first time since 1953. Let me say that ceed to executive session to resume Other countries are certainly not again. Thanks largely to Republican consideration of the following nomina- holding back when it comes to military policies, our Nation is poised to become tion, which the clerk will report. preparedness. Russia and China are a net energy exporter for the first time The senior assistant legislative clerk busy investing in their militaries as we since the Eisenhower administration. read the nomination of Robert A. speak, and they have recently con- That is huge progress, not just for Destro, of Virginia, to be Assistant ducted joint military exercises. As the our economy but, as we have just been Secretary of State for Democracy, leader noted on the floor on Monday, reminded, for our national security as Human Rights, and Labor. military spending in China over the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.002 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5549 last decade has nearly doubled. Mean- Nation’s defense, as always, our great- heart of the issue, and that was the while, these countries have continued est strength is found in the men and fact that Big Tobacco was doing its to flex their military power outside the women of the U.S. military. It is, first best to make teenagers its customers. borders of their countries, under- and foremost, because of their dedica- It had to. It was losing too many of its scoring the need for other nations to be tion and sacrifice that all of us live in best customers because they were prepared to deter their aggressions. Of freedom. dying from Big Tobacco’s product. course, while we may be in a new era of I hope the men and women of Ells- It tried to addict children, and it was great power competition, we still face worth Air Force Base and the South successful with ad campaigns. The Joe threats from rogue states and terrorist Dakota Air National Guard enjoy their Camel ads, the Marlboro cowboy, and organizations. We need to be prepared celebrations this week. They are well all sorts of cartoon figures were really to meet multiple threats on multiple deserved. appealing to children. It worked. It was fronts if we want to ensure the security I yield the floor. able to replenish its smokers with kids of our Nation. I suggest the absence of a quorum. who started smoking at earlier and Later today, the leader is planning to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The earlier ages. have the Senate vote to begin debate clerk will call the roll. We went after them. Eventually, on a package of appropriations bills, The senior assistant legislative clerk there was a national lawsuit against including this year’s Defense appro- proceeded to call the roll. the tobacco companies. We changed the priations bill. Less than 2 months ago, Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask standards for selling tobacco in Amer- the Democrats in both the House and unanimous consent that the order for ica. We made it much more difficult for the Senate agreed on an increased the quorum call be rescinded. kids to get their hands on cigarettes, funding level for our military, which is The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without and, over time, we reduced the percent- reflected in the Defense appropriations objection, it is so ordered. age of kids who were using these to- bill. E-CIGARETTES bacco products. The Defense appropriations measure Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it start- The tobacco companies faced a di- funds current military priorities and ed sounding too familiar to me. For a lemma. They were losing their best invests in the research our men and long time on Capitol Hill, I have been customers—the kids. What were they women in uniform need to be prepared involved in public policy debates about going to do to maintain their profits? for the future. It also provides for a 3.1- Big Tobacco, about nicotine and ciga- Several years ago, it became pretty percent pay increase for our military, rettes, and about the public health con- obvious that they had found an alter- which is the largest pay increase in a sequences of smoking. It is a personal native product called e-cigarettes and decade. So it would be very dis- issue, of course, for me and for so many vaping. What was good about this was appointing if the Democrats chose now of us. they could make health claims about e- to play politics and put their personal Our families have been touched by cigarettes and vaping. They could political agenda over the security of tobacco-related disease and death. I argue that since you were taking to- our country and the welfare of our men lost my father to lung cancer. He was bacco out of the equation, merely suck- and women in uniform. 53 years old. He smoked two packs of ing in some form of nicotine vapor was The military needs to be funded Camels a day. I stood by his bedside preferable from a health perspective. through regular order appropriations when I was just a high school student Yet, when it came right down to it, bills, not through temporary funding and saw what tobacco could do. there was no proof of that whatsoever. measures that leave the military in When I was elected to Congress, I de- JUUL is the biggest e-cigarette/e- doubt about funding levels and unable cided to try to take on Big Tobacco. It vapor device maker in America. Its to start essential new projects. So I was not an easy task. Those in Big To- full-paged ads in newspaper after news- hope that our Democratic colleagues bacco had very many friends in high paper have made these health claims will honor the commitment they just places, and they made it clear in both that, in fact, e-vaping is a healthy al- made and will work with the Repub- political parties in the House of Rep- ternative to tobacco cigarettes. Yet licans to pass the Defense appropria- resentatives that tobacco was untouch- there is no proof—none. tions package before the end of the fis- able. Then something else started hap- cal year. I offered an amendment, quite a few pening. We started noticing that all Likewise, I hope the Senate Demo- years ago now, to ban smoking on air- across America, kids—the same kids crats will resist the temptation to play planes. It was really because of my irri- who once used to be the targets of Big politics over this year’s national de- tation and strong feelings that the peo- Tobacco—were now the targets of Big fense authorization bill and will work ple who were on the plane who were Vaping. Vaping targets kids. The num- with us to initiate a conference with nonsmokers shouldn’t have to breathe the House to resolve our differences. bers tell the story. As of 2 years ago, 11 in secondhand smoke. To my surprise, Our colleagues have the opportunity to percent of high school students in take both of these important steps this we passed it in the House by a handful America were vaping. A year later, week. of votes even though the leadership of there were 20 percent, and there are 27 both political parties opposed it. Then percent today. More than one out of RECOGNIZING THE U.S. AIR FORCE AND SOUTH DAKOTA AIR NATIONAL GUARD it came over here, and Senator Frank four high school students is using e- Mr. President, before I close, I wish a Lautenberg, of New Jersey, passed it as cigarettes and vaping today. Even happy 72nd birthday today to the U.S. well. It became the law of the land. worse, 10 percent of middle school stu- Air Force, most especially to the air- Neither Frank nor I could have pre- dents—10-, 11-, and 12-year-olds—are men of Ellsworth Air Force Base in dicted what would happen next, but as vaping. South Dakota. the American people noticed that sec- The numbers are growing, and you I also wish a happy birthday to the ondhand smoke was taken off of air- wonder why. The people in the vaping South Dakota Air National Guard, planes, they started asking a lot of industry know how to target kids. which celebrates the 73rd anniversary these questions about why you They target them with flavors that are of its establishment on Friday. wouldn’t take it off of trains and buses designed just for kids—Razzleberry, The Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing re- and out of offices, hospitals, res- Gummy Bears, Bubble Gum, Unicorn cently had a change of command. Col. taurants, and on and on. The net result Milk. How many 50-year-old chain Mark Morrell assumed command from was that of a change across America smokers can’t wait to get Unicorn Milk Col. Nathan Alholinna on September 7. when it came to standards for smoking flavoring for their vaping devices? It is I wish the Fighting Lobos continued and tobacco cigarettes. all about kids. The vaping industry, de- success under its new leadership, and I Then I enlisted a group that was spite all of its public denials, has tar- wish Colonel Alholinna the best and showing extraordinary leadership in geted these kids and has, effectively, thank him for his many years of serv- Washington. It was called the Cam- recruited our children to be the next ice. paign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Matt generation of vaporers for life. While investing in equipment and Myers, the director, still works for How much nicotine is in that little technology that are essential to our that organization. We went to the vaping device, the one that looks like

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.004 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5550 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 it is a flash drive for your computer? issue. I thank her for her bipartisan co- in and use e-cigarettes and vape be- There is an equivalent amount of nico- operation in this effort. It is great to tween classes. Some kids are bold tine in vaping as in a total pack of have her by my side. She is a terrific enough to try to do it in class. cigarettes. You get 20 cigarettes in one ally. We have now linked e-cigarettes and hit on a vaping device. Nicotine is a She and I believe none of these fla- vaping to over 380 cases of confirmed very addictive chemical. I know from vors should come back on the market and severe respiratory illness nation- my family experience, and we all know, until it is proven they are not dan- wide. As of last night, in California, from those who try for long, long times gerous to children and that they in fact the seventh young person has died from to quit using tobacco cigarettes, that do help adults stop smoking and can vaping. the nicotine draws them back time and show positive results. I think that is a We have 52 confirmed cases and 1 re- again. hard measure, a hard standard for ported death in Illinois, but I can tell This addiction was underway, and I them to meet, and it should be because you that on Monday morning, one of started writing letters, which Senators the alternative is unacceptable—more my friends, a doctor in Chicago, told do. I protested to the Food and Drug children addicted to e-cigarettes and me in private that he had visited a Administration, to the Surgeon Gen- vaping. major hospital, and three young people eral, and to anyone else who would lis- There may be a place for e-cigarettes who had been vaping were hanging on ten that this vaping epidemic was dan- at some point in the future. I am not by a thread to life. Kids as young as 15 have been hospitalized. gerous—dangerous for our kids and sure where it will be, but as long as There is no specific device or sub- they are endangering our children with dangerous for our future. It took the stance that has been linked to all of their products and their flavors, I am longest time to get their attention. In these cases, but the one common de- fact, with those in this new Trump ad- going to continue to fight their efforts. nominator is e-cigarettes. ministration, they initially postponed I want to say something else. Even in This nicotine addiction and what it any action against vaping until the the midst of my battles against Big To- leads to—especially JUUL’s devices, year 2022, which would be beyond the bacco, I still remember what my dad which are extraordinarily popular, President’s first term. went through when he tried to stop with the highest levels of nicotine we Well, I went to Dr. Gottlieb, who smoking—dying of lung cancer, trying have seen in products legally sold in then was head of the FDA, and said: to stop smoking. It was so hard and America. You can’t wait 4 years. You have to do painful, and I watched him as a young Nicotine is both toxic and highly ad- something right now about vaping. boy and saw the struggle he went dictive. It raises blood pressure, spikes He resisted for a while, but then he through. adrenaline, and increases the risk of came around. He held a press con- I have always said we have to show heart disease. It can have short- and ference, and do you know what he some caring and compassion for the long-term negative health impacts on called this vaping situation? An epi- people who were once tobacco users the developing brain, particularly, in- demic. The head of the Food and Drug and want to quit, and today we have to cluding increased risk of addiction, Administration, a medical doctor, Dr. show the same level of caring when it mood disorder, and permanent lowering Gottlieb, called it an epidemic. comes to all of these high school stu- of impulse control. So then he left for family reasons, dents—5 million American high school Kids who use e-cigarettes are three and he had a successor, Dr. Ned students—who are vaping and using e- times more likely than their peers to Sharpless, Acting Commissioner of the cigarettes and should quit. We need to transition to traditional tobacco ciga- Food and Drug Administration. I ap- give them a path, a recommendation. rettes, and they, of course, kill almost pealed to him, saying: Do something. I wrote to the Surgeon General last half a million Americans a year. You have the power right now to take week and asked him to come up with a So that is our problem. That is our all of these children’s flavors off of the plan, an educational approach, to allow challenge. market for vaping. You could do it these young people to get off this nico- I would add, too, that it is time for us today. tine addiction before it is too late. to start taxing this product. For years, Secondly, you could ban most of the What has happened in the past, sadly, I have been sounding the alarm that vaping devices, which have never been is that many of the high schoolers who the vaping industry is following Big approved by the government. He didn’t were using e-cigarettes didn’t quit Tobacco’s playbook when it comes to want to do it. He dragged his feet. It completely from anything; they moved appealing to our children. went on for months. to tobacco cigarettes with the nicotine I have learned over the years, in all I will have to say, in all candor and they were seeking in a different form. my battles against Big Tobacco, that honesty, last week there was a break- So that is the challenge we face. the single most effective tool to pre- through. Last week, the Trump admin- After years of inaction and a lot of vent children from starting the use of istration addressed this issue directly. telephone calls and letters and meet- tobacco cigarettes is to price it out of Last Monday, the Food and Drug Ad- ings, the Food and Drug Administra- their range. That is why we passed cigarette ministration said to JUUL, the major tion has done the right thing. I hope by taxes years ago—and many States and manufacturer: Stop making health the end of this year, these flavors will localities followed suit—and why later claims you can’t prove. Stop telling be off the shelf, and I hope the Food this week I will be introducing the To- people your product is a healthy alter- and Drug Administration truly en- bacco Tax Equity Act. This legislation native to tobacco cigarettes. There are forces what they announced last week. will establish the first Federal e-ciga- no clinical trials. There is no proof, no It has been 10 years since Congress rette tax. It will close loopholes ex- credible medical study you can point gave the Food and Drug Administra- ploited by Big Tobacco to avoid the to, to make that claim, so stop saying tion the legal authority to regulate all taxes, and it will double the Federal it. tobacco products, including e-ciga- Government tax rate and peg it to in- Then, just a couple days later, they rettes. There is no doubt about their flation so it remains an effective public went even further, banning the use of legal authority. health tool in the future. these flavors that have enticed chil- Last year, 4 million children under Studies have shown that even a 10- dren into vaping and e-cigarettes. They the age of 18 were vaping in America. percent tax lowers tobacco use by as have announced that probably within As I mentioned, today the number is 5 much as 5 percent. The Surgeon Gen- 30 days, as their estimate, these are all million. eral and World Health Organization going to have to come off the market, Over the last 2 years, we have seen a have called it the most effective way to and in May of next year, the companies 135-percent increase in America’s chil- reduce tobacco use. I think the same that make them can apply to bring dren using e-cigarettes. will be true for e-cigarettes. them back on the market if they can Ask any public health official what The FDA’s flavor ban announcement prove they are good for public health. this means. If we didn’t do something, was an important first step. Now we Well, Senator LISA MURKOWSKI of the numbers would continue to grow need to make sure the ban is imple- Alaska, a Republican, and I have had a unchecked. Schools are taking doors mented quickly and that it is enforced bill for several months now on this off of toilet stalls so kids can’t sneak strictly.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.005 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5551 We need the FDA to better regulate The outcome of the upcoming vote to On the Senate floor yesterday, Lead- e-cigarette devices, many of which are proceed to defense approps is not in er MCCONNELL said: ‘‘As partisanship easily tampered with and being used in doubt. Leader MCCONNELL knows that bogs us down here in Washington, Mos- conjunction with adulterated and coun- Democrats, as well as several Repub- cow and Beijing are not exactly slow- terfeit products. licans, oppose moving funds to the ing down to wait for us.’’ I agree. For- We need the Surgeon General to President’s border wall that have been eign adversaries are lining up to do come up with a plan to help the mil- duly allocated by Congress for other what Putin did in 2016. lions of kids who are now addicted, and important purposes, all military. The With the Presidential campaign set we need to start taxing e-cigarette fact that Leader MCCONNELL has sched- to begin in earnest next year, the time companies who have created today’s uled this vote, knowing it would fail, is now to safeguard our elections from youth vaping epidemic. makes it nothing more than a partisan foreign interference. The country will A movie we have seen before of Big stunt. My friend the leader reminds us be watching how Senate Republicans Tobacco exploiting kids, finally—fi- all the time that the Senate is the vote on the election security amend- nally—resulted in public action against place to make laws, not engage in po- ment tomorrow. those tobacco companies, and the rate litical theater. With the vote, Leader ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY of teen tobacco cigarette smoking went MCCONNELL will shatter his own rule. Mr. President, it has been reported down dramatically. Let’s not sit At the same time, Republicans are that the Trump administration is plan- through that same movie again. considering having a vote tomorrow to ning to finalize a rule that would block When it comes to vaping and e-ciga- instruct the NDAA conferees to back- any State from getting ahead of the rettes, let’s move quickly to protect fill some of the money they want to di- Federal Government to deal with car- our children. vert for the President’s wall. The bon pollution from cars. That includes I yield the floor. House already voted this down. Demo- revoking a waiver granted to California I suggest the absence of a quorum. crats—myself, Speaker PELOSI, Chair- that allows the State to place more The PRESIDING OFFICER. The man LOWEY, and Ranking Member stringent limits on carbon pollution clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk LEAHY—have been crystal clear. We are than the Federal Government. In the proceeded to call the roll. not going to bless the President’s steal- Trump era, we are frequently con- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask ing money from the military by back- fronted with the absurd, but this is be- unanimous consent that the order for filling it later. This would render Con- yond ridiculous. the quorum call be rescinded. gress toothless and the appropriations The President is the leader of the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without process meaningless. If the President is self-proclaimed party of States’ rights. objection, it is so ordered. allowed to take money from where Yet he is blocking States from setting RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER Congress allocates it and puts it wher- their own standards. This President The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ever he wants and we just give it back has repeatedly said that ‘‘we have the Democratic leader is recognized. to him, what is the point? Democrats cleanest air, the cleanest water,’’ al- Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask won’t vote for that ridiculous prece- most like a mantra. Yet he is trying to unanimous consent to speak in leader dent. prevent California and other States time. Let’s remember what this is all from cleaning up their air pollution. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without about. The President pledged to build a The President’s position is, very sim- objection, it is so ordered. border wall that he promised Mexico ply put, this: No, California, I insist APPROPRIATIONS would pay for. He then broke that you pollute more. That is in effect Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the promise and demanded Congress appro- what the President is saying. appropriations process demands that priate taxpayer dollars for the wall in- Congress has spoken on this matter. Republicans and Democrats work to- stead. When Congress declined to do The Clean Air Act says, in no uncer- gether. If one party decides to go it that, the President declared a legally tain terms, that California can go fur- alone, it can wreck the spirit of bipar- dubious national emergency to divert ther than the EPA to reduce pollution tisanship necessary to responsibly fund already allocated military funds to his from cars. So this is a terrible idea by the government. Unfortunately, Repub- wall. Now he is trying yet again to ap- the EPA, a terrible idea by the Trump licans elected to depart from a bipar- propriate taxpayer money for the wall, administration, full of hypocrisy and tisan path early in the appropriations which is the same strategy that failed contradiction, clearly illegal, and I am process this year. when he tried it a year ago and then confident that it will be struck down. We had a bipartisan deal on the budg- threw a temper tantrum and promised NOMINATION OF ROBERT A. DESTRO et caps—the 302(a), the defense-non- the famous Trump shutdown. Mr. President, on one final issue, the defense side. We were working on allo- I know my Republican friends want Destro nomination, today the Senate cations to the 12 subcommittees when to wiggle out of this, but there is only will vote on the confirmation of Robert the Republicans decided, without con- one way to return the money to our Destro to serve as the Assistant Sec- sulting any Democrat, to divert funds troops, where it belongs: Republicans retary of State for Democracy, Human from medical research, opioid treat- and Democrats join together in voting Rights, and Labor, responsible for the ment, and our military and their fami- to terminate the President’s emer- State Department’s promotion of de- lies so they could appease the Presi- gency declaration. mocracy, civil rights, and fair working dent’s wish to spend up to $12 billion ELECTION SECURITY standards across the world. Typical of extra for a border wall—a wall, by the Mr. President, in the Appropriations the Trump administration, they have way, that the President promised Mex- Committee markup tomorrow, there nominated someone whose record is ico would pay for. will be a vote on an amendment to in- diametrically opposed to the mission of Leader MCCONNELL and Chairman crease election security funding for the the job to which he is nominated. SHELBY knew it would not fly with coming year. Senate Republicans Mr. Destro has vocally opposed the Democrats, and this ruse—this stunt, blocked a similar amount last year, movement for LGBTQ equality and has as the Republican leader is fond of call- and, since then, Leader MCCONNELL has been a staunch supporter of State-level ing things that can’t pass—puts the en- stonewalled election security legisla- religious freedom laws that have acted tire appropriations process in jeopardy. tion, even the most bipartisan, sensible as backdoors to discriminate against Somehow, in the wake of all of this, compromises. LGBTQ Americans. He has a long the Republican leader has been accus- While we still greatly desire to move record of opposition to a woman’s con- ing Democrats of threatening to block that legislation and believe it to be es- stitutional right to make her own military funding. That is an absurd sential, additional funding for States healthcare decisions. When asked statement, if there ever was one. We to harden their election infrastructure about the requirement that insurance are simply trying to stop Republicans and prevent Russian or Chinese or Ira- plans cover contraception, his response from stealing the money from our mili- nian interference is what this amend- was ‘‘the idea that you’re entitled to tary and putting it into the wall, which ment provides tomorrow and is a no- have someone pay for your birth con- he said Mexico would pay for. brainer. trol pill is kind of ridiculous.’’

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.007 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5552 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 If confirmed, Mr. Destro—this very Reed Sinema Van Hollen Smith Udall Whitehouse same Mr. Destro who is opposed to the Rosen Smith Warner Stabenow Van Hollen Wyden Schatz Stabenow Whitehouse Tester Warner rights of women, who is opposed to the Schumer Tester Wyden rights of LGBTQ people—will be in Shaheen Udall NOT VOTING—8 Alexander Klobuchar Sanders charge of promoting civil rights around NOT VOTING—7 Bennet Roberts Warren the world. What message would that Alexander Roberts Warren Booker Rounds send to women and members of the Booker Rounds LGBTQ community who struggle under Klobuchar Sanders The nomination was confirmed. intolerant and oppressive govern- The nomination was confirmed. f ments? The answer is obvious. That is why yesterday every single Democrat, f EXECUTIVE CALENDAR and even one Republican, voted against EXECUTIVE CALENDAR The PRESIDING OFFICER. The proceeding to his confirmation. I urge The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the nomination. my Republican colleagues to study Mr. clerk will report the next nomination. The senior assistant legislative clerk Destro’s record, consider the job he is The bill clerk read the nomination of read the nomination of Brian Callanan, supposed to do, and join us in voting no Brent James McIntosh, of Michigan, to of New Jersey, to be General Counsel on his nomination. be an Under Secretary of the Treasury. for the Department of the Treasury. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. question is, Will the Senate advise and question is, Will the Senate advise and SASSE). consent to the McIntosh nomination? consent to the Callanan nomination? The question is, Will the Senate ad- Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask for Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask for vise and consent to the Destro nomina- the yeas and nays. the yeas and nays. tion? The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Mr. BLUNT. I ask for the yeas and sufficient second? sufficient second? nays. There appears to be a sufficient sec- There appears to be a sufficient sec- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a ond. ond. sufficient second? The clerk will call the roll. The clerk will call the roll. There appears to be a sufficient sec- The bill clerk called the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk ond. Mr. THUNE. The following Senators called the roll. The clerk will call the roll. are necessarily absent: the Senator Mr. THUNE. The following Senators The legislative clerk called the roll. from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER), the are necessarily absent: the Senator Mr. THUNE. The following Senators Senator from Kansas (Mr. ROBERTS), from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER), the are necessarily absent: the Senator and the Senator from South Dakota Senator from Kansas (Mr. ROBERTS), from Tennessee (Mr. ALEXANDER), the (Mr. ROUNDS). and the Senator from South Dakota Senator from Kansas (Mr. ROBERTS), Further, if present and voting: the (Mr. ROUNDS). and the Senator from South Dakota Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX- Further, if present and voting, the (Mr. ROUNDS). ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea.’’ Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX- Further, if present and voting, the Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea.’’ Senator from Tennessee (Mr. ALEX- Senator from Colorado (Mr. BENNET), Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the ANDER) would have voted ‘‘yea.’’ the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER), Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the BOOKER), the Senator from Minnesota the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. KLO- Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER), (Ms. KLOBUCHER), the Senator from BUCHAR), and the Senator from the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. KLO- Vermont (Mr. SANDERS), and the Sen- Vermont (Mr. SANDERS) are necessarily BUCHAR), the Senator from Vermont ator from Massachusetts (Ms. WARREN) absent. (Mr. SANDERS), and the Senator from are necessarily absent. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there Massachusetts (Ms. WARREN) are nec- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. any other Senators in the Chamber de- essarily absent. LANKFORD). Are there any other Sen- siring to vote? The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there ators in the Chamber wishing to vote The result was announced—yeas 55, any other Senators in the Chamber de- or to change their vote? nays 39, as follows: siring to vote? The result was announced—yeas 54, [Rollcall Vote No. 291 Ex.] The result was announced—yeas 49, nays 38, as follows: YEAS—55 nays 44, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 290 Ex.] Barrasso Fischer Murphy [Rollcall Vote No. 289 Ex.] Blackburn Gardner Perdue YEAS—54 Blunt Graham YEAS—49 Portman Barrasso Gardner Murphy Boozman Grassley Risch Barrasso Gardner Perdue Blackburn Graham Paul Braun Hawley Romney Blackburn Graham Portman Blunt Grassley Perdue Burr Hoeven Rubio Blunt Grassley Risch Boozman Hawley Portman Capito Hyde-Smith Sasse Boozman Hawley Romney Braun Hoeven Risch Cardin Inhofe Scott (FL) Braun Hoeven Burr Hyde-Smith Romney Carper Isakson Rubio Scott (SC) Burr Hyde-Smith Capito Inhofe Rubio Cassidy Johnson Sasse Shelby Capito Inhofe Cassidy Isakson Sasse Collins Jones Scott (FL) Sinema Cassidy Isakson Scott (SC) Collins Johnson Scott (FL) Cornyn Kennedy Cornyn Johnson Cornyn Jones Scott (SC) Cotton Lankford Sullivan Shelby Cotton Kennedy Cotton Kennedy Shelby Cramer Lee Thune Sullivan Cramer Lankford Cramer Lankford Sinema Crapo Manchin Tillis Thune Crapo Lee Crapo Lee Sullivan Cruz McConnell Toomey Cruz McConnell Tillis Cruz Manchin Thune Daines McSally Wicker Daines McSally Toomey Daines McConnell Tillis Enzi Moran Young Enzi Moran Wicker Enzi McSally Toomey Ernst Murkowski Ernst Murkowski Young Ernst Moran Wicker Fischer Paul Fischer Murkowski Young NAYS—39 Baldwin Harris Peters NAYS—44 NAYS—38 Bennet Hassan Reed Baldwin Cortez Masto Kaine Baldwin Durbin Markey Blumenthal Heinrich Rosen Bennet Duckworth King Blumenthal Feinstein Menendez Brown Hirono Schatz Blumenthal Durbin Leahy Brown Gillibrand Merkley Cantwell Kaine Schumer Brown Feinstein Manchin Cantwell Harris Murray Casey King Shaheen Cantwell Gillibrand Markey Cardin Hassan Peters Coons Leahy Smith Cardin Harris Menendez Carper Heinrich Reed Cortez Masto Markey Stabenow Carper Hassan Merkley Casey Hirono Rosen Duckworth Menendez Tester Casey Heinrich Murphy Coons Kaine Schatz Durbin Merkley Collins Hirono Murray Cortez Masto King Schumer Feinstein Murray Coons Jones Peters Duckworth Leahy Shaheen Gillibrand Paul

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.009 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5553 Udall Warner Whitehouse victed of serious domestic abuse, which get to the bottom of how these shoot- Van Hollen Warren Wyden is a felony. ings happened. Now that we have a NOT VOTING—6 By law, the shooter should have been pretty good idea about what happened Alexander Klobuchar Rounds prevented from purchasing or even pos- and what didn’t happen that should Booker Roberts Sanders sessing a firearm, but he wasn’t be- have happened, it is time to work on The nomination was confirmed. cause the critically important informa- solutions to help prevent these types of The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tion about his criminal background episodes of mass violence in the future. the previous order, the motions to re- had not been uploaded into the rel- Over the weekend, the minority lead- consider are considered made and laid evant background check databases er here in the Senate and the House upon the table. The President will be maintained by the FBI, even though a Speaker said that any proposal that immediately notified of the Senate’s Federal statute clearly states that all does not include the House-passed uni- action. Federal agencies are required to do so. versal background check legislation The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- As a result, the gunman was able to un- ‘‘will not get the job done.’’ But I ator from Texas. lawfully purchase four firearms, three would say to them that there is simply f of which he used to carry out this des- no evidence that if the House bill was picable act. law, it would have prevented any of ORDER OF BUSINESS In the wake of any tragedy like this, these recent acts of violence. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask you can’t help but ask: What if? I have to ask: If the solution that you unanimous consent that notwith- In this instance, it was our sad duty proposed would not have prevented standing rule XXII, the Senate proceed to ask those questions, but we knew these acts from occurring, what is the to legislative session to resume consid- the answer. If his criminal record had point? Is this about making a state- eration of the motion to proceed to been uploaded into the FBI background ment? Is this about virtue signaling? Is H.R. 2740; further, that at 2:20 p.m., check system, the shooter would have this about politics? Or is this about there be up to 20 minutes of debate been prevented from purchasing these trying to come up with solutions to the equally divided between the chairman firearms that he used in the attack. problem? and ranking member; and that fol- It was the worst kind of system fail- We also know that the President has lowing the use or yielding back of that ure. I searched my conscience, and I repeatedly issued a veto threat on that time, the Senate vote on the cloture searched the record to try to figure out particular bill, and we know there is motion on the motion to proceed to exactly what we might be able to do to zero—zero chance—that it will ever be- H.R. 2740, with the mandatory quorum prevent acts like this from occurring in come law. That is not what I call get- call being waived. the future. ting the job done. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there Ten days after the shooting, I intro- Some of the folks who don’t believe objection? duced a bill called the Fix NICS Act. in the Second Amendment are using Without objection, it is so ordered. Now, it is a little bit confusing. NICS is these tragedies to advance an agenda the National Instant Criminal Back- rather than to try to solve a problem. f ground Check System. But it was clear That is not good enough, and this is LEGISLATIVE SESSION that we needed to fix the National In- not what the American people deserve. stant Criminal Background Check Sys- I am not interested in introducing tem—hence, the name Fix NICS Act, legislation just because we are being LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN which is now law. urged to ‘‘do something.’’ I am inter- SERVICES, EDUCATION, DE- That law broadened the background ested in trying to solve a problem and FENSE, STATE, FOREIGN OPER- check system to prevent violent crimi- save lives in the process. That is what ATIONS, AND ENERGY AND nals who shouldn’t be able to purchase we did with the Fix NICS legislation, WATER DEVELOPMENT APPRO- firearms from being able to do so. It and that is exactly what we need to do PRIATIONS ACT, 2020—Motion to was actually one of the good things by coming together once again. Proceed that came out of this terrible tragedy. In the wake of the shootings in El The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under At a time when division and partisan- Paso, Midland, and Odessa, I have been the previous order, the Senate will pro- ship were much more common than working on some ideas that I believe ceed to legislative session to resume working together, we actually were can, once again, help to unite Congress consideration of the motion to proceed able to overcome that partisan divide so we can pass laws that will have a to H.R. 2740, which the clerk will re- and division to pass this commonsense real impact, and not just ‘‘do some- port. solution to a real problem, which I am thing.’’ The senior assistant legislative clerk convinced will save lives in the future. One of the most important ways to read as follows: This is the kind of thing our constitu- intervene as early as possible is to im- Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 140, ents expect us to do and what we need prove access to mental health services. H.R. 2740, making appropriations for the De- to do more of. Assisted outpatient treatment pro- partments of Labor, Health and Human Serv- It has been 2 years since the shooting grams, otherwise known as AOTs, were ices, and Education, and related agencies for in Sutherland Springs. Unfortunately, under the 21st Century Cures Act, as the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and that was not the last mass violence part of a bill I introduced back then for other purposes. episode experienced by the State of called the Mental Health and Safe GUN CONTROL MEASURES Texas. On August 3 of this year, a gun- Communities Act. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, one of man stormed the El Paso Walmart, What is so important about assisted most poignant moments of my life— killing 22 people and wounding two outpatient treatment programs is the and certainly of my career here in the dozen others. Less than a month later, alternatives available to a family Senate—came in 2017, when a gunman on August 31, a man went on a shooting member. When your son or daughter or opened fire on a Sunday service at the rampage in Midland and Odessa, killing your spouse or your parent or your little Baptist Church right outside of 7 people and wounding 25. brother or your sister becomes men- Sutherland Springs, TX. I visited each of these cities in the tally ill and is suffering a crisis, your Twenty-six lives were lost that day; days following the shootings to pay my options are extraordinarily limited. 20 people were injured; and the entire respects to those who had lost loved The assistant outpatient treatment community—that small, little commu- ones, to visit those who were still re- programs provide alternatives to allow nity outside of San Antonio—was shak- covering in hospital rooms, and also to a family member to help somebody un- en to its core by this hateful act. thank the law enforcement officers dergoing a mental health crisis who It didn’t take us too long to learn who I believe saved lives that would otherwise might be a danger to them- about the shooter—a man with a record have otherwise been lost but for their selves and others. of domestic violence, animal cruelty, quick and professional response. We know that the most common and mental illness. He had been court- In those early days, we were still cause of gun-related deaths are sui- martialed by the Air Force and con- gathering information and working to cides. If we could somehow get people

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.002 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5554 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 the mental health treatment they need tion more broadly between teachers, party that is struggling to come to early, before they even think about parents, and counselors so we can iden- grips with reality. taking their own life, we would save tify potential acts of violence before From alarming court-packing calls many lives. If we can get people—like they occur. to baseless allegations against a sitting Adam Lanza, for example, in Sandy My point is that we need to focus on Supreme Court Justice, I am not anx- Hook—mental health treatment, so he things that could actually work. In the ious to see what sort of reprehensible does not become violent to others as case of the Fix NICS Act, it was able to allegations and attacks they come up well, I think we have a very realistic become law because it had the support with next. opportunity to actually save lives of both Republicans and Democrats I would like to reiterate the commit- going forward. here in Congress, as well as the Presi- ment made by the majority leader ear- The Mental Health and Safe Commu- dent. That is precisely what we need to lier this week. As long as we remain in nities Act also increased resources and do again. the Senate, we will prevent this type of training for law enforcement and first The sorts of things I mentioned are mob rule and this sort of media circus responders to identify those with men- real and meaningful changes we can and fight to preserve the rule of law tal illness and respond with treatment- make here to prevent more commu- and the independence of our judiciary. based alternatives. By strengthening nities from grieving from additional I yield the floor. and expanding these programs and tragedies. I hope we rise to the occa- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ROM- prioritizing a strong mental health sion and once again work together and NEY). The Senator from Missouri. workforce, I believe we can avert po- come up with consensus legislation. I, APPROPRIATIONS tential crises before they happen—not as one Senator, am willing to work Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, later in all of them, but I think we can make with anyone on either side of the aisle the day—certainly today or tomor- some real progress. to build consensus and to pass legisla- row—we will have a vote on whether Additionally, I think there are things tion that will make our country and we want to move forward on this year’s we could do to build on the success of our communities safer. appropriations process. The vote would Fix NICS by enforcing current law and BRETT KAVANAUGH allow us to move forward. Frankly, it improving the existing background Mr. President, briefly on another would and should allow every Member check system. matter, Justice Brett Kavanaugh was to make any amendment they want We know we need to take decisive ac- confirmed almost a year ago, but that and to debate this bill on the floor, as tion against individuals who are vio- hasn’t stopped the partisans on the left bills should be debated. If they don’t lating current law by selling and man- from carrying out their fact-devoid like the House bill that we will take ufacturing large numbers of firearms smear campaign. up—and many of us would not like the without a Federal firearms license. It About this time last year, the con- House bill—they have a chance to sub- is clearly Congress’s intent to make firmation hearing for an exceptionally stitute that with another bill or make sure that if you are in the business of well-qualified nominee to the Supreme amendments on that bill. I would like buying and selling firearms in a com- Court was turned into a media circus to see this process get started. mercial enterprise, you should be li- over uncorroborated and unsubstan- A significant part of the House bill censed by the Bureau of Alcohol and tiated allegations. I had hoped that we was the Labor, Health and Human Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or had moved beyond this embarrassing Services, and Education portion. I the ATF. chapter for the Senate and for the chair that bill in the Senate. It is after For example, the shooter in Odessa country, but the circus has somehow the Defense bill, which would also be attempted to purchase a firearm from a returned. part of this bill, which, by the way, has licensed dealer, but because licensed This time, the wild accusations the biggest pay increase for those who dealers must perform background didn’t play out here in the Senate but defend us, in a decade in it. After the checks, he flunked it. He managed to rather in the New York Times. That Defense bill, the Labor, Health and circumvent the background check re- newspaper ran a story over the week- Human Services, and Education bill is quirement by later purchasing his end that publicized more unsubstan- about 30 percent of all the money left. weapon from an individual who was ob- tiated allegations against the Justice So just those two bills together is a viously in the business of manufac- from way back when he was in college. significant amount of all Federal turing and selling firearms, but who The authors and editors managed to spending. never registered as a firearms dealer. leave out the most critical detail of the It would be great if we could get this Thus, the shooter evaded a background entire story. The woman at the center done on time again this year, as we did check, because, as I said, all federally of this reported alleged event declined for 70 percent of the spending last year. licensed firearms dealers are required to be interviewed by the journalists, I am disappointed in the bill that we to do that. and her friends say she doesn’t even re- actually made public as part of an al- We know that, under current law, it call such an event from occurring. But ternative today. For the first time in 4 can be difficult to prosecute individ- the New York Times printed it any- years, we weren’t able to work with our uals who are circumventing Federal way. friends on the other side and have a bi- law when they fail to register as a fed- Well, the reaction was predictable partisan bill. This was a bill that was erally licensed firearms dealer. I be- and immediate. As members of the designed not to bring a lot of con- lieve Congress has a role—and there is media began pointing out this glaring troversial legislating into the appro- a pretty clear path forward—to clarify hole in the story, some Democrats saw priating process but to do the appro- existing law so that unlicensed dealers an opportunity to continue their smear priating, to leave the language in the can be prosecuted and more people in campaign against this good man. They bills that had been there before that the business of selling firearms will be- pounced on these unsubstantiated may have been controversial at one come federally licensed firearms deal- claims as evidence of wrongdoing by time but has long become part of the ers and, thus, by definition, end up Justice Kavanaugh and began calling bill but not add new things. doing more background checks when for his impeachment. We agreed to and the President they are in the business of doing so. Once the paper issued its colossal signed a bipartisan agreement that re- As we have learned as well, it is also correction, none of these folks backed iterated that principle and set a total important for us to take additional down or apologized for calling for the amount of money to be spent. In retro- steps to harden soft targets like impeachment of this good judge, this spect, it might have been better if we schools. We know that people don’t good man, even though the newspaper had also allocated that money between generally try to shoot up a police sta- admitted their error. the 12 committees. We didn’t do that. tion. They go to the soft targets, where This isn’t about the allegations or an We basically allocated the defense part these cowards know they will not be investigation, or even Justice and the nondefense part. Because of met with much resistance. We need to Kavanaugh, for that matter. This is that, we were not able to reach an improve intervention and threat as- just the latest assault on the independ- agreement with the minority to mark sessment at schools and share informa- ence of the Federal judiciary by a up this bill the way I would have liked

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.013 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5555 to and I think, frankly, they would tration about the allocation of Further, the bill increases funding have liked to. Certainly, the ranking money—decided: Well, even though we for the BRAIN Initiative, to map the member and her staff have been an im- have agreed not to fight about new human brain, to $500 million. portant part of this discussion. issues—adding things to the appropria- I had somebody in my office this This bill—the bill that would be our tions bill that haven’t been there be- morning saying that pediatric brain alternative today—includes funding fore—we are going to fight about that. cancer is now a bigger threat to kids that they would like and I like. There We are going to say what the President than leukemia. We made a real effort is a new suicide initiative. It increases can do about this, and we are going to on leukemia. We are now moving to an- early childhood care and education pro- say what doctors can do about that. other area that is now attacking the grams. There are new mental health That is not what this bill does or is lives and ending the lives, perhaps, of workforce programs involved here. We designed to do. more juveniles than leukemia has. invest in homeless youth education in As I mentioned earlier, one of the We have an investment for the first the way that I think the Senate ulti- things we have done is one of my top time in new ways of helping caregivers mately will. Those are all things that priorities as chairman, which is to of patients with Alzheimer’s. The an- we have tried to move forward on in a move forward at this unbelievably im- ticipation is that for every government way that I am confident the minority portant time with health research. I dollar spent—and today that would be is not opposed to. I think they will find can’t help but point out that 4 years about $600 billion a year—for every little to criticize, frankly, in the bill. ago, NIH hadn’t had a penny increase, government dollar spent, there are two We didn’t engage in a lot of new lan- not an inflationary increase, not any private dollars spent, almost never in- guage. Some of the Republicans Mem- increase for 12 years. This was basi- sured. A lot of that is somebody decid- bers, including me, would like to see cally the same 12 years in which we ing in their family that they are going some further defining language in the began to figure out how important it to give up part or all of their work to bill, but that really gets to authorizing was that we now understood the human take care of somebody they care about. and not appropriating. That gets to genome. This was the same 12 years We are fully funding the administra- passing legislation that should go that cancer researchers were looking tion’s request to end the HIV epidemic through other committees and not just at immunotherapy. This was the same in the next 10 years. We have con- deciding how much money we are going 12 years that people were beginning to fidence in NIH that this is possible. We to spend on those activities that the talk about, well, maybe you can do have that in sight. If we could end that Federal Government has to participate some editing with CRISPR technology as a life-threatening epidemic, it would in, is authorized to participate in, that will prevent a future thing from be a big thing. We are moving forward with com- starting with the Constitution itself, occurring, that you could look at that bating the opioid epidemic. Our com- the principal authorization to defend genetic makeup and know it is going to mittee was a little bit ahead of the au- the country. occur. There was not a penny increase. In the Labor-HHS bill, we moved for- thorizers in realizing this is a huge ward with things we have worked to- Four years ago, the research commu- problem for so many people in the gether on now for 4 years—a $3 billion nity said they were 22 percent below— country today. increase in our Federal investment in in research buying power—where they We are making an additional $100 NIH, the National Institutes of Health; had been 12 years earlier. We caught up million national commitment in men- opioid treatment and recovery that fol- on that. If we are able to move forward tal health. NIH says that one in four or lows on our earlier commitments and with the $3 billion increase, we will one in five adult Americans has a moves that number to $3.9 billion. We have had a 40-percent increase over five diagnosable and almost always treat- strengthened the workforce in this bill, budgets. Now we are probably talking able behavioral health issue. particularly the apprenticeships, with about really new money beyond where Those are just some of the many the idea that sooner rather than later, NIH was a dozen years ago. This 40-per- things this bill does. people should get a sense of the kind of cent increase matters. There is $5 million requested by the job they would like to do and under- The House and Senate have worked minority to train professionals to pro- stand the pathway to work, which for together. Congresswoman DELAURO vide mental health and substance some people involves a college edu- and Congressman COLE have worked to- abuse counseling. If you didn’t have a cation and for lots of people does not. gether with Senator MURRAY and me to behavioral health issue before you got I think 50 percent of the people who make this a priority. I think we want addicted, you will definitely have a be- graduated from college are working at to do that again. I think the facts will havioral health issue once you have jobs that don’t have anything to do show that. been addicted. This doesn’t just end by with their college degrees. That doesn’t Why should it be a priority? The saying we can give you something to mean the college degree was bad; it most expensive disease in America get you off the opioid or the drug ad- just means it is not the universal path- right now is Alzheimer’s. The cost to diction you have; you have to mentally way that I think for almost a genera- treat Alzheimer’s patients is antici- get away from that addiction as well. tion now we have talked about—how pated to rise to $1.1 trillion by 2050 if We also focus on education. There are that was going to lead to better in- we don’t find some way to get what is workforce initiatives to prepare young- comes and stronger families and all of happening headed in a different direc- er people for jobs that are out there that. What leads to better incomes and tion. And $1.1 trillion, by the way, is and prepare our entire workforce for stronger families is a good job. It is essentially double the defense budget. I the jobs that come next. We shouldn’t doing things. You get out of high don’t know about you—I don’t have a be in the business of defending just any school and get a job and get married. If very good sense of how much $1.1 tril- job; we want to defend viable jobs that you can do it in that order, you are lion is, but I have a good sense of what are going to be viable today and hope- much more likely to not have concerns we spend all over the world, as Ameri- fully part of the future. We want to en- about poverty than if you try to skip cans, to defend the country and help sure that workers are ready for the any of those or do it some other way. defend the world. We will be spending next job. For a long time, this bill has been twice that amount in today’s dollars— It maintains funding for campus- one of the most difficult bills to nego- taxpayers—on Alzheimer’s and demen- based student aid for people who are tiate. It has many of the hot-button tia treatment in 2050 if we don’t find a likely the first people in their families issues that the country and the Con- solution. So I think quadrupling the to ever attend college—I was the first gress deal with. Again, for the last 3 amount of money that we spend in this person in my family to graduate from years—and that was for the first time area would make more sense. We are college—and the TRIO Programs, to in a decade—we have had a bipartisan spending a little more than 2 percent get high school kids thinking about the bill. I think at the end of the day, we on research, of the tax dollars we are fact that they can go to college as one will have a bipartisan agreement again, spending on treatment right now, and, of their options and what it would but unfortunately our friends on the again, that only gets to be a bigger mean to them if they do that, to do minority have—I think in their frus- problem. things that help people stay in college

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.015 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5556 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 and do things that get people ready for If you live in Nebraska, you under- the Chief’s hand. Days later, the judge real jobs that are out there. stand this fully. This knowledge ruled in favor of Chief Standing Bear. One of the things I have noticed in doesn’t come from maps or directions. At long last, the landmark decision the last year is how many people in It springs from a true love of the land— extended ‘‘equal justice under law’’ to their late twenties are still trying to working on it, cultivating it, raising a Native Americans. decide what to do. I call it the lost dec- family, building strong communities, Nearly 75 years later, a courageous ade. I have had so many conversations taking pride in your life’s work, and woman carried a similar message of that went something like this: Well, I the sweat and tears that generations of equality in Montgomery, AL. Rosa went to college for a semester or a your family put into it. It means en- Parks, whose statue is also in Statuary year, and then I was an Uber driver for during its disasters and enjoying those Hall, knew that standing strong for her a while, and I did some landscaping. I cool peaceful nights full of stars. Chief God-given dignity was worth risking was in retail at the lowest level. I was Standing Bear and the Ponca Tribe un- everything she had. a bartender. Finally, it just occurred to derstood this. Months after her arrest, she said she me that this is not working. I have no Imagine his surprise when on a cold ‘‘would have to know for once and for retirement plan. I have no benefits. I January day in 1877, he and his Tribe all what rights I had as a human being don’t make enough money to have the were told to leave their beloved land. and a citizen.’’ I will close with this. The room we kind of family I would like to have. His Tribe had lived on their reservation will gather in later for the dedication If you missed that decade, you are for more than 200 years, and now they ceremony is known as Statuary Hall. lucky to ever get it back. A few people were being forced to travel nearly 600 Until 1857, the House of Representa- can somehow recover from that eco- miles to the south to Indian territory tives met there, and their business was nomically and replace that lost decade. in Oklahoma. overseen by another statue, Clio—the But the quicker you become part of an Under the threat of bayonets, the muse of history. She was the source of economy that you want to be part of, young and old, men, women, and chil- inspiration for the political leaders at the better off you will be. dren packed up their possessions and In this bill, we are increasing ele- the time and served as a reminder that began to walk. By the time the Tribe mentary and secondary education sup- they were part of history. reached the territory, they were endur- port programs, like the Individuals She is still there above the door lead- ing the scorching months of summer. with Disabilities Education Act, and ing to the Rotunda, keeping notes, doc- Harvest season had passed, and the there is a Pell increase for the third umenting who we are now and where Tribe could not grow crops for the win- year in a row for people who have Pell we are going. Today she will turn a ter months. Starvation was rampant, assistance when they go to school. new page. We prioritized programs that benefit and mosquitoes swarmed the reserva- In Statuary Hall, the very room the country. We tried hard not to do tion with malaria. After a year and a where she observed Congress shame- that in a partisan way. I believe that half, the Ponca lost over one-third of fully passing the Indian Removal Act, at the end of the day, if Democrats their Tribe, including Chief Standing we will dedicate a statue to honor the look at this bill, they might argue Bear’s son. life of Chief Standing Bear. It is an- about the amount of money available, In the final moments of his life, his other important lesson in our Nation’s but I think they would have a hard son made him promise that he would be story that in the end, with bravery, de- time arguing that it is not a bill that buried in the Ponca Tribe’s homeland termination, and empathy, human free- tries to really meet the challenges we in Nebraska. dom will always prevail. face as a country. To give his son the sacred burial he It is a great honor to celebrate the I would like to see us move with this wanted, Chief Standing Bear led a 600- life and contributions of Chief Stand- bill and all four of the House bills in mile quest back to Nebraska, but with ing Bear. I know his statue will inspire the package we vote on today and hope only an estimated 2 days of travel left millions of visitors who visit the U.S. to see that happen when that vote oc- ahead, he was stopped by the U.S. Cav- Capitol every year. I am proud that curs. alry and arrested. Chief Standing Bear Chief Standing Bear’s legacy and the Mr. President, I suggest the absence was thrown in prison and was forced to message of equality lives on in our of a quorum. prove that he had God-given rights as a great cathedral of democracy. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The human being. I yield the floor. clerk will call the roll. During this time, word began to The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The legislative clerk proceeded to spread throughout communities about ator from Iowa. call the roll. his journey. Suddenly, people began to CONSTITUTION DAY Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I ask rally around this devoted father’s Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, it is typi- unanimous consent that the order for story. Eventually, cries for justice re- cally tradition to exchange gifts on an- the quorum call be rescinded. sulted in a historic trial in the U.S. niversaries, but yesterday we cele- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. District Court in Omaha. brated the anniversary of a truly re- SCOTT of Florida). Without objection, The lawyers made their arguments. markable gift given to each of us as it is so ordered. Then the judge granted Chief Standing Americans: the Constitution. REMEMBERING CHIEF STANDING BEAR Bear the opportunity to speak. The On September 17, 1787, our Founding Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, I rise Chief rose and stood in silence while Fathers concluded the Constitutional today to celebrate the life and legacy the packed courtroom anxiously wait- Convention by proposing a new form of of Chief Standing Bear. In about an ed. What followed was one of the great- government based upon inalienable hour, Members of the Nebraska con- est speeches in American history. rights and self-determination of the gressional delegation, Governor Turning to face the judge, he held up American people. The Founders of our Ricketts, and House and Senate leaders his hand and said: great Nation devoted incredible fore- will gather in Statuary Hall to dedi- This hand is not the color of yours, but if sight to the very structure on which cate a statue in his honor. I am proud I pierce it, I shall feel pain. If you pierce our country is built, with the goal of that the State of Nebraska put forth your hand, you also feel pain. The blood that protecting our rights as citizens for his statue because America needs to will flow from mine will be of the same color generations to come. hear his story. as yours. I am a man. The same God made us Folks, we celebrate Constitution Day When Joe Starita, a professor at the both. with gratitude—gratitude for the un- University of Nebraska-Lincoln and es- Reports tell us that when Chief precedented freedoms this document teemed author, speaks on Chief Stand- Standing Bear was finished speaking, guarantees, freedoms which have en- ing Bear’s life, he often begins with re- the courtroom was filled with sounds of dured more than 230 years. As the citing a quote from novelist, poet, and sobbing. A local Omaha World Herald world’s oldest working national Con- farmer Wendell Berry. Wendell Berry reporter recounted that he saw tears stitution, the U.S. Constitution con- once wrote: If you do not understand on the judge’s face. GEN George Crook, tinues to withstand the test of time where you are, you do not understand the defendant in the case, was one of and remains among the most impor- who you are. the first in the sea of people to shake tant documents ever to be written. It

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.016 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5557 not only established our government The Constitution is a guidepost for our Constitution so uniquely successful institutions such as Congress, the Pres- justice and democracy and encom- in nurturing a free and a prosperous so- idency, and the courts, but it also lim- passes the bedrock of our ideals as ciety. Our grand experiment has stood ited the power of each to protect Americans. Most importantly, the Con- the test of time, yet we must continue against tyranny. stitution keeps a promise that power to be vigilant in the preservation of As constructed, our government can shall forever remain with ‘‘We the Peo- this most important part of our Amer- only exercise the limited powers spe- ple.’’ ican legacy. cifically outlined in the Constitution, I yield the floor. So, today, I encourage every Mon- but the freedoms that all of us cherish I suggest the absence of a quorum. tanan and every American to read the deeply and that are so often taken for The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Constitution. Discuss it at the dinner granted are forever guaranteed by the PERDUE). The clerk will call the roll. table. Discuss it with your family Constitution and its Bill of Rights. The bill clerk proceeded to call the members. Discuss it in your class- These include the freedom of reli- roll. rooms. Discuss it with your friends. gion, so we may worship freely what we Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask Discuss it with your neighbors. know to be true in our hearts; freedom unanimous consent that the order for As the preamble states, ‘‘We the Peo- of speech, to debate and openly discuss the quorum call be rescinded. ple’’ established our Constitution, and as we endlessly seek to become that The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without it remains up to ‘‘We the People’’ to ‘‘more perfect Union’’; a free press, to objection, it is so ordered. ensure its success. share information with every citizen Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I rise in May God continue to bless this great from north to south, from coast to commemoration of Constitution Day, Nation. coast, and to and from my home in celebrated nationwide yesterday, the I yield the floor. Iowa; the right to peacefully assemble date, September 17. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and enact change; due process, to en- Two hundred thirty-two years ago, ator from Oklahoma. sure justice for every individual and our Founding Fathers gathered at Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, on protection against cruel and unusual Independence Hall in Philadelphia and September 17, 1787, this great experi- punishment to those who are con- signed a document that remains the su- ment was finalized to try to form what victed; and the right of law-abiding preme law of the land today. In those they considered a more perfect Union, citizens to bear arms. 232 years, the United States has be- and the birth of our Constitution hap- Folks, the words of this Constitution, come the most powerful, the most pros- pened. This was a radical experiment in our sacred Constitution, have endured perous Nation in the history of the self-government, and most of the rest because they work. The Constitution world, and that success has come as a of the world at the time stared at those sets the stage for the generations that result of the framework set by our Con- whom we now call our Founding Fa- follow to continue to expand its ‘‘Bless- stitution. thers and thought, that will never ings of Liberty,’’ including: The 13th The genius of the Framers was their work. Amendment that abolished slavery, the determination to maximize the free- It wasn’t a parliamentary system. It 15th Amendment which guaranteed Af- dom of the individual while recognizing wasn’t a monarchy. It was a represent- rican Americans the right to vote, and the need for a central government lim- ative republic, and it was pulling some- the 19th Amendment, which was ap- ited in size by our Constitution. The thing out of the thoughts and the proved by Congress 100 years ago this Founders understood the nature of hearts of people to say: This is inher- past July, granting women the right to man. The Founders understood that ently what we think would work. vote. power corrupts. It began with the simple concept of The Constitution does more to pro- Under the framework of federalism, checks and balances—that one person tect liberty than any political docu- we created a divide between the States would check another person who would ment ever composed. It actively guar- and the Federal Government, allowing check another person. They were able antees life, liberty, and the pursuit of for powers to be shared. In fact, the to put that into a governmental struc- happiness that our Founders merely 10th Amendment states: ture that had three coequal branches— hoped for at the drafting of the Dec- The powers not delegated to the United an executive, a legislative, and judicial laration of Independence. States by the Constitution, nor prohibited branch—so that we don’t have one over To tamper with any of the rights by it to the States, are reserved to the the other. The three stand on equal promised to us at the founding of our States respectively, or to the people. footing. Each of them watches the Nation is to weaken the structure upon At the Federal level, we established other. which our liberty was promised. Even three coequal branches of government, It was a unique system of putting a in polarized times, these principles which established a system of checks legislative branch together that had continue to ring true and unite us as and balances to offset the concentra- one body made up of the House of Rep- Americans. tion of power. To complement the laws resentatives that would be large, bois- Before each of us in this Chamber established, our Founders put in place terous, and up for election every two began our service to the people of our the Bill of Rights as a safeguard to pro- years. own great States, we first swore an tect the individual from the threat of The most painful parts of govern- oath to support and defend the Con- government tyranny. Our sacred rights ment—that are required of govern- stitution of the United States. Every and freedoms endowed by our Creator ment—are put into the hands of the man and woman who enlists in our Na- are recognized as inherent and un- people who are closest to the people. tion’s Armed Forces, as I have, begins touchable because of our Bill of Rights. Those are the power of impeachment, their service by swearing a similar As the Father of our Constitution, the power of the purse, and the power oath. James Madison, stated: of things that need to be done by gov- Folks, the political winds may blow In Europe, charters of liberty have been ernment but can be done only by peo- left, and they may blow right, but we granted by power. America has set the exam- ple who are closest to the government. can rest assured that no one can take ple . . . of charters of power granted by lib- Then they were able to create a Sen- away these guaranteed freedoms. With erty. ate with longer terms, closer to the every new bill we consider, we must al- Our constitutional system of govern- States, and a larger perspective on how ways pause to ensure that it is adher- ment is the envy of the world and has we would structure together to make ing to the rights outlined in our Con- served as a model for countries world- sure that we protect the rights of the stitution. wide that are seeking to create rep- individual States and the uniqueness There is nowhere in the world that resentative governments. That is why of, at that time, those 13 States all enjoys the constitutional freedoms it is so important for us to observe joining together. It was a radical idea that American citizens do today. Those days like Constitution Day. Americans and a complete shift from where we rights and freedoms apply to each one of all ages should be learning and had just been. of us equally. No one is above the law, should be studying our Constitution. As Americans, occasionally we forget and no one is beneath it. They should be taking in what makes that this wasn’t our first time to try to

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.019 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5558 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 put a government together. Prior to like doctors, lawyers, psychiatrists—as after a little more than a decade, had 1787, we had Articles of Confederation many types of professions as they been proven not to work. It was just that basically had 13 different States choose. They decide the time, manner, not a workable structure. Yet it looked that were very loosely connected to and places of elections because those to the States. It was sort of ‘‘we the each other, that continued to spar with are the responsibilities of the States. States of the United States enter into each other, and that didn’t cooperate They determine motor vehicle registra- this agreement as States.’’ together. Eventually, they determined tions, driver’s licenses, marriage li- Yet it was this brand new concept in that we had to do something different. censes, business licenses. They regulate the Constitution that was put on paper After our practice round of the Arti- commerce within their State. at least for the first time—that of ‘‘we cles of Confederation, we put together Our simple system is not only broken the people.’’ In 1787—in reality, when this Constitution. But even after the up into three different branches of gov- the Constitution was adopted and the Constitution was put into place, when ernment, but it is also broken up into government was formed in 1789—the the very first Congress came into ses- local governments, State governments, people became the source of govern- sion, they immediately began work on and unique responsibilities for the Fed- ment. The people became the respon- 12 amendments that, at that time, they eral Government. That begins with our sible party. The people became the called the Bill of Rights. That is right; national defense, which is uniquely a party by which, if the government there were 12 amendments. We are so role that we can do together as a Fed- weren’t doing what you wanted it to used to hearing about the 10 amend- eral Government. Then there are inter- do, it was up to you to do something ments in the Bill of Rights, but they state commerce and managing treaties about it because the government was started with 12. They debated and they with foreign entities. It is the responsi- only there because of you. Now, is ‘‘we the people’’ a totally in- edited and they worked it through, and bility of the larger government. clusive, perfect document or was it those 12 ended up becoming 10. Those 10 This unique experiment that was rad- even a perfect idea in 1787? Not at all. amendments were added as our Bill of ical in its day is still the envy of the In fact, the Constitution goes on to Rights, but we continue to be able to world to this day, and there is a reason read that we are doing this to form a edit and to be able to work together as we pause each year in September and more perfect union. It doesn’t even a country. remember Constitution Day. suggest the forming of a perfect Union. Eventually, we fought a civil war— I think about how often we celebrate It just suggests forming a more perfect one of the most tragic parts of the en- the Declaration of Independence every Union with the understanding of a tire history of our Nation. Yet this Fourth of July and think about Thom- range of vision of what might happen. Constitution still kept us together at as Jefferson—his writing and all of the There were people who were advocating the end, and we still function together. editing that then happened with his for women to be able to vote as Abigail Since the original 10 Bill of Rights, document after he wrote it. We some- Adams had advocated during the Revo- we have added 17 different amendments times lose track of a day in September lution itself. There were people advo- to the Constitution. This enduring doc- when we can pause and think of that cating that slavery be ended. There ument, after more than two centuries, second document in our founding after were many things that were evidenced continues to be the foundation of every the Declaration—the U.S. Constitu- in that room as part of the debate that single law in the United States. It is tion—that remains the foundation of didn’t happen, but they didn’t wait to unlike many parts of the world even every law that we still continue with have a perfect Union. They said they still today. today. We could not be more grateful were going to form a more perfect In much of the world, they change for a stable foundation for our Nation. Union, and you have to believe they as- constitutions every time their Mon- I yield the floor. sumed it would get more perfect as arch changes. They change constitu- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- time went on. tions every time their government ator from Missouri. Here we are 200-some years later. Is Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, I join my changes. And when an executive branch it perfect yet? No, but it is, hopefully, decides they don’t particularly like two colleagues who were just here and more perfect than it has been and is what is happening in the legislative spoke while I was here—my friend from less perfect than it will be because we branch, they just demand a new con- Montana and my friend from Okla- the people are going to come together stitution and shift the laws of the en- homa—to talk about, really, the in this Convention and then, later, tire country. uniqueness of the government we have adopt it in a bigger setting to form a We don’t. We started with a Constitu- and of the unbelievable coming to- more perfect Union. That more perfect tion and started with the simple prin- gether of ideas in Philadelphia in 1787. Union would include ideas that nobody ciple that the law matters. We con- They were ideas, frankly, that nobody had ever thought about before. tinue to build on that basic law. When had ever thought of in quite the same If the people are forming the govern- our preferences change, the law still way before, starting with the first ment, what kind of controls do you put exceeds our preferences. And if there is three words. This was the only docu- on the government? Not too many con- a change that we need to make in law, ment that had ever been devised up trols. we agree together to make a change in until that time that had suggested that I remember, with the Bicentennial of law. the source of government was the the Constitution, Warren Burger was We still continue to respect the source of government that the Con- the Chairman of the Bicentennial Com- uniqueness of, now, all 50 States and of stitution recognizes immediately. mission and the Chief Justice of the local authorities. We still have coun- When the Magna Carta talked about United States. He said, when he was a ties and cities and parishes and munici- the relationship between the King and boy, you measured the value of a horse palities. They oversee school boards. the barons of England, that was even a by how little harness you could put it They make day-to-day decisions. They big step in a new direction because, up on and still get it to do the work you provide local first responders, garbage until then, under monarchies, there wanted done. You didn’t totally handi- collection, recycling, public transpor- was only one source of government, cap the horse by piling all kinds of har- tation, parks and recreation. They which was God. God’s ordained, chosen nesses and all kinds of reins and all manage utilities. They decide street Monarch was viewed by country, after kinds of bits. A valuable horse was a names, deal with local roads, street country, after country as the way this horse that didn’t need to take all kinds signs, and zoning laws. It is all done lo- should be done, and there would be a of structure but had all the structure it cally; it is not done federally. The Fed- succession, and it would be understood. needed. That is what the Constitution eral Government has nothing to do It had, really, nothing to do with you tried to put together, not a govern- with that. or me or anybody else. It was all some ment that would overwhelm itself but Then, larger than the local munici- greater plan that was left up to some- a government that had enough to con- palities, we have the States. They es- body else. trol itself. tablish local governments. They estab- The Articles of Confederation that They came up with this idea of a bal- lish public schools, issue teaching cer- Mr. LANKFORD mentioned was a weak ance of power. As all of us would be- tificates, and licenses for professionals form of government that just simply, lieve, they started describing the most

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.021 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5559 important part of the government in Here we are, celebrating this unique the support of both Republicans and article I. That is why it was article I moment when people came together Democrats. that set up the Congress—the House with ideas that were put on paper and Is that how we operate? Just because and the Senate. They then came up were approved. Even if they had been things get complicated and difficult, do with an executive who would execute talked about before, they had never we just skip parts of the legislative the will of the article I body—the body formed the basis for a government be- process? Do we say, ‘‘Oh, my goodness that decided how to spend the money fore. Yet here we are—well over 200 gracious, I am afraid to have to vote on and the body that would decide what years beyond 1787 and the first year of something either yes or no’’? That is laws could get on the President’s desk the government, 1789. The Constitution no way to proceed. and the body that had the ability, if has been the model for all kinds of con- Not one Democrat on the Appropria- the President didn’t sign the law, to stitutions by all kinds of countries. In- tions Committee voted for the Defense override the President’s decision not to terestingly, many of them have almost bill—not one—including me, and I have sign the law. the same Constitution we have, but voted for more money for the Depart- All of that was there in that balance they have just not been able to figure ment of Defense than any Senator who of power. It was where the Congress out how to live with it or to let the is serving in this body today. had strengths, where the executive had balance of power or the power of people The way the Defense bill was written, strengths, and where even the Court work. it does nothing to prevent the Presi- comes in to serve often as a referee be- Again, the most important part is dent from stealing billions of dollars tween the two. It is sometimes to tell that of the first three words—the most more from our troops to pay for his the President what the President can important in understanding the form- cynical campaign promise of building a do and what the Congress can’t do. ing of a more perfect Union. It has not gigantic wall across our southern bor- Sometimes it is just the opposite and yet been accomplished and maybe der. He will steal this money from our says: No, you can’t do this. You can ap- never will be accomplished, but it al- troops and their families even though propriate the money, but you can’t ap- ways gives us a goal for things to be he promised us that Mexico would pay propriate it conditionally. You can’t better than they have been. In our for it. appropriate the money and say, to get country, we have the opportunity to In fiscal year 2019 alone, the Presi- the money, the President has to do live under the Constitution, which pro- dent has already raided $6.1 billion things that don’t have anything to do vides a unique set of liberties and free- from the Department of Defense’s ac- with the appropriations process. We doms that others can only hope for. counts for his border wall. He did that just want the President to behave dif- I yield the floor. without having congressional approval. ferently. We can’t do that, and the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- He first diverted $2.5 billion from the President shouldn’t be able to do it ei- ator from Vermont. fiscal year 2019 Defense Appropriations ther. The courts are often the group H.R. 2740 Act for the wall by using standard that decides that. Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, later transfer authority. We provide this au- Again, in not having too many obli- today, we are going to vote on whether thority to the Department of Defense gations in the Constitution, what does to invoke cloture on the motion to pro- to ensure that the DOD has the flexi- the Constitution say about the courts? ceed to H.R. 2740, the House Labor, bility it requires to meet the needs of It does not say a lot. It reads there will be a Supreme Health and Human Services, Edu- the troops in an evolving threat envi- Court and such other courts as the cation, Defense, State, Foreign Oper- ronment. It is not intended to be used Congress decides are necessary. That is ations, and Energy and Water Develop- by the President as a piggy bank for a not a very complex structure. It ment Appropriations Act. I must say I campaign promise or for a pet project doesn’t say how many people are going have to strongly urge Senators to vote that Congress has refused to support. to be on the Supreme Court. There no. He took $3.6 billion more from mili- have been different numbers over time. I am not urging a ‘‘no’’ vote because tary construction projects for a south- It doesn’t say how many other courts the House bills are not good bills. The ern border wall. This was the wall he there will be. Yet the courts are there, underlying House bills are good bills. If gave his word that Mexico would pay and the judges serve for life. Outside of we were going to vote just to consider for. He, instead, is taking the money the normal concerns that they might these bills, that would be easy. I and from projects like military schools, have that one of the other groups practically everybody in this Chamber childcare centers, and improved train- would decide whether they could con- would vote yes, but that is not what we ing facilities that would improve the tinue to serve or not, that may be their are doing. lives of our troops and their families to greatest power—that they are there no Senator MCCONNELL has made it very pay for his wall. We cannot let that matter what they decide unless their clear that he will bring up H.R. 2740 not happen again. decisions are so extraordinary that to vote on the bills that have been I offered an amendment during com- somehow the other power decides to re- passed by the House of Representatives mittee markup of the Defense appro- move them. but for the consideration of the Sen- priations bill that would protect the So here we are. It is a living docu- ate’s Defense appropriations bill, which money we appropriated for our troops ment. It is amendable. It is a living was a partisan bill that was reported by prohibiting the President from document through its amendments, not along party lines out of the Appropria- using it to build a border wall, but that through its interpretation. tions Committee. He is going to offer amendment was defeated on a party- The Founders and those who believe that as a substitute once we proceed to line vote. the Constitution continues to serve a the underlying bills. Now the Republican leader accuses constitutional purpose never thought, On top of taking a totally partisan Democrats of not standing with the well, we will decide later what the bill as a substitute for legislation that troops by voting against this bill, but Founders would have thought that sen- could have easily passed, as part of the it is exactly the opposite. tence meant. This has divided our substitute, Leader MCCONNELL is going We are the ones saying we want funds country, by the way, for a while. Many to offer the Energy and Water Appro- that should go to support the troops people, along with me, think the Con- priations bill as well as the State, For- and their families to go to them, and stitution means what it says it means eign Operations, and Labor-HHS and we should not allow the President to and what you would have thought it Education bills. Now, those last two take the money from the troops and would have meant in the context of the bills have never been considered by the their families for the wall. time. If you want to change that, there committee. They have not been voted Taking that money is tantamount to is a process to change it. The amend- on by the subcommittees, and they telling military families: You may ment process works beyond just the have not been voted on by the full com- serve loyally, but we care more about a first 10 amendments and the other mittee. They were pulled from the failed campaign promise—a wall in the amendments that Senator LANKFORD committee markup last week because middle of the desert that the President talked about, and it is still there to do the Republicans were afraid to vote on promised Mexico would pay for—than that. amendments that would have received we do about providing schools and

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.023 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5560 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 daycare for their children or weapons The majority leader has said there is the 100 Members of the U.S. Senate— training or a fire station. I am not no education in the second kick of a 100 men and women—who represent 325 going to sign up for that. mule. I agree, but now we find our- million Americans. That is an awesome We have to stand up for the Constitu- selves in this position again. We have responsibility. tion. The President has contorted the been down this road. It was the Presi- Senators should not be afraid to vote. law beyond all recognition by raiding dent’s failed strategy that led to the Senators should show courage, not hide defense dollars for his wall. He has un- longest government shutdown in the behind procedural actions so they done congressional funding decisions history of our country just 9 months never have to take a position. That is by fiat. If we let that go unanswered, ago and cost Americans billions of dol- not why people come to the U.S. Sen- we are surrendering Congress’s con- lars. ate. That is not what is expected of the stitutional power of the purse. It was the President’s failed strategy 100 people here to represent this great Last year, we were able to move ap- to hold the government of the Amer- country. propriations bills on the floor because ican people hostage to pay for a wall So I would urge Members to vote no the leaders agreed that only bills that that he gave his word Mexico would on the cloture motion. It is nothing had bipartisan support would move for- pay for. more than a political stunt. ward. I commend my colleague, the There is a bipartisan path forward. We have bipartisan bills with over- senior Senator from Alabama, Senator We have bipartisan bills that have gone whelming support of Republicans and SHELBY. We showed the right way to through the Appropriations Committee Democrats. Bring them up. Let’s not waste time on show votes. proceed then and it is the right way to with overwhelming support of Repub- I will continue to work with my good proceed now. We passed those bills, but licans and Democrats. The majority the package of bills before us today friend Chairman SHELBY and the ma- leader ought to just bring those bills jority and Democratic leader to find a does not have such support. up while we sort out these other issues. I was hopeful that once we secured a way forward, but let’s not have show The Energy and Water Appropria- votes. Let’s have real votes. Let’s have bipartisan budget agreement, we would tions bill was reported out of com- be on a bipartisan path to consider all 100 of us stand up and say what we mittee last week on a unanimous vote; stand for. Senate appropriations bills that reflect every Democrat, every Republican the best of our country. Unfortunately, I yield the floor. voted for it. Tomorrow the Appropria- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the Republican leadership started out tions Committee will consider the Ag- ator from Alabama. the process on a partisan note by refus- riculture appropriations bill and the Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I lis- ing to rein in the ability of the Presi- Transportation, Housing and Urban De- tened to some of the remarks of the dent to take the defense dollars meant velopment appropriations bill. distinguished Senator from Vermont to help our troops and using them to I expect that most Democrats and and friend. I think we are both trying build his wall and by shortchanging the most Republicans will vote for them, to find a path forward to move our ap- Labor-HHS-Education appropriations and we could bring these bills to the propriations bill, but we are not there so they could put $5 billion of it in the floor. Instead, we are forced today to yet. Homeland Security bill for the Presi- vote cloture on a partisan defense ap- This afternoon, I urge my colleagues dent’s wall. propriations bill, a partisan state-for- to invoke cloture on the motion to pro- Now I wonder how many more of our eign operations bill, and a partisan ceed to H.R. 2740, the first package of tax dollars we are going to spend on labor-HHS-education bill, the last two appropriations bills sent over by the this boondoggle. If you put it to a vote of which were never even considered in U.S. House of Representatives. This to this country, they would say: No committee. package includes the Defense; Energy more. The State-Foreign Operations bill and Water; Labor, HHS, and Education; In the bipartisan budget agreement, continues the President’s discrimina- and State-Foreign Operations appro- nondefense funding was given a $27 bil- tory Mexico City policy, which pro- priations bills. lion increase. That was roughly a 3-per- hibits funding for private organizations My Democratic colleagues have said cent increase. If all things were equal, that support family planning and re- they are opposed to proceeding to this the Labor-HHS-Education appropria- package because we must pass domes- tions bill, which is our largest domes- productive health, and it caps funding for family planning at an arbitrarily tic spending bills before we pass the tic funding bill, should receive a 3-per- Defense bill, but this package before us cent funding increase in fiscal year and unacceptably low level. It elimi- nates all funding for the U.N. popu- right now does both. In fact, it ac- 2020, but the Republican bill only gives counts for more than 40 percent of do- 1 percent, while the Department of lation fund. That is a fund that pro- vides lifesaving assistance to women mestic spending. As I said before, it Homeland Security receives a 7-percent mirrors the package sent to us by and girls in Yemen and dozens of other increase to pay for the wall. That is Speaker PELOSI and the Democratic- countries where USAID does not have not right. controlled House. So this excuse, I be- programs. The result is a bill put forward by the lieve, for delaying consideration of this For the past 30 years, I have been ei- Republicans today that fails to cover package doesn’t hold water this after- ther chairman or ranking member for even the annual cost of inflation in noon. We need to move the process for- the State, Foreign Operations Sub- public health and Head Start, ward. childcare, special education, education committee. That subcommittee has a I want to make a few points about for the disadvantaged, veterans’ train- long record of producing bipartisan the Senate versions of these bills that ing grants, and dozens of other pro- bills. That was true when the majority we will bring up if we invoke cloture grams. leader, Senator MCCONNELL, was chair- today. So robbing from the funds that were man, when former Senator Judd Gregg Last week, the Appropriations Com- meant for education, childcare, and of New Hampshire was chairman, while mittee reported the Defense and En- healthcare programs that have a real Senator GRAHAM has been chairman, ergy and Water bills. The Energy and positive impact on the lives of all and during the years I was chairman. Water bill, as Senator LEAHY has just American people to pay for President We were ready to mark up that bill last remarked, garnered unanimous sup- Trump’s wall is just as unacceptable as week, but because one Senator wanted port. My Democratic colleagues simi- robbing from these funds from our to offer an amendment related to fam- larly praised the bipartisan nature of military. Members on our side of the ily planning—an amendment that had the Defense bill. Yet they voted aisle are not going to support that. both Republican and Democratic sup- against it in the committee. They did Last year, the President shut down port of a majority of members of the so because the bill, as I understand it, much of the government for 35 days in committee—the markup was canceled. from what they tell me, does not re- a tweet tantrum over his wall. This We were not allowed to vote on it. strict the President’s ability to trans- strategy of border wall above all else, Rather than vote, the majority can- fer funds to secure our southern border. border wall above any interests of this celed the markup. What kind of process The terms of the bipartisan budget country, has already failed once, and it is this? What kind of democracy is deal governed the fiscal year 2020 ap- will fail again. that? We are better than this. We are propriations process. That is why they

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.025 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5561 entered into this agreement. They were Democratic Leader to sequence bills in a bi- adhere to it now. I think the American agreed to by Republican and Demo- partisan way, and acknowledges that bipar- people want us to do it and do it now. cratic leaders, all the way up to the tisan concurrence is required to expedite the It is all the more important consid- consideration of any appropriations bill. ering what we are trying to fund with President, the Speaker of the House, 8. The President, Congressional leaders and the majority leader, the minority lead- the leadership of the Appropriations Com- this package. It contains critical in- er, and so forth. Those terms expressly mittees shall work together to reach bi- vestments, not just in health, edu- prohibit restrictions on the President’s cameral and bipartisan agreement on the or- cation and energy projects but in na- ability to transfer funds. It is plain as derly and timely consideration of FY 2020 ap- tional security, our military. day. propriations bills to avoid a government I believe the situation unfolding in Our Democratic colleagues may now shutdown, and a 12-bill omnibus. The Presi- Saudi Arabia should serve as a grave regret having agreed to those terms, dent, Congressional leaders and the leader- reminder to all of us that we must set but that does not change the fact that ship of the Appropriations Committees shall aside partisan politics and do our job also work together to reach bicameral and they did agree to them, and we want to bipartisan agreement on the orderly and to provide our military the resources it go by them. timely consideration of FY 2021 appropria- needs to keep America safe. It should Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- tions bills to avoid a government shutdown, also remind us that our main adver- sent to place this term sheet into the and a 12-bill omnibus. saries—China and Russia—never relent RECORD. Mr. SHELBY. Lack of adherence to in their efforts to destabilize us any- There being no objection, the mate- the terms of the budget deal also ex- where in the world. That is why we rial was ordered to be printed in the plains why we are unable to mark up must do our part to ensure that they RECORD, as follows: the other two bills in this package: fail. We cannot do that without stable BIPARTISAN BUDGET AGREEMENT FOR FISCAL Labor, HHS, and Education and State- funding for our military and for cer- YEARS 2020 AND 2021 Foreign Operations. tainty for our soldiers. 1. The 2019 Bipartisan Budget Agreement Just like the Defense and Energy and Failure to prioritize funding for our for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (‘‘Agreement’’) Water bills, these bills were crafted in national defense would undermine the is agreed to by the bipartisan leadership of a bipartisan way. Yet some of my Pentagon’s planning process, hinder Congress and the administration of Donald Democratic colleagues threatened to our commanders’ ability to counter J. Trump. The bipartisan Congressional lead- ership and the administration agree to co- amend these bills with abortion-related threats to America, and threaten the operate in the Agreement’s implementation. poison pills. safety of our Nation. That is unaccept- 2. The Agreement modifies the discre- Poison pills, as we all know—just able. tionary spending caps imposed by the Budget like restrictions on transfer author- We have the opportunity today to Control Act (‘‘BCA’’) for fiscal years 2020 and ity—are expressly—expressly—prohib- move forward together to bolster our 2021 pursuant to the table below. The spend- ited by the terms of the budget deal national security. We have a frame- ing cap adjustments are intended to reflect that we all agreed to just a few weeks work for success that we have used last the elimination of the BCA sequester for two ago. Again, both parties agreed to year. Let’s use it now. years, plus a slight increase in spending for both defense and non-defense programs. those terms. I hope my Democratic colleagues will 3. The parties agree to partially offset the Regardless, I am interested in mov- recommit to the terms of the budget Agreement’s modifications to the discre- ing the appropriations process forward, deal that they agreed to in spirit and tionary spending caps legislation by extend- and I believe Senator LEAHY is too. I in fact. I hope they will set aside par- ing the BCA mandatory sequester and cus- am interested in doing so consistent tisan politics and do right by our mili- toms user fees to achieve a total offset level with the budget agreement we agreed tary, the numerous agencies that of $77.4 billion as scored by the Congressional to. would receive funding in this package, Budget Office. That is why the chairman of the 4. The debt limit will be suspended for two and our constituents—the American years, through July 31, 2021. No additional Labor-HHS and Senate Foreign Oper- people—and let us get on with the busi- restrictions will be placed on the Secretary’s ations Subcommittees, Senator BLUNT ness of the people. extraordinary measures authorities. The and Senator GRAHAM, have released the Again, this afternoon I urge my col- debt limit suspension, spending cap adjust- versions of these bills that the Appro- leagues to vote yes on cloture. ments, offsets, and any necessary procedural priations Committee intended to con- CLOTURE MOTION matters, will be included as part of a single sider last week. piece of legislation. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant Both bills were crafted with bipar- to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the 5. Appropriations bills: Specific spending tisan input, and both are free of poison decisions shall be left to the members of the Senate the pending cloture motion, Appropriations Committees, with 302(b)s set pills. We are proud of the work that which the clerk will state. through the regular process of the commit- went into those bills and want to be The senior assistant legislative clerk tees. Congressional leaders and the adminis- transparent about how we intend to read as follows: tration agree that, relative to the FY 2019 proceed, but before we vote on cloture, CLOTURE MOTION regular appropriations Acts, there will be no I want to remind my colleagues of our We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- poison pills, additional new riders, addi- shared success last year and our com- tional CHIMPS, or other changes in policy or ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the mon interest in moving the process for- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby conventions that allow for higher spending ward this year. levels, or any non-appropriations measures move to bring to a close debate on the mo- unless agreed to on a bipartisan basis by the In fiscal year 2019—last year—we tion to proceed to H.R. 2740, a bill making four leaders with the approval of the Presi- achieved more success in passing ap- appropriations for the Departments of Labor, dent. Current transfer funding levels and au- propriations bills than we had done in Health and Human Services, and Education, thorities shall be maintained, and any modi- 20 years. The linchpin of that success and related agencies for the fiscal year end- fications must be agreed to on a bipartisan was an agreement between me and Sen- ing September 30, 2020, and for other pur- poses. basis by the four leaders with the approval of ator LEAHY, the vice chairman of the the President. Any emergency spending lev- Mitch McConnell, Roger F. Wicker, John committee, to ban poison pills from ap- Cornyn, Richard C. Shelby, John Bar- els must be agreed to on a bipartisan basis propriation bills. Both sides upheld by the four leaders with the approval of the rasso, Johnny Isakson, Richard Burr, President. that agreement right here on the floor, Thom Tillis, Mike Rounds, Jerry 6. The agreement also establishes a new and we funded 75 percent of the govern- Moran, Mike Crapo, James E. Risch, cap adjustment for FY 2020 to help ensure ment on time. John Boozman, Roy Blunt, John the necessary resources for the decennial That is the framework the bipartisan Thune, David Perdue, John Hoeven. Census are provided. budget deal was modeled after so we The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- 7. Senate Leaders agree that if a bill has could replicate what we did last year. imous consent, the mandatory quorum been reported on a bipartisan basis from the The purpose of the budget agreement is call has been waived. Senate Appropriations Committee and is to replicate the success we had last The question is, Is it the sense of the consistent with the BCA spending caps, and has the support of the Chairman and the year, as I just said, to ensure that we Senate that debate on the motion to Ranking Member, they will work together to do not revert to the dysfunctional ap- proceed to H.R. 2740, a bill making ap- minimize procedural delays. The Majority propriations process of years past. propriations for the Departments of Leader will continue to consult with the That is why it is so important that we Labor, Health and Human Services,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.026 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5562 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 and Education, and related agencies for Our Constitution is a disarmingly Supreme Court confirmations have the fiscal year ending September 30, short document to read. When you sit turned into a circus. Policy debates de- 2020, and for other purposes, shall be down to read it, it doesn’t really take volve into personal attacks. Distin- brought to a close? a lot of time to digest it. When you are guishing between news and opinion is The yeas and nays are mandatory done with it, you might easily walk all but impossible on many days of the under the rule. away thinking: That wasn’t that hard week. Many of my friends on the other The clerk will call the roll. after all. It is pretty simple, right? We side of the aisle like to describe the The senior assistant bill clerk called all know that is not necessarily the Constitution as a living document, but the roll. case. It is easy to understand, but it is I don’t really follow that line of think- Mr. THUNE. The following Senators so important that we look at it in its ing. Describing our Constitution as a are necessarily absent: the Senator entirety. living document is really just a prelude from Kansas (Mr. ROBERTS) and the There is an entire body of law dedi- to changing the rules to fit the cir- Senator from South Dakota (Mr. cated to tearing apart that Constitu- cumstances, and, in my opinion, that is ROUNDS). tion. It is mind-boggling when you a dangerous concept. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the think about that. We have this docu- As our Founders signed on the dotted Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER), ment. It puts this foundation in place, line, the rest of the world looked to- the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. KLO- and there is law that would rip it ward America’s shores with skep- BUCHAR), and the Senator from apart. There are those who would rip it ticism, and, at times, derision. They Vermont (Mr. SANDERS) are necessarily apart, who are looking for answers to didn’t understand how a government absent. problems our Founders never dreamed by the people and for the people could The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. COT- of. possibly fit into the existing mold. TON). Are there any other Senators in There has been a lot of talk lately After over 200 years of progress, there the Chamber desiring to vote? concerning the Founders and how their are still those who remain skeptical of The yeas and nays resulted——yeas backgrounds and status in society in- the country that broke the mold and 51, nays 44, as follows: formed the document that eventually transformed from a struggling cluster [Rollcall Vote No. 292 Leg.] became what is known as the Constitu- of Colonies into a shining city on a YEAS—51 tion of the United States. But I think hill. Alexander Ernst Murkowski it is even more important to think of I urge all of my colleagues to respect Barrasso Fischer Perdue the Founders as human beings who Blackburn Gardner Peters the Constitution. It is not an intellec- Blunt Graham Portman came to the Constitutional Convention tual straitjacket. Not once has the sum Boozman Grassley Risch harboring ambitions and goals equal in of its contents acted as a barrier to Braun Hawley Romney gravity to our present passions—their progress. The Constitution is not the Burr Hoeven Rubio Capito Hyde-Smith Sasse desire to have a United States of Amer- source of the freedoms it guarantees, Cassidy Inhofe Scott (FL) ica. but it does state definitively that its Collins Isakson Scott (SC) They wanted freedom from their op- execution secured the blessings of lib- Cornyn Johnson Shelby pressors on the other side of the world Cotton Jones Sullivan erty to those who bore witness to Cramer Kennedy Thune and from a system of government that America’s beginnings and to those who Crapo Lankford Tillis would inevitably lead to oppression. would come after. It is a legacy worth Cruz Lee Toomey They said: No more. Let’s write this fighting for. Happy Constitution Day. Daines McSally Wicker Enzi Moran Young into the fiber of this Nation—freedom; I yield the floor. freedom from our oppressors. They I suggest the absence of a quorum. NAYS—44 wanted to reforge the chains that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Baldwin Hassan Rosen broke during the Revolution into ties clerk will call the roll. Bennet Heinrich Schatz The legislative clerk proceeded to Blumenthal Hirono Schumer that would bind the several States to- Brown Kaine Shaheen gether under a common goal—bound call the roll. Cantwell King Sinema together, united in purpose and in free- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Cardin Leahy Smith dom. After years of blood and uncer- ask unanimous consent that the order Carper Manchin Stabenow tainty, they desperately wanted con- for the quorum call be rescinded. Casey Markey Tester Coons McConnell The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Udall trol over their own lives and over their Cortez Masto Menendez Van Hollen futures, individual freedom—freedom ALEXANDER). Without objection, it is so Duckworth Merkley Warner ordered. Durbin Murphy to choose. Feinstein Murray Warren Because they were human, yes, they f Gillibrand Paul Whitehouse wanted power, and so they argued. Wyden NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA- Harris Reed They argued about everything. They TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 NOT VOTING—5 argued about States’ rights. They ar- Booker Roberts Sanders gued about a nation having a debt. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Klobuchar Rounds They argued about the Confederacy ask that the Chair lay before the Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this and compacts versus the Federalists’ ate the message to accompany S. 1790. vote, the yeas are 51, the nays are 44. vision of ‘‘a more perfect Union.’’ But The Presiding Officer laid before the Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho- through all that, the Founders still Senate the following message from the sen and sworn having not voted in the managed to create a document that set House of Representatives: affirmative, the motion is rejected. forth a new standard of government—a Resolved, That the House insist upon its The majority leader. government of the people, by the peo- amendment to the bill (S. 1790), entitled ‘‘An Act to authorize appropriations for fiscal MOTION TO RECONSIDER THE VOTE ple, and for the people. It is a form of year 2020 for military activities of the De- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I governance that is responsible not to partment of Defense, for military construc- enter a motion to reconsider the vote. the government but is responsible to tion, and for defense activities of the Depart- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mo- the people. ment of Energy, to prescribe military per- tion is entered. They gave us a framework, but there sonnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for The Senator from Tennessee. are a great many things that they de- other purposes,’’ and ask for a conference CONSTITUTION DAY clined to set in stone. They made a with the Senate on the disagreeing votes of Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, conscious choice, which is why we con- the two Houses thereon. one of the occasions that we celebrate tinually find ourselves engaging in COMPOUND MOTION every year is Constitution Day, and philosophical combat. Unfortunately, Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I that actually took place yesterday. It as part of that battle, many of my move that the Senate disagree to the was so exciting to visit with students, friends on the other side of the aisle House amendment, agree to the request talk to constituents, and celebrate have gone so far as to undermine the of the House for conference, and au- Constitution Day and the fact that we very institutions that define this coun- thorize the Chair to appoint conferees have this document. try. on the part of the Senate.

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The bill clerk read as follows: I wish to commend my colleague, Senator I have heard that Senator ALEX- CLOTURE MOTION Alexander, for his broad and very intricate ANDER explains to Tennesseans that We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- history of bipartisanship. If all of us in this they can think of Congress like a split- ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the body follow this process in all major legisla- screen television show. On one side are Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby tion, this would be a historic session. . . . I the dramatic public fights, the partisan move to bring to a close debate on the mo- thank the Senator from Tennessee very showdowns, but on the other side, he tion to disagree in the House amendment, much. explains, you see huge bipartisan ma- agree to the request from the House for a That was Senator Dan Inouye from jorities working diligently on issues conference, and authorize the Chair to ap- Hawaii. that directly affect the daily lives of point conferees in relation to S. 1790, a bill Then in 2012, after being elected millions of Americans. Well, that side to authorize appropriations for fiscal year of the screen is where you will find 2020 for military activities of the Depart- three times by his peers as chairman of ment of Defense, for military construction, the Republican conference, LAMAR did Senator ALEXANDER. In fact, he is a and for defense activities of the Department something that is not often done star player. of Energy, to prescribe military personnel around here: He gave up that power and Senator ALEXANDER has announced strengths for such fiscal year, and for other his future ambitions for elected Senate he won’t seek a fourth term in 2020. purposes. leadership in order to ‘‘spend more While the end of his time here may be James M. Inhofe, Shelley Moore Capito, time working to achieve results on the in sight, I am confident the catalog of Thom Tillis, John Boozman, Cindy issues I care the most about.’’ his hard work and leadership is no- Hyde-Smith, Jerry Moran, John Cor- Since then, not coincidentally, there where near complete just yet. As chair- nyn, Mike Crapo, Johnny Isakson, Joni man of HELP, he and Senator MURRAY Ernst, James E. Risch, Roger F. have been a steady stream of impor- tant new laws dealing with those very have reported the Lower Healthcare Wicker, David Perdue, John Thune, Costs Act to the full Senate. They are Mike Rounds, Kevin Cramer, Mitch issues. Time after time, Lamar has working together to reauthorize and McConnell. taken the lead, often as the principal update the Higher Education Act. He Mr. MCCONNELL. I ask unanimous sponsor or chief engineer. He has and Senator FEINSTEIN have produced worked behind the scenes. He has col- consent that the mandatory quorum an appropriations bill—passed by the laborated across the aisle to get things call be waived and that the cloture Appropriations Committee—that would done. He hasn’t often stepped into the vote occur at a time to be determined provide a fifth year of record funding spotlight himself, but he has almost al- by the two leaders. for the National Laboratories, a sixth The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ways been the key driving force. year of full funding for our inland wa- objection, it is so ordered. As chairman of the Senate HELP terway infrastructure, and the re- TRIBUTE TO LAMAR ALEXANDER Committee, he worked with Senator sources to keep America No. 1 in super- Mr. MCCONNELL. Now, Mr. Presi- PATTY MURRAY to fix No Child Left Be- computing. And there is almost cer- dent, this week our friend and col- hind. President Obama called it ‘‘a tainly more to come over the next year league, the senior Senator from Ten- Christmas miracle,’’ and the Wall and a half. Lamar’s service reminds us nessee, will mark a major milestone in Street Journal said it was the greatest that there are many ways to be a his State’s history. devolution of power to States in a transformational leader in this body. As of tomorrow, LAMAR ALEXANDER quarter-century. The Nation’s Gov- As a young man, I was an intern for will have served as Tennessee’s Gov- ernors and the National Education As- Senator John Sherman Cooper of Ken- ernor or U.S. Senator for 24 years, 8 sociation recognized Lamar with tucky. He was never an elected leader months, and 15 days—more combined awards. We are dealing with a rare pub- but was always regarded by his col- years and offices than any other Ten- lic servant who can literally win plau- leagues as a leader because of his will- nessean. dits from the Wall Street Journal edi- ingness to do what he thought ought to Of course, Senator ALEXANDER also torial board and the Nation’s largest be done. Senator Cooper once said to remains the only Tennessee Governor teachers union at the same time. me: ever popularly elected to the Senate. In 2013, Senator ALEXANDER was one I not only represent Kentucky, I represent He is the only Tennessee Republican to of a group of Senators who revamped the Nation, and there are times you follow, be undefeated in six statewide primary Federal student loans with a new mar- and times when you lead. elections. And his 2008 general election ket-based interest rate to save hun- In fact, two of the three Senate office vote total of 1,579,477 votes is still the dreds of millions of dollars for students buildings are named for Senators who largest ever recorded by a Tennessee attending college. were never elected the leader of their statewide candidate. In 2016, he and Senator MURRAY spon- party’s caucus. LAMAR ALEXANDER is Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- sored the 21st Century Cures Act. It is just that kind of leader. sent that a statement from the Ten- landmark legislation that I was proud We are proud to celebrate this mile- nessee secretary of state, Tre Hargett, to be involved with and view as the stone as Senator ALEXANDER notches who has calculated each of these polit- most significant law of that entire more combined years as Senator and ical accomplishments, be printed in the Congress. Governor than anyone else from his RECORD following my remarks. In 2018, again with Senator MURRAY, State, but even more, we recognize the As impressive as these statistics are, he offered the landmark Opioid Crisis example the Senator has set for all the all of LAMAR ALEXANDER’s colleagues Response Act. President Trump called rest of us. It is just like he says: know that political record-setting is it ‘‘the single largest bill to combat a It’s hard to get here. It’s hard to stay here. not what makes him tick. Here is drug crisis in the history of our coun- So while you’re here, you might as well try something he likes to say about serv- try.’’ to accomplish something. ing in the Senate: Last year, working with Senator Congratulations, my friend. It’s hard to get here. It’s hard to stay here. Hatch, he was the chief engineer of There being no objection, the mate- So while you’re here, you might as well try once-in-a-generation legislation to en- rial was ordered to be printed in the to accomplish something. sure America’s songwriters are paid RECORD, as follows: Well, he certainly lived out his own fair-market value for their work. SEPTEMBER 17, 2019. Hon. LAMAR ALEXANDER, advice. During Senator ALEXANDER’s For the last 5 years, as chairman of U.S. Senate, very first term, he got 70 Senators to the Energy and Water Development Washington, DC. support his bipartisan America COM- Appropriations Subcommittee, he has DEAR SENATOR ALEXANDER: I am writing to PETES Act to help our country stay worked with Ranking Member FEIN- congratulate you on your record years of

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.033 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5564 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 service to Tennessee. On September 19, 2019, It is important to note that the Saudis as good customers who ‘‘[pay] you will have served more combined years as White Hat Award has only been given cash.’’ either Governor or United States Senator 15 times in the 52 years of that organi- President Trump explained further as from Tennessee than any other Tennessean. zation’s history. follows: This is a milestone that illustrates your dedication to public service and to Ten- As Governor—then Governor, now [T]he fact is that the Saudis are going to nesseans. Senator ALEXANDER opened the doors have a lot of involvement in this if we decide September 19, 2019, marks your 9,024th day to automobile industries, including to do something. They’ll be very much in- in office as either Tennessee Governor or Saturn, GM, Nissan, and auto parts volved, and that includes payment. And they U.S. Senator from Tennessee. Your 24 years, producers, which solidified Tennessee’s understand that fully. 8 months, and 15 days of service will then place in the global economy. As Sen- Does this Congress think the patri- surpass the previous longest serving Gov- ator, he has focused on improving Ten- otic men and women of our military ernor and United State Senator from Ten- nessee from the inside out, giving pri- are mercenaries at the service of the nessee, Isham Harris. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? I reject that This is just one of your many elections ority to practical concerns. He led the records in the state. You are the only Ten- charge on healthcare, education, and, idea completely. When a President is nessee Governor ever popularly elected to as the leader mentioned, the opioid cri- threatening a military attack because the United States Senate. You have won sis. He has supported teachers, stood up of a foreign King’s oil interests, it is more Tennessee Republican statewide pri- for working moms, and enacted tax well past time for Congress to assert mary elections—six—than any other Ten- policies that kept more money in the its institutional authority. nessean. And your 2008 general election vote wallets of Tennesseans. Congress needs to make it clear: The total—1,579,477 votes—is the largest vote Today, I rise to honor a leader, a President cannot begin a war with Iran total ever recorded by a Tennessee statewide friend, and, I have to say, the team without coming here first, coming here candidate. to the Congress. I congratulate you on this, and your many captain for our annual Crockett Cup other, great accomplishments and I thank baseball game. And they were the win- In June, we voted on a bipartisan you for your service to our great state. ners. They are the holders of the amendment to the National Defense Sincerely, Crockett Cup. Authorization Act that prohibited any TRE HARGETT, I yield the floor. war with Iran unless authorized by Secretary of State. I suggest the absence of a quorum. Congress. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Getting a vote on the Udall-Kaine- ator from Tennessee. clerk will call the roll. Paul amendment was historic, and a bi- Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, it The bill clerk proceeded to call the partisan majority of Senators voted to is such an honor to be here following roll. support our amendment that day. Leader MCCONNELL and talk about the Mr. UDALL. Madam President, I ask The House of Representatives has achievements of our State’s senior Sen- unanimous consent that the order for sent us its NDAA, which includes a bi- ator and recognize his wonderful work, the quorum call be rescinded. partisan provision prohibiting war not only in DC but also in Tennessee. I The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. against Iran without congressional ap- want to touch on just a few of those BLACKBURN). Without objection, it is so proval. The NDAA is now going to a highlights and the importance to our ordered. Senate-House conference committee. State. S. 1790 The conference committee must adopt For me, being a State senator in- Mr. UDALL. Madam President, I rise our amendment that prohibits unau- volved in our community, coming to to urge this body to protect the Con- thorized war against Iran. serve in Congress, and now serving in stitution, to defend the separation of Since our vote in June, tensions with the Senate with our senior Senator is powers, and to prevent an unauthor- Iran have not subsided; they have only something that is a wonderful experi- ized, unconstitutional war with Iran. increased. The threat of miscalculation ence. The Constitution is clear. Under our and unauthorized war has only gotten The majority leader just mentioned article I powers, the Constitution more serious. This week, the President, that our senior Senator will retire at spells out that Congress shall have the on Twitter, is threatening that the the end of next year. Of course, we are authority to declare war. U.S. military is ‘‘locked and loaded’’ on all going to miss seeing him around The Founders debated which branch behalf of the Saudi Kingdom. Capitol Hill. Senator ALEXANDER has of government should be given the sol- Iran’s behavior in the region is high- really distinguished himself as a man emn power to wage war. Entering into ly problematic, but Saudi Arabia’s oil who is committed to Tennessee tradi- battle had been the personal preroga- interests do not determine whether the tion and to helping Tennessee find tive of Kings, and Kings had shown United States goes to war. Congress de- prominence on the global stage. that they would bankrupt their coun- termines that, Congress and Congress Anyone who has ever entered Senator tries and risk lives because of self-serv- only, based on our national interests. ALEXANDER’s office knows that he is a ing, power-seeking feuds. Rather than threats of war, the right music lover. What they may not know Therefore, our Constitution’s Found- move is active diplomacy to lower ten- is that he is also both a classically ers placed the decision to go to war sions in the region. trained pianist and a pretty good gos- with the people’s representatives. They We are at this point in the Middle pel and country pianist. He has even wanted any decision to wage war to re- East because of the Trump administra- performed on the stage of the Grand flect the will of the people. They delib- tion’s failed policies. Its unilateral Ole Opry, and rumor has it that he erately rejected giving this most con- withdrawal from the Iran nuclear really rocked the house the night he sequential decision only to the Presi- agreement, its maximum pressure pol- was there. His love of music and of dent. icy, its abandonment of diplomacy— Tennessee’s musicians has caused him Yet, despite the clarity of the Con- these policies are only causing more to work tirelessly in these efforts. stitution, President Trump insists— chaos in the region and doing nothing In the House, I started a songwriters’ without any equivocation—that he to advance U.S. interests. caucus. He did likewise in the Senate, does not need congressional approval When the President unilaterally bringing the issues that confront our to engage in military hostilities withdrew from the Iran agreement in Nation’s performers into the Senate, against Iran, and now, instead of work- May 2018, against the advice of his finding solutions, and, as the leader ing with the U.S. Congress, he is pub- military and intelligence Chiefs, he mentioned, passing and being instru- licly deferring to the royal family of promised he would get us a better deal. mental in the crafting—not just the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our The deal we had in place secured for passing—of the Music Modernization President said we are waiting for Saudi the United States and the world an Act. He was honored just this week by Arabia to say ‘‘under what terms we Iran that would not develop nuclear the Nashville Songwriters Association would proceed.’’ weapons. It was a deal that had strict International, which gave him the When discussing retaliation for the verification requirements and a deal White Hat Award. This is an honor that attack on a Saudi oil-processing facil- his advisers and outside independent he and I share. ity, our President has praised the groups said Iran was complying with.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.007 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5565 It has now been 16 months since the I am making this call to our con- What is our message to those who turn President tore up that deal and said he ferees: Affirm the Constitution. Affirm around and attack the United States could get us a better one. Well, the our sworn responsibility to uphold the and kill so many innocent people? President’s supposed deal-making Constitution. Affirm that our men and So I saw Afghanistan different than prowess has only produced increased women in uniform will not be sent off Iraq, and I voted for the military effort tensions, bringing us to the brink of to risk their lives in war unless the that was undertaken to go after the war. people’s representatives make that terrorist organization responsible for 9/ In June, we were 10 minutes away somber decision. 11, the al-Qaida organization. from an attack that likely would have I suggest the absence of a quorum. It took us years to find Osama bin cost Iranian lives. Even after that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Laden, who was responsible for master- aborted strike, the President threat- clerk will call the roll. minding that deadly day in our his- ened Iran with ‘‘obliteration like The senior assistant legislative clerk tory, and to finally bring him to jus- you’ve never seen before.’’ Now we are proceeded to call the roll. tice. The fact is, 18 years later, we are ‘‘locked and loaded.’’ Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask still in Afghanistan today. It is hard to While it is a positive development unanimous consent that the order for explain. Thousands of American lives that John Bolton is no longer whis- the quorum call be rescinded. have been lost there. Millions, billions, pering in the President’s ear—urging The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. maybe even trillions of dollars have regime change in Iran—this mercurial CRAMER). Without objection, it is so or- been spent. And most people agree, the President could get us into a war be- dered. day after we leave, whenever it is, the fore we know it, but these are my own AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE country will revert to what it was be- views about the President’s foreign pol- Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Mem- fore we walked in. There have been 18 icy. I understand others in this body do bers of the U.S. Senate and House of years of sacrifice, 18 years of suffering, not share them, including others who Representatives face many votes on and even death, for America’s patriotic voted to support this amendment pre- many subjects. Most of them you vote soldiers. It is a reminder about these viously. on and forget very quickly. There are wars that seem like such a good idea, I want to underscore that this is not some you will never forget. At least so necessary, the right way to respond, about what you think of the President. two votes that I cast here 18 years ago and here we sit with two of the longest This is about defending the separation are on that list in terms of my Senate wars in the history of the United of powers as outlined in the Constitu- service. States. tion, and this is about standing up for It was 18 years ago, and just shortly Now the question is, Are we pre- the will of the American people. The after the 9/11 attack in 2001, in which paring for another war? I hate to say American people do not want another 3,000 innocent Americans lost their those words, but I have to be honest. endless war in the Middle East. lives. President George W. Bush came What this President has done in our re- While our military is the most capa- to Congress and asked for authority lationship with Iran has brought us to ble on Earth, no conflict with Iran under our Constitution to wage a war— the moment where we have to ask that would be easy. Iran has twice the popu- in fact, to wage two wars. He wanted question: Is the President preparing to lation of Iraq and is four times the size. authority from the U.S. Senate and ask us to go to war against Iran? Even so-called targeted strikes could Congress to invade Iraq and to invade The first thing he did—one of the escalate into a much wider war. Afghanistan. There was a long debate first things—was to disparage the Iran Make no mistake, our amendment re- leading up to it about why it would be nuclear agreement, an agreement en- tains the President’s authority to de- necessary for us to start a war with tered into under President Obama to fend against any attack upon us. While those two nations. stop the development of nuclear weap- the chief complaint from opponents of In the case of Iraq, the argument was ons in Iran. I thought it was a good the amendment was that it tied the made that Saddam Hussein, their lead- agreement. I supported it and still do. President’s hands from attack, this is a er, had weapons of mass destruction I am not making any excuses for Iran. false argument. The amendment ex- that were dangerous to the region and, They are engaged in conduct around pressly reserves the President’s powers ultimately, dangerous to the United the world that is inspiring terrorism to defend the Nation. The Department States. He was a tyrant and everyone and threatening our allies and friends. of Defense’s rules of engagement re- knew it, but those threats were the I am making no excuses for that. But main in place. The President’s full au- ones that led many people to conclude to make certain that Iran did not have thority as Commander in Chief to repel that the invasion of Iraq was nec- nuclear weapons in the future was the an attack and defend the Nation re- essary. I disagreed. We cast that vote right thing to do. mains intact. on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and 23 We entered into this agreement If there are still concerns, we can of us voted no—1 Republican and 22 under President Obama. China, Russia, continue to consult experts and refine Democrats. European nations, and others joined us, language in conference. That is part of It turned out, after we invaded Iraq and we sent international inspectors the regular order, but the Defense bill and took a close look, there were no into that country. They reported back must prohibit an unauthorized war weapons of mass destruction. The real to us regularly that there was no evi- with Iran. basis for the war did not exist. dence of the development of nuclear For too long, Congress has abdicated Eighteen years later, having lost al- weapons, and every door was open to its constitutional duty to decide mat- most 5,000 American lives and spent them. We had surveillance on the ters of war and peace. We have hidden trillions of dollars, we are still in Iraq. ground in a country that has been from the hard votes. We have allowed I don’t know how this will ever end or largely secretive and isolated. I the Executive to fill the vacuum. when our troops will finally be able to thought that was the right thing to do, We in this body need to step up to come home. Hussein is gone, for sure, and I still do. President Trump dis- the plate and assume our constitu- but the situation in that country is agreed, and the United States withdrew tional responsibilities. This is not certainly not dramatically better than from the Iran nuclear agreement. about partisan politics. This is not it was when we invaded it. We couldn’t Since then, there has been an esca- about tying the hands of the President guarantee tomorrow what is going to lation of tension between our two na- in defense of our country. This vote is happen there, whether it will be stable tions, between Iran and the United not even about whether you think we or friendly to the United States after States. Some of it is, clearly, a reac- should or should not go to war against all we have invested in, all we have lost tion by the Iranians to sanctions that Iran. Even if you think military action in that invasion. we have imposed, which have caused on behalf of the downed drone or Saudi At the same time, we were debating a great problems with Iran and their oil oil is justified, the place to debate and war in Afghanistan. To me, it was a supply. They have answered in kind by make that decision is on this floor in different proposition. The administra- threatening oil tankers from other this Congress. It is not the decision of tion said: We know the terrorists re- countries. It is the kind of escalation one man in the White House. sponsible for 9/11 are in Afghanistan. you would expect two countries that

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.039 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5566 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 are leading up to a confrontation to en- stincts. We must not do so again and ever. It was 35 days this past winter, in gage in. Now the questions are, Will march into another war in the Middle December. During that month, we all we, in fact, go to war, and if we are pre- East. Two wars still going, still costing heard firsthand from our constituents pared to, will this President—Donald American lives, even to this day, are how they were affected by the shut- Trump—follow the Constitution of the way too many. A third war at this down. I heard from NASA engineers in United States? point is unthinkable. Cleveland, OH, as an example. We have The votes I talked about 18 years ago I yield the floor. the NASA Glenn Research Center gave the people of the United States, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- there. through their elected representatives, ator from Ohio. I also heard from TSA employees a decision-making part of the process. GOVERNMENT FUNDING every time I flew. I asked them: How Their Members of Congress voted. The Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I am are you doing? They would tell me, and question is whether President Trump on the floor to talk about a problem it was tough—missed paychecks, will follow his constitutional responsi- that is far too common here in Wash- mounting mortgage payments that I bility in coming to Congress for the au- ington; that is, Federal Government talked about. In some cases, medical thority to engage in a war in Iran. shutdowns. They don’t make any sense. bills were piling up. Morale was down. I certainly don’t believe the vote I If we don’t do something in 12 days, Families were hurting. Again, even took 18 years ago, before many of the Congress, once again, will face an un- after the government opened and back- Members of the Senate were even here, necessary and costly government shut- pay was sent to the furloughed work- has authorized him or any President to down. We have to avoid that. ers, a lot of that damage had already invade Iran. That was never even con- I have been through five different been done. sidered when we were in that debate. government shutdowns since my time What we have learned is, it wasn’t Now the question is, Will he come working in the George H. W. Bush just Federal workers and their families forward and give the American people a White House back in 1990, and three who felt the effects of the shutdown. voice in this process in deciding wheth- shutdowns just over the last 5 years. The economy as a whole suffered too. er we are going to war? None of them worked. The Congressional Budget Office has I, for one, look at this with great I don’t know anyone who likes them done some estimates of this. After the skepticism and even negativity. A war now because we found out that when shutdown, they estimated it had re- is so much easier to get into than it is you shut down the government, tax- duced economic growth by a combined to get out of. We have proven that over payers actually pay more, not less. It $11 billion for the fourth quarter of 2018 and over again. Politicians who make might seem like if you shut down the and the first quarter of 2019. Not only the speeches and rationalize these wars government, that is good for taxpayers, that, but CBO—the Congressional are usually not the ones who face com- but it is actually bad for taxpayers. Budget Office, a nonpartisan group bat and death on the battlefield. That They foot the bill for the backpay of that looks at these issues—later pro- is turned over to our young women and Federal workers for the days they jected that the rate of economic men in uniform who bravely fight for weren’t allowed to go to work, and growth would have been 0.4 percent the causes we identify as politicians. they pay for other things, too, that higher in the first quarter of 2019 than I would sincerely hope what Senator they wouldn’t have to pay for if Con- it was if not for the government shut- down. That sounds like a small num- UDALL has brought to the floor, to open gress did its job, got its spending bills ber, 0.4 percent, but that is a big deal. a conversation and discussion, is really done, and didn’t shut down the govern- That means economic growth in the taken to heart by the American people ment. Delayed projects, late payment first quarter of this year would have and, more importantly, by the White fees, lost productivity, deferred main- been 3.5 percent, not 3.1 percent. That House. As Senator UDALL has reminded tenance—it all adds up. Shutdowns also is a big deal. That is billions of dollars us, any President—this President— disrupt government services, of course. in lost growth, not just because people needs the constitutional authority to By the way, it is not just the poor weren’t working who should have been bring this Nation into a war. Without government programs and services at working but because there was lost that authority, he cannot and should the time—that continues. So even now, productivity in our economy and bil- not move forward. 9 months since the last government lions of dollars in lost growth just be- They point to the recent attacks on shutdown, you have the Agencies and cause we couldn’t figure out how to Saudi Arabia and their oilfields. Of Departments saying: Well, we would keep the lights on here in Washington, course, they were terrible. Whether like to be able to process your tax re- DC. they came from Houthi rebels in turn or we would like to be able to, as All of this is indicative not just of Yemen or whether they came from Iran I found out last week, process your the loss of purchasing power for Fed- itself, it is terrible, but the fact is, the 501(c)(3)—which is a charity return to eral employees but also a serious ripple United States has not signed an agree- give you a nonprofit status, you can effect to Federal contractors, small ment saying we are prepared to defend get contributions that are deductible— businesses, and others who serve the Saudi Arabia, whoever attacks them. but because of the shutdown, we are Federal Government. We want to have a good alliance with still backed up. They are delayed and Shutdowns have another effect. Each them—it is difficult with the current late. That hurts everybody. time our government fails to fund leadership—but we haven’t entered Federal contractors, of course, are itself, the public’s faith in our institu- into a mutual defense pact by any hurt. A lot of those are our constitu- tions, including, of course, in this means. When Saudi Arabia is attacked, ents, private sector individuals. Fed- body, the Senate, the House, the Presi- we are not required to muster our eral employees, themselves, of course, dency, falls even further, not just here American troops in their defense. We get hurt, especially those who are con- but around the world. It just seems should take care and be thoughtful and sidered essential. They have to go to crazy that the Federal Government not escalate this situation. work even though they are not getting can’t stay open. People can’t get that, Senator UDALL’s amendment regard- paid. A lot of people, whether it is TSA and I understand why they don’t get it. ing Iran is a straightforward and time- personnel at the airports or our Border Now, with the threat of another gov- ly reaffirmation of what is already in Patrol down at the border, are doing ernment shutdown looming just a few article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitu- their best to protect us. Yet they are weeks away, let’s not repeat the mis- tion—only the U.S. Congress can de- told they can’t get paid, so they can’t takes of the past. The reason our Per- clare war. I am pleased to join him and make their car payment, their mort- manent Subcommittee on Investiga- others in this legislative effort to reaf- gage payment, or their rent. It puts tions looked at this issue over the past firm that without the consent of Con- them in a tough situation. Again, it 9 months was to learn the lessons and gress, no war with Iran is authorized. I also hurts taxpayers and families and to get the actual numbers to determine hope the Defense authorization con- communities all across the country. what the real impact was of the shut- ferees will keep this in mind. No shutdown was more frustrating down. This Congress has rubberstamped too for me than the one we had most re- This week, the Permanent Sub- many of the President’s worst in- cently. It was the longest shutdown committee, of which I chair, released a

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.040 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5567 bipartisan report signed by me and the ered another problem, which is Agen- reau has to approve these labels. The ranking member, TOM CARPER, the re- cies not even knowing the basic infor- owners of the vineyard were left in sult of which is what we are reporting mation about their workforce and what limbo throughout the entire shutdown today. We learned that the total cost of happens during the shutdown. as they waited for approval. They lost the three government shutdowns that Our report also documents examples sales because in that business, it is all have occurred in the last 5 years alone of how the shutdown negatively af- about the new thing. You want to have have combined for a total of 54 days of fected the Federal Government’s abil- your new label out there, your new partial or full government closure. ity to conduct important operations on product out there. That was frustrating During those three periods of shut- a wide range of issues. I encourage peo- to me too. These are small business down, the pricetag to the American ple to take a look at the report. owners—again, entrepreneurs who are taxpayer was $4 billion. So the three While we shut down the government taking a chance, trying something ex- government shutdowns that have hap- over fighting about border security— citing that has been a growth to busi- pened in the last 5 years, taxpayers had remember, that was the issue at the ness in our State, but they couldn’t get to eat $4 billion—three shutdowns, $4 time, whether we are going to have a approval. billion. wall or not and what kind of funds The National Transportation Safety We also learned that a lot of that were going to go to border security— Board stopped an investigation of a number comes from the loss of produc- the Department of Homeland Security plane crash in Wayne County, OH, that tivity. Furloughed Federal workers had to delay important facility main- took the lives of two individuals in who were prohibited from going to tenance, which had a serious impact on January because of the government work during that shutdown were owed law enforcement officer operations and shutdown. $3.7 billion in backpay, which they got safety, including at the border. The It doesn’t just affect the border or even though they weren’t working be- lack of these critical maintenance and TSA or others I have talked about; it cause they couldn’t work. repair services actually made it more affects a lot of our constituents. Compounding that was at least another risky, even endangered the lives of Ohioans applying for Customs and $338 million in other costs, including some law enforcement officers, and Border Protection Trusted Traveler extra administrative costs, lost rev- made it harder to defend the border. Programs had their applications sus- enue, late fees on interest payments, The shutdown certainly didn’t work in pended during the shutdown and then and other costs. that regard. faced long delays in getting their appli- On top of everything else, the work- Meanwhile, the Department of Jus- cations approved once the government ers who weren’t able to come in to tice was forced to cancel about 60,000 reopened because of the backlog. work represented a combined lost pro- immigration hearings for nondetained Home loans across the State were un- ductivity of about 57,000 years of lost aliens who were scheduled during the able to get processed because of the productivity. Think about that—al- 35 days of the shutdown. During the 35 backlogs at the IRS, where employees most 57,000 years of productivity loss. days, you couldn’t have immigration were still working overtime and week- Again, this is from folks who are Fed- hearings. There were 60,000 immigra- ends to catch up on work as caseloads eral employees who weren’t allowed to tion hearings canceled. We already had doubled. Even last week, I talked about work because the government was shut a big backlog in these hearings, as this nonprofit that couldn’t get its down but who later got paid. some of you have heard about, to the 501(c)(3) status because of the backlog, These figures, the $4 billion in costs point that often it takes a couple of the IRS said, even though it happened to the taxpayers and the 56,938 years in years to have your case heard by an 9 months ago. lost productivity, are relatively low immigration judge. Now it is even numbers. It is actually higher than worse. Again, we still haven’t resolved There are only a few examples here I that. Do you know why? It is because that issue. That is a problem that is have been able to give you. Again, I although we got figures from 26 dif- compounded so that today you have so would encourage you to look at the re- ferent Agencies and Departments—and many of these hearings that are still port. Go onto our website for the Per- over the 9 months we did this research, outstanding. manent Subcommittee on Investiga- we sent this questionnaire around to A lot of my constituents back in tions and take a look at it. There are all the Agencies and Departments—a Ohio were affected too. Let me give so many issues and vulnerabilities that bunch of them, comprising less than you an example. We have a poor neigh- happen in all of our States. It is clear half but close to half of the workforce, borhood in Cleveland, OH. A guy want- we need to find a way to prevent this refused to respond to us. Why? Because ed to start a deli there, which was a from happening again. they said they didn’t know how many great idea. It is kind of a food desert Part of the problem we face here is of their workers were furloughed. They there. This deli was ready to go, ready that this constant threat of shutdowns didn’t know how many of their workers to be put into operation, but they has become kind of the norm. People were essential employees. They didn’t couldn’t get the approval by the U.S. are already talking about it—12 days know what the lost productivity was. Department of Agriculture to use the from now. Are we going to shut down That is equally disturbing. That in- machines to accept the SNAP bene- or not? It has kind of a chilling effect cluded the Department of Defense, the fits—the food stamp benefits—so they on our economy just to talk about it. Department of Agriculture, the Depart- had a really hard time launching. They For the past two decades, the govern- ment of Justice, the Commerce Depart- couldn’t make much money because a ment has routinely operated on tem- ment, and the EPA. They wouldn’t give lot of people in the area were SNAP re- porary funding because we don’t get us complete information about em- cipients. The USDA couldn’t certify our spending bills done. Congress is ployee furloughs and backpay because the machines to have it work because supposed to pass 12 appropriations they said they just didn’t have the in- of the shutdown. That one was really bills, which comprise all the Agencies formation. The cost is even higher than frustrating for me. and Departments. Last year, we did a indicated here. We don’t know how At the Piketon, OH, uranium enrich- pretty good job of getting close to the much higher, but we know it is at least ment plant, a lot of employees were un- 12. You have to go back to 1997 to find this high. sure if their healthcare premiums a year when we completed all 12 of the We are sending letters to the Agen- would be paid, despite potentially spending bills. cies that were unable to provide the being exposed to levels of radiation If we don’t complete a spending bill complete financial information related that could be dangerous to them. and have it signed off by the House and to employee furloughs and backpay to At a vineyard in Lorain, OH—Lorain the Senate and signed into law by the find out why and to ask them how they County is a place where there is more President, we do these temporary plan to address those issues going for- wine being grown. It is exciting—this spending bills. They are called con- ward. Over the 9 months we did this re- vineyard submitted six label approval tinuing resolutions. You just kind of search, our Permanent Subcommittee requests to the Alcohol and Tobacco continue the spending from the pre- on Investigations is not done with its and Tax and Trade Bureau. The Alco- vious year. They are always short work because, in the process, we uncov- hol and Tobacco and Tax and Trade Bu- term.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.042 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5568 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 So there is discussion right now of, in it another 1 percent. Again, it is to port is entitled ‘‘Health Insurance Cov- 12 days, having a continuing resolu- give them the incentive to get their erage in the United States: 2018,’’ by tion. That is a lot better than a shut- work done. the U.S. Census Bureau, dated Sep- down. It is not what we should be There is other legislation out there, tember of 2019. doing, because at the end of that CR, one of which passed the HSGAC Com- On page 2, this fairly lengthy report, we will have another impasse, likely, mittee—the Homeland Security and which goes on for about 29 or 30 pages, and that is when you get another Governmental Affairs Committee— has the general comparison in threat of a shutdown. It is much better about a month and a half ago. It had healthcare coverage of uninsured num- to pass the actual appropriations bills. some other elements to it—that during bers—those without insurance in 2017 Since 1997, we have had a total of 117 a shutdown, we would be restrained versus 2018. This is what it says on continuing resolutions to fund the gov- from doing certain things on the floor. page 2 of the report under ‘‘High- ernment. It used to be very rare. Now The government couldn’t travel, in- lights’’: it is not just common; it is the norm. cluding the executive branch. I think In 2018, 8.5 percent of people, or 27.5 mil- So moving forward, I hope one thing we some of those bells and whistles that lion, did not have health insurance at any can all agree on is that we should do point during the year. The uninsured rate were put on it are not great policy, but and number of uninsured increased from 2017 the appropriations process, do the indi- I think it is so important that we end (7.9 percent or 25.6 million). vidual bills, and have the debate. We government shutdowns, we have to fig- And then it refers to a figure and a are going to have differences, and that ure out a way to come together as Re- table. is fine. At the end of the day, we have publicans and Democrats to get this Basically, what is outlined is a drop a vote on the floor. done. in the number of Americans covered. Today, we tried to go to the so-called I think we are at the point now Looking at it another way, there was minibus, a group of four different ap- where, if Democrats won’t support the an increase in the number of uninsured propriations bills. It shouldn’t be that 1-percent cut, which is what they are from 25.6 million Americans to 27.5 mil- hard. We should be able to get these saying despite supporting it pre- lion Americans—a difference of 1.9 mil- things done. I hope we can agree that viously—some of them—and the House lion. Just for general reference, I will no matter what, we should not have sets a bipartisan bill, then let’s look at round that off to say that roughly 2 government shutdowns. just an auto CR, just automatically million people who had insurance in One recommendation our report avoiding the shutdown and continuing 2017 were uninsured in 2018. That is makes—again, this is a bipartisan re- the spending from the previous year. deeply troubling because the number of port coming out of our subcommittee— The point is, we need to figure out a uninsured is up, not just generally our report says that the Congress way to keep the lights on and not have from 2017 to 2018 but more broadly. It is should enact an automatic continuing these shutdowns. We need to stop miss- a change in the trend lines where we resolution to permanently prevent the ing our deadlines. We need to stop put- have been for most of the last decade. Federal Government from shutting ting our taxpayers in a bad situation I think it is pretty clear that the down, so forever not to have shutdowns where you do a shutdown at enormous Trump administration’s sabotage of by just saying: If you don’t get your cost to them. We need to put our Fed- health insurance is, indeed, working. It spending bills done, you will simply eral employees in a better position, is reversing coverage gains that were have a continuing resolution that is where they are not being furloughed made under the Affordable Care Act in automatic. and they are not being told: You have the years after enactment and imple- During the shutdown in January, I to go to work, or we are not going to mentation of the Affordable Care Act. once again introduced our legislation pay you. That is not fair either. We are told, as well, that the number called the End Government Shutdowns So let’s pass legislation to provide of uninsured children is up, so more Act. It is legislation that now has 33 for a continuation of government children were without insurance from cosponsors here in the Senate. That is spending, and let’s do all we can to try 2017 to 2018. about a third of the Senate. It is legis- to get our spending bills done to avoid Here is what one observer, whose lation that has mostly Republicans— getting in that situation. I hope my name is Phil Galewitz, from the Kaiser almost two-thirds are Republicans. In colleagues on both sides of the aisle Health News said: ‘‘For the first time the past, it has been bipartisan. This will not allow us to fall back into this in a decade, the number of Americans year, it has not been. I hope it will be- 12 days from now, and I hope instead without health insurance has risen—by come that. I have introduced this legis- we will redouble our efforts to pass about 2 million people in 2018—accord- lation every Congress since 2010. spending bills on time into the future ing to the annual U.S. Census Bureau My hope is that we will never have to and immediately look at legislation report released Tuesday.’’ publish this kind of a report again that that says: Let’s end government shut- That was Tuesday of last week. He talks about how many days we had a downs forever to avoid this problem goes on to cite the numbers that I just shutdown, what the cost was to tax- going forward. cited. payers—$4 billion in this case—over the I yield the floor. Here is another comment from Katie last 5 years alone, and the 57,000 hours I suggest the absence of a quorum. Keith from Health Affairs: of lost work productivity. We shouldn’t The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Coverage losses are expected to continue in have to have these kinds of reports be- clerk will call the roll. 2019. This is due to a number of factors, in- cause we shouldn’t have shutdowns. We The legislative clerk proceeded to cluding repeal of the individual mandate do need to put legislation on the floor call the roll. penalty, the expanded availability of non- Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask ACA plans, and the final ‘‘public charge’’ and have a vote on it to be able to stop rule. it. unanimous consent that the order for Our legislation is pretty simple. It the quorum call be rescinded. She goes on from there. These are people who spend their says that you continue the spending The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without lives on the issue of healthcare. from the previous year if you can’t objection, it is so ordered. A third commentator, Joan Alker, Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I also ask come to an agreement, and then after from Georgetown University Center for unanimous consent to speak as in 120 days, you reduce the spending by 1 Children and Families said: ‘‘As a re- morning business. percent across the board. Why? To give sult, 4.3 million kids were uninsured in The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the Appropriations Committees—the 2018—a statistically significant in- objection, it is so ordered. people who write these spending bills— crease of 425,000.’’ the incentive to get to work, because HEALTHCARE Another commentator who follows none of them, Republican or Democrat, Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise this healthcare, Matt Broaddus, from the like across-the-board 1 percent spend- evening to talk about healthcare. I will Center on Budget and Policy Priorities ing cuts. They want to make their de- not have long remarks, but I do want said: cision as to where the funding goes, to highlight a report that was just [T]oday’s Census data provide the clearest and they don’t want the funding to be issued last week. The report I am hold- evidence yet that Trump Administration ef- reduced. Then, every 90 days, it reduces ing is from the Census Bureau. The re- forts to weaken health coverage under the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00022 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.044 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5569 ACA are taking a toll. They include can- cause I think it is an insult to declare ways standing up for kids and standing celing most federal outreach efforts for the the Patient Protection and Affordable up for Medicaid and standing up for the open enrollment period for 2018 marketplace Care Act unconstitutional, therefore Affordable Care Act and the impact it coverage, supporting new state policies that destroying protections for more than has made on our States. make it harder for people to enroll or stay enrolled in Medicaid, issuing rules to expand 100 million Americans and ripping I suggest the absence of a quorum. short-term and association health plans . . . away coverage from so many Ameri- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The and creating public confusion about the cans that the number of uninsured clerk will call the roll. ACA’s future by refusing to defend its con- would skyrocket. Why would we ever The bill clerk proceeded to call the stitutionality in a lawsuit by Republican go back to the days when the number roll. state officials. of uninsured was that high and poten- Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask Then I turn to the last reference by tially growing? Why would we ever unanimous consent that the order for groups that follow this information. I take any step—whether there is a law- the quorum call be rescinded. will just hold up this chart. This is a suit or whether it is sabotage or what- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without chart by the Center on Budget and Pol- ever—to drive up the number of unin- objection, it is so ordered. icy Priorities. This chart depicts where sured? f Let me conclude with a couple of we have been over the decade and UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT—S. 1790 headlines. The front page of the New where we could be at the end of the Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, for decade on healthcare. This is a ref- York Times, dated September 11, 2019 reads: ‘‘Fewer Insured After Attacks the information of Senators, the clo- erence to the uninsured rate for non- ture vote on the compound motion to elderly Americans. That number was On Health Act.’’ If you go to the inside of the paper, on page A15 there is a go to conference on S. 1790 will occur over 17 percent in 2009. So 17.2 percent at this time. I ask unanimous consent of Americans were uninsured at that longer headline that says: ‘‘Fewer Are Insured Amid Administration’s At- that if the compound motion is agreed time. The chart says it then fell each to, it be in order for the following mo- year, especially after the Affordable tacks On Health Act.’’ The Wall Street Journal—a news- tions to instruct, which are at the Care Act’s major coverage provisions desk—Van Hollen, Cotton, Jones, took effect in 2014. You see it starting paper, when I last checked, that was not necessarily supportive of the Af- Schatz, Peters, McSally, McConnell or in 2009, and then you see the big drop. designee—to be considered at a time to Of course, that big drop of uninsured is fordable Care Act, editorially—dated September 11, page 83, reads: ‘‘Insured be determined by the majority leader good news. When that chart depicts the in consultation with the Democratic number going down, that is obviously Rate Logs First Drop in a Decade.’’ That means the number of uninsured is leader, but prior to September 26, in good news. the form of Senate resolutions taken Then you see the Trump administra- getting larger. up and considered on the same day tion sabotage has begun eroding this I would say in conclusion that we with no amendments in order. progress. You see it flattening out. need to sound the alarm about the The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Now, instead of a continual diminution threat to healthcare, sound the alarm about the threat to a growing number objection, it is so ordered. or decline in the uninsured number, of uninsured Americans. This is not you see kind of a flattening out of that. CLOTURE MOTION even factoring in the lawsuit, which, as Then you factor in the census report, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant the chart depicts, would make the un- which documents at least for 1 year an to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the insured number skyrocket. It wouldn’t increase in the number of uninsured. Senate the pending cloture motion, go up by 1.9 million or a percentage Then the last part of the chart says: ‘‘If which the clerk will state. point or two; it would go up exponen- the administration gets the courts to The senior assistant legislative clerk tially higher. read as follows: strike down the ACA, the uninsured I hope that Members of this body in CLOTURE MOTION rate would almost double.’’ both parties not only would be con- It goes all the way up to 18.7 in 2019. cerned about these trends and con- We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Of course, the last part of the chart is cerned about what would could happen a projection. The Center on Budget and Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby if the lawsuit were successful but also move to bring to a close debate on the mo- Policy Priorities is asserting that if a would take action to prevent this dark lawsuit is successful in the Fifth Cir- tion to disagree in the House amendment, result from playing out for the Amer- agree to the request from the House for a cuit Court of Appeals, which we know ican people because the number of un- conference and authorize the Chair to ap- was successful at the district court insured would explode instead of con- point conferees in relation to S. 1790, a bill level and is now on appeal—if they are tinuing to go down where Americans to authorize appropriations for fiscal year successful, this think tank, the Center want it to go. We want the number of 2020 for military activities of the Depart- on Budget and Policy Priorities, says uninsured to go down. We certainly ment of Defense, for military construction, that in 2019, the number of uninsured and for defense activities of the Department want the number of uninsured children of Energy, to prescribe military personnel could go up to 18.7 percent, surpassing to go down. where we were in 2009, when we started strengths for such fiscal year, and for other I yield the floor. purposes. to pass and then implement the Afford- Mr. BROWN. Thank you, Senator James M. Inhofe, Shelley Moore Capito, able Care Act, reducing substantially CASEY, for speaking out on such an im- Thom Tillis, John Boozman, Cindy the number of people who were unin- portant issue. Hyde-Smith, Jerry Moran, John Cor- sured. He and I talked yesterday about the nyn, Mike Crapo, Johnny Isakson, Joni If you look at it this way, roughly number of people who now have insur- Ernst, James E. Risch, Roger F. over 6 years, the uninsured number ance in our States. In his State it is Wicker, David Perdue, John Thune, went from about 47 million Americans over a million; in my State it is over Mike Rounds, Kevin Cramer, Mitch down to about 27 million Americans. 900,000 because of the Affordable Care McConnell. Twenty million-plus people gained in- Act, because of Medicaid expansion, be- The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- surance coverage in about 6 years—not cause of other things. imous consent, the mandatory quorum even a decade. Seniors have more. Seniors are get- call has been waived. The concern I have is that efforts un- ting more preventive care, and the cost The question is, Is it the sense of the dertaken by the administration, unfor- of drugs is less in spite of the fact that Senate that debate on the compound tunately, are seen as successful, ac- this institution and the President do motion to go to conference and appoint cording to the Census Bureau numbers, nothing to keep the prices of drugs conferees on S. 1790, an original bill to because the number of uninsured is down. We know the White House looks authorize appropriations for fiscal year going up at a time we want the number like a retreat for drug company execu- 2020 for military activities of the De- to go down. When you add in the law- tives, so this body has not done nearly partment of Defense, for military con- suit, which, in my judgment, is more what it should. struction, and for defense activities of likely to succeed than not—I don’t The Affordable Care Act is so impor- the Department of Energy, to prescribe want it to succeed; I want it to fail be- tant. I appreciate Senator CASEY al- military personnel strengths for such

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:43 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.046 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5570 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 fiscal year, and for other purposes, ERNST, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. SULLIVAN, Rakolta would be the first political shall be brought to a close? Mr. PERDUE, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. nominee to serve as Ambassador to The yeas and nays are mandatory MCSALLY, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mrs. this critical post. The U.S. mission in under the rule. BLACKBURN, Mr. HAWLEY, Mr. the United Arab Emirates has bene- The clerk will call the roll. REED, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mrs. GILLI- fitted from experienced, trained dip- The senior assistant legislative clerk BRAND, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. lomats who can adroitly navigate our called the roll. HIRONO, Mr. KAINE, Mr. KING, Mr. important security partnership while Mr. THUNE. The following Senators HEINRICH, Ms. WARREN, Mr. also addressing some of our major pol- are necessarily absent: the Senator PETERS, Mr. MANCHIN, Ms. icy disagreements, particularly regard- from Kansas (Mr. ROBERTS) and the DUCKWORTH, and Mr. JONES. ing involvement in conflicts through- Senator from South Dakota (Mr. f out the Middle East. ROUNDS). In nominating Mr. Rakolta, this ad- Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the EXECUTIVE SESSION ministration is putting a political Senator from Colorado (Mr. BENNET), nominee with no diplomatic experience the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. at the helm of one of our most critical BOOKER), the Senator from Minnesota EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Middle East posts. While Mr. Rakolta (Ms. KLOBUCHAR), and the Senator from Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I possesses extensive business experi- Vermont (Mr. SANDERS) are necessarily move to proceed to executive session to ence, he lacks knowledge of the arms absent. consider Calendar No. 417. sales process, security commitments, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there The PRESIDING OFFICER. The and complex diplomacy that we should any other Senators in the Chamber de- question is on agreeing to the motion. demand of our emissaries to the United siring to vote? The motion was agreed to. Arab Emirates. This is a risky venture The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 87, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The that could jeopardize our effectiveness nays 7, as follows: clerk will report the nomination. in the region. It also is part of a con- [Rollcall Vote No. 293 Leg.] The senior assistant legislative clerk cerning trend that has reduced the YEAS—87 read the nomination of Brian McGuire, number of career ambassadors serving Alexander Feinstein Perdue of New York, to be a Deputy Under abroad. The historically even split be- Baldwin Fischer Peters Secretary of the Treasury. tween political and career nominees is Barrasso Gardner Portman CLOTURE MOTION becoming further skewed toward polit- Blackburn Graham Reed Blumenthal Grassley Risch Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ical ambassadors. Blunt Hassan Romney send a cloture motion to the desk. Mr. Rakolta’s nomination is also in- Boozman Hawley Rosen The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- dicative of the lack of due diligence Braun Heinrich Rubio Brown Hirono Sasse ture motion having been presented and forthrightness demonstrated by a Burr Hoeven Schatz under rule XXII, the Chair directs the number of this administration’s nomi- Cantwell Hyde-Smith Schumer clerk to read the motion. nees. It took months for the Senate Capito Inhofe Scott (FL) Foreign Relations Committee to obtain Cardin Isakson Scott (SC) The senior assistant legislative clerk Carper Johnson Shaheen read as follows: an accurate and complete picture of Casey Jones Shelby CLOTURE MOTION the extent of Mr. Rakolta’s business Cassidy Kaine Sinema holdings, litigation history, and the Collins Kennedy Smith We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- Coons King Stabenow ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the role he played at a questionable non- Cornyn Lankford Sullivan Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby profit, ostensibly related to economic Cortez Masto Leahy Tester move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- development. Cotton Lee Thune nation of Brian McGuire, of New York, to be Mr. Rakolta initially failed to in- Cramer Manchin Tillis a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury. Crapo McConnell Toomey clude key details in the paperwork he Mitch McConnell, Tom Cotton, Roger F. Cruz McSally Udall submitted to the committee. He did Daines Menendez Van Hollen Wicker, Rob Portman, John Thune, Duckworth Moran Warner Kevin Cramer, John Barrasso, James E. not disclose dozens of companies that Durbin Murkowski Whitehouse Risch, Richard Burr, James M. Inhofe, he had owned or managed, including Enzi Murphy Wicker Lindsey Graham, Rick Scott, John many with an international presence, Ernst Murray Young Boozman, Mike Crapo, Tim Scott, John and omitted dozens of foreign lawsuits, NAYS—7 Hoeven, Deb Fischer. among other details. More concerning, Gillibrand Merkley Wyden f however, he did not disclose that he Harris Paul had served on the board of a nonprofit Markey Warren LEGISLATIVE SESSION that had been the subject of intense NOT VOTING—6 public scrutiny, including questions about payments the board approved for Bennet Klobuchar Rounds MORNING BUSINESS Booker Roberts Sanders its executive director. These issues and The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask omissions not only slowed down Mr. vote, the yeas are 87, the nays are 7. unanimous consent that the Senate Rakolta’s nomination, but raised con- Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho- proceed to legislative session and be in cerns about Mr. Rakolta’s candor and sen and sworn having voted in the af- a period of morning business, with Sen- forthrightness with the committee. firmative, the motion is agreed to. ators permitted to speak therein for 10 The committee relies on nominees to The Senator from Oklahoma. minutes each. be transparent and forthcoming about Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without relevant information to ensure that know of no further debate on the mo- objection, it is so ordered. there are not actual or potential con- tion. f flicts of interest or issues that call into The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there question a nominee’s fitness for public further debate? CONFIRMATION OF JOHN RAKOLTA service. When these details are ob- The motion was agreed to. Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I scured, omitted, or hard to obtain, it f wish to express my reservations about further erodes the confidence that a the nomination of John Rakolta, Jr., nominee is well-qualified and com- APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES to be Ambassador to the United Arab mitted to serve in a given position. Mr. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Emirates. Historically, the United Rakolta’s failure to provide accurate Chair appoints the following as con- States has sent career foreign service details to the committee did not in- ferees on the part of the Senate: officers to serve as ambassadors to the spire confidence about his diligence or The Presiding Officer appointed Mr. United Arab Emirates, men and women transparency. Further, the details that INHOFE, Mr. WICKER, Mrs. FISCHER, well-versed in the complexities and the committee did obtain raise con- Mr. COTTON, Mr. ROUNDS, Ms. challenges facing the region. Mr. cerns about the type of leadership that

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G18SE6.050 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5571 he would bring to a critical U.S. em- tain these roads and for those des- tions must be replaced with answers. bassy. Therefore, I opposed his nomina- ignated as ‘‘open’’ to stay open. These Their loss must be softened, if possible, tion. cherry-stems are of various sizes and by resolution. f were intended to ensure an adequate Those working hard through chal- corridor exists to facilitate necessary lenging conditions to get needed an- EMERY COUNTY PUBLIC LAND maintenance. In the Recreation Area, swers and bring all American MANAGEMENT ACT Sec. 1222 includes language to ensure servicemembers home also deserve ap- Mr. ROMNEY. Mr. President, I rise the necessary maintenance to existing preciation and steady encouragement. today regarding the Emery County routes may continue and allow rerout- Thank you to those who work for and Public Land Management Act, that ing of roads or trails to protect the re- assist the Defense POW/MIA Account- was included in S. 47, the John D. Din- sources of the Recreation Area. ing Agency and related efforts. So far gell, Jr. Conservation, Management, The driving force for this com- this month, the agency has reported and Recreation Act. This became Pub- promise bill was the desire for county- accounting for more than 20 missing lic Law 116–9 on March 12th, 2019. wide land use certainty and thus pre- servicemembers, many of whom were Throughout 2018 and early 2019, Sen- venting the designation of a national lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor and ator Hatch, Congressman CURTIS, and I monument under the authority granted the Korean war. Piecing together the engaged with the Emery County Com- to the President under the Antiquities circumstances, whereabouts and lives missioners and Emery County Public Act. As so many know, in my home of those lost cannot be easy, but bring- Lands Council on this important piece State of Utah national monument des- ing them home is critical to honoring of legislation. After Senator Hatch’s ignations under the Antiquities Act their service. To help with this effort, retirement, I was honored to help carry have been the source of extreme con- I have continually fought for the Bring the ball across the finish line. troversy and deep division in our com- Our Heroes Home Act that is meant to This law is the result of over 25 years munities. In my own view, land man- address obstacles preventing families of deliberation, and I find it important agement is most effective when it is and caseworkers from accessing the to highlight some areas of congres- driven by local voices and well-rea- records needed for recovery efforts by sional intent to maintain the integrity soned planning. Sweeping designations putting one entity in charge of of the process. While congressional in- via Presidential proclamation are often prioritizing and facilitating the declas- tent should be evident in the legisla- politically motivated, lead to poor sification of records related to missing tive text and corresponding map, the management of the lands they intend servicemembers. historical context of how we arrived at to protect, and erode trust between the Thank you to the members of the some of these decisions may be of ben- Federal Government and local resi- POW*MIA Awareness Rally Corp. of efit to the Department of the Interior, dents. With the passage of the Emery Pocatello, ID, and other similar groups future members of the Utah delegation, County legislation, the need for a na- that hold rallies and other events to and those in Utah. The residents of tional monument is obsolete because a keep a spotlight on the immense serv- Emery County, the Utah delegation, clear plan has been laid out for the ice of our Nation’s veterans and the and I look forward to the implementa- long-term management of the San need for an ongoing focus on bringing tion of this new law. Rafael Swell. To be clear, this is a view them all home. Bringing all of the Fundamental to this process was the that was shared by the many parties, 82,000 Americans the Defense POW/MIA effort to avoid any action that would including locally elected officials, con- Accounting Agency reports remain end a current ongoing use. For exam- servationists, recreationists, and oth- missing home will certainly not fill the ple, it was important to not close a ers that were intimately involved in losses felt in far too many American road, trail, airstrip, or prohibit other the forging of this compromise legisla- families, but those who have served our existing use in the legislative text or tion. Any advocacy of a future national Nation deserve no less than to rest at corresponding map with a wilderness monument designation under the An- home, and we cannot rest until they designation. Further, to avoid applying tiquities Act or other large-scale land do. more restrictive designations, such as use designation in Emery County f wilderness, to areas it would limit on- would be a violation of the good-faith 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE going activity, such as grazing or agreement that was shared among FOUNDING OF THE CONGDON recreation. Designation boundaries those that negotiated during this bill’s STREET BAPTIST CHURCH were drawn along geographic and phys- process. ical features or just outside cherry- I believe this bill is a victory for all Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I stemmed roads to ensure management stakeholders, and I look forward to join with my colleague Senator White- made sense for the area. watching this quarter-century journey house, the city of Providence, and the Any designation boundary that does for Emery County finally come to fru- State of Rhode Island in celebrating not follow this approach, particularly ition. the 200th anniversary of the founding any designation that puts at risk an f of the Congdon Street Baptist Church, existing use due to a poorly drawn Rhode Island’s oldest Black congrega- boundary, was a clerical error and NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION tion. For generations, it has been a should be resolved under the authority DAY spiritual home for the community and clearly provided in Sec. 1221. Given the Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I call at- an unwavering beacon for religious and scale of this bill and legislative map, tention to National POW/MIA Recogni- civil liberties in Rhode Island. this authority is a vital tool to resolve tion Day through Senate statements, The church’s founding members left such errors. such as this, each year to try to help the First Baptist Church, where they I would also highlight the clear in- keep national focus on the return of were forced to attend segregated serv- tent within Sec. 1232, section (e), which American servicemembers and help ices, and established their own house of clearly states that non-wilderness ac- their families to know that our coun- worship in 1819. Initially named the Af- tivities or uses that can be seen or try stands with them as work con- rican Union Meeting House, the church heard from areas within wilderness are tinues to find the answers they more aimed to provide a place of worship and to be left uninterrupted by this legisla- than deserve. schooling for Black Americans. This tion. The clear intention of the bill was As we observe this National POW/ mission positioned the congregation as to avoid any type of a buffer zone man- MIA Day on September 20, 2019, a spe- a focal point of the African-American agement plan. cial tribute must be paid to the fami- community and paved the way for its On the topic of roads, stakeholders lies and friends of missing continuing advocacy for meaningful so- worked closely with BLM to ensure all servicemembers. Too often, their quiet, cial change. roads in the 2008 Resource Management ceaseless, and enormous service to our As one of the earliest African-Amer- Plan were ‘‘cherry-stemmed,’’ meaning Nation is overlooked. Many have car- ican churches in the State and the first they were not included in a wilderness ried on through years and even decades schoolhouse for African-American chil- designation. Our intent was to main- of sorrow and uncertainty. Their ques- dren in Providence, the African Union

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:43 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.010 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5572 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 Meeting House opened its doors to a Fulfilling that mission did not come the entire Springdale community and variety of different denominations. Be- without adversity. The original church pray that future leaders will follow his yond these religious and educational was demolished in the 1860s at the be- remarkable example.∑ roles, the church offered a meeting hest of White neighbors. Unbowed, the f place for African Americans to discuss congregation rebuilt. The new church, MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE civil rights and other vital issues and completed in 1875, is listed on the Na- hosted literary clubs, youth groups, tional Register of Historic Places. In At 11:10 a.m., a message from the and numerous other social organiza- the 1960s, the church served as a sanc- House of Representatives, delivered by tions. tuary for Rhode Islanders involved in Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, an- Unfortunately, the original church the civil rights movement. Today, edu- nounced that the House has passed the structure, which was renamed the cation and empowerment remain hall- following bills, in which it requests the Meeting Street Baptist Church in 1840, marks of the church community. concurrence of the Senate was torn down in the 1860s without the Rhode Island was founded on the H.R. 806. An act to require compliant flame congregation’s approval amid tensions principles of religious freedom and tol- mitigation devices to be used on portable with its White neighbors. However, the erance. I am proud to have Congdon fuel containers for flammable liquid fuels, and for other purposes. congregation persevered, and a new Street Baptist Church as a cornerstone structure was built on a nearby plot of H.R. 1618. An act to encourage States to re- of that tradition, and I wish the con- quire the installation of residential carbon land in 1875. gregation centuries of peaceful worship The new church was renamed the monoxide detectors in homes, and for other to come. purposes. Congdon Street Baptist Church and to f H.R. 2134. An act to reauthorize the Helen this day continues to be a pillar of sup- Keller National Center for Youths and port and advocacy for Rhode Island’s ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind. African-American community. Its H.R. 2211. An act to require the Consumer congregants supported Black Brown Product Safety Commission to promulgate a University students during their 1968 REMEMBERING WALTER TURNBOW consumer product safety rule for free-stand- ing clothing storage units to protect chil- walkout protesting the university’s ∑ Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, today lack of recruitment of and support for dren from tip-over related death or injury, I wish to honor the life of Walter and for other purposes. students of color. In a testament to Turnbow, who passed away on Sep- H.R. 2486. An act to reauthorize mandatory Congdon Street Baptist Church’s im- tember 9 at the age of 95. Walter was a funding programs for historically Black col- portance to Black Rhode Islanders, the longtime leader in northwest Arkansas leges and universities and other minority- students chose to march from the uni- and truly represented what it meant to serving institutions. versity to the church and remained put the needs of others above one’s The message also announced that the there until their demands for change own. House has passed the following bills, were met. During the mid–20th cen- Walter Turnbow served on the without amendment: tury, congregants also pressured the Springdale Industrial Commission, S. 163. An act to prevent catastrophic fail- State to investigate and end discrimi- Springdale Public Facilities board, ure or shutdown of remote diesel power en- nation in employment and marched Beaver Water District board, and the gines due to emission control devices, and with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. More Springdale Water and Sewer Commis- for other purposes. recently, the church has, among its nu- S. 1689. An act to permit States to transfer sion. In addition to these positions, he certain funds from the clean water revolving merous activities, increased its out- also served on the Springdale School reach to college students, embarked on fund of a State to the drinking water revolv- Board, Northwest Arkansas Commu- ing fund of the State in certain cir- mission trips to help disadvantaged nity Care Foundation, and the Arkan- cumstances, and for other purposes. communities around the world, and tu- sas State Board of Education. The message further announced that tored local children in reading, math, He dedicated his life to public service pursuant to section 4003(e) of the 21st and writing. and the education system in Spring- Today, after 200 years of worship and Century Cures Act (Public Law 114– dale. While serving on the water and public service, Congdon Street Baptist 255}, and the order of the House of Jan- sewer commission, he oversaw the con- Church continues to uplift our State uary 3, 2019, the Speaker appoints the struction of what was, at that time, while adhering to its vision of being a following individual on the part of the the State’s largest water tank. This ‘‘radically authentic community.’’ I House of Representatives to the Health proved to be a forward-thinking deci- join community members in Provi- Information Technology Advisory dence and Rhode Islanders across the sion since the city’s continued growth Committee to fill the existing vacancy State in congratulating Pastor Justin would require greater infrastructure thereon: Dr. Jim Jirjis of Nashville, R. Lester and the entire Congdon investment. Because of Walter’s leader- Tennessee. Street Baptist Church congregation on ship, Springdale was prepared for the The message also announced that the this significant milestone. changes and completed the project House insists upon its amendment to Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, without having to borrow money. the bill (S. 1790) to authorize appropria- today I wish to celebrate a milestone Walter saw education as the gateway tions for fiscal year 2020 for military for Rhode Island’s oldest Black church. to a better future for his community. activities of the Department of De- In August, the Congdon Street Baptist In 2006, the Springdale School District fense, for military construction, and Church on the East Side of Providence honored his contributions to the com- for defense activities of the Depart- celebrated its bicentennial. From its munity and the school board by nam- ment of Energy, to prescribe military inception at the nearby African Union ing an elementary school after him. He personnel strengths for such fiscal meetinghouse and schoolhouse in 1819, often visited the school to meet with year, and for other purposes, and asks Congdon Street Baptist Church has students and read to them. In addition a conference with the Senate on the been a centerpiece of spiritual and to the elementary school, other sites disagreeing votes of the two Houses community life for generations of Afri- and meeting spaces in the Springdale thereon, and that the following Mem- can Americans in Providence. community have also been named in bers be the managers of the conference The Congdon Street Baptist Church his honor, a testament to his very real on the part of the House: has weathered racial injustices to impact and incredible legacy. From the Committee on Armed Serv- flourish as a place for worship and edu- As one of Springdale’s most well- ices, for consideration of the Senate cation. Its founding members left the known public servants, he touched the bill and the House amendment, and First Baptist Church in America, lives of everyone in the community. modifications committed to con- where they were made to worship in a From overseeing economic develop- ference: Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mrs. segregated space. They formed their ment to ensuring a quality education DAVIS of California, Messrs. LANGEVIN, own congregation in Providence so for everyone, Walter Turnbow left a LARSEN of Washington, COOPER, COURT- that people of color could worship in mark on the community of Springdale NEY, GARAMENDI, Ms. SPEIER, Messrs. dignity and secure a fitting education that no one will soon forget. I extend NORCROSS, GALLEGO, MOULTON, for their children. my condolences to his loved ones and CARBAJAL, BROWN of Maryland,

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:43 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.009 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5573 KHANNA, KEATING, VELA, KIM, Ms. From the Committee on the Judici- ENROLLED BILL SIGNED KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma, Messrs. ary, for consideration of section 1025, The President pro tempore (Mr. CISNEROS, THORNBERRY, WILSON of 1031, 1044, 1682, 6004, 6206, 6804, 6811, GRASSLEY) announced that on today, South Carolina, TURNER, ROGERS of 6813–16, 6835, 6921, and 6944 of the Sen- September 18, 2019, he has signed the Alabama, CONAWAY, LAMBORN, WITT- ate bill, and sections 530F, 530G, 550D, following enrolled bill, which was pre- MAN, Mrs. HARTZLER, Ms. STEFANIK, 550F, 550J, 570H, 729, 827, 1011, 1048, 1049, viously signed by the Speaker of the Messrs. KELLY of Mississippi, BACON, 1050C, 1093, 1099C, 1099K, 1099V, 1099Z–3, House: BANKS, and Ms. CHENEY. 1212, 1296A, 1704, 1711, 1713–16, and 1733 H.R. 1200. An act to increase, effective as of From the Permanent Select Com- of the House amendment, and modi- December 1, 2019, the rates of compensation mittee on Intelligence, for consider- fications committed to conference: Mr. for veterans with service-connected disabil- ation of matters within the jurisdic- NADLER, Ms. LOFGREN, and Mr. COLLINS ities and the rates of dependency and indem- tion of that committee under clause 11 of Georgia. nity compensation for the survivors of cer- tain disabled veterans, and for other pur- of rule X: Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. SEWELL of From the Committee on Natural Re- poses. Alabama, and Mr. NUNES. sources, for consideration of sections From the Committee on the Budget, 314, 2812, 2814, 6001, 6020, subtitle C of f for consideration of sections 4 and 10608 title LXVII, section 8524, part 1 of sub- MEASURES REFERRED of the Senate bill, and sections 1006 and title B of title LXXXV, sections 8554, The following bills were read the first 1112 of the House amendment, and and 8571 of the Senate bill, and sections and the second times by unanimous modifications committed to con- 330G, 1094, 1099D, 1099F, 1099U, 2851, sub- consent, and referred as indicated: ference: Messrs. YARMUTH, PETERS, and title F of title XXVIII, sections 2876, H.R. 806. An act to require compliant flame JOHNSON of Ohio. and 2880 of the House amendment, and mitigation devices to be used on portable From the Committee on Education modifications committed to con- fuel containers for flammable liquid fuels, and Labor, for consideration of sec- ference: Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, and for other purposes; to the Committee on tions 571, 572, and 5501 of the Senate and Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Commerce, Science, and Transportation. bill, and sections 211, 576, 580, 1099N, From the Committee on Oversight H.R. 1618. An act to encourage States to re- 1117, 3120, and 3503 of the House amend- and Reform, for consideration of sec- quire the installation of residential carbon ment, and modifications committed to monoxide detectors in homes, and for other tions 218, 530, 559, 579, 1081, 1082, title purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, conference: Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mrs. XI, sections 5802, 6012, subtitle B of Science, and Transportation. TRAHAN, and Ms. FOXX of North Caro- title LXV, sections 9304, 9307, 9311, 9313, H.R. 2134. An act to reauthorize the Helen lina. 9314, 10303, 10432, 10434, 10601, 10603–05, Keller National Center for Youths and From the Committee on Energy and 10612, 10741, and 10742 of the Senate bill, Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind; to the Com- Commerce, for consideration of sec- and sections 212, 239, 550O, 629, 633, 804, mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and tions 214, 315, 318, 703, 3112, 3113, 3201–03, 829, 842, 861, 872, 877, 883, 884, 891, 895, Pensions. 5318, 6001, 6006, 6021, 6701, 6711, 6721–24, H.R. 2211. An act to require the Consumer 899E, 899H, 899I, 1064, 1085, 1099B, title Product Safety Commission to promulgate a 6741, 6742, 6751–54, 8101, 8202, 10421, 10422, XI, sections 1704, 1711, 1713–16, and 3127 consumer product safety rule for free-stand- and 10742 of the Senate bill, and sec- of the House amendment, and modi- ing clothing storage units to protect chil- tions 315, 330F, 330H, 3300, 606, 737, 3111, fications committed to conference: dren from tip-over related death or injury, 3112, 3127, 3128, 3201, and 3202 of the Messrs. LYNCH, CONNOLLY, and GREEN and for other purposes; to the Committee on House amendment, and modifications of Tennessee. Commerce, Science, and Transportation. committed to conference: Messrs. PAL- From the Committee on Science, f LONE, TONKA, and UPTON. Space, and Technology, for consider- REPORTS OF COMMITTEES From the Committee on Financial ation of sections 216, 219, 1612, 6001, Services, for consideration of sections 6006, 6008, 6009, 6742, 6754, 8524, and 10742 The following reports of committees 6017, 6018, 6804, 6811, 6813–16, 6834, 6835, of the Senate bill, and sections 214, 217, were submitted: and title LXIX of the Senate bill, and 882, and 1089 of the House amendment, By Mr. SHELBY, from the Committee on sections 550K, 560G, subtitle I of title and modifications committed to con- Appropriations: X, sections 12408, 1292, 1704, 1711, 1713– Special Report entitled ‘‘Revised Alloca- ference: Mses. JOHNSON of Texas, tion to Subcommittees of Budget Totals for 16, 1733, and 2843 of the House amend- SHERRILL, and Mr. BAIRD. Fiscal Year 2020’’ (Rept. No. 116–106). ment, and modifications committed to From the Committee on Small Busi- f conference: Ms. WATERS, Messrs. SHER- ness, for consideration of section 841 of MAN, and BARR. the Senate bill, and sections 872–76, 878, EXECUTIVE REPORTS OF From the Committee on Foreign Af- 879, 881, 882, and 886–89 of the House COMMITTEES fairs, for consideration of sections 834, amendment, and modifications com- The following executive reports of 1011, 1043,1202, 1203, 1205, 1206, 1211, 1212, mitted to conference: Ms. VELA´ ZQUEZ, nominations were submitted: 1215, 1221–24, 1231–36, 1238, 1252, 1281–84, Messrs. GOLDEN, and CHABOT. By Mr. RISCH for the Committee on For- title XIII, sections 1671, 1681, 2822, 6203– From the Committee on Transpor- eign Relations. 06, 6210, 6213, 6215, 6231, 6236, title LXVI tation and Infrastructure, for consider- Andrew P. Bremberg, of Virginia, to be II, sections 6921, 6922, 6931, 6941, 6943, ation of sections 353, 1612, 1682, 2805, Representative of the United States of Amer- 6954, part I of subtitle B of title title XXXV, sections 6001, 6006, 6012, ica to the Office of the United Nations and LXXXV, sections 8562, and 10701 of the 6015, 6019, 6021, 6754, 8500, 8511, 8517, 8519, Other International Organizations in Gene- va, with the rank of Ambassador. Senate bill, and sections 634, 1036, 1046, 8520, 8522, 8523, 8525, 8532, 8543, 8545, 8546, Nominee: Andrew Bremberg. 1050, 1099X, 1201, 1202, 1204, 1207, 1210, and 8571 of the Senate bill, and sections Post: Representative of the United States 1213, 1215, 1218, 1221–25, 1229, 1231–34, 311, 313, 330A, 330O, 351, 354, 555, 569, of American to the Office of the United Na- 1240A, 1241, 1250D, 1251, 1255, 1258, 1260A, 580C, 606, 896, 2808, 3501, and 3504 of the tions and Other International Organizations 12608, 1265, 1266,1269, 1270, 1270G, 1270H, House amendment, and modifications in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador 1270I,1270N,1270R, 1270S, 1270T, 1270W, committed to conference: Messrs. (The following is a list of all members of my immediate family and their spouses. I subtitle I of title XII, subtitle J of title DELGADO, PAPPAS, and KATKO. From the Committee on Veterans’ have asked each of these persons to inform XII, title XIII, sections 1521, 1669, and me of the pertinent contributions made by title XVII of the House amendment, Affairs, for consideration of sections them. To the best of my knowledge, the in- and modifications committed to con- 568, 721, 726, 727, 1083, 1431, 2812, 2813, formation contained in this report is com- ference: Messrs. ENGEL, MEEKS, and 5702, and 6007 of the Senate bill, and plete and accurate.) MCCAUL. sections 530, 530A, 545, 546, 550E, 550G, Contributions, amount, date, and donee: From the Committee on Homeland 550H, 550I, 550J, 569, 570E, 570F, 574, 624, 1. Self: $100, July 2015, Scott Walker for Security, for consideration of sections 705, 706, 713, 715, 1093, 1126, and 1411 of America; $150, April 2016, Mike Gallagher for Wisconsin. 6006, 6012, and 8543 of the Senate bill, the House amendment, and modifica- 2. Spouse: Maria Bremberg: None. and modifications committed to con- tions committed to conference: Mr. 3. Children and Spouses: Paul Bemberg: ference: Mr. ROSE of New York, Ms. TAKANO, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, None; Lucy Bremberg: None; Jane Bremberg: UNDERWOOD, and Mr. WALKER. and Mr. WATKINS. None; Anne Bremberg: None.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:43 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.021 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5574 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 4. Parents: Rebecca Bremberg: $250, July Nominee: Anthony F. Godfrey. 8. Grandmother: Astella Husein: Deceased. 2015, Scott Walker for America; Vernon Post: Belgrade, Serbia. 9. Grandfather: Hemmed Amin Abdulla: Bremberg: None. The following is a list of all members of Deceased. 5. Grandparents: Morris Gillett: None; Jane my immediate family and their spouses. I 10. Grandmother: Sefia Husein: Deceased. Gillett: Deceased; Donald Bremberg: De- have asked each of these persons to inform 11. Brother: Helo Mustafa: None. ceased; Helen Bremberg: Deceased. me of the pertinent contributions made by 12. Sister in Law: Willow Marr: None. 6. Brothers and Spouses: Peter Bremberg; them. To the best of my knowledge, the in- 13. Brother: Barzan Mustafa: None. $50, July 2015, Scott Walker for America; Ra- formation contained in this report is com- 14. Brother: Hawro Mustafa: None. chel McKenny: None; John Bremberg: $10, plete and accurate.) July 2015, Scott Walker for America; Joseph Contributions, Amount, Date, Donee: Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, for the Bremberg: $100, July 2015, Scott Walker for 1. Self: $100, 11/5/16, Hillary for America; Committee on Foreign Relations I re- America. $100, 10/19/18, Andy Kim for Congress; $100, 10/ 19/18, Act Blue; $100, 9/5/18, Act Blue; $100, 9/ port favorably the following nomina- 7. Sisters and Spouses: Maria Dolci: $100, tion lists which were printed in the July 2015, Scott Walker for America; Matteo 5/18, Act Blue; $50, 7/14/18, Act Blue; $100, 7/14/ Dolci: None; Elizabeth Streiff: None; Leyland 18, Act Blue. RECORDS on the dates indicated, and Streiff: None; Christina Bemberg: $25, July 2. Spouse: None. ask unanimous consent, to save the ex- 2015, Scott Walker for America. 3. Children and Spouses: None. pense of reprinting on the Executive 4. Parents: Aaron W. Godfrey: $100, 11/04/16, Calendar that these nominations lie at Anna Throne-Hoist; $25, 10/25/16, Tammy John Leslie Carwile, of Maryland, a Career the Secretary’s desk for the informa- Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class Duckworth; $25, 10/24/16, Maggie Hassan; $25, 10/21/16, Catherine Cortez Masto; $25, 10/21/16, tion of Senators. of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Ex- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without traordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Hillary Clinton; $25, 10/21/16, Hillary Clinton; United States of America to the Republic of $35, 10/17/16, Catherine Cortez Masto; $35, 10/ objection, it is so ordered. Latvia. 17/16, Catherine Cortez Masto; $35, 10/17/16, Foreign Service nomination of Courtney L. Nominee: John Leslie Carwile. Tammy Duckworth; $30, 10/30/18, Claire Lacroix. Post: Riga, Latvia. McCaskill; $30, 10/16/18, Debbie Stabenow; $30, Foreign Service nominations beginning (The following is a list of all members of 10/13/18, Tammy Baldwin; $30, 10/12/18, Jacky with George Habib Abi-Nader and ending my immediate family and their spouses. I Rosen; $30, 10/11/18, Heidi Heitkamp; $30, 10/05/ with Alexis Lyn Zintak, which nominations have asked each of these persons to inform 18, Claire McCaskill; $30, 9/30/18, Jacky were received by the Senate and appeared in me of the pertinent contributions made by Rosen; $30, 9/27/18, Tina Smith; $30, 9/27/18, the Congressional Record on July 25, 2019. them. To the best of my knowledge, the in- Tammy Baldwin; $30, 9/25/18, Heidi Heitkamp; Foreign Service nomination of Cynthia K. formation contained in this report is com- $30, 9/18/18, Claire McCaskill; $30, 9/15/18, Duerr. plete and accurate.) Debbie Stabenow; $30, 9/14/18, Nancy Klo- Foreign Service nominations beginning Contributions, amount, date, donee. buchar; $30, 9/13/18, Tina Smith; $30, 9/11/18, with Jessica Abenstein and ending with 1. Self: None; Tammy Baldwin; $30, 9/10/18, Heidi Heitkamp; David Waldron, which nominations were re- 2. Spouse Karin Hauschild: None; $30, 9/3/18, Jacky Rosen; $30, 8/17/18, Claire ceived by the Senate and appeared in the 3. Children and Spouses: Katherine McCaskill; $40, 8/15/18, Heidi Heitkamp; $30, 8/ Congressional Record on July 25, 2019. Carwile: None; Madeline Carwile: None. 13/18, Tammy Baldwin; $750, 8/12/18, Perry Foreign Service nominations beginning 4. Parents: Clifton Carwile: None; Marlene Gershon; $30, 8/10/18, Debbie Stabenow; $35, 8/ with Kendra Michelle Arbaiza-Sundal and Carwile: None. 1/18, Jacky Rosen; $30, 7/14/18, Heidi ending with Jacqueline Leann Ward, which 5. Grandparents: Deceased. Heitkamp; $30, 7/24/18, Claire McCaskill; $30, nominations were received by the Senate and 6. Brothers and Spouses: N/A. 7/20/18, Tammy Baldwin; $30, 7/5/18, Jacky appeared in the Congressional Record on 7. Sisters and Spouses: Terri Wichtendahl Rosen; $30, 7/5/18, Debbie Stabenow. Valerie July 25, 2019. (sister): None; Mark Wichtendahl: None. Godfrey: $20, 3/2/16, DNC; $20, 4/2/16, DNC; $15, By Mrs. FISCHER for Mr. INHOFE for the 5/30/16, DNC; $40, 9/2/17, DNC; $20, 12/18/17, Committee on Armed Services. Erin Elizabeth McKee, of California, a Ca- DNC; $30, 9/14/15, Hillary Clinton; $20, 11/24/16, * Barbara McConnell Barrett, of Arizona, reer Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Hillary Clinton; $20, 3/1/16, Hillary Clinton; to be Secretary of the Air Force. Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambas- $20, 4/2/16, Hillary Clinton; $20, 6/21/16, Hillary * Ryan McCarthy, of Illinois, to be Sec- sador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Clinton; $20, 8/18/16, Hillary Clinton; $20, 9/29/ retary of the Army. the United States of America to the Inde- 16, Hillary Clinton. Army nomination of Brig. Gen. Douglas A. pendent State of Papua New Guinea, and to 5. Grandparents: All Deceased. Sims II, to be Major General. serve concurrently and without additional 6. Brothers and Spouses: Aaron Godfrey (no Army nomination of Col. Curtis A. Buz- compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary contributions): Sally Kuzma: Sister-in-Law: zard, to be Brigadier General. and Plenipotentiary of the United States of $25, 1/31/16, Act Blue; Thomas J. Godfrey:$15, Air Force nomination of Col. Linell A. America to the Solomon Islands and Ambas- 10/18/18, Act Blue. Letendre, to be Brigadier General. sador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of 7. Sisters and Spouses: Catherine Clare Army nomination of Lt. Gen. James H. the United States of America to the Republic Godfrey: $100, 6/26/18, Shannon Hader; $100, 6/ Dickinson, to be Lieutenant General. of Vanuatu. 26/18, Act Blue; $25, 12/19/17, Act Blue. Ann Army nomination of Maj. Gen. Ricky L. Nominee: Erin Elizabeth McKee. Clyne (no contributions): Myriam Godfrey Post: Ambassador to the Independent Waddell, to be Lieutenant General. (no contributions): Maura Newman (no con- Army nomination of Maj. Gen. Jason T. State of Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Is- tributions): Dan Newman—Brother-in-law: lands, and the Republic of Vanuatu. Evans, to be Lieutenant General. $250, 6/14/16, DNC; $500, 6/16/16, Hillary Clin- Army nomination of Maj. Gen. Raymond S. (The following is a list of all members of ton; $250, 5/22/18, DNC. my immediate family and their spouses. I Dingle, to be Lieutenant General. Navy nomination of Rear Adm. Daryl L. have asked each of these persons to inform Herro Mustafa, of California, a Career me of the pertinent contributions made by Caudle, to be Vice Admiral. Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class Air Force nomination of Maj. Gen. Glen D. them. To the best of my knowledge, the in- of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraor- formation contained in this report is com- VanHerck, to be Lieutenant General. dinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Army nomination of Brig. Gen. Arthur J. plete and accurate.) States of America to the Republic of Bul- Contributions, Amount, Date, Donee: Logan, to be Major General. garia. Air Force nomination of Lt. Gen. Anthony 1. Self: None. Nominee: Herro Mustafa. 2. Spouse: Sean Patrick McKee: None. Post: Ambassador to the Republic of Bul- J. Cotton, to be Lieutenant General. 3. Children and Spouses: Caitlin Gloria garia. Navy nomination of Vice Adm. Colin J. McKee (NB: child not of legal voting or mar- The following is a list of all members of Kilrain, to be Vice Admiral. riage age): none. my immediate family and their spouses. I Air Force nomination of Brig. Gen. Tim- 4. Parents: Harry Stuart Kinder: None; have asked each of these persons to inform othy D. Haugh, to be Lieutenant General. Samantha Gray: None. me of the pertinent contributions made by Air Force nomination of Maj. Gen. Michael 5. Grandparents: Deceased. them. To the best of my knowledge, the in- A. Minihan, to be Lieutenant General. 6. Brothers and Spouses: Devin Garrett formation contained in this report is com- Air Force nomination of Maj. Gen. Scott Robinson: None; Jennine Robinson (spouse): plete and accurate. A. Kindsvater, to be Lieutenant General. None. Contributions, Amount: Navy nomination of Vice Adm. David M. 7. Sisters and Spouses: N/A (no sisters). 1. Self: None. Kriete, to be Vice Admiral. 2. Spouse: Ravneesh Garg: None. Navy nomination of Vice Adm. Stuart B. Anthony F. Godfrey, of Virginia, a Career 3. Child: Ariana Garg: None. Munsch, to be Vice Admiral. Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class 4. Child: Ashna Garg: None. Mrs. FISCHER for Mr. INHOFE. Mr. of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Ex- 5. Mother: Nasrin Mustafa: None. traordinary and Plenipotentiary of the 6. Father: Abdul Mustafa: None. President, for the Committee on Armed United States of America to the Republic of 7. Grandfather: Mohammed Amin Mustafa: Services I report favorably the fol- Serbia. Deceased. lowing nomination lists which were

VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:43 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.032 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5575 printed in the RECORDS on the dates in- nominations were received by the Senate and Army nominations beginning with Brian S. dicated, and ask unanimous consent, to appeared in the Congressional Record on Hatler and ending with William B. Walker, save the expense of reprinting on the June 5, 2019. which nominations were received by the Sen- Executive Calendar that these nomina- Army nominations beginning with Vincent ate and appeared in the Congressional A. Amerena and ending with D014896, which Record on July 31, 2019. tions lie at the Secretary’s desk for the nominations were received by the Senate and Army nominations beginning with Robert information of Senators. appeared in the Congressional Record on G. Bonifacio and ending with Michael T. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without June 5, 2019. (minus 1 nominee: David J. Simpson, which nominations were received objection, it is so ordered. Painter) by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Air Force nomination of Christopher J. Army nomination of Camie R. Levin, to be sional Record on July 31, 2019. Army nominations beginning with Barbara Wood, to be Major. Major. S. Antus and ending with Jean V. Air Force nomination of Christian S. Army nomination of Steve A. Albritton, to Movingcollins, which nominations were re- Forrer, to be Lieutenant Colonel. be Major. ceived by the Senate and appeared in the Air Force nominations beginning with Army nominations beginning with Gary M. Congressional Record on July 31, 2019. Sheva T. Nickravesh and ending with Angela Clark and ending with Stephanie E. Stewart, Army nominations beginning with Joyce M. Thornton, which nominations were re- which nominations were received by the Sen- C. Anacker and ending with Byron J. Thomp- ceived by the Senate and appeared in the ate and appeared in the Congressional son, which nominations were received by the Congressional Record on July 15, 2019. Record on July 15, 2019. Senate and appeared in the Congressional Air Force nomination of Michael W. Army nomination of Christopher D. Bar- Record on July 31, 2019. Luoma, to be Lieutenant Colonel. rett, to be Major. Army nomination of Ralphine R. Walton, Army nominations beginning with Bruce J. Air Force nominations beginning with to be Major. Britson and ending with Thomas W. Hrabal, David P. Abbott and ending with Justin L. Army nomination of Matthew R. Campbell, which nominations were received by the Sen- Wolthuizen, which nominations were re- to be Major. ate and appeared in the Congressional ceived by the Senate and appeared in the Army nomination of John C. Ross, to be Record on July 31, 2019. Congressional Record on July 22, 2019. Major. Army nomination of Jason A. Foreman, to Air Force nominations beginning with Army nomination of Robert T. Buckley, to be Lieutenant Colonel. Christian R. Acevedo and ending with be Major. Army nomination of Alexandra E. Zachary T. West, which nominations were Army nomination of Damien McGuigan, to Weiskopf, to be Lieutenant Colonel. received by the Senate and appeared in the be Major. Army nominations beginning with Tracy Congressional Record on July 22, 2019. Army nominations beginning with Kath- A. Ball and ending with Donna E. Ward, Air Force nominations beginning with leen M. Adamson and ending with Julian L. which nominations were received by the Sen- Neils J. Abderhalden and ending with Brad Padgett, which nominations were received ate and appeared in the Congressional D. Zwawa, which nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Record on July 31, 2019. Army nominations beginning with Laurel by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- sional Record on July 22, 2019. sional Record on July 22, 2019. Army nomination of Eraj V. Tennekoon, to A. Kappedal and ending with Rhonda B. Air Force nominations beginning with Mi- be Major. White, which nominations were received by chael Aaron Burnat and ending with Dylan Army nomination of Heung R. Noh, to be the Senate and appeared in the Congres- B. Williams, which nominations were re- Major. sional Record on July 31, 2019. Army nominations beginning with Anna L. ceived by the Senate and appeared in the Army nomination of Cesar C. Correarivera, Aldana and ending with Joseph S. Seiler, Congressional Record on July 22, 2019. to be Major. which nominations were received by the Sen- Air Force nominations beginning with Army nomination of George J. Smolinski ate and appeared in the Congressional Christopher M. Abbott and ending with III, to be Lieutenant Colonel. Mathew Zulauf, which nominations were re- Army nomination of Michael J. McNaught, Record on July 31, 2019. Army nominations beginning with Karl ceived by the Senate and appeared in the to be Major. Anderson and ending with Claude R. Work- Congressional Record on July 22, 2019. Army nominations beginning with Ken- man, which nominations were received by Air Force nomination of Aaron J. Beebe, to neth T. Baillie and ending with Kenneth J. the Senate and appeared in the Congres- be Major. Weishaar, which nominations were received sional Record on July 31, 2019. Air Force nomination of Craig M. by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Nordgren, to be Lieutenant Colonel. Army nominations beginning with Nich- sional Record on July 22, 2019. olas D. Barringer and ending with D012819, Air Force nomination of Richard A. Palm- Army nomination of Dexter D. Williams, er, to be Colonel. which nominations were received by the Sen- to be Major. ate and appeared in the Congressional Air Force nominations beginning with Lisa Army nominations beginning with Ben- M. Angotti and ending with Duncan K. Wil- Record on September 9, 2019. jamin Ahn and ending with Vivian K. Army nominations beginning with Erin E. son, which nominations were received by the Yanquoiwest, which nominations were re- Ball and ending with D012821, which nomina- Senate and appeared in the Congressional ceived by the Senate and appeared in the tions were received by the Senate and ap- Record on July 22, 2019. Congressional Record on July 31, 2019. peared in the Congressional Record on Sep- Air Force nomination of Rondre F. Army nomination of Spencer W. Robinson, tember 9, 2019. Baluyot, to be Major. to be Colonel. Army nominations beginning with Lovie L. Air Force nomination of Peter J. Ahn, to Army nomination of Robert B. Lackey, to Abraham and ending with D014502, which be Lieutenant Colonel. be Colonel. nominations were received by the Senate and Air Force nomination of Anthony S. Army nomination of Krista M. Klein, to be appeared in the Congressional Record on Gamboa, to be Colonel. Colonel. September 9, 2019. Air Force nominations beginning with An- Army nominations beginning with Denis J. Army nominations beginning with Marlene thony C. Bivins II and ending with Stacey J. Mcdonnell and ending with Jeffrey C. Nich- Ariasreynoso and ending with Kevin M. Zeeb, Wadsley, which nominations were received ols, which nominations were received by the which nominations were received by the Sen- by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Senate and appeared in the Congressional ate and appeared in the Congressional sional Record on July 31, 2019. Record on July 31, 2019. Record on September 9, 2019. Air Force nomination of Andrew Kim, to Army nominations beginning with Army nominations beginning with Brit- be Major. Chowdry M. Bashir and ending with Richard tany B. Beavis and ending with Raymond K. Air Force nomination of Catherine A. M. Slusher, which nominations were received Wong, which nominations were received by Lane, to be Major. by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Army nomination of Gabriel A. Miritello, sional Record on July 31, 2019. sional Record on September 9, 2019. to be Major. Army nominations beginning with Apolla Army nominations beginning with Ray- Army nomination of Nathan B. Gadberry, A. Benito and ending with Michael E. Terry, mond J. Akerman, Jr. and ending with to be Major. which nominations were received by the Sen- D012876, which nominations were received by Army nominations beginning with Sean C. ate and appeared in the Congressional the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Heidgerken and ending with Clint E. Tracy, Record on July 31, 2019. sional Record on September 9, 2019. which nominations were received by the Sen- Army nominations beginning with Thomas Army nominations beginning with Sarah ate and appeared in the Congressional W. Bingamon and ending with Travis J. H. Afriecq and ending with D014706, which Record on June 5, 2019. Weiszhaar, which nominations were received nominations were received by the Senate and Army nominations beginning with Jesse by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- appeared in the Congressional Record on Abreu and ending with D006471 , which nomi- sional Record on July 31, 2019. September 9, 2019. nations were received by the Senate and ap- Army nominations beginning with Tonya Army nominations beginning with Brenda peared in the Congressional Record on June L. Ehlert and ending with Arve A. Wikstrom, J. Adams and ending with Shingo J. Ya- 5, 2019. which nominations were received by the Sen- mada, which nominations were received by Army nominations beginning with Richard ate and appeared in the Congressional the Senate and appeared in the Congres- R. Abelkis and ending with G010532, which Record on July 31, 2019. sional Record on September 9, 2019.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.033 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5576 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 Army nomination of Slava Shapiro, to be Navy nominations beginning with Holly K. rope that were joined in NATO persevered Major. Aguigam and ending with Allison D. and prevailed in the task of ensuring the sur- Army nomination of Rachel M. Romaine, Weinberg, which nominations were received vival of democratic government in Europe to be Major. by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- and North America throughout the Cold Army nomination of Kristy M. Chester, to sional Record on September 9, 2019. War; be Major. Navy nominations beginning with Timothy (C) NATO enhances the security of the Army nomination of Kevin D. Dalling, to J. Algiers and ending with Angela Zah, United States by embedding European states be Major. which nominations were received by the Sen- in a process of cooperative security planning Army nomination of Jay G. Sullivan, to be ate and appeared in the Congressional and by ensuring an ongoing and direct lead- Colonel. Record on September 9, 2019. ership role for the United States in European Army nominations beginning with Brian S. Navy nominations beginning with Matthew security affairs; Borakove and ending with Colby B. Wyatt, W. Catanese and ending with Grant C. Glov- (D) the responsibility and financial burden which nominations were received by the Sen- er, which nominations were received by the of defending the democracies of Europe and ate and appeared in the Congressional Senate and appeared in the Congressional North America can be more equitably shared Record on September 9, 2019. Record on September 9, 2019. through an alliance in which specific obliga- Army nomination of Javier Trevino, to be Navy nominations beginning with Ramon tions and force goals are met by its mem- Lieutenant Colonel. Acosta and ending with Sen F. Yu, which bers; Army nomination of Brendan B. Reina, to nominations were received by the Senate and (E) the security and prosperity of the be Major. appeared in the Congressional Record on United States is enhanced by NATO’s collec- Army nomination of Benjamin A. Greif, to September 9, 2019. tive defense against aggression that may be Major. Navy nominations beginning with Jona- threaten the security of NATO members; and Army nomination of Slade A. McPherson, (F) United States membership in NATO re- to be Colonel. than T. Duenas and ending with James H. Phan, which nominations were received by mains a vital national security interest of Marine Corps nomination of Jeffery G. the United States. Pioszak, to be Major. the Senate and appeared in the Congres- (2) STRATEGIC RATIONALE FOR NATO EN- Marine Corps nominations beginning with sional Record on September 9, 2019. LARGEMENT.—The Senate declares that— John D. Barnes and ending with Kristin M. Navy nomination of Joshua K. Witt, to be Lieutenant Commander. (A) the United States and its NATO allies Tortorici, which nominations were received face continued threats to their stability and by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- Navy nomination of Stephen A. Jessogne, to be Commander. territorial integrity; sional Record on July 15, 2019. (B) an attack against North Macedonia, or Marine Corps nomination of Daniel E. Navy nomination of Vanna J. Rocchi, to be Lieutenant Commander. its destabilization arising from external sub- Callaway, to be Major. version, would threaten the stability of Eu- Marine Corps nomination of Nathan P. * Nomination was reported with rec- rope and jeopardize United States national Dmochowski, to be Lieutenant Colonel. ommendation that it be confirmed sub- security interests; Navy nomination of Traci J. McKinnon, to ject to the nominee’s commitment to (C) North Macedonia, having established a be Lieutenant Commander. democratic government and having dem- Navy nomination of Anthony M. Hruby, to respond to requests to appear and tes- onstrated a willingness to meet the require- be Lieutenant Commander. tify before any duly constituted com- Navy nomination of Salahhudin A. mittee of the Senate. ments of membership, including those nec- Adenkhalif, to be Lieutenant Commander. (Nominations without an asterisk essary to contribute to the defense of all Navy nomination of Bradley D. Coletti, to NATO members, is in a position to further were reported with the recommenda- the principles of the North Atlantic Treaty be Commander. tion that they be confirmed.) Navy nomination of Timothy K. Lynch, to and to contribute to the security of the be Lieutenant Commander. f North Atlantic area; and Navy nomination of Dion M. Adams, to be (D) extending NATO membership to North Lieutenant Commander. EXECUTIVE REPORT OF Macedonia will strengthen NATO, enhance Navy nomination of Christopher C. Cady, COMMITTEE—TREATY stability in Southeast Europe, and advance to be Lieutenant Commander. The following executive report of the interests of the United States and its NATO allies. Navy nomination of Andrew C. Mueller, to committee was submitted: be Lieutenant Commander. (3) SUPPORT FOR NATO’S OPEN DOOR POL- Navy nomination of Tyrone K. Potter, to By Mr. RISCH, from the Committee on ICY.—The policy of the United States is to be Lieutenant Commander. Foreign Relations: support NATO’s Open Door Policy that al- Navy nomination of Francis C. Dailig, to Treaty Doc. 116–1: Protocol to the North lows any European country to express its de- be Lieutenant Commander. Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of sire to join NATO and demonstrate its abil- Navy nominations beginning with David H. the Republic of North Macedonia with seven ity to meet the obligations of NATO mem- Craig III and ending with Byron B. Holloway, declarations and one condition (Ex. Rept. bership. which nominations were received by the Sen- 116–5) (4) FUTURE CONSIDERATION OF CANDIDATES ate and appeared in the Congressional The text of the committee-rec- FOR MEMBERSHIP IN NATO.— Record on July 15, 2019. ommended resolution of advice and (A) SENATE FINDING.—The Senate finds that the United States will not support the Navy nominations beginning with James consent to ratification is as follows: M. Allen, Jr. and ending with Jonathan R. accession to the North Atlantic Treaty of, or Wheeler, which nominations were received Resolved, (two-thirds of the Senators present the invitation to begin accession talks with, by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- concurring therein), any European state (other than North Mac- sional Record on July 22, 2019. Section 1. Senate Advice and Consent Sub- edonia), unless— Navy nominations beginning with Eduardo ject to Declarations and Conditions. (i) the President consults with the Senate B. Amora and ending with Gregory S. The Senate advises and consents to the consistent with Article II, section 2, clause 2 Woodard, which nominations were received ratification of the Protocol to the North At- of the Constitution of the United States (re- by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- lantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of lating to the advice and consent of the Sen- sional Record on September 9, 2019. North Macedonia, which was opened for sig- ate to the making of treaties); and Navy nominations beginning with Janpaul nature at Brussels on February 6, 2019, and (ii) the prospective NATO member can ful- P. Amposta and ending with Lin L. Zheng, signed that day on behalf of the United fill all of the obligations and responsibilities which nominations were received by the Sen- States of America (the ‘‘Protocol’’) (Treaty of membership, and the inclusion of such ate and appeared in the Congressional Doc. 116–1), subject to the declarations of state in NATO would serve the overall polit- Record on September 9, 2019. section 2 and the conditions of section 3. ical and strategic interests of NATO and the Navy nominations beginning with Ashley Sec. 2. Declarations. United States. A. Aclese and ending with Gisselle I. The advice and consent of the Senate (B) REQUIREMENT FOR CONSENSUS AND RATI- Zelsdorf, which nominations were received under section 1 is subject to the following FICATION.—The Senate declares that no ac- by the Senate and appeared in the Congres- declarations: tion or agreement other than a consensus de- sional Record on September 9, 2019. (1) REAFFIRMATION—THAT UNITED STATES cision by the full membership of NATO, ap- Navy nominations beginning with Rachael MEMBERSHIP IN NATO REMAINS A VITAL NA- proved by the national procedures of each E. Baker and ending with Sara J. Wooten, TIONAL SECURITY INTEREST OF THE UNITED NATO member, including, in the case of the which nominations were received by the Sen- STATES. The Senate declares that— United States, the requirements of Article ate and appeared in the Congressional (A) for 70 years the North Atlantic Treaty II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution of Record on September 9, 2019. Organization (NATO) has served as the pre- the United States (relating to the advice and Navy nominations beginning with Alex- eminent organization to defend the countries consent of the Senate to the making of trea- ander Alba and ending with Myra S. Wear- in the North Atlantic area against all exter- ties), will constitute a commitment to col- ing, which nominations were received by the nal threats; lective defense and consultations pursuant Senate and appeared in the Congressional (B) through common action, the estab- to Articles 4 and 5 of the North Atlantic Record on September 9, 2019. lished democracies of North America and Eu- Treaty.

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(5) INFLUENCE OF NON-NATO MEMBERS ON States but not in a theater of combat oper- By Mr. BENNET (for himself, Mr. NATO DECISIONS.—The Senate declares that ations so the family may receive the remains WHITEHOUSE, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. UDALL, any country that is not a member of NATO of the deceased, and for other purposes; to Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. shall have no impact on decisions related to the Committee on Armed Services. WYDEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. REED, NATO enlargement. By Mr. BURR (for himself and Mr. BEN- Mr. DURBIN, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. (6) SUPPORT FOR 2014 WALES SUMMIT DEFENSE NET): SANDERS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MAR- SPENDING BENCHMARK.—The Senate declares S. 2495. A bill to amend the Internal Rev- KEY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, that all NATO members should continue to enue Code of 1986 to establish an exception to Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. move towards the guideline outlined in the the penalty on early distributions from WARREN, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. 2014 Wales Summit Declaration to spend a qualified plans for individuals diagnosed LEAHY): minimum of 2 percent of their Gross Domes- with certain terminal illnesses; to the Com- S. 2505. A bill to provide that Executive tic Product (GDP) on defense and 20 percent mittee on Finance. Order 13783 and certain rules shall have no of their defense budgets on major equipment, By Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mr. force or effect, and for other purposes; to the including research and development, by 2024. BROWN, Mr. LEAHY, and Mr. SAND- Committee on Energy and Natural Re- (7) SUPPORT FOR NORTH MACEDONIA’SRE- ERS): sources. S. 2496. A bill to amend title II of the So- FORM PROCESS.—The Senate declares that— By Ms. WARREN (for herself and Mr. (A) North Macedonia has made difficult re- cial Security Act to eliminate the Medicare MARKEY): and disability insurance benefits waiting pe- forms and taken steps to address corruption, S. 2506. A bill to direct the Administrator riods for disabled individuals; to the Com- but the United States and other NATO mem- of the Federal Aviation Administration to mittee on Finance. ber states should not consider this important enter into appropriate arrangements with By Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, process complete and should continue to the National Academies of Sciences, Engi- Mr. BROWN, and Ms. ROSEN): urge additional reforms; and neering, and Medicine to provide for a report S. 2497. A bill to amend the Internal Rev- on the health impacts of air traffic noise and (B) North Macedonia and Greece’s conclu- enue Code of 1986 to exclude certain depend- sion of the Prespa Agreement, which re- pollution, and for other purposes; to the ent income when calculating modified ad- Committee on Commerce, Science, and solved a long-standing bilateral dispute, has justed gross income for the purposes of eligi- made possible the former’s invitation to Transportation. bility for premium tax credits; to the Com- By Mr. RUBIO (for himself and Mr. NATO, and the United States and other mittee on Finance. SCOTT of Florida): NATO members should continue to press By Ms. WARREN (for herself, Mr. MUR- both nations to persevere in their continued S. 2507. A bill to amend the Immigration PHY, Ms. HIRONO, and Mr. BROWN): and Nationality Act to authorize admission implementation of the Agreement and en- S. 2498. A bill to amend the Higher Edu- of Canadian retirees as long-term visitors for courage a strategic partnership between the cation Act of 1965 to clarify the Federal Pell pleasure described in section 101(a)(15)(B) of two nations. Grant duration limits of borrowers who at- such Act, and for other purposes; to the Com- Sec. 3. Conditions. tend an institution of higher education that mittee on Finance. The advice and consent of the Senate closes or commits fraud or other misconduct, By Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself and Ms. under section 1 is subject to the following and for other purposes; to the Committee on conditions: MCSALLY): Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. S. 2508. A bill to require the Secretary of (1) PRESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATION.—Prior to By Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. Energy to establish a council to conduct a the deposit of the instrument of ratification, BENNET, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. the President shall certify to the Senate as survey and analysis of the employment fig- CASEY, Mr. COONS, Mr. JONES, Mr. ures and demographics in the energy, energy follows: KING, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. VAN HOL- (A) The inclusion of North Macedonia in efficiency, and motor vehicle sectors of the LEN): United States, and for other purposes; to the NATO will not have the effect of increasing S. 2499. A bill to effectively staff the public Committee on Energy and Natural Re- the overall percentage share of the United elementary schools and secondary schools of sources. States in the common budgets of NATO. the United States with school-based mental (B) The inclusion of North Macedonia in health services providers; to the Committee f NATO does not detract from the ability of on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND the United States to meet or to fund its mili- By Ms. HARRIS (for herself and Mr. SENATE RESOLUTIONS tary requirements outside the North Atlan- GARDNER): tic area. S. 2500. A bill to amend the Public Health The following concurrent resolutions Sec. 4. Definitions. Service Act to authorize a loan repayment and Senate resolutions were read, and In this resolution: program for mental health professionals to referred (or acted upon), as indicated: (1) NATO MEMBERS.—The term ‘‘NATO relieve workforce shortages, and for other By Ms. HARRIS (for herself, Mrs. FEIN- members’’ means all countries that are par- purposes; to the Committee on Health, Edu- STEIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, ties to the North Atlantic Treaty. cation, Labor, and Pensions. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. CANTWELL, (2) NON-NATO MEMBERS.—The term ‘‘non- By Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mrs. MUR- Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. NATO members’’ means all countries that RAY, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. SCHATZ, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. are not parties to the North Atlantic Treaty. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. REED, Ms. HIRONO, BENNET, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. COONS, (3) NORTH ATLANTIC AREA.—The term Mr. SANDERS, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. Ms. WARREN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. ‘‘North Atlantic area’’ means the area cov- BALDWIN, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MENEN- HIRONO, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. SANDERS, ered by Article 6 of the North Atlantic Trea- DEZ, Ms. SMITH, and Mr. MURPHY): Mr. REED, Ms. SMITH, Ms. KLO- ty, as applied by the North Atlantic Council. S. 2501. A bill to amend the Richard B. Rus- BUCHAR, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. (4) NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY.—The term sell National School Lunch Act to improve KAINE, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. LEAHY, ‘‘North Atlantic Treaty’’ means the North the child and adult care food program; to the Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. UDALL, Mr. CASEY, Atlantic Treaty, signed at Washington April Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. 4, 1949 (63 Stat. 2241; TIAS 1964), as amend- Forestry. DUCKWORTH, and Mr. DURBIN): ed— By Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself, Mr. COTTON, Mr. HAWLEY, Mr. RUBIO, S. Res. 316. A resolution supporting the (5) UNITED STATES INSTRUMENT OF RATIFI- clean vehicle emissions standards of the CATION.—The term ‘‘United States instru- Mr. MURPHY, and Mr. BLUMENTHAL): S. 2502. A bill to ban the Federal procure- United States and defending the authority of ment of ratification’’ means the instrument States under the Clean Air Act to protect of ratification of the United States of the ment of certain drones and other unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes; to the people of those States from harmful air Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 pollution; to the Committee on Environment on the Accession of North Macedonia. the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. and Public Works. f By Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. MENEN- By Ms. WARREN (for herself, Mr. PERDUE, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. BALDWIN, INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND DEZ, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. DURBIN, and Mr. COONS): Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. JOINT RESOLUTIONS S. 2503. A bill to reauthorize the United ISAKSON, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. BOOKER, The following bills and joint resolu- States Commission on International Reli- Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. tions were introduced, read the first gious Freedom, and for other purposes; to PETERS, and Ms. ROSEN): S. Res. 317. A resolution recognizing the se- and second times by unanimous con- the Committee on Foreign Relations. By Mr. HOEVEN (for himself and Mr. riousness of polycystic ovary syndrome sent, and referred as indicated: CRAMER): (PCOS) and expressing support for the des- By Mr. COTTON (for himself and Ms. S. 2504. A bill to amend title 38, United ignation of September 2019 as ‘‘PCOS Aware- DUCKWORTH): States Code, to direct the Secretary of Vet- ness Month’’; to the Committee on Health, S. 2494. A bill to direct the Secretary of De- erans Affairs to furnish hyperbaric oxygen Education, Labor, and Pensions. fense to provide travel to Dover Air Force therapy to veterans with traumatic brain in- By Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. MENEN- Base for family members of members of the jury or post-traumatic stress disorder; to the DEZ, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. COONS, Mr. Armed Forces who die outside of the United Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. RUBIO, and Mr. CARDIN):

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.027 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5578 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 S. Res. 318. A resolution to support the sponsor of S. 296, a bill to amend XVIII kota (Mr. HOEVEN) was added as a co- Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and of the Social Security Act to ensure sponsor of S. 997, a bill to recognize and Malaria, and the Sixth Replenishment; to more timely access to home health honor the service of individuals who the Committee on Foreign Relations. services for Medicare beneficiaries served in the United States Cadet f under the Medicare program. Nurse Corps during World War II, and ADDITIONAL COSPONSORS S. 433 for other purposes. At the request of Ms. COLLINS, the S. 27 S. 1015 name of the Senator from West Vir- At the request of Mr. MANCHIN, the At the request of Mr. BURR, the name ginia (Mrs. CAPITO) was added as a co- name of the Senator from Arizona (Ms. of the Senator from Wisconsin (Ms. sponsor of S. 433, a bill to amend title BALDWIN) was added as a cosponsor of SINEMA) was added as a cosponsor of S. XVIII of the Social Security Act to im- 27, a bill to amend the Surface Mining S. 1015, a bill to require the Director of prove home health payment reforms the Office of Management and Budget Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to under the Medicare program. transfer certain funds to the 1974 to review and make certain revisions S. 518 United Mine Workers of America Pen- to the Standard Occupational Classi- At the request of Ms. CANTWELL, the sion Plan, and for other purposes. fication System, and for other pur- name of the Senator from South Caro- poses. S. 123 lina (Mr. GRAHAM) was added as a co- S. 1141 At the request of Ms. ERNST, the sponsor of S. 518, a bill to amend title name of the Senator from West Vir- XVIII of the Social Security Act to At the request of Ms. STABENOW, the ginia (Mrs. CAPITO) was added as a co- provide for Medicare coverage of cer- name of the Senator from Arizona (Ms. sponsor of S. 123, a bill to require the tain lymphedema compression treat- MCSALLY) was added as a cosponsor of Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter ment items as items of durable medical S. 1141, a bill to provide predictability into a contract or other agreement equipment. and certainty in the tax law, create jobs, and encourage investment. with a third party to review appointees S. 593 in the Veterans Health Administration At the request of Ms. HARRIS, the S. 1200 who had a license terminated for cause name of the Senator from Michigan At the request of Mr. MERKLEY, the by a State licensing board for care or (Ms. STABENOW) was added as a cospon- name of the Senator from Illinois (Mr. services rendered at a non-Veterans sor of S. 593, a bill to amend the Reli- DURBIN) was added as a cosponsor of S. Health Administration facility and to gious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 1200, a bill to create protections for de- provide individuals treated by such an to protect civil rights and otherwise pository institutions that provide fi- appointee with notice if it is deter- prevent meaningful harm to third par- nancial services to cannabis-related le- mined that an episode of care or serv- ties, and for other purposes. gitimate businesses and service pro- ices to which they received was below S. 631 viders for such businesses, and for the standard of care, and for other pur- At the request of Mr. CARPER, the other purposes. poses. name of the Senator from California S. 1223 S. 133 (Mrs. FEINSTEIN) was added as a co- At the request of Mr. CASEY, the At the request of Ms. MURKOWSKI, the sponsor of S. 631, a bill to provide for name of the Senator from Nevada (Ms. names of the Senator from Idaho (Mr. the admission of the State of Wash- ROSEN) was added as a cosponsor of S. RISCH), the Senator from Arizona (Ms. ington, D.C. into the Union. 1223, a bill to amend title XVIII of the SINEMA) and the Senator from Texas S. 668 Social Security Act to provide for the (Mr. CORNYN) were added as cosponsors At the request of Mr. BROWN, the non-application of Medicare competi- of S. 133, a bill to award a Congres- name of the Senator from Colorado tive acquisition rates to complex reha- sional Gold Medal, collectively, to the (Mr. GARDNER) was added as a cospon- bilitative wheelchairs and accessories. United States merchant mariners of sor of S. 668, a bill to amend title XVIII S. 1267 World War II, in recognition of their of the Social Security Act to waive co- At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the dedicated and vital service during insurance under Medicare for names of the Senator from North Caro- World War II. colorectal cancer screening tests, re- lina (Mr. TILLIS) and the Senator from S. 172 gardless of whether therapeutic inter- Illinois (Ms. DUCKWORTH) were added as vention is required during the screen- At the request of Mr. GARDNER, the cosponsors of S. 1267, a bill to establish names of the Senator from Arizona ing. within the Smithsonian Institution the S. 691 (Ms. MCSALLY) and the Senator from National Museum of the American At the request of Mr. CASEY, the Florida (Mr. SCOTT) were added as co- Latino, and for other purposes. name of the Senator from Michigan sponsors of S. 172, a bill to delay the re- S. 1279 (Ms. STABENOW) was added as a cospon- imposition of the annual fee on health At the request of Mr. JONES, the insurance providers until after 2021. sor of S. 691, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enhance names of the Senator from West Vir- S. 206 prescription drug affordability by ex- ginia (Mrs. CAPITO) and the Senator At the request of Mr. TESTER, the panding access to assistance with out- from West Virginia (Mr. MANCHIN) were name of the Senator from Alabama of-pocket costs under Medicare part D added as cosponsors of S. 1279, a bill to (Mr. JONES) was added as a cosponsor for low-income seniors and individuals reauthorize mandatory funding pro- of S. 206, a bill to award a Congres- with disabilities. grams for historically Black colleges sional Gold Medal to the female tele- and universities and other minority- S. 800 phone operators of the Army Signal serving institutions. At the request of Mr. CASSIDY, the Corps, known as the ‘‘Hello Girls’’. name of the Senator from Iowa (Mr. S. 1443 S. 286 GRASSLEY) was added as a cosponsor of At the request of Ms. ERNST, the At the request of Mr. BARRASSO, the S. 800, a bill to establish a postsec- name of the Senator from Nevada (Ms. name of the Senator from Kansas (Mr. ondary student data system. ROSEN) was added as a cosponsor of S. MORAN) was added as a cosponsor of S. S. 880 1443, a bill to amend the Internal Rev- 286, a bill to amend title XVIII of the At the request of Ms. STABENOW, the enue Code of 1986 to provide a non- Social Security Act to provide for the name of the Senator from Hawaii (Ms. refundable credit for working family coverage of marriage and family thera- HIRONO) was added as a cosponsor of S. caregivers. pist services and mental health coun- 880, a bill to provide outreach and re- S. 1491 selor services under part B of the Medi- porting on comprehensive Alzheimer’s At the request of Mrs. MURRAY, the care program, and for other purposes. disease care planning services fur- name of the Senator from Michigan S. 296 nished under the Medicare program. (Mr. PETERS) was added as a cosponsor At the request of Ms. COLLINS, the S. 997 of S. 1491, a bill to prohibit forced arbi- name of the Senator from West Vir- At the request of Ms. WARREN, the tration in work disputes, and for other ginia (Mrs. CAPITO) was added as a co- name of the Senator from North Da- purposes.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.031 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5579 S. 1791 S. 2219 (Mr. MURPHY) was added as a cosponsor At the request of Mrs. GILLIBRAND, At the request of Ms. HARRIS, the of S. 2492, a bill to amend the Public the name of the Senator from Min- name of the Senator from New Jersey Health Service Act to provide best nesota (Ms. SMITH) was added as a co- (Mr. BOOKER) was added as a cosponsor practices on student suicide awareness sponsor of S. 1791, a bill to prohibit dis- of S. 2219, a bill to clarify the rights of and prevention training and condition crimination on the basis of religion, all persons who are held or detained at State educational agencies, local edu- sex (including sexual orientation and a port of entry or at any detention fa- cational agencies, and tribal edu- gender identity), and marital status in cility overseen by U.S. Customs and cational agencies receiving funds under the administration and provision of Border Protection or U.S. Immigration section 520A of such Act to establish child welfare services, to improve safe- and Customs Enforcement. and implement a school-based student ty, well-being, and permanency for les- S. 2229 suicide awareness and prevention bian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and At the request of Mr. DAINES, the training policy. queer or questioning foster youth, and names of the Senator from Massachu- S. RES. 274 setts (Ms. WARREN) and the Senator for other purposes. At the request of Mr. MENENDEZ, the S. 2001 from Mississippi (Mrs. HYDE-SMITH) names of the Senator from Mississippi were added as cosponsors of S. 2229, a At the request of Ms. STABENOW, the (Mr. WICKER) and the Senator from bill to protect consumers from decep- name of the Senator from Missouri New Hampshire (Mrs. SHAHEEN) were (Mr. BLUNT) was added as a cosponsor tive practices with respect to online added as cosponsors of S. Res. 274, a of S. 2001, a bill to award a Congres- booking of hotel reservations, and for resolution expressing solidarity with other purposes. sional Gold Medal to Willie O’Ree, in Falun Gong practitioners who have recognition of his extraordinary con- S. 2238 lost lives, freedoms, and other rights tributions and commitment to hockey, At the request of Ms. HARRIS, her for adhering to their beliefs and prac- inclusion, and recreational oppor- name was added as a cosponsor of S. tices, and condemning the practice of tunity. 2238, a bill to protect elections for pub- non-consenting organ harvesting, and lic office by providing financial support S. 2042 for other purposes. At the request of Mr. SCHUMER, the and enhanced security for the infra- structure used to carry out such elec- S. RES. 303 name of the Senator from Michigan At the request of Mr. HAWLEY, the (Mr. PETERS) was added as a cosponsor tions, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. MERKLEY, his name of the Senator from Ohio (Mr. of S. 2042, a bill to require the Sec- name was added as a cosponsor of S. PORTMAN) was added as a cosponsor of retary of the Treasury to mint coins in 2238, supra. S. Res. 303, a resolution calling upon commemoration of the National Purple the leadership of the Government of Heart Hall of Honor. S. 2353 At the request of Mr. PETERS, the the Democratic People’s Republic of S. 2054 names of the Senator from North Caro- Korea to dismantle its kwan-li-so po- At the request of Mr. MARKEY, the lina (Mr. TILLIS) and the Senator from litical prison labor camp system, and name of the Senator from Maryland Nevada (Ms. ROSEN) were added as co- for other purposes. (Mr. CARDIN) was added as a cosponsor sponsors of S. 2353, a bill to direct the f of S. 2054, a bill to posthumously award Administrator of the Federal Emer- the Congressional Gold Medal, collec- gency Management Agency to develop SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS tively, to Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, guidance for firefighters and other J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean emergency response personnel on best SENATE RESOLUTION 316—SUP- Smith, in recognition of their contribu- practices to protect them from expo- PORTING THE CLEAN VEHICLE tions to the Nation. sure to PFAS and to limit and prevent EMISSIONS STANDARDS OF THE S. 2085 the release of PFAS into the environ- At the request of Ms. ROSEN, the ment, and for other purposes. UNITED STATES AND DEFEND- ING THE AUTHORITY OF STATES name of the Senator from Texas (Mr. S. 2434 UNDER THE CLEAN AIR ACT TO CORNYN) was added as a cosponsor of S. At the request of Mr. PETERS, the PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF THOSE 2085, a bill to authorize the Secretary names of the Senator from West Vir- STATES FROM HARMFUL AIR of Education to award grants to eligi- ginia (Mrs. CAPITO), the Senator from POLLUTION ble entities to carry out educational Maine (Ms. COLLINS) and the Senator programs about the Holocaust, and for from Wisconsin (Ms. BALDWIN) were Ms. HARRIS (for herself, Mrs. FEIN- other purposes. added as cosponsors of S. 2434, a bill to STEIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, S. 2118 establish the National Criminal Justice Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. At the request of Mr. COTTON, the Commission. MERKLEY, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. SCHATZ, Ms. names of the Senator from Indiana S. 2485 HASSAN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. BENNET, Mr. (Mr. YOUNG) and the Senator from Mas- At the request of Mr. PETERS, the VAN HOLLEN, Mr. COONS, Ms. WARREN, sachusetts (Ms. WARREN) were added as name of the Senator from New Jersey Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. cosponsors of S. 2118, a bill to prohibit (Mr. BOOKER) was added as a cosponsor BALDWIN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. REED, Ms. United States persons from dealing in of S. 2485, a bill to prohibit Federal SMITH, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. CARDIN, certain information and communica- agencies from using Government funds Mr. WYDEN, Mr. KAINE, Mr. WHITE- tions technology or services from for- to pay for expenses at lodging estab- HOUSE, Mr. LEAHY, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. eign adversaries and to require the ap- lishments that are owned by or employ UDALL, Mr. CASEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mrs. proval of Congress to terminate certain certain public officials or their rel- MURRAY, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Mr. DUR- export controls in effect with respect atives. BIN) submitted the following resolu- to Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., and S. 2491 tion; which was referred to the Com- for other purposes. At the request of Mr. UDALL, the mittee on Environment and Public S. 2158 names of the Senator from Connecticut Works: At the request of Ms. HASSAN, the (Mr. MURPHY) and the Senator from S. RES. 316 names of the Senator from Arizona Maryland (Mr. VAN HOLLEN) were Whereas Congress enacted the Clean Air (Ms. SINEMA), the Senator from Michi- added as cosponsors of S. 2491, a bill to Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), which requires gan (Ms. STABENOW), the Senator from terminate certain rules issued by the the Administrator of the Environmental Wisconsin (Ms. BALDWIN) and the Sen- Secretary of the Interior and the Sec- Protection Agency (referred to in this pre- ator from Pennsylvania (Mr. CASEY) retary of Commerce relating to endan- amble as the ‘‘EPA’’) to set standards con- were added as cosponsors of S. 2158, a gered and threatened species, and for trolling air pollutant emissions from motor vehicles to prevent the endangerment of pub- bill to improve certain programs of the other purposes. lic health and welfare; Department of Health and Human S. 2492 Whereas motor vehicle pollution contrib- Services with respect to heritable dis- At the request of Mr. GARDNER, the utes to serious health problems faced by the orders. name of the Senator from Connecticut people of the United States, including—

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.019 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5580 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 (1) asthma attacks; sions standards and the Federal fuel econ- SENATE RESOLUTION 317—RECOG- (2) heart attacks; omy standards adopted in 2012 for model NIZING THE SERIOUSNESS OF (3) lung cancer; and years 2017 through 2025— (4) premature death; POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (1) can be met with a wide range of tech- (PCOS) AND EXPRESSING SUP- Whereas, through climate change, green- nologies; house gas (referred to in this preamble as PORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF ‘‘GHG’’) emissions from motor vehicles con- (2) are expected to be met with advanced SEPTEMBER 2019 AS ‘‘PCOS tribute to other health burdens, including— gasoline technologies; and AWARENESS MONTH’’ (1) worsened air pollution; (3) will accommodate contemporary con- (2) extreme heat; sumer purchasing trends; Ms. WARREN (for herself, Mr. (3) increased spread of infectious diseases; Whereas in January 2017, the Adminis- PERDUE, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. and trator of the EPA issued a final determina- BLUMENTHAL, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. ISAK- (4) exacerbated natural disasters; tion to maintain the existing GHG emissions SON, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. BOOKER, Mrs. Whereas all people of the United States are standards for vehicles of model year 2022 FEINSTEIN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. vulnerable to the health impacts of GHGs, through 2025, based on the extensive tech- but many individuals and communities are nical record showing that those standards PETERS, and Ms. ROSEN) submitted the at a greater risk of experiencing those im- are appropriate and achievable; following resolution; which was re- pacts, including— Whereas the light-duty vehicle GHG emis- ferred to the Committee on Health, (1) children; sions and fuel economy standards of the Education, Labor, and Pensions: (2) the elderly; United States— S. RES. 317 (3) individuals with lung and heart disease; (1) support more than 288,000 automobile Whereas polycystic ovary syndrome (in (4) low-income communities; and manufacturing jobs across 1,200 facilities in this preamble referred to as ‘‘PCOS’’) is a (5) communities of color; the United States; Whereas recent reports from the Intergov- common health problem among women and ernmental Panel on Climate Change and the (2) keep automobile companies in the girls involving a hormonal imbalance; United States Global Change Research Pro- United States globally competitive as other Whereas there is no universal definition of gram affirm the need to mitigate climate countries adopt strict clean vehicle emis- PCOS, but researchers estimate that be- change and the effects of climate change; sions standards; and tween 5,000,000 and 10,000,000 women in the Whereas section 209 of the Clean Air Act (3) protect consumers in the United States United States are affected by the condition; (42 U.S.C. 7543) preserves the authority of the from dirtier and more costly technology; Whereas, according to a 2004 study, the an- State of California to set vehicle emissions Whereas the transportation sector has sur- nual burden of PCOS in the United States is standards that, in the aggregate, are at least passed the energy sector as the largest an estimated $4,360,000,000, and this figure as protective of public health and welfare as source of GHG emissions in the United pertains to only the reproductive years of applicable Federal vehicle emissions stand- States; women and does not consider the cost of ards; Whereas the light-duty vehicle GHG emis- other comorbidities, including obstetrical Whereas section 177 of the Clean Air Act sions and fuel economy standards of the complications, or the cost of metabolic (42 U.S.C. 7507) allows States other than Cali- United States, if fully implemented through morbidities in post-menopause or adoles- fornia to adopt, in lieu of the Federal re- model year 2025, will— cence; quirements, the standards set by the State of (1) reduce the consumption of oil in the Whereas PCOS can affect girls at the onset California, which, in the aggregate, are at United States by 2,400,000 barrels per day; of puberty and throughout the remainder of least as protective of public health and wel- (2) save consumers in the United States their lives; fare as applicable Federal vehicle emissions $130,000,000,000 at the gas pump by 2030; and Whereas the symptoms of PCOS include in- fertility, irregular or absent menstrual peri- standards; (3) reduce GHG emissions in the United ods, acne, weight gain, thinning of scalp Whereas the EPA has authority under the States by 470,000,000 metric tons by 2030; hair, excessive facial and body hair growth, Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) to regu- Whereas the light-duty vehicle GHG emis- numerous small ovarian cysts, pelvic pain, late GHG emissions from vehicles; sions and fuel economy standards of the and mental health problems; Whereas the States of Colorado, Con- United States protect low-income commu- Whereas women with PCOS have higher necticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massa- nities and communities of color from being rates of psychosocial disorders, including de- chusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, disproportionately affected by public health pression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and eat- Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and and economic burdens; and ing disorders, and are at greater risk for sui- Washington have exercised the authority to Whereas 87 percent of people in the United cide; adopt, pursuant to the rights of those States States— preserved under section 177 of the Clean Air Whereas adolescents with PCOS often are (1) support maintaining strong clean vehi- Act (42 U.S.C. 7507), vehicle emissions stand- not diagnosed, and many have metabolic cle emissions standards; and ards adopted by the State of California that, dysfunction and insulin resistance, which in the aggregate, are at least as protective of (2) want automakers to continue to im- can lead to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular public health and welfare as the otherwise prove fuel economy for all types of vehicles: disease, obstructive sleep apnea, non- applicable standards set by the Federal Gov- Now, therefore, be it alcoholic fatty liver disease, and ernment; Resolved, That the Senate— endometrial cancer at a young adult age; Whereas the Energy Policy and Conserva- (1) supports the existing set of regulations, Whereas PCOS is the most common cause tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.) and the Ten- known as the ‘‘One National Program’’, of female infertility; in-Ten Fuel Economy Act (Public Law 110– which contains the goals of— Whereas PCOS in pregnancy is associated 140; 121 Stat. 1498) require the Secretary of (A) reducing greenhouse gas (referred to in with increased risk of gestational diabetes, Transportation to set maximum feasible cor- this resolving clause as ‘‘GHG’’) emissions preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hyper- porate average fuel economy standards, with and oil usage; tension, preterm delivery, cesarean delivery, the ultimate goal of promoting energy sav- (B) protecting national security; and miscarriage, and fetal and infant death; ings and reducing oil consumption; (C) protecting human health and welfare; Whereas women with PCOS are at in- Whereas the Federal Government, the and creased risk of developing high blood pres- State of California, and the automobile in- (2) to meet those goals, supports policies sure, high cholesterol, stroke, and heart dis- dustry have agreed to a coordinated set of that— ease (the leading cause of death among regulations, known as the ‘‘One National (A) achieve maximum feasible reductions women); Program’’, that— in oil use; Whereas women with PCOS have a more (1) aligns, as closely as possible, the Fed- (B) reduce GHG emissions from mobile than 50 percent chance of developing type 2 eral light-duty vehicle GHG emissions stand- sources; diabetes or prediabetes before the age of 40; ards and fuel economy standards for vehicles (C) recognize the rights and importance of Whereas women with PCOS may be at a of model year 2012 and each model year States under cooperative federalism to higher risk for breast cancer and ovarian thereafter with the light-duty vehicle GHG choose to set and follow vehicle emissions cancer, and their risk for developing emissions standards and fuel economy stand- standards under the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. endometrial cancer is 3 times higher, than ards adopted by the State of California; and 7401 et seq.) that are stronger than those set women who do not have PCOS; (2) sets achievable standards for light-duty by the Federal Government; and Whereas research has found genetic evi- vehicle GHG emissions and fuel economy (D) ensure that the President, the Sec- dence of a causal link between depression that increase in stringency through model retary of Transportation, and the Adminis- and PCOS; year 2025; trator of the Environmental Protection Whereas research has indicated PCOS Whereas the EPA, the National Highway Agency solicit input from State parties im- shares a genetic architecture with metabolic Traffic Safety Administration, and the Cali- pacted by any changes to the existing GHG traits, as evidenced by genetic correlations fornia Air Resources Board have collabo- emissions standards for light-duty vehicles between PCOS and obesity, fasting insulin, rated on an extensive analysis that clearly and the associated standards for corporate type 2 diabetes, lipid levels, and coronary ar- demonstrates that the Federal GHG emis- average fuel economy. tery disease;

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.025 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE September 18, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5581 Whereas adolescents with PCOS are at curred, including a more than 50 percent re- (5) encourages United States bilateral aid markedly increased risk for type 2 diabetes, duction in the number of AIDS-related programs to continue their collaboration fatty liver disease, and heart disease; deaths since the peak in 2005, a 37 percent de- with the Global Fund to maximize the life- Whereas PCOS negatively alters metabolic cline in tuberculosis (TB) deaths since 2000, saving impact of global health investments. function independent of, but exacerbated by, and a 60 percent decline in the number of f an increased body mass index (BMI); malaria deaths since 2000; Whereas an estimated 50 percent of women Whereas, since the Global Fund’s creation AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO with PCOS are undiagnosed, and many re- in 2002, more than 27,000,000 lives have been MEET main undiagnosed until they experience fer- saved in the countries where it invests; Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have 6 tility difficulties or develop type 2 diabetes Whereas the Global Fund and its partners or other cardiometabolic disorders; work to maintain a steadfast commitment to requests for committees to meet during Whereas the cause of PCOS is unknown, transparency and accountability and have today’s session of the Senate. They but researchers have found strong links to a received high marks in multilateral aid re- have the approval of the Majority and genetic predisposition and significant insulin views and by independent watchdog groups; Minority leaders. resistance, which affects up to 70 percent of Whereas a 2019 study published in the An- Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph women with PCOS; and nals of Global Health found evidence of asso- 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Sen- Whereas there is no known cure for PCOS: ciated improvements in government ac- ate, the following committees are au- Now, therefore, be it countability, control of corruption, political freedoms, regulatory quality, and rule of law thorized to meet during today’s session Resolved, That the Senate— of the Senate: (1) recognizes polycystic ovary syndrome that are significant in countries where the (in this resolution referred to as ‘‘PCOS’’) as Global Fund invests; COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND a serious disorder that impacts many aspects Whereas, despite progress in combating TRANSPORTATION of health, including cardiometabolic, repro- AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, challenges The Committee on Commerce, ductive, and mental health, and quality of such as drug and insecticide resistance, Science, and Transportation is author- life; reaching marginalized and vulnerable popu- ized to meet during the session of the (2) expresses support for the designation of lations, and complacency in the fight against infectious diseases threaten further progress; Senate on Wednesday, September 18, September 2019 as ‘‘PCOS Awareness 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. Month’’; Whereas United States leadership has been (3) supports the goals and ideals of PCOS critical to the success of the Global Fund, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC Awareness Month, which are— both as its largest donor and through its WORKS (A) to increase awareness of, and education oversight role on the Board of the Global The Committee on Environment and about, PCOS and its connection to Fund; Public Works is authorized to meet comorbidities, such as type 2 diabetes, Whereas Global Fund programs and activi- during the session of the Senate on endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, ties support and complement United States bilateral health programs, including the Wednesday, September 18, 2019, at 10 nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and mental a.m., to conduct a hearing. health disorders, among the general public, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the President’s Malaria Initiative, and the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS women, girls, and health care professionals; United States Agency for International De- (B) to improve diagnosis and treatment of The Committee on Foreign Relations velopment tuberculosis program; PCOS; is authorized to meet during the ses- Whereas the United States is limited by (C) to disseminate information on diag- sion of the Senate on Wednesday, Sep- law from contributing more than 33 percent nosis, treatment, and management of PCOS, of the Global Fund budget, thereby encour- tember 18, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a including prevention of comorbidities such aging other partners to significantly in- hearing. as type 2 diabetes, endometrial cancer, car- crease their contributions; COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS diovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver Whereas the Global Fund’s requirements disease, and eating disorders; and The Committee on Foreign Relations for co-financing have spurred domestic in- (D) to improve quality of life and outcomes is authorized to meet during the ses- vestments, with recipient countries commit- sion of the Senate on Wednesday, Sep- for women and girls with PCOS; ting 41 percent more of their own funding to (4) recognizes the need for further research, fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria for tember 18, 2019, at 1:30 p.m., to conduct improved treatment and care options, and a 2018–2020 compared to 2015–2017; a hearing. cure for PCOS; Whereas the Global Fund has called on do- COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS (5) acknowledges the struggles affecting all nors to support its Sixth Replenishment by The Committee on Foreign Relations women and girls afflicted with PCOS in the mobilizing a minimum of $14,000,000,000 in is authorized to meet during the ses- United States; donor commitments for 2021–2023; (6) urges medical researchers and health sion of the Senate on Wednesday, Sep- Whereas Canada, the European Union, Ger- tember 18, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct care professionals to advance their under- many, India, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, standing of PCOS to improve research, diag- Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, and the a hearing. nosis, and treatment of PCOS for women and United Kingdom have responded to the call COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS girls; and by significantly increasing their respective The Committee on Indian Affairs is (7) encourages States, territories, and lo- pledges for the Sixth Replenishment; authorized to meet during the session calities to support the goals and ideals of Whereas recipient countries also are ex- PCOS Awareness Month. of the Senate on Wednesday, Sep- pected to increase their co-financing by 48 tember 18, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct f percent, growing to $46,000,000,000 in 2021– 2023; and a hearing. SENATE RESOLUTION 318—TO SUP- Whereas, with these resources secured, the f PORT THE GLOBAL FUND TO Global Fund projects it will reduce the num- PRIVILEGES OF THE FLOOR FIGHT AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS AND ber of deaths due to AIDS, TB, and malaria MALARIA, AND THE SIXTH RE- by nearly 50 percent, avert 234,000,000 infec- Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, I ask PLENISHMENT tions or disease cases, and save an additional unanimous consent to grant floor privi- 16,000,000 lives; Now, therefore, be it leges to two of my fellows, Benjamin Mr. RISCH (for himself, Mr. MENEN- Resolved, That the Senate— Riley and Miranda Hernandez, for the DEZ, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. COONS, Mr. (1) commends the work of the Global Fund remainder of the Congress. RUBIO, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the and its partners for their contributions aimed at ending the epidemics of AIDS, tu- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without following resolution; which was re- objection, it is so ordered. ferred to the Committee on Foreign berculosis, and malaria; Relations: (2) affirms the support of the United States f for the goal of securing a minimum of ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, S. RES. 318 $14,000,000,000 in donor commitments for the Whereas the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Sixth Global Fund Replenishment, to be held SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 Tuberculosis and Malaria has been an effec- on October 10, 2019, in Lyon, France; Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask tive partnership of governments, the private (3) urges donor countries to step up the unanimous consent that when the Sen- sector, civil society, and affected commu- fight and increase their pledges for the Sixth ate completes its business today, it ad- nities to galvanize political and financial ef- Global Fund Replenishment; journ until 10 a.m., Thursday, Sep- forts to improve the response to these (4) urges Global Fund recipient countries epidemics since 2002; to continue to make and meet ambitious co- tember 19; further, that following the Whereas, in 2017, the Global Fund contrib- financing commitments to sustain progress prayer and pledge, the morning hour be uted to extraordinary improvements in glob- in ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuber- deemed expired, the Journal of pro- al health that would otherwise not have oc- culosis, and malaria; and ceedings be approved to date, and the

VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Sep 19, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A18SE6.023 S18SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5582 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 18, 2019 time for the two leaders be reserved for ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 10 A.M. CONFIRMATIONS their use later in the day, morning TOMORROW Executive nominations confirmed by business be closed, and the Senate pro- Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, if the Senate September 18, 2019: ceed to executive session and resume there is no further business to come be- DEPARTMENT OF STATE consideration of the McGuire nomina- fore the Senate, I ask unanimous con- ROBERT A. DESTRO, OF VIRGINIA, TO BE ASSISTANT tion. sent that it stand adjourned under the SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEMOCRACY, HUMAN The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there previous order. RIGHTS, AND LABOR. objection? There being no objection, the Senate, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Without objection, it is so ordered. at 7:09 p.m., stands adjourned until BRIAN CALLANAN, OF NEW JERSEY, TO BE GENERAL Thursday, September 19, 2019, at 10 COUNSEL FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. BRENT JAMES MCINTOSH, OF MICHIGAN, TO BE AN a.m. UNDER SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.

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