Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 162 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 No. 105 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Friday, July 1, 2016, at 9 a.m. Senate WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2016 The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ‘‘Senate Dems block House Zika called to order by the President pro LEADER funding.’’ tempore (Mr. HATCH). The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. That last article goes on to say: PAUL). The majority leader is recog- ‘‘Senate Democrats . blocked a crit- f nized. ical funding measure needed to combat the spreading Zika virus, a move that f PRAYER will now make it impossible for Con- TERROR ATTACK IN ISTANBUL gress to send legislation to President The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- Obama before July 4.’’ fered the following prayer: Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- Our Democratic friends are working Let us pray. terday our NATO ally Turkey suffered hard to spin this, but families don’t God, our deliverer, as the tragedy in a devastating terror attack at Istanbul’s main airport that quickly want excuses, they want action. Yes- Turkey reminds us of the dangerous, terday, Senate Democrats listened to discordant, and demonic forces in our brought to mind ISIL’s attack in Brus- sels earlier this year. the demands of a partisan special inter- world, we look to You, our light and est group and turned their backs on salvation. Show us how to please You We do not know yet if this attack was launched by ISIL or the PKK, but women’s health and fighting Zika. as we remember that righteousness ex- First, they demanded congressional ac- alts a nation, and sin destroys. we do know that our intelligence com- munity will do all it can to help the tion on Zika. Then, in the midst of May our lawmakers make obedience Turks combat terrorism and defeat mosquito season, Democrats chose par- to You the bottom line in their labors. this threat. As CIA Director John tisan politics over $1.1 billion in crit- Teach them to know and comply with Brennan reminded us all earlier this ical funds to protect pregnant women Your commands as they never forget month, ‘‘[D]espite all of our progress and babies from Zika—after the Demo- that obedience brings blessings. Lord, against ISIL on the battlefield and in crats voted for the same $1.1 billion give them the wisdom to make an abso- the financial realm, our efforts have funding level just last month. lute commitment to honor You above not reduced the group’s terrorism capa- Yesterday, Senate Democrats lis- all else. Provide them with the bility and its global reach.’’ tened to the demands of a partisan spe- strength to defeat temptation as they In recent days Turkey has taken dip- cial interest group and turned their remember that You provide a way of lomatic steps to improve bilateral rela- backs on supporting our veterans. escape from every test. Equip them for tions with Russia and Israel, and now First, they demanded more funding for whatever task and challenges they the United States must extend its hand veterans. Then, just before the Fourth must tackle. to our NATO partners and assure them of July, Democrats chose partisan poli- We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. that we will stand with them in the tics over significantly increasing re- face of this attack and work together sources for veterans’ health care. f to defeat ISIL. In the coming days, Democrats will f hear from constituents back home who PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE want to know what they are doing to ZIKA VIRUS AND VA–MILCON The President pro tempore led the keep them safe from the threat of Zika FUNDING BILL Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: and what they are doing to support our I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, let veterans. Democrats will have to ex- United States of America, and to the Repub- me read some headlines. plain why they chose not to do their lic for which it stands, one nation under God, ‘‘Senate Democrats block Zika agree- job and instead blocked funding for the indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ment ahead of recess.’’ Zika crisis and for our Nation’s heroes. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4683 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:42 Jun 30, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A29JN6.000 S29JNPT1 SSpencer on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with SENATE S4684 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 29, 2016 I have moved to reconsider the legis- Doing nothing is not an option. We Understand how the House of Rep- lation, and we will give everybody on must act now to prevent matters from resentatives works—and stunningly, the other side a chance to think about getting worse. The House already the Republicans over here accept what that during the Fourth of July. We will passed this bipartisan bill with the they do in the House. In the House of get back to that when we get back. backing of nearly 300 Members. Now it Representatives, they have what is f is the Senate’s turn to send this to the called the Hastert rule, named after a Congressman from Illinois who was the PUERTO RICO President’s desk immediately. Speaker of the House for a number of f Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the years. He created what was called the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is in cri- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY Hastert rule. What that was is, you had sis. It owes billions of dollars in debt, LEADER to deal only with legislation that had and without prompt congressional ac- enough votes to pass it with Repub- tion, it could be forced to leave resi- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized. lican votes. They didn’t want Demo- dents without essential services such crats to be involved, and they are still as hospitals and public safety re- f that way. sources. If we don’t act before the is- ISIS Even though Hastert’s in prison, they land misses a critical debt payment follow the Hastert rule. As a result of Mr. REID. Mr. President, often the deadline this Friday, matters will only that, in the dead of night last week, Republican leader comes to the floor get a lot worse—for Puerto Rico and Republicans in the House—and I mean and complains about the battle against for taxpayers. President Obama’s the dead of the night. Remember the ISIS without ever offering a word as to Treasury Secretary warns that Puerto House had been taken over by the what he would do that is not being Rico could be forced to ‘‘lay off police House Democrats because they were done by President Obama and the rest officers, shut down public transit, and upset about what had not been done of the allied forces. But let’s talk a lit- close medical facilities.’’ This could with guns. The event was interrupted tle bit about the progress that has been very well result in a taxpayer-funded for probably less than a minute, and bailout. made. the House was called back into session. Today, however, we have an oppor- Is it all done? Of course not. We are The House passed with no discussion tunity to help Puerto Rico in the face working on that every day. Since the whatsoever the conference report deal- of this crisis and prevent a taxpayer height of the ISIS power, U.S. and coa- bailout by passing the responsible bi- ing with Zika. lition forces have captured about 50 As could only be understood by some- partisan bill before us. This bill will percent of the land ISIS once held in one understanding what the Hastert not cost taxpayers a dime—not a dime. Iraq, and they are losing land every rule is, here is what they did. They had What it will do is help Puerto Rico re- day. ISIS has lost 20 percent of the to get all the crazies over there—I am structure its financial obligations and land it held in Syria. Ramadi and sorry to use that term. That is the provide much needed oversight to put Tikrit were key victories for the U.S.- term Speaker Boehner used, and the in place needed reforms. It achieves backed Iraqi forces. Iraqi forces cap- more I see of this, I think he had it this with an audit of the island’s fi- tured the city of Fallujah in the last nances and the establishment of what pretty down pat. They did everything few days and are now working to put they could to go after all the pet the Washington Post has called ‘‘an out the next pockets of resistance in impartial panel of experts’’ to bring projects of Republicans. They hate that key Al Anbar Province town. As Planned Parenthood. They hate it, desperately needed transparency and we speak, Kurdish, Iraq, and Syrian reform to Puerto Rico’s fiscal oper- even though millions of Americans get Democratic forces backed by the U.S. their care there. This Zika disease ations. Special Forces are making prepara- Puerto Rico currently spends over a causes young women to be concerned tions to retake ISIS’s key strongholds about birth control.