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, JUNE 12, 2019 No. 98 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was nance Committee is continuing its noncontroversial and very well-quali- called to order by the President pro work on retirement income security, fied for the job. Thanks to the modest tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). including those issues with the multi- reforms to the Senate rules we put in f employer plans. place this spring, more nominees who While we work to enact the first fit this description are being confirmed PRAYER round of reforms in the retirement sav- in a fraction of the time it would have The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ings accounts, known as RESA, which otherwise taken. fered the following prayer: is now before the Senate, there is still So I hope the strong bipartisan sup- Let us pray. more work to do. We have the benefit port we saw yesterday will be shown to Revive us, O Lord, for Your Name’s of the joint select committee’s work on the jurists we will vote to confirm on sake. Fill our Senators with Your Spir- multiemployer plans last year. We the Federal bench today: Pamela Bark- it and lead them to Your desired des- know what is going on, we know what er to the Northern District of Ohio; tination. Keep them so dedicated to is broken, and we know the various op- Corey Maze to the Northern District of Your purposes that they will do justly, tions for repairing the system. Alabama; Rodney Smith to the South- love mercy, and walk humbly. Equip It is time to put pen to paper and fix ern District of Florida; Thomas Barber them to bear the responsibility they these plans that will protect the work- to the Middle District of Florida; and cannot assign to others but must carry ers who have paid into them. Jean-Paul Boulee to the Northern Dis- in the strength You provide. Give them I yield the floor. trict of Georgia. Together, these nominees possess the wisdom to be quick to listen and I suggest the absence of a quorum. more than a century of legal experi- slow to speak as You incline their The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ence. Their re´sume´s include work in hearts to live with integrity. clerk will call the roll. State attorneys’ offices, as county Lord, may faith replace fear, truth The senior assistant legislative clerk judges, and as State solicitor general. proceeded to call the roll. arise over falsehood, love prevail over They include a former U.S. Army de- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I hate, and peace abide with us all. fense counsel and a U.S. Supreme We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. ask unanimous consent that the order Court litigator. Each has demonstrated f for the quorum call be rescinded. a commitment to upholding the Con- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE stitution and preserving the rule of objection, it is so ordered. law. Each deserves strong, bipartisan The President pro tempore led the f support. Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY f I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the LEADER United States of America, and to the Repub- BORDER SECURITY lic for which it stands, one nation under God, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. jority leader is recognized. another matter, the Trump administra- f f tion’s new agreement with Mexico RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME NOMINATIONS marks an important breakthrough in the ongoing border crisis. It kept The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, this harmful tariffs from going into effect SASSE). Under the previous order, the week we are continuing to confirm and cemented new steps to make cer- leadership time is reserved. more unobjectionable nominees who tain that immigration enforcement and The Senator from Iowa. had to move through the Senate more the rule of law are priorities on both Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask slowly than they should. Yesterday we sides of the border. unanimous consent to speak for 1 confirmed Sarah Daggett Morrison to But, of course, the Mexican Govern- minute as in morning business. serve as U.S. District Judge for the ment was not the only outstanding The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Southern District of Ohio, and despite party with an unmet responsibility to objection, it is so ordered. the fact that our Democratic friends address this crisis. Right here in Con- f forced us to file cloture on her nomina- gress we have been waiting for 6 weeks tion, when she finally received a vote, now—6 weeks—for our Democratic col- MULTIEMPLOYER PENSIONS she was confirmed 89 to 7. leagues to get serious about the admin- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, Con- That is probably because Ms. Morri- istration’s urgent request for more re- gress needs to address the crisis facing son, like the other nominees we are sources for border security and human- multiemployer pension plans. The Fi- considering this week, is thoroughly itarian efforts. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S3329 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:09 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A12JN6.000 S12JNPT1 S3330 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 12, 2019 This week’s progress with our Mexi- Around the same time, one House the bills. This spectacle of opposition can neighbors throws the Democrats’ Democrat admitted as much. He told for opposition’s sake, even on such an refusal to act into even starker relief. reporters: ‘‘In my opinion, we do have obvious nonpartisan priority, has been My colleagues and I have come to the to come up with some money. But more than embarrassing. It is com- floor day after day, week after week, we’ve got to convince our more pro- pletely irresponsible. It needs to end detailing all the evidence that our gressive friends. ‘’ soon. southern border is in a state of crisis. Well, look, I am sorry that a humani- In the coming days, it will. We are The inflow of would-be illegal immi- tarian crisis is not convincing enough going to act in the Senate, and we are grants is unprecedented. Our facilities to the far left. I am sorry that two sep- going to move forward to find the fund- and our efforts to house and care for arate New York Times editorials ing necessary to try to solve this hu- the individuals we detain are stretched haven’t made an impact on House manitarian crisis. literally to the breaking point. In Democrats either. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- short, the men and women stationed on So here we have it. The New York ator from Florida. our southern border are running on Times editorial page, May 5—incred- f fumes. They have been charged with ibly enough: ‘‘Congress, Give Trump the tasks that circumstances have His Border Money.’’ That is the New ANNIVERSARY OF PULSE made incredibly difficult, and they are York Times saying: ‘‘Give Trump [the] NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING begging for more funding to keep up. border money.’’ They didn’t listen. Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, As I noticed yesterday, the most re- So several weeks later, on May 23, as on June 12, 2016, our State was at- cent data show that apprehensions last I quoted, ‘‘Democrats balked at allo- tacked. Forty-nine innocent and beau- month reached a 13-year high, with cating billions of dollars more toward tiful lives were senselessly lost, and higher numbers in every category— border security.’’ the lives of countless families and more individuals, more family units, On June 9, a couple of days ago, in loved ones were forever changed. and more unaccompanied children ar- the New York Times: ‘‘When Will Con- The attack—an attack on America, riving at border facilities that are al- gress Get Serious About the Suffering our State, the city of Orlando, our His- ready at overcapacity. The Border Pa- at the Border?’’ panic and gay communities—was a ter- trol is teetering on the brink. They are Here is the situation. The Trump ad- rorist attack. This act of terrorism was nearing the point where they will be ministration and the New York Times an attempt to rip at the seams of our unable to perform even the most basic are on the same side—and House Demo- society, to divide us, to instill fear in humanitarian and security functions crats don’t want to take this up? Good- our hearts. But Floridians are strong. for lack of resources. This is even with ness, I am having a hard time remem- Floridians are selfless. Floridians are funds being diverted away from other bering the last time the New York fighters. important priorities at the Department Times editorial page was on the same The days I spent in Orlando following of Homeland Security on a contingency side as the Trump administration or the shooting will always be with me. I basis. Republicans in Congress. It is not a talked to many parents who lost their So let me say it again one more time. common sight, but here we are. children. I went to funerals and wakes, The Department of Homeland Security All of us agree that the border crisis and I sat in hospitals.