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May 23, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3085 Gillibrand Manchin Scott (SC) more than $3 billion to rebuild our Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- Graham Markey Shaheen military’s storm-damaged infrastruc- sent to have printed in the RECORD at Grassley McConnell Shelby Harris Menendez Sinema ture. the end of my remarks the list of Hassan Merkley Smith It has been no secret that how to help names of both the Democratic staff and Hawley Murkowski Stabenow the American citizens of Puerto Rico the Republican staff who worked so Heinrich Murphy Sullivan has been at the heart of our dispute on hard on this. Hirono Murray Tester Hoeven Perdue disaster aid, but I am pleased to report I said on a personal basis earlier that Thune Hyde-Smith Peters Tillis that the bill provides much needed as- I remember when Tropical Storm Irene Inhofe Portman sistance to these Americans, including Isakson Reed Udall hit Vermont and how totally discour- Johnson Roberts Van Hollen $605 million for the Nutrition Assist- aged I was by the damage. Yet, within Jones Rosen Warner ance Program, and $304 million in com- hours, I had texts and emails from Sen- Kaine Rubio Warren munity development block grants to ators in this body—Republicans and Kennedy Sanders Whitehouse King Sasse Wicker help the island meet the FEMA match Democrats alike. They said: When we Klobuchar Schatz Wyden requirements. were hit by a tornado, by flooding, by Lankford Schumer Young One thing that we learned when an earthquake—whatever it might Leahy Scott (FL) Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont have been—Vermont stood with us, and NAYS—8 is that you have rebuild better than we will stand with Vermont. Blackburn Lee Risch you were so you are stronger when you That is what we are as the United Braun McSally Romney face the next storm. We have included States of America. The Senate did Crapo Paul language that requires FEMA to re- what it should do today. The Senate NOT VOTING—7 build the island stronger and better acted as the conscience of the Nation. Alexander Enzi Toomey than it was before to help mitigate the We stood together to help all Ameri- Capito Moran damage of a future storm. We did this cans. Durbin Rounds in certain areas in Vermont, and it There being no objection, the mate- The bill (H.R. 2157), as amended, was made all the difference in the world. rial was ordered to be printed in the passed. This supplemental will unlock bil- RECORD, as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lions of dollars that Congress had pre- LIST SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY APPRO- ator from Vermont. viously appropriated for Puerto Rico PRIATIONS COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRMAN Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I thank and other communities across the LEAHY OF STAFF FOR H.R. 2157, THE SUPPLE- my colleagues on both sides of the aisle country that the Trump administra- MENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT for their votes. Even though the final tion has held back in the Treasury. Charles E. Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jess vote might be 5 months late, today is a We reached this agreement because Berry, Jay Tilton, Hannah Chauvin, Dianne good day for the Congress, for the Sen- the Republicans and the Democrats Nellor, Jean Toal Eisen, Erik Raven, Doug ate, for the American people, and for came together across the aisle. It is a Clapp, Ellen Murray, Scott Nance, Chip Wal- the Nation. strong bipartisan agreement. It reflects gren, Drenan Dudley, Reeves Hart, Rachael I have said from the beginning—a po- that we are one Nation in times of need Taylor, Alex Keenan, Jason McMahon, Tim Rieser, Dabney Hegg, Christina Monroe, sition I have taken in all of my decades and that all Americans can count on Catie Finley, Shannon Hines, Jonathan in the Senate—that any disaster sup- each other. I was happy to see the Graffeo, David Adkins, Carlisle Clarke, Ham- plemental that passes this Chamber strong support from the Senators here, ilton Bloom, Brian Potts, Tyler Owens, An- cannot pick and choose which Amer- but our work is not yet done. drew Newton, Adam Telle, Erny Lesofski, ican citizens to help in their time of Now we have to address the humani- Laura Friedel, Sarah Boliek, Patrick Magnu- need. We are all Americans. The Amer- tarian crisis at our southern border. son, Paul Grove, Clare Doherty. ican community bands together to sup- We have to help those who are fleeing Mr. LEAHY. I yield the floor. port one another when disaster strikes, from violence and persecution in their I suggest the absence of a quorum. regardless of where we are from, what own countries. The President has re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The our politics are, or what our beliefs quested $4.5 billion. Some of this clerk will call the roll. are. That is the American way, and it money is badly needed. There is no dis- The senior assistant legislative clerk is the role of the Congress to make pute about that, and I will support the proceeded to call the roll. sure that it is done. part that is badly needed. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I I am glad to stand on the Senate Everyone in this Chamber knows ask unanimous consent that the order floor today, and I am glad to be here these are difficult issues that are often for the quorum call be rescinded. with my dear friend, the senior Senator made more difficult given the Presi- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. from Alabama and the chairman of the dent’s rhetoric and extreme policies. SCOTT of ). Without objection, Appropriations Committee, Senator Difficult issues take time. Let’s lower it is so ordered. SHELBY, to support what is a bipar- the rhetoric, and let’s do as we have f tisan, bicameral disaster supplemental done here—work together. We have appropriations bill. been working day and night to strike a DISASTER RELIEF Think of what we have done. This bill compromise on the President’s request. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, all will provide long overdue aid to the We are close, but we are not there yet. week, Chairman SHELBY and a number people of California, Georgia, Florida, Even as of late, late last night, we were of our colleagues worked tirelessly to Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina, South still working on that. When we return, get a supplemental funding agreement Carolina, Hawaii, Texas, , Ala- I hope we can negotiate a bipartisan for disaster relief over the finish line. bama, and Puerto Rico just to name a agreement to provide additional hu- He has prepared one thoughtful, good- few. Some of these people—they are all manitarian assistance. faith compromise after another. American citizens—have been trying to To reach this agreement today, many In fact, this has been going on for put their lives back together for nearly of the Senators—and I mentioned, of months now: compromise offer after 2 years—since August of 2017. course, Senator SHELBY, my friend, as compromise offer from Republicans— It provides $19.1 billion to help com- chairman—and I, as vice chairman, constant engagement and good-faith munities in these States and Terri- worked together. So did many others, work. So I am pleased that, today, all tories to rebuild stronger than they but none of us could do it without the of this hard work has at long last paid were before. It includes more than $2.4 dedicated staff that was involved. I off. Thanks to the efforts from a num- billion in community development could go home at 9 o’clock and 10 ber of our colleagues and thanks to the block grants, more than $1.6 billion for o’clock at night, but they were still leadership of President Trump and his the Federal Highway Administration there. I am talking about both the administration—and, I might add, the to rebuild roads and bridges, and more Democratic staff and the Republican occupant of the Chair, who has been ex- than $3 billion to support our Nation’s staff. So I asked my Appropriations tremely persistent in this effort over farmers who lost their crops and live- chief of staff, Chuck Kieffer, to give me the last weeks and months—the Senate stock in the storms. It also provides a list. has now passed a compromise solution

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So the Senate’s bipartisan Chairman SHELBY, Senator LEAHY, and The senior assistant legislative clerk vote is a big step toward making law colleagues of ours, including Senators read as follows: and actually delivering the relief that PERDUE, ISAKSON, RICK SCOTT, RUBIO, CLOTURE MOTION communities across our Nation sorely ERNST, THUNE, BLUNT, SASSE, and oth- We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- need. ers have brought us to this point with ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the I am sorry that our House Demo- their tireless work on this subject. Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby cratic colleagues blocked commonsense I am grateful to the President for his move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- efforts to include funding in this legis- leadership and focus on getting an out- nation of Andrew M. Saul, of New York, to lation for the ongoing humanitarian come. I am glad we passed this legisla- be Commissioner of Social Security for the crisis down on the southern border. De- tion and sent it to the House. I urge term expiring January 19, 2025. (Reappoint- spite days of negotiations, House our colleagues over in the House to ment) Mitch McConnell, Pat Roberts, Steve Democrats insisted that we could not support it. Daines, , , provide more funding for our over- f , , Roger whelmed agencies, which are running SETTING FORTH THE CONGRES- F. Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith, on fumes, without including other poi- Burr, , , John SIONAL BUDGET FOR THE son-pill policy riders. As a result, to- Thune, , Rick Scott, Mike GOVERNMENT day’s agreement omits those needed re- Rounds, . FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 sources. f This wasn’t money for the wall or Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I LEGISLATIVE SESSION even law enforcement. It was money so move to proceed to Calendar No. 78, S. that the Federal Government can con- 1332. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I tinue to house, feed, and care for the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The move to proceed to legislative session. men, women, and children showing up clerk will report the motion. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The along our southern border—money for The senior assistant legislative clerk question is on agreeing to the motion. agencies that are currently, literally, read as follows: The motion was agreed to. Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 78, S. running on fumes. f This is money that is so 1332, a bill to set forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for EXECUTIVE SESSION uncontroversial—so uncontroversial— fiscal year 2020 and setting forth the appro- that even pub- priate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2021 lished an editorial titled, ‘‘Congress, through 2029. EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Give Trump His Border Money.’’ CLOTURE MOTION Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Even the New York Times blasted Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to the ‘‘political gamesmanship [that] send a cloture motion to the desk for consider Calendar No. 224. threatens to hold up desperately need- the motion to proceed. ed resources.’’ That is what they called The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The PRESIDING OFFICER. The it—political gamesmanship. clerk will report the motion. question is on agreeing to the motion. Well, I am sorry to say their political The senior assistant legislative clerk The motion is agreed to. gamesmanship did hold up these re- read as follows: The clerk will report the nomination. The senior assistant legislative clerk sources. Apparently, our House Demo- CLOTURE MOTION cratic colleagues heard ‘‘President We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- read the nomination of David Trump’’ and the word ‘‘border’’ in the ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Schenker, of New Jersey, to be an As- same sentence and decided they pre- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby sistant Secretary of State (Near East- ferred no action at all to the sensible move to bring to a close debate on the mo- ern Affairs). compromise that even the New York tion to proceed to Calendar No. 78 S. 1332, a CLOTURE MOTION bill to set forth the congressional budget for Times had called for. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I It is too bad that partisan spite has the United States Government for fiscal year 2020 and setting forth the appropriate budg- send a cloture motion to the desk. infected even such blindingly obvious etary levels for fiscal years 2021 through 2029. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- priorities as the humanitarian efforts Mitch McConnell, , Johnny ture motion having been presented on our own southern border. I am sorry Isakson, , Mike Crapo, under rule XXII, the Chair directs the that our Democratic friends have be- Roger F. Wicker, , Roy clerk to read the motion. come so committed to ‘‘the resistance’’ Blunt, Richard C. Shelby, Richard The senior assistant legislative clerk that they are now to the left of the Burr, Mike Lee, , John read as follows: Cornyn, James E. Risch, David Perdue, New York Times editorial board. CLOTURE MOTION Tim Scott, . Nevertheless, we should celebrate the We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- f progress we are making today. The ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Senate passage of this legislation EXECUTIVE SESSION Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby marks a huge step forward for commu- move to bring to a close debate on the nomi- nities across the United States that nation of David Schenker, of New Jersey, to have gone far too long without receiv- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR be an Assistant Secretary of State (Near Eastern Affairs). ing this Federal assistance to help Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I Mitch McConnell, Pat Roberts, Steve them get back on their feet. move to proceed to executive session to Finally, the millions of Americans Daines, John Barrasso, Tim Scott, consider Calendar No. 157. Lindsey Graham, John Boozman, Roger who have grappled with nature’s worst The PRESIDING OFFICER. The F. Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Richard are closer to receiving the supple- question is on agreeing to the motion. Burr, Mike Crapo, David Perdue, John mental aid they urgently need for the The motion is agreed to. Thune, Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, Mike western communities that are still The clerk will report the nomination. Rounds, John Cornyn. sorting through the ashes of last year’s The senior assistant legislative clerk f record-breaking wildfires; our coastal read the nomination of Andrew M. states in the Southeast and Puerto Saul, of New York, to be Commissioner LEGISLATIVE SESSION Rico, where hurricane damage punched of Social Security for the term expir- Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I holes in homes, businesses, and critical ing January 19, 2025. (Reappointment) move to proceed to legislative session. infrastructure; the Deep South commu- CLOTURE MOTION The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nities victimized by tornadoes; and for Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I question is on agreeing to the motion. those still grappling with the flood- send a cloture motion to the desk. The motion is agreed to.

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