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Senate the Senate Met at 10:31 A.M E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 164 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018 No. 50 Senate The Senate met at 10:31 a.m. and was from the State of Missouri, to perform the It will confront the scourge of addic- called to order by the Honorable ROY duties of the Chair. tion head-on and help save lives. For BLUNT, a Senator from the State of ORRIN G. HATCH, rural communities, like many in my Missouri. President pro tempore. home State of Kentucky, this is a big Mr. BLUNT thereupon assumed the deal. f Chair as Acting President pro tempore. The measure is also a victory for PRAYER f safe, reliable, 21st century infrastruc- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ture. It will fund long overdue improve- fered the following prayer: LEADER ments to roads, rails, airports, and in- Let us pray. land waterways to ensure that our O God, our Father, may life’s seasons The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. The majority leader is recog- growing economy has the support sys- teach us that You stand within the tem that it needs. shadows keeping watch above Your nized. own. We praise You that You are our f Importantly, the bill will also con- tain a number of provisions to provide refuge and strength, a very present OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL help in turbulent times. more safety for American families. It Lord, cultivate within our lawmakers Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- expands funding for Federal law en- the grace of gratitude as they seek to terday evening, the House filed a land- forcement. It allocates new resources stand for right for the glory of Your mark appropriations bill for the re- to border security and immigration en- Name. May they refrain from hasty mainder of fiscal year 2018. Months of forcement, including an important step speech, as they labor to treat others as in-depth, bicameral, bipartisan nego- forward for President Trump’s pro- they would have others treat them. tiations and committee work have led posed wall. The total miles of new and Empower them to grow in Your grace us to this point. The result is legisla- upgraded walls and barriers funded by and in a greater knowledge of Your will tion that neither side sees as perfect this bill exceeds even the administra- and wisdom. but which contains a host of signifi- tion’s initial request for this fiscal We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen. cant victories and important achieve- year, and it also provides the necessary ments on behalf of the American peo- funds to keep Guantanamo Bay open f ple. and operating. First and foremost, in my view, this PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The legislation also delivers for stu- bill will mark the end of dispropor- dents and teachers across our Nation, The Presiding Officer led the Pledge tionate and harmful cuts to the De- who deserve to learn and work without of Allegiance, as follows: partment of Defense. It delivers the fear of violence. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the largest year-on-year increase in de- United States of America, and to the Repub- fense spending in 15 years. These new At the insistence of the Speaker and lic for which it stands, one nation under God, me, this bill will include two important indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. funding levels will ensure that the training and tools available to our bipartisan, commonsense measures to f servicemembers remain on the cutting address real issues facing the Nation: APPOINTMENT OF ACTING edge, and at long last, veterans will re- the Fix NICS bill and the STOP School PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ceive more transparent and more ac- Violence Act. Thanks to the leadership cessible care. This has been a top pri- of Senator HATCH, this bill represents a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ority, on our side of the aisle espe- major step forward for school safety. It clerk will please read a communication cially, to deliver for our men and provides millions of dollars in new to the Senate from the President pro women in uniform, to deliver for the funding for early intervention and pre- tempore (Mr. HATCH). future of national security. This bill vention programs to stop school vio- The senior assistant legislative clerk will get it done. lence before it happens. These grants read the following letter: Of course, our Armed Forces aren’t will include funding for training of stu- U.S. SENATE, the only vital priority this measure dents and school personnel for identi- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, will address. It is a victory for families fying and responding to safety threats, Washington, DC, March 22, 2018. To the Senate: caught in the grip of the opioid epi- as well as for implementing enhanced Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, demic. This bill scales up research, technology and equipment to improve of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby treatment, and prevention funding and school safety. Thanks to the dogged ef- appoint the Honorable ROY BLUNT, a Senator provides for grants to first responders. forts of Senator CORNYN, the Fix NICS ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1885 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Mar 23, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A22MR6.000 S22MRPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE S1886 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 22, 2018 provision to repair and improve fire- development and community pro- dignity, decorum, and respect for his arm background checks is also in- grams. colleagues. That was always appre- cluded. Both of these bipartisan accom- My friend, the junior Senator from ciated but never confused for lack of plishments are the direct result of tire- Indiana, knows the folks at First fierceness or conviction. When his less work by those who have been most Farmers. In fact, he was so impressed issues were on the line, Senator COCH- tragically affected by violence in by their proactive response to the new RAN fought for Mississippi as hard as America’s schools. Tax Code that he invited them to the any Senator. After all, he was first bit- Here is how Mark Barden, a co- President’s State of the Union back in ten by the political bug in his run for founder of Sandy Hook Promise, de- January. There aren’t enough seats in head cheerleader at Ole Miss, and he scribed the school safety provision: the House Gallery for all the American shares that distinction with Trent ‘‘This legislation will save lives.’’ families that tax reform is already Lott. So if you want to be a Senator for Likewise, the Parkland, FL, families helping—not even close. But if there Mississippi, join the cheerleading recently wrote all four congressional were, I would bet the working families squad for Ole Miss. Of course, for New leaders to ask that we include these and small businesses from Indiana Yorkers, we like Eli Manning too. Sen- two particular measures in this piece would come with questions. Why did ator COCHRAN never stopped being a of legislation. I am proud that we could only one of their Senators vote for cheerleader for Mississippi. deliver for them and for the safety of these tax savings? Why did their senior Chairman COCHRAN and I certainly schools around our country. Senator vote in lockstep with Demo- had our differences. The chairman once Let’s take one more look at just a crats to block their tax cuts, bonuses, said: few of the good things this bill will ac- raises, and benefits? Those would be I don’t call a lot of news conferences. I just complish: No. 1, the largest year-on- don’t see that as a necessary part of my re- tough questions to answer. Fortu- sponsibilities. year funding increase for our nately, Republicans stayed focused on Well, we will agree to disagree on warfighters in 15 years; new resources empowering the American people. for the fight against opioids and for that one, but there are many things we f border security and the President’s have in common, and there is a par- wall; major enhancements for law en- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME ticular part of his legacy I admire. After Hurricane Katrina buffeted his forcement and school safety. These The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- State, he convinced the recalcitrant provisions and the entirety of this om- pore. Under the previous order, the lawmakers to deliver aid to the gulf nibus represent months of bipartisan leadership time is reserved. coast—far exceeding the administra- work. I look forward to considering it tion’s request—and he did it by work- very soon. f ing Members on his side of the aisle f MORNING BUSINESS and across the aisle behind the scenes. TAX REFORM The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- That is how he earned the nickname the ‘‘quiet persuader.’’ It is a skill I Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, on pore. Under the previous order, the another matter, the good news about Senate will be in a period of morning greatly respect after going through tax reform continues to sweep across business, with Senators permitted to something similar when Hurricane the Nation. But recently, as special bo- speak therein for up to 10 minutes Sandy hit my home State of New York. At the time, Chairman COCHRAN was nuses, wage increases, and expanded each.
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