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, TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019 No. 61 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was Senator from the State of Mississippi, to per- clerkship in the Eastern District of called to order by the Honorable CINDY form the duties of the Chair. Oklahoma at the outset of his legal ca- HYDE-SMITH, a Senator from the State CHUCK GRASSLEY, reer. That career included time in pri- of Mississippi. President pro tempore. vate practice, as the State’s Solicitor Mrs. HYDE-SMITH thereupon as- f General and, most recently, as Asso- sumed the Chair as Acting President ciate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme PRAYER pro tempore. Court. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- f I am sorry to say that this week will mark 1 year since Mr. Wyrick’s nomi- fered the following prayer: RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Let us pray. nation was first received in the Senate. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- Almighty God, You know all about I hope each of my colleagues will join pore. Under the previous order, the us. You know when we sit down and me in long-overdue support for its leadership time is reserved. when we rise up. Forgive us when we prompt consideration on the floor. fail to acknowledge Your sovereignty f Over the course of the week, as I have outlined, we will consider four over our lives or to trust the unfolding CONCLUSION OF MORNING other well-qualified nominees who have of Your loving providence. Thank you BUSINESS for the gift of freedom to choose. Help been waiting on the Executive Cal- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- us to use Your admonition as a lamp endar for far too long. We will build on pore. Morning business is closed. for our feet and a light for our path. the action taken last week to restore Guide our lawmakers. Bring their f some reason and sanity to the nomina- hearts under Your control as You in- EXECUTIVE SESSION tions process, which has suffered in re- fuse them with a deeper love for You cent years under the burden of partisan and humanity. May they seek to cause obstruction. justice to roll down like waters and EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Before the week is through, we will also turn to the nomination of David righteousness like a mighty stream. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- We pray in Your great Name. Amen. Bernhardt to lead the Department of pore. Under the previous order, the the Interior. The Senate has confirmed f Senate will proceed to executive ses- Mr. Bernhardt twice before to serve sion to resume consideration of the fol- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE that Department as Deputy Secretary lowing nomination, which the clerk and as Solicitor. When you hear the The Presiding Officer led the Pledge will report. nominee and review his credentials, it of Allegiance, as follows: The senior assistant legislative clerk is easy to see why. Mr. Bernhardt has I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the read the nomination of Daniel significant private practice experience, United States of America, and to the Repub- Desmond Domenico, of Colorado, to be as well as a past record of service at lic for which it stands, one nation under God, United States District Judge for the indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the Department. District of Colorado. Along the way he has earned the re- f RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER spect of those who rely on the public APPOINTMENT OF ACTING The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- lands the Department of the Interior is PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE pore. The majority leader is recog- charged to oversee, from Native Amer- nized. ican leaders to sportsmen’s groups. He The PRESIDING OFFICER. The NOMINATIONS has been praised as a ‘‘proven leader’’ clerk will please read a communication Mr. MCCONNELL. Later today, the who ‘‘act[s] with integrity’’ and has to the Senate from the President pro Senate will vote to advance the nomi- ‘‘the right approach and skill set.’’ tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). nation of Daniel Domenico to serve as I hope each of my colleagues will join The senior assistant legislative clerk U.S. District Judge for the District of me in voting to confirm him later this read the following letter: Colorado. week. U.S. SENATE, After we vote on his confirmation, we MEDICARE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, will do the same for Patrick Wyrick, Madam President, on a completely Washington, DC, April 9, 2019. To the Senate: nominated to a vacancy in the Western different matter, we are continuing to Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, District of Oklahoma. watch as our friends across the aisle of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Mr. Wyrick is a two-time graduate of take big steps in their party’s contin- appoint the Honorable CINDY HYDE-SMITH, a the University of Oklahoma and held a ued march toward the far, far left. As I ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2297 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:01 Apr 10, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A09AP6.000 S09APPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with SENATE S2298 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 9, 2019 understand, they will soon introduce culated that ‘‘doubling all Federal in- identical to S. 1057, the bill is consid- the Senate version of the radical dividual and corporate income taxes’’— ered read three times and passed, and healthcare proposal that I have come doubling them—‘‘would be insufficient the motion to reconsider is considered to call Medicare for None. to fully finance the plan.’’ made and laid upon the table. It is only the latest installment in Doubling all of the corporate and in- The bill (H.R. 2030) was ordered to a the steady drumbeat of calls for social- dividual income taxes would be insuffi- third reading, was read the third time, ist central planning that we have been cient to fully finance the plan. Dou- and passed. hearing from our Democratic col- bling what Americans send to the IRS Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- leagues as of late. in income taxes would take away all of sence of a quorum. Earlier this year, we saw the Speaker the competition and choice in the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- of the House declare her top priority as health insurance market. The failures pore. The clerk will call the roll. the Democrat politician protection act, and foibles of ObamaCare, as painful as The senior assistant legislative clerk an effort to literally rewrite the rules they are for so many families, would proceeded to call the roll. Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask of free speech in American elections likely be just the warmup act to this unanimous consent that the order for and give political campaigns a big dose socialist bonanza. the quorum call be rescinded. of taxpayer dollars, all so the outcome Apparently this is what my Demo- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- of the political process could be more cratic colleagues believe will pass for a pore. Without objection, it is so or- political winner. We are looking for- to the Democrats’ liking. dered. We have seen all but a tiny handful ward to that debate. of our Democratic colleagues unable to I will give them this: With Repub- H.R. 1602 Mr. THUNE. Madam President, there reject an absurdly intrusive and mind- licans standing for preserving what is one thing pretty much every Amer- bogglingly expensive plan to forcibly works and fixing what doesn’t, for re- ican can agree on. It is that illegal remodel the U.S. economy and Amer- ducing tax rates instead of shooting robocalls are a major nuisance. Who ican families’ lives until they are suffi- them sky-high, and for strengthening hasn’t been annoyed after answering ciently ‘‘green.’’ the employer-sponsored and Medicare the phone and discovering it is an auto- Now, perhaps as soon as this week, Advantage plans that American fami- mated message asking you to purchase the latest new scheme will make land- lies actually rely on instead of snatch- some product or provide sensitive per- fall in the Senate. I am sure it will ing those plans away, my Democratic sonal information? grab a new round of headlines, but friends are certainly working hard to But, of course, these calls aren’t under the Cadillac hood, it will offer paint a contrast—and we welcome it. merely a nuisance. Scammers use these only the same old push mower engine, S. 1057 calls to successfully prey on vulnerable the same tired, debunked logic that Madam President, on one final mat- populations, like the elderly, who may Washington knows best and the Amer- ter, even as the Senate grapples with be less technologically savvy. It is no ican people can’t be trusted to decide these kinds of major disagreements, I surprise that people are deceived. I what is best for themselves and their want to highlight that there were still think most of us have received families. bipartisan accomplishments constantly robocalls that sounded pretty credible, That tired, old engine cannot power coming out of this Chamber. They and the practice of spoofing numbers the kind of healthcare that Americans don’t always make national front-page adds another layer of deception. deserve. The legislation my colleagues news, but they often represent hugely Scammers can disguise the actual want to brand as Medicare for All hol- significant progress for the American number they are calling from so the lows out the actual Medicare Program people.