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, MARCH 13, 2019 No. 45 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was ceed to executive session to resume finally getting a floor vote. This point- called to order by the President pro consideration of the following nomina- less obstruction needs to change, but I tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). tion, which the clerk will report. am glad we can at least confirm Mr. f The legislative clerk read the nomi- Beach this week. nation of Neomi J. Rao, of the District YEMEN PRAYER of Columbia, to be United States Cir- Madam President, now, on another The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- cuit Judge for the District of Columbia matter, the Senate will soon vote on a fered the following prayer: Circuit. resolution under the War Powers Act. I O God, our righteous judge, the up- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER right will behold your face. Lord, we strongly oppose this unnecessary and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- counterproductive resolution and urge thank You for Your power that keeps jority leader is recognized. us from stumbling on life’s road. our colleagues to join me in opposing NOMINATIONS it. Today, give our Senators the wisdom Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, to find in You their refuge and From the outset, let me say this. I yesterday the Senate confirmed a well- believe it is right for Senators to have strength. As they face complex chal- qualified jurist chosen by President lenges, may they flee to You for guid- grave concerns over some aspects of Trump to serve on the Third Circuit Saudi Arabia’s behavior, particularly ance and fellowship. Lord, as they Court of Appeals. Paul Matey of New make You the foundation of their hope the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. That Jersey will bring a wealth of experi- is not what this resolution is about, and joy, empower them to run life’s ence to the bench, and I was proud to race without weariness, knowing that however. In December, the Senate support his nomination. voted on a resolution that addressed Your bountiful harvest of goodness is We also voted to advance the nomi- this institution’s concerns about Saudi certain. nation of Neomi Rao to the DC Circuit. Arabia. We pray in Your merciful Name. This nominee is yet another of the Amen. President’s excellent choices to serve If Senators continue to have con- f as a Federal judge. cerns about Saudi behavior, they should raise them in hearings and di- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Ms. Rao graduated with honors from Yale and the University of Chicago rectly with the administration and di- The President pro tempore led the School of Law. Her record includes a rectly with Saudi officials, as I have Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: distinguished tenure in academia, pub- done, and they should allow a vote on I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the lic and private sector legal experience, the confirmation of retired GEN John United States of America, and to the Repub- as well as a clerkship on the U.S. Su- Abizaid, whose nomination to be U.S. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, preme Court. Ambassador to Riyadh is being held up indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Most importantly, in testimony be- once again by Democratic obstruction. f fore our colleagues on the Judiciary They should also allow a vote on the RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME Committee, she demonstrated a com- nomination of David Schenker to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. mitment to maintaining the public trust and upholding the rule of law. So Eastern Affairs. He has been held up BLACKBURN). Under the previous order, here for nearly a year. If we want to leadership time is reserved. the committee favorably reported Ms. Rao’s nomination, and soon the Senate solve problems in the Middle East f will have an opportunity to continue through diplomacy, we will need to CONCLUSION OF MORNING fulfilling our advice and consent re- confirm diplomats. BUSINESS sponsibilities by voting to confirm her Regarding Yemen, it is completely The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning to the Federal bench. understandable that Senators have business is closed. We will also vote this afternoon on concerns over the war, the American the nomination of William Beach, who interests entangled in it, and its con- f has been waiting for over a year to sequences for Yemeni civilians. I think EXECUTIVE SESSION take his post as Commissioner of Labor there is bipartisan agreement, shared Statistics. Our colleagues on the HELP by the administration, that our objec- Committee recommended Mr. Beach to tive should be to end this horrible con- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR the floor in December of 2017. A full flict, but this resolution doesn’t end The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under year later, with no progress, he was re- the conflict. It will not help Saudi pi- the previous order, the Senate will pro- turned to the White House. Now he is lots avoid civilian casualties. It will ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1807 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Mar 13, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A13MR6.000 S13MRPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE S1808 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 13, 2019 not enhance America’s diplomatic le- THE GREEN NEW DEAL The cost to the Treasury is just the verage. In fact, it will make it harder Madam President, now one final mat- beginning. It is hard to put a price tag to achieve those very objectives. ter. Yesterday, I continued the discus- on ripping away the jobs and liveli- This is an inappropriate and counter- sion we have been having about the hoods of literally millions of Ameri- productive measure. First, the admin- strange ideas that seem to have taken cans. It is hard to put a price tag on istration has already ended—ended— ahold of Washington Democrats. forcibly remodeling Americans’ homes air-to-air refueling of coalition air- Ideas like the Democrat politician whether they want it or not and taking craft. We only provide limited noncom- protection act, a scheme to limit away their cars whether they want bat support to the U.N.-recognized America’s First Amendment right to that or not. It certainly is difficult to Yemeni Government and to the Saudi- political speech and force taxpayers to put a price tag on unilaterally dis- led coalition. It certainly does not— subsidize political campaigns, includ- arming the entire U.S. economy with does not—constitute hostilities. ing ones they disagree with. It did not this kind of self-inflicted wound while Second, there are real threats from earn a single Republican vote in the other nations, such as China, go roar- the Houthis in Yemen whom Iran, as House, by the way. Thank goodness. ing by—roaring by. we all know, is backing. Missiles and Ideas like Medicare for None, which By definition, global emissions are a explosives are being aimed at civilians, could spend more than $32 trillion to global problem. Even if we grant the anti-ship missiles are being fired at hollow out seniors’ health benefits and Democrats’ unproven claim that vessels in key shipping lanes of global boot working families from their cho- cratering American industries and out- importance. sen plans into a one-size-fits-all gov- lawing the energy sources that middle- If one of those missiles kills a large ernment scheme. class families can afford would produce number of Saudi or Emirati civilians, Even the soaring costs and massive the kinds of emissions changes they let alone Americans who live in Riyadh disruption that plan would cause are after, we need to remember that or Dubai, say goodbye to any hope of a American families are dwarfed— the United States is only responsible negotiated end to this conflict. These dwarfed—by the grandiose scheme they for about 15 percent of the world’s threats will not evaporate. They are are marketing as the Green New Deal. greenhouse gas emissions—only 15 per- By now, we are all familiar with the not going to go away if the United cent of the global total. major thrust of the proposal: powering States ends its limited support. So I According to the Department of En- down the U.S. economy, and yet some- think of the American citizens who live ergy, the United States cut our own en- how also creating government-directed in the regions. ergy-related carbon emissions by 14 economic security for everyone—for Third, our focus should be on ending percent from 2005 to 2017. So we cut everyone—at the same time. the war in Yemen responsibly. Pulling carbon emissions in this country sig- Naturally, accomplishing all this is nificantly from 2005 to 2017. Well, it is the plug on support to our partners quite a tall order. According to the only undermines the very leverage and appropriate to ask, what did the rest of Democrats’ resolution, it will require the world do? They kept soaring higher influence we need to help facilitate the overhauling every building in America U.N.’s diplomatic efforts. The United and higher. to meet strict new codes, overseen, of In the same period that the United States will be in a better position to course, by social planners here in encourage the Saudi-led coalition to States cut our energy-related carbon Washington.