Senate the Senate Met at 10 A.M
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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, JUNE 4, 2019 No. 93 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was EXECUTIVE SESSION Medicare for All is a catchy slogan. called to order by the President pro When you hear it on the campaign tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). trail, remember it really boils down to The PRESIDENT pro tempore. To- EXECUTIVE CALENDAR government-run healthcare. day’s opening prayer will be offered by The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under I yield the floor. the Reverend Pat Conroy, S.J., Chap- the previous order, the Senate will pro- I suggest the absence of a quorum. lain of the House of Representatives. ceed to executive session to resume The PRESIDING OFFICER. The consideration of the following nomina- clerk will call the roll. f tion, which the clerk will report. The senior assistant legislative clerk PRAYER The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. read the nomination of Andrew M. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, The guest Chaplain offered the fol- Saul, of New York, to be Commissioner I ask unanimous consent that the order lowing prayer: of Social Security for the term expir- for the quorum call be rescinded. Let us pray. ing January 19, 2025. (Reappointment) The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Divine Potter, take the misshapen The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection, it is so ordered. clay that we are and fashion us into President pro tempore. RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER vessels of Your honor. Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- Open the hearts of our Senators to ask unanimous consent to speak as in jority leader is recognized. the fullness of life, forgiveness of sins, morning business for 1 minute. NOMINATIONS and the hope of eternity with You. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Mr. MCCONNELL. Before the Senate Remind our lawmakers of Your wis- objection, it is so ordered. adjourned for Memorial Day, I laid out dom in Luke 12:48, which states: ‘‘From HEALTHCARE seven more nominations for our consid- everyone who has been given much, Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I eration when we returned—four to fill much will be demanded, and from the would like to take a minute to explain important vacancies in the administra- one who has been entrusted with much, why Medicare for All is a prescription tion and three to the Federal bench. So much more will be added.’’ for Medicare for None. Some folks are this week, the Senate will continue our Lord, may our legislators realize how pitching this wild, misguided idea that work to confirm more well-qualified much they have been given and strive one-size-fits-all government insurance nominees and finally let the American to use their gifts for Your glory. is a cure-all for what ails the patients people’s President have more of his We pray in Your most merciful and the people of the United States of team on the job. Name. Amen. America. This conversation needs a Yesterday we began by voting to ad- vance the nomination of Andrew Saul, f strong dose of reality medicine. Let’s look at what is really being of New York, to be Commissioner of PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE proposed—Medicare for None. Here is Social Security. Mr. Saul is a graduate The President pro tempore led the what it would do. It would dump 181 of the Wharton School at the Univer- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: million Americans off their private sity of Pennsylvania and has spent dec- health insurance plans, double your in- ades building a successful career in I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the come taxes, and put patients with pre- business and in public administration. United States of America, and to the Repub- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, existing conditions and chronic dis- In addition to his experience in finan- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. eases on long waiting lists for medical cial management, Mr. Saul has pre- care. It would unravel the current viously served as vice chairman of the f health safety net for seniors and people New York Metropolitan Transportation RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME with disabilities, make the government Authority and as Chairman of the Fed- the gatekeeper between Americans and eral Retirement Thrift Investment The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. their doctors, and, finally, put every Board, where he oversaw programs re- FISCHER). Under the previous order, the single American who works for private lied upon by literally millions of Amer- leadership time is reserved. health insurance out of business and icans. f out of a job. It is no surprise that our colleagues The politics behind the proposal is on the Finance Committee voted CONCLUSION OF MORNING simple: free healthcare. Let me remind unanimously to favorably report Mr. BUSINESS my fellow Americans that if it sounds Saul’s nomination to the full Senate. I The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning too good to be true, it is too good to be hope Members will reach the same con- business is closed. true. clusion and support his confirmation. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S3171 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:17 Jun 05, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A04JN6.000 S04JNPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S3172 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 4, 2019 Later, we will turn to the consider- year journey and becoming enshrined was up for debate in this Chamber for ation of David Schenker, of New Jer- in our Constitution. the last time. As one Member of this sey, to be Assistant Secretary of State Of course, this chapter of Senate his- body remarked on June 4, 1919, ‘‘The for Near Eastern Affairs; Heath tory is just a tiny slice of the incred- advocates of the Susan B. Anthony Tarbert, of Maryland, to be Chairman ible uphill battle that the broader amendment have won a great victory of the Commodity Futures Trading women’s rights and suffrage movement and are justly entitled to all the praise Commission; Susan Combs, of Texas, to waged in American politics and in cul- and honor which comes with the win- be Assistant Secretary of the Interior; ture. There were the pioneering think- ning of a battle which has been fought and three nominees to preside in a dis- ers of the Seneca Falls Convention, for so long a time . the right of suf- trict court and the Court of Federal such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and frage [for] those noble, patriotic, and Claims. Lucretia Mott, and their famous Dec- splendid women of our country who In each case, the President has put laration of Sentiments. There was the have so long fought for this right and forward impressive and uncontroversial incredible, history-changing intellec- who so richly deserve [it].’’ individuals who, I might add, in a pre- tual and strategic partnership between Today we reflect on our gratitude for vious era, would have been candidates Stanton and Susan B. Anthony and the that work, and we rejoice in that vic- for a voice vote. They are thoroughly prolific writing, coalition-building, and tory. qualified for public service. Their grassroots activism it produced. I suggest the absence of a quorum. nominations should not have been de- There were devoted organizers, such The PRESIDING OFFICER. The layed even this long. as Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells, clerk will call the roll. In the case of Mr. Schenker, for ex- and Mary Church Terrell, and so many The senior assistant legislative clerk ample, our colleagues have forced the more—both the dynamic leaders whom proceeded to call the roll. top Middle East job at the State De- history remembers and the millions Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I partment to remain open for 1 year. more women and men who lent their ask unanimous consent that the order This is the top job at the State Depart- support to the cause and who made for the quorum call be rescinded. ment for the Middle East, and they quiet contributions of their own. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without have kept it open for 1 year—a year Some of them lived to see the fruits objection, it is so ordered. that brought no shortage of crises in of their work become part of our Con- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER that region. stitution, and many did not, but the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The So I am glad we are continuing to get progress we celebrate would not have Democratic leader is recognized. things back on track. I hope our col- been possible—it would have been lit- BORDER SECURITY leagues will join me in voting to put erally unimaginable—without them. Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, each of these public servants to work So this milestone brought one chap- too much of our conversation about for the American people. ter of hard work to an end, but it really migrants seeking to enter at the south- 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT started a new chapter in our history as ern border has to do with what happens Madam President, on another mat- American women became more and when they get here. Not enough of our ter, today, June 4, 2019, marks a his- more integrated into our democracy. It conversation concerns how we deal toric anniversary for the U.S. Senate. was just 6 years after the 19th Amend- with the problems in the countries It was 100 years ago today that this ment was ratified that my own State of from which the migrants are coming.