Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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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 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 162 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016 No. 10 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Monday, January 25, 2016, at 2 p.m. Senate TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2016 The Senate met at 2 p.m. and was AMERICAN SAFE ACT The American people are concerned called to order by the President pro Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, it is and looking to us to lead with both tempore (Mr. HATCH). clear that many Americans are con- safety and compassion. I am calling on colleagues to help us do so tomorrow f cerned about the administration’s abil- ity to properly vet thousands of indi- by advancing this balanced and bipar- PRAYER viduals from Syria and Iraq. Elected of- tisan legislation. The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- ficials in both parties have expressed f fered the following prayer: concern, too, as have administration MEETING WITH THE PRIME Infinite Spirit, Your thoughts are too officials. That is why many Americans MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA high for us to comprehend, and Your are asking us to take a step back and ways are past finding out. You trans- press pause on the program so we can Mr. MCCONNELL. Also, Mr. Presi- form our discordant notes into har- ensure that we have the correct poli- dent, later this afternoon I will be mony as Your goodness and mercy pur- cies and security screenings actually in meeting with Malcolm Turnbull, the sue us. place. The Senate will consider bal- Prime Minister of one of our closest al- Abide with our Senators. Lord, give anced, bipartisan legislation tomorrow lies, Australia. Our alliance with Can- them the insight to discern truth from to do just that. berra is an important one, and our falsehood, the high from the low, and Passing the American SAFE Act, countries share many fundamental val- the enduring from the transient. Im- which the House has already done with ues. I am looking forward to meeting part to them a perspective that will en- a bipartisan veto-proof margin, would the Prime Minister. able them to find the right path. show Americans that their concerns f are being heard here in Washington. God, bless America. May we not for- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY The aim is to ensure that we have facts get that without You, no nation can LEADER long endure. first so we can help advance America’s We pray in Your merciful Name. tradition of compassion and address The PRESIDING OFFICER. The mi- Amen. the legitimate concerns of her citizens nority leader is recognized. at the same time. f f I will have more to say on this legis- NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE lation tomorrow, but I urge colleagues across the aisle to treat this issue with Mr. REID. Mr. President, I will have The President pro tempore led the the seriousness it deserves. This debate more to say tomorrow about the legis- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: should be driven by facts and common lation about which the Republican I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the sense and not fear mongering about leader just spoke. Tomorrow afternoon United States of America, and to the Repub- targeting widows and orphans or other we will have a vote as to whether we lic for which it stands, one nation under God, straw man arguments the White House should move to the bill. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. has made from time to time. Ameri- Along with the rest of the world, I f cans deserve a vetting process they can was pleased to learn this weekend that have confidence in, and frankly the ref- five political prisoners were finally re- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ugees coming to this country deserve leased from Iran and will soon be home LEADER one too. Safeguards that weed out ISIL with their families. These Americans The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. sympathizers can help ensure legiti- were unjustly held, and I am glad they HOEVEN). The majority leader is recog- mate refugees to our country are not will soon be in the arms of their loved nized. unfairly stigmatized. ones once again. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S79 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:42 Jan 20, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A19JA6.000 S19JAPT1 smartinez on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with SENATE S80 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 19, 2016 Preventing Iran from obtaining a nu- I am pleased the administration an- in a period of morning business until 5 clear weapon is one of the most press- nounced it would impose sanctions on p.m., with Senators permitted to speak ing security challenges of our genera- individuals and companies for pro- therein for up to 10 minutes each. tion. A nuclear-armed Iran is a threat viding support to Iran’s ballistic mis- Mr. REID. Mr. President, I see no one to the national security of the United sile program. These tests were in clear else on the floor, so I suggest the ab- States, the State of Israel, and the violation of the United Nations Secu- sence of a quorum. world. rity Council resolutions. One thing is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Last summer I announced my sup- clear: Iran must continue to be mon- clerk will call the roll. port for the historic nuclear agreement itored with intense scrutiny. The senior assistant legislative clerk the United States and the global com- I remain concerned about Iran’s on- proceeded to call the roll. munity made with Iran. This agree- going human rights abuses and polit- Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I ask ment required Iran to take significant ical oppression. Iran also remains a unanimous consent that the order for steps to ensure that its nuclear infra- state sponsor of terrorism, using its the quorum call be rescinded. structure could not be used to build a proxies against Israel and against our The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without nuclear bomb. These steps include, interests throughout the Middle East. objection, it is so ordered. among other things, dismantling thou- Congress must accept the critical f sands and thousands of centrifuges role we play in providing vigorous that are used to enrich uranium, re- oversight of the Iran agreement and DRONES moving from Iran its enriched ura- Iran’s compliance with the agreement, Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, have nium, thus reducing its stockpile and addressing Iran’s ballistic missile pro- you ever flown a drone? It used to be eliminating the core of its plutonium gram and monitoring Iran’s actions in that you had to fly helicopters or it reactor. The end result of these steps is the region. This past weekend marked used to be that you would fly what we that Iran’s breakout time—the time it a key step forward to ensuring Iran call unmanned aerial vehicles, the ones takes to make enough fissile material never gains access to a nuclear weapon. that have been so helpful to us in the to build a bomb—has been extended We should always remember that the war against terror. That would usually from a matter of a few months to a Iran deal, as it has been called, was to be an Air Force pilot. But now people year, and some experts would say stop Iran from having nuclear weapon can go to Best Buy or to Walgreens or much, much longer. capability, and that has been accom- to the hobby shop and buy a drone this Over the weekend, the International plished. big. If it is an older model, it would Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that I look forward to working with my cost $100. If it is a newer model, it Iran successfully implemented these colleagues to keep Iran accountable would cost $500. People can have a lot initial requirements, an important and preserving the national security of of fun. As a matter of fact, I can’t wait next act in the implementation of the both this Nation and our ally, the until they finish development of the nuclear agreement. State of Israel. drones they are testing right now that I applaud President Obama, Sec- f I can sit on, and then I can go from retary of State John Kerry, Secretary point A to point B and avoid the red of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz, and Under SUPREME COURT REVIEW OF IMMIGRATION RULING lights and the traffic jams and so forth. Secretary of State Wendy Sherman for Along with this new technology using America’s diplomatic power to Mr. REID. On another subject, Mr. comes some, certainly, new challenges. make the world a safer place. This dip- President, this morning the Supreme So as our commerce committee is ap- lomatic approach also avoids the sig- Court announced its decision to review proaching work on the FAA bill, the nificant costs and risks a military op- the Fifth Circuit Court’s illogical rul- Federal Aviation Administration reau- tion would pose. One need only look at ing on President Obama’s Executive ac- thorization—otherwise, in a couple of Iraq to find out what military options tions on immigration. It was only a months that authorization law ex- cost—trillions of dollars—because of question of time as to when it would pires—we are going to have to address the worst foreign policy decision in the come up because the action of the ap- the issue of drones because we have had history of our country: the invasion of pellate court was so out of line and un- now a number of near misses of drones.