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, JULY 23, 2019 No. 124 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was payers expect their money to be spent ing crisis and deliver on President called to order by the President pro wisely, and it is our job in Congress to Trump’s top priorities. tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). make sure that money is spent wisely. The agreement secures the most im- f I am glad Secretary Esper has said he portant priority of the Republican con- will work with whistleblowers to stop ference. In fact, in my view, it is the PRAYER wasteful spending and to prevent more most important obligation of the en- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- spare parts rip-offs. These are things tire Congress; that is, securing the re- fered the following prayer: that have been of interest to me over sources we need to provide for the com- Let us pray. the last several decades with the de- mon defense. This deal does it. Lord of the harvest, we continue to fense budget. I met with Secretary Over the past 21⁄2 years, Republicans seek You, for we desire to please You. Esper, and I believe he has his heart in in Congress have worked with the You, O God, are our light and salva- the right place to help us accomplish President to stop and reverse the de- tion, so we refuse to be afraid. As our these goals. cline in the strength and readiness of lawmakers seek to walk with integrity, He has also indicated he will our Armed Forces. After years of insuf- provide them with a harvest of truth, prioritize getting a clean audit of our ficient funding that hurt readiness and justice, and righteousness. May they military services and an opinion that tied commanders’ hands, Congress and cultivate such ethical consistency that can be certified because the 2010 law President Trump have secured badly their words will be undergirded by that all the audits ought to be certified needed funding increases to rebuild and right actions. was not met by 2017, and they are still modernize the U.S. military. Lord, keep them aware of Your con- not done. How can you follow the There is still more work ahead. The tinued presence as they find in You money if it can’t be audited? progress we have made remains ten- fullness of joy. Show them the path to Our men and women in uniform de- uous. America’s adversaries are not life, as You guide them to Your desired serve no less than to make sure every taking their foot off the gas anytime destination. dollar in the Defense Department is soon, so we can’t either. We have to We pray in Your merciful Name. spent wisely. keep up the momentum. This agree- Amen. I yield the floor. ment provides the stability of funding f I suggest the absence of a quorum. our military deserves and requires. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Thanks to tough negotiating by the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE clerk will call the roll. Trump administration, this deal deliv- The President pro tempore led the The senior assistant legislative clerk ers for the security of our Nation. It Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: proceeded to call the roll. delivers for our men and women in uni- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, form. It protects the progress of the United States of America, and to the Repub- I ask unanimous consent that the order last 2 years and provides the fuel for lic for which it stands, one nation under God, for the quorum call be rescinded. further progress. That is the bottom indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without line. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. objection, it is so ordered. The nature of divided government HYDE-SMITH). The Senator from Iowa. f means this certainly isn’t the agree- Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ment Republicans would have written ask to speak as in morning business for RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY all by ourselves; for example, I will 1 minute. LEADER never understand why our Democratic The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The colleagues treat funding the U.S. objection, it is so ordered. majority leader is recognized. Armed Forces like a Republican pri- f f ority that somehow needs to be matched up with additional spending NOMINATION OF MARK T. ESPER BUDGET AGREEMENT that Democrats like in order to make Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, it palatable for them. It seems to me the United States of America has the yesterday the administration informed every one of us, both sides, should mightiest military in the world to pro- congressional leaders that Secretary jump at the chance to fund defense ade- tect our freedoms and to guarantee Mnuchin, White House Chief of Staff quately. peace around the world. That is why it Mulvaney, and Acting OMB Director Alas, that is not a mystery that is is so important to keep check on the Vought reached a deal with Speaker going to be solved for me in the imme- Pentagon’s financial ledgers. Tax- PELOSI to prevent a government-fund- diate future. The fact is, the Federal ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S4983 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:18 Jul 24, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A23JY6.000 S23JYPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with SENATE S4984 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 23, 2019 Government is coming up with urgent solemn commitments this program cise their freedom of assembly to re- deadlines with respect to the debt limit represents: commitments to the fire- claim the rights, privileges, and auton- and beginning the appropriations proc- fighters, police officers, and all the omy slowly sliced away in recent years ess. first responders who rushed selflessly by the PRC. The full faith and credit of the toward the World Trade Center just Protests continue and with them United States cannot be in question. moments after the attacks began, to countervailing pressures from authori- The last thing Americans need is for the first responders and workers who ties beholden to Beijing. Increasingly Washington to throw a big wrench in reported for duty days or even weeks brutal police tactics and pro-mainland this red-hot economy that is creating later, putting their health at serious vigilantes are drawing blood in an ef- historic levels of job opportunities and risk to help others, commitments to fort to intimidate Hongkongers back growing their take-home pay, and so those who responded to the Pentagon into submission. faced with our Democratic colleagues’ and in Shanksville, PA, as well, and in Hong Kong’s autonomous govern- reluctance, the Trump administration the cases where injury or illness has al- ance, political freedoms, and stable took the high road. They did what ready claimed the lives of those heroes, rule of law has been a crucial pre- needed to be done for our Armed Forces commitments to the surviving fami- condition of its tremendous growth and and veterans and negotiated a success- lies. prosperity. U.S. firms have invested ful deal. In fact, compared to current Congress can never repay these men, tens of billions in Hong Kong’s econ- law, the administration has secured a women, and families for their sac- omy because they trust the autono- larger increase for defense spending rifices, but we can do a small part to mous region’s political climate, inde- than for nondefense. Let me say that make our heroes whole. That is why pendent judicial system, and degree of again: a larger increase for defense the Senate has never failed to attend independence from Beijing. than for nondefense compared to cur- to the fund before. We are not about to By contrast, international firms are rent law. do so now. currently pulling back from China due What is more, the administration I had the honor of meeting with a to concerns about corruption, autoc- successfully kept leftwing poison pills group of first responders and advocates racy, intellectual property rights vio- and policy riders far away from this several weeks back. They gave me the lations, and state-sponsored corporate agreement. We know some of the far badge of Luis Alvarez, a New York Po- espionage. left have been hankering to claw back lice Department bomb squad detective At a time when China faces slowing the Hyde amendment protections or who was terminally ill and has since growth, Beijing should seek to emulate cut away at reprogramming authori- tragically passed away. Hong Kong, not engulf Hong Kong and ties and flexibility that Presidents It was my honor to receive it. It was remake it in the image of the Chinese rightly possess. I applaud the fact that my honor to reiterate that the Sen- Communist Party. no leftwing riders like that were al- ate’s ironclad commitment to getting The PRC has long been working hard lowed into the deal. this done was never in doubt. I told the under the surface to increase its influ- This is the deal that was necessary to first responders I wanted the Senate to ence and power. In Hong Kong, like in continue rebuilding our national de- address this prior to the August recess, so many other areas, China has used fense after years of neglect, and it is and today we will do so.