E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 116 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 166 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 No. 5 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was in Iraq, and storming the U.S. Embassy Now, this is a challenging time to called to order by the President pro in Baghdad. create bipartisan agreement in the tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). The U.S. response to Iran’s increas- Senate on any subject, but the Speaker f ing provocations had been too meas- of the House has managed to do the im- ured, to the point that we risked Iran’s possible. She has created this growing PRAYER leaders mistaking restraint on the part bipartisan unity here in the Senate in The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- of America for weakness and encour- opposition to her own reckless behav- fered the following prayer: aging further escalation. ior. Let us pray. Another attack that risked many The Senators may not agree on Eternal Father, who extends daily to American lives was in the works when much, but it appears most of us still our lawmakers’ compassionate love, we President Trump ordered U.S. forces to recognize the threat to our institution praise Your Holy Name. In a fragile take out the terrorist mastermind of when we see one. Article I, section 3, world where we often find ourselves the Iranian regime. says: ‘‘The Senate shall have the sole waiting to exhale, You remain our Now, think about it. Sometimes you power to try all impeachments’’—pe- shelter for every storm. have to stand up to a bully to get him riod. Lord, relieve the shadows of gloom as to back off or else we might be inviting The House can begin the process, and we face a world endangered by selfish- further aggression. Speaker PELOSI’s majority has cer- ness and sin. Bring our Senators from I yield the floor. tainly done that, but the Senate alone the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy f can resolve it. Yet, for weeks now, the of hope. Make their lives unflickering House majority has blocked the Senate lights that scatter the darkness in our RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY from fulfilling our constitutional duty. Nation and world. Give them an un- LEADER In a precedent-breaking display of par- flinching certainty that You are sov- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- tisanship, the Speaker has refused to ereign. jority leader is recognized. let her own allegations proceed nor- We pray in Your great Name. Amen. f mally to trial unless she gets to hand- f design various elements of our Senate IMPEACHMENT process. In other words, the House PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, Democrats already spent 12 weeks un- The President pro tempore led the first, this morning I want to associate dermining the institution of the Presi- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: myself with a statement made yester- dency with a historically unfair and I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the day by one of our distinguished col- subjective impeachment, and now, for a United States of America, and to the Repub- leagues about the House Democrats sequel, they have come after the insti- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, treating impeachment like a political tution of the Senate as well. That is indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. toy. Here is what the Senator said: ‘‘If where we are. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. it’s serious and urgent, send them over. The dwindling number of our Senate HYDE-SMITH). The Senator from Iowa. If it isn’t, don’t.’’ That was our Demo- Democratic colleagues who remain Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I cratic colleague, the senior Senator complicit in this must realize what ask unanimous consent to address the from California, the ranking member they are doing. Should future House Senate for 1 minute as in morning busi- of the Judiciary Committee. She majorities feel empowered to waste our ness. wasn’t alone. time with junior varsity political hos- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ‘‘It’s time to get on with it.’’ That is tage situations? Should future Speak- objection, it is so ordered. our Democratic colleague the junior ers be permitted to conjure up this f Senator from Delaware. sword of Damocles at will and leave it ‘‘At some point, it’s appropriate to hanging over the Senate unless we do IRAN send them and pass the baton to Sen- what they say? Of course not. Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, ators.’’ That is our Democratic col- This week, a majority of the Senate over the past year, the Iranian regime league, the senior Senator from Con- stepped forward to make it perfectly has been increasingly aggressive, at- necticut. clear that this conversation is over. A tacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, ‘‘I think the time has past. She majority of this body has said defini- shooting down a U.S. drone, seizing a should send the articles.’’ That is our tively that we are not ceding our con- British tanker, attacking a Saudi oil Democratic colleague the junior Sen- stitutional authority to the partisan facility, attacking U.S. military bases ator from Connecticut. designs of the Speaker. We will not let ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S99 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:16 Jan 10, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A09JA6.000 S09JAPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE S100 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 9, 2020 the House extend its precedent-break- mander in Chief if they choose—if they fied briefing for all Senators from the ing spree over here to our Chamber. choose—but they do not get to keep Trump administration on the recent There will be no unfair new rule book the cloud in place forever. Look, there military operation that killed Iranian written solely for President Trump. is real business for the American peo- General Soleimani. Nearly the entire The basic organization of the first ple that the Senate needs to complete. Senate attended, but only 15 Senators phase of this trial will track the phase If the Speaker continues to refuse to were able to ask questions before the one of the Clinton trial, which all 100 take her own accusations to trial, the administration decided they had to go. Senators voted for in 1999. I have said Senate will move forward next week As many as 82 Senators were left hang- for months that this is our preferred with the business of our people. We will ing in the balance without a chance to route. operate on the assumption that House answer their questions. It was a sight By the way, that is exactly what the Democrats are too embarrassed—too like none I have ever seen in my time American people want. Seventy-seven embarrassed—to ever move forward, in the Senate. percent told a Harvard-Harris survey and we will get back to the people’s This is a crucial issue: war and peace. that the basic outline of a Clinton business. These were five of the leading people trial, reserving the witness question For example, the Senate continues to involved in the decision making, past, until later in the proceedings, ought to process President Trump’s landmark present and future. If they couldn’t be good enough for this President as trade deal, the USMCA, through our stay to answer questions in a classified well. Fair is fair. In the same survey, 58 committees of jurisdiction. It passed briefing, that is the ultimate disrespect percent of Americans said they want the Senate Finance Committee this to the Senate. Speaker PELOSI to do her job and send week by a landslide vote of 25 to 3, a I have to tell you, it was not just the articles to the Senate rather than major victory for the President and for Democrats who were upset and not just continue delaying. working families. Now our other com- on the Republican side. Senator PAUL It makes sense that American fami- mittees will continue their consider- and Senator LEE were upset. Four or lies have lost patience with this act ation. five Senators came over to me, in that just like we Senators have lost pa- And there is more. The epidemic of room, when I made the request that tience with it because this is not just opioids, fentanyl, and other substance they come back, and said: Please count some intramural tiff between the two abuse continues to plague our Nation. me in on that. Houses in our bicameral legislature. Some colleagues have signaled they As Secretary Pompeo was practically This recklessness affects our entire may raise privileged resolutions on war running out the door, I asked the country. powers. The Senate has plenty of seri- White House representative if they When you take a step back, what has ous work to do for our country. So would come back and finish the brief- really happened over the last 3 weeks? while the Speaker continues her irre- ing. Pompeo said no, on his behalf, but What has happened? When you take a sponsible games, we will continue the White House representative assured step back from the political noise and me the group would be back in short doing the people’s business. the pundits discussing ‘‘leverage’’—by order. the way, that never existed—what have f I said: Within a week.