E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017 No. 176 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was As I said last week, no single bill or As government officials review this called to order by the President pro program is going to solve this crisis on morning’s report and as agencies de- tempore (Mr. HATCH). its own. Only a sustained, committed velop new plans to fulfill its objectives, f effort can do that. That has been my I will continue to work with partners view over the many years that I have in Washington and Kentucky to ad- PRAYER been involved in this issue, from the dress this important crisis. The goal, of The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- first time I invited the White House course, is that one day we can finally fered the following prayer: drug czar down to Eastern Kentucky to put the pain of opioid abuse behind us Let us pray. see the challenges posed by prescrip- once and for all. Sovereign Lord of the Universe, we tion drug abuse firsthand to my work f pray today for all who govern. Use our on other initiatives, such as helping JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS Senators for Your glory, providing pass a law to help address the tragedy them with wisdom to live with the in- of babies born addicted to drugs. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes- tegrity that brings stability to nations. It is also what I believed as the Re- terday the Senate advanced the nomi- Because of their labors, enable us to publican-led Senate worked hard to nation of Professor Amy Barrett, live peaceful, quiet, godly, and dig- pass important legislation such as President Trump’s impressive nominee nified lives, growing in grace and in a Jessie’s Law, the 21st Century Cures to be a judge on the Seventh Circuit knowledge of You. Act, and the Comprehensive Addiction Court of Appeals. She is the first of Lord, inspire our lawmakers in every and Recovery Act in the last Congress. four strong nominees to our Nation’s situation to seek to glorify You, doing I believe President Trump took the circuit courts that the Senate will con- justly, loving mercy, and walking hum- same view as he announced another im- firm this week. bly on the path You have chosen. May portant step last week by declaring a Professor Barrett’s experience as a they speak for those who cannot speak public health emergency for opioids. I distinguished law professor at the Uni- for themselves, ensuring justice for would like to, once again, thank the versity of Notre Dame shows her quali- those who are perishing. Lord, keep our President for his commitment to con- fications to serve our Nation on the Senators ever in the circle of Your un- fronting this crisis. Federal bench. She is going to be an folding providence as they find delight We all know there is much further to asset to our judiciary. in doing Your will. go, and as we move forward, Repub- Of course, some on the left have tried We pray in Your Holy Name. Amen. licans and Democrats, the House and to invent any reason to prevent this f the Senate, the States and the White President’s nominees from advancing. House, we should remain committed to For an outstanding nominee such as PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE working together on policies and pro- Professor Barrett, their task was not The President pro tempore led the grams that actually deliver results. easy. They can’t attack her creden- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: About an hour ago, the Government tials, which are truly impressive; they I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the Accountability Office released a report can’t attack her belief in the rule of United States of America, and to the Repub- I requested about the Federal Govern- law—Professor Barrett’s writings and lic for which it stands, one nation under God, ment’s response to opioid use disorders. her testimony clearly show a nominee indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The Government’s chief watchdog rec- who will uphold our Constitution and f ommends that as the Department of our Nation’s laws as they are written— Health and Human Services expands as they are written—not as she wishes RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY access to medication-assisted treat- they were. LEADER ment, it should also develop clear Unbelievably, some on the political The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. measures to gauge performance. This left, including some of our Democratic SASSE). The majority leader is recog- GAO study will help to ensure that dol- colleagues, are actually criticizing nized. lars are spent wisely to fight the crisis Professor Barrett for a law review arti- f of opioid abuse taking lives in commu- cle she cowrote back in law school by nities all across our country. The an- saying it says the opposite of what it OPIOID CRISIS nouncement of GAO’s conclusions will actually says. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the help us as we continue to build a com- They claim Professor Barrett wrote opioid crisis is hurting communities prehensive approach to combating her- that a judge should put her personal across our country. Its challenges are oin and prescription drug abuse. It is beliefs ahead of the rule of law, when, complex and its causes are many. another step in the right direction. in fact, she said a judge should not do ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S6885 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:00 Nov 01, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A31OC6.000 S31OCPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with SENATE S6886 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 31, 2017 that—exactly the opposite. She wrote EXECUTIVE SESSION preme court justices who were not ap- that if a judge’s personal views were to proved by Republican Senators to move impede that judge’s ability to impar- to the Federal bench: Lisabeth Tabor tially apply the law, then the judge EXECUTIVE CALENDAR Hughes from Kentucky, Myra Selby should recuse herself from the case. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under from Indiana, Don Beatty from South As the coauthor of that article and the previous order, the Senate will pro- Carolina, Louis Butler from Wisconsin, current president of Catholic Univer- ceed to executive session and resume Patricia Timmons-Goodson from North sity recently put it, ‘‘The case against consideration of the Barrett nomina- Carolina. Prof. Barrett is so flimsy, that you tion, which the clerk will report. Senate Republicans turned obstruc- have to wonder whether there isn’t The senior assistant legislative clerk tion of judicial nominees into an art some other, unspoken, cause for their read the nomination of Amy Coney form under President Obama. Yet Sen- objection.’’ Barrett, of Indiana, to be United States ator MCCONNELL, day after day, has It does make you wonder. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit. said: ‘‘I think President Obama has To those using this matter as cover The PRESIDING OFFICER. The as- been treated very fairly by any objec- to oppose Professor Barrett because of sistant Democratic leader. tive standard.’’ her personally held religious beliefs, Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Senator He comes to the floor now regularly let me remind you, there are no reli- MCCONNELL has come to the floor to to complain about ‘‘obstruction’’ of gious tests—none—for public office in complain about what he calls obstruc- Trump nominees. Senator MCCONNELL this country. That is not how we do tion of President Trump’s judicial and the Senate Republicans set the things here. Our government and our nominees. The majority leader must standard for obstruction. If Leader Nation are made better through the feel that many of us suffer from amne- MCCONNELL thinks President Obama service of qualified people of faith. sia. was treated fairly with these facts, it is That will surely be true of Professor It was just last year Senate Repub- hard to understand why he is com- Amy Barrett. licans, under the leadership of the plaining about the treatment of Presi- I look forward to voting to confirm same Senator MCCONNELL, set a new dent Trump’s judicial nominees. this accomplished law professor and de- standard of obstruction. The most So far this year, the Senate has con- voted mother of seven later today, and prominent victim of Republican ob- firmed four of President Trump’s cir- I would urge our colleagues to join me. struction, Chief Judge Merrick Gar- cuit court nominees and four of his dis- Once we do, the Senate will advance land, was President Obama’s nominee trict court nominees. At the same another of President Trump’s well- for the Supreme Court. Never, never in point in his first year, President qualified circuit court nominees, the history of the U.S. Senate has the Obama had one circuit court nominee Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Senate denied a Supreme Court nomi- and three district court nominees con- Larsen, to serve on the U.S. Court of nee a hearing and a vote. Senator firmed. Twice the number have been Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. MCCONNELL led the Republicans last confirmed under President Trump as Justice Larsen is the second of three year in doing that. were confirmed under President Obama accomplished women whom the Senate Then, Senator MCCONNELL refused to in each of their first years.