E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 164 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018 No. 91 House of Representatives The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 5, 2018, at 12 p.m. Senate MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2018 The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was The legislative clerk read the fol- Judge Wier has the intellect, skill, called to order by the Honorable JONI lowing letter: and experience to take on this role. I ERNST, a Senator from the State of U.S. SENATE, will proudly vote to advance his nomi- Iowa. PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, nation later today. Washington, DC, June 4, 2018. Following Judge Wier, we will con- f To the Senate: sider Fernando Rodriguez for the PRAYER Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, Southern District of Texas and of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby Annemarie Axon for the Northern Dis- The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- appoint the Honorable JONI ERNST, a Senator fered the following prayer: from the State of Iowa, to perform the duties trict of Alabama. Let us pray. of the Chair. In each case, the Senate’s work will Eternal God, we thank You that al- ORRIN G. HATCH, be upholding one of our most central though we plan our course, You deter- President pro tempore. constitutional responsibilities—to con- mine the success of our journey. We Mrs. ERNST thereupon assumed the sider and confirm high-quality can- praise You for the many amazing gifts Chair as Acting President pro tempore. didates. You provide for our pilgrimage. f f Lord, inspire our lawmakers to com- RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY ECONOMIC GROWTH mit their plans to You, trusting the un- LEADER Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, folding of Your loving providence. May last week brought another set of en- they not depend only on persistent self- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- pore. The majority leader is recog- couraging headlines about our growing reliance, but draw upon the super- economy. In the month of May, the natural strength and wisdom You de- nized. f U.S. economy generated 223,000 new sire to give them. Today, fill this jobs. Unemployment has fallen to 3.8 Chamber with Your presence and JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS percent, its lowest level since April of power. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, 2000. The proportion of American We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. the Senate will begin this week by vot- adults who are employed is as high as f ing on three more of the President’s it has been at any point since the fi- well-qualified nominees for the Federal nancial crisis. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE judiciary. We know these economic indicators The Presiding Officer led the Pledge First on the slate is Magistrate can sometimes be noisy, but consider of Allegiance, as follows: Judge Robert Wier, selected by Presi- them alongside all of the other signs I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the dent Trump to serve as a district judge we have seen over the past year. Since United States of America, and to the Repub- for the Eastern District of Kentucky. President Trump was elected alongside lic for which it stands, one nation under God, Judge Wier’s sterling credentials and a Republican Congress, the number of indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the support he enjoys from the legal Americans who say they are optimistic f community suggest that he will excel about finding a good job has jumped 25 on the Federal bench. He graduated at percentage points, and small business APPOINTMENT OF ACTING the top of his class at the University of owners report in record numbers that PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE Kentucky, followed by a successful ca- they are optimistic about the prospects The PRESIDING OFFICER. The reer in private practice. In 2006, he be- of hiring new employees. clerk will please read a communication came a magistrate judge. In 2014, his The bottom line is clear: Under the to the Senate from the President pro colleagues unanimously reappointed policies of this unified Republican gov- tempore (Mr. HATCH). him to a second term. ernment, American workers, families, ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S2953 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:23 Jun 05, 2018 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A04JN6.000 S04JNPT1 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with SENATE S2954 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 4, 2018 and business owners are achieving eco- Mr. MCCONNELL. I suggest the ab- ed the national defense strategy that nomic growth that is unmatched in re- sence of a quorum. was delivered to Congress earlier this cent memory. It is driven by a 21st cen- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- year laying out its strategic goal. This tury tax code that lets Americans keep pore. The clerk will call the roll. was a critical first step, but now the more of their own money and encour- The legislative clerk proceeded to strategy must be implemented. The De- ages job creators to invest in our Na- call the roll. fense authorization bill will align that tion’s workers. Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I strategy with the resources necessary It is made possible by historic regu- ask unanimous consent that the order to implement it—the investments, the latory reform, which has leveled the for the quorum call be rescinded. policies, the authorizations—with the playing field for American consumers The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- new orientation articulated in that and small businesses. From farmers pore. Without objection, it is so or- strategy. and ranchers to community bankers, dered. The Secretary of Defense will re- the burdens of an out-of-control regu- NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT evaluate the highest priority missions latory state are being lifted. Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, this for the Department of Defense, the So after a decade of stagnation, Re- week, we will be taking up the Na- roles of the joint force, as well as the publican policies have gotten Wash- tional Defense Authorization Act, capabilities required to complete these ington out of the way and freed Amer- which Congress has passed for 57 con- missions. ican workers and job creators to do secutive years to support and guide our All told, in its current form, the De- what they do best—build a dynamic country’s military. Earlier this month, fense authorization will support $716 economy that is literally the envy of the Armed Services Committee voted billion for our national defense. To the world. overwhelmingly—25 to 2—to advance those who would think that the price is But as impressive as some of these this important legislation to the Sen- too high, I would say there is no op- statistics may be, I think it is impor- ate floor, so when I hear people say tion. There is no nation in the world tant to keep in mind that these stories that there is no bipartisan consensus that is as capable of keeping the peace are, at the end of the day, human sto- for anything in Washington these days, and deterring aggressors around the ries. More than 1 million new jobs have I think that is belied by the facts and world. In fact, the No. 1 responsibility been created just since we passed tax certainly in this case by our bipartisan of the Federal Government is to pro- reform last December. That is not an commitment to provide that support vide for our common defense. abstract number. That is 1 million op- and guidance for our Nation’s military. All of the rights that we enjoy in this portunities for young workers who are According to the Department of De- great country of ours flow from the just starting out and need to begin fense, there are 1.8 million Americans freedoms that are protected by our climbing the first rungs of the eco- around the world on Active Duty in the men and women in uniform. We have nomic ladder; for young fathers and U.S. military. The United States has seen what has happened in the last few mothers who can now leave a position 737 installations overseas, and the years when America has receded and where their pay has stayed flat for a DOD—the Department of Defense—is retreated from its leadership role. new opening in their industry; or for the world’s largest employer. Sup- We don’t have to fight all of these midcareer professionals who were side- porting all these people and the facili- fights on our own. As General Mattis lined by a tough economy and can now ties they occupy is a Herculean task, says, it is appropriate for Americans to suit up and check back in to the game. and the Defense authorization bill is fight by, with, and through our allies, These aren’t just economic statistics; one very significant way that we do which is the strategy we are using now they are American men and women just that. It is how we make sure that rather than placing boots on the who have new chances to support their all of our American servicemembers ground in many of these locations. families and build their lives that they are trained, equipped, and paid and One important piece of the bill is bol- simply did not have under the policies that our alliances are strengthened and stering recruitment, retention, and ef- of the previous administration.