September 24, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5651 When SSA took these anti-union ac- Hirono Peters Stabenow Those must sound like foreign words tions, Mr. Black was the White House Klobuchar Reed Tester to people in Washington, DC, who Markey Rosen Udall senior adviser at the Social Security Menendez Schatz Van Hollen think we ought to be able to live on Administration. Despite Mr. Black’s Merkley Schumer Warren solar panels and windmills exclusively, responsibility for SSA, he claimed in a Murray Smith but I always say, as important as re- letter to me that, ‘‘I was not involved NOT VOTING—6 newable energy is—and it is impor- in SSA’s implementation of the EOs.’’ Booker Jones Tillis tant—Texas generates the most elec- It is my understanding, however, Harris Sanders Whitehouse tricity for any State in the Nation that there is a pending Freedom of In- The nomination was confirmed. from wind turbines. The wind doesn’t formation Act request that may shed The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under always blow and the Sun doesn’t al- new light on Mr. Black’s involvement the previous order, the motions to re- ways shine, and you need some sort of with the Executive orders. SSA has consider are considered made and laid baseload to try to keep the electricity stated that an email records search upon the table and the President will flowing so people can be afforded the generated thousands of emails that be immediately notified of the Senate’s comforts of life and particularly in hot need to be reviewed for pertinence and action. Texas summers make sure the air-con- disclosure in response to the request, The Senator from Texas. ditioner continues to work. For as deep as our economic ties are, and that review is still ongoing. I cer- f tainly hope that SSA’s response will our cultural ties are just as strong. confirm Mr. Black’s statement that he LEGISLATIVE SESSION Texas is home to a vibrant Indian dias- was not involved with the Executive pora, with more than 150,000 Indian Americans living in the Houston area orders, but the Senate should wait MORNING BUSINESS until all the facts are in before moving alone and perhaps about half a million across our entire State. I was glad the forward with his confirmation. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask Prime Minister had a chance to witness For those reasons, I will oppose Mr. unanimous consent that the Senate the Indian culture that is woven into Black’s nomination at this time. proceed to legislative session and be in the fabric of our State and meet a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The a period of morning business, with Sen- number of proud Indian Americans, in- question is, Will the Senate advise and ators permitted to speak therein for up cluding the 50,000 who showed up for consent to the Black nomination? to 10 minutes. the ‘‘Howdy, Modi’’ events in Houston Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I ask The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. on Sunday, from 48 States, I am told. for the yeas and nays. Knowing the importance of a strong f The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a U.S.-India relationship, 15 years ago I sufficient second? PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI cofounded the U.S.-India Caucus in the There appears to be a sufficient sec- Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, on Sun- Senate. That was at the request of one ond. day I had the great honor of joining of my constituents who founded one of The clerk will call the roll. President Trump in welcoming Prime the Indo-American Chambers in the The senior assistant legislative clerk Minister Modi to the Lone Star State metroplex in Dallas, TX, years ago. He called the roll. in an event that was appropriately is the one who encouraged my wife and Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is named ‘‘Howdy, Modi.’’ I to travel to India in the first place, necessarily absent: the Senator from When his trip was announced, people where I learned a lot about the coun- North Carolina (Mr. TILLIS). on the west coast and the east coast try—the study in contrasts I men- Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the wondered, ‘‘Why Texas?’’ They tioned but also that this is the world’s Senator from New Jersey (Mr. BOOKER), thought, maybe, he would go to Silicon largest democracy, and we shared so the Senator from California (Ms. HAR- Valley to talk to Big Tech executives many values with that country because RIS), the Senator from Alabama (Mr. or spend some time in Washington hob- of our common English heritage and JONES), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. nobbing with diplomats and legislative particularly our respect for the rule of SANDERS), and the Senator from Rhode leaders. Those are great places to visit, law and use of the English language Island (Mr. WHITEHOUSE) are nec- but Houston is the energy capital of predominantly. essarily absent. We also saw the advantage of collabo- the world. It is providing literal fuel The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there rating with India economically—1.3 bil- for our growing relationship with the any other Senators in the Chamber de- lion people—a great market for the Nation of India. siring to vote? things we make and grow in the United After nearly a four-decade ban on The result was announced—yeas 68, States and a great way to raise the U.S. crude oil exports was lifted, Texas nays 26, as follows: standard of living in India as we deepen sent the first American crude oil to our ties militarily and from a national [Rollcall Vote No. 301 Ex.] India, and today India is increasingly security standpoint. The difference be- YEAS—68 running on American natural gas. The tween today and what things were like Alexander Feinstein Murphy reason that is important is, when I vis- as recently as 2008, in terms of trade, is Barrasso Fischer Paul ited India for the first time in 2004, I Bennet Gardner just like night and day. Perdue witnessed a country that is a study in Blackburn Graham Portman In 2016, the United States designated Blunt Grassley Risch contrast—some highly populated areas India as a ‘‘major defense partner,’’ Boozman Hassan Roberts like Delhi and others, and then rural with the goal of elevating our partner- Braun Hawley Romney areas on the way to the Taj Mahal in Burr Hoeven Rounds ship with India to the same level as Capito Hyde-Smith Agra, you can see people literally liv- Rubio those of our other closest allies. Cardin Inhofe Sasse ing off the land and using dried cow Since then, we have taken a number Carper Isakson Scott (FL) manure as fuel for their food and for Casey Johnson of steps to strengthen our defense rela- Cassidy Kaine Scott (SC) warmth. Obviously, India needs access tionship, such as establishing ministe- Collins Kennedy Shaheen to affordable energy that America—and Shelby rial dialogue, increasing arms sales to Coons King Texas, in particular—can provide to India, and the first U.S.-India Cornyn Lankford Sinema Cotton Leahy Sullivan help improve their standard of living. triservice exercise later this year. We Cramer Lee Thune This trade is also vital to our econ- have made real progress, but there is Crapo Manchin Toomey omy in Texas, and we will keep export- more we can do to ensure that our ef- Cruz McConnell Warner ing our greatest natural resource to Daines McSally Wicker forts are aligned, just as our interests Enzi Moran Wyden our friends in India and around the are aligned. Particularly as China is on Ernst Murkowski Young world as a result of the energy renais- the march, having a strong and vibrant NAYS—26 sance we have seen and as a result of economy and a strong defense partner the use of unconventional extraction Baldwin Cantwell Durbin in India is more important than ever. Blumenthal Cortez Masto Gillibrand techniques like fracking and horizontal Earlier this year, I also introduced Brown Duckworth Heinrich drilling. an amendment to the National Defense VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:38 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A24SE6.011 S24SEPT1 dlhill on DSKBBY8HB2PROD with SENATE S5652 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 24, 2019 Authorization Act, which requires the For many Texans, this is the second cards using codes we have received in Secretary of Defense to submit a report time in 2 years they have had to re- an email and manage our finances with on U.S.-India defense cooperation in cover from extraordinary flooding. The cloud-based software. Information we the Western Indian Ocean within 180 storm completely devastated commu- once would have locked securely in a days of enactment. nities throughout the southeast part of desk drawer, we now plug into an on- It will allow us to get a clearer pic- my State, and folks are just now begin- line forum without ever giving it a sec- ture of current military activities and ning what will undoubtedly be a major ond thought. will enable the Secretary of Defense to cleanup effort. We have contributed to our own, as I enter into military cooperation agree- With waters receding, local officials call it, ‘‘virtual you’’; that is, our per- ments and conduct regular joint mili- are now taking stock of the damage sonal online footprint unique to us, tary training and operations with India and moving from response to recovery. unique only to us. We have done this in the Western Indian Ocean.