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, JANUARY 15, 2019 No. 8 Senate The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was ending September 30, 2019, and for other pur- even heard frank admissions that, 30 called to order by the President pro poses. days from now, there would be no tempore (Mr. GRASSLEY). Mr. MCCONNELL. In order to place progress toward an agreement on bor- f the bill on the calendar under the pro- der security, even if the government visions of rule XIV, I object to further were reopened. PRAYER proceedings. Under normal circumstances, we The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- could expect lines like these from the fered the following prayer: tion having been heard, the bill will be furthest left organizers and most vocal Eternal God, rescue us. Come quickly placed on the calendar. liberal protesters. But these are not and bring the stability and unity we f normal circumstances. These are the words, believe it or not, of the Speaker need. STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S SE- of the House, the gentlelady from Cali- May our lawmakers who seek You CURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST fornia, NANCY PELOSI. find You, receiving from Your divine ACT OF 2019—Motion to Proceed presence wisdom, mercy, and power. It is unclear exactly when the Speak- Cleanse the inner fountains of our Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, er made the determination that the ex- hearts from anything that will hinder I move to proceed to S. 1. plicit requests of the men and women Your will from being done. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The who secure our borders and the safety Lord, You are our helper and re- clerk will report the motion to pro- of our communities would take a back- deemer. Do not delay. ceed. seat to the political whims of the far The senior assistant legislative clerk We pray in Your powerful Name. left, that the border efforts toward read as follows: Amen. which Democrats have agreed to direct Motion to proceed to the consideration of billions of dollars in the past have f S. 1, a bill to make improvements to certain transformed overnight into something PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE defense and security assistance provisions evil. But here we are, day 25. We know and to authorize the appropriation of funds The President pro tempore led the to Israel, to reauthorize the United States- the new and unreasonable position of Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, and the Speaker of the House. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian So here, in the Senate, my Demo- United States of America, and to the Repub- people, and for other purposes. cratic colleagues have an important lic for which it stands, one nation under God, GOVERNMENT FUNDING choice to make. They could stand with indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, common sense, with border experts, f over the course of this partial govern- with Federal workers—and with their ment shutdown, we have seen our own past voting records, by the way— RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY Democratic colleagues engage in in- or they could continue to remain pas- LEADER creasingly acrobatic contortions in sive spectators, complaining from the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. order to dodge a serious conversation sidelines as the Speaker refuses to ne- HYDE-SMITH). The majority leader is about the urgent humanitarian and se- gotiate with the White House and en- recognized. curity crisis down at our southern bor- sures that our Nation keeps going f der. Their refusal to come to the nego- round and round and round this polit- tiating table has serious implications ical carousel. It is up to our colleagues MEASURE PLACED ON THE for the hundreds of thousands of Fed- on the other side of the aisle. CALENDAR—H.R. 266 eral workers going without pay and for BORDER SECURITY Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, all Americans who deserve a nation Madam President, on another mat- I understand there is a bill at the desk that can secure its own border. ter, the substance of the border secu- due for a second reading. Along the way, we have heard that rity issue is not the only subject that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The new funding of any sort—any sort—of is occasioning a spectacular display of clerk will read the title of the bill for border barrier, even the kinds that inconsistency from my colleagues the second time. Democrats have supported so recently across the aisle. The senior assistant legislative clerk and so often, would now be an immo- If you recall, since last week, the ap- read as follows: rality. An immorality? parent position of Senate Democrats A bill (H.R. 266) making appropriations for We have heard serious proposals has been that the Senate itself cannot the Department of the Interior, environ- brushed aside with joking offers of $1 engage in any of the people’s business ment, and related agencies for the fiscal year to address the critical issue. We have until government funding is resolved. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S187 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:54 Jan 15, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A15JA6.000 S15JAPT1 dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with SENATE S188 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 15, 2019 Democrats have held this position so tion. The Department of Justice is GOVERNMENT FUNDING dogmatically that three times now charged with duties such as protecting Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, as they have voted against advancing a Americans’ civil rights, defending the the Trump shutdown drags on, more bipartisan and urgently needed pack- public order to which citizens are enti- and more Americans are getting hurt. age of legislation that concerns Israel, tled, and upholding the time-honored Public servants have been working Jordan, and the civil war in Syria. tradition that the United States of without pay, critical Agencies are un- It has been the Democrats’ very own America is a nation governed by law. able to perform the functions they are ‘‘Senate shutdown’’ on top of the par- So it is the Nation’s good fortune—our supposed to perform for the American tial government shutdown they are good fortune—that the President has people—whether that is inspecting food prolonging. What about our ally Israel? selected such a completely qualified supply, protecting our airports and What about the innocent people of and thoroughly prepared leader to fill prisons, or helping farmers and small Syria? I guess they are just out of this vacancy. businesses get loans. We are now ap- luck—just out of luck. The Democratic First and foremost, of course, is the proaching tax season with the IRS leader has made clear that they will fact that Bill Barr has served in this under severe limitations. just have to wait. They will just have position before. As Attorney General When will the President’s ridiculous to wait until he decides to end his fili- under President Bush 41 in the early manufactured crisis come to an end? buster of these bipartisan bills, which, 1990s, he fulfilled his oath and led the I have three words for President until last week, by the way, he sup- Department of Justice with honor and Trump, Leader MCCONNELL, and our ported. It is a bizarre position—a truly with skill. He was widely regarded as a Republican Senators: Open the govern- bizarre position. capable administrator and as a strong, ment. It has directly contradicted the stat- independent, and principled advocate We can debate border security. We ed foreign policy views of many of our for fairness and for following the law. have debated it for a month and a half. Democratic colleagues, but this has We haven’t come to a conclusion. Open been the Democratic leader’s position: His tenure confirmed the great con- fidence that Republican and Demo- the government, and we can debate Filibuster the expanded assistance for border security while the government Israel. Filibuster the new consequences cratic Senators had all placed in him when they confirmed him to that posi- is open. for giving aid and comfort to the Assad Now, for weeks, as I said, we have regime as it butchers its own people. tion unanimously. Democrats con- trolled the Senate in 1991—Democrats been at a standstill. We have offered That is what the Democratic caucus the President several ways to uncouple has overwhelmingly voted to do on controlled the Senate in 1991. That is when he was confirmed—confirmed on his demand for a border wall from a three occasions. government shutdown. The President But now, we are informed that it was a voice vote. Boy, those were the good has been obstinate, insisting on a $5.7 all just a farce. The Democratic leader old days. billion wall he promised that Mexico actually doesn’t mind doing other busi- Amid the proceedings, our distin- guished colleague Senator LEAHY ex- would pay for. ness because he now intends to bring a The few times that his deputies—the privileged and political stunt of a mo- pressed confidence that Mr. Barr would Vice President and the Chief of Staff— tion relating to the administration’s be ‘‘an independent voice for all Ameri- have made proposals to Democrats, the use of sanctions against Russia.