E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 114 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 162 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2016 No. 84 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was WELCOMING THE GUEST otherwise and blame these rates on called to order by the President pro CHAPLAIN something like uncertainty over tempore (Mr. HATCH). Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, I want Kynect’s future. As the story notes, f to take just a moment today to recog- ‘‘the only company that will offer plans statewide on the exchange next PRAYER nize Dr. Benny Tate of Rock Springs Church in Milner, GA, for being here year said the requested rate increase The PRESIDENT pro tempore. To- with us to deliver this morning’s open- has nothing to do with the end of day’s opening prayer will be offered by ing prayer. Kynect.’’ Yesterday I shared stories Dr. Benny Tate, senior pastor of Rock Benny is my personal pastor, my from Kentuckians who continue to suf- Springs Church in Milner, GA. dear friend, and inspiration for both fer under this law. The guest Chaplain offered the fol- my wife and me. He offered us constant Thanks to what we learned last lowing prayer: prayer and support as I entered this po- night, I am afraid we will be hearing Let us pray. litical journey and continues to do so even more. ObamaCare’s defenders Our most kind and gracious Heavenly today. need to own up to what their partisan Father, as we bow our heads and hearts Before I was sworn in to the Senate, law is doing to the middle class and not before You, we come with a grateful we joined Benny on a personal mission waste another moment trying to de- heart. I lift this esteemed body of indi- trip to Haiti. It was a life-changing flect attention elsewhere. They need to viduals to Your care and blessing. My trip. We went to a community that had work with us to relieve the pain of prayer is that You will illuminate their been stricken by the earthquake in ObamaCare and start over with real understanding because, as Ben Frank- 2010. We saw kids who were still sleep- care. lin reminded us, You are the Father of ing and eating on the ground in tents. f lights. I pray for every Member that Yet we saw hope, and that is hope I will NATIONAL DEFENSE they would follow the direction of carry with me the rest of my life be- AUTHORIZATION BILL President Abraham Lincoln and be cause of this man, Benny Tate. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, the driven to their knees by an over- Thank you, Brother Benny, for your men and women who sign up to defend whelming conviction that they had no- faith, your life, and your service. We our Nation don’t ask for much, but our where else to go. God, give our leaders are all honored to have you here today. Nation certainly asks a lot of them. direction and guidance. I ask You to Mr. President, I yield the floor. They sacrifice on our behalf every day. unify the hearts of the men and women f They deserve the kind of support that serving in this body, for unity is where RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY the National Defense Authorization You commanded the blessing. May LEADER Act before us can provide. It will honor every Member remember the goal is The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- commitments to veterans, servicemem- more important than any role, and our jority leader is recognized. bers, and their families. It will author- Lord teaches us that the greatest of all f ize raises, support Wounded Warriors, is the one who serves, and anyone can and improve military benefits and be great because anyone can serve. OBAMACARE health care. We need to pass it. The We pray this prayer, respecting all Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, Democratic leader needs to stop pre- faiths, but we pray this prayer in the here is the headline too many Kentuck- venting us from doing so. Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus ians had to wake up to this morning: Yesterday in his opening remarks, he Christ. ‘‘Health insurance rate hike requests claimed he was holding up the bill be- Until You come, we pray. Amen. average 17 percent in [my home cause he hadn’t had the chance to read f State].’’ it—then talked about a new book he is The story noted that these double- PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE reading. digit premium increases continue a na- Today in his opening remarks he will The President pro tempore led the tional trend of hefty hikes as insurers surely make more excuses for Demo- Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: adapt to a market reshaped by Presi- crats not to do their jobs—then head to I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the dent Obama’s signature health care a press conference titled ‘‘Do Your United States of America, and to the Repub- law—in other words, more unaffordable Job.’’ lic for which it stands, one nation under God, premium increases, thanks to You can’t make this stuff up. But it indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ObamaCare. is not funny. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. It was unfortunate to hear some of Look, we get it. Democrats want to HELLER). The Senator from Georgia. ObamaCare’s defenders try to pretend run TV ads claiming the Senate can’t ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S3231 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:47 May 27, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A26MY6.000 S26MYPT1 smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with SENATE S3232 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 26, 2016 get anything done. They know that is a edly proved them wrong with meaning- bills to date in the 114th Congress really tough sell. They know the only ful and substantial reforms instead. ‘‘than any single Congress since 1980’’; chance to make it work is by slow- That is certainly true of the new edu- like the fact that we got the appropria- walking bills they actually support. cation reform law we passed. It re- tions process started this year at the Democrats don’t actually want to be placed No Child Left Behind with ‘‘the earliest point in the modern budgeting on record opposing our troops before largest devolution of federal control to era—in other words, in about 40 years; Memorial Day, so they support the bill the states in a quarter-century.’’ It is a like the fact that we passed the first of in public then bog it down in private hugely important reform that empow- these three appropriations bills at the and cover with one embarrassing ex- ers parents and prevents Washington earliest point in the modern budgeting cuse after the next: We haven’t read it. from imposing Common Core. That is a era as well. It was written in secret. The dog ate it. notable conservative achievement. It is good to see the appropriations It is just embarrassing. The same could be said of the deci- process finally getting back on track As the chairman of the Armed Serv- sive action we took to enact permanent after so many years of dysfunction. It ices Committee said, ‘‘We need to move tax relief for families and small busi- is incredibly important for the Senate, forward with this legislation. We need nesses or to bring an end to a job-kill- it is definitely healthy for the demo- to move forward with it now, for the ing energy embargo from the 1970s or cratic process, and it will certainly sake of our men and women who are to place on President Obama’s desk a allow us to address a variety of funding serving and defending this Nation and bill that would finally end issues in a more thoughtful and delib- putting their lives on the line.’’ He is ObamaCare’s cycle of broken promises erative way. right. and pain for the middle class. Take Zika, for instance. Combating So here is an idea. How about Demo- We secured pay raises for our troops, the spread of the Zika virus has been a crats skip talking about doing their help for our veterans, and hope for the priority for both parties, so Repub- jobs at a press conference and actually victims of human trafficking. We licans and Democrats deliberated and do their jobs instead? They can follow passed a landmark cyber security law forged a compromise in committee. the lead of this Republican majority— that will help safeguard America’s per- Senators debated that compromise out a majority that continues to do its sonal information. We achieved the here on the floor and voted to pass it. job—and show how important things most significant transportation solu- Now Members of the Senate and the can be accomplished for the American tion in years, one that will finally House are preparing the process of people as a result. So no more needless allow us to rebuild roads, bridges, and going to conference so we can get this delays, no more embarrassing excuses, crumbling infrastructure without rais- measure down to the President. That is and no more blocking benefits for the ing taxes by a penny. how you get good legislation to the men and women of our military.