May 23, 2019 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3085 Gillibrand Manchin Scott (SC) more than $3 billion to rebuild our Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- Graham Markey Shaheen military’s storm-damaged infrastruc- sent to have printed in the RECORD at Grassley McConnell Shelby Harris Menendez Sinema ture. the end of my remarks the list of Hassan Merkley Smith It has been no secret that how to help names of both the Democratic staff and Hawley Murkowski Stabenow the American citizens of Puerto Rico the Republican staff who worked so Heinrich Murphy Sullivan has been at the heart of our dispute on hard on this. Hirono Murray Tester Hoeven Perdue disaster aid, but I am pleased to report I said on a personal basis earlier that Thune Hyde-Smith Peters Tillis that the bill provides much needed as- I remember when Tropical Storm Irene Inhofe Portman sistance to these Americans, including Isakson Reed Udall hit Vermont and how totally discour- Johnson Roberts Van Hollen $605 million for the Nutrition Assist- aged I was by the damage. Yet, within Jones Rosen Warner ance Program, and $304 million in com- hours, I had texts and emails from Sen- Kaine Rubio Warren munity development block grants to ators in this body—Republicans and Kennedy Sanders Whitehouse King Sasse Wicker help the island meet the FEMA match Democrats alike. They said: When we Klobuchar Schatz Wyden requirements. were hit by a tornado, by flooding, by Lankford Schumer Young One thing that we learned when an earthquake—whatever it might Leahy Scott (FL) Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont have been—Vermont stood with us, and NAYS—8 is that you have rebuild better than we will stand with Vermont. Blackburn Lee Risch you were so you are stronger when you That is what we are as the United Braun McSally Romney face the next storm. We have included States of America. The Senate did Crapo Paul language that requires FEMA to re- what it should do today. The Senate NOT VOTING—7 build the island stronger and better acted as the conscience of the Nation. Alexander Enzi Toomey than it was before to help mitigate the We stood together to help all Ameri- Capito Moran damage of a future storm. We did this cans. Durbin Rounds in certain areas in Vermont, and it There being no objection, the mate- The bill (H.R. 2157), as amended, was made all the difference in the world. rial was ordered to be printed in the passed. This supplemental will unlock bil- RECORD, as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- lions of dollars that Congress had pre- LIST SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY APPRO- ator from Vermont. viously appropriated for Puerto Rico PRIATIONS COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRMAN Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I thank and other communities across the LEAHY OF STAFF FOR H.R. 2157, THE SUPPLE- my colleagues on both sides of the aisle country that the Trump administra- MENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT for their votes. Even though the final tion has held back in the Treasury. Charles E. Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jess vote might be 5 months late, today is a We reached this agreement because Berry, Jay Tilton, Hannah Chauvin, Dianne good day for the Congress, for the Sen- the Republicans and the Democrats Nellor, Jean Toal Eisen, Erik Raven, Doug ate, for the American people, and for came together across the aisle. It is a Clapp, Ellen Murray, Scott Nance, Chip Wal- the Nation. strong bipartisan agreement. It reflects gren, Drenan Dudley, Reeves Hart, Rachael I have said from the beginning—a po- that we are one Nation in times of need Taylor, Alex Keenan, Jason McMahon, Tim Rieser, Dabney Hegg, Christina Monroe, sition I have taken in all of my decades and that all Americans can count on Catie Finley, Shannon Hines, Jonathan in the Senate—that any disaster sup- each other. I was happy to see the Graffeo, David Adkins, Carlisle Clarke, Ham- plemental that passes this Chamber strong support from the Senators here, ilton Bloom, Brian Potts, Tyler Owens, An- cannot pick and choose which Amer- but our work is not yet done. drew Newton, Adam Telle, Erny Lesofski, ican citizens to help in their time of Now we have to address the humani- Laura Friedel, Sarah Boliek, Patrick Magnu- need. We are all Americans. The Amer- tarian crisis at our southern border. son, Paul Grove, Clare Doherty. ican community bands together to sup- We have to help those who are fleeing Mr. LEAHY. I yield the floor. port one another when disaster strikes, from violence and persecution in their I suggest the absence of a quorum. regardless of where we are from, what own countries. The President has re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The our politics are, or what our beliefs quested $4.5 billion. Some of this clerk will call the roll. are. That is the American way, and it money is badly needed. There is no dis- The senior assistant legislative clerk is the role of the Congress to make pute about that, and I will support the proceeded to call the roll. sure that it is done. part that is badly needed. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I I am glad to stand on the Senate Everyone in this Chamber knows ask unanimous consent that the order floor today, and I am glad to be here these are difficult issues that are often for the quorum call be rescinded. with my dear friend, the senior Senator made more difficult given the Presi- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. from Alabama and the chairman of the dent’s rhetoric and extreme policies. SCOTT of Florida). Without objection, Appropriations Committee, Senator Difficult issues take time. Let’s lower it is so ordered. SHELBY, to support what is a bipar- the rhetoric, and let’s do as we have f tisan, bicameral disaster supplemental done here—work together. We have appropriations bill. been working day and night to strike a DISASTER RELIEF Think of what we have done. This bill compromise on the President’s request. Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, all will provide long overdue aid to the We are close, but we are not there yet. week, Chairman SHELBY and a number people of California, Georgia, Florida, Even as of late, late last night, we were of our colleagues worked tirelessly to Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina, South still working on that. When we return, get a supplemental funding agreement Carolina, Hawaii, Texas, Missouri, Ala- I hope we can negotiate a bipartisan for disaster relief over the finish line. bama, and Puerto Rico just to name a agreement to provide additional hu- He has prepared one thoughtful, good- few. Some of these people—they are all manitarian assistance. faith compromise after another. American citizens—have been trying to To reach this agreement today, many In fact, this has been going on for put their lives back together for nearly of the Senators—and I mentioned, of months now: compromise offer after 2 years—since August of 2017. course, Senator SHELBY, my friend, as compromise offer from Republicans— It provides $19.1 billion to help com- chairman—and I, as vice chairman, constant engagement and good-faith munities in these States and Terri- worked together. So did many others, work. So I am pleased that, today, all tories to rebuild stronger than they but none of us could do it without the of this hard work has at long last paid were before. It includes more than $2.4 dedicated staff that was involved. I off. Thanks to the efforts from a num- billion in community development could go home at 9 o’clock and 10 ber of our colleagues and thanks to the block grants, more than $1.6 billion for o’clock at night, but they were still leadership of President Trump and his the Federal Highway Administration there. I am talking about both the administration—and, I might add, the to rebuild roads and bridges, and more Democratic staff and the Republican occupant of the Chair, who has been ex- than $3 billion to support our Nation’s staff. So I asked my Appropriations tremely persistent in this effort over farmers who lost their crops and live- chief of staff, Chuck Kieffer, to give me the last weeks and months—the Senate stock in the storms. It also provides a list. has now passed a compromise solution VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 24, 2019 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A23MY6.009 S23MYPT1 lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with SENATE S3086 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 23, 2019 for disaster funding, and we have sent waters that have surged over farms and The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clo- it over to the House. towns across the Midwest and in my ture motion having been presented Regretfully, they are gone. own State of Kentucky. under rule XXII, the Chair directs the The President has indicated he sup- So I am grateful and relieved that clerk to read the motion. ports it. So the Senate’s bipartisan Chairman SHELBY, Senator LEAHY, and The senior assistant legislative clerk vote is a big step toward making law colleagues of ours, including Senators read as follows: and actually delivering the relief that PERDUE, ISAKSON, RICK SCOTT, RUBIO, CLOTURE MOTION communities across our Nation sorely ERNST, THUNE, BLUNT, SASSE, and oth- We, the undersigned Senators, in accord- need. ers have brought us to this point with ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the I am sorry that our House Demo- their tireless work on this subject.