E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 No. 188 Senate The Senate met at 9:30 a.m. and was O God, You have brought us to this RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY called to order by the Honorable LU- critical moment. Let us not lean on LEADER THER STRANGE, a Senator from the our own understanding, but help us, O The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- State of Alabama. God, to let Your Spirit take the reins pore. The majority leader is recog- f of our hearts and minds. Make us more nized. innovative and less reactive. Let the PRAYER creative genius that is part of the f The PRESIDING OFFICER. Today’s American fabric take over the urban TAX REFORM opening prayer will be offered by Rev. and rural American landscape. We pray Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, Adrian Brooks, senior pastor at Memo- now, O God, that the diversity and in- during the past decade, many in the rial Baptist Church in Evansville, IN. clusion of people and ideas become our middle class struggled to make ends The guest Chaplain offered the fol- strength and not our wedge. meet. The economy was sluggish, pay- lowing prayer: Now, Lord, help us to live by our checks were often stagnant, and jobs Let us pray. faith and not by our fears. Help us to for many were too hard to find—per- O God, we first thank You for an- face the future with a trust in You and haps not on the coasts, where the well- other day of life. We thank You for an- confidence in America’s bright, glad to-do were able to flourish under the other chance to bring joy and oppor- tomorrow. Lord, we know that if we Obama economy—but in middle Amer- tunity to someone else’s journey. Lord, trust You, our best days as a nation are ica, in States like Kentucky, the pain guide these public servants within the waiting on us. was real. United States Senate. Please lead them It is in Your powerful and majestic Hard-working families across the as they lead us to a better and more Name that we pray. Amen. country deserved better. They continue peaceful landscape. Create, O God, f to deserve an economy that reaches for within all of us, the zeal to make our PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE its true potential, one in which more communities around this country more Americans can find a good job to sup- stable. Remove from us any personal The Presiding Officer led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: port their families and achieve the animosity that might prevent us from American dream. acting as my brother and sister’s keep- I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Repub- So now this is our chance to set a er. We ask Your healing on those Mem- lic for which it stands, one nation under God, new course. This is our opportunity to bers of this legislative body who are in- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. jump-start the economy and boost job jured or sick. f growth. Passing tax reform is the sin- We ask, O Lord, that You would ex- gle most important thing we can do tend comfort and peace to those fami- APPOINTMENT OF ACTING right now to support those left behind lies who have been affected by the trag- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE by the Obama economy. edy in Sutherland Springs, TX. Even in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Though obvious, it is worth repeat- the midst of this tragedy, we thank clerk will please read a communication ing: Our Nation’s Tax Code is broken. You, O God, that those 26 fellow so- to the Senate from the President pro First, the rates are too high. Ameri- journers are in Your loving presence, a tempore (Mr. HATCH). cans are sending too much of their celestial place where the wicked cease The legislative clerk read the fol- hard-earned money to Uncle Sam. Sec- from troubling and the weary always lowing letter: ond, the structure is too complicated find rest. U.S. SENATE, for most Americans to understand, and Lord, bless our President. Give him, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, it is too easy for the wealthy and well- O God, the wisdom and insight to move Washington, DC, November 16, 2017. connected to exploit. Third, the incen- us toward a more unified and loving To the Senate: tives are often outdated or simply Union. May we become, O God, more Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby make no sense at all—like those that united in the things that bring us to- appoint the Honorable LUTHER STRANGE, a actually encourage American jobs and gether and reject the smaller things Senator from the State of Alabama, to per- companies to move overseas. That is that drive us apart. Help us to catch form the duties of the Chair. bad for our country, bad for the middle the spirit of those who wrote the Dec- ORRIN G. HATCH, class, and bad for small business. laration of Independence. They knew President pro tempore. In my home State of Kentucky, a then, and we know now, that this was Mr. STRANGE thereupon assumed small business CEO wrote a column in something splendid and august and the Chair as Acting President pro tem- a publication about her experiences powerful. pore. with our broken tax system, calling for ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S7269 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:37 Nov 16, 2017 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A16NO6.000 S16NOPT1 S7270 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 16, 2017 tax reform to fix it. Here is what she sources, this bill can help grow our consent that, notwithstanding rule said: economy, support high-paying jobs, XXII, the Senate proceed to the imme- The federal government takes too much. and strengthen our national security. I diate consideration of H.R. 4374, which Our small businesses—which according to look forward to promoting American was received from the House. I further the U.S. Small Business Administration energy independence through this leg- ask consent that the bill be considered total 96.5 percent of Kentucky’s employers— islation. read a third time and passed, and the often face the greatest tax burden. f motion to reconsider be considered This Kentuckian continued: made and laid upon the table; further, NOMINATIONS If we want better lives for the nearly that at a time to be determined be- 700,000 employees across the Mr. MCCONNELL. On another mat- tween the majority leader and the [C]ommonwealth who work for small enter- ter, today, the Senate will continue to Democratic leader, the Chair lay before prises, we must lift this weight off their fulfill its important responsibility of the Senate the conference report to ac- backs. providing advice and consent on Presi- company H.R. 2810, and the Senate vote Small businesses deserve a tax code dent Trump’s nominations. So far this on the adoption of the conference re- that works for them. Middle-class fam- week, we have confirmed talented indi- port with no intervening action or de- ilies and individuals deserve the same. viduals to important positions in the bate. That is why we are working so hard to Departments of Transportation, Labor, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- enact tax reform. Over in the Senate and Defense. pore. Without objection, it is so or- Finance Committee, Chairman HATCH Yesterday, the Senate advanced the dered. has laid down a tax reform proposal nomination of Joseph Otting to serve The bill (H.R. 4374) to amend the Fed- that is premised on a single idea; that as Comptroller of the Currency. Mr. eral Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to we should take more money out of Otting’s experience as a leader in var- authorize additional emergency uses Washington’s pockets and put more ious financial agencies has helped pre- for medical products to reduce deaths money in the pockets of the middle pare him to serve in this new role. I and severity of injuries caused by class. look forward to voting to confirm him agents of war, and for other purposes, It cuts taxes for middle-class fami- later today. was considered, ordered to a third read- Next, the Senate will consider two lies. It doubles the child tax credit. ing, read the third time, and passed. well-qualified nominees to serve on This plan does a lot of things, includ- f ing providing relief for businesses so Federal district courts. Donald Coggins they can create more jobs here in and Dabney Friedrich both have the ex- EXECUTIVE CALENDER—Continued perience and temperament to excel as America and then keep them here. The RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER Nation’s leading small business advo- judges. Both of these individuals have The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- cacy organization endorsed this legis- stellar legal credentials. Their careers pore. The Democratic leader is recog- lation, saying that it ‘‘will provide demonstrate a serious commitment to nized. the law, and by confirming them both, much needed tax relief to enable small REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN the Senate will continue to ensure the businesses to grow and create jobs.’’ Mr.