Senate Pages on S. 789 and S. 1260, May 27, 2021 — Congressional Record
Summary
Page S3851 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for May 27, 2021, in interleaved columns. Mr. Schatz asks unanimous consent to take up Calendar No. 53, S. 789, a bill to repeal certain obsolete laws, under the heading Standard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act, and the page prints sections amending 1913 and 1906 Acts. Mr. Lee says he has concerns about expanding Federal management of public lands but is amenable to a change with the RESPECT Act. Another speaker discusses a 55.3 acre plot of land for a Tribe, and a further speaker praises the United States Innovation and Competition Act as the result of bipartisan work while warning about spending, which is his view.
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“Senate Pages on S. 789 and S. 1260, May 27, 2021 — Congressional Record.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-05-27-crec-2021-05-27-pt1-pgs3851-2-84c357f808/
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3851
Proponents of this legislation have Mr. LEE. I fully am amenable to (10) Section 18 of the Act of June 30, 1913
claimed that the Tribe has a unique that, with the RESPECT Act. (38 Stat. 96, chapter 4; 25 U.S.C. 285), is
history with this particular plot of amended by striking the tenth undesignated
f
paragraph.
land—this particular 55.3 acres of
REPEALING EXISTING SUB- (11) The Act of June 21, 1906 (34 Stat. 325,
land—adjacent to the trust land. But chapter 3504), is amended under the heading
STANDARD PROVISIONS ENCOUR-
from the history shown, the Tribe’s ‘‘COMMISSIONER.’’ under the heading ‘‘I. GEN-
AGING CONCILIATION WITH
interaction with the land is mostly ERAL PROVISIONS.’’ (34 Stat. 328; 25 U.S.C.
that they have had friendly neighbors TRIBES ACT
302) by striking the fourth undesignated
with whom they have traded goods. Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, I ask paragraph.
As many of my colleagues are aware, unanimous consent that the Senate Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous con-
I have great concerns that I have quite proceed to the immediate consider- sent that the motion to reconsider be
consistently expressed with further ex- ation of Calendar No. 53, S. 789.
considered made and laid upon the
panding the Federal Government’s The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
clerk will report the bill by title. table.
management or involvement in public The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
lands, including trust lands. The senior assistant legislative clerk
read as follows: objection, it is so ordered.
Nevertheless, I have been engaging in Mr. SCHATZ. I yield the floor.
negotiations, and I have made a num- A bill (S. 789) to repeal certain obsolete
ber of good-faith efforts to develop a laws relating to Indians. f
possible path forward—one in which There being no objection, the Senate
proceeded to consider the bill. ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT—
the amount of acreage owned or held in Continued
trust by the Federal Government Mr. SCHATZ. I ask unanimous con-
would not grow, while taking this land sent that the bill be considered read a The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
into trust for the Gila River Indian third time. ator from Michigan.
Community. While I continue to nego- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there S. 1260
tiate a path forward, I am not inclined objection? Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, it
Without objection, it is so ordered.
to abandon this concern. This is a ne- will come as no surprise to anyone in
The bill was ordered to be engrossed
gotiation that has been in progress. for a third reading and was read the this Chamber that I am extremely
That said, with respect to the part of proud to be born and raised in Michi-
third time.
the request dealing specifically with S. Mr. SCHATZ. I know of no further gan.
789, the RESPECT Act, I am willing to debate on the bill. Our State leads the world in innova-
let that go. But if the request is to pass The PRESIDING OFFICER. If there tion. We are the leaders in making
both of these by unanimous consent, I is no further debate and the bill having things—furniture, appliances, wind tur-
can’t support that, and on that basis, I been read the third time, the question bines and solar components and so
object. is, Shall the bill pass? much more, and, of course, we are the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- The bill (S. 789) was passed, as fol- home of the automobile and the auto-
tion is heard. lows: motive assembly line and the middle
The Senator from Hawaii. S. 789 class of America.
Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, a couple Our workers put the world on four
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep-
of points. On taking 55.3 acres into resentatives of the United States of America in wheels. They built an economy strong
trust, this is not like the Federal Gov- Congress assembled, enough that those same workers could
ernment is going to have new land SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. afford to buy one or two or more cars
management responsibilities. This is a This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Repealing and trucks that they made.
matter of principle for the Senator Existing Substandard Provisions Encour-
aging Conciliation with Tribes Act’’ or the Yet our Nation faces a stark choice
from Utah, and I recognize that; that
‘‘RESPECT Act’’. right now, and that is why the bill in
he thinks, basically, no additional land
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF CERTAIN OBSOLETE LAWS RE- front of us tonight is so very impor-
should be taken into trust, even LATING TO INDIANS. tant. We can continue to invest in
though this government-to-government (1) Section 2080 of the Revised Statutes (25 making things in America or we can
relationship—this authority over these U.S.C. 72) is repealed. decide that it is not really worth the
government relationships are en- (2) Section 2100 of the Revised Statutes (25 trouble anymore.
shrined in the Constitution of the U.S.C. 127) is repealed.
We can continue to lead the world in
United States and this government-to- (3) Section 2 of the Act of March 3, 1875 (18
Stat. 449, chapter 132; 25 U.S.C. 128), is re- the research and development of break-
government relationship has already
pealed. through technologies or we can allow
been established by statutory law and
(4) The first section of the Act of March 3, other countries to surge ahead while
the process for putting land into trust
1875 (18 Stat. 424, chapter 132; 25 U.S.C. 129), we tread water. And we can stand with
is already a well-established pathway.
is amended under the heading ‘‘CHEYENNES our workers on the assembly lines as
But what the Senator from Utah is say- AND ARAPAHOES.’’ by striking ‘‘; that the they build the vehicles of the future or
ing is no more or we are going to have Secretary of the Interior be authorized to we can watch our plants close, ship our
to do a one-for-one swap or even some- withhold, from any tribe of Indians who may
jobs overseas, and let our middle class
times a two-for-one swap. You cannot hold any captives other than Indians, any
moneys due them from the United States wither away—our choice.
have a net increase in the acreage,
until said captives shall be surrendered to But I would argue that we may have
even if it is 53 acres, even if there is an
the lawful authorities of the United States’’. no choice. That is no choice at all. We
established process.
And so, I do find that difficult to (5) Section 2087 of the Revised Statutes (25 know what we need to do. It is time to
U.S.C. 130) is repealed. stand on the side of American manu-
work with. I know that the Senators (6) Section 3 of the Act of March 3, 1875 (18
from Arizona are in discussions with facturing, as this bill does. It is time to
Stat. 449, chapter 132; 25 U.S.C. 137), is re- stand on the side of American inge-
the Senator from Utah. pealed.
We will find our way forward. This is nuity, as this bill does. And it is time
(7) Section 2101 of the Revised Statutes (25
53 acres. It is important, obviously. We U.S.C. 138) is repealed. to stand on the side of American work-
are going to enact this legislation. (8) Section 7 of the Act of June 23, 1879 (21 ers and our American middle class.
I like the Senator from Utah. We will Stat. 35, chapter 35; 25 U.S.C. 273), is re- It is time to take a stand and invest
find a way on this one. pealed. in our shared future and build an econ-
(9) The first section of the Act of March 3, omy that can compete with anyone,
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
But if he would entertain an amend-
ment to the request, then I would be 1893 (27 Stat. 612, chapter 209), is amended— anywhere, anytime. That is America.
(A) under the heading ‘‘MISCELLANEOUS That is what the U.S. Innovation and
pleased to pass the RESPECT Act by
SUPPORTS.’’ (27 Stat. 628; 25 U.S.C. 283), by
voice vote, if that is something that Competition Act does.
striking the last 2 undesignated paragraphs;
the Senator from Utah would be ame- and One of our first orders of business is
nable to. (B) under the heading ‘‘FOR SUPPORT OF to increase our investments in research
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- SCHOOLS.’’ (27 Stat. 635; 25 U.S.C. 283), by and development, and we have no time
ator from Utah. striking the second undesignated paragraph. to lose. American R&D spending is
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S3852 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
near the lowest point in 60 years—low- Unfortunately, making things has supply chain that can build American
est point in 60 years. What else hap- gotten more difficult recently. COVID– products and American jobs in Amer-
pened 60 years ago? Well, the first per- 19 exposed the weaknesses in our sup- ican communities. And it is time to en-
son flew into space, and he wasn’t an ply chain, and a shortage of semi- sure that American tax dollars are sup-
American. That fact helped light a fire conductors has idled multiple auto porting those businesses and those
under American leaders. They under- plants across the country and many in workers.
stood that we could invest in R&D or Michigan. Auto dealers that are nor- I am proud to say Michigan workers
let the Soviet Union surge ahead, and mally packed with every make and built our Nation. It is time for our Na-
we did. model under the Sun suddenly have tion to return the favor. The bill this
Today, we are in a race with China, fewer choices. Worse, Michigan work- evening on the floor is a critical step
and they are gaining on us. In 2019, Chi- ers have been laid off—no chips, no forward in making sure that happens.
na’s investment in R&D grew by about cars, no work. I yield the floor.
13 percent. Ours grew 8 percent. And It is not enough to just build cars The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
they plan to boost R&D spending by 7 that are made in America. To remain OSSOFF). The Senator from Illinois.
percent each year through 2025. competitive in the global marketplace, JANUARY 6 COMMISSION
That is why it is so important that we need to build the component parts Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, last
we pass the U.S. Innovation and Com- that go into the cars and trucks that week, something happened here in the
petition Act. It will invest $120 billion we build in America—the supply chain. Capitol which was unique. I am not
over 5 years in critical—critical—re- In 1990, 37 percent of global semicon- sure it has ever happened before. It was
search, including artificial intel- ductor manufacturing capacity was reported that an anonymous group of
ligence, advanced computing, and here in the United States—37 percent. Capitol Police officers published an
semiconductors. And it will quadruple Today, it is 12 percent. They are defi- open letter to Members of Congress.
the investment for the manufacturing nitely going in the wrong direction, I have been here a few years. I never
extension partnership and provides $1.2 and this is very serious. And the impor- heard of anything quite like this. Here
billion for the Manufacturing USA Pro- tance of these chips keep growing. is what these Capitol Police officers,
gram that is especially important to Other countries have invested in chip who are entrusted with the responsi-
Michigan. manufacturing. It is time we do the bility of keeping us safe in the Capitol,
We are proud to have two Manufac-
same. The U.S. Innovation and Com- wrote: ‘‘On Jan 6th where some officers
turing USA initiatives in our State—
petition Act provides $39 billion in the served their last day in US Capitol Po-
Lightweight Innovations for Tomor-
Commerce Department for incentives lice uniform, and not by choice, we
row, or LIFT, and Michigan State Uni-
that will boost semiconductor manu- would hope that Members whom we
versity’s Scale-up Research Facility, or
facturing in the United States and took an oath to protect, would at the
SURF. Both are located in the same fa-
make our supply chain more resilient. very minimum support an investiga-
cility in Detroit, and it is a very excit-
It includes $2 billion to incentivize the tion to get to the bottom of EVERY-
ing place.
LIFT’s projects include research into production of mature semiconductor ONE responsible and hold them 100 per-
better welding processes for Navy ships technologies—the kinds of chips used cent accountable no matter the title of
and an anti-rollover system for mili- by our auto companies and home appli- position they hold or held.’’
tary humvees. SURF is partnering with ances and defense manufacturing. A challenge from the Capitol Police
the Department of Energy and Ford I am pleased that yesterday the Fi- to the Members of Congress not to
and GM to make sure that America is nance Committee passed the Clean En- sweep under the carpet January 6 but
a leader in advanced vehicle tech- ergy for America Act, which will help to get to the bottom of it. Capitol po-
nologies. Michigan and our country launch the licemen were attacked and died as a re-
We are equally proud of our amazing next generation of Michigan manufac- sult of that insurrectionist mob on
research institutions, including Michi- turing. It includes my bipartisan legis- January 6, and these officers, who risk
gan State University, the University of lation with Senator MANCHIN and Sen- their lives every day for us, are begging
Michigan, Wayne State, and Michigan ator DAINES to help companies invest us not to ignore what happened.
Tech. in new clean energy manufacturing fa- Yesterday, in POLITICO, the mother
Today’s students are tomorrow’s en- cilities and expand existing plants to of fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian
gineers. We know that. We are count- build those new technologies, including Sicknick wrote: ‘‘Not having a January
ing on their brain power to build a fu- semiconductors and battery oper- 6 Commission to look into exactly
ture in which cars are connected and ations. what occurred is a slap in the faces of
collisions are a memory. That future is Another way we can boost American all the officers who did their jobs that
being written today at the American manufacturing is to make sure every day.’’
Center for Mobility in Michigan and single American taxpayer dollar pos- I met Gladys Sicknick when the me-
Mcity at the University of Michigan, sible is spent on American-made prod- morial to her son was held in the Ro-
where connected and automated vehi- ucts. My bipartisan Make it in America tunda. I talked to her and her husband
cles are tested, evaluated, and dem- Act with Senator WARREN makes it about their son, how they were worried
onstrated. It is really amazing to see. harder for Federal Agencies to use when he decided to become a police-
It is being written by Michigan auto- waivers or loopholes to get around man, but they thought at least if he
makers, who are working towards the ‘‘Buy American’’ rules to purchase for- worked in the U.S. Capitol, it is a pret-
day where cars are emission-free— eign-made products. I also want to ty safe assignment. Well, he died the
emission-free. I know that President thank TAMMY BALDWIN and Senator day after January 6, many believe from
Biden was impressed by Ford’s new F– SHERROD BROWN for their continued complications which occurred in the
150 Lightning that he test drove in leadership on these ‘‘Buy American’’ attacks of that day.
Michigan last week. I think it was hard issues. To Gladys Sicknick, to the Sicknick
to get him out of the car. He thought it The Federal Government is an enor- family, to all of our Capitol Police offi-
was so cool. mous consumer, and we are set to cers to whom we entrust our lives
Last month, I toured GM’s new Fac- make big infrastructure investments. every day, and to the members of the
tory Zero, which will soon be manufac- ‘‘Buy American’’ rules means that DC Metro Police and the other heroes
turing electric Hummers and Silverado American dollars flow into local econo- who defended the Capitol on January 6,
mies when we purchase American-made I say: We hear you, and you deserve
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
trucks, Chevy Silverado trucks. In De-
troit, Stellantis, formerly known as PPE, American-made iron and steel, justice.
Chrysler, is gearing up to build hybrid and great American electric vehicles. It is hard to believe that before we
electric versions of an iconic American It is time to invest in the research adjourn today, we are likely to con-
vehicle, the Jeep. It is what we have al- and development that turn American sider a January 6 Commission proposal
ways done in Michigan. We make ingenuity into American innovation that is doomed to fail. Imagine, the
things, and we grow things. That is and U.S. ingenuity into U.S. innova- worst attack on this building since the
what we do. tion. It is time to build an American War of 1812, and sadly, it has become a
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3853
partisan issue. It is my understanding as well. It belittles the worst genocide votes that declared Joe Biden Presi-
because of his public announcement in the history of the world. And it en- dent of the United States.
that Senator MCCONNELL is going to courages the kinds of anti-Semitic at- Calls were being made in every direc-
oppose it, and I understand that his tacks we have seen in recent days and tion to police, to the military, to polit-
caucus will follow his lead. weeks, like the vandalism in my home ical leaders: Resecure this Capitol.
It is hard to imagine what is going on State at the synagogue in Skokie, IL. Make certain that you remove those
in the U.S. Congress these days. Baselessly claiming that the Presi- people who were responsible for the vi-
Earlier this week, a Member of the dential election of last year was stolen olence and insurrection we have seen.
House of Representatives—I am afraid and repeating that lie has a cost. It un- Let us get back to our work. Let us
she is already notorious for her inflam- dermines the faith in our government prove to the American people that the
matory rhetoric—likened coronavirus and legitimizes a radical, anti-govern- mob didn’t have the last word.
masking guidelines to the Holocaust— ment movement that aims to over- I saw that bipartisan determination,
the Holocaust. I feel no need to point throw this government. and I felt damn good about it. Of all
out the absurdity, if not the anti-Se- It is time for us to tally up the costs, the differences we have had, of all the
mitic nature of such a comparison, but understand how the January 6 attack debate we have had, January 6, that
I do want to point out that that com- on our democracy happened and who afternoon, Democratic and Republican
parison was made by one of the law- incited it, and that investigation leaders were standing shoulder to
makers who were party to the January should not be a matter of controversy. shoulder, passing cellphones back and
6 insurrection attack on the Capitol. It is part of our obligation, is it not? forth, and speaking to our leaders,
The day before the insurrection, that By our oath of office to defend this talking about getting back into this
same Congresswoman, a Republican Constitution from all enemies, foreign Capitol and throwing that mob out.
Congresswoman, tweeted: ‘‘Tomorrow and domestic? Future generations are And it happened.
is an important day in American his- counting on us to record in detail what By 8 o’clock that evening, we were
tory. The people will remember the Pa- did happen on January 6. And we ought back on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
triots who stood for election integrity. to do it on a bipartisan basis. By 2:30, we were gone, racing through
Let’s go #FightForTrump!’’ But why is it necessary? With all of the exit doors. At 8 o’clock, we were
And fight they did. the videotapes and all of the photos back to prove that they didn’t have the
I remember being in the Chamber last word. But, sadly, we know now
and all of the statements of 400-plus
that day. I still remember the sound of they may have the last word because
people already arrested, why do we
rioters banging on the doors and win- the call for a bipartisan commission to
need to keep asking questions about
dows of this building, the sight of hun- investigate this January 6 event and to
that day? Because just 2 weeks ago,
dreds of them lined up outside, the dis- put on the record exactly what hap-
two different Republican Congressmen
gusting display of Confederate flags. pened is being opposed on a partisan
proclaimed that those who were in the
And the violence we saw that left 5 basis.
Capitol that day were somehow peace-
people dead and 139 law enforcement of- There ought to be 100 Senate votes
ful patriots. That was the phrase that
ficers attacked. for investigating this attack and mak-
So many shocking sights on January was used—peaceful patriots. Another
ing a clear record for history so that
6, 2021—a gallows was erected on the one talked about them and believed the
those who mock the danger of the mo-
Capitol lawn and rioters attacking po- videotapes proved they were just or-
ment by calling this mob a peaceful,
lice officers with flagpoles bearing derly tourists—orderly tourists. At-
patriotic mob, or calling the members
American flags or Trump flags. tacking police officers; five people died; orderly tourists don’t have the last
One of the most painful images—and crashing through the windows and word; yet we may not even have 60
I am sure it was more painful to some doors; breaking down offices; dese- votes today when the measure is
than even to me—is a photo of a mid- crating this Chamber with their antics called. Why? Let’s get down to basics
dle-age White man standing in the captured on videotape, and we have all here.
halls of our Capitol wearing a seen them. Orderly tourists? Not by Many of the Republican Members are
sweatshirt that read ‘‘Camp Ausch- any measure. afraid of the man who incited this mob.
witz.’’ Below those repugnant words We ought to investigate this on a bi- They are afraid of the former President
was another set of words: ‘‘Work makes partisan basis. Several Republican Sen- and what he will say of them if we call
you free.’’ That cruel slogan was em- ators have agreed. Thirty-five Members for an investigation. They are afraid of
blazoned atop the black iron gates in of the House Republican caucus Donald Trump. As a result, they are re-
Germany leading into the Auschwitz thought so as well. Surely, all of us can fusing to let this Commission move for-
concentration camp. And one of the ri- appreciate the importance of working ward. Are they worried that this inves-
oters—mobsters—on January 6 in the together to investigate why, for the tigation into what happened on Janu-
U.S. Capitol boldly wore that shirt. first time in history, America was ary 6 will hurt Republicans in next
These are the people who stormed the challenged when we were in the process year’s election? I think the position
Capitol on January 6. They weren’t Pa- of the peaceful transfer of power. they are taking opposing an investiga-
triots by any measure. Included in Here is the thing that I don’t under- tion will hurt them.
their ranks were neo-Nazis, White su- stand. Several of us in leadership were The events of that date are not fod-
premacists, and clear enemies of the asked to leave the Capitol complex and der for political campaigns, really.
United States. They were incited by go to a separate place. The identity of They are a stain on our history. If we
the former President of the United that location is kept confidential and ignore them or allow the history of
States, Donald Trump, at a rally ear- private. But it was an interesting gath- that day to be rewritten by deniers,
lier that day, and his allies in Con- ering of Democratic and Republican shame on them.
gress, like that Congresswoman I men- leaders in the wake of the January 6 The events of January 6 deserve and
tioned earlier, were party to the incite- insurrection which was underway as we demand careful, thorough, and prin-
ment as well. were taken to the separate location. cipled examination. That is why the
I agree with those who have said that And I looked around at the Demo- independent Commission we are pro-
an insurrection without con- cratic as well as the Republican leaders posing is modeled after the same inves-
sequences—without even an examina- from the Senate and the House who tigatory body that was created after
tion—is a dress rehearsal for the next were gathered, and it was clear to me— 9/11. It will be led by 10 commissioners,
they say they felt the same feelings of
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
insurrection. That is why we cannot evenly divided between Democrats and
sweep January 6 and the events that anger and outrage that this mob had Republicans. Together, they would be
led to it under the rug. desecrated this building. And they were called on to produce a definitive ac-
Incendiary rhetoric, especially from determined—we were all determined— count of what happened and led to Jan-
the mouths or the keyboards of elected that the mob would not have the last uary 6, 2021. This is not an opportunity
officials, has a cost. word. We were determined to return to to score political points; it is an oppor-
Comparing mask requirements in a this Capitol that same day and finish tunity to score national unity and rec-
pandemic to the Holocaust has a cost our work counting the electoral college onciliation.
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S3854 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
When Senator MCCONNELL, the Re- to Baghdad. Today, they are laid to South Korea, and be home by Christ-
publican Senate leader, announced his rest throughout the world—from na- mas. What happened was very dif-
opposition to this Commission last tional cemeteries and other hallowed ferent. Three days after MacArthur’s
week, he said: ‘‘It’s not at all clear grounds in America to the cliffs of Nor- pronouncement, 120,000 Chinese troops
what new facts or additional investiga- mandy and far beyond. surrounded 30,000 U.N troops near
tion yet another commission can lay Nearly 20 years ago, a new generation North Korea’s Chosin Reservoir. The
on top of the existing efforts by law en- of American service members went off next 2 weeks brought some of the most
forcement and Congress.’’ to fight a war in an ancient land. They brutal combat in modern warfare his-
My response to Senator MCCONNELL traveled to Afghanistan to hunt down tory. On December 2, at the height of
is this, respectfully: The public serv- the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir,
ants who lead this Commission will be the government that had given him CPL Asa Vance was killed. He was 18
charged with a different set of respon- sanctuary. Few imagined then that Af- years old. For nearly 70 years, his re-
sibilities than law enforcement and ghanistan would become America’s mains stayed in North Korea.
Members of Congress. The investiga- longest war. Following a 2018 meeting between the
tions being led by intelligence officials There are Americans serving today in leaders of North Korea and the United
and members of law enforcement are Afghanistan who were not yet born on States, however, North Korea returned
criminal investigations. They will de- 9/11. There are veterans who served in 55 boxes of remains of U.S.
termine how the individuals who par- Afghanistan in the early years who servicemembers killed during war.
ticipated in the insurrection should be have seen their own children go off to DNA tests ultimately proved that Cor-
held legally accountable. And the ongo- fight in that war. poral Vance’s remains were among
ing investigation in Congress have President Biden recently announced them. Two weeks ago, this son of
largely been focused on our govern- the last U.S. troops in Afghanistan will smalltown Illinois finally returned
ment’s response to the violence of Jan- be home by September 11th—the 20th home. All 13 of his siblings had already
uary 6, not to what provoked it. anniversary of the terrorist attacks on passed on. But Asa Vance was not
The Commission we are considering America that spurred the war. alone.
today is different. It will be com- I support the President’s decision. As an honor guard of police officers,
prehensive by design, evenly divided on While there are legitimate concerns sheriffs deputies, State troopers and
a partisan basis. It will examine all of about protecting social gains made in members of the Illinois Patriot Honor
the factors that inspired that riotous Afghanistan, and we must bring home Guard led his remains from St. Louis’s
mob. And this Commission isn’t just Americans detained in Afghanistan, Lambert International Airport to a
about uncovering truth. It goes back to like Mark Frerichs from my State, it is memorial service in his hometown of
the point I made opening this state- time for America’s longest war to end. Decatur and onto his final resting at
ment. This Commission is designed to On this final Memorial Day with U.S. Camp Butler National Cemetery in
honor the police officers who defended troops in Afghanistan, we remember Springfield. Hundreds of folks who
us and defended this Capitol on Janu- especially the 2,312 U.S. never knew CPL Asa Vance came out
ary 6, some of whom gave their lives in servicemembers who died in that war to pay their respects. They stood on
the process. and the families they leave behind. street corners and highway overpasses
That letter from the police officers SSG Jacob Frazier is one of those with their hands on their hearts. Many
to us is a reminder that we owe them fallen heroes. His friends called him held small American flags, some wiped
the same loyalty and the same dedica- Jake. away tears.
tion they give to us every single day. He grew up in Ohio, and in St. Archibald MacLeish was a son of Illi-
Dismissing this January 6 Commission Charles, the son of a Marine who nois, a poet laureate of the United
and the gravity of this responsibility, fought in Vietnam, and the eldest of States, and a soldier in World War I.
sadly, does not honor the police offi- five siblings. Decades after that war, he wrote about
cers who are prepared to give their He was 18 years old in 1997—just a few the soldiers who do not come home:
lives for us every single day. months out of high school—when he The young dead soldiers do not speak.
Here is a chance for my Republican enlisted in the Illinois Air National Nevertheless, they are heard in the still
colleagues to prove that they really Guard and was assigned to the 169th houses:
care about law enforcement. So many Air Support Operations Squadron of Who has not heard them?
speeches on the floor of the Senate in the 182nd Airlift Wing in Peoria. They have a silence that speaks for them at
the last several weeks have derided and In 2003, he was in Afghanistan, work- night and when the clock counts.
They say: We were young. We have died. Re-
criticized people for calling on ing alongside Army Special Forces. His member us.
defunding the police. Well, I would tell job was to call in air cover to protect They say: Our deaths are not ours: they are
them that the failure to create a Com- troops on the ground. On March 29th of yours,
mission to objectively determine what that year, Jake Frazier and Special They will mean what you make them.
happened when so many of our police Forces soldiers were returning from a We leave you our deaths. Give them their
officers were attacked on January 6, meeting with Tribal leaders in the meaning.
that doesn’t defund the police; failing Helmand province when their convoy SSG Jake Frazier’s father, Jim
to create that Commission, sadly, de- was attacked by Taliban fighters. Staff Frazier, honors his son’s sacrifice by
fames them. And that is unacceptable Sergeant Frazier and a Special Forces working with other Gold Star families
by any standard. solider were killed. who have lost loved ones in wars.
Isn’t it time we stand with the police Jake Frazier was the 75th American On this Memorial Day, we would do
officers and their request for this Com- service member—and the first Illinois well to ask: How can we honor those
mission? Isn’t it time we make sure service member—to die in combat in who gave all for our Nation? How can
that heroes like Brian Sicknick and his Afghanistan. He was 24 years old and give meaning to their deaths?
family know that he did not die in engaged to be married. In addition to keeping our promises
vain? He paid the ultimate sacrifice to I want to tell you, also, about an- to their families and to the veterans
protect us. Let’s honor it by supporting other fallen hero from an earlier war. who returned home, let us honor our
the creation of an independent Com- Army CPL Asa Vance grew up in Deca- fallen heroes by never taking for grant-
mission. His family, and all of Amer- tur, IL, one of 14 siblings. His friends ed the freedoms for which they died.
ica, deserve nothing less than the called him Bud. Let us also remember that our political
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
truth. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950 differences must never make us en-
MEMORIAL DAY at the age of 18 and was sent to Korea. emies, and let us search together in
Mr. PRESIDENT, this Memorial Day On November 24 GEN MacArthur or- good faith to protect this Nation we all
weekend, we pause to remember and dered what would become known as the love.
honor the patriots who paid for our ‘‘Home by Christmas’’ offensive. U.N. ECONOMIC RECOVERY
freedoms with their lives. They fell in forces, he said, would push Chinese Mr. President, let’s turn the clocks
battles from Bunker Hill to the Bulge troops out of Korea, reunite North and back to the end of 2019. A novel
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3855
coronavirus is detected in the city of server due to the pandemic. She has work because so many schools and
Wuhan. Little is known about the emptied her savings and is 3 months childcare programs remain closed. You
pathogen, aside from the fact that it is behind on mortgage payments. She can’t leave little kids home alone.
highly contagious and magnitudes worries that at 58 years old, it will be Harry Truman used to say that what
more lethal than the flu. In just 3 difficult to find new work. he really needed was a one-handed
months—3 months—that virus causes a And one more story, my office re- economist because all of the econo-
global pandemic, the likes of which ceived a letter from a 63-year-old mists he knew told him, ‘‘On one hand,
none of us has seen in our lifetimes. It woman living with an autoimmune dis- this . . . and on the other hand, that.’’
grinds the global economy to a halt. ease. She thought the job she had be- A new report coauthored by an econo-
Stay-at-home orders become the new fore COVID–19 would be her last job mist who formerly worked in the
normal, and supply chains are dis- ever. But then she got laid off. Now, Obama administration questions to
rupted at nearly every stage in the pro- she relies on SNAP benefits to put food what extent the lack of childcare is
duction process. on the table and on Medicaid for the preventing parents from returning to
Tragically, because of delay and de- doctors and medicines she needs to the workforce. I expect to hear a lot
nial by the former administration, the control her disease. She wrote, ‘‘What about this report from our Republican
United States experiences the world’s a horrible thing to rely on the govern- colleagues.
highest rates of COVID infections and ment, but we have no choice.’’ Let me So I would point out that Mr.
deaths for all of 2020. Then comes a new say that again: ‘‘We have no choice.’’ Furman and scores of other economists
year and a new administration. Today, Do these sound like calculating con continue to warn that our failure to in-
thanks to the Biden administration’s artists or loafs trying to scam Uncle vest in high-quality, affordable
competence and the scientific commu- Sam for a quick buck? These are Amer- childcare will undoubtedly impede
nity’s relentless pursuit of a vaccine, icans, our neighbors, and they are bare- America’s future economic growth and
America is finally turning a corner in ly making their way through an un- global competitiveness. There is no
the fight against COVID–19. But the precedented public health crisis. And ‘‘other hand’’ about that. If we want to
damage was deep, and our scars are they made it because of unemployment cultivate the world’s most educated,
still fresh. While the coronavirus assistance. And jobless benefits don’t skilled workforce—a goal I am sure we
raged, people lost their loved ones, and just help the workers and families who all share—we need to ensure our chil-
millions lost their livelihoods. receive them. They help communities. dren are cared for—because cultivating
Now, as we restart the engine of our They keep money circulating during that workforce begins before kinder-
economy, our Republican colleagues hard times. People are spending their garten. Yet the United States is the
would have you believe that the reason enhanced unemployment benefits on only advanced economy in the world
America’s economy hasn’t bounced groceries, rent, mortgage, and other that doesn’t guarantee parental leave
back fully is because American work- necessities. for working parents.
ers are lazy; they would rather collect Now, as we begin to recover, let’s not And we are one of the only advanced
unemployment benefits than work. Re- bash the workers who have borne the economies that doesn’t provide some
publicans would have you believe that brunt of this pandemic. Let’s focus on form of universal early childhood edu-
the American people would rather what is actually holding our economy cation. If you want to have a child in
binge-watch ‘‘The Office’’ than return America, guess what? You are on your
back. Let’s look at the facts. On Thurs-
to it. They must not know many Amer- own. This is a structural problem in
day, the Department of Labor pub-
ican workers well—because Americans our economy that has existed for dec-
lished a report showing that new
work longer and harder than workers ades. The pandemic just brought it into
claims for unemployment insurance
in nearly every advanced economy. sharp relief.
have fallen to their lowest level since The pandemic has also highlighted
And for the workers who have been laid the pandemic began. As more and more
off over the past year, unemployment another structural problem for our
people get vaccinated, as we start economy. While last month saw big job
assistance has been lifesaving.
bringing this virus under control and growth in the leisure and hospitality
Here is what enhanced unemploy-
the world starts opening up, it is clear industries, as restaurants, bakeries,
ment benefits have meant for my con-
stituents in Illinois. One Chicago resi- that Americans want to get back to and coffee shops started opening back
dent reached out to my office, saying work. They want to earn a living. So up, those gains are just one part of the
that ‘‘my sister has been out of work what is preventing more Americans story. Jobs in manufacturing declined.
since the pandemic hit Chicago . . . her from returning to the workforce? Supply chain disruptions may account
For one, people are still concerned for some of these losses.
husband works a full-time job during
about safety. It was only 2 weeks ago— But there is a bigger problem. Em-
the day five days a week and cleans of-
May 13, to be exact—when the CDC an- ployers in high-skilled manufacturing
fices three to four nights a week just to
make ends meet . . . unemployment as- nounced that it is now safe for fully companies have had difficulty for years
sistance is essential.’’ vaccinated people to take off their filling positions. As a nation, we sim-
That constituent wrote to me out of masks and resume activities that they ply are not doing enough to train
concern for her family, not herself—her had put on hold—May 13. The jobs re- American workers for the manufac-
sister, her brother-in-law, and her port that our Republican colleagues turing jobs of the 21st century, jobs
nieces and nephews. Tell me, does that have been so eager to cite as proof that like assembling electric car batteries
father—working a full-time day job and unemployment benefits are keeping or wind turbines. Workers who want to
cleaning offices at night—sound lazy to people from working was based on data make a career change and learn these
you? Does that family sound like they from early April. Remember what was skills often have to take on thousands,
are coasting through this pandemic on happening in April? Lethal new COVID even tens of thousands of dollars in
Easy Street? Not to me, they don’t. variants were tearing through the U.K., student debt. We treat worker training
Another constituent wrote to me out India, and other nations, and they were as a personal problem rather than a
of concern for his wife. Because of the starting to show up in this Nation, too. collective good from which we all ben-
pandemic, she was laid off from the job Scientists weren’t yet sure whether the efit.
she had for 20 years. He wrote, ‘‘She is COVID vaccines would protect against As I said, America’s childcare crisis
actively looking for work but so far the new variants. Thankfully, we now and a shortage of high-skilled workers
there are hardly any openings in her have an answer. But back in April, is it existed long before COVID. Enhanced
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
field.’’ any wonder that some workers might unemployment benefits have been an
That sentiment was echoed by an- have been uncertain about returning to economic lifeline for millions of Amer-
other constituent, who wrote, ‘‘My 35 work under those conditions? icans families during this pandemic.
years of experience and outdated mas- And then there are the continued Severing that lifeline prematurely
ter’s degree in marketing mean noth- challenges facing caregivers in Amer- won’t solve the long-term structural
ing in this job market.’’ ica. challenges facing our economy. It will
I also heard from a single mother of Many parents—especially mothers— only make things harder for already
three who lost her job as a banquet of young children still can’t return to struggling families.
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S3856 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
But we can address the challenge of threaten that she would donate my two forces are daunting. We are con-
childcare and take steps to help work- brain to Harvard as a completely un- fronted by a surging China and its race
ers develop new skills. In fact, Presi- used human organ. Somehow, she an- to dominate the scientific and techno-
dent Biden and Senate Democrats have ticipated Dr. Lander and his work on logical landscape. That is why we must
a plan to do it. It starts by investing in the Human Genome Project and found- confirm Dr. Lander without delay, so
our children. ing of the Broad Institute of MIT and he can get to work on behalf of the
With the American Families Plan, we Harvard, which reflect his deep under- American people.
can make childcare more accessible standing of how science and policy can We have a chance tonight to give our
and affordable, like nearly every other inform one another. country a leader in science and tech-
advanced economy in the world. At the Broad Institute, he pursued nology, which we need at this critical
With the American Jobs Plan, we can collaborative science, bringing to- time.
invest in workers. It would direct bil- gether biologists, clinicians, chemists, I urge all Members to give him your
lions of dollars toward helping dis- engineers, and computational sci- support on the floor this evening.
located workers develop new skills and entists. The transformative model for With that, I suggest the absence of a
secure stable, well-paid jobs building scientific research that the Broad In- quorum.
wind turbines or electric vehicles or stitute represents is a new way to take The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
making other American-made goods on the challenge that we face today, clerk will call the roll.
that will be in high demand for years The legislative clerk proceeded to
bringing scientific discoveries and ad-
to come. The American Jobs Plan and call the roll.
vances forward more quickly than ever Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I ask
the American Family Plan are blue- before.
prints for building a sustainable, pros- unanimous consent that the order for
His contribution to science has also the quorum call be rescinded.
perous economy that will create good demonstrated how impactful research
jobs for decades to come. I commend The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
can be. The Human Genome Project objection, it is so ordered.
President Biden for meeting with my was a 13-year-long project that in- S. 1260
Republican colleague in hopes of mov- volved hundreds of scientists across the
ing the country forward and urge Re- Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as we
entire world. This project is an incred- emerge from the coronavirus pan-
publicans to work with Democrats to ible example of a publicly funded
achieve these shared goals instead of demic, we have a real opportunity to
project that keeps knowledge in the revitalize American manufacturing and
rejecting our proposal immediately. public domain and a feat that provided
We can remain the strongest, most harness American leadership in sci-
a model for the kind of large-scale, co- entific and technological advancement.
dynamic economy in the world and
operative effort that the world’s big- Today I urge my colleagues to support
make the 21st century another Amer-
gest problems require. critical, bipartisan legislation that will
ican century, but we have precious lit- The Human Genome Project has also
tle time and a lot of competition. We do just that.
had an enormous economic impact, The United States Innovation and
can’t waste that time wagging our fin-
with one analysis from 10 years ago es- Competition Act will help keep our
gers at Americans who are struggling
timating the $3 billion project has pro- country on the cutting edge of tech-
or ignoring the structural challenges
duced more than 330,000 jobs and nearly nology, strengthen American competi-
that have existed for decades and have
$800 billion in economic benefit. tiveness on a global stage, and protect
only gotten worse during the pan- Sequencing nearly the entire human
demic. our national security.
genome has already led to countless International competitors like the
The American Rescue Plan saved our
advances, a trend that is certain to Chinese Government are aggressively
economy. Now, let’s build it back bet-
ter than ever before with the American continue into the future. The project investing in manufacturing, science,
Jobs Plan and the American Families discovered genes that are fundamental and technology in an attempt to gain a
Plan. to thousands of diseases—including competitive advantage over the United
I yield the floor. heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and can- States, and we cannot let that happen.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- cer—and paved the way for novel treat- In order to maintain our edge, we must
ator from Massachusetts. ments. make serious investments in domestic
NOMINATION OF ERIC S. LANDER In addition to his groundbreaking re- research and development, technology,
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, today, search, he has taught MIT’s introduc- and manufacturing.
the Senate should confirm a visionary tory biology course for more than 25 We know that a strong manufac-
scientist and thinker and one who will years and is one of MIT’s most beloved turing sector is the backbone of any
serve with distinction as Director of teachers. He has inspired students to economy. I have long believed that you
the Science and Technology Policy. grapple with complex issues, helping cannot be a great country if you don’t
Dr. Eric Lander represents the kind them become informed and active make things. This bill contains a num-
of new American pioneer, one com- members of their communities. He has ber of provisions to help revitalize and
mitted to exploring horizons defined an ability to explain the science of why strengthen American manufacturing.
not by the boundaries of land and shore much better than Senators can explain A provision in this bill that Senator
but of genes and genius, a pioneer who the political science of why not. That STABENOW and I led will provide $2 bil-
sees unanswered questions not as bar- ability to teach and to translate is lion in new funding for the domestic
riers but as an expanse of possibility. more important than ever before. production of mature semiconductor
He exemplifies what it means to rep- I know Dr. Lander has the skill to re- technologies that are absolutely crit-
resent a place where scientific progress build the celebration of science that is ical to the automotive industry and
is a part of our DNA. the hallmark of American excellence. other manufacturers all across our
Eric’s breadth of knowledge, unparal- When his country needed him during country. This provision is essential be-
leled experience, and innovative spirit the coronavirus pandemic, he moved to cause our reliance on overseas semi-
make him uniquely suited to lead. build from scratch to operation the conductor manufacturing is a threat to
With Dr. Lander at the head of the Of- largest noncommercial COVID testing our economy and to our national secu-
fice of Science and Technology Policy, laboratory in the country. rity.
all Americans will be his students, He has been a strong supporter of We are currently experiencing a
sharing his passion for science, dis- people of color in science and improv- semiconductor shortage that is causing
ing racial equity in science outcomes. massive supply chain disruptions and
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
covery, and achievement.
Dr. Lander started his career as a He has used science as a tool for jus- has idled plants in Michigan and other
mathematician. He has taught econom- tice, playing a key role in the origins States across our country, forcing auto
ics and has been one of the world’s of the Innocence Project, as his com- manufacturers to shut down factories
foremost biomedical scientists for dec- mitment to justice and forensic science and lay off workers. This is a com-
ades. has spanned more than three decades. pletely unacceptable situation, and we
When I was a young boy who refused The crises we face today of human must immediately work to address this
to do his homework, my mother would and mind and the intersection of those challenge.
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3857
Boosting manufacturing in Michigan to strengthen the Federal Govern- pretty extraordinary areas, Michelle
and across the Nation requires a com- ment’s capabilities to prevent and re- has traveled them, and she has rep-
prehensive Federal strategy to help spond to a significant cyber incident, resented this region with grace, effi-
companies grow our domestic manufac- creates a fund that can help entities re- ciency, diplomacy—resolving truly
turing base. That is why I authored a cover from serious breaches, and thousands of cases for constituents
provision in this legislation to reac- strengthens our Federal cyber work- who have experienced problems with
tivate the Manufacturing Advisory force, therefore ensuring our workers Federal Agencies. You name it—wheth-
Council and worked to increase funding have the skills and knowledge to build er it is the IRS, whether it is Social Se-
for the Manufacturing Extension Part- a competitive advantage and secure curity, whether it is the VA—she has a
nership program, a program that helps our networks from these attacks. story to tell there. Helping constitu-
small- and medium-sized manufactur- From spurring advancements in arti- ents and serving as a liaison to the
ers grow their companies and create ficial intelligence to securing tax- community were really the keys to her
jobs. Together, these policies will help payer-funded research and intellectual success in my office. Her commitment
strengthen our manufacturing sector, property from adversaries who try to to public service and to helping Alas-
advance our economic competitiveness, steal it, this legislation takes signifi- kans has made me a better Senator and
and create good-paying jobs. cant steps to help ensure American certainly a better representative for
The United States Innovation and companies and workers will continue Alaskans.
Competition Act also helps ensure that to lead the way in developing the tech- I have to confess that, as much as we
when we are spending American tax- nologies and economy of the future. would like to claim her 100 percent for
payer dollars, we are investing in The process we followed to write this Alaska, Michelle did not get her start
American manufacturers and creating legislation shows that when we work in public service in the State of Alas-
American jobs. together in a bipartisan manner, we ka. Like many who now call Alaska
As chairman of the Homeland Secu- can tackle the biggest challenges fac- home, Michelle’s path was kind of an
rity and Governmental Affairs Com- ing our Nation. I am grateful to my adventurous one as she worked her way
mittee, I was proud of our committee’s colleagues for all of their hard work, north.
efforts to include several bipartisan and I look forward to continuing to She came to me from Wyoming via
provisions in this package that will partner with our House counterparts to Washington, DC. She grew up in Wyo-
strengthen ‘‘Buy American’’ require- get these important provisions signed ming, and then, following college, she
ments. These provisions, including one into law. went to work for then-Congressman
based on a bill Senator STABENOW and I yield the floor. Dick Cheney. This was back in the
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
I introduced, will ensure that Amer- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The early eighties. She started out on the
ican taxpayer dollars are being used to clerk will call the roll. front desk, as a good staffer does, and
buy American-made products and close The legislative clerk proceeded to as many successful staffers like
loopholes that have allowed the use of call the roll. Michelle have done, she worked her
Chinese- and Russian-made steel rather Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I way up from there.
than using U.S. steel. Growing good- ask unanimous consent that the order She spent 11 years working for Dick
paying jobs in America must always be for the quorum call be rescinded. Cheney as one of his key aides, and he
our focus, and passing this bill will do The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without was so appreciative of her work that he
just that. objection, it is so ordered. brought her with him during his first
This package also includes a provi- TRIBUTE TO MICHELLE BLACKWELL tenure as Secretary of Defense under
sion to secure our supply chain and ad- Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, we the 41st President, George H. W. Bush.
dress the serious national security are in a bit of a lull here, so whenever As many of us know, when you find
risks posed by our overreliance on com- there is a lull in Senate activity, it is good staffers, you do everything that
panies in China and other countries for one of those moments and times when you can to hang on to them, but
medical supplies. you think about those who have con- Michelle had a very adventurous spirit
During the pandemic, we saw first- tributed to those of us who serve here and a curiosity for foreign policy. She
hand how our country’s overreliance on in the Senate—staff who have been served a year in Switzerland with the
foreign manufacturers for critical sup- with us over a period of time, whether State Department. She then returned
plies, such as personal protective they be here in Washington, DC, or to work for Mr. Cheney when his time
equipment, left us unprepared to com- back in our home States. with the first Bush administration had
bat the pandemic and cost American Tonight, I come to the floor to share ended and he went to work for a public
lives. some long overdue recognition to a policy think tank, the American Enter-
This bill takes important steps to ad- long-term member of my team, prise Institute. Following this was the
dress that, thanks to a provision I Michelle Blackwell. time that she then returned to Wyo-
worked on with Senator PORTMAN to We have had kind of a hectic begin- ming and opened the next chapter of
encourage investments that will ex- ning to this Congress. Yet we are back, her life.
pand domestic production of personal doing legislative business, and that is In 1997, Michelle found herself in the
protective equipment here in the good, but it has, I guess, delayed my famous Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in
United States. tribute to, again, an extraordinary Jackson Hole, WY. I have been there
These provisions and so many more Alaskan, a woman who has been a good myself—but Michelle met the man who
will help us unleash American innova- team member but also a friend of mine. would be her husband. The rest, as they
tion, lock in our competitive advan- Earlier this year, Michelle retired say, is history.
tage, and grow our economy, but that from my team after 17 years of serv- Michelle and Jack were married a
alone is not enough. We must also pro- ice—amazing years—to the U.S. Sen- year later, and their adventurous spirit
tect our advantage. That is why our ate, as a member of my staff in Alaska, continued. They moved north. They
committee worked to include critical and to many of my constituents back moved to Sitka, AK, where Jack would
provisions in this legislation to home. Since 2003, Michelle served as serve as the park ranger for the State
strengthen cyber security and protect my regional representative for the of Alaska’s Department of Natural Re-
against increasingly sophisticated ef- Southcentral region on the Kenai Pe- sources. They spent 4 years there in
forts by adversarial governments and ninsula in Alaska. The Kenai Penin- Sitka, and Michelle was very active in
criminal organizations to steal our re- the community, not surprisingly. She
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
sula, for those who are not familiar
search and intellectual property. with it, is a pretty significant area. It served as the director of the local vis-
Cyber attacks pose a significant is equivalent in size to the States of itor and tourism bureau—a key indus-
threat to our national security, and Massachusetts and New Jersey com- try to our State and certainly to that
cyber attacks have significant real- bined, with a population of about 55,000 region.
world consequences. We saw this with people. In 2002, Jack was transferred to
the recent Colonial Pipeline attack. If there are roads that wind around Kenai, AK, to serve as the district
This bill includes provisions I authored and go up and down and into some ranger for Alaska State Parks for the
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S3858 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
region. That is when Michelle found certainly am. It has been great to be had the retirement ceremony for Admi-
her way to the Alaska congressional able to watch and be a part of their ral Bell, and then the following day we
delegation, where we found her. Again, family. flew out to Kodiak to attend the de-
I wish that I could take the credit for To the family—to Jack, to Jackson, commissioning of the Munro after 40
finding Michelle, but she came to work and to Cameron—thank you for sharing years of service—pretty admirable run.
for the entire Alaska congressional del- your mom with me, with all of my But I can imagine that these tours
egation. This was at the time when the staff, and really with the Senate and helped sow the seeds of home for Admi-
late Senator Ted Stevens was our sen- our country for so many years. We ral Bell and his family.
ior Senator, and this was just when I know that those years were nights and So I mentioned I had the opportunity
was beginning my time in this office. weekends and holidays when we took a to be there when Admiral Bell passed
Back then, the rules of this Chamber lot of her time, and we appreciate that. on the roles and responsibility of the
allowed us to share district offices and I recognize that, as we see good, D17 command. It was April 21.
staff, so Michelle served not just me strong, capable, really impactful peo- He was honorably awarded and recog-
but also Senator Stevens and Congress- ple move on from our teams, it is just nized for his outstanding service and
man YOUNG, who, as we know, is now the closing of one chapter and the retirement. But, again, I think it is
the dean of the House, so some pretty opening of yet another for Michelle and noteworthy. This was not your average
big political powerhouses between DON her family. retirement ceremony. We had COVID–
YOUNG and Senator Stevens. They are So, to Michelle, thank you for all of 19 protocols that were still in place.
personalities that we have described as the years that you have given to your Senator SULLIVAN and I were in the
public service and as a member of my front row. It was a pretty limited gath-
being larger than life at times and
staff. I wish you all the best in your ering. I think they were limited to 30
some personalities that can be inter-
very well-deserved retirement. people, joined by the Governor of Alas-
esting to balance, but Michelle did so
TRIBUTE TO ADMIRAL MATTHEW T. BELL, JR.
ka. Over 300 people watched by live
with patience and poise.
All in all, Michelle has 25 years of Mr. President, as I am still on the feed, but behind us—so in the speaker’s
Federal public service, and I am proud view and behind us—was this excep-
floor and we are still in a pause, I want
to say that 17 of those years have been tionally distracting view, the beauty of
to provide some short remarks with re-
Mendenhall Glacier that was behind us.
as a member of my staff. gard to an individual who has been not
Of all of her many professional ac- And every one of the speakers noted
only a leader in the Alaska community
complishments, you will not hear her that it was quite extraordinary to be in
for a period of years but a real leader
boast, but you will hear her colleagues this setting.
for our U.S. Coast Guard. But I was honored to be invited and
speak with the highest respect for her I rise to offer my commendation to
humbled to represent the Alaskans who
ethics and her duty to public service. ADM Matthew T. Bell, Jr., who served have all deeply appreciated the Coast
She is so humble but so, so respected the Coast Guard for 36 years, most re- Guard’s work in our State, and espe-
by her staff both on the State side and cently as the commander of District 17, cially while Admiral Bell was at the
among the policy team here in DC. D17. helm.
I have had a lot of time to be in a car He had his retirement ceremony just I want to take just note of the fact
with Michelle as we have driven around about 6 weeks or so ago, and I had the and thank Admiral Bell and all of the
the Kenai Peninsula. I have seen her opportunity to be out there at his re- really invaluable, heroic work that D17
interact with constituents who have tirement ceremony. It was held in Ju- does in the State.
serious, challenging, personal, deeply neau. We had the Commandant of the In a given month in the State of
emotional issues, and how she is able Coast Guard, Admiral Schultz, who led Alaska, D17 rescues 22 souls, assists 53
to communicate with Alaskans on the delegation, join Senator SULLIVAN, people, saves over $1.65 million in prop-
their level, on their issues, in a way myself, and Governor Dunleavy. It was erty across 3,853,500 square miles and
that is respectful and understanding pretty significant that you would have over 47,300 miles of shoreline—a lot of
and compassionate is a gift that is ex- a gathering there in Juneau for this re- space, lot of territory to cover.
traordinary. tirement ceremony but not unusual be- Alaska is tough. It is rugged. It is
Outside of the office, one source of cause Admiral Bell had led in a way big. But these missions are carried out
pride—probably the biggest source of and manner that deserved this public in the toughest, most challenging envi-
pride for Michelle—is very clear: the recognition, certainly, at the highest ronment. And as I heard Admiral Bell
devotion to her family. When asked by level. mention during his retirement cere-
others who worked with her, the first D17 is an enormous region that cov- mony, he said: ‘‘If you can do the Coast
thing that you would hear is of ers the entirety of Alaska, from the Guard’s mission in Alaska, you can do
Michelle’s dedication to her family, Bering Strait to the Aleutian Chain the job anywhere [else].’’
and she has a great family. and all of the surrounding waters. And he is right. It is the best that we
Her husband, Jack, as I mentioned, is Admiral Bell, during his time there will see.
a great guy—a pilot. She was a little as head of D17, led with distinction, but Not only are Coast Guard men and
worried when he decided that, instead before this he had had some pretty sig- women in Alaska mastering their craft
of a family minivan, it was going to be nificant and impressive roles. He com- and saving lives and property, they are
a family—I don’t remember whether it manded the Personnel Service Center. also integral members of our commu-
was a Cherokee or a Piper or a 175, but He served as chief of staff for the U.S. nities. Those members and their fami-
the family is flying around and doing a Coast Guard Pacific Area and as a lies are our neighbors. They are our
lot of Alaska that we all enjoy. chemistry and nautical science instruc- classmates. They are our friends. And I
They have two great kids, Jackson tor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. deeply appreciate the connection and
and Cameron. I have had the pleasure He served as commander of Task fond relationship shared by the Coast
and the privilege to watch both of Group 55.6 in Bahrain in support of Op- Guard and Alaska, and that is why it is
these young people grow into talented, eration Iraqi Freedom, and he earned so important, I think, to just take the
kind, and smart young adults who are the highly esteemed ‘‘Cutterman’’ des- time to honor and to thank incredible
now pursuing college and postgraduate ignation after more than 12 years of leaders like Admiral Bell.
degrees. Jackson, who was a page here sea service. So on behalf of Alaska, I thank you
in the U.S. Senate and an intern for Three times—three times—he was for everything you have done to con-
me, is a Truman Scholar. Cameron, his the commanding officer and his com-
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tinue the longstanding legacy of life-
younger sister, was also a page here. mands included the Coast Guard Cutter saving, environmental protection, and
She is pursuing a premed-health Point Divide, Coast Guard Cutter Alex maritime safety in our great State.
sciences program with the goal of being Haley, and Coast Guard Cutter Douglas But beyond that, thank you for rep-
a doctor. Jackson is working on Arctic Munro. resenting and nurturing the connec-
issues and climate issues. You just The Alex Haley and Munro were each tions between the Coast Guard and our
couldn’t be prouder of these two young stationed in Kodiak when Admiral Bell State as the D17 commander and neigh-
people. I know that Michelle is, and I served as their commander. In fact, we bor.
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3859
And I want to end my comments to- We honor them, and we wish the best see that in Newark. I don’t see that in
night with just a comment about Matt for them and their family in their re- Canton. I don’t see it in Warren or
Bell as the neighbor. Matt and his wife tirement. Youngstown. These small businesses
Nancy have raised three sons, and like I yield the floor. want help.
most Coast Guard families, they moved I suggest the absence of a quorum. The community bankers did it. For
numerous times. They have accepted The PRESIDING OFFICER. The community bankers, their lending
the assignments and adventure with clerk will call the roll. went up during the pandemic, but these
the kind of a matter-of-factness that The senior assistant legislative clerk large six banks restricted their lending
comes with military service. But wher- proceeded to call the roll. in the pandemic.
ever they have been stationed, they Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask But they had enough money left to
have become part of the community. unanimous consent that the order for do major stock buybacks. One of these
They have made that community just a the quorum call be rescinded. companies planned to do $25 billion. It
little bit better. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without was announced just recently that one
And when Matt and Nancy came to objection, it is so ordered. of these six banks was going to do a $25
Alaska, they knew they were home. UNIONS billion stock buyback.
They said it. Absolutely, they knew Mr. BROWN. The Presiding Officer Do you know who that enriches? It
they were home. In fact, it was some- and I and another 20 or so Senators lis- certainly doesn’t enrich the commu-
what interesting. Nancy was not at the tened yesterday in the Banking, Hous- nity. It doesn’t enrich Columbus or
retirement ceremony there in Juno be- ing, and Urban Affairs Committee to Cincinnati or Blue Ash or Bellaire or
cause she had already moved all of the CEOs of the Nation’s six largest Steubenville. What it does is enrich the
their household goods to Kodiak. I banks testify to our committee. Those executives. These six CEOs said that,
think it was her first week of work six CEOs are among—or maybe the six yes, climate change is a threat to the
there. She was working at the Coast most—powerful business people in entire economy, but they drag their
Guard base there. So, you know, she is America. feet when it comes to investing in new
a true Coast Guard family for life. I look to what has happened to my technology and jobs for the future.
But for a small little side note and an hometown of Mansfield, OH, and to I am glad they raised wages, a num-
anecdote, at the conclusion of the de- Zanesville, OH, and Lima and Chil- ber of them—and I know the Presiding
commissioning of the Munro, I had to licothe and Portsmouth and Spring- Officer from Georgia saw this. Right
fly back to Anchorage, and as it turned field—medium-size industrial cities before the hearing, one of the compa-
out, the same airplane that was going that 40 years ago were prosperous in- nies agreed to raise the minimum wage
to be taking me back to Anchorage dustrial communities that created and of its employees significantly. A couple
from Kodiak was the same airplane which were the homes of thousands— others of them bragged about their di-
that was delivering just recently re- tens of thousands, really, of good-pay- versity in their workplace. They had
tired Admiral Bell to Kodiak to come ing union jobs, allowing people out of just put the first Black woman on their
home to his wife and help, basically, high school to go into the plant and board.
move in. make a decent middle-class living, al- But we also know that one of those
Long story short, weather comes in CEOs—this is not even quite believable,
lowing them to send their kids to
and there are no airplanes to Kodiak. but I can prove it with the math, as we
North Central State or Mansfield OSU
So he is not coming in and I am not did during the hearing. One of these
or Denison or schools all over Ohio.
going out. But in the last 30 or 40 years, we have CEOs makes 900 times what the lowest,
As it was, I was supposed to be in An- what some of their new employees
seen what Wall Street has done. Wall
chorage at a family dinner, and I knew make—900 times. I don’t think they
Street has done just fine for them-
that they had a place set for me, and claim to work 900 times harder. But
while I was at the airport trying to re- selves. We have seen profits go up dra-
matically. We have seen executive how do you figure this out? How does
arrange reservations and trying to find
compensation stratospheric—tens of this come about, that a CEO will make
accommodations for the evening,
millions of dollars for most of these 900 times what some of its workers
Nancy Bell was at the airport waiting
CEOs and their earnings every year and make?
for her husband. And she said: What I am glad they raised wages. I am
can I do to make sure that you have a their compensation.
But we see middle-class wages in glad they made some investments in
place to stay?
places like Toledo and Akron simply minority depository institutions. And I
And I said: Well, it’s not just about
me. I have a whole volleyball team flat. And we heard a lot at that hearing was even welcome to hear them brag
from Palmer and a soccer team from yesterday, from these CEOs, about how about their investments in Howard and
the valley. What are we going to do much they value their employees. Yet Fisk and one of the great institutions
with 50-some-odd kids when there is no not one of these CEOs agreed to remain in the Presiding Officer’s home State,
airplane until tomorrow? neutral if their workers want to in Atlanta, with Morehouse. I am glad
And Nancy Bell sprung into action, unionize. they are doing that. I am glad they are
as a good community member, to see And I know from my State, whether increasing diversity in their senior
what it was that she could do to get it is Dayton or whether it is Trotwood leadership. I hope they continue it, and
not only me and a couple of staff peo- or whether it is Zanesville—I know we will be watching.
ple but to get a couple teams of kids from my State—that when workers are It is not close to enough, though,
situated for the evening. lucky enough to carry a union card, when these are the most powerful ac-
And I said: You know, Nancy, you are they are much more likely to prosper. tors in this country. The signals that
taking care of me. Matt needs to go to These CEOs said: Yeah, we want our these companies send to influence
my family dinner in Anchorage and employees’ voices to be heard. workers and companies all over the
take my place. But that is not what remaining neu- country—it is not just the thousands of
And so he did. He had a great evening tral means—not using their vast power employees. It is important to remem-
with my family, and I had a great op- to intimidate their employees. ber, when financial services makes
portunity to spend a little bit more The Presiding Officer has seen it in about 25 percent of the profits of all
time with his wife in Kodiak. Georgia, we saw it recently in Ala- corporations in the country—financial
But it just speaks to the neighbor- bama, and I have seen it many times in services accounts for about 25 percent
liness that goes on. You have a signifi- Ohio, where an employer uses the vast of it, but they are only 4 percent of all
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cant leader in our U.S. Coast Guard—a resources of the corporation to brow- the employees. Four percent of all the
man who he and his family have given beat—or however they do it—to stop employees in the country work for fi-
so much, 36 years in service. And they people from voting for the union that nancial services, but they account for
are now going to give that to their would make their lives better. 25 percent of the profit. That tells a
community—their Alaska commu- I heard these CEOs say they are fo- story too. It tells the story that these
nity—that they have adopted, and we cused on lending to small businesses large banks have built an economy
have embraced them. and growing the economy, but I don’t that is good for them. They built an
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S3860 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
economy that is good for financial thinking about the role these banks complies with security policy and that
services. They built an economy that is play in leading this system and leading grant applicants go through appro-
good for the largest banks—not the our economy and leading this country. priate risk assessments. The research
community banks in Savannah or La- I suggest the absence of a quorum. security title establishes a new re-
grange or Griffin, GA, or Mansfield or THE PRESIDING OFFICER. The search security office at the NSF to
Shelby or Crestline, OH, but they have clerk will call the roll. centralize the process of developing
built an economy that is good for the The senior assistant legislative clerk these security requirements and assess-
big guys. proceeded to call the roll. ing potential risks. The office is em-
Let me give you a couple examples. Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I ask powered to pull in the intelligence and
Before the pandemic, Bank of America unanimous consent that the quorum law enforcement Agencies to assist in
downgraded Chipotle’s stock because call be rescinded. targeted risk assessments.
an analyst decided the company pays The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. We also establish a clearing-house for
its workers too much. They down- BROWN). Without objection, it is so or- the research community to share infor-
graded the stock because an analyst dered. mation about security threats. Impor-
said it pays the workers too much. As Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, later on tantly, the research security title also
a result, the company’s share price de- this evening, it is my hope that we will includes a ban on Federal employees
clined. be moving forward on the U.S. Innova- participating in foreign talent pro-
When American Airlines announced tion and Competition Act, which many grams and a strict provision on tax-
pay raises for its pilots and flight at- of us are still calling the Endless Fron- funded awards going to researchers
tendants, Wall Street punished the tier Act. I will be voting to support who participate in talent programs run
company, dropping its stock price by 5 final passage. This landmark bill has by our greatest adversaries. These ini-
percent. So when American Airlines prompted considerable debate. tiatives and many others constitute a
does the right thing—they decide to in- This legislation is about maintaining new and bold research security pro-
vest more money in their workers— America’s edge in research and tech- gram at the National Science Founda-
Wall Street slaps them and says: Don’t nology. That is a top priority for my tion.
do that. That doesn’t help the econ- party, and it is a top priority for the This bill also represents a huge step
omy. Democratic Party in this Chamber. forward for geographical diversity in
A Citibank analyst actually wrote— And it ought to prompt a spirited dis- R&D. Currently, half of all Federal
believe this: cussion. And it has prompted such a R&D funds go to just six States and the
This is frustrating. Labor is being paid discussion. How many bills has this District of Columbia.
first again. Shareholders get leftovers. been said about? Closing that divide has been a pri-
Leftovers? Shareholders get left- The bill is not perfect. There are ele- ority of mine since my first days in the
overs? ments that I could do without, and House of Representatives. Today’s leg-
We might have thought that after there are parts that I wish were in- islation will boost R&D at emerging in-
the pandemic things might start to cluded. But on the whole, this is a nec- stitutions so that no region goes unuti-
change a little bit. No one could deny essary step to keep our Nation com- lized in our efforts to compete with
how much essential workers con- petitive. This bill puts forth a bold vi- China.
tribute—the bus driver in Cleveland, sion for scientific research across mul- I regret that this bill was put
the drugstore worker in Lima, the tiple Federal Agencies and authorizes a through with a rushed process. Our ini-
nurse in Bellaire. Those are the people historic down payment on the prior- tial markup in committee was sched-
who really were the heroes in this ities that can keep America at the uled just 1 day after the bill was
economy. Our economy is supposed to forefront of innovation. This bill is a dropped. That markup got postponed.
reward people whose talents are in high huge boost for American R&D. It au- Two weeks later, we had a day-long
demand. That is what we are taught. thorizes substantial R&D investments markup where we dealt with more than
That is what corporate leaders tell us, through the Department of Energy, the 250 committee amendments. After in-
right? Department of Commerce, NASA, and, corporating over 100 of those amend-
But this year, after Amazon defeated of course, the National Science Foun- ments, the bill passed by a vote of 24 to
Alabama’s workers’ union organization dation, which is the gold standard for 4.
effort, the company stock climbed. basic research. Let me repeat that. The bill passed
Just a few weeks ago, Wall Street sent In addition to a new NSF Direc- the Commerce Committee by a vote of
Uber and Lyft and DoorDash stocks torate, it will speed up the translation 24 yeses and only 24 noes.
down when Labor Secretary Walsh said of R&D into practical applications and A few days later, the bill reached the
gig workers should be classified as em- help tech innovators through the cre- Senate floor, where more than 500
ployees. ation of technology hubs around the amendments have been filed. Clearly,
So when the government decides we country and expanded manufacturing there is a desire to legislate in this
need to do something, we need to make programs. body and on this legislation given suffi-
sure these workers are treated better, Our adversaries are well aware that cient time and opportunity.
Wall Street essentially attacks those America leads the world in innovation. This bill should put to rest—to rest—
companies’ stocks. Think about that. Instead of trying to outinnovate the any discussion of changing the fili-
It sends a pretty clear message. The United States, some of our adversaries buster. The Senate is perfectly capable
more you pay your employees, the are choosing to steal what we create. of functioning if the majority allows it
worse you are going to do on Wall The Chinese Communist Party is, bar to function. And it has done so this
Street. The less power you give work- none, the world’s worst offender when week and in the days last week when
ers, the better you will do. That view it comes to research and intellectual we were considering this legislation.
that American workers are costs to cut property theft, making today’s legisla- I would add that it would be wrong
instead of a valuable asset to invest in, tion especially urgent. and unnecessary for this bill to be
that is what is wrong with this system. This legislation takes steps to im- funded through reconciliation. Passing
So-called analysts at Wall Street, often prove research security at the National this consensus legislation through a
at the banks—these six largest banks— Science Foundation. Although the in- partisan process would send exactly
make decisions for people in Ohio, troduced bill did not contain adequate the wrong message to our adversaries.
Georgia and Pennsylvania and across provisions in this area, I worked with And we are getting it done under reg-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
the country. They make decisions Senator CANTWELL, the chair of the ular order. It may not be pretty. It
about whether workers they have never Commerce Committee, to craft a pack- may not be the most efficient thing
met, in towns they have never been age of reforms to safeguard taxpayer- ever devised by the mind of man, but
to—whether those workers are a good funded research and intellectual prop- we are getting this done under current
investment. erty. rules. Everyone has been heard, and it
I hope these banks make progress not Our approach will ensure that the re- will be passed under regular order, I
only within their own institutions but search community understands and think with a very nice vote.
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3861
I wish to congratulate the two au- lot of foresight and thought about this turn in the economy. Instead of dou-
thors of this legislation, Senator SCHU- issue—Senator SCHUMER, who for a bling that R&D budget in a short pe-
MER and Senator TODD YOUNG, for their long time has discussed America’s riod of time—5 to 7 years, and then we
success in this bill. I especially appre- competitiveness and what we need to thought 11 years—well, it has turned
ciate Senator YOUNG’s commitment to do about it, particularly as it relates to into 22 years, and we really haven’t
improving our competitiveness and his shifting change and demographics on a quite done the job.
leadership in moving this bill forward. lot of foreign policy issues, and our col- To our two colleagues, I thank them.
I also want to thank the chair of the league from Indiana, who has also in I thank the Senator from Indiana. I
Commerce Committee, MARIA CANT- the last 2 years put a lot of work into certainly thank the Senator from New
WELL, for helping shepherd this bill thinking about the future of AI com- York because I think that without his
through the oftentimes challenging petitiveness, manufacturing, and what continued heft behind this issue, say-
floor, for her patience and her skill in we need to do to be competitive in the ing that it is a priority—I told him he
helping to lead us through the amend- United States of America. So the Schu- must have read Andy Grove’s book
ment process. mer-Young proposal is not new to this ‘‘Only the Paranoid Survive’’ because
And, then, how could we end debate Congress. It was proposed before. And he has clearly adopted that attitude as
or approach the end of consideration of so this is work for many, many, many it relates to America’s competitiveness
this legislation without thanking our months. I do think, as Senator WICKER and making sure we make investments
staffs for the countless hours on both stated, that we should thank them for in the semiconductor area—an area he
sides of the aisle, for the people who their foresight. knows well. He really does believe it
worked so hard on this bill and the I think, depending on what part of needs the R&D investment and focus. I
amendments? The excellent, knowl- America you are from, you have a per- applaud him because really, without
edgeable way in which they have ap- spective about the economy of the fu- his major push, I don’t think we would
proached this legislation would be ture and how we are going to compete. be here on the Senate floor tonight.
amazing to the American public if they For me, I am very blessed to represent As my colleague Senator WICKER
could look into the process and see how the State of Washington with much in- said, this bill includes a massive in-
hard these public servants work. novation and really longtime work to vestment in the NSF budget and in the
I want to particularly thank the out- get to the point where we are today. DOE budget, which is kind of tandem.
standing contributions of my staff di- One thing I would like to depart with That is what has happened every time
rector, John Keast. But also he would is that we didn’t get to the Northwest we have had this discussion. NSF and
want me to make a particular point of economy overnight. A lot of thought DOE, the Department of Energy and
congratulating policy director James went into the education system and the National Science Foundation, have
Mazol and my deputy policy director the workforce training issues. Some- been our key tools for research and de-
Cheri Pascoe—neither of whom has times I just say we are blessed to have velopment in key areas that keep man-
slept very much recently. They have people there who stayed and innovated ufacturing competitive, keep our en-
done exceptional work. with the companies that they inno- ergy sector competitive, and keep our
I know Senator CANTWELL feels the vated in. technology competitive. They have
same about the great public servants Where we are today represents dec- been major investments.
on her staff, on her side of the aisle. ades and decades of work, but it also The challenge that we faced is that
They have done this at great personal gives you a little bit of foresight into we also were asking ourselves—besides
sacrifice from their families and from the importance of research and devel- trying to double our investment in
themselves. And I know we are all well- opment. The University of Washington these areas, we also said we want to
served by our staffs, and I am most is a leader in research and development get more out of the investment we
thankful for mine. with NSF and with predecessors here in have today. We want to basically get
But I am also thankful for the legis- the Senate who—Warren Magnuson more out of the technology that we are
lative process, for the fact that on this specifically—focused on both NIH and creating and get it translated into
issue, increasing secure R&D to combat NSF dollars. With the size of an insti- more innovation right away.
our adversaries, particularly those in tution with 40,000 students, it is also a This legislation does that by creating
Communist China—I want to thank the premier research institution. a new Tech Director at the National
Members of this Senate on both sides So that has given us a good footing Science Foundation to, if you will—we
of the issue and on both sides of the for the future, the work they have done have basic research, applied research—
aisle for the great way in which this and the advent of Microsoft and so to have translational or user research
Senate has conducted regular order. many companies with executives who to more quickly aid in the adoption of
I will be voting yes. I think a sizable then also put more into the University technologies that will help our econ-
majority of the Senate will be voting of Washington so we could grow our omy grow. That was a pretty big step
yes. And we will be doing good by our skill set and keep investing. So it is a in the legislation.
constituents and by future generations long-term investment. Of course, Senator WICKER and I be-
in doing so. Thank you. Our colleague from Indiana and our lieve that investing in the workforce
And I yield the floor. colleague from New York basically that we would need with STEM edu-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. challenged us to think about what is cation was also a priority. So there was
BALDWIN). The Senator from Wash- our R&D investment for the United a pretty big, hefty boost in science,
ington. States of America and are we com- technology, engineering, and math in
Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I peting. Senator WICKER knows that this underlying bill, including saying
wanted to commend and thank the this is something the Commerce Com- that women and minorities in the
Senator from Mississippi for his hard mittee twice before had considered, in sciences have to be a priority and we
work. I have the great pleasure of 2007 and 2010. He said: By God, we are have to do more to encourage that.
working with him on the Commerce going to double the R&D budget, and I want to thank Senator WICKER es-
Committee, and I can tell you we are we are going to compete. pecially for his insistence on a key pro-
here tonight—not at this very moment Believe it or not, it was George Bush vision that I think is also important.
at 10 o’clock but at the advent of get- as President who first authored a re- Part of this is saying that we need to
ting to this moment where we can pro- port that said America needs to have a be competitive and increase the R&D
ceed to such important legislation— more aggressive competitiveness pol- budget. Part of it is saying that we
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thanks to him and his great work as icy. He was probably looking to Asia need to have more translational
the ranking member on the Commerce and seeing what was happening and science, get more out of our univer-
Committee. saying we needed to do more. sities, and have them protect their in-
I want to personally thank him for The advent of that is, we started tellectual property better. But this is
that because I think the Senator de- down the right road. We tried to make also about having all of America better
scribed the actual process pretty well. a commitment. We didn’t completely prepared for the economy of the future
We have two colleagues who have had a follow through because of the down- and compete.
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S3862 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
Senator WICKER said: I want 20 per- I really believe we will be working I think it is going to strengthen us in
cent of this bill, the legislation—the together. I believe DOE, NSF, our Na- our ability to compete because we are
R&D dollars to go to States that are tional Laboratories, our universities— going to be on the same page about
called EPSCoR-qualifying States. They the collaboration that we heard about what we need to get done. I hope our
are regions of the country where we in committee will be the kind of colleagues will indulge us to move
have identified that we need to growth that comes out of this legisla- ahead. I hope that we can get this next
strengthen our research capacity. So tive effort. managers’ amendment and other
the 25 States that are qualified as To many Americans at home, all I things voted on very soon.
EPSCoR States know, and it is a pro- can say is, we are making another in- I yield the floor.
gram that has been built around vestment in American know-how, the QUORUM CALL
strengthening their research and devel- ability to use our scientific skills to Ms. CANTWELL. Madam President, I
opment. Senator WICKER’s insistence help create the next generation of work
suggest the absence of a quorum.
on this provision will help those States and effort.
grow their research muscle for the fu- I, too, want to thank our staff. I cer- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
ture, their research ecosystem, tainly on my side want to thank our clerk will call the roll.
strengthen their universities, and staff director David Strickland and Me- The legislative clerk proceeded to
strengthen the dollars that go to them. lissa Porter, Richard-Duane Chambers, call the roll, and the following Sen-
I applaud him for that dedication. Mary Guenther, and Stacy Baird. ators entered the Chamber and an-
The head of the NSF, the National I, too, want to thank the Senator’s swered to their names:
Science Foundation, will tell you that staff—John Keast, Cheri Pascoe, and [Quorum No. 3]
our motto for this bill overall or our James Mazol—because they have been Baldwin
goal as a nation is to be for innovation a great team to work with. Cantwell
everywhere, connected to opportunities I also want to thank, on Senator Cardin
everywhere, connected to universities. SCHUMER’s staff—Mike Kuiken and Jon Casey
With the provision that Senator Cardinal—because they have been a Collins
WICKER proposed, we are literally tak- constant source in all of this. Cornyn
ing another step towards building that Of course I thank all the floor team Daines
infrastructure everywhere. If you are who have been out here working on Hassan
in Fairbanks, AK, or you are in Mis- this. I know there are other people Johnson
sissippi or some other part of the coun- from this room. Leahy
try, those institutions will get an extra I also thank Senator WICKER’s staff, Lee
focus and push to get more research Crystal Tully and Steven Wall. Ossoff
and development. On my staff, I thank Jonathan Hale Peters
I like to say that you never know and David Marten and Amit Ronen, Romney
what is going to come out of that. You who worked on a lot of the energy stuff Schumer
never know what is going to come out that was part of this underlying stuff. Scott, of Florida
of one individual at one institution I am sure we will have more to thank
Smith
with a great idea that really charges later. This is a wish by Senator WICKER
Tester
forward in a new area. So I think it is that this would be the wrap-up. I know
we are not quite at the wrap-up, but we Wicker
a great provision of the legislation. Young
We have, I think, with the other pro- are hoping that we will hotline a man-
agers’ proposal. I hope our colleagues The PRESIDING OFFICER. A
visions our colleagues worked on—Sen- quorum is not present.
ator WARNER and Senator CORNYN—on will look at that. I hope that our col-
leagues will allow us to move forward The majority leader.
trying to, in the last NDAA bill, make
on that. If they are not going to let us MOTION TO INSTRUCT
us crisply focused on the immense com-
petition that we face in the semicon- move forward on that, I wish they Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
ductor industry, we really have, I would come down to the floor and tell move to direct the Sergeant at Arms to
think, before us the shape of the debate us that. It is time to move forward on request the attendance of absent Sen-
about America’s competition. We are getting the rest of this legislation ators, and I ask for the yeas and nays.
not afraid to put research dollars on through the Senate and move to what- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
the table as a country. Our Nation be- ever discussions we are going to have sufficient second?
lieves in that more than other nations. with the House. There is a sufficient second.
Our people believe that is what has It is safe to say this represents a lot The clerk will call the roll.
made our Nation great, and they know of work by a lot of people. In the com- The legislative clerk called the roll.
that if we keep making that invest- mittee, I think we processed before we Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the
ment, we are going to grow jobs and even got to the legislation something Senator from Arizona (Ms. SINEMA) is
the economy. So we have made that like 52 amendments prior to the actual necessarily absent.
commitment in this legislation. day. With the substitute, I think we Mr. THUNE. The following Senators
We have made the commitment to di- processed another 40 or 50 amendments. are necessarily absent: the Senator
versify our research, to get more out of I think we had dozens of rollcall votes. from Tennessee (Mrs. BLACKBURN), the
our research and translate that faster. That was all in committee. Senator from Missouri (Mr. BLUNT), the
We have made a commitment to skill Out here, we processed lots of legisla- Senator from Indiana (Mr. BRAUN), the
and educate a workforce, not only with tion to be part of the managers’ Senator from North Carolina (Mr.
the diversity we like to see in science amendment. It is safe to say that prac- BURR), the Senator from Arkansas (Mr.
but the geographic diversity we like to tically every Member of the U.S. Sen- COTTON), the Senator from Oklahoma
see as well. ate has had some part or discussion or (Mr. INHOFE), the Senator from South
We didn’t spend a lot of time talking legislative suggestions that are a part Dakota (Mr. ROUNDS), and the Senator
about what is in here for the Depart- of this bill. It is, as Senator WICKER from Alabama (Mr. SHELBY).
ment of Energy. It is not specific as to said, a very regular order process, al- The result was announced—yeas 84,
what the Department of Energy will do beit quick at times. nays 7, as follows:
for this, but it is safe to say the De- I think we have a lot to do. We have [Rollcall Vote No. 217 Leg.]
been very challenged as a Congress to
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partment of Energy’s innovation pro- YEAS—84
gram and ARPA-E are basically trying deal with a lot of issues—COVID spe-
Baldwin Capito Cortez Masto
to help us with the next generation of cifically—but the competition is not Barrasso Cardin Cramer
energy technology. But it also includes waiting and the competition has dif- Bennet Carper Crapo
carbon sequestration and a whole vari- ferent tools. We have a different gov- Blumenthal Casey Cruz
ernment and we believe in collabora- Booker Cassidy Daines
ety of other areas, nuclear power and a Boozman Collins Duckworth
whole translation of various energy tion, and collaboration, yes, takes a Brown Coons Durbin
sciences. little more time. Cantwell Cornyn Ernst
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3863
Feinstein Lummis Sanders chair modified at least one amendment combat the threats posed by China’s
Fischer Manchin Sasse
Gillibrand Markey Schatz
that was not particularly recognizable Communist regime. If the purpose of
Graham Marshall Schumer to those that offered the amendment. this legislation is to address that ur-
Grassley McConnell Shaheen On 5/19, on September—or May 19, the gent issue, it should do that with input
Hagerty Menendez Smith bill grew to 1,445 pages, and just today and feedback from the public.
Hassan Merkley Stabenow
Hawley Moran Sullivan we voted on an amendment, 900 pages. We should table this vote, let the
Heinrich Murkowski Tester So now here we are at 11 o’clock. We Members return to our States, hear
Hickenlooper Murphy Thune come to the Chamber. For the first from constituents, and then move for-
Hirono Murray Tillis
Hoeven Ossoff Tuberville
time, I see what the amendments are in ward in a timely manner with the leg-
Hyde-Smith Padilla Van Hollen the managers’ package. islation after we have heard from our
Kaine Peters Warner I am sorry. I don’t know what these constituents. This is a simple and rea-
Kelly Portman Warnock amendments are. I know what my sonable request. Therefore, I ask the
King Reed Warren
Klobuchar Risch Whitehouse amendment is. I don’t know what the Senator to modify her request to delay
Leahy Romney Wicker rest of these are. I haven’t seen them. further consideration of S. 1260 until
Lee Rosen Wyden I don’t even know how many pages this the week of June 7.
Luján Rubio Young
is. I just have a list. So you can claim The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the
NAYS—7 this is regular order. You can claim Senator so modify her request?
Johnson Paul Toomey this is a deliberative process, but it is Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, my
Kennedy Scott (FL) far from it. colleague also knows the work of the
Lankford Scott (SC) Commerce Committee because he is on
So I would just ask that the Senator
NOT VOTING—9 modify her request; that the Senate the Commerce Committee, and this bill
Blackburn Burr Rounds stand in recess for 3 hours—only 3 came out of the Commerce Committee
Blunt Cotton Shelby hours—to allow us to review this pack- 24 to 4. So I know the Senator knows
Braun Inhofe Sinema
age of amendments. the work of that legislation.
The motion was agreed to. Would the Senator modify her re- The remarkable aspect of this legis-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. quest? lation is that it did compile product
HICKENLOOPER). A quorum is present. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the from various committees, and those
The Senator from Washington. Senator so modify her request? committees did their regular order
AMENDMENT NOS. 1583, 1637, 1701, 1758, 1777, 1851, Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I process. In fact, this process for the
1943, 1958, 1964, 1988, 2000, 2017, 2025, 2048, 2082, 1768, know my colleague knows the Com- last several—you could say 24 or 48
1823, 1980, 1981, 2001, 2104, 1622, 1801, 2093, 2049, 2085, merce process, knows that we went hours was held up because one commit-
2083, 1945, 2026, 1933, 1841, 2103, 2105, 2094, 2106 AND through a very elaborate process in tee’s product wasn’t considered, and
2090 EN BLOC Commerce, and I know that he has your side said it wanted it considered
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I amendments in this proposal. Some of before we could move forward. And,
have a package of amendments that these have been available since 11, 12 guess what, we accommodated that.
have been agreed to by both leaders hours ago. People have been talking So we now have a work product that
and by the chairs and ranking members about these amendments. So it is time is, I think, ready to be voted on—again,
of the relevant committees, so I ask for us to honor the request of our col- in a bipartisan fashion, working to-
unanimous consent that the following leagues to move forward on a man- gether with both leaders and with com-
amendments be agreed to en bloc: Col- agers’ package worked out by the lead- mittee chairs and the ranking mem-
lins 1583, Fischer 1637, Johnson 1701, ers and the relevant chair and ranking bers. So I object to the modification.
Shaheen 1758, Rubio 1777, Thune 1851, member, so I object to the modifica- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
Wicker 1943, Hagerty 1958, Cotton 1964, tion. tion is heard to the modification.
Blunt 1988, Scott of Florida 2000, Ernst- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- Is there objection to the original re-
Hassan 2017, Romney-Menendez 2025, tion is heard on the modification. quest?
Johnson 2048, Luján 2082, Rosen 1768, Is there objection to the original re- The Senator from Utah.
Merkley 1823, Warnock 1980, Murray quest? Mr. LEE. Mr. President, reserving
1981, Hassan 2001, Warren-Rubio 2104, Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President. the right to object, I just want to reit-
Collins 1622, Wicker 1801, Leahy-Tillis The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- erate again what we have dealt with.
2093, Van Hollen-Tillis 2049, Blackburn ator from Florida. As originally introduced, the bill was
2085, Cortez Masto 2083, Lankford 1945, Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, 160 pages. Yes, it ran through com-
Baldwin-Braun 2026, Hyde-Smith 1933, I join my colleagues today to make a mittee. Then it went out of committee,
Hyde-Smith 1841, Merkley-Rubio-Rom- simple request: Let the people see the and it was reported out by the com-
ney 2103, Ossoff 2105, Barrasso 2094, bill. mittee at 730 pages. Then you had the
Rubio 2106, and Kaine 2090. Too often, this body acts without due May 19 substitute—1,445 pages—and
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there time given to hear from all of the ones you had a substitute today that took it
objection? we represent: the American people. up to over 2,300 pages. Then at 10:59
The Senator from Wisconsin. That has absolutely been the case this p.m., just a little over an hour and a
Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, reserv- year as Congress has rushed through half ago, we received notice of this
ing the right to object, the sponsors massive, 1,000- or 2,000-plus-page bills, managers’ package. The list that we re-
and managers of this bill have made spending billions or trillions of tax dol- ceived is a simple list of numbers at-
the point that this piece of legislation lars without valuable input. tached to last names. It doesn’t con-
has followed regular order, and I will Now you ask us to vote on a massive tain the text of those; it just contains
admit, versus how things have been bill compiled just this evening. That is references back to other amendments—
passed in the last 10 years since I have wrong, and the American public know 10:59 p.m. We still don’t know exactly
been here, this is a little bit better reg- it is wrong. We haven’t had the time to how long that is.
ular order than I have experienced in read this. No one has, in fact. This en- Yet people are fond of saying, well, as
general. But it still does not even come tire bill as it sits here before us has I believe my colleague from Wash-
close to giving Members time to fully only been under consideration for a lit- ington said a minute ago, people have
consider what we are voting on here. I tle over 2 weeks, with thousands of been talking about this for hours. What
don’t even have a total score on this. I pages, and it has been amended numer- does that even mean? It is not the
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have been told it is approaching a quar- ous times, including many times today. same as presenting an amendment,
ter of a trillion dollars. It spends hundreds of billions of tax saying this will be presented as a pack-
The history of this bill is on May 13, dollars. age.
about 730 pages were reported out of As my colleagues know well, I am as Keep in mind, these aren’t just mere
committee. This wasn’t exactly the bill vocal an opponent of Communist China sequential pages, pieces of paper. Every
that was voted out of committee, as anyone. America must take decisive time you add another piece of paper,
though. Somewhere, somehow, the action to protect our interests and every time you add an amendment, it
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S3864 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
gets a lot more complicated because AMENDMENT NO. 1527 WITHDRAWN this program. A partisan provision
you have to know not just what each Mr. President, I withdraw amend- with zero benefit to workers’ wages is
page says but how it interacts with ment 1527. hardly a reason to gamble with strong
every other page. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- support for the CHIPS Act.
Although this is how it came out of ator has that right. Republicans and Democrats have
committee, this is the rest of the bill The amendment (No. 1527) is with- worked hard together to bolster our do-
as it existed as of early this morning. drawn. mestic semiconductor manufacturing
As of this afternoon, we added about The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and to confront one of the most dan-
another 900 pages to it. Then at 10:59, ator from Texas. gerous, looming threats from China.
again, just about an hour and a half AMENDMENT NO. 1858 TO AMENDMENT NO. 1502 Now is not the time to sacrifice the
ago, we received an as-yet-to-be- Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I call up progress we have made. So I would en-
ascertained managers’ package that we my amendment 1858 and ask that it be courage my colleagues on both sides of
still haven’t seen in its entirety. We reported by number. the aisle to support this amendment so
have just seen a list, and we are told The PRESIDING OFFICER. The we can maintain the strong bipartisan
that we have to vote on that right now. clerk will report the amendment. support for this critical legislation and
Look, the American people under- The legislative clerk read as follows: send a message to our adversaries that
stand that when you are throwing The Senator from Texas [Mr. CORNYN], for the United States intends to stay the
around hundreds of billions of dollars himself and Mr. COTTON, proposes an amend- world’s preeminent economic and mili-
at a time, we really have an obligation ment numbered 1858. tary power.
to know what on Earth we are voting The amendment is as follows: The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
for. We don’t know that. We can’t (Purpose: To modify the semiconductor in- ator from Wisconsin.
credibly maintain that. We certainly centives program of the Department of Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I men-
shouldn’t pretend to be competent to Commerce) tioned earlier that there is no doubt
understand everything that is in here. On page 349, beginning on line 23, strike this bill did go through more regular
I find it absolutely stunning—I find ‘‘expended.’’ and all that follows through order than we have been used to over
it disappointing more than anything page 350, line 13 and insert the following: the last decade. But I think we also
that in response to the very reasonable expended.’’. demonstrated that the massiveness of
request made by my friend and distin- Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, last this bill, close to a quarter trillion dol-
guished colleague from Wisconsin to year Senator WARNER, the senior Sen- lars, over 2,300 pages, many of those
give us 3 hours to look at it, that even ator from Virginia, and I introduced pages dumped on us today, and now
that was too much. the CHIPS for America Act to help this managers’ amendment package—
This, Mr. President, is too much for shore up vulnerable supply chains for we haven’t seen it; a few Members
the American people, and I object. semiconductors and to reduce our reli- have—does not represent adequate reg-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- ance on other countries for the most ular order.
tion is heard. critical components of everything from I also did not have much participa-
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President. the F–35 Joint Strike Fighter to the tion in the development of that man-
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President. cell phones in our pockets and every- agers’ package. I realize that a couple
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- thing in between. of my amendments did get in there,
ator from Washington. The vast majority of our colleagues certainly not my priority amendments.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, to have agreed that this is a critical task. I will talk later about the one that ac-
recap this process, I respect every It was carefully crafted after tually got a vote. I only got one vote
Member’s right to express their opin- monthslong bipartisan, bicameral ne- on one amendment, and that vote was
ion. That is what regular order is gotiations. In fact, this legislation was to simply honor the contracts that we
about. adopted as an amendment to the Na- have outstanding, about $2 billion
In committee, we had 233 amend- tional Defense Authorization Act by a worth to build the additional 250 miles
ments filed. My colleague from Utah vote of 96 to 4 at the end of last year. of wall to secure our border. But I will
filed 130 of those. So, yes, the Com- But now we need to fund the program come back to that.
merce Committee staff worked through we created, and there is just one issue Right now I would like to talk about
130 of Senator LEE’s amendments. That standing in the way. four of my—I probably had about a
is a lot of amendments to work During committee consideration of dozen amendments but four priority
through. I guarantee you, I am sure we the Endless Frontier Act, an amend- amendments that we tried to get in
probably would have liked a little more ment was adopted that would apply this managers’ package. There was no
crystalized concerns and opposition controversial and unprecedented pre- consultation with me personally,
than 130-plus amendments. We ended vailing wage language to the CHIPS for maybe a little bit of back-and-forth
up putting 14 of them in the managers’ America Act signed into law last year. with staff.
amendment. We ended up voting on This provision creates a needless hur- The first amendment really would
five more during the committee proc- dle to funding for the CHIPS provision. have codified something we passed
ess. So, yes, I could have been frus- Considering the current wages of U.S. twice out of my committee when I was
trated with that, but we worked semiconductor manufacturing compa- chair of the Homeland Security Com-
through those amendments. nies, there is zero benefit—zero ben- mittee. It was called the GOOD Act,
Now there is this process on the floor efit—to workers’ wages. So this is real- Guidance Out of Darkness. President
where my colleague is concerned and ly a nonissue in terms of the compensa- Trump issued an Executive order,
upset over 900 pages that he voted to tion that workers in semiconductor which basically ordered the Agencies
accept. The moment to be concerned manufacturing facilities will make. to publish the guidance that they were
about those 900 pages, he could have What is more, these Davis-Bacon provi- creating so that the American public
objected, but he didn’t but now wants sions represent an expansion of special would know what the regulations were
to revisit that decision. interest labor policy to private con- expected of them, so they understood
So I can propound many requests struction projects and set a disturbing the rules of the road were—a good piece
here, and we can continue to discuss precedent. of transparency in government. It
these, but our colleagues—our leader- Leaving this language in the bill is a passed unanimously twice out of my
ship on both sides of the aisle have gratuitous act and could dramatically committee. For some reason, President
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worked through a process of regular weaken support for the broader legisla- Biden on his first couple of days in of-
order with our colleagues on a host of tion, and I would hope we could all fice reversed that Executive order.
36 different amendments where—I am agree that the stakes are simply too So now we have, literally, executive
looking at this list—many of them are high to let that happen. So I have in- Agencies pulling down these websites
bipartisan, and I think those Members troduced an amendment to strike this so the American public doesn’t even
deserve to have a vote on their amend- unnecessary and divisive language and know what guidances they are expected
ments. maintain strong bipartisan support for to follow. So that would have been a
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3865
very simple amendment. Again, it doing for a number of years, but the York. President Obama voted for it.
passed twice out of my committee DEA regulation has run out. President Biden voted for it. Secretary
unanimously. That didn’t make it into So one more time—this is completely of State Clinton voted for it. The chair-
the managers’ package. bipartisan. There is no controversy to man of Homeland Security, and then
One amendment that I had also in- this amendment whatsoever—com- my ranking member when I was chair-
troduced—actually was voted on during pletely, directly related to this piece of man, Senator TOM CARPER, voted for it,
the debate over the Iran Nuclear legislation. It is trying to protect this Senator FEINSTEIN, Senator WYDEN.
Agreement—simply stated that any Nation against China’s malign actions. And Senator SHERROD BROWN voted for
new agreement with Iran that this ad- This amendment was left out of this it as a House Member back in 2006.
ministration enters into should be package. We need a fence. Walls work. I think
deemed a treaty. That is what should You might get some measure of sense we admitted that fact after January 6,
have happened in the Obama adminis- of why I am not happy with the man- when we put a double layer of 7- or 8-
tration. When the JCPOA was just en- agers’ package, why I think this body foot-high fencing, concertina-tipped
tered into as an executive agreement should take a little bit more time to wire, and left it up for way longer than
but literally was no better than the deliberate; take a few more votes on it needed to be left up.
piece of paper it was written on be- amendments like this that, again, So here in Congress, we are happy to
cause the next President could just do should be passed unanimously but were put up a fence, put up walls, as long as
away with it, and that is exactly what overlooked because, I guess, the only it is protecting us. I mean, it is about
happened. people really consulted, in terms of time that we build a wall to protect
So this is a very simple amendment. amendments, were those that they felt the rest of America.
Quite honestly, this should pass 100 to they could figure out how to get their Now, what my amendment did is it
0. Every U.S. Senator should demand, vote. simply required the administration to
when you have an agreement between And I was pretty solid from the complete construction on the part of
two nations as significant as the standpoint that I didn’t want to vote the wall that has already been con-
JCPOA, or whatever this administra- for a quarter of a trillion dollars to tracted. We build about 450 miles; 250
tion might enter into with Iran, it government Agencies that I don’t has been contracted. We are going to
should be deemed a treaty, and it think are going to spend that money have to pay for it whether we build it
should come before this body for ratifi- particularly effectively. or not, and that is all my amendment
cation by two-thirds of this body. That I would like to talk about one is. Don’t waste American taxpayer
should have been included in this man- amendment that I did get a vote on. money, which, if we don’t pass my
agers’ amendment, but it wasn’t. Unfortunately, it was voted down on a amendment, that is exactly what is
One threat that this Nation faces— largely party-line vote. The Senator going to happen.
and this relates, I believe, directly to from West Virginia—both Senators I do want to take a little bit of time,
China because China, in their own mili- from West Virginia, but the one who seeing as we have a lot of time here to-
tary doctrine, does not recognize a does not caucus with us was the only night—and we intend to take that time
high-altitude nuclear blast as a nuclear Senator from the other side of the aisle tonight—I want to lay out the history
attack. A high-altitude nuclear blast, that supported this piece of legislation. of the current problem. So my first
otherwise known as an EMP, could When I introduced this amendment, I chart here is detailing unaccompanied
wipe out our electrical grid. And for as came down to the floor and I talked minors that are apprehended at the
long as I have been serving here, ad- about there was a time—and that time southern border. And these minors are
ministrations of both parties have not wasn’t very long ago—when border se- from Central America, from Honduras,
paid adequate attention to this. curity was actually bipartisan. Secur- Guatemala, and El Salvador.
So this amendment, vital to our na-
ing our border, an imperative to na- Now, I want my colleagues to notice
tional security, also should have been
tional security, was a bipartisan goal. that in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, we
included in the managers’ package, but
Evidence of that was in 2006, the Sen- never had more than 4,431 unaccom-
it wasn’t. Why not? This is perfectly
ate passed a piece of legislation called panied children cross our border ille-
suited to this piece of legislation. This
the Secure Fence Act of 2006. What gally and be apprehended. As a matter
is an important national security pri-
that piece of legislation would do—was of fact, in 2007, there is less than 2,000
ority, and this was left out of the man-
supposed to do—was build 700 miles of people. In 2008, 4,380; in 2009, 3,288; in
agers’ packet.
I would like to have a little bit more double-layer fencing, 700 miles. Now, in 2010, 4,431; and then in 2011, 3,038. So we
time working on this legislation to in- the end, only 36 miles of double-layer average under 4,000 unaccompanied
sist that this at least gets an up-or- fencing was built. The other 613 miles children crossing the border illegally
down vote because I pretty well as- was built, but 299 miles of that was just and being apprehended in those 5 years.
sumed that this would be accepted by a vehicle fencing. In other words, pe- Then something happened. And what
both sides and not objected to, but it destrians can easily walk right happened was the Deferred Action on
wasn’t. Again, EMP, or geomagnetic through. Another 314 miles was a sin- Childhood Arrivals memorandum.
disturbance, could represent an exis- gle-layer pedestrian fence that, unfor- When President Obama got frustrated
tential threat to this Nation, but it tunately, pedestrians can almost hop that the deliberative process wasn’t de-
was simply ignored. It wasn’t included. over, but they can scale and defeat livering him the border security or the
And then the final amendment that that fence very easily. immigration reform that he wanted, he
was a priority of mine was the SOFA Now, again, proving the bipartisan used his pen. And he did what I cer-
Act. We are all fully aware of the fact nature of the Secure Fence Act of 2006, tainly did not believe was constitu-
that in this Nation, we have a crisis of it passed the Senate overwhelmingly tional. As a matter of fact, a couple of
overdoses—of things like heroin and with a vote of 80 to 19. Twenty-six years before that, he said he didn’t
fentanyl. It is plaguing all of our com- Democrats joined 54 Republicans in have the constitutional authority to do
munities, large and small, every State. voting yes. In the House, the Secure this, but he did it anyway. It has been
No Member of Congress is unaware of Fence Act passed by a vote of 283 to challenged in the courts ever since.
this. We have all heard the tragic sto- 138, with 64 Democrats voting yes. But the most significant thing about
ries from our constituents. So, in total, the Secure Fence Act of the Deferred Action for Childhood Ar-
One of the problems with fentanyl is 2006 passed Congress with a combined rivals, other than its unconstitution-
total vote of 363 votes for and 157 votes ality, is what it sparked, what it was a
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the way it is scheduled to be illegal.
And the problem with that is there are against. In other words, 70 percent of catalyst for. You notice those who
analogs. You can change the molecular Members of Congress back then voted passed in June 2012 and, lo and behold—
makeup of fentanyl very easily, and yes, and 90 Democrat ensured that it and it is not a coincidence—in 2012, all
then all of a sudden it is not scheduled was bipartisan support. of a sudden that less than 4,000 annual
as being an illegal substance. By the way, notable Democrats who average became 10,000. The following
All this amendment would have done voted for it were the majority leader of year, 2013, 20,805 unaccompanied chil-
is codified what the DEA has been this body today, the Senator from New dren entered the country illegally and
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S3866 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
were apprehended. And 2014 was the see the humanitarian crisis in 2014. It couple of years, but by the summer of
crisis year. That is when President doesn’t look like much of a crisis com- 2019, citizens of Central America were
Obama even admitted that this was a pared to 2018 and our current crisis, well aware of how exploitable our laws
humanitarian crisis. We had 51,726 un- which this administration is com- were. And guess what. They exploited
accompanied children exploiting our pletely denying—completely denying. them.
immigration laws, our asylum laws, all We had Secretary Mayorkas in front I certainly learned from the experi-
because of DACA. of our committee 2 weeks ago. I can’t ence of Michael Chertoff back in—I be-
By the way, what happened in Cen- tell you how surreal it was as he lieve it was—2008. It might have been
tral America with the passage of DACA blamed the previous administration for an earlier year, when we had a surge of
was the coyotes—human traffickers, the crisis he created. He talked about Brazilians coming into Mexico and
some of the most evil people on the how it is getting better: It is improving then coming illegally into this country
planet—I will talk about that later. because we are getting more efficient. through the southern border. I don’t
They talked about the fact that Amer- We are getting more efficient at proc- have the exact numbers, but I think it
ica changed their policy. Now, as an essing and dispersing. is something like 30,000 in a short pe-
unaccompanied child, you can get into That is not solving the problem. riod of time. What Secretary Chertoff
America. You get a piece of paper. It is Let me go back because what this did at that point in time is he insti-
called ‘‘permiso,’’ permission to enter chart does is it has the cause and ef- tuted a program called ‘‘Texas
the country. That is not what it was at fect. DACA is the catalyst of all of Hold’Em.’’ Basically, it was a con-
all. It was a ‘‘notice to appear.’’ Do you this. It sparked it all. It made citizens sequence, to apprehend Brazilians and
know what? Coyotes lie. They lied to of Central America realize that the im- send them right back to Brazil.
Central Americans. So vulnerable chil- migration system was broken and eas- Within a month, the flow of illegal
dren put themselves in the hands of, ily exploitable. You can see where Brazilians was cut by about 90 percent.
again, some of the most evil people on President Obama declares the 2014 cri- Problem solved. There was a con-
the planet. That sparked that crisis. sis a ‘‘humanitarian crisis.’’ sequence. We didn’t have catch and re-
Now, the Obama Administration re- Then President Obama instituted a
lease of Brazilians like we now had,
family detention policy, a consequence.
acted. I remember going down, when I and we have again catch and release of
You couldn’t just cross into America
became chairman of the committee, on Central Americans coming into this
and get dispersed throughout the coun-
a bipartisan trip to the border, down to Country.
try, never to show up for your immi-
McAllen, TX. At that point in time, Based on that experience working
gration hearing, move into the shad-
Customs and Border Patrol were over- with the senior Senator of Arizona,
ows, potentially be exploited by human
whelmed, but they did what Customs who was on my committee, we pro-
traffickers and their agents here in
and Border Patrol often do. They rose posed something called ‘‘Operation
America. And that actually helped
to the challenge. They dealt with this Safe Return.’’ The basic premise of
stem the problem. It pretty well solved
humanitarian crisis as humanely as that program would be, once appre-
the problem until a court reinterpreted
they possibly could. They built a facil- hended, we would quickly adjudicate
the Flores decision.
ity. They put up chain-link fences to The Flores decision dates back many that initial asylum claim to see wheth-
keep the children safe—the young ones years, about one little girl who came to er there really was a valid, credible
from the older ones or from the adults. this country. It established standards— fear.
On a bipartisan basis, we sung Customs humanitarian standards—which I don’t Understand, if adjudicated, most of
and Border Patrol’s praises. disagree with. America is a humane na- the people coming into this country do
Fast forward to the crisis of 2018–2019, tion. We are a nation of immigrants, not have a valid asylum claim. As gen-
and, all of a sudden, that exact same but it has to be a legal process. The erous as our asylum system is, coming
facility, it was actually upgraded. It Flores decision dealt with unaccom- here for economic reasons is not a valid
was better than it was. It was more hu- panied minors and made sure that they asylum claim. That is the majority of
mane. All of a sudden, my Democratic could always stay in CBP’s, Customs why people come here. What became of
colleagues started calling that facility Border Protection’s, custody and ICE’s Operation Safe Return, to a certain ex-
one that housed children in cages. custody for only so long before they tent, is the Trump administration’s
What hypocrisy. had to be turned over to Health and policy of migrant protection program,
You can see through 2019, once the Human Services to then find sponsors also known as ‘‘Return to Mexico’’—a
Obama Administration started detain- or parents. But there is a time limit on consequence.
ing families together, they stemmed it. Again, I called my program Oper-
the tide. But that didn’t last for long, What the Flores reinterpretation ation Safe Return: Quickly adjudicate
as I will demonstrate on my next did—and I think incorrectly, as did those who don’t have a valid asylum
chart. President Obama’s DHS Secretary Jeh claim and safely return them to Cen-
On a quick explanation of this chart, Johnson, who completely disagreed tral America.
the gold bars are single adults. It has with the decision—that court—that I would have been happy to expend
been an ongoing problem we are always unelected court—pretty much out of funds to make sure there were centers
going to have in some way, shape, or plain cloth or whole cloth said: Oh, no, to accept people so they could be ac-
form—single adults coming to this the Flores decision or agreement ap- cepted safely. The Trump administra-
country illegally through the south- plies to accompanied children, as well. tion, instead, instituted the migrant
western border. What we never had in It didn’t, but all of a sudden it did by protection program, return to Mexico.
the past was this surge, this crisis level court order. I realize there are people who don’t
of illegal immigration by children and That created some real problems for particularly like that program, but it
families. the Obama Administration. They had worked. It is undeniable that it
By the way, some are real families; to choose: Do they continue to detain worked. They instituted it right here.
many are not. Many are families of one families as a deterrent, as a con- Mexico wasn’t particularly cooper-
adult and one child. Sometimes they sequence to fix this problem, or do they ating. So President Trump threatened
are a child who has been sold to them. separate them so they could detain the them with tariffs. All of a sudden it got
In my committee, we heard testimony adult while they complied with the law Mexico’s attention. Mexico started co-
of a child being sold for $84. We heard under the court decision? Well, what operating, and you can see how the
of children being recycled to be used by numbers dropped precipitously. We ba-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
they decided to do—and I can’t fault
multiple adults so they can come as a them for this—is they kept the families sically stopped the flow of children and
family and exploit our laws. together and they dispersed them all. children being used to create family
Let me explain how they exploit That really instituted the process, the units, and we had the problem solved
them. This chart starts in 2012 with the policy—the horrible policy of catch and before COVID hit. This is how you
passage of DACA. Again, single adults release, almost open borders. solve the problem.
are gold, red are unaccompanied chil- Now, it took a while for people to un- Unfortunately, during the 2020 elec-
dren, blue are family units. You can derstand what was happening. It took a tion, every Democratic Presidential
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3867
candidate vowed to stop deportations traffickers or are in gangs, especially border to be used by another adult to
and also vowed to provide free the young men. The 15-, 16-, and 17- pose as a family unit and exploit our
healthcare. year-olds are used by the drug traf- asylum laws?
I don’t deny the push factor out of fickers to traffic drugs. The sex trade I wanted to ask him: How are you
Central America. I don’t deny the vio- is the other involuntary servitude. verifying that a child belongs to an
lence, the corruption. When I went This is not a good process. We need adult?
down there on a bipartisan codel, I was to solve the problem of illegal immi- In one of my trips down to the border
surprised talking to the Presidents of gration and control our borders so we and in having heard that children were
Guatemala and Honduras. They talked can have a functioning legal immigra- being sold, that they were being recy-
about corruption and impunity. tion system. cled, that many of these family units
I understand corruption. But what do What happened? What caused this? weren’t real family units, I saw about a
you mean by impunity? Isn’t it obvious? 50-year-old man. He was holding, prob-
Well, impunity is pervasive in their You could see the increase in adults ably, about a 2-year-old little girl.
society because of the drug cartels. coming into this country illegally dur- Now, I can’t be sure as I don’t speak
Why do we have drug cartels down in ing the Presidential debates when the Spanish, and I don’t think he would
Central America? It is because of Democratic Presidential candidates have admitted it, but my assessment
America’s insatiable demand for drugs. were going: Hey, if I get elected Presi- was that she was not his little girl.
That is the root cause. The root cause dent, no more deportations. I am going On that same trip, we heard about a
of this problem, the push factor, isn’t to give you free healthcare. We will little 3-year-old boy having been aban-
the violence. The root cause is our in- take care of you. doned in a hot cornfield, with a tele-
satiable demand for drugs, which puts That was a huge incentive, and they phone number written on his shoe, be-
billions of dollars in the pockets of the came. cause the adult for whom he was posing
other most evil people on the planet, Then I think it was the first day, as that person’s child didn’t need him
the drug cartels, the drug traffickers. maybe the second day—maybe he wait- anymore and just abandoned him.
By the way, what we did in our drug ed that long—when President Biden I wanted to ask the Secretary: Are
interdiction, relatively successfully, is dismantled the successful migrant pro- they doing DNA tests, and, if so, what
we shut down the drug flow from Co- tection program, ‘‘Remain in Mexico,’’ percentage of family units are being
lombia up to the Caribbean into Flor- and the rest is a very, very, very sad tested?
ida, and we just redirected it into Cen- history. I wanted to ask the Secretary: Is he
tral America and destroyed those na- I will leave that up. aware that human traffickers throw
tions because those drug cartels are Now, I mentioned that 2 weeks ago children out of their rafts when they
untouchable—they are untouchable. we had Secretary Mayorkas come be- are interdicted by law enforcement?
One story I heard is about a new po- fore our committee, and it was surreal When we were down at the border
lice chief and first day on the job. He the way they denied that they had any- with 18 of my colleagues, we saw a
gets a DVD, and the DVD is of his wife thing to do with this, that this was an floating body in the Rio Grande. The
and children going to church, going inherited problem. I mean, if it were next day, a 9-year-old girl drowned in
into school—a pretty powerful mes- inherited, yes, it was inherited by the the Rio Grande. During one of my hear-
sage: Don’t mess with us. And they Obama administration in DACA and in ings, I showed a picture—it wasn’t a
don’t. an incorrect court decision in the Flo- fun picture to show, but I thought it
So that level of impunity from drug res reinterpretation. I will admit it was was something we should see—of Oscar
cartels becomes pervasive through so- inherited there. It wasn’t inherited Alberto Martinez Ramirez and his 2-
ciety. Then you have the extortionists. here. The problem had been solved. It year-old daughter, Valeria, face down.
If you are a cab driver, you had better had been fixed. They had drowned in the Rio Grande.
pay the fee or they will shoot you and What is so tragic about this is that I wanted to ask Secretary Mayorkas:
burn you in your cab. That is what im- we had pretty well taken the first step Is he aware of the fact that migrant
punity means. That level of violence is to solving the problem, to having im- girls are given birth control because
facilitated by our insatiable demand migration reform, to controlling the they know such a large percentage is
for drugs. border. Keep these successful policies going to be raped during the dangerous
If you are going to fix that root in place, and build the fence. Then you journey that President Biden’s policies
cause, if you are going to solve the can address DACA. Then you can set up are incentivizing?
problem of violence in Central Amer- a functioning legal immigration sys- I wanted to know whether Secretary
ica, you have to actually fix the root tem. Mayorkas was aware of the
cause, which is our insatiable demand Unfortunately, I only had one round kidnappings, the beatings, the abuse,
for drugs. I wish we could. I wish it was of questions—only 7 minutes—with and the additional ransoms demanded
easy to do. It is not. We want to stop il- Secretary Mayorkas. Again, as he was by the human traffickers.
legal immigration so that we can fix dodging responsibility, I didn’t get to I wanted to know whether he knows
the problem of the DACA kids and so ask a lot of questions. Here is the list how much the human traffickers
we can establish a legal immigration of questions that I wanted to ask Sec- charge for their human prey and if he
system that works for all of us. retary Mayorkas in a second round is knowledgeable in how they pay off
I mentioned my codel down to Cen- that I didn’t get. their debt. Some pay in advance. Some
tral America. The Presidents of Cen- I wanted to ask Secretary Mayorkas don’t have the money. Some pay later.
tral America tell me—they beg me: whether or not he was aware that How do you think a pretty, young girl
Please, fix your laws. This isn’t good human traffickers sell children to pays off her human trafficking debt?
for our countries. We are losing our fu- adults so they can exploit our asylum How do you think a young minor—a 15-
ture. We need these people. laws as posing as a family unit. I want- , 16-, 17-year-old boy—who can traffic
The vast majority, I would argue, are ed to know whether he was aware of drugs pays off his debt? I think it is
hard-working and are coming here to that. I am quite sure the Vice Presi- pretty obvious.
improve their lives. I can’t blame them dent is, because the Vice President was I wanted to know: Does he know how
for that, but it has to be a legal proc- on my committee. She heard this testi- many young girls are forced into the
ess. mony. She should be aware of it. She sex trade and how many young men are
That is not working for Central should go down to the border. forced into involuntary servitude or
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
America. It is going to further impov- I wanted to ask him: Are you aware used to traffic drugs or are gang mem-
erish Central America. It is not an eco- that we heard testimony, under my bers? I wanted to know.
nomic model that works. chairmanship, that a child was sold for I wanted to know if he was fully
It is certainly not good for migrants $84? aware of how President Biden’s policies
who come to this country to live in the I wanted to ask Secretary Mayorkas: created this crisis and how those poli-
shadows and who are still under the Are you aware that children are recy- cies are facilitating the multibillion-
control of the drug cartels and human cled—that they are sent back over the dollar business model of some of the
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S3868 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
most evil people on the planet. I want- I think, if you were to just pick 10 An open amendment process, to me,
ed to know. I still want to know. Senators at random and ask them off means that any Senator should be able
I think this administration and I the record, ‘‘Do you know what is in to come to this floor, respecting each
think Secretary Mayorkas need to be this bill? Not every word, but do you other so that we allot ourselves time,
held accountable for this human trag- have a general idea of everything in and offer an amendment for all of us to
edy. Apparently, these policies are this bill?’’ 9 out of 10 would tell you hear. Now, obviously you can’t spend 20
meant to be more humane. They are that they don’t, and the 10th is prob- hours on one amendment, but if one
the exact opposite. The degradations ably lying. wants to present an amendment, I
and the inhumanity are untold. They Now, I have said before—and I really think 5 minutes would be sufficient. We
are only growing, and they are con- think that it is a shame. I have said be- do that all the time in a vote-arama.
tinuing. fore—and I meant it—that I know some When people—some people say, when
Again, what is so tragic about all of of my colleagues better than others, I raised this issue, they say: Oh, vote-
this, in addition to the human tragedy, but I think I know all of my colleagues aramas are terrible because we are here
is the fact that we were so close. We in the Senate. These are the most in- all night.
had pretty well taken that first step in teresting, complex people—that is, in We don’t have to be here all night.
any immigration reform. We had part, why they are interesting—whom I You can start a vote-arama at 8 in the
stopped the flow or had dramatically have ever been around. There are some morning and stop at 5:30 or 6. That is
reduced it, and we were building the enormously talented people in this an open amendment process.
fence. There are only 250 miles yet to body. Let me just pick one at random. An open amendment—I was told we
build that we have already paid for. When Senator SCOTT doesn’t have would have an open amendment proc-
What a waste of the American tax- time to understand or Senator DURBIN ess. I wouldn’t have gotten on this bill
payers’ money if we don’t even com- doesn’t have time to figure out every- otherwise. Now, I don’t know how it
plete that fence and what a waste of an thing that is in the bill because things works on the Democratic side. I sus-
opportunity that we can’t take that are moving so fast, that shortchanges pect it works very similar to the way it
first step—complete that first step—for all of us. They are talented people. works on our side. You have an amend-
true immigration reform. They may be able to say something: ment, but you have to get the permis-
This amendment was voted on and What about this provision? This sion of other Senators to even offer
defeated, largely, on a party-line vote. doesn’t make sense. What do you your amendment. You have to go see
Only the senior Senator from West Vir- think, Senator KENNEDY? What do you the bill manager. You have to see the
ginia joined us, and it is just such a think, Senator MURPHY? majority leader. You have to see the
shame. So that really bothers me. That is committee chairman. You have to see
You know, America hungers for com- not a criticism of my Democratic the ranking member. And anybody can
ity. America hungers for bipartisan- friends, and that is not a criticism of say: No, I just don’t like your amend-
ship. This is the kind of bipartisanship the majority leader, Senator SCHUMER. ment. And I think it works the same
they would appreciate that doesn’t It wasn’t any better when the Repub- way on the Democratic side. That is
mortgage our future and that actually licans were in control. I just think that not an open amendment process—not
fixes a problem as opposed to the bill it is so sad, so unfortunate, and it is so even close.
we are considering right now. The bi- avoidable. You say: Well, why does it matter?
partisanship that always concerns me I understand that floor time is lim- You know, we have seniority, and we
is a mad spending spree—deficit spend- ited. So we want to do things quickly elect our leaders, and I get all of that,
ing—wherein, over the last 18 months, around here. But there is no law that but nobody is infallible. I will give you
we have already spent about $7 trillion says we can’t start earlier and work a specific example. We are giving, in
that we don’t have. I am shocked, by later. There is no law that says we this bill, I am told—it could have
the way, by the reports that the Presi- can’t cooperate in terms of allowing changed overnight—but about $56 bil-
dent’s budget is going to be $6 trillion, the majority to have more floor time lion to the semiconductor industry. We
to be announced tomorrow, and an- so that all of us have a greater oppor- are told we need to do that because the
other $7 trillion in other types of—it tunity to understand what we are vot- semiconductor industry—private semi-
boggles your mind. That is not the ing on. conductor industry—is essential to our
right kind of bipartisanship. That is I mean, excuse me, Senator SCOTT, ability to compete with China.
the type of bipartisanship that mort- look at that. I think that is only a por- So far, so good. There are a lot of
gages our children’s future and bank- tion of the bill. Honestly. companies that are essential to com-
rupts this Nation. Now, the second point I wanted to peting in the global economy—the fi-
I think I have probably had enough make—I learned really quickly when I nance industry, the energy industry,
time here, and I see that a number of got here that Senators are like cats: the banking industry. We have to eat.
my colleagues would also like to make They do what they want. Why is that? Farmers—you could marshal a pretty
a few points. Because we have minority rights. Our persuasive argument that they are es-
I yield the floor. rules pretty much are written to pro- sential too. But this bill singles out the
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MUR- tect the minority. semiconductor industry for $56 billion,
PHY). The Senator from Louisiana. So a fair question is, Well, how do we and I believe—I am not sure because it
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I want ever get anything done? Well, we do it could have changed—that we are giving
to make two points. by consent. We couldn’t run this place President Biden the authority to give
First, I want to associate myself with without consent, and we give our con- up to $3 billion to each private com-
the remarks of some of my colleagues sent automatically to a lot of rel- pany. So we are picking winners and
earlier about the fact that we don’t atively trivial matters, the day-to-day losers. Some people like that; some
know what is in this bill. That is not a functioning of the Senate. Yet we don’t people don’t. I get it. That is why God
criticism of anyone or any party. You readily give our consent—or at least made votes. We will have a vote on it,
can only absorb so much. If you define not as readily as we should—when we but the fact is that we are doing it.
our job, at least in part, as rep- are dealing with more important mat- Senator SANDERS had a very inter-
resenting our people and knowing what ters, like the Endless Frontier Act. esting idea. In fact, it is an idea that I
we are voting on when we vote, I would Now, I voted to get on this bill be- had on my side as well. He said: Look,
respectfully suggest we would be better cause I was told that we were going to if we are taking taxpayer money and
off having our staff vote. Now, I doubt have an open amendment process. In
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
we are giving it to private companies,
there is more than one or two or, my judgment, we didn’t have an open why don’t we let the taxpayers partici-
maybe, three staff members who really amendment process. That is, again, not pate in the upside? Why don’t we give
know or who have a global, macro, pic- a criticism of the Democratic major- taxpayers—you can’t give individual
ture of what is in the bill, but at least ity, and it is not a criticism of Senator taxpayers, but you can certainly give,
our staffs know more about it than we SCHUMER. It wasn’t a damn bit better say, the Department of Treasury on be-
do. That is not a criticism of anybody when the Republicans had the major- half of taxpayers warrants or stock op-
or any party. That is just a fact. ity. It just wasn’t. tions.
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3869
So if President Biden—if this bill same thing when we had the majority. We reduced taxes. Every year, we
passes and President Biden exercises But I just think we are wasting an watched how we spent the money. We
his authority to give $3 billion to XYZ enormous amount of talent in this allocated our dollars where we could
Semiconductor Company, and the body by, A, not giving them a voice— get more jobs. We added 1.7 million
semiconductor company uses that cap- witness Senator SANDERS’ warrant jobs—not 700,000 jobs; we added 1.7 mil-
ital wisely and triples its profits, and idea. I don’t know what happened on lion jobs. When we did that, what hap-
its stock goes up 233 percent, the his side of the aisle. On my side of the pened was, our revenues grew, and we
American taxpayer has warrants or aisle, when I brought it up, they killed were able to have record funding for
stock options. it deader than a doornail, and that is education, for the environment, and for
Now, I am not speaking for Senator not an open amendment process. transportation. We ended up becoming
SANDERS. I haven’t really had a chance We are also wasting an enormous No. 1 in higher education; I guess gen-
to talk to Bernie about his idea; I am amount of talent because we are not— erally about the top five in K–12 edu-
just intrigued by it. in offering these ideas to each other, cation; 47-year low in our crime rate;
I had a similar idea. I wanted to use we are not getting the benefit of the and record funding for things like the
stock options on my side. By ‘‘my wisdom of our colleagues. Everglades.
side,’’ I mean the Republican side. I of- So I wanted to get that off my chest, So I believed you could do the same
fered it up, and it is still floating and that is about all I have to say, and thing up here, and that is why I came
around. It is probably in a black hole I appreciate your attention. up here. I came up here with the belief
somewhere. None of the powers that be The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- that if you start looking at how you
on my side that—they said: We are not ator from Florida. spend the money—and the way we did
going to let you do that. Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President,
That is not an open amendment proc- it in Florida was, we had—there are
I want to thank my colleagues for their about 4,000 lines to the budget, and we
ess. It is honestly not.
And I hear this business about reg- concerns about this bill. went through every line in the budget
ular order, and I am not arguing that You know, I have been up here a lit- every year, and we said: Do we get a re-
we are not following regular order. It is tle over 2 years. I originally ran for of- turn? What do we get for that? If we
just that regular order is irregular. fice because I had the same concerns didn’t get a return, then we didn’t do it
I mean, this is an incredibly talented about where the State of Florida was the next year. So my goal is to do the
group of people, and we ought to be going as I have concerns about where exact same thing up here.
able to design a parliamentary proce- our Federal Government is going. Now let’s look at where our country
dure that looks like somebody designed I ran for Governor in 2010, and in the is right now. We have almost $30 tril-
it on purpose so that every single Mem- 4 years ending at the end of 2010, the lion of debt. We are running multitril-
ber in this body has a chance to offer State of Florida had lost 832,000 jobs. lion-dollar deficits. That is not sustain-
input and to have his or her ideas seri- Home prices dropped in half. We had I able.
ously considered. And it won’t be an think close to a million people on un- And, by the way, who are we going to
unwieldy process. We do it all the time employment, and we had I think a lit- hurt long term? It is not going to be
with the vote-arama. tle over 1.1 million homes in fore- the rich. It is going to be the poor. It
Now, vote-aramas—I am going to closure. is going to be the people on fixed in-
come back to a point I made earlier, If you looked at all the articles, they come. You can look at the numbers.
but I want to emphasize it. Vote- said that opportunity for the Sunshine Look at inflation numbers right now.
aramas can be painful. Nobody likes to State was over. And I didn’t believe it. Inflation is caused by reckless spend-
stay up all night. But we don’t have to I believe that if you run government in ing. That is what it is caused by. The
stay up all night. We can start at a rea- a responsible manner, you have unbe- spending we have done this year is un-
sonable hour and end at a reasonable lievable opportunities for individuals. believable—$1.9 trillion. It was sup-
hour. The reason I believe this is, it is the posedly for COVID, but it has very lit-
And I dare say that if you took all life that I have had the opportunity to tle to do with COVID—less than 10 per-
the time that we have spent collec- live in this country. cent—and 1 percent for vaccines.
tively over the last week or so in the I grew up in the—I was born in the Let’s look at what has happened to
back rooms making deals, making side great State of Illinois. We lived in pub- inflation. In the 12 months that ended
deals, saying ‘‘You can’t have your lic housing. I had a single mom, and in April, the Consumer Price Index was
amendment’’; ‘‘Yeah, I like your she told me that I could be anything. up 4.2 percent. It is pretty surprising
amendment’’; ‘‘No, that is a dumb She said: If you will study hard, if you that we are up over 6 percent. Milk in
idea,’’ none of which is transparent, will go to church all the time, if you 12 months, up over 5 percent; bread
until we come up, finally, with some are an Eagle Scout and you go figure over 7 percent, and gas over 51 percent.
kind of package that makes probably out how to work, there is no limita- Now, if you have a lot of money, that
75 percent of the folks mad and mostly tion. You can build a company. You is not going to change your life. But if
100 percent don’t know what is in it—if can do anything you want. you are struggling for food or you are
we took all the time that we spent on I actually believed her, and I had the struggling to put food on the table, a 5-
that and instead spent it by saying opportunity to do that. I built compa- percent or 7-percent increase has a
‘‘OK. Here is the bill. You have a rea- nies, employed a lot of people, and had pretty big impact. When you see that
sonable amount of time to understand a lot of opportunity. when the cost to fill up your gas tank
what is in it, and now we are going to So I ran for Governor in 2010 with the to go to work dramatically increases,
start the amendment process. There is belief that you could turn around the it has a pretty big impact. All this is
going to be 5 minutes to present your State of Florida. At the time, I believe caused by government spending—reck-
amendment, and there will be 5 min- there was—you know, the way the less government spending—excessive
utes to argue it by an opponent. We are country and the State of Florida were government spending.
going to really have 20-minute votes. going, it was not a great place for fami- You can’t run trillion-dollar deficits.
We are going to start at a reasonable lies like mine growing up. So I ran a You can’t have a Federal Reserve that
hour, and we are going to end at a rea- campaign of 7 steps to 700,000 jobs over continues to buy treasuries every
sonable hour, and then we will come 7 years. You know, all the economists month without ending up with infla-
back and do it the next day,’’ yes, we said, well, we couldn’t get 700,000 jobs tion. And that is exactly where we are.
in 7 years. It was not doable. Most of The only way out of this is to start
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
will burn maybe 5, 6 days of floor time,
but the minority party is going to co- them said we couldn’t even get single- watching how we spend our money. In
operate with the majority party in digit unemployment in 7 or 8 years. this bill, there might be some good
terms of helping it preserve floor time People wouldn’t move to the State. things in this bill, but we are spending
that it has to have to do other things So I shocked everybody, and I won a money recklessly.
that the majority party needs to do. primary and I won a general election, So, I have a real concern. Why are we
Again, I am not criticizing Senator and I set about to do exactly what I rushing through this? Why don’t we
SCHUMER. The Republicans did the said we could do. take the time—take the time so all
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S3870 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
Americans have a chance to read it, munist China’s threat to American se- I urge my colleagues to join me in ac-
know what is in it, tell us what they curity. Meanwhile, we continue to see tions that display the true resolve of
like, what they don’t like? Why rush American corporations put profits over the United States in addressing Com-
through it, where nobody in this Cham- people, ignoring Communist China’s munist China’s destabilizing actions.
ber knows everything that is in this horrible human rights abuses and the Here is what I am talking about. For
bill? It is impossible. It has gone way genocide it is committing to preserve too long, the United States has fool-
too fast with all these amendments. their forced labor-driven supply chains. ishly enabled Communist China’s op-
There is no way this could even hap- While I have no faith that Biden will pressive dictatorship, which is now the
pen. be tough on China, I have welcomed greatest national and economic secu-
CHINA and my colleagues have acknowledged rity threat. Today, Communist China’s
Mr. President, the other thing I want the need to comprehensively combat Belt and Road Initiative actively un-
to talk about is China. Communist the influence and power of Communist dermines America’s standing around
China is an adversary. They are not a China through legislation. the world with a strategy to dominate
competitor. They have become an ad- Sadly, we are squandering this oppor- militarily, economically, and techno-
versary, and we have got to learn how tunity. I want to be very clear. Any logically. It has become clear that
to stand up. plan that tries to broker a compromise strategic decoupling from Communist
Just putting more money in a gov- on issues over and above the needs of China is the most effective way to
ernment program is not how we are American national security, American limit General Secretary Xi Jinping’s
going to compete with China. How we jobs, or human rights will do nothing power and protect American jobs and
are going to compete with China is to more than perpetuate the status quo. security. However, our politicians in
build up American companies. Govern- Since being elected to the U.S. Sen- Washington and business groups like
ment doesn’t do that. ate, I have sponsored and supported the U.S. Chamber of Commerce still
I have run a company. It is not what more than 40 pieces of legislation fo- argue that decoupling from Communist
government does. cused on addressing the security of our China hurts American businesses. They
This year marks the 75th anniversary supply chain, holding communist China are wrong, blind to the plans of Gen-
of Winston Churchill’s speech to West- fully responsible for disgusting human eral Secretary Xi and the pain of his
minster College, where he famously de- rights abuses and genocide against citizens, and are more concerned with
clared: ‘‘From Stettin in the Baltic to Uighur Muslims, enhancing our ability short-term profits than the future of
Trieste in the Adriatic an ‘‘iron cur- to innovate and develop new tech- our country.
tain’’ has descended across the con- nology, and countering Beijing’s unfair As we chart a new course to advance
tinent.’’ For many, these words were trade practices. American trade and interests, I believe
seen as some of the first announcing This is where our legislative efforts we must adopt a bipartisan ‘‘freedom-
the start of the Cold War. must begin. We need to cut Communist first’’ strategy which protects freedom
Today, the threat of communism is China off from the American economy around the world from Communist Chi-
once again spreading across Eastern that it relies so heavily upon to feed its na’s growing power and aggression, re-
Europe. The malicious and oppressive Communist oppression machine. There stores our country to global leadership,
government of Communist China has is no point in sacrificing our interests and keeps American interests first.
shown it is eager to assert its power for the hope of compromise with a What I am proposing is straight-
across the globe, undermine democracy country that will never live up to its forward and achievable. First, we must
and human rights, violate U.S. sanc- end of any agreement, is openly com- acknowledge what has worked in our
tions, and prop up dictators. mitting genocide against millions of efforts to ensure free trade and keep
We have to do something to figure Uighur Muslims, and continuously policies in place that will hold Com-
out how to compete better against threatens not only America’s security munist China accountable.
Communist China. The United States but that of our allies in the Asia-Pa- Next, the United States has to take
has to recognize that a new Cold War is cific region. decisive steps to strategically to re-
upon us and, with our allies, confront Communist China is focused on one move Communist China from our sup-
this threat and defeat this spread of thing—world domination through op- ply chain while supporting the return
tyranny using every diplomatic and pression and Communist rule. We must of critical industries to American
military option at our disposal. not be naive in thinking that Com- shores and promoting ‘‘buy American’’
Communist China’s intentions for munist China wants to operate in the policies.
world domination are clear in its re- modern world order and cooperate with Third, we must engage the inter-
cent $400 billion, 25-year deal with Iran other world powers. General Secretary national community and secure the
to provide the Ayatollah with a steady Xi wants to reshape the world order full support of our allies to create a
military partner, investment source, into his image and is willing to strong- maximum pressure campaign with
and oil customer. Communist China arm anyone who refuses to give in to Communist China until it comes into
has now secured a pathway to further his interests and those of the Chinese compliance with all U.S. and inter-
extend the reach of its Belt and Road Communist Party. national trade laws.
Initiative into the Middle East, while If Communist China wants to enact a Finally, the United States must lead
strengthening its relationship with the plan of world domination, the United the world and take bold action to shine
world’s greatest state sponsor of ter- States must respond appropriately. a light on and demand an end to Com-
ror. This dangerous development comes The United States must demonstrate munist China’s horrible human rights
as Communist China continues its as- America’s strength and resolve, and abuses and the horrific genocide it is
sault to destroy the democracy in Hong our commitment to our allies. In this committing on its own people.
Kong, shows increased military aggres- new Cold War, we have the chance to The Trump administration took un-
sion toward Taiwan, and furthers its prove once again that the American precedented action to thoroughly in-
embrace of Cuba’s abhorrent and op- style of government, free enterprise, vestigate Communist China’s trade
pressive Communist regime—not to and civil society remain the best sys- practices and found it had long been
speak of what they are doing down in tem in the world. committing forced technology trans-
Venezuela. As the world’s greatest beacon of fers, intellectual property theft, and
The position we find ourselves in freedom and democracy, the United espionage. The United States took ac-
today is due to decades of appeasement States must do everything we can, in tion over the past 4 years to prohibit
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
by Washington politicians and cor- conjunction with our allies, to curb Americans from investing in Chinese
porate America, an attitude that is Communist China’s reach, counter companies that support Communist
carried on by many of President their policies, and punish those who China’s military, added those compa-
Biden’s Cabinet members. Throughout are guilty of the ongoing genocide nies to a trade blacklist, banned im-
the confirmation process, nominee against the Uighurs. Whether we like it ports of cotton from China’s Xinjiang
after nominee failed to show a true or not, we are in a new Cold War with region over forced labor and protected
comprehensive comprehension of Com- Communist China. American universities and research
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3871
labs from Chinese government spying nothing. It is despicable that inter- we have no idea how much money we
and IP theft. national Olympics hasn’t already asked are going to spend.
In Congress, I have fought for more the Olympics to be moved or has not Spending without consequence isn’t
than a year to prevent the U.S. Govern- moved the Olympics, and I have asked how things work in the real world. It is
ment from purchasing technology like for all the sponsors of international not how things should work in govern-
drones with American tax dollars from Olympics to work to try to make sure ment. Congress’s decades of failure to
Chinese companies backed by their the Olympics gets moved. But Amer- think and act responsibly has led to
government. We must keep these and ican companies have to do their part to enormous deficits, insurmountable
other proven policies in place. It is rid their supply chains of such abuses. debt, and out-of-control spending.
time we acknowledge the fact that The United States and so many coun- Right now, our country is spending
when American families buy products tries around the globe stand for free- out of control. And even before the
made in China, they are supporting dom of democracy for all people. Now pandemic, when the economy was
this Communist regime. we must unify and lead the important booming, the Federal Government was
We must get Communist China out of effort to accomplish this common goal, running trillion-dollar annual deficits.
our supply chain. We can do this put American jobs and workers first, This has got to stop. We need real re-
through simultaneously separating ties and counter the harm and unfair trade forms. That is why I proposed amend-
from companies backed by the Chinese practices of Communist China that ments to the U.S. Constitution requir-
Communist Party and rebuilding have been ignored for decades. ing a supermajority vote in each House
American-made products. By properly But surrendering America’s strategic of Congress to impose or raise any tax
labeling products with country-of-ori- position to Communist China isn’t the or fee and provide line-item veto au-
gin information and encouraging busi- only failure of the legislation we are thority for the President of the United
nesses to return home, we can end our considering today. The other equally States.
trade inequity with Communist China significant dangerous issue is the addi- I have also led the charge to set a
and create countless American jobs tional deficit spending this bill in- ‘‘No Budget, No Pay’’ policy in Federal
that support families and communities cludes, driving America even deeper law so that if Congress doesn’t pass a
across the Nation. into debt. budget on time—its most important
While decoupling must begin now, we Since first being elected to represent constitutional responsibility—Mem-
know it is not a process that will be Florida, I have fought hard to call out bers don’t get paid. It is simple. You
completed overnight, and supply chains wasteful spending and offer solutions don’t do your job; you don’t get paid.
must readjust to remove themselves to make our government accountable During our vote-arama, we voted on
from the grasp of the Chinese Com- to the taxpayers. This should be the this, and unfortunately my colleagues
munist Party. Knowing that Com- foundation of our work and service to on the other side of the aisle all voted
munist China needs to live up to its our constituents. We can’t forget that against it.
every dollar the Federal Government With America in such desperate need
agreements, the United States must
of leadership to fix our spending and
lead the world in demanding the full spends is borrowed from the American
debt problem, you would think that the
enforcement of all U.S. and inter- people.
Sadly, over the past 2 years that I first thing President Biden would do is
national trade laws.
have been in Washington, I realized to set a plan and work hard to make
Organizations like the World Trade
that while many politicians make things right. Well, think again.
Organization can no longer sit in the
Four weeks after Congress spent $900
pocket of Communist China, and the promises to uphold these values, few
billion to address the economic im-
Biden administration must insist that put their words into practice. It is no
pacts of COVID, Biden began his Presi-
the WTO enforce trade practices fairly. wonder, then, that our national debt
dency with a call for Congress to spend
This will require a coalition-style ap- continues to grow and grow and grow. another $1.9 trillion. Then the Demo-
proach and the United States is well In 2020 alone, the United States in- crats passed it by themselves, despite
positioned to lead this important work creased its debt by more than $4 tril- the fact that we didn’t know how much
to create increased accountability and lion. Today, as we know, it is headed to of the $4.9 trillion stimulus funding al-
real consequences for the abusive trade $30 trillion. ready allocated had been spent.
practices that Communist China has America is clearly in a debt crisis, Today, President Biden is—soon
relied on for too long. and we need to start talking about it President Biden is going to propose it
Finally, the freedom-loving nations and take decisive action to reverse sounds like a $7 trillion budget. It will
of the world must ban together to say course. That is why every time I am take the United States to its highest
that Communist China’s egregious faced with the question of spending sustained levels of Federal spending
human rights violations won’t be ac- taxpayer dollars on government pro- since World War II. This is on top of
cepted. General Secretary Xi is taking grams, I ask myself some simple, yet the $7.1 trillion in new spending Biden
away the basic human rights of the important, questions: What is the plan has proposed in his first 4 months in of-
people of Hong Kong and leading a bru- to pay for it? What is the return on in- fice—$7.1 trillion. You can’t make this
tal genocide of Uighurs, imprisoning vestment for American families? Are stuff up.
more than a million in concentration there other programs already doing the I think we are only going to collect
camps. The State Department cannot same thing? When was the last time about $3.5 trillion or so in revenues.
back down from officially designating this program was reviewed for its effec- How can we keep spending money like
this as genocide, and other countries tiveness? Does the proposal include this? No family can do it. No person
must follow this example. measures to prevent waste and fraud can do it.
That is why I led a bipartisan effort and ensure accountability? Are there I have been warning about the danger
to demand that the International unnecessary regulations making this of reckless spending for years, and now
Olympic Committee move its 2022 Win- more expensive than it needs to be? we are seeing it play out in real life.
ter Games out of Beijing unless Com- Asking these questions isn’t a novel President Biden’s liberal dreams of big
munist China addresses these human idea. It is the same process I went government, big debt, and high taxes
rights abuses. The world is counting on through every day when I was Gov- are no longer speculation.
the United States to stand firm against ernor of Florida. That is what most Now he is rolling out his plans for
the use of slave labor in manufacturing Americans go through when making fi- systemic socialism plainly for all to
and trade. nancial decisions at home or for their
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
see. He has already proposed $7.1 tril-
With regard to the Olympics, there businesses. Families do it every night lion in spending in just 4 months, and
are 180 human rights organizations at their kitchen table. No family would now another $6 or $7 trillion of Amer-
around the world that have asked for needlessly spend money without a plan. ican taxpayer dollars on top of that, all
the Olympics to be moved. The Par- No business can afford to not get a re- while holding back needed funding for
liament in Canada has asked for the turn on their investments. But here, our military.
Olympics to be moved. The Inter- there is no focus on return on invest- By the way, as we added those 1.7
national Olympic Committee has done ments. The bill we are talking about, million jobs when I was Governor of
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S3872 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
Florida, we paid off a third of the State and sometimes even authorize billions lions more. You just can’t keep doing
debt—over $10 billion—and cut over $10 or trillions in tax dollar spending, and that. Right now, the interest alone on
billion in taxes. Everything we should we don’t have time to read these our nearly $30 trillion national debt is
be doing up here, we did in Florida, and things. It is complete Washington dys- over half a trillion dollars a year. That
we can do it here if we will start look- function. It needs to end. is just interest. What are we getting
ing at how we spend our money. This bill is thousands of pages. It for that? We get nothing for that.
Biden wants to redistribute wealth, spends hundreds of billions of dollars. It doesn’t do anything to help with
making everyone dependent on govern- Growing up, my family lived paycheck our families. It doesn’t help us build
ment while asking our brave men and to paycheck. My mom and my adopted our military. It doesn’t pay for Social
women in uniform to go without. It is dad struggled, but my mom instilled in Security. It doesn’t pay for Medicare.
systemic socialism, and it is already me the value of counting pennies—a We know Medicare is running out of
hurting American families. value I utilized as a businessman for money. What happens when Medicare
America is in a nearly $30 trillion four decades before I thought about runs out of money? Doctors and hos-
debt crisis, but that won’t stop Biden’s running for office. I had to make pay- pitals are going to have to be paid sig-
tone-deaf march toward socialism. As roll. I had to make sure there was nificantly less or Medicare recipients
the President plans to spend our Na- money in the bank to make sure every- are going to have to get less care. I
tion into oblivion, 83 percent of Ameri- body got paid. I had to make sure we don’t want any Medicare recipient to
cans are already tightening their budg- never ran out of money. First 10 rules get less care.
et due to inflation pressures, and 87 of business: Don’t run out of money. Social Security is running out of its
percent of Americans already believe My employees counted on me every cash reserves by 2034. There is an auto-
that we have significantly overspent time to make sure we never ran out of matic cut in Social Security. That is
money, and they know that the Fed- money. And if you look at what the not fair. People who are paying into
eral Government’s spending is causing Federal Government is doing, people their Social Security plan, they are not
their inflation. are scared to death of what is going to being told that there is not going to be
I grew up poor, and I know what it is happen to their Social Security, what enough money there.
like to watch my family struggle with is going to happen to their Medicare as In this country, Medicaid costs are
inflation because of failed government this country racks up unbelievable increasing by about 5 percent a year—
policies and reckless spending. I deficits and unbelievable debt. 5 percent. I mean, our revenues are not
watched my mom struggle to put food When I ran for Governor, I just said: growing 5 percent a year. And these
on the table and watch her as food We are not going to do this. We are programs are called mandatory pro-
prices went up. She struggled to put going to figure out how we can live grams, so we don’t have any control
food on the table, and that is what we within our means, and we did it. You over them. I was shocked when I came
are doing to families right now all know, we watched the pennies. As Gov- up here that we don’t even look at the
across this country. ernor, I had a line-item veto, and we cost of those programs. We don’t even
Washington can’t spend like this went through every line every year, pass a budget with regard to those pro-
anymore. Debt has consequences. Mas- grams. I mean, it makes it convenient
and, again, if we didn’t get a return, we
sive spending has consequences. Tax in- that we don’t have to vote on it, but it
didn’t do it.
creases have consequences. It all hurts When I took over Florida, it was like is not fair to the American taxpayer.
We see what is happening when debt
America’s poorest families the most. a failing business. I was worried about
rises. I mean, if you look at what hap-
And something else to think about: what it was going to be like for my
pens with a company—when a com-
This summer, Congress and President children and my grandchildren in the
pany, when its debt rises and they
Biden will face a critical choice of rais- State that I enjoyed living in. I wanted can’t pay their debt, what happens?
ing or suspending the debt ceiling. Con- to make sure everybody had the same They go bankrupt. And who gets hurt?
gress has made a habit of maxing out opportunity I had. We did it in Florida. All the employees who work there,
America’s credit card with no plan to We turned around the State, and we they get hurt. Their customers get
pay for it for decades. Failure to rein can do the same thing here. hurt; suppliers gets hurt; and every-
in deficit spending will inevitably You know, I was the first Governor in body gets hurt. It is just a fact that is
cause—and it is already happening— 20 years who actually paid down debt. what happens. We have to think the
high inflation, devastating the pur- Actually, for 20 straight years, the same way here. We have to think how
chasing power of all Americans, and State of Florida increased its debt over do we reduce the debt, not how do we
disproportionately impacting low- and $1 billion a year, and we paid off over increase the debt.
fixed-income families. $10 billion in 8 years. Just this week, I held a press con-
Since the Biden administration So we can do it here, but we have got ference showing how the Democrats’
doesn’t have a plan to address this cri- to start, with this bill, taking our time reckless spending has increased the
sis, I hope they will join me in fighting and looking at it line by line. Do we cost of groceries and gasoline. Inflation
for fiscal restraint and the adoption of need to spend this money? Do we get a also raises rent; not to mention it
sustainable and responsible debt reduc- return for this money? Is this good for makes it hard to get a student loan or
tion measures like we did in Florida our taxpayers? Is this good for the fam- loan to start a business when the inter-
and passage of reforms that produce ilies of our country? And if it is not, we est rate goes up.
concrete, enforceable limitations of have got to stop doing this. It is just like I mentioned, 83 percent
deficit spending. I want the next generation to have of Americans already tighten their
Americans understand they can’t the same opportunities I had to live belt. They are worried, and they know
spend without consequences. It is time their dreams in this country. If we con- that it is caused by what we are doing
for government to embrace this same tinue down this path, that opportunity up here.
mentality. We did a poll earlier this is going to be lost. At some point, the I have been shocked that President
year—I saw a poll earlier this year—80 bill is going to come due. Biden has been completely silent about
percent of Americans are worried about You know, Robert Baden-Powell’s fa- inflation. He has not said a word about
the Federal debt, and they are con- mous plea to ‘‘try and leave this world it. And if you listen to Secretary
cerned it is going to lead to financial a little better than you found it’’ has Yellen, all she says is we need to spend
problems for our country. actually fallen on deaf ears here. We more money. I mean, they are not
We have to scrutinize every bill we are not clearly leaving this country in
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
looking at what is happening with in-
have, including this bill. Are we spend- a better shape. You would never do this flation.
ing this money well? No one has had to your kids and grandkids, leave the Next week, we get the CPI numbers
time to read this bill. Too often, law- debt that we are leaving our kids and and PPI numbers, and we will see what
makers in Washington pass bills with- our grandkids. they are. But you watch what is hap-
out having time to read them before The Federal Government takes in a pening to families. The poor families
they vote. These are new laws that im- little over $3 trillion. I think this year and those on fixed incomes are getting
pact American families and businesses it is $3.5 trillion and it is spending tril- hurt while all these prices go up.
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3873
We have got to stop this. The April end up with a mindset of inflation. ing no takers, that claim is not cred-
consumer price index rose by eight- Somebody stopped me the other day ible.
tenths of 1 percent. That is almost 10 and said: I know car prices are up. Since the War on Poverty began, gov-
percent on an annualized basis. Should I buy now because car prices ernment transfer payments have risen
Annualized basis inflation rate for the are going to be up even higher in a to provide more than 90 percent of the
past 3 months has been 7.2 percent and year? income of the bottom 20 percent of in-
6.2 percent for the first 4 months. With that mentality, that is what come-earning households, and the labor
The core inflation rate, excluding causes inflation to continue to go up— force participation rate among work-
food and energy, on an annual basis, when Americans start believing it is age households has collapsed to 36 per-
grows in April by 11 percent—a rate not going to go up, it is going to keep cent from 68 percent. How is that good
exceeded since June of 1982. While going up even as a result of reckless for those families?
these price increases are significant, spending. But once they get in that You get a lot of satisfaction out of
broad, and accelerating, are they tem- mindset, it is very difficult to stop it. having a job. We need to have safety
porary effects? We don’t know. We The U.S. economy clearly has the nets, but we don’t want to put our-
don’t know if it is temporary. Some power to iron out the natural problems selves in the position that people be-
people say they are temporary, but of restarting production, but the very come dependent on government pay-
who knows. But are they going to go nature of the subsidies in the $6 trillion ments.
back down? Biden administration stimulus relief The Biden administration also asks
As traditionally understood, infla- and the infrastructure bills constrain Americans to believe that they can
tion is too much money chasing too production. raise income, corporate, and death
few goods, and where does that money You know, you look at what is hap- taxes, smother the private sector with
come from? It comes from reckless pening with trying to get jobs. There regulations, kill the fossil fuel indus-
Federal spending. While it may seem are about 8 million job openings in the try, and fill the regulatory Agencies
old-fashioned to ask in this brave new State. A year ago, I was here speaking with activists fundamentally hostile to
world of monetary theory, where Joe on the Senate floor saying that you the Nation’s economic system, and it is
Biden declared last year that ‘‘Milton can’t pay people more not to work than not going to have any effect on eco-
Friedman isn’t running the show any- to work. I mean, people are going to nomic performance. We know that is
more,’’ is there reason to be concerned make a logical economic decision, and not true.
that the broad money supply, M2, grew they are going to do the right things Back in the real world, much of what
by 24 percent over the last year, a post- for their families. the President is doing will impede the
war year high? Never, in the history of So now what we are seeing is we have recovery, reduce economic capacity,
this country have you seen money sup- job openings all across the country. In and fuel inflation. And who does it
ply grow like that without having sig- my State, we have restaurants—we hurt? It always hurts the poorest fami-
nificant inflation. have a lot of small businesses that lies, always hurts the person who is
And if you go back to what happened, can’t find workers. I talked to an indi- struggling to find work, always hurts
the only way they stopped the signifi- vidual who has a cement company the person on a fixed income. That is
cant inflation in the past is signifi- today. He couldn’t get truckdrivers. who gets hurt.
cantly higher interest rates, which What we have done to ourselves makes If Congress sees inflation as a real
hurts every family but especially the no sense. threat, it should stop spending. Unfor-
family on a fixed income and the poor In its modern incarnation, socialism tunately, right now, Congress doesn’t
families because their wages are not denies that government incentives and think that way. We can see what is
going to go up like that. constraints have anything to do with happening in the real world. Any unob-
So 24.6 percent, that is more than people’s decisions to work, save, and ligated balances in the Biden stimulus
twice the rate it grew—on inflation, it invest, but we all know that is not or previous stimulus bills can no longer
is more than twice the rate it grew be- true. be justified using current economic cir-
fore inflation reached 13.4 percent in These Federal supplemental pay- cumstances and should be rescinded, or
1979 and almost three times the rate it ments to unemployment have just if we are going to spend new money
grew amid the guns-and-butter spend- caused—it has caused a catastrophe for with, hopefully, a way to get a return
ing surge during the Vietnam war. our small businesses. on it, we should still spend it with
And what about the extraordinary The Congressional Budget Office unspent stimulus money.
stimulus spending of the past year? found that the Affordable Care Act Rescinding the stimulus authority in
Larry Summers, the highly respected would cut the number of hours worked the Biden stimulus at the end of the
former Treasury Secretary and eco- by as much as 2 percent. So how can fiscal year on September 30 would save
nomic adviser to Presidents Obama and expanding ObamaCare in the recent over $700 billion—$700 billion—accord-
Clinton, warned that the Biden stim- stimulus not affect employment? It ing to the CBO. Rescinding authority
ulus would create purchasing power does. The same applies to expansions of sooner and including all previous stim-
‘‘at least three times the size of the COBRA, the monthly child credit, and ulus bills would save us $1 trillion.
output shortfall’’ and would be ‘‘the other income supports. Congress should repeal the enhanced
least responsible macroeconomic poli- Historically in America, the best unemployment benefits and reinstate
cies we’ve had in the past 40 years.’’ housing, healthcare, transportation, the Clinton-era work requirements for
We need only look at the Bureau of nutrition, and childcare program was welfare. Work requirements should be
Economic Analysis comparison of the always a job—that is what our parents applied to all unearned benefits to any-
first quarter of 2021 to a year earlier to always told us—not some government one except the elderly, the disabled,
confirm Mr. Summers’ concerns. Wages program. If you give people things they and students.
and salaries are already significantly typically get from a job, don’t be sur- Congress should adopt a real, en-
larger in the first quarter of 2021 than prised when they don’t take the job. forceable budget that funds infrastruc-
they were before the pandemic. Trans- The Biden administration claims ture and the other functions of the gov-
fer of payments have almost doubled, that it hasn’t seen evidence that its ernment without further expanding the
and personal savings have surged an unemployment bonus is keeping people deficit and debt.
extraordinary $4.1 trillion from $1.6 from work, but we know that is not The debt ceiling, which expires on
trillion a year ago. true. I have talked to people who work August 1, should be used to set into
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
The end of the pandemic isn’t only in the Biden administration. While Joe place a long-term, binding program to
unleashing the pent-up demand of the Biden will say that, they acknowledge stop the Federal debt from growing be-
tremendous shutdown economy. It is it is not true. With the Labor Depart- yond 100 percent of gross domestic
opening the floodgate to a torrent of ment reporting record job openings and product. If the inflation of the 1970s
spending fueled by fiscal and monetary the National Federation of Independent and 1980s has returned, it is the ‘‘Gods
stimulus not seen since the Civil War. Business detailing a record number of of the Copybook Headings’’ that have
When inflation happens, first off, you small businesses offering jobs but find- returned once again to teach us that
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S3874 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
water will wet us, fire will burn, and the important work that everybody is Sullivan, was a comment he had made
the government can’t give us some- doing down here on the Senate floor, about how when we were looking at our
thing for nothing. bipartisan work, addressing one of the challenges with China, we need to
Debt also has an impact on interest most important challenges we have as think about these in the way in which
rates. As interest rates go up, the in- a nation. Not just today but for years Dean Acheson, who was a very famous
terest on the national debt will in- this challenge is going to be with us, Secretary of State, talked about the
crease faster and faster. It is going to and that is the challenge of dealing beginning of the Cold War with the So-
be a debt spiral, and it is going to be with the rise of the Communist Party viet Union in the late 1940s; how Amer-
very hard to deal with. of China. That is going to be more and ica needs to be dealing with the Soviet
We have low interest rates now. If more of a challenge and focus of the ef- Union and that Cold War from situa-
you look at the 50-year average of the forts of all elements of America’s econ- tions of strength, positions of strength.
10-year Treasury, it is significantly omy, military, society. I thought that was a really insightful
higher than it is now. If that happens, And here is the good news. As you are comment by the current National Se-
it will be very difficult to fund any pro- seeing here, there is a lot of focus, a lot curity Advisor.
gram we care about, whether it is of effort, and a lot of bipartisan work. So I want to mention a few of these
Medicare, Social Security, or fund the It is a democracy, a Republic, right? It because we have a lot of them relative
military. When interest rates go up— is messy. It is not going to be perfect. to China. Our comparative advantages,
and interest rates historically have al- But, for the Chinese, I think the worst in my view, are much greater than
ways gone up when you have signifi- nightmare of the Chinese Communist theirs in this competition that is going
cant deficit spending, when you have Party is to see Americans coming to- to, in my view, last for decades. So let
significant inflation—then we are gether and recognizing that this is me name a few of these situations of
going to have a very difficult time something we all need to work on to- strength.
funding the programs we care about. gether. First, our allies. The United States is
I hope we don’t end up having a sov- China’s economy is growing. Their an ally-rich nation. China is an ally-
ereign debt crisis, but we are staring high-tech capability is growing. Their poor nation and getting poorer by the
right at it right now. military capability is growing. Their day, by the way. Maybe North Korea is
None of this is to say I don’t have aggressiveness throughout the region one ally. Maybe Russia sometimes, but
hope for our future. I have clear hope is growing. I don’t really buy it. So that is a huge
for it. We can do it. We did it in Flor- Just look in the last year: Hong comparative advantage that we have as
ida. Every time our country is faced Kong; the disputes along the China- a nation, and we need to look at our
with a challenge, we have shown our India border with India; the aggressive- system, our network of allies and deep-
ability to rise above it, but if we don’t ness toward Taiwan; the economic em- en them and expand them.
bargo, in many ways, against our ally One area that that has happened with
acknowledge it, it doesn’t happen.
So as long as I am a Member of the Australia; Xinjiang Province; the full regard to our allies, really is a corner-
Senate, I am going to fight to rein in discrimination against the Uighurs. stone of our alliance system in Asia, is
the out-of-control spending that is put- And, of course, China is now fully fo- the continued focus on what is called
cused on exporting its authoritarian the Quad. The Quad is three of the big-
ting our country’s future at risk. I
gest economies and democracies in the
have to. I have seven grandkids. I am model abroad—not just at home but
whole world: the United States, Japan,
going to do my best to leave this coun- abroad. But again, as I mentioned, the
India, and Australia.
try in a better position than when I good news is that we as a nation, we as The Quad actually began in terms of
started. a Senate, we as a Congress, Repub- a focus of strategy in the George W.
But if you just look at the last 20 licans and Democrats, are starting to Bush administration. The Trump ad-
years, at the unbelievable increase in awaken to this challenge. ministration highlighted it even more.
debt—I think when Ronald Reagan got This is an issue I have been focused
To the Biden administration’s credit,
elected, the national debt was under $1 on since I came to the Senate over 6
they took the Minister-level meetings
trillion, and now it is close to $30 tril- years ago. I think the previous admin-
that were the focus of the Trump ad-
lion. So we have to get focused on this. istration, the Trump administration, ministration’s effort with the Quad and
We can’t just do something like this— with their National Security Strategy, took it to the leader level. President
rush through a bill that nobody has National Defense Strategy, which said, Biden met with the leaders—India,
had the opportunity to really under- hey, we know we have challenges with Japan, Australia, and the United
stand and spend hundreds of billions of violent extremists organizations, but States—recently. It is a very impor-
dollars, not knowing whether we are we need to start shifting our focus to tant development. The Quad can help
going to get a return. great power competition with China as anchor our alliances in the Asia-Pa-
So, look, I want to figure out how to the pacing threat—that is where we cific and beyond in a very significant
do good things. When I was Governor, should be focused. way. The Chinese are constantly talk-
we invested $85 billion in roads, Those strategy documents—the Na- ing about it because they don’t like it
bridges, airports, and seaports. I be- tional Defense Strategy, the National because they know what it signifies.
lieve in investing. We invested in our Security Strategy—these were actually So that is one area of strength, situa-
universities. But we can’t just keep quite bipartisan documents, quite bi- tion of strength that I think all of us
spending money like this. partisan strategies. The National De- can agree on, and I think Members of
With that, I think I will yield to my fense Authorization Act, which will be this body can certainly help play a
colleague. taken up here in a couple of months, in role.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the last few years has been built As we look to head into a work ses-
ator from Kentucky. around this National Defense Strategy, sion, I am going to head to the Asia-
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I suggest focusing on great power competition— Pacific with some of my Senate col-
the absence of a quorum. China, Russia. So that is continuing. It leagues here—Senator DUCKWORTH,
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The is actually continuing on the floor here Senator COONS, and maybe a few oth-
clerk will call the roll. in the U.S. Senate as we speak. ers—and we are going to help build on
The legislative clerk proceeded to What I have been trying to do is this important comparative advantage
call the roll. work with Members on both sides of that we have as a nation—allies. We
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask the aisle—certainly with the Trump
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
are an ally-rich nation. China is ally-
unanimous consent that the order for administration but also with the Biden poor. The more aggressive they are act-
the quorum call be rescinded. administration—as they address this ing in the region, the more this situa-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without challenge. I had some good meetings tion of strength is going to play to our
objection, it is so ordered. with a number of senior officials in the advantage.
S. 1260 administration, and one takeaway I Let me give you another situation of
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I got from discussing these issues with strength for the United States, particu-
want to commend my colleagues for the National Security Advisor, Jake larly as it relates to China. It is a huge
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May 27, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3875
position of strength. It is our energy tage relative to China and adversaries (A) In general
sector, the all-above energy sector for like Russia, produce more good-paying The term ‘‘Hub’’ means an Energy Innova-
America—I mean renewables, oil, nat- tion Hub established under this section.
jobs, protect our environment, and en- (B) Inclusion
ural gas. This is an area that for dec- hance our national security and foreign The term ‘‘Hub’’ includes any Energy Inno-
ades we have tried to become energy policy, continuing the production of vation Hub in existence on September 28,
independent. We have tried to return to ‘‘all of the above’’ energy, which we are 2018.
the status we had during World War II, going to need for decades, is something (3) Qualifying entity
which was the world’s energy super- that we should be doing. The term ‘‘qualifying entity’’ means-
(A) an institution of higher education;
power in terms of the production of en- Now, some in the Biden administra- (B) an appropriate State or Federal entity,
ergy. tion understand this. Others don’t and including a federally funded research and de-
The good news on that is we have re- want to restrict production of Amer- velopment center of the Department;
turned to that. Prior to the pandemic, ican energy, and when those people (C) a nongovernmental organization with
the United States had once again be- speak, guys like John Kerry, the lead- expertise in advanced energy technology re-
come the world’s energy superpower—a ers in China and Russia are smiling. search, development, demonstration, or com-
lot of people thought we could never mercial application; or
They are smiling. (D) any other relevant entity the Sec-
achieve that again, but we have—the Fortunately, this legislation here, retary determines appropriate.
largest producer of natural gas in the the Endless Frontier Act, is focused on (b) Authorization of program
world, bigger than Russia; largest pro- outcompeting the Chinese, all of us (1) In general
ducer of oil in the world, bigger than coming together and outcompeting The Secretary shall carry out a program to
Saudi Arabia; largest producer of re- them in many different areas—artifi- enhance the economic, environmental, and
newables in the world. This is really energy security of the United States by mak-
cial intelligence, quantum computing, ing awards to consortia for establishing and
good for our economy. It is really good and, yes, energy as well.
for jobs. It is really good for our na- operating hubs, to be known as ‘‘Energy In-
Specifically, what is in the bill is novation Hubs’’, to conduct and support, at,
tional security and foreign policy. And called advanced energy and industrial if practicable, one centralized location, mul-
yes, it is really good for our environ- efficiency technologies, advanced en- tidisciplinary, collaborative research, devel-
ment. ergy technologies. That is in the legis- opment, demonstration, and commercial ap-
Why is that? I know some people lation. plication of advanced energy technologies.
don’t like the production of energy in Again, I think it is here because we (2) Technology development focus
America, but here is a fact: We need The Secretary shall designate for each Hub
recognize what a critical, comparative a unique advanced energy technology or
energy, ‘‘all of the above’’ energy. My advantage we have relative to China in
State has it all, all the things that I basic research focus.
this sector, so we want to take advan- (3) Coordination
just mentioned—oil, gas, renewables. The Secretary shall ensure the coordina-
tage of it. It is in the legislation.
We have an enormous abundance in tion of, and avoid unnecessary duplication
Advanced energy technology is not
Alaska. of, the activities of each Hub with the activi-
But here is the other fact: We pro- defined in this bill, but that is because
ties of—
duced these energy opportunities, we the Congress has been abundantly clear (A) other research entities of the Depart-
produced this energy in America with a on what this means. In my discussions ment, including the National Laboratories,
higher environmental standard than with Senators and, more importantly, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-En-
any other place on the planet. That is what the Congress has passed a number ergy, and Energy Frontier Research Centers;
of times, advanced energy technology and
a fact. That is a fact. So if we need en- Each Hub shall maintain conflict of inter-
ergy, which we do, ‘‘all of the above’’ means what it states in the definition
of a law unanimously passed in the est procedures, consistent with the conflict
energy, which we do, we need to make of interest procedures of the Department.
sure we are producing it in a place with Senate and in the House just two Con- (4) Prohibition on construction
the highest standards, in a place that gresses ago, 42 USC 18632. It actually (A) In general
will employ American people workers. has the definition of advanced energy Except as provided in subparagraph (B)—
technology, which is what is the focus (i) no funds provided under this section
By the way, energy jobs are great jobs. may be used for construction of new build-
Here is one other thing. You look at of this bill, the Endless Frontier Act.
ings or facilities for Hubs; and
the intel. You talk to people who know Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- (ii) construction of new buildings or facili-
the region. The Communist Party in sent that 42 USC 18632 be printed in the ties shall not be considered as part of the
China recognizes this comparative ad- RECORD. non-Federal share of a Hub cost-sharing
vantage, and it scares the living day- There being no objection, the mate- agreement.
light out of them because they are very rial was ordered to be printed in the (B) Test bed and renovation exception
RECORD, as follows: Nothing in this paragraph prohibits the
energy dependent, and we have lit- use of funds provided under this section or
erally become, through the hard work 42 U.S.C. 18632: ENERGY INNOVATION HUBS
non-Federal cost share funds for the con-
and ingenuity of so many in our great Text contains those laws in effect on May struction of a test bed or renovations to ex-
Nation, energy independent. 27, 2021 isting buildings or facilities for the purposes
By the way, not only has this helped §18632. Energy Innovation Hubs of research if the Secretary determines that
our environment, it has helped with re- (a) Definitions the test bed or renovations are limited to a
gard to greenhouse gas emissions. In this section: scope and scale necessary for the research to
From 2005 to 2017, the United States re- (1) Advanced energy technology be conducted.
duced its greenhouse gas emissions by The term ‘‘advanced energy technology’’ (Pub. L. 115–246, title II, §206, Sept. 28, 2018,
means— 132 Stat. 3137.)
almost 15 percent—15 percent. You
don’t hear that often, but it is a fact— (A) an innovative technology— Mr. SULLIVAN. The definition of ad-
(i) that produces energy from solar, wind, vanced energy technology, which is in
more than any other industrialized na-
geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or the bill, the Endless Frontier Act, and
tion in the world. other renewable energy resources;
China was going like this. Still is. By is defined in 42 USC 18632 is along the
(ii) that produces nuclear energy;
the way, right now, the latest numbers (iii) for carbon capture and sequestration;
following lines. It says ‘‘Definitions,’’
on greenhouse gas emissions—China is (iv) that enables advanced vehicles, vehicle ‘‘advanced energy technology’’ means
producing more than the United components, and related technologies that an ‘‘innovative technology that pro-
States, the EU, and India combined. result in significant energy savings; duces energy from solar, wind, geo-
That is also a fact. (v) that generates, transmits, distributes, thermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean,
uses, or stores energy more efficiently than or other renewable energy.’’
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
So we have reduced global green-
house gas emissions dramatically. conventional technologies, including That is important for our country. It
through Smart Grid technologies; or goes on to say ‘‘that produces nuclear
Why? We all know why. It was the rev-
(vi) that enhances the energy independence
olution and the production of Amer- energy’’—that is important for our
and security of the United States by ena-
ican natural gas. That is a fact. That is bling improved or expanded supply and pro- country—‘‘for carbon capture and se-
a fact. duction of domestic energy resources, in- questration.’’ Again, a critical com-
So if we want to grow our economy, cluding coal, oil, and natural gas; parative advantage. ‘‘That enables ad-
have an enormous comparative advan- (2) Hub vanced vehicles, vehicle components,
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S3876 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 27, 2021
and related technologies that result in cently, we were respectful of our col- members of a New Middle Kingdom led
significant energy savings.’’ Again, im- leagues in the minority, and there was by China. As a result of the long twi-
portant. an agreement essentially about a one- light struggle with the Soviet Union,
And it also says ‘‘that enhances the for-one, domestic programs increasing we also know what works: maintaining
energy independence and security of and the military budget is going to in- peace through strength, promoting free
the United States by enabling im- crease by about the same amount. That markets and free people at home, and
proved or expanded supply and produc- is what we all agreed on here. That is having the confidence in George
tion of domestic energy resources, in- what we worked on here. Now, it looks Kennan’s insights when he set forth the
cluding coal, oil, and natural gas.’’ like it is going to be 16-for-1 or maybe strategy of containment in the late for-
That is in the definition of advanced even worse. This is something we real- ties to deal with the Soviet Union—
energy technologies, and that is the ly need to focus on. that the Chinese Communist Party,
definition that was passed two Con- Make no mistake, we can talk about like the Soviet Communist Party, like-
gresses ago, unanimously, and that is supply chains, intellectual property, ly bears within it the seeds of its own
why it has not been defined here be- competitiveness, which is what we are decay. While democracies are resilient,
cause it has already been defined in talking about here with this legisla- adaptive, and self-renewing, there are
this. tion. These are all important topics. many vulnerabilities embedded in Chi-
Congress is very clear on what ad- But all the policy changes that we are nese’s perceived strength.
vanced energy technology means in the debating here right now are not going One-man rule creates acute political
Endless Frontier Act. That is a huge to amount to much in our overall com- risks. Historical grievance can bring
comparative advantage, as I men- petition with respect to China if we violent nationalism. State-directed
tioned, oil, gas, renewables. And that is lose our military edge with respect to economic growth can produce massive
an important element of this legisla- China. overcapacity and mountains of debt,
tion in our competition with China, Unfortunately, some of my col- and the gradual snuffing out of freedom
and I am glad that is recognized. leagues just don’t recognize that or
One final area of what, again, the that we are literally seeing daily in
don’t want to recognize that. Soft places like Hong Kong sends fear
current administration’s National Se-
power isn’t much good without hard throughout the entire region.
curity Advisor called a situation of
power to back it up. We learned that China’s budding military power and
strength relative to China, and that, of
lesson before. It has been a painful les- historical view of itself as a natural
course, is our military. To be honest,
son, if you look at our history. and cultural superior to many others is
this is where I am worried. But the Chinese Communist Party
The second term of the Obama-Biden beginning to alarm neighboring states,
certainly appears to understand this. inspiring them to want to step up secu-
administration cut defense spending by
According to one watchdog, it has in- rity cooperation with the United
25 percent. That is actually one of the
reasons I ran for the Senate. I never creased its military investments by 76 States, not with China. Nearly half of
ran for anything, but what I saw what percent over the last decade, and we wealthy Chinese want to emigrate. Re-
was happening to the U.S. military—an are going to put out a budget tomorrow member, these are the winners from
institution I love and I served in for with an inflation-adjusted decrease in China’s four decades of heady economic
over 25 years—that was enough motiva- our military spending, despite the run- growth.
tion for me to say I need to help do away domestic spending proposed by As we have in the past, we can pre-
something. The readiness of our forces this administration. That is worri- vail in this geopolitical and ideological
during that era, the second term of the some, and that is not operating from a contest, but doing so will require a new
Obama-Biden administration—the position of strength with regard to the level of strategic initiative, organiza-
readiness of our forces plummeted— Chinese Communist Party. We need to tion, and confidence in who we are as a
plummeted. And our adversaries in watch out for that one. I am very con- people and what we stand for. This also
Moscow and Beijing watched this and cerned. means that we must redouble our ef-
were gleeful. Yes, there is a lot of bipartisan work forts in making this strategic case to
We can talk about AI and everything going on in the Senate, but if the lead- others around the world, particularly
else that we are talking about in this ership on the Senate floor and the our allies. This kind of work here—al-
bill, but if we are gutting our military, House leadership as well and the Biden though it can be messy, although it
that is one of the worst things we can administration work together to cut can be difficult, although it can be
do with regard to sending a message to defense spending, that is going to be challenging—is part of the process we
China about our seriousness. I worry. one of the worst things we can do for need to put together to compete.
Last year on this floor—last sum- our long-term competition with regard I suggest the absence of a quorum.
mer—we had a big debate in the NDAA to China. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
over defense spending. The majority As we are focused on these challenges OSSOFF). The clerk will call the roll.
leader—who was then the minority with the rise of China, let me conclude The legislative clerk proceeded to
leader—and the Senator from Vermont, by predicting that not only is this call the roll.
Senator SANDERS, put forward an challenge going to be with us for dec- Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous con-
amendment they called—no kidding— ades, but how we need to address it. I sent that the order for the quorum call
‘‘defund the Pentagon’’ then. That was have talked about some of these situa- be rescinded.
the name of their amendment, with 14 tions of strength. We must face this The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
percent across-the-board cuts to the challenge with confidence and stra- objection, it is so ordered.
entire U.S. military. My response was: tegic resolve. f
There they go again. There they go As I have noted and I just talked
again. about a few, America has extraor- MORNING BUSINESS
Well, now that they regained power, dinary advantages relative to China:
---
it looks like this movie is coming to a our global network of alliances, our
theater near us again, and it is not military power, and economic leader- S. 1260
going to be nice. Tomorrow, the Biden ship, our innovative society, our abun- Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, in
administration’s budget is going to be dant and innovative energy supplies, a bipartisan vote, the Senate advanced
coming out. The numbers that we are advanced energy technology as defined important legislation to increase our
in this bill and other bills, the world’s Nation’s competitiveness with China.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
anticipating are about a 16-percent in-
crease in domestic spending and a real most productive workforce, and a The United States Innovation and
decrease in military spending—infla- democratic value system. Competition Act, USICA, of 2021 is sig-
tion-adjusted decrease in military Yes, it can be messy, but that makes nificant legislation and an example of
spending again. Beijing will be watch- countries around the world, and par- what process and debate can yield in
ing this and will be gleeful. ticularly in the INDOPACOM region, the U.S. Senate.
When Republicans were in the White far more comfortable as American This legislative package is the end
House and the Senate majority just re- partners and allies than as subservient result of the bipartisan work of from
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