Biden Administration (Cong. Rec., July 12, 2021)
Summary
A page of the Congressional Record, Senate, dated July 12, 2021, at pages S4813 and S4814, carrying floor speeches. Mr. Peters asks consent to vote on the nomination of Jen Easterly, of New York, at the Department of Homeland Security, and the nomination was confirmed. Mrs. Blackburn speaks on protests in Cuba, saying CBP had arrested more than 1 million migrants by the end of June, and criticizes the President's agenda and the situation in Afghanistan. Mr. Cornyn says the bipartisan infrastructure agreement is tied to a partisan reconciliation bill, and that half of the States ended supplemental unemployment benefits early. Another Senator speaks on veterans, saying 400,000 veterans call Alabama home.
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“Biden Administration (Cong. Rec., July 12, 2021).”
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July 12, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4813
Senate is prepared to confirm this is just starvation, shortages, violence, ality, they are making policy based on
highly qualified nominee on a bipar- and failure. For 62 years, the ruling a perfect world scenario where con-
tisan basis. I certainly look forward to Communists have bled the Cuban peo- sequences are simply collateral dam-
working with her and with my friends ple dry, and now armed thugs have age.
on both sides of the aisle here in Con- taken to the streets to repress the op- Of course, here in the real world,
gress to shore up cyber security vulner- position at any cost. when you talk about collateral dam-
abilities and keep American families, Make no mistake, this is a test for age, you are really referring to the peo-
businesses, and the Federal Govern- President Biden. He must draw a line ple who pay the price for all of these
ment secure. in the sand. absurd policies.
f I call on my colleagues in the major- You know, we read a lot in the news
ity and on President Biden and the these days about what a struggle it is
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR members of his Cabinet to join me in for the Senate majority to get their
Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I supporting all who would risk their bills to the President’s desk.
ask unanimous consent that the Sen- lives to expose the ravages of socialism No struggle over legislation or pay-
ate proceed to the consideration of the in Cuba. fors will ever compare to what you are
following nomination, Calendar No. We must lead in discussions with the putting the average American through.
176. U.N. and the EU and coordinate opposi- If we want to talk about pay-fors, let’s
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there tion to this violence being carried out talk about how Americans are sup-
objection? against the people of Cuba. posed to pay for gas to get to and from
Without objection, it is so ordered. We must demand that the Cuban work. What happens when they just
The clerk will report the nomination. Government allow for a free and open can’t afford it anymore?
The senior assistant legislative clerk internet and initiate investigations Inflation is already taking a toll on
read the nomination of Jen Easterly, of into if and how Havana used tech- the average family’s ability to pay for
New York, to be Director of the Cyber- nology supported by the Chinese Com- their weekly groceries. Supply chain
security and Infrastructure Security munist Party to cut off access to the problems have made concerns over pay-
Agency, Department of Homeland Se- internet just as the protests started ing for raw materials like lumber obso-
curity. gaining mainstream attention. lete. There is nothing to pay for.
Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I We cannot stand by while Communist The American people have lost so
ask unanimous consent that the Sen- thugs gun down their own people. We many simple things that used to be not
ate vote on the nomination without in- easy but manageable. But now, when
cannot let this become another Ven-
tervening action or debate and that, if they ask Washington to shape up and
ezuela.
confirmed, the motion to reconsider be Just as we stand with the freedom give them a break, all they get in re-
considered made and laid upon the fighters suffering in Hong Kong, on turn is the assurance that struggle and
table, all without intervening action or loss is all part of the plan.
mainland China, and in other socialist
It is July, and we still haven’t seen a
debate; that no further motions be in regimes around the world, we must
reasonable infrastructure proposal. No,
order to the nomination; that any stand with the people of Cuba. instead, what we have is a truly insult-
statements related to the nomination BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
ing two-bill scheme that Senate Demo-
be printed in the RECORD; and that the Madam President, meanwhile, we are crats concocted in lieu of a mandate
President be immediately notified of 6 months into a new era in American for their radical environmental agenda.
the Senate’s action. politics. The Biden administration is What will the American people get
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there still treating government like a grad- from this scheme? Well, just a fraction
objection? uate seminar, and the American people of what could be the largest spending
Without objection, it is so ordered. are still wondering when their Presi- initiative in history will go toward the
The question is, Will the Senate ad- dent is going to stop catering to the roads, bridges, and broadband connec-
vise and consent to the Easterly nomi- radical left and start doing his job. tions that people actually need and are
nation? As I was back home in Tennessee, I willing to pay for.
The nomination was confirmed. found out many Tennesseans are abso- If Democrats want the more radical
Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I lutely disgusted. They have decided line items, they will have to force it
suggest the absence of a quorum. that our Democratic colleagues are not through by abusing the reconciliation
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The serious about doing serious work. Their process. In a sane world, this wouldn’t
clerk will call the roll. priorities and the President’s priorities even be a choice. They wouldn’t do it
The senior assistant legislative clerk have never been further apart. because Democrats know that the kind
proceeded to call the roll. They are looking at those line items of spending they are talking about will
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Presi- the administration is checking off, and exacerbate inflation and increase the
dent, I ask unanimous consent that the all they can see is what the adminis- deficit.
order for the quorum call be rescinded. tration refuses to acknowledge; that Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without there are very real consequences to all but ignored their duty to keep the
objection, it is so ordered. this out-of-control agenda. country secure. In May, Customs and
CUBA When President Biden killed the Key- Border Protection caught more than
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Presi- stone XL Pipeline, Tennesseans did not 180,000 people trying to cross our south-
dent, this weekend, the people of Cuba cheer. All they saw on the horizon were ern border. Drug seizures were up 18
rose up in opposition to their repres- higher gas prices and a vulnerable fuel percent across the Nation. As of the
sive socialist government. supply chain. end of June this year, CBP has arrested
I think it is important to be clear on Not 4 months after Biden signed the more than 1 million migrants trying to
that point because much of the main- Executive order, the Colonial Pipeline come into this country. That is right.
stream media that is reporting on hack showed us what can happen when By the end of June, CBP has arrested
these protests makes it sound as if ev- something interrupts the supply chain. more than 1 million migrants trying to
erything is pandemic related, but what When President Biden opened the come into the country.
is happening in Cuba is not an eco- border, they knew better than to be- This is a vulnerability, and I would
nomic fluke, and every single person lieve all the hype about this so-called ask my Democratic colleagues and
serving in this body, working in the solution to our immigration crisis, and
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President Biden why they are not more
media, and analyzing the policy impli- their instincts were spot on. Now the concerned about it.
cations knows better than to say oth- chaos tearing apart communities in the I would also ask why they are not
erwise. American Southwest is bleeding into more concerned about the impending
This isn’t the pop socialism touted communities in Tennessee. collapse in Afghanistan. The dominos
by the American left. It is not fashion- For Democrats here in DC, all of are falling. Iran wasted no time step-
able. There is no empowerment or those line items came with zero con- ping in to negotiate a deal between the
equality in the socialist regime; there sequences. Instead of focusing on re- Afghan Government and the Taliban.
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S4814 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 12, 2021
Let’s be clear what the Biden admin- support small businesses impacted by was necessary for pandemic relief, but
istration has done here. By turning the pandemic, and combat the increase that is not what it is being used for.
their backs on 20 years of hard work in hate crimes against Asian Ameri- So how are we faring after Democrats
and sacrifice in Afghanistan, they cre- cans. We have done all of that together passed this bill? Did the American Res-
ated a power vacuum in a strategically in a bipartisan way. Bipartisan solu- cue Plan truly rescue America? Well,
important region, knowing that the tions are also being crafted to address when it comes to the virus, the answer
world’s most belligerent state sponsor other major issues, from the border cri- is clearly no. As I said, only a small
of terror was waiting to fill the gap. sis, to drug pricing, to police reform. portion of this massive spending sup-
It is time for President Biden to start In the coming weeks, the Senate is ported our fight against COVID–19.
listening to the people paying the price expected to vote on one of those bipar- When this bill was signed into law,
for his radical agenda. They feel like tisan agreements; that is, to rebuild the majority of frontline workers had
they are losing their country. They are and maintain our Nation’s infrastruc- already been vaccinated, and vaccine
talking to us about their fear of losing ture. The process that brought us to makers were working as quickly as
their country and their freedom. They this point certainly has been a roller possible to supply the rest of the Amer-
are out of time, and I will tell you coaster. After weeks of back-and-forth ican people who wanted them with
what, they are about to be out of pa- negotiations, a group of more than 20 shots. Today, two-thirds of adults in
tience. Senators reached an agreement with America have received at least one
If you bothered to ask them what the White House just last month. But dose of the vaccine—two-thirds. That
they want, they would tell you get the here is when things got very strange. progress came because of the bipar-
spending under control; keep this coun- Within minutes of the announcement, tisan work that happened last year, not
try and our allies safe; and stop dis- the President himself put the fate of this year.
tracting yourself with wish list that agreement into question. He said This legislation certainly didn’t res-
projects that serve no one but the most he wouldn’t sign the bill unless Demo- cue our already sluggish economy. In
radical elements of the Democratic crats paired it with a multitrillion-dol- fact, it has created more hurdles for
Party. They are not willing to pay for lar reconciliation bill that would in- our economy. Democrats created an in-
that wish list. clude a smorgasbord of leftist spending centive for workers to remain on the
I yield the floor. priorities and trillions in higher taxes sidelines of the labor market through
I suggest the absence of a quorum. and more debt for Americans. Talk the end of September by offering en-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The about whiplash. Both Republicans and hanced Federal bonuses to State unem-
clerk will call the roll. Democrats were caught off guard. That ployment.
The senior assistant legislative clerk hadn’t been part of the discussions or In Texas, for example, businesses of
proceeded to call the roll. negotiation. That isn’t what they said all types have struggled to find willing
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I they agreed to. workers. For every industry, from hos-
ask unanimous consent that the order Well, the reversal and unexpected an- pitality, to retail, to manufacturing, to
for the quorum call be rescinded. nouncement from the President that, energy, ‘‘Help Wanted’’ signs can be
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without even though they were announcing a found everywhere across my State, and
objection, it is so ordered. deal, they didn’t have a deal, prompted we are not alone. One restaurant owner
Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, a weekend press cleanup, and the Presi- said the government has been its big-
ahead of the last work period, Senator dent issued a lengthy statement clari- gest competitor when it comes to find-
SCHUMER, the majority leader, outlined fying that it was not a veto threat. But ing workers.
his designed-to-fail agenda. He fore- we have no reason to suspect that the The labor squeeze has become so
casted a series of votes on legislation larger sentiment has changed. tight that half of the States, including
that stood zero chance of actually pass- In a letter to his Democratic col- Texas, ended the supplemental unem-
ing—legislation to exploit the cause of leagues last Friday, the majority lead- ployment benefits early because they
pay fairness to line the pockets of trial er, Senator SCHUMER, said the Senate were not compensating people who
lawyers, to erode Americans’ Second will consider both the bipartisan deal couldn’t work or couldn’t find work
Amendment rights, to force schools on infrastructure and the partisan but paying people more than they
and hospitals to comply with ‘‘woke’’ budget resolution with reconciliation would earn if they did work when jobs
social norms, and, of course, the mar- instructions. The bipartisan deal is were readily available.
quee bill, a partisan takeover of our very much tied to the fate of a com- Those are just the problems that
elections. pletely partisan reconciliation bill, have been created with the labor mar-
It was obvious from the outset that notwithstanding President Biden’s ket. Families across the country have
this agenda wasn’t designed to achieve cleanup after his unexpected announce- felt the sting of inflation as they have
results. It takes bipartisanship. It ment at the White House. paid higher prices on everything from
takes rolling up your sleeves and work- Our Democratic colleagues don’t gasoline to groceries. This is exactly
ing to build bipartisan consensus to get have to listen to me, but I do believe the scenario outlined by economists
things done in the Senate—especially they would be wise to avoid this path. across the country, including those
so in an equally divided Senate as we They already went on a nearly $2 tril- who call themselves Democrats, people
have now. lion spending binge earlier this year like Larry Summers, who served as
Rather than put forward a number of and sidelined every single Republican Treasury Secretary under President
bills that would earn that sort of bipar- in the Congress during the process. Clinton and Director of the National
tisan support and actually pass, Sen- They tried to bill this ultrapartisan Economic Council under President
ator SCHUMER chose to spend most of legislation as COVID–19 relief, but we Obama. He was among the first to warn
the Senate’s time last month putting all know that only about 10 percent of about inflation or rising costs for con-
on a show for the so-called progressive the bill was directly related to the pan- sumers, and, boy, you must have
base of his party, and I expect even demic and only 1 percent was tied to thought he was a skunk at the garden
more political theater this month. vaccinating the American people. The party.
So in the next few weeks, we are told, rest, 90 percent, was exactly the type of You would think this might serve as
our Democratic colleagues will put thing you would expect to see in a bill a lesson to our Democratic colleagues
their dual-track legislative approach that has only the support of our Demo- about shoveling money out the door as
to the test. One of those tracks will in- cratic colleagues—funding for climate fast as they can, even when it creates
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clude a heavy dose of bipartisanship, justice, backdoor money for Planned massive debt and the threat of more in-
and that is something I applaud. Parenthood, and more funding for flation, but here we are once again. Our
Contrary to public opinion, Repub- State and local governments than they Democratic colleagues are preparing to
licans and Democrats in the Senate know what to do with. Blue States are spend trillions more dollars on top of
spend a lot of time working together. using that money to pay down old the trillions of dollars we have already
So far this year, we have worked to- debts with the funding. Our Demo- spent on a bipartisan basis to combat
gether to counter threats from China, cratic colleagues claim that money the virus but then afterwards to spend
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July 12, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4815
more money on their chosen political deal, and I am eager to see the details War II and died on Active Duty after
priorities and not on the pandemic. on how this massive investment is paid the war. But he taught me so many
They want to now add additional tril- for. But, again, this is only one-half of valuable lessons, like work ethic, per-
lions of dollars to that debt and to that the so-called dual-track process an- severance, and love of country. When I
spending, risking even more dangerous nounced by Senator SCHUMER. meet with veterans, I see the same pa-
and volatile inflation. The exorbitant pricetags being float- triotism my dad lived out every day of
The details of what this round of ed for the second track have raised se- his life.
spending might look like are still com- rious concerns not just among folks on
You know, I never served myself. The
ing together, but we know that if the this side of the aisle but on both sides
Vietnam war was over before I got out
chairman of the Budget Committee, of the aisle.
of college, but many guys I knew from
BERNIE SANDERS, has his wish, the I sincerely hope that some of our col-
leagues on the other side will stand up back home served in Vietnam. I saw
price tag could come out as high as $6
against irresponsible spending. As we how badly they were treated by the
trillion more. Six trillion dollars is a
know, it takes just one Democratic media, by Hollywood, and even by their
quarter of our gross domestic product.
If you convert our country’s World War Senator to stand in the way of this fellow Americans. They were just try-
II spending to today’s dollars, it only abuse of the reconciliation process, and ing to serve their country. They
comes out to $4.4 trillion. So the Demo- I hope one or more of them will have watched their friends die, and when
cratic chairman of the Budget Com- the courage to do so. they got home, they weren’t treated
mittee wants to spend more money I yield the floor. very well.
than we spent to defeat Nazi Germany The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- I thank God we treat our veterans
and Imperial Japan during World War ator from Vermont. today better than we did when I was
II. (The remarks of Mr. LEAHY per- growing up. And veterans from the
But I want to be clear about another taining to the introduction of S. 2311 Vietnam era are still the largest of the
thing. This so-called human infrastruc- are printed in today’s RECORD under veteran group in this United States
ture plan, which is just made-up words ‘‘Statements on Introduced Bills and that we live in today. More than 100,000
indicating that they are trying to Joint Resolutions.’’) Vietnam vets live in Alabama.
mask the reality of what they want to Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I ask
unanimous consent that Senators But there is still more we can do to
spend money on—it is not about
SCOTT of Florida, MENENDEZ, give them the care and resources that
bridges and roads. It is not about
TUBERVILLE, and SCHUMER be allowed they need and deserve. I am honored to
broadband, things that we all under-
to complete their remarks prior to the be a member of the Senate’s Veterans’
stand are truly infrastructure. It is
vote. Affairs Committee, where we can hear
about a long list of political spending
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without about the problems facing our veterans
preferences, and it certainly can’t be
objection, it is so ordered. firsthand and work together on com-
compared to spending the money we
The Senator from Alabama. monsense solutions.
needed in order to win World War II.
For example, they want to spend tril- VETERANS The biggest challenge our veterans
lions and trillions of dollars more on Mr. TUBERVILLE. Madam Presi- face is the access to quality care. We
Medicare expansion, electric vehicle dent, last week, when we were all back have all seen it in the news. We have
chargers, home-based care, free college, home, we all got to celebrate the heard about it firsthand. Far too often,
and a long list of liberal priorities. We Fourth of July. Cooking out, spending veterans can’t get the care they need
are happy to debate those but not to time with our family and friends, in a timely manner. One veteran who
jam them in a $6 trillion spending watching fireworks is always special. doesn’t have access to care is one too
package. Sitting there with my family, I many.
All of this spending would be in addi- thought about how blessed we are to
My main priority is to get veterans
tion to the more than $1 trillion bipar- live in the United States of America.
the care they need and they well de-
tisan infrastructure bill that appar- We get to live in the most free and
serve by whatever means at our dis-
ently is currently being drafted. I know prosperous country in the history of
posal, period. A solution to help ad-
we have been talking for weeks about a the world. We owe that freedom and
dress that problem is the GHAPS Act,
bipartisan infrastructure bill, but I prosperity to the people who declared
Guaranteeing Healthcare Access to
have learned as recently as today that their independence on July 4, 245 years
ago. Personnel Who Served, introduced by
there is no bill text, and the Congres-
sional Budget Office that scores these They fought and won their freedom my friend and committee ranking
bills has not done so yet so we can de- for an idea called America. That Amer- member Senator MORAN from Kansas.
termine whether the so-called pay-fors ican idea lives on two-and-a-half cen- The GHAPS Act would identify per-
are, indeed, legitimate and stand up to turies later, thanks to the generations sistent gaps that veterans face and
scrutiny. of men and women who, like many be- would help craft innovative solutions
Our national debt is at the highest fore them, put on the uniform to de- to make certain all veterans receive
level since World War II. This is not fend this great country. Many gave quality and timely care, especially our
the time to spend and spend and spend their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, to veterans living in rural areas. The bill
until our grandkids are left sitting in a defend the United States. But many would also direct the VA to create a
pile of debt so deep that they will have more are still with us, and future gen- telehealth strategic plan so that we
no hope of climbing out of it. And we erations will continue to volunteer to can use modern methods to improve ac-
certainly can’t tax and spend our way protect the freedoms and liberties this cess to care.
to prosperity. We need to take a hard country affords us every day. I am proud to cosponsor that legisla-
look at our spending habits and make Today we have got almost 20 million
tion and will be working with Ranking
some tough choices, like most Amer- veterans in the United States, and
Member MORAN to get this bill passed.
ican families. They have to decide: 400,000 of them call Alabama home. I
What are my priorities, and what are have had the honor and pleasure to We also need to do more to address
the resources I have to spend to fund meet many Alabama veterans the past the scourge of veteran suicide. It is ab-
those priorities? And that is exactly few years. I am always heartened to solutely tragic that more than 18 vet-
what we need to do here in Congress. talk with them about their service to erans take their own life every day. I
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Folks on both sides of the aisle want our great country, but what I hear over have partnered with groups like Amer-
to rebuild our Nation’s infrastructure. and over again is that there is more we ica’s Warrior Partnership, who are
Rebuilding resilient roads, bridges, and can do for all of our veterans: better gathering data on veteran suicide
broadband are top of mind for Repub- access to care, better opportunities to across the country to determine how
licans and Democrats. I know our col- reenter civilian life. we can combat this terrible epidemic,
leagues are still working on text, as I Taking care of our veterans is per- leveraging both the VA and community
said, for the bipartisan infrastructure sonal for me. My dad served in World resources.
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