Consideration of H.R. 3684 and Budget Reconciliation — Congressional Record, Senate
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate proceedings for Monday, August 9, 2021, Vol. 167 No. 144, including pages S6061 and S6062. The House was not in session; the Senate met at 12 noon with Bennet of Colorado as Acting President pro tempore and resumed consideration of the infrastructure bill. Schumer says the Senate is on the precipice of passing major bipartisan infrastructure legislation, with a vote scheduled for the next morning. He describes two tracks, the bipartisan bill and the budget reconciliation bill, and says the goals before August recess are to pass the bipartisan bill and a budget resolution.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
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“Consideration of H.R. 3684 and Budget Reconciliation — Congressional Record, Senate.”
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Congressional Record
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117 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021 No. 144
House of Representatives
The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 10 a.m.
Senate
MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2021
The Senate met at 12 noon and was U.S. SENATE, RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER
called to order by the Honorable MI- PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE, The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
CHAEL BENNET, a Senator from the Washington, DC, August 9, 2021. pore. The majority leader is recog-
To the Senate:
State of Colorado. nized.
Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3,
f of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby H.R. 3684
PRAYER appoint the Honorable MICHAEL F. BENNET, a Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now,
Senator from the State of Colorado, to per- it may have taken all weekend, but the
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- form the duties of the Chair. Senate is now finally on the precipice
fered the following prayer: PATRICK J. LEAHY, of passing major bipartisan infrastruc-
Let us pray. President pro tempore.
ture legislation.
Eternal God, You rule forever. Lord, Mr. BENNET thereupon assumed the Last night, an overwhelming bipar-
we see change and decay in our world, Chair as Acting President pro tempore. tisan majority of Senators voted to
but Your power and might continue to f surmount the final few procedural hur-
sustain us. Great is Your faithfulness. dles and put the bill on a glidepath for
You remain our shelter by day and de- RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
passage tomorrow morning. The bill
fense by night. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- will represent a substantial downpay-
Today, surround our lawmakers with pore. Under the previous order, the ment toward the level of infrastructure
Your generous blessings. As they seek leadership time is reserved. investment our country needs, and for
to honor You, provide them with the f the first time, the Senate has come to-
wisdom to keep our Nation strong. gether around such a package in dec-
Lord, bless them with Your compas- CONCLUSION OF MORNING
BUSINESS ades. I will have more to say about it
sion, mercy, and love as You continue before final passage.
to answer their prayers. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- BUDGET RECONCILATION
We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. pore. Morning business is closed.
Now, Mr. President, all summer, I
f f have spoken about how the Senate
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LEGISLATIVE SESSION would proceed along two tracks when
The Presiding Officer led the Pledge it came to infrastructure: the bipar-
of Allegiance, as follows: tisan bill we will vote on tomorrow as
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR well as the budget reconciliation bill
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the
THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUR- that will allow Democrats to make his-
United States of America, and to the Repub-
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, FACE TRANSPORTATION IN toric investments in American jobs,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. AMERICA ACT—Resumed American families, and efforts to re-
f The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- verse climate change.
pore. Under the previous order, the In order to achieve such an ambitious
APPOINTMENT OF ACTING legislative effort, I laid out two clear
Senate will resume consideration of
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE goals for this summer work period:
H.R. 3684, which the clerk will report.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The The senior assistant legislative clerk pass the bipartisan bill and a budget
clerk will please read a communication read as follows: resolution to set up the second track of
to the Senate from the President pro A bill (H.R. 3684) to authorize funds for our process before we leave for August
tempore (Mr. LEAHY). Federal-aid highways, highway safety pro- recess.
The senior assistant legislative clerk grams, and transit programs, and for other Many folks called that two-track
read the following letter: purposes. process unrealistic. Many others said it
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∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
®
S6061
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S6062 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
is unachievable on such a short dental, vision, and hearing benefits— head on. We are not flinching; we are
timeline and in such a slow-moving something that was left out of Medi- not wincing; we are going right at it.
Chamber. But we have managed to care at the beginning. It never should As bad as COVID was this year, and it
steer two trains at the same time. have been, and we can rectify it now. was horrible, 5 or 10 years from now—
There have been some bumps. There By cutting taxes for tens of millions every year—climate change will make
have been some delays. But the Senate of American families, we can expand things worse and worse and worse, even
is on track to finish both tracks. opportunity and make it easier for par- worse than it was this year in COVID,
Earlier this summer, I suggested the ents to pass on a better life to their because when climate changes, it is
two-track strategy to President Biden children and their grandchildren. By such an overwhelming force that, un-
and Speaker PELOSI. We all agreed it making further investments in infra- less we do something now, we may not
was the best way to move forward, and structure, we can create tens of thou- be able to stop it down the road.
we are working in concert to make it sands—hundreds of thousands—of good- So, taking a step back, at its core,
happen. paying jobs. By finally tackling cli- the Democratic budget is about restor-
This morning, Senate Democrats un- mate change, we can spare our country ing the middle class in the 21st century
veiled our budget resolution with rec- and our planet the most devastating ef- and giving more Americans the oppor-
onciliation instructions, which is the fects of global warming. tunity to get there. Unfortunately, the
first step in unlocking the legislative Just this morning, a major new re- past 20 years in America have been a
process for a budget reconciliation bill port from climate scientists at the story of middle-class decline.
later this year. United Nations concluded that the na- We have all watched as globalization
Several Members—many Members— tions of the world have only a small and technology transformed the way
had a hand in crafting this package. We window to ‘‘prevent the most our economy works. Industrial manu-
worked closely with our committee harrowing future’’—‘‘prevent the most facturing jobs were shipped overseas. A
chairs, but I want to especially thank harrowing future’’—in the words of the global financial crisis cost Americans
the chair of the Budget Committee, New York Times. their homes and their wealth. Giant
Senator SANDERS. He kept his nose to Without immediate and bold action, conglomerates wiped out Main Street
the grindstone and led our caucus on we are staring down ever worsening businesses from Arizona to Arkansas,
the budget. He always kept the floods and heat waves, droughts and from Michigan to Maine. The cost of
thoughts and needs of American work- sea level rise. The future of our planet raising a family—everything from
ers and families at the top of his mind. looks bleak until we do something childcare to college tuition—has be-
As a result, the Democratic budget will right now. The budget reconciliation come exorbitant, almost unaffordable,
be the most significant legislation for bill will do more to combat climate even for those solidly in the middle
American families since the era of the change than any legislation ever— class.
New Deal and the Great Society. It is ever—in the history of the Senate. Now, after the worst pandemic in a
big, bold change—the kind of change That is a promise. hundred years, American families are
America thirsts for. While my Republican colleagues re- just starting to climb out of the rubble
I want to thank other members of gurgitate the same tired talking points and look toward the future. We want
the Budget Committee, like Senator about a Democratic spending spree, let them to look toward that future with
WARNER, who worked closely with the me remind America that we plan to hope and with optimism, not with the
White House and Chairman SANDERS to pay for this package by making the sourness and anger that we have seen
develop a framework, and Senators wealthy pay their fair share. throughout the land—exacerbated,
MURRAY and WYDEN and STABENOW and When our Republican friends held the played upon by the previous President.
WHITEHOUSE and MERKLEY and KAINE majority in this Chamber, they chose What the future looks like, in large
and VAN HOLLEN and LUJÁN and to use the same process Democrats are part, depends on what we do here now.
PADILLA, all of whom came together, using now—budget reconciliation—to These next few months are crucial for
even though each had different views give corporations and the wealthy a the future of our country, even for our
on different issues, to produce this re- massive tax break. At a time of egre- democracy.
sult, and a great result it is. gious income inequality, the former What we need to do in Congress is to
I want American families to under- Republican majority rammed through give our workers, our businesses, our
stand what this legislation will mean a bill where 83 percent of the benefits families a chance to prosper in a rap-
for them—four simple things to keep in went to the top 1 percent—83 percent of idly changing world, a chance to have
mind. I am borrowing Senator STABE- the benefits. hope, a chance to restore that Amer-
NOW’s chart for this. It will lower costs I have nothing against the wealthy. ican dream, which simply says, if I
for Americans, it will cut taxes for God bless them—they are doing fine al- work hard, I will be doing better 10
American families, it will create mil- ready—but it is time to cut taxes for years from now than I am doing today,
lions of jobs while tackling the climate American families, middle-class fami- and my kids will be doing still better
crisis, and it will be paid for by the lies, not multinational corporations. than me. When Americans lose that
wealthy paying their fair share. These To make our Tax Code more progres- faith, lose that hope, that sunny Amer-
are four goals. The American people sive and more fair, that is what Demo- ican optimism that has been part of
support every one of them overwhelm- crats are going to do. Under this plan, our character for centuries, bad things
ingly. there will be no tax increases on small happen. Bad things happen to our de-
In all phases, we will concentrate on business or American families making mocracy, to our relationships with one
communities that have been too often under $400,000. another, to just about everything.
neglected, including communities of We are going to help small businesses The social contract in America relies
color and Native Americans, by mak- create many, many, many jobs. on the fundamental promise of eco-
ing education, childcare, healthcare, We are going to give American fami- nomic opportunity, the chance,
and housing more affordable. We can lies a fair shot. We are going to tell through hard work, to do better for
give tens of millions of families a leg middle-class families we are going to yourself and then give your children
up by making sure that we can get our make it easier for you to stay there and grandchildren a better life than
children out of poverty, and I thank with your increasing costs of things you have. That is what America is all
the Presiding Officer for his leadership like childcare and school and college about. That is what we are trying to
on that issue. We can provide ladders and so much else. We are going to tell restore and revivify here.
to families who haven’t had them be- poorer families we are going to make it When that promise is broken, when
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fore and help them climb into the mid- easier for you to climb into the middle that American dream is no longer shin-
dle class. class with things like the child tax ing brightly in the sky, when faith in
Many of the policies we are proposing credit and better healthcare and so economic opportunity evaporates, we
were in President Biden’s American much more. are not the America we were meant to
Jobs and Family Plan, but some go be- We are going to confront the genera- be. We are not optimistic and entrepre-
yond, like expanding Medicare to cover tional challenge of climate change neurial and forward-looking. Instead,
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6063
we are bitter and angry and backward- The tragedy is that Democrats want to The Director of the CIA told Sen-
looking and, as a result, much more inflict all this pain on middle-class ators that withdrawal would make his
prone to the sway of demagogues like families. Here is the comedy: They Agency’s job harder. And needless to
Donald Trump. The divisions in our won’t let Republicans have any say in say, the last time a Democratic admin-
country and our politics today have this monstrosity, but they want our istration tried a hasty retreat from the
their roots in the decline of economic help raising their credit card to make region offered a cautionary tale.
mobility. it happen. Reality was clear to everyone but the
Now, the American people don’t ex- Democrats want Republicans to help very top of the Biden administration.
pect one piece of legislation to solve all them raise the debt limit so they can From their bizarre choice of a symbolic
our Nation’s ills—no single law can do keep spending historic sums of money September 11 deadline, to the absence
that—but we have to start in a bold, with zero Republican input and zero of any concrete plan, the administra-
strong way rebuilding the basic social Republican votes. tion’s decision appears to have rested
contract for middle-class American So imagine a friend tells you he is on wishful thinking and not much else.
families and for everyone struggling to flying off to Las Vegas to blow all of The notion that Afghan Forces might
get there: a promise of equal oppor- his money. He doesn’t care that you be able to stop the Taliban’s advance
tunity and equality; helping middle- think it is irresponsible. You aren’t in- with only ‘‘over-the-horizon’’ support?
class Americans stay in the middle vited to come along, but he wants you That has proven to be wishful think-
class; building ladders to help others to cosign a loan for him before he ing.
climb into that middle class. At its leaves. That the Taliban might respond to
core, that is what this budget is all Now, I understand the administra- the diplomatic plying of the inter-
about, and we are going to take the tion sent out the Treasury Secretary national community? Wishful thinking
first steps toward passing it very, very to argue that, historically, both parties as well.
soon. have addressed the debt ceiling to- As the administration’s withdrawal
I yield the floor. gether. Of course, it is our Senate Dem- proceeds at full speed, expert warnings
I suggest the absence of a quorum. ocrat colleagues who have no interest have become deadly realities.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- in what is historically normal. Their The Afghan people and their demo-
pore. The clerk will call the roll. borrowing and spending are histori- cratic institutions are literally being
The senior assistant legislative clerk cally abnormal. Democrats keep boast- ripped apart by murderous theocrats.
proceeded to call the roll. ing about how wild and revolutionary Nearly 1,000 Afghans have reportedly
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I their partisan vision is. been killed already by Taliban death
ask unanimous consent that the order So our friends across the aisle should squads in the Province of Kandahar
for the quorum call be rescinded. not expect traditional bipartisan bor- alone.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- rowing to finance their nontraditional In the last 2 months, the militants
pore. Without objection, it is so or- reckless taxing-and-spending spree. have taken more territory—more terri-
dered. That is not how it is going to work. tory in the last 2 months—than they
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER Democrats have all the existing tools have held since 2001. And in just the
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- they need to raise the debt limit on a last 4 days, the Taliban have raised
pore. The minority leader is recog- partisan basis. If they want 50 lockstep their flag over six—six—provincial cap-
nized. Democratic votes to spend trillions and itals, including northern cities far, far
Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, last trillions more, they can find 50 Demo- from the group’s historic base of power.
election cycle, Americans elected a 50– cratic votes to finance it. If they don’t Militants are engaged in a campaign
50 Senate, a closely divided House, and want Republicans’ input, they don’t to assassinate crucial members of the
a President who promised unity and need our help. It couldn’t really be sim- remaining resistance, from military pi-
moderation. pler, and it really couldn’t be more lots to top government ministers.
What have Washington Democrats fair. All across the country, women and
done in response? Besides, I thought my colleagues children are already suffering, in par-
They have set out trying to tax and were literally thrilled to present an- ticular. One recent report claimed
spend our country into oblivion. They other reckless taxing-and-spending Taliban militans beat a child to death
have handed the keys to domestic pol- spree to the American people. I because his father—listen to this: Beat
icymaking to Chairman SANDERS and thought middle-class families were a child to death because his father
some socialist House Members. supposed to be delighted with their so- served in the Afghan Armed Forces.
In the spring, they passed a massive, cialist shopping list. What is more, the prospect of an
inflationary, liberal spending bill that So shouldn’t Democrats be proud to emboldened al-Qaida—capable of
Democrats bragged was the most lib- own all the debt it requires? threatening not only the region, but
eral bill in American history. Our colleagues seem confident that the American homeland—is now a near
Now, this week, just a few months Chairman SANDERS’ vision is worth certainty, no matter what the Biden
later, they want to start ramming sticking our kids and grandkids with a administration tells itself about the
through trillions more that will make massive bill. They deserve to have state of that threat today.
that disaster look like child’s play. total ownership of that decision. And yet the State Department still
They call it $31⁄2 trillion in spending. AFGHANISTAN mouths unbelievably naive platitudes,
Nonpartisan experts say those plans Now, Mr. President, on a totally dif- like ‘‘expectation’’ is that the Taliban
would more likely cost Americans ferent matter, when the Biden adminis- will work toward ‘‘political settle-
about $51⁄2 trillion—trillions more bor- tration announced its reckless retreat ment,’’ even as the Taliban spokesman
rowing and trillions more spending, from Afghanistan in April, I made my asserted that the most recent attacks
when inflation is already sticking opposition perfectly clear. are just ‘‘the beginning of retaliatory
American families with higher costs; But I wasn’t alone. One of the most operations.’’
new permanent welfare, with no work prominent liberal editorial boards in So does this sound like a group com-
requirements, when small businesses the country responded to the Presi- mitted to peaceful means?
are already struggling to find workers; dent’s move with this headline: ‘‘Biden Goodness’ sake, get a grip.
sweeping amnesty, when the southern takes the easy way out of Afghanistan. This willful denial isn’t just costing
border is already in crisis; Green New The likely result is disaster.’’ Afghanistan; it is already costing the
Deal regulations, when Americans’ gas The administration’s own top intel- American people and our interests.
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prices have already shot up; and crush- ligence experts made a similar pre- It has forced loyal coalition partners
ing tax hikes for family businesses and diction: to second-guess whether we can be
farms, as they fight to recover from The Taliban is likely to make gains on the trusted to finish what we start. It has
the recession. battlefield, and the Afghan Government will led brave Afghans, who earned prom-
So, apparently, tragedy and comedy struggle to hold the Taliban at bay if the co- ises of assistance, to fear they would be
really are two sides of the same coin. alition withdraws its support. abandoned amid our incompetent—
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S6064 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
completely incompetent—retreat. It ever dreamed that 20 years later we ally a time to head back home, meet
has even left overwhelmed Embassy would still be in Afghanistan having our constituents, eat our way through
personnel to urge remaining Americans lost 2,000 American lives of the brave our State Fairs, and enjoy some down-
in Afghanistan to leave immediately American women and men who served time with our families. This year, I was
by any means available. there; tens of thousands of people in- looking forward to a visit by some of
This morning, I attended a classified jured, trillions of American dollars my grandkids to Springfield when Lo-
briefing from administration officials spent, with virtually nothing to show retta and I have a week or two of just
about current conditions on the for it. What we learned, the bitter les- getting to know the kids again.
ground. Look, needless to say, the son for America, as it was for the Great We didn’t get to see them much last
briefers faced some tough questions Britain and the Russians, is that Af- year because of COVID–19, and I was
about an entirely avoidable—entirely ghanistan has no appetite for out- looking forward to the opportunity
avoidable—situation that is deterio- siders. this year, but because we are in session
rating faster every single day; and they We tried to bring them dramatic, I was unable to. We hope maybe in a
will certainly face more as global ter- positive improvements in their culture few days that changes.
rorists feed from the rise of an extrem- and education, the liberation of I think about those grandkids, all of
ist government in Afghanistan. women, creating new opportunities, my grandkids—six of them at this
I, for one, have warned repeatedly and maybe we had some marginal suc- point, I am proud to say—and what
that those who seek to harm us, our cess. But it is a battle when you try to kind of world we are going to be leav-
friends, and our interests simply do not change a nation’s ethic, and we learned ing them.
abide by our political time tables. They it the hard way. A new school year is right around the
do not care if our leaders get tired of At the briefing today, one of our col- corner. Along with all the normal sup-
the task at hand. leagues whom I respect very much, plies, they will be buying face masks.
And this is not what victory looks Senator KAINE from Virginia, I thought For a young child, this pandemic must
like. asked the most important question be confusing and scary. As a parent,
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- about the current situation in Afghani- you want to be honest with them, but
pore. The Senator from Illinois. stan. He said it was his understanding you want to reassure them that every-
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I at- that the United States had spent bil- thing is going to be OK. That goes for
tended the same classified briefing as lions, maybe more, in the training and all the challenges of our day, starting
the Republican Senate leader, and I lis- equipping of the Afghan military forces with climate change.
tened carefully as the administration supporting the government and that we This morning, the U.N. Intergovern-
presented the realities of Afghanistan, had in fact trained and equipped over mental Panel on Climate Change re-
and I was drawn to a historical analogy 100,000, maybe as many as 300,000, of leased its first report in 8 years. It is
that was best captured in a short verse these Afghan security forces, and now an alarm bell to the world, warning
by Rudyard Kipling. they are losing territory and melting that our climate is changing much
It goes like this: When you’re wound- away into the landscape when they are faster than we anticipated.
ed and down on the Afghan plain, and under attack by the Taliban. I would like to read a couple para-
the women come out to cut up your re- Senator KAINE said: I understand graphs from this morning’s New York
mains, just roll on your rifle and blow that there are only tens of thousands of Times because they summarize these
out your brains and go to your God like Taliban and hundreds of thousands of U.N. reports and did that summary so
a soldier. Afghan security forces, and it appears well.
That stark verse was a description of we cannot hold our ground despite all ‘‘Nations have delayed curbing their
what happened to the British Empire the training and all the money. Was fossil-fuel emissions for so long that
when they felt that moving into Af- this is a failure of training or more? they can no longer stop global warming
ghanistan would be part of their record And those representing the administra- from intensifying over the next 30
of conquest. They learned otherwise. tion were very candid. It is not a fail- years, though there is still a short win-
The retreat from Kabul has been re- ure of training. It is an issue that, dow to prevent the most harrowing fu-
ported over and over, but it basically frankly, cannot be accomplished. ture, a major new United Nations sci-
was a retreat that killed every remain- So when I hear the Senator from entific report has concluded.
ing British soldier, every member of Kentucky coming to the floor and beg- Humans have already heated the
their family, save one. They wanted ging us to stay, to what end? For what planet by . . . 2 degrees Fahrenheit,
one person, the Afghans did, to return purpose? Senator KAINE, myself, and since the 19th century, largely by burn-
to Queen Victoria and tell her what others invited him and the entire Sen- ing coal, oil, and gas for energy. And
happened when they threw the British ate to openly debate this question on the consequences can be felt across the
out of Afghanistan. A similar story can the authorization for use of force in Af- globe: This summer alone, blistering
be told by the Soviet Union—now Rus- ghanistan. There was resistance. heat waves have killed hundreds of peo-
sia—when they occupied Afghanistan And the idea of actually, finally, ple in the United States and Canada,
with visions of changing that country leaving Afghanistan after 20 years, it floods have devastated Germany and
forever to a Russian communist mode. wasn’t an original Joe Biden idea. If China, and wildfires have waged out of
They left bitterly disappointed, paying you remember, it was Republican control in Siberia, Turkey, and
a heavy price. President Donald Trump, who actively Greece.’’
So 20 years ago, in the wake of 9/11, engaged in the negotiation and picking So what do we say to our kids about
with 3,000 innocent Americans dead, we a target date for our troops to be gone. this? Dad, granddad, what are you
debated the issue on this floor as to He tried and wanted to achieve that be- doing about this?
whether the United States would fol- fore he left office. He didn’t, but it was How do we reassure our kids that the
low the British and Russians into Af- clearly his intent. So to blame the planet they inherit is still going to be
ghanistan. Biden administration for this decision, livable. Words aren’t enough. Denial
I was here. I was asked to vote, and frankly, it is a decision that has been certainly isn’t a plan. We need to do
I remember why I voted yes. It was obvious for almost 10 years. There something. And we need to do what
simple. Those responsible for 9/11 and comes a point when we have to ac- generations of Americans before us
the deaths of 3,000 innocent Americans knowledge that we cannot ask another have done: face reality and face the
were holed up in Afghanistan building American to die in a vain effort to challenges squarely.
their forces to strike us again. Would change Afghanistan into a modern na- So I ask myself and all of us: What
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we respond? The answer was obvious. tion. It will only come when the Af- are we doing to make sure that my
Yes. No one gets away with that sort of ghan people reach that conclusion. grandkids and all of America’s kids
an attack on the United States, and I SENATE AGENDA will be OK?
voted for us to send our forces into Af- Mr. President, you know well, and I We are going to have a chance to an-
ghanistan. I dare say that neither I nor do, too, that we are usually not in ses- swer that question this week as the
anyone else who voted for that decision sion in this week of August. It is usu- Senate begins to debate on a proposal
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6065
that will define the world my Well, let me tell you what the Amer- growth over the next decade. I listened
grandkids and everyone’s kids will ican Rescue Plan has done. It has re- as the Senator from Kentucky, the Re-
grow up in. vived our Nation’s economy. We are on publican leader, dismissed this whole
President Biden’s plan to build back the course for a historic recovery. In conversation as ‘‘blanket amnesty’’—
better is the most ambitious invest- the first 6 months, President Biden’s blanket amnesty—and correlated all
ment in America’s future in a genera- economy has added nearly 700,000 jobs a immigration problems to the current
tion. And much of that plan is included month, on average. During the first challenge, and it is a challenge, that
in the budget blueprint that we will be part of the year, our economy grew at we face on our southern border.
considering in a very short time. the fastest rate in nearly 40 years. The The reforms that we have in mind
This budget blueprint will strengthen American Rescue Plan, which not a will provide a pathway to citizenship
our Nation’s economy and ensure that single Republican would support, for Dreamers. Excuse me if I take this
working families have a fighting worked because it provided financial one personally, but it was 20 years ago
chance and receive a fair share of the relief to the people who need it the that I introduced the DREAM Act in
wealth that their work produces. most: working families. And that relief the U.S. Senate. As I said jokingly, at
It will help close the income and op- has benefited everyone. the time, if you asked people, ‘‘Who are
portunity gaps between the wealthiest As part of this package—and you the Dreamers?’’ they would say a Brit-
among us and working families who are know it full well, Senator, because you ish rock group—right?—led by a fellow
struggling to make it. And most impor- were one of the authors—we enacted a named Freddie.
tantly, it will give American workers child tax credit that we believe, fingers Well, maybe they were right then,
the tools they need to outcompete any crossed, will cut child poverty in Amer- but 20 years later, when you say
country in the 21st century. ica by half. Think about that for a mo- ‘‘Dreamers’’—and people say it fre-
I listened to the criticism of the plan quently—you know who we are talking
ment. By half.
by the Senator from Kentucky, and I about. They are kids brought to the
With the Build Back Better Plan,
thought: If we don’t embark on an am- United States by their parents, who
President Biden is proposing to extend
bitious plan to deal with climate grew up in this country, pledged alle-
that credit and reduction in child pov-
change and to move this economy in
erty. That enhanced child tax credit is giance to that flag every day in their
the right direction for working fami-
already changing the lives of tens of school classrooms, and believed in
lies in this country, then, frankly, we
millions of families across America. In their heart of hearts that they were
are right in preparing, as some are, to
my home State of Illinois, there are Americans to the core, only to learn
accept a second-place finish for the
hundreds of thousands of parents who when the parents worked up the cour-
United States of America. I think that
are now able to fill their gas tanks and age to tell them when they were teen-
is tragic. I don’t think it is consistent
buy groceries because of it. agers that they were undocumented.
with who we are as a people.
The proposal by President Biden will Let me tell you about one: Lydia. They were kids without a country.
build on a winning economic strategy Here is what she wrote: ‘‘With the child The DREAM Act said: We are going
we started earlier this year with the tax credit, I’ll be able to buy my kids to give you a chance, young man,
American Rescue Plan. their school supplies, clothes, what young woman. You can earn your way
Mr. President, you remember that they need to get back to school, and to legal status and citizenship. Keep
American Rescue Plan and I do, too, put groceries on the table.’’ your nose clean. Don’t get in trouble
because last year, in the year 2020, In the wealthiest Nation on Earth, no with the law. Pay the necessary fees
when we were facing this pandemic on parent should have to choose between and wait, and we will give you that
two, three, or four separate occasions, clothing her children and feeding them. chance to become part of America’s fu-
emergency bills came before us pro- President Biden’s plan to build back ture.
posed by the Trump administration, better is a blueprint for America’s fu- And even with that uncertainty in
negotiated with a Democratic and Re- ture, a future where every family their lives, with the inability to qual-
publican Congress, presented to us on knows the safety and dignity of finan- ify for even Federal Government loans
the floor, and there was virtual una- cial security, and every child can reach to go to college, they have written
nimity. Both parties stood together in their full potential. some dramatic stories. We all know
the midst of a pandemic crisis to do I look forward to a vigorous debate in them. Those of us in public life have
what was necessary so that America the Senate on these and other pro- met them. They are doctors and nurses
could move forward. And then came posals in the budget blueprint. But and dentists. They are on the
the election and then came the Big Lie right now I want to speak specifically frontlines of fighting the COVID–19
and then came the disintegration of to the funding the budget resolution pandemic. They want to enlist, and
this bipartisanship. provides for the committee I chair, the some already have enlisted, in our
When it was Joe Biden’s turn to come Senate Judiciary Committee. military. They are lawyers. They are
up with the American Rescue Plan, not I see the chairman of the Budget entrepreneurs. They are amazing, and
a single Republican Senator, not one Committee has come to the floor, Sen- they did it all never certain that they
Republican Congressman, would vote ator SANDERS, and I thank you for were going to be accepted in America.
yes. Not one. crafting this important bill. According to Senator MCCONNELL,
So what was in the plan that was so (Ms. WARREN assumed the Chair.) they are part of this blanket amnesty
objectionable? Could it have been the This proposal will make historic in- of these immigrants who want to come
money invested so that we would ad- vestments in fixing our broken immi- to our country. Forgive me, Senator,
minister the coronavirus vaccines to gration system. It has been 35 years—35 but they are much more than that.
every American successfully? That was years—since we have had any meaning- This measure would also take care of
in the plan. ful changes in our immigration law. If temporary protected status people—
How about more money that we put you go back to Ronald Reagan as people in the United States who came
in that plan for businesses so they President, that was the last time— here because of a crisis in their own
could reenlist their workforce and Simpson-Mazzoli—names those of us countries. We accepted them. They
start up again at the end of this pan- who study the subject remember. Most have lived here for 20 years and, now,
demic? That was in the plan. people don’t, I am afraid. Yet that was frankly, they are caught in the middle.
How about the money that we prom- the last time. We give them a chance to earn their
ised American families, $1,400 cash pay- Is there anyone who can say with a way to citizenship.
ment, promised by Trump, delivered by straight face that we don’t have a bro- And farm workers—do you know we
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
Biden? That was in the plan. And not a ken immigration system in this coun- have 2.4 million farm workers? These
single Republican would support it— try? We do. are men and women who get out and do
not one. All of a sudden rescue plans The proposal will give us historic in- the dirty, dangerous, hot work that
became a partisan measure in the U.S. vestments in fixing it. These reforms Americans will never queue up to do.
Senate and the House. The Republicans have the potential to generate more And they do it because we want fruits
walked away from it. than a trillion dollars of economic and vegetables on our table. We want
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S6066 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
meat and poultry processed safely, and is a critical component of our eco- prehensive immigration reform and a
Americans won’t do the work. Let’s nomic recovery. There is no world in path toward citizenship for millions of
just be very candid about it. And I which this budgetary impact is merely undocumented workers and families in
know this based on all the people who incidental—$42.4 billion. this country. Thank you very much,
come to my office. These farm workers Creating a pathway to citizenship, Senator DURBIN.
have been used by our country for though, is not just a matter of cost. As a former mayor, I do understand
years to pick our crops and deliver There are also benefits. It would boost how important physical infrastructure
them safely to our tables, and we have our Nation’s GDP by $1.5 trillion over is—roads, bridges, water systems,
a bill that we put together, with the the next 10 years. It would create wastewater plants—and I am delighted
growers and the workers in total agree- 400,000 new jobs and increase every that finally we are beginning to ad-
ment, that gives these farm workers a American’s annual wage by an esti- dress our long neglected physical infra-
path to citizenship. mated $600—win, win, and win. structure. Frankly, it is rather incred-
When we had a hearing on it in the There is ample precedent for passing ible that, year after year, we ignore
Senate Judiciary Committee, one of this important legislation through crumbling bridges and roads. And as we
the Republican Senators said: Oh, just budget reconciliation. The Republicans address our physical infrastructure, we
what we need—instant amnesty for have used this process to open up the can create a whole lot of good-paying
farm workers. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in jobs.
Do you know what that instant am- Alaska for drilling and enacted a $1.9 So that bill that we are discussing
nesty is like? You have to show that trillion tax cut for the wealthiest right now is enormously important. I
you have spent 10 years of your life Americans and corporations. will tell you what is even more impor-
working in the fields before you even In addition, in 2005, Senate Repub- tant, and that is to address the long ne-
qualify for the 9-year process that can licans used reconciliation to dramati- glected needs of the working families
bring you to citizenship. Nineteen cally increase the number of lawful of our country, of the children, of the
years—instant amnesty? No, it isn’t. permanent residents by an estimated elderly, of the sick, of the poor, wheth-
And, again, other essential immi- 3.2 million over 10 years. Now they are er they are Black or White or Latino,
grant workers who have been saving saying it doesn’t belong in reconcili- Native American, Asian American.
our lives and keeping our families fed ation. In 2005, they put it in. This is the These are needs that Congress has ig-
during this pandemic. They are called exact same immigration status we are nored for much, much too long.
essential workers, but the categories proposing to give Dreamers, TPS hold- Now, I understand that Senator
that created these essential workers ers, farm workers, and essential work- MCCONNELL, the Republican leader, and
were defined by Donald Trump—not us, ers. others are really shocked by this bill.
not Democrats. And we believe essen- I have tried for many years to pass a They cannot believe it. Imagine—just
tial workers—whom we thanked pro- path to citizenship. Republicans have imagine—that the U.S. Senate is ad-
fusely during this pandemic—if they obstructed bipartisan immigration re- dressing the needs of working families
are undocumented, should have a form time and time again, including and is going to stand up for ordinary
chance at citizenship. Those are the filibustering the DREAM Act at least Americans rather than just the
groups we are trying to work to bring five times. This year, I convened bipar- wealthy and powerful? What is this
into a full-time status. tisan immigration negotiations that world coming to? Don’t we understand
This measure would expand funding dragged on for months. Republicans that here in the Senate we are sup-
for commonsense measures to make made unreasonable demands and in- posed to take campaign contributions
our system safer for everyone by im- sisted on attaching partisan provisions from the drug companies and the insur-
proving the process of asylum claims, that would actually cut legal immigra- ance companies and the fossil fuel in-
reducing immigration court backlogs, tion. Republicans have rejected com- dustry and from the 1 percent and do
and starting to secure our southern monsense measures to help secure our their bidding? Isn’t that the way it has
border. border. always been done here in the U.S. Sen-
More than 200,000 DACA recipients It is clear that the only viable option ate?
are essential critical infrastructure for passing immigration reform is Well, Senator MCCONNELL, things are
workers. Tens of thousands of these through the reconciliation process. For changing. For once in a very long time,
young people have been saving our those who claim they are concerned the U.S. Congress is going to stand
loved one’s lives as nurses, doctors, and about our southern border, here is your with working families and not just the
medical professionals. Hundreds of chance. Here it is—to invest billions of rich and the powerful.
thousands of undocumented farm work- dollars in smart and effective steps to Further, above and beyond the eco-
ers will account for about half of our improve border security. We need to nomic crisis facing working families,
Nation’s farm workforce and do back- provide a pathway to citizenship for Congress has ignored the great existen-
breaking labor every day to put food on Dreamers and others who are contrib- tial threat of our time, and that is cli-
our tables. These members of our com- uting to our economy every day and mate change. You don’t have to believe
munities have more than earned their will help to grow it for years to come. me. Maybe some of my Republican col-
path to citizenship. I am going to close by thanking the leagues might want to take a look at
I am going to get into the weeds a bit Senator from Vermont. I don’t know the IPCC report, which came out
here, but I want to say, under a Senate when I first approached him with this today, which said that if we do not act
rule known as the Byrd Rule, any pro- notion of including immigration, but boldly and immediately all over this
vision included in reconciliation must from day one, Senator SANDERS has planet, the world that we will be leav-
have a substantial and direct impact been supportive of the concept and now ing our children and grandchildren will
on the budget, and this impact cannot has given us our chance. Millions, mil- be increasingly unhealthy and un-
be merely incidental. That is kind of lions of people who make America bet- inhabitable.
the roadmap for this budget resolution. ter are watching and hoping that in the But you don’t have to just read the
I am sure the Senator from Vermont next days and weeks we can achieve IPCC report. Open up your eyes. Look
knows it well. our goal and give them a chance to find at what is going on in California, the
Let’s be clear. A pathway to citizen- a path to citizenship and become an fires in Oregon, the fires in Greece, and
ship as part of our immigration pack- important part of America’s future. the drought that is impacting coun-
age on the budget reconciliation bill I yield the floor. tries all over the world, which will
would have a substantial and direct im- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- mean a decrease in food production and
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
pact on our budget. A pathway to citi- ator from Vermont. water supply.
zenship for Dreamers and immigrants Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, let We have to act now in order to save
with temporary protected status would me thank Senator DURBIN for his lead- the planet. There is no choice. We can-
have a budgetary cost of approximately ership in so many areas, including the not go home and look our children and
$42.4 billion over 10 years, according to understanding, as he just indicated, grandchildren in the eye if we do not
the Congressional Budget Office. This that the time is long overdue for com- act now and lead the world. We can’t
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6067
do it alone. We are going to have to not be living paycheck to paycheck, over the world do because they under-
work with China and India and Europe, worried about how they are going to stand, and we understand, how difficult
but we cannot continue to ignore this pay their rent or provide food for their it is today for working families to raise
existential threat. kids. children.
The gap between the very, very rich This legislation, in so many ways, be- And I am enormously proud of the
and everybody else is wider today than gins to address the working families of fact—and everybody in this Chamber
it has been in 100 years. People on top our country. But one important way— should be proud of the fact—that at a
are doing phenomenally well. In fact, maybe the most important—is, as we time when the United States has one of
we have two people in America today address the needs of our people in the highest rates of childhood poverty
who own more wealth than the bottom healthcare, in education, in climate, of any major country on Earth, as a re-
40 percent. The top 1 percent owns we are going to create many millions sult of the work in the American Res-
more wealth than the bottom 92 per- of good-paying—good-paying—jobs that cue Plan, which must be extended in
cent, and since 2009—the Wall Street the American people desperately need. the reconciliation bill, we have reduced
collapse—45 percent of all new income I want to say a few words today childhood poverty in America by 61
has gone to the top 1 percent. about the budget resolution that we percent—61 percent—because we are
And, incredibly, during the pandemic are introducing and what is going to be now getting the resources out to moms
that we are experiencing now, billion- in the reconciliation package that we and dads that they need in order to
aires in America have seen their will soon be undertaking. adequately and decently raise their
wealth increase by $1.8 trillion during For a start, one of the questions that kids.
this pandemic, while at the same time, everybody is going to ask is: Well, how You know, I hear a lot of talk about
thousands of essential workers died is this going to be paid for? Expensive how we love our kids or the future of
providing the goods and services we bill, $31⁄2 trillion. You know, that is a our country. Well, if we love our kids,
needed. lot of money. we have to love their parents as well,
Billionaires become richer. Ordinary It is. and we have to make it easier for par-
people have to go to work—public tran- Well, I happen to think, and I know ents to raise their kids.
sit, grocery stores, hospitals—and that you do as well—I say to the Pre- But it is not just the child tax credit.
thousands die. While some of our siding Officer that maybe, just maybe, I suspect that there are very few people
multi-multibillionaires are spending the time is now for the wealthiest peo- in this country who do not understand
some of their enormous amounts of ple in this country and the largest cor- how dysfunctional our childcare sys-
money flying off into outer space, porations who are doing phenomenally tem is. We are not living in the 1950s,
today and in the coming days we are well, but in a given year, many of them where dad goes out to work and mom
going to address the crises facing work- have not paid a nickel in Federal in- stays home with the kids. That is not
ing families right here on the ground, come tax—ah, the average Joe, the av- the case anymore. It has not been the
on planet Earth. erage Mary out there, they are work- case for a very long time. Dad is out
And that is why, as chairman of the ing. They are paying their fair share of working and mom is out working be-
Senate Budget Committee, I am proud taxes. But if you are an Amazon, if you cause families all across this country
to introduce a $3.5 trillion budget reso- are a Jeff Bezos, if you are one of these need two breadwinners in order to pay
lution that we will soon be consid- multibillionaires, you have lobbyists, the bills.
ering—I expect tomorrow. you have accountants, you have law- While mom is working and dad is
This is a budget resolution that will yers, and you can avoid paying your working, who is taking care of the
allow the Senate to move forward on a fair share of taxes. kids?
reconciliation bill that, in my view, So what some of us are saying is that And that is, in fact, a major, major
will be the most consequential and maybe, just maybe, even if you are a crisis in this country, and the current
comprehensive piece of legislation for billionaire, even if you are a large, system just is not working.
working people, for the elderly, for the profitable corporation with all kinds of In my State, the State of Vermont, it
children, for the sick, and for the poor, lobbyists and accountants, maybe you costs $15,000 a year, which is about the
that this body has addressed since should start paying your fair share of national average, to send your child
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the New taxes. into childcare.
Deal, in the 1930s. My Republican friends say we are What does that mean?
This is a budget resolution that will going to be raising taxes. Well, you are It means that if you are making
address the needs of working families right, we are. But we are going to be $60,000 a year, you are spending a quar-
because we understand, if our Repub- raising taxes on the wealthiest people ter of your income just to make sure
lican colleagues do not, that there is in this country—something which is that your child is well taken care of
something fundamentally wrong when long overdue—and yet nobody in Amer- while you go to work. If you have two
real inflation accounted-for wages for ica earning less than $400,000 a year kids, forget about it. It doesn’t pay to
working people has not gone up for al- will pay a nickel in taxes, and many, go to work because you are spending so
most 50 years. many, will actually be paying less in much on childcare. Everybody under-
We have seen in recent years, as ev- taxes. stands that. That is not a debate.
erybody knows, an explosion in tech- So my Republican friends can com- So the time is long overdue not only
nology, an explosion in worker produc- plain all that they want, but I do be- to protect the needs of working fami-
tivity. And yet, in real inflation ac- lieve, and the American people do be- lies, but also to provide well for our
counted-for dollars, where the very, lieve, that the time is now for the children.
very rich become much richer, real in- wealthy, the powerful, the large, prof- Psychologists after psychologists
flation accounted-for wages for work- itable corporations to start paying have told us that the most important
ers has not gone up in almost 50 years. their fair share so that, in fact, we can years of human development are 0
What does that mean? lower taxes for working families in this through 4. And yet so many of our kids
It means the cost of healthcare has country. all over this country—little kids—are
soared. The cost of education has I think the American people have al- sitting in front of TV sets, not getting
soared. The cost of housing has soared. ready begun to see what good public the kind of nurturing, emotionally and
And yet real workers, real working policy for working families can mean. intellectually, that they need. This leg-
families of this country are earning in In Vermont, in Massachusetts, and all islation begins to change that.
real dollars the same wages that they over this country, working families— Under our proposal, no working fam-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
did decades ago, which means that the vast majority of our families—are ily in this country should be paying
many of them are struggling right now now receiving a $300-per-month check more than 7 percent of their income for
to keep their heads above water eco- per child, and this is long, long over- childcare.
nomically. due. Working parents, do you hear what I
In the richest country in the history Some say this is a radical idea. It is just said? No more than 7 percent—not
of the world, half of our people should not. It is exactly what countries all 30 percent, not 25 percent.
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S6068 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
That is what we should be doing. months, 8 months off with full pay or Now, how do you survive economi-
And we have so much work to do in with a significant part of their pay- cally if you are spending 50 percent of
childcare. I know the Presiding Officer check in order to stay home with their your income on housing?
understands that. We got to build new newborn babies. This legislation will create a huge
facilities for kids because once we open So, finally, finally, we are begin- number of good-paying jobs by the
the door for affordable childcare, the ning—beginning; more to do; begin- largest investment in American his-
truth is we don’t have enough space to ning—to end the international embar- tory in low-income and affordable
accommodate the children. rassment of the United States being housing. And I see the chairman of the
And we have got to start paying the only major country on Earth not to Banking Committee here, and I want
childcare workers the wages they are guarantee paid family and medical to thank Senator BROWN for his impor-
due for the enormously important leave. tant work in that area.
work they are providing. We got I know the Presiding Officer has been Just a few days ago, I had a chat with
childcare workers in America today involved in this issue—I have and a a gentleman whose wife is seriously ill.
making less than McDonald’s workers. number of my colleagues have—in the He works and he pays for the home
What an insult. How wrong is that? understanding that in the contem- healthcare that she needs, and it is an
So this legislation is going to provide porary global economy, if our young expensive proposition.
increased subsidies for working fami- people are going to go out and get de- What we understand is that, in an
lies to afford childcare. We are going to cent-paying jobs, a shock of all shocks, aging society and at a time when we
pay workers in childcare living wages they actually need to have the skills have so many people with disabilities
and benefits, and we are going to build and the education in order to perform whose needs are not being met, it
the new facilities that we need to ac- those jobs. makes eminent sense to bring skilled
commodate the families who will now So you have a situation now where home-healthcare workers into the
have the opportunity to take advan- there are jobs all over this country home rather than to force people to go
tage of childcare. that are lying vacant, not being taken, into a nursing home, which, by the
But in terms of our children, who we because people don’t have the skills. way, is more expensive. And this legis-
have ignored for so, so long, we are Now, I personally believe we should lation, the reconciliation bill that we
going to do even more than that. We do what other countries are doing and will soon be working on, will make his-
are going to make pre-K education for we should make all public colleges and toric investments in home healthcare
3- and 4-year-olds free. God didn’t cre- universities tuition-free and should for- and make sure that those workers—
ate an education system that begins in give all student debt. That is not in like childcare workers, who do such
kindergarten. It is created by human this bill. important work—are adequately com-
beings, and the world has changed. And But what is in this bill is a begin- pensated.
IPCC today reported what all of us
what we have got to understand now, ning—a beginning—and that says that
know, and that is, if we do not begin in
with so many of our parents working, we will make community colleges in
an extremely aggressive way trans-
that we have got to make pre-K edu- this country tuition-free.
Now, what does that mean? forming our energy system away from
cation for 3- and 4-year-olds free, and
It means a couple of things. It means fossil fuel, the planet that we will be
that is what we do in this legislation.
that if I go to community college, I can leaving our children will be increas-
And, by the way, not widely reported,
learn a skill—whether it is nursing, ingly unhealthy.
but when we revolutionize childcare It really does take your breath away
and pre-K so that moms and dads know whether it is construction trades,
to look at those photos—whether it is
that their kids are in quality and af- whatever it may be. I can learn the
Oregon, whether it is California,
fordable facilities, we are going to see skills that I need to go out and get a
whether it is Greece right now—and see
more than a million women able to go job that pays me a living wage. flames consuming entire communities.
into the workforce because they no And that is enormously important And if anybody out there thinks that,
longer have to stay home to take care because—especially as we rebuild this gee, isn’t this too bad that it is hap-
of the kids. If they want to work, we country—as we begin to pay attention pening this year, you have got it
will give them the opportunity to pur- to healthcare and to childcare and to wrong. It is only going to get worse if
sue their careers. taking care of our parents and the dis- we do not act and act boldly, which is
The Presiding Officer knows, and I abled people, we need skilled workers, why this legislation will pour hundreds
know, that there is something a little and making community colleges tui- of billions of dollars into the fight to
bit absurd that the United States of tion-free for 2 years is an important transform our energy system away
America is literally one of two nations step forward in allowing people to gain from fossil fuel, including a civilian
in the entire world—and I am talking those skills. Climate Corps, which will give the
about poor nations—that does not But, also, for those people who want young people of this country the oppor-
guarantee paid family and medical to go to a 4-year college, those 2 years tunity to roll up their sleeves, get de-
leave. of community college credits are cent pay, and get educational benefits
What does that mean? transferrable. So your tuition is paid in order to do what is so much in their
What it means: That there are work- for the first 2 years. My hope is that we hearts, and that is to combat climate
ers today who are at work when they will soon be able to pay for the next 2 change.
are sick. Maybe they are spreading the years as well, but this is a real start in I wish that I could tell you that my
virus or some other illness. There are allowing millions of young people to Republican colleagues understand the
working families who have to make a get an education today that previously crises facing working families and that
choice: Does mom go to work and leave they could not afford. they understand the moral imperative
her sick child at home alone, or does Two blocks away from where we are of us having to address climate change
she stay home and maybe lose her job? in the Nation’s capital there is an en- and that we are working together to
I have talked—and I am sure the Pre- campment of homeless people. All over do, in fact, what the American people
siding Officer has spoken—to women this city, you can’t drive down the Na- want: create millions of good-paying
who gave birth to a baby and a week tion’s capital and not see people sleep- jobs, addressing the needs of working
later—a week later—was forced to go ing out on the street, and that is true families and climate change.
back to work because they had no in- in virtually every major city in Amer- I wish I could tell you that, but I
come coming in. ica. Once again, the richest country in can’t. As we go forward, in all likeli-
I know this may shock some of my the history of the world, and some hood, we will not get one Republican
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
Republican colleagues, but there are 600,000 Americans are homeless. vote. We are going to have to do it on
countries all over this world that un- Then, on top of that, you have got our own with 50 Democratic votes here
derstand that it is enormously impor- about 18 million households where peo- in the Senate, plus the Vice President
tant that parents be able to bond with ple are spending 50 percent or more of of the United States.
their babies. And in countries around their limited incomes to put a roof Now, some of my Republican friends
the world, women get 4 months, 5 over their heads. will say: Well, that is such a bad idea.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6069
Why aren’t you more bipartisan in in support of the legislation that will we used a tractor, and I used to drive
terms of reconciliation? make the generational investment in grain to the market, or we would take
Well, I would remind my Republican infrastructure for Ohio communities, hay wagons to the barn. We would
colleagues that they didn’t have a for our Nation—the infrastructure in- cross some of these small, little culvert
problem with reconciliation when they vestment we should have been making bridges or bridges across creeks. Some
gave almost $2 trillion in tax breaks to for years. of us called them cricks. And I know
the very richest people in this country We remember, 4 years ago, all of us how some of those bridges, even then,
and the largest corporations. No prob- on this floor—all three members on looked to be in some disrepair and how
lem doing that. They didn’t have a this floor: the Presiding Officer and important it is that we keep them up
problem with reconciliation when they Senator SANDERS and I—were all ready for farmers and for small business all
tried to throw 30 million people off of to go with President Trump to move over my State.
the healthcare they had by abolishing forward on infrastructure, and the Many know the Brent Spence
the Affordable Care Act. President and the majority changed its Bridge—talked about in all kinds of na-
So that is where we are. We are fac- mind. Instead of investing in jobs, in- tional infrastructure stories—between
ing a crisis facing working families. We vesting in infrastructure, investing in Ohio and Kentucky. Unbelievably
need to create millions of good-paying people, they used that trillion-dollar- enough, it carries 3 percent of the
jobs. We need to tackle the existential plus in a huge tax cut, 70 percent of country’s GDP either north to Ohio or
threat of climate change. We need to which went to the wealthiest 1 percent. south to Kentucky across the river—3
expand healthcare and Medicare so So this time we didn’t let that hap- percent of the country’s GDP—every
that elderly people have dental care, pen. I thank the 22 Members—11 Repub- day. But it is dangerously outdated.
eyeglasses, and hearing aids. We need licans and 11 Democrats—that held to- It was completed, I believe, in 1960.
to lower the cost of prescription drugs gether and negotiated this very com- Many of us fought for years for Federal
and have Medicare negotiate prices plicated bill. This investment is about investment.
with the pharmaceutical industry. We jobs—creating good-paying union jobs; Many of us have fought for years for
need to make sure that we get doctors rebuilding bridges; replacing lead Federal investment. One of the first
and nurses and dentists into under- pipes; manufacturing next-generation, news events, community events, I did
served areas. energy-efficient buses. when I came to the Senate in 2007 was
So, Madam President, tomorrow be- It is about better connecting people go to the Brent Spence Bridge and ex-
gins one of the very important debates with jobs through transit and bridges press my commitment that we needed
that we have ever had. And the ques- and highways. to do something. It was not quite—it
tion is not complicated. Do we have the It is about getting people in rural wasn’t in the shape then that it is now,
courage to stand up to powerful special Kansas or western Mass. or southeast but it clearly needed support and need-
interests and tell the corporate world Ohio or inner-city Cleveland the ed help.
and the 1 percent: Yeah, you are finally broadband they need to go to school Three and a half years ago, I intro-
going to have to pay your fair share of and prepare for the jobs of the future. duced the Bridge Investment Act, to
taxes so that we can create millions of Supporting manufacturing jobs put Ohioans to work, repairing and up-
good-paying jobs for working families, throughout my State, which this bill grading Ohio bridges, with American
so we can protect our children, protect does, including at Cleveland-Cliffs in iron and steel. This week, we are on
the elderly, and address the threat of Cleveland and AK Steel in southwest the verge of getting it done. It will pro-
climate change? vide a grant to pay for half of the cost
Ohio and Nucor in central Ohio and
That is the issue. And I have absolute
other suppliers through the strongest of replacing Brent Spence, and the ad-
confidence that we will, in fact, rise to
ever—the strongest ever, by America’s ditional funding in the package will
the occasion and do what the American
people want and that we will pass the standards—negotiated, working with support the remainder of the project.
Senator PORTMAN, legislation that we We expect Ohio to get at least $9.8
budget resolution tomorrow.
With that, Madam President, I yield worked on with Senator BALDWIN, billion for Federal-aid highway assist-
the floor. making steel and iron and other com- ance, including $480 million of formula
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ponents in Ohio for all these projects. funds for bridge replacement to supple-
ator from Ohio. Taken together, these investments ment the Bridge Investment Act.
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I are a recipe for job creation in commu- It is not just Brent Spence that needs
first thank Senator SANDERS for his nities large and small, rural and urban, help; it is the Western Hills Viaduct in
passionate support for housing. He un- in Ohio, from Appalachia to the shores Hamilton County; it is I–70 over the
derstands, having traveled the country of Lake Erie. Scioto River in Columbus in Franklin
and connected with so many people, For too long, Washington has ignored County; it is U.S. 30 in Richland Coun-
that there is almost nothing more im- these places while Wall Street has ty in North Central Ohio; it is the
portant—maybe nothing more impor- preyed upon them. That ends now. We Broad Street Bridge in Columbus; it is
tant to people’s lives, to their material invest in people and places that make major projects and smaller bridges on
lives, than having a safe, accessible, af- this country work. rural farmlands that let farmers get
fordable place to live. I hear from mayors of both parties in goods to market.
And Senator SANDERS mentioned towns all over Ohio about their vision I talked this week with 81-year-old
that 25 percent of renters in this coun- for their community and the projects Howard Krueger. He lives in Wyoming,
try pay half their income in rent, for they want to undertake. They know OH, outside of Cincinnati. He is retired
housing costs. And one thing goes bad the opportunities we can unleash. They from Procter & Gamble. A few years
in their lives—their car breaks down, need the investment. It is time for all ago, as he was driving, a piece of the
their child gets sick, they miss a few of our communities to share in this Western Hills Viaduct fell on his wind-
days of work because of a minor in- country’s prosperity. That is what this shield. He stopped his car and got out
jury—and their whole lives can turn legislation does. and picked up the rock—about as big as
upside down. Senator SANDERS recog- I want to focus on a few key provi- his fist, a little bigger than his fist—
nizes that. sions that will be central and critical took it with him and talked about it on
And the legislation we begin later in to Ohio. Right now, there are more a radio news conference we did.
the week is such an important step, as than 3,200 bridges across Ohio that need It is a pretty visceral example of
the Presiding Officer knows as a mem- repairs to make them safer and to re- what we all know: Our Nation’s infra-
ber of the Banking and Housing Com- duce congestion so people can get to structure is literally crumbling. We
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mittee, that we are going to take on work, kids can get to school, farmers need this investment. Think about the
housing. So I thank Senator SANDERS and businesses can move their products economic potential waiting to be un-
for that. and support Ohio jobs. leashed when we fix these crumbling
H.R. 3684 I remember, as a kid, I worked on a bridges—the kinds of bottlenecks that
Madam President, I rise today with a family farm just outside Lexington, frustrate commuters and farmers and
longer speech than I normally give, but OH, in sort of north-central Ohio, and businesses in Ohio every day.
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S6070 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
I want to thank our bipartisan co- This bill will support investments in I want to thank the Presiding Offi-
sponsors of the Bridge Investment Act: flood mitigation, an important issue cer, Senator WARREN, and other Mem-
Senators WYDEN, the chair of the Sen- that members of the Banking and bers of our caucus who kept advocating
ate Finance Committee; Senator Housing Committee, especially Senator for zero-emission buses, not just for
WHITEHOUSE; Senator INHOFE from MENENDEZ but a number of Senators in Boston but for the whole country.
Oklahoma; Senator WHITEHOUSE from both parties who represent coastal These buses help fight the climate cri-
Rhode Island—early partners in this ef- States from Massachusetts, the Pre- sis. They help clean the air in neigh-
fort. I want to thank Chairman CARPER siding Officer’s State, all the way to borhoods plagued by air pollution. Peo-
and Ranking Member CAPITO, just Louisiana, Senator KENNEDY’s State. ple in inner cities, more often than not
across the river from Southeast Ohio, I want to thank the members of the the quality of the air they breathe is
from West Virginia; the EPW Com- Banking and Housing Committee, in- partly because there aren’t many trees;
mittee for their continued support. cluding Ranking Member TOOMEY, who it is partly because of public transit. It
The Banking and Housing Committee worked to reauthorize Federal transit is a whole host of issues, but this takes
also provided a major part of this infra- programs. a major step in dealing with that.
structure package that includes record I particularly want to thank our I want to thank Senator DUCKWORTH.
record—record—investment in public Housing and Transit Subcommittee The Americans with Disabilities Act
transportation. The Presiding Officer Chair TINA SMITH, from Minnesota, and became law 30 years ago, but some 20
sits on this as a prominent member of the subcommittee’s ranking member, percent of our rail stations still—still—
this committee. She knows, as I know, Senator ROUNDS, from South Dakota. I remain inaccessible. My friend Senator
that through her career and through have worked with both of them. I have CASEY, who sits next to me on the
my career—for almost a decade and a been to their subcommittee. Their ef- floor—chair of the Aging Committee—
half, as long as I remember—this com- forts have been especially important to he and I were proud to cosponsor her
mittee is just referred to by the media improve rural transit, including in In- proposal. Her bill provides almost $2
and by Senators as the ‘‘Banking Com- dian Country. billion for accessibility grants. Sen-
mittee.’’ It was all about Wall Street. We are going to keep working to help ators DUCKWORTH, CASEY, and I will
It was little about community banks. rural transit agencies even more. We continue to push for more resources
It was almost nothing about housing. had hearings under the leadership of until every transit station is acces-
That has changed. This committee Chairman CRAPO 3 or 4 years ago where sible.
now we all refer to as the ‘‘Banking I heard stories from Senators in small- I want to thank Senator SINEMA, also
and Housing Committee.’’ Some refer er States—mostly Republicans—talk- a member of our committee, and Sen-
to it as the ‘‘Housing and Banking ing about the importance of rural tran- ator PORTMAN and other Members of
Committee.’’ sit, where someone who lives out in the the bipartisan group for bringing this
In this committee, we take our job country, a bus—a paratransit bus— momentous infrastructure package to-
with public transit seriously. This picks her up, takes her to her dialysis gether.
package contains historic funding: $90 treatment, and then takes her back. It is obvious how some of the job cre-
billion over the next 5 years, $40 billion That is kind of different from city- ation in this package will happen. You
increase for public transit—the largest urban, big city bus transit but equally build a bridge. You lay down rail
ever. It will connect people with better important to families. tracks. You hire American workers to
jobs. It will promote equity. It will I thank our Democratic Members for do it. None of these jobs ever, in an in-
help our planet. their strong focus on transit. Senator frastructure plan, can be shipped over-
The Banking and Housing Committee MENENDEZ, from New Jersey, and Sen- seas. But this investment is different
held extensive hearings this spring on ator REED, from Rhode Island, continue from those that have come before it.
infrastructure and transit. We heard to be leaders in fighting for a fair share For the first time, every single one of
from Ohioans like Darryl Haley, who of funds for transit. Senator TESTER, these projects will come from the
heads SORTA, Southwest Ohio Re- from Montana, and Senator WARNER, strongest-ever ‘‘Buy America’’ rules. It
gional Transit Authority. We heard from Virginia, played a key role in en- means we get more job creation from
from Mayor Horrigan of Akron. We suring the committee’s transit title Wichita to Seattle, to Boston, to Cleve-
heard over and over and over again moved forward in the bipartisan nego- land. We get more job creation for
what we need to revitalize these essen- tiations. every single dollar of taxpayer invest-
tial systems, whether in Cleveland, Our committee, the Banking and ment.
where I live, or Youngstown or Toledo Housing Committee—we owe them spe- Throughout my time in the Senate, I
or anywhere in our State. We provide cial thanks. Senator WARNER and Sen- have worked to strengthen our Na-
$11⁄2 billion so that cities like Cleveland ator VAN HOLLEN, from Maryland, tion’s ‘‘Buy America’’ laws at every op-
and Ranking Member TOOMEY’s biggest fought to reauthorize funds for Ohio, portunity. And there have always been
city in his State, Philadelphia, can re- for ‘‘America’s subway,’’ the Wash- interest groups in this town that have
place rail cars that, unbelievably, date ington, DC Metro system, serving mil- written loopholes into these laws and
back to the Reagan administration or lions in this region; and Senator VAN weaken these laws. For instance, one of
earlier. HOLLEN’s legislation to improve agency the most expensive bridges in Amer-
This bill ensures that public trans- safety plans and give workers a strong- ican history, the Bay Bridge, in North-
portation receives more than 20 per- er voice in safety matters is a big vic- ern California—a loophole enabled it to
cent of the new investment from the tory for labor. be made entirely of Chinese steel, from
highway trust fund. Senator SHELBY, The chair of the Labor Committee a company owned by the Chinese Gov-
once chair of this committee—retiring just walked in, and her work on these ernment.
after, I believe, 36, 37 years on this issues—in this case, bus safety, but Think about that. You know, we talk
committee—talked to me about that safety of workers overall is so very im- all the time about China. Our corpora-
80–20 split that has been here as long as portant. We know that busdrivers are tions lobby to get tax breaks and trade
he has been here, a tradition that both often a special target, and protecting agreements to outsource jobs to China.
parties have respected. them is essential. We don’t see the hypocrisy there. We
This bill takes a huge step toward Senators WARNOCK and OSSOFF, our don’t see the hypocrisy in letting
electrifying the transit bus fleet, pro- newest members on the committee China make the steel for the Bay
viding over $5 billion for the low emis- from Georgia, helped us fight for better Bridge. But nonetheless, those days are
sion and no emission program. It will bus rapid transit and better planning, behind us. We know how much steel
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mean modernizing the bus fleets in something that Metro Atlanta cries can go into a bridge and how many
every city in America. out for, and they have been loud, steelworkers in Cleveland or Middle-
These funds will also retrain workers strong voices on that. town or Gary, Indiana, can be em-
who maintain our current diesel fleet. Senator CORTEZ MASTO contributed ployed to make the steel.
Every electric bus purchase will keep provisions to link transportation plan- I have worked with colleagues from
and create good-paying jobs. ning with housing needs. both sides of the aisle to strengthen
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6071
‘‘Buy America’’ laws in the highway Lockshin, a fellow from the Federal We are in the middle of the country,
bill, in the Defense Authorization Act, transit Administration, assisted Homer where our manufactured goods and ag-
and in the Water Resources and Devel- in these efforts. I want to thank Re- ricultural commodities need to be able
opment Act. These efforts have been becca Higgins and Mary Frances to compete in the world economy. How
piecemeal. That is piecemeal. That is Repko, with Chairman CARPER’s staff. I efficiently and effectively we get those
why I asked Senator PORTMAN to join have done conference calls with them. goods and those commodities to mar-
me and Senator BALDWIN in Build My staff works closely with them. Rob- ket has a huge consequence to the abil-
America, Buy America—a bill we intro- ert Andres, with Chairman WYDEN— ity for Kansans to earn a living.
duced on President Trump’s Inaugura- Chairman WYDEN is chair of one of the Across our State, from Southeast
tion Day. We have worked with other most important committees in this Kansas to Southwest Kansas, from the
leaders on Buy America, and we will Congress and has been a leader in suburbs of Kansas City in Johnson
continue to. I especially call out Sen- wanting the wealthy to pay their fair County and Wyandotte County, all
ator BALDWIN. share and wants to make sure it is across Northwest and Central Kansas,
It took 4 years; we are finally getting large corporations that share the tax- the demand for improved roads, greater
it right. We are putting in place a payer bill and the tax burden and pay safety, is there. There is a great desire
clear, comprehensive standard: Amer- their fair share and less burden on to see that roads and bridges are re-
ican tax dollars should support Amer- small business. Aaron Goldner, for- paired. County commissioners and
ican jobs, period. American tax dollars merly with Senator WHITEHOUSE, and trustees of our townships have called
should support American jobs, period. my former aide Leah Hill—they all to say: We have a bridge. Could you
These historic investments will sup- made the bridge legislation possible. help us do something about that?
port Ohio manufacturers and not their In my office, Beth Cooper provided So I entered this group of 22 Sen-
foreign competitors. With potential for technical assistance on the very com- ators. I was one of the 11 to provide
hundreds of bridge repair projects plicated flood mitigation portion of some input and to see that Kansas pri-
alone, this investment in Ohio combine this bill. Megan Cheney and Chad Bolt, orities—that we had a seat at the table
with our strong ‘‘Buy America’’ rules Elisha Tuku, and Corey Frayer pro- and to help negotiate a deal that didn’t
means job creation in every region of vided the analyses and guidance on raise taxes, that didn’t spend trillions
my manufacturing State. matters relating to the bill’s pay for. of dollars and focused on actual tradi-
It keeps the promise I have made to Carolina Young—new on my staff but tional infrastructure, and to avoid
Ohioans my entire career that I would already making her mark—and Abigail what I fear is to follow, what I would
fight for the dignity of work. When you Duggan worked on the ‘‘Buy America’’ describe as a Democratic wish list. I
love your country, you fight for the provisions. wanted this to be a smaller, more af-
people who make it work, to ensure the My staff has worked with others on fordable, paid-for package that was not
industrial heartland would be the en- ‘‘Buy America’’ over the years, but excessive in scope, didn’t add to the na-
gine of opportunity that drives us into Sam Mulopolus, with Senator tional debt, and did not raise taxes on
a 21st century economy. PORTMAN’s staff; Brian Conlan with the American people.
Finally, while I am supporting this Senator BALDWIN have been particu- This package includes a number of
bill and am excited for all the invest- larly helpful. And I want to recognize priorities of mine, including a historic
ments it will make in Ohio commu- my former aide, Nora Todd, who led increase in investment in broadband
nities and Ohio jobs, I am disappointed our efforts for much of a decade on and does provide critical resources to
that a number of my colleagues re- ‘‘Buy America.’’ repair our roads, bridges, and airports.
jected the idea that we should pay for Through all of this, joining me on the
So a desire for a seat at the table, a
this bill by enforcing our country’s tax floor today, too, is Laura Swanson, my
desire to invest in infrastructure, and I
laws. staff director, who works unbelievable
I oppose the provision forcing home also would add a desire to see that this
hours with a small child and continues
buyers to pay more each month to help U.S. Senate, Republicans and Demo-
to be a terrific mother and wife and an
fund investments that wealthy tax crats, can work together for a bene-
amazing staff director.
cheats should pay for. The money that ficial product for the American people.
I say exactly the same about our leg-
home buyers pay should be going to- However, from the very beginning, I
islative director, Jeremy Hekhuis, who
ward keeping our housing system sta- outlined criteria that would be needed
is not a terrific mother but a terrific
ble, making sure that everyone has an to be met for my support on any final
father with a family and has worked so
affordable home. outcome of the negotiations. My pri-
very, very hard holding all this to-
We can do more. We will do more in ority was that the bill be paid for and
gether for over a decade. I thank my
the coming months to address afford- therefore not raise the national debt.
staff. I thank my colleagues.
able housing. Those that were in the This legislation—I remember saying Half of the new spending in this bill
Chamber heard Senator SANDERS talk- to Senator CASEY on March 6 when we is not offset—is not offset—with re-
ing about the importance of housing in passed the American Rescue Plan—I duced spending or increases in nontax
the reconciliation bill. I will come turned to him because of the child tax revenues. The Congressional Budget Of-
down to the floor later today and talk credit and what we did with pensions fice scores this bill as adding a quarter
in some detail about that. and so much else that Senator MURRAY of a trillion dollars to the national
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not worked on too—I turned to BOB and debt.
thank my staff for their hard work on said: This is the best day of my legisla- My view has been from the beginning
this effort. Many of them had planned tive life with what we are able to do to that if we can only find offsets to pay
August vacations. It is the only time of cut rates of child poverty and so much for a certain amount—in this case,
year where they really get sort of else. Well, this bill today is almost as about half of the increased spending in-
untrammeled, unrestricted time with big in its scope and is so very impor- cluded in this bill—then the size of our
their families. And all of them have tant to this country. I am pleased to bill should be half of what it is. If you
given up something already this month add my support to it. can only find a way to pay for half of
and July. And they are public servants, I yield the floor. what you are spending, then spend less
for sure. They understand commit- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- money—spend half as much less
ment. They do this without com- ator from Kansas. money. That, of course, was not the
plaining. Their hard work has been so Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I outcome of these negotiations.
obvious to me and so obvious to people joined the bipartisan infrastructure Additionally, I had hoped that this
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that pay attention, not necessarily ob- group of 22 Senators. I am one of the bipartisan plan would dissuade Demo-
vious to my constituents, and I want to originals. I did so for a number of rea- crats from pursuing their own partisan
call them out. sons. One is how important infrastruc- $3.5 trillion tax-and-spend spree. The
Homer Carlisle was instrumental in ture is to Kansas and to the country. Democratic plan to immediately follow
helping negotiate and craft the transit I would highlight the importance of this bipartisan infrastructure bill with
title and the bridge legislation. Ben infrastructure investment to my State. their own spending bill significantly
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S6072 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
undermines the bipartisan effort to de- transparent about what could be known up of the deleted data? If so, please provide
liver a good outcome for the people of there. all records to us.
this country. He was, of course, talking about the 5. Please list all collaborating partners to
I had hoped that if we reached a bi- origins of the COVID–19 pandemic. the NIH Sequence Read Archive.
partisan agreement—in fact, I had I couldn’t agree more with Dr. Col- 6. In the past five years, how many re-
hoped a bipartisan agreement would be lins. The world is entitled to know searchers and other personnel associated
reached among the 22 Senators, but what happened in Wuhan. However, we with the communist Chinese government
pretty early in the negotiations, it be- have a saying in Tennessee that I think have requested that data be deleted from the
came clear that there was significant applies here: What is good for the goose NIH Sequence Read Archive? Please list by
input and direction from the Biden ad- is good for the gander. requestor, date, reason, and the information
Of course, my question to Dr. Collins to be deleted. Please also note whether and
ministration and from the majority when that material was in fact deleted.
leader, the Democratic majority leader is, When will we see transparency from
in the U.S. Senate. So instead of nego- the NIH about its role in the origins of 7. More specifically, in the past five years,
the pandemic? how many researchers and other personnel
tiating with my colleagues and seeking associated with the communist Chinese gov-
an outcome that we supported, it had On June 28, along with my colleagues
ernment have requested that data be deleted
to be run by those who are in the White Senators MARSHALL and GRASSLEY, I from the NIH Sequence Read Archive relat-
House and those who are the leadership wrote to Dr. Collins asking him to open ing to coronaviruses? Please list by re-
of the Democratic Members of the U.S. up the books on the NIH’s relationship questor, date, reason, and the information to
Senate. with Chinese researchers. be deleted. Please also note whether and
My desire to see that we pass or Madam President, I ask unanimous when that material was in fact deleted.
reach an agreement to pass a bill that consent that this letter be printed in Thank you for your attention to this im-
would be paid for did not occur, was the RECORD. portant matter.
not met—that criteria was not met— There being no objection, the mate- Sincerely,
and the desire to see Democratic Sen- rial was ordered to be printed in the MARSHA BLACKBURN,
ators say: If we do this together, we are RECORD, as follows: U.S. Senator.
JUNE 28, 2021 ROGER MARSHALL,
not going to do something else on our
FRANCIS S. COLLINS, M.D., Ph.D., U.S. Senator.
own. In fact, some of the things we ne- CHARLES E. GRASSLEY,
gotiated in or out of the bipartisan Director, National Institutes of Health, Be-
thesda, MD. U.S. Senator.
package will now be included in the DEAR DR. COLLINS: On June 23, 2021, the
broader package of the Democratic Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Presi-
Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese
wish list. researchers ‘‘directed’’ the National Insti-
dent, this letter asked Dr. Collins
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me tutes of Health (NIH) ‘‘to delete gene se- about news reports that Chinese re-
to reach an agreement, only to dis- quences of early COVID–19 cases from a key searchers were allowed to delete data
cover then that in a succeeding bill, scientific database,’’ called the NIH Se- from a genetic database managed by
one that immediately follows, the quence Read Archive. The article states that the NIH. The data they removed in-
things that we negotiated in or out are NIH confirmed that it deleted the sequences. cluded information about the novel
now included or taken out. So the bi- The article further reports that the deleted coronavirus that caused the COVID–19
data includes genomic sequences from
partisan nature of the agreement is in SARS–Co V–2 and that these sequences were
pandemic.
many ways offset by the bill that fol- from viral samples collected in Wuhan ‘‘in Dr. Collins has not responded to the
lows. January and February 2020’’ from patients in letter, but this isn’t the sort of allega-
Reaching an infrastructure deal in a the hospital. tion the NIH will be able to ignore into
bipartisan way would send a great mes- This type of data may contain important
nonexistence. We need a response. We
sage that we are capable of working to- and relevant information that could help to
better determine the virus’s origins. The ef- need to know what happened. We need
gether, and I certainly indicate to my transparency from the NIH, just as the
forts by Chinese researchers to delete the
colleagues—I particularly indicate to NIH is asking for transparency from
data demands additional explanation. As you
Senator SINEMA, the Senator from Ari- are aware, the Chinese government has China.
zona, how much I appreciate her efforts failed, from the beginning, to be open and
to pull us together and to lead our transparent with the world with respect to
Dr. Collins must reveal what defini-
meetings in a productive way, and I its role in the pandemic. tion of ‘‘gain of function research’’ NIH
would say again that I am open to The COVID–19 pandemic has resulted in used when it approved funding for the
those opportunities. more than 600,000 deaths, and Congress has Wuhan Institute of Virology back in
I am saddened by the fact that this spent trillions of dollars to support the 2016. We now know that the research
American people, businesses, and the econ- we paid for helped Chinese researchers
did not reach an agreement that I can
omy during these difficult times. Simply engineer different versions of
support, but I certainly indicate to my put, the American people deserve to know
colleagues that I am willing to work what their government knows about the ori- coronaviruses.
with Republican and Democratic Mem- gins of this global illness. As part of our con- We also need to know why the Wuhan
bers of the Senate to see if, in other in- tinuing oversight with respect to NIH’s role Institute of Virology was allowed to do
stances, we can come together in a way during the COVID–19 pandemic, we request dangerous research with American tax-
that provides hope for the American additional information about the NIH Se- payer dollars in a ‘‘biosafety level 2’’
people that we can work together on a quence Read Archive and the actions taken
by Chinese researchers to have NIH delete
lab. In case you are not familiar with
better product than we were able to SARS–CoV–2 related data. Accordingly, this designation, one scientist com-
reach in this instance. please answer the following no later than pared the safety and security levels of
Unfortunately, to sum up, there is July 12, 2021: a biosafety lab 2 to that of a dentist’s
too much spending, too much debt, and 1. Please describe, in detail, how and under office.
therefore there will be too much infla- what circumstances data can be provided to
the NIH Sequence Read Archive and how and In 2017, NIH reversed the ban on gain
tion. My efforts to reach a compromise
under what circumstances data can be de- of function research. Why was NIH al-
were honest and sincere, and I regret
leted from the same. lowed to make such an important deci-
that we were unable to arrive at a bill
2. With respect to deleting data from the sion unilaterally?
that I can support. NIH Sequence Archive, please name all per-
I yield the floor. sonnel that have the authority to do so. In
I was relieved to hear Dr. Collins ex-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- your answer, please provide the names and press support for transparency from
ator from Tennessee. titles of the personnel that were involved in China, but getting answers out of Bei-
CORONAVIRUS the deletion of SARS–Co V–2 data. jing won’t end the investigation. The
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Presi- 3. With respect to the Wall Street Journal American people have suffered for al-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
dent, recently, Francis Collins, who is report, which Chinese researcher(s) re- most 2 years under the threat of illness
quested that the data be deleted from the and economic collapse. It is not too
the current Director of the National NIH Sequence Read Archive? When was the
Institutes of Health, said in an inter- request made and when did the deletion
much to demand that their own gov-
view: occur? ernment live up to the same standards
We call on China to really open up, some- 4. After deletion, does the NIH Sequence we all agree we should hold our re-
thing they have not done, and to be more Read Archive maintain any accessible back- search partners to.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6073
H.R. 3684 progress, but I am compelled to remind It means we—each of us, individ-
Tennesseans want answers from the my colleagues once again that the de- ually, collectively, together—has a
NIH. They are also still reeling over cision to increase government spending duty to future generations to pull out
the price tag of this infrastructure bill. is a decision to increase government of this skid before we tip the scales
Over the past few days, I have gotten a involvement and eventually govern- away from freedom and toward levels
lot of calls and text messages from peo- ment control. You cannot have the one of government dependency and control
ple back home. I stood right here and I without getting the other too. you can’t unravel after fixing a 4-year
have spoken about how Tennesseans This isn’t investing in the future. If mistake.
are confused about this process. I want anything, this pattern of reckless I yield the floor.
to amplify something for those who spending will ensure that the version of The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
may not have caught my remarks. the American dream so many of us BLUMENTHAL). The Senator from Wash-
Tennesseans aren’t talking about have enjoyed disappears before our ington.
process or pay-fors. They don’t follow youngest generations are old enough to Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, you
the Senate rules. What they are con- sign the dotted line on their driver’s li- know, when a disaster strikes—a tor-
fused about is why my Democratic col- cense application. Our Democratic col- nado or an earthquake or a wildfire—
leagues are in such a rush to spend leagues aren’t paving the way to pros- the first thing we do is work to keep
money we do not have on projects the perity for our children and grand- people safe, but that is far from the
American people never asked for. children with this type of spending; last thing we do. When the storm has
I don’t want my Democratic col- they are building the gateway to so- passed, we rebuild. We rebuild homes
leagues to make a mistake and accuse cialism, and this bill can be seen as a and schools, hospitals, businesses, com-
Tennesseans of not caring about infra- down payment. munities; and, if we are doing our job
structure. They couldn’t be further Later this week, if all goes according right, we build them back even better
from the truth on that one. Tennessee to plan for my colleague from New so we are ready when the next crisis
is a logistics State. We are roads, York, we will take a vote on a budget strikes. That is exactly what this budg-
bridges, rivers, runways, railways. So that is going to make the American et is about—rebuilding our country
believe me when I say Tennesseans people think they got a discount on the now stronger and fairer.
care about infrastructure. They are infrastructure package. It is another We need to pick up where the infra-
ready to invest in infrastructure. In- day, another fight over a multitrillion- structure package leaves off by making
deed, the surface transportation bill we dollar spending spree that defies com- bold investments in all of our infra-
passed out of Commerce, Science, and mon sense and rejects all notions of ac- structure. In addition to building roads
Transportation—they like that. But countability. and bridges and even broadband, we
cobbling together a trillion-dollar vehi- If the infrastructure bill was the need to build our public health infra-
cle for campaign promises and calling down payment for that gateway to so- structure and help our local health de-
it infrastructure is not something that cialism, this budget rips the gates off partments expand their capacity and
passes muster with them. the hinges and invites the big spenders modernize their data and lab systems
Several of my Republican colleagues and central planners to roll right on and more.
who were allowed to negotiate this bill through. For the low price of $3.5 tril- We need to build our affordable hous-
have emphasized that this is a bipar- lion, they will have it all: a laundry ing infrastructure to make sure every
tisan compromise. We thank them for list of incentives for government de- family can keep a roof over their head,
their efforts. They want us to under- pendency, a foot in the door to our and it doesn’t need to break the bank
stand that it is not a perfect bill. No homes and families, and an excuse to to do so.
bill is ever perfect. All of that is true. seize power and centralize it right here We need to build our school infra-
We understand that. We appreciate the in Washington. structure to make sure schools don’t
efforts that have gone into this. But, as My Democratic colleagues really have lead pipes or mold and do have
my colleague from Kansas said, it is enjoy using the words ‘‘free’’ and ‘‘uni- adequate lighting and electricity and
not the compromise that is the prob- versal’’ to describe their government AC systems, not to mention so many
lem. It is not the efforts; we appreciate handouts. We have universal pre-K, tui- other resources students need to learn
those. It is the fact that this is a bill tion-free community college, universal and grow, like libraries and gyms.
that is too expensive to afford. healthcare, and even a free path to citi- And we need to build our climate in-
The minority leader said it best a few zenship for illegal immigrants. frastructure. The climate crisis is here,
months ago when he compared this bill The American people see this for and it is an existential threat. If we
to a Trojan horse. It looks like one what it is, though. It is bait. In ex- don’t take this opportunity to protect
thing, but it is hiding something you change for your freedom and your au- our planet for current and future gen-
don’t want getting past the front door. tonomy and all your hopes and dreams, erations, we may not get another one.
For months, the Democratic Party you, too, can become a client of the Of course, rebuilding is about more
has been very public about their inten- State. You, too, can live ‘‘The Life of than just infrastructure. We have to
tions for the bill. The word ‘‘infrastruc- Julia,’’ as depicted in the roundly build a stronger, fairer country for our
ture’’ no longer has any meaning when panned cartoon the Obama administra- workers and our families too. Our Na-
it comes out of their mouths because tion created. The left always signals tion is stronger when no worker has to
everything has been infrastructure at where they are headed, and, for them, choose between a paycheck and taking
some point—childcare for a while until this is their goal, their utopia—total care of themselves, a child, or a loved
it took a back seat to court-packing. control from daylight to dark, 24 hours one who is seriously ill; and every
Now climate action is infrastructure. a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of worker can afford to take time off after
Back home, we deal in truth and con- your life. giving birth, a partner’s delivery, or
sequences. Tennesseans have spent the Our public debt is set to hit $45 tril- adopting a child, which is why we must
past few days looking at everything lion by 2031—$45 trillion. Deficits are establish a national paid leave plan.
hunkered down inside this package, on track to hit $1.8 trillion—yes, in- Our Nation is stronger when every
and they know it is not all about infra- deed, that is every year—and no budget parent can get quality, affordable
structure investment. I am talking to gimmick on the books can change that. childcare; every young learner gets a
county mayors. I am talking to State President Reagan’s warning about the strong start with quality early learn-
reps. I am talking to State senators. fragile nature of freedom rings espe- ing programs; and every adult learner
They are concerned about 5 percent of cially true after hearing those num- can pursue a higher education, which is
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
the bill for infrastructure and the rest, bers. why we need to expand quality, afford-
other projects. Here is what he said: able childcare and establish universal
I have spoken numerous times about [F]reedom is never more than one genera- pre-K, and why we need to open the
the ways President Biden and his faith- tion away from extinction . . . It [has to] be doors of higher education to even more
ful lieutenants in Congress have tried fought for and defended by each generation. people, starting by providing tuition-
to diminish freedom in the name of What does that mean? free community college.
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S6074 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
Our Nation is stronger when older clude the funding of roads and bridges, According to the nonpartisan Com-
Americans and people with disabilities transit, rail, airports, drinking water, mittee for a Responsible Federal Budg-
have the care they need to live inde- and wastewater infrastructure, ports et, the Democrats’ new legislation will
pendently in their communities, which and inland waterways, water storage, actually cost closer to $5 to $5.5 trillion
is why we need to invest in home- and and broadband infrastructure. over the next 10 years. Democrats in-
community-based services and make The bipartisan infrastructure bill we tend to couple this runaway spending
sure the workers who provide that crit- are considering today focuses on those with job- and growth-killing tax hikes
ical care get fair pay and better bene- core elements and is built around sev- to create and establish their reckless
fits. eral vetted, unanimously consented spree of tax-and-spend policies. They
Our Nation is stronger when committee-passed bills. It includes a intend to go it alone with this social
healthcare is truly a right and not a number of priorities important to spending spree through another budget
privilege, which is why we need to ex- Idaho, including billions of dollars for reconciliation process in a 50–50-tied
tend the huge healthcare expansion we roads, highways, and bridges; funding Senate, which is willfully partisan.
made in the American Rescue Plan, for high-speed internet and broadband Yet, amazingly, despite having the
which has already helped 138,000 people infrastructure deployment; millions in tools to raise the debt limit within this
in my home State of Washington save water infrastructure, including for process, Democrats want to ignore the
an average of $90 on their healthcare groundwater storage and conveyance; debt implications of their reckless
coverage, and we need to keep pressing funding for resiliency against natural budget. If the Democrats are going to
for further progress toward universal disasters, like wildfires and droughts; a cram down this massive tax-and-spend-
coverage. reauthorization of the Secure Rural ing spree, they will have to deal with
And, of course, our Nation is stronger Schools program; and much more. the debt limit themselves. Yet they
because of the contributions of so It does not raise taxes. don’t include dealing with their irre-
many hard-working immigrants, which It reprioritizes the use of certain un- sponsible growth of our debt in their
is why we need a fair pathway to citi- used COVID relief funds from previous bill.
zenship for the more than 11 million spending bills away from bailouts and What about offset proposals?
undocumented residents living here, in- idle funds and toward supply-side in- The Democrats’ budget proposals in-
cluding Dreamers, farmworkers, those vestments that will provide benefits to clude provisions that will cause imme-
with temporary protected status, and the American people for many years. diate and long-term damage to our
the many essential undocumented Because this infrastructure spending economy and send many of our most
workers who do so much to keep our focuses on long-term productivity rath- successful businesses—and the jobs
country running. er than near-term demand, it will not they provide—abroad.
You know, after a wildfire, would we be inflationary. In fact, it will counter- One, they propose increasing taxes on
leave the fire department in ashes, or act the inflationary pressures we are all kinds of businesses, large and small,
the schools or the businesses or the now seeing as a result of the excessive leading to lower wages, fewer jobs, and
homes? spending in this Congress. This is espe- higher prices for consumers.
Of course not. cially critical right now, as rising Two, they would allow and encourage
So, after a pandemic and an eco- prices are impacting families and small rival countries to change the inter-
nomic crisis, shouldn’t we rebuild our businesses across America. national tax system for the worse.
public health departments? Shouldn’t In June, the Bureau of Labor Statis- Three, they want to raise our taxes
we rebuild our economy? Shouldn’t we tics reported that consumer prices on our businesses in hopes that other
address the deep-seated inequities that were up 5.4 percent over 1 year ago— countries may raise theirs sometime in
have made things so much worse for so the largest increase since August 2008. the indefinite future, while ceding U.S.
many people? Shouldn’t we help fami- Consumer price inflation has been ac- taxing rights to our competitors today.
lies get childcare and paid leave and celerating since the beginning of the Four, they propose enacting a double
healthcare and housing and citizen- year, and American families pay the death tax, particularly harmful for
ship? Shouldn’t we build back our Na- price. In the past year, gas prices have family farms and small businesses.
tion stronger and fairer? increased 45.1 percent. The cost for Five, they want to substantially in-
That is not a trick question, and it major appliances has increased 13.7 per- crease taxes on investors, entre-
shouldn’t be a hard one either. The an- cent. Airfares have increased 24.6 per- preneurs, savers, and retirees.
swer is obvious to anyone who has been cent, and the list goes on. Six, they want to drastically expand
listening to people back home. A recent University of Michigan sur- the powers of the IRS, while limiting
Democrats are listening. We know vey showed that consumers expect its accountability, and turn banks into
what families are going through. We prices to rise 4.8 percent over the next private investigators for monitoring
know they want us to act, and that is 12 months, and a National Federation law-abiding Americans.
exactly what we are going to do. of Independent Business survey found Seven, their ideas will raise taxes on
I yield the floor. that 47 percent of companies are in- middle-class individuals and families,
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- creasing average selling prices, up 7 and not just those earning over
ator from Idaho. percentage points from May and the $400,000.
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise to highest share in four decades. At the very same time, they want tax
speak about the devastating tax-and- Economists on both sides of the aisle relief for some of the wealthy living in
spend policies we will shortly be debat- have warned that excessive, nonproduc- the high tax-and-spend States.
ing here. tive spending could put us in this posi- And, finally, they are also seeking to
First, I want to differentiate between tion. impose government price controls on
the bipartisan infrastructure legisla- And despite these warnings, in the pharmaceutical industry that will
tion we are currently debating and the March, the Democrats passed nearly $2 stifle medical innovation.
separate, looming debate on my Demo- trillion in purported COVID relief Let’s go back into a little detail on
cratic colleagues’ $3.5 trillion reckless spending on top of the nearly $4 trillion this.
tax-and-spend proposals. that had already been spent. A fraction Business taxes. The Democrats plan
Senators on both sides of the aisle of this $2 trillion was actually pan- to hike the tax rate paid by all types of
have long agreed to the need to mod- demic-related. businesses, including corporations, ig-
ernize and expand our hard infrastruc- That poorly targeted package has noring the fact that a significant por-
ture, including transportation systems grown the national debt, spurred infla- tion of the tax burden is paid by work-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
and broadband networks. We have done tion, and discouraged workers from re- ers. As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
so in a bipartisan manner. Infrastruc- turning to the workforce. Now Demo- notes, most corporations are small
ture investments have traditionally crats are proposing to spend an addi- businesses, with 84 percent of them
been accomplished through bipartisan- tional $3.5 trillion to balloon the Fed- having fewer than 20 employees. As to
ship and regular order. Traditional eral Government even more, and that those who actually bear the burden of
hard infrastructure investments in- is just the advertised price. a corporate tax increase, estimates say
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6075
that workers share anywhere from 20 for retirement, achieving financial And, finally, price controls on phar-
to more than 70 percent of this burden. independence, or even buying a home maceutical manufacturers. Thanks to
A higher corporate tax rate would hit or a car. the genius of science, private-sector in-
the nest eggs of everyone saving for re- Members of both parties have long novation, and the success of Operation
tirement. This stealthy but very real agreed on a key tool to encourage Warp Speed, America is ready for its
tax hike would hit retirement savers these goals for all Americans, specifi- comeback. Unfortunately, my Demo-
across the spectrum, falling most heav- cally, a lower tax rate on long-term crat colleagues are proposing sweeping
ily on the middle class and the elderly capital gains.
President Biden wants to nearly dou- governmental price controls on the
through retirement accounts and pen- very innovators who have enabled our
sions, and clearly violating President ble this tax rate from 23.8 percent to
43.4 percent, which will be the highest return to normalcy. Under the guise of
Biden’s pledge not to tax anyone mak- negotiation, the government would be
ing less than 400,000. rate—and hear me on this: the highest
Any business tax increase will di- rate—in a century. In many cases, empowered to set a maximum fair
rectly hit the very small businesses when combined with similar State price for drugs and apply bureaucratic
and workers that the administration taxes, the government would take standards that determine the value
claims it wants to help. more than half of an asset’s apprecia- that cures and therapies bring to
International taxes. The Democrats’ tion in taxes. This is the appreciation American lives.
tax plan would reverse the smart poli- that lower income, middle-income, and As the nonpartisan Congressional
cies of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act all income categories of workers and Budget Office has confirmed, this type
adopted in 2017, once again raising the earners in the United States will have of scheme will lead to fewer new medi-
relative cost of doing business in Amer- to pay. This supersized tax hike would cations, threatening access to life-
ica and punishing American businesses be a powerful disincentive to small
saving healthcare options for our most
selling their products or services over- businesses, savers and retirees, and en-
vulnerable citizens. One of these for-
seas. They fail to acknowledge that the trepreneurs and innovators who power
our economy, and harm all Americans, gone therapies could treat pancreatic
tax increases in their plan will rocket cancer; another could cure ALS. While
the United States back into the outlier regardless of their financial cir-
cumstances or goals. every patient should be able to afford
position it once occupied compared to lifesaving medications, their proposal
IRS funding and bank monitoring.
peer nations. Once again, we will have has the potential to eliminate the ex-
The Biden administration has proposed
the highest tax rates of the developed
nearly $80 billion in additional IRS istence of these very inventions and in-
world. We are very near the top. The
funding, of which $72.5 billion would be novations.
Democrats are intent on winning a
accountability-hindering mandatory Congress should come together in a
race to get to the top of the heap in
spending. Nearly doubling the IRS’ bipartisan way to make all healthcare
terms of international corporate tax
budget without increasing its account- services, including prescription drugs,
rates. ability opens the door to repeating and
Their international tax proposal more affordable and accessible, and I
supercharging the Agency’s past abuses
would more than double the minimum have introduced legislation to do just
of power.
rate paid by U.S. businesses on their Further, the administration’s pro- that. We do need to reduce the cost of
foreign earnings to 26.25 percent. This posal would press financial institu- prescription drugs, but using the sav-
hike far outstrips the 15 percent min- tions—private-sector financial institu- ings from this misguided government
imum rate promised by some of our tions—into reporting the deposit and price control scheme to pay for unre-
largest international competitors at withdrawal flows on their customer’s lated partisan priorities is not the an-
the OECD. If the administration wants accounts of greater than $600 in value. swer to the high cost of healthcare.
to promote economic growth that will Now, think about that. This isn’t big Before the pandemic, a combination
benefit American workers and savers, corporations. It is not even just cor-
why is it sharply increasing taxes on of reduced regulatory burden and pro-
porations. It is small businesses and in- growth policies, including the 2017 Tax
its global businesses when no other dividuals that have a financial account
country even levies such taxes? Cuts and Jobs Act, helped to create one
that has more than $600 in it. And what
The administration’s international of the strongest economies of our life-
we are going to see is a dragnet pulling
tax proposals seem designed to reignite law-abiding Americans into this, expos- time, with all-time high median house-
the job-crushing inversions and foreign ing sensitive data to future breaches, hold income, a 50-year low unemploy-
acquisitions of American companies burdening financial institutions, and ment rate, and real wage gains month
that the Obama administration faced. encouraging the growth of shadow after month, especially and most for
There is no reason to tax our busi- banking—what a huge violation of the the low-income workers. Inflation-ad-
nesses into moving abroad, as the privacy of all Americans. As if this pro- justed weekly median earnings grew 4.9
Democrats’ proposals will do. posal could not be worse, the data pro- percent for the 2 years between 2018
Family farms and small businesses. vided to the IRS would have almost no and 2019—the fastest 2-year growth rate
Today, family businesses passed down value in fighting tax evasion. in real earnings since 1998 and 1999.
at death are subject only to estate tax The era of big data should not be Polling showed Americans’ general
and not an additional income tax. In- viewed as an opportunity for Big satisfaction at the highest level in 15
stead, a business’s tax basis is in- Brother. years.
creased or stepped up to fair market The SALT deduction cap. While my
value, sparing the next generation a colleagues are proposing reckless, We would do the American people a
large capital gains tax bill. President across-the-board tax increases on busi- disservice if we mortgaged their future
Biden wants to create a double death nesses and families, they are simulta- while undermining the foundations of
tax by eliminating the benefits of this neously proposing to expand a tax de- their past successes, and, sadly, this is
step-up in basis, including for small duction for the wealthiest—those liv- the approach that many of my col-
businesses, farms, and ranches passed ing in high-tax States. Democrats are leagues are seeking to take as we move
down from one generation to the next fighting to reverse the cap on State into the next step of this debate.
at death. and local taxes, or what is called the We should, instead, be building on
More insidiously, the Biden plan SALT tax—these deductions—stoking a time-proven, pro-growth policies, not
would tax these businesses on simple tax break for the very wealthy. reversing them to fund a reckless
inflation, sticking them with a bill for Democratic silence on who benefits spending spree.
reckless, inflationary tax-and-spend from their proposal is telling. Per a
2020 Brookings Institute study, 96 per- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
policies enacted by politicians in Wash-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
cent of its benefits would go to the top ator from New York.
ington.
Capital gains tax. For decades, the quintile of earners, 57 percent would go Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I
Republicans and Democrats have rec- to the top 1 percent of earners, and 25 rise to join my colleagues in support of
ognized the importance of encouraging percent to the top one-tenth of 1 per- the Build Back Better plan budget res-
people to save for their future goals, cent of earners—a huge tax break for olution, which recognizes that care in-
including starting a business, saving the wealthy. frastructure is critical infrastructure.
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S6076 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
We know that our economy has not It also recognizes the nature of existent internet connections create
been working for working families. childcare as essential work. Childcare barriers to work, healthcare and edu-
Then, we saw a pandemic make a pre- providers are essential workers, and cation.
carious situation even worse for fami- they deserve a long overdue raise. This The recent pandemic has certainly
lies across the entire country. investment is critical to our economic laid bare inequities to high-speed inter-
Our economy cannot fully recover recovery and will help working parents net in our country. Every administra-
and will not survive another pandemic get back to the office, get back to their tion in recent memory has identified
or health emergency if people can’t jobs and know that their children are improving our infrastructure and
keep their jobs or get back to work. safe and having access to that critical transportation networks as a priority,
That won’t happen until we start pro- early childhood education. but time and time again we have seen
viding the economic support that we Every parent in America knows that those ambitious goals thwarted by par-
have actually needed for decades—sup- if their child has the chance from 0 to tisanship.
port like childcare, universal pre-K, 5 to be in early childhood education, Well, the Senate has finally broken
and universal paid leave. every dollar you put into early child- through the political gridlock and is on
Paid leave is what allows people to hood education results in over $11 of the merge of passing a landmark infra-
keep their jobs when they get sick. It benefit to society for that individual structure package that amounts to a
allows parents to stay home with chil- child over their lifetime. It is such an major victory for the American people.
dren who are ill or forced to learn re- important investment. I worked with my colleagues from
motely. It lets hard-working people The Build Back Better plan invests across the aisle and across the country
care for their aging parents. And, right in universal pre-K. It will not only help to produce this legislation. It will be
now, far too many people don’t have more parents of young children return the most significant investment in
access to it. More than 8 in 10 workers to work, but it also ensures that those American infrastructure since the es-
lack access to paid leave, and they are children get that early access to early tablishment of the Interstate Highway
often left to make the very impossible childhood education, that high-quality System in the 1950s.
choices of: Do I care for my loved one? learning gives them access to under- This bill will provide concrete bene-
Do I stay by the bedside of my mother standing their numbers, their letters, fits for American families, as well as
as she is dying or do I earn a paycheck early reading, early math that is essen- for our economy, by making historic
and feed my children? tial for them being able to thrive. investments in our Nation’s roads;
Those are choices that we shouldn’t These forms of care infrastructure highways; bridges; airports; seaports;
be forcing the American workforce to are what make the difference between waterways; rail; water treatment sys-
have to make every single day. a family surviving or a family thriving, tems; and, of course, broadband.
So this budget reconciliation will and that is what this country needs to This is important not only for Amer-
help end the United States’ reign of actually recover from this global pan- ican families; it is important for Amer-
being the only industrialized country demic. ica’s place in the world. Many other
in the world that doesn’t have access These investments are just as impor- countries on a per-capita basis invest
to paid family and medical leave for all tant as our investments in roads and far more than our country does in in-
workers. bridges and sewers and clean water and frastructure, including China. So this
I have been fighting alongside Con- clean air and high-speed rail and rural bill will help to improve our competi-
gresswoman ROSA DELAURO for years broadband. All of that matters and, to- tiveness, create jobs, and improve our
to pass the bill. Our bill is called the gether, that is how we recover from productivity. It represents the cul-
FAMILY Act, the model for the Build this economy. This is the moment to mination of months of bipartisan nego-
Back Better plan’s paid leave program, make this once-in-a-generation invest- tiations and truly is transformational.
which would provide every—nearly ment in the future of our families, the For example, the package includes
every worker with up to 12 weeks of future of our middle class, the future of $110 billion to address the growing
paid leave. It will provide stability to our economy, and this is something backlog of deficient bridges and roads.
workers, to families, to companies, and that we can do together. This includes $40 billion to improve our
to our U.S. economy. So I ask all of my colleagues to join Nation’s bridges. In my State of Maine,
Now, this is the moment that we can us in getting the Build Back Better there are 315 deficient bridges and
actually make it happen. This budget plan over the finish line. It is about our nearly 1,500 miles of poor roads.
also recognizes the essential nature of families; it is about our economy; and, This package provides $25 billion, as
the childcare industry. Nearly 27 mil- most importantly, it is about our fu- well as the flexibility, for our airports
lion people rely on childcare just so ture. so that they can pursue the projects
they can go to work and feed their chil- I yield the floor. such as rebuilding or extending run-
dren. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. ways and taxiways or expanding their
First, childcare is not readily avail- HIRONO). The Senator from Maine. terminals. This funding will benefit
able. Childcare deserts and shortages H.R. 3684 airports of all sizes.
across the country leave families with- Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, at The package also bolsters our rail
out local options. Before the pandemic long last, tomorrow morning, I expect network by including funding for pro-
in New York, there was one slot for that the Senate will approve the bipar- grams that support crucial capital and
every four children who wanted access tisan Infrastructure Investment and rail safety projects. We also included
to affordable, high-quality daycare. Jobs Act. funding for Amtrak’s National Net-
After the pandemic, there was one slot For far too long, any discussion of work to help address its deferred cap-
for every eight children who wanted ac- transportation infrastructure in this ital needs and to bring new train cars
cess to affordable, quality daycare. In country has been accompanied by the to State-supported routes, like the
New York, a year of childcare is often adjective ‘‘crumbling.’’ The backlog of Downeaster in Maine.
more expensive than a year of in-State needed repairs and upgrades and re- I am also excited that the bill pro-
college tuition. placements in my State of Maine and vides an additional $95 million to sup-
Those problems were exacerbated by throughout our country is simply enor- port the University Transportation
the pandemic. Staffing at childcare mous. Centers program. This program har-
centers, which was already a problem Americans know far too well the con- nesses the research and development
pre-pandemic, is now down 15 percent. sequences of the chronic underinvest- expertise at our institutions of higher
This budget will help us make the crit- ment in our infrastructure. Poor road education to improve our infrastruc-
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ical investments that are so long over- conditions cost them, on average, hun- ture. The University of Maine, I am
due. Childcare investments ensure fam- dreds of dollars each year in vehicle re- proud to say, participates in this pro-
ilies have access to high-quality care pairs and wasted gasoline due to con- gram. It is leading the way by pio-
that cost low- and middle-income fami- gestion. Structurally deficient bridges neering cutting-edge materials to build
lies no more than 7 percent of their in- often require lengthy detours when more durable, environmentally friend-
come. they have to be posted. Slow or non- ly roads and bridges at a lower cost.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6077
I recently participated in a bridge particularly Secretary Raimondo at MANCHIN, SHAHEEN, WARNER, and
dedication that used the new materials the Department of Commerce. TESTER. All of us worked very hard,
and techniques that had been developed This will make a real difference in and we are grateful for the ideas and
at the University of Maine. This bridge the lives of Americans, particularly the input that we had from so many of
will last far longer. Because of the ma- those living in rural areas who do not our colleagues.
terials that were used to build it, it has have access to internet service at all in I also want to thank our staffs. We
a far lower carbon footprint and is a some areas or who have access only to couldn’t have done it without them.
really exciting development. This pro- unreliable, very slow service. They, too, were here night and day.
gram will be better supported by the It has become increasingly clear in They haven’t had a weekend off in a
funding in our bill. recent years, and especially in light of very long time.
The energy title of our bill will pro- the pandemic, that broadband is no It is essential that we make this his-
vide critical investments in clean en- longer a luxury; it is a necessity. And toric investment, and I urge all of my
ergy demonstration projects and help I can’t tell you how many people I have colleagues in voting tomorrow morning
to protect and harden our electric grid. talked to in Maine about this problem. for final passage of this long-awaited,
Notably, $355 million is included for an I talked to a selectman on Swan’s Is-
much needed, bipartisan legislation.
energy storage pilot program, which land, who was telling me that the resi-
dents of Swan’s Island were unable to I yield the floor.
was authorized through a law I au-
thored known as the BEST Act. participate in the telemedicine pro- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
I am really excited about this be- grams during the height of the COVID ator from California.
cause I believe that energy storage pandemic because they simply lacked CLIMATE CHANGE
technology will be the breakthrough access to high-speed internet. That is Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I
that we need in the fight against cli- an example where healthcare is af- rise today because my home State of
mate change as far as allowing us to fected. California is on fire. Nearly half a mil-
integrate new renewables, such as wind There were families in other rural lion acres have burned in the last
and solar, into the electric grid. That areas of the State where schools had a month by the Dixie Fire alone. That is
will, in turn, help to reduce emissions, hybrid system where families had to more than 10 times the size of the Dis-
but it will also improve the resiliency drive their children to the library to trict of Columbia. It is larger in size
of our electric grid. find a hotspot in order to connect with than the city of Los Angeles. Thou-
The funding for coastal resiliency in- the internet for online education. One sands of Californians have been forced
cluded in this bill will help protect our family in northern Maine told me it to flee their homes with only the
Nation’s coastline and coastal commu- would cost them $15,000 to be connected clothes on their backs and the belong-
nities from rising sea levels, including to the internet. They can’t afford that. ings they can carry in their cars. En-
those in the State of Maine. There is Most people in my State would be un- tire towns have burned to the ground.
funding that is included for NOAA’s able to afford $15,000 to be connected to As of Sunday, Dixie is the largest sin-
Coastal Resilience Fund to help miti- the internet. I also talked to town gle-source fire in California’s history.
gate the impact of storms on our com- managers who told me of employers California is not alone. The entire
munities and lessen flooding that has who had decided to locate their busi- Western United States is on fire.
been so devastating in many areas of nesses and employ people elsewhere be- Colleagues, this morning, the IPCC,
the country. cause of the absence of high-speed, reli- the world’s foremost body of climate
To further address the infrastructure able internet service. scientists, presented a new report. I am
needs for our ports and waterways, $7 This is why that $65 billion invest-
hoping you have seen it. There are 195
billion is included for the Army Corps ment is so important and will have
countries, including the United States,
of Engineers to address the large back- such an impact on people’s lives. We
that have agreed on every statement
log of authorized projects that have yet have both a deployment section and an
that it makes, and the verdict could
to receive funding. There is also $2.25 affordability section, and both are a
not be clearer: Climate change is hap-
billion for the Port Infrastructure De- necessity.
pening, and we must act now.
velopment Program. Ultimately, this bill is about rein-
forcing the connections that make our As the report says, in more than 1,000
Maintaining access to clean, reliable
country more united. The investments centuries, the Earth has never seen a
drinking water is essential to pro-
in our roads and bridges will better decade as hot as we have seen in the
tecting the health of our public, our
connect our communities. The invest- last 10 years. Scientists can show that
environment, our families, our econ-
ments in our airports will better con- particular disasters are fueled by cli-
omy. Our agreement includes invest-
nect rural and urban regions. The in- mate change. The heat wave that is
ments in drinking water and waste-
vestments in our highways and sea- fueling fires, destroying crops, and
water infrastructure.
Although Maine is home to some of ports will better connect manufactur- sending areas across California into
the cleanest sources of water in the ers and their customers and their drought—that is on us. Devastating
country, the increasing and troubling workers. The investment in high-speed floods from Texas to Central Europe—
prevalence of pollutants, like PFAS internet will better connect families, those are on us.
chemicals—the so-called forever chemi- friends, coworkers, employers, We have pushed our planet to this
cals—require action to keep our drink- healthcare providers, students, and point, and if we continue to stall, the
ing water safe. educators. This investment package is pace of recordbreaking catastrophe
There has been contamination in good for America. It represents a far will only increase. This is planet
Maine in both public and private water too rare example of the two parties Earth’s 10-alarm fire. Yet, my Repub-
systems from PFAS. That is why I working together to produce real re- lican colleagues pretend that they
worked so hard with Senator SHAHEEN sults for the American people. can’t see the smoke blowing across the
of New Hampshire to provide funding I want to take just a final moment to country—smoke that is visible from
to help clean up this source of pollu- thank those who were particularly in- space.
tion. volved. I want to thank all of my col- But the good news is, we have a
Finally—and, in my view, one of the leagues for their contributions, but Democratic majority, and we know
most important features of this bill—is particularly I want to laud the work of how to fight this fire. If we race to zero
the broadband investment. I want to Senator ROB PORTMAN and Senator out our carbon emissions, we can slow
reiterate the significance of our his- KYRSTEN SINEMA, who led our group of the pace of climate change. We can
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
toric $65 billion investment in 10 Senators—5 Democrats, 5 Repub- even bring down temperatures by the
broadband. licans. The other Republican Members, middle of the century. But our path to
Senator SHAHEEN and I worked, lit- in addition to myself, were Senators avert a catastrophic cycle is narrowing
erally, night and day to negotiate this MURKOWSKI, CASSIDY, and ROMNEY. On by the day. We must act boldly and
section with our colleagues here in the the Democratic side, in addition to with urgency to tackle this crisis head-
Senate and with the administration, Senator SINEMA, were Senators on.
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S6078 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
Across the country, across industries, before us and the opportunity that it homes; DACA recipients, like Erika
and across the world, we need to end represents to finally provide a pathway Henriquez, a medical assistant who
our dependence on fossil fuels. We also to citizenship for millions of our neigh- works helping to distribute COVID
need to aim high and fully fund trans- bors, friends, and family members. tests and lifesaving vaccines; farm
formational infrastructure that will I rise today on behalf of the people workers, like Vicente Reyes and his
allow us not just to survive this transi- who are the subject of our immigration parents, who show up to work every
tion but to come out better than we debate and the immigrants who have single day to keep grocery store
were before. On a zero-emissions lived and worked in communities shelves stocked and for us to be able to
schoolbus, students won’t have to throughout the United States for put food on our table—as has been the
breathe dirty air. In an economy re- years, sometimes decades, while stuck case since the founding of our Nation,
built to meet this challenge, millions in a limbo that Congress has created. immigrants are serving at the heart of
of Americans will work in high-paying, Our Nation depends on the labor of the American story.
sustainable jobs. immigrants. There has been bipartisan An overwhelming bipartisan major-
Sometimes, I have worried that we agreement on this for generations. But ity knows that people like Rose, Erika,
have grown numb to the idea of the cli- while our Nation depends on the labor and Vicente have earned the right to
mate crisis. If we truly understood the of immigrants, we do not provide the live here without fear of deportation.
meaning of those words, how could we pathways to citizenship that these in- Seventy percent of Americans support
even contemplate business as usual? If dividuals and their families have creating a pathway to citizenship for
my colleagues across the aisle were to earned. Today, we stand on the brink TPS holders, for Dreamers, and farm
listen to scientists, how could a single of a historic opportunity to adopt long workers. That includes a majority of
one of them argue that we need to overdue reforms to our immigration Democrats and Republicans and Inde-
spend less on climate? system. pendents.
As many of you know, my wife and I I rise to share just a few stories of Colleagues, right now, we have an op-
are raising three sons, trying to raise the people on whom our Nation de- portunity to provide stability and secu-
three gentleman. Today, they are age pends and for whom we must act. rity for the very workforce that the
14, 8, and 6 years old. We are trying to In May, I had the honor of welcoming Department of Homeland Security, be-
Rose Tilus to testify before the Senate ginning during the Trump administra-
get them ready to go back to school.
Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigra- tion, has deemed essential to our Na-
Protecting them and giving them every
tion, Citizenship, and Border Safety, tion’s economy and security. So as we
opportunity to thrive is the cause of
the Subcommittee which I chair. write a reconciliation bill to create an
my lifetime. But the IPCC report Rose was born in Haiti but fled gang
makes clear that we will blow through equitable and sustainable economic re-
violence and political instability at the covery, we must include immigration
the 1.5 degrees of global warming by age of 17. Alone, in an unfamiliar coun-
the year 2040—it is right here—no mat- reform. We have strong arguments and
try, she dreamed of becoming a nurse, precedent from this very body in our
ter what we do today. but Rose’s immigration status kept
Come 2040, my sons will be ages 33, 27, corner.
that dream out of reach. The logic is simple: Providing a path-
and 25. I think about what their lives For 10 years, she sustained herself
will be like at that stage—just starting way to citizenship is a direct govern-
working as a housekeeper and as a ment action, not some carrot-and-stick
their careers, maybe starting their own babysitter to make ends meet. But approach involving private businesses
families. What will their adulthood Rose’s life changed in 2010, when a dev- and private actors.
look like? astating earthquake in Haiti allowed Newly eligible immigrants would pay
If we act now, we have a chance to her to obtain a work permit under a fees directly to the U.S. Government,
turn the tide to begin the planet’s re- program called temporary protected as part of this direct government ac-
covery as my children—my children— status, or TPS. tion, which would then be processed by
reach middle age. If we fail, they will Now, she seized this opportunity to government employees. Every step of
face a world of accelerating disasters; return to school and fulfill her dream this process involves direct govern-
up to 4 degrees of warming, the report of becoming a nurse and going out to ment action and direct government
says—4 degrees. serve and care for others in nursing revenues, expenditures, and personnel.
Now, as an engineer, I understand homes, in hospitals, in community And by expanding pathways to citi-
how deadly serious it is to upset the health centers. zenship, we will grow our economy and
delicate balance of our environment, Now, while Rose’s story is the story improve the workplaces for all. That is
but if 4 degrees does not sound signifi- of the American dream, her legal sta- precisely the spirit and the intent of
cant to you, just listen to the sci- tus in this country remains all too the infrastructure investments that we
entists warning of what 4 degrees of temporary. are developing as part of the budget
warming will create: global conflict Our Nation’s economy has always de- reconciliation bill.
over food, water, and safe shelter; mil- pended on the dreams, the dedication, Research by the Center for American
lions of climate refugees and desperate and the contributions of immigrants. Progress shows that providing a path-
migrants. No State knows this better than my way to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS
Failure is not an option. I refuse to home State of California, which also holders, farm workers, and all essential
tell my boys that we knew what to do represents the fifth largest economy in workers will boost GDP by $1.5 trillion
but could not muster up the political the world and which nearly a quarter over 10 years. It will raise wages for all
will to act. I refuse to leave to them a of America’s immigrants call home. American workers. It will create 400,000
world where their lives are defined by Immigrants make up 27 percent of new jobs, and it will generate billions
climate disaster and where they fear California’s population, and, yes, they of dollars of spending and tax revenue,
that every summer will bring the fire are essential to our success in every in- fueling our economic recovery.
or drought or storm that consumes dustry, from farm workers in the Cen- We have more than just an oppor-
their home. I refuse to leave that world tral Valley to tech innovators in the tunity; we have an obligation to pass
for my children or for anyone’s chil- Silicon Valley, to construction and do- meaningful immigration reform as part
dren. That means time is of the es- mestic workers throughout the State, of the upcoming reconciliation bill—for
sence. and to nurses and teachers, and more. Rose; for Erika; for Vicente; for the
Climate cannot be on the chopping In fact, the COVID–19 pandemic has millions of essential workers and long-
block of any budget. It is nonnego- made us a country that relies even term residents who lack permanent
tiable. So let’s rise to meet the chal- more on the essential work of immi- status; for the bipartisan majority of
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lenge of our generation. We cannot, we grants. More than 5 million undocu- Americans who support reform for
will not let our home burn. mented workers have held jobs that the their immigrant friends, families, and
BUDGET RECONCILIATION Federal Government deems essential neighbors; and for every one of our con-
Madam President, on a different during the pandemic. stituents, because all Americans will
topic, I rise to speak today on the TPS holders, like Rose, who care for see the economic benefits of immigra-
budget resolution that will soon come our loved ones in hospitals and nursing tion reform.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6079
(English translation of the statement misled the country about the true facts how my colleagues on the other side of
made in Spanish is as follows:) relating to the Crossfire Hurricane. In the aisle will complain about how such
Madam President, we have more than an doing so, they undermined their credi- a decision to seek information is polit-
opportunity—we have an obligation—to pass bility. But, somehow, they kept inves- ical in nature.
meaningful immigration reform as part of tigations going, along with an all-too With respect to Trump and what was
the upcoming reconciliation bill. supplicant press. said at these high-level meetings, those
For the millions of essential workers and My staff has participated in these are the types of meetings where all
long-term residents who lack permanent sta-
tus.
staff-led interviews that have occurred kinds of things are discussed. That is
For the bipartisan majority of Americans in the last week, and I have been the whole point. The President has
who support reform for their immigrant briefed on the matters at hand. I was every right to discuss ideas and strate-
friends, families, and neighbors. also at the Rosen interview. gies with his closest advisers. The
And for every one of our constituents—be- Within hours of Saturday’s Rosen President, whether that President is a
cause all Americans will see the economic interview, the Democrats were already Democrat or a Republican, should feel
benefits of immigration reform. on television and in papers talking unrestrained to bring ideas to his clos-
I recently met with President Biden about the substance of the interviews. est staff for robust discussion.
in the Oval Office to discuss Califor- In their public comments, they pro- Eventually, the facts will come out,
nia’s immigration needs. And I am so vided politically slanted mischarac- and Trump will have to address them,
thankful for President Biden and Vice terizations about where the investiga- good or bad, depending on the facts at
President HARRIS’s unequivocal sup- tion currently stands. hand. However, the essential question
port for including immigration reforms I would like to specifically note that that should be asked is, What was the
in the budget reconciliation process. the chairman of the Committee, Sen- final decision? And that is my major
As I said, we have an opportunity and ator DURBIN, said, in part, to CNN on concern about the recent public com-
a responsibility to bring security to Sunday about the Rosen interview that ments coming out of these interviews I
millions of federally recognized essen- ‘‘the Justice Department had set it up have discussed relating to this new
tial workers and their families. for us and said we’re waiving any privi- Trump investigation.
I urge my colleagues to join me in lege. He’’—meaning these people being Unlike my Democratic colleagues, I
recognizing the essential work and eco- interviewed—‘‘can speak to any issue. won’t discuss the evidence publicly at
nomic contributions of immigrants by We’re not holding back.’’ this point in time, but let me remind
opening the pathway to citizenship and At the Donoghue interview on Fri- the American public with a couple al-
the American dream. day, the Justice Department, contrary ready-public points.
Thank you. to what I just stated to you, objected Did Trump fire Acting Attorney Gen-
I now yield the floor. to my staff’s questions on several occa- eral Jeffrey Rosen? No, he did not fire
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- sions and prevented Donoghue from an- him.
ator from Iowa. swering. So to go back to what I said Did Trump fire Rich Donoghue,
TRUMP INVESTIGATION from the quote on CNN, it had been set Rosen’s Deputy? No, he did not fire
Mr. GRASSLEY. Last week, Judici- up ‘‘for us and said we’re waiving any Rich Donoghue.
ary staff interviewed Jeffrey Rosen, privilege. He can speak to any issue.’’ Also, on August 7, 2021, a CNN article
Trump’s former Acting Attorney Gen- But when it comes to some of the ques- states—now, this is about those inter-
eral, and Mr. Rosen’s Deputy at the tions my staff was asking, that wasn’t views that I have been talking about
Justice Department, Rich Donoghue. true. that happened in the last week. From
These interviews were done as part of The same happened at least once in CNN: ‘‘The men testified that in their
the Democrats’ never-ending series of the Rosen interview. And I believe the interactions with Trump’’—I had bet-
investigations into former President Justice Department made an objection ter start over again or we will get this
Trump. even to a Democrat-led question in wrong.
Their obsession with him has been Donoghue’s interview. So we were not ‘‘The men testified that in their
very consistent, I will give them that. able to ask any questions as we were interactions with Trump, he didn’t
So, too, are the Democrats’ public com- promised. order them to do anything illegal and
ments that grossly mischaracterized— So when the Democrats say these eventually accepted their advice that
at least for now—the state of the evi- witnesses can ‘‘speak to any issue,’’ the Justice Department couldn’t take
dence. well, apparently that is not the case. actions to claim fraud when it had no
I will start with a little history. This The Biden administration and its Jus- evidence of it.’’
country has had to deal with Demo- tice Department have waived executive In other words—that is end of quote;
crats’ obsession with destroying Trump privilege for these witnesses to speak I want to just interpret—claim fraud in
for much too long. In the process, I fear about close and intimate conversations the last Presidential election because
my colleagues on the other side of the that the President had with his advis- there was no evidence of fraud.
aisle have done and will do lasting ers. Incredibly, one of the same com-
damage to our political system. If you get even a little bit away from mittee Democrats who spread the
For example, in May 2017, then-Rank- Trump, then, in your questioning, well, Trump lie today said criminal prosecu-
ing Member FEINSTEIN and I met with then the Justice Department doesn’t tions could come out of this investiga-
then-Director Comey about Crossfire want Congress to know the facts. You tion.
Hurricane. At that classified briefing, see what I mean by saying that Justice If the facts eventually fit the Demo-
Comey said Trump was not under in- objected to some of my staff’s ques- crats’ narrative that they so badly
vestigation. But that didn’t stop the tions? want to be true of their narrative, then
Democrats from publicly saying that Mind you, now, the Justice Depart- they fit. It is what it is. But I haven’t
Trump was under investigation. ment and other executive Agencies seen anything backing up their mis-
And because Comey kept the answer consistently refuse to produce records leading conclusions from either what I
classified, he couldn’t and didn’t rebut to Congress, claiming what we call de- saw at the interviews or what my staff
it. But Democrats knew it was a lie, liberative process. When it comes to has reported to me from those inter-
and they kept on saying that lie until Trump, the usual order doesn’t apply. views over the last week.
Trump fired Comey because Comey Given the new executive privilege po- Now, until that point comes that the
wouldn’t make the fact that Trump sition that the Biden administration Democratic narrative proves out to be
wasn’t under investigation public. has created here, it is entirely possible what they want it to be, the Democrats
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
Unfortunately, the Democrats’ big lie that at some point in the future, we should quit trying to fit a square peg in
eventually got them what they wanted could all be talking to President a round hole, and they need to stop vio-
because Comey then helped orchestrate Biden’s closest advisers about their in- lating committee rules and protocols.
an investigation over his firing. ternal deliberative process. Or is there Because of this, why would any wit-
Day after day, year after year, my a double standard? I have to laugh a ness want to testify now, at the risk of
colleagues on the other side of the aisle little bit at that possibility, knowing their words being leaked and twisted to
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S6080 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
satisfy a partisan agenda? Facts and so critically to making this vote pos- Over the past year, I have spoken to
evidence matter, not speculative, par- sible; final passage of a measure that countless families who need that
tisan cheap shots. will enable the bridge across the Con- childcare and providers who furnish it
I yield the floor. necticut River to be truly safe and reli- across the northeast. Childcare is crit-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- able; the Mixmaster in Waterbury—so- ical not only to those jobs and the peo-
ator from Connecticut. called because it mixes several roads at ple who fill jobs, but also to the emo-
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Madam Presi- once—to be finally done; a proposal tional and educational development of
dent, I am here to talk about the Build that will enable, we hope, eventually, children—allowing moms and dads, and
Back Better proposal and the budget the tracks between New Haven and grandparents, to go back to work, but
resolution that we will shortly take up, New York to be really reliable, to be also for children to have the basics in
but let me just respond briefly to my maintained properly. preparation for education that they
good friend and colleague from Iowa’s On every one of those transportation need.
remarks on the interview that was con- byways, there are people who depend By establishing a universal pre-care
ducted with Jeffrey Rosen on Saturday on them, people who are going to work system and providing families with in-
and the previous interview with Rich or to visit their family. Those people centives, like the child care tax cuts,
Donoghue. are, at the end of the day, who this in- to help them afford care, we can ensure
I agree completely that the facts and frastructure serves. And the freight that children are prepared for success
the evidence are what are important that will be on railroads or the goods and parents can go to work.
here, and this investigation is su- and produce transported on our high- But it isn’t enough to ensure that
premely significant. I hope that we will ways go to people. They serve our econ- families can just afford childcare. We
join, on a bipartisan basis, to follow omy. They create jobs. We need to do have to ensure they are able to live
the facts and the law wherever they much more for those people. healthy lives. And we know healthcare
lead and encourage voluntary coopera- Just today in the New York Times, in is complicated; it is confusing; it is ex-
tion by the witnesses and collect all of the Business section, there is an article pensive, especially for our aging sen-
the documents and other evidence that about a young mother who wants to go iors and people with disabilities and
is necessary to fairly and fully present back to work, reenter the workforce, our fellow Americans with preexisting
the truth to the American people. They but she has two children. One is await- conditions.
deserve to know what we have heard so ing the beginning of school, and the Over this past year, we learned clear-
far, which amounts to a chilling and other, she feels, needs and deserves ly and dramatically how resource-de-
shocking picture of a President seeking daycare before she can go back to prived our healthcare system has be-
to corrupt the Department of Justice work. That road that enables her to come—individuals forced to make
and overthrow an election. That much drive or the railroad, to commute, choices between keeping a roof over
has been clear from the evidence that won’t be a link to the workplace for their head or going to the doctor or
we have seen. her until she has daycare.
But I agree that we should not talk paying for medications. No American
Our economy is interconnected in
about the specific facts at this point family should be forced to make those
ways that we understand intuitively
because it is an ongoing investigation. choices.
when we look at individual people, but And we need to invest. It is not about
And I hope that we will join, in a bipar- too often, we have mounds of paper—no
tisan way, not only to encourage vol- spending; it is investing in our
longer for all of us truly paper but healthcare system. This budget pro-
untary cooperation but to seek testi- mounds of print—and numbers and sta-
mony and documents by subpoena posal will accomplish exactly that
tistics. The real story is in that young
where necessary, where, as a matter of goal.
mother whose account is so important Lower prescription drug costs, low-
resort, if that evidence is denied, we to us, the human story.
need to do so because the interests of ering those burdens, providing broader
Universal daycare, paid family leave,
our Nation are best served by the access to medical providers, including
affordable medical care, and housing—
truth. that dental care, hearing aids, and vi-
they are also the stuff of human needs.
All of it should be made public. Even- They are part of our human assets. sion for individuals—all individuals—
tually, these transcripts from inter- Seniors need dental care and eye- on Medicare should be our paramount
views and other evidence should be glasses and hearing aids so that they goal.
made public so that the American peo- can appreciate all of the benefits that And it is critical that home
ple can see the truth. I know that my we are trying to bring them through healthcare workers and patients under-
colleague from Iowa has been a staunch this infrastructure program. stand their value. Individuals with dis-
and steadfast champion of whistle- The American people need jobs so abilities were left struggling to find af-
blowing, of making available the truth that they can afford prescription drugs, fordable home- and community-based
to the American people. Nobody in this and the cost of prescription drugs services throughout the pandemic. We
body has been a stronger advocate of needs to be lower so they don’t have to need to appreciate the home care work-
whistleblowers and protecting them so make these choices that we describe ers and support them and pay them
that the American people could see the day after day between paying the mort- adequately, just as we need to provide
truth than my colleague from Iowa. So gage and putting food on the table and that home care for seniors who need it.
I am hopeful that we will work to- clothing their kids. Healthcare is more than access to care;
gether toward that end. The pandemic has affected health, it is the basic system that provides
BUDGET RECONCILIATION food, shelter, and the financial and that access.
Madam President, the Build Back overall security of families across the And there should be no delay when
Better proposal that will soon be com- country. It has taken a toll on small we are talking about the air we breathe
ing before the Senate is literally a businesses. They, too, need help. The and the water we drink, because those
milestone for this country. Restaurant Revitalization Program assets also are essential to healthcare.
The bipartisan infrastructure pro- should be replenished and small busi- Rail will be supported—better rail-
posal that we will shortly pass is trans- nesses given a lifeline they need be- roads, tracks, cars—by this proposal
formative for our Nation and for Con- cause they have been so direly injured that we are passing today or tomorrow,
necticut. It will enable us to do long- and threatened. but there is more that needs to be done
overdue work on our roads and bridges, We need to build back America and to ensure high-speed rail. Right now,
our railroads and broadband, on the the assets—the roads and bridges but the link between New Haven and New
physical assets that are essential to also the systems—that serve Ameri- York is slower than it was 50 years ago.
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
this country creating jobs and remain- cans, and we need to build it back bet- We need to make sure that it is
ing competitive around the globe. This ter. quicker—not just more reliable, but
work has been too long delayed, and I I am proud to support this budget faster and more reliable and safer.
will be proud to support it. resolution that will make investments Too often, the impacts of unsafe air
I thank all of our colleagues on both for working families, the elderly, our and unhealthy drinking water fall on
sides of the aisle who have contributed environment. minority and low-income communities.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6081
They have disproportionately faced ad- levels of unemployment for certain Maybe this legislation is taking it
verse impacts from public and environ- groups in our economy—Blacks, His- full circle because it will be fixing pot-
mental health grants, and the Amer- panics, and others—we had a 50-year holes, and it will make driving more
ican people are counting on our leader- low on unemployment overall. We had safe.
ship to authorize funding for invest- the lowest poverty rate ever recorded There is a story I want to relate. Re-
ment in programs that support clean in the United States of America. We cently, in Cincinnati, OH, a guy named
energy resources. Climate change is an started recording it back in the fifties. Howard Krueger was driving along I–75
enemy that we must conquer, just as We also had wages that were going up South, and a big piece of concrete fell
we are working to conquer the pan- consistently, more than 3 percent an- down from a bridge called the Western
demic. nually for 19 straight months going Hills Viaduct, which is in terrible
In the Senate, I have worked with into the pandemic. That was fantastic. shape. It is one of our crumbling infra-
the administration to meet the goal of In my home State of Ohio, we had structure projects we have to fix. A big
conserving 30 percent of our country’s seen flat wages or even declining wages piece of concrete hit his windshield.
lands and 30 percent of our waters when you take inflation into account Thank God it didn’t come through his
within the next decade. That goal is for years, probably a decade and a half. windshield or kill him, but it shattered
ambitious, but it is a vital effort that So things were working. And even com- part of his windshield. He actually
takes an important step toward reduc- ing out of this pandemic, most econo- pulled off the road to go try to find the
ing environmental justice and ensuring mists had thought that, Wow, we have concrete, to get it off the road for
healthy lives for all. a pretty darned resilient and resurgent someone else, and to talk to the work
This proposal is comprehensive, and economy here. crew that he assumed had dropped it.
that is exactly what is needed now—a And you see the economic growth He went up and looked up, and there
comprehensive program that deserves numbers. Last month and this past was no work crew; it was just concrete
our support and our leadership. We quarter—I mean, the economy is doing falling from the bridge.
must invest in our country’s leadership just what we had hoped it would do Infrastructure—it matters to people.
by putting the American people and coming out of the pandemic. To raise It is about safety. That truckdriver,
what they need—childcare, healthy taxes now and to get rid of these tax who leaves his family to go on a long
homes, and environments—put it first. cuts and tax reforms—importantly, tax haul, he wants to have a road and
I am proud to support this proposal, reforms as well that created this bridge that is safe.
and I look forward to advancing it on strong opportunity economy—is a huge We recently had another accident in
the Senate floor. mistake. Ohio. It was on the Brent Spence
So I would just draw a very distinct Bridge; two trucks colliding. There is
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- contrast between what my colleague no shoulder left on that bridge because
ator from Ohio. and friend from Connecticut was talk- it is carrying twice the number of vehi-
Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, I ing about because he kind of mixed the cles it was meant to carry—twice. It is
appreciated the comments from my two—one is infrastructure that is bi- functionally obsolete, and yet we have
colleague from Connecticut. And he partisan, no taxes; the other is a dif- talked about it for 20 years and noth-
talked about both the bipartisan infra- ferent kind of spending—social spend- ing has happened. After 20 years of
ing—that we cannot afford and on top talking about it, it is time to get some-
structure bill that is on the floor of the
of the huge new tax increases. thing done.
Senate and will be voted on tomorrow
So I hope that we will choose to vote Here in this town, we have talked
morning, and he also talked about the tomorrow on the infrastructure pack- about infrastructure being improved
budget proposal that is also going to be age in a bipartisan way because it is for a long, long, long time—longer than
considered by the Senate this week. landmark and needed legislation in fix- 20 years. In fact, every President in
I want to start by just being sure ing our Nation’s roads, bridges, rail- modern times has proposed a big infra-
that those two are distinguished be- roads, our ports, our waterways, our structure package, and yet we never
cause there is a big contrast between electrical grid, our broadband network, seem to get it done.
them. The bipartisan infrastructure and more. Donald Trump actually proposed a
package, I believe, is a sensible ap- And I am proud of the work the Sen- $1.5 trillion infrastructure package.
proach to restoring our Nation’s infra- ate has done on that. It will be a last- This one we are talking about today is
structure, as we will talk about in a ing bipartisan achievement to help the $548 billion. He is a developer. He un-
moment. And that legislation, again, is people we represent. It is going to im- derstands the need for infrastructure,
meant to be voted on tomorrow morn- prove the lives of all Americans. It is to make investments in hard assets,
ing. long-term spending to repair and re- because it comes back to help the econ-
The other proposal is the $3.5 trillion, place and build assets that will last for omy.
or more, budget resolution that will be decades. So whether you are that truckdriver,
partisan—not bipartisan—that is being In doing so, it makes life better for or whether you are that mom or dad, or
proposed by the Democrats, which is a people. It improves the life of the mom whether you are somebody who lives in
tax-and-spending extravaganza. or dad who commutes to work and gets a rural and underserved area of our
And my concern is, not only does it stuck in rush hour every day and would country because you don’t have access
spend a lot of money we don’t have— much rather be spending that time to broadband and you can finally now
and not on long-term assets, like infra- with their family. It improves the lives get it for your schoolwork or your
structure, but on social programs—but, of people who are tired of those pot- work-work or for your healthcare, this
also, it raises taxes substantially. In holes. We all want to fix those pot- is going to make a difference.
fact, it raises taxes more than taxes holes. We all hate them. It improves our overcapacity ports.
were cut back in 2017, which created One quick story there. When I am Right now, at our seaports, ships are
such a strong economy going into the asked how I got into public service, I backing up. If you are trying to get a
pandemic. And I really do worry about often relay a story that when I was 7 or product and you are a consumer and
what is going to happen to our country 8 years old, I remember driving with you are wondering why you are not
should we do that. my mom on a rough road and telling getting it, that might be the reason.
The bipartisan infrastructure pack- her: Someday, Mom, I want to fix those And guess what. It also invests in our
age has no tax increases. The $3.5 tril- potholes. overwhelmed southern border land
lion budget resolution has these huge And she loved to tell that story. ports, with $3.85 billion to GSA and
new taxes. I will tell you, most econo- That was my first exposure to what Customs and Border Protection. So for
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
mists believe that the tax reform and it could be like in public service, being those of you concerned about the
tax cuts back in 2017 led to not just an able to fix potholes. Unfortunately, I southern border and what is happening
incredibly strong economy, but an in- then went on to public service at the there, this infrastructure bill does
clusive economy. Federal level in the House and the Sen- help. It helps with our land ports and
Going into the pandemic, February of ate and two Bush White Houses, and I our seaports and, therefore, helps Cus-
2020, we not only had historically low never got to fix any potholes. toms and Border Protection.
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S6082 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
We also have more for water infra- tionary. That is important to note too. costs. This was a priority of the Trump
structure in this legislation—clean By the way, this money is not going to administration that was never codified
drinking water. Lead pipes is a big be spent next year. It is not going to be into law.
issue in my home State of Ohio, as it is spent hardly at all the next year. It is But in this bill, we actually expand
in other States. That is dealt with going to be spent over 5, 10, 15 years on and improve what is called FAST–41,
here—remediation of the lead pipe dan- these long-term projects. which was in the last highway bill—not
ger and risks. There is one recent study by Associa- the one currently but before. But it has
There is a lot in here that helps peo- tion of Equipment Manufacturers find- a sunset on it, and these permitting re-
ple, helps make their lives better. ing that this legislation will create forms have worked. They lowered the
Very importantly for me, it also about half a million new jobs by 2024. amount of time and saved billions of
makes our economy more efficient by So it is also about new jobs in indus- dollars for key permitting projects. We
fixing that bridge, by fixing that port. tries ranging from construction, make this a permanent part of our law.
When you make the economy more ef- plumbing, electrical engineering to Also, the surface transportation bill
ficient, the economy becomes more software development. itself has additional permitting reform
productive. When the economy is more Importantly, it accomplishes these in it. This, frankly, is better permit-
productive, you have higher GDP. goals while avoiding the tax hikes that ting reform than we have been able to
When you have higher GDP, you have will kill our economy, destroy jobs, get for years, even when we had a Re-
more taxes coming into the economy and undermine our competitiveness publican President, Republican Con-
than you would have had otherwise. around the world. gress. I am very pleased that that is
That is what happens with infrastruc- That is why I started talking about part of this legislation, and it should
ture spending, if it is done right. the $3.5 trillion package that is wrong- be. All Americans should support that.
It has been made clear in poll after headed, in my view, in part because of Taking the average from 2 years—
poll this is something that actually the spending, but in part because of from currently 6, 7, 8 years down to 2
brings our country together. According what it would do to our economy at a years for a project, why doesn’t that
to a CNBC poll, 87 percent of Ameri- time when we are trying to get back on make sense? Everybody should be for
cans think it is important that we in- our feet postpandemic. that.
vest in improving our crumbling roads We are going to provide billions in We also made necessary investments
and bridges. A month or so later, a CBS funding for some of our most pressing in the future of our economy on the
poll found 87 percent of Americans sup- hard infrastructure needs, like $110 bil- digital side by increasing access to
port more Federal spending on repair- lion in new spending over the next 5 broadband services. In Ohio, that is
ing roads and bridges. And an Associ- years to construct, rebuild, and main- really important. We have a bunch of
tain our roads and highways. counties and about 18 of them are
ated Press poll found 8 in 10 Ameri-
I heard one of my colleagues say only unserved and we have probably another
cans—80 percent—favored plans to in-
24 percent of this money goes into 20 that are underserved.
crease funding for roads, bridges, and In Appalachian Ohio, we need inter-
ports and for pipes that supply drink- roads and bridges and ports. That is
just not true. The number actually is net. We need it fast enough so people
ing water. can start a business, so kids can use it
So, of course, it is popular because it about 42 percent into roads and bridges
for school, so veterans can use it to get
affects their lives, and they know it. alone. This is going to make a big dif-
their healthcare and not have to drive
And we need the investment right ference in my home State of Ohio. We
into the big city.
now. The American Society of Civil En- have 123,000 miles of roads. Traffic con- These are only a few highlights. And
gineers gives our infrastructure a C- gestion costs motorists an estimated I could go on, but the bottom line is we
minus and projects our economy stands $4.7 billion each year in lost time and are dedicating this $548 billion in infra-
to lose more than $10 trillion in GDP wasted fuel, according to the American structure spending over the next 5
by 2039 should we fail to invest in re- Society of Civil Engineers. The same years toward a wide range of projects
pairs. We have fallen to 13th in the group, the Society of Civil Engineers, that will collectively have a positive
world in a report card on infrastruc- says there are currently more than impact on our economy and on the
ture while China continues to spend 46,000 bridges in our country that are American people.
much more than we do as a percent of considered structurally deficient and in This has been a different sort of proc-
their GDP on infrastructure. Why? ‘‘poor condition.’’ Yet 178 million trips ess, I acknowledge that. And, frankly,
They want to have a more efficient are taken on these deficient bridges a lot of this, I think, should have been
economy. We want to be able to com- every single day. done directly through committees, par-
pete and win the global competition. Ohio is No. 2 in the Nation in the ticularly with regard to transit, with
We, too, should be sure infrastructure number of bridges. We have a lot of regard to broadband. In other areas, we
is up to speed. them, but nearly half of those are not simply picked up the work of the com-
The need for fixing and repairing our in good condition. That is why I am mittee—surface transportation, as an
Nation’s infrastructure is clear. It is no pleased this legislation does provide for example, much of the work by the
surprise, again, that these Presidents, new funding for our bridges. It will Commerce Committee, the EPW Com-
through the modern times, including work competitive grants to improve mittee, and others, the ENR Com-
Donald Trump, have suggested it. the bridges that would help with all of mittee, the Energy and Natural Re-
Frankly, I believe Donald Trump’s ad- our bridges but particularly a huge sources Committee.
vocacy in infrastructure helped problem in Ohio, which is the Brent Many of us worked hard to ensure
changed the way many in the Repub- Spence Bridge—this dangerous bridge I that this was a truly bipartisan project
lican Party view these kinds of invest- talked about where there are no shoul- but also that we got the best input
ments. This investment in repairing ders anymore. It is bearing twice the from all the experts here in the Con-
and upgrading our infrastructure will number of vehicles per day as it was gress. I would have drafted this bill a
also have a real and lasting impact on constructed to do. It was considered little differently if it had been just me.
our economy long term. structurally obsolete for years, for two I am sure everybody feels that way
There is a lot of discussion about in- decades. It is time to fix it. about it. It was a true bipartisan
frastructure right now. Again, making We also do something here that is project and, therefore, there were con-
the economy more efficient, more pro- very important to stretch that Federal cessions made on both sides.
ductive, growing the economy, that is dollar and to take out some of the inef- But I am proud of the broad support
what economists would call, by invest- ficiency in the way we construct our it has received in this Chamber. I am
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
ing in hard assets and jobs, the supply roads and our bridges and other infra- proud of the broad support it has re-
side. These are supply-side invest- structure. We make needed reforms to ceived from the outside. More than 100
ments. This is why economists have the Federal permitting process and industry associations, unions, and
said, including Michael Strain of the give project sponsors more certainty to trade groups have already come for-
Conservative American Enterprise In- help them create more jobs and develop ward to endorse the Infrastructure In-
stitute, this will be counterinfla- our Nation’s infrastructure with less vestment and Jobs Act. Among them
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6083
are the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the transaction reporting requirement on And we shouldn’t—we shouldn’t—stifle
Business Roundtable, the National As- crypto transaction validators. These innovation.
sociation of Manufacturers, the AFL– are the people who are building out the There is time to do this. There is an
CIO Building Trades Council, the block chain by validating a trans- agreement. It is bipartisan. The White
American Farm Bureau, the Con- action. They would be obligated to re- House is on board. We can get this
ference of Mayors, and National Gov- port things like a name and a tax ID done. We can do it right now.
ernors Association, on and on and on. number associated with the dollar I am going to yield to my colleague
They comprise advocates for businesses amount. They don’t have that informa- from Wyoming before making a unani-
of all sizes, workers, farmers, Gov- tion. For them, the transaction is just mous consent request.
ernors, mayors, engineers, conserva- an anonymized number. It doesn’t The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
tionists, truckers. make any sense at all. ator from Wyoming.
I think it is safe to say we have an Also, people who write software code Ms. LUMMIS. Mr. President, I am
impressive coalition that wants this and then have no further involvement pleased to join with my colleagues in
legislation passed for all the right rea- in any transactions, I think they would urging the Senate to allow this widely
sons. They want to see this investment be captured by this language in the un- supported bipartisan amendment to
in our country. They know it is the derlying bill. Certainly, that doesn’t move forward.
right thing to do for our economy, for make any sense. It would apply to any- I want to thank Ranking Member
our future. I thank all of the stake- body who is providing a service that ef- TOOMEY, Senator WARNER, Senator
holders who have endorsed this legisla- fectuates these transactions. PORTMAN, Senator SINEMA, and Chair-
tion for their support. Because of all Think about the parallel in the ordi- man WYDEN. Chairman WYDEN, in par-
these combined efforts, tomorrow, I be- nary securities brokerage business. ticular, thank you for your early com-
lieve, we will be getting it right for the Think about Merrill Lynch. We require mitment to me to get this right and for
American people, for our economy, and Merrill Lynch to report the informa- your partnership.
for the future of our great country. tion about me if I give them my money The amendment before us specifies
I look forward to seeing this legisla- to buy stock. That makes sense. But that persons who validate distributed
tion pass the Senate tomorrow, and I we don’t require the electric company ledger data, including digital asset
urge the House to pass it soon so that that provides electrical service to Mer- miners and stakers, and those who pro-
it can move to President Biden’s desk rill Lynch to make any such reporting vide hardware and software wallets, are
for his signature. because that would not make sense. not required to report customer infor-
I yield the floor. What happened was a group of us mation to the Internal Revenue Serv-
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ice. This is essential because those per-
came together to clarify the rules of
COONS). The Senator from Pennsyl- sons would not have access to the cus-
who are the actual brokers of
vania. tomer information necessary to comply
cryptocurrency who should be respon-
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—AMENDMENT
sible for the transaction reporting re- with this requirement anyway.
NO. 2656 TO H.R. 3684
quirement. Equally important in this amend-
Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, we had
We are not proposing anything that ment are clarifications to the defini-
a big controversy in the infrastructure
is the least bit sweeping or radical. Our tion of ‘‘broker’’ that will ensure that
bill over how to go about imposing
solution just makes clear that a broker software protocol developers will not
transaction reporting requirements on
means only those persons who conduct be swept up in IRS reporting require-
crypto exchange programs.
I am very pleased to be able to report transactions on exchanges where cus- ments. Developers are the lifeblood of
that a group of us reached a bipartisan tomers are buying and selling and trad- innovation and subjecting them to re-
agreement: Democrats and Repub- ing digital assets. porting would have far-reaching impli-
licans, the Biden Treasury, and the ad- We make sure that the bill does not cations on privacy and on the evo-
ministration is on board. sweep in software developers. It does lution of technology in this country,
I want to thank the cosponsors of the not sweep in crypto transaction not to mention that most developers
amendment that brought everybody to- validators, regardless of which of the would not have access to useful data.
gether on this: Senator WARNER, Sen- various methods they use for the vali- This bill is very likely going to be-
ator LUMMIS, Senator PORTMAN, and dation. It doesn’t sweep in node opera- come law, and it is important that
Senator SINEMA are all in agreement tors or any other nonbrokers. But any- these changes become law along with
on this. I should point out I appreciate one who owes any tax from a the bill. That is why I urge my col-
Senator RON WYDEN’s work throughout cryptocurrency transaction should pay leagues not to let the perfect be the
this entire process. their tax obligation. enemy of the good.
Let me just give a little bit of con- So if you are actually a crypto I recognize there is dissatisfaction on
text here, and then I am going to yield broker, you would be required to turn both sides of the aisle with the lack of
to some colleagues and then ask unani- over that information under our ap- opportunity to offer amendments and
mous consent that we adopt this com- proach. Our amendment would do that. to expedite debate.
monsense change. But it is important that the reporting However, I ask you to weigh those
To start off, we have very broad requirement only applies to those concerns against the importance of
agreement, probably unanimous agree- kinds of intermediaries. providing millions of Americans with
ment, that centralized digital asset ex- I don’t think any one of our cospon- additional clarity on the scope of their
changes, when they behave as brokers, sors thinks our solution is absolutely coming obligations to the IRS.
should be required to report trans- perfect, but it is a big improvement America is a country of innovation.
actions of their customers just like or- over the underlying text. Right now, our financial system is
dinary brokers do: stockbrokers, bond I would also point out that this space evolving before our eyes in much the
brokers. The problem is that the under- is changing. It is changing fast. A year same way that the internet first began
lying text of this bipartisan infrastruc- from now, people will have come up to find a foothold in the mid-1990s. Dis-
ture bill, while it attempts to do this, with innovations and applications that tributed ledgers, digital assets, and
I think it is very significantly flawed we can’t even imagine that probably other forms of financial technology are
with how it goes about it. nobody has even thought of yet. What in the early stages of transforming the
The unintended consequence of the I don’t want to do is impose a burden way we share and store value.
current text is it will ensnare people that is going to stifle that kind of in- This amendment has started the de-
and companies and impose this trans- novation. bate on many difficult questions re-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
action reporting requirement on those What we shouldn’t do is have an lated to financial technology that the
to whom it shouldn’t apply and, in overly broad mandate or reporting re- Senate must address over the next few
some cases, people who couldn’t even quirement on people who can’t even years. We are reacting to what was put
possibly comply. comply. We shouldn’t favor or punish before us. I wish that we were imple-
For example, the underlying text of any particular methodology or plat- menting from the get-go, but that is
this bill would impose this kind of form design or validation mechanism. not where we find ourselves today. So
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S6084 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
let’s get this broker definition as good not bringing in people who are involved on cryptocurrency, is that there aren’t
as possible now and then move forward with hardware and software selling for five Senators in this body with any
this fall with other definitions that digital wallets. They wouldn’t be sub- real understanding of how
will be important to producing a regu- ject to these rules as well. And I think cryptocurrency operates. We have had
latory sandbox for digital assets that that was very important to make that no hearings on this. The Senate has
allows innovators to keep innovating. clear. I think the language needed clar- had no hearings on this. The House, as
We are in a difficult space right now. ification. far as I know, has had no hearings on
We are transitioning from the indus- So I am pleased with the amendment. this. And yet this body is prepared to
trial economy to technology, and it is I would hope that we would be able to obliterate an industry willy-nilly or,
a bumpy ride. It is disruptive for all of get it passed because I think it is very for that matter, the compromise—and,
us, especially those of us who grew up important to have it as part of this leg- listen, the compromise that was put
at the end of the industrial age and are islation, and I want to thank, again, forward would be a meaningful im-
so new to this technology age. But we my colleagues, from Pennsylvania, provement, would do much, much less
can adapt, we can be helpful, and we from Wyoming, as well as Senators damage, but even the compromise
can help forge a very reasonable place WARNER, SINEMA, OSSOFF, WYDEN, and would essentially kick the can down
for the innovators to work from. others who have worked with us in this the road and allow bureaucrats at
There is a proverb that says: ‘‘A jour- process, and thank you for bringing Treasury to do massive damage. And
ney of 1,000 miles begins with a single this amendment to the floor today. the bureaucrats at Treasury don’t un-
step.’’ Mr. TOOMEY. I thank the Senator derstand this any better than does the
This amendment is the very first step from Ohio for his very constructive co- U.S. Senate.
in a long journey, and we are all going operation on this, and let me yield to The right outcome, I think, is an
to take it together. This journey is our colleague from Texas. amendment I introduced—strike the
about America renewing its commit- Mr. CRUZ. Thank you. I want to whole damn thing. If we want to legis-
ment to innovation and retaining its thank the good efforts of the Senators late on this, actually do our jobs, be a
role as the leader in the global econ- who have led the work in finding a deliberative body, hold hearings, listen
omy for future generations. compromise in this regard, particularly to witnesses, understand the con-
I look forward to working with each Senator TOOMEY and Senator LUMMIS, sequences, know what we are doing.
of you to make sure we get there, and who have worked very, very hard on That would be the reasonable, rational
I promise to be a partner to anyone this issue. thing to do. Don’t just put out a rule of
You know, Bismarck said many years massive taxes and regulations with no
willing to listen and learn.
ago that there are two things you don’t understanding of the consequences and
I urge my colleagues not to object
want to see being made—sausage and jobs and real people who would be hurt.
and to allow this amendment to pro-
legislation. And when it comes to par- For whatever reason, the Senate
ceed to adoption.
ticularly ugly legislation, this compo- doesn’t seem to want to behave reason-
I yield back to the Senator from
nent—the regulation of ably or rationally, and I think the con-
Pennsylvania, Mr. TOOMEY.
cryptocurrency—may take the prize for sequences are going to be longstanding
Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I want
the ugliest we have seen. of this foolish legislation.
to thank the Senator from Wyoming Moments from now, I expect that we
for her very constructive leadership in I think Senator TOOMEY and Senator
are going to see objections to this com- LUMMIS have worked hard on a com-
this area, and I yield at this time to promise amendment that was nego-
the Senator from Ohio. promise to brunt the worst aspects of
tiated. If we do in fact see objections this legislation, and so I hope the pro-
Mr. PORTMAN. I just want to say and if the underlying language in this
briefly to my colleague from Wyoming posal they have put forward—or are
bill goes into effect, it will have dev- about to put forward—is adopted. But
and my colleague from Pennsylvania, astating effects.
and also to our other colleagues who if it is not, I am going to predict that
There is a new and exciting industry, every one of the 100 Senators here is
worked with us over the past week or in the United States, of
so to come up with a good approach to going to come to regret that this body
cryptocurrency, whether Bitcoin or took a part in destroying jobs and a
this issue that is vexing, that we need otherwise, that is generating jobs, en-
to figure out how to get this into the budding industry that will provide bil-
trepreneurs who are creating new val-
legislation. So I support the amend- lions of dollars of new opportunity.
ues, new hedges against inflation, new
ment, of course. And if the Senate keeps on this course,
opportunities, and it is fast moving. It
I think there is a general consensus we are going to send it instead overseas
is dynamic.
that information reporting is a good And this infrastructure bill—a bill to our competitors. That would be a
thing, and that particularly for our being sold to the American people as tragic mistake.
constituents, who are everyday holders Thank you.
‘‘let’s build some roads and bridges’’— The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
of digital currency, they want to have has one little portion in there designed
that reporting in order to be able to ator from Pennsylvania.
to obliterate cryptocurrency. Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I ask
pay their taxes properly. Now, I fully understand that there unanimous consent that notwith-
The vast majority of them are good, are some bureaucrats at the Treasury standing adoption of substitute amend-
hard-working taxpayers who just want Department that have never seen any- ment No. 2137, the Toomey-Warner-
to be able to get what their basis is or thing they don’t want to regulate the Lummis-Sinema-Portman amendment
what their information is from a life out of. But if the underlying lan- No. 2656 be agreed to.
broker, just as they would for a stock guage in this so-called infrastructure The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
or a bond. bill becomes law, we will be destroying objection?
So what we have done here through billions of dollars’ worth of industry in Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President.
this language is ensure that, while the United States. We will be destroy- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
doing that, we are not putting a sweep- ing jobs in the United States—many of ator from Alabama.
ing provision in place that includes those jobs are in my home State of Mr. SHELBY. Reserving the right to
people who shouldn’t be included. Texas—and we will be sending them object, I ask that the Senator from
As an example—and my colleague overseas. Pennsylvania modify his request to in-
from Pennsylvania said it very, very Listen. It isn’t complicated. clude my amendment No. 2535 dealing
well—we are not trying to bring in peo- Cryptocurrency isn’t tied to any par- with defense infrastructure to this bill
ple who are involved in validating dis- ticular piece of dirt. So the grand ef- and that it be agreed to.
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
tributed ledger transactions through forts of the U.S. Senate will be to say: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the
proof of work, commonly known as We don’t want those jobs in America. Senator from Pennsylvania so modify?
miners. We don’t want those resources in Mr. TOOMEY. I do.
We are also not trying to bring in America. Go somewhere else. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
‘‘proof of stake’’ validation or stakers, The ugly truth, which Bismarck un- any objection to the request as modi-
and we are also ensuring that we are derstood and which is particularly true fied?
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6085
Mr. SANDERS. Reserving the right body who disputes that there is a prob- Regulatory uncertainty is the No. 1
to object. lem here. barrier to blockchain adoption accord-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- You want to know the specifics of the ing to 48 percent of respondents in a re-
ator from Vermont. problem? According to the underlying cent report, and they are right to be
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, as I bill, this is what is going to pass. This worried. The current bill widens the
understand it, the Senator from Ala- is what is going to get sent ultimately definition of ‘‘broker,’’ those who
bama is interested in increasing mili- to the President’s desk. It is a trans- would have to collect information on
tary spending by some $50 billion. action reporting requirement, includ- cryptocurrency consumers and report
You know, there is a headline in the ing name, taxpayer ID number, dollar this information to the IRS. It would
New York Times today. It doesn’t talk amount, date. It is imposed on any per- force every single participant in the
about the fact that the United States son who, for consideration, is respon- cryptocurrency structure to operate as
now spends more than the next 10 na- sible for regularly providing any serv- a financial institution, which would
tions on the military. It doesn’t talk ice effectuating transfers of digital as- mean they would have to provide con-
about the fact that the Pentagon is the sets on behalf of another person. sumer information to the IRS even if
only major Agency of government that Well, look, I am not even a lawyer, they don’t have access to that informa-
has not submitted successfully to an but I can read. It sounds to me like any
tion. This overly broad definition of
independent audit. It doesn’t talk service effectuating transfers—that
the word ‘‘broker’’ will block rapid in-
about the fact of huge profits among would include validators. I don’t know
novation in cryptocurrency, and it will
defense contractors. how that doesn’t include miners,
endanger the privacy of millions of
What it does talk about is that a hot- stakers. It probably includes hardware
Americans in cryptocurrency.
ter future is now inevitable, a U.N. re- and software wallets, software devel-
This is wrong, so I applaud my col-
port says. Scientists urge immediate opers all across any kind of platform.
We are going to ask these people to leagues for trying to find an incre-
switch from fossil fuels to avert great- mental approach. Unfortunately, be-
provide information that they don’t
er peril. cause the Senator from Vermont ob-
have and they can’t get.
So I would say to my friend from In what universe does that make any jected, that incremental approach
Alabama, if we are going to invest $50 sense at all? All I want to do is have a hasn’t been adopted.
billion, let us, in fact, invest in trans- vote on an amendment that fixes this So let’s exercise a brief shining mo-
forming our energy system so that we in a way that has bipartisan agree- ment of common sense, and let’s recog-
can save this planet for future genera- ment, in a way that constrains this to nize that if we gathered all 100 Sen-
tions and prevent the kind of apply narrowly to the people who actu- ators in this Chamber and asked them
unhealthy deterioration that we will ally are the intermediaries running a to stand up and articulate two sen-
inevitably see if we do not act. centralized exchange, who have this in- tences defining what in the hell a
So, Mr. President, I object. formation. But apparently we are not cryptocurrency is, that you would not
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- going to be able to do that. So we will get greater than 5 who could answer
tion is heard. be back on this because we are going to that question.
The Senator from Delaware. do a lot of damage. Who knows how Given that reality, the barest exer-
Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I ask much innovation we are going to stifle. cise of prudence would say we
unanimous consent that notwith- Who knows exactly what kind of new shouldn’t regulate something we don’t
standing adoption of substitute amend- apps will never emerge. It is hard to yet understand. We should actually
ment No. 2137, the Toomey amendment predict what kind of completely impos- take the time to try to understand it.
No. 2656 be considered and agreed to. sible mandate results in, but it is not We should hold some hearings. We
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there good, and it is going to bring us back should consider the consequences. We
objection? here having to try to clean up a mess shouldn’t destroy people’s lives and
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President. livelihoods from complete ignorance.
which we could have prevented.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- I yield the floor. My amendment is very simple. It
ator from Alabama. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- doesn’t add anything to this bill; it
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, reserv- ator from Texas. just strikes these provisions. It says:
ing the right to object again, I ask that UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—AMENDMENT Look, let’s not do this until we know
the Senator modify his request to in- NO. 2466 what we are talking about. Let’s be
clude my amendment No. 2535 and that Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, unfortu- cautious. Let’s be reasonable. Let’s not
it be agreed to. nately, we just saw the Senator from be the No. 1 economic developer for the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Vermont object to a compromise solu- Communist Party of China by sending
Senator from Delaware so amend? tion negotiated by Senator TOOMEY and cryptocurrencies overseas to our com-
Mr. CARPER. I do not. Senator LUMMIS that would have miti- petitors because we have made it im-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there gated some of the harm from the dev- possible for them to succeed here.
objection to the original request by the astating new regulations on Accordingly, Mr. President, I ask
Senator from Delaware? cryptocurrency in this so-called infra- unanimous consent that notwith-
Mr. SHELBY. I object. structure bill. Because the Senator standing adoption of substitute amend-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ob- from Vermont raised that objection, ment No. 2137, that the Cruz Amend-
jection is heard. the status quo right now is that these ment No. 2466 be agreed to.
Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President. new regulations are going into effect, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- and billions of dollars of value are objection?
ator from Pennsylvania. going to be destroyed. The Senator from Alabama.
Mr. TOOMEY. So for people who have Right now, today, about 106 million Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, reserv-
been watching this and aren’t familiar people are using cryptocurrencies ing the right to object, I ask unani-
with the bizarre practices in this body, around the world according to at least mous consent that the Senator from
I want to just explain briefly what just one recent report. The average annual Texas modify his request to include my
happened here. income in the United States for a amendment No. 2535 dealing with de-
Because there is a difference of opin- blockchain developer is $136,000. That fense infrastructure in this country
ion on whether or not the Senator from represents a steady career of good in- and that it be agreed to.
Alabama should get a vote on his come for someone to own a home, to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the
amendment—because that is not raise a family, to live a good and com- Senator from Texas agree to so amend?
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
agreed to—the body is refusing to take fortable life. Texas is helping lead the Mr. CRUZ. Reserving the right to
up an amendment that has broad bipar- way. Texas has taken the lead this past modify my request, I would share with
tisan support that we all know fixes year as a major hub for cryptocurrency the Senator from Alabama that I have
something that badly needs to be fixed. businesses and is even being hailed as the deepest respect for the leadership
This isn’t like a whim of the Senator the ‘‘cryptocurrency capital.’’ But all of the Senator from Alabama, that I
from Pennsylvania. There is, like, no- of this is under threat. understand the Senator from Alabama
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S6086 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
has a profound commitment for the disagreements. Now, as the Senate pre- healthcare providers to transit advo-
fighting men and women of our mili- pares for a final vote, what will this cates to local mayors, the list of ex-
tary, as do I; that the Senator from historic legislation actually mean for perts and organizations that have en-
Alabama’s commitment to invest in the people we serve? dorsed our Infrastructure Investment
our military and military infrastruc- Our bill will mean better roads by in- and Jobs Act is long enough to take an
ture is laudable, and I fully support vesting a historic $110 billion to repair entire speech just to list them all. But
that commitment. Indeed, I would and upgrade our roadways, bridges, and don’t worry, I won’t. Rarely does Fed-
commit to the Senator from Alabama other major transportation projects. eral legislation so directly address
that I am more than ready and eager to It will mean faster internet for peo- issues that matter to all our constitu-
partner with him to press through in ple in more places by investing $65 bil- ents, and rarer still does such historic
this body, through any avenue that is lion to deploy high-speed broadband legislation earn broad support in both
available, investing sufficient funds in and help families afford internet serv- parties.
our military, in our soldiers and sailors ice. How many times have we heard in re-
and airmen and marines, and in the It will mean cleaner, more reliable cent months that bipartisanship isn’t
weaponry they need to defend this Na- water sources by making the strongest possible anymore?
tion. investment in drinking water and We have been asked to accept a new
But, sadly, we know in this context wastewater infrastructure in U.S. his- standard by which important policy
that our Democratic colleagues are tory, including water storage and recy- can only come together on a party line.
going to object to funding for the mili- cling and drought contingency plans And while Americans are more united
tary. They have decided that is not throughout Western States like Ari- than our politics would have you be-
within their priorities. Even as they zona. lieve, we certainly face divisions. And,
are spending trillions of dollars on ev- It will mean fewer power outages and unfortunately, it is not commonplace—
erything else, defending this Nation is stronger, more reliable electricity and by some, even expected—for elect-
not a priority for the Democratic Mem- grids by investing $65 billion in power ed leaders to feed those divisions on a
bers of this conference. So, if your infrastructure. daily basis with extreme and hyper-
amendment is added to my amend- It will mean better protections bolic rhetoric, all-or-nothing policy de-
ment, the effect will be what we just against wildfires by investing in fire mands, and toxic partisan attacks.
saw a moment ago, which is a Demo- suppression and recovery and the re- In Washington, palace intrigue and
cratic Senator standing up and object- moval of hazardous fuels. insider drama often steal the spotlight
ing and claiming the reason for object- It will mean stronger water and sani- from important policy issues, but I
ing is they don’t want to fund the mili- tation systems and better broadband promised Arizonans something dif-
tary anymore. access in Tribal communities, as well ferent. I chose instead to follow the ex-
I believe it is in the interest in this as full funding for all currently author- ample of the late Senator John
body to have a clean vote on, do we de- ized Indian water settlements. In Ari- McCain, who, as the Arizona Republic
stroy cryptocurrencies, yes or no, with- zona, that includes the infrastructure recently recalled, refused to demonize
out any other issues, because as much for the Southern Arizona Indian water the opposition party and worked to
as I would like to join the Senator rights settlement with the Tohono reach bipartisan agreements that tried
from Alabama in investing more in the O’odham Nation, completing the Gila to bring the country together.
military—and I am committed to River Indian Community water rights This infrastructure effort is a perfect
working with him in doing so—I also settlement, and funding the White example of how I work to deliver re-
don’t believe we should be destroying Mountain Apache Tribe’s water rights sults for Arizona. It is the easiest thing
jobs and millions of dollars of value in settlement. in the world for politicians to stay in
this country. Accordingly, I do not so Our legislation will mean safer, more their partisan corners, to line up on
modify my request. convenient airports by investing $25 their respective sides of every partisan
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there billion to repair and upgrade terminals, battle, and declare that bipartisanship
objection to the original request of the runways, taxiways, and air traffic con- is dead. But what is harder is getting
Senator from Texas? trol towers. out of our comfort zones and forming
The Senator from Alabama. It will mean the strongest invest- coalitions with unlikely allies that can
Mr. SHELBY. I object. ment ever in American public transit achieve lasting results—lasting re-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- by expanding transit networks, im- sults—rather than temporary victories
tion is heard. proving accessibility, and funding the destined to be reversed, undermining
The Senator from Arizona. Nation’s transit repair backlog of thou- the certainty that Americans depend
H.R. 3684 sands of buses, railcars, stations, and on.
Ms. SINEMA. Mr. President, I rise thousands of miles of track, signals, Ask just about any constituent in
today as we approach a final Senate and power systems. any of our States about our country’s
vote on historic legislation to invest in It will mean the largest investment political divisions, and you will hear a
America’s critical infrastructure, a bi- in clean energy transmission and elec- desire from America’s citizens for all of
partisan proposal that will make tric vehicle infrastructure in U.S. his- us to find ways to bridge our dif-
America stronger and safer, creating tory, electrifying thousands of school ferences and work together to address
good-paying jobs, and expand economic and transit buses, boosting critical ma- the issues that actually matter to their
opportunities across the country. terials supply chains, and building out daily lives.
After months of negotiations, the a national network of electric vehicle Our bipartisan Senate group that ne-
Senate has now debated our bipartisan charging stations. gotiated this historic legislation and
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs We achieve all of these goals without those we have partnered with to
Act for nearly 2 weeks in an open and raising taxes on everyday Americans. strengthen the bill throughout this
legislative process. We considered 22 Strong, reliable infrastructure rep- process provide an example of how to
amendments from both sides of the resents more than pipes and pavement; achieve that goal.
aisle and voted to adopt many of those it represents the opportunities for In a demonstration of how the Senate
amendments. In the coming hours, the Americans to visit loved ones, for new was designed to work, the Senators in
Senate will have the opportunity to ap- businesses to open and compete glob- our group effectively represented the
prove legislation that meets the needs ally, for veterans to access telemedi- needs of the regions we represent: Sen-
of everyday families, employers, and cine, and for children to learn in safe ator CASSIDY in the Deep South and the
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
communities. and effective ways. That is why our gulf coast; Senator WARNER in the mid-
For decades, American infrastructure legislation has earned the support of Atlantic; Senator MANCHIN in Appa-
has been crumbling. For decades, such a wide cross section of Americans. lachia; and Senators ROMNEY and
American families have asked Congress From the U.S. Chamber of Congress to TESTER in the West. And with Senator
for infrastructure investment. For dec- the AFL–CIO, from agricultural pro- PORTMAN representing the Midwest,
ades, progress was blocked by partisan ducers to clean energy leaders, from the northeast and Alaska—each with
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6087
unique infrastructure needs—were ably structure Investment and Jobs Act and and the reality that we have true dis-
represented by Senators SHAHEEN, COL- help show the world that our democ- parities when it comes to basic infra-
LINS, and MURKOWSKI. racy still works and that we still lead structure, like clean water, sanitation
In what should not be a surprise to the world in innovation and competi- facilities, and energy. It was not inevi-
anyone, those women in our bipartisan tiveness, and that Americans can be table that this infrastructure deal
group brought a no-drama work ethic, confident that their government is would come together.
policy expertise, and a knowledge of working for all of us and is indeed wor- In an age of cynicism and punditry,
our region’s priorities that earned my thy of all of us. we kind of grow accustomed around
designation of them as the ‘‘Wonder The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- here to believing that it is hard to get
Women.’’ ator from Alaska. good things done in Washington, DC,
I sincerely thank my co-leader in Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I and that is not good for any of us.
partnering together on this effort, Sen- am pleased to be able to follow my Those of us here in the Senate, we
ator ROB PORTMAN of Ohio, whose friend and colleague, the Senator from signed up to do a job. We were sent
knowledge on issues ranging on permit- Arizona. And while she is still on the here to do a job. We were sent here to
ting requirements to the Federal budg- floor, I want to thank her personally work, and that is it. That is how we
et is matched only by his steadfast for her Herculean efforts that she has came to be where we are: through
commitment to delivering on this pri- made throughout this process. It has work, through hard work, and through
ority for our country. not been easy. It has sometimes been compromise. So it wasn’t magic; it
I am just not sure how we or our challenging, and sometimes it takes wasn’t accidental; it wasn’t inevitable.
teams will manage daily schedules somebody who just exudes optimism We went to work.
without the endless meetings, calls and and enthusiasm and a deep-hearted, And for a time, I think we really ban-
Zooms, negotiating the nuances of for- deep-seeded belief that what we are ished the demon of faction that casts
mula funding and CBO scores. Actu- doing is good and it is right for all the his scepter all too often. Alexander
ally, just kidding; we will manage just right reasons. Hamilton warned us of this polarizing
fine. We have acknowledged here on the temptation. And as the champion of in-
Our bipartisan group eventually grew floor, each and every one of us, this in- frastructure—or they called it internal
to include more than 20 Senators, in- frastructure bill is not the perfect bill. improvements in the days of the
cluding my fellow home State Senator But I am waiting—I am waiting—for Founding Fathers—I am hoping that he
from Arizona, MARK KELLY. And a sig- the day when we here in the U.S. Sen- is looking favorably on us today.
nificant portion of our legislation is ate can come to a place where all 100 of But, again, this has not been an easy
made up of the surface transportation us agree that we have the perfect bill. road, this infrastructure project. Every
reauthorization, which was painstak- But what we have for the Senate to morning—those of us who were in-
ingly assembled in serious bipartisan consider is a product that is really volved in these negotiations—we would
committee negotiations led by Sen- built around core fundamentals and wake up not surprised to read in the
ators CARPER, CAPITO, CANTWELL, core principles that a group of Sen- paper or see on TV that something had
WICKER, BROWN, TOOMEY, and many ators, equally divided, came together happened outside our control that was
others. Our proposal is a historic deal months ago to work through, knowing designed to kill this package.
for communities across the country be- that the work was going to be hard. And every day, instead of taking in
cause of their hard work and expertise. This is probably one of the most con- those headlines, we saw our constitu-
We have also worked very closely sequential bills that I have been in- ents, we heard from them, and we
with U.S. House leaders and the Prob- volved with in my Senate career, in the heard from the people across this coun-
lem Solvers Caucus, whose support will close to 19 years that I have been here. try urging us to continue—people like
be absolutely crucial as our legislation What we are presenting to the Senate Carl Uchytil, Mario Cordero, Chris
moves to the House. Through every is truly historic in its proportions. It is Conner. They penned an op-ed in one of
step in these negotiations, President historic in its impact going forward. our Alaska newspapers, and they urged
Biden and his team, as well as Majority This is truly legacy infrastructure that us to advance the bipartisan infra-
Leader SCHUMER, stood firmly behind we are speaking about. structure framework because, for
us, helping navigate the difficult chal- Yesterday, it was a little frustrating. them, the emphasis on what it would
lenges; and I am honored that we have We have had some frustrating days do to build out our ports and our wa-
also earned the support of Republican where colleagues were sitting and wait- terways were significant.
Leader MITCH MCCONNELL as well. ing, hoping for things to move more The emails and the phone calls that
I would like to especially thank my rapidly than they were, and that is we received reminded us of the infra-
legislative director, Michael Brownlie, challenging. We have a process here in structure and how important it is for
for his hard work; and my entire policy the Senate that is hard for those on the industries, for the jobs, for Alaskans,
team, who worked incredibly tirelessly outside to understand and oftentimes for folks all over the country, for
over countless hours; along with our hard for us on the inside to understand, health, the future; and it reminded us
other Senate staff and President but it is a process that, after a period that we have an opportunity to do
Biden’s team at the White House, to of time, yields the results. something that actually matters in
help turn our negotiated framework So as I was visiting with fellow Sen- their lives and in their communities.
into this legislation. ators, I overheard somebody say: I am And the other thing that I heard is
And what we have here today is what not really sure how we got here. How they wanted us to do it together. Fig-
it looks like when elected leaders set did we get to this point? ure it out, you guys. Work together.
aside their differences, shut out the Well, I tell you, it wasn’t magic. It When you look at the survey data that
noise and distractions, and just focus wasn’t magic that produced a legisla- is out there, it is pretty resounding.
on forging common ground around our tive package that, again, is historic in Several different polls show 87 percent
shared values. And this is what it looks its funding for roads, rails, bridges, of Americans overwhelmingly support
like for elected leaders to ignore the ports, ferries, and waterways. It was fixing infrastructure. The list of orga-
extreme rhetoric and the cheap polit- certainly not an accident that nego- nizations that support it, everyone
ical attacks and put energy instead tiated this 2,700-page document that from the Associated Wire Rope Fab-
into delivering lasting results that works to meet the broadband needs of ricators to the Institute of Makers of
matter to everyday Americans. This is Americans, particularly in unserved or Explosives, to the National Governors
what it looks like when elected leaders underserved parts of the country, like Association, to the Steel Manufactur-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
take a step toward healing our coun- my State in Alaska. ers Association, the TechNet—this bi-
try’s divisions, rather than feeding It also wasn’t inevitable that this in- partisan infrastructure package proves
those very divisions. frastructure deal would come together, that good things can happen in Wash-
And with those shared values in and yet that is all following what we ington, DC, but that it takes work.
mind, I urge my colleagues in both par- have learned in this past year and a It takes a majority of those of us in
ties to support the bipartisan Infra- half dealing with the COVID pandemic this Chamber deciding that it is better
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S6088 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
to get some of what our constituents It is easy to compare Alaska’s ferry and will continue to be a leader in en-
want rather than none of it. It is better to an urban bus or subway system or ergy production. We certainly know
to make progress and actually deliver other form of mass transit that re- that in my State. And we are going to
results to your constituents rather ceives operation support. But until need to continue being an energy su-
than just delivering a message. We do a now, because Alaska’s communities are perpower. As we are continuing to ad-
lot of messaging around here, and, as rural and not urban, our ferry system vance as a society, we are going to be
my friend, the Senator from West Vir- hasn’t been eligible for any meaningful using more energy, we are going to be
ginia, reminds us, a message doesn’t fix Federal support for its operations. using more electricity, and, yes, we are
a pothole. There has been some Federal funding going to need to produce much of it in
Now, I have been disappointed that available through allocation formula the good, old-fashion way for a long
we haven’t been able to get some of the or grant program to the ferry system time to come. But electricity is becom-
amendments that we have heard about for construction and maintenance, but ing increasingly important. It is vital
today. We heard Senator SHELBY from now ferry operators will be able to use to so many facets of modern life, and
Alabama talk about defense infrastruc- funding for construction, maintenance, this bipartisan infrastructure package
ture. We have heard the Senator from repairs, and operations costs. takes that electrified future into ac-
Texas, Senator CORNYN, talk about In so many parts of Alaska, the Ma- count.
flexibility to the States. We have heard rine Highway System is the only high- So looking at the different ways that
the Senator from Pennsylvania, Sen- way. It is the only highway. So it is it enhances the broader energy system
ator TOOMEY, working with Senator truly an essential mode of transpor- by investing in next-generation clean
WYDEN and Senator LUMMIS, on the tation. energy production, there are three ex-
cryptocurrency issue. When you come from a State where amples that I will just cite that are
So, again, is this perfect? over 80 percent of your communities pertinent to Alaska.
No. But is it a process that has deliv- are not connected by road, again, you There is funding for advanced nuclear
ered us to a place where we are deliv- figure it out. It is air. It is on the reactors, including ‘‘micro’’ reactors.
ering results to the people who have ocean. It is in the rivers. But, more You might not think about Alaska and
sent us here. often than not, our transportation is nuclear or ‘‘micro,’’ but it holds great
I was on the floor late last week out- promise for deployment in certain
not roads.
lining many of the benefits that Alas- rural and remote areas.
So to make sure that we are address-
kans will see from this measure, but I We also provide for funding for hy-
ing this essential sector of transpor-
want to take a few more minutes this dropower and marine energy research.
tation, we included language that es-
afternoon to highlight just a couple of We have a great Hydrokinetic Energy
tablishes a program for essential ferry
more in perhaps some detail. Because, Research Center at the University of
service to support our rural commu-
as I have mentioned, and everyone Alaska Fairbanks.
nities. So through this program, the
knows, part of the role or the view that We provide for renewable energy
Department of Transportation will be
I offered in our bipartisan working projects, including geothermal. We
able to provide funds to the States to
group was to make sure that the needs have pioneered in this. In fact, we have
provide for essential ferry service.
of rural Americans were met. And this the Secretary of Energy, who is going
We are also looking forward, as we
bill addresses some of the greatest in- to be visiting the State shortly and
think about how our ferries move, how
frastructure needs that, again, we see who will have an opportunity to look
our schoolbuses move, how our vehicles
in rural America, but also in urban and specifically at low-temperature geo-
move, and we know that this adminis-
everyone in between, to connect them thermal, as well as promising opportu-
tration has moved very aggressively
in ways that we haven’t before. nities that we have in the Aleutians.
Southeast Alaska, this is the region when it comes to EVs. There is lan- More energy production from more
of the State that I grew up in. It is an guage in this bill that helps to facili- types of energy means greater resil-
island and archipelago. It is not pos- tate that. ience, greater affordability, greater ac-
sible to travel by road from one city in But, again, when you are thinking cess to reduced emissions. So let’s con-
the southeastern part of the State to about what is on the roads—electrifica- sider the ways the bill directly impacts
another, for the most part. Our capital tion of our vehicles, our schoolbuses, or the electric grid and the power sector—
is not accessible by road. our city buses—let’s not forget what I three areas, again, that are pertinent
Our reality is that we either travel just referred to, and that is these, ef- to Alaska and to rural areas.
by airplane or we are traveling on the fectively, buses that are on the water. We have included a measure that I
water. So a strong ferry system, the So what are we doing to electrify or to had introduced, the PROTECT Act,
Alaska Marine Highway System, is ab- look to alternative fuels for our fer- which authorizes funding to improve
solutely essential to local economic de- ries? our cyber defenses in smaller commu-
velopment, to quality of life, to com- This is not a new concept. In the nities. I think we recognize that we
munity well-being. Scandinavian countries, where, again, have a big focus on the bigger commu-
There are 35 different ports along the hydropower is in great abundance, as it nities, but your utilities in your small-
Alaska Marine Highway System. This is in southeast Alaska, an electric er communities still have to provide
spans an area of 35,000 miles. ferry system makes sense. So we are for that cyberprotection.
I am only looking at my colleague kind of pushing out on this to buildout The bill also sets aside grants for
from Delaware because we have been this notion, this concept, that we can small utilities, like we have in Alaska,
working on the ferry initiative, and he reduce emissions with our ferries by to prevent outages, to enhance resil-
is proud of the ferry system that he has using alternative fuels or onboard en- ience, for hardening of the grid. This is
there. But I have a lot of water that I ergy storage systems, other related going to help in preventing wildfires
have to cover, and it makes it chal- charging infrastructure, again, to re- that can be caused by powerlines or
lenging. It makes it challenging. But it duce our emissions or produce zero on- other disruptive events. We are talking
is no different than Delaware, in terms board emissions under normal oper- about weatherization, fire prevention
of the significance that these small fer- ations. systems, installing equipment under-
ries can offer to people as they are So folks in Skagway and Haines are ground, maintaining utility poles and
moving their families around, as they looking at this with great interest be- powerlines.
are moving the basketball team, as cause they view that as a real oppor- We also provide support for rural and
they are going to Costco in Juneau and tunity. Diesel doesn’t come cheap up remote areas in many communities in
then delivering them to Hoonah. there, and that is what moves these the State for the modernization of gen-
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To those military who are PCSing, ferries around. These communities, eration, transmission, and distribution.
going outside of the State, they have Skagway, are powered by hydro. So So this is going to help the cost effec-
to move their families and all their let’s pull this all together. tiveness. It is going to help with en-
goods and the dogs and the trucks, and I have mentioned the potential for ergy efficiency, microgrids, siting and
they have to get out of town. And they EV and low-emitting ferries, but I am upgrading, as we shift to cleaner
get out by way of the ferry. reminded that the United States has sources of energy.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6089
Again, I think it is important to rec- able to move clean water from one with such hard-working people and
ognize that we are working to not only place to another and keep it clean and their teams, led by Senator SINEMA,
address the transmission but distribu- be able to use it productively. who just spoke, and Senator PORTMAN.
tion, generation, and what we are real- We provide grants for Native village Their leadership has been, in my view,
ly looking to do is look toward the fu- firefighting training, resilient trans- really extraordinary. The work that
ture—a future in which we will need portation infrastructure, a Native they have put behind managing us all
more energy production, more elec- Youth Public Land Corps to restore to this point deserves the recognition.
tricity, more batteries, and a more se- and protect ecosystems, adaptation I also want to acknowledge the good
cure grid. projects for climate change impacts, work of the chairman and the ranking
And as we are doing this, as we are and funding for a new program to pro- member on the Environment and Pub-
building this all out, I want to make vide Indian Tribes grants to clean up lic Works Committee, Senator CARPER
sure that we do ensure that all Ameri- orphan wells. and Senator CAPITO, who really laid
cans are included in this energy and in- There is more included in this. There the base for so much of this bill. So to
frastructure transition. is a $110 million ‘‘set aside’’ for Tribal the G–10 and the broader G–22, all those
And I speak specifically now to our bridge investments. There is the Tribal who have contributed so much, I con-
Alaska Indian, American Indian, and Transportation Program and eligibility vey my thanks.
Native people around the country. This for grants under advanced energy and I also want to acknowledge col-
bill—this Infrastructure Investment battery manufacturing and recycling leagues on the other side of the Capitol
and Jobs Act—is really a historic programs. here, those who are known as the Prob-
achievement for all of us who are con- We are really looking to ensure that lem Solvers over there. They really
cerned with American Indian, Alaskan we are prioritizing infrastructure needs have jumped in, rolled up their sleeves,
Native Tribes, and villages. in Tribal areas. and helped us in solving problems when
I am the vice chair of the Senate In- I haven’t mentioned broadband, but it comes to this infrastructure pack-
dian Affairs Committee, and I have it is absolutely significant. We know age.
worked hard to make sure that Indian that broadband deployment on Tribal And I am looking forward to being
Country’s voices have been heard. lands has lagged far behind the rest of able to move this legislation, this
Let’s look at the Indian Health Serv- the Nation. So to address this, the bill package, from this body tomorrow, to
ice. It has a vital sanitation construc- includes an additional $2 billion for send it over to the House so that they
tion program. We are talking about Tribal broadband connectivity grants. can then pick up those efforts.
water and wastewater, things that We have heard it on this floor by all But I am pleased that we have come
most of us just take for granted. We of us, Republicans and Democrats, to this place, after a long process, after
provide $3.5 billion in funding for urban and rural. We know that a tough process but one where we were
American Indian, Alaska Native Tribes broadband is vital to education, really able to focus on common goals
and villages to complete all—all—of healthcare, economic development, that we identified at the outset, and we
the identified sanitation projects. self-governance. It applies absolutely really held true to; that we were going
These are projects that have been on across the board as we think of the to be dealing with core infrastructure,
the books for way, way too long. needs in Indian Country. core infrastructure.
I am reminded by my friend Val Da- I think we know that the Federal fi- We agreed that we were not going to
vidson of the Alaska Native Tribal nancing provisions, the dollars going impose new taxes. We agreed that we
Health Consortium. She testified be- forward, are significant. But we also needed to ensure that the spending
fore our Indian Affairs Committee know that it is not just about the fund- pay-fors were true and legitimate. We
about both the funding needed in Na- ing. It is about making these programs agreed that long-term spending on in-
tive communities and sanitation’s real- work better. So we do things like re- frastructure needed to improve our Na-
ly significant impact on health. She quiring expedited environmental re- tion’s efficiency, our productivity, our
shared a story—her own personal story view for Tribal transportation safety GDP, and our revenue and not increase
but also a statistic—that one in three projects. We streamline categorical ex- inflation.
infants in communities from her region clusions by empowering the Tribes in And we have achieved that. We set
without adequate sanitation are hos- relation to the Federal Government. out these parameters, and we achieved
pitalized in their first year simply be- Within the middle mile grants, there it. But we did it with a lot of give and
cause they lack basic water and sanita- is consultation with Tribes on a proc- a lot of take.
tion services. And it is not just a visit ess to designate tribally unserved and So while the end product is not some-
to a hospital as an infant that is scary, underserved areas. thing that any one of us individually
but so many then develop long-term So there is so much that we have would have written, I am very proud to
health problems, which are absolutely really focused on in ensuring that Alas- be able to support what we have
unacceptable. ka Natives, American Indians, and our worked to bring to this body, again,
Any infrastructure bill has to live up Native people around the country are with the help and hard work and col-
to our Federal Government’s trust ob- included in these many provisions as laboration of so, so many Members.
ligations to our Tribes. This is vital to they relate to infrastructure, including I am disappointed that immediately
allowing Tribes access to water for grid infrastructure, resilience, and reli- after we advance this bill tomorrow,
their health and for their livelihood. So ability. the infrastructure package, that we
within the bill, we provide $2.5 billion So I have spoken for a while now on will turn to a wholly partisan exercise,
to fund Indian water settlements. three specific areas that I have chosen one that, in my view, taxes and spends
Now, outside the legal world, most to highlight: certainly, within marine without limit, a wish list that really
people know Indian water settlements transportation, the benefits that places knows no limit.
by the term ‘‘water rights.’’ But the like Alaska will see; the significance of But, for now, let’s move to this infra-
outstanding settlements include the energy production and what this infra- structure bill. Let’s get it to the
Aamodt, the Crow, Navajo-Gallup, structure bill will provide there; and House. Let’s do what people in Alaska,
White Mountain Apache, Blackfeet Na- benefits to our Native peoples around what people in Illinois, what people
tion, Navajo Utah, Confederated Salish the country. around the country have asked us to
and Kootenai Tribes, and the Arizona I want to conclude my comments by do, and that is to address our Nation’s
Water Settlement Act. So this funding ending with where I began, which is to competitiveness, our Nation’s effi-
is going to complete the balance of acknowledge the efforts of so many ciency, and our Nation’s advantages by
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each and every one of these settle- who have really gotten us here today, securing and ensuring that we are able
ments. not through a miracle, not through an to move, to connect, and to provide for
We also provide $250 million for the accident, not through an inevitability our country’s needs.
Bureau of Indian Affairs to help build but just through hard work. With that, I yield the floor.
and repair irrigation, power, and sani- I am very pleased to have been part The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms.
tation systems, because you have to be of this group, really honored to work DUCKWORTH). The Senator from Ohio.
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S6090 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
BUDGET RECONCILIATION school, how far you have to go to work, people’s lives better and to give local
Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I rise what kind of jobs you get. It deter- economies the chance to grow. We can
to urge my colleagues to support the mines where you do your grocery shop- expand access to affordable rentals. We
budget resolution immediately after ping and whether you have access to will make it easier to purchase a home.
the infrastructure vote tomorrow. fresh fruits and vegetables; whether We will put tradespeople to work in
I particularly am glad to see the Pre- your kids are exposed, as they are in good-paying, often union jobs, building
siding Officer in the Chair today. Ear- far too many old neighborhoods— housing and making it safer and mak-
lier I spoke on this floor about the in- whether it is Appalachia, Southern Illi- ing it resilient.
frastructure bill and her efforts—Sen- nois, or whether in Ohio or whether it I urge my colleagues to support this
ator DUCKWORTH from Illinois, her ef- is Cleveland or Chicago—too often to long-overdue investment in our homes,
forts—to ensure disabled-access transit hazardous lead or mold. in our communities, and in our work-
stops. We saw over the past year that hous- ers.
We still have far too many transit ing certainly affects our health. Peo- I yield the floor.
stops in this country in big cities like ple’s paychecks have not kept up with The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
hers in Chicago and mine in Cleveland the cost of living, particularly the cost ator from Oklahoma.
and Philadelphia and New York and all of rent. WESTERN SAHARA
over that are not accessible, and that Senator SANDERS, earlier today—and Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I
has got to be our mission. this was before the pandemic, what he know we have all been talking about
I chair the Banking, Housing, and was talking about, that 25 percent of what is going to happen in the next 2
Urban Affairs Committee. Most people American renters pay more than half days, and it is very significant, the
call it just the Banking Committee. In their income in rent. One thing goes things that have to take place.
reality, it is the housing, banking, and wrong in their lives—their car breaks But I want to remind some people
transit committee. And that is our re- down, their child gets sick, they miss 3 out there that it doesn’t mean that ev-
sponsibility to move in the right direc- days of work because of a minor in- erything else stops. We have a couple
tion, and we are moving there rapidly. jury—and everything turns upside of issues that are major issues but not
And I thank Senator DUCKWORTH for down for them. This is even more of a to really large numbers of people. But
her work on that. problem, of course, for Black and they are issues that are meaningful—
I want to talk not long. I know that Latino renters, with little left over very meaningful—to a few, and it hap-
Senator CARDIN is awaiting and has each month for food and medication, pens that there has been progress in
been patient, and I believe that Sen- let alone saving. both of these.
ator INHOFE might be here too. It is not just renters. Today, more Now, one of them is an issue that has
This week we have moved forward a than one in five homeowners still pay to do with Western Sahara. And I know
bill to provide critical investments in more than one-third of their income in that a lot of people are not really fa-
transportation infrastructure. I am rent. And the Black ownership rate— miliar with that or what the issue is,
glad we are doing that. The next step is this is pretty unbelievable. The Black but it is an old issue. It has been
to address housing. ownership rate is as low as it was around since 1966. It is a very signifi-
Nothing is more important than when, in 1968, this body finally passed cant issue. It is one that you have
housing. As chair of the Banking and open housing, finally passed fair hous- heard me talk about for quite some
Housing Committee, I have held hear- ing. time, but we have made some great
ings about housing needs across the The first Secretary of HUD, after we progress.
country. This committee, called Bank- passed the fair housing law, was Sen- First of all, it bears repeating be-
ing, Housing, and Urban Affairs—most ator ROMNEY’s father, George Romney. cause—they are called the Sahrawis.
refer to it as ‘‘Senate Banking’’—has As hard as he tried—partly because the The Sahrawis are the people from
been mostly about Wall Street in the President, his boss, followed a southern Western Sahara, and they are kind of a
past and not nearly enough about hous- strategy—he did very little in the end, voiceless people. That is why I am
ing. Those issues are changing. could accomplish very little for hous- here—because nobody else is here on
I know Senator CARDIN knows—and ing equality. that.
not just in Baltimore but in Western We are the wealthiest country in the So how we got here: As West Africa
Maryland and everywhere, as in urban world. We have half a million people, was being decolonized, Western Sahara
Ohio and rural Ohio—how important including 100,000 children, without a was clear and declared an independent
housing is. We hear repeatedly about place to stay on a given night. nation, despite Morocco attempting to
the shortage of affordable housing, The budget resolution on the floor claim it as a territory.
about wide disparities in access to tomorrow will finally make the invest- In 1966, the U.N. General Assembly
home ownership. ment we need to help more families resolution agreed that the referendum
This isn’t just about a few coastal find and afford a place that they can of self-determination should be held.
cities. We heard from mayors in Akron, call home. Think of the word ‘‘home.’’ That is the U.N. General Assembly.
OH; in Bozeman, MT, Senator TESTER’s It helps us provide funding to make There was no disagreement at that
State; in Tempe, AZ, about their hous- critical repairs to our Nation’s public time except from Morocco. Everyone
ing needs. Their markets vary. In Boze- housing, to make it more sustainable, was in agreement. In fact, at that time,
man, home prices are up 50 percent. It to save families money, to reduce Morocco was even in agreement. This
is almost impossible for a young family harmful effects on our climate. It helps is 1966. And we were going to have a de-
to find a place to live. In Akron, home provide affordable places for families termination in the form of a ref-
values are sometimes too low to find fi- and seniors to rent, including in rural erendum that would be taking place in
nancing, and banks tell us they can’t areas, and helps more families become 1975. So it was 1966, planning for 1975.
make a profit on selling a $60,000, first-time homeowners. Self-determination is just merely let-
$70,000, $80,000 mortgage on a $60,000, It will help communities invest in ting the Sahrawi people decide for
$70,000, $80,000 house. their neighborhoods, including Brown themselves the imperative principle of
Their issues are different, but all and Black communities who have been action, the right to judge for them-
three mayors told us they need the left out of our Nation’s recovery. It selves to be independent or to be a part
Federal Government to be a better will make their homes more resilient of Morocco. Now, this was just the first
partner in helping to invest in their in the face of changing climate. Com- promise of a referendum. To date, none
housing and in their communities. munities will have housing and transit has been kept.
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
Without housing investment, there investments that work together to The International Court of Justice
cannot be economic growth. That is be- bring down the cost of daily commutes, opinion from 1975 also agreed that Mo-
cause housing—by any real definition, to reduce harmful effects on our cli- rocco did not have any sovereignty
housing is infrastructure. mate. over the land and that the referendum
Where you live determines so much With the resolution before us tomor- of self-determination should be held.
about your life: where your kids go to row, we have an opportunity to make So you have the International Court of
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6091
Justice agreeing with this, the U.N. more than two decades. At the end of tion of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western
General Assembly—all in agreement. last year—November, to be precise— Sahara, a disputed region on the northwest
Morocco maintained its unlawful Morocco tried to violently crush a coast of Africa. The United Nations calls
Western Sahara a ‘‘non-self-governing terri-
claim to Western Sahara and, after peaceful protest in the Gujarat area. tory’’; I call it home. My home is under occu-
decolonization, attempted to annex the The Western Saharans were peacefully pation and my people, the Sahrawis, are
country with force. Western Sahara— protesting Morocco’s direct violation under attack, and the US position on West-
officially the Sahrawi Arab Democratic of the United Nations’ cease-fire agree- ern Sahara legitimizes this occupation and
Republic—through the Polisario, de- ment by using the road in this direc- will be used as license for further attacks. I
fended their rights to the land. tion. know this because I have lived it.
And after more than a decade of vio- The international community did As an outspoken advocate for self-deter-
lence from Morocco, the United Na- nothing. Then truly the worst thing mination in Western Sahara, I have long
been a target for the occupying Moroccan
tions finally intervened in 1991, and happened. There was a change in policy government. I have been beaten, tortured,
both sides agreed to a cease-fire and a of the United States that had been a and abducted by Moroccan police while en-
path forward. That was 1991. It was policy for some three decades where gaged in peaceful protests; after a particu-
called at that time the Settlement they actually were recognizing Moroc- larly violent assault in 2007, I lost my right
Plan. It solidified that Morocco and co’s sovereignty. That decision was eye.
Western Sahara agreed to hold a ref- wrong. It reversed decades of U.S. pol- Because I refuse to be silenced, Morocco
erendum and a date for that ref- icy. But the policy held until 1966. It stepped up its efforts against me late last
erendum and created the United Na- year. On November 19, while driving to my
was a shocking announcement and home in Boujdour, I was stopped at a police
tions Mission for the Referendum to so- deeply disturbing to all who valued in- and military checkpoint. The authorities
lidify this. dividual rights and self-determination. forced me into a police car and took me to a
If you are keeping track, that was That is why earlier this year Senator nearby police station, where I was interro-
the third promise. And it is worth not- LEAHY and I led 25 of our colleagues in gated, sexually assaulted, and told to go
ing that the U.N. regularly reaffirms a bipartisan letter to President Biden home and not to speak to anyone. I arrived
the 1991 commitment to a referendum urging him to reverse the harmful pol- home soon thereafter to find it surrounded
for self-determination. icy and to recommit to a policy of self- by 21 police vehicles and numerous officers,
Now, self-determination is something who physically pushed me into the house. I
determination. This is something that
that people assume there is not opposi- have been forcibly confined to the house ever
I know that he recognizes. I actually since. My de facto house arrest, which is now
tion to. Self-determination is some- personally talked to him about this in in its ninth month, has absolutely no legal
thing that is very meaningful to us and his first week in office. It hasn’t been basis—I have never been shown a court order
our history in this country, and this is done yet, and it should be done. Many authorizing my detention or informed of any
something that at that time was ac- of our colleagues and I are not alone in criminal charges against me.
cepted. our push for Western Sahara to have The Moroccan government has told Am-
I can remember talking several times the right for self-determination. So nesty International that I’m not under house
in previous administrations, going arrest and denied a statement by the UN
does the African Union, which is com- Special Rapporteur on the situation of
back to the Reagan administration, prised of 55 member states. We have Human Rights Defenders that included de-
and people were, at that time, knowing most of the European community who tails of the assaults, saying that the
that this was going to happen but just supports the U.N. efforts on our side. rapporteur’s statement ‘‘interferes with the
didn’t know for sure how it was going The European Court of Justice also ongoing debates in the framework of the 47th
to happen or when it was going to hap- ruled that Western Sahara is not a part Session of the Human Rights Council’’ and
pen. And here it is now decades later, of Morocco, and the EU and the eco- ‘‘do not fit at all with the framework of dia-
and it hasn’t happened yet. nomic agreements can cover Western logue and mutual respect’’ it expected at the
The referendum for 1992 never took UN. Meanwhile, the occupying Moroccan
Sahara. forces appear determined to not just detain
place, and the process stalled. The So, anyway, this has happened over me unlawfully, but to harass, torture, and
process stalled, although the cease-fire and over again for a long period of perhaps even kill me.
held. Morocco just wouldn’t hold up its time. Just fairly recently, Sultana Moroccan police, military, and other secu-
end of the bargain. Khaya had a CNN—I am actually going rity agents maintain a constant presence
Former Secretary of State James to wind this up with an agreement with outside the house and prevent anyone from
Baker—I remember when the previous my friend from Maryland—this is the leaving or coming in, even to bring food.
administration came in, James Baker They cut the electricity in mid-April. Police
statement that she made. She said:
had read someplace that I was con- throw a toxic, foulsmelling liquid into the
Morocco’s repression of the Sahrawi peo- house on a near-daily basis, making it dif-
cerned about this issue. This old issue ple, and Sahrawi human rights defenders in ficult to breathe. They frequently (and ex-
had never been resolved, and he called particular, is well documented. The Sahrawis plicitly) threaten to kill me.
me up, and he said: Well, I want you to have struggled under Moroccan occupation Moroccan authorities have also repeatedly
know that I spent a lot of years with since 1975, and this repression will continue raided the home and brutally assaulted me,
three different Presidents trying to get until the occupation is ended. And while the my sister. my brother, and my mother. In
United Nations Security Council supports May, during one such raid, Moroccan agents
this done. We were unable to do it, but
giving the people of Western Sahara the raped my sister and I—in a barbaric message,
let me work with you. chance to determine their own future
This is one of these rare things where they penetrated my sister using the broom-
through a referendum, Morocco has refused stick that we use to wave the Western Sa-
everyone agrees. to allow the referendum to take place, de- hara flag. Despite all this, I continue to wave
So, anyway, they had a special envoy priving us of the chance . . . [for] self-deter- the Western Sahara flag from my rooftop
to Western Sahara. Baker worked on mination. every day—an act of resistance that may end
multiple plans with Morocco and West- She concluded by saying: up costing me my life.
ern Sahara and came close many times, I cannot find the words to describe the end- Unfortunately, my story is just one of
but it never happened. less suffering that I personally, and the many. Morocco’s repression of the Sahrawi
Most notable is the Houston agree- Sahrawi people more generally, have en- people, and Sahrawi human rights defenders
ment was signed by Morocco and West- dured under this violent occupation. in particular, is well documented. The
Sahrawis have struggled under Moroccan oc-
ern Sahara and recommitted to a ref- They are resolute, and we should be cupation since 1975, and as recently as July
erendum of self-determination plan for too. 1, the State Department reiterated that
1998. That would have been the fourth There being no objection, the mate- there is no change in the administration’s
time. Morocco recognized they would rial was ordered to be printed in the policy. The Biden administration has
likely lose a vote quickly and tanked RECORD, as follows: claimed that human rights are central to its
all negotiations. The next year, by dec- [From CNN, July 29, 2021] foreign policy—this is difficult to believe
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
laration, they would never accept a ref- while it sides with Morocco in its occupation
I’VE BEEN RAPED, BEATEN AND HELD UNDER
of Western Sahara and its repression of the
erendum that included independence as HOUSE ARREST FOR FIGHTING FOR MY
Sahrawi people.
an outcome despite years of promise SAHRAWI PEOPLE Second, as part of its reengagement with
otherwise. (Opinion by Sultana Sidibrahim Khaya) the United Nations Human Rights Council,
The conflict stalled then, leaving us Earlier this month, the Biden administra- the US should press forcefully for a ref-
in what is called a frozen conflict for tion reaffirmed the United States’ recogni- erendum on self-determination in Western
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S6092 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
Sahara. The U.N. General Assembly re- This is an incredibly important part sure all are included in that oppor-
affirmed the right to self-determination of to deliver on President Biden’s Build tunity?
the people of Western Sahara as far back as Back Better. We already did with the We are going to look at innovation
1966, when it was still referred to as ‘‘Spanish and growth. Small businesses are the
American Rescue Plan. That gave us
Sahara,’’ and the U.N. Security Council
unanimously established a mission to coordi- the opportunity to get the COVID–19 innovator of our economy. They create
nate a referendum on self-determination for vaccines distributed so we can get that a better way to do things. We saw that
the people of Western Sahara in 1991. behind us. It helped our State and local during COVID–19. We get more innova-
The US, for its part, has consistently voted governments. It took half of our chil- tion from small businesses than from
in favor of Security Council resolutions dren out of poverty. In Maryland, 52,000 the larger companies. But as we look
seeking a referendum on self-determination. Maryland children were taken out of at emerging markets, there has been a
Since President Biden has advocated for a re- poverty. Forty million families nation- real separation between the under-
turn to a rule-based international order, the
wide benefited from the child credit served communities not being able to
US should take the lead to ensure that the
long-promised referendum is finally held and and the earned income tax credit. We participate in new, emerging markets.
the results are honored. took a major step forward in building When you take a look at the amount
And third, the U.S. should make the pro- back better with the passage of the of venture capital that goes to minor-
tection of human rights in occupied Western American Rescue Plan. ity small businesses or women-owned
Sahara and self-determination for the Tomorrow, with the passage of this small businesses, it is a small fraction
Sahrawi people key issues in its bilateral re- bipartisan infrastructure package, we of their demographic numbers. The last
lationship with Morocco. For example, the will take the second step in building time I checked, White men controlled
readout from a recent call between US Sec-
back better, and there is a lot to be 93 percent of all venture capital fund-
retary of State Antony Blinken and Moroc-
can Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita shows celebrated in the legislation that we ing. Now, I am all for everyone partici-
that while Blinken encouraged Morocco to will pass tomorrow. pating, but that is not a fair division
reaffirm its commitment to human rights, I was proud to work on the transpor- and opportunity for emerging markets.
the readout omitted any mention of Western tation and water infrastructure issues, So we need to take a look at emerg-
Sahara or the right of its people to self-de- along with my colleague who is pre- ing markets, incubator and accelerator
termination. siding, to make sure that we provided programs, and then access to capital.
For any productive change to occur, Mo- the building blocks necessary for mod- We need direct help through the Small
rocco needs to know that its powerful allies
ern infrastructure—for transportation, Business Administration to help small
care about both.
I cannot find the words to describe the end- for roads, bridges, transit systems, and businesses because we know we have a
less suffering that I personally, and the our water infrastructure, which is better chance for the underserved com-
Sahrawi people more generally, have en- critically important. munity to get a fair shake with the
dured under this violent occupation, But we We will take a second step to build SBA controlling the loans. We also
remain strong, our will unshaken, and we back better with the passage of the bi- need to have partnerships with the pri-
will persevere with our peaceful resistance. partisan bill, but there is a third step vate sector, as we have seen in pro-
Mr. INHOFE. With this, I would like that is critically important, and that is grams like the SBIC Program and
to offer my friend, since he has been the budget resolution we will be taking other programs.
waiting for a long period of time, to up starting tomorrow. So we are going to work as a com-
use the remainder of my time if he will The budget resolution takes us be- mittee to try to deal with the needs
then yield the floor to me at the con- yond COVID–19. Yes, we have to rebuild particularly of those small businesses
clusion. from COVID–19, but we also need to re- that have been left behind in the past.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- build our Nation, make it modern and I also serve on the Environment of
ator from Maryland. provide the needs that Americans need. Public Works Committee and chair the
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I The budget resolution will provide Subcommittee on Infrastructure, work-
thank my friend from Oklahoma. The America more competitiveness, better ing with the Presiding Officer. I men-
two of us arrived in the House of Rep- prepared for the future, create jobs, tion this because both of us have been
resentatives on the same day. We have millions of jobs, and lower the cost for directly involved in creating new pro-
been friends for all this period of time. Americans in dealing with their every- grams to help underserved commu-
I thank him for his generosity. day needs. We are asking the wealthier nities.
BUDGET RECONCILIATION people to pay their fair share—first of There is a program that I was in-
Madam President, I take this time to all, to pay their taxes, and then pay volved with that deals with water af-
talk about legislation we will be con- their fair share of taxes. We tackle the fordability, a pilot program that will
sidering tomorrow, which will be the climate crisis, and we develop the allow those who cannot afford their
budget resolution. It gives us a once-in- workforce to meet the jobs of the fu- clean water bills help from govern-
a-generation opportunity. ture. ment, as we do for utility costs. That
I would just like to pause for a mo- So I am very excited about the oppor- was included in the bipartisan package
ment because it is part of President tunity of taking up the budget resolu- but not the funding. I am hoping that
Biden’s Build Back Better, that we can tion. Let me just comment on a few we will have the opportunity to fund
have a more competitive nation, and specifics as chair of the Senate Small that program and to fund other pro-
we can create the jobs that we need for Business and Entrepreneurship Com- grams that we deal with in underserved
the future. mittee. I expect we will be given budg- communities, the water projects; that
I was with Secretary Blinken earlier et instructions to deal with those we will be able to deal with that in the
today in College Park, and he talked issues. Environment and Public Works Com-
specifically about the challenges our Madam President, you are part of mittee in the budget resolution.
Nation faces. We go back a generation that group. We need to look at access We are going to deal with climate,
ago, and America was clearly in the to credit, investment, and markets, and we need to deal with climate. In-
forefront of creating jobs, of taking ad- particularly in underserved commu- vestments in jobs and growth and deal-
vantage of all innovation and new, nities, those that have not had the op- ing with the environment go together,
emerging fields. We were the envy of portunities in the past. I am talking and we are finding that America is not
the world. Today, the rest of the world about women-owned small businesses, as far ahead internationally as other
has caught up and in some cases, ex- minority-owned small businesses, vet- countries, such as China, investing a
ceeds us. eran-owned small businesses, and en- lot more in electric convention than
This once-in-a-generation oppor- trepreneurs from other underserved America is investing in electric vehi-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
tunity to build back better gives us an communities. cles.
opportunity to do what we need to do We are going take a look at govern- We are going to work with the Envi-
for America’s future and to show the ment contracting. The United States is ronment and Public Works Committee,
world that our free market, democratic the largest purveyor of goods and serv- the Agriculture Committee, and the
society is the best way to take care of ices of the world. How can we improve Commerce Committee to deal with
its people. that in building back better to make coastal resiliency, which is critically
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6093
important to my State. The Chesa- They should be included in Medicare. ably, the last two votes that we are
peake Bay—the iconic symbol of Mary- We have a chance to do that. going to be having, so all of the con-
land in our region, the largest estuary Then on the climate issue, we are centration has been on those.
in our hemisphere—it has challenges. going to have an opportunity to really But I want to mention two of the
This once-in-a-generation opportunity deal with one of the greatest threats other issues that were made very pop-
gives us the opportunity to do things we have, and that is our planet is burn- ular issues and they are making great
that are going to be beneficial for our ing up. We know that. We need to take progress right now. Let me go ahead
environment and help us deal with cli- dramatic action in order to deal with and do that for a short while, and that
mate change; for example, the bene- the realities of climate change. We see is to provide an update on the Ligado
ficial use of dredge material. We want it all around us. We see it in flooding in issue—the Ligado issue.
to keep our channels dredged for com- Maryland, wildfires out West, in flood- Friday was inauguration day of a
merce. It is very important. Where do ing—lands disappearing in our commu- thing called the Space Beat Memo. It is
we put that material? Well, in the nity and around the world. a new weekly newsletter from POLIT-
Chesapeake Bay, we want to put it into We will have a chance with electric ICO designed to focus on space and sat-
restoring wetlands, creating new wet- vehicles and transportation and re- ellites. This is their inaugural, first-
lands, which will help our environ- search. We will have a chance with the ever newsletter with a great rundown
mental issues as well. In agriculture, Tax Code to reduce carbon emissions. on—they chose the Ligado issue.
we are going to look at land conserva- We will have a chance in public build- Just to remind everyone what we are
tion programs, all that are important. ings to build green buildings and en- talking about—Ligado, L-I-G-A-D-O—
I was pleased to see that in the expla- ergy efficiency. We will have an oppor- the Ligado Order was a spectrum sale
nation of the budget resolution, there tunity for weatherization programs. approved back in April of 2020, that
is a specific reference to the Appa- All that is contemplated in the budget would let Ligado use the L-band or the
lachian Regional Commission. It is resolution. spectrum—that is the spectrum close
very important to two western coun- I can’t give specifics because that is to the GPS for commercial use.
ties in Maryland, and we need to do what committees will be doing in the Why is that a problem?
more to help them and their economy next several weeks, coming up with It is a problem because Ligado’s sig-
and to grow back better, and we are specifics to fill in. But to make this nals are about 2 billion times as power-
going to have an opportunity in the once-in-a-generation opportunity to ful as GPS signals, so they would cause
budget resolution to do exactly that. bring down the cost to Americans, to interference, according to all unbiased
As I mentioned earlier, lower costs deal with climate change, to deal with sources, to the GPS.
for Americans—childcare. We need to job creation and preparedness and job Here is one way to put the inter-
bring down the cost so Americans can training—this is a responsible package ference into perspective: Because GPS
afford childcare. that will help working families and signals travel from satellites in space,
There is extension of the child tax have the wealthy who are not paying by the time those signals get to the
credit, the earned income tax credit, their taxes today to pay their taxes Earth’s surface, they are low power.
because we want to make sure that the and pay their fair share of taxes. Because the FCC order allowed Ligado
progress we have made in lifting fami- Winston Churchill remarked: to repurpose spectrum to operate in a
lies out of poverty—that we do that on The pessimist sees difficulty in every op- terrestrial-based network, Ligado sig-
a permanent basis. Let’s get that portunity. The optimist sees the opportunity nals on Earth’s surface will be much
longer period of time providing that re- in every difficulty. more powerful than GPS, causing sub-
lief. I agree with Sir Winston Churchill. stantial harm and interference.
Help for high education—the cost of Together, we can meet the most formi- Now, we know that basically every-
higher education is way out of line dable challenges our Nation faces, and one in government opposes this. We
here in America. This bill will give us the Build Back Better budget is the talked about this now since the last
a chance to deal with the cost of higher next step in that process, and I look time—just June 23, down here on the
education, community colleges, forward to our taking this resolution floor. Shortly after the Ligado Order
HBCUs, Pell Grant increases. up, moving it forward, and then letting was announced in April of 2020, the
I was listening to Senator BROWN our committees get back to work and NTIA filed a petition to reconsider—ba-
talk about affordable housing and fill in the blanks and get this done in sically, a petition asking them to re-
home ownership. I was with Secretary order that Americans can meet the consider their decision again, given the
Fudge this week in Prince George’s challenges of the future, create the negative impact it would have. This
County, MD, and we talked about tools jobs we need in the future, and get the was signed on behalf of some 15 govern-
that are available to help with afford- cost reliefs that they need to deal with mental Agencies.
able housing and home ownership so life essential needs. The NTIA is the National Tele-
families can afford a home today. I thank my friend from Oklahoma for communications Information Adminis-
I am proud to cosponsor a bill with allowing me to give my remarks. tration. They are an Agency within the
Senator PORTMAN, the Neighborhood I yield the floor. Department of Commerce that serves
Reinvestment Act, so that commu- Mr. INHOFE. I thank my friend. We as the President’s primary adviser on
nities can do the investment in their worked on a lot of bills—infrastruc- telecom policies.
community, and where there is a dif- ture—together since we were both As I announced on June 23, I recently
ference between market rate and the elected the same year many years ago received a letter from Secretary of
cost to do the renovation or building, and we accomplished a lot together. Commerce Gina Raimondo confirming
we have a credit so that communities What I want to do is complete my re- that—and I’m quoting now—‘‘there has
can have the type of housing commen- marks that I began a few minutes ago. been no change to the Department of
surate with their needs. Before I do, Madam President, I ask Commerce’s or NTIA’s opposition to
We can do a lot more. Paid family unanimous consent that during the the FCC’s Ligado Order.’’
medical leave—we are one of the only course of the remarks I made con- That is a direct quote. That is the
countries that don’t have that. There cerning Western Sahara, that the new administration. We know the last
is an opportunity in the budget resolu- speech that was made by Sultana administration believed the same
tion for us to be able to accomplish Khaya, that was published in CNN, be thing, and this administration is fol-
that. printed in the RECORD during the lowing on this cause. It is a very sig-
Expansion of Medicare: I have been course of my presentation. nificant one.
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
trying to get Medicare to cover dental LIGADO She also pledged that NTIA will con-
care for a long time. Seniors need that Madam President, let me repeat what tinue to pursue the petition for recon-
type of protection. We have a chance to I said in the beginning of my previous sideration. The petition represents the
do that in this budget resolution, along remarks, and that is we are all talking Departments of Commerce, Defense,
with eyeglasses and hearing aids, about the same thing right now. We are Interior, Justice, Homeland Security,
which should be—they are essential. now getting down to the last—conceiv- Energy, Transportation, NASA, FAA,
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S6094 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
and more. This is primarily the entire operations, moving large and critical As chair of the Indian Affairs Com-
government. This is huge. machinery with precision, they depend mittee, I have made it my mission to
It showed, once again, that there is a on GPS working to do it. support these communities. This legis-
bipartisan opposition to the Ligado Working out. All these healthy peo- lation contains more than $11 billion in
Order that is continuing into the Biden ple doing what they are supposed to be direct investments for Native commu-
administration. doing—and I am not doing—and that is nities, including $3.5 billion for clean
But that is not all I am doing. I am running and keeping in good health. water access and delivery, $3 billion for
also introducing the RETAIN GPS Act, Twenty percent of them use a fitness safe roads and bridges, and $2 billion to
which would ensure Federal Agencies, tracker or smartwatch, the majority of close the digital divide for American
State governments, and all others neg- which use GPS to count steps and Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Ha-
atively impacted—all that were nega- track distances. waiian families. This bill will have a
tively impacted by Ligado’s activi- Taking a flight. Commercial and direct and long-lasting impact, and I
ties—by the actions of a private actor civil aviation relies on GPS to navi- am proud to support it.
are not left holding the bag when the gate safely. Since taking the committee gavel, I
costs start coming in and, worse, are Just driving around. Each day, have worked with President Biden,
not put in a position where they have countless Americans rely on Google with the Presiding Officer, with the
to push the costs onto the American Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, and other members of the committee, and my
consumers. navigation systems to get them from colleagues in both Chambers to ensure
The House has introduced legislation point A to point B. that Native voices are always at the
as well, led by Representatives COOPER, And while no one hopes that there table.
MIKE TURNER, FRANK LUCAS, and oth- could be any kind of a problem in Our Tribal provisions in the Amer-
ers. It is just common sense and only terms of a fire, an ambulance, or an in- ican Rescue Plan and the Infrastruc-
fair. jury—the 9/11 operators and EMS used ture Investment and Jobs Act were the
As David Grossman, the Executive GPS and satellite communications to two largest investments in Native com-
Director of GPS Innovation Alliance, locate a caller and navigate as quickly munities in American history—the two
said to POLITICO: as possible. We had a group coming in, largest investments in Native commu-
The RETAIN Act— documenting cases of lives that have nities in American history. Both bills
Talking about the act that I have in- been saved. contained resources and policy reforms
troduced— And there is more: Weather fore- that were long awaited and desperately
is just extending those protections that the casting, the movement of goods on our needed, and they are already paying
FCC recognized were critical for Federal highways, and the rest. It goes on and dividends.
Agency GPS systems on the civil side. on. But our work has to continue, and
In other words, if we are going to That is why everyone agrees we need this historic budget resolution is the
protect government, protect individ- to protect GPS usage from being dam- next step. At its core, our budget is
uals, too, if it is done through the neg- aged by the Ligado Order. about restoring the middle class and
ative operations of Ligado. Who is on the other side? giving more Americans the oppor-
The GPS Innovation Alliance is just Just Ligado and the people who they tunity to get into the middle class.
1 of more than 100 we are talking pay to support them. That is a whole It cuts taxes for millions of American
about. This is a large number of people, lot of lobbying firms. The POLITICO families. It creates millions of Amer-
companies, and industry groups who article highlighted that they are staff- ican jobs while tackling the climate
support my RETAIN GPS Act. ing up their lobbying and public rela- crisis, and it is paid for by the wealthy
Why is it so popular? tions: paying their fair share. No one who
Because GPS is essential to every- So far this year the Virginia company has makes under $400,000 will see an in-
thing we do. You know, people enlisted a powerful roster of lobbying firms crease in their taxes.
thought—when this thing first came . . . currently numbering some 15. I used to hate charts. I used to not be
on, they were just concerned about the And on the side of GPS and satellite a chart guy. I have a rule in my office:
air industry, the airlines, and others; communications are Members of the If you are coming in to present to me,
but these are some of the day-to-day House and the Senate, 15 Federal Agen- no PowerPoints. I just don’t like
things. I don’t really have to read this, cies, over 100 companies and organiza- charts.
but I think it is important that people tions. The other, Ligado, is really just But I am making an exception right
know it is important to others and a lobbying group. now because it is really important that
themselves. I will just leave with one reminder. the public understand what we are
I don’t know anyone who isn’t really We know that the Ligado Order will about to do.
concerned about GPS and its safety damage GPS. The FCC said as much We are going to lower costs for all
and working ability. A big one is using when they approved the order. The FCC Americans. We are going to cut taxes
your credit or debit card. Every time said: for American families. We are going to
you use a credit or debit card, when Ligado shall expeditiously repair or re- create millions of jobs while tackling
you are making a purchase or using an place as needed any U.S. Government GPS the climate crisis. And it is going to be
ATM, our financial systems rely on devices that experience or are likely to expe- paid for by requiring the wealthy to
GPS timing to work. rience harmful interference from Ligado’s pay their fair share in taxes.
Another: Making a phone call. Cell operations. The budget also addresses Native
phone networks rely on GPS to syn- But if Ligado believes that their communities specifically. For far too
chronize cell towers so calls can be press states that they won’t cause in- long, historical underfunding of Fed-
passed seamlessly. If they experience terference to GPS, then why should eral programs serving Native commu-
interference, your call can drop when they be afraid of my RETAIN Act? nities and Tribes has left them vulner-
moving from tower to tower. While they ponder that, I yield the able. Today, one in three Native Amer-
Here is one people don’t expect, and floor. icans lives in poverty, and just 19 per-
that is energy, whether that is filling The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. cent of Native American students are
up your tank at the pump or managing HEINRICH). The Senator from Hawaii. attending college. Native Americans
electrical grids to light our homes. We H.R. 3684 have a life expectancy 51⁄2 years lower
rely on GPS timing to safely operate Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, you than the general population, and Na-
underground pipelines and our elec- know, this is a very important week in tive Americans are on the frontlines of
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
tricity grid. the United States Senate. Our infra- the climate crisis.
Farmers and ranchers, we don’t structure bill is big, it is bold, and it is This budget reverses these systemic
think about them as being involved in bipartisan, and it reflects the needs of injustices through a $20.5 billion tar-
this. But in this day and age, when a population especially important to geted investment. The budget makes
they are planting crops, when they are me—Native communities and Indian significant investments in climate re-
applying fertilizer, and during harvest Country across the United States. siliency for Native communities and
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6095
gives them the tools that they need to up in this definition. The Treasury De- The bill recognizes that digital assets
mitigate the impacts of climate partment, the nonpartisan Congres- are different from stocks and bonds.
change, deploy their own clean energy sional Joint Committee on Taxation, For example, some taxpayers regularly
solutions on their own terms, and re- and others believe that the current lan- transfer digital assets between digital
store and protect their homelands. guage is clear enough that the report- asset exchanges or to an off-exchange
It ensures that Native students and ing requirements only cover brokers. wallet and then back to an exchange.
families have more access to Native The purpose of this discussion is to fur- Those taxpayers need information re-
language programs, early childhood ther clarify that is the actual intent of turns that link the steps in those
education, and college. It also includes the underlying bill. I think that is im- chains so they have the complete infor-
historic investments in health and edu- portant. mation they need to prepare their tax
cation programs to provide much need- That is the goal we had in our discus- returns.
ed support to Native people across the sions over a compromise amendment, This bill treats digital asset busi-
country. but, unfortunately, we have been un- nesses that, for consideration—in ef-
We have already made the biggest in- able to consider and adopt that amend- fect, money—regularly effect transfers
vestment in Native communities in ment thus far in this debate. of digital assets as brokers and pro-
American history, and we are not done Some of us were on this floor today, vides for reporting of digital asset
yet. The responsibility of the U.S. Gov- including Senator LUMMIS, Senator transfers to or by a broker, including
ernment to American Indians, Alaska WARNER, Senator TOOMEY, myself to in cases where transfer is not directly
Natives, and Native Hawaiians isn’t try to get that amendment passed, and from one broker to another.
just for Democrats or Republicans to we were not able to do so. Senator PORTMAN, do you have any-
live up to. It is a commitment that we The purpose of this provision is not thing further to add on this item?
all share. to impose new reporting requirements Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, first
This budget resolution will empower on people who do not meet the defini- of all, I appreciate the clarification by
these Native communities like never tion of brokers. For example, if you are my colleague from Virginia, and, Sen-
before, and it will make our country someone who is solely involved with ator WARNER, you are correct in your
stronger, safer, and more resilient. validating distributed ledger trans- understanding.
I will be proud to move it forward. actions through proof of work—com- I would also ask Senator WARNER to
I yield the floor. monly known as miners—if you are clarify the intent of the proposal with
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- solely mining, you will not be consid- respect to the application of the bill to
ator from Ohio. ered a broker. The same would be true persons solely engaged in the business
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I ask for proof of stake validation and other of validating distributed ledger trans-
unanimous consent to enter into a col- validation methods now or in the fu- actions through proof of work, often
loquy with Senator WARNER of Vir- ture associated with other consensus called miners.
ginia. mechanisms that are developed and Am I correct that under our provi-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without might come into the market as the sions it is our understanding that
objection, it is so ordered. technology evolves. If you are solely Treasury and the IRS will not treat
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I rise staking your digital assets for the pur- these miners as brokers?
today to clarify the provisions in the pose of validating distributed ledger Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the
underlying bill text we are working on transactions, you will not be consid- Senator is entirely correct in his anal-
this evening. ered a broker. ysis of the application of the bill, and
As we know, cryptocurrency is a dig- We want to be sure that miners and
further, I believe, and Treasury has in-
ital asset that more and more people stakers and others who play a key role
dicated, that this would also be true
are investing in, and we should want in validating transactions now or in
for individuals engaged in staking their
that to continue in a healthy and sus- the future, or hardware and software
digital assets for the purpose of vali-
tainable way. I would like to discuss sellers for digital wallets, will not be
dating distributed ledger trans-
the provisions in the bill that address subject to the rules or those activities.
Again, you will need to provide the actions—proof of stake—which we
information reporting requirements for know to be much more environ-
information reporting only if you are
digital asset brokers. mentally sustainable.
functioning as a broker.
Under IRS rules, sales or exchanges It would also be true for other valida-
It is my understanding that that is
of assets, like digital assets, give rise tion methods associated with other
true, and I ask my fellow Finance Com-
to gain or loss in the same manner as consensus mechanisms, some of which
mittee member and colleague from the
sales of securities. Taxpayers who sell are just coming to market, while oth-
bipartisan working group, Senator
stocks or other securities through a ers are still in the developmental
WARNER, if this is his understanding as
broker receive an information return, stage.
well.
IRS form 1099–B, that provides infor- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- People who solely act to validate
mation on the gross proceeds and the ator from Virginia. transactions will not be treated as bro-
basis of those sales. Those information Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank kers for those validation activities.
returns are prepared by their brokers my friend from Ohio, who has been Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I
or custodians or other agents involved such a leader on the underlying bill, would ask Senator WARNER to clarify
in the effecting of the sales. and I have been proud to work on this the intent of the Senate in this legisla-
Today, there is lack of clarity on how clarification on this critical issue on tion with respect to persons solely en-
these reporting rules apply to digital cryptocurrency. gaged in the business of selling hard-
asset transactions. The underlying bill I thank the Senator, who is correct ware or software that allows people to
has two simple provisions to address in his understanding. access their private keys.
that. I would also like to add some addi- Am I correct that these persons
The cryptocurrency provision in the tional clarifications. would not be treated as brokers under
bill makes it clear as to who counts as The bill ensures that digital asset the underlying legislation?
a broker within this market. Under the market players who provide a platform Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I think
bill, a broker is defined as ‘‘any person to facilitate digital asset trades by tax- the Senator asked a question that has
who (for consideration) is responsible payers will be considered brokers re- been queried by a number of folks in
for regularly providing any service ef- quired to report information to the IRS the media and elsewhere, and the Sen-
fectuating transfers of digital assets on and taxpayers about those trans- ator is entirely correct in his analysis
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
behalf of another person.’’ For tax pur- actions. of the application of the bill.
poses, this means a sale on behalf of Reporting entities may be digital Those persons do not effectuate
someone else. asset exchanges or hosted wallet pro- transfers of digital assets and, there-
The concern has been expressed that viders, often called custodians, or other fore, would not be treated as brokers.
some in the cryptocurrency industry agents involved in effectuating digital If you are selling hardware or soft-
who are not brokers would be caught asset transactions. ware for which the only function is to
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S6096 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
permit persons to control private keys families in every other State. Families The Build Back Better Budget will
which are used for accessing digital as- in Michigan worry about making ends cut costs for the things that keep fami-
sets on a distributed ledger, you will meet. It is something that keeps them lies up at night: the cost of food,
not be considered in the business of up at night a lot of times. childcare, home care, price of medi-
being a broker. Parents of young children wonder cine, college tuition. For the first time,
I also want to say a word about the how they will be able to pay for quality seniors will be able to have their hear-
bipartisan amendment that I worked childcare. The costs may be as much or ing aids, their glasses, and their dental
on with Senators PORTMAN, SINEMA, more than their rent. I know for my care that they need covered by Medi-
TOOMEY, and LUMMIS. daughter and her husband, it is more care. I know a lot of folks think it al-
I am pleased that we were able to file than their mortgage payment for their ready does cover those things. It does
it today, and I would have hoped that three children. A mom wonders how not yet, but we want that to happen.
we would have gotten a vote, but I she will feed her kids healthy meals in And families will have paid leave
thank them for their diligence and the summer when there are no school when they need it. That is really im-
hard work to clarify, in concert with meals. Parents of older children worry portant because no family should
the Treasury Department, this critical about how they will be able to pay for worry that a birth of a child, an illness,
section of the bill. their college tuition. Seniors in Michi- or the need to care for an aging parent
We want to ensure that taxes legiti- gan wonder why their hearing aid or will leave them in a financial hole that
mately owed are paid, and full and ac- their glasses or their trips to the den- they can never get out of.
curate transaction reporting is a prov- tist aren’t covered by Medicare right Speaking of support for families,
en way to make that happen. now. They should be. And with our about a month ago, Michigan families
We don’t, however, want to place re- budget, they will be. And they want to began to receive monthly help based on
porting requirements on individuals know why their medicine is so expen- the number of children in their family.
who shouldn’t have them. sive. This is for families across the country.
The amendment memorializes the And then we have Michigan farmers It is a tax cut that was made possible
common understanding that the re- diligently planning cover crops for by the American Rescue Plan passed by
quirements are to apply only to per- healthier soil while directly battling Democrats in Congress and signed into
sons who regularly, and for consider- the effects of the climate crisis and the law by President Biden.
ation, effectuate transfers of digital as- destruction of their crops, and they Our families today are receiving up
sets. need support to help them do more. to $250 a month for each child age 6 to
Persons solely engaged in validating They want to do more. All of our fami- age 17 and up to $300 for each child
distributed ledger transactions will not lies wonder if we will be able to tackle under age 6. It is estimated that
be covered for those activities, whether around 92 percent of Michigan families,
the climate crisis in time to save lives
they use proof of work, proof of stake that Michigan children will benefit
and land and jobs. Their worries are
or some other new consensus mecha- from this tax cut that we passed in the
our worries.
nisms. That is why Democrats are com- American Rescue Plan.
Nor will they apply to persons solely And the tax cuts in other parts of the
mitted to passing the Build Back Bet-
engaged in selling hardware or soft- American Rescue Plan are now begin-
ter Budget. Let me also say that I con-
ware with the sole function of permit- ning to cut child poverty in half. I will
gratulate all of my colleagues on both
ting someone to control private keys say that again: child poverty in half
sides of the aisle who have, through
used to access digital assets. this year, not 5 years from now, not 10
their hard work and leadership, years from now, this year. What a
Of course, if these entities provide brought us to this point of passing part
additional services for consideration great thing that we should all be ex-
1 of President Biden’s Build Back agen- cited about. And it not only helps chil-
that would qualify as brokerage, the da, which is the bipartisan infrastruc-
rules would apply to them as any other dren and families being lifted out of
ture bill, and I am enthusiastically poverty, but it helps the whole econ-
broker. supporting it.
This is an exciting new technology omy. It helps strengthen us as a coun-
So the Build Back Better Budget is try.
that, in theory, could help bring serv- the second piece, and it is focused on Unfortunately, when Republicans are
ices to the underserved and reduce keeping historic economic growth in the majority, tax cuts always seem
costs for everyone. We need, however, going, and it is a game changer for our to go to people who need it the least:
to strike the appropriate balance be- families. It really is. It is a game the wealthy and the well connected.
tween capturing the promised benefits changer for our future, and it does four This tax cut is going to people who
and guarding against the potential for things, simply. It lowers costs for need it most: American families. And
serious abuse and creation of a shadow Americans—those things that keep the Build Back Better Budget doubles
financial system beyond the reach of folks up at night when they are trying down on this tax cut, extending this,
established rules to combat illicit fi- figure out how to juggle all the costs resulting in one of the largest tax cuts
nance and tax evasion. coming in for themselves or their fami- for American families ever, cutting
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I lies. taxes for American families.
thank my friend and colleague from It is going to cut taxes for American The Build Back Better Budget will
Virginia for those comments. families, continue the biggest—maybe also create millions of jobs, including
Our provisions are designed to bring ever—tax cut that has gone to Amer- in agriculture and rural communities.
more clarity and legitimacy to the ican families that we passed in the The Build Back Better Budget will en-
cryptocurrency industry by more close- American Rescue Plan. sure that the United States will not
ly aligning the reporting requirements It is going to create millions of jobs only compete but will lead the world’s
with those of more traditional finan- while tackling the climate crisis. As race toward a clean energy future. And
cial services, and we believe it does we saw the report today, it said what I know our Presiding Officer cares
just that, and in doing so, will help we knew, but we have to be very seri- deeply about that and is a leader in
provide more certainty for people look- ous about what comes next here in that, and it is exciting to see what we
ing to invest in digital assets. tackling the climate crisis. can do through this budget.
I thank my colleague Senator WAR- And the great news is this: The great Currently, Chinese companies
NER for coming to the floor to discuss news is that we can cut costs and cut produce 60 percent of the parts for wind
this important provision. taxes and create millions of jobs and turbines, 80 percent of solar cells, 80
I yield the floor. tackle the climate crisis and pay for it. percent of battery cells, and it is time
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- We pay for it just simply by saying to bring those jobs home, and there is
ator from Michigan. that the wealthy will pay their fair no reason that we can’t. Through the
BUDGET RESOLUTION share. It is only fair that everybody be right support and incentives, we can
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I contributing to America and everybody bring those jobs home.
rise today to speak about Michigan be contributing to building back better Investing in technology will ensure
families. Our families are a lot like in our country. that these parts are made in America
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6097
and will create good-paying American in this country to pay their fair share. a livable planet for our children. That
jobs—nearly 2 million jobs per year Michigan families, families across the is our obligation. But here is our op-
over the next 10 years. That is 2 mil- country have been waiting long portunity: create millions of new jobs.
lion, then 2 million, then 2 million, enough. They are ready for us to build In Connecticut, we have solar compa-
then 2 million over the next 10 years. back better. nies, advance battery companies, fuel
And it will help us address the cli- I yield the floor. cell companies, that are just waiting
mate crisis head-on through critical The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- for the U.S. Government to create a
policies and incentives that will reduce ator from Connecticut. market for their technologies in the
U.S. carbon emissions 50 percent by Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I come way that so many other countries
2030. That is essential. to the floor today, first, to talk about around the world are doing.
We are investing in farmers who the Build Back Better Budget. This is We have the chance to invest in com-
want to keep leading the charge to an opportunity for this country to get munity violence intervention programs
combat the climate crisis, while mak- it right. and save lives. This is part of the Build
ing sure we have the resources to re- For far too long, millionaires and bil- Back Better agenda. President Biden
store our forests, make them more re- lionaires, corporations in this country has made it clear that if you want to
silient in the face of climate-driven have accrued more and more wealth, tackle the epidemic of gun violence in
wildfires. We are fulfilling the promise have paid less and less taxes, while av- this country, then you have to invest
of a climate-smart future by investing erage Americans have seen the cost of in communities in need.
in research at land-grant and agricul- living rise, their lives get more dif- If you take a look at what drives vio-
tural universities like my own alma ficult, and Washington do virtually lence and exposure to violence in this
mater, Michigan State University. nothing about it. We are going to make country, the No. 1-correlated factor is
The Build Back Better Budget will a huge downpayment in fixing that im- income. The poorer you are, the more
lower costs for families; it is going to balance. likely you are to be the victim of vio-
cut their taxes; it is going to create The Build Back Better Budget, which lence.
millions of good-paying jobs, while we we will begin considering tomorrow, is By investing in communities that
are tackling the climate crisis. And we going to lower costs for Americans. We have high rates of violence—and not,
simply just have to make sure the are talking about the cost of Medicare, coincidentally, high rates of poverty—
wealthiest people in this country step making sure that seniors get a benefit you are reducing violence in this Na-
up and are paying their fair share. for things like vision and dental; lower tion.
Folks in Michigan work really hard the costs for families, like childcare We have so many examples of pro-
to provide for their families. It is time costs. grams, like Project Longevity in New
to reward that hard work, not just The Presiding Officer and I are Haven and Bridgeport, CT, for example,
wealth. It is unacceptable that some of amongst the few parents of relatively that show, when you wrap services
the world’s most profitable companies young school-age children. We know around a small subset of at-risk fami-
and billionaires pay little or no tax at the cost of childcare today can bank- lies and at-risk young people, you can
all; that is despite their profits and rupt families that don’t have the in- dramatically lower the rates of vio-
their fortunes growing every single comes that we do. It is going to cut lence in this country.
year. taxes for American families but the And, by the way, that puts people to
Under the Build Back Better Budget, right American families. People who work, too, creating these investments
no one who makes under $400,000 per are making $30,000, $60,000 a year, that in anti-violence programming.
year will see their taxes go up. Let me is who needs a tax break, not the mil- Then we have a chance to transform
say that again. No one under a $400,000 lionaires and billionaires. our rail system and create jobs, speed
a year in income will see their taxes It is going to create millions of jobs up our commutes, and address the cli-
go. Instead, the typical American fam- while tackling the climate crisis. Come mate crisis.
ily will see their costs and their taxes to Connecticut. We have renewable en- And we are making a big downpay-
go down. ergy companies building jobs all over ment in the bipartisan infrastructure
For too long—far too long—when Re- our country, but they are having to bill, $66 billion for rail. And I hope to
publican colleagues have been in compete with other nations that are see an additional downpayment in the
charge, the wealthy and huge corpora- making big investments in climate, budget reconciliation process. But in-
tions have come first, receiving special which are creating their own renewable vesting in rail, it is kind of the Holy
treatment over and over again. I think energy economies. If somebody is going Grail because it creates short-term
it is about time we put the American to capture millions and millions of jobs jobs as we rebuild our decrepit rail
people first. in wind and solar and geothermal and lines. It speeds up commutes for peo-
And, by the way, I have heard so electric cars, it should be the United ple. That just makes their lives better,
many colleagues on the other side of States. more time with family. But it also cre-
the aisle come to the floor over and Lastly, we are going to pay for this ates a lot of economic development po-
over again lamenting that we are going by asking the wealthy to pay their fair tential. Companies want to locate here
to increase taxes. So for the record, let share, not more as a percentage of in- when they can get their people faster
me just say that I don’t think it is in- come than anybody else but their fair from point A to point B.
creasing taxes to tell a billionaire they share. We have corporations, some of Boston to DC is about half the dis-
have to pay more than zero. And that the biggest in America, that are paying tance as Beijing and Shanghai, but it
is what we are talking about here, just virtually no taxes today. All of the takes twice the amount of time to get
people paying their fair share for the wealth that is being accumulated by from those two spots in the United
majority of Americans in this country the CEOs of these massive internet States as it does in Asia. We are way
who are working hard to have a fair companies, virtually untaxed. That has behind the curve in investment in high-
shot to work hard and to make it and to change. That has to change. I am ex- speed rail, and that is hurting us eco-
to know that somebody is going to cited to be a part of this process. nomically.
have their back. And that is what the As I said, we have the chance to But, of course, an investment in rail
Build Back Better Budget is all about. tackle the climate crisis and create is also about addressing the climate
So let me just say again: It is time to millions of new jobs. We can and have crisis because the only way to make a
lower costs for the big things that keep to do both. dent in transportation emissions is to
families up at night. It is time to cut You saw the new report challenging move people out of cars, especially dur-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
taxes for American families. It is time us, right? The facts are dire with re- ing the period of time in which we are
to create millions of jobs, which we can spect to what has already happened as ramping up the deployment of electric
do. This is the great news: We can cre- this planet has warmed. But what that vehicles, and get those individuals into
ate millions of jobs while tackling the report says is that the next 8 years are trains, get people out of planes and
climate crisis, which we must seriously critical. The decisions we make in this into trains, especially in a corridor
tackle. And it is time for the wealthy decade will determine whether there is like the Northeast, where the trains
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S6098 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
are electrified, right, where these are 12-month tour. Each walked me to hear and to accept. Staying longer
cleaner trains than in other parts of through a PowerPoint presentation de- would just be to admit that American
the country. We have a real oppor- tailing how the previous general hadn’t taxpayers have got to foot the bill for
tunity, if we get more people onto made that much progress in training a permanent occupation of Afghani-
trains by investing in them to address the Afghan security forces and how stan, to shore up a corrupt government
the climate crisis. this general would change course and and keep the Taliban at bay.
So I want to just spend a moment, finally get it right. Now, this isn’t wise, mostly because
really, telling my colleagues both the This cycle of failure, readjustment, my constituents, understandably, have
responsibility and opportunity that we and continued failure must have played little interest in putting that much
have. Millionaires, billionaires, and out over a dozen times in Afghanistan money in Afghanistan when they can’t
corporations are doing better than ever between our arrival there and the be- afford groceries or college for their
before in this country. Regular people ginning of the Biden administration, kids or their monthly rent. The
are hurting. They want a government and the Taliban took full advantage. Taliban are bad guys, but so are the
that is responsive to that. We need to Now, President Trump made a little- leaders who rule Turkmenistan or
address the huge costs people are hav- noticed decision to stop publicizing the Equatorial Guinea or Kazakhstan or
ing to pay today. We need to cut taxes estimates of how much territory the North Korea, amongst others. But we
for regular people. We need to create Taliban controlled in Afghanistan, no can’t afford, as a country, to invade
jobs, solve the climate crisis, and ask doubt because the news, especially in and displace every brutal regime in the
those who are doing very well, the top the last 5 years, got worse and worse. world.
0.1 percent, to pay their fair share. Yes, the Taliban is moving quickly to- Now, what my constituents do care
AFGHANISTAN ward regional capitals right now, but about is preventing another attack on
Mr. President, as the Taliban con- they have been gaining territory for American soil, which is why thousands
tinues this rapid advance into territory nearly a decade. That trend is just ac- of our brave men and women in uni-
that had been controlled by the Kabul- celerating now. form made the ultimate sacrifice fight-
based Afghan Government, there is One repeating mistake was our belief ing in Afghanistan. That is why we
going to be a lot of hand-wringing in that we could create the Afghan Na- went there in the first place. So if
Washington, especially amongst those tional Army from our own mold. Now, spending trillions to fight the Taliban
who cheered our open-ended occupation our country’s sense of nationalist pa- was vitally necessary to this project,
of Afghanistan for the last 20 years. triotism, which inspires Americans to then the American public would prob-
Those who opposed President Biden’s put their lives on the line for the flag ably back the investment, but right
plan to leave are going to engage in a and what it represents, does not have a now it isn’t necessary.
battery of ‘‘I told you so’s’’ and blame corollary in Afghanistan. But we didn’t U.S. officials believe al-Qaida in Af-
the President for the Taliban’s march get that. ghanistan is no longer capable of car-
on Kabul. We had no sense of how competing rying out attacks against the United
But the Taliban’s surge isn’t a reason tribal and ethnic affiliations made cre- States. We are talking about 200 to 400
for the United States to reverse course ating this common military purpose al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan today.
and put massive troop presence back difficult. And each time our military Now, this is likely because the Taliban
into the country. leaders and our on-the-ground trainers is seeking a less contentious relation-
No. The Taliban surge is actually a started to learn about these local nu- ship with the United States and, there-
reason to stick to the withdrawal plan, ances and started adapting their meth- fore, has promised to deny al-Qaida a
because the complete, utter failure of ods, they were sent home because their safe haven.
the Afghan National Army, absent our deployment was done, and a new de- Now, I get it. Assurances from the
hand-holding, to defend their country ployment of Americans arrived to start Taliban are of very limited value, but
is a blistering indictment of a failed 20- from scratch and start making the our intelligence collection on al-Qaida
year strategy predicated on the belief same mistakes again. Our military is good enough to be able to monitor
that billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars leaders are incredibly capable, but we the Taliban’s compliance and adjust
could create an effective, democratic gave them an impossible task. accordingly.
central government in a nation that Our presence in Afghanistan also cre- Now, I understand how difficult it is
has never had one and a Western-mod- ated a deadly feedback loop where to watch the Afghan National Army
eled army structure populated by Taliban and terrorist recruiters easily refuse to defend its territory, to watch
troops who are willing to die to pre- and eagerly scooped up trainees champ- the Taliban move so quickly into pro-
serve a government. ing at the bit to fight the Americans. vincial capitals. I understand how infu-
Staying 1 more year in Afghanistan For instance, research suggests that in riating it must be for families who lost
means we stay forever because, if 20 the northwest of Pakistan, where the loved ones in Afghanistan to see these
years of laborious training and equip- Taliban and allied groups organized, gains be eliminated so quickly.
ping of the Afghan security forces had our drone attacks actually led to in- But let’s understand, finally, what
this little impact on their ability to creased, not decreased, numbers of would have happened if President
fight, then another 50 years wouldn’t Taliban fighters. Bombs falling from Biden had chosen to keep 2,500 troops
change anything. pilotless flying machines more often in Afghanistan. Twenty-five hundred
If we choose to keep spending tril- killed innocent civilians instead of troops is not a sufficient number to
lions of dollars in Afghanistan until enemy combatants, and this simply repel this offensive. Our military lead-
that nation is a fully functioning de- caused more anger against the United ers have been crystal clear that a min-
mocracy and their security forces can, States and our Afghan Government al- imum of 8,500 troops are required to
by themselves, repel extremist attacks, lies and more interest in locals to join provide any modicum of support nec-
then we are never ever leaving. the fight against us. essary to keep the Taliban’s gains to a
Now, I went to Afghanistan four Now, as the Taliban begins to quick- crawl.
times in 6 years, from 2007 to 2013. And en the pace of their assault on Afghan That is how many troops were there
each time, what struck me most was forces, hawks in the United States are at the beginning of Trump’s term, but
the heroism, the patriotism, the capa- going to lead the charge for Biden to as part of his agreement with the
bility of our soldiers. Too many of reverse course and continue these Taliban, he drew down the numbers to
them never came home. Too many oth- failed policies of the last 20 years. But 2,500, a force size completely inad-
ers came home with injuries that to what end? equate to stop any Taliban advance.
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
changed their lives. Many of them were If the Afghan National Army was so And the only reason why those 2,500
from my home State. willing to stand aside after 20 years of soldiers didn’t get overrun by the
But also, each time I went to Afghan- U.S. investment, why would anything Taliban is because, as part of the
istan, I also met with a new, impres- change if we stuck around longer? Trump-Taliban agreement, the Taliban
sive American general who had just re- Of course, the answer is nothing promised to hold off on attacks until
cently arrived in country for his short would change. I know that that is hard the United States had withdrawn.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6099
So if President Biden decided to keep The report says our responsibility is vailing wages, and just recruiting and
our open-ended mission to support the unequivocal. The effects of the climate hiring practices.
Afghan military against the Taliban, crisis are unprecedented, and we have And in this legislation that responds
he would have had to surge troop levels an undeniable need to act. From in- to the code red climate threat, we will
back to 8,500. Every single troop in Af- creasing intensity and frequency of ex- have the tax breaks. The oil, gas, and
ghanistan costs over $1 million a year. treme heat to catastrophic precipita- coal industry, for a hundred years,
Now, never mind the complete unwill- tion and devastating droughts, no com- have had their control over tax breaks
ingness of the American public to sup- munity will be able to hide from the coming out of this Congress. Well, in
port yet another Afghanistan troop most dire impacts of our human-driven this bill, we are going to have the tax
surge; the cost of this escalation would climate crisis. breaks for wind and for solar and for
have just been indefensible. This report must be the final warning all-electric vehicles and for battery
The Afghan military, on paper, is far that we must respond. And right now storage technologies. We are going to
superior a fighting force to the we are preparing, as Senate Democrats, have the tax breaks for the solution to
Taliban. The Afghan National Army a budget resolution that will be our the climate crisis.
has approximately three times the best opportunity to respond to the code This is the moment. This is what the
number of soldiers. The Afghan Na- red warning we have received today world is waiting to see from our coun-
tional Army has an air force. The from the United Nations, from the cli- try. If we are going to lead, we cannot
Taliban doesn’t. The Afghan National mate experts of the planet. preach temperance from a barstool. We
Army’s equipment and weapons— That is our challenge, but we are have to step up and do the right thing
thanks to the United States—are much going to have resistance. We have to and create the innovation economy
more sophisticated and deadly. The basically sweep away this rising tide of that will save our country and save the
United States trains that force. We pay cynicism that we hear from climate world.
their salaries. We support them. deniers, from the fossil fuel industry, And we can kick start a clean energy
But despite this advantage, despite 20 and from too many Republicans. revolution. And, not only that, we can
years and trillions of dollars of invest- Senate Democrats are ready to forge ensure that we have a revolution that
ment, they are losing to the ragtag ahead. This budget resolution is our is made in America—jobs here, union
Taliban badly. This isn’t a reason for opportunity to prevent the most jobs here, good-paying jobs here, in the
the United States to reescalate. This is alarming consequences of the climate United States.
evidence of the wisdom and courage of crisis and equip ourselves to survive We are going to have a domestic
President Biden’s decision to withdraw. the climate impacts we cannot avoid. manufacturing revolution that we have
Our counterterrorism mission in Af- With policies to drive deep cuts in not seen in a generation, and we are
ghanistan is going to remain, but we emissions, protect communities, pro- going to do it in the green budget reso-
should refuse, as a nation, to remain in vide equity and justice to overburdened lution that we are going to bring out
forever wars that don’t make our Na- communities, we can respond to over- onto the floor of the Senate in the next
tion safer. 2 days.
whelming evidence and take the nec-
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. essary action to save our people and The answer to our clean future is
SMITH). The Senator from Massachu- our planet. blowing in the wind. This is a once-in-
setts. We have received the final warning. a-generation opportunity to save our
BUDGET RECONCILIATION
We now have the best opportunity any people and our planet by going bigger
Congress has ever had to respond. That and bolder than ever before.
Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I
legislation will be on the floor of the Senate Democrats are going to de-
rise to speak about the $3.5 trillion
Senate in the next 2 days. liver real results for Americans: for our
budget resolution that will cut costs
As chair of the Clean Air, Climate, seniors, our children, our families, our
for American families, provide our sen-
and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee of working people across our country.
iors with comprehensive healthcare,
the Environment and Public Works As Massachusetts’ own Ralph Waldo
and finally take the much-needed and
Committee, I am ready to get to work Emerson said, ‘‘the first wealth is
long-overdue action to protect our-
and turn this budget resolution into health.’’ And this budget makes sure
selves, our future, and our existence
legislative action. This vital invest- Americans’ healthcare and futures are
from the climate crisis.
Our urgency in action must be as ment will build on what we have al- a priority second to none.
fierce as the crisis on our shores, in our ready done, adding on climate, equity, Under our budget resolution, every
cities, and in our States across Amer- and even more good-paying union jobs. child—regardless of their ZIP Code—
ica. The climate deniers are out of ex- We can save all of creation by engag- will have the opportunity attend pre-K.
cuses, and we are out of time. ing in massive union job creation. Every teen will be able to reimagine
The United Nations Intergovern- We can fund a clean-energy accel- their future with the ability to enroll
mental Panel on Climate Change erator that uses innovative, flexible fi- tuition-free in community colleges
issued its sixth assessment report. The nancing to lower our emissions and across our country.
new warning from the U.N., from the create jobs with public dollars that can And I will be fighting to provide crit-
IPCC, is actually code red. They are deploy and leverage private invest- ical broadband connectivity support to
saying that the planet is in great dan- ment. This accelerator will unleash ensure educational success for all stu-
ger, that our country is in great danger clean energy generation, energy-effi- dents at home, especially poor chil-
if we do not respond to the climate cri- cient retrofits, and opportunities in dren, Black, Brown, immigrant chil-
sis. And now the challenge for this Sen- communities across our country. dren in our country.
ate, for this country, is whether or not We can fund environmental justice And thanks to this budget, Medicare
we are going to respond. And we are. mapping efforts to understand the bur- will now cover essentials like hearing
The code red warning from the dens of affected communities and di- aids, eyeglasses, and dental care for
United Nations is going to have a code rect our investments and our programs our seniors for the first time ever—cov-
green response from the U.S. Senate in accordingly. We can provide the fund- ered by Medicare. Millions of women
the $3.5 trillion package. ing and support to monitor and to ad- will be brought into the workforce
We will invest in the technologies dress the dangers of extreme heat, when we provide accessible and afford-
that will make it possible for us to re- toxic chemicals, and polluted air. able childcare for American families.
spond to this dire warning from the We can create a civilian Climate And we will expand the child tax credit
United Nations, a warning that reaf- Corps and put millions of people to and make the child and dependent care
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firms what we are seeing and suffering work on projects to protect our com- tax credit permanent in our country—
right now across our country: Climate munities from climate impacts, sup- permanent tax relief for every family
change is going to continue to cost us port local projects, and get trained and with a child in our country.
lives and livelihoods if we don’t re- get to work in building our clean en- And we will do all of this by paying
spond with the scope and the scale that ergy economy. We must ensure that for all of these investments, unlike Re-
this moment demands. these jobs have high standards, pre- publicans who put tax cuts for the
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S6100 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
wealthy on the American taxpayers’ and the lack of family leave that is the fastest growing threats to our na-
dime. We will do this without any paid. tional security—cyberattacks from for-
American making under $400,000 paying This budget will create good-paying eign adversaries and criminal organiza-
a single cent more in taxes and asking, American jobs by incentivizing the de- tions. We must secure critical infra-
instead, for the ultrawealthy and the velopment of new clean power sources structure, support State and local gov-
big corporations—including Big Oil and that simply cannot be outsourced. We ernments in their efforts to increase
Big Gas—to pay more of their fair will finally confront the very serious cyber security, and overhaul outdated
share, like workers and small busi- and very real threat posed to our eco- and insecure Federal networks.
nesses have always done in our coun- nomic and national security by climate Over the past year, we have seen
try. change. time and time again how vulnerable in-
These are the investments that will As chairman of the Homeland Secu- formation networks can be. Attacks on
restack the deck in our country, level rity and Governmental Affairs Com- everything from K–12 schools and small
the playing field, and set in motion a mittee, I am working to ensure that businesses to major oil pipelines and
more just future where every child and the budget resolution makes critical Agencies across the Federal Govern-
every family has the opportunity to payments to electrify the Federal Gov- ment have played out on the front page
achieve the American dream. ernment’s vehicle fleet, including the of newspapers across our country.
The second train is finally about to U.S. Postal Service’s delivery vehicles. Whether we are talking about our crit-
pull into the station. Progressive Not only will this set us on a path to a ical infrastructure or our Federal Gov-
champions in the House of Representa- more sustainable future; it helps grow ernment, we simply cannot wait any
tives are doing an incredible job hold- America’s domestic manufacturing sec- longer to fix these serious problems.
ing the line to ensure that this resolu- tor. Thanks to these investments, Targeted investments in new infor-
tion is passed alongside the bipartisan American workers and companies will mation technology will not only im-
infrastructure bill. have greater opportunity to build and prove our cybersecurity defenses but
But as we recover from the multiple assemble the battery cells, electric will also help increase efficiency, re-
crises we face, we cannot accept to re- drive trains, and other auto parts right duce energy consumption, and save
turn to the status quo—a status quo here in the United States. taxpayer dollars.
that has left too many people behind in In addition to creating great jobs, we Cybersecurity investments will help
our country. will strengthen our domestic supply defend our information networks
Over the last several months, we chains, reduce our dependence on for- against further intrusions and
have worked tirelessly to deliver for eign producers, and lead the world in breaches, protect our national secu-
Americans COVID relief, an expanded advancing clean electric vehicle tech- rity, prevent Americans’ personal in-
child tax credit, $7 billion for nologies. formation from being stolen, and help
broadband access, support for students This is especially an important in- reduce attacks that could threaten our
and families, and much more. vestment at a time when we are seeing very way of life.
These are just a few of the critical
Now we need to pass this $3.5 trillion the effects of climate change ravage
down payments we will be making with
package and not a cent less to push for- communities all across our country.
the Build Back Better budget. Now is
ward and create a more just and livable From devastating wildfires out West to
the time to take on some of the biggest
future for every person in our country. severe flooding in Michigan and across
challenges that are facing American
That is what this moment demands. the Midwest, to destructive hurricanes
families. Whether it is working to
And I look forward to working with along the gulf and east coast, we sim-
lower costs, improving access to
all of my colleagues on this budget res- ply cannot wait any longer to address
healthcare, or ensuring our commu-
olution this week and taking the first the impacts of climate change.
nities can weather the next major
steps to ensure this future is guaran- Just today, the United Nations cli-
storm or major cyberattack, the Build
teed for every child and family across mate panel released a landmark report
Back Better budget will help ensure
our country. on climate change, calling it a ‘‘code
that we are securing the future that we
We can do it for families. We can do red’’ situation for the survival of our
want for future generations of Ameri-
it for our planet. That is what our planet.
This budget will help limit further cans.
agenda has to be for the remainder of
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
this week. And I think if we respond, harmful pollution from greenhouse The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
we will have become one of the great- gases and fossil fuels that are contrib- clerk will call the roll.
est Congresses that has ever served in uting to this worldwide crisis by mak- The legislative clerk proceeded to
the history of our country. ing important down payments on clean call the roll.
I yield back to you. energy. Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- While we invest in transformative ask unanimous consent that the order
ator from Michigan. technology to help secure our future, for the quorum call be rescinded.
Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I we also need to deal with the natural The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
rise today to highlight the incredible disasters that communities are facing objection, it is so ordered.
opportunity before us to build on the right now. We must protect American Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I
strong foundation laid in the bipar- families and businesses from the con- am here on the floor today to talk
tisan Infrastructure Investment and sequences of increasingly severe about climate chaos. It is a monu-
Jobs Act through the Build Back Bet- storms, floods, and fires by making im- mental crisis that requires immediate
ter budget. portant investments in disaster mitiga- and bold action.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill tion efforts. The reason I am speaking about cli-
will make historic investments that We must help communities reduce mate chaos at this moment is because
will help create good-paying American the impact of severe disasters by ad- several things are happening today
jobs, upgrade our roads and our dressing rising water levels, improving that create this connection. The one is
bridges, improve access to high-speed flood prevention and storm water man- that the IPCC, the International Panel
internet, and so much more. agement efforts, and strengthening on Climate Change, has released its
With the Build Back Better budget, wildfire mitigation efforts. These cli- 2021 climate report, and the second is,
we have the opportunity to go beyond mate-change driven threats are de- we are in the middle of talking about
these initial, long overdue investments stroying homes, small businesses, and infrastructure for our Nation, and the
and take strong action to help secure communities in every corner of the investments in climate infrastructure
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
our future for generations to come. United States, and this budget will en- are going to be critical to take on the
This budget will provide crucial tax sure that we take swift action and bet- crisis that we are facing.
cuts to hard-working American fami- ter secure our future and limit further We are in pretty big trouble. This re-
lies and tackle some of the toughest destruction. port that came out today—‘‘5 Big Find-
challenges they are facing, like the Finally, this budget will also make ings from the IPCC’s 2021 Climate Re-
cost of childcare, prescription drugs, historic investments to tackle one of port’’—it lays out how dramatically
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6101
things have shifted in just a few years. impact on rural Oregon and rural Now, clearly, as the planet gets hot-
It notes that the concentration of car- America because it is affecting our ter and it is affecting our forests and
bon dioxide is now higher than it has farming. It is affecting our fishing, and our farming and our fishing—forest
been for 2 million years, and we have it is affecting our forests. fires that are destroying towns, more
made that happen over just the last 100 So we are engaged here in a two-part powerful hurricanes affecting the sea-
or so years but particularly the last 30; plan. The first plan is an infrastructure shore, more intrusion of saltwater into
that the glacial retreat is unmatched bill that address water, transportation, freshwater supplies—cities are having
for the last 2,000 years; that the last and broadband. Well, all well and good, to basically start to build dikes around
decade was warmer than any period for but if part one sails away from the themselves in order to keep the sea-
125,000 years; that the summer Arctic dock and leaves part two stranded, water out.
ice coverage is smaller than at any what is left behind? Housing, massive I heard one Member of the Senate
time in the last 1,000 years; that the investment; education, a massive in- say: You know, here is the thing. We
ocean is warming faster than at any vestment in 2 years of preschool and 2 shouldn’t do anything about this be-
time since the last ice age; and that years of community college. Founda- cause the investments required to take
ocean acidification is at the highest tions for thriving families are left be- on climate change will be disruptive.
level in the last 26,000 years. hind, the support for daycare for work- Well, I will tell you what is disrup-
These things would not have been ing families; and the child tax credit, tive. Forest fires are disruptive. The
true a few years ago, and it is because which is lifting half of the children in loss of the snowpack for our winter
of the massive buildup in carbon diox- poverty out of poverty in America—the sports and our irrigation water and our
ide from our burning of fossil fuels to most massive tax cut ever envisioned healthy streams, that is disruptive.
power our energy economy, and it is for middle-class America. Sea life being damaged by ocean acidi-
from the massive release of methane What other thing is left on the dock? fication, that is disruptive to our econ-
gas because of our use of natural gas, The investment in climate; the transi- omy. Forests with pine beetles thriving
which is a very nice name for what is tion from burning fossil fuel, the fossil and trees dying, that is disruptive to
mostly methane gas. We collect meth- fuel economy, to the renewable energy our forestry. Lack of rain, such that
ane gas, and we have accelerated that economy. the groundwater is not recharged, is
through fracking. A tremendous We cannot let part one sail away of disruptive to our irrigation for our
amount leaks out through that drilling the infrastructure bill without doing ranchers and our farmers.
and fracking system. A tremendous part two, and the report from the IPCC What is disruptive is doing nothing,
amount more leaks out through the today emphasizes how absolutely im- and the damage will far exceed the cost
millions of miles of pipes that carry it portant it is that we act and we act of taking an honest effort to transition
to its destinations, and then when we quickly to renewable energy.
boldly. That report said it is unequivo-
burn it, it creates carbon dioxide, also Failing to act means failing our fu-
cal that human influence has warmed
a global warming gas. ture generations. We cannot allow that
So we don’t need to really get this re- the atmosphere, the ocean, and the
land. The report, crafted by 200 global to happen. So that is why I am so
port to know we are in trouble because
scientists, concludes, as one of the re- pleased that on the same day that the
we just have to look at the facts on the
port’s coauthors summarizes: IPCC released their report, we also saw
ground from our home States right
There is no uncertainty language in this the budget resolution released.
now. I mean, Oregon is aflame. We have
sentence because there is no uncertainty Now, the budget resolution is the sec-
so many fires burning simultaneously,
that global warming is caused by human ac- ond half of the package, the part that
and the largest fire is over 400,000 tivity and the burning of fossil fuels. addresses families, that addresses for-
acres—400,000 acres. Think how long it
The report goes on to say that we are ests, that addresses housing, that ad-
would take, if you were on a hike, to
now on an irreversible course towards a dresses children, and, yes, addresses
pass through 400,000 acres.
You know, a few years ago, we had a hotter planet; that if we do the sever- climate. So there is hope.
group of homes that were burned out in est cuts in carbon emissions right now, And what does it do? Well, it funds
John Day, OR, some 24 or so homes, the severest cuts, we are still going to the Civilian Conservation Corps to put
and we thought that was a big deal. see temperatures rise 11⁄2 degrees Cel- Americans to work in good-paying jobs
Then last summer, we had six towns sius or about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. to help conserve our Nation’s public
burn to the ground, completely inciner- That was the goal of the Paris Agree- lands and waters and bolster commu-
ated. Now we have these massive, mas- ment. We would have to massively cut nity resilience and to advance environ-
sive fires, as do Idaho and Montana and our carbon emissions and our methane mental justice.
Washington State and California State emissions right now to meet the Paris It establishes the Energy Efficiency
and Colorado and Utah and New Mex- target. and Clean Electricity Standard that
ico, Arizona. The West is aflame be- The report goes on to say that ex- my colleague from Minnesota, who is
cause the temperatures are so much treme weather events, which were rare presiding over the Senate right now,
higher. or completely unprecedented, will now has been so instrumental in laying out
What else is happening in Oregon? be common and more common as we for the Senate to act on. That clean
Well, our snowpack is disappearing; av- approach the new normal or it becomes electricity standard will have an enor-
erage snowpack is decreasing. It is af- a new normal because of climate mous impact because to escape the fos-
fecting the amount of irrigation water change. sil fuel energy economy, we have to
we have. It is affecting the fact that I think the U.N. Secretary General, electrify everything on the production
our streams are now smaller and warm- Antonio Guterres, summed it up when end. We take the power off the grid,
er than they were before, affecting our he said this report is ‘‘a code red for but we have to put renewable energy
trout and our salmon, and the ocean is humanity’’—‘‘a code red for human- onto the grid. So it is the key. It is the
acidifying. Now we have some 30 per- ity.’’ So that is why all 100 of us here centerpiece—the centerpiece—of how
cent more acid in the ocean. It affected in the Senate should be on the floor we act.
first the reproduction of our oysters, so discussing how to respond to a code red And there are a lot of subsidies, yes,
now we artificially buffer the water for for humanity. for things like electric buses and also
our oyster scene to survive, baby oys- Wow, we have a lot of work to do, but for electric vehicles. And I think it is
ters to survive. Now it is starting to af- that first part of the package has noth- so exciting that we now are going to
fect the Dungeness crab, one of the ing in it or almost nothing in it—a lit- have an F–150 electric. And the F–150
most significant financial enterprises tle bit of money for charging stations, electric goes from zero to 60 miles per
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
in terms of sea life production in a a little bit of money for electric buses, hour in 4.4 seconds. Try that with your
commercial sense off the coast of Or- a little bit of money for improving the fossil fuel car, my friend, because you
egon. So we are seeing impacts in every electric grid, but nothing like the mas- will fail. But you get the new Ford F–
possible way. sive investment that is required to re- 150, and it will press you back in the
I know that as I travel rural Oregon, spond to a code red, a code red for the seat like you have never experienced as
people emphasize that this is a huge planet. you take off, and you can still do your
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S6102 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 9, 2021
industrial work with your pickup. And wise investment in America’s future body and the American people need to
there is a Ford Mustang coming on, and in our long-term competitiveness. listen carefully to what is expected to
electric, and that is going to be a hot But that is not what we are being be in this second part of the plan and
item, an exciting item as well. And so asked to vote on here. Rather, we have try not to let your jaw hit the floor in
it is kind of neat that what is good for a package with some infrastructure the process.
the environment is also going to be that is good for our economy. Yet it is Just listen to what Democrats are
good for all of us to have a good time riddled with Big Government and mas- promising to stuff into this reconcili-
driving. sive deficit spending, over a quarter of ation bill. It will enable the Green New
So all of these pieces that are in the a trillion dollars in the hole. Deal. It will crush the American fossil
second half—the second half of the in- And we want to rush through this as fuel industry—never mind the fact that
frastructure package—that has to get quickly as possible? the industry is continuing to become
done, and it should be absolutely bipar- There is a right way and a wrong way ever more industry clean on its own.
tisan because these investments in to pursue noble goals. And let’s be This will cost millions of American
families are desired by Democratic clear. The Democrat leadership has jobs. It will sacrifice the energy inde-
families and Republican families and tied this infrastructure bill to their ef- pendence we have already achieved,
Independent families. These invest- fort to use their 50-vote reconciliation and it will make us more dependent on
ments in housing—affordable housing process to fundamentally move Amer- foreign adversaries. Ultimately, Demo-
in our country—are needed by Repub- ica toward Western Europe-style so- crats would rather placate the far left’s
lican and Democratic and Independent cialism, which as anyone can see near-religious fervor for government-
families. today, brings with it limited oppor- subsidized electric cars and windmills,
And you know what? It is going to be tunity, less innovation, crushing taxes, even if it means hollowing out Amer-
completely paid for—completely paid a bloated government bureaucracy, and ican communities that provide our en-
for by having the megarich pay their cradle-to-grave government depend- ergy independence today.
fair share. And as you all know from ency. And they will jeopardize our national
all the reports, they have been jumping Right on cue, Democrats have intro- security in the process. It is a great
and diving and ducking their taxes, duced a $3.5 trillion part of the plan deal for the green energy lobby which
many of them paying zero. Billionaires this morning, and the Democrat leader supports Democrat politicians, but it is
who are putting themselves into space promised that the Senate will turn to a terrible deal for our Nation and for
on a joy ride pay zero in taxes. Billion- it just as soon as this bill is passed. our national security.
I wish this wasn’t the case. And all it It will drastically increase taxes on
aires are using tons of the products of
would take for it not to be the case is job creators, which will cost untold
what we paid for of our road infrastruc-
for just one of my Democrat colleagues number of jobs and reduce wages. Get
ture and our water infrastructure and
ready to see more jobs shipped out of
our education infrastructure. They are to say that they won’t support the $3.5
the United States and into the wel-
employing all kinds of folks who are billion part of this plan.
I am still hopeful, but I remain con- coming arms of China. Don’t worry,
funded by Pell grants to get through though, Democrats are proposing to
college, paying zero—zero—in taxes. cerned, given the statements by Demo-
create a Civilian Climate Corps that
Why are the billionaires paying less crats just like my colleague, who just
will hire some of the people who lose
than you and me? Why are they paying spoke a minute ago, from Oregon.
President Biden and Speaker PELOSI their jobs. To do what? Proselytize on
less than the clerk at the grocery store
have been clear that this bipartisan the virtues of clean energy?
or the person bagging your groceries? It will impose one of the largest ever
Why are they paying less than the sec- deal on infrastructure won’t become
tax increases on American capital, re-
retaries? Why are they paying less in law unless all of the socialist Big Gov-
sulting in America having one of the
taxes, the billionaires? Good question. ernment items that got excluded from highest tax rates on investment and
It shouldn’t be the case. So the re- the so-called track 1 of the first deal capital in the industrialized world.
sponsible thing is to pay for the pack- are later tacked on to it in track 2 of Capital investment creates new jobs
age with tax fairness for all Americans, their plan. The Democrat leader is say- and innovation, and this will crush
everyone doing their fair share, includ- ing this quite clearly, using the con- that process in America.
ing our companies, some of which have sistent refrain of a two-track plan. It will expand the death tax that
posted tremendous, astronomical prof- They are doing this because the far Americans must pay on savings and
its while paying absolutely zero in left has pushed the Democrats over the property of their loved ones that pass
taxes. edge. Whether the subject is court away. It will make it much harder for
If we turn the clock back to Henry packing, election takeovers, or govern- small businesses and farms to be passed
David Thoreau, who said many inter- ment dependency, it is clear that the on to the next generation.
esting things in his book, ‘‘On Walden far left is calling the shots in the It will move America closer to a Eu-
Pond,’’ and one of the things he said is, Democratic Party today. ropean socialist model for healthcare,
‘‘What is the use of a house if you Sadly, Democrats view this infra- with less choice, longer wait times, and
haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it structure bill as an important tool to less quality. If we have learned any-
on?’’ advance the far left’s agenda. Demo- thing during the coronavirus pandemic,
Well, his question was kind of look- crat leaders have promised to link it to it is that we have the greatest
ing toward the future that we are now trillions of dollars more in government healthcare system and healthcare
in, where the ravages of a heated plan- taxing, spending, and dependency pro- workers in the world. The last thing we
et are destroying our forests, our fish- grams that this body will take up later need to do is try to make our
ing, and our farming, undermining the this week. This smoke-and-mirrors healthcare system weaker.
foundations of our rural economy, cre- charade is the kind of thing that It will nullify the State right-to-
ating storms that assault our shores, makes Americans shake their heads. work laws and ensure American work-
creating fires that burn down houses I have negotiated deals my whole ca- ers don’t have a choice but to submit
and towns as well as trees. reer, and often what is negotiated out to union bosses. It is impossible to say
It is time for us to act, and to act of a deal is just as important as what is how many good-paying jobs this will
boldly, because we are under a red alert in it. There is not a deal if, at the last cost States like Tennessee, States that
for the planet and we need to act. minute, the other side uses a side deal have experienced enormous growth and
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- or a different program to put every- prosperity in recent decades by passing
ator from Tennessee. thing in it that you never wanted. That laws that put workers first by allowing
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BUDGET RESOLUTION is why, when we consider this infra- them to choose whether or not they
Mr. HAGERTY. Madam President, as structure bill, we must also look to the want to join a union. But union dues
I said earlier in this debate, I agree multitrillion-dollar, tax-and-spend are used to fund Democrat political
that working to shore up our hard in- path to socialism that the Democrat campaigns. So rather than make
frastructure is a worthy cause. Invest- leaders have promised will be part of unions earn the support of workers,
ing in infrastructure the right way is a the total package. So Members of this Democrats want to mandate it.
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August 9, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6103
At a time when American small busi- grandchildren with even more debt. structure bill to a plan that will dra-
nesses are desperately looking for em- Sadly, this isn’t a pig-in-a-python mo- matically weaken America and reduce
ployees, this legislation will provide ment, and the harmful effects of this opportunity and prosperity for our peo-
even more incentives for American spending spree will last for genera- ple, I will be casting a ‘‘no’’ vote and
workers not to work. Small businesses tions. urge my colleagues to do the same.
and American consumers will suffer as America is nearly $30 trillion in I yield the floor.
a result. debt—$30 trillion. Thirty trillion is sig- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
It will provide more handouts to nificantly more than the total value of jority leader.
teachers unions who have refused to what our economy produces annually. Mr. SCHUMER. Well, it has taken
open schools in much of the country As Democrats impose policies that will quite a while. There have been a lot of
for the last year and a half. Teachers limit economic growth and produc- bumps in the road. But in a few min-
unions provide a great windfall benefit tivity, our ability to pay our debts will utes, I will announce that we have
to Democrat political campaigns. become much more difficult. As the come to an agreement for final passage
It will provide more handouts to debt payments we owe continue to in- of the bipartisan infrastructure pro-
green unions and green energy inter- crease and become a larger and larger posal.
ests, which conveniently fund the cam- share of the Federal revenue pie, we Let me say this: It has taken quite a
paigns of Democrat politicians. are going to leave our children with long time, and there have been detours
Are you noticing a trend yet? some really tough choices. and everything else, but this will do a
In addition to taking more American So while I support hard infrastruc- whole lot of good for America, and the
taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, it will ture and working to find a right way to Senate can be proud it has passed this.
be debt-financed and not paid for, at invest in it, joining it at the hip with As we move forward, we are pro-
least not by our generation. It may be a vision for America as a socialist uto- ceeding on both tracks, the track of
convenient for today’s politicians, but pia isn’t it. The stakes are too high, the bipartisan infrastructure proposal
our children and grandchildren will be and it is time to get serious about the and the track of the budget resolution
left footing the bill. It will be so large path we are heading down. We must with reconciliation instructions. On
that it will likely be beyond the capac- think beyond today and our short-term our side of the aisle, we know we need
ity of Congress to even oversee it to interests. We need to stop endangering both tracks—one dealing with tradi-
prevent the waste, fraud, and abuse our children’s and our grandchildren’s tional infrastructure and one dealing
that are sure to come. future while we still can, by getting with climate and the problems Amer-
We should all be deeply concerned. our spending under control and devel- ican families face as they move into
Ultimately, this package is designed oping a plan for paying down our debt, the new, global, transformational 21st
to create a permanent state of govern- not by making it far worse. century.
ment dependency and reliance for ev- This multitrillion-dollar path to so- So this is a very good day. We have
erything from jobs to your choice of cialism threatens the future of our come to an agreement after all the
doctors, to fueling your car. That way, country. It not only threatens to leave long, hard negotiating, the stops and
you will have to turn to the institution our children with an unpayable debt, starts. We are here, and it is a good
Democrats have captured most: gov- but it also limits their ability to pay it thing—a very good thing—for America.
ernment and the unelected bureauc- off by smothering our economy with f
racy that controls virtually every- massive government bureaucracy that
thing. stifles the private-sector innovation EXECUTIVE SESSION
In the short term, this is a reckless, that has until now led the world. ---
multitrillion-dollar step toward social- America has always been a beacon of
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
ism—again, several trillion dollars. hope for the world because we are ex-
That is 13 digits, a number that many ceptional. We have provided more free- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
calculators don’t even have room for. dom, opportunity, and prosperity than ask unanimous consent that the Sen-
This step will likely add further fuel to any other nation. We have been proud ate proceed to executive session to con-
already rampant inflation. of this exceptionalism and have care- sider the following nominations en
As we know, inflation is a hidden tax fully safeguarded it through genera- bloc: Calendar Nos. 266, 269, 325, 343, 316,
on all Americans, cutting into our sav- tions. and 326; that the Senate vote on the
ings, decreasing real earnings, and The strength of America is our nominations en bloc without inter-
hurting our retirees most of all. unique system—our spirit, our work vening or action or debate; that the
Over the longer term, this path to so- ethic, our compassion, and the commu- motions to reconsider be considered
cialism will slow job creation and pro- nities we create. This multitrillion-dol- made and laid upon the table with no
ductivity. It will reduce wages. It will lar plan, which increases government intervening action or debate; that any
ship jobs overseas. It will harm small control and decreases freedom and op- statements related to the nominations
businesses and workers and freeze in- portunity, threatens the system at our be printed in the RECORD; and that the
vestment right here in America. It will core. President be immediately notified of
drastically increase taxes, and it will Our government exists to preserve the Senate’s action.
hobble innovative industries and tech- the freedoms that allow the American There being no objection, the Senate
nologies in which America was poised people and our communities to flour- proceeded to consider the nominations
to lead. And Green New Deal mandates ish, not to control the American peo- en bloc.
and regulations will crush industries ple. And the American people will The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
where we currently do lead, such as the flourish, if permitted to do so. In this question is, Will the Senate advise and
energy industry. sense, the only thing that can stop consent to the nominations of Samuel
With this massive expansion of ineffi- America is America’s government by T. Walsh, of New York, to be General
cient government, bureaucratic gov- limiting our own people’s opportunity Counsel of the Department of Energy;
ernment in our day-to-day lives will in- and our prosperity. Mara Elizabeth Karlin, of Wisconsin, to
crease. It is as if Democrats’ goal is to I am asking my colleagues to fight to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense;
emulate the totalitarian central plan- ensure that the America that we know Rena Bitter, of the District of Colum-
ners of the Chinese Communist Party. endures for our children. The ‘‘greatest bia, a Career Member of the Senior
Rather than competing against China generation’’ gave us the most just and Foreign Service, Class of Minister-
by creating a free market-driven envi- prosperous country in the history of Counselor, to be an Assistant Sec-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
ronment for innovation and job cre- the world, the country that won World retary of State (Consular Affairs);
ation, which, by the way, is how we War II and then the Cold War, and we Caral E. Spangler, of Virginia, to be an
won the Cold War, Democrats seem to must fight to preserve it, not throw it Assistant Secretary of the Army; Jen-
want to copy China’s model. away. nifer L. Homendy, of Virginia, to be
This tax-and-spend spree by Demo- Because the President and Demo- Chairman of the National Transpor-
crats will also burden our children and cratic leaders have bound this infra- tation Safety Board for a term of three
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