Government Funding (Cong. Rec., Sept. 23, 2021)
Summary
Page S6640 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for September 23, 2021, under the heading Government Funding, in interleaved columns. A speaker discusses an indictment by Special Counsel Durham that refers to an unnamed internet company and a university accessing data, and says Attorney General Garland agreed on July 13. Another speaker says the hand-wringing over spending more money to increase IRS enforcement and information reporting shows the serious issues involved in those proposals, under a heading on the Private Debt Collection Program. A further passage discusses an aging society and people with severe disabilities.
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“Government Funding (Cong. Rec., Sept. 23, 2021).”
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S6640 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 23, 2021
Now, amazingly, the indictment later tion. On July 13 of this year, Attorney upcoming days, expect to see him keep
says that the university accessed data General Garland said that he agrees. his word to me.
of an unnamed executive branch agen- Special Counsel Durham, let’s see All the handwringing over spending
cy through an unnamed internet com- what you have got, and we will be able more money to increase IRS enforce-
pany. That unnamed internet company to see it when the report comes out. ment and information reporting shows
possessed that data because it was a PRIVATE DEBT COLLECTION PROGRAM the serious issues involved in those
subcontract ‘‘in a sensitive relation- Mr. President, on one other matter, proposals.
ship between the U.S. government and shorter than I just had, news accounts The IRS Private Debt Collection Pro-
another company.’’ continue to mention plans to increase gram is proven to collect taxes already
Apparently, taxpayers unwittingly IRS enforcement funding and to impose owed, allows the IRS to hire more per-
assisted the false-information cam- onerous reporting requirements on sen- sonnel, and costs nothing up front.
paign used against Trump by the sitive banking information to the IRS. Anyone serious about closing the tax
Democrats. These proposals raise many concerns, gap should support and encourage the
I’d like to say that you can’t make particularly in light of questions re- full use of this program, the Private
this stuff up, but that is exactly what garding the ability of the IRS to pro- Debt Collection Program.
they did. A researcher that worked to tect taxpayers’ information. Even this I yield the floor.
falsely connect Trump to Alfa Bank year, we had a whole bunch of stuff go The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
said, ‘‘We cannot technically make any public of private taxpayer information ator from Vermont.
that, by so doing, violated the code to Mr. SANDERS. I would ask unani-
claims that would fly public scrutiny.’’
protect the privacy of taxpayers. mous consent that, at the end of my re-
They also discussed faking email ad-
However, I want to now discuss an marks, the scheduled vote take place.
dresses to try and beef up some bogus The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
false connection between Trump and existing IRS program that’s already
collecting hundreds of millions of dol- objection, it is so ordered.
Alfa Bank. Even the unnamed tech ex- GOVERNMENT FUNDING
ecutive essentially said the Alfa Bank lars in unpaid taxes and doing it annu-
ally. I am referring to the program Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, as
data was a ‘‘red herring.’’
called the Private Debt Collection Pro- chairman of the Senate Budget Com-
One email in the indictment even
gram that uses private contractors mittee, I want to say a few words about
says in part:
pursuing tax debts that the IRS would some of the important budgetary issues
The only thing that drives us at this point
otherwise not pursue. This program that Congress is now facing. I want to
is that we just do not like [Trump]. This will
not fly in the eyes of public scrutiny. Folks, was enacted as part of the infrastruc- focus on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation
I am afraid that we have tunnel vision. ture legislation signed into law 2015. bill, but before I do that, I want to
Each year since then, annual updates comment on the looming debt crisis
They recognized that what they were
on the program’s finances document that we face.
doing lacked any factual support, yet The Republican leader, MITCH
Sussmann, the Democrats, and the very well the growing success of this
program that is done by private debt MCCONNELL, this morning once again
Clinton campaign proceeded ahead reiterated that the Republican Party
anyway. collectors. As of the end of the fiscal
year 2020, the program had collected will not vote to lift the debt ceiling;
Even more than that, Christopher and in an extraordinarily irresponsible
Steele reportedly got his information nearly $1 billion in unpaid taxes. After
accounting for the program’s cost, it manner, Republicans have indicated
about Alfa Bank from Sussmann and that they will not pay the debts in-
included it in the Steele dossier. The has returned more than $678 million in
net revenue to the Treasury. Of that curred under the Trump administra-
indictment clearly shows the depth to tion.
which the Clinton campaign went to $678 million, more than $458 million
was from the fiscal year 2020 alone. In his statement, as he has done time
smear Trump—smear—with false evi- and time again, Senator MCCONNELL
Every year the program is allowed to
dence and plant it with the liberal implies that this debt ceiling has some-
function, it brings more and more
media, who then willingly ran with it— thing to do with future spending. It
money into the Treasury. At the same
and probably smiled as they ran with does not.
time, it generates resources the IRS
it. And here we are, years later, with a In his statement, as he has done time
uses to hire additional tax collection
country that has been almost torn and time again, Senator MCCONNELL
personnel. To date, the program has
apart because of the Democratic Par- enabled IRS to hire many new employ- implies that this debt ceiling has some-
ty’s fake evidence against Trump. ees. thing to do with future spending. It
Special Counsel Durham stated on The recent IRS update for the cur- does not. Like anyone who owns a cred-
December 9, 2019, in part, relating to rent fiscal year 2021 continues this it card, the payments that are made
the Justice Department inspector gen- trend. Through June, the Private Debt are for past spending—in this case,
eral’s report on Crossfire Hurricane, Collection Program has provided more spending incurred under the Trump ad-
‘‘last month we advised the Inspector than $700 million in net revenue to the ministration.
General that we do not agree with Treasury. In other words, in the first 9 Let us be clear. If the United States,
some of the report’s conclusions as to months of fiscal year 2021, the program the largest economy in the world, de-
the predication and how the FBI case has more than doubled the revenue it faults on its debt, it will plunge not
was opened.’’ has returned to the Treasury. The only our country but the entire global
Special Counsel Durham has had sev- longer this program is allowed to work, economy into what could become a se-
eral years to investigate and bring a the more successful it becomes. vere economic depression. That means
case forward. We have seen two in- The proposals being put forward by massive unemployment, higher inter-
stances where folks have been charged my colleagues across the aisle are est rates, severe reduction in govern-
with a crime, one already pleading based on the premise that by spending ment services, and possible cuts in
guilty. more money, the IRS will collect more such programs as Social Security and
One must not forget the Obama- money. The Private Debt Collection Medicare.
Biden Justice Department’s and the Program brings in money without The irresponsibility of the Repub-
FBI’s blatant misrepresentations to spending taxpayers’ money. lican leadership is not just something
the FISA court during the Crossfire Despite the obvious benefits of this that I worry about. According to press
Hurricane and other serious wrong- program, I am very concerned that the reports, former Republican Secretaries
doing, much of which was uncovered by IRS has suspended providing additional of Treasury Hank Paulson, who worked
Congress and the inspector general. cases to the program until the end of under George W. Bush, and Steven
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
On June 29 of this year, Senator September. Commissioner Rettig as- Mnuchin, who worked under Donald
JOHNSON and I asked Attorney General sured me in responses to written ques- Trump—Republican Secretaries of the
Garland if he agrees with then-Attor- tions that the additional cases would Treasury—both of them visited with
ney General Barr’s statement that any be provided on September 27. Senator MCCONNELL to make the case
Durham report be submitted in the I am going to hold Commissioner about the need to extend the debt ceil-
form that will permit public dissemina- Rettig to that statement and, in the ing. They understand, as I think all of
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September 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6641
us do, how important it is that the So what is in this bill? First, as a re- industry charges us the highest prices
United States of America does not de- sult of the extraordinarily successful in the world for prescription drugs, we
fault on its debt, and it is about time American Rescue Plan, which went a are going to demand that Medicare
that my Republican colleagues listen long way to pull this country out of the start negotiating prescription drugs
to them. severe economic decline that we expe- with the pharmaceutical industry.
Now, let me say a word about the $31⁄2 rienced as a result of the COVID pan- I know that Americans now have
trillion reconciliation bill. There has demic, as a result of the American Res- seen a lot of the ads—the completely
been a lot of talk lately about the need cue Plan, we cut childhood poverty in dishonest ads from the pharmaceutical
to compromise. Well, let me be clear. the United States of America by over industry, and let’s be clear. Over the
To a very significant degree, that has 50 percent, and for Black and Brown last 20 years, the pharmaceutical in-
already taken place. Of the 11 Demo- families, that cut was even higher. dustry has spent well over $4 billion on
cratic members of the Senate Budget Year after year, the United States lobbying and hundreds and hundreds of
Committee, 9 understood the need for a has the highest rate of childhood pov- millions more on campaign contribu-
$6 trillion bill, which would finally ad- erty of any major country on Earth. tions. Guess what. They own the U.S.
dress the unmet needs—the long-ig- We took a major step forward in cut- Congress. And that is why—when you
nored needs—of the working families of ting childhood poverty. Now it is clear walk into a pharmacy and you find
our country, as well as begin the proc- to me and I think to people all across that the price of your medicine has
ess of tackling the existential threat of this country that we must extend the doubled, it is because they can do any-
climate change. My guess is that at $300-a-month-per-child direct payment thing they want to do. They write the
least 40 out of the 50 Members of the that working-class and middle-class laws. They, right now, have 1,400 lobby-
Democratic caucus supported the $6 families now receive. ists running all over Capitol Hill, try-
trillion proposal. We compromised big Let me be very clear. If we do not ing to make sure that we do not lower
time. We cut that proposal—agreed to pass the reconciliation bill and not the cost of prescription drugs. And that
cut that proposal—almost in half, down continue those payments, we would is what this struggle is about.
to $31⁄2 trillion. That, to my mind, is a once again plunge the children of this These guys, year after year, make
major, major compromise. country, millions of them, back into outrageous profits. Their CEOs get ex-
As we go forward in this debate, let poverty, and that is morally unaccept- traordinary compensation benefits, and
me be as clear as I can be as to why able. they do that by charging us by far the
every penny of that $31⁄2 trillion is ab- Furthermore, in the United States of highest prices in the world for prescrip-
solutely needed, and let me also make America, every person should be out- tion drugs. Well, those days are coming
clear that this bill, despite some of the raged by the dysfunctionality of our
to an end if Members of the Congress
rhetoric coming from my Republican childcare system. I don’t think there is
finally have the guts to stand up to
colleagues, will not add—should not anybody who disagrees with that. We
add and will not add one nickel to the them.
have millions of people who cannot Now, I understand that the pharma-
deficit. find childcare. We have families in
It will be paid for. It will be paid for ceutical industry owns the Republican
Vermont and Maine paying 20, 30, 40 Party. I got that. And I understand
by finally demanding that some of the percent of their limited incomes for
wealthiest people in this country, who that there will not be one Republican
childcare, which is pretty crazy. We
in any given year—we are talking in the Senate who has the guts to stand
have childcare workers who are em-
about multibillionaires who in a given up for his or her constituents and lower
ployed at starvation wages. The system
year do not pay a nickel in Federal in- the cost of prescription drugs. Well,
is not working. It is broken. It is dys-
come tax or dozens of large, profitable there should not be any Democrat who
functional.
corporations that in a given year do It is not a radical idea to say that is in that position. There should be no
not pay a nickel in Federal income tax. every family in America, when mom Democrats who are not prepared to
Well, we are going to demand that goes to work and dad goes to work, stand up to the pharmaceutical indus-
these people start paying their fair should be entitled to high-quality and try.
share of taxes, and that is more than When we have Medicare negotiate
affordable childcare. There are a lot of
enough money to cover the $31⁄2 trillion studies out there that say that the best prescription drug prices, we can save
that is in this proposal. So anyone who investment we can make of Federal over $500 billion. One of the things we
suggests to you that this bill is not dollars is to our children, and that is are going to do with that $500 billion is
going to be paid for and that it is going why we have got to expand what we are do what the American people des-
to add to the deficit is simply not tell- doing in childcare. Under this legisla- perately want us to do, and that is to
ing the truth. It should and will be tion, no working family in this country expand Medicare to cover dental, vi-
fully paid for. will be paying more than 7 percent of sion, and hearing aids. This is the
Now, the media is very worried about their income for childcare. So if you United States. Elderly people should
process. When are we going to do this? are paying 20 percent now or you are not walk around without any teeth in
What about that person? What about paying 30 percent, we will reduce that their mouths. They should be able to
that Senator? But they have forgotten to no more than 7 percent. afford to go to a dentist. It is not a
to a large degree to talk about what is On top of that and of extraordinary very radical idea. Grandparents should
in the bill. I am not quite sure that the significance, we are going to make pre- be able to communicate with their
average American is staying up nights, K education for 3- and 4-year-olds uni- grandchildren because they have a
worrying about whether it is completed versal and free, and we are going to do, hearing aid that they need in their ears
on a Wednesday or a Friday or what bottom line, what almost every other that today they cannot afford. Older
this Senator thinks or what that Sen- industrialized country on Earth does people should be able to read their
ator thinks; they would like to know and understand that the most impor- daily newspaper because they can get a
what is in the bill. tant investment we can make is in our pair of glasses that works for them.
The reality is that for many, many children. The need to expand Medicare to cover
decades, while Congress has paid rapt By the way, importantly, when we do dental, hearing aids, and eyeglasses is
attention to the needs of the wealthy that, we are going to allow well over a absolutely critical. Nobody in the year
and large campaign contributors, it has million women to go back into the 2021 denies that oral health, hearing,
significantly ignored the needs of workforce because they no longer will and vision are essential parts of
working families, the middle-class, and have to stay home because of a lack of healthcare. Medicare is supposed to
low-income people. I think the reason affordable childcare. So if you are wor- cover the healthcare needs of seniors.
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
that many of my Republican colleagues ried about labor shortages all over this Well, oral health, hearing, and vision
are so upset about this legislation is country, you must support signifi- are parts of healthcare.
that we are changing the dynamic. We cantly expanding our childcare capa- Not surprisingly, out of all of the
are now beginning to pay attention to bilities. provisions in President Biden’s Build
the needs of working families and not Further, what is in this legislation Back Better plan, expanding Medicare
just the wealthy and the powerful. is, at a time when the pharmaceutical to provide dental, vision, and hearing
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S6642 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 23, 2021
aids is by far the most popular. Accord- ple would rather stay at home in many Mr. THUNE. The following Senators
ing to a June 30 Morning Consult poll, cases rather than be forced into nurs- are necessarily absent: the Senator
adding dental, vision, and hearing ben- ing homes. What our legislation will do from Wisconsin (Mr. JOHNSON), the
efits to Medicare is supported by 84 is to significantly improve home Senator from Louisiana (Mr. KENNEDY),
percent of the American people. It is healthcare in this country and make and the Senator from South Dakota
not often you get 84 percent of the sure that those people who provide (Mr. ROUNDS).
American people supporting anything. that important service, that difficult The result was announced—yeas 85,
And yet that includes 89 percent of service, are adequately compensated, nays 11, as follows:
Democrats, 79 percent of Republicans. because today they are not. We need [Rollcall Vote No. 377 Ex.]
This is what the American people more of those workers, and we need to YEAS—85
want, and this is what we must deliver pay them decent wages. Baldwin Hagerty Portman
for them. I am sadly aware that many of my Barrasso Hassan Reed
Bennet Heinrich Risch
Given that, it is just hard for me to Republican colleagues do not believe Blackburn Hickenlooper Romney
imagine that any Member of the House that climate change is real or, at the Blumenthal Hirono Rosen
or Senate would oppose this very pop- very least, don’t believe that we should Blunt Hoeven Sanders
ular and important provision. do anything about it. But they are dead Booker Hyde-Smith Sasse
Brown Inhofe
It is a bit embarrassing that our Na- wrong. In my view, we cannot go home Burr Kaine
Schatz
tion, the richest on Earth, is the only Schumer
and look our children and grand- Cantwell Kelly
Scott (SC)
major country not to guarantee paid children in the eye knowing what we Capito King
Shaheen
family and medical leave. I have been Cardin Klobuchar
know and knowing that the scientists Carper Leahy Sinema
all over this country, and I have met are telling us that we have a very, very Casey Lee Smith
with women—low-income women—who few years to address the climate crisis Cassidy Luján Stabenow
Collins Lummis Sullivan
are forced to go back to work 1 week or else there will be irreparable harm
Coons Manchin Tester
after having their baby because they done in our country and around the Cornyn Markey Thune
need the income. We are the only world. Cortez Masto Marshall Tillis
major country on Earth not to guar- We have turned on the TV this past Cramer McConnell Toomey
antee paid family and medical leave, Crapo Menendez Van Hollen
summer, and we saw the unbelievable Daines Merkley Warner
not to make sure that a mom can stay fires in Oregon and California and Duckworth Moran Warnock
home with her sick kid or a dad can learned that in Siberia their fires were Durbin Murkowski Warren
spend time with his dying father or larger than all the other fires com- Ernst Murphy Whitehouse
Fischer Murray
mother. bined; smoke went thousands of miles. Gillibrand Ossoff
Wicker
This legislation finally does what Wyden
We learned that July was the hottest Graham Padilla
Young
should have been done a long, long month ever and that climate is exacer- Grassley Peters
time ago and guarantees paid family bating extreme weather disturbances NAYS—11
and medical leave. like Hurricane Ida, which brought Boozman Hawley Scott (FL)
And what this legislation does is ad- havoc to Louisiana. Braun Lankford Shelby
dress the reality that many of our This legislation that we are pro- Cotton Paul Tuberville
younger people are unable to obtain Cruz Rubio
posing does not go as far as I think it
the good-paying jobs that are out there should on climate. But make no mis- NOT VOTING—4
because they lack the ability to get a take about it. It is a major, major step Feinstein Kennedy
higher education. forward in transforming our energy Johnson Rounds
Now, my own view is we should make system away from fossil fuel to energy The nomination was confirmed.
public colleges and universities tuition efficiency and sustainable energy. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. VAN
free. My own view is we should cancel So that is where we are right now. HOLLEN).
all student debt in this country. That We are at a moment where millions Under the previous order, the motion
is not in this bill. But what is in this and millions of Americans have lost to reconsider is considered made and
bill is the reality that every American faith in their government. They think laid upon the table and the President
will have the right to get at least 2 that we are incapable of addressing will be immediately notified of the
years of community college tuition their needs, that all we do is listen to Senate’s actions.
free. And they can use that to get the wealthy campaign contributors and the f
training they need for jobs. They can lobbyists and the billionaire class. CLOTURE MOTION
use that to accumulate credits that The question we face right now is, At
can be transferred to a 4-year college, this moment, do we have the courage The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant
if that is what they desire. to keep faith with the American people to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the
A few blocks away from here and in and show them that their democracy in Senate the pending cloture motion,
every major city in America, there are fact can work for them and not just which the clerk will state.
Americans sleeping out on the streets. The senior assistant legislative clerk
powerful special interests?
They are veterans. They are people read as follows:
So let us go forward. Let us do the
CLOTURE MOTION
with all kinds of issues. They are work- right thing. Let us pass this $31⁄2 tril-
ing people who simply cannot afford We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
lion reconciliation package.
ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the
the housing in their community. Two With that, I yield the floor. Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby
blocks away from the U.S. Capitol VOTE ON BIANCHI NOMINATION move to bring to a close debate on the nomi-
there is an encampment of homeless The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time nation of Executive Calendar No. 241, Daniel
people. Six hundred thousand Ameri- has expired. J. Kritenbrink, of Virginia, a Career Member
cans are homeless today, and on top of The question is, Will the Senate ad- of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Min-
that, we have some 18 million house- vise and consent to the Bianchi nomi- ister-Counselor, to be an Assistant Secretary
holds that spend 50 percent of their nation? of State (East Asian and Pacific Affairs).
limited incomes on housing. Charles E. Schumer, Robert Menendez,
Mr. SANDERS. I would ask for the
Patrick J. Leahy, Patty Murray, Maria
In other words, we have a major yeas and nays. Cantwell, Sheldon Whitehouse, Brian
housing crisis. This legislation address- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Schatz, Debbie Stabenow, Catherine
es that, and, in an unprecedented man- sufficient second? Cortez Masto, Christopher A. Coons,
ner, invests in low-income and afford- There appears to be a sufficient sec- Ron Wyden, Margaret Wood Hassan,
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
able housing. And when we do that, by ond. Edward J. Markey, Benjamin L.
the way, we create a whole lot of good- The clerk will call the roll. Cardin, Richard J. Durbin, Tina Smith,
paying jobs. The bill clerk called the roll. Elizabeth Warren, Angus S. King, Jr.
We are an aging society. And whether Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan-
people have severe disabilities or Senator from California (Mrs. FEIN- imous consent, the mandatory quorum
whether they are just getting old, peo- STEIN) is necessarily absent. call has been waived.
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