Senate Remarks on Government Funding and Work — Congressional Record, September 28, 2021
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate, page S6720, September 28, 2021. Opening remarks on the page say a default will impact everyone, cite Neil Bradley of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that failing to raise the debt limit would endanger the economy, and ask where Republican colleagues are. Under Government Funding, Collins asks unanimous consent that Lankford and Scott of South Carolina speak before the vote, then says debate on President Biden's plan to expand social programs has paid little attention to its content, objecting that assistance checks would carry no requirement that a recipient work or pursue education or training. Collins cites the Job Corps in northern Maine and a program in Aroostook County as examples; Merkley then compares McConnell's approach to a Rube Goldberg machine.
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“Senate Remarks on Government Funding and Work — Congressional Record, September 28, 2021.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-09-28-crec-2021-09-28-pt1-pgs6720-a8d945a3ee/
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S6720 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 28, 2021
The 50 of us are united in this, and I Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask she had been homeless and wanted to
say: Where are our Republican col- unanimous consent that, following my get as far away as possible from the
leagues? remarks, Senator LANKFORD and Sen- terrible circumstances in her life—thus
They know the fact: A default will ator SCOTT of South Carolina be recog- her choice of the Job Corps in northern
impact everyone. The government will nized to speak and to complete their Maine. After completing this program
need to decide between sending out So- remarks prior to the vote. in Limestone, Adais earned her degree
cial Security checks, ensuring we keep The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there in nursing from Husson University in
our promises to our vets, and pay- objection? Bangor. Today, due to her own perse-
checks to active military. It is disas- Without objection, it is so ordered. verance, hard work, and government
trous for our economy and small busi- GOVERNMENT FUNDING support during a very difficult time,
ness. Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, the de- she has a good life working as a nurse
This year, Neil Bradley of the U.S. bate on President Biden’s massive plan and providing for her three sons. She
Chamber of Commerce said that failing to expand social programs has focused can take much pride in the life that
to act responsibly and provide an in- primarily on its enormous cost. Re- she has built for herself and her family.
crease in the debt limit would endanger markably, little attention has been The second example involves women
our economy. It would cause global paid to the content of those policy I met at the Aroostook County Com-
markets, of course, to lose confidence changes. Yet the expensive entitlement munity Action Program. They have
in the full faith and credit of the programs the administration is pro- benefited from a holistic approach to
United States. posing would have profound implica- poverty, one that focuses on the needs
The stakes are high. This should not tions for people’s lives and for the val- of both the children and their parents—
be about scoring political points. Our ues that are among the pillars of our a two-generation-together approach—
families, our workers, our seniors de- society, for they would break the con- in order to end intergenerational pov-
serve better. Democrats are united to nection between work and a brighter erty.
stand by their side. future. This two-generation approach identi-
And we say to our Republican col- From antiquity to our time, great fies obstacles to work and financial
leagues: Where are you? thinkers have observed that work is independence, and then provides the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- about more than just putting food on necessary coaching and supports to
ator from Oregon. the table, important though that is; it help parents succeed in their goals
Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, Rube has a profound value that enables peo- while also meeting the needs of their
Goldberg was an American sculptor, ple to build lives of self-reliance and children.
cartoonist, and inventor best known meaning. These mothers recounted to me with
for his cartoons that created very com- As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once great pride their very moving stories of
plicated machines to do very simple said: climbing the economic ladder out of
tasks. No work is insignificant. All labor that up- poverty and into the workforce, pro-
Today, we have heard from MITCH lifts humanity has dignity. viding a much better life for them-
MCCONNELL that he wants to emulate Under the President’s plan, assist- selves and their children.
Rube Goldberg and put our entire na- ance checks sent from Washington What these stories have in common
tional economy at risk by an extraor- would have no requirement that a re- is the dignity of work. As Stephen
dinarily complicated method to do a cipient work, or pursue education or Hawking observed, ‘‘Work gives you
simple task, and the simple task was training, or participate in programs to meaning and purpose.’’ Securing the
laid out so clearly in 2006. The minor- remove barriers that prevent him or skills and support to get good jobs
ity leader said we are in exactly the her from working. These unconditioned changed the lives of these parents and
same position now as we were then. checks would sever the link between the lives of their children.
Well, yes. The Republicans asked the government assistance and work, edu- Now, let me be clear that I have sup-
Democrats to not filibuster so that cation, or other requirements. No one ported providing additional help to as-
they could raise the debt limit. The ta- would help a family identify obstacles sist low-income working families. For
bles are turned. The simple same cour- to a better life. In essence, the Biden example, I worked with Senator RUBIO
tesy takes away the risk to our econ- administration would reverse the to successfully double the child tax
omy. pledge and reality of President Clin- credit and expand its refundable por-
The risk is great for disaster relief, ton’s reforms when he promised to tion as part of the 2017 tax reform act,
for Medicaid, for payments to our vet- ‘‘end welfare as we know it.’’ but this credit was tied to work until
erans, for payments to our currently Robert Doar, who oversaw assistance the Biden administration changed the
serving forces; and there are broader programs both for New York Governor rules of the American Rescue Plan ear-
risks, risks that Mark Zandi has laid George Pataki and New York City lier this year.
out, in saying a recession could result Mayor Michael Bloomberg, described Given the pandemic, that may well
in the loss of millions of jobs, that it what has long been a bipartisan con- have been justified as a temporary
could result in the loss of a half a bil- sensus. He said: measure. But now, the administration
lion dollars in family wealth, that it . . . the way to help people escape poverty wants to jettison the work requirement
could be—or $15 trillion in household is through a combination of work and gov- permanently, and the House Demo-
wealth—$15 trillion. ernment aid—not work alone and not gov- crats’ bill removes all means testing
There are moments when the polit- ernment aid alone. But the two together. for a new childcare entitlement pro-
ical games have to stop, when the par- Why is that combination so powerful gram so even very wealthy families
tisan warfare has to stop. The Demo- and so successful? would qualify.
crats did what the Republicans sug- Government assistance provides a Shouldn’t we look carefully at the
gested in 2006. We also took an alter- hand up and aids families who are consequences of sending checks from
native method that MITCH MCCONNELL struggling to overcome barriers to a Washington untethered to any work or
suggested in the past, which was to let, better life. Work not only provides the other requirements? Shouldn’t assist-
in 2011, the President raise the debt economic pathway out of poverty, ance prioritize those with the greatest
ceiling subject to an override by Con- but—also equally important—imparts needs but in ways that position them
gress. We have twice worked with the dignity, self-reliance, and confidence. to achieve self-reliance?
Republicans, at their request, for a It allows people to provide for their There are certainly times when it is
simple method. This is not the moment own families. It instills a sense of be- appropriate for government to step in,
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
for a Rube Goldberg disaster with the longing and pride. It strengthens our and no one is arguing that people who
wealth and health of Americans at communities. cannot work, who may have disabil-
risk. Let me give you two examples. ities, for example, should not receive
I thank the Presiding Officer. I first met Adais when she was en- government assistance—of course, they
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- rolled in the Federal Job Corps pro- should. And in a time of crisis, cer-
ator from Maine. gram in Limestone, ME. As a teenager, tainly, we should do all we can to help
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September 28, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6721
those who are in need, through no fault we are going to help people escape pov- full time. And, No. 3, if you wait until
of their own, and that is what happened erty by sending a check to individuals, 21 to be married and then have children
during the pandemic. and if we give them a check, they will after marriage.
There were many temporary pro- rise out of poverty. If those three things are true, the
grams that were instituted to help as Bill Clinton stood before the Nation Brookings Institute said only 2 percent
our economy shut down and people and said: I campaigned to end that be- of the people actually are in poverty.
were laid off. I, along with three of my cause that experiment didn’t work, and Seventy-five percent of those folks in
colleagues, authored one of them—the he focused in a whole different direc- poverty that graduate high school, get
Paycheck Protection Program. The ra- tion, encouraging, as he spoke often on a full-time job, have children after
tionale was to allow employers to re- deadbeat dads, individuals that should marriage—if those three things are
ceive funding so that they could con- pay their child support, need to pay it, true, 75 percent of them rise into the
tinue to pay their employees and keep and he highlighted how many people middle class.
intact that bond between employers weren’t doing that because those fami- This is not rocket science in some
and employees so that the workers lies were left exposed. ways; it is just human nature. But the
could return to the workplace once the And he talked about the dignity of bill that is being set in front of us that
economy reopened. That program was work, saying: To help people to be able is $31⁄2 trillion in entitlements—and
successful and temporary. to escape from poverty, we need to just to be able to put in perspective
But that is not what this administra- incentivize work and stop just sending how large that is, if you combined the
tion is proposing. Rather, it is creating a check to individuals but instead at- budgets of all 50 States, the total budg-
entitlement programs untethered to tach that to work. et of all 50 States, it is $2 trillion. This
work that would fundamentally change The Nation stood and cheered and new entitlement bill is $31⁄2 trillion
incentives for our families, our com- rallied around a moment to say: Let’s that is being proposed—$31⁄2 trillion of
munities, our society, and our econ- help people, but let’s help people actu- new entitlements that would go to in-
omy, depriving people of their dignity ally rise. dividuals that removes things like an
and eroding their ability to provide for There is a statement that I heard incentive to work. It says you can get
themselves and their families. Absent a often, even during that time period: childcare tax credits, even if you are
pandemic or other crisis, Washington Let’s not make welfare a hammock; not working; that no matter if you are
should not simply write monthly let’s make it a trampoline, that they working or not—and the current limit,
checks, creating dependency among can get assistance for a moment and be by the way, don’t forget, is only $2,500
those who could have a better life. The lifted out and to be able to rise to of income in a year. If you will do at
Federal Government’s obligation is not other things. least $2,500 worth of income in a year,
fulfilled by simply sending a check, I thought that was a settled issue, then you get additional assistance. It
washing its hands of any responsibility until just last year. I suddenly started is the encouragement to say the State
hearing President Biden on the cam- will come alongside of you, but we have
to actually help people achieve self-suf-
paign trail, and now in office, with my got to help you to be able to rise out of
ficiency.
It appears that this administration is Democratic colleagues in the House al- this spot—even that is taken away.
ready passing something over there in There is a marriage penalty that is
moving toward the left’s proposal for a
their committees, saying: We want to included in this. Ironically, when I read
guaranteed minimum income, regard-
actually go back to welfare as we knew from the Brookings Institute, and they
less of one’s ability to work. Never for-
it. We want to be able to go back to say, ‘‘Do you want to help people rise
get that the first version of the Green
out of poverty,’’ there is actually a
New Deal included a guaranteed in- that failed experiment, when we used
marriage penalty in this where it actu-
come for those ‘‘unable or unwilling to to just mail checks to people, and so
ally punishes.
work.’’ We must not go down that path. people in government would feel good So we seem to be punishing work and
We will not build a more prosperous, to say: We took care of childhood pov- punishing marriage rather than en-
just, and equitable society, character- erty. couraging people to be able to rise.
ized by opportunity, dignity, and I have already heard people—even Listen, this statement should be
meaning, just by issuing government today in this body—say: If we pass this common for us: What do you do? It is
checks. The time-tested way to achieve $31⁄2 trillion proposal, we will cut child- not just meaningful for individuals and
those goals for American families is by hood poverty in half. That was a state- for communities, it is meaningful for
supporting and rewarding work. It is by ment that was made pre-1990s, when children because, in school, children
recognizing the dignity of work. And government believed if I just mailed a will be asked: What do your parents
that is the tradition that we must con- check, suddenly children would rise out do? And if it is nothing, it matters to
tinue to embrace. of poverty because the numbers are a child. A child has the example that is
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- right. But, actually, what we discov- set in front of them, and it becomes a
ator from Oklahoma. ered was inflation would rise as checks generational issue. We should encour-
Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, it is were mailed out, and families were age each generation to be able to rise
one of the most basic questions that we trapped in permanent levels of poverty and be a part of our society, not to be
get in almost any setting: What do you because there was a disincentive to ac- disconnected but to be engaged with all
do? It is common conversation, back tually engage in work. of our society. That develops commu-
and forth between adults or teenagers Now, again, this used to not be a Re- nity between individuals. It helps our
or college students alike: What do you publican-Democrat thing. This was just economy to grow. It is what made us
do? a thing that we could look at the data. the most powerful economy in the en-
It is a philosophical issue, though, Brookings Institute, which is a left- tire world because we had what we
that really has to be addressed, and, in- leaning think tank—I think we could called the American work ethic.
terestingly enough, it has become a all commonly agree with that. The The American work ethic was a very
greater divide between Republicans and Brookings Institute has, year after simple principle that everyone should
Democrats of late. It didn’t used to be year, gone back to be able to look at have the opportunity to be able to do
that way. how people actually escape poverty. whatever job they choose to be able to
The simple conversation about ‘‘what How does it happen? What are the fea- do, to be able to have access to the
do you do’’ and encouraging people to tures that are there if people—if it is economy.
be able to be engaged in productive true in their life that they escaped pov- And if we find any individual or any
work and what they do seemed to be erty. They have identified three areas; group that is blocked out of the econ-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
something that was unified. that if these three areas are true, you omy, government steps in and clears
Democrats and Republicans alike ral- will escape poverty. the path to make sure there is a level
lied in the 1990s, as Bill Clinton de- No. 1, graduate high school. People path to be able to be engaged so that
clared: We are ending welfare as we that graduate high school, much lower everyone has that option to be able to
know it. A 60-year experiment of send- level. No. 2, have a full-time job; have engage in the economy; that everyone
ing out checks to individuals, saying an income; if you actually are working has the chance to be able to rise.
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S6722 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 28, 2021
That does not get better by telling available, who did not believe always means a tax. It means that even with a
people: Oh, sit down. You don’t have to that there was a way that a poor kid in small, marginal increase in your in-
work. Oh, sit down right over there. We South Carolina could ever escape pov- come, with the rate of inflation being
will take care of all your kids all the erty, I am thankful that I met a men- over 5.5 percent, your spending power
way through. You don’t have to en- tor and had a powerful mom who be- goes down.
gage. lieved in me in a way that I could not So when you pull up to the gas sta-
It sounds nice unless you are living believe in myself. tion, as I did and as so many Ameri-
in it. And then it traps people in gener- I am thankful to live in a country cans do every single day to go to work,
ational poverty—urban, rural, across where the American free enterprise and you look at the price per gallon, it
the country. It traps people in genera- system provided a pathway forward, is over $3 a gallon, which represents
tional poverty. That doesn’t help fami- and if I could just see it and believe it over a 40-percent increase in the cost of
lies. That doesn’t help children. That and work towards it, it was possible for gas. On a fixed income, as our Social
doesn’t bless families and help them to me to achieve the outcomes that we Security recipients and our golden
be able to rise out of poverty. It keeps are sitting here trying to defend. Americans are, on people working pay-
them trapped in it. I am thankful that, as a kid who then check to paycheck, a 40-plus percent
We have a philosophical difference. finished high school, went on to col- increase in the cost of gas deprives
How do we help people in poverty? I be- lege, and experienced the American them of some of the luxuries, the mar-
lieve we help people in poverty by dream, that we are here together to de- gins in their paychecks, and then stack
clearing out of every opportunity and fend the American dream for the next on top of that a 20-percent increase in
making straight level paths, setting generation. The challenge, of course, is the cost of your utilities.
that in front of individuals and saying: that when we look at the $3.5 trillion It is impossible—impossible—to rec-
You are an American. Go after the package, it makes it harder for a kid ognize the devastating impact that the
American dream. Apply the American trapped in poverty, as I was, to find a Biden inflation is having already on
work ethic: try, graduate high school, path forward. middle-income Americans, on pay-
I will simply say that while we dis- check-to-paycheck Americans, people
get a job, get married, stay engaged,
cuss this $3.5 trillion package, the con- living in poverty, and single-parent
bless your children. I believe that is
tent of this package is more concerning households.
the best way to be able to help our Na- But worse than the inflationary ef-
tion. than the cost of the package. I am cer-
fect, which, of course, is a precursor to
Apparently, others believe that it is tain that someone on the other side
the $3.5 trillion, is what the content
better just to be able to say: No. You will figure out that taking 10 years of
does. Think about this: In America
can’t do it. Sit down. I will send you a funding and making it 5 years of fund-
today, if you write a check for $10,000,
check. ing cuts it from $3.5 trillion down to
the IRS wants to know who you are
I don’t think that casts a vision for $1.75 trillion. I am confident that that
writing it to. Under this proposal,
their children, and I don’t think that math is easy to do on either side. But
imagine, if you will, the IRS spying on
helps our Nation. I am not confident that we can pre-
your bank account for every trans-
If you want to make it very straight- serve the American dream in all of its
action over $600. Imagine four tires—
forward and simple, the census said glory if the content of this package be- more than $600. So the IRS wants to
that we have 21 million children who comes law. know why you are spending $600 on
have a parent that lived outside the I think about how unfortunate it
tires. Imagine if your engine runs hot
household in 2018. Thirty percent of would be, in a nation that is narrowly
and you have to take your car in to get
those children were in poverty—three divided, 50–50, that we would find our-
it checked—more than $600. Imagine
times the rate of children in house- selves, because the Democrats control
trying to find the money, scraping the
holds where both parents were present. the White House—there is a 50–50 split resources together just to be able to
I could read the Brookings. I can read in the Senate that requires the Vice buy school clothes for your kids, and if
the census data. But I think we all President to break a tie and a five-seat you have a couple kids, a couple pairs
know it in our gut; that we provide majority the Democrats have in the of shoes, pants—dresses are up 18 per-
purpose and meaning to people when House. With those slim majorities, cent. Imagine that $600 expense being
they can answer the question: What do they want to do something so fun- taken out of your account, and the IRS
you do, and it matters to our country damentally transformative that it is looking into your account to see
and to them as a family. scares me for the future of the kids what you are spending the money on.
I yield the floor. trapped in poverty all over America. The content of this legislation is
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. I don’t know how we will continue to more dangerous than the amount of
BALDWIN). The Senator from South be able to preach the good news of eco- the legislation. And I got to tell you,
Carolina. nomic opportunity and economic free- $3.5 trillion is pretty dangerous, but
Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. dom when you are on the road to so- more dangerous than the $3.5 trillion is
Madam President, I thank my col- cialism. The two are antithetical. They having the IRS empowered to take a
leagues, both Senator COLLINS and Sen- don’t go in the same direction. There is look at every single transaction. Not
ator LANKFORD, for their thoughts and a fork in the road, and we as a nation only the $600, but imagine doubling the
their comments and their words today have to choose one. Unfortunately, the number of IRS agents with the $80 bil-
because what we are talking about Democrats, who have the slimmest of lion in this package—doubling the
today is not about simply a $31⁄2 tril- majorities, have the votes to fun- number of agents to come take a look
lion spending bill. damentally weaken the greatest eco- at your family business, your family
We are talking about something nomic engine in world history through accounts. Destructive.
more fundamental to what it means to taxing and spending policies that bring Go beyond that. Think about the av-
be an American. I am proud to be an us so much closer to socialism. erage farmer in South Carolina who
American. I am proud to live in a coun- The Democrats actually want you to spent their entire life farming and who
try where upward mobility is a reality; believe what they say more than what has more land than money. Because of
that we can, by hard work and a strong you see with your own eyes. You see, this package and its impact on family
education, change our fortunes in this the breadcrumbs of this $3.5 trillion businesses and family farmers, because
country and not only change it for our- package can be seen by the level of in- of the way they want to refigure the
selves but change it for the generations flation. If you put too much money death tax or the estate tax, as we say
that follow us. into the economy too quickly and the it when we are being polite in mixed
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
As Senator LANKFORD talked about supply remains about the same, it company, here is what it means: It
the three important ingredients of es- leads to inflation. means that you jeopardize the ability
caping poverty, I will say that, as a kid What inflation means to kids living to pass your family farm to the next
who stumbled in high school, who did in single-parent households and to peo- generation.
not do well as a freshman, who did not ple living and working paycheck-to- This is not theoretical. You can talk
see the opportunities that America had paycheck, what inflation means is, it to a farmer named Whit Player from
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September 28, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S6723
Lee County or Monty Rast in St. Mat- [Rollcall Vote No. 387 Ex.] that NATO’s ability to act will be se-
thews, SC, who have been farming for YEAS—61 verely constrained while billions will
decades. Ask them about the impact of Baldwin Hickenlooper Risch flow into the Kremlin’s coffers.
not being able to pass the family farm Bennet Hirono Romney What is sometimes underappreciated,
or small business to the next genera- Blumenthal Kaine Rosen however, even by the people who are fa-
Blunt Kelly Rounds
tion. Booker King Sanders
miliar with this issue, is the all-but-
Think about punishing the farmers Brown Klobuchar Schatz complete unanimity of the opposition
Cantwell Leahy Schumer in Europe.
and still providing a check for $12,500 Capito Luján
for someone making $800,000 a year to Cardin Manchin
Shaheen In 2018, the European Parliament
Smith voted by a vote of 403 to 105 to oppose
buy a luxury vehicle, an electric vehi- Carper Markey
Stabenow
cle. You are going to give them a tax Casey McConnell
Sullivan
the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. The pipe-
Collins Menendez line proceeded, nonetheless, until it
credit even though they make $800,000. Coons Merkley Tester
Cortez Masto Murkowski Tillis was halted by the bipartisan sanctions
Imagine a part of the bill where
Crapo Murphy Van Hollen passed by this Congress in December of
union workers at an auto factory are Duckworth Murray Warner 2019—sanctions that I authored along
able to sell their cars with a $4,500 tax Durbin Ossoff Warnock
Warren with Democrat JEANNE SHAHEEN. The
credit, but the Volvo workers in South Gillibrand Padilla
Graham Peters Whitehouse pipeline was halted the very day those
Carolina, the BMW workers in South
Hassan Portman Wyden sanctions were signed into law.
Carolina who don’t work at a union Heinrich Reed Then, in January of 2021, after Vladi-
factory—their cars don’t get the $4,500
NAYS—36 mir Putin tried to murder Alexei
tax credit, embedding a unique form of
Barrasso Fischer Marshall Navalny, the European Parliament
bias into this bill. It just doesn’t feel Blackburn Grassley Paul voted again to oppose Nord Stream 2,
right. Restoring the tax credits for the Boozman Hagerty Rubio this time by a vote of 581 to 50.
State and local taxes for millionaires Braun Hawley Sasse
Burr Hoeven Scott (FL) So I want you to pause for a second
and billionaires across this country
Cassidy Hyde-Smith Scott (SC) and reflect on the fact that Joe Biden
and putting that burden back on the Cornyn Inhofe Shelby looked at that vote and said the Presi-
backs of working people, middle-class Cotton Johnson Thune
dent of the United States is with the
working people. Cramer Kennedy Toomey
Cruz Lankford Tuberville 50—never mind the 581—in the Euro-
I won’t even go into raising the cor- Daines Lee Wicker pean Parliament. The Biden adminis-
porate tax from 21 percent to 28 per- Ernst Lummis Young tration was going to side with Russia
cent or 26.5 percent. I won’t go into NOT VOTING—3 on a 90-percent issue, where the Biden
eliminating passthroughs for small Feinstein Moran Sinema White House is on the losing side.
businesses, mom-and-pop businesses; a Throughout all this process, there
20-percent increase because they elimi- The nomination was confirmed.
were plenty of voices in Germany who
nate the 20-percent credit on their The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. MUR-
were opposed, especially after this vi-
small businesses. I won’t get into that PHY). Under the previous order, the mo-
cious attempt on Navalny’s life. The
because we don’t have enough time. I tion to reconsider is considered made
Parliamentary leader of the Greens,
won’t get into the raising taxes on in- and laid upon the table, and the Presi-
Katrin Goering-Eckardt, said:
dividuals. I won’t get into the capital dent will be immediately notified of
The blatant assassination attempt by the
gains tax going from 23.8 to 43.8. I the Senate’s action. mafia-like structures of the Kremlin can no
won’t get into all of that right now, f longer leave us merely concerned, it must
but I will say this: If the Democrats’ EXECUTIVE CALENDAR have real consequences.
plan succeeds, I fear for that American Stating, ‘‘We need a clear answer’’
dream that I am able to live right now. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
that will ‘‘make clear, Nord Stream 2
I fear that kids stuck in poverty today clerk will report the next nomination.
is no longer something we can com-
will be stuck in a caste system of so- The bill clerk read the nomination of
plete with Russia.’’
cialism tomorrow. Mary Catherine Phee, of Illinois, a Ca-
Mr. President, my request to Senate
reer Member of the Senior Foreign
Madam President, thank you for Democrats, my request to President
Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to
your time, your patience. I am just Biden, my request to KAMALA HARRIS is
be an Assistant Secretary of State (Af-
concerned about the greatest Nation listen to the Greens. That is not a sen-
rican Affairs).
ever designed in the history of the tence I have uttered on the floor of the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
world. Thank you. Senate before, nor is it one I anticipate
ator from Texas.
VOTE ON MEDINA NOMINATION
saying frequently in the future. But
NORD STREAM 2
the Greens in Germany are telling you
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, over the this is a bad idea; yet today’s Demo-
the previous order, the question is, Will last several weeks, I have talked at cratic Party that exalts climate
the Senate advise and consent to the length about the damage that Presi- change as the greatest issue in the cos-
Medina nomination? dent Biden and his administration are mos, when it comes to kissing up and
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I ask for the yeas doing to the national security of the surrendering to Putin, decided to tell
and nays. United States and to the security of the Greens to go jump in the lake.
our allies in Europe by giving Vladimir Former NATO Secretary General
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
Putin a multibillion-dollar gift in the Anders Fogh Rasmussen issued a state-
sufficient second?
Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. ment that:
There appears to be a sufficient sec- Today, I am going to talk about the
ond. Germany is asking for European and NATO
staggering diplomatic damage that the solidarity in response to the despicable
The clerk will call the roll. President is doing by allowing and, in- Navalny poisoning. They will get it, but an
The legislative clerk called the roll. deed, facilitating this project pro- honest answer from Putin is unlikely. Time
ceeding. It is well known that Nord has come for Germany to halt Nord Stream
(Mr. BOOKER assumed the Chair.)
Stream 2 is opposed across Europe as 2 construction, before it’s too late.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the an enabler of and, indeed, an example If Senate Democrats mean what they
Senator from California (Mrs. FEIN- of and a weapon of Russian expan- have said for years on Nord Stream 2,
STEIN) and the Senator from Arizona
sionism and aggression. then listen to the former Secretary
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
(Ms. SINEMA) are necessarily absent. Europeans have good reasons for General of NATO; listen to the Greens
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is their opposition. They know firsthand in Germany.
necessarily absent: the Senator from what the costs are. They know that But now, bizarrely, after Joe Biden
Kansas (Mr. MORAN). completing Nord Stream 2 will leave has ignored the Greens, after Joe Biden
The result was announced—yeas 61, the entire continent vulnerable to has ignored NATO, after Joe Biden has
nays 36, as follows: Putin’s blackmail and aggression, and ignored our Central European allies, all
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