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Senate Proceedings on H.R. 4350, the NDAA, November 30, 2021 — Congressional Record

Summary

Congressional Record, Senate, Tuesday, November 30, 2021, No. 206 (pages S8805 and S8806). The Senate resumes consideration of the bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the Department of Defense. Schumer, recognized as majority leader, says Republicans mounted a partisan filibuster blocking the bill, describes a motion to reconsider the cloture vote, and gives the committee vote as 23 to 3; he also addresses government funding, the debt limit and Build Back Better. Durbin, under the heading Remembering Major Ian Fishback and Guantanamo Bay Closure, speaks about Fishback, who died at the age of 42.

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“Senate Proceedings on H.R. 4350, the NDAA, November 30, 2021 — Congressional Record.” Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2021-11-30-crec-2021-11-30-pt1-pgs8805-7-8a2d00f46e/, SHA-256 a70ab42d45387df20a346e31edf1aa1a365c93038f72fa7c544b6bdb49d035e7.

Full text

                                                                                              Congressional Record
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                                                                                                                                                                      117 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
                                               United States
                                                of America                                     PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE


                                             Vol. 167                                                    WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2021                                                                    No. 206


                                                                                                                                      Senate
                                               The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was                                          HICKENLOOPER, a Senator from the State of               spending months insisting that the
                                             called to order by the Honorable JOHN                                        Colorado, to perform the duties of the Chair.           Senate should take swift action on our
                                             W. HICKENLOOPER, a Senator from the                                                              PATRICK J. LEAHY,                   annual Defense bill, last night, Repub-
                                                                                                                                                President pro tempore.
                                             State of Colorado.                                                                                                                   licans mounted a partisan filibuster,
                                                                                                                            Mr. HICKENLOOPER thereupon as-                        blocking this Chamber from moving
                                                                                      f
                                                                                                                          sumed the Chair as Acting President                     forward on the NDAA.
                                                             PRAYER                                                       pro tempore.                                              For the information of all, before the
                                               The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of-                                                         f                                    vote closed last night, I changed my
                                             fered the following prayer:                                                                                                          vote to ‘‘no’’ and then entered a mo-
                                                                                                                           RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME
                                               Let us pray.                                                                                                                       tion to reconsider the cloture vote so
                                                                                                                            The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-                         we could find a path forward on this
                                               Eternal God, who protects us like a                                        pore. Under the previous order, leader-
                                             mighty fortress, thank You for pro-                                                                                                  important bill.
                                                                                                                          ship time is reserved.                                    Now, we have heard over and over
                                             viding our lawmakers with Your wis-
                                                                                                                                             f                                    and over again from Republicans, in
                                             dom, guidance, and strength. Lord,
                                                                                                                                                                                  some form or another, that the Senate
                                             continue to bless them, for You know                                              CONCLUSION OF MORNING
                                                                                                                                                                                  must act on NDAA and must act quick-
                                             their needs, motives, hopes, and fears.                                                   BUSINESS
                                                                                                                                                                                  ly. One Republican colleague called it a
                                             When our Senators grow faint and                                               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-                         core duty, a bare minimum. Yet an-
                                             weary and the night overtakes them,                                          pore. Morning business is closed.                       other colleague said it was ‘‘the best
                                             renew their strength and enable them                                                            f                                    way to thank our soldiers and sailors
                                             to soar on wings like eagles. May the                                                                                                for their service.’’
                                             different approaches expressed by both                                       NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA-
                                                                                                                                                                                    But,    last   evening,    Republicans
                                             parties contribute to greater solutions                                       TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022
                                                                                                                                                                                  blocked legislation to support our
                                             to the problems in our Nation and                                              The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-                         troops, support their families, keep
                                             world.                                                                       pore. Under the previous order, the                     Americans safe, and support jobs
                                               We pray in Your merciful Name.                                             Senate will resume consideration of                     across the entire country. Republican
                                             Amen.                                                                        H.R. 4350, which the clerk will report.                 dysfunction has again derailed even bi-
                                                                                      f                                     The senior assistant legislative clerk                partisan progress on our annual de-
                                                                                                                          read as follows:                                        fense bill—an outrageous outcome that
                                                   PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE                                                     A bill (H.R. 4350) to authorize appropria-            shows how the Senate and Republican
                                               The Presiding Officer led the Pledge                                       tions for fiscal year 2022 for military activi-         leadership have changed in recent
                                             of Allegiance, as follows:                                                   ties of the Department of Defense, for mili-            years.
                                                                                                                          tary construction, and for defense activities             Previous leaders, knowing that
                                               I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the
                                                                                                                          of the Department of Energy, to prescribe               Democrats had offered Republicans a
                                             United States of America, and to the Repub-
                                                                                                                          military personnel strengths for such fiscal
                                             lic for which it stands, one nation under God,                                                                                       whole lot of amendments, would have
                                                                                                                          year, and for other purposes.
                                             indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.                                                                                       said: ‘‘Let’s vote cloture’’—but not this
                                                                                                                               Pending:                                           leader, not yet.
                                                                                      f
                                                                                                                            Reed/Inhofe Modified Amendment No. 3867,                And there should be no mistake: The
                                                  APPOINTMENT OF ACTING                                                   in the nature of a substitute.                          process that Democrats, and particu-
                                                  PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE                                                     Reed Amendment No. 4775 (to Amendment                 larly my colleague Chairman REED,
                                                                                                                          No. 3867), to modify effective dates relating           have offered Republicans on NDAA has
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The                                                 to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
                                             clerk will please read a communication                                       for Space Acquisition and Integration and
                                                                                                                                                                                  been more than fair and reasonable.
                                             to the Senate from the President pro                                         the Service Acquisition Executive of the De-            For months, my colleagues in the
                                             tempore (Mr. LEAHY).                                                         partment of the Air Force for Space Systems             Armed Services Committee have been
                                               The senior assistant legislative clerk                                     and Programs.                                           working to produce a bipartisan prod-
                                             read the following letter:                                                                                                           uct that could come to the floor for a
                                                                                                                                RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER
                                                                                                                                                                                  vote.
                                                                                            U.S. SENATE,                    The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
                                                            PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE,
                                                                                                                                                                                    The bipartisan Reed-Inhofe agree-
                                                                                                                          pore. The majority leader is recog-                     ment—a Reed-Inhofe agreement—was
                                                       Washington, DC, November 30, 2021.                                 nized.
                                             To the Senate:                                                                                                                       what we brought to the floor yesterday
                                                                                                                                                 H.R. 4350                        to vote on.
                                               Under the provisions of rule I, paragraph 3,
                                             of the Standing Rules of the Senate, I hereby                                  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, after                       During the markup, Members consid-
                                             appoint     the    Honorable       JOHN    W.                                spending—this is on NDAA. After                         ered 321 amendments and adopted 143




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                                                                     ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.




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                                             S8806                                              CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                  November 30, 2021
                                             bipartisan ones before reporting the                       As soon as tomorrow, the House is                      All this we want to tackle before the
                                             bill out of committee by a vote of 23 to                 expected to take action to pass a CR                   Christmas break. So we will keep
                                             3—23 to 3, bipartisan.                                   that will fund the government into                     working this week and until we get it
                                               In preparation for the Senate floor,                   next year. Senate Democrats are ready                  done.
                                             the managers worked on a substitute                      to pass this legislation and get it done                 I yield the floor.
                                             amendment, which had at least 50                         as quickly as possible.                                  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-
                                             amendments—27 of them, the majority,                       To avoid a needless shutdown, Repub-                 pore. The majority whip.
                                             from Republicans. Senator INHOFE, the                    licans will have to cooperate and ap-                     REMEMBERING MAJOR IAN FISHBACK AND
                                             ranking member of the Armed Services                     prove the government funding legisla-                          GUANTANAMO BAY CLOSURE
                                             Committee, worked with Democrats                         tion without delay. If Republicans                       Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, earlier
                                             and had agreed to this.                                  choose obstruction, there will be a                    this month, while we were all home for
                                               And on top of all that, Senators REED                  shutdown entirely because of their own                 the Thanksgiving recess, an American
                                             and INHOFE also reached a bipartisan                     dysfunction.                                           patriot passed away. His name was
                                             agreement to hold votes on 19 amend-                       We cannot afford to go down that                     MAJ Ian Fishback.
                                             ments here on the floor before Repub-                    road. As winter begins, the last thing                   During his life, Major Fishback de-
                                             licans blocked that proposal 2 weeks                     Americans need right now is an avoid-                  fended our Nation during four tours of
                                             ago.                                                     able, Republican-manufactured shut-                    duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was
                                               Nineteen amendment votes—19—that                       down that will potentially harm mil-                   an accomplished scholar, with degrees
                                             is more than the total number of                         lions of Federal workers, harm their                   from both West Point and the Univer-
                                             amendments to NDAA that received                         families, and harm local communities                   sity of Michigan, and a lifelong cham-
                                             votes under the Republican majority                      that rely on an open and functioning                   pion of justice.
                                             and under Leader MCCONNELL when we                       Federal Government.                                      Tragically, like too many of our Na-
                                             debated this bill in 2017, 2018, 2019, and                 Democrats are going to work all                      tion’s veterans, Major Fishback’s life
                                             2020—not more than in each year, more                    week to make sure no government                        ended far too soon. He died at the age
                                             than all of them put together.                           shutdown comes to pass, and we urge                    of 42. Though his time on Earth was
                                               We just had 2 amendments on NDAA                       our Republican colleagues to work                      short, he left behind a legacy. He
                                             in 2017, when MCCONNELL was majority                     with us.                                               changed our Nation for the better. He
                                                                                                                          DEBT LIMIT
                                             leader. We had 5 in 2018, when MITCH                                                                            inspired the Members of the Senate to
                                             MCCONNELL was majority leader; 3 in                        Mr. President, on debt limit, also,                  make a historic stand against injus-
                                             2019; and 7 in 2020. Adding that up, that                soon the Senate must take action to                    tice.
                                             is a total of 17. That is over 4 years.                  assure that the United States does                       You see, in 2005, while Major
                                               This year, we offered 19 amendment                     not—does not—default on its sovereign                  Fishback was serving as captain in the
                                             votes, including bipartisan measures to                  debt for the first time in history. I re-              U.S. Army infantry, he spoke out
                                             combat ransomware, repeal the 2020                       cently had a good conversation with                    against America’s inhumane treatment
                                             Iraq AUMF, and support improved                          the Republican leader about this issue,                of detainees after 9/11. In a letter to
                                             cyber defense of our critical infrastruc-                and I expect to continue those talks on                then-Senators John McCain and John
                                             ture. But when we tried to get consent                   achieving a bipartisan solution to ad-                 Warner, Major Fishback wrote: ‘‘I have
                                             to move on this package of amend-                        dressing the debt limit.                               been unable to get clear, consistent an-
                                                                                                        By now we know the dangers of an
                                             ments, our Republican colleagues came                                                                           swers from my leadership about what
                                                                                                      unprecedented      default.   Secretary
                                             down to the floor and objected not once                                                                         constitutes lawful and humane treat-
                                                                                                      Yellen has warned that failure to ex-
                                             but seven times.                                                                                                ment of detainees. I am certain that
                                                                                                      tend the debt ceiling would ‘‘evis-
                                               So we have had ample debate. This                                                                             this confusion contributed to a wide
                                                                                                      cerate’’ our economic recovery and
                                             has been a fair and reasonable process                                                                          range of abuses including death
                                                                                                      says our country could yet again slip
                                             that has showed respect to the other                                                                            threats, beatings, broken bones, mur-
                                                                                                      into ‘‘a deep recession.’’
                                             side. But this is a new Republican                         Both parties know that this is simply                der, exposure to elements, extreme
                                             Party, unfortunately, and it was not                     unacceptable, and so I look forward to                 forced physical exertion, hostage-tak-
                                             good enough for them even on the De-                     achieving a bipartisan solution to ad-                 ing, stripping, sleep deprivation and de-
                                             fense bill.                                              dressing the debt limit soon.                          grading treatment. I and troops under
                                               Passing the annual Defense bill                                                                               my command witnessed some of these
                                                                                                                       BUILD BACK BETTER
                                             should not be in question, and Repub-                                                                           abuses in both Afghanistan and Iraq.’’
                                                                                                        Mr. President, finally, on Build Back
                                             licans’ blocking this legislation is                                                                              Major Fishback’s courageous letter
                                                                                                      Better, before we hit Christmas Day, it
                                             harmful to our troops, to their families                                                                        shed light on the atrocities that were
                                                                                                      is my goal to have the Senate take ac-
                                             who sacrifice so much, and to our ef-                                                                           being committed shamefully in the
                                                                                                      tion to debate and pass President
                                             forts to keep Americans around the                       Biden’s Build Back Better legislation.                 name of our Nation, and he felt that he
                                             world safe.                                                This week, Senate Democrats will                     had ‘‘failed’’ the servicemembers under
                                               Now, we Democrats are not going to                     focus on continuing to meet with the                   his command. The reality is, our lead-
                                             let Republican intransigence stop us.                    Parliamentarian so we can finish mak-                  ers failed Major Fishback.
                                             We are going to keep working forward                     ing the technical and procedural fixes                   In the wake of 9/11, the Bush adminis-
                                             on a path forward, and we hope our Re-                   necessary for reconciliation. Once that                tration tossed aside our constitutional
                                             publican colleagues, as they discuss                     is complete, it will be time to bring                  principles as well as the Geneva Con-
                                             this among themselves, will see the                      Build Back Better here to the floor of                 ventions. By condoning torture, they
                                             light and come up with a fair proposal                   the Senate.                                            dishonored our Nation and actually en-
                                             to allow this bill to go forward.                          I have said many times before that                   dangered our servicemembers.
                                               Nineteen amendments—a total of 17                      nobody should expect legislation of                      After reports emerged about horrific
                                             on all the other NDAA bills—to say                       this magnitude to be easy. We have                     abuses at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, I tried
                                             that we are being unfair, to say that we                 been at the task for several months,                   for a year and a half to pass legislation
                                             are not giving enough amendments is                      but we need to take a step back and                    to make it clear that cruel, inhuman,
                                             poppycock, and they know it.                             recognize that we are, hopefully, less                 and degrading treatment of detainees
                                               Let’s move forward. Let’s move for-                    than a month away from acting on the                   was illegal. Two military heroes, my
                                             ward.                                                    largest investment the American peo-                   former colleague Senator John McCain
                                                             GOVERNMENT FUNDING                       ple have seen in generations.                          and Major Fishback, turned the tide in
                                               Mr. President, now on government                         Here is what we are going to do in                   this effort.




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                                             funding, there is another critical pri-                  this bill: lower the cost of childcare,                  In speaking out, Major Fishback ral-
                                             ority that the Senate must also ad-                      make pre-K universally accessible, cut                 lied the Members of this Chamber to
                                             dress before the week’s end: passing a                   taxes for parents and working and mid-                 support a torture amendment authored
                                             continuing resolution that will keep                     dle-class families, and take the next                  by Senator McCain and myself, which
                                             the government funded beyond the De-                     bold step in our fight against the cli-                was added to the defense spending
                                             cember 3 deadline.                                       mate crisis.                                           package for that year over a veto



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                                             November 30, 2021                                 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                                S8807
                                             threat from the George W. Bush admin-                     Let’s be clear. Majid Khan is a                      13 have already been approved for
                                             istration. That provision explicitly                    former member of al-Qaida who should                   transfer. That works out to nearly $14
                                             banned inhumane treatment of any                        be held accountable for his actions, but               million a year on each prisoner like
                                             prisoner held by the American Govern-                   there is no justification for torture.                 Majid Khan—$14 million a year. Let me
                                             ment—on American soil or overseas. It                     Mr. Khan recounted being abused in                   put that in perspective for a moment.
                                             set us on a course to restoring Amer-                   unspeakable, unthinkable ways by our                   That is enough money to expand Med-
                                             ican values that were cast aside after 9/               government,         including       being              icaid coverage to 1.5 million Americans
                                             11—work that is still ongoing 20 years                  waterboarded and shackled to a ceiling                 over 10 years.
                                             later.                                                  until his ankles swelled with blood. In                  Setting aside the cost, we have to ac-
                                               We have a defense bill before us on                   one part of his testimony, he described                knowledge the larger truth. Guanta-
                                             the floor with many things in it that                   a CIA medic sexually violating him                     namo does not reflect who we are or
                                             are positive, and I will vote for it. But               with a garden hose.                                    should be. Indefinite detention without
                                             it is a moment to also reflect that this                  As Mr. Khan shared the excruciating                  charge or trial is antithetical to Amer-
                                             bill does more than protect our Nation                  details of his torture, the members of                 ica’s values. Yet more than two-thirds
                                             and help our troops; it also protects                   the jury listened closely. But pay heed:               of the people detained in Guantanamo
                                             our values. That is why I have an                       These weren’t average citizens sitting                 today have never been charged with a
                                             amendment to this bill, which I hope                    on the jury; they were Active-Duty,                    crime. How can that be any form of
                                             we will have a chance to offer, that will               senior military U.S. officials on the                  justice?
                                             close the detention facility at Guanta-                 jury. When the hearing concluded,                        With or without the amendment I
                                             namo Bay once and for all.                              these high-ranking military leaders did                have introduced to this year’s Defense
                                               Since the first group of detainees was                something unheard of. Seven of the                     authorization, we must accelerate the
                                             brought to Guantanamo in January of                     eight jurors signed a handwritten let-                 timeline to finally close Guantanamo.
                                             2002, four different Presidents have pre-               ter recommending clemency for Majid                    As I mentioned, 39 prisoners, $500 mil-
                                             sided over the facility. In that time,                  Khan. This is what they concluded, and                 lion a year?
                                             the Iraq war has begun and ended, and                   I want to quote it word for word: ‘‘Mr.                  President Biden transferred his first
                                             the war in Afghanistan, our Nation’s                    Khan has been held without the basic                   detainee earlier this summer, but that
                                             longest war, has come to a close. A                     due process under the U.S. Constitu-                   pace—one every 6 months—is not going
                                             generation of conflict has come and                     tion. . . . [He] was subjected to phys-                to set us on course to finally close
                                             gone. Yet the Guantanamo detention                      ical and psychological abuse well be-                  Guantanamo. Like the war in Afghani-
                                             facility is still open, and every day it                yond approved enhanced interrogation                   stan, America’s failures in Guanta-
                                             remains open is an affront to our sys-                  techniques, instead being closer to tor-               namo must not be passed on to another
                                             tem of justice and the rule of law. It is               ture performed by the most abusive re-                 administration or to another Congress.
                                             where due process goes to die. That is                  gimes in modern history. . . . [T]his                  Can this Senate summon the courage
                                             precisely why military officials, na-                                                                          to finally close this detention facility?
                                                                                                     abuse was of no practical value in
                                             tional security experts, and leaders on                                                                        I would like to test it on the floor of
                                                                                                     terms of intelligence or any other tan-
                                             both sides of the aisle have demanded                                                                          the Senate. As a matter of fact, isn’t
                                                                                                     gible benefits to U.S. interests.’’
                                             its closure for years.                                    Remember, I have just quoted these                   that why we are elected—to test a
                                               The facility was virtually designed to
                                                                                                     senior U.S. military officials who sat                 basic question like that?
                                             be a legal black hole where detainees                                                                            Next week, the Judiciary Committee
                                                                                                     on a jury where this man was being
                                             can be held incommunicado—beyond                                                                               is going to hold a hearing on how we
                                                                                                     tried, and they, in a handwritten let-
                                             the reach of law—and subjected to un-                                                                          can close Guantanamo once and for all.
                                             speakable torture and abuse. In the                     ter, wrote what I just read.
                                                                                                       Now, that last point is crucial. The                 There are more steps the Biden admin-
                                             words of a former senior official in the                                                                       istration can take to accelerate this
                                                                                                     human rights abuses committed in
                                             Bush administration, Guantanamo ex-                                                                            closure. One is by appointing a special
                                                                                                     Guantanamo and CIA black sites are
                                             isted in ‘‘the legal equivalent of outer
                                                                                                     not merely inhumane; they don’t work.                  envoy to the State Department to ne-
                                             space.’’
                                                                                                     They are ineffective.                                  gotiate transfer agreements for those
                                               It was created to circumvent the Ge-
                                             neva Conventions. What are those con-                     Khan testified: ‘‘I lied just to make                inmates who are scheduled to be trans-
                                             ventions? We know. They were the                        the abuse stop.’’                                      ferred—13 of the 39—to transfer them
                                             internationally accepted standard of                      Torturing him brought us no clarity,                 to other nations.
                                                                                                     brought us no truth, and brought us no                   We must also reach swift resolution
                                             humane treatment for detainees and
                                                                                                     closer to eradicating terrorism. In-                   in the remaining cases where charges
                                             prisoners. Guantanamo was designed to
                                                                                                     stead, stories about the torture of pris-              have been brought, instead of moving
                                             circumvent it and other longstanding
                                             treaties. This subversion of justice has                oners at Guantanamo have only galva-                   forward with military commissions.
                                             harmed detainees, it has undermined                     nized America’s enemies. They have                     Let’s finally accept the obvious: Mili-
                                             our moral standing, and it has failed to                been packaged into propaganda and re-                  tary commissions are not the answer in
                                             deliver justice, which it promised.                     cruitment tools for terrorism, which in                Guantanamo and have not been for 20
                                               For two decades, the families of                      turn endangers our service men and                     years. If there is one lesson we can
                                             Americans who died on 9/11 have waited                  women as well as our allies.                           learn from the shameful legacy of
                                             for the alleged conspirators, who are                     These accounts of abuse have also di-                Guantanamo, it is that we need to
                                             being detained in Guantanamo, to be                     minished our international standing.                   trust our system of justice. The use of
                                             brought to justice. For 20 years, they                  How can we claim credibility as a na-                  torture and military commissions that
                                             have been waiting, but the case still                   tion? How can we hold authoritarian                    deny due process have hindered our
                                             hasn’t come to trial. Imagine. If justice               dictators accountable if they can point                ability to bring terrorists to justice.
                                             delayed is justice denied, how can this                 to our own legacy of cruelty and indefi-               Going forward, we should adhere to the
                                             be justice at Guantanamo? Instead, the                  nite detention? The man was held for                   long-held values of humane treatment
                                             facility has become a symbol for                        20 years, and others are still being held              and the rule of law.
                                             human rights abuse, lawlessness, and                    without being brought to trial.                          Our Federal courts have proven more
                                             everything Major Fishback decried in                      Worse yet, the degrading conditions                  than capable of handling even the most
                                             his letter to Senator McCain.                           at Guantanamo are being funded by                      serious, complex terrorism cases. Since
                                               The stories out of Guantanamo and                     American taxpayers. How much is the                    9/11, hundreds of terrorism suspects
                                             CIA black sites are shocking. Let me                    cost of Guantanamo? Astronomic, that                   have been tried and convicted in our
                                             tell you one of them.                                   is how high it is. We spend more than                  Federal courts, and many are now




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                                               Last month, Guantanamo detainee                       $500 million a year to keep Guanta-                    being safely held in Federal prisons.
                                             Majid Khan testified before a military                  namo open—$500 million. Half a billion                 Compare that to the military commis-
                                             jury about the abuse he suffered in the                 dollars a year American taxpayers are                  sion case against the alleged conspira-
                                             facility and in CIA black sites. It was                 wasting to detain how many people for                  tors behind 9/11. It still hasn’t come to
                                             the first time a detainee has described                 half a billion dollars? Thirty-nine.                   trial more than two decades after that
                                             his torture at a CIA black site.                        Thirty-nine prisoners, $500 million, and               horrendous attack. The families who



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                                             S8808                                             CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                  November 30, 2021
                                             lost loved ones on that day deserve bet-                Risch and Cruz have proposed language                    Here is what he says:
                                             ter. America deserves better. And                       concerning this Putin pipeline that the                  We’ve seen the cost of our ‘‘sharing
                                             American patriots like Major Fishback                   House was able to pass almost unani-                   Thanksgiving basket’’ go up this year by 14.5
                                             deserve better as well.                                 mously. Unlike the House provision,                    percent. . . . We’ve seen our costs go up by
                                               We all deserve better than these                      the Risch-Cruz amendment includes a                    about 50 percent. The transportation compo-
                                             black holes that violate our national                   waiver provision that would give the                   nent of that is literally doubled.
                                             values and make true legal account-                     President more flexibility, which                         And he also explained that, since in-
                                             ability impossible.                                     makes the Democratic leader’s effort                   flation is also hammering his contribu-
                                               As Major Fishback wrote to Senator                    to shut the process down and block                     tors, charities and nonprofits may face
                                             McCain all those years ago, ‘‘If we                     their amendment all the more baffling.                 ‘‘donor fatigue’’ at precisely the time
                                             abandon our ideals in the face of adver-                  If there is opposition to the amend-                 they cannot afford a fall-off. The
                                             sity and aggression, then those ideals                  ment—if it can be improved with modi-                  Democrats’ inflation is hitting, lit-
                                             were never really in our possession.’’                  fications—then, by all means, let’s                    erally, every part of our society.
                                               It is time to live up to those ideals                 have a public debate.                                     A famous economist once said that
                                             that our troops have risked their lives                   Likewise, Senator PORTMAN has been                   inflation is the only form of tax that
                                             to defend.                                              a leading voice for bolstering our Euro-               can be levied without any legislation,
                                               It is time, at long last, to face reality             pean partners and delivering more                      but what is remarkable about 2021 is
                                             and honestly say, Close the detention                   meaningful support to Ukraine’s mili-                  that Democrats did directly legislate a
                                             facility in Guantanamo. Let’s put this                  tary. As Putin amasses forces on                       big chunk of this inflation into exist-
                                             dark chapter behind us once and for                     Ukraine’s border, the Senate should de-                ence. It is unusually traceable to delib-
                                             all.                                                    bate how to help the Ukrainians defend                 erate policy decisions they have made.
                                               And in the memory of Major                            themselves. The Democratic leader is                      One of the most famous Democratic
                                             Fishback and the U.S. officials on that                 trying to shut that down as well.                      economists in the country, Larry Sum-
                                             jury who spoke out, I thank them. I                       So the NDAA is not finished yet. So                  mers, tried to warn them. On February
                                             know it wasn’t easy. It is far easier to                the Senate cannot be finished yet ei-                  4, he wrote that the Democrats’ stim-
                                             remain silent and to avoid the obvious.                 ther. We need the same kind of normal,                 ulus could ‘‘set off inflationary pres-
                                             But they showed courage in disclosing                   robust, bipartisan amendment process                   sures of a kind we have not seen in a
                                             to the American people what occurred                    that always characterizes this bill, and               generation.’’ He said the same thing all
                                             at Guantanamo.                                          we need the Democratic leader to stop
                                                                                                                                                            springtime long.
                                               Now, do we even have the courage to                   trying to block the Senate from sanc-                     So did President Obama’s CEA chair:
                                             even debate this issue and vote on it on                tioning Putin’s cronies.
                                                                                                                                                              Jason Furman . . . said that the American
                                                                                                                          INFLATION
                                             the floor of the Senate?                                                                                       Rescue Plan is definitely ‘‘too big for the
                                               I yield the floor.                                       Now, Mr. President, on an entirely                  moment,’’ stating, ‘‘I don’t know of any
                                               I suggest the absence of a quorum.                    different matter, 88 percent of Ameri-                 economist that was recommending some-
                                               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-                         cans are concerned about inflation—                    thing the size of what was done.’’
                                             pore. The clerk will call the roll.                     most of them are very concerned—and                      But Washington Democrats had al-
                                               The bill clerk proceeded to call the                  77 percent of Americans say inflation                  ready decided months ago they would
                                             roll.                                                   has affected them personally. We have                  try to use the temporary pandemic as a
                                               Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, I                       a big and diverse country. It is hard to               Trojan horse for permanent socialism.
                                             ask unanimous consent that the order                    get that many Americans to agree on                      Remember last spring, when one of
                                             for the quorum call be rescinded.                       anything. But President Biden did                      the senior-most House Democrats
                                               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-                         promise he would unite the country,                    called it a ‘‘tremendous opportunity to
                                             pore. Without objection, it is so or-                   and on the Democrats’ watch, under                     restructure things to fit our vision’’ or,
                                             dered.                                                  the Democrats’ policies, the American                  earlier this fall, when President Biden
                                                 RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER                  people are united in their fear and frus-              himself said the pandemic ‘‘does
                                               The Republican leader is recognized.                  tration at runaway prices, falling pur-                present us with an opportunity.’’
                                                                   H.R. 4350
                                                                                                     chasing power, and all the con-                          For Democrats, this go-around, it has
                                                                                                     sequences of inflation. The men and                    never been about what families need; it
                                               Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, yes-
                                                                                                     women of this country are spending 20                  has only been about what activists
                                             terday, a bipartisan majority of Sen-
                                                                                                     percent more than last year for beef at                want.
                                             ators rejected the Democratic leader’s
                                                                                                     the grocery store, 50 percent more to                    So we got the first massive spending
                                             efforts to shut down debate on the Na-
                                                                                                     fill up the gas tank, 26 percent more for              bill in the springtime, and now a ma-
                                             tional Defense Authorization Act and
                                                                                                     less choice in used cars.                              jority of Americans ‘‘worry they won’t
                                             block new measures to get tougher on                       One recent article in the New York
                                             Russia.                                                                                                        be able to afford what they need during
                                                                                                     Times suggested that perhaps Ameri-
                                               The Democratic leader wants to                                                                               the holidays due to inflation.’’
                                                                                                     cans should forget about trying to buy
                                             block the Senate from fully and                                                                                  President Biden inherited an econ-
                                                                                                     their family members normal gifts and
                                             robustly debating a number of impor-                    settle for exchanging handwritten                      omy that was primed and ready for a
                                             tant issues—from how to manage the                      promises to tackle household chores,                   historic comeback—a fantastic inherit-
                                             fallout from the reckless Afghanistan                   such as ‘‘washing out the reusable plas-               ance. Since then, they have had less
                                             retreat to how to respond to China’s                    tic bags.’’ I guess the Grinch is doing                than a year at the controls, and we
                                             dramatic and destabilizing military                     some ghostwriting in his spare time.                   have got more than half the country
                                             modernization, to how to restore deter-                    Some weeks back, the White House                    actively worried their checking ac-
                                             rence against an emboldened Iran.                       Press Secretary tried to laugh off re-                 counts might not even get them
                                               The NDAA is supposed to be the bi-                    porters’ questions about the supply                    through the holidays.
                                             partisan forum for debating and acting                  chain and inflation crises. She literally                But Democrats aren’t offering the
                                             on these kinds of issues. Months ago,                   laughed at the idea that anybody                       country any contrition, any apology,
                                             the Armed Services Committee moved                      would be worried about the ‘‘tragedy of                or, more importantly, any course cor-
                                             this process forward—listen to this—23                  the treadmill that’s delayed.’’                        rection. Amazingly enough, they want
                                             to 3, but the Democratic leader has                        Well, the President’s staff are                     to come back around for an even bigger
                                             botched the floor process.                              yukking it up, but working parents                     bite at the apple. They want to try to
                                               It is especially bizarre to see the                   aren’t laughing. Middle-class families                 inflate their way out of inflation.
                                             Democratic leader so focused, so in-                    aren’t laughing.                                         Our colleagues have spent months




ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
                                             tent, on blocking the Senate from deal-                    A Kentuckian named Mike Halligan                    huddled behind closed doors, neglecting
                                             ing seriously with the growing aggres-                  isn’t laughing either. He runs a big                   the most basic governing duties, writ-
                                             sion from Putin’s Russia. He seems                      food bank in Lexington called God’s                    ing another reckless taxing-and-spend-
                                             downright desperate to block new bi-                    Pantry. They distribute more than 40                   ing spree that even the most conserv-
                                             partisan action on Nord Stream 2. It is                 million pounds of food every year at                   ative estimates say would add about
                                             really quite strange to see. Senators                   the local pantries all across my State.                $800 billion to deficits over the next 5



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                                             November 30, 2021                                 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                                S8809
                                             years alone. They want to take the in-                    Now, I should note that both of the                  fense of human rights and vulnerable
                                             flationary fire they helped start and                   individuals I just quoted are actually                 human beings, they remain—despite
                                             pour jet fuel on it. Even the CBO,                      supportive—supportive—of        abortion.              the best efforts of the abortion lobby—
                                             which has to swallow most of the                        But like many others, both recognize                   fundamentally uncomfortable with un-
                                             Democrats’ gimmicky math, estimates                     that Roe is simply bad law.                            restricted abortion.
                                             this bill would spend nearly $2 trillion                  In the Roe decision, the Supreme                       And so I think the root of the abor-
                                             and pile almost hundreds of billions                    Court reached far beyond the Constitu-                 tion lobby’s outrage is the knowledge
                                             more onto deficits over the next dec-                   tion in the Court’s interpretive role to               that if Roe is overturned, their radical
                                             ade.                                                    impose a new abortion regime on the                    abortion agenda is unlikely to prevail
                                               Perhaps more realistic are the out-                   entire country, and it is past time for                nationwide because the American peo-
                                             side, nonpartisan estimates that actu-                  this unconstitutional decision to be                   ple simply do not agree with them on
                                             ally account for what we all know:                      overturned and for the Court to return                 abortion.
                                             Democrats would never let the new en-                   jurisdiction over abortion to the                        The pro-abortion lobby and its allies
                                             titlements in their bill expire. Those                  States.                                                in the Democrat Party would like
                                             more realistic estimates put the total                    It is important to note that over-
                                                                                                                                                            Americans to believe that Mississippi’s
                                             cost—listen to this—just short of $5                    turning Roe would do just that: return
                                                                                                                                                            15-week abortion ban is extreme, rad-
                                             trillion, at a time when Chairman Pow-                  jurisdiction over abortion to the States
                                                                                                                                                            ical legislation. Well, nothing could be
                                             ell, who has been willing to let the                    and to elected officials who can be held
                                                                                                                                                            further from the truth.
                                             country run hot, is now warning that                    accountable for the decisions and ulti-
                                                                                                     mately to the American people.                           In fact, the United States of Amer-
                                             current uncertainties could keep infla-
                                                                                                       Many assume, incorrectly, that over-                 ica—the United States of America—is a
                                             tion elevated to a troubling level.
                                               Now, I could talk all day about how                   turning Roe would somehow automati-                    radical outlier on abortion. We are one
                                             the actual contents of this bill would                  cally ban abortion nationwide. It would                of only seven countries in the world
                                             hurt American families even more,                       not. It would simply return jurisdic-                  that allows elective abortion past 20
                                             about how it would take another big                     tion to the people’s elected representa-               weeks—one of just seven countries in
                                             step toward socialized medicine and                     tives.                                                 the entire world. Among those other
                                             pour cold water on the innovations and                    Abortion law would become the do-                    countries are China and North Korea,
                                             cures that save lives, how it would in-                 main of States and Congress, instead of                not exactly the kind of company you
                                             cinerate huge chunks of our energy                      the domain of unelected, activist mem-                 want to be keeping when it comes to
                                             sector and the jobs it supports in order                bers of the judiciary.                                 defending human rights.
                                             to keep pace with green preferences of                    Members of the radical pro-abortion                    Forty-seven out of fifty European
                                             California liberals, how it would wres-                 lobby, which controls the abortion                     countries—47 out of 50—either require
                                             tle authority over intimate decisions                   policies of the Democrat Party, are, of                women to have a specific reason for
                                             about childcare away from American                      course, up in arms over the Dobbs case.                seeking an abortion or limit elective
                                             families and put it in the hands of                     They are terrified—terrified—that the                  abortion to 15 weeks or earlier. Thirty-
                                             Washington bureaucrats, but the over-                   Supreme Court will overturn Roe, and                   two European countries, including
                                             all picture is impossible to mistake: In-               I suspect that the root of that fear is                France, Denmark, Switzerland, Nor-
                                             flation is hurting the American people,                 the knowledge that they need an activ-                 way, and many others, limit elective
                                             and Democrats want to print, borrow,                    ist Court for the radical abortion agen-               abortion to at or before 12 weeks’ ges-
                                             and spend trillions more—the most                       da.                                                    tation.
                                             out-of-touch agenda you could possibly                    Why? Because the American people                       Now, let’s consider that for just a
                                             imagine.                                                do not agree with the radical abortion                 minute. A substantial majority of Eu-
                                               I suggest the absence of a quorum.                    lobby on abortion.                                     ropean countries limit abortion to at
                                               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem-                           For all its efforts to paint abortion                or before 12 weeks. In other words, Mis-
                                             pore. The clerk will call the roll.                     on demand at any time up until the                     sissippi’s 15-week abortion law is not
                                               The bill clerk proceeded to call the                  moment of birth as the only possible                   on the radical fringe when it comes to
                                             roll.                                                   position, the pro-abortion lobby has                   abortion; it is squarely in the main-
                                               Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask                       completely failed to convince the                      stream for Western democracies, and it
                                             unanimous consent that the order for                    American people.                                       is, in fact, more permissive than the
                                             the quorum call be rescinded.                             Polls consistently show that a strong
                                                                                                                                                            abortion laws of a majority of Euro-
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.                            majority of the American people sup-
                                                                                                                                                            pean countries. And yet the abortion
                                             PADILLA). Without objection, it is so                   port at least some restrictions on abor-
                                                                                                                                                            lobby would have us believe that Mis-
                                             ordered.                                                tion. Gallup has been polling on abor-
                                                                                                                                                            sissippi is pushing some kind of ex-
                                                                 ABORTION                            tion for decades, and in all that time,
                                                                                                                                                            treme abortion legislation.
                                               Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, tomor-                      the percentage of Americans who be-
                                                                                                     lieve abortion should be legal under                     Let’s talk about unborn babies at 15
                                             row the Supreme Court will hear oral
                                                                                                     any circumstance has always remained                   weeks. Fifteen-week-old unborn chil-
                                             arguments in the Dobbs case, which
                                                                                                     under 35 percent. In fact, for most of                 dren have fully developed hearts that
                                             deals with a Mississippi law that would
                                                                                                     the past several decades, that number                  have already beaten more than 15 mil-
                                             prohibit most abortions after 15 weeks
                                             of pregnancy. This case offers the best                 has remained squarely under 30 per-                    lion times. They yawn. They make fa-
                                             opportunity in many years to see Roe                    cent.                                                  cial expressions. They suck their
                                             v. Wade overturned or modified—some-                      An Associated Press poll from this                   thumbs. They respond to taste and
                                             thing that is long overdue.                             June found that 65 percent of Ameri-                   touch. Scientific evidence suggests
                                               Roe v. Wade was a bad decision that                   cans believe that abortion should gen-                 that they can feel pain.
                                             should long ago have been reversed.                     erally be illegal in the second tri-                     Pro-abortion activists may not like
                                             Legal scholars from across the ideolog-                 mester—or from about 13 weeks of                       to hear it, but scientific evidence
                                             ical spectrum have criticized the deci-                 pregnancy—while a whopping 80 per-                     shows that the neural connections nec-
                                             sion, noting, in the words of one ex-                   cent of Americans believe that abor-                   essary to transmit pain are fully in
                                             pert:                                                   tion should generally be illegal in the                place by around 20 weeks and that ba-
                                               As constitutional argument, Roe is barely             third trimester. And it is no surprise.                bies may actually begin to experience
                                             coherent. The court pulled its fundamental                Despite the abortion lobby’s at-                     pain as early as 12 weeks.
                                             right to choose more or less from the con-              tempts to dehumanize unborn children                     So when we are talking about a 15-
                                             stitutional ether.                                      and portray them as nothing more than                  week-old unborn baby, we are talking




ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
                                               As another legal scholar put it, Roe                  clumps of cells or unwanted growths,                   about a baby who may very well al-
                                             is ‘‘a very bad decision . . . because it               most Americans are well aware that an                  ready be able to experience pain and
                                             is bad constitutional law, or rather be-                unborn child is a baby, a human being,                 will certainly be able to experience it a
                                             cause it is not constitutional law and                  an innocent human being.                               few weeks later, if she can’t now. Yet
                                             gives almost no sense of an obligation                    And because Americans generally                      in this country, it is perfectly legal to
                                             to try to be.’’                                         gravitate toward justice and the de-                   kill unborn children who are able to



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                                             S8810                                             CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                  November 30, 2021
                                             feel pain and kill them with an abor-                   the door to greater protection for un-                    What is that threat? The threat of
                                             tion procedure so brutal and barbaric it                born children. But win or lose—win or                  nuclear terrorism. If you are not rep-
                                             is difficult to even describe.                          lose—I and many, many, many others                     resenting a country and if you don’t
                                               Yet it needs to be mentioned because                  will continue to stand up for the                      care about dying, then the idea of a nu-
                                             we need to acknowledge the reality                      human rights of unborn Americans;                      clear response doesn’t scare you. It
                                             that we are killing unborn babies in                    and I am confident that, in the end,                   doesn’t deter you from taking that
                                             this country capable of feeling pain,                   right and justice and life will prevail.               kind of action.
                                             using a widely employed abortion pro-                     Mr. President, I yield the floor.                       How do we defend against that? What
                                             cedure that involves dismembering the                     I suggest the absence of a quorum.                   is deterrence 2.0 in the current world
                                             unborn child. As I said, it is incredibly                 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The                           where     international    terrorism—al-
                                             hard—in fact, it is heartbreaking, real-                clerk will call the roll.                              though it has not been on the front
                                             ly—to even talk about it.                                 The legislative clerk proceeded to                   pages recently—is still there?
                                               The abortion lobby would like to                      call the roll.                                            ISIS-K, ISIS, al-Qaida, al-Qaida in
                                             draw a veil over what happens inside                      Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask                   the Arabian Peninsula are all still
                                             abortion clinics, but the truth is that                 unanimous consent that the order for                   there. Boko Haram in Africa—they are
                                             abortions are brutal and inhumane—                      the quorum call be rescinded.                          all still there. They are all plotting.
                                             certainly to the baby but, in many re-                    The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
                                                                                                                                                            They are all working on ways that they
                                             spects, to the mother as well.                          objection, it is so ordered.
                                                                                                       (The remarks of Mr. BARRASSO per-                    can attack the West and the United
                                               Since the Supreme Court handed                                                                               States of America.
                                             down the Roe v. Wade decision, there                    taining to the introduction of S. 3287
                                                                                                                                                               If they could get ahold of the nuclear
                                             have been an estimated 62 million-plus                  are printed in today’s RECORD under
                                                                                                                                                            technology and nuclear building block,
                                             abortions in the United States. That                    ‘‘Statements on Introduced Bills and
                                                                                                                                                            which is enriched uranium, they would
                                             number is so big, it is pretty much                     Joint Resolutions.’’)
                                                                                                       Mr. BARRASSO. I yield the floor.                     use it. The terrorists who killed 3,000
                                             unfathomable. To put it in some kind                                                                           people on September 11 would kill—
                                             of perspective, 62 million is nearly                      I suggest the absence of a quorum.
                                                                                                       The PRESIDING OFFICER. The                           would have killed 3 million if they
                                             three times the population of the en-                                                                          could have.
                                                                                                     clerk will call the roll.
                                             tire State of Florida. That is how many                                                                           And so keeping nuclear materials and
                                                                                                       The legislative clerk proceeded to
                                             unique, unrepeatable human beings we                                                                           nuclear technology out of the hands of
                                                                                                     call the roll.
                                             have lost to abortion since Roe.                          Mr. KING. Mr. President, I ask unan-                 terrorists is, to me, one of the most im-
                                               We are better than this, and we have                                                                         portant functions that our government
                                                                                                     imous consent that the order for the
                                             to do better than this. Our country was                                                                        can perform.
                                                                                                     quorum call be rescinded.
                                             founded to safeguard human rights. We                     The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without                          And that brings me to the nomina-
                                             haven’t always lived up to that prom-                   objection, it is so ordered.                           tion of Corey Hinderstein for the posi-
                                             ise, but we have never stopped trying.                                                                         tion of Deputy Administrator for Nu-
                                                                                                            NOMINATION OF COREY HINDERSTEIN
                                             And it is time for us to continue that                                                                         clear Nonproliferation. She is im-
                                                                                                       Mr. KING. Mr. President, I have the
                                             work by standing up for the most vul-                                                                          mensely qualified and has worked in
                                                                                                     responsibility and the privilege to be
                                             nerable human beings among us: the                                                                             this field for almost 20 years; has
                                                                                                     the chair of something called the Stra-
                                             unborn children, whose human rights                                                                            worked on nuclear proliferation and
                                                                                                     tegic Forces Subcommittee of the
                                             are not protected and whose lives can                                                                          nonproliferation issues for most of
                                                                                                     Committee on Armed Services.
                                             be taken away at any time.                                                                                     those years, both in the government
                                                                                                       Strategic forces is a euphemism for
                                               Thanks to medical advancements, it
                                                                                                     nuclear weapons, and it is one of the                  and in the private sector. I would ven-
                                             is possible for babies born at 22 weeks
                                                                                                     most serious threats that we continue                  ture to say there is probably no one in
                                             to survive outside their mothers. It is
                                             also perfectly legal to kill unborn chil-               to face. We face threats all over the                  the United States who knows as much
                                             dren at 22 weeks. Now, something is                     world from pandemics, from terrorism,                  about this subject as she does.
                                                                                                     from a rising China, from a belligerent                   Ms. Hinderstein will be responsible
                                             radically wrong with that picture.
                                               How can an unborn child of 22 weeks                   Russia, but one of the most serious                    for a major part of the budget—$1.9 bil-
                                             be regarded as a human being worthy                     that sometimes gets lost in the discus-                lion—but she is responsible for control-
                                             of protection in one case and in the                    sion is the unthinkable catastrophe                    ling the proliferation of nuclear mate-
                                             other case be regarded as nothing but a                 that would be a nuclear exchange.                      rials, and that is so critical in light of
                                             clump of cells to be disposed of in an                    Throughout the last 70-plus years,                   the threat of nuclear terrorism. The
                                             abortion clinic?                                        our principle strategy for dealing with                only way we can keep them from at-
                                               The cognitive dissonance is mind-                     that threat has been deterrence, the                   tacking us is intelligence, knowing
                                             boggling.                                               idea that if you use nuclear weapons                   what is coming, and keeping these ma-
                                               The more we learn about unborn chil-                  against the United States of America,                  terials out of their hands; and that is
                                             dren, the more we see their humanity.                   you will pay the heaviest of prices, and               why this job is so important.
                                             It is impossible to look at an unborn                   that deterrence has worked. There                         She was approved by the committee
                                             baby kicking her feet and sucking her                   hasn’t been a use of nuclear weapon                    and recommended to the Senate 40
                                             thumb on an ultrasound and see her as                   since 1945, and there are now several—                 days ago. It is time to move this nomi-
                                             anything but the human being that she                   I can’t say the exact number for classi-               nation. Nominations can be held up for
                                             is. Science, medical advancements, and                  fication reasons—but there are a num-                  a variety of reasons and some policy
                                             plain old common sense all point inex-                  ber of nuclear countries in the world,                 reasons, and I understand that, but not
                                             orably to the humanity of the unborn                    nuclear-armed countries, China and                     in this case. And I am happy to report
                                             child.                                                  Russia among them. China is expand-                    that it appears that this nomination
                                               And human beings deserve to be pro-                   ing its nuclear capability exponen-                    will not be held up because I think all
                                             tected. A good place to start would be                  tially. Over the past several years,                   of our colleagues realize how important
                                             with laws like Mississippi’s, laws that                 they have been embarked on an enor-                    this function is in the government.
                                             would bring us into the mainstream of                   mous buildup of their nuclear capa-                       The most—the best nuclear strike is
                                             abortion laws worldwide. As I have                      bility.                                                the one that doesn’t occur. The only
                                             said, the United States is one of just                    But I want to talk about a nuclear                   way to prevent that is to stop the pro-
                                             seven countries in the entire world, in-                threat today in the context of the nom-                liferation of nuclear materials. This
                                             cluding China and North Korea, that                     ination that I am going to move in a                   problem is only growing. We know that
                                             allow elective abortion past 20 weeks of                few moments that, to me, is one of the                 Iran is now enriching uranium to a




ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
                                             pregnancy. I would like to think that                   most terrifying because it is a nuclear                much higher extent than they did
                                             we can do a better job of protecting un-                threat that deterrence doesn’t work                    under the JCPOA. We know that North
                                             born children’s human rights than                       on—a nuclear threat that deterrence,                   Korea is pursuing its own nuclear am-
                                             China and North Korea.                                  the fundamental strategy of our pre-                   bitions. India, Pakistan both have nu-
                                               So I hope that the Supreme Court                      vention of nuclear conflict for 70 years,              clear programs. So this is a clear and
                                             will uphold Mississippi’s law and open                  doesn’t work.                                          present danger to the United States of



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                                             November 30, 2021                                 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE                                                                 S8811
                                             America, and that is why this nomina-                   This, of course, was on top of about $5                leagues have spoken here on the Senate
                                             tion is so important.                                   trillion we spent last year in a bipar-                floor about the need to make this ex-
                                                              f                                      tisan fashion dealing with the COVID–                  pansion of the earned income tax credit
                                                                                                     19 pandemic. But, of course, this $6 tril-             permanent.
                                                       EXECUTIVE SESSION                             lion more was designed to be passed                      But the not-so-temporary extensions
                                                                                                     with a pure party-line vote through the                don’t end there. This bill extends the
                                                    EXECUTIVE CALENDAR                               reconciliation process.                                Affordable Care Act’s premium tax
                                                                                                       After some pushback, the $6 trillion                 credits through 2025, which our col-
                                               Mr. KING. Mr. President, I ask unan-                  figure that Chairman SANDERS pro-                      leagues claim will enable more Ameri-
                                             imous consent that the Senate proceed                   posed was cut back to 3.5, and now our                 cans to afford healthcare coverage. But
                                             to executive session to consider the fol-               colleagues in the House and elsewhere                  at the same time, this bill cuts funding
                                             lowing nomination, Calendar No. 475;                    are touting a new pared-down bill                      to safety net hospitals and States that
                                             that the Senate vote on the nomina-                     which spends only—and I underline the                  did not expand Medicaid. If their goal
                                             tion; the motion to reconsider be con-                  word ‘‘only’’—$1.75 trillion. I dare say               was to expand access to low-income in-
                                             sidered made and laid upon the table;                   that is a number that none of us can                   dividuals under the Medicaid Program,
                                             that no further motions be in order to                  fully comprehend given its magnitude,                  their bill cuts that funding to safety
                                             the nomination; that any statements                     but it has become—sort of rolls off our                net hospitals in States like mine that
                                             related to the nomination be printed in                 tongues like everybody understands                     did not expand Medicaid. These cuts
                                             the Record; and that the President be                   what a trillion dollars is like every-                 specifically target hospitals that treat
                                             immediately notified of the Senate’s                    body knows what a million is or a                      underinsured and uninsured patients.
                                             action and the Senate then resume leg-                  thousand or a hundred or ten dollars.                    In short, our colleagues are manipu-
                                             islative session, all with no intervening               But it is an enormous number.                          lating the budget process in a way that
                                             action or debate.                                         As our colleagues have slimmed and                   appears to extend access to healthcare
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without                        trimmed this bill to reach a pricetag                  while at the same time cuts funding to
                                             objection, it is so ordered.                            that could get consensus in the House,                 our most vulnerable patients—all in
                                               The clerk will report the nomination.                 some of their favorite provisions have                 the cause of pushing America closer to
                                               The legislative clerk read the nomi-                  fallen off the chopping block. They re-                a single-payer system, something like
                                             nation of Corey Hinderstein, of Vir-                    alize that programs like free college                  Medicare for All. I have no doubt that
                                             ginia, to be Deputy Administrator for                   actually cost a whole lot of money. So                 our colleagues across the aisle will, if
                                             Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Na-                   to live within this new number, which                  possible, not let these temporary provi-
                                             tional Nuclear Security Administra-                     I will talk about in a moment, Demo-                   sions expire.
                                             tion.                                                   crats in the House kept cutting and
                                               Thereupon, the Senate proceeded to                                                                             In the immortal words of Ronald
                                                                                                     cutting, but they found—instead of real                Reagan, though, ‘‘The closest thing to
                                             consider the nomination.                                cuts, they found another solution to
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The                                                                                   eternal life on earth is a [temporary]
                                                                                                     their problem of a topline. What they                  government program.’’
                                             question is, Will the Senate advise and                 have basically done is to create the il-
                                             consent to the Hinderstein nomina-                                                                               We have seen this movie before, time
                                                                                                     lusion of a lower pricetag without
                                             tion?                                                                                                          and again. It is smoke and mirrors. It
                                                                                                     making any real, substantive, long-
                                               The nomination was confirmed.                                                                                is budget gimmickry. It is starting new
                                                                                                     term cuts. How do you do that? Well, it
                                                                                                                                                            programs and claiming to cut them off
                                                              f                                      is the old-fashioned way; it is called
                                                                                                                                                            after a year, knowing that, inevitably,
                                                      LEGISLATIVE SESSION                            budget gimmicks.
                                                                                                                                                            Congress will be tempted to extend
                                                                                                       Rather than remove these expensive
                                                                                                                                                            them much, much longer.
                                                                                                     programs entirely, they chose to create
                                                                                                     a number of arbitrary cliffs, sunsets,                   Well, before this bill comes to a vote
                                             NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZA-                                                                                    in the Senate, I hope our Democratic
                                               TION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR                              and expirations. That way, they could
                                                                                                     pretend to pass these bills at a lower                 colleagues will agree with me that we
                                               2022—Continued                                                                                               need to know precisely how much this
                                                                                                     cost with the tacit promise to continue
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-                       them at another time and on another                    bill will cost the American people. We
                                             ate will now resume legislative session.                day.                                                   know that our colleagues across the
                                               Mr. KING. Thank you, Mr. President.                     One example of this was the expanded                 aisle have struggled to try to make a $6
                                               I yield the floor.                                    child tax credit. Our Democratic col-                  trillion bill appear to be a $3.5 trillion
                                               I suggest the absence of a quorum.                    leagues originally crafted this as a                   and now a $1.75 trillion bill, but I don’t
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The                            temporary measure in their partisan                    think anybody is really fooled or con-
                                             clerk will call the roll.                               bill that became law in March, just 8                  fused. Because they have strategically
                                               The legislative clerk proceeded to                    months ago. The first payments had                     chosen start dates, sunsets, and expira-
                                             call the roll.                                          barely gone out the door when they de-                 tion dates to make it appear that these
                                               Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask                      cided to call for making those tem-                    programs cost less, we know that even-
                                             unanimous consent that the order for                    porary provisions permanent in the                     tually, if they have the votes, they will
                                             the quorum call be rescinded.                           BBB, the so-called Build Back Better                   be extended through eternity.
                                               The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.                            bill. Our colleagues knew that a perma-                  Our colleagues gamed the Tax Code
                                             LUJÁN). Without objection, it is so or-                nent extension and expansion would                     to partially fund the bill while handing
                                             dered.                                                  have been far too expensive to meet                    out massive tax breaks to millionaires
                                                             BUILD BACK BETTER                       their topline, so they pretended to cut                and billionaires. I am glad to see the
                                               Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, our                        it by making it a temporary extension.                 chairman of the Budget Committee say
                                             Democratic colleagues in the House                        Earlier drafts of this bill would have               that we really shouldn’t be focused on
                                             and, to some extent, here in the Senate                 extended this policy through 2025. As                  tax cuts to millionaires and billion-
                                             have talked about how the so-called                     time went on, the pricetag was still too               aires in blue States and cities like New
                                             Build Back Better legislation is pop-                   high, so it was scaled back to a 1-year                York or San Francisco, which is ex-
                                             ular, but I think the main reason it is                 extension. But the truth is, nothing                   actly what the Democratic bill tries to
                                             popular is because, frankly, many                       has really changed. Calls to make the                  provide—tax cuts to millionaires and
                                             Members of Congress and certainly the                   expansion permanent have not gone                      billionaires in blue States.
                                             public at large don’t know what is in                   away. I have seen no indication that                     This bill is really chock-full of incon-




ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with SENATE
                                             it. So I would like to spend just a few                 our colleagues across the aisle are con-               sistencies. It claims to extend access to
                                             minutes talking about that.                             tent to let this extension expire after                healthcare while cutting off access to
                                               First of all, there is the size of the                just 1 year.                                           Medicaid or some of the safety net pro-
                                             bill. Originally, the Budget Committee                    The same is true of the earned in-                   grams in States like mine. It claims
                                             chairman, the Senator from Vermont,                     come tax credit, which also was ex-                    that, well, we are going to tax the rich
                                             floated a $6 trillion spending bonanza.                 panded in March. A number of our col-                  folks while at the same time providing



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