Senate Record, December 16, 2021 — Congressional Record
Summary
Congressional Record, Senate, Thursday, December 16, 2021, No. 217 (pages S9219 to S9221). Schumer honors Senator Jack Reed for casting an 8,000th vote, reports filing cloture on 22 of President Biden's nominees, and speaks on voting rights; he also moves to discharge the Committee on the Judiciary from further consideration of a nomination to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. Schumer thanks Sara Schwartzman, who is leaving the Senate for NASA. McConnell speaks under the heading Kentucky about the tornado storm in Western Kentucky and under the heading Build Back Better Act. Ernst speaks under the heading Violence Against Women Act.
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“Senate Record, December 16, 2021 — Congressional Record.”
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Congressional Record
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117 th CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021 No. 217
Senate
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was CONCLUSION OF MORNING TRIBUTE TO JACK REED
called to order by the President pro BUSINESS Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Madam Presi-
tempore (Mr. LEAHY). The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning dent, I want to begin today with some
f business is closed. celebrations.
Recently, our dear colleague and
PRAYER f friend Senator JACK REED of Rhode Is-
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- land cast his 8,000th vote as a Sen-
fered the following prayer: EXECUTIVE SESSION ator—a remarkable milestone for one
Let us pray. of the most beloved and respected
Eternal God, You have brought us to Members of this body.
this season of great expectations as we EXECUTIVE CALENDAR A lifelong Rhode Islander, a graduate
prepare our hearts to welcome Your in- of West Point, and the dean of the
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
tervening in human affairs. Rhode Island congressional delegation,
Lord, use our Senators to bring peace the previous order, the Senate will pro-
ceed to executive session to resume Senator REED is one of America’s best
and unity to our Nation and world. In- examples of doing politics and public
spire them to embrace optimism as consideration of the following nomina-
tion, which the clerk will report. service the right way: no fuss, no non-
they serve You and humanity. Help
The bill clerk read the nomination of sense—just results.
them yield to the inflow of Your in- Over the years, he has been a mentor,
sight, vision, and guidance. Atul Atmaram Gawande, of Massachu-
setts, to be an Assistant Administrator a friend, and an invaluable resource for
Lord, we also pray for the millions
of the United States Agency for Inter- countless Members on both sides of the
who live in constant deprivation: the
homeless and hungry, the oppressed national Development. aisle. Few in this Chamber can match
and persecuted. Teach us how to share RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY LEADER
his expertise on matters of national de-
our more than enough with those who fense, veterans affairs, and the mili-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
rarely have enough. tary. I would also add that the same
jority leader is recognized.
We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. can be said about matching his attend-
f ance. Over the years, he has missed
f
just 38 votes on his way to 8,000—good
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE MOTION TO DISCHARGE for an attendance percentage of 99.5
The President pro tempore led the Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, percent. Wow.
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: pursuant to S. Res. 27, the Committee As the Senate has undergone change
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the on the Judiciary being tied on the over the years, Senator REED has re-
United States of America, and to the Repub- question of reporting, I move to dis- mained the same: focused on Rhode Is-
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, charge the Senate Committee on the land, focused on our country, focused
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Judiciary from further consideration of on keeping this Chamber working on
f the nomination of Holly A. Thomas, of behalf of the American people. We are
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME California, to be United States Circuit lucky to call Senator REED our col-
Judge for the Ninth Circuit from the league and friend.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under And so congratulations, JACK, on this
Committee on the Judiciary.
the previous order, the leadership time milestone, and here is to 8,000 more
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
is reserved. votes to come.
the provisions of S. Res. 27, there will
The Senator from Nevada.
Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, I suggest now be up to 4 hours of debate on the NOMINATIONS
the absence of a quorum. motion, equally divided between the Madam President, last night, I filed
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The two leaders or their designees, with no cloture on 22 of President Biden’s
clerk will call the roll. motions, points of order, or amend- nominees who, to date, have been
The bill clerk proceeded to call the ments in order. pointlessly stalled by Republican ob-
roll. Mr. SCHUMER. I ask for the yeas struction—22. We are going to work
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I and nays. until they are all confirmed by this
ask unanimous consent that the order The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a Chamber, and we may need to add
for the quorum call be rescinded. sufficient second? more.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. There appears to be a sufficient sec- In past years, many of these nomi-
ROSEN). Without objection, it is so or- ond. nees would have sailed through with
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dered. The yeas and nays are ordered. consent and cooperation, but, this
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
®
S9219
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S9220 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 16, 2021
year, a handful of Republicans have hi- daunting and awesome responsibility, We have received important assist-
jacked the rules of the Senate to slow and while the spotlight often falls on ance from here in Washington as well.
the process down. It is cynical; it is en- the men and women who stand behind Yesterday, the President announced
tirely pointless; and worst of all, it is these desks, this place would quickly the Federal Government will fund the
damaging—seriously damaging—to our unravel without the staff who work entire cost of debris removal and emer-
national security. their magic behind the scenes. gency protective measures in the eight
This is the consequence of Repub- Today, we say goodbye and thank counties hardest hit by the storm for
lican obstruction. We are going to you to one of those incredible staffers, the next month. Local officials won’t
work on getting these nominees con- Sara Schwartzman, who will soon leave need to worry about overstretching
firmed as long as it takes, and we could the Senate to pursue an opportunity budgets. They can just focus on re-
be back here in the near future doing with NASA. building.
this whole thing over again. I join with all of my colleagues and My team and I are working hard to
For all the tortured logic we hear with the rest of the Senate staff in say- continue connecting Kentuckians with
coming from the other side for why ing thank you, Sara, and best of luck the resources they need. I have set up
these nominations remain frozen, the on the road ahead. a portal on my Senate office website to
fact is that my Republican colleagues Thirteen years ago, Sara came to the help my constituents access govern-
who are holding these nominations up Senate as a legislative support clerk ment assistance. It has a full list of
are deliberately making the American with the executive clerk’s office. Over services provided by our disaster re-
people less safe and making it harder the years, she climbed up the ranks, sponse Agencies.
for the administration to address the thanks to her skill and to her dedica- Because of the Federal Government’s
national security and economic chal- tion, eventually becoming bill clerk in swift action in the past week, victims
lenges that face our Nation. 2015. of these tornadoes can access housing
It is unacceptable, and we are going For those who don’t know, the bill assistance, legal aid, crisis counseling,
to work to confirm these important clerk is one of the first gatekeepers for and more.
nominees. all new bills and resolutions that are I recommend every impacted Ken-
VOTING RIGHTS introduced to the Senate. It is the bill tuckian take advantage of these re-
Now, on voting rights, Madam Presi- clerk who brings order and sequence to sources, and my office is here to help
dent, as we continue working to bring the actions of this body, recording the you navigate.
the Senate to a position where we can Senate’s legislative activities, assign- I will travel back to Kentucky to-
move forward on Build Back Better, ing numbers to every bill and resolu- morrow to visit several of the commu-
Senate Democrats have spent the past tion, cataloging the status of each. nities that were hit hardest and meet
few weeks engaged in a separate discus- In good times, this is difficult and with local leaders who are spear-
sion on addressing another critical and precise work. But over the last few heading recovery efforts. I will listen
urgent priority—protecting the right years, as we all know, Sara fulfilled her to their concerns and bring their sto-
to vote and safeguarding our elections. duties in the midst of a global pan- ries back to Washington to ensure that
Yesterday, I joined with a number of demic and has had to adapt in unprece- they get the help they desperately
my colleagues in detailed conversa- dented ways. Through it all, she never need.
tions about how the Senate will get missed a beat. The scene on the ground in Western
voting rights done in time for the 2022 After 13 years, Sara deserves her Kentucky is still devastating and quite
elections, including advancing the gleaming sendoff as she pursues her discouraging. For far too many fami-
Freedom to Vote Act and the John next adventure in life. And as we say lies, this Christmas will be tragically
Lewis Voting Rights Act. goodbye, we hope she knows she can al- abnormal. But we will continue to
In State after State, Republican-led ways call this place home, and we will work together to provide Kentucky
legislatures are approving the most forever be grateful for all she has done with the resources it needs to recover,
draconian voter registration laws that to make this Chamber come to life. bigger and better than before.
we have seen since segregation, and So to Sara, thank you. Thank you for BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
they are doing it on an entirely par- everything. We will miss you, and we Now, Madam President, on an en-
tisan basis. Let me repeat that. Repub- can’t wait to see what the future has in tirely different matter, two in three
licans at the State level are passing store for you. Americans want the Federal Govern-
the most egregious restrictions on vot- (Applause.) ment to ‘‘cut back on spending and
ing rights that we have seen since seg- I yield the floor. printing money.’’ That is two out of
regation, and they are doing it on an RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER three Americans want the Federal Gov-
entirely partisan basis. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Re- ernment to cut back on spending and
Senate Democrats are working to publican leader is recognized. printing money. But our Democratic
find a path forward to respond to these KENTUCKY colleagues spent the last several
attacks by passing legislation like the Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, months trying as hard as possible to do
Freedom to Vote Act and the Voting Western Kentucky is still reeling from exactly—exactly—the opposite.
Rights Advancement Act. Part of that last weekend’s devastating storm, but Washington Democrats have spent
conversation involves finding ways to support is rolling in from around the months trying to borrow, print, and
restore the Senate so it can, once Commonwealth, our region, and the spend trillions more dollars, right into
again, work as it is supposed to, as it country as well. the teeth of the worst inflation in al-
has worked for generations before the Yesterday, I spoke with the CEO of most 40 years.
gridlock of the past decade or so. LifePoint Health. They operate 10 hos- They have sought to turn their
These conversations are ongoing. The pitals in Kentucky, including one in monthly welfare entitlement with no
fight to protect voting rights is far hard-hit Mayfield. Miraculously, their work requirements from a temporary
from over in the Senate. Just because Jackson Purchase Medical Center sur- COVID measure into a permanent pol-
Republicans will not join us to defend vived the tornado mostly intact. Now icy—cash welfare with no work re-
democracy does not mean that Demo- it is offering much needed medical quirements, literally forever.
crats will stop fighting. This matter is services right there in Mayfield. Seventy-six percent of Americans say
too important not to act, even if it Nurses and doctors have worked lit- these handouts haven’t helped their
means we must act alone to get the erally day and night. LifePoint Health
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
families at all. Yet Democrats want to
Senate working. shipped water tankers to their facility dump many billions more.
TRIBUTE TO SARA SCHWARTZMAN to bolster local supply, and the com- Just step back and look at all the
Madam President, finally, a fare- pany has pledged a million dollars to ways their leftwing wish list could hurt
well—as anyone who has been here a help Kentucky rebuild. a young family in middle America.
while knows, the U.S. Senate is more Across our region, individuals and First, they would need to cross their
than just the sum of its elected Mem- companies are opening their hearts, fingers that the private or employer-
bers. Making this institution work is a homes, and wallets to help. sponsored insurance they chose to
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December 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9221
meet their family’s specific needs isn’t ELECTIONS First, S. 610 needed to clear and did
shoved off a cliff in Democrats’ latest Madam President, so, look, we have clear a 60-vote threshold. Sixty-four
lurch toward more socialized medicine. discussed over and over again why Senators voted to invoke cloture on
And they will have to hope their war Democrats will not be allowed to fed- the motion to concur in the House
on the medical innovation sector eralize our elections and lord over all amendment. The Senate’s consider-
doesn’t prevent the development of 50 States like a self-appointed board of ation and passage of the bill fully
lifesaving cures their family might elections on steroids. My colleagues obeyed the Standing Rules of the Sen-
have relied on some years down the across the aisle have pushed absurd ate.
road. bills that would do things like neuter By contrast, ramming through a dif-
Say the family has one or two young voter ID laws; make every State legal- ferent fast-track procedure—or any
kids. Maybe their ideal arrangement is ize ballot harvesting; turn the Federal other piece of legislation—with 50
a church-based daycare. They would Election Commission into a biased, votes over the objections of Senators
need to say a prayer their faith-based partisan body; and even send taxpayer requesting the 60-vote threshold would
center isn’t sued and chased out of money to political campaigns. mean ‘‘going nuclear,’’ shredding the
business thanks to Washington Demo- It isn’t about ‘‘voting rights’’; it is a rules, and destroying the filibuster.
crats’ toddler takeover. naked power grab. Democrats have Last week, the Senate followed the
Their plan would give nothing to full- been pushing the same kinds of bills rules. The far left wants Democrats to
time parents, grandparent caregivers, literally for years, even as their stated break the rules. There is no compari-
nanny shares, or neighborhood co-ops. justifications have changed wildly.
son.
It would push faith-based providers out When Republicans win elections or
Second, there was nothing novel
of the public square by design, and it start polling well, Democrats and the
about S. 610 establishing a new, lim-
could inflate daycare costs—listen to media say our democracy is badly bro-
ited, expedited, simple-majority Senate
this—by up to $12,000 or $13,000 per ken, on death’s door, and needs a rad-
procedure via statute.
child per year. ical overhaul. The answers presented
are these policies. When Democrats win The Senate has passed many such
If Democrats get their way, let’s laws creating many such procedures.
hope neither parent is one of the many elections, Democrats and the media
say our democracy is sterling, beyond Examples date back at least to the
Americans who work in our domestic 1930s.
energy sector. Our colleagues’ bill has reproach, and just needs modest safe-
guards to protect the status quo, but, The much-used budget reconciliation
a huge pile of new redtape aimed at process—with its limited, expedited,
putting their industry literally out of again, the answers presented are the
very same policies. simple-majority Senate procedure—is a
business. statutory creation of the Congressional
But no matter where they work, they Lately, their pretext has been dema-
gogic attacks on State voting laws and Budget and Impoundment Control Act
will face inflated prices to heat their of 1974 and its amendments.
homes and fill up at the gas pump. proposals. If any State scraps any of
the temporary pandemic procedures Other examples include the Trade
For all of these bad ideas and many
that Democratic operatives favor, the Act of 1974, the Defense Base Realign-
more, our colleagues wanted to spend
radical left says the sky is falling. But ment and Closure Act of 1990, the Con-
trillions upon trillions more dollars
outside of the liberal bubble, nobody gressional Review Act of 1996, the
right into the teeth—into the teeth—of
buys this nonsense. The country is not Budget Control Act of 2011, and the Bi-
runaway inflation that they have al-
buying the hysteria. partisan Congressional Trade Priorities
ready caused.
Yesterday, we got indications the far On election day last month—listen to and Accountability Act of 2015. In all
left’s slapdash sprint may be hitting this—even in deep-blue New York, vot- these instances, the Senate passed laws
the pause button. Well, that would cer- ers rejected liberal ballot measures that set up new, limited, expedited,
tainly be great news for the American that would have liberalized no-excuse simple-majority Senate procedures for
people. The best Christmas gift Wash- absentee voting and loosened up the considering specific issues within spe-
rules on voter registration. Both those cific parameters.
ington could give working families
were voted down in New York. Not In this historical context, the one-
would be putting this bad bill on ice.
even blue New York wants these poli- time Senate process that S. 610 created
SENATE RULES
cies to weaken their elections. But was notably limited and minimalistic.
Madam President, now, on another some Democrats want to break the It could only be accessed once, during a
matter, as cracks keep forming in the Senate and trash its rules to force narrow stretch of time, for one specific
Democrats’ reckless taxing-and-spend- these sorts of things on all 50 States? It purpose, with no other provisions or
ing spree, some of our colleagues is beyond absurd. amendments permitted.
seemed to channel their frustration I understand my colleagues are frus- In sum, the Senate’s recent action on
into even more radical attempts to at- trated they may not get to spend $4.9 the debt limit did not change the fili-
tack our government institutions. trillion on the way out the door for
In the span of a few hours, one Sen- buster any more than BRAC, TPA, or
Christmas, but, believe me, lashing out the Budget ‘‘Super-Committee’’
ate Democrat had renewed calls to at our democracy, at the Supreme
‘‘nuke’’ the Senate and break the rules, changed the filibuster—which is to say,
Court, and at the Senate itself is not not at all.
and another published a national op-ed going to solve anything.
arguing that Democrats should attack As the widely admired and acclaimed
SENATE RULES expert on Senate procedure Marty Gold
the rule of law and pack the Supreme Madam President, last week, bipar-
Court—two frontal assaults on two summarized last week, ‘‘this expedited
tisan majorities in the Senate and procedure will be created in accordance
branches of government proposed in House passed S. 610 and the President
the space of about 2 hours. Entire gen- with the Standing Rules of the Senate,
signed the bill into law. through passage of a regular order bill.
erations of statesmen would have seen This law prevented painful Medicare
either one of these unhinged proposals The entire process must begin with 60
cuts and established a one-time, expe- votes. [And] if it becomes law, it will
as Armageddon for our institutions. dited, simple-majority process to make
Ah, but apparently today’s Democrats be the narrowest expedited procedure
Senate Democrats raise the nation’s
try both at once and just call it ever passed.’’
debt limit with only Democratic votes.
Wednesday. This week, some far-left activists and Last week’s episode did not give radi-
We have heard false claims that the cals any pretext to wreck the Senate.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
Senate Democrats who have spent
Senate obeying our rules to address the months agitating to ‘‘nuke’’ the Senate Just the opposite. The Senate’s func-
debt limit somehow paves the way for are pretending that S. 610 represented tioning confirmed again that the cur-
radicals to break the rules. some novel watershed for the Senate rent Senate rules generate bipartisan
Madam President, I would ask unani- that gives them license to attack the compromise when the country needs it.
mous consent that an additional state- institution. TRIBUTE TO SARA SCHWARTZMAN
ment on that subject be printed in a These are factual claims, and they Madam President, now on one final
different place in the RECORD. are false. matter, when the Senate does adjourn
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S9222 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 16, 2021
for the holidays, we will also bid fare- train to East St. Louis, IL, I will never was good reason for it. They knew they
well to a talented Senate staff leader know because there were virtually had to take seriously what Putin
who has kept our institution running. none of them able to speak English, might do against them.
Sara Schwartzman is one of the Sen- but they did. They arrived, and I grew Russia, under Vladimir Putin, has
ate’s finest. Sara has been a familiar up the son of a Lithuanian immigrant undertaken regular military, cyber,
face around the Senate and on the dais who was proud of what her family left and political efforts to destabilize
for more than a decade, and the most behind and prouder still of what they Lithuania and the Baltic States, but
visible parts of her work as the Sen- found in this great country as Lithua- Lithuania will not be bullied. And I am
ate’s bill clerk have certainly made her nian Americans. glad that in the just-passed National
‘‘C–SPAN famous.’’ I have had a special attachment and Defense Authorization Act, we re-
For years, she was among the fore- interest in the Baltic States—and par- affirmed our commitment to Baltic se-
most experts on the pronunciation of ticularly Lithuania—ever since. It has curity in the amendment that I offered.
‘‘Mr. Alexander.’’ More recently, she been my good fortune to follow their Lithuania is also standing firm
has become well practiced in the deliv- history from Soviet occupation and op- against the giant nation of China,
ery of ‘‘Ms. BALDWIN.’’ But Sara’s pression to freedom and democracy which is trying to cut off supplies and
speaking role barely scratches the sur- today. punish the Lithuanian economy simply
face of her crucial responsibilities as If you go on a search engine on your because the Lithuanians have estab-
the bill clerk. Day in and day out, she computer and type in the word ‘‘fear- lished trade ties with Taiwan. Yet
and her team are the traffic cops for less,’’ don’t be surprised if the map of again, Lithuania will not be bullied.
mountains of legislative text and Lithuania pops up. This small nation, On Lithuania’s immediate border,
amendments. Sara tracks the paper 2.6 million in population, has done there is a heroic struggle to end the
and the records. Before the Senate can some remarkable things in history and last dictator in Europe, Lukashenko in
formally pass anything, it has to make remarkable still in modern history. Belarus. Most of us remember last year
a stop at her desk. For half a century, millions lived when this Belarusian dictator,
As if these core duties weren’t under the tyranny and oppression of Lukashenko, once again, after the
enough to keep even the most meticu- the Soviet Union. Before I was elected bogus election results were announced,
lous multitasker busy, Sara has gener- to public office, I went to visit Vilnius proceeded to jail those who had the te-
ously made herself available to folks in Lithuania in 1978, and I saw Soviet merity to run against him in the elec-
throughout the institution as an infor- rule firsthand. I am glad I did because tion. That has become normal with
mal resource. Bill status? Procedural it is such a sharp contrast to the Lith- this man. This dictator, if somebody
hurdles? Sara’s encyclopedic expertise uania of today. shows the nerve to run against him,
has been just a phone call away. It is In the late 1980s, things began to will announce that he has beaten them
safe to say her colleagues will miss this change, particularly in the Baltic by 80 percent-plus and then put them
other sort of Senate hotline. States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lith- in jail.
As for Sara, one might worry that uania. Who can forget when 2 million When popular social media person-
someone whose job is a part of every people—2 million people—joined hands ality Sergei Tikhanovsky found him-
late-night vote and weekend session
across these three nations to form a self arbitrarily jailed, his wife Svetlana
would struggle to fill her newfound free
420-mile Baltic Chain of Freedom in Tikhanovskaya courageously stepped
time, but I understand that, in this
August of 1989. Not long thereafter, in in to run in his place. She probably
case, the Senate’s loss is another sto-
February of the following year, Lith- won that election, but of course
ried institution’s gain. Sara is leaving
uania held its first free elections since Lukashenko would never allow those
Washington but staying in public serv-
World War II, voting for the country’s results to be announced. So what did
ice, working in an exciting role with
first post-war noncommunist govern- she do after the election, her husband
NASA.
So, Sara, thank you for your years of ment. Immediately thereafter, the new in jail? She fled Belarus. Where did she
service, and good luck in the exciting Parliament voted to make Lithuania go for safety for herself and her chil-
chapters ahead. the first occupied Soviet republic to dren? Lithuania. Not surprisingly,
(Applause.) declare independence. Lithuania’s bold Lithuania. She found a welcoming na-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The move was followed later that year by tion next door, and she continues her
Democratic whip. Latvia and Estonia. struggle for a free and democratic
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, let These brave efforts culminated a Belarus out of Vilnius, Lithuania.
me first echo the comments of Senator year later in February of 1991 when the Belarus and Russia have retaliated
MCCONNELL, as well as Senator SCHU- Lithuanian people voted for independ- against Lithuania with cruel and man-
MER earlier, in wishing Sara ence. Those brave Lithuanians 30 years ufactured migrant flows and other in-
Schwartzman the very best in her next ago, including my friend, music pro- timidation, but once again, Lithuania
undertaking. fessor, and national leader Vytautas will not be bullied.
Whatever the challenge may be, I Landsbergis, led that country back to Secretary of State Blinken under-
hope the hours are better because I democracy. stands the importance of this Lithua-
know that the sacrifices made by you That Lithuanian effort three decades nian nation and continues to make
and members of our staff because of ago is still alive today. As a vibrant sure they know they have friends in
our peculiar scheduling in the Senate and vital member of the European the United States. He recently hosted
have caused some strains and stress Union and NATO, this small and brave Lithuanian Foreign Minister and
and pressure and hardship. nation is standing firm against re- grandson of Vytautas Landsbergis at
But thank you so much for making newed Russian aggression and now Chi- the State Department and then trav-
the Senate better with your service nese economic intimidation and de- eled to the Baltic States to reaffirm
every single day. fending heroic efforts to end tyranny in American solidarity.
LITHUANIA AND BELARUS Belarus. It is one of the most vocal Blinken said clearly at the State De-
Madam President, I have tried to vis- countries on Earth in defending demo- partment that Foreign Minister
ualize this experience so many times: cratic values and norms. Is it because Landsbergis ‘‘has been such a strong
It was in July of 1911, and a ship ar- they have a nuclear stockpile? No. A voice for democracy and human rights
rived in Baltimore from Germany. A massive army? No. They are just deter- not just in Lithuania, but around the
mined, principled people who are cou- world.’’ I couldn’t agree more. I
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
family came down the gangplank. One
of the members of the family was my rageous. couldn’t be more proud.
grandmother, and she brought her Some years ago, I visited the Lithua- So let’s use this 30th anniversary of
three children. One of them was a 2- nian town of Rukla, where U.S. and Lithuanian independence to stand firm
year-old little girl—blonde-haired— German forces were rotating through with our brave ally and recommit to
named Ona, my mother. as part of the European Reassurance our continued support for our Baltic al-
How they managed to navigate their Initiative aimed at keeping the Baltic lies through economic and security co-
way through Baltimore and catch a safe from Russian aggression. There operation. Doing so will help ensure
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December 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9223
the next 30 years of the longstanding Five other defendants, including an- economic consequences alone are suffi-
U.S.-Baltic friendship are equally other Presidential candidate and a cient reason to oppose Democrats’
strong and fruitful. journalist from Radio Free Europe, re- ‘‘Build Back Bankrupt’’ plan. But it is
In early 2011, a trip through these ceived an equally outrageous sentence a lot more than just about excessive
same Baltic countries gave me one from Lukashenko. What a waste; what spending.
more extraordinary experience in my an outright theft of the Belarusian peo- With their ‘‘Build Back Bankrupt’’
Senate career. I went on a road trip ple’s future. plan, Democrats envision a society
from the free, democratic Lithuania These people must be freed, and we which government is intimately in-
back in time to the closed, totalitarian must continue to support Ms. volved in nearly every aspect of Ameri-
nation of Belarus. Crossing over that Tikhanovskaya’s effort, and her hus- cans’ life—from, to quote a New York
border was like driving onto a Holly- band, and the thousands upon thou- Times article, ‘‘cradle to grave.’’ And
wood movie set. I looked along the sands who peacefully protest on her be- that is not a vision Republicans share,
roads for telephone poles or evidence of half. primarily because a government that is
electricity and found none. It looked LITHUANIA intimately involved in nearly every as-
like a bucolic, rural village, mile after Madam President, this morning I was pect of your life is a government that
mile after mile, indicating how eco- listening to the news, as I came in, on is going to exert control over your life.
nomic development has still yet to ar- National Public Radio. And I will close More government inevitably means
rive in Belarus. by just noting that the most recent re- more government control.
You see, this last dictatorship of Eu- port led me to make this statement on Take Democrats’ childcare plan in
rope held a Presidential election in De- the floor today. their Build Back Better legislation. To
cember 2010, and I wanted to be there It seems that the Lithuanians have hear Democrats talk about it, you
in 2011 to meet with the families of been compelled to close their Embassy might think this plan involves nothing
those who had the temerity to run in Beijing. The Chinese Government more than cutting checks to American
against Lukashenko and were in jail. will no longer promise the most basic parents to help with their childcare
So I drove from Vilnius to Minsk to tenet of ambassadorial representation: bills, but that is not the case.
meet with those family members. They diplomatic immunity. They are still First, of course, Democrats take the
had been arrested by the security serv- angry because this little country of 2.6 opportunity to add a lot of new
ices of Belarus, which are still called million people is establishing trade re- childcare mandates and regulations.
the KGB. lations with Taiwan. According to one estimate, Democrats’
It was a sobering meeting. Many The Chinese have said they are cut- childcare subsidy measure could drive
tears were shed. Fortunately, over ting off all exports and imports to up the cost of daycare by somewhere
time, by working at it doggedly, we Lithuania, putting pressure on them around $13,000 per child. Good luck
eventually saw the release of all the for their political courage. It won’t working that into your family budget.
brave Belarusians who had been jailed work, I might say, to Prime Minister Democrats’ government subsidy pro-
at that time. Xi. These people are not going to be gram is set up to favor certain kinds of
Yet, tragically, the Belarusian people bullied or pushed around. They have childcare and childcare providers. It is
found themselves in the same out- shown an extraordinary amount of set up to favor institutional childcare,
rageous situation last year when courage. And I hope all of the world, rather than home care or other models
Lukashenko jailed these candidates particularly their great allies here in like neighborhood co-ops, and it is set
with the courage to run, including the United States, understand that up to place religious providers at a dis-
Sergei Tikhanovsky. these Baltic States—and my mother’s advantage.
Some of you may have read the out- country of Lithuania—are standing up That is right. Despite the fact that a
standing profile about his wife, for values which we all treasure as majority of working families who use
Svetlana, in this month’s New Yorker. Americans. center-based care opt for faith-based
It is entitled ‘‘The Accidental Revolu- I yield the floor. centers, Democrats’ program is set up
tionary Leading Belarus’s Uprising.’’ It I suggest the absence of a quorum. to put these providers at a disadvan-
describes how her campaign speeches The PRESIDING OFFICER. The tage. It denies them facilities funding
galvanized boisterous crowds. She had clerk will call the roll. that is granted to secular providers.
a very simple message to the The senior assistant legislative clerk And it would disqualify—I should
Belarusian people and the courage to proceeded to call the roll. say, it could disqualify many providers
say it. She said she was ‘‘fed up with Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask with traditional religious beliefs like
living in humiliation and fear’’ in unanimous consent that the order for those shared by millions upon millions
Belarus. Lukashenko, this mighty dic- the quorum call be rescinded. of Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and
tator, didn’t even have the courage to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Muslim families around the country.
debate this woman. objection, it is so ordered. It could even disqualify a provider
She likely won that election, as we ECONOMY simply because the provider gave
know, but we will never know the offi- Mr. THUNE. Madam President, placement preference to families of its
cial outcome because Lukashenko Democrats’ push to pass their tax-and- own faith. So if you are a Catholic
wouldn’t allow it. spending spree continues to throw into Church with a childcare program and
I was proud to host her last year with sharp relief the difference between Re- you give preference to families who at-
my Senate colleagues Senator SHAHEEN publicans’ and Democrats’ vision of tend your church, you could be accused
and SULLIVAN. And I am glad to see government. And it is about a lot more of discrimination and disqualified from
that President Biden met with her as than just the amount of money we receiving government subsidies.
well. want to spend. Of course, the amount And if you are a parent who can’t af-
She is a brave woman, soldiering on, of money we are spending matters, but ford that program without those gov-
despite the fact that the Belarusians it is also about what that money rep- ernment subsidies—thanks to govern-
announced just a week ago that her resents. ment mandates and regulations that
husband has now been sentenced to 18 In general, more money means more have hiked up the childcare bill—you
years in prison. government. And more government are out of luck. If you need those gov-
Tragically, since Lukashenko stole usually means less freedom. Repub- ernment subsidies, you will have to
that most recent election, he has con- licans don’t oppose Democrats’ tax- send your child to one of the providers
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
tinued to double down on his out- and-spending spree just because it the government prefers.
rageous behavior, including forcing would cost a lot of money or drive up The childcare program in the Demo-
down a commercial airline in May to our national debt. crats’ tax-and-spending spree provides
arrest the Belarusian activists and just It would do both of those things, of a perfect example of what happens
this week, after months of closed hear- course, with negative consequences for when government gets involved. And it
ings, that 18-year prison sentence for our economy and the prosperity of is about a lot more than how much
her husband. American families. And the negative money the government is spending.
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S9224 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 16, 2021
With government money comes gov- which was unquestionably decided small handful of politicians and bu-
ernment control. The decision is no based partly on the Democrat can- reaucrats in Washington.
longer just in the individual’s hands. didate’s repeatedly expressed belief We believe in government as a back-
And the more substantial the govern- that parents shouldn’t be involved in stop, not Big Brother. A system of per-
ment involvement, the larger the gov- the content of their children’s edu- manent government dependence erodes
ernment’s role in decision making is cation. individual liberty, to say nothing of
likely to be—whether the issue is I am puzzled as to why Democrats the ways in which it undermines pros-
childcare, healthcare, education, or are so convinced—so convinced—that perity, robs individuals of the purpose
anything else. Washington elites or Democrat-ap- and pride that comes with work and
In his 1967 inaugural address as Gov- proved experts are better at making de- achievement.
ernor of California, Ronald Reagan cisions than ordinary Americans. Government should create the condi-
said: As Ronald Reagan said in that same tions in which freedom, opportunity,
Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never speech: and prosperity can flourish, not at-
more than one generation away from extinc- [I]t’s hard to explain those among us who tempt to secure particular outcomes or
tion. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it even today would question the people’s ca- to dictate the paths that Americans
must be fought for and defended constantly pacity for self-government. I’ve often won- should take.
by each generation, for it comes only once to dered if they will answer, those who sub- We are privileged to live in the freest
a people. scribe to that philosophy: if no one among us country the world has ever known. It is
Freedom is a fragile thing. is capable of governing himself, then who not a privilege we can or should take
Here in the United States, we have among us has the capacity to govern some- for granted, and it is a privilege that
enjoyed an unprecedented degree of in- one else?
we can all too easily lose. Our liberty
dividual liberty—a liberty that it is I believe that the American people is, as Ronald Reagan said, ever only
very easy for us to take for granted. are capable of governing themselves— one generation away from extinction.
But that liberty is not guaranteed. It is of making their own decisions—and I will continue to make safeguarding
something that must be fought for and that they are actually generally going that liberty that we have been given
protected. to be better at it than a bunch of bu- one of my most cherished priorities,
And that doesn’t involve simply safe- reaucrats in Washington. whether that involves fighting for the
guarding our liberty from external And I strongly oppose efforts to sub- right to life of unborn Americans, op-
threats from foreign powers; it involves stitute the judgments of Washington posing attempts to restrict religious
ensuring making sure that our govern- bureaucrats—or Democrat politicians— liberty, or fighting against an expan-
ment doesn’t start to exceed its proper for the judgment of individual Ameri- sion of government that would push
role. cans. out parents and put the government in
The loss of freedom can come dra- It states in the Declaration of Inde- the driver’s seat on way too many
matically or it can come quietly pendence that governments are insti- issues.
through a steady increase of govern- tuted to preserve our unalienable I yield the floor.
ment encroachment. rights, including the rights to life, lib- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms.
And it is important to remember erty, and the pursuit of happiness. BALDWIN). The senior Senator from
that freedom can be eroded or taken Preserving liberty is a fundamental Maryland.
away by the well-meaning, and not just purpose of government, but, of course, UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—EXECUTIVE
those who are actively hostile to it. before you can enjoy liberty, you have CALENDAR
I believe that my Democrat col- to enjoy the right to life. For a long Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, on
leagues likely do not see their ideas for time now, the Democratic Party has March 3 of this year, over 9 months
dramatic government expansion as consistently denied the right to life to ago, President Biden nominated
threatening Americans’ personal free- a whole segment of the American popu- Dilawar Syed to be the Deputy Admin-
dom. The problem is that when you ex- lation: unborn Americans. istrator of the Small Business Admin-
pand the reach of government, the di- There is no better example of their istration.
minishment of liberty is inevitable. aggressive pro-abortion extremism Mr. Syed has spent decades building
Expand the reach of government into than the so-called Women’s Health and scaling successful businesses, as
Americans’ lives, and it is inevitable Protection Act the Democrats in the well as advocating for struggling entre-
that you are going to transfer some of House passed in September. This legis- preneurs and small business owners in
Americans’ decision-making power lation, which would more accurately be underserved areas. It is clear that he is
over to politicians and bureaucrats in termed the ‘‘Abortion on Demand eminently qualified to help lead the
Washington. Act,’’ would eliminate almost every SBA at a time when the Agency is pro-
Democrats’ tax-and-spending spree— democratically passed State abortion viding unprecedented assistance to
and its major expansion of govern- restriction, no matter how mild. It help small businesses survive and re-
ment—is far from the only threat to would endanger the religious and con- cover from the ongoing COVID–19 pan-
Americans’ liberties that we are seeing science rights of doctors and nurses, demic.
from the Democratic Party. and, of course, it ignores the clear posi- Last April, during Mr. Syed’s hearing
I am increasingly disturbed by Demo- tion of the American people, a strong before the Senate Small Business and
crats’ tendency to play fast and loose majority of whom support restrictions Entrepreneurship Committee, my Re-
with religious liberty and the First on abortion. publican colleagues raised concerns
Amendment—whether that involves Apparently, Democrats are not con- about PPP and EIDL loans received by
disadvantaging religious childcare pro- tent with joining repressive regimes Lumiata, the company for which Mr.
viders, threatening individuals’ right like China and North Korea as one of a Syed served as CEO. As chairman of
to live according to their conscience, tiny handful of nations that allow elec- the committee, I gave a commitment
questioning judges’ fitness for office tive abortion past 20 weeks of preg- to work in a bipartisan manner to se-
based on religious belief, or, as we nancy. No, they want to remove even cure additional information from the
learned recently from a courageous the mildest and most widely supported SBA about these loans.
whistleblower FBI agent, even opening restrictions on abortion. That is yet I kept my word. On June 8, the SBA
the door for the FBI to collect informa- another example of Democrats’ tend- made materials on the loans available
tion on parents voicing their opposi- ency to think they know better than for my review, for the ranking mem-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
tion to local school policies during the American people. ber’s review, and for the review of
school board meetings. The Republican vision—the conserv- every Member of the committee. The
I am also disturbed by Democrats’ ative vision, the vision that I share—is materials proved that there was abso-
clear belief that Americans should a vision that foregrounds liberty, not lutely nothing irregular about these
defer to government and Democrat-ap- government; that believes individuals loans. In fact, the company did the
proved experts, as spectacularly evi- acting freely generally tend to do a right thing and repaid the forgivable
denced in the Virginia Governor’s race, better job of making decisions than a PPP loan after its lenders determined
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December 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9225
that the company did not require that Quite frankly, I don’t know what else printed in the RECORD; and that the
level of government assistance. You we can do. The SBA is required to President be immediately notified of
wish more companies would have fol- carry out the laws that Congress the Senate’s action.
lowed the lead that this company did. passed. We made it clear we wanted The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
But then, a week later, a new issue nonprofits eligible for the help under objection?
arose. Republican Members accused the small business loan programs that The junior Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. Syed of having anti-Israel bias be- we created. We made it clear that the Mr. PAUL. Reserving the right to ob-
cause of his involvement with Emgage, affiliation rules would be applied, and ject, the Hyde Amendment was passed
a nonprofit organization that supports the affiliation rules were applied the in 1976. This amendment prohibits Fed-
the Muslim American community. This same way they were applied to all non- eral funds from going directly to pay
accusation was completely unfounded. profits that have a national affiliation. for abortion. For 40-some-odd years,
As the American Jewish Committee And the initial determination made this has had some effect on trying to
wrote: under the Trump administration was prevent money directly going from the
The unsupported accusation that somehow reviewed under the Biden administra- taxpayer to fund abortion.
Jewish businesses or those with ties to Israel tion to make sure that those affiliate The reason for this amendment was
may not fare as well under Mr. Syed’s leader- rules were applied and they were ap- that many people have profound reli-
ship in the Small Business Administration plied fairly to all nonprofits. gious beliefs that their money, their
(SBA) has no factual grounding. Indeed, he Thanks to the hard work of the SBA
has specifically disavowed support for the
taxpayer dollars, shouldn’t go to kill
boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS)
personnel, tens of millions of small the unborn. This is a big deal, the Hyde
movement, which seeks the dissolution of businesses and nonprofits have received Amendment.
Israel. Federal assistance to keep their doors Right now, currently, appropriations
The AJC went on to say that Repub- open and their employees on staff. The for the last 40 years have always had
lican accusations against Mr. Syed SBA has provided relief through mul- Hyde Amendment protections. But now
were ‘‘un-American.’’ tiple rounds of the Paycheck Protec- we discover, under duress, the Small
Two weeks later, after the AJC re- tion Program, EIDL loan program, tar- Business Administration admits that
leased its statements, Republicans on geted grant programs, the Shuttered $100 million has been given to Planned
the committee concocted yet another Venue Operators Grant Program, and Parenthood without Hyde protections.
reason to block Mr. Syed’s nomination. the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. So this $100 million, which is essen-
This time it was Planned Parenthood. Unfortunately, the SBA has had to tially about one-third of what they get
Committee Republicans announced implement these programs without the every year from the Federal Govern-
that they would boycott all votes on benefit of a Deputy Administrator, the ment, has no Hyde prescriptions, no
the nomination because Planned Par- person whose job it is to oversee the Hyde restrictions, and this money can
enthood affiliates received loans under day-to-day operations of the Agency, go directly to those performing abor-
the Paycheck Protection Program, de- and it gives us an opportunity to have tions. So the abortionist that does
spite the fact that these loans were a confirmed person at the SBA who is thousands of abortions each year is
made during the Trump administration answerable to Congress and the Amer- getting money directly from the Fed-
and had nothing to do with Mr. Syed. ican people. eral Government to pay his or her sal-
In response to Republican demands, Many nonpartisan, small business or- ary. This is a first in 40 years, and it is
on November 24, Administrator ganizations support the nomination of not a small matter.
Guzman sent the committee a detailed Mr. Syed, including the U.S. Chamber This is an extraordinary thing that
four-page response that gave a full ex- of Commerce, the Small Business In- the Federal Government, for the first
planation of SBA’s policy on providing vestor Alliance, and the Small Busi- time in 40-some-odd years, is directly
PPP loans to nonprofits, including ness Entrepreneurship Council. I could paying for abortions. This shouldn’t
Planned Parenthood. The SBA provided read into the record numerous rec- happen.
the specific data on the number of ommendation letters from the whole This is worth a debate, and we only
loans to Planned Parenthood affiliates, gambit of the stakeholder community. discovered this because of holding up a
as well as the total dollars loaned and In April, the Chamber of Commerce nominee to try to get information. The
forgiven. The Administrator’s letter wrote to the committee stating: Small Business Administration has
makes clear that the SBA is imple- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports steadfastly hidden this information,
menting affiliation standards for the nomination of Dilawar Syed to be Dep-
tried not to reveal it and is slowly, lit-
uty Administrator of the U.S. Small Busi-
Planned Parenthood in the same man- ness Administration (SBA). We believe that tle by little, giving some, which they
ner it is implementing the affiliation it is essential for SBA’s senior leadership gave yesterday a little bit more, but
standards for other nonprofits such as team to be in place to deliver on the agen- they have been resisting and resisting
United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl cy’s COVID–19 small business emergency re- and resisting.
Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Goodwill. lief responsibilities and we believe Mr. Syed The Small Business Administration
Then there was another request for is well qualified for this position. originally ruled that Planned Parent-
information and, once again, the SBA I agree. That is why, again, I am hood was a big business—an extraor-
sent another detailed letter to our going to ask that the nomination be dinarily big business, a business with
committee to the ranking member, discharged from the Small Business 16,000 people. Planned Parenthood
Senator RAND PAUL, dated December Committee and Mr. Syed receive an up- themselves calls them ‘‘affiliates.’’
15, 2021. That letter spells out the spe- or-down vote on this nomination. I They count their income all together.
cifics on every loan given out by the might tell you that we have had action They pool their income and put out
SBA—again, under the Trump adminis- in our committee. So this is not incon- documents saying this is how much we
tration, initially—to the Planned Par- sistent with the action of our com- have all together.
enthood affiliates: the numbers that mittee. Thirty-eight of these Planned Par-
apply for PPP; the numbers that with- Madam President, I ask unanimous enthoods were sent a notice saying:
drew those applications; the total dol- consent that the Small Business Com- You have illegally obtained this
lar amounts; the loans that were for- mittee be discharged and the Senate money. You are not a small business,
given under the original PPP amount proceed to the following nomination: and you should return it.
and the total dollar amounts; the PN231, Dilawar Syed, of California, to Supposedly, these entities then pro-
amount of PPP No. 2 loans given out be Deputy Administrator of the Small tested and appealed the process.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
requested by Planned Parenthood; the Business Administration; that the The Small Business Administration,
number that were withdrawn; the dol- nomination be confirmed; that the mo- after months and months and months,
lar amount that was given out; the dol- tion to reconsider be considered made still refuses to reveal the appeals proc-
lar amount that has been forgiven. All and laid upon the table with no inter- ess or what the complaints were. We
that has been made available to our vening action or debate; that no fur- have not gotten those documents, al-
committee by the Small Business Ad- ther motions be in order to the nomi- though we asked repeatedly for these
ministration. nation; that any related statement be documents.
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S9226 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 16, 2021
This nomination does directly have Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I and gave us a closely divided Congress
to do with this because, whoever is in ask unanimous consent that the order to ensure that he kept his word, but
charge of PPP, you would want some- for the quorum call be rescinded. the American people have not gotten
one to be an honest broker who says: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without what they expected.
By golly, this looks suspicious. How objection, it is so ordered. Right from the start, there were
come this information is not being re- UKRAINE clear signs of where things were head-
vealed to Congress? How come Con- Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, the ed. At the beginning of the year, the
gress is not allowed to see this? eyes of the world are on Russia as it two party leaders negotiated an orga-
The Small Business Administration stages a military buildup on the nizing statement to determine how the
will say it is confidential. That does Ukrainian border. Russia could lit- 50–50 Senate would function. In light of
not apply to Congress’s oversight. That erally invade Ukraine at any time. And the far-left’s newfound obsession with
might apply to releasing it to the pub- the United States and the inter- eliminating the filibuster, Leader
lic, but that doesn’t apply to national community need to take MCCONNELL asked for assurances from
Congress’s oversight of the Small Busi- strong, decisive action to dissuade a Leader SCHUMER that the filibuster
ness Administration. Russian offensive from invading would remain intact. After all, it is not
This is an extraordinary thing that Ukraine. I was glad to see the Sec- unreasonable to ask your negotiating
has happened—$100 million given di- retary General of the North Atlantic partner to commit to not breaking the
rectly to pay for people to do abor- Treaty Organization, NATO, denounce rules.
tions. It is outside the scope and con- Russia’s action earlier today, but Even though Senator SCHUMER once
trary to the scope of the Hyde Amend- clearly words are not enough. State- said we should ‘‘build a firewall around
ment, and it is something worth having ments of support are not enough to the legislative filibuster,’’ he refused
a significant and prolonged and pro- counter an invasion. The United States to agree to leave it alone, which was
tracted battle until all the documents and our NATO allies must provide addi- not very encouraging. Fortunately,
are revealed. tional support to Ukraine as they de- two of our Democratic colleagues have
Madam President, I object. fend their borders, and time is of the committed to protect the filibuster,
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- essence. which ensures that there will be some-
tion is heard. Senator DURBIN, the Senator from Il- thing that maybe is a little unnatural
The senior Senator from Maryland. linois, and I have introduced a resolu- for human nature—to try to force us to
Mr. CARDIN. I certainly regret that tion to provide complete clarity on the work together to build consensus to do
an objection has been made, but let me U.S. Senate’s position on this immi- things like we did yesterday: pass the
at least correct the record. PPP nent conflict. Our resolution affirms National Defense Authorization Act.
money, Paycheck Protection money, the unwavering support of the United That is not necessarily our first in-
does not go to healthcare services. It States for a secure, democratic, and stinct.
goes to personnel costs. It goes to re- independent Ukraine, but it also as- But protecting the filibuster is im-
lated expenses. It does not go to serts the need for action. Our resolu- portant. It provides stability and con-
healthcare services. tion calls on the Biden administration tinuity and predictability in our Na-
The law that we pass is the law that to provide additional lethal aid to tion’s laws and to make sure that we
the administration implemented. Ukraine to counter ongoing Russian don’t add to the chaos by, every 2
There were no restrictions referenced aggression. years, after every election, reversing
to what Senator PAUL is referring to Senator DURBIN and I have been everything that had been done the pre-
included in the Paycheck Protection proud to notch a long list of bipartisan vious 2 years.
Program. The restrictions on a non- cosponsors, and I hope the Senate will We saw how tempted our Democratic
profit dealt with affiliation rules. pass this resolution before we break at colleagues were to use their newfound
Those affiliation rules were applied to the end of the year. powers in the majority. That meant,
Planned Parenthood as they were ap- BIDEN ADMINISTRATION unfortunately, forget working across
plied to similar organizations that I al- Madam President, on another mat- the aisle or striking bipartisan deals—
ready put into the RECORD. ter, the first year of the Biden Presi- Senator SCHUMER made clear he want-
What Senator PAUL is complaining dency and the Democratic-majority ed an easy path for purely partisan leg-
about could have been taken up during controlled Congress is quickly coming islation.
the debate of the Paycheck Protection to an end. Looking at everything that The first item on his agenda was a $2
Program, but it was not. has happened so far this year, it is trillion liberal wish list uncon-
The bill was passed with Republican tough to imagine the American people vincingly disguised as pandemic relief.
majorities in this body and with Presi- are happy with how things are going. It included things like backdoor fund-
dent Trump signing it into law. It President Biden raised all of our ing for Planned Parenthood, a blank
would have been against the will of hopes and expectations during his inau- check for mismanaged union pension
Congress for the Trump administration guration, as he built his campaign and systems, and money for climate jus-
under the SBA or under the Biden ad- then spoke at his inauguration on a tice. This had very, very little to do
ministration under the SBA to use its simple theme: unity. He talked about with COVID–19 and the pandemic,
own judgment and not the judgment of the need for people across the country which is how it was sold.
the policymaking branch of govern- to come together and empathize with The Democratic leader got a taste of
ment—the legislative branch of govern- one another and to work together. He partisan legislating and decided that
ment. promised to be a uniting force in Wash- he wanted more of it, so he tried to
So I just want to put on the record ington, DC, and pointed to his service break the two Democratic Members on
that the response by Senator PAUL is in the U.S. Senate as evidence of his his side of the aisle who were pro-
not the factual circumstances that we ability to work across the aisle to tecting bipartisanship and consensus
are dealing with. We are dealing with a broker bipartisan deals. building. He lined up votes on some of
qualified person who should be con- Clearly, this message was welcomed our colleagues’ most controversial
firmed by this body, and the adminis- by the American people. After all, they bills, all of which were designed to fail.
tration is carrying out the will of Con- gave him the job in the first place. But There was a bill that exploited the
gress in the way that it has imple- just because voters picked a Demo- cause of pay fairness to line the pock-
ets of trial lawyers. Unsurprisingly, it
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
mented the Paycheck Protection Pro- cratic President doesn’t mean they
gram. signed off on a radical transformation did not pass.
With that, I yield the floor. of our country. The American people Senator SCHUMER forecasted votes on
I suggest the absence of a quorum. elected a 50–50 Senate and lessened the two bills that were so unpopular among
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic majority in the House. Democrats that they didn’t even make
clerk will call the roll. In short, Americans selected a Presi- it to the Senate floor. One was to erode
The legislative clerk proceeded to dent who promised to work across the the American people’s Second Amend-
call the roll. aisle and a closely divided Congress— ment rights, and another would punish
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December 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9227
schools and hospitals that refused to nearly triple the price Democrats have address these bipartisan priorities, our
comply with ‘‘woke’’ social norms. previously been willing to acknowl- colleagues have wasted a year on pure-
But without a doubt, the most dan- edge. And deficits—money that would ly partisan exercises. Again, this is not
gerous legislation Democrats have have to be repaid by the next genera- what the American people thought
pushed is to overhaul America’s elec- tion and beyond—would increase by a they were getting when they elected
tion system. The version of the bill we staggering $3 trillion over the next dec- Joe Biden President and when they
voted on this summer was so bad that ade. gave the Senate a 50–50 split.
I was surprised Democrats even had the As it turns out, spending trillions of The 2020 election wasn’t an invita-
gall to hold a vote on it. dollars on unnecessary programs and tion to codify a liberal wish list; it was
The bill would have turned the bipar- dolling out handouts for the wealthy is a call to work together. And there is no
tisan Federal Election Commission not an easy sell. Senator SCHUMER ap- better place for the work that can be
into a Democratic-controlled, partisan parently can’t convince all 50 Demo- done than in the U.S. Senate. There is
body. It would have seized States’ con- crats to vote for the bill. a lot we can and should accomplish
stitutional authority to draw their own While our colleagues have focused on next year, but this sort of partisan,
congressional districts, instead hand- these wholly partisan endeavors, they unilateral approach to governing has
ing all the power to independent redis- have ignored clear opportunities to made that nearly impossible. You can
tricting commissions. It would have work together in a bipartisan effort. only hope for better next year.
federalized ballot harvesting—literally For example, Members of both par- Our colleagues on the other side of
vacuuming up ballots and delivering ties agree that something must be done the aisle got what they wanted, which
them to a paid campaign staffer and to bring down prescription drug prices was a Democratic majority, given the
political operatives who had a stake in for the American people. This was a tie-breaking vote of the Vice Presi-
the outcome of the election. The only major focus last Congress, and there dent. They have been given the keys to
thing it would have done for the people are a range of bipartisan bills that sup- the kingdom, and now, next year, we
is decide the outcome of virtually port this goal, including one I have in- will see how long they can hold on to
every future election and—spoiler troduced with Senator BLUMENTHAL them, or perhaps they can change
alert—make sure that Democrats from Connecticut. So far, we have course and return to bipartisan legis-
would never lose. made no progress for the American lating and consensus building for the
If this bill weren’t so dangerous, it people on high prescription drug costs. benefit of the American people.
would have been laughable. It is no sur- Then there is the crisis at the border. I yield the floor.
prise that the only bipartisan thing On President Biden’s watch, annual I suggest the absence of a quorum.
about this bill was the opposition. In border apprehensions have hit an all- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
both the House and the Senate, Repub- time high. For most of the year, clerk will call the roll.
licans and Democrats joined together though, Democrats refused to acknowl- The legislative clerk proceeded to
to defeat this bill. edge that any sort of problem actually call the roll.
Still, our Democratic colleagues re- existed at the southern border. They Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I
fused to throw in the towel. They re- adopted the same rules as ‘‘Fight ask unanimous consent that the order
wrote the bill, tried to rebrand it, and Club’’—they just didn’t talk about it. for the quorum call be rescinded.
brought it up for another vote in Octo- Vice President HARRIS, named ‘‘border The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
ber. Once again, it failed. The Demo- czar’’ by President Biden, didn’t even objection, it is so ordered.
cratic leader has said this partisan leg- visit the border until late last June, CRIME
islation will resurface again sometime long after the humanitarian crisis had Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I
before the end of next year, but I don’t ballooned to unimaginable heights, and come to the floor today to talk about
expect the outcome to change. even then, she stayed away from the the rising crime in America and spe-
Of course, amid all the partisan jock- hardest hit sectors. cifically in Democrat-run cities.
eying, there has been a large, dark Senator SINEMA, a Democrat from This year, 12 American cities have al-
cloud looming overhead known as the Arizona, and I have introduced legisla- ready broken records for murder, and
Build Back Better—or, rather, I think tion with commonsense reforms to ad- the year isn’t even over. Every one of
more accurately, ‘‘Build Back Bank- dress the crisis, but the chairman of those cities is run by Democrats.
rupt’’—bill. This legislation would the Judiciary Committee, Senator Last summer, Democrat cities adopt-
drive up the cost of childcare for fami- DURBIN, has declined to mark up the ed a rallying cry, and that cry was
lies and cut healthcare for the unin- bill or even convene a hearing of the ‘‘defund the police.’’ Joe Biden said
sured. It would hurt our energy secu- Judiciary Committee to investigate America was ‘‘systemically racist.’’ He
rity and increase the already sky-high the border crisis and explore possible said police funding should be ‘‘redi-
energy costs. It would put taxpayers on responses to it. rected.’’ NANCY PELOSI talked about
the hook for massive handouts to blue Democrats and Republicans have ‘‘shuffling . . . money around.’’
State millionaires, organized labor, shown a willingness to work together KAMALA HARRIS, our Vice President,
trial lawyers, wealthy media corpora- to put DACA recipients on a strong said America should ‘‘reimagine public
tions, and a host of powerful friends of legal footing. These are young people safety.’’
the Democratic Party. known as Dreamers but frequently re- Well, lots of Democrat cities put
Our Democratic colleagues have used ferred to as DACA, deferred action on those slogans into practice. Bill de
every trick in the book to make the childhood arrival, which is the name of Blasio, the mayor of New York City,
price of this spending spree look as the administrative process used by the cut the New York City Police Depart-
small as possible. One of our Demo- Obama administration to provide them ment by $1 billion. The Los Angeles
cratic colleagues even acknowledged some legal standing in which to stay in City Council voted to cut police fund-
the disingenuous advertising. the country. But they have been em- ing by $150 million. San Francisco cut
Fortunately, the Congressional Budg- broiled in 10 years of unnecessary liti- $120 million from police over 2 years.
et Office and the Joint Tax Committee gation, and they are uncertain about Nearly two dozen cities across the
have provided an honest score of the the outcome of their case. I think this country defunded the police. Again,
bill that passed the House and that has is an area where we could work to- these are all cities run by liberal may-
been proposed here in the Senate—one gether to provide them some certainty ors and administrations. As a result,
which ignores the gimmicks our col- and some finality. last year, America experienced the
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
leagues initially tried to use. The Con- There are other things we could and largest surge in homicide ever re-
gressional Budget Office says that this should be doing, like securing our most corded.
bill would cost $4.9 trillion in the first critical supply chains, encouraging in- According to the Major Cities Chiefs
10 years alone—not zero, as President novation in the energy sector, and Association, 63 of America’s 66 biggest
Biden has disingenuously claimed; not solving many of the challenges Amer- cities saw at least 1 category of violent
$1.75 trillion, as our Democratic col- ican families are facing every day. But crime go up last year. Minneapolis cut
leagues have claimed; but $4.9 trillion, rather than work across the aisle to police funding, and homicide nearly
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S9228 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 16, 2021
doubled. New York City police funding other powerful liberals. They have in- city to liberal city is this: The lawless-
and homicide went in opposite direc- vested millions of dollars in electing ness comes from the policies of the
tions: The funding for police went radical prosecutors. They have suc- Democratic Party. Criminals seek op-
down, and homicide went up by half. ceeded in major cities. We have seen it portunity, and when criminals see that
Last year’s historic increases in homi- in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and opportunity, they pounce.
cides was evident. This year, homicide Philadelphia. Once these prosecutors Look at Los Angeles. This is another
has gone up even more. The number of get into office, they impose radical city with a rogue prosecutor. In just 10
police killed in the line of duty is also leftwing policies. The result has been days last month, looters stole $340,000
up. chaos and carnage from coast to coast. worth of goods from stores. In one case,
Here in Washington, DC, President As the district attorney in Boston, police arrested 14 of the looters. And
Biden has effectively endorsed the Rachael Rollins announced she would then what happened? They were all re-
‘‘defund the police’’ movement. He did not prosecute 15 different crimes, laws leased. Now they are all walking free.
that by stacking his administration on the books. She would not prosecute Austin, TX, made some of the largest
with supporters of defunding the po- 15 different crimes, including shop- police funding cuts last year. This
lice. lifting, trespassing, and resisting ar- year, Austin has seen a 70-percent in-
The Secretary of Labor of the United rest. Rachael Rollins is supposed to be crease in murder. It is one of the larg-
States, confirmed by this Senate, cut a prosecutor. Her job is to enforce the est increases in homicide in America.
funding for police when he was mayor law. Instead, she has nullified the law. In KAMALA HARRIS’s hometown of
of Boston. Joe Biden saw this lawlessness, and Oakland, the city council voted to
The No. 3 official at the Department he was so impressed that he gave her a defund the police in June. Now murder
of Justice, confirmed by this Senate, big promotion. Every single Democrat in Oakland, the Vice President’s home-
the Democrats in this Senate, testified in this Senate has given her their town, is up by two-thirds since just
that she supports ‘‘calls from Black stamp of approval. So has Vice Presi- 2019.
Lives Matter . . . activists to decrease dent HARRIS. Every Republican voted Last month, a toddler was shot and
police budgets and the scope, role, and no on this radical nominee, so the Vice killed while he slept in the back of his
responsibility of police in our lives.’’ President was needed to come to the mother’s car on the Oakland freeway.
Joe Biden’s Secretary of the Treas- Senate to break the tie. There is al- Even leftwing Oakland has now had
ury called for an economics professor ready talk of Rachael Rollins’ getting enough. The city is now planning to re-
to be fired because the professor said even more promotions in this very rad- verse the cuts to police. For the tod-
he opposed defunding the police. It had ical, extreme, dangerous, and scary dler, it is too late. The damage that
nothing to do with what he was teach- Democratic Party. took that innocent life from that fam-
ing. It wasn’t because of a problem Mark my words: Rachael Rollins is ily can’t be undone, can’t be repaired.
with his work in the classroom. But the first rogue prosecutor to be given a The family will never be reunited.
Janet Yellen said his comments Federal job. She will not be the last. It is time for the Democrats to wake
against defunding the police were ‘‘ex- With Democrats in charge in Wash- up, to wake up before it is too late for
tremely troubling.’’ ington, Rachael Rollins’ policies are so many others.
She went on to say: coming to a neighborhood near you. Democrats have controlled the Sen-
It would be appropriate for the University So it is worth asking, how are these ate now for 10 months. Yet they have
of Chicago . . . to review [that professor’s] policies working out in liberal big cit- done nothing to improve law enforce-
performance and suitability. ies? Not well, no. San Francisco fol- ment in America. They have done
Well, Janet Yellen is not known for lowed the Rachael Rollins model. They nothing to reduce crime. In fact, Sen-
being a crime expert. She is a well-con- tried legalizing shoplifting; how about ate Democrats have only tried to re-
nected, well-known liberal. The univer- that? Now San Francisco looks like a ward criminals. Forty-nine Senate
sity bowed to Janet Yellen and put the city from the Dark Ages. Democrats sponsored a bill to give vot-
professor under investigation. This is Here is how the Associated Press de- ing rights to felons as soon as they
Janet Yellen, who was confirmed to be scribed it last week: walk out of their jail cells.
Secretary of the Treasury under Joe San Francisco residents and visitors scurry The American people reject this bill
Biden. past scenes of lawlessness and squalor. and Democrats’ entire agenda. Voters
In October, Joe Biden was asked if In August, San Francisco broke city are speaking out. Just last month, vot-
police officers should be fired if they records with 3,700 reports of retail ers rejected defunding police in the cit-
weren’t vaccinated. He didn’t hesitate. theft. Now there is a mass exodus of re- ies of Buffalo, New York, and even in
He immediately said: Yes, fire them. tail stores from San Francisco. Minneapolis.
These are officers who have been put- Last year, twice as many people in New York City has just elected a
ting their lives on the frontline every San Francisco died from drug former police officer as its mayor who
day since day one of the pandemic. Joe overdoses than from coronavirus. The used the issue of crime and law and
Biden’s mantra for the police: Vac- local news reported this week about order as a winning issue in the cam-
cinate or terminate. people leaving their cars unlocked in paign. People are tired of what the
This is happening all across America. San Francisco to prevent their win- Democrats are force-feeding the Amer-
For example, more than 150 Massachu- dows from getting smashed out. Even ican people.
setts State Police have resigned over the Democrat mayor spoke recently The lessons should be screamingly
the vaccine mandate. Joe Biden would about the ‘‘rein of criminals who are obvious. The American people don’t
rather see unvaccinated police sit at destroying our city.’’ want Democrats’ soft-on-crime agenda.
home than let them continue doing the San Francisco is one of the wealthi- Americans want safe communities.
job they have done all through the pan- est cities in the world. It is the home- They want Democrats and all Ameri-
demic. The last thing we need to do town of the Speaker of the House and cans to stop coddling criminals, to
right now is reduce the number of po- is now a homicide haven on the west stand for public safety, and to stop this
lice officers on our streets. coast. Yet, in just a few years, liberal reckless Democrats’ war on police.
Last week, Democrats in this body policies have turned what had been a I yield the floor.
gave another promotion to an anti-po- beautiful city into a war zone. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
lice liberal. Every Democrat—every NANCY PELOSI, the Speaker of the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
Democrat—in this Senate voted to con- House, admitted just yesterday that SCHATZ). The clerk will call the roll.
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firm Rachael Rollins as the top pros- ‘‘there is an attitude of lawlessness in The bill clerk proceeded to call the
ecutor in the State of Massachusetts. our country’’ today. Then she added, roll.
Why does this matter to anybody out- ‘‘It springs from,’’ as she said, ‘‘I don’t Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask
side of Massachusetts? Well, because know where.’’ unanimous consent that the order for
Rachael Rollins is the face of the rogue Well, NANCY PELOSI should look at the quorum call be rescinded.
prosecutor movement. This is the her own city. It is painfully obvious. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
movement led by George Soros and The fact that roars out from liberal objection, it is so ordered.
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December 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9229
VOTING RIGHTS but we know for certain this act of do- The policies that have been put in
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, the mestic terrorism was an attack on free place this year by the Biden adminis-
foundation of American democracy is and fair elections in this country. Yet tration and folks in this body have led
built upon the sacred right to vote, and Republicans continue to spread the directly to rampant inflation across
there is no doubt that right is under at- same lies about election fraud and con- our Nation and are causing a major
tack today. tinue to push through legislation at problem.
This year alone, 550 voter suppression the State level to silence Americans The debt ceiling was voted on just
bills have been introduced in State leg- across the country. days ago here in this body. It was $21⁄2
islatures across the country. In Texas, Congress must take action to restore trillion. That $21⁄2 trillion has been set
it is now illegal to compensate workers the integrity of our voting system and aside for the next 13 months or so.
who help voters who don’t speak make sure every American’s voice is There is an enormous gathering of
English and for election officials to en- heard and counted. And we have tried. debt. We continue to be able to see the
courage eligible voters to apply to vote We have tried four times to stop these inflation continue to rise. And in the
by mail. unconstitutional, State-level laws from middle of it is a conversation about
In Fulton County, GA, a county that undermining our elections. this bill that is called Build Back Bet-
historically votes Democratic, the We have tried to pass commonsense ter.
number of ballot boxes has been re- reforms that would, for example, allow Now, we haven’t seen all the bill yet.
duced from 38 to 8. That is one ballot all eligible voters to vote by mail; It is 2,000-plus pages. But the pages
box for every 100,000 voters. make election day a Federal holiday so change every week, and they have for
And in Florida, ballot dropoff boxes all working families can vote; and es- weeks and weeks. We still have large
can only be utilized during early voting tablish Federal criminal penalties for sections of the bill that is being
hours, and boxes must be located at ei- deceiving voters with false and mis- dropped out that just says: ‘‘We will
ther a county’s elections office or early leading information about voting. add in more information here later.’’
voting sites. And most importantly, we have tried But the sections that we do have, and
Before President Trump, Republicans to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights that have been scored, there are major
at least tried to pretend their laws Advancement Act, which would give problems here. This is not just a Re-
weren’t blatantly discriminatory, but the Department of Justice the tools to publican-Democrat conversation; this
now they aren’t even attempting to keep these blatant voter suppression is the direction-of-the-country con-
hide the fact that they are purposefully laws from being enacted in the first versation. Is this really what we want
trying to make it darn near impossible place. to do and the direction that we want to
for Black people and other people of Only one Republican joined us in vot- go?
color, elderly individuals, students, ing for this bill—the same bill that was This bill—it was scored independ-
being touted as bipartisan. ently by CBO, looked at this bill and
working families, and people with dis-
It is crystal clear by now that Repub-
abilities to vote. said if it looks out over 10 years with
licans have absolutely no interest in
The fact that Republicans continue these policies in place, it would add $3
protecting the right to vote. For Re-
to claim that these voter suppression trillion more in debt.
publicans, voter suppression and gerry-
tactics are necessary to protect elec- Now, as it is written, with all the
mandering is their path to victory
tion integrity would be laughable if it Democrats cannot sit back and allow budget gimmicks and everything in it,
weren’t so deeply dangerous to our de- a political party to maintain power by they say: Well, it actually will only
mocracy. We all know that countless denying Americans their right to vote. add $365 billion in debt—though the
investigations have uncovered abso- I want to quote Senator WARNOCK White House continues to claim that it
lutely no evidence of systemic or wide- again. He said: is all paid for; it is all paid for; it is
spread voter fraud. We all know that [A]s we cast that vote to begin addressing free; it is free; it is free.
the 2020 election was the most secure the debt ceiling, this same Chamber is allow- The more we dig into it, the more
election in our country’s history. And ing the ceiling of our democracy to crash in problems we see. Some of those are
we certainly all know this is not about around us. philosophical changes. This bill
voter fraud. It is about advancing a po- We figured out a way to save our changes what has been entitlements in
litical agenda by denying large swaths economy; we can surely figure out a the past. Entitlements have been con-
of Americans their fundamental right way to save our democracy. nected to actually work to incentivize
to vote. Filibuster reform is the path Demo- people to be able to work, knowing
If this isn’t un-American, I don’t crats need to take to fight back that people don’t grow out of poverty
know what is, which is why voter sup- against the Republicans’ all-out voter by constantly getting government ben-
pression is the most urgent crisis fac- suppression assault on our democracy. efits. You are trapped in poverty. Work
ing our country today and which is I call on my Democratic colleagues to is what actually helps people escape
why it is the single most pressing issue act. out of poverty.
the Senate must address. I yield the floor. That is what Bill Clinton talked
Yes, we need to pass Build Back Bet- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- about often, about changing welfare as
ter, and we need to fight against at- ator from Oklahoma. we know it. This bill actually changes
tacks on a woman’s right to make deci- INFLATION it back to welfare as we knew it and
sions about her own body, attacks on Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, shifts back entitlements to say you
the LGBTQ community, attacks on there are so many problems going on don’t have to actually be working to
unions, and much more because battles right now in the country. As I interact receive all these government benefits.
for rights that we thought we had won with people in Oklahoma, they are In fact, this bill even says you don’t
don’t stay won. But we won’t succeed frustrated with where things are going even have to be an American citizen to
in preserving these hard-won rights if with the economy. The rising inflation receive all these benefits; that if you
we don’t protect the right to vote. is literally inflation we have not seen are illegally present in the country,
To quote my friend and colleague for 40 years. you get thousands and thousands of
Senator WARNOCK, ‘‘Voting rights are People who are 40 years old and dollars in government benefits. If you
preservative of all other rights.’’ younger have never experienced an are not working, but you are able to
We are nearing the 1-year anniver- economy like we are experiencing right work and you choose not to, you get
sary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol. now. But for those who lived during the thousands and thousands and thou-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
This violent insurrection and mob vio- time of Jimmy Carter, they all remem- sands of dollars in benefits.
lence was the direct result of blatant ber extremely well what it was like— I have to tell you, for the folks I
lies told by the former President and what it was like to literally every sin- know who leave for work at 6 a.m. and
his supporters about systemic fraud gle week when you go to the grocery head to work, they are a little frus-
and a stolen election. store for prices to be higher, to be able trated that their tax dollars are going
We are still learning the con- to watch prices accelerate month after to people still in bed, who are not en-
sequences of what happened that day, month after month. gaging. But that is what this bill does;
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S9230 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 16, 2021
it changes us from a situation where my State and will raise the cost for we were supposed to not be here any
we incentivize work to we incentivize them. longer, according to our official cal-
not working. Some people ask me: Who are the endar, but there is work to be done.
Part of that is in the child tax credit folks who actually like this bill? And we continue to be able to do the
that is being discussed. I and my col- Well, there are quite a few folks who work. It is a contentious body and, at
leagues on the other side of the aisle like this bill. The folks who are in times, a contentious nation.
voted to change the child tax credit for wealthy Democrat-run States, they I was with a group of folks yesterday
this year that was already in place, love this bill because the wealthiest in- for an early morning breakfast. And as
that already incentivizes work, that dividuals in the highest tax States— we prayed together, one of them looked
helps individuals with small children and those are the blue States—the at me and said: I need a little ‘‘Prince
who need help. That has been in place wealthiest individuals in the highest of Peace’’ right now.
in the Tax Code. In fact, Republicans tax States, they get a huge tax break So can I just for a moment in this
also voted for that in the past with a in this bill. For the wealthiest individ- Chamber pause and just do a quick re-
work incentive. uals, they get an $80,000-a-year cut in minder of what is coming over the next
That was changed in March of this their taxes, what they call State and couple of weeks, not about the heat of
year in a straight partisan vote. And it local taxes. So if you are in New York battle in this room but where we are in
was done for a temporary basis because or New Jersey or Illinois or in Cali- this season?
of COVID, to actually allocate dollars fornia and you are in the top 1 percent, Reading from the Book of Isaiah, Isa-
to families, regardless of if they are you get an $80,000 cut in your taxes. iah 9:6 says: For a child will be born to
working or not during the time of They like this bill. us. A son will be given to us; and the
COVID. Somebody else who likes this bill are government will rest on His shoulders,
Now, the conversation is, that needs the wealthy who actually buy electric and His Name will be called Wonderful
to be extended, not just through COVID vehicles—incredibly expensive, beau- Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Fa-
but to just keep extending it, to take tiful vehicles, many of them, but they ther, Prince of Peace. And there will be
away the work requirements, to take get $12,500 off of their vehicle based on no end to the increase of this govern-
away the requirement to be a citizen of this bill. ment or of his peace. It sounds like this
the United States to receive these dol- The environmental activists love this in Luke, Chapter 2:
lars, and to actually make it where you bill because billions of dollars actually Now in those days a decree went out from
are getting a monthly check rather go directly to these environmental ac- Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of
than just a tax incentive at the end of tivist groups. Many who were active in all the inhabited earth. This was the first
the year based on if you were working the Biden campaign, they get addi- census taken while Quirinius was governor of
or not. tional billions of dollars coming in. In Syria. And everyone was on his way to reg-
And the working requirement is not fact, there are billions of dollars to cre- ister for the census, each to his own city. Jo-
ate a new Civilian Climate Corps—a seph also went up from Galilee, from the city
high. It is, literally, if you worked and of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David
earned $2,500 in a year, you qualify for group of young people who will travel which is called Bethlehem, because he was of
the tax credit. But they take away around the country actually promoting the house and family of David, in order to
even that requirement for your family. environmentalism, paid for with Fed- register along with Mary, who was engaged
The childcare piece has been inter- eral tax dollars. They like this bill. to him, and was with child. While they were
esting because I have heard a lot of my Unions like this bill because, cur- there, the days were completed for her to
Democratic colleagues talk about, rently, if you donate to a nonprofit, give birth. And she gave birth to her first-
well, we are going to give free you are able to take some of that off of born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and
your taxes. But under this bill, that laid Him in a manger, because there was no
childcare to folks.
room for them in the inn.
The problem is—a multitude of issues goes away, and it is replaced with if In the same region there were shepherds
with this. One is, if you are a faith- you pay union dues, you get to write staying out in the fields and keeping watch
based entity for childcare, you are ex- this off your taxes. So unions defi- over their flock by night. And an angel of
cluded from this, which about half of nitely like this bill. the Lord suddenly stood before them, and
the childcare facilities around the And the folks who really, really like the glory of the Lord shone around them;
country are provided by churches and this bill—reporters and journalists. Re- and they were terribly frightened. But the
faith-based nonprofits—rural and urban porters and journalists love this bill. angel said to them, ‘‘Do not be afraid; for be-
So some of them are not talking about hold, I bring you good news of great joy
areas, they are all cut out.
which will be for all the people; for today in
The other challenge is, while they the content of this bill. The reason I
the city of David there has been born for you
talk about free childcare, free say that, because this bill pays half the a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be
childcare, free childcare, a very liberal salary for reporters and journalists all a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped
think tank just did the math on this, over the country. This bill puts in in cloths and lying in a manger.’’ And sud-
what it would mean for middle-class place that half the salary of reporters denly there appeared with the angel a mul-
families who actually do childcare at and journalists in every city and every titude of the heavenly host praising God and
that same facility. Middle-class fami- community across America will get saying, ‘‘Glory to God in the highest, and on
lies who are paying right now for half of their salary paid for by the Fed- earth peace among men with whom He is
pleased.’’
childcare would, after this bill is put in eral tax dollars.
When the angels had gone away from them
place—they estimate that it would cost Let’s see, government-paid reporters into heaven, the shepherds began saying to
$13,000 more a year for childcare if you and journalists—what could go wrong one another, ‘‘Let’s go straight to Bethlehem
are not getting the subsidies. with that? then, and see this thing that has happened
So if you are getting the subsidies, it There are a lot of issues in this bill. which the Lord has made known to us.’’ So
is free. If you are a dollar past the sub- And as we talk through this bill, and they came in a hurry and found their way to
sidies, you are going to pay $13,000 as, thankfully, this bill is slowing down Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in
more a year for your childcare. dramatically so that people are able to the manger. When they had seen this, they
see the contents of this bill, I have made known the statement which had been
I hope you are tracking the cost of
told them about this Child. And all who
natural gas as it is raised because it is more and more people who catch me
heard it wondered at the things which were
about to go up again. If this bill—what and say: I have a major concern with told them by the shepherds. But Mary treas-
I call the ‘‘Build Back Broke’’ bill— this bill and, I have to tell you, I have ured all these things, pondering them in her
passes, the cost of natural gas and the had for months. And we continue to be
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heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying
cost of heating across America will go able to speak out on issues that change and praising God for all that they had heard
up because there is a new fee on meth- the direction for our Nation that are and seen, just as had been told to them.
ane. actually built into this bill. A little peace on Earth will be help-
I could go on and on and on with the CHRISTMAS ful to this body and to our Nation on
issues that are in this bill that are con- Mr. President, it is the middle of De- this day.
tent, that are philosophical issues, that cember, and we are still hanging out in Merry Christmas to you.
are issues that affect people who live in DC. We are actually past the date that I yield the floor.
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December 16, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9231
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- of Defense nominees pending on this Holly was someone who loved animals
ator from Florida. floor—more so than we have ever had and loved nature. She was a people per-
f at the end of a first-term, first-year son. The thing that she loved most in
Presidency—and we will, hopefully be- the world was her family.
ENSURING THAT GOODS MADE But tragically, Holly took her last
fore we leave—we have to, before we
WITH FORCED LABOR IN THE breath on the morning of July 18, 2009.
leave, make substantial progress on
XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS Brian Davis murdered her in a small
this list in order to adequately protect
REGION OF THE PEOPLE’S RE- farmhouse just south of Shenandoah.
our country.
PUBLIC OF CHINA DO NOT Holly is one of the hundreds of women
At the very least, as we put forward
ENTER THE UNITED STATES murdered annually by a current or
this important new policy, it does
MARKET former intimate partner—nearly three
make sense to accompany it and its
Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, we have passage with three key personnel who women a day.
come down to the floor multiple times will be in charge of implementing it. Americans are being devastated by a
in the last few weeks trying to push I believe we are going to be able to wave of violent crime. Night after
the passage of our bipartisan Uyghur modify this request in the following night, folks turn on their local news
Forced Labor Prevention Act. manner. I would formally ask Senator and hear of yet another tragic story of
For those who are not familiar with RUBIO to modify this request that he murder, of rape, and violent crimes of
it at this point, it basically says that has made to include the following re- all natures that are ravaging their
you can’t import products into the quest. community.
United States that are made by slave In October, the United States re-
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT
labor in Xinjiang or entities that are corded its highest spike in homicides
Mr. MURPHY. I ask unanimous con- in modern history. Last year the mur-
associated with the government of that sent that notwithstanding rule XXII, if
region. If you are a company that is der rate in this country rose by 30 per-
applicable, at 4:30 p.m. today, the Sen- cent. These murders are not being com-
manufacturing in that area, you need ate proceed to the following nomina-
to prove that slaves didn’t make it; the mitted by law-abiding citizens. They
tions: Executive Calendar No. 525, R. are being committed by extremely dan-
presumption is on you. Nicholas Burns, of Massachusetts, to
It is already illegal, by the way, to gerous and violent criminals, like
be Ambassador Extraordinary and Brian Davis.
bring goods made with slave labor. It
Plenipotentiary of the United States of The reality is victims like Holly
has been that way since the thirties.
America to the People’s Republic of Durben and violent criminals like
Yet it still happens, and we know it is
China; Calendar No. 626, Ramin Toloui, Brian Davis have been locked in homes
happening at an alarming, horrific
of Iowa, to be an Assistant Secretary of together for nearly 2 years during this
rate, with the genocide that we now
State (Economic and Business Affairs); pandemic. Violent convicted criminals
witness being carried out by the Chi-
and Calendar No. 619, Rashad Hussain, like Brian Davis, who murdered Holly,
nese Government in the Xinjiang re-
of Virginia, to be Ambassador at Large his fiancee, should not have access to
gion.
for International Religious Freedom; firearms.
This bill, which we hope, here in a
that there be 10 minutes for debate Law-abiding Americans need the
few moments, passes today, will head
equally divided in the usual form on ability to protect themselves from vio-
to the President and will become law,
the nominations en bloc; that upon the lent criminals like Brian Davis. Iowans
and it will help tremendously in stop- are common sense. We are pragmatic.
use or yielding back of that time, the
ping that from happening. We take our Second Amendment rights
Senate vote without intervening action
Many companies have already taken
or debate on the nominations in the incredibly serious. We value the safety
steps to clean up their supply chains, of our communities, and we think it is
order listed; that if the nominations
and, frankly, they should have no con- right to punish violent criminals when
are confirmed, the motions to recon-
cerns about this law. Yet for those that they break the law and are convicted.
sider be considered made and laid upon
have not done that, they will no longer This isn’t some crazy idea. Under
the table with no intervening action or
be able to continue to make Ameri- current Federal law which has been on
debate; and that the President be im-
cans—every one of us, frankly—unwit- the books for decades and in State
mediately notified of the Senate’s ac-
ting accomplices in the atrocities and codes all across the country, there are
tion.
genocide that are being committed by violent crimes that result in con-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
the Chinese Communist Party. sequences like the inability to possess
As if in legislative session, I ask objection to the modification?
The Senator from Florida. a firearm. For example, someone con-
unanimous consent that the Senate victed of a felony forfeits many of their
proceed to the immediate consider- Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I have no
objection to the modification. rights. Felons can’t be on a jury. They
ation of H.R. 6256, which was received can’t work for the Federal Government
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
from the House; that the bill be consid- or serve in the military.
objection to the request, as modified?
ered read a third time and passed; and Felons, like murderers and drug
Without objection, it is so ordered.
that the motion to reconsider be con- kingpins, lose these rights when they
The bill (H.R. 6256) was ordered to a
sidered made and laid upon the table. commit and are convicted of their
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there third reading, was read the third time,
and passed. crimes. A fugitive from justice is not
objection? permitted to have a firearm; the same
The Senator from Connecticut. f for those who are in this country ille-
Mr. MURPHY. Reserving the right to RECESS gally.
object, first, let me thank the Senator Under current law—current law—in-
from Florida for doing such great The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
dividuals who have been convicted of a
work, along with Senator MERKLEY and the previous order, the Senate stands
misdemeanor domestic-violence crime
others, on this incredibly important in recess until 2 p.m.
are also on this list. As of today, if two
piece of legislation. We are going to be Thereupon, the Senate, at 12:52 p.m.,
individuals are married, the convicted
able in a few moments to speak to- recessed until 2 p.m. and reassembled
abuser is held accountable, and that
gether, Republicans and Democrats, on when called to order by the Presiding
makes sense. But if they are not mar-
our commitment to ending genocide in Officer (Mr. SCHATZ).
ried, the convicted violent abuser is
China. f
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not held accountable.
I want to thank the Senator for I believe we need to get tough on
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR—Continued
working with me to make sure that, as crime, and I believe law-abiding gun
part of his unanimous consent request, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- owners in this country agree with me.
we are going to be able to make sure ator from Iowa. Brian Davis, a violent, convicted crimi-
we have personnel in place to properly VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT nal is not law abiding.
implement this policy. We have dozens Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, this is I want to be crystal clear about a few
of State Department and Department Holly Durben from Shenandoah, IA. things. One, what we are talking about
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