Congressional Record, Senate, February 17, 2022 — Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6617
Summary
Proceedings from the Congressional Record for Thursday, February 17, 2022, Volume 168, No. 32, marked as a correction. The House was not in session and its next meeting will be held on Friday, February 18, 2022, at 10 a.m. The Senate met at 10:30 a.m. with Mr. Leahy as President pro tempore and a prayer by Chaplain Dr. Barry C. Black, and morning business closed before legislative session. A speaker says a majority of Americans say crime has gotten worse in their area and blames Democrats, which is that speaker's claim, while bill text refers to a memorandum signed by the Secretary of Defense on August 24, 2021.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Cite this document
“Congressional Record, Senate, February 17, 2022 — Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6617.”
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CORRECTION
Congressional Record
E PL
UR M
IB NU
U U
S
116 th CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
United States
of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE
Vol. 168 WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 No. 32
House of Representatives
The House was not in session today. Its next meeting will be held on Friday, February 18, 2022, at 10 a.m.
Senate
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
The Senate met at 10:30 a.m. and was CONCLUSION OF MORNING right majority of Americans say crime
called to order by the President pro BUSINESS has gotten worse in their area over the
tempore (Mr. LEAHY). The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Morn- past year.
ing business is closed. Many Democrats have spent the last
f
year and a half trying to defund police,
f
PRAYER smear law enforcement, and go soft on
LEGISLATIVE SESSION crime. As a result, innocent citizens
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- have spent a year and a half watching
fered the following prayer: murders, carjackings, and other violent
Let us pray. FURTHER ADDITIONAL EXTEND- crimes literally skyrocket.
O God, You are our heavenly parent, ING GOVERNMENT FUNDING On Monday, in my hometown of Lou-
and we thank You for every expression ACT—Motion to Proceed—Resumed isville, KY, we were stunned by what
of Your love. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under appears to have been an assassination
Though we hear about war and ru- the previous order, the Senate will re- attempt against a Jewish mayoral can-
mors of war, You continue to deserve sume consideration of the motion to didate by a prominent far-left activist
our ceaseless praise. We praise You proceed to H.R. 6617, which the clerk who previously called for defunding our
that though wrong seems often so will report. police department.
strong, You continue to rule Your uni- The senior assistant legislative clerk This far-left Black Lives Matter ac-
verse. Lord, why can’t nations learn to read as follows: tivist and defund-the-police cheer-
live together in peace? leader walked into a Jewish Demo-
Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 267, H.R.
Today, use our Senators for Your 6617, a bill making further continuing appro- crat’s campaign headquarters and
glory. Keep them mindful of Your pres- priations for the fiscal year ending Sep- opened fire.
ence, eager to do Your will, and loyal tember 30, 2022, and for other purposes. Obviously, every aspect of this is still
to the royal You have placed in every The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The under investigation, including the sus-
heart. Senator from Nevada. pect’s mental condition. But guess
We pray in Your sovereign Name. Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, I suggest what. He has already been let out of
Amen. the absence of a quorum. jail—already let out of jail.
A leftwing bail fund partnered with
f The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The
clerk will call the roll. BLM Louisville to bail him out. Less
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The senior assistant legislative clerk than 48 hours after this activist tried
proceeded to call the roll. to literally murder a politician, the
The President pro tempore led the
(Ms. ROSEN assumed the Chair.) radical left bailed their comrade out of
Pledge of Allegiance, as follows:
Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, jail.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the This is just jaw-dropping. The inno-
United States of America, and to the Repub- I ask unanimous consent that the order
cent people of Louisville deserve bet-
lic for which it stands, one nation under God, for the quorum call be rescinded.
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. ter.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Since 2020, a long list of prominent
f
objection, it is so ordered. corporations have donated or pledged
RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY LEADER
enormous amounts of money to the
RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME The Republican leader is recognized. radical nationwide BLM parent organi-
sradovich on DSKJLST7X2PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under CRIME zation. One wonders if any of their cor-
the previous order, the leadership time Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, porate money helped spring this would-
is reserved. for the first time in 12 years, an out- be assassin from jail.
∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.
S757
.
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S758 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
Now, I am confident that if an activ- political games transparent, they want Some of our European allies have
ist claiming to be conservative tried to this to expire right after the midterms, spent many years voluntarily winding
assassinate a politician, whatever his as soon as the next Congress is sworn down reliable sources like nuclear and
mental state, the media would open a in. coal and refusing to tap into their own
24/7 national conversation about rhet- Democrats want to blow a $20 billion considerable natural gas reserves via
oric on the right. Somehow, I doubt at- hole in highway funding so they can fracking. Instead, they gambled on less
tempted murder by a BLM activist will try to mask the effects of their own reliable sources and outsourced their
get that same treatment. I doubt we liberal policies on working Americans. perceived dirty work to places like
will have a national conversation They have spent the entire year waging Russia. Western European elites de-
about the constant chorus of powerful a holy war on affordable American en- cided they wanted their energy produc-
voices calling our society evil. ergy, and now—now—they want to use tion out of sight and out of mind, and
I raise this double standard because a pile of taxpayers’ money to literally Putin was all too happy to oblige them.
it is not limited to media coverage. We hide the consequences. Even after Russia invaded Georgia in
have seen this extend into our legal As the senior Senator from West Vir- 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, Germany will-
system itself. ginia has pointed out, ‘‘People want ingly signed up for Putin’s Nord
In May of 2020, when Minneapolis was their bridges and their roads, and we Stream 2 Pipeline. It would negate
engulfed in lawless riots, one rioter have an infrastructure bill we just Ukraine’s own pipelines and deny the
broke into a pawn shop and started a passed this summer, and they want to money and leverage that Ukraine needs
fire that burned it down. His act of take all that away. It just doesn’t to keep Russia at bay, but Germany
arson actually killed somebody. But make sense.’’ backed it. Meanwhile, Berlin put off
the Federal attorneys, who were sup- He added that this half-baked pro- building liquid natural gas terminals,
posed to represent the victim and the posal doesn’t make any more sense instead choosing to rely on Russian gas
people, went out of their way to push than the President’s pointless decision and refusing to diversify its import op-
for an unusually lenient sentence. to take oil out of the Strategic Petro- tions. I am hopeful the latest indica-
They asked for the typical sentencing leum Reserve last year. tions that Germany is reconsidering
guideline to be cut in half. Why? Well, President Clinton’s Treasury Sec- this will prove to be accurate.
retary, Larry Summers, called this The Biden administration is scram-
because, they wrote, the defendant was
stunt ‘‘short-sighted, ineffective, goofy bling to connect our at-risk allies with
an angry political protester who sim-
and gimmicky.’’ That is the Secretary some energy resources from every-
ply lost his cool. They wrote, ‘‘As any-
of the Treasury in the Bill Clinton ad- where else—everywhere else. But it
one watching the news worldwide
ministration. should not have taken this latest
knows, many other people in Min-
Back in 2008, then-Candidate Obama Kremlin misbehavior to remind the
nesota were similarly caught up’’—as if
himself said this: West that self-sufficiency actually
that were an excuse. This is the sen-
We’re arguing over a gimmick that would matters. It matters. And Democrats
tencing memo from the prosecutors. It
save you half a tank of gas over the course have still not flinched in their broader
reads like it was ghostwritten by the of the entire summer so that everyone in war against our own—our own—U.S.
defense. They even tried to quote Dr. Washington can pat themselves on the back production.
Martin Luther King, Jr., to explain and say they did something. Well, let me tell Glitzy summits in Paris and finger-
why this guy burned down a pawn shop. you, this isn’t an idea designed to get you wagging climate rhetoric are one way
What a backward attitude. through the summer—it’s designed to get to approach energy policy. Actually ex-
We cannot have Federal officials act- them through an election.
ploring and developing abundant, af-
ing like leftwing political violence is That is Barack Obama in 2008, and he fordable, and reliable domestic energy
more acceptable than any other vio- was right. is another approach, and that is the ap-
lence. If anything, political violence is Look, if Democrats actually want to proach that will actually work.
uniquely unacceptable in a democratic help the American people fill their The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma-
republic. tanks, they wouldn’t have been attack- jority whip.
Now, I placed a hold on President ing American energy every way pos- DOJ APPOINTMENTS
Biden’s nominee to take over as U.S. sible for the entire year. President Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, most
attorney in Minnesota until he pledged Biden made killing the Keystone XL people would be stumped by the ques-
he would keep political favoritism out Pipeline his day 1 priority. Democrats tion I am about to ask, and that is,
of his prosecutions. Fortunately, he voted in lockstep to endorse President when it comes to the commission of
quickly said so in writing. He also Biden’s ban on new energy exploration crime, what is the largest criminal in-
knows Republicans will be watching. on Federal lands. At every turn, in vestigation in the history of the United
The American people need public every way, Democrats have made it States? The answer is January 6, 2021.
servants to crack down on crime and harder to produce affordable and reli- Over 725 individuals have been charged
defend their safety—crack down on able American energy. Take any form with a Federal crime as a result of that
crime and defend their safety—less of energy, and if people in San Fran- insurrectionist mob that descended on
pandering to woke mobs; more pro- cisco don’t find it fashionable, the the Capitol.
tecting innocent families. Biden administration has gone after it. The reason I raise that is that we are
ENERGY Three years ago, under Republican going through regular—sometimes
Madam President, now on an entirely policies, the United States became a daily, sometimes weekly—lectures
different matter, Washington Demo- net exporter of oil for the first time in from Republicans about who is soft on
crats’ inflation is slamming consumers more than 70 years. From a sheer crime, who is really on the side of the
with the highest prices in 40 years. One mathematical perspective, for the very American people when it comes to de-
of the toughest blows has been the first time since World War II, we were fending their homes and their families.
soaring cost of a trip to the gas pump. producing all that we needed and then I listen to this debate on a regular
A gallon of regular costs a full dollar some. Alas, a very different philosophy basis as chairman of the Senate Judici-
more today than it did a year ago. now controls Washington. In President ary Committee. Every single nominee
So after triggering a historic run of Biden’s first year, our own oil imports who comes from the Biden White House
inflation and hammering American from Russia—from Russia—hit a new is subject to being challenged as to
producers with anti-energy policies de- alltime high. whether they are going to defund the
signed to restrict supply, our Demo- But as we speak, events in Eastern
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
police or whether they are soft on
cratic colleagues are suddenly talking Europe are reminding the entire world crime. Yet I have to say that it is hard
about gas prices. Here is their bold, that energy abundance is not just to explain that these same Republicans
creative plan: temporarily suspending about families’ pocketbooks; there is a asking these pointed questions to
the gas tax, to the tune of 18 cents—oh, colossal strategic cost when our Nation nominees are nowhere to be found
and excluding diesel—a slap in the face and our allies become economically de- when it comes to discussing January 6,
to truckers and a further burden on the pendent on countries that don’t like us 2021. In fact, many of them were cheer-
supply chain. Oh, and just to make the very much. leaders and apologists for the very
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S759
demonstrators who came into this personally stopping them from being the other table in the criminal court-
United States Capitol. appointed in the ordinary course of rooms, not at the prosecutor’s table,
To think that a national political business in the U.S. Senate. but there is nothing wrong with some
party like the Republican Party of the You have to ask yourself why. There balance on the court, making sure that
United States of America branded this must be a problem with their qualifica- we have all points of view considered
insurrectionist mob and their attack tions. No. There is not a single ques- and certainly, above all, the law con-
on the Capitol as ‘‘legitimate political tion being asked about the qualifica- sidered.
discourse’’—that was the official state- tions of these individuals. We hear, from time to time, compel-
ment, the unanimous statement of the Mr. Frierson in the State of Nevada, ling anecdotes, such as the one given
Republican Party. a person whom you and Senator COR- by the minority leader related to Lou-
Now, a few Republican Senators have TEZ MASTO described on the floor yes- isville, KY. I am not familiar with the
dissented. Thank you. But why haven’t terday who would be the U.S. attorney details. But if we are serious about
more? Why won’t they step up and say there, clearly is well qualified for that making America safer, we need to pull
a crime is a crime? If over 700 people position. The same is true in Illinois. together on a bipartisan basis. We need
descended on this Capitol and are being Our choice, Senator DUCKWORTH’s to approve President Biden’s budget,
charged with a crime, they should have and my choice for the U.S. marshal to which provides more resources for law
to pay the price, whatever it happens serve in the Northern District of Illi- enforcement but also more resources
to be, because this just wasn’t some nois, is an individual with 30 years—30 for violence intervention.
idle political exercise. At the end of years—of law enforcement experience, The Presiding Officer knows person-
the day, we had 6 people dead as a re- a chief of police in one of the larger ally, as mayor of a large city in New
sult of that insurrectionist mob, in- suburbs in the city of Chicago. Jersey, that we can’t arrest our way
cluding law enforcement officers, and Do we need the U.S. Marshal’s Office out of the crime problem in America.
140 law enforcement officers attacked to be reinvigorated and dedicated to its Certainly, we should pursue law en-
during the course of that day. We all purpose? Of course we do. It wasn’t forcement measures and responses
saw the videos. There are plenty of that many years ago when the family when necessary and apply the law
them. of one of our highly respected Federal without question, but it takes more
Imagine, if you will, the so-called in- judges was literally murdered in their than that. If we are going to reach into
nocent, legitimate political discourse home by a deranged individual who the communities around America and
travelers to Washington just happened didn’t care for the way he was treated try to stop this violence before it oc-
to bring bear spray with them so they by that judge. It is a very real question curs, then we have to look at other ap-
could spray police in the face with a of personal safety. Yet one Republican proaches.
poisonous compound that could, in Senator from Arkansas is stopping the I am happy to report that last week
fact, harm them and did. Does that appointments of these U.S. attorneys we announced the introduction of the
sound like a group of political tourists and U.S. marshals to execute the laws Violence Against Women Act. This is a
to you? It doesn’t to me. These are vio- of the land. measure which, for 3 years, we have
lent individuals who are being called to Don’t tell me you respect law en- been trying to find common ground. We
task for having assaulted this Capitol, forcement, and don’t tell me you want did it. We finally did it.
broken down the windows and the to fight crime and then turn around
I want to salute Senator FEINSTEIN as
doors, came in here aping along these and tie the hands of the Department of
the lead Democratic sponsor. I was
desks in the Chamber, forcing the Vice Justice, keeping U.S. attorneys off the
happy to join her.
President of the United States and job and U.S. marshals away from their
I also want to salute Senators LISA
Senators who were there that day—and responsibilities. That is the reality.
MURKOWSKI and JONI ERNST, from Alas-
I was one of them—to exit by the back- If we are going to get serious about
ka and Iowa, respectively. They have
door for their lives. And here we have fighting crime—and I believe we
done such extraordinary work in put-
this ‘‘We are not soft on crime’’ mes- should—it is all hands on deck. Every
ting together a bill.
sage from Republicans who are making Federal law enforcement official
excuses, not to mention the former should be doing their part. They can- You say to yourself: How does this fit
President, Donald Trump, who said not do their part when the junior Sen- in with violence against women, the
that given the opportunity, he would ator from Arkansas stops us from even question of crime in America?
pardon these demonstrators. It is no approving their appointments to these Well, I can tell you—the Presiding
surprise in light of what he has done in positions. These appointments remain Officer knows this personally, and it is
the past. vacant, and we pay a price for it. worth repeating—that I went to the ju-
But being lectured to regularly by When we receive lectures from the venile facility in Cook County years
the Republicans about who respects minority leader or from others on the ago and said: Who are these teenagers
law enforcement and who is soft on floor about respect for law and law en- who came to the Earth in the usual
crime—most of them cannot answer forcement, I would say he ought to way and then turned to gangs and guns
the basic question of what they would start with his own caucus. He ought to and killing wantonly? What happened
do when it comes to the January 6 call in the junior Senator from Arkan- to these kids along the way?
demonstrators, and the answer they sas and say: Enough. You are stepping Well, there are plenty of reasons and
give is totally insufficient. on our message. We are trying to show issues related to mental health, but
Madam President, you know person- that we are for law and order, and you one of the things that was compelling
ally, because you were here on the are stopping the appointment of U.S. was the observation that over 90 per-
floor yesterday, that isn’t all of it. I attorneys and U.S. marshals who are cent of them had been victims of trau-
listen to all this talk about prosecutors dedicated to that purpose and risk ma. Trauma comes in many forms, not
doing their job, and I can’t help but their lives to do so. just physical trauma but to witness
think what we went through yesterday That is not consistent with good law trauma on another person or to be a
on the floor of the U.S. Senate when enforcement or sound law and order as victim yourself, to have a home where
the junior Senator from Arkansas, a far as I am concerned. there is no support, no encouragement,
Republican Senator, stood here and (Mr. BOOKER assumed the Chair.) and no values being taught. Those kids
vainly tried to defend what he is doing. Let me conclude by saying that the are the ones who end up, many times,
Do you know what he is doing? You nominees who come before the Senate in these predicaments.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
do personally. He is stopping the ap- for these judicial positions are a wide What can we do about it?
pointment of U.S. attorneys, Federal variety of individuals with amazing Well, we can probably arrest them
prosecutors, in State after State, and backgrounds—incredible back- after the crime has been committed,
he is stopping the appointment of U.S. grounds—and who are consistently but that really doesn’t solve the prob-
marshals who keep those courtrooms rated unanimously ‘‘well qualified’’ by lem. We have got to do what we can to
safe and the judges safe and transport the American Bar Association. It is intervene in their lives at a stage when
prisoners and seek out fugitives. He is true that some of them used to sit at they can be saved. I don’t believe that
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S760 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
everyone can be saved, but I do fun- and will bring long-term positive The Biden EPA tried to suggest that
damentally believe in redemption and changes to the maritime supply chain, these cuts would be made up for with
in our responsibility to engage in it. which, I hope, will benefit ag exporters, higher 2022 blending targets, but with a
That is why this Violence Against importers, and consumers alike. new precedent, there would be nothing
Women Act is so important. If we can Another one of my priorities lately to stop the administration from again
reach into a home where physical or has been to address the Biden adminis- caving to oil refiners and retroactively
mental abuse has taken place of a tration’s proposed Waters of the United reducing volume obligations in the fu-
spouse or the children and give that States, or WOTUS, rule. WOTUS con- ture.
person, first, a caring heart—someone cerns which water features are regu- That is why I recently joined a bipar-
who will listen and hear them out—and lated at the Federal level. tisan group of my colleagues in urging
then advise them on what to do to keep Now, generally, the Clean Water Act the EPA to prioritize the renewable
themselves safe and keep their kids only calls for navigable waters to be fuel standard by maintaining the in-
safe and what to do in relation to law regulated at the Federal level, which creased blending requirements for 2022,
enforcement, that is a positive move are things like rivers and streams that denying all pending small refinery ex-
toward taking violence out of that connect to larger bodies of water. But, emptions, eliminating proposed retro-
family and out of America. like President Obama before him, active cuts to the 2020 renewable vol-
So I hope that when we talk about President Biden is trying to expand ume obligations, and setting 2021 re-
this whole issue of a safer America, Federal jurisdiction to regulate things newable fuel standard volumes at the
which we all aspire to, we do it in a like ditches, prairie potholes, and statutory levels.
balanced way; that we talk about effec- streams that only flow when it rains. Unfortunately, the administration
tive prosecution by members of law en- Needless to say, this would subject remains almost singularly focused on
forcement who are playing by the rules nearly every corner of South Dakota to electric vehicles rather than on the
and that we also realize it takes more this DC land grab. readily available and proven clean en-
than that. We need an investment in Farmers and ranchers could be sub- ergy contributions of biofuels. Ethanol,
the communities to make a difference. jected to the time-consuming process biodiesel, and now sustainable aviation
President Biden knows that. He in- of having each and every pothole and fuel can drive down emissions and help
ditch examined by Federal regulators, reduce our demand for oil—an impor-
cluded it in this year’s budget and will
and they could face massive fines tant consideration given soaring gas
again in next year’s budget. We ought
should they run afoul of DC regulators prices and the fact that this adminis-
to be standing up and supporting that
looking to halt everyday farming and tration is forcing us to rely more on
as well.
I yield the floor. ranching practices. Those fines can be
foreign oil production.
I suggest the absence of a quorum. $25,000 a day. That is not acceptable. Now, currently, some of my col-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Any WOTUS rule that is going to
leagues are promoting a report that
work for farmers and ranchers has to
clerk will call the roll. was conveniently issued right before
The senior assistant legislative clerk include categorical exclusions for fea-
yesterday’s EPW Committee hearing
proceeded to call the roll. tures like ditches, prairie potholes, and
on the renewable fuel standard. My col-
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask stock ponds, which is why I recently
leagues, who rarely pass on an oppor-
unanimous consent that the order for led the entire Senate Republican con-
tunity to malign biofuels, say the re-
the quorum call be rescinded. ference in writing to the EPA and the
port undercuts the growing body of re-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regard-
ing the Biden administration’s pro- search that says biofuels cut emissions
objection, it is so ordered. by as much as 46 percent or more com-
posed WOTUS rule. We urged the ad-
AGRICULTURE
ministration to suspend its WOTUS pared to gasoline.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, farming To this, I will say that if you are con-
rulemaking until the Supreme Court
and ranching are the lifeblood of my cerned about accurate accounting of
rules on the Clean Water Act case it is
home State and a way of life for many biofuel emissions, I invite you to co-
currently considering, which would ef-
South Dakotans, and advocating for sponsor my bill, the bipartisan Adopt
fectively invalidate the Biden WOTUS
farmers and ranchers is one of my top regulations. GREET Act. This bill would require
priorities here in Congress. Implementing the WOTUS rule now, the EPA to update its greenhouse gas
As a longtime member of the Sen- when it could be overturned in the near modeling for ethanol and biodiesel by
ate’s Agriculture Committee, I have future, would subject farmers and using the Department of Energy’s
been able to help shape multiple farm ranchers to an unacceptable level of GREET model. Let’s put energy tech-
bills and make sure that South Dako- uncertainty as they plan for the up- nologies head-to-head. I call on the
ta’s agriculture producers’ voices are coming planting season. It is very like- chairman of the Environment and Pub-
heard here in Washington. ly that the Supreme Court will force lic Works Committee to mark up my
Lately, I have been hearing a lot of the administration to go back to the bipartisan bill.
reports from South Dakota’s producers drawing board, which would, hopefully, Biofuels also provide a highly impor-
and ag exporters about ocean carriers result in a less intrusive and more tant market for corn and soybean
refusing to transport American agri- workable rule that won’t subject farm- farmers whose crops and their byprod-
cultural products. This is, obviously, a ers and ranchers to even more Wash- ucts go into biofuel production. And it
major concern for farmers and ranch- ington redtape. is incredibly unfortunate that the ad-
ers, who are already struggling with As a supporter of South Dakota and ministration continues to overlook the
the burden of inflation and high input our Nation’s corn and soybean farm- clean energy potential of biofuels and
costs and who rely on exports for part ers—and as a supporter of clean en- the associated benefits for our Nation’s
of their livelihoods, which is why I re- ergy—I have long championed the farmers.
cently introduced bipartisan legisla- clean energy potential of biofuels. The I sent two letters to President Biden
tion to address violations of free and EPA’s renewable fuel standard, which with a number of my colleagues seek-
fair competition in shipping and to cre- requires that a minimum volume of re- ing a meeting to discuss all the ways
ate a more level playing field for Amer- newable fuel be sold in the United biofuels could complement his agenda
ican producers. States each year, is a significant tool and noting the bipartisan support for
Our bill gives the Federal Maritime for reducing the carbon footprint of our ethanol and biodiesel. Unfortunately,
Commission greater authority to re- it quickly became clear that the Presi-
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
transportation sector.
spond to discriminatory ocean carrier Unfortunately, the Biden administra- dent and his administration had little
practices, and it provides the FMC with tion has shown a willingness to under- interest in the proven clean energy po-
the tools to more quickly resolve de- mine the blending targets set by the tential of biofuels. But I will continue
tention and demurrage disputes. renewable fuel standard, going as far as to do everything I can here in Wash-
This legislation will bring greater ef- a proposal to retroactively reduce the ington to promote this clean energy re-
ficiency and transparency to a process 2020 renewable volume obligation, source and to expand opportunities for
that leaves many shippers frustrated which had already been finalized. South Dakota producers.
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S761
No matter the season, South Dakota who have died, despite the fact that masks are available at retail phar-
farmers and ranchers will always be they have received two shots of the macies and community health centers,
one of my top priorities here in Wash- vaccine. So let’s just make sure that so go get one. Ask a friend or a family
ington. I continue to work to help we deliver that message correctly. member to bring one to you.
farmers and ranchers deal with the Keep your mask on. Make sure you are wearing a protec-
challenges of inflation, which are hit- This is a very good mask. There are tive mask. Understand that surgical
ting our farm communities hard, and I KF94s. We have a very good N95 mask masks give you less protection. A cloth
continue to press the administration to here that is absolutely certified by mask gives you much less protection.
ensure that the meatpacking industry NIOSH. But many of these other masks Just understand that, especially if you
is held accountable for any unfair prac- that people are wearing just aren’t are in a vulnerable category.
tices. going to give you the protection, which I want to say this over and over
Whatever the challenges—and in the you need, so we need a strong message again. If you are over 60, you are in
farming life, there are always many— that goes out to seniors especially but that category, so just protect yourself.
our Nation’s farmers and ranchers keep to anyone who is immunocompromised That small item can be what it is that
pushing forward to feed our Nation and and to children who have not been vac- protects you and your family members.
the world, and I will continue to do all cinated. When this ‘‘You can take off Just make sure the masks we use are
that I can to ensure that they have the your mask’’ era begins, let’s just un- the best, the most accessible, the most
resources that they need to carry out derstand that there are going to be affordable, and the most reliable that
that mission. very many vulnerable people out there. they can be. It is not always conven-
I yield the floor. So from my perspective, the Centers ient, but we need to continue to pro-
I suggest the absence of a quorum. for Disease Control and Prevention has tect ourselves. I urge those Americans
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. also reported that the unvaccinated over the age of 60 and those who are
BOOKER). The clerk will call the roll. seniors were 90 times more likely to die immunocompromised to continue to
The legislative clerk proceeded to of COVID–19 than those who received mask up.
call the roll. the vaccine booster. But I will say it UKRAINE
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I ask again: If you haven’t already, get vac- Mr. President, now I would just like
unanimous consent that the order for cinated and get a booster. to move on quickly to a different topic.
the quorum call be rescinded. An average of 2,300 people died from As we watch President Putin amass
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without COVID nationwide in the past week per tens of thousands of soldiers on the
objection, it is so ordered. day—overwhelmingly, people over the border of Ukraine, we must confront
CORONAVIRUS age of 60—and each death is a tragedy the fuel that powers this show of mili-
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I want for their families or their commu- tary might—specifically, fossil fuels.
to begin my remarks today with a few nities. They are our grandmothers, our Our global addiction to oil and nat-
words to specifically urge American grandfathers, our parents, our veterans ural gas from Russia and from Saudi
seniors and the immunocompromised who fought for democracy. They are ir- Arabia keeps us locked into dangerous
to continue to protect themselves replaceable members of our lives, and cycles of conflict and corruption, but
against COVID–19 by ensuring that you we have already lost too many to we have a way out. We can build a
are fully vaccinated, including a boost- COVID–19. pathway to a more prosperous future, a
er shot and by wearing a high-quality But we have a powerful way to help, more peaceful future. We can build cit-
mask. and that is to wear a mask. Again, if ies powered by cheap, clean electricity,
As States around the country begin you put on these masks—here is a build all-electric vehicles for our roads,
to unwind mask and vaccine mandates, KF94—this will give you most of the and build homes that are healthier and
I implore America’s seniors to remain protection you need. But please do not more energy efficient than ever before.
vigilant against this virus. First, get take it off because everyone else is in- By putting 25 million new electric ve-
boosted. The vaccine is the most pow- doors now saying the mask mandate hicles on our roads, we can stop all oil
erful tool we have to protect yourself indoors is off—not if you are in this imports from Russia and Saudi Arabia
against COVID–19 infection. We know vulnerable category. It should not be. into the United States of America.
that the vaccine continues to be highly Understand that the risk is still there. That is 25 million all-electric vehicles.
effective at preventing serious illness Here is the second point. I am urging That is a direct message to the busi-
and death from COVID–19, but we also you to continue to protect yourself, ness model of Russia and of Saudi Ara-
know that thousands of Americans wear a high-quality mask. The CDC up- bia. That is the U.S. Congress passing
have died from breakthrough cases of dated in January its masking guidance legislation that propels the all-electric
COVID–19, and the vast majority are to recommend that the general public vehicle revolution here and sets a
over the age of 60. and especially seniors and those who model for the rest of the country.
In Massachusetts alone, 2,200 vac- are immunocompromised use higher But rather than invest in that clean,
cinated individuals have died of quality masks, like the N95s, the affordable, healthy future, our country
COVID–19, and more than 93 percent of KF94s, and the KN95s. We are seeing and the global economy are being held
those deaths were over the age of 60. welcome decreases in rates of new in- hostage by the American Petroleum In-
We are 2 percent of America’s popu- fections right now, but these popu- stitute and their Big Oil buddies. Rath-
lation. So you can multiply that 2,000 lations are still the most vulnerable to er than supporting energy policies that
to get an idea as to what has happened COVID. Just because younger people secure our independence and our fu-
with people who are ‘‘fully vaccinated’’ may be using their masks less, it does ture, Big Oil pushes policies that se-
but who are older and who still con- not mean that those at higher risk cure their profit margins. At the same
tract the coronavirus. should stop being vigilant. Continue to time that we get crocodile tears from
So we have to just make sure that use a high-quality mask to protect Republicans over American fossil fuel
everyone gets this message straight. yourself when you are indoors and leases, those same leases are feeding
For many Americans, they are going to around others. the American Petroleum Institute and
be told: You don’t have to wear masks. Getting a high-quality mask should not the United States of America.
But for many others there has to be a be an easy thing to do, but with less- In 2021, we exported one out of every
strong message: You should continue than-robust information, sometimes four barrels of oil we produced, and we
to wear your mask to protect yourself. limited supplies, and a lot of counter- are exporting them abroad because in
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And although I have called upon the feits abounding, it has been harder 2015, the Republicans voted to end the
CDC to track and share this data about than it should be for consumers to stay decades-long oil export ban in the
the deaths over the age of 60, they just educated and protected. That is why I United States. It was the Republican
haven’t done so. So if we extrapolate am pleased to see the Biden adminis- votes that put company profits over
the Massachusetts number, there may tration distribute 400 million nonsur- consumer protections and climate poli-
very well have been already over 100,000 gical N95 masks from the Strategic Na- cies. So our energy prices rose at home
Americans—overwhelmingly, seniors— tional Stockpile to the public. The while we were left to deal with the
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S762 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
health and climate crisis created in is the opportunity we are all presented When I first took over as chairman of
this rush to export and profit. At the with right now. That is why Build Back the Senate Appropriations Committee
same time, we continued to import Better—that is why President Biden’s a number of years back, Shannon was
Russian and Saudi oil. That is what we vision of wind and solar, all-electric ve- able to lead the committee in moving
are doing right now—propping up those hicles, battery-storage technologies, the most appropriations bills, with the
regimes and supporting their financial and clean energy technologies by the help of everybody in the Senate, in 22
reserves. millions being deployed in our country, years in a bipartisan way. By the end
The journey to energy independence will create millions of new jobs, reduce of the fiscal year, 75 percent of the gov-
simply does not run on fossil fuels. greenhouse gases, and improve our na- ernment was funded on time and
How does it run? It runs on solar; on tional security. through an open, bipartisan way. The
wind; on battery storage; on clean, This is the healthcare, the environ- Presiding Officer will remember; he
zero-carbon energy; on a clean energy mental, the national security, and the was part of that.
future for our country. We can re- moral issue of our time. If we haven’t Shannon’s 27 years of service on Cap-
imagine a future that is free from fossil learned another lesson from Ukraine, it itol Hill deserve the utmost recogni-
fuel conflict. We can reimagine a fu- should be that the time is now for us to tion and praise, not just by me but I
ture powered by the light of the Sun, act so that 10 years from now, the next think a lot of us. She has earned my re-
not by oil controlled by the barrel of a generation of young Americans can spect and the respect of countless oth-
gun. We can tell Russia we don’t need look back and say we did act, we did ers. I admire her for her valued com-
their oil any more than we need their destroy that business model. mitment to her work and unending de-
caviar. That is a message we can send I yield the floor. termination to get the job done.
by passing legislation that unleashes The PRESIDING OFFICER. The sen- Although I am sad to see her go, I re-
this clean energy revolution. We can ior Senator from Alabama. main grateful for her diligence, hard
TRIBUTE TO SHANNON HINES
reimagine a future where American in- work, and guidance over the years. I
genuity, manufacturing, and jobs drive Mr. SHELBY. Thank you, Mr. Presi- wish Shannon all the best as she pre-
our allies forward into a global clean dent. You are being very kind today. pares for a new phase in her remark-
Today, I rise to pay tribute to a long- able career in the private sector.
energy revolution.
This future isn’t far off beyond the time, vital member of my staff, Shan- I can say without question that I
horizon. It is right in front of us, and it non Hines. There aren’t many in the would not have been able to accomplish
Senate who don’t know Shannon or what we have been able to do on the
is already putting Americans to work
know of Shannon. Her sterling reputa- Appropriations Committee without
and keeping lights on across this coun-
tion precedes her, as it should. her.
try. Shannon has been one of the most
In 2010, we had 1 million jobs in solar, I yield the floor.
valuable members of my staff through- I suggest the absence of a quorum.
wind, and energy efficiency. By 2020,
out my career. Those who know her are The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
that more than doubled to more than 2
aware of her resounding work ethic, clerk will call the roll.
million jobs. Now we have all of those
having spent countless late nights The bill clerk proceeded to call the
millions of workers out there, and we right here in the Senate and long week-
can double it again and double it again. roll.
ends at the office. Not only has she Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President,
We can create millions of new clean en- been a trusted asset to me, but she has
ergy jobs for millions of Americans I ask unanimous consent that the order
proved to be essential in our work here for the quorum call be rescinded.
across this country. in the Senate to fund the government
In 2008, we only had 26,000 megawatts The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
and our Nation’s defense during my SCHATZ). Without objection, it is so or-
of solar. Today, we have upwards of time in leadership on the Appropria-
264,000 megawatts of solar and wind ca- dered.
tions Committee.
pacity combined on our grid. Having grown up in North Carolina,
CHINA
The electric vehicle revolution is al- Shannon is a proud graduate of Wake Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President,
ready on its way. Automakers are Forest University. She began her ca- since coming to the U.S. Senate over 3
pledging to produce 40 million new reer on Capitol Hill as a staff assistant years ago, I have regularly spoken
electric vehicles just in the United to freshman Representative Fred about the dangers presented by com-
States. That is 2 million barrels of oil Heineman of North Carolina and then munist China.
that are out of our system forever that worked as a legislative assistant to Last month, outside the Kennedy
we don’t need. That is the oil from Representative Lamar Smith of Texas. Caucus Room, I was joined by a group
Russia that we import today. That is I first met Shannon in 1999 when she of pro-democracy activists from Hong
the oil we import today from Saudi applied for a job in the Senate with my Kong and advocates speaking out
Arabia. That is what we have to do in staff. She joined my staff after experi- against the genocide in the Uighur
our country. To put that in context, ence in the House as a legislative as- homeland.
just 10 years ago, there were only 73,000 sistant. This month, as the Olympic Games
electric vehicles sold all year in the Shannon has served in many impor- have gone on in Beijing, we have seen
United States. tant roles on my senior staff, including the dangers that our athletes have
We can do this. Our opportunity is my legislative director, which is a very faced. Athletes who have tested posi-
great. We have a chance to use the important post, as the Presiding Offi- tive for COVID have been taken away
Build Back Better bill to send a mes- cer knows; as chief of staff, which is an by Chinese authorities, where they
sage: We are going to save money, save even more important post; senior pol- have been improperly fed. The FBI
energy, save industrial communities, icy adviser for the Senate Banking urged Team USA to leave their per-
save all of us from a world made unsta- Committee when I was chairman of the sonal phones at home for fear of being
ble through fossil fuel creating crisis Banking Committee; staff director of surveilled by the Chinese Government
after crisis on this planet. the Senate Rules Committee when I and impacted by Chinese hackers.
This is the power of the American-led was chairman of the Rules Committee; Of course, we saw the dangers ath-
clean energy revolution. Looking at and staff director of the Senate Appro- letes face in communist China several
the alternative, with troops paid by priations Committee and its Defense months ago in the case of tennis star
fossil fuel money on the border of Subcommittee. Peng Shuai. Peng is one of the most
Ukraine, I know what kind of future I Notably, she is, as you would know, recognizable Chinese athletes. She is a
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want and I think the American people the first female staff director for the three-time Olympian and was ranked
want to fight for. full Senate Appropriations Com- the No. 1 doubles player in 2014 by the
We have to destroy the business mittee—first female staff director of World Women’s Tennis Association.
model of Russia and Middle Eastern the Senate Appropriations Com- She has won championships at
countries that have been sources of mittee—something she was humbly un- Wimbledon and the French Open and
problems for American national secu- aware of until it was mentioned by a has represented her country at the
rity for more than a generation. That former colleague. highest levels of tennis competition.
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S763
In November, when she shared her Chinese Communist Party is saying The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the
story of sexual abuse by a former Vice that there is no way Peng could have Senator from Missouri yield?
Premier of the Chinese Communist been assaulted, so you better stop talk- Mr. KING. Mr. President, do I get a
Party on social media, it rightfully ing about this issue. response from the Senator from Indi-
caught the world’s attention. Com- Well, I am not going to stop talking ana?
munist China’s reaction to these dis- about this issue, and I am not going to Mr. President, we have two qualified
turbing allegations have shocked us all let comments like that slide by. That nominees, reported out on a bipartisan
and completely verified all our fears. is why I have introduced a bipartisan basis by the Armed Services Com-
Instead of taking Peng Shuai’s resolution with my colleague from Vir- mittee at a moment of heightened
claims seriously and investigating ginia rebuking the IOC for its failure to international tension.
these allegations, the communist Chi- clearly and forcefully challenge the The Senator from Missouri—I said
nese Government followed its authori- Party’s claims about Peng Shuai’s Indiana—I say the Senator from Mis-
tarian playbook: silence, deflect, and safety. The same resolution was unani- souri objected with no reason whatso-
cover up. General Secretary Xi and his mously adopted by the House of Rep- ever. I asked him for his reasoning, and
communist thugs are so thin-skinned, resentatives in December, and it is cru- he did not respond; he walked out of
weak, and intolerant of any ques- cial that the Senate do the same. the room.
tioning of their conduct that the gov- My colleague from Virginia, Senator I don’t understand such an irrespon-
ernment immediately silenced and dis- WARNER, is joining me to lead this res- sible action. This is a matter of na-
appeared Peng. tional security. We have no reason for
olution, along with 14 of our colleagues
People around the world asked on so- this objection. I understand that he is
from both sides of the aisle. I am glad
cial media: ‘‘Where is Peng?’’ Chinese objecting to all nominees at the De-
that my colleague from New Jersey,
state media released what it said was partment of Defense because he is
the chairman of the Senate Foreign
an email from Peng to the Women’s upset about accountability for the
Relations Committee, has committed
Tennis Association contradicting her withdrawal from Afghanistan.
to mark up and favorably report this We have taken action to deal with
previous allegations. It read like a hos- important resolution in the committee that question. In the National Defense
tage note and only raised more con- next month. I look forward to seeing Authorization Act that we just passed,
cerns as to her whereabouts and safety. its passage there and swiftly bringing there was a Commission created ex-
Then Beijing shared a couple of videos it to the floor. pressly to examine the issue of Afghan-
of Peng at various structured public The United States is the leading istan—how we got in, why we got in,
events and staged several video calls voice of freedom and democracy around what we did, how we left—on a bipar-
with the International Olympic Com- the world. We cannot tolerate this kind tisan basis. I believe that was reported
mittee. The IOC didn’t ask about her of behavior. Today, my colleagues and out by the committee unanimously in
disappearance; they didn’t ask about I are standing together for human the National Defense Authorization
her allegations of abuse. And in the rights. Act after the committee’s markup. So
months since, the IOC has worked I yield the floor. that is accountability.
hand-in-hand with communist China to I suggest the absence of a quorum. In addition, the Armed Services and
cover up Peng’s allegations. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Intelligence Committees, which I also
In the days after the Olympic open- clerk will call the roll. serve on, had at least 10—I think it was
ing ceremony, the IOC worked with The bill clerk proceeded the call the more like a dozen—hearings on the
Chinese officials to publish a highly roll. withdrawal from Afghanistan in the
controlled interview of Peng in a Mr. KING. Mr. President, I ask unan- latter part of 2021, before the end of the
French sports magazine. In answers imous consent that the order for the year—a dozen hearings.
that were translated by a Chinese offi- quorum call be rescinded. I was going to ask the Senator from
cial, Peng announced her retirement The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Missouri how many hearings were held
from professional tennis and denied the objection, it is so ordered. when he was a member of the Armed
previous claim she was assaulted. It UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—EXECUTIVE Services Committee and his party was
was disturbing. And the fact that the CALENDAR in charge of the committee, how many
IOC helped coordinate the interview Mr. KING. Mr. President, I ask unan- hearings were held on President
shows Thomas Bach is willing to imous consent that the Senate proceed Trump’s agreement to leave Afghani-
prioritize his relationship with com- to executive session and consider the stan in Doha in February of 2020. That
munist China over the safety of ath- following nominations en bloc: Cal- was the decision that led to President
letes. endar No. 599 and Calendar No. 693; Biden effectuating the treaty—not the
Compare their response to the World that the Senate vote on the nomina- treaty but the agreement that the
Tennis Association. At the beginning tions en bloc without intervening ac- Trump administration had made with
of December, the WTA announced it tion or debate; that the motions to re- the Taliban that led to the evacuation
would be suspending all its tour- consider be considered made and laid of Americans and American troops
naments in communist China until it upon the table with no intervening ac- from Afghanistan.
was clear that Peng Shuai was safe and tion or debate; that any statements re- You know how many hearings were
in good health and until there was a lated to the nominations be printed in held by the Armed Services Committee
completely transparent investigation the RECORD; that the President be im- on the Doha agreement, which was ef-
into her allegations of assault. It is a mediately notified of the Senate’s ac- fectively guaranteeing we would leave
stark contrast between two organiza- tion and the Senate resume legislative Afghanistan with some minor condi-
tions meant to protect the athletes— session. tions? Zero. Zero. Talk about account-
one aiding in the censorship and op- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there ability. There were no hearings or dis-
pression of athletes, while the other objection? cussion in the committee that I can re-
does the right thing. The Senator from Missouri. call of the Doha agreement, where the
And now, you have a well-known Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, I ob- Trump administration agreed with the
pundit representing the Chinese Com- ject, and will submit a statement for Taliban that we would leave by May 1
munist Party spouting gross and de- the RECORD. of 2021, as long as the Taliban didn’t at-
meaning comments about Peng. On ‘‘60 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ob- tack our troops.
Minutes Australia,’’ Victor Gao, the jection is heard.
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And now the Senator from Missouri
vice president for the Center for China Mr. KING. Senator, are you up for a is holding up nominees because of
and Globalization and former trans- question? Will the Senator yield for a some—he doesn’t like the way the
lator for Deng Xiaoping, argued Peng question? evacuation occurred or he wants more
could not have been assaulted because Mr. President, I would like to direct questions from the Secretary of De-
she is strong and athletic, so she a question through the Chair to the fense.
should be able to defend herself. Can Senator from Indiana and ask the rea- We had hearings over and over. And
you imagine even saying that? The son for his objection. what is going on here is a compromise
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S764 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
of national security because the Sen- rity Council have been relieved of the details of full-year appropriations
ator from Missouri has questions that, duty? No one. bills to meet the needs of the American
I guess, haven’t been answered, al- Until there is accountability, I am people.
though I believe he was at those hear- going to ask that the Senate do the And I want to compliment the Appro-
ings, had the opportunity to examine simple task of its job, which is to actu- priations Committee staff who have
and cross-examine the Secretary of De- ally vote on these nominees. The least been meeting with me and others week-
fense and other officials of the Biden we could do is observe regular order ends, evenings, for weeks and months
administration. and vote on these leadership positions now, actually, to get this done.
But here we are, at a moment of na- at the Department of State and at the In a few moments we will vote to in-
tional tension—and that is putting it Department of Defense. voke cloture on the motion to proceed
mildly—with nominees who are in My colleagues say that we have got to the continuing resolution. As chair-
charge of space and readiness. The Sen- to put national security first. I agree man of the Appropriations Committee,
ator from Missouri today blocked con- with them about that. But I believe I strongly urge all Members, Repub-
sideration and confirmation of an As- that begins at the top, with the Presi- licans and Democrats alike, to vote
sistant Secretary of Defense for Readi- dent of the United States and the lead- aye.
ness and for Space, two areas of crit- ership of the Department of Defense A government shutdown would be
ical national concern, for reasons that and the Department of State. I, for useless, senseless. Imagine how that
he wouldn’t say. He walked out of the one, am not going to stand by and look would look to the Russians?
room. He walked out of the room. That the other way while this administra- I am pleased to report that last week
is not accountability. tion systematically endangers our na- the four corners of the Senate House
If you are going to do something that tional security, imperils the American Appropriations Committee reached a
endangers national defense and block people, and watches the sacrifice of our framework agreement that will allow
nominees who have been reported out soldiers go by without any account- us to negotiate an omnibus appropria-
by the committee on a bipartisan basis, ability, without any change in direc- tions bill. And that framework was the
accountability is standing in this room tion. result of weeks of careful negotiations
and telling the American people why Accountability for the Afghanistan between myself, Vice Chairman
he is doing it. Accountability means disaster is all the more urgent given SHELBY, Chair DELAURO and Ranking
being responsible for your actions, not new revelations from the U.S. Central Member GRANGER, and I want to thank
saying ‘‘I object’’ and then walking Command investigation of the Abbey them. I especially want to thank all
out, and that is what happened just Gate bombing. The investigative report their staffs who worked late nights and
now on this floor. I have never seen makes clear that the administration weekends that it took us to get to this
anything like it. had ample warning prior to mid-August point.
These are well-qualified nominations, that Kabul could collapse rapidly in I don’t know how many nights I prob-
reported out by the committee on a bi- the face of the Taliban’s offensive. It ably turned in about 11 o’clock at night
partisan basis, and we need them in shows further how the administration and I still was getting emails from
these jobs. We need them now, today, refused to acknowledge those warnings them working on this.
in these jobs, and now that is not going and act in a timely manner to prepare Now, it is like any compromise. I
to be possible because one Senator, for for Kabul’s fall. And it shows in as- have been here 48 years. I know you
reasons that he refused to explain or tounding detail just how chaotic the have to work these things out. I don’t
expand upon, objected. That is not re- final evacuation effort was, with U.S. believe any of us walked away from
sponsible. That is not responsible. That servicemembers often left without these negotiations with everything we
is endangering national security. clear guidance, the State Department wanted. There is still much work to do.
And to do so without any explanation constantly missing in action, and the But on the good part, this framework
is just, I believe, not appropriate for a administration itself intent only on sets the stage for us to make signifi-
Member of this body. evacuating as many people as possible, cant investments to the American peo-
So we will renew these requests at a regardless of whether those individuals ple and communities across our coun-
later date and hope that the Senator were eligible for evacuation or might try.
will have thought better of this action pose a threat to America’s own secu- It provides the biggest increase in
and allow these nominations to go for- rity. nondefense programs in 4 years. Under
ward as requested by a bipartisan ma- I am not willing to look the other this framework, we can direct new re-
jority of the Armed Services Com- way and just pretend that Afghanistan sources. We can improve healthcare in
mittee. didn’t happen, which seems to be the rural communities. We can expand the
I yield the floor. posture that many in this body have middle class. We can protect our na-
Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, it is adopted. I am not willing to do that. I tional security. And we look forward to
now February. It has been nearly 6 can’t do that because I promised the presenting our final agreement to
months since the disastrous with- parents of the fallen that I wouldn’t do Members to review in the coming
drawal from Afghanistan. that. weeks.
Thirteen servicemembers lost their I am going to discharge my responsi- But by passing this continuing reso-
lives in the attack on Abbey Gate, bility. And as long as it takes, I will lution, we remove the unnecessary
along with hundreds of civilians. As a continue to draw attention to what threat of yet another government shut-
result of the botched evacuation oper- happened at Abbey Gate and to demand down and allow the Appropriations
ation, hundreds, if not thousands, of accountability for the disaster that Committee to continue to work right
American civilians were left behind to this administration has pushed upon through the upcoming recess. Because
the enemy. this country and upon the people of my think of the alternative: a full year
We hear from our friends on the State. continuing resolution? That is unten-
other side of the aisle that my insist- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- able. It is far too onerous on the Amer-
ence that we actually vote on nominees ator from Vermont. ican people. Our government is not
is unprecedented. I would humbly sug- H.R. 6617 meant to run on autopilot; and Amer-
gest that the crisis into which this Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I had just ican taxpayer dollars should not be
President has led this country is un- spoken about this, but it is imperative spent on outdated priorities. We have
precedented. In my lifetime, it is un- that we take up and pass H.R. 6617; the responsibility to make the hard
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precedented. that is the Further Additional Extend- choices about how to invest in the
And who has been held accountable ing Government Funding Act. Of American people.
for this disaster? No one. Who has the course, we call it the CR. I will give you an example. A full-
President fired? Who has offered their I say this because the bill will keep year continuing resolution would
resignation? Which of the planners at the Federal Government funded and freeze funding at the National Insti-
the Department of State or the Depart- fully operating through March 11, tutes of Health. Think what that does.
ment of Defense or the National Secu- while we work out and are working out Think what that does when it brings
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S765
groundbreaking medical research to a the House with strong bipartisan—Re- the Senator from South Carolina (Mr.
halt at the time of a pandemic. It publican and Democrats alike—support GRAHAM).
would once again pass on new invest- so we can finish our negotiation. The yeas and nays resulted—yeas 65,
ments that begin to acknowledge the And I might say, Mr. President, the nays 30, as follows:
climate crisis after 4 years of setting it continuing resolution—and I was here [Rollcall Vote No. 60 Leg.]
on the back burner. at a time when something like this was YEAS—65
The continuing resolution would fail typically passed by a voice vote. But it Baldwin Heinrich Reed
to increase investments in the edu- has to pass in its current form. The Barrasso Hickenlooper Rosen
Bennet Hirono Rounds
cation of our Nation’s children or to House is out of session. We don’t have Blumenthal Hyde-Smith Rubio
build and renovate affordable housing time for a long and protracted debate. Blunt Kaine Sanders
or expand the middle class. The government will shut down at mid- Booker Kennedy Schatz
It would also—and this, people over- night tomorrow if we do not sign the Brown King Schumer
Cantwell Klobuchar
look—it would substantially reduce in- continuing resolution in its current Capito Leahy
Shaheen
frastructure spending that was in that form to the President for his signature. Shelby
Cardin Manchin
Sinema
bipartisan infrastructure law. We So I would urge all Members to op- Carper Markey
Smith
passed this bipartisan infrastructure pose any amendments—whether they Casey McConnell
Cassidy Menendez Stabenow
law with an overwhelming vote, but we come from Republicans or Democrats— Collins Merkley Tester
also have to fund it. A full-year, con- oppose any amendments to the bill and Coons Moran Tillis
Cornyn Murkowski Van Hollen
tinuing resolution would lead to delays vote yes on the final passage. Be re- Warner
Cortez Masto Murphy
and, frankly, worse, a loss of service to sponsible. If we have to be in tonight Duckworth Murray Warnock
veterans. and tomorrow to finish it, fine. But Durbin Ossoff Warren
To draft the full-year appropriations let’s get it done. Come on. Gillibrand Padilla Whitehouse
bill allows us to make smart decisions If you took a poll of the American Hagerty Peters Wicker
Hassan Portman Wyden
on how to invest in each of these areas people, 95 percent of them would say:
on behalf of the American people. What is taking so long? Let’s get it NAYS—30
In December, the Secretary of De- done. Blackburn Grassley Risch
fense warned that a full-year CR would Boozman Hawley Romney
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Braun Hoeven Sasse
be unprecedented. It would cause irrep- Mr. President, if there is nobody else Cotton Inhofe Scott (FL)
arable damage to a wide range of bipar- seeking recognition, I ask the pre- Cramer Johnson Scott (SC)
tisan priorities from defense mod- viously scheduled vote begin now. Crapo Lankford Sullivan
Cruz Lee Thune
ernization to public health. Well, Sec- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Daines Lummis Toomey
retary Austin is absolutely right. objection. Ernst Marshall Tuberville
A full-year continuing resolution CLOTURE MOTION Fischer Paul Young
would actually cut defense spending The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant NOT VOTING—5
below last year’s level. Some programs to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Burr Graham Luján
would be underfunded; others would be Senate the pending cloture motion, Feinstein Kelly
overfunded. And the Department of De- which the clerk will state. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
fense would lack the transfer authority The senior assistant legislative clerk KING). On this vote, the yeas are 65, the
to correct the imbalance, yet the worst read as follows: nays are 30.
of all possible worlds. CLOTURE MOTION Three-fifths of the Senators duly cho-
To give an example, a continuing res- sen and sworn having voted in the af-
We, the undersigned Senators, in accord-
olution would provide $3.3 billion for ance with the provisions of rule XXII of the firmative, the motion is agreed to.
training and arming the Afghan secu- Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
rity forces. If anybody has been watch- move to bring to a close debate on the mo- ator from Oklahoma.
ing the press, the Afghan security tion to proceed to Calendar No. 267, H.R. UKRAINE
forces aren’t there anymore, but con- 6617, a bill making further continuing appro- Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, in
tinuing the resolution would provide priations for the fiscal year ending Sep- November of 2017, I spent some time in
them $3.3 billion more. Another exam- tember 30, 2022, and for other purposes.
western Ukraine, sitting down to be
ple is the Department of Defense might Charles E. Schumer, Patrick J. Leahy,
Gary C. Peters, Jacky Rosen, Amy Klo- able to have a meal and be able to talk
have to lay off some of the men and buchar, Tammy Duckworth, Tina to a group of Oklahomans from the
women in the Armed Forces so they Smith, Tammy Baldwin, Jeff Merkley, 45th Infantry of the Oklahoma Na-
can afford a 2.7 percent pay raise which Sheldon Whitehouse, Christopher A. tional Guard. Some had been in
they rightly deserve that went into ef- Coons, Brian Schatz, Jon Tester, Jon Ukraine since January of that year,
fect last month. So they would say: Ossoff, Benjamin L. Cardin, Jack Reed, and they were still there in November.
OK. Here is the pay raise, but we have Tim Kaine, Alex Padilla. They spent the entire year in 2017—the
to fire you all to pay for it because we The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unan- Oklahoma National Guard—training
have a continuing resolution. In other imous consent, the mandatory quorum the military of the Ukrainians. Why?
words, the continuing resolution would has been waived. Because Russians, in 2014, had moved
be paying to train a military force that The question is, Is it the sense of the into Crimea and had crossed the border
doesn’t even exist anymore, while lay- Senate that debate on the motion to into the eastern part of Ukraine in
ing off our own troops and civilian proceed to H.R. 6617, a bill making fur- what is called the Donbas and taken
workforce in order to pay them. ther continuing appropriations for the over two different areas that—they
Well, my talking points say this fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, said there were separatists that were
would not make sense. It is actually and for other purposes, shall be doing it. They were Russian speakers,
baloney to try to do this. brought to a close? so they clearly should be under Rus-
Funding the priorities of yesterday The yeas and nays are mandatory sian domination. And they moved in.
in the world of today would be irre- under the rule. It was an entire year that Oklaho-
sponsible and is no way to govern. The clerk will call the roll. mans spent with Ukrainians developing
Our four-corners framework provides The senior assistant legislative clerk friendships, training them, preparing
a path for reaching a bipartisan, bi- called the roll. them for battle against a very large
cameral omnibus agreement by March Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
Army in the Russians. They hoped to
11. Vice Chairman SHELBY, Chairman Senator from California (Mrs. FEIN- be able to push the Russians out of the
DELAURO and Ranking Member STEIN), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. eastern side of their country.
GRANGER and I are committed to com- KELLY) and the Senator from New Mex- And as we sat and visited and talked,
pleting this work. We and our staffs are ico (Mr. LUJÁN) are necessarily absent. they told me about the tenacity of the
willing to work straight through until Mr. THUNE. The following Senators Ukrainian fighters, their commitment
that day. So I urge Members to support are necessarily absent: the Senator to their families, and their commit-
the continuing resolution that passed from North Carolina (Mr. BURR) and ment to be able to be independent, to
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S766 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
be a separate functioning democracy, looked as if they were dead and set up seen that he is trying to be able to ma-
to engage with the rest of the world as all of these Ukrainian implements nipulate oil prices for the benefit of
any independent sovereign nation from war and these different vehicles Russia but to the detriment of every-
would choose to be able to do. That was surrounding burned-out Russian tanks one else. We can see that.
2017. so they could show the world that The issue is, what are we going to do
To Oklahomans, this conversation Ukrainians actually attacked them about that? How are we going to actu-
about Ukraine and the Russians sur- first, except our intelligence actually ally engage? Well, our Nation has given
rounding Ukraine on three sides is not exposed that plan. But the Russians are over $400 million in assistance to
theory. Some Oklahomans know the still repeating over and over again that Ukraine every year since 2014, includ-
names of Ukrainians that are currently they will only attack if they are pro- ing this year—$464 million in assist-
on those front lines. They served along- voked, as they work to be able to stage ance to Ukraine. As I mentioned be-
side of each other, and they have a provocation. fore, Oklahomans and multiple others
stayed in contact, calling them friends. People forget in the world that when have gone to Ukraine and been able to
If you go into the Ukrainian Embassy the Russians are in Belarus, they are a train their military for them to be able
today for the United States, you will half-day drive from Kyiv, but they are to defend themselves. We have assisted
see a picture of some Oklahomans up also a half-day drive from where they the Ukrainian people with counter-
on the wall because they remember are stationed right now from Warsaw. artillery radars, coastal defensive im-
that group of Oklahomans that came This is a tenuous time. This is not a plements, geospatial intelligence,
to Ukraine to help them prepare for a new moment for the Russians to act counterunmanned aerial system equip-
day they hoped would never come and aggressively toward their neighbors. In ment, electronic warfare, demining
to be able to be ready to push the Rus- 2008, Russia invaded the country of equipment, small arms—we have tried
sians out of the eastern part of their Georgia. In 2014, as I mentioned, Russia to be able to help the Ukrainians de-
nation. annexed Crimea and moved in. In 2014, fend themselves.
But today—literally, right now— they also moved into the Donbas re- We need to also speak with a unified
Ukrainians living on the border, espe- gion. During that time in 2014, Rus- voice that if Russia decides they are
cially in the north, can literally hear sians—in July of 2014, the Russian 53rd going to move across that border into
the sound of Russian artillery prac- Anti-Aircraft Brigade launched an Ukraine, that there are strong, unre-
ticing just miles away. They have been anti-aircraft weapon against MH17, a lenting sanctions coming on that na-
able to hear that sound for days and passenger aircraft flying from Amster- tion and that economy that is smaller
days now as they do live fire exercises dam to Malaysia—not even coming to than the economy of Texas; that we are
just on the other side of the border. Ukraine. They launched an anti-air- keenly aware of how they survive based
craft weapon against that flight flying on oil and gas sales; and we are well-
They are seeing that the Russians have
over Ukraine, and the Russians mur- prepared to be able to fill in the supply
amassed well in excess of 100,000 troops.
from other nations that are buying
They gathered troops from Russia from dered 298 people because they flew over
from Russia; that they would be wel-
the far east next to their border with an area that they were working to be
come to be able to buy from us or from
China and had moved them all the way able to overtake.
It is clear, the Russians, in their ag- any other nation ready to be able to
to the west to be able to surround
gression, and Putin, in his attempt to sell to them; to be able to supplant
Ukraine on three sides with naval
make sure the whole world pays atten- what Russia is choosing to do; to be
forces and with ground forces.
tion to him and shows that he is a pow- able to use energy as a leverage point
They are very aware the Russians
erful man because he can round up the on every country in the region to say:
have moved their special operations.
Don’t respond or we will cut off your
They moved in field hospitals. They are entire world to be able to look at him
energy.
very aware they are doing live training when his economy is literally in tat-
We need to make it very clear that
exercises in preparation. They hope ters—Russia’s gross domestic product the world stands with the free people of
that it is only saber-rattling, but they for the entire country is smaller than Ukraine and we will bring severe con-
hear the sound of the guns just a few the State of Texas’s gross domestic sequences on the economy of Russia
miles away. product. Yet, with his nuclear weapons that will be long-lasting—not only pri-
Since hearing from the Russian per- and disproportionate allocation to his mary sanctions, but secondary sanc-
spective, even within the last 24 hours, military and his control of oil and gas tions. In other words, if individuals
the Russian diplomats have spoken to in the region, he continues to be able choose to be able to do business with
the BBC just in the last few hours. And to saber-rattle and force the world to Russia, they have to choose: They can
they spoke and said they have no in- be able to look at him, the whole while either do business with Russia or do
tention of any aggressive moves, that declaring that he is a sovereign and he business with the United States of
they are a sovereign nation and that can move troops anywhere he wants to America. You can’t do both. You have
they can move their forces anywhere move. But also, by the way, Ukraine is to pick.
they want to be able to move on any not sovereign enough to make a deci- With the largest economy in the
inch of their land, and if they want to sion about their own defense, demand- world, I believe most would rather
put their forces all right there along ing that Ukraine never become a mem- work with a free market, a free nation,
the border with Ukraine, that is their ber of NATO. than to be able to work with an unsta-
sovereign right to do that. Can I remind the world, NATO is a ble Russia.
And then they replied back in what defensive alliance—a defensive alli- But we should be clear. Russia has
must be one of the great Russian state- ance. The NATO alliance exists—and it gone back on its words in the Minsk
ments of all time: that the West is not is an incredibly successful alliance— Agreement. Russia has gone back on
reporting that the Ukrainians have the NATO alliance exists to be able to its word on multiple different treaty
also moved 100,000 troops next to the react if they are attacked. NATO does agreements. We cannot trust what they
border with Russia. They must think not cooperate in attacking anyone. say, but they should be able to trust
the entire world is delusional. A Rus- NATO is set up to defend each other what we will do if they choose to at-
sian diplomat called it ‘‘myth’’ that when attacked. Ukraine is not a NATO tack the free people of Ukraine.
the Russians intend to do aggression nation, but NATO nations surround Let me just say this: I firmly believe
and said they would only move into Ukraine. And we are all extremely that the best thing that we can do is to
Ukraine if they were provoked.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
aware of Putin’s focus on trying to be work to keep a war from ever starting
Now, mind you, U.S. intelligence re- able to push out and to recreate the rather than engage and try to stop it
leased publicly just a few days ago a USSR again. once it starts. We should speak clearly
plot the Russians had, that they al- We should pay attention. We should as a nation. We should speak clearly
ready created a film—a movie, if I can not pretend this won’t affect the world. from the administration. We should
say it that way, a newsreel—that they We have seen oil prices around the speak clearly from Congress with a
had staged a Ukrainian attack on Rus- world already accelerate based on just unified, nonpartisan voice that the peo-
sians, and it laid out actors that Putin’s actions right now. We have ple of the United States want to do
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S767
what it takes to keep a war from start- Thanks to the Democratic politicians crat mantra of defunding the police. So
ing so that Europe doesn’t see yet an- who have run these cities, our cities Joe Biden was obviously very inter-
other land war. That is going to take have fewer police. Our police have ested in engaging and in getting his
focus from this body. lower morale, and these communities picture taken with the mayor of New
So what do we need to do? We should have higher crime. York so that he could pretend to be
make the clear offer that we will pro- In 2020, there was a 30-percent in- tough on crime. Voters aren’t buying
vide energy to the rest of the world, crease in the murder rate nationwide— it. The American people know that Joe
that if Russia cuts them off, we will the fastest increase in American his- Biden has supported leftwing radicals
rapidly move to be able to fill the gap. tory. who support defunding the police.
We should make it clear about our pri- In 2021, the murder rate went up even There was a recent poll in New York.
mary and secondary sanctions. We higher. Sixteen cities broke their all- New Yorkers were asked if crime is a
should make it clear on diplomatic time records for homicide, and, of ‘‘very serious problem.’’ Three out of
channels and in public what we will do. course, all 16 were run by liberal Demo- four New Yorkers say it is. This is the
We should continue to be able to work crats. Of course, these included the cit- most in the 20-year history of taking a
with our allies to be able to build a ies that defunded the police. Austin, poll and asking that question.
strong coalition and to reaffirm the TX, defunded the police, and the mur- So crime is the worst now, in the
NATO alliances there. We should con- der rate there doubled. minds of the people who live there in
tinue to be able to make it very clear Last year, the national murder rate New York City, over the last 20 years.
to Russia that if they choose to be able reached its highest level in 25 years. So Two-thirds of all voters say they dis-
to move into Ukraine, it would be not far, 2022 looks like it may be even approve of Joe Biden on the issue of
only economically disastrous, but worse. So what are the Democrats crime. I mean, Biden’s numbers are in
NATO is well prepared to be able to de- doing about it? They have the House, the tank anyway. Only 40 percent of
fend our alliance. And we should stand they have the Senate, and they have Americans support what he is doing.
with the people of Ukraine and con- the White House. They are doing two People think the country is heading in
tinue to equip them as they work to be things: They are making it worse, and the wrong direction under Democrat
able to protect themselves. they are trying to avoid being blamed leadership in the House and the Senate
The people of Ukraine, in the times for what they are causing. and the White House. But specifically
that I have been there—and I have been How are they making it worse? Well, in the area of crime, as well as in the
there several times—the people of just take a look at some of the nomi- areas of inflation and the border and
Ukraine will be glad to be able to drive nees of President Joe Biden, people he others, Joe Biden’s numbers drop even
you through Kyiv and point out the has put in high positions in the Justice further. Two-thirds of all Americans
places where they fought for their inde- Department—radical liberals. Every disapprove of Joe Biden on the issue of
pendence. They are a proud people. Member of the Democrat body in this crime.
They do not want the Russians taking institution voted to confirm them. While Joe Biden was in New York, he
over their country. And they have These are people who hold beliefs way didn’t say a word about the radical new
fought for their independence once, and out of the mainstream of the American district attorney, Alvin Bragg. District
they are prepared to fight for it again. people when it comes to their service Attorney Bragg is another radical, left-
They should know we are prepared to for the Department of Justice. Joe wing prosecutor. What does that mean?
stand next to them. Biden has essentially handed over Jus- Well, it is interesting, and I will get to
Let’s pray for the people of Ukraine tice Department leadership to radical that in a second. But who would sup-
who, right now, hear the guns prac- activists who want to defund the po- port this district attorney? Oh, one of
ticing on the other side of their border. lice. They are the people running the his top supporters for election was the
Let’s pray for peace, but let’s also do Justice Department. Every single Dem- majority leader of the U.S. Senate.
the work to build the groundwork for ocrat voted to confirm them. On District Attorney Bragg’s first
peace, as well. The people of America were shocked day in office—first day—he told the
I yield the floor. to learn that last March, Democrats, whole world he would not prosecute
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. VAN on a straight party-line vote—every certain crimes. He didn’t care if they
HOLLEN). The Senator from Wyoming is Republican against; every Democrat were on the books or not, he wasn’t
recognized. for—gave almost $1 billion in stimulus going to prosecute them. In other
CRIME checks to 645,000 convicted criminals. words, a district attorney said he sin-
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I These are people either still behind glehandedly was going to legalize cer-
come to the floor today to talk about bars or recently released. tain crimes in New York City. He told
the crime wave that has hit our coun- Senator TOM COTTON, the junior Sen- every criminal in New York that they
try and specifically hit Democratic-run ator from Arkansas, and I introduced could commit crimes, not be pros-
cities. Over the last 20 months, Demo- an amendment to block them from get- ecuted, go home free. These crimes in-
crats have aided and abetted the most ting stimulus checks. Every Democrat clude trespassing, prostitution, and
dramatic surge in violent crime in in the Senate voted to block our even resisting arrest.
American history. amendment. In effect, they voted to Imagine being a police officer in New
In the summer of 2020, leftwing mobs subsidize criminals, convicted crimi- York City, where you know people
burned cities like Minneapolis and nals. With Democrats in charge in aren’t going to be prosecuted for resist-
Portland, OR. Democratic mayors and America, criminals have hit the jack- ing arrest, knowing resisting arrest
Governors genuflected to the mob. pot. was legal, according to the district at-
They started a movement to defund the The second thing the Democrats are torney. It is no wonder so many offi-
police in this country. Bill de Blasio in trying to do is to try to avoid getting cers are quitting, so many have retired,
New York cut funding for the New blamed for this incredible spike in vio- and why it is almost impossible to re-
York City Police Department by $1 bil- lent crime. cruit.
lion. The Los Angeles City Council Joe Biden recently went to the ma- We know what is causing today’s
voted to cut funding by over $150 mil- jority leader’s hometown, New York Democrat crimewave: too few police,
lion. City. too many criminals walking free, and
Nearly two dozen other cities fol- Right now, there is a crimewave in too few consequences for the criminals
lowed suit, each of them run by a lib- New York City, and it is on the rise. in Democrat cities and States. All of
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE
eral mayor. What followed was a his- Crime is up 40 percent in New York these are the result of Democrat liberal
toric exodus from police departments City so far this year; car thefts are al- policies.
all across the country. Police retire- most double. These are policies that the American
ments skyrocketed; resignations in- Joe Biden went to New York to meet people have continued to reject and re-
creased dramatically among police offi- with the mayor, Eric Adams. Now, of ject again today. American people
cers; and recruitment of new officers course, Mayor Adams is a former police want the law to be enforced. They want
became almost impossible. officer and an opponent of the Demo- prosecutors and judges who follow the
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S768 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
law as written. The American people is going to stand up to Wall Street. So Why does Facebook and one of its
are sick and tired of Democrats cod- instead of just going to the committee third-party fact-checker partners get
dling criminals. The American people and doing their job, voting against her, to make the decision that this news ar-
support the police. they boycotted the committee so we ticle is considered false information?
It is long past time for the Demo- couldn’t vote on the nomination. That decision should be made by the
crats to reverse course. It is time to re- So five jobs, five Governors of the American people who should be able to
verse these reckless Democrat policies Federal Reserve just sit in limbo be- view that content and decide that fact
before this Democrat crimewave gets cause Republicans aren’t doing their for themselves. It shouldn’t be decided
even worse. jobs. You come here, and you vote yes by our Big Tech overlords who seem to
I yield the floor. or you vote no. You don’t vote ‘‘I am only find fault with content that is
I suggest the absence of a quorum. not going to show up because I don’t conservative or goes against the liberal
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The like this. I am going to boycott this narrative.
clerk will call the roll. meeting.’’ These are the same outlets that al-
The senior assistant legislative clerk It simply says that Republicans have lowed information relating to the
proceeded to call the roll. been AWOL in the fight against infla- Steele dossier to run wild and very
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask tion because we need these Fed Gov- free, yet censored Hunter Biden’s news
unanimous consent that the order for ernors in place. We need them fighting articles during the 2020 election.
the quorum call be rescinded. against inflation. And for Republicans Now they are doing the bidding for
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without to just say ‘‘Sorry; we are not going to the Clinton camp. Why are they so
objection, it is so ordered. go’’ is simply bailing out and not doing afraid of reporting that exposes the
NOMINATIONS their job. They are being AWOL in Russian collusion hoax? Silencing or
Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, the Pre- combating inflation. It is wrong for our chilling free speech and the back-and-
siding Officer from Maryland was in country and wrong for our economy. forth discussion of ideas is entirely
committee with me today and heard We in the majority put workers at wrong. Increasingly, we see the tag
the President’s Council of Economic the center of our economy, workers at ‘‘misinformation’’ or ‘‘disinformation’’
Advisers talk about the economy, ac- the center of our economic policy. We given to content that the liberal main-
knowledging that they spend every day will continue to. Republicans need to stream media simply disagrees with or
worrying about inflation, what we do show up and—just show up and do their goes against their chosen narrative.
to combat inflation, everything from— jobs. Vote no if you want, but show up Finding and seeking the truth should
we see the huge, excess profits in the and do your jobs. not be about silencing voices but allow-
shipping industry, among drug compa- I yield the floor. ing robust discourse.
nies, food service companies—espe- I suggest the absence of a quorum. It is time that we examine the sec-
cially the meatpackers but also super- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The tion 230 immunity that has enabled
market chains and oil companies. A big clerk will call the roll. these companies to avoid any liability.
part of inflation we need to combat is The senior assistant legislative clerk We must stop these companies from ar-
because these companies understand proceeded to call the roll. bitrarily deciding what speech is ac-
they can raise prices because they Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask ceptable for this free country we live
don’t have much competition. We see unanimous consent that the order for in. It has become increasingly clear
executive compensation continue to the quorum call be rescinded. that these dominant platforms control-
rise, sometimes to stratospheric levels. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ling discussion and dialogue are more
Who bears the burden? The burden is objection, it is so ordered. beholden to cancel culture and not to
on middle-class and lower income fami- FREE SPEECH the fundamentals of free speech prin-
lies in places like Baltimore and Cleve- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I was ciples that this country was founded
land and places like western Maryland surprised to learn that Facebook re- upon.
and southeast Ohio. And we know what cently flagged a news article that I These Big Tech companies have few
we need to do. posted on my Facebook pages as ‘‘false competitors and are immune from li-
We also know from our work in this information.’’ The article I posted was ability. These companies are unac-
committee that the Federal Reserve’s about new Durham investigation alle- countable to their customers, the
job is to make sure that—they are the gations against Hillary Clinton’s cam- courts, and the government. If not for
principal group in Washington, in the paign and its associates. The article their monopoly power and section 230
government, to combat inflation, the clearly cited a Federal court filing and immunity, these companies might not
Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve a former congressional investigator be involved in the actions and censor-
has three vacancies and has two other with a deep understanding of the ship that we see today.
nominees who are Acting Federal Re- Democrats’ work to concoct the bogus As a U.S. Senator and someone who
serve Governors, and we need to con- Russia collusion narrative that divided has been vocally outspoken about my
firm them. our Nation for years. concerns with censorship on online
Five nominations came in front of This wouldn’t be an issue today if platforms, I will continue to do every-
our committee last Tuesday—5 nomi- more journalists did their job of being thing in my power to prevent the cen-
nations—and because of peculiar Sen- the police of our society and govern- sorship of speech and ideas on behalf of
ate rules, we couldn’t act because all 12 mental system and reported on all in- my constituents in Iowa and of course
Republicans boycotted the committee. vestigations, not just ones that appeal on all Americans. Simply put, we de-
They boycotted the committee because to certain political parties. serve better than ‘‘woke’’ monopolists
one of the nominees from the Presiding What kind of a message does this and their liberal lapdogs deciding what
Officer’s home State, Sarah Bloom censorship send to a reporter who does we can discuss.
Raskin, even though she answered 189 take on the new allegations against the I yield the floor.
questions—questions in the committee Clinton campaign and its associates The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
and then 189 written questions; major- and then it is labeled ator from Alaska.
ity from Republicans—she answered ‘‘disinformation’’? I don’t think that is UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 3614
them all in 48 hours. She shouldn’t going to encourage more journalists to Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I rise
have gotten even more questions. She cover this issue. today to urge my colleagues—I think
has met with every Senator of either It is truly mind-blowing that these they are all going to do this—to sup-
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party, on the committee or off the companies continue to interfere in free port S. 3614. That is the United States-
committee, who wanted to meet with expression. Big Tech is silencing every- Russian Federation Seafood Reci-
her. She has done everything that they one they disagree with, and clearly procity Act of 2022, a pretty simple bill
ask of her. Yet they don’t like her an- they see no check to their powers. The that will require reciprocity between
swers. They don’t like that she believes article I cited—I cited two in my post— Russia and the United States of Amer-
the government has to deal with cli- was on foxnews.com, a mainstream ica as it relates to our seafood industry
mate change. They don’t like that she news organization. and seafood trade.
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S769
Now, let me give you a little bit of So my bill is very simple. It says, portant issue, and I want to assure him
background on this because it actually like we need in all trade around the and all of the Alaska fishing industry
relates to what is going on in the world world, we need just straight-up reci- that we want to have conversations
today. All eyes are currently on the procity. Right now, we can’t export a that protect the American seafood in-
Russian aggression toward Ukraine thing to Russia, and they export their dustry and its workers and I want to
right now and for good reason. We have fish to America duty-free. partner with him toward that goal and
seen the stories that the authoritarian So the bill is simple. It just says, maybe just use the next 10 days or so
dictator Vladimir Putin is going to in- until we can export into the Russian to accomplish that goal. So at this
vade Ukraine. We hope, and I think market, they shouldn’t be able to ex- point I would object to the motion.
every one of us hopes, that doesn’t hap- port into our market. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
pen, but it is looking like it may. I can’t imagine any U.S. Senator ob- ator from Alaska.
But what is less talked about is the jecting to this. It is called reciprocity. Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I
last time there was an invasion by Rus- It is called fairness. And it is righting appreciate my friend Senator MARKEY,
sia of Ukraine, what ended up hap- a wrong that has been in the works for his offer to work through this.
pening in terms of sanctions and, in 9 years now, whether you are a fisher- He and I have worked together on a
particular, American seafood sanc- man in Massachusetts or a fisherman number of issues, actually a number of
tions, and the ramifications of the last in Alaska. issues particularly related to Amer-
Russian invasion of Ukraine. I have raised this issue with the ica’s fishermen. As he mentioned, Mas-
Here is what actually happened. In Obama administration, the Trump ad- sachusetts has a lot of fishermen, and I
2014, when Putin invaded the Crimean ministration, now the Biden adminis- have tens of thousands of my fellow
Peninsula and eastern Ukraine, Presi- tration. We are still waiting on reci- Alaskans involved in the industry.
dent Obama put sanctions on Russia. procity. So it is time to act. The U.S. And, again, I think he and I certainly
Now, I wasn’t here as a Senator then, Senate can act, and I am hopeful that agree with this concept. I think every
but I supported them. Russia then re- we are going to act on this today. As a U.S. Senator agrees with the concept of
taliated in terms of sanctions in 2014, matter of fact, I checked with all my basic fairness in trade, basic fairness,
and here is one of the things they did. Republican colleagues, and every sin- in terms of reciprocity, in trade—all
They banned all seafood exports from gle one of them is supportive of basic trade but especially the seafood trade.
America—whether it is Alaska, Massa- reciprocity for fishermen. We have had 9 years of no reciprocity
chusetts—into Russia. So that was So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous from Russia—Putin, the thug. We
about 9 years ago. That ban still exists consent that the Finance Committee shouldn’t have to take it anymore, and
today. be discharged from further consider- it is hurting my constituents.
Let me repeat this. If you are a big ation of S. 3614 and the Senate proceed Now, my understanding of the issue
fisherman in Massachusetts or the to its immediate consideration; fur- raised by Senator MARKEY is that it is
great State of Alaska, as the Senator ther, I ask unanimous consent that the primarily Russian pollock that is im-
from Massachusetts knows, we both bill be considered read a third time and ported into Massachusetts. As Senator
have thousands of great fishermen, you passed and that the motion to recon- MARKEY knows, in Alaska, we have a
cannot export one fish to Russia. Nine sider be considered made and laid upon huge number of fishermen engaged in
years of a ban, and guess what. The the table. that fishery. So maybe what we should
United States lets Russia’s seafood The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. COR- look at is making sure Massachusetts’
into America almost duty-free. TEZ MASTO). Is there objection? workers are actually processing Amer-
Let me repeat that. A ban on Amer- Mr. MARKEY. Reserving the right to ican—Alaskan—pollock, not the au-
ican exports to Russia, a 9-year block- object. thoritarian pollock in Russia. That
ade, not one Massachusetts fisherman The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- would be a fair way to resolve this.
or Alaskan fisherman can export his ator from Massachusetts. I appreciate the offer to work to-
great American seafood product to Mr. MARKEY. Madam President, I gether on this, but I will tell the Sen-
Russia. Russia gets to import Russian just want to say that I sincerely re- ator we need to work quickly because
seafood into America duty-free. That is spect the Senator from Alaska’s con- it has been 9 years of nonreciprocal
called unfair by any measure—by any cerns about the Russian seafood im- seafood trade. I am almost certain that
measure. And it certainly is unfair to ports, and I believe it is unfair. I be- Massachusetts fishermen who once ex-
the great fishermen of my State as well lieve it is improper that Russia has ported to Russia have been hurt by this
as the fishermen of Massachusetts. banned American seafood imports since seafood blockade as well as my fisher-
Now, I have talked about Alaskan 2014. So I agree with you. And Alaska men. I take Senator MARKEY’s offer
fishermen for—well, as long as I have and Massachusetts are the two fishing and suggestion in good faith. Hope-
been a Senator. About 66 percent of all giants of the United States of America. fully, we can work over the work pe-
seafood harvested in the United States We are. riod in the next couple of weeks and
comes from the great State of Alaska. However, I have heard from seafood get to a result on this.
So we are big exporters. processors in my home State with con- Alaskans will supply Massachusetts’
What has happened, though, in this cerns about potential sudden effects of workers pollock or cod or whatever you
regard, is that as we export—we Alas- a new immediate ban on imports on are processing, and then we will bring
kans, fishermen from Massachusetts— their workforce, including hundreds of reciprocity in terms of trade, which
as we export seafood around the world, union workers in the seafood proc- currently does not exist, between Rus-
we have not been able to export any- essing industry. That would be right sia and the United States. It is wrong.
thing in that market, the Russian mar- now. It is unfair. It needs to be fixed by us,
ket, for 9 years, and at the same time So, with that in mind, I am going to and it needs to be fixed by the Biden
the value of Russian seafood imported object to passage of this bill at this administration as well.
into the United States—surprise—has time, but I would say to my friend I yield the floor.
skyrocketed because there is no tariff from Alaska that I would invite a col- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
on it. It skyrocketed 173 percent since laboration on this subject because I ator from Oregon.
2013. That was the year before the em- think we can resolve it so that it bene- NOMINATION OF MICHELE TAYLOR
bargo was imposed—again, directly fits not just Alaska, which is very im- Mr. WYDEN. Madam President, in a
competing against American seafood portant, but also Massachusetts and bit, I hope to be able to put forward
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producers, American fishermen. every other State. And, again, I think and pass a unanimous consent request,
As a matter of fact, the Russians are we can, in fact, bring all the stake- asking the Senate to take up and ap-
actually starting to steal market share holders together, do it very briefly prove the nomination of Ms. Michele
from American fishermen, whether maybe over this break that we are Taylor to serve as the U.S. Representa-
Massachusetts or Alaska, and we are about to begin here in the Senate. tive to the U.N. Human Rights Council,
talking hundreds of millions of dollars. I am very grateful to the Senator with the rank of Ambassador. Before I
This is unfair by anybody’s definition. from Alaska for raising this very im- put that request forward, I want to
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S770 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
take just a few minutes to talk about upon us. I do hope that we will be able from Virginia, Mr. WARNER, in 2020 and
why Ms. Taylor is, in my view, the to clear Ms. Michele Taylor to serve as nearly every Senator in this body has
right choice for this important role and U.S. Representative to the U.N. Human supported. Semiconductor chips, which
why the Senate must act on her nomi- Rights Council with the rank of Am- we have all had to learn a lot more
nation quickly. bassador before the close of business about, are everywhere—from cell
In blunt terms, Michele Taylor is today. phones to cars to agricultural equip-
simply a champion for fundamental Thank you. ment to missile defense systems. De-
human and political rights. She now I suggest the absence of a quorum. spite our need for a strong supply of
serves on the board of the National The PRESIDING OFFICER. The these semiconductor chips, we over-
Center for Civil and Human Rights. clerk will call the roll. whelmingly rely on other countries—
She has been a leader with other hu- The legislative clerk proceeded to most of them in Asia—to produce
manitarian groups, including the Anti- call the roll. them. Taiwan alone produces about 63
Defamation League and the U.S. Holo- Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, I percent of the advanced semiconduc-
caust Memorial Museum Council. She ask unanimous consent that the order tors in the world.
has battled for the rights of women and for the quorum call be rescinded. If, for some reason, our supply of
other vulnerable Americans. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without these semiconductors was cut off as the
On a personal level, I come from a objection, it is so ordered. result of a natural disaster or another
family who lost some relatives in the CHINA pandemic or military conflict, it would
Holocaust. Ms. Taylor is the daughter Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, the lead to very serious consequences for
of a Holocaust survivor. It is abso- aggressive and hostile actions of the both our national security as well as
lutely essential that fighting against Chinese Communist Party pose a mas- our economy. When we talk about the
the rise of anti-Semitism is a key part sive threat to the global order. The need to address threats to our supply
of America’s diplomacy. Ms. Taylor Chinese Communist Party’s strategy chain and threats coming from the
certainly understands that. can be summed up in four Rs: resist, re- People’s Republic of China, semi-
I am confident she will work to lead duce, replace, and reorder. conductors are front and center.
our partners and allies toward a more China resists American economic in- Now, USICA provided the CHIPS pro-
peaceful, prosperous future, grounded fluence by manipulating American gram with $52 billion to bolster domes-
in respect for human dignity. businesses and industries and stealing tic semiconductor manufacturing and
In the Senate, there is bipartisan in- intellectual property. to secure this vulnerable supply chain.
terest in ensuring that the United It reduces internal dissent and free This legislation passed the Senate last
States stands up and battles for human expression of ideas through surveil- summer by a vote of 68 to 32, which is
rights around the world. For example, lance and censorship of its own people. an incredible bipartisan accomplish-
on the Finance Committee, Senator It is essentially a police state. And it ment these days.
BROWN, Senator CRAPO, and I have put Unfortunately, the House of Rep-
seeks to assert its power and influence
in a lot of hours in recent years to ad- resentatives refused to act on this bi-
in the United States by various means.
dress the scourge of forced labor in partisan bill. They said they wanted to
The Chinese Communist Party in-
China and elsewhere in the world. I pass their own version, which they
tends to replace America as the world’s
know, also, that this is a subject that have every right to do, of course, but
technology leader through its Made in
the President of the Senate cares deep- they also should have been working at
China 2025 initiative, which seeks to
ly about. This is just one of the human it diligently and acted quickly. The
achieve Chinese dominance in high-
rights atrocities that our country must Chinese Communist Party simply isn’t
tech manufacturing.
stand up to forcefully. sitting around waiting on House Demo-
And, of course, it hopes to reorder
The Senate must show that our con- crats to get their act together.
cern for these issues is more than just international norms and institutions So it took 8 months before the House
idle talk. That is why the Senate must around itself. of Representatives passed a bill aimed
The CCP’s mantra can best be de- at competition with China; but, unfor-
not delay the nominations of highly
qualified individuals, like Ms. Michele scribed as ‘‘Win at all costs.’’ And, tunately, they chose to go the easy
Taylor, who are up for consideration in make no mistake, its reckless actions way, which is to pass strictly a par-
key roles in advancing human rights. paint an alarming picture for the tisan bill, which virtually no Repub-
There is a matter of the sensitivity United States and our allies. For ev- lican supported. Instead of mirroring
of the time as well. The regular session erything from national security to eco- the bipartisan process here in the Sen-
of the U.N. Human Rights Council be- nomic policy, there is a clear and ur- ate, Democrats only negotiated among
gins on February 28, which is, obvi- gent need to reorient our way of think- themselves and excluded Republicans
ously, just days away. It is essential, in ing on how we should respond to this from that process.
my view, that we confirm our rep- threat from China. Democratic committee chairmen re-
resentative now. Delaying Ms. Taylor’s Despite the partisanship that has fused to consult with their Republican
confirmation simply hinders the sometimes gripped this Chamber for ranking members, and they ran off
United States’ ability to advocate for more than a year now, this is one area with the pen and crafted a partisan and
American values and help vulnerable where, thankfully, there is broad bipar- unserious bill. Sure, this legislation
people who are suffering under abuse tisan agreement. Our colleagues on does include a few bipartisan measures
and oppression around the world. both sides of the aisle recognize the like CHIPs funding, as well as a pro-
Moving this nomination forward is growing threats posed by the CCP and posal I led with Mr. CASEY, the Senator
an opportunity for the Senate to show the need to act. from Pennsylvania, to review limited
this Chamber’s commitment to advanc- So last summer the Senate took a outbound investments in China.
ing human rights is, in fact, more than major step forward by passing the U.S. But House Democrats don’t deserve a
just talk. There is a deadline—a spe- Innovation and Competition Act. This lot of credit for including a few bipar-
cific, concrete deadline, February 28— bipartisan bill was the result of intense tisan bills that they already support.
that is bearing down on the Chamber. bipartisan negotiations, with our They kept some of the overwhelmingly
There simply is no more time to delay friend Senator YOUNG from Indiana partisan pieces of USICA and tacked on
on this important nomination. leading negotiations on our side of the a laundry list of unrelated and con-
We await a colleague who would like aisle. This legislation addresses a range troversial provisions. The House-passed
of issues to help the United States re-
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to have a chance to be heard on this, to bill sends a whopping $8 billion to a
consider it. I do hope that we can work duce its reliance on China and to U.N. climate slush fund, which has pro-
this out here in the afternoon. Hope- counter looming threats from the Com- vided more than $100 million to China
fully, the Senate will wrap up business munist Party. alone. So if the purpose of this effort is
this afternoon because this really is Without question, the cornerstone of to counter threats from China, it
time-sensitive. USICA, as it is called, is funding for doesn’t exactly accomplish that goal
Members talk about matters that ac- programs created by the CHIPS Act, when we end up sending money to
tually may be coming up; this one is which I introduced with the Senator China.
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S771
Democrats also added provisions in House Democrats wasted about 8 larly by Democrats—are to reduce the
the House related to immigration, from months while they waited and waited supply of oil and natural gas.
creating new types of visas to remov- and waited before even acting in this It makes no sense to me when the
ing green card caps. Now, immigration totally inadequate manner. And there policy—in fact, how can it make sense
is a serious and important issue, but is no chance, of course, the Senate will for people to propose to eliminate the
these can’t expect to see the light of pass anything that resembles the tax on gas? I suppose their interest in
day being haphazardly tacked on to House bill. We do need legislation to making gas more expensive is to re-
this legislation. They need to be de- confront growing threats from China, duce the use of oil and natural gas fos-
bated and marked up by the appro- but we need to do it correctly. That sil fuels, but on the other hand, if they
priate legislative committees and ne- means what we need is a formal con- lower the tax on gas, it would lower
gotiated. ference committee between the House the price, which is to encourage the
Well, in true fashion, House Demo- and the Senate and to ensure ulti- ability to purchase.
crats added a range of handouts to mately that the final product looks a President Biden asked the Russians
their political supporters, especially whole lot like the Senate bill, which to increase their production in order to
labor unions. From massive slush funds passed, as I said, with strong bipartisan alleviate the price at the pump in the
to burdensome new labor requirements, support. United States. We have been talking to
unions would win big with the House This is really nothing to be toyed Europe about how we are going to help
bill. The labor bosses apparently were with. This is a matter of national and them solve their natural gas shortage
promised some pretty big benefits in economic security and something far should we have a crisis in Ukraine and
the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend- too important for partisan jockeying natural gas can no longer be imported
ing spree bill. such as demonstrated by the House of from Russia, and we are working to
Since that bill is now dead and bur- Representatives in their totally inad- provide more natural gas.
ied, it looks like this was their way to equate and unserious piece of legisla- We should be doing everything in our
try to appease their political sup- tion. country to increase the supply. The
porters. I yield the floor. definition of ‘‘inflation’’ is, I think,
As we have learned over the last The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- pretty basic. It is ‘‘too few goods being
year, our colleagues in the House can’t ator from Kansas. chased by the same amount of dollars.’’
seem to resist any opportunity to INFLATION Even this week in the Banking Com-
sneak in ridiculous partisan pet Mr. MORAN. Madam President, we mittee, the conversation over the last
projects. Their bill would also establish are about—at least many of us—ready month has been about whether or not
a coral reef task force—you heard me to return home to our States and to the Federal Reserve, which has no abil-
correctly, a coral reef task force—and visit with our constituents in person, ity, no legal ability, no purpose in set-
put $6 million toward a national coral and that is a common practice for me. ting the price of gas and oil—and they
reef management fellowship. Believe it I can indicate to my colleagues in the would do so by trying to restrict loans
or not, the term ‘‘coral reef’’ is men- Senate that the conversations—they by financial institutions to oil and gas
tioned more than 300 times in the
are wide-ranging at home, but cer- energy producers at the same time
House bill. No wonder it took them so
tainly, if there is a theme, it is the they are supposed to be combating in-
long to put the bill together.
Of course, it is not just what is in consequences that Americans and Kan- flation.
this bill that is a problem; it is what sans are feeling in regard to inflation. So it seems to me on one hand and on
was left out. The bill’s trade title— The things at the grocery store, the the other hand, they don’t make any
which was one of the most important price at the pump, rent—all those sense. They are not logical and in so
parts of what the Senate did, cham- things are rising, and people are strug- many instances, hypocritical.
pioned by the Senator from Idaho, the gling to pay the bills. Things are being We want to have an energy policy
ranking member of the Finance Com- left out of what someone can afford in that is to produce more. I am ‘‘all of
mittee, Mr. CRAPO—but the House their budget because everything costs the above’’ on energy, but the policies
trade bill is entirely inadequate. It ex- more. of this country which we see trying to
tends and expands trade adjustment as- Kansas is an energy-producing State. eliminate oil and natural gas, fossil
sistance, which is normally something We certainly are an agricultural State. fuels, at a time in which the cost at the
we do when we approve of a trade deal, I would tell you, when I talk to farmers pump, the cost in agriculture, the cost
like the USMCA, the United States- and ranchers, commodity prices have at the grocery store is rising—we
Mexico-Canada Agreement. But they gone up. One might think that is some- should be focused on trying to make
left out the most important part, thing that would be very beneficial to certain that Americans can afford to
which was trade promotion authority. farmers, but this inflation has raised live in this country. We will not
We know trade promotion authority the price of everything they purchase achieve that by trying to eliminate or
is absolutely critical to brokering to create the crops that feed us across reduce the supply of natural gas and
strong trade agreements without ex- America and around the world. oil.
traordinary delays. What the House did One of the components and one of the I will be talking to my constituents
by including trade adjustment assist- reasons that inflation is rising so rap- about this issue, as I return home this
ance without trade promotion author- idly is energy costs. Even for my farm- week.
ity does nothing to advance our goals ers, fertilizer is made from phosphates I wish we could have a coherent con-
to open up markets to American-made and natural gas. Diesel fuel is used in versation, discussion, on policy devel-
goods and services and agriculture. the vehicles and tractors and trucks. opment.
Well, the House bill also fails to push Our ability to provide that food for the We need to produce more. The days
for a digital trade agreement and iden- world is being hampered because we are in which we became energy inde-
tify countries, like the People’s Repub- going to lose money when we grow pendent in the last administration
lic of China, that use censorship as a crops even though they may bring a were ones in which we felt a sense of
way to limit access to our tech indus- higher price than they did just a few relief, a sense of safety and security,
try, and it doesn’t narrow relief from months ago. and I long for the days in which we are
tariffs for businesses experiencing se- So many components of what we pur- able to recognize that our national se-
vere economic harm that has broad bi- chase in this country and one of the curity and our economics are benefited
reasons costs are all rising is because by a strong oil and gas industry meet-
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partisan support.
So it is no surprise that the House of the price of oil and gas. I am con- ing the needs of Americans, taking
bill was passed almost entirely along fused by the policies that many in this care of ourselves at home and pro-
party lines. Unlike the bipartisan legis- body promote. At the same time, they viding greater national security as we
lation here in the Senate, the House are asking for relief at the pump. Yet, deal with crises around the world.
bill is an unserious attempt to help time and time again, what policies, I yield the floor.
America compete with China. It just what legislation, what conversations The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
simply doesn’t cut the mustard. here, what actions are taken—particu- KAINE). The Senator from Alaska.
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S772 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I athletes. We punch way above our setts. He wanted to be a physical edu-
want to commend my colleague and weight in terms of Winter Olympics. cation teacher and to play baseball,
friend from Kansas. He said very, very Many Alaskans are competing now in but he had some tragedy. When Doug
eloquently that the administration’s Beijing, as we speak, and we are root- was 15, he took a trip to Juneau to
policies right now, which are anti-en- ing for all of them. Of course, we are visit a school friend. And on August 28,
ergy—they are driving up energy prices rooting for all of America’s athletes. 1968, he and his friend were exploring
on working families. And it is national We are also preparing to root for the an old gold mine in Juneau. Doug got
security suicide to unilaterally disarm amazing athletes who will be com- struck by 24,000 volts of electricity—
energy when Putin uses energy as a peting in the Paralympics, also in Bei- 24,000 volts of electricity. In the proc-
weapon. We all know that. jing, starting March 4. Again, many ess, he lost an arm and lost a leg. As we
Some of the window dressing here on Alaskans will be there competing: can all expect, the next few years were
these bills lately from my Senate cross-country skier, Grace Miller; very difficult ones for Doug and his
Democratic colleagues is just that—po- snowboarder, Katy Maddry, a former family. As he said, ‘‘When you get hit
litical window dressing. We all need to Alaskan of the Week alum; and former by 24,000 volts of electricity, it messes
go to the White House and say: Get gold medal Paralympian, Andrew you up physically. Mentally, my whole
your act together, Mr. President, your Kurka. He will be competing in Beijing world was gone.’’
team. Produce more American energy. in the sit-ski events. Talk about grit and determination.
That is what we all need. It will help Now, I am mentioning all of this be- He spent about 2 years in the hospital
with inflation and will help with na- cause our Alaskan of the Week, Doug and his dreams, he thought, had died.
tional security. Keil, says every one of these athletes— To make it all the more difficult, his
So to my colleague from Kansas, both in the Olympics and in father had to move the family to the
thank you very much. We all come Paralympics and all of our amateur DC area for a job with the FAA when
from States that produce energy. And athletes across the State—are there be- Doug was just a sophomore in high
these are great American workers, too, cause of athletes who have gone before school, still learning how to use an ar-
by the way, who sometimes get ma- them. I think that is true. tificial arm and artificial leg. But the
ligned because they produce energy. Paving that path, of course, has been family stuck together. They had faith,
Imagine that. all the more challenging for America’s and they pulled through.
TRIBUTE TO DOUG KEIL Paralympian athletes. But it is a path Back in Alaska, though, something
Mr. President, I want to move on to that Doug, our Alaskan of the Week, remarkable happened. At this point,
my favorite time of the week. It is has really paved for Alaska—for Amer- Doug hadn’t tried to ski again because
Thursday, so I usually come down on ica—a deep one. And he has done it he thought those days were over with-
the Senate floor and talk about the through grit and pain and determina- out an arm, without a leg. But some-
Alaskan of the Week. tion. one in their church told his parents
Now, we all believe our States are In 1980, Doug Keil brought home two about a program in Colorado—in Win-
the best. Each State loves to brag a lit- gold medals from the 1980 Paralympic ter Park, CO—where they were train-
tle bit about their own State. That is Games in Norway. That was the sec-
great. It is what makes our country ing athletes to ski with disabilities.
ond-ever Paralympic Games. He was The first day he was there, Doug went
competitive, a little bit of competition the first American male to bring home
here in the Senate. But I happen to to Winter Park. It coincided with the
gold in those games, and he spent the first day of what was then called the
speak the truth when I talk about how next 30-plus years building not only the
Alaska is the best State, and it is be- National Handicapped Championships.
structures and the organizations but, Doug said:
cause of the people. importantly, the culture in Alaska and
I am going to talk a little bit about I saw amazing athletes. I saw men and
in America to make sure other athletes women who had come back [many disabled
Doug Keil, who is today’s Alaskan of
with disabilities could come after him. veterans from Vietnam]. . . . I saw them ski-
the Week. I always like to start—you
Let me tell you a little bit about our ing and it opened up my eyes to a completely
know, the pages enjoy this speech a lot different world.
Alaskan of the Week, Doug Keil. Doug
because we get to talk a little bit
was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His par- Doug was inspired in many ways by
about Alaska and the adventures and
ents Don and Margaret, who went by our disabled Vietnam veterans who
what is happening in the great State of
‘‘Midge,’’ were adventuresome. From helped train him, helped inspire him.
Alaska. So I will give a little update on
New York, they were on a 4-year over- He came back to Alaska to train in
that.
On January 22, that was the polar seas trip. Don, the father, was teaching this area and went back to Winter
night in Utqiagvik, AK, the northern- high school physics and Midge was Park in 1977 to race in the Nationals in
most town in all of North America. working at the United Nations in the the slalom event and did so again in
What happened on January 22 is that Palestinian refugee camps when they 1979, both of which qualified him for
polar night—as they call it there—fi- had Doug, the oldest of what would be the 1980 Paralympics.
nally ended. That is 65 days of darkness five children, four girls and Doug. I Along with two gold medals from
finally ended. That is 65 days of dark- know one of the girls really well, those Olympics, he brought a mission
ness. Carrie, Doug’s sister, who works as back to Alaska: starting a skiing pro-
On January 22, the Sun crept a little part of my team in Anchorage doing gram for people with physical disabil-
over the horizon briefly. Like a long constituent casework. She recently hit ities. He said at the time that skiing
lost friend, the community gathered to the milestone of successfully helping was amazing. It would give him a ‘‘feel-
say hello to the Sun. It has been cold 2,000 different Alaskans. Carrie, great ing of motion. It’s like running again.
up North. It has been a cold winter. It job. You are amazing—just as amazing It can be fluid. When it feels good up
is about 20 below in Utqiagvik today. It as your brother Doug. Her success rate through your body, your body smiles
has been relatively balmy in Anchor- is off the charts. I see it every day. and when your body smiles, you
age where our Alaskan of the Week When Doug and Carrie’s family came smile.’’ And he wanted others to have
lives—warm enough to be sleeting back to America, they moved to Alas- that experience.
right now. ka. Don’s brother—that is the dad, In the 1980s, of course, Alaska had
But in all weather, all around the Don—built houses, and Don helped him mountains and snow and landscape
State, people are getting out, gath- for a while. Eventually, Don the fa- begging to be played in but did not
ther—Doug’s father—got a senior job have a culture that encouraged people
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ering, enjoying the Sun that stays in
our skies a little bit longer each day. with the Federal Aviation Administra- with disabilities to be part of those
They are dogsledding—training for the tion. winter activities. Doug explained to a
Iditarod. They are snow-machining, Doug, our Alaskan of the Week, was reporter in 1980 that as a one-legged
playing hockey, skiing, snowboarding— an active kid. He loved sports, mostly skier, he was an anomaly in Alaska.
so many winter sports. baseball and skiing. His plan was to He said:
We, in our State, are chockful of ex- follow in his father’s footsteps and go I’ve been skiing [there] for 5 years by my-
cellent winter athletes—great winter to Springfield College in Massachu- self. Up . . . [in Alaska]—
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S773
Someone with disabilities— them at the airport to say goodbye. And the things you discover when
[T]hey see me coming down the slopes and One of them, who was also missing an you actually file these things and work
they say ‘‘What the [heck] is that?’’ People arm and a leg from a construction acci- on it—because we came up with lan-
just [weren’t] used to [seeing] it [in 1980]. dent, stepped forward and, through an guage. We said: OK. Here is the bill,
And this is where the story moves interpreter, told Doug that after his and here is what we want to do. And
from one individual, Doug, to thou- accident, he thought about taking his they came back and said: We will not
sands. Doug and a handful of others got own life. Then this young Japanese agree to it if it includes that device
busy. They formed a nonprofit called man said to Doug that he saw a docu- that attaches to it.
Challenge Alaska, and they hit the mentary about Doug. And he said to So, apparently, they don’t want to
road. Doug, who had a full-time job in Doug: send out crack pipes, but they do want
cable, still made the time for starting I vowed that I would learn to ski, [I would] to send out the tubes that attach to
this great organization, Challenge come to Alaska and ski with [Challenge the crack pipes so that those who are
Alaska. They got people out on the Alaska]. Thank you [Doug] for saving my addicted to crack or any of these other
slopes. They trained them. They gath- life.
drugs—illicit drugs that you can smoke
ered all the adaptive equipment they That is pretty powerful stuff right can be consumed safely somehow, as if
could get their hands on, and they dug there—one person in Japan whose life there is any safe way to smoke meth or
in. was saved by Doug Keil and all the crack, which there isn’t.
Forty years later, with an expanded great people at Challenge Alaska. And so what I have come here to do
mission now including all outdoor ac- So, Doug, thank you for saving lives. today is very simple: I want this bill to
tivities, including summer activities— Thank you for your inspiration to so pass. I don’t know why anyone could
kayaking, cycling, wheelchair Frisbee, many. Thank you for what you have possibly object to it unless you believe
fishing, camping, and so much more— done for Alaska, for Challenge Alaska, that you should be sending out cylin-
Challenge Alaska, started by Doug for the State, for the Paralympian ath- drical tubing which attaches to a crack
Keil, has helped over a thousand people letes we are going to watch and cheer pipe to smoke and that can be removed
in Alaska get out into Alaska’s great on here in a couple of weeks. And con- to allow multiple people to use the
outdoors in winter and summer. Some gratulations on being our Alaskan of same pipe.
of the most incredible athletes you the Week. And that is the loophole that they
I yield the floor.
have ever met started their careers in The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- want. That is what they want me to
athletics with Challenge Alaska. ator from Florida. change this bill to allow them to send
Just two weekends ago, my wife out. And I think that is nuts, guys. I
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 3632
Julie and I had the opportunity to at- don’t know how else to describe it.
Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, a few days
tend Challenge Alaska’s 40th anniver- There is no, like, fancy word for it. It
ago or a few weeks—about 2 weeks ago,
sary gala dinner. Now, I know a lot of is crazy. This is insane. This is the
I was surprised to read in an article
my colleagues here—we go out to a lot kind of insanity that people read about
that, as part of the American Rescue
of events when we are back home. This and say: This can’t be true. It is true.
Plan, there was this $30-million pro-
was one of the most inspiring events I It is actually worse than I thought.
gram that would be sending drug para-
have attended in a long, long time. And so that is why I am hoping we
phernalia to people suffering from ad-
Julie and I got to sit with the current can pass this today. Apparently, there
diction in this country.
executive director of Challenge Alaska, And so I said something about it, and will be an objection.
Nate Boltz; his wife, Leah; daughter, the administration came out and said Mr. President, I ask unanimous con-
Anna; his parents, Jim and Laurie; his that is not true. We are not going to sent that the Committee on Health,
grandmother, Adeline. There were use it for that. We are not going to be Education, Labor, and Pensions be dis-
amazing speeches. One young man sending out crack pipes or meth pipes charged from further consideration of
named Ryan Johnson, a recent high to anybody. In fact, they even wrote a S. 3632 and that the Senate proceed to
school graduate with cerebral palsy, letter to a fellow Senator here in that its immediate consideration. I further
spoke. Incredible. There wasn’t a dry regard. ask that the Rubio substitute amend-
eye in the house. So then I said, well, since—let’s just ment at the desk be considered and
And, of course, Doug was there. Doug make sure. Right? Like, let’s just file a agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be
was there, the founder of Challenge bill language that just makes it clear considered read a third time and
Alaska—40 years of work—and he was that we are not going to be sending passed, and that the motion to recon-
honored for this great life achieve- drug paraphernalia like a pipe or sider be considered made and laid upon
ment. things that work with a pipe, that tax- the table.
In that 1980 article I mentioned ear- payers aren’t going to be paying for The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
lier, I talked about when he was talk- that. objection?
ing about skiing on the slopes alone as And lo and behold, I was surprised by The Senator from Vermont.
someone with one leg, he said that if he the response. And now, when you read Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, reserving
could have a plaque that said he was more carefully the letter that they the right to object, and I think my
instrumental in starting a program to wrote to Senator BLACKBURN, you see friend from Florida knows I will. This
help other people with disabilities in exactly what the problem is here. entire issue is a misnomer. There have
Alaska to learn to enjoy the outdoors— They don’t plan on sending crack been a few online things to try to make
skiing, winter, summer—he would be a pipes or meth pipes to anybody. What a big deal out of it, and I am sorry that
happy man. That was 40 years ago they plan on sending is what they call some have fallen for it, but the Biden
when he said that. Well, he should be a mouthpiece. And a mouthpiece isn’t administration produced a letter this
happy. He has done that and so much what you think. It is not like some flat week clarifying this misunderstanding.
more. Thousands of people have been thing that you put in your mouth. No, The administration stated clearly
positively impacted by what he has the mouthpiece is basically the cylin- they never authorized use of Federal
done. drical tube—straw-looking thing—that funding for smoke pipes and will not in
Here is another remarkable thing. you attach to the crack pipe. So the the future. In fact, I don’t think any
His inspiration went far beyond Alas- pipe will have to be shared by the ad- administration has.
ka. It has literally touched the globe. dicts, but they are each going to have Of course, the bill that the Senator
He tells the story about how in the from Florida is proposing goes much
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their own little tube that they can at-
nineties, 13 people with disabilities tach to smoke it. further than Republicans say it would.
from Japan came to ski with and learn Well, I just don’t think the Federal It would severely cripple our ability to
from the people in Challenge Alaska. Government should be paying for that respond to addiction, which has taken
Doug was working at Challenge Alas- to send that to people. I think, frankly, 100,000 lives a year right now, including
ka. He, unfortunately, wasn’t able to this is insane. I think most people lives in his State and mine.
ski with our Japanese visitors. But would agree, and I think most people We offered an alternative; but that
when they were leaving town, he met would be surprised. was rejected.
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S774 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2022
We actually have to go to the CR erful nation on Earth can stay open or the money from—when we run the big-
now. The House is gone. We have to a few Senators can say: No, golly, we gest business in the world by the seat
pass it—the CR and send it to the got to get something on television. We of its pants.
President without amendments or our ought to close down the government. I am going to tell you just generally
government funding runs out. The Senator from Florida is welcome how this all plays out. In 41⁄2 years, we
And I might just say—I mean, every- to bring up his bill sometime in regular are going to completely go through the
body has the right to speak about any- order. Let’s not slow up things now. So Medicare trust fund. And by the way,
thing they want. Everybody has the let’s vote on the continuing resolution. healthcare expenses based upon a bro-
right to make any kind of political Let’s show the United States of Amer- ken healthcare industry that is not
point for any group they want, but let’s ica and the rest of the world that we transparent does not deliver the con-
talk about being U.S. Senators. can stay open and that we are not sumer good value, something that all
A war is about to start in Ukraine, in afraid to stay open. We will stay open, of us that own businesses other than
all likelihood. And what we are saying and we all—I think we could probably the healthcare business have to grapple
is we will start putting all of these say unanimously, I would hope—oppose with every year. They need to reform
things in, slow up a continuing resolu- what Russia apparently is planning to themselves, and that would bring Medi-
tion so the United States Government do in Ukraine. care and Medicaid into where it wasn’t
will have to shut down tomorrow I suggest the absence of a quorum. costing us so much. But still then, even
night. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The if you save there, we probably would
And we can stand there and Putin clerk will call the roll. find a way to spend the savings.
can say: Why should I listen to them? The senior assistant legislative clerk We are currently, basically the only
Three or four people can go on their proceeded to call the roll. reserve currency. That is what keeps
Senate floor and shut down the govern- Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, I ask our interest rates so low. Historically,
ment. Why should I listen to them? unanimous consent that the order for they have been three to four times
So I object. the quorum call be rescinded. what they are now. And you cannot run
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without now probably close to $1.5 trillion defi-
WARNOCK). Objection is heard. objection, it is so ordered. cits on to the $30 trillion we are al-
The Senator from Florida. AMENDMENT NO. 4930 ready in debt and think that is a good
Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, couple Mr. BRAUN. Mr. President, over the business plan for the biggest business
things. To be clear, I am not slowing next couple hours, we are going to have in the world.
down the continuing resolution. This is another CR vote, and we are going to So especially for the folks on the
my bill. It has got nothing to do with get some votes on amendments. other side of the aisle, but I am going
the continuing resolution. When I came to the Senate 3 years to say we have been complicit as Re-
The reason why we are not voting on ago, a little over that, one of my main publicans. We roll over to give them
the continuing resolution is because goals—I always respected the Senator what they want on domestic spending,
there is a bunch of people missing; from Oklahoma, Dr. Tom Coburn. and they do the same on defense spend-
there are not enough people here yet to I first saw him when he was actually ing, which I think is probably the most
vote for it. That is why it is being on one of the shows talking about the important thing we do. And all of a
slowed down. So I took this oppor- same subject that I harp on all the sudden, everybody is happy. It is called
tunity to offer my bill. time. The difference is, by standards of bipartisan, but it is not honest to the
And I would just say, my observation indebtedness, we had no real worries American public.
would be that Vladimir Putin is prob- other than he was one that could see So, here, we are going to do what we
ably—if he is even paying attention—I into the future. have been doing for years. We are going
don’t know what time it is. He prob- I come from the world of running a to vote on a CR later. But if we are
ably has his hands full with his plans business, was on a school board, State ever going to get this place back in
to invade and conquer parts of legislature. You couldn’t get by with good shape, we have to have the polit-
Ukraine—I think he would be won- what we get by with here. You had a ical will and the discipline to get back
dering why would I be scared of a coun- budgeting process. When I was a State to budgeting and not spend beyond our
try who is going to send out cylindrical legislator, you took it through com- means because, some day, we may not
tubing to people addicted to crack and mittees. You brought in witnesses, you be the reserve currency. And after we
meth, because I think he probably fleshed it out. Maybe you didn’t need go through the Medicare trust fund,
thinks it is crazy too, as crazy as he is. more money. Generally, even at the which will probably replenish by bor-
So, again, my bill goes—I get it. statehouse, they would ask for more. It rowing more money, Social Security
They are not going to send out pipes. wasn’t necessarily the case. depletes in about 11 years. I say that
That doesn’t make me feel better be- You did the hard work, rolling up because nobody here talks about it,
cause they are going to send out—with your sleeves, which Hoosiers appre- and it wouldn’t be that difficult to
the money of the American taxpayer, ciated. Do you know what it has given solve.
they are going to send out cylindrical us back in the State of Indiana? The In the real world, you make the
tubing which is attached to a crack highest credit rating you can have as a tough decisions, you get through it,
pipe and can be removed so each and State. It has given us rainy day funds. and you are better off for it when you
every one of the people using that When COVID came along, we could get that behind you.
pipe—multiple people can use the pipe have gotten by without a dollar from So I am going to leave it there this
but use a different cylindrical tube to the Federal Government. That is what evening. I am going to ask all of my
attach to it. And I just don’t think the happens when you live your everyday colleagues to please vote on a balanced
American people should be paying for life with responsibility, just like every budget amendment that makes it so
that, and that is what HHS has basi- American has to, just like you have to easy that it just says your resolution
cally admitted they want to do with do in any other level of government. that you bring up each year—you have
this money. And I didn’t think this was Think about running a business. got to do it, you have got to do it on
going to be controversial, but appar- Imagine, up until the recent spending time—has to balance the budget in 10
ently it is because there has been an spree, we were only borrowing roughly years. That even gives a lot more lati-
objection, so here we are. 23 percent of every dollar that we spend tude than what I really thought was
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- here—and this isn’t on tangible invest-
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necessary, but I also want to make it
ator from Vermont. ments; this is on consumption. There is to where every one of us can say yes to
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the sug- nothing to show for it. a balanced budget amendment like this
gestion is many people aren’t here to A lot of the things we do, a lot of the because we owe it to our kids and our
vote. Well, let’s bring up the con- things that people look to us to do, we grandkids.
tinuing resolution. Let’s vote it up or need; but we are doing a disservice to I yield the floor.
down. Let’s say to the rest of the our kids and our grandkids—by the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
world, including Russia, the most pow- way, who we are actually borrowing ator from Vermont.
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February 17, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S775
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT ‘‘Mandatory Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vac- shall consist of a Senate and a House of
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask cination of Department of Defense Service Representatives.’’
unanimous consent that the Senate Members’’; or It matters that this clause comes
proceed to the immediate consider- (2) promulgate, implement, or enforce any first, before everything else. And the
rule, regulation, or other agency statement,
ation of Calendar No. 267, H.R. 6617; that is substantially similar to a regulation,
reason it matters is because it is there
that the only amendments in order be Executive Order, rule, or memorandum de- to remind us of something. The most
the Lee amendment No. 4929, Braun scribed in paragraph (1). dangerous power within our Federal
amendment No. 4930, Cruz amendment Mr. LEE. Mr. President, vaccine Government is not with the judiciary,
No. 4927; that at 5:15 p.m., the Senate mandates are morally wrong and wide- it is not with the executive branch; it
vote in relation to the amendments in ly unpopular. Millions of Americans is right here in this branch because we
the order listed; that upon disposition are still required by this Federal man- have the power to prescribe law. We
of the Cruz amendment, the bill be con- date to be vaccinated or lose their job. have the power within our Federal
sidered read a third time and the Sen- The people’s elected lawmakers here Government to provide what should be,
ate vote on passage of the bill, as in Congress haven’t instituted these what the law says, what people have to
amended, if amended, with 60 affirma- mandates. No, there is no Federal law do. That is why the Founding Fathers
tive votes required for adoption of the putting them in place. President Biden were careful not to entrust it to any
Braun amendment and on passage of and his bureaucrats are just treading branch of government other than this
the bill; and that there be 2 minutes for deeply into the personal medical one, not because those who would oc-
debate equally divided in the usual choices of Americans without an act of cupy these positions would necessarily
form prior to each vote, all without Congress authorizing them to do so. be any wiser or any brighter or inher-
further intervening action or debate. Now, Congress has the chance to ently more cautious than everyone
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there make these millions of voices across else, except in one critical respect:
objection? America be heard. That is, after all, This is the Federal branch most ac-
Without objection, it is so ordered. our job. Our sole job is to make Federal countable to the people at the most
f law, to give voice to those who elected regular intervals. You can fire every
FURTHER ADDITIONAL EXTEND- us. We can state clearly, boldly, deci- Member of the House every 2 years.
ING GOVERNMENT FUNDING ACT sively today that Federal vaccine man- You can fire one-third of us every 2
dates do not belong in the United years.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under We are the branch that is account-
States of America.
the previous order, the Senate will pro- We can stand for millions of vulner- able. That is why we have been given
ceed to the consideration of H.R. 6617, able Americans who just want to go to the most dangerous power within gov-
which the clerk will report. work so that they have the chance sim- ernment, the power to make Federal
The senior assistant legislative clerk law. How then does this relate to ille-
ply to put food on the table for their
read as follows: gal, unconstitutional, immoral, and
families. That is not too much to ask.
A bill (H.R. 6617) making further con- The pandemic is waning, but it is wildly unpopular vaccine mandates?
tinuing appropriations for the fiscal year Well, it matters because that is an ex-
waning just as our economic problems
ending September 30, 2022, and for other pur-
poses. are just beginning. If we want to con- ercise of Federal law. It is an exercise
trol the high price of everything, the of Federal law that Congress never en-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- acted.
lack of availability that comes with
ator from Utah. They have arrogated to themselves
the related supply chain crisis, and
AMENDMENT NO. 4929 within the executive branch an author-
keep the American economy moving,
Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I call up my we must stand against these illegal, ity that they do not have based on a
amendment No. 4929, and ask that it be immoral, and unconstitutional man- contrivance, based on a tortured,
reported by number. dates. butchered manipulation of statutory
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Look, the American people are sick text that doesn’t tell people that they
clerk will report the amendment by and tired of the Federal Government have got to choose between getting an
number. micromanaging every minute detail of unwanted medical procedure and unem-
The senior assistant legislative clerk their lives. They are exhausted from ployment, unemployment in a context
read as follows: the mandates and from the bureaucrats that it is likely to lead to
The Senator from Utah [Mr. LEE], for him- who they didn’t vote for and never unemployability. And, indeed, it was
self and Mr. MARSHALL, proposes an amend-
could vote for and never would vote designed to do that. We know that be-
ment numbered 4929.
for. cause those who put these policies in
The amendment is as follows: The brave men and women of our place have told us as much.
(Purpose: To prohibit funding for COVID–19 military, the Federal workers, the Fed- Look, everybody has been through a
vaccine mandates) eral contractors, people who work for lot in the last 2 years—Democrats, Re-
After section 101 in division A, insert the Federal contractors—even a subdivi- publicans alike. This virus has been no
following: respecter of persons, of red States and
SEC. 102. None of the funds appropriated or
sion of a Federal contractor that
otherwise made available under the Con- doesn’t actually provide any Federal of blue States. Just the same, the
tinuing Appropriations Act, 2022 (division A contract work—along with medical American people understand that we
of Public Law 117–43), as amended by this professionals—all these workers across are ready to move on. We are ready to
Act, may be obligated or expended to— every part of our great land who are not have government dictating every
(1) implement or enforce— sucked up into this mandate, they all aspect of our lives.
(A) section 1910.501 of title 29, Code of Fed- deserve better than pink slips and COVID is no excuse for a government
eral Regulations (or a successor regulation); boots out the door, simply for making to do something that is categorically
(B) Executive Order 14042 of September 9, immoral. It is no excuse to do some-
2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 50985; relating to ensuring
their own medical choices.
So I implore my colleagues with all thing that we all know is wrong. We
adequate COVID safety protocols for Federal
contractors); the urgency I am capable of commu- would never justify anyone in ren-
(C) Executive Order 14043 of September 9, nicating, to stand up for American dering a threat against their friend,
2021 (86 Fed. Reg. 50989; relating to requiring workers, stand up for our economy, their neighbor, their employee, that if
Coronavirus Disease 2019 vaccination for stand up for freedom, and vote to with- you don’t bow, if you don’t defer to
Federal employees); Presidential medical orthodoxy, I am
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hold funding from these unconstitu-
(D) the interim final rule issued by the De- tional mandates. going to make you lose your job and
partment of Health and Human Services on It is quite significant that the very make it impossible for you to put bread
November 5, 2021, entitled ‘‘Medicare and
first clause of the very first section of on the table for your children. No sane,
Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19
Health Care Staff Vaccination’’ (86 Fed. Reg. the very first article of the Constitu- moral, decent person would do that. We
61555); or tion says that ‘‘all legislative Powers must not allow them to do that. We
(E) the memorandum signed by the Sec- herein granted shall be vested in the must never allow the executive branch
retary of Defense on August 24, 2021, for Congress of the United States, which of government to exercise authority
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