Congressional Record, Senate, August 4, 2022 — S.J. Res. 55 and Ninth Circuit Nomination
Summary
Page S4013 of the Senate section of the Congressional Record for August 4, 2022, in interleaved columns. The record shows S.J. Res. 55 passed, a joint resolution under which Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Council on Environmental Quality relating to National Environmental Policy Act regulations, so that the rule has no force or effect. A speaker on permitting reform says the Senate will debate it as stand-alone legislation in the fall because it cannot be done in reconciliation, and another passage congratulates a colleague on 36 years in the Senate. The Senate then moves to executive session for nominations.
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
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“Congressional Record, Senate, August 4, 2022 — S.J. Res. 55 and Ninth Circuit Nomination.”
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4013
Route 141—5 miles, right through the Romney Scott (SC) Toomey Coons Klobuchar Sanders
Rounds Shelby Tuberville Cortez Masto Luján Schatz
middle of our major city. It is going to Rubio Sullivan Wicker Cramer Lummis Schumer
be done in, I think, less than 2 years. Sasse Thune Young Crapo Manchin Shaheen
Imagine that: 4 lanes, 6 lanes, all the Scott (FL) Tillis Duckworth Markey Sinema
exits, done in 2 years. Durbin Marshall Smith
NAYS—47 Ernst McConnell
They are talking about not being Stabenow
Baldwin Heinrich Rosen Feinstein Menendez Tester
able to get a big project done. We are Bennet Hickenlooper Sanders Gillibrand Murkowski
Tillis
doing big projects in a little State all Blumenthal Hirono Schatz Graham Murphy
Toomey
Booker Kaine Schumer Grassley Murray
the time. Brown Kelly Hassan Ossoff
Van Hollen
Shaheen Warner
The last thing I would say is that our Cantwell King Sinema
Heinrich Padilla
Hickenlooper Peters Warnock
colleagues JOE MANCHIN and LISA MUR- Cardin Klobuchar Smith Warren
Carper Luján Hirono Portman
KOWSKI cohosted bipartisan meetings a Stabenow Whitehouse
Casey Markey Kaine Reed
month or 2 ago—6 or 7 or 8 of them—in Coons Menendez
Tester Kelly Risch Wyden
the afternoon to talk about a path for- Van Hollen Kennedy Romney Young
Cortez Masto Murphy
Duckworth Warner King Rosen
ward on reconciliation and infrastruc- Murray
Durbin Ossoff Warnock
ture legislation, but also to talk about Feinstein Padilla Warren NAYS—29
permitting and permitting reform. Gillibrand Peters Whitehouse Barrasso Hawley Rubio
Every time we do a major infrastruc- Hassan Reed Wyden Blackburn Hoeven Sasse
ture bill, we do permitting reform, and Blunt Hyde-Smith Scott (FL)
NOT VOTING—3 Boozman Inhofe Scott (SC)
we do streamlining. We have done it. Cornyn Leahy Merkley Braun Johnson Shelby
We did it last year, and we are going to Cotton Lankford Sullivan
do it again with the WRDA legislation The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 55) Cruz Lee Thune
too. was passed, as follows: Daines Moran Tuberville
Fischer Paul
Later, sometime this fall, in Sep- S.J. RES. 55 Wicker
Hagerty Rounds
tember, October, we will do permitting Resolved by the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives of the United States of America in NOT VOTING—4
reform debate and legislation again.
Congress assembled, That Congress dis- Burr Leahy
We can’t do it in the context of rec- Cornyn Merkley
approves the rule submitted by the Council
onciliation because the Parliamen- on Environmental Quality relating to ‘‘Na-
tarian won’t let us do that. It has to be The nomination was confirmed.
tional Environmental Policy Act Imple- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. COR-
as stand-alone legislation. menting Regulations Revisions’’ (87 Fed.
TEZ MASTO). Under the previous order,
We will have the opportunity to do Reg. 23453 (April 20, 2022)), and such rule
that. People can offer their ideas. We shall have no force or effect. the motion to reconsider is considered
will debate them. We will vote them made and laid upon the table and the
up, and we will vote them down. f President will be immediately notified
I just wanted to add that for the of the Senate’s action.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
record. f
With that, I guess we ought to ask ---
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
for the yeas and nays. EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
the previous order, all time is expired. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. VAN ate will resume legislative session.
The clerk will read the title of the HOLLEN). Under the previous order, the ORDER OF PROCEDURE
joint resolution for the third time. Senate will proceed to executive ses- Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
sion to consider the following nomina- for the information of Senators, the
The joint resolution was ordered to
tion, which the clerk will report. Senate will next convene on Saturday
be engrossed for a third reading and
The senior assistant legislative clerk at noon. The next vote will be at 12:30
was read the third time.
read the nomination of Roopali H. p.m. on Saturday on a motion to dis-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The joint
Desai, of Arizona, to be United States charge a nomination.
resolution having been read the third
Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit. We expect to vote on the motion to
time, the question is, Shall the joint
The PRESIDING OFFICER. All time proceed to the reconciliation legisla-
resolution pass?
is yielded back. tion on Saturday afternoon.
The yeas and nays have been pre-
The question is, Will the Senate ad-
viously requested. f
vise and consent to the Desai nomina-
Is there a sufficient second?
tion? EXECUTIVE SESSION
There appears to be a sufficient sec- Mr. SCHATZ. I ask for the yeas and
ond. Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I
nays.
The clerk will call the roll. move to proceed to executive session.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a
The bill clerk called the roll. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
sufficient second?
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the question is on agreeing to the motion.
There appears to be a sufficient sec-
Senator from Vermont (Mr. LEAHY) and The motion was agreed to.
ond.
the Senator from Oregon (Mr. The clerk will call the roll. f
MERKLEY) are necessarily absent. The senior assistant executive clerk
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is MOTION TO DISCHARGE
called the roll.
necessarily absent: the Senator from Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President,
Texas (Mr. CORNYN). Senator from Vermont (Mr. LEAHY) and pursuant to S. Res. 27, the Committee
The result was announced—yeas 50, the Senator from Oregon (Mr. on Environment and Public Works
nays 47, as follows: MERKLEY) are necessarily absent. being tied on the question of reporting,
[Rollcall Vote No. 283 Leg.] Mr. THUNE. The following Senator I move to discharge the Committee on
YEAS—50 are necessarily absent: the Senator Environment and Public Works from
from North Carolina (Mr. BURR) and further consideration of the nomina-
Barrasso Cruz Kennedy
Blackburn Daines Lankford the Senator from Texas (Mr. CORNYN). tion of David Uhlmann, to be Assistant
Blunt Ernst Lee The result was announced—yeas 67, Administrator for Enforcement and
Boozman Fischer Lummis Compliance Assurance, Environmental
nays 29, as follows:
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
Braun Graham Manchin
Burr Grassley Marshall [Rollcall Vote No. 284 Ex.]
Protection Agency.
Capito Hagerty McConnell The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under
YEAS—67
Cassidy Hawley Moran the provisions of S. Res. 27, there will
Collins Hoeven Murkowski Baldwin Brown Carper now be up to 4 hours of debate on the
Cotton Hyde-Smith Paul Bennet Cantwell Casey
Cramer Inhofe Portman Blumenthal Capito Cassidy motion, equally divided between the
Crapo Johnson Risch Booker Cardin Collins two leaders or their designees, with no
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S4014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
motions, points of order, or amend- and say: Hey, you know what? We tern has been repeated in the Western
ments in order. gotta build. We need to build. And that Hemisphere.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT—EXECUTIVE was the message here. In Mexico, we are seeing deepening
CALENDAR We are going to try to move this in civil unrest and the erosion of civil so-
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I the House and get it on President ciety. The breakdown of the rule of law
ask unanimous consent that the vote Biden’s desk. He says he is blue-collar across our southern border—a crisis di-
on the motion to discharge the Joe. Well, let’s see if he is blue-collar rectly caused by Joe Biden’s policies
Uhlmann nomination occur at 12:30 Joe when this comes to his desk and he and political decisions—poses acute na-
p.m. on Saturday, August 6. would veto or not veto something that tional security challenges and dangers
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without all the building trades in America sup- to the United States.
objection, it is so ordered. port. Mexican President Lopez Obrador
Mr. SCHUMER. I yield the floor. I yield the floor. seems intent on making these trends
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- worse, and when I questioned a Biden
ator from Alaska. ator from Texas. State Department official on Obrador’s
S.J. RES. 55 COLOMBIA targeting of American companies and
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I Mr. CRUZ. Madam President, I rise the nationalization of energy in Mex-
just want to thank my colleagues for today to discuss the acute dangers to ico, he wouldn’t even admit that those
the vote that just occurred here on the American national security that have were bad things. And if he is not will-
floor of the Senate. It was a bipartisan formed and are deepening across the ing to admit to the Senate Foreign Re-
victory, 50 to 47, on the Congressional Western Hemisphere. lations Committee that the leftist
Review Act that I had put forward with These dangers have coalesced be- President of Mexico’s targeting of
all of my Republican colleagues to re- cause of the comprehensive and cata- American companies and the national-
scind the onerous, job-killing Biden ad- strophic policies pursued by President ization of energy in Mexico are bad
ministration rule that came out in Biden and his administration. Already, things, then we can be certain the
April that would make it harder to nine governments across South Amer- Biden administration is also unwilling
build things in America. It would make ica, Central America, and the Carib- to convey that to Mexico.
it harder to employ people, especially bean are controlled by socialists. All of When we saw Cubans flood the
our incredibly productive American these governments, with only one ex- streets last summer, yelling
workers. ception, are also overtly and ideologi- ‘‘Libertad’’ and waving American flags,
So that just passed. That was a repu- cally anti-American. They are com- the Biden administration couldn’t even
diation of the Biden White House in a mitted to undermining American secu- bring itself to come out with a strong
bipartisan vote on the Senate floor. rity and to endangering Americans. support and statement for the people
Here is the thing. Even my Senate This weekend, on Sunday, Colombia marching in the streets of Cuba. In
colleagues—because I was working the will become the 10th government in the statement after statement, as pro-
vote pretty hard down there in the region controlled by the hard left when testers swept into the streets, adminis-
well—even my Senate colleagues who the country’s new President, Gustavo tration officials failed to unequivocally
voted against it, several of them came Petro, will take office. I am deeply support the protesters and critically
up to me and said: You know what. You worried that once he does, Colombia failed to condemn the brutal thugs
are right. We have really got to fix will also join the ranks of anti-Amer- that the communist regime was send-
NEPA. It is killing the country. It is ican forces in Latin America. ing to assault, brutalize, and silence
killing our ability to do anything. So Petro is the first openly Marxist to the speech of Cuban citizens seeking
that was an important vote, but a good be elected President of Colombia. He freedom.
conversation is starting here. was brought to power by Colombia’s When it came to Colombia, the Biden
We have the best workers in the leftist fringe, including guerrillas and administration went out of its way to
world. If we let them build, we can do terrorist groups. undermine and to alienate the pro-
great things again in terms of building Colombians had rightly and for dec- American government of Colombian
this country and not let redtape, far- ades resisted Marxism and rejected the President Duque. President Biden de-
left environmental groups, regulations, hard left. The first reason for this is nied Duque a call for the first 5 months
and endless litigation stop us. that Marxists have long been violent of the administration, providing mo-
So I also want to thank all the guerrillas who have wreaked havoc in rale and momentum for Duque’s do-
groups that supported this resolution. Colombia. The second reason is that mestic enemies. Biden did finally call
I had a bigger sign down on the Sen- Colombians are well aware of what has Duque at the end of June that year—
ate floor when I was giving an earlier happened in other Latin American after his helicopter came under attack
speech, but the groups that were sup- countries that have elected or have by anti-government terrorists.
porting this legislation are very di- seen leftists seize power. Cuba and Ven- And what was the reward Biden had
verse. There are over 50 groups of men ezuela, for example, have endured so- for the terrorists?
and women who produce things, grow cialist and communist regimes that Well, just a few months later, Biden
things, and build the country. I want to have tortured, killed, silenced dis- removed the FARC, the Revolutionary
thank them for the great support of sidents, have denied freedom and driv- Armed Forces of Colombia, from the
this Congressional Review Act that en countless people into exile, forcing list of terrorist organizations. He also
just passed. many to flee or be murdered. dismantled terrorism sanctions on in-
I really want to give a shout-out to People are rightly asking: What hap- dividual FARC members. FARC is an
the building trades, the laborers, the pened? The answer, unfortunately, is as organization of Marxist-Leninist
operating engineers, and the trade straightforward as it is worrying. Joe narcoterrorists who, for decades, have
unions that are doing such a great job Biden and his policies happened. The killed, kidnapped, and extorted Colom-
building this country who want to Biden administration seems ideologi- bians and seized and murdered Amer-
work. They know these regulations are cally committed to systematically ican citizens.
killing workers’ ability to get good alienating our allies and empowering FARC continues to pose an acute
jobs. our enemies. In this goal—and perhaps threat to Colombian security and to
We have a long way to go to fix the only this goal—they have been wildly American interests in the region, but
broken system of permitting in Amer- successful. the Biden administration has treated it
ica and the endless litigation by envi- Since Joe Biden has been in office, we like other terrorist groups, with weak-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
ronmental lawyers who want to stop have seen forces for evil in Iran, in Af- ness and appeasement and worse. Just
everything, but today was an impor- ghanistan, in Russia, in China, in Ven- last week, House Republicans an-
tant start and an important vote on ezuela, and in Cuba gain strength while nounced that the administration may
the floor of the Senate, showing Amer- our friends and allies in Israel, well be distributing assistance to
ica that a bipartisan group of Senators Ukraine, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have former FARC terrorists. So the inevi-
will stand up to these far-left groups felt abandoned and alone. And this pat- table occurred; the Colombian far left
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4015
gained momentum, and Petro was that embrace socialism. This is the sure he gets no more money for devel-
elected. pattern we have seen over and over and opment assistance.
This is what happens—this is what over again. Petro was elected, but if he I am not interested in giving anti-
always happens—when America aban- follows the pattern of other leftist dic- American leftists American tax dollars
dons our friends. Colombia has been an tators, it may prove to be the last free as aid. I believe our foreign policy
indispensable ally to the United States. election in Colombia. should use carrots and sticks in order
Our relationship stems back 200 years. So how has the Biden administration to incentivize other countries to be-
We have deep economic and security handled Petro’s rise to power, which have in a way that benefits American
ties. We provide Colombia with almost their own weakness and their own ap- interests and strengthens our friend-
a half a billion dollars in aid every sin- peasement facilitated? With yet more ships and in a way that discourages
gle year—a testament to the breadth weakness and appeasement. countries from seeking to harm and
and depth of our ties. Both Joe Biden and Secretary of undermine the United States of Amer-
Petro says he will work hand in hand State Blinken effusively congratulated ica.
with Nicolas Maduro’s oppressive re- Petro: How great, an anti-American This is an inflection point, and Amer-
gime in Venezuela. He is looking to Marxist and a close ally of ours in ica must be clear: We don’t support
work with the National Liberation Latin America. Marxists in Latin America. Any leftist
Army, a terrorist organization in Co- They said they looked forward to leader who chooses socialism will be
lombia. He will embrace the FARC. He working with him on shared interests. held accountable by the United States
says he wants to stop oil production I hope those shared interests don’t in- and, at a minimum, will no longer be
and to roll back cooperation with the clude undermining the United States of funded by the U.S. taxpayers to under-
United States on stopping drug traf- America. mine our great Nation.
ficking. In fact, Petro seems deeply There is value in clarity. There is I hope this bill earns bipartisan sup-
committed to weakening and under- value in telling the truth about what port because standing up for the inter-
mining the United States-Colombian socialism does to a country from the ests of America and standing up to
relationship. bully pulpit of the United States. save the United States-Colombian
I hope and pray that he doesn’t weak- If the Biden administration won’t friendship and alliance is a national in-
en it. I hope and pray that his rhetoric support American allies, if they will terest that transcends partisan lines. If
and language in the past is not carried actively undermine American allies President Biden won’t stand up for
forward in policies when his adminis- like they did the pro-American govern- America, then I hope and pray that the
tration begins. I want to see Colombia ment of President Duque’s, and if the Congress will.
remain a close U.S. ally. I don’t want President won’t check our adversaries I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
to see Colombia follow the example of and stand up to our enemies, then Con-
ator from Arkansas.
other socialist governments in the gress must.
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022
Western Hemisphere. We know where Last month, I introduced legislation
that would reimpose terrorism sanc- Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam President, as
that leads.
tions on the FARC and on FARC-re- cochair of the Senate Recycling Cau-
Both Cuba and Venezuela used to be
lated terrorists. Those sanctions cus, I am all for efforts to reuse mate-
prosperous countries until leftists
should never have been removed, and rial in a manner that gives it a second
came to power. Venezuela, in 1950, was
doing so highlighted the lack of respect life unless we are talking about recy-
the fourth wealthiest country on the
cling bad ideas. The reckless tax-and-
face of the Earth. The United States and support for our friends and allies in
spend plan the White House and the
was first. Switzerland was second. New Colombia. Mere months before the Co-
majority are threatening to bring forth
Zealand was third. Venezuela was No. lombian election, Joe Biden’s delisting
once again is a terrible idea to revive.
4. Then socialist dictators came to of the FARC contributed to the elec- The Senate wasted almost all of 2021
power, including Hugo Chavez and tion of an anti-American Marxist. My chasing this apparition. Now here we
Nicolas Maduro, and they destroyed bill is a commonsense first step to re- are, over a year later, and our eco-
much of that mighty nation. The qual- storing America’s policy toward Co- nomic situation is much more dire. In-
ity of life deteriorated so much in Ven- lombia. The Senate Foreign Relations flation is over 9 percent—the highest in
ezuela that people are literally eating Committee voted on my bill, and, more than four decades. Many econo-
out of trash cans in alleyways as they sadly, every Senate Democrat voted mists predict we are headed for a reces-
flee the country by the millions. no. sion by next year. There are indica-
In Cuba, when Fulgencio Batista However, much of the damage has al- tions that we are already there. Ameri-
staged a coup and became a brutal dic- ready been done, and this weekend, cans feel this daily as prices at the
tator in the 1950s, my father was a Petro will take office. American pol- pump and the grocery store eat away
teenager in Cuba, and he fought icy, I believe, must be recalibrated to at disposable income and as home price
against Batista’s cruel regime. My fa- acknowledge that reality. Again, I affordability becomes a thing of the
ther was imprisoned and tortured. He hope and pray that Petro does not lead past.
was beaten in a Cuban jail. He had his his country into the camp of anti- According to a CNN poll last month,
nose broken. He had his teeth broken American socialists who have become 64 percent of Americans feel the econ-
out of his mouth. My father fled Cuba ascendent during the Biden administra- omy is currently in a recession, but
in 1957. He came to America—he came tion, but we would be reckless and President Biden and allies of his think
to Texas—seeking freedom. He had $100 maybe even delusional not to take him that raising taxes, eliminating jobs,
in his underwear. He didn’t speak at his word because that is what he has and spending billions more will some-
English. He washed dishes while mak- said he intends to do. how help. Their wild claim that all of
ing 50 cents an hour. So I will shortly be introducing an- this spending will reduce inflation was
In 1959, Castro and the communist other bill—the CAUTION Act—the Co- almost immediately debunked by the
revolution succeeded there. Shortly lombia Assistance Used Transparently Penn Wharton Budget Model, which
thereafter, my father returned to Cuba by Institutionalizing Oversight Now. found that, if enacted, the bill will
only to be horrified at the evil and op- This bill will comprehensively condi- have no measurable impact on infla-
pression that Castro had brought—at tion all of our aid to Colombia based on tion.
the murder, at the torture, at the suf- what path Petro will choose. If he cuts Americans are struggling with high
fering, at the poverty. My aunt, my Tia back defense coordination with the prices at every turn. Yet the majority
Sonia—his kid sister—was still in United States, my bill will ensure that wants them to pay billions for Green
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
Cuba. My Tia Sonia fought in the coun- he gets no more money for security co- New Deal programs that could exacer-
terrevolution against Castro, and my ordination. If he cuts back cooperation bate energy security and food security
Tia Sonia was imprisoned and tortured on drug trafficking, my bill will ensure concerns while using fuzzy math to sell
by Castro’s thugs. he gets no more money for counter- it as fighting inflation.
This is the future that may well be narcotics. If he refuses to help dampen Their message to Americans is, We
awaiting Latin American countries illegal immigration, my bill will en- are sorry you are paying so much for
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S4016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
every necessity you need, but we really of dollars in reckless spending and in pay for workers, and more Ameri-
have to plant some trees in Brooklyn. major tax hikes—they will not solve cans than ever before are now holding
That is right. Tree equity—a Green the economic crisis our Nation finds two full-time jobs.
New Deal program resurrected for this itself in. Yet, somehow, this concoction In the face of all this hardship, we
bill—is the majority’s secret weapon to of truly terrible economic policies is need real solutions, not more of the
fight inflation. exactly what my colleagues on the same backward spending policies.
As the lead Republican on the Senate Democratic side are pursuing. The cute name that Senators SCHU-
Ag Committee, I can attest to how our Let’s start with the tax hikes. In the MER and MANCHIN have come up with
section of the bill is chock-full of mis- Schumer-Manchin bill, they have pro- for their proposal should not hide these
placed priorities like this, but worse posed imposing a corporate minimum facts. And the facts are massive tax
than that, when it comes to agri- tax on those big, bad corporations. hikes and billions of dollars in reckless
culture policy, this bill sets a particu- Well, 50 percent of this change would government spending. That is the last
larly bad precedent for farm bill pro- be borne by the manufacturing indus- thing our country needs right now.
grams. If they go down this road, we try—an industry that both Republicans So why are we even debating such a
very well might be looking at rec- terrible bill? A short history lesson
and Democrats have been trying to
may offer some answers. People may
onciliation as the only way future farm grow. We have been trying to grow
recall something called the Cornhusker
bills are actually written. Whoever that, not harm it with bad policies.
Kickback—an agreement in 2009 be-
holds the pen wields the fate for vital Manufacturers are already struggling
tween my predecessor and Senator
programs that farmers, ranchers, and to navigate inflation and supply chain
Harry Reid. In exchange for a special
foresters depend on, not to mention nu- crisis, but this bill will punish manu-
carve-out only for Nebraska to reduce
trition programs that help low-income facturers, and there is no question that the costs of enacting ObamaCare in our
families and policies that allow con- this would hurt the middle class by State, my predecessor agreed to vote
servationists to achieve our shared raising prices and lowering wages. At a for ObamaCare. Well, the kickback,
goals. time of historic inflation, manufactur- once public, it angered and it embar-
We haven’t had a single hearing on ers will have no choice but to pass on rassed Nebraskans.
this bill. Yet its agriculture title higher prices to the consumer. History often repeats itself, and from
spends $40 billion—a huge amount allo- That is just one part of it. Democrats what I am hearing, it seems as though
cated, with no input from stakeholders, say the rich should pay their fair we have a new kickback—the Moun-
Republicans, and, quite frankly, most share. OK, let’s look at that. taineer kickback, a deal only for West
Democrats. A nonpartisan analysis of the entire Virginia; tax hikes and reckless spend-
The majority is extending conserva- bill found that it would cause a $16.7 ing that all of us will have to bear in
tion programs until 2031—well beyond billion tax increase for American tax- exchange for a pipeline.
the life of the next two farm bills, de- payers earning less than $200,000 in I will close by saying again, this is
liberately taking away Congress’s abil- 2023. President Biden is going back on not an inflation reduction bill. Like a
ity to change the focus of these pro- his promise and raising taxes for those bad Hollywood franchise that just
grams or how they operate. earning less than $400,000, and he is won’t die, this is simply the third in-
The bill unilaterally creates a multi- doing this during a recession. stallment in the ‘‘Build Back Broke’’
billion-dollar slush fund for farm bill What about the claim that this pro- trilogy. I hope it does as poorly in the
priorities shared by the President and posal will address inflation? The Penn- box office as the first two.
his allies. That is a terrible idea for Wharton Budget Model, which Senator I yield the floor.
any legislation, much less a bill that is MANCHIN frequently cites for producing The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
historically written in a very bipar- the best economic analysis, found the ator from North Dakota.
tisan fashion. proposal produces no meaningful reduc- Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I
The current farm bill passed this tion in the deficit or with inflation. am pleased to join my colleagues in
Chamber with a record number of Any suggestion otherwise is insulting talking about the tax-and-spend bill
‘‘yes’’ votes on the floor. My goal, as to the intelligence of the American that is being put forward by our col-
current ranking member, is to top people. leagues on the other side of the aisle.
that. To say this reckless bill jeopard- OK, now let’s look at the spending. I rise today to discuss the harmful
izes the chances of that would be an Why, during a time of significant eco- economic consequences that this tax-
nomic hardship, should the American and-spend bill will have on American
understatement. We have never written
people be on the hook to fund $369 bil- families.
a farm bill in this manner. It is anti- Americans are facing soaring infla-
thetical to how the Senate—and the Ag lion in incentives to the Green New
tion that we haven’t seen in genera-
Committee, in particular—should oper- Deal businesses to promote those en- tions. In June, the Consumer Price
ate. We have a storied history of work- ergy policies? Can anyone in this Index was up 9.1 percent from a year
ing together on the Agriculture Com- Chamber argue with a straight face earlier. The price increases families are
mittee. Our stakeholders value the fact that subsidizing Tesla purchases will seeing at the grocery store, at the gas
that we approach the issues they face help to ease inflation? I can tell you it pump, and for basic housing needs have
together rather than as Republicans certainly will not help working fami- far outpaced wage gains and left Amer-
and Democrats. They appreciate that lies. icans struggling to make ends meet.
their voices are heard. Then there is the $80 billion for the The news last week that our GDP
Unfortunately, with this decision, IRS, which is six times the Agency’s shrank for a second consecutive quar-
the majority has changed that dy- current annual budget. Our folks on ter is only further evidence of this ad-
namic. In their zeal to pass their reck- the other side of the aisle are once ministration’s failed economic policies.
less tax-and-spend agenda, they have again trying to hire an armada of new Now, my colleagues across the aisle
undermined one of the last successful IRS agents—87,000, to be exact. This are doubling down on their failed ap-
bipartisan processes remaining in the would unleash a wave of new audits. proach, proposing to increase taxes on
Senate. Half of those new audits would hit nearly every single hard-working
With that, I yield the floor. Americans making $75,000 or less. American by $750 billion and spending
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- You know, we have been here before. nearly $370 billion on a Green New Deal
ator from Nebraska. The public does not want this deal. The policy.
Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, bottom line: It is clear this economy is And, again, don’t just take my word
while we haven’t yet seen any bill text not working for the American people. for it. Analysis by the Joint Com-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
for this reckless tax-and-spending bill, The Biden administration’s policies mittee on Taxation shows this bill will
we have seen or we have heard an out- have saddled this country with two increase taxes on millions of Ameri-
line of it, some chatter about it, consecutive months of negative eco- cans across every income bracket, with
snippets about it—about what is in this nomic growth—which is the definition more than half of the tax increase im-
reconciliation bill. So, Madam Presi- of a recession—9.1 percent inflation, a pacting Americans making less than
dent, let me state the obvious: Billions negative 3.6 inflation-adjusted decline $400,000 a year.
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4017
Next year alone, the bill will increase Instead, we should be empowering We need to unleash our domestic en-
taxes by $16.7 billion on American tax- our domestic energy producers, restor- ergy production. We need to get our
payers earning less than $200,000—a ing our energy independence, reducing debt and deficit under control. We need
clear violation of President Biden’s our reliance on foreign oil imports, and to work on behalf of farmers, ranchers,
promise to not increase taxes on Amer- creating more jobs here at home—not the ag supply chain to continue to
icans earning less than $400,000 a year. eliminating 30,000 jobs, creating more produce the highest quality and the
Further, the Joint Tax analysis also jobs. Less spending, less taxation, less lowest cost food supply in the world.
shows that the corporate tax increases regulation gets this economy growing. We need to unleash our energy re-
in this bill would overwhelmingly hurt This bill does just the opposite. sources.
U.S. manufacturers—U.S. manufactur- Democrats are proposing new energy Those are the things that will in-
ers—with nearly 50 percent of the cor- taxes and Green New Deal-style sub- crease supply, reduce inflation, and get
porate tax increase hitting the manu- sidies that will only worsen our cur- our economy going so we don’t have a
facturing industry. rent energy crisis and weaken our Na- recession or stagnation. Those are the
Manufacturers are already struggling tion’s economic and our energy secu- things that benefit all American con-
with inflation, supply chain disrup- rity. And energy security is national sumers, all American workers, regard-
tions, and an impending recession. This security. less of their income level. This bill
tax increase would undermine U.S. As part of the $370 billion in spending does none of those things. This bill
manufacturing investment in critical on Green New Deal subsidies, this bill makes the problem worse, and it
research and development and in includes: $51 billion to extend and mod- should be rejected.
emerging technologies. And it will also ify the production tax credit to sub- I yield the floor.
result in higher costs for American sidize the already profitable wind, The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
families. solar, and geothermal industries; $27 LUJÁN). The Senator from Ohio.
Think about that young couple start- billion to establish a greenhouse gas UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—H.R. 6929
ing out. They have to buy a refrig- reduction fund to deploy low-carbon Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, the men
erator, a couch, furniture—all of these technologies in disadvantaged commu- and women at the company Delphi
different things. They are going to pay nities; $3 billion for a neighborhood eq- Technologies helped make General Mo-
higher prices. I mean, that tax is going uity, safety, and affordable transpor- tors the world’s largest automaker.
to impact them on the manufactured tation program; $3 billion for environ- Yet those workers lost the retirement
goods they need, regardless of their in- mental and climate justice block they earned through no fault of their
come or their ability to pay. That is in- grants. own when their company went bank-
creasing inflation in this country. And Further, the bill includes new taxes rupt during the great recession.
inflation is the cruelest tax because it on natural gas and increased fees and That was a time—some of us were
hits low-income people the hardest. royalty rates for oil and gas produced here then; Senator CRAPO and I were
Not only that, the bill, as I say, will
on Federal lands, which will only re- both here then—when Washington
actually increase inflation. Analysis by
sult in higher costs for American fami- bailed out Wall Street, the people who
economists at Penn Wharton at the
lies at the pump, at the gas station, or caused the crisis, but left too many
University of Pennsylvania, the Fed-
their utility bills, and higher prices for Americans like the Delphi retirees—
eral Reserve, Moody’s Analytics, and
the CBO all show that it will not re- goods across the board because all of again, who did nothing wrong—on their
duce inflation. those goods have to be transported to own.
When you look at things like the tax the grocery store. And now you are Now, after years of effort by workers
on, not just manufacturing but other going to pay higher transportation and retirees in Ohio and in other
companies that produce oil and gas, costs, and that is going to be reflected States, it is past time for the U.S. Sen-
here we are fighting with the highest in the food prices. So you don’t just see ate to do its job to restore full retire-
prices we have seen at the pump in it at the pump at the gas station when ment benefits for the thousands of
years that people pay every time they you are filling your car, you see it at Ohioans and tens of thousands nation-
pull up to fill up their car. And now the grocery store. ally of Delphi salaried retirees across
with increased taxes, that is going to And with this tax on manufacturers, the country.
exacerbate the cost of fuel at the you are going to see it on all the manu- I have been fighting for them and
pump. It is going to impact the price of factured goods as well. Low-income urging the Pension Benefit Guaranty
groceries at the grocery store at a time people are going to be paying those Corporation to do the right thing since
when we are not only fighting inflation higher prices, more inflation. That 2009. I thought we had this problem
but we are fighting economic stagna- means the tax gets them. solved years ago when I blocked Presi-
tion—stagflation, something we Gas prices are already $2.25 higher a dent Obama’s nominee to head the
haven’t had in this country since the gallon than when President Biden took PBGC, Josh Gotbaum. We hoped that
late seventies and the early eighties. office. Diesel prices are even higher— would signal to the President that we
Economists at the nonprofit Tax nearly $2.81 per gallon more than in were serious: PBGC needed to do the
Foundation projected this bill will re- January of 2021. right thing for Delphi workers. Unfor-
duce long-term economic output, re- In short, look, we need to unleash our tunately, Delphi retirees know what
duce average wages, and eliminate domestic energy production, not ask happened: He got the job anyway; they
30,000 full-time jobs. Let me repeat for help from OPEC or Venezuela. We didn’t get the help they needed.
that. Economists at the nonprofit Tax need to unleash our oil and gas re- President Obama didn’t do it. The
Foundation have projected that this sources in States like my home State next President, President Trump,
legislation will reduce long-run eco- or the Presiding Officer’s home State. promised, went to Youngstown, went to
nomic output, reduce average wages, We can produce a lot more oil and gas Dayton, promised he would take care
and eliminate 30,000 full-time jobs in in this country, and we have the best of these retirees, and Ohioans voted for
this country. environmental standards. him. Ohioans thought President
Rather than tightening our fiscal That is how you bring the price down Trump, this time, would be different,
belt and reducing spending, Democrats at the pump: more supply, not higher that he would do something. Once
are continuing down the same old path taxes; more supply, not taxes that will again, American workers were left on
that has led to record-high inflation drive prices up and reduce supply when their own.
and our economy on the verge of reces- we still have increased demand. That is We kept working. These retirees
sion. why we have the inflation in the first never gave up. This year, we reintro-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
Increasing taxes and more Federal place. duced legislation—with Congressman
spending will not reduce inflation. It The Biden administration policies RYAN, a Democrat from Ohio; Con-
will not create jobs. It will not lower are creating the inflation and now the gressman KILDEE, a Democrat from
gas prices, which are still about 60 per- stagflation, and this legislation will Michigan; Congressman TURNER, a Re-
cent higher than they were just a year make it worse. It is going down the publican from Ohio—to save these pen-
ago. same path. sions. We named the bill in honor of
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S4018 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
Susan Muffley, a Delphi retiree so fully must correct the record. The Del- We also have an obligation to be de-
cash-strapped after losing her pension phi pension was over 80 percent funded liberate in how we spend taxpayer
that she avoided seeing her doctor, and when the Federal Government termi- money. Before we inject more money
she passed away too early as a result. nated the pensions in 2009 and took into the system, we should explore the
It is a bipartisan bill. We have Sen- over these assets. By the way, it would implications of this bill, which brings
ator PORTMAN and Senator YOUNG on have been fully funded by the next year me to my final point. The Finance
board in the Senate, along with 39 Re- based on all the data we now have Committee has not held a hearing—not
publicans who joined Congressman showing what happened with market a single hearing, let alone a markup—
TURNER from Dayton voting for this in conditions. So it was 80 percent funded on this bill. The Finance Committee
the House last week. The White House when the government stepped in and exists to examine proposals such as
supports it as well. The White House said that it was massively under- this and to provide all Senators an op-
said: funded, and a year later it would have portunity to weigh in.
By ensuring that those who put in a career been fully funded. I am willing to work with my chair-
of hard work will receive the pension bene- Despite this, the government, again, man, Senator WYDEN, on this and with
fits they earned, this legislation supports a treated the pensions as though they
secure retirement for affected workers.
Senator BROWN and with Senator
were underfunded and slashed the bene- PORTMAN and other Senators who are
That is what the White House said. fits. It is simply about keeping our interested in the issue so we can see if
So we have Senator PORTMAN and
promises to these workers. there is a need and a way that we can
Senator YOUNG here. We have 39 House There were 20,000 participants. Some
Republicans on board. A number of address this issue specifically without
say: Well, that is not a lot of people. creating a precedent that would deal
Democrats are on board. The President
Well, to them, it is really important, with the rest of the entire system that
of the United States is on board.
and it is really important to Ohio. has been put together to address termi-
Promises from President Obama and
President Trump—now is the time. About a quarter of those 20,000 live in nated plans.
These Ohioans and workers across the our home State of Ohio. Because of the need for us to have
That is why I am proud to stand with regular-order deliberation and consid-
Midwest earned these pensions. It is
them, my colleagues from Ohio, and eration of this legislation, I must,
past time to restore them. The Senate
has that opportunity today. with others here in this body and over today, object.
I hope my colleagues of both parties in the House to ensure that fairness is The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
will join Senator PORTMAN and me. what they get at the end of the day. tion is heard.
I yield the floor to my friend from This should not be controversial leg- The Senator from Ohio.
Ohio. islation, in my view. I am pleased to Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I thank
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, I say that it has bipartisan support. We Senator CRAPO. Senator CRAPO and I
thank my colleague from Ohio, Senator just saw 36 Republicans support this on have worked together on a number of
BROWN, and I thank him for working the House side. I encourage my col- things. He was chair of the Banking
with us on this bipartisan legislation leagues in the Senate to also support Committee the last 4 years. I was his
that impacts thousands of retirees in these workers, to make them whole ranking member and worked with him
our home State of Ohio. with this legislation so that we can and Greg and his staff on a number of
In the summer of 2009, as the Federal make good on the Federal Govern- things. I take him at his word.
Government took General Motors into ment’s promise to them. I know that Senator PORTMAN and
bankruptcy, the Obama administration I yield the floor. Senator CRAPO and I sit also on the Fi-
terminated the pension plans covering Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I thank nance Committee. And I am serious
thousands of Delphi workers. While my friend Senator PORTMAN for our about this. I just had a private con-
union employees were protected, these work together on this.
versation with Senator CRAPO. He
20,000 salaried retirees, ranging from Mr. President, as if in legislative ses-
seems serious. I know Senator
shop floor supervisors and salespeople sion, I ask unanimous consent that the
PORTMAN is.
to engineers, office managers, were left Senate proceed to the immediate con-
We have waited too long. There are
out. They had spent many years work- sideration of H.R. 6929, which was re-
far too many people. It is not a huge
ing at Delphi, a major employer and ceived from the House and is at the
number, as Senator PORTMAN said—not
economic engine in Dayton, OH, in desk; that the bill be considered read a
a huge number of people—but it is aw-
Youngstown, OH, and in Sandusky, OH. third time and passed; and that the
fully important to them. I know what
These people had followed the rules. motion to reconsider be considered
it means to a community that is strug-
They had earned their pensions the made and laid upon the table with no
gling, like the Mahoning Valley and
American way, through hard work and intervening action or debate.
the Miami Valley. Those two commu-
dedication and contribution. But in- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
nities happen to have hundreds and
stead of honoring the promises that objection?
The Senator from Idaho. hundreds and hundreds of these retir-
had been made to these salaried, mid-
Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, reserving ees. When their pension shrinks like
dle income employees after 30, 40 years
the right to object, I appreciate my this, it affects their buying power, it
of service, the administration termi-
colleagues’ commitment to this issue affects their standard of living, and it
nated their pensions. People who had
and to their constituents. As you affects the prosperity of the commu-
worked hard their entire lives and
know, this legislation has been before nity.
played by the rules saw benefits cut by
us for some time now, and there is con- So we will be back together working
as much as 70 percent. It is just not fair
troversy over it. on it. I thank Senator CRAPO. I am dis-
and no fault of their own, and it has
This bill would retroactively rein- appointed, but I thank him.
devastated some of them, particularly
state pension benefits for a small sub- TRIBUTE TO BILL NELL
those who have healthcare issues in
their later years, who have not been set of participants whose pensions have Mr. President, I rise today on a
able to lead the standard of living that already been transferred to the Pension cheerful duty, if you will, to recognize
they assumed they would, based on the Benefit Guaranty Corporation, or Bill Nell, who retired this month after
pensions they had. PBGC. That would create a precedent a long career of service, not working in
So it is about fairness, and it is very that other plans would follow. the Senate but sort of working around
simple. It ensures that these Delphi re- The PBGC exists specifically to cover the Senate.
tirees receive the retirement benefits pension benefits if a plan is termi- Bill was deputy director of the Con-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
they were promised. It would reinstate nated. So we should let the system gressional Program at the Aspen Insti-
their pension plan and restore their work. This system does not require tute, something not particularly
benefits that were unnecessarily and taxpayer dollars for a bailout or for known to the public. It is a nonprofit
unfairly reduced. whatever one would like to call it. working to bring together diverse per-
Some of my colleagues may charac- That is part of the reason for the objec- spectives to solve challenges facing the
terize this as a bailout, but I respect- tion. United States and the world.
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4019
Bill was the second hire when the I look at the world very differently, Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, re-
Aspen Institute’s Congressional Pro- but Senator PORTMAN and I put to- serving the right to object, I am very
gram began. He is one of the Aspen In- gether the strongest language ever in concerned that this bill would overrule
stitute’s longest serving employees—35 Federal law on ‘‘Buy American.’’ FDA experts and do so without even
years at Aspen. We have done a number of issues like going through regular order. We should
Almost every week, for as long as I that. You may look at things dif- be setting a very high bar for doing
can remember, that the Senate and the ferently, but you find things you can anything like this.
House were in session, Bill brought to- agree on, and you go to town and make I do appreciate my colleague’s con-
gether Democrats and Republicans it happen. cern that he is bringing to the floor
from across the ideological spectrum So back to Bill. Those who work today for growers in his State. Green-
for breakfast and conversations with closely with him describe him as one of ing disease is a serious and alarming
leading public policy scholars. Typi- the hardest working people they know, environmental issue. But skipping reg-
cally on a Thursday morning at 8, you and you can see that in these records. ular order here today to override
could come, and there would be 10 or 15 By virtue of his diligence and his prep- FDA’s experts and meddle with its
or 20 House and Senate Members—fair- aration, Bill was able to make his job, longstanding process for modifying
ly evenly divided, depending on the which was anything but this, appear ef- food standards of identity does not get
topic, perhaps, between the parties— fortless. to the root of the problem. So, today, I
and a scholar or an activist or someone His longtime colleague, former Ag object.
that Bill generally recruited came in Secretary, Congressman Dan Glick- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
and talked to us. man, recognized Bill as the ‘‘soul of tion is heard.
It helped educate us, for sure. It Aspen,’’ as a natural leader and a jack- The Senator from Florida.
brought us together in ways that the of-all-trades. Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I regret
public doesn’t necessarily see but His current boss, until his retirement that that is the case. I understand the
helped us discuss issues with each last week, former Congressman Charlie argument and if I could explain a little
other. And we learned in so many ways Dent—Glickman is a Democrat; Dent is further.
about each other and about these pub- a Republican—called Bill an anti-pro- Florida is identified with the citrus
lic issues. We learned from experts. We crastinator when I called him on the industry. People have long understood
learned from each other. phone to talk about him. It is a title it. It is a big part of our State. Here is
Bill helped host 636 breakfasts— rare in a town where ‘‘procrastination’’ the best way to describe this to people.
someone counted them at Aspen—over seems to be everyone’s middle name. About 60 years ago, the FDA created a
his career of service. During the hustle Bill’s enduring personality is kindness, standard for what they consider pas-
and bustle of the workweek, these and he was nothing if not kind. He teurized orange juice. For orange juice
Aspen breakfasts were a welcome res- brought so many together. He made to be marked with a stamp that says
pite where Members of Congress could people feel comfortable. He made peo- ‘‘pasteurized,’’ no less than 10.5 percent
come to listen and discuss and learn ple heard. I have no idea what his ide- of the weight of the juice has to be ac-
from experts, with little partisanship ology or his party was. We didn’t talk counted for by soluble solids, such as
involved. But Bill had brought in these about that. He just served and helped naturally occurring sugar. So this is
experts. We learned from them. We us understand. He seemed to have no just an arbitrary number.
learned from one another. enemies in doing his job. By the way, the 10.5 percent of the
I wish everyone could sit in on those In retirement, Bill is spending time weight has nothing to with the nutri-
breakfasts and see the thoughtfulness back in his beloved Montana, just out- tion. It has nothing to with the safety.
of so many Members of both parties in side of Yellowstone, one of my favorite It has nothing to with the quality.
Congress. It really taught me a lot places in the country, where I, years They had to come up with a number
about partisanship and that most of ago, took my daughters, as a single to define the difference between orange
my colleagues here—I would not say parent, on a train to see Yellowstone juice and something that is not orange
everyone, but most of my colleagues for a week. He is spending time in his juice, and that was the number they
here—are here for the right reasons beloved Montana with his beloved wife came up with.
and want to do a good job, and the Cindy, a retired public school teacher So for decades, the citrus industry in
thoughtfulness exhibited in those and an education activist. Florida has been following that speci-
meetings was so important. The Aspen breakfast will continue. fication, and it hasn’t been a problem.
Bill was diligent about bringing a Bill will be missed by all of us who Then Florida was impacted by this
balanced presentation of topics and ex- were blessed by his kindness, his curi- thing called citrus greening, pests that
perts at the forefront of their fields. osity, and his capability. He made this came from Asia, particularly from
These breakfasts helped us to consider place work better. He reminded us of China. What it has done is it has rav-
others’ perspectives and think about the importance of self-government, of aged the trees. It ravaged the trees to
things we might not have thought democracy. It is up to us to uphold the point where one of the impacts it
about otherwise. Sometimes we found that legacy, to keep working with each has is that now the sugar content—you
common ground, an experience or opin- other towards a better future for the wouldn’t notice it if you drink it or if
ion or a priority that our constituents people whom we serve. you eat one, but the sugar content of
share. It is how we got things done. Thank you so much, Bill Nell. We the fruit that is now on the trees, be-
Whenever we could find agreement, we wish you the best in retirement. cause of the greening, often falls under
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the 10.5. Again, no one would know. It
worked together to accomplish things
ator from Florida. is not any less safe. It is not any less
for the people whom we served.
It brings to mind one of my col- UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 4394 nutritious. It just falls under that
leagues who is about to retire, ROY Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, as if in number. Then, obviously, the hurricane
BLUNT from Missouri. He served with legislative session, I ask unanimous we had in 2017 made those problems
me in the House. I knew him, actually, consent that the Committee on Health, even worse when they suffered the loss
even before that. He one time said—and Education, Labor, and Pensions be dis- of a bunch of trees.
charged from further consideration of So now, to meet this arbitrary 10.5
he is a conservative Republican, and I
S. 4394 and the Senate proceed to its percent threshold, the juice processors
am decidedly not. He said:
immediate consideration; further, that in Florida now have to blend in oranges
I have known SHERROD BROWN for 30 years,
the bill be considered read a third time and orange juice that have higher
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
and we have agreed exactly five times.
and passed and that the motion to re- sugar content, and they usually have
Then he laughed, and then he said: consider be considered made and laid to import it from a foreign source.
But all five of those are Federal law. upon the table. Again, there is no health benefit to
And that is what really matters. Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there doing that. In fact, you could probably
ator CRAPO and I look at the world objection? argue that less sugar is probably bet-
very differently. Senator PORTMAN and The Senator from Washington. ter. You wouldn’t taste the difference.
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S4020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
You wouldn’t know it. If I put two UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 4469 TION CONSULTATION—NO COST TO
glasses of orange juice in front of you— Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, across YOU.’’ The website is so deceptive that
one with the number they are asking this country, Americans are facing ag- the director said she even receives
for, which is 10 percent, and the other gressive attacks on their reproductive angry calls from anti-abortion advo-
one with 10.5—you wouldn’t notice the freedom. An extremist Supreme Court cates who want to know why her center
difference. and radical rightwing politicians have even talks about abortion, to which she
So they have been asking the FDA to made clear that they see women as sec- replies: ‘‘How else do you get an abor-
change the standard so they don’t have ond-class citizens and that govern- tion-minded girl to know that you are
to import a bunch of oranges from ment—government; not the person who there?’’
Brazil and mix it just to be able to hit is pregnant but government—should be Deception is wrong. No one should be
the sugar content. If they can’t do it, making decisions about whether or not deceived directly or indirectly about
the only thing that changes is that the to carry a pregnancy to term. the services they can access or the
final product can’t be marketed as In this extraordinary moment, we risks of receiving care. That is particu-
‘‘Florida orange juice.’’ That is really must do everything we can to ensure larly true for someone under great
the challenge we are facing. that patients get the healthcare and stress and time constraints who is cop-
We would love for this to go through reproductive services they need. That ing with an unplanned pregnancy.
the normal process. The problem is, by includes protecting patients from the That is why I am glad to introduce
the time the FDA makes a decision on deceptive practices of some so-called the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation
it, there may not be any growers left. crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs. Act with Senator MENENDEZ and why I
Let me explain why that is a problem. Nationwide, there are over 2,500 am joining him today in calling up this
These citrus growers sit on valuable known CPCs, although some claim that legislation for a vote. Our bill directs
land. Every developer in the State is number is closer to about 4,000. Before the Federal Trade Commission to pro-
trying to get their hands on that land. Roe was overturned, over 16 million hibit deceptive or misleading adver-
They would love to develop it into a women of reproductive age lived closer tising related to the provision of abor-
mall, into an industrial park. We are to a crisis pregnancy center than to an tion services. It also empowers the
facing those problems everywhere. abortion clinic. Now, some estimate Commission to enforce these rules and
Once you turn farmland into a com- that as many as 34 million women do. collect penalties from organizations
mercial use, industrial use, a housing Today in Massachusetts, CPCs out- that violate the law. This is far from a
development, you never get it back. I number true abortion clinics by about radical proposal. For more than 100
have seen farms turned into commer- 3 to 1. years, the FTC has been authorized to
cial development; I have never seen a CPCs often lure women seeking le- prosecute entities that use deceptive
commercial development be turned gitimate reproductive care, including practices.
back into a farm. abortions, into their facilities by ad- And let me be clear. Any crisis preg-
Once we lose this land, we lose it for- vertising themselves as comprehensive nancy center that operates fairly, dis-
ever. We lose it forever. So not only is reproductive healthcare providers, but seminates factual information, and is
it important to have it from a food se- this is flatly untrue. Many of these clear about what services it does and
curity standpoint but from an environ- CPCs are not healthcare providers, and does not provide would be free to con-
mental standpoint. Having something they often operate specifically to de- tinue its work.
remain in agriculture, where the people ceive pregnant women, with the goal of This bill is not about preventing par-
who own it care deeply about the qual- preventing them from having abor- ents from receiving diapers or other
ity of the land and the water usage be- tions. supplies if they have chosen to con-
cause it is key to their existence, is a CPC websites often feature images of tinue a pregnancy. This is about orga-
better use of the land than turning it people in white lab coats and promises nizations that deliberately deceive
into an industrial park. of services like ultrasounds or STD women and girls who are seeking help
But, eventually, these agriculture tests. Yet CPCs rarely employ licensed to terminate a pregnancy. Unfortu-
owners will have to do something. physicians or offer a full range of re- nately, deception is at the heart of the
Some have been in the business for productive health services. According typical CPC’s business model.
generations, but at some point, they to one study, 84 percent of CPCs had no As the director of a CPC explained,
cannot grow enough food to justify physician and 75 percent had no reg- the deception begins when women
continuing in business. They have peo- istered nurse even affiliated with the search for an abortion provider. The
ple offering millions and millions of staff. In fact, of the staff that did have deception then continues once women
dollars to buy their land from them. some medical training, most work part walk through the doors of a crisis preg-
So this simple bill that I filed would time or as volunteers. As for the serv- nancy center.
provide certainty to the orange grow- ices they provide, the same study found I just want to tell you a bit about the
ers. By lowering the 10.5 content to that only 1 out of 607 crisis pregnancy experience of a young woman living in
10.0—that is all it does, from 10.5 to centers provided contraceptive care Massachusetts who visited a crisis
10.0—they will have some level of cer- and 95 percent of CPC offered no pre- pregnancy center earlier this year.
tainty that they will be able to con- natal care—none, zero. Most have no After finding the facility, which prom-
tinue in business. doctors, no nurses, and offer no med- ised a ‘‘free abortion consultation,’’
I regret that there is an objection ical care, but they sure have a lot of this woman was asked to fill out forms
here today. I understand the desire to medical opinions. Nearly two-thirds to disclose personal information. She
follow the FDA process, but I just want promoted medically unsound claims, was repeatedly lied to about how far
to be clear. No one is arguing—who such as offering information about along she was in her pregnancy. She
knows about this—that going from 10.5 unproven and unscientific abortion pill was told falsely that terminating her
to 10.0 has any safety issue or anything reversal treatments. pregnancy would increase her risk of
of that nature. It is literally an Deception is at the heart of the oper- breast cancer and depression and that
undetectable difference, but it would ation for many CPCs. The director of a an abortion could mean that she could
make a big difference for the citrus crisis pregnancy center in Texas ex- never become pregnant in the future.
growers of Florida. plained to the Washington Post how Sadly, her experience is not unique.
If we are not going to do it this way, she revamped operations so her center Here is the kicker. Women and girls
I hope we can get a hearing and get could pull in more people who were visiting CPCs, like this young woman,
this passed. I am not sure if a couple of seeking an abortion. The director paid often fill out forms and answer ques-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
years from now, we are going to have a thousands of dollars to ensure that tionnaires requesting both personal
citrus industry. If we lose them or lose searches for phrases like ‘‘need an identification and personal health in-
that land, we will never get it back. abortion’’ would lead people to her cen- formation, which women provide be-
I yield the floor. ter, and she filled the website with cause they believe they are in a med-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- phrases like ‘‘I want an abortion’’ and ical facility that will protect their pri-
ator from Massachusetts. promised ‘‘CONFIDENTIAL ABOR- vacy. But because CPCs are not
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4021
healthcare providers, these women Ironically, this is the only objective does. To oppose our unanimous consent
have no legal protection, and these and accurate piece of information you request is to promote deception, is to
centers have no legal obligation to pro- will find on the site and others like it. promote fraud. I don’t think anybody
tect those data. These unlicensed fa- As Senator WARREN mentioned, crisis really wants to do that.
cilities are not subject to Federal pri- pregnancy centers are not required to As in legislative session, I ask unani-
vacy laws like the Health Insurance have a physician or a registered nurse mous consent that the Commerce Com-
Portability and Accountability Act, or on staff. Very few of them do. mittee be discharged from further con-
HIPAA. This means that crisis preg- They are not required to provide con- sideration of S. 4469 and the Senate
nancy centers could pass along private traceptive care or even stick to medi- proceed to its immediate consider-
information about who was seeking an cally sound claims. And because they ation; further, that the bill be consid-
abortion, where that person lives, and claim to only provide so-called edu- ered read a third time and passed and
so on—information that, in the wake of cation services, they can promote bla- the motion to reconsider be considered
the Dobbs decision, is particularly dan- tant lies about how abortion increases made and laid upon the table with no
gerous. risk for breast cancer. intervening action or debate.
The evidence of abuse is over- Women in America do not deserve to The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
whelming. It is time to crack down on be lied to. They shouldn’t be preyed objection?
deceptive and misleading practices upon during moments of vulnerability The Senator from Kansas.
that many crisis pregnancy centers or any other time. When assessing Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I
employ because the last thing that a healthcare, they shouldn’t have to rise in objection to this bill because it
woman seeking reproductive care shift to what is real and what is not. is an outrageous attack on life-affirm-
should have to worry about is whether And they certainly shouldn’t have to ing pregnancy resource centers. As a
she is being tricked, lied to, or de- parse through the carefully con- pro-life obstetrician, I have had the
ceived about the medical care she structed language of crisis pregnancy pleasure and honor of delivering over
seeks. centers that promote an anti-choice 5,000 babies, and I can attest to the life-
I yield the floor. agenda.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- saving, critical, and comprehensive
Our bill, the Stop Anti-Abortion
ator from New Jersey. care and resources these centers pro-
Disinformation Act, would empower
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I vide moms in need.
the Federal Trade Commission to issue
want to thank my colleague Senator These pro-life charities not only help
rules prohibiting false advertisement
WARREN for beginning this debate, and women in poverty choose life instead of
of abortion services. It would allow the
we will move to a consent shortly. I abortion, but they also help women
FTC to penalize those who are found in
want to thank her for working to- after babies are born. They also provide
violation. And it would provide greater
gether with me on this most important clothing and diapers and housing as-
oversight over crisis pregnancy centers
issue. sistance and nutrition and sometimes
that profit from the pain of unplanned
At this moment, there are millions of pregnancies—sometimes while double- just putting an arm around their shoul-
women who face an uncertain future dipping on the taxpayer’s dime. ders and helping them get to their next
after the repeal of Roe v. Wade, mil- Senator WARREN and I are leading appointment.
lions of women who no longer have the this bill to end the practice of deceiv- This legislation seeks to shut them
right to make their own decisions ing women and girls through false ad- down all around the country on the
about their own bodies. It is a heart- vertisement. We are leading this bill to grounds that they purportedly spread
wrenching choice, no doubt one of the promote truth in advertisement, to end disinformation about abortion.
hardest decisions anyone will ever have misinformation and disinformation, Under this bill, charities could be
to make. and to protect women from harass- fined $100,000 or 50 percent of the reve-
But in the midst of this, in this post- nues earned by the ultimate parent en-
ment. Yes—harassment.
Roe landscape we find ourselves in, As Senator WARREN said, crisis preg- tity of the charity for violating the
there are organizations, as has been nancy centers have no duty to uphold act’s prohibition on disinformation re-
discussed here, known as crisis preg- HIPAA privacy protections—the most lated to abortion.
nancy centers that are preying on the significant information that you can Now, I ask you, who would determine
fears of women, exacerbating the prob- give about your health and the status what counts as prohibited
lems caused by the Dobbs decision. of your health and your condition. You disinformation? There is no doubt it
Make no mistake, crisis pregnancy would be bureaucrats with a pro-abor-
do that thinking that you are in a med-
centers are anti-abortion organizations tion agenda. Is this not an infringe-
ical center. And now you have given all
that cloak themselves in benign lan- ment on our First Amendment rights?
this information that has enormous
guage about ‘‘providing answers’’ and This bill would turn the FTC into a
consequences to it if it is misused to
‘‘offering advice.’’ national abortion disinformation board
They have an agenda; namely, to these deceptive entities.
And after divulging personal infor- with an agenda of suppressing speech
steer women away from abortion and spreading pro-abortion propa-
through a combination of guilt, con- mation to them, they can freely sell it
to scammers who would want to take ganda.
cealment, harassment, and downright Nationally, pro-life pregnancy re-
lies. advantage of them.
So I ask my colleagues, let’s end the source centers outnumber abortion fa-
Crisis pregnancy centers in my State cilities three to one, and that is a good
of New Jersey pretend that they are assault on bodily autonomy and the
right to access reproductive care. thing—that is a great thing—and in
there to educate, support, and empower some States by as many as 11 to 1.
Let’s end the barrage of attacks on
women facing unplanned pregnancies. Knowing that many women choose
their healthcare. Let’s end deception in
And yet at the bottom of their
any delivery of any service. Let’s end abortion because they feel pressured
websites, in very small print, you will
the fraud in any delivery of any ‘‘serv- that they have no other option, the
find a disclaimer that lays it all bare.
ice.’’ Let’s end the barrage of attacks pro-life movement has placed tremen-
Crisis pregnancy centers do not offer or
refer for pregnancy terminations or birth on their healthcare. dous resources into these centers,
control. Information should not be relied on Join us in passing our bill so that in which exist to offer alternatives to
as a substitute for professional and/or med- the hardest moment of their lives, abortion, usually at no cost.
ical advice. women all across our country can rest But right now in America, pregnancy
That is a disclaimer. You can hardly assured in knowing that what they are resource centers are the ones in need of
read it, but it is there. This is pulled getting is the truth, not some biased protection as zealous, pro-abortion ter-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
straight from the web page of one cen- agenda pretending to be medical ad- rorists have spent the past 2 months
ter in my State. I will repeat that end- vice, not some one-sided talking point firebombing and vandalizing pro-life
ing again. that steers them toward one outcome, pregnancy centers all across the Na-
Information should not be relied on as a the truth—the truth. tion.
substitute for professional and/or medical Pregnant women in America deserve These criminals, these terrorists do
advice. the truth, and that is what this bill so not in the name of abortion access
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S4022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
but in retribution for daring to defy Ms. WARREN. Mr. President. not talking about the fraud part, can
the ruling abortion regime and for dar- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- we at least talk about collecting health
ing to stand on the side of good in this ator from Massachusetts. information that any so-called crisis
spiritual battle. Ms. WARREN. Yes. pregnancy center—I am sorry—is the
There have been more than 60 preg- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Ques- Senator leaving, the one who said that
nancy resource centers and offices that tions need to be asked through the it is important to protect private
pro-life groups have attacked and van- Chair. healthcare information?
dalized since the draft Supreme Court Ms. WARREN. Yes, I am asking you That at least we could agree that pri-
opinion was leaked in May. that question, Mr. President. vate healthcare information—I guess
Pro-abortion domestic terrorists The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the Senator is just going to walk off
have claimed responsibility for these ator from Kansas. the floor.
crimes. Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, we So the question would have been how
Congress should be taking up the leg- could never support any part of this about agreeing that anyone who col-
islation instead to affirm, grow, and legislation. I think the deception and lects information about pregnancy and
protect pregnancy resource centers and fraud is occurring on the part of abor- collects medical and personal informa-
praise citizens for their great work, for tion clinics. This is a threat to our tion has to be bound by HIPAA so that
volunteering to help and serve their First Amendment rights, and like I that information is fully protected.
community. said in my opening remarks, this is That would be my question.
And Attorney General Merrick Gar- just simply unacceptable. But since there is no one here to an-
land should abide by his oath of office And that is why we continue to ob- swer it on the Republican side, I guess
and prosecute the law. Therefore, I ob- ject. we will have to leave it for today.
ject. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ob- ator from New Jersey. ator from New Jersey.
jection is heard. Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, if I Mr. MENENDEZ. I would like to an-
The Senator from New Jersey. may continue to ask my colleague swer the Senator’s question, and that
Mr. MENENDEZ. While my colleague
through the Chair, is it right, no mat- makes eminent sense that we would
is still here, I would like to propound a
ter who gets the information by fraud, protect HIPAA information, regardless
question to him through the Chair.
Does the First Amendment allow you to give your most private health—sure- of who is in a position to maybe have
to promote fraud? Does the First ly, as a doctor, the Senator would say access to collecting it. And therefore,
Amendment allow you to promote de- that no one should give up their health in the first instance, you shouldn’t col-
ception? Is it great work to lie to information to an entity that does not lect it, if you are not a medical entity,
someone about what you are providing preserve it under HIPAA laws. but if you do, you should be ultimately
them? Is it great work to allow some- So could the Senator not join us if we bound by the same guarantees that
one to get your vital health informa- limit it to fraud that ultimately has anyone else would be guaranteed. You
tion believing that you are a health that fraud create the insecurity of know, it would baffle me that particu-
provider and then being able to use HIPAA information? larly a medical professional, a doctor,
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- would suggest that HIPAA information
that private information?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- ator from Kansas. is something that we shouldn’t protect.
ator from Kansas. Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I I think that at a minimum, we
Mr. MARSHALL. To answer my col- think this is not the place to try to re- should all be able to agree to that.
league, the fraud and deception is oc- write legislation. Of course, I am The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
curring in the abortion clinics. I could against all fraud. I think all fraud is ator from Massachusetts.
tell you story after story of patients bad. I am all for the truth. I am all for Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, this is
crying in my office who went to protecting patients’ personal informa- a reminder again why I am so honored
Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy tion, but I am also here proud to say to fight alongside Senator MENENDEZ.
test and were scheduled for an abor- what these great clinics do. I am not I don’t think anyone should be de-
tion, coming to my office wondering, sure what you are even accusing them ceived, and particularly a woman who
Do I have to do this abortion? That is is even true. I have not witnessed that. is seeking information about termi-
where the fraud and deception is occur- The pregnancy clinics that I have seen nation of a pregnancy, and I don’t be-
ring, that these women aren’t being do great work for these folks. They lieve anyone’s private medical infor-
told about the potential complications truly do sit down and talk with them. mation should be shared.
of these abortion procedures. They give them a hand up. They do so The idea that these crisis pregnancy
They are not being told that these many great things. centers gather information from
abortion pills are going to cause pain So I don’t know where this fraud and women who believe they are giving it
and cramping and bleeding, that they deception is coming about, except that to a medical provider and that that in-
could end up in the emergency room as they are talking to women and saying: formation will be protected and that
well. They are not told about the com- Do you realize your baby has a heart- that is not the case is truly despicable.
plications from the abortion proce- beat? Do you realize your baby can feel Thank you again, Senator MENENDEZ.
dures. That is where the fraud and de- pain at 14 weeks? Do you realize that The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
ception is present. your baby recognizes the voice of your ator from Kentucky.
You talk about this as reproductive husband right now? UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 4774
services. You are afraid to say the word So I think those are great things to Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, gas prices
‘‘abortion’’ in these clinics. That is the share with patients; that how wonder- are 64 percent higher in my home State
fraud and deception. This isn’t repro- ful life is; that we are all wonderfully, of Kentucky than they were in January
ductive services. These are abortions. beautifully made in the womb; that life of 2021. This means Kentuckians are
This is taking the life of the unborn. begins at conception. I think that is all paying $1.43 more for gas than they
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- the truth that should be shared with were at the beginning of last year.
ator from Massachusetts. them. For average Americans already
Ms. WARREN. Could I ask a question So, no, I don’t think there is any- struggling to put food on the table,
then because I am a little confused by thing you could do with this legislation sky-high gas prices are a daily punish-
what has just happened here. I presume to change it that I could support, and I ment.
deception is wrong whoever does it. So continue to object. Every additional dollar an American
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
if we just said no deception around I yield the floor. spends on a gallon of gas is a dollar not
pregnancy services, would you be will- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- going towards their mortgage, their re-
ing to support this? ator from Massachusetts. tirement, or their children’s college
The PRESIDING OFFICER. And just Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, then fund.
as a reminder, questions need to be can I ask through the Presiding Officer Rising prices are robbing Americans
asked through the Chair. another question, and that is if we are of the chance to plan for the future, as
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4023
they struggle to make ends meet in the people in the marketplace to decide to ment rate is back down to 50-year lows,
present. sell it year-round because they are wages have risen for many, and there is
In an attempt to address rising gas worried that at any one moment a a job literally for any American who
prices, President Biden announced on President will flip a switch, and then wants to work and is looking for work.
April 12 that he would allow the sale of we will go back to banning it again. Nobody thought that type of growth
E15 gasoline this summer. Then-White The EASE Act, which is what we will was sustainable, especially with the
House press secretary Jen Psaki had be asking to pass today, is a bill that global economic headwinds we are fac-
this to say about this decision: will allow the sale of E15 year-round ing and will continue to face.
[This] waiver [that President Biden passed and will provide relief for Americans The fact is that Americans are forced
to allow E15] is a critical step to address the on the road—not only this year, but to pay inflated gas prices at the pump
fuel supply crisis and . . . build real U.S. en- every year. This change is long over- because of the immoral and illegal in-
ergy independence, support American agri- due. I have advocated this policy for 7 vasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin,
culture and manufacturing, and save Ameri-
years. I first introduced this legislation because of the cartel—OPEC—that con-
cans money at the pump. At current prices,
E15 can save a family 10 cents per gallon of in 2015. trols prices, and because of our failure
gas on average and many stores sell E15 at Passing the EASE Act would benefit so far to invest in clean energy, and
even greater discount and today’s waiver consumers, farmers, and the environ- that has made our economy crack.
will allow families to pay that lower price ment by increasing access. So the question before us is: How do
for months to come. So as if in legislative session, I ask we help our economy gain firmer foot-
So this is a policy supported by unanimous consent that the Senate ing and lower prices for consumers;
President Biden, and it is currently the proceed to the immediate consider- how do we make our country more en-
law since he is waiving the regulation. ation of S. 4774, which is at the desk; ergy independent; and how do we strike
E15 is a gasoline blend containing up further, I ask unanimous consent that a blow for fairness and financial re-
to 15 percent ethanol. It is a renewable the bill be considered read a third time sponsibility and make things better for
fuel typically made from corn. A 2008 and passed, and that the motion to re- families, businesses, and communities?
study published in Atmospheric Envi- consider be consider made and laid The Inflation Reduction Act accom-
ronment found that ethanol-based fuels upon the table. plishes all of those goals. It makes for-
like E15 emit up to 16 percent less car- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there ward-looking policy adjustments and
bon dioxide than traditional gasoline. objection? investments to shore-up the economy.
A more recent study published by the Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, re- It takes long overdue steps to help
U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne serving the right to object. lower out-of-pocket costs for things
National Laboratory found that these The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- like energy, prescription drugs, and
fuels emit up to 23 percent less carbon ator from New Mexico. healthcare. It will strengthen Amer-
dioxide and provide a cheaper alter- Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, what ica’s energy independence and enhance
native to typical gasoline, and yet the my colleague from Kentucky is at- our national security by moving pro-
Clean Air Act currently prohibits the tempting to do here is to really short- duction lines and jobs from China and
sale of E15 during the summer. So we circuit the bedrock public health pro- other places back to the United States.
sell it for 9 months of the year; we for- tections in the Clean Air Act. And don’t just take my word for it. A
bid it for 3 months of the year. But And make no mistake. This is a wide array of economic experts have
companies can’t get used to either sell- major policy change; not a minor confirmed this bill will ease inflation
ing it or making it or distributing it change. It would have far-reaching im- in three ways: by lowering energy costs
because of the disruption during the pacts. For example, this policy would for families and small businesses, by
summer. clearly make food even more expen- cutting healthcare costs for millions of
Under the current law, gas with up to sive; it would make air quality worse. Americans and by ensuring wealthy
10 percent ethanol, commonly known And it is not even eminently clear that Americans and large corporations pay
as E10, can be sold during the summer. the impact on gas prices would nec- their fair share.
But, inexplicably, the law treats E15 essarily be negative. Republican and Democratic Treasury
differently, even though the higher So, fundamentally, this is the kind of Secretaries have said this, as have over
ethanol blend is better for the environ- sweeping policy that should actually 120 of our Nation’s leading economists,
ment. go through the committee of jurisdic- including seven Nobel Prize winners.
American drivers ought to be able to tion—in this case, the Environment The Inflation Reduction Act will also
access E15 year-round. Prohibiting its and Public Works Committee. reduce the deficit by more than $100
sale in the summer months artificially So I object. billion, according to the nonpartisan
restricts the supply, especially when The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- Congressional Budget Office. And budg-
Americans are paying historically high tion is heard. et experts agree, it will save another
prices for a gallon of gasoline. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- $200 billion by empowering and equip-
What we are asking to do today ator from Rhode Island. ping the IRS to crack down on tax
through this legislation is not to sub- INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022 cheats and enforce tax laws already on
sidize ethanol, not to force people to Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise the books.
use ethanol, but to allow people to use today to urge my colleagues to support So independent arbiters are clear:
ethanol at an E15 basis, a little bit the swift passage of the Inflation Re- This bill is good for the family budget
higher than we are allowed to use al- duction Act. and for the national budget. It is good
ready. In the wake of COVID–19, global sup- for the health of our communities and
Republican and Democratic Presi- ply chains have been strained. There our planet.
dents have both waived this rule. This has been shipping disruptions, and And here are some of the highlights.
is essentially what the law of the land Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has Let’s start with the cost of prescrip-
is other than we are having to suspend added to this. As a result of these tion drugs. According to Families USA,
the law to get what we have. The last many factors, inflation is up in almost nearly 3 in 10 American adults—that is
President and this President have both every single country across the globe. about 80 million people—have not
waived the rule that we are trying to The United States is among the world’s taken required medicine due to its high
repeal today. wealthiest and most productive and di- cost. For decades, the drug companies
Both Presidents Trump and Biden ap- versified economies, but no nation on have taken advantage of every avenue
proved the removal of barriers to the Earth is immune to the forces of infla- to keep prices high.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
sale of E15 during the summer months; tion, particularly when it comes from They argue that the cost is justified
but in Congress, we have it in our so many different directions. in order to fund research and develop-
power to permanently allow the sale of Let’s remember also, 2021 was a huge ment, but that is not really what is
E15. year for U.S. economic growth. In fact, happening. The bottom line is, drug
If we only do it by Presidential waiv- last year, the U.S. economy grew at its companies are not playing fair. In fact,
er, there is never enough certainty for fastest pace since 1984. Our unemploy- they are charging inflated prices even
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S4024 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
on old medications, insulin being the So the cost of our efforts to reduce this my colleagues on the other side like to
classic example. Developed more than will be more than exceeded, according suggest, this bill strikes a blow for
100 years ago, the developers basically to this number, by the benefits. And fairness when it comes to our Tax
made their product available to every- good economic analysis suggests, when Code. It sends a signal to the middle
one. They did not insist upon patent you have a proposal in which benefits class that wealthy individuals who
protection. Yet, the price of insulin, of far outweigh cost, that proposal is wish to avoid taxes will no longer be
a 100-year old drug, has gone up dra- something to consider. able to easily evade taxes because we
matically. The Inflation Reduction Act stops are enforcing the auditing mechanisms
The Inflation Reduction Act will put kicking the can down the road and at the IRS so that the laws are fol-
the brakes on this type of profiteering. takes urgent, overdue action to con- lowed more scrupulously, and that will
Under this bill, the government will fi- front climate change and economic result in benefits to all of us.
nally be allowed to directly negotiate challenges head on. I don’t have to re- It sends a signal to working families
lower drug prices for Medicare bene- mind anyone here that we have been that the 150 most profitable companies
ficiaries. And I am fighting to include, talking about climate change for years will pay a minimum tax of 15 percent
as I mentioned before about insulin, a and years and years. And now, we have rather than zero, as is sometimes the
$35 cap on insulin costs for millions of a real opportunity to take positive case. It is not fair for a multi-billion
Americans in this bill. And I must ap- steps. And if we don’t, what we see now dollar company to game the tax system
plaud Senator WARNOCK for his leader- is upsetting, to say the least, but it is to avoid any payment, while a truck
ship on this effort. accelerating and you can sense the eco- driver or a custodian is paying 20 per-
It is long past time to get this done. nomic crises and the environmental cent of their income to taxes—or even
The Department of Veterans Affairs al- crises we see all around us will grow. more.
ready does it and saves veterans and Now, this legislation would invest It sends a signal that private equity
taxpayers billions of dollars a year. $369 billion in affordable clean energy, and hedge fund managers who claim
The Inflation Reduction Act would also energy security, and initiatives to help their income is carried interest will
limit drug price increases to the rate of combat climate change and make have to step up and pay more. Indeed,
inflation. It also caps out-of-pocket America more energy independent. as the President stressed, this bill is
costs at $2,000 annually for older adults I will give you a very good example written so that no family that makes
buying prescriptions from pharmacies. up in Rhode Island. We have the first under $400,000 will see their taxes go
It would also provide free vaccinations offshore wind field in the United States up. That is what the President prom-
for seniors, and it helps keep health in- off of Block Island. It was built and ised, and that is what this legislation
surance affordable for millions of provided up to 300 workers—union will do.
workers mostly—with good jobs. It will So no one should be out making the
Americans.
Let’s not forget, cutting healthcare continue to help employ people as it is claim that this hurts the middle class
costs for millions of Americans is a di- maintained. It has provided us, the and the tax cuts will be paid for by
rect attack on inflation. So the bene- them. In fact, it increases the tax-
whole region, with an example of where
fits here are both health-related and payers in our system. And any exam-
to go. And now, you have significant
economic. ination of our present system shows it
wind farms that are being proposed in
Now, let’s talk about how the bill is grossly unfair.
Federal waters off of Massachusetts I will end with the words of the five
will reduce energy costs and address and off of Long Island. This will bring former Treasury Secretaries, including
climate change. The American people energy without pollution. That is one appointed by former President
recognize that climate change is a seri- something that will benefit all of us, George W. Bush, who all agree that the
ous threat. It fuels extreme weather, both in our pocketbook and in our Inflation Reduction Act will, in their
environmental degradation, and nat- well-being. words, ‘‘help increase American com-
ural disasters. We are witnessing these This is really a historic investment. petitiveness, address our climate crisis,
phenomena at this moment all across And the savings will pay off for fami- lower costs for families, and fight in-
the country. And, frankly, I haven’t lies and the planet month after month, flation—and should be passed imme-
seen the kind of rapidity and severity year after year. It is something that we diately by Congress.’’
of storms like this in sheer number in owe the next generation because right Let me also quote over 120 leading
my time. now, we are prepared to hand off to the economists who shared a similar mes-
This is a result of our neglect of the sons and daughters and grandsons and sage, writing: ‘‘This historic legislation
climate crisis. And I must also applaud granddaughters a world that is envi- makes crucial investments in energy,
my colleague Senator WHITEHOUSE be- ronmentally challenged, to say the health care, and shoring up the na-
cause he has been a voice since his first least. And they will look back on us tion’s tax system. These investments
day here in this Chamber about the and say: You had an opportunity, and will fight inflation and lower costs for
dangers of climate change, the cost to you failed. American families while setting the
families, and the cost to our environ- We cannot fail. stage for strong, stable and broadly-
ment. Now, a report by nonprofit group Re- shared long-term economic growth.’’
Of course, all of these climate effects wiring America found that the tax in- This isn’t a partisan issue for econo-
lead to food and water insecurity, eco- centives included as a part of the $369 mists, and it shouldn’t be a partisan
nomic disruption, and, indeed, human billion dedicated to climate change ini- issue in Congress. The bottom line is
conflict. One of the areas which is most tiatives in the bill would save the aver- that Congress has an opportunity to
concerning to our Defense Department age household $1,800 per year on energy help lower prices for consumers and in-
officials is the follow-on effects of fam- costs. This will incentivize the use of vest in scalable new energy tech-
ine and disruption of economies. It usu- heat pumps, the use of solar panels—a nologies and solutions that will
ally creates a whole generation of much more practical and cost-saving strengthen our economy and make the
young people without any gainful em- energy tool than what is available U.S. and the planet more secure, more
ployment but with access to weapons, today. prosperous, and more resilient.
which leads to instability and vio- The Inflation Reduction Act also sets We must seize the moment. The time
lence—threats to the whole world. And up America to out-innovate and out- to act is now. Generations from now,
eventually threats to us. compete other countries and strength- they will look back at this moment
Just this week, we had a hearing in ens domestic clean energy manufac- and ask the question: Did we stand up
the Banking Committee on the eco- turing and reinforces our supply chain, for them, for this country, for the plan-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
nomic costs of climate change. One making America more energy inde- et, and for the future, or did we fail?
witness cited a particularly eye-pop- pendent and self-reliant. I urge us all to stand up and succeed.
ping statistic from OMB, that our lack I want to make the important point I yield the floor.
of action on climate change costs the that under the Budget Act, this bill I suggest the absence of a quorum.
Federal Government up to $2 trillion must be paid for. And rather than cut The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
per year. That is $2 trillion with a T. Medicare or Social Security as some of clerk will call the roll.
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4025
The senior assistant legislative clerk Outside of the North Carolina stud- partment of Defense, according to
proceeded to call the roll. ies, Dr. Fauci failed to heed his own hearing testimony given by Dr. Fauci
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I call on U.S. scientists to pause their on this topic in 2012.
ask unanimous consent that the order gain-of-function studies and offshored Shockingly, Congress has minimal
for the quorum call be rescinded. the paused research to China not just insight into the amount of research
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without once and not just recently but prac- that the NIH performs. There is no
objection, it is so ordered. tically continuously for over a decade. transparency in the risk evaluation
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 3012 It is disturbing that one of our top pub- process, and there is no proper over-
Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, be- lic health Agencies directed this risky sight.
fore the COVID–19 pandemic, few peo- research to be offshored while encour- Recently—and this is news—our of-
ple other than scientists and national aging the pause on that exact same re- fice learned that the USAID is cur-
security experts were familiar with search here in the United States. rently paying $125 million to the Wash-
gain-of-function research. Now, as we In 2012, Dr. Fauci gave a new grant to ington State University Paul Allen
continue to search for the origin of this Peter Daszak’s EcoHealth Alliance, a School for Global Health to collect po-
pandemic and begin to learn more company that America will soon know tential pandemic pathogens in high-
about the dangerous research that has the name of all across America. He risk areas for outbreak. Once collected,
been largely kept from the public eye, gave a new grant to Peter Daszak’s these samples are being used in dan-
it is becoming a household phrase. EcoHealth Alliance for avian influenza gerous gain-of-function experiments
Before we get started on the current research in China, which was truly through their DEEP VZN grant. This
state of play, I would like to give a gain-of-function research. project initially partnered with five
brief history of this research and how In 2014, Dr. Fauci gave another new countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin
the Federal Government has poorly, grant, another gain-of-function grant, America, but it could expand to others.
perhaps even negligently, approached to Dr. Daszak and EcoHealth for SARS The university researchers are col-
its oversight and funding. research in China. Through these lecting, storing, and experimenting on
In late 2011, over a decade ago, the grants, Peter Daszak partnered with these pathogens in foreign laboratories
NSABB, which is the NIH’s advisory the Wuhan Institute of Virology. in each country. Even worse, these haz-
board, stopped two scientists from pub- In late 2017, the NIH announced a lift ardous research techniques are being
lishing an avian influenza gain-of-func- on the gain-of-function pause, appar- taught to foreign researchers while ex-
tion study. Why? Because they were ently without consultation with the perimenting with potentially deadly
afraid that this study would educate Senate-confirmed State Department or pathogens in laboratories where the
bioterrorists. That is right. In 2011, a with national security leadership. Sig- United States has no regulatory con-
nificantly, there was no Director of the trol or authority. No process exists to
decade ago, scientists had figured out
screen U.S. researchers or foreign re-
how to make H5N1—a highly patho- Office of Science and Technology Pol-
searchers by intelligence analysts for
genic avian influenza—more con- icy in place, with only an Acting HHS
their potential as threat actors. The
tagious, which would have been cata- Secretary at the helm. The NIH essen-
United States has no ability to control
strophic for American agriculture. tially lifted the moratorium on their
who the technology or the deadly
Dr. Fauci personally called both sci- own by slipping it in between adminis-
pathogens are shared with in these for-
entists and convinced them to volun- trations and self-policing.
eign labs and cannot enforce proper
teer to pause their experiments. In Today, we can’t see the research
storage techniques.
early 2012, Dr. Fauci encouraged all in- records from Dr. Fauci’s offshored The USAID is putting everyone at
fluenza scientists to voluntarily pause projects because the Chinese Com- risk right now. Our U.S. public health
influenza gain-of-function research and munist Party has the possession—or at Agencies, like the NIH and the CDC,
told them: least supposedly has the possession—of cannot be entrusted to oversee risky
It is essential we respect the concern of the EcoHealth’s records, and the NIH re- research with the current guardrails
public domestically or globally, and not ask sists in sharing theirs. that are self-selecting and self-polic-
them to take the word of the influenza sci- By all accounts, Dr. Fauci and
entist. ing. Certainly, our U.S. Agency for
EcoHealth’s research in China led to International Development cannot be
Dr. Fauci was obviously concerned the COVID–19 pandemic and Dr. Fauci’s entrusted. Yet Federal Agencies con-
about the public’s perception out there. worst fears that a lab accident in a for- tinue to dispense funds for gain-of-
Dr. Fauci also, almost prophetically, eign lab would become a reality. function research.
stated that he worried about ‘‘unregu- At a very important hearing yester- Dr. Fauci recently came before Con-
lated’’ laboratories, perhaps outside of day at the Capitol, hosted by Senator gress and publicly declared that he had
the United States, doing work ‘‘slop- PAUL, before the Senate Homeland Se- no intention to stop using U.S. tax-
pily’’ and leading to an inadvertent curity and Governmental Affairs Sub- payer dollars to fund Chinese Com-
pandemic. ‘‘Accidental release is what committee on Emerging Threats and munist Party research projects.
the world is really worried about.’’ Spending Oversight, Dr. Richard Folks, this is a national security
In 2014, after several biosecurity acci- Ebright, a renowned microbiologist, issue. Since January of 2020, I have
dents in U.S. research labs, the Obama declared that it was indeed possible been trying to sound the alarm on this
White House implemented the gain-of- that this research did lead to the out- virus—on this issue, on this weapon of
function moratorium on influenza, as break of COVID–19. mass destruction—but it is largely fall-
well as MERS and SARS research, be- Dr. Steven Quay and Dr. Kevin ing on deaf ears in Congress and with
cause of the potential risk of lab acci- Esvelt, other expert witnesses on the the current administration. Yester-
dents and inherent gain-of-function panel, agreed that viral gain-of-func- day’s HSGAC hearing was the first
danger. These two moratoriums clearly tion offers no civilian use or benefit. time Congress had examined this sub-
demonstrate that the U.S. Government Let me say that again. Both of these ject since the outbreak of COVID–19.
and the NIH, our primary public health doctors agreed that viral gain-of-func- Unfortunately, none of my colleagues
Agency, understood the risk associated tion offers no civilian use or benefit from across the aisle bothered to show
with this research and understood the but that it is so risky that it can cause up for this hearing, clearly declaring
threats it posed. a pandemic that will have a worse im- that this was not a priority for them.
Despite this pause, though, certain pact than a nuclear attack. It is indeed Additionally, mainstream media has
viral gain-of-function research projects a weapon of mass destruction. attempted to bury concerns about
continued at the University of North Despite warnings and past lab acci- gain-of-function research and the possi-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
Carolina, research that was later dents, our public health Agencies, like bility of a lab leak.
shared with a Chinese virologist named the NIH, continue to fund this weapon- This is unacceptable. We must pause
Dr. Shi, the Bat Lady. She was famous of-mass-destruction research, often in this research until national security
for her copious amounts of research China nonetheless. In fact, at one experts can help create appropriate
conducted on coronaviruses that live in point, the NIH paid for more viral gain- risk metrics, guardrails, and processes
bats. of-function experiments than the De- for this research.
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S4026 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
It is important to note that it is esti- Kansas to keep working with me and gressional oversight, and Senate Demo-
mated that this research only com- Ranking Member BURR to get his re- crats’ objection to taking the needed
prises less than 0.1 percent of all bio- lated provision and the rest of our step of placing a complete moratorium
medical research and less than 1 per- PREVENT Pandemics Act across the on gain-of-function research, we must
cent of virology research. Dr. Richard finish line. at least pass this narrow approach
Ebright testified that because gain-of- I thank the Senator from Kansas for today.
function research of concern can cause his work and his focus on this issue. I As if in legislative session, I ask
pandemics, this small part of the bio- really think we can continue to make unanimous consent that the Senate
medical research enterprise is highly bipartisan progress in the next few proceed to the immediate consider-
consequential and requires effective weeks on getting the PREVENT ation of S. 4778, which is at the desk;
oversight. Certainly, that current over- Pandemics Act and the Senator’s pro- further, that the bill be considered read
sight is not effective. vision he and I worked on into a good a third time and passed; and that the
This is a bipartisan national security place and finally getting that much motion to reconsider be considered
issue. And anyone who studies this needed package signed into law. made and laid upon the table.
issue in depth will conclude that viral For those reasons, I object today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
gain of function is a weapon of mass The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- objection?
destruction. tion is heard. Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President.
Anyone who examines this will con- The Senator from Kansas. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen-
clude that COVID is like a nuclear UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST—S. 4778 ator from Washington.
hand grenade, with its pin pulled out. Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I Mrs. MURRAY. Reserving the right
It has already killed a million people want to thank my colleague for her to object, I do appreciate the Senator
and can kill millions more. Every wit- kind comments. Certainly, the chair- from Kansas’s focus and leadership on
ness will conclude, like we did yester- woman has my commitment to con- this issue.
day, that the potential is much worse tinue to work with her on the PRE- I am glad we were able to work to-
than any type of benefit from this re- VENT Pandemics Act as well. gether to include a provision similar to
search. But if my colleagues do not agree this bill in our PREVENT Pandemics
This COVID virus is likely a product with placing a full moratorium on Act that we did pass out of the HELP
of U.S.-funded gain-of-function re- gain-of-function research, I ask for Committee by an overwhelming vote
search. The research has produced no earlier this year.
unanimous consent to adopt the SAFE
benefit in 10 years and with seemingly Along with Ranking Member BURR,
Risky Research Act, which stops Fed-
no benefit on the horizon. we are very focused on getting the
This is why I brought my legislation eral funds from being used to conduct
risky research with countries that PREVENT Pandemics Act passed into
to the floor today to place a morato- law. These reforms are overdue and
rium on all Federal research projects, threaten our democracy and public
health. vital to keeping our families safe.
grants to universities and other organi- The Senator’s provisions within that
zations conducting gain-of-function re- We recently learned that USAID has
been paying for this dangerous re- package, as well as many others, are
search and risky research on potential really key to making sure that our
pandemic pathogens. This is an urgent search in China. We know that this re-
search is being conducted in Africa, country is prepared for future
matter that must be acted on today. pandemics.
As if in legislative session, I ask Asia, and Latin America, but we don’t
yet know all the other countries where I do hope we can continue to work on
unanimous consent that the Com- this bill in a bipartisan way and get it
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, they fund this risky research.
What we do know is that, despite passed and put into law shortly. So
and Pensions be discharged from fur- while I look forward to continuing to
ther consideration of S. 3012, and the their relationship with the State De-
partment, this funding is being dis- work with the Senator from Kansas on
Senate proceed to its immediate con- this issue within the PREVENT
sideration; further, that the bill be pensed by USAID without State De-
partment security consultations, obliv- Pandemics Act package, if he is asking
considered read a third time and
ious to the proliferation potential. today for unanimous consent to pass it,
passed, and that the motion to recon-
Federal Agencies that oversee na- I object.
sider be considered made and laid upon The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec-
the table. tional intelligence maintain lists of
countries that may pose a risk or tion is heard.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
threat to national security. The De- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.
objection?
partment of State, for example, main- KAINE). The Senator from Massachu-
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- tains a list that includes Burma, the setts.
ator from Washington. People’s Republic of China, Iran, North INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
Mrs. MURRAY. Reserving the right Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, 12
to object, earlier this year, when we and others. years ago, the U.S. Congress was on the
passed the PREVENT Pandemics Act This legislation is common sense. We precipice of passing historic climate
out of our HELP Committee in an over- shouldn’t be collaborating on dan- legislation—legislation that may not
whelming bipartisan vote, we were able gerous research with our adversaries. have been perfect but would have cut
to include amendments from my col- I think it is obvious that all members carbon pollution by 80 percent by the
league from Kansas and others to bol- of our committee agree with us. They year 2050, and it would have set us on
ster oversight of the federally funded support this bill and this legislation. a path to a healthier, cleaner, safer
research involving pathogens of pan- On March 15, the HELP Committee world.
demic potential and make sure that we held a markup where this amend- Unfortunately, despite that bill pass-
do have appropriate guardrails in ment—the same text that is in this ing through the House of Representa-
place. bill—was unanimously adopted in the tives, a bill which Congressman Henry
I appreciate the leadership my col- bipartisan PREVENT Pandemics Act. I Waxman and I were able to craft and to
league from Kansas has shown on this appreciate Chairwoman MURRAY work- move through the House of Representa-
issue. I know it is important to him. ing so hard collaborating with us. tives, even though the Senate and the
However, I am concerned this new bill During the markup, she supported Senate Democrats had a super-
brought forward today is far less tar- this, specifically stating that it majority, that legislation was ulti-
geted than the provisions the Senator threads the needle in terms of pro- mately defeated by the same legisla-
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
from Kansas and I worked on within tecting biomedical research enterprise tive body, the U.S. Senate, that I serve
PREVENT and would have significant while taking steps to address some of in today. In 2009, the U.S. Senate chose
and unintended consequences for U.S. the concerns she has heard from other to do nothing rather than something
biomedical research. committee members. substantial that would give us a fight-
Instead of passing this bill, I would Given the inherent risk, NIH’s un- ing chance against this generational
respectfully ask my colleague from willingness to fully cooperate with con- crisis, which is why we have spent the
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4027
last 12 years in the climate wilderness, percent of their average $39,000 salary on an emissions reductions trajectory
with full-blown Republican obstruc- in Federal taxes. ExxonMobil paid only that positions us to enact more clean
tionism and no meaningful congres- 2.8 percent of their $9.3 billion U.S. energy and climate justice provisions
sional action on climate justice all the earnings in Federal taxes. Chevron paid in the future to meet the 50 percent
while. That wilderness literally burns a mere 1.8 percent of their $9.5 billion goal. Securing these emissions reduc-
to the ground because of climate in U.S. earnings in Federal taxes in tions now is the start which we need,
change. 2021. A kindergarten teacher in Massa- and we need it now.
In the intervening decade, we have chusetts paid 8 percent on $39,000 of in- This legislation reflects the largest
suffered the consequences of climate come. single investment in climate justice
inaction. Weather that used to be ex- Who did more for America last year— and environmental protection in our
treme is now the new normal, and that all of our kindergarten teachers or the Nation’s history. And it meets the cli-
normal is deadly. Our addiction to fos- executives at ExxonMobil and Chev- mate test. First, it reduces emissions,
sil fuels has put communities at risk— ron? Who contributed more to our soci- creates good-paying union jobs, and
worsening asthma, cancers, and disease ety? provides funding so that we can begin
in general—and has exposed working That is our challenge right now to the long process of repairing historic
people to criminal price gouging from pass this legislation because the status harms in our environmental justice
Big Oil and Big Gas. quo is immoral. It is outrageous. And communities with that $60 billion in-
Throughout this summer, the United unless we pass this bill, that disparity vestment.
States has experienced devastating is perfectly legal. They can evade their Second, the bill lowers energy costs
heat waves, putting 100 million Ameri- responsibility to contribute to solving for consumers. Price-gouging and tax-
cans under heat warnings across the the problem which they created: the dodging big oil companies are charging
country. People are dying in Kentucky. climate crisis. Americans more than $4 a gallon for
Children are dying in Kentucky as a re- Right now, they are letting preschool gasoline, shaking money out of their
sult of the extreme rain and floods— teachers contribute more than they are pockets at the pumps all across our
rain that still hasn’t stopped. Those to a problem that families across our country. And what we are going to do
are so-called 100-year floods. Well, now country are suffering from. By passing is just point to the electric vehicle
they are happening on a weekly basis— the Inflation Reduction Act, we can owners who pay an equivalent of 75
in Kentucky. Over and over again, make sure that Big Oil finally pays cents a gallon right now in our country
communities throughout the United more in taxes than preschool teachers. in order to go the same distance. And
We can take that revenue and reinvest we are going to open up this oppor-
States are facing deadly wildfires,
it into clean energy and healthier com- tunity to tens of millions of additional
storms, and droughts, all of which have
munities. Americans once we pass it.
become more frequent and more severe The Inflation Reduction Act provides
over the last 12 years. This bill will not give the climate
tax credits to low- and middle-income
But instead of giving up after that movement the trillions needed to con-
Americans so they can buy a new or a
missed opportunity more than a decade front the crises of systematic racism,
used EV, break their addiction to Big
ago, we reengaged. We rebuilt and re- economic inequality, a broken health
Oil, and save money on their daily
energized a stronger, smarter climate system, and climate injustice. But
commutes.
movement, one that expanded carbon thanks to our relentless fighting, this And, finally, the Inflation Reduction
calculators to include climate justice; bill contains a historic $60 billion in Act will make sure we make things in
one that swapped complicated carbon environmental justice investments. America again. The domestic manufac-
trading systems for direct funding for Let me say that again: $60 billion turing tax credits in this bill for the
environmental justice communities in will be in this bill to begin the process first time ensure that we will build
our country; and one that exchanged of rectifying the problems for Black electric vehicles, solar panels, wind
an environmental-above-all strategy and Brown and indigenous commu- turbines here in our own backyard, in
for a 21st-century contract with com- nities all across our country who have the United States. American-made in-
munities, with the promise of climate always been the victims of climate frastructure means good-paying union
justice, well-paid union jobs, and cuts change, of environmental injustice. jobs. And a new study released today
to climate pollution so all of our chil- This has never happened before in shows that this bill will create—get
dren and grandchildren can thrive on a any bill in U.S. history. It is in this ready—9 million new jobs in our coun-
livable planet. bill, finally. Now, that is the message try. That is what we are talking about.
So let me be clear. The Inflation Re- of the Green New Deal. That was some- That is what we will be debating on the
duction Act of 2022 is not the Green thing that was driving FOX News and floor of the U.S. Senate over the next
New Deal that America wants and the oil companies crazy when we said several days.
needs. I wish it were. But I have we have to rectify environmental injus- And I am especially proud of a provi-
learned a hard truth throughout my tice as well as part of the Green New sion I authored with Senator CHRIS
years in Congress: Perfect ideas can Deal. It is in this bill. It is in this bill, VAN HOLLEN and Congresswoman
only live on through imperfect legisla- $60 billion. And that will begin to start DEBBIE DINGELL that would fund a na-
tion. righting the wrongs brought by pol- tional climate bank to ensure vulner-
As the author of both the Green New luters in our most vulnerable commu- able American communities will have
Deal and the Waxman-Markey climate nities. access to capital to invest in local
bill, I know we cannot wait another 12 This could be a downpayment on clean energy projects and fuel a new
years for billions of dollars in invest- clean air and safer communities every- generation of entrepreneurs from dis-
ment to fight the climate crisis. This is where, not just the suburbs, which have advantaged backgrounds.
not the bill we wanted. It is not the bill always breathed cleaner air than inner- How big is this program? Twenty-
I would have drafted. But we need a city communities because they don’t seven billion dollars and a climate
package now to fight for and resources plant these oil and gas and other facili- bank that communities across the
to fight with. ties in the suburbs; they put them country can apply to at the lowest pos-
This bill will not correct every eco- right next to what they believe are the sible interest rates for their greening
nomic injustice in our society or rec- least powerful communities in our of their housing units, the greening of
tify the economic disparities between country. any other part of their community.
Big Oil billionaires and working fami- We know this bill will not get us to And what McKinsey has estimated is
lies, but it starts a process that we ab- the critical mark of 50 percent emis- that for every dollar that is in the
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
solutely need to level the playing field. sions reductions, 2005 levels, by 2030, bank, $27 billion, it will unleash $7 to
The Inflation Reduction Act makes which is the baseline of what we need $10 of private sector investment—
sure that every billion-dollar corpora- to meet our 2050 targets. However— meaning we are looking at $200 to $300
tion finally pays a higher tax rate than however—this package gets us to 40 billion that are going to get unleashed
a preschool teacher. Last year, a pre- percent reductions economy-wide, and, just in this section in that one pro-
school teacher in Massachusetts paid 8 more importantly, it puts our economy gram.
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S4028 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
And critical Defense Production Act vehicles and batteries. And you know at a moment in our country’s history
funding will ensure that we have ro- what this young generation’s response when we are actually ready, finally, to
bust domestic supply chains to install is? What do you call tax breaks for oil, turn the page on the trickle-down eco-
heat pumps in American buildings and gas, and coal for 100 years? If that is nomics that have created such an un-
responsibly source critical minerals for not socialism, what is? And all we are fair economy for so many families and
clean energy technologies made in looking for is fair treatment for the re- so many young people in this country
America. newable energy revolution because and create, once again, in the United
We have to break this whole addic- once we give them the same kinds of States, an economy that, when it
tion that we have not only to foreign incentives, get out of the way because grows, it grows for everybody, not just
oil coming into our country but also we are going to have that revolution the people at the very top.
being dependent upon other countries that young people in our country have This bill fits into that. The bill on in-
for the clean energy technologies. We wanted for so long. frastructure fits into that. The bill on
are going to do it here. That is what So it is all on us, the Democrats. It is the semiconductors fits into that, as
this bill says. We are going to tell peo- our moment to deliver for the Amer- well.
ple we don’t need your oil any more ican people and guarantee the re- If you look at the agenda Washington
than we need your sand. We are going sources we need to keep fighting for has pursued for the last 40 years or so,
to do it right here. We are going to the future we deserve. it is pretty simple: Let the big corpora-
build the technologies right here in our And, by the way, after we have cre- tions do whatever they want and call it
country. ated those 9 million new jobs, that is ‘‘freedom’’; cut investments in working
So my time in Congress has taught forever going to be a new political con- families and our future; and instead of
me this: We cannot let the perfect be stituency in our country. They are grappling with the income inequality
the enemy of the good. Ending up with going to be saying to Senators who are we have, instead of grappling with the
nothing might be a viable political op- going to vote no today: What are you economic mobility that we have, cut
tion, but it is not a viable planetary doing? You are voting against my new taxes for the wealthiest people in the
option. This is a good bill with broad- job that has been created? country, cut taxes for the largest cor-
based appeal that lowers costs for con- And so this is just the beginning. And porations in the country, hoping that
sumers, fights inflation with deficit re- we are going to telescope the time- those tax cuts will somehow magically
duction, protects our environment with frame ultimately in order to finish the trickle down to everyone else and pay
critical justice investments, and pro- job. for themselves. That has never hap-
vides affordable healthcare access to Yes, we are now in a sprint to solve pened.
all Americans. the problem because every night on Here is what happened instead: 40
In 2009, zero was an option, which every TV station, the lead stories are: years of an economy that has worked
this Senate took. Zero is not an option floods and fires and every other imag- really well for the wealthiest people
we can take. We must pass this legisla- inable consequence of climate change. and corporations but hasn’t worked
tion. And we will begin a pathway for And it is time, the moment has ar- very well for anybody else; an economy
generations to come that says: We un- rived, and the U.S. Senate, with only with income inequality higher than at
derstood your anger. We understood Democratic support, is ready to take any time since the 1920s, where the top
why you as a younger generation be- the action that the younger generation 0.1 percent of Americans, a mere 160,000
lieve that the system had failed you in our country has been ready for. families, hold basically the same
and that it had not provided the solu- I thank you for giving me the oppor- amount of wealth as the bottom 90 per-
tions which you deserve. tunity of being here. cent of Americans, nearly 145 million
So let’s pass this bill and keep fight- I yield the floor. families—160,000 families, the top 0.1
ing the cities and States and in the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- percent, hold as much wealth as the
White House and in Congress so that ator from Colorado. bottom 90 percent, 9 out of 10 Ameri-
we can finish the job in the years INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2022 cans, nearly 145 million families—
ahead, meet our climate targets, and Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I want- where kids—I am sad to say this in
finally pass the Green New Deal that ed to come down here tonight to talk a front of the kids here tonight—have a
our country deserves. little bit about the bill that we have in 50–50 shot of earning more than their
This is our moment. And the beauty front of us this weekend, the Inflation parents, where that number used to be
of it is that there is a poetic justice in Reduction Act. I have been in the Sen- 90 percent; that charges families more
it. And it is that Chevron only paid 2.8 ate for 13 years, and I think this is one for their healthcare than any other in-
percent on their profits last year. of the most important pieces of legisla- dustrialized country in the world; that
ExxonMobil only paid 3 percent on tion that we have ever considered. forces seniors in this country—and
their profits last year. They are the Let me just say, also, that the Pre- only in this country—to cut their pills
ones who are going to pay for the solu- siding Officer and I have been here for in half or skip prescriptions or decide
tions to the problems which they cre- a long time, and there have been weeks whether they are going to be able to
ated. They are going to be the source of and weeks and weeks, months, years eat or take their medicine; that is
the funding because we are going to that have gone by here where it felt shackled to a global fossil fuel market
force them to finally pay their taxes, like we haven’t gotten anything done. dictated by tyrants like Vladimir
to pay their fair share of the dues to What an amazing moment to be here Putin, despite our abundant resources
live in this great country. when we have a bipartisan infrastruc- at home and despite the urgent threat
That moment of justice is arriving. ture bill that we passed with the big- from climate change.
And it is justice. They are the ones gest investment in our infrastructure That is the legacy of the past 40
who should be paying for this. They are since Eisenhower was President. We years of trickle-down economics. As I
the ones who have a moral, political, passed the first bipartisan bill to over- have said many, many times on this
and economic responsibility to pay for come the NRA just a few weeks ago. floor, we can’t survive another 40 years
this bill. And they right now are Last week, we were able to pass the like the last 40 years and expect to
screaming; they are absolutely angry CHIPS Act to bring back semiconduc- hold onto this democracy. I don’t think
that we are going to take this action. tors to the U.S.A. and the PACT Act, we can survive another 10 years like
But I will tell you this. We are going to the veterans bill last night. this and expect to hold on to this de-
be forced to do it with no Republican Today, we are here to talk about the mocracy with this failed agenda.
support because the GOP now stands Inflation Reduction Act. It is quite an Working families can’t sustain it.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
for ‘‘Gas and Oil Party.’’ It now stands amazing moment in our democracy Our democracy can’t withstand it be-
for ‘‘Gang of Polluters.’’ That is the and, I think, in the country’s history. cause, when people feel like they have
GOP of today. And they are going to It is not the subject of my speech to- lost the sense of opportunity for them-
say: Oh, my goodness, look at all the night, but I want to say, with the Pre- selves and their families no matter how
socialism that is going into this pack- siding Officer on the floor, that there hard they work, that is when, you
age for wind and solar and all-electric might be a reason to think that we are know, throughout human history,
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4029
somebody shows up. Some self-inter- and hope that it is just going to trickle in order to make it through economi-
ested politician shows up and says: I down to everybody else. cally.
alone can fix it. You don’t need a de- I am not making it up. That is the On top of that, this bill has a 3-year
mocracy. You don’t need the rule of theory. That is the policy. And that extension for tax credits to help mil-
law. You should expect your public sec- was the theory and the policy when lions of Americans pay for their health
tor and your private sector to be hope- Ronald Reagan was President. That insurance, including over 150,000 Colo-
lessly corrupt, and you are a sucker if was the theory and policy when Donald radans who are going to be able to af-
you don’t believe that because people Trump was President. ford their health insurance in ways
are going to take advantage of you. And unlike those bills, every single they couldn’t.
We need a new agenda for America. I cent in this bill is paid for. More than The second part of this bill closes tax
am pleased to say that we are closer, I that, it cuts the deficit by over $300 bil- loopholes for about 200 of the biggest
think, tonight—this weekend—than we lion. If you listen to my Republican corporations in America—those with
have been in a long time to pursuing colleagues, at least some of them and over $1 billion in profit. This comes di-
one. the way they complain about this bill, rectly from a bill that I wrote with
It started with the American Rescue you would think it was some sort of Senator WARREN and with Senator
Plan. It continued, as I said earlier, Bolshevik takeover of the U.S.A. It is KING. Today, these corporations use ar-
with the bipartisan infrastructure law ridiculous. mies of lawyers and accountants that
we passed this year to rebuild our I think, sometimes, they just don’t no middle-class family has, no working
country and the bipartisan innovation even want the public to know what is family has, no small business has to
bill that we passed last week to help us in this bill because what is in this bill pay almost nothing in classes.
compete with China and bring thou- is so popular with the American people. Last year, Chevron paid an effective
sands of good-paying jobs back home. Let’s start with healthcare. For the rate of 1.8 percent. Bank of America
And, now, I hope we are close to pass- first time ever, this bill requires Medi- paid 3.5 percent—3.5 percent. That is
ing the next part, the Inflation Reduc- care to negotiate drug prices on behalf after the Trump tax cuts cut the cor-
tion Act. This bill will lower costs for of the American people. porate rate and took it down to, I
millions of families—at the pharmacy, The Presiding Officer and I wrote a think, it was 20 percent—which, by the
at the pump, and on their monthly en- bill called Medicare-X. We introduced way, there was no consensus to do. The
ergy bills and insurance premiums. It it, I think, in 2017, to create a public consensus was at 25 percent. Here you
will do more to achieve energy inde- option so that everybody in America have companies paying 1.8 percent, and
pendence and fight climate change could have the benefit of choosing be- 3.5 percent in the case of Bank of
than anything that we have ever done tween their private insurance and pub- America. Amazon paid 6.1 percent.
as a nation. lic insurance. That is not in this bill. They might want to fire their CFO be-
And unlike the Trump tax cuts for But in that bill, we said that Medicare cause they are paying a little more
the wealthiest Americans, which added ought to negotiate drug prices for sen- than the 1.8 and the 3.5. AT&T paid
$1.9 trillion to the debt, notwith- iors. This would allow Medicare to use negative 4.1 percent. That means they
standing the arguments that we have its market power to drive down the got money back from the Treasury in
heard going back to Ronald Reagan— costs of prescription drugs. That is tax credits.
the false arguments that we have heard going to save families thousands of dol- In Colorado, a typical firefighter,
going back to Ronald Reagan—that lars, and it is going to save our country teacher, or police officer has an effec-
these tax cuts will pay for themselves. billions of dollars. tive tax rate of somewhere around 16 to
Once again, of course, they didn’t pay The only reason we have not passed 22 percent. So, on the one hand, you
for themselves. And unlike that, a $1.9 that is because special interests have have working Americans paying 20 per-
trillion hole blasted into our deficit succeeded at tying Medicare’s hands so cent of their income in an economy
when unemployment was only at 3.5 that pharmaceutical companies could that has barely lifted their incomes in
percent. Every cent of that money was keep charging Americans prices that 40 years, while billion-dollar corpora-
borrowed just for the privilege of giv- no other developed nation in the world tions are paying virtually nothing.
ing tax cuts to the wealthiest Ameri- would tolerate—Americans like Julia I had a conversation the other day
cans. Fifty-two percent of that bill from Denver. Her dad has a heart con- with a ‘‘Teacher of the Year’’ from Col-
went to the top 5 percent of Americans. dition. He pays $6,000 a month for orado. She is from Glenwood Springs.
We borrowed every single cent to do medication. That is $72,000 a year for She said that she wasn’t complaining,
that. something he needs to take for the rest that she was just making an observa-
That would be no different than when of his life. That is outrageous, but I tion. She said 70 percent to 80 percent
the Presiding Officer was the mayor of hear stories like that every day all of her colleagues in the middle school
Richmond, VA, and if he said to the over Colorado. in which she teaches and at the high
people of Richmond: I have a really The Inflation Reduction Act also school in Glenwood Springs have to
good idea for how we could spend a lot would cap out-of-pocket costs for sen- work two and three jobs just so they
of money, but we are going to have to iors to $2,000 a year so they aren’t can afford to live in Glenwood Springs.
borrow money to do it. spending down their retirement to buy Do we think it is all right for her to
And they said: Well, that sounds like medication. I know seniors in Colorado have to pay 22 percent of her income in
a lot of money that you are borrowing. who literally spend their entire retire- taxes and the biggest corporations in
Tell us what you are spending it on. ment trying to figure out how to get America that are making more than $1
Are you using it for our roads and the medication they need, the medica- billion in income don’t have to at least
bridges? tion they have been prescribed by a pay 15 percent, much less the 20 per-
No. doctor. The choices they have to make cent gift that Donald Trump gave them
Are you using it for the parks? look unlike any other choices any sen- when the number that everybody had
No. ior has to make in any other country basically agreed to was 25 percent? It is
Are you using it for education, for in the world. no wonder that Americans think this
mental health, which we desperately I was with some people in Pueblo re- Tax Code is rigged against them.
need in this country? Are you using it cently where one of the people said: I We start to fix that problem with
to transfer the local economy to have three inhalers, but I can’t afford this bill. It is not everything that I
greener energy? the three inhalers. So I can only take would have wanted. I think we have a
No. one of them at a time, and I have been lot more to do to make this Tax Code
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
What are you using it for, Mr. Mayor, getting sicker and sicker as a result of fairer, not the least of which is to
they would say. that. make permanent the expanded child
And the answer is: I am going to bor- Another person in the room had tax credit that I worked on with
row this massive amount of money, worked her entire life at the local SHERROD BROWN, CORY BOOKER, and
and I am going to give it to the two newspaper, and she was telling me that KAMALA HARRIS; and the earned income
wealthiest neighborhoods in Richmond she was having to cut her medications tax credit that I worked on with
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S4030 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
SHERROD BROWN to give working people When this deal fell apart 10 days ago structure, we are essentially forcing
the biggest tax cut they had in genera- or so, whenever it was, my heart was America to choose between scarcity
tions. That is one of the things that is broken as a result of it, because I and higher prices, to choose between
not in this bill that I feel really ter- thought about what Colorado has been either less energy or higher prices.
rible about. going through. And I thought about—I I was in Belgium and, with our col-
This bill also is limiting something had to call and explain to my 22-year- league CHRIS COONS, met with the dep-
called the carried interest loophole. old and 21-year-old and 17-year-old uty prime minister there who said—we
Most Americans have no idea what daughters that once again we had were on our way to Scotland for the
that is because 99.9999999 percent of failed. climate conference, and he said: We
Americans are not hedge fund man- And their sense of disbelief, of incre- have to meet these climate targets. We
agers; they don’t benefit from this dulity—which, by the way, I think is have to meet these climate targets in
loophole to lower their tax rate and shared with every single member of 2050.
pay less than their assistants or than their generation in this country, And then he said: But I don’t know
their secretary. whether they are Democrats or wheth- how we are going to meet them and not
That hasn’t stopped my Republican er they are Republicans or independ- lose the middle class.
colleagues from telling the American ents or if they don’t even know what And I said: What do you mean by
public that this bill would tax working political party they are in. How can that? And he said: I don’t know how we
people—that is what they are saying. you not deal with this? How can you are going to meet them and not have
And I guess that is true if by ‘‘working place this burden on us? yellow vests break out all over Europe.
people’’ they mean hedge fund man- And if we pass this bill, we are going And we are seeing that now. We are
agers. Over half of them base their to be able to look the next generation seeing where Putin has cut off Russian
business in the Cayman Islands or bil- straight in the eye and say: We are ac- oil and Russian gas because of his inva-
lion dollar corporations. We are in- tually living up to our responsibility to sion of Ukraine—the challenges that it
creasing their taxes—that is true—but you, at least with respect to climate. creates in democratic societies when it
there is nothing in this bill that is rais- And that fills me with joy. And that is comes to energy. There is no country
ing taxes on American families—noth- the reason to support this bill and feel in the world better positioned on this
ing. Nothing. good about it. question, better positioned to lead this
It is amazing to me that people that We can’t afford another 10 years of transition to clean energy than the
I meet that simultaneously support the dysfunction on these issues. This tran- United States of America.
Trump tax cuts for the wealthiest peo- sition should have started 25 years There is not a country in Europe;
ple on the theory of trickle-down eco- ago—25 years ago. there is not a country in the Middle
nomics and are opposed to this bill on And in my opinion, we urgently need East. China is not better positioned
the theory that somehow the taxes a plan, an energy policy that secures than we are on this. We are the best po-
that we are raising on, literally, the the energy our economy needs and re- sitioned country in the world to lead
wealthiest humans in our country and lentlessly lowers climate pollution. this transition.
the wealthiest corporations are some- In other words, we need a plan for In fact, I think we are the only coun-
how going to trickle down to people in clean energy independence. And we can try in the world that can lead this
the workplace. It is never going to hap- start by being honest about where we transition—which, by the way, is why
pen. It never has. are; I think that is really important. it was such a tragedy when it looked 10
The last part of this bill contains en-
Today, 60 percent of our power gen- days ago like this bill wasn’t going
ergy. And, first, I think it is important
eration comes from fossil fuel; only 20 anywhere, because then the rest of the
for us to have some context. It has
percent comes from renewables. Over 90 world looks at us and says: Why should
been nearly 50 years since the 1973 oil
percent—90 percent of our transpor- we do anything if the country that is
crisis spurred America to seek ‘‘energy
tation relies on fossil fuels, and less most capable of being able to do this
independence.’’
It has been more than 30 years since than 3 percent uses electricity. Across can’t do it?
NASA scientist James Hansen urged the economy, 80 percent of primary en- And what I want to assure you is
Congress to fight climate change, I ergy consumption still comes from fos- that these outcomes of scarcity or
think at a hearing held by my prede- sil fuel. Renewables are just 12 percent. higher prices, neither of those out-
cessor Tim Wirth. And until now we We have made some progress, but to comes are going to support the broad
haven’t had a plan, we have had no hit our emissions targets, renewables and durable support that we need to be
plan to accomplish either. have to scale from 12 percent today to able to not just pass climate policy but
We haven’t just stalled—in some at least 60 percent by 2050. keep it the law of the land and make
cases, we have actually gone backward. That is why, even under the most sure that it lasts until the next genera-
At home, right now, our use of coal has ambitious projections, some fossil fuels tion of Americans can pick it up from
increased during the Biden administra- will likely remain in our energy mix us and say: Thank you for putting us in
tion. Abroad, Germany has been forced for decades, even through 2050. Don’t a decent position; we are going to fin-
to reactivate coal plants after Putin’s take my word for it; that is not me ish the job.
attack on Ukraine, while other EU na- saying it. These projections are from And then if we can’t pass this bill
tions plan on rationing natural gas or the National Academy of Sciences, the and we can’t make progress on climate
turning on their coal plants. International Energy Agency, and change, then what we have, instead, is
Instead of leading the world with a Princeton. And that is the reality that our current policy, which is the status
coherent approach on these issues, they confront us with. quo, which drives up prices, is bad for
Washington has been deadlocked in the So when I hear politicians and others our national security, and is terrible at
same old, tired politics around climate whip up Twitter with promises to re- reducing emissions. That is where we
and energy. And as usual, the Amer- ject every permit for new infrastruc- are today. That is why coal is up, as I
ican people have paid the price. ture, they ignore this reality. And I said, during the Biden administration.
They have paid it at the pump with worry that we cede the scientific high For a successful transition, we have
incomes that have barely budged in ground to critics of climate action, got to smooth the path with domestic
this economy. In Colorado, we have who then paint climate advocates as energy production now to stabilize
paid for it in homes incinerated by disconnected or deluded or even dan- prices and bridge our way to a clean
record wildfires, mountain passes gerous to the economy. And the only energy economy tomorrow. And to do
washed out by mudslides, fields with- thing that wins is our fossil fuels. The that, we need every tool on the table.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
ering in extreme drought that nobody only thing that wins is coal. This means deploying renewables
has seen for 800 years, the Colorado And I worry sometimes that these like wind and solar, which my State
River in crisis, and a galloping fear claims also repel the very Americans has led in. We need to do it at record
that the American West will somehow we need to support our energy transi- rates. We need to invest in next-gen-
be unrecognizable to our grand- tion. If our position in the short term eration technology from carbon cap-
children. is to oppose every new piece of infra- ture to hydrogen to advanced nuclear.
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August 4, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4031
That means we need to recognize the needs. It should remind us how foolish rise not to introduce a bill nor to ask
role that natural gas has played in our we have been to surrender the lifeblood my colleagues for unanimous consent.
transition. Over the last 15 years, re- of our economy to the whims of ty- No.
placing coal with natural gas has ac- rants. I am here for one simple reason, and
counted for 60 percent of our national So nearly 50 years after the 1973 oil I want to make sure that the C–SPAN
carbon reductions, and that is really crisis, let’s make this the year that we cameras are capturing this moment for
good. But we need to do a lot better be- finally pass a coherent plan for Amer- posterity.
cause the time is ticking. And now we ica’s energy independence. Let’s finally I come to the floor today to honor
have the opportunity, because of this organize our thinking and advance a Keith Roachford, a member of my staff
bill, to secure America’s position as plan that liberates us from foreign en- who has faithfully served the State of
the global standard for production— ergy and tackles the threat of climate New Jersey, the U.S. Senate, and the
modeled on our example in Colorado, change head-on. United States of America for more
where we passed the first law to cap- And while we are at it, let’s reforge than 35 years.
ture fugitive methane when Senator the engine of American manufacturing As you can see from Keith’s face, it is
HICKENLOOPER was our Governor—by to produce the clean energy we need clear that he had no idea this was hap-
driving down methane pollution and and to create thousands of good-paying pening. We told him he was coming for
strengthening cleanup and monitoring jobs along the way. another reason, and I don’t think we
across the supply chain. Let’s support our European allies by would have gotten him otherwise.
The last thing we should accept is exporting cleaner American energy so But, nonetheless, I rise today be-
the leaking pipes that the status quo they don’t have to rely on coal or Rus- cause, after 35 years and 18 Congresses,
allows when we have tools available to sian gas to heat their homes through Keith is retiring from the Senate, and
do better. the winter. as result, I wanted to come to the floor
And we can’t accept the painful price There is no country in the world bet-
to send him off with a tribute befitting
ter prepared than the United States to
shocks that the American people have his legendary career.
lead this effort. And this bill will do
to bear because of our lack of a coher- A native son of Willingboro, NJ,
more than anything we have ever done
ent energy policy. Keith has served not one, not two but
Fortunately, this bill lays the foun- to strengthen our hand in this regard.
In another era, a proposal like this four U.S. Senators for the Garden
dation for a responsible energy policy State. He is the very definition of insti-
would have received 70 votes on the
for the country, and it has the largest tutional knowledge, and countless fel-
Senate floor. Every provision in here is
investment to fight climate change in low staff members can attest to his ex-
a victory for common sense and a vic-
the Nation’s history. And it is full of perience, which has saved the day on
tory for the American people over spe-
proposals I have worked on for years, more than one occasion.
cial interests and the status quo.
proposals to rapidly deploy clean en- Frankly, I don’t know how many peo- Keith has sometimes said that he has
ergy and to provide industry the long- ple can go home and say they voted been here so long he came with the fur-
term certainty it needs, to boost Amer- against a balanced approach to achieve niture. It is a classic Keith line, a
ican manufacturing for wind and solar energy independence, fight climate glimpse not only into his sense of
and batteries to power electric vehicles change, and lower costs for families at humor but also his view of how staff
and our energy grid, to invest $14 bil- this moment in our history. work behind the scenes gets things
lion to help rural communities transi- I don’t know how you would go home done.
tion from fossil fuels, along with over and say they voted to preserve tax Now, that may be the case, but
$25 billion for environmentally friendly loopholes for hedge fund managers and today, Keith, I rise to shine a spotlight
farming, conservation, and forest billion-dollar corporations that no on your illustrious career.
health. American family can even imagine as To start, I would like to share some
We also have an opportunity in this they are paying the rates of taxation of the stories that his colleagues have
bill to address the drought that is rav- that they are paying or how they voted sent me:
aging the American West and to do it to let pharmaceutical companies con- Keith has not only been a mentor to me,
in a way that measurably improves the tinue to gouge the American people in- he’s also been a friend to anyone lucky
situation of the Colorado River Basin, stead of letting Medicare negotiate on enough to come into contact with him.
reflects the interest of the people of my their behalf; how they voted against re- When I think of Keith, the words that
State and other States in the Upper come to mind are helpful, generous, thought-
ducing our deficit by $300 billion.
Basin, and actually deals, finally, with ful—a patient and understanding team play-
But that is the choice we have in er.
the long-term causes of the crisis that front of us. To me, it is a choice that is
we face. obvious. We have got to pass this bill. Another one said:
When you add it all up, this bill We need to seize the moment to lower He is so kind to everyone, from interns to
would put us on track to reduce carbon costs for the American people, to make the Chief of Staff, and is always—always—
pollution 40 percent by the end of the willing to share his knowledge with others.
our Tax Code a little fairer, to secure
decade. That is light years ahead of our energy independence, and spark a So it brings me immense joy to speak
where we would be without it. new era of clean energy manufacturing these words into the CONGRESSIONAL
But even if you don’t care about cli- and innovation to support our allies RECORD so that, like Keith’s legacy,
mate change, you should still like this and lead the world in a fight against they may stand the test of time.
bill because it lowers costs for families. climate change and, hopefully, hope- But beyond his accolades, beyond his
How does it do that? fully, hopefully, leave something a lit- track record and sterling reputation,
By increasing the supply of American tle bit better for the next generation of Keith, at heart, is a humble man. I
energy with a responsible approach Americans. know it isn’t easy for him to be sitting
while reducing demand for oil and gas I thank my colleague from New Jer- here, listening to me shower praise on
by putting more renewables and elec- sey for his patience. him, but to that I say: Well, you are
tric vehicles on the market. I yield the floor. still on the payroll so you will have to
According to a recent study, this bill The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. bear with it.
would reduce the average family’s elec- OSSOFF). The Senator from New Jersey. But above all, Keith is a family man,
tricity bill by hundreds of dollars a Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I a devoted husband to his wife Sandy
year. From my perspective, as I said, was happy to listen to my colleague and an incredible father to his beloved
this transition should have started 25 from Colorado’s erudite exposition of children, Rick, Daniel, and Lauren.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE
years ago, and we can’t wait any what the opportunity is before us and He is a man that every day for the
longer. Now is the moment to act. what it means for the American people, last 36 years has braved the brutal belt-
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should and so I very much appreciate it. way traffic to come into work in the
finally rid America and our allies of TRIBUTE TO KEITH ROACHFORD Hart Senate Office Building. And he is
the delusion that we can continue to Mr. President, I come to the floor a man that every weekend has made a
rely on foreign dictators for our energy today for a very important reason. I similar trip with his family to attend
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S4032 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 4, 2022
services at St. George’s Episcopal a trademark for a public servant de- ate service. We are going to miss you,
Church here in DC. voted to the common good, a namesake certainly so. But to you, to Sandy, and
Keith credits his faith for guiding that all of us in this Chamber would do to your three children, we wish you all
him throughout his life, and he would well to emulate. the best on a well-deserved retirement.
be the first to tell you that it has been I will end with this: Last March, I Thank you, Keith.
a moral compass for him, season after came to this floor to rebuke the words I yield the floor.
political season. But as the Book of that a colleague used in reference to I suggest the absence of a quorum.
James asks, ‘‘What good is someone the January 6 attack. I won’t use the The PRESIDING OFFICER. The
who says they have faith but does not time to rehash what I said; instead, I clerk will call the roll.
have works?’’ will use this time to once again lift up The senior assistant legislative clerk
Fret not. In addition to his duties as the bravery and the courage of the man proceeded to call the roll.
senior warden of the Vestry at St. who compelled me to act. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask
George’s, Keith takes the time to give Late one night, Keith sent me an unanimous consent that the order for
back to his community. He is a mem- email that outlined the pain and the the quorum call be rescinded.
ber of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. outrage he felt after reading our col- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
He serves as the secretary of the con- league’s comments. In personal terms, objection, it is so ordered.
vention of the Episcopal Diocese of he relayed how his entire life he has f
Washington, and he is a Boy Scout had to endure—in overt and covert EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
leader. ways—the harmful legacy of racism
At every opportunity, he goes out of and the stain of White supremacy. Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask
his way to give back. It is a trait he Knowing Keith, it could not have unanimous consent that the Senate
learned growing up. As the son and been easy to type that message to his consider the following nominations en
grandson of public servants, Keith was boss, a sitting U.S. Senator. bloc: Calendar Nos. 967, 994, 1094, 1095,
taught from an early age that service But as I said in that speech, there 1104, 1126, 1127, 1128, 891, 892, 893, 1114,
to others is the highest calling. comes a time when you either ruffle 1123, and 1069 through 1077; that the
His grandfather was a transit oper- some feathers and speak the truth or Senate vote on the nominations en bloc
ator for the city of New York, while his you fail to do justice to the values you without intervening action or debate;
father, a veteran of the U.S. Army and hold dear. the motions to reconsider be consid-
the New Jersey Army National Guard, The U.S. Senate is a better institu- ered made and laid upon the table; and
worked for the sanitation department tion, and I am certainly a better Sen- that the President be immediately no-
for 37 years. It is no surprise, then, ator, for having Keith Roachford work tified Senate’s action.
that Keith has followed in their foot- in these Halls. He is man of principle, The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without
steps. He is a throwback to a previous a man of God, a man who has put every objection, it is so ordered.
era, one where individuals spent years, ounce of his being into the work that The question is, Will the Senate ad-
if not decades, working for the same New Jerseyans have sent us here to do. vise and consent to the nominations of
organization. He is the first person to tell you that Nasser H. Paydar, of Indiana, to be As-
I know Keith never intended to spend he is not perfect, the first to say that sistant Secretary for Postsecondary
36 years working in the Senate. He he has certainly seen it all over 36 long Education, Department of Education;
used to joke with colleagues that he years of service, but, by God, I cannot David Applegate, of Pennsylvania, to
came to Washington fresh out of the help but feel so thankful, so grateful be Director of the United States Geo-
college just to try it out. But in the that we have been blessed with his logical Survey; Susie Feliz, of Virginia,
process, he has gone from working as a presence. He is a calm and steady hand to be an Assistant Secretary of Com-
constituent liaison, to mail director, to that has helped guide our office since merce; Donald R. Cravins, of Maryland,
deputy chief of staff, and so much 2006. to be Under Secretary of Commerce for
more. He is the quiet one, the one who Minority Business Development (New
Today, Keith is an indispensable re- keeps his powder dry and plays the Position); Jaime Areizaga-Soto, of Vir-
source for our legislative staff. He is long game; the one who never loses ginia, to be Chairman of the Board of
our go-to person for appropriations, de- sight of the ultimate goal, which is to Veterans’ Appeals for a term of six
fense, veterans’ issues, homeland secu- improve the lives of hard-working years; Kathryn Wheelbarger, of Cali-
rity, and the budget. American families. fornia, to be a Member of the Board of
He has had a hand in passing count- John Madison, one of the Framers of Directors of the United States Insti-
less initiatives for our office, from sup- our Constitution, once said: tute of Peace for a term of four years;
porting community development finan- Michael K. Singh, of Illinois, to be a
If men were angels, no government would
cial institutions to shoring up supply be needed. Member of the Board of Directors of
chains and expanding senior housing, the United States Institute of Peace
I have never met an angel, but I have
to inserting provisions in the PACT for a term of four years; Jonathan
worked alongside Keith Roachford for
Act—that is how we got him here, tell- Wingate Burks, of Virginia, to be a
16 of those 36 years. He has served with
ing him that is what we were going to Member of the Board of Directors of
me longer than any other of the U.S.
talk about—that addresses the needs of the United States Institute of Peace
Senators he has worked with. And it is
veterans suffering from Gulf war ill- for a term of four years; Edward Ga-
why I can truthfully say without pause
ness. briel, of the District of Columbia, to be
or equivocation that Keith Roachford
Keith has had a hand in far too many a Member of the Board of Directors of
is truly doing God’s work here on
legislative wins to count, but suffice to the United States Institute of Peace
Earth.
say, the legend of Keith Roachford has for a term of four years; Nathalie
When Keith first mentioned to me
led to what we call ‘‘the Roachford Rayes, of Massachusetts, to be a Mem-
that he was thinking of leaving, he said
Rule,’’ which is simple: With every ap- ber of the Board of Directors of the
the most incredible thing. He said:
propriations letter I sign on to, with United States Institute of Peace for a
You know, Senator, it’s just that with the term of four years; Mary Green Swig,
every bill I cosponsor, for something to
pandemic and with work from home, I’ve
pass the Roachford Rule, it needs to of California, to be a Member of the
just gotten to spend more time with Sandy
have a tangible benefit for New Jersey and the kids. Board of Directors of the United States
families. We don’t want to wait any longer to get Institute of Peace for a term of four
Much like the man it is named after, started. years; Yohannes Abraham, of Virginia,
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the Roachford Rule is about connecting We make breakfast and we take walks. . . . to be Representative of the United
what we do here in DC to the people I just don’t want to wait any longer to do States of America to the Association of
whose lives it affects back home. that. Southeast Asian Nations, with the
Long after Keith has left the Senate, That is Keith in a nutshell. That is rank and status of Ambassador Ex-
his rule will live on, a testament to his who he is. So I want to congratulate traordinary and Plenipotentiary; Shir-
relentless pursuit of good government, Keith on an incredible 36 years of Sen- ley Sachi Sagawa, of Maryland, to be a
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