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formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-3499. A letter from the Secretary, Department of Defense, transmitting a letter on the approved retirement of Lieutenant General Sami D. Said, Air National Guard of the United States, and his advancement to the grade of lieutenant general on the retired list, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1370(c)(1); Public Law 96-513, Sec. 112 (as amended by Public Law 104-106, Sec. 502(b)); (110 Stat. 293); to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-3500. A letter from the Congressional Assistant III, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the System's final rule -- Federal Reserve Bank Capital Stock [Regulation I; Docket No.: R-1745] (RIN: 7100- AG13) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-3501. A letter from the Chief Innovation Officer, Rural Development Innovation Center, Rural Housing Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Direct Single Family Housing Loans and Grants Programs [Docket No.: RHS-21-SFH-0025] (RIN: 0575-AD14) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-3502. A letter from the Chief, Planning and Regulatory Affairs Office, Department of Agriculture, transmitting the Department's Major final rule -- Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium [FNS-2020-0038] (RIN: 0584-AE81) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and Labor. EC-3503. A letter from the Deputy Bureau Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's Major final rule -- Affordable Connectivity Program [WC Docket No.: 21-450]; Emergency Broadband Benefit Program [WC Docket No.: 20-445] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3504. A letter from the Deputy Bureau Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism [CC Docket No.: 02-6] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3505. A letter from the OCA Director, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Receipts-Based NRC Size Standards [NRC-2014-0264] (RIN: 3150-AJ51) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3506. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to Venezuela that was declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257) and 50 U.S.C. 1703(c); Public Law 95-223, Sec 204(c); (91 Stat. 1627); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3507. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared in Executive Order 12957 of March 15, 1995, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257) and 50 U.S.C. 1703(c); Public Law 95-223, Sec 204(c); (91 Stat. 1627); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3508. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting a final report on the national emergency with respect to Burundi that was declared in Executive Order 13712 of November 22, 2015, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257) and 50 U.S.C. 1703(c); Public Law 95-223, Sec 204(c); (91 Stat. 1627); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3509. A letter from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Ethiopia Sanctions Regulations received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3510. A letter from the Office of Regulatory Affairs, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Burundi Sanctions Regulations received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3511. A letter from the Director, Regulatory Secretariat Division, General Services Administration, transmitting the Administration's final rule -- General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR); Updates to References to Individuals with Disabilities [GSAR Case 2021- G529; Docket No.: GSA-GSAR 2022-0006; Sequence No.: 1] (RIN: 3090-AK50) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-3512. A letter from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Inflation Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-3513. A letter from the Director, Legal Processing Division, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- Determination of Substantially Equal Periodic Payments [Notice 2022-6] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3514. A letter from the Director, Legal Processing Division, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- 2022 Cumulative List of Changes in Section 403(b) Requirements for Section 403(b) Pre-approved Plans [Notice 2022-8] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3515. A letter from the Director, Legal Processing Division, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- 2022 Indexed Qualifying Payment Amount (Rev. Proc. 2022-11) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3516. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- COVID-19 Relief Under Sections 42, 142(d), and 147(d) [Notice 2022-5] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3517. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- Mayo Clinic v. United States,997 F.3d 789 (8th Cir. 2021) [AOD-117979-21] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3518. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- Revocation of Announcement 2001-33 [Announcement 2021-18] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3519. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- Guidance On Reporting Qualified Sick Leave Wages and Qualified Family Leave Wages Paid for Leave Provided in 2021 [Notice 2021-53] received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3520. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- Revenue Ruling: 2021 Base Period T-Bill Rate (Rev. Rul. 2021-22) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3521. A letter from the Chief, Publications and Regulations Branch, Internal Revenue Service, transmitting the Service's interim final rules -- Prescription Drug and Health Care Spending [TD 9958] (RIN: 1545-BQ10) received February 18, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-3522. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's report entitled, ``Computation of Annual Liability Insurance (Including Self-Insurance), No- Fault Insurance, and Workers' Compensation Settlement Recovery Threshold'', pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395y(b)(9)(D); Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XVIII, Sec. 1862(b)(9)(D) (as added by Public Law 112-242, Sec. 202(a)(2)); (126 Stat. 2379); jointly to the Committees on Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgH1174 | null | 4,000 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to the order of the Senate of January 24, 1901, as amended by the order of February 10, 2022, the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy, will now read Washington's Farewell Address. Mr. LEAHY, at the rostrum, read the Farewell Address, as follows:To the people of the United States Friends and Fellow-Citizens: The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being not far distant, and the time actually arrived when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made. I beg you at the same time to do me the justice to be assured that this resolution has not been taken without a strict regard to all the considerations appertaining to the relation which binds a dutiful citizen to his country--and that, in withdrawing the tender of service which silence in my situation might imply, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future interest, no deficiency of grateful respect for your past kindness, but am supported by a full conviction that the step is compatible with both. The acceptance of, and continuance hitherto in, the office to which your suffrages have twice called me have been a uniform sacrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty and to a deference for what appeared to be your desire. I constantly hoped that it would have been much earlier in my power, consistently with motives which I was not at liberty to disregard, to return to that retirement from which I had been reluctantly drawn. The strength of my inclination to do this, previous to the last election, had even led to the preparation of an address to declare it to you; but mature reflection on the then perplexed and critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations, and the unanimous advice of persons entitled to my confidence, impelled me to abandon the idea. I rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the pursuit of inclination incompatible with the sentiment of duty or propriety and am persuaded, whatever partiality may be retained for my services, that in the present circumstances of our country you will not disapprove my determination to retire. The impressions with which I first undertook the arduous trust were explained on the proper occasion. In the discharge of this trust, I will only say that I have, with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and administration of the government the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable. Not unconscious in the outset of the inferiority of my qualifications, experience in my own eyes, perhaps still more in the eyes of others, has strengthened the motives to diffidence of myself, and every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome. Satisfied that if any circumstances have given peculiar value to my services, they were temporary, I have the consolation to believe that, while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene, patriotism does not forbid it. In looking forward to the moment which is intended to terminate the career of my public life, my feelings do not permit me to suspend the deep acknowledgment of that debt of gratitude which I owe to my beloved country for the many honors it has conferred upon me, still more for the steadfast confidence with which it has supported me and for the opportunities I have thence enjoyed of manifesting my inviolable attachment by services faithful and persevering, though in usefulness unequal to my zeal. If benefits have resulted to our country from these services, let it always be remembered to your praise and as an instructive example in our annals that, under circumstances in which the passions agitated in every direction were liable tomislead, amidst appearances sometimes dubious, vicissitudes of fortune often discouraging, in situations in which not unfrequently want of success has countenanced the spirit of criticism, the constancy of your support was the essential prop of the efforts and a guarantee of the plans by which they were effected. Profoundly penetrated with this idea, I shall carry it with me to my grave as a strong incitement to unceasing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choicest tokens of its beneficence; that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue; that, in fine, the happiness of the people of these states, under the auspices of liberty, may be made complete by so careful a preservation and so prudent a use of this blessing as will acquire to them the glory of recommending it to the applause, the affection, and adoption of every nation which is yet a stranger to it. Here, perhaps, I ought to stop. But a solicitude for your welfare, which cannot end but with my life, and the apprehension of danger natural to that solicitude, urge me on an occasion like the present to offer to your solemn contemplation, and to recommend to your frequent review, some sentiments which are the result of much reflection, of no inconsiderable observation, and which appear to me all important to the permanency of your felicity as a people. These will be offered to you with the more freedom as you can only see in them the disinterested warnings of a parting friend, who can possibly have no personal motive to bias his counsel. Nor can I forget, as an encouragement to it, your indulgent reception of my sentiments on a former and not dissimilar occasion. Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the attachment. The unity of government which constitutes you one people is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad, of your safety, of your prosperity, of that very liberty which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts. For this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest. Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together. The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts--of common dangers, sufferings, and successes. But these considerations, however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your interest. Here every portion of our country finds the most commanding motives for carefully guarding and preserving the Union of the whole. The North, in an unrestrained intercourse with the South, protected by the equal laws of a common government, finds in the productions of the latter great additional resources of maritime and commercial enterprise and precious materials of manufacturing industry. The South in the same intercourse, benefitting by the agency of the North, sees its agriculture grow and its commerce expand. Turning partly into its own channels the seamen of the North, it finds its particular navigation invigorated; and while it contributes, in different ways, to nourish and increase the general mass of the national navigation, it looks forward to the protection of a maritime strength to which itself is unequally adapted. The East, in a like intercourse with the West, already finds, and in the progressive improvement of interior communications by land and water will more and more find a valuable vent for the commodities which it brings from abroad or manufactures at home. The West derives from the East supplies requisite to its growth and comfort--and what is perhaps of still greater consequence, it must of necessity owe the secure enjoyment of indispensable outlets for its own productions to the weight, influence, and the future maritime strength of the Atlantic side of the Union, directed by an indissoluble community of interest as one nation. Any other tenure by which the West can hold this essential advantage, whether derived from its own separate strength or from an apostate and unnatural connection with any foreign power, must be intrinsically precarious. While then every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in union, all the parts combined cannot fail to find in the united mass of means and efforts greater strength, greater resource, proportionably greater security from external danger, a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign nations; and, what is of inestimable value! they must derive from union an exemption from those broils and wars between themselves which so frequently afflict neighboring countries not tied together by the same government, which their own rivalships alone would be sufficient to produce, but which opposite foreign alliances, attachments, and intrigues would stimulate and embitter. Hence likewise they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which under any form of government are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. In this sense it is, that your Union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty, and that the love of the one ought to endear to you the preservation of the other. These considerations speak a persuasive language to every reflecting and virtuous mind and exhibit the continuance of the Union as a primary object of patriotic desire. Is there a doubt whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere? Let experience solve it. To listen to mere speculation in such a case were criminal. We are authorized to hope that a proper organization of the whole, with the auxiliary agency of governments for the respective subdivisions, will afford a happy issue to the experiment. It is well worth a fair and full experiment. With such powerful and obvious motives to union affecting all parts of our country, while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be reason to distrust the patriotism of those who in any quarter may endeavor to weaken its bands. In contemplating the causes which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by geographical discriminations--northern and southern--Atlantic and western; whence designing men may endeavor to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views. One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heart burnings which spring from these misrepresentations. They tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection. The inhabitantsof our western country have lately had a useful lesson on this head. They have seen in the negotiation by the executive--and in the unanimous ratification by the Senate--of the treaty with Spain, and in the universal satisfaction at that event throughout the United States, a decisive proof how unfounded were the suspicions propagated among them of a policy in the general government and in the Atlantic states unfriendly to their interests in regard to the Mississippi. They have been witnesses to the formation of two treaties, that with Great Britain and that with Spain, which secure to them everything they could desire, in respect to our foreign relations, towards confirming their prosperity. Will it not be their wisdom to rely for the preservation of these advantages on the Union by which they were procured? Will they not henceforth be deaf to those advisers, if such there are, who would sever them from their brethren and connect them with aliens? To the efficacy and permanency of your Union, a government for the whole is indispensable. No alliances, however strict, between the parts can be an adequate substitute. They must inevitably experience the infractions and interruptions which all alliances in all times have experienced. Sensible of this momentous truth, you have improved upon your first essay by the adoption of a Constitution of government better calculated than your former for an intimate Union and for the efficacious management of your common concerns. This government, the offspring of our own choice uninfluenced and unawed, adopted upon full investigation and mature deliberation, completely free in its principles, in the distribution of its powers uniting security with energy, and containing within itself a provision for its own amendment, has a just claim to your confidence and your support. Respect for its authority, compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, until changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government. All obstructions to the execution of the laws, all combinations and associations under whatever plausible character with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction; to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common councils and modified by mutual interests. However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion. Towards the preservation of your government and the permanency of your present happy state, it is requisite not only that you steadily discountenance irregular oppositions to its acknowledged authority but also that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts. One method of assault may be to effect in the forms of the Constitution alterations which will impair the energy of the system and thus to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown. In all the changes to which you may be invited, remember that time and habit are at least as necessary to fix the true character of governments as of other human institutions, that experience is the surest standard by which to test the real tendency of the existing constitution of a country, that facility in changes upon the credit of mere hypotheses and opinion exposes to perpetual change from the endless variety of hypotheses and opinion; and remember, especially, that for the efficient management of your common interests in a country so extensive as ours, a government of as much vigor as is consistent with the perfect security of liberty is indispensable; liberty itself will find in such a government, with powers properly distributed and adjusted, its surest guardian. It is indeed little else than a name, where the government is too feeble to withstand the enterprises of faction, to confine each member of the society within the limits prescribed by the laws, and to maintain all in the secure and tranquil enjoyment of the rights of person and property. I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the state, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party, generally. This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but in those of the popular form it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy. The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and the duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another. There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true--and in governments of a monarchical cast patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest instead of warming it should consume. It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power and proneness to abuse it which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of thetruth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositories and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern, some of them in our country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them. If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield. Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric? Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened. As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible, avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear. The execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives, but it is necessary that public opinion should cooperate. To facilitate to them the performance of their duty, it is essential that you should practically bear in mind that towards the payment of debts there must be revenue; that to have revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant; that the intrinsic embarrassment inseparable from the selection of the proper objects (which is always a choice of difficulties) ought to be a decisive motive for a candid construction of the conduct of the government in making it, and for a spirit of acquiescence in the measures for obtaining revenue which the public exigencies may at any time dictate. Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all; religion and morality enjoin this conduct, and can it be that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt that in the course of time and things the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it? Can it be, that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! is it rendered impossible by its vices? In the execution of such a plan nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded and that in place of them just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. Antipathy in one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and to be haughty and intractable when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur. Hence frequent collisions, obstinate, envenomed, and bloody contests. The nation, prompted by ill will and resentment, sometimes impels to war the government, contrary to the best calculations of policy. The government sometimes participates in the national propensity and adopts through passion what reason would reject; at other times, it makes the animosity of the nation subservient to projects of hostility instigated by pride, ambition and other sinister and pernicious motives. The peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of nations has been the victim. So likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter, without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions, by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained and by exciting jealousy, ill will, and a disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without odium, sometimes even with popularity, gilding with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation. As avenues to foreign influence in innumerable ways, such attachments are particularly alarming to the truly enlightened and independent patriot. How many opportunities do they afford to tamper with domestic factions, to practice the arts of seduction, to mislead public opinion, to influence or awe the public councils! Such an attachment of a small or weak towards a great and powerful nation dooms the former to be the satellite of the latter. Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy to be useful must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favorite, are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people to surrender their interests. The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop. Europe has a set of primary interests, which to us have none or a veryremote relation. Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence therefore it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves, by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicissitudes of her politics or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities. Our detached and distant situation invites and enables us to pursue a different course. If we remain one people under an efficient government, the period is not far off when we may defy material injury from external annoyance; when we may take such an attitude as will cause the neutrality we may at any time resolve upon to be scrupulously respected; when belligerent nations, under the impossibility of making acquisitions upon us, will not lightly hazard the giving us provocation; when we may choose peace or war, as our interest guided by justice shall counsel. Why forgo the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rival-ship, interest, humor, or caprice? It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world--so far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it, for let me not be understood as capable of patronizing infidelity to existing engagements (I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy)--I repeat it therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But in my opinion it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them. Taking care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments, on a respectably defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies. Harmony, liberal intercourse with all nations, are recommended by policy, humanity, and interest. But even our commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand: neither seeking nor granting exclusive favors or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of commerce but forcing nothing; establishing with powers so disposed--in order to give to trade a stable course, to define the rights of our merchants, and to enable the government to support them--conventional rules of intercourse, the best that present circumstances and mutual opinion will permit, but temporary, and liable to be from time to time abandoned or varied, as experience and circumstances shall dictate; constantly keeping in view, that it is folly in one nation to look for disinterested favors from another--that it must pay with a portion of its independence for whatever it may accept under that character--that by such acceptance it may place itself in the condition of having given equivalents for nominal favors and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. It is an illusion which experience must cure, which a just pride ought to discard. In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish--that they will control the usual current of the passions or prevent our nation from running the course which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. But if I may even flatter myself that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good, that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism--this hope will be a full recompense for the solicitude for your welfare by which they have been dictated. How far in the discharge of my official duties I have been guided by the principles which have been delineated, the public records and other evidences of my conduct must witness to you and to the world. To myself, the assurance of my own conscience is that I have at least believed myself to be guided by them. In relation to the still subsisting war in Europe, my proclamation of the 22d of April 1793 is the index to my plan. Sanctioned by your approving voice and by that of your representatives in both houses of Congress, the spirit of that measure has continually governed me, uninfluenced by any attempts to deter or divert me from it. After deliberate examination with the aid of the best lights I could obtain, I was well satisfied that our country, under all the circumstances of the case, had a right to take--and was bound in duty and interest to take--a neutral position. Having taken it, I determined, as far as should depend upon me, to maintain it with moderation, perseverence, and firmness. The considerations which respect the right to hold this conduct it is not necessary on this occasion to detail. I will only observe that, according to my understanding of the matter, that right, so far from being denied by any of the belligerent powers, has been virtually admitted by all. The duty of holding a neutral conduct may be inferred, without anything more, from the obligation which justice and humanity impose on every nation, in cases in which it is free to act, to maintain inviolate the relations of peace and amity towards other nations. The inducements of interest for observing that conduct will best be referred to your own reflections and experience. With me, a predominant motive has been to endeavor to gain time to our country to settle and mature its yet recent institutions and to progress without interruption to that degree of strength and consistency which is necessary to give it, humanly speaking, the command of its own fortunes. Though in reviewing the incidents of my administration I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view them with indulgence and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest. Relying on its kindness in this as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it which is so natural to a man who views in it the native soil of himself and his progenitors for several generations, I anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat, in which I promise myself to realize without alloy the sweet enjoyment of partaking in the midst of my fellow citizens the benign influence of good laws under a free government--the ever favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors and dangers. Geo. Washington. United States, 19th September 1796. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | The PRESIDING OFFICER | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS811-5 | null | 4,001 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now, next, on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, on Friday, Joe Biden--President Biden--made history, wonderful history, by announcing his nominee to replace Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. As promised, President Biden named, for the first time in history--the first time in history--a Black woman to sit on the High Court. As promised, his nominee is beyond qualified and brilliant. And as promised, the Senate will now begin the work of quickly confirming Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. Appointing individuals to the High Court, as we all know, is truly one of the awesome responsibilities of any President. And in choosing Judge Jackson, President Biden has hit a home run with an evenhanded and so gifted jurist. More importantly, I congratulate Judge Jackson for this historic honor--one that reflects her skills, her accomplishments, and, above all, her dedication to our democracy. I have been doing a lot of reading on Judge Jackson over the last month, and I cannot recall any one of her colleagues, anyone from her private life, or anyone in the public sphere say anything negative about her. It is amazing. That is how fine a person she is and how fine a mind she has. Judge Jackson encapsulates the two b's: brilliant and beloved. That is a rare combination. And her nomination is a cause for immense celebration. I will be meeting with Judge Jackson Wednesday when she comes to the Capitol for the first time. Meanwhile, I am working with Chairman Durbin to schedule confirmation hearings on Judge Jackson as soon as we can. Once the Judiciary Committee completes its consideration of Judge Jackson, I will move to have her nomination come immediately to the floor of the Senate so the Senate wastes no time fulfilling its constitutional duty. We are going to have a fair but speedy process where Members from both sides will get to ask their questions and explore the judge's record. Of course, Judge Jackson is no stranger to the Senate. This will be the fourth time--the fourth time--she comes before this body. In each previous instance, Republicans and Democrats together voted in favor of her various nominations. We voted last year to confirm Judge Jackson to the influential DC Circuit Court of Appeals, and she received support from all 50 Democrats and 3 Republicans. And, of course, the first time she came before us as a district court judge, it was a voice vote, which meant no one objected to her getting on the Federal bench--no one in the Senate, anyway. Judge Jackson's various nominations have won bipartisan support in the past, and her nomination now merits bipartisan support in the present. I hope both sides can work together in a fair and speedy way to make it happen. I will have more to say on Judge Jackson's remarkable profile in the days and weeks ahead, but today, I want to congratulate her on her nomination. I thank President Biden for selecting her, and I look forward to meeting with her on Wednesday when she arrives at the Capitol. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS816-4 | null | 4,002 |
formal | extremist | null | Islamophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. On the Women's Healthcare Protection Act, later today, the Senate is going to vote on a simple yet urgent question: Will this Chamber agree to begin debate on protecting a women's right to make her own healthcare choices? Across the country, it is a dark, dark time for women's reproductive rights. Last year, we saw the most--the most--abortion restrictions passed by State legislatures in a single year. Some of them were almost vicious--the vigilantism of Texas's law. I call it vicious vigilantism. Many of these new laws are downright extreme, effectively extinguishing women's ability to even exercise their rights at all. The new, extreme restrictions fly largely in the face of public opinion. They also fly in the face of commonsense health practices. Frankly, they fly against common decency itself, and sadly it seems like the Supreme Court is close to drastically restricting this long-established right in the coming months. So the Senate today is going to take action because abortion has never been more at risk in America. Indeed, this will be the first time the Senate takes a vote on a stand-alone bill to proactively codify Roe. Let me say that again. This will be the first time that the Senate takes a vote on a stand-alone bill to proactively codify Roe. Every American--every American--deserves to know where his or her Senator stands on an issue as important as the right to choose, and today's vote will do that. From the moment that Roe was decided in 1973, the most extreme elements of the Republican Party have plotted its demise. The Federalist Society was founded with the intent of cultivating a generation of judges loyal to conservative causes. Sadly, it seems like the Supreme Court is posed to severely limit abortion rights in the coming months. That is why this bill is essential. Congress must codify into law what most Americans have long believed--that abortion is a fundamental right and that women's decisions over women's healthcare belong to women, not--not--to extremist rightwing legislatures. We must vote in favor to hold a debate on this bill. I will proudly, strongly vote yes. I urge my colleagues to do the same. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS817 | null | 4,003 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. On the Women's Healthcare Protection Act, later today, the Senate is going to vote on a simple yet urgent question: Will this Chamber agree to begin debate on protecting a women's right to make her own healthcare choices? Across the country, it is a dark, dark time for women's reproductive rights. Last year, we saw the most--the most--abortion restrictions passed by State legislatures in a single year. Some of them were almost vicious--the vigilantism of Texas's law. I call it vicious vigilantism. Many of these new laws are downright extreme, effectively extinguishing women's ability to even exercise their rights at all. The new, extreme restrictions fly largely in the face of public opinion. They also fly in the face of commonsense health practices. Frankly, they fly against common decency itself, and sadly it seems like the Supreme Court is close to drastically restricting this long-established right in the coming months. So the Senate today is going to take action because abortion has never been more at risk in America. Indeed, this will be the first time the Senate takes a vote on a stand-alone bill to proactively codify Roe. Let me say that again. This will be the first time that the Senate takes a vote on a stand-alone bill to proactively codify Roe. Every American--every American--deserves to know where his or her Senator stands on an issue as important as the right to choose, and today's vote will do that. From the moment that Roe was decided in 1973, the most extreme elements of the Republican Party have plotted its demise. The Federalist Society was founded with the intent of cultivating a generation of judges loyal to conservative causes. Sadly, it seems like the Supreme Court is posed to severely limit abortion rights in the coming months. That is why this bill is essential. Congress must codify into law what most Americans have long believed--that abortion is a fundamental right and that women's decisions over women's healthcare belong to women, not--not--to extremist rightwing legislatures. We must vote in favor to hold a debate on this bill. I will proudly, strongly vote yes. I urge my colleagues to do the same. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS817 | null | 4,004 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Ms. SINEMA. Madam President, I strongly believe a woman's healthcare decisions should be between her, her doctor, and her family, which is why I voted to advance today's bill. If it advanced, I would have offered an amendment to remove editorial language that has no legislative effect and needlessly disparages everyday Americans based on their deeply and sincerely held beliefs. On issues so important and personal to many Americans, both parties should seek respectful understanding instead of ascribing motives or insulting those who hold different beliefs. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. SINEMA | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS832-2 | null | 4,005 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicate: EC-3275. A communication from the Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Farm Credit Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Administration's Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and Privacy Management Report received in the Office of the President pro tempore of the Senate; to the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Appropriations; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-3276. A communication from the Chief of the Planning and Regulatory Affairs Branch, Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains and Sodium'' (RIN0584-AE81) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3277. A communication from the Director of the Regulations Management Division, Rural Development, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Mandatory use of Guarantee Underwriting System (GUS) and Lender Loan Closing (LLC)'' (RIN0575-AD21) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3278. A communication from the Chief Innovation Officer, Rural Housing Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Direct Single Family Housing Loans and Grants Programs'' (RIN0575-AD14) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3279. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Bacillus subtilis strain CH3000; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance'' (FRL No. 9093-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3280. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Bacillus paralicheniformis strain CH2970; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance'' (FRL No. 9094-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3281. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain LAS02; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance'' (FRL No. 9253-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3282. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl)-a-hydro-w-hydroxy-, polymer with poly(isocyanatoalkyl) benzene, alkylol-blocked; Tolerance Exemption'' (FRL No. 9399-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3283. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a report relative to the issuance of an Executive Order declaring a national emergency with respect to the widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3284. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 12957 with respect to Iran; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3285. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 13712 with respect to Burundi; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3286. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 13692 with respect to Venezuela; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3287. A communication from the Congressional Affairs Director, Export-Import Bank of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a vacancy in the position of President, Export-Import Bank of the United States, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3288. A communication from the Acting Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Bureau's strategic plan for fiscal years 2022-2026; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3289. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Ethiopia Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 550) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3290. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Inflation Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties'' (31 CFR Chapter V) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3291. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Burundi Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 554) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3292. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Reserve Bank Capital Stock'' (RIN7100-AG13) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS835-6 | null | 4,006 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicate: EC-3275. A communication from the Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Farm Credit Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Administration's Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and Privacy Management Report received in the Office of the President pro tempore of the Senate; to the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Appropriations; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-3276. A communication from the Chief of the Planning and Regulatory Affairs Branch, Food and Nutrition Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards for Milk, Whole Grains and Sodium'' (RIN0584-AE81) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3277. A communication from the Director of the Regulations Management Division, Rural Development, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Mandatory use of Guarantee Underwriting System (GUS) and Lender Loan Closing (LLC)'' (RIN0575-AD21) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3278. A communication from the Chief Innovation Officer, Rural Housing Service, Department of Agriculture, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Direct Single Family Housing Loans and Grants Programs'' (RIN0575-AD14) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3279. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Bacillus subtilis strain CH3000; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance'' (FRL No. 9093-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3280. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Bacillus paralicheniformis strain CH2970; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance'' (FRL No. 9094-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3281. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain LAS02; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance'' (FRL No. 9253-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3282. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Poly(oxy-1 ,2-ethanediyl)-a-hydro-w-hydroxy-, polymer with poly(isocyanatoalkyl) benzene, alkylol-blocked; Tolerance Exemption'' (FRL No. 9399-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-3283. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a report relative to the issuance of an Executive Order declaring a national emergency with respect to the widespread humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3284. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 12957 with respect to Iran; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3285. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 13712 with respect to Burundi; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3286. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 13692 with respect to Venezuela; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3287. A communication from the Congressional Affairs Director, Export-Import Bank of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a vacancy in the position of President, Export-Import Bank of the United States, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3288. A communication from the Acting Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Bureau's strategic plan for fiscal years 2022-2026; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3289. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Ethiopia Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 550) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3290. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Inflation Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties'' (31 CFR Chapter V) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3291. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Burundi Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 554) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3292. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Reserve Bank Capital Stock'' (RIN7100-AG13) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS835-6 | null | 4,007 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | SA 4933. Mr. SCOTT of Florida submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 3076, to provide stability to and enhance the services of the United States Postal Service, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of section 101(d), add the following: (6) Continuing reimbursement by postal service for increased medicare costs.--The Postal Service shall reimburse the Secretary of Health and Human Services (to be deposited in the Treasury to the credit of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t) in such proportions as the Secretary determines appropriate) on a quarterly basis for any increased Federal costs incurred under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) by reason of the enactment of this section, not including-- (A) any amounts required to be reimbursed by the Postal Service under section 1839(e) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r(e)), as amended by this section; or (B) the amounts required to be credited to the Treasury by the Postal Service under paragraph (4) of this subsection. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-02-28-pt1-PgS840 | null | 4,008 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-02-pt1-PgH1246-3 | null | 4,009 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | A message from the Senate by Ms. Byrd, one of its clerks, announced that the Senate has passed a bill of the following title in which the concurrence of the House is requested: S. 3600. An act to improve the cybersecurity of the Federal Government, and for other purposes. The message also announced that pursuant to Public Law 117-81, the Chair, on behalf of the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, appoints the following individual to serve as a member of the Afghanistan War Commission: Daniel P. Fata of Massachusetts. The message also announced that pursuant to Public Law 106-398, as amended by Public Law 108-7, the Chair, on behalf of the Majority Leader, and in consultation with the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Finance, announces the appointment of the following individuals to serve as members of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission: Carte P. Goodwin, of West Virginia for a term beginning January 1, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2023 (reappointment). James Mann of New York for a term beginning January 1, 2022 and expiring December 31, 2023. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-02-pt1-PgH1246 | null | 4,010 |
formal | Chicago | null | racist | Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-3537. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Phosphoric Acid; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance [EPA-HQ-OPP- 2020-0214; FRL-9380-01-OCSPP] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3538. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; California; Ventura County Air Pollution Control District [EPA-R09-OAR-2021-0620; FRL-9188-02-R9] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3539. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Fatty Acids, Esters with Ethoxylated Triethanolamine; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance [EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0364; FRL-9534- 01-OCSPP] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3540. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Fluridone; Pesticide Tolerances for Emergency Exemptions [EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0337; FRL-9459-01-OCSPP] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3541. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Adipic acid; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance [EPA-HQ-OPP- 2021-0635 and EPA-HQ-OPP-2021-0636; FRL-9551-01-OCSPP] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3542. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; North Carolina: Mecklenburg Volatile Organic Compounds [EPA- R04-OAR-2021-0055; FRL-8986-02-R4] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3543. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; Wisconsin; Permit Streamlining Updates [EPA-R05-OAR-2020- 0504; FRL-9202-02-R5] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3544. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Potassium acetate; Exemption from the Requirement of a Tolerance [EPA-HQ-OPP- 2020-0349; FRL-9550-01-OCSPP] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-3545. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; Wisconsin; Serious Plan Elements for the Wisconsin Portion of Chicago Nonattainment Area for the 2008 Ozone Standard [EPA- R05-OAR-2020-0698; FRL-9215-02-R5] received February 28, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-02-pt1-PgH1273-3 | null | 4,011 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now for my remarks. Earlier this morning, it was an honor--a truly rare honor in my time in public service--to meet with Judge Jackson for the first time since her nomination to the Supreme Court. Before the meeting, I said Judge Jackson was brilliant and beloved, but now that I have met her, I will add another word: ``belongs.'' She is not only brilliant and beloved but belongs on the Supreme Court. I believe her nomination certainly merits a good number of votes from both parties, and I hope we see that as we move forward in the process. I am certain that when other Senators have a chance to meet with Judge Jackson, they will understand why she is beyond qualified to replace Justice Breyer on the Supreme Court. For one, if confirmed, Judge Jackson would have one of the most diverse professional backgrounds of any sitting Justice. Throughout her career, she has been a Federal defender; worked in private practice; sat on the U.S. Sentencing Commission; served as a district judge and as a circuit court judge on the DC Circuit; and of course, she was a clerk to Justice Breyer, the very same Justice whose seat she would now fill. As a district judge, Judge Jackson rendered more than 550 rulings and was rarely reversed by higher courts, illustrating her evenhanded application of the law and facts. Then, when you meet with her, you see that she has brought that broad experience and adopted it into her being. She empathizes with people. She emphasized to me that as a judge, she should try to understand both sides. You could tell, when you met her, that she really believed it and, since, has sort of integrated all of her experiences into her being. She had an incredibly phenomenal interview, as well as has an amazing record. For all of these reasons, Judge Jackson's nomination has already won support from individuals and organizations across the political spectrum. She is supported by civil rights advocates; she is supported by conservative judges and lawyers; she is supported by the Fraternal Order of Police. Someone who was a public defender is now supported by the Fraternal Order of Police? You can't get much better than that. And she is supported by scores ofmen and women who had the honor of working with her over the years. I have gone through her record. You can hardly find a single person she has met, as she has walked through life and met people, who has said a bad thing about her. And when you meet her, you can see why. When you meet her, you can see why. America will be much better off with someone like Judge Jackson on the Supreme Court. Our country deserves someone deeply experienced, broadly supported, and someone whose elevation as the first Black woman Justice signifies a long overdue step toward perfecting our Union. I am grateful to have had the chance to have met with the judge. I thank her for her time this morning, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to elevate this outstanding nominee to the Supreme Court very soon. In having met her and having studied her record, she deserves the support of Members from the other side of the aisle, and I am hopeful she will get a good number of them to support her. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2022-03-02-pt1-PgS921-7 | null | 4,012 |
formal | urban | null | racist | SA 4958. Ms. ERNST submitted an amendment intended to be proposed byher to the bill H.R. 3076, to provide stability to and enhance the services of the United States Postal Service, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of section 101, add the following: (e) Studying Impact on Medicare Part B Premiums and Preventing Any Significant Increase in Medicare Part B Premiums.-- (1) Study and reports.-- (A) Study.--The Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary (referred to in this subsection as the ``Chief Actuary'') shall study the potential impact of the implementation of the provisions of, and amendments made by, this section (other than this subsection) on monthly premiums under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395j et seq.). (B) Pre-implementation report.--Not later than January 1, 2025, the Chief Actuary shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under subparagraph (A). (C) Ongoing reports on premium impact.--Not later than the date on which the Chief Actuary determines the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over in each of 2037 through 2042 for the succeeding calendar year according to section 1839(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r(a)(1)), the Chief Actuary shall submit to Congress a report on the amount of any projected increase in monthly premiums under such part B for such succeeding calendar year as a result of the implementation of the provisions of, and amendments made by, this section (other than this subsection). (2) Preventing any significant increase in part b premiums.--Section 1839(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395r(a)) is amended-- (A) in the second sentence of paragraph (1), by striking ``and (7)'' and inserting ``(7), and (8)''; and (B) by adding at the end the following: ``(8)(A) For each applicable year (as defined in subparagraph (C)), the Secretary shall reduce the amount of the monthly premium otherwise established under paragraph (3) for applicable enrollees by the amount the Secretary determines necessary to ensure that any increase in monthly premiums under this part for such enrollees as a result of the implementation of the provisions of, and amendments made by, section 101 of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (other than subsection (e) of such section) is less than the applicable amount for such year. ``(B) In this paragraph, the term `applicable amount' means, with respect to an applicable year, $15, increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (U.S. city average) for the period beginning with July 2022 and ending with July of the year preceding the year involved. Any amount determined under the preceding sentence which is not a multiple of $1 shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $1 (or, if it is a multiple of 50 cents but not a multiple of $1, to the next higher multiple of $1). ``(C) In this paragraph, the term `applicable year' means any year (beginning with 2038 and ending with 2043) with respect to which the projected increase in monthly premiums under this part for the year (as reported under section 101(e)(1)(C) of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022) as a result of the implementation of the provisions of, and amendments made by, section 101 of such Act (other than subsection (e) of such section) would result in monthly premiums under this part increasing by the applicable amount for such year or more. ``(D) In this paragraph, the term `applicable enrollee' means, with respect to an applicable year, an individual who is not subject to a reduction in a premium subsidy pursuant to subsection (i) for months in such year.''. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-02-pt1-PgS954-4 | null | 4,013 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mrvan) laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288 of March 6, 2003, with respect to the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions is to continue in effect beyond March 6, 2022. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has not made the necessary political and economic reforms that would warrant terminating the existing targeted sanctions program. Throughout the last year, government security services routinely intimidated and violently repressed citizens, including members of opposition political parties, union members, and journalists. The absence of progress on the most fundamental reforms needed to ensure the rule of law, democratic governance, and the protection of human rights leaves Zimbabweans vulnerable to ongoing repression and presents a continuing threat to peace and security in the region. The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Zimbabwe and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or institutions continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288, as amended, with respect to Zimbabwe and to maintain in force the sanctions to respond to this threat. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House, March 3, 2022. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgH1291-5 | null | 4,014 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared on March 15, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond March 15, 2022. The actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 with respect to Iran and to maintain in force comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House, March 3, 2022. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgH1300-2 | null | 4,015 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, with respect to the situation in Venezuela is to continue in effect beyond March 8, 2022. The situation in Venezuela continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 with respect to the situation in Venezuela. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House, March 3, 2022. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgH1300-3 | null | 4,016 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | The Speaker announced her signature to enrolled bills of the Senate of the following titles: S. 321.--An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women's Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ``Six Triple Eight''. S. 854.--An act to designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other purposes. S. 1543.--An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy. S. 1662.--An act to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. S. 3706.--An act to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgH1300-4 | null | 4,017 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | The Speaker announced her signature to enrolled bills of the Senate of the following titles: S. 321.--An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women's Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ``Six Triple Eight''. S. 854.--An act to designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other purposes. S. 1543.--An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy. S. 1662.--An act to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. S. 3706.--An act to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgH1300-4 | null | 4,018 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in 1822, pioneer settlers founded Calloway County in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase. Two hundred years later, in November, the residents of this community are celebrating their bicentennial and paying tribute to the adventurous forefathers who made it possible. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Calloway County for reaching this impressive milestone. Like the rest of the Jackson Purchase, Calloway County was bought by the Federal Government from the Chickasaw Indians in 1818. This fertile land, bordered by the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers, was prime territory for American farmers seeking to move westward from the young Nation's eastern core. Those early settlers poured into Calloway County, on the Purchase's eastern edge, and incorporated the county in 1822, with the early settlement of Wadesboro serving as their county seat. Calloway County developed like much of the rest of the Purchase, with large farms bolstered by easy access to Kentucky's inland waterways and the urban markets that lay beyond. Calloway's early residents built a one-room, log courthouse in 1823--the first public building constructed in the Jackson Purchase--and founded several towns, including Murray, the current county seat. Calloway quickly grew into a prosperous community with thousands of residents. By the end of the 19th century, Calloway County formed an integral part of Western Kentucky's commerce, culture, and governance. In recognition of the county's significance, Calloway native Rainey T. Wells started the Calloway Normal College in the 1890s to train teachers. Though that school closed in 1913, Wells secured State funds to construct Murray State Normal School in 1923, now known as Murray State University. Wells became Murray State's second president in 1926 and would go on to practice law in front of the Supreme Court in 1937, before returning to his Calloway County home until his death. Another important moment in Calloway's history came when the Tennessee Valley Authority dammed the Tennessee River and created Kentucky Lake, a vast reservoir on the county's eastern edge. In addition to supplying hydroelectric power to Calloway County residents, the lake created new recreational attractions for the local community. Today, Kentucky Lake--and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area that governs its neighboring forest areas--is one of the largest natural attractions in the Commonwealth, bringing millions of tourists to the region every year. Today, Calloway County is a unique Kentucky community, navigating new pathways in education and recreation while still remaining firmly rooted in its agricultural and historical traditions. Murray is a burgeoning town with nearly 20,000 residents, serving as both a host to thousands of Murray State University students and a gateway to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The county's attractions include museums, parks, Civil War forts, and miles of beautiful rolling hills. It is no surprise that, every year, more and more families decide to call Calloway County home. Calloway County residents will have much to celebrate in their upcoming bicentennial. They and their pioneer ancestors have built a thriving community, complete with everything prospective newcomers could desire in a new home. Their upcoming celebration will include local civic groups, nonprofits, churches, sports teams, and businesses--a colorful tapestry of every organization that makes Calloway County great. I want to give special thanks to the Calloway County civic leaders who are working so hard to make this year's bicentennial celebration possible. Through their hard work, their community continues to prosper, even 200 years after its founding. On behalf of the Senate, I share our congratulations with every Calloway Countian and join them in honoring 200 years of proud Kentucky traditions. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS987-3 | null | 4,019 |
formal | urban | null | racist | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in 1822, pioneer settlers founded Calloway County in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase. Two hundred years later, in November, the residents of this community are celebrating their bicentennial and paying tribute to the adventurous forefathers who made it possible. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Calloway County for reaching this impressive milestone. Like the rest of the Jackson Purchase, Calloway County was bought by the Federal Government from the Chickasaw Indians in 1818. This fertile land, bordered by the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers, was prime territory for American farmers seeking to move westward from the young Nation's eastern core. Those early settlers poured into Calloway County, on the Purchase's eastern edge, and incorporated the county in 1822, with the early settlement of Wadesboro serving as their county seat. Calloway County developed like much of the rest of the Purchase, with large farms bolstered by easy access to Kentucky's inland waterways and the urban markets that lay beyond. Calloway's early residents built a one-room, log courthouse in 1823--the first public building constructed in the Jackson Purchase--and founded several towns, including Murray, the current county seat. Calloway quickly grew into a prosperous community with thousands of residents. By the end of the 19th century, Calloway County formed an integral part of Western Kentucky's commerce, culture, and governance. In recognition of the county's significance, Calloway native Rainey T. Wells started the Calloway Normal College in the 1890s to train teachers. Though that school closed in 1913, Wells secured State funds to construct Murray State Normal School in 1923, now known as Murray State University. Wells became Murray State's second president in 1926 and would go on to practice law in front of the Supreme Court in 1937, before returning to his Calloway County home until his death. Another important moment in Calloway's history came when the Tennessee Valley Authority dammed the Tennessee River and created Kentucky Lake, a vast reservoir on the county's eastern edge. In addition to supplying hydroelectric power to Calloway County residents, the lake created new recreational attractions for the local community. Today, Kentucky Lake--and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area that governs its neighboring forest areas--is one of the largest natural attractions in the Commonwealth, bringing millions of tourists to the region every year. Today, Calloway County is a unique Kentucky community, navigating new pathways in education and recreation while still remaining firmly rooted in its agricultural and historical traditions. Murray is a burgeoning town with nearly 20,000 residents, serving as both a host to thousands of Murray State University students and a gateway to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. The county's attractions include museums, parks, Civil War forts, and miles of beautiful rolling hills. It is no surprise that, every year, more and more families decide to call Calloway County home. Calloway County residents will have much to celebrate in their upcoming bicentennial. They and their pioneer ancestors have built a thriving community, complete with everything prospective newcomers could desire in a new home. Their upcoming celebration will include local civic groups, nonprofits, churches, sports teams, and businesses--a colorful tapestry of every organization that makes Calloway County great. I want to give special thanks to the Calloway County civic leaders who are working so hard to make this year's bicentennial celebration possible. Through their hard work, their community continues to prosper, even 200 years after its founding. On behalf of the Senate, I share our congratulations with every Calloway Countian and join them in honoring 200 years of proud Kentucky traditions. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS987-3 | null | 4,020 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying report; which was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Iran that was declared on March 15, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond March 15, 2022. The actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 with respect to Iran and to maintain in force comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House, March 3, 2022. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS989-2 | null | 4,021 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying report; which was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 of March 8, 2015, with respect to the situation in Venezuela is to continue in effect beyond March 8, 2022. The situation in Venezuela continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13692 with respect to the situation in Venezuela. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House, March 3, 2022. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS989-3 | null | 4,022 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Enrolled Bills Signed At 11:19 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Alli, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker has signed the following enrolled bills: S. 854. An act to designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other purposes. S. 1543. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy. S. 1662. An act to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. S. 3706. An act to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021. The enrolled bills were subsequently signed by the President pro tempore (Mr. Leahy). Enrolled Bill Signed At 1:19 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker has signed the following enrolled bill: S. 321. An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women's Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ``Six Triple Eight''. The enrolled bill was subsequently signed by the President pro tempore (Mr. Leahy). | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS989-4 | null | 4,023 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Enrolled Bills Signed At 11:19 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Alli, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker has signed the following enrolled bills: S. 854. An act to designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other purposes. S. 1543. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy. S. 1662. An act to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. S. 3706. An act to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021. The enrolled bills were subsequently signed by the President pro tempore (Mr. Leahy). Enrolled Bill Signed At 1:19 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker has signed the following enrolled bill: S. 321. An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women's Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ``Six Triple Eight''. The enrolled bill was subsequently signed by the President pro tempore (Mr. Leahy). | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS989-4 | null | 4,024 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-3302. A communication from the Equal Employment Opportunity Director, Farm Credit Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Farm Credit Administration's fiscal year 2021 annual report relative to the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act); to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3303. A communication from the Procurement/Policy Analyst, Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR); Contractor Requirements for GSA Information Systems'' (RIN3090-AJ84) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3304. A communication from the Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the 21st Century IDEA 2021 report; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3305. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Secretariat Division, Office of Asset and Transportation Management, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR); Updates to References to Individuals With Disabilities'' (RIN3090-AK50) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3306. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-04, Small Entity Compliance Guide'' (FAC 2022- 04) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3307. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2021-014, Increasing the Minimum Wage for Contractors'' (RIN9000-AO31) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 16, 2022; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3308. A communication from the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Housing and Urban Development, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Federal Housing Administration's fiscal year 2021 Annual Management Report; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS990-2 | null | 4,025 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | The Secretary of the Senate reported that on today, March 3, 2022, she had presented to the President of the United States the following enrolled bills: S. 321. An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women's Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ``Six Triple Eight''. S. 854. An act to designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other purposes. S. 1543. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy. S. 1662. An act to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. S. 3706. An act to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS990 | null | 4,026 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | The Secretary of the Senate reported that on today, March 3, 2022, she had presented to the President of the United States the following enrolled bills: S. 321. An act to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women's Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the ``Six Triple Eight''. S. 854. An act to designate methamphetamine as an emerging threat, and for other purposes. S. 1543. An act to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy. S. 1662. An act to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. S. 3706. An act to provide for the application of certain provisions of the Secure Rural schools and Community Self- Determination Act of 2000 for fiscal year 2021. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS990 | null | 4,027 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. KAINE (for himself and Mr. Warner) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services: S. Res. 533 Whereas 100 years ago, on March 20, 1922, following a 2- year conversion at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the former USS Jupiter (Collier #3) was recommissioned as USS Langley (CV- 1), the first aircraft carrier of the Navy; Whereas USS Langley began as an experimental platform, laying the foundation for the future shipboard operations of aircraft; Whereas, in fleet exercises beginning in 1924, the USS Langley, appropriately nicknamed the ``Covered Wagon'', demonstrated the potential of the aircraft carrier as an invaluable weapons system that would transform how the Navy fought at sea; Whereas, for the past 100 years, aircraft carriers have been the preeminent power projection platform for the Navy and have furthered United States interest in times of war and peace; Whereas, from the great naval battles in the Pacific Ocean during World War II to strike and close air support missions in the battlegrounds of the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam, the execution of joint force operations over the sands of the Middle East, and present-day deterrence in numerous locations around the world, aircraft carriers have proven time and again that they invaluable in supporting the strategic goals of the United States; Whereas, with an unequaled ability to provide warfighting capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict and to adapt in the face of ever-changing threats, aircraft carriers and their embarked air wings and associated strike groups are the foundation of United States maritime strategy; Whereas aircraft carriers enable the Armed Forces to carry out operations from international waters, often obviating the need to obtain flyover and land-based rights from other countries; Whereas Nimitz and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers are modern, mobile military bases each complete with an airfield, a hospital, and a hardened communications system from which the United States can strike at enemies, wherever and whenever it chooses; Whereas there are more than 2,450 companies in 48 States and more than 364 congressional districts and more than 13,100 individuals, who proudly contribute to the construction and maintenance of these complex and technologically advanced ships; and Whereas countless members of the Armed Forces have served the United States aboard aircraft carriers in war, peace, and times of crisis: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) recognizes that aircraft carriers continue to be a cornerstone of the Navy and play a vital role in the defense of the United States; (2) acknowledges that, in a time of great power competition that the world has not seen for over 30 years, aircraft carriers will continue to be an absolutely vital strategic platform that the United States can wield to ensure security and stability throughout the world, now and well into the future; (3) in this 100th year since USS Langley (CV-1) was commissioned at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, recognizes the role aircraft carriers have played in securing peace for the United States and the continuing role aircraft carriers will play in maintaining peace and security for the United States; and (4) celebrates the centennial of Navy aircraft carriers. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS995-2 | null | 4,028 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Warnock, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Booker, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Braun, Mr. Burr, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cruz, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Hagerty, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Manchin, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Carper, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Markey, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Warner, Ms. Warren, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Brown, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. Padilla) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 534 Whereas a high-quality education is central to economic prosperity and social well-being in the United States; Whereas historically Black colleges and universities (referred to in this preamble as ``HBCUs'') provide educational and economic opportunities for postsecondary students; Whereas HBCUs have provided, and continue to provide, a high-quality education that allows students to attain their full potential; Whereas HBCUs were founded to ensure Black students had access to a high-quality education. Whereas, on January 4, 2022, at least 8 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Howard University, Xavier University, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina Central University, Florida Memorial University, Norfolk State University, and Spelman College; Whereas, on January 31, 2022, at least 8 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Southern University and A&M College, Howard University, Bethune-Cookman University, Albany State University, Bowie State University, Alabama A&M University, Charles R. Drew University, and Delaware State University; Whereas, on February 1, 2022, the first day of Black History Month, at least 18 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Shorter College, Philander Smith College, Arkansas Baptist College, the University of the District of Columbia, Howard University, Edward Waters University, Spelman College, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Xavier University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College, Tougaloo College, and Harris-Stowe State University; Whereas, on February 8, 2022, Spelman College received a bomb threat; Whereas, on February 14, 2022, Howard University and Fisk University received bomb threats; Whereas, on February 16, 2022, Fayetteville State University, Claflin University, and Winston-Salem University received bomb threats; Whereas, on February 23, 2022, Hampton University received a bomb threat; Whereas, on February 25, 2022, at least 3 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Norfolk State University, Elizabeth City State University, and Dillard University; Whereas HBCUs provide an environment of belonging, safety, and security for students, faculty, and administrators; and Whereas these threats against HBCUs disrupt campus environments, obstruct educational opportunities, and instill fear: Now therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) condemns violence and the threat of violence against historically Black colleges and universities (referred to in this resolution as ``HBCUs''), including the bomb threats made against several HBCUs on January 4, January 31, February 1, February 8, February 14, February 16, February 23, and February 25, 2022; (2) honors the legacy of HBCUs; and (3) reaffirms the commitment of the Federal Government to combat violence against the students, faculty, and staff of HBCUs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-03-pt1-PgS995-3 | null | 4,029 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which the yeas and nays are ordered. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-07-pt1-PgH1307-8 | null | 4,030 |
formal | urban | null | racist | Mrs. DEMINGS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5615) to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a plan to make Federal assistance available to certain urban areas that previously received Urban Area Security Initiative funding to preserve homeland security capabilities, and for other purposes. | 2020-01-06 | Mrs. DEMINGS | House | CREC-2022-03-07-pt1-PgH1307-9 | null | 4,031 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5616) to require reporting regarding accreditation of basic training programs of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-07-pt1-PgH1313-3 | null | 4,032 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 658) to authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to work with cybersecurity consortia for training, and for other purposes, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-07-pt1-PgH1314 | null | 4,033 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Whitehouse, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Markey, Ms. Lummis, Ms. Sinema, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Ms. Duckworth, Mrs. Fischer, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Barrasso, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. King, Mr. Casey, Ms. Warren, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Carper, Mr. Reed, Mr. Booker, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Warner, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Smith, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Peters) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 537 Whereas National Women's History Month recognizes and spreads awareness of the importance of women in the history of the United States; Whereas, throughout the history of the United States, whether in the home, in the workplace, in schools, in the courts, or during wartime, women have fought for themselves, their families, and all people of the United States; Whereas, even from the early days of the history of the United States, Abigail Adams urged her husband to ``Remember the Ladies'' when representatives met for the Continental Congress in 1776; Whereas women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable, philanthropic, and cultural institutions in the United States; Whereas women led the efforts to secure suffrage and equal opportunities for women, and also served in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, labor movements, civil rights movements, and other causes to create a more fair and just society for all; Whereas suffragists wrote, marched, were arrested, and ultimately succeeded in achieving-- (1) the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which provides, ``The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex''; and (2) the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), which extended the protection of the right to vote to women of color and language minorities; Whereas women have been and continue to be leaders in the forefront of social change efforts, business, science, government, math, art, literature, music, film, athletics, and other fields; Whereas women now represent approximately half of the workforce of the United States; Whereas women once were routinely barred from attending medical schools in the United States, but now are enrolling in medical schools in the United States at higher numbers than men; Whereas women previously were turned away from law school, but now represent approximately half of law students in the United States; Whereas, since the American Revolution, women have been vital to the mission of the Armed Forces, with more than 200,000 women serving on active duty and 2,000,000 women veterans representing every branch of service; Whereas more than 10,000,000 women own businesses in the United States; Whereas Jeannette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives in 1916 and Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas was the first woman elected to the United States Senate in 1932; Whereas Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was the first woman to serve in both Houses of Congress; Whereas, in 2022, a record total of 148 women are serving in Congress, including 124 women in the House of Representatives and 24 women in the Senate; Whereas President Jimmy Carter recognized March 2 through March 8, 1980, as ``National Women's History Week''; Whereas, in 1987, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced the first joint resolution to pass Congress designating ``Women's History Month''; Whereas, in 1987, President Ronald Reagan issued a Presidential proclamation proclaiming March 1987 as ``Women's History Month''; Whereas, in 2020, Congress passed the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act (20 U.S.C. 80t et seq.) to establish a national women's history museum on or near the National Mall in Washington, DC; and Whereas, despite the advancements of women in the United States, much remains to be done to ensure that women realize their full potential as equal members of society in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates March 2022 as ``National Women's History Month''; (2) recognizes the celebration of National Women's History Month as a time to reflect on the many notable contributions that women have made to the United States; and (3) urges the people of the United States to observe National Women's History Month with appropriate programs and activities. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-07-pt1-PgS1019-2 | null | 4,034 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to recommit on the bill (H.R. 6968) to prohibit the importation of energy products of the Russian Federation, and for other purposes, offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), on which the yeas and nays were ordered. The Clerk will redesignate the motion. The Clerk redesignated the motion. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-09-pt1-PgH1418 | null | 4,035 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-3586. A letter from the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Department of Defense, transmitting a letter serving as the Army's interim response to a reporting requirement contained in Conference Report 116-617, regarding Military Child Care and Child Development Center Matters; to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-3587. A letter from the General Counsel, Federal Housing Finance Agency, transmitting the Agency's Major final rule -- Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework-Prescribed Leverage Buffer Amount and Credit Risk Transfer (RIN: 2590-AB17) received March 7, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-3588. A letter from the Acting Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. House of Representatives, transmitting the final report on Records Retention and Storage at the Washington National Records Center (Report No. 22-CAO-02); to the Committee on House Administration. EC-3589. A letter from the Departmental Privacy Officer, Office of Law Enforcement and Security, Department of the Interior, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Privacy Act Regulations; Exemption for the Insider Threat Program [DOI-2021-0014; 223D0102DM, DS65100000, DLSN00000, DX.65103] (RIN: 1090-AB15) received February 22, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources. EC-3590. A letter from the Special Assistant, Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, transmitting the Administration's final rule -- Swim With and Approach Regulation for Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act [Docket No.: 210901-0173] (RIN: 0648-AU02) received February 22, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources. EC-3591. A letter from the Special Assistant, Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, transmitting the Administration's final rule -- Endangered and Threatened Species; Removal of Siderastrea glynni From the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species [Docket No.: 211202-0250] (RTID: 0648-XR115) received February 22, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources. EC-3592. A letter from the Special Assistant, Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, transmitting the Administration's final rule -- Revisions to Hatchery Programs Included as Part of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Species Listed Under the Endangered Species Act [Docket No.: 201123-0313; RTID 0648-XE804] received February 22, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources. EC-3593. A letter from the Special Assistant, Office of Protected Resources, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, transmitting the Administration's final rule -- Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to U.S. Navy Construction at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia [Docket No.: 210421-0084] (RIN: 0648-BJ90) received February 22, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Natural Resources. EC-3594. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, transmitting a notice from the Secretary regarding the Supplemental Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022; to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. EC-3595. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting a report entitled, ``Finalizing Medicare Rules under Section 902 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) for Calendar Year 2021.'', pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395hh(a)(3)(D); Public Law 108-173, Sec. 902(a)(1); (117 Stat. 2375); jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. EC-3596. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting a report entitled, ``Annual Report to Congress on the Medicare and Medicaid Integrity Programs for Fiscal Year 2019.'', pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1395ddd(i)(2); Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XVIII, Sec. 1893(i)(2) (as amended by Public Law 111-148, Sec. 6402(j)(1)(B)); (124 Stat. 762) and 42 U.S.C. 1395ddd(h)(8); Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XVIII, Sec. 1893(h)(8) (as amended by Public Law 109-432, Sec. 302(a)); (120 Stat. 2992); jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-09-pt1-PgH1420-6 | null | 4,036 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, last night, the House of Representatives passed the strongest, boldest, and most significant government funding package we have seen in a very long time, bringing us one step closer to fully funding the government for the 2022 fiscal year. As we all know, funding the government is a basic responsibility of Congress, but rarely does this responsibility arrive at such a critical moment for our country and for the world. War has erupted in Europe, and Americans are looking to relief from rising costs, and this package is critical for facing these challenges. After weeks of hard work, I am pleased to report that this bipartisan funding package represents a robust and unapologetic investment in the American people: It will give our troops a raise, provide more money for schools and Head Start programs and Pell Grants, reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, fund the President's Cancer Moonshot, and open the floodgates for funding the bipartisan infrastructure law. This funding bill is overflowing with very good things for our troops, for American jobs, for our families, and for America. Once this bill arrives at the Senate, Republicans must work with Democrats to pass the bill as soon as possible--hopefully, tonight. There is every reason in the world to believe that we can arrive at a path forward quickly. For one, the people of Ukraine need our immediate help, and this omnibus is the quickest and most direct way of getting them the help fast. At nearly $14 billion, Congress will approve more than double--more than double--what the administration originally requested for Ukraine aid, and that is a huge accomplishment. We took the President's original request for Ukrainian aid, examined it and added to it. I can confidently say every last penny of this aid package will be much needed and well spent. It will provide food, medicine, shelter, and support for over 2 million refugees and resources for Ukraine's ruined economy. It will also inject billions into military assistance. It will enable weapons transfers like Javelins and Stingers. It will reassure and strengthen NATO and add teeth to our defenses against Russia's malicious cyber warfare. And to every corrupt Russian oligarch who has dined off Putin's regime for years, beware. This package will increase the government's tools for hunting you down and holding you accountable. The Ukrainian people are fighting for their lives and fighting for the survival of their young democracy. Congress has a moral obligation to stand behind them as they resist the evils of Vladimir Putin and his campaign of carnage. The 2022 government funding bill is one way we are keeping that promise, and for that reason alone, it should pass the Senate as quickly as possible. But on the homefront, as I already mentioned, there are lots of important things. This package increases investments across nearly every single domestic priority, very much needed. I am particularly thrilled to say that, after a decade of false starts, this package will finally reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which I originally helped write and pass when I was a Congressman back in 1994. Unfortunately, this very needed, important bill to protect those who are abused has languished in limbo for far too long. VAWA is one of the most important pieces of legislation of the past 30 years, and once it is reauthorized, it will once again provide lifesaving support for countless women who face sexual assault and domestic abuse. I thank Senators Feinstein, Durbin, Ernst, Murkowski, and all the cosponsors--bipartisan--for helping to bring this law back to life. Now, of course, nobody argues that this package is perfect. I am deeply disappointed--deeply disappointed--that the administration's request for more COVID funding failed to make it into the House bill, but we are going to keep fighting to make sure we get that money approved as soon as possible. COVID funding right now is all about being prepared. It will provide funding for vaccines and therapeutics and testing, which means it will be much easier to keep schools open, to keep businesses open, and to keep life closer to normal than it was during Delta and Omicron. So we will keep working on COVID relief. It is very much needed. Now, we are not over the finish line yet, but I want to thank appropriators from both sides of the aisle--bipartisan--for putting this package together, never an easy task. I especially thank Chairman Leahy for his leadership and his counsel over the course of this process, and I thank Ranking Member Shelby as well, and my House colleagues, too, for working in good faith to make this bill possible. It has not been easy to draft this truly robust package, but after years of needless chaos and uncertainty under Donald Trump, this year Congress has been able to work together on a bipartisan basis to fund the government in a serious way. Now the Senate must follow through in finishing the job by approving this bill quickly and sending it to the President's desk. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1069-10 | null | 4,037 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, finally, an omnibus spending bill. For months, there have been negotiations underway. The process has been drawn out. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, there was a lot of frustration. But soon we are going to vote on an omnibus spending package, and we are going to do much more than keep the lights on in our government. In many ways, this spending package is a testament to the progress we havemade during the past year of the Democratic majority. We have historic funding to reduce the cost of living for working families. We get it; American families are having a tough time making ends meet and are living paycheck to paycheck. We take action in this omnibus spending bill to start to address that challenge, and we create good jobs here in America. Isn't it about time we focus on making things in America, putting people to work with good jobs that supply them? And we need to ensure families and children can access critical supplies, like nutritious food and clean water that they need to survive. This bill also provides more than $13 billion to the Ukrainians fighting tooth and nail to defend their freedom. The Democratic Senate caucus was fortunate last night to have over an hour and a half with the President where he spoke candidly and informally about the challenge we face in Ukraine. We have sent millions--maybe billions of dollars--in assistance to those who are resisting Vladimir Putin's barbaric attack on that nation, and we know that it is the right thing to do. There are displays of courage by the Ukrainians the likes of which we haven't seen in modern times. President Zelenskyy, particularly, has impressed not only the United States but the world with his singular courage. The funds we are putting in this bill will help Ukrainians on the frontline to continue to hold back Vladimir Putin, and on the ground, in the air, through cyberspace, as well as helping our NATO allies in the region. NATO has never been stronger--30 different countries standing together, shoulder to shoulder, to stop Vladimir Putin's invasion. The omnibus spending package, also, makes crucial investments in America at a time when we need it. It will fund research into the technologies and innovations. Innovation is an American phenomenon. Other countries do it, but I think we do it better. And whether we are curing a disease, creating a new industry, or combating the climate crisis, America needs to continue to lead the world in innovation. This spending bill does that. At a moment of great peril and uncertainty in the world, we are coming together to defend our families, our security, our economy, and our future. But we need to move fast. We need to send this package to President Biden's desk quickly. For the past 2 weeks, Russian mortars and missiles have been raining down on innocent people and children throughout Ukraine. More than 400 individuals have been killed, with some estimates in the thousands of deaths, believing that the current numbers are really an undercount. Let me say one word while we are on the subject of Vladimir Putin and war crimes. What more evidence do you need than the bombing of a maternity hospital and the killing of mothers and infants? This man, Putin, and his attack on the Ukrainian people, is not following any standards or rules of decent conduct in any way whatsoever. I think it is obvious. Yesterday, the Russian airstrike that devastated the hospital complex in Mariupol is an indication that we will never forget. A video released shortly after the bombing showed a pregnant woman being carried away on a stretcher, surrounded by pulverized cars in flames and blackened trees covered in debris. It was a scene from a horror movie--a horror created by Vladimir Putin. Ukraine needs humanitarian, military, and economic aid today. That is exactly what this omnibus bill will provide--billions of dollars in military equipment and intelligence support and even more billions in emergency supplies, food aid, healthcare, migration, and refugee assistance. This is how America stands by our fellow defenders of democracy at their darkest hour, and Ukraine needs our help. Here at home, the spending package includes a number of provisions that will strengthen America and the 330 million Americans who live here. We are bringing vital investments back to our home States. I support the return of congressionally directed funding, because Senators and Representatives know their States and know their districts better than any Federal Agency personnel in Washington. I am pleased to report that my colleague, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and I worked to include $210 million in funding for Illinois projects in this bill; and I will be ready to stand up and defend every single one of them piece by piece, project by project, as a good investment in the future of my State and our Nation. This funding is going to help localities in Illinois launch important infrastructure, access to healthcare, environmental conservation, strengthening community violence prevention initiatives, supporting nonprofits doing important work through our State, and much more. We also do something that I have worked on personally for the last several months and that I am particularly proud of; we are going to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, known as VAWA. For months, I have worked on this proposal with some amazing people in the U.S. States Senate. On my side of the aisle, Senator Dianne Feinstein really was one of the founders of this effort. On the Republican side of the aisle, two women Senators have just been amazing--Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Joni Ernst of Iowa. We wouldn't have passed this bill and included it in this appropriations measure were it not for their good effort; and I thank them very much. They have helped to provide a lifeline to survivors of sexual and domestic violence. With this year's spending package, Congress will finally reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Additionally, the omnibus includes funding for a longstanding priority of mine: research. These investments in research are going to help keep America on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to lifesaving medical treatment, therapies, and so much more. For example, this bill provides the National Institutes of Health with a significant funding increase--this time, a $2.25 billion increase; that is more than 5 percent. Five percent, I have kind of established--and, I hope, with some of my colleagues--as the Holy Grail of increases each year in research, particularly at the NIH. And with the good help of Republican Senator--retiring Senator, unfortunately--Roy Blunt of Missouri, we have managed to keep our promise. Lamar Alexander, now retired from the Senate, was one of the leaders on this issue. And Patty Murray is always there from the State of Washington. Well, we are going to keep our word again this year. Basic medical research, which the United States leads the world in, is going to be enhanced with this improvement of more than 5 percent increase in the budget of the National Institutes of Health. I am particularly pleased that this omnibus bill includes a dedicated $25 million for the implementation of the ACT for ALS bill, which became law late last year. I want to thank Senator Coons for his leadership on that issue. This funding will ensure that NIH can quickly launch new initiatives to expand access to treatments for those suffering from ALS. Sadly, I am disappointed to say that the package does not include COVID relief. We are at a turning point in this pandemic. New cases of COVID are at their lowest rates in more than 7 months, praise the Lord; and parents and families are just as anxious as can be to get their kids back in school and life back to normal. These are promising developments--from vaccines to better treatments--but we cannot pretend that this pandemic is over for good, nor that it won't resurface in terms of new variants. We need to prepare for whatever the coronavirus might have in store for us. We need to make sure we have the therapeutics and strengthen our capacity to detect new variants before they become pandemic. Given the dire urgency of the situation in Ukraine, I understand we simply don't have time to go back to the bargaining table, but many of us still believe that a toolkit to deal with future infections in COVID or the next pandemic is absolutely essential. I can only hope the Senate agrees with that on a bipartisan basis. Two years into this pandemic, we know this virus is anything but predictable. It operates like free-form jazz. Just when we think we have foundour rhythm, the tempo gets turned upside down with a new variant. This current lull in cases is the perfect moment to tune up our instruments, keep our fingers sharp, and prepare for whatever is next. Let me close by saying that, aside from the omission of additional COVID relief, there is much to celebrate in this spending package. It is an example of what Congress can achieve when it works together. In the face of Russia's horrible invasion of Ukraine, an invasion that has already created 2 million Ukrainian refugees, we are standing together in defense of democracy. Russia's invasion is a tragic illustration of one man's mania and of a conflict that will define the 21st century if we don't stop it in its tracks. Right now, Putin is waging yesterday's war with yesterday's goal of reestablishing the Soviet Union. He is sending ill-equipped teenagers in Russian Army uniforms into Ukraine to terrorize innocent families and bomb children in hospitals, all in some delusional effort that he is going to create the new Russian Empire, with him being installed as the Czar of that enterprise. He is not willing to face the challenges of the New World. So he is trying to revive the Old World. Autocrats like Putin live in fear of the future. Democracies like America welcome it because we know that the future represents an opportunity to build a better world for everyone. That is precisely why President Zelenskyy and every Ukrainian is fighting to protect their country. They are protecting, as well, the freedom to shape their own future, not to have their future dictated by a man like Vladimir Putin. With the spending package before the Senate, we can begin building our own future as well--a future made in America. Mr. President, I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1072 | null | 4,038 |
formal | working families | null | racist | Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, finally, an omnibus spending bill. For months, there have been negotiations underway. The process has been drawn out. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, there was a lot of frustration. But soon we are going to vote on an omnibus spending package, and we are going to do much more than keep the lights on in our government. In many ways, this spending package is a testament to the progress we havemade during the past year of the Democratic majority. We have historic funding to reduce the cost of living for working families. We get it; American families are having a tough time making ends meet and are living paycheck to paycheck. We take action in this omnibus spending bill to start to address that challenge, and we create good jobs here in America. Isn't it about time we focus on making things in America, putting people to work with good jobs that supply them? And we need to ensure families and children can access critical supplies, like nutritious food and clean water that they need to survive. This bill also provides more than $13 billion to the Ukrainians fighting tooth and nail to defend their freedom. The Democratic Senate caucus was fortunate last night to have over an hour and a half with the President where he spoke candidly and informally about the challenge we face in Ukraine. We have sent millions--maybe billions of dollars--in assistance to those who are resisting Vladimir Putin's barbaric attack on that nation, and we know that it is the right thing to do. There are displays of courage by the Ukrainians the likes of which we haven't seen in modern times. President Zelenskyy, particularly, has impressed not only the United States but the world with his singular courage. The funds we are putting in this bill will help Ukrainians on the frontline to continue to hold back Vladimir Putin, and on the ground, in the air, through cyberspace, as well as helping our NATO allies in the region. NATO has never been stronger--30 different countries standing together, shoulder to shoulder, to stop Vladimir Putin's invasion. The omnibus spending package, also, makes crucial investments in America at a time when we need it. It will fund research into the technologies and innovations. Innovation is an American phenomenon. Other countries do it, but I think we do it better. And whether we are curing a disease, creating a new industry, or combating the climate crisis, America needs to continue to lead the world in innovation. This spending bill does that. At a moment of great peril and uncertainty in the world, we are coming together to defend our families, our security, our economy, and our future. But we need to move fast. We need to send this package to President Biden's desk quickly. For the past 2 weeks, Russian mortars and missiles have been raining down on innocent people and children throughout Ukraine. More than 400 individuals have been killed, with some estimates in the thousands of deaths, believing that the current numbers are really an undercount. Let me say one word while we are on the subject of Vladimir Putin and war crimes. What more evidence do you need than the bombing of a maternity hospital and the killing of mothers and infants? This man, Putin, and his attack on the Ukrainian people, is not following any standards or rules of decent conduct in any way whatsoever. I think it is obvious. Yesterday, the Russian airstrike that devastated the hospital complex in Mariupol is an indication that we will never forget. A video released shortly after the bombing showed a pregnant woman being carried away on a stretcher, surrounded by pulverized cars in flames and blackened trees covered in debris. It was a scene from a horror movie--a horror created by Vladimir Putin. Ukraine needs humanitarian, military, and economic aid today. That is exactly what this omnibus bill will provide--billions of dollars in military equipment and intelligence support and even more billions in emergency supplies, food aid, healthcare, migration, and refugee assistance. This is how America stands by our fellow defenders of democracy at their darkest hour, and Ukraine needs our help. Here at home, the spending package includes a number of provisions that will strengthen America and the 330 million Americans who live here. We are bringing vital investments back to our home States. I support the return of congressionally directed funding, because Senators and Representatives know their States and know their districts better than any Federal Agency personnel in Washington. I am pleased to report that my colleague, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and I worked to include $210 million in funding for Illinois projects in this bill; and I will be ready to stand up and defend every single one of them piece by piece, project by project, as a good investment in the future of my State and our Nation. This funding is going to help localities in Illinois launch important infrastructure, access to healthcare, environmental conservation, strengthening community violence prevention initiatives, supporting nonprofits doing important work through our State, and much more. We also do something that I have worked on personally for the last several months and that I am particularly proud of; we are going to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, known as VAWA. For months, I have worked on this proposal with some amazing people in the U.S. States Senate. On my side of the aisle, Senator Dianne Feinstein really was one of the founders of this effort. On the Republican side of the aisle, two women Senators have just been amazing--Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Joni Ernst of Iowa. We wouldn't have passed this bill and included it in this appropriations measure were it not for their good effort; and I thank them very much. They have helped to provide a lifeline to survivors of sexual and domestic violence. With this year's spending package, Congress will finally reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Additionally, the omnibus includes funding for a longstanding priority of mine: research. These investments in research are going to help keep America on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to lifesaving medical treatment, therapies, and so much more. For example, this bill provides the National Institutes of Health with a significant funding increase--this time, a $2.25 billion increase; that is more than 5 percent. Five percent, I have kind of established--and, I hope, with some of my colleagues--as the Holy Grail of increases each year in research, particularly at the NIH. And with the good help of Republican Senator--retiring Senator, unfortunately--Roy Blunt of Missouri, we have managed to keep our promise. Lamar Alexander, now retired from the Senate, was one of the leaders on this issue. And Patty Murray is always there from the State of Washington. Well, we are going to keep our word again this year. Basic medical research, which the United States leads the world in, is going to be enhanced with this improvement of more than 5 percent increase in the budget of the National Institutes of Health. I am particularly pleased that this omnibus bill includes a dedicated $25 million for the implementation of the ACT for ALS bill, which became law late last year. I want to thank Senator Coons for his leadership on that issue. This funding will ensure that NIH can quickly launch new initiatives to expand access to treatments for those suffering from ALS. Sadly, I am disappointed to say that the package does not include COVID relief. We are at a turning point in this pandemic. New cases of COVID are at their lowest rates in more than 7 months, praise the Lord; and parents and families are just as anxious as can be to get their kids back in school and life back to normal. These are promising developments--from vaccines to better treatments--but we cannot pretend that this pandemic is over for good, nor that it won't resurface in terms of new variants. We need to prepare for whatever the coronavirus might have in store for us. We need to make sure we have the therapeutics and strengthen our capacity to detect new variants before they become pandemic. Given the dire urgency of the situation in Ukraine, I understand we simply don't have time to go back to the bargaining table, but many of us still believe that a toolkit to deal with future infections in COVID or the next pandemic is absolutely essential. I can only hope the Senate agrees with that on a bipartisan basis. Two years into this pandemic, we know this virus is anything but predictable. It operates like free-form jazz. Just when we think we have foundour rhythm, the tempo gets turned upside down with a new variant. This current lull in cases is the perfect moment to tune up our instruments, keep our fingers sharp, and prepare for whatever is next. Let me close by saying that, aside from the omission of additional COVID relief, there is much to celebrate in this spending package. It is an example of what Congress can achieve when it works together. In the face of Russia's horrible invasion of Ukraine, an invasion that has already created 2 million Ukrainian refugees, we are standing together in defense of democracy. Russia's invasion is a tragic illustration of one man's mania and of a conflict that will define the 21st century if we don't stop it in its tracks. Right now, Putin is waging yesterday's war with yesterday's goal of reestablishing the Soviet Union. He is sending ill-equipped teenagers in Russian Army uniforms into Ukraine to terrorize innocent families and bomb children in hospitals, all in some delusional effort that he is going to create the new Russian Empire, with him being installed as the Czar of that enterprise. He is not willing to face the challenges of the New World. So he is trying to revive the Old World. Autocrats like Putin live in fear of the future. Democracies like America welcome it because we know that the future represents an opportunity to build a better world for everyone. That is precisely why President Zelenskyy and every Ukrainian is fighting to protect their country. They are protecting, as well, the freedom to shape their own future, not to have their future dictated by a man like Vladimir Putin. With the spending package before the Senate, we can begin building our own future as well--a future made in America. Mr. President, I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1072 | null | 4,039 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it has been a year since we in the Senate confirmed Merrick Garland to be Attorney General. During his confirmation hearing, I outlined what a successful Department of Justice looks like and what I expected of him as our new Attorney General. I gave him the answers to the tests. By this rubric, he has failed. For instance, I urged him to build off the successes from the previous Justice Department to reduce crime, maintain the rule of law, and protect our civil liberties. But violent crime continues to rise, the rule of law is undermined, and our civil liberties are in danger. Instead of condemning all violent crime, Attorney General Garland's Justice Department targets lawful gun owners and blames those gun owners for the rising murder rates, carjackings, and attacks against law enforcement. But the explosion of crime in blue cities is actually tied to depolicing measures, hiring progressive prosecutors, and enacting disastrous bail reform policies. Lawful gun owners are not to blame for this rise in crime. And in the midst of a crime spike, a number of Biden appointees and judicial nominees strongly backed by Attorney General Garland have supported radical ideas in the past, like defunding the police or at least reducing funding for police. And some have even advocated not prosecuting certain crimes. So how do you expect to effectively fight crime with the lineup that I just gave you? Instead of tackling the opioid crisis, the Garland Justice Department wants to make it easier for fentanyl traffickers to spread their poison. Fentanyl analogs are responsible for most overdose deaths and are lethal in very tiny amounts, as we all know. But the Garland and Biden administration support eliminating mandatory minimums for these fentanyl analog dealers. Really? In addition, Garland has wielded his power to undermine the rule of law and cave to political pressures. The Attorney General has summarily reversed a number of decisions issued by Attorneys General Sessions and Barr that helped enhance the integrity of our asylum system. This Attorney General has also issued memos, interpretations, and filings to the Supreme Court that contrast with previous Department of Justice positions. Let me give you an example. His Department of Justice reinterpreted the law to make sure that inmates released to home confinement under COVID relief stay there. His Solicitor General also switched positions on a cocaine sentencing case that was before the Supreme Court. Now, it happens that both of these policy outcomes align with my positions. I agree with those outcomes. But his way of getting there is political. Rule of law must be consistent and not political. So Garland's flip-flopping also jeopardizes our Nation's security. Instead of protecting the American people from the Chinese Communist Party's espionage, he disbanded the previous administration's successful China Initiative. This program prioritized investigations of national security from China, which is still a very serious threat given that the FBI opens a new Chinese espionage case every 12 hours. So I don't know why this would be disbanded. This move is concerning and dangerous to our national security and reflective of partisan pressures trumping smart law enforcement. Also, political decisions are getting in the way of the consistent application of the rule of law. For example, Attorney General Garland's Department of Justice is politically selective about which cases to pursue and which cases to dismiss. Despite the 100-night siege against the Portland courthouse in 2020 and 96 people being charged as violent rioters, almost half of those charged have been dismissed. Compare this to the Department of Justice's own statement on the 1-year anniversary of January 6: The Department of Justice's resolve to hold accountable those who committed crimes on Jan. 6, 2021, has not, and will not, wane. Now, we all know that those who break the law should be held accountable--no question about that. And as our Nation's top law enforcement officer, it is incumbent upon him to enforce the rule of law. He cannot pick and choose when the rule of law is politically convenient or easy. Under Garland's leadership, the Department of Justice is also undermining valuable civil rights. This is something that he and I have had a lot of discussions on as he has appeared before our committee. So undermining valuable civil rights, instead of prioritizing that, Attorney General Garland has killed the speech of American parents. He sent a memo to the FBI and the U.S. attorneys around the country to be on the lookout for upset parents at school boards. He did this after the National School Boards Association suggested that some people should be branded domestic terrorists. Imagine that charge--that you go to a school board meeting, you might be a domestic terrorist. What is even worse, there seems to be some evidence that the Secretary of Education may have asked the National School Boards Association to write that awful letter, which the association later had to apologize for. Garland says his memo was just about violence and threats of violence; but sure enough, whistleblower reports show that the FBI's counterterrorism division was looking way beyond only violence and threats. Parents' ability to voice their concerns, especially now, is a precious right, and the Department of Justice's actions cannot kill such vital speech constitutionally protected by the First Amendment. Also, instead of being responsive, the Attorney General has been evasive. Last year, I sent approximately 50 letters to the Department. That is one-third of all letters that they received from Members of the U.S. Senate. The Attorney General wanted me to know that I sent one-third of all the letters he got from the other 99 Senators. So when the Attorney General told me that, I don't think he meant it as a compliment. I received some letters in response. However, when I am told that they have responded to me, simple or lots of words on a piece of paper don't, in and of themselves, make a letter responsive. Furthermore, the Department has failed to provide responsive records, with the exception of one or two small productions. By way of example, I received a 30-page production of records from the Department. It included improper FOIA redactions and failed toinclude the necessary spreadsheets. Accordingly, that production is a failed production because FOIA does not apply to documents going to the Congress of the United States, so you shouldn't have that redaction. Also, I have repeatedly asked if Nicholas McQuaid is recused from the Hunter Biden criminal investigation, and that is an important thing because he seemed to work in the law firm that was representing Hunter Biden. And it ought to be a simple question to answer, but Attorney General Garland refuses to tell me whether McQuaid is recused from those cases. At the Judiciary Committee's October 27, 2021, Justice Department oversight hearing, I said to Attorney General Garland: When I placed holds on your nominees for the Department's failure to comply with Republican oversight requests, I said either you run the Department or the Department runs you. Right now, it looks like the Justice Department is running you. That ends my quote of October 27 last year. So that statement still holds true. Instead of protecting the American people, the Attorney General is sacrificing our Nation's top law enforcement agency to politics during a violent crime spike. Instead of being stewards of our Nation's laws, the Attorney General is leading the charge upending the rule of law. Instead of fighting for civil rights, he is chipping away at those civil rights. Attorney General Garland, there is still time to change. You have 3 years left in this administration. I urge you to change course. I urge you to bring the Justice Department back to a place of leadership: leadership in reducing violent crime, leadership in maintaining the rule of law, and leadership in protecting our civil liberties. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. GRASSLEY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1074 | null | 4,040 |
formal | terrorist | null | Islamophobic | Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it has been a year since we in the Senate confirmed Merrick Garland to be Attorney General. During his confirmation hearing, I outlined what a successful Department of Justice looks like and what I expected of him as our new Attorney General. I gave him the answers to the tests. By this rubric, he has failed. For instance, I urged him to build off the successes from the previous Justice Department to reduce crime, maintain the rule of law, and protect our civil liberties. But violent crime continues to rise, the rule of law is undermined, and our civil liberties are in danger. Instead of condemning all violent crime, Attorney General Garland's Justice Department targets lawful gun owners and blames those gun owners for the rising murder rates, carjackings, and attacks against law enforcement. But the explosion of crime in blue cities is actually tied to depolicing measures, hiring progressive prosecutors, and enacting disastrous bail reform policies. Lawful gun owners are not to blame for this rise in crime. And in the midst of a crime spike, a number of Biden appointees and judicial nominees strongly backed by Attorney General Garland have supported radical ideas in the past, like defunding the police or at least reducing funding for police. And some have even advocated not prosecuting certain crimes. So how do you expect to effectively fight crime with the lineup that I just gave you? Instead of tackling the opioid crisis, the Garland Justice Department wants to make it easier for fentanyl traffickers to spread their poison. Fentanyl analogs are responsible for most overdose deaths and are lethal in very tiny amounts, as we all know. But the Garland and Biden administration support eliminating mandatory minimums for these fentanyl analog dealers. Really? In addition, Garland has wielded his power to undermine the rule of law and cave to political pressures. The Attorney General has summarily reversed a number of decisions issued by Attorneys General Sessions and Barr that helped enhance the integrity of our asylum system. This Attorney General has also issued memos, interpretations, and filings to the Supreme Court that contrast with previous Department of Justice positions. Let me give you an example. His Department of Justice reinterpreted the law to make sure that inmates released to home confinement under COVID relief stay there. His Solicitor General also switched positions on a cocaine sentencing case that was before the Supreme Court. Now, it happens that both of these policy outcomes align with my positions. I agree with those outcomes. But his way of getting there is political. Rule of law must be consistent and not political. So Garland's flip-flopping also jeopardizes our Nation's security. Instead of protecting the American people from the Chinese Communist Party's espionage, he disbanded the previous administration's successful China Initiative. This program prioritized investigations of national security from China, which is still a very serious threat given that the FBI opens a new Chinese espionage case every 12 hours. So I don't know why this would be disbanded. This move is concerning and dangerous to our national security and reflective of partisan pressures trumping smart law enforcement. Also, political decisions are getting in the way of the consistent application of the rule of law. For example, Attorney General Garland's Department of Justice is politically selective about which cases to pursue and which cases to dismiss. Despite the 100-night siege against the Portland courthouse in 2020 and 96 people being charged as violent rioters, almost half of those charged have been dismissed. Compare this to the Department of Justice's own statement on the 1-year anniversary of January 6: The Department of Justice's resolve to hold accountable those who committed crimes on Jan. 6, 2021, has not, and will not, wane. Now, we all know that those who break the law should be held accountable--no question about that. And as our Nation's top law enforcement officer, it is incumbent upon him to enforce the rule of law. He cannot pick and choose when the rule of law is politically convenient or easy. Under Garland's leadership, the Department of Justice is also undermining valuable civil rights. This is something that he and I have had a lot of discussions on as he has appeared before our committee. So undermining valuable civil rights, instead of prioritizing that, Attorney General Garland has killed the speech of American parents. He sent a memo to the FBI and the U.S. attorneys around the country to be on the lookout for upset parents at school boards. He did this after the National School Boards Association suggested that some people should be branded domestic terrorists. Imagine that charge--that you go to a school board meeting, you might be a domestic terrorist. What is even worse, there seems to be some evidence that the Secretary of Education may have asked the National School Boards Association to write that awful letter, which the association later had to apologize for. Garland says his memo was just about violence and threats of violence; but sure enough, whistleblower reports show that the FBI's counterterrorism division was looking way beyond only violence and threats. Parents' ability to voice their concerns, especially now, is a precious right, and the Department of Justice's actions cannot kill such vital speech constitutionally protected by the First Amendment. Also, instead of being responsive, the Attorney General has been evasive. Last year, I sent approximately 50 letters to the Department. That is one-third of all letters that they received from Members of the U.S. Senate. The Attorney General wanted me to know that I sent one-third of all the letters he got from the other 99 Senators. So when the Attorney General told me that, I don't think he meant it as a compliment. I received some letters in response. However, when I am told that they have responded to me, simple or lots of words on a piece of paper don't, in and of themselves, make a letter responsive. Furthermore, the Department has failed to provide responsive records, with the exception of one or two small productions. By way of example, I received a 30-page production of records from the Department. It included improper FOIA redactions and failed toinclude the necessary spreadsheets. Accordingly, that production is a failed production because FOIA does not apply to documents going to the Congress of the United States, so you shouldn't have that redaction. Also, I have repeatedly asked if Nicholas McQuaid is recused from the Hunter Biden criminal investigation, and that is an important thing because he seemed to work in the law firm that was representing Hunter Biden. And it ought to be a simple question to answer, but Attorney General Garland refuses to tell me whether McQuaid is recused from those cases. At the Judiciary Committee's October 27, 2021, Justice Department oversight hearing, I said to Attorney General Garland: When I placed holds on your nominees for the Department's failure to comply with Republican oversight requests, I said either you run the Department or the Department runs you. Right now, it looks like the Justice Department is running you. That ends my quote of October 27 last year. So that statement still holds true. Instead of protecting the American people, the Attorney General is sacrificing our Nation's top law enforcement agency to politics during a violent crime spike. Instead of being stewards of our Nation's laws, the Attorney General is leading the charge upending the rule of law. Instead of fighting for civil rights, he is chipping away at those civil rights. Attorney General Garland, there is still time to change. You have 3 years left in this administration. I urge you to change course. I urge you to bring the Justice Department back to a place of leadership: leadership in reducing violent crime, leadership in maintaining the rule of law, and leadership in protecting our civil liberties. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. GRASSLEY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1074 | null | 4,041 |
formal | terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, it has been a year since we in the Senate confirmed Merrick Garland to be Attorney General. During his confirmation hearing, I outlined what a successful Department of Justice looks like and what I expected of him as our new Attorney General. I gave him the answers to the tests. By this rubric, he has failed. For instance, I urged him to build off the successes from the previous Justice Department to reduce crime, maintain the rule of law, and protect our civil liberties. But violent crime continues to rise, the rule of law is undermined, and our civil liberties are in danger. Instead of condemning all violent crime, Attorney General Garland's Justice Department targets lawful gun owners and blames those gun owners for the rising murder rates, carjackings, and attacks against law enforcement. But the explosion of crime in blue cities is actually tied to depolicing measures, hiring progressive prosecutors, and enacting disastrous bail reform policies. Lawful gun owners are not to blame for this rise in crime. And in the midst of a crime spike, a number of Biden appointees and judicial nominees strongly backed by Attorney General Garland have supported radical ideas in the past, like defunding the police or at least reducing funding for police. And some have even advocated not prosecuting certain crimes. So how do you expect to effectively fight crime with the lineup that I just gave you? Instead of tackling the opioid crisis, the Garland Justice Department wants to make it easier for fentanyl traffickers to spread their poison. Fentanyl analogs are responsible for most overdose deaths and are lethal in very tiny amounts, as we all know. But the Garland and Biden administration support eliminating mandatory minimums for these fentanyl analog dealers. Really? In addition, Garland has wielded his power to undermine the rule of law and cave to political pressures. The Attorney General has summarily reversed a number of decisions issued by Attorneys General Sessions and Barr that helped enhance the integrity of our asylum system. This Attorney General has also issued memos, interpretations, and filings to the Supreme Court that contrast with previous Department of Justice positions. Let me give you an example. His Department of Justice reinterpreted the law to make sure that inmates released to home confinement under COVID relief stay there. His Solicitor General also switched positions on a cocaine sentencing case that was before the Supreme Court. Now, it happens that both of these policy outcomes align with my positions. I agree with those outcomes. But his way of getting there is political. Rule of law must be consistent and not political. So Garland's flip-flopping also jeopardizes our Nation's security. Instead of protecting the American people from the Chinese Communist Party's espionage, he disbanded the previous administration's successful China Initiative. This program prioritized investigations of national security from China, which is still a very serious threat given that the FBI opens a new Chinese espionage case every 12 hours. So I don't know why this would be disbanded. This move is concerning and dangerous to our national security and reflective of partisan pressures trumping smart law enforcement. Also, political decisions are getting in the way of the consistent application of the rule of law. For example, Attorney General Garland's Department of Justice is politically selective about which cases to pursue and which cases to dismiss. Despite the 100-night siege against the Portland courthouse in 2020 and 96 people being charged as violent rioters, almost half of those charged have been dismissed. Compare this to the Department of Justice's own statement on the 1-year anniversary of January 6: The Department of Justice's resolve to hold accountable those who committed crimes on Jan. 6, 2021, has not, and will not, wane. Now, we all know that those who break the law should be held accountable--no question about that. And as our Nation's top law enforcement officer, it is incumbent upon him to enforce the rule of law. He cannot pick and choose when the rule of law is politically convenient or easy. Under Garland's leadership, the Department of Justice is also undermining valuable civil rights. This is something that he and I have had a lot of discussions on as he has appeared before our committee. So undermining valuable civil rights, instead of prioritizing that, Attorney General Garland has killed the speech of American parents. He sent a memo to the FBI and the U.S. attorneys around the country to be on the lookout for upset parents at school boards. He did this after the National School Boards Association suggested that some people should be branded domestic terrorists. Imagine that charge--that you go to a school board meeting, you might be a domestic terrorist. What is even worse, there seems to be some evidence that the Secretary of Education may have asked the National School Boards Association to write that awful letter, which the association later had to apologize for. Garland says his memo was just about violence and threats of violence; but sure enough, whistleblower reports show that the FBI's counterterrorism division was looking way beyond only violence and threats. Parents' ability to voice their concerns, especially now, is a precious right, and the Department of Justice's actions cannot kill such vital speech constitutionally protected by the First Amendment. Also, instead of being responsive, the Attorney General has been evasive. Last year, I sent approximately 50 letters to the Department. That is one-third of all letters that they received from Members of the U.S. Senate. The Attorney General wanted me to know that I sent one-third of all the letters he got from the other 99 Senators. So when the Attorney General told me that, I don't think he meant it as a compliment. I received some letters in response. However, when I am told that they have responded to me, simple or lots of words on a piece of paper don't, in and of themselves, make a letter responsive. Furthermore, the Department has failed to provide responsive records, with the exception of one or two small productions. By way of example, I received a 30-page production of records from the Department. It included improper FOIA redactions and failed toinclude the necessary spreadsheets. Accordingly, that production is a failed production because FOIA does not apply to documents going to the Congress of the United States, so you shouldn't have that redaction. Also, I have repeatedly asked if Nicholas McQuaid is recused from the Hunter Biden criminal investigation, and that is an important thing because he seemed to work in the law firm that was representing Hunter Biden. And it ought to be a simple question to answer, but Attorney General Garland refuses to tell me whether McQuaid is recused from those cases. At the Judiciary Committee's October 27, 2021, Justice Department oversight hearing, I said to Attorney General Garland: When I placed holds on your nominees for the Department's failure to comply with Republican oversight requests, I said either you run the Department or the Department runs you. Right now, it looks like the Justice Department is running you. That ends my quote of October 27 last year. So that statement still holds true. Instead of protecting the American people, the Attorney General is sacrificing our Nation's top law enforcement agency to politics during a violent crime spike. Instead of being stewards of our Nation's laws, the Attorney General is leading the charge upending the rule of law. Instead of fighting for civil rights, he is chipping away at those civil rights. Attorney General Garland, there is still time to change. You have 3 years left in this administration. I urge you to change course. I urge you to bring the Justice Department back to a place of leadership: leadership in reducing violent crime, leadership in maintaining the rule of law, and leadership in protecting our civil liberties. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. GRASSLEY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1074 | null | 4,042 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I am here for a rather different reason. It is to call on this Chamber yet again to wake up to the urgent threat of climate change. I wish I was done with these ``Time to Wake Up'' speeches. Frankly, I wish I had never had to deliver a single one. I wish Congress had dealt with this threat--for instance, back when another Senator from Rhode Island, Republican John Chafee, held hearings on the looming challenge of carbon dioxide pollution. I wish we had dealt with it when the House, under Speaker Pelosi, passed the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, only for Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama to kill it in a Democratic Senate with a filibuster-proof majority. I wish the Citizens United decision hadn't allowed the fossil fuel industry to capture the Republican Party and kill the bipartisanship on climate that existed before that decision in this Chamber. In my church growing up, there was a prayer about things we have left undone that we ought to have done. In that spirit, here is a graphic on carbon emissions we prepared in conjunction with the Biden White House that charts out where we are on this problem. Green, this line here, is carbon emissions business as usual if we keep kowtowing to the fossil fuel industry here and don't take serious climate action. Orange, this line, with quite significant emissions savings, is the Finance Committee's climate tax package. That is the effect just of that climate tax package if it comes into law. Down here is a clean electricity standard. If you could put into law a national U.S. clean electricity standard, you could reduce emissions to this gray line. If you were to combine the two, if you were to combine the Finance Committee tax package and the clean electricity standard, you push emissions down to this yellow line. Look at the blue line. This upper blue line is the carbon savings from a modest price on carbon, one that we have discussed and negotiated with the White House--$15 per ton in 2023, rising to $70 per ton in 2032. Look at how powerful the emissions effect is of that single intervention. Now, this lowest one that reduces emissions the most, this is the safety pathway. This dark blue emissions line is all of those policies together. That is what they add up to. That is what we could be doing. We could be creating a pathway to safety. As these emissions results show, a carbon price is the key policy to hit the 50-percent emissions reduction target we have and to get on a pathway to safety. Well, that is not happening right now. So, while fossil fuel-funded Republicans block legislative action on climate, what could be done through executive action? Regulation. It is not a substitute for ambitious legislation, but it can make a big difference. The EPA has more or less restored Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. It has a proposal to regulate methane leakage from oil and gas facilities. It restored an Obama-era rule limiting mercury and other toxic air pollutants from coal-fired powerplants. That is all good, but it is a return to the pre-Trump polluter status quo, not progress--not new progress. Here is what EPA could still do: Start with regulations for big, easily identified sources of greenhouse gases, not just coal-fired powerplants but point sources, including in the industrial sector, which generates more than one-fifth of total greenhouse gas emissions. We need a multipronged regulatory approach targeting all major classes of point sources. We need stronger rules for mercury, coal ash, soot, and other pollutants. Public health demands this, and it is even more urgent in light of climate change. EPA can update the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and tighten National Ambient Air Quality Standards. We need greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and for aviation. Focusing just on light-duty vehicles won't cut it. Over at the Office of Management and Budget, they could finish an updated social cost of carbon and issue guidance requiring its use throughout--throughout--Agency decisionmaking. This is a big one. The social cost of carbon calculates the long-term damage from carbon pollution, and it should figure in permitting, leasing, grant-making, investments, international development assistance, trade agreements, and procurement. A Trump judge--likely installed on the Federal Bench using fossil fuel dark money--just blocked the Obama-era social cost of carbon. While that is litigated, the administration is correctly pausing leases, permits, and other actions for greenhouse gas emitters. At the Department of Interior, stop doling out leases to big polluters. The President promised to end new fossil fuel leases on public lands and waters, so pause them while the social cost of carbon is litigated, and review them all to make sure that taxpayers are paid royalties that reflect the actual cost of fossil fuel production and combustion. At the Department of Energy, update energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and all the electric appliances and products we use every day. There is low-hanging fruit there. I hear many of these rules are nearly ready but are held up in bureaucratic delay. Get a move on. The Department of Energy should also, along with the EPA and the Department of Agriculture, update the renewable fuel standards to ensure that renewable fuels actually generate considerable emissions reductions. Here is another simple one: Federal procurement. Update Federal acquisition regulations so Agencies price in the cost of emissions when they are buying products. Do that, and maybe we wouldn't wind up purchasing Postal Service delivery trucks with internal combustion engines no more efficient than their decades-old predecessors. Heck, we might even end up with clean, high-performing electric postal trucks. There is more to this regulatory list, but let me leave it there. With legislation and regulation ought to come litigation. There are States, cities, counties across the country that have filed lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry based on local harm suffered as a result of climate change, and there is precedent for those at the Federal level. In 1999, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Big Tobacco and its front groups, charging that they ``engaged in and executed--and continue to engage in and execute--a massive 50-year scheme to defraud the public.'' That is the language in the Department of Justice's complaint. Well, it went to trial, and a few years later, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler agreed. She found that the tobacco industry had ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for cigarettes through a scheme to deceive the public.'' That is the language in the decision, ``a scheme to deceive.'' So here is a useful exercise: Pop out the word ``cigarettes'' in that decision, and drop in ``fossil fuel.'' Judge Kessler's finding in the tobacco case describes exactly what the fossil fuel industry has perpetrated: ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for fossil fuels through a scheme to deceive the public.'' Nothing--nothing--prevents the Department of Justice from at least investigating whether to follow its ownsuccessful blueprint; yet nothing has been done. Progress will be easier on climate if we take on the fossil fuel-funded front groups that are armed to the teeth with dark money political weaponry. With proper countermeasures like exposure, we can help achieve victory on climate by exposing the rightwing, dark money groups fomenting and funding climate obstruction very likely as part of a scheme to deceive the public. I will end with an example from a book I read recently about a ship that went down. In September 1857, the S.S. Central America, which was known as the ``Ship of Gold,'' set sail from California to New York City with nearly 600 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold from the California Gold Rush. A few hundred miles off the Carolina coast, a hurricane hit the S.S. Central America. In the teeth of the gales, the passengers and crew did everything they could. Stewards and waiters and other staff were taken off their regular duties to fight the storm, to fight the flooding. Passengers were put into service to save the stricken ship. Heavy cargo was thrown overboard. In fact, divers are, right now, down, recovering the gold that was thrown overboard to save the ship. The ship itself--its doors and panels--were broken up to help block the sea out or were thrown overboard to lighten the stricken ship. At the end--at the end--passengers and crew were side by side, deep in the hold, shoulder deep in water, desperately pumping to save the ship. The lesson here: The passengers and crew did everything they could, but at each step, they started too late. They ultimately took all the necessary measures, but each one--each one--they took too late, and the ship sank. I fear that that is the analogy for our present predicament. Indolence in the face of known danger is a particularly stupid form of cowardice. It is made worse here by a fossil fuel industry that pays people to block our efforts to save the ship. For the steamship the S.S. Central America, there was another boat that stood by in the storm to help rescue passengers, and out of the 600 men and women on that ship, a few dozen were saved. Us? We have no other planet standing by. This is our chance for this ship of ours, and it is time to wake up. It is time to take self-rescue seriously by every available means--and fast. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WHITEHOUSE | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1076 | null | 4,043 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I am here for a rather different reason. It is to call on this Chamber yet again to wake up to the urgent threat of climate change. I wish I was done with these ``Time to Wake Up'' speeches. Frankly, I wish I had never had to deliver a single one. I wish Congress had dealt with this threat--for instance, back when another Senator from Rhode Island, Republican John Chafee, held hearings on the looming challenge of carbon dioxide pollution. I wish we had dealt with it when the House, under Speaker Pelosi, passed the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, only for Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama to kill it in a Democratic Senate with a filibuster-proof majority. I wish the Citizens United decision hadn't allowed the fossil fuel industry to capture the Republican Party and kill the bipartisanship on climate that existed before that decision in this Chamber. In my church growing up, there was a prayer about things we have left undone that we ought to have done. In that spirit, here is a graphic on carbon emissions we prepared in conjunction with the Biden White House that charts out where we are on this problem. Green, this line here, is carbon emissions business as usual if we keep kowtowing to the fossil fuel industry here and don't take serious climate action. Orange, this line, with quite significant emissions savings, is the Finance Committee's climate tax package. That is the effect just of that climate tax package if it comes into law. Down here is a clean electricity standard. If you could put into law a national U.S. clean electricity standard, you could reduce emissions to this gray line. If you were to combine the two, if you were to combine the Finance Committee tax package and the clean electricity standard, you push emissions down to this yellow line. Look at the blue line. This upper blue line is the carbon savings from a modest price on carbon, one that we have discussed and negotiated with the White House--$15 per ton in 2023, rising to $70 per ton in 2032. Look at how powerful the emissions effect is of that single intervention. Now, this lowest one that reduces emissions the most, this is the safety pathway. This dark blue emissions line is all of those policies together. That is what they add up to. That is what we could be doing. We could be creating a pathway to safety. As these emissions results show, a carbon price is the key policy to hit the 50-percent emissions reduction target we have and to get on a pathway to safety. Well, that is not happening right now. So, while fossil fuel-funded Republicans block legislative action on climate, what could be done through executive action? Regulation. It is not a substitute for ambitious legislation, but it can make a big difference. The EPA has more or less restored Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. It has a proposal to regulate methane leakage from oil and gas facilities. It restored an Obama-era rule limiting mercury and other toxic air pollutants from coal-fired powerplants. That is all good, but it is a return to the pre-Trump polluter status quo, not progress--not new progress. Here is what EPA could still do: Start with regulations for big, easily identified sources of greenhouse gases, not just coal-fired powerplants but point sources, including in the industrial sector, which generates more than one-fifth of total greenhouse gas emissions. We need a multipronged regulatory approach targeting all major classes of point sources. We need stronger rules for mercury, coal ash, soot, and other pollutants. Public health demands this, and it is even more urgent in light of climate change. EPA can update the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and tighten National Ambient Air Quality Standards. We need greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and for aviation. Focusing just on light-duty vehicles won't cut it. Over at the Office of Management and Budget, they could finish an updated social cost of carbon and issue guidance requiring its use throughout--throughout--Agency decisionmaking. This is a big one. The social cost of carbon calculates the long-term damage from carbon pollution, and it should figure in permitting, leasing, grant-making, investments, international development assistance, trade agreements, and procurement. A Trump judge--likely installed on the Federal Bench using fossil fuel dark money--just blocked the Obama-era social cost of carbon. While that is litigated, the administration is correctly pausing leases, permits, and other actions for greenhouse gas emitters. At the Department of Interior, stop doling out leases to big polluters. The President promised to end new fossil fuel leases on public lands and waters, so pause them while the social cost of carbon is litigated, and review them all to make sure that taxpayers are paid royalties that reflect the actual cost of fossil fuel production and combustion. At the Department of Energy, update energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and all the electric appliances and products we use every day. There is low-hanging fruit there. I hear many of these rules are nearly ready but are held up in bureaucratic delay. Get a move on. The Department of Energy should also, along with the EPA and the Department of Agriculture, update the renewable fuel standards to ensure that renewable fuels actually generate considerable emissions reductions. Here is another simple one: Federal procurement. Update Federal acquisition regulations so Agencies price in the cost of emissions when they are buying products. Do that, and maybe we wouldn't wind up purchasing Postal Service delivery trucks with internal combustion engines no more efficient than their decades-old predecessors. Heck, we might even end up with clean, high-performing electric postal trucks. There is more to this regulatory list, but let me leave it there. With legislation and regulation ought to come litigation. There are States, cities, counties across the country that have filed lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry based on local harm suffered as a result of climate change, and there is precedent for those at the Federal level. In 1999, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Big Tobacco and its front groups, charging that they ``engaged in and executed--and continue to engage in and execute--a massive 50-year scheme to defraud the public.'' That is the language in the Department of Justice's complaint. Well, it went to trial, and a few years later, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler agreed. She found that the tobacco industry had ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for cigarettes through a scheme to deceive the public.'' That is the language in the decision, ``a scheme to deceive.'' So here is a useful exercise: Pop out the word ``cigarettes'' in that decision, and drop in ``fossil fuel.'' Judge Kessler's finding in the tobacco case describes exactly what the fossil fuel industry has perpetrated: ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for fossil fuels through a scheme to deceive the public.'' Nothing--nothing--prevents the Department of Justice from at least investigating whether to follow its ownsuccessful blueprint; yet nothing has been done. Progress will be easier on climate if we take on the fossil fuel-funded front groups that are armed to the teeth with dark money political weaponry. With proper countermeasures like exposure, we can help achieve victory on climate by exposing the rightwing, dark money groups fomenting and funding climate obstruction very likely as part of a scheme to deceive the public. I will end with an example from a book I read recently about a ship that went down. In September 1857, the S.S. Central America, which was known as the ``Ship of Gold,'' set sail from California to New York City with nearly 600 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold from the California Gold Rush. A few hundred miles off the Carolina coast, a hurricane hit the S.S. Central America. In the teeth of the gales, the passengers and crew did everything they could. Stewards and waiters and other staff were taken off their regular duties to fight the storm, to fight the flooding. Passengers were put into service to save the stricken ship. Heavy cargo was thrown overboard. In fact, divers are, right now, down, recovering the gold that was thrown overboard to save the ship. The ship itself--its doors and panels--were broken up to help block the sea out or were thrown overboard to lighten the stricken ship. At the end--at the end--passengers and crew were side by side, deep in the hold, shoulder deep in water, desperately pumping to save the ship. The lesson here: The passengers and crew did everything they could, but at each step, they started too late. They ultimately took all the necessary measures, but each one--each one--they took too late, and the ship sank. I fear that that is the analogy for our present predicament. Indolence in the face of known danger is a particularly stupid form of cowardice. It is made worse here by a fossil fuel industry that pays people to block our efforts to save the ship. For the steamship the S.S. Central America, there was another boat that stood by in the storm to help rescue passengers, and out of the 600 men and women on that ship, a few dozen were saved. Us? We have no other planet standing by. This is our chance for this ship of ours, and it is time to wake up. It is time to take self-rescue seriously by every available means--and fast. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WHITEHOUSE | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1076 | null | 4,044 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I am here for a rather different reason. It is to call on this Chamber yet again to wake up to the urgent threat of climate change. I wish I was done with these ``Time to Wake Up'' speeches. Frankly, I wish I had never had to deliver a single one. I wish Congress had dealt with this threat--for instance, back when another Senator from Rhode Island, Republican John Chafee, held hearings on the looming challenge of carbon dioxide pollution. I wish we had dealt with it when the House, under Speaker Pelosi, passed the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, only for Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama to kill it in a Democratic Senate with a filibuster-proof majority. I wish the Citizens United decision hadn't allowed the fossil fuel industry to capture the Republican Party and kill the bipartisanship on climate that existed before that decision in this Chamber. In my church growing up, there was a prayer about things we have left undone that we ought to have done. In that spirit, here is a graphic on carbon emissions we prepared in conjunction with the Biden White House that charts out where we are on this problem. Green, this line here, is carbon emissions business as usual if we keep kowtowing to the fossil fuel industry here and don't take serious climate action. Orange, this line, with quite significant emissions savings, is the Finance Committee's climate tax package. That is the effect just of that climate tax package if it comes into law. Down here is a clean electricity standard. If you could put into law a national U.S. clean electricity standard, you could reduce emissions to this gray line. If you were to combine the two, if you were to combine the Finance Committee tax package and the clean electricity standard, you push emissions down to this yellow line. Look at the blue line. This upper blue line is the carbon savings from a modest price on carbon, one that we have discussed and negotiated with the White House--$15 per ton in 2023, rising to $70 per ton in 2032. Look at how powerful the emissions effect is of that single intervention. Now, this lowest one that reduces emissions the most, this is the safety pathway. This dark blue emissions line is all of those policies together. That is what they add up to. That is what we could be doing. We could be creating a pathway to safety. As these emissions results show, a carbon price is the key policy to hit the 50-percent emissions reduction target we have and to get on a pathway to safety. Well, that is not happening right now. So, while fossil fuel-funded Republicans block legislative action on climate, what could be done through executive action? Regulation. It is not a substitute for ambitious legislation, but it can make a big difference. The EPA has more or less restored Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. It has a proposal to regulate methane leakage from oil and gas facilities. It restored an Obama-era rule limiting mercury and other toxic air pollutants from coal-fired powerplants. That is all good, but it is a return to the pre-Trump polluter status quo, not progress--not new progress. Here is what EPA could still do: Start with regulations for big, easily identified sources of greenhouse gases, not just coal-fired powerplants but point sources, including in the industrial sector, which generates more than one-fifth of total greenhouse gas emissions. We need a multipronged regulatory approach targeting all major classes of point sources. We need stronger rules for mercury, coal ash, soot, and other pollutants. Public health demands this, and it is even more urgent in light of climate change. EPA can update the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and tighten National Ambient Air Quality Standards. We need greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and for aviation. Focusing just on light-duty vehicles won't cut it. Over at the Office of Management and Budget, they could finish an updated social cost of carbon and issue guidance requiring its use throughout--throughout--Agency decisionmaking. This is a big one. The social cost of carbon calculates the long-term damage from carbon pollution, and it should figure in permitting, leasing, grant-making, investments, international development assistance, trade agreements, and procurement. A Trump judge--likely installed on the Federal Bench using fossil fuel dark money--just blocked the Obama-era social cost of carbon. While that is litigated, the administration is correctly pausing leases, permits, and other actions for greenhouse gas emitters. At the Department of Interior, stop doling out leases to big polluters. The President promised to end new fossil fuel leases on public lands and waters, so pause them while the social cost of carbon is litigated, and review them all to make sure that taxpayers are paid royalties that reflect the actual cost of fossil fuel production and combustion. At the Department of Energy, update energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and all the electric appliances and products we use every day. There is low-hanging fruit there. I hear many of these rules are nearly ready but are held up in bureaucratic delay. Get a move on. The Department of Energy should also, along with the EPA and the Department of Agriculture, update the renewable fuel standards to ensure that renewable fuels actually generate considerable emissions reductions. Here is another simple one: Federal procurement. Update Federal acquisition regulations so Agencies price in the cost of emissions when they are buying products. Do that, and maybe we wouldn't wind up purchasing Postal Service delivery trucks with internal combustion engines no more efficient than their decades-old predecessors. Heck, we might even end up with clean, high-performing electric postal trucks. There is more to this regulatory list, but let me leave it there. With legislation and regulation ought to come litigation. There are States, cities, counties across the country that have filed lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry based on local harm suffered as a result of climate change, and there is precedent for those at the Federal level. In 1999, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Big Tobacco and its front groups, charging that they ``engaged in and executed--and continue to engage in and execute--a massive 50-year scheme to defraud the public.'' That is the language in the Department of Justice's complaint. Well, it went to trial, and a few years later, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler agreed. She found that the tobacco industry had ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for cigarettes through a scheme to deceive the public.'' That is the language in the decision, ``a scheme to deceive.'' So here is a useful exercise: Pop out the word ``cigarettes'' in that decision, and drop in ``fossil fuel.'' Judge Kessler's finding in the tobacco case describes exactly what the fossil fuel industry has perpetrated: ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for fossil fuels through a scheme to deceive the public.'' Nothing--nothing--prevents the Department of Justice from at least investigating whether to follow its ownsuccessful blueprint; yet nothing has been done. Progress will be easier on climate if we take on the fossil fuel-funded front groups that are armed to the teeth with dark money political weaponry. With proper countermeasures like exposure, we can help achieve victory on climate by exposing the rightwing, dark money groups fomenting and funding climate obstruction very likely as part of a scheme to deceive the public. I will end with an example from a book I read recently about a ship that went down. In September 1857, the S.S. Central America, which was known as the ``Ship of Gold,'' set sail from California to New York City with nearly 600 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold from the California Gold Rush. A few hundred miles off the Carolina coast, a hurricane hit the S.S. Central America. In the teeth of the gales, the passengers and crew did everything they could. Stewards and waiters and other staff were taken off their regular duties to fight the storm, to fight the flooding. Passengers were put into service to save the stricken ship. Heavy cargo was thrown overboard. In fact, divers are, right now, down, recovering the gold that was thrown overboard to save the ship. The ship itself--its doors and panels--were broken up to help block the sea out or were thrown overboard to lighten the stricken ship. At the end--at the end--passengers and crew were side by side, deep in the hold, shoulder deep in water, desperately pumping to save the ship. The lesson here: The passengers and crew did everything they could, but at each step, they started too late. They ultimately took all the necessary measures, but each one--each one--they took too late, and the ship sank. I fear that that is the analogy for our present predicament. Indolence in the face of known danger is a particularly stupid form of cowardice. It is made worse here by a fossil fuel industry that pays people to block our efforts to save the ship. For the steamship the S.S. Central America, there was another boat that stood by in the storm to help rescue passengers, and out of the 600 men and women on that ship, a few dozen were saved. Us? We have no other planet standing by. This is our chance for this ship of ours, and it is time to wake up. It is time to take self-rescue seriously by every available means--and fast. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WHITEHOUSE | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1076 | null | 4,045 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I am here for a rather different reason. It is to call on this Chamber yet again to wake up to the urgent threat of climate change. I wish I was done with these ``Time to Wake Up'' speeches. Frankly, I wish I had never had to deliver a single one. I wish Congress had dealt with this threat--for instance, back when another Senator from Rhode Island, Republican John Chafee, held hearings on the looming challenge of carbon dioxide pollution. I wish we had dealt with it when the House, under Speaker Pelosi, passed the Waxman-Markey climate change bill, only for Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama to kill it in a Democratic Senate with a filibuster-proof majority. I wish the Citizens United decision hadn't allowed the fossil fuel industry to capture the Republican Party and kill the bipartisanship on climate that existed before that decision in this Chamber. In my church growing up, there was a prayer about things we have left undone that we ought to have done. In that spirit, here is a graphic on carbon emissions we prepared in conjunction with the Biden White House that charts out where we are on this problem. Green, this line here, is carbon emissions business as usual if we keep kowtowing to the fossil fuel industry here and don't take serious climate action. Orange, this line, with quite significant emissions savings, is the Finance Committee's climate tax package. That is the effect just of that climate tax package if it comes into law. Down here is a clean electricity standard. If you could put into law a national U.S. clean electricity standard, you could reduce emissions to this gray line. If you were to combine the two, if you were to combine the Finance Committee tax package and the clean electricity standard, you push emissions down to this yellow line. Look at the blue line. This upper blue line is the carbon savings from a modest price on carbon, one that we have discussed and negotiated with the White House--$15 per ton in 2023, rising to $70 per ton in 2032. Look at how powerful the emissions effect is of that single intervention. Now, this lowest one that reduces emissions the most, this is the safety pathway. This dark blue emissions line is all of those policies together. That is what they add up to. That is what we could be doing. We could be creating a pathway to safety. As these emissions results show, a carbon price is the key policy to hit the 50-percent emissions reduction target we have and to get on a pathway to safety. Well, that is not happening right now. So, while fossil fuel-funded Republicans block legislative action on climate, what could be done through executive action? Regulation. It is not a substitute for ambitious legislation, but it can make a big difference. The EPA has more or less restored Obama-era fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks. It has a proposal to regulate methane leakage from oil and gas facilities. It restored an Obama-era rule limiting mercury and other toxic air pollutants from coal-fired powerplants. That is all good, but it is a return to the pre-Trump polluter status quo, not progress--not new progress. Here is what EPA could still do: Start with regulations for big, easily identified sources of greenhouse gases, not just coal-fired powerplants but point sources, including in the industrial sector, which generates more than one-fifth of total greenhouse gas emissions. We need a multipronged regulatory approach targeting all major classes of point sources. We need stronger rules for mercury, coal ash, soot, and other pollutants. Public health demands this, and it is even more urgent in light of climate change. EPA can update the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and tighten National Ambient Air Quality Standards. We need greenhouse gas emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles and for aviation. Focusing just on light-duty vehicles won't cut it. Over at the Office of Management and Budget, they could finish an updated social cost of carbon and issue guidance requiring its use throughout--throughout--Agency decisionmaking. This is a big one. The social cost of carbon calculates the long-term damage from carbon pollution, and it should figure in permitting, leasing, grant-making, investments, international development assistance, trade agreements, and procurement. A Trump judge--likely installed on the Federal Bench using fossil fuel dark money--just blocked the Obama-era social cost of carbon. While that is litigated, the administration is correctly pausing leases, permits, and other actions for greenhouse gas emitters. At the Department of Interior, stop doling out leases to big polluters. The President promised to end new fossil fuel leases on public lands and waters, so pause them while the social cost of carbon is litigated, and review them all to make sure that taxpayers are paid royalties that reflect the actual cost of fossil fuel production and combustion. At the Department of Energy, update energy efficiency standards for light bulbs, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and all the electric appliances and products we use every day. There is low-hanging fruit there. I hear many of these rules are nearly ready but are held up in bureaucratic delay. Get a move on. The Department of Energy should also, along with the EPA and the Department of Agriculture, update the renewable fuel standards to ensure that renewable fuels actually generate considerable emissions reductions. Here is another simple one: Federal procurement. Update Federal acquisition regulations so Agencies price in the cost of emissions when they are buying products. Do that, and maybe we wouldn't wind up purchasing Postal Service delivery trucks with internal combustion engines no more efficient than their decades-old predecessors. Heck, we might even end up with clean, high-performing electric postal trucks. There is more to this regulatory list, but let me leave it there. With legislation and regulation ought to come litigation. There are States, cities, counties across the country that have filed lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry based on local harm suffered as a result of climate change, and there is precedent for those at the Federal level. In 1999, the Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit against Big Tobacco and its front groups, charging that they ``engaged in and executed--and continue to engage in and execute--a massive 50-year scheme to defraud the public.'' That is the language in the Department of Justice's complaint. Well, it went to trial, and a few years later, U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler agreed. She found that the tobacco industry had ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for cigarettes through a scheme to deceive the public.'' That is the language in the decision, ``a scheme to deceive.'' So here is a useful exercise: Pop out the word ``cigarettes'' in that decision, and drop in ``fossil fuel.'' Judge Kessler's finding in the tobacco case describes exactly what the fossil fuel industry has perpetrated: ``coordinated significant aspects of their public relations, scientific, legal, and marketing activity in furtherance of a shared objective--to . . . maximize industry profits by preserving and expanding the market for fossil fuels through a scheme to deceive the public.'' Nothing--nothing--prevents the Department of Justice from at least investigating whether to follow its ownsuccessful blueprint; yet nothing has been done. Progress will be easier on climate if we take on the fossil fuel-funded front groups that are armed to the teeth with dark money political weaponry. With proper countermeasures like exposure, we can help achieve victory on climate by exposing the rightwing, dark money groups fomenting and funding climate obstruction very likely as part of a scheme to deceive the public. I will end with an example from a book I read recently about a ship that went down. In September 1857, the S.S. Central America, which was known as the ``Ship of Gold,'' set sail from California to New York City with nearly 600 passengers and crew and 30,000 pounds of gold from the California Gold Rush. A few hundred miles off the Carolina coast, a hurricane hit the S.S. Central America. In the teeth of the gales, the passengers and crew did everything they could. Stewards and waiters and other staff were taken off their regular duties to fight the storm, to fight the flooding. Passengers were put into service to save the stricken ship. Heavy cargo was thrown overboard. In fact, divers are, right now, down, recovering the gold that was thrown overboard to save the ship. The ship itself--its doors and panels--were broken up to help block the sea out or were thrown overboard to lighten the stricken ship. At the end--at the end--passengers and crew were side by side, deep in the hold, shoulder deep in water, desperately pumping to save the ship. The lesson here: The passengers and crew did everything they could, but at each step, they started too late. They ultimately took all the necessary measures, but each one--each one--they took too late, and the ship sank. I fear that that is the analogy for our present predicament. Indolence in the face of known danger is a particularly stupid form of cowardice. It is made worse here by a fossil fuel industry that pays people to block our efforts to save the ship. For the steamship the S.S. Central America, there was another boat that stood by in the storm to help rescue passengers, and out of the 600 men and women on that ship, a few dozen were saved. Us? We have no other planet standing by. This is our chance for this ship of ours, and it is time to wake up. It is time to take self-rescue seriously by every available means--and fast. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WHITEHOUSE | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1076 | null | 4,046 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. President, I want to talk about gas prices. The people in West Virginia woke up this morning, and according to AAA, the average gas price in West Virginia is $4.12 per gallon. Some parts of the country are paying--probably the part that is the Presiding Officer's country--more than $5 or even more than $6 per gallon of regular gas. Just up the street here in Washington, DC, at the gas station close to the Senate office buildings, it is $5.19 per gallon. We have surpassed the highest recorded average gas prices ever, and that is quite alarming. Unfortunately, this has been all too predictable given the Biden administration's domestic energy policy actions. On day one of his Presidency, President Biden managed to immediately kill thousands of union jobs and paralyze America's energy industry with the Executive orders that killed the Keystone XL Pipeline. At peak capacity, this pipeline would have delivered 830,000 barrels of oil per day to American refineries. It is pretty similar to what we are importing from Russia. The President put a moratorium on all new oil and gas leases on Federal lands, moving America from the energy superpower that we have been back to having an increased reliance on foreign adversaries for fuel feedstocks. These are countries that have much laxer environmental rules than we have or that we will ever have. The administration has also been openly anti-pipeline and anti-fossil fuel with its rhetoric, through its actions, and embodied by the people it has elevated to unaccountable leadership roles. Two by name are Gina McCarthy and John Kerry. This administration has instituted regulatory uncertainty at a time of record inflation. The administration wants to make a new definition of WOTUS, which is a rule otherwise known as the waters of the United States, to regulate every pond and ditch--even on private lands all across the country. This will devastate energy production as well as hurt sectors like agriculture and home building at a time when their products are already in high demand and under immense inflationary pressures. The administration is considering new, tighter methane regulations that will also raise our energy costs, including for home heating and, as we move to the next season, for home cooling and electricity bills. It is revising the NEPA permitting process by undoing the streamlining that was done during the Trump administration. NEPA touches almost every single infrastructure project in our country. Think about it. We just passed an enormous infrastructure package, but if you add more and more redtape onto these infrastructure projects that we have bipartisanly passed through here, you are going to add more and more costs for producers and more and more costs for everyday Americans. This regulatory uncertainty is increasing energy prices for Americans across the board and is felt most acutely at the gas pump because we can see it so clearly every time we fill up, and we see it posted at the stations. You also have an Energy Department that is slow-walking the build-out of LNG export terminals, which means we can't export much needed energy to our allies as efficiently as we could be. Endless regulatory delay and environmental lawsuits, including on permits already issued, delay more than pipelines and kill more than jobs. We have one in West Virginia, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, that is working hard to complete the last 5 percent of the pipeline to move the product. They also crush our economy with inflation and leave us and our allies more susceptible to bad actors like Russia, Venezuela, and Iran. We are seeing the importance of energy independence play out in realtime with the destruction--the horrifying destruction--in Ukraine. Because of the Biden administration's policies that I just outlined, we are not able to immediately provide an energy backstop to our European allies that are trying to break their Russian oil and gas habit. They are begging for our coal as we speak. It is the perfect storm for a global energy crisis. It almost sounds cliche to say, as it has been said so often, but energy security is our national security. Specifically, fossil fuel security will help keep us secure nationally. So what is the Biden administration doing? We have seen reports that the administration is discussing a possible trip soon to Saudi Arabia to convince the Kingdom to produce more oil. Well, he has tried this--and, oh, by the way, they won't even take the President's phone calls. We know the administration is considering easing sanctions on Venezuela so they will produce more oil. Once again, President Biden opened the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, even though it didn't work the last time, costs the taxpayer, and depletes our own stockpile that we created from the last oil crisis to be used when the United States faces another crisis. But incentivizing oil and gas production in our own country or letting it move forward? No. So, according to the administration and its actions, Saudi and Venezuelan and OPEC oil is good, but American oil is bad. OK. Got it. Rather than encourage American oil production, this administration would like to line the pockets of the Saudis, Nicolas Maduro, and, yes, Vladimir Putin. You cannot hinder American oil and gas production in the name of reducing emissions and then nudge countries like Saudi Arabia and Venezuela to produce more. Emissions are emissions, no matter where it comes from. Emissions are emissions when it comes to global climate change. And while I know the climate czar John Kerry is disappointed that war in Ukraine is distracting people from climate change--as we see 2 million people leaving that beautiful country--I don't see our European friends tryingto secure alternative sources for more solar panels. Instead, they are worried about access to oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear. That is because wind and solar aren't able to meet their energy demands. And, sadly, with the energy decisions the Biden administration has made, American fuel won't be there to meet their needs either. We just don't have the physical infrastructure in place to export. We are producing more than we ever have--even in this regulatory purgatory--but that just underscores how much more we could be doing if the Biden administration's redtape and policies were not in place. Right now, the world is begging for American leadership; Ukraine is begging for American leadership; Europe is begging for American leadership, and that includes energy leadership. Putin is emboldened every day that the Biden administration flails on this issue. The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is completely heartbreaking. According to the United Nations, as I stated, more than 2 million people have been forced to leave their homeland. Tens of thousands of Ukrainians still in Ukraine are without food, water, or power. We have seen the haunting images of the bombings of schools, apartments, and hospitals, including, sadly and just horrifyingly, a maternity hospital just yesterday. Civilians are being targeted. Children are being orphaned. It is an absolute atrocity. We cannot leave Ukrainian patriots and our European allies at the mercy of Moscow. We must address the poor energy policy decisions of the Biden administration in order to unleash full American energy production, support our allies in Europe, and stop funding Putin's war against Ukrainians. We should be acting quickly. The security of the free world depends on this. And I thank you for that. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mrs. CAPITO | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1077 | null | 4,047 |
formal | terrorism | null | Islamophobic | Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk about inflation. And one thing is sure, Joe Biden is the President of high prices. New numbers are out today. This morning, we found that inflation remains the worst it has been in 40 years--40 years. Now, we knew that today's inflation numbers were going to be bad for Americans and bad for the administration, but the numbers today are worse than people thought. Prices rose nearly 8 percent in just the last year. That means we are now seeing more inflation in the last 13 months under President Joe Biden than we did in the previous 4 years. And families are suffering. Prices are going up, but wages are not keeping up. Last week, we found out that wages, in terms of an escalation, had slowed down a bit, which means that people are falling further and further behind. Wages just cannot keep up with the prices that continue to go up. Month after month after month, the American people have found themselves falling further and further and further behind. I remember when Joe Biden told all of us that inflation would be ``transitory.'' He kind of laughed about it. Hesaid it over and over again. And then, in December, he said inflation had ``peaked.'' Mr. President, inflation had not peaked. Joe Biden, once again, dead wrong. Now, the American people are reminded about this every time they go to the gas station, every time they go to the grocery store, every time they go out to purchase goods. So why is this happening? What has happened to America under Joe Biden and the mismanagement of this Democratic administration that has the House, the Senate, and the White House? Well, there are two main things. One is Democrats' spending, excessive spending. The other, of course: Democrats' restrictions on American energy. One year ago, Joe Biden signed the largest spending bill in American history. Democrats put $2 trillion on America's credit card. They flooded the country with government cash, and prices went up. And ever since that day, prices have been going up faster than wages. There is still no end in sight. The painful truth of all of this is energy prices, food prices all across the country are going to continue to go up thanks to the mismanagement of Joe Biden and this administration. Today, a gallon of gas in the United States is the highest it has ever been--ever. When Joe Biden took office, the average price of gasoline in America was $2.38 a gallon; and today, it is about $2 a gallon more than it was then. Coming from my home State of Wyoming, where people drive more miles per capita than any other State in the country, people in my State are really feeling the pain of the mismanagement by Joe Biden and the Democrats. If we think it is bad in Wyoming, let's go to the liberal paradise of California. I don't know what it is in the Presiding Officer's home State of Hawaii, but in California, it is $5.60 a gallon. Summer is coming, and people are expecting the prices to get even higher. So what is Joe Biden's answer to this? He is blaming everything on Vladimir Putin--everything. It is a convenient excuse. It is just wrong. By the time that Vladimir Putin started to encircle Ukraine and then actually invaded Ukraine, inflation had been roaring here at home for over 10 months. Gas prices were already way up, $1.25 a gallon higher than they were on the day Joe Biden took office. So Biden's numbers just don't add up. Russian oil amounts to about 3 percent of our energy use in the United States. Gas prices haven't just gone up by 3 percent. No, no. They have nearly doubled during Joe Biden's Presidency. The real reason that prices are up so much for energy is Joe Biden has restricted our use of American energy. If you listen to his--go back to the tapes on the debate stage when he was running for President. He said he is going to keep it in the ground, no oil and gas or exploration or coal on public lands--none, zero. The White House Press Secretary the other day said, Oh, we are at record high production. We are not. Mistake. Absolutely wrong. She should be fact-checked. We are over a million barrels a day fewer U.S. barrels of oil produced today than we were during the height of our production before the pandemic--actually, 1.4 million barrels a day fewer barrels today than we were at the height of our production before the pandemic. Well, when supply goes down as a result of the mismanagement and the decisions made by this Biden administration and the refusal to allow for permits to explore for energy, prices go up; and they have. When the price of energy goes up, the prices of everything go up as well. What are the Democrats proposing about high prices for energy? Well, the answer for Democrats seems to be anything except more American energy. Democrats have essentially floated three proposals: One is defund our roads and bridges; the second is buy more energy from our enemies, people that chant ``Death to America''; or keep prices high. Those are the options we hear from the Democrats. We see some frightened Democrats worried about reelection talking about suspending the gas tax and then bringing it back right after election day. Well, the gas tax is what pays for the roads and the bridges, the highways of our Nation, but bring it back right after the election. Well, does that mean we are going to need less energy after election day; so it is OK to raise prices after the election? Of course not. Even former Clinton and Obama economic adviser Larry Summers calls this proposal being introduced in this body by Members of the Democratic side of the aisle--he called it ``short-sighted, ineffective, gimmicky, and goofy.'' That is Larry Summers from both the Obama as well as the Clinton administration. If we completely repeal the gas tax, gas prices would still be $1.75 more a gallon than they were the day Joe Biden took office. So another option the Democrats are floating is, ``Hey, let's buy more energy from our enemy.'' Wouldn't that be a great idea, says the President? So officials from the Biden administration have gone hat in hand to Venezuela last weekend as well as to Iran. Venezuela is one of the closest allies to Vladimir Putin. I understand the current man in power in Venezuela actually called to congratulate Vladimir Putin for what he is doing in Ukraine--so is Iran, in terms of the world's No. 1 sponsor of terrorism. That is who Joe Biden has chosen to talk to--Iran and Venezuela--rather than United States energy producers. Do we want to pay our worst enemies over $100 a barrel for each barrel of oil they will sell to us? Do we want to send billions and billions of dollars of hard-earned taxpayer dollars in this country to those who hate us and burn American flags and chant ``Death to America,'' or do we want to create jobs here at home, produce more American energy? The answer is obvious to most American people. It may not be obvious to the man in the White House or his administration or those around him, but Joe Biden would rather have an enormous transfer of wealth to our enemies than tell the climate elitists who he dances to the tune of that we are going to produce energy at home. Finally, some Democrats are just proposing: Let's keep energy prices high. The Secretary of Transportation says: Just buy an electric vehicle; that will solve all our problems. He said, You won't have to worry about gas prices no matter how high they go. It is OK if they go high as long as you buy an electric vehicle. Talk about being out of touch. The average electric vehicle costs over $55,000. Families who are struggling in this Biden economy, they can't afford to spend $55,000. We have many, many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, falling further and further behind. And the Secretary of Transportation says: Hey, just go find $55,000, buy an electric vehicle, and you can plug it in. Where do you think the electricity comes from? It doesn't come from the wall. Talk about an administration being out of touch. That is what we are dealing with in this country today. Two-thirds of Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck. This morning, we had a hearing in the Energy Committee that said, What about everybody trying to buy an electric vehicle; can we do it? What do we hear? You have to buy a lot of things from China or Russia just to get the rare Earth minerals that are needed to build the batteries for the electric cars. What does Elon Musk, Mr. Tesla, say? He says, Produce more American energy. It is time for the President of the United States to wake up. It is really not an option for everybody to get an electric vehicle. Even if everybody had the money, there are not enough electric vehicles to be had anywhere in the near--not just the near future--the foreseeable future and beyond that. Another option is not to send billions of dollars to our enemies. After all, as a State Department official from this administration told us in the Foreign Relations Committee as Putin was building up--before the invasion, but building up the army around Ukraine--said that Putin's energy was the cash cow that was paying for his military aggression. The American people deserve better solutions, rational solutions, solutions that they understand. And they understand American energy. Just yesterday, Joe Biden said: I can't do much right now to bring down prices. It is not true. Last week, the morning after the State of the Union address, I, along with every Republicanon the Senate Energy Committee--every Republican signed the letter, sent it to Joe Biden, offered 10 points he could do and do now to make a difference for American energy production to help the American economy, to help with jobs, to help with energy production, and to help bring down the cost of energy. We know what we need to do. To bring down inflation, we need to stop the reckless spending here in Washington, DC. Of course, that is gone now. The Democrats, on a single party-line vote--no Republican voted for it--did that last year to spark inflation and then all the rules and regulations and limitations on Americans' use of energy has added to and contributed to, today, a 40-year high of inflation. Above all, we need to unleash American energy. We need to use American energy. More American energy will bring down the prices. We have it. When the Secretary of the Interior makes a statement that she wants us to keep all the oil and gas in the ground, that is a statement about this administration's lack of commitment to use American energy. We have the opportunity in America to do it right. For more than a year now, the American people have been paying and paying and paying for the Democrats' anti-American energy policies, and they are sick and tired of it. You turn on the TV, and you see what is happening out there in the world. In Ukraine, people are getting killed by Vladimir Putin--a maternity ward and a hospital bombed, people killed. And what did former Secretary of State, John Kerry, the Democrats' climate envoy say in an interview to the BBC as the Russian troops encircled Ukraine? He said: I hope it doesn't distract from our climate agenda. That is obscene, and it is absurd. The American people realize how absolutely ridiculous the position and how untenable the position of this administration is when you have the No. 1 climate spokesman for the administration, a former Secretary of State, somebody who was a Member of this body for years, close colleague and friend of the President of the United States--it is time for Joe Biden to stand up to John Kerry and to stand up to the climate elitists who say: Oh, no, no American energy because we are so pure. The American people know what is important to them and their lives. We all want to make energy as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without raising costs on American families. The administration seems to be happy to see the prices go up on American families at a time when their wages are not keeping up with their expenses. It is long past time that we produce American energy and do it right here. We have the resources. We have the know-how. We have the workers. We are only missing one thing, and that is competent leadership in the White House and in the Democrats in this body on Capitol Hill. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. BARRASSO | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1078-2 | null | 4,048 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk about inflation. And one thing is sure, Joe Biden is the President of high prices. New numbers are out today. This morning, we found that inflation remains the worst it has been in 40 years--40 years. Now, we knew that today's inflation numbers were going to be bad for Americans and bad for the administration, but the numbers today are worse than people thought. Prices rose nearly 8 percent in just the last year. That means we are now seeing more inflation in the last 13 months under President Joe Biden than we did in the previous 4 years. And families are suffering. Prices are going up, but wages are not keeping up. Last week, we found out that wages, in terms of an escalation, had slowed down a bit, which means that people are falling further and further behind. Wages just cannot keep up with the prices that continue to go up. Month after month after month, the American people have found themselves falling further and further and further behind. I remember when Joe Biden told all of us that inflation would be ``transitory.'' He kind of laughed about it. Hesaid it over and over again. And then, in December, he said inflation had ``peaked.'' Mr. President, inflation had not peaked. Joe Biden, once again, dead wrong. Now, the American people are reminded about this every time they go to the gas station, every time they go to the grocery store, every time they go out to purchase goods. So why is this happening? What has happened to America under Joe Biden and the mismanagement of this Democratic administration that has the House, the Senate, and the White House? Well, there are two main things. One is Democrats' spending, excessive spending. The other, of course: Democrats' restrictions on American energy. One year ago, Joe Biden signed the largest spending bill in American history. Democrats put $2 trillion on America's credit card. They flooded the country with government cash, and prices went up. And ever since that day, prices have been going up faster than wages. There is still no end in sight. The painful truth of all of this is energy prices, food prices all across the country are going to continue to go up thanks to the mismanagement of Joe Biden and this administration. Today, a gallon of gas in the United States is the highest it has ever been--ever. When Joe Biden took office, the average price of gasoline in America was $2.38 a gallon; and today, it is about $2 a gallon more than it was then. Coming from my home State of Wyoming, where people drive more miles per capita than any other State in the country, people in my State are really feeling the pain of the mismanagement by Joe Biden and the Democrats. If we think it is bad in Wyoming, let's go to the liberal paradise of California. I don't know what it is in the Presiding Officer's home State of Hawaii, but in California, it is $5.60 a gallon. Summer is coming, and people are expecting the prices to get even higher. So what is Joe Biden's answer to this? He is blaming everything on Vladimir Putin--everything. It is a convenient excuse. It is just wrong. By the time that Vladimir Putin started to encircle Ukraine and then actually invaded Ukraine, inflation had been roaring here at home for over 10 months. Gas prices were already way up, $1.25 a gallon higher than they were on the day Joe Biden took office. So Biden's numbers just don't add up. Russian oil amounts to about 3 percent of our energy use in the United States. Gas prices haven't just gone up by 3 percent. No, no. They have nearly doubled during Joe Biden's Presidency. The real reason that prices are up so much for energy is Joe Biden has restricted our use of American energy. If you listen to his--go back to the tapes on the debate stage when he was running for President. He said he is going to keep it in the ground, no oil and gas or exploration or coal on public lands--none, zero. The White House Press Secretary the other day said, Oh, we are at record high production. We are not. Mistake. Absolutely wrong. She should be fact-checked. We are over a million barrels a day fewer U.S. barrels of oil produced today than we were during the height of our production before the pandemic--actually, 1.4 million barrels a day fewer barrels today than we were at the height of our production before the pandemic. Well, when supply goes down as a result of the mismanagement and the decisions made by this Biden administration and the refusal to allow for permits to explore for energy, prices go up; and they have. When the price of energy goes up, the prices of everything go up as well. What are the Democrats proposing about high prices for energy? Well, the answer for Democrats seems to be anything except more American energy. Democrats have essentially floated three proposals: One is defund our roads and bridges; the second is buy more energy from our enemies, people that chant ``Death to America''; or keep prices high. Those are the options we hear from the Democrats. We see some frightened Democrats worried about reelection talking about suspending the gas tax and then bringing it back right after election day. Well, the gas tax is what pays for the roads and the bridges, the highways of our Nation, but bring it back right after the election. Well, does that mean we are going to need less energy after election day; so it is OK to raise prices after the election? Of course not. Even former Clinton and Obama economic adviser Larry Summers calls this proposal being introduced in this body by Members of the Democratic side of the aisle--he called it ``short-sighted, ineffective, gimmicky, and goofy.'' That is Larry Summers from both the Obama as well as the Clinton administration. If we completely repeal the gas tax, gas prices would still be $1.75 more a gallon than they were the day Joe Biden took office. So another option the Democrats are floating is, ``Hey, let's buy more energy from our enemy.'' Wouldn't that be a great idea, says the President? So officials from the Biden administration have gone hat in hand to Venezuela last weekend as well as to Iran. Venezuela is one of the closest allies to Vladimir Putin. I understand the current man in power in Venezuela actually called to congratulate Vladimir Putin for what he is doing in Ukraine--so is Iran, in terms of the world's No. 1 sponsor of terrorism. That is who Joe Biden has chosen to talk to--Iran and Venezuela--rather than United States energy producers. Do we want to pay our worst enemies over $100 a barrel for each barrel of oil they will sell to us? Do we want to send billions and billions of dollars of hard-earned taxpayer dollars in this country to those who hate us and burn American flags and chant ``Death to America,'' or do we want to create jobs here at home, produce more American energy? The answer is obvious to most American people. It may not be obvious to the man in the White House or his administration or those around him, but Joe Biden would rather have an enormous transfer of wealth to our enemies than tell the climate elitists who he dances to the tune of that we are going to produce energy at home. Finally, some Democrats are just proposing: Let's keep energy prices high. The Secretary of Transportation says: Just buy an electric vehicle; that will solve all our problems. He said, You won't have to worry about gas prices no matter how high they go. It is OK if they go high as long as you buy an electric vehicle. Talk about being out of touch. The average electric vehicle costs over $55,000. Families who are struggling in this Biden economy, they can't afford to spend $55,000. We have many, many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, falling further and further behind. And the Secretary of Transportation says: Hey, just go find $55,000, buy an electric vehicle, and you can plug it in. Where do you think the electricity comes from? It doesn't come from the wall. Talk about an administration being out of touch. That is what we are dealing with in this country today. Two-thirds of Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck. This morning, we had a hearing in the Energy Committee that said, What about everybody trying to buy an electric vehicle; can we do it? What do we hear? You have to buy a lot of things from China or Russia just to get the rare Earth minerals that are needed to build the batteries for the electric cars. What does Elon Musk, Mr. Tesla, say? He says, Produce more American energy. It is time for the President of the United States to wake up. It is really not an option for everybody to get an electric vehicle. Even if everybody had the money, there are not enough electric vehicles to be had anywhere in the near--not just the near future--the foreseeable future and beyond that. Another option is not to send billions of dollars to our enemies. After all, as a State Department official from this administration told us in the Foreign Relations Committee as Putin was building up--before the invasion, but building up the army around Ukraine--said that Putin's energy was the cash cow that was paying for his military aggression. The American people deserve better solutions, rational solutions, solutions that they understand. And they understand American energy. Just yesterday, Joe Biden said: I can't do much right now to bring down prices. It is not true. Last week, the morning after the State of the Union address, I, along with every Republicanon the Senate Energy Committee--every Republican signed the letter, sent it to Joe Biden, offered 10 points he could do and do now to make a difference for American energy production to help the American economy, to help with jobs, to help with energy production, and to help bring down the cost of energy. We know what we need to do. To bring down inflation, we need to stop the reckless spending here in Washington, DC. Of course, that is gone now. The Democrats, on a single party-line vote--no Republican voted for it--did that last year to spark inflation and then all the rules and regulations and limitations on Americans' use of energy has added to and contributed to, today, a 40-year high of inflation. Above all, we need to unleash American energy. We need to use American energy. More American energy will bring down the prices. We have it. When the Secretary of the Interior makes a statement that she wants us to keep all the oil and gas in the ground, that is a statement about this administration's lack of commitment to use American energy. We have the opportunity in America to do it right. For more than a year now, the American people have been paying and paying and paying for the Democrats' anti-American energy policies, and they are sick and tired of it. You turn on the TV, and you see what is happening out there in the world. In Ukraine, people are getting killed by Vladimir Putin--a maternity ward and a hospital bombed, people killed. And what did former Secretary of State, John Kerry, the Democrats' climate envoy say in an interview to the BBC as the Russian troops encircled Ukraine? He said: I hope it doesn't distract from our climate agenda. That is obscene, and it is absurd. The American people realize how absolutely ridiculous the position and how untenable the position of this administration is when you have the No. 1 climate spokesman for the administration, a former Secretary of State, somebody who was a Member of this body for years, close colleague and friend of the President of the United States--it is time for Joe Biden to stand up to John Kerry and to stand up to the climate elitists who say: Oh, no, no American energy because we are so pure. The American people know what is important to them and their lives. We all want to make energy as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without raising costs on American families. The administration seems to be happy to see the prices go up on American families at a time when their wages are not keeping up with their expenses. It is long past time that we produce American energy and do it right here. We have the resources. We have the know-how. We have the workers. We are only missing one thing, and that is competent leadership in the White House and in the Democrats in this body on Capitol Hill. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. BARRASSO | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1078-2 | null | 4,049 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I was at the State of the Union Address, as was the Chair and most of the folks in this room. In the State of the Union Address, the President made a very strong statement. I was pleased to be able to hear him say--he made this statement: We will buy American to make sure everything--everything--from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on the highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end. All of it. All of it. Great. What he left out is what we have marked as little asterisks here on the ``everything,'' ``all of it,'' ``all of it,'' it seems to be, except oil and gas. Oil and gas is one of those things that is essential for us. It is not just transportation. It is not just electricity. The carpet I am standing on has petroleum products in it. The finish on this desk has petroleum products in it. The suit that people are wearing often will have some petroleum products in it--maybe the buttons on the jacket, paint on the walls. There are petroleum products all over this room, and it is needed for all kinds of things. Our economy is connected to petroleum. That doesn't mean we can't do it cleaner. That doesn't mean we can't do it better. But it is interesting to me to be able to note that when we talk about ``Buy American'' and ``Doing American,'' now, when there is the conversation and now decision finally from the Biden administration that we are going to cut off Russian oil and gas coming into the United States--good--that it immediately turns to let's get it from Venezuela or from Iran or find some other source. We are all saying: Time out. There is this country called the United States. We also produce oil and gas, and we should be focused on what does it take to be able to do it more here so that we are not dependent on any country, especially a country that is run by an autocratic dictator. I wish this was the only statement that I would challenge him on, but I was quite shocked that President Biden's envoy for climate, John Kerry, as the Russians were invading Ukraine, made this statement: I hope [that] President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate. And then he said that a Russian war could cause ``massive emission consequences.'' Wow. The focus seemed to be on emissions consequences of a war, rather than the people of Ukraine. And the focus seemed to be on, ``I hope President Putin will stay on track with respect to climate change,'' rather than stop. Listen, when I just talk to normal folks on the street in Oklahoma, they are frustrated by the price of gas. No matter how small their car is or how big their truck is, they are ticked at the high price of gasoline. They have been upset for a while. It is not just based on Ukraine. The price of gasoline just in the past 13 months has gone up over $1 a gallon. That wasn't because of Russia and Ukraine. That was directly because of policies that are of the Biden administration. And now, it is accelerating even more. We need to find a way to be able to create greater energy security for the United States of America, and that does involve actually producing more oil and gas. I would say that the Biden administration and I disagree on this, but the little-known fact is we don't disagree on this. I do agree with the Biden administration because if you look at the Biden administration's official numbers that they actually put out from the energy information, when they put out their official numbers and they have to estimate how much oil and gas we will use globally, the official estimate from the Biden administration is, between now and 2050, we will continue to need progressively more and more natural gas and petroleum products--by the way, also more coal in their estimates as well. Where we are different from the Biden administration is they do acknowledge, privately, the facts and lay the data out and say we are going to need more oil and gas and more coal, not less, to provide the basic energy needs of the world. Where I disagree with them is how they are trying to be able to push the world into other energy solutions by raising the price of oil and gas, which directly punishes consumers, and to be able to meet American climate goals, saying, if we are going to meet our American climate goals, we need to push production out to other countries and have them produce the oil and gas and send it to us so that we can show a good score for our climate while we still actually need to be able to purchase that oil from someone else. Let's admit the obvious. We need all kinds of energy, and in the next 30 years, according to even the Biden administration, we are going to need more gas, natural gas, more petroleum, more oil, and more coal worldwide. We are also going to need all kinds of other forms of energy. Unlike others, I am not opposed to every type of energy. Let's also make it as clean as we possibly can. We need to have all forms of energy out there, but we also need to admit the basic facts. We need oil and gas production. And that doesn't mean we go get it from Venezuela. Venezuela is a ruthless human rights violator. The leadership of Venezuela tortures his own people. We need to not go run to Venezuela to be able to get additional oil. We certainly don't need to go run to Iran. No, I don't know that this administration is running to Iran, but thereare great rumors that are flying around currently about the final negotiations of an Iran nuclear deal, and we are waiting to see what the actual details are, whether that is going to include putting Iranian oil on the world market. I hope it does not. I hope also that they deal with, in an Iran nuclear deal--they actually deal with the weapons that Iran is producing to actually deliver a nuclear warhead, as they continue to be able to test more and more missiles, with more and more range, with a larger and larger warhead size that is specifically designed for a nuclear warhead. We shouldn't pay attention to nuclear material and ignore the delivery system that they are actually experimenting with. I hope we pay attention to what is happening in Yemen. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and they are actually delivering the products of war to Yemen that is actually trying to destabilize all their neighbors around them. I hope we don't lift sanctions on Hezbollah, on Hamas, on those individuals who were part of actually murdering our marines in 1983 in Beirut. Those individuals who took away the property of Jewish citizens in Iran in 1979, I hope all of those sanctions remain and that those aren't up for bid and that we are also not talking about buying Iranian oil. Solving our need for energy should not be running to dictators around the world to go get it from them. So what is happening now? The administration has done a release of 30 million barrels from the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which, by the way, is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It does have some effect, but it is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It is not the long-term solution. Long term, that is not even a bump in prices. Long term, we have to have stable supply to meet the demands that we have in the country. This administration is saying that there is more oil production now in the United States than there was 2 years ago. That is factually true. During the time of COVID, production of oil plummeted in the United States, so there is definitely more oil being produced now than there was during the peak of the time during COVID. But they have also taken on multiple different items, from the very beginning of the administration, to do what they could to be able to attack the production of American oil and gas. From day 1, with cutting off the Keystone Pipeline, which, by the way, I have folks who catch me and say what difference would the Keystone Pipeline make? Well, let me give you an example. The Keystone Pipeline would deliver more oil to Houston, TX, a day than what Russia does a day to the United States. We could literally replace Russian oil with what would have come through the Keystone Pipeline, but they killed it because they had environmental goals. And why should we worry about where we buy our oil from? Why should we buy it from the Canadians when we can buy it from the Russians--was the theory. Well, I think we know why I would much rather be buying from the Canadians today than buying from Putin's Russia. That was done right off the bat. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, just 2 weeks ago--not ancient history, just 2 weeks ago--announced a new restriction on natural gas pipelines and said they will make decisions on export facilities of natural gas and natural gas pipelines on a case-by-case basis based on their mitigation plans that they will present--no definition of what that would mean. It is basically, if you are going to sink billions of dollars into doing a pipeline, we will make our decision when you are in process. What does that do? That discourages any company from actually doing a natural gas pipeline or certainly an export facility. When right now Europe is screaming at us to export more natural gas, FERC, literally, during the war, announced they are going to make it harder to do natural gas exports. The Obama-era rule on waters of the United States destabilized a lot of investment because no one knew what was going to be the issue and what was not going to be the issue. The Biden administration is now saying they want to be able to reopen all of that and to create less certainty on investment. There was a pause on oil and gas lease sales. They said they were going to do a temporary moratorium. They started that on January 20, 2021. It hasn't reopened yet, their temporary moratorium. Every 5 years there is a plan that has to be presented for offshore leases and how they are actually going to do offshore work. That plan is due in June of this year. As far as we can tell, the administration has taken up nothing on it, meaning offshore will have no ability to be able to continue permitting because they are just apparently not going to do the plan, which means you don't get access to those leases. So whether it is offshore, whether it is onshore, they are cutting off future supplies. If that is not hard enough, the administration nominated Sarah Raskin to be Vice Chair of Supervision for the Federal Reserve, who has made public statements that she wants to be able to use the Federal Reserve to be able to help cut off capital to anyone who handles fossil fuels. So, basically, if you can't get loans and you can't transport from here to there through a pipeline and you can't get additional leases offshore or onshore on Federal lands, you have severely limited the locations that you can actually get energy long term, while Biden's own energy information group says we are going to continue to need more oil and gas, more coal in the days ahead--the facts versus the reality of what they are actually putting into place. Now, again, electric vehicles don't offend me. For those folks who can afford an expensive electric vehicle, that is great. It is 2 percent of the vehicles on the road, and they are fine. I don't have a problem with them. But even when they talk about, let's do what we can to double the number of electric vehicles that are on the road, great, we will be at 4 percent of the vehicles on the road will be electric. The other 96 percent of the people in the country want to go to school, want to go to work, want to go to the grocery store, want to travel on vacation, and right now to do that, they are paying the price for it. Let's have all forms of energy. Let's have some realism in our conversation. Let's do what we can to be able to open up energy production. What am I doing? I have a specific piece of legislation that deals with the permitting processes. It deals with some of the Executive actions that President Biden has put into place to be able to slow down the production of American energy. It opens up the process so we can actually get back to producing more American energy. I am also promoting some very key things that the administration can do right now. For instance, when energy companies are looking to do investment for additional drilling, they are asking the question how long is the war going to happen? When is all this going to fall apart? And no one knows that. The administration today could announce we are doing a moratorium on buying Russian oil for the next 12 months, lay out a firm date on it, and then say 12 months from now we will review it. What difference does that make? That tells energy companies, if you are going to invest and you are planning to come online in the next year, we are not going to cut your legs out from under you by the United States buying Russian oil again in a few months; that we actually do American investments to be able to actually replace the Russian oil that is coming in. This administration could also today say we are not going to make any changes to any of the rules that are out there that will affect any of the process for developing American oil and gas for the next 12 months, just a pause on making any changes on that. And this administration could actually open up Federal leasing, which, by the way, is not a radical idea. It is the law. The law says that the administration has to do it every quarter, and so far four quarters in a row the Biden administration has ignored the law of the United States and just not done the leases, saying: They have plenty. I don't want to do more. Four quarters in a row they violated the law. So what could the Biden administration do to be able to help Americanproduction? Follow the law; put a pause on new restrictions; declare how long they are going to actually hold off on Russian oil and how long that will be to give certainty for people in their investment; and pause all these new restrictions on capital. If the Biden administration did that today, we would see an even greater increase in oil. Listen, there is no incentive that needs to be put in place. I have had folks say: What incentives do we need to put in place to be able to increase American production? Can I just say oil is at $120 a barrel. There is no incentive that needs to be put in place. The problem is not the incentive; the problems are the restrictions on the other side. With that certainty in a constantly changing environment, very few people want to be able to take the risk for it. So if Secretary Granholm is serious when she is calling out oil companies to ramp up production, do the work behind the scenes to open the path for them so that they have that kind of certainty. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LANKFORD | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1080 | null | 4,050 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I was at the State of the Union Address, as was the Chair and most of the folks in this room. In the State of the Union Address, the President made a very strong statement. I was pleased to be able to hear him say--he made this statement: We will buy American to make sure everything--everything--from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on the highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end. All of it. All of it. Great. What he left out is what we have marked as little asterisks here on the ``everything,'' ``all of it,'' ``all of it,'' it seems to be, except oil and gas. Oil and gas is one of those things that is essential for us. It is not just transportation. It is not just electricity. The carpet I am standing on has petroleum products in it. The finish on this desk has petroleum products in it. The suit that people are wearing often will have some petroleum products in it--maybe the buttons on the jacket, paint on the walls. There are petroleum products all over this room, and it is needed for all kinds of things. Our economy is connected to petroleum. That doesn't mean we can't do it cleaner. That doesn't mean we can't do it better. But it is interesting to me to be able to note that when we talk about ``Buy American'' and ``Doing American,'' now, when there is the conversation and now decision finally from the Biden administration that we are going to cut off Russian oil and gas coming into the United States--good--that it immediately turns to let's get it from Venezuela or from Iran or find some other source. We are all saying: Time out. There is this country called the United States. We also produce oil and gas, and we should be focused on what does it take to be able to do it more here so that we are not dependent on any country, especially a country that is run by an autocratic dictator. I wish this was the only statement that I would challenge him on, but I was quite shocked that President Biden's envoy for climate, John Kerry, as the Russians were invading Ukraine, made this statement: I hope [that] President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate. And then he said that a Russian war could cause ``massive emission consequences.'' Wow. The focus seemed to be on emissions consequences of a war, rather than the people of Ukraine. And the focus seemed to be on, ``I hope President Putin will stay on track with respect to climate change,'' rather than stop. Listen, when I just talk to normal folks on the street in Oklahoma, they are frustrated by the price of gas. No matter how small their car is or how big their truck is, they are ticked at the high price of gasoline. They have been upset for a while. It is not just based on Ukraine. The price of gasoline just in the past 13 months has gone up over $1 a gallon. That wasn't because of Russia and Ukraine. That was directly because of policies that are of the Biden administration. And now, it is accelerating even more. We need to find a way to be able to create greater energy security for the United States of America, and that does involve actually producing more oil and gas. I would say that the Biden administration and I disagree on this, but the little-known fact is we don't disagree on this. I do agree with the Biden administration because if you look at the Biden administration's official numbers that they actually put out from the energy information, when they put out their official numbers and they have to estimate how much oil and gas we will use globally, the official estimate from the Biden administration is, between now and 2050, we will continue to need progressively more and more natural gas and petroleum products--by the way, also more coal in their estimates as well. Where we are different from the Biden administration is they do acknowledge, privately, the facts and lay the data out and say we are going to need more oil and gas and more coal, not less, to provide the basic energy needs of the world. Where I disagree with them is how they are trying to be able to push the world into other energy solutions by raising the price of oil and gas, which directly punishes consumers, and to be able to meet American climate goals, saying, if we are going to meet our American climate goals, we need to push production out to other countries and have them produce the oil and gas and send it to us so that we can show a good score for our climate while we still actually need to be able to purchase that oil from someone else. Let's admit the obvious. We need all kinds of energy, and in the next 30 years, according to even the Biden administration, we are going to need more gas, natural gas, more petroleum, more oil, and more coal worldwide. We are also going to need all kinds of other forms of energy. Unlike others, I am not opposed to every type of energy. Let's also make it as clean as we possibly can. We need to have all forms of energy out there, but we also need to admit the basic facts. We need oil and gas production. And that doesn't mean we go get it from Venezuela. Venezuela is a ruthless human rights violator. The leadership of Venezuela tortures his own people. We need to not go run to Venezuela to be able to get additional oil. We certainly don't need to go run to Iran. No, I don't know that this administration is running to Iran, but thereare great rumors that are flying around currently about the final negotiations of an Iran nuclear deal, and we are waiting to see what the actual details are, whether that is going to include putting Iranian oil on the world market. I hope it does not. I hope also that they deal with, in an Iran nuclear deal--they actually deal with the weapons that Iran is producing to actually deliver a nuclear warhead, as they continue to be able to test more and more missiles, with more and more range, with a larger and larger warhead size that is specifically designed for a nuclear warhead. We shouldn't pay attention to nuclear material and ignore the delivery system that they are actually experimenting with. I hope we pay attention to what is happening in Yemen. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and they are actually delivering the products of war to Yemen that is actually trying to destabilize all their neighbors around them. I hope we don't lift sanctions on Hezbollah, on Hamas, on those individuals who were part of actually murdering our marines in 1983 in Beirut. Those individuals who took away the property of Jewish citizens in Iran in 1979, I hope all of those sanctions remain and that those aren't up for bid and that we are also not talking about buying Iranian oil. Solving our need for energy should not be running to dictators around the world to go get it from them. So what is happening now? The administration has done a release of 30 million barrels from the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which, by the way, is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It does have some effect, but it is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It is not the long-term solution. Long term, that is not even a bump in prices. Long term, we have to have stable supply to meet the demands that we have in the country. This administration is saying that there is more oil production now in the United States than there was 2 years ago. That is factually true. During the time of COVID, production of oil plummeted in the United States, so there is definitely more oil being produced now than there was during the peak of the time during COVID. But they have also taken on multiple different items, from the very beginning of the administration, to do what they could to be able to attack the production of American oil and gas. From day 1, with cutting off the Keystone Pipeline, which, by the way, I have folks who catch me and say what difference would the Keystone Pipeline make? Well, let me give you an example. The Keystone Pipeline would deliver more oil to Houston, TX, a day than what Russia does a day to the United States. We could literally replace Russian oil with what would have come through the Keystone Pipeline, but they killed it because they had environmental goals. And why should we worry about where we buy our oil from? Why should we buy it from the Canadians when we can buy it from the Russians--was the theory. Well, I think we know why I would much rather be buying from the Canadians today than buying from Putin's Russia. That was done right off the bat. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, just 2 weeks ago--not ancient history, just 2 weeks ago--announced a new restriction on natural gas pipelines and said they will make decisions on export facilities of natural gas and natural gas pipelines on a case-by-case basis based on their mitigation plans that they will present--no definition of what that would mean. It is basically, if you are going to sink billions of dollars into doing a pipeline, we will make our decision when you are in process. What does that do? That discourages any company from actually doing a natural gas pipeline or certainly an export facility. When right now Europe is screaming at us to export more natural gas, FERC, literally, during the war, announced they are going to make it harder to do natural gas exports. The Obama-era rule on waters of the United States destabilized a lot of investment because no one knew what was going to be the issue and what was not going to be the issue. The Biden administration is now saying they want to be able to reopen all of that and to create less certainty on investment. There was a pause on oil and gas lease sales. They said they were going to do a temporary moratorium. They started that on January 20, 2021. It hasn't reopened yet, their temporary moratorium. Every 5 years there is a plan that has to be presented for offshore leases and how they are actually going to do offshore work. That plan is due in June of this year. As far as we can tell, the administration has taken up nothing on it, meaning offshore will have no ability to be able to continue permitting because they are just apparently not going to do the plan, which means you don't get access to those leases. So whether it is offshore, whether it is onshore, they are cutting off future supplies. If that is not hard enough, the administration nominated Sarah Raskin to be Vice Chair of Supervision for the Federal Reserve, who has made public statements that she wants to be able to use the Federal Reserve to be able to help cut off capital to anyone who handles fossil fuels. So, basically, if you can't get loans and you can't transport from here to there through a pipeline and you can't get additional leases offshore or onshore on Federal lands, you have severely limited the locations that you can actually get energy long term, while Biden's own energy information group says we are going to continue to need more oil and gas, more coal in the days ahead--the facts versus the reality of what they are actually putting into place. Now, again, electric vehicles don't offend me. For those folks who can afford an expensive electric vehicle, that is great. It is 2 percent of the vehicles on the road, and they are fine. I don't have a problem with them. But even when they talk about, let's do what we can to double the number of electric vehicles that are on the road, great, we will be at 4 percent of the vehicles on the road will be electric. The other 96 percent of the people in the country want to go to school, want to go to work, want to go to the grocery store, want to travel on vacation, and right now to do that, they are paying the price for it. Let's have all forms of energy. Let's have some realism in our conversation. Let's do what we can to be able to open up energy production. What am I doing? I have a specific piece of legislation that deals with the permitting processes. It deals with some of the Executive actions that President Biden has put into place to be able to slow down the production of American energy. It opens up the process so we can actually get back to producing more American energy. I am also promoting some very key things that the administration can do right now. For instance, when energy companies are looking to do investment for additional drilling, they are asking the question how long is the war going to happen? When is all this going to fall apart? And no one knows that. The administration today could announce we are doing a moratorium on buying Russian oil for the next 12 months, lay out a firm date on it, and then say 12 months from now we will review it. What difference does that make? That tells energy companies, if you are going to invest and you are planning to come online in the next year, we are not going to cut your legs out from under you by the United States buying Russian oil again in a few months; that we actually do American investments to be able to actually replace the Russian oil that is coming in. This administration could also today say we are not going to make any changes to any of the rules that are out there that will affect any of the process for developing American oil and gas for the next 12 months, just a pause on making any changes on that. And this administration could actually open up Federal leasing, which, by the way, is not a radical idea. It is the law. The law says that the administration has to do it every quarter, and so far four quarters in a row the Biden administration has ignored the law of the United States and just not done the leases, saying: They have plenty. I don't want to do more. Four quarters in a row they violated the law. So what could the Biden administration do to be able to help Americanproduction? Follow the law; put a pause on new restrictions; declare how long they are going to actually hold off on Russian oil and how long that will be to give certainty for people in their investment; and pause all these new restrictions on capital. If the Biden administration did that today, we would see an even greater increase in oil. Listen, there is no incentive that needs to be put in place. I have had folks say: What incentives do we need to put in place to be able to increase American production? Can I just say oil is at $120 a barrel. There is no incentive that needs to be put in place. The problem is not the incentive; the problems are the restrictions on the other side. With that certainty in a constantly changing environment, very few people want to be able to take the risk for it. So if Secretary Granholm is serious when she is calling out oil companies to ramp up production, do the work behind the scenes to open the path for them so that they have that kind of certainty. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LANKFORD | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1080 | null | 4,051 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I was at the State of the Union Address, as was the Chair and most of the folks in this room. In the State of the Union Address, the President made a very strong statement. I was pleased to be able to hear him say--he made this statement: We will buy American to make sure everything--everything--from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on the highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end. All of it. All of it. Great. What he left out is what we have marked as little asterisks here on the ``everything,'' ``all of it,'' ``all of it,'' it seems to be, except oil and gas. Oil and gas is one of those things that is essential for us. It is not just transportation. It is not just electricity. The carpet I am standing on has petroleum products in it. The finish on this desk has petroleum products in it. The suit that people are wearing often will have some petroleum products in it--maybe the buttons on the jacket, paint on the walls. There are petroleum products all over this room, and it is needed for all kinds of things. Our economy is connected to petroleum. That doesn't mean we can't do it cleaner. That doesn't mean we can't do it better. But it is interesting to me to be able to note that when we talk about ``Buy American'' and ``Doing American,'' now, when there is the conversation and now decision finally from the Biden administration that we are going to cut off Russian oil and gas coming into the United States--good--that it immediately turns to let's get it from Venezuela or from Iran or find some other source. We are all saying: Time out. There is this country called the United States. We also produce oil and gas, and we should be focused on what does it take to be able to do it more here so that we are not dependent on any country, especially a country that is run by an autocratic dictator. I wish this was the only statement that I would challenge him on, but I was quite shocked that President Biden's envoy for climate, John Kerry, as the Russians were invading Ukraine, made this statement: I hope [that] President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate. And then he said that a Russian war could cause ``massive emission consequences.'' Wow. The focus seemed to be on emissions consequences of a war, rather than the people of Ukraine. And the focus seemed to be on, ``I hope President Putin will stay on track with respect to climate change,'' rather than stop. Listen, when I just talk to normal folks on the street in Oklahoma, they are frustrated by the price of gas. No matter how small their car is or how big their truck is, they are ticked at the high price of gasoline. They have been upset for a while. It is not just based on Ukraine. The price of gasoline just in the past 13 months has gone up over $1 a gallon. That wasn't because of Russia and Ukraine. That was directly because of policies that are of the Biden administration. And now, it is accelerating even more. We need to find a way to be able to create greater energy security for the United States of America, and that does involve actually producing more oil and gas. I would say that the Biden administration and I disagree on this, but the little-known fact is we don't disagree on this. I do agree with the Biden administration because if you look at the Biden administration's official numbers that they actually put out from the energy information, when they put out their official numbers and they have to estimate how much oil and gas we will use globally, the official estimate from the Biden administration is, between now and 2050, we will continue to need progressively more and more natural gas and petroleum products--by the way, also more coal in their estimates as well. Where we are different from the Biden administration is they do acknowledge, privately, the facts and lay the data out and say we are going to need more oil and gas and more coal, not less, to provide the basic energy needs of the world. Where I disagree with them is how they are trying to be able to push the world into other energy solutions by raising the price of oil and gas, which directly punishes consumers, and to be able to meet American climate goals, saying, if we are going to meet our American climate goals, we need to push production out to other countries and have them produce the oil and gas and send it to us so that we can show a good score for our climate while we still actually need to be able to purchase that oil from someone else. Let's admit the obvious. We need all kinds of energy, and in the next 30 years, according to even the Biden administration, we are going to need more gas, natural gas, more petroleum, more oil, and more coal worldwide. We are also going to need all kinds of other forms of energy. Unlike others, I am not opposed to every type of energy. Let's also make it as clean as we possibly can. We need to have all forms of energy out there, but we also need to admit the basic facts. We need oil and gas production. And that doesn't mean we go get it from Venezuela. Venezuela is a ruthless human rights violator. The leadership of Venezuela tortures his own people. We need to not go run to Venezuela to be able to get additional oil. We certainly don't need to go run to Iran. No, I don't know that this administration is running to Iran, but thereare great rumors that are flying around currently about the final negotiations of an Iran nuclear deal, and we are waiting to see what the actual details are, whether that is going to include putting Iranian oil on the world market. I hope it does not. I hope also that they deal with, in an Iran nuclear deal--they actually deal with the weapons that Iran is producing to actually deliver a nuclear warhead, as they continue to be able to test more and more missiles, with more and more range, with a larger and larger warhead size that is specifically designed for a nuclear warhead. We shouldn't pay attention to nuclear material and ignore the delivery system that they are actually experimenting with. I hope we pay attention to what is happening in Yemen. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and they are actually delivering the products of war to Yemen that is actually trying to destabilize all their neighbors around them. I hope we don't lift sanctions on Hezbollah, on Hamas, on those individuals who were part of actually murdering our marines in 1983 in Beirut. Those individuals who took away the property of Jewish citizens in Iran in 1979, I hope all of those sanctions remain and that those aren't up for bid and that we are also not talking about buying Iranian oil. Solving our need for energy should not be running to dictators around the world to go get it from them. So what is happening now? The administration has done a release of 30 million barrels from the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which, by the way, is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It does have some effect, but it is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It is not the long-term solution. Long term, that is not even a bump in prices. Long term, we have to have stable supply to meet the demands that we have in the country. This administration is saying that there is more oil production now in the United States than there was 2 years ago. That is factually true. During the time of COVID, production of oil plummeted in the United States, so there is definitely more oil being produced now than there was during the peak of the time during COVID. But they have also taken on multiple different items, from the very beginning of the administration, to do what they could to be able to attack the production of American oil and gas. From day 1, with cutting off the Keystone Pipeline, which, by the way, I have folks who catch me and say what difference would the Keystone Pipeline make? Well, let me give you an example. The Keystone Pipeline would deliver more oil to Houston, TX, a day than what Russia does a day to the United States. We could literally replace Russian oil with what would have come through the Keystone Pipeline, but they killed it because they had environmental goals. And why should we worry about where we buy our oil from? Why should we buy it from the Canadians when we can buy it from the Russians--was the theory. Well, I think we know why I would much rather be buying from the Canadians today than buying from Putin's Russia. That was done right off the bat. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, just 2 weeks ago--not ancient history, just 2 weeks ago--announced a new restriction on natural gas pipelines and said they will make decisions on export facilities of natural gas and natural gas pipelines on a case-by-case basis based on their mitigation plans that they will present--no definition of what that would mean. It is basically, if you are going to sink billions of dollars into doing a pipeline, we will make our decision when you are in process. What does that do? That discourages any company from actually doing a natural gas pipeline or certainly an export facility. When right now Europe is screaming at us to export more natural gas, FERC, literally, during the war, announced they are going to make it harder to do natural gas exports. The Obama-era rule on waters of the United States destabilized a lot of investment because no one knew what was going to be the issue and what was not going to be the issue. The Biden administration is now saying they want to be able to reopen all of that and to create less certainty on investment. There was a pause on oil and gas lease sales. They said they were going to do a temporary moratorium. They started that on January 20, 2021. It hasn't reopened yet, their temporary moratorium. Every 5 years there is a plan that has to be presented for offshore leases and how they are actually going to do offshore work. That plan is due in June of this year. As far as we can tell, the administration has taken up nothing on it, meaning offshore will have no ability to be able to continue permitting because they are just apparently not going to do the plan, which means you don't get access to those leases. So whether it is offshore, whether it is onshore, they are cutting off future supplies. If that is not hard enough, the administration nominated Sarah Raskin to be Vice Chair of Supervision for the Federal Reserve, who has made public statements that she wants to be able to use the Federal Reserve to be able to help cut off capital to anyone who handles fossil fuels. So, basically, if you can't get loans and you can't transport from here to there through a pipeline and you can't get additional leases offshore or onshore on Federal lands, you have severely limited the locations that you can actually get energy long term, while Biden's own energy information group says we are going to continue to need more oil and gas, more coal in the days ahead--the facts versus the reality of what they are actually putting into place. Now, again, electric vehicles don't offend me. For those folks who can afford an expensive electric vehicle, that is great. It is 2 percent of the vehicles on the road, and they are fine. I don't have a problem with them. But even when they talk about, let's do what we can to double the number of electric vehicles that are on the road, great, we will be at 4 percent of the vehicles on the road will be electric. The other 96 percent of the people in the country want to go to school, want to go to work, want to go to the grocery store, want to travel on vacation, and right now to do that, they are paying the price for it. Let's have all forms of energy. Let's have some realism in our conversation. Let's do what we can to be able to open up energy production. What am I doing? I have a specific piece of legislation that deals with the permitting processes. It deals with some of the Executive actions that President Biden has put into place to be able to slow down the production of American energy. It opens up the process so we can actually get back to producing more American energy. I am also promoting some very key things that the administration can do right now. For instance, when energy companies are looking to do investment for additional drilling, they are asking the question how long is the war going to happen? When is all this going to fall apart? And no one knows that. The administration today could announce we are doing a moratorium on buying Russian oil for the next 12 months, lay out a firm date on it, and then say 12 months from now we will review it. What difference does that make? That tells energy companies, if you are going to invest and you are planning to come online in the next year, we are not going to cut your legs out from under you by the United States buying Russian oil again in a few months; that we actually do American investments to be able to actually replace the Russian oil that is coming in. This administration could also today say we are not going to make any changes to any of the rules that are out there that will affect any of the process for developing American oil and gas for the next 12 months, just a pause on making any changes on that. And this administration could actually open up Federal leasing, which, by the way, is not a radical idea. It is the law. The law says that the administration has to do it every quarter, and so far four quarters in a row the Biden administration has ignored the law of the United States and just not done the leases, saying: They have plenty. I don't want to do more. Four quarters in a row they violated the law. So what could the Biden administration do to be able to help Americanproduction? Follow the law; put a pause on new restrictions; declare how long they are going to actually hold off on Russian oil and how long that will be to give certainty for people in their investment; and pause all these new restrictions on capital. If the Biden administration did that today, we would see an even greater increase in oil. Listen, there is no incentive that needs to be put in place. I have had folks say: What incentives do we need to put in place to be able to increase American production? Can I just say oil is at $120 a barrel. There is no incentive that needs to be put in place. The problem is not the incentive; the problems are the restrictions on the other side. With that certainty in a constantly changing environment, very few people want to be able to take the risk for it. So if Secretary Granholm is serious when she is calling out oil companies to ramp up production, do the work behind the scenes to open the path for them so that they have that kind of certainty. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LANKFORD | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1080 | null | 4,052 |
formal | terrorism | null | Islamophobic | Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I was at the State of the Union Address, as was the Chair and most of the folks in this room. In the State of the Union Address, the President made a very strong statement. I was pleased to be able to hear him say--he made this statement: We will buy American to make sure everything--everything--from the deck of an aircraft carrier to the steel on the highway guardrails is made in America from beginning to end. All of it. All of it. Great. What he left out is what we have marked as little asterisks here on the ``everything,'' ``all of it,'' ``all of it,'' it seems to be, except oil and gas. Oil and gas is one of those things that is essential for us. It is not just transportation. It is not just electricity. The carpet I am standing on has petroleum products in it. The finish on this desk has petroleum products in it. The suit that people are wearing often will have some petroleum products in it--maybe the buttons on the jacket, paint on the walls. There are petroleum products all over this room, and it is needed for all kinds of things. Our economy is connected to petroleum. That doesn't mean we can't do it cleaner. That doesn't mean we can't do it better. But it is interesting to me to be able to note that when we talk about ``Buy American'' and ``Doing American,'' now, when there is the conversation and now decision finally from the Biden administration that we are going to cut off Russian oil and gas coming into the United States--good--that it immediately turns to let's get it from Venezuela or from Iran or find some other source. We are all saying: Time out. There is this country called the United States. We also produce oil and gas, and we should be focused on what does it take to be able to do it more here so that we are not dependent on any country, especially a country that is run by an autocratic dictator. I wish this was the only statement that I would challenge him on, but I was quite shocked that President Biden's envoy for climate, John Kerry, as the Russians were invading Ukraine, made this statement: I hope [that] President Putin will help us to stay on track with respect to what we need to do for the climate. And then he said that a Russian war could cause ``massive emission consequences.'' Wow. The focus seemed to be on emissions consequences of a war, rather than the people of Ukraine. And the focus seemed to be on, ``I hope President Putin will stay on track with respect to climate change,'' rather than stop. Listen, when I just talk to normal folks on the street in Oklahoma, they are frustrated by the price of gas. No matter how small their car is or how big their truck is, they are ticked at the high price of gasoline. They have been upset for a while. It is not just based on Ukraine. The price of gasoline just in the past 13 months has gone up over $1 a gallon. That wasn't because of Russia and Ukraine. That was directly because of policies that are of the Biden administration. And now, it is accelerating even more. We need to find a way to be able to create greater energy security for the United States of America, and that does involve actually producing more oil and gas. I would say that the Biden administration and I disagree on this, but the little-known fact is we don't disagree on this. I do agree with the Biden administration because if you look at the Biden administration's official numbers that they actually put out from the energy information, when they put out their official numbers and they have to estimate how much oil and gas we will use globally, the official estimate from the Biden administration is, between now and 2050, we will continue to need progressively more and more natural gas and petroleum products--by the way, also more coal in their estimates as well. Where we are different from the Biden administration is they do acknowledge, privately, the facts and lay the data out and say we are going to need more oil and gas and more coal, not less, to provide the basic energy needs of the world. Where I disagree with them is how they are trying to be able to push the world into other energy solutions by raising the price of oil and gas, which directly punishes consumers, and to be able to meet American climate goals, saying, if we are going to meet our American climate goals, we need to push production out to other countries and have them produce the oil and gas and send it to us so that we can show a good score for our climate while we still actually need to be able to purchase that oil from someone else. Let's admit the obvious. We need all kinds of energy, and in the next 30 years, according to even the Biden administration, we are going to need more gas, natural gas, more petroleum, more oil, and more coal worldwide. We are also going to need all kinds of other forms of energy. Unlike others, I am not opposed to every type of energy. Let's also make it as clean as we possibly can. We need to have all forms of energy out there, but we also need to admit the basic facts. We need oil and gas production. And that doesn't mean we go get it from Venezuela. Venezuela is a ruthless human rights violator. The leadership of Venezuela tortures his own people. We need to not go run to Venezuela to be able to get additional oil. We certainly don't need to go run to Iran. No, I don't know that this administration is running to Iran, but thereare great rumors that are flying around currently about the final negotiations of an Iran nuclear deal, and we are waiting to see what the actual details are, whether that is going to include putting Iranian oil on the world market. I hope it does not. I hope also that they deal with, in an Iran nuclear deal--they actually deal with the weapons that Iran is producing to actually deliver a nuclear warhead, as they continue to be able to test more and more missiles, with more and more range, with a larger and larger warhead size that is specifically designed for a nuclear warhead. We shouldn't pay attention to nuclear material and ignore the delivery system that they are actually experimenting with. I hope we pay attention to what is happening in Yemen. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and they are actually delivering the products of war to Yemen that is actually trying to destabilize all their neighbors around them. I hope we don't lift sanctions on Hezbollah, on Hamas, on those individuals who were part of actually murdering our marines in 1983 in Beirut. Those individuals who took away the property of Jewish citizens in Iran in 1979, I hope all of those sanctions remain and that those aren't up for bid and that we are also not talking about buying Iranian oil. Solving our need for energy should not be running to dictators around the world to go get it from them. So what is happening now? The administration has done a release of 30 million barrels from the United States Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which, by the way, is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It does have some effect, but it is a day-and-a-half of our oil usage. It is not the long-term solution. Long term, that is not even a bump in prices. Long term, we have to have stable supply to meet the demands that we have in the country. This administration is saying that there is more oil production now in the United States than there was 2 years ago. That is factually true. During the time of COVID, production of oil plummeted in the United States, so there is definitely more oil being produced now than there was during the peak of the time during COVID. But they have also taken on multiple different items, from the very beginning of the administration, to do what they could to be able to attack the production of American oil and gas. From day 1, with cutting off the Keystone Pipeline, which, by the way, I have folks who catch me and say what difference would the Keystone Pipeline make? Well, let me give you an example. The Keystone Pipeline would deliver more oil to Houston, TX, a day than what Russia does a day to the United States. We could literally replace Russian oil with what would have come through the Keystone Pipeline, but they killed it because they had environmental goals. And why should we worry about where we buy our oil from? Why should we buy it from the Canadians when we can buy it from the Russians--was the theory. Well, I think we know why I would much rather be buying from the Canadians today than buying from Putin's Russia. That was done right off the bat. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, just 2 weeks ago--not ancient history, just 2 weeks ago--announced a new restriction on natural gas pipelines and said they will make decisions on export facilities of natural gas and natural gas pipelines on a case-by-case basis based on their mitigation plans that they will present--no definition of what that would mean. It is basically, if you are going to sink billions of dollars into doing a pipeline, we will make our decision when you are in process. What does that do? That discourages any company from actually doing a natural gas pipeline or certainly an export facility. When right now Europe is screaming at us to export more natural gas, FERC, literally, during the war, announced they are going to make it harder to do natural gas exports. The Obama-era rule on waters of the United States destabilized a lot of investment because no one knew what was going to be the issue and what was not going to be the issue. The Biden administration is now saying they want to be able to reopen all of that and to create less certainty on investment. There was a pause on oil and gas lease sales. They said they were going to do a temporary moratorium. They started that on January 20, 2021. It hasn't reopened yet, their temporary moratorium. Every 5 years there is a plan that has to be presented for offshore leases and how they are actually going to do offshore work. That plan is due in June of this year. As far as we can tell, the administration has taken up nothing on it, meaning offshore will have no ability to be able to continue permitting because they are just apparently not going to do the plan, which means you don't get access to those leases. So whether it is offshore, whether it is onshore, they are cutting off future supplies. If that is not hard enough, the administration nominated Sarah Raskin to be Vice Chair of Supervision for the Federal Reserve, who has made public statements that she wants to be able to use the Federal Reserve to be able to help cut off capital to anyone who handles fossil fuels. So, basically, if you can't get loans and you can't transport from here to there through a pipeline and you can't get additional leases offshore or onshore on Federal lands, you have severely limited the locations that you can actually get energy long term, while Biden's own energy information group says we are going to continue to need more oil and gas, more coal in the days ahead--the facts versus the reality of what they are actually putting into place. Now, again, electric vehicles don't offend me. For those folks who can afford an expensive electric vehicle, that is great. It is 2 percent of the vehicles on the road, and they are fine. I don't have a problem with them. But even when they talk about, let's do what we can to double the number of electric vehicles that are on the road, great, we will be at 4 percent of the vehicles on the road will be electric. The other 96 percent of the people in the country want to go to school, want to go to work, want to go to the grocery store, want to travel on vacation, and right now to do that, they are paying the price for it. Let's have all forms of energy. Let's have some realism in our conversation. Let's do what we can to be able to open up energy production. What am I doing? I have a specific piece of legislation that deals with the permitting processes. It deals with some of the Executive actions that President Biden has put into place to be able to slow down the production of American energy. It opens up the process so we can actually get back to producing more American energy. I am also promoting some very key things that the administration can do right now. For instance, when energy companies are looking to do investment for additional drilling, they are asking the question how long is the war going to happen? When is all this going to fall apart? And no one knows that. The administration today could announce we are doing a moratorium on buying Russian oil for the next 12 months, lay out a firm date on it, and then say 12 months from now we will review it. What difference does that make? That tells energy companies, if you are going to invest and you are planning to come online in the next year, we are not going to cut your legs out from under you by the United States buying Russian oil again in a few months; that we actually do American investments to be able to actually replace the Russian oil that is coming in. This administration could also today say we are not going to make any changes to any of the rules that are out there that will affect any of the process for developing American oil and gas for the next 12 months, just a pause on making any changes on that. And this administration could actually open up Federal leasing, which, by the way, is not a radical idea. It is the law. The law says that the administration has to do it every quarter, and so far four quarters in a row the Biden administration has ignored the law of the United States and just not done the leases, saying: They have plenty. I don't want to do more. Four quarters in a row they violated the law. So what could the Biden administration do to be able to help Americanproduction? Follow the law; put a pause on new restrictions; declare how long they are going to actually hold off on Russian oil and how long that will be to give certainty for people in their investment; and pause all these new restrictions on capital. If the Biden administration did that today, we would see an even greater increase in oil. Listen, there is no incentive that needs to be put in place. I have had folks say: What incentives do we need to put in place to be able to increase American production? Can I just say oil is at $120 a barrel. There is no incentive that needs to be put in place. The problem is not the incentive; the problems are the restrictions on the other side. With that certainty in a constantly changing environment, very few people want to be able to take the risk for it. So if Secretary Granholm is serious when she is calling out oil companies to ramp up production, do the work behind the scenes to open the path for them so that they have that kind of certainty. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LANKFORD | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1080 | null | 4,053 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, on Tuesday night, the Senate took a significant and historic vote to strengthen one of our Nation's oldest and most trusted institutions--the U.S. Postal Service. For the past 15 years, this vital service that delivers to every single community in our country, no matter how remote, has faced unfair, burdensome requirements that have jeopardized its financial stability and its ability to provide reliable and timely delivery to Americans all across our country. With 79 votes for the Postal Service Reform Act--one of the strongest bipartisan votes the Senate has delivered during this Congress--we passed significant reforms that will set the Postal Service on a more stable financial footing, preserve mail delivery for 6 days a week, and ensure greater transparency of delivery performance for the people who are counting on the Postal Service to bring them critical mail. When our Nation's Founders enshrined the Postal Service in our Constitution, they could have never envisioned what a vital role this institution would play in the daily lives of Americans. Whether it is families who are receiving critical medications or connecting with loved ones, veterans and seniors who are relying on the mail for benefits and Social Security checks, or small businesses that are sending important financial documents and their products to customers, Americans are counting on the Postal Service to deliver. Over the past few years--especially during COVID-19--we have seen just how essential the Postal Service is to keeping our country connected. The legislation that we passed earlier this week with overwhelming bipartisan support will help ensure that the Postal Service can continue its vital mission, and I am looking forward to seeing President Biden sign it into law. I am proud of our bipartisan efforts to protect this vital public service, and I would like to take just a few moments to thank the many people who made this possible. First, I want to recognize my Senate colleague on this effort, Senator Rob Portman, who is the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. I am also grateful to Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, who worked with me hand in hand, as well as with Senator Portman, to write and to build key support for this legislation. Senator Carper, who is a former chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and a stalwart advocate for the Postal Service, was an absolutely indispensable resource, a critical voice, and we worked together to advance this bill. I would also like to recognize each of our Senate cosponsors: Senators Tillis, Sinema, and Burr, Chairman Wyden of the Senate Finance Committee, Senators Collins, Hassan, Daines, Rosen, Capito, Padilla, Sullivan, Manchin, Hawley, Schatz, Blunt, Rounds, Smith, Cramer, Reed, Murkowski, Chairman Sanders of the Budget Committee, and Senators Hoeven, Tester, Moran, and Kaine. Key stakeholders like the Postal Service, our postal employee unions, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the countless members of the public who spoke out about what timely service meant to them also played an essential role in providing technical assistance and building support in passing this legislation. But none of these vital reforms to protect this longstanding public service would have been possible without the dedicated and tireless work of congressional staff. First, I would like to recognize my staff on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, who worked tirelessly to ensure this bill received bipartisan and bicameral support, as well as stakeholder support. Thank you to Annika Christensen, Lena Chang, and Victoria Pleasant for your determined efforts to craft and build support for this consensus reform. I would also like to thank Senator Portman's staff, Pam Theissen, Andy Dockham, Amanda Neely, and Renee Sheehy, who all played an important role in crafting and passing these reforms. On the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Mark Stephenson and Ethan Van Ness on Chairwoman Maloney's staff, as well as Christian Hoehner, Jake Greenberg, Daniel Ashworth, and Bill Womack on Ranking Member Comer's staff, provided valuable counsel and expertise on the legislation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Wyden's staff, Eva Dugoff and Sam Conchuratt, and Ranking Member Crapo's staff, Erin Dempsey, offered vital assistance to ensure the Medicare integration proposal worked effectively. House Ways and Means Committee staff Kathryn Olson, T.J. Sutcliffe, and Elisa Walker all provided critical technical assistance. Leader Schumer's staff provided vital expertise and guidance throughout the entire process and especially over the past few weeks as we prepared to pass this bill on the floor. Finally, Jackie Maffucci from Senator Carper's office and Erin Bursch and Erin Schulte from Senator Sinema's office spent countless hours helping to craft and secure robust support for the bill. These folks, along with countless others, ensured that the Postal Service would be able to keep delivering for the American people. In recent years, it has been a rare occasion when the Senate comes together to pass this kind of bipartisan, consensus legislation with such overwhelming support to address a very, very real problem. I am grateful to every person who played a role in raising awareness--working on this legislation--and getting it passed by both the House and the Senate. Once signed into law, this groundbreaking, bipartisan bill will help ensure that the Postal Service can continue its nearly 250-year tradition of providing delivery to every American. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PETERS | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1082-2 | null | 4,054 |
formal | thugs | null | racist | Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, conditions are bad in Ukraine, and they are getting worse. Vladimir Putin's war is escalating in severity and scale. This past Sunday, we received the first public reports that Russia is now deploying proxy fighters to Ukraine. Putin put out the call to action in Syria, Southeast Asia, and Chechnya, and now the mercenaries are pouring in. On Tuesday, we heard further allegations that as many as 1,000 proxy fighters from the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group will deploy to Ukraine and attack Kyiv. This latest news about proxy developments makes it even more obvious how willfully blind the President has been to the disaster unfolding in Ukraine. If you look back at footage from the past few months, it is clear that the Biden administration thought they would be able to talk Putin out of this. They thought they could send in the diplomats, offer a few concessions, pat everyone on the back, and head home. But while they were lining up their talking points, Vladimir Putin was lining up bodies to throw at Ukrainian defenses. When we first started to debate the threat that the Chinese Communist Party poses to the free world, it took a lot of time to convince the skeptics of China's tight hold on the global order. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, cheap telecom build-outs, and control over important supply chains, Beijing has created spheres of economic influence all across the globe. The Kremlin has done the same thing with its proxies. But it is important to remember that this is not new information. The existence of Wagner and other Russian proxy groups is not a secret, and neither is their brutal history. This won't be Wagner's first time in Ukraine. If fact, that is where these mercenaries actually got started. But for the past decade, they have been wreaking havoc all across Africa. Again, this is no secret. We know for a fact that they have caused chaos and bloodshed in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Madagascar, Mozambique, and the Central African Republic and that they have helped turn Mali into yet another ``hermit kingdom.'' And what have the Russians received in return? They have gotten access to oilfields, diamond mines, silver, gold, and other extremely valuable natural resources. By using his proxies, Putin gets the best of all worlds. He is able to force open doors into strategically important areas. He will then suck them dry of their natural resources and make his own name synonymous with violence in the face of resistance. Furthermore, mercenaries exist outside the bounds of laws and norms, which means groups like Wagner operate with impunity and give cover and plausible deniability to Moscow. In their opinion, it is the perfect legal fiction. Meanwhile, these proxy fighters have been accused of abductions, torture, and rape. They murder journalists and conduct summary executions on behalf of their Kremlin overlords. They target civilian populations with the specific purpose of terrorizing innocents and eliminating dissent, and when they are done, they simply disappear. That is what Vladimir Putin is preparing to unleash on the brave Ukrainian people. I sent, and other Members joined me--we have insisted since February 24 that this is not a special military operation; this is a war. But by bringing proxies into the mix, Putin has signaled that he is prepared to do more than inflict violence on key strategic targets; he is preparing for a massacre. This isn't a head fake. He knows exactly what he is doing because he has done it before. He is following the Syria playbook to the letter, from the booby-trapped humanitarian corridors to his use of cluster bombs, to the presence of proxies to carry out his dirty deeds. It is no wonder that Moscow has ordered their fighters to travel with mobile crematoriums. It is the only way they will be able to even attempt to cover up the brutality inflicted by Putin's private army. Over the past few months, Putin has shown us exactly what he intends to do to the brave Ukrainian people. He has made no attempt to hide behind diplomacy. His military commits war crimes in broad daylight for the benefit of the cameras. The introduction of proxies is the natural progression of this increasingly savage attack. It is time for President Biden to pull the blinders off and decide what America's response ought to be, and he has to do that right now. We have deprioritized the African theater for far too long, and now it is a breeding ground for glorified terror squads. That absolutely has to change. Russia is using proxies this very moment to destabilize and exploit Mali. We know what they did to the people of Syria. The pictures were too graphic for the nightly news. It is time to remind the world what happened there and make it clear that unless we do something, Ukraine is next. We must also send a strong signal to Putin, Wagner, and other thugs around the world that there will be no more hiding. Collect the evidence now. Document the war crimes now. Prepare for prosecutions now. We must let Vladimir Putin know that no amount of propaganda can cover up the atrocities that he and his private army plan to commit against the people of Ukraine. But we have to do it before it is too late to free the world from Moscow's grip. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mrs. BLACKBURN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1082 | null | 4,055 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, government funding, as we all know, is set to expire tomorrow night at midnight, and the Senate has the responsibility not just to keep the lights on but also to make critical investments in our country. I could only wish that we had come to this point through a more rational and more deliberative sort of way; but, unfortunately, this seems to be more the norm than the exception where four people get into a room and they write a piece of legislation, then they bring it to the floor, and your only option is to vote yes or no on it. We don't have a practice of making sure that on each one of these bills, people get to actually offer amendments and shape that legislation. I guess that is a quaint and old-fashioned notion, but that is how I thought the legislative process was supposed to work. Maybe that is a topic for another day, but it is unfortunate that this is where we are. Last night at 10 o'clock, the House voted on an almost 3,000-page bill, and then we are expected to vote on it the next day or the next 2 days. This is not a way to run a railroad. We all know that democracy is under attack in the world, and that means we need to do everything we can to provide for our defense and to support our friends and allies around the world. We know that there has been a tug-of-war between our Democratic colleagues and this side of the aisle when it comes to prioritizing national security spending, and that actually is one reason why we find ourselves here at this late date, voting on this multithousand-page bill, because our colleagues on the other side of the aisle wanted to prioritize domestic spending, not national security spending. Thank goodness that has been now negotiated where there is virtual parity. Thanks to the leadership of Ranking Member Shelby and our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, the bipartisan bill includes $42 billion more in defense spending. I can't think of any time in our recent history where we need those additional resources more for our security and the security of our friends and allies. This $42 billion increase in defense spending will provide our military commanders with what they need to respond to the threats that we are facing today and to prepare for those threats we see on the horizon. It is ironic I find myself speaking to the Senator from Maine, whom I serve with on the Intelligence Committee, because he knows a lot of this subject matter as well--certainly well, maybe better than I do. But we all know that Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine was what we thought was a relic of the past. My dad was a B-17 pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II. He was shot down on his 26th bombing mission over Nazi Germany and captured as a prisoner of war, where he served for the last 4 months of that war. We thought--Europe thought, the world thought--that perhaps we had gotten beyond that sort existential threat to our way of life and that the autocrats of the world--people like Vladimir Putin, President Xi, the Ayatollah in Iran, Kim Jong Un in North Korea--that these individuals would be deterred from provoking a war like Vladimir Putin has provoked in Ukraine. One thing Winston Churchill liked to say: If there is one thing for sure, it is that humankind is unteachable. We keep making the same mistakes over and over again. We keep thinking, well, we can cash the peace dividend because that is in the past, only to find ourselves, as Secretary Bob Gates said--he said, of all the military conflicts we found ourselves involved in, in the last several generations, we haven't planned for a single one of them. But we had to be ready, and we had to be able to defend our way of life and our values and our allies. So Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine is a reminder of the threatsthat remain to our freedom and the freedom of other democracies around the world. So there could not be a more appropriate time to plus-up our national defense spending, while at the same time providing additional resources, humanitarian and otherwise, to our friends in Ukraine who are fighting for their very existence. We know that Ukraine is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, so we have no legal obligation to come to Ukraine's defense, but I do believe we have a moral obligation to provide that assistance, both military and humanitarian. Russia has waged an unmistakable war on that democracy, violated the sovereignty of the Ukrainian people. It has even targeted civilians and brought immeasurable destruction to Ukraine. The only question is, After Putin has miscalculated the will of the Ukrainian people to defend themselves and the commitment of America and our NATO allies and other freedom-loving countries around the world to support Ukraine--now that they are bogged down, Russia is bogged down in Ukraine, the question is, Well, is Putin going to give up? Is he going to try to come up with a face-saving device, or is he going to double down? I am afraid Putin is going to double down, which means we are going to see more attacks on innocent civilians. We are going to see more Ukrainian cities leveled to the ground, indiscriminate killing of men, women, and children. This is all that Putin knows. The question is, How does this end? That is a chilling question, but the answer is even more chilling. As I said, I believe we have a moral duty to support Ukraine, and this legislation provides $13 billion in humanitarian, economic, and military assistance. We need to get this money out the door as soon as possible, while the United States and NATO needs to continue to supply the Javelins and other anti-aircraft, anti-tank weapons to help the Ukrainians defend themselves against this existential threat. The good news is, this is a bipartisan effort. A lot of things we do around here we divide up along party lines--the shirts and the skins, I like to call them--but the fact is, we all support Ukraine, and we are all looking for ways we can help them during their time of need. Another thing that this Omnibus appropriations bill does is it reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. This critical program has been defunct and moribund since 2019. For some reason, this was not a priority of this Chamber or of this Congress for the last 3 years, but thanks to the leadership of Senators Ernst and Murkowski--Senator Feinstein was an essential part of the negotiations--we were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to strengthen and modernize this law. I am a proud cosponsor of the legislation, and I thank our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for prioritizing its inclusion in this legislation. This funding will make critical investments for our country, including critical investments in our own people. One of the good things about this Omnibus appropriations bill is it does exclude poison pills that included things like taxpayer funding of abortions. Those are not included in this bill. While it is far from perfect, there is no question that a bill drafted solely by Republicans would look a little different. But the world does not operate on the basis of ideals. The perfect cannot be the enemy of the good. So despite its flaws, despite the crazy process by which we find ourselves here voting on this $1.5 trillion appropriations bill, notwithstanding all the reasons I could cite why maybe I should vote against it, I think there is enough good in this bill to support it. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1083 | null | 4,056 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, on another matter, 2 weeks ago, President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson--and I know I mispronounced her first name; Judge Jackson, let me just call her--to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. During his State of the Union Message, President Biden said that choosing somebody to serve on the Supreme Court is one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a President of the United States has. Likewise, I believe our responsibilities under the Constitution of evaluating the nominee, going through the advice-and-consent process, is one of the most serious responsibilities we as Senators have, and I don't take that responsibility lightly. Members of this Chamber are pretty familiar with Judge Jackson's qualifications, as she was confirmed to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals just 9 months ago--sometimes called the second most powerful Federal court in the land, right below the Supreme Court of the United States. There is no question that Judge Jackson is an incredibly smart person and has all of the sort of pedigree that you would expect: graduated from the best universities, the best law schools, has had a broad range of practice. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. She clerked for a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Breyer. She served on the Federal bench for nearly 9 years. I could say, as somebody who served on the State court bench for 13 years, I appreciate the President picking somebody who has actually had real-world experience on the trial bench. Too often, I think our Supreme Court nominees are academics and people who have very little real-world experience. But you can't argue that Judge Jackson does not have that kind of real-world experience, serving as a public defender, serving on the trial court, and serving on the court of appeals for the last 9 months. We all know that a nomination for the Supreme Court requires a rigorous assessment of far more than just a resume, though. Our Framers set forth the role of the Supreme Court in article III of our Constitution. Alexander Hamilton noted in Federalist 78 that the judiciary, he said, would have ``no influence over either the sword or the purse. . . . [i]t may truly be said to have neither force nor will, but merely judgment.'' Now, if I can interpret what Alexander Hamilton was really saying in modern language, it is that judges shouldn't be politicians. They are not policymakers. That is why we appoint them--they are appointed--for lifetime tenure, to be protected from the pressures of politics or personality, and that is why they have such a critical and important role in our government. But it is not the same role as we serve as elected representatives. We are enmeshed in politics. We are directly responsible to the people--not for the legal correctness of our arguments or our legislation or constitutional interpretation, although I think we do have some responsibility since we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States, but it is different, and I think most people recognize judges are different than politicians. Judges should not be politicians appointed to serve for lifetime tenure and be unaccountable to the public and yet make policy. That is why judges decide individual cases. We don't decide individual cases here; we make policy for broad swathes of the American people. But judges decide cases based on a controversy, a set of facts, and the application of the law to those facts, which is, again, the antithesis of politics. That is what judging is all about. So the Supreme Court is not just another branch of government that you can go to if you don't get your desired outcome in the political branches. If you don't win the election, if you don't elect your like-minded representative, you are not supposed to just go to the Supreme Court and say: OK, now you give me what I want because I couldn't get it through the political branches. The Supreme Court is not supposed to be a failsafe to be utilized to deliver results that can't be secured through the legislative process. Our democracy, equal justice under the law--that is what it says right above the door of the Supreme Court of the United States: ``Equal Justice Under Law''--can only be accomplished when the same law applies to all of us. Cases are therefore decided based on their unique facts--not on politics, not on personal preferences, not even on strongly held personal beliefs. This is absolutely critical to our system of checks and balances and the health of our democracy. So I look forward to meeting Judge Jackson in person. I saw her across the hearing room when she was before the Judiciary Committee just about a yearago. But I want to ask her a little more about her judicial philosophy and how she views her role on the Supreme Court. Now, some have suggested, since she has been confirmed to the circuit court, that this ought to be a rubberstamp. Well, I don't view it that way. Circuit court nominees and district court nominees have to apply Supreme Court precedent, but when you are a member of the Supreme Court, there is no higher court that dictates the decision or the precedence you need to apply. Now, ideally, you are applying the statutes and laws passed by Congress and the Constitution itself, but there is admittedly more flexibility for the nominee, which means her philosophy is even more important to know now. I tried to flesh out Judge Jackson's judicial philosophy during her confirmation hearing for the DC Circuit Court. A number of us submitted questions for the record asking her to clarify her judicial philosophy and the way she interprets the Constitution. We have heard a lot of testimony over the years about originalists and textualists and different ways people approach their duties as a judge. I don't think Judge Jackson was particularly forthcoming with her answers when we asked about her philosophy, and I ultimately voted against her confirmation for the circuit court. Now, that vote is not going to determine how I view her nomination to the Supreme Court, but I think the question applies with even greater strength because she will not be bound by Supreme Court precedent. I know she will have plenty of time and plenty of opportunity to clarify her views during the confirmation process, and I hope to see an unvarnished look, beginning with our conversation tomorrow, on Thursday. I am also eager to learn more about Judge Jackson's views of the Supreme Court as an institution, which has increasingly come under attack by partisans, again, who don't particularly like the decisions of the Court. But that is not supposed to be the test. The test is whether they apply the Constitution and laws of the United States to the facts found by the finder of fact. There have actually been a number of calls here on the Senate and in our political system in general to change the makeup of the Supreme Court, to actually add additional Justices to the Court--something that used to be called court packing back in the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But Justice Breyer, to his credit, whose seat Judge Jackson has been nominated to fill, has been a steadfast defender of the Supreme Court as an institution, and I hope soon-to-be-Justice Jackson takes her cues from her mentor. Justice Breyer echoed the comments of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg and warned about a potentially dangerous politicalization of the Supreme Court and the consequential loss of public confidence in its judgments. Well, I would like to know whether Judge Jackson agrees with Justice Breyer and whether she shares Justice Ginsburg's assessment that nine seems to be a good number when it comes to the Supreme Court. In the coming days and weeks, the Senate will thoroughly review Judge Jackson's qualifications, just as this body has done for every other nominee to the Federal bench. This is a familiar process to most of us. Judge Jackson is the fourth Supreme Court nominee we will have considered in the last 5 years. But I hope there is something we do differently this time than has been done in the recent past, particularly in the case of Justice Kavanaugh. Frankly, the confirmation process for Justice Kavanaugh was an embarrassment and, I believe, a black mark on this Senate. Conversely, I think we have an opportunity to show the American people how to do it the right way and treat Judge Jackson with civility and dignity, even when we disagree. We know that outside groups launched a full-on character attack against Judge Kavanaugh. Even Justice Barrett, more recently, was attacked based on her religious beliefs. I can assure you that will not happen this time around. We will meticulously review Judge Jackson's record. We will ask detailed questions to understand her judicial philosophy. We will read and review her opinions and carefully evaluate her ability to serve. Through it all, there is no question that she will be treated with dignity and respect. I think the confirmation process must be thorough and it must be civil. The American people and, frankly, the nominee deserves nothing less. I am prepared to fulfill my advice and consent duties as a Member of this body and as a member of the Judiciary Committee. As we know, there is no particular timeline for this process. In some cases, it moves quickly, and in others it has taken significantly more time. Chairman Durbin has announced that the Judiciary Committee will begin its confirmation hearing in the week of March 21, which doesn't allow much more time for our colleagues to meet with Judge Jackson before evaluating her record, and I know she has prioritized meeting with Members of the Judiciary Committee. I hope she will have adequate time to meet with other Members who are not on the Judiciary Committee, as well. I know our colleagues are anxious to expedite this process, but we all know Justice Breyer will stay on the Court until the end of this term, which will be the first week or so in July. Justices do not have term limits. They are not held accountable on elections, but they wield tremendous power under our Constitution. So we have a duty, not necessarily to get it done fast but to get it done right and thoroughly evaluate Judge Jackson's qualifications and ensure that, if confirmed, she will serve as a fair and impartial member of the Supreme Court. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1084 | null | 4,057 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, on another matter, 2 weeks ago, President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson--and I know I mispronounced her first name; Judge Jackson, let me just call her--to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. During his State of the Union Message, President Biden said that choosing somebody to serve on the Supreme Court is one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a President of the United States has. Likewise, I believe our responsibilities under the Constitution of evaluating the nominee, going through the advice-and-consent process, is one of the most serious responsibilities we as Senators have, and I don't take that responsibility lightly. Members of this Chamber are pretty familiar with Judge Jackson's qualifications, as she was confirmed to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals just 9 months ago--sometimes called the second most powerful Federal court in the land, right below the Supreme Court of the United States. There is no question that Judge Jackson is an incredibly smart person and has all of the sort of pedigree that you would expect: graduated from the best universities, the best law schools, has had a broad range of practice. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard. She clerked for a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Breyer. She served on the Federal bench for nearly 9 years. I could say, as somebody who served on the State court bench for 13 years, I appreciate the President picking somebody who has actually had real-world experience on the trial bench. Too often, I think our Supreme Court nominees are academics and people who have very little real-world experience. But you can't argue that Judge Jackson does not have that kind of real-world experience, serving as a public defender, serving on the trial court, and serving on the court of appeals for the last 9 months. We all know that a nomination for the Supreme Court requires a rigorous assessment of far more than just a resume, though. Our Framers set forth the role of the Supreme Court in article III of our Constitution. Alexander Hamilton noted in Federalist 78 that the judiciary, he said, would have ``no influence over either the sword or the purse. . . . [i]t may truly be said to have neither force nor will, but merely judgment.'' Now, if I can interpret what Alexander Hamilton was really saying in modern language, it is that judges shouldn't be politicians. They are not policymakers. That is why we appoint them--they are appointed--for lifetime tenure, to be protected from the pressures of politics or personality, and that is why they have such a critical and important role in our government. But it is not the same role as we serve as elected representatives. We are enmeshed in politics. We are directly responsible to the people--not for the legal correctness of our arguments or our legislation or constitutional interpretation, although I think we do have some responsibility since we take an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States, but it is different, and I think most people recognize judges are different than politicians. Judges should not be politicians appointed to serve for lifetime tenure and be unaccountable to the public and yet make policy. That is why judges decide individual cases. We don't decide individual cases here; we make policy for broad swathes of the American people. But judges decide cases based on a controversy, a set of facts, and the application of the law to those facts, which is, again, the antithesis of politics. That is what judging is all about. So the Supreme Court is not just another branch of government that you can go to if you don't get your desired outcome in the political branches. If you don't win the election, if you don't elect your like-minded representative, you are not supposed to just go to the Supreme Court and say: OK, now you give me what I want because I couldn't get it through the political branches. The Supreme Court is not supposed to be a failsafe to be utilized to deliver results that can't be secured through the legislative process. Our democracy, equal justice under the law--that is what it says right above the door of the Supreme Court of the United States: ``Equal Justice Under Law''--can only be accomplished when the same law applies to all of us. Cases are therefore decided based on their unique facts--not on politics, not on personal preferences, not even on strongly held personal beliefs. This is absolutely critical to our system of checks and balances and the health of our democracy. So I look forward to meeting Judge Jackson in person. I saw her across the hearing room when she was before the Judiciary Committee just about a yearago. But I want to ask her a little more about her judicial philosophy and how she views her role on the Supreme Court. Now, some have suggested, since she has been confirmed to the circuit court, that this ought to be a rubberstamp. Well, I don't view it that way. Circuit court nominees and district court nominees have to apply Supreme Court precedent, but when you are a member of the Supreme Court, there is no higher court that dictates the decision or the precedence you need to apply. Now, ideally, you are applying the statutes and laws passed by Congress and the Constitution itself, but there is admittedly more flexibility for the nominee, which means her philosophy is even more important to know now. I tried to flesh out Judge Jackson's judicial philosophy during her confirmation hearing for the DC Circuit Court. A number of us submitted questions for the record asking her to clarify her judicial philosophy and the way she interprets the Constitution. We have heard a lot of testimony over the years about originalists and textualists and different ways people approach their duties as a judge. I don't think Judge Jackson was particularly forthcoming with her answers when we asked about her philosophy, and I ultimately voted against her confirmation for the circuit court. Now, that vote is not going to determine how I view her nomination to the Supreme Court, but I think the question applies with even greater strength because she will not be bound by Supreme Court precedent. I know she will have plenty of time and plenty of opportunity to clarify her views during the confirmation process, and I hope to see an unvarnished look, beginning with our conversation tomorrow, on Thursday. I am also eager to learn more about Judge Jackson's views of the Supreme Court as an institution, which has increasingly come under attack by partisans, again, who don't particularly like the decisions of the Court. But that is not supposed to be the test. The test is whether they apply the Constitution and laws of the United States to the facts found by the finder of fact. There have actually been a number of calls here on the Senate and in our political system in general to change the makeup of the Supreme Court, to actually add additional Justices to the Court--something that used to be called court packing back in the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. But Justice Breyer, to his credit, whose seat Judge Jackson has been nominated to fill, has been a steadfast defender of the Supreme Court as an institution, and I hope soon-to-be-Justice Jackson takes her cues from her mentor. Justice Breyer echoed the comments of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg and warned about a potentially dangerous politicalization of the Supreme Court and the consequential loss of public confidence in its judgments. Well, I would like to know whether Judge Jackson agrees with Justice Breyer and whether she shares Justice Ginsburg's assessment that nine seems to be a good number when it comes to the Supreme Court. In the coming days and weeks, the Senate will thoroughly review Judge Jackson's qualifications, just as this body has done for every other nominee to the Federal bench. This is a familiar process to most of us. Judge Jackson is the fourth Supreme Court nominee we will have considered in the last 5 years. But I hope there is something we do differently this time than has been done in the recent past, particularly in the case of Justice Kavanaugh. Frankly, the confirmation process for Justice Kavanaugh was an embarrassment and, I believe, a black mark on this Senate. Conversely, I think we have an opportunity to show the American people how to do it the right way and treat Judge Jackson with civility and dignity, even when we disagree. We know that outside groups launched a full-on character attack against Judge Kavanaugh. Even Justice Barrett, more recently, was attacked based on her religious beliefs. I can assure you that will not happen this time around. We will meticulously review Judge Jackson's record. We will ask detailed questions to understand her judicial philosophy. We will read and review her opinions and carefully evaluate her ability to serve. Through it all, there is no question that she will be treated with dignity and respect. I think the confirmation process must be thorough and it must be civil. The American people and, frankly, the nominee deserves nothing less. I am prepared to fulfill my advice and consent duties as a Member of this body and as a member of the Judiciary Committee. As we know, there is no particular timeline for this process. In some cases, it moves quickly, and in others it has taken significantly more time. Chairman Durbin has announced that the Judiciary Committee will begin its confirmation hearing in the week of March 21, which doesn't allow much more time for our colleagues to meet with Judge Jackson before evaluating her record, and I know she has prioritized meeting with Members of the Judiciary Committee. I hope she will have adequate time to meet with other Members who are not on the Judiciary Committee, as well. I know our colleagues are anxious to expedite this process, but we all know Justice Breyer will stay on the Court until the end of this term, which will be the first week or so in July. Justices do not have term limits. They are not held accountable on elections, but they wield tremendous power under our Constitution. So we have a duty, not necessarily to get it done fast but to get it done right and thoroughly evaluate Judge Jackson's qualifications and ensure that, if confirmed, she will serve as a fair and impartial member of the Supreme Court. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1084 | null | 4,058 |
formal | extremist | null | Islamophobic | Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, let me move onto why I am here this afternoon. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are at a crisis point. Republican legislatures all across the country are continuing to pass bills that control our bodies and, at the same time, Trump Supreme Court nominees are closer than ever to overturning Roe v. Wade. There are 26 States across the country that are likely, if not certain, to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. There is no question that these restrictions that have been enacted by States all across the country have an incredibly discriminatory impact and will disproportionately harm those who are already facing far more obstacles when it comes to accessing healthcare, including women of color, women with low incomes, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, rural women, and many more. For over 50 years, Roe v. Wade enabled women to make the decision about whether or not they wanted tostart a family. But, today, because of new abortion care restrictions, 90 percent of counties in the United States do not have an abortion provider. Women are faced with impossible decisions and, as a result, will be forced to have babies they can't afford, didn't plan for, or are unable to care for, or faced to have babies under life-threatening conditions. And, tragically, women may also die because they lack the access or resources to safely end pregnancy. Abortion bans are a matter of life and death. Women across the country are under attack and so, too, are the healthcare professionals who provide safe and legal abortions. Today is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. This day was established to honor Dr. David Gunn, who was killed on March 10, 1993, outside his abortion clinic in Pensacola, FL, by a White supremacist, anti-abortion extremist. Abortion providers are compassionate, credentialed, and highly trained professionals who allow women to actually make choices about their own bodies, their futures, and whether or not they want to start a family, and they do so without judgment and in the face of violence. Tragically, Dr. Gunn's murder was just the first known instance of a murder of an abortion provider. Across the country, abortion providers experience intimidation, harassment, threats, and violence from anti-abortion extremists. According to NARAL, between 1977 and 2015, there were over 7,200 acts of violence carried out against abortion providers by anti-choice extremists. These included 42 bombings, 185 arson attacks, and thousands of death threats, bioterrorism threats, and assaults. Every single day, even right here in DC, anti-choice extremists station outside of abortion clinics and harass staff and patients. Fourteen States and the District of Columbia have needed to enact laws to protect abortion providers and patients, including laws that prohibit blocking the entrance to a clinic, threatening or intimidating staff, damaging property, and more. Three States have even had to go so far as to establish a ``bubble zone'' to protect people within a certain distance of a clinic. These doctors, nurses, and staff fear for their lives just to provide access to reproductive care. Being an abortion provider is a dangerous profession in this country. What other medical profession deals with this level of harassment and violence just to provide medical services, medical care? For what other medical profession do we have to create a bubble zone of protection? On Tuesday, I joined Senator Peters and my colleagues in the House to introduce a resolution to honor all healthcare providers who keep patients safe and healthy and do their part to help provide access to reproductive care, including abortions. Today, on Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, I stand on the Senate floor to affirm my commitment to ensuring the personal safety of all abortion providers and clinic staff. I thank these fearless individuals for maintaining abortion access to communities across our country. A big aloha and mahalo to these courageous people. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. HIRONO | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1085 | null | 4,059 |
formal | extremists | null | Islamophobic | Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, let me move onto why I am here this afternoon. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are at a crisis point. Republican legislatures all across the country are continuing to pass bills that control our bodies and, at the same time, Trump Supreme Court nominees are closer than ever to overturning Roe v. Wade. There are 26 States across the country that are likely, if not certain, to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. There is no question that these restrictions that have been enacted by States all across the country have an incredibly discriminatory impact and will disproportionately harm those who are already facing far more obstacles when it comes to accessing healthcare, including women of color, women with low incomes, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, rural women, and many more. For over 50 years, Roe v. Wade enabled women to make the decision about whether or not they wanted tostart a family. But, today, because of new abortion care restrictions, 90 percent of counties in the United States do not have an abortion provider. Women are faced with impossible decisions and, as a result, will be forced to have babies they can't afford, didn't plan for, or are unable to care for, or faced to have babies under life-threatening conditions. And, tragically, women may also die because they lack the access or resources to safely end pregnancy. Abortion bans are a matter of life and death. Women across the country are under attack and so, too, are the healthcare professionals who provide safe and legal abortions. Today is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. This day was established to honor Dr. David Gunn, who was killed on March 10, 1993, outside his abortion clinic in Pensacola, FL, by a White supremacist, anti-abortion extremist. Abortion providers are compassionate, credentialed, and highly trained professionals who allow women to actually make choices about their own bodies, their futures, and whether or not they want to start a family, and they do so without judgment and in the face of violence. Tragically, Dr. Gunn's murder was just the first known instance of a murder of an abortion provider. Across the country, abortion providers experience intimidation, harassment, threats, and violence from anti-abortion extremists. According to NARAL, between 1977 and 2015, there were over 7,200 acts of violence carried out against abortion providers by anti-choice extremists. These included 42 bombings, 185 arson attacks, and thousands of death threats, bioterrorism threats, and assaults. Every single day, even right here in DC, anti-choice extremists station outside of abortion clinics and harass staff and patients. Fourteen States and the District of Columbia have needed to enact laws to protect abortion providers and patients, including laws that prohibit blocking the entrance to a clinic, threatening or intimidating staff, damaging property, and more. Three States have even had to go so far as to establish a ``bubble zone'' to protect people within a certain distance of a clinic. These doctors, nurses, and staff fear for their lives just to provide access to reproductive care. Being an abortion provider is a dangerous profession in this country. What other medical profession deals with this level of harassment and violence just to provide medical services, medical care? For what other medical profession do we have to create a bubble zone of protection? On Tuesday, I joined Senator Peters and my colleagues in the House to introduce a resolution to honor all healthcare providers who keep patients safe and healthy and do their part to help provide access to reproductive care, including abortions. Today, on Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, I stand on the Senate floor to affirm my commitment to ensuring the personal safety of all abortion providers and clinic staff. I thank these fearless individuals for maintaining abortion access to communities across our country. A big aloha and mahalo to these courageous people. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. HIRONO | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1085 | null | 4,060 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, let me move onto why I am here this afternoon. It is not an exaggeration to say that we are at a crisis point. Republican legislatures all across the country are continuing to pass bills that control our bodies and, at the same time, Trump Supreme Court nominees are closer than ever to overturning Roe v. Wade. There are 26 States across the country that are likely, if not certain, to ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. There is no question that these restrictions that have been enacted by States all across the country have an incredibly discriminatory impact and will disproportionately harm those who are already facing far more obstacles when it comes to accessing healthcare, including women of color, women with low incomes, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, rural women, and many more. For over 50 years, Roe v. Wade enabled women to make the decision about whether or not they wanted tostart a family. But, today, because of new abortion care restrictions, 90 percent of counties in the United States do not have an abortion provider. Women are faced with impossible decisions and, as a result, will be forced to have babies they can't afford, didn't plan for, or are unable to care for, or faced to have babies under life-threatening conditions. And, tragically, women may also die because they lack the access or resources to safely end pregnancy. Abortion bans are a matter of life and death. Women across the country are under attack and so, too, are the healthcare professionals who provide safe and legal abortions. Today is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. This day was established to honor Dr. David Gunn, who was killed on March 10, 1993, outside his abortion clinic in Pensacola, FL, by a White supremacist, anti-abortion extremist. Abortion providers are compassionate, credentialed, and highly trained professionals who allow women to actually make choices about their own bodies, their futures, and whether or not they want to start a family, and they do so without judgment and in the face of violence. Tragically, Dr. Gunn's murder was just the first known instance of a murder of an abortion provider. Across the country, abortion providers experience intimidation, harassment, threats, and violence from anti-abortion extremists. According to NARAL, between 1977 and 2015, there were over 7,200 acts of violence carried out against abortion providers by anti-choice extremists. These included 42 bombings, 185 arson attacks, and thousands of death threats, bioterrorism threats, and assaults. Every single day, even right here in DC, anti-choice extremists station outside of abortion clinics and harass staff and patients. Fourteen States and the District of Columbia have needed to enact laws to protect abortion providers and patients, including laws that prohibit blocking the entrance to a clinic, threatening or intimidating staff, damaging property, and more. Three States have even had to go so far as to establish a ``bubble zone'' to protect people within a certain distance of a clinic. These doctors, nurses, and staff fear for their lives just to provide access to reproductive care. Being an abortion provider is a dangerous profession in this country. What other medical profession deals with this level of harassment and violence just to provide medical services, medical care? For what other medical profession do we have to create a bubble zone of protection? On Tuesday, I joined Senator Peters and my colleagues in the House to introduce a resolution to honor all healthcare providers who keep patients safe and healthy and do their part to help provide access to reproductive care, including abortions. Today, on Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, I stand on the Senate floor to affirm my commitment to ensuring the personal safety of all abortion providers and clinic staff. I thank these fearless individuals for maintaining abortion access to communities across our country. A big aloha and mahalo to these courageous people. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. HIRONO | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1085 | null | 4,061 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, before I even start, I do want to compliment the staff--later, I will put all of the names in the Record--who worked weekends and late at night. I remember times when I would get off the phone with them at 11 o'clock at night and 12 midnight. I could go to bed, but they were still there working until 3 or 4 in the morning. Yet, after all of those months of negotiations, the Committee on Appropriations introduced the $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill. As I will explain, this is the consolidation of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Last night, the House passed it on a bipartisan basis. It is now before us, and we need to act on it quickly. Our annual appropriations bills are where we reflect on our national priorities. In total, this bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding. That is a $46 billion increase over fiscal year 2021. This 6.7-percent increase is the largest in 4 years for nondefense programs. It allows for significant investments in the American people that will expand the middle class. The bill also provides urgent funding for the people of Ukraine as they battle Vladimir Putin's immoral, unprovoked, and brutal invasion--an invasion which, actually, labels Vladimir Putin as a ``war criminal.'' It is unquestionably in the interest of the American people that the Senate act quickly to pass this bill and send it to President Biden. I will tell you why it is so important. In the wake of the pandemic, children and schools across the country have been falling behind in math and reading, and children in low-income and minority communities have been falling even further behind their peers. One study found that third graders who are attending school in low-income communities tested 17 points lower in math than they did just in 2019. We can't allow a global pandemic to set these children further back on the path to a bright future. The bill includes $17.5 billion--the largest increase in more than a decade--for title I-A grants. These grants provide funding for more than half of our Nation's public schools to help students, particularly in low-income communities, meet college and career-ready academic standards. And to help these children succeed before they even step foot in the classroom, the bill includes more than $11 billion for Head Start. The bill also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $400--also the largest increase in more than a decade--so that as these students succeed they can go on to pursue a college education. Pell Grants help more than 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education every year. Now, of course, we are investing in these children, but we are also investing in their families. Ask any young family and they will tell you that the pandemic exacerbated the childcare crisis. Parents, and particularly women, are being forced out of thelabor market because they cannot afford the high cost of childcare. The bill provides more than $6 billion for childcare and development block grants. That is a 4.4-percent increase over last year. These grants will assist low-income families in gaining quality childcare that fits their needs to prepare their children to succeed in school. Across this country--the wealthiest and most powerful Nation on Earth--more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, are what can be called food insecure. Many of us in this room cannot even imagine the heartbreak and pain a parent must feel when they cannot put enough food on the table for their child. So the bill increases support for nutrition programs. These programs are a lifeline to these American families. It also ensures that over 4 million low-income women and children will not see their benefits reduced at the end of April by extending the WIC Cash-Value Voucher Program. It is a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It fully funds $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children--WIC--to help support 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than 5 years old every month. It also includes more than $140 billion, which is a 23-percent increase, for SNAP. SNAP provides assistance to more than 40 million people every year in this country. It also keeps families in their homes by providing billions of dollars to build and support public housing. This includes a 75-percent increase for Choice Neighborhoods, which helps to transform communities by revitalizing public and assisted housing. It provides an 11-percent increase to build new affordable housing through the HOME program. And it includes $4.8 billion for community and economic development. We understand that hundreds of thousands of Americans are homeless. The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that on a single night more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness. People who are struggling with homelessness have been robbed of a central pillar of the American Dream--having a place that they can call their own. The bill provides $3 billion--a 6.6-percent increase--for homeless assistance grants. We know it is a bipartisan priority in Congress to keep our communities safe so the bill provides a 15-percent increase for Department of Justice grants to State and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime. It provides COPS Hiring grant funding to place more than 1,700 officers on the streets to keep our communities safe. But as a country, we have collectively grieved the loss of life that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. So this bill provides new resources to fund deescalation training, implicit bias training, training that emphasizes the duty of fellow officers to intervene, and providing crisis intervention teams. It is also a commitment to the future of scientific research, development, and innovation in this country. It provides the largest increase in 12 years for the National Science Foundation. The NSF funds a quarter of all federally supported basic research conducted by colleges and universities in this country. It provides a 6-percent increase for the Department of Energy Office of Science and a 5.3-percent increase for the National Institutes of Health to speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventative measures. I think it also, importantly, includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the ARPA-H, as President Biden's bold and promising proposal to revolutionize how we prevent, treat, and cure devastating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Marcelle, my wife, and I had the opportunity to listen to then-Vice President Biden speak about this at the University of Vermont's medical school a few years ago and then again to hear President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Dr. Jill Biden speak about it at the White House. I was committed to making sure that it would be in the Omnibus bill, and I am pleased that it was included and that that request was joined by numerous other Senators. The bill closes the chapter on 4 years of denying the existence of the climate crisis by the previous administration. It provides billions of dollars to support climate research, mitigation, and adaptation. This includes $900 million in NSF funding to support climate and clean energy research, $40 million for NOAA climate-related projects, $425 million for clean air programs, and an historic investment in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EERE. We also provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support international climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. We included this funding because the scientific communities are in agreement that we are running out of time before the damage to our planet is irreversible. So we are taking a small but long-overdue step to confront that reality. The bill also backs up our commitment to our veterans. It provides $97.5 billion--an 8.7-percent increase--for VA medical care. That provides essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, those men and women who have served our country and whom we always promised to back up, as they did us. Now, we are. This includes funding for rural health programs, veterans' homelessness prevention, and mental health resources. Consistent with long tradition, the bill includes billions of dollars for food and other humanitarian aid for victims of war and natural disasters, $700 million to support global health security programs to prevent and prepare for future pandemics, and it provides the funds to support PEPFAR's global HIV-AIDS program. It provides the funds to support our embassies and other foreign missions around the world. And it supports organizations like the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the International Development Finance Corporation. Anybody who is watching the news knows what is happening with the war crimes that are being imposed on Ukraine by a much larger neighbor, Russia, under the unbelievable, irresponsible leadership of Vladimir Putin. So we have included a $13.6 billion bipartisan agreement to provide emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies--$13.6 billion. That has the necessary resources to bolster the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian military but also our regional allies and partners. It also supports the implementation of economic sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. Importantly, it addresses the evolving humanitarian crisis--this horrible, tragic humanitarian crisis--that has resulted from President Putin's unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people, an attack I call a war crime. The escalating crisis President Putin has inflicted on Europe poses the greatest threat to democracy and sovereignty in a generation. The American people overwhelmingly support the people of Ukraine. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; this is a human rights issue. This is where America stands with the people of Ukraine. I remember a few years ago when I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I joined with my friend Mike Crapo, another Senator, and we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. We dramatically increased it and improved it. We added Native Americans, we added the LGBTQ community, and we added the sexual exploitation of children. Well, the Violence Against Women Act has been stuck. It hasn't been reauthorized. This bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA continues to be one of the most consequential laws addressing the scourge of violence against women and domestic violence in our country. I remember how bad it was when I was a prosecutor, but it has become far, far worse today. We need the tool of VAWA, and the bill includes the highest funding level ever of grants to support these programs. It provides crucial support for programs and initiatives designed to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Of note, this bill also reforms and reauthorizes the EB-5 Visa program, which has been abused by corrupt actors for too long. I have championedthese bipartisan reforms for many years, and I am proud that we are finally going to enact them. In total, the bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding, a 6.7-percent increase. The bill includes, $782 billion in defense funding, a 5.6-percent increase over fiscal year 2021. This is a product of months of negotiations--sometimes weekends, sometimes evenings, sometimes days, over and over again--negotiations between myself and dear friends Vice Chairman Shelby and House Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger. I mentioned earlier our staffs who spent countless late nights working through the details of this bill. Those are not just weekday nights; those are weekends too, giving up plans they might have had, personal plans, family plans, whatever. So I think of specifically Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, and Jay Tilton on my staff and Bill Duhnke and David Adkins on Vice Chairman Shelby's staff and so many, many more who worked those nights and days--far too many names to say right now. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of the staff printed in the Record. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEAHY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1089-2 | null | 4,062 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, before I even start, I do want to compliment the staff--later, I will put all of the names in the Record--who worked weekends and late at night. I remember times when I would get off the phone with them at 11 o'clock at night and 12 midnight. I could go to bed, but they were still there working until 3 or 4 in the morning. Yet, after all of those months of negotiations, the Committee on Appropriations introduced the $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill. As I will explain, this is the consolidation of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Last night, the House passed it on a bipartisan basis. It is now before us, and we need to act on it quickly. Our annual appropriations bills are where we reflect on our national priorities. In total, this bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding. That is a $46 billion increase over fiscal year 2021. This 6.7-percent increase is the largest in 4 years for nondefense programs. It allows for significant investments in the American people that will expand the middle class. The bill also provides urgent funding for the people of Ukraine as they battle Vladimir Putin's immoral, unprovoked, and brutal invasion--an invasion which, actually, labels Vladimir Putin as a ``war criminal.'' It is unquestionably in the interest of the American people that the Senate act quickly to pass this bill and send it to President Biden. I will tell you why it is so important. In the wake of the pandemic, children and schools across the country have been falling behind in math and reading, and children in low-income and minority communities have been falling even further behind their peers. One study found that third graders who are attending school in low-income communities tested 17 points lower in math than they did just in 2019. We can't allow a global pandemic to set these children further back on the path to a bright future. The bill includes $17.5 billion--the largest increase in more than a decade--for title I-A grants. These grants provide funding for more than half of our Nation's public schools to help students, particularly in low-income communities, meet college and career-ready academic standards. And to help these children succeed before they even step foot in the classroom, the bill includes more than $11 billion for Head Start. The bill also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $400--also the largest increase in more than a decade--so that as these students succeed they can go on to pursue a college education. Pell Grants help more than 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education every year. Now, of course, we are investing in these children, but we are also investing in their families. Ask any young family and they will tell you that the pandemic exacerbated the childcare crisis. Parents, and particularly women, are being forced out of thelabor market because they cannot afford the high cost of childcare. The bill provides more than $6 billion for childcare and development block grants. That is a 4.4-percent increase over last year. These grants will assist low-income families in gaining quality childcare that fits their needs to prepare their children to succeed in school. Across this country--the wealthiest and most powerful Nation on Earth--more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, are what can be called food insecure. Many of us in this room cannot even imagine the heartbreak and pain a parent must feel when they cannot put enough food on the table for their child. So the bill increases support for nutrition programs. These programs are a lifeline to these American families. It also ensures that over 4 million low-income women and children will not see their benefits reduced at the end of April by extending the WIC Cash-Value Voucher Program. It is a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It fully funds $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children--WIC--to help support 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than 5 years old every month. It also includes more than $140 billion, which is a 23-percent increase, for SNAP. SNAP provides assistance to more than 40 million people every year in this country. It also keeps families in their homes by providing billions of dollars to build and support public housing. This includes a 75-percent increase for Choice Neighborhoods, which helps to transform communities by revitalizing public and assisted housing. It provides an 11-percent increase to build new affordable housing through the HOME program. And it includes $4.8 billion for community and economic development. We understand that hundreds of thousands of Americans are homeless. The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that on a single night more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness. People who are struggling with homelessness have been robbed of a central pillar of the American Dream--having a place that they can call their own. The bill provides $3 billion--a 6.6-percent increase--for homeless assistance grants. We know it is a bipartisan priority in Congress to keep our communities safe so the bill provides a 15-percent increase for Department of Justice grants to State and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime. It provides COPS Hiring grant funding to place more than 1,700 officers on the streets to keep our communities safe. But as a country, we have collectively grieved the loss of life that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. So this bill provides new resources to fund deescalation training, implicit bias training, training that emphasizes the duty of fellow officers to intervene, and providing crisis intervention teams. It is also a commitment to the future of scientific research, development, and innovation in this country. It provides the largest increase in 12 years for the National Science Foundation. The NSF funds a quarter of all federally supported basic research conducted by colleges and universities in this country. It provides a 6-percent increase for the Department of Energy Office of Science and a 5.3-percent increase for the National Institutes of Health to speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventative measures. I think it also, importantly, includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the ARPA-H, as President Biden's bold and promising proposal to revolutionize how we prevent, treat, and cure devastating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Marcelle, my wife, and I had the opportunity to listen to then-Vice President Biden speak about this at the University of Vermont's medical school a few years ago and then again to hear President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Dr. Jill Biden speak about it at the White House. I was committed to making sure that it would be in the Omnibus bill, and I am pleased that it was included and that that request was joined by numerous other Senators. The bill closes the chapter on 4 years of denying the existence of the climate crisis by the previous administration. It provides billions of dollars to support climate research, mitigation, and adaptation. This includes $900 million in NSF funding to support climate and clean energy research, $40 million for NOAA climate-related projects, $425 million for clean air programs, and an historic investment in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EERE. We also provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support international climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. We included this funding because the scientific communities are in agreement that we are running out of time before the damage to our planet is irreversible. So we are taking a small but long-overdue step to confront that reality. The bill also backs up our commitment to our veterans. It provides $97.5 billion--an 8.7-percent increase--for VA medical care. That provides essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, those men and women who have served our country and whom we always promised to back up, as they did us. Now, we are. This includes funding for rural health programs, veterans' homelessness prevention, and mental health resources. Consistent with long tradition, the bill includes billions of dollars for food and other humanitarian aid for victims of war and natural disasters, $700 million to support global health security programs to prevent and prepare for future pandemics, and it provides the funds to support PEPFAR's global HIV-AIDS program. It provides the funds to support our embassies and other foreign missions around the world. And it supports organizations like the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the International Development Finance Corporation. Anybody who is watching the news knows what is happening with the war crimes that are being imposed on Ukraine by a much larger neighbor, Russia, under the unbelievable, irresponsible leadership of Vladimir Putin. So we have included a $13.6 billion bipartisan agreement to provide emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies--$13.6 billion. That has the necessary resources to bolster the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian military but also our regional allies and partners. It also supports the implementation of economic sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. Importantly, it addresses the evolving humanitarian crisis--this horrible, tragic humanitarian crisis--that has resulted from President Putin's unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people, an attack I call a war crime. The escalating crisis President Putin has inflicted on Europe poses the greatest threat to democracy and sovereignty in a generation. The American people overwhelmingly support the people of Ukraine. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; this is a human rights issue. This is where America stands with the people of Ukraine. I remember a few years ago when I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I joined with my friend Mike Crapo, another Senator, and we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. We dramatically increased it and improved it. We added Native Americans, we added the LGBTQ community, and we added the sexual exploitation of children. Well, the Violence Against Women Act has been stuck. It hasn't been reauthorized. This bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA continues to be one of the most consequential laws addressing the scourge of violence against women and domestic violence in our country. I remember how bad it was when I was a prosecutor, but it has become far, far worse today. We need the tool of VAWA, and the bill includes the highest funding level ever of grants to support these programs. It provides crucial support for programs and initiatives designed to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Of note, this bill also reforms and reauthorizes the EB-5 Visa program, which has been abused by corrupt actors for too long. I have championedthese bipartisan reforms for many years, and I am proud that we are finally going to enact them. In total, the bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding, a 6.7-percent increase. The bill includes, $782 billion in defense funding, a 5.6-percent increase over fiscal year 2021. This is a product of months of negotiations--sometimes weekends, sometimes evenings, sometimes days, over and over again--negotiations between myself and dear friends Vice Chairman Shelby and House Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger. I mentioned earlier our staffs who spent countless late nights working through the details of this bill. Those are not just weekday nights; those are weekends too, giving up plans they might have had, personal plans, family plans, whatever. So I think of specifically Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, and Jay Tilton on my staff and Bill Duhnke and David Adkins on Vice Chairman Shelby's staff and so many, many more who worked those nights and days--far too many names to say right now. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of the staff printed in the Record. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEAHY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1089-2 | null | 4,063 |
formal | middle class | null | racist | Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, before I even start, I do want to compliment the staff--later, I will put all of the names in the Record--who worked weekends and late at night. I remember times when I would get off the phone with them at 11 o'clock at night and 12 midnight. I could go to bed, but they were still there working until 3 or 4 in the morning. Yet, after all of those months of negotiations, the Committee on Appropriations introduced the $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill. As I will explain, this is the consolidation of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Last night, the House passed it on a bipartisan basis. It is now before us, and we need to act on it quickly. Our annual appropriations bills are where we reflect on our national priorities. In total, this bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding. That is a $46 billion increase over fiscal year 2021. This 6.7-percent increase is the largest in 4 years for nondefense programs. It allows for significant investments in the American people that will expand the middle class. The bill also provides urgent funding for the people of Ukraine as they battle Vladimir Putin's immoral, unprovoked, and brutal invasion--an invasion which, actually, labels Vladimir Putin as a ``war criminal.'' It is unquestionably in the interest of the American people that the Senate act quickly to pass this bill and send it to President Biden. I will tell you why it is so important. In the wake of the pandemic, children and schools across the country have been falling behind in math and reading, and children in low-income and minority communities have been falling even further behind their peers. One study found that third graders who are attending school in low-income communities tested 17 points lower in math than they did just in 2019. We can't allow a global pandemic to set these children further back on the path to a bright future. The bill includes $17.5 billion--the largest increase in more than a decade--for title I-A grants. These grants provide funding for more than half of our Nation's public schools to help students, particularly in low-income communities, meet college and career-ready academic standards. And to help these children succeed before they even step foot in the classroom, the bill includes more than $11 billion for Head Start. The bill also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $400--also the largest increase in more than a decade--so that as these students succeed they can go on to pursue a college education. Pell Grants help more than 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education every year. Now, of course, we are investing in these children, but we are also investing in their families. Ask any young family and they will tell you that the pandemic exacerbated the childcare crisis. Parents, and particularly women, are being forced out of thelabor market because they cannot afford the high cost of childcare. The bill provides more than $6 billion for childcare and development block grants. That is a 4.4-percent increase over last year. These grants will assist low-income families in gaining quality childcare that fits their needs to prepare their children to succeed in school. Across this country--the wealthiest and most powerful Nation on Earth--more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, are what can be called food insecure. Many of us in this room cannot even imagine the heartbreak and pain a parent must feel when they cannot put enough food on the table for their child. So the bill increases support for nutrition programs. These programs are a lifeline to these American families. It also ensures that over 4 million low-income women and children will not see their benefits reduced at the end of April by extending the WIC Cash-Value Voucher Program. It is a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It fully funds $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children--WIC--to help support 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than 5 years old every month. It also includes more than $140 billion, which is a 23-percent increase, for SNAP. SNAP provides assistance to more than 40 million people every year in this country. It also keeps families in their homes by providing billions of dollars to build and support public housing. This includes a 75-percent increase for Choice Neighborhoods, which helps to transform communities by revitalizing public and assisted housing. It provides an 11-percent increase to build new affordable housing through the HOME program. And it includes $4.8 billion for community and economic development. We understand that hundreds of thousands of Americans are homeless. The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that on a single night more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness. People who are struggling with homelessness have been robbed of a central pillar of the American Dream--having a place that they can call their own. The bill provides $3 billion--a 6.6-percent increase--for homeless assistance grants. We know it is a bipartisan priority in Congress to keep our communities safe so the bill provides a 15-percent increase for Department of Justice grants to State and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime. It provides COPS Hiring grant funding to place more than 1,700 officers on the streets to keep our communities safe. But as a country, we have collectively grieved the loss of life that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. So this bill provides new resources to fund deescalation training, implicit bias training, training that emphasizes the duty of fellow officers to intervene, and providing crisis intervention teams. It is also a commitment to the future of scientific research, development, and innovation in this country. It provides the largest increase in 12 years for the National Science Foundation. The NSF funds a quarter of all federally supported basic research conducted by colleges and universities in this country. It provides a 6-percent increase for the Department of Energy Office of Science and a 5.3-percent increase for the National Institutes of Health to speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventative measures. I think it also, importantly, includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the ARPA-H, as President Biden's bold and promising proposal to revolutionize how we prevent, treat, and cure devastating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Marcelle, my wife, and I had the opportunity to listen to then-Vice President Biden speak about this at the University of Vermont's medical school a few years ago and then again to hear President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Dr. Jill Biden speak about it at the White House. I was committed to making sure that it would be in the Omnibus bill, and I am pleased that it was included and that that request was joined by numerous other Senators. The bill closes the chapter on 4 years of denying the existence of the climate crisis by the previous administration. It provides billions of dollars to support climate research, mitigation, and adaptation. This includes $900 million in NSF funding to support climate and clean energy research, $40 million for NOAA climate-related projects, $425 million for clean air programs, and an historic investment in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EERE. We also provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support international climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. We included this funding because the scientific communities are in agreement that we are running out of time before the damage to our planet is irreversible. So we are taking a small but long-overdue step to confront that reality. The bill also backs up our commitment to our veterans. It provides $97.5 billion--an 8.7-percent increase--for VA medical care. That provides essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, those men and women who have served our country and whom we always promised to back up, as they did us. Now, we are. This includes funding for rural health programs, veterans' homelessness prevention, and mental health resources. Consistent with long tradition, the bill includes billions of dollars for food and other humanitarian aid for victims of war and natural disasters, $700 million to support global health security programs to prevent and prepare for future pandemics, and it provides the funds to support PEPFAR's global HIV-AIDS program. It provides the funds to support our embassies and other foreign missions around the world. And it supports organizations like the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the International Development Finance Corporation. Anybody who is watching the news knows what is happening with the war crimes that are being imposed on Ukraine by a much larger neighbor, Russia, under the unbelievable, irresponsible leadership of Vladimir Putin. So we have included a $13.6 billion bipartisan agreement to provide emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies--$13.6 billion. That has the necessary resources to bolster the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian military but also our regional allies and partners. It also supports the implementation of economic sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. Importantly, it addresses the evolving humanitarian crisis--this horrible, tragic humanitarian crisis--that has resulted from President Putin's unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people, an attack I call a war crime. The escalating crisis President Putin has inflicted on Europe poses the greatest threat to democracy and sovereignty in a generation. The American people overwhelmingly support the people of Ukraine. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; this is a human rights issue. This is where America stands with the people of Ukraine. I remember a few years ago when I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I joined with my friend Mike Crapo, another Senator, and we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. We dramatically increased it and improved it. We added Native Americans, we added the LGBTQ community, and we added the sexual exploitation of children. Well, the Violence Against Women Act has been stuck. It hasn't been reauthorized. This bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA continues to be one of the most consequential laws addressing the scourge of violence against women and domestic violence in our country. I remember how bad it was when I was a prosecutor, but it has become far, far worse today. We need the tool of VAWA, and the bill includes the highest funding level ever of grants to support these programs. It provides crucial support for programs and initiatives designed to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Of note, this bill also reforms and reauthorizes the EB-5 Visa program, which has been abused by corrupt actors for too long. I have championedthese bipartisan reforms for many years, and I am proud that we are finally going to enact them. In total, the bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding, a 6.7-percent increase. The bill includes, $782 billion in defense funding, a 5.6-percent increase over fiscal year 2021. This is a product of months of negotiations--sometimes weekends, sometimes evenings, sometimes days, over and over again--negotiations between myself and dear friends Vice Chairman Shelby and House Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger. I mentioned earlier our staffs who spent countless late nights working through the details of this bill. Those are not just weekday nights; those are weekends too, giving up plans they might have had, personal plans, family plans, whatever. So I think of specifically Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, and Jay Tilton on my staff and Bill Duhnke and David Adkins on Vice Chairman Shelby's staff and so many, many more who worked those nights and days--far too many names to say right now. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of the staff printed in the Record. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEAHY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1089-2 | null | 4,064 |
formal | public school | null | racist | Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, before I even start, I do want to compliment the staff--later, I will put all of the names in the Record--who worked weekends and late at night. I remember times when I would get off the phone with them at 11 o'clock at night and 12 midnight. I could go to bed, but they were still there working until 3 or 4 in the morning. Yet, after all of those months of negotiations, the Committee on Appropriations introduced the $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill. As I will explain, this is the consolidation of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Last night, the House passed it on a bipartisan basis. It is now before us, and we need to act on it quickly. Our annual appropriations bills are where we reflect on our national priorities. In total, this bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding. That is a $46 billion increase over fiscal year 2021. This 6.7-percent increase is the largest in 4 years for nondefense programs. It allows for significant investments in the American people that will expand the middle class. The bill also provides urgent funding for the people of Ukraine as they battle Vladimir Putin's immoral, unprovoked, and brutal invasion--an invasion which, actually, labels Vladimir Putin as a ``war criminal.'' It is unquestionably in the interest of the American people that the Senate act quickly to pass this bill and send it to President Biden. I will tell you why it is so important. In the wake of the pandemic, children and schools across the country have been falling behind in math and reading, and children in low-income and minority communities have been falling even further behind their peers. One study found that third graders who are attending school in low-income communities tested 17 points lower in math than they did just in 2019. We can't allow a global pandemic to set these children further back on the path to a bright future. The bill includes $17.5 billion--the largest increase in more than a decade--for title I-A grants. These grants provide funding for more than half of our Nation's public schools to help students, particularly in low-income communities, meet college and career-ready academic standards. And to help these children succeed before they even step foot in the classroom, the bill includes more than $11 billion for Head Start. The bill also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $400--also the largest increase in more than a decade--so that as these students succeed they can go on to pursue a college education. Pell Grants help more than 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education every year. Now, of course, we are investing in these children, but we are also investing in their families. Ask any young family and they will tell you that the pandemic exacerbated the childcare crisis. Parents, and particularly women, are being forced out of thelabor market because they cannot afford the high cost of childcare. The bill provides more than $6 billion for childcare and development block grants. That is a 4.4-percent increase over last year. These grants will assist low-income families in gaining quality childcare that fits their needs to prepare their children to succeed in school. Across this country--the wealthiest and most powerful Nation on Earth--more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, are what can be called food insecure. Many of us in this room cannot even imagine the heartbreak and pain a parent must feel when they cannot put enough food on the table for their child. So the bill increases support for nutrition programs. These programs are a lifeline to these American families. It also ensures that over 4 million low-income women and children will not see their benefits reduced at the end of April by extending the WIC Cash-Value Voucher Program. It is a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It fully funds $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children--WIC--to help support 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than 5 years old every month. It also includes more than $140 billion, which is a 23-percent increase, for SNAP. SNAP provides assistance to more than 40 million people every year in this country. It also keeps families in their homes by providing billions of dollars to build and support public housing. This includes a 75-percent increase for Choice Neighborhoods, which helps to transform communities by revitalizing public and assisted housing. It provides an 11-percent increase to build new affordable housing through the HOME program. And it includes $4.8 billion for community and economic development. We understand that hundreds of thousands of Americans are homeless. The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that on a single night more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness. People who are struggling with homelessness have been robbed of a central pillar of the American Dream--having a place that they can call their own. The bill provides $3 billion--a 6.6-percent increase--for homeless assistance grants. We know it is a bipartisan priority in Congress to keep our communities safe so the bill provides a 15-percent increase for Department of Justice grants to State and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime. It provides COPS Hiring grant funding to place more than 1,700 officers on the streets to keep our communities safe. But as a country, we have collectively grieved the loss of life that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. So this bill provides new resources to fund deescalation training, implicit bias training, training that emphasizes the duty of fellow officers to intervene, and providing crisis intervention teams. It is also a commitment to the future of scientific research, development, and innovation in this country. It provides the largest increase in 12 years for the National Science Foundation. The NSF funds a quarter of all federally supported basic research conducted by colleges and universities in this country. It provides a 6-percent increase for the Department of Energy Office of Science and a 5.3-percent increase for the National Institutes of Health to speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventative measures. I think it also, importantly, includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the ARPA-H, as President Biden's bold and promising proposal to revolutionize how we prevent, treat, and cure devastating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Marcelle, my wife, and I had the opportunity to listen to then-Vice President Biden speak about this at the University of Vermont's medical school a few years ago and then again to hear President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Dr. Jill Biden speak about it at the White House. I was committed to making sure that it would be in the Omnibus bill, and I am pleased that it was included and that that request was joined by numerous other Senators. The bill closes the chapter on 4 years of denying the existence of the climate crisis by the previous administration. It provides billions of dollars to support climate research, mitigation, and adaptation. This includes $900 million in NSF funding to support climate and clean energy research, $40 million for NOAA climate-related projects, $425 million for clean air programs, and an historic investment in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EERE. We also provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support international climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. We included this funding because the scientific communities are in agreement that we are running out of time before the damage to our planet is irreversible. So we are taking a small but long-overdue step to confront that reality. The bill also backs up our commitment to our veterans. It provides $97.5 billion--an 8.7-percent increase--for VA medical care. That provides essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, those men and women who have served our country and whom we always promised to back up, as they did us. Now, we are. This includes funding for rural health programs, veterans' homelessness prevention, and mental health resources. Consistent with long tradition, the bill includes billions of dollars for food and other humanitarian aid for victims of war and natural disasters, $700 million to support global health security programs to prevent and prepare for future pandemics, and it provides the funds to support PEPFAR's global HIV-AIDS program. It provides the funds to support our embassies and other foreign missions around the world. And it supports organizations like the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the International Development Finance Corporation. Anybody who is watching the news knows what is happening with the war crimes that are being imposed on Ukraine by a much larger neighbor, Russia, under the unbelievable, irresponsible leadership of Vladimir Putin. So we have included a $13.6 billion bipartisan agreement to provide emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies--$13.6 billion. That has the necessary resources to bolster the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian military but also our regional allies and partners. It also supports the implementation of economic sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. Importantly, it addresses the evolving humanitarian crisis--this horrible, tragic humanitarian crisis--that has resulted from President Putin's unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people, an attack I call a war crime. The escalating crisis President Putin has inflicted on Europe poses the greatest threat to democracy and sovereignty in a generation. The American people overwhelmingly support the people of Ukraine. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; this is a human rights issue. This is where America stands with the people of Ukraine. I remember a few years ago when I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I joined with my friend Mike Crapo, another Senator, and we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. We dramatically increased it and improved it. We added Native Americans, we added the LGBTQ community, and we added the sexual exploitation of children. Well, the Violence Against Women Act has been stuck. It hasn't been reauthorized. This bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA continues to be one of the most consequential laws addressing the scourge of violence against women and domestic violence in our country. I remember how bad it was when I was a prosecutor, but it has become far, far worse today. We need the tool of VAWA, and the bill includes the highest funding level ever of grants to support these programs. It provides crucial support for programs and initiatives designed to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Of note, this bill also reforms and reauthorizes the EB-5 Visa program, which has been abused by corrupt actors for too long. I have championedthese bipartisan reforms for many years, and I am proud that we are finally going to enact them. In total, the bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding, a 6.7-percent increase. The bill includes, $782 billion in defense funding, a 5.6-percent increase over fiscal year 2021. This is a product of months of negotiations--sometimes weekends, sometimes evenings, sometimes days, over and over again--negotiations between myself and dear friends Vice Chairman Shelby and House Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger. I mentioned earlier our staffs who spent countless late nights working through the details of this bill. Those are not just weekday nights; those are weekends too, giving up plans they might have had, personal plans, family plans, whatever. So I think of specifically Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, and Jay Tilton on my staff and Bill Duhnke and David Adkins on Vice Chairman Shelby's staff and so many, many more who worked those nights and days--far too many names to say right now. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of the staff printed in the Record. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEAHY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1089-2 | null | 4,065 |
formal | public schools | null | racist | Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, before I even start, I do want to compliment the staff--later, I will put all of the names in the Record--who worked weekends and late at night. I remember times when I would get off the phone with them at 11 o'clock at night and 12 midnight. I could go to bed, but they were still there working until 3 or 4 in the morning. Yet, after all of those months of negotiations, the Committee on Appropriations introduced the $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill. As I will explain, this is the consolidation of 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the Federal Government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Last night, the House passed it on a bipartisan basis. It is now before us, and we need to act on it quickly. Our annual appropriations bills are where we reflect on our national priorities. In total, this bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding. That is a $46 billion increase over fiscal year 2021. This 6.7-percent increase is the largest in 4 years for nondefense programs. It allows for significant investments in the American people that will expand the middle class. The bill also provides urgent funding for the people of Ukraine as they battle Vladimir Putin's immoral, unprovoked, and brutal invasion--an invasion which, actually, labels Vladimir Putin as a ``war criminal.'' It is unquestionably in the interest of the American people that the Senate act quickly to pass this bill and send it to President Biden. I will tell you why it is so important. In the wake of the pandemic, children and schools across the country have been falling behind in math and reading, and children in low-income and minority communities have been falling even further behind their peers. One study found that third graders who are attending school in low-income communities tested 17 points lower in math than they did just in 2019. We can't allow a global pandemic to set these children further back on the path to a bright future. The bill includes $17.5 billion--the largest increase in more than a decade--for title I-A grants. These grants provide funding for more than half of our Nation's public schools to help students, particularly in low-income communities, meet college and career-ready academic standards. And to help these children succeed before they even step foot in the classroom, the bill includes more than $11 billion for Head Start. The bill also increases the maximum Pell Grant award by $400--also the largest increase in more than a decade--so that as these students succeed they can go on to pursue a college education. Pell Grants help more than 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education every year. Now, of course, we are investing in these children, but we are also investing in their families. Ask any young family and they will tell you that the pandemic exacerbated the childcare crisis. Parents, and particularly women, are being forced out of thelabor market because they cannot afford the high cost of childcare. The bill provides more than $6 billion for childcare and development block grants. That is a 4.4-percent increase over last year. These grants will assist low-income families in gaining quality childcare that fits their needs to prepare their children to succeed in school. Across this country--the wealthiest and most powerful Nation on Earth--more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, are what can be called food insecure. Many of us in this room cannot even imagine the heartbreak and pain a parent must feel when they cannot put enough food on the table for their child. So the bill increases support for nutrition programs. These programs are a lifeline to these American families. It also ensures that over 4 million low-income women and children will not see their benefits reduced at the end of April by extending the WIC Cash-Value Voucher Program. It is a special $35 monthly benefit for purchasing fruits and vegetables. It fully funds $6 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children--WIC--to help support 6.2 million low-income women, infants and children younger than 5 years old every month. It also includes more than $140 billion, which is a 23-percent increase, for SNAP. SNAP provides assistance to more than 40 million people every year in this country. It also keeps families in their homes by providing billions of dollars to build and support public housing. This includes a 75-percent increase for Choice Neighborhoods, which helps to transform communities by revitalizing public and assisted housing. It provides an 11-percent increase to build new affordable housing through the HOME program. And it includes $4.8 billion for community and economic development. We understand that hundreds of thousands of Americans are homeless. The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that on a single night more than 580,000 people experienced homelessness. People who are struggling with homelessness have been robbed of a central pillar of the American Dream--having a place that they can call their own. The bill provides $3 billion--a 6.6-percent increase--for homeless assistance grants. We know it is a bipartisan priority in Congress to keep our communities safe so the bill provides a 15-percent increase for Department of Justice grants to State and local law enforcement and communities to prevent and respond to crime. It provides COPS Hiring grant funding to place more than 1,700 officers on the streets to keep our communities safe. But as a country, we have collectively grieved the loss of life that inspired the Black Lives Matter movement. So this bill provides new resources to fund deescalation training, implicit bias training, training that emphasizes the duty of fellow officers to intervene, and providing crisis intervention teams. It is also a commitment to the future of scientific research, development, and innovation in this country. It provides the largest increase in 12 years for the National Science Foundation. The NSF funds a quarter of all federally supported basic research conducted by colleges and universities in this country. It provides a 6-percent increase for the Department of Energy Office of Science and a 5.3-percent increase for the National Institutes of Health to speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventative measures. I think it also, importantly, includes $1 billion to launch the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the ARPA-H, as President Biden's bold and promising proposal to revolutionize how we prevent, treat, and cure devastating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Marcelle, my wife, and I had the opportunity to listen to then-Vice President Biden speak about this at the University of Vermont's medical school a few years ago and then again to hear President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Dr. Jill Biden speak about it at the White House. I was committed to making sure that it would be in the Omnibus bill, and I am pleased that it was included and that that request was joined by numerous other Senators. The bill closes the chapter on 4 years of denying the existence of the climate crisis by the previous administration. It provides billions of dollars to support climate research, mitigation, and adaptation. This includes $900 million in NSF funding to support climate and clean energy research, $40 million for NOAA climate-related projects, $425 million for clean air programs, and an historic investment in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EERE. We also provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support international climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. We included this funding because the scientific communities are in agreement that we are running out of time before the damage to our planet is irreversible. So we are taking a small but long-overdue step to confront that reality. The bill also backs up our commitment to our veterans. It provides $97.5 billion--an 8.7-percent increase--for VA medical care. That provides essential health services for 9.2 million veterans, those men and women who have served our country and whom we always promised to back up, as they did us. Now, we are. This includes funding for rural health programs, veterans' homelessness prevention, and mental health resources. Consistent with long tradition, the bill includes billions of dollars for food and other humanitarian aid for victims of war and natural disasters, $700 million to support global health security programs to prevent and prepare for future pandemics, and it provides the funds to support PEPFAR's global HIV-AIDS program. It provides the funds to support our embassies and other foreign missions around the world. And it supports organizations like the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the International Development Finance Corporation. Anybody who is watching the news knows what is happening with the war crimes that are being imposed on Ukraine by a much larger neighbor, Russia, under the unbelievable, irresponsible leadership of Vladimir Putin. So we have included a $13.6 billion bipartisan agreement to provide emergency assistance to Ukraine and our NATO allies--$13.6 billion. That has the necessary resources to bolster the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian military but also our regional allies and partners. It also supports the implementation of economic sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. Importantly, it addresses the evolving humanitarian crisis--this horrible, tragic humanitarian crisis--that has resulted from President Putin's unprovoked attack on the Ukrainian people, an attack I call a war crime. The escalating crisis President Putin has inflicted on Europe poses the greatest threat to democracy and sovereignty in a generation. The American people overwhelmingly support the people of Ukraine. This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; this is a human rights issue. This is where America stands with the people of Ukraine. I remember a few years ago when I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I joined with my friend Mike Crapo, another Senator, and we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. We dramatically increased it and improved it. We added Native Americans, we added the LGBTQ community, and we added the sexual exploitation of children. Well, the Violence Against Women Act has been stuck. It hasn't been reauthorized. This bill reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA continues to be one of the most consequential laws addressing the scourge of violence against women and domestic violence in our country. I remember how bad it was when I was a prosecutor, but it has become far, far worse today. We need the tool of VAWA, and the bill includes the highest funding level ever of grants to support these programs. It provides crucial support for programs and initiatives designed to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. Of note, this bill also reforms and reauthorizes the EB-5 Visa program, which has been abused by corrupt actors for too long. I have championedthese bipartisan reforms for many years, and I am proud that we are finally going to enact them. In total, the bill includes $730 billion in nondefense funding, a 6.7-percent increase. The bill includes, $782 billion in defense funding, a 5.6-percent increase over fiscal year 2021. This is a product of months of negotiations--sometimes weekends, sometimes evenings, sometimes days, over and over again--negotiations between myself and dear friends Vice Chairman Shelby and House Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger. I mentioned earlier our staffs who spent countless late nights working through the details of this bill. Those are not just weekday nights; those are weekends too, giving up plans they might have had, personal plans, family plans, whatever. So I think of specifically Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, and Jay Tilton on my staff and Bill Duhnke and David Adkins on Vice Chairman Shelby's staff and so many, many more who worked those nights and days--far too many names to say right now. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of the staff printed in the Record. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEAHY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1089-2 | null | 4,066 |
formal | inner city | null | racist | Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to thank Senator Leahy for joining me to discuss the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. He and I have worked together on the issue of EB-5 reform for many years. Because of that, we are proud that the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2022 includes the provisions of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, of which we are the primary authors. Congress originally authorized the EB-5 Regional Center program in 1993 as a pilot program, and, in recent years, its reauthorization was often included in appropriations bills. However, due to lack of an agreement to reauthorize and reform the program last year, it lapsed on June 30 and has remained lapsed since that time. This legislation formally repeals the pilot program created by Congress in 1993 and codifies in its place a new regional center program reflecting a number of reforms that we have pursued for many years. All regional centers which operated under the lapsed and repealed pilot program will be expected to seek a new regional center designation in compliance with the new requirements and reforms laid out in our bill. However, the bill allows petitions filed by immigrant investors under the old pilot program to continue to be adjudicated under the law as it existed when they were filed. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 codifies a number of our long-sought reforms designed to enhance the integrity of the regional center program and prevent fraud and abuse that have plagued it for far too long. The bill also requires that DHS issue regulations regarding the redeployment of investor funds if certain conditions are met. We expect USCIS to oversee redeployments and take action as necessary. Investors should not be left vulnerable and regional centers cannot be allowed to deploy funds in any way they please. We expect capital to remain at risk, as required by the law, and the redeployment of funds to be in projects that are preapproved. The legislation codifies the definition of and the designation process for a ``high unemployment'' targeted employment area that was found in the 2019 EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program Modernization Rule. As under the 2019 rule, the bill allows only DHS to make such designations. The codification of the so-called donut model from the 2019 rule will significantly limit the number of census tracts that may be used to seek a designation as a ``high unemployment'' TEA. This limitation, combined with the exclusive authority of DHS to make high unemployment TEA designations, will crack down on the notorious practice of TEA gerrymandering, the practice of creating elaborate configurations of multiple census tracts strung together so that a census tract with high unemployment at one end can be used in order to obtain a TEA designation for a building project within an affluent census tract at the other end, perhaps many miles away. It is also our expectation that ``high unemployment'' TEA designations will be reserved for census tracts that have experienced persistently high unemployment for a number of years and not because of temporary anomalous circumstances such as local unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the legislation puts in place specific visa set-asides for rural area projects, high unemployment area projects, and infrastructure projects. The visa set-aside for infrastructure projects is limited to true public infrastructure projects--that is, those that benefit the public and the American people--not public-private partnerships or projects for a private business. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 is the result of years of hard work and negotiation, and it is our hope that it brings meaningful reform to a program badly in need of it and, most importantly, much-needed investment capital and the permanent jobs that can come with it, to inner city and rural areas where it is normally difficult, if not impossible, to attract investment capital. We are grateful that it was included in the Omnibus bill and look forward to seeing it signed into law. Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 | 2020-01-06 | Mr. GRASSLEY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1105 | null | 4,067 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. WARNOCK. Madam President, I have a profound reverence for life and an abiding respect for choice. I believe a patient's room is too small a place for a patient, her doctor, and the Federal Government. Healthcare decisions should be made by a patient in consultation with their doctor. It is important to me that every person, no matter race, gender, creed, or socioeconomic status, has access to affordable healthcare. This includes family planning and reproductive services. Regretfully, I was unable to cast my vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 139, H.R. 3755, Women's Health Protection Act, on February 28, 2022. Had I been present, however, I would have proudly voted yes to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3755. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WARNOCK | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1113-4 | null | 4,068 |
formal | Detroit | null | racist | Ms. DUCKWORTH. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to the remarkable life of Ms. Stephanie Denise Shannon, who passed away on September 8, 2021. Stephanie was born March 24, 1986, in Detroit, MI, to her late father, William Everett Shannon, Sr., and her mother, Toni Laverne Shannon. Upon completing high school, Stephanie attended Wayne State University, where she pursued her passion for helping animals by studying veterinary science. To her close friends, she will be remembered as a kind and gentle spirit that loved video games and enjoyed watching a variety of films. Stephanie was not only a dedicated and loyal friend, daughter, and sister, but she was also a devoted mother to her son, Cason, whom she referred to as her ``Prince'' and her daughter, Madison, whom she referred to as her ``Mini Me.'' The love and light that made so many love and appreciate Stephanie will be passed down and live through her incredible children. May her radiant and loving spirit be remembered by all those who knew her. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. DUCKWORTH | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1114-2 | null | 4,069 |
formal | Chicago | null | racist | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-3366. A communication from the Chief of the Regulations and Standards Branch, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf--Civil Penalty Inflation Adjustment'' (RIN1014-AA55) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. EC-3367. A communication from the Departmental Privacy Officer, Office of Law Enforcement and Security, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Privacy Act Regulations; Exemptions for the Insider Threat Program'' (RIN1090-AB15) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 28, 2022; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. EC-3368. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Alaska; Removal of Excess Emissions Provision'' (FRL No. 9177-02-R10) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 28, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3369. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Georgia: Approval of Revisions to State Implementation Plan; Correction'' (FRL No. 9413-01-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 28, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3370. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; California; Ventura County Air Pollution Control District'' (FRL No. 9188-02-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3371. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; North Carolina: Mecklenburg Volatile Organic Compounds'' (FRL No. 8986-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3372. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Wisconsin; Permit Streamlining Updates'' (FRL No. 9202-02-R5) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3373. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Wisconsin; Serious Plan Elements for the Wisconsin Portion of Chicago Nonattainment Area for the 2008 Ozone Standard'' (FRL No. 9215-02-R5) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3374. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Virginia; Revision to the Classification and Implementation of the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard for the Northern Virginia Nonattainment Area'' (FRL No. 9176-02-R3) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3375. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Pennsylvania; Revision of the Maximum Allowable Sulfur Content Limit for Number 2 and Lighter Commercial Fuel Oil'' (FRL No. 9596-02-R3) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3376. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Outer Continental Shelf Air Regulations Update to Include New Jersey State Requirements'' (FRL No. 9241-02-R2) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3377. A communication from the Director of Congressional Affairs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Reassessment of NRC's Dollar Per Person-Rem Conversion Factor Policy'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3378. A communication from the Director of Congressional Affairs, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Approval of American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Code Cases'' (RIN3150-AJ94) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3379. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting, pursuant to the law, a report of the continuation of the national emergency with respect to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that was originally declared in Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020; to the Committee on Finance. EC-3380. A communication from the Senior Advisor, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Inspector General of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Finance. EC-3381. A communication from the Senior Advisor, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 28, 2022; to the Committee on Finance. EC-3382. A communication from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Finalizing Medicare Regulations under Section 902 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 for Calendar Year 2021''; to the Committee on Finance. EC-3383. A communication from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Medicare and Medicaid Program Integrity''; to the Committee on Finance. EC-3384. A communication from the United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, transmitting, pursuant to law, the 2022 Trade Policy Agenda and 2021 Annual Report of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements Program; to the Committee on Finance. EC-3385. A communication from the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to the Case-Zablocki Act, 1 U.S.C. 112b, as amended, the report of the texts and background statements of international agreements, other than treaties (List 2022- 0025--2022-0030); to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-3386. A communication from the Senior Bureau Official, Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Determination Under Sections 506(a)(1) and 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to Provide Military Assistance to Ukraine''; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-3387. A communication from the Legal Counsel, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``2022 Adjustment of the Penalty for Violation of Notice Posting Requirements'' (RIN3046-AB17) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 28, 2022; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC-3388. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-337, ``Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Limited Grant-Making Authority Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3389. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-338, ``Early Childhood Educator Equitable Compensation Task Force Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3390. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-339, ``Attorney General Civil Rights Enforcement Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3391. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-340, ``Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Pandemic Provisions Extension Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3392. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-341, ``Office of Administrative Hearings Unemployment Appeals Extension Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3393. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-342, ``Public Health Emergency Credit Alert Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3394. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-343, ``District Government Family Bereavement Leave Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3395. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 24-344, ``Foreclosure Moratorium Extension Temporary Amendment Act of 2022''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3396. A communication from the Senior Congressional Liaison, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Bureau's fiscal year 2021 annual report relative to the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act); to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3397. A communication from the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, transmitting a legislative proposal entitled ``To authorize the Joint Task Forces of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3398. A communication from the Senior Procurement/ Policy Analyst, Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR); Extending FSS Orders Beyond the Contract Term'' (RIN3090-AK19) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 3, 2022; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3399. A communication from the Associate General Counsel for General Law, Department of Homeland Security, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Deputy Administrator of Resilience, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on February 28, 2022; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-3400. A communication from the Comptroller General of the United States, Government Accountability Office, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the Office's audit of the United States government's fiscal years 2021 and 2020 consolidated financial statements; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1116-3 | null | 4,070 |
formal | HH | null | white supremacist | SA 4989. Mr. LEE (for himself and Mr. Cruz) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2471, to measure the progress of post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption, governance, rule of law, and media freedoms in Haiti; as follows: At the end of division HH, add the following: | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1126-4 | null | 4,071 |
formal | HH | null | white supremacist | SA 4991. Mr. JOHNSON submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2471, to measure the progress of post-disaster recovery and efforts to address corruption, governance, rule of law, and media freedoms in Haiti; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place in division HH, insert the following: | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-10-pt1-PgS1126-6 | null | 4,072 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | American Rescue Plan Madam President, on another topic, 2 years ago--March 13, 2020--President Trump officially declared COVID a national emergency in America. We all remember the dark and uncertain days in the early spring of 2020. Overnight, schools, offices, and businesses closed their doors and opened their Zooms. Today is also an important anniversary in America's recovery. One year ago today--1 year ago--Democrats in Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, our comprehensive plan to help American families, hospitals, and small businesses weather the economic hardship of the pandemic and to distribute vaccines and medical equipment so that we could get the pandemic behind us and return to normal life in America. The pandemic has affected everybody: Republicans, Democrats, and people who don't care at all about politics. Sadly, however, the American Rescue Plan only passed with Democratic votes. Not a single Republican would vote for it, in the House or in the Senate. And it worked. We were right. It was needed. The U.S. economy has recovered faster and stronger from this pandemic than any other G-7 nation in the world. America's economy added more than 6 million new jobs in the year since we passed the American Rescue Plan. That is a record. Part of the reason our economy is strong today is because that plan made wise decisions that helped families, helped businesses, and helped communities through the worst time when the pandemic forced businesses and schools to close. The American Rescue Plan provided a critical lifeline to low-income families, stabilized middle-class families by providing enhanced child tax credits, and expanded unemployment insurance and housing relief. That plan also closed the holes to provide help for families with children, expanding the earned income tax credit and child tax credit. In particular, the enhanced child tax credit gave working families a chance to breathe. They used it to buy the basics--groceries, diapers--pay the utility bills, pay the rent, pay the mortgage. Some of us just take that all for granted. For many people, it is a paycheck-to-paycheck challenge. Some families actually finally paid down their debts. Others put a few dollars away for the next emergency. Now, they are feeling squeezed again, those same families. That doesn't mean we were mistaken when we passed the American Rescue Plan. It means we have more to do to lower the cost of living for families across the United States. This should be done on a bipartisan basis. Inflation is a global problem, not simply an American problem. It is a reflection of the world labor market and a global supply chain basically disrupted by a pandemic and still in the process of recovery. Now, we have made a decision as a nation to ban imports of Russian oil. Seventy-nine percent of the American people support that decision, even though they understand that it will drive up the price of gasoline. They don't want their hard-earned American dollars paying for Vladimir Putin's war, killing the innocent people of Ukraine. I salute them for their courage in joining our Nation together in that effort to stop it. Yes, it will add more to the price of oil. It already has over the last week or two because of Putin's invasion, but we have got to face a reality. To stop the killing and death in Ukraine, we have to be prepared to make some sacrifice. Inflation is a real problem. We need real solutions, not just complaints. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1137 | null | 4,073 |
formal | working families | null | racist | American Rescue Plan Madam President, on another topic, 2 years ago--March 13, 2020--President Trump officially declared COVID a national emergency in America. We all remember the dark and uncertain days in the early spring of 2020. Overnight, schools, offices, and businesses closed their doors and opened their Zooms. Today is also an important anniversary in America's recovery. One year ago today--1 year ago--Democrats in Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, our comprehensive plan to help American families, hospitals, and small businesses weather the economic hardship of the pandemic and to distribute vaccines and medical equipment so that we could get the pandemic behind us and return to normal life in America. The pandemic has affected everybody: Republicans, Democrats, and people who don't care at all about politics. Sadly, however, the American Rescue Plan only passed with Democratic votes. Not a single Republican would vote for it, in the House or in the Senate. And it worked. We were right. It was needed. The U.S. economy has recovered faster and stronger from this pandemic than any other G-7 nation in the world. America's economy added more than 6 million new jobs in the year since we passed the American Rescue Plan. That is a record. Part of the reason our economy is strong today is because that plan made wise decisions that helped families, helped businesses, and helped communities through the worst time when the pandemic forced businesses and schools to close. The American Rescue Plan provided a critical lifeline to low-income families, stabilized middle-class families by providing enhanced child tax credits, and expanded unemployment insurance and housing relief. That plan also closed the holes to provide help for families with children, expanding the earned income tax credit and child tax credit. In particular, the enhanced child tax credit gave working families a chance to breathe. They used it to buy the basics--groceries, diapers--pay the utility bills, pay the rent, pay the mortgage. Some of us just take that all for granted. For many people, it is a paycheck-to-paycheck challenge. Some families actually finally paid down their debts. Others put a few dollars away for the next emergency. Now, they are feeling squeezed again, those same families. That doesn't mean we were mistaken when we passed the American Rescue Plan. It means we have more to do to lower the cost of living for families across the United States. This should be done on a bipartisan basis. Inflation is a global problem, not simply an American problem. It is a reflection of the world labor market and a global supply chain basically disrupted by a pandemic and still in the process of recovery. Now, we have made a decision as a nation to ban imports of Russian oil. Seventy-nine percent of the American people support that decision, even though they understand that it will drive up the price of gasoline. They don't want their hard-earned American dollars paying for Vladimir Putin's war, killing the innocent people of Ukraine. I salute them for their courage in joining our Nation together in that effort to stop it. Yes, it will add more to the price of oil. It already has over the last week or two because of Putin's invasion, but we have got to face a reality. To stop the killing and death in Ukraine, we have to be prepared to make some sacrifice. Inflation is a real problem. We need real solutions, not just complaints. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1137 | null | 4,074 |
formal | public school | null | racist | Consolidated Appropriations Act Madam President, now on the omni, the omnibus budget, I want to revisit the groundbreaking omnibus package that the Senate passed last week with bipartisan support, which fully and robustly funds the government through the end of the 2022 fiscal year. As I said on Thursday, this year's bipartisan budget bill is one of the boldest and most significant packages that we have seen passed through the Congress in a long, long time. It is a deal just overflowing with good news for American families looking to cut costs and make ends meet. Let me highlight just a few ways this bill will lower costs in the coming months. For working Americans struggling with energy costs, this year's budget increases domestic investments that help people pay their heating and air-conditioning bills. Utility costs have always fallen hardest on those least able to bear them, and I am glad this year we are increasing the help we provide working families to pay for their utilities. We are also boosting funding for child nutrition programs by 7 percent compared to 2021 so kids don't go to school on an empty stomach or go through summer school uncertain about what or if they are going to eat. Working parents will also get a break. We are dramatically increasing the amount dedicated to childcare assistance, making it easier for parents to reenter the workplace and earn a paycheck without having to worry about paying to take care of their kids. Head Start Programs will see more resources to help them prepare young kids to thrive in the classroom. Funding for title I-A grants, which help more than half our Nation's public schools boost student performance, will receive the largest increase in a decade. College students, meanwhile, will see the largest increase in Pell grant maximums since the 2009-2010 academic year--a desperately needed injection of funding. These investments only scratch the surface. From housing assistance to help with energy costs, to aid for the elderly and our veterans and investments in child nutrition, this year's funding package will drive down costs for parents, students, the elderly, and small business. Because both sides were able to work in good faith, American families will see more help come their way through the annual funding bill than they have seen in a long, long time. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1139-3 | null | 4,075 |
formal | public schools | null | racist | Consolidated Appropriations Act Madam President, now on the omni, the omnibus budget, I want to revisit the groundbreaking omnibus package that the Senate passed last week with bipartisan support, which fully and robustly funds the government through the end of the 2022 fiscal year. As I said on Thursday, this year's bipartisan budget bill is one of the boldest and most significant packages that we have seen passed through the Congress in a long, long time. It is a deal just overflowing with good news for American families looking to cut costs and make ends meet. Let me highlight just a few ways this bill will lower costs in the coming months. For working Americans struggling with energy costs, this year's budget increases domestic investments that help people pay their heating and air-conditioning bills. Utility costs have always fallen hardest on those least able to bear them, and I am glad this year we are increasing the help we provide working families to pay for their utilities. We are also boosting funding for child nutrition programs by 7 percent compared to 2021 so kids don't go to school on an empty stomach or go through summer school uncertain about what or if they are going to eat. Working parents will also get a break. We are dramatically increasing the amount dedicated to childcare assistance, making it easier for parents to reenter the workplace and earn a paycheck without having to worry about paying to take care of their kids. Head Start Programs will see more resources to help them prepare young kids to thrive in the classroom. Funding for title I-A grants, which help more than half our Nation's public schools boost student performance, will receive the largest increase in a decade. College students, meanwhile, will see the largest increase in Pell grant maximums since the 2009-2010 academic year--a desperately needed injection of funding. These investments only scratch the surface. From housing assistance to help with energy costs, to aid for the elderly and our veterans and investments in child nutrition, this year's funding package will drive down costs for parents, students, the elderly, and small business. Because both sides were able to work in good faith, American families will see more help come their way through the annual funding bill than they have seen in a long, long time. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1139-3 | null | 4,076 |
formal | working families | null | racist | Consolidated Appropriations Act Madam President, now on the omni, the omnibus budget, I want to revisit the groundbreaking omnibus package that the Senate passed last week with bipartisan support, which fully and robustly funds the government through the end of the 2022 fiscal year. As I said on Thursday, this year's bipartisan budget bill is one of the boldest and most significant packages that we have seen passed through the Congress in a long, long time. It is a deal just overflowing with good news for American families looking to cut costs and make ends meet. Let me highlight just a few ways this bill will lower costs in the coming months. For working Americans struggling with energy costs, this year's budget increases domestic investments that help people pay their heating and air-conditioning bills. Utility costs have always fallen hardest on those least able to bear them, and I am glad this year we are increasing the help we provide working families to pay for their utilities. We are also boosting funding for child nutrition programs by 7 percent compared to 2021 so kids don't go to school on an empty stomach or go through summer school uncertain about what or if they are going to eat. Working parents will also get a break. We are dramatically increasing the amount dedicated to childcare assistance, making it easier for parents to reenter the workplace and earn a paycheck without having to worry about paying to take care of their kids. Head Start Programs will see more resources to help them prepare young kids to thrive in the classroom. Funding for title I-A grants, which help more than half our Nation's public schools boost student performance, will receive the largest increase in a decade. College students, meanwhile, will see the largest increase in Pell grant maximums since the 2009-2010 academic year--a desperately needed injection of funding. These investments only scratch the surface. From housing assistance to help with energy costs, to aid for the elderly and our veterans and investments in child nutrition, this year's funding package will drive down costs for parents, students, the elderly, and small business. Because both sides were able to work in good faith, American families will see more help come their way through the annual funding bill than they have seen in a long, long time. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1139-3 | null | 4,077 |
formal | Yahoo | null | anti-Latino | Inflation Madam President, now on costs and inflation, off the floor, Senate Democrats will continue this week focusing on helping American families lower their cost of living and reap the full benefits of the historic job and wage growth under President Biden. Later this week, my colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee will hold an especially important hearing on the rising cost of prescription drugs and hear expert testimony on what we can do to make medications more affordable. Lowering prescription drug prices should be absolutely one of the most bipartisan priorities in this Congress. Few things ignite the same frustration as making trips to the pharmacy and seeing the price on your receipt go up and up and up for basic, often lifesaving, medications. Insulin is a particularly egregious example. According to some sources, a 40-day supply can now climb north of $600 a month. For millions of Americans who rely on insulin to manage their diabetes, this is a five-alarm fire that demands Senate action. I expect we will consider next steps soon on some proposals already presented by my colleagues. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will continue examining the disturbing trend of corporations reporting massive profits, even as Americans face higher costs. A headline from Yahoo News last month sums it up: Corporate America's 2021 profits were higher than ever. Let me repeat that. Corporate America's 2021 profits were higher than ever. It is deeply unfair and morally bankrupt for Americans to pay more for basics while many mega corporations are making a killing. Last week, I asked the head of the FTC to look into this trend in the area of energy prices, and corporations taking advantage of the American people should be on notice. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1139 | null | 4,078 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I rise today in support of the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022, which is included as division Y in the Senate amendment to H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022. Cyber attacks and ransomware attacks are a serious national security threat that have affected everything from our energy sector to the Federal Government and Americans' own sensitive information. The SolarWinds breach demonstrated how broad the ripple effects of these attacks can be, affecting hundreds or even thousands of entities connected to the initial target. As cyber and ransomware attacks continue to increase, the Federal Government must be able to quickly coordinate a response and hold bad actors accountable. Especially now, as the threat of Russian cyber attacks looms in light of Putin's horrific invasion of Ukraine, we shouldn't be relying on voluntary reporting to protect our crucial infrastructure. The Federal Government needs to know when vital sectors of our economy are affected by a breach so that the full resources of the Federal Government can be mobilized to respond and mitigate their impacts. This bipartisan bill will take significant steps to strengthen cybersecurity protections, ensure that CISA is at the forefront of our Nation's response to serious breaches, and most importantly, require timely reporting of these attacks to the Federal Government so that we can better prevent future incidents and hold attackers accountable. The plain text of the statute makes Congress' intent clear: although the reports themselves--and any ``communication[s], document[s], material[s], or other record[s] created for the sole purpose of preparing, drafting or submitting'' those reports--may not be received in evidence, the FBI and other law enforcement entities nevertheless may, as appropriate,make use of reported information in their investigations of a cyber incident. In other words, the FBI cannot attach the report filed with CISA in a warrant application or submit it in evidence in a trial but, if provided information from reports under the process outlined in the statute, may as appropriate use information contained in the reports and derived from them for a range of purposes, including getting a warrant and prosecuting bad actors. Further, this statute also is not intended to prohibit or discourage entities from reporting to CISA and law enforcement concurrently. The language of this bill makes clear that the information may be used for cybersecurity or investigative purposes. Section 2245 clearly states that reports submitted to CISA under this provision can be used for ``the purpose of preventing, investigating, disrupting, or prosecuting an offense arising out of a cyber incident reported pursuant to [the bill's requirements or voluntary provisions].'' Nor are facts developed during an FBI investigation of the relevant cyber incident using other authorities, including similar facts that may also have been disclosed to the Federal Government in the report to CISA, ``communication[s], document[s], material[s], or other record[s]'' subject to the evidentiary restrictions in 2245(c)(3). Such actions by the FBI to hold accountable, disrupt, or deter perpetrators of cyber attacks are consistent with our goal of encouraging entities to disclose cyber incidents to CISA, which will share the information appropriately with other Federal agencies. As stakeholders work through the rulemaking process, we look forward to working with them to ensure that congressional intent is not misinterpreted and that this legislation is implemented as intended. This balance ensures both that entities are encouraged to and feel protected in disclosing cyber incidents and that law enforcement agencies may make full use of evidence, gathered through a variety of means, needed to detect, disrupt, and deter perpetrators of attacks. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. WARNER | Senate | CREC-2022-03-14-pt1-PgS1149 | null | 4,079 |
formal | Volodymyr Zelensky | null | antisemitic | The following proceedings were held in the Capitol Visitor Center before the House convened for morning-hour debate: Address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgH3751-2 | null | 4,080 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on the resolution (H. Res. 979) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 963) to amend title 9 of the United States Code with respect to arbitration, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2116) to prohibit discrimination based on an individual's texture or style of hair on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgH3759-3 | null | 4,081 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on the resolution (H. Res. 979) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 963) to amend title 9 of the United States Code with respect to arbitration, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2116) to prohibit discrimination based on an individual's texture or style of hair on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgH3759-3 | null | 4,082 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-3643. A letter from the Secretary, Department of Defense, transmitting a letter on the approved retirement of General Kenneth F. McKenzie, United States Marine Corps, and his advancement to the grade of general on the retired list, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1370(c)(1); Public Law 96-513, Sec. 112 (as amended by Public Law 104-106, Sec. 502(b)); (110 Stat. 293); to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-3644. A letter from the Chair, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting the Board's semiannual Monetary Policy Report, pursuant to Public Law 106-569; to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-3645. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to South Sudan that was declared in Executive Order 13664 of April 3, 2014, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257) and 50 U.S.C. 1703(c); Public Law 95-223, Sec 204(c); (91 Stat. 1627); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3646. A letter from the Secretary, Department of the Treasury, transmitting a six-month periodic report on the national emergency with respect to significant malicious cyber-enabled activities that was declared in Executive Order 13694 of April 1, 2015, pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); Public Law 94-412, Sec. 401(c); (90 Stat. 1257) and 50 U.S.C. 1703(c); Public Law 95-223, Sec 204(c); (91 Stat. 1627); to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. EC-3647. A letter from the Secretary and Treasury, Resolution Funding Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's 2021 management reports and financial statements, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3515(a)(1); Public Law 101- 576, Sec. 303(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 107-289, Sec. 2(a)); (116 Stat. 2049); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-3648. A letter from the Senior Congressional Official, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting the Bureau's 2021 No FEAR Act Report, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 2301 note; Public Law 107-174, 203(a) (as amended by Public Law 109-435, Sec. 604(f)); (120 Stat. 3242); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-3649. A letter from the General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Department of Housing and Urban Development, transmitting the Department's Fiscal Year 2021 Ginnie Mae Annual Management Report, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9106(a)(1); Public Law 97-258 (as amended by Public Law 101-576, Sec. 306(a)); (104 Stat. 2854); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-3650. A letter from the Director, Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Export-Import Bank of the United States, transmitting a notification of an action on nomination and discontinuation of service in an acting role, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3349(a); Public Law 105- 277, Sec. 151(b); (112 Stat. 2681-614); to the Committee on Oversight and Reform. EC-3651. A letter from the National Adjutant and Chief Executive Officer, Disabled American Veterans, transmitting the reports and proceedings of the 2021 National Convention of the Disabled American Veterans, held in Tampa, Florida, July 31-August 3, 2021 (H. Doc. No. 117-- 102); to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and ordered to be printed. EC-3652. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, transmitting the Department's legislative proposal, ``To authorize the Joint Task Forces of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes''; to the Committee on Homeland Security. EC-3653. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting a report entitled, ``Report to Congress on the Administration, Cost, and Impact of the Quality Improvement Organization Program for Medicare Beneficiaries for Fiscal Year 2019'', pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1320c-10; Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XI, Sec. 1161 (as amended by Public Law 97- 248, Sec. 143); (96 Stat. 392); jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgH3774-3 | null | 4,083 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | The Economy Mr. President, on another matter, last week marked 1 year since Democrats rammed $2 trillion of runaway liberal spending through the Senate on a party-line vote. Working families were certainly not celebrating this particular anniversary; they were too busy contending with the worst inflation in modern American history, unleashed in large part by that very bill. Democrats' policies have conjured up the worst inflation in 40 years. Consumer prices rose 0.8 percent in the month of February alone. Annual inflation hit 7.9 percent. It is still getting worse. We just learned yesterday that the Producer Price Index, which measures inflation upstream at the wholesale level, is up 10 percent--10 percent--since last year. This is hammering American families. Experts estimate that inflation alone is costing the average household more than $296 every single month--the equivalent of an extra $300 monthly bill courtesy of Democratic policies. No wonder almost 60 percent of Americans say inflation is causing them personal financial pain and the Democrats' approval ratings on the economy are way underwater. Even with a literal land war in Europe, the Democrats' inflation is so painful that inflation and not Ukraine still tops the American people's biggest list of concerns. From the gas pump to the grocery store, to clothes, diapers, and baby formula, to furniture and home essentials, to car repairs and car replacements, Democrats' policies have put working families on a treadmill where they have to run faster and faster every month just to stay in place. Rent prices are spiking faster than they have since 1991. Grocery prices are soaring faster than they have since 1981. New cars and truck prices are climbing at their fastest rates ever. Forget about getting ahead and saving--households are lucky if they are even able to tread water. Lately, Democrats have launched a shameless campaign to blame 12 months of inflation not on 12 months of their bad policies but instead on the last 3 weeks' crisis in Europe. The White House informs us that ``Putin's price hike'' is the culprit. Of course, that is utter nonsense. Even liberal experts are rejecting their shameless spin. A former top economist for President Obama directly responded to the Biden administration's attempt to shift the blame. He said: Well-- This is what he said-- Well, no. These are February numbers and only include [a] small Russia effect. This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. The White House spin has not even persuaded former Democratic officials. Here is another quote: This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. Working Americans understand it just as well as the experts. Everybody knows where the buck stops. One retired mechanic who lives in Los Angeles recently explained to a reporter that he is facing $6 gasoline and rising food prices. He is a registered Democrat, but he knows where this inflation came from. Here is how he described it. He said: Uncle Joe has put us on a diet. I like to have a steak once or twice a month. I can't do it now. This is exactly what Republicans said would happen when Democrats dumped trillions of dollars into printing and spending on a partisan basis last year. Even top liberal economists said Democrats' reckless spending spree would bring about inflationary pressures like we have not seen for a generation. Ah, but Democrats didn't listen. They pushed ahead, and, for 12 months and counting, working families have been paying a heavy price. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1195 | null | 4,084 |
formal | buck | null | racist | The Economy Mr. President, on another matter, last week marked 1 year since Democrats rammed $2 trillion of runaway liberal spending through the Senate on a party-line vote. Working families were certainly not celebrating this particular anniversary; they were too busy contending with the worst inflation in modern American history, unleashed in large part by that very bill. Democrats' policies have conjured up the worst inflation in 40 years. Consumer prices rose 0.8 percent in the month of February alone. Annual inflation hit 7.9 percent. It is still getting worse. We just learned yesterday that the Producer Price Index, which measures inflation upstream at the wholesale level, is up 10 percent--10 percent--since last year. This is hammering American families. Experts estimate that inflation alone is costing the average household more than $296 every single month--the equivalent of an extra $300 monthly bill courtesy of Democratic policies. No wonder almost 60 percent of Americans say inflation is causing them personal financial pain and the Democrats' approval ratings on the economy are way underwater. Even with a literal land war in Europe, the Democrats' inflation is so painful that inflation and not Ukraine still tops the American people's biggest list of concerns. From the gas pump to the grocery store, to clothes, diapers, and baby formula, to furniture and home essentials, to car repairs and car replacements, Democrats' policies have put working families on a treadmill where they have to run faster and faster every month just to stay in place. Rent prices are spiking faster than they have since 1991. Grocery prices are soaring faster than they have since 1981. New cars and truck prices are climbing at their fastest rates ever. Forget about getting ahead and saving--households are lucky if they are even able to tread water. Lately, Democrats have launched a shameless campaign to blame 12 months of inflation not on 12 months of their bad policies but instead on the last 3 weeks' crisis in Europe. The White House informs us that ``Putin's price hike'' is the culprit. Of course, that is utter nonsense. Even liberal experts are rejecting their shameless spin. A former top economist for President Obama directly responded to the Biden administration's attempt to shift the blame. He said: Well-- This is what he said-- Well, no. These are February numbers and only include [a] small Russia effect. This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. The White House spin has not even persuaded former Democratic officials. Here is another quote: This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. Working Americans understand it just as well as the experts. Everybody knows where the buck stops. One retired mechanic who lives in Los Angeles recently explained to a reporter that he is facing $6 gasoline and rising food prices. He is a registered Democrat, but he knows where this inflation came from. Here is how he described it. He said: Uncle Joe has put us on a diet. I like to have a steak once or twice a month. I can't do it now. This is exactly what Republicans said would happen when Democrats dumped trillions of dollars into printing and spending on a partisan basis last year. Even top liberal economists said Democrats' reckless spending spree would bring about inflationary pressures like we have not seen for a generation. Ah, but Democrats didn't listen. They pushed ahead, and, for 12 months and counting, working families have been paying a heavy price. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1195 | null | 4,085 |
formal | working families | null | racist | The Economy Mr. President, on another matter, last week marked 1 year since Democrats rammed $2 trillion of runaway liberal spending through the Senate on a party-line vote. Working families were certainly not celebrating this particular anniversary; they were too busy contending with the worst inflation in modern American history, unleashed in large part by that very bill. Democrats' policies have conjured up the worst inflation in 40 years. Consumer prices rose 0.8 percent in the month of February alone. Annual inflation hit 7.9 percent. It is still getting worse. We just learned yesterday that the Producer Price Index, which measures inflation upstream at the wholesale level, is up 10 percent--10 percent--since last year. This is hammering American families. Experts estimate that inflation alone is costing the average household more than $296 every single month--the equivalent of an extra $300 monthly bill courtesy of Democratic policies. No wonder almost 60 percent of Americans say inflation is causing them personal financial pain and the Democrats' approval ratings on the economy are way underwater. Even with a literal land war in Europe, the Democrats' inflation is so painful that inflation and not Ukraine still tops the American people's biggest list of concerns. From the gas pump to the grocery store, to clothes, diapers, and baby formula, to furniture and home essentials, to car repairs and car replacements, Democrats' policies have put working families on a treadmill where they have to run faster and faster every month just to stay in place. Rent prices are spiking faster than they have since 1991. Grocery prices are soaring faster than they have since 1981. New cars and truck prices are climbing at their fastest rates ever. Forget about getting ahead and saving--households are lucky if they are even able to tread water. Lately, Democrats have launched a shameless campaign to blame 12 months of inflation not on 12 months of their bad policies but instead on the last 3 weeks' crisis in Europe. The White House informs us that ``Putin's price hike'' is the culprit. Of course, that is utter nonsense. Even liberal experts are rejecting their shameless spin. A former top economist for President Obama directly responded to the Biden administration's attempt to shift the blame. He said: Well-- This is what he said-- Well, no. These are February numbers and only include [a] small Russia effect. This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. The White House spin has not even persuaded former Democratic officials. Here is another quote: This is Biden's inflation and he needs to own it. Working Americans understand it just as well as the experts. Everybody knows where the buck stops. One retired mechanic who lives in Los Angeles recently explained to a reporter that he is facing $6 gasoline and rising food prices. He is a registered Democrat, but he knows where this inflation came from. Here is how he described it. He said: Uncle Joe has put us on a diet. I like to have a steak once or twice a month. I can't do it now. This is exactly what Republicans said would happen when Democrats dumped trillions of dollars into printing and spending on a partisan basis last year. Even top liberal economists said Democrats' reckless spending spree would bring about inflationary pressures like we have not seen for a generation. Ah, but Democrats didn't listen. They pushed ahead, and, for 12 months and counting, working families have been paying a heavy price. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1195 | null | 4,086 |
formal | Volodymyr Zelensky | null | antisemitic | Ukraine Mr. President, the second item I would like to mention refers to a moving, historic presentation this morning by the President of Ukraine to a joint session of Congress. He did it virtually by remote because he is literally in Kyiv, risking his life every single day for his nation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have started his life as a standup comedian, but at this moment in life, he is a standup President of Ukraine, who is confronting the monster of Moscow who has unleashed this invasion on his country. He begged us to continue to help, and we will. Last week, we added almost $14 billion to the effort to support the Ukrainian defense and resistance. We need to do that and more. Many of the suggestions by the Republican Senator are consistent with that goal, and I would endorse it. But I want to leave it to President Biden to make the critical decisions as our Commander in Chief who is really tasked with America's national security as his highest priority. I take exception to this notion that Joe Biden didn't understand the timing of this crisis. He understood it better than anyone. He knew that if he pushed too far and too fast, two things might occur: first, that the Russians would move because we had precipitated it with an action we had taken. He was hoping, as we all did, that this could be ended bloodlessly and that an innocent people would be saved from what we see, the devastation that is happening in Ukraine today. So he was careful to make those moves in a way that Putin couldn't use them as an excuse for starting the invasion. Second, and more important, he needed to move at a pace consistent with building the NATO alliance. President Joe Biden succeeded in that effort. The NATO alliance today is stronger than it has ever been. Don't believe the last President of the United States had anything to do with that, just the opposite was true. Joe Biden picked up that alliance from the mat and brought them up to fighting trim, to be ready, if needed, to ``defend every square inch,'' as he says, ``of NATO territory.'' That timing was crucial. And decisions which seem so easy and obvious in America were much more complex on the continent of Europe. Joe Biden knew that, and he paced himself accordingly. And because of that today, we have the strongest alliance in the face of Vladimir Putin that he has ever seen and that we have ever seen. The last point I want to make to this, you could not watch the graphic video presented by President Zelenskyy without breaking your heart. Every parent and grandparent in America watching that video saw a member of his family, a child, a lifeless corpse because of a man named Vladimir Putin and what he is doing to that poor country. Unprovoked, he has invaded them and kills innocent people every single day. Last night, unanimously, the Senate decided, as they should, that the conduct of Vladimir Putin was nothing short of a war crime. I can't think of any other way to describe it and certainly never excuse it. Zelenskyy touched our hearts too. His people are fighting a valiant effort, and the United States and allies and countries that share our values stand behind him and will continue to. Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues Senators Murkowski and Ernst and, of course, my friend and colleague Senator Feinstein to celebrate the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, more commonly known as VAWA. Yesterday, President Biden signed it into law. This is a monumental achievement for the survivors of domestic sexual violence and those who stand by them. It is an achievement that wouldn't have been possible without bipartisan cooperation. It, literally, would not have been possible. I have been proud to work with my three colleagues whom I mentioned. With this strengthened version of VAWA, we have helped to ensure that every survivor in America, no matter where they live, will be able to reach for a lifeline in a moment of crisis. We have expanded and authorized services for rural survivors, survivors who need culturally specific services, and LGBTQ survivors. We have reauthorized programs that ensure survivors and their families can access housing, healthcare, and essential support services. We have improved rape prevention and education, as well as services and protections for young survivors. We have enhanced critical protections for Native American women and children who experience violence at the hands of non-Native perpetrators. It doesn't include everything we had hoped for. That is the nature of legislation and compromise. I wish there had been stronger protections for housing and economic assistance, but we had to find an agreement, and we did. The bill contains several important provisions to help boost enforcement of our gun laws. I wish it would have finally closed the so-called ``boyfriend loophole,'' but that was beyond our reach in this effort. The lack of those provisions could not attract enough bipartisan support in the Senate to pass on their own. They will be saved for another day. For nearly 30 years, VAWA has transformed the way we address domestic and sexual violence in America and saved countless lives. At a moment when nearly one in three women--one in three--have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, a crisis that has grown worse during the pandemic, VAWA is going to help save lives. Let me tell you a story. My office received a letter from a woman named Kesha, who works with Connections for Abused Women and their Children in Chicago. Kesha told me that VAWA provides funding for domestic violence services at Chicago's Haymarket Center, an amazing agency I know full well. She shared the story of Cassandra, who was receiving treatment at the Center for Substance Abuse and disclosed to a counselor that she was the victim of abusive treatment. Her counselor referred her to VAWA, and that program gave her an opportunity to ``open up about the emotional, financial, and physical abuse she had suffered for years at the hands of [an] abusive husband.'' Kesha wrote: After weeks of domestic violence psychoeducation, a supportive network encouraging her, and her own personal resilience, Cassandra decided that if she wanted to remain in recovery and not relapse, [she had to find a new home, away from her abuser.] With the help of her domestic violence counselor, Cassandra was able to break free and transition into temporary housing. She has been able to gain financial independence and find a job. She has remained on her path to recovery, a success story, and a reminder that VAWA doesn't just help save lives, it gives survivors the power to rebuild their own lives. VAWA also provides funding for educational programming, and it has done it so well. I want to thank Senator Feinstein, Senator Ernst, and Senator Murkowski for their partnership and tireless leadership in getting this bill addressed, introduced, and across the finish line. I want to thank their staff: Jessica Jensen, Senator Feinstein's chief counsel, as well as Nick Xenakis, her former chief counsel; Corey Becker and Kristina Sesek, Senator Ernst's legislative director and general counsel; and Anna Dietderich, Senator Murkowski's legislative assistant. On my Judiciary Committee staff, I would like to give thanks especially to Stephanie Trifone and Nicole McClain Walton and Chastidy Burns. I want to thank the other members of the committees of jurisdiction and their staffs, along with Ranking Member Murkowski and the minority staff on the Indian Affairs Committee,chaired by Brian Schatz. They have done an extraordinarily good job, a bipartisan job, when it comes to Native Americans. Chair Murray and the staff of the HELP Committee, Chair Brown and the staff of the Banking Committee, Chair Wyden and the staff of the Finance Committee were part of this victory. As you can see, this was a multicommittee team effort on both sides of the aisle, and that is the only reason we can stand here today and say we will continue to give hope to those who are struggling with domestic violence and abuse. I ask unanimous consent that Senators Ernst, Murkowski, and Feinstein be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each prior to the cloture vote on the Corely nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1196 | null | 4,087 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Ukraine Mr. President, the second item I would like to mention refers to a moving, historic presentation this morning by the President of Ukraine to a joint session of Congress. He did it virtually by remote because he is literally in Kyiv, risking his life every single day for his nation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have started his life as a standup comedian, but at this moment in life, he is a standup President of Ukraine, who is confronting the monster of Moscow who has unleashed this invasion on his country. He begged us to continue to help, and we will. Last week, we added almost $14 billion to the effort to support the Ukrainian defense and resistance. We need to do that and more. Many of the suggestions by the Republican Senator are consistent with that goal, and I would endorse it. But I want to leave it to President Biden to make the critical decisions as our Commander in Chief who is really tasked with America's national security as his highest priority. I take exception to this notion that Joe Biden didn't understand the timing of this crisis. He understood it better than anyone. He knew that if he pushed too far and too fast, two things might occur: first, that the Russians would move because we had precipitated it with an action we had taken. He was hoping, as we all did, that this could be ended bloodlessly and that an innocent people would be saved from what we see, the devastation that is happening in Ukraine today. So he was careful to make those moves in a way that Putin couldn't use them as an excuse for starting the invasion. Second, and more important, he needed to move at a pace consistent with building the NATO alliance. President Joe Biden succeeded in that effort. The NATO alliance today is stronger than it has ever been. Don't believe the last President of the United States had anything to do with that, just the opposite was true. Joe Biden picked up that alliance from the mat and brought them up to fighting trim, to be ready, if needed, to ``defend every square inch,'' as he says, ``of NATO territory.'' That timing was crucial. And decisions which seem so easy and obvious in America were much more complex on the continent of Europe. Joe Biden knew that, and he paced himself accordingly. And because of that today, we have the strongest alliance in the face of Vladimir Putin that he has ever seen and that we have ever seen. The last point I want to make to this, you could not watch the graphic video presented by President Zelenskyy without breaking your heart. Every parent and grandparent in America watching that video saw a member of his family, a child, a lifeless corpse because of a man named Vladimir Putin and what he is doing to that poor country. Unprovoked, he has invaded them and kills innocent people every single day. Last night, unanimously, the Senate decided, as they should, that the conduct of Vladimir Putin was nothing short of a war crime. I can't think of any other way to describe it and certainly never excuse it. Zelenskyy touched our hearts too. His people are fighting a valiant effort, and the United States and allies and countries that share our values stand behind him and will continue to. Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues Senators Murkowski and Ernst and, of course, my friend and colleague Senator Feinstein to celebrate the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, more commonly known as VAWA. Yesterday, President Biden signed it into law. This is a monumental achievement for the survivors of domestic sexual violence and those who stand by them. It is an achievement that wouldn't have been possible without bipartisan cooperation. It, literally, would not have been possible. I have been proud to work with my three colleagues whom I mentioned. With this strengthened version of VAWA, we have helped to ensure that every survivor in America, no matter where they live, will be able to reach for a lifeline in a moment of crisis. We have expanded and authorized services for rural survivors, survivors who need culturally specific services, and LGBTQ survivors. We have reauthorized programs that ensure survivors and their families can access housing, healthcare, and essential support services. We have improved rape prevention and education, as well as services and protections for young survivors. We have enhanced critical protections for Native American women and children who experience violence at the hands of non-Native perpetrators. It doesn't include everything we had hoped for. That is the nature of legislation and compromise. I wish there had been stronger protections for housing and economic assistance, but we had to find an agreement, and we did. The bill contains several important provisions to help boost enforcement of our gun laws. I wish it would have finally closed the so-called ``boyfriend loophole,'' but that was beyond our reach in this effort. The lack of those provisions could not attract enough bipartisan support in the Senate to pass on their own. They will be saved for another day. For nearly 30 years, VAWA has transformed the way we address domestic and sexual violence in America and saved countless lives. At a moment when nearly one in three women--one in three--have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, a crisis that has grown worse during the pandemic, VAWA is going to help save lives. Let me tell you a story. My office received a letter from a woman named Kesha, who works with Connections for Abused Women and their Children in Chicago. Kesha told me that VAWA provides funding for domestic violence services at Chicago's Haymarket Center, an amazing agency I know full well. She shared the story of Cassandra, who was receiving treatment at the Center for Substance Abuse and disclosed to a counselor that she was the victim of abusive treatment. Her counselor referred her to VAWA, and that program gave her an opportunity to ``open up about the emotional, financial, and physical abuse she had suffered for years at the hands of [an] abusive husband.'' Kesha wrote: After weeks of domestic violence psychoeducation, a supportive network encouraging her, and her own personal resilience, Cassandra decided that if she wanted to remain in recovery and not relapse, [she had to find a new home, away from her abuser.] With the help of her domestic violence counselor, Cassandra was able to break free and transition into temporary housing. She has been able to gain financial independence and find a job. She has remained on her path to recovery, a success story, and a reminder that VAWA doesn't just help save lives, it gives survivors the power to rebuild their own lives. VAWA also provides funding for educational programming, and it has done it so well. I want to thank Senator Feinstein, Senator Ernst, and Senator Murkowski for their partnership and tireless leadership in getting this bill addressed, introduced, and across the finish line. I want to thank their staff: Jessica Jensen, Senator Feinstein's chief counsel, as well as Nick Xenakis, her former chief counsel; Corey Becker and Kristina Sesek, Senator Ernst's legislative director and general counsel; and Anna Dietderich, Senator Murkowski's legislative assistant. On my Judiciary Committee staff, I would like to give thanks especially to Stephanie Trifone and Nicole McClain Walton and Chastidy Burns. I want to thank the other members of the committees of jurisdiction and their staffs, along with Ranking Member Murkowski and the minority staff on the Indian Affairs Committee,chaired by Brian Schatz. They have done an extraordinarily good job, a bipartisan job, when it comes to Native Americans. Chair Murray and the staff of the HELP Committee, Chair Brown and the staff of the Banking Committee, Chair Wyden and the staff of the Finance Committee were part of this victory. As you can see, this was a multicommittee team effort on both sides of the aisle, and that is the only reason we can stand here today and say we will continue to give hope to those who are struggling with domestic violence and abuse. I ask unanimous consent that Senators Ernst, Murkowski, and Feinstein be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each prior to the cloture vote on the Corely nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1196 | null | 4,088 |
formal | Chicago | null | racist | Ukraine Mr. President, the second item I would like to mention refers to a moving, historic presentation this morning by the President of Ukraine to a joint session of Congress. He did it virtually by remote because he is literally in Kyiv, risking his life every single day for his nation. Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have started his life as a standup comedian, but at this moment in life, he is a standup President of Ukraine, who is confronting the monster of Moscow who has unleashed this invasion on his country. He begged us to continue to help, and we will. Last week, we added almost $14 billion to the effort to support the Ukrainian defense and resistance. We need to do that and more. Many of the suggestions by the Republican Senator are consistent with that goal, and I would endorse it. But I want to leave it to President Biden to make the critical decisions as our Commander in Chief who is really tasked with America's national security as his highest priority. I take exception to this notion that Joe Biden didn't understand the timing of this crisis. He understood it better than anyone. He knew that if he pushed too far and too fast, two things might occur: first, that the Russians would move because we had precipitated it with an action we had taken. He was hoping, as we all did, that this could be ended bloodlessly and that an innocent people would be saved from what we see, the devastation that is happening in Ukraine today. So he was careful to make those moves in a way that Putin couldn't use them as an excuse for starting the invasion. Second, and more important, he needed to move at a pace consistent with building the NATO alliance. President Joe Biden succeeded in that effort. The NATO alliance today is stronger than it has ever been. Don't believe the last President of the United States had anything to do with that, just the opposite was true. Joe Biden picked up that alliance from the mat and brought them up to fighting trim, to be ready, if needed, to ``defend every square inch,'' as he says, ``of NATO territory.'' That timing was crucial. And decisions which seem so easy and obvious in America were much more complex on the continent of Europe. Joe Biden knew that, and he paced himself accordingly. And because of that today, we have the strongest alliance in the face of Vladimir Putin that he has ever seen and that we have ever seen. The last point I want to make to this, you could not watch the graphic video presented by President Zelenskyy without breaking your heart. Every parent and grandparent in America watching that video saw a member of his family, a child, a lifeless corpse because of a man named Vladimir Putin and what he is doing to that poor country. Unprovoked, he has invaded them and kills innocent people every single day. Last night, unanimously, the Senate decided, as they should, that the conduct of Vladimir Putin was nothing short of a war crime. I can't think of any other way to describe it and certainly never excuse it. Zelenskyy touched our hearts too. His people are fighting a valiant effort, and the United States and allies and countries that share our values stand behind him and will continue to. Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 Mr. President, I am honored to join my colleagues Senators Murkowski and Ernst and, of course, my friend and colleague Senator Feinstein to celebrate the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, more commonly known as VAWA. Yesterday, President Biden signed it into law. This is a monumental achievement for the survivors of domestic sexual violence and those who stand by them. It is an achievement that wouldn't have been possible without bipartisan cooperation. It, literally, would not have been possible. I have been proud to work with my three colleagues whom I mentioned. With this strengthened version of VAWA, we have helped to ensure that every survivor in America, no matter where they live, will be able to reach for a lifeline in a moment of crisis. We have expanded and authorized services for rural survivors, survivors who need culturally specific services, and LGBTQ survivors. We have reauthorized programs that ensure survivors and their families can access housing, healthcare, and essential support services. We have improved rape prevention and education, as well as services and protections for young survivors. We have enhanced critical protections for Native American women and children who experience violence at the hands of non-Native perpetrators. It doesn't include everything we had hoped for. That is the nature of legislation and compromise. I wish there had been stronger protections for housing and economic assistance, but we had to find an agreement, and we did. The bill contains several important provisions to help boost enforcement of our gun laws. I wish it would have finally closed the so-called ``boyfriend loophole,'' but that was beyond our reach in this effort. The lack of those provisions could not attract enough bipartisan support in the Senate to pass on their own. They will be saved for another day. For nearly 30 years, VAWA has transformed the way we address domestic and sexual violence in America and saved countless lives. At a moment when nearly one in three women--one in three--have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence, a crisis that has grown worse during the pandemic, VAWA is going to help save lives. Let me tell you a story. My office received a letter from a woman named Kesha, who works with Connections for Abused Women and their Children in Chicago. Kesha told me that VAWA provides funding for domestic violence services at Chicago's Haymarket Center, an amazing agency I know full well. She shared the story of Cassandra, who was receiving treatment at the Center for Substance Abuse and disclosed to a counselor that she was the victim of abusive treatment. Her counselor referred her to VAWA, and that program gave her an opportunity to ``open up about the emotional, financial, and physical abuse she had suffered for years at the hands of [an] abusive husband.'' Kesha wrote: After weeks of domestic violence psychoeducation, a supportive network encouraging her, and her own personal resilience, Cassandra decided that if she wanted to remain in recovery and not relapse, [she had to find a new home, away from her abuser.] With the help of her domestic violence counselor, Cassandra was able to break free and transition into temporary housing. She has been able to gain financial independence and find a job. She has remained on her path to recovery, a success story, and a reminder that VAWA doesn't just help save lives, it gives survivors the power to rebuild their own lives. VAWA also provides funding for educational programming, and it has done it so well. I want to thank Senator Feinstein, Senator Ernst, and Senator Murkowski for their partnership and tireless leadership in getting this bill addressed, introduced, and across the finish line. I want to thank their staff: Jessica Jensen, Senator Feinstein's chief counsel, as well as Nick Xenakis, her former chief counsel; Corey Becker and Kristina Sesek, Senator Ernst's legislative director and general counsel; and Anna Dietderich, Senator Murkowski's legislative assistant. On my Judiciary Committee staff, I would like to give thanks especially to Stephanie Trifone and Nicole McClain Walton and Chastidy Burns. I want to thank the other members of the committees of jurisdiction and their staffs, along with Ranking Member Murkowski and the minority staff on the Indian Affairs Committee,chaired by Brian Schatz. They have done an extraordinarily good job, a bipartisan job, when it comes to Native Americans. Chair Murray and the staff of the HELP Committee, Chair Brown and the staff of the Banking Committee, Chair Wyden and the staff of the Finance Committee were part of this victory. As you can see, this was a multicommittee team effort on both sides of the aisle, and that is the only reason we can stand here today and say we will continue to give hope to those who are struggling with domestic violence and abuse. I ask unanimous consent that Senators Ernst, Murkowski, and Feinstein be permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each prior to the cloture vote on the Corely nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1196 | null | 4,089 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Violence Against Asian Americans Mr. President, importantly, I must mention that this unspeakable violence was visited largely upon Georgia's Asian-American community and especially on women of Asian descent. Unfortunately, this hateful act that horrified Atlanta is not isolated; it is part of a larger trend. Last year, anti-Asian hate crimes increased 339 percent. Think about that--in 1 year, a 339-percent increase in anti-Asian hate crimes. It is a sobering statistic, and it should remind all of us of our shared duty in our democracy to stay committed to peace, an active peace, that recognizes that we are in this together. It was Martin Niemoller, the pastor during Hitler's Third Reich, who said: First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak . . . because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak . . . because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak . . . because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak . . . because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak. . . . So this is a tragedy, in a real sense, visited upon all of us. As a student of history and a voice for our State and the Senate, I know Georgians understand all too well how hate and misplaced anger can hurt our communities and how certain parts of our community are so easily scapegoated and lose their sense of sanctuary. And then when that happens, all of us lose a piece of ourselves. So I want to say to my AAPI sisters, brothers, and neighbors that I see you, and, more importantly, I will continue to stand with you against hate and violence wherever it rears its ugly head. That is why I cosponsored and fought to pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and to get it signed into law, directing more resources to ensure our communities have what they need to seek justice whenever and wherever hate and crime rear their ugly heads. I am especially proud that my colleagues worked with me to include a provision in this legislation that names and acknowledges the pain and experiences of Georgia's AAPI community specifically and makes sure we never forget the names attached to the lives and the families we lost in the horrific shootings in Atlanta 1 year ago today. And that is why I am pushing here in the Senate to confirm a U.S. attorney for the northern district of our State, a post that is integral to helping Georgians stop crime and pursue justice. The terrible act of violence and hate we witnessed on March 16, 2021, oughtto remind us all that we all have a stake in each other's well-being. Georgia's greatest son, that great American, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said it best: We are tied in a single garment of destiny, caught up in ``an inescapable network of mutuality.'' ``Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.'' ``I cannot be all that I ought to be until you are all that you ought to be, and you cannot be all that you ought to be until I am all that I ought to be.'' And so let us continue working together to stop Asian hate, to stop the scapegoating, and to create what Dr. King called the beloved community--a community where everybody, no matter their skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religious background, can live a life of fulfillment and joy without fear of facing hate. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1201-5 | null | 4,090 |
formal | safeguard | null | transphobic | Nomination of C.S. Eliot Kang Mr. President, finally, there is a danger that Putin will unleash a chemical weapons attack against Ukraine. The Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation has a crucial role to play here, not just to prevent the spread of chemical weapons but to help safeguard all nuclear materials and facilities in Ukraine. To do this, the nominee to be Assistant Secretary for that Bureau--International Security and Nonproliferation--Dr. Eliot Kang, would work with the Ukrainian Government, our allies, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. But because of Republican delays, he has not yet been confirmed, despite the fact that he was nominated 328 days ago--328 days ago. Think about that. That was almost a year ago, and he has not yet been confirmed. Because we cannot wait, because the people of Ukraine cannot wait, I rise to seek unanimous consent for the confirmation of these four nominees. Each of them moved through the Foreign Relations Committee with bipartisan support. There is no reason for Republicans to block their confirmation. The situation in Ukraine is dire, and our national security demands it. Because of that, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 462, 783, and 784; that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening action or debate; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1208 | null | 4,091 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, I am pleased to acknowledge the confirmation of Shalanda Young to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget with a bipartisan vote of 61 to 36. Director Young has a depth of experience that cannot be matched to lead the Office of Management and Budget. A staff member on the House Appropriations Committee for 15 years--serving 4 of these years as the committee's staff director--Director Young has years of experience in crafting the budgets of the Federal agencies that the American people rely on. In 2019, Director Young was one of the few staff present in the room while then Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, and I negotiated the end to the longest Federal Government shutdown in U.S. history. Her knowledge of Federal programs, understanding of the political process, and years of critical insight into the operations of the federal government were invaluable in our negotiations to reach a deal. I was glad to strongly support Director Young's nomination to be Deputy Director of OMB. After she was confirmed to that position, she began to serve as its Acting Director. It was in this role that she guided the Biden administration's budget priorities through the COVID pandemic, devastating natural disasters, a long sought after bipartisan infrastructure law, and now the response to President Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. As if she did not have enough on her plate, on October 31, 2021, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Charlie. If juggling all of that did not prove she is more than qualified for the job, I am not sure what would. As the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I look forward to working with her and her team at OMB on the fiscal year 2023 appropriations process. Director Young understands how to work across the aisle to get a deal done. I cannot think of someone I would rather work with in putting the appropriations process to work on behalf of the American people. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. LEAHY | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1220-3 | null | 4,092 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have long been a supporter of the EB-5 program, which has been a significant economic driver in Texas. This merit-based immigration program has created thousands of American jobs and brought billions of dollars in investment to urban and rural areas across Texas and the U.S. While it was unfortunate that the authorization for the EB-5 Regional Center program was allowed to lapse on June 30, 2021, I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues, Senators Chuck Grassley and Patrick Leahy, on the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, which was included as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act reauthorizes the regional center program through September 30, 2027, and implements meaningful reforms and integrity measures that will ensure the viability and security of the program for the coming years. This legislation provides the first multiyear authorization for the regional center program since 2015, so that regional centers, which have been in limbo for nearly 9 months, will have much-needed stability going forward. There is also a 60-day implementation period to allow USCIS to begin processing EB-5 petitions and applications that have been on hold since the lapse. Following that initial period, existing regional centers will be able to immediately get back to work driving investment into the U.S. and facilitating the creation of jobs across the country. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1220-5 | null | 4,093 |
formal | urban | null | racist | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have long been a supporter of the EB-5 program, which has been a significant economic driver in Texas. This merit-based immigration program has created thousands of American jobs and brought billions of dollars in investment to urban and rural areas across Texas and the U.S. While it was unfortunate that the authorization for the EB-5 Regional Center program was allowed to lapse on June 30, 2021, I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues, Senators Chuck Grassley and Patrick Leahy, on the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, which was included as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act reauthorizes the regional center program through September 30, 2027, and implements meaningful reforms and integrity measures that will ensure the viability and security of the program for the coming years. This legislation provides the first multiyear authorization for the regional center program since 2015, so that regional centers, which have been in limbo for nearly 9 months, will have much-needed stability going forward. There is also a 60-day implementation period to allow USCIS to begin processing EB-5 petitions and applications that have been on hold since the lapse. Following that initial period, existing regional centers will be able to immediately get back to work driving investment into the U.S. and facilitating the creation of jobs across the country. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1220-5 | null | 4,094 |
formal | merit-based immigration | null | xenophobic | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have long been a supporter of the EB-5 program, which has been a significant economic driver in Texas. This merit-based immigration program has created thousands of American jobs and brought billions of dollars in investment to urban and rural areas across Texas and the U.S. While it was unfortunate that the authorization for the EB-5 Regional Center program was allowed to lapse on June 30, 2021, I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues, Senators Chuck Grassley and Patrick Leahy, on the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act, which was included as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act reauthorizes the regional center program through September 30, 2027, and implements meaningful reforms and integrity measures that will ensure the viability and security of the program for the coming years. This legislation provides the first multiyear authorization for the regional center program since 2015, so that regional centers, which have been in limbo for nearly 9 months, will have much-needed stability going forward. There is also a 60-day implementation period to allow USCIS to begin processing EB-5 petitions and applications that have been on hold since the lapse. Following that initial period, existing regional centers will be able to immediately get back to work driving investment into the U.S. and facilitating the creation of jobs across the country. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1220-5 | null | 4,095 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to bring attention to the need to support the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia's invasion. Over the weekend, I took part in a Senate delegation to Poland alongside my colleagues Senator Rob Portman, Senator Richard Blumenthal, and Senator Roger Wicker. We met with Ukrainian refugees--women, children, grandparents--some who were carrying their whole lives on their backs. Three weeks ago, Ukrainians were thinking about their jobs, their plans, and their dreams. Now, so much of that is in shambles. Women have been figuring out how to get their older parents and young children to safety across the border while their brothers and husbands take up arms. The most heartbreaking conversations I had were with children who didn't know if they had a future. Seeing the cost of this invasion up close has only strengthened my resolve to stand with Ukraine, both with humanitarian aid for refugees and military support. With advanced weapons from the United States and allies, Ukraine's Territorial Defense has been more effective in stifling Russia's invasion than most imagined. Vladimir Putin thought he would be greeted with rose petals--instead it was Molotov cocktails. And 21 days later, Kyiv still stands. I was proud to join the bipartisan Senate majority in allocating $13.6 billion for aid to Ukraine, but more support is needed. Over the past few weeks, Russian aircraft have been behind brutal assaults on residential neighborhoods, religious institutions, and hospitals in Ukraine. Ukraine needs more air defense support. Drones, Stingers, and Javelins have proven to be highly effective in taking down Russian aircraft and tanks, so we must continue to provide that critical weaponry and more. In the face of this devastation, Poland has shown that it is a country with a big heart, taking in more than 1.7 million Ukrainian refugees. For perspective, Poland is a country of 38 million. Since they have opened their doors, the country's population has grown by over 4 percent. In Warsaw alone, the population has increased by 11 percent. Poles are meeting refugees at the border and welcoming them into their communities--even into their own homes. The Polish people don't have to imagine what it is like to live through a full-scale invasion. Their history is marked by invasions by Prussia, the Habsburgs, the Nazis, and yes, Russia. Poland is also well aware of its 332-mile border with Ukraine. Last week, Russian missiles struck 15 miles from Poland's border. The Polish border guards I spoke with said they could literally feel the earth shake. As Putin's war inches westward, we must affirm our commitment to our NATO ally from a military and humanitarian standpoint. During our trip, Senator Portman, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Wicker, and I had the honor of meeting with the 82nd Airborne. They briefed us on everything that is being done to help Ukrainian refugees, as well as fighters on the front lines. I also met with Minnesota troops, and I was inspired by their character and determination. It was clear that they understood the patriotic value of their service. I pray for their safety as they continue their mission in the region. Across the Atlantic in Ukraine, we are all seeing how precious democracy truly is. Putin has shown his true colors. But you know what else? The people of Ukraine have shown their true colors--in bright blue and yellow--they are showing the world what true courage is all about. We must continue to stand with them in their fight. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. KLOBUCHAR | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1222-3 | null | 4,096 |
formal | Federal Reserve | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-3406. A communication from the Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the drug-free workplace plans of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR); to the Committees on Appropriations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Foreign Relations. EC-3407. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 13664 with respect to South Sudan; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3408. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 544) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3409. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 590) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3410. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Appraisals for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans Exemption Threshold'' ((RIN7100-AG21) (Docket No. R-1758)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3411. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Consumer Leasing (Regulation M)'' ((RIN7100-AG19) (Docket No. R-1756)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 6, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3412. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Truth in Lending (Regulation Z)'' ((RIN7100-AG20) (Docket No. R-1757)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3413. A communication from the Acting Chief of the Branch of Delisting and Foreign Species, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of Stephens' Kangaroo Rat From Endangered to Threatened With a Section 4(d) Rule'' (RIN1018-BE64) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3414. A communication from the Director of Congressional Affairs, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Regulatory Guide (RG) 2.8 Rev 0, Guidance for Implementation of 10 CFR 50.59, 'Changes, Tests, and Experiments,' At Non-Power Production or Utilization Facilities'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3415. A communication from the Chief of the Division of Bird Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Migratory Bird Permits; Administrative Updates to 50 CFR Parts 21 and 22'' (RIN1018-BF59) received on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3416. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Connecticut; Regulations to Limit Premises-Wide Actual and Potential Emissions from Major Stationary Sources of Air Pollution'' (FRL No. 9530-01-R1) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3417. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Oregon: Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions'' (FRL No. 8853-02-R10) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3418. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; New Hampshire; Conformity'' (FRL No. 9487-02-R1) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3419. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Stationary Combustion Turbines; Amendments'' ((RIN2060-AV03) (FRL No. 5909.1-02-OAR)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3420. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Regulation of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals Under TSCA Section 6(h); Phenol, Isopropylated Phosphate (3:1); Further Compliance Date Extension'' (FRL No. 6015.6-02-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3421. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Approval of Arizona Air Plan Revisions, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Maricopa County Air Quality Department'' (FRL No. 9572-01-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3422. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Georgia; Atlanta Area Emissions Inventory and Emissions Statements Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard'' (FRL No. 9274-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3423. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; New Mexico; Clean Air Act Requirements for Emissions Inventory and Emissions Statement for Nonattainment Area for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards'' (FRL No. 8989-02-R6) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3424. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Kentucky; Jefferson County Emissions Statements Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard Nonattainment Area'' (FRL No. 9398-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3425. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Removal of Transportation Facilities Rules for Mecklenburg County'' (FRL No. 9175-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3426. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; California; Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin'' (FRL No. 9386-01-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3427. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Missouri; Redesignation Request and Associated Maintenance Plan for the Jackson County 2010 SO2 1-Hour NAAQS Nonattainment Area'' (FRL No. 9105-02-R7) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3428. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Finding of Failure to Attain the 2008 Lead and 2010 Sulfur Dioxide Standards; Arizona; Hayden and Miami Nonattainment Areas'' (FRL No. 8726-02-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1223-3 | null | 4,097 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-3406. A communication from the Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the drug-free workplace plans of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR); to the Committees on Appropriations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Foreign Relations. EC-3407. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 13664 with respect to South Sudan; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3408. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 544) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3409. A communication from the Sanctions Regulations Advisor, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations'' (31 CFR Part 590) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3410. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Appraisals for Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans Exemption Threshold'' ((RIN7100-AG21) (Docket No. R-1758)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3411. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Consumer Leasing (Regulation M)'' ((RIN7100-AG19) (Docket No. R-1756)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 6, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3412. A communication from the Congressional Assistant, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, transmitting, pursuant to law , the report of a rule entitled ``Truth in Lending (Regulation Z)'' ((RIN7100-AG20) (Docket No. R-1757)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-3413. A communication from the Acting Chief of the Branch of Delisting and Foreign Species, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of Stephens' Kangaroo Rat From Endangered to Threatened With a Section 4(d) Rule'' (RIN1018-BE64) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3414. A communication from the Director of Congressional Affairs, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Regulatory Guide (RG) 2.8 Rev 0, Guidance for Implementation of 10 CFR 50.59, 'Changes, Tests, and Experiments,' At Non-Power Production or Utilization Facilities'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3415. A communication from the Chief of the Division of Bird Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Migratory Bird Permits; Administrative Updates to 50 CFR Parts 21 and 22'' (RIN1018-BF59) received on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3416. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Connecticut; Regulations to Limit Premises-Wide Actual and Potential Emissions from Major Stationary Sources of Air Pollution'' (FRL No. 9530-01-R1) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3417. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Oregon: Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions'' (FRL No. 8853-02-R10) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3418. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; New Hampshire; Conformity'' (FRL No. 9487-02-R1) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 9, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3419. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Stationary Combustion Turbines; Amendments'' ((RIN2060-AV03) (FRL No. 5909.1-02-OAR)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3420. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Regulation of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals Under TSCA Section 6(h); Phenol, Isopropylated Phosphate (3:1); Further Compliance Date Extension'' (FRL No. 6015.6-02-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3421. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Approval of Arizona Air Plan Revisions, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Maricopa County Air Quality Department'' (FRL No. 9572-01-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3422. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Georgia; Atlanta Area Emissions Inventory and Emissions Statements Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard'' (FRL No. 9274-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3423. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; New Mexico; Clean Air Act Requirements for Emissions Inventory and Emissions Statement for Nonattainment Area for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards'' (FRL No. 8989-02-R6) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3424. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Kentucky; Jefferson County Emissions Statements Requirements for the 2015 8-Hour Ozone Standard Nonattainment Area'' (FRL No. 9398-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3425. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; North Carolina; Removal of Transportation Facilities Rules for Mecklenburg County'' (FRL No. 9175-02-R4) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3426. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; California; Los Angeles-South Coast Air Basin'' (FRL No. 9386-01-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3427. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Air Plan Approval; Missouri; Redesignation Request and Associated Maintenance Plan for the Jackson County 2010 SO2 1-Hour NAAQS Nonattainment Area'' (FRL No. 9105-02-R7) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. EC-3428. A communication from the Acting Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Finding of Failure to Attain the 2008 Lead and 2010 Sulfur Dioxide Standards; Arizona; Hayden and Miami Nonattainment Areas'' (FRL No. 8726-02-R9) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on March 8, 2022; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1223-3 | null | 4,098 |
formal | Volodymyr Zelensky | null | antisemitic | Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Romney, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Lankford) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations: S. Res. 549 Whereas the people of Ukraine have shown great resolve in combating the blind aggression of the Russian Federation following the further invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022; Whereas the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to assault the people of Ukraine through indiscriminate aerial attacks; Whereas the United States Department of Defense has stated that the Russian Federation flies ``on average 200 sorties per day'' in their campaign against Ukraine; Whereas Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has continued to request that members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other countries around the globe support the transfer of military aircraft and air defense systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to protect the people of Ukraine; Whereas the MiG-29 is the main fixed-wing aircraft in the inventory of the Ukrainian Air Force, and it is critical that the Ukrainian Air Force receive aircraft that mirror the capability and operating standard of the MiG-29; Whereas additional MiG-29s are essential for the Ukrainian Air Force to remain capable of contesting aircraft of the Russian Federation; Whereas, on March 5, 2022, it was reported that the Government of Poland would transfer MiG-29s to Ukraine in exchange for aircraft from the United States; Whereas, on March 6, 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the transfer of Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine ``gets a green light [and that] we're talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to backfill their needs. . .''; Whereas, on March 8, 2022, the Government of Poland stated that Poland would ``deploy--immediately and free of charge-- all of their M[i]G-29 jets. . .and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States'' and further stated that ``other NATO Allies--owners of M[i]G-29 jets--[should] act in the same vein''; Whereas, on March 9, 2022, the Pentagon stated that the United States does ``not support the transfer of additional fighter aircraft to the Ukrainian Air Force at this time, and therefore have no desire to see them in our custody, either'' and further stated that ``the transfer of combat aircraft right now could be mistaken, by Mr. Putin and the Russians as an escalatory step''; Whereas a failure to provide aircraft, such as MiG-29s, and air defense systems to the Armed Forces of Ukraine would embolden the Russian Federation and further endanger the people of Ukraine; Whereas the Biden Administration should support the transfer of aircraft, such as MiG-29s, and air defense systems, including Stinger missiles and more advanced surface-to-air missile systems, to Ukraine; and Whereas Congress urges the Biden Administration to meet the air defense needs requested by President Zelensky, including the transfer of aircraft, such as MiG-29s, and other air defense systems: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) encourages the President of the United States to support the transfer of aircraft, such as MiG-29s, and air defense systems to Ukraine; (2) supports continued efforts by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other countries around the globe to identify additional aviation and air defense capabilities to transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and (3) stands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine in their struggle against Russian aggression. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2022-03-16-pt1-PgS1227 | null | 4,099 |
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