Susan Collins

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Ms. COLLINS. I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 377.

Ms. COLLINS. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 389, submitted earlier today.

Ms. COLLINS. I know of no further debate on the measure.

Ms. COLLINS. I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 390, submitted earlier today.

Ms. COLLINS. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, October 31; further, that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 3055, under the previous order.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the provisions of S. Res. 390 as further mark of respect for the late Kay Hagan, former Senator from the State of North Carolina.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I am delighted that the Senate is taking up four very important appropriations bills, one of them I discussed at length last week; that is, the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill, which I authored along with my ranking member, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. In forging that bill, we gathered information from 75 of our fellow Senators, who had 950 requests. We went through each of the requests very carefully, and we have built a bill that is truly bipartisan, that reflects the priorities of this body, and that I trust will be approved as part of this package later this week. I also want to take the opportunity today, as I am managing the four bills in the unavoidable absence of the full committee chairman, Senator Shelby, to talk about some of the other appropriations bills that have been brought before us. As the Presiding Officer is well aware, the Appropriations Committee is a committee that makes a real effort to work together to put aside petty partisanship and, instead, listen to one another and work for the common good. We make an extraordinary effort to find common ground. How I wish that could be done throughout Washington today. But the Appropriations Committee remains a bastion of common sense, of collegiality, and of working together to seek common ground. That is why we have had such success in reporting so many of the appropriations bills, and I am very proud that the T-HUD bill, as we call the transportation and housing bill, was one of those that was reported unanimously by a vote of 31 to 0. For the next few moments, I would like to talk about another bill that had unanimous support on the committee, and that is the CJS appropriations bill--Commerce, Justice, and Science. Let me begin by acknowledging the hard work of the chairman, Senator Moran, and the ranking member, Senator Shaheen, for their work in balancing the many priorities that are included in this bill. Once again, we saw the chairman and the ranking member working together as a team in a bipartisan--indeed, a nonpartisan--way in order to find common ground. I would like to comment on a few of the provisions of the bill that I think are particularly important. First, I am encouraged that the bill continues to provide strong support for the National Sea Grant College Program, despite the administration's desire to eliminate this program. The committee actually provided an increase of $7 million over last year's funding level. The University of Maine Sea Grant Program is a national leader in ocean research and, as you know, is very important to the Presiding Officer from Florida as well. (Mr. SCOTT of Florida assumed the Chair.) Within the sea grant program, there is $2 million for critical lobster research, building on the $2 million that was included last year. The sea grant program recently announced seven research awards supported by this funding, four of which were awarded to Maine entities in recognition of their extraordinary expertise and research. These investments will help us to better understand how the lobster stock is reacting to changing environmental conditions and ensure that this iconic industry--indeed, one of the very symbols of the State of Maine--continues to thrive. The problem is that we are seeing increasing warming of the Gulf of Maine. In fact, it is warming the second fastest of any body of water in the world. That has brought new kinds of sea life; for example, there is an invasive green crab that has never existed in Maine waters. So we are watching the impact very carefully, particularly on our lobster industry. I am also glad that the bill prioritizes the development of technologies to better track the right whale population. The number of right whales is problematic. While it is not as low as it was a few years ago, it is still troublesome that the population continues to be under stress. NOAA Fisheries has targeted the Maine lobster industry with potentially very onerous right whale regulations, despite the government's inability to adequately monitor the movement of these right whales. We must better understand where the right whales are and where they are not. This, too, is important in terms of our warming waters. The major food supply for the right whales has moved to the north toward Canada, and that is why the entanglements we have seen--which we all deplore--have involved Canadian gear. I think that is very important to recognize. There have also been some Canadian ship strikes. Our lobster men and women have been such careful stewards of the resource, and that has been true for generations. Lobstering is often a family business, passed on from generation to generation. The lobster men and women of Maine care deeply about our lobster stocks and about ensuring that lobsters are there for generations to come. They have been extraordinary conservationists. They invented the V-notching of lobsters, the sizing to make sure that lobsters that are big and breeders are tossed overboard or those that are too small are returned to the water. Unfortunately, our Canadian counterparts often do not follow those same cooperative conservation measures, and there is an area off the coast of Maine that is known as the gray zone, where it is in dispute whose waters--whether it is the United States or Canada's-- the gray zone is. We will find American and Canadian lobstermen, both in that area or close by, with our lobster men and women following strict conservation methods, such as throwing back the lobsters that are too small or the big breeder lobsters, only to see their Canadian counterparts keep those lobsters and, in some cases, they are undoubtedly the very lobsters that have been thrown back into the sea by our lobster men and women. So those conflicting conservation measures between American and Canadian fisheries have caused Mainers to grow increasingly concerned that their Canadian counterparts are threatening the sustainability of critical fishing stocks, as well as that fragile right whale population. The bill that has been reported by the Appropriations Committee encourages NOAA to work cooperatively with State, national, and Canadian fishery officials on these important issues. I also want to express my thanks to the subcommittee for rejecting the President's proposed elimination of the Economic Development Administration, known as the EDA, and instead providing a reasonable increase. The investments made through the EDA provide vital financial support for rural Mainers to boost economic growth and create more jobs. It has been an essential partner with States, with local governments, and with the private sector in boosting areas of Maine's economy. The bill also focuses attention on an issue that I know the Presiding Officer is very aware of because of his membership on the Aging Committee, which I am privileged to chair, and that is the serious problem of financial fraud directed at our seniors. The GAO, a few years ago, estimated that our seniors lose nearly $3 billion a year to financial fraud. I think that is just the tip of the iceberg because many seniors are too embarrassed to report the fraud they have suffered. It is important. It is vital that the Justice Department continue to fight financial fraud. I am delighted that the former Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, implemented my recommendation that every U.S. attorney's office should have designated a financial fraud attorney who can bring cases and help to protect our seniors. We need to aggressively prosecute illegal robocallers and increase efforts to collect unpaid fines and penalties imposed on them by Federal agencies. It is only our national efforts that can go after a call center that is located in India, for example, as some of them have been. While to the Justice Department, the individual amounts may seem small, they are devastating to a senior who has worked hard to save money for their retirement years. In addition, when you aggregate all those losses, they result in literally billions of dollars. The bill also provides increased investments to law enforcement at all levels--partnerships that are especially critical to preventing the heroin and opioid epidemic that plagues my State of Maine and many others. Naming just a few, the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program and the Drug and Veterans Treatment Courts are essential to the multifaceted approach it will take to stem this epidemic. I appreciate that the subcommittee has once again rejected cuts to the COPS Anti-Heroin Task Force, a program that has helped Maine's Drug Enforcement Agency target illegal opioid sales. I want to finally highlight the increased funding for the Byrne-JAG and COPS hiring programs, and for the Regional Information Sharing Systems known as RISS. Many of Maine sheriffs have come and talked to me about the importance of the RISS Program. It supports a cooperative effort of information sharing to fight crimes at all levels and has been particularly useful to Maine's rural counties. There are also important investments supporting the FIRST STEP Act, which we passed late last year. It will help implement the goals of the new law, particularly with respect to rehabilitative programs at the Bureau of Prisons. We need to make sure those who are being released from our jails and prisons have the skills and tools they need to pursue a lawful life and not resort to their previous habits that landed them in jail. That is why the educational and job training programs we have in Maine and elsewhere are so important and will be expanded by this bill. Those are just a few of the terrific provisions that are in the CJS appropriations bill. Again, I commend the chairman, the ranking member, and the entire Appropriations Committee for their hard work.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that rather than recessing at 12:30 p.m., we recess at 12:35 p.m.

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I want to associate myself with the comments that were just made by the Senator from Texas on the important issue of lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Not only the Finance Committee and the Judiciary Committee but also the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee have all reported good bills that would help provide relief from the ever-escalating costs of prescription drugs. Like the Senator from Texas, I, too, have introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Tim Kaine to prevent the gaming of the patent system in which a brand-name pharmaceutical company will wait until the last moment and then erect a thicket of new patents precisely to prevent a lower cost generic or biosimilar from coming to the market. It is a shame that apparently the minority leader is blocking bills from coming to the floor in this area despite their widespread bipartisan support, according to what the Senator from Texas has just said. This is an issue we should address. Ninety percent of our seniors take at least 1 prescription drug, and 36 percent of them take 4 or more in a month's time, and they are particularly burdened by the high cost of prescription drugs. I, too, have looked at the manufacture of HUMIRA, the best-selling drug in the world--a drug that brings some $18 billion in profit to AbbVie, the manufacturer. That is fine that AbbVie has been able to recoup the considerable R&D that went into what truly is a miraculous drug for people with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and some inflammatory bowel diseases, but when the patent period has expired, they should not be allowed to block a lower cost generic or in this case biosimilar from coming to the market. Yet that is exactly what has happened. Aviation Safety Mr. President, let me turn to speak on another important issue that is addressed in the Transportation appropriations bill that is on the Senate floor right now, and that is aviation safety. I know the Presiding Officer has done a great deal in this area, and the CEO of Boeing is testifying on Capitol Hill today. The importance of aviation safety in light of the crashes of the two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft cannot be overstated. Last October, Lion Airlines Flight 610 crashed shortly after takeoff in Indonesia, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board. Just 5 months later, in March of this year, an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed and killed 157 passengers and crew. It is simply unacceptable that both of these crashes involved the same aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX, and were likely caused because of the new system known as MCAS, as well as the pilots' unfamiliarity with the system and a lack of training. More egregious was the fact that the changes that were made to MCAS sectors certification for this system had already been delegated by the FAA to Boeing. It is clear that Boeing did everything it could to avoid having to provide additional training or make pilots even aware of the MCAS system. Like the Presiding Officer, I have met with some of the families of the victims of these crashes, and their pain and grief are truly heartbreaking. I am committed to ensuring that we never experience anything like this ever again. As chairman of the T-HUD Subcommittee, I have been working with my ranking member, Senator Jack Reed, to do our part in improving aviation safety. We need to hold accountable not only Boeing but also the FAA and any other entities that may have played a role in these crashes. In July, our T-HUD Subcommittee held an oversight hearing of the FAA where we questioned the Acting Deputy Administrator and the Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety on the agency's review of the MAX aircraft, as well as the agency's aircraft certification processes. Since that time, numerous recommendations have been issued by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Joint Authorities Technical Review, which consisted of technical experts from leading international aviation regulators. First and foremost, it is imperative that both Boeing and the FAA admit the mistakes made with the MAX aircraft and remedy those serious errors in order to gain the public's trust in the aircraft again. Just today, Boeing's CEO testified before Congress and admitted that Boeing ``made mistakes and got some things wrong.'' However, we have yet to hear what specific changes the FAA will require from Boeing prior to bringing the MAX back into service and what long-term changes they will make to their aviation and aircraft certification process. Ranking Member Jack Reed and I continue to send letters and inquiries to the FAA for additional information regarding the agency's Organization Designation Authorization Program, or the ODA Program, as well as statements made by FAA officials at our July hearing, which appeared to be incomplete at best and possibly outright wrong. We need to make sure the FAA is a check on the delegation process--a true check--and is not captured by the industry that it regulates. Safety has to be the No. 1 priority for FAA--way ahead of making sure that manufacturers can meet their deadlines for aircraft delivery. Safety has to come first. As a result of the work we conducted on our T-HUD Subcommittee and our oversight hearing, Ranking Member Reed and I have provided increased funding for aviation safety and aircraft certification activities. The need for additional staffing has been confirmed by the Joint Authorities Technical Review report, which determined that FAA's certification office for Boeing had inadequate staff involved in the MAX certification program. In addition, the Joint Authorities found that FAA needs to expand its staffing for human factors and human system integration work as it relates to aircraft certification. In other words, if there is a new system, we cannot allow training on that system to be bypassed and mention of that system to not be included in the manuals that accompany the aircraft. Pilots have to know, going into that cockpit, exactly what could happen, and they need training on simulators. Clearly, a lot of work needs to be done on this issue. I believe we have taken some important first steps in the T-HUD bill that is before us. I yield the floor.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleague from Minnesota, Senator Tina Smith, to help prevent drug shortages. Our legislation has the support of the American Hospital Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Health- Systems Pharmacists, Premier, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. I often hear from patients, pharmacists, and physicians who find themselves caught in the middle of a drug shortage, with very little certainty of when the problem might be resolved. For example, Wayne is a kidney and bladder cancer patient who called my Portland office about a shortage of BCG. Wayne received several treatments, went into remission, and then was declined additional preventive treatments that his doctor recommended due to this shortage. Wayne sees his physician every 90 days, but he lives with the constant fear that his bladder cancer could return, and the time and uncertainty between his appointments weigh heavily on him. I have also heard from patients living with a rare immunological disorder called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome who were affected by an IV Benadryl--diphenhydramine--shortage, as well as an Epi-pen shortage. One of these patients, a former nurse, spoke about the helplessness her family felt in trying to manage the shortage and was incredulous that shortages like these could be happening in a country like ours. She said, ``I am an in-charge kind of person, but I cannot fix this.'' Physicians and hospitals try their best to manage these shortages behind the scenes but are understandably frustrated. Drug shortages add $230 million a year to U.S. drug costs and $216 million a year in increased labor costs. One of Maine's largest health systems reports that they address approximately two new impactful shortages a week and have had to commit 3.5 unbudgeted full time employees to address them. Another health system was experiencing 11 critical shortages and 30 less critical, ongoing shortages. For one drug, the hospital pharmacist was able to procure a supply of the drug in shortage but had to switch to a more expensive product at ten times the cost. Our legislation, the Mitigating Emergency Drug Shortages Act of 2019, takes several steps to help FDA manage drug shortages. In the event of a likely drug shortage, our legislation gives FDA the authority to prioritize review of abbreviated new drug applications and manufacturing inspections. It also improves the timely and effective coordination between those conducting manufacturing inspections and the FDA Office of Drug Shortages. Our bill strengthens reporting requirements for pharmaceutical companies to disclose the root causes and expected duration of shortages. It also requires manufacturers to have contingency and redundancy plans to ensure the ongoing supply of essential medications. This is critical as we learn the lessons from Hurricane Maria in 2017 in Puerto Rico. Approximately 10 percent of drugs prescribed in the United States are manufactured in Puerto Rico. Our bill also requires the Departments of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a risk assessment of national security threats associated with the lack of adequate domestic capacity and capability for the manufacturing and distribution of certain critical drugs, their active pharmaceutical ingredients--APIs-- and associated medical devices used for preparation or administration. Today, China and India are the world's largest suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Finally, our legislation requires the Secretary to develop recommendations to incentivize manufacturers to enter the market for shortages as well as improve consumer notification of drug shortages. I thank Senator Smith for joining me in this effort to help combat this stubborn and persistent problem for patients and physicians. I encourage my colleagues to support its adoption. Thank you,

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleague from Minnesota, Senator Tina Smith, to help prevent drug shortages. Our legislation has the support of the American Hospital Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of Health- Systems Pharmacists, Premier, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices. I often hear from patients, pharmacists, and physicians who find themselves caught in the middle of a drug shortage, with very little certainty of when the problem might be resolved. For example, Wayne is a kidney and bladder cancer patient who called my Portland office about a shortage of BCG. Wayne received several treatments, went into remission, and then was declined additional preventive treatments that his doctor recommended due to this shortage. Wayne sees his physician every 90 days, but he lives with the constant fear that his bladder cancer could return, and the time and uncertainty between his appointments weigh heavily on him. I have also heard from patients living with a rare immunological disorder called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome who were affected by an IV Benadryl--diphenhydramine--shortage, as well as an Epi-pen shortage. One of these patients, a former nurse, spoke about the helplessness her family felt in trying to manage the shortage and was incredulous that shortages like these could be happening in a country like ours. She said, ``I am an in-charge kind of person, but I cannot fix this.'' Physicians and hospitals try their best to manage these shortages behind the scenes but are understandably frustrated. Drug shortages add $230 million a year to U.S. drug costs and $216 million a year in increased labor costs. One of Maine's largest health systems reports that they address approximately two new impactful shortages a week and have had to commit 3.5 unbudgeted full time employees to address them. Another health system was experiencing 11 critical shortages and 30 less critical, ongoing shortages. For one drug, the hospital pharmacist was able to procure a supply of the drug in shortage but had to switch to a more expensive product at ten times the cost. Our legislation, the Mitigating Emergency Drug Shortages Act of 2019, takes several steps to help FDA manage drug shortages. In the event of a likely drug shortage, our legislation gives FDA the authority to prioritize review of abbreviated new drug applications and manufacturing inspections. It also improves the timely and effective coordination between those conducting manufacturing inspections and the FDA Office of Drug Shortages. Our bill strengthens reporting requirements for pharmaceutical companies to disclose the root causes and expected duration of shortages. It also requires manufacturers to have contingency and redundancy plans to ensure the ongoing supply of essential medications. This is critical as we learn the lessons from Hurricane Maria in 2017 in Puerto Rico. Approximately 10 percent of drugs prescribed in the United States are manufactured in Puerto Rico. Our bill also requires the Departments of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security to conduct a risk assessment of national security threats associated with the lack of adequate domestic capacity and capability for the manufacturing and distribution of certain critical drugs, their active pharmaceutical ingredients--APIs-- and associated medical devices used for preparation or administration. Today, China and India are the world's largest suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Finally, our legislation requires the Secretary to develop recommendations to incentivize manufacturers to enter the market for shortages as well as improve consumer notification of drug shortages. I thank Senator Smith for joining me in this effort to help combat this stubborn and persistent problem for patients and physicians. I encourage my colleagues to support its adoption. Thank you,

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I am pleased that the Senate is beginning debate on the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies. This bill has been included in the appropriations package that has just now been brought before this Chamber. Let me begin my remarks by thanking Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy for their bipartisan leadership in advancing these appropriations bills to the Senate floor. Given that we have reached a 2-year, bicameral, bipartisan budget agreement in August and the new fiscal year began on October 1, it is imperative for the Senate to move these bills quickly and to go to conference with the House in order to avoid further continuing resolutions or, even worse, a government shutdown. I also want to acknowledge the hard work and strong commitment of my friend and colleague, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking member of the T-HUD Subcommittee. We have worked so closely together in drafting this bill, which includes more than 950 requests from 75 Senators. Let me repeat that. We received 950 requests from three-quarters of our colleagues for ideas for this bill, for funding levels, and in support of certain programs. We evaluated all of them very carefully and accommodated as many as we could. The T-HUD bill passed the full Appropriations Committee by a unanimous vote of 31 to 0. It reflects a truly bipartisan product. The allocation for the fiscal year 2020 transportation-housing appropriations bill is $74.3 billion. That is $3.2 billion above the current funding levels. This additional funding is necessary because of rising rental costs across the country and a reduction in the receipts from the Federal Housing Administration that are used to offset some of the spending in this bill. In spite of these considerable funding challenges, our bill not only fully funds the renewal of housing assistance for low-income seniors and other vulnerable populations, but it also continues to provide robust investments in our infrastructure. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for the highly effective and popular BUILD grant program. The BUILD program helps fund critical infrastructure projects that promote economic development and the creation of jobs. I am proud to say that Maine has won a BUILD grant every year of this program, including a critical $25 million grant to replace the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge that is critical to the operations of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME. Particularly important to States like Maine, the bill also provides much needed highway resources. While only 19 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, 46 percent of traffic fatalities occur in rural America. That is because the roads and the bridges in the rural parts of our country are frequently in much poorer condition than those in urban areas. Building on the success of the rural bridge rehabilitation program over the last 2 years, our bill provides $1.25 billion in dedicated funding for bridges that are deteriorating and nearing the end or have reached the end of their useful life. The bill fully funds the INFRA grant program, which provides resources for large-scale freight projects through a competitive grant process. In fiscal year 2019, I was pleased to advocate for the Maine Department of Transportation's successful application to replace the Madawaska international bridge in Northern Maine. This project will help to replace a critical corridor and connector between Madawaska and New Brunswick on the Canadian side of the border. This is so important to the economy of Northern Maine and supports more than 5,800 direct and indirect jobs. Right now, that bridge has been posted. That means that heavy trucks are unable to cross in the most effective and shortest route between Edmonton, New Brunswick, and Madawaska, ME. These critical programs support not only much needed infrastructure projects but also jobs and economic growth in each and every one of our home States. The American Society of Civil Engineers conducts a comprehensive assessment of our Nation's infrastructure every 4 years. Its most recent report card from 2017 shows that America's infrastructure remains in poor condition, with a grade of D-plus. That should be a call to action to all of us. It is simply unacceptable. It not only creates safety problems, it also impedes economic development. One in eleven of our Nation's bridges is rated as structurally deficient, and the average age of our country's more than 600,000 bridges is 43 years old. Our National Highway System contains infrastructure that is now well past its useful life. Some bridges are more than 100 years old, and many have had to be posted and are unable to accommodate today's traffic volumes. Without the critical funding in the T-HUD bill dedicated to bridges, as well as the BUILD grant program, we simply will not be able to make progress to improve our Nation's infrastructure. Let me now turn to aviation. The bill provides $17.7 billion in resources for the Federal Aviation Administration--the FAA--which allows us to fully fund air traffic control personnel, including more than 14,000 air traffic controllers, and more than 25,000 engineers, maintenance technicians, safety inspectors, and operational support staff. Given the significant challenges the FAA faces in aviation safety, particularly as has become evident with the certification of the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft, the bill increases funding for aviation safety and aircraft certification activities and requires the FAA to respond to each and every one of the recommendations made by the inspector general and the National Transportation Safety Board once their audits and reviews are completed. In addition, it requires the FAA to move forward with a rulemaking on safety management systems for aircraft manufacturers and to assess its own internal workforce. The bill also provides $1.2 billion for FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System's programs--also known as NextGen--to improve the efficiency and safety of the national airspace. This funding is critical for reducing delays and addressing congestion at some of our Nation's busiest airports. Of particular importance to rural communities, the bill fully funds the Contract Tower Program and the Essential Air Service Program. In addition, the bill provides $450 million for the Airport Improvement Program in keeping with the authorized level. This supplemental AIP funding has been extremely helpful for small airports in Maine that otherwise would not be able to complete runway extension projects that are vital for air ambulances. Turning to maritime programs, our legislation provides full funding for our Nation's State maritime academies, as well as the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, all of which play critical roles in training the next generation of U.S. mariners. The bill provides $300 million for the third special purpose vessel to be used as a training school ship for the State maritime academies. In accordance with the guidance provided 3 years ago by MARAD, new training ships will replace existing aging training ships in the order in which those ships are expected to reach the end of their useful lives. Over the past 2 years, we have funded replacement ships for the New York State Maritime Academy and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Funding in this bill will replace the aging vessel at the Maine Maritime Academy, which was next on the list. These new ships provide training capacity for all six State maritime academies and ensure that cadets receive the training hours they need to graduate and join the workforce in the Merchant Marine, the Navy, and the Coast Guard. In the area of housing, our priority is to ensure that our Nation's most vulnerable do not lose their housing assistance and become homeless; therefore, the bill provides necessary funding increases to cover the higher costs of rental assistance for the most vulnerable among us, including disabled citizens and our low-income seniors. Senator Reed and I share a strong commitment to reducing and ending homelessness and have included $2.8 billion for homeless assistance grants. To help our homeless youth and underserved population, we provide $80 million for grants. Many Members share my concern that young people are aging out of the foster care system and have nowhere safe to go. Far too frequently, they end up couch-surfing or living on the streets, vulnerable to those who would abuse them. To better support our youth who are exiting the foster care system who are at risk of becoming exploited or homeless, the bill also includes $20 million for family unification vouchers. For our Nation's homeless veterans, the bill provides $40 million for the successful HUD-VASH Program. In the land of the brave, there should always be a home for our veterans. Despite the administration once again proposing to eliminate this highly successful program, the committee continues to provide funding. This program has been so successful that it has helped to reduce veteran homelessness by nearly 50 percent since it was first started in 2010. Another important issue, particularly to Senator Reed and to me, is lead paint in homes. That is a particular concern to families with children under age 6. The bill provides $290 million to combat lead hazards--a historic level of funding. Lead paint hazards are a significant concern for Maine families, as 57 percent of our housing stock was constructed prior to 1978, the year lead-based paint was banned. These grants will help communities protect children from the harmful effects--what can be lifelong effects--of lead poisoning. The bill also supports local development efforts by providing $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program--another program that the administration proposed to eliminate but for which we had overwhelming support expressed in letters from our colleagues. The reason the Community Development Block Grant Program is so popular is its flexibility. It can be tailored to meet local needs. We have also included $1.4 billion for the HOME Program. These two programs support the development of affordable housing and other infrastructure projects and revitalize downtowns, which in turn promote economic development and lead to the creation of more jobs. I appreciate the opportunity to present this important legislation to the Chamber as we begin debate on the Transportation-HUD funding bill. I urge my colleagues to support the investments in this bill that benefit our communities all across this Nation and the families, veterans, children, and our seniors who rely on these vital programs. Let me end my remarks by again thanking my colleague, friend, and ranking member, Senator Reed, for his close collaboration and hard work. I am very proud of the fact that once again this year we have produced a bipartisan bill that was unanimously approved by our committee.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the resolution of disapproval sponsored by Senator Cardin that would block the Administration's harmful Affordable Clean Energy Rule. In Maine, our economy is inextricably linked to the environment. Our State, which is situated at the end of the Nation's air pollution tailpipe, has made substantial progress in reducing harmful emissions by increasing energy efficiency, adopting clean energy technologies, and improving air quality and public health. While I am pleased by the progress our country has already made in reducing air pollutants, the administration's rule to repeal and rewrite the Clean Power Plan is a step in the wrong direction. Climate change is a significant risk that threatens Maine's working forests, fishing, and agricultural industries, as well as tourism and recreation and our coastal communities. I will continue to work in Congress to support realistic, responsible solutions that help reduce harmful emissions and protect our environment and the health of our citizens.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, in February of this year, Senator Udall and I joined in introducing a resolution to terminate the national emergency declaration. On March 14, 59 Members of this body joined together in a strong bipartisan majority to pass the companion House Resolution and send it to the President. Unfortunately, the President chose to veto that resolution, and the House vote to override the veto fell short. Last month, a bipartisan majority again came together in the Senate to pass a resolution introduced by Senator Udall, Senator Shaheen, and myself to reverse the President's national emergency declaration. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, the President has chosen to veto this resolution again, and we will be voting shortly on whether to override that veto. Before we do so, I would like to take a few minutes to speak to the fundamental issue raised by the emergency declaration: It directly conflicts with the ``power of the purse'' vested in Congress by the Framers of our Constitution. The question presented by this veto of the resolution is not whether you are for a border wall or against a border wall, nor is the question whether you believe security at our southern border should be strengthened or whether it is sufficient. In fact, the question is, simply; Do we want the executive branch, now or in the future, to hold the power of the purse, a power the Founders deliberately entrusted to Congress? Throughout our history, the courts have consistently held that ``only Congress is empowered by the Constitution to adopt laws directing monies to be spent from the U.S. treasury.'' This view is central to several ongoing cases challenging the President's national emergency declaration. I have consistently supported funding for the construction of physical barriers and strengthening security on our southern border. I will continue to support those efforts and believe that they are important, but I cannot support the President unilaterally deciding to take money that has been appropriated for one purpose and diverting that money for another purpose. The system of checks and balances established by the Founders gives Congress the power to protect our authority on our own. That is what this resolution does, and I urge my colleagues to support it by voting to override the President's veto. Vote on S.J. Res. 54

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am delighted to commend Fruit Street Elementary School in Bangor, ME, on being named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School. Serving 325 students from pre- K through third grade, this outstanding school is one of only 362 schools across the country this year to receive Blue Ribbon recognition from the U.S. Department of Education. Created in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools that are either academically superior in their States or that demonstrate significant gains in student achievement. The schools singled out for this national recognition are models of high educational standards and accountability. The Blue Ribbon designation continues a tradition of quality education in Bangor. The graduation rates and assessment test scores for the town's K-12 school district consistently are among the highest in the State of Maine. Fruit Street Elementary School's mission statement, ``A high quality education is attainable by all of our students who will receive the encouragement and opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that prepare them for citizenship in a global society,'' is carried out daily. Students focus on the core values of fairness, citizenship, respect, and caring. The core curriculum has a strong focus on math, literacy, science, and social studies, with special programs that recognize each student's individual learning style. At Fruit Street, rich and diverse learning opportunities are a part of every child's experience, from art and music, to library skills and physical education. The school involves all students in extracurricular activities, which helps forge a strong school community where students are connected and encouraged to pursue their interests. Throughout the curriculum, students are also taught to use technology both effectively and responsibly. Faculty, parents, and community members are committed to both academic excellence and each child's social, emotional, and physical health. Faculty work to ensure an effective learning environment and to develop strong and collaborative relationships with parents and community members. An active parent-teacher organization supports enriching educational activities and promotes excellence and innovation by funding special projects and initiatives. I applaud the administrators, teachers, staff, and parents of Fruit Street Elementary School. Together, they are succeeding in their mission to build students' confidence and generate momentum for learning. I congratulate the entire school community for this outstanding achievement.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am delighted to commend Yarmouth High School of Yarmouth, ME, on being named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School. This outstanding high school is one of only 362 schools across the country to receive Blue Ribbon recognition this year from the U.S. Department of Education. Created in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools that are either academically superior in their States or that demonstrate significant gains in student achievement. The schools singled out for this national recognition are models of high educational standards and accountability. This award recognizes the hard work and determination of Yarmouth High School's students, faculty, and staff. This is a top-performing school on State-required assessments, and its strong commitment to professional development ensures that teachers, staff, and students are life-long learners. This recognition adds to the town's record of achievement in education-- Yarmouth Elementary School was awarded a Blue Ribbon last year. The mission of Yarmouth High School is to ``empower all students to create fulfilling lives in a changing world.'' Yarmouth High School is known for its extensive extra-curricular activities, which help forge a strong school community where students are connected and encouraged to pursue their interests. In addition to the arts and athletics, the school provides strong STEM education and world language courses. A comprehensive social studies curriculum includes a Public Policy Project in which students conduct individual research on a contemporary policy issue and present their recommendations to policy makers. Yarmouth High School students are active in their community. The student senate allows them to be involved in decisions regarding school policies and programs. Students and parents join staff and administrators to interview candidates for positions at the school. Economics classes visit local businesses, environmental science classes work on community recycling and environmental stewardship projects, and world history coursework includes visiting local religious centers to increase understanding of various cultures. The school strives to address the varying needs of individual students by bringing together students, teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents to provide a support network to help ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically and socially. This Blue Ribbon Award is a tribute not only to the students but also to the administrators, teachers, staff, and parents of Yarmouth High School. Together, they are accomplishing their mission to help students succeed in the classroom and as engaged citizens in their community and the world. They are making a difference in the lives of their students, helping them reach their full potential. I congratulate the entire community for this well-deserved recognition.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am delighted to commend Cape Elizabeth High School of Cape Elizabeth ME, on being named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School. This outstanding high school is one of only 362 schools across the country to receive Blue Ribbon recognition this year from the U.S. Department of Education. Created in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools that are either academically superior in their States or that demonstrate significant gains in student achievement. The schools singled out for this national recognition are models of high educational standards and accountability. This award recognizes the hard work and determination of Cape Elizabeth High School's students, faculty, and staff. This top- performing school has a strong commitment to professional development that ensures that teachers and staff, as well as students, are life- long learners. This recognition continues a tradition of excellence that builds upon Cape Elizabeth High School's previous Blue Ribbon Award in 2004. Cape Elizabeth High School's mission is to ``open minds, open doors.'' The school provides its 540 students with a rigorous academic experience that prepares students for college and career, in a supportive environment that offers students many opportunities to explore their interests. Approximately 90 percent of students participate in at least one extracurricular activity, from the arts and athletics to robotics club and model united nations. Cape Elizabeth students support each other. Every incoming ninth- grade student is assigned an upper class mentor to ease the transition to high school. Freshman Academy helps ninth graders explore their own values and strengths. Across the grade levels, students often say ``thank you'' to their teachers at the end of class, a powerful sign of a respectful school climate. An active high school parents association strengthens the connections between school and home. The Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation, the first education foundation in Maine, fosters innovation and excellence. Over the years, the foundation has funded the creation of the Achievement Center to offer individualized tutoring, commissioned compositions for performance by school music ensembles, sponsored sexual assault awareness programs planned by students and staff together, and supported teacher professional development. This Blue Ribbon Award is a tribute not only to the students but also to the administrators, teachers, staff, and parents of Cape Elizabeth High School. Together, they are accomplishing their mission to help students succeed in the classroom and as engaged citizens. They are making a difference in the lives of their students, helping them reach their full potential. I congratulate the entire community for this well-deserved recognition.

Ms. COLLINS

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, rising health care costs are a major concern for millions of Americans--whether it's expensive health insurance premiums, high out-of-pocket expenses, or soaring prescription drug costs. In the individual market, where 11.5 million Americans who do not have employer-sponsored insurance have to go to buy their insurance--including the 78,000 individuals in Maine-- premiums continue to rise exponentially. With this in mind, I am introducing the Premium Reduction Act of 2019 with my good friend and colleague, Senator Joe Manchin. Leading health care experts at Oliver Wyman indicate that our legislation would lower average health insurance premiums for consumers in the individual market by as much as 30 percent. In addition, more than a million more individuals would have health insurance that they now lack. Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation show premiums for the benchmark ``silver'' plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are nearly 75 percent higher than they were when the ACA went ``live'' in 2014. While individuals who are eligible for the ACA's premium tax credits are shielded from these increases, the price of these silver plans is out of reach for many who are not eligible for these tax credits. Even ``bronze plans''--the lowest cost individual market policies available through the ACA exchanges--have become unaffordable for those without subsidies. Bronze plan premiums have gone up so much that they now exceed those charged for silver plans in 2014, despite the fact that these bronze policies have far higher deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. Individuals who make 400 percent or less of the federal poverty level get a federal tax credit to help defray the monthly premium cost. But individuals who make just one dollar over that level get no help at all, and must pay the full premium on their own. These premiums are simply unaffordable for middle-income families. The difference in premiums is shocking for many families. For example, in Aroostook County, Maine, a 60 year-old couple enrolled in a silver plan will pay about $6,500 for coverage if they earn 400 percent or less of the federal poverty level: in other words, as long as they earn less than roughly $66,000. But if they earn just a dollar more, they will lose their eligibility for a premium tax credit, and will have to pay the entire premium themselves--an incredible $36,500! One step Congress could take to help alleviate the rising cost of premiums in the individual health insurance markets is to provide States with additional flexibility and support to design State-based stabilization programs that would help offset the costs of covering consumers with high medical expenses. Once these costs are covered, the premiums needed to provide insurance to the rest of the population can be set at a much lower level. Thus far, seven states--Maine, Alaska, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, and Wisconsin--have established such programs. According to the health care experts at Avalere, the programs in these seven states have reduced premiums in the individual market by 20 percent compared to what they otherwise would have been, and saved the federal government nearly $1 billion in funding in the first year, which was returned to the states in the form of ``pass through'' funding. Under the Premium Reduction Act, $5 billion would be available annually over three years to support states that operate stabilization programs under section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, $500 million is provided to assist states with planning the design of their own stabilization program, and there is a ``federal fallback'' for 2021 to give states time to apply for waivers under section 1332. It is important to note that our proposal does not change in any way the ACA's essential benefits requirements or its protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions. The bill provides three options for expedited review so that states could quickly stand-up their own programs using the existing waiver process under section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act: First, a state can demonstrate that their program is an ``invisible high-risk pool'' in keeping with the design pioneered by Maine early in this decade and used as a template by Alaska more recently; Second, a state can show that its program fits within the parameters of the ACA's transitional reinsurance program, which expired at the end of 2016; or Third, a state can submit what can be described as a ``copycat'' application based on another state's program that has already received approval. In lieu of these three expedited approval options, a state may seek approval of a program of their own design. Regardless of the option they select, all states operating qualifying stabilization programs would be eligible to receive an allocation from the funding provided by the bill. States may also add funds from other sources to the mix. In addition, in 2021, states that do not wish to establish their own stabilization program may instead receive funding through the ``federal fallback'' that I described a few moments ago. Finally, the bill would also extend the section 1332 ``feedback effect'' to states that receive funding through the federal fallback provision. This will ensure that the benefits of lower premiums are felt in all states as quickly as possible, giving states ample time to seek and obtain approval of their own programs under the waiver process. In a recent letter to me endorsing our bill, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners stressed that ``[alction must be taken to make coverage more affordable or we will see even higher uninsured rates, more people move to less regulated plans, and sicker individual market pools.'' The NAIC's letter goes on to note the success of stabilization programs at the state level, stating that such programs are ``a cost-effective way to significantly reduce individual market premiums'' that can expand coverage and make it more affordable unsubsidized individuals and families. The NAIC closed its letter with a call to implement such programs nationwide. Also, a consortium of health care providers, insurers, and stakeholders--joined by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce--circulated a letter recently to Senate and House leadership urging them to adopt a proposal like the one we are introducing as a ``commonsense solution to significantly lower premiums.'' In their letter, they stressed that premium reduction programs can ``help cover the costs of people with significant health care needs and improve the affordability of health care coverage,'' especially for those who are not eligible for subsidies. Mr. President, I ask that these letters be entered into the Record immediately after my remarks. Efforts at further reform of America's health care system have been the source of frustration and division in this chamber. At the same time, many members of both parties are committed to reducing health care costs and expanding access to quality, affordable coverage. The programs adopted by seven pioneering states have a proven track-record in reducing premiums for consumers and would make policies in the individual market more affordable. The bill Senator Manchin and I are introducing today would help extend and fund these successful models to every state that chooses to participate, helping to reduce premiums for the 11.5 million Americans who get their insurance in the individual market nationwide. I urge my colleagues to support our bill. May 28, 2019. Dear Leaders McConnell and Schumer, Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy: As providers of health care and coverage to hundreds of millions of Americans, we write to you to urge prompt action to lower health insurance premiums. The individual market is a critical source of coverage for millions of Americans, helping them to access care. Unfortunately, however, individual market premiums are often unaffordable for many middle class families who do not receive any financial assistance. With health insurers finalizing their premium rates for 2020, the time is now for Congress to establish a premium reduction/reinsurance program to help cover the costs of people with significant health care needs and improve the affordability of health care coverage. A reinsurance program is a commonsense solution to significantly lower premiums, which would greatly improve access to coverage and care. Independent analyses, including ones by Oliver Wyman and Avalere Health, show that a premium reduction/reinsurance program could reduce premiums by up to 20% while preserving the comprehensiveness of coverage, primarily helping those who are not subsidy eligible. We understand that there are numerous efforts in Congress underway to establish a premium reduction/reinsurance program, and we are happy to work with all parties towards a final bill that will improve the individual market for 2020 and beyond. We urge you to deliver on the promise to reduce premiums for millions of deserving Americans and their families so they can access the care they need. We look forward to working with you in support of this promise. Sincerely, America's Health Insurance Plans. American Academy of Family Physicians. American Benefits Council. American Hospital Association. American Medical Association. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Federation of American Hospitals. U.S. Chamber of Commerce.