John Cornyn

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, last week our colleagues in the House made a first necessary step to delivering on our promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare and to restore individual choice for a health insurance product that people choose that fits their actual needs, rather than one mandated by Washington, DC. They passed the American Health Care Act, a bill that provides relief to Americans all across the country. With the passage of the AHCA in the House, we have a way forward to do away with government mandating one-size-fits-all healthcare. Now that the House has passed this legislation, it is up to the Senate to do our job and to keep our promises. To be specific, the promise President Obama made when the Affordable Care Act was passed-- actually, he made many promises multiple times--proved not to be true. So in many ways, when President Obama promised that if you like what you have, you can keep it; that if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor; that if you like your plan, you can keep your plan--none of that was true, we have now learned. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that ObamaCare--the Affordable Care Act--was sold under false pretenses. So it is up to us to restore individual choice for healthcare products that people want that fit their needs, not one they buy because the government is holding a gun to their heads or threatens to penalize them unless they observe the government mandate to buy that healthcare. You know, one of the biggest reasons for passing ObamaCare given at the time, back in 2010, was the number of uninsured in the country. Well, the fact is, there are still 30 million people uninsured under ObamaCare even though it has been the law of the land for the last 7 years. I believe we can and we must do better to deliver affordable care that people choose, that meets their individual needs, and not healthcare they buy simply because the government is coercing them into doing so. We will work together with all of our colleagues who are willing to work with us. If that means Republicans are going to be working with 52 Republicans to get this bill passed, we will get it done and we will get it passed. Ideally, though, it would be better if our Democratic colleagues work with us. But so far, they have steadfastly refused to work with us even though they know that ObamaCare is in shambles and that people are finding they can't find an insurance company where they live because insurance companies are pulling out of those individual markets because they are simply losing too much money or people who can buy ObamaCare policies in the individual markets are finding that their premiums are going through the roof and that the deductibles are unaffordable, thus effectively leaving them without effective coverage. Even though our Democratic colleagues know that ObamaCare is melting down and is not serving the public the way they promised it would or, in fact, is a positive harm to them because of unaffordable premiums and deductibles, still, so far they are standing on the sidelines and unwilling to participate in this process. I hope that changes at some point in the near future in the interests of the people we represent all across the country.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have one request for a committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. It has the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committee is authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I thank my friend and colleague from Minnesota for working with us on this piece of legislation. People sometimes say nothing ever gets done around here on a bipartisan basis, and this proves that is wrong. While that isn't one of the biggest pieces of legislation to come down the pike, it is important because of the importance of the State Department's rejoining the Bureau of International Expositions in order to preserve the possibility, in my case, for Houston's world fair bid to be considered. I know the Senator from Minnesota has a similar interest in her State. So it was a pleasure to work with her on it, and I am happy we are able to see this accomplished today.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, if I may speak on the bill before the Senate, yesterday the House of Representatives passed the Omnibus appropriations bill. Of course, this is the legislation that keeps the Congress and the government up and running through the end of the fiscal year, the end of September. It actually represents the first demonstration of Republicans and Democrats in both Houses of Congress working with the White House in order to pass an important piece of legislation and keep the government up and running through the end of the fiscal year. Over the last few weeks, we have had many productive conversations and debates about how best to establish our priorities, how much we should spend--particularly my concern about underfunding our military and our national security funding but also to update our priorities because that is one of the things that happens in an appropriations bill. When programs are obsolete or ineffective, there is no way to eliminate them while operating under a continuing resolution. It takes a positive piece of legislation like an appropriations bill--like this appropriations bill--to eliminate those obsolete or no longer effective programs. I am hopeful that once we pass this bill and after the President signs it, we will continue to plot a course toward a long-term strategic budget that reflects the priorities of the American people. I firmly believe we were elected to govern, not to shut down the government. In my view, that is an abdication of our responsibilities. I hope we will continue to follow on now after we have been able to accomplish this bipartisan, bicameral negotiation with the White House, and we will continue to govern and to demonstrate our sense of responsibility to the American people for doing just that. This omnibus package includes a good blueprint for how we can order our priorities and take care of our country. Yesterday I mentioned the increases in resources to better shore up border security. This is the largest increase in border security funding in 10 years. That is a significant accomplishment. This funding will help the Department of Homeland Security hire more Border Patrol agents and Customs officials to improve the infrastructure at our ports of entry and checkpoints and hire more immigration judges to process more immigration cases. It also creates funding for our troops fighting abroad and for our military in general and includes a pay raise for our men and women in the military, which is very important as well, particularly in an All- Volunteer military and one that has been stressed by 15 years of continuous conflict around the world. This bill also takes a more strategic look at the threats we are facing, including resources to shore up technology and equipment that will help our military stay No. 1. After years of putting military improvements and readiness on the back burner, actually cutting defense spending by 20 percent during the two terms of President Obama, this bill is a solid first step toward regaining our readiness and maintaining a capable and modern military. While I never will doubt the American people responding or our military responding to the needs or the threats to our security, we don't want to be roused out of our complacency by a crisis occurring somewhere in the world, whether it is North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, Crimea, or elsewhere. We want to be ready on day one. Some of that readiness has seriously been called into question by some of our lack of prioritizing defense spending and military readiness generally. In addition to those two important topics, many across the country have been impacted by severe weather, including violent storms and tornadoes. Of course, Texas has been a part of that sad story. Several in Texas have lost their lives due to these storms and the flooding caused by them. Of course we mourn for those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured, but we have to do more than just grieve for them--we have to help them as well. This omnibus bill includes funding for previously approved disaster relief, which will help communities in Texas and throughout the country rebuild and recover following a natural disaster. This legislation also includes money to help reduce the rape kit backlog. This is a topic which most people are not all that familiar with, but years ago we passed something called the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Reduction Act, named for a heroic woman, Debbie Smith, who championed the use of forensic evidence and the tracing of DNA samples in order to solve sexual assault cases. The amazing thing about this great technology and DNA testing is that it is enormously powerful. Even as long as 20 years later, we have had rape kits taken out of evidence lockers at law enforcement agencies and tested and come up with a hit on the FBI's database, which is the purpose of the testing. It also has the power to exonerate people who are perhaps falsely accused by excluding them scientifically from the possibility of being the assailant in a given case. It is very important for us to fund important programs like the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Reduction Act. I know at one point there was an estimate that there were 400,000 untested rape kits in America. The problem was that we didn't really know how many there were because some of them were sitting, as I indicated earlier, in police evidence lockers, and others were sitting in the laboratory and not tested. The question arose, when the identity of the assailant was known, what purpose could be served by testing the rape kit, which is not inexpensive? What we found is that the assailant, even if identified in the present case, is very likely to have been engaged in a course of conduct or serial assaults, and it helps us solve not only the present case but also other cases as well. Some of them are very old. That is important so that criminals can be brought to justice. This bill also funds the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. It funds a Federal study for a Gulf Coast protection project and active-shooter training for first responders-- all priorities important to my home State of Texas. This legislation also represents changes in Washington since November. It is the first major piece of bipartisan legislation negotiated with the new Trump administration. Instead of pushing more regulations and rules that cripple our economy and disregarding the needs of our military and the stark realities of the border, this legislation begins to steer our country in a better direction. I know that no piece of legislation is perfect, and perhaps the best definition of a negotiation is that both sides are dissatisfied because nobody gets everything they want. I look forward to voting for this legislation because I believe we were elected last November 8 to govern, not to abdicate those responsibilities or somehow engage in a shutdown narrative, which I don't think serves anyone well, certainly not the American people. I look forward to voting on this legislation and encourage all of our colleagues to do the same. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, seeing none of my Democratic colleagues on the floor seeking to speak, I ask unanimous consent to speak on the Democratic time.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, this week the Senate continues to consider the government funding bill, which I hope we will decide to vote on tomorrow afternoon. I want to highlight a few ways that this legislation is good for America. It addresses important priorities, and it is particularly good for those 28 million people I have the privilege of representing in Texas. I know people say we don't want to do an omnibus appropriations bill, and frankly this is not the best way to do business, but when our Democratic colleagues objected to us processing individual appropriations bills, this is the only alternative, other than perhaps a continuing resolution. A continuing resolution would continue Obama-era policies and frankly wouldn't end up saving any money because both of them are subject to the same spending caps under the Budget Control Act. Here we are. The House will undoubtedly pass this agreed-upon bill, the first negotiated bill with the Trump White House, with a Republican majority in the House and the Senate, and with Democratic participation and input as well. First, as I mentioned yesterday, this bill provides significant funding to shore up security at our international border with Mexico. This is a particularly important Texas issue because obviously we share a 1,200-mile common border with Mexico, but it is also a national issue. It is an important issue President Trump ran on and one of the reasons I believe he was elected. Attention to securing the border is long overdue. I have always contended that border security is first and foremost a matter of political will because we know how to do it. The question is, Do we have the political will to accomplish it? Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol chief Manny Padilla likes to say--he served in numerous capacities all across the border, from Arizona, California, and now in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. He likes to say that there are really three legs to the stool of border security. There is technology, there is personnel, and then there is infrastructure, what some people like to call fencing or walls. Each area along the border depends--the mixture will depend on what makes sense, what is actually effective. It is obviously important to get the advice and input of professionals of Border Patrol who work day in and day out to secure the border. With this omnibus bill, we will see the strongest increase in border security funding in nearly a decade. That means more resources to help Customs and Border Patrol, among other agencies, to enforce our laws, keep trade flowing, and stem the tide of contraband and illegal immigration. When we talk about border security, it is also important to recognize the important economic and trading relationship we have with Mexico. Roughly 5 million American jobs depend on binational trade with Mexico, which is another reason I have been paying such close attention to the administration's discussion about updating NAFTA and other important trading agreements. More than half of the entire border between the United States and Mexico is in Texas so this is critical to Texas and to Texans and necessary to keep our people safe. Fortunately, this funding deal will also strengthen our Nation's defense at a time when, under the Obama administration, we saw a 20- percent cut in defense spending. As former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper liked to say--well, maybe he didn't like to say it, but he did say it: In 50 years in the intelligence community, he had never seen a more diverse array of threats in his entire career. So our country does face multiple threats all over the world. This legislation includes more than $20 billion for defense--a real important plus-up in defense spending for the first time in a long time. This bill also includes new funding to support our military men and women deployed abroad in the fight against ISIS, for example, and it includes a pay raise for our troops as well. We have an All- Volunteer military that has been stressed--really, unlike any other time in our Nation's history--with the longest continuous time at war, particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq and now in other places around the world. So in an All-Volunteer military, it is really important for us to make sure that we treat our troops right when it comes to pay and living conditions in an All-Volunteer military. Fortunately, this bill will also begin to tackle a major problem that I spoke about just last week; that is, our readiness--readiness of our military to face the new and evolving threats around the globe. I would just pause here to note that some people have said we can solve the disparity in our needs or the threats and the amount we have been able to fund for national security by just tweaking the Budget Control Act of 2011. Well, the fact is, Congress only appropriates about 30 percent of the money that the Federal Government spends. Well, 70 percent is on autopilot because of the Budget Control Act. We have been able to keep discretionary spending, which includes defense spending, relatively flat since 2011, when the Budget Control Act was passed, but the fact is, mandatory spending is growing at a rate of about 5.5 percent. In my own view, we are never going to be able to fund our priorities--including national security--adequately, unless we revisit all of that 100 percent of Federal spending, which is going to take an act of political courage on the part of the President and those of us in the Congress but something we really cannot continue to put off day after day, week after week, year after year. This Omnibus appropriation bill funds the procurement of new warships and aircraft and increases funding to help modernize our ancient nuclear deterrent programs and includes resources to counter radicalism and instability in the developing world. I am also glad this legislation includes funds to help our veterans and their families transition into the civilian workforce, and it will better equip Texans working in military installations across the State, keep our military ready, and funds resources for the battlefield. So while there is a finger-pointing and blame game or credit-seeking game going on here in Washington--and I guess if the blame game were an Olympic sport, Washington would win that--but this is too important to be talking about in terms of political winners and losers. The truth is, the American people will be the winner if we keep the government running, if we do our job, and particularly if those of us who are fortunate enough to be in the majority after this last election will simply govern. That is what they elected us to do, along with the President of the United States. On a different note--I want to close on this. Yesterday, I spoke about the terrible storms and tornadoes that whipped through East Texas over the weekend. Fortunately, we were able to secure additional disaster relief funding in this omnibus package that will play a big part in helping communities rebuild, not only from floods and bad weather we have had in the past but also this current tragedy with loss of life and loss of property. It will help our communities rebuild, recover, and prepare for the next storm. This legislation will also bring us closer to a solution to mitigate damage from hurricanes and storm surges along the gulf coast in the Gulf of Mexico. This is particularly an important issue in Houston and along that gulf coast region, which is a huge, vital economic center for our country. By funding an Army Corps of Engineer study, we can best find a way forward that keeps more Texans safe from the next big hurricane, which we know is coming, and the question is just a matter of when. This bill also dedicates resources to improve and strengthen waterways that will help maintain Texas ship channels so they can handle more commerce and provide better flood control for susceptible areas. I will close by pointing out that this legislation also appropriates funds for bipartisan bills we passed last year. I know frequently--if you read the newspaper or if you watch cable news--you may think that nothing ever happens here, but actually even under the Obama administration, Republicans worked in a bipartisan way to accomplish important things like the Every Student Succeeds Act, the follow-on from No Child Left Behind, and one that actually does things that conservatives think is important and pushes more authority back down to the States and out of Washington when it comes to our schools. It makes sure that the States, local school districts, parents, and teachers have a say when it comes to the best quality and the best way to teach our children in K-12 schools. So we will fund much of that effort in this legislation. I know many of our colleagues represent areas of the country that have been devastated by the opioid crisis, as well as heroin crisis, which unfortunately seem to go hand in hand. We worked closely together, in a bipartisan way, to fund the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act signed into law last year under President Obama to help tackle the opioid epidemic running rampant throughout many parts of the country. It also includes resources that help eliminate the rape kit backlog, one that I have been working on for some time, to make sure-- the Debbie Smith Act, which is in excess of $100 million that is available in funding to forensic labs all across the country to eliminate the rape kit backlog. The power of DNA testing through these rape kits to identify the perpetrator of sexual assault, as well as to exonerate the innocent, is really something to behold. So in this funding, the rape kit backlog will be reduced and we will bring to justice victims of crimes and vindicate those who were accused but who are in fact innocent. This legislation will also help provide funds for victims of human trafficking to recover, and it will help train law enforcement to handle an active shooter situation via something we passed last year, on a bipartisan basis, called the POLICE Act. As the Presiding Officer knows, police changed their tactics when it comes to active shooters. I believe it was Columbine where the tactic was still used to surround an area near a school and to make sure nobody comes in or goes out, but our police and first responders learned to be very resourceful and innovative and indeed are training now. According to the POLICE Act, Federal funds go to State and local law enforcement and first responders to help the police train to engage an active shooter to stop the killing but also to train the first responders, typically the EMS officials, to stop the dying. So you can stop the killer, but unless you have EMS or emergency medical service personnel trained along with the police department, you may stop the killing, but you will not stop the dying, and that is the goal of this important bill. This legislation helps fund that. So here is the bottom line. Legislation is always a compromise, so it never ever meets anybody's individual expectations in terms of what they would want as the perfect bill, but I know people are frustrated by that because they say: Why couldn't we do more? Why couldn't we get more of what we wanted, and why did we have to give up something that other people wanted in order to agree to pass this legislation? Well, that is the way our system was designed. That is the way our Founding Fathers created the legislative branch and made it a requirement that in a country as big and diverse as ours, that we needed to build consensus in order to pass legislation, and that means Democrats and Republicans, Congress and the White House, working together to come up with an acceptable consensus product. That is what this is. It is a product of bipartisan give-and-take. It includes many conservative priorities that I like--that we have been talking about for a year-- that benefit communities across my State. It provides for our national defense, and it will make our country healthier and safer, and it does that at the same time as we consolidate or eliminate more than 150 outdated and unnecessary programs and initiatives. That is why it is important we pass this omnibus, as opposed to another continuing resolution, which, by the way, makes it nearly impossible for our national security agencies and our intelligence community to actually plan. When we fund government for a 6-month period of time, they don't know what is going to happen after that. So it is really important that we put our shoulders to the wheel and we work together, on a bipartisan basis, to give them some more certainty, to give them a longer flow of revenue, so they can do planning and spend the tax dollars that are appropriated efficiently. An important point that has been lost as we discussed and debated this bill is, it finally sets the country in a new direction--one that leads away from the Obama administration's priorities, which existed under the continuing resolution and was reflected by endless cycles of continuing resolutions. That is the past. We entered a new era of a stronger defense, less regulations for job creators, and a more streamlined and efficient government. This is the first major piece of bipartisan legislation negotiated with the new White House, and it proves that we can come together when we must, that we can govern, and that we can deliver results. It will also serve as a good blueprint moving forward with a carefully thought- out strategic budget as we look ahead to the fall. This legislation isn't perfect, but it does represent progress. It does represent an important watershed with this new administration, where we have all come together and reached agreement on a piece of legislation that we feel is beneficial to the entire country. If we are not going to engage in that sort of activity, but we are just going to vote no on everything because it is not perfect, we are not going to be able to make that kind of progress that we are all, I believe, committed to making on behalf of the people we represent. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I have 7 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on commerce, science, and transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to hold a meeting during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at 10 a.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. committee on environment and public works The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at 10 a.m. in room 406 of the Dirksen Senate office building. Committee on foreign relations The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 5:10 p.m., to hold a business meeting. Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on May 3, 2017, at 10 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. subcommittee on emerging threats and Capabilities The Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at 10 a.m., in open session. Subcommittee on personnel The Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meeting during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at 2:30 p.m., in open session. Subcommittee on Multilateral international development, multilateral institutions, and international economic, energy, and environmental policy The Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 10 a.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Global Philanthropy and Remittances and International Development.''

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, first, I would like to offer a brief word on some tragic events that occurred in my State over the last few days. Yesterday, at the University of Texas in Austin, a man wielding a knife began attacking students on campus. He injured three and tragically killed another. My prayers are with the entire UT community, particularly the friends and families of those injured and the student who lost his life. This was a senseless act of violence, and it is abhorrent. We don't yet know the details for why this deranged individual acted the way he did. Local officials are still gathering details about the case. I am grateful to the University of Texas police for quickly apprehending the suspect and stopping further loss of life and injury. I offer them and the rest of the law enforcement community in Austin, around the State, and around the Nation my support as they seek justice and continue to protect, in this instance, one of the State's flagship institutions of higher learning.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Corker amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. 371 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of and the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 135.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, 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.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of the Senator from Florida, Mr. Nelson.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 148, submitted earlier today.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, 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.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Flake), the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Heller), and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.