John Cornyn

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 25, 2015, at 9:45 a.m., in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 25, 2015, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Under Attack: Federal Cybersecurity and the OPM Data Breach.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 25, 2015, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Evaluating Key Components of a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 25, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room SD-215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Unlocking the Private Sector: State Innovations in Financing Infrastructure.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 25, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., in room SR- 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 25, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room SD-G50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Country of Origin Labeling and Trade Retaliation: What's at stake for America's Farmers, Ranchers, Businesses, and Consumers.''

Mr. CORNYN

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

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee) and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio).

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I wish to spend the next few minutes speaking about the Supreme Court and particularly the fact that the Supreme Court has some big cases they are going to hand down probably tomorrow, Friday, and Monday, before they adjourn for the summer. I particularly wish to speak about King v. Burwell, which, as the Presiding Officer knows, could be the beginning of the end of ObamaCare. In the process, it also will potentially disrupt the health care coverage for more than 6 million Americans. The Court could issue its decision, as I said, as early as tomorrow. What they will decide is whether the IRS is bound by the law which Congress writes and which is signed by the President or whether they can make it up on their own. Specifically, the case challenges the legality of subsidies provided to 6 million people in up to 37 States that they have depended on to buy their ObamaCare-approved policies, including about 1 million in my State of Texas. If the Court rules against the IRS, it will literally be the third strike against ObamaCare from the Supreme Court of the United States. It would serve as yet another reminder of the administration's overreach of its authority under the Constitution--a practice that has become disturbingly routine. This administration and our friends across the aisle have failed to own up to the repeated demonstrations of the flaws of ObamaCare since it passed in March of 2010. The biggest problem is that this is partisan legislation jammed through Congress that no Republican in the Senate voted for, so the responsibility lies clearly at their feet. Through this law, the administration has wasted billions of dollars on exchanges that have failed to function properly. My colleagues may recall that the President even called the healthcare.gov exchange-- which was so broken and just didn't work--a disaster. The President himself said that. It is also based on a system that grows the bureaucracy at the expense of legitimate, needed health care delivery. I would have thought that if Congress was going to reform health care, it would certainly include reducing the cost and making it more affordable. However, time after time, we have seen that ObamaCare has actually driven up costs. Just last month, one study noted that nearly $274 billion of projected ObamaCare spending will end up going to its implementation--bureaucratic and administrative costs--and not actually for health care. That is $274 billion. Do we think that money could have been better spent providing people with health care policies they can afford and access to the doctors and the hospitals they need? Today, ObamaCare has utterly failed to live up to the many promises the President and congressional Democrats made to the American people. Seeing the Presiding Officer in the chair reminds me that both he and I served as attorneys general in our States. One of my responsibilities in Texas--and no doubt the Presiding Officer's as well--was to enforce our consumer protection laws. Can my colleagues imagine, if anybody other than the Federal Government had made the series of promises the President and congressional Democrats made under ObamaCare that proved over time to be demonstrably false, whether a company in the private sector could withstand the flood of lawsuits by the Attorney General and other consumer protection officials against that company? I guess the fact is that there is very little recourse to the American people--certainly the courts--to enforce our consumer protection laws against the outright deceit and misleading promises that were made in order to sell ObamaCare, which are clearly, as time has demonstrated, not true. The President's trail of broken promises has instead led us to a damaged health care system and a limping economy. There is a reason why the economy shrunk last quarter by 0.7 percent. What that means is that fewer people can find work and their wages are depressed. We need our economy to grow. But as long as additional and heavy burdens, such as ObamaCare and unnecessary regulations, are imposed on the private sector, those jobs and those rising wages are simply not going to exist. This week, many are rightly concerned that, depending on what the Supreme Court decides, millions of people will lose their access to health care should the Court rule against the President. I must point out that is a feature of ObamaCare. That is not the fault of the Supreme Court, and it is not the fault of the opponents of ObamaCare; it is the fault of the President and of the people who passed ObamaCare because this will be a feature of ObamaCare, this failed law. Having said where the responsibility lies, while we didn't contribute to getting the country in this mess, we are ready, willing, and able to provide an off-ramp for the millions of people who may have their health care interrupted. My State, as I indicated earlier, is not immune. Close to 1 million Texans could suddenly see their costs shoot up. So I am here to emphatically say to the Texans whose health care coverage may be disrupted: We will not leave you out in the cold as a casualty of this flawed law, and we will no longer allow this flawed piece of legislation to cause additional hardship for hard-working Texas families. In order to protect Americans and Texans who may lose their health care coverage if the Court decides against the President and against the IRS, we are prepared, having worked for months now, to protect those who need it as they transition out of ObamaCare. Make no mistake about it--this will be the beginning of the end of ObamaCare if the Court rules for the plaintiff in King v. Burwell. At the same time, we plan to provide an end to the individual and employer mandates, the opportunity for States to opt out of ObamaCare, and finally, an end to government-backed health care that the American people don't want, don't need, and cannot afford. There is a better alternative. If the Supreme Court rules for King, we will offer the American people what ObamaCare never could--options, choices, and the freedom to choose the health care coverage they want at a price they can afford. Most importantly, we want to allow individuals as well as the States to opt out of this disastrous law all across the country. In doing so, Americans can get what they actually need and not what government tells them they must buy. By empowering States to opt out, we put the States back in the driver's seat. I must say, every public opinion poll I have seen indicates that the people have a lot more confidence in the ability of the States to deal with their health care needs than they do the Federal Government, particularly in light of the failed experiment over the last 5 years. We put the States back in the driver's seat and allow them the flexibility they need to more effectively lower costs and increase choices. So while we didn't create this mess, we are ready to do our best to work together to protect the American people from any more harm caused by this legislation. The American people deserve real, patient-centered reforms which, again, lower costs, making it more affordable, and increase access to care--not the opposite. If the Court delivers what could be a third strike against ObamaCare, my colleagues and I are eager to provide the American people with the freedom and the options they need in order to get the best health care available at a price they can afford. Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 2 p.m., in room SD-562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Work in Retirement: Career Reinventions and the New Retirement Workscape.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 2:30 p.m., in room SR-418 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Indian Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, in room SD-628 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, at 2:15 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Demanding Results to End Native Youth Suicides.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 10 a.m.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Lessons Learned from Past WMD Negotiations.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room SD-215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 24, 2015, at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee) and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio).

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on June 23, 2015, at 10 a.m., in room SR-253 of the Russell Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Update on the Recalls of Defective Takata Air Bags and NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Efforts.''

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral Institutions, and International Economic, Energy and Environmental Policy be authorized to meet during the sessions of the Senate on June 23, 2015, at 2:45 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``American Energy Exports: Opportunities for U.S. Allies and U.S. National Security.''

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I would respond to the question by our colleague from Delaware that assurances have been given that we understand that the trade promotion authority and the trade adjustment assistance travel together. I think we have seen examples where the benefits of trade are not uniformly felt across the country. There are some people who will be displaced. But the importance of trade adjustment assistance--I wish we could negotiate something a little more frugal that would actually get the job done. But a negotiation took place between Chairman Ryan in the House and the ranking member, Senator Wyden, in the Senate on this important piece of the package. We all recognize that these travel in pairs and that trade adjustment assistance is part of the price you pay for getting trade promotion authority done. But most importantly to my colleague's point from Delaware, for those people who are displaced, this guarantees that they will have access to the sort of job training and skills enhancement that they will need in order to get even better jobs in this economy that, on net, will benefit the entire country. That is the intent on this side of the aisle and I think the intent of trade adjustment authority and making sure that we finish our work--not here today but through the rest of the week--on this important package of pieces of legislation.

Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, it is no secret that Republicans on this side of the aisle don't agree with President Obama about everything. In fact, I would say that on balance most Republicans disagree with the policy choices made by this President. But occasionally--occasionally-- even the leader of the Democratic Party, the President of the United States, gets things right. Occasionally, the President of the United States gets his policy choices right, and he did so with regard to trade promotion authority. I would point out to our friends and to anybody listening that this actually is a 6-year trade promotion authority. This extends well beyond the tenure of the current occupant of the White House, and it will be available for the next President of the United States to negotiate trade deals that are in the best interests of the United States. So I agree with the majority leader. This latest vote is just another example of the Senate getting back to work and restored to regular working order. This is a dramatic departure from the old Senate, because there has actually been a lot of time for consideration of important pieces of legislation--from the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act to the Justice for Victims of Human Trafficking Act to the budget. By moving this trade promotion authority bill forward, we can ensure that American workers and businesses can get the best deal in trade agreements with countries from Asia to South America to Europe. I believe we have actually kept the campaign promises we made last year that, if the American people entrusted the Republicans with the new majority, we would work together with our allies where we could on the other side of the aisle where we have common cause to deliver results for the American people, to legislate in their best interest-- not just to obstruct for obstruction's sake or gain some temporary tactical or political advantage but to promote a functioning, deliberative Senate. I see one of the leaders of this effort, the Senator from Delaware, who has done great work trying to find that common cause and producing a result, as exemplified by the TPA. I am going to yield for him in just a moment. But let me just talk briefly about my response to the Senator from Vermont and the Senator from Ohio, who said there is nothing good to be had out of this trade promotion authority or any potential trade deals that we might negotiate. My home State of Texas relies heavily on international trade. We are the number one trading State in the Nation, which is just one reason why our economy grew at the rate of 5.2 percent in 2014. Our economy in Texas grew at the rate of 5.2 percent in 2014. Do you know the rate at which the U.S. economy grew? The U.S. economy grew at just 2.2 percent. So why wouldn't we want to do anything and everything we can to stimulate the growth of the economy to benefit people looking for work and people looking for higher wages? This important trade promotion authority is the first step to doing that. I will conclude because the distinguished Senator from Delaware is here and others who want to speak. Trade is an engine of growth. It keeps our economy growing. These upcoming trade agreements, whether it is the Trans-Pacific Partnership or the transatlantic investment treaty, serve as a great opportunity to turbo-charge that growth. Our economy actually contracted last quarter by 0.7 percent. As long as our economy is shrinking and not growing, we are not going to be able to create the jobs to put America back to work. We are not going to be able to create the sorts of wages that we want for all working Americans. This legislation represents an important step in that direction. I am glad that in the exercise of a little mutual trust and comity, we have reached this important point. We are not through yet because there are other parts of this trade package that we are going to need to process this week. But the promise and commitment we made on this side of the aisle was that if our colleagues across the aisle trust us to move through the trade promotion authority bill, we will continue to work with them and keep our commitments to them, and, hopefully, more than just the trust that produces these pieces of legislation will result from this increased confidence and trust in one another. We know we are going to find measures we will disagree on, and we will fight like cats and dogs when we need to. But when we actually agree on the policy and can find it within ourselves to work together, the American people are the beneficiaries. I yield the floor.

Mr. CORNYN

Mr. CORNYN. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Corker) and the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Corker) would have voted ``yea.''

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