Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

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 Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, the most popular dictionary defines an act of war as an act of aggression by a country against another with which it is nominally at peace. Let me repeat, an act of aggression by another country against another with which it is nominally at peace. On Friday, America's intelligence community issued a damning, detailed assessment concluding that Russian strongman President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on our Nation's electoral system to sow mistrust and favor one candidate over another. The evidence was sweeping, overwhelming, and troubling. The key findings, quoted directly from the public version of this report from the intelligence agencies, said as follows: Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election represent the most recent expression of Moscow's longstanding desire to undermine the U.S.-led liberal Democratic order, but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort compared to previous operations. We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. Democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess that Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump. We also assess Putin and the Russian government aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. They go on to talk about the types of influence Moscow inspired. I am not going to stand here and argue that if the Russian efforts had not taken place, there would have been a different outcome in the election. No one will ever know that. And when asked directly, the intelligence agencies, despite these strong statements, say there is no evidence of direct vote tampering or tampering with election equipment, thank goodness. That isn't the point. The point is, Vladimir Putin and the Russians did what they could to influence our election. Americans should stand up and listen because what is at stake is the sovereignty of our Nation and the reliability and integrity of our election process. What the Russians did was truly staggering and momentous--a foreign adversary intentionally manipulating America's democracy and election. I don't know if it is an act of war by classic definition. It is an attack on our Nation by any definition. It should not go unanswered. For those who have been following Vladimir Putin's bullying actions over the last several years, this is no surprise. Instead of building a modern global economy based on the great talents of the Russian people, he and his closest neighbors have created false enemies in the West, sadly and dangerously creating a narrative that domestic Russian problems are really the result of NATO, the United States, and the West. He has tried to discredit the West and its Democratic free market institutions. He has used manufactured enemies of Russia to rally domestic support for his tactics and leadership. It is, ultimately, a tired narrative that when combined with domestic political repression and manipulation, helps keep Putin in power. Let's not be fooled into thinking his actions are merely annoying. The threats are real and dangerous, and they go directly not just at the United States but many of our strongest allies. I have a list which I ask unanimous consent be printed in the Record in detail.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN. How am I recorded? On behalf of the downstate hospitals of Illinois, I vote no.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on December 28, 2016, President Obama designated the Bears Ears National Monument in Southern Utah, and I wish to commend him on protecting these important lands. This designation is an important step forward in the conservation of some of southern Utah's important national treasures. The 1.35-million acre monument, which spans from forested mesas to redrock canyons and plateaus, will protect the region's abundant cultural resources, including well-preserved cliff dwellings, rock and art panels, artifacts, and Native American burials. The Bears Ears National Monument, which derives its name from twin buttes that lie at the heart of the majestic Cedar Mesa, was requested by a coalition of five Native American tribes that united to protect a landscape revered in their shared histories and cultures. The Hopi Tribe, the Navajo Nation, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, and the Ute Indian Tribe have all passed through the area at some time, leaving behind scores of fragile dwellings, pottery, petroglyphs, and pictographs. The Bears Ears region is a living natural and cultural landscape, where the people of these tribes still use the lands to collect herbs and medicines and pass their stories to the next generation. I have fought to protect this area's resources through the America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, a bill I have introduced every Congress since 1997. My bill would safeguard 9.2 million acres of wilderness in Utah-- some of the last great wild places in the lower 48 States. Historically, national monuments have been the first step in protecting some of our most beloved public lands--the Grand Canyon, the Grand Tetons, and indeed, four of Utah's five national parks. Not only do these monuments help preserve precious habitat, landscapes, and history, they create jobs and invigorate nearby communities. President Obama's decision to protect the Bears Ears came after significant public input in Utah, with the administration holding multiple listening sessions. Those sessions made clear that even diverse stakeholders agreed the Bears Ears is special and needs to be protected. It is the right decision for the present, and it is the right decision for the future. Republican President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act into law in 1906, and a review of its history and its controversy showed that, time and again, the temporary anger over designated lands was overshadowed by the long-term benefits to our Nation. Teddy Roosevelt said it best, ``Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.'' I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the Bears Ears National Monument and defending it and the Antiquities Act that made it possible.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, Senate Democrats will be voting to protect three programs--Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. These programs represent core commitments our Nation has made to seniors, low-income Americans, children, and those living with disabilities. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid reflect who we are as Americans. At one time or another throughout our lives, most of us have or will count on these programs for health care or for financial stability. During last year's Presidential debate, President-Elect Trump sought to distinguish himself from the field of Republican candidates by stating he was the first and only Republican candidate who would promise not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. Yet, in their first major action of the new Congress, Republicans have taken the first step to dramatically alter and decimate core programs that comprise our safety net. Congressional Republicans want to gut funding, limit benefits, constrict eligibility, and turn guaranteed earned benefits into a voucher and a ``good luck'' wish. Their approach would violate the pledge we have made to millions of Americans and truly disrupt lives. This is unacceptable. That is why I am cosponsoring Senator Sanders' amendment to prohibit the Senate from considering any legislation that would violate Donald Trump's promise of not cutting Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security. I am committed to ensuring that we meet the promise we made to Americans. Sixty million Americans, including 2 million Illinoisans, depend on Social Security for their well-being, and we must make sure that this vital program is there for both current and future generations. By 2034, without any reform, Social Security will be unable to fulfill its promise to its beneficiaries. If Congress does not act, beneficiaries would immediately see their benefits reduced by one- fifth. It remains Congress's responsibility to look to the future and protect the long-term solvency of Social Security while ensuring benefits meet the needs of beneficiaries, especially the most vulnerable among us. Waiting until tomorrow to do what we could do today--an approach that I have seen fail in Illinois--only makes the task more difficult and likely to cause disruption. I was a member of the Simpson-Bowles Commission, where we tried to address our budget challenges and the long-term solvency of Social Security. I voted for the Commission's report because I believe we must face the difficult reality that doing nothing may harm the very people we are trying to protect--beneficiaries that rely on the promises we have made. I firmly believe that we, as Members of Congress, have a duty to have these debates and make difficult decisions, not just wait for the inevitable. While I did not support everything in the final Commission's report, I believe the report included some commonsense options to improve the longterm solvency of Social Security: accelerating the alignment of payroll taxes to their intended level of 90 percent of wages and realigning benefits to reflect current poverty levels among seniors. I believe there can and should be evenhanded, bipartisan agreement on a path forward. To do so, we need a collaborative and good-faith partnership to examine the universe of policy options. Make no mistake--I oppose privatization of Social Security. And recent solvency changes have weighed heavily on beneficiaries. That is why conversations should be balanced and targeted. There must be a dual goal of ensuring the adequacy of benefits, especially for those who rely on Social Security the most, and the long-term solvency of this program. I look forward to working across the aisle in the future to maintain and build upon our promise to Americans. Amendment No. 52

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Carper) is necessarily absent.