Chuck Grassley

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a major achievement for President Trump and a very big bipartisan win for the American people. We should all take care, Republican or Democrat, that this is good. I look forward to signing this bill and sending it to the President's desk. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for 1 minute in morning business.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, when President Obama signed the Iran deal, we were led to believe that this rapprochement with the Iranian regime would induce Iran to moderate its aggressive foreign policy and that Iran would likely spend the money made available through that deal on economic development for the good of its people. Instead, under the direction of General Soleimani, Iran accelerated its effort at regional domination, funding terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, the Assad regime in Syria, and the Houthi rebels fomenting civil war in Yemen. Iran did all of that with money from the Iran agreement. Meanwhile, the suffering Iranian people staged widespread demonstrations against their government, which were met with a violent crackdown that killed hundreds. Years of appeasement didn't work, but it looks like President Trump's deterrence is having positive effect. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, last week, the Senate Finance Committee and the entire Senate lost a dedicated public servant--and, by the way, an all-around wonderful man--with the unexpected passing of Chris Allen. Chris had been a member of the Finance Committee tax team since 2018. I was fortunate that he was willing to continue in that role when I reclaimed the gavel last year after the retirement of my friend, and former chairman, Orrin Hatch. As Members, we are blessed with dedicated people like Chris, who come to Capitol Hill to perform public service. They come here to make a difference, no matter what their party or ideology. They come from all walks of life, religious backgrounds, and from all over the country. They work long hours, and sometimes their work is stymied by the political headwinds we know about in the Congress of the United States. But when an idea is a good one and the people pursuing it do so with a full heart and focused mind, it will eventually become law. Last year proved to be a year when a number of good ideas finally became law in the area of retirement security, in no small part because of Chris' hard work and dedication. After more than 3 years, we were finally able to pass the Finance Committee's Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act. We use acronyms around here, and that is RESA. RESA became law after it was incorporated into the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act, and that acronym is the SECURE Act. Chris was very instrumental in helping navigate the long and, at times, very contentious process that culminated in this important package of retirement provisions being enacted just before last Christmas. Possibly even more important, Chris brought a very deep knowledge of multiemployer pensions to bear over the past several years to help us move forward on important reforms. In the last Congress, Chris served as the staff director of the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans. Congress formed this committee for the very important job of addressing the impending insolvency of a number of multiemployer plans and the projected insolvency of the multiemployer fund of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. With Chris' steady hand and his tireless efforts, the Joint Select Committee laid a critical foundation in 2018 for addressing the multiemployer pension crisis. Throughout 2019, Chris carried that work forward as a member of my Finance Committee staff. Through months of work with Finance Committee member offices, and also working with the HELP Committee, working with the PBGC, and, most importantly, stakeholder groups that are affected by any reform we do, Chris was the one leading the effort to build on the Joint Select Committee's work of the previous year. That effort led to the development of the Multiemployer Pension Recapitalization and Reform Plan that Chairman Alexander and I released in November. Resolving the multiemployer pension crisis remains a top priority, and now there is another important reason to see it done in Chris' memory because he put so much effort into where we are at this point. While Chris has been a key asset to the Finance Committee on retirement and pension policy, his depth of knowledge was much deeper than just that issue. Prior to joining the committee, Chris served as Senator Roberts' senior tax policy adviser for 7 years. Chris played a key role in helping us develop and pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In that effort, he focused heavily on the tax rules affecting farmers and ranchers across the Nation. Farmers and ranchers are a key interest of Senator Roberts and the State of Kansas. A close look at Chris' resume shows that he was very successful in working for the National Association of State Treasurers and then with another organization, the Financial Accounting Foundation. He also worked at other firms linked to his expertise in financial services, regulation, and legislation. What stands out about Chris is his ability to bring folks with very different views together in the classic legislative process. And boy, I watched him in meetings on the multiemployer pension issues and how he navigated all that, and I thought to myself: Without Chris, this couldn't be done. He had great ability with numbers and great dedication to public policy. That is what made Chris stand out. I am confident that had the Good Lord not taken Chris last week, he would have remained a fixture on the Finance Committee staff for many years to come. Public service was very simply at the core of Chris' identity as a professional. A key to Chris' success was his genial nature. You might not know it by looking at him, but he had a very quick wit. It seems like everybody felt comfortable with Chris, and Chris was comfortable with them. He had a lot of contentious meetings. I had a chance to observe some of them and his working with the stakeholders on multiemployer pensions. I saw the comfort they had with him, even when he was trying to go in just a little different direction than certain interest groups might have wanted to go because Chris knew that to get anything done in this body, you have to compromise. As you can tell, policy work was fun for Chris. Policy work was important, and he saw policy work as sustaining over a long period of time. I hope I am pointing out that this type of goodwill and dedication was infectious. Every day was meaningful. Every day was a source of joy. As I said in my statement on Friday night after I learned of Chris' passing, Chris was a public servant who brought a deep well of knowledge to his work. We all know he is going to leave behind a legacy of impact on so many lives that he was able to improve with his expertise, with his confidence, and the example he set with his hard work. But he never let that keep him from living life to the fullest, especially where his family was concerned. You learn these things about a staff member's family with the crisis of a passing, but Chris was a devoted father to two wonderful daughters, Lucie and Sophie. Chris was a loving husband for nearly 30 years to his wife, Lynda-Marie. Chris was a thoughtful and compassionate son and brother. Chris was a fierce friend to so many who came to know him during his 58 years. Chris knew how to live life. Losing Chris is extremely difficult for all of us. At times, the finger of God reaches down and takes a person who we know and love. It is not for us to know why that happened. What we know is we all got to know Chris and got to know him well. He was part of our lives, and we all benefited from the time that we had with him. We are all blessed to have that. For his family and the countless others who had the good fortune to know and work with Chris Allen, a piece of him will live on with each of us in every memory of him. Whether it was of Chris' positivity and sincerity, or the endless way he could inject humor into a very difficult situation, Chris was a blessing to those who were fortunate enough to know him. Rest in peace, my friend, Chris Allen. God bless Chris' family and may He show them His grace as they take these next steps in their own life's path. Chris will be greatly missed. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, before I start my remarks, I think it is important for all Senators to know that when there were negotiations going on between the White House and the Democrats in the House of Representatives, one of the real sticking points was enforcement. I think everybody expects a trade agreement to be enforced, but a lot more had to be done than what was originally agreed to when the agreement was signed. I want to recognize Senator Wyden and Senator Brown because months before, maybe even years before--I don't want to take away from how hard they were working on some ways of improving enforcement--but at least they had an idea out there that was salable to both sides. I don't know whether it was 100 percent or 90 percent or 80 percent that was incorporated in this bill, but their laying the groundwork was the basis for getting an agreement between the White House and the House of Representatives so we could move this to the point where the Senate is going to pass it tomorrow, I hope. So I thank Senator Wyden and Senator Brown, who is not here, but maybe you can tell him I said thank you.

Mr. GRASSLEY. It is said that good things come to those who wait. Others say it is better late than never. Either way, we can agree that this day has been a long time coming. With the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement by what will be an overwhelming margin here in the U.S. Senate, America's economy will continue to thrive and drive prosperity for hard-working American farmers, workers, and taxpayers all across our economy. You have heard the old saying: ``A rising tide lifts all boats.'' The new NAFTA, the bill that we are working on, puts a bigger oar in the water for our trilateral trade relationship with our northern and southern neighbors. It is important to point out that we wouldn't be here without the bold leadership and the determination of President Trump. The President is doing exactly what he said he would do. So many people running for President run on a platform, but they don't stand on that platform. He ran on a platform of doing something about what he considered were bad trade agreements, and, of course, he is standing on that platform. Undaunted by those who set to throw him out of office since day one, President Trump forged ahead for the good of the American people. He forged ahead to update and improve NAFTA for Americans. We heard, during the campaign, that it was the President's opinion that it is the worst agreement that has ever been made. I might not agree with the extreme of that, but I do know, as Senator Wyden has pointed out, that there were a lot of things that weren't even negotiable 30 years ago when we first sought NAFTA, and at least an updating needed to be done. The President has done more than update. As the President promised during his campaign, at the end of the day, President Trump successfully steered that final trade pact into the 21st century. He did so with a tireless and tenacious team of advisers, especially the leadership of the U.S. Trade Representative, Bob Lighthizer. Senator Wyden just gave more adjectives to Bob Lighthizer's work, and I associate myself with the remarks and the description that Senator Wyden gave to Bob Lighthizer's heavy lift to get this job done because Bob Lighthizer worked in good faith to broker and fine-tune the USMCA. Mr. Lighthizer built a strong and sweeping coalition to strengthen and expand markets for U.S. agriculture, manufacturing, and service exports. Mr. Lighthizer built a broad and sweeping coalition to improve labor and environmental protections in a balanced fashion, and Mr. Lighthizer built a broad and sweeping coalition that will end up growing wages for our workers. He ensured that all of this would be subject to strong enforcement, which is the bedrock of any good trade agreement, and it is in that enforcement that he took good ideas from Wyden and Brown. Unfortunately, these efforts that I just described to you became entangled in a time-wasting partisan roadblock from the House of Representatives. It is unfortunate for the American people, especially our farmers, ranchers, and workers, that public policymaking took a back seat to a partisan obsession of impeaching the 45th President. That is a shame. The President is upholding his promise to put America and Americans first. His message resonates with tens of millions of Americans who want to restore the American dream for their children and grandchildren. These Americans want the next generation to have the same opportunity to lay claim to the American dream that nine generations before, going back to the Colonies, have built upon so that each generation can live better than the preceding generation. That American dream is that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can earn a good living, get ahead, and stay ahead. A big plank in President Trump's platform is fixing broken trade agreements. USMCA is not the first of it because he has worked with Japan, and he has worked with Korea, and today we saw the signing of phase one of the Chinese agreement, so he is making great progress. The President is determined to stop America's farmers and manufacturers and workers and consumers from being taken for a ride. When it comes to unfair trade agreements, we are finding out now that the buck stops with President Trump. I am not sure, 3 years ago, I would have said that, but I think after 3 years and USMCA, the Chinese agreement, the Korean agreement, the Japanese agreement, and some other things he has done in trade, he ought to wake everybody up that what he ran on in his platform he has carried out. With NAFTA, when it took effect 26 years ago this month, the digital economy and the commercialization of the internet didn't even exist. The USMCA creates the first U.S. free trade agreement with a digital trade chapter. These important measures will help the $1.3 trillion U.S. digital economy to flourish and grow faster. It improves efforts to stop importers of counterfeit goods from ripping off consumers, producers, and content creators. It provides for copyright and patent protections to uphold trade secrets and to secure data rights so that American ingenuity and innovation will drive economic growth, create jobs, drive up consumer choices, and drive down prices for goods and services our consumers need. The USMCA levels the playing field for the U.S. auto industry by encouraging companies to use more North American content and higher wage labor. USMCA also fixes enforcement flaws that hog-tied NAFTA from keeping everyone accountable to their commitments. Speaking of hogs, the new NAFTA is good news for American farmers and ranchers. My State of Iowa happens to benefit from this to a great extent because my State is the Nation's No. 1 pork producer. In 2018, Canada and Mexico bought more than 40 percent of U.S. pork exports. These exports support 16,000 U.S. jobs. USMCA preserves critical, duty-free access to Mexico and Canada. It removes unfair restrictions on U.S. farm and food products. For the first time ever, U.S. eggs and dairy exports will be sold in Canada. This is very good news. It means an additional $227 million for dairy exports to Canada and $50.6 million of exports into Mexico. My home State of Iowa also is the No. 1 egg producer in the country. USMCA will increase U.S. exports of poultry and eggs to Canada by $207 million. It also addresses restrictions that kept U.S. wheat and wine out of Canada. I thank the former Iowa Governor and previous Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, because, as the leading Democrat in the State of Iowa, he set aside partisan motives embraced by other Members of his party to work together with Senator Ernst, Governor Kim Reynolds, and me to champion USMCA. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the USMCA will raise real GDP by more than $68 billion, and USMCA will create nearly 176,000 jobs. So, all told, the trade pact is forecast to boost farm and food exports by at least $2.2 billion. Considering the slump in the farm economy, it is really shameful that passage of the USMCA was stalled for over a year and nearly derailed by a partisan agenda, including the impeachment. Under the Trump economy, the United States is enjoying the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. Ratification of the USMCA will help America's economic engine fire on all cylinders and refuel prosperity in rural America. If you remember, I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks that passage of the USMCA is better late than never, and while I am looking forward, I also take this opportunity to call on Canada to quickly ratify the agreement. Now that Mexico has ratified and the United States will soon be done with our ratification, all eyes will be on Canada to get the job done quickly so that we can all work together to implement this agreement. I don't have any doubt that Canada is going to do that because I had opportunities earlier last year, several times, to visit with the Canadian Foreign Minister, and she was very certain that they would be passing this. Let's not delay the people's business on other important matters before us, such as drug pricing and retirement and pension legislation that would provide peace of mind for Americans for their healthcare and financial security. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for 1 minute in morning business.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, as President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, I want to recognize democracy working in Taiwan. On Saturday, the 23 million proud people of Taiwan exercised their democratic right to select their own leaders. I congratulate President Tsai on her reelection. I would also like to take this moment to congratulate all Taiwanese for being a shining light amidst dark times in other parts of East Asia. All of us remember what has been going on in Hong Kong for the last several months as they try to exercise just rights that the Chinese Government gave them in 1997, when they signed an agreement with the British Government turning back Hong Kong to China, and they would have the rights for the next 50 years to have the same democratic principles they had under the British Empire. Despite continued intimidation by the Chinese Communist Party across the Taiwan Strait, this proud island stood up to protect its democracy and sovereignty. That is exemplified by the election Saturday. Let us all congratulate the people of Taiwan for their remarkable accomplishment and continue to work in this Chamber to strengthen U.S.- Taiwan relations. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for 1 minute as in morning business.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, over the past year, the Iranian regime has been increasingly aggressive, attacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, shooting down a U.S. drone, seizing a British tanker, attacking a Saudi oil facility, attacking U.S. military bases in Iraq, and storming the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The U.S. response to Iran's increasing provocations had been too measured, to the point that we risked Iran's leaders mistaking restraint on the part of America for weakness and encouraging further escalation. Another attack that risked many American lives was in the works when President Trump ordered U.S. forces to take out the terrorist mastermind of the Iranian regime. Now, think about it. Sometimes you have to stand up to a bully to get him to back off or else we might be inviting further aggression. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 minute as in morning business.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, there is a story that we often hear about in high school and government classes where George Washington is said to have told Jefferson that the Senate was created to ``cool'' House legislation as a saucer is used to cool hot tea. Whether that is historically accurate or not, it is a good summation of the role of the U.S. Senate. Now I am going to quote from Federalist 62 what Madison said. He could have made this quote a little easier to understand, but here it is anyway: ``The necessity of a senate is not less indicated by the propensity of all single and numerous assemblies to yield to the impulse of sudden and violent passions, and to be seduced by factious leaders into intemperate and pernicious resolutions.'' That is the end of Madison's quote, Federalist 62. Now, considering Madison's admonition, it should be no surprise to anyone whatsoever that the Senate passes fewer bills than the House and always has. But how come those who parrot the partisan talking points that the Senate is a legislative graveyard don't also talk about the over 200 Senate bills on Speaker Pelosi's desk? I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask permission to address the Senate for 1 minute.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I want to wish all Iowans and maybe, in turn, all Americans a happy New Year. As 2020 begins, I am focused on passing the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. I am leading a meeting of the Finance Committee tomorrow to report out the bill, so the Senate floor vote is imminent. I am continuing to work, in a bipartisan way, to lower the cost of prescription drugs with the Grassley-Wyden Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act. In the coming weeks, I will begin my 40th annual 99-county tour of my State to continue to hear what is on the minds of Iowans so that I can better serve them in the U.S. Senate. I look forward to remaining in touch with Iowans as the new decade begins. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, in October the Senate Judiciary Committee marked up and passed S. 2132, the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019. I am happy to say that after further good faith negotiations among key stakeholders within and outside of Congress, a version of the bill is included in the appropriations package the Senate will soon consider. I am proud to be a lead cosponsor of this bipartisan bill and to have helped lead it through the Judiciary Committee. Senator Lankford, who introduced this legislation, has tirelessly worked to get it across the finish line in the Senate. From day one of this effort, American victims of terrorism have had a tremendous ally in the Senator from Oklahoma and his staff, and I thank him for his leadership. Earlier today, Senator Lankford discussed parts of this bipartisan legislation in greater detail. I would like to associate myself with his remarks. I am also very grateful to Senators Duckworth, Rubio, Blumenthal, and Coons for their support and work on behalf of victims. It is not easy to find common ground here in the Senate, but there is one issue where we should all agree: Those who aid or carry out terrorist attacks overseas that kill or injure Americans should be held fully accountable in our justice system. For over 25 years, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1992, ATA, which I authored and Congress unanimously passed, has empowered American victims of international terrorism to bring lawsuits in Federal courts to vindicate their rights and obtain compensation for their injuries-- providing some semblance of justice. Equally important, these lawsuits disrupt and deter the financial support of terrorist organizations. By cutting terrorists' financial lifelines, the ATA is a key part of the U.S. arsenal in fighting terrorism and protecting American citizens. The 1992 law removed the jurisdictional hurdles that had for so long frustrated or outright prevented American victims' ability to seek justice in U.S. courts for attacks committed overseas. Congress passed the ATA in the wake of international terrorist attacks, including the Palestine Liberation Front's 1985 killing of Leon Klinghoffer, a Jewish American aboard the Achille Lauro cruise ship. For 25 years the law worked as intended. The Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, and Palestinian Authority themselves were repeatedly held to account in U.S. courts and paid a price for terrorist attacks that harmed or killed Americans. But starting in 2015, lower court decisions made it impossible for American victims injured abroad to hold sponsors of international terrorism accountable in our own courts. These decisions nullified the fundamental purpose of the ATA--to protect Americans wherever in the world they may be--and disrespected Congress's power to protect U.S. citizens and U.S. interests. Last year, I introduced the bipartisan Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act of 2018, ATCA, in direct response to those court decisions, including Sokolow v. PLO in the second Circuit and Livnat v. Palestinian Authority in the DC Circuit. Congress passed the ATCA--once again, without objection--to restore jurisdiction and thereby finally secure justice for victims. The ATCA expressed a clear principle: If the PLO and Palestinian Authority continued to maintain any office or facility in the United States, or accepted taxpayer-funded U.S. assistance, they would be answerable in our courts for perpetrating or supporting terrorism that harmed or killed Americans. The bipartisan bill was considered through regular order as a standalone bill, with markups in both Chambers, passed Congress without objection, and was signed into law by President Trump in October of 2018. Shortly thereafter, instead of facing justice in our courts, the Palestinian Authority rejected all U.S.-backed humanitarian assistance provided to the West Bank and Gaza. In its zeal to dodge legal responsibility, the Palestinian Authority even prevented non- governmental organization, NGO, from receiving U.S. assistance. The Palestinian Authority's strategically overbroad interpretation of the ATCA harmed the very people it claims to represent on the international stage. After inexcusable objections and delays--which I previously outlined on the Senate floor--the State Department finally began to constructively work with me and my colleagues to improve upon the ATCA, respond to the Palestinian Authority's actions, and finally remove the jurisdictional hurdles imposed on American victims by flawed court decisions. The Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019 is the product of those negotiations and enables victims of terrorism to vindicate their rights in U.S. courts. It also responds directly to the Palestinian Authority's shameful blocking of security assistance and humanitarian services. This bill marks a rare compromise reached by American victims of terrorism and the State Department. I hope it in some way also sets a new precedent for our own State Department to continue working on behalf of and never again at odds with American victims. During the bill's markup this past October, Senator Coons offered an amendment that I cosponsored to add another important means of securing jurisdiction in our courts over the PLO and Palestinian Authority: If they pay terrorists or families of terrorists who injured or killed Americans, then that reprehensible conduct will be grounds for jurisdiction in ATA cases. This is a sound addition to the bill to support the United States' global fight against terrorism, as reflected in years of legislation--most recently the Taylor Force Act. The PLO and Palestinian Authority's ``pay to slay'' policies are nothing short of an incitement for further acts of terrorism. Connecting these payments to jurisdiction in ATA cases is perhaps the least Congress should do to further discourage such conduct and protect Americans abroad. The bill also sends a clear signal that Congress intends to empower courts to restore jurisdiction in cases previously dismissed. The American principle that everyone deserves meaningful access to justice is as old as the Constitution itself. This bipartisan bill will reopen the courthouse doors to American victims and their families. I am grateful for its inclusion in the appropriations measure that the Senate will soon consider. Once again, I want to thank Senator Lankford for his leadership and tireless work these past several months on behalf of American victims of terrorism. Finally, I also want to thank Chairman Graham for making this bill a priority in the Judiciary Committee. I now urge all of my colleagues' support for this important and bipartisan measure.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy with Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden to discuss a tax provision included in the spending package currently before the Senate. The tax title in this bill contains an important clarification to the alternative fuel mixture tax credit under section 6426(e). This credit is intended to promote the use of nontraditional fuels, such as compressed natural gas and biomass-based fuels, for transportation and other purposes. Unfortunately, some in the oil industry have sought to turn this credit on its head by claiming the credit for ordinary gasoline based on the amount of butane mixed in. Ranking Member Wyden, is it correct that every gallon of gasoline produced in the United States includes some amount of butane?

Mr. GRASSLEY. I can assure the Senator that it was never Congress's intent for gasoline to qualify for this tax credit. I was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee when the alternative fuel mixture credit was enacted in 2005 as part of a surface transportation bill. During that time, there was great interest in reducing our dependence on foreign oil and traditional fuels. The alternative fuel mixture credit was added to reduce that dependence, not to provide a handout to large oil and gas companies. The fact is, if anyone had thought oil companies could qualify for this crediw they already engaged in, the credit would never have been enacted. Not only would I have objected on policy grounds, but the Joint Committee on Taxation's revenue score associated with the provision would have been so large that its passage wouldn't have been feasible. What is more, if we had intended for butane mixed with gasoline to qualify when the credit was enacted in 2005, I don't understand why industry waited more than 10 years to start claiming the credit for doing what they have been doing for more than a century, as you point out.

Mr. GRASSLEY. I do agree. The IRS got the law correct when it issued Revenue Ruling 2018-2, and our clarification makes clear that it is our intent for the IRS interpretation of the law to be controlling for all claims. This is the basis of the ``no inference'' language in the bill that states: ``Nothing contained in this subsection or the amendments made by this subsection shall be construed to create any inference as to a change in law or guidance in effect prior to enactment of this subsection.'' I thank the ranking member for engaging in this colloquy to discuss this important issue and the clarification included in the pending appropriations bill.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, Senator Wyden and I received a letter from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Their letter endorsed our bipartisan Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act, which tries to respond to what we are hearing from our constituents about the public outrage over the big increases in prescription drugs. Now, it happens with Parkinson's disease that about 1 million Americans have it, and it seems like up to now there is no way to stop it or cure it, but thanks to modern medicine, the symptoms can be treated to help patients live a much better life. Ninety percent of all individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are on Medicare. Our bill, the bill to reduce prescription drug prices, would help these seniors afford their medicine with a cap on out-of- pocket expenses. In other words, they would know at the beginning of the year that they only have to spend x number of dollars on drugs, no more. Of course, this brings me to what Congress should be doing. Congress needs to act, not only for those with Parkinson's disease, but for all Americans who need our help. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am here today to commemorate and celebrate the 1-year anniversary of a groundbreaking achievement. On December 18, 2018, the Senate passed the FIRST STEP Act. Three days later, President Trump signed this far-reaching legislation into law. The FIRST STEP Act is the most significant criminal justice reform law in a generation. I am proud of the work we accomplished 1 year ago on the Senate floor by voting it out of this Chamber with a rollcall vote of 87 to 12. This historic vote means a lot to this Senator, who then was chairman of the Judiciary Committee. In fact, in one of the conference rooms in my office in Washington, I have the official tally sheet from this bill's vote framed and hung on a wall. Now Iowans, advocates, and those who visit my office can see this piece of history. Our criminal justice system is based on the rule of law. That means when you commit a crime, you should be punished. But the punishment should fit the crime. If the penalty is too harsh, it doesn't do any more to deter criminal activity, and it is a bad value for our taxpayers when you keep people in prison if it doesn't do any good to have them there. Overly harsh penalties can also make it harder for prisoners who are trying to change their lives to turn over a new leaf. It is worth noting that almost all criminals are eventually released from prison. Our criminal justice system must do much more than punish and deter. It should rehabilitate and prepare prisoners to reenter society. That is exactly what the FIRST STEP Act does. It gives nonviolent prisoners an incentive to participate in programs in prison, such as job training, drug treatment programs, and counseling, which have been shown to reduce recidivism. The FIRST STEP Act also makes sentencing more fair. It leaves tough penalties in place for the worst criminals, but it reduces mandatory minimum sentences, giving judges the ability to tailor punishment to fit the crime. Today marks a very happy occasion and a time of reflection. However, we must remain focused on the future and implementation of that law. With vigilant and consistent oversight into the implementation of the FIRST STEP Act, we can ensure these goals of reducing recidivism and improving our criminal justice system are met. I have had the opportunity to meet with dozens of former prisoners who have been released because of the reforms in the FIRST STEP Act, and I also had a chance to meet with some of the families. These former prisoners are inspiring. They are finding jobs. They are taking care of their families. They are paying their taxes and contributing to their communities. They have told me that the FIRST STEP Act gave them hope. It reminded them that the rest of the country had not forgotten about them but wanted them to succeed. The FIRST STEP Act gives former prisoners a better chance at changing their lives. Every day, there are more success stories. No doubt, there will be some prisoners who don't learn a lesson and return to a life of crime, but the reforms we put into place have been shown at the State level to reduce crime by reducing recidivism. It is the right thing to do for people in the criminal justice system, but it is a good value for the taxpayers, as well, because it costs tens of thousands of dollars to keep people in prisons. As we commemorate the FIRST STEP Act, it is important to acknowledge that this was a bipartisan effort. A lot of people didn't think it was even possible, but we did it by working together and finding a way to work out a reasonable compromise. First and foremost, I want to acknowledge Senator Durbin. I guess you would call the two of us partners in crime. There is no better advocate for criminal justice reform than Senator Durbin, and this bill would never have passed without his hard work and willingness to forge this bipartisan compromise. I point especially to Senator Lee because he knows the criminal justice code inside out, and when we needed people to tell us what we could or could not do, what was reasonable, he had an answer. So I want to thank Senator Lee. I also thank Senators Cornyn, Scott, Whitehouse, Booker, and Leahy, among others. I also want to recognize President Trump and give a sincere thank-you to him and his team, particularly Jared Kushner, for the support and leadership in this space. Today, December 18, will always be an important day for me as a legislator. I look forward to making sure that this law is implemented successfully and to finding additional ways to improve our criminal justice system. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am delighted that we last week reached a compromise enabling Congress to send another 5-year reauthorization of the Debbie Smith Act to the President's desk this week. Both Chambers' adoption of that compromise, which passed the Senate by voice vote last night, with my support, signals Congress's continued support for the DNA Backlog and Capacity Enhancement Program. Earlier this year, I called for reforms to the grant program that the Debbie Smith Act established. These reforms, suggested this year by the Government Accountability Office, would require both that the Justice Department articulate measurable, program-wide goals and that the National Institute of Justice take additional steps to prevent lobbying-related conflicts of interest. They would not resolve every issue with this grant program, but I believe the implementation of such reforms would substantially strengthen the program. I also advocated for reforms, which are included in the final legislation, that ensure the analysis of untested DNA in sexual assault cases is accorded higher priority under this program. As mentioned earlier this week, I have called on the Attorney General to implement several of my proposed reforms through administrative action. I thank the Attorney General for committing to do so, in the attached letter dated December 11, 2019. My letter to the Attorney General on this subject, dated December 9, 2019, also is attached, and I ask unanimous consent that both letters be printed in the Congressional Record.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for 1 minute as in morning business.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, this week marks the second anniversary of the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act--December 2017--when the biggest tax cut in the history of the country was passed by the Congress. It has been very successful. The reason I come to honor this second anniversary is because polls show that people don't realize the benefits of the tax cuts. Some of them even wonder: Did we get a tax cut? I have some appreciation for that because I spent 10 years on an assembly line in Cedar Falls, IA, and probably if I got a 50-cent cut every week, I wouldn't know until the end of the year that that added up to $250 more in my pocket. So under the circumstances of the working men and women of America, it might be difficult to know that. Studies show a great benefit to the middle-class families from this tax cut. Thanks to these historic tax cuts and reforms, Americans do in fact have more money in their paychecks and their pocketbooks. Individuals and families have more to spend or, if they want, to save it, and maybe a lot of people save for retirement. Small businesses and entrepreneurs benefit from the tax cut. They have more to invest in their employees and in their business operations, and they probably hire more Americans. As a result, we have experienced the longest U.S. economic expansion in history, higher wages, and historically low unemployment--the lowest since 1969. I am proud to say on this 2-year anniversary of the tax reform that it has been a resounding success. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate for 1 minute as in morning business.

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I recently heard from an 81-year-old Iowan who is battling cancer. She told me that one test cost more than $12,700. That is almost an entire year's income for that lady. On top of that, her medication is more than $4,700 a month. She is on Humana and Medicare, but that is not enough for her to still afford her medical bills. Too many Americans share this Iowan's story. That is why we must pass the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act, to finally help Americans afford the critical medications they need. The bill I just named is a bipartisan bill sponsored by this Senator and Democratic Senator Wyden. It got voted out of committee 19 to 9 back in July. We have the good fortune that the House of Representatives understands that the pricing of prescription drugs is a major problem. They passed a bill last week. I applaud them for taking up this issue. It so happens that the bill they passed probably can't get anywhere near 60 votes in the U.S. Senate, so I hope we will have an opportunity to sit down with Speaker Pelosi and other House Members to see what we can work out to do something about the high cost of prescription drugs for the citizens of this country. Every Member of this body hears from their constituents that they don't like the fantastic increase in prices of drugs that occurs on a regular basis. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.