Chuck Grassley

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to share some real Iowa history this morning. Merle David Hay from Glidden, IA, was the first Iowa serviceman to die in World War I. Hay enlisted on May 9, 1917, with his father's blessing, as he was too young to be drafted. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, Company F. In the early hours of November 3, 1917, while posted in the trenches near the French village of Artois, the Imperial German Army attacked, and Merle Hay was killed. Hay's father said: ``I am proud of my boy if he has given up his life for his country.'' Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, IA, is a constant memory of this person's sacrifice. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Since the day I was born, I have celebrated Constitution Day. That is because the 39 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution on September 17, which is exactly 146 years before I was born. It is a gift to share my birthday with the historic signing of our Nation's founding charter. The Constitution lends weight to the resilience of our heritage and to the heroes who fought to defend and protect our borders at home and from distant shores around the world. On this Constitution Day, it is my hope that Americans of all ages will reflect upon the blessings of freedom handed down from one generation to the next and protected by the U.S. Constitution. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, this weekend I attended what some call Iowa's own Super Bowl, the Iowa v. Iowa State football game. I talked with Iowans while tailgating, and tailgating most of the time goes on before the game for me. We talked about issues such as ethanol, biodiesel, and trade. This year, the game was in Ames, and Iowa State hosted ESPN's football ``College GameDay,'' and this was the first time ever for Iowans to do that. It was an opportunity to show off Iowa State's campus and to celebrate the tradition of the annual Cy-Hawk game. Congratulations to the Iowa Hawkeyes for winning this year's match- up, but both teams put up a strong fight, as you can tell from the final score of Iowa's winning 18 to 17. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

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

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, last year, we on the Judiciary Committee conducted an incredibly thorough review of a nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States. We dug into Justice Kavanaugh's personal and professional life and discussed concerns openly in front of the public. Allegations were raised against the Justice, but none could be corroborated or verified. I know about this because I had a team of dozens of lawyers and investigators chasing down each allegation we received. My team spoke to 45 individuals and took 25 written statements. Anyone can review the 415-page investigation summary report that I released last November. We laid out the information we received, including some of the ugliest of claims. In the end, there was no credible evidence to support any of the allegations. Brett Kavanaugh then was duly confirmed to the Supreme Court by this body, as prescribed in the Constitution. Now, fast forward to this past weekend, and the issues that I and a lot of other Members of the Senate are being asked about this very day, just as if there is nothing else going on in this town, but you dig up something that happened a year ago. The New York Times published a book excerpt about Justice Kavanaugh's younger days that has fueled a very fresh rumor from someone whose friends claim contacted Senators on the committee. That person, Mr. Stier, didn't reach out or provide information to the committee's majority. Apparently, he also didn't provide any information to these writers. It is only on the word of two anonymous sources that his name and accusation come up in this story in the New York Times. Again, my office never received anything from Mr. Stier or his unnamed friends, and we never received an allegation against Kavanaugh like the one referenced in the report over this weekend. After interviewing eight people related to the Ramirez allegations, not once was Mr. Stier's name mentioned. Had my staff received substantive allegations or had he approached me or my staff, we would have attempted to take a statement and interview him. But the alleged victim, who also didn't speak to these writers, apparently, does not recall the incident. That is a point that the New York Times failed to include in its initial coverage. Now, it happens that accountability is a cornerstone of democracy. I welcome scrutiny of my work. I frequently refer to reporters and journalists as the police of our democratic system, but today I am reminded of a very old adage: Who will watch the watchmen? This weekend's report included some embarrassing and irresponsible missteps. They are mistakes that warrant serious self-reflection. A year ago, after the interviews with dozens of people, the New York Times couldn't even corroborate the allegations laid out by Ms. Ramirez and declined to report on them. With nothing but a year of time and another interview with Ramirez herself, the paper thought those unverified claims were suddenly worth printing--no more corroboration and no more verification. Coming only days before the release of the author's book, I can't help but wonder if the timing had something to do with the decision to run the story. Maybe it was to sell more books. They also laid out what commentators are now calling a new allegation. Let me be clear. This is not an allegation. It is barely a third-hand rumor. These writers--can you believe this?--didn't even speak to the man who they claim originally recounted this rumor. What is left are only layers and layers of decades-old hearsay--no more corroboration, no more verification, and not even anything from the accuser himself, and, most importantly, nothing from the person who was allegedly involved. Now, the most shameful piece of this episode is that it took more than a full day, after publication, for the editors to intervene and to provide critical context. An editor's note added to the story last night reads: ``The book reports that the female student declined to be interviewed and friends say that she does not recall the incident.'' Let me quote again: `` . . . she does not recall the incident.'' That is the alleged victim. That is the opposite of corroboration and verification. In the legal world, this sort of thing is called exculpatory information. When it is not laid bare to provide greater context, it creates a serious credibility problem. In this case, the New York Times withheld crucial facts that undercut its own reporting. We now have an uncorroborated accusation, rooted only in unnamed sources, with no direct knowledge of the event and that the alleged victim doesn't even remember. Now, you know about the New York Times. Their slogan is that they only print what is ``fit to print.'' I just described this situation of no corroboration rooted in an unnamed source without direct knowledge of this event and that the alleged victim doesn't even remember. Now, to get back to the slogan of the newspaper, when did this stuff I described become something ``fit to print'' by the supposed American paper of record? The sad consequences of this article are a misinformed public, a greater divide in our own discourse, and a deeper lack of faith in our news media. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask unanimous consent to speak in morning business for 90 seconds.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I have two points I would like to make. I have three bills designed to help students better understand the actual cost of college because it is kind of a complicated thing to determine because there is not enough transparency. Colleges tend to think that having a high tuition is a reflection of quality, which just means that they all have to offer more scholarships. Between that and the complexity of Federal student aid, price shopping for college is very difficult and some people might think impossible. That is why I was glad to learn that one of Iowa's well-respected private colleges, Central College in Pella, IA, has lowered its tuition from $38,600 a year to $18,600 to better reflect the actual cost. Yes, that is right--they reduced their college tuition by $20,000 a year. Maybe Pella Central College will start a trend.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, on another point, Iowans, and particularly veterans, mourn the loss of Chuck Geertz of Muscatine. Sergeant First Class Geertz was an Active-Duty servicemember for 23 years but continued to serve his Nation after his retirement in 2009, and this is how he did it: through establishing an organization in 2008 called Healing at English River Outfitters or, as he established the acronym, HERO. That organization does great good. It provides veterans and their families with relaxing outdoor activities for physical and mental healing. Chuck is remembered for his caring spirit and dedication to his community and, most important, his fellow veterans. While he will be missed, his legacy of community service will continue. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, the Chaplain opened our Senate in prayer reminding everybody of what happened 18 years ago today: a disastrous attack on the United States. So referring to that same 18 years, I say our Nation changed forever following an act of cowardice from the enemies of freedom. The events of September 11 have left an indelible mark on American and world history and certainly on the lives of the victims' families. We pray now, as we did then, that God may heal the wounds of those injured and the wounds left by those lost that day, that they may find peace on this solemn day. Let us recall the sacrifices made that day to preserve our way of life and honor each day the pledge ``Never forget.'' I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, agriculture and the family farmers of America depend upon exports for prosperity. Passing the U.S.-Mexico- Canada Agreement is then critical to provide farmers and ranchers with the certainty they need to make long-term business decisions. Over $10 billion worth of agricultural products are exported each year to our neighbors, and that supports more than 86,000 jobs. Modernizing and improving our trade relationships with Canada and Mexico is a bipartisan no-brainer. Former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and I discussed the USMCA in Des Moines last month at a local dairy processing plant. Secretary Vilsack and I agree we must pass the USMCA to help our farmers. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, during August, I continued my annual tradition of holding at least one Q&A in every one of Iowa's 99 counties. I go to Iowans where they work and live to hear what is on their minds so that I can better represent them in the Senate. No matter the setting, my citizens of Iowa set the agenda. On August 27, with a town meeting in Spencer, IA, I completed the 39th consecutive year of my annual 99 county meetings. I look forward to continuing my dialogue with Iowans throughout the rest of this year, just to emphasize that I hold a lot more than just 99 meetings with my constituents every year. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

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, I think we should save the taxpayers a lot of money by giving States more options under Medicaid. Unlike Medicare and private insurance, Medicaid doesn't incentivize bundled payments. This prevents States from testing a method that could potentially save money. The bipartisan prescription drug pricing reform legislation I introduced with Senator Wyden allows States to collect rebates from drugs in outpatient settings. This removes an existing exemption in statute for some outpatient drugs and allows States to more completely utilize and test bundled payments to possibly save money. Giving States flexibility allows them to focus on the best care for different populations. Encouraging bundled payments in Medicaid would do just that. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

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

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, there is too much secrecy in drug pricing, particularly in who benefits from rebates. Not all rebates are created equal in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Rebate obligations for brand-name drugs are currently based on both brand-name and authorized generic drug sales. That means brand-name drug manufacturers pay less in rebate obligations. The bipartisan legislation I introduced with Senator Wyden fixes this. It ensures that brand-name drug manufacturers pay--like common sense ought to dictate--brand-name rebates. This reduces gaming in the system to make sure authorized generics come to market for a purpose related to patient access, not just to lower brand-name rebate obligations. Transparency brings accountability, and with transparency and accountability, the market works better, competition works better, and in the end, gets the price of drugs down. 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, I want to take our Nation and my colleagues back to the Revolutionary War. More than 240 years ago, sailors aboard the warship Warren disclosed significant misconduct by the commander of the Continental Navy. The Congress then recognized these brave whistleblowers' valuable contribution to our brandnew Republic because, on this day--today--in 1778, Congress passed this resolution, saying: ``It is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States . . . to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds, or misdemeanors committed by any offices or persons in the service of these states.'' That is the beginning of the government recognizing whistleblowers as valuable patriots. Following in their footsteps, this Senate has also unanimously agreed to designate today as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day. I yield the floor.

Mr. GRASSLEY

Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.