Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10:30 a.m., Thursday, February 8; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 695, with the time until the cloture vote equally divided between the two leaders or their designees.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand that the Senate has received a message from the House to accompany H.R. 695.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 695.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 695. Cloture Motion I send a cloture motion to the desk on the motion to concur.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to refer the House message on H.R. 695 to the Committee on Appropriations to report back forthwith with instructions.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment to the instructions.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 393, submitted earlier today.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we are one day closer to Thursday's government funding deadline. I am pleased to report that our bipartisan talks are continuing to progress toward an agreement on spending caps and important priorities all of us are eager to address. But as we continue the negotiations, we have the opportunity to make real progress with an immediate step that every Senator in the Chamber should support; that is, passing a fiscal year 2018 Defense appropriations bill. We can vote to remove the uncertainty that is hanging over our Armed Forces and secure the current year funding that our servicemembers deserve. Funding cuts have fallen disproportionately on our men and women in uniform. Current funding levels are not adequate to support Secretary Mattis's new national defense strategy, and our military leaders have made clear that short-term continuing resolutions are hardly the optimal way for Congress to fund our warfighters. Senators on both sides of the aisle say they agree that our warfighters deserve sufficient, stable funding to fulfill the missions and tasks their country assigns them. Today, each of us will have a chance to back that up with our vote. The Senate will take up a noncontroversial measure that passed the House with a comfortable bipartisan majority. It presents an opportunity for us to unite and give our all-volunteer military a full fiscal year of funding while we finalize our talks on other subjects. We should seize the opportunity and not delay any longer securing current-year funding for the men and women who bravely keep us safe.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we have been talking for weeks about the millions of Americans who are already benefiting from tax reform. Already, millions of workers have received a tax reform bonus, pay increase, or other benefit. I understand that a $1,000, $2,000, or $3,000 bonus might not seem like much to our colleagues from New York or San Francisco. I understand why people who are already very wealthy might agree with my friends the House and Senate Democratic leaders who said these bonuses and benefits are merely ``crumbs.'' But, look, I can assure them that the working families I represent do not see a permanent raise or a multithousand-dollar bonus as a crumb to sweep off the table. In millions of households, thanks to tax reform, paying the bills has already gotten a little less painful and planning for the future has already gotten a little easier. And this is just the beginning. Soon, millions and millions more Americans will see the impact of tax reform in their paychecks. IRS withholding is going down, take-home pay is going up, and families everywhere will be keeping more of their hard-earned money. This is great news for middle-class Americans. So why are our Democratic friends afraid to acknowledge it? The reason is simple. Every single one of them voted against tax reform. Every Democrat in the House and in the Senate voted against these new benefits for American workers. Every one of them voted against a pay raise for the 90 percent of American workers who, according to a Treasury Department estimate, are about to see their take-home pay go up. I don't envy their position. I don't envy having to explain why they voted to keep more money in Washington rather than give their constituents a raise. Tax reform bonuses and more take-home pay aren't the only ways tax reform will help American workers. The law also includes a creative new solution to directly help the communities that are struggling the most. We all know that too few new jobs were created during the Obama years. Through heavy taxing and excessive regulation, Washington had its foot on the brake of the U.S. economy. Job creation and wage growth were weaker than they should have been, but another aspect of this often goes overlooked. Of the new jobs that were created from 2010 to 2016, according to one estimate, three-quarters went to major metropolitan areas. Let me say that again. Of the new jobs that were created between 2010 and 2016, three-quarters went to major metropolitan areas. Only 3 percent of those new jobs went to rural America. Across the Nation--including my home State of Kentucky, particularly in Eastern Kentucky--many rural areas, small cities, and suburbs were left behind in the Obama economy. It is time to change that. That is why my colleague the junior Senator from South Carolina made sure that tax reform included a provision to create ``opportunity zones'' across the United States. My Republican colleagues and I were proud to support this policy. It allows State Governors to designate economically depressed areas for special tax incentives that will make them more attractive places to invest and create jobs. It will empower communities that have been passed over time and again to put up, in effect, big neon signs that say: ``We are open for business.'' It will help these struggling communities reach their full potential. This Congress is determined to reignite an economy that works for everyone. That is why tax reform lets families across the country keep more of what they earn. That is why tax reform makes America a more attractive place to create jobs, and it gives our businesses a fairer fight with foreign competitors. That is why tax reform includes this ``opportunity zones'' provision, which will help deliver targeted relief to communities that need it the most. To most Americans, all this sounds like common sense. Republicans in Congress thought so too. We came together to deliver these historic achievements for the American people. It is too bad that not one single Democrat got on board with any of this. But at least the bigger paychecks, new bonuses, and new investments will continue to roll in, and our constituents know exactly who stood up for them.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand that there are three bills at the desk due for a second reading en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceedings en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have 10 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 Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed hearing. Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs The Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Virtual Currencies: The Oversight Role of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission.'' Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on bills S. 2182, Bikini Resettlement and Relocation Act and S. 2325, Northern Mariana Island and U.S. Workforce Act. Committee on Foreign Relations The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Administration's South Asia Strategy on Afghanistan.'' Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: Access and Innovation.'' Committee on the Judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Beneficial Ownership: Fighting Illicit International Financial Networks Through Transparency.'' Select Committee on Intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed hearing. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``One Year Later: The American Innovation and Competitiveness Act.'' Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Data Security and Bug Bounty Programs: Lessons Learned from the Uber Breach and Security Researchers.'' Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security The Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Exploring the `Gig Economy' and the Future of Retirement Savings.'' Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management The Subcommittee on Federal Spending Oversight and Emergency Management of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, February 6, 2018, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Ways of Funding Government: Exploring the Cost to Taxpayers of Spending Uncertainty Cause by Governing through Continuing Resolutions, Giant Omnibus Spending Bills, and Shutdown Crises.''