Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that following leader remarks on Tuesday, July 23, the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 1327, as under the previous order; I further ask that notwithstanding rule XXII, at 12 noon, the Senate proceed to executive session and, if cloture has been invoked on the Esper nomination, all postcloture time be considered expired and that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action. Finally, that following the cloture vote on the Dickson nomination, the Senate resume legislative session and consideration of H.R. 1327 with all debate time considered expired at 2:30 p.m.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. I understand there are two bills at the desk, and I ask for their first reading en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL. I now ask for a second reading, and I object to my own request, all en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Con. Res. 19.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m., Monday, July 22; 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, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Esper nomination; finally, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motions filed during today's session of the Senate ripen at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, July 22.

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, first, this morning, the Senate recognizes the death of a distinguished American. We received word last night that the remarkable life of former Associate Justice John Paul Stevens had come to a close at the age of 99. Justice Stevens served for 34 years on the Nation's highest Court. You didn't have to agree with his constitutional philosophy to admire his obvious intelligence or the universal reports about his kindness and collegiality or the passionate patriotism he was proud to wear on his sleeve. No question, this was a quintessential public servant of the ``greatest generation.'' A son of Chicago who enlisted in the Navy the day before Pearl Harbor and went on to earn a Bronze Star for his work in cracking the coded messages of Imperial Japan, there was just something about Justice Stevens that told you this man lived life to the fullest. At age 12, he was there to see Babe Ruth's ``called shot'' at Wrigley Field. At age 99, just this year, he published a memoir that was subtitled ``Reflections on My First 94 Years.'' In between, alongside his time on the Court, he found time to weigh in on Shakespeare scholarship on the side. So the Senate joins the Nation in appreciating this American life fully lived, and our condolences are with the Stevens family on this sad day.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday, our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee heard testimony from Dr. Mark Esper, the Senate- confirmed Secretary of the Army and President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Defense. They examined his extensive record of military and public service and discussed the variety of challenges the next Secretary will face. By the end, I believe anybody impartial would have to have come away impressed by Dr. Esper's mastery, intelligence, and thoroughness. Of course, it is not exactly surprising that a decorated combat veteran and distinguished scholar would convey expertise and calm under pressure. For those of us who knew him during his service as national security adviser to the former majority leader, Bill Frist, those qualities are familiar. You could hardly invent better qualifications for the top job at the Pentagon than Mark Esper's: a graduate of West Point, advanced degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and George Washington University, courageous service with the 101st Airborne in the Gulf war, service at the Defense Department, a successful career in the private sector. Every step of the way, he earned respect and admiration. That includes high praise from DOD leaders of the last administration, the Obama administration. They say that Dr. Esper ``works hard, he's smart, he's dedicated.'' He has ``all the qualifications.'' Our colleagues at the hearing saw an exceptionally well-qualified nominee. In fact, as my friend the junior Senator from Virginia has put it, they saw a man of ``sound character and moral courage.'' He is a man of honor and integrity, dedicated to our Nation and committed to the men and women who serve in uniform, and I think it is clear he deserves prompt confirmation. Even more, the Pentagon and our Nation's security deserve a Senate-confirmed Secretary of Defense to be in place and on the job. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his confirmation as soon as it can reach the floor.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Senate is in the midst of considering bilateral tax treaties with Spain, Switzerland, Japan, and Luxembourg. If yesterday's overwhelming votes on the first protocol are any indication, all four will be ratified with huge bipartisan margins by the end of the day, and American businesses and workers in all 50 States will be thrilled to finally be back on fair footing. The details of these nuanced agreements are complicated, but the core principles are quite simple. Foreign trade and international investment are key cornerstones of the U.S. economy. Major parts of proud American businesses and hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans' jobs are oriented around trade with these four nations. So their governments and our government sit down and negotiate which country will tax which kind of activities. The result is more clarity, more certainty, and a lot less unfair double taxation that has cost American businesses millions and millions of dollars. Let me say clearly that the years of delays in getting these noncontroversial treaties ratified have cost American businesses that employ American workers millions and millions of dollars. Inaction on this subject has needlessly--needlessly--put our firms that employ all of our constituents at a complete disadvantage and delayed capital investments that could have helped American workers. Let me bring this home with some numbers. I have mentioned one Kentucky manufacturer that produces more than one-third of all stainless steel that America makes. They employ 1,500 people. I happen to know this firm is contemplating a capital investment of more than $30 million that would benefit Kentucky workers and provide a shot in the arm for the local economy. But there has been a wrinkle because this one employer had to pay a $15 million tax bill back in April because we hadn't ratified the agreement with Spain. And--listen to this--if the delay had continued, an additional $35 million tax liability would have been next--had we delayed. If the Senate had not finally acted on this, this single American manufacturer would have owed $50 million in unnecessary or redundant taxes, had we not acted. For nearly 6 years, this manufacturer has been laboring on an unfair playing field that discouraged them from making investments that could have expanded operations and created more jobs in Kentucky and elsewhere in America. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the news story containing their CEO's statement on yesterday's ratification of the Spain treaty be printed in the Record.

Mr. McCONNELL. Multiply this kind of story by all of the other numerous, significant Kentucky companies whom these agreements affect; then multiply by 50 States because U.S. businesses from coast to coast interact with these four nations; then consider how many hundreds of thousands of workers all of these companies employ. That is the scale of what we are talking about--the highest consequences. I know job creators across the country are thrilled that the Senate is finally moving forward this week, and I am certainly proud to have helped resolve this matter. But, curiously, it seems that not all of our colleagues are thrilled. Don't get me wrong; the vote totals on the floor have spoken volumes. The cloture vote on the Spain agreement was 94 to 1--just one Senator in opposition--and the treaty was ratified yesterday 94 to 2. Yet I was curious to hear one colleague of ours come to the floor yesterday and passionately argue against what I have done as majority leader to support these agreements. As the Member himself stated, he has made obstructing these tax treaties a yearlong personal project. The United States and Spain agreed on this protocol back in 2013. Spain ratified it in 2014. That is when it also arrived here in the Senate. For nearly 6 years, he has worked to stall ratification. I know, because on multiple occasions I sought unanimous consent to secure Senate ratification of this protocol. During that time, he has tried and failed to persuade Treasury Departments of two different administrations to insist on certain changes that would have required reopening the international negotiations. He tried and failed to persuade his colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee that his ideas were so necessary that we should risk scuttling the treaties-- scuttling all of the treaties--over them. He tried and failed to persuade the whole Senate. At every step, executive branch officials and Senate colleagues have tried to engage his concerns in good faith. But for 6 years in the case of the Spain treaty, 8 years with respect to Switzerland, and 9 years with respect to Luxembourg, he was unable to persuade anybody--over 9 years. In all of that time, no one was persuaded, partly because the changes he demanded don't solve a real problem, partly because they would have forced reopening the treaties for even more negotiations, and partly because everybody else was actually listening to the job creators who have been pleading with us for years to get this millstone off their necks. There were 9 years--9 years of rejecting reasonable counteroffers and accommodations, 9 years of working to hold up these treaties and trying to sell the Obama administration, the Trump administration, and his Senate colleagues on an off-the-wall story that failed to persuade anyone. Look, I am a patient man, but my patience is not inexhaustible. After unanimous consent was denied on multiple occasions, I determined, after consulting with the Treasury Secretary and the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, that I would prepare to file cloture on these tax protocols. Yet even after this whole journey, our colleague still was not blocked or shut out of the process. He had his opportunity. A few weeks ago, he had the opportunity to offer amendments to the protocols in committee. They failed on a vote of 17 to 5. Last night, we put two more of his amendments up for votes on the floor; they went nowhere. Nine years is long enough. In fact, it is far too long--too long for our U.S. businesses to have been either paying needless double taxes or deferring huge amounts of money in dividend payments that could otherwise have been invested right here at home. Year after year, money that could have been immediately used to hire Americans or make new investments had to either be frozen up or handed over in duplicate taxes--all in large part because one of our colleagues could not accept that one single Senator who hasn't persuaded his fellow Members is not entitled to singlehandedly rewrite international treaties. No wonder all kinds of American employers came out of the woodwork yesterday and urged the Senate to reject his misguided amendments and waste no more time in ratifying these treaties. I don't know why the Senator believes he was close to a breakthrough after his years of effort. Hope springs eternal, I suppose. Even if he had convinced the administration or his colleagues, the U.S. Government would have had to reopen the treaties for negotiation all over again with the other party, which would almost certainly have brought about changes that they wanted. No wonder President Trump's Treasury Department expressed opposition to these amendments. Treasury told Senators yesterday that going back and inserting these changes could force a years-long renegotiation of the treaties themselves, jeopardize their ratification, and have a significant adverse impact on America's standing among the international community. I am not quite sure what all these years of heel-dragging will have accomplished--except impose unnecessary taxes on Kentucky employers and deferring investments in the United States. I can't see anything to show for this crusade except hurting American businesses for the better part of a decade, all to no effect. But I am glad we can turn the page this week and get these treaties on the books. I haven't been able to identify a constituency for which he has advocated, but I know my actual constituents in Carroll County--real people in Kentucky--are sure glad the Senate has taken this important action. It is the right thing to do for the country. It is the right thing to do for Kentucky workers and all the employers nationwide who have been waiting and waiting for this unfair competitive disadvantage to be removed. I am glad that is exactly what we are doing this week.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand there is a bill at the desk due a second reading.

Mr. McCONNELL. In order to place the bill on the calendar under the provision of rule XIV, I would object to further proceedings.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the Democratic leader and I just want to take a few minutes here to point out to everyone that our colleague, the senior Senator from Vermont, just cast a truly historic vote. Of course, these tax treaties are significant, but I am talking about the fact that Senator Leahy just cast his 16,000th vote of his Senate career. We know of no single statistic that could begin to capture such a tenure, but this figure comes close--16,000 votes cast for his constituents. With numbers like that, Senator Leahy has already left towering figures like our late colleagues Ted Stevens and Ted Kennedy in the dust. Now he is gaining on legends like Danny Inouye. I think it is safe to say that all of Senator Leahy's colleagues on both sides of the aisle are reminded every day why the good people of Vermont made him the youngest U.S. Senator ever from Vermont back in 1974 and why they have rehired him over and over. He must be a hard act to follow, too, because, believe this or not, he is still technically-- technically--the only Democrat Vermont has ever sent to the Senate. I know we all admire the Senator's passion and perseverance. I remember him fondly from our time together as chair and ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. Foreign Ops was one of my favorite committee assignments, and I am proud of the investments Senator Leahy and I helped make in support of democracy, good governance, and human rights around the world. I think I speak for all of us when I offer congratulations to our good friend from Vermont on his historic milestone. (Applause.)

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and 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 at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 18, the Senate vote on the Corker and Blanchard nominations and that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that following disposition of the Blanchard nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the Tapia nomination; finally, that at 1:45 p.m., the Senate vote on the Tapia nomination and that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 95, S. 1321.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 120, S. 1833.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, July 18; 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, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Corker nomination.

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 following the remarks of our Democratic colleagues and Senator Sullivan.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, economic data continue to confirm what we have been hearing from American workers and job creators for 2 years now: This is a pro-worker, pro-family, pro-opportunity economic moment. Hardly a day goes by without new headlines highlighting the new prosperity in communities that the last administration's policies overlooked and the red-hot market for American workers. Since January 2017, Republican policies have focused on letting the American people control more of their own money and letting American businesses create jobs more easily. So what are the results? On our watch, unemployment has fallen to near 50-year lows and stayed there. Underemployment has fallen too. Wages are growing. Month after month, we have had more job openings nationwide than Americans looking for work. Specifically, there are currently about 1.6 million more job openings than Americans looking for work, the widest margin ever recorded. Now, these aren't Washington accomplishments. They are the American people's accomplishments, but public policy can certainly change the conditions. Government can either create the conditions that help lead to success or to stagnation. For example, bad public policies under the Obama administration help to explain why the insufficient and unfair economic ``recovery'' left so many places behind. High taxes, heavy regulation, and a hostile climate for business--these things all add up. They took a real toll in many places. Take my home State of Kentucky, for example. Kentucky is proud of our diverse economy. We are proud of our great healthcare and aviation sectors. We are proud that we are a tourist destination. It turns out that Bourbon and horse races are a winning combination. We also take huge pride in the kinds of industries that liberal policies tend to either forget about or actively work against. I am talking about manufacturing and agriculture and mining and coal-fired electricity--the things that keep the lights on in America's heartland. We could not be prouder of the huge role these sectors play in our Commonwealth. So it is not surprising that leftwing policies dreamt up in places like New York and San Francisco, for places like New York and San Francisco, were not too kind to Kentucky--growth that was too slow, jobs that were hard to come by. Some so-called experts said it was just the ``new normal,'' but we knew better. We knew Kentucky could get back on track if we could only get a fair shot and fewer hurdles from Washington. We needed the government to stop creating headwinds and maybe even create a few tailwinds. That is exactly what happened over the last 2\1/2\ years. Since January 2017, Republicans in Congress have partnered with the Trump administration to get our Nation's opportunity economy going and growing again--for everyone. We passed the first comprehensive overhaul of the Federal Tax Code in more than a generation. We cut regulations that had reduced liberty and stifled our competitiveness. We helped American workers and entrepreneurs hang up a big, bright neon sign saying ``Open for Business.'' And--no surprise here--working Americans have taken the ball and they have run with it. I have already read the national statistics. I am even prouder about this. Instead of being left behind, Kentucky is helping to lead the charge. The State's unemployment rate has hit and sustained its lowest level on record. Again, that is recordbreaking low unemployment. Last year, Governor Bevin helped Kentucky to welcome more than $5.3 billion of planned business investment. This new growth isn't just concentrated in urban areas. Rural communities in the Bluegrass are seeing more jobs, investment, and expansion as well. Of course, it takes more than 2 years to unwind the mistakes of the past. Parts of Kentucky are still struggling from the effects of liberal policies, and this Republican Senate, the administration, and leaders in Frankfort are laser-focused on continuing to invest in and fight for recovery. In many communities, particularly in rural Kentucky, the lingering pain has been hard to shake--the damage to the coal industry, the devastation caused by opioid and substance abuse. So more work is certainly needed, and I am honored to lead the charge in Washington to help Kentuckians confront these challenges. Through programs like the Appalachian Regional Commission and the abandoned mine land pilot program, we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into struggling areas and out-of-work Americans. In Eastern Kentucky, Congressman Hal Rogers and I have partnered with local organizations to secure Federal resources for everything from skills training to water infrastructure improvements. I have helped to secure tens of millions of dollars to aid the retraining efforts of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program and job-creating programs like the Kentucky Highlands Community Development Corporation. We have also secured grants to bolster good jobs, support the environment, attract tourism, and promote healthy lifestyles. These are just a few examples from just one State. There are stories like this all over our country. While the previous administration left these men and women behind, Republicans recognize their skills and their drive. We are investing in their futures.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, speaking of economic growth and development, the Senate will soon turn our attention to a number of bilateral tax treaties with important U.S. trading partners. We have these kinds of agreements in place to reduce tax evasion, tax avoidance, and unfair double taxation of U.S. citizens and businesses who conduct businesses overseas. The four we will consider this week are agreements with Spain, Switzerland, Japan, and Luxembourg. The U.S. Government and each of these foreign governments have painstakingly negotiated updates to existing agreements about how certain kinds of commerce would be taxed and which country will tax them. In short, Senate ratification of these protocols would mean less confusion, more certainty, and, often, fewer taxes for U.S. job creators--and, by the way, a simpler rule book for overseas investors who want to invest their money here. Fairer treatment for our own American job creators and more enticement for foreign investment to head to our country--that is what we would call a win-win. We are talking about a serious economic impact. In addition to the four countries we are tackling this week, there are three more nations with tax treaties pending which I know the administration is continuing to work on with the Foreign Relations and Finance Committees to finalize work on these remaining agreements. Combined, these seven foreign countries invest more than $1.2 trillion in the United States. That is more than $1 trillion in foreign investment and, by some estimates, hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs are tied up, either directly or indirectly, in trade with these countries. These trading relationships touch all 50 States. Every one of my colleagues is familiar with communities that benefit from the foreign investment. For my part, that includes thousands of workers in Kentucky. One major manufacturer with ties to Spain employs 1,500 people in my State. It accounts for more than one third of all the stainless steel produced in the United States every year. Over the three decades it has operated in Carroll County, the surrounding communities benefited from more than $60 million in tax revenue. That is just one of many job creators in my home State, and it is far from the only one with a serious interest in seeing these measures get across the finish line. From consumer goods makers to industrial suppliers, Kentucky continues to welcome job-creating investment from around the world. I think practically every American is familiar with Hot Pockets, a culinary staple of busy families, workers, and college students everywhere. But not everyone knows that, as of several years ago, every single Hot Pocket is cooked in Mount Sterling, KY. The facility employs more than 1,000 Kentuckians. The parent company is Nestle, based in Switzerland. So there are not only hard-working Kentuckians but also a lot of hungry consumers across the country who can understand why we need to keep our international trade in sync. Passing these agreements will help every State to keep up the economic momentum. It will reinforce the international trade that is so essential to our economic success and help stave off further trade disruptions. I urge all of our colleagues to join me in voting for these this week.