Mitch McConnell

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday, my Democratic colleagues in this body offered the American people a crystal-clear picture of what the Democratic Party stands for in 2019 and whom it represents. Nearly all of our Democratic colleagues wrapped their arms around the radical policy they have marketed to the public as the Green New Deal. I am sure we will be hearing carefully crafted spin about the transparent political maneuvering behind voting present instead of voting yes. Not exactly ``Profiles in Courage.'' Not exactly ``Profiles in Courage.'' I am also certain that we will hear more indignant claims that I somehow sabotaged the legislation they said they support by actually bringing it to a vote. That is a fascinating sight in the Senate--the cosponsors of a policy complaining bitterly that they actually had to go on record to actually vote for a bill they supposedly support, but go on record they did. They can call it voting present. They can call it voting yes. But when every single Senate Democrat running for President has signed on as a cosponsor, when all of the energy and momentum in the Democratic Party is behind this, when just a tiny handful of Democratic Senators could bring themselves to vote against it on the floor, what we have is a Democratic Party that is fixated on satisfying the far left, even at the cost of crushing--crushing-- working-class and middle-class American life as we know it. Yesterday, the vast majority of Senate Democrats could not dismiss something as crazy as ending the production of American oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy within a decade. They couldn't vote against that. Senate Democrats could not dismiss something as absolutely ludicrous as a federally mandated overhaul of every building in America to meet the greenness--greenness--standards of Washington bureaucrats. Senate Democrats could not reject a plan to take more control over where Americans choose to live, how they choose to get around, and how they earn a living. Senate Democrats could not even reject a plan that, according to rough estimates, could raise families' utility bills by hundreds of dollars a month and cost the U.S. Government more than the entire 2017 GDP of the whole world. They couldn't vote against that. American manufacturing, American agriculture, industries, jobs, houses, farms, buildings, and cars that make up daily life for millions of working Americans--Democrats want Washington, DC, to declare war on all of that because it doesn't comply with the latest fashions in Brooklyn or San Francisco. They want to march the entire country toward extreme environmentalist goals that even President Obama's former Secretary of Energy has dismissed as impossible. That is what the Democratic Party of 2019 apparently has become. Remember, their last Presidential nominee bragged, after her loss, that at least she had won all the places in America that are ``optimistic, diverse, dynamic, [and] moving forward.'' We can fill in the blanks and see how they view all the other places that millions of Americans call home, those places that just aren't enlightened enough to vote for Democrats, places where farm jobs and factory jobs really matter, places where expensive high-speed rail and electric cars and trucks simply will not get the job done, places where soaring electric bills represent a kitchen-table crisis and not just a minor inconvenience, and places that are actually home to the workers who would be, as the resolution breezily puts it, ``affected by the transition''--in other words, jobs shipped overseas and workers out in the cold. In Democrats' eyes, all of us in these places are just backward and out-of-date. People who live in those areas are just backward and out-of-date. Our lives need to be transformed by Washington, DC, bureaucrats, whether we like it or not. The disruption isn't limited to just environmental and energy issues; there are so many more things Washington Democrats want to get their hands around. Democrats are pushing Medicare for None, a scheme that would make it unlawful to provide the private health insurance policies that American families rely on and force everyone into a brandnew government scheme designed, of course, right here in Washington. It is ironic that this approach would mean long waiting lists for people with preexisting conditions and cause over 180 million Americans to lose the coverage they choose and rely on. Republicans are dedicated to protecting Americans with preexisting conditions. Republicans are the ones fighting for American families as they try to navigate the unaffordable wreckage of ObamaCare. The story is the same on every issue: Democrats aren't interested in security and stability for American families; they are interested in Washington redesigning middle-class Americans' lives from scratch so they can conform better to leftwing dreams. Forty-plus--forty-plus--of our Democratic colleagues, including all of their Presidential candidates, could not even bring themselves to vote against the obviously absurd socialist wish list we considered yesterday. This is what the modern Democratic Party wants to be. These are their plans for the country. At least the American people are certainly offered a very, very clear contrast. Disaster Funding Madam President, on an entirely different matter, in recent months, natural disasters have occupied an outsized share of headlines across our country. We have seen counties in Alabama and Georgia bear the blows of a vicious tornado, and we support the loved ones of those 23 people whose lives it claimed. We have seen a spate of powerful hurricanes tear across the shores of Florida and the Carolinas, leaving tens of billions of dollars in damage behind. Flooding has repeatedly caused damage in my home State of Kentucky, and, of course, it is currently at major disaster levels in communities across the Midwest. In some places, the process of rebuilding has already dragged on for months. Families have faced the daily struggle of getting things back to normal. Others are still literally--literally--underwater. Residents are wading through the wreckage of homes and businesses. Normal seems a long way away. From the gulf coast to the heartland, there are Americans calling for our help. Here in Congress we must have their back. We must take swift and comprehensive action. I am pleased to say, a number of our colleagues have crafted legislation that would allow us to answer these calls for help from our people. The supplemental funding measure advanced by the Senate yesterday would deliver over $13 billion to help American communities recover and rebuild following recent natural disasters. It would mean more help for victims of tornadoes in our Southern States, victims of hurricanes from North Carolina to Puerto Rico, and the families in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas, who are still, as we speak, waiting for the waters of a truly catastrophic flood to recede. The legislation before us would equip the Department of Defense to conduct urgent repairs to bases and installations damaged by storms. It would help America's farmers and ranchers cover storm-related losses, and it would help get local schools, healthcare facilities, and major infrastructure back on track more quickly. I am proud of the work put in by many Members to prepare this latest package so swiftly and thoroughly on behalf of our communities in need. We owe thanks to the leadership of Chairman Shelby, along with the efforts of Senator Perdue, Senator Isakson, Senator Scott, Senator Rubio, and others who made this effort possible. Thanks to them, the Senate can take action soon on a comprehensive measure to support our fellow citizens.

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, reserving the right to object. As I mentioned yesterday, when a similar unanimous consent proposal was propounded, I have consistently supported the proposition that the special counsel should be allowed to complete his work without interference, and I have consistently supported the proposition that his report ought to be released, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the law and with the need to protect sources and methods and the need to preserve the integrity of ongoing investigations, including investigations the special counsel has referred to others. The Attorney General has committed to as much transparency as possible in the release of the report, and he is working with the special counsel toward that end. I think we should be consistent in letting the special counsel actually finish his work and not just when we think it may be politically advantageous to one side or the other for him to do so. Therefore, Madam President, I object.

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 understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. McCONNELL. I now ask for a second reading and, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 590 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent 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, as in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, the Senate proceed to executive session and consideration of Executive Calendar No. 9; further, that there be 15 minutes of debate equally divided and that following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate resume legislative session.

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, March 28; 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 268.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. Thereupon, the Senate, at 6:33 p.m., adjourned until Thursday, March 28, 2019, at 10 a.m.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions which were submitted earlier today: S. Res. 125, S. Res. 126, and S. Res. 127.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday the Senate voted to advance the nomination of Bridget Bade of Arizona, the latest of President Trump's qualified judicial nominees. Today we will vote on her confirmation as a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Bade's nomination comes with the bipartisan support of our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee and a ``well qualified'' rating from the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Given that 77 Senators voted yesterday to advance this nomination, it is obviously clear to the vast majority of us that the President has made yet another excellent choice to the Federal bench. I hope each of my colleagues will join me in voting for Ms. Bade later today.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 863.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER: Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (S. 863) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed as follows:

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. 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.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 26, 2019; 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 use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Bade nomination under the previous order; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 until 2:15 to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, yesterday, Attorney General Barr transmitted to Congress his summary of the special counsel's principal conclusions from his investigation into Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. The result of that investigation is being hailed as good news for the President, and it certainly is that. But, really, it is good news for our entire country. It is good news that our law enforcement professionals know much more about Russia's malevolent attempts to interfere in American elections, and it is good news that we can conclusively set aside the notion that the President and his team had somehow participated in those attacks on our democracy. According to the Attorney General, the special counsel's indepth investigation ``did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.'' That really says it all. Further, Attorney General Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein concluded the investigation did not--did not--establish that the President engaged in obstruction of justice. So after 2 years, thousands of subpoenas, hundreds of search warrants, hundreds of witnesses, millions of taxpayer dollars, these are the findings: no collusion, no conspiracy, no obstruction. What the investigation did produce, it seems, is a deep examination of Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. The Attorney General reports that Russia carried out online disinformation campaigns and computer hacking efforts designed to sow discord in our Nation and interfere in American politics. It is deeply disturbing that the Obama administration was apparently insufficiently prepared to anticipate and counter these Russian threats. It was hardly a secret prior to November 2016 that Putin's Russia was not, and is not, our friend. Yet, for years, the previous administration ignored, excused, and failed to confront Putin's malign activities both at home and abroad. I am glad the special counsel's report will contribute new insight and new understanding to our awareness of Russian activities. I look forward to the release of more information in the coming days, as the Attorney General has said he intends to do, in consultation with Special Counsel Mueller. I look forward, as well, to the continuing parallel work of our Senate colleagues on the Select Committee on Intelligence to study the threats that foreign interference pose to our institutions. As I said, in any sane political moment, all of this would be very welcome news to all Americans--in a normal time. But we know that, amazingly, the reaction in some corners of the far left has seemed not to be celebration but, rather, disappointment. Huge components of the Democratic Party and their media allies have spent literally years spinning intricate theories about this Presidency and trying to sell the American people on their wild claims. It is as if many of our Democratic colleagues are still just unable to process the simple fact that, yes, the American people elected this Republican President over his Democratic opponent. We are faced with new evidence every day that our Republican policies are delivering exactly the change that middle-class families voted for back in 2016. Yet, even still, many on the left remain convinced that only conspiracy and corruption could possibly explain why they might actually lose an election. Well, here in the real world, the American people hired this President to clean up the mess of the preceding 8 years. That is exactly what we set about doing, and the results are clear. The Nation is clearly better off than it was 2 years ago. I sincerely hope that now, at last, our friends on the left will be able to put aside their fixation on permanently relitigating their loss in 2016 and actually join in the productive work that the rest of us have been proudly engaged in for the past 2 years and counting. Unfortunately, the events over the last few months have not exactly indicated that productive, practical cooperation is what our Democratic colleagues have in mind. To the contrary, the Nation has watched as the Democratic Party has engaged in a collective headlong sprint--a headlong sprint--toward the left, as far to the left as possible, as fast as possible. They have proposed a massive rewriting of the rules of American politics. They have proposed scrapping Medicare, slapping its name on a brandnew, one-size-fits-all government insurance plan, and then making American families' existing private insurance policies illegal. And, of course, they have proposed what the Senate will be voting on later this week--the famous Green New Deal. My colleagues and I will have plenty more to say on this subject in the coming days. Today, I just want to say that I could not be more glad that the American people will have the opportunity to learn precisely where each one of their Senators stands on this radical, top- down, and socialist makeover of the entire U.S. economy. Middle-class families will get to see if their Senators have been wooed by the disjointed contents of leftish daydreams. Hard-working Americans in Kentucky and around the country who are employed in the energy and manufacturing industries will get to see if their Senators support eliminating all fossil fuels and suffocating their livelihoods. Homeowners who take pride in their hard-earned investment will get to see if their Senators are in favor of forcible, DC-directed remodeling of every building in America. Working-class Americans who have benefited from our growing economy and historic job market will learn whether their Senators support turning away from free enterprise and implementing a new government- driven employment system. Families who have to budget for household expenses will see which Senators vote to increase their electricity bills by what one analysis pegs at--listen to this--$300 a month. Of course, every American taxpayer will get to learn whether their Senator supports saddling our Nation with the astronomical cost of this socialist fantasy--tens and tens of trillions of dollars--a tax burden that would be certain to hurt not just wealthy Americans but the middle class as well. On all of these questions, on this whole Democratic effort to rebrand all the failed ideas of 20th-century socialism with a little green paint, every Member of this body will have the opportunity to cast a clear vote this very week. The American people deserve to know which Senators can reject this crippling proposal right away and which Senators find themselves unable to do that. That is exactly what they will learn later this week.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, as I said just a few moments ago, it is certainly good news for the country that the special counsel concluded that there is no evidence that the Trump campaign collaborated or conspired with the Russian Government to influence the last Presidential election. It is also good news for the country that due to the special counsel's work, we now have more insight into Russia's efforts to interfere with our democratic institution. Now, I have consistently supported the proposition that the special counsel should be allowed to finish his work without interference. The work of the special counsel, however, is not yet complete. Neither is the work of the Department of Justice. The Attorney General told us yesterday that he is working with the special counsel to determine how much of the special counsel's report can be produced without violating the law and without jeopardizing other ongoing matters, including other matters initiated by the special counsel. The special counsel and the Justice Department ought to be allowed to finish their work in a professional manner. Now, my good friend, the Democratic leader, was all for allowing the special counsel to conduct his work without political interference when it might be politically advantageous to him, but, apparently, my friend from New York is not for allowing the special counsel to complete his work with the Justice Department, according to his best professional and legal judgment, when that might be inconvenient to my friend's own current political purposes. To date, the Attorney General has followed through on his commitment to the Congress. One of those commitments is that he intends to release as much information as possible. I certainly welcome that commitment to transparency, as do others, but to the extent that the Attorney General, in consulting with the special counsel, believes it is important to protect sensitive sources and methods, protect material that could affect ongoing investigations and prosecutions, and is legally protected, then he deserves the time to work through these issues. I am going to object in order to allow the special counsel and the Justice Department to finish their careful and professional review of a, no doubt, voluminous record--a record that likely contains sensitive, classified, and legally protected material. For all of those reasons, I object.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the country and the President had to wait 2 years. It has been going on for 2 years. This very expensive investigation took 2 years to be concluded. Look, it is not unreasonable to give the special counsel and the Justice Department just a little time to complete their review in a professional and responsible manner. Remember, as I said earlier, we are likely dealing here with other potential prosecutions, classified information, and damaging people's reputations. There is no evidence that the Attorney General is not going to produce as much information as possible for all of us, and that is why I objected. I think it is a reasonable thing to do. We have been waiting for a long time for this report to wrap up. It is largely good news, not just for the President but for the country.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today it is my honor to pay tribute to Willard Kinzer, a one-of-a-kind Kentuckian who will receive a lifetime achievement award at the beginning of April. Willard, a leading figure in Floyd County, seems to have done it all. He is a World War II veteran, who felt compelled to join the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Willard's a nonstop worker, becoming a prominent entrepreneur in eastern Kentucky, leading Kinzer Drilling through expansions and growth. His philanthropy has helped build schools in his native Appalachia and has supported the Mountain Arts Center, and perhaps most unexpectedly Willard holds the distinction as the first individual in history to drive a stock suspension car faster than 230 miles per hour. If that weren't impressive enough, wait until you hear that Willard was in his 80s at the time. He certainly has a notable list of accomplishments, and Willard shows no plans to slow down any time soon. Last year, he celebrated his 90th birthday by winning a drag-racing championship at 175 miles per hour, In Willard's trophy room, which is packed with the many awards he has earned over a long career of achievement and thrill-seeking, a sign reads, ``Life begins at 200 mph.'' It is a fitting motto for a man who never seems to take his foot off the gas pedal. Willard's local community will continue to enjoy his many contributions and inspirational example for generations to come. I am pleased to see his incredible life be honored, and I would like to add my voice to the chorus of those praising this remarkable Kentuckian. I hope my Senate colleagues will join me in recognizing Willard Kinzer for a lifetime of achievement and to congratulate him on this honor.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time on the Bade nomination expire at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow; further, 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. I further ask that following the disposition of the Bade nomination, the Senate proceed to legislative session and resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S.J. Res. 88, with the time until 4 p.m. equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; finally, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, that the cloture motions with respect to the motions to proceed to S.J. Res. 8 and H.R. 268 ripen at 4 p.m. tomorrow.