Mitch McConnell

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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, 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 unanimous consent that at 12 noon tomorrow, all postcloture time on the Brown nomination be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Brown nomination with no intervening action or debate; further, that if cloture is invoked on the Counts nomination, all postcloture time be considered expired at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Counts nomination with no intervening action or debate; finally, that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider with respect to the Brown and Counts nominations 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 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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 282, S. 875.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, 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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following resolutions en bloc: S. Res. 369 and S. Res. 370.

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 10; 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; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Parker nomination; further, that all time during adjournment, recess, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Parker nomination; further, that all postcloture time on the Parker nomination be considered expired at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Parker nomination with no intervening action or debate; finally, 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, 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, yesterday, I mentioned that, already, 1 million Americans and counting will receive raises or special bonuses, thanks to the incentives created by the historic tax reform law that Congress passed and the President signed just last month. For example, Darden Restaurants, Inc., which employs 175,000 people, announced it is preparing to invest $20 million in its most important asset--its employees. AT&T announced that 200,000 employees would receive $1,000 bonuses. In Kentucky, Turning Point Brands announced that their workers would also receive $1,000 bonuses. So far, more than 100 companies have announced similar plans. Across the country and a variety of different industries, workers are receiving significant one-time bonuses, permanent pay raises, more generous retirement contributions, or other benefits. And their employers confirm that it was tax reform that made this possible. How is all this happening? How is it happening? After all, those who were intent on opposing tax reform painted an apocalyptic picture. Over in the House, the minority leader said tax reform was ``Armageddon.'' Here in the Senate, my friend the Democratic leader said there was ``nothing about this bill that suits the needs of the American worker.'' Fortunately, a majority in the House and a majority in the Senate knew better. We know that the economy is not a zero-sum game. We know it is completely backward to think that American businesses need to lose in order for American workers to win. To the contrary, in the 21st century economy, Americans are all in this together. When our economy grows stagnant and when taxes and regulations make it harder for companies to compete with foreign ones, that is when wages fall flat and job opportunities dry up. But when Washington gets out of the way, cuts back regulations, and modernizes the Tax Code, when we give businesses more flexibility to invest and expand, then, as we are already seeing, workers reap the benefits. This is not some partisan talking point. As one economist wrote just before we passed tax reform, ``It's the consensus view of professional economists'' that ``lowering corporate income taxes would increase the wages of workers.'' Tax reform became law less than 1 month ago--1 month ago--and thanks to tax reform, as this chart points out, 1 million American workers and counting are getting a bonus or a raise. That is what is happening, and this is just the beginning. Raises and bonuses are not the only way tax reform is providing a big help to middle-class families, like the Kentuckians I represent. The law also cuts taxes substantially for individuals and families, so they can keep more of their own money and send less to Washington. We reduced marginal rates. We doubled the standard deduction, effectively creating a new zero tax bracket for the first $24,000 a family earns--zero taxes on the first $24,000 a family earns. We significantly increased the child tax credit. We expanded the deduction for medical expenses, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act repealed the punitive individual mandate tax penalty at the heart of ObamaCare. That law penalized hard-working Americans twice--first by failing to create health insurance options that met the needs of working families and then by imposing a heavy fine on the families who didn't want or couldn't afford the coverage. By zeroing out that unfair penalty, we have repealed a core piece of ObamaCare and restored families' flexibility to choose the health insurance that works for them. The result of all this is significant savings for middle-class American families. A typical family of four earning a median family income will keep more than $2,000 this year that they would have otherwise sent to the government. Workers will begin to see the difference in their paychecks as soon as February. Less of their money will be deducted and sent to the IRS. More will be deposited into their own bank accounts. So the early impact of this historic tax reform legislation is quite clear. Job creators and entrepreneurs are more optimistic, more than 1 million Americans are already getting raises and bonuses, and the groundwork is being laid for a more powerful and more competitive U.S. economy that attracts more investment and creates more homegrown jobs. It is no surprise that, historically, tax cuts have enjoyed bipartisan support. This time, unfortunately, none of our Democratic colleagues chose to vote for this once-in-a-generation tax relief--not a one in the House or in the Senate. But I am proud that the majorities in Congress were able to pass this bill so that the President could sign it into law. One million Americans, and soon to be many more, will be grateful. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3759 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill.

Mr. McCONNELL

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

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, 1 million Americans and counting will be starting 2018 with more money in their pockets, thanks to tax reform. Special bonuses are on the way for employees across a wide range of industries. Businesses throughout America are taking advantage of more competitive tax rates and passing the savings along to their workers. As a result, employees at companies from Visa and AT&T to Turning Point Brands in Louisville, KY, are seeing results. For working parents in Kentucky and all across the Nation, these bonuses and other permanent changes will make a big difference in family budgets. Of course, in just weeks, families will see the benefits of tax reform hit their paychecks. Lower tax rates will mean less money withheld for the IRS and more take-home pay for more hard-working Americans. I am particularly proud of the way this tax reform will benefit America's farmers and ranchers. Later today, President Trump is delivering the good news at the annual conference of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Like so many States, Kentucky is home to a vibrant farming community. Throughout the legislative process, I heard family farmers loud and clear. They said: We need tax relief. That is what Congress delivered. Thanks to our once-in-a-generation tax reform law, it will be easier for farm families around Kentucky and around the country to invest in new capital equipment and recover their costs. According to the Farm Bureau Federation, 93 percent of U.S. farms file taxes through the individual code. They will benefit from the major tax relief we secured for passthrough businesses. Especially important for farmers, this tax bill doubled the exemption from the death tax. It is the government's final insult to make grieving families visit both the undertaker and the IRS at the same time. Now this burden will fall on fewer American farmers and ranchers. Thanks to the work of Senator Roberts, Senator Hatch, and many others, we passed a tax reform bill that both the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Kentucky Farm Bureau enthusiastically endorse, and now farming families throughout America will reap the benefits.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another matter, later today the Senate will vote to advance the nomination of William L. Campbell, Jr., to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Middle District of Tennessee. Mr. Campbell's nomination is not controversial. Like the other three district court nominees before the Senate this week, he is well qualified. They are the kinds of nominees who, until recently, would have sailed quickly and smoothly right through the Senate. So why will their four nominations consume a week of the Senate's attention? Why do we need to file cloture on each, and then exhaust the full 30 hours of debate? The reason is that Senate Democrats are choosing, for partisan reasons, to make these nominations take as long as possible. Their goal is to waste the Senate's time and prevent the President from promptly filling judicial vacancies. Mr. President, 2017 was a historic year of partisan obstruction by our Democratic colleagues, even for uncontroversial judges who went on to unanimous or near-unanimous confirmation votes. Our colleagues across the aisle used every possible procedural roadblock to delay and drag their heels. Now 2018 is, unfortunately, starting off the same way. Mr. Campbell is a Marine Corps veteran and a well-respected lawyer. His record is not partisan. His nomination was reported out of the Judiciary Committee on a voice vote. I look forward to the Senate confirming him, albeit after our Democratic colleagues waste more of the Senate's time. I implore our Democratic friends to turn the page on the needless obstruction and permit the Senate to function smoothly so that we can attend to more of the people's business.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a final matter, in the next 11 days Congress needs to reach an agreement to fund the government. It is imperative that this agreement provide adequate resources for our men and women in uniform. Last week, leadership on both sides of the aisle expressed hopes of working seriously and collaboratively on a solution that enables our Armed Forces to advance critical missions at home and abroad. At the same time, our Democratic colleagues persist in the notion that we should increase defense spending only if we increase nondefense spending by the same amount. As we lay the facts on the table, this political talking point simply doesn't hold up. By now, we all know that the Budget Control Act hit defense spending much harder than it hit domestic spending. Since fiscal year 2013, to be precise, discretionary defense spending has been cut by $85 billion more than discretionary nondefense spending. This might sound like an abstract distinction, but it has very real, tangible consequences for our national security. These disproportionate cuts have reduced the readiness of American forces to meet and address emerging threats. Our military leaders have explained this over and over and over again. Just months ago, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dunford, told our colleagues on the Armed Services Committee that over the last decade, ``The U.S. military's competitive advantage against potential adversaries is eroding.'' He cited budgetary instability as a key reason. At the same hearing, Secretary of Defense Mattis added: ``No enemy in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.'' ``No enemy,'' Secretary Mattis said, ``in the field has done more to harm the readiness of our military than sequestration.'' The men and women we trust to lead our military have made it abundantly clear that the status quo in defense funding, let alone the further instability that would result from our failure to reach an agreement, is handicapping our servicemembers. In the next week and a half, let's put aside partisan rhetoric and start heeding the warnings of our nonpartisan military leaders. Let's give those who keep us safe the resources they need to do the job.

Mr. McCONNELL

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow, all postcloture time on the Campbell nomination be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Campbell nomination with no intervening action or debate; finally, 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 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, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 265, S. 1425.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Wicker amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the committee- reported substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.