Patty Murray

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak on behalf of the nomination before the vote for 2 minutes.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, the role of the FDA Commissioner is central to the health and safety of every family and community nationwide, from a dad making his daughter's peanut butter sandwich in the morning to a patient headed into an operating room. I know this is a nomination we all take very seriously. After careful review, I believe Dr. Califf's experience and expertise will allow him to lead the FDA in a way that puts patients and families first and upholds the highest standards of patient and consumer safety. Dr. Califf has led one of our country's largest clinical research organizations, and he has a record of advancing medical breakthroughs on especially difficult-to-treat illnesses. He has a longstanding commitment to transparency in relationships with industry and to working to ensure academic integrity. He has made clear he will continue to prioritize independence at the FAA as the Commissioner and always put science over politics. His nomination received letters of support from over 128 different physician and patient groups. He earned the strong bipartisan support of the members of the HELP Committee. There is a lot the FDA needs to get done in the coming months, including building a robust postmarket surveillance system for medical devices, making sure families have access to nutritional information, putting all of the agency's tools to work to stop tobacco companies from targeting our children, and playing a part in addressing the epidemic of opioid abuse that is hurting so many communities so deeply. I believe Dr. Califf will be a valuable partner to Congress in taking on these challenges and the many others the FDA faces. I am here to encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this nomination. I look forward to continued work with all of the Members on ways to strengthen health and well-being for the families and communities we all serve. I yield back my time.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, first of all, I want to take a moment to honor the life and service of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Justice Scalia was a dedicated public servant who gave so many years to our courts and our country. He and I didn't agree on every issue, but his intellect, passion, and commitment were unquestionable. I know he will be missed, and the thoughts and prayers of Washington State families go out to his family.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I want to start by expressing my appreciation to Dr. Califf for accepting this nomination and continuing to offer his expertise in service of families and communities nationwide. I am glad this evening to have the opportunity to talk about the progress the FDA has made in recent years, the challenges that lie ahead, and why I believe Dr. Califf has the necessary leadership, background, and experience to guide the FDA at this very important time. The FDA oversees a quarter of all the goods sold in the United States, including more than $1 trillion in medical devices, cosmetics, and supplements. So the FDA Commissioner has a very critical responsibility to support health and well-being in this country. I am pleased that in recent years important progress has been made to improve FDA's services for patients and families, from approving the highest number of new drugs and biologics in 2014, to making progress toward a 21st-century food safety system as the Food Safety Modernization Act is implemented. These are important steps that have no doubt made a difference for families, but the FDA still faces significant challenges as we look ahead. As I have discussed with Dr. Califf, the FDA must continue to encourage the development of safe, effective cures and treatments for the chronic illnesses that impact far too many families across the country. The agency should prioritize tackling the threat of antibiotic resistant infections, such as the ones linked to the contaminated medical devices in my home State, and it should do more to ensure patients can always trust that the medical devices used in their care are safe and effective, including by building a robust postmarketing surveillance system for devices. The FDA should continue to strengthen its generic drug and biosimilar programs and needs to play a role in ensuring that all patients and families have access to the prescription drugs they need. In addition, our country faces urgent public health challenges that the FDA must help to address. To name a few, we need to move forward on making sure families have access to nutritional information and on ensuring our food supply is both safe and healthy. We need to put all the agency tools to work to stop tobacco companies from targeting our children. And we need to tackle the epidemic of opioid abuse that is ending and ruining lives in communities nationwide. I was pleased to see that the FDA put forward an action plan to help protect our communities from that crisis, and I look forward to working together with all of our colleagues to address that area. Another critical priority is ensuring the FDA always puts science over politics. As some on the floor today will remember, several of my colleagues fought long and hard to ensure that medical expertise, not ideology, governed decisionmaking on the sale of Plan B over the counter. Women and families have to be able to trust the FDA to not play politics with their health. After careful consideration and review, I am confident that Dr. Califf would contribute leadership and expertise as we work to tackle all of these challenges. He is a strong nominee for the role of FDA Commissioner. He has an impressive history of leadership and management experience, especially at Duke University, where he led one of our largest academic clinical research organizations. He would bring to this new role a record of advancing medical breakthroughs on challenging illnesses through clinical trials and working to translate NIH lab discoveries into usable medical treatments for patients. Our review of his record demonstrates a longstanding commitment to transparency in relationships with industry and working to ensure academic integrity. Dr. Califf has made clear he will continue to uphold those values and prioritize a strong, independent FDA as Commissioner. His nomination received letters of support from 128 different physician and patient organizations, as well as the strong, bipartisan support of the members of our HELP Committee. I have approached this nomination focused on the best interests of families and communities in my State and across the country and in making sure the FDA puts them first in all its work. I believe Dr. Califf would be a valuable partner in this effort as FDA Commissioner. So I encourage all of our colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination, and I look forward to working with all of us to strengthen health and well-being for the families and communities we serve. I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following the Senator's remarks, I be allowed 6 minutes and the Senator from Tennessee be allowed 10 minutes.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, last week I asked students and families to share with me their experiences with student loans and college affordability, and I want to start by sharing one of those stories. It is from a young woman named Rebeckah from my home State of Washington. When she was 18, Rebeckah signed up for student loans so she could go to college, and her parents took out what are called PLUS loans to help their daughter afford it. Rebeckah worked hard in college and graduated with her degree. But now she is facing a mountain of student debt, and that is preventing her and her partner from buying a house and starting a family. Not only that, Rebeckah found out that her parents have been taking money out of their retirement savings to pay off their PLUS loans, and they have even resorted to taking a lien out on their home to pay down the debt. Rebeckah said when she enrolled in college, she was sure that getting a good education would pay off. But now, with all the overwhelming student debt, it feels as if she signed her family up for financial ruin. When I hear stories like Rebeckah's, it is clear that college costs and student debt are holding families back. I consider it to be one of my most important jobs as a Senator to make sure Washington State families have a seat at the table and a voice in our Nation's Capital, and on an issue as important as this, I am going to make sure their voices are heard loud and clear here in this Congress. I am going to continue to work with my fellow Democrats on ways to make college more affordable. I am going to keep fighting to reduce the crushing burden of student debt for so many families in my home State of Washington and across the country. Today, the yearly costs of tuition and room and board at a public 4- year institution are 5\1/2\ times what they were in the early 1980s. There are many reasons that colleges have gotten more and more expensive, but the result has been the same. It has strained the budgets of middle-class families across the country, and, in some cases, it prevents students from even applying and has forced many others to drop out before they ever earn a degree. With skyrocketing college costs, we are sending the message that college is reserved for the wealthiest few and not for middle-class families and those who want to get there. We have all heard the numbers of student debt. Overall, Americans hold more than $1.3 trillion in student loan debt. That is a huge number, and it is actually a little hard to wrap your head around, so let's try this: Every second that goes by, student debt in our country grows by nearly $3,000. That is every second. And behind those numbers are people who invested in themselves by furthering their education but are now saddled with debt, preventing them from buying a home or even starting a small business or a family. A young man from Washington State named Alex told me his income barely covers his monthly expenses, let alone paying down his student loans. He says he feels financially stagnant because ``I don't know if I will ever overcome the crippling college debt.'' I am glad that Democrats have a plan to help students and families who are in the red. When more students are able to further their education, it doesn't help just them. A highly educated workforce helps our economy grow from the middle out, not from the top down, and it strengthens the workforce we will need to compete and lead the world in the 2lst century economy. That is why Democrats want to give students the chance they need to attend community college tuition free. Of course, many students and families take out student loans to help them finance higher education, but some are locked in with a high interest rate. Today, you can find offers to refinance your mortgage at 3.5 percent or your car loan for around 3.2 percent. I have heard from many borrowers who are paying an interest rate that is twice that amount, and some are paying even more. Democrats want to make sure that borrowers can refinance their student loans at today's lower rates. We also want to hold the institutions of higher education accountable for providing a high- quality degree so students have confidence that the education they receive and pay for will get them ahead. Democrats want to increase investments in need-based aid, such as Pell grants, so students can keep up with the rising cost of college. It has been just one week since I asked students and families to submit their stories online to us, and I want to hear from many more because I know there are so many people out there who are struggling. But I must admit, I was taken aback by the constant theme that showed up in so many of the experiences that I have seen so far. I heard story after story from people who said they felt hopeless. They feel buried under student debt, and they see no end in sight. It shouldn't have to be this way. Democrats are offering solutions, and I sincerely hope our Republican friends will join us. For me, this isn't just another issue; this is really personal. When I was young, my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Within a few short years, he couldn't work any longer, and without warning, my own family had fallen on hard times. My brothers and sisters and I--and I have six brothers and sisters--were all able to afford to go to college with the help of what we now call Pell grants, and my mom was able to get the skills she needed to get a better paying job through a worker training program at Lake Washington Vocational School. This country was there for us and never turned its back on my family. Today, we can't turn our backs on the millions of families just like mine who need a path forward to pay back their student debt. These students want to stay in school to finish their degree even as the costs go up, and they want to one day be able to save up so their kids can afford to pursue their dreams. It is time to make college more affordable and make sure students can graduate without the crushing burden of student debt. It is time for Democrats and Republicans to work together on solutions, and it is time to reaffirm that, in our country, earning your degree will pay off for you, your future, and the future of this country. I thank the Presiding Officer. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, thank you to my colleagues who are joining me here today and so many other efforts to stand up for women. The 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic ruling in Roe v. Wade is tomorrow. This is an important time to remember how much this decision has meant for women's equality, opportunity, and health, why it is so important we continue defending the hard-won gains that women have made, and why we need to keep pushing for continued progress. For anyone who supports a woman's constitutionally protected right to make her own health care choices, this has been a tough and trying Congress. To be honest, at the beginning of 2015, I gave my Republican colleagues the benefit of the doubt. I hoped that in the majority, they might focus more on governing and less on trying to get in between a woman and her rights. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. Since this Congress began, more than 80 bills have been introduced in Congress that would undermine a woman's constitutionally protected right to make her own choices about her own body. The House and Senate have voted a total of 20 times on legislation to roll back women's health and rights. That is not all. Republicans have pushed budget proposals that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act. After a summer of using deceptive, highly edited videos to discredit Planned Parenthood and try to take away health care services that one in five women rely on over their lifetimes, the House has doubled down by launching a special investigative committee to keep up the political attacks. Of course similar efforts to undermine women's constitutionally protected health care rights are underway across the country. Nowhere is that clearer than in Texas, where an extreme anti-abortion law could force 75 percent of the clinics statewide to close. If that law stands, 900,000 women of child-bearing age will have to drive as far as 300 miles round trip to get the health care they need. To be clear, a right means nothing without the ability to exercise that right. Laws like HB2 in Texas and many others like it across the country, driven by extreme conservative efforts to undermine women's access to care, are without question getting in between women and their rights, especially the rights of women who can't afford to take off work and drive hundreds of miles just to get health care. Later this year, the Supreme Court will decide whether to uphold Texas's extreme anti-abortion law. In doing so, they will decide whether women can act on the rights they are afforded in the Constitution. This law puts women's lives at risk. It is the biggest threat to women's constitutional rights in over a decade. That is why I am working with many of my Democratic colleagues to call on the Supreme Court to uphold Roe v. Wade and protect a woman's right to make her own health care decisions. Today, as we head into a year that is absolutely critical for women, I have a message for those who want to turn back the clock. Those efforts to undermine women's health care are nothing new. Women have been fighting them for generations, and we are going to keep fighting back today. We are not going to go back to the days when because women had less control over their own bodies, they had less equality and less opportunity. As we defend the progress we have made, we will keep pushing for more, from continuing to expand access so that where a woman lives doesn't determine what health care she can get to expanding access to affordable birth control and family planning, to fighting back against domestic violence and sexual assault, which disproportionately impacts women. We are going to keep pushing for progress because we believe strongly that the next generation of women--our daughters and our granddaughters--should have stronger rights and more opportunity, not less. My colleagues and I in the Senate are going to keep working hard every day to bring women's voices to the Senate floor and show that when women are stronger, our country is stronger. Let's keep up the fight.

Mrs. MURRAY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. MURRAY

Ms. MURRAY. That is why my colleague, the ranking member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and I, as ranking member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, urge the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, to act swiftly to implement S. 142. At the same time, we note that Congress is aware that the Food and Drug Administration has indicated a commitment to addressing the important public health issue of protecting children from the dangers of liquid nicotine. The agency's proposed tobacco deeming rule when finalized will extend FDA's tobacco authorities to products like e- cigarettes not marketed for therapeutic purposes and liquid nicotine.

Ms. MURRAY. Mr. President, today I wish to engage in a colloquy with my colleague from Florida to speak briefly about the Senate's recent passage of S. 142, the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015, which was introduced by Senator Nelson and which I cosponsored, along with many of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Liquid nicotine is very dangerous: even a small amount on the skin is enough to make a small child very ill. A 15-milliliter bottle, like those sold in stores and online--often without any verification that the buyer is not a minor--contains enough liquid nicotine to kill four children. This substance is marketed in bright colors and sweet flavors, so it is no surprise that it finds its way into the hands of our children. In 2014 alone, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported over 1,500 liquid nicotine exposures. These exposures resulted in many serious injuries and at least one tragic death of a child in New York.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, Duncan Taylor is the parent of a second grader in Highline public schools in my home State of Washington. Like so many parents in my State, he got a letter in the mail saying his son's school was failing. Last year, Washington State lost its waiver from No Child Left Behind's requirements. Not only did that mean most of the schools in the State are now labeled as failing, it meant Washington State lost flexibility over how to spend some of its Federal funding. As an active member of the PTA, Duncan volunteers in the classroom. So he knew that the label of ``failing'' did not reflect the kind of education his son was getting, but as an education advocate, he also knew that losing out on that funding--in effect punishing schools that serve students from all kinds of backgrounds--was not going to help. Like so many parents and teachers across the Nation, Duncan has been following our work to reauthorize the Nation's elementary and secondary education bill. We cannot let them down. I thank Chairman Alexander for working with me since February on a bipartisan path to get us to this point today. This process started when Chairman Alexander and I agreed that No Child Left Behind is badly broken and needed to be fixed. He has been a great partner, and I am thrilled we have reached this point together. I also thank all of our colleagues on the HELP Committee for their work and dedication in moving this bill forward. In particular, I thank my committee Democrats for their tireless work on behalf of families, schools, and communities in their States. This is a stronger bill thanks to their commitment and effort. I thank the two leaders, Senator McConnell and Senator Reid. In particular, I thank Senator Reid for his guidance and support. We would not be where we are without Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott in the House. While Chairman Kline and I do not see eye to eye on everything, he has been a great partner on this bill, and I look forward to getting more done with him before he retires next year. Ranking Member Bobby Scott has been a partner in getting this deal done. Without him and the passion he brings around dropout factories and creating a real accountability system for our schools so all children can succeed, we would not have been able to get this bill to a place where Democrats and the President could support it. There have been many late nights and weekends for our staff this year. I want to take a moment now to recognize their extraordinary efforts and service. On Senator Alexander's staff, I want to particularly acknowledge and thank his staff director, David Cleary, as well as Peter Oppenheim and Lindsay Fryer, his education and K-12 policy leads, who worked closely with our staff over many months. I also want to acknowledge and thank Jordan Hynes, Bill Knudson, Lindsey Seidman, Hillary Knudsen, Bobby McMillin, and Jim Jeffries, who all did great work on this important bill. In the House, I was proud to work with Chairman John Kline, and I recognize and thank his staff director, Juliane Sullivan, as well as Amy Jones, Brad Thomas, Mandy Schaumburg, Leslie Tatum, Kathlyn Ehl, Matthew Frame, Sheariah Yousefi, Krisann Pearce, and Brian Newell. I was glad to work with my friend, Ranking Member Bobby Scott, and I truly appreciate all of his hard work and dedication to this bill. I want to recognize and thank his staff director, Denise Forte, along with Jacque Chevalier, Helen Pajcic, Alex Payne, Christian Haines, Kiara Pesante, Brian Kennedy, and Rayna Reid. In addition, I thank our committed floor staff, who provide outstanding guidance to us every day. In particular, I thank Gary Myrick, Tim Mitchell, Tricia Engle, and Daniel Tinsley. Finally, I cannot say enough about my own incredible staff, who have put their time and talents into this bill from the word ``go.'' In particular, I want to thank my staff director, Evan Schatz, and my public education policy director, Sarah Bolton, for their extraordinary efforts on this legislation. I want to acknowledge the long and hard work of Amanda Beaumont, Allie Kimmel, Leanne Hotek, Jake Cornett, Aissa Canchola, Sarah Rosenberg, Aurora Steinle, Leslie Clithero, Eli Zupnick, Helen Hare, Mary Robbins, Jeff Crooks, John Righter, Beth Stein, Beth Burke, Sarah Cupp, Melanie Rainer, Stacy Rich, Emma Rodriguez, and my chief of staff, Mike Spahn. I noticed all of your long, hard work on the unwavering commitment. As a former teacher, I want to thank you for standing up for the best interests of our students, our educators, and our communities in Washington State and across the country. We would not be where we are today without all of your efforts. Thank you. Every Senator here has heard from teachers, parents, and students in their home State about how No Child Left Behind is badly broken. For one thing, the law overemphasized testing, and oftentimes those tests are redundant or unnecessary. It issued one-size-fits-all mandates but then failed to give States the resources to meet those standards. I have seen firsthand how this law is not working in my home State of Washington. Thankfully, we were able to work in a bipartisan way on a solution. Together, we passed our bill through the HELP Committee with strong bipartisan support. We passed our bill here on the Senate floor with strong bipartisan support. We got approval from our bicameral conference committee with strong bipartisan support. Last week the House passed this final legislation with strong bipartisan support. Today I hope our colleagues here will approve this final bill with the same bipartisan spirit that has guided our progress so far. The Every Student Succeeds Act will reduce reliance on high-stakes testing. It will invest in improving and expanding access to early learning programs so more kids start kindergarten ready to learn. It will help ensure that all students have access to a quality education regardless of where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make. With today's vote, I am looking forward to going back home and telling teachers and principals that we are on their side. I am looking forward to showing the American people that Congress can actually work when both sides work together. I am looking forward to making sure this bill is implemented in a way that works for Washington State students, parents, teachers, and communities, but first we have to clear this last legislative hurdle before we can send it to the President's desk. I urge my colleagues to vote yes to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act. Vote yes to fix No Child Left Behind. Vote yes to prove Congress can break through gridlock, work together, and get results. Vote yes to pass this bill for students, parents, teachers, and communities across the country. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, let me echo the words of our chairman and thank him, our staff and everyone who has worked on this and everyone who has supported this in a bipartisan way to send it now to the President to be signed into law. It is a great step forward. As the chairman, Senator Alexander, just said, the work must now begin in our schools, in our communities, and in our States to find ways to make sure all of our students achieve. We have put them on that, we expect them to live up to that, and that is the promise of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, 50 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson rushed to the old elementary school he had once attended and with him he had a piece of major legislation. At a picnic table on the lawn of the school, President Johnson signed into law the Elementary and Secondary Education Act--or ESEA. He said that with this law, he envisioned ``full educational opportunity as our first national goal.'' Our Nation has always held the ideal of education for all, but in 1965 ESEA put that idea into action. It aimed to close the education gaps between rich and poor, Black and White, kids from rural areas and kids from big cities. In doing so, ESEA took a step forward for civil rights. Today we have a chance to reauthorize that civil rights law to continue what President Johnson called our ``first national goal.'' We have a chance to finally move away from the No Child Left Behind Act, and we have a chance to send the Every Student Succeeds Act to the President's desk to help ensure all kids have access to a quality education regardless of where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make. I appreciate the tireless work of Chairman John Kline and Ranking Member Bobby Scott in the House and their staffs. I especially want to thank my partner here in the Senate, the chairman of the HELP Committee and senior Senator from Tennessee, Senator Lamar Alexander. The chairman had an opportunity to go down a partisan road, but instead he committed to work with me earlier this year to get this important bill done. I was very proud to work with him and with many of our colleagues to break through the gridlock and keep this bill moving forward. Together we passed our bill through the HELP Committee with strong bipartisan support. We passed our bill in the Senate with strong bipartisan support. We got approval from our bicameral conference committee with strong bipartisan support. Last week the House passed this final legislation with strong bipartisan support. And today I hope our colleagues will approve this final bill with the same bipartisan spirit that has guided our progress this far. Nearly everyone agrees that No Child Left Behind is badly broken. I have heard from parent after parent and teacher after teacher about how the law overemphasized testing and how oftentimes those tests are redundant or unnecessary. I have seen firsthand how this law is not working for my home State of Washington. No Child Left Behind issued one-size-fits-all mandates but failed to give the schools the resources they needed to meet those standards. These mandates were so unworkable that the Obama administration began giving States waivers from the law's requirements. My State lost its waiver last year. Parents across the State got a letter in the mail saying their child's school was failing, and teachers were left working as hard as ever, knowing their ``failing'' label didn't reflect the reality in their classrooms. A few months ago, I heard from a teacher in Seattle named Lyon Terry. He has taught school for more than 17 years and pours his energy into engaging with his students. He starts the morning by playing songs on his guitar, keeps his students laughing with jokes, and every day he tries to create an environment where kids want to come to school. Despite Mr. Terry and his fellow teachers' hard work, his school was labeled as failing. That is not fair to teachers like Mr. Terry, it is not fair to the parents who need confidence in the education their kids get at public schools, and it is not fair to students who should never have to bear the consequences of this broken law. Fixing No Child Left Behind has been one of my top priorities for students, families, and communities back home in Washington State and across the country. Back in January we didn't know there would be a path to compromise on a bill to reauthorize the Nation's K-12 law, but I started out with several principles and Washington State priorities that I would be fighting for. First, I knew we needed to ensure that schools and States provided a quality education to all our students because we already know what happens when we don't hold them accountable for every child. Inevitably, it is the kids of color or kids with disabilities or kids learning English who too often fall through the cracks. I said back in January and I will repeat that true accountability means holding up our schools to our Nation's promise of equality and justice. I knew we had to give schools and teachers resources they need so they can help their schools reach full potential because in some schools students don't have the same opportunity to graduate ready for college and careers in the 21st-century economy like other students do. I knew we should only pass an education bill that would help expand access to early childhood education because giving more students the chance to start kindergarten ready to learn is one of the smartest investments our country can make. I am proud to report that our bill, the Every Student Succeeds Act, takes major strides on those priorities and much more. The Every Student Succeeds Act will put an end to the one- size-fits-all mandates of No Child Left Behind. It will end the era of State waivers. That will give teachers and parents in my State of Washington and across the country some much needed certainty. Our bipartisan bill will also reduce reliance on high-stakes testing so teachers and students can spend less time on test prep and more time on learning. I know that is going to be a major relief for teachers and principals, such as high school principal Lori Wyborney in Spokane, WA. She told me she wants to see some commonsense policies for testing. That is what our bill will help to do. While the Every Student Succeeds Act gives States more flexibility, it also includes strong Federal guardrails to hold schools and States accountable. Our bill will make sure schools work to close achievement gaps that too often hurt kids from low-income backgrounds, students of color, those learning English, or those with disabilities. For schools that struggle the most to help students succeed and for high schools where more than a third of their students fail to earn a diploma, our bill will take steps to make sure they improve. A couple of weeks ago, I met a parent named Duncan. He has a son in second grade in the Highland public schools, and Duncan is active in their PTA. Many of the kids in his school district struggle with poverty. Duncan has said he has seen firsthand how, in districts like this, ``every dollar matters.'' In the Every Student Succeeds Act, I fought hard to make sure that Federal resources go to the schools and districts that need them the most by rejecting a proposal known as portability. If enacted, portability would have siphoned off money from the schools with the highest concentration of students in poverty and sent it to more affluent schools. Our bill protects schools with students in low-income areas and upholds our responsibility to invest Federal resources where they are needed the most. Even so, many schools and districts don't get equal access to the resources they need to help students learn, grow, and thrive. These are things such as offering AP classes, how much funding districts spend on each student, access to preschool, and many more. Our bill will require all schools to report on these issues to help shine a light on resource inequality. Our bipartisan bill will help improve and expand access to preschool programs. Before I ever thought about running for elected office, I taught preschool in a small community in my home State of Washington. I remember that the first day with new students would always start the same way: Some kids wouldn't know how to hold a pencil or crayon or how to turn a page in a book. But over the first few months, they would start to catch on. They learned how to listen at story time. They learned how to stand in line for recess. By the time they left for kindergarten, they had those basic skills and many more, so they were ready to tackle a full curriculum in school. I have seen firsthand the kind of transformation early learning can inspire in a child, and I am so glad that for the first time, our Nation's primary education law will invest in early childhood education. I fought hard for this because I know that investing now in preschool will payoff for years to come. Strong Federal guardrails for accountability, shining a light on resource inequity, reducing the reliance on high-stakes testing, and increasing access to preschool are some of the great things in this bill, but almost as important is what this bill represents. Gridlock and dysfunction have come to define Congress over the past several years, but on an issue as important as education and on a law as broken as No Child Left Behind, we worked together and found a way to find common ground. It is not the bill I would have written on my own. I know it isn't the bill Republicans would have written on their own. That is the nature of compromise. We put partisanship aside and proved that Congress can get results for the American people, and that kind of bipartisanship is what we need more of here in Congress. With the legislative process for this bill coming to an end, I am looking ahead to the future. When all students have the chance to learn, we strengthen our workforce, our Nation grows stronger, and our economy grows from the middle out, not from the top down. We empower the next generation of Americans to lead the world. As proud as I am that we have come this far on the Every Student Succeeds Act, we always have to keep improving educational opportunities. I am going to see to it that this bill is implemented effectively, that schools and teachers get the resources they need, and that students have access to the programs that help them succeed in the classroom and beyond. I am going to keep pushing to build on the progress we have made in this bill and make sure more students start school on a strong footing. I am going to keep fighting to make college more affordable and reduce the crushing burden of student debt. I am going to keep working every single day to make sure our government is doing everything possible to help students in Washington State and across the country. Reauthorizing ESEA isn't the finish line; for me, it is more of a milestone in an ongoing commitment to swing open more doors for Americans. I am asking all of my colleagues here today to join me. Let's fix this No Child Left Behind law. Let's show teachers and principals that we are on their side. And let's help instill educational opportunity as our first national goal and grow our Nation stronger for generations to come. In a few minutes, as the chairman said, we will be voting on cloture to end debate so that we can move to passage of this bill. Along with him, I thank all of our staff. When we get to the final bill, I want to name them as well. They have put in an incredible amount of time, work, and hours to help get to this agreement. Again, I thank all of our staffs on both sides of the aisle and in the House. I will say more about that later, but I truly want to thank Chairman Alexander for taking the time to be thoughtful, to work with us, and to find a path forward for compromise on a law that was broken that needed to be fixed and that we are about to pass. Thank you, Madam President. I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, we yield back all our time as well. Cloture Motion

Mrs. MURRAY

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

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I am so pleased that the Senate is taking the last few legislative steps to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act or ESEA. Our bipartisan bill, the Every Student Succeeds Act, will end the one-size-fits-all mandates of No Child Left Behind. It will reduce reliance on high-stakes testing, and it will help ensure that all students have access to a quality education regardless of where they live, how they learn or how much money their parents make. One of the best ways to help students succeed in school is by offering high- quality early learning opportunities for kids. I am proud our bipartisan bill will also improve and expand access to preschool programs for more of our Nation's youngest learners. Preschool is actually how I got my start in politics in the mid-1980s. At the time I wasn't thinking about running for the U.S. Senate or even the State legislature in Washington. I just had one specific goal in mind. The State legislature at the time was going to close down preschools in my small community because of budget cuts. I knew the impact that would have on my own kids and on the kids I saw in the classroom, but when I went to talk to State legislators about it with my kids, they wouldn't listen. They didn't think our voices mattered, and they didn't think preschool should be a priority. So I picked up the phone and started calling other parents. We held rallies, we wrote letters, and when it was all said and done, we won. The legislature reinstated the funding for the preschool program and more kids in my State were able to finally start school ready to learn. I still believe early childhood education is one of the best investments we can make in our country. It is why I fought so hard to improve and expand the preschool program throughout this process to fix No Child Left Behind. It is why I worked across the aisle with Senator Isakson and many other colleagues in the HELP Committee to design a preschool program in our bipartisan Senate bill, and it is one of the reasons this final legislation that we will vote on tomorrow will be such a strong step for students in the years to come. I hope our colleagues join me and everyone in passing the Every Student Succeeds Act for students, for parents, for teachers, and for communities across the country. Early childhood education is so important for our children's future and for the future of our country. Let's go through the research. Before children ever set foot in kindergarten, studies show they have already developed a foundation that will determine all of the learning, health, and behavior that follows. High-quality early learning programs can strengthen that foundation. Preschool is especially important for kids from low-income backgrounds. By the time an average child growing up in poverty turns 3 years old, she will have heard 30 million fewer words compared to a child from a middle-income or high-income family, according to researchers at the University of Kansas. That is a serious disadvantage. By the time she starts kindergarten a few years later, the deck will already be stacked against her and her future success. Many families across the country don't have the option of sending their youngest learners to preschool. Today, in fact, just 14 percent of 3-year-olds in America are enrolled in federally or State-funded preschool programs and 41 percent of our 4-year-olds are enrolled. If we are serious about closing the achievement gap in elementary and secondary education and if we are truly committed to making sure every student has the chance to succeed, we have to invest in quality early childhood education. On the Senate floor in January, I said we should only pass a bill to reauthorize the ESEA if it expands access to preschool programs. I am very pleased our bill follows through on that commitment. The Every Student Succeeds Act will mark the first time that the Nation's primary, elementary, and secondary education law includes dedicated funding to make sure kids start kindergarten ready to learn. It does so by establishing a competitive grant program for States that proposes to improve coordination, quality, and access to early childhood education for kids from low-income and disadvantaged families. Those grants will help States such as Washington build on the progress it has already made to improve quality and increase access to high-quality preschool programs. I am very proud of the bipartisan bill we have on the floor and all it does to improve and expand access to preschool, but we still have work to do. I will continue to work to do even more for kids and families in Washington State and across the country. I will continue fighting hard to make sure that if a family wants to send their child to a quality preschool program, there will be an open slot for them, because when all students have the chance to learn, we strengthen our future workforce, our Nation grows strong, our economy grows from the middle out, not the top down, and we empower the next generation of Americans to lead the world. As a former preschool teacher myself, I saw firsthand the kind of transformation that early learning can inspire in a child. It is something I have never forgotten. On my very last day of teaching preschool, before I left to serve in our Washington State Senate, my students gave me this great big, large, blue quilt. Each square was decorated by a student in my preschool class and that quilt now hangs in my U.S. Senate office. It reminds me every single day that investing in young children is one of the most important things we can do to help them succeed. Tomorrow the Senate will have the chance to vote in favor of helping more kids start school on a strong footing. We have the chance to fix No Child Left Behind with a bill that recognizes the importance of early learning, and we have a chance to make sure one of the smartest investments we can make in our Nation's youngest learners has begun. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill for their future and the future of our Nation. I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Sarah Rosenberg, a fellow with the Senate HELP Committee, and Lauren Burdette, a fellow in Senator Casey's office, be granted floor privileges during the consideration of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Mrs. MURRAY

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

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am well aware that there are serious disagreements between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to women's health, but I would hope that despite our disagreements, they would at least allow us to vote on the important amendment I have offered to strike the harmful language defunding Planned Parenthood in this legislation and replace it with a new fund to support women's health care and clinic safety for staff and patients. Unfortunately, apparently my Republican colleagues are going to choose instead to just simply push this amendment aside and everything with it that we are doing for women and families. Well, Planned Parenthood doctors and staff are not going to be pushed aside, even by the terrible violence we have seen all too often at women's health clinics. They are keeping their doors open. And the women and families who rely on these centers for their care and who believe women should be able to make their own choices aren't letting the political attacks we have seen today get in their way. They are standing up for what they believe. While Republicans may want to avoid taking this tough vote, Democrats are going to keep making it very clear exactly where we stand: with Planned Parenthood and with women across the country. I urge my colleagues to vote against the tabling amendment.

Mrs. MURRAY. We yield back our time.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, over the last several years our country has taken some important steps forward when it comes to health care. More than 16 million people have gained the peace of mind and security that comes with having health care coverage. Tens of millions of people with preexisting conditions no longer have to worry about insurance companies turning them away. Young adults in our country are able to stay covered under their parents' insurance as they start out in life. And there is so much more. But, as I have said many times, the work did not end when the Affordable Care Act passed--far from it. I am ready to continue working with anyone who has good ideas about how to continue making health care more affordable, expand coverage, and improve quality of care. Unfortunately, with this latest tired political effort to dismantle critical health care reforms, my Republican colleagues are once again making it clear that they want to take our health care system back to the bad old days. This is a major substitute amendment that my Republican colleagues just offered. It is yet another effort to pander to the extreme political base rather than working with us to strengthen health care for our families. Even the Parliamentarian agreed with us today that repealing these important premium stabilization programs does not have a sufficient budget impact and is subject to the Byrd rule. So I am raising a point of order today to strike section 105(b) from the amendment, which repeals the risk corridor program. It is a vital program to make sure premiums are affordable and stable for our working families. Repealing it would result in increased premiums, more uninsured, and less competition in the market. This amendment represents a step forward for our health care system, not backward. I hope Republicans will drop the politics and join us in supporting it. Mr. President, I raise a point of order that section 105(b) of the pending amendment violates section 313(b)(1)(D) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Mrs. MURRAY. I yield back our time.