Harry Reid

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I have no doubt that is the case.

Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that when we finish our remarks, Senator Merkley be recognized for up to 2 minutes to make a motion.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I do have to say this. To call the Democratic Party the party of disunity--look at what is going on with my Republican colleagues. Look at what is going on. They are the party of Trump. So don't call us dysfunctional. The example given by my friend the Republican leader that we supported the bill dealing with Zika--we sure did. We had 98 votes. I mentioned that in my remarks. Of course we did, because it was emergency funding. It wasn't as much money as we wanted, but we accepted it because of the work done by Senators Murray and Blunt. But what have we gotten back from the House? It isn't even in the same category of the world. It is something totally different. So I say to my friend the Republican leader and to all of his colleagues: Please don't try this--that the Democratic Party is the party of disunity--when you are being led by Donald Trump.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Finally, on another subject, Mr. President, Senate Republicans today will promote Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric with action. This afternoon, the Senate will vote to consider a pair of bills proposed by the junior Senators from Pennsylvania and Texas. These bills follow Trump's lead in demonizing and criminalizing immigrant Latino families. Senator Toomey's bill will undermine the ability of local law enforcement to police their own communities and to ensure public safety. It would deny millions of dollars of critical community and economic development funding to cities and States that refuse to target immigrant families. Senator Toomey's legislation would simply create more problems. It wouldn't solve anything. Not surprisingly, it is opposed by mayors, domestic violence groups, Latino and civil rights groups, and labor organizations. Senator Cruz's bill is no better. It would enact unnecessary mandatory minimum sentences and would cost billions and billions of new dollars, increasing the prison population and siphoning funding from State and local law enforcement. Worst of all, this sort of partisan, piecemeal approach undermines bipartisan efforts to enact badly needed reforms in our criminal justice system. One desk over from me is Dick Durbin, the assistant Democratic leader. He has worked for years on doing something about the criminal justice system. He has been joined by a bipartisan group of people to get something done, but, again, the Republican leader is too interested in doing things that mean nothing than doing something that means something. By pursuing legislation targeting so-called sanctuary cities, Republicans are legislating Donald Trump's vision that immigrants and Latinos are criminals and threats to the public. Republicans want red meat going into the convention and desperately want to pivot from the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our nation and the epidemic of Zika, but Americans deserve a real solution to our broken immigration system, not political games and dog-whistle politics. If Senator McConnell wants to bring this legislation forward, we are going to take a serious look at it. Maybe getting on the bill might be the right thing to do. If we get on that, and the Republican leader said he wants a robust amendment process, well, we will be happy to give him one. We will have a number of amendments on guns, we will have a number of amendments on Zika, and we will do something about comprehensive immigration reform. So we are going to take a look at that. We may just get on that bill and find out if we are going to have this robust amendment process, but let's address comprehensive immigration reform, guns, Zika, and other issues. We are happy to do that. This may be an opportunity for us to move forward on those issues. Will the Chair announce what the Senate is going to do the rest of the day.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am sure the American public recognizes that we are returning from another vacation--a break, as they are called--without a serious proposal to address Zika. Zika is a threat. It is a scourge. In less than 10 days, the Senate will adjourn for its longest break in many decades. Sadly, though, Republicans are no closer to getting serious about Zika. The Senate will vote again on their cynical conference report, which I will describe in some detail in a minute. It is full of partisan provisions designed to inject politics into a public health emergency. This bad legislation will never pass and will never get a Presidential signature. We should be working for a bipartisan solution, but my friend the Republican leader said we are going to vote on this again. Vote on this again--that is too bad. It is not a surprise that the party of Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell refuses to responsibly address the threat posed by Zika. It is a virus like we have never seen before. Mosquitoes have caused problems for many, many generations but never, ever, birth defects. Democrats have spent more than 4 months sounding the alarm on Zika and have called on Republicans to join us to fund a responsible response to this threat. It was looming, and now it is here. But Republicans have refused to make Zika a priority. It hasn't always been this way. In the not-too-distant past, Republicans worked with us on crises and disasters. The last three public health emergencies--Ebola, H1N1 flu, avian flu--had much higher pricetags, yet responses to each passed Congress in a very short period of time. It has been 130 days since President Obama requested $1.9 billion for public health officials to protect the American people against Zika. This isn't some figure he came up with out of the air. He was told this by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and other public health officials. Republicans have simply ignored this emergency. It is an emergency. So why is the party of Trump and McConnell treating Zika differently than they treated every other modern public health emergency? Well, maybe it could be that it is uniquely devastating on women. I would hate to think this is the case, but you can't ignore the facts when women face the greatest risk--terrible risks. Everyone now knows these mosquitoes are ravaging thousands and thousands of people, and tens of thousands of women have this virus. We don't yet know how many will give birth to these deformed babies. Suddenly, Republican men suddenly feel they know best about women's health. This isn't new. They have always done that. You see on TV that the people who are the most pro-life are men, not women. Every day new reports emerge of Americans being affected with Zika. Right now we know at least of about 550 women who have this infection. It has been proven in labs. As I have indicated, millions more are threatened, and women in States with large Latina populations are at the greatest risk. Zika has been linked to many health problems but notably a terrible birth defect called microcephaly, which happens when an expectant mother contracts Zika. Already, seven babies in the United States have been born with birth defects caused by Zika. Most of them haven't survived. We have all seen the images of these babies with their small skulls, most of them caved in. It is heartbreaking, but we should do something to stop it. Still, the Republican leader is wasting time with failed votes on really unserious legislation. This sort of reckless partisanship--no matter the cost to women and families--is exactly the sort of behavior that led to the rise of Donald Trump, the sort of legislation you would expect from Trump and McConnell's new Republican Party. To get the votes of the loudest, most bizarre members of the tea party, Republicans are pushing one of the most irresponsible pieces of legislation we have ever seen in Congress, ever. Not surprisingly, Republicans returned to their obsession with defunding Planned Parenthood. This isn't new. This is the old playbook: Let's defund Planned Parenthood; let's go out and get some phony pictures of what they are doing--which have all been proven to be false. But let's do something to go after Planned Parenthood--led by, of course, men, with rare exception. The Republican bill would restrict funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics. These are the very places that provide birth control to women in Zika-affected areas. Planned Parenthood has provided many women a place to go to get their health care. This is beyond hypocrisy. Republicans are expecting women to magically stop the spread of Zika and prevent their babies from developing birth defects, all while denying them access to family planning services. But Republicans don't stop there. Their bill would also hurt veterans by slashing the Senate's level of funding to the VA by $500 billion. What was that money to be used for? Processing claims of veterans. They wiped that out. It would roll back environmental protections, and the clincher, as we all know, is they would allow the Confederate flag to fly over cemeteries. These provisions are as unacceptable as they are partisan. That is why Senate Democrats rejected the outrageous Republican bill and will do so again. The Zika threat is growing, but that hasn't changed the Republicans' vacation plans. They need time to unify around Donald Trump in Cleveland but no time for American women. For today's Trump and McConnell Republicans, a public health crisis that is disproportionately dangerous to women isn't worth serious, bipartisan action. Add to that fact that Zika is affecting women by the tens of thousands in Central and South America and the picture becomes even clearer: The anti-immigrant party of Trump and McConnell would rather be on vacation than lift a finger to help. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control are warning that vaccine research and other efforts to protect Americans from Zika is likely to stop without immediate action from Congress. A poll released last week by the Kaiser Foundation found 72 percent of Americans want the government to spend more to fight Zika--not less, more. We need to act, and we need to act now. It is obvious that picking a fight over women's health is more important to Republicans than a bipartisan response to stop the spread of this dreaded virus. Democrats have called on Republicans to work with us to get something done. A 7-week vacation should be delayed. There is no excuse for inaction and partisanship. We cannot afford to waste another day, a week, another month--we have already wasted 4 months--for Republicans to help stop the spread of this emergency. Let us get to work and do it now.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Senate is about to hold a cloture vote on GMOs. This legislation--I personally need the conversations that are going to take place if cloture is not invoked on this matter. I will be voting no on cloture for that reason. I think it is wrong, and all I have to do is parrot what my friend the Republican leader said numerous times a year and a half ago and many years before that. He said that it is not fair to get on an important piece of legislation and not have an opportunity to offer amendments. That is true, but in addition to that, my friend the Republican leader said that we were going to have a new sheriff in town. He was going to make sure any matter that came before this body had a full hearing in our committees. On GMOs, that is not the case. Certainly there have been none on this bill. In addition to that, we should have an amendment process. My friend the Republican leader said there would be a robust amendment process when he took over. If this is robust, it is a sad day in the world. This is wrong. It is unacceptable to push through this important legislation with no debate, no amendments, and without a hearing in the committee. We owe it as a body for the American people to give this legislation proper consideration. Democrats and Republicans alike should be concerned about this. We must not stand for the Republican leader jamming this bill through the Senate, and that is what is happening. I listened and I need to listen to the debate on this legislation, and other Senators feel the same way. Members need to state their opinions and offer amendments. The Republican leader repeatedly promised--I repeat, repeatedly promised--regular order and an open amendment process. I can't get away from the fact that he promised a robust committee process. He trumpeted the importance of committees. Once again he has failed to live up to the promise of what he would do. I assume he is not living up to his own standards. I am going to vote no on cloture, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. I invite my Republican colleagues to do the same. That is what they asked us to do, and I am asking them to do that. It is simply too important to just push this through. Senator McConnell should respect his colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, and the importance of this legislation by allowing regular order to take place. Until that happens, I will oppose cloture on this measure.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is my understanding that the next matter we will move to is the GMO cloture vote; is that right?

Mr. REID. I am going to take some of my leader time now. It is the only time in order.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner) are necessarily absent.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the first day of the 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which is featuring the Basque. Since 1967, the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage has honored cultural traditions during its annual festival and celebrated the individuals who help keep important traditions alive. The festival has featured participants from all 50 States and more than 100 countries, and this summer, the festival will showcase Basque culture in Washington, DC. The Basque migrated to the United States from an ancient and free culture located in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the gold rush in Nevada and California drew the Basque out West. They became well-known for their strong work ethic and skill for business. As the western mines attracted workers from across the United States and around the world, innovative Basques capitalized on the opportunity to raise sheep and sell sheep products to miners. During this time, the sheep industry in Nevada grew exponentially. Following World War II, Nevada's Basque population soared, with a majority of Basques settling in northern Nevada. The Basque brought with them traditional dances in colorful costumes, music, their unique language, and cuisine that remains a hallmark in the State of Nevada. Communities throughout the State have benefited from the innovation of the Basque settlers and the traditions they and their descendants have kept alive. Over the years, the Basque have become a part of Nevada communities, established businesses, and served our Nation as doctors, lawyers, scientists, and teachers. The sons of Basque parents, Paul and Robert Laxalt, are among those who have earned a place in Nevada history, becoming well-known for their strong Basque roots and accomplishments. Paul dedicated his life to public service by serving as the Governor of Nevada and as a U.S. Senator, and Robert was a successful writer who captured the Basque experience in the American West in books such as ``Sweet Promised Land'' and ``The Basque Hotel.'' The importance of the Basque's impact on Nevada history is exemplified by the William A. Douglass Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada's land grant university. The center maintains an extensive collection of Basque oral history and provides students the opportunity to gain expertise in Basque culture and tradition. The center, along with so many others in the State of Nevada and throughout the Nation, have worked hard to keep the rich history and spirit of Basque culture and tradition thriving in the United States. I am pleased the Smithsonian Folklife Festival will celebrate this incredible culture for this year's festival, and I welcome the Nevadans who have traveled to Washington to participate in the 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Republican leader came here yesterday and came here again this morning talking about Zika. Understand how the House of Representatives works--and stunningly, the Republicans over here accept what they do in the House. In the House of Representatives, they have what is called the Hastert rule, named after a Congressman from Illinois who was the Speaker of the House for a number of years. He created what was called the Hastert rule. What that was is, you had to deal only with legislation that had enough votes to pass it with Republican votes. They didn't want Democrats to be involved, and they are still that way. Even though Hastert's in prison, they follow the Hastert rule. As a result of that, in the dead of night last week, Republicans in the House--and I mean the dead of the night. Remember the House had been taken over by the House Democrats because they were upset about what had not been done with guns. The event was interrupted for probably less than a minute, and the House was called back into session. The House passed with no discussion whatsoever the conference report dealing with Zika. As could only be understood by someone understanding what the Hastert rule is, here is what they did. They had to get all the crazies over there--I am sorry to use that term. That is the term Speaker Boehner used, and the more I see of this, I think he had it pretty down pat. They did everything they could to go after all the pet projects of Republicans. They hate Planned Parenthood. They hate it, even though millions of Americans get their care there. This Zika disease causes young women to be concerned about birth control. About one out of every five women will get care at Planned Parenthood at some point in their lives. But what did Republicans do? They said: We are going to restrict funding for birth control provided by Planned Parenthood. Why would they do that? Only to get votes from those crazies over there. They exempted pesticide spraying from clean water. What we need to do with these mosquitoes--in addition to inventing vaccines and other medicines to fight this plague, we also have to kill the mosquitoes, and we do that by spraying. That works better than anything else. Of course, the Republicans, hating environmental laws, went after the Clean Water Act, which has been in existence for decades. Just to make sure that they covered all their bases, they whacked veterans funding by $500 million below the Senate bill. Those were for processing claims of veterans. What do we hear complaints about? Processing claims. Well, they took care of that. They want to cut $500 million from Secretary McDonald's budget so he cannot process claims very quickly. It cuts Ebola funding by $107 million and rescinds $543 million from ObamaCare. Just for good measure, I guess they had to make sure they had all the southern votes. They said: What we are going to do now is strike a prohibition on displaying the Confederate flag. So if they got their way, you could fly Confederate flags on any military cemetery you want. And, of course, it sets a terrible precedent by offsetting emergency spending with offsets like ObamaCare, cutting Ebola money. We did the right thing. All the press--you might find a headline someplace on some rightwing blog, but the fact is, the Republicans know they failed on funding Zika, and all the press indicates that is the case.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, further reserving my right to object, I would also say that just because you have the time, you don't have to use it. I would hope Senators on both sides would understand that the sooner we get to the votes, the better off we will be. I would also say this. I appreciate on my side the work done by Senator Manchin of West Virginia. That State, in the last few weeks-- actually, for the last few months--has been hit harder than any State deserves to be hit. It is just awful what has happened there. Senator Manchin has been stalwart in recognizing the work he has to do there. We understand his advocacy for years now--especially the last few months--on the miners, their pensions, and health care benefits. We recognize that. We think we have ways of helping him, and we have something worked out we think is appropriate, and we have discussed that with him. I would also recognize Senator Sanders. Everyone knows the fervency of his opinion on a number of different things, and he certainly has one on this matter, and he has 40 minutes to explain that. We appreciate his cooperation. The person who has been a voice on Puerto Rico for more than the last few months--for years--has been Bob Menendez from New Jersey. He has been very articulate in all the caucuses we have had where we have discussed this and on the floor. I admire his feelings on this. I wish I could say we have solved all of his problems. We have not been able to do that, but I certainly want everyone to know he has done a terrific job of recognizing, in his opinion, what is wrong with this legislation. There is no one better to articulate that position than Bob Menendez. Senator Cantwell has worked very hard on this legislation with the chair of the Energy Committee, the senior Senator from Alaska. They have worked very hard. They had a way forward, but they couldn't get it done. They are going to continue to work on putting something together. We need more of that. We have an Energy bill coming up. We hope we can work something out to get to conference on that and move forward on that. That is a bill that is years overdue. We have been trying to do that for almost 5 years. So I hope we can work something out. Senator Heitkamp is going to come and give us her opinion on what we should do on Ex-Im Bank. She has been articulate and working with Senator Cantwell on that. I appreciate the work of the Republican leader, and his assistant, the senior Senator from Texas. This has been kind of a difficult issue for everybody. We all didn't get what we wanted. That includes Democrats and Republicans. I wish we could have done better, but this is what we got from the House, which had been worked on over there with the Republicans, with the Speaker, with Leader Pelosi, and the President's people. This is what we have, and we have had to work through this to do what we could do. I wish we could have done more, but I am satisfied that this is going to be a broad, broad step forward to help the people of Puerto Rico, who are desperate for help. I have no objection.

Mr. REID. Reserving the right to object.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, the Democrats have 150 minutes. I ask unanimous consent that that be divided as 40 minutes for Menendez, 40 minutes for Sanders, 10 minutes for Cantwell, 10 minutes for Heitkamp, and 50 minutes for proponents of the legislation.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, often the Republican leader comes to the floor and complains about the battle against ISIS without ever offering a word as to what he would do that is not being done by President Obama and the rest of the allied forces. But let's talk a little bit about the progress that has been made. Is it all done? Of course not. We are working on that every day. Since the height of the ISIS power, U.S. and coalition forces have captured about 50 percent of the land ISIS once held in Iraq, and they are losing land every day. ISIS has lost 20 percent of the land it held in Syria. Ramadi and Tikrit were key victories for the U.S.-backed Iraqi forces. Iraqi forces captured the city of Fallujah in the last few days and are now working to put out the next pockets of resistance in that key Al Anbar Province town. As we speak, Kurdish, Iraq, and Syrian Democratic forces backed by the U.S. Special Forces are making preparations to retake ISIS's key strongholds in Mosul and Raqqa in Iraq. We have killed more than 25,000 ISIS fighters and 120 key ISIS leaders. We have cut ISIS funds by up to one-third and some say approaching 50 percent. We have drastically slowed the flow of foreign recruits from a high of about 2,000 a month in 2014 to 200 a month today. The same goes for the young Americans who have sought to travel and join ISIS abroad. A year ago, about 10 Americans a month--hard to comprehend that, but it is true--were leaving to join ISIS. That is now numbering about one a month. At home the FBI is cracking down on recruits. They are doing a good job. It is a tough job. Are they going to be able to get it all done quickly enough? We don't know, but they are doing their best. Over the past 2 years the FBI has arrested 80 individuals on ISIS-related charges. Prosecutions have gone forward, and with rare exception, they have all gone forward successfully.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, today we are going to finally consider legislation addressing Puerto Rico's economic crisis. For the past year and even longer, Democrats in both Houses of Congress have proposed legislation that would empower Puerto Rico to adjust a significant portion of its debt. Every time we have tried, it has been blocked by the Republicans. As the weeks and months passed without a solution, the situation in Puerto Rico has worsened, and that is an understatement. In the New York Times this morning, the editorial board stressed the importance of congressional action, and I quote what they said: The fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico is also a humanitarian crisis. The Senate now has an opportunity--and the obligation--to address both. It is scheduled to vote on Wednesday on a bill already approved by the House that would restructure the island's debt and could create the conditions for recovery. If the bill loses, Puerto Rico will default on Friday on a $2 billion debt payment, creditors will keep suing for full repayment and essential services on the island, including health, sanitation, education, electricity, public transportation and public safety, will continue to decline. The economic crisis is a humanitarian disaster. Medical services have diminished. Hospitals are unable to pay their bills. Puerto Rico's largest hospital has closed two of its wings and reduced the number of beds by 25 percent and cut pay for all employees. Electricity at one hospital, the Santa Rosa Hospital, was suspended for lack of payment. Can you imagine one of our hospitals having to close because the electricity bill can't be paid? Puerto Rico's only air ambulance company had to suspend operations. At the pediatric center in Puerto Rico's primary medical center, pharmaceutical providers are only going to supply chemotherapy drugs COD, cash on delivery. How troubling is that? Children are being deprived of cancer treatment medication. The effects of Puerto Rico's debt crisis reach beyond health care. Already, the Puerto Rican government has been forced to close 150 schools. Leaders anticipate closing a total of 500 schools in the next few years. That would be half of all public schools in Puerto Rico. Businesses have shuttered. Labor force participation is substantially below the U.S. average. Puerto Ricans on the island are fleeing to the mainland at an alarming rate. Even as Puerto Rico was drowning in more than $70 billion of debt and forced to take unprecedented austerity measures, Republicans in Congress dithered. They continued to waffle. Finally, this spring congressional Republican leaders agreed to negotiate and address this economic and fiscal emergency. The legislation before us is far from perfect. Oh, is it far from perfect. What they have done to labor, minimum wage, the oversight board, environmental--it is bad stuff. It is far from perfect. I share my colleagues' very deep concerns about this compromise legislation. If Republicans were serious about pro-growth measures, they should have addressed some of the disparities Puerto Rico faces under Federal programs. They should have worked with us to fix Puerto Rico's unequal treatment under Medicaid and Medicare or extend key refundable tax credits to the island's government. Republicans should have extended overtime rules and the minimum wage. I take issue with the oversight board and their excessive powers and appointment structure. For all the Republican leader's promises about an open amendment process, Democrats have not been allowed to offer amendments to improve the bill. The tree is filled. How many times did we hear the Republican leader come to the floor and say: Oh, it is terrible; Reid has filled the tree. Well, I should have waited and taken some lessons from him. We will just add that broken promise to the Republican leader's growing list of not keeping his word, such as the budget, a full workweek, and tax credits that are so vital to renewable energy projects. If Democrats had written this bill, it would be very different from what we are voting on today. But I am going to vote for passage of this bill because we must help Puerto Rico before July 1. Otherwise, we turn that island nation--country, I should say--all American citizens--turn them over to the hedge funds, and they will sue them to death, and that is too bad. We must do something now. As the Democrats stated in a letter that every Member of our caucus sent to Senator McConnell earlier this year, Puerto Rico needs a workable debt-restructuring process. While there are many things we may not like about this legislation, at the end of the day this legislation provides tools that allow Puerto Rico to survive, to hopefully restructure a meaningful portion of its debt. I wish we had something better. Secretary Lew sent a letter to Senator McConnell and to me a few days ago. [Puerto Rico's] only hope for recovery and growth is legislation that authorizes the tools necessary for better fiscal management and a sustainable level of debt. While much work still needs to be done, this legislation meets the Treasury's criteria, and it is a step in the right direction. Not acting today to provide Puerto Rico with debt relief and protection from creditors' lawsuits will have dire consequences and worsen the crisis. Puerto Rico's only elected representative in Congress, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, said it best in a letter he sent to me:

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. These organizations are blasting this Republican conference report because they want real legislation to fund Zika. They call on Congress to pass a bill that ``provides appropriate funding levels for all aspects of Zika response, including contraception for women who wish to avoid pregnancy, and to prevent the sexual transmission of Zika.'' They want a bill that ``does not draw funds from other important public health priorities, including Ebola efforts.'' They want a bill that ``does not place unreasonable restrictions on Zika funding, which would hinder the ability of agencies to respond to the virus given that its course is unpredictable.'' They want a bill that ``lays a foundation with FY2016 funding that can be built upon responsibly in subsequent fiscal years, since Zika will be a long-term challenge; and is capable of garnering bipartisan support.'' The letter continues: ``The fact that it is already almost July and Congress has failed to act would seem to reflect an appalling indifference to the lives of infants and their families.'' These are not Democrats saying this, these are these public health organizations. They are aghast at what Republicans are doing. Instead of accepting their bill is a failure that is going nowhere, Republicans are making these threats. Yesterday the assistant Republican leader came to the floor and said Republicans are going to abandon Zika funding negotiations after this vote. The Republican Senate is on pace to work the fewest days the Senate has worked in more than 60 years. Sixty years ago, the country was much smaller. There was a lot less people and a lot less business, but even with that, we are working less than they did 60 years ago. In 2 weeks, the Senate plans to leave Washington for 7 weeks, which is the longest summer recess since we can remember. Is it too much to ask Republicans to work until we have done our job in giving States and territories the resources they need to fight Zika and protect women? Public health organizations don't think so and we don't either. Republicans need to get serious about sending President Obama the full $1.9 billion that doctors, researchers, nurses, and public health experts say is needed to fight Zika. Every moment Republicans delay, there are other cases of Zika in innocent women, which affects their children more than one can imagine. Mr. President, will the Chair please announce the business of the day.

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I don't know what planet my friend the Republican leader is living on. This conference report is the most irresponsible legislation I have ever seen in my 34 years in Congress. That says a lot. I can't think of anything that is close. This Zika threat is real. It is serious. Every day more and more Americans are being infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, right now 2,900 Americans have already contracted Zika. There were 700 just last week alone who were added to that list. It was 2,200, and now it is 2,900, and 481 women have been tested positive for the virus in the United States. Eight pregnancies in the United States have resulted in severe birth defects because of Zika, and when we talk about severe birth defects, we mean it. They have little shrunken heads and their skulls are caved in. Mosquitoes have caused problems forever, but never like this. In spite of all the evidence of Zika's harm to the American people, Republicans are pushing the conference report as nothing more than the goodie bag for the fringes of the Republican Party. In April, very recently, the Republican leader told reporters: We are all very much aware that this is a serious crisis. . . . We'll be working with the administration, with the Democrats. That simply hasn't proven to be true. On the conference committee the Democrats were locked out of negotiations. Then they jammed through this bill. When I say in the middle of the night, it was in the middle of the night. It was during the time they had the sit-in on the House floor. Chaos was there. There was no debate, no discussion. It was just ruled there by the Presiding Officer. It shortchanged the President's request by $800 million. It took another $100 million from the Ebola funding, which is badly needed. All you have to do is talk to anyone at NIH or the Centers for Disease Control, and they will tell you. Ebola is not gone. Then they proceeded. I don't know if they sat in a room and said: Let's do everything we can just to hit every constituency group the American people like, and let's just poke in their eyes. That is what they did. How about women's health? How anti-women's health can they make it? I will tell you that we are dealing here with pregnant women and women who want some type of birth control. The Republican conference report restricts funding for birth control provided by Planned Parenthood. My friend says they can go someplace else for it. In America today, there are huge segments of the American people where this is the only place they can go for help. Women need Planned Parenthood, and what do the Republicans do because of their fixation on doing everything they can to hurt Planned Parenthood? They do these phony television interviews. They have fake cameras. The courts have decided that what they did is wrong. They have been sued, but that is OK. Anything they can do to whack Planned Parenthood, they are going to do it, and they tried it here. How about ObamaCare? They have tried to revoke it almost 70 times, and it didn't work. So what do they do? They just rescind $543 million dollars and stick it in the conference report. I guess that was just to get the President's attention. Of course he is going to veto this, but they wanted to make sure he was going to have something really substantive in order to do it. How about the environment? Remember that what we are trying to--in addition to all of the things we have talked about--is that we want to make sure there is a way of getting rid of these pests--these mosquitoes. How do they do that? The only way we have found that is really effective is with spraying to kill these little varmints, these insects. Well, what do the Republicans do? They exempt pesticide spraying from the Clean Water Act. Why? Just because they don't like the EPA. They don't like the Clean Water Act. It has been around for 60 years, and they still don't like it. How about this? We know the Democrats have a big constituency with veterans. Why not whack them? OK. Let's do that. What we will do is take $500 million out of veterans health. That should get the Democrats' attention. They couldn't stop themselves from coming up with every idea. I guess they were waiting around while the chaos was happening on the House floor, saying: Can we think of anything else that would just be really good to do? I have it. Why don't we rescind the order that is in effect saying you can't fly the Confederate flag on military cemeteries? Great idea--OK, I am glad you came up with that. We are going to stick that in there too. Under this legislation the Republicans stuck in there a line to prohibit the legislation that says you can't fly a Confederate flag in a military cemetery. Under their legislation, you can go ahead and do it. This conference report is disgraceful. It is shameful to use a real- life public health crisis to push the radical Republican agenda. It is radical. I have told you what they are doing. There is a point of order against the bill also. We could raise that. Republicans were eager to inject politics in this legislation, even rescinding $543 million from the Affordable Care Act, making the bill rescindable. For these and other reasons, we are going to vote against cloture. But it is not just Democrats saying this bill is a disaster. No, don't leave it to us. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from 40 public health care groups, including some of these radical organizations like the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Easterseals, the American Public Health Association, and 35 more.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, as I said this morning, and I will repeat it, I don't know what universe my friend is living in. What does he think--that we are all stupid, that the American people are dumb? They are not. They understand what is going on here. We have been trying for months--months. The President asked more than 4 months ago that we would get money to fight Zika. He had already had to take $500 million from Ebola because the Republicans had done nothing. He said more than 4 months ago: We need money. The CDC needs money. The NIH needs money. We have a crisis on our hands. So we have been on top of this. We have worked hard. Republicans have objected five times to moving legislation that is meaningful. On April 28, the senior Senator from Texas objected to my request. On May 18, he objected to my unanimous consent request again and to Senator Murray's request--all in the same day. On May 24, he objected to Senator Murray's request again for funding Zika. On May 24--the same day-- Senator Enzi objected to Senator Nelson's unanimous consent request. He said that we need to reflect. Come on. Listen to this. If Republicans were sitting around, as I assume they were in the House, as we were all watching the takeover of the House floor by House Democrats--there wasn't anything going on on the House floor, so I assume--I assume--they were sitting around thinking: What can we do to fake funding for Zika? What can we do? Well, maybe what we can do is say we have money for Zika and then we could do everything we can to irritate them. So what they did is they said: Well, we realize this is a serious issue, but these pregnant women are the ones they are concerned about, so why don't we stop them from going to obtain birth control. We hate Planned Parenthood, so why don't we stop them from going to Planned Parenthood--these desperate women who need birth control and some advice about their situation. A significant number of American women--especially young women--go to Planned Parenthood. On the bill we have that was just turned down today, the Republicans said: You can't do that. We are not going to allow that. It restricts funding for birth control provided by Planned Parenthood. How about that one. But if that weren't enough, they cut veterans funding by $500 million. And then I guess they said: Well, maybe we can do something--we know we hate the environment. We don't like all those greenies, so why don't we do this. We know that it is important that we control mosquitoes. If we are going to do anything regarding mosquitoes, let's kill a lot of those mosquitoes. Oh, here is what we will do. We will exempt the Clean Water Act from the provisions of spraying pesticides. Against all environmental advice that we could get, they go ahead and do it anyway. They cut Ebola funding by another $107 million. They rescind ObamaCare by $543 million, after they have already failed 70 times to repeal it. But if that weren't enough, listen to this one. How about this one. I guess they said: What else could we do to really stick it in their eye? There is a prohibition now in the law that says that you can't fly the Confederate flag at our military cemeteries. Let's take that away. We want to be able to fly Confederate flags at military cemeteries. So they put that in there too. What do they think this is? When we passed here by almost 90 votes a bill that gave not as much money as we wanted, but $1.1 billion, it was treated as an emergency, as emergencies should be treated. It is no different from a flood or a fire or an earthquake. We passed it here and sent it to the House. The night they were there on the House floor, there was chaos. One of the Presiding Officers came out and in a matter of a minute said: We are going to pass a conference report funding Zika--funding Zika--but it makes it so that you can't go to Planned Parenthood for birth control. We are cutting $500 million from veterans, we are going to affect how we spray pesticides, we are going to cut Ebola funding, we are going to cut ObamaCare, and we are going to, just for good measure--just for good measure, we will throw in the Confederate flag thing. I was here a week ago, and 2,200 women at that time were infected with Zika. Here it is 1 week later, and it is 2,900. About 100 women a day are being infected with Zika. We don't know how many of these pregnant women--there are about 500 now who are pregnant who have been infected with Zika--we don't know how many of those women are going to give birth to children who are tremendously handicapped. They have shrunken brains, and their skulls are caved in sometimes. As we sit here dithering because of this foolishness on Planned Parenthood, the Clean Water Act, cutting veterans funding, Ebola funding, ObamaCare, Confederate flag, each day more women are prevented from getting the attention they need for birth control. It is unbelievable that someone would have the audacity to come to the floor and say: Well, it is the Democrats' fault. It is the Democrats' fault. We think you should get some money for Zika funding. It should be offset; it wouldn't be truly emergency funding. But in the process, go ahead and let's whack ObamaCare, Ebola money, veterans, Planned Parenthood, the Confederate flag. I mean, I can't imagine how anyone would have the audacity to come to the floor and talk about what a great piece of legislation this is. We know what is in the bill. We have had a woman who has worked so hard on this who is one of the premier Senators ever to serve in this body, Senator Mikulski from Maryland. Bill Nelson cares about this in Florida because his State has been hit harder than any other State. But Senator Mikulski has worked hard on appropriations bills. We know how important this bill is. We know how much she wants it passed, but she doesn't want it with this awful stuff that they have tried to do with Planned Parenthood, the Clean Water Act, veterans funding, and all of this other craziness, including the Confederate flag. It is hard to describe. I sat here this morning when the Senate was opening. I have been here a long time. I don't remember anything as outrageous and as shameful as this piece of legislation. Believe me, in the last 7\1/2\ years, the Republicans have come up with a lot, but this is the worst.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, just last month, we marked the 70th anniversary of President Truman's historic promise to mine workers. President Truman promised lifetime health and pension benefits to coal miners in exchange for their continuing the back-breaking work which built our Nation, but today tens of thousands of miners and widows are in imminent danger of losing not part of their health benefits but all of them--100 percent of them. Their modest pension benefits are also at serious risk. A promise that has been kept for 70 years is about to be violated, broken. We shouldn't let that happen. There is a bipartisan solution that would avert this crisis. Senator Manchin wants the Senate to vote on his Miners Protection Act, and so do I. If it is up to Senator McConnell, we are not going to be given a chance to vote before the recess, despite the gravity of the situation. Just 2 weeks ago, more than 3,000 miners and their supporters rallied in Lexington, KY, urging congressional action. The Senate should vote on the Miners Protection Act before we recess for the political conventions that will be held this summer. A promise made by President Truman is a promise we should keep because a promise made should be a promise kept. Madam President, as we work to help these families, we should not forget the many West Virginians who are fighting the devastating flooding that has ravaged that State. Twenty-five have died. Our hearts go out to the victims and the families of those affected by the devastation. I have spoken several times to the senior Senator from West Virginia. It is hard to comprehend, in that sparsely populated State, that a storm can take 25 people--men, women, and children--and still there are people unaccounted for. On behalf of the whole Senate, I express the care and feeling we have for West Virginia. I want to be available to do everything I can to help the people of West Virginia. Senator Manchin is a great advocate, and we will listen closely to follow his direction and guidance. We also thank the many brave police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and members of the National Guard who worked hard to prevent further loss of life. Many more people came close to dying. We have seen it all on television. We have read the stories. It is very frightening that something like that could happen. I was told by Senator Manchin this is a 1,000-year storm--not a 100- year storm but a 1,000-year storm. Nothing like this has never happened before--9 inches of rain in just a matter of hours. It is devastating for the people of West Virginia but also for our country. Will the Chair please announce the business of the day.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Mr. President, June 25 marked 20 years since the devastating bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. This horrifying and evil act killed 19 U.S. airmen and wounded nearly 500 others, 372 of whom were American.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, here are just a few brief words on the Zika funding matter. This conference report is full of poison pills. I will give you just a few of them. Again, the House Republicans can't help themselves and, of course, the Senate Republicans joined with them. They have to do everything they can to whack Planned Parenthood, and that is what they do in this conference report. They restrict funding for birth control provided by Planned Parenthood. Can you believe that? And with this Zika problem, who does it affect? Women, and especially pregnant women. It exempts pesticide spraying from Clean Water Act prohibitions and protections, cuts veterans funding by $500 million, cuts Ebola funding by $107 million, and cuts ObamaCare by $543 million. Listen to this one. Why would they do this? They stick a provision in this that strikes a prohibition that we had placed in the legislation on displaying a Confederate flag. What they have done is just great. Any veterans facility can fly that Confederate flag. Why would they put that in this bill? Of course, it sets a terrible precedent for offsetting emergency spending, and it is missing $800 million--what a shame. It is like we are being dared to oppose this legislation. We have no choice.

Mr. REID

Mr. REID. Madam President, last week the voters of the United Kingdom stunned the world by voting to exit the European Union. The vote was close, but ultimately the electorate decided to sever the United Kingdom from the European Union, an organization they had been a part of for 40 years. I was disappointed by that decision, but it was their decision. In the aftermath of last week's referendum, I was pleased that President Obama reaffirmed our special relationship with the United Kingdom and our strong ties to the European Union. Regardless of what happens with the so-called Brexit, the United States will continue to maintain strong alliances with Britain and Europe.