Debbie Stabenow

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice. I send a question to the desk.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today to honor someone who has dedicated his entire career to promoting Michigan agriculture and someone I am proud to call my friend. I have always said that, in Michigan, we don't have an economy unless we make things and grow things. For more than 40 years, Jim Byrum has been helping Michigan do just that. That is a big deal for our State. From West Michigan's fruitbelt, to the forests of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, to sugarbeet and dry bean fields in the Thumb, to biofuel production providing good jobs in rural communities, to dairy and food processing businesses in cities and towns of all sizes, agriculture is our State's second- largest industry, supporting one in four jobs. During his nearly 25 years with the Michigan Agri-Business Association, Jim has been a powerful advocate for those one in four jobs and for his organization's more than 400 members. His vision, insight, hard work, and great sense of humor have played a strong role in the association's success. It is no surprise that Jim knows exactly what his members need; he has his own lifetime of experience to rely on. Jim is the fourth generation of Byrums to live on his family's farm in Onondaga. Before he joined the Michigan Agri-Business Association, he was State executive director of Michigan's Farm Service Agency and executive director of the Michigan Bean Commission. Jim may be moving on, but the imprint he has left on the agribusiness industry will live on. I know that Jim is particularly proud of the work he has done to expand markets internationally and to build the Michigan Agri-Business Leader Program, which has been bringing together different sectors of agriculture and training the next generation of leaders since 2008. I have been especially grateful for the culture of cooperation and bipartisanship Jim has helped cultivate in our State during a very challenging time for the industry. As Jim told Russ White of MSU Today back in September: ``There's going to be more change in the next 20 years of this industry than there has been in the past 50. And that change is coming at light speed . . . it's going to benefit consumers . . . it's going to benefit producers . . . but folks better be ready to embrace it.'' I know for a fact that Michigan's agricultural industry is better positioned to embrace change thanks to Jim's hard work and dedication. Speaking of change, I am so happy that Jim will have more time to spend with his wife Dianne, who is a leader in her own right, and his two children and grandchildren. Jim, thank you for your friendship, your leadership, and your lifetime of work on behalf of Michigan agriculture. It has been my honor to be your partner in helping Michigan make things and grow things. Thank you.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today because I am very glad to see the Senate moving forward in taking up the nomination of Stephanie Davis to be the district court judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. Judge Davis was nominated by President Trump back in March to be a U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. Our bipartisan Eastern District Judicial Nominations Advisory Committee strongly supported her. She was reported out of committee by a voice vote on May 22, and no one has expressed any concerns about her record, nor would they have a reason to express a concern. She is exceedingly qualified. Judge Davis has been working in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Michigan since 1997. During her time there, she has served in both the civil and criminal divisions. She has prosecuted fraud, bank robbery, embezzlement, violent crime, public corruption, and criminal conspiracies involving drug trafficking and money laundering. We are very lucky to have someone of her experience stepping forward and wanting to serve in this position. She has also overseen community and law enforcement initiatives and led the office's diversity efforts. I have had the opportunity to meet with Judge Davis. I came away from my very first meeting, as well as subsequent conversations, being very impressed with her background and her commitment to public service. She will be an excellent addition to the Federal judiciary, and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination. I yield the floor. Nomination of anuraag singhal

Ms. STABENOW. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. STABENOW

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

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today I rise to pay tribute to our longtime Democratic Policy Communications Committee staff member, Doug Connolly, who will be retiring at the end of the month with an impressive 33 years of working for the committee and working for the Senate. I am pleased to have Doug with me today on the floor. For a moment, think back to 1986. A couple of top songs that year were ``Stuck With You'' by Huey Lewis and the News and ``Manic Monday'' by the Bangles. The top movie that year was ``Top Gun,'' and the average price of a movie ticket was $3.71. I don't know if we remember those, but it has been a while. In Washington, the Senate voted to allow its proceedings to be televised on C-SPAN that year. A young graduate of the University of Michigan and veteran of Paul Simon's first Senate campaign began working for what was then called the Democratic Policy Committee. A lot of things have changed since then. We are all a little bit older, and C-SPAN has broadcast more than a few hours of Senate floor proceedings. However, one thing hasn't changed: Doug is still as dedicated to public service as he was on his first day of work 33 years ago. I have been personally so impressed by Doug's work ethic, though not surprised. After all, he grew up in a hard-working auto family in Rochester, MI. Over the years, Doug's work ethic has benefited a number of folks you have heard of, including Senator Robert Byrd, Senator Tom Daschle, Senator Byron Dorgan, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Senator Harry Reid, whose website he designed. Doug's computer skills are legendary and haven't just benefited the Democratic caucus. They have benefited the Nation as a whole. Doug actually wrote the computer program that the Senate Library and the Senate Historian rely on to keep track of votes. That is important information for the American public to know. Thanks to Doug, we know that since Doug has worked in the Senate, there have been 11,114 votes cast. Only Senator Leahy, Senator Grassley, and Senator McConnell have been around long enough to have cast all of them. When Doug isn't crunching numbers, he is a voracious reader and a devoted father and husband. He is extremely proud of his children. His son Nick is getting his doctoral degree in mathematics at the University of Iowa. His daughter Caitlin earned her degree in anthropology from St. Mary's College in Maryland and is an intern with the Smithsonian Institution. Doug's wife Brenda has him slightly beat on career longevity. She has worked in the House of Representatives for 34 years, and every day Doug walks over to the House side so that they can have lunch together. Pretty soon, however, their lunch dates might be on a beach. Doug is retiring this month, and he hopes to be spending a lot of time scuba diving in the Caribbean. Doug, thank you so much for your hard work, your creativity, and your 33 years of public service. The committee has been incredibly lucky to have you, and all of us will miss working with you. I think it is fitting that after more than three decades of spending so much time reading the Congressional Record, now your name will be in it. We all wish you and your family much happiness in your next chapter. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I want to join with my colleagues today in expressing great dismay as we are approaching the 2-year anniversary of the massive Republican tax giveaway. Middle-class families and workers have not gotten even remotely close to what they were promised. Instead, President Trump and Republicans gave the big drug companies, the wealthiest Americans, and other special interests an enormous tax cut just in time for the holidays. Merry Christmas to them. But what did he give the majority of families in Michigan? He gave them the equivalent of a beautifully wrapped gift box with nothing in it. There is a word for that, when you make a bunch of promises and fail to keep them. In Michigan, we call that a betrayal. President Trump made some really big promises about the Republican tax giveaway. In his words, it would be ``one of the great Christmas gifts to middle-income people.'' Unfortunately, President Trump turned out to be less like Santa Claus and more like Ebenezer Scrooge. The wealthiest 1 percent of taxpayers received an average tax cut 64 times the size of the one given to the middle class. He said--as my other colleagues have referred to--people would get an average of $4,000 more in their income. We in Michigan are still waiting for that $4,000 per person who is working to show up. What happened is, the real number is about $514. And what is even worse is that bonuses for working people have actually gone down 22 percent since the tax giveaway passed. Bonuses are down, not up. You don't have to have the math skills of Bob Cratchit to know that is far from what was promised. He also promised that businesses would use their tax windfall to invest in workers and create jobs. Unfortunately, that has not happened. We know that in the third quarter of this year, business investment was a negative 2.7 percent. That is the second straight negative quarter for business investments despite the promise of ``tremendous'' business investment. I am deeply worried because we have had two straight quarters now of contraction on manufacturing, which is actually the technical definition of a recession. Coming from Michigan, where we proudly make things and grow things, that is deeply concerning to me. Meanwhile, in the first year of the Republican tax betrayal, businesses rewarded CEOs and wealthy shareholders with more than $1.1 trillion in stock buybacks. What does that mean? That means you do a buyback of your stock. It drives up the price of the company stock. It enriches the CEOs and major shareholders but does nothing for the workers. In fact, corporations spent 140 times as much money on stock buybacks as they did on increasing wages and benefits for workers. In 2018 alone, the 10 biggest drug companies spent $115 billion--with a ``b''--on stock buybacks and dividends, but I don't recall seeing the cost of medicine go down. Instead, they keep raising the prices, which is outrageous. Perhaps the most ridiculous promise that President Trump made was on the national debt. He said: ``We have $21 trillion in debt.'' That is what he said back in July 2018. ``When [the Republican tax law] really kicks in, we'll start paying off that debt like water.'' I am not exactly sure what that meant, but it didn't happen. Instead, the Federal budget deficit has risen by $319 billion so far, and counting, since the passage of the Republican tax law. To add insult to injury, our friends across the aisle doing the budget used the fact that there was a deficit to one more time say that we need $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and $800 billion in cuts to Medicare to reduce the deficit because, oh my gosh, we have a deficit, so we should take healthcare away from seniors and families across America. On top of all of that, the Trump administration now is implementing rules that could take food assistance away from up to a million people who work part time or seasonal work. They get a job at the mall during Christmas, but then they lose it. They are in and out of the market. By the way, the average amount of help to these men and women who are working hard, trying to hold it together, is $127 a month--just barely making sure they are not starving. As another Republican President once said, ``There you go again.'' Let me say in conclusion that 2 years ago, President Trump promised middle-class families, working families across Michigan and the country, a whole lot of things. He said that the deficit would disappear, that corporations would pass along their tax savings in the form of jobs and better wages, and that people would get $4,000 more in their paychecks, in their income. He said that this giveaway would be one of the great Christmas gifts to middle-class people. Instead, the majority of Americans got a lump of coal. Promises have not been kept. We believe in keeping promises in Michigan. This is about more than the numbers; it is about making sure everybody who is working hard is treated fairly and has a fair shot to care for their families and have the American dream. That is not what happened with this tax giveaway. I yield the floor to the Senator from Maryland.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I have just come on the floor and have to chuckle about my friend from Texas in his deciding that it is the minority in the Senate that is holding up legislation that needs to be brought up when we have been coming to the floor every day after Senator McConnell has indicated he is probably the Grim Reaper and after we have indicated very clearly that he has turned this into a legislative graveyard. So I have to smile when I hear the words from my friend. Let me set the record straight before I talk about what I came to the floor to talk about. Amazingly, the House of Representatives, even with the challenge that it has in front of it--that it didn't ask for, that it didn't welcome, that was brought to it by the continued abuse of power and other actions of the President of the United States--is fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities. It has passed over 300 different pieces of legislation and has sent them over to the U.S. Senate. It is my understanding that 250 of those bills are bipartisan bills; yet we can't get any of them to be taken up on the floor of the Senate. We come to the floor every week. I am involved in efforts every week to say: Let's pass the bill that will protect people's pensions. People who have worked their whole lives and are close to retirement or are already retired in my State who have put money in pensions are getting 50, 60, 70 percent cuts in their pensions because they got caught in the financial crisis. When Wall Street collapsed, the big banks were bailed out, but when it came time to bail out the pensions that were invested in those big banks--or the IRAs or 401(k)s--somehow, we couldn't get the Republican support to do that. I would love to see that brought up. It could be brought up any day. It could be brought up today, and--bingo--we would pass it. The other thing that we could be doing is passing legislation the House sent us months ago. There is legislation on preexisting conditions. Everybody says we don't want people to lose their preexisting conditions coverage on their healthcare. Great. Let's pass the legislation that came over from the House in order to protect that. Let's make sure that it happens. There is the Violence Against Women Act, which has been waiting for over 200 days, and there are the efforts on gun safety--things we all agree to. There are issues on gun safety and background checks, and well over 90 percent of the American public agrees with it. This legislation came over from the House months ago, but we can't get any action on the Senate floor. There is legislation that deals with carbon pollution and the climate crisis. It goes on and on and on. There are over 300 different pieces of legislation that have been passed by the House while it is also having to address what is clearly a constitutional challenge that is very serious for our country. We have not had that in front of us, so we could have easily been bringing bills forward every week that would make a difference in people's lives. We could have been lowering their healthcare costs, lowering their prescription drug costs, making sure people's pensions are protected, focusing on jobs and education and safety for their children while they are in school. We welcome it. Let's do it today and tomorrow. Let's go. We have over 300 bills that the House has sent to the Senate on which there has been no action.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, let me speak more specifically about healthcare. I come to the floor every week and say the same thing, which is that healthcare is personal, not political, for each one of us. That is really true in our own families. We want whatever it takes to make sure our children have what they need, that our moms and dads and grandpas and grandmas have what they need, and that we have what we need with healthcare. It is pretty basic. It is a common, human need that we all share. Unfortunately, this has become a political issue here in DC. Nowhere else is it a political issue. It is personal for people in Michigan and around the country. If a senior can't afford the medication she needs for a chronic condition, that is personal. If parents don't have trusted doctors to call when their children wake up with coughs and high fevers and they don't know what is happening, that is personal. If a woman is charged more for healthcare coverage than she needs to be just because she is a woman and has detected cancer or if she wants to have it detected early but doesn't have the healthcare with which to do that, that is very personal. Healthcare for each one of us is something very personal. Unfortunately, the law that helps seniors afford their medications, that provides families health insurance, that covers lifesaving preventive care, and that protects people with preexisting conditions is under political attack over and over. From the very beginning, the Trump administration has been undermining the healthcare of millions and millions of Americans. It is now open enrollment season, and, unfortunately, the administration is at it again--what it couldn't do here in this body when we voted no. We would not repeal the Affordable Care Act. We would not rip apart the healthcare system. This is what happened right here. It couldn't achieve this through Congress--the legislative body, the people's body--so it is now, through the backdoor, trying to find ways to unravel and rip apart the healthcare system and have costs go up so it can say: See? Look, costs are going up--because of what they are doing behind the scenes to unravel everything. So here we are. It is open enrollment to sign up for an Affordable Care Act plan, and the administration is at it again. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is using taxpayer funding to promote third-party insurance brokers. I would encourage people to go to the website healthcare.gov. You have until December 15 to do it. There used to be a longer signup time. One of the things the administration has done is to cut back the signup time, but you have until December 15. When you go there now, though, it is a little tricky, a little confusing. You have healthcare.gov, and then, depending on what button you click, it takes you outside of healthcare.gov, the government system, to private insurance brokers. The insurance brokers are allowed to enroll people in quality, comprehensive plans, which are what the Affordable Care Act provides, and you know what essential services are covered. If they do that, they get paid, but if they sign you up through an insurance company for what we call a junk plan, which doesn't cover anything, then they get paid up to four times more. So they get paid more if you get less coverage. The problem is it is going to look good because it will probably cost less for many folks, and you will not know what it covers until you get sick. I don't know how many times it was before the Affordable Care Act was passed that someone would call me and say: I have paid into my insurance plan all my life, and I have never been sick. I got sick. What do you mean it only covers 1 day in the hospital? What do you mean it doesn't cover the ambulance? What do you mean I only get two treatments? That is what we mean by a junk plan--a plan that does not cover what you would expect it to cover in terms of your care. So it is very important that you go to healthcare.gov if this is something that you are interested in, if you need insurance, or if you want to change your plan. It is important that you go into the system, in fact, in which you are going to be given quotes on comprehensive care and in which there is accountability for the coverage. Late last month, I released a report that outlined the many ways the Trump administration has been undermining healthcare. It has nearly eliminated the funding for what is called healthcare navigators, who are people who can help you sign up for health insurance coverage. It doesn't matter what it is or if you have a lot of questions, as it is complicated; having somebody who can get on the phone to answer your questions and walk you through it is important. Yet the funding for the folks to do that--to help you, to answer your questions--has basically been eliminated. The administration has slashed the budget for advertising so that people don't know it is open enrollment now. They don't know where they can go to sign up or how many days they have in which to do that and how to do it online. As I mentioned before, the administration has cut the time in half that you have to sign up. The worst thing is, any day now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is backed by the Trump administration, could announce a ruling that overturns the entire Affordable Care Act. This would take away what we call Healthy Michigan, which is our Medicaid expansion. It would take away the ability for your children to stay on your insurance until they reach the age of 26. It would take away protections for people with preexisting conditions. It would put back into place or allow insurance companies to put back into place caps on the number of treatments you can receive. It would also put back into place all of the other restrictions that insurance companies had on care but that had been eliminated with the Affordable Care Act. I have to say, recently, when we looked at how this would impact people with the possibility of eliminating the Affordable Care Act in this court decision, we also realized that not only would it take away healthcare for millions of Americans, but it would have the perverted result of actually providing a tax cut to the wealthiest individuals and to prescription drug companies and insurance companies that each chip in to help pay for the tax cuts that average citizens have used in order to get lower cost care. It seems as though it doesn't matter what it is that our Republican colleagues or this President supports, for it always ends up as another tax cut for the wealthy. Unfortunately, with the repeal of health insurance and all it would do to average families in taking away their capacity to get care and the confidence that they can get care for their families, it, too, would provide another tax giveaway to the wealthy. The court case and all it would do in repealing the Affordable Care Act would have life-changing consequences for millions of people in Michigan, including someone I would like to tell you about. Henry is an outgoing 9-year-old who lives in Grosse Pointe, MI. Henry loves people. He greets everyone he meets with a big hug. He also loves performing. His favorite activity is dance class, and he enjoys singing karaoke at home. Henry, we have something in common. I like to sing too. Henry is also living with a number of preexisting conditions, including Down syndrome, autism, and severe reflux. Henry's mom explains why comprehensive health insurance is so important for her family. Henry was hospitalized at 8 months for an infection that nearly took his life. Saving his life cost over $1 million. She added this: If we didn't have access to affordable healthcare coverage, we would have been bankrupt before Henry was 1 year old. No family should go bankrupt because a child was born with a genetic condition or hospitalized with a serious illness. I want to remind my colleagues that this could happen to any of us at any time. Almost 4 years ago, my nephew and his wonderful wife, Mac and Allie, had their firstborn girl, and she was born with only half a heart and spent most of the first year of her life in the children's hospital at the University of Michigan. She had incredible care. She is now almost 4 years old. Little Leighton is our miracle baby, but she came out with a whole laundry list of preexisting conditions, ongoing challenges, and a huge healthcare bill that I know, if we hadn't had healthcare coverage, if they weren't able to get coverage, they would have done anything--anything--including losing their home, in order to keep Leighton alive and thriving. That is what we do for our kids. That is what we do for our families. Too many people have been put in that position. That is one of the reasons the Affordable Care Act was put in place, to give some options so that you wouldn't have to focus on losing everything in order to protect your child's life. So that is what is at stake right now. Unfortunately, this administration is trying to turn the clock back to a time when filing for bankruptcy or not being able to get your child the lifesaving medical care they need was all too common. All people with preexisting conditions deserve to know that their health insurance will be there when they need it, just like Henry's was. Half of the people in Michigan have preexisting conditions, and they want to know that they are going to be OK, that their healthcare coverage is not going to be ripped away. I want that for them too. I want that for all of us. Healthcare isn't political; it is personal. It is time to stop playing politics with people's health and work to protect Henry and his family and all of our families. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, this week, America is paying tribute to more than 19 million people in our country and a half million people in Michigan who show us every day what service is all about. America's veterans have served in many ways and on many different fronts. However, I think they all have a couple of things in common. The first is that they love our Nation so much that they are willing to put their lives on the line for our Constitution, our democracy, our values, and our ideals for our country. The second is that they understand that patriotism is a lot more than a feeling of pride. Instead, it is a way of life. Veterans don't finish their military service, hang up their uniforms, go home, never to be heard from again. Instead, these are the people around us who take a good look at their community, their State, our country, see what needs to be done, and step up. Not all of us have what it takes to serve in our Armed Forces. Yet all of us do have the ability to follow the example of those who have served us, see a need, and raise our hands. Imagine how much better off our Nation would be if we all had that same dedication to give something back. As we have been celebrating Veterans Day this week, we should all remember that when American men and women sign up to serve in our armed services, they really sign a blank check to our country--a check that could include everything, including losing their life. When our Nation accepts that check, we need to make sure we are holding up our end of the bargain. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is failing to provide veterans with the benefits they have earned, especially when it comes to healthcare. Congress passed the VA MISSION Act last year to improve veterans' access to healthcare and to expand benefits to caregivers, which is so important. Yet the VA missed the October deadline--missed the October deadline--to include Vietnam and Korean war veterans in the expansion. The VA has kicked eligible veterans out of the caregiver program without explaining why. Meanwhile, more than 60,000 veterans who received emergency care at non-VA facilities in 2017 are still waiting for the VA to pay their medical bills. Perhaps worst of all, this administration turned their backs on more than 80,000 Vietnam-era veterans who developed illnesses because of toxic exposure to Agent Orange. We have known for a long time that Agent Orange exposure has caused many serious health issues. In fact, I first started working on this issue regarding Agent Orange and fighting for our veterans when I was in the Michigan State legislature, trying to get the Federal Government to recognize and provide VA health coverage for these illnesses. Over the years, some things have changed and improved, but it has been way, way too slow. Veterans who have been suffering for years were offered hope in 2017 when then-Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin added bladder cancer, underactive thyroid, high blood pressure, and Parkinson's-like symptoms to the list of diseases eligible for Agent Orange benefits without going through a lot of bureaucracy in order to get their healthcare coverage. He did so at the urging of the National Academy of Medicine based on the science--medical science--of the connection. Unfortunately, veterans with these conditions are still waiting. This was back in 2017. They are still waiting to get that healthcare, and that is because the Office of Management and Budget Director, Mick Mulvaney, quietly ignored the science and rejected the coverage expansion. Why? We now know, through emails that have been made public, that he thought it was too costly. Really? Let me remind you that these veterans each signed a blank check to our Nation. For veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange, the check they signed is in the amount of their health and well-being. A number of colleagues in this Chamber, led by Senator Tester and Senator Brown, whom I see on the floor, have repeatedly asked the VA to explain the delay in coverage. Their questions, over and over again, have gone unanswered. We only now know what really happened when a veteran trying to get help, trying to get treatment, finally filed a FOIA request--Freedom of Information Act request--to get information about who was holding it up and what was going on. Just recently, we have found out that the Office of Management and Budget--that Mick Mulvaney blocked the care because he thought it was going to cost too much. It is now November of 2019, and Vietnam veterans are still not getting treatment for these diseases. Yesterday, my friend Senator Brown from Ohio requested unanimous consent on his resolution, which I am pleased to be a cosponsor of, that expands the diseases covered by the VA for Agent Orange exposure. It would fix this and say to the OMB Director: We want to make sure we are keeping our end of the bargain for our Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. Once again, Leader McConnell and Republicans chose to stand with the Trump administration and Mick Mulvaney to stop veterans from getting this critical healthcare coverage. I was amazed to actually hear the objection include the words, ``It costs too much.'' It is not enough to praise our veterans with words. We do that all the time, especially around the 11th of November. Praise doesn't pay the medical bills. Praise doesn't give a veteran a healthy life, a job, a home, or opportunities. This administration, Congress, and our country must keep each and every promise our country has made to those who have served, period. Each and every one of them signed that blank check to our country. Leader McConnell, it is time to hold up our country's end of the bargain. I yield the floor.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I support the sentiments of my colleague from Illinois in objecting to the ``small refinery relief'' language in the fiscal year 2020 Interior appropriations bill. In the past, this language has been invoked by the Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to disregard the Department of Energy's recommendations regarding small refinery hardships under the renewable fuel standard, RFS, and waive additional gallons of renewable fuels from our fuel supply. These actions, permitted by President Trump, hurt rural America and our farmers. The RFS is an important driver of Michigan jobs and our bio-based economy. This Administration's continued abuse of refinery waivers undermine the integrity of the RFS program and hurt our farmers, biofuel producers, and rural communities in Michigan and across the country. I strongly oppose this report language and encourage my colleagues to support rural America's interests by calling to end the Trump administration's abuse of small refinery exemptions.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, this week, the United States House of Representatives made history. For the very first time, an overwhelming majority of its members--more than 400--adopted a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. I rise today to urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same thing--the right thing--and pass S. Res. 150. It has now been 104 years since the Armenian people became targets of the most evil and hate-filled campaign of violence that the world had ever seen. From 1915 to 1923, a million and a half Armenian men, women, and children were murdered at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish Government. It was so atrocious that no word yet existed to describe what was happening--not until the creation of the word ``genocide,'' the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group. Unfortunately, nobody has ever been held accountable, and the events surrounding the Armenian genocide continue to be denied, but the truth is simple: What happened to the Armenian people was absolutely genocide, and the Armenian community is right to insist that it be described that way. This is why I have always supported Senate resolutions calling for the recognition of the Armenian genocide and urged my colleagues to join me. We know that the deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal, and nothing cuts deeper into the collective consciousness of a people than genocide. At the same time, we know now that the Ottoman Empire's determination to exterminate the Armenian people was no match for their will to survive, and those who survived embodied the best qualities of the human spirit: hope, resilience, perseverance, and love. Some survivors made their way to America, and many of them built their new lives in Michigan. They have created thriving communities, built businesses, raised families, founded schools, and contributed their rich culture to the fabric of our State. The more than 20,000 Armenians who are living in Michigan today have not forgotten what happened--none of us should, for we know that, if we do not recognize the atrocities of the past, we risk blinding ourselves to atrocities in the future. Recognition of the Armenian genocide is long overdue. A crime like this casts a long shadow, and this shadow can be conquered only by light, the light of truth that comes from fully acknowledging the full scale of the horror that the Armenians endured. I urge my colleagues to take up and support this resolution. Thank you.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a woman who was more than just our colleague. She was our friend, and I am missing my friend today. When I think about Senator Kay Hagan, I remember a lot of things. First was her deep dedication to public service. From the moment she woke up until the sun set behind her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains, Kay was focused on serving the people of North Carolina and the State she loved so much. It was such an honor working with her, especially on behalf of North Carolina's farmers, small towns, and rural communities that she loved so much. She was passionate about the health of the land and the people who live and work on it. Second, Kay was a fighter. We all knew that. Growing up between two brothers probably contributed to that. I have two brothers myself, and I can attest to the fact that it toughens you up. We saw that spark every day on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Kay had a deep and abiding sense of justice, and she stood up for North Carolina families every single day, even when it wasn't easy and even when she paid a political price for it. She stood up for expanding healthcare and protecting the rights of North Carolina women and families. That same fighting spirit kept her going through her own grueling health challenges. I had the chance to visit with her a couple of years ago when she was receiving treatment at a rehabilitation hospital in Georgia. She was working so hard to recover her ability to move and to talk, but one thing hadn't changed--that spark in her eyes. I know I speak for all of us when I say that Kay's grace and endurance over the past 3 years were incredibly inspiring. Finally, when I think of Kay, I think of kindness. In a city full of sharp words and even sharper elbows, Kay was unfailingly optimistic and an absolute joy to work with. I know that even my Republican colleagues would agree with me and join in our sorrow over her loss. Kay and I happened to have daughters who were getting married around the same time, and as many of you know, mothers of brides love to talk about wedding plans and to share photos about the big day, and we shared a lot of photos. I will never forget the way her face would always light up whenever she talked about her family. She was so proud of each and every one of them, and they were proud of her too. In her final floor speech, Kay shared one of her guiding principles, a paraphrase of Luke 12:48: To whom much is given, much is expected. This Chamber and this country are better for having known Senator Kay Hagan. She lived by that principle. She gave us so much, and she gave it with her whole heart. Knowing Kay was a gift, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to call her my friend. My deepest condolences are with her husband Chip and their children and their extended family and many, many friends and her beloved State of North Carolina. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Congressman John Conyers, Jr., a civil rights icon, lifelong public servant, lover of jazz, and champion for his beloved hometown of Detroit. Congressman Conyers was born in Detroit on May 16, 1929, and spent the next 90 years fighting for his city, our State, our Nation, and the equality of all people. He deeply understood the challenges Detroit families face. In the words of Kary Moss, executive director of ACLU of Michigan: ``He was of Detroit and for Detroit.'' He knew what it was like to wake up and head to the factory; after graduating from Northwestern High School, he worked as a welder at a Lincoln plant before earning bachelor's and law degrees from Wayne State University. He knew what it was like to serve this Nation in uniform; he enlisted in the Army and served a tour of duty during the Korean war. He knew what it was like to fight for equality; he marched alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in Selma, AL; cofounded the Congressional Black Caucus; and even hired civil rights icon Rosa Parks as a secretary and receptionist in his office. He knew what it was like to devote his life to public service, spending 53 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and rising to lead the Judiciary Committee. He fought to make Dr. King's birthday a national holiday, protect the Voting Rights Act, change mandatory sentences for nonviolent drug offenders, and create death benefits for police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty. Public service was his calling, and jazz was his passion. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of this most American form of music, gained through hosting a jazz radio show in the 1970s and spending as much time as possible in Detroit's jazz clubs. He introduced a congressional resolution in 1987 designating jazz as ``a rare and valuable national American treasure'' and helped establish the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Only five people in history have served longer in the House of Representatives than Congressman Conyers, and the people of Detroit always knew that Congressman Conyers, sporting a crisp shirt and dapper suit, was in their corner. My deepest condolences go to his wife, Monica; his sons, John and Carl; his family and many friends; and the city of Detroit.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today I wish to pay special tribute to the more than 580,000 Michigan residents who have proudly served in our Nation's Armed Forces. For as long as Michigan has been a State and even before, our people have heard the call to serve and bravely stepped up. From the War of 1812 to Vietnam, from the Civil War to today's fight against terrorism, time and again the people of Michigan have proudly worn the uniform and proven their deep sense of patriotism. Sergeant Don Burgett of Howell was one of these people. His story really could be a major motion picture. Imagine landing in Normandy on D-day as a 19-year-old, parachuting into the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden, fighting behind German lines for 72 days, surviving the Battle of the Bulge, and helping to capture Hitler's retreat in Germany. Sergeant Burgett lost two rifles when they were shot out of his hands, was wounded three times, and wrote four highly acclaimed books about his experience, one of which received rave reviews from both President Dwight D. Eisenhower and historian and author Stephen E. Ambrose. Of 200 soldiers in his original company, only 11 made it home. Sergeant Burgett was very lucky--and so was Michigan. He returned to Howell and kept on serving his fellow veterans and his community as an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the Military Order of the Cooties. He passed away in 2017 at age 91. I was so honored to champion the legislation that renamed the Howell Post Office after Sergeant Burgett and to be there during the renaming ceremony this past June. It was touching to see just how big of an impact one veteran can have on an entire community. Sergeant Burgett isn't alone. His story is just one of so many examples all across Michigan of veterans serving their communities. Whether it is North Oakland VFW Post 334 donating more than $13,000 to the VFW National Home for Children in Eaton Rapids, which serves the children and families of veterans; or the Grand Haven American Legion Squadron 28's annual Salmon Boil Dinner, which supports local charities and events, including Boys and Girls State; or Amvets members hiking 22 miles from Howard City to Big Rapids to bring awareness to veterans suicide and to connect veterans with services and support organizations; or Disabled American Veterans in Detroit hosting a job fair to help veterans and their spouses find jobs with employers who understand their sacrifice; or the Student Veterans of America University of Michigan chapter's dedication to volunteering, including at Food Gatherers Community Kitchen in Ann Arbor, when Michigan veterans hang up their military uniform, they often put on another, whether as coach, teacher, police officer, paramedic, firefighter, elected official, or community volunteer. These patriots understand that service isn't something you do just once. Instead, it is a way of living, and this way of living benefits us all. Today and every day, we salute Michigan's veterans and thank them for their service, both in our military and in our communities. They truly are what makes America great. Thank you.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to someone who spent his career in service to others, from his Flint neighbors, to communities across the country, to people around the world, someone whom I was proud to call my friend. William S. White may not have been a native of Michigan--he was born in Cincinnati in 1937--but he was Michigan through and through, and his devotion to serving the people of his adoptive State was truly inspiring. Bill earned his bachelor of arts from Dartmouth University in 1959, his master's degree in business administration from the Tuck School of Business the next year, and then spent 2 years in the Army. During that time, he also had the good sense to fall in love with and marry a Michigander, Claire Mott of Flint, whose grandfather, Charles Stewart Mott, cofounded General Motors and created the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Claire's father, C.S. Harding Mott, was impressed by Bill's hard work and business skills. He brought him on as a consultant to help modernize the foundation in the wake of the Tax Reform Act of 1969. Bill did that job so well that, by 1971, he was named vice president and secretary of the foundation and elected to its board of trustees. Over the years, Bill's role grew and so did the foundation. What started out as a small organization that mainly supported local causes in southeastern Michigan became a philanthropic powerhouse, a $3 billion foundation that is internationally recognized for its good work around the globe. That's not all Bill's doing, of course; he was fortunate to be supported by his wonderful family and an amazing team. However, Bill possessed a number of qualities of leadership that helped make the Mott Foundation what it is today. Bill was creative. He was willing to think big and take big risks to solve big problems. Offering $5 million to help launch the Federal Government's 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative sounded crazy at the time, but Bill saw a need and a way to meet it. Today, this program provides 1.7 million children every year with activities that strengthen their academic skills to help them succeed in the classroom and beyond. Bill was compassionate. I know just how hard the Flint water crisis hit him and how hard he worked to help his hometown recover. He showed that same heart whether providing families with access to clean drinking water, promoting peace and reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa, supporting our Nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, protecting our Great Lakes, or helping Gulf Coast communities rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Above all, Bill was dedicated. He served as chairman of Mott's board of trustees until the day he died. And just 2 days before, he gave an emotional speech at the Council of Michigan Foundations' annual conference inspiring philanthropic leaders to keep doing good works and sharing their successes. ``Tell your stories,'' he implored them. ``Tell people what your passion is. Tell them what your results are. Tell your stories. Get out there, and tell them.'' Bill had passion, and Bill got results. His story will live on in the foundation he built, the lives he touched, and all of the good he did. My deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved him, including his wife Louise Hartwell, his children and grandchildren, and his many friends across Michigan and around the world. Thank you, Bill.

Ms. STABENOW

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

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I think you have heard me say before on the floor that healthcare is personal--not political. I think it is for all of us and our families. Healthcare affects everybody, whether they are Republican or Democrat, urban or rural, cheer for the Washington Nationals--go Nats-- or the Houston Astros or my Detroit Tigers that didn't make it this year. When people tell me their healthcare stories, I can assure you they don't start with their political affiliation or with anything else. They start with what is happening with them and their family. That is because, when it comes to their health and the health of their families, none of those other things matter. People in Michigan simply want to know that if they or their loved ones get hurt or sick, they are going to be able to go to the doctor and that they are going to be able to get the healthcare they need. Unfortunately, Michigan families have reason to be concerned right now. Any day now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will rule on the Texas v. United States case. Everything is at stake--everything-- including coverage for 17 million people through the Medicaid expansion. People earning minimum wage will not have to pick between having healthcare and not working or working, not getting healthcare or not working, getting healthcare--now they can work and get healthcare-- or the ability for children to remain on their parent's health insurance plans until age 26, coverage for preventive services like cancer screenings and flu shots, and protections for people with preexisting conditions. Misty, who runs a consulting company in Leslie, MI, knows all about preexisting conditions. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 52. Her diagnosis came entirely out of the blue, 3 days after her husband lost his job. She said: We were the lucky ones. He found another job 3 months later before our COBRA ran out. She added this: Insurance loss and job loss at the same time as a cancer diagnosis are stresses that I wonder if any of those people who are looking to get rid of coverage for people with preexisting conditions have ever thought they would have to confront. I doubt it. It is estimated that about half of Michigan families includes someone with a preexisting condition--about half--everything from heart disease, asthma, to breast cancer. Nationwide, we are talking about 130 million people who could lose their ability to have health insurance if healthcare reform is overturned. Think about that--130 million people. There is another side effect of overturning healthcare reform. Prescription drug costs could skyrocket. Now, 43 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are saving money thanks to healthcare reform and thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which helped close the prescription drug doughnut hole--what we call the gap in coverage where you are able to get coverage. Then the coverage is not there for a certain amount of time, and then you can get it once your drug costs get at a higher level. In fact, healthcare reform saved more than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries almost $27 billion on their prescription drugs--almost $27 billion on the cost of their medicine. Instead of attacking healthcare reform, we should be working hard to reduce the ridiculous cost of medicine, as I have talked about many times on the floor of the Senate. In 2017 alone, the average price of brand-name drugs that seniors often take, just in 2017 alone, rose four times the rate of inflation-- four times the rate of inflation according to the AARP. That is one of the reasons why 72 percent of seniors in a recent poll said they are concerned about the cost of their medicine, whether they are going to be able to get the lifesaving medicine they need and that the doctor is prescribing for them. It is absolutely shameful that people in America, one of the richest countries in the world, are going without medicine they need to survive. How is that happening? How are we allowing that to happen? I have always believed that healthcare is a basic human right, and, yes, that includes medications. We need to do something about this. We know the No. 1 thing we can do to lower prices is to let Medicare negotiate. Let Medicare negotiate. The fact is, when Medicare Part D was passed, the language that the drug companies got into the bill--specific language--to ban negotiation slipped into the middle of that bill. We originally were excited about it because we thought it was going to help get Medicare prescription drug coverage, and then, of course, the lobbying force--the largest lobbying force in DC--prescription drug companies snuck in some language to make sure we couldn't have the bargaining power of Medicare insurance to lower prices. So it is real simple. We want to do something that can lower prices. Let Medicare negotiate. Just let them negotiate like every other insurance company. We know it works because the VA does it for veterans. We know it works. The VA is allowed to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, and, surprise, surprise, it saves money. It saves 40 percent compared to Medicare. Medicare could have saved $14.4 billion on just 50 drugs if it paid the same price as the VA--$14.4 billion if they paid the same price for seniors and people with disabilities as our veterans are able to receive. So what is stopping us? Well, we can't get the bill passed to take off the prohibition. I offered it in the Senate Finance Committee. Unfortunately, not one Republican colleague voted for it. We are going to bring it up again on the floor. We are going to bring it up every opportunity we have to make it clear that we, as Democrats, know--we know the best way to bring down prescription drug prices. Let Medicare negotiate. Just let them negotiate. We know the reason we can't ever get a vote on this. In 2018, there were 1,451 lobbyists for the pharmaceutical and health product industry. That is almost 15 for every Member of the Senate. Think about that. There are 100 Members, and there are almost 15 pharmaceutical lobbyists for every 1 Senator, and they are doing everything they can. Their job is to stop competition, keep prices high, and they have done a very good job of it. It is wrong for people, but they have done a very good job of what they were assigned to do. As I mentioned before, back in 2003, when Medicare Part D was signed into law, they blocked Medicare from harnessing the bargaining power of 43 million American seniors to bring down the cost of their prescription medicines. Now, 16 years later, pharmaceutical companies are still doing everything they can to put their company profits before people. It is time--it is past time to help people afford their prescription medications and protect people with preexisting conditions. People in America, right now, shouldn't be worried about a court case in the Fifth Circuit and what is going to happen and what that will mean for their family and their healthcare. We could do something about that right now--today. We could do something right now if people wanted to. Let me remind you that it has now been 167 days since the House passed legislation protecting people with preexisting conditions. It has been 167 days ago the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill and sent it over to the Senate, and we have not been allowed to vote on that. It has not been brought up for a vote. It needs to come up for a vote. It needs to be taken out of the legislative graveyard and walked to the floor of the U.S. Senate so we can vote to really protect people with preexisting health conditions. Misty and other cancer survivors across Michigan and across the country shouldn't have to wait a day longer. This isn't about politics. It is about saving lives. Misty closed her letter to me with this: ``If [these elected officials] are truly as concerned about life as many of them claim to be, they need to be concerned about my life and the life of millions of others with cancer.'' Here is my question for the majority leader: What are you waiting for? It is time for us to act. Healthcare is personal. It should not be political on the floor of the U.S. Senate. It is time to act in protecting people with preexisting conditions and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, unfortunately I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of the Republic of North Macedonia. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of cloture.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague. I think he stepped to the back. No one has been a better champion for our miners and their families than Senator Joe Manchin. Every single day, he brings to us the needs of our coal miners and people who have literally fueled a generation beyond our economy. I want to thank Senator Manchin for his leadership, and also thank Senator Brown for his leadership as well. The two of them together are leading our efforts. I am proud to be joining with them to focus on an issue that is hurting working men and women across Michigan and across the country. It is an issue that, quite frankly, I can't believe that, in the Senate, we are having to actually talk about why people should get the pension that they have paid into their whole life. I can't believe that we even have to have this as an issue or the fact that we are having to fight to get the attention of the majority leader and the majority in the Senate who actually bring up legislation to help people get the pension they have paid into their whole working life. This ought to be a given. We used to think it was. It is wrong that it is not today. For generations, millions of working people built better lives for themselves and their families with jobs that provided more than just a paycheck. Folks worked really hard, and in exchange for a job well done, they could count on basic benefits, including healthcare and a secure retirement, coming through a pension that they paid into while they were working. These workers didn't just build their own families. They literally built the middle class. I can tell you, coming from Michigan, that is exactly what happened. They built our economy. They built our American way of life, and they just assumed that America would keep its promises, that the companies would keep their promises, that our laws would be set up in a way that they could trust would work, and that the money they were putting into a pension and retirement security would be there for themselves and their families. I don't think that is too much to ask. Many of these coal miners, truck drivers, construction workers, autoworkers, and others gave up raises--as my colleagues already talked about--in exchange for retirement security. They would negotiate, and they would say that, rather than get that money in my paycheck now, I want to put it into my retirement so that I know it is there for myself and my family going forward. They held up their end of the bargain. Unfortunately, that bargain is now crumbling for too many. Imagine what it would be like to have to cut your family budget 50 percent or 60 percent or even 70 percent and still get the bills paid and keep food on the table. I talked to a gentleman from Michigan named John who lives in Monroe. He doesn't have to imagine that because he and his family are living that every day. John is a retired diesel mechanic whose pension benefits were slashed 72 percent. For any one of us, imagine if our incomes were slashed 72 percent. That started for him in January 2018. As you can only imagine, the past 2 years have been a tremendous hardship for him and for his family. They have been using their savings, as he said to me, to pay the bills for the past 2 years. They have cut everything nonessential and are now cutting even the essentials from their budget. John and Kathy, his wife, used to be able to help out their children, including a son who is disabled, but they no longer have the means to do that, which is something that is really devastating for them. John said: ``The mental strain and anxiety we are enduring because of the loss of a guaranteed income has become increasingly difficult.'' Kathy added that it is hard for people to understand what it is like to live on just one-quarter of the income that one used to have. Kathy and John aren't alone. That is why we are on the floor. That is why we are asking--demanding--that action be taken on their behalf. Between 1 million and 1.5 million American workers and retirees are in pension plans that are at serious risk of becoming insolvent within the next 20 years. As well, by the end of this year, as Senator Manchin said, more than 1,200 coal miners and their family members could lose their healthcare coverage. These hard-working Americans deserve better than this. Right now, they are just waiting and waiting and waiting for the U.S. Senate to act--for the Senate majority leader and the Republican majority to decide it is important to act on their behalf. It has now been 83 days since the House of Representatives passed the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act--83 days. We have plenty of time to take this up on the Senate floor. We have plenty of time to take it up. There needs to be a sense of urgency about doing it because John and Kathy certainly feel that sense of urgency as they are trying to pay the bills and do what they can to support their children. They feel that every day. This bill is the companion legislation to what we have called the Butch Lewis Act. Thanks to Senator Brown for introducing this important legislation, I am proud to be a cosponsor along with many of my colleagues. It has also been 285 days, as Senator Manchin said, since Senators Manchin, Kaine, Warner, Brown, Jones, and Casey introduced the American Miners Act. So we have two bills in front of us--one that has been held up now for 285 days and one that has been held up for 83 days. We need to have action. The American Miners Act secures retired miners' pensions and saves their healthcare benefits. It is past time for Senate Majority Leader McConnell to stop stalling and to take action on behalf of the folks who did nothing more than work their whole lives, created the middle class of this country, and believed their country and believed the companies when they said, if they paid into pensions, they would be there. Hard-working American families have been waiting way too long. I have always believed that a pension was a promise. It is just plain and simple. It is a promise, and it is a promise that deserves to be kept. People like John, who have worked hard to earn their retirement benefits, shouldn't have to worry about paying their power bills, putting food on their tables, or keeping their homes. They should know that their pensions will be there for them--the pensions they paid into all the time they were working. They have earned them over a lifetime of work, and those pensions are promises that need to be kept. I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in helping to keep that promise for John and for the hard-working Americans like him. We could do this very quickly this week if we would come together and have a sense of urgency about what is affecting folks who have worked hard all of their lives, who are now retired, and who just need to know that those pensions are going to be there for themselves and their families. I yield the floor.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I rise today to pay special tribute to Kettering University in Flint, which this year is celebrating 100 years of educating the people of Michigan and advancing innovation. Let's think back to 1919. The Treaty of Versailles was signed, bringing an end to the Great War. The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution--also known as Prohibition--was ratified by Congress. In our State, the Michigan State Highway Department took over the State trunk line highway system and first began putting up numbered signs. And in Flint--the center of the automotive world--a group of entrepreneurs launched a school to train homegrown talent for Michigan's auto industry. A few things have changed since 1919. We fought an even greater war, Prohibition didn't last, and Michigan has a few more highways. Yet one thing remains the same: Kettering University is still training the next generation of leaders, for the auto industry and beyond. Louis Chevrolet, David Dunbar Buick, Charles Stewart Mott, Alfred Sloan, and Charles Kettering understood that to succeed in manufacturing, it isn't enough for students to know what is in the books; instead, these leaders built a school based on the idea that knowledge must be both learned and applied. This model is still in use at Kettering University today. Kettering's curriculum doesn't just expose its students to the very latest in science, engineering, and business knowledge; it also helps its students to put that knowledge to work through experiential and cooperative educational opportunities that turn learners into leaders. Your record of success speaks for itself. From being named first in the country by the Wall Street Journal for career preparation, fourth in the Nation in producing alumni who hold patents, and first in the Midwest for return on investments; to the Kettering University GM Mobility Research Center, which is keeping Flint and Michigan at the forefront of autonomous vehicle research and development; to counting among your alumni General Motors CEO Mary T. Barra, former chairman and CEO of Gibson Brands Henry Juszkiewicz, inventor and businessman Dean Kamen, former CEO of Merrill Lynch Stanley O'Neal, and Old Navy CEO Sonia Syngal; to making a real difference in the Flint community through your $1 million Department of Justice grant for neighborhood revitalization, your Employee Home Purchase and Renovation Assistance Program, the transformation of University Avenue, and your support for Flint's young people through your Young Innovators Fair, the Flint River Watershed Coalition Green Summit, and FIRST Robotics. Charles Kettering once said this: ``We are not at the end of our progress but at the beginning.'' And I have no doubt that our progress as a State and Nation will continue to be led by Kettering's students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Since 1919, Kettering University has been preparing students for extraordinary futures, and I can't wait to see what your future holds. Congratulations to Kettering University on your first 100 years.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise this evening with many of my Democratic colleagues to speak about an issue that is on the minds of families all across our country. I thank Senator Murphy for organizing this very important action this evening. Back-to-school always brings back such great memories of my own children, my son and daughter. I remember them packing crayons and paper in their new backpacks and eagerly heading off to meet their new teachers and catch up with friends to talk about what they did during the summer. It had always been such an exciting time of year for them. Unfortunately, it is not the same now for their children, my grandchildren. I have two grandsons and a granddaughter who are now in school. The first new question that was asked when buying their backpacks was: Do you want a bulletproof backpack? Do you want a bulletproof backpack, was one of the questions in buying their backpacks for school. I also think of 2 weeks ago when my youngest grandson started second grade. My daughter and I were talking about the fact that in addition to all of the excitement and the energy around starting school, there were changes--like a new front door and bulletproof windows and a new way to get into the school, walking in and having to stop and buzz and go through another door, and all of the changes and the costs that have gone into reconfiguring the school so you can't walk directly into classrooms. It was important for the school to do that, but I am sure that what they would rather have been doing is adding more music and art classes and teachers and technology and other things for the children in that elementary school, rather than bulletproof windows and safety doors to stop a gunman from getting into the school. Americans have learned that whether it is a school, a store, a church, a country music festival, a movie theater, or even sitting on your front porch, no place is safe anymore. Thanks to this country's epidemic of gun violence, even a child playing football in his own backyard or doing her homework at the kitchen table in her own home can become the target of a stray bullet. Last week, Senate Democrats released a report that shows 100 Americans are killed by guns every single day--100 people every single day. That is enough people to fill every desk in this Chamber day after day after day--100 people killed by gun violence every single day. In fact, since the House passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, there have been an estimated 20,200 people killed by gun violence, 12,322 suicides using a gun, and 808 children--808 children--killed by firearms. Those are some of the numbers, but we are not here tonight to just talk about numbers. We are talking about people's lives. These people have names like Judy and Barbara, Mary Jo and Mary Lou, and Richard and Tyler. These six people were killed in 2016 when an Uber driver went on a shooting spree across Kalamazoo County, MI. Two other people, Abigail and Tiana, were gravely wounded. Tiana watched the car coming toward her and saw the driver pull out a handgun. Tiana told her daughters to run and stood still to shield them. Once she knew they were safe, she tried to get away too. The gunman pulled the trigger 15 times. Tiana was shot four times. Only when she laid on the ground and played dead did the bullets stop. Broken bodies, shattered families, grieving communities. This story is one that is repeated across this country every single day now, and it has to stop. The American people expect the Senate to do its job and take action to make their lives better and safer. Unfortunately, that isn't happening, and the American people are paying the price. Two hundred and two days ago--202 days ago the Democratic House passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act--202 days ago--which would require a background check for every gun sale, something pretty simple and common sense. That could have stopped the shooter in West Texas who killed 7 innocent people and wounded another 25. It makes you wonder how many of the 301 mass shootings that have happened since January 1 could have been prevented and how many lives could have been saved. Requiring a background check for every gun purchase isn't controversial. In fact, it is what Americans are asking for. It is pretty common sense. I come from rural Michigan, and in Northern Michigan my whole family is involved in hunting and all of the great outdoor sports. I have lived with legal, safe gun ownership my whole life. No one in my family believes that someone should be able to buy a gun without getting a background check. It is just common sense. That is why more than 90 percent of Americans want Congress to do just that--to pass universal background checks. Yet the bill sits on the Senate Republican leader's desk, Senator McConnell's desk, waiting, waiting, waiting for action for 202 days. While Mitch McConnell and President Trump wait for approval from Big Money special interests, Americans are dying. It is time to act. The beginning of school should be something our young people look forward to, not fear. Next year, students at Fruitport High School in West Michigan will attend a brandnew school in a brandnew building. It has all sorts of amenities--10 science classrooms with spacious labs, a drafting lab with a 3D printer, and art studios complete with pottery kilns. It will also feature curved hallways to reduce a shooter's sight line, shatterproof glass, and wing walls that will provide places for students to hide in classrooms. It is great that the school district is investing in the safety of its students, but it is also heartbreaking that they have to do so. Students in Fruitport and across Michigan should be focused on next week's math test or tomorrow night's football game, not where they can duck and take cover in their school. It is time for America to stop failing our young people. Majority Leader McConnell, what are you waiting for? I yield the floor.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, unfortunately I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the nomination of Clifton L. Corker to be a judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Had I been able to attend, I would have opposed his nomination. Mr. President, unfortunately I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the nomination of Lynda Blanchard to be United States Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia. Had I been able to attend, I would have opposed her nomination. Mr. President, unfortunately I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the nomination of Donald R. Tapia to be United States Ambassador to Jamaica. Had I been able to attend, I would have opposed his nomination. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, before our distinguished leader and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee leaves, I want to thank him for his hard work. Having grown up in a small, rural community in Northern Michigan, I can speak directly to how important healthcare services are. My mother was director of nursing at a small hospital, and I know, since that time, they have gone through many changes, barely holding on to the hospital. We have had a number of hospital closings and consolidations. There is important work that has happened in the health community. I want to congratulate the distinguished chairman and also indicate that the Presiding Officer and I, as we were doing the farm bill--it is my honor and privilege to work with the Presiding Officer--we were part of the solution, including language on telehealth in rural development to actually help expand services, and I think telehealth is an important way to do that as well. I thank the chairman for his comments.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I first want to thank my friend and colleague from Ohio for his passion and for caring so deeply, as we all do in our caucus, fighting for people's healthcare. It seems every week I am down on the floor saying exactly the same thing: Healthcare is personal; it is not political. Healthcare is personal to every single person in Michigan; it is not political. Whether a senior is able to afford the medication she needs to treat her chronic condition, that is personal. Whether a single dad is able to take his children to a trusted doctor when they get sick or hurt and keep them on his policy until age 26, that is personal. Whether a woman is charged more for the health insurance coverage she needs to detect cancer early enough so it can be cured, that is personal. Unfortunately, the law that helps seniors afford their prescriptions, ensures children can remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, requires health insurance policies to charge women the same as a man and to cover lifesaving, preventive care, that law is currently in the intensive care unit on life support. As we know, since 2010, Senate and House Republicans have voted to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act more than 100 different times--100 different times. That didn't sit right with families across Michigan and across the country. They stood up with us, they fought back with us, and together we won. What Republicans couldn't do in Congress, they are trying to do through the courts. Today, literally, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals begins hearing arguments in a case brought by 18 different Republican attorneys general and Governors. In short, these 18 Republican attorneys general and Governors, backed by the Trump administration and President Trump, are trying to take away your healthcare. If they win, healthcare reform could be completely overturned and healthcare taken away. That would take everything away, including Medicaid expansion, which we call Healthy Michigan. In Michigan, we have about 700,000 people getting healthcare now who don't have to pick between working a minimum wage job and getting healthcare. They can do both. Children staying on their parents' insurance plans until age 26-- gone. More affordable drugs for seniors--gone. Protections for people with preexisting conditions--gone. In other words, it would put insurance companies back in charge of your healthcare, and we all remember what that was like. Women could once again be charged more for coverage and have to get a rider if they want to get maternity care coverage and prenatal care coverage. Remember when being a woman was considered a preexisting condition? I do. Members of my family do. Families could once again face yearly or lifetime caps on care when they need it the most, when you think about it. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed through the courts, the insurance companies would once again be able to say to your doctor: You know, I don't think she really needs 10 cancer treatments or 12 cancer treatments, so we will pay for 5. If addiction treatment or mental health treatment is needed, they could say: I don't think you really need to have more than two sessions if you are an addict. Come on. Today, the doctor decides, with you, what you need in terms of number of treatments, and that is the way it should be. As I mentioned, nearly 700,000 people in my State are getting healthcare through Healthy Michigan or Medicaid expansion, and they could lose that. In fact, they will lose that. Our uninsured rate has fallen from 12 percent before the Affordable Care Act to 5 percent. So 12 percent of people were not insured at all, and now it is 5 percent. I would call that a success. Is there more that should be done? Yes. But that is positive, not negative. The number of people without insurance who have been treated has fallen by 50 percent in Michigan--50 percent. And that is great for all of us. It is certainly great for hospitals that were treating people without insurance before. Someone walks into the emergency room and gets care in the most expensive way, and they don't have insurance. What happens? Everybody else's insurance rates go up. That is what happened. When people were able to get their own insurance coverage, insurance rates went down. In fact, we had over $400 million in Michigan that was put into the State government as a savings as a result of not paying for people going to the emergency room without insurance. A record 97 percent of Michigan children can see a doctor now when they get sick--97 percent. I would argue that is a great success, not something to be taken away or something to play politics with. Michigan seniors are saving money on their prescription drugs through the Medicare Part D Program--something called the doughnut hole, the gap in coverage that we closed. More than half of our families in Michigan, which includes people with preexisting conditions, are now able to get coverage. The insurance companies can't say no, and they can't say: When you get sick, you are going to be dropped. They can't deny you from getting the coverage you need if you have a preexisting condition. One of those people in Michigan is Heidi, who lives in Cedar Springs. She wrote to me in May. I thank Heidi for doing that. Heidi had bought health insurance for years and almost never needed it because she was healthy. In fact, she only used it, she said, when she gave birth to her daughter. That all changed in 2004 when Heidi was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45. She has since had multiple tests, multiple surgeries, and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, all at least partially covered by insurance. Heidi wrote this: My fear every day is that I won't have insurance if these changes are made. There is no way any company would insure me. My husband has a life insurance policy that he bought before we were married. . . . We asked about me. The salesman nicely said that I am not insurable. So my plan B is, if I lose my health insurance, I will take that money and save it for my funeral (since I can't even get a life insurance policy for enough for a funeral). Heidi added this: I am lucky that I thought insurance was a good thing, and, therefore, paid for it for years through my job. Heidi depends on protections for people with preexisting conditions. Heidi didn't ask to get breast cancer. It could happen to any of us. Any day, something could happen to any of us or someone in our family. And if you have or will have what is called a preexisting condition, your health insurance will be taken away if this court case, supported by President Trump, his administration, and Republicans, succeeds. A couple of months ago, I spoke at the Detroit Race for the Cure, which raises money for breast cancer research. It is a wonderful event. We had a beautiful, sunny day. As I stood on the stage and looked out over a crowd of over 10,000 people, mostly women and many wearing pink, I saw women living with preexisting conditions. I saw people like Heidi. One woman who was standing on the stage near me asked me a question that I will never forget: ``Why is it that I have to worry about whether or not I will be able to get insurance in the future? Why?'' She added: ``Why don't President Trump and other Republicans understand that this is my life? This is my life.'' It is a very good question. It deserves an answer. Why don't Republicans in Congress, why don't those 18 attorneys general and Governors, and why doesn't President Trump believe that people like Heidi deserve to have healthcare coverage? Why don't they believe that seniors deserve access to more affordable prescription drugs? Why don't they believe that women should pay the same for their health insurance as men? Why don't they believe that young people should be able to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26? And why don't they believe that families, not insurance companies, should make healthcare decisions? Families, with their doctors, should be making health decisions, medical decisions, not an insurance company. If this lawsuit succeeds, we are going to go right back to putting your medical decisions in the hands of the insurance companies. Healthcare isn't political; it is personal. It is time to stop playing politics with people's health. For each of us, it is our life. I yield the floor.