[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 22, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6868-S6870]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIRE MORE HEROES ACT OF 2015--Resumed
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, what is the pending business?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the pending business.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A joint resolution (H.J. Res. 61) amending the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt employees with health coverage
under TRICARE or the Veterans Administration from being taken
into account for purposes of determining the employers to
which the employer mandate applies under the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Pending:
McConnell amendment No. 2640, of a perfecting nature.
McConnell amendment No. 2656 (to amendment No. 2640), to
prohibit the President from waiving, suspending, reducing,
providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application
of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear
program of Iran.
McConnell amendment No. 2657 (to amendment No. 2656), to
change the enactment date.
McConnell amendment No. 2658 (to the language proposed to
be stricken by amendment No. 2640), to change the enactment
date.
McConnell amendment No. 2659 (to amendment No. 2658), of a
perfecting nature.
McConnell motion to commit the joint resolution to the
Committee on Foreign Relations, with instructions, McConnell
amendment No. 2660, to prohibit the President from waiving,
suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise
limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an
agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran.
McConnell amendment No. 2661 (to (the instructions)
amendment No. 2660), of a perfecting nature.
McConnell amendment No. 2662 (to amendment No. 2661), of a
perfecting nature.
Vote on Motion to Commit
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to table the motion to commit.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
The motion was agreed to.
Vote on Amendment No. 2658
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to table amendment No. 2658.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
The motion was agreed to.
Vote on Amendment No. 2640
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to table amendment No. 2640.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
The motion was agreed to.
Amendment No. 2669
(Purpose: Making continuing appropriations for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes.)
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a substitute amendment at the
desk that I ask the clerk to report.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell], for Mr. Cochran,
proposes an amendment numbered 2669.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of
Amendments.'')
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Amendment No. 2670 to Amendment No. 2669
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment at the desk that I
ask the clerk to report.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an
amendment numbered 2670 to amendment No. 2669.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the end add the following.
``This Act shall take effect 1 day after the date of
enactment.''
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Amendment No. 2671 to Amendment No. 2670
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the
desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an
amendment numbered 2671 to amendment No. 2670.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike ``1 day'' and insert ``2 days''.
Amendment No. 2672
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment to the text
proposed to be stricken.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an
amendment numbered 2672 to the language proposed to be
stricken by amendment No. 2669.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
At the end add the following.
``This Act shall take effect 3 days after the date of
enactment.''
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Amendment No. 2673 to Amendment No. 2672
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the
desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an
amendment numbered 2673 to amendment No. 2672.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike ``3'' and insert ``4''
Motion To Commit With Amendment No. 2674
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a motion to commit with
instructions at the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] moves to commit
the joint resolution to the Committee on Appropriations with
instructions to report back forthwith with an amendment
numbered 2674.
The amendment is as follows:
At the end add the following.
``This Act shall take effect 5 days after the date of
enactment.''
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my motion.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Amendment No. 2675
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have an amendment to the
instructions.
[[Page S6869]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an
amendment numbered 2675 to the instructions (amendment No.
2674) of the motion to commit H.J. Res. 61.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the
amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike ``5'' and insert ``6''
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Amendment No. 2676 to Amendment No. 2675
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have a second-degree amendment at the
desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McConnell] proposes an
amendment numbered 2676 to amendment No. 2675.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike ``6'' and insert ``7''
Cloture Motion
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk for
amendment No. 2669.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under
rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on Senate amendment
No. 2669 to H.J. Res. 61.
Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton,
Orrin G. Hatch, Joni Ernst, Jeff Flake, Lindsey Graham,
David Vitter, Chuck Grassley, Thom Tillis, Steve
Daines, Bill Cassidy, David Perdue, John Boozman, James
Lankford, Thad Cochran.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum
call for this cloture motion.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I was struck by some things the
Democratic leader said this morning about funding the Government. First
he said it was not the Democrats' responsibility to work toward
sensible solutions because ``we've helped in any way we can, we've not
held up anything procedurally.''
That was just minutes before his party voted again to hold up a bill
procedurally that would fund the military at a time with unprecedented
international threats. Then he said this: ``We've made it clear that
we're not going to proceed to appropriations bills''--talk about a
mixed message.
His party has crowed for months about its filibuster summer strategy
of blocking every last funding bill in the hopes of taking Americans to
the brink. They have now succeeded in taking us there. They think it is
the only way to force America to accept their demands for more debt and
more bureaucracy. But that is not what Americans want. Americans want
Democrats to now work with us responsibly to help our country get out
of the situation that they, in fact, have engineered.
The bill before us would do that. It would keep the government funded
through the fall while adhering to the bipartisan spending levels
already agreed to by both parties. For 1 year, it would defund Planned
Parenthood and protect women's health by funding community health
clinics with the $235 million instead. This would allow us to press the
pause button as we investigate the serious scandals surrounding Planned
Parenthood.
I know Democrats have already blocked virtually every bill to fund
the government this year, but I am asking them to allow the Senate to
fund the government now. I know Democrats have relied on Planned
Parenthood as a political ally, but they must be moved by the
horrifying images we have seen. Can they not resolve to protect women's
health instead of their powerful political friends?
I am not happy that we have been forced into pursuing a CR instead of
the normal appropriations process. After all, for the first time in 6
years, a Senate under new leadership actually passed a budget. After
all, for the first time in 6 years, a Senate under new leadership
passed all 12 necessary bills to fund the government out of committee.
It is truly regrettable to see the actions of the party on the other
side that led us to this point. The bill before us now represents the
best option to keep the government funded, to protect women's health,
to press the pause button on funding for a scandal-plagued organization
as we investigate further into some truly shocking allegations.
Order for Recess
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in
recess until 2:15 p.m. today for the weekly conference meetings.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, will my friend allow me to speak prior to
that?
Mr. McCONNELL. After the remarks of the Democratic leader.
I am sorry, Mr. President. I didn't realize the Democratic leader
wished to speak.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Democratic leader.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I served in the House of Representatives. It
was standard over there for Members at committee hearings and on the
floor to always say: I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my
remarks. That was standard practice in the House. We don't do that
here. But certainly in the House it would have been totally
inappropriate to say: I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend the
remarks of my friend from California or wherever they might be from,
but that is basically what my friend, the Republican leader, has done.
He has no right to make up what I said this morning. What I said this
morning is in the Record. The fact is that he can't rewrite what I
said. Here is what I said earlier today: We have made it clear that we
will not proceed to appropriations bills under the Republicans'
partisan budget. That is what I said verbatim this morning.
We seek a budget agreement that fairly prevents mindless sequester
cuts to defense and the middle class alike. We want negotiations to
start, and I said I am gratified our votes on this measure have caused
the Republican leader to acknowledge that we need to negotiate, and
that is true. I am happy to see that, and I have publicly commended the
Republican leader for the statements he has made in recent days about
how we need a clean CR. I also said this morning, as far as the
upcoming vote, that there is no reason for Senators to change their
votes from how they voted earlier, and that was on the Defense
appropriations revote. This is yet another case of the Republican
leader just wasting time before we address the real deal.
We read in this morning's papers that the Republican leader plans to
bring a clean continuing resolution before the Senate later this week.
That is not a day too soon. That is what I said, and that is what I say
again.
This vote on Planned Parenthood this Thursday is another rerun vote.
I do not in any way take away from people who feel strongly about their
position on abortion, Planned Parenthood, and the 20-week abortion. I
understand how strongly people feel on both sides of that issue, but
this is yet another rerun vote.
The Republicans--in the 9 months they have been running the Senate--
have had more revotes than any other majority party in the history of
our country. They are No. 1 in revotes. We have revoted and revoted and
revoted. We voted on Planned Parenthood earlier this year in August,
and we voted on abortion today. How many times will the Republican
leader need to return to this same show vote?
We are going to prevent a government shutdown with a clean continuing
resolution. That is what he said, and I agree with him.
When will we avoid a default by addressing the debt limit? When will
we address cyber security and the highway trust fund? All of these
things are important to do, and I am anxious to get them done. We have
a lot of problems out there in our great country. We have so many
things to do. We haven't addressed the energy problems that face this
Nation.
[[Page S6870]]
We have fires that are ravaging the great Western part of the United
States. The government entities that are fighting these fires don't
have the money to fight them. The two worst fires in the history of the
State of California are just being tamped down, but they are still not
completed. Hundreds of homes have burned. We have a country that is
burning up.
The Governor of Nevada is a good man. He is a Republican Governor,
and I have great admiration for him. I suggested his name to the
President of the United States to become a Federal judge, and he
accepted my recommendation. He then resigned that position to run for
Governor. He is now conducting a 3-day event in Nevada--bringing people
in from all over the West and all over the country--to talk about what
is happening to Nevada. We are having so many problems in Nevada. Lake
Mead is drying up, and Lake Tahoe is having tremendous problems. We
have a snowpack that basically doesn't exist. We don't have many rivers
in Nevada, but those little rivers that we have, including the mighty
Colorado, are in deep trouble. We have snowpack in upper Colorado that
evaporates before it gets into the river.
I am willing to do whatever is necessary to move forward in funding
this government, but to blame us for not funding the government is
really carrying things to extremes.
I have completed my statement, Mr. President.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Will the Senator withhold his suggestion of
the absence of a quorum?
Mr. COCHRAN. I withhold my suggestion.
____________________