[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 146 (Tuesday, October 6, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7129-S7131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2016--MOTION TO PROCEED
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 96,
H.R. 2028.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the motion.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 96, H.R. 2028, a bill
making appropriations for energy and water development and
related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2016, and for other purposes.
Cloture Motion
Mr. McCONNELL. I send a cloture motion to the desk.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. 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 the motion to
proceed to Calendar No. 96, H.R. 2028, a bill making
appropriations for energy and water development and related
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and
for other purposes.
Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Mike Crapo, Richard C.
Shelby, Richard Burr, Daniel Coats, Ben Sasse, Thom
Tillis, Roger F. Wicker, Steve Daines, Chuck Grassley,
Susan M. Collins, Thad Cochran, James Lankford, Lamar
Alexander, John Hoeven, Roy Blunt.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call
be waived.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
National Defense Authorization Bill
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Henry Kissinger recently said our
country faces the most ``diverse and complex array of crises'' since
World War II. It is really hard to disagree with that.
Consider the daily situation reports received by the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs: Taliban forces overrunning Kunduz in Afghanistan,
retaking their first provincial capital in 14 years; Beijing exerting
greater will in its aggressive military expansion, even deploying ships
to patrol off the coast of Alaska; Russia deepening its aggression in
Ukraine and in Syria deploying the largest number of troops outside the
former Soviet Union since the U.S.S.R.'s collapse; Tehran showing its
determination to expand the Iranian sphere of influence as it deploys
additional forces to the Syrian battlefield; and in the tribal areas of
Pakistan, Al Qaeda terrorists reminding us of their continued resolve
to attack the homeland.
There is all this, Mr. President, to say nothing of the resilient,
versatile threat posed by ISIL, to say nothing of ISIL's consolidation
of gains inside Iraq and Syria.
We stand here 1 year after the President described a strategy for
degrading and destroying ISIL. So far, this strategy has resulted in a
seeming stalemate. We know from nearly daily news stories the
administration is reconsidering that plan and crafting a new strategy
to combat ISIL. We also know the war against the terrorist group will
be protracted. That is one reason the President sought $585 billion in
defense funding in his budget request.
So today the Senate has the capability to provide the level of
funding authority the President actually asked for. Today the Senate
has the power to help America navigate a treacherous world. Today the
Senate has the opportunity to help the Defense Department begin the
hard work of rebuilding America's combat capability as we seek to
protect America's interests across the globe.
That is why I am calling on every colleague to join me in voting to
advance the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act. The last
time the Senate considered this legislation 84 Senators--84 Senators--
including a large majority of Democrats, voted to advance this bill.
That was just this summer--a couple of months ago.
I would urge Democrats to vote the same way now, because we have
heard
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some worrying rhetoric from across the aisle. We have even heard a
suggestion that this bipartisan reform bill is just ``a waste of
time.'' I strongly disagree.
Is it a waste of time to transform bureaucratic waste into crucial
investments for our troops and their families, such as the raises they
have earned and the quality of life programs they deserve? Is it a
waste of time to provide hope for wounded warriors and extend a hand of
compassion to heroes who struggle with mental health challenges?
The bipartisan bill before us is hardly--hardly--a waste of time.
That is why it passed the Senate once already with overwhelming
bipartisan support. Our troops should be able to count on that
overwhelming bipartisan support again today. This is not the time to
flip-flop on the men and women who protect us. This is not the time to
flip-flop on America's defense, certainly not in this age of daunting
global threats.
Secretary Kerry called the situation in the Middle East ``a
catastrophe, a human catastrophe really unparalleled in modern times.''
He is right. It is tragic. It is dangerous. And it only underlines the
duty each of us has now to meet our responsibilities--meet our
responsibilities--not filibuster the bipartisan legislation that
ensures our troops have the tools and equipment they need in this time
of global crisis.
This bipartisan bill will support our troops, help our military to
rebuild and face the challenges of both the present and the future, and
provide President Obama the level of funding authorization he actually
asked for in his budget request. We passed this bipartisan defense bill
once already. We need to pass it again now.
Measures Placed on the Calendar--S. 2129, S. 2130, S. 2131, and S. 2132
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I understand there are four bills at
the desk due a second reading.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cruz). The clerk will read the bills by
title for the second time.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2129) making appropriations for Agriculture,
Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, Energy and
Water Development, and Departments of Transportation, and
Housing and Urban Development, and related programs for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other
purposes.
A bill (S. 2130) making appropriations for the Department
of Defense, energy and water development, Department of
Homeland Security, military construction, Department of
Veterans Affairs, and Department of State, foreign
operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes.
A bill (S. 2131) making appropriations for Departments of
Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies and
Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2016, and for other purposes.
A bill (S. 2132) making appropriations for financial
services and general government, Department of the Interior,
environment, and Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and related programs for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes.
Mr. McCONNELL. In order to place the bills on the calendar under the
provisions of rule XIV, I object to further proceedings en bloc.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
The bills will be placed on the calendar en bloc.
Recognition of the Minority Leader
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.
The Koch Brothers
Mr. REID. Mr. President, Charles and David Koch are trying to buy
America. They have the money to try and do just that. Because of the
Supreme Court's wrong and disastrous Citizens United ruling, the Koch
brothers' dark political money has infected our democracy.
One need only look at our national politics to see how the Kochs are
influencing our government. Even now, these two billionaires are
committed to spending $900 million to advance a radical agenda during
this election cycle. It is no surprise, then, that virtually every
Republican Presidential candidate kowtows to these two oil, tar sands,
and coal barons from Kansas. Republican Presidential hopefuls all kiss
the rings of the Kochs, hoping that some of their filthy money finds
its way into their campaign coffers. It is disgusting, and it is wrong.
But the Koch brothers aren't just trying to buy the highest office in
the land. They are not just trying to help themselves at the Federal
level. They are also trying to buy our democracy from the bottom up. In
statehouses and city halls all across our great country, the Koch
brothers and their vast spending network are turning local governments
into agencies of the Koch empire. They are trying to turn America into
a Koch-financed oligarchy.
It seems there is no issue too local nor policy matter too small to
escape the Koch brothers' wrath. They want to impose their radical
agenda on the American people on every issue, no matter the cost to
families and communities.
Just look at what they are doing in Colorado Springs, CO. ``The
Potholes of Colorado Springs draw the attention of Koch brothers'
group.'' This is a headline from last weekend's Washington Post. The
Koch brothers are fighting the city's efforts to fix its crumbling
roads. Reading from the article:
This much everyone can agree on: The streets of this large
city on the Rocky Mountain Front Range are a wreck. Sixty
percent are in disrepair, cracked and rutted; driving on them
is often a game of vehicular Minesweeper. One local TV news
channel runs a segment called ``Pothole Patrol.''
I continue to quote:
But when this city's newly elected conservative mayor urged
voters to approve an increase in the sales tax to pay to
improve the roads, he drew fire from an unexpected source: a
branch of Americans for Prosperity, a powerful conservative
advocacy group backed by the billionaire industrialists
Charles and David Koch.
The Koch brothers aren't interested in advancing solutions. They are
interested in sending a message. They are willing to attack everyone,
even conservative Republicans who cross their extreme agenda.
This is the basic work of government the Koch brothers want to
destroy. All Colorado Springs and its Republican mayor want to do is to
determine their own fate, fund their own roads, and make their own
laws. But in March, Americans for Prosperity, beholden to Charles and
David Koch's pocketbook, simply shut down the entire process of local,
community-based government. It is unbelievable they would do this.
The Koch brothers don't want the people of Colorado Springs to find
their own solutions to fix potholes in Colorado Springs, and they are
willing to pay to make sure that doesn't happen.
That is only one city, and I don't have time to mention all. The
Kochs are doing this all over America. Here is another headline from
the Nashville Tennessean. ``Koch brothers group works to stop Nashville
Amp.'' Here is the quote:
The movement to stop a Nashville mass transit plan has
gotten an extra boost of horsepower from an unexpected
source: the Koch brothers, out-of-state billionaires.
But there are many more examples. ``Americans for Prosperity spent
$62,795 to defeat zoo levy.'' Think about that. They are so focused on
doing everything they can to run this great Nation not from the top
down but the bottom up. This was the headline from the Columbus
Dispatch last year.
The Koch brothers' main political arm in Ohio fought against the
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium tax levy. Why? Because the Kochs have a
Georgia-Pacific plant nearby and they did not want to pay their fair
share of taxes. Think about that. These are multibillionaires. It is
estimated to be worth $150 to $200 billion. They are afraid their
company, Georgia-Pacific, may have to pay a few extra dollars in taxes
in Ohio.
The Los Angeles Times: ``Koch brothers, big utilities attack solar,
green energy policies.''
This is a headline from the L.A. Times, as we can see, and it reads:
The Koch brothers, anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and
some of the nation's largest power companies have backed
efforts in recent months to roll back state policies that
favor green energy. The conservative luminaries have pushed
campaigns in Kansas, North Carolina and Arizona, with the
battle rapidly spreading to other states. . . . Both sides
say the fight is growing more intense as new states,
including Ohio, South Carolina and Washington, enter the
fray.
Potholes in Colorado--they want to stop anything to do with renewable
energy in Tennessee. They are going to stop a zoo and aquarium in
Columbus, OH, or nearby. They want to stop any
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type of renewable energy because it slows down their tar sands
business, their oil business, and their coal business.
In Nevada, the Koch brothers and their foot soldiers are meddling in
many issues--really, too many to count. They have been trying to upend
Nevada's open primary process. They have encouraged young Nevadans to
stay out of the State's health exchanges. They fought attempts to raise
Nevada's cigarette tax. They have used the State legislature to
undermine labor unions. These are only a few examples of the Kochs'
``Buy America'' plan.
What the Koch brothers are doing in Nevada and all of the States that
we talked about this morning is shameful. They are using their deep
pockets and their shadowy organizations to try and buy a government
that serves them, not the American people. They aren't even trying to
hide it anymore. As one radical activist happily noted to the
Washington Post, ``the Koch brothers, they may write a check'' to
promote their ultraconservative ideology. They are writing more than a
check or two. Charles and David and their allies are writing $900
million worth of checks--$900 million spent against rebuilding our
Nation's roads and bridges, against a fair shot for all Americans,
against raising the minimum wage, and against the hundreds of thousands
of American jobs supported by the Export-Import Bank.
The Kochs have a lot of money to spend. They are using a tiny bit of
it, which is huge amounts of money--about $1 billion this election
cycle--to do other kinds of things. They want to promote criminal
justice reform. That is nice. I am glad they are on the right side of
something--finally. That could be one reason they are interested in
this--because they have been in the past prosecuted for doing things
that have been illegal and criminal in the nature of prosecutors. They
have fought back against these things.
We have been talking about the criminal justice system long before
the Kochs got involved. That is well and nice that they are embracing
reform now, but it does not negate the many bad things they are doing
to hurt American families.
The Koch brothers' priorities are wrong for the middle class and they
are wrong for all America. It is time that we let the Koch brothers
know that our country isn't for sale. It is time that we let every
power-hungry billionaire know they can't buy our government. Whether it
is the city hall of Colorado Springs or the halls of Congress, you
should not be able to buy America's democracy. The question is this:
Are the Kochs going to buy America, because they are certainly trying
to? It is up to every American to say no.
Mr. President, I note that there is no one else on the floor. So
would the Chair announce the business of the day.
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