[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 111 (Monday, July 11, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4925-S4926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     LEGISLATION BEFORE THE SENATE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, we have recently made progress on 
issues of importance to the American people. We have also seen some 
very regrettable decisions from our colleagues across the aisle. This 
week offers the opportunity for all of us and for our country to move 
forward. Every Senator will have a chance to advance important 
solutions on behalf of the American people this week, and some 
colleagues will have a chance to reconsider partisan mistakes that hurt 
our country. So let me explain.
  This week, Democrats can reconsider their decision to block funding 
for the men and women serving and protecting us overseas. These 
Americans selflessly and voluntarily put themselves in harm's way to 
help keep our country safe. They do not ask for much in return. What 
they do not deserve is for Democrats to filibuster the bill that 
supports them as part of some partisan political gain.
  At a time when we face an array of terror threats around the globe, 
we cannot afford to play politics with the men and women serving and 
protecting us overseas. The bill Democrats are now filibustering 
respects the budget caps, was reported out of committee at the earliest 
point in more than a decade, and earned the support of every single 
Democrat in committee.
  The top Democrat on the Defense Subcommittee said it ``takes a 
responsible approach to protecting our country . . . [that honors] the 
bipartisan budget deal in place.'' That was the top Democrat on the 
Defense Subcommittee, and he warned colleagues not to ``take chances 
when it comes to funding the men and women serving in forward 
positions.''
  Well, he was certainly right. There is no excuse for Democrats to 
continue blocking this bill. They will have another chance to make the 
right decision later this week.
  This week, Democrats can reconsider their decision to block funding 
to fight Zika. Either Democrats believe Zika is a crisis that requires 
immediate action or they do not. Either Democrats think protecting 
pregnant women and babies from Zika today is more important or they 
think holding out for an earmark for their favorite partisan special 
interest group is more important.
  Even though the administration has acknowledged they haven't spent 
the anti-Zika money already available to them, Republicans believe we 
ought to pass this bill now because this is indeed an emergency. Our 
friends across the aisle will have to decide if they feel the same way.
  I would remind colleagues the rules don't allow for a conference 
report to

[[Page S4926]]

be amended, even from powerful Democratic special interest groups, and 
repassing the same bill that went to conference, as some have naively 
suggested as political cover, will not put a bill on the President's 
desk. So I urge colleagues to work with us to pass this compromise Zika 
control and veterans' funding legislation and send it to the President 
for his signature, not block it and spend the summer explaining why a 
special interest group was more important than funding Zika control and 
our veterans.
  This week, Senators can take decisive action to combat the heroin and 
prescription opioid abuse epidemic that is hitting nearly every State 
and community across America. Support for the Comprehensive Addiction 
and Recovery Act conference report that passed the House last Friday 
seems to grow with each passing day. There are now more than 230 groups 
fighting this epidemic in their own communities that have come out in 
support, including the Detroit Recovery Project in Michigan, the 
Foundation for Recovery in Nevada, Central City Concern in Oregon, and 
Project Recovery in New Hampshire.
  One of these groups is the Fraternal Order of Police. Here is what 
the group's president had to say about it.

       The legislation provides treatment for those caught in the 
     clutches of addiction or who also suffer from mental illness 
     and also provides law enforcement with the necessary tools to 
     prevent heroin and opioid deaths. . . . Too many lives have 
     been lost to these drugs, and too many families have been 
     torn apart. On behalf of more than 330,000 members of the 
     Fraternal Order of Police, I urge Congress to adopt the 
     conference report.

  That is from the Fraternal Order of Police.
  Widespread support like this helps explain why the CARA conference 
report passed the House last week 407 to 5. Now it is the Senate's turn 
to act and send this critical comprehensive response to the President 
for his signature.
  We know Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans already voted 94 to 1 
to pass a very similar CARA bill. We know the Senate has provided more 
than twice as much funding for opioid-related issues as under the 
previous Senate majority. We also know there is a groundswell of 
support from so many corners for this CARA legislation that can help 
communities begin to heal from an epidemic sweeping the country. Quite 
simply, there is no excuse to block it.
  I thank colleagues, like Senator Portman, Senator Ayotte, Senator 
Grassley, and Senator Alexander, who have worked ceaselessly to advance 
this issue. Our Democratic colleagues, like Senator Whitehouse and 
Senator Klobuchar, have worked hard on this bill as well. I know they 
are proud of their work, and I am sure they look forward to supporting 
this overwhelmingly popular piece of legislation. The outspokenness and 
leadership of all these Members and others on this issue helped move 
the bill forward with the urgency this crisis demands.
  This week, Senators can take action to improve security and consumer 
protections for airline travelers. Recent terror attacks across the 
globe only emphasize the importance of securing our airports. The 
bipartisan, bicameral aviation agreement aims to achieve that by 
enhancing security in prescreening areas, increasing measures to 
address cyber security threats, improving vetting for airline 
employees, and tightening security standards for flights coming into 
the United States. Not only will it increase safety and security, but 
it also includes a number of consumer protection provisions, such as 
refunds for lost or delayed baggage, as well as improvements for 
travelers with disabilities and for parents traveling with small 
children. We expect the House to pass this agreement tonight, and then 
the Senate will have a chance to send a bill to the President's desk 
this week.
  Also, this week, Senators can take another important step toward 
modernizing America's energy policies. The Senate will have an 
opportunity to go to conference with the House to work toward an 
agreement on the Energy Policy Modernization Act. This reform bill, 
which passed the Senate in April, represents the first broad energy 
legislation moved through the Senate since the Bush administration. It 
aims to bring our aging policies and infrastructure in line with 
current and future demands. Going to conference on this measure would 
put us one step closer to arriving at a final bill and sending it to 
the President's desk.
  With cooperation this week, the Senate will have several 
opportunities to advance serious solutions that can make a difference 
for the American people. From doing the right thing by our veterans, to 
protecting pregnant women and babies from Zika, to combating the opioid 
and heroin epidemic; from keeping airline travelers safe, to 
modernizing America's energy policies, there is a lot we can get done. 
There are issues that should be priorities for us all. I would 
encourage colleagues on both sides to work together to advance each of 
these solutions in the coming days.

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