[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 79 (Monday, May 8, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Government Funding Legislation

  Mr. President, second, let me commend the Senate for voting last 
Thursday to pass the funding bill. I mentioned last week some of the 
many important provisions it contained, all of which the President has 
now signed into law. The largest border-security funding increase in a 
decade--now law. The critically needed down payment on restoring our 
military readiness--now law.
  The bill also kept in place an important free speech protection. Yet 
Democrats are now trying to pressure and intimidate the SEC into 
ignoring something we just passed on a bipartisan basis. For years, 
Democrats have pressured the SEC rulemaking process to curb and 
regulate political speech, despite agreement in our funding bills to 
prevent the Commission from doing just that.
  This is not a new page in their playbook. When we first passed this 
crucial protection in 2015, Democrats appealed to the SEC to actually 
ignore the law. This time, however, they have gone in an even more 
extreme direction. Now the Democrats no longer have the administration 
to stifle speech through the SEC, the IRS, or HHS. They are trying to 
intimidate private citizens and public companies by telling those 
citizens and companies what is in their ``best interest.'' This kind of 
bullying behavior is part of a broader pattern we have seen repeated by 
the left time and again in similar circumstances--suppression of the 
viewpoints with which they disagree and forcing Americans into a 
choice: Tell us your political ideology or be silent.
  I have called the left out for intimidation tactics and speech 
suppression efforts before. I am warning them again today, and I will 
continue to stay vigilant and defend the First Amendment moving 
forward.
  For now, I would like to highlight a couple of other important 
provisions in the funding bill that are now law. One is the miners' 
health provision I was proud to secure, a critical lifeline that will 
permanently protect healthcare benefits for thousands of retired coal 
miners in States like Kentucky.
  Another is the provision of significant new resources that can be 
used to combat the prescription opioid and heroin crisis. It is the 
latest of many significant steps we have taken to tackle this terrible 
epidemic.
  Today, we can take another step forward by advancing the nomination 
of Scott Gottlieb to head the FDA. I will have more to say on Dr. 
Gottlieb later, but for now, I will note that he is incredibly 
qualified for this position, and I am sure he will be an ally for 
States that continue to struggle with the opioid crisis because the FDA 
has a critical role to play.
  Let's be clear, there is a lot more to be done. States like Kentucky 
have been hit hard by this crisis, especially our rural communities. In 
fact, there are a lot of struggles that are particularly pressing in 
rural America, and several provisions in the government funding bill 
that can help--provisions to, for instance, advance broadband 
development, promote safe and clean drinking water, and to help reclaim 
and develop abandoned mine sites in coal country, among other 
priorities. Those are just a few of the things that can help rural 
communities.
  There are other actions we can take as well. One is of particular 
importance to our colleagues from Alaska, Senators Murkowski and 
Sullivan. Majority Whip Cornyn and I have been consulting with them 
about the Secure Rural Schools Program, which helps rural counties and 
schools whose economies have been hit hard by steeply declining timber 
revenues from our public lands. Senators Hatch and Wyden introduced a 
bill to reauthorize the program just last week, and it was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where Senator Murkowski 
is the chair. This bill is important to Kentucky, as well. I look 
forward to working with Chairman Murkowski, Senator Sullivan, and all 
the bill's advocates to find a path forward for it this year.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.