[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S119-S122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Funding the Government
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, just last week we began the second
session of the 115th Congress. We are now safely into 2018, and we
should be talking about what we can accomplish for the American people
in the new year. We simply face a long list of unfinished business from
2017--last year--and, unfortunately, we have a very short window in
which to get it done.
We are 4 months into fiscal year 2018, and we still don't have a
budget deal. I am vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee. We
should have had this done long before now. Our agencies are operating
under last year's funding levels. They have little flexibility to
handle the problems they face today.
We still haven't reauthorized the Children's Health Insurance
Program, what we call CHIP, so that puts the healthcare of 9 million
children at risk. These are American children.
Nearly 800,000 Dreamers live under uncertainty and fear of
deportation, living in the country they have known most of their lives.
I don't know how anybody, Republican or Democrat, could call this
acceptable.
Now, I know the Republicans control the House, they control the
Senate, and they control the White House. They are in charge. They have
to show responsibility and show leadership on these issues, but instead
of addressing these issues, last year the Republican leadership spent
time rolling back sensible regulations designed to protect the American
consumer, designed to protect our environment, and designed to protect
people from harassment in the workplace. They rolled those all back,
and then they passed a massive tax cut for big corporations and the
wealthiest of Americans.
We Democrats have been calling for bipartisan budget talks since
June--7 months ago. We have passed three continuing resolutions since
September of last year to give us more time to strike a deal on the
budget and Dreamers and CHIP and disaster funding. These are just to
name a few, but they are enormously important to the people who are
experiencing the disasters or who have children who need healthcare or
who are Dreamers. Yet, on the 102nd day of the fiscal year, there are
only 9 days until the next fiscal cliff, and we don't have a budget
deal.
President Trump said months ago that the country could use a good
government shutdown. I don't agree with
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him, but I am beginning to think that is exactly what his party is
angling for--a manufactured crisis to distract from the fact that they
are not doing their job.
The Washington Post seemed to confirm this last December, when it
reported the President privately told people that a government shutdown
would be good for him politically. In all of my years in the Senate--I
have been here under Republican and Democratic Presidents alike--I have
never heard such damaging rhetoric come from the President of the
United States.
Nobody wants a government shutdown--nobody. It is devastating to
people not only throughout the government but to people throughout the
whole country. However, that seems to be what they are vying for.
For months, I have been calling for a bipartisan budget deal that is
based on parity--equal increases for defense and nondefense programs--
that would provide relief from sequestration. I agree with the
Republicans and Democrats who say military readiness has suffered under
sequestration but so has our Nation's economy, so has our educational
system, so has our infrastructure, and so has our care for our
veterans.
If we want to combat the problems caused by sequestration, we have to
raise the caps on both sides of the ledger. Fixing one side of the
equation will not address the needs of our Nation and, even worse, will
actually shortchange our military.
If we don't invest in our economy, if we don't invest in the
education of our youth, the military will not have expert, qualified
soldiers, the men and women on whom they rely. If we don't invest in
our diplomacy, our Nation and the world become less safe. If we don't
improve our cyber security defenses and our physical infrastructure, we
become soft targets for those who would do us harm, both in this
country and outside this country. If we don't care for our veterans, we
are not going to have young men and women who are willing to serve.
This week, the majority leader came to the floor making the case for
increased defense spending. He asked us to listen to our nonpartisan
military leaders about what they think is needed to keep this country
safe. I couldn't agree more.
To that end, I have two letters signed by a combined 560 retired
admirals, generals, and other former military members. I ask unanimous
consent to have these letters printed in the Record following my
remarks.
I have no idea what these admirals', generals', and others' political
parties are, but they make the case that we have to increase our
investment in domestic priorities--including education and childcare,
as well as diplomacy--if we are going to keep our country safe and
support our military. Secretary of Defense Mattis said even more
bluntly: If we do not fully fund the State Department, we should be
prepared to buy more ammunition for our military.
The wisdom of our military leaders notwithstanding, Republicans
appear to be dug in. They claim equal increases for both defense and
nondefense programs would add too much to our deficit and burden our
children. It is one over the other. It is hard to have somebody say
that with a straight face in the wake of the President signing a tax
bill to add $1.5 trillion to our Nation's debt and to benefit primarily
large corporations and the wealthiest Americans. You can't make the
argument that we can't afford to take care of our domestic needs. It is
simply not credible.
Budget negotiations are not the only place where Republicans haven't
engaged in a productive way. President Trump's decision to end the DACA
Program has put nearly 800,000 Dreamers in this country in an untenable
position. The decision was as cruel as it was senseless. It may make a
tweet that people look at, but if you are one of those Dreamers and you
are on your way to school and are expecting a scholarship to college
and you don't know if you are going to be in this country tomorrow,
that is not a tweet.
The President should have worked with Congress. He should have found
a permanent legislative solution while keeping DACA protections in
place. I believe he terminated the program under false pretenses,
yielding to xenophobic voices in his administration, and last night a
Federal judge issued an order that said just that: Terminating DACA was
not required under the law--far from it. But a court order that only
temporarily halts the administration from dismantling DACA provides
little comfort to Dreamers. They live each and every day uncertain of
the future and with fear of deportation.
Now, I have heard Members of the Senate trying to decide at what time
we are going to finish voting for the week. Their big fear is this: Are
we going to make our flight home?
Dreamers have to worry if their flight is going to be out of this
country and back to a country they don't even know. They worry if they
will have to leave the country they know and love.
Dreamers are Americans in every way, except on paper. They were
brought here as children, through no fault of their own. They are law-
abiding members of our community. They attend school. They serve as
doctors and teachers. They defend our homeland as brave men and women
in uniform.
This is a crisis of the President's own making. Now, Congress needs
to pick up the pieces. I hope, after the meeting yesterday, we will be
allowed to pick up the pieces. We have spent months trying to find a
path forward, but you can't find one if the administration keeps moving
the goalposts.
We need to address the fate of the Dreamers now. You can take a poll
in this country. The American people want us to. Also, look at the
broad bipartisan support on display yesterday at the White House.
Republicans and Democrats want to fix the mess that the President
created. A solution should be within our grasp.
The White House has made unreasonable demands, such as $18 billion of
American tax dollars to build a wall on the southern border, in
exchange for Dreamers. The $18 billion wall is last century's solution.
It does nothing for this century.
If they really believe Mexico is going to pay for it, I have a
solution. Open a bank account and, as Mexico sends us money, then use
it to build a wall. Don't ask the American taxpayers, who are strapped
at home, to pay for something the President says the Mexicans will pay
for. Open an account, find out if they are telling the truth, let the
money come into the account, and then build it.
But, worse, don't use the Dreamers as negotiable commodities. They
are not commodities. They are human beings. They are people who deserve
to have their dreams. Let's pass a bill--we could do it this week--
protecting Dreamers now. Republicans control the House, the Senate, and
the White House. This is their government.
We have a week and a half before the next continuing resolution
expires. We have a lot to do. Let's get serious. Let's get to work. I
am willing to work here every day, every night, right through the
weekend. Let's get it done. We are not doing it for us. We are doing it
for all the American people. Let's do it for all the American people--
not for special interests, not for one party. Let's do it for all the
American people. It could be done, if we want to.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Mission: Readiness,
Council for a Strong America,
May 30, 2017.
Members of Congress: As retired admirals and generals, we
know from our experience that no matter how much we spend to
build our military and procure the latest and greatest
technology, we will never be a secure nation if we do not
have qualified and skilled men and women to fill the ranks of
our Armed Forces. Therefore, investing in education for our
youngest children, which is the foundation of our future
national security, is essential. Accordingly, we urge
Congress to prioritize investments in early childhood
programs, including funding for Head Start, the Child Care
and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and Preschool
Development Grants in FY18 Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.
Mission: Readiness is the national security organization of
retired top military leaders that recognize the strength of
our military depends on our people. The stunning fact is that
today, 71 percent of young adults ages 17 to 24 cannot
qualify for military service because they are too poorly
educated, medically or physically unfit, or have a
disqualifying record of crime or drug abuse. if these issues
are not addressed, the Nation risks a shortage of qualified
recruits--one that will leave the country vulnerable for
years to come.
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Mounting research shows that the early years of life have
an incredible impact on educational attainment, behaviors and
health. High-quality early interventions can help vulnerable
children succeed in school, stay on the right side of the law
and achieve a healthy weight in the long-term. These outcomes
open the doors for many career paths, including military
service.
Long-term studies of early education programs show
impressive differences in children's educational outcomes. A
recent analysis of Head Start outcomes, comparing siblings
who did versus did not attend the program, found participants
showing increased probability of graduating from high school,
attending college, and receiving a postsecondary credential.
High-quality state preschool programs have also demonstrated
lasting effects on students' elementary-school performance.
New Jersey's preschool program, for example, found that
children in the program were three-quarters of a year ahead
in math and two-thirds of a year ahead in literacy in the
fourth and fifth grades.
While Congress faces tough spending choices ahead to secure
and protect our Nation, we know that the backbone of our
military is, and will always be, our women and men in
uniform. As a matter of national security, in order to grow
the pool of eligible recruits, Congress must prioritize
investments in early childhood programs, including funding
for Head Start, the Child Care and Development Block Grant
(CCDBG), and Preschool Development Grants.
Signed by a combined 424 retired admirals, generals, and
other former military members.
____
February 27, 2017.
Hon. Paul Ryan,
Speaker of the House,
House of Representatives.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Minority Leader,
House of Representatives.
Hon. Mitch McConnell,
Majority Leader,
U.S. Senate.
Hon. Chuck Schumer,
Minority Leader,
U.S. Senate.
Dear Speaker Ryan, Minority Leader Pelosi, Majority Leader
McConnell, and Minority Leader Schumer: As you and your
colleagues address the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2018,
we write as retired three and four star flag and general
officers from all branches of the armed services to share our
strong conviction that elevating and strengthening diplomacy
and development alongside defense are critical to keeping
America safe.
We know from our service in uniform that many of the crises
our nation faces do not have military solutions alone--from
confronting violent extremist groups like ISIS in the Middle
East and North Africa to preventing pandemics like Ebola and
stabilizing weak and fragile states that can lead to greater
instability. There are 65 million displaced people today, the
most since World War II, with consequences including refugee
flows that are threatening America's strategic allies in
Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and Europe.
The State Department, USAID, Millennium Challenge
Corporation, Peace Corps and other development agencies are
critical to preventing conflict and reducing the need to put
our men and women in uniform in harm's way. As Secretary
James Mattis said while Commander of U.S. Central Command,
``If you don't fully fund the State Department, then I need
to buy more ammunition.'' The military will lead the fight
against terrorism on the battlefield, but it needs strong
civilian partners in the battle against the drivers of
extremism--lack of opportunity, insecurity, injustice, and
hopelessness.
We recognize that America's strategic investments in
diplomacy and development--like all of U.S. investments--must
be effective and accountable. Significant reforms have been
undertaken since 9/11, many of which have been embodied in
recent legislation in Congress with strong bipartisan
support--on human trafficking, the rights of women and girls,
trade and energy in Africa, wildlife trafficking, water, food
security, and transparency and accountability.
We urge you to ensure that resources for the International
Affairs Budget keep pace with the growing global threats and
opportunities we face. Now is not the time to retreat.
cc: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
cc: Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
cc: National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.
Signed by a combined 121 retired admirals, generals, and
other former military members.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, my colleague from Vermont, Senator Bernie
Sanders, wrote what I feel was a terrific op-ed about why we should not
and do not need to close down the government, why we can do our work
and why we should, and that people rely on us, too.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the op-ed be printed in
the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Washington Post, Jan. 8, 2018]
It's on Republicans To Stop a Shutdown
(By Bernie Sanders)
I do not know why President Trump and the Republican
Party--which controls the White House, the Senate and the
House--are so willing to shut down the government. Maybe they
think it will be good for them politically. Maybe they
believe the chaos created by a government shutdown would be a
welcome distraction from the ongoing Russia investigation
being conducted by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.
Whatever the motives of the Republican leadership, one thing
is clear: A government shutdown would be disastrous for the
American people.
A shutdown would harm tens of millions of working-class
families who would be unable to access vital services. It
would disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of federal
employees who would not receive the paychecks they expected.
It would endanger members of the U.S. military who are
putting their lives on the line defending our nation.
Congress has a responsibility to the American people to
prevent a shutdown and work in a bipartisan manner to reach a
fair budget agreement that addresses the very serious
problems facing the working people of our country.
Unfortunately, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-
Ky.) ratcheted up threats of a government shutdown last week
by insisting on ending the long-standing, bipartisan
agreement over parity for defense and non-defense spending.
This principle of parity is enormously important for working
families and is something that cannot be terminated. If we do
not act, funding for education, child care, health care,
nutrition assistance, affordable housing and other important
domestic programs will be at a 40-year low as a percentage of
our economy.
As the middle class continues to shrink, cuts to non-
defense spending would cause even worse economic pain to
working families, the elderly, children, the sick and the
most vulnerable. Meanwhile, as Trump and the Republicans
demand an unbelievable $100 billion increase in military
spending over the next two years, the Defense Department has
been inoculated from budget cuts over the past several years
because of the Overseas Contingency Operations loophole--a
special account not subject to spending caps established by
Congress in 2011.
Providing parity in these budget negotiations means, among
other things, fully funding--without offsets--the Children's
Health Insurance Program for 9 million kids and community
health centers for 27 million Americans. It means increased
funding for the Social Security Administration and the
Veterans Administration so they can provide guaranteed
benefits to seniors and veterans who have earned them. It
means keeping our obligations to more than 1.5 million
workers and retirees who are about to lose a large part of
the pensions they were promised. It means addressing the
crisis of student debt, expanding child care, improving our
crumbling infrastructure in rural America and protecting our
national parks. It means providing help in the national
struggle against opioid and heroin addiction.
Furthermore, as part of the budget negotiations, we must
also provide adequate disaster relief to Texas, Florida,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as assistance to
the Western states recovering from terrible wildfires.
Finally, Trump added even more fuel to the fire when he
decided to use 800,000 ``dreamers'' as a bargaining chip for
an $18 billion wall that the overwhelming majority of
Americans do not want. These dreamers are young people who
have lived in this country for almost their entire lives.
They go to school. They work. They serve in the U.S.
military. The United States is their home; they know no
other. For Trump and the Republican leadership to allow their
legal status to expire, and to subject them to deportation,
would be one of the cruelest acts in modern American history.
It must not be allowed to happen.
This is not just my viewpoint. It's what the American
people want. A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed that
77 percent of the American people, including a large majority
of Republicans, support providing legal protections for the
dreamers. The Republican Congress must act. A clean Dream Act
must be signed into law as part of any budget agreement.
The American people are increasingly disgusted with a
government that protects the interests of the wealthy and the
powerful, while ignoring the needs of the vulnerable. The
U.S. government must do more than provide huge tax breaks to
billionaires, callously deport young people, greatly expand
military spending, end net neutrality, deny the reality of
climate change and threaten to cut Social Security, Medicare,
Medicaid, education and nutrition programs. We must pass a
budget agreement that addresses the needs of Americans and
not just billionaire campaign contributors.
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Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.