[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5067-S5069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Gardner, and Mr. Daines):
  S. 3229. A bill to enhance the security of the United States and its 
allies, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, last week, President Trump was in Europe 
meeting with other NATO leaders. One of the major issues he raised was 
the need to bolster energy security throughout NATO. He specifically 
talked about a natural gas pipeline that the Russians are building 
between Russia and Germany. It is called the Nord Stream II Pipeline. I 
have been talking about this pipeline for years.
  President Trump was absolutely right to bring up this important 
subject. Here is how the Boston Herald put it in an editorial over the 
weekend: ``Trump's testy, tough talk to NATO on point.'' They say the 
President's tough talk was absolutely on point.
  The President pointed out that Germany relies on natural gas for a 
substantial amount of its energy needs.

[[Page S5068]]

More than half of Germany's natural gas imports come from Russia. With 
this new pipeline, Germany will actually increase its dependence on 
Russian gas. Russia will have more of an influence on Germany.
  Germany and other countries are members of NATO, and the reason they 
are members of NATO is to protect themselves against Russian 
aggression. So if you are Germany, why would you want to become more 
dependent on Russia when you joined NATO and have been a member of NATO 
for years to protect against Russia aggression? It seems that Germany 
has turned around now and given Russia influence over its energy 
security.
  President Trump pointed out how strange it seems. I think it seems 
strange to other members of NATO, and it seems strange to people all 
across the country. No one who understands the facts can say that 
President Trump is wrong. President Trump is right. His tough talk to 
NATO was on point. Even the Obama administration knew it. The rest of 
NATO knows it. Even Germany knows it. When one country allows another 
aggressive, opportunistic country like Russia to have that kind of 
influence over its energy security, I believe it is asking for trouble. 
Germany seems to be betting that increasing its economic ties to the 
Kremlin will have no effect on the political manipulations that Russia 
wants to play on Europe. I think it is a sucker's bet.
  Energy security is national security. Energy security is called the 
master resource for a reason. It powers our country. It powers our 
economy. It is an instrument of power. It is a force multiplier. It is 
important for the United States and our allies around the world to have 
that correct understanding of energy and the impact that it has 
globally as a geopolitical weapon. We have seen Russia in the past use 
its natural gas as a geopolitical weapon. Russia threatens other 
countries. It extorts money from them. It bullies them. Russians then 
can tell their customers: Do what we say, or we turn off the tap and we 
shut off your gas. They have done it in the past.
  It also means a lot of money going from our NATO allies straight into 
the Kremlin's pocket. That is money they could be using instead to fund 
aggression in Europe and other parts of the world. That is what Russia 
wants to do with the money, if they get that money from Germany, from 
the energy. They use the money against us and against our NATO allies.
  This new pipeline, I believe, was all the desire of the Russian 
people--and specifically of Vladimir Putin--to put our NATO allies much 
more under Russia's control. With the new pipeline, Russia is seeking 
to make Germany and the rest of Europe even more dependent and even 
more susceptible to this kind of Russian coercion.
  The Wall Street Journal had an editorial on the subject last week. 
They wrote that ``the embarrassment for Berlin and NATO is that Germany 
is so happy to help Vladimir Putin execute this plan.'' That is the 
embarrassment for Berlin and the embarrassment for NATO. They said: 
``Usually hostages need to be taken, instead of volunteering.'' But 
that is what Germany is doing right now--volunteering to be Russia's 
hostage. That is exactly right.
  Europe needs new energy, new energy security, and a new energy 
source. They need diversity. That is what the European Union needs. 
They need diversity in both the types of energy--that is what our NATO 
allies need--diversity in the types of energy that they use and where 
they get their energy from. That is how countries ensure that their own 
long-term economic health and independence is sound.
  Russia has a right to compete in the world market for energy. The 
trouble starts when Russia gets so much of the market in some of these 
European countries that they become a monopoly in terms of the way they 
act. Russia is the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe. Across 
Europe, nearly 40 percent of the natural gas imports come from Russia. 
So Russia has incredible control. In some countries, it is virtually 
100 percent.
  Countries like Germany should be reducing the amount of natural gas 
they buy from Russia, not increasing it, but that is what this Nord 
Stream II Pipeline between Russia and Germany does. It increases the 
amount of natural gas Germany will be buying from Russia.
  Germany should absolutely reject the Nord Stream II Pipeline as part 
of their reduction of dependence on Russia. That would help shrink the 
influence and the threat Russia continually poses to our NATO allies. 
It would also help our other allies in the region because, right now, a 
lot of Russian gas travels through pipelines that cross Ukraine and 
other countries into Central Europe. These countries make money from 
the gas crossing their territory, and they get a lot of their energy 
through these pipelines as well. But remember, Russia has invaded parts 
of eastern Ukraine. Russia has taken over Crimea. If Russia has their 
other new pipeline to help export its natural gas, it can shut off the 
revenue for countries, such as Ukraine, and shut off their energy 
completely.

  Remember, one of the things President Trump has done, which I think 
has been helpful and which I had been calling for for years during the 
Obama administration, is actually provide lethal weapons to Ukraine to 
deal with the incursions coming from Russia to eastern Ukraine. 
Vladimir Putin actually cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine in 
2006, 2009, and 2014. He invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in part to 
cut off access to the natural gas and oil resources.
  This is a pattern Vladimir Putin has of using energy as a weapon, and 
the best defense against this weapon is for these countries in Europe 
to have the kind of energy diversity and energy security that I have 
recommended.
  In March, I wrote a letter to the Treasury and State Departments 
encouraging the Trump administration to look at ways to stop the 
construction of the Nord Stream II Pipeline. That is what we need to 
do--stop the construction of the pipeline. It was a bipartisan effort, 
and 39 Senators from both parties signed on to the letter to express 
our concerns to President Trump about what was happening between Russia 
and Germany.
  Today, I take the next concrete step and introduce legislation to do 
four very important things.
  First, the legislation directs our representatives in NATO to work to 
achieve energy security for our partners throughout Europe and Eurasia.
  Second, it calls for a comprehensive strategy that involves 
increasing American energy exports to these countries being held 
hostage by Russia.
  Third, it requires the Energy Secretary to speed up approvals of 
American natural gas exports to our NATO allies and other countries.
  Finally, it authorizes mandatory U.S. sanctions on the development of 
Russian energy pipelines like Nord Stream II.
  It is in the national security interests of our country to help our 
allies reduce their dependence on Russian energy. Where those countries 
don't see it for themselves, we need to show them how important it is 
for their own security. Our NATO alliance is strong. A robust energy 
security strategy will make it even stronger.
  When Vladimir Putin looks at natural gas, he doesn't think natural 
gas; he thinks politics, he thinks money, and he thinks power, because 
that is how he equates the energy he supplies to these countries, on 
which they have become so dependent--money, power, politics.
  Germany and other countries in Europe and NATO should be doing all 
they can to diversify their sources of energy so they can help reduce 
the threat Russia poses to them. The United States should do all we can 
by exporting our abundant natural gas to our allies as quickly as 
possible. We have more than enough natural gas to meet our own needs 
and to export to our friends around the world. We can boost the 
security of our NATO allies and our friends around the world, and we 
should be doing it. We can do it through a peaceful process and a 
peaceful means without spending tax dollars, while at the same time 
growing our American economy with the production of American energy.
  When President Trump came to office, he said: It is no longer about 
energy security or energy independence; it is about energy dominance. 
Given what we have been blessed with in this country and the amount of 
energy and resources we have, we have an opportunity and, I believe, an 
obligation to use that energy wisely and productively.

[[Page S5069]]

  Vladimir Putin thinks about energy as money, as power, and as 
politics, and I think that what we need to do with the resources we 
have, as I am introducing in this legislation today, is a very 
commonsense approach.
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      By Mr. KAINE:
  S. 3234. A bill to provide at-risk and disconnected youth with 
subsidized summer and year-round employment and to assist local 
community partnerships in improving high school graduation and youth 
employment rates, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, nearly 5 million young people ages 16 to 
24, or 1 in 9 youth, are disconnected from both school and work. These 
disconnected youth often face significant barriers; they are three 
times more likely than other youth to have a disability, twice as 
likely to live below the federal poverty threshold, and significantly 
more likely to live in racially segregated neighborhoods. Disconnection 
can leave young people without the entry-level work experience and 
post-secondary credentials they need to succeed in the workforce and 
with significantly less lifetime earnings than the typical worker.
  Disconnection also imposes significant costs on affected young 
people, their communities, and the overall economy. According to 
Measure of America, in 2013, youth disconnection resulted in $26.8 
billion in public expenditures, including spending on health care, 
public assistance, and incarceration.
  Dedicated Federal funding to support summer and year-long employment 
for youth can help to mitigate and prevent disconnection, as well as 
help young people, their communities, and the economy to flourish and 
develop our future workforce. Twenty years ago, dedicated Federal 
funding supported an estimated 500,000 summer jobs for youth. However, 
when the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) eliminated Federal 
stand-alone funding, participation in summer youth employment programs 
dropped by 50 to 90 percent in most local areas. Through targeted 
resources and supports, including funding for summer and year-long 
employment and comprehensive supports for youth, we can move closer as 
a country toward reconnecting the millions of young people who have 
slipped through the cracks and prevent disconnection from occurring in 
the first place.
  This is why I am pleased to introduce today The Opening Doors for 
Youth Act. The Opening Doors for Youth Act aims to assist the 5 million 
at-risk young people who are disconnected from both school and work 
find summer or year-long jobs that help them to succeed in future 
careers. The bill provides, Federal funding so local communities can 
create partnerships with businesses, mentoring, financial literacy 
planning, and other supportive services. Through the partnerships, 
workforce boards can use funds to cover up to 75 percent of wages for 
each eligible young person participating in the program.
  Young people play a critical role in our economy and communities and 
we must ensure that they have the resources and skills to find and 
maintain jobs that set them up for future success. With the right 
resources, city governments, local workforce boards, school districts, 
and employers can work together to help us close the employment gap 
we're seeing for at-risk young people. I hope that my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle consider The Opening Doors for Youth Act 
commonsense legislation that moves the needle forward on promoting 
access for all youth to meaningful employment.

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