[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 203 (Saturday, December 22, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8025-S8026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REAUTHORIZING THE NEW JERSEY COASTAL HERITAGE TRAIL ROUTE

  Mr. BOOZMAN. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of H.R. 6602.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 6602) to reauthorize the New Jersey Coastal 
     Heritage Trail Route, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read 
a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to a third reading and was read the third time.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. I know of no further debate on the bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the 
question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (H.R. 6602) was passed.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BOOZMAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                          Government Shutdown

  Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, here we are at approximately 2:30 on a 
Saturday afternoon trying to do the people's business in a situation 
that nobody wanted. Yet because, I believe, of political self-interest, 
we are in a situation right now where we are in what I would call a 
crisis mode of operation.
  We need to get a deal done. But I want to address a couple of topics 
today that are at issue here as we debate the funding issue, which is 
at the crux of why we are here today and this weekend.
  Our country was built on immigration; there is just no question that 
we are all direct derivatives, in one way or the other. But I would 
like to be very clear that most of the people who have come to this 
country over the last two centuries came in legally. Today, we bring in 
1.1 million people a year--legally. We bring in about 70,000 people who 
have a job-related way to get into our system. There are about 70,000 
direct family members; that is, a spouse and immediate children. There 
are another 300,000 refugees and asylum seekers. There is a rational 
reason we should do that, and we have been doing that.
  Today, every day, asylum seekers and refugees are permitted into our 
country, but there are another 800,000 who come in legally every year, 
and the only reason they come in is that they have an indirect family 
link, through generations, to the 70,000 that come in. Given that 
environment, we also have a temporary work permit system here that, 
again, has over 1 million people in it--every year.
  Our country is the most welcoming, philanthropic country in the 
history of the world. To think that just protecting our borders as a 
national security issue is somehow hard-hearted and radical--no country 
in the history of the world has ever demonstrated that it was a radical 
thought to maintain and protect the sovereignty of their own country 
and their own borders.
  Indeed, there are only 6 reasons why 13 colonies came together in the 
first place in the late 18th century and formed the United States of 
America. The No. 1 reason articulated is to provide for the common 
defense of our country.
  President Trump is leading right now in his first responsibility, and 
that is to protect every citizen of the United States of America. He is 
fighting for the American people. Actually, that is how he got elected. 
He got elected because he complained about the dysfunction in 
Washington, about politicians, bureaucrats, and the media. So did I, in 
2014--2 years before President Trump did. I believe people are fed up 
with this dysfunction in Washington.
  I want to reemphasize that what is at issue here is the protection of 
our sovereignty as a country--not to change the immigration laws; that 
is not what is at debate today.
  I want to remind everybody that just in this body this year, 43 of my 
colleagues across the aisle, in an immigration bill proposed by Susan 
Collins on this side, 43 Democrats voted for a $25 billion border 
security package--43. I think President Trump has demonstrated 
tremendous negotiating willingness over and over, over this past year, 
on this issue.

[[Page S8026]]

  Let's be clear what is going on. The flow of drugs and human 
trafficking on our border are completely unacceptable. Everybody in 
this body agrees with that, demonstrated by the fact that 43 Democrats 
actually voted for a $25 billion border security package earlier this 
year. There is no way you can avoid admitting that. This has to stop.
  The undampened flow of illegal drugs has created a crisis in our 
country. The fact that we sit here and are more concerned about the 
political realities in Washington than we are about stopping human 
trafficking across our southern border is totally unacceptable. An open 
border goes against the very ideas of why our country was founded. It 
totally undercuts American sovereignty. The American people know that. 
They are fed up with the status quo, and I can tell you, firsthand, so 
is President Donald Trump.
  The Dems are very clear. My colleagues have demonstrated that they 
prefer open borders, illegal drug transfers, and human trafficking to a 
commonsense protection of our southern border.
  We know fences work. I have been to countries around the world where 
they are protecting their borders with simple fences where they need 
them.
  We have multiple approaches to defending our southern border. We have 
many miles right now that already have similar fences up that deter 
illegal crossings.
  At the same time, this President has shown over and over again that 
he will work with our colleagues across the aisle to find some common 
solution here that we can all live with. He is ready to make a deal 
today. In fact, as we speak, the Vice President, the President, and the 
Chief of Staff are in the White House right now; the leader of the 
Democratic Party in the Senate is, right now, negotiating.
  This needs to get done. I have done dozens of these in my career, and 
looking at what is important to both parties, there is no reason this 
can't get done.
  I believe the President is ready to make a deal to fully fund the 
Federal Government--the last 25 percent. Let's remember how we got 
there. This body, the Senate and the House, did something they haven't 
done in 22 years, and that is fund at least 75 percent of our Federal 
Government on time. That was by September 30. We are here, at the end 
of our first quarter of the next fiscal year, still trying to fund the 
last 25 percent because of this controversy over the border wall.
  The first number was $25 billion, as I said, which was agreed to by 
the other side. Then, there was another $5 billion offered. Lastly, the 
President, I thought, had a deal earlier this week with our colleagues 
across the aisle for $1.6 billion. That deal was taken away.
  We are right now, I think, experiencing the second Schumer shutdown 
of this year. The first was over the DACA controversy. President Trump 
took the Democratic request for 600,000 work permits for an indefinite 
period of time and changed that and made an offer of a pathway to 
citizenship for 1.8 million DACA recipients. He took a chance with the 
ultraright in our party, the conservative part of the party. He took a 
chance and stood up and said: This is the right thing to do, if it is 
paired with the right deal on the other side.
  I believe there is no reason we can't get this package done right 
now. I think the President agrees with that. I think the Democratic 
leader agrees with that. But prior to yesterday, for a few days, there 
was no one talking.
  I give Mick Mulvaney and the Vice President a lot of credit. I know 
that the Vice President was in this building until about 9:30 last 
night negotiating this. I just believe it is time to get this done.
  Nancy Pelosi, in the House, repeatedly said that President Trump 
couldn't get the votes from the House to pass a funding package that 
included these border security priorities. We now know she was wrong. 
The votes were there. The House has sent a bill back over here that not 
only has border security but a relief package--a serious relief package 
for hurricane victims, disaster relief victims, and the wildfire 
victims in California.
  The U.S. Senate should have included President Trump's priorities 
from the very beginning. Now this body has a chance to do the right 
thing.
  It is time to get this done. We are here. Let's get a deal, bring it 
back in here, pass it, get it back to the House, and let's stop this 
nonsense. Let's not yield to political self-interest on either side.
  I implore all of us who have influence with the people who are 
negotiating this: Let's get beyond this. This is so close. There is no 
reason we are sitting here, letting America be nervous about whether we 
are going to get this done. This should have been done back in 
September, as I said earlier. Now let's focus on our national 
interests, the things we are all called to do in our oath of office: 
Protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Let's fully 
fund this government--the last 25 percent--move past this, secure our 
border, and provide disaster relief for the people who have a timely 
need, right now, for us to do that.
  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. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Perdue). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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