[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 10, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2354-S2355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               H.R. 1585

  Mr. President, on another matter, earlier this week the House passed 
a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Our Democratic 
colleagues keep saying how important it is to quickly pass this 
legislation to restore funding to VAWA as it is known, but I think it 
is important to back up for a moment and remember why that funding 
lapsed in the first place.
  Earlier this year our Democratic colleagues allowed VAWA to get 
caught in the crosshairs of our funding debates, and they insisted we 
should not fund this vital program because it was overdue for updates. 
Their argument was this: We want to reform or update VAWA, so we are 
going to let funding for it lapse. It just didn't make any sense at 
all.
  It is no secret that folks on the other side of the aisle think it is 
time we made some changes to the program. It is something I support, 
but we don't need to let the funding lapse in order to do it.
  This is an issue that our friend and colleague Senator Ernst 
continues to champion here in the Senate. But the approach taken by our 
Democratic colleagues to get those changes is a head-scratcher, to say 
the least.
  There were, as I see it, two options on how to solve the problem. One 
was to provide an extension for the previous funding to the end of the 
fiscal year. That would have allowed us to work on the long-term 
reauthorization under the regular processes in the Senate, which, in my 
experience, is always the preferred action to take.
  The second option our Democratic colleagues chose was to do nothing 
and let this important legislation expire without a plan to replace it. 
For whatever reason, that was the option that Democrats in the House 
chose.
  In the nearly 2 months since, we have tried to negotiate a short-term 
extension to fund these vital programs. As recently as last week, our 
Democratic colleagues had a chance to support the restoration of 
funding while our negotiations continued.
  The supplemental appropriations bill introduced by Senator Shelby 
would have funded the Violence Against Women Act through the end of the 
fiscal year--again, giving us time to negotiate changes in the law that 
Democrats obviously want. But our Democratic colleagues simply refuse 
to support even a procedural vote that would have allowed us to get on 
the bill and debate it and then amend it. It seems increasingly clear 
to me that rather than providing the funding for victims of sexual 
assault and other violence, rather than finding solutions, what is 
happening here is that politics is creeping in and rearing its ugly 
head.
  It is clear to me that this isn't about finding a solution; this is 
about political game playing. Now, rather than going through regular 
order to create a long-term reauthorization that includes feedback from 
both sides, House Democrats are trying to jam a one-sided piece of 
legislation through the House and then through the Senate. I think this 
is very shameful.
  Our Democratic colleagues first refused to fund the Violence Against 
Women Act. They allowed it to expire, and now they are using victims of 
violence as leverage to push through their rushed, one-sided piece of 
legislation. Throwing a temper tantrum and holding the Violence Against 
Women's Act hostage until you get what you want is not a responsible 
way to legislate.
  I would encourage our colleagues across the aisle to put politics 
aside for just a moment and work with us to pass a short-term extension 
for VAWA while we use the regular order to discuss long-term solutions.
  There is a good way and a bad way to do this, and, unfortunately, our 
Democratic colleagues have chosen the bad way, but we would ask them to 
reconsider and work with us--not for us, but for the victims of 
domestic violence who are suffering as a result of their game playing.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  All time has expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Stanton 
nomination?
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

[[Page S2355]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker) 
and the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar) are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lankford). Are there any other Senators in 
the Chamber desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 53, nays 45, as follows:

                       [Rollcall Vote No. 70 Ex.]

                                YEAS--53

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Braun
     Burr
     Capito
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hawley
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Lankford
     Lee
     McConnell
     McSally
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Romney
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Scott (FL)
     Scott (SC)
     Shelby
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--45

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Brown
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Feinstein
     Gillibrand
     Harris
     Hassan
     Heinrich
     Hirono
     Jones
     Kaine
     King
     Leahy
     Manchin
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Rosen
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Sinema
     Smith
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Udall
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--2

     Booker
     Klobuchar
       
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to 
reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table. The President 
will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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