[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 16, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Treaties

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I am pleased, at long last, to speak on 
the floor today in support of four protocols amending the tax 
conventions between the United States and Spain, Switzerland, Japan, 
and Luxembourg.
  I have long been a strong supporter and proponent of these tax 
protocols and worked to advance them across multiple Congresses. In the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I voted to advance Japan and Spain 
protocols three times and voted four times to advance the protocols 
with Luxembourg and the Swiss Confederation. I am pleased that, after 
too many years of waiting, the majority leader has finally decided to 
take up these protocols.
  I am a strong believer in the benefits these treaties provide our 
country. They play a critical role in relieving U.S. citizens and 
companies of double taxation, encouraging foreign investment in the 
United States, and enforcing U.S. tax law on those who seek to evade 
it. There are no downsides to these treaties.
  As I conveyed directly to Secretary Mnuchin, the Treasury 
Department's initial interaction on these treaties without consulting 
the Foreign Relations Committee was completely inadequate. This botched 
effort resulted in a completely avoidable delay in taking up these four 
protocols. However, I am pleased that Treasury responded quickly to my 
concerns, including providing a written commitment on behalf of the 
administration that the Foreign Relations Committee chair and ranking 
member would be consulted on any changes to the model tax treaty prior 
to negotiations based on a new model or new model provisions. 
Therefore, I support moving the tax treaties as expeditiously as 
possible and urge my colleagues to support them.
  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.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.