Congressional Record, Volume 165 Issue 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)

[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 173 (Thursday, October 31, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6311-S6323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND
DRUG ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,
VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020--Resumed

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will
resume consideration of H.R. 3055, which the clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

A bill (H.R. 3055) making appropriations for the
Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related
Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and
for other purposes.

Pending:

Shelby amendment No. 948, in the nature of a substitute.
McConnell (for Shelby) amendment No. 950, to make a
technical correction.

Amendment Nos. 953, 1023, 1037, 1088, as modified, 1099, 1121, 1133,
1143, 1149, 1161, 1163, 1217, 1223, 1224, 951, 1077, 1094, 1129, 1146,
1150, 1234, 1025, 1079, 1081, 1151, 1159, 1160, 1162, 1182, 1193, 1199,
1211, 1215, 1220, 1227, 956, 1002, 1005, 1010, 1061, 1062, 1114, 1130,
1214, and 1235 en bloc to Amendment No. 948

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to the order of yesterday, the 45
amendments listed in the order are considered and agreed to en bloc and
the motions to reconsider are considered made and laid upon the table.
The amendments (Nos. 953, 1023, 1037, 1088 As Modified, 1099, 1121,
1133, 1143, 1149, 1161, 1163, 1217, 1223, 1224, 951, 1077, 1094, 1129,
1146, 1150, 1234, 1025, 1079, 1081, 1151, 1159, 1160, 1162, 1182, 1193,
1199, 1211, 1215, 1220, 1227, 956, 1002, 1005, 1010, 1061, 1062, 1114,
1130, 1214, 1235) to Amendment No. 948 were agreed to en bloc as
follows:

amendment no. 953

(Purpose: To provide for the availability of funds for Agricultural
Research Service research facilities to provide public access)

On page 129, line 4, strike the period at the end and
insert ``: Provided further, That amounts made available
under this heading may be used to provide public access to a
river at a research facility of the Agricultural Research
Service.''.

amendment no. 1023

(Purpose: To amend provisions relating to the rental assistance program
of the Rural Housing Service)

On page 155, line 10, insert after ``one-year period:'' the
following: ``Provided further, that upon request by an owner
of a project financed by an existing loan under section 514
or 515 of the Act, the Secretary may renew the rental
assistance agreement for a period of 20 years or until the
term of such loan has expired, subject to annual
appropriations:''.
On page 156, line 4, strike ``third proviso'' and insert
``fourth proviso''.

amendment no. 1037

(Purpose: To require a study on the economic and environmental impacts
of importing orchids in growing media)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B,
insert the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report that describes
the economic and environmental impacts of importing orchids
in growing media.
(b) Requirements.--The report under subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) a description of--
(A) the economic impact of importing orchids in growing
media on a State-by-State basis, with data collected from
local growers; and
(B) any incidents of pests detected on orchids imported
with growing media; and
(2) an analysis with respect to the additional resources
that are necessary to prevent and mitigate the introduction
of pests resulting from importing orchids in growing media.

amendment no. 1088, as Modified

(Purpose: To provide appropriations for centers of excellence at 1890
Institutions, with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) There is appropriated $3,000,000 to carry out
section 1673(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and
Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5926(d)).
(b) The amount made available under the heading ``Office of
the Secretary'' in title I for necessary expenses of the
Office of the Secretary shall be reduced by $3,000,000, which
shall be derived by reducing the amount provided under that
heading for Departmental Administration by $3,000,000.

amendment no. 1099

(Purpose: To increase the appropriation for the Farm and Ranch Stress
Assistance Network, with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Act, the amount made available under the heading ``extension
activities'' under the heading ``National Institute of Food
and Agriculture'' under the heading ``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS''
in title I shall be increased by $5,000,000, which shall be
used by increasing by that amount the amount specified for
the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network in the table
titled ``National Institute of Food and Agriculture,
Extension Activities'' in the report accompanying this Act.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount made available for the Office of the Chief Financial
Officer under the heading ``Office of the Chief Financial
Officer'' under the heading ``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS'' in
title I shall be reduced by $5,000,000.

amendment no. 1121

(Purpose: To set aside funding for the ocean agriculture working group)

On page 122, line 19, insert ``: Provided further, That of
the funds made available under this heading, $3,000,000 shall
be made available to the Office of the Secretary to carry out
the duties of the working group established under section 770
of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019
(Public Law 116-6; 133 Stat. 89)'' before the period at the
end.

amendment no. 1133

(Purpose: To provide funding for the new beginning for Tribal students
program, with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B,
insert the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) There is appropriated $5,000,000 to carry out
section 1450 of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3222e).
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount provided under the heading ``Agriculture Buildings and
Facilities'' under the heading ``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS'' in
title I shall be reduced by $5,000,000.

amendment no. 1143

(Purpose: To increase the appropriation for rural decentralized water
systems)

On page 164, line 21, strike ``$1,500,000'' and insert
``$3,000,000''.

[[Page S6312]]

amendment no. 1149

(Purpose: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize
maintenance and staff needs relating to assistance provided by the
Rural Housing Service)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. 7__. In providing assistance under title V of the
Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.) using amounts
made available under title III, the Secretary of Agriculture
shall prioritize the maintenance needs for rural housing
facilities and staff needs, which shall include
prioritizing--
(1) oversight of aging rental housing program properties
with capital repair needs;
(2) the needs of staff overseeing the Rural Housing Service
and field staff conducting housing inspections; and
(3) enforcement against property owners when those owners
fail to make necessary repairs.

amendment no. 1161

(Purpose: To increase the appropriation for the distance learning and
telemedicine program, with an offset)

At the appropiate place in title VII of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Act, the amount appropriated under this Act to the Rural
Utilities Service under the heading ``distance learning,
telemedicine, and broadband program'' for grants for
telemedicine and distance learning services in rural areas
shall be increased by $1,000,000.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount appropriated under this Act to the Department of
Agriculture under the heading ``Agriculture Buildings and
Facilities'' shall be reduced by $1,000,000.

Amendment No. 1163

(Purpose: To provide funding for the emergency and transitional pet
shelter and housing assistance grant program, with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B,
insert the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) There is appropriated $3,000,000 to carry out
the emergency and transitional pet shelter and housing
assistance grant program established under section 12502(b)
of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (34 U.S.C. 20127).
(b) The amount made available under the heading ``Office of
the Secretary'' in title I for necessary expenses of the
Office of the Secretary shall be reduced by $3,000,000, which
shall be derived by reducing the amount provided under that
heading for Departmental Administration by $3,000,000.

Amendment No. 1217

(Purpose: To provide funding for States impacted by Eastern equine
encephalitis, with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Act, the amount appropriated under the heading ``salaries and
expenses'' under the heading ``Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service'' in title I shall be increased by
$1,000,000, to remain available until expended, which shall
be for surveillance, testing, prevention, and research
relating to Eastern equine encephalitis in impacted States.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount appropriated under this Act to the Department of
Agriculture under the heading ``Office of the Chief Financial
Officer'' shall be reduced by $1,000,000.

Amendment No. 1223

(Purpose: To provide funding for the Office of Urban Agriculture and
Innovative Production, with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title VII of division B, insert
the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) There is appropriated $5,000,000 to carry out
section 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization
Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6923).
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount provided under the heading ``Agriculture Buildings and
Facilities'' under the heading ``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS'' in
title I shall be reduced by $6,000,000.

Amendment No. 1224

(Purpose: To provide funding for pilot projects to address food
insecurity, with an offset)

On page 223, between lines 13 and 14, insert the following:
Sec. 7__. (a) There is appropriated $2,000,000 to carry out
section 30 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2036d).
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount provided under the heading ``Agriculture Buildings and
Facilities'' under the heading ``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS'' in
title I shall be reduced by $2,000,000.

Amendment No. 951

(Purpose: To require the Attorney General to report to Congress on, and
establish a deadline for, the implementation of the Ashanti Alert Act
of 2018)

At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:
Sec. ___. Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to
Congress a report that--
(1) details the progress of the implementation of the
Ashanti Alert Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-401; 132 Stat.
5336) and the amendments made by that Act; and
(2) establishes a deadline for full implementation of that
Act and the amendments made by that Act, which shall be not
later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

Amendment No. 1077

(Purpose: To make $10,000,000 available for the SelectUSA program)

On page 5, line 19, insert ``Provided further, That, of the
amounts provided under this heading, up to $10,000,000 shall
be available for the SelectUSA program:'' after
``activities:''.

Amendment No. 1094

(Purpose: To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration submit to Congress a report on existing
supercomputing capacity and needs of the Administration)

On page 17, line 7, before the period, insert the
following: ``Provided further, That the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration submit to
Congress a report on existing supercomputing capacity and
needs of the Administration and on the incremental
improvement to operational weather forecasts that would
result from a significant investment in additional compute
capacity''.

amendment no. 1129

(Purpose: To require that the Secretary of Commerce use amounts
appropriated or otherwise made available for the Bureau of Industry and
Security for operations and administration to publish and submit to
Congress a report on the findings of the investigation into the effect
on national security of imports of automobiles and automotive parts)

At the appropriate place in title I of division A, insert
the following:
Sec. ___. Not later than one day after the date of the
enactment of this Act, using amounts appropriated or
otherwise made available in this title for the Bureau of
Industry and Security for operations and administration, the
Secretary of Commerce shall--
(1) publish in the Federal Register the report on the
findings of the investigation into the effect on national
security of imports of automobiles and automotive parts that
the Secretary initiated on May 23, 2018, under section 232(b)
of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 1862(b)), as
required under paragraph (3)(B) of that section; and
(2) submit to Congress any portion of the report that
contains classified information, which may be viewed only by
Members of Congress and their staff with appropriate security
clearances.

amendment no. 1146

(Purpose: To require the Drug Enforcement Administration to continue to
establish and utilize data collection and sharing agreements in order
to properly estimate rates of overdose deaths and overall public health
impact related to certain controlled substances, for the purpose of
determining diversion and establishing annual opioid production quotas)

On page 38, line 18, strike ``expenses'' and insert the
following: ``expenses: Provided, That, using amounts made
available under this heading, the Drug Enforcement
Administration shall continue to establish and utilize data
collection and sharing agreements with other Federal agencies
and continue to consider other sources of information to
properly assess the estimated rates of overdose deaths and
abuse and the overall public health impact regarding covered
controlled substances as required under section 306(i) of the
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 826(i)), and shall
report to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate not
later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act
regarding the establishment and utilization of such data
collection and sharing agreements''.

amendment no. 1150

(Purpose: To increase funding for the COPS Office Anti-Methamphetamine
Task Forces grant program)

At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
Sec. __. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Act, the total amount made available under the heading
``community oriented policing services programs (including
transfer of funds)'' under the heading ``Community Oriented
Policing Services'' under the heading ``DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE'' in this title shall be increased by $1,000,000,
which shall be used by increasing by that amount the amount
specified in paragraph (3) under such headings for
competitive grants to State law enforcement agencies in
States with high seizures of precursor chemicals, finished
methamphetamine, laboratories, and laboratory dump seizures.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
total amount made available for necessary expenses for
information sharing technology under the heading ``justice

[[Page S6313]]

information sharing technology (including transfer of
funds)'' under the heading ``General Administration'' under
the heading ``DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'' in this title shall be
decreased by $1,000,000.

amendment no. 1234

(Purpose: To require the Attorney General to submit a report on the
enforcement of animal welfare laws)

At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
Sec. 2__. Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit a
report to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee
on the Judiciary of the Senate detailing the efforts of the
Department of Justice to combat and enforce animal fighting
and animal welfare statutes, which shall include--
(1) a break down of the number of personnel dedicated to
animal welfare crimes on a full-time basis, including their
respective departmental component;
(2) a list of all cases involving animal welfare crimes
that the Department of Justice has prosecuted since 2014;
(3) a list of investigations that were referred to the
Department of Justice that have been delayed or declined to
be prosecuted by the Department of Justice and the reason for
any deferral or declination; and
(4) a qualitative description of how the Department of
Justice coordinates the efforts of the Department with other
governmental partners to ensure proper enforcement of animal
welfare laws.

amendment no. 1025

(Purpose: To require a Bureau of Indian Affairs report analyzing the
facilities investments required to improve direct service and tribally
operated detention and public safety facilities in Indian country)

On page 253, line 2, strike ``costs:'' and insert the
following: ``costs: Provided further, That not later than 120
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of
the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall submit to the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report
describing the facilities investments required to improve the
direct service and tribally operated detention and public
safety facilities in Indian country that are in poor
condition, including associated cost estimates:''.

amendment no. 1079

(Purpose: To prohibit bogus bonus payments to contractors)

In division C, insert after section 429 the following:
Sec. 430. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by
this Act may be used to pay award or incentive fees for
contractor performance that has been judged to be below
satisfactory performance or for performance that does not
meet the basic requirements of a contract, unless the Agency
determines that any such deviations are due to unforeseeable
events, government-driven scope changes, or are not
significant within the overall scope of the project and/or
program and unless such awards or incentive fees are
consistent with 16.401(e)(2) of the FAR.

amendment no. 1081

(Purpose: To require the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget to submit to Congress a report on projects that are over budget
and behind schedule)

At the appropriate place in division C, insert the
following:
Sec. __. (a) Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall submit to Congress and post on
the website of the Office of Management and Budget a report
on each project funded by an agency that is appropriated
funds under this division--
(1) that is more than 5 years behind schedule; or
(2) for which the amount spent on the project is not less
than $1,000,000,000 more than the original cost estimate for
the project.
(b) Each report submitted and posted under subsection (a)
shall include, for each project included in the report--
(1) a brief description of the project, including--
(A) the purpose of the project;
(B) each location in which the project is carried out;
(C) the year in which the project was initiated;
(D) the Federal share of the total cost of the project; and
(E) each primary contractor, subcontractor, grant
recipient, and subgrantee recipient of the project;
(2) an explanation of any change to the original scope of
the project, including by the addition or narrowing of the
initial requirements of the project;
(3) the original expected date for completion of the
project;
(4) the current expected date for completion of the
project;
(5) the original cost estimate for the project, as adjusted
to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics;
(6) the current cost estimate for the project, as adjusted
to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index for All
Urban Consumers, as published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics;
(7) an explanation for a delay in completion or increase in
the original cost estimate for the project; and
(8) the amount of and rationale for any award, incentive
fee, or other type of bonus, if any, awarded for the project.

amendment no. 1151

(Purpose: To increase funding for the construction of high priority
water and wastewater facilities on the United States-Mexico Border,
with an offset)

At the appropriate place in title IV of division C, insert
the following:

united states-mexico border program

Sec. 4__. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
division, funds made available under the heading
``Environmental Programs and Management'' under the heading
``ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'' under title II shall be
reduced by $5,489,000, which shall be reduced from amounts
for Operations and Administration as described in the report
accompanying this Act.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division,
the amount made available under the heading ``State and
Tribal Assistance Grants'' under the heading ``ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY'' under title II shall be increased by
$5,489,000.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division,
the amount made available under paragraph (2) under the
heading ``State and Tribal Assistance Grants'' under the
heading ``ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'' under title II
shall be increased by $5,489,000.

amendment no. 1159

(Purpose: To provide for a report on certain programs of the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

On page 346, line 14, strike the period and insert ``:
Provided, That, not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum shall submit to the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report that
describes the efforts of the United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum to support memory and a range of educational programs
relating to the Holocaust, including the collection and usage
of historical documentation, such as survivor testimony.''.

amendment no. 1160

(Purpose: To set aside funds for certain Lake Tahoe restoration
activities)

On page 230, line 18, insert ``, of which $4,088,000 shall
be for activities under section 5(d)(2) of the Lake Tahoe
Restoration Act (Public Law 106-506; 114 Stat. 2353; 130
Stat. 1786)'' after ``2021''.

amendment no. 1162

(Purpose: To require a study of law enforcement staffing needs of
Indian Tribes)

At the end of title I of division C, add the following:

law enforcement reporting

Sec. 1__. The Bureau of Indian Affairs shall conduct a
study to identify the law enforcement staffing needs of
Indian Tribes, which shall include--
(1) a detailed analysis, by Indian Tribe, of law
enforcement hiring impediments and challenges;
(2) a strategy on how to recruit and train law enforcement
officers and fill law enforcement vacancies; and
(3) a proposed strategy that could be used to address the
impediments and challenges identified in paragraph (1).

amendment no. 1182

(Purpose: To increase money appropriated for Geographic Programs, with
an offset)

At the appropriate place in title IV of division C, insert
the following:

geographic programs

Sec. 4__. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
division, the amount made available for Geographic Programs
under the heading ``Environmental Programs and Management''
under the heading ``ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'' under
title II shall be increased by 3 percent, and the amount made
available for each Geographic Program described in the report
accompanying this Act shall be increased by 3 percent.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division,
the amount authorized to be transferred under the fourth
paragraph under the heading ``Administrative Provisions--
Environmental Protection Agency'' under the heading
``ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'' under title II shall be
increased by the additional amount made available for the
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative under subsection (a).
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division,
funds made available under the heading ``Environmental
Programs and Management'' under the heading ``ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY'' under title II for operations and
administration, as specified in the report accompanying this
Act, shall be reduced by an amount equal to the total amount
additionally appropriated for Geographic Programs under
subsection (a).

amendment no. 1193

(Purpose: To make available funds for the Smithsonian Latino Center)

On page 338, line 22, after the semicolon insert the
following: ``Provided further, That of the funds appropriated
herein, not less than $4,292,000 shall be made available for
the

[[Page S6314]]

Smithsonian Latino Center and related initiative.''.

amendment no. 1199

(Purpose: To set aside funds for the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers
program)

On page 238, line 5, strike the period and insert the
following ``: Provided further, That, of the funds made
available under this heading, $3,576,000 shall be made
available for the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers program
and similarly managed rivers.''.

amendment no. 1211

(Purpose: To set aside funds for the 400 Years of African-American
History Commission)

On page 238, line 5, strike the period and insert the
following: ``: Provided further, That, notwithstanding
sections 7(b), 8, and 9 of the 400 Years of African-American
History Commission Act (36 U.S.C. note prec. 101; Public Law
115-102), of the amount made available under this heading,
$500,000 shall be provided to the 400 Years of African-
American History Commission for expenditure on activities
authorized by that Act through July 1, 2021.''.

amendment no. 1215

(Purpose: To require a report on the status of the Four Forest
Restoration Initiative)

On page 311, line 2, insert ``Provided further, That not
later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Chief of the Forest Service shall submit to the
Committees on Appropriations and Natural Resources of the
House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations
and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report
detailing the status of efforts to accelerate forest
ecosystem restoration under the Four Forest Restoration
Initiative:'' after ``7303(f):''.

amendment no. 1220

(Purpose: To make available funds for the Women's History Initiative)

On page 338, line 22, at the appropriate place insert the
following: ``Provided further, That of the funds appropriated
herein, not less than $3,700,000 shall be made available for
the Women's History Initiative.''.

amendment no. 1227

(Purpose: To provide for a Government Accountability Office study on
outdoor recreation)

At the appropriate place in title I of division C, insert
the following:

SEC. 1___. GAO STUDY ON OUTDOOR RECREATION.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means--
(A) the Department of Agriculture;
(B) the Department of the Interior;
(C) the Corps of Engineers;
(D) the National Marine Fisheries Service; and
(E) the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(2) Outdoor recreation.--The term ``outdoor recreation''
means all recreational activities undertaken for pleasure
that--
(A) generally involve some level of intentional physical
exertion; and
(B) occur in nature-based environments outdoors.
(b) Study Required.--The Comptroller General of the United
States shall conduct a study that--
(1) identifies each program carried out by a covered agency
that directly impacts the outdoor recreation sector,
including each program that affects the management and
conservation of, and access to, the land, waters, and natural
resources of the Unites States; and
(2) describes, for each program identified under paragraph
(1), the spending level for that program during each of the
20 fiscal years preceding the year in which the report is
submitted.
(c) Required Coordination.--In conducting the study under
subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States
shall coordinate with the outdoor recreation industry,
nongovernmental organizations, the Bureau of Economic
Analysis of the Department of Commerce, and other interested
stakeholders.
(d) Report.--Not later 240 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report that describes the results of the study conducted
under subsection (b).

amendment no. 956

(Purpose: To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to
provide Congress with recommendations and associated costs for future
research on rental payment insurance)

At the appropriate place in title II of division D, insert
the following:
Sec. 2__. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
shall include in the budget materials submitted to Congress
in support of the budget of the President submitted under
section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, for fiscal year
2021, recommendations and any associated costs for future
research on insurance models designed to reduce evictions or
expand access to rental opportunities for tenants, such as
rental payment insurance.

amendment no. 1002

(Purpose: To make a technical correction)

On page 489, line 17, strike ``$2,761,00,000'' and insert
``$2,761,000,000''.

amendment no. 1005

(Purpose: To express the sense of Congress)

At the appropriate place in title I of division D, insert
the following:

SEC. __. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration, as part of ongoing efforts
to review regulations regarding the emergency medical
equipment carried by passenger airlines, should continue to
prioritize the demands of our nation's growing opioid
epidemic and take timely action to issue additional guidance
to air carriers to ensure the expeditious inclusion of opioid
antagonists in emergency medical kits.

AMENDMENT NO. 1010

(Purpose: To ensure funding for the FAA remote tower pilot program)

On page 383, line 10, insert the following after ``Budget''
: ``Provided further, That of the amounts made available for
Enterprise, Concept Development, Human Factors, and
Demonstration, not less than $9,500,000 shall be available
for the remote tower pilot program as authorized by section
161 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 47104
note)''.

AMENDMENT NO. 1061

(Purpose: To require a report on engagement with local interests
relating to intelligent transportation systems technologies and smart
cities solutions)

At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. ___. Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall
submit to the Committees on Appropriations, Commerce,
Science, and Transportation, and Environment and Public Works
of the Senate and the Committees on Appropriations and
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report on efforts by the Department of
Transportation to engage with local communities, metropolitan
planning organizations, and regional transportation
commissions on advancing data and intelligent transportation
systems technologies and other smart cities solutions.

AMENDMENT NO. 1062

(Purpose: To prohibit the use of funds to terminate the ITS program
advisory committee)

At the appropriate place in title II of Division D, insert
the following:
Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act shall
be used to terminate the Intelligent Transportation System
Program Advisory Committee established under section 5305(h)
of SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C. 512 note; Public Law 109-59).

AMENDMENT NO. 1114

(Purpose: To improve the bill)

On page 482, line 10, strike the period and insert ``:
Provided further, That of the funds made available under this
paragraph, not less than $1,000,000 shall be available to
support utilization, outreach, and capacity building with
tribes and tribal housing organization for the Tribal HUD-
VASH program.''.

AMENDMENT NO. 1130

(Purpose: To provide a sense of Congress relating to preserving
manufactured home communities)

At the appropriate place in title II of division D, insert
the following:
Sec. 2__. It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) more than 17,000,000 people live in manufactured homes
and benefit from high-quality affordable homes which provide
stability;
(2) owners of manufactured homes have disproportionately
low-income households, and in 2013, the median annual
household income for living in manufactured housing was
$28,400;
(3) approximately 75 percent of manufactured home
households earn less than $50,000 per year;
(4) more than 10 percent of veterans in the United States
live in manufactured homes;
(5) in late 1990, manufactured housing represented \2/3\ of
the new affordable housing produced in the United States and
remains a significant source of unsubsidized affordable
housing in the United States;
(6) in 2015, the average cost per square foot for a new
manufactured home was 48 dollars, less than half of the cost
per square foot for a new-site built, structure-only home,
which was $101;
(7) in 2009, 43 percent of all new homes that sold for less
than $150,000 were manufactured homes;
(8) manufactured homes account for 23 percent of new home
sales under $200,000;
(9) more than 50,000 manufactured home communities, also
referred to as ``mobile home parks'', exist throughout the
United States;
(10) more than 2,900,000 manufactured homes are placed in
manufactured home communities;
(11) manufactured home communities provide critical
affordable housing, but receive very little Federal, State,
or local funds to subsidize the cost of manufactured homes;
(12) manufactured home owners in such communities may own
the home, but they do not own the land under the home, which
leaves the home owners vulnerable to rent increases,
arbitrary rule enforcement, and in the case of a manufactured
home community owner converting the land to some other use,
community closure;

[[Page S6315]]

(13) an eviction or closure of a manufactured home
community is very disruptive to a resident who may be unable
to pay the thousands of dollars it takes to move the
manufactured home or find a new location for the manufactured
home;
(14) in an effort to preserve a crucial source of
affordable housing within the past two decades, a national
network of housing providers has helped residents purchase
and own the land under the manufactured home community, and
manage the manufactured home community;
(15) nationwide, there are more than 1,000 stable,
permanent ownership cooperatives or nonprofit-owned
developments in more than a dozen States;
(16) members of manufactured home communities continue to
own such homes individually, own an equal share of the land
beneath the entire manufactured home community, participate
in the governing of the community, and elect a board of
directors who make major decisions within the manufactured
home community by a democratic vote;
(17) in New Hampshire, more than 30 percent of manufactured
home communities are owned by residents;
(18) resident-owned cooperatives and nonprofit owned
communities have also flourished in Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota;
(19) nationwide, only 2 percent of all manufactured home
communities are resident or nonprofit-owned;
(20) when the owner of a manufactured home community or his
or her heirs sell the community to the highest bidder, it can
result in displacement for dozens and sometimes hundreds of
families; and
(21) Congress should endeavor to protect residents of
manufactured home communities by encouraging the owners of
those properties to sell them to nonprofit organizations or
to the residents themselves to own cooperatively.

AMENDMENT NO. 1214

(Purpose: To provide for a veterans pilot training competitive grant
program)

At the appropriate place under the heading ``operations''
under the heading ``Federal Aviation Administration'' in
title I of division D, insert the following: ``Provided
further, That of the funds appropriated under this heading,
not less than $5,000,000 shall be used for a veterans pilot
training competitive grant program.''.

AMENDMENT NO. 1235

(Purpose: To provide additional funding for the family unification
program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development)

At the appropriate place in paragraph (2) under the
heading ``tenant-based rental assistance'' under the heading
``Public and Indian Housing'' in title II of division D,
insert the following: ``the family unification program under
section 8(x) of the Act,''.

Mr. McCONNELL. 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. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The majority whip is recognized.

H.R. 3055

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, last weekend, I had the privilege of
attending the welcome-home ceremony for 112 members of the South Dakota
National Guard. These men and women, who serve in the 147th Forward
Support Company or the Bravo Battery of the 1-147th Field Artillery
Battalion, were deployed to Europe as part of Atlantic Resolve, a
partnership with our allies in Eastern and Central Europe developed in
response to Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014.
The Atlantic Resolve allows U.S. and allied forces to build strong
working relationships and to hone their ability to conduct operations.
Members of Bravo Battery and the 147th Forward Support Company spent
most of the year in Europe working with partner forces. They
participated in two multinational exercises and brought artillery to
Germany and Hungary.
These soldiers finally got home last weekend, but they didn't leave
Atlantic Resolve without South Dakota support. Other members of the
147th Forward Support Company and Alpha Battery of the 1-147th Field
Artillery Battalion head for Europe in September. Other South Dakota-
based military members--airmen from Ellsworth Air Force Base--also
deployed abroad recently.
Four B-1 bombers from the 34th and 37th Bomb Squadrons at Ellsworth
made a flying trip to Saudi Arabia late this month to support the U.S.
military presence there. The bombers flew directly from South Dakota to
Saudi Arabia, refueling six times in midair, once again demonstrating
the incredible capability of this aircraft and of our Ellsworth airmen.
Atlantic Resolve, the B-1 mission, the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi during a raid conducted by U.S. troops--they are all a
reminder of the vital work that our military members are doing.
A lot of military missions don't make a big splash in the news. We
don't hear a lot about everything that our men and women are doing on a
daily basis. We don't hear details of all the operations: the joint
exercises with our allies, the countless training evolutions, the
never-ending aircraft and vehicle maintenance, the hours watching radar
systems for contacts, the endless logistical work to support troops in
the field, the painstaking weeks and months of intelligence gathering
for a single mission.
Every hour of every day, members of the U.S. military are on duty
working to keep the peace and to ensure the security of our Nation. As
Members of Congress, we have no greater obligation than to ensure that
our troops have the resources they need. We owe it to the men and women
who get up each day willing to lay down their lives for us, and we owe
it to every man, woman, and child we represent because the safety of
our country depends upon the strength of our military.
Ensuring that our troops have the resources they need obviously means
ensuring that they have adequate funding, but it also means getting
that funding to them in a timely fashion. It means passing regular
order appropriations bills instead of forcing our military to rely on
temporary funding measures that leave the military in doubt about
funding levels and unable to start important new projects.
Getting military funding approved in a timely manner is a priority
for me and for a lot of my colleagues here in the Senate. Chairman
Shelby, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, worked
hard this year to ensure that we could bring the Defense appropriations
bill to the floor in a timely fashion, but Senate Democrats have so far
blocked Senate consideration of this important legislation. Their
refusal to allow the Senate to move forward on funding has left the
military in limbo, unable to fully fund 2020 priorities and to move
ahead on key projects for the future.
Later today, Democrats will have another chance to move forward with
the Defense appropriations bill and to get our military the resources
that it needs. I am hoping that they will have a change of heart and
decide that funding our military is more important than the partisan
games they have been playing. Our military members are waiting on that
funding. Their ability to do their jobs is being jeopardized by
Democrats' continued blockade of Defense appropriations.
We live in peace and safety every single day because of the men and
women of the U.S. military. It is not a new sentiment, but it bears
repeating because it is too easy to forget that we would not be
enjoying the freedoms and benefits that we enjoy without the constant
vigilance of our men and women in uniform. The least--the very least--
that we can do in return is to make sure that they have every resource
they need to do their jobs and to come home safely.
I strongly urge my Democratic colleagues to vote yes on moving
forward with the Defense appropriations bill later today and to send a
loud and clear message to the American military that we are going to
ensure here in the Congress that you have the resources, the training,
the weapons systems, the equipment, and everything that you need to
keep Americans safe each and every single day.
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. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Amendment No. 1143 Correction

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, for the information of the Senate, in the
managers' package of amendments that was just agreed to, amendment No.
1143 was misidentified as a Capito

[[Page S6316]]

amendment. It is actually an amendment by Senator Jones that Senator
Capito cosponsored.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Duly noted.
Mr. THUNE. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.

Amendment No. 1141

Ms. McSALLY. Madam President, I rise today in strong support of my
amendment with the Senator from Alabama, Mr. Jones, to this domestic
spending package.
Our amendment will permanently block an impending $1.2 billion cut to
Federal investments and Federal transportation. Without our legislative
action to block this cut, public transit agencies across the country
will suffer a 12-percent across-the-board cut. These cuts will be
devastating to all of our communities.
Transit funds in my home State in Arizona are critically important to
our quickly growing communities. Maricopa County was the fastest
growing county in the United States last year, and cities such as
Flagstaff and Tucson are also attracting more jobs and more families.
Our State continues to have to meet the demands of our expanding cities
and towns, and that is true from Phoenix to Flagstaff and all
throughout the State.
Our amendment would block more than $15.4 million in cuts to Arizona
transit agencies. These cuts could result in drastically reduced
services, including those for low-income individuals and individuals
with disabilities, and reduce funds necessary to modernize bus and rail
fleets, as well as slow construction of news stations and shelters.
A broad coalition of over 30 associations--including the American
Public Transportation Association, the Associated General Contractors
of America, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce--support our efforts and
this amendment to block these cuts.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the
Record a copy of a letter from the 32 national associations urging
Congress to support our amendment.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
October 22, 2019.
Hon. Richard C. Shelby,
Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Susan M. Collins,
Chairman, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and
Related Agencies, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Hon. Patrick J. Leahy,
Vice Chairman, Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Jack Reed,
Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and
Related Agencies, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shelby, Vice Chairman Leahy, Chairman
Collins, and Ranking Member Reed: We greatly appreciate your
bipartisan efforts to advance S. 2520, the Transportation,
Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD)
Appropriations Act, 2020. Although S. 2520 includes many
critical investments for public transportation, it reduces
total funding for public transportation by $457 million
compared to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 enacted levels. As you
continue working together on the bill, we strongly urge you
to increase investment in public transportation and
permanently block the impending $1.2 billion across-the-board
cut to transit formula funds.
Infrastructure investment is critical for our nation's
economic growth and now is the time to invest more, not less,
in public transportation. Increased investment will provide
the necessary resources to begin to address the more than $90
billion state-of-good-repair backlog in our nation's transit
systems and meet the mobility demands of growing communities.
In addition, we urge you to include a provision in the bill
permanently blocking the impending 12 percent across-the-
board cut to each public transit agency throughout the
country. We greatly appreciate your leadership in ensuring
that the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-59,
Division A) included a provision temporarily preventing this
cut, but further and immediate action is needed to ensure
that this harmful provision does not take effect in FY 2020.
Americans ride public transportation 10 billion times a
year, and every trip meets a need or provides an opportunity.
It gets people to work, their doctors, local businesses, and
schools. It is a lifeline that connects communities. We urge
you to support increased investment in public transportation
for critical projects in small, medium, and large communities
across the nation.
In summary, as you continue working together on the Senate
THUD Appropriations bill, we strongly urge you to increase
investment in public transportation and permanently block the
impending $1.2 billion across-the-board cut to transit
formula funds.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
American Public Transportation Association, Amalgamated
Transit Union; American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials; American Concrete Pipe Association;
American Council of Engineering Companies; American Planning
Association; American Road & Transportation Builders
Association; American Society of Civil Engineers; Associated
General Contractors of America; Association of Equipment
Manufacturers; Association of Metropolitan Planning
Organizations; The Bus Coalition; Community Transportation
Association of America; Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute;
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America;
International Union of Operating Engineers; National Asphalt
Pavement Association.
National Association of City Transportation Officials;
National Association of Counties; National Association of
Regional Councils; National League of Cities; National
Precast Concrete Association; National Ready Mixed Concrete
Association; Natural Resources Defense Council; National
Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association; Portland Cement
Association; Railway Supply Institute; Transport Workers
Union; Transportation for America; Transportation Trades
Department, AFL-CIO; United States Chamber of Commerce; The
United States Conference of Mayors.
Ms. McSALLY. Madam President, I urge my colleagues to join Senator
Jones from Alabama and me in supporting this important bipartisan
amendment.
I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.

Appropriations

Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, today we come to an inflection point in
the appropriations process this year. Leader McConnell has scheduled a
vote on the Defense appropriations bill, which comes with a certain
irony. A bill that is supposed to provide resources for our troops and
their families actually steals money from them and puts it toward a
border wall that President Trump promised Mexico would pay for.
Democrats will not vote to proceed to a bill that steals money from
our troops and their families. Republicans know it is a nonstarter. Yet
Leader McConnell has scheduled a show vote this afternoon to
demonstrate something that everyone already knows: There is nowhere
close to the necessary votes in the Senate for President Trump's border
wall and, of course, there is not in the House. So this is just a show
vote.
Leader McConnell, a few weeks ago, got on the floor and railed
against show votes. He said: I only want to put things on the floor
that are going to pass. But we all know this ain't passing. I
understand memories in politics can be short, but the exercise we will
go through today is absurd, even by those low standards.
Senate Republicans, by pursuing a partisan process, by doing
President Trump's bidding on the wall--they know he is wrong, most of
them. They are just so afraid of him they just say ``Yes, sir''
whenever he proposes an absurd idea. They repeat the same failed
strategy that led to the longest shutdown in our Nation's history. I
warned Leader McConnell and our Republican friends that if they
continue down this path, they will lead us straight to another
government shutdown, and their party and President Trump will shoulder
the responsibility. The last time, they had to retreat from that
position after the longest shutdown in history with their tails between
their legs. Isn't history teaching them anything? We know it will not
teach President Trump much, but we would hope the Republicans in the
Senate would have more sense.
Instead of standing up and defending their own position that they
want the money for the wall--however indefensible in my judgment--
Senate Republicans have resorted to bogus attacks against Democrats.
Senate Republicans accuse Democrats of delaying a pay raise for our
troops, even though, first, the pay raise is strongly bipartisan, and,
more important, the standing law of the land dictates it will go into
effect regardless of whether we pass the Defense appropriations.
Our Republican friends are so desperate to divert attention from
their

[[Page S6317]]

holding up these bills for President Trump's wall that they come up
with completely false arguments, such as the statement that if we don't
pass this, the troops will not get a pay raise.
Yesterday, Leader McConnell and President Trump repeated a slightly
less specific but even more outrageous charge, claiming that Democrats
are not supporting the fight against ISIS due to the disagreement on
appropriations. Hello. Who was it who abandoned our Kurdish friends who
led the fight against ISIS? Not the Democrats in the Senate, not even
the Republicans in the Senate--it was President Trump.
President Trump's reckless decision to greenlight President Erdogan's
invasion of northern Syria left hundreds of hardened ISIS fighters out
of jail and, according to most experts, set a course for a likely
resurgence of ISIS. But instead of blaming President Trump--although
some of them did early on--they are trying to switch the blame. It is a
typical tactic that Leader McConnell is using with more and more
regularity, but like his previous attempts, it fails.
We were briefed yesterday by senior administration officials, and
they acknowledged the fallout in the wake of the President's decision
and the need to pick up the pieces of what was their strategy to defeat
ISIS.
The majority leader and I have been working together on legislation
requiring specific plans and reports from the administration on the
ISIS threat. I hope it will receive some action on the floor soon.
Let's cut the nonsense that Democrats don't support the troops or the
fight against ISIS. It is not true. It is laughable, and it ain't going
to stick. So instead of this bunk, Leader McConnell and my Republican
friends, roll up your sleeves and work with us to get something done.
Democrats and Republicans have been working through a package of
appropriations bills, as is clear in the bills we are voting on. Where
there is agreement, we can move forward. This week has shown the Senate
can efficiently work through these bills, and we have a bipartisan buy-
in. That is how Democrats want to proceed on the remainder of the
bills.
Republican friends, work with us as you did on these four bills to
come up with bipartisan bills, and we can get them done.

Impeachment

Mr. President, on impeachment, at least a dozen witnesses have
testified in Congress as part of the House's impeachment inquiry. The
facts that are already in the public record are troubling and require
further investigation.
The Founders greatly feared foreign interference in our elections.
Here, we have a President who allegedly used the powers of his office
to pressure or coerce a foreign leader to investigate a domestic
political rival. The matter at hand is serious; both parties must treat
it as such. But already some of our Republican colleagues have tried to
kick up as much dust as possible to distract or detract from the facts
of the case because they know the reality will be damaging to the
President if these facts prove to be true.
Last week, roughly 40 Republicans stormed the secure facility in the
Capitol in a fit of staged protest, even though one-third of them were
already allowed to participate in the hearings that were taking place.
In the Senate, my colleague Senator Graham, a veteran of the House
impeachment process, put together a resolution of trumped-up charges
that the House process was unfair, all of which have been thoroughly
debunked as misleading or baseless. Again, it is an attempt by our
Republican friends to do Donald Trump's bidding no matter how false,
reckless, or harmful that bidding is.
Meanwhile, the White House and its allies in the Congress and the
media have leveled shameful attacks against the witnesses in the House
inquiry, questioning the loyalties of a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel
and Purple Heart recipient and calling the whistleblower a treasonous
spy. That is despicable.
Worse still, reports suggest that Republicans on the House committee
and members of their staffs are conducting a vicious campaign to
deliberately disclose or cause to be disclosed the identity of
the whistleblower, placing that courageous individual's safety and that
of his or her family in jeopardy.

We are supposed to be engaging with the facts of the case on the
merits. We have a solemn constitutional duty to do so. Even the
President himself has said he would ``rather go into the details of the
case rather than the process.''
My Republican friends in Congress should stick to the facts, quit the
partisan theatrics, quit the politics of blame, and quit trying to harm
the very serious patriots whose lives and safety might be in danger.
This is a time to put country over party and examine the facts--only
the facts.

Pensions

Madam President, finally, on pensions, this week, Murray Energy,
which employed over 5,000 people, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,
putting thousands of hard-working Americans at risk of losing their
pensions. Forty percent of Murray's employees are represented by either
the United Mine Workers or the Seafarers International Union. Murray
faces over $8 billion in pension obligations, of which over $2 billion
are unfunded and under threat. This is only the latest example of the
danger facing millions of Americans with pensions from construction,
mining, truck driving, bakeries, and other industries.
These workers did nothing wrong. They saved up little by little, week
by week, expecting to retire with security and dignity, but their
pension plans are sadly now at risk of becoming insolvent because of
circumstances totally outside of their control.
The time has come for Congress to bring relief to these working
families. Members on both sides of the aisle have been working on
legislation that would provide relief to these underfunded pensions.
Just 2 months ago, the House passed the Butch Lewis Act, which I
proudly support and which would provide immediate relief to critical
and declining pension plans, but Leader McConnell has inexplicably
refused to take action on this bipartisan legislation--another
tombstone in his legislative graveyard.
Leader McConnell and the Republican majority are turning their backs
on hard-working middle-class Americans who need their pensions. They
could be robbed of them through no fault of their own. I hope the news
this week magnifies the consequences of Republican inaction.
President Trump has claimed to be a champion for American workers,
but under his Presidency, working Americans have slipped further and
further behind. Now, for millions of hard-working Americans, a secure
retirement is also at risk. If the President were truly a champion for
working Americans, now is the time for him to show some leadership by
urging Leader McConnell and his Republicans in the Senate to work with
Democrats to protect these pension plans.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.

Remembering Kay Hagan

Mr. TESTER. Madam President, I have a number of things I want to talk
about today. On Monday of this week, we lost a fine lady in Kay Hagan.
It is very difficult for me to put into words my admiration for the
Senator from North Carolina, but the fact is, Kay was the kind of
person who, the first time you met her, had the ability to calm the
situation down.
When she was running in 2008, I went to North Carolina, and she had
an event at a farm. I think it was a hog operation, if my memory serves
me correctly. I had a chance to meet her for the first time. She was
somebody who you knew, if she were able to get into this body, would be
successful.
Well, in 2008, she won that election. She came here, and she made a
difference. She made a difference for working families, small
businesses, and family farm agriculture.
I just want to express my condolences to her husband Chip, her kids
and grandkids, and let them know she was very loved by all in this
body.

Healthcare

Madam President, I also want to rise today and speak on behalf of the
thousands of Montanans who have preexisting conditions or struggle with
the cost of prescription drugs.
Even with the Affordable Care Act's protections, many of these folks
struggle to afford their medical bills, their copays at the pharmacy
counter and

[[Page S6318]]

the local doctors' offices. Instead of working to fix these problems,
this administration--the Trump administration--has issued a rule that
brings us back to the dark ages by letting insurance companies
discriminate against working families across Montana and this country.
The Affordable Care Act guaranteed health coverage for all Americans.
It required health insurance companies to issue policies to folks
regardless of whether they had preexisting conditions. The Trump
administration is chipping away at these laws, and they are tossing
these protections out the window so that big insurance can make big
bucks.
Health insurance companies across this country are flooding the
market with junk plans. They are called junk plans because they are
cheap insurance that are junk. When you think you have health insurance
and you get sick, it is not there.
Trust me, I know firsthand how this works. When I was 9 years old, I
lost three fingers in a meat grinder, and my folks thought they had
insurance. They didn't because they had bought a junk plan. They ended
up paying every dime for the surgeries related to my left hand out of
their pockets--money they didn't have.
These plans tell folks they have insurance, but, truthfully, they
don't. They have less coverage, and they don't even cover the most
essential health benefits.
Need prescription drugs? You can get them, but it's going to cost
you. Maternity care? Sorry, the plan doesn't cover that. Mental health?
You would not get that coverage in your wildest dreams. These insurers
will tell you that you are getting a great deal, but the truth of the
matter is your pocketbook is going to pay the price. God forbid if you
ever get in a situation where you need to use it.
What we see is insurance companies lining their pockets and selling
plans that do nothing. And the majority leader is working to make it
easier for them to do it, all by blocking reasonable, bipartisan bills
to improve the ACA and make healthcare more affordable to working
families and small businesses around this country.
The Senate was established by our Founders as the greatest
deliberative body in the world to be a check and balance on the Office
of the Presidency, the executive branch. That simply is not occurring
right now.
I mean take a look at the tariff situation. The President puts on
tariffs in a knee-jerk reaction, doesn't bring any of our allies along.
We are seeing small businesses and family farm agriculture literally
being put to the point of being put out of business, and this body lets
him do it. A couple of weeks ago, the President said: You know what, we
are pulling our troops out of northern Syria, and to hell with our
allies.
The Kurds, who have been fighting with us, fighting as partners for
the last 15 years, well, too bad. Done nothing. No checks and balances.
The President asked for other countries to come in and influence our
elections, and it seems like the Senate is just fine with that. The
greatest country in the world is going to let other countries determine
who is elected to our elected offices in this country, whether it be
the Presidency, the Senate, or any of us.
Now, we can't even pass a budget. We continue to kick the can down
the road. We do have a vote on the Defense bill, which by the way, this
body is going to allow the President, if the majority leader has his
way, to take any amount of money they want out of that Defense bill and
put it into a wall--a wall that costs $25 million to $35 million a
mile--and we are not even talking about expenses down the road for
upkeep.
So we just deal with continuing resolutions--more uncertainty, more
uncertainty for families, more uncertainty for business. So right now,
we are standing by letting funding for our schools, our roads, our
hospitals run out, leaving families across this country--especially in
rural America and States like Montana--without resources to be able to
do the job.
And that is exactly the case for community health centers in this
country. These facilities provide lifesaving care to nearly one-tenth
of people in Montana, running 65 healthcare clinics across our State.
They don't even know if they are going to have funding come November
21st when the continuing resolution we passed expires.
How can we expect these places to stay open, let alone recruit and
retain staff, when they don't even know if they are going to be around
in another month? What do I say to folks when their own community
health clinics like Hardin, or Libby, or Haver--these communities rely
on these health clinics to keep their communities healthy. And quite
frankly, because we can't sit down and negotiate and come up with long-
term funding agreements, they potentially are going to be out of
business.
But the uncertainty for families doesn't start there. The number of
kids who don't have insurance has gone up since this administration
started its war on healthcare. Kids in Montana are getting the worst of
it. The number of kids in my State without insurance went up 25 percent
between 2016 and 2018.
Let me say that again. The number of kids in the State of Montana
without insurance went up 25 percent between 2016 and 2018. That is the
fifth highest percentage jump in the United States. There are places
worse. The kids being hit hardest are the kids that are in the most
vulnerable groups. They are in Indian Country, which continues to have
the highest uninsured rate in this country. These young folks are our
future leaders. They are our next generation. We are not doing our job.
We are failing them.
This coordinated sabotage of our healthcare system by this
administration and this body is unacceptable, and our children deserve
better. I am not going to sit here and tell you that the Affordable
Care Act was perfect. I said from day one that we needed to work
together to make improvements and build upon the successes that were in
that bill.
The ACA allowed States like Montana to pass Medicaid Expansion. That
insured more than 90,000 Montanans in the process and helped greatly
toward keeping our small hospitals open.
It helped millions of Montanans with preexisting conditions rest easy
at night knowing that they were not going to be kicked off their plans
because of that preexisting condition or hit an annual cap on care. All
of that is gone. Americans have spoken clearly. They want more access
to affordability, not less. When my colleagues on the other side of the
aisle attempted to repeal the ACA a couple of years ago, folks all
across this country stood up and said: No.
But here we are again, watching the majority and the Trump
administration pushing plans to rip away affordable health insurance
from hardworking Americans. I would encourage my colleagues to join
together in working and find a bipartisan solution to improve our
healthcare system. We need to reduce health insurance premiums and out-
of-pocket costs. We need to crack down on skyrocketing prescription
drugs, and we need to expand insurance to more Americans. We need to
make sure that when people put their hard-earned money on the line to
buy an insurance policy, that it is not junk.

Congratulating the Washington Nationals

Mr. President, now, on a lighter subject. Back in my early years on
the farm, I would come in on Wednesday night and there would be
baseball night in Canada. I got to watch the Montreal Expos for a
couple of decades play some pretty darned good baseball. They didn't
win, but they were very entertaining.
That franchise moved to Washington, DC, I think in 2006, the same
year I got elected to the United States Senate. So consequently, I got
to watch the Nats and be entertained by them again--occasionally, even
in person.
Last night, they did the impossible. After being 19 and 31, I believe
around the 23rd, 24th of May of this year, they ripped off a hundred
games and won the World Series. I just want to congratulate them on
that feat and look forward to a repeat next season.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Scott of Florida). The Senator from New
Hampshire.

Remembering Kay Hagan

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise to honor the life and legacy of
my friend and former colleague, Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina.
There have been several eloquent tributes to

[[Page S6319]]

Kay. I am sure we will hear many more in the days to come. They all
note her profound grace, her fighting spirit, her charm, and of course,
I agree with all of those remarks.
I want to especially extend my very sincere condolences to her
husband, Chip; to her children, Jeanette, Tilden, and Carrie; and to
her father Joe.
The news of her death on Monday was deeply felt here in the Senate.
Kay and I were in the same class of freshmen Senators. We came in, in
2008, and as the only two women in that class, we became fast friends.
But of course, it wasn't hard to make friends with Kay Hagan. She never
met a stranger. She had contagious optimism and joy, and she drew
everyone in with her smile and kindness.
Kay was first in the Senate, not as a Senator, but as an intern,
where she had the job of operating the elevators. Of course, those were
the days when women Senators were few, and they were often appointed to
fill temporary vacancies. So I am sure it was a very powerful moment
when Kay took the elevator here in the Capitol for the first time as a
United States Senator, only the second woman from her State, North
Carolina, to do that.
Kay and I often compared notes about our new roles as Senators. We
talked about our families and the challenges of commuting to and from
DC. I remember Kay showing me and the other women in the Senate
pictures of her daughters' weddings and beaming with excitement. She
was so tremendously proud of her children and so appreciated the
support she received from them and from Chip during her campaigns for
public office.
Of course, in addition to her character, Kay had boundless energy.
Growing up, she studied ballet, and she aspired to be a professional
dancer. And I remember she told me about her ``magic bag'' that she
took with her everywhere, so she could exercise in the morning. It
carried a yoga mat and everything else she needed to exercise. She
recommended that I get one, and of course, I was never quite energetic
enough to do that.
In addition to yoga, Kay loved early morning runs, Pilates, and
swimming. It was that swimming that brought Kay some early
``notoriety.'' I use that term in quotes because Kay wanted to use the
Senator's swimming pool in the mornings, but when she first got here,
there was a sign on the door that said it was for men only. What we
learned, after Kay did a little bit of investigating, was it was
because some of the male Senators were not interested in wearing
appropriate swimming attire when they swam.
Well, Kay put a quick stop to that, and it wasn't long before all of
the men were wearing swim trunks, and Kay was swimming laps in the pool
with them.
That was Kay. She was incredibly kind, but she was also tough. When
she was falsely accused of being an atheist during her first Senate
race, Kay didn't miss a beat. She responded immediately with an ad that
set the record straight. She demonstrated to her supporters and to her
detractors alike what she was made of.
I have fond memories of our calls when we were both up for reelection
in 2014. Kay would call and buck me up. I remember she called me after
her last debate to say she was finished. She didn't have to do any more
debates. Since I was still looking at having to do two of them, she was
very encouraging to me.
With Kay, the glass was always half full. When she arrived in the
Senate, it didn't take long for her to make her mark on the issues of
greatest importance to North Carolina and the Nation. She applied her
skills as a pragmatic legislator, which were honed in the North
Carolina Senate, and she got to work on the pressing issues of the day.
She fought tirelessly for jobs and the economic well-being of her
constituents. She was a champion of small businesses, for expanding
rural broadband, for developing regional infrastructure. She helped
pass the historic reforms to Wall Street following the financial crisis
because she served on the Banking Committee.
We worked together, along with the rest of the members of the class
of 2008, to try and improve the Affordable Care Act as it was being
drafted. Kay took a tough vote in favor of the ACA, but she did it
because she knew it was going to help her constituents get insurance
coverage and healthcare and that it would provide protections for
millions of Americans.
Kay and I served together on the Armed Services Committee in the
Senate. She fought for our servicemembers, for their families, and for
improving the defense of our nation. Kay's husband, father, and brother
all served their country in uniform. The challenges that servicemembers
and military families face were always top of mind for Kay.
In my office here in the Capitol, there is a photo of me and Kay. It
is on our first trip to Afghanistan. We had only been in the Senate
about 5 months at that point. We were smiling from ear to ear, even
though it was over 100 degrees, we were wearing body armor, and we were
in a helicopter with the doors open heading to a Forward Operating
Base.
We were smiling because we were so excited and because it was always
so fun to travel with Kay. There wasn't a better partner than Kay for
these trips. She was diligent. She was inquisitive. She always held
herself with grace and kindness and resolve. That was her trademark.
Serving her country and her beloved home State in the United States
Senate was a profound honor for Kay, as it is for all of us. I feel
fortunate to have known and worked alongside her. She will be dearly
missed, not just by all of us in the Senate, but by so many of her
constituents whom she represented in North Carolina.
I want to again extend my deepest condolences to the Hagan family and
to the State of North Carolina.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. UDALL. Mr. President, I just want to follow on the comments by my
good friend Senator Shaheen with regard to Kay Hagan. We came to the
Senate together with Senator Shaheen. We were all in that class of
2008. It was a big class. We traveled extensively with Kay Hagan. We
got to know her very well.
It was really good to hear--I talked to her husband Chip on the
phone. We call him Chip; he is Charles. He told me that up to the very
last, she was extremely busy. They were traveling around North
Carolina. They were doing things. She actually had a very special visit
with Vice President Biden before she passed away.
Our heart goes out to the whole family--to the three children. We
very much miss her and will miss her a lot. We missed her a lot in the
Senate. We are going to miss her.
I will put in a more extensive statement about Kay Hagan.

Amendment No. 1209

Mr. President, I rise to oppose the Lee amendment and efforts to
undermine the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This amendment would
prohibit the Department of Interior from using land and water
conservation funds to acquire Federal lands and waters.
The underlying bill actually increases funding for the Land and Water
Conservation Fund by $30 million, and it does so with deep bipartisan
support from a majority of Senators. The crucial point here is that
this bill passed the Appropriations Committee 31 to 0, so this is a
broadly supported program and a broadly supported bill. I urge the
Senate to send another strong message today to support the LWCF.
There are many bipartisan land-acquisition priorities that are funded
by this bill. They include things like funds to improve access to the
Aravaipa Canyon in Arizona; preserve wildlife habitat in the Everglades
Headwaters and St. Marks Refuges in Florida, I would let the Presiding
Officer know. There is also money to protect the Palo Alto Battlefield
in Texas and other historic battlefield sites, as well as funds to
expand the El Malpais National Monument in my home State of New Mexico.
These are just a few of the projects that our constituents back home
are expecting the Department to fund. They would all be stopped in
their tracks if this amendment were adopted.
We need LWCF to establish better access for Americans to their own
public lands. This program works with private landowners and willing
sellers to continue to protect special places for generations to come.
I know a bipartisan

[[Page S6320]]

majority of this body understands that, and I ask my colleagues to
stand with me to defeat this amendment.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.

Amendment No. 1141

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise to speak in favor of the Jones
amendment No. 1141, cosponsored by Senator McSally of Arizona. I want
to thank the Senator from Alabama for filing this important amendment
to preserve transit funding at the levels authorized by Congress under
the FAST Act. Without this amendment, transit agencies across the
country will face a 12-percent cut. A cut of this magnitude would be
devastating, particularly for smaller agencies that rely on Federal
funding to meet their annual operating expenses and to carry out
necessary maintenance. Without this funding, communities would be
forced to scale back capital projects and bus acquisitions, and reduce
services, eliminating a major mobility option for many of our
constituents, including seniors and persons with disabilities.
At a time when the transit industry faces a $90 billion state of good
repair backlog, we should be increasing transit investments in order to
preserve these critical transportation systems. These cuts would
reverse the progress we have made over the last 2 years due to the
budget agreement that allowed for desperately needed investments in
infrastructure. We must prevent any degradation of funding for our
transit systems and instead help these agencies modernize their fleets.
This amendment is supported by over 63 associations, including the
National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the list of the
supporting organizations be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

American Public Transportation Association, Amalgamated
Transit Union, American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials, American Concrete Pipe Association,
American Council of Engineering Companies, American Planning
Association, American Road & Transportation Builders
Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, Associated
General Contractors of America, Association of Equipment
Manufacturers, Association of Metropolitan Planning
Organizations, The Bus Coalition, Community Transportation
Association of America, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute,
The Intelligent Transportation Society of America,
International Union of Operating Engineers, National Asphalt
Pavement Association, National Association of City
Transportation Officials, National Association of Counties,
National Association of Regional Councils, National League of
Cities, National Precast Concrete Association, National Ready
Mixed Concrete Association, Natural Resources Defense
Council, National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association,
Portland Cement Association, Railway Supply Institute.
Transport Workers Union, Transportation for America,
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, United States
Chamber of Commerce, The United States Conference of Mayors,
American Road & Transportation Builders Association (co-
chair), Associated General Contractors of America (co-chair),
Transport Workers Union, American Coal Ash Association,
American Concrete Pavement Association, American Concrete
Pipe Association, American Council of Engineering Companies,
American Subcontractors Association, American Iron and Steel
Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers, American
Traffic Safety Services Association, Asphalt Emulsion
Manufacturers Association, Asphalt Recycling & Reclaiming
Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, Association
of Equipment Manufacturers.
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, International Slurry
Surfacing Association, International Association of Bridge,
Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers,
International Union of Operating Engineers, Laborers-
Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, Laborers'
International Union of North America, National Asphalt
Pavement Association, National Association of Surety Bond
Producers, National Electrical Contractors Association,
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, National Steel
Bridge Alliance, National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association,
National Utility Contractors Association, Portland Cement
Association, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, The Road
Information Program, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners of America.

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I ask that my colleagues join me and Senator
Collins in supporting this amendment.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff members
who actually made this Transportation, Housing and Urban Development--
T-HUD--bill possible. They did extraordinary work. We all recognize
that it is their efforts that make these difficult and complicated
legislative initiatives possible. On the majority staff, I thank Clare
Doherty, Jason Woolwine, Rajat Mathur, Gus Maples, Courtney Young, and
LaShawnda Smith. On my staff, I particularly want to thank Dabney Hegg,
Christina Monroe, Jessi Axe, and Elisabeth Coats.
I think I speak for all of my colleagues when I salute all the staff
members who make this legislation possible.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.

Amendment No. 1209

Mr. LEE. Mr. President, there is no doubt that we are blessed with
beautiful, useful, and productive lands in our Nation. And there is no
doubt that some of them should be preserved as what they are, which
happen to be national treasures. But, unfortunately, the Federal
Government owns far too much land. It owns far more of these Federal
public lands than it should own and far more of these lands than it can
possibly take care of.
Let's take a look at this map, for example. This shows in red the
land that is owned by the Federal Government in parts of the United
States. The Federal Government owns most of the land. This is certainly
the case in my home State of Utah, where the Federal Government owns
two-thirds of the land. Notice, by the way, that in every State east of
Colorado, the Federal Government owns less than 15 percent of the
land--in most States, significantly less. In every State west of
Colorado, the Federal Government owns more than 15 percent of the land,
and in many cases, a whole lot more than 15 percent.
The sheer volume of land that it owns is nothing short of staggering.
In fact, the Federal Government owns 640 million acres of land. This is
a total larger than the entireties of France, Spain, Germany, Poland,
Italy, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands
combined. That is how much land the Federal Government owns just in
America.
With such a vast estate, it is no wonder that there is currently a
$19.38 billion maintenance backlog on those lands. Of that backlog,
$11.92 billion is on lands owned and managed by just the National Park
Service. In fact, there are National Park Service backlogs in every
single State in the country, as this map demonstrates.
I see here that the question is not whether a particular State has a
National Park Service backlog within its State; the question is, How
much? In some States, it is very severe. In some States, it is
significant but not yet severe. But there is a National Park Service
maintenance backlog in every single State.
Many of my colleagues--especially those from the Midwest, as this map
shows--don't have a whole lot of Federal land in their States. They
have a whole lot less Federal land to maintain, and therefore they have
less of a maintenance backlog. They should thank their lucky stars for
that. That is a position to be envied.
On one end of the spectrum, there is a $1.3 million backlog on
National Park Service properties in Delaware. The backlog for the parks
in Rhode Island is just under $1 million. But at the other end of the
spectrum, California alone has a whopping $1.8 billion maintenance
backlog just on its national parks alone. That is in just one State.
What does that mean? That means the damage from wildfires, ill-kept
roads and trails, and neglected facilities have actually kept citizens
from accessing our national treasures--national treasures like Yosemite
and Yellowstone, our National Mall and the Grand Canyon. Visitors who
come from far and wide to see them are either unable to see them at
all, or perhaps they make it, but they don't have a good experience
when they do. All the while, Washington continues to purchase ever more
land, so the maintenance backlog continues to grow.
This must not continue. This staggering, stunning maintenance backlog
on the Federal land that we own--the Federal land that is more than all
of the long list of European countries I mentioned just a minute ago--
can't continue. If we continue on this path, we will only do greater
disservice to

[[Page S6321]]

our citizens and to the lands themselves.
That is why I have introduced an amendment that would stop the
Federal Government's use of taxpayer dollars to acquire more lands in
the next year. Specifically, it would prevent the money currently going
to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Range Improvement Funds,
the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service from being
used to acquire new lands that the Federal Government cannot properly
care for.
It is important, when describing a piece of legislation--in this
case, an amendment to another piece of legislation--to explain both
what it does and what it does not do. Let me be very clear in telling
you what this amendment does not do. This amendment would not reduce
the dollar amount being given to any of these programs--not one of
them, not by one dollar. It would simply reauthorize the money to
ensure that it is being used to care for the lands we already own and
lands that need to be cared for so desperately.
While some of my colleagues may disagree with me and may believe that
we should continue growing the Federal estate, I ask that, at least for
this year, we think of our current lands and our existing national
parks and that we think of those States where there are a lot of them
and States where the maintenance backlog is especially staggering.
These lands won't be national treasures for everyone if we don't,
can't, or simply won't properly care for them.
If we continue in this pattern of neglect, there will be treasures
for no one. If we continue with this pattern of neglect, we will
continue to inflict significant environmental harm that, in addition to
being stunning in and of itself, may, in some cases, be difficult or
impossible to reverse.
If you support the environment, if you want to protect the
environment and the natural wonders and beauties with which this land
has been blessed, if you want to protect our national treasures, then
you should vote for this amendment.
Voting against this amendment means you are willing to have the
gluttonous Federal Government continue to acquire more land, even while
it refuses to and professes itself to be utterly incapable of
maintaining the land it has.
For now, at the very least, we ought to ensure that these lands are
safe and accessible for generations to come. Our lands, our citizens,
and our environment deserve nothing less.

Amendment No. 1209 to Amendment No. 948

(Purpose: To prohibit the expenditure of certain amounts from the
Land and Water Conservation Fund for land acquisition.)
Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1209.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Utah [Mr. Lee] proposes an amendment
numbered 1209 to amendment No. 948.

Mr. LEE. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be
dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(The amendment is printed in the Record of October 28, 2019, under
``Text of Amendments.'')
Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be 2
minutes of debate between each vote in this series and that all votes
after the first be 10 minutes in length.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Vote on Amendment No. 1209 to Amendment No. 948

The question is on agreeing to the Lee amendment No. 1209.
Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator
from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet),
the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California
(Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator
from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms.
Warren) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. FISCHER). Are there any other Senators in
the Chamber desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 29, nays 64, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 339 Leg.]

YEAS--29

Barrasso
Braun
Cassidy
Cornyn
Crapo
Cruz
Enzi
Ernst
Fischer
Grassley
Hawley
Inhofe
Johnson
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Moran
Paul
Risch
Romney
Rounds
Rubio
Sasse
Scott (FL)
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Toomey
Wicker

NAYS--64

Alexander
Baldwin
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt
Boozman
Brown
Burr
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Feinstein
Gardner
Gillibrand
Graham
Hassan
Heinrich
Hirono
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Jones
Kaine
King
Leahy
Manchin
Markey
McConnell
McSally
Menendez
Merkley
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Perdue
Peters
Portman
Reed
Roberts
Rosen
Schatz
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Shelby
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Tester
Udall
Van Hollen
Warner
Whitehouse
Wyden
Young

NOT VOTING--7

Bennet
Booker
Harris
Isakson
Klobuchar
Sanders
Warren
The amendment (No. 1209) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.

Amendment No. 1141, As Modified, to Amendment No. 948

Mr. JONES. Madam President, under the previous order, I call up
amendment No. 1141, as modified.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from Alabama [Mr. Jones], for himself and Ms.
McSally, proposes an amendment numbered 1141 to amendment No.
948.

Mr. JONES. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To prohibit the implementation of the ``Rostenkowski Test''
with respect to the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund)

At the appropriate place in title I of division E, insert
the following:
Sec. 1__. None of the funds made available by this Act or
any other Act may be used to adjust apportionments or
withhold funds from apportionments pursuant to section
9503(e)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Mr. JONES. Madam President, I rise in support of the amendment
offered by myself and my friend from Arizona, Senator McSally.
This amendment would permanently block an impending $1.2 billion in
cuts to the Federal public transportation investment. These cuts will
affect every one of our States--every one--including 7 million in my
home State of Alabama.
Without this legislation to block what is known as the ``Rostenkowski
Test,'' every public transit agency will suffer a 12-percent across-
the-board cut to transit formula grants this year. For many transit
agencies, particularly these smaller transit agencies that serve rural
States such as mine, these cuts could be devastating. These cuts would
reduce services that are so important to the community, for instance,
services for low-income people and services to those who have
disabilities.
These cuts would reduce funds for important bus and rail efforts to
modernize our transportation.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has used 1 minute.
Mr. JONES. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
Ms. McSALLY. Madam President, I rise in strong support of my
amendment with Senator Jones from Alabama. As he said, this is a very
important amendment to block $1.2 billion in cuts to these transit
agencies that are impacting every single one of our States. Across
Arizona, this is millions

[[Page S6322]]

of dollars, a 12-percent cut in every State, and we are going to stop
that from happening here today.
As Senator Jones mentioned, this is impacting people of low income,
of disabilities, and in rural communities across the board. A broad
coalition of over 30 associations--including the American Public
Transportation Association, Associated General Contractors of America,
and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce--support our efforts today to block
these cuts.
I urge our colleagues to please join us and vote for our amendment.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
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. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator
from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet),
the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California
(Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator
from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms.
Warren) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 82, nays 11, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 340 Leg.]

YEAS--82

Alexander
Baldwin
Barrasso
Blumenthal
Blunt
Boozman
Brown
Burr
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Enzi
Ernst
Feinstein
Fischer
Gardner
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hirono
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Inhofe
Johnson
Jones
Kaine
Kennedy
King
Leahy
Manchin
Markey
McConnell
McSally
Menendez
Merkley
Moran
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Peters
Portman
Reed
Risch
Roberts
Rosen
Rounds
Rubio
Schatz
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Shelby
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Sullivan
Tester
Thune
Tillis
Udall
Van Hollen
Warner
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young

NAYS--11

Blackburn
Braun
Cruz
Lankford
Lee
Paul
Perdue
Romney
Sasse
Scott (FL)
Toomey

NOT VOTING--7

Bennet
Booker
Harris
Isakson
Klobuchar
Sanders
Warren
The amendment (No. 1141), as modified, was agreed to.

=========================== NOTE ===========================

October 31, 2019, on page H8697 (first column), the following
appeared: The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the
resolution.

The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro
tempore. The question is on ordering the previous question.

========================= END NOTE =========================

Amendment No. 950 Withdrawn

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, amendment No. 950
was withdrawn.
Amendment No. 948, as amended, is agreed to.
The cloture motion on H.R. 3055 is withdrawn.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will now be 2 minutes of debate equally
divided.
The Senator from Vermont.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I see my friend, the senior Senator from
Alabama, on the floor. I want to offer my praise for him because we are
going to vote on final passage of the fiscal year 2020 Senate Commerce,
Justice, and Science appropriations bill, the Agriculture
appropriations bill, the Interior appropriations bill, and the
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. I
urge all Members to vote aye.
These are good, bipartisan bills. They show that despite whatever
political atmosphere we operate in, the Appropriations Committee can
put partisan politics aside and do our work on behalf of the American
people.
These bills make responsible investments that build on what we were
able to accomplish in fiscal year 2019 while strongly rejecting the
shortsighted cuts the Trump administration proposed. They back up our
commitment to invest in rural communities and farms, law enforcement,
and the environment.
We have reached this point because we worked together quietly during
evenings and weekends to get it done. I want to thank the chairs and
the ranking members of the subcommittees for their work: Senators
Hoeven and Merkley, Senators Murkowski and Udall, Senators Collins and
Reed, and Senators Moran and Shaheen.
I have often said that Senators are merely constitutional impediments
to their staff, and Senator Shelby and I are lucky to have such a
staff. They have worked very long days and nights.
I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the list of the
staff, both Republicans and Democrats, who deserve our thanks.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:

Vice Chairman Leahy List for H.R. 3055 (Minibus #2) Staff for the
Record

Charles Kieffer, Chanda Betourney, Jessica Berry, Jay
Tilton, Hannah Chauvin, Olivia Matthews, Dianne Nellor, Jean
Toal Eisen, Rachael Taylor, Dabney Hegg, Adrienne
Wojciechowski, Bob Ross, Teri Curtin, Jennifer Eskra, Blaise
Sheridan, Elisabeth Coats, Ryan Hunt, Melissa Zimmerman,
Faisal Amin, Jessi Axe, Christina Monroe, Shannon Hines,
Jonathan Graffeo, David Adkins, Margaret Pritchard, Morgan
Ulmer, Hamilton Bloom, Emy Lesofski, Clare Doherty, Patrick
Carroll, Elizabeth Dent, Anna Lanier Fischer, Amber Beck,
Allen Cutler, Matt Womble, Sydney Crawford, Lucas Agnew, Nona
McCoy, Gus Maples, Rajat Mathur, LaShawnda Smith, Jason
Woolwine, Courtney Young, Valerie Hutton, Elmer Barnes, Penny
Myles, Karin Thames, Bob Putnam, Jenny Winkler, Christy
Greene, George Castro
Mr. LEAHY. I yield the floor, and I urge an aye vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the
question is, Shall the bill, as amended, pass?
Mr. LEAHY. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator
from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet),
Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), Senator from California (Ms.
Harris), Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), Senator from Vermont
(Mr. Sanders) and Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are
necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 84, nays 9, as follows:

[Rollcall Vote No. 341 Leg.]

YEAS--84

Alexander
Baldwin
Barrasso
Blumenthal
Blunt
Boozman
Brown
Burr
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Enzi
Ernst
Feinstein
Fischer
Gardner
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hirono
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Inhofe
Jones
Kaine
Kennedy
King
Lankford
Leahy
Manchin
Markey
McConnell
McSally
Menendez
Merkley
Moran
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Perdue
Peters
Portman
Reed
Risch
Roberts
Romney
Rosen
Rounds
Rubio
Schatz
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Shelby
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Sullivan
Tester
Thune
Tillis
Udall
Van Hollen
Warner
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young

NAYS--9

Blackburn
Braun
Cruz
Johnson
Lee
Paul
Sasse
Scott (FL)
Toomey

NOT VOTING--7

Bennet
Booker
Harris
Isakson
Klobuchar
Sanders
Warren
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 84, the nays are 9.
The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the bill, as amended, is
passed.
The bill (H.R. 3055), as amended, was passed, as follows:
(The bill will be printed in a future edition of the Record.)

[[Page S6323]]

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.

____________________