[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 197 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6934-S6935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 USMCA

  Ms. ERNST. Madam President, there are just 21 days left in 2019. With 
the days dwindling, Congress has made little progress on its to-do list 
that without question must be addressed before going home for the 
holidays. This is largely due to the distractions and delays caused by 
the Democrats in this body and especially by those across the Capitol.
  Let's take the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. President 
Trump signed it over 1 year ago. If approved, USMCA would create 
176,000 new jobs by expanding access to markets and providing much 
needed certainty for American businesses and farmers. Literally, 
everyone benefits. Yet here we are still waiting for the House 
Democrats to bring it up for a vote--a vote that would be broadly 
bipartisan.
  Speaker Pelosi even admitted today that there is no question that 
USMCA is much better than NAFTA. I am hopeful the House will finally 
vote on the measure next week before leaving town. This would be a 
great Christmas gift for American workers, farmers, and businesses.
  But it is not just on trade deals. We are now over 2 months into the 
new Federal fiscal year. Yet Congress still has not approved the annual 
funding bills for this fiscal year. These bills will actually fund the 
government. Yet Democrats are stalling and throwing up roadblocks at 
every turn. They are failing to support our servicemembers, including 
providing them with the largest pay raise in a decade.
  Just recently, I was on the ground in Kuwait and Afghanistan to meet 
with our U.S. troops, including Iowans of the Des Moines-based 103rd 
Sustainment Command. These servicemembers are relying on Congress to do 
their job so that our military men and women can carry out their job of 
protecting our homeland. As a former company commander in Kuwait, I 
realize just how vital resources are to our troops.
  Let's not forget that Democrats agreed to a framework months ago on 
all of these bills. Yet they have repeatedly blocked consideration of 
these bills.
  Similarly, the authorization for the Violence Against Women Act--a 
law that is deeply personal to me--expired a year ago and remains in 
limbo. For months, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee and I 
worked to develop a bipartisan bill to renew the law, which provides 
desperately needed resources to prevent domestic and sexual abuse and 
care for our survivors. We were making real progress, but all of a 
sudden, Senate Democrats walked away from the progress we made in an 
apparent attempt to make violence against women an election issue.
  Folks, we cannot allow our political differences to keep us from 
performing our most basic constitutional duties: to provide for the 
common defense, fund the operations of the Federal Government, and 
support women and children across this country facing sexual and 
domestic abuse. I plan on continuing to work with Senator Feinstein 
without regard to the political winds because we have to stop playing 
politics with women's lives and our Nation's defense.
  At a time when Democrats and Republicans in Washington can't find 
many areas of agreement, these are all issues on which we should and 
absolutely can find common ground. I implore my Democratic colleagues 
to end the obstruction and delay. Work with us to fund the government 
and support our servicemembers. Pass the USMCA and provide resources 
for my fellow survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. The American 
people are counting on us.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Madam President, I am privileged to be on the floor 
today with the Senator from Iowa, Ms. Ernst. I am here to join in a 
chorus of voices to ask this Congress to do better, to do our to-do 
list, and to do the things people sent us here to do. I am going to 
highlight some of the critical items Congress still needs to get done. 
Senator Ernst talked about them very eloquently.
  When I am home in West Virginia, people ask me about policies that 
impact their everyday lives. They ask about healthcare. They ask about 
the pensions and healthcare for our retired miners. They ask about 
surprise medical bills. I have certainly received them, and many people 
in this country every day, 2 or 3 months after an operation or a visit 
to the hospital, may receive a bill in the mail they had no idea was 
coming their way.
  The high cost of prescription drugs is an issue that hits many of us 
in our pocketbooks, and particularly for those who suffer from disease 
or who are elderly, it is a particular strain on their wallets. They 
ask about national security and caring for our veterans. Here is one 
everybody complains about, including all of us here--robocalls. Can 
somebody please stop the onslaught of robocalls?
  We have legislation, but we are not getting the action on it that we 
need. We need better trade deals that will help grow our economy and 
support our American workers.
  Do you know what they are not asking me about? My constituents are 
not asking me about the latest impeachment headline. They are not 
asking me about witnesses in front of a House committee or the newest 
``breaking news'' over on the House side. In their minds--it is just a 
bunch of Washington hoopla to most people.
  A few days ago, I ran into some constituents while I was running 
errands, and they said to me: Just stop this. Stop this. Something 
similar happened while I was grocery shopping. The butcher said to me: 
Aren't you just tired of it?
  Well, yes, I am.
  We have 2 weeks until Congress leaves for Christmas break and 21 days 
until the end of the month, and we still have so much to do. Our sole 
focus should be on legislating and making life better for people across 
the country.
  I can tell you, as somebody who has been in this body and in the 
House for several years, when you rush to judgment and when you rush to 
legislate, that is when things that you don't know get into bills and 
things that you want in bills don't get into bills. So rushing into 
legislating is not the fairest way to do it.
  I am pleased that at long last, we are going to pass the National 
Defense Authorization Act that protects our national security and 
supports our men and women in uniform. We still need to pass 
appropriations bills that fund much of our Federal Government. I am the 
chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, so I very much want to 
see us enact a bill that will provide critical resources to protect 
this country.
  Homeland Security. Sure, we have Border Patrol, we have the wall, and 
we have ICE. Do you know what else we have? We have the Coast Guard, 
TSA, the Secret Service, FEMA--absolutely essential services. This 
includes funding for our immigration laws and also continuing to fund 
the work on the border wall system. I want to see us pass all 11 of 
these bills, as well as provide funding for our troops and our 
veterans. Funding medical research. I am committed to funding 
Alzheimer's research, addressing the opioid epidemic, infrastructure, 
and many other priorities.
  I also have a priority that really affects just part of the country 
but deeply affects those of us in West Virginia. We need to enact the 
Bipartisan American Miners Act this year. Congress must act to save the 
healthcare of 13,000 retired miners and protect the pension benefits of 
about 92,000 people. More than 25,000 retired miners received benefits 
in West Virginia last year. We have a bipartisan bill to address this 
critical issue for our mining families and for West Virginia 
communities. It is critical that we pass this bill before the end of 
the year because this situation is getting more dire every single day.

[[Page S6935]]

  The USMCA--United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement--has been 
waiting for action all year, as Senator Ernst said. I am glad to see 
that Speaker Pelosi is finally moving on this. It is an agreement that 
will grow our economy and includes robust protections for American 
workers. We have to get this across the finish line.
  I am especially proud of the work we are doing on the Environment and 
Public Works Committee. We passed a bipartisan 5-year highway bill. It 
had a unanimous vote, 21 to 0. It would help improve roads, highways, 
and bridges that Americans count on every day to travel safely, whether 
they are going to church, going to the job, or going on a family trip. 
Reauthorization of the Federal Surface Transportation Program is a top 
priority for the coming year.
  We have a lot to do in the coming days, but we also have lots to do 
in the coming year. I hope we will work together and not practice the 
past practices of this year. I hope we will work together to get the 
job done.
  I yield back.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I rise to speak today about 
the things Congress is failing to accomplish while Democrats in the 
House continue their obsession with impeaching this President to 
overturn the results of the 2016 election. Let's be clear. That is what 
is happening here. Democrats lost the election in 2016 and realized 
they are going to lose again in 2020. They are trying to use the 
impeachment process to hurt the President.
  That is shameful enough, but let's think about what Congress is not 
doing. Congress is not passing a budget. Congress is not funding our 
military. Congress is not securing our border. Congress is not lowering 
the cost of prescription drugs. Congress is not doing the things the 
American people sent us to Washington to do.
  I won't accept that. I have a background in business, and in the real 
world, if you don't do your job, you don't get paid. It is that simple. 
If Congress can't accomplish even the most basic tasks--passing a 
budget and appropriations bills in an orderly fashion--lawmakers 
shouldn't get a paycheck, period.
  The current system is broken. No one takes responsibility, and there 
are no consequences. That should change. That is why we need to pass my 
No Budget, No Pay proposal now. Withholding paychecks from Members of 
Congress who fail to pass the budget will help prevent government 
shutdowns, which hurt the economy and millions of everyday Americans. 
It is also an important step to promote fiscal responsibility in the 
face of our staggering national debt, which stands at over $23 
trillion.
  No Budget, No Pay is moving through Congress with bipartisan support. 
It was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs Committee in June, and it is included as part of the Prevent 
Government Shutdowns Act. We need to pass No Budget, No Pay now to show 
we are serious about the future of this Nation.
  Members of Congress make $174,000 a year. All we are asking them to 
do is the most basic function of government--pass the budget. It is not 
complicated. If you are a Member of Congress, rich or poor, and you 
don't believe Congress can or should pass a budget every year, then go 
home. There are lots of other competent people who can have your job. 
When the American people don't do their job, there are consequences.
  It is time we make Washington just a little bit more like the real 
world, so I ask all my colleagues to join with me to pass No Budget, No 
Pay.
  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. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cassidy). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.