[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 23, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S1715]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 1868

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1868, an act to prevent 
across-the-board direct spending cuts, which was received from the 
House and is at the desk.
  I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and 
passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 
the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, the Democrats have just passed a $1.9 
trillion spending package. They filled the bill with lots of partisan 
priorities. They refused to work with Members on this side of the 
aisle. Almost all of what we are doing here--have done there is going 
on a credit card. That is going to have to be paid for by our children 
and their children.
  Democrats also ignored the Medicare sequester as part of that $1.9 
trillion bill. As a doctor, I have cared for patients in Wyoming for 
more than two decades. I cannot ignore this decision.
  There are more cuts to healthcare providers serving seniors. That is 
what these have done. They go into effect starting April 1. They are 
coming.
  Congress must help those working on the frontlines fighting the 
COVID-19 pandemic. It should be our highest priority. Ignoring cuts to 
Medicare while spending $1.9 trillion on other things, to me, is 
irresponsible.
  Instead, just a few days after their partisan spending bill was 
signed into law, here we have the chairman of the Budget Committee back 
asking for additional money.
  Now, he knows the right thing to do is to help these Medicare 
providers on the frontlines, and I want to do exactly the same thing. 
Once again, instead of working on a bipartisan basis, Senate Democrats 
are rushing through another partisan spending package.
  There is a better way. Senator Cotton and I have introduced the 
Protecting Seniors Access to Healthcare Act. Our legislation takes a 
small amount of the money from State and local governments as part of 
that $1.9 trillion bill. Instead of billions going to Gavin Newsom and 
instead of billions going to Andrew Cuomo, our legislation gives a 
small fraction of that money to help our healthcare providers around 
the country. Instead of a blank check, our bill gets the money to where 
it is needed the most: to healthcare providers on the frontlines of 
this pandemic.
  Our bill also includes commonsense provisions to ensure that taxpayer 
money is not given to illegal immigrants or prisoners. Our bill simply 
says that if you are here illegally, you don't get the payments in the 
Democratic spending bill.
  Senator Cotton and I know we can't hand out American taxpayer dollars 
to illegal immigrants. That is why our border is being flooded right 
now--because President Biden offers benefits for illegal immigrants. We 
also shouldn't be cutting checks to people sitting in jail.
  The question is whether Washington Democrats are interested in 
solving problems or just playing politics. I think we can provide much 
needed relief for Medicare providers, and we should. It is completely 
irresponsible for the Democrats and the administration to spend $1.9 
trillion and fail to help the healthcare providers who are working to 
serve Medicare patients.
  Therefore, Mr. President, I ask that the Senator modify his request 
to instead take up H.R. 1868 with my substitute amendment at the desk 
and ask unanimous consent that the bill, as amended, be considered read 
a third time and passed and that the motions to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator from Vermont so modify his 
request?
  Mr. SANDERS. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Is there an objection to the original request by the Senator from 
Vermont?
  Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Oklahoma.
  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I understand we are not in a quorum call.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Correct.

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