[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 86 (Thursday, May 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2599-S2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
ADDITIONAL UKRAINE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022--Resumed
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the
Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 7691, which the clerk will
report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 7691) making emergency supplemental
appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other
purposes.
Pending:
Schumer amendment No. 5035, to add an effective date.
Schumer amendment No. 5036 (to amendment No. 5035), to
modify the effective date.
Schumer motion to commit the bill to the Committee on
Appropriations, with instructions, Schumer amendment No.
5037, to add an effective date.
Schumer amendment No. 5038 (to (the instructions) amendment
No. 5037), to modify the effective date.
Schumer amendment No. 5039 (to amendment No. 5038), to
modify the effective date.
Recognition of the Minority Leader
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is
recognized.
H.R. 7691
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, today the Senate will approve more
lethal assistance for Ukraine, and it is going to be a big bipartisan
landslide.
As a matter of moral principle, the United States is proud to support
a sovereign democracy's self-defense. Innocent Ukrainians have been
subjected to wanton cruelty. But aid for Ukraine goes far beyond
charity. The future of America's security and core strategic interests
will be shaped by the outcome of this fight.
Anyone concerned about the cost of supporting a Ukrainian victory
should consider the much larger costs should Ukraine lose. In Europe,
close allies and trading relationships would suddenly be hundreds of
miles closer to the territory of an aggressive, emboldened autocrat.
Our own security requirements on the continent would grow
substantially.
And adversaries on the other side of the world would be tempted to
follow Russia's lead. Communist China has already been stepping up its
saber-rattling toward the free people of Taiwan: more tough talk, more
airspace incursions, more evidence of their utter disregard for the
rule of law.
Our friends in the Pacific see this connection very clearly. As
Japan's Prime Minister put it, ``We must show that there are
consequences''--consequences--``to violence by Russia. Ukraine may be
East Asia tomorrow.''
Many of us are convinced that China is our most significant strategic
challenge. Successful, long-term competition with the PRC will require
having European partners firmly on our side. We will sorely need the
trust and the relationships that abandoning Ukraine would exhaust.
Turning our backs on Ukraine would harm our goals in Asia, not advance
them.
So I will be a proud vote for America's national interest and vote to
approve this badly needed assistance today. I encourage every Senator
on
[[Page S2600]]
both sides to join this bipartisan supermajority. The most expensive
and painful thing America could possibly do in the long run would be to
stop investing in sovereignty, stability, and deterrence before it is
too late.
NATO
Madam President, now on a related matter, last weekend, I was honored
to meet with the leaders of Sweden and Finland in their capitals and
discuss their pursuit of membership in NATO. Senators Collins, Cornyn,
Barrasso, and I visited Stockholm and Helsinki just as their elected
governments were preparing to take the historic step of applying for
NATO membership.
It will be a further honor to cohost our friends President Niinisto
and Prime Minister Andersson here in the Capitol later today.
For 73 years, NATO's collective strength has preserved peace in
Europe and security for the United States and for Canada. Even from
outside NATO's membership roster, Sweden and Finland have long been two
of our most capable and reliable partners. Each has invested seriously
in the sort of modern weapons systems that can operate seamlessly
alongside our own.
While clearly part of the West, these countries have until now
preferred a nonaligned posture. But Putin's aggression has changed
everything. It is crystal clear which alliance supports basic
international principles like sovereignty, stability, and human rights
and which wannabe empires do not.
Europe is rightly recognizing that even if Putin is stopped in
Ukraine, he will remain dangerous. He will learn lessons and adapt.
More importantly, President Xi will learn lessons as well.
All our allies should take a hard look at their military requirements
and invest in modernization. The accession of Sweden and Finland would
be a strong step in that direction. Finland recently agreed to buy 64
F-35 fighter planes. They already commit 2 percent of their GDP to
defense, and Sweden is on pace to reach that target very soon. These
nations are setting an example which current treaty allies would do
well to follow.
So I will be proud to continue amplifying their case for accession
however I can, beginning with the meeting the Democratic leader and I
will host later today.
Inflation
Madam President, now on one final matter, today, the average price
that American families pay for regular unleaded set an alltime high for
the 10th day in a row--10 straight days of recordbreaking gas prices.
Getting to work, running errands, driving to church, visiting loved
ones, hitting the highway for a modest family vacation--all of it costs
88 percent more at the pump today than it cost when President Biden put
his hand on the Bible last year. And it is not even Memorial Day yet.
The unofficial summer driving season hasn't even begun.
To be clear, this is not just Putin's price hike. The year 2021 saw
the biggest 1-year gas price increase in three decades, and that was
actually before Russia's escalation in Ukraine. Farmers and ranchers,
truckers, and small business owners are struggling to keep their
tractors, 18-wheelers, and other work vehicles full of diesel.
So in addition to having to fill up their own tanks, working families
are paying for high fuel prices again at the checkout counter. One
constituent in Johnson County in my State wrote to my office to lament
that ``rapidly increasing gas prices are making it difficult for
everyday people like me to make ends meet.'' He said he is facing
``rising costs'' but ``stagnant wages.''
Another, in Ashland, described driving past a gas station on his way
to work and seeing that prices had hit $4.25 a gallon. He said he is
``fortunate to be able to pay those prices'' but worried ``others would
have to start giving up other things just to put gas in their car.''
A third, in Brandenburg, was dismayed that the Biden administration
decided to kill energy lease sales while gas prices are raging. He
noted how ``the timing and nature of this decision display a disturbing
disregard'' for the situation facing American families.
Since day one, from canceling Keystone XL to freezing leases for new
exploration, President Biden himself has put American energy
independence on the chopping block.
But while Americans suffer, the far left just digs in deeper. Just
yesterday, for example, Secretary Granholm said the ``volatility in
prices'' was just more reason to ``accelerate'' the supposedly green
energy transition that Democrats have tried to force on the country,
literally, for years.
Forget that their preferred energy sources aren't yet reliable or
cost-effective. Forget that they would just be exchanging one kind of
foreign dependence for new kinds of foreign dependence on Russian
critical minerals and Chinese supply chains for solar panels and
batteries. Democrats' proposals fall embarrassingly short.
I understand the House is wasting its time to pretend inflation is
all the fault of evil corporate profiteers--evil corporate profiteers.
I guess the profit motive hadn't been invented yet in 2019 when
Republicans had unemployment low and inflation low at the very same
time.
The liberal economist, Larry Summers, calls the House Democrats'
bill--listen to this--``dangerous nonsense.'' ``Dangerous nonsense.''
Bill Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury.
Jason Furman, another senior Obama adviser, has said the far-left
claims about so-called ``greed-flation'' are, in fact, ``unequivocally
wrong and confused.'' Both Summers and Furman were part of the Obama
administration.
The Biden administration has also drained our Strategic Petroleum
Reserve to its lowest levels since 1987 in a frantic effort to lower
prices. Predictably, this gimmick failed, and now we are much less
prepared for a possible future crisis.
You will recall that Senate Democrats gleefully blocked Republicans
from refilling the Strategic Reserve to the top back in 2020 when oil
was at rock-bottom prices. We tried to do that. These guys blocked it.
We could have filled the Reserve to the top when crude was on a
clearance sale, but Democrats blocked it and bragged about blocking it.
Washington Democrats keep finding new ways to fundamentally
misunderstand America's energy needs.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Tribute to Brad Middleton
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, it was over a half century ago that
Senator Robert Kennedy delivered one of the most important speeches of
his life. It wasn't in the Capitol. It wasn't even in the United
States. It was in South Africa during the darkest days of apartheid.
Senator Kennedy traveled to the University of Cape Town for the
school's Day of Affirmation, a day to celebrate liberty and
inclusivity. He told the students at that school that they had the
power to change the world. He said:
Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts improve the
lot for others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends
forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a
million different centers of energy and daring those ripples
build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of
oppression and resistance.
For the past 15 years, I have had as a member of my staff a man who
knows a great deal about ripples of hope. His name is Brad Middleton.
This week, he is moving on, leaving my office, sadly.
Over the years, Brad has worn many hats. For the last few years, he
has been my top adviser on education. In that role, he has been my
invaluable right hand in efforts to hold predatory for-profit colleges
accountable.
He has done a phenomenal amount of work in making college affordable
for millions of students, recently with the Affordable College Textbook
Act. Soon, he is going to be taking his talents to President Biden's
Department of Education, where he will continue his advocacy for
students and their families. He will be a Senior Advisor for Strategy
for the Department to investigate bad actors that cheat students, their
families, and the taxpayers. It is quite the accomplishment for a rock
star from Rock Falls, but I know Brad is going to handle it well.
He joined my office in 2006, a fresh-faced intern in Springfield. In
the years
[[Page S2601]]
since, he has gone from answering the phones in our front office to
counseling me on a wide range of serious policy questions. Before
becoming my point person on education, he worked on my foreign policy
team, and he helped pass the International Protecting Girls by
Preventing Child Marriage Act. And he worked on the Judiciary team as
well.
Every step of the way, Brad's been guided by faith, a passion for
public service, and an unshakeable devotion to the people of my State.
Brad comes from a long line of proud Illinoisans and public servants.
His dad Jay is a corn seed salesman like his father before him. His mom
Lori was a State court reporter who retired last August after 40 years
of service to Lee County. Lori's commitment to public service made a
mark on Brad. From the moment he could walk and talk, Brad expressed a
desire to get involved and to serve.
His journey into politics started very young, in the first grade,
when he was elected class president. Brad took his job very seriously,
and he kept his ear to the ground on the issues facing the first grade
in his day. While his friends were watching cartoons, Brad was sitting
on the couch with his parents watching the news on the Gulf war and the
election of President Clinton. That was the first Middleton
administration.
The second Middleton administration was inaugurated in the halls of
the famous school Knox College. As student senate president, Brad
banned plastic trays from the dining hall, a defining policy in his
sustainability platform even in those days.
Brad is remembered so fondly on the Knox College campus. Several
years ago, I was invited to deliver the commencement address there, and
I arrived with Brad accompanying me. When I arrived, it was clear that
they were happy to see me; they were excited to see Brad.
Illinois has no stronger champion than Brad Middleton. Let me give
you one example. About 10 years ago, Brad left Washington, at my
request, to open up our new Rock Island, IL, office, about an hour west
of his hometown Rock Falls. Brad took it upon himself to make sure the
community that raised him had the best representation in Washington. He
always took it personally to deliver for the people of Illinois.
For a while, it was just Brad leading the show in the Quad Cities as
a solo act, with little more than a clipboard, folding chair, and a
determination to get the office open and running. Now that office is a
linchpin in our efforts to serve the people in the State and untangle
the redtape of government.
It is one of the many ``tiny ripples of hope'' that Brad has sent
forth over the years.
Here is one more. Back when Brad worked with my foreign policy team,
he personally led the effort to award the Congressional Gold Medal to
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and personal friend of mine
who pioneered the concept of microlending. He was awarded the 2006
Nobel Peace Prize and is known as the ``banker to the poor.''
Leading up to the vote, the walls in Brad's office were covered in
sticky notes, each one listing the name of a lawmaker who had yet to
voice support for Dr. Yunus's medal. Brad meticulously reached out to
staff of every one of those lawmakers. One by one, he won their
support, and the bill passed both Chambers of Congress. Thanks to Brad,
Dr. Yunus became the first Muslim to receive the Congressional Gold
Medal.
Brad, from every Christmas tree you have carried into my office for
the holiday season to every college student you helped find financial
help, you have been an indispensable part of my team. You created those
ripples of hope that continue to touch lives for years to come.
I hope you get well-deserved time off in the cabin in the Shenandoah
area with your girlfriend Claire, your brother Ben, who also serves his
community as a police officer in East Peoria, your sister-in-law Katie,
and little Theodore and Rorie, your niece and nephew.
Be sure to kick back with the appropriate refreshment and a plate of
piping hot fish because your next mission in public service begins
immediately.
I am confident you will do well. Thank you to all you have given me
and the people in my State.
NATO
Madam President, I had a visit yesterday from a group of
parliamentarians from Lithuania.
Lithuania has a special place in my heart. It is where my mother was
born, and I have been fortunate enough to visit there several times
over the last 40 years. I saw Lithuania in its darkest days as part of
the Soviet Union, and I watched their heroic struggle against the odds
to win independence from the Soviet Union.
I have been there to see a free government installed again and to
watch this amazing little country grow into a powerhouse, not just
economically but culturally and spiritually. I say that because I
believe that, time and again, Lithuania has stepped up to the
international challenge.
It was my honor to work to bring NATO alliance status to the Baltics
and certainly to Lithuania. It has made all the difference in the
world. When I think of Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attacks on Ukraine,
I can't help but believe that the Baltics would have fallen to Putin
and his aggression long ago if he had his way. What held him back was
not just the courage of the people who live there but the fact that
they had many friends willing to stand behind them--members of the EU
and certainly members of the NATO alliance.
Lithuania has taken their role in the alliance so seriously. They
have pledged soldiers and military support, time and again, when the
NATO alliances picked a targeted strategy. They are always part of the
answer and glad to be.
They have dedicated 2.5 percent on their annual budget to the
military. I believe they rank third in the NATO ranks in percentage of
budget that they are dedicating to the defense of the country. They may
be small, but they are mighty.
Yesterday, the group who came to see me, led by the new Lithuania
Ambassador, Audra Plepyte, including Lukas Savickas, deputy chairman of
the Committee for the Future; Vydas Gedvilas, Deputy Speaker of
Parliament; and Mr. Zygimantas Pavilionis, deputy chairman of the
Committee on European Affairs.
We talked about the current situation in Ukraine. They feel it
personally, but they also feel personally the aggression of Vladimir
Putin. Not far from Lithuania is a part of Russia to the west of
Lithuania known as Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is a military fortress
established by the Russians on the doorstep of Lithuania and Poland. It
is a source of growing concern because of the armaments which we
believe were placed there as a threat to the region.
That is why NATO has made special plans for the Baltics to reinforce
a commitment--a commitment which includes German troops who are now
helping out in Lithuania, Canadian troops in Latvia, and British troops
in Estonia. That sort of commitment is one that needs to be reinforced.
I am going to ask that our government consider strengthening that
commitment in the future or working on the details now. But the Baltics
are a critical element in the region, not only in our friendship and
our alliance but in the future.
I support the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. I hope that is
agreed on at the NATO summit in Madrid in just a few weeks.
I believe that will help the Baltics as well to have that solid
neighbor in Finland as part of the NATO alliance. It is interesting to
note that what has happened since the invasion of Ukraine is exactly
the opposite of what Vladimir Putin expected.
He thought Ukraine would be a pushover. It is far from that. The
courage and bravery and resilience of those Ukrainian people have
fought back the mighty Russian military machine time and time again.
They were no pushover and they never will be, and the day will come
when they have their peace and sovereignty restored from this
aggression.
Secondly, I am sure Putin thought when this was all over, his dream
of restoring the Russian empire would mean that they would be stronger
than ever, but daily reports tell that the sanctions are taking their
toll on the economy of Russia, and not just in the short term.
I was in Moscow. I remember the early days and the arrival of the
first
[[Page S2602]]
McDonald's restaurant. It was in Soviet times, and it was an amazing
event to think that this western corporation would locate a restaurant
in Moscow in the middle of the Soviet Union, and they did.
I can remember the dreary, dark-gray scenes in Moscow interrupted and
punctuated by those golden arches as a reminder that the West was going
to show to the people of Moscow what was available under a free
economic policy in a free society.
Sadly now, the McDonald's Corporation has made the right decision to
pull out of Russia. Hundreds of restaurants will be closed as a result
of it. It is an indication to the people of Russia that they have to
make a choice about their future, do they want to go down the dark and
perilous road with Vladimir Putin, or do they want to emerge as a 21st
Century free country that is inspired by democracy and not by
authoritarianism?
I thank my friends in Lithuania who time and again have stood by us,
and we by them, and make sure that they continue to, whether it is
making certain that the legitimate Presidential candidates in Belarus
have safety and refuge in their country or making certain that they
speak up for human rights in places around the world where others fear
to tread.
They have done that time and again, and they will continue to. I am
looking forward to returning to that country soon. I have been there
many times, and I hope to be back soon.
Just this weekend, Sweden and Finland declared their intention to
apply for rapid NATO membership. Who can blame them? At the Munich
conference, I spoke with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto--what an
amazing person. He enjoys an 80 or 90 percent approval rating, a dream
of every politician, and they are talking about waiving the
constitutional limitation on terms in office so he can serve another
term.
He was an appellate lawyer, which doesn't sound like a very exciting
lot in life, but when he became President, he really understood the
people of Finland and has led them with wisdom and thoughtful
leadership.
He has attempted to maintain a constructive relationship with Putin.
If you read the history of Finland, you can understand how they managed
to stay somewhat neutral during the Cold War when many countries
couldn't even imagine that possibility, and, despite their proximity to
the Soviet Union, they managed to pull it off. Their relationship with
Putin, though, has been shaken, if not destroyed, when Putin decided to
invade Ukraine. The Finnish President Niinisto said when he spoke to
Putin on the telephone that he should ``look in the mirror''--those
were his exact words--if he wanted to know why Finland was now
considering membership with the NATO alliance.
A few months ago when I spoke to former Lithuanian President Valdas
Adamkus, about his historic efforts to bring Lithuania into NATO in
2004, he talked to me about the courage it took for him and for
President Vytautas Landsbergis--who I guess was the originator of the
Sajudis movement that made such a difference in the pursuit of freedom
and democracy in Lithuania. They knew the importance, both of them,
Landsbergis and Adamkus, in solidly building their nation in that
defensive alliance and never again running the risk that they would
lose everything overnight to the onslaught of Soviet and Russian
aggression.
Is it any wonder that these small but mighty Baltic States are some
of the most vocal in defending democracy in Ukraine? They have lived
it. They have been under the shadow of Russia and the Soviet Union for
so many years and now finally stand proudly with their own sovereignty
and their own human rights' record.
So I applaud Sweden and Finland's decision and hope we can approve
their entry into NATO with haste.
H.R. 7691
Mr. President, here in the Senate we have another immediate need as
well: to pass this supplemental funding package for Ukraine. It is
embarrassing to say that we had to wait a full calendar week in the
midst of a bloody war where innocent people are dying and a nation has
been driven and reduced to rubble to sit here for a political purpose
and wait for this week for the approval of U.S. aid to Ukraine. It
should have happened immediately last week. No excuses.
I applaud the House of Representatives for taking quick and decisive
action. This bill shouldn't be delayed in the Senate any longer. It is
time for us to stand up once and for all and make it clear we are
standing by Ukraine and the defense of democracy.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Murphy). The Senator from South Dakota.
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this Saturday will be Armed Forces Day, a
day set aside to honor the members of the U.S. military.
I first came to know the military through my dad Harold, a fighter
pilot who flew Hellcats off of the deck of the USS Intrepid during
World War II. From him, I learned the patriotism and selflessness and
humility that characterized the ``greatest generation'' and that
continue to characterize our military members today.
As a Member of Congress, I have come to know our military through the
men and women of the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard and
through the airmen of Ellsworth Air Force Base.
As I have said before, I may be biased, but I am convinced that South
Dakota has the most outstanding Guard troops in the entire Nation. As
usual, they have been busy over the past year.
On Saturday, the National Guard welcomed home guardsmen from a
deployment in Djibouti, where our Guard has had a heavy rotation to
support operations in the Horn of Africa, and honored Guard members who
were headed to deployment in Europe. Guard members helped with the
response to last week's severe storms in South Dakota. They deployed to
the border to reinforce an overstretched Border Patrol. They deployed
to Guantanamo Bay. The 114th Fighter Wing at Joe Foss Field completed a
Noble Eagle deployment across the country to hone their alert mission.
Just a few weeks ago, 30 National Guard members traveled to Suriname,
where they trained military personnel and provided support to local
communities. And the list goes on.
South Dakota National Guard members play an essential role in
military and humanitarian operations both here at home and abroad, and
I am tremendously grateful for their service.
My acquaintance with Ellsworth Air Force Base began during my time in
the House of Representatives, but I really got to know the base shortly
after I became a Senator.
Just a few months into my first term in the Senate, Ellsworth found
itself targeted for closure by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure
Commission, and the South Dakota congressional delegation and State and
community leaders immediately mobilized to defend the base. I am pretty
sure I attended every single BRAC hearing in DC that summer, whether
Ellsworth was on the agenda or not. I just wanted to make sure that I
was there in case the chance to advocate for Ellsworth arose.
Many thought that South Dakota might not have the clout to make this
stand, that we didn't wield enough influence. We were only given about
12 percent odds of pulling through. But we were determined that we
weren't going to lose Ellsworth, and in August, we succeeded in having
Ellsworth removed from the closure list.
But we didn't stop there. We got right to work on building up the
base so that we would never again find ourselves in the same position.
In 2007, we saw the Air Force Financial Services Center open at
Ellsworth, and 2011 saw the arrival of the 89th Attack Squadron and its
command and control stations for MQ-9 Reapers.
In 2015, a decades-long effort paid off with the expansion of the
training airspace for the base. The Powder River Training Complex is
now the largest training airspace in the continental United States. It
is undoubtedly partly thanks to this airspace that Ellsworth received
the news last June that we had officially been named Main Operating
Base 1 for the future B-21 bomber--``Home of the Raider.''
This designation not only means that Ellsworth will be the first base
to host the B-21 Raider but that it will also host the formal training
unit and the first operational squadron. Once operational, the B-21
Raider will be a critical part of our Nation's long-range
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strike capabilities and nuclear deterrent well into the future.
I am incredibly proud South Dakota and Ellsworth were chosen to serve
as the first base for the B-21s. My focus now is on ensuring that
Ellsworth gets everything it needs for that new mission so that it can
continue to serve as one of our Nation's most essential military assets
for decades to come.
To that end, I worked to ensure that last year's National Defense
Authorization Act contained not only full funding for B-21 development
but full funding for the first of many equipment support facilities
that will be needed for the B-21 mission at Ellsworth, including a low
observable coating restoration facility, a wash rack and maintenance
hangar, an expanded flight simulator facility, and more. Ellsworth is
well on its way to becoming ``Raider Country.''
There is more new construction on the way. Currently, I am working to
secure additional funding for the low observable coating restoration
facility as well as funding for two additional construction projects--a
weapons generation facility and a radio frequency facility. Both will
be needed to ensure that Ellsworth is able to fully conduct the nuclear
and stealth B-21 missions.
I am also working to ensure that the Air Force is able to invest in
unmanned systems to complement the mission of the B-21. And I continue
to work to enhance the Powder River Training Complex.
I intend to introduce a measure for this year's National Defense
Authorization Act to establish a pilot program that would develop
``dynamic airspace,'' the more efficient scheduling of airspace and
airspace boundaries that evolve as exercises or other flights progress.
I believe dynamic airspace will better enable the Pentagon to meet
training requirements for fifth-generation aircraft like the B-21,
which need larger volumes of airspace to accommodate longer engagement
distances. However, dynamic airspace should benefit all users of the
National Airspace System, from commercial planes and general aviation
to unmanned aircraft systems and space launches.
I look forward to working with the leaders of the Armed Services and
Commerce Committees to advance this proposal.
I am also focused on ensuring that Ellsworth has the resources it
needs to take care of our military families, particularly as more
families move into the area with the impending arrival of the B-21
mission. That includes making sure that ample housing is available and
that Douglas School District is able to support Air Force members'
children and provide sufficient classroom space.
These are critical--critical--quality-of-life issues for our military
men and women, matters that heavily influence whether they want to stay
in the service or move to the private sector, where many of their
skills are in high demand.
I am committed to ensuring that our military families are able to
thrive at Ellsworth.
Finally, as always, I continue to focus on making sure that our B-1s
have the resources they need. We still have a ways to go before our B-
1s are fully replaced by the B-21, and I am committed to ensuring that
our B-1s remain a responsive and lethal component of Global Strike
Command until their mission is over.
On Armed Forces Day and every day, I am more grateful than I can say
for our Ellsworth airmen, our South Dakota Army and Air National Guard,
and all the men and women of the U.S. military. It is because of them
that we live in peace and safety, and the freedom we enjoy is secured
by their sacrifice.
May God bless all our military men and women and keep them safe as
they stand on watch for us.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Booker). The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
H.R. 7691
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in just a few moments, the Senate is going
to pass H.R. 7691. It is an emergency supplemental to provide funding
to Ukraine and to stem the global hunger crisis exacerbated by Vladimir
Putin's unprovoked war.
It is something, of course, that has been followed very closely in
the Senate Appropriations Committee, and I am strongly in favor of this
bill as chair of that committee. It is a shame that, because of the
actions of one Senator, we could not pass this urgently needed bill,
which is going to receive overwhelming bipartisan support, last week.
To confront Vladimir Putin on the global stage, we have to stand
united.
Later tonight, I am going to be leading a delegation to Brussels.
Tomorrow, we will receive an update from NATO Secretary General
Stoltenberg on Ukraine and why the new resources provided in this bill
are urgently needed. It will be a bipartisan delegation I am leading,
and I am going to be proud to tell the NATO Secretary General that we
came together in the U.S. Senate and the House to pass this
appropriation.
The bill provides $40.1 billion in critical military and humanitarian
assistance for Ukraine to help defend Ukraine's sovereignty and
democracy abroad and address the rising global hunger crisis. This
includes $8.5 billion in additional Presidential drawdown authority for
critical weapons transfers, $8.5 billion for the Economic Support Fund
to respond to emerging needs in Ukraine, and over $5 billion for global
food aid, for which the distinguished Presiding Officer has argued for
some time.
As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and, proudly, as
President pro tempore of this body, I strongly support its passage.
With that said, it is frustrating once again that we have failed to
provide the needed funding to address the ongoing COVID pandemic.
Public health experts warn us every day that the virus is not done with
us; a new wave of cases is expected to crash over our country in the
fall. For months, the administration has warned that we do not have the
necessary vaccines, therapeutics, tests, and other resources to stay
ahead of this virus.
Today, countries around the world are already placing orders for the
next generation of vaccines, and they are going to be better suited to
the variants we face now but also to the variants we will face in the
future. The United States is not one of those countries, and without
the necessary resources, we are going to fall farther back in line, and
more Americans will die needlessly. We will also run out of needed
funds for testing and therapeutics before the next wave.
After more than 2 years and 1 million American lives lost to this
disease, time and again, we have been caught flatfooted because we have
refused to prepare for the worst. As chairman of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fight for these urgently
needed resources in the coming weeks, and I hope both Republicans and
Democrats will join me on that.
It is for the good of the American people, the people we represent.
If you get COVID and are hospitalized or get one of the variants and
face possible death, nobody cares whether you are a Republican or a
Democrat; you are an American, and we should be doing what we can to
protect you.
The people of Ukraine and the millions facing acute food insecurity
require the funds in this bill today. I strongly urge the Senate to
pass it without further delay.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Recognition of the Majority Leader
The majority leader is recognized.
Order of Business
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the vote be
delayed for a little bit--10 minutes--so I can give my opening remarks
and so the Senator from Hawaii and I can do a quick UC.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
[[Page S2604]]
Without objection, it is so ordered.
H.R. 7691
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, the U.S. Senate will keep its
promise to stand with the people of Ukraine. In a few moments, we will
begin voting to finally pass $40 billion in military, economic, and
humanitarian aid that President Biden has called on Congress to
approve. This is a large package, and it will meet the large needs of
the Ukrainian people as they fight for their survival.
As President Zelenskyy has said, the Ukrainians are caught up in a
fight for democracy--the very democracy we love--itself. It is a fight
we should not and cannot turn away from.
By passing this emergency aid, the Senate can now say to the
Ukrainian people: Help is on the way--real help, significant help, help
that could make sure that the Ukrainians are victorious.
Help is on the way in the form of Javelins and Stingers and howitzers
and other tools that are critical for victory on the battlefield.
Help is on the way in the form of food and shelter and supplies for
the 6 million Ukrainians who fled to neighboring nations because of the
brutal, brutal, nasty, horrible bombardment by Putin, who I believe is
a war criminal.
Help is on the way in the form of economic aid and food aid and the
assistance necessary to rebuild what Putin and Russia have sought to
tear down but never can. They can't tear down the hearts, the minds,
and the strength of the Ukrainian people.
Now, given how important this is, I wish I could say this vote will
be totally unanimous. Every single Democrat in the House voted for this
emergency aid package for Ukraine, and every single Democrat in this
Chamber, the Senate, is ready to support the Ukrainians as they defend
their young democracy, but unfortunately, once again, with MAGA
Republicans, who seem to be way out of line in so many ways, the story
is different on the Republican side.
While most Senators in both parties want this package done, it is
beyond troubling to see a growing circle of Senate Republicans proudly
opposing Ukrainian funding. Two days ago, 11 Republicans voted against
merely debating this legislation. It appears more and more MAGA
Republicans are on the same ``soft on Putin'' playbook that we saw used
by former President Trump. We all knew how President Trump reacted to
Putin. Sometimes it was flattery. Sometimes it was just fear--he was
fearful--but he always seemed to go along and bow down to Putin. Now we
have seen Putin's brutality, and we have seen how wrong Trump was, but
these 11 MAGA Republicans voted against even debating.
Around the world, our enemies are watching what we do right now. What
do you think they are going to conclude if they start seeing more and
more U.S. Senators oppose aid to democracies under attack by
authoritarianism? Our adversaries might conclude that we are divided,
that America is divided. They might conclude that we lack purpose. The
MAGA influence on the Republican Party is becoming all too large and
all too dominant.
We Americans--all of us, Democratic and Republican--cannot afford to
stick our heads in the sand while Vladimir Putin continues his vicious
belligerence against the Ukrainian people, while he fires at civilian
hospitals and targets and kills children and innocent people. But when
Republicans, in a significant number, oppose this package, that is
precisely the signal we are sending to enemies abroad.
Still, I am glad that, for the most part, this Chamber is united in
supporting Ukraine; and I am also glad, Mr. President, that yesterday,
on the same day that American diplomats and marines raised Stars and
Stripes over the American Embassy in Kyiv, this Chamber unanimously
voted Bridget Brink as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. It is the first
time we have an ambassador to Ukraine since 2019, and her confirmation
is terrific news that comes at a critical moment for both our
countries.
NATO
Mr. President, finally, later today, Leader McConnell and I will host
a bipartisan meeting with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. Their
application to NATO will soon come before this Chamber. And just as we
quickly worked to confirm Ambassador Brink, I hope we will be able to
act swiftly and in a bipartisan way on the resolution admitting these
nations into the ranks of the NATO alliance.
Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022
Mr. President, now on another matter--restaurants--later today, the
Senate is going to vote to move forward to give America's restaurants,
local gyms, minor league teams, and other small businesses a much
needed lifeline to get back on their feet after 2 years of pandemic. I
thank Senators Cardin and Wicker for their efforts on today's
legislation.
Every single component of this bill was drafted with bipartisan
input. The benefits would help businesses in every single State in
America, particularly those left out of earlier rounds of emergency
funding. We should be leaping into action--leaping into action--to help
these places get back on their feet in times of recovery.
Restaurants, gyms, teams, and small venues are all in the business of
providing for their communities. Today we should be in the business of
providing for them. Some say that 2 years after the start of COVID, our
restaurants don't need as much help as they once did. They think that
because lockdowns are over, because people seem to be out and about
again, it must mean things are going great for small businesses.
That is dead wrong for too many of our businesses, especially small,
family-owned places. Many can't stay open a full day because they are
short of labor, don't serve lunch, close Monday and Tuesday, don't have
people at the bar. So they can't get their full income. And at the same
time, many of these undertook big loans when they were closed during
COVID.
Those big loans are coming due. To have banks foreclose on these
ongoing businesses that are growing once again, that are employing
people once again would be a huge mistake. This bill is a lifeline to
prevent that from happening and keep jobs coming in and keep prosperity
coming in.
So that is true for restaurants; it is true for other businesses; and
we must pass this legislation to keep these vital parts of America's
economy and America's social and community life going. When minor
league teams close, entire towns have fewer options for coming
together. When theaters can't open because businesses they rely on
close down, it disintegrates the fabric of our communities.
Restaurants, gyms, sports venues, theaters--these are places where
Americans have always come together, and they still need our help.
I urge all of us who have heard from small business owners imploring
us to take action to support moving forward on today's bill, and, once
again, I thank my colleagues Cardin and Wicker for their work.
Domestic Terrorism
Mr. President, now on domestic terrorism, my home State of New York,
as everyone knows, is still grieving from the horrendous violence that
took place in Buffalo Saturday. The people I met in Buffalo on Tuesday
are with me almost every moment: the families, the survivors, the
community. It was the worst shooting in Buffalo's history. Ten innocent
people were killed, all of them Black Americans.
What happened in Buffalo was clearly a result of domestic terrorism--
terrorism fed from the madness of conspiracy theories like ``White
replacement theory,'' which is increasingly finding a home with MAGA
Republicans and cable networks like FOX News. Yesterday, I announced
that the Senate will move forward on legislation championed by Senator
Durbin to fight back against the rise of domestic terrorism in America.
In the light of the shooting in Buffalo, in the light of the rise of
racist conspiracies like the ``great replacement,'' we--all of us--have
an obligation to protect Americans by treating these incidents of
violence like the terrorist acts they are. I hope that, given
everything that is happening across the country right now, our
Republicans will join us to pass this bill swiftly.
Taking a stand against White supremacy and domestic terrorism should
be the easiest thing in the world. When any single community is
targeted by racism, it affects every one of us.
[[Page S2605]]
So we are going to take action next week on domestic terrorism
legislation, and I hope both sides send an unmistakable message against
the ascension of White supremacy that threatens the fabric of this
Nation.
Baby Formula
Mr. President, one final note on baby formula, yesterday, President
Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to respond to the shortage of
baby formula that is hurting parents and caretakers of newborns across
the country. The President is taking the issue seriously. Invoking the
DPA was exactly the right response.
I cannot imagine how hard the shortage is for families who have been
impacted. There is already such a burden on a mother of a newborn
child; we can't let this formula shortage be another stressor for
mothers in this country.
The Senate should likewise take action to help our Nation's parents.
Yesterday, the House passed a pair of bills to address the baby formula
shortage--including one with over 400 votes--that will make sure that
parents who rely on the Federal nutrition programs can continue to
access baby formula in the face of supply chain shortages. I hope the
Senate will pass both of these bills.
Here in the Senate, Senator Stabenow and Senator Boozman are
championing nearly identical legislation to the bipartisan WIC bill
that overwhelmingly passed the House. I hope the Senate can consider
this bill immediately and send it to the President so we can send swift
and tangible assistance to working parents feeling the brunt of this
shortage.
commission to study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of
Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act
Mr. President, on one additional very happy note, today, my colleague
Senator Hirono, in a few minutes, will ask consent to pass important
legislation to create a congressional Commission on the creation of the
first national Asian-American history and culture museum right here in
the Nation's Capital.
I am elated and thrilled to support bringing to the floor and voting
for this long-overdue step that will help establish one of the greatest
museums dedicated solely to telling the story of Asian Americans
throughout history. It is a story that is long overdue.
Asian Americans, from the country's founding, have played a giant
role in shaping our country. Much of that history is unknown. And we
see the growing and vibrant Asian community, from so many parts of the
world--from the Middle East, from South Asia, from East Asia, from
Southeast Asia, and everywhere else--all coming to America and working
hard and growing families and establishing businesses and making
America great.
With all the bigotry that we have seen and the increase in violence
now on Asian Americans, we have to rebut that nasty view that some
people have. And forming a museum that will show the greatness of this
community--past, present, and future--will be so important because,
from the beginning of our founding, Asian Americans have played a great
role in shaping the country.
Too much of the history is unknown. Students never even come across
these stories and lessons in school. That is disappointing. But it is
also why this Asian-American history and culture museum is so
important. An Asian-American history and culture museum would celebrate
the achievements with all Americans and all the world and exalt our
wonderful, growing, strong, beautiful Asian-American community.
I thank Senator Hirono for her work and yield the floor to her.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak up to 5
minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________