[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 126 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                PACT Act

  Madam President, now on a completely different matter, yesterday, the 
Senate should have been able to clear bipartisan legislation expanding 
VA benefits for millions of men and women who have served bravely in 
our Armed Forces. I appreciate the work our colleagues on Veterans' 
Affairs have done on the PACT Act. I support the substance of the bill.
  But even on legislation this major and this costly, the Democratic 
leader tried to block the Senate from any semblance of a fair amendment 
process. Specifically, the senior Senator from Pennsylvania has an 
amendment that would ensure we do not just apply a financial bandaid to 
the problem but actually fix the underlying accounting issue. As 
written, the legislation would not just help America's veterans as 
designed. It would also allow Democrats to effectively spend the same 
money twice and enable hundreds of billions in new, unrelated spending 
on the discretionary side of the Federal budget.
  There is no excuse why the Democratic leader should continue to block 
Senator Toomey's commonsense amendment. A bill this important and this 
bipartisan deserves for us to fix the accounting gimmick, and then it 
deserves to become law.
  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. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Booker). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.