[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4556-S4558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Government Funding

  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, agriculture is a critical part of 
Nebraska's economy. It accounts for, roughly, $25.7 billion of 
Nebraska's gross State product. That is a little less than a quarter of 
our State's overall GDP. Nearly one in four jobs in the State is tied 
to agriculture.
  That economic output is important because, thanks to States like 
Nebraska, hard-working family farmers and ranchers produce a wide 
variety of products that keep our grocery stores stocked and help to 
feed the world. But our Nation's agricultural bounty doesn't do anyone 
much good if it can't get to market, and that is where our complex 
transportation and infrastructure system comes into play.
  The railroad industry, in particular, has a big role in bringing 
agricultural products to locations across the United States. That 
includes ports, where they can then be shipped to locations around the 
world. Whether it is grain or soybeans, railroads provide the means to 
affordably move thousands of tons of goods where they need to go. It is 
estimated that rail delivers 1.6 million carloads of agricultural 
products a year. That is why I am deeply concerned about the potential 
for a rail shutdown later this week.
  I think it is very important that people understand what kind of 
economic impact such as a shutdown would have and how it would upend 
our Nation's agricultural sector. The consequences would be 
devastating. When agricultural products can't be transported, there 
will be price hikes, and there will be shortages. Our international 
exports of commodities like corn, soy, wheat, of which a large share 
moves by rail, will fall dramatically.
  Fertilizer prices--an already expensive input due to inflation--will 
further skyrocket. The mere prospect of a shutdown on Friday means 
fertilizer and other hazardous materials have already started being 
removed from the rail networks on September 12. Biofuel plants could be 
forced to scale down operations or completely shut down.
  I would also point out that we have harvest coming up in Nebraska. 
Family farmers in my State, many of whom are grappling with rapidly 
rising input costs, need a good harvest season. And if rail service 
isn't feasible, that possibility could go out the window.
  Grain elevators, for example, could run out of storage and be unable 
to accept additional commodities. Family farmers and ranchers will lose 
critical revenue streams.
  The bottom line is, if rail shuts down, our entire agricultural 
system shuts down. It is that simple.
  All of this economic chaos would come on top of extreme inflation. 
Today's numbers put grocery prices up 13.5 percent over last year. 
Think about the toll this out-of-control inflation is taking on our 
working-class families.
  Then there is the international turmoil. Russia's horrific invasion 
of Ukraine has dramatically curtailed the flow of grain, which, in 
turn, has exasperated food insecurity in Africa and the Middle East. 
And the war has also further strained the fertilizer supply chain. All 
of this is to say that the stakes of these rail negotiations couldn't 
be higher.
  Nine of the twelve labor unions in the rail sector have been able to 
utilize the Presidential Emergency Board recommendations to come to an 
agreement. I note that the Board is composed of neutral, impartial 
individuals appointed by President Biden. Their recommendations are 
widely seen as benefiting all parties. It is critical that the 
remaining labor unions and the rail industry use those recommendations 
to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
  Our entire agricultural system is at stake here, the economic welfare 
of the American people is at stake here, and the global food security 
is also at stake here.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CORNYN. Madam President, there are a lot of important things that 
we do here in the U.S. Senate, hopefully, every day; certainly, every 
week, month, and over the year. But there are a couple of pieces of 
legislation which are literally must-pass pieces of legislation. They 
deserve an even higher priority than our day-to-day work here. These 
must-pass pieces of legislation are critical to the function of our 
government.
  First, for example, government funding is critical so we can keep the 
lights on and keep the government working on behalf of the American 
people. If Congress fails to pass an appropriations bill, the 
government will literally shut down and millions of government workers 
will be left without a paycheck and the American people will be left 
without the services that those government employees would otherwise 
provide.
  The good news is, at this moment, there appears to be little appetite 
for a funding fiasco at the end of this fiscal year at the end of this 
month. In a couple of weeks, I expect we will vote on a stopgap funding 
bill to keep the lights on and the trains moving until the end of the 
year.
  Continuing resolutions like this, leading up to an end-of-the-year 
omnibus appropriations bill, are never my first choice. My hope would 
be that we would take up and pass each of the individual appropriations 
bills on a timely basis and then bring them across the floor of the 
U.S. Senate, pass them, and get them to the President for his 
signature. But, unfortunately, that hasn't happened under the current 
management.
  There are other bills that receive the ``must-pass'' label. These 
could be anything from farm bills to disaster relief. Each of these are 
important. But, in my view, the ultimate must-pass piece of legislation 
is the National Defense Authorization Act.
  Each year, this is how we make sure that our men and women in uniform 
have the support and the tools and the training they need and the pay 
to compensate them for their service as well as the support their 
families deserve, which is particularly important in an All-Volunteer 
military. This is how we maintain our military bases, modernize our 
weapons systems, and invest in the next generation of weapons.
  It is how we take stock of the global threat landscape, which always 
seems

[[Page S4557]]

like it is getting more and more ominous, and we make sure that our 
country is prepared to counter even our most aggressive adversaries.
  That is why Congress has passed a consolidated defense authorization 
bill for each of the past 61 years. For 61 years in a row, we passed a 
national defense authorization bill. But, apparently, the majority 
leader, Senator Schumer, is contemplating not doing that this year.
  A strong and ontime defense authorization act has always been 
crucial, but this particular moment in history demands even greater 
attention.
  As we know, on February 24--nearly 7 months ago--Russia launched an 
unprovoked war against Ukraine. Thankfully, the civilized world has 
rallied around Ukraine, supplying it with the tools and weapons they 
need not only to fight but to win this war.

  At the same time, we know thousands of miles away, the Chinese 
Communist Party and the People's Republic of China have become 
increasingly hostile to the West and desperate to project its military 
power. It continues, at the same time, to commit genocide against the 
Uighurs and other ethnic minorities, and it is likely preparing an 
invasion of Taiwan.
  North Korea has declared itself to be a nuclear weapons state. Iran 
is pursuing its own nuclear ambitions and a breakout for those nuclear 
weapons, which is the point when they actually acquire one. It is 
getting closer every day.
  We know after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that the 
Taliban, which once gave nurture to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, 
attacked the Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
  And, of course, the political instability from the disastrous means 
or method by which we withdrew from Afghanistan, literally turning over 
billions of dollars to the Taliban and weapons that they never would 
have otherwise been able to acquire, has created a tremendous amount of 
instability in the region, where already Pakistan and India warily eye 
each other, both of whom are nuclear powers.
  So given the walk around the globe and the identification of these 
multitude of threats, you would think that passing a defense 
authorization act would be the highest priority for the U.S. Congress 
and particularly the Senate.
  If you think about it, all of the freedoms and the standard of 
living, the quality of life we enjoy in this country, our prosperity, 
are all directly related to our ability to keep our country safe and 
keep the American people safe. That should be our No. 1 priority.
  But the truth is, we can't match these stakes. We can't rise to this 
demand and this need with continuing resolutions and past-due 
authorizations.
  Our men and women in uniform need to prepare and train every day, 365 
days a year. And if we don't pass a defense authorization act now, we 
will be stealing time that we already don't have.
  General MacArthur, who became famous in the Korean war, said the 
history of failure in war can be summed up in two words: ``too late''--
too late.
  Now, our colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, on a 
bipartisan basis, under the leadership of Senator Reed, a Democrat, and 
Senator Inhofe, a Republican, have compiled a strong bill that would 
strengthen and modernize our national defense. But the Senate Armed 
Services Committee completed its work on July 18. Here we are, 
September 13.
  Senator Schumer, the one who sets the agenda for the U.S. Senate, has 
yet to bring that bill to the floor. Of all of the must-pass bills that 
I hear discussed in the media and among our colleagues, rarely are 
people talking about the Defense authorization bill.
  The Presiding Officer succeeded John McCain in the U.S. Senate. John 
McCain was, of course, not only a war hero; he was a proud patriot. And 
he was a bear of a man to deal with. But I dare say, if John McCain 
were alive today, we would be on a defense authorization bill before we 
break for the midterm elections because he would not let anyone rest if 
we broke or threatened to break that 61-year consistent threat of 
meeting that No. 1 priority obligation.
  I was hoping that the Senate would consider the Defense authorization 
bill this month and give our planners at the Pentagon and our 
commanders the predictability they need, as well as our military 
families the support that they deserve and need, not to mention our men 
and women who are on the frontlines fighting to protect our country, 
the tools and the training they need in order to do their job. I was 
optimistic that given the clear and present danger of the situation we 
are living through now, the threat landscape, and the desire to show 
our bipartisan support for our military, that we would, naturally, make 
this the 62nd year consecutively to pass the Defense authorization 
bill.
  The only other must-pass item on the Senate's to-do list this month 
is to keep the government funded, and the Democratic majority has 
already committed to the short-term extension until the middle of 
December. So there is just no excuse for putting off the annual Defense 
bill. But for some reason, to this point, Senator Schumer, the Senate 
majority leader who sets the agenda in the Senate, does not seem to 
agree that is an urgent, must-pass piece of legislation.
  I know there is bipartisan support to encourage him to bring this 
bill up, but so far he hasn't been swayed. The Defense authorization 
bill seems to be at the bottom of his priority list, below judicial 
nominations and a bill to codify a right to marry that is not even in 
jeopardy.
  Given everything that is going on in the world, there is simply no 
reason to delay consideration of the Defense authorization bill. In 
fact, there is every reason to do it on time and for the 62nd 
consecutive year.
  We all know that American strength and leadership are vital to global 
security and equally vital to protecting our homeland. The Senate 
simply should not ignore its responsibility when it comes to our 
readiness.
  Now, one of the things that concerns me the most, because he is not 
talking about this being a priority, is that he will try to stick this 
Defense authorization bill on an appropriations bill at the end of the 
year, sort of as a cleanup, but if he does that, he will effectively 
deny Senators floor time to offer debate and to actually have votes on 
the bill and how to improve it.
  One amendment I intend to offer if given the opportunity is a bill I 
introduced with Senator Shaheen from New Hampshire which would help 
replenish our defense stockpiles.
  As we all know by now, the United States has provided Ukraine 
unprecedented defense aid--Stingers, Javelins, grenade launchers, small 
arms, ammunition, and so much more. This assistance is not a handout. 
This is not a charity project. As much as we want to see Ukraine 
prevail, our material support for Ukraine is not entirely altruistic. 
The United States isn't just investing in a Ukrainian victory; we are 
also putting our resources toward a Russian defeat. We are trying to 
help snuff out the fire before it spreads even further west. We know 
what Mr. Putin's aspirations are; it is to restore the great Russian 
Empire that existed when the Soviet Union existed.
  We know that there is a delicate balance to strike here. Our support 
for Ukraine cannot come, should not come at the cost of our own 
military readiness. And we have requirements way beyond just Ukraine, 
as I mentioned earlier--the People's Republic of China, North Korea, 
Iran.
  The United States is a global power, and we have to be ready whenever 
and wherever the threat arises. We have to be able to replenish our 
weapons stockpiles quickly so we are ready whatever may come our way. 
Unfortunately, there are a lot of bureaucratic hurdles in the way.
  I was shocked when I saw that the Pentagon is not in a position to 
replace the Javelins and Stinger missiles that we provided Ukraine 
because they don't have an operating production line, and they said it 
may take a couple of years. I know that our friends and allies in 
Europe that are providing weapons to the Ukrainians have every 
expectation that the United States will replenish those stockpiles of 
weapons so that they can defend their country and meet their NATO 
obligations.
  So the level of unreadiness at the Pentagon to meet the current need 
is shocking. The Defense Department can't place an order for more 
Javelins and then have them show up at the Pentagon 5 to 7 business 
days later. It

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simply doesn't work like that. The process of purchasing, 
manufacturing, and deploying this lethal aid takes a lot of time, 
which, to be frank, we do not have.
  Senator Shaheen and I have recently introduced a bipartisan bill 
called the Securing American ARMS Act to remove some of the hurdles and 
the bureaucratic delay in replenishing those stockpiles. It will give 
the Department of Defense the ability to fast-track the procurement 
process. That includes times like these when the United States is 
providing defense articles to an ally or a partner that is under armed 
attack by a U.S. adversary.
  Our bill would also give the Defense Department the ability to 
expedite the delivery of defense articles to our allies and partners in 
need. This will allow us to continue to provide critical support to 
Ukraine--but not just limited to Ukraine--all without compromising our 
national defense or our ability to meet other obligations around the 
world.
  I appreciate Senator Shaheen working with me on this bill, which now 
has more than a dozen bipartisan cosponsors.
  When the Senate finally begins consideration of the Defense 
Authorization Act, I hope this legislation will be a part of it. At the 
same time, as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 
I am hopeful we can also reauthorize the U.S. intelligence community, 
which usually takes a ride on the Defense Authorization Act.
  The hard-working men and women of the intelligence community carry 
out missions day in and day out that inform key policy decisions and 
the work of the U.S. military. Of course, being intelligence operators, 
their work is not acknowledged necessarily like a member of our 
uniformed services, but their service is vital to our missions and our 
interests around the world.
  One great example of the role the intelligence community played in 
the runup to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was that our intelligence 
community was able to provide skeptical allies with irrefutable proof 
of Russia's intentions and showed exactly what Russia was planning 
before February 24. I have no doubt that this intelligence contributed 
to the unified response in the days and weeks following. And we engaged 
in enhanced information and intelligence sharing on a real-time basis 
that I think has helped facilitate Ukraine's strong national defense 
and now counteroffensive that they are currently engaged in, trying to 
recapture some of their territory that Russia has previously occupied.
  I want to particularly recognize the chairman and the ranking member 
of the Senate Intelligence Committee--Senator Warner, a Democrat from 
Virginia, and Senator Rubio, a Republican from Florida--for their 
leadership in helping us pass the Intelligence Authorization Act 
unanimously in July. Like other authorization bills, this outlines 
funding levels for the intelligence community, but it also contains 
legislative oversight of America's intelligence apparatus.
  Strong oversight is crucial to ensuring accountability, while 
enabling our intelligence professionals to accomplish the complex and 
difficult missions the American people demand of them. With the ongoing 
war in Ukraine and threats from China continuing to grow, we need 
intelligence at the speed of relevance. This is how we help assure 
everyone, from our policymakers to our warfighters, that we will have 
the tools to maintain America's preeminent global position and ensure 
the defense of our homeland.

  I appreciate the hard work of Senator Rubio and Senator Warner to 
advance this reauthorization, and again, I hope, when we take up the 
Defense Authorization Act at some point, that it will be included.
  So, Madam President, let me just conclude where I started. The 
National Defense Authorization Act is a must-pass piece of legislation. 
We have passed it for 61 years in a row. Yet, when I hear Senator 
Schumer, the majority leader, talk about things we need to do before 
the midterm elections, I don't hear a peep out of him on his intention 
to move that Defense Authorization Act.
  Providing for the common defense is one of Congress's most basic 
responsibilities. If we can't keep the American people and our 
democracy safe, we will have failed in our first and most urgent duty. 
There is far too much at stake to let the NDAA linger on the Senate 
calendar for more months. So my hope is that the majority leader will 
bring this bill to the floor this month and provide Senators who are 
not on the Armed Services Committee an opportunity to participate in 
the process by debating and offering amendments like the one I 
described earlier so we can strengthen our national defense at this 
critical moment in our Nation's history.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.