[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S75-S78]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Daines, Ms. 
        Murkowski, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Marshall, 
        Mr. Cramer, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, and Mr. Lee):
  S. 31. A bill to provide for the development and issuance of a plan 
to increase oil and gas production on Federal land in conjunction with 
a drawdown of petroleum reserves from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I come to the floor today to talk 
about the need for more American energy.
  We are approaching the end of January. Winter storms have been 
covering the country from Colorado to Connecticut. We are seeing it 
everywhere: Temperatures drop. Energy prices go up. In a typical year, 
cold actually kills more Americans than extreme heat. This winter, 
millions of families are in danger of being left out in the cold 
because of the cost of energy. We know that more than 20 million 
households in America, right now, have fallen behind on their ability 
to pay their energy bills.
  Record-high inflation has robbed the American people of more than 
$10,000 for each and every family since Joe Biden has become President. 
Just look at what people were paying for things before he came into 
office and what they are paying today. As a result, people are able to 
save less, and they are having to pay more. We know that about two out 
of three American households are living paycheck to paycheck. Personal 
savings in this country is now at a record low; household debt is at a 
record high. People are having to borrow more money and put things on 
the credit card at higher and higher interest rates.
  At the same time, energy prices are dramatically higher than they 
were the day Joe Biden took office. The cost of heating oil is up by 
two-thirds. Natural gas is higher now than in a long time. Electricity 
is up by 20 cents on the dollar. As a result, there is actually the 
risk of people having their energy and their electricity shut off this 
winter. Some are doing it voluntarily because they don't want the big 
bill that is going to come.
  It is hard to believe that it is happening here in the wealthiest 
country in the world. We have enough energy to keep every American warm 
this winter. Some of it, they won't let us get out of the ground, but 
we have it. So it is an absolute disgrace, with the energy resources we 
have in this country, that Americans are facing brownouts and blackouts 
from an energy standpoint because of the Biden administration's radical 
climate policies. Millions and millions of Americans are living with 
financial fear and with massive frustration at this administration for 
ignoring the needs of the people.
  So what are the Democrats doing about it? Nothing. Joe Biden actually 
sold some of our emergency Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. You 
wouldn't believe that; yet it happened. Our petroleum reserve is for 
America. It is for emergencies. It is for natural disasters. It is for 
war. It is not for China.
  This week, I am introducing legislation to make sure this never 
happens again. The House has already passed this legislation. The vote 
was completely bipartisan, more than 100 Democrats voted for it in the 
House. There is no reason it shouldn't be bipartisan here in the Senate 
as well.
  So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in this 
effort. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is for us. It is not for our 
enemies.
  Joe Biden has promised to use our tax dollars--I mean, it is 
astonishing. He went to the United Nations and said he was going to 
give $11 billion a year to the United Nations for climate reparations--
for energy we have used--giving away American dollars when Americans 
can't afford to pay for energy costs here at home. Why is he doing it? 
If you listen to his speech, it is because he wants to say he is sorry. 
That is what we have, a President who wants to apologize once again for 
America. He wants us to feel guilty about the fact that we have built 
the strongest economy in the world by

[[Page S76]]

using oil, gas, coal--all of the energy resources that we have in this 
country.
  The American people have nothing to apologize for. Joe Biden is 
wrong. We shouldn't apologize for being an energy superpower. We 
shouldn't apologize for using our energy resources. If he wants to 
apologize, he ought to be apologizing to the people of the United 
States for the policies he has put in place that have driven up costs 
and caused pain for families all across America. He should apologize 
for raising taxes on American energy. He should apologize for wasting 
tax dollars.
  The Secretary of Energy--his Secretary of Energy--has given more than 
$200 million in loans to companies in China. The Secretary of the 
Treasury is going to China soon. She met with China's Vice Premier 
recently in Switzerland. According to the Treasury Department, she 
agreed to ``enhance cooperation [with China] on climate finance . . . 
as well as support for . . . developing countries in their clean energy 
transitions''--in other words, more American taxpayer dollars for other 
people in other countries.
  Again, the excuse for all of this is climate.
  The Democrats in Washington are utterly obsessed with the green 
dreams of the coastal elites who run the Democratic Party, who call the 
tune. Again and again, the Democrats side with the climate elites over 
the common folks. I hear it in Wyoming. I hear it no matter where I 
travel in the country. The Democrats are offering working families 
nothing more than higher taxes and higher prices, and they continue to 
raise taxes.
  The Democrats just threatened to ban natural gas stoves. Nearly half 
of the homes in America use natural gas. This is the administration--a 
nominee by the President. That is what he said. He didn't say it once. 
He said it repeatedly. The Democrats also just raised taxes on coal by 
more than $1 billion.
  So what happens with all of these new taxes? They get handed down to 
working families in Wyoming and across America. What happens with 
higher taxes? It means higher prices and higher energy costs.
  Janet Yellen is flying around the world and offering more of our tax 
dollars to these other countries. Last week, there was a large Democrat 
political rally held in Switzerland, at a place called Davos. The 
masters of the universe flew to Switzerland for the World Economic 
Forum.
  From the television reports and the news reports, much of the 
conversation was about climate. The President's energy/climate czar, 
John Kerry, was there. He gave a speech. You talk about somebody with 
smug superiority; he just thinks he knows better than anybody else.
  Here is what he said. This is from John Kerry:

       It's extraordinary that we, a select group of human beings 
     . . . are able to talk about saving the planet.

  Thank you, John Kerry. You are going to save us all. I can hardly 
wait.
  He added:

       If you say that to most people, they think you're just a 
     crazy, tree-hugging, lefty, liberal do-gooder . . . but 
     that's where we are.

  Well, John Kerry, you are right. Most people--certainly, anybody in 
Wyoming--who would listen to you would say you are just a crazy, tree-
hugging, lefty, liberal do-gooder. That is who we have got from the 
President of the United States doing his climate bidding in 
Switzerland. This is exactly what people think about John Kerry and the 
climate crisis and the positions of this administration.
  As if one failed Presidential nominee and candidate weren't 
embarrassing enough, then we had a real Vice President who came to 
speak, a former Vice President named Al Gore. Anyone watching Al Gore 
speak would say that, basically, he descended into an unhinged rant. 
About what? Well, climate of course. That is all he ever rants about. 
The former Democrat Senator and Vice President said we are ``boiling 
the oceans.'' That is what we are doing, apparently, he said, if we 
don't obey his energy policies. Well, I am sure he and John Kerry have 
great times together. ``Boiling the oceans.'' He even said we are 
creating what he called ``rain bombs.''
  He wants to save the planet as well, and I would say: What planet is 
he on? That is what we are seeing coming out of this administration as 
their voice on the world stage.
  When it comes to energy, what are the Democrats offering? A 
fairytale, a fantasy, and a fraud. That is what we hear from the 
Democrats. The Democrats' green dreams are causing nightmares for 
working families, who have to pay for all of this. The only green thing 
about the Democrats' energy agenda is how much green it costs American 
families.
  John Kerry said it himself. He said:

       How do we get there?

  And he said:

       Money, money, money.

  That is his answer--American money, American dollars--and he is going 
to save the planet.
  Europe has already tried its own Green New Deal. It has been a 
disaster for the working people of those countries. We can't let that 
happen here. We just cannot.
  The International Energy Agency projects a record high demand for oil 
later this year. This is at a time when Joe Biden is making us keep it 
in the ground. Wyoming is the energy breadbasket of the Nation. We have 
it. It is affordable. It is available. It is reliable. That is not good 
enough for Joe Biden. No. He wants to go to Iran, go to Venezuela, go 
to Saudi Arabia, with hat in hand, and beg them to produce more and 
send it here. It is interesting listening to the climate elites as they 
are fixated on renewable energy regardless of the costs and regardless 
of the consequences.
  The Democrats need to stop this science fiction. It is long past time 
for America to unleash our energy and stop this foolishness coming from 
the administration that has us buying energy from our enemies instead 
of selling it to our friends. We have an abundance of American energy, 
and the Democrats want to keep it buried in the ground. For every 
American family who is struggling to make ends meet and is falling 
further behind because of the inflation caused by the Democrats' 
spending, it is time to unleash American energy right now.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Rubio):
  S. 41. A bill to reauthorize the READ Act; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 41

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``READ Act Reauthorization Act 
     of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 4(a) of the Reinforcing Education Accountability in 
     Development Act (division A of Public Law 115-56; 22 U.S.C. 
     2151c note) is amended by striking ``during the following 
     five fiscal years'' and inserting ``during the following ten 
     fiscal years''.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. Tester, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Booker, 
        Ms. Lummis, and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 52. A bill to amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to 
establish country of origin labeling requirements for beef, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 52

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``American Beef Labeling Act 
     of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING FOR BEEF.

       (a) Definitions.--Section 281 of the Agricultural Marketing 
     Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as 
     paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
       (2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) 
     the following:
       ``(1) Beef.--The term `beef' means meat produced from 
     cattle (including veal).''; and
       (3) in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) (as so 
     redesignated)--
       (A) in clause (i), by inserting ``, beef,'' after ``lamb''; 
     and

[[Page S77]]

       (B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``, ground beef,'' after 
     ``lamb''.
       (b) Notice of Country of Origin.--Section 282(a)(2) of the 
     Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. 1638a(a)(2)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``beef,'' after 
     ``for'';
       (2) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (D), by inserting 
     ``beef,'' before ``lamb'' each place it appears; and
       (3) in subparagraph (E)--
       (A) in the subparagraph heading, by inserting ``beef,'' 
     after ``Ground''; and
       (B) by inserting ``ground beef,'' before ``ground lamb'' 
     each place it appears.
       (c) Means of Reinstating MCOOL for Beef.--
       (1) Determination of means.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the United States Trade 
     Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, shall determine a means of reinstating mandatory 
     country of origin labeling for beef in accordance with the 
     amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) that is in 
     compliance with all applicable rules of the World Trade 
     Organization.
       (2) Implementation of means.--Not later than 1 year after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the United States Trade 
     Representative and the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
     implement the means determined under paragraph (1).
       (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) 
     and (b) take effect on the earlier of--
       (1) the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture 
     publishes a determination in the Federal Register that the 
     means determined under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) have 
     been implemented under paragraph (2) of that subsection; and
       (2) the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of 
     this Act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Young):
  S. 53. A bill to identify and combat corruption in countries, to 
establish a tiered list of countries with respect to levels of 
corruption by their governments and their efforts to combat such 
corruption, and to evaluate whether foreign persons engaged in 
significant corruption should be specially designated nationals under 
the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act; to the Committee 
on Foreign Relations.
  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, President Biden, on June 3, 2021, issued 
a memorandum on ``Establishing the Fight Against Corruption as a Core 
United States National Security Interest.'' I want to quote from the 
President when he issued that memorandum. President Biden said:

       Corruption threatens United States national security, 
     economic equity, global anti-poverty and development efforts, 
     and democracy itself. . . . [B]y effectively preventing and 
     countering corruption and demonstrating the advantages of 
     transparent and accountable governance, we can secure a 
     critical advantage for the United States and other 
     democracies.

  Corruption is a national security core interest. Corruption is the 
source of Mr. Putin's resources that he uses for his international 
activities, including the war in Ukraine and to try to bring down 
democratic states.
  Today, the Atlantic Council is releasing a report--the report titled 
``Why the kleptocrats still win: A strategy for the United States and 
Europe to address weaponized corruption.'' The report points out how 
the kleptocrats hide their wealth in Western countries because they 
believe it is safer in Western countries to hide their wealth. And the 
report points out the need for us to coordinate efforts between the 
United States and Europe.
  Today, I am filing legislation, the Combating Global Corruption Act. 
I am joined by my friend Senator Todd Young of Indiana--bipartisan 
legislation--to deal with the U.S. leadership in fighting global 
corruption. It will give the State Department and the United States an 
important tool. It will give the United States leadership in showing 
the international community the steps that need to be taken in order to 
counter corruption. It would require the State Department to publish a 
list of countries in three tiers, the highest tier being those 
countries that are taking the steps necessary to fight corruption; the 
bottom tier would be those countries that are not making the required 
effort to deal with corruption in their country.
  The State Department will be using internationally established 
standards for fighting corruption that the international community has 
already signed off on as being the proper way to fight corruption in 
your particular state.
  For example, it references the Inter-American Convention Against 
Corruption, the Organization of American States--the OAS--that was 
passed in 1996: acknowledged procedures in our hemisphere to deal with 
corruption. It references the Convention on Combating Bribery of 
Foreign Public Officials, international business transactions of the 
Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development--the OECD--which 
was adopted in 1997.
  It references the United Nations Convention against Transnational 
Organized Crime that was agreed to in 2000 and the United Nations 
Convention against Corruption, which was agreed to in 2003.
  These guidelines already exist and allow the United States to use 
those guidelines that have already been established by the global 
community to judge how every state is meeting their commitment to fight 
corruption.
  Countries that are not meeting their commitment, we put a spotlight 
on them. That spotlight encourages them to do more. It points out ways 
in which they can take action to fight corruption in their own country.
  Now, this is not a new strategy that we just came up with that we 
start giving a report on all countries on how well they are doing in 
fighting corruption. It is not a new concept. We have done that 
successfully in several other areas. One that we should take great 
pride in this institution--because we were ones who established this--
is the Trafficking in Persons requirements.
  Today, the United States files a report on every country as to how 
well they are meeting their international responsibilities to protect 
the modern victims of slavery, trafficking in persons. It has been 
bipartisan. It has been very effective.
  Secretary of State Blinken said, in releasing the report of this 
year, on July 19, 2022, he said:

       Today we're releasing the 2022 Trafficking in Persons 
     Report. It assesses how 188 countries and territories, 
     including the United States, are performing in terms of 
     preventing trafficking, protecting victims, prosecuting 
     traffickers. That makes this one of the most comprehensive 
     sources of information anywhere on anti-trafficking efforts 
     by government--what works, what doesn't, and how we can 
     continue to do better.

  We do that in preventing trafficking. We can do that in stopping 
corruption.
  We have a country report on human rights. Again, I will quote from 
Secretary of State Blinken when he released this report on April 2, 
2022. This is a report that judges all countries on how well they are 
dealing with human rights. Secretary Blinken said, in releasing that 
report on April 2 of last year:

       For nearly five decades, the United States has issued the 
     Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which strive to 
     provide a factual and objective record on the status of human 
     rights worldwide--in 2021, covering 198 countries and 
     territories. The information contained in these reports could 
     not be more vital or urgent given ongoing human rights abuses 
     and violations in many countries, continued democratic 
     backsliding on several continents, and creeping 
     authoritarianism that threatens both human rights and 
     democracy--most notably, at present, with Russia's unprovoked 
     attack on Ukraine.

  [A]nd using resources like the Country Reports on Human Rights 
Practices, we can come closer to building a world where respect for 
human rights is truly universal.
  That human rights report works. Putting a spotlight on what countries 
need to do brings about change. It promotes a core value in the United 
States, respect for human rights and good governance. We do that here 
in the United States to show global leadership.
  I will mention one other report that is issued by our State 
Department, one on international religious freedom. Again, this was 
bipartisan. So on June 2 of last year, Secretary Blinken said, when he 
released the International Religious Freedom Report:

       This report offers a thorough, fact-based review of the 
     state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and 
     territories around the world. We produced this document every 
     year since 1998. . . . Now, more than two decades later, we 
     have more than 35 governments and multilateral organizations 
     that have created offices that are dedicated to this goal.
       This year's report includes several countries where we see 
     notable progress thanks to the work of governments, civil 
     society organizations, and citizens. For example, last year, 
     the Kingdom of Morocco launched an initiative to renovate 
     Jewish heritage sites like synagogues and cemeteries, and to 
     include Jewish history in the Moroccan public school 
     curriculum. . . . [T]his report is about

[[Page S78]]

     spreading that kind of progress to more parts of the world. . 
     . . Unfortunately, the report also shows that we have more 
     work to do.

  There is value in what we do in showing the international community 
what works, what doesn't work, what countries are doing to make 
progress, whether it is on trafficking, whether it is on human rights, 
whether it is on religious freedom. And we need to do the same on 
fighting corruption. We had the model that works. And the legislation 
that Senator Young and I have introduced today allows us to provide 
such a report in fighting corruption.
  The legislation also gives the Secretary of State some additional 
tools that could be helpful. The bill directs the Secretary of State 
and Treasury to evaluate whether there are foreign persons engaged in 
significant corruption for the purposes of potential imposition of 
sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act in 
the countries listed in tier 3. That is the lowest performing tier.
  I mention that because the Magnitsky Sanctions have had a proud 
history in this Chamber. We initiated the Magnitsky Sanctions 
originally against Russia because of the torture and death of Sergei 
Magnitsky. We then made it global for those that are perpetrating gross 
violations of international human rights.
  I introduced the legislation with my partner who was the late Senator 
McCain. The two of us said we need to include corruption as one of the 
basic human rights violations that would be eligible for individual 
sanctions. And we did.
  In the last Congress, we made the Global Magnitsky Sanctions 
permanent. And I was proud that we were able to do that in the National 
Defense Authorization Act. What is unique by these sanctions is that 
they are individual. They are not against the country. They are 
personal to the individual who violates the basic rights.
  And what does it do? It prevents them from getting a visa to come to 
America because they like to visit their wealth that is here in our 
country. And it prevents them from using our banking system. It works.
  It was reportedly the first issue between Mr. Putin and President 
Trump in their first bilateral summit meeting. Mr. Putin was upset 
about these sanctions. Good. I am glad that he is.
  This legislation that Senator Young and I have introduced allows us 
to look at whether we should be using these individual sanctions--these 
Magnitsky Sanctions--against the perpetrators of corruption who have 
not been held accountable in their own country.
  There is lot to be said about why this legislation is so important. 
So I would like to just conclude by pointing out the bill that we 
introduced today is nearly identical to the bill that we introduced in 
the last Congress. It was reported out on a bipartisan basis by the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  I want to thank Senator Menendez for his help and Senator Risch for 
his help. This is not a partisan bill. This is a bipartisan bill to 
promote an American value and a national security concern and that is 
making sure that America leads in fighting corruption so we do not have 
the resources going into a country like Russia, where Mr. Putin uses it 
to try to bring down our system of government.
  I urge my colleagues to join me and Senator Young in this effort. I 
hope that we are able to pass this bill quickly in the U.S. Senate.
  We came close to doing it in the last Congress. We can get it passed 
in the House and signed by the President. I think we will look back at 
this day when that report comes out and say that we were able to 
accomplish concrete improvements in making this world a better place, 
in promoting American values, that this report will make a difference.

                          ____________________