[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 22 (Thursday, February 2, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S216-S218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Committees

  Mr. President, yesterday Republicans confirmed their committee 
assignments for the new Congress. And for the 118th Congress, I am 
excited to once again be serving South Dakotans on the Senate 
Agriculture, Finance, and Commerce Committees.
  If any committee is a good fit for a South Dakota Senator, it is the 
Senate Agriculture Committee. Agriculture is the lifeblood of South 
Dakota, and day in and day out, one of my top priorities is addressing 
the needs of farmers and ranchers.
  And my seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee gives me a 
particularly valuable platform from which to advocate for South Dakota 
producers. Over the years, thanks in part to my position on the 
committee, I have been able to help secure resources for farmers and 
ranchers whose herds and crops have been hit hard by adverse weather.
  I have been able to strengthen the farm safety net through commodity 
programs like the Agriculture Risk Coverage Program. And I have been 
able to establish a safety net for livestock producers through programs 
like the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Program. 
I have been able to make the Conservation Reserve Program a more 
effective tool for producers. And more.
  And 2023 is a particularly exciting time to be on the Ag Committee 
because 2023 is a farm bill year. During my time in Congress, I have 
been involved in drafting four farm bills, and I am eager to get to 
work on my fifth.
  I have been gearing up for the 2023 farm bill since last year, when I 
began convening roundtables with farmers and ranchers and ag 
stakeholders to hear about their top priorities for this year's bill.
  I have also introduced several pieces of legislation that I will work 
to get included in this farm bill, including legislation to strengthen 
and improve the Conservation Reserve Program, increase the information 
available on the impacts of conservation practices, and address the 
needs of South Dakota livestock producers.
  In addition to focusing on the farm bill, I will be monitoring the 
evolving situation on the Obama-era Waters of the United States rule 
that President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency just 
resurrected, which would give the Federal Government sweeping 
jurisdiction over most water features in our State, from ephemeral 
streams to prairie potholes.
  This would be a nightmare for South Dakota landowners and 
particularly farmers and ranchers, and I will be doing everything I can 
to keep the heavy hand of the Federal Government out of the business of 
regulating landowners' puddles.
  I am also proud to continue serving on the Commerce Committee of 
which I am a long-term member, including 4 years as chairman. The 
Commerce Committee's jurisdiction is broad. It is the Senate's 
``planes, trains, and automobiles'' committee and its oceans and space; 
it is the technology committee.
  Our work is inherently forward-looking, and it is often some of the 
most interesting, relevant, and exciting work going on in the Congress. 
So it is no surprise that the Commerce Committee offers plenty of 
opportunity to deliver for South Dakotans.
  With a reliable internet connection being increasingly essential for 
everyday life, closing the digital divide is more important than ever. 
And as a member of the Commerce Committee, expanding broadband access 
into unserved areas has long been a priority of mine.
  I have worked to support broadband expansion, reduce unnecessary 
obstacles to building reliable networks, and, most recently, to hold 
Federal agencies accountable to ensure that Federal funding for rural 
broadband goes to its intended purpose, which is expanding broadband 
access to areas that currently lack it.
  I also believe we need to hold Big Tech platforms accountable. South 
Dakotans and many other Americans are

[[Page S217]]

frustrated by the lack of transparency in these companies' content 
moderation practices.
  In this Congress, I will be working to advance my bipartisan 
legislation to increase transparency and due process for users on 
internet platforms.
  I will continue working to ensure that rural States like South Dakota 
have a seat at the table when it comes to infrastructure investment.
  I have spent my time on the Commerce Committee working to support 
rural States' unique transportation needs, especially maintaining 
reliable transportation for livestock and agricultural products.
  Last year, I worked on a bipartisan fix to shipping bottlenecks that 
were interrupting exports of South Dakota agriculture products and 
other goods.
  This year, we will need to reauthorize the Federal Aviation 
Administration and improvements to South Dakota's airport 
infrastructure and rural air service will be among my priorities.
  My third committee assignment is on the Senate Finance Committee. 
Over at Finance, we focus on tax, trade, and health issues. Making sure 
that our tax system is serving our economy and American workers is 
something I take very seriously. And I am deeply committed to making 
sure that we keep a lid on the amount of money the Federal Government 
is taking out of Americans' paychecks.
  I was proud to be involved in the Republican-led tax reform 
legislation that passed in 2017, which allowed Americans to keep more 
of their hard-earned money and helped ensure that American businesses 
can be competitive in the 21st century economy so that they can offer 
the best opportunities to American workers.
  And one of my priorities right now is making sure that we extend, or 
make permanent, expiring provisions of the 2017 legislation so that 
American families and businesses aren't facing tax hikes in the near 
future.
  Another priority of mine at the Finance Committee is making sure that 
we are opening new markets for American products and services abroad. 
And, of course, agriculture producers, in particular, are at the top of 
my mind. They have had a tough couple of years between inflation, 
shipping issues, meat-processing bottlenecks, and all the usual 
challenges that come with an industry where a single storm can wipe out 
a year's work. And opening up new market access opportunities for our 
ag producers to sell their products is one of my biggest Finance 
Committee priorities.
  Unfortunately, the Biden administration has done very little to 
advance U.S. trade leadership and create new markets for American 
products and services. So this year, I will be doing everything I can 
to ensure that we are advancing trade opportunities that benefit 
American producers and American workers.
  It is the honor of my life to represent South Dakotans in the U.S. 
Senate. And I am excited about the opportunities that I will have this 
year at the Agriculture, Finance, and Commerce Committees to serve the 
people of South Dakota and to help make life better for Americans 
around the country.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


          30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, by all accounts, America has made a 
remarkable recovery in the last 2 years. When President Biden entered 
office, we faced the worst public health crisis in the history of our 
country, the most daunting economic challenge since the Great 
Depression, and a global upheaval that disrupted every aspect of our 
lives.
  Two years later, America is coming back. Thanks to the work of our 
Democratic majority, the cost of living is finally coming down. But we 
are not out of the woods yet.
  If you travel in my State of Illinois, which I have been doing over 
the last several weeks--especially in Central and Southern Illinois--
you will notice the same sign hanging in one business after another: 
``Help Wanted.'' You can't help but notice in my hometown of 
Springfield, there is a franchise of Chicken Fingers that is going to 
be opening soon. There is a sign outside the soon-to-be completed 
building that says $15 an hour, please call us to work in fast food.
  While businesses are reopening their doors and demand for goods and 
services is rebounding, America is still struggling with a shortage of 
workers. I hear it everywhere, particularly in the healthcare sector, 
where the shortage of nurses and medical professionals really creates a 
hardship in the center city, as well as in urban areas, small towns, 
and large cities alike. This shortage of medical professionals is a 
national emergency, which I will address at another time.
  In addition to that, we have to ask ourselves, what is the reason for 
the shortage? Make no mistake, the decision of the Trump administration 
to cut down legal immigration to the United States is one of the 
reasons. We usually have about 1 million immigrants a year, legal 
immigrants, come to work. During the Trump years, a total of 4 years, 
it was 1 million. So they cut the number by three-fourths. We wonder 
why we are still looking for workers.
  Let's be very honest about it. Whether in the city of Chicago, 
Springfield, or downstate Illinois, these immigrant workers are willing 
to take jobs many Americans will not take. They work harder at them and 
really do their best to help their families get started in this 
country. That is the story of America, and it is a story that needs to 
be repeated because immigration labor at this point is critical not 
just in the cities but in the agricultural areas, as the Presiding 
Officer from New Mexico knows well. We need workers, and we need good 
ones, and immigrants can be part of that workforce.
  At the same time, there is a fundamental problem in our economy that 
we need to be addressing honestly. The work-life balance is out of 
whack. Today, fewer and fewer Americans are willing to work long hours 
for survival wages, especially when they have urgent, personal family 
responsibilities at home, like caring for an infirm parent or a 
newborn.
  Last month, I received a letter from one of my constituents in 
Illinois. It speaks to the problems facing parents and caregivers, as 
well as many others.
  She wrote:

       My husband and I both have good jobs. . . . We have three 
     children. [The cost of childcare accounts for] over a quarter 
     of our monthly take home [pay]. All of our other bills 
     combined don't even equal that. I can only imagine the burden 
     on other families. . . . No wonder unemployment is so high. 
     How are people able to afford or even find childcare[?]

  This constituent asks if Congress has any plans to revive the 
enhanced child tax credit that we included in the American Rescue Plan. 
I wish I could tell her yes, but sadly the new Republican majority in 
the House of Representatives does not even mention this as a priority 
in the future. Daycare and childcare and caregivers are a critical part 
of family life for so many Americans. Yet, the Republicans, at least in 
the House of Representatives, are ignoring the reality.
  Beyond the child tax credit, her letter makes one thing clear: Our 
safety net has too many holes in America, and if a parent working a 
full-time job can still fall through that, then clearly we have work to 
do.
  I think about that constituent's story as we approach the 30th 
anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act this Sunday. Back in 
1993, this law passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. In the 
decade since, more than 315 million workers have relied on that to take 
care of themselves and their family members. It is hard to imagine, but 
in the days before the Family and Medical Leave Act, America had zero 
Federal job protections for workers with a new baby or a sick family 
member at home.
  This law was a massive victory for working families, but today, it is 
just not enough. The Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees 12 weeks 
of unpaid leave for workers. How does that help pay for the diapers, 
the formula, medications? Well, it just doesn't. Worse yet, many full-
time workers are excluded from the law's basic job protections. In 
Illinois alone, nearly 60

[[Page S218]]

percent of working adults don't qualify for unpaid leave under the 
Family and Medical Leave Act--6 out of 10 workers.
  Here is the bottom line: If you want to get America back to work, you 
need to back them up. The Family and Medical Leave Act is a promising 
foundation, but it just isn't enough. We need to modernize the American 
safety net for a new generation of workers.
  Think about this: Over the next decade, adults over the age of 65 are 
projected to outnumber children in America for the first time in our 
history. That is going to make life even more challenging for the 53 
million Americans who are today already serving as caregivers for a 
family member or partner. This is particularly challenging for young 
Americans. One in four family caregivers is a millennial who, on 
average, spends 21 hours a week caring for a loved one at home. That is 
more than half of a full workweek, and they don't see a dollar for it.
  These Americans, many of whom are also balancing a full-time job with 
full-time responsibilities as a caregiver, really need our help. They 
deserve it--at least a living wage to start with. Our Federal minimum 
wage is a starvation wage. There is not a single part of the country 
where $7.25 an hour is enough--not even close. Let's raise it.
  While we are at it, let's also revive that enhanced child tax credit 
that reduced child poverty in America by one-third. Think about that. 
Kids living in poverty--the total was reduced by one-third just from 
the child tax credit. That is breathing room for a lot of parents to 
make ends meet.
  If we really want to help Americans get back to work, we should start 
by building on the success of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
  (The remarks of Mr. Durbin pertaining to the introduction of S. 242 
are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. Durbin. 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. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Texas.