[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 156 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4669-S4675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION 
                          TO PROCEED--Resumed

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to H.R. 3935, 
which the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:

       Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 211, H.R. 3935, a bill to 
     amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and 
     improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil 
     aviation programs, and for other purposes.


                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.


                         Continuing Resolution

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, as I have said for months, the only 
solution for avoiding a harmful government shutdown is bipartisanship. 
We now have 4 days to go until funding expires on Saturday at midnight. 
We are now right at the precipice. Yet, all last week, Speaker 
McCarthy, instead of focusing on bipartisanship, catered to the hard 
right and has nothing--nothing--to show for it. And now the Speaker 
will put on the floor hard-right appropriation bills that have nothing 
to do with avoiding a shutdown.
  So, this week, the Senate will move forward first. Over the weekend, 
Senate Democrats and Republicans together worked in good faith to reach 
an agreement on a continuing resolution that will keep the government 
open beyond September 30. We are very close to finishing our work and 
hope to release text very soon.
  This bipartisan CR is a temporary solution, a bridge toward 
cooperation and away from extremism, and it will allow us to keep 
working to fully fund the Federal Government and spare American 
families the pain of a shutdown. While, for sure, this bill does not 
have everything either side wants, we will continue to fund the 
government at present levels while maintaining our commitment to 
Ukraine's security and humanitarian needs and while also ensuring those 
impacted by natural disasters across the country begin to get the 
resources they need.
  In a few hours, we will hold the first procedural vote to move 
forward on the vehicle for the CR, and I thank my colleagues and staff 
from both sides of the aisle who spent all weekend negotiating in good 
faith to get us to this point. The Senate CR is a good, sensible, and 
bipartisan--let me emphasize, bipartisan--bill. It will achieve the 
most important immediate goal,

[[Page S4670]]

avoiding a shutdown. It will protect American families from needless 
pain, pay our troops, and make good on our promise to American seniors. 
It will promote access to affordable healthcare, sustain investment in 
lifesaving research, and avoid costly disruptions to our supply chains.
  Now, of course, today's agreement won't have everything that both 
sides want. But let me repeat: This CR is a bridge, not a final 
destination. It will help us achieve our immediate and necessary goal 
of avoiding a government shutdown and move us away from the senseless 
and aimless extremism that has dominated the House so we can get to 
work on appropriations.
  We can and must do more to respond to disasters that have ravaged the 
country. We can and must do more to lower costs and grow the middle 
class. We can and must do more to stand with our friends in Ukraine and 
resist Putin's dangerous attacks on democracy and freedom. And we can 
and must do more to finish the bipartisan appropriations process in a 
way that makes strong investments in our country, in our families, and 
in our future.
  We will continue to work on these and many more, but, right now, this 
CR is a must-needed bridge away from extremism and toward cooperation. 
Make no mistake, a shutdown would be a terrible outcome for the 
country, despite what some on the hard right would have us ludicrously 
believe.
  It is hard for me to believe that some on the extreme right in the 
other Chamber say they actually want a shutdown--what insanity. This 
will avoid that, that terrible outcome.
  It will pay for our servicemembers, which could be halted if there is 
a shutdown. It would prevent millions of Americans who count on 
government services from suffering. It would prevent food safety, 
public health protection, small business loans, and infrastructure 
projects from being cut and, at least temporarily, ended, because they 
are all at risk right now, if there is a shutdown.
  If there is a shutdown, TSA could be thrown into chaos, meaning 
possible delays and disruptions for all flyers. Border enforcement 
Agencies would be undermined. Even FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund could 
actually dry up.
  We don't need to go through any of this. The Senate's bipartisan CR 
will ensure that none of the bad things I just enumerated happen. I 
urge--I urge strongly--reasonable Members of both Chambers to come 
together to pass this bridge CR and move forward, freed from the hard-
right extremists who are hell-bent on destroying trust in government 
and hurting millions and millions of middle-class families.


                       United Auto Workers Strike

  Mr. President, now on labor, the UAW, and the WGA, early this 
morning, before I came to Washington, I went to Rockland County, NY, 
and stood with UAW Local 3039 on the picket line in solidarity with 
their fight for better wages, better benefits, safer working 
conditions. Rain or shine--and today it was mostly rain--UAW Local 3039 
is out there, standing for a fair, equitable contract to share in the 
profits they helped create.
  We must not forget that during the auto crisis of 2008, unions and 
workers gave back plenty. It is one of the reasons that the auto 
companies are making such large profits. And the workers are entitled 
to have a fair share of those profits. So we need to make sure the 
settlement is fair to working people.
  It is simple: When unions win, workers win; the middle class wins; 
America wins. Just take the WGA strike--the Writers Guild--for example. 
This past weekend, after nearly 5 months on strike, the WGA announced a 
tentative settlement with Hollywood studios to get members back to 
work. The WGA deal proves that progress is possible, that workers can 
gain, and I hope it encourages the big three auto companies to stay at 
the table and bargain in good faith.
  Today, in a milestone for the UAW strike and the history of working 
people in this country, President Biden traveled to Michigan today to 
stand with the UAW on the picket line. It is likely to be the first 
time in 100 years a sitting President joined workers on the picket 
line. It shows how important strong labor unions are to this President 
and to Democrats. That is why I thought it was appropriate for me this 
morning to join some of our New York UAW members on the picket lines in 
New York, as the President marched in Michigan.
  President Biden's visit underscores a historic moment for the 
American labor movement. We may be on track to see the most labor 
activity in 40 years. And I am proud that so many of my colleagues on 
the Democratic side of the aisle have stood on the line with workers, 
fighting for a better life.
  As President Biden said today, ``The middle class built this country. 
And unions built the middle class.'' Praise God we have a President as 
pro-union and pro-worker as President Biden in office at a time like 
this. Of course, we weren't always so lucky. Former President Trump 
will also be in Michigan this week, where he will no doubt try to style 
himself as a champion of unions and working Americans. That is pretty 
rich coming from someone who led one of the most anti-worker 
administrations in recent memory, one openly hostile to labor unions, 
disinterested in the well-being of working families, and who appointed 
anti-labor people to many of the Agencies that regulate labor.
  No working American should believe Donald Trump when he claims to 
fight for them. Where was Donald Trump when UAW went on strike against 
GM in 2019? All talk, no substance. Even now, he is openly attacking 
the UAW that is trying to secure better contracts.
  The difference between the Biden administration's record on labor and 
the Trump administration's record couldn't be starker. Under the Biden 
administration, Democrats secured historic relief to protect hard-
earned pensions through the American Rescue Plan. Under the Trump 
administration, on the other hand, Republicans reversed rules to expand 
overtime pay for 8 million workers, loosened infection and safety rules 
for oil rigs and coal companies, and reversed bans on toxic pesticides 
that protected farm workers.
  Under the Biden administration, Democrats broke the nearly decade-
long funding freeze on the National Labor Relations Board. But under 
the Trump administration, Republicans appointed the most anti-labor 
NLRB nominees, and they voted to make it harder for workers to 
organize, while making it easier for employers to oust existing unions.
  Under the Biden administration, we passed historic bills, like the 
infrastructure bill, CHIPS and Science, and the Inflation Reduction, 
all of which are creating good-paying jobs. As majority leader, I made 
sure that pro-union provisions were written into this legislation. But 
under the Trump administration, Republicans passed a $1.5 trillion tax 
cut that overwhelmingly benefited big corporations and the 
ultrawealthy, while giving peanuts to working families whom Donald 
Trump claimed to fight for.
  So it easy to see who is really on the side of unions and working 
Americans and who isn't.
  I was proud to stand with the UAW this morning, and I am proud that 
President Biden is standing with working people of this country today.
  I yield the floor.


                  Recognition of the Minority Leader.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is 
recognized.


                           Government Funding

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, at midnight on Saturday, current 
appropriations will run out, and the Federal Government will shut down. 
Over the years, I have been pretty clear in my view that government 
shutdowns are bad news, whichever way you look at them. They don't work 
as political bargaining chips. They create unnecessary hardships for 
millions of Americans--for example, the nearly 46,000 servicemembers 
and 22,000 civilian workers in my home State of Kentucky who earn 
Federal Government paychecks--and they hardly ever produce meaningful 
policy outcomes at the end of the day.
  A government shutdown would be an unnecessary disruption of the 
important work on the Senate's agenda. So I would urge each of my 
colleagues to work this week to avoid one.

  For the past several months, Senator Collins, Senator Murray, and our 
colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have worked diligently to 
help the Senate fulfill our commitment to funding the government 
through regular order. As that important work

[[Page S4671]]

continues, colleagues in both Chambers are rightly concerned about a 
number of distinct priorities.
  They are focused on taking further action to rein in reckless 
spending as we continue to rebuild our national defense. They are 
concerned about addressing the consequences of the Biden 
administration's failure to secure our southern border. They are eager 
to provide relief to communities recovering from natural disasters, 
from Hawaii to Florida. And bipartisan majorities recognize the ongoing 
need to counter Russia and China and continue to provide lethal aid to 
Ukraine. In the coming weeks, I hope the administration will work with 
Congress to address these pressing needs.
  But in order for work on appropriations to continue uninterrupted, 
Congress needs to extend government funding by the end of this week. 
The sooner Congress keeps the lights on, the sooner these important 
conversations can resume.
  The clearest path forward is a standard, short-term continuing 
resolution. Our work this week needs to produce the resources and 
flexibility to maintain essential government functions at their current 
rates of operation while progress on full-year appropriations 
continues.
  Just to reiterate, delaying action on short-term government funding 
doesn't advance the ball on any meaningful policy priorities. Shutting 
the government down over a domestic budget dispute doesn't strengthen 
anyone's political position; it just puts important progress on ice, 
and it leaves millions of Americans on edge.
  So I expect that the Appropriations Committee will finalize a short-
term funding extension in the very near future for the Senate to 
review. I would encourage each of our colleagues to join me in 
supporting the standard, responsible step forward.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Democratic whip.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to join the Republican leader, as 
well as the Democratic leader, with our hopes that we can still rescue 
the situation on Capitol Hill before the deadline. We have an impending 
government shutdown that is only 5 days away.
  The House Republicans on the other side of the Rotunda have not taken 
on their responsibility at this moment, and we are doing our best on a 
bipartisan basis to do the opposite. Extreme factions of the Republican 
Party continue to list their demands for reckless cuts and partisan 
proposals in exchange for keeping the lights on in the Federal 
Government. In doing so, their radical agenda is holding the livelihood 
of the American people and the proper functioning of our government 
hostage.
  House Republicans' proposals, which some of their own Members don't 
even agree with, would cut millions of dollars from public health, 
childcare, education, food safety, law enforcement, housing, and more. 
These cuts would create uncertainty for hard-working families across 
the country, and they would put our national security and economic 
well-being at risk.
  Instead of negotiating in good faith, House Republicans are willing 
to put the country through the pain of a shutdown. Now, we have had 
shutdowns before. I remember them well--2013, 2018, and now the threat 
of one in 2023. It appears to be a 5-year cycle. The shutdowns in 2013 
and 2018 reduced economic output and GDP growth by projections in the 
billions. They forced Federal employees to go without checks, to either 
work without pay or be furloughed, and that included our military at 
the time. Servicemembers would not be paid until Congress funds the 
government. That would mean missed paychecks and strained household 
budgets for the duration of a shutdown, until extreme MAGA Republicans 
felt their demands had been met.
  Take one Agency for example--the National Institutes of Health, the 
premier medical research Agency in the world. They would have to delay 
new clinical trials during a government shutdown, stalling critical 
medical research on diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's.
  A shutdown would halt training of 2,600 air traffic controllers at a 
time when our country desperately needs them, and the air traffic 
controllers already on the job would have to work without pay. How 
would you like to have the pressure of that job and in the back of your 
mind wonder if you are going to make your mortgage payment? That would 
potentially lead to delays, longer wait times for those traveling, as 
we have seen in past shutdowns. The same goes for TSA.
  The shutdown would delay major infrastructure projects that were 
created by the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
  It could jeopardize the benefits of more than 6 million American 
participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, 
Children, and Infants, including 170,000 in my home State of Illinois.
  Public housing operations and housing choice voucher subsidies could 
be at risk of running out of funding.
  A shutdown could deplete relief funds and slow emergency responses in 
the case of natural disasters. We have seen evidence of plenty of 
those.
  In short, it would be nothing less of a disaster for the economy and 
for American families for this handful of MAGA Republicans to stop the 
funding of our government.
  Here in the Senate, we have taken a bipartisan approach to the task 
of keeping our government funded.
  I have served on the Senate Appropriations Committee for a number of 
years, and I have watched carefully as the procedure of that 
committee--one of the most important committees in the Senate--has 
changed.
  For the last almost 5 years, we have gone without a meaningful, 
bipartisan effort to write budget bills, and we have taken from the 
Members the opportunity on the floor of the Senate to actually review 
those bills and make amendments.
  It is our good fortune that the leaders in the Senate Appropriations 
Committee currently are two of the best. One of the best Democratic 
Senators and legislators, Patty Murray, of Washington, chairs the 
Appropriations Committee. Her ranking Republican member, Susan Collins, 
of Maine, is another extraordinary legislator. What they managed to 
achieve so far in the Appropriations Committee is a tribute not only to 
their skill but also a tribute to bipartisanship.
  They have reported out all 12 appropriations bills to the floor of 
the U.S. Senate for consideration on the floor for the first time in 5 
years. Instead of a massive package called an omnibus, they were 
leading us toward individual appropriations bills and an amendment 
process on the floor we haven't seen for a long, long time. 
Unfortunately, it was set aside by one Republican Member last week, but 
we haven't given up on the notion of making this bipartisan.
  I heard earlier a statement made by the Democratic leader in the 
Senate that there were negotiations through the weekend for a temporary 
spending bill. I hope that spirit continues when it comes to the 
appropriations bills. I am sure with Senators Murray and Collins 
working on it, we have a good possibility.
  Now we recognize, more than ever before, the need to keep the lights 
on in Washington on Capitol Hill. This week is going to be our test. 
What must be top of mind in any compromise is keeping the Federal 
employees paid, their families fed, keep the economy moving forward, 
keep our affairs in order so that our adversaries know that the United 
States of America can actually fund its own government.
  That is why here in the Senate we are going to consider a bipartisan 
continuing resolution to keep the government open at current funding 
levels while we work toward a longer term answer.
  Instead of considering a similar, serious short-term proposal to 
prevent a shutdown, some House Republicans are now trying to consider 
11 individual appropriations bills before Sunday. Let me tell you, the 
track record doesn't look so good. Speaker McCarthy has already pulled 
down more than one vote on the defense spending bill, despite the fact 
his own party actually drafted the bill. They drafted the bill, then 
they couldn't pass it with their own members of the House.
  I am not sure what his plan is. But in the Senate, ours is to prevent 
a government shutdown and have an orderly process of spending bills 
considered by the Senate. We owe it to every American family to do our 
jobs and to do it in a timely, respectful manner.

[[Page S4672]]

  I urge my colleagues in the House to put the needs, well-being, and 
livelihood of Americans above any partisan loyalty. I am committed to 
working with my colleagues to prevent a shutdown. I look forward to the 
Senate considering a continuing resolution that does just that.


                       United Auto Workers Strike

  Mr. President, on a separate topic, I heard my colleague earlier, 
Senator Schumer, talk about visiting a picket line for the United Auto 
Workers this morning. I did the same thing yesterday morning in 
Bolingbrook, IL, where UAW local warehouse workers were out on the line 
drinking coffee and eating a few donuts, holding their signs that said 
``solidarity'' with their union. I wanted to walk over there and be 
with them at this moment.
  You have to understand, when a worker like a UAW worker goes on 
strike, they are really walking away from their regular paycheck and 
receiving emergency pay from the unions, which, historically, has never 
quite been the same or as much. The same thing is true when it comes to 
the medical benefits. They may lose the coverage they had in the 
workplace and have the union program that is an alternative that 
doesn't provide the same level of benefits.
  What I am trying to get to is the bottom line is, these strikes are 
personal, and families sacrifice on behalf of the workers.
  Why would they do that? Why would they walk off the job, stand in the 
cold or outside weather from time to time like this? Because there is 
more at stake than their own personal well-being. They are fighting not 
only for their fellow members of the union, they are fighting for 
working people all over the United States.
  The organized labor movement--which I was happy to be a childhood 
union family growing up--really made a difference in the life of 
America. The 40-hour work week, overtime, vacation, healthcare 
benefits, pension--virtually every one of those elements that are part 
of a modern job--a good modern job--were fought for and sometimes died 
for by those who were working in the labor movement in the earliest 
stage.
  The UAW is a good example. It was back in the forties when a young 
fellow named Walter Reuther decided to make the UAW a viable force in 
Detroit, MI. There was the famous confrontation at a River Rouge plant 
where the UAW workers were on strike and violence broke out. Some 
people were seriously injured. Those sacrifices were made, and America 
changed as a result of it.
  Now the modern struggle of the UAW is not unlike that of the forties. 
The President of the UAW, Mr. Fain, came by my office several times to 
talk about his goals. He made it clear--and we all knew the answer--
that when it came to the question of the survival of these automobile 
makers in 2008 when the economy plunged, it was the workers who stood 
up and said: We will make sacrifices and changes so that these 
companies can survive. Some people, even those on the floor of the 
Senate, were arguing: Let them go. That is capitalism. There are 
winners and losers.
  But President Obama and I and many others felt just the opposite. 
Automobile manufacturing is a critical part of the American economy. 
President Obama was determined to keep those companies alive during 
that period of time. UAW did its part, and it did it well. They 
sacrificed wages and benefits. They said that the new workers would get 
paid dramatically less than those who had been there for years, and 
they literally saved those companies.
  Now those companies are profitable to the tune of billions of dollars 
a year. What the UAW is saying is, for goodness' sake, make sure the 
workers are part of the success. Don't let them read in the papers how 
much the company is making while they are breaking their backs to make 
the products that are successful.
  That is what the strike is all about. There was a time not that long 
ago in the early sixties when the executives of automobile companies 
and similar corporations were making about 30 times the wages of those 
who were working on production lines. Now the number is 500 times. The 
three executives who lead the automobile manufacturers all make over 
$20 million a year, each and every one of them. I believe the one from 
General Motors makes $29 million a year. Meanwhile, the wages for the 
executives have gone up 40 percent in the last 5 years and for the 
workers, 6 percent. So there is a disparity there that needs to be 
addressed and done fairly.
  We want to make sure that the companies are profitable--they build 
products we are proud of. But we want to make sure the workers who are 
sacrificing every single day share in that profitability, share in that 
productivity. And they can do it if they are part of the contract that 
is now being negotiated.
  I was out there on the line for about a half hour yesterday, standing 
along with the workers and encouraging the workers to be strong during 
this period. It is a time of personal sacrifice, but it is well worth 
it, not only for sisters and brothers in the union but workers all over 
America who prosper with the achievements made by the UAW.
  I am proud to have had their support over the years, and I am proud 
to stand with them in this time of challenge.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Tennessee.


                          Biden Administration

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, in March of 2021, I came to the floor 
and spoke about Xavier Becerra's abysmal record before voting to 
confirm him as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Here is what I 
pointed out to my colleagues: He had no meaningful experience in public 
health, no meaningful experience in running a large-scale logistical 
operation, and a career's worth of hostility toward basic 
constitutional rights. My colleagues across the aisle didn't listen on 
this, and now his record as Secretary is worse than anyone could have 
imagined or predicted.
  My colleagues who helped confirm him entrusted him with the lives of 
some of the world's most vulnerable children. Unaccompanied minors who 
are apprehended by Border Patrol are transferred to the care of Health 
and Human Services. This is clearly a big job considering that the 
Biden border crisis has led to over 300,000 encounters with 
unaccompanied children at our Nation's southern border. I am sure that 
these precious children thought they would finally be safe under the 
care of Health and Human Services and the sponsors they were ultimately 
going to be released to.
  But Secretary Becerra proved what we already knew; that he was not up 
to the challenge of such a large Department with such expansive 
authority and that he had no experience that was relative.
  Without explanation, HHS loosened the vetting requirements for 
sponsors, eliminating certain background checks and reviews of the 
children's files. Since then, HHS has lost contact with more than 
85,000 of these children.
  Back in February, the New York Times released a horrific expose 
showing how these children have since been trafficked and exploited for 
labor--and these are only the stories of the children that the 
reporters could find.
  Think about the enormity of the situation: 85,000 children. They 
cannot locate them. They do not know who is in charge of them. They do 
not know if they are dead or alive. They do not know if they are 
working in a processing plant or a manufacturing plant, or if they are 
being trafficked for sex, or if they are in a labor gang, because they 
cannot find these children.
  And they decided to loosen the vetting requirements: Vetting takes 
too long. We need to speed up the process.
  That is the mess that we find coming from Health and Human Services 
and its Secretary, Chief Officer Becerra.
  If you have any doubt that Mr. Becerra has direct knowledge of this 
crisis, look no further than his own words. That same New York Times 
report referenced an audio recording taken during a staff meeting with 
the Office of Refugee Resettlement. That is a department within Health 
and Human Services.
  When Becerra was admonishing his staff about their lack of speed in 
vetting sponsors and discharging these children into their care, he 
said:

       If Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have 
     never become famous and rich. This is not the way you do an 
     assembly line.

  If that doesn't convince you, listen to the whistleblowers who begged 
HHS

[[Page S4673]]

leadership to listen. HHS employees on the ground noticed alarming 
signs of exploitation and raised it to their supervisors. ``This is 
urgent,'' one wrote. She was ignored.
  Again and again, staffers and contractors told HHS something was 
wrong, and the reports allegedly reached Secretary Becerra's desk. Even 
the senior staffer overseeing the unaccompanied minors program noted in 
an email to the Department's leadership:

       If nothing continues to be done, there will be a 
     catastrophic event.

  These reports were not just ignored. Those who spoke up were 
retaliated against. They were fired. They were silenced.
  Think about this. You are working in a Department. You see things are 
going wrong. You hear the chief guy say:

       If Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have 
     never become famous and rich. This is not the way you do an 
     assembly line.

  You report it. You say: Things aren't right here. Children are being 
exploited. They are being used for labor. They are being used for sex. 
We cannot find these children. Nothing has been done.
  Don't just take my word for it. That is according to a report from 
the Health and Human Services inspector general.
  When Secretary Becerra appeared before the Senate Finance Committee 
back in March, I asked him what he knew about the exploitation of these 
children and when he knew it. Unsurprisingly, he evaded that question. 
I didn't get an answer. So after the hearing, I wrote him a letter 
asking again about his knowledge of these neglected and lost children 
and what role he had in firing the very people who were trying to sound 
the alarm and say that something needs to be done.
  I didn't hear a word until September 8, and the response I got from 
HHS was a little more than an outline of their failed policies. They 
did not answer a single one of the questions about the Secretary's 
involvement in the decision-making process of what needed to be done to 
go find 85,000 children--not a word. So I sent a followup letter, 
giving the Secretary one more chance to answer the questions.
  The Senate has a duty to conduct oversight, and I take that 
responsibility and that duty seriously. The Secretary should take this 
responsibility and his duty to respond to us seriously.
  Where are these children? How are you vetting these children?
  I had really hoped that my friends across the aisle--for all of their 
talk about compassion and trying to be compassionate to individuals and 
looking at border policies--that they would take this responsibility 
seriously as well. But our Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats seem 
content with distracting and deflecting from the crisis of leadership 
that is occurring over at Health and Human Services.
  In a hearing back in June that was supposedly intended to ``ensure 
the well-being of unaccompanied migrant children,'' Chairman Durbin 
didn't call a single government witness to testify about what is 
happening with these unaccompanied alien migrant children.
  We cannot just turn a blind eye or try to sweep this under the rug. 
We are talking about children--children who are in a strange country, 
children who do not have an adult to look after them, children who 
maybe were lured here on a false premise.
  This is something our Judiciary Committee and Chairman Durbin should 
take up. We should bring the Secretary in and find out what is 
happening at Health and Human Services with the Office of Refugee 
Resettlement and with these children.
  I said it back in 2021, and I will say it again. Secretary Becerra is 
not fit to serve as the HHS Secretary, and his continued disregard for 
the lives of these children--the nonresponse on answering these 
questions--proves that point.
  I yield the floor.
  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.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, so ordered.


                         Continuing Resolution

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise tonight to urge my colleagues to 
support cloture on the motion to proceed to the FAA authorization bill.
  Now, let me explain what this is about. The vote to get on the shell 
legislation is simply a vote to move the process forward to prevent a 
disastrous government shutdown. It does not indicate support or 
opposition to any particular component of a continuing resolution. It 
does not bind Members to vote one way or the other on a continuing 
resolution.
  What this really is, is a vote on whether or not Members want 
government to shut down at the end of this week. It does indicate, in 
the strongest possible terms, that the Senate is committed to working 
to prevent a government shutdown. We still have time to consider 
legislation to keep the government open and funded, but in order to do 
so, the process must move forward.
  I would ask all Senators who wish to avoid a shutdown of government 
and all that that entails to vote yes on cloture. Again, let me stress 
that voting yes on cloture tonight is a vote against a government 
shutdown and for letting the process move forward. It is just the first 
step. It does not bind Members to support the continuing resolution and 
to support every provision in the continuing resolution.
  Now, what happens if we don't move forward tonight? We are increasing 
the chances that government will shut down. I have been through two 
government shutdowns, and I can tell you, they are never good policy. 
They do not accomplish the goals that people who advocate government 
shutdowns think will be accomplished, and they impose real hardship.
  Don't we want our military to be paid on time? Don't we need 
paychecks going to those brave Border Patrol agents who are overwhelmed 
in trying to defend our southern border? Don't we want the Coast Guard, 
an entity very important to the Presiding Officer as well as to my 
State of Maine, to be able to continue to rescue our fishermen and 
patrol our seas, intercepting drug smugglers? Don't we want the DEA to 
be able to continue to work to keep fentanyl out of our communities?
  The stakes are very high. I hope that all of my colleagues will vote 
to proceed to this shell bill tonight so that, then, we can debate the 
continuing resolution to fund government until the middle of November. 
That will allow us to continue our work on the appropriations bills. 
That is so important.
  The Appropriations Committee, for the first time in 5 years, reported 
all 12 of the appropriations bills independently and with overwhelming 
bipartisan support. Three of them are in a package that is before us, 
that were on the floor all last week and have been just put aside 
temporarily so that we can work on the continuing resolution.
  And my hope is, during that 45-day period when the continuing 
resolution is keeping government functioning at the levels that are 
needed, that we can continue our progress on the appropriations bills, 
bringing them across the floor. We have already cleared some 20 
amendments to the three-bill package that the appropriators brought to 
the floor. Those 20 amendments will receive rollcall votes.
  So we are making progress. Let's not stop that progress by shutting 
down government and causing tremendous hardship to our military, to our 
law enforcement officers, to those who are serving Americans through so 
many different Agencies. Let's not have that happen.
  Please, I implore my colleagues, let's proceed by voting yes on the 
motion to invoke cloture tonight.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Markey). The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. WELCH. First, I want to thank Senator Collins and assure her that 
I appreciate the excellent work that she and Senator Murray have been 
doing, and I will be a vote for cloture so that we can proceed.
  Mr. President, Vermont is one of the States that suffered devastating 
damages as a result of recent floods and very much is in need of the 
replenishing of the FEMA disaster aid fund.
  As a Congress, as a Senate, our leaders, Senator McConnell and 
Senator Schumer, and our Appropriations chair and vice chair, Senator 
Murray and Senator Collins, have been working

[[Page S4674]]

very hard to get a continuing resolution passed so that we will keep 
the lights on in government.
  And we can't shut down. Just think about it. Military people won't 
get paid. That is just absolutely unacceptable. Start there, and the 
cascade of terrible things that are all avoidable will happen.
  I am very appreciative of the efforts of our leadership, especially 
our committee chair and vice chair, for their work to avoid a shutdown. 
I am totally committed to avoiding a shutdown. It is unacceptable to 
inflict so much unnecessary harm on so many innocent people because of 
a crackpot theory that if you shut things down and burn the place down, 
it is going to result in a good outcome.
  There are no good outcomes, as Senator McConnell said earlier, when 
you use as a tactic to try to get your way to shut the government down.
  So I will be supportive of the efforts on a bipartisan basis here to 
work toward a resolution. It is still very much in play as to what is 
going to happen to the FEMA money that is so essential to people who 
have suffered as a result of natural disasters.
  I talk about Vermont, of course--and I will do that right now--but I 
am very mindful that my colleagues in Hawaii suffered that devastating 
fire in Maui, and, of course, we have had hurricanes and storms in 
Texas, in North Carolina, in Georgia, in Florida. So one thing all of 
us should be doing is helping each other when our citizens are the 
victims of a natural disaster.
  So the No. 1 priority is to keep the lights on because we are going 
to fight another day. No. 2, my hope, is that there is still time to 
include aid for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help us in 
Vermont, to help folks in Hawaii, to help folks in North Carolina, 
Georgia, Florida, and elsewhere.
  But I want to talk a little bit about what the situation is in 
Vermont. We remember the iconic photo that was broadcast nationwide of 
the downtown of the capital city of Vermont, Montpelier, underwater. 
The water is gone now. It has dried up.
  This is a local business in Montpelier, and that is the Minikin toy 
shop in Montpelier. The water was up to here. This is now gone, but the 
question is--this shop, the Minikin toy shop, where I bought things for 
my grandkids--Kelly Tackett, the owner, she spoke with the Burlington 
Free Press about the flooding in her toy store. And she said:

       This was my lifelong dream shop. Those photos [of the 
     flooding] make me realize this is likely the end of Minikin. 
     I worked so hard to bring it to life.

  She really needs a second chance here, and our FEMA funding can make 
a difference. I visited and spoke with her and her young family as they 
were cleaning up the shop right after the flood.
  Cabot, VT, is a small community, the home of Cabot cheese. It is at 
the headwaters of the Winooski River, and all of the businesses in the 
town were hit by flooding. The owners of Harry's Hardware, which also 
serves--this is a real Vermont story--as a bar and the town's only gas 
station, were trapped in the building by the floodwaters, which rose 
from a trickle to a flood within minutes.
  Vermont is still dealing with major infrastructure damage. There were 
more than 1,100 damage sites on roads and bridges in the State, causing 
significant challenges for commuting in rural areas due to unclear 
information on closures. We are still dealing with the recovery from 
that.
  Over 12 million pounds of debris from the flooding have been cleared, 
and the community has stepped up to extract it, as seen on Flood 
Recovery Day, where volunteers cleaned up over 100,000 pounds in 1 day. 
But there is still much more to go. Other key components of Vermont's 
infrastructure and economic drivers--railways, rail and hiking trails, 
ski resorts--suffered damage and need to be repaired.
  For the vast majority of these business owners, the disaster recovery 
loans offered by the Small Business Administration, they are not a 
financial reality; it will only force folks into more debt. They need 
grants. They need flexibility. They need options.
  I want to thank my senior Senator, my colleague Senator Sanders, who 
convened a meeting with the FEMA Administrator, with Governor Scott, 
and Congresswoman Balint. But the Administrator, Criswell--who is doing 
a terrific job, by the way, and Vermonters thank FEMA for their great 
work--she was very candid that the FEMA fund is running on vapors. It 
needs to be replenished.
  So as tough as the situation is--and I do agree we have to avoid the 
shutdown--my hope is that, before the end of the day, we will be able 
to have included FEMA relief to replenish that fund and make certain 
that the good work that FEMA is doing can continue.
  It is really a basic question here: No. 1, do we use shutdown threats 
and shutdown reality as a tactic? We, in this body, have rejected that.
  And the second is, do we find a way to make certain that when 
citizens throughout our country--not just Vermont or Hawaii but any 
citizens--who are in harm's way when a natural disaster occurs, that we 
are here so they can count on us to help them get to the other side?
  We have an opportunity to begin the process of keeping government 
functioning and rejecting the politics of shutdown threats. And we have 
the opportunity to work together again to replenish the FEMA disaster 
relief--the farm relief--that is so essential so that our citizens who 
have been in harm's way can get the recovery funds that they need.
  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.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to complete my 
remarks before the vote is called at 5:30.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I have been working nonstop, reaching out 
to my colleagues, who have heard from me all hours of the day and night 
this past weekend, to put together a straightforward, bipartisan CR 
package that we can pass quickly to prevent a completely unnecessary 
government shutdown.
  I am pleased to say the senior Senator from Maine and I have put 
together a bill that keeps our government funded while we continue to 
work on full-year appropriations. It provides critical dollars for 
communities that are struck by disasters and Ukraine, which is at a 
pivotal moment in its defensive efforts against Putin's brutal, 
unprovoked war of aggression. These are important downpayments as we 
continue to work now on a full-year bill, but we have more to do.
  Importantly, this CR also ensures that wildland firefighters will not 
see a pay cut. It prevents critical laws from lapsing to make sure the 
FAA and community health centers can continue operating and more.
  I hope that all of our colleagues in the Senate and the House will 
work with us to get this signed into law as soon as possible so we can 
avoid a shutdown that would be nothing short of devastating for our 
economy and for families everywhere.
  This should not be hard. We have a simple, bipartisan CR, a truly 
reasonable bill. We have the support to get it signed into law if it is 
put up for a vote in both Chambers. We do not have a moment to waste. 
Let's get this done and get right back to work on passing the 12 
bipartisan appropriations bills that are ready to come to the Senate 
floor.
  Mr. President, I am here tonight to urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion 
to invoke cloture.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, let me first thank the Senator from 
Washington State, the chair of Appropriations. We worked together so 
hard and diligently over the weekend, and we produced a result, I 
think, that shows that bipartisanship can triumph over extremism. Here 
in the Senate, we are bipartisan. I want to thank Leader McConnell. He 
worked with us throughout. I want to thank Ranking Member Collins. They 
worked with us throughout because we all know, together, that a 
government shutdown will be devastating--devastating--for this country.
  It amazes me that some in the other body--just an extreme few--say 
they want a shutdown. That hurts tens of millions, hundreds of millions 
of Americans for only some kind of ideological political purpose. But 
we said no. The funding levels continue at the same level as before.

[[Page S4675]]

  There is $6.1 billion for Ukraine on the defense side and on the--on 
the State Department side. There is $6 billion for disaster relief. On 
all of these, this is a bridge towards cooperation. This is not going 
to be the final proposal for the whole year. But to avoid a government 
shutdown, we needed a bridge. It is a bridge toward cooperation and 
away from extremism, which will allow us to keep working to fully fund 
the Federal Government and spare families the pain of a shutdown.
  Let us hope that we get many people on both sides of the aisle voting 
for this product and that the House understands that bipartisanship 
there is the only way to go to avoid a shutdown.
  I yield the floor.


                              Cloture Motion

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before 
the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

                             Cloture Motion

       We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the 
     provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, 
     do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to 
     proceed to Calendar No. 211, H.R. 3935, a bill to amend title 
     49, United States Code, to reauthorize and improve the 
     Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation 
     programs, and for other purposes.
         Charles E. Schumer, Patty Murray, Jack Reed, Benjamin L. 
           Cardin, Martin Heinrich, Robert P. Casey, Jr., Tina 
           Smith, Alex Padilla, Christopher A. Coons, Jeanne 
           Shaheen, Tim Kaine, Mark R. Warner, Richard Blumenthal, 
           Christopher Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Debbie Stabenow, 
           Gary C. Peters.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum 
call has been waived.
  The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on H.R. 
3935, a bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and 
improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation 
programs, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
  The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. 
Feinstein) and the Senator from Minnesota (Mrs. Smith), are necessarily 
absent.
  Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Idaho (Mr. Risch) and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 77, nays 19, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 240 Leg.]

                                YEAS--77

     Baldwin
     Barrasso
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Boozman
     Brown
     Cantwell
     Capito
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Cassidy
     Collins
     Coons
     Cornyn
     Cortez Masto
     Cotton
     Cramer
     Crapo
     Duckworth
     Durbin
     Ernst
     Fetterman
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hassan
     Heinrich
     Hickenlooper
     Hirono
     Hoeven
     Hyde-Smith
     Kaine
     Kelly
     Kennedy
     King
     Klobuchar
     Lankford
     Lujan
     Manchin
     Markey
     McConnell
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Moran
     Mullin
     Murkowski
     Murphy
     Murray
     Ossoff
     Padilla
     Peters
     Reed
     Romney
     Rosen
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sanders
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Sinema
     Stabenow
     Sullivan
     Tester
     Thune
     Tillis
     Van Hollen
     Warner
     Warnock
     Warren
     Welch
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden
     Young

                                NAYS--19

     Blackburn
     Braun
     Britt
     Budd
     Cruz
     Daines
     Fischer
     Hagerty
     Hawley
     Johnson
     Lee
     Lummis
     Marshall
     Paul
     Ricketts
     Schmitt
     Scott (FL)
     Tuberville
     Vance

                             NOT VOTING--4

     Feinstein
     Risch
     Scott (SC)
     Smith
  (Mr. KING assumed the Chair.)
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kelly). The yeas are 77, the nays are 19.
  The motion was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am very glad to see cloture was adopted 
by a very large, bipartisan majority. This shows we can work together, 
even with our differences, for the betterment of the country. I hope 
the House follows suit.

                          ____________________