[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5527-S5529]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT, 2024
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to
proceed is agreed to.
The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 6363) making further continuing appropriations
for fiscal year 2024, and for other purposes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Amendment No. 1366
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, to continue spending money at the current
levels will inevitably lead to the bankruptcy of our great Nation. My
amendment, in order to stave off such a terrible fiscal outcome, would
cut approximately 1 percent of our budgetary spending and help to put
us on the path toward fiscal responsibility.
In June of this year, the national debt surpassed $32 trillion. Then,
in September, the national debt surpassed $33 trillion. You heard that
right. It took Congress 90 short days to add $1 trillion in debt.
Unless we change course, the debt will consume us.
America's future as a nation is not threatened from without but from
within. Our mounting debt will ultimately force a day of reckoning. The
Congressional Budget Office predicts that we will add an average of $2
trillion in debt every year for the next decade. Using Congressional
Budget Office projections, the U.S. Government will add over $5 billion
to its debt pile every single day for the next 10 years.
We borrow over $176 million every hour. We borrow $3 million every
minute, and we borrow $50,000 every second. It is only a matter of time
before the world wakes up and refuses to buy our debt.
This reckless level of borrowing and spending is patently
unsustainable. The ever-increasing heights of our debt mean a weak
economy, high inflation, and confiscatory tax rates. In other words,
today's spending threatens tomorrow's prosperity.
According to William McBride of the Tax Foundation, ``outside of the
pandemic years, this year's federal deficit is the highest in U.S.
history.''
McBride continues:
Figures from the Congressional Budget Office for fiscal
year 2023 indicate that the federal deficit grew by about $2
trillion.
McBride also states that ``while tax revenue has increased 28 percent
since the prepandemic year of 2019, spending has increased about 46
percent and the deficit has more than doubled. Annual deficits are
headed toward [even] $3 trillion'' a year if we don't wake up and do
something about it.
McBride concludes:
In sum, the federal budget continues on a perilous course.
. . . Now would be a good time for our political leaders to
present a coherent plan for dealing with the debt problem
before it becomes an urgent crisis.
[[Page S5528]]
That is why I am here on the floor today. Americans are starved for a
voice of fiscal sanity. Americans understand far better than the
Nation's elites that time is running out. Americans will pay dearly for
Congress's inability to say no to every cause, every line item, every
pinstripe lobbyist. We will pay more to Uncle Sam in the form of taxes.
We will pay more for groceries because of high levels of inflation that
will destroy our purchasing power. And we will find a generation of
kids who won't leave their parents' homes because businesses cannot
afford to hire them.
It doesn't have to be this way. America can once again be a rising
nation, and we can take that first step toward a brighter future today.
My amendment will make across-the-board reductions except for defense
and veterans' benefits. Additionally, the amendment would cut $30
billion from the Biden administration's attempt to sic the IRS on
American taxpayers to squeeze even more money out of those who earned
their hard-earned dollars.
All told, my amendment would save taxpayers $60 billion, which is
only about 1 percent of all budgetary spending. It is a small and
modest reduction in spending, but it is a step in the right direction.
This is not the first time I have offered an amendment to save the
taxpayers money. Throughout my time in the Senate, I have, time and
time again, offered balanced budgets and plans that would shave
pennies--mere pennies--from every budgetary program to restore our
fiscal health, and, every time, these proposals are rejected by the
Senate. The result of failing to act then is that, today, we now vote
in the shadow of a mountain of debt.
It is time that we rise up. Rise up and tell your Members of Congress
that enough is enough. It is time to take a stand while the restoration
of American prosperity is still within our grasp. By the time this
continuing resolution expires, the people who ask for your vote next
year will have added another $1 trillion to the debt. It is time to
take a stand.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on my amendment and call up amendment No. 1366
and ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Butler). The clerk will report the
amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. Paul] proposes an amendment
numbered 1366.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To reduce continuing funding by 15 percent, except for the
Department of Defense, military construction, and the Department of
Veterans Affairs and to rescind $30,000,000,000 from enforcement funds
provided to the Internal Revenue Service)
At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:
SEC. __. FIFTEEN PERCENT REDUCTION IN CONTINUING FUNDING
EXCEPT FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MILITARY
CONSTRUCTION, AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS AND RESCISSION OF IRS ENFORCEMENT
FUNDS.
Division A of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and
Other Extensions Act (Public Law 118-15), as amended by
section 101 of this division, is further amended by inserting
after section 146 the following:
``Sec. 147. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the
rate for operations provided by section 101 of this division
is hereby reduced by 15.0 percent.
``(b) The rate for operations shall not be reduced under
subsection (a) with respect to the appropriation Act
described in section 101(3) (relating to the Department of
Defense Appropriations Act, 2023) or the appropriation Act
described in section 101(10) (relating to the Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2023).
``Sec. 148. Of the unobligated balances of amounts
appropriated or otherwise made available for enforcement
activities of the Internal Revenue Service by section
10301(1)(A)(ii) of Public Law 117-169 (commonly known as the
``Inflation Reduction Act of 2022'') as of the date of
enactment of this Act, $30,000,000,000 are hereby
rescinded.''.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, there is a lot we need to get done. As
soon as we prevent a shutdown by passing this continuing resolution, we
need to come together in a bipartisan way to keep working on things
like the comprehensive supplemental funding package for Ukraine and
Israel, for humanitarian assistance, and more. And, of course, we have
to pass our full-year spending bills that live up to the agreement this
Congress passed in a bipartisan way and meet the needs of our
communities. These are real issues that we need to take seriously and
move on quickly.
And then there is this amendment, which--let's all be honest--is just
not serious but would be absolutely devastating. This amendment would
slash huge swaths of discretionary spending by a whopping and totally
arbitrary 15 percent, not to mention the cut to the IRS of $30 billion.
We are talking across the board cuts with no rhyme or reason that would
devastate our families, our economy, our competitive edge, and our
national security.
That is not a solution. It is not serious. It is a gift to our
adversaries, who want us to fall behind. And it is a slap in the face
to families across the country who are counting on the critical
investments Congress makes in their communities.
I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting against it.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Vote on Amendment No. 1366
Mr. PAUL. Madam President, I yield back my time, and I call for the
yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment?
Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator
from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the
Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).
The result was announced--yeas 32, nays 65, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 311 Leg.]
YEAS--32
Barrasso
Blackburn
Braun
Britt
Budd
Cassidy
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Johnson
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
Mullin
Paul
Ricketts
Rubio
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Sullivan
Thune
Tuberville
NAYS--65
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Booker
Boozman
Brown
Butler
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gillibrand
Graham
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hyde-Smith
Kaine
Kelly
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Manchin
Markey
McConnell
Menendez
Merkley
Moran
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Romney
Rosen
Rounds
Sanders
Schatz
Schumer
Shaheen
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Tester
Tillis
Van Hollen
Vance
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NOT VOTING--3
Cornyn
Risch
Scott (SC)
The amendment (No. 1366) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There will now be up to 30 minutes of debate,
equally divided.
The majority leader.
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I have good news for the American
people: This Friday night, there will be no government shutdown.
Because of bipartisan cooperation, we are keeping the government open
without any poison pills or harmful cuts to vital programs--a great
outcome for the American people.
I am pleased that Speaker Johnson realized he needed Democratic votes
to avoid a shutdown. If the Speaker is willing to work with Democrats
and resist the siren's song of the hard right in the House, then we can
avoid shutdowns in the future and finish the work of funding the
government.
Today's CR is a good first step and a very good omen for the future.
I hope we see more bipartisanship down the line.
Every time I have gotten on the phone with the Speaker, I have
stressed we need bipartisanship if we want to finish the appropriations
process. I hope the new Speaker continues to choose the bipartisan
approach as he commendably has in his first foray.
[[Page S5529]]
Now, keeping the government open is a good outcome, but we have a lot
more to do after Thanksgiving. We must finish passing President Biden's
emergency supplemental with aid to Israel, Ukraine, humanitarian
assistance for innocent civilians in Gaza, and funds for the Indo-
Pacific. We will keep working with Leader McConnell on a way forward.
I know that both sides genuinely care about providing aid to Israel
and Ukraine and helping innocent civilians in Gaza, so I hope we can
come to an agreement, even if neither side gets everything they insist
on.
We will also complete our work on the National Defense Authorization
Act before the end of the year. For now, I thank my colleagues for
voting to keep the government open. I thank Leader McConnell, Chair
Murray, Vice Chair Collins, and all of the appropriators. Again, no
government shutdown, no cuts to vital programs, no poison pills. This
is a great outcome for the American people.
Now, my colleagues, after this vote on the CR, we have one more vote,
to vote a conference on the NDAA. I urge everyone to stay here so we
can finish the next vote quickly, and then do the third vote without
further delay.
I yield the floor to the wonderful chair of the Appropriations
Committee who did so much to get us here.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I will vote for this bill to avoid a
senseless shutdown although I do not care for this idea of two funding
deadlines and double the shutdown risk. But the big picture I am
focused on right now is what happens next, because avoiding a shutdown
is so very far from mission accomplished. We have a lot of work to do
after the dust settles and before the next shutdown deadline comes up.
Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back. It is time to roll up
our sleeves and pass supplemental funding to address urgent global
challenges and critical priorities here at home.
Our leadership is on the line and with it, the security of our allies
and our Nation. We cannot do half of our job here. We need a
supplemental that fully addresses the challenges to Ukraine, Israel,
humanitarian aid, and the Indo-Pacific.
And we are not pitting American families against America's global
leadership. We have got to tackle the childcare crisis and other urgent
domestic priorities just as we address our urgent national security
priorities. We are the United States of America. We can and must do
both.
And, on that note, let me just say this: Failing to fully fund WIC
for the first time ever is not an acceptable outcome to me under any
circumstances.
Now, turning to the year ahead, if we don't want to be right back
here in a few weeks facing a one-two-punch shutdown threat, we need all
of us to get serious about 1-year postspending bills.
So I have an important message for Speaker Johnson and the House
Republicans. We can only get these spending bills done if we are all on
the same page when it comes to the topline numbers. The good news is,
that is already a settled matter, because we actually passed bipartisan
toplines in the debt limit deal that House Republicans and the
President negotiated--a deal that Speaker Johnson voted for, along with
so many other Members on both sides of the aisle in both Chambers.
So let's be clear: The negotiating has already happened. House
Republicans just need to stick to their word and what they helped pass
into law.
I am glad to see the Speaker abandon tying cuts or extreme policies
to this CR. He will also need to do that to our annual bills if we are
going to be able to conference any of them, because if we can't get
back to those toplines that this Congress has already agreed to, we are
not going to get anywhere. It is that simple.
We have to work together; we have to keep our word; and we have to
compromise. That means listening to the other side, making some tough
decisions, leaving out partisan nonstarters, and writing a bill that
can actually pass into law. That is going to make a difference for the
people we represent at home. That is exactly how Vice Chair Collins and
I have been able to work with Members across the political spectrum to
craft 12 bipartisan spending bills.
So let's get to work. Let's end this threat of a government shutdown.
Then let's get that full-year funding our Nation needs signed into law.
I yield back all time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, all time is yielded back.
Under the previous order, the bill is considered read a third time.
The bill was ordered to a third reading and was read the third time.
Vote on H.R. 6363
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the
question is, Shall the bill pass?
Mr. TILLIS. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator
from Texas (Mr. Cornyn) and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr.
Scott).
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 87, nays 11, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 312 Leg.]
YEAS--87
Baldwin
Barrasso
Blumenthal
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Brown
Budd
Butler
Cantwell
Capito
Cardin
Carper
Casey
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Cruz
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lujan
Lummis
Manchin
Markey
Marshall
McConnell
Menendez
Merkley
Moran
Mullin
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Romney
Rosen
Rounds
Rubio
Sanders
Schatz
Schumer
Shaheen
Sinema
Smith
Stabenow
Sullivan
Tester
Thune
Tillis
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--11
Bennet
Blackburn
Braun
Crapo
Lee
Paul
Risch
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Tuberville
Vance
NOT VOTING--2
Cornyn
Scott (SC)
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). On this vote, the yeas are 87,
the nays are 11.
The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the bill is passed.
The bill (H.R. 6363) was agreed to.
____________________