[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 14212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           NUCLEAR AGREEMENT WITH IRAN AND GOVERNMENT FUNDING

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, in one week Congress will host one of the 
world's great faith leaders, His Holiness Pope Francis. Every Member of 
Congress is looking forward to the Pope's historic address.
  Since beginning his papacy, Pope Francis has been admired for his 
humility and honesty. Rather than shirk responsibility from important 
and controversial global challenges, he has confronted them. While he 
and I don't agree on everything, his statements on climate change, 
immigration reform, and income inequality have challenged world 
leaders, and that is an understatement.
  Yesterday His Holiness and the Vatican stated their support for the 
nuclear agreement with Iran. A spokesperson for His Holiness told the 
International Atomic Energy Agency that this agreement ``will be a 
definitive step toward greater stability and security in the region.'' 
That is certainly the truth.
  Supporting the nuclear agreement between the permanent five members 
of the U.N. Security Council, Germany, and Iran is the best way to 
ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. That is what the 
agreement is all about. That is why last week the Senate clearly stated 
the agreement will stand. No matter how you talk about all these other 
things, the agreement is to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. 
That is what it is all about.
  Last night the Senate again rejected the Republican attempt to derail 
the nuclear agreement. Now for the second time, the Republican leader 
is refusing to accept the reality that, in fact, it is going to go 
forward. He is doubling down and committing the Senate to vote on other 
issues.
  We have seen this strategy before. It never works, whether it was 
with homeland security, ObamaCare or all the other issues. All it does 
is waste time that we cannot afford.
  When the Republican leader tried this approach on homeland security, 
remember what John McCain, the Senator from Arizona, said: It was the 
``definition of insanity.'' What he was talking about was what Albert 
Einstein said, that if you keep doing the same thing over and over, 
knowing you will get the same result, it is insanity.
  Today a news report described the Republican leader's strategy as 
``the second kick of a mule,'' and said ``it's not working.''
  It is unbelievable what the Republican leader is trying to do. We 
have 7 working days before a shutdown of the government. Why? Because 
we won't have any money. The Senate will take no votes today. If the 
Republican leader has his way, all the Senate will do this week is take 
yet another failed vote on Iran. At this rate the Senate will end this 
week with nothing to show for our time but two failed votes--nothing 
dealing with the most important issue facing this country, and that is, 
how to fund the government.
  We have seen Republicans manufacture crises before. This one truly is 
embarrassing. The government runs out of money in a matter of days. 
Republicans have no plans to avoid a shutdown, and we have almost 
twoscore of Republicans in the House who said they will vote for 
nothing unless it defunds women's health care. We have a number of 
Senators saying if there is nothing in this to stop the funding of 
Planned Parenthood, they will vote against it.
  The government runs out of money in just a few days. To do nothing, 
with no plans to avoid a shutdown, when we are standing around waiting 
for something to be done on the budget is unwise and wrong, and it is 
an insult to the American people.
  Last Thursday's vote is not going to change. Last night's vote will 
not change. The Republicans lost those votes. What are their future 
plans? They will not prevent President Obama and his administration 
from implementing the Iran agreement.
  There is precious little time left before a government shutdown. It 
is time for the Republican leader to get serious about keeping the 
Federal Government open and funded. Are we just talking about something 
that is nonexistent as a problem? Two years ago the government was shut 
down for almost a month. I think it was 21 days that the government was 
shut down. It is very disturbing.
  In 1 week, as I have indicated, the Pope will be here, and it is time 
that we make sure that we follow some of the advice and counsel that he 
has given us.

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