[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16857-16859]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      TRADE ACT OF 2015--Continued


                 Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 222

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, as the proud parent of a wonderful daughter 
and the proud grandparent of three wonderful granddaughters, like so 
many others, I was proud of the U.S. Women's National Team and their 
historic World Cup victory. I was even more proud on Tuesday when I saw 
them at the White House with President Obama.
  I know all Americans are so proud, as well as honored. The reason why 
so many Americans are proud of it is that earlier this year, with more 
than 25 million Americans watching, this electrifying group of athletes 
led the United States to a record third World Cup title. We all 
cheered, but then along with a lot of other Americans, I was surprised 
to learn that the U.S. Women's National Team--even though there were 
enormous receipts from the TV coverage of this--received $2 million for 
winning the Women's World Cup. The 2014 Men's World Cup winners were 
awarded $35 million. When the women won, it was $2 million. When the 
men won, it was $35 million. To make it even worse, the men's teams 
that lost in the first round of the 2014 Men's World Cup were awarded 
$8 million. In other words, if you lose and are a man, you get $8 
million. If you are a woman and you win, you get $2 million.
  That is really not acceptable. I cannot imagine anybody finding it 
acceptable. I wanted to raise some awareness of this. I introduced a 
Senate resolution calling on soccer's international governing body, 
FIFA, to eliminate its discriminatory prize awards structure.
  It highlights the gross pay disparity in their award structure and 
calls for immediate change. All Democrats support this call. I have 
heard some opponents of an equal prize awards structure in sports who 
say: Oh, no, we must pay men more than women. They point to revenue as 
the reason behind this disparity. Revenue cannot be accepted as a means 
for discrimination. Awards should not be determined by gender. That is 
why major sporting events, including the U.S. Open Tennis Championships 
and Wimbledon changed their prize award structure to assure that both 
female and male athletes are treated with the same dignity and respect 
they deserve.
  This proud father and grandfather feels that my sons and my daughter 
should be treated the same and my grandsons and granddaughters should 
be treated the same. In fact, it is why the U.S. Women's National Team 
was rightly honored with a Ticker-Tape parade and magazine covers for 
each player and their head coach by Sports Illustrated.
  These athletes, recognized at the White House on Tuesday, are global 
icons. Not just here in America but around the world they are 
recognized. They are role models to young athletes and fans everywhere.
  This includes fans such as 13-year-old Ayla Ludlow. She wrote to 
President Obama and the First Lady after the Women's World Cup. She 
said: ``It makes me mad that people do not treat girls equally.'' I 
agree. It is time to recognize all athletes for their contributions--
not make women second-class citizens. By taking an overdue but 
important step toward pay equity, we send a resounding message not just 
to women and girls but also to men and boys around the world. Equal pay 
for equal work should not be an ideal we talk about, but a reality.
  The men's teams that lost in the 2014 Men's World Cup was awarded $8 
million. The women's team, which was

[[Page 16858]]

watched worldwide as they won, was awarded $2 million. The men's team 
that did win was awarded $35 million. I cannot imagine anybody who 
could stand up for that kind of disparity and treat men so much 
differently and so much better than women. These are athletes who 
worked hard from the time they were young to be the best of the best. 
They made America proud. But I think we make America a little ashamed 
if we do not stand up and say: We want women treated the same as men.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the HELP Committee be 
discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 222, and that the 
Senate proceed to its immediate consideration--this is the resolution 
calling on FIFA to pay the same; and that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I 
listened carefully to the distinguished Senator's comments. Gender 
discrimination is wrong, and we all know that. We have enacted laws in 
the United States for sports and for the workplace to make sure that we 
reflect those values.
  I support those laws, but we have a budget to pass, a debt crisis to 
fix, an education system that needs reform, and a humanitarian crisis 
in Europe that we ought to address. That is what the U.S. Senate ought 
to be spending its time on rather than offering opinions and 
resolutions about a private international entity and how they should 
distribute prizes and awards. So I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last night we passed resolutions, and here 
we are talking about taking 30 seconds out of our busy, busy schedule. 
Of course, we were in a quorum call for a few hours today. We could 
take 30, 50, or 82 seconds out of the 100 hours or so we will spend 
during the month sitting here doing nothing and pass a resolution that 
calls for the equal treatment of male and female athletes.
  If we cannot even do that, is it any wonder that the approval ratings 
of the Senate are in the tank? If we cannot even pass a nonbinding 
resolution, how can we ever achieve real pay equity for women? What is 
the real objection? We are simply urging for the equal treatment of 
female athletes. Treating people differently solely because of their 
gender is unacceptable. It sends a terrible message to mothers, 
daughters, and granddaughters across the globe.
  As I said, every single Democrat supports this resolution. I am very 
disappointed that the Republicans are blocking it.
  I will leave after saying one more thing. The women's team won to 
international acclaim, and they were awarded $2 million. The men's 
teams that lost in the first round was paid $8 million. The men's team 
that won was awarded $35 million.
  Wimbledon knows better. The U.S. Open Tennis Championships said 
enough is enough. Women should be treated the same as men.
  A 13-year-old girl wrote to the President and said: ``It makes me mad 
that people do not treat girls equally.'' Well, I have a granddaughter 
who will be 13 in December. How do I speak to her? How do I tell her 
that the U.S. Senate--which is sort of waiting around here and has not 
done anything today--is unwilling to take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 50 
seconds to say: Let's treat women athletes the same as men.
  I thank my Democratic colleagues for supporting this legislation. I 
hope my Republican colleagues will change their minds and say: Let's 
treat female athletes the same as male athletes, especially since the 
World Cup organization made a fortune on TV rights. They certainly made 
a heck of a lot more money on those TV rights while the women were 
winning than they were making when the men's team lost, but the men's 
teams that lost in the first round were still paid $8 million. They 
made four times more than the women who won the championship were paid. 
It is sexist, and it is wrong.
  In this day and age we need to stop treating women as second-class 
citizens. I do not want my daughter treated that way. I do not want my 
granddaughters treated that way. I do not want the women in Vermont 
treated that way. I do not want women anywhere in this country to be 
treated that way. I want to say to that 13-year-old girl who is angry 
because of the unfair treatment of girls: I am sorry the U.S. Senate 
would not stand up for you, but I, and others, stand up for you, and I 
always will. Let us hope someday the Senate stands up for you too.
  We can see how busy we are at this time. There is not a single 
Senator on the floor, except for the distinguished Presiding Officer, 
of course, and so I will suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. TESTER. Mr. President, I rise today to address a frustrating 
situation that has brought us here today. For months I have been 
calling on Congress to come to the middle and negotiate a responsible 
budget deal that works for the American people, but time and time 
again, whether it was in the Appropriations Committee or here on the 
Senate floor, Members of this body refused to have a conversation about 
how to do that. They dug their heels in and said: It is my way or the 
highway.
  Now here we are, down to the wire, and they finally realize that 
sequestration is damaging. It is something that we have been saying 
from day one. Unfortunately, it cost the Speaker of the House his job, 
it wasted months of time, and it continued to erode what is left of the 
faith that the American people have in Congress.
  Coming from Montana, I find this incredibly frustrating. Folks back 
home are reasonable. They talk to their neighbors even if they don't 
agree with them. They compromise, negotiate, give a little, and most of 
the time they get a lot. This body could learn a lot from my 
constituents.
  The Senate was designed to be a deliberative body. It was supposed to 
be a place where conversations and compromise happen, where we reach 
across the aisle and partner with our colleagues with whom we might not 
always agree. That kind of bipartisanship requires more time, harder 
work, and tougher conversations. Sure, it is a lot easier to scream and 
yell at the other side so the super PACs and millionaires who fund too 
much of our politics these days know we didn't back down, but at the 
end of the day, that doesn't move the country forward, and 
unfortunately that happened again this year.
  Had we started these budget negotiations back in July when 10 
moderate Members of this body first rang the alarm, we wouldn't be in a 
last-minute scramble today. I am disappointed. I am disappointed in the 
Senate. The only time folks are talking to one another is when there is 
a crisis. The only time folks are working together is when we are faced 
with fiscal cliffs, economic meltdowns, and catastrophes. I hope we 
realize that Congress is the only place in this country that operates 
like this. Businesses and families plan, talk, and they certainly don't 
wait until the last minute to get their financial house in order.
  Why does it take an emergency for Congress to govern? Why does it 
take a looming deadline for folks to come to their senses and to do 
their jobs? It is because the voices in the middle are getting drowned 
out by the voices on the fringes. We have become afraid of compromise. 
In many circles it is a dirty word, one that should never be uttered.
  So here we are today, just a few days before we default on our debt, 
and we have wasted so much time. Our inability to tackle these issues 
earlier this year caused the appropriations process

[[Page 16859]]

to break down. It caused an unnecessary veto of the Defense 
authorization bill, something our troops are waiting for us to resolve 
while they stand on the frontlines.
  I know this budget deal isn't perfect, but it is the product of 
compromise, however last minute it may be and however limited the 
ability of Senators to weigh in on it is. But by raising the debt 
ceiling, we will prevent interest rates from skyrocketing and the value 
of the dollar from plummeting. By ending the sequester, we will do away 
with severe budget cuts that are hurting our veterans, seniors, 
students, and working families.
  We will shore up Social Security and allow ourselves to make 
responsible investments in our national security, education, health 
care, and public lands. It will reduce a massive premium hike that was 
scheduled to impact 46,000 Montana seniors who use Medicare for their 
health insurance. This legislation will keep those premiums more 
manageable.
  Those accomplishments are critically important to our economy and 
worthy of this Senate's support, but as with anything that comes 
together at the last minute, there are provisions I don't like, things 
that could have been fixed if we had taken more time to negotiate. 
Take, for instance, the budget's impact on our rural hospitals. There 
are provisions in here that could severely limit access to rural health 
care. I am committed to addressing those concerns in the upcoming 
appropriations process because folks in Montana and other rural States 
shouldn't have to drive hundreds of miles to see a doctor.
  As I said, this budget isn't perfect. The most disappointing thing is 
that it could have been so much better. But in the spirit of compromise 
that got us here today, we need to use that conversation to make sure 
we get things done.
  I know there will always be those who refuse to get off the 
ideological soapbox and who like to watch others do the hard work of 
governing, but those folks usually don't last long with my 
constituents.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.


                    Congratulating Speaker Paul Ryan

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, when responsibility calls, it is 
usually not at a time of our choosing. The decision to answer is rarely 
easy or straightforward. Paul Ryan knows this. He spent his nights 
dreaming about tax policy, not the Speakership. But our country is 
fortunate that he stepped up to lead, and I know I am grateful that he 
did.
  Speaker Ryan is thoughtful about the issues facing our Nation. He is 
sober-minded. He knows the job he is walking into is tough. He also 
understands the potential it holds in terms of conservative solutions 
for our country and in terms of more opportunity for the middle class.
  When I called to congratulate Speaker Ryan, we discussed our many 
shared goals in Congress. We pledged a strong partnership. We aimed to 
continue advancing conservative reform. I look forward to working 
closely with him as we move forward.
  Speaker Ryan knows what it means to work hard. He knows what it means 
to dream big dreams. He knows what it means to achieve them as well. 
Something we all admire about Speaker Ryan is his determination to 
ensure others are able to achieve big things in their lives too, to 
ensure others can lead fulfilling lives defined by meaning and 
punctuated with purpose.
  There is no doubt he cares deeply. He cares about combating poverty 
effectively. He cares about lifting up the middle class successfully. 
And because he cares, he is willing to call out failed policies when 
they hurt those they are supposed to help, and he has suggested better 
ways forward as well.
  In short, here is what we can say about Speaker Ryan: He has a big 
heart, he has an extraordinary intellect, and he knows how to lead with 
both. That quality is rare around here. So is having a reputation that 
so greatly precedes oneself in such a positive way. But that is Speaker 
Ryan.
  Nothing is going to come easily in his new role, and he certainly 
knows that. Neither of us will be under any illusions about the 
positions we hold. We face a Democratic Party that continues to move 
left. We face a President who doesn't seem very interested in 
cooperation on the big things or the hard things, nor on making divided 
government work. These are the realities that face us, and we might as 
well acknowledge them, but it won't stop us from working together to 
advance conservative reform as well as to achieve solutions for the 
middle class whenever we can.
  Today, though, let's celebrate Speaker Ryan's extraordinary 
achievement. He has already proven his stature as a leader in our 
party. From leading the Nation on responsible budgeting and pro-growth 
tax reform to serving as an extraordinary candidate for Vice President, 
he always rises to the challenge.
  I would note for my House colleagues that their incoming leader 
campaigned vigorously to become President of the Senate, but he was 
drafted into the Speakership.
  But, look, on a more serious note, Paul Ryan may not have asked for 
this job, but the moment called for him to lead, and I am grateful that 
he will because we know he is a leader who has repeatedly demonstrated 
the talent, the vision, and the experience to succeed.
  I look forward to building a strong partnership on behalf of our 
country.

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