[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10100-10105]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Rao 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of Neomi Rao, of the 
District of Columbia, to be Administrator of the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the time until the 
cloture vote will be equally divided between the two leaders or their 
designees.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, 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. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

  The majority leader is recognized.


                         Healthcare Legislation

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, Senators and the White House are 
continuing discussions on the path forward for bringing relief from 
ObamaCare and its collapsing markets. We have made good progress, and 
we will keep working. As we do, our focus will remain on the major 
ObamaCare problems that continue to hurt Americans all across our 
country.
  Under ObamaCare, premiums have skyrocketed. Over the past several 
years, ObamaCare has caused premiums to climb by an average of 105 
percent in the vast majority of States on the Federal exchange, and it 
has caused them to triple in some States.
  Next year, ObamaCare is expected to raise premiums again, as high as 
30 percent or greater in States like Connecticut and Virginia, by as 
much as 40 percent or greater in Maine and Iowa, and by as much as an 
astonishing 80 percent in New Mexico. Obviously, Americans deserve a 
lot better than that.
  Under ObamaCare, choices have diminished, even disappeared, in States 
all across our country. ObamaCare has left 70 percent of counties with 
little or no insurance options on the exchanges this year. Even worse, 
next year, dozens more counties could have zero choice at all--
potentially leaving thousands trapped, forced by law to purchase 
ObamaCare insurance but left without the means to do so. For instance, 
as we learned just yesterday, as many as 14 of Nevada's 17 counties 
could now be left without any insurance options under ObamaCare at all 
in 2018. Americans deserve a lot better than that.
  Under ObamaCare, mandates have forced families into plans they don't 
want or can't afford, preferred doctors have become less accessible to 
many patients, and plans have grown less desirable but more extensive. 
Americans deserve better than that. That is why we are continuing to 
work hard. Fixing ObamaCare's failures and protecting families from its 
consequences is not an easy task.
  It is disappointing that our Democratic colleagues made clear early 
on that they were not interested in joining our efforts in a serious, 
comprehensive manner, especially given how many of their constituents 
have been hurt by the law they themselves voted for and continue--
continue--to defend. The Republican conference continues to work 
through solutions to help those who have been hurt by this failing 
system because, as we can all agree, ObamaCare's status quo is simply 
unsustainable and unacceptable. We have to act, and we are.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to complete my 
remarks before the vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                     Remembering Arthur J. Jackson

  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, we lost another great American this month 
with the passing of Arthur J. Jackson. He received the Medal of Honor 
in 1945 for his service in the Pacific theater of World War II. His 
name may not be as familiar as it once was. In retirement, he lived a 
quiet life. I didn't want to let his death pass without paying tribute 
to him, his family, and the extraordinary acts of courage with which he 
defended our country. Although, to be sure, ``extraordinary'' doesn't 
really describe the half of it.
  It was September 1944, and Private Jackson, a 19-year-old Ohio 
native, was serving with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine 
Division on the island of Peleliu. Their mission sounded simple enough: 
Take the island as quickly

[[Page 10101]]

as possible, inch ever closer to retaking the Philippines, and 
ultimately defeat Japan.
  Simple it wasn't. His platoon was hailed by a steady stream of fire 
from a heavily fortified position. To charge forward would be to march 
toward certain death, and that is exactly what he did. He attacked a 
pillbox, holding about 35 enemy soldiers, and as his Medal of Honor 
citation reads, ``[P]ouring his automatic fire into the opening of the 
fixed installation to trap the occupying troops, he hurled white 
phosphorus grenades and explosive charges brought up by a fellow 
Marine, demolishing the pillbox and killing all of the enemy.''
  The enemy fire continued unabated, his cover was light at best, and 
yet Private Jackson proceeded to storm one position after another--
wiping out a total of 12 pillboxes and 50 enemy soldiers. It was a 
stunning act of bravery. I can only imagine the pride of President 
Truman when he pinned the Medal of Honor on Private Jackson's uniform. 
I can only imagine the awe of his fellow Americans as they showered him 
with ticker tape in a New York City parade to celebrate.
  Yes, Arthur Jackson was one of the greats, and like with many great 
men, his career had a somewhat tragic ending. After a stint in the 
Army, he rejoined the Marines and was stationed at Guantanamo Bay, 
Cuba, in September 1961. It was only months after the Bay of Pigs and 
just over a year from the Cuban Missile Crisis. Tensions were high; 
suspicions were too.
  On one night, then-Captain Jackson discovered a Cuban busdriver in a 
restricted part of the base. He wasn't supposed to be there, nor was he 
authorized to be there. The man had been identified as a spy for Fidel 
Castro's regime but was allowed to keep his job for the time being. 
Captain Jackson and a fellow officer escorted the man to a back gate to 
see him off the premises, only to discover the gate was locked. While 
the other officers went off to find tools, Captain Jackson pried the 
lock open, and, suddenly, the man lunged at him, aiming for a sidearm. 
Captain Jackson fired back in self-defense and killed the man on the 
spot.
  Instead of reporting the man's death, however, he and some of his 
fellow Marines buried the body on the base. Many decades later, he told 
a newspaper columnist he feared, if he reported the death, he would be 
tried in a Cuban court and possibly tortured.
  He had hoped no one would find out, but word got out, and he was 
forced to leave the Marine Corps. He ended life as a mail carrier in 
California. It was a disappointing end to an until-then brilliant 
career. This was a man who loved his country, who put everything on the 
line to defend it, and if one night that love blinded his judgment, it 
only shows the intensity of his commitment.
  Arthur Jackson went on to work for the Veterans' Administration in 
San Francisco before moving to Boise, ID, in 1973. He lived out the 
remainder of his life there, where he was beloved by the community. As 
a neighbor of his put it, ``He flies the U.S. flag and the Marine Corps 
flag every day. It bothers him if someone flies a dirty or tattered 
flag. He tells them to take it down and replace it.''
  A little thing with a big meaning: Arthur Jackson showed as much love 
for the flag as he did for our country, and now we lost him to the 
ages. We still have his memory, his example, his stories of derring-do, 
which will inspire future generations of Americans for decades to come.


                      Remembering Joe Dale Burgess

  Mr. President, I attended the signing ceremony at the White House 
last week for the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. 
It was a happy occasion, but I received some sad news.
  A son of Arkansas who served in uniform passed away earlier this year 
at the far-too-young age of 31. His name was Joe Dale Burgess. Though 
he was not widely known, he was especially well loved by all who did 
know him. Today I want to recognize him briefly for his service.
  Joe Dale served in the U.S. Army--specifically, Delta Company, 2-
506th Infantry Battalion, 101st Airborne Division; 2-506th, the same 
unit in which I served in Iraq.
  In March, 2008, he was deployed to Khost Province in Afghanistan, 
where he took the fight to the enemy for 12 straight months. He was a 
fearless soldier, but his platoon leader says what he will probably be 
best remembered for is being an awful comedian. He loved to crack jokes 
and play pranks, even though, as his best battle buddies attest, he 
didn't show a particular talent for either of them. He always got 
laughs, and he always lifted their spirits. When you are living in a 
war zone, I can tell you that counts for a lot.
  But in his battle buddies' minds, Joe Dale means more than memories 
of sharing a few laughs. What stands out is his humility. His platoon 
leader says he was completely selfless. He did whatever was asked of 
him--no matter how unpleasant, no matter how tedious, how irritating, 
or how dangerous. He never lost sight of the mission. He never forgot 
why he was there, and it made an impression. Ask any one of his battle 
buddies what they think of Joe Dale, and you will not get a bad word 
out of them, not one in the whole bunch. His platoon leader says: ``We 
would all gladly serve with him again.'' That is a pretty good measure, 
the quality of a troop.
  I am sorry to say Joe Dale, who endured a tour of duty that cost the 
lives of seven soldiers in his company, died in April of testicular 
cancer. It had spread to his spine, which after several surgeries left 
him paralyzed. He suffered several other afflictions: PTSD, pain in his 
joints, trouble sleeping. He didn't ask for care or a disability rating 
from the VA until it was too late.
  It seems so unfair that this man--a man who braved the mountains of 
the Hindu Kush, a man who was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge 
and the Army Commendation Medal--ultimately succumbed to disease at 
home at such a young age. In fact, it seems almost cruel because he 
left behind a fiancee, Alice Hart, and a 2-year-old daughter, Zoe Hart-
Burgess. I suppose we must remember that the Lord God in Heaven has His 
own purposes, and He works in His own mysterious ways.
  To see the outpouring of love for this man--a quiet man, a humble 
man, a man whose only ambition was to serve his country--it tells you, 
indeed, that Joe Dale Burgess was one impressive man. May he rest in 
peace.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kennedy). The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I yield back all time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.


                             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 senior assistant 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 nomination 
     of Neomi Rao, of the District of Columbia, to be 
     Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory 
     Affairs, Office of Management and Budget.
         Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, Deb Fischer, Steve 
           Daines, Luther Strange, Bob Corker, Thom Tillis, Tom 
           Cotton, Tim Scott, Johnny Isakson, Richard C. Shelby, 
           Michael B. Enzi, Richard Burr, John Hoeven, David 
           Perdue, Roy Blunt, Todd Young.
  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 the 
nomination of Neomi Rao, of the District of Columbia, to be 
Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget, shall be brought to a close?
  The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), 
the Senator from Hawaii (Ms. Hirono), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. 
Sanders), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), and the Senator from 
Virginia (Mr. Warner) are necessarily absent.

[[Page 10102]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 59, nays 36, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 155 Ex.]

                                YEAS--59

     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Blunt
     Boozman
     Burr
     Capito
     Carper
     Cassidy
     Cochran
     Collins
     Corker
     Cornyn
     Cotton
     Crapo
     Cruz
     Daines
     Donnelly
     Enzi
     Ernst
     Fischer
     Flake
     Gardner
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hatch
     Heitkamp
     Heller
     Hoeven
     Inhofe
     Isakson
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     King
     Lankford
     Lee
     Manchin
     McCain
     McCaskill
     McConnell
     Moran
     Murkowski
     Nelson
     Paul
     Perdue
     Portman
     Risch
     Roberts
     Rounds
     Rubio
     Sasse
     Scott
     Shelby
     Strange
     Sullivan
     Thune
     Tillis
     Toomey
     Wicker
     Young

                                NAYS--36

     Baldwin
     Bennet
     Blumenthal
     Booker
     Brown
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Casey
     Coons
     Cortez Masto
     Duckworth
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Harris
     Hassan
     Heinrich
     Kaine
     Klobuchar
     Leahy
     Markey
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Murphy
     Murray
     Peters
     Reed
     Schatz
     Schumer
     Shaheen
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Van Hollen
     Warren
     Whitehouse
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--5

     Durbin
     Hirono
     Sanders
     Udall
     Warner
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 59, the nays are 
36.
  The motion is agreed to.
  The Senator from Alaska.


                  Tribute to Solomon ``Sol'' Atkinson

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, every week I have been coming down to 
the floor of the Senate to talk about a special Alaskan, someone in my 
State who, through their hard work and community service, whether to 
their neighbors or to their country, makes Alaska a better place for 
all of us. We call these people the Alaskans of the Week. Learning 
about these individuals and sharing their stories with my Senate 
colleagues, Alaskans, and Americans who watch what we do here or who 
are in the gallery, is probably one of the best parts of my week every 
week.
  Like most of my colleagues, I will soon be going home for the Fourth 
of July. We will celebrate this very special holiday with our families 
and our communities. Some of us will go to barbecues or march in 
parades or attend other community gatherings. Some of us will gather in 
spots across our State and watch fireworks. Personally, I will be with 
my family catching king salmon at my family's ancestral fish camp up on 
the Yukon River, one of my favorite places in the entire world.
  Regardless of where we are, all of us will certainly feel a swell of 
pride for our country. We will remember the hard-fought battles that 
brought us independence, and we will remember those who have served and 
sacrificed to keep our country the land of the free and the home of the 
brave. They are the heroes among us, and Alaska is chock-full of these 
heroes.
  Today I want to recognize one of them, a very special hero who is our 
Alaskan of the Week--Solomon Atkinson, who spent nearly his entire 
adult life serving our country with honor and dignity and now serves 
his community in Alaska tirelessly.
  Let me tell you a little bit about Sol and his illustrious career in 
the military. Sol was born in 1930 to Harris and Elizabeth Atkinson in 
Metlakatla, AK.
  Metlakatla is on Annette Island on the Inside Passage, where so many 
Americans take cruises to see the glaciers and the whales. It is home 
to the only federally recognized Indian reservation in our State.
  Sol could have continued to live in Metlakatla, where he was a 
commercial fisherman as a young man, but, like so many patriotic 
Alaskans, he chose to leave his home and join the military. Sol joined 
the U.S. Navy, and for 22 years--from 1951 to 1973--he had by anybody's 
standards a remarkable patriotic military career.
  In 1953, Sol volunteered for the Navy's legendary Underwater 
Demolition Team and was deployed to the Pacific, including Korea. Some 
history buffs will know and recall that the Underwater Demolition Team, 
the UDT, was the precursor to the present-day Navy SEALS--frogmen, as 
they liked to call themselves. In fact, Sol was on the very first Navy 
SEAL team created by President Kennedy in 1962, and I have a copy of 
the SEAL Team One plank owners certificate, commissioned on January 1, 
1962, with Sol's name proudly displayed.
  So Sol became a Navy SEAL--the first Navy SEAL, literally. He became 
a SEAL team training instructor, training new Navy SEAL recruits. He 
was affectionately referred to as ``the Mean Machine'' by the Navy 
SEALs. He also had the honor of training 48 astronauts, including Neil 
Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Jim Lovell, just to name a few, in 
underwater weightlessness simulations. His prized possession is a 
framed plaque bearing the signature of all those astronauts, all those 
American heroes whom he trained.
  Sol completed three combat tours in Vietnam. By the time he retired 
from the military, he had earned numerous awards and medals for 
personal valor, including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. But 
what is truly remarkable about Sol is that after he retired from the 
Navy, he moved back home to Metlakatla and continued to serve his 
country and serve his community. He served on the Indian Community 
Council, on the school board, and as mayor of Metlakatla. He has also 
been very involved in veterans affairs and was the president of the 
first veterans organization on the island and was instrumental in 
starting that organization. He has spent years reaching out to his 
fellow veterans to make sure they receive the benefits, honor, and 
dignity they earned.
  Jeff Moran, the superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 
Metlakatla, said this about Sol:

       I could go on and on regarding the wonderful things that 
     Sol has done for his community. We would not be here today 
     without his leadership and knowledge [and commitment].

  I, too, can go on about Sol. Many Alaskans can go on about Sol and 
all the things he has done. But I also want to mention, particularly on 
the eve of the Fourth of July, that he is part of a long tradition in 
my State of Alaskan Natives who have served in the military, who have 
served our country even during darker times in our history when many 
Alaskan Natives were discriminated against and denied basic rights.
  On the eve of the Fourth of July, we celebrate America's independence 
but also in particular those who have fought for that independence over 
the last 200 years. As I mentioned, one proud element of my great State 
is that we have more veterans per capita than any State in the country, 
and Alaska Native veterans serve at higher rates in the U.S. military 
than any other ethnic group in the country--something I like to refer 
to as a special kind of patriotism because they have been doing this 
for decades, like Sol--even at times, as I mentioned, when the country 
hasn't always treated that group of patriotic Americans with the 
respect and dignity they deserve. Sol personifies this special 
patriotism.
  The SEALs who served with him wrote this about him in a tribute:

       Sol's story will continue to be told by the men he trained, 
     by the officers who relied on him, by the Frogmen who all 
     respect him. An officer, a gentleman, an athlete, a friend, 
     Sol Atkinson is all of these, but of all of these traits, he 
     is first a Frogman.

  We can see the pride the Navy SEALs have for Sol, a plank owner for 
the entire organization.
  In conclusion, I will add that he is a patriotic Alaskan through and 
through, and I thank him for all he has done for Alaska, for our 
veterans, and for America.
  Sol, congratulations on being our Alaskan of the Week. Happy Fourth 
of July to you, to Alaska, and to all the men and women in our military 
and the citizens of our great Nation.
  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.

[[Page 10103]]


  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sasse). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                   Recognition of the Minority Leader

  The Democratic leader is recognized.


                         Healthcare Legislation

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, from all indications, our Republican 
friends continue to negotiate amongst themselves, behind closed doors, 
to revive the healthcare bill they had to pull from the floor on 
Tuesday.
  I would suggest to my friends on the other side that there is no 
tweak or change or modification that will fix what is wrong with this 
Republican healthcare bill. The core of the bill is the problem. The 
American people are opposed to tax cuts for the wealthy and the 
reduction of the social safety net of Social Security, Medicare, and 
Medicaid.
  The Republican TrumpCare bill is built on a crumbling, decrepit 
foundation, and that is because it is based on the premise that special 
interests and a very small number of wealthy Americans deserve a tax 
break while millions of Americans--middle class families, older 
Americans in nursing homes, folks with a preexisting condition--ought 
to receive less healthcare at a higher cost.
  That idea is so backward, so out of step with what America wants and 
what actually works, it can never succeed, no matter how it is tweaked.
  The one thing my Republican friends are latching on to--that their 
bill will bring down average premiums several years down the line--is 
really a bait and switch. The bait is lower premiums, but the switch is 
higher deductibles and copays so that, in the end, the average American 
pays more than they would have otherwise. They are luring people in 
with a lower premium, but then they have to pay such a high percentage 
of their medical costs, the insurance policy is virtually worthless.
  The Republican TrumpCare bill tells insurers they can offer much less 
generous healthcare plans than under the current system, even allowing 
States to opt out of covering essential benefits like treatment for 
opioids, mental health coverage, prescription drug coverage, and 
maternity care.
  The result of these changes is that insurers may charge smaller 
premiums on some plans, but they will cover way less and, in fact, the 
deductibles and copays will go up--way up--in order to make the 
difference. So this isn't: Oh, you are not paying for some esoteric 
item; your insurance policy will pay for virtually nothing at the 
beginning if you have a high deductible.
  The CBO report estimates that for an average 40-year-old with an 
income of $26,500 a year, looking at insurance on the marketplace, 
deductibles would increase by thousands. If that 40-year-old decided on 
a ``bronze'' plan, for instance, their deductible would be $6,000 a 
year, the CBO estimates. That is $5,200 more than under current law. So 
we know what that means: They have to pay the first $6,000 of 
healthcare, no matter what your insurance policy is. What good is that? 
Not much. Good for the insurance industry, maybe; not good for the 
average citizen. Some of my colleagues on the other side are claiming 
they want lower premiums, but if those lower premiums come with higher 
deductibles and higher copays, nobody benefits. It is a bait and 
switch.
  What the Republican bill gives with one hand in this area, it more 
than takes away with the other because the lower premiums are made up 
for by higher deductibles and copays, so the average person pays more, 
not less, even when their premium goes down.
  Who in America believes that folks should have higher out-of-pocket 
costs than before? Who in America believes that folks making over $1 
million a year--God bless them; they are doing well--deserve another 
$57,000 tax break? Who in America believes that we should be making it 
harder to afford nursing home care or maternity care or opioid abuse 
treatment? Who in America believes a child born with a preexisting 
condition should hit their lifetime insurance limit before they even 
leave the hospital for the first time? Who believes in that in this 
America?
  It turns out, almost no one. A poll yesterday showed that only 12 
percent of Americans support the Republican bill. No amendment or 
compromise or tweak or adjustment in formula can solve that.
  So I repeat the offer I made to President Trump and my Republican 
friends yesterday: Let's start over. Drop this fundamentally flawed 
approach--abandon cuts to Medicaid, abandon tax breaks for the 
wealthy--and we can discuss the problems that Americans are actually 
concerned about: the cost, quality, and availability of healthcare.
  I suggested that President Trump invite all Senators to Blair House 
to begin anew on a bipartisan approach to healthcare. Unfortunately, 
the President said I wasn't serious. Mr. President: Try me. The minute 
you make the invitation, we will take it in a very serious way. It is 
not that audacious of an idea. President Obama did the same thing early 
in his Presidency to discuss healthcare with Members of both parties in 
front of the American people. Our only condition: Drop the wrong-headed 
idea of slashing Medicaid to give tax breaks to the wealthy. It is 
perfectly reasonable, and a vast majority of Americans agree with us.
  Nonpartisan institutions like the American Medical Association, the 
National Association of Medicaid Directors, AARP, and America's largest 
nursing home groups are all against the Republican approach. The 
Congressional Budget Office and other expert analyses say that it will 
not actually fix the problems in our healthcare system--high 
deductibles, high premiums, counties with too few insurance options--
and the American people are as roundly against it as any piece of major 
legislation I have ever seen.
  So I don't believe it is unserious to ask my Republican friends to 
drop this particular bill and talk to us about actually fixing the 
problems in our healthcare system.
  I don't believe it is unserious to say to President Trump: You 
campaigned on bringing costs down and providing care for everyone. You 
campaigned on not cutting Medicaid and controlling the outrageous costs 
of prescription drugs. These are all your words in the campaign. Well, 
we Democrats agree with all of that. So let's talk about it.
  Fundamentally, I don't believe that seeking a bipartisan solution on 
the great issues of our time should ever be considered unserious.
  President Trump, you have complained about a lack of bipartisanship--
unfairly, in our opinion. We are offering a way to implement 
bipartisanship, and right now it is you, not we, who are stopping it.
  I hope my Republican friends, President Trump, and the majority 
leader think long and hard before dismissing our offer out of hand. I 
challenge them again: Invite all of us to Blair House the first day we 
get back from recess. If you think we are not serious, try us. 
Democrats are ready to turn the page on healthcare. When will my 
Republican friends realize it is time for them to do the same?


                            Russia Sanctions

  Finally, Mr. President, as to Russia sanctions, on June 15, nearly 2 
weeks ago, the Senate, in an act of bipartisanship, passed a tough 
Russia sanctions bill on a 98-to-2 vote. There are very few things of 
such significance that this body does with such a large bipartisan 
vote--Democrats and Republicans, all but two coming together.
  The majority leader, Senator McConnell, and I worked hard to pass it 
before a possible meeting between President Trump and President Putin 
at the G20 summit. We wanted to send a message to Mr. Putin: If you 
interfere with our democratic institutions, you will be punished. These 
new sanctions should also help to deter future Russian interference.
  At the Speaker's request, I hope this morning the Senate will pass a 
technical correction to address the blue-slip issue. It is important 
for Speaker Ryan to get the House to act on this legislation before the 
July 4th recess. It is critical that Congress speak in a loud, clear, 
and unified voice to President Putin: Interfering with our elections--
the wellspring and pride of our

[[Page 10104]]

democracy for over two centuries--will not be tolerated, and the United 
States will always respond forcefully, including with the power of 
economic sanctions.
  I want to put the House on notice. If they water down the bill, 
weaken the sanctions, add loopholes to the legislation, they will find 
stiff resistance here in the Senate.
  Later today, we will break for the July 4th recess. The Fourth of 
July is a day to remember the audacity of a ragtag group of colonies 
who declared themselves free and independent from the tyranny of one of 
the great, mighty foreign powers. What better way to mark the occasion 
than for the Congress of that once fledgling Nation--now the mightiest 
Nation in the world, ourselves--to pass a bill that says, 241 years 
since that fateful day, that we intend to defend our democracy as 
fiercely as the patriots who put down their plows and took up muskets 
on Bunker Hill did?
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lee). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Perdue). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                               Venezuela

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about the 
rise of a failed state, Venezuela, and the manmade tragedy President 
Maduro has imposed on his citizens.
  For 3 months, Venezuelans have taken to the streets in daily 
protests. They are speaking out against their country's economic 
collapse, against widespread food shortages, the disintegration of 
their medical system, against endemic corruption, and against a 
government that denies them their human rights and fundamental 
freedoms.
  Appallingly, President Maduro has responded to the protests by 
unleashing his National Guard. As a recent Washington Post article 
stated, ``Mr. Maduro and the corrupt clique around him are hanging on 
by the brute force of tear gas, water cannons, mass arrests, and 
shootings by snipers.''
  Since April, Venezuela's increasingly unstable crisis has left over 
75 dead, thousands jailed, and thousands more injured. Yet, instead of 
listening to his people's legitimate demands and mitigating this 
tragedy, President Maduro is attempting to rewrite the Constitution, 
despite widespread opposition. Additionally, he declared this week that 
``what couldn't be done with votes would be done with weapons.''
  This is our hemisphere. This is a hemisphere that prides itself in 
democratic states, and here is the President of Venezuela saying he 
doesn't care what the voters say. With Maduro threatening to use arms 
against his people, one can only imagine the bloodshed and abuses will 
continue unabated.
  Despite these threats, protests endure because Venezuelans see no 
alternatives. They have no other recourse against standing in lines for 
endless hours to scour the empty shelves at their markets. They have no 
other way to channel their sorrow over the spike in maternal and infant 
mortality rates in hospitals that lack supplies to treat the most basic 
diseases. They have no other way to express their outrage at the 
military profiting from corruption in food procurement contracts, even 
while children increasingly suffer the ravages of malnutrition.
  Parallel to the protests, chaos is becoming commonplace. In the past 
72 hours, the National Guard troops have stormed the National Assembly 
and assaulted opposition legislators. They came into the Parliament and 
assaulted the opposition. The supreme court has stripped the attorney 
general, Luisa Ortega, of her authorities for her criticism of 
President Maduro.
  We have seen lootings and the burning of government buildings. 
Alarmingly, a rogue police officer commandeered a helicopter and 
launched grenades and small arms fire while flying over the supreme 
court. These incidents from just the last 3 days should make it clear 
to all we are now dealing with a failed state in our own hemisphere.
  As this crisis cripples Venezuela, I call on all sides to refrain 
from violence. I also want to recognize that the current situation is 
the product of 18 years of systematic efforts to dismantle Venezuela's 
democratic institutions.
  Since coming to power, President Maduro--like Hugo Chavez before 
him--has filled the ranks of government with loyalists who have led the 
economy to hyperinflation and the brink of default. State oil companies 
like PDVSA, the country's only source of revenue, has been purged of 
its expertise. In a truly devastating blow to democracy and the rule of 
law, the judiciary has been entirely sapped of its independence so it 
now functions as a political appendage of the executive branch.
  In the 18 months since the opposition coalition won control of the 
National Assembly--and I must tell you there was hope when we saw the 
voters in Venezuela enacted a new government in their Parliament--the 
supreme court has overturned every piece of legislation passed, gave 
itself authority to approve the national budget, and in April 
temporarily usurped the rest of the legislature's authorities, 
completely reversing the will of the people.
  Additionally, as Venezuela's civilian and military justice systems 
have become accomplices to persecution and torture, the number of 
political prisoners has soared. Leopoldo Lopez, Judge Afiuni, Daniel 
Ceballos--these are just some of the more well-known names among the 
more than 350 political prisoners recognized by Venezuelan human rights 
NGO Foro Penal. These are people who are in prison as a result of their 
political beliefs.
  It is no surprise the decay of judicial independence has led to an 
alarming rise in corruption and impunity. It is now a stated fact that 
senior officials have syphoned billions out of Venezuela and are 
engaged in the illegal drug trade.
  In response, the United States has designated a dozen people under 
the Kingpin sanctions, including Vice President Tareck El Aissami. 
Interior Minister Reverol was indicted in the United States last year 
for drug trafficking. Even Maduro's nephews were convicted in the 
United States on drug charges.
  The sum of these trend lines is truly disturbing. Today, Venezuela is 
a failed state, where authoritarian leaders profit from links to 
corruption and drug trafficking, while the Venezuelan people are 
subject to precarious humanitarian conditions and human rights abuses. 
Against this backdrop, we require little explanation why more than 
18,000 Venezuelans sought asylum in the United States last year.
  We are all concerned about the flight of people at risk. What is 
happening in Venezuela directly impacts people trying to seek safety 
coming into the United States. If all this wasn't enough, in late 2016, 
Venezuelan State oil company PDVSA used its U.S. subsidiary Citgo as 
collateral to secure a loan from Rosneft, a company that is controlled 
by the Russian Government and is currently under U.S. sanctions. The 
result is, the Russian Government holds at least 49.9 percent of 
Citgo's mortgage and could come into control of critical U.S. energy 
infrastructure, including refineries, terminals, and a large network of 
pipelines. This should concern every Member of the U.S. Senate.
  So the question for the United States and the international community 
is, How do we respond? What do we do? We cannot let this circumstance 
continue.
  Thankfully, supported by a growing diplomatic coalition that includes 
Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Canada, and the United States, the 
Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, 
is marshalling international pressure. Mr. Almagro has called on 
President Maduro to heed the demands of his citizens, free political 
prisoners, permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance, commit to a 
timetable for overdue elections, and restore the authority of the 
National Assembly.

[[Page 10105]]

  However, despite Mr. Almagro's leadership, the results of last week's 
meeting of Foreign Ministers was a stunning failure to reach consensus 
on a hemisphere response. Appallingly, eight countries refused to vote 
their conscience, among them Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El 
Salvador, Trinidad, and Suriname. They did not use the power under the 
OAS to recognize that Venezuela today is not living up to its charter 
commitment to be a democratic state. There is a process at the OAS to 
take action. They were unable to do that--a major setback.
  As efforts at the OAS continue, all must remain clear that there are 
no alternative facts when it comes to Venezuela, there is just a 
manmade tragedy that demands collective action.
  While providing full support for multilateral diplomacy, the United 
States must also lead. In May, I introduced bipartisan legislation to 
address the multifaceted crisis in Venezuela. My bill will authorize 
humanitarian assistance and require the State Department to coordinate 
an international approach to humanitarian challenges. The legislation 
will also provide strong congressional backing for OAS efforts, as well 
as funding for international election observers and civil society 
groups working to defend human rights and democratic values.
  Given the rising instability in Venezuela, the bill would codify two 
lines of targeted sanctions against Venezuelan officials involved in 
corruption and undermining democratic governance--the very authorities 
the administration used to rightly sanction members of the Venezuelan 
supreme court last month.
  Congress should act, as we have done in so many other places where we 
show congressional leadership to make it clear that this type of 
activity will not be allowed to continue and that Congress will take a 
strong position to give appropriate authority to sanction those 
individuals who are responsible.
  Finally, the bill would require the State Department and U.S. 
intelligence community to prepare a report on the role of Venezuelan 
officials in corruption and drug trafficking.
  As the instability in Venezuela grows, every day we decide not to act 
only makes the crisis worse. I urge my colleagues to work with 
legislation I have filed. Let's work with the Congress and the 
President to make it clear to the Venezuelan people they are not alone, 
and we will not tolerate a country in our hemisphere to become a failed 
state.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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