Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to honor my friend, GEN Raymond A. Thomas III, commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, for his dedication to military service in the U.S. Army. General Thomas will retire from active military duty on March 29, 2019, after serving 39 years defending our national security.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, General Thomas graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant in 1980. Throughout his career, General Thomas has grown as a well-respected leader and a vital asset to the special operations community.

Prior to assuming command of U.S. Special Operations Command, General Thomas served as commander, Joint Special Operations Command--JSOC-- Fort Bragg, NC. His other general officer assignments include Associate Director for Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency; commanding general, NATO Special Operations Component Command-- Afghanistan; deputy commanding general, JSOC; Deputy Director for Special Operations, the Joint Staff in the Pentagon; assistant division commander, 1st Armor Division in Iraq; and assistant commanding general, JSOC.

Prior to his promotion to brigadier general, General Thomas served as the JSOC Chief of Staff and Director of Operations. He also faithfully served in key joint and special operations assignments all around the globe to include commander, Joint Task Force--Bravo, Soto Cano, Honduras; commander, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Savannah, GA; and commander, B Squadron, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-- Delta, Fort Bragg, NC.

I ask my colleagues to join me as I proudly recognize the remarkable military career of GEN Raymond A. Thomas III. I wish General Thomas, his loving wife, Barbara, and their extended family the very best as they embark on the next chapter of their journey together.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today to join over 10 colleagues to speak in opposition to the so-called Green New Deal.

Merriam-Webster defines a deal as ``a bargain'' or ``an agreement for mutual advantage.'' By its name, you would think that Americans are going to derive some benefit from it, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

The truth is that this proposal is a raw deal for America, especially our rural communities.

As many of you know, every month I give out a Squeal Award, which draws attention to outrageous examples of wasteful and reckless spending of taxpayer money.

With a $93 trillion--trillion with a ``t''--pricetag, which is roughly $10 trillion more than the entire recorded spending of the U.S. Government since 1789, this month's Squeal Award goes to the Green New Deal, which, again, I think is kind of a raw deal.

Just think about that number--$93 trillion. To fund this radical government takeover, every American family would have to pay about $65,000 annually. Folks, that is more than most Iowa households bring in in a year.

The ideas presented in the Green New Deal used to garner support only from the furthest fringes of the political left--the furthest fringes. Concepts like rebuilding every building in the country, outlawing fossil fuels, and guaranteed jobs would never have made their way into mainstream discourse just a few years ago. Now our Democratic colleagues are trying to make them mainstream.

In fact, 100 of the 282 Democratic Members of the House and Senate have signed on to support this plan. This is the creep of socialism into America.

If you work in a part of the energy industry that has fallen out of favor, your job has no place in the country. That is what is envisioned by the Democrats.

The Green New Deal states that one of its goals is to meet ``100 percent of the power demand in the U.S. through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources.''

Don't get me wrong, folks--don't get me wrong--increasing our reliance on renewables is a good goal and one that I support, but we have to be realistic about our current energy capabilities and our needs.

Private sector investment and innovation, coupled with government support and incentives, have contributed to significant advances in renewable energy.

I am proud to say that my home State of Iowa is one of the Nation's leaders in renewable energy, with wind providing nearly 40 percent of our electricity. That is more than any other State in the Nation. With more wind coming online, coal went from producing 76 percent of our electricity in 2008 to 45 percent of it in 2017.

I would note that this transition toward renewables happened largely as a result of State policies and community engagement, not heavyhanded government regulation.

Another one of the ``goals'' I find most interesting in this unrealistic proposal is that of providing ``guaranteed jobs.'' What may be lost on the Democrats is that the best guaranteed jobs program is not housed in a government building; it is a strong economy like the one we are living in right now--not one bogged down by job-killing regulations and punitive tax breaks.

If you want proof of this, look no further than Iowa. Our unemployment sits at a low 2.4 percent, and we have over 63,000 job openings and about 40,000 folks looking for work. That is more job openings than there are people actually looking for jobs.

Lastly, I would point out that as a part of this proposal, our Democratic colleagues want to overhaul transportation systems in the United States. If you live in places like New York City, you can walk to a grocery store, but in rural communities like my hometown of Red Oak, IA, it can take you 30 minutes to drive to a Walmart. I am not talking about 30 minutes of driving to a Walmart in city traffic; I am talking about 30 minutes of driving, probably not meeting any cars at all on the road.

Everything from combines to tractors and to the trucks that transport our grains to market would be impacted. The Green New Deal is unrealistic and would unfairly impact rural communities across this country.

Folks, we have a clear choice. We can continue to support rural America and pro-growth economic policies that boost our economy and create jobs or we can allow socialist fantasies like the Green New Deal to creep in, take hold, bankrupt our Nation, and devastate our rural communities.

I yield the floor to my colleague Senator Cornyn.

Mr. President, I will yield.

I do believe that climate change is real, and we have seen climate change for centuries, Senator Schatz. So, for my colleague from Hawaii, we have seen climate change; there is no doubt about that.

But what I am debating here today and what we are speaking on is right here: $93 trillion, and we want to get rid of all fossil fuels within 10 years, folks--10 years. We can't drive a combine. We can't harvest our food. For heaven's sake, we have to be realistic.

My home State of Iowa has taken advantage of ingenuity and innovation and developed a process where wind energy contributes 40 percent of our electricity.

Now, with the new wind energy field that is being put in by MidAmerican Energy in the western part of the State, where I am from, in the next 2 to 3 years, 80 percent of our electricity will come from wind energy, and it didn't take big government or socialism to put it into place.

So thank you very much.

I yield the floor to Senator Cornyn.

Mr. President, I have 11 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled, ``The state of the American maritime industry.''

Committee on Environment and Public Works

The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``The economic benefits of highway infrastructure investment and accelerate project delivery.''

Committee on Finance

The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Protecting American from abuse and neglect nursing homes.''

Committee on Foreign Relations

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: John P. Abizaid, of Nevada, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Matthew H. Tueller, of Utah, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, both of the Department of State.

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Recommendation to reduce waste, fraud, and mismanagement in Federal programs.''

Committee on the Judiciary

The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of customs and border protection's response to the smuggling of persons at the Southern border.''

Committee on Rules and Administration

The Committee on Rules and Administration is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Library of Congress.''

Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing entitled ``Small business and the American worker.''

Committee on Veterans' Affairs

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 10 a.m., to conduct a joint hearing.

Special Committee on Aging

The Special Committee on Aging is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Subcommittee on Personnel

The Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. President, I rise to speak on Russia's ongoing and illegal occupation of Ukraine.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Ukraine where I saw firsthand the effects of nearly 5 years of Russian occupation, aggression, and hostilities suffered by the Ukrainian people.

Since Russia's illegal seizure of Crimea in March of 2014 and their subsequent invasion of eastern Ukraine's Donbas region the following month, over 10,000--10,000--people have been killed and many more have been wounded or displaced in the fighting. Hiding behind so-called pro- Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, the regime of Vladimir Putin has indiscriminately targeted both civilian and military targets, across the line of contact, in flagrant violation of the Minsk ceasefire and the law of war. In fact, shelling was occurring just 1 day prior to my visit to the Eastern Front.

The Eastern Front, even saying it now, before my colleagues in the Senate, the phrase seems almost surreal and harkens back to a bygone era in which the Cold War dominated our political landscape.

The first time I visited Ukraine was in 1989--1989--as part of an agricultural exchange program. The Soviet Union was on the verge of collapse, and the spirit of independence, freedom, and self- determination was gaining steam. My gracious Ukrainian hosts didn't want to discuss farming. It was an agricultural exchange, but they didn't want to discuss farming. They wanted to know what it was like to be an American. They wanted to know what it was like to have freedom and be independent.

Just like the oppressive yoke of authoritarianism dominated Ukraine in 1989, it once again threatens a people who have fought hard to create a nation of laws accountable to its people and as champions of human dignity, free markets, and democratic values. With our help, Ukraine has managed to hold the line against the Russian aggressors. Our security assistance, in the form of intelligence-sharing, special operations capacity-building, and, most recently, the delivery of Javelin anti-tank weapons, has enabled the Ukrainian Armed Forces to deter further Russian advances into free Ukraine and has caused the Russian military forces in occupied Donbas to pull their tanks farther away from the frontline.

Unfortunately, Russia has found other ways to attack Ukrainian interests. In November of 2018, just a few months ago, Russian naval vessels opened fire and captured three Ukrainian ships along with 24 sailors in international waters just south of the Kerch Strait. Demonstrating his contempt for the international rules-based order, Vladimir Putin is using his naval supremacy in the region to slowly strangle the Ukrainian economy, which relies, in part, on steel and grain shipping from ports in the Sea of Azov. While our military aid has been successful in assisting Ukrainian efforts along the line of contact in Donbas, future military aid must take into account Ukraine's need for defensive weapons and asymmetric capabilities to counter Russian aggression both on land and at sea. Only then can Ukraine adequately defend its people and sovereignty.

In addition to hostile military action, Russian intelligence has been working to undermine the upcoming Ukrainian Presidential and parliamentary elections. Much like the interference in our own elections in 2016, Putin is seeking to sow discord, spread confusion, and undermine the democratic system that has taken root in Ukraine. This is indicative of Russia's global strategy, which seeks to drive a wedge between the United States and our allies, undermine democratic governments, and return to an era of power politics in which brute strength rather than the rule of law governs global interactions.

China has adopted a similar, albeit more subtle and increasingly aggressive, strategy in Asia, with an overarching goal of displacing American global leadership. Thus, it is more important than ever for the United States to work by, with, and through our allies around the world to ensure a future in which our values of freedom, the rule of law, human rights, and free markets prevail for generations to come.

Today freedom's frontier runs through the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. We must never turn our backs on a people yearning for the same freedoms we enjoy in the United States. Doing so not only legitimizes the actions of thugs--yes, thugs--around the world but will inevitably threaten our own rights and freedoms tomorrow, which many of us take for granted today.

We are Americans, and we will always answer the call to preserve freedom while reaching out a hand to those who are fighting to achieve it.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined today on the floor by my colleagues to discuss the unprecedented levels of obstruction aimed at President Trump's nominees. This issue plagued the 115th Congress, and it is one I am hopeful we can remedy moving forward in this new session.

The Senate is tasked with the critical role of providing advice and consent on many of the President's nominations, including executive branch officials and Federal judges. Vetting these officials is a task that I take extremely seriously, and I have often welcomed discussion regarding these critical appointments with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as my constituents.

We can all agree that these positions must be filled by our Nation's most qualified candidates, individuals who are committed to public service and upholding the values and principles that make our Nation so great. We should also be able to agree that these positions should be filled using an expedient and timely process.

As any Iowa small business owner can tell you, if you don't have employees, you can't function. Iowans and many others across this Nation expect the Federal Government to run on the same commonsense principle.

The recent levels of obstruction for the President's nominees have not only kept the executive branch and our Federal courts from staffing critical positions but have also prevented the Senate from moving forward on other critical legislative priorities and initiatives.

In the past, the Senate has been able to disagree on certain nominations and still move forward in a respectful and expedient manner to ensure that the Federal Government operates efficiently. However, during President Trump's first Congress, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have utilized a series of procedural tactics to eat up time on the Senate floor and to stall the President's nominees.

To put this in perspective, during President George W. Bush's first Congress, the Senate forced a cloture vote on nominations only 4 times. That was during President Bush's first Congress. So it was 4 times.

During President Clinton's first Congress, this increased to a mere 8 cloture votes--8 cloture votes for Clinton.

During President Obama's first Congress, the use of this tactic still remained minimal, with only 12 cloture votes on nominations. So it was Bush, 4; Clinton, 8; and President Obama, 12.

Compare that to the use of cloture votes during the 115th Congress. My Democratic colleagues forced cloture votes 128 times--128 times. That is 10 times more often than during President Obama's first Congress.

Despite that President Trump submitted nearly the same number of nominees as President Obama, 29 percent more Obama nominees than Trump nominees were confirmed during each President's respective first Congress. Yet these delays have often not been used to raise objections to controversial or unqualified nominees. That is just not the case.

In fact, nearly half of all recorded cloture votes--48 percent, to be exact--received 60 or more votes to end debate. Furthermore, nearly a third received 70 or more votes to end debate. These nominees were confirmed with widespread bipartisan support.

Cloture was not invoked in order to extensively debate the merits or the qualifications of those candidates. Instead, this procedural tactic has been used to run down the clock and prevent the Senate from moving forward with other important business.

Many nominees from my home State of Iowa have been fortunate enough to escape some of these political games. I was proud to see the Senate reach an agreement in September to move forward and confirm Judge C.J. Williams to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa by a 79-to-12 vote. I am also glad that multiple U.S. marshals and U.S. attorneys have been able to fill critical Federal law enforcement positions in Iowa after being confirmed by a voice vote in the Senate.

However, while many of these positions have been filled back in my home State, Iowans are still greatly harmed when the Senate fails to efficiently fill executive branch positions whose duties do impact the entire Nation.

Furthermore, many States across our Nation have faced unnecessary challenges to filling critical positions after cloture was invoked for noncontroversial nominees.

Take a State like Alabama, for example. Judge Annemarie Carney Axon received bipartisan support from both

of her home State Senators for her nomination to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. However, Democrats forced a cloture vote on her nomination before confirming her by a vote of 83 to 11.

Similarly, Judge Terry Doughty was confirmed to be a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana by a 98-to-0 vote after a forced cloture vote.

These are not isolated examples. Just last year, multiple district judge nominees in Kentucky and Texas received the support of more than 90 Senators, but only after their nomination was first stalled, again, by an unnecessary cloture vote.

We cannot continue to allow the Senate to be bogged down by unprecedented obstruction tactics. The American people expect and deserve a fully functioning government with the right personnel in place.

That is why I want to thank Leader McConnell for continuing to make nominations such a priority and managing to confirm so many Federal judges, despite these tactics. I also thank my colleagues, Senators Blunt and Lankford, for introducing a proposal that accelerates the nomination process for lower level nominees.

This commonsense proposal builds on the previous Reid-Schumer rule affecting Senate considerations of Obama nominees during the 113th Congress--a rule that garnered widespread bipartisan support, including the agreement of 35 of my Democratic colleagues who still serve in the Senate today.

I urge my colleagues to support this reasonable proposal that enables us to move forward in a timely manner while still encouraging input and debate on those candidates. It is time for the Senate to put a halt to these delay tactics and get back to fulfilling our commitments to the American people. Again, I urge support of the proposal.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this evening, as we debate this very important bill, I am hearing two different strategies, two different discussions, about what is actually on the floor in front of us. You see, my colleagues across the aisle are debating a bill that is not in front of us. They are talking about healthcare for women, which is abortion. That is what they are talking about.

This bill does not address abortion. It does not address women's healthcare issues. What this bill does is address the healthcare of a baby who is born alive after a botched abortion. We are not talking about abortion, folks. We are talking about the life of a child who is born. So, while my colleagues across the aisle are saying this is about abortion, that this is about a mother's healthcare, that is absolutely incorrect. We are talking about a human life.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed the ugly truth about the far- reaching grasp of the abortion industry and its ever-increasingly radicalized political agenda. Some politicians have not only defended aborting a child while a woman is in labor but have gone so far as to support the termination of a child after his birth. This assault on human dignity cannot stand. We can and must do better, and we can as a nation do better to defend and uphold the basic values of compassion and decency that define our very society.

I thank the junior Senator from Nebraska for offering this commonsense legislation that addresses this issue in a compassionate manner and provides critical protections for children who are born alive after surviving abortions.

Although previous laws were passed that recognize infants born alive during abortion proceedings as legal persons, there still exists a critical loophole that prevents abortionists from being held accountable for failing to follow these very laws.

This legislation closes the gap and ensures that there are concrete enforcement measures to protect children who survive abortion attempts.

We can all agree that any child who is born alive, whether through a natural birth or a botched abortion, is a living person, a person who is worthy of the utmost dignity, compassion, and respect. This legislation ensures just that by simply requiring healthcare practitioners to treat those babies who survive an abortion attempt with the same degree of care any other baby born at the same gestational age would receive.

This legislation is not meant to punish women or mothers during an often heart-wrenching and difficult experience. In fact, this legislation specifically prohibits mothers from being prosecuted. Instead, this bill quite simply imposes penalties for the intentional killing of a baby who has been born alive.

Today, we have an opportunity to categorically reject infanticide by ensuring that the laws we have on the books preventing this abhorrent practice are meaningfully enforced and that those who fail to follow such laws can be held accountable.

I urge my colleagues to set aside partisanship and support this much needed, compassionate solution. We as a nation can do better. We must protect those babies who are born alive.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, during this Valentines Day week, folks around the country are taking a moment to express their love to one another. I have the great fortune to be the junior Senator from the great State of Iowa, so I wanted to take a moment to share just how much I love my home State of Iowa.

Iowa truly is where my heart is, from its beautiful farmland to its streams and rolling hills, Boyden to Brandon, Fairview, Farragut, and Fort Madison, and Keokuk to Rock Rapids and all the places in between. Iowa has been so very good to me, and it has so much to offer. Nothing is better to me than grabbing a slice of our hometown Casey's pizza and catching a sunset on a beautiful Iowa day or on a snowy cold one if you happen to be there right now. I could spend hours mentioning the things I love about Iowa, but I wanted to take the time to mention just a few.

I love how Iowans are politically engaged. There is a reason why the Iowa caucuses are the heartbeat of America's political scene and why politicians line up to eat corn dogs, fried

Oreos, and hot beef sundaes at our impressive Iowa State Fair. Iowans voice their opinions, they show up to vote, and they hold us accountable. I appreciate that spirit and that patriotism.

Interacting with fellow Iowans is one of my favorite parts of the 99- county tour that I do every year. I visit every single county, every last one of Iowa's 99.

I also want to show love to Iowa's working parents. Moms and dads across Iowa are working hard every single day to make ends meet, put food on their tables, and provide their families with a bright future. The love of their children drives them, and they are doing a great job. Their drive to succeed pushes me to look for tools to help them better achieve their goals. One area is the issue of paid leave. It is an issue that is very important to me because data shows that newborns who have the time to bond with their parents have better health outcomes. As a conservative, I want to see an approach that is voluntary and budget neutral and that preserves jobs and is a win-win not only for the economy but also employees. I think those policy solutions are out there. I do. I have been working with my colleague Senator Mike Lee on this, and we will be vocalizing these initiatives in the coming days.

I love, love, love Iowa's small towns and our rural communities. Folks in Iowa's small towns, like my hometown of Red Oak--we stick together. We watch out for each other, and we help each other out when tragedy strikes.

I am reminded of a time many years ago when a farmer in one of our local communities was injured when he was out ranching with his cattle. He had row crops that needed to be brought in for the harvest. He was so severely injured, he later succumbed to those injuries, and his widow was left with a standing crop. It only took one phone call to the local radio station to mobilize tractors, wagons, and combines to bring in the harvest for that family. One phone call made a difference. These small towns and small communities rely on each other. They don't rely on the Federal Government to come in and solve their problems. We take care of each other.

Our rural communities are home to thousands of amazing and thriving small businesses, our churches giving hope to the world, baseball fields filled with youngsters hoping to hit a home run, families hunting and fishing together, sometimes three generations all at once, motorcycles on long winding roads, and the local post office not only knowing where you live but your name and your kids' names too. These small towns are why I have spent a great deal of time in Washington working to keep government accountable, decrease job-killing regulations, and ensure that small businesses keep rumbling. Rural communities truly are the heart of this Nation and my great State of Iowa.

I also love Iowa's veterans. As a veteran myself, I know how difficult it can be to navigate the bureaucracy and other hurdles of the VA system. Unfortunately, we haven't always given our veterans the best care we could, and it has been my mission to change that.

Speaking of mission, late last year we passed the VA MISSION Act to help put veterans in the driving seat when it comes to their own care. We still have more to do in that area, particularly in terms of helping those with PTSD and other mental health concerns and reducing suicide rates and veteran homelessness. These folks have sacrificed so much for our country. We owe them a debt of gratitude, and we owe it to them to ensure they are receiving the highest possible care.

As I mentioned, I could go on for hours talking about the things I love about Iowa. I only had a few minutes with you today on the floor, but I wanted to express my gratitude to such a great State.

Thank you, Iowans, for truly being the best people on Earth to represent and to Iowa for being the greatest place to call home. My heart is with you.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I rise to speak on the strength of the U.S. economy, and I would like to thank my colleagues who have joined me here on the floor to address this very important topic.

As President Trump said in last night's State of the Union, ``Our economy is thriving like never before.''

Last Friday's January jobs report was a continued good-news story, with 304,000 new jobs added just last month. It is also an example of how Republican pro-growth policies are getting people back to work. Job growth was strong across most sectors, including manufacturing, where 261,000 jobs were created over the last year.

Just as important, this economic growth has put upward pressure on wages, with the average hourly pay increasing by 3.2 percent from last year. Lower wage workers saw some of the biggest increases. This means more money in your pockets to put food on the table and provide for growing families.

The tight labor market has drawn workers off of the sidelines, and that is a good thing. Folks who have been unemployed or underemployed are finding work, and those seeking to shift to a better paying job or one with better hours that is closer to home are finding those opportunities.

Nowhere is the power of this job creation more evident than in my home State of Iowa, where the 2.4-percent unemployment rate is the lowest in the Nation. There are 64,000-plus jobs currently open in Iowa. Over 1.6 million Iowans are employed, which is the most in our State's history. Every time I meet with an employer from my home State, they tell me about the challenges of filling jobs in order to keep their businesses running. They want to hire people, and business is booming. Under Republican pro-growth policies and the leadership of Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa's economy continues to expand, and wages are increasing across the State.

I also agree with the President that ``no one has benefited more from our thriving economy than women, who have filled 58 percent of the new jobs created in the last year.'' Women are also becoming small business owners at increasing rates across Iowa. These ``girl bosses'' are creating jobs and helping Iowa's economy to rumble. Yes, ladies, Iowa is the place to be.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has allowed Iowa's job creators to invest in their workers and grow their businesses. For example, a business in Dyersville, IA, invested 75 percent of its tax savings last year into its employees, giving $800 bonuses to the 162 full-time workers. One of its employees said she planned to put her bonus into her retirement fund--an investment in her future.

Furthermore, cutting redtape and scaling back burdensome regulations have led to a surge in small business optimism. A December survey from the Iowa Association of Business and Industry found that 97 percent of respondents planned to make capital expenditures this quarter, while a majority expected to add new employees and 72 percent expected to see sales growth.

Recent achievements--from opioid abuse efforts to criminal justice reform--will help transform our job pool to help fill the needs of today and tomorrow, helping people get back on their feet and back to work.

I also know that millions of working mothers, fathers, grandparents, and families across the country struggle with the realities of childbirth and infant care while working hard to raise strong and healthy families. It is long overdue that Congress not just have a conversation on these matters but that we get serious about a path forward on a paid leave approach. I am glad the President highlighted this issue in the State of the Union last night. Some are fortunate enough to have paid benefits provided by their employers, but many families in America do not have that luxury.

For the past few months, I have been working on this issue with my colleague, Senator Mike Lee. Helping families is an issue we can all agree on, and I hope we can have a productive dialogue on how Congress can best help in a way that keeps our economy strong.

Simply put, when Washington gives power back to Main Street, American families win.

Sadly, over the last few weeks, I have heard my Democratic colleagues propose a Green New Deal that would raise energy prices for consumers by as much as $3,800 per family a year and proposals to impose tax rates as high as 70 percent. If allowed to move forward, these proposals would reverse some of the economic progress we have seen. They would change our Nation's direction from freedom, innovation, and job facilitation to more heavyhanded regulation. This far-left agenda offers little for small businesses seeking to grow to bigger ones, families seeking to increase their take-home pay, or workers trying to climb the ladder to full economic success. That is not a future that looks bright to me, and it isn't one that gives Americans a path toward prosperity.

I am very proud of our achievements, and I am thankful for the leadership of the President and folks willing to work together to get our economy moving. There is more work yet to be done, and I look forward to seeing our economy continue to achieve new heights.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today very, very disheartened, and I do want to thank the junior Senator from Nebraska for having this very difficult discussion on the floor of the Senate.

As my colleague from Nebraska was speaking, I felt a tightness in my chest. I am a mom. I have been through childbirth, and I can't imagine anyone taking my child, setting her aside, and then having a discussion on whether she should live or die. I can't imagine that. I can't imagine, after having such a precious thing as a child brought into the world, having these odious discussions of whether she should live. I can't imagine putting a baby through that.

So I am disheartened and I am absolutely appalled by the debate we have in front of us--a debate I would have once considered unfathomable on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

Many have often referred to this as the world's greatest deliberative body, but let me be clear, folks. There is nothing great, there is nothing moral or even humane about the discussion we have before us today.

Over the past week, we have witnessed the absolutely ugly truth about the far-reaching grasp of the abortion industry and its increasingly radicalized political agenda. Politicians have not only defended aborting a child while a woman is in labor but have gone so far as to support the termination of a child after his or her birth--a child--a baby.

Rationality, decency, and basic human compassion have fallen by the wayside. Somehow this conversation has devolved so completely that a bill prohibiting the murder of children who are born alive--a bill that simply prohibits infanticide--has tonight been blocked on the floor of the Senate. We have moved beyond all common sense, and this body can no longer unanimously condemn murder. We face a moral crisis when this body refuses to acknowledge the repugnancy and savagery of infanticide.

This assault on human dignity cannot stand. I urge my colleagues to set aside their partisanship and, instead, defend the most basic values of compassion and decency that should define our society. We can and we must do better, folks.

Again, I thank the junior Senator from the great State of Nebraska for his leadership on this issue, and I call on my colleagues to bring this commonsense legislation to the Senate floor for a vote. I also implore my colleagues.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Today I rise on the 3-year anniversary of the tragic death of a constituent of mine, Sarah Root. On January 31, 2016, the same day as her college graduation, Sarah was killed in nearby Omaha, NE, by an illegal immigrant named Edwin Mejia. He was drag racing with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

Despite requests by local law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to detain Mejia because of a nonsensical policy that allows ICE to use discretion when determining whether to detain an illegal immigrant. He posted bond, he was released, and 3 years later remains a fugitive. It has been 3 years, and he is still a fugitive, denying Sarah's loved ones any sense of closure or justice.

As a mom, I can't fathom the grief her family and friends continue to feel after such a devastating loss. My own daughter is approaching the age at which Sarah was killed.

Just 21 years old, Sarah was bright, she was gifted, she was full of life and ready to take on the world. What a talented young lady.

She had just graduated from Bellevue University with a 4.0 GPA. She was dedicated to her community, and she wanted to pursue a career in criminal justice. Sarah had her whole future ahead of her, but her opportunity to make her mark on the world was taken away from her. Her life was tragically cut short. Yet even in death, Sarah touched the lives of others. Sarah saved six different individuals through her organ donation.

Sadly, what happened to Sarah Root is not an isolated incident.

We have seen this story play out time and again in the 3 years since Sarah's killing--innocent lives taken by criminals who entered the United States illegally through a porous border. Crimes committed by those here illegally are truly among the most heartbreaking and senseless, and that is because these crimes are completely preventable, as the perpetrators should not be in the United States in the first place.

Although nothing can bring Sarah back to her family, we can ensure that ICE never makes this same mistake again. That is why I rise today and, again, join with my colleagues from Iowa and Nebraska, including the Presiding Officer; thank you again for joining in this legislation. We are introducing Sarah's Law again in honor of Sarah Root.

Sarah's Law would require that ICE take custody of a person who is in the country illegally and who is charged with a crime that seriously injures another person. Sarah's Law would also require better victim notification and amend the law to require that the Federal Government take custody of anyone who enters the United States legally but violated the terms of their immigration status or had their visa revoked and is later charged with a crime that resulted in the death or harm of another person.

President Trump implemented parts of Sarah's Law through an Executive order in 2017, and I commend him for that. It included directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize the removal of criminals who are here illegally. The Executive order also establishes an office to implement notification requirements of Sarah's Law.

Despite provisions of Sarah's Law being put into place by President Trump's order, it is critical that the Senate take up this legislation in order to codify these enforcement priorities so that any future administration cannot remove these provisions. No family should ever have to endure such a tragedy, especially one that could have been prevented. The fact remains that Sarah's killer would not have been in our country if it weren't for our country's broken immigration system.

Sarah's Law is commonsense reform. It recognizes the simple fact that all criminals should be held accountable for their actions. How much more commonsense can this be, folks? Hold criminals accountable. We should not allow them simply to slip back into the shadows.

I recognize that the immigration debate has become a political football. We see that every day here in Washington, DC, but the security of our borders and enforcement of our immigration laws is not a game. We must honor the lives of these innocent victims and do better. We must work to stop future crimes.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to fulfill the promise I made to Sarah's loving parents, Michelle Root and Scott Root. I will do everything I can to ensure that not one more parent has to go through what the Roots have faced--the loss of their daughter and the promise of justice.

Madam President, I thank you for joining me on this legislation. It means a lot to this family and many others.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Today I rise on the 3-year anniversary of the tragic death of a constituent of mine, Sarah Root. On January 31, 2016, the same day as her college graduation, Sarah was killed in nearby Omaha, NE, by an illegal immigrant named Edwin Mejia. He was drag racing with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

Despite requests by local law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to detain Mejia because of a nonsensical policy that allows ICE to use discretion when determining whether to detain an illegal immigrant. He posted bond, he was released, and 3 years later remains a fugitive. It has been 3 years, and he is still a fugitive, denying Sarah's loved ones any sense of closure or justice.

As a mom, I can't fathom the grief her family and friends continue to feel after such a devastating loss. My own daughter is approaching the age at which Sarah was killed.

Just 21 years old, Sarah was bright, she was gifted, she was full of life and ready to take on the world. What a talented young lady.

She had just graduated from Bellevue University with a 4.0 GPA. She was dedicated to her community, and she wanted to pursue a career in criminal justice. Sarah had her whole future ahead of her, but her opportunity to make her mark on the world was taken away from her. Her life was tragically cut short. Yet even in death, Sarah touched the lives of others. Sarah saved six different individuals through her organ donation.

Sadly, what happened to Sarah Root is not an isolated incident.

We have seen this story play out time and again in the 3 years since Sarah's killing--innocent lives taken by criminals who entered the United States illegally through a porous border. Crimes committed by those here illegally are truly among the most heartbreaking and senseless, and that is because these crimes are completely preventable, as the perpetrators should not be in the United States in the first place.

Although nothing can bring Sarah back to her family, we can ensure that ICE never makes this same mistake again. That is why I rise today and, again, join with my colleagues from Iowa and Nebraska, including the Presiding Officer; thank you again for joining in this legislation. We are introducing Sarah's Law again in honor of Sarah Root.

Sarah's Law would require that ICE take custody of a person who is in the country illegally and who is charged with a crime that seriously injures another person. Sarah's Law would also require better victim notification and amend the law to require that the Federal Government take custody of anyone who enters the United States legally but violated the terms of their immigration status or had their visa revoked and is later charged with a crime that resulted in the death or harm of another person.

President Trump implemented parts of Sarah's Law through an Executive order in 2017, and I commend him for that. It included directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize the removal of criminals who are here illegally. The Executive order also establishes an office to implement notification requirements of Sarah's Law.

Despite provisions of Sarah's Law being put into place by President Trump's order, it is critical that the Senate take up this legislation in order to codify these enforcement priorities so that any future administration cannot remove these provisions. No family should ever have to endure such a tragedy, especially one that could have been prevented. The fact remains that Sarah's killer would not have been in our country if it weren't for our country's broken immigration system.

Sarah's Law is commonsense reform. It recognizes the simple fact that all criminals should be held accountable for their actions. How much more commonsense can this be, folks? Hold criminals accountable. We should not allow them simply to slip back into the shadows.

I recognize that the immigration debate has become a political football. We see that every day here in Washington, DC, but the security of our borders and enforcement of our immigration laws is not a game. We must honor the lives of these innocent victims and do better. We must work to stop future crimes.

I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to fulfill the promise I made to Sarah's loving parents, Michelle Root and Scott Root. I will do everything I can to ensure that not one more parent has to go through what the Roots have faced--the loss of their daughter and the promise of justice.

Madam President, I thank you for joining me on this legislation. It means a lot to this family and many others.

I thank Senator Murkowski and Senator Cardin for their leadership today in organizing this floor colloquy, and I thank the Presiding Officer.

I want to join my colleagues in expressing how urgent it is that we not only secure our borders but that we open our government. We really do have to come together. We have two sides of the aisle here, our Democrat and Republican friends. Certainly we can come to a solution. We have to figure out a path forward, folks, and I am glad we are here to do that.

We have a duty to provide for our Nation's security, and it is also our job to fund the government. We just voted on a sensible and smart proposal offered by the President that every Democrat and Republican should have supported, but, unfortunately, it was rejected today.

Back home, hard-working Iowans and, of course, Americans all across the country are tired of government shutdowns, and they are disappointed in the dysfunction of Washington, DC. The impacts of this government shutdown are tangible for families. They feel it. People are hurting all across this Nation.

Most families don't have a rainy day fund. Money lasts only so long when you have zero income. Prolonged periods without a paycheck are unsustainable.

I have a friend who works for Federal law enforcement. Fortunately, he is up in seniority, but he told me the other day: Joni, our young Federal workers--they just can't make ends meet.

Children don't stop growing; people don't stop getting sick; and the obligations of caring for families don't stop just because we have. Washington has stopped working, folks. We have to get it together.

I have heard from businesses on the brink of collapse. I have heard from first-time home buyers who are trapped in limbo right now, and there are serious consequences that I have heard about from our farmers who work every day with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the USDA. Our food banks, churches, and other charities, which spend their time and resources helping families and communities through these tough times, helping furloughed workers and those who are in need, are running out of resources. They are running out of time. It can last only so long.

We need our DOJ working to stop crime and violence. We need our vital government Agencies back up and running. We can do that. I support a stronger border, and I support the President's sensible proposal, which does include a barrier, manpower, ports of entry, technology, and infrastructure. I think it is necessary that these investments be part of an overall deal. Our lack of border security has resulted in a humanitarian crisis at the border. We have tens of thousands of illegal and inadmissible immigrants on our southern border every month.

I agree with President Trump and many of my colleagues that securing our southern border is a must-do to discourage illegal immigration, curb human trafficking, stop drugs, stop gun trafficking, in addition to stopping the ability of gangs and terrorists to exploit the holes in our system.

The American people expect us to do better. We have an opportunity to step up and do the right thing, and that is to find a solution. We have to do it by working together.

I again thank all of my colleagues for coming together today on the floor. Senator Cardin, Senator Murkowski, thank you for organizing the effort. Hopefully, we will come to a solution.

Folks, the Nation is watching us. We can do better.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined on the floor by Senator Blunt, Senator Wicker, and Senator Fischer to speak about the importance of protecting and celebrating life.

This Friday, Americans from every State in our Nation, from our tiny rural towns to our bustling urban cities, will gather in our Nation's Capital to participate in the 46th annual March for Life.

Each year, I am amazed and inspired by the immeasurable strength, compassion, and support demonstrated by the pro-life community, as hundreds of thousands of its members come to Washington, DC, and tirelessly work to protect the most vulnerable in our society--the unborn.

As members of the Senate Values Action Team, throughout the year, we are blessed with the opportunity to work with and hear from so many who are committed to protecting human life at all stages.

I thank my colleagues for sharing this message of life today, and at this time I would like to yield to the Senator from Missouri.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.