Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

I think this is an issue that has been talked about. There is a lot of interest in it and rightfully so.

In China, even as I speak to you now, human beings working as slaves because of their ethnicity and their religion, Uighur Muslims, are in factories making products that people will buy this holiday season and throughout the year.

I think it would be shocking to most Americans. I think it would be shocking to all of us to know that even as I stand here now, there are products in this very Chamber in the Senate that were touched by and made by the hands of slaves. It is a horrifying, horrifying human rights situation--fully sanctioned, as we now know, by the Government of China, the Communist Party of China.

We know this, by the way. The New York Times had access to these documents for a long time--and they were finally revealed--that show that this plan to use slave labor went to the highest levels of that Communist Party.

I think it is also appalling that it reveals the level of dependence this country has and the need we have to rebuild our industrial base in this country and in allied nations. It is appalling because it is a fact that we are so dependent on China in our supply chain, that many have asked us to look the other way, to not complain about this, to not pass a bill about this because it would disrupt supply chains, when what they really mean is it would disrupt the bottom line, their profits.

I don't need to explain to anybody how this works. You can make a lot of money if you don't have to pay your workers or you pay them very little. It allows you to undercut your competition.

So the fact that we have major American corporations and, for that matter, national corporations and multinational corporations that are making money, whose profits are driven by the fact that slaves are building and making the materials they sell to us, is a horrifying reality.

We have worked on this in a bipartisan way for 2 years, and we have, fortunately, now reached a point--and, as you recall, I was here 2 weeks ago objecting to an amendment package on the NDAA to force action. I want to recognize Congressman McGovern, our House counterpart, and, obviously, the junior Senator from Oregon, who is going to speak in a moment here in the Senate. It has been a bipartisan effort.

We passed legislation on this last year. Differences between the House and Senate kept it from becoming law. We passed it unanimously out of the Senate earlier this year, but there were differences between our approaches. And since that time, where the amendment packet was objected to on the Defense bill, the House has passed not one but two versions of this bill.

We are now in possession of one of those two versions, and it is a version that doesn't have any objections here in the Senate either.

I wish we didn't have to pass this bill. There have been some in the hallway who have suggested--I don't know if the right word is congratulations, but commenting on how far we have come. And my argument is that this is nothing to be happy about because, even when we pass this bill, there will still be people working as slaves.

I wish that this did not even exist, but it does, and we must address it. So we are now virtually just a couple of moves away, and it may not happen today, unfortunately, for reasons you are about to learn unrelated to this. But we are a couple of moves away from being able to send this to the White House for the President to sign and for it to become law.

I think it would be a powerful statement to make but also impactful. A bill that says if you make things--if you are a company that makes things or sources material--from these parts of China, you are going to have to prove that slaves didn't make it before you can bring it into this country. And I hope that if we can do that here, that other countries around the world will follow suit.

If I may, Madam President, I wanted to yield to the junior Senator from Oregon, who has worked side by side with us on this and has been a key part of this, to issue his comments on it as well.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6256, which was received from the House; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President.

Reserving the right to object, as modified, that would mean the passage of the Uighur slave labor measure, which has unanimous support, and would put us on the precipice and on track to confirm nominees--Ambassadors to China and important Secretary of State posts and also the Ambassador for International Religious Freedom--I would have no objection to that modification.

Madam President.

Reserving the right to object, as I understand this further modification, it would say let's take a bill that is meaningful on an important global issue, something--an important human rights issue that everyone here supports, that we can pass right now, today, and send it to the President and he can sign it tonight or tomorrow morning and it becomes law because everyone supports it, using this process we are using here, and in addition to that, set up votes on two nominees and an Assistant Secretary, at a time when speech after speech out here has been about how we are not getting to these nominees and Assistant Secretaries--so we can do all that but only if we add to it something that has bipartisan opposition; that, no matter what, at least 50 people here are against. It cannot pass unanimously, and even if it could and it did pass, we would have to send it back over to the House, not to the President, and the House isn't even in session until January 10.

That doesn't sound like a good arrangement to me, and it is something that I would have to object to.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Cassidy be allowed to complete his remarks before the next scheduled vote.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, in reserving the right to object, let me explain what is going to happen here in a second.

We have all heard the stories, right? In China, in the Xinjiang Province, Uighur Muslims are taken from their homes and their families. They are forced to work in their factories as slaves. They are forced to renounce their religion, to change their names. There is forced sterilization, forced abortions. It has been characterized--rightfully so--as genocide.

So I filed a bill with bipartisan support, and this bill says that any product that is made in a factory in that part of China has the presumption that it is made by slaves. It passed the Senate unanimously, and it is sitting over in the House. So I am trying to get it here as an amendment on this bill.

Here is what happens.

In the House, they have this thing where they come forward and say: Under the Constitution, if it generates any revenue, it has to start in the House. The problem I have with that is that they interpret it very differently than how the Supreme Court has interpreted that clause in the Constitution: very broadly--in fact, so broadly that they can basically use it on virtually anything. They can just apply it to anything they don't like. So this is really not about being revenue- generating. The CBO says it is insignificant, really. This is about the fact that they don't want this bill to pass over in the House.

I understand why. Listen.

There are some big companies out there, some very big companies. We know that, for a time, Apple and Nike and a lot of big companies have been pushing against it. They are not going to admit it. Who is going to go out lobbying in favor of slave labor? But this is their bottom line: They make a lot of money by making stuff by people who aren't paid to make it, and they are lobbying against this thing. I am sure they have got a rationale for it that they have given people. The bottom line is, the House doesn't want to pass it or, at least, some people over there don't. The reason I know that is because we passed it here unanimously, and we sent it over there.

Let me tell you what: If this were a revenue issue--this was the issue. The issue was, we are in favor of the policy. You are right. There shouldn't be slave labor, and we shouldn't be participating in it, but--but--we can't do it in this bill because it impedes on our prerogative as the House.

If that were really their position, it would be very simple. You would pass our version, take the House version, pass the House version of our bill, and send it over here, and it becomes the law. Why haven't they done that? Let it originate over there, and send it here. They haven't offered to do that. Do you know why they haven't done it? Because they are not for this--they are not for it--and they wield this blue-slip thing to mean whatever they want it to mean.

I support many but not all of these amendments on here. Some of them have bigger revenue implications, but, apparently, those don't have blue slips because they are for them. The blue slip cannot mean it applies when I am not for the policy, and it doesn't apply when I am for it. That is the bottom line. That is the way to answer it.

So I am going to renew what I did here a few days ago, and that is that I am going to ask to modify the request to include my amendment, which is the body of this bill that every Member of the Senate has already voted for, amendment No. 4330.

Madam President, I object.

Madam President.

Reserving the right to object, I--what is missing from this list is the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act. In a moment, you are going to hear that it has this procedural problem--blue slips. For anyone who is not familiar with the lingo around here, that means that it is going to generate revenue, and therefore it has to originate in the House. That is what you are going to hear in a moment.

Here is what is so interesting about it. About, I don't know, 4, 5, 6 weeks ago, that very bill passed by unanimous consent in this very Senate.

This bill doesn't have a blue slip problem. It has a bunch of corporations who are making stuff in Xinjiang Province problem. That is what the problem is here. So everyone is aware--everyone here is aware, I hope. In the Xinjiang Province of China, Uighur Muslims are put into forced labor camps where they work as slaves--something that this administration and the previous one termed as ``genocide.''

They work as slaves making products, and there are American companies that are sourcing goods that end up on the shelves in this country. It is, in fact, almost certain that in this very Chamber there is some product that was manufactured by slave labor in China. We passed that bill in the Senate by unanimous consent. Not a single person objected to it. There was no blue slip problem then. Now all of a sudden there is.

This is because there is a bunch--that is why they are killing it in the House. A bunch of these corporations, lobbying against it, doing everything possible, and they know if it gets in this bill it is going to become law.

So I object, and I ask that the request be modified to include my amendment No. 4330.

I object.

Madam President, due to unforeseen travel disruptions, I will miss today's votes.

Mr. President, due to a mechanical issue on my scheduled flight, I will miss today's vote.

Mr. President, I recognize Patrick Collins, a pillar of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, FL, for his 50-year commitment to the edification of thousands of young men in the community. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Collins served as a teacher, chair of the social studies department, founder and moderator of Close Up and Founding of a Nation, tennis coach, and cofounder of the overseas study program.

Mr. Collins' decades of service shaped numerous generations of students and are evidenced by his students' testimonies. From his students, one can learn how Mr. Collins complemented their civic education with the values of citizenship, patriotism, responsibility, and leadership. Ultimately, his passion and love for his country has created a legacy that has positively impacted the Miami community, State of Florida, and country at large through the moral compass that he worked to instill in every single one of his students.

I admire Mr. Collins' virtuous character and am grateful for the fruit of his work. I look forward to continuing to learn of the impact that his students have on our communities and know that he serves as an exceptional example to educators across the country.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an article from the Miami Herald dated September 23, 2021, about Patrick Collins be printed in the Record.

The material follows:

For 50 Years, Belen Educator Has Given Flight to Students' Passion to

Serve

(By Rafael A. Yaniz)

Patrick Collins, a beloved and influential educator at

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, will be honored on Sept. 25.

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School

``Before you stand up, you must know the first word that is

coming out of your mouth.'' This was the first piece of

advice that Patrick Collins--Belen Jesuit Preparatory

School's social studies department chair and 11th-grade U.S.

government teacher--gave me.

Decades later, I think of his advice whenever I am about to

speak in any formal setting.

And I am not alone in remembering him and his guidance, for

which, after five decades, he will be honored at Belen on

Saturday, and most deservedly so.

``All prayers in the world can be condensed into two

words,'' he told me. ``Thank you''

``I've tried to instill in students a sense of gratitude to

say Thank you, when they walk through Arlington National

Cemetery, through the halls of Congress, through their

cities, to find a niche in their lives to do something that

benefits another citizen. That way, we can continue on to the

betterment of ourselves and our country.''

Collins' career has had a lifelong impact on generations of

Belen Jesuit students during the course of his 50 years at

Miami's storied all-male prep school, who have applied his

lessons to make our community and our country better.

``In my era, we were rambunctious,'' said Jose Cil, CEO of

Restaurant Brands International, the parent company of Burger

King, ``but he set a really high bar and drove us to excel--

even if you weren't an excellent student.''

Collins' passion for teaching beyond the textbook inspired

him to succeed.

Former U.S. Congressman Joe Garcia agreed. ``Mr. Collins'

addition to Jesuit pedagogy is the insight that being a `man

for others' requires you to engage in the broader society

without cynicism--without hatred--but always with an openness

to engage in critical thought,'' Garcia said. ``In the ideal

republic, he is the ideal citizen.''

Carlos Trujillo, former U.S. ambassador to the Organization

of American States, said, ``The impact Mr. Collins has had as

a U.S. government teacher producing government servants, very

few teachers across the country have had that kind of impact

in their careers.''

``To this day, I still apply the lessons I learned from

Coach Collins inside and outside of the classroom,'' said

Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, who played

tennis under Collins' coaching.

``I first began to understand the importance of a free

press and the role of great journalism in our democracy while

studying in his government classes. And, during a Close Up

Foundation trip to Washington, D.C. that he led, I was

directly exposed to the federal government, which inspired me

to apply to the White House Fellows Program years later.''

Conde subsequently served under then-Secretary of State Colin

Powell.

``He taught me to dream big and then work hard to achieve

those ambitions,'' explained Mr. Conde.

Eddy Acevedo, chief of staff and senior advisor to the CEO

of the Wilson Center, astutely observed, ``Anyone who grows

up in Miami thinks about getting involved in politics, in

government, in public service.''

Former U.S. Congressman Carlos Curbelo was one of those

students with an innate desire to serve.

``He provided us with a thorough understanding of what

government is and how it works, the way the system is

designed to impede the passage of legislation, and what

people have to do to overcome those challenges.''

Garcia, who lost to Curbelo, added, ``Mr. Collins teaches a

realistic understanding of the political process, but he

provides the inspiration to make working through that

difficult process an act of service for society's most

vulnerable members.''

That sentiment was not lost on Manny Diaz, chair of the

Florida Democratic Party.

``Mr. Collins asked us on the first day of class if we knew

what our rights were if we found ourselves on a country road

in Alabama and a big sheriff arrested us because we looked

Hispanic. I wanted to know the answer to his question.''

Collins' influence led Javi Correoso, Uber's public affairs

senior manager, to pursue his passions.

``He instills in you that the meaning and purpose of public

service is not the shining moments like running for office or

photo ops, it's about rolling up your sleeves and helping

citizens get a response from their government,'' Correoso

said.

He also credits Collins for connecting him with former U.S.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. ``It was the middle of football

season, and I needed the 10 points extra credit wiggle room

in my grade that semester.'' He was able to snag those extra

credits by volunteering in her campaign office.

``I couldn't tell you what political party he belongs to,''

Ros-Lehtinen said of Collins, ``but he belongs to the

fellowship of man. We need to clone him. He's always been a

voice of reason and commonsense in my life.''

Collins is clear about what drives him: ``I'm influenced by

the experience of my great grandfather. He was an Irish

immigrant who struggled, through perseverance and grace, he

was able to succeed,'' he said. ``I'm a beneficiary of that

generation of Irish Americans who feels it would be selfish

to solely benefit from the opportunities in this country. I

feel like I owe it to him and to my family that the notion of

civic responsibility continues to those I have met through

the Cuban immigration experience that is Belen Jesuit.''

Rafael A. Yaniz is a Belen Alumnus and an attorney and

political analyst based in Miami.

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/ article254479452.html#storylink=cpy

Madam President, last weekend, we lost a truly selfless public servant when Richard Kinkoff III, from my office, passed away.

He joined our office as an intern in 2013, and he literally never left. He kept showing up after his internship had ended until we finally had to hire him full time to work with us because he kept showing up every single day. And he kept at it because he wanted to serve. He wanted to serve the people of Florida. That is exactly what Rich did for the past 8 years in leading our team and graciously responding to hundreds of thousands of constituents' inquiries.

I think it is important to note that it is tedious work, but, for him, it was not a formula or an exercise in checking boxes. He was passionate about that kind of work. He took time to listen to the callers who would call. He would read the emails. He sat down and talked to constituents, and then he worked with others on our team to get them answers. He believed in his work. He never let the process take the purpose out of the work that he did or that the team was doing.

Two years ago, his work was recognized when our office received the Democracy Foundation's award for constituent service, an award that we would not have received had he not been part of our team. But for Rich, honestly, it wasn't about recognition; it was about service.

It is no surprise that he took a particular interest in veterans' issues. He treated every constituent case with the respect it deserved, but he had a special passion for making sure our selfless veterans were not left behind or forgotten in the bureaucracy. That is the one word that, I think, keeps coming back as we talk in our office with the staff, and it keeps coming back as we have reflected on his life over the past week--selfless.

Rich had a pickup truck, a big pickup truck, which made him pretty popular with colleagues, with friends, with friends of friends. People need to move, and if you have a truck, you know everybody always wants to borrow it. Rich being Rich, he was always there for them. If your car broke down, Rich was there. If you were an intern in need of career advice, Rich was there. If you needed a ride from the airport, Rich was there. He would even pull himself away from a Tampa Bay Lightning game to lend a helping hand.

Now, look. I have no doubt that Rich would be embarrassed by all of this because it was never about him or for him.

In a letter to the Christian church in Philippi, Paul and Timothy wrote:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather,

in humility, value others above yourselves.

Those who knew him can say that Rich answered that call time and again.

And now, for reasons that we cannot explain or know or understand, he has answered a different call, but I do know that we are all better for knowing him, and so are countless others who never knew his name. He was selfless. He was noble. He was a decent man. And as we honor and celebrate his life, let us hope to follow in his example in all that we do here.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3097 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, we witnessed about a month ago historic and unprecedented protests in Cuba as the people took to the streets. One of the things that has been untold and I think now is a greater realization is that one of the reasons that is now possible is because Cubans had a limited access to the internet, which allowed them to then go on social media, communicate with each other and communicate with the world. As a result, they were able also to share with the world the true brutality of that regime by posting videos of what was happening. It was the first time that people had ever seen it.

What this amendment does is it creates a reserve fund within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to help ensure that we are doing all we can to provide internet access that is unfettered, uncontrolled by the regime in Cuba, which actually cuts off that access, as it did in the middle of these protests--by the way, using Chinese technology.

So this would allow us to pursue how we can provide unfettered internet access to the people of Cuba. It is something that I understand has broad support in this Chamber, even in the administration, and I hope we can pass this.

Madam President, today I recognize Brittany Brown, the Sumter County Teacher of the Year from Wildwood Elementary School in Wildwood, FL.

Brittany's passion for teaching is shown through supporting her students and building strong relationships with each of them. She understands the value of preparing her young students for academic success and established the Reading Superstars program at her school to help foster her love of reading to students.

A third and fourth grade English language arts teacher at Wildwood Elementary School, Brittany serves as her school's site member for Advancement Via Individual Determination program helping schools prepare students for college and their careers. She is also the language arts representative for the Sumter County School District. Brittany earned her master's degree in educational leadership from Saint Leo University.

I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to Brittany for her dedication to her students, and I look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years to come.

Madam President, I am pleased to recognize Francisco Garaitonandia, the Volusia County Teacher of the Year from Citrus Grove Elementary School in DeLand, FL.

Frank's inspiration for teaching comes from his former teachers. They instilled in him a strong desire to pursue a career in education. He dedicates his time to giving his students a voice through art, leading them to develop a love for the arts and facilitating their self- expression. Frank encourages integrating art into different subjects by presenting workshops throughout Volusia County. His work was recognized in 2016, as he was nominated for the Hispanic National Excellence in Education Award.

Frank graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor of fine arts degree and exhibited professional art before becoming an art teacher 18 years ago.

I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to Frank for his years of dedication to his students and look forward to hearing of his continued success in the years to come.

Madam President, I am pleased to recognize Kari Johnson, the Sarasota County Teacher of the Year from Fruitville Elementary School in Sarasota, FL.

Helping guide her students as they grow, Kari strives to have an impact on the lives of her students. She works with her school's positive behavioral support committee to instill kindness and compassion and provides weekly videos to families to reinforce class lessons.

Kari mentors novice educators by sharing strategies for classroom management and student engagement. As a leader of the school's professional learning community, she focuses on encouraging students to also learn outside of the classroom.

A kindergarten teacher at Fruitville Elementary School for the past 15 years, Kari received her master's degree in elementary reading and literacy from Walden University.

I offer my gratitude to Kari for her dedication to educating students. I look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years to come.

Madam President, I am pleased to recognize Sarah Ann Painter as Florida's Teacher of the Year.

Sarah teaches fifth grade at Eisenhower Elementary School in Clearwater, FL, and is in her 18th year of teaching. Passionate about inspiring her students to overcome obstacles and find joy in learning. Sarah encourages goal setting and collaboration to spark her student's desires to achieve success, both inside and outside of the classroom. The past year has inspired Sarah to partner with parents to help students learn and better connect with their families. She believes time spent with family and friends is good for their mental health and offers a new perspective for teaching.

Sarah is the chairperson for the school advisory council, the representative for English language arts, and the school liaison for the extended school day program. Sarah graduated from the University of South Florida with her bachelor's degree in education and earned a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Sarah for her dedication to educating students. I look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years to come.

Madam President, I am pleased to recognize James Schmitt, the Duval County Teacher of the Year from Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, FL.

Jim encourages his students to become self-learners and implements techniques to keep them engaged in the classroom. He challenges his students through class discussions and encourages their voices to be heard among their peers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim started the Teachers Teach Teachers program, a districtwide mentorship program where educators share teaching strategies among one another. The program played a key role in helping colleagues learn and implement new forms of teaching to accommodate distance learning, helping his fellow educators to remain engaged throughout a difficult school year.

Jim earned his master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Phoenix and has 28 years of teaching experience. Prior to teaching, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy for 6 years.

I extend my sincere gratitude to Jim for his dedication to educating students. I look forward to hearing of his continued success in the years to come.