Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that upon the dissolution of the Joint Session, the Senate stand adjourned to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, January 8, at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, January 12, at 12:30 p.m.; Friday, January 15, at 10 a.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday January 15, it next convene at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 19; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, economic data continue to confirm what we have been hearing from American workers and job creators for 2 years now: This is a pro-worker, pro-family, pro-opportunity economic moment. Hardly a day goes by without new headlines highlighting the new prosperity in communities that the last administration's policies overlooked and the red-hot market for American workers.

Since January 2017, Republican policies have focused on letting the American people control more of their own money and letting American businesses create jobs more easily.

So what are the results? On our watch, unemployment has fallen to near 50-year lows and stayed there. Underemployment has fallen too. Wages are growing. Month after month, we have had more job openings nationwide than Americans looking for work. Specifically, there are currently about 1.6 million more job openings than Americans looking for work, the widest margin ever recorded.

Now, these aren't Washington accomplishments. They are the American people's accomplishments, but public policy can certainly change the conditions. Government can either create the conditions that help lead to success or to stagnation.

For example, bad public policies under the Obama administration help to explain why the insufficient and unfair economic ``recovery'' left so many places behind. High taxes, heavy regulation, and a hostile climate for business--these things all add up. They took a real toll in many places.

Take my home State of Kentucky, for example. Kentucky is proud of our diverse economy. We are proud of our great healthcare and aviation sectors. We are proud that we are a tourist destination. It turns out that Bourbon and horse races are a winning combination.

We also take huge pride in the kinds of industries that liberal policies tend to either forget about or actively work against. I am talking about manufacturing and agriculture and mining and coal-fired electricity--the things that keep the lights on in America's heartland. We could not be prouder of the huge role these sectors play in our Commonwealth.

So it is not surprising that leftwing policies dreamt up in places like New York and San Francisco, for places like New York and San Francisco, were not too kind to Kentucky--growth that was too slow, jobs that were hard to come by. Some so-called experts said it was just the ``new normal,'' but we knew better. We knew Kentucky could get back on track if we could only get a fair shot and fewer hurdles from Washington. We needed the government to stop creating headwinds and maybe even create a few tailwinds. That is exactly what happened over the last 2\1/2\ years.

Since January 2017, Republicans in Congress have partnered with the Trump administration to get our Nation's opportunity economy going and growing again--for everyone. We passed the first comprehensive overhaul of the Federal Tax Code in more than a generation. We cut regulations that had reduced liberty and stifled our competitiveness. We helped American workers and entrepreneurs hang up a big, bright neon sign saying ``Open for Business.'' And--no surprise here--working Americans have taken the ball and they have run with it.

I have already read the national statistics. I am even prouder about this. Instead of being left behind, Kentucky is helping to lead the charge. The State's unemployment rate has hit and sustained its lowest level on record. Again, that is recordbreaking low unemployment.

Last year, Governor Bevin helped Kentucky to welcome more than $5.3 billion of planned business investment. This new growth isn't just concentrated in urban areas. Rural communities in the Bluegrass are seeing more jobs, investment, and expansion as well.

Of course, it takes more than 2 years to unwind the mistakes of the past. Parts of Kentucky are still struggling from the effects of liberal policies, and this Republican Senate, the administration, and leaders in Frankfort are laser-focused on continuing to invest in and fight for recovery.

In many communities, particularly in rural Kentucky, the lingering pain has been hard to shake--the damage to the coal industry, the devastation caused by opioid and substance abuse. So more work is certainly needed, and I am honored to lead the charge in Washington to help Kentuckians confront these challenges.

Through programs like the Appalachian Regional Commission and the abandoned mine land pilot program, we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into struggling areas and out-of-work Americans. In Eastern Kentucky, Congressman Hal Rogers and I have partnered with local organizations to secure Federal resources for everything from skills training to water infrastructure improvements.

I have helped to secure tens of millions of dollars to aid the retraining efforts of the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program and job-creating programs like the Kentucky Highlands Community Development Corporation. We have also secured grants to bolster good jobs, support the environment, attract tourism, and promote healthy lifestyles.

These are just a few examples from just one State. There are stories like this all over our country. While the previous administration left these men and women behind, Republicans recognize their skills and their drive. We are investing in their futures.

Madam President, speaking of economic growth and development, the Senate will soon turn our attention to a number of bilateral tax treaties with important U.S. trading partners. We have these kinds of agreements in place to reduce tax evasion, tax avoidance, and unfair double taxation of U.S. citizens and businesses who conduct businesses overseas. The four we will consider this week are agreements with Spain, Switzerland, Japan, and Luxembourg.

The U.S. Government and each of these foreign governments have painstakingly negotiated updates to existing agreements about how certain kinds of commerce would be taxed and which country will tax them. In short, Senate ratification of these protocols would mean less confusion, more certainty, and, often, fewer taxes for U.S. job creators--and, by the way, a simpler rule book for overseas investors who want to invest their money here. Fairer treatment for our own American job creators and more enticement for foreign investment to head to our country--that is what we would call a win-win.

We are talking about a serious economic impact. In addition to the four countries we are tackling this week, there are three more nations with tax treaties pending which I know the administration is continuing to work on with the Foreign Relations and Finance Committees to finalize work on these remaining agreements.

Combined, these seven foreign countries invest more than $1.2 trillion in the United States. That is more than $1 trillion in foreign investment and, by some estimates, hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs are tied up, either directly or indirectly, in trade with these countries.

These trading relationships touch all 50 States. Every one of my colleagues is familiar with communities that benefit from the foreign investment. For my part, that includes thousands of workers in Kentucky.

One major manufacturer with ties to Spain employs 1,500 people in my State. It accounts for more than one third of all the stainless steel produced in the United States every year. Over the three decades it has operated in Carroll County, the surrounding communities benefited from more than $60 million in tax revenue.

That is just one of many job creators in my home State, and it is far from the only one with a serious interest in seeing these measures get across the finish line. From consumer goods makers to industrial suppliers, Kentucky continues to welcome job-creating investment from around the world.

I think practically every American is familiar with Hot Pockets, a culinary staple of busy families, workers, and college students everywhere. But not everyone knows that, as of several years ago, every single Hot Pocket is cooked in Mount Sterling, KY. The facility employs more than 1,000 Kentuckians. The parent company is Nestle, based in Switzerland. So there are not only hard-working Kentuckians but also a lot of hungry consumers across the country who can understand why we need to keep our international trade in sync.

Passing these agreements will help every State to keep up the economic momentum. It will reinforce the international trade that is so essential to our economic success and help stave off further trade disruptions. I urge all of our colleagues to join me in voting for these this week.

Mr. President, the Senate is getting started on another busy week in which we will complete more important business for the American people. We will confirm a number of well-qualified nominees, as well as a number of treaties that pertain to international commerce and keeping our economy strong.

First, the nominations. Later this afternoon, we will build on 2\1/2\ years of confirming talented, capable jurists to our Federal courts and vote to advance the nomination of Judge Peter Phipps for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Judge Phipps is a graduate of the University of Dayton and Stanford Law School. His impressive professional record includes time in private practice, a clerkship on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and 15 years of decorated service with the Department of Justice.

At DOJ, while handling sensitive and high-profile cases in the Federal Programs Branch, Judge Phipps left a lasting impression on colleagues and opposing counsel alike. Litigators who worked both with him and against him have written to the Senate to praise his ``piercing intellect, deep knowledge of the law . . . and personable relations with everyone in the courtroom.''

A number of his former DOJ colleagues attest that his ``ability to master complex issues quickly made him the sort of lawyer other lawyers would turn to with questions or for counsel.''

Listen to this. Leon Panetta, the former Secretary of Defense to President Obama, has worked with Judge Phipps in the past and has great things to say about his ``legal acumen, dedication, attention to detail, and integrity.'' He says: ``I believe that Peter will serve with honor and highly recommend his confirmation.'' That is President Obama's Secretary of Defense.

Given all this, it is hardly surprising that when Judge Phipps was first nominated to serve as district judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the Senate confirmed him on a voice vote. This body saw what everybody else had seen--an impressively qualified, intellectually excellent individual who firmly understands what the job of a judge does and does not entail in our constitutional system.

So I am sorry that this nominee who earned a voice vote to his current position will now require a cloture vote this afternoon, but, nevertheless, I look forward to voting to advance his nomination today and voting to confirm him later in the week. I urge our colleagues to join me.

Following that nomination, the Senate will tend to another of this body's unique responsibilities--the ratification of treaties. For the better part of the last century, the United States has engaged in bilateral tax treaties with foreign trading partners. These measures cultivate robust trading relationships and put in place important clarifications to ensure that American businesses can avoid double tax burdens.

Today, America is engaged in about 60 such treaties with major allies and developing partners alike. Together, they account for literally trillions of dollars in foreign investment across our country.

This week, there are several more awaiting consideration. The Senate needs to act on treaties with Spain, the Swiss Federation, Japan, and Luxembourg. I have heard from job creators

in my State of Kentucky about the importance of creating more certainty by getting these treaties approved, and I expect my colleagues have heard similar things from employers in their States as well. So these measures should be taken up and ratified without delay.

On behalf of American workers and entrepreneurs, I hope each of our colleagues will join me in voting yes this week.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, earlier this year, Hart County in my home State began a yearlong celebration of its bicentennial anniversary. This southcentral county is the proud home to an abundance of Kentucky history and culture. As they mark this impressive milestone, the people of Hart County, KY, are also ready to lead our Commonwealth toward its bright future.

The county was established in 1819 and named for a brave Kentuckian,

Captain Nathaniel Gray Smith Hart. A brother-in-law of Henry Clay and a Lexington lawyer, Hart bravely served the young Nation in the War of 1812, when he was captured and killed at the Battle of the River Raisin in the Michigan Territory.

Its local history is deeply intertwined with the geography. Early settlers planted roots near present-day Horse Cave because of the fertile soil. Like many Kentucky communities, the economic success of burley tobacco drove the local economy, putting food on family tables and shoes on children's feet. The Green River opened access routes for commerce throughout the country, and the establishment of the Mammoth Cave National Park, the world's longest known cave system, has made Hart County a destination for tourism.

The strategic construction of Louisville & Nashville Railroad through both Horse Cave and the county seat of Munfordville in 1859 brought new waves of economic growth. However, at the outbreak of the American Civil War, the railroad's location also made it a target. Segments of the track were attacked by both Union and Confederate troops, and the county was the site of three battles. It is also the home of two Civil War generals, Thomas J. Wood fighting for the Union and future Kentucky Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner for the Confederacy. Each September, the community remembers its place in this chapter of American history during the Hart County Civil War Days.

Through the years, Hart County has continued to prosper. The building of I-65 through the county has bolstered the area's growth and opened new opportunities for tourism and economic activity. Local leaders are especially proud of the recent expansion of Sister Schubert's famous bakery and the opening of the Green River College and Career Academy. The county's best days are still ahead.

With a rich heritage and a promising future, Hart County certainly has a lot to celebrate. Along with the families and leaders of the county like Judge Executive Joe Choate, it is my privilege to mark this great occasion. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in celebrating 200 years of historic achievement in Hart County.

Mr. President, today I would like to join my fellow Kentuckians in Simpson County as they celebrate their bicentennial anniversary. Along our Commonwealth's southern border with Tennessee, Simpson County is home to two centuries of rich history and cultural heritage. Today, I would like to mark this impressive milestone.

The county was named in tribute to a brave Kentuckian who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation in the Battle of the River Raisin during the War of 1812, Captain John Simpson. A prominent Kentucky lawyer and state legislator, Simpson served as the speaker of Kentucky's House of Representatives in 1810 and 1811. The following year, Simpson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, but postponed taking his seat to join the Army, where he was killed serving our young Nation.

The county's rich history and fertile land has helped grow a strong agricultural tradition, with tobacco, corn, and hay planted in the soil. Interestingly, Simpson County was also known as a popular dueling ground in its earliest days. The county's proximity to the state line apparently drew a number of prominent individuals for these so-called affairs of honor. Even Sam Houston, the future President of the Republic of Texas and U.S. Senator, is said to have fought and won a duel there in 1826.

As with many communities throughout Kentucky, Simpson County residents were sharply divided during the American Civil War. Residents served on both sides of the conflict, and troops skirmished in the area following attacks on two trains on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad lines in 1863. The war left a long-lasting impact on Simpson County's economy and post-war recovery.

For many years, residents thrived from a primarily agricultural economy. In fact, Simpson County was known as one of the largest mule markets in the world. Midway through the 20th century, local leaders sought to expand the county's economy with the help of the completion of I-65, which runs through Franklin, the county seat and its largest city. That growth continues to this day.

Residents have planned a year full of festive events for Simpson County's bicentennial year. In remembering their proud history, they will also celebrate the community's great potential ahead. With the leadership of Judge Executive Mason Barnes and other dedicated Kentuckians, this vibrant community will continue to succeed in our Commonwealth. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in marking 200 years of Simpson County heritage and wishing them well for many more prosperous years to come.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, July 16; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Phipps nomination. Finally, I ask that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings. I further ask that notwithstanding provisions of rule XXII, the postcloture time on the Phipps nomination expire at 3 p.m. tomorrow; and, finally, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, yesterday the entire Senate had the opportunity to meet in classified session for a briefing on election security. We heard from the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI Director, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and other key administration officials about our recent progress and ongoing work to protect our democratic process from interference.

The takeaway was perfectly clear. After 2016, this new administration kicked into high gear. Alongside our efforts in Congress, all levels of government worked proactively to make sure that 2018 was not a repeat of 2016.

Far from letting up, the executive branch is continuing to work hard in advance of next year's Presidential election. We know our adversaries will not be letting up, so we aren't letting up either.

I want to underscore my appreciation for the tremendous work that so many officials across our government have been doing to protect our democracy and impose costs on adversaries who dare to interfere. Threats remain, but yesterday's briefing was an instructive counterpoint to the doom and gloom hyperbole we often see in the media.

Good news doesn't sell newspapers. Although I doubt it would get much coverage, I am proud of the work of our government and what they have done to shore up our defenses of American democracy and deter foreign influence and interference.

I believe our colleagues feel the same way. At one point during yesterday's briefing, applause broke out in the room for the work of one of our agencies--bipartisan applause in the briefing yesterday about what was done in 2018, after which it was largely incident free.

Many of the details of yesterday's briefing were classified and should remain so, but much of what was discussed were the specific details and the full impact of steps that are already public knowledge.

Here in Congress, we have taken legislative action to enhance interagency coordination on cybersecurity, expedite security clearances for election officials, and allocate hundreds of millions of dollars in direct aid to State election officials--direct aid to State election officials.

With the new resources that we provided, the Department of Homeland Security dramatically strengthened its information sharing and security partnerships with the State and local authorities that operate elections in the United States. Participation came from all 50 States and 1,400 localities, and the direct aid to States helped the authorities who were on the frontlines conducting elections update their systems, strengthen their defenses, and maintain vigilance.

These and other actions have been part of a coordinated, government- wide, Federal, State, and local campaign to shore up our defenses. I would anticipate that every Member who attended the classified briefing likely

came away feeling confident that big steps forward have taken place in the last 2\1/2\ years.

Thanks in large part to these measures, the 2018 elections went more smoothly than 2016, and as we look to 2020, it is encouraging to learn how seriously the administration is taking the threat and proactively working to counter it because we know the threat is not going anywhere. Foreign adversaries are going to keep at it, so I am glad the administration is so focused on staying strong and remaining vigilant.

Of course, as I said yesterday, the roots of the issue run deeper than our elections themselves. A foreign adversary like Russia didn't just wake up one day in 2016 and decide to interfere in the American democracy. The meddling was an outgrowth of a long pattern of weakness and naivete that permeated all 8 years of the Obama administration.

Punching back against this misbehavior, and deterring future episodes like it, has also meant taking broad steps to strengthen America's posture abroad and to get more realistic about our relationship with the Russians. Obviously, nearly 30 Russians and Russian corporations have been indicted by the Special Counsel for election meddling.

More broadly, we have a new national security strategy--an improved roadmap for our global presence that takes seriously the need to check great power competitors like Russia and China.

We are recommitting to the alliances that preserve American values around the world, reforming NATO to meet 21st century threats, and equipping our allies and partners who are on the frontlines of Russia's geopolitical prospecting. Congress and the administration have worked together to restore our Armed Forces and unwind harmful funding restrictions that cut readiness and limited our commanders. So not just our efforts on election security but, really, our entire foreign policy have made strides under the leadership of this administration.

To conclude, yesterday's briefing made it clear that our work has led to huge progress--huge progress--but the work certainly isn't over. Leaders across government are continuing to explore and repair potential vulnerabilities and increase cooperation ahead of the 2020 Presidential election. Congress will certainly continue to monitor this closely while resisting any efforts to use the failures of the past to justify sweeping federalizations of election law, as some on the other side have consistently sought to do.

Let me say that again. Congress will certainly continue to monitor this closely while resisting any efforts to use the failures of the past to justify sweeping federalizations of election law, as some on the other side have consistently sought to do.

Make no mistake, many of the proposals labeled by Democrats to be ``election security'' are measures, in fact, for election reform that are part of the wish list of the left called the Democrat politician protection act.

What they do is ignore the great work this administration has done and sweep under the rug the necessary measures this Chamber has passed.

But speaking broadly, I think all Americans should remember this: What Russia really set out to do was to sow division, spark doubt, and trigger a crisis of confidence in our country that would extend far beyond the actual actions that they undertook.

So as I have said before, as we continue taking action and shoring up our defenses, it is also vital that we not fall into precisely-- precisely--the trap that Putin and company have laid. It is vital that Americans not take the bait on fear and division and ultimately do Russia's work for them.

Our country is strong. American democracy is strong. Our elections are already safer and more secure, and the important work continues. Our adversaries will not let up, so we are not letting up either.

Mr. President, on another matter, all week the Senate has continued our productivity in overcoming partisan opposition and confirming the President's well-qualified nominees for important offices.

We have confirmed the newest judge on the Ninth Circuit. Yesterday we confirmed three district judges by overwhelming bipartisan margins--78 to 15, 80 to 14, and 85 to 10. Those are the margins on three district judges. Clearly, we are not exactly talking about radioactive, controversial nominees here, not when 78 votes for confirmation is the low end.

Nevertheless, as has become typical over the past 2\1/2\ years, our Democratic colleagues insisted on cloture votes to cut off debate before we could confirm any of them. In fact, we have yet to voice-vote a single judicial nominee this entire Congress. We haven't voice-voted a single judicial nominee this entire Congress.

It is really a shame. It is not the precedent the Senate ought to be setting for these lower tier nominations. Of course, we have confirmed them nonetheless.

Before the end of this week, the Senate will have done the same for three other lower level nominees to the executive branch.

Weeks like this were impossible before my Republican colleagues and I did the right thing for the institution a few months back and moved the Senate back toward our historic norms for nominations of this sort. We argued that Senate Democrats were mindlessly obstructing even the least controversial nominees just for obstruction's sake.

Our colleagues across the aisle insisted, no, the majority would be ramming through these extreme individuals and cutting off intense debate that these extreme nominees deserve. Well, who is right? Well, one more time for good measure: 78 to 15, 80 to 14, and 85 to 10. Enough said.

It is particularly ironic that some of my friends across the aisle elect to complain that the Senate is spending too much time on nominations--the Presiding Officer has heard that--spending too much time on nominations. I am not making this up. We actually hear protestations from the Democratic side that confirming these men and women is taking too long, as though it weren't totally obvious to everyone that their own unprecedented delaying tactics are the only reason these nominees have not been quickly confirmed in big batches on a voice vote.

It is quite the two-step: Democrats systemically drag their heels for 2\1/2\ years and counting and then complain we are not moving fast enough. Well, if it weren't clear by now, the tactics are not going to work. The Senate is going to press on. We are going to do our job.

Today, we will press on despite 492 days of obstruction--492 days of obstruction--and confirm Peter Wright, the President's nominee to serve as--listen to this--an Assistant Administrator at EPA. He has been waiting for 492 days.

As it happens, we will also vote on two Kentuckians--Robert King and John Pallasch. Mr. King has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. He comes with an impressive record of experience in higher education administration and advocacy at home in the Bluegrass State and beyond. Mr. Pallasch has been tapped for Assistant Secretary of Labor. His resume includes service as director of the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training as well as previous service with the Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health.

I will be proud to support each of these well-qualified nominees as their senior Senator from Kentucky but moreover as someone who believes that the American President deserves to have his team in place and that citizens ought to be governed by the government they actually voted for.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 2, treaty document No. 112-1.

I ask unanimous consent that the reading be dispensed with.

I have an amendment at the desk, and I ask the clerk to report it.

I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.