Floor Statements

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

I object.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to move to proceed to H.R. 268.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I move to proceed to H.R. 268.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, it be in order to file cloture on amendment

Nos. 5 and 6 during Thursday's session of the Senate and that cloture motions filed on both amendments during Thursday's session of the Senate be treated as if they were filed during today's session of the Senate and ripen at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 24, 2019, in the order filed.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the motion.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it recess until 11 a.m., Wednesday, January 23, 2019, and that following the prayer and pledge, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand in recess, under the previous order, following the remarks of the Democratic leader.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Government Funding

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I thank the Republican leader.

The Republican leader has just announced an agreement we have reached about the schedule for the two votes on Thursday, both of which will be amendments to the House-passed continuing resolution. First, the Senate will vote on the President's proposal, and then we will vote on an amendment that is identical to the underlying bill.

The President said his proposal was a reasonable compromise. In fact, it is neither reasonable nor a compromise. There was no serious negotiation with any Democrat about what went into the proposal. That is because the proposal was never intended to pass. It is only a thinly veiled attempt by the President to save face. Anyone who looks at the legislation can tell it was designed to fail. In exchange for the wall, the President offers only limited temporary protections for DACA and TPS--protections he single-handedly removed. So it is sort of like bargaining for stolen goods. On top of that, he has proposed new, radical changes to our asylum system without consulting any Democrats-- changes that controvert our Nation's most fundamental and precious values. I hope that it will be roundly defeated on Thursday.

The good news is that after that vote, we will have a second amendment that could break us out of this morass we are in. The Senate will proceed to an amendment to the House bill that is identical to the underlying legislation. In other words, for the first time, we will have a vote on whether to open up the government without any decision, one way or the other, on border security. The proposal also adds necessary disaster aid to several States that were recently ravaged by natural disasters.

People are asking: Isn't there a way out of this mess? Isn't there a way to relieve the burden on the 800,000 Federal workers who are not getting paid? Isn't there a way to get government services open first and then to debate what we should do for border security?

There is a way, and that will be the second vote that will occur on Thursday. It would reopen all of the portions of the government until February 8--open them briefly, but open them it will--and it would allow workers to get paid and get their backpay. It would allow us to then debate--without hostage-taking, without temper tantrums, without anything--how we can best do border security. We would get that done, hopefully, by February 8 and keep the government open.

If you are looking for a way to open up the government, this is the way. I hope my Republican colleagues--many of whom were circulating a letter that does, basically, the same thing as does this proposal but without the disaster aid--will sign, will vote yes. The American people are looking for a solution. I am glad that we will have a vote that will bring us nearer to that solution, much closer to that solution. That will be the second vote here, which will open up the government and then will allow us to debate border security.

Again, I urge enough of my Republican colleagues to join us Democrats in voting for the proposal, which has already passed the House, that could open up the government.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, tomorrow Washington will play host to one of our Nation's proudest examples of peaceful activism: the 49th annual March for Life.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans--from different States, different faiths, different ethnic backgrounds--will speak with one voice on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. I would like to welcome the marchers, especially my fellow Kentuckians, including Margie Montgomery, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life. I welcome all the marchers with gratitude. I am grateful they are helping shed light on this great shame of our society and bearing witness to the fact that human dignity and human rights are for everyone.

As they march tomorrow, our friends can take pride in knowing our beliefs are not just consistent with morality and supported by science; they are also squarely within the mainstream of our society. According to one recent survey, a sizable majority of American adults hold views on the subject that are far, far from the absolutist position of the far left.

Seventy-five percent of all Americans, including more than 60 percent of those who call themselves pro-choice, support more protection for the lives of unborn children.

The far left is wedded to the most extreme positions on this subject. For example, the radical left wants America to remain one of only seven--seven--countries in the entire world, including China and North Korea, that allow elective abortions to occur after 20 weeks and even after the child is capable of feeling pain. The American people, however, know better. That survey also found that a majority of Americans oppose taxpayer-funded abortions. So I am proud today to stand with that majority of Americans and urge every Member of this body to join me in supporting the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act this afternoon.

Thanks to the dedication of Senators Wicker, Roberts, Ernst, Lankford, Daines, Blunt, and many others, the bill before us would supplement existing law and bolster the important, longstanding protections of the Hyde amendment.

By implementing a governmentwide, statutory prohibition on taxpayer subsidies for abortion and abortion coverage, S. 109 would close off Federal support for abortion that flows outside of the Hyde-protected regular appropriations process.

In addition, it would explicitly ensure that Federal healthcare facilities are not party to abortions and increase transparency requirements for federally subsidized healthcare plans.

I am proud to support this important step forward in protecting Americans' rights of conscience, and I urge every one of our colleagues to vote to advance it.

I yield back our time.

I object.

Objection.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 259, which was received from the House.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 10.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 21, submitted earlier today.

I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.