Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 409, S. 2178.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; that the committee-reported title amendment be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 521, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the junior Senator from North Carolina be authorized to sign the enrollment of S. 2155.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m., Thursday, May 24; 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, and morning business be closed. Finally, I ask that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the McWilliams nominations under the previous order.

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, following the remarks of Senator Cardin.

Madam President, today the Senate will begin considering the VA MISSION Act. It marks a major step forward for the VA system and the millions of heroes who rely on it for services.

The bipartisan reform legislation before us builds on the earlier progress of the Veterans Choice Act of 2014 and reaffirms a clear message: Delays at the VA cannot stand between veterans and the medical care they need. The shortcomings of a Federal bureaucracy do not free our Nation from its promises to our All-Volunteer Armed Forces. Veterans deserve prompt, thorough care, period.

In the few short years since the creation of VA Choice, the program has seen important success. More than 2 million veterans have taken the opportunity to see private providers when the VA system couldn't meet their needs. In Kentucky, it helped more than 23,000 veterans in 2017 alone.

Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Isakson, this new legislation builds on this significant progress, continues it, and improves it in ways that will help veterans even more.

The VA MISSION Act will clear the path for veterans to receive greater healthcare choices. It will eliminate the wait time and distance requirements that keep veterans out of the driver's seat and empower them, in consultation with their respective physicians, to take charge of their own care. It will help prioritize and speed improvements to existing VA facilities. It will direct $5.2 billion to fund the Veterans Choice Program, and it will establish more streamlined delivery of care through the veterans community care program.

The bill before us passed the House by an overwhelming bipartisan margin. It carries the support of the President and 38 veterans advocacy organizations. It is based on a simple idea: Promises made to those who sacrifice for our freedoms must be promises kept. Let's make good on these promises this week.

Madam President, on another matter, this morning, the Environment and Public Works Committee is concluding its work on America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.

Chairman Barrasso has led an open, bipartisan process that has generated a strong proposal. It builds on President Trump's infrastructure approach, encouraging local control over local priorities and leveraging Federal resources to ensure that each dollar spent goes to major water infrastructure improvements. It cuts redtape and empowers the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to break through bureaucratic backlogs.

Thanks to Senator Boozman, it enhances the investments in our Nation's failing drinking water and waste water infrastructure.

My State of Kentucky contains more than 1,900 miles of navigable inland waterways. Our water resources support more than 13,000 jobs in the maritime industry. Paducah, KY, serves as the heart of America's inland waterways system, and Western Kentucky is also home to major water civil works projects like the Olmsted Locks and Dam and Kentucky Lock.

This bipartisan legislation is good news for communities throughout the Commonwealth. One provision, the Freedom to Fish Act, will help safeguard an important part of Kentucky's cultural heritage. Generations of Kentuckians have fished the Cumberland River and the tailwaters of the Barkley and Wolf Creek Dams.

I remember my dad and his friend taking us to fish there at a young age. They were experienced fishermen. The last thing they needed was advice from Federal bureaucrats on where to cast their lines, but, in 2012, in a typical display of Obama administration overreach, the Army Corps threatened to restrict access to these cherished waters. I didn't know anyone in Kentucky who thought it was a good idea. The farmers didn't, the anglers didn't, the area businesses relying on fishing tourism didn't. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife certainly didn't. So I worked with community leaders like my friend Lyon County

judge executive Wade White and my colleagues in the Kentucky and Tennessee congressional delegations to put a stop to this government interference. We introduced legislation to prevent the Army Corps from robbing our fishers and anglers of this beloved pastime and damaging this key component of the local economy. The measure passed with overwhelming support and was signed into law. It has been successful, but its provisions are set to expire soon.

That is why I worked with Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, and the committee to secure a new 5-year extension of the Freedom to Fish Act in this year's water infrastructure bill. It is just another achievement among the many victories this bill will deliver for communities across the country.

I am grateful to the supporters of this legislation, such as the National League of Cities and the National Rural Water Association, and the bipartisan coalition of Senators who worked to craft it. I look forward to the committee's vote today and to supporting this bill once it reaches the Senate floor.

Now, Madam President, one final matter. This week, survey data showed that more Americans say it is a good time to find a quality job than at any point in the last 17 years.

Let me say that again. More Americans say it is a good time to find a quality job than at any point in the last 17 years.

Under President Obama, this number got as low as 8 percent. It never broke 50 percent during his administration, but today 67 percent of Americans say it is a good time to find a quality job.

Optimism has taken off for all groups since this President was elected and the Republican Congress was sworn in, but the injection of new hope has been felt the most among working-class Americans. This is a major distinction between the economic policies Democrats spent years putting in place and the new approach this Republican government has taken.

For nearly a decade, Democrats followed the standard liberal playbook: tax more, regulate more, and pile up more money and power right here in Washington. They cracked down on American businesses, imposed one new regulation after another, and looked to the Federal Government to pick winners and losers.

It is a familiar, old set of ideas. Here is what it produces: an economy that works very well for a few but leaves many more behind.

The Obama era was just fine for our Nation's biggest coastal cities. Roughly, three-quarters of all the new jobs created between 2010 and 2016 poured into the country's largest metropolitan areas, but outside of these places, taxes and regulations created an anti-business climate that hurt American manufacturing, American coal communities, and small- and medium-sized businesses throughout our country.

So Republicans charted a new course. We understand that middle-class families know how to spend their own money better than the government; that American workers thrive when American job creators are expanding, hiring, and raising wages. We passed once-in-a-generation tax relief for American families and small businesses and are working at every turn to roll back runaway regulations. The result is an economic comeback that is reaching all kinds of communities, not just a favored few.

A record-high percentage of American manufacturers have said they have a positive economic outlook for their enterprises. Rural communities outpaced everywhere else in relative job creation last year. The total amount spent on employee compensation grew faster in 2017 than in any calendar year under President Obama.

This is what happens when Republicans implement a pro-growth, pro- opportunity agenda that gets Washington out of the way. Everyone shares in the prosperity.

Madam President, as our Nation pauses on Memorial Day to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our Nation safe and to protect the liberties we hold dear, I would like to join the residents of Park Hills in recognizing one distinguished Kentuckian. John H. Klette, Jr., a centenarian veteran of the Second World War, will be honored as the grand marshal in the community's Memorial Day parade.

Soon after the United States entered World War II, Klette enlisted at the age of 24 to help defeat Nazi Germany. A practicing attorney and a licensed pilot, he chose to join the Army Air Corps--the precursor of the Air Force--and passed the necessary exams that same day. After months of training, he was assigned as a pilot in the 32nd Bombardment Squadron of the 301st Bombardment Group and was sent to southern Italy. Klette's first mission to Bucharest, Romania, saw significant enemy resistance, and his aircraft suffered serious damage. That fight would

not be the last time Klette saw danger in the line of duty.

To this day, he remembers what he calls the worst mission of his career. Overcome by dozens of persistent enemy craft, Klette's plane was in a dire state. With low oxygen and fires onboard, the crew resisted wave after wave of enemy fighters destroying or damaging several of the enemy craft. Showing tremendous courage in the face of incredible danger, Klette and his team completed their mission and returned to their base.

In recognition of their intrepid actions, the entire crew was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest combat decoration awarded by the Armed Forces. Klette was only 25 at the time. Throughout World War II, Klette flew 51 missions, finishing his last on Thanksgiving Day in 1944.

As a member of the Greatest Generation determined to serve his Nation, Klette entered the Reserves after World War II. He was called back to Active Duty and served for nearly 2 years in Korea. Flying 50 combat missions in that conflict, Klette totaled more than 100 missions during his military career.

After officially leaving military service in 1952, Klette returned to northern Kentucky to practice law with his father in Covington. Still practicing law to this day--now with his daughter as a partner--Klette has been an active member of his community, serving on the board of multiple civic organizations.

As the grand marshal of the Park Hills Memorial day parade, Klette will receive the recognition and gratitude that he deserves. Because of his years of dedication to our Nation in uniform, I am proud to join with the Park Hills community to honor his gallant service and sacrifice. I urge all of my colleagues in the Senate to help me thank John Klette.

(At the request of Mr. Durbin, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)

Mr. President, on behalf of myself and the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Schumer, I send to the desk a resolution authorizing the production of testimony and representation by the Senate Legal Counsel, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, this resolution concerns a request for testimony in a criminal action pending in Colorado State court. In this action, the defendant is charged with trespass for refusing to leave Senator Gardner's Colorado Springs office. A forthcoming evidentiary hearing and trial is expected to be scheduled shortly in the Municipal Court of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The defendant in this case is seeking testimony from Andrew Merritt, Senator Gardner's State Director, who was present during some of the events at issue. Senator Gardner would like to cooperate with this request.

The enclosed resolution would authorize the production of testimony from Mr. Merritt and representation by the Senate Legal Counsel of current and former Members, officers, and employees of the Senate.

Mr. President, the Nation watched in horror Friday as a senseless act of violence changed a community forever. The Senate and all Americans stand in mourning, sorrow, and sympathy with the students, faculty, staff, and families of Santa Fe High School in Texas.

No community should ever be subjected to such horror and heartbreak. Our hearts go out to the families of those killed, to the wounded who continue to battle injuries, to the first responders who leapt into action, and to the Santa Fe community that rallies around them.

Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, in the coming days, the Senate will take up landmark legislation on one of our top priorities: providing more options and better care to America's veterans.

The VA MISSION Act is a major milestone in an ongoing effort by Chairman Isakson and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to ensure that our Nation fulfills its promises to our men and women in uniform, including more than 300,000 veterans in my home State of Kentucky.

What Senator Isakson and his colleagues have put together is one of the most comprehensive reform packages for veterans' healthcare since the VA was created in 1930. It builds on the substantial success of the Veterans Choice Act and harnesses provisions of 15 different Senate- introduced bills. This bill streamlines support systems, expands access to care, and provides new tools for attracting and retraining top caregivers.

The veteran who lives far from a VA facility but needs frequent followup care will now have easier access to local providers and walk- in clinics. The wounded warrior navigating difficult pain management routines will now be served by providers with clearer guidelines for opioid prescriptions. The retired servicemember who relies on a family caregiver will rest assured of expanded eligibility and program benefits for veterans of all eras.

It is hardly surprising that this bill has such a broad bipartisan coalition of support, including the endorsement of 38 of the Nation's leading veterans advocacy organizations. I look forward enthusiastically to considering it in the coming days.

I urge every one of my colleagues to support this legislation and send it to the President for his signature. It is not merely our duty but our privilege to improve and enhance the care available to those who have given so much.

Mr. President, on another matter, later today we will consider the nomination of Dana Baiocco, the President's choice to join the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Ms. Baiocco's resume speaks for itself. After receiving her J.D. cum laude from Duquesne University, she clerked in the Western District of Pennsylvania before launching an impressive career in private practice.

For two decades she has stood at the center of complicated cases and gained national recognition for her mastery of the legal questions surrounding consumer safety. This experience makes Ms. Baiocco an ideal candidate to help the CPSC protect consumers effectively and efficiently without imposing unnecessary barriers to free enterprise.

Testifying before our colleagues on the Commerce Committee, she pledged to seek that balance with ``transparency'' and an ``open door policy'' and to remain ``guided by the rule of law.''

I look forward to advancing this qualified nominee when we vote this afternoon and urge all of my colleagues to join me.

Mr. President, on one final matter, earlier today, President Trump signed into law a Congressional Review Act resolution that repealed a particularly egregious overreach by President Obama's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Federal regulators found a loophole, skipped the standard period for review and public comment, and issued unilateral guidance that made life needlessly complicated for the American auto industry and its customers.

Thanks to Senator Toomey's tenacity, the GAO ruled that this intrusion did indeed constitute rulemaking that ought to be subject to congressional review. So Congress got to have its say. Accountability won out in the end. Thanks to this resolution from Senator Moran, yet another onerous regulation is now headed to the wastebasket.

Our record use of CRAs is just one of the tools Republicans are using to get Washington out of the way of American workers and job creators. Republican tax reform is providing historic tax cuts for middle-class families and small businesses, and it repealed the individual mandate penalty at the heart of ObamaCare.

Tomorrow, the House will vote on the Senate-passed legislation championed by Senator Crapo, which will give community banks and credit unions relief from the crushing burden of complying with Dodd-Frank.

Of course, in the executive branch, the President's team has turned the page on the last administration's hostility toward American business. The result is a palpable shift that is improving the entire economy.

Back in 2013, more than three-quarters of U.S. manufacturers said that a hostile climate due to taxes and regulation was a major business obstacle. Three-quarters of the U.S. manufacturers said that in 2013. Today, 16 months into the unified Republican government, fewer than 20 percent say that. It went from 75 percent who were concerned about taxes and regulations in 2013 down to 20 percent today. Nearly 95 percent are optimistic about their future economic prospects.

Everyone is taking notice. Here is a New York Times headline from a few months ago: ``The Trump Effect: Business, Anticipating Less Regulation, Loosens Purse Strings.'' That is from the New York Times.

One Texas homebuilder told reporters, ``It's an overall sense that you are not going to face any new regulatory fights.''

There is more investment, more prosperity, more job openings, and higher wages all across the country. Good things happen when Republican policies get Washington out of the American people's way.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, all postcloture time on the Baiocco nomination be considered expired at 12 noon tomorrow; 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.

For the information of all Senators, there will be two rollcall votes at 12 noon tomorrow: a vote on the confirmation of the Baiocco nomination for the CPSC, followed by a cloture vote on the veterans' healthcare bill.