Floor Statements

Mr. President, I move to proceed to H.R. 1865.

I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session for the consideration of the following nomination: PN1357.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nomination be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session for 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 S. Res. 436, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I further 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 that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 188.

The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:

Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 188) entitled

``An Act to prohibit the use of Federal funds for the costs

of painting portraits of officers and employees of the

Federal Government.'', do pass with amendments.

Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendments, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2154 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Thursday, March 15; 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 resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 339, H.R. 1865.

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, it has been less than 3 months since historic tax reform became law. It has been less than 3 months since we have cut taxes significantly for middle-class families by lowering rates and increasing the standard deduction, since we created new deductions to help small businesses keep more of what they earn and purchase new equipment more easily, and since we leveled the playing field for American producers by making our corporate tax rates more competitive--a measure that mainstream economists agree will boost future wages for workers.

There is a common theme here. Each part of this bill was built on the simple idea that American workers, job creators, and middle-class families know best what to do with their own hard-earned money, and they ought to be able to keep more of it. It is a defining philosophy on our side of the aisle.

Our Democratic friends don't seem to share that notion. The Democratic leader in the House called these historic tax cuts ``probably one of the worst bills in the history of the United States of America.''

In the Senate, my Democratic colleagues' predictions were equally dire. My friend the Democratic leader offered this assessment: ``There is nothing about this bill that suits the needs of the American worker.''

Tax reform used to be a shared, bipartisan priority--apparently, not anymore. Now our Democratic friends seem fully committed to the notion that there is no problem Washington, DC, can't solve by raising taxes and imposing more regulations.

Just last week, my friend the Democratic leader made this clear. He announced that he wants to claw back tax reform and have Americans send more money to the IRS.

Here is his rationale: There are much better ways to use this money-- much better ways to use this money than for people to keep more of their own money, apparently. The unspoken assumption is unmistakable: Democratic leaders know how to spend that money better than the citizens and employers. The government knows best.

Of course, just a few months in, we are getting a clear picture of which philosophy really works. The good news about tax reform keeps pouring in, and with every favorable story, my Democratic friends tie themselves in knots trying to convince everyone that new investments, new jobs, new raises and bonuses, and companies repatriating money back home are somehow not good news after all.

Even as billions of dollars are put toward raises, bonuses, and new worker benefits, it is nothing more than ``crumbs.'' Even as billions more are invested in U.S. manufacturing and new jobs, they stick by their predictions of ``Armageddon''--all of this, even as tax reform is achieving specific goals they spent years claiming to support.

Consider the issue of the minimum wage. Because of tax reform, Hormel Foods has raised starting pay to $13, Wells Fargo has established a $15 minimum wage, and Walmart has raised the starting wage for its associates. That is great, but, apparently, Senate Democrats have better uses for the money going forward than your raise.

Take the subject of family leave. Because of tax reform, including the family leave incentive championed by Senator Fischer, huge national employers

such as Starbucks and CVS are expanding paid family leave programs or creating new ones.

These new family leave programs are great, but I think Senate Democrats have other designs on the private dollars financing these programs. They have better uses in mind for the tax savings that are flowing to charities and nonprofits around the country, like the women's shelter in Washington State that is getting $1 million toward a brand-new building.

Well, Republicans just don't see it that way. Rather than trying to regulate our way into prosperity through higher taxes and heavyhanded mandates, we believe in simply taking Washington's foot off the brake. Because we did, American free enterprise is creating the very pay raises and benefits that our Democratic colleagues insisted only government could provide.

My friends across the aisle may want to repeal the tax cuts that have generated these raises, bonuses, new jobs, new investments, minimum wage increases, and paid family leave expansions. They may want to raise taxes so badly that they are willing to shrink workers' paychecks and send jobs and investments back overseas. Fortunately, Republicans in Congress will not let that happen. We are standing with the American people.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I want to start with what I know is on everybody's mind, and that is Kentucky basketball.

The University of Kentucky Wildcats men's team won their 31st SEC title--their fourth straight, by the way. Hall of Fame coach John Calipari is leading Big Blue Nation back to the NCAA tournament and, we hope, to the school's ninth national championship.

At Western Kentucky University, the Lady Toppers just brought home a second straight Conference USA title. They are hoping the hardware keeps on coming as they head to their school's 20th showing in the NCAA tournament.

I proudly join many Kentuckians in congratulating both UK and WKU. We will be rooting for them in the Big Dance.

Madam President, on another matter, later this afternoon the Senate will vote to advance the financial reform bill that is before us.

Senator Crapo's legislation starts from a simple premise: Small community lenders on Main Street are not the same as the multi- trillion-dollar banks on Wall Street. But since the Dodd-Frank Act passed in 2010, too many regulations have treated all of them the same and imposed a crushing burden on community banks that are not able to bear it.

A small number of our colleagues in the Senate seem dead set against any commonsense reforms to help these smaller institutions. They are dusting off old arguments and predicting apocalyptic consequences from even this modest set of reforms. That is a shame because when small lenders shut their doors, communities throughout America pay the price. Even in this online era, research tells us that the closure of physical banks makes it harder for farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and low-income families to access capital. This story has played out thousands of times across the country.

The legislation before us would restore a community lenders' ability to

provide credit without having to navigate a maze of regulation that was designed for far bigger organizations.

This commonsense bill has earned the support of a wide bipartisan coalition. I would urge all Members to join us in moving it forward this afternoon.

Madam President, now on one final matter, for more than 20 years, Hope House in Spokane, WA, has offered vulnerable women refuge from the streets and a safe place to sleep. Unfortunately, the need is great. Even after stacking bunk beds in every available inch, the shelter reaches capacity every single night. Last year, more than 2,000 women had to be turned away.

But there is good news this morning. Premera Blue Cross, a major health insurer in the Pacific Northwest, announced that it will make a $1 million contribution to the organization that operates Hope House. The gift will jump-start the nonprofit's plan to build a brand-new shelter with 120 beds--triple the current capacity.

Across the State, in Everett, WA, another organization called Cocoon House serves at-risk and homeless youth. They are also receiving a donation of $1.6 million to finish funding a brand-new youth center.

What has made all of this possible? Well, that would be tax reform. Premera's president and CEO explained that America's new 21st century Tax Code is allowing his company to devote major new resources to help investment and philanthropy.

The women of Hope House and the children of Cocoon House are not alone. There are stories like this all over our country. Just how many Americans' lives will be changed for the better by tax reform when all is said and done?

There are the big donations to countless nonprofits such as these serving homeless women and children, higher take-home pay for American families to help them make ends meet, more investment and more job opportunities over the long term now that our Tax Code gives our job creators a fairer fight with overseas competitors, and, of course, special bonuses, raises, and new benefits for 4 million American workers and counting.

We can add Premera workers to that list, by the way. They are getting $15,000 bonuses as well. Every single Democrat voted to block these good things--every single one of these guys over here. They did all they could to stop tax reform from happening. Now that the law they opposed is unleashing so much good news, they are in a tricky spot.

My colleagues across the aisle are falling back on the same old rhetoric. They are trying to divide Americans, pitting different groups against one another. Now they are even proposing to claw back tax reform. Well, with a Republican Congress, that is not going to happen. Democrats may want to repeal tax reform; that is, repeal the bonuses, the raises, the family tax cuts, and the huge donations to life- changing organizations. They may want to repeal all of that, but Republicans set out to take money out of Washington's pocket and put it back in the pockets of the American people, who know best how to use it. We will make sure that is exactly where it stays.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

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.