Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of Charles Anthony ``C.A.'' Williams, of London, KY, who passed away after a long career of public service and great creativity.

During a lifetime of achievement, C.A. had many professions. He served his community as a Laurel County clerk and his Nation in the U.S. Army. He traveled the country driving a semi-truck, and he shared his deep faith as a gospel music singer and songwriter.

In each of these endeavors, C.A showed his passion, his skill, and his love. Through his music and his witness, C.A. fulfilled his greatest desire in life. Mr. Kip Jervis, one of C. A.'s nephews, remembered that his uncle ``had a made-up mind of where he was headed, and he made it his mission to take everyone he could with him.'' This drive led C.A. to share his story and his faith.

His passion continued throughout his battle with brain cancer. After a 1989 diagnosis, C.A. faced every day with optimism, knowing that ``he was a winner either way.'' After a long fight, C.A. recovered from cancer and continued to write music.

Reverend Gene Greene, the pastor of Carmichael Pentecostal Church in East Bernstadt, remembered C.A.'s immense talent. During his long drives in his semi-truck, C.A. would write gospel songs, a practice that became his greatest joy. He released some of these songs in an album called ``Magnificent Jesus.'' For a man of so many talents, this album was one of C.A.'s proudest accomplishments.

C.A. left behind three loving children, Brittany, Brooklyn, and Israel, and his sister, Connie. I know that the memories of C.A.'s love for them will help ease their pain. Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to the entire Williams family, and I know that C.A. will be remembered fondly by everyone he inspired with his faith, his dedication, and his music. He was a good man, and I am proud to say he was my friend.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 14; 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, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of H.J. Res. 42.

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 Cruz.

Mr. President, this week, the House unveiled its plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare and began consideration through the committee process. It is an important step toward keeping our promise to the American people. It not only repeals and replaces ObamaCare, it includes the most significant entitlement reform in a generation and provides needed tax relief to American families as well as healthcare consumers.

Here in the Senate, we can take another critical step toward stabilizing the healthcare market with consideration of the nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, more commonly known as CMS. We have the opportunity today to advance an extremely qualified nominee to oversee some of our Nation's most important healthcare programs.

Seema Verma has a deep health policy background. She is a reformer with a proven record of success. Not only does she have an unparalleled grasp of the complex fiscal and policy challenges facing the agencies she will be charged with overseeing, she also understands the States and consumers she will be serving.

She will be the first to tell you that the sooner we can fulfill our promise to repeal and replace ObamaCare, the sooner CMS can get out of the ObamaCare business and back into the Medicare and Medicaid business. She understands that ObamaCare's raiding of Medicare was wrong, and her experience in developing creative solutions will help protect Medicare for generations to come. She knows the burdens that ObamaCare placed on State Medicaid Programs remain unsustainable, and her experience in reforming and modernizing State-level Medicaid Programs will help lower the staggering costs that the Obama administration shifted onto the States.

Medicaid expansion has been devastating to Kentucky's State budget, costing Kentucky taxpayers nearly $74 million this year. That is more than double the amount originally projected. Even worse, we have seen little improvement in health outcomes. The current system is too expensive and fails to address the real health problems in Kentucky.

Ms. Verma has been instrumental in helping States like mine navigate these incredibly difficult challenges. The proposed Medicaid waiver she helped craft for Kentucky, along with our Governor, if approved, is expected to ensure quality care for those who need it while saving Kentucky taxpayers more than $360 million. So her expertise is going to be invaluable as we continue fulfilling our promise to the American people.

As we move to repeal and replace the unworkable, partisan ObamaCare law and return authority to the States, my hope is that Ms. Verma will be able to focus more time and attention than her recent predecessors to the core functions--the core functions--of the agency, which are strengthening Medicare and Medicaid. She is particularly well qualified to lead this agency. She has a proven record of success. She has the skill and the drive to make positive reforms too. I can hardly think of anyone better for the job.

I urge colleagues to join me in voting to advance her nomination later today.

Mr. President, since his nomination to the Supreme Court was announced, Judge Neil Gorsuch has received extensive praise from former colleagues, the legal community, and editorial boards, among many others. It is praise that has come from across the political spectrum. Even many on the left can't help but compliment Judge Gorsuch's credentials, including former President Obama's own legal mentor, who called him ``brilliant,'' and his former acting solicitor general, who applauded Gorsuch's ``fairness and decency.''

This week we add to that lengthy list of supporters more than 150 of Judge Gorsuch's former classmates at Columbia University. As they note, these alumni have followed an array of postgraduate pursuits: They are CEOs and stay-at-home parents, professors and lawyers, entrepreneurs and scientists. They come from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, practice different faiths, reside in different parts of our country, and hold very diverse political views.

Even so, each of these Columbia grads can agree on at least one thing: Neil Gorsuch's fitness to serve on the Supreme Court. Let me share the letter they just sent to the Judiciary Committee:

At Columbia, Neil Gorsuch notably distinguished himself

among his peers. He was a serious and brilliant student who

earned deep respect from teachers and students alike. With an

encyclopedic knowledge on a staggering array of subjects, he

could be counted on for his insightful, logical and well-

reasoned comments. He carried a full and challenging course-

load, finishing in three years and graduating Phi Beta Kappa.

The letter continues:

The hallmark of Neil Gorsuch's tenure at Columbia was his

unflagging commitment to respectful and open dialogue on

campus.

Despite an often contentious environment, Neil was a

steadfast believer that we could disagree without being

disagreeable. To be sure, he could deliver a devastating

argument, laden with carefully researched facts and presented

in a crisp and organized manner. Yet he was always a

thoughtful and fair-minded listener who would not hesitate to

re-evaluate his own beliefs when presented with persuasive

arguments. His amiable nature, good humor and respect for

differing viewpoints was admired and appreciated by all.

So it was clear even years ago that the ``intellect, academic record, and character'' of their classmate Neil Gorsuch was ``so special''-- ``so special'' that ``there was a shared sense that he was poised for a meaningful and purposeful future.''

How right they were. Neil Gorsuch is exceptionally qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. He has, as I just noted, an ``encyclopedic knowledge on a staggering array of subjects . . . with insightful, logical and well-reasoned comments.'' He is a ``humble man with no appetite for self-promotion.'' Let me say that again: a ``humble man with no appetite for self-promotion.'' He is ``an upstanding person'' with ``unyielding integrity, faith in our institutions and unfailing politeness.'' These are the words of his former classmates, and they are the qualities we expect in a Supreme Court Justice.

Regardless of political leanings, we all should understand the importance of confirming Justices who will interpret the law as written, not misuse their office to impose their own views as to what, in their mind, should have been written instead. We should understand the importance of confirming Justices who will apply the law equally to all Americans, not rule based on their empathy--empathy--for certain groups over others.

I am confident that Judge Gorsuch is more than prepared to meet these critical standards. It is the type of judge he has been on the Federal court of appeals. It is the type of Justice he will be on the high Court as well. That is why we continue to see recommendations for Gorsuch flooding in from people of all backgrounds and all political views.

In the coming weeks, I am sure the support for Judge Gorsuch will continue to grow, and I know we are all eager to hear from the judge himself when he goes before the Judiciary Committee later this month. When he does, I hope colleagues on both sides will show him the fair-- fair--consideration that he deserves, the same fair consideration we showed to all four of the Supreme Court nominees of President Obama and President Clinton after they were first elected--a respectful hearing followed by an up-or-down vote.

Mr. President, today it is my honor to congratulate retired MSgt Keary Miller of the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123 Special

Tactics Squadron. On January 17, 2017, the U.S. Air Force awarded Master Sergeant Miller, of Goshen, KY, its highest honor, the Air Force Cross. This award is presented ``for extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing foreign force.'' It is second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

In March 2002, Miller served in the Battle of Takur Ghar as part of Operation Anaconda in the Paktia province of Afghanistan. Their mission was to defeat Taliban forces hiding in on the Takur Ghar Mountain.

During the mission, two MH-47E Chinook helicopters took enemy fire as they attempted to land. The helicopter lurched in an attempt to evade taking damage. The quick maneuvering caused PO1 Neil C. Roberts to fall from the rear ramp out of the vehicle. Miller, a pararescuman, was in a third helicopter to rescue Roberts. However, his vehicle was hit with automatic weapons fire and rocket propelled grenades when it was 20 feet above the ground.

The enemy fire damaged Miller's helicopter and forced them to touch down on Takur Ghar. After a hard landing, Miller and his team formed a defensive posture despite five critical casualties. Through rocket propelled grenade, mortar, and small arms fire, Miller dragged the wounded helicopter pilot to safety. For the next 17 hours, Miller and his team engaged the enemy in intense fighting, and he displayed astonishing bravery as he helped the wounded and resupplied his comrades.

Through his heroic actions, Miller successfully brought 10 seriously wounded soldiers to medical treatment and recovered seven Americans killed in action.

For his service, the Air Force awarded Miller the Silver Star on November 1, 2003. However, as part of the Department of Defense's review of combat medals, the Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James upgraded the award to the Air Force Cross.

In a statement, James said ``These are people whose lifestyle includes going above and beyond the call of duty and exemplifying the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.''

To further commemorate Miller's extraordinary service, the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has included his actions in the Battle of Takur Ghar in a permanent exhibition on battlefield airmen.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Master Sergeant Keary Miller for his service to the United States and the Kentucky Air National Guard. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this distinguished Kentuckian. He has earned this prestigious award, and he is a true American hero.

Mr. President, today it is my honor to celebrate former Pulaski County circuit clerk George Flynn. Although he began his retirement last year, his community is still recognizing him for his three decades of public service. The Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce presented the ``Distinguished Community Service Award''--its top honor--to Flynn in recognition of his dedicated work to the people of Pulaski County.

In both his personal life and professional work, Flynn tirelessly tried to make his community a better place. He was first elected in 1987 because he ``is [the] personification of a `one of us' attitude necessary to attract votes in Pulaski County.'' Because of his exemplary work as circuit clerk, the people reelected him four times. In his tenure, he worked with five circuit court judges and oversaw the modernization of all court records.

After a proud career of public service, Flynn said he is ready to spend his days sleeping in, enjoying time with his wife, Resa, his grandchildren, and his dogs. He has earned a relaxing retirement. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to George Flynn for a notable career of public service and this much deserved award.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of William Holeman. Preacher Bill, as he was known, came to eastern Kentucky in 1953 and almost immediately made a lasting impact.

For over 60 years, Bill travelled throughout eastern Kentucky, teaching around 40,000 schoolchildren each year about bullying, drug abuse, and his Christian faith with the Youth Haven Bible Camp. Although his family described him as a humble man, Bill had a real passion for his vocation.

To help teach the kids, Bill employed ventriloquist dummies named Henry and Homer. He developed their personalities and spread his message with laughter and fun.

Bill dearly loved eastern Kentucky and its people. He devoted his life to them, and many children were forever changed by his work.

Preacher Bill will surely be missed, and Elaine and I send our condolences to his wife, Joyce, and their children Susan, Gail, Gary, and Eddie.

Mr. President, today I wish to remember the life of the longest serving county sheriff in the history of Kentucky, Pike County Sheriff Charles Edward Keesee. After more than 40 years of hard work, ``Fuzzy,'' as he was affectionately known, passed away at the age of 89.

A veteran of the Second World War, Fuzzy became a lasting icon in Pike County. Deputy Judge/Executive Brian Morris said ``You can't serve for more than four decades and not personally touch every household in Pike County.'' He was a compassionate public servant, a dedicated law enforcement officer, and a good man. The community will surely remember Fuzzy's impact and miss him deeply.

Elaine and I send our condolences to Sheriff Keesee's wife, Easter, his brother, Alben, and his sister, Nancy Jo.

Mr. President, I wish to start by taking a moment to congratulate the men's basketball team of Northern Kentucky University for an impressive accomplishment.

My home State of Kentucky is without a doubt known for college basketball, and now we have another reason to be proud. With last night's win, the NKU Norse secured the Horizon League championship and earned a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. With their recent entrance into Division I play, this is the first year the Norse have been eligible for a spot in the tournament, and their season of hard work has paid off.

I would like to congratulate the team, Head Coach John Brannen, and the entire program, and I look forward to watching them continue their incredible season.

Mr. President, the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act was one of the great triumphs of the last Congress. It represented the most significant education reform in over a decade. It heralded ``the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century,'' as the Wall Street Journal put it, empowering parents, teachers, and schools at the expense of Washington bureaucrats. It passed the Senate with wide bipartisan support, 85 to 12; President Obama signed it into law.

Yet just a few months later, his administration set to shift power back from parents and schools to the Washington bureaucracy by regulation. The Obama administration's so-called accountability regulation was written in direct--direct--contradiction to the law that passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and is a prime example of the Executive overreach we in Congress are working to overturn.

Today, however, thanks to the Congressional Review Act, we have the opportunity to move past this overreaching regulation and empower those closest to our kids once again to ensure our schools are held to the highest standards.

We will also have the opportunity to move past another Obama-era regulation that hurts students and those seeking to go into the teaching profession. I am talking about a regulation that allows the Federal Government to insert itself into the way States choose to prepare their teachers for the classroom. States are supposed to be the leaders on core curriculum and decisions on how to prepare teachers to best meet the needs of their students--not Washington bureaucrats. By repealing this regulation, we could help restore that process. Further, this regulation increases administrative burdens that only divert much needed resources and focus away from students.

As the Kentucky Association of Colleges for Teacher Education put it, voting to remove the harmful teacher preparation regulation ``will allow Kentucky universities and colleges to continue developing and supporting outstanding teachers who positively impact P-12 children.''

``Teacher preparation programs have limited and shrinking resources,'' the letter said. ``[Our] members want to spend those resources on developing exemplary teachers rather than working on compliance regulations that have not been shown to result in better prepared and higher quality teachers.''

That is from the Kentucky Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Groups like this know firsthand that more flexibility is the key to improving our schools. They know that those closest to students are best positioned to help our children succeed. They know that the one- size-fits-all education policies of the past are unsustainable for the future. So it is time to move past both of these harmful education regulations.

In particular, I want to recognize Senator Sasse and Senator Alexander, the HELP Committee chairman, for their leadership on these issues. They introduced legislation similar to the House-passed proposals that we will vote on this week to overturn these unfair regulations.

I encourage colleagues to support both CRA resolutions so that we can continue building upon educational policies that put America's students and educators first.

Mr. President, just before the election, CNN ran an article with the following headline. This is CNN: ``Is ObamaCare really affordable?'' Answer: ``Not for the middle class.'' It was true then, it is true now, and it will continue to get worse unless ObamaCare is repealed and replaced.

In places like my home State of Kentucky, relief cannot come soon enough. Because of ObamaCare, premiums in Kentucky shot up by as much as 47 percent this year. Almost half of the counties in Kentucky have only one option for insurance providers on the ObamaCare exchange. Families are losing their doctors and are being forced into junk plans. The list of broken promises goes on and on.

I have said it before; I will say it again: The status quo is unsustainable. We cannot sit on our hands and do nothing. We must act before the market collapses.

Americans have repeatedly demanded the repeal of ObamaCare, and Republicans are fulfilling our promise to do just that. The bill unveiled in the House this week represents an important step toward that pledge. It will bring much needed relief to families and small businesses. It will give Americans more control over their own healthcare choices. It will help stabilize the marketplace. And just yesterday, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price sent a letter expressing the administration's support for it. Here is what he said: ``These proposals offer patient-centered solutions that will provide all Americans with access to affordable, quality, healthcare,'' he wrote. They will also ``promote innovation, and offer peace of mind for those with pre-existing conditions,'' he said.

In the coming weeks, committees in the House will publicly debate this bill. I hope Members will take the time to consider the bill and continue to ask questions.

Once we receive the bill from the House, the Senate will act because here is what we know: ObamaCare is a direct attack on the middle class. It will continue to get worse unless we act to repeal and replace it, and we are determined to keep our promise to the American people to do just that.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to H.J. Res. 57.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following leader remarks on Thursday, March 9, the Senate resume consideration of H.J. Res. 57, with the time equally divided in the usual form until 12 noon, and that at noon, the Senate vote on passage of the resolution with no intervening action or debate. I further ask that, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the Senate then resume executive session for the consideration of

Executive Calendar No. 18, and that the cloture vote on the nomination occur at 1:45 p.m.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 496 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I further 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 with no intervening action or debate.