Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 39, which was received from the House.

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 4 p.m., Friday, January 20; 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 be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Senators should gather in the Chamber at 10 a.m. on Friday for the inauguration. Rollcall votes are possible on Friday afternoon on Cabinet nominations.

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 the Democratic leader.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, the Senate just passed the legislative tools needed to repeal and replace ObamaCare. This is a critical step forward--the first step toward bringing relief from this failed law. The resolution now goes to the House. They will take it up soon. The next step will then be the legislation to finally repeal ObamaCare and move us toward smarter health policies.

The repeal legislation will include a stable transition period as we work toward patient-centered health care. We plan to take on the replace challenge in manageable pieces with step-by-step reforms. We can begin to make important progress within that repeal legislation, and we will continue to work with the incoming administration and the House in developing what comes next.

There are other steps we can take as well, including important administrative steps like confirming Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services and Seema Verma as CMS Administrator. They can start stabilizing the health insurance markets that ObamaCare has thrown into turmoil, and they can start bringing relief to the American people. There is a lot they can do.

There is lot we can do. We may not be responsible for ObamaCare and the harm it has done to so many, but we have been clear about our commitment to bringing relief from it. From skyrocketing premiums and deductibles to dwindling options on the exchanges, too many families don't know how they will continue to endure the consequences associated with ObamaCare. These families have called for a helping hand. They have called for Congress to listen to their concerns, and they have called for us to finally build a bridge away from ObamaCare and toward health policies that put them first. We just took a decisive step toward that goal last night.

Repealing and replacing ObamaCare is a big challenge. It isn't going to be easy. Nonetheless, we are committed to fulfilling our promise to the American people--and we will.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to S. 84.

Mr. President, we are on the Mattis waiver.

Anyone who would like to debate, please come over.

In the meantime, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged and the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 72; further, that there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form, and that upon the use or yielding back of time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of H.R. 72 with no intervening action or debate; finally, that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I believe I have the floor.

Just to let everybody know, all I am doing is setting up a vote for Tuesday afternoon at 4:15. That is what I was asking consent on.

Mr. President, I have four requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the majority and minority leaders.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. President, I have four requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, January 17, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged and the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.R. 72; further, that there be 30 minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form, and that upon the use or yielding back of time, the bill be read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of H.R. 72 with no intervening action or debate; finally, that if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 14, 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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Friday, January 13, for a pro forma session only, with no business being conducted; further, that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, January 13, it next convene on Tuesday, January 17, at 3 p.m.; 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 be in a period of morning business until 4:15 p.m., with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

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.

Madam President, when ObamaCare's supporters forced their partisan law on our country, they promised an easy-to-use system--one that would lower premiums and out-of-pocket health care costs, one that would foster choice and allow families to keep the plans and doctors they liked.

But it didn't take long for the American people to discover the truth about ObamaCare. Too many have been personally hurt by this law. Too many feel they are worse off than they were before ObamaCare. Listening to their stories helps to explain why they might feel this way.

For instance, too many Americans say their ObamaCare plans are too expensive to actually use. Too many say their ObamaCare premiums have gone up and up, although their options have diminished. Too many say their choices on ObamaCare have deteriorated to just one or two insurers.

These are some of the realities of ObamaCare for too many families in Kentucky and across the country. These are some inconvenient realities that those who continue to defend this failed law must finally face up to. Remember, even former President Clinton called ObamaCare ``the craziest thing in the world.'' This was Bill Clinton on ObamaCare.

So it is little wonder that 8 in 10 favor changing ObamaCare significantly or replacing it altogether. We must act quickly to bring relief to the American people. I hope Democrats will work with us as we take the next steps toward repealing and replacing this failing law.

Tonight, Senators from both parties will have an important opportunity to take a vote on the legislative tools necessary to repeal ObamaCare. Then we can send it to the House and begin taking the next steps to finally move away from ObamaCare, while we move ahead with smarter health care policies. This is what the American people have called for us to do. It is the best way forward for our country and the people we represent.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.