Volume 165, No. 187 covering the 1st Session of the 116th Congress (2019 - 2020) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“LEGISLATIVE SESSION” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S6734-S6736 on Nov. 21, 2019.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020, AND FURTHER HEALTH
EXTENDERS ACT OF 2019
The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:
Resolved, That the House agree to the amendment of the Senate to the bill (H.R. 3055) entitled ``An Act making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.'', with an amendment to the Senate amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Motion to Concur with Amendment No. 1250
Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055, with a further amendment numbered 1250.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Kentucky [Mr. Paul] moves to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055, with an amendment numbered 1250.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To reduce the amount appropriated by 1 percent and put the savings towards the Highway Trust Fund and certain Environmental
Protection Agency Infrastructure Assistance)
At the appropriate place in division A, add the following:
SEC. ___. REDUCTION IN RATE FOR OPERATIONS.
The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020 (division A of Public Law 116-59) is further amended by inserting after section 150, as added by section 101 of this division, the following:
``SEC. 151. REDUCTION IN CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS TO PROVIDE
SAVINGS FOR THE HIGHWAY TRUST FUND AND
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY INFRASTRUCTURE
ASSISTANCE.
``(a) Reduction in Continuing Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the rate for operations provided by section 101 is hereby reduced by 1 percent.
``(2) Exceptions.--The rate for operations shall not be reduced under paragraph (1) for the following:
``(A) Amounts made available from the Highway Trust Fund established by section 9503(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
``(B) Amounts for purposes described in section 147.
``(C) For the Environmental Protection Agency, Infrastructure Assistance, amounts made available for the following:
``(i) The Clean Water State Revolving Funds and the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
``(ii) The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program Account.
``(iii) The America's Water Infrastructure Act Grant Programs under section 1459A of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(42 U.S.C. 300j-19a).
``(b) Transfer of Savings.--
``(1) Determination of savings.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall determine the amount of the reduction in amounts made available under section 101 of this division that is attributable to subsection (a).
``(2) Transfer.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the General Fund of the Treasury an amount equal to the amount determined under paragraph (1), as follows:
``(A) For the Highway Trust Fund established by section 9503(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 95 percent of such amount.
``(B) For the Clean Water State Revolving Funds and the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, 3 percent of such amount.
``(C) For the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Program Account, 1 percent of such amount.
``(D) For the America's Water Infrastructure Act Grant Programs under section 1459A of the Safe Drinking Water Act
(42 U.S.C. 300j-19a), 1 percent of such amount.
``(3) Availability.--Amounts transferred under paragraph
(2) shall remain available until expended.''.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Motion to Table
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I move to table the Paul amendment, but I just want to say a few words.
This continuing resolution before the Senate holds spending at the fiscal 2019 levels. An arbitrary 1-percent across-the-board cut on top of this--although it sounds good--would be extremely harmful to our agencies, particularly our military.
The Senate handily defeated similar amendments just recently, and I hope we will do this today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I will be brief.
I agree with the distinguished senior Senator from Alabama. The Paul amendment imposes a 1-percent across-the-board cut over last year's funding level to the vast majority of discretionary spending for the duration of the CR.
I hope all Members--Republican and Democratic alike--will oppose it because it would mean arbitrary cuts in defense and other national security programs, cuts to veterans' healthcare, education, childcare, opioid programs, just to name a few. It is a simplistic tool that ignores the complexities of our Federal budget. It is not a way we should govern.
We have the hard work of making hard choices to fund programs each year based on reality. That is what we should do. That is what the American people deserve.
I support increased investment in our Nation's infrastructure. I would be happy to work with Senator Paul to ensure these programs receive the resources they require.
I hope he might be able to get some support from the Trump administration, which has consistently proposed cutting resources to improve our Nation's infrastructure. I hope he might be able to get that kind of support, but funding it through an across-the-board cut on all other programs, including veterans healthcare, national security, and education programs is irresponsible. It is not the answer.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I move to table the Paul amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota
(Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Hyde-Smith). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 73, nays 20, as follows:
YEAS--73
AlexanderBaldwinBennetBlumenthalBluntBoozmanBrownBurrCantwellCapitoCardinCarperCaseyCollinsCoonsCortez MastoCramerDuckworthDurbinEnziFeinsteinGardnerGillibrandGrahamGrassleyHassanHawleyHeinrichHironoHoevenHyde-SmithInhofeIsaksonJohnsonJonesKaineKingLeahyManchinMarkeyMcConnellMenendezMerkleyMoranMurkowskiMurphyMurrayPerduePetersPortmanReedRobertsRosenRoundsRubioSchatzSchumerScott (FL)ShaheenShelbySinemaSmithStabenowTesterThuneToomeyUdallVan HollenWarnerWhitehouseWickerWydenYoung
NAYS--20
BarrassoBlackburnBraunCornynCrapoCruzDainesErnstFischerKennedyLankfordLeeMcSallyPaulRischRomneySasseScott (SC)SullivanTillis
NOT VOTING--7
BookerCassidyCottonHarrisKlobucharSandersWarren
The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
Order of Business
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the votes following the first vote in this series be 10 minutes in length.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Motion to Concur
Mr. McCONNELL. I move to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055.
Cloture Motion
I send a cloture motion to the desk for the motion to concur.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
The bill clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055, a bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.
Mitch McConnell, Roy Blunt, Jerry Moran, Richard C.
Shelby, Lamar Alexander, Susan M. Collins, John
Barrasso, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Boozman, Lisa
Murkowski, Rob Portman, Johnny Isakson, John Thune,
Chuck Grassley, Tom Cotton, Pat Roberts.
Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call be waived.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Cloture Motion
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055, a bill making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.
Mitch McConnell, Roy Blunt, Jerry Moran, Richard C.
Shelby, Lamar Alexander, Susan M. Collins, John
Barrasso, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Boozman, Lisa
Murkowski, Rob Portman, Johnny Isakson, John Thune,
Chuck Grassley, Tom Cotton, Pat Roberts.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R. 3055, a bill making appropriations to the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rules.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota
(Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote?
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 75, nays 19, as follows:
YEAS--75
AlexanderBaldwinBarrassoBennetBlumenthalBluntBoozmanBrownBurrCantwellCapitoCardinCarperCaseyCollinsCoonsCornynCortez MastoCottonCramerCrapoDuckworthDurbinFeinsteinGardnerGillibrandGrahamGrassleyHassanHeinrichHironoHoevenHyde-SmithIsaksonJohnsonJonesKaineKennedyKingLankfordLeahyManchinMarkeyMcConnellMcSallyMenendezMerkleyMoranMurkowskiMurphyMurrayPetersPortmanReedRobertsRosenRubioSchatzSchumerScott (SC)ShaheenShelbySinemaSmithStabenowSullivanTesterThuneUdallVan HollenWarnerWhitehouseWickerWydenYoung
NAYS--19
BlackburnBraunCruzDainesEnziErnstFischerHawleyInhofeLeePaulPerdueRischRomneyRoundsSasseScott (FL)TillisToomey
NOT VOTING--6
BookerCassidyHarrisKlobucharSandersWarren
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 75, the nays are 19.
Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
Under the previous order, all postcloture time is yielded back.
The question is on agreeing to the motion to concur.
Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from California (Ms. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota
(Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Young). Are there any other Senators in the Chamber desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 74, nays 20, as follows:
YEAS--74
AlexanderBaldwinBarrassoBennetBlumenthalBluntBoozmanBrownBurrCantwellCapitoCardinCarperCaseyCollinsCoonsCornynCortez MastoCottonCramerCrapoDuckworthDurbinFeinsteinGardnerGillibrandGrahamGrassleyHassanHeinrichHironoHoevenHyde-SmithIsaksonJohnsonJonesKaineKennedyKingLankfordLeahyManchinMarkeyMcConnellMcSallyMenendezMerkleyMoranMurkowskiMurphyMurrayPetersPortmanReedRobertsRosenRubioSchatzSchumerShaheenShelbySinemaSmith StabenowSullivanTesterThuneUdallVan HollenWarnerWhitehouseWickerWydenYoung
NAYS--20
BlackburnBraunCruzDainesEnziErnstFischerHawleyInhofeLeePaulPerdueRischRomneyRoundsSasseScott (FL)Scott (SC)TillisToomey
NOT VOTING--6
BookerCassidyHarrisKlobucharSandersWarren
The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
____________________
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