Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. Senate Debates William Emanuel NLRB Nomination 20170925

Watch is online at cspan. Org or listen to cspan radio out. The senate will gavel in considering William Emanuels nomination to the National Labor Relations Board. He will then give the republican majority. The vote is scheduled for about 90 minutes from now at 530 eastern. Live from the senate floor here on cspan2. The president pro tempore the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Yew did eternal, lord god, in these dangerous, divisive and challenging times, you to be our refuge and strength. Deliver our lawmakers from fear, doubt, weariness and impatience as they learn to trust the unfolding of your powerful providence. Lord, eliminate from their lives the forces that would destroy their peace of mind. Give them your mercy that will make them more forgiving, your strength that will make them more resolute to do your will, and your grace that will empower them to experience the ultimate triumph of your purposes. Lord, remind our national and World Leaders that words matter and that the power of life and death is in the tongue. Provide us all with the patience to continue to plant and water the seeds of justice and truth, we pray in your merciful name. Amen. The president pro tempore please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the Senate Majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell by now we all know the pain that obamacare continues to inflict on our families, our communities and our country. Skyrocketing prices, disappearing choices, failing markets, thats the legacy of obamacare. It has hurt so many already. Without reforms, it will hurt even more americans as it continues a yearlong march toward total collapse. Across the aisle, you have two basic schools of thought on what to do about this. One is essentially nothing. Two is quadruple down on obamacare with a massive expansion of a failed idea, a fully governmentrun system that would strip even more americans of their Health Care Plans and take away even more of their health decisions. Neither of these options is acceptable. If obamacares failure has shown us anything, its that we need new ideas and a better approach. Thats what the senate pursued this summer. Thats what senators graham and cassidy are pursuing now. Id like to thank them for all of their dedicated work. Id also like to thank the committees that worked so hard on this legislation as well. The Budget Committee under chairman enzi, the help committee under chairman alexander, and the finance committee under chairman hatch, which just held a hearing on the bill this afternoon. Id like to thank each of these committees, their chairs, their members and their staffs for their hard work to provide the American People with a better way than obamacare and its years of failure. Mr. President , for more than 80 years the nlrb has been responsible for the impartial resolution of labor disputes and for ensuring stable labor relations. Under the board majority appointed by the Obama Administration, however, the nlrb moved from fair administrator of the law to partisan activists, one that put leftwing ideology, deep wing union bosses and other special interest friends ahead of middleclass workers. It pursued an ambush election rule that would weaken workers rights. It implement add joint employer mandate that would disadvantage Small Businesses. The list goes on, and the Obama Administration pulled out every stop to get its way on the board as well. Everything from illegally appointing its members to refusing to allow a republican vacancy to be filled for nearly two years. A new majority on the nlrb can begin to undo the Severe Damage and restore the boards neutrality. Confirming the nominee before us today, William Emanuel, is sure to mark a turning point in the nlrbs direction. His experience in labor law is deep. His credentials are impressive and his confirmation will finally allow the nlrb to return to its important work with a full slate of senateconfirmed Board Members for the First Time Since 2015. The National Labor Relations Board is supposed to be a neutral umpire in labor disputes. Its time it got back to that important original mission. Confirming mr. Emanuel today will allow it to do just that. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer the minority leader. Mr. Schumer thank you, mr. President. The presiding officer the senate is advised were in a quorum call. Mr. Schumer im sorry. I ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , puerto rico and the nearby u. S. Virgin islands have been buffetted by not one but two successive hurricanes, including a direct hit by the powerful Hurricane Maria. Many citizens have had their homes and businesses destroyed. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands are living without electricity, husbanding gas and food and water and their remaining cash. The situation is desperate. Puerto rico has taken a serious punch to the gut. They need our help. They need it now. These are our fellow americans. 3. 5 million of them. It is our duty here in the senate to speedily send aid to the people of puerto rico and the u. S. Virgin islands just as we did for the people of texas and louisiana who were hit by hurricane harvey, and the people of my own state when we suffered from hurricane sandy, as we will do for the people of florida who are hit by hurricane irma. So lets all Work Together to help the island of puerto rico rebuild and recover just as we would anywhere else in america. At the same time we must bear in mind that much of the western part of our country is besieged by wildfires. The senators of oregon have come here to the floor to remind us of our duty to help those parts of the country also. So, mr. President , the Administration Must quickly prepare an appropriate aid package for florida, puerto rico, the u. S. Virgin islands and the western states for congress to act on in the near future. We democrats will insist that any package of supplemental aid for hurricanes harvey and irma also include aid for puerto rico, the u. S. Virgin islands and the western states ravaged by forest fires. We owe it to every state and community impacted by these devastated hurricanes and these horrible firestorms. One beautiful thing about this country, mr. President , is that though we are 50 states with different ideas and politics and accents, we are also one nation bound together, and we will come to the aid of any individual state or territory whenever one of them is in need. Now, mr. President , on health care, last night we began to see reports of a new version of the Graham Cassidy bill. Faced with stern resistance from several members of their own caucus, it appears that the authors of the legislation have tweaked the bill in an attempt to gain the support of the holdouts. Despite sending more money to the states of those members, this new bill, if anything, is worse in many ways than before. And in the long run will still result in a net cut for every single state in the country. It still contains massive cut to medicaid. It still defunds planned parenthood. And it actually further weakens Consumer Protections and almost completely does away with protections for those with preexisting conditions. Even worse than in the first version. The s p has come out with a study that estimates that grahamcassidy would result in 580,000 lost jobs and 240 billion in lost Economic Activity by 2027. Now thats not a democratic machine, propaganda machine. Thats Standard Poors down the middle, 580,000 jobs lost, 240 billion in lost Economic Activity. Under the latest version states would be able to cap out of pocket meaning Insurance Companies would be able to offer bare bone policies with skyhigh deductibles and copays. Under the latest version states could do away with lifetime limits meaning Insurance Companies could cap the amount of coverage you receive for a given illness. Imagine a child, a parent with a child suffering with cancer being told, the policy only covers four months of treatment. Youre on your own after that. Devastating to too many families in this country. Under the latest version, states could remove the benefit of getting Preventive Services at no cost. Such as birth control, cancer screening, immunizations. Under the latest version, states could opt out of the preexisting condition without even applying for a waiver, so even more so than in the old bill, the existing conditions are not protected. States just have to submit a plan that allows for adequate and affordable insurance. In other words, the new grahamcassidy makes it even easier, even more likely states will allow Insurance Companies to discriminate against americans with preexisting conditions. Again, that parent with a child aching with cancer is in real jeopardy. Maybe they cant even get insurance at all. In short, the new grahamcassidy tells every american with potentially high medical costs youre on your own. If you have diabetes, cancer, congenital illness, asthma, grahamcassidy says youre on your own. It eviscerates, eviscerates the protections that make Health Care Affordable to those who need it most. Its no wonder its so unpopular with americans. Recently, even though the bill has just been introduced, a majority of americans say they dont like it. The more they concerned, just like with the old trumpcare, the less they like it. Americans want good health care, lower premiums, more coverage. This bill does the opposite higher premiums, fewer people covered, harder to get good insurance. And guess what, mr. President . Were expected to vote on this bill in just two days or three days. There will have been only a single hearing which republicans scheduled almost as an afterthought, just to say they had one. Certainly there wont be any amendments to the bill. Its not going to go through the committee process. It will not be there will not be a shred of input from the minority, despite all the complaints that obamacare, which did have input from the minority, passed by one partys vote. The senates former historian said he could not think of, quote, anything comparable, unquote, to the process republicans are employing in the entire history of the senate. The senate historian, a scholar. Nothing comparable to the process being employed now. Onesixth of the economy. No amendments, one hearing, no changes. And add to that fact that c. B. O. Wont have enough time to properly analyze this legislation. We wont know how it actually impacts our Health Care System. At most, well get a bare bones analysis sometime today that may not tell us a thing about how grahamcassidy would impact coverage, the cost of care, the quality of care, the stability of marketplaces. That is shocking, shockingly incomplete to not have our c. B. O. Tell the American People, tell us, tell the representatives of each state how it affects their state. And rush it through. Even after the minimal c. B. O. Report today, republicans will still be voting on a Health Care Bill with thick blindfolds on their eyes. They wont be able to see it. I guess, mr. President , they dont want to see it. When the American People learn what is in this bill, theyre going to dislike it intensely, intensely. So new trumpcare is bad policy. It is being jammed through this body at an alarming, ludicrous pace. To say its hastily constructed and considered barely scratches the surface. New versions are coming out every few hours. The websites of the senators from louisiana and South Carolina keep saying oh, were changing this, were changing that. Its monday. Were voting this week. The republicans are basically scrawling a Health Care Law for 300 Million People on the back of a bar napkin. The bill should go down. I believe my republican colleagues who are skeptical about this policy and this process are too principled to be swayed by lastminute formula tweaks. Governor walker of alaska, an independent, has said he wont support a Health Care Bill thats bad for the country, even if it might be good for his state, which the bill isnt, he says. Thats principled leadership. I believe the same kind of principled leadership exists in this body as well. I know it does. So id say to all of my republican colleagues directly, vote down this bill. If it goes down, we democrats are pledged to work in a bipartisan way to improve our Health Care System. Were pledged to work through committee to support the efforts of chairman alexander, Ranking Member murray, to find a bipartisan consensus on a health care package. We welcome bipartisan change. We know theres always give and take when that happens. But usually the product is better. A bipartisan process led by alexander and murray make the present system better will be a whole lot better for both the process in this body and for the healthy of the American People than this rushedthrough, halfbaked proposal. We disagree here in the senate a lot. Very rare are the times when there is a clear right and wrong. But this bill, the process its going through, are clearly wrong. The bill would hurt so many people in our great country. The process has damaged this institution. It would do much greater damage if it were to pass. We have a chance, a chance to legislate the right way through regular order, by resuming bipartisan work already started by the help committee, which has had hearings, intends to, at least as i understand it, go through a process with amendments. We democrats are at the table. We ask our republican friends to join us at the table once again. I yield the floor. The presiding officer the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the emanuel nomination, which the clerk will report. The clerk nomination National Labor Relations Board, william j. Emanuel of california to be a member. The presiding officer under the previous order, the time until 5 30 p. M. Will be equally divided between the two leaders or their designees. Mrs. Murray mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from washington. Mrs. Murray mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that paul thomas, a detailee in the health, education, labor and pensions committee, be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the first session of the 115th congress. The presiding officer without objection. Mrs. Murray thank you, mr. President. Now, before i begin on the nomination before us, i would like to first echo what so many of my colleagues, democrats and republicans, and millions of people across the country have made very clear today. Enough with all the partisanship around health care. Enough with playing politics with peoples lives. And enough with the repeated attempts to roll back all our progress and move our country backward. It is time we drop grahamcassidy, drop trumpcare once and for all, and join together to actually work to improve health care, starting with acting right now to lower premiums for families and strengthen health care in a bipartisan way. That has been my message to colleagues all along, and the truth is i know many of my republican colleagues prefer a bipartisan route. They have said as much in the last trumpcare debate, in the very productive discussions we have had in and outside the help committee, and in many of their comments over the past few days. So, mr. President , it begs the question why are we in this spot yet again . People across the country have been demanding for months to turn the page on trumpcare, but instead of working in a bipartisan way to actually help people, a few of our colleagues have now pushed through yet another reckless repeal bill that is even worse than the previous trumpcare version. Its a bill that the increase costs for families, especially seniors and people with preexisting conditions. It will allow Insurance Companies once again to charge people more for basic Health Care Like Maternity Care, Mental Health services and more, and take away womens access to care at Health Centers like planned parenthood and result in millions of people across the country losing their medicaid. And just like last time, the bill has not been subject to any real hearings, public debate, or even a complete and thorough c. B. O. Score. Lets be clear this bill is not a new proposal. Its not serious policy. It is not regular order. It is yet another version of trumpcare that would be devastating for people across the country. So, mr. President , this is actually Pretty Simple because there is a clear alternative path before us. Lets do what my colleague, the senior senator from arizona and so many others have so bravely called for once again and return to working together. As i have said, i wholeheartedly agree with my colleague from arizona that the right way to get things done in the senate, especially on an issue as important to families as their health care, is through regular order and finding common ground, and thats why i am still at the table ready to keep working, and i remain confident that we can reach a bipartisan agreement as soon as this latest partisan approach by Republican Leaders is finally set aside. Now, mr. President , i come to the floor this evening today on the nomination before us and to urge my colleagues to vote no on William Emanuel to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board. You know, on the campaign trail, President Trump promised to put workers first, but instead this administration has rolled back Worker Protections and prioritized corporate interests at the expense of our workers, so it is critical now today more than ever that the nlrb remain what it is supposed to be, independent and committed to protecting workers rights to organize and bargain collectively. So, mr. President , i am deeply concerned that President Trumps nominee, mr. Emanuel, will use his place on the board to advocate for corporations and special interests. As a corporate lawyer fighting on the side of management, mr. Mr. Emanuel has spent decades repeatedly undermining workers and their efforts to unionize. That is the core mission of the nlrb, to encourage collective bargaining, and given his long antiworker track record, i am afraid that workers fundamental rights are not safe in his hands. So i urge my colleagues to join me tonight in doing what President Trump has failed to do and start working to put working Families First and vote against this nomination. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. Mr. Hatch mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from utah. Mr. Hatch mr. President , i have one request for a committee to meet during todays session of the senate. They have the approval of the majority and minority leader. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Hatch mr. President , i rise today to return to the topic of antitrust. When i last spoke on this matter, the debate was already simmering, albeit mostly on the left. In the time since, controversy in both our markets and our politics has kept it at the fore. Handled prudently, that can be a good thing. I say we had this discussion. I think its important. Heavens, ill even try to do my part to make it a little more fun, but i do have my concerns that the topic of antitrust policy is still more enthusiastically invoked than deliberately considered. Im concerned that it is still undermined by the same old easy retreats to the right and to the left. That may be typical of issues here in washington, but on no issue can we afford it less, because as you see, especially in antitrust policy, its critical that the senate holds. Its critical that we secure that delicate middle ground, hardwon over the years and easily lost in a moment of fervor. Where economic liberty thrives. So i have come to the floor once again to speak to the growing discussion and to contribute. Permit me, mr. President , to say a few words about holding the center. When i took to the floor last month, i argued that on the fundamental question of economic management, america has courageously drafted the historical norm. Has courageously defied the historical norm. Rather than acquiescing to cathedral planning, we fully embraced free enterprise. Thus ours is a market economy and the most prosperous one of our times. But markets are messy, they are chaotic and from the individual perspective, impossibly complex. Perhaps most counterintuitively, they are in a sense disorganized. For all their productivity, through all the wonders they work, there is no single actor or entity in control. A miracle arises all through its own balanced by the efforts of millions. No surprise then that in Americas Free enterprise tradition, no less than in its larger political tradition, we deeply distrust concentrated power. We distrust the intervention of the state, to be sure. Our system is largely defined by limited government. And so, too, do we cast a wary eye upon powerful private entities. We have little tolerance for the monopolies which for monopolies which secure for the monopolist which secures its market position anticompetitively, and we offer to quarter to the naked cartel. In other words, we no sooner trust concentrated private power than concentrated public power to dictate the direction of our economy. And that right there, mr. President , that is why that is why we turn to antitrust. Thats the middle ground between intrusive Public Management and corrosive private conduct, which opponent trust is charged with seizing and protecting. For we know our markets will never fulfill their promise unless they remain free and competitive, and we know they wont long remain free or competitive without a sound competition policy holding that center ground. Now, as i mentioned earlier, events of late seem determined to keep antitrust at the forefront of the public debate. We are witnessing innovation at a dizzying pace. Markets are concentrat concentr. Powerful players are staking out ground. And accusations of anticompetitive behavior some bonafide and many not are mounting. Across the board, an anxiety seems to be settling in. Therefore, i want to be very clear, especially to my friends on the left. I see it. I understand it. The challenges here are real. There can be no real doubt. This an update in the doctrine may well be necessary, there should be no dispute. Where perhaps i differ, mr. President , is that i dont quite see the need for the panic. I think american antitrust is up to this challenge. The story of capitalism has always been a story of change, and if were doing things right. That change doesnt come according to anyones script. Ones society grows comfortable in commerce, just as each part of the economy learns to play its part, the ground against shifts the ground again shifts beneath our feet. It can be a bit disorienting. Not to worry, mr. President. Thats where our old trusted friend, the consumer welfare standard, comes back in. As i emphasized in my last address on the floor and as ill continue to emphasize here, its a proven way of directing us right aright, i should say. As new innovations fundamentally alter thed landscape, as entrepreneurs press beyond frontiers and into the unknown, the consumer welfare standard is like a compass with the bearing set towards that critical middle ground which antitrust is charged with protecting. True north is not whats best for market competitors. Not whats most convenient for market regulators but what most furthers Market Competition itself, better to ward off the dangers of collectivism, sure to escape the stagnation of monopoly. I know i understand that this hardly settles things. Identifying the principle by which we orient ourselves is a start of the discussion, not the conclusion. The consumer welfare standard is, like ive said, a compass. It is not a map. It guides our journey without fixing a precise course through the changing terrain. Adjustments are to be expected. After all, most of antitrust doctrine as it is received today was built upon the familiar economic process of resources correction, manufacturing, distribution, and real estate tail retail. But the that the digital age would present arrangements to defy those traditional classifications is not altogether surprising. Fortunately, antitrust is a common law exercise and leaves plenty of room for improvement. Our conventional categories of anticompetitive conduct can be tweaked, refashioned, or even expanded in light of Technological Advancement and market evolution. That process will become all the easier as our tolls for taking tools for taking the measure of the land improve. Current analysis does well in taking account of price. It may do better still in taking account of quality. Reams of data never before thought obtainable and new economic metrics only list deemed possible curves which until recently were confined to the theoretical. Our basic and timehonored models are increasingly nudged and bounded by contributions from the Behavioral Sciences and game theory thats continuously opening new horizons in market analysis. I am happy to have that discussion, mr. President. Again, we keep our markets fresh by keeping our doctrine current. But i would, as an old republican must, urge caution, especially to some of the more zealous advocates for reform, stip hipster or otherwise. Ill gladly sample the avocado toast. I really will. Its easy with the benefit of hindsight to critique past precedent formed in the image of the mass industrial process. It is far more difficult to refashion doctrine for a new age thats still evolving in surprising ways. As we trek into the unknown, let take note of where weve been and aproficient the hazards of the appreciate the hazards of the route. Lets recall that whatever the changes, basic economic principles per sighs through the ages. Networks effects in our Digital Infrastructure may feel very new today. As i emphasized in my last address, the concept is actually very old. It structured the telephone market before we could even conceive of an Online Search market. The regulators invest the wisdom of their regulation is inevitably limited. We talk a lot about platform economics today and worry about the bottlenecks of digital traffic. With the rate of innovation these days, theres no telling whether the essential facilities of today will prove all that essential tomorrow. We can do little more than guess at what form exclusive dealing or foreclosure may take in markets yet unseen. Lets recall that markets often correct themselves. As more than a few forme our when our regulators do step in, doctrine still tends to lag behind the market. Thus, the powers we grant government now will likely survive into a future thats not yet defined. Finally, before we rush to grant enforcement officials a broad mandate with an illdefined objective to do something, lets recall that regulation can hurt as much as it help. As weve seen in some attempts at rate regulation, regime meant to restrain the biggest players may very well with the passage of time become the preferred tool for excluding new entrants. Merger analysis sometimes does more forrrivals understand that for consumers. As weve learned, nearly every form of intervention a medicine which creates too much unpredictability and upsets too much investmentbacked expectations may well prove worse than the disease itself. In the end, like i said, i think were up to this challenge. With compass in hand and open mind and appreciation for what our journey does for us taught, antitrust will continue the work of securing that middle ground were on whereon markets thrive. When all is said and done, after all the controversy and high emotion have subsided, we may just find that all we needed was a small course adjustment. Perhaps, mr. President , this neednt be a reckoning when just a little reform will do. We can set about correcting market failures and readjusting system incentives without going after some industry or bringing this or that firm to heel. When i first sounded the alarm on microsoft years ago really because it was deemed too powerful, because a new class of hightech barons risked undermining democratic norms, it was because of wellfounded concerns of concrete, competitive harm to developing markets. The question in antitrust is not them and we must not allow it to become today, whether any of our companies are too big or too profitable or too dominant. The question is whether they engaged in identifiable anticompetitive conduct, or a merger is likely to facilitate it. The question is whether it can be shown as far as the imperfect tools of economics allow and an evolving doctrine can bear that the conduct at issue are the merger proposed of the merger proposed is more to fortify the firm than serve the consumers of america. Of course that kind of analysis may not make headlines and it may not serve our deepseeded yearning to identify heroes and villians. But it is the best way to handle antitrust. If were going to get this right, were going to need to keep cool heads. Antitrust already has some of the asks some of the hardest questions. Like why we allow the market to put scarce resources to their highest uses when our social and political valuations dont match that of prevailing prices. Antitrust already forces some of the hardest choices like thousand trade the losses of some industries and some actors for the gains of the economy as a whole. Theres no need to make things harder still by turning antitrust into a political cudgel as the leftists want to do by dismissing it as yet another example of government overreach, a as the right is as the right is often guilty. So let us let all of us on all sides tone down the political rhetoric. Should this debate do no more than feed our appetite for political gamesmanship, antitrust will not be the better for having t you know what . I dont think i am a loan here. I dont think im alone here. My colleagues in the senate seem to be rising to the occasion. My friends on the other side of the aisle introduced legislation that, however flawed in my view, reflects the seriousness with which they take these issues. Im happy to see theres finally movement again on the nomination of makan delrahim. He is an exceptional antitrust attorney, just the person were going to need as we sort this thing all out. I wont shy from discussing his qualifications here and i wouldnt fault my colleagues for using his nomination are as an opportunity for a wider discussion on antitrust. Now it is time to put him to work. Im pleased to see were almost there. At the same time, this debate is not going to be confined to the floor of the senate. At the agencies and the courtrooms to the opinion pagers there are going to be a lot of voices weighing in. Most, we would hope, will be helpful. We can resolve all we can resolve will be heard, i hope. So i want to applaud those on the left jumping into this debate and i wish the best of luck to the new markets investment institute. I had a little fun with the hipsters the next stimulus around. They took it in good stride. I hear they prefer the title new brandeis tool. I think thats fitting. Justice brandeis was a bit of a hipster in his time. I want to acknowledge the efforts of private litigants and policy advocates for stressing their case here and in europe. They have been working tirelessly to make a datadriven case which speaks directly to the consumer arm. They play an Important Role in the doctrine and the come to train is better for their s and the doctrine is better for their efforts. I want to implore my fellow conservatives, continue joining in on this debate. Keep investing in antitrust. Embrace it as an area of the law in which we speak to the power of the marks by speaking to the importance of sound regulation. Make the case that property or contract or commercial law, antitrust is that rare species of government regulation which opens doors rather than slamming them shut. As ive been arguing for decades now, should our doctrine grow stagnant, markets may well concentrate beyond what is politically acceptable. Calls for excessive Government Intervention will only increase and the yolk of the regulator could soon be our portion. With that, mr. President , ill close right where i began. As this debate proceeds, it falls to all of us to do our part in getting this right. The challenges presented by our evolving markets are real. We are not the first to break new ground, and will we be the last to worry that the new ground broken sits far removed from competitions precious center. One way or another, we made it before. I trust we can make it again. Mr. President , i suggest the absence of a quorum. Or i a senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from michigan. Mr. Peters mr. President , the debate over health care can be very confusing. Last night a tweaked third version of this years third bill to repeal the Affordable Care act was released. This is after several dozens of votes taken in congress on this very same issue since 2010. Theres no question the debate over health care has been exhausting. Our nations disability advocate, patients, doctors, and anyone with a preexisting condition has spent the past year on high alert waiting on a razors edge for the next time they would need to plead with republicans in congress not to take away their health care. Health care is a very complex subject but rather than engaging in thoughtful, bipartisan debate, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are rushing to pass something, anything, even if they dont know the details. What we do know about this bill is that millions of people will lose their health care. And why . Because republicans in congress are facing a deadline of september 30 to use an arcane, expedited procedure that will let them repeal the Affordable Care act with a simple majority of the senate. My republican colleagues are in disuc such a rush that they dt want to wait til we get a nonpartisan analysis from the congressional budget oi. I believe they dont want to wait because they know the budget analysis will make it very clear that this is a very bad bill. Although the Health Care Debate is often confusing, exhausting, and complex, i think we should focus on just one very simple concept. No one in this great country of ours should ever go bankrupt because they get sick. And let me repeat that. No one should ever go bankrupt because they get sick. Every american, no matter what zip code that they live in, should be able to have affordable, Quality Health care. As i stand here today, we dont know what version of the Affordable Care act repeal well be voting on later this week, but some things are virtually certain. Michiganders will be forced to pay more for less care. Costs for Older Americans will increase dramatically. Insurance companies will once again be free to discriminate against individuals with preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, and Heart Disease, and even if these policies are available, michiganders will never be able to afford them. This lastditch effort to meet an artificial deadline is not thoughtful, measured, or kind. It is messy, rushed, and cruel. The Affordable Care act is not perfect and nobody here is saying that it is. But while we are spending this week debating yet another repeal bill, we are wasting time that should be spent on improving our Health Care System for all americans. We need to reauthorize the Childrens Health Insurance Program that expires at the end of this week. And if it is not reauthorized, could jeopardize care for over 100,000 children in my state alone. We also need to act quickly to support community Health Centers which face the same funding deadline and serve as the primary Health Care Home for nearly 700,000 michiganders. What we need is a truly bipartisan process to improve the Affordable Care act while keeping what works in place. The legislation to repeal the Affordable Care act before us this week will jeopardize care for individuals with preexisting conditions and increase costs for Older Americans that are already living on a fixed income. Ive heard from countless michigan veterans, Small Business owners, hardworking parents with children and many others who will be hurt by the proposals in this republican bill. My constituents are fearful that they will be forced to choose between going without the care that they need or facing potential bankruptcy over the cost. And i will say it again. No one in america should ever go bankrupt because they get sick. Every american should be able to afford Quality Health care, and i will continue fighting to ensure we never go back to the days when families had to make some impossible choices. This bill is simply wrong. Its wrong on policy. Its wrong on process. And it is wrong for millions of michiganders who are worried about their familys health care. I urge my republican colleagues to end this misguided repeal fight once and for all so that we can come together on a bipartisan basis and make Health Care Work for each and every american. Mr. President , i yield the floor. I would suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call a senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from wisconsin. Mr. Johnson mr. President , i ask the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. The senator from wisconsin is recognized. Mr. Johnson i also ask unanimous consent notwithstanding the passage of h. R. 2810, the instructions to the clerk in amendments 1065 and 1086 be modified with the changes at the desk. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Johnson mr. President , i rise today to talk about th the disasters of obamacare and possible solutions. A powerful first step. Not perfect but a step that would take us off the path of a single pair system and put us on a path of federalism, greater state control but in many respects greater freedom for the American Public. During the last health care discussion, debate, i spoke of a couple that i had spoken with just that day, sharon verne colby from river falls, wisconsin. They had a real problem. They had preexisting conditions. They were quite pleased when obamacare passed because their preexisting conditions they now believed would be covered. So they signed up for obamacare in 2014, paid the premiums, sent in their paycheck stubs to make sure their income levels qualified for the level subsidies. Then a funny thing happened when they got their tax returns in march of 2015. They had to pay back more than 15,000 in subsidies because theyd made 59,000. They had to cash in pretty much all of their 401 k . They had to sell their house so they wouldnt lose it in foreclosure. I spoke with sherry colby today because as weve debated the possibility of passage of grahamcassidyhellerjohnson, we heard an awful lot of demagoguery. Weve heard an awful lot of false charges. I would like to refute a couple of those. One of the claims of obamacare is that it guaranteed if you had a preexisting condition, you were free from youd be covered. Well, in sherry and verne colbys case, thats simply not true. I spoke with sherry just this afternoon. Again, they had to sell their house. They had to cash in their 401 401 k . But their nightmare didnt end at that point in time. Because president obama as he left office took shortterm limited duration plans, that duration from 264 days down to 90 days, now sherry and verne colby are forced to buy these shortterm limited duration plans that only last for 90 days. When i say forced, the problem they have is they work. Verne drives milk trucks 60 hours a week. Sherry works in a florist shop, 40 hours a week. They make too much to be subsidized under obamacare. They dont make enough to be able to afford the premium of 14,000 per year with a 12,500 deductible. So right now theyre paying 5,500 a year. They have a 5,000 deductible per quarter. And a 7030 copay. For a shortterm limited duration plan, they can exclude their existing conditions. Can and did. Shortly after they signed up with i. H. C. , verne had a condition that required a hospital stay. The problem is his preexisting condition wasnt covered under their insurance. The bill for that hospital stay was 45,000. To add insult to injury, because their shortterm limited duration plans are not obamacare compliant, theyre also paying the penalty. Theyre purchasing insurance paying 5,500 per year. 20,000 in deductibles. A 45,000 hospital bill. And theyre still penalized by the American Government under obamacare. So even know grahamcassid grahamcassidyhellerjohnson maintains of covering people with preexisting conditions, there are all kinds of charges that somehow obamacare guaranteed coverage for those individuals and grahamcassidyhellerjohnson would not. Personally i believe governors, state legislators, people in the state of wisconsin are going to be far more concerned about sherry and verne colby, will have Innovative Solutions like wisconsins highrisk pool remains a visible highrisk pool, to bring down premiums so the colbies can afford insurance without having to quit their jobs. But thats not the main reason i came to the floor today. Sitting in that chair, watching tv over the weekend, listening to peoples speeches, ive heard repeatedly our colleagues on the other side of the aisle talking about grahamcassidyhellerjohnson that it was going to destroy medicaid as we know it, that it would be slashing spending in medicaid, massive cuts, deep cuts. Mr. President , let me go to a couple of charts here. The first chart really has nothing to do with health care except it has everything to do with health care. What this chart shows is the c. B. O. Projection of deficits over the next 30 years by decade. Now, c. B. O. When they projected, they do a percentage of g. D. P. No one can understand g. D. P. We dont buy hamburgers with percentages so we converted those to dollars. According to our best calculations, c. B. O. Projects almost a 10 trillion deficit over the next ten years. Second decade, 37 trillion. Third decade, 82 trillion for a whopping total of 129 trillion deficit over the next 30 years. That would be added on to our 20 trillion worth of debt. Now, there are a number of ways of describing this deficit. Im putting up two right now. What is it surprise comprised of . If you look at the deficit compared to outlays. Social security over the next 30 years will pay out 18 trillion more, medicare 39 trillion. Each time the debt over that 30 years will be 65 trillion for 22 trillion. Another way to look at it that deficit is over the next 30 years of revenue will equal 199 trillion. Social security will be 69 trillion, medicare, 55 trillion, medicaid and obamacare 32 for a sub total of 156 trillion, add on the interest, and we are already exceeding our revenue. You will notice, mr. President , theres no money at all for any agencies, for national defense, for any other welfare programs. All the money is consumed by social security, medicare, medicaid, obamacare, and interest on the debt. This is clearly unsustainable. Lets talk about cuts. What would a cut really look like . Well, this is the truth in terms of what we are projected to spend on medicare, on medicaid, and obamacare and what we would spend under grahamcassidyhellerjohnson. Lets go back to the year 2009, we spent more than 200 billion for medicaid alone. This last year were spending about 438 billion. We basically doubled spending in just the last nine years. According to projections, by the end of this time period, well be spending over 700 billion per year on obamacare and medicaid combined. Grahamcassidy would spend a little less than that, not much less. Now, let me take a look at what a real cut would be. There are no cuts. You will notice spending never declines year over year. It continues to grow year after year not that far from the projection. Mr. President , this is what a real cut looks like. Now, many of my colleagues have talked about and campaigned on something they call the penny plan, a way to really rein in outofcontrol spending by doing something that seems doable, it is a one cut per year. If we did that to obamacare and medicaid, you would see what it looks like. It is a pretty minor cut, the type of cut that many suggested under the penny plan, but thats what a real cut looks like. What grahamcassidyhellerjohnson does is not a cut, its a slight reduction in the rate of growth and spending. Now, again, oftentimes colleagues other side of the aisle are talking about drastic cuts. Let me detail what i consider a possible drastic cut. Lets say rather than 1 a year, we reduce spending by 5 a year or 10 a year. Now, i would agree with folks on the other side, if were proposing those cuts, that slashing cuts, that is a massive or draconian cut. Again, thats not what were doing. Were just slightly reducing spending over the next ten years. Lets look at this differently. Lets look at cumulative spending. If you just take cumulative spending year over year and just add it up, our current projection on obamacare and medicaid, we would spend 5. 67 trillion. What grahamcassidyhellerjohnson proposes spending is the green line of 5. 44 there will or a reduction of 226 trillion over ten years, a 3. 99 decrease, not draconian, not massive, not slashing, a small, slight reduction in the growth of spending. Lets take a look at what would happen if we just adhered to the penny plan in terms of cumulative spending. Again, this would be a real cut, 1 per year. We would take the current law of 5. 6 trillion, and the penny plan would reduce that and you would save 1. 5 trillion or 26 savings. Now that would be a real cut that would constrain the growth of entitlements so we can further reduce the mortgage of america for our children by just a little bit. Why is this important . Again, to put things in perspective, over the next ten years this is blown up from the first chart the projected deficit according to Congressional Budget Office is 9. 6 trillion. What were proposing under grahamcassidyhellerjohnson is a 2. 6 226 billion cut in spending, a 2. 4 reduction in relationship to the 9. 6 trillion projected deficit. Is that massive . Is that draconian . I dont believe so. The types of controls that weed need we would need if we are going to stop mortgaging our childrens future would be more like the penny plan. You can see how inadequate that is based on the problem. The penny plan would reduce spending by 1. 48 trillion, about a 15. 4 reduction to the deficit. Mr. President , let me conclude by talking about the fact that here in washington, d. C. , here in congress, were not very good at solving problems partly because not very many members or their staff have ever served in the private sector. They dont really understand people like vern and sherry colby who are out there busting it, as President Trump said. Their premiums have doubled, in many cases tripled, their coverage cut in half, they cant afford obamacare. They dont understand how businesses are struggling to pay the premiums when they provide health care. They dont understand it. What they certainly dont understand is the problemsolving problems, admitting you have a problem, defining that problem, gathering the information, doing the route cause analysis and based on that information setting achievable goals and then designing legislation, then designing the solution. We havent been honest with ourselves in this body, mr. President , we havent come to grips with why have premiums doubled and in many cases tripled . Its because of the faulty design of obamacare, the fact that were asking 5 to 6 of the population to shoulder the full burden of covering people with preexisting condition, highcost conditions. We have to be honest and set aside the rhetoric and demagoguery. We have to take the first step of loosening the ties of the one size fits all model and letting states innovate like wisconsin and maine. In maine when they enacted invisible highrisk schools, premiums for young people were cut to a third of what they had been. For older folks, it was cut in half. Its possible to do this if were honest and courageous. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. I notice the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call a senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from massachusetts. A senator mr. President , are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer yes we are. Ms. Warren i ask the quorum be lifted. The presiding officer without objection. Emanuel to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. The nlrb may be wufort most important one of the most important independent federal agencies that you never heard of. They are responsible for protecting the lawful rights of workers to come together and bargain with their bosses for higher wages and better working conditions. Starting a union is not an easy task. Often its a Large Corporation against its own employees. The money and the ability to threaten retaliation is heavily weighted on the corporate side. For more than a century many corporations fought unions tooth and nail, hiring strike breakers and Union Busting thugs and later on Union Busting lawyers. So back in the 1930s congress established the nlrb to act as a referee and to keep the Playing Field level so that workers would have a chance to form a union if they wanted to. President trump picked William Emanuel to fill a vacancy on the nlrb. Now, mr. Emanuel has over 40 years of experience practicing labor and employment law. Hes represented manufacturing companies, trade associations, logistics companies, hospitals and dozens of other giant Companies Involved in labor disputes. Hes represented Big Companies like nissan, fedex, rite aid, safeway and uber. And that is an impressive resume. Just one problem with it. In his more than four decades of practice, he has never been on the side of the workers. Not once. Every party to a dispute is entitled to legal representation, and mr. Emanuel has every right to spend his career representing corporations. But a guy who has never even once represented workers should not serve on the nlrb. Period. The nlrb is not a department of commerce. It is not the chamber of commerce. It is not there to help pump up big corporations. No. When congress created the nlrb, it gave it a Simple Mission encourage collective bargaining. An individual who has spent his career working for some of the countrys most ruthless Union Busting firms fighting off Union Efforts at every turn has absolutely no business at the helm of an agency whose job is to encourage collective bargaining. The deck is already stacked against hardworking americans. For the last few decades productivity has increased. Corporations and shareholders have gotten richer. But workers, they havent shared in that growth. Hourly wages have been virtually flat for almost 35 years, and one reason for this is the decline of unions. The impact is everywhere. Inequality has risen in america. Why . L according to the Economic Policy institute, the decline in unions accounts for about 20 to 30 of the growth in income and equality over the past several decades. When unions decline, all workers are hurt. For the more than 40 million nonunion men working in the private sector, the loss of unions over the past 30 years has been equivalent to an annual wage loss of about 109 billion. It is no wonder that American Families are feeling squeezed. The decline of unions isnt an accident. It didnt happen on its own or is the unexpected byproduct of some other event. No. Large corporations have called on their republican buddies and local, state and federal government, and they have launched a quiet but deadly attack on unions. 28 states have passed laws banning the collection of union dues from workers that the unions represent. The only purpose of these laws is to starve the unions of resources that make it harder for workers to join together and to stand up for themselves. The Supreme Court hasnt been kind to unions either. Effectively decimating the ability of home Health Care Workers to join together in 2014. And now with a republican appointed majority on the court, they are poised to deal the knockout blow to publicsector unions later this term. And with the nomination of mr. Emanuel, workers wont be able to count on the nlrb either. As a candidate, President Trump promised American Workers that under a trump presidency, quote, the American Worker will finally have a president who will protect them and fight for them. He also promised to drain the swamp in washington and fill his administration with those who would work for working americans. Not for donors and not for special interests. When President Trump nominated mr. Emanuel to serve the highest labor court in the land, he delivered another gut punch to working people. In fact, mr. Emanuel is the dream nominee for the donors and special interests. Trade associations for the companies that make their profits on the backs of lowwage workers immediately came out in support of his candidacy. The National Restaurant association, the International Franchise association, the National Retail federation, the Retail Industry leaders association, the national right to work committee, and United States chamber of commerce applauded President Trumps pick with almost giddy enthusiasm and urged the Republican Senate to quickly confirm him to the board. And today, unless a few of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle decide to stand up for workers, they will get their wish. We all know that washington works great for the trade association and their armies of lobbyists and lawyers. But it delivers one punch after another to the hardworking americans who sent us to washington to work for them. If congress isnt going to stand up for workers, the very least we can do is give these workers a fighting chance to join together and to stand up for themselves. Its the nlrbs job to make sure that employees can join unions if they want to. That is the law. A man who has spent 40 years beating back workers efforts to form unions has no business on the board. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing his nomination. Mr. President , i yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the presiding officer without objection. The question now occurs on the emanuel nomination. The yeas and nays have been requested. Is there a sufficient second . There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll. Vote vote vote the presiding officer have all senators voted . Any senator wish to change their vote . On this nomination the yeas are 49. The nays are 47. The nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table. The president will be immediately notified of the senates action and the senate will resume legislative session. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President , i move to proceed to calendar 165, s. 1519. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk motion to proceed to calendar number 165, s. 1519, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the department of defense and so forth and for other purposes. Mr. Mcconnell i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 00 a. M. Tuesday, september 26. 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. Further, following leader remarks the senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to s. 1519. Finally, the Senate Recess from 12 30 p. M. Until 2 15 to allow for the Weekly Conference meetings. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. A senator mr. President . The presiding officer the senator from arkansas. A senator thank you, mr. President. I rise today to mark an important occasion in my home state of arkansas and our country. In september of 1957, nine Young African American Teens determined to receive the same edition that it only be only been available to their white peers became the focus of an event that had repercussions throughout the nation. Mr. Boozman when the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation of Public Schools was unconstitutional in its 1954 brown v. The board of education decision, it paved the way for integration of Public Schools across the country. Although the highest court in the land had spoken, the process of desegregating the Public Schools was complex and still faced incredible opposition. Civil Rights Groups worked with citizens to help them enroll students of color in traditionally all white schools. The little rock nine were beneficiaries of such assistance from daisy bates and the arkansas naacp among others. On the first day of class of 1957, Little Rock Central High School became ground zero in the movement for Public School integration. Governor orbil fabus called in the National Guard to hold protests at central high and prevent any African American students from entering the school. The guard was initially deployed to help thwart the immigration effort and as a result arkansas and central high became a flash point that represented just how difficult integration would be, especially across the south. Despite the hostility, there were forces within little rock that worked together to successfully achieve a peaceful Public School desegregation starting with central high. Eventually, president eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division of the u. S. Army to little rock and federalized the arkansas National Guard to protect the students and ensure Public Safety at a time when tensions were running very high throughout the city. President eisenhowers actions helped make it possible for little rock nine to actually enter the school and attend class. Even though they were allowed to attend central high, the African American students were still subjected to a daunting amount of abuse and hostility. They told stories of being threatened and intimidated by fellow students and mistreated by the schools administration. Ernest green, jefferson thomas, terence roberts, carlot lanier, emmy jean brown, la diss ray carlmark, melba beals each chose to confront injustice and inequality in a very visible and courageous way. These arkansans are now icons of the civil rights movement. Their actions and their willingness to step forward and face what they had to have known would have been an incredibly difficult and emotional experience, deserve celebration and recognition. And by resolving to carry out these actions at such a young age, the little rock nine set an example for americans of every age to follow. It takes courage to do the right thing in the face of overwhelming adversity. That lesson has not been forgotten. Arkansas has become has come a long way since the integration of central high. While there is still work left to be done, arkansans are proud of the progress that we have made. Today leaders and citizens across our state come together to promote equality and celebrate our diversity. The theme of the 60th anniversary, celebration of central highs integration is reflections of progress. This is so appropriate given that we have indeed made so much progress in the years that have followed the tumultuous start to integration. In an effort to ensure the legacy of the little rock nine that it lives on exhibits items recognizing their contributions on display at the Smithsonian National museum of African American history. The museum itself is a moving experience that i highly recommend for every visitor to our nations capital. For arkansans, we have an added incentive to visit to see the displays honoring the brave actions and determination of these little rock teens. Were also grateful that these items are on view for the entire country to observe and reflect upon. The integration of central high serves as a poignant reminder of where weve been as a country but also where we are headed. Im eager to work with my fellow arkansans and all americans as we pursue a Better Future for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren. Im proud to support legislation introduced by my fellow arkansas senator tom cotton to extend the boundary of the Little Rock Central High School National Historic site in order to preserve the surrounding buildings. Its inspiring to know that our state is thinking inspiring to know that our state is taking the opportunity to appropriately mark this significant occasion. I commend the city of little rock, the Little Rock School district and the central high integration 60th Anniversary Committee for the hard work and preparation to properly honor and celebrate this historic milestone. I want to thank all who have been involved in the planning of this celebration. I know it will provide many arkansans the chance to remember and reflect upon the central high integration and the little rock nine. And also to educate younger generations about the struggle for equal rights. We will certainly build upon this celebration and take another step forward by remembering our history and creating a brighter tomorrow. I yield back, mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from ohio. Mr. Brown i ask that kathy glenn and david hart be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the legislative day. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Brown ly i will speak of them in a moment. First thanks to senator boozman for honoring the courageous boys and girls of little rock. Ive had the fortune of getting to know ernie green who was the senior of the little rock group. Martin luther king i believe attended his graduation. My brother arranged for my daughter to have dinner with ernie greene. We heard about the ernie greene story. I want to take a moment, mr. President , to draw attention to the millions of american citizens who are fighting for their lives in puerto rico, never, ever to forever get that people in puerto rico and the Virgin Islands are, in fact, american citizens. It has been five days since Hurricane Maria ripped through puerto rico, people are without power and communication, in many cases with no end in sight. My staff has checked to see the condition of the veterans hospitals, both in puerto rico and the three Virgin Islands, the three american Virgin Islands. Mixed response. Some of them were up and running with electricity and water, some of them are running with a generator. Some of them have been suspended or closed for a period of time. It is up to us to make sure that the hospitals are served and up and running and obviously so much more we need to do. Much of the island of pert poart remains most puerto rico remains cut off from san juan. The government dispatched runners on foot to make contact with towns outside the capital. Patients are worried they will run out of medicine. The Washington Post talked to a woman southeast of san juan, her mother has diabetes and she worries they will run out of prescriptions or generator fuel that keeps his medicine insulated. She fans her mother with a piece of cardboard to keep the flies away. Again, these are fellow american citizens. We cannot ignore them. Puerto ricos secretary of the department of agriculture estimated the storm wiped out 80 of the crop value of the island. Entire farms are wiped out, plantations were destroyed many one farmer said there will be no food in puerto rico. There is a pre diction that the storm will set the island back decades. The representative from puerto rico puerto rico elects a congresswoman, she comes here, doesnt have voting rights, puerto rico has representation but not the kind of representation that oklahoma or ohio has, but, again, they are citizens of the United States of america many she said the devastation has set us back 20 to 30 years. I cant deny the puerto rico of now is different from that of a week ago, the destruction of properties, of families without homes, of debris everywhere. The islands greenery is gone. Our country has been hit by hurricanes this year, mr. President. I was proud how we came together to support the people of texas after hurricane harvey. We have seen bipartisan cooperation on getting aid to florida following hurricane irma. Our job is far from done. There is more to do. We must also do the same thing for our brothers and sisters, our fellow american citizens in puerto rico. We need to provide the relief to the people of puerto rico with all of the resources we provide to american citizens when Mother Nature deals us a devastating blow. We cant allow children and grandparents to die waiting in our own background. I ask unanimous consent to place the following remarks in a different part of the record. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Brown it this building is full of people who work hard to make our government function. I am talking about the lowpay workers in the cafeteria, im talking about the tour guides who give americans from all over the country a glimpse of the Historic Buildings and i talk about the clerks right here in on the senate floor. These people work so hard in the background. Too often they dont get the credit they deserve serving the American Public. I want to honor two of them today. This week the senates losing two of the most kindest, hardworking and most imagetive people, kathy glenn and dave ahart. They work in the senate Radio Station helping us all do one of the most important jobs, talking with and listening to the people whom we serve. For a decade i spent my virtually every thursday morning the senate is in session with kathy and dave. Every thursday morning i go to the radio studio to talk with Radio Stations across ohio. Its early, toward the end of the week so no one would really blame them for being quiet or being grumpy, but dave and kathy bring joy to everyone around them. Because of them, thursday morning is among the highlights mf my week here. We share friendship, baseball, and they give me baseball trivia questions that they later i can later test senators mccain or schumer. Anyone who knows me knows im an indianas indians fan. Im also a pretty big fan of baseball trivia, something that we share. Every week since about 2007, i have arrived at the radio studio to a new baseball trivia question before i do my radio interviews with ohio stations. We lost the records from the first couple of years but the first question we have on record is dated july 29, 2010. Name two hall of fame pitchers, the only two at that time, with losing records. Sometimes they give me a hint, especially early in the morning so they had hints. Hint one, one was a starter, one a relief hitter, one hit in the big leagues from 1948 to 1965, one pitched in the major leagues from 1965. The answers are satchel paige. Lifetime he had 28 wins and 31 losses but he was one of the greatest pitchers in the negroes leagues. He started in the 1920s. The cleeve p land indians under the ownership of bill vehicle, bill vec, they signed satchel paige. The other pitcher was rally fingers of stubonville, ohio. He had 114 wins, 118 losses. He had more losses than wins because he was a closer or relief pitcher who finished off games and typically they had more losses than wins and i dont want to go into those details on the senate floor because many people listening probably dont care but i do. But dave and kathys dedication to americas game and bringing joy to their jobs didnt end there. They made baseball diaram am as. Sometimes is it a threed replication of a baseball stadium, complete with a nod to their baseballloving canine, my dog, frank lynn lynn. They franklin roosevelt. All of us having hope for that year with popworn, pea popcorn and peanuts. They had an incredible kindness, joy of living, thats what makes them such good friends to each other and to connie and to rachel and to me. I cant think of anyone in this building to deserves a long, happy retirement more than dave and kathy. I wish them years of time spent with friends and loved ones and husband and wife watching a lot of baseball games. Selfishly i wish dave and kathy wouldnt go. Your friendship meant so much to me. Thursday mornings just wont be the same. Thank you, my friends. I note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call quorum call ms. Warren , are we in a quorum call . The presiding officer the senator is advised that we are. Ms. Warren i ask that the quorum call be lifted. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Warren thank you. Wells fargo created 3. 5 million fake accounts charging customers fees and ruining credit scores. Equifax lets hackers steal personal information on 143 million americans, putting nearly 60 of American Adults at risk of identity theft. And the Republican Party response . Take away your legal rights to hold Companies Like wells fargo and equifax accountable. I know that sounds nuts, but its true. Heres the issue. If you have a Checking Account or a credit card or a private student loan or any other number of financial products, there is a good chance that you have given up your right to go to court if this Financial Firm cheat cheats you. Thats because millions of contracts include a forced arbitration clause that says if you want to legally challenge something your Financial Company did to you, you cant join with other customers in court. You have to go to arbitration all by yourself. Now think about what that means in the real world. You wake up one morning. You find a mysterious 30 fee on your account statement. You call the bank and say, hey, i didnt agree to this and the bank tells you go pound sand. So what are your options . Well, if theres no forced arbitration clause in your contract, you can join a Class Action Lawsuit against the bank for free. Chances are you are not the only customer who got hit with an unthore riefersed unauthorized 30 fee. A class action gives you a chance to get some of that money back. Just as importantly, the bank might actually have to cough up some real money and think twice before hitting you and their other customers with hidden fees again. Now think what happens if there is a forced arbitration clause. You cant join with other customers in court. Your only option is to go out on your own and file an arbitration claim, which will cost you 200 or more just to get started. Okay. Whos going to pay 200 to get back a 30 fee . No one. And that is exactly what the banks are counting on. They can get away with nickelanddiming you forever. Earlier this year the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put a stop to that. They issue add new rule that prohibits Financial Companies from forcing you to give up your right to join in a class action. The rule guarantees your right to join other customers in court and hold your bank accountable. But republicans in congress are now coming after the rule. House republicans already voted to reverse the rule, and now Senate Republicans are gearing up to follow suit. Make no mistake. Anyone who votes to reverse this rule is saying loud and clear that they side with the banks over their own constituents because Bank Lobbyists are the only ones who are asking congress to reverse this rule. Every other organizations, all the ones that represent actual human beings, want the rule to be saved. Led me read to you from just a few. The military coalition which represents more than 5. 5 million veterans and Service Members supports the cfpb rule because, quote, our nations veterans should not be deprived of the Constitutional Rights and freedoms that they put their lives on the line to protect, including the right to have their claims heard in a trial. The coalition says, quote, the catastrophic consequences of these forced arbitration claus clauses, all volunteer military forcinforces morale and our natl security are vital reasons to preserve the rule. The aarp which represents nearly 40 million american seniors says that the cfpb rule should be preserved because it, quote, is a critical step in restoring consumers access to legal remedies that have been undermined by the widespread use of forced arbitration for many years. And the main Street Alliance which represents thousands of Small Businesses says the cfpb rule will help Small Businesses fight against big Financial Firms that try to drive up their fees. There it is. Vet rans, Service Members, seniors, Small Business, consumers all lining up to support the cfpb rule. But thats not all. Let freedom ring which is an organization that proudly touts itself as, quote, supporting the conservative agenda, they like the cfpb rule, too. They say it is in keeping with our framers concerns, that without appropriate protections, civil proceedings can be used as a means to oppress the powerless. Thats the thing you have to understand. It isnt itself effort to reverse the rule isnt about promoting a conservative agenda and is not about promoting a workers ageneral today its about a big money agenda. Thats it, period. Its amazing. Not even a decade ago the banks sparked a financial crisis that hurt millions. While the big banks got a taxpayer bailout and are back to dolling out multimillion dollar bonuses to their executives, a lot of working families are still struggling to recover. And yet here in congress the Republican Party is still carrying water for the big banks. The big banks say jump and the Republican Party asks, how high. The big banks Tell Congress to take away their customers rights to hold them accountable and the Republican Party says you bet. The big banks say take away those rights right now, right on the heels of wells fargo and equifax sticking it to millions of customers and the Republican Party without an ounce of shame says yes, sir, just keep those donations coming in. The Republican Party will stop carrying water for the big banks only if you demand it. There are a lot of dollars on the other side, but your votes, your calls, your emails can make a real difference. Tell your senator to stand up to the big banks and vote no on this resolution. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , id like to speak on another matter now and ask consent that my speech appear in the appropriate place in the record. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Warren thank you, mr. President. Over the past several weeks, families all over this country have raised their voices yet again. They have not given up, nor have they been shouted down. And they have made it very clear where they stand on the issue of health care. The American People dont want tens of millions of people to lose their Health Care Coverage. They dont want to open the door to Insurance Companies discriminating against people with preexisting conditions or eliminating addiction coverage or denying care for people with mental illness. They dont want to kick our grandmothers out of Nursing Homes or tell the parents of babies born prematurely that theyre on their own, to deal with a multimillion dollar hospital bill. They dont want the Republican Health care repeal bills. Not any of the bills that have come before and not the latest version that was revealed this morning that is still as rotten to the core as every bill that has come before it. Doctors and nurses dont want the republican repeal. Neither do hospitals and Insurance Companies and Nursing Homes and governors and state insurance commissioners. But Senate Republicans plow ahead anyway. They are so desperate to destroy the Affordable Care act that they keep yelling about how our Health Care System is in crisis, how its imploding in front of our very eyes trying to convince everyone that we need to blow the whole thing up in order to save it. But the thing is, while republicans try to manufacture an imaginary Health Care Crisis to justify their criewrl repeal bill cruel repeal bill, there is a real crisis about to unfold, a crisis created by the republicans. September 30 is the deadline for several health care provisions. If congress doesnt act this week, federal programs that help children, pregnant women, people in need of addiction treatment, veterans, Medicare Beneficiaries, and other populations will run out of funding or just expire all together. In many cases, republicans and democrats have bills stacked up just waiting to get a vote. The agreements all hammered out but instead of bringing those bills to the floor, the Republican Leadership is fixated on repealing Health Insurance coverage. They insist on voting again on something that most of america doesnt want while they ignore the work on health care that needs to get done now. This is beyond stupid. One of the most important programs that will be expiring is the Childrens Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage for nine million low income children and pregnant women across this country. Senator ted kennedy and senator orrin hatch read the legislation together back in the 1990s and today that Program Works with medicaid to provide Health Insurance for one out of every three kids in this country, including foster children and kids with special health needs. Senator hatch and senator wyden, a republican and a democrat, have a bill ready to go to extend this program. Funding expires on september 30, but instead of holding a vote on that bill, republicans want to spend this week trying to squeeze reluctant senators to support the grahamcassidy bill which contains permanent cuts to the medicaid program. Then theres the funding for community Health Centers which provide high quality, integrated care. In massachusetts, our community Health Centers serve one in every seven residents. Our Health Centers are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. They are working to eradicate turtake burke low sis, they are taking the stigma out of Mental Health treatment and they save money promoting prevention and reducing the use of hospital emergency rooms. Community Health Centers are a big part of whats working well in health care today. More coverage at lower costs. They work but they are running out of time. Funding for community Health Centers runs out on september 30. Last week 70 u. S. Senators, including 24 republicans, signed a letter urging congress to act to extend this funding. But extend of extending these funds, the senate Republican Leaders say too bad. Were too busy trying to knock millions of people out of Health Care Coverage. And then theres the funding for medical training at a special type of Health Center teaching Health Centers. This Program Helps train primary doctors, greater lawrence family Health Center in massachusetts was the very first Community Health center in the country to have a Residency Program like this. Almost 80 of their residents continue to work in underserved communities after they graduate, areas that often have a shortage of primary care physicians. Funding for this program also runs out on september 30. Senator collins and senator tester, a republican and a democrat, have a bill ready to go to extend funding for teaching Health Centers, but instead of holding a vote on that bill this week, republicans have said sorry, were too busy trying to take away Health Care Coverage from the many people who walk through the doors of community Health Centers. What else is at risk if Senate Republicans refuse to act before september 30 . A whole package of medicare programs which helps seniors and people with disabilities access the care they need. In massachusetts, this includes the Shine Program which helps Medicare Beneficiaries pick the right Health Insurance plans. Medicaid payments that go to hospitals treating large numbers of low Income Patients are also going to run out. The maternal infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting program which funds home visits to new and expectant parents to help give them the training they need and the help they need to keep a new baby healthy and safe. Senators grassley and menendez, a republican and a democrat, have a bipartisan bill ready to go, but instead of voting to help those new babies and their families, republicans want us to vote on a bill to take away Health Insurance. And lets not forget the bipartisan compromise that senator alexander and senator murray, a republican and a democrat, were working on to lower Health Insurance premiums. In order to keep insurance premiums down for millions of insurance plans, the bill has to pass this week. But republicans walked away from the table because it is more important to them to Rip Health Care from millions of americans than to Lower Health Care costs for hardworking families across this country. Theres a whole list of concrete things that republicans and democrats could be working on together to improve health care in this country. Health care for babies, for new moms, for seniors on medicare, for people with disabilities, and for every american who buys an a. C. A. Insurance plan. In fact, be in fact prks behind the scenes, republicans and democrats have been working on these programs. The bills are yesterdayy to go. They are drafted, printed up and waiting for a vote. We are on the edge of a Health Care Crisis. It is a Health Care Crisis created by the senate Republican Leadership that insists that we burn time off the clock this week voting on yet another effort to rip away peoples Health Insurance. The senate has real work to do, work that could help millions of American Families. It is time to drop this cruel effort to repeal health care and instead focus on making sure that Important Health programs dont run out of funds in the next few days. Thats what the American People want to see us do. Mr. President , i yield. The presiding officer the senator from kentucky. From connecticut. Mr. Murphy thank you, mr. President. Let me the associate myself with the remarks by the senator from massachusetts. Theres a lot of work that we need do this week. Theres a health care crises around the corner for kids and families that we could work on right now. As the senator know, both connecticut and massachusetts are still be wrecked by an opioid crisis, one that is getting worse, not better. We have brothers and sisters all throughout the United States that are right now in crisis because of devastating storms that have hit. We could be working together on trying to provide a meaningful response and we arent, yet, again, we are back now talking about trumpcare redux. This is version ten. There is version 11. This one is really the most dangerous version yet. C. B. O. Just released a scaleddown analysis knowing that there was no way they could provide a full analysis given the compressed schedule, given the need to pass this by the end of this week because of republicans desire to make sure not a single democrat is included in the negotiation. But they gave us some hints as to what their score would say once it was fully completed. Federal spending on medicaid would be reduced by 1 trillion over the course of this decade, and there is simply no way to rip 1 trillion out of the medicaid system. The medicaid system, by the way, as all of my colleagues know, which provides insurance to the disabled, to children, and to the elderly without millions and millions of people losing access to health care, people who have nowhere else to go. C. B. O. , unsurprisingly, says that the number of people with comprehensive Health Insurance would be reduced by millions and they predict states would allow insurers to set premiums on the basis of an individuals Health Status. None of that is news to people who have read this piece of legislation. But i want to just talk for a second about why c. B. O. Comes to those conclusions and why this is the most dangerous version of the bill yet. In this bill is a massive reordering of the american Health Care System. The health care exchanges, which right now insure millions of americans across the country are essentially eliminated in this bill because the whole reason they existed was to funnel tax credits that help those individuals buy insurance. Those tax credits go away under this proposal thus the exchanges go away. Medicare, as an entitlement is ended by this bill. No longer will you as an individual have a payment from the federal government attached to you because of your income or your Health Status or your disability. States will now get a block sum of money to do with essentially what they wish, which may or may not cover the same amount of people today covered under medicaid. And while proponents of this bill are trying to contend that it still protects people with preexisting conditions, no one is buying it, no one is believing it because on the face of the text it does not. Its important to explain why that is. Well, technically it is up to the states as to whether they protect people with preexisting conditions, states under this new version can sign a form that allows them to permit insurers to price based on medical acutey again, meaning charge sick people more. They will have to exercise that option under this version of trumpcare. They will be forced to exercise that option. Because what is also eliminated by this version of trumpcare is the requirement that healthy individuals buy insurance. You cannot require Insurance Companies to charge six people the same as Healthy People if you dont provide incentives for Healthy People to sign up and there is no incentive under at least the latest version of the bill that i read. Thus, anybody who has taken a semester long worth of education on insurance, states will be forced by two choices, reimpose their own individual mandate and ill guarantee you based on the vit reyol, most states will probably not take on their republican senators and congressional delegation by passing their own individual mandate or they will be forced to drop the protection for people with preexisting conditions. C. B. O. And j. C. T. Anticipate many states, i would argue the majority of states, would have to drop that protection for people with preexisting conditions because they wont pass an individual mandate, thus rates will skyrocket for sick people or anybody who has ever been sick, making insurance unaccessible for those who have had a diagnosis. This bill is a massive reorientation of the american Health Care System, the elimination of medicaid as we know it, the end of the Health Care Insurance exchanges, the end of the tax credits to help people buy Health Care Insurance, the end of the mandatory National Protections against abusive insurance practices. And we are potentially going to vote on this later this week without a c. B. O. Score, with one hearing, with no markups. I dont care how mad my republican friends were about how the Affordable Care act was passed, that was done in an open process with dozens of hearings with markups in every committee, with 30 days of debate on the floor of the United States senate, with hundreds of republican amendments that were offered and adopted as part of the Affordable Care act, with over a year of public input and debate about the pros and cons of the proposal. None of that is happening on grahamcassidy. This thing is being rushed through in the dead of night with no time for americans to review it, no time for members of this body to look at it, and no ability for any senator in the Democratic Party to be able to have any input into the final product. This is nothing like what happened on the Affordable Care act. And no matter how mad you are that in the end you couldnt vote for it, republicans had plenty of opportunity to have a say. The American People had plenty of opportunity to take a look at it. It is not happening with grahamcassidy. Because theres no c. B. O. Score, we have to rely on outside independent groups to size up the potential disas are of disaster of this bill. The center for american progress, which admittedly is a leftleaning organization, but one of the few that has taken the time to take a look at the tebs and what at the text and what it will mean, came to the conclusion that 32 Million People would lose coverage. And the commonwealth fund, which is not political, it is an independent, nonpartisan think tank health care think tank, essentially came to the same conclusion, after 2026, 32 Million People would lose insurance. So ive had this chart up here for now three or four months and ive had to just adjust it over and over again because it started out with 23 Million People losing insurance as we analyzed the first republican repeal bill. When the new version came in, you can see i had to write in 22 Million People because the amended version we were going to vote on right before the break was one million better, but now ive had to sort of redo my chart based on this analysis of grahamcassidys resulting in 32 Million People losing insurance. That is the equivalent population. It is hard to understand how many 32 Million People are losing insurance over 10 years, that is utah, alaska, delaware, hawaii, idaho, kansas, maine, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new mexico, north dakota, mississippi, vermont, wyoming, utah. I had to do my own artist rendering of these states. The votes were coming so quickly i didnt have time to have the chart made up again. S that 32 Million People thats 32 Million People. Think about that over ten years the equivalent population of people in these 17 states all losing health care at the same time. That is a humanitarian catastrophe. And nobody knows it because this bill is being pushed through without any debate, without any c. B. O. Score. But thats what could happen if this passes. And so its no surprise that basically everybody in the american Health Care System opposes this piece of legislation. The proponents cannot find a single verifier inside the medical community for this piece of legislation. I heard senator graham this morning say, well,s that to be expected. Were thats to be expected. Youre making a big reform and any time you do that the status quo playersern going to like what players arent going to like that. Groups like the American Heart Association or the juvenile Diabetes Research foundation or the American Cancer Association the status quo for them is that their members, people who have cancer or juvenile diabetes or Heart Disease dont go bankrupt any longer because they cant afford insurance. And so, yes, they are kind of upset that 32 Million People are going to lose insurance, many of their members, and were going to go back to the day if you were sick and had cancer in most states you could be charged more. So, yes, people are protective of the status quo, the part of the status quo that makes sure that sick people, or people who have ever been sick, havent lost insurance. I think its actually worthwhile to give a quick sense as to how many people in the medical community oppose this bill. Heres just a beginning list aarp, School Superintendents association, americas Health Care Plans, alcs association, americas hospitals, america pediatric dentists, the American Academy of family physicians, the american cancer society, the american dental association, the American College of physicians, American Congress of obstetricians, the American Diabetes association, the American Federation of teachers, american heartation, association, the american osteopathic association, the American Public health association, the American Psychiatric association, the American Psychological association, the arthritis foundation, the big citys health coalition, bluecross blueshield, the center for medicare advocacy, the endo krin society, the h. I. V. Medicine association, human rights campaign, leukemia society, main Street Alliance, march of dimes, medicare rights association, the National Association of county and health officials, Nation Association of school nurses, the National Coalition for cancer survivorship. The National Health council, the National Multiple Sclerosis society, the national for rare diseases, planned parenthood society, trust for Americas Health and 47 religious organizations representing various denominations including Muslim Health alliance, the National Council of jewish women, press by tairn women of the United States, and the United Methodist church. That is the tip of the iceberg. Youre not really in good company if you are supportive of this bill when every single medical association, every single Patient Advocacy organization, every single hospital association, every single insurer thinks that you are wrong. You would like to think there might be a couple of these groups, which would think it was a good thing to pass a bill that uninsures potentially 32 million, maybe 25 million, maybe 22 million, and jeopardize s preexisting protections for millions of americans. And what is so bonkers about this is that we were this close to getting a bipartisan agreement. Its not as if there wasnt another path. I sit on the health committee. I had a half dozen conversations with senator alexander and senator murray. I know that we were 80 of the way there on passing a bipartisan package of reforms, at least out of the health committee, that would have kept what was working in the Affordable Care act and tried to fix what wasnt working. And so i saw leader mcconnells tweet from earlier today in which he said Senate Democrats have two thoughts on how to fix obamacare. One, do nothing. Two, a fully governmentrun system that would take away even more of their decision. Thats not true. Thats not true, and everybody here knows thats not true. Why . Because Senate Democrats were sitting down and talking with Senate Republicans. We were at the table just a week ago trying to come up with a package of reforms. So to say that democrats only want a singlepayer Health Care System or what we have today is not true. And Everybody Knows thats not true. Im certainly raw at the fact that republicans walked away from that negotiating table when we were so close. I dont think that was in the best traditions of the United States senate, but im ready to sit back down to the table. I know patty murray is ready to sit back down at that table if this process blows up as every previous attempt at repealing the Affordable Care act with a thoughtless alternative has blown up. My constituents arent happy with the american Health Care System. They like a lot of the things that the Affordable Care act did, but they acknowledge that there are still lots of problems that need to be solved. And amongst those constituents in my state who like what the Affordable Care act did but still want to see changes is isabelle. And ryland. Isabelle first wrote my office two days after the last election about her son, who this is ryland. He was born with a congenital heart defect. He looked healthy when he was born. He and isabelle had been scheduled for discharge from the hospital. Ryland went in for some routine testing, and he never came back. His parents kind of knew something was up, but when the doctors arrived back in their room, they told isabelle and her husband that ryland needed to be rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery because his body was not getting enough oxygen and there was something wrong with his heart. He was diagnosed with several severe heart defects. He required emergency open heart surgery. And the first thing that isabelle thought was how are we going to pay for this . Does insurance cover it . And she found out, much to her relief, that insurance did cover it because insurance was required to cover things like hospitalizations under the Affordable Care act, and that they wouldnt lose coverage because no matter how big the bills got, the Affordable Care act prohibited Insurance Companies from cutting you off. And isabelle has been a warrior to preserve those protections in the Affordable Care act, and i just want to leave you with an email that she sent me this week. She said that she is exhausted. That she is so tired of having to fight over and over and over again for ryland. She says that she feels like no matter what she tries to do, this repeal is going to happen, regardless of rylands story, that they are just going to be casualties in this political imperative to repeal the Affordable Care act. In three weeks, ryland is going to be going up to boston for his big cardiac and neuro checkup. She wishes their biggest fight was to keep him healthy and alive, but it isnt. They are engaged in a political fight to try to stop the protections that keep him alive and keep this family solvent and from being stolen from him. This is not a game to isabelle and ryland. This isnt about politics. This is about this little boys life. And im going to tell you, my state cannot hold this together. If you cut federal funding for health care by 50 in connecticut, as this bill would do, maybe more because what were hearing is that money is going to be stolen from states in the Affordable Care act to be delivered to states that havent yet committed to the bill on the republican side. We cant hold it together for ryland in connecticut. If you take away half of our federal Health Care Funding. If you take away the tax credits that help people buy insurance. If you take away the medicaid that helps insure these kids. If you let insurers go back to the days in which they discriminated against these kids. Its not a game to isabelle. She says, quote, every time the repeal comes up what is this . The third time or more . I feel sick with anxiety. How quickly the rug will be pulled from under us. How quickly the bricks will begin to fall. We are ready to work with you. We are ready to sit down once again and try to work something out that gets democrats and republicans together on this. That does what the American People want us to do, keep what works in the Affordable Care act and prove what doesnt work. Please give this up. You are you are ruining the lives of these families who in akindergartens to having to save their childrens lives are having to become fulltime political activists to stop this from happening. We can do this together. We can deliver peace of mind to these families. It is not too late. I yield the floor. Mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from new york. Mr. Schumer first, let me so commend my friend and colleague from connecticut for his intelligent, articulate and most of all passionate words, and i hope everyone on the other side of the aisle hears this. This is not a game. And the states, i know its not your state, mr. President. The states that are taking the money are the ones who didnt want to give good coverage, enough coverage to people. And the states like connecticut, like new york have wanted to help people and had to put in half the money themselves are now being penalized by the states that didnt. Most americans are against that. The vast majority of americans are against it. And when americans hear what this bill is about, almost none of them like it. None of them like it. Thats why were hiding this bill. Thats why were not debating this bill. Thats why were trying to rush it through without a score. But, mr. President , just over an hour ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a preliminary analysis of the latest version of trumpcare, the grahamcassidy bill. Now, c. B. O. Is nonpartisan. The head of it was appointed by the Republican Leadership. Its not one of these liberal think tanks that the other side dismisses. We dismiss the conservative ones, but this is down the middle. While c. B. O. Has not filled in all the details, the outline is devastating enough. The new Trumpcare Bill would gut medicaid, cause millions to lose coverage, create chaos in the marketplace, and not protect americans with preexisting conditions. Members shouldnt need any more details to know how bad a piece of legislation this is. We certainly await more details. The other side doesnt want to. Even in plain language, without the numbers, the c. B. O. Makes clear that grahamcassidy would be the largest step backward for American Health care in our nations history. Lets go over a few things the c. B. O. Report said. These are down the middle, green eyeshade findings. Not political. First, grahamcassidy would gut medicaid. Quote, all told, federal spending on medicaid would be reduced by about a trillion dollars, and the program would cover millions fewer enrollees. They dont know how many millions. My guess, about the same as the previous bills or even worse. That means a drastic cut to Health Care Funding that goes to help Older Americans in Nursing Homes, those in opioid abuse treatment programs, lowincome americans who rely on medicaid as their source of coverage. All of those would be slashed. Youre a middleclass family, long island, anchorage, you have someone in a nursing home, a parent, you will be faced with an awful choice with too too may likely hoods. Pay thousands of dollars a month out of your own pocket or ask your mom and dad to come live with you when you dont have a spare room in your house and youre trying to raise your kids. Not very pretty. The c. B. O. Says that grahamcassidy would cause millions to Lose Health Care coverage, that the most abrupt loss of coverage occurring as soon as 2020, due to, quote, substantially lower enrollment in medicaid, unquote, nongroup coverage, and insurance of all types because there would be no incentive to sign up. The c. B. O. Also said grahamcassidy would destabilize the individual market, creating a death spiral. Under grahamcassidy, average Health Care Costs among people retaining coverage would be higher, insurers would have to raise premiums in the nongroup market to cover those higher costs, anticipating such an unsustainable spiral, some insurers would not participate in the nongroup market, and in many states transitions starting in 2020 would be difficult, and some areas probably have no insurers offering policies in the nongroup market. Thats a quote from c. B. O. , not chuck schumer, not chris murphy, c. B. O. Destabilizing markets. Huge numbers of people not getting insurance. Theres another thing c. B. O. Said. Grahamcassidy also fails spectacularly to protect americans with preexisting conditions because it allows states to opt out of the very popular Consumer Protections in our current law. According to c. B. O. , quote, coverage for people with preexisting conditions would be much more expensive in some of those states than under current law. Ive heard my colleague from louisiana say that this wont change the law on preexisting conditions. Why did they have to add this clause . To give states the option . They want to keep preexisting conditions, they should keep existing law. The c. B. O. Even predicted that the flexibility of grahamcassidy would likely drive some states to pursue an age tax, charging Older Americans five times as much or more for their health care than younger americans. Youre 5064. You have worked hard your whole life. Your Health Care Costs go up. Theres a little bit of protection in present law. Much of that protection is removed by the grahamcassidy bill. Youre a senior citizen, close to it. Youre going to pay more in too many places. Thats why aarp. Again, not a very political organization, came out so strongly against this bill. As, by the way, as the a. M. A. , the cancer society. Mr. Murphy listed many of the groups. All in all, even without specific numbers for estimates, the c. B. O. Report confirms much of what we already knew about grahamcassidy. Its a wholesale dismantling of our Health Care System that would create chaos in many places, cause millions to lose coverage, drive up costs, and put health care out of the reach of folks who need it most. To boot, standard and poors another hardly partisan organization. Today estimated that grahamcassidy would carry a staggering economic cost. Grahamcassidy said standard and poors would result in 580,000 lost jobs and 240 billion in lost Economic Activity by 2027. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are debating starting tax reform. We want to cut taxes on the wealthiest people, big corporations, because itll create jobs. Maybe yes, or maybe no. Many of us think no. But right here interested in creating jobs . Dont pass grahamcassidy. You lose 580,000 jobs. According to Standard Poors. Now, a number of republican senators have expressed their opposition to this bill. Most recently senator collins. To senator collins and to the rest of my republican colleagues, i want to say this once repeal is off the table, we want to work with you to improve the existing system. Once this bill goes down, were ready to work with you to find a compromise that stabilizes markets, that lowers premiums. Were ready. And weve proven some of that already. Senator alexander and senator murray, one a republican, one a democrat, chair and Ranking Member of the help committee, were working great progress towards a bipartisan agreement. They held hearings, heard expert testimony, solicited input from colleagues on both sides of the aisle something not done with this grahamcassidy bill. They were crafting a fair package where each side got a little, each side gave a little. Once this bill goes down, those negotiations should pick up right where they left off. Thats what we on this side believe for sure, and i think many on the other side as well. Theres no time to waste. Insurers are about to set rates for the next year. And whether we can come together or not could be the difference between a stable market and premiums that are several hundred dollars hundreds of dollars more expensive. And we should pick up where senators wyden and hatch again, one democrat, one republican where they left off to come to an agreement to extend the Childrens Health Insurance Program and for community Health Centers and several other programs that need to be extended this week. So c. B. O. , even with the bare structure of what this bill is all about, issues a devastating report. It is very, very hard to look that report in the eye and say, this bill improves health care for americans. Very hard. I hope for the good of our Health Care System, for the good of our country, and the good of this institution that my republican friends abandon grahamcassidy and its onesidedness and choose inste instead to come back to the stable a and choose instead to come back to the stable to work with democrats. Thats what america wants. I yield the floor. Nope, i dont yield the floor yet, mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until 010 00 a. M. Tomorrow. Adjourn i would like to first echo what so many of my colleagues, the democrats and republicans across the country have made clear today to follow of that partisanship around health care enough playing politics of peoples lives. Mov enough with those repeated attempts to roll back progress to move the country back word. It is time to drop gram capacity end to join together. Starting to mold premiums for families to strengthen health care in a bipartisan way. The truth is many republicans said as much in the last Health Care Debate in a productive discussion we have had in and outsideas the Halls Community and over the past few days. So that begs the question why are we in this body again . People across the country have been demandingbipat to turn the page of trumpcare of over months but if he and zero colleagues have pushed through another reckless repeal bill even worse than the Previous Health care version of its to increase cost especially seniors allowing Insurance Companies to charge people more for basic Health Care Like Maternity Care to take away womens access and resulted millions of people across the country losingot medicaid. The bill is not subject to any real hearings or public debate or even a complete cbos gore. Ano it is in serious policy or regular order but another version of trump care devastating for peopleal across the country. Cle this is Pretty Simple because there is a clear alternative. As the senior senator have so bravely called for word so i agree with my colleague that and then to do regular order to find common ground. And i remain confident we can reach a bipartisan agreement by Republican Leaders. There is no law that dictates what the constitution says and here you have day president that i can tell you or guarantee to undermine our democracy. And has obstructed justice and day president who says died at the special counsel can connect. And it is time to go after him. And then to say you go girl. My name is larry i. M. From harrisburg claim concerned about the of libraries and the Resource Centers and a the Knowledge Base and i am here to make sure they can get what they need and the keystone brands is not taken away from them. And with that property tax they just cannot afford to pay more but with a lot of crisis and then we plan to solve the problem. Hello my name is dana but to increase art for the educational institutions through preschool through college. This the of responsible Energy Production not only because of the direct jobs and packed with 200,000 people working today but then we remain competitive if we maximize our opportunity to make energy secure. This week on the communicators we have comcasts Senior Vice President here to talk about Telecommunications Development and regulation and competition so what do you have in your portfolio at comcast . Especially with someone with a ph. D. I put the job into three buckets of responsibilities and i put my role as chief diversity officer as the lead responsibility that i have the external affairs bucket with the responsibilities that they present itself externally Government Affairs communications, public policy, then say bucket of strategic responsibilities i share with Brian Roberts with our cf0. That is enough to keep the busy. But it is also enough to make my job incredibly interesting because it is true that every day when i wake up i have no idea what will come across my desk. Host starting in the strategic area we have been hearing a lot the past several years that current pay tv model at this point . Idle think the current paytv model is outdated but it is in transition