And theyre looking at how to fund the program. You can read more at the hill. Com. The u. S. Senate is about to meet and they may speak about chip. A district judge confirmation and work on others may follow. Now live coverage of the u. S. Senate. The chaplain let us pray. O god our help in ages past, our hope for the years to come, enter the hearts of our lawmakers today and give them pure hearts. Enlighten and illuminate their minds that they may know you, who are the way, the truth, and the life. When they are tried, refresh them; when they are lonely, cheer them, when they are tempted, strengthen them, and when they are perplexed, guide them. Help them so to live that they will be prepared to see your face in peace. Make our senators positive people who are ex peck betant of your expe ctant of your best, radiate through them so that america will remain a shiny city on a hill. We pray in your merciful name. Amen. 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. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington, d. C. , january 9, 2018. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i here by appoint the honorable ben sasse, a senator from the state of nebraska, who will perform the duties of the chair. Signed orrin g. Hatch, president pro tempore. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. The presiding officer the majority leader. Mr. Mcconnell yesterday i mentioned that already one million americans, and counting, will receive raises or special bonuses thanks to the historic tax reform law that Congress Passed and the president signed just last month. For example, darden restaurants, which employs 175,000 people, will invest 120 million in its most important assets, its employees. At t announced that 2,000 employees would receive 1,000 bonuses. In turning point in kentucky, turning point, will give out bonuses. Similar plans have been announced across the kund and in a country and in variety of industries, workers are receiving more beneficial retirement contributions. And the employers said it was tax reform that made this possible. How is all of this happening . How is it happening . After all those who were intent on opposing tax reform painted an apocalyptic picture. In the house, it was here in the senate my friend the democratic leader said there was nothing about this bill that suits the needs of the american worker. Fortunately, a majority in the house and a majority in the senate knew better. We know that the economy is not a zerosum gain. We know it is completely backwards to think that american businesses need to lose in order for American Workers to win. To the contrary, in the 21st century economy, americans are all in this together. When our economy grows stagnant, when taxes and regulations make it harder for our companies to compete with foreign ones, that that is when wages fall flat and Job Opportunities dry up. But when washington gets out of the way and cuts back regulations and modernizes the tax code, when we give businesses more flexibility to invest and expand, then, as we are already seeing, workers reap the benefits. This is not some partisan talking point. As one economist wrote just before we passed tax reform, its the consensus view the consensus view that lowering Corporate Income taxes would raise the wages of workers. Tax reform became lalas than bhowntsdz ago bhowntsdz ago. And thanks one month ago. And thanks to tax reform, as the chart points out, a million American Workers, and counting, are getting a bonus or raise. Thats whats happening, and this is just the beginning. Raises and bonuses arent the only way that tax reform is providing a big help to those like the kentuckians i represent. It will help americans keep more of their own money and send less to washington. We reduced marginal rates, we doubled the standard deduction creating a zero tax bracket. Zero taxes on the first 24,000 a family earns. We increased the child tax credit. We expanded the deduction for medical expenses, and the tax cuts and jobs act repeal the punitive individual mandate tax Penalty Amount the heart of obamacare. That law penalized hardworking americans twice, first by failing to create Health Insurance options to meet the needs of working families and imposing a fine on families who didnt want or couldnt afford the coverage. By zeroing out that unfair penalty, we repealed a core piece of obamacare and restored families flexibility to choose Health Insurance that works for them. The result of all of this is significant savings for middleclass american families. A typical family four earning a median Family Income will keep 2,000 more than they would have otherwise sent to the government and workers will see a difference in their paychecks as soon as february. Less of their money will be deducted and sent to the i. R. S. , more will be deposited in their own bank accounts. Mr. President , the early impact of this tax reform legislation is quite clear. Job creators and entrepreneurs are more optimistic. More than one million americans are already getting raises and bonuses and the groundwork is being laid for a more powerful, more competitive u. S. Economy that attracts more investment and creates more homegrown jobs. Its no surprise that historically tax cuts have enjoyed bipartisan support. This time, unfortunately, none of our democratic colleagues chose to vote for this onceinageneration tax relief, not one in the house or the senate. Im proud that majorities in congress were able to pass this bill so the president could sign it into law. A million americans, and soon to be many more, will be grateful. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call quorum call mr. Schumer mr. President. The presiding officer the democratic leader. Mr. Schumer are we in a quorum . The presiding officer we are. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer now, mr. President , there are a number of outstanding matters before the senate that must be addressed by january 19. We must pass an extension of government funding. We must reach a deal to lift the spending caps to spare devastating cuts to our military support and funding for urgent domestic priorities. We must extend the childrens Health Insurance program and Community Health centers and the 702 fisa court program. We must pass disaster aid. And we must resolve the future of the dreamers. Some of these issues, particularly chip and fisa, could have been dealt with by the majority a long time ago. There are bipartisan majorities that would have voted to extend those programs, but the majority leader chose not to put them on the floor because they were busy pursuing a partisan, favorthewealthy tax bill. Some of these issues still require further compromise. Its no secret that we havent come to final agreement on the spending caps. Both democrats and republicans want our troops to have the resources they need to do the tough job we ask of them. At the same time, we democrats want to make sure were making the right kinds of investments in the middle class. The whole campaign was about the middle class. Now were going to abandon them because there are such needs for defense . The two are not mutually exclusive. We dont believe they are. And our republican colleagues have sort of lost their grip on saying, well, we cant increase the deficit after a 1. 5 trillion cut, mainly for the wealthy and powerful corporations. So were fighting hard to make sure were making the right behind of investments in the middle class. Thats why were pushing hard to raise the spending caps on the domestic side, so we can do more in the fight against the opioid crisis, so we can do more to help our brave veterans get Quality Health care, so we honor the promise made to over a million pensioners who contributed to and earned every penny of their pensions. These are all very important issues. Ask a mom or dad whose kid is addicted to opioids whether that can wait. Ask a pensioner who is so nervous that he or she will not get enough dollars to retire on and feed themselves. Ask a veteran who has been waiting online for health care because the Veterans Administration is not fully funded for the Health Care Needs of our veterans. They all think those are just as important. Not more, not less, than funding defense, and we will stand firm and strong that both are important, that both are important. And the only argument our colleagues seem to have against us, it increases the deficit, as i said, they lost all claim to that one with the tax bill. Now, teamsters, carpenters, and miners have worked their entire lives under the expectation they could retire with a sense of dignity afforded by a modest pension. This is the one our colleagues seem to be just adamantly opposed to. Let them go home to their miners, to their teamsters, to their food workers and tell them you dont deserve a pension even though you paid the kind the kind of pension you need even though you paid in every month. We cant just shrug our shoulders and do nothing. We ought to fix it. My friend the majority leader thinks defense is important but the other is not. We believe, we democrats, both are important and we must and should do both together. Surely the deficit again cant be the problem after adding over 1. 5 trillion in red ink. So lets make investments we know are essential in our military and in our middle class. We also have to make sure the disaster package treats all our states and territories fairly, that california and puerto rico and the Mountain West and the u. S. Virgin islands get the aid they need, just like texas and louisiana and florida. We have to Reach Agreement on a new Health Care Package that admits the new reality of our health care system. The republicans repealed the individual mandate in their tax bill, an act that will raise premiums and lower coverage. The old Health Care Compromise legislation was crafted before the republican tax bill. Patty murray has said under new circumstances we need a new proposal. We cant just enact the previous alexandermurray because of the change our republican colleagues made to the health care system. And then of course theres the daca issue. Thats going to require further compromise. There are many republicans in this chamber who want to enshrine daca protections into law as every democrat does, just as there are Many Democrats who would pass Additional Border security measures into law, smart, reasonable, practical border measures. A deal on this issue can be reached if both parties are committed to goodfaith negotiations. The problem thus far has been President Trumps insist sense on insist ens on a completely ineffective and absurdly expensive wall as part of any deal from daca. In fact, we learned this morning in a stunning New York Times article by ron nixon that the Trump Administration is proposing to cut back from smart Border Security measures to pay for a border wall. I ask unanimous consent that the article by mr. Nixon in the New York Times be placed in the record alongside my remarks. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer according to the times which review internal budget guidance from the o. M. B. , the Trump Administration would cut or delay funding for border surveillance. Theyd cut or delay funding for radar technology, patrol boats, and maybe most crucially customs officers, all to ask taxpayers to pay for the wall. Funding to upgrade Surveillance Aircraft extremely effective at stopping illegal crossings at the border, particularly drugs, denied. Funding to hire new customs officers denied. Funding for Video Surveillance with infrared cameras in areas with high incidence of border crossings cut to, quote, offset the costs of president ial priorities. Unquote. What an absurd proposition. Security experts have testified for decades that effective Border Security includes a variety of technologies and resources, drones, infrared sensors, customs and Border Patrol agents, officers, and in some places secure fencing is appropriate. We agree with that. These were all ideas included in comprehensive immigration reform. That the Trump Administration would cannibalize funding for these smart Border Security measures to pay for a wall that wont work makes no sense. He said he campaigned on it. Oh, no, mr. President. You campaigned on a wall that mexico would pay for. Were waiting. But again, to take away the things that are needed to protect the border for a symbolic and ineffective political jes gesture . Wrong. Theres nothing to this but politics. President trump is fighting for an empty symbol rather than smart policy that will actually produce better security at our borders. We democrats are willing, able, and eager to work with our republican colleagues and the administration on smart, effective border solutions. As ive said, there may be a few places where a secure fence makes sense, but a medieval wall that you cant see through across the length of the southern border will not make us any safer. Walls can be scaled over. Walls can be tunneled under. As ive been told, there be many, many tunnels under the wall in san diego, some of which have not been detected. There is also the issue of eminent domain. The federal government would have to conscript hundreds of square highs of land from american citizens to build a wall. The Administration Still hasnt produced plans for where to put it and, of course, President Trump promised once again that mexico would pay for it, not taxpayers. If you can read anything into the election, it was for that. Polling data shows that a majority of americans dont believe the wall is the right thing to do. Its not responsible to insist that american taxpayers pay for an absurdly expensive and ineffective border wall or elsewhere the government shuts down. If the president goes down that path and insists on the wall or shuts down the government, which he said back in september, make no mistake about it, a Government Shutdown will fall entirely, entirely on his shoulders. If President Trump can find a way to get mexico to pay for the wall while american taxpayers pay for things that really make a difference to secure the border, he should reveal that to the American People. But until that time, democrats will work with our republican colleagues on smart Border Security, effective Border Security just as we fight to protect the dreamers. I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call mr. Cornyn mr. President . The presiding officer majority whip. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , id ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be dispensed with. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Cornyn mr. President , just over two weeks ago, President Trump signed a historic tax reform bill into law. Some not really knowing what was in the bill and people who were determined to find fault with it were, lets just say, a little skeptical at first. They wondered what this whole thing was about and who would actually benefit. But now the verdict is starting to come in. Many folks are pleasantly surprised for the first time in a while knowing that actually congress and washington, d. C. Has produced something that will make their life better. They are appreciative because they are seeing the immediate consequences. In response, more than 100 countries have announced they will give wage increases, increase their charitable contributions, and will give out bonuses to their employees. One million americans are receiving money they previously didnt have thanks to passage of the tax cuts and jobs act. But its not just about bonuses, of course. We expect that once the i. R. S. Updates the with holing wages, withholding wages withholdings, wages will go up. One senator said, with this tax reform the proof will be in your paycheck. Families can spend that extra money any way they wish, of course, thats the point. They can spend it on projects long delayed, they can spend it on their kids. They can give it as an allowance or some modest compensation for jobs performed or people may figure out they want to save for a rainy day. The number is pretty shocking about how Many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and who cannot sustain a 400 loss in income and make it work for them. This will provide a little bit of cushion for a rainy day. They can donate it to the house of worship. They can help a neighbor or friend who has fallen on hard times. In some places were learning that families will enjoy lower utility rates based on what gas and electric companies are doing for their residential customers in light of their new tax savings. In places like michigan, montana, minnesota, kansas, kentucky, and south dakota, the Utility Companies in those states are looking at the Tax Deductions of those inv