required in our home states where we used lwcf funds to check the ownership structure of many places out west, it takes years to put together these deals. private landowners, the state, the federal government coming together. and when you have the federal government, the united states congress can't get its job done, it creates uncertainty, and consequently who loses? with the uncertainty, the american people lose. that is why we need to permanently reauthorize this. it actually creates more certainty in taking care of a lot of these complex land issues out west. and it saves the taxpayer dollars. by the way, senator burr has said over and over again, lwtf doesn't cost the taxpayer anything. it doesn't cost the taxpayer anything. that was in this bill tonight, to permanently reauthorize it. it didn't get done. as you read through the titles

of these various bills, you hear the stories. it looks like one little line item here, section 1009, senate bill 1219. there is some little obscure title that a guy from montana has no idea what's going on in louisiana or tennessee or alaska, but i know back in those respective communities or colorado, there is a lot of hard work bringing people together and collaborative to come together, put together a bill that will then bring it through congress. we move it through committee. we have hours of hearings. literally, there is probably 100 years of effort at least that's gone into this legislation tonight that we were not able to have an up-or-down vote on. wildfire technology modernization. the yellowstone gateway protection act. that's important to me in montana. the people who are closest to the lands ought to have the loudest voice.

and i can tell you the people in paradise nont, they don't want to see a large mining operation near chico, montana. it's time to withdraw the rights there and allow that back door to yellowstone national park to be protected in perpetuity. that was part of this land package tonight. you take a look at the sportsman's access to federal lands. one of the issues that sets our nation apart is our public lands. if you go to europe, you don't see public lands. you go to virtually anywhere else in the world, you don't see public lands. it is a unique american experience. that a mom and dad in montana, a grandma and grandpa, aunt and uncle can still go down to walmart and buy an elk tag and jump in the pickup and within 20 to 30 minutes be in elk country on public lands.

that was part of the sportsman's access package. we had the open book on equal access of justice act. in fact, it's something that senator barrasso put in place here, to ensure we have transparency in the way these funds are spent. there is the migratory bird framework and hunting opportunities for veterans act in here. my point is there are over 100 bills in here with a lot of careful thought, a lot of consideration moving through committees. all we wanted to do tonight is have an up-or-down vote. we didn't get it. i'm grateful that we had a good bipartisan spirit here tonight, that we're working with leadership in both parties here in the senate, both parties in the house including future leadership in the house. we're going to bring this bill back to the floor of the u.s. senate in january. we're going to move this through. we're going to move it to the house. we're going to fight to get this thing on the president's desk and signed as one of the early acts of congress in 2019.

so it didn't end well here tonight with this package. we're going to start strong in january. we're not giving up the fight. i want to thank the staff and the committee leadership on both sides for helping us get to this point tonight. merry christmas, happy new year. we will be back in january fighting. i yield back my time. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from kansas.

mr. moran: a little earlier in the evening, we cast a vote, one that was done without a roll call, and i want my constituents to know how i voted. while i will put a statement in the record, it will not appear as yeas and nays. and earlier this evening, we passed a continuing resolution, and i voted no. i want my constituents to know how i voted and i want them to know why. i indicated to my colleagues within the last ten days that i intend to vote no on a c.r. because it's not the way that we should be conducting business in the united states senate or in the united states house of representatives. continuing resolutions mean that we are just postponing the issues we face today, and they don't get any easier the longer we wait to resolve them. they also mean that the appropriations process of which i am a part of has spent a significant amount of time this year, and while we were successful in many, many ways, we have left seven bills without

resolution. and because we couldn't resolve them, we are going to fund those departments and agencies at the same level of spending next year as this year. what that means is the number of hearings that we had, the witnesses that were brought in and testified, the oversight that we have done on site at departments, agencies, and facilities across the country leaves us without that input being included in the decision. it means that we are not prioritizing what spending is important. there may be a few things around here that could utilize additional resources. maybe the resources level that we fund things at today is what it should be. maybe there are things we shouldn't fund at all, and there are certainly some things which we could fund at lower levels, but, no, we're not going to say that this is more important than this. we're going to say all things are equal. the way that we have funded it, appropriations last year for

these agencies and departments is exactly the right amount it should be into the future. and unfortunately, we have done c.r.'s long enough that we're not just talking about is it right, what is right last year is the same amount that should be for the next several months. it goes back years. and so what we're saying is the decision we made years ago -- the decisions we made years ago are the same priorities we have today. not true. perhaps more compelling to me is every time we pass a c.r., we lose the opportunity to utilize the power of the purse string to rein in the behavior and action of those who work in those bureaus, departments, and agencies. if congress is always going to give a federal agency the same amount of money in the future as it gave in the past, there is no reason for those agencies to pay attention to the united states congress. to the house and the senate. to the article 1 of the united

states constitution which gives the authority for appropriating money to fund the federal government to this congress. we abdicate our responsibilities and we reduce the opportunity on behalf of our constituents. me on behalf of kansans to make certain that the things, one, they think are important are the things we fund, the things that are constitutional are the things that we fund, and we lose the opportunity to tell an agency by using the power of the purse string that when you pursue this regulation, when you pursue this policy, when you make the decision that you make, that congress isn't going to have the leverage on you to convince you to change your behavior. we lose the relationship that exists under the constitution for us to have the power over those departments and agencies in the executive branch. common sense tells us that if we determine how much money an agency or department receives, they are going to be much more interested in what we have to say, and if they don't listen to

us, we have the ability to remove the money, to eliminate the funding. and so tonight, mr. president, in my view, -- and i believe this strongly -- we missed an opportunity. we have been in this process for a long time now. we set out with the goal of passing all 12 appropriation bills individually. the appropriations committee has done that. but they were not all brought to the senate floor. and, in fact, the bills that we're talking about tonight, a continuing resolution was passed for them just several months ago, taking us to december 8. now at this point in time, december 8, we continued them until this friday. and now tonight we continued the continuing resolutions, same funding in the future as last, now for the third time in two months to february 8. we are not doing what we are supposed to do. in this process, in my view, the opportunity existed.

we were very close on reaching an agreement. president trump has strong feelings about border security. president trump was willing to work with congress to find a solution. somewhere along the line -- and there is lots of folks who want to say where the blame lies -- maybe it was with speaker-elect pelosi. maybe she is just as unwilling to allow anything but a continuing resolution to pass. but the amount of dollars that we were apart is so minimal and the policy issues had been resolved, and yet for some reason we walked away. and if it is the speaker-elect of the house, i urge her to deal with this issue of appropriations. it's the power of congress. republicans and democrats ought to work together to fill our constitutional responsibilities. where are the days in which the congress, republicans and democrats, house and senate,

exhibited their prerogatives? not because we want power but because the constitution gives us the authority, the responsibility, in fact, to make decisions about spending? and there is no glory in making a decision on spending when we say today's dollars are fine next week, they're fine the next week, they're fine the next month. we are so close to coming together this year. it's disappointing that the end result is a continuing resolution now until february 8. mr. president, i want my constituents to know that we have done this too many times. and, yes, there may be a time in which we want to have just a few days to resolve the final differences. a few days is not february 8. a few days is not now for the third time. what we needed to decide months ago we pursued weeks later. what we should have decided weeks later we failed to address a week ago, and tonight we

failed once again to address the issues of the proper amount of funding. 12 appropriation bills should march their way across the united states senate floor, should march their way across the house of representatives floor, and should be sent to a president for his or her signature or his or her veto. mr. president, the process that was exhibited this evening failed to allow me to have my vote recorded as it normally is, and it is important for me, for kansans and americans to know that i oppose the way we are doing business tonight. it needs to change. we've said it before. and if we always say we can wait another two weeks, we can wait another three weeks, we'll never get back to doing the work that we are hired to do by the american people. mr. president, i voted no. it's the right vote. the presiding officer: the

senator from washington. ms. cantwell: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that lauren vernon and tom schanpp be granted floor privileges for the duration of the 115th congress. the presiding officer: without objection. ms. cantwell: thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

quorum call:

quorum call:

mr. boozman: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: thank you, mr. president. i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to a period of morning business with senators

permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on finance be discharged from further consideration of s. 3611 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 3611, a bill to amend the internal revenue code of 1986 and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the committee on commerce, science, and transportation be discharged from the further consideration of h.r. 5509 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report.

the clerk: h.r. 5509, an act to direct the national science foundation, and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the subcommittee discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the thune substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the quill, as amended, be considered read a them time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i know of no other debate on the bill. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the bill? if not, all those in favor say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill, as amended, is passed. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the e.p.w. committee be discharged from further consideration of h.r. 5787 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the

clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 5787, an act to amend the coastal barriers resources act and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the bill is discharged from committee and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. boozman: i further ask that the bill be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the help committee be discharged and the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 767. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 76, an act to establish the stop, observe, ask, and respond to health and wellness training pilot program to address human trafficking in the health care system. the presiding officer: without objection. the subcommittee is discharged and the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the alexander amendment at the desk be agreed to and the bill, as amended, be

considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i know of no further debate on the bill as amended. the presiding officer: is there further debate on the bill? if not, all those in favor, say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill, as amended, is passed. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of h.r. 7327 which was received from the house. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 7327, an act to require the secretary of homeland security to establish a security vulnerability disclosure policy and so forth and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and

passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 704, h.r. 4819. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 704, h.r. 4819, an act to promote inclusive economic growth through biodiversity programs and so forth. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. body. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i know of no further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: there further debate? if not, all those in favor, say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill is passed. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the calendar number 544,

s. 1023. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 1023, a bill to reauthorize the tropical forest conservation act of 1998 through fiscal year 2021 and for other purposes. the presiding officer: without objection, senate will proceed. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the portman amendment at the desk be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment, as amended, be agreed to and the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i know of no further debate on the bill, as amended. the presiding officer: is there further debate? if not, all those in favor, say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill, as amended, is passed. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 410, s. 79. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 410, s. 9, a bill to provide for the establishment of a pilot program to identify security vulnerabilities of certain entities in the energy sector. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure i. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i know of no further debate on the bill. the presiding officer: is there any further debate? if not, all those in favor, say aye. those opposed, say no. the ayes appear to have it. the ayes do have it. the bill, as amended, is passed. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: without objection.

mr. boozman: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that a correction to an appointment made on december 18, 2018, be printed in the record. for the information of the senate, this correction is clerical and does not change membership of the united states-china economic security review commission made by the appointment. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11:30 a.m. thursday, december 20.

further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the twoered loos be reserved for their use later in the day. finally, following leader remarks, the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. boozman: 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 11:30 this morning. adjourn: