>> if you want more information on members of congress, order c-span's congressional directory, it's available on-line at c-span store.org. store.org. >> in 1979 a small network with an unusual name rolled out a big idea, let viewers make up their own minds. c-span opened the doors to washington politics for all to see, bringing you unfiltered content from congress and beyond. a lot has changed in 40 years, but today that big idea is more relevant than ever. on television and on-line, c-span is your uniffiltered vie of government, brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. >> the senate is about to gavel in. they continue work on f.a.a.

administrator nominee steven dixson today. the senate will vote on his nomination at 11 eastern. on the other side of the capital robert mueller is testifying before two house panels today. now live senate coverage here on c-span2. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. black, will open the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. eternal god, our shelter in the time of storms, we thank you for this land we love.

we're grateful for its history, government, discoveries, knowledge, creativity, and vision. as our lawmakers seek to keep our nation strong, may they act and speak in ways that make us proud to be americans. use our senators to banish hate and bigotry, inspiring our citizens to live together in peace. may the words of our legislators' mouths and the meditations of their hearts receive your approval.

we pray in your great name. amen. the president pro tempore: amen. please join me in the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of americ, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. mr. grassley: madam president?

the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: i ask permission to speak in morning business for one minute. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. grassley: the u.s.-mexican-canadian trade agreement will be a very big boon to the american worker. in my state, one out of every four american manufacturing firms export to canada and mexico. 70% of these are very small- or medium-sized businesses. more than 25,400 iowans depend on manufacturing jobs. by encouraging auto manufacturers to use more u.s. content in our cars and high-wage labor, the u.s.-mexican-canadian agreement will help american workers compete on a level playing field and benefit from selling to two of our largest trading partners.

on another matter, at the website thisisiowa.com, you can view a video of people visiting a fake real estate office in new york. it's a new york advertising modern, spacious properties. you can see the astonishment then on the faces of new yorkers as they are shown beautiful modern apartments as well as homes near art museums and award-winning restaurants. the prices and the neighborhood amenities seem too good to believe. now, the details are real and so are the job opportunities real. only the location is not new york.

the location is iowa. check it out on thisisiowa.com. i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: will the senator withhold the suggestion? will the senator withhold the suggestion? mr. grassley: yes. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: madam president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: earlier this week the trump administration and speaker pelosi reached an agreement to avoid a government funding crisis and provide for our armed forces. in the tough circumstances of divided government, they achieved the kind of deal that our national defense actually needs. the two-year funding agreement will secure the resources we need to continue restoring the

readiness of our armed forces and modernizing them to meet the 21st century challenges that face our country. as i mentioned yesterday, i always find it curious when our democratic colleagues take the negotiating position that funding critical pentagon missions and providing for the common defense are partisan republican priorities. they act like only republicans want a modern, ready military such that our spending on national defense needs to be matched up with other spending in order to make it palatable to democrats. well, in one sense, madam president, my republican colleagues and i will probably say, guilty as charged. yes, we absolutely prioritize the national defense and the u.s. military. yes, we prioritize keeping americans safe. this is the fundamental obligation of the u.s. government. over the past two and a half years, it's been a republican president who has sought to

reverse the previous eight years of decline in defense. it's been republicans here in congress who have prioritized rebuilding our national defense after the obama administration's neglect and atrophy. and thanks to the trump administration's tough negotiating, this deal will secure a larger increase in defense funding than in nondefense programs relative to current law. better than parity for defense. i doubt members need any reminding about why these investments are so critical, but if they do, madam president, every day's newspapers make the case loud and clear. for years, our adversaries have methodically stepped up their incursions and their aggressions. they want to chip away at the peaceful rules-based international order that american leadership has helped establish and preserve. between 2009 and 2018, the chinese communist party increased its military spending -- listen to this -- by 83%.

83%. talk about a buildup, the chinese nearly doubled their military spending in less than a decade. and this is just the p.r.c.'s publicly acknowledged funding. these numbers have very real implications. when china gets a leg up in terms of readiness or technology, they're able to hold a greater number of u.s. and allied forces at risk. they're able to push their air and maritime control further into the indo-pacific region, increasing the hegemonic control and officially pushing the u.s. and our allies back. so the importance of this funding agreement is not simply our ability to provide for the upkeep and regular maintenance on our military as it currently exists. we're also talking about building the u.s. military of the future, research, development, and modernization. so that our nation and our service members are equipped to keep america safe and project

power, as necessary, for years and decades to come. in my view, this grave responsibility should be a top, top priority on both sides of the aisle, and this funding agreement will allow us to get it done. i'm proud that it will meet the pressing needs of service members stationed at installations around the country, like fort campbell, fort knox and the bluegrass army depot in kentucky. so the degree will secure a sorely needed deal in national defense and it includes none of the far-left power plans that house leadership had sought, like going backward on the issue of life or stripping away presidential authorities. in divided government, madam president, that's what we call a good deal. and the senate will vote on it before the end of next week. now, on another matter, first the senate will confirm several more impressive nominees.

we're currently considering stephen dickson of georgia to lead the federal aviation administration. after that we'll turn to two court nominees. wendy williams berger is the president's choice for the district court for the middle district of florida. she is a two-time graduate of florida university with nearly three decades of courtroom experience, half of which has come on the bench. brian buescher has been tapped for a vacancy in the district of nebraska. throughout his career he's gained expertise in a wide array of legal areas and has earned admiration in nebraska and beyond. those who know him praise his integrity and intelligence and character. omaha has said that mr. buescher would be an impartial judge. now despite his objective qualifications and all of this

praise, our senate democratic colleagues were not satisfied. here was the bombshell that offended some of our colleagues with respect to this nominee. listen to this, madam president. the nominee is a practicing catholic. my goodness! imagine that, madam president. in the united states of america, a person of faith serving in government? really? in particular, some of our democrat colleagues raked him over the coals in committee for his membership in the knights of columbus. shocking! -- shocking that a nominee for federal district court would be a member of the knights of columbus? of course, we all know the knights, the noted worldwide

extremist sect of catholics that is about two million men strong money for their love of the kathic faith and for hosting bar beus could and pancake -- barbeques and pancake breakfasts. outrageous. i can't believe i need to repeat it here in the u.s. capitol, but there's nothing about living out one's faith that is disqualifying for public servants. nothing. to the contrary, madam president, what the constitution does forbid is imposing any kind of religious test for public office. it's the democrats' opposition to this nominee's faith, not his faith itself, that rubs against the grain of our constitution. fortunately, madam president,

this tactic didn't fly. our colleagues on the judiciary committee saw this tactic for what it is and voted to report mr. buescher favorably here to the floor. i'll be proud to vote to confirm him later today. on another matter, the epidemic of opioid and substance abuse has wreaked havoc throughout our country. more than two million americans suffer from opioid addiction. for years, the situation only seemed to get worse and worse. unfortunately, my home state of kentucky saw the pain firsthand. we're among the hardest-hit states by this crisis. but last week both kentucky and the entire nation received a glimmer of long-awaited good news. statistics show that last year, 2018, saw the first -- the first -- nationwide decline in drug overdose deaths since 1990.

for 28 straight years, overdose deaths climbed, but in 2018 that tragic number finally dropped. it was approximately a 5% decline nationwide. and in kentucky, the bluegrass state saw overdose deaths fall by nearly 15% last year, the largest drop in our state in more than a decade. after years of working and waiting, we're finally seeing progress in the fight to save lives. these numbers didn't happen on their own. our comprehensive response involves countless law enforcement officers, medical professionals, educators, community leaders, and family members and friends of those affected. i'm proud of that. several times in recent years this senate has done our part to bolster this fight with sweeping, sweeping bipartisan action. we passed wide-ranging

legislation to backstop the work on the front lines with new programs, new funding for research, and new federal resources for the communities most in need. just last year we passed another landmark bill tack the crisis in -- bill to attack the crisis from every single angle. it supports mothers and babies struggling with opioid withdrawal and even includes one of my provisions to help those in recovery find a good job and stable housing as they work toward long-term recovery. i'm particularly proud of kentucky's own role in leading to this recovery. researchers at the university of kentucky received the largest federal grant in the school's history to fight opioid abuse all across our state. i was pleased to help them secure these resources as they aimed to achieve a 40% reduction of opioid overdose deaths in three years.

in my hometown of louisville, a private sector research facility received f.d.a. approval for a medicine to ease withdrawal symptoms, and i have worked to secure the inclusion of more kentucky counties under the high-intensity drug trafficking area program and increased coordination among local, state, and federal law enforcement on drug interdiction. this tireless work by kentuckians has helped write the headlines we're celebrating today. but, of course, there is still much more to do. we know this is not the end of the battle against addiction, not even close. but it's encouraging to see the reduction in overdose deaths across the country. as majority leader, i will continue to fight to ensure kentucky and the nation have the resources to build on this progress, prevent and treat addiction, and ultimately save lives.

and now, madam president, on one final matter. yesterday, the democratic house of representatives took a small step, small, to denounce the scourge of anti-semitism. they passed a symbolic resolution opposing efforts to delegitimize the state of israel and condemn the b.d.s. movement. it's too bad all of this, of all things, couldn't have been a unanimous vote. it's too bad that 16 democrats voted against condemning b.d.s. 16 democrats voted against condemning b.d.s. over in the house yesterday. it's regrettable that some of the democrats declined to represent the future of their party lobbied against a measure that should be completely without controversy. but even more broadly, madam president, i'm sorry that the bipartisan senate-passed bill that would actually do something about b.d.s. -- in other words, action, not mere rhetoric -- is still languishing

over in the house without a vote. bipartisan legislation that passed with the support of 77 senators, including my friend, the democratic leader. 77 votes here in the senate. thoroughly bipartisan, that the democratic house has found a way to fumble the ball. several months back, it took days of throat clearing and a whole lot of watering down before they could even halfway condemn anti-semitic remarks by one of their own members. and now this symbolic b.d.s. resolution is held up as a major victory while senate-passed legislation that would actually take action, actually do something against b.d.s. doesn't even get a vote. they don't want them to give it a vote over there in the house. the house republicans have called for a vote on s. 1 over

and over and over again, but the speaker of the house doesn't seem interested. i understand that picking fights with the president seems to be a higher priority across the capitol than joining with the senate to get bipartisan legislation actually made into law, but surely taking action to combat anti-semitic efforts to delegitimize israel shouldn't be too much to ask. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

mr. thune: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from south dakota. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be lifted. the presiding officer: without objection. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, department of transportation, stephen m. dickson of georgia to

be administrator of the federal aviation administration. mr. thune: madam president, last week, senator cardin and i introduced our s. corporation modernization act. that brings the total of tax reform bills i've introduced so far this year to six. madam president, 2017 was obviously a banner year for tax reform. in december of 2017, we passed the tax cuts and jobs act, a historic, comprehensive reform of our tax code that put more money in american families' pockets and helped spur growth in american businesses. the tax cuts and jobs act has been a great success for our economy and for hardworking americans, but there are still things we can do to strengthen our tax code even further. as i mentioned, last week, senator cardin and i introduced our s. corporation modernization act. s. corporations are the most common form of business structure in the united states. there are nearly five million of these businesses throughout the united states, including large

numbers in rural america. despite the popularity of s. corporations, however, there have been few s. corporation-related changes to the tax code since this business structure was created. and there are things we can do to make it easier for these businesses to operate and raise capital. that's why senator cardin and i developed the s.corp modernization act. this will make it easier for these businesses to grow and create new jobs and opportunities in their communities. madam president, change is a human constant, but with modern technology, the pace of change has seemed to accelerate. american workers and american businesses face very different situations than they did even a decade ago. it's important that our tax code keeps pace with a 21st century economy. in february, i reintroduced my mobile workforce state income tax simplification act, along with senator sherrod brown. today substantial numbers of workers travel to different states for temporary work

assignments on a regular basis. and they end up subject to a bewildering variety of state laws governing state income tax. senator brown's and my legislation would create an across-the-board standard for mobile employees who spend a short period of time working across state lines. it would ensure that states receive fair tax payments while essentially simplifying tax requirements for employees and employers. in march, i introduced two other bills focused on updating the tax code for the 21st century economy. the last decade or so has seen the rise of the gig economy. services provided by individuals through apps and websites like uber, lyft, taskrabbit, postmates, grubhub, and many others. these arrangements have stretched the boundaries of current tax law. my new economy works to guarantee the independence in growth act or the new gig act as we call it updates our tax law to provide clear guidance on the

classification of this new generation of workers. it will ensure that uber drivers, postmates, taskers, and others are treated as independent contractors for purposes of tax law if they meet a set of objective criteria. the certainty that my bill provides will benefit not only these workers but also additional independent contractors like freelance writers and delivery drivers. i also introduced the digital goods and services tax fairness act in march with senator wyden. our legislation is designed to be prevent consumers from being faced with multiple taxes for downloading digital products. for example, right now, a digital purchase of a television series could hypothetically be taxed in up to three states, depending on the circumstances of the purchase. the digital goods and services tax fairness act would provide rules of the road for taxing digital goods and services and ensure that digital purchases could only be taxed in one state, the state in which the consumer resides.

it would also prohibit states and local governments from taxing digital goods at higher rates than tangible goods. in other words, under our bill, that season of the office that you want to buy digitally shouldn't be taxed at a higher rate than if you were purchasing the season on d.v.d. madam president, we have a proud history of charitable giving in this country. americans care about a lot of worthy causes and are committed to helping those in need. that's why i have routinely introduced amendments to the tax code to make charitable giving easier, several of which have been signed into law. this year, i again introduced the charities helping americans regularly throughout the year, or charity act, with senator casey. this year's version of our bill builds on some of the provisions we succeeded in getting passed over the past few years and would continue to help make it easier for americans to give and charities to receive money. finally, madam president, this year, i once again introduced

legislation to repeal the punitive double or triple taxation known as the death tax. i have worked a lot on the death tax over the years because of the way it affects family farms and ranches. the death tax could make it difficult or impossible to hand on the happily farm or ranch to the next generation. while we gave farmers and ranchers substantial relief from the death tax in the tax cuts and jobs act, that relief is only guaranteed for six and a half more years, which is why i am committed to passing a permanent death tax repeal. madam president, i'm proud of the progress we've made for american businesses and american families with the tax cuts and jobs act, and i will continue working on these bills and others to further refine the tax code to spur economic growth and to address the realities of the 21st century economy. madam president, before i close, i'd like to take a couple of

minutes to recognize a staffer of mine who will be retiring at the end of this work period. lynn churchman first came to work for me in 2007 to help out on the 2008 farm bill. after the bill passed, he headed back to the farm service agency at the u.s. department of agriculture to serve as assistant deputy administrator for farm programs. but i asked him back in 2011 to work with me on the 2012 -- which actually ended up being the 2014 -- farm bill, and he has been with me ever since. madam president, i suppose it's possible that there is someone out there who knows the ins and outs of farm policy better than lynn, but i have yet to meet that person. after working with lynn in 2007 and 2008, i asked him back for the 2012 farm bill because i wanted the best for south dakota's farmers and ranchers. and lynn is the best. there is a reason for that. lynn has an impressive farm

policy resume on both the administrative and the legislative side. in addition to working for me, he worked for senator larry press letter on the 1990 -- pressler on the 1990 farm bill and he has extensive experience in the executive branch of our government. he worked at the farm service agency at the department of agriculture for years. as a county executive director in moody county, south dakota, as a county executive director in cass county, nebraska. as a program specialist and later a branch chief. and then as i mentioned as assistant deputy administrator for farm programs. he also worked for the nonprofit theodore roosevelt conservation partnership. but as preface his farm policy resume is, that's not all lynn has brought to the table. lynn often says the best ideas for a farm bill come from a farm, not from behind a desk in washington, d.c. and lynn isn't just an agricultural policy expert. lynn is a farmer.

not was a farmer. although he farmed a large spread for 15 years before going to work for the department of agriculture, but is a farmer. lynn still owns and operates a corn and soybean farm near platte, south dakota. so he has a deep insight into the challenges facing farmers and ranchers and how we can meet their needs here in washington, d.c. mr. president, i've talked a lot about lynn's agricultural expertise. i've relied on it for almost a decade. and south dakota farmers and ranchers are better off today because of the knowledge and insight that lynn has brought to the table. but i also want to talk about lynn personally. every one of us here in the senate wants smart and knowledgeable staffers, but in an ideal world, our staffers aren't just smart and knowledgeable. they also have the kind of character that lynn displays. dedicated, hardworking, cheerful, generous, humble, and

unfailingly kind. he's the kind of public servant we all aim to be and a gentleman in the very truest sense of the word. i'm not the only one who's going to miss lynn. every one of my staffers is going to miss him as well. he has been a mentor to many in the office. and perhaps more importantly he's been supplying the staff with doughnuts every friday for years. after a tough week every plookd forward to -- looked forward to his e-mail letting them know the crispy creams were in the office. the notification included a list of things that lynn was thankful for that week, whether it was the weather or the fact that will south dakota farmers had gotten all their soybeans in the ground. lynn and his wife mary were generous hosts inviting staffers over. we'll miss other lynn things too like his impressive cowboy boot collection or how he had to --

i should say how we had to prevent him from biking home in a torrential downpour. he tracked more than 5,000 miles traveling from his home on a daily basis. everyone will miss his stories like the one about the day that a younger lynn tried to bring a rattlesnake home in a burlap bag. as you can imagine the snake did not appreciate the accommodations so he got loose slithering under the driver's seat of lynn's car. lynn's abrupt exit from the vehicle created quite a hazard that day with the snake as the only occupant of the now driverless vehicle rolling down the gravel roads near his childhood home. when i talk about missing lynn, i also have to talk about the farmers and ranchers in my state who will miss having him here in washington. more than once agricultural groups in south dakota asked lynn to keynote their annual

banquets. on one occasion i offered to give the speech but was told that lynn was the preferred speaker. mr. president, lynn will be sorely missed but he has more than earned his retirement. i know how much he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife mary and with their five children and ten grandchildren. i know he and mary plan to travel to hawaii and alaska, and that it's a goal of lynn's to visit as many national parks as he possibly can. i know he will enjoy sitting, watching the waves with mary at their house in alabama and of course continuing to farm his corn and soybeans in south dakota. lynn, thank you for your service and your friendship. may god bless you in your retirement. mr. president, i yield the floor. and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: it's the morning after. this is a happy morning after because the 9/11 bill passed, and now it's on its way to the president's desk. my understanding is he's certain to sign it, and our first responders can breathe a sigh of relief. it's wonderful. now i am filled with gratitude for a lot of people. above all, those who rushed to the towers, those patriots, those brave men and women who put america, freedom, defending us at a time when we were under attack above their own safety. god bless them. god bless those who have passed from the illnesses. god bless those who are suffering from the illnesses. god bless those who will get illnesses yet unknown, their

families, their friends, their units, fire, police, port authority, you name it, military. yesterday i met an f.b.i. agent. i had not met her before, who was suffering from cancer who was there. god bless them all. so first and foremost, i want to thank so many people who made this happen. senator gillibrand, champion for the issue like no other, constantly here on the floor buttonholing people. and she's persistent, us who know her -- those of us who know her, over and over again until she got people like cotton and cruz to support our bill. second, brook jameson, she was the quiet force behind all this. i thank her as well as the rest of the gillibrand staff. our cosponsors in the senate, every one of them, thank you. and the leaders in the house,

congress members maloney and nadler and king and so many others. then there were the great advocates, stewart and thiel. they were the heart and soul of this operation. they kept going and going and going until they succeeded. one of my great joys -- my great sadness was meeting one of the widows. i met the family of detective gonzalez while at his wake. and that was a sad thing, but a happy thing was seeing the genuine smiles on the faces of stewart and particularly thiel, who doesn't smile much. and ben chabot, just relentless. and what about all the labor leaders and unions and, by the way, construction workers were another group that rushed to the

site and saved people. but the labor unions and leaders who organized with us every step of the way. the u.f.a. and the ufoa, the port authority unions, the p.b.a.ed and the d.e.a., the teachers, the building trades, the laborers, the afl-cio, so many more. the union movement always protects its workers. we need them to be stronger in earthquake in. it's one of the reasons -- in america. it's one of the reasons why income is floating up to the top and not going to the middle class anymore, because we don't have the strong unions anymore. but when the unions get behind something, god bless them. finally, to the first responders who came here themselves, who delayed cancer treatments to testify at hearings, who wheeled the halls of congress in their wheelchairs to chase down

lawmakers, their sacred totems of their service to remind those public servants to do the right thing. many are no longer with us. james zadroga, luis alvarez and my dear friend ray pfeifer. let them breathe a final sigh of relief knowing that their friends are cared for, their job well done. on another issue, all eyes are no doubt on the house judiciary committee where, as i speak, former special counsel robert mueller is testifying. his testimony is unquestionably of great interest and importance to the nation, but even without the special counsel's testimony today, congress must grapple with the report that he's already written. the principal conclusion of the

first section of the mueller report was that russia interfered in our 2016 elections, and this is his words, in a sweeping and systemic -- sweeping and systemic fashion. what he described in that section of his report constitutes nothing less than an attack on our democracy. it's almost like going 0 to war and hurting our men and women in the armed forces. and this administration and this chamber, frankly, has done not enough, not nearly enough, to respond to that attack and to prevent such an attack from taking place again. so i know that we're going to have a great deal of debate on the obstruction of justice. i'm appalled by what the president did there. but there should be no debate on, a, russian interference in our election -- that's unequivocal -- and, b that we must do a lot more about it to prevent it from happening in 2020. the trump administration has been horrible on this issue, unpatriotic, un-american, and

almost, you know, letting america fall prey to a nasty, brutal foreign power, russia. here in the senate, as usual, our republican colleagues just bow down in obeisance. leader mcconnell, shame on him, has stymied progress and consigned bipartisan bill after bill to his legislative graveyard. these are bipartisan bills. there are so many republicans who want to do something here. leader mcconnell doesn't. and that has nothing to do with democrat, republican, liberal, conservative. that has to do with patriotism and defending america. bipartisan bills to harden our election structure are languishing. the republican majority has even blocked democratic requests to provide additional election security funding to the states. just yesterday the f.b.i.

director confirmed that president putin remains intent on interfering if our elections and we -- in our elections and we haven't done enough to deter them. next to the brissenness of president putin's assault on our democracy, the republican response has been tepid. i know there will be great divisions about certain parts of the mueller report. we're seeing it in the hearings that go on now. but there can be no division -- and i haven't heard any republican 0en that panel right now, contest that russia interfered in our elections in a strong way in 2016. why aren't we doing something about it right now? let's forget the political divisions and let's forget the pettiness of president trump. president trump, the elections have interfered. every american knows it. let's not let it happen in 2020. let's work together on this. its vital to the future of american democracy. 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:

the presiding officer: the senator from tennessee. a senator: i ask consent to vitiate the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection. the question is on the dickson nomination. a senator: i ask for the yeas

and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote: vote:

vote: