. >> i will turn over to senator carper. i want is to this to be pretty free-flowing so feel free to talk about something i want to see an open discussion. senator carper. >> i apologize for being late. i -- senator as you know has a delightful if it's been introduced that it's required but it's required for the gathering of biometrics on the program can you explain why that is counterproductive? the idea of the implementation. so -- the idea in lieu of her approach is to try to see what we can learn from that pilot or what doesn't work and maybe what does work. could one of the other witnesses give your response to that reaction >> well we are open to any requirements adding a value to the program whether it be something that's referring to biometrics or others so we are absolutely trying to work very hard to address any security gap that may arise as a result of the changing environment. we are looking to expand preclearance. >> i'm trying to get reactions to the pilot. i think that we are contemplating in some of the disc

carpers says: "and he took an approximate 3 million dollars from 8 investors based upon lies he told them about his prior performance as a portfolio manager, the amount of assets under the funds management and the oversight of the fund by independent auditors. shkreli increased the price of daraprim more than five thousand percent...making him a target on social media. but didn't he spend long in custody... bonding out at five million dollars. if convicted in the fraud case... he could face up to 20 years in prison. the accusations do not relate to company that raised the price of daraprim. the united states and cuba have agreed to commercial flight services between the two countries. the news comes from the state department one year to the day after president obama and cuban the countries would begin working together after 50 years. economic development between the u-s and cuba. it's an important step forward but it is just one step there are many more steps to come obviously so we welcome this agreement and look forward to seeing it get into affect." flights will begin arriving. th

senator carper senator coons and myself have worked as a delegation to advance this credit to the fuel cell technology. and it was senator carpenter's understanding in the conversation that he had with leader reed that that would be included. we have been told over here on this side of the capitol that it was not part of the agreement over here, and that therefore what communication would have to come from the senate to house leadership speaker ryan, leader pelosi. this amendment is simply a mechanism to carry that agreement forward if that communication occurs, recognizing we're at the 11th hour here on a very important piece of legislation. and i would just end by thanking all the appropriators and the negotiators for the time that they're putting into this to emphasize how important this particular provision is. not just for the installation in our state, but for installations across, around the country. in the scheme of things, it's a small item for the people who work in delaware and the hundreds who work in california and other places around the country. it is a very important ma

i think this is something also that senator carper said, country voted into program that includes bothuntries in the program i want to keep the status but we shouldn't lose sight of countries outside of the program who want to get in. the program serves -- but it serves as an incentive to raise their security standards. that our country on the outside looking in hussein some of these information sharing agreements because they want to get in even though that may not happen for another five years. >> i can say is the chairman of the european subcommittee on foreign relations, trust me, that i countries who want to get in. they are working hard spent and that benefits everybody. >> it's a powerful incentive. >> i would agree entirely the program because it is underpinned by these requirements that we are continually assessing and pushing for improved upon absolutely makes safer in that regard because to remain a member, and actually there is the issue of the incentives and disincentives remaining a member or losing membership. that's important and there is self-interest. fundamentally th

tom carper has laid out a bill saying, why can't the security agencies handle this with other agencies? the numbers are vulnerable to fraud and waste. individuals getting jobs, filing false tax reports. though should and can be resolved. but we are losing billions in the process. the national parks service did a study on what bugs do we you turn on a light in a dark world place. everyone in oklahoma can tell do when you turn on a light in a dark place. for the regulations, we focused on what the federal government should and should not do. this is not an anti-regulation piece. but some of these regulations have real effects on americans. the corps of engineers have already said they do not want to implement this rule. it will cost americans billions of dollars. what is happening with community banks, the qualified more trick -- mortgage peace, has really affected rural america. there is usually only one or two banks in rural america. things like that, we do not think may common sense. we want to address some of those. some of them are also process pieces. it is no secret i have had fru

supposed to be offensive minded coach not seeming to be getting it done this year with all changes a carperceiver and running back and of course defense again today. >> demarco murray signing chip will never admit it not during the season or while he's on the team it's been the worst signing since chip has been here. >> you have to look at how bad is that the nnamdi trade. you look at what demarco murray has done and it's ugly. third straight game without him starting in fact he was on the bench most of the way. >> you have to believe he thinks he's regretting coming here as well. eagles lose 40-17, for jeff skversky i'm ducis rogers we'll eagles lose 40-17, for jeff skversky i'm ducis rogers we'll see you next >> i'm karen rogers. >> and i'm erin o'hearn. saturday/tonight on fyi philly. this is so cheerful! >> it's a celebration of the holidays! >> they are just so beautiful and bright. >> we'll have some last minute shopping ideas for you. >> it's really becoming a holiday tradition. >> and lots of fun things to do in the city and the suburbs. >> merry christmas! >> plus we get a recipe f

stepped in and helped us get back on track, and i want to thank senator carper for that. his early leadership as an original cosponsor of this bill got us off on the much-needed right foot, and other moderates joined in, and we had some momentum billing up. -- building up. this has been a long road to get here today. i want to thank chairman inhofe for his calm, steady leadership and senators merkley, booker, whitehouse, markey, and coons, and senator durbin, and many, many others. all helped move this forward. all helped make this a better bill. and i also want to thank bonnie lautenberg. senator lautenberg fought hard for tsca reform. i was proud to take up that fight, and i'm grateful to bonnie, who has helped us every step of the way. she's been an incredible advocate in terms of interacting with senators and their staff to push the crucial message forward on tsca reform, and it was the message that her husband, frank lautenberg, would repeat every day when i saw him in committee. he said, are we doing the right thing for our children and our grandchildren? and he rea

i'm curious to know whether -- following up on senator carper's question about piloting. would it be useful for us to pilot all three depending on the country just to gain some experti expertise, gain some insight into how those would work? >> with respect to the pilots it's not about whether it could work. i think it's a could. it's a question of benefit versus cost. biometrics were taken every day at consulates all over the world. they're capable of doing it. it's been close to 30 years. the state department staffing and resources just doesn't exist in paris, for example, for all the visa waiver travelers who came from france. you have to ramp up the foreign service significant ly and buy more office space or set up a satellite location staffed either by government employees or some sort of contractor. it's not that it wouldn't work. it's just that it's a pretty massive undertaking and, again, from what i see at the moment to be minimal security benefits with both the biographic vetting that goes on at the ports of entry when the travelers arrive. it's not worthwhile co

i'm curious to know whether -- following up on senator carper's question about piloting. would it be useful for us to pilot all three depending on the country just to gain some expertise, gain some insight into how those would work? >> with respect to the pilots it's not about whether it could work. i think it's a could. it's a question of benefit versus cost. biometrics were taken every day at consulates all over the world. they're capable of doing it. some of these visa waiver countries haven't been issuing regular b1, b2 via sasse foreclose to 30 years. the state department staffing and resources just doesn't exist in paris, for example, for all the visa waiver travelers who came from france. you have to ramp up the foreign service significantly and buy more office space or set up a satellite location staffed either by government employees or some sort of contractor. it's not that it wouldn't work. it's just that it's a pretty massive undertaking and, again, from what i see at the moment to be minimal security benefits with both the biographic vetting that goes on at t

senator carper, senator whitehouse, senator merkley, senator markey, senator booker. many, many senators on that committee focused in with you and with -- with senator vitter to make sure that we got this done. so i'm -- i'm very proud of what we have done today. i think it will be looked back on as a major environmental accomplishment in terms of bipartisan and pulling people together and the thing that we did that i'm very proud of is we had all stakeholders at the table and we listened to them and we proceeded through, and it's a real tribute to your ability as a legislator. i mean, we don't have to be convinced on this bill. just earlier in the year you produced a transportation bill which was a major accomplishment for five years. and so now once again, chairman inhofe, this has showed how you're able to pull people together and get this done. so i -- i once again just want to thank you. i know there are additional comments that we'll make later on, but i know that the lautenberg family has followed this closely. bonnie lautenberg has followed this. they're going

i also want to thank senator carper from delaware and senator ron johnson from wisconsin for shepardsinghis through the senate. this is their bill we're taking. if the senate has the same bill as the house does, the senate gets all the credit. but that's -- sometimes it's interesting to see what you can actually accomplish around here, mr. speaker, if you don't worry about who gets credit. but i do want to thank the folks who took the time and the effort to shepherd this very sound, well considered and partisan bill to the floor today. with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. connolly: i rise in support of the federal improper payments coordination act for the house this afternoon. and i'm pleased to join my friend, mr. mulvaney, from south carolina, in sponsoring the house companion of this bipartisan legislation. he's already mentio

i guess i am curious to know whether -- following up on senator carper's question about piloting, would it be useful for us to pilot all three depending on the country just to gain some expertise or some insight into how those would work? >> i think we have instructed the pilots, it is not about whether it could work. it is a question of benefit versus cost. by metrics are taken every day at embassies and consulates all over the world. in some of these visa waiver countries of course, they have not been issuing regularly b1 and b2 visas were close to 30 years. to do that for all of the visa waiver travelers who come from france. you either have to ramp up the foreign service significantly and probably by more office space. that is when we have to set up some sort of satellite location. we have to have some sort of contractor to oversee enrollment. it is not that it wouldn't work, but it is a massive undertaking. and from what i see we will have minimal security benefits compared to what we are getting now with the biographic and biometric vetting goin gg on now. it is not that it is not

carper: i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. carper: i mentioned to you in our brief conversation before i came to the podium, mr. president, one of the things i try to do every month or so is come to the floor, usually when things are slower. there is not a lot going on on the floor. and just to talk about some of the folks who work for us who serve our country in the department of homeland security. earlier this week, as you may recall, an outfit called the partnership for public service released their annual report in which they rank the best places in which to work in the federal government. and the report is based on surveys that are conducted by -- literally by hundreds of thousands of federal employees. this year, it showed an increase in overall employee morale for the first time i guess in four or five years. despite the progress that appears to have made in a number of federal agencies, not all, but thus many components of the department of homeland security continue to --

mcconnell: i further ask that the carper substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the bill as amended 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. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 320, s. res. 189. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 320, s. res. 189, expressing the sense of the senate regarding the 25th anniversary of democracy in mongolia. the presiding officer: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. mcconnell: i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: now i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to calendar number 321, s. res. 320. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar