sessions votes no. >> mr. leahy. >> aye by proxy. >> mr. leahy votes aye. miss murray. >> aye. >> in is murray votes aye. mr. wyden. >> aye. >> mr. wydenim votes aye. >> votes aye. >> votes aye. >> mr. chairman on that vote there were four ayes and three nays. >> four ayes, three nays. the amendment is agreed to on the senate side which then sends it to the house side. does the house have the language of the bill? i think we do have it. we do have it. i will claim the time on the majority side and would just note that this amendment to the pain management task force was never raised as part of either chambers deliberations that we're aware of during committee or floor consideration. particularly given some of the vague terminology used, it could have unintended consequences that have not been carefully considered such as making qualified participants less willing to participate in the task force, including some of the foremost experts in pain management. it could also cast unwarranted doubt on the integrity or validity of the recommendations raised by parti

mr. leahy? mr. leahy votes aye. ms. murray votes aye. mr. wyden votes aye. >> any members wishing to change your votes? seeing none, the clerk will report the tally. >> mr. chairman, on that vote there were four ayes and three nays. >> four ayes and three noes the amendment is agreed to and comes to the house conferees. and that -- before the majority, you are recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman, appreciate this. i oppose this amendment because it strikes a bipartisan policy kwhvs included in the house passed bill and which the administration supports. this amendment strikes an important policy that represents a key step forward in combatting opioid abuse. this policy fixes an unintended consequence with the medicaid drug rebate program that effectively discourages drug manufacturers from producing opioids that are harder to abuse. specifically this policy would exempt abuse deterrent formulations of drugs from the definition of line extension for purposes of calculating medicaid rebates. this policy is bipartisan and has

mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, while the senator from missouri is still on the floor, i noted my friend said about being the first member of his family to ga college degree, the leahys came to vermont about 1850's. grandfather was a stone carver and my father was a teenager and had to go to work. i became the first leahy to get a college degree. my sister the second one. and i have to think what the path might have been otherwise. i think one thing we all ought to agree on, we've got to make it easier for college to be affordable, and there will all kinds of plans and ideas. the kids have to do it if they want. it is so important to be able to compete today, and -- anyway, i was touched by what my friend said, and i appreciate it. mr. president, we have kind of a good news-bad news situation today. the good news, congress is taking a step forward on how to respond to opioid addiction by advancing the comprehensive addiction recovery act, cara, we're leaving behind decades-old misconceptions about how to c

mr. leahy: before the senator yields the floor, would he -- we talked about what vermont did. and, mr. president, isn't it a fact that the united states are senate didn't hold one single hearing, have one single witness come before it before they sent this bill. is that correct? mr. sanders: my colleague from vermont is absolutely correct. in vermont there were a number of discussions, there were a number of hearings. not here in the senate. mr. leahy: in fact, in the vermont legislature, is it not a fact that they had at least 50 -- 5-0 -- with at least 130 witnesses? sanders sanders m-- mr. sanders: my colleague from vermont makes a very, very important point. this vermont, this issue was seriously discussed. over 50 hearings were held, different points of view and objections were raised. and i would ask my colleague, just to confirm with me, how many hearings on this important and controversial bill were held hearing in the united states senate? mr. leahy: mr. president, i would answer my fr

mr. leahy: i want to than thanke -- i want to thank the distinguished senior senator from illinois for what he said. as he knows, many vermonters -- like many vermonters, i consider myself a responsible gun oarchlt but i don't think it is responsible when people are allowed to come in and buy guns with no background check, get whatever they want, and then make a profit selling them to gangs. how anybody, any lobby or any member of congress, can say they can support that? so i thank the senator from illinois for what he said. he's absolutely right. mr. presn another issue in just two weeks negotiators released what could only be called a proposal to require the labeling of genetically engineered foods. less than a week after it was released without any committee action, no testimony, no recorded feedback from either proponents or opponents, the senate majority leader filed cloture on a privileged vehicle to fast track this bill. gone are the promises of regular order. gone are the pledges of an

mr. leahy is recognized. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i'll put my full statement on the record. but i did want to hear because i have never seen anything like this in my own state, the opioid addiction from my years as a parent and grandparent, the yeeshz years as a prosecutor, i have never seen this. i have held hearingings, had conversations across kitchen tables, i have heard how this have destroyed lives. we're desperate for help. that's why we're here because, mr. chairman, all of you represent communities just like we have in vermont. there's not a state or a district that isn't facing this. we're in this together. i think if we stick together, we can do something about it. the comprehensive addiction and recovery act through the senate. prior the knee jerk reaction was punitive on addiction. we showed as you combat addiction as you would any other disease. prevention, treatment, recovery. i think that i worry in the draft conference report that we have programs administered by the attorney general and have stripped out these strategies that are best practices evidence sho

senator leahy: thank you. mr. chairman, i'm glad to have secretary johnson back to the committee. i think hearings about security in the nation is timely. the massacre of 49 innocent people at a lgbt nightclub in orlando is a national credit. ever-growing list of mass shootings across the country and an office party in san bernardino, the planned parenthood clinic in colorado springs, the historic mother emanuel church in charleston, a jewish community center in h temple in, a sik oak creek, elementary school in newtown, we need to take action to keep this country safe. we know we can take action. we saw one of the worst mass killings in oklahoma city. so, if we focus on homeland security, we have to look at what all these acts of domestic , the majority of american people, we have to toughen our they want to know that congress is doing something to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. and suspected terrorists. have universal background checks, the same kind of back on tech i have to have if i go through a gun store in vermont. universal background checks for gun shows and els

mr. president, i want to thank my colleagues, senators leahy and sanders, as well as senator tester and others who have championed this cause. most importantly, senator merkley, who has helped to lead this effort. i believe that the concerns we have expressed are urgent and immediate. and even at this late hour, i urge my colleagues to reject this measure as it has been drafted now and adopt these commonsense amendments that will improve it. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from west virginia. mr. manchin: mr. president, i've been coming to the floor every week for quite some time talking about an epidemic that we have to fight through and that's an epidemic of opiates drug abuse. this is prescription drug abuse. we've come to a crisis in our country. i think we realize that, both democrats and republicans. it doesn't pick side, whether you're rich or poor, what race you may be. what religion you practice. it basically attacks everybody. in 2014, 18,893 people died to prescription opiate overdoses. that's an average of 51

mr. secretary. fully implementing this program will require legislation here in congress. i'm working with my colleagues, including ranking member leahy on that legislation. however, as you know in addition to the legislation, which i hope will pass this year, we need a specific mou with canada at the peace bridge. where are your negotiations with the new canadian government to make this happen? will you commit to getting an mou permanent pre-inspection for the peace bridge by the end of the year? it isohnson: senator, been a while since i checked in on progress concerning the peace bridge. i should have done that before i knew i was going to have this hearing. sen. schumer: even after all that nice praise i give you? sec. johnson: yes, i know. we have to check on the status of our discussion. sen. schumer: but would you make every effort to get this done by the end of the year? sec. johnson: i will make every effort to do the right thing and get this done. nd. of .umer: by the. e the year. sec. johnson: the end of my time is rapidly approaching. sen. schumer: that is why i am saying the end of the year. even have a new yorker as the

mr. chairman, i have a long list of statements i would like to submit for the record from the ranking member, senator leahy, from the muslim public affairs council, amnesty international, the labor alliance, recent "new york times" article by aziz ansa ansari. a "washington post" article by general petraeus. i assume those would be admitted without objection. >> without objection. >> as to the empty seats before us and your opening comments, it was my understanding this meeting was scheduled with a bear minimum of notice and no consultation from the inviting witnesses. it is my expectation they're busy keeping our country safe and as you surely appreciate from your work at the justice department, asking witnesses here to speak about the ongoing investigation into the orlando incident would not have produced any productive testimony. and i will note that the homeland security secretary, jeh johnson, will be before this exact committee in two days, prepared to answer questions. let me close by quoting what i have just submit for the record, an article from yesterday david petraeus. quote, those who flirt wit

mr. secretary. the buffalo side has less room. i understand that fully implementing the program will require legislation here in congress. i'm working with my colleagues, including ranking member leahy, he has a canadian border as well, on this legislation. as you know, in addition to the legislation, which i hope will pass this year, we need a specific mou with canada at the peace bridge. where are your canadians with the new canadian government to make this happen? will you commit to getting mou permanent pre-inspection committed for the peace bridge before the end of the year? sec. johnson: senator, it has been a while since i checked in on progress considering the peace bridge. i should have done that before this meeting. sen. cornyn: even after all that schumer:se -- sen. even after all that nice praise? sec. johnson: i know. i would have to check on the status and get back to you. . sen. schumer: will you make every effort to get this done by the end of the year? sec. johnson: i will make every effort to get this done. sen. schumer: by the end of the year. sec. johnson: well, the end of the year is rapidly approaching. the end of my time is rapidly approaching. sen. schumer: t